Age of Expansion: A Kurtherian Gambit Series
Ghost Squadron Boxed Set, Books 1-4
By: Sarah Noffke, Michael Anderle
Narrated by: Chris Abernathy
Series: The Kurtherian Gambit Universe, Book 104, 106, 108, 111, The Ghost Squadron, Book 1-4
Length: 26 hrs and 6 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 02-20-19
Language: English
Publisher: LMBPN
Genre: Genetic Engineering, Sci Fi, Space Military
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4,25 and Narration 4.25.
Publisher's Summary
After 10 years of wandering the outer rim of the galaxy, Eddie Teach is a man without a purpose. He was one of the toughest pilots in the Federation, but now he's just a regular guy, getting into bar fights and making a difference wherever he can. It's not the same as flying a ship and saving colonies, but it'll have to do.
That is, until General Lance Reynolds tracks Eddie down and offers him a job. There are bad people out there, plotting terrible things, killing innocent people, and destroying entire colonies.
©2018 Sarah Noffke, Michael Anderle (P)2019 LMBPN
Review:
Eddie Teach was a Federation Pilot who stepped away from the stress and has been traveling around as a - mostly – regular guy. What isn’t really regular is that he tends to pick fights with bad characters whenever he gets the chance. He is a bit surprised when General Lance Reynolds and a strong human female, Juliana, show up to offer him a spot as pilot on a special team that is secretly fighting evil.
Captain Teach and Commander Juliana Fregin begin with a refurbished craft and the aid of an E.I. (Extended Intelligence) named Pip who is connected to Juliana and ArchAngel, the ship A.I.. Their first few missions are to recruit more unique crew members. There is a many tentacled creature (a Londil) who is a genius mechanic; an unexpected addition of a Kezzin soldier; a whiz-kid hacker and a few others added to fill out what is dubbed the Ghost Squadron. Fortunately Juliana is an enhanced kick-butt leader as she and Eddie face multiple dangerous engagements before they add a true fighting force to their team.
The primary characters are well developed. The bantering dialogue and heckling relationships among the characters add a fun aspect. The story is full of dangerous action from the beginning to the end. The alien characters and world building are creative. The alien species include violent Trids – a form of hammerhead shark who carry their own mechanism to help breath out of water and the Kezzin, a species with red, scaly skin and yellow eyes. The Kezzin were once isolationists but have recently been pulled into territorial wars.
The writing is on an easily readable level and moves along well. The only drawback for me was some (though not necessarily excessive) cursing. (The blurb does include a warning which is nice.)
This collection includes Noffke’s first four books in this Kurtherian Gambit Age of Expansion side series: Formation, Exploration, Evolution and Degeneration. These four books create a consistent plot line that is mostly resolved in book four. Still, it is clear there are new adventures and missions and I may be willing to continue in Noffke’s world.
Audio Notes: Chris Abernathy does a very good job with the narration. He provides distinct voices for the characters. The delivery moves well with strong energy, including the humor and fighting. The audio enhanced my enjoyment of the story.
An interesting note: The original Kurtherian Gambit Series consists of 21 books. The world created by author Michael Anderle who then worked with numerous other sci fi authors expanding the Kurtherian Universe to over 111 titles. I do plan to read book one, Death Becomes Her, later this year.
Source: 2019 Audible credit from Author. This qualifies for my Audiobook Goal.
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