I’ll make no secret of this: I read just about everything MR Forbes puts out.
Whilst the Forgotten Earth saga and Hayden Duke are my faves, Stars End marks a leap into a new universe for me. I wasn’t disappointed.
Rather than rehashing the plot, I’ll tell you what worked for me.
Navy pilot Grayson Stone is a middle aged dude with a family he loves. He’s ticking off the years until retirement in an outpost of the galaxy where not much happens. He loves his wife and kids. He has a past he’s hidden. He’s partnered with a much younger female pilot and treats her like a daughter, rather than a creepy sleaze.
The character is easy to relate to and cheer for. You get a glimpse of his ordinary world as it gets torn apart and he’s thrown from one situation to the next.
The supporting characters have Forbes’s usual mix of morally grey people with their own agendas, often at odds with Grayson’s, and a few complete self-important a*seholes who do dumb things and thankfully, learn quick or get killed. Then there’s the alien menace which is nicely foreshadowed and revealed.
The pace is fast, but with enough breathing space for world building and characterisation.
I will warn you that the book ends on a cliffhanger. Jeffery Kafer’s narration of the audiobook is excellent. I wish the next one was out.
*I was given a review copy of the audiobook by the author. This is an honest review. I totally loved the book and will be heading straight into the next one on my Kindle