Furious and fun, the first book in this bold, new science fiction adventure series follows a ragtag group of adventurers as they try to find a legendary ship that just might be the key to clearing their name and saving the universe.
Boots Elsworth was a famous treasure hunter in another life, but now she's washed up. She makes her meager living faking salvage legends and selling them to the highest bidder, but this time she got something real--the story of the Harrow, a famous warship, capable of untold destruction.
Nilah Brio is the top driver in the Pan Galactic Racing Federation and the darling of the racing world--until she witnesses Mother murder a fellow racer. Framed for the murder and on the hunt to clear her name, Nilah has only one lead: the killer also hunts Boots.
On the wrong side of the law, the two women board a …
Furious and fun, the first book in this bold, new science fiction adventure series follows a ragtag group of adventurers as they try to find a legendary ship that just might be the key to clearing their name and saving the universe.
Boots Elsworth was a famous treasure hunter in another life, but now she's washed up. She makes her meager living faking salvage legends and selling them to the highest bidder, but this time she got something real--the story of the Harrow, a famous warship, capable of untold destruction.
Nilah Brio is the top driver in the Pan Galactic Racing Federation and the darling of the racing world--until she witnesses Mother murder a fellow racer. Framed for the murder and on the hunt to clear her name, Nilah has only one lead: the killer also hunts Boots.
On the wrong side of the law, the two women board a smuggler's ship that will take them on a quest for fame, for riches, and for justice.
Although the beginning felt a little flat, and it took me a while to get past the inclusion of magic with the "hard" scifi elements, I'm glad I gave it a chance. Eventually, the story started to seem less formulaic, I came around to caring about the main characters, and I even started to enjoy the fact that when you've got magic in the mix, your space battles don't need to be so monochromatic. If you'd enjoy your space opera being a little gay and sparkly, give it a chance! Also, the ending of the story deals with political power and genocide, and has a satisfying denouement, so I wouldn't say it's pure fun romp. The writing of the action sequences is a particular strength of the author, I think.
Review of 'A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe' on 'LibraryThing'
No rating
n.b. A âno starâ rating for books I review does not imply criticismâI rarely give ratings, as giving stars is an unhelpfully blunt instrument and all too often involves comparing apples with oranges.returnreturnThis was a solid, fun read. A sports celebrity, Nilah Brio is focused on the next big race and on her career, accepting any price that needs to be paid to reach each target; happily for Brio, most prices are out of sight and mostly paid by other people. returnreturnMid-race, Brio has a bewildering encounter with the terrifying âMotherâ and is framed for murder, and falls into the rackety company of a bunch of salvagers. It is an environment that, while not personally hostile to Brio, certainly has no damns to give about her special status. Itâs a very fast-paced adventure, with a lot of fight scenes which (despite these really not being a big draw for the …
n.b. A âno starâ rating for books I review does not imply criticismâI rarely give ratings, as giving stars is an unhelpfully blunt instrument and all too often involves comparing apples with oranges.returnreturnThis was a solid, fun read. A sports celebrity, Nilah Brio is focused on the next big race and on her career, accepting any price that needs to be paid to reach each target; happily for Brio, most prices are out of sight and mostly paid by other people. returnreturnMid-race, Brio has a bewildering encounter with the terrifying âMotherâ and is framed for murder, and falls into the rackety company of a bunch of salvagers. It is an environment that, while not personally hostile to Brio, certainly has no damns to give about her special status. Itâs a very fast-paced adventure, with a lot of fight scenes which (despite these really not being a big draw for the present reader) are ingenious and engaging. There are a couple of romances (again, not a draw here) that manage not to slow down the pace, and are quite fun, and occasionally funny in their bristly way, as well as earning a LGBTQ+ sticker. returnreturnWhat is not entirely clear is why exactly everyone is so desperate to get their hands on the eponymous big ship. The Harrow was thought to have been destroyed, and can itself wreak terrible devastation, but it all feels a bit vague, as though the fact of the shipâs existing is reason enough; like Edmund Hillary saying âit was thereâ when asked why he climbed Mount Everest. returnreturnBut the pace of the action and the polished, if not remarkable, writing mean that it is easy enough to suspend the disbelief. The Big BadââMotherââis properly scary, and the overall world-building, which involves both detailed technology and mind-magic, is very well done, thorough and convincing. The characters are well-drawn, though so instantly recognizableâthe egotistic darling of the sporting fraternity, the noir-ishly washed-up and betrayed treasure-hunter dragged into âone last jobâ, the bickering, loyal crewâas to seem not entirely three-dimensional. If not a new favourite, 'Big Shipâ¦' is definitely worth a read.
I wasn't sure what to expect, but the mix of classic space opera and magic was weird. There were fun moments, some action and a few relatable characters, but the worldbuilding was lacking (when you can't say for sure if a place is a planet or a city at the end of a book, maybe something is missing). Some characters were flat, and it also felt like there were discrepancies, notably with the vilain(s), their goal and motivation.
This space opera with magic was not magical for me.
3 stars
It's a solid enough adventure story, and queer positive (which maybe I've become a little blasé about, but could make it very affirming for the right young adult). On the other hand the world of Expanse + Spells didn't really grab me. Maybe that's just me, but I want to be lied to a little bit, and have your magic pretend to be weird science.
It is fantasy in a sci-fi setting which I found was unusual and refreshing. I liked the diverse group of characters in a "found-family" kind of setting. I missed having more information about the villains, they seemed undeveloped. Some action scenes where magic, space battles or spacewalking were being described seemed a bit confusing to me, it was hard to understand exactly what was going on. It is a light read, with lots of action scenes and I tried not to overthink the magic to enjoy it.
I don't think I will continue the series, but the book builds nicely for the sequel without ending in a cliffhanger.
Review of 'A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I think I picked up this book after a recommendation about the search for old relics. I did not realize that it also satisfies the scifi+magic crowd. I went in without any expectations and was swept away in the story immediately. The two main characters are fun and believable, the supporting cast was fun too. And the story itself was great. Grand scale (fate of the universe!) and constant action. There wasn't a dull moment in the entire book and I am looking forward to the remaining two books. Recommended if you enjoy soft scifi, constant action, magic and huge stakes.
Review of 'A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I kind of believe that I would have liked this more at a different time. There's honestly a lot of good things in there, and a lot of things I'd enjoy normally - I quite liked the characters, and I think the story was pretty good, but.... I don't know. I think it felt messy and rushed, for some reason, and I really had a hard time finishing it.
Review of 'A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe was a quick and easy read that started off really capturing my attention but in the end fell a bit short of a four-star review. First the positives. I found the idea of magic in a sci-fi fresh and interesting. The magic powered racing, the tattoos and the way people used their abilities and the technology that resulted was unique. I loved the ragtag crew of the Capricious and their quest to find a legendary spaceship. The characters were interesting and diverse. Lots of great female characters too. The negatives are few, but I felt like the second half of the novel became a bit too action-packed. It was battle after battle, and while I do like a good space battle, there wasn't a whole lot of down time in between to develop the characters a bit more. I came away …
A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe was a quick and easy read that started off really capturing my attention but in the end fell a bit short of a four-star review. First the positives. I found the idea of magic in a sci-fi fresh and interesting. The magic powered racing, the tattoos and the way people used their abilities and the technology that resulted was unique. I loved the ragtag crew of the Capricious and their quest to find a legendary spaceship. The characters were interesting and diverse. Lots of great female characters too. The negatives are few, but I felt like the second half of the novel became a bit too action-packed. It was battle after battle, and while I do like a good space battle, there wasn't a whole lot of down time in between to develop the characters a bit more. I came away at the end thinking that the story had spread itself a bit thin. Like it had a lot of great ideas that I would have loved to learn more about, but as the battles took up a large chunk of the story these ideas were not really explored much. At the end of the day though, I would recommend giving this story a shot. I hope that in future novels we get to explore this interesting universe that Alex White has created in a little more depth.
