Precursor by Joel Shepherd (2025)

The "Spiral Wars" story ranks among my favorite space opera series. I enjoy the author's descriptions of the setting, technology, and military action. Shepherd balances intense close combat with complex fleet maneuvers. I typically pre-order these books immediately: Precursor slipped only recently under my radar. The discovery became a special treat.

The AI machine age history arc takes a fun turn with evolving plot lines and characters. Shepherd uses golden age science fiction tropes to evoke a sense of mystery. He introduces advanced technologies, such as wormholes, that remain beyond our understanding. This background creates a feeling of awe and wonder.

The adversaries are embedded in well-meaning but destructive institutions. These "bad guys" are apparatchiks trapped within a massive bureaucracy. They cannot see perspectives beyond their own insular setting. They act without malice because of their limited worldview. These characters believe they are doing the right thing. This bureaucratic nature makes them worthy enemies for the crew of the Phoenix.

The book features dramatic deaths and expands the roles of background characters. These individuals now pursue their own adventures. I disliked the ending because the story opens more threads than it resolves. However, I am thrilled the author intends to continue the series. I eagerly await the next installment. 5/5 Stars

Starship Bandits by Jonathan Yanez and Ross Buzzel (2024)

The plot moves along well and the characters are tolerable.  The writing is somewhat flat and clumsy.  Science is disastrous.  I can accept orc-like aliens who look and act human and conveniently speak English. It's like Star Trek.  The authors' biology and physics are terrible.  Haploid insects? Body sizes and strengths that ignore basic scaling laws and biophysics? Every technical detail collapses under the slightest consideration. The bad science overwhelmed everything else and ruined the book for me. Not recommended. 1/5 Stars. 

Crystal Soldier by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (2006)

I started Crystal Soldier because my usual favorite authors have not released any light, enjoyable space opera in a while, and I wanted something new to fill that gap. Unfortunately, this book did not work for me at all.

The science feels flimsy, the world-building is unconvincing, and the antagonists never seem to have meaningful motivations. Even though the prose itself is clean and the editing is competent, the story is slow and the action lacks weight. The close-quarters combat scenes in particular are so implausible that they pulled me out of the narrative rather than drawing me in.

What frustrates me most is how poorly recommendation systems categorize works like this. They keep lumping together hard science fiction with fantasy, supernatural elements, and loose world-building. This book is another example of that failure. It sits much closer to fantasy than to any credible science fiction tradition, and it left me bored from start to finish. 1/5 Stars.

StarGods: Star Carrier 9 by Ian Douglas (2020)

The book has minor flaws. Many characters ascend into "the Singularity," and political squabbles dominate much of the drama, action, and combat. Long-term security and the demands of perpetual vigilance are largely unresolved. The Enlightenment-era spirit of exploration is overshadowed by a seduction of utopic cyberspace.

Despite these issues, the novel succeeds as a conclusion. The storylines resolve convincingly within the universe Douglas built over the series. The characters remain engaging, and the scale of the narrative delivers the expected spectacle. 5/5 stars.

Bright Light: Star Carrier 8 by Ian Douglas (2018)

I enjoyed this penultimate book despite all the annoyances. The expansion of the magical system feels arbitrary and contrivances for the plot. The repeated use of time travel and time dilation produces convenient but extremely inconsistent results. The world-building creates the largest gap. Earth and the Sol system remain the focus of every advanced species despite an earlier claim that the Sh'daar empire spans millions of species and quadrillions of people. The  trans-universal and post-singularity powers amplifies the mismatch. The setting becomes Sol-centric in a way that conflicts with the series' own premises.

However, the strengths hold the volume together. The characters maintain momentum. The plot lines converge. The sense of awe remains intact. The action keeps the story moving. The writing sustains a great pace. The result is a workable space opera that I found entertaining. 3/5 stars.

Dark Mind by Ian Douglas (2017)

This seventh book in the series pulls the story line up from its prior slump. Space opera tropes, including vast fleets clashing through interstellar regions of our galaxy blazed with fresh fire. I savored the new, inscrutable aliens tugging strings from the shadows, exposing layers of star gods and elder manipulators that mirrored L Ron Hubbard and Scientology's wild cosmology with Thetans plotting, Xenu, and the ancient "incidents."

The main character steered the human fight, making monumental decisions with bad data.  I enjoyed the gritty characters as they sidestepped plot twists with razor wit. Fleet clashes thrummed; close combat boarding raids checked the space opera box.

Alien tech pulverized humanity's defenses; I did not like the repetitive eleventh-hour saves because they were over-used. But the author made it all work.  What if galaxy architects juggle us as pawns? The reader grapples with free will trapped in scripted destinies, a cosmic horror twist. Douglas revived the saga for me. 5/5 Stars

Deep Time by Ian Douglas (1999)

This sixth book in the "Star Carrier" series is much better than the last one.  The fleet battles rage in fun space operatic fashion.  First-contact scenarios with inscrutable, cryptic aliens are intriguing and we are willing to suspend disbelief.  Even the time travel elements fail to detract from the plot and story arcs.  Heroic close-combat continues to pulse.  The awe-and-wonder space opera elements are all represented.  The big picture narrative of the invasion of our universe by beings fleeing their universe's heat death is wonderful.  Humanity deals with a civil war and forges pacts with space aliens amid existential battles. The story faces the "Singularity" question of whether the technology explosion will cause extinction or enable survival. Fun! 4/5 Stars.

Dark Matter by Ian Douglas (2014)

Dark Matter, the fifth novel in Ian Douglas's Star Carrier series, pushes humanity's struggle into new cosmic territory where intelligence, evolution, and divinity blur. Admiral Trevor "Gray" Grayman leads his fleet against not only alien forces but also the unsettling prospect that consciousness itself may be a cosmic weapon.

The premise is ambitious but uneven. The vast scale of the multiverse and its alien hierarchies promises awe, yet the story sinks under repetition and pseudo-science. Physics, sociology, and psychology appear as hollow exposition rather than tools that move the plot or deepen character. The best parts—the space combat and the mystery of the "posthuman" entities—are buried beneath long detours on AI, memeplexes, and vacuum energy.

The novel aims for transcendence but rarely achieves coherence. I may continue the series for its scope, but this volume disappoints. 2/5 stars.

Moon Rising by Ian McDonald (2019)

McDonald concludes the Luna trilogy by converging every narrative arc with space-opera optimism. The novel's lunar dynasties, shattered by betrayal and war, persist in a final contest for survival and autonomy. Character trajectories—Lucas Corta's persistence, Wagner's loyalty, and the Suns' political calculation—unfold through fun and credible transformations. McDonald sharpens genre conventions, anchoring personal stakes to wider systemic change and broader scope. Tension between familial ambition and social order drives the series to its conclusion, elevating the outcome beyond melodrama 5/5 stars.

Deep Space by Ian Douglas (2013)

In Deep Space, the fourth installment of Ian Douglas's military science fiction series, the familiar blend of vast interstellar conflict, political intrigue, and alien mystery continues with impressive energy. Douglas expands his universe with new technologies, additional alien species, and a steady escalation of fleet-scale battles that retain both tactical realism and emotional resonance.

The novel balances the spectacle of large-scale combat with evolving character arcs that add substance to the action. Several returning figures grow in depth, and for once, their personal stakes feel genuinely earned amid the chaos of war. The author handles his shifting perspectives and complex geopolitics with clarity, keeping the pacing brisk even as the strategic layers multiply.

While the grand themes of sacrifice and duty remain constant, Douglas injects enough unpredictability into the plot to keep readers engaged. A few turns arrive unexpectedly yet feel natural within the larger narrative structure.

Deep Space is classic Ian Douglas: hard-edged, cinematic, and unapologetically patriotic, with enough speculative science and spacefaring wonder to satisfy serious fans of the genre. 4/5 stars

Wreck Jumpers 2 by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole (2025)

The second novel extends the arcs of the original rescue team as they confront the same shadowed adversaries—formidable in political reach, skill, and intrigue. The Warsh aliens dominate this installment, endowed with powers beyond even the Galaxy's Edge mythos, reshaping the scale of combat. The narrative broadens with sharper personalities, including robots that now carry voice, wit, and purpose absent in the first volume. Battles accelerate, characters evolve, and the stakes rise without dilution. The story probes how authority, whether political or military, mutates when opposed by loyalty forged under pressure. It also suggests that technology gains meaning only through the values projected onto it by those who wield it. A concise and vigorous continuation. 5/5 stars

Wreck Jumpers by Nick Cole and Jason Anspach (2025)

Cole and Anspach launch another military space opera within their Wayward Galaxy universe, trading narrative depth for kinetic entertainment. The familiar setting and search-and-rescue framing provide novelty, while the characters bristle with energy and rapid-fire banter, echoing the spirit of their earlier work. The result is exuberant, chaotic action punctuated by audacious rescues, though the prose lacks the refinement and immersion achieved in their more polished novels. It succeeds as light diversion—spirited rather than resonant. 4/5 stars.

Der fremde Passagier 2 von Dominik A Meier (2023)

Das zweite Buch dieser zweiteiligen Reihe setzt das Abenteuer von William Kyle fort, dem unerschrockenen Schmuggler der Weltraumpiraten im Jahr 2197. Es ist noch schlimmer als das erste Buch.

Die Handlung setzt in eine dystopische Zukunft, in der die Erde die Herrschaft über das Sonnensystem an sich reißt. Die freien Kolonien fallen einer nach der anderen, und die Menschheit versinkt im Chaos, während eine mysteriöse Krankheit Millionen von Menschen dahinrafft.

Die Geschichte geht in den gleichen abgedroschenen, erfundenen Actionsequenzen wie im ersten Buch weiter, in denen William und seine Freunde jeder unmöglichen Situation nur knapp entkommen. Die letzten Chater winden sich zu einer bizarren, zufälligen, hirntoten Abfolge völlig unplausibler Ereignisse mit einem sehr deprimierenden, schrecklichen, aber sehr willkommenen Ende. Ich weiß nicht, warum ich weitergelesen habe. Absolut nicht zu empfehlen. 0/5 Sterne.

Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card (2011)

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Although I usually avoid time-travel stories, Orson Scott Card's Pathfinder (2011), the first book in its series, completely won me over with his masterful storytelling and meticulous attention to detail. Card dedicates much of this opening volume to crafting a fascinating magic system that feels both unique and immersive. The characters, especially the teenage protagonists, are engaging and relatable, with the self-aware hero Rigg reminding me of Card's beloved character Ender Wiggin. The intricate political dynamics and vivid setting make the story lively and enjoyable. I'm excited to have found this series and look forward to continuing it. 5/5 Stars.

The Forgotten Ship by J.N. Chaney & Terry Mixon (2025)

The Forgotten Starship, the opening installment of a new space opera series by prolific authors J.N. Chaney and Terry Mixon, delivers a compelling blend of interstellar adventure and character-driven storytelling. Set in a richly imagined universe, the narrative follows a crew navigating a derelict starship's mysteries, grappling with advanced alien technologies and existential threats. The plot's unpredictable twists, evoking Fritz Leiber's swashbuckling Fafhrd and Gray Mouser tales, balance high-stakes action with introspective character arcs.

The authors' world-building, while occasionally leaning into fantastical elements that may jar readers preferring hard science fiction, excels in evoking awe through speculative technologies and cosmic scale. Themes of resilience, discovery, and moral ambiguity resonate, offering STEM readers intellectual fodder for analyzing human-machine interactions and societal structures in speculative settings. Business professionals may appreciate the crew's strategic problem-solving and leadership dynamics under pressure.

Despite minor tonal inconsistencies from fantasy-infused elements, the vivid characters and intricate universe make this a strong series opener. I anticipate exploring the sequel to see how the narrative evolves. 4/5 Stars.

A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge (1999)

When I pulled A Fire Upon the Deep off my shelf, I was convinced I'd read it 25 years ago, back when it swept the 1993 Hugo, Campbell, and Prometheus Awards, narrowly missing the Nebula and Locus. To my surprise, I hadn't! This novel, penned by the late Vernor Vinge, who passed in 2024, represents the sci-fi master at his peak. The intricate world-building, vibrant characters, and tightly woven subplots showcase why Vinge was a titan of the genre, earning accolades with nearly every release.

The story's inventive magic system—rooted in the unique physics of its galaxy-spanning setting—left me spellbound, while the complex character arcs kept me turning pages late into the night. From interstellar civilizations to alien minds, Vinge's creativity dazzles, blending hard science fiction with gripping human (and nonhuman) drama.

Rediscovering this gem inspired me to hunt down the rest of the Zones of Thought series, eager to see if I missed other treasures. If you love immersive, thought-provoking sci-fi, A Fire Upon the Deep is a must-read.

5/5 Stars – Highly recommended!

We Dare by Eric Thomson (2019)

As a young teen, I might have been swept up by We Dare's sharply drawn characters and moderately engaging action. The story's pulse, at its best, hints at adventure. But as an older reader, my patience wore thin. The writing often stumbles, plagued by clunky prose and glaring plot holes. The science underpinning the world feels flimsy at best, and the economics of the setting stretch believability to the breaking point.

Worse, the story lacks stakes. The "good guys" wield such overwhelming military and political might that tension and drama evaporate, leaving little to grip the reader. I wanted to be invested, but the narrative's flaws made it impossible. "We Dare" ultimately disappointed me, failing to deliver the depth or thrill I crave in science fiction. 1/5 Stars.

Rebel by David Weber and Richard Fox (2024)

Remember the Honor Harrington stories David Weber wrote in the early 1990's? This new series he is writing with Richard Fox is just as much fun.  The detailed space fleet engagements and sophisticated, consistent magic system is fun, and the vector math as explained enables the reader to visualize the engagements clearly.  The politics are intentionally similar to the Honor Harrington universe, with wicked Oligarchs and oppressed colonies. I am enjoying these books. 5/5 Stars.

Task Force Hammer by Craig Alanson (2024)

I am surprised at how terrible the copy editing is.  A simple grammar checker could have mixed almost all of the errors.  The story ends in a cliffhanger, so if you don't like the "Perils of Pauline" style abrupt cliffhanger endings, wait for the next book to be published  before starting this one. Parts of some of the B stories in this one are a little boring, but Skippy and team are still fun. 4/5 Stars.

Not Till We Are Lost: Bobiverse, Book 5, Audiobook (2024)

I like the Bobiverse books.  This one rambled in too many details of too many different B plots and threads that were too esoteric.  All-in-all, the story is still a fun romp, reminiscent of  the fun light books that Robert A Heinlein wrote towards the end of his career.  Taylor introduces new technology in the bobiverse magic system and new existential threats to all life in the galaxy to keep his "space opera vibe" going.  4/5 Stars.