Amazon Cover
A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White
BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON
A crew of outcasts tries to find a legendary ship before it falls into the hands of those who would use it as a weapon in this science fiction adventure series for fans of The Expanse and Firefly.
A washed-up treasure hunter, a hotshot racer, and a deadly secret society.
They’re all on a race against time to hunt down the greatest warship ever built. Some think the ship is lost forever, some think it’s been destroyed, and some think it’s only a legend, but one thing’s for certain: whoever finds it will hold the fate of the universe in their hands. And treasure that valuable can never stay hidden for long. . .
MY REVIEW
Book club read.
The last time I read a science fiction story with racing done this well is Piers Anthony’s “Hard Sell”. “A Big Ship” certainly is NOT the pod race from star wars inserted for coolness of the visuals.
One of the focal character is a race car driver with all the selfishness combined with team spirit regularly seen in NASCAR and other racing styles. I love her developing out of a childhood-celebrity isolation into adulthood. Best character development arc I’ve seen in a while.
The other POV (point of view) characters is a washed-up up ex-military who landed on the wrong side of the war. The juxtaposition between their two value systems and life experiences provides tension in-and-of itself. (Adding the Illuminati level bad guys takes the tension to galaxy-spanning levels.)
I also really enjoyed the science-fiction magic world. Everyone is born with one magic gift – some at high levels and some at low levels. The high-level rare types are sought out just like specialized high intelligences in this futuristic tech/magic base.
Great characters, with development, great plot, and great worldbuilding.