Audible Book Review: Junkyard Pirate by Jamie McFarlene

This was fun even if you have to stretch belief.

Junkyard Pirate
By: Jamie McFarlane
Narrated by: Mikael Naramore

Series: Junkyard Pirate, Book 1 (4 books)
Length: 10 hrs
Release date: 12-31-19
Publisher: Fickle Dragon Publishing
Genre: Adventure, Alien, First Contact, Military, Pirate, Space
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Publisher's Summary
Knocking at death’s door. Bargaining for a second chance. Seems like a heck of a way to find out about an alien invasion....
Vietnam vet Albert Jenkins is battling a bulging waistline and a passion for drink. So when a towering pile of scrap rocket parts falls and crushes the stubborn curmudgeon, he thinks it’s finally the end. But just as he’s about to take one final breath, a snarky alien parasite offers him a deal: His life in return for sharing his body.
With a little coaxing from his new pop-culture-loving inner resident, AJ’s broken carcass improves so much that even an old flame is impressed. But his bright outlook fizzles when he discovers he's at ground zero of a galactic conspiracy to strip Earth of precious resources humans don't even know exist.
Can the unlikely partners join forces and use AJ's rusty military skills to raise the alarm? Or, will the alien invaders put him down once and for all?
Junkyard Pirate is the first book in an imaginative space opera series. If you like grizzled soldiers, clever twists and turns, and intergalactic tactical pairings, then you’ll love Jamie McFarlane’s fast-paced alien adventure.
Buy Junkyard Pirate to boot the invaders back to where they came from today!
©2019 Fickle Dragon Publishing LLC (P)2019 Fickle Dragon Publishing LLC

Review:
Vietnam veteran, Albert, better known as AJ, is a stubborn curmudgeon in his 70s who is winding down his life with food and alcohol. He runs a junkyard and occasionally gets loads from NASA that includes some good parts. His latest purchase is a huge pile of scrap rocket parts. When his dog, Maxie, continually barks at the tower, Albert steps out and gets caught under a slide of the rocket parts. He expects that he will die under the crush and thinks he is hallucinating a tiny alien who offers to save his life if he will share his body. What does he have to lose? He gives permission before he passes out.

When he wakes up, he learns his best friend, Darnell, got him to the hospital. The doctor recognized her surgery work from the Vietnam days and is surprised that AJ isn’t paralyzed. Meanwhile he sees an 8” woman on the doctor’s shoulder and realizes he has to get out of the hospital before the doctor discovers the alien that is restoring his body. Doctor Amanda Jayne is reluctant to let AJ go and soon starts visiting him at home to follow-up trying to figure out what is going on with his body.

Beverly, the alien, explains to AJ that she and her crew were on a reconnaissance mission to gather information about an enemy alien people on Earth. The Korgul are parasitic aliens controlling millions of humans while they mine special materials unknown to the humans. Beverly and her friends need permission to take over a body but the Korgul don’t ask permission. Beverly needs AJ’s help to get to a spaceship they can use but it will make him a target for the enemy.

Sure enough, strangers soon arrive at AJ's home and he is scrambling to escape flying bullets. AJ gets the help of a few friends including a new pet, who share their bodies with Beverly’s friends. Now the handful of old military companions set off to steal the spaceship and maybe save the planet.

This is a fun story. AJ is not a classy character but very much a suggestive old man who is surprised and pleased to have his body returning to youthful vigor. I enjoyed Beverly’s character and the other friends add to the mix too. There were close calls and escapes in preposterous situations, but these allow the story to move forward. The story concludes this episode but leaves the heroes/heroines waiting for the next step in saving Earth. I recommend this to readers who would enjoy fun, sort of warped humor, and military to space adventure.

Audio Notes: Mikael Naramore does a good job of narrating the story. The voices are distinct, and the snark appropriately conveyed. The narration added to my enjoyment of the story.

Source: July 2021 Audible $5.00 Sale. This qualifies for 2023TBR, 2023Audiobook, 2023Alphabet, and 2023Occupation goals.