Book: Backyard Starship
Authors: J.N. Chaney and Terry Maggert
My rating: 3.5 Carefree Stars
Hey bookworms! I’ve finished a sci-fi book that I really loved…I know I only gave it 3.5 stars, but I promise I did enjoy it. I kind of found this by chance. My husband and I have been watching Star Trek Picard and while we were waiting for season three, I decided to try and scratch the space exploration itch with a book. Of all the sci-fi books available on Kindle Unlimited, I’ll be honest, I went for this one because of the title. “Backyard Starship” gives off a fun, carefree vibe. And I like my space dramas to not take themselves too seriously. I took a chance on this one and it totally paid off!
Clive VanAbel Tudor III, aka Van, has gone to Iowa after the death of his grandfather to inherit his farmhouse and property. His first night in the house he discovers a spaceship (affectionately called “Netty”) in the barn, along with an AI bird named Perry. Van quickly discovers that his grandad was a Peacemaker, an intergalactic cop basically. And Van stands to also inherit his duties as a Peacemaker. This entire book is the beginning of Van’s adventures in space. It’s part of a long series that I would love to continue (there are currently 13 books in the series, so that might take years)
Let’s get into what I absolutely loved about this. It’s got all the things I love about stories like this. Strange new alien races, cool weapons, snarky AI characters, adventures, MISadventures, and just general mayhem. LOVE IT. If you ever watched Cowboy Bebop on Netflix, it had a similar vibe. Average guy hopping from one adventure to the next through space trying to earn a living while having a sense of morals. Hilarity AND life lessons abound.
There was a lot of explaining the ins and outs of space travel, space weapons, space banking, etc. but I never felt like it was monotonous or boring. I enjoyed how Van was constantly in awe – and how Perry was constantly annoyed at Van’s childlike wonder. Perry, the AI combat bird and Netty – the ship’s computer were total stars of the story. Their loyalty to Van, but also their utter disbelief at how humanly dumb he could be were a great combo. I got strong Star Wars droid vibes. Think K-2SO from Rogue One or L3-37 from Han Solo. Very smart, irreverent, and sarcastic. *chef’s kiss*
The storyline reads very episodic. I could totally see it being adapted into a show and each episode being a new hot mess situation for Van, Perry, and Netty. Plus the companions they pick up along the way. Here’s the thing though…because the storyline was so sporadic, it really never sucked me in to the point of binge reading. I had no problem whatsoever putting the book down. Now, I also had no trouble picking it back up again, but my usual M.O. is to start and finish a book in a couple of days. I am the reader who gets consumed by a story and can’t think of anything else until I’m finished. So, this wasn’t really that type of experience for me. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it, because I did, immensely. However, it did take a long time for me to get to the end. And even if I had binged it, it was over 600 pages long! If it’s going to be that long, at least give me one cohesive plot line rather than a shot gun spray of short stories that are all related.
Overall, this was a winner for me. I loved it. It wasn’t too serious, but it also wasn’t too much farce. I will %100 read more of this series. If you’re a fan of light hearted space adventures, you will probably enjoy this one!
Krystle Goodman is a crazy cat lady, who loves to drink exorbitant amounts of coffee, and read a shocking amount of books. She lives in Benton with her husband Josh, her son Roman, and their two cats Roxanne and Abby. When she isn’t reading, you’ll find her cooking, painting, or watching true crime shows. Watch for Krystle’s book reviews every other Friday. Send fanmail to: [email protected]
See more of Krystle’s reviews at www.mysaline.com/krystle.