Smuggler’s Dilemma

Hard science fiction seems to be a thing of the past, but not with McFarlane. With him we get lots of going EVA for one reason or another, cleaning out of broken or ill-maintained equipment and the like that other authors simply wave away with ‘magic’ high tech.
I particularly like the manipulation of very localized gravity for various reasons. An upside-down workout area is a clever construct if you ask me.
But it is the characters that we keep coming back to spend time with. Liam and his friends are good people to hang out with. Sure they are young, and McFarlane takes time to develop their thoughts and action from that base place of youth, innocence, and naivete. They are so accomplished that we can easily forget that they are just past their high school years. In other societies, they would have decades to go to reach the place in life where they could captain a ship. Not so with these belter kids, raised in space. They do what needs to be done because they grew up doing what needed to be done, kids or not.
The science seems solid to me, the social world seems solid to me and I like the characters very much.
What is the next one in the series?

Privateers is a good read with well-developed characters and an entertaining story line. It is the first series that I have read in a very long time that had well developed foundational science on which the rest of the story framework is based. The use of AI, smart fabric, and Internet of things, was very well integrated into the story and extended into the future. The only nits I have to pick with the series are the improbable interrelationships between some of the characters, the illogical expansion from the Milky Way to the Dwingeloo galaxy, which is 10 million light-year away from Earth. There are many other choices much closer, such as Andromeda, at 2.5 million. Additionally, it is unlikely that the 100 to 400 billion stars within the Milky Way could have been explored. One last nick pick, was the reference to the Marny Bertrand, a former Marine, who is referred to as a Master Chief, which is a Navy rank. The correct rank for a Marine E9 would be Master Gunnery Sergeant, or Gunny.

Liam and the crew of Loose Nuts are in a bind. Their beloved cutter is barely more than scrap after their last tangle with pirates. To put their letter of marque back in action, they’ll need a new ship. The age old smugglers question, do you want to be fast, or be able to bring decisive firepower. You can’t have both. An ancient British blockade runner, may be just the ticket.

The pirates have plans of their own, and they include more than an annoying band of privateers. They plan to take out the Mars navy fleet, and Liam’s girlfriend is in it. Loose Nuts is, once again, squarely in the middle of the approaching doom. They need every trick they can muster to win this battle, and it may mean trusting someone who wants Liam dead.

Number six in Jamie McFarlane’s Rookie Privateer series, brings more of what we love. Lots of action and space battles. Way back in book one, the relationship between Liam and Tabby is set up, and we haven’t seen the two get together much. This book changes all that. Tabby rejoins our fearless pirate fighters and is a welcome addition to the team. Three cheers for our rookie privateers!

This review covers “Buccaneers”, “Smuggler’s Dilemma” and “Parley”. Why? Somehow these three books got published in the series without me realizing it. When I discovered Parley had been released I immediately got it and finished it quickly only to discover the other two were out there waiting. So I picked them both up and read the three back-to-back.
I find the series very entertaining. Liam is maturing and his relationship with Tabby developing. The whole crew Nick, Marny, Jack, Tali, Celina and the folks just play off of each other so well. The adventures are real and this is a crew you just grow to like.
Keep them coming. I am having a great time.

I readily concede I know naught about book publishing, especially here in the beginning of the world changing digital revolution, but I do feel that most series have opted for the chapter masquerading as book premise when the entire series could have been one or two books. Privateer is one of those series, but is saved by being one awesome read. The author has cajoled me into a sentimental attachment not only to his characters but the ships they fly in. There are no cliff hangers so far (Book 5) just a bunch of loose threads waving in the wind which means that yes, from here I start downloading more of the tale (s) to my Kindle.

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member