Audible Book Review: Lords of Space by Michael Wallace

This story has strong action but some weaker elements.

Lords of Space
Starship Blackbeard, Book 2
By: Michael Wallace
Narrated by: Steve Barnes

Series: Starship Blackbeard, Book 2
Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins
Unabridged
Release date: 04-15-15
Language: English
Publisher: Balsalom Publishing
Genre: Action, Sci Fi, Space Marine
Story Rating: 3.75 of 5.0
Narration/Audio Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Captain James Drake is desperate to clear his name. Pursued relentlessly by the Royal Navy, he takes his loyal crew to attack Admiral Malthorne's estate and seize the evidence that will prove his innocence.
But their search uncovers something else the ruthless admiral has secreted away - the key to stopping a brutal and decades-old war with the Hroom, an ancient alien race. What they find sends Drake on a dangerous mission deep into Hroom territory. Joined by his valiant crew and the daughter of a former rival captain, Drake risks his life and his freedom to stop the war and save what's left of his world.
Book two in the Starship Blackbeard series by Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author Michael Wallace.
The series continues: book three - Dreadnought; book four - Rebellion of Stars.
©2015 Michael Wallace (P)2015 Michael Wallace

Review:
Captain Drake is on the run with his crew and a pirated spaceship dubbed the Blackbeard. Drake insists on striking back at Admiral Malthorne who has manipulated the predicament that set Drake and his crew on the run. He leads his loyal crew to raid the Admiral’s estate looking for evidence that will prove him innocent of the accusations made. Instead he finds another secret that could change the face of the decades old war with the Hroom. Of course they will have to escape and get somewhere safely with their find which may not be too easy with all the Royal Navy fleet pursuing them.

Drake teams up with an unlikely ally in the daughter of a former rival ship captain. They are two strong personalities and she envisions then as “lords of space”. He is more interested in clearing his name, but he is practical enough to accept help to fend off the enemy. The two dance around trust until they form a shaky alliance – in more than piracy. Captain Drake and his XO, Commander Tolvern, have an interesting and sometimes tense relationship. Their camaraderie is stressed by the female ally.

As the journey deep into enemy territory continues Drake comes face to face with his old friend, Captain Rutherford, who has been following orders to chase Drake down. Their encounter sets the stage for more intrigue in book 3.

I enjoyed the action in this story but the plot didn't move along as much as I would have liked. The entertainment was marred for me by a bit of crudeness and gratuitous sex (including a beginning in rather poor taste). The awkward love triangle with the Captain was another area that I wasn’t taken with. These have left me somewhat ambivalent about proceeding with the rest of the series. I might, but probably not anytime soon.

Audio Notes: Steve Barnes does a good job with narration. He portrays the strength of Captain Drake, the emotional upheavals of the women, and he provides good accents for various characters making them easily distinguishable. I also liked the intensity and energy he brings to the audio. I enjoyed listening to this book.

Source: Audible 2017 Credit Purchase. This qualifies for 2018TBR, Take Control, Audiobook and Alphabet Challenges.

Book 1 Review: Starship Blackbeard by Michael Wallace; My Rating 4.75