Listen free for 30 days
-
Valkyrie
- Expeditionary Force, Book 9
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Series: Expeditionary Force, Book 9
- Length: 19 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £41.29
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Critical Mass
- Expeditionary Force, Book 10
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 19 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Merry Band of Pirates are in desperate trouble after the end of their last mission, and the real danger to humanity is just getting started. Hostile aliens have discovered there is something odd going on with wormholes in the galaxy, and their investigations could lead to finding a shortcut to Earth....
-
-
The best series I have listened too
- By Amazon Customer on 07-08-20
-
Deathtrap
- Expeditionary Force Mavericks, Book 1
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The human soldiers stranded on the planet Paradise have been recruited into an alien legion to do the dirty jobs that the high-tech species won't do. Their first mission is to kick the enemy off a backwater planet no one cares about. It's a simple assignment, except everyone has a hidden agenda, and the planet could become a deathtrap.
-
-
The Mavericks Have The Stage!
- By Simon on 14-05-19
-
Ascendant: Book 1
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 17 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Wizard's Council of Tarador was supposed to tell young Koren Bladewell that he is a wizard. They were supposed to tell everyone that he is not a jinx, that all the bad things that happen around him are because he can't control the power inside him, power he doesn't know about. The people of his village, even his parents, are afraid of him, afraid he is cursed. That he is a dangerous, evil jinx.
-
-
Really good
- By Mike on 18-01-18
-
Convergence
- Convergence, Book 1
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 16 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
My name is Kazimir Wolfe. People call me "Kaz", except they don’t. I never use my real name; it’s too dangerous, for me and for anyone I meet. I’m on the run from the law, who think I killed my aunt, and from whoever did kill her, because they want to finish the job. So, I move around a lot, working construction or whatever job I can find. It’s a lonely life. I don’t let anyone get close...people who get close to me end up dead. Why? I’m a wizard. The world’s only wizard, as far as I know.
-
-
An excellent start to the series
- By Phil Hare on 04-08-22
-
Fear the Sky
- The Fear Saga, Book 1
- By: Stephen Moss
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the Audie-nominated narrator of The Martian. In eleven years time, a million members of an alien race will arrive at Earth. Years before they enter orbit, their approach will be announced by the flare of a thousand flames in the sky, their ships' huge engines burning hard to slow them from the vast speeds needed to cross interstellar space. These foreboding lights will shine in our night sky like new stars, getting ever brighter until they outshine even the sun, casting ominous shadows and banishing the night until they suddenly blink out.
-
-
Solid, straightforward Sci Fi
- By Jonathan on 24-05-15
-
Legacies
- Galaxy's Edge Season 2, Book 1
- By: Jason Anspach, Nick Cole
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With his duty to the Legion satisfied, Wraith sets out to find a lost member of his crew - the young girl Prisma. Not only does the journey bring with it more death and destruction - and loss - than he ever imagined, it revives the shadows of a forgotten past. The only way forward is to follow the footsteps of the legendary Tyrus Rechs. Meanwhile, as the galaxy struggles to steady itself following the fall of a corrupt and bloated republic, dangerous threats vie for power.
-
-
Great book not 18 hours
- By Mule on 07-05-21
-
Critical Mass
- Expeditionary Force, Book 10
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 19 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Merry Band of Pirates are in desperate trouble after the end of their last mission, and the real danger to humanity is just getting started. Hostile aliens have discovered there is something odd going on with wormholes in the galaxy, and their investigations could lead to finding a shortcut to Earth....
-
-
The best series I have listened too
- By Amazon Customer on 07-08-20
-
Deathtrap
- Expeditionary Force Mavericks, Book 1
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The human soldiers stranded on the planet Paradise have been recruited into an alien legion to do the dirty jobs that the high-tech species won't do. Their first mission is to kick the enemy off a backwater planet no one cares about. It's a simple assignment, except everyone has a hidden agenda, and the planet could become a deathtrap.
-
-
The Mavericks Have The Stage!
- By Simon on 14-05-19
-
Ascendant: Book 1
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 17 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Wizard's Council of Tarador was supposed to tell young Koren Bladewell that he is a wizard. They were supposed to tell everyone that he is not a jinx, that all the bad things that happen around him are because he can't control the power inside him, power he doesn't know about. The people of his village, even his parents, are afraid of him, afraid he is cursed. That he is a dangerous, evil jinx.
-
-
Really good
- By Mike on 18-01-18
-
Convergence
- Convergence, Book 1
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 16 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
My name is Kazimir Wolfe. People call me "Kaz", except they don’t. I never use my real name; it’s too dangerous, for me and for anyone I meet. I’m on the run from the law, who think I killed my aunt, and from whoever did kill her, because they want to finish the job. So, I move around a lot, working construction or whatever job I can find. It’s a lonely life. I don’t let anyone get close...people who get close to me end up dead. Why? I’m a wizard. The world’s only wizard, as far as I know.
-
-
An excellent start to the series
- By Phil Hare on 04-08-22
-
Fear the Sky
- The Fear Saga, Book 1
- By: Stephen Moss
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the Audie-nominated narrator of The Martian. In eleven years time, a million members of an alien race will arrive at Earth. Years before they enter orbit, their approach will be announced by the flare of a thousand flames in the sky, their ships' huge engines burning hard to slow them from the vast speeds needed to cross interstellar space. These foreboding lights will shine in our night sky like new stars, getting ever brighter until they outshine even the sun, casting ominous shadows and banishing the night until they suddenly blink out.
-
-
Solid, straightforward Sci Fi
- By Jonathan on 24-05-15
-
Legacies
- Galaxy's Edge Season 2, Book 1
- By: Jason Anspach, Nick Cole
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With his duty to the Legion satisfied, Wraith sets out to find a lost member of his crew - the young girl Prisma. Not only does the journey bring with it more death and destruction - and loss - than he ever imagined, it revives the shadows of a forgotten past. The only way forward is to follow the footsteps of the legendary Tyrus Rechs. Meanwhile, as the galaxy struggles to steady itself following the fall of a corrupt and bloated republic, dangerous threats vie for power.
-
-
Great book not 18 hours
- By Mule on 07-05-21
-
The Last Reaper
- By: JN Chaney, Scott Moon
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a high-value scientist is taken hostage inside the galaxy's most dangerous prison, Halek Cain is the only man for the job. The last remaining survivor of the Reaper program, Hal is an unstoppable force of fuel and madness. A veteran amputee-turned-cyborg, he has a history of violence and a talent for killing that is unmatched by any soldier. With the promise of freedom as his only incentive, he'll stop at nothing to earn back his life from the people who made him, imprisoned him, and were too afraid to let him die.
-
-
Enjoyable
- By Kitty77 on 10-01-20
-
Warship
- Black Fleet Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Joshua Dalzelle
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the 25th century, humans have conquered space. The advent of faster-than-light travel has opened up hundreds of habitable planets for colonization, and humans have exploited the virtually limitless space and resources for hundreds of years with impunity. So complacent have they become with the overabundance that armed conflict is a thing of the past, and their machines of war are obsolete and decrepit. What would happen if they were suddenly threatened by a terrifying new enemy?
-
-
Finally a good space adventure book!
- By PrincessFifi on 06-01-16
-
A Game of Thrones
- Book 1 of A Song of Ice and Fire
- By: George R.R. Martin
- Narrated by: Roy Dotrice
- Length: 33 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun. As Warden of the north, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must...and a dead enemy is a thing of beauty. The old gods have no power in the south, Stark’s family is split and there is treachery at court. Worse, the vengeance-mad heir of the deposed Dragon King has grown to maturity in exile in the Free Cities. He claims the Iron Throne.
-
-
An enthralling story
- By Sally on 08-01-12
-
Marine
- Terran Scout Fleet, Book 1
- By: Joshua Dalzelle
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Aliens exist...and, as it turns out, most of them aren’t that friendly. Jacob Brown wasn’t even born yet the first time they attacked Earth. He was only 14 the second time it happened. When Earth finally came together and fielded its first spaceborne military, Jacob didn’t hesitate to volunteer. Serving aboard a mighty starship, he’d be able to defend his planet - and his family - when, inevitably, they came again.
-
-
wow
- By Uncle Dunc. on 04-10-21
-
Battleground
- Unification War Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Joshua Dalzelle
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After two brutal, bloody struggles for their very existence against implacable alien foes, humanity is victorious, but not at peace. As distrust and accusations consume the political discourse between the two major factions, the Eastern Star Alliance military has already begun executing small raiding missions into United Terran Federation space. The Federation fleet, still reeling from the last war, is in no shape to try and protect its own borders.
-
-
fantastic listen
- By Harri on 17-10-21
-
The Eye of the World
- Wheel of Time, Book 1
- By: Robert Jordan
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Length: 29 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When their village is attacked by trollocs, monsters thought to be only legends, three young men, Rand, Matt, and Perrin, flee in the company of the Lady Moiraine, a sinister visitor of unsuspected powers. Thus begins an epic adventure set in a world of wonders and horror, where what was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.
-
-
American narration such a turn off
- By Simon Corke on 22-04-20
-
Fortress Britain
- Arisen, Book 1
- By: Michael Stephen Stephen Fuchs, Glynn James
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A world fallen under a plague of seven billion walking dead. A tiny island nation the last refuge of the living. One team of the world's most elite special operators. The dead, these heroes, humanity's last hope, all have...Arisen.
-
-
awesome
- By Alexander Cruisey on 22-12-14
-
Ruins of the Earth
- Ruins of the Earth, Book 1
- By: Christopher Hopper, J. N. Chaney
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A secret buried in the Antarctic. A puzzle unsolved for thousands of years. And a Brooklyn-born master gunnery sergeant who's royally pissed that he has to babysit the researchers sent to figure it all out. But when Patrick "Wic" Finnegan finally sees what the team has uncovered, he can't believe his eyes, nor is he prepared for the violence to come. Soon, the portal opens and unleashes a storm of unbridled fury upon humanity.
-
-
ooooohhhhh...copywrite claim inbound !!!!
- By Craigy Gerrard on 31-03-21
-
Star Nomad
- Fallen Empire, Book 1
- By: Lindsay Buroker
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Alliance has toppled the tyrannical empire. It should be a time for celebration, but not for fighter pilot Captain Alisa Marchenko. After barely surviving a crash in the final battle for freedom, she's stranded on a dustball of a planet, billions of miles from her young daughter. She has no money or resources, and there are no transports heading to Perun, her former home and the last imperial stronghold. But she has a plan.
-
-
Possibly a good book spoiled by the reader
- By Randal on 18-05-17
-
The Forever
- The Forever, Books 1-2
- By: Craig Robertson
- Narrated by: Scott Aiello
- Length: 17 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jon Ryan is irreverent, cocky, funny, and walks with a swagger. The cocky fighter pilot turned astronaut is also Earth's only chance for survival. The planet Jupiter, thrown off orbit, will destroy Earth in less than a century. Jon volunteers for the most ambitious, desperate mission ever conceived: His consciousness must be transferred into an experimental android host, where he'll live an immortal - and lonely - life. Jon's only companion on his 50-year voyage is his ship's irritable AI.
-
-
Scott Aiellos performance saved the day!
- By Harvey on 11-10-18
-
Wayward Galaxy
- By: Jason Anspach, J. N. Chaney
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A company of Army Rangers is sent on an interstellar colony ship to secure a foothold on a dangerous, alien planet through violence of action. Leaving behind a warring Earth flung headfirst into a conflict of mutual assured destruction, the Rangers and the accompanying crew of first colonists are guided on a 40-year journey by an unprecedented artificial intelligence. But when they emerge from the frigid embrace of cryosleep, they awake to a nightmare, finding themselves greeted by the same ruthless enemy that brought about the ruin of Earth.
-
-
I enjoyed this, but....
- By Stephen Bond on 14-10-20
-
Stars End: The Complete Series Box Set
- M.R. Forbes Box Sets
- By: M. R. Forbes
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 26 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One man's epic story of loyalty, perseverance, and hope in a galaxy at war. Now in a single volume. Alliance Navy Commander Grayson Stone is patrolling a nearby space station when a mysterious starship appears. It emerges from a storm of fire, its shields impenetrable, its weapons overwhelming, attacking without provocation and annihilating everything in its path.
-
-
Great once you get into it
- By adognamedbob on 18-04-22
Summary
After saving the world many times, the Merry Band of Pirates have accepted the inevitable: Earth is doomed.
All they can do is try to bring a few thousand people to safety, before vicious aliens arrive to destroy humanity's home world.
No.
There is one other thing they can do: hit the enemy so hard that the aliens will regret they ever heard of humans.
More from the same
Narrator
What listeners say about Valkyrie
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- james clough
- 10-02-20
Author milking the fans
Bored bored bored 95% of this book is just a rerun of other books then the last 5% something new to make you buy the next book which will be 5% different at the start then 95% same old rerun
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- TH
- 10-02-20
I lack the words
Ok, so I've just finished Valkyrie. My poor heart, soul and body. My girlfriend is listening to book 6, and asked me how I found book nine. She asked me if it had another cliff hanger.
No, it doesn't. I've read cliff hangers before. I've seen them in many stories. This is to a cliff hanger, as a drop of water is to an ocean.
This is standing on the precipice of an abyss, staring down into the void. But the void reaches out and gut punches you. And as the cold soul wrenching fist slams into your stomach, you feel the icy tendrils of its fingers reach up through your sternum to your heart. They wrap around it, and slowly draw it down through your stomach and out. You feel physically sick, and the emotional trauma will stay with you until book 10 is available.
I honestly love it and i can't describe how well written this all is. I am so invested in the characters and the world, that I lack the words to explain how I feel about this ending.
Please never stop writing. It's beautiful to read and hear (Huge thank you to R. C. Bray for such a stellar performance, as with everything he narrates)
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Simon
- 05-02-20
Wallop, Go Pirates! Then a bit of a WTF moment . .
After this time being pushed around several galaxies, of being invaded, forced into subservience humanity aims to get some of its own back! The Merry Band of Pirates have a new toy and boy do they intend to use it. It's a lovely change of direction, though of course this is Joe and Skippy so nothing works out quite as they might have imagined.
I think most people who've enjoyed the books so far will enjoy this acceleration of the action, finally rather than simply skulking around in desperation the Pirates look to turn the tables in a last desperate act of defiance at the Maxxolts close in on Earth. Fans will enjoy more of the same, the same banter the same zany problem-solving and some more classic space battles involving all manner of mad tactics.
Whether those same fans will be happy at how the book ends I am not so sure. The first half of the book is definitely the better part and then it really does get a more bloated feel to it. And then the ending . . . I don't do spoilers but having got there it's a very sudden and sharp change of gears and I suspect this cliffhanger will annoy a few. All I can say is that Allanson will have his work cut out to carry on in the next one.
Of course there are two constants with this series now. First, it would be a mistake to just start from this one, it will probably work as a story but a lot of the nuance and humour will be lost, best to start at the beginning. Second, RC Bray is simply fabulous but unless you are new to all this you don't need me to tell you that.
So, some really good stuff but maybe some editing could have been useful in the second half and once you get there the ending might raise the blood pressure. One thing's for sure, I am going to have to get the next book to see how it resolves!
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Daryl
- 06-02-20
You can't end a book like that!!
I need book 10 now! What the hell just happened?
It's not the tightest writing, but my God what an ending.
Bray was on point as ever.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- S. Morris
- 13-03-20
Kicking The Rotten Kitty's
For the very first time in the entire Expeditionary Force series of books, the previous instalment, Armageddon, fell a little short in my opinion. Alanson relied too heavily on the jibing between Bishop and Skippy rather than on some solid plot. Don't get me wrong, Armageddon wasn't a 'bad' book at all and it did have a satisfactory second half, but it wasted much of the book on the aforementioned back and forth between Skippy and Bishop.
I am happy to say that book 9 in the series, Valkyrie, has mostly remedied that and has Alanson back on top form with a solid story. Alanson also leaves us on a hum dinger of a cliff hanger I was not prepared for or expecting, which follows the best practices of good writing, that being 'Always leave them wanting more'!
I'm generally not one to read other reviews for a book I've already read, but glancing over several of them, I noted how some people were upset about the ending. This baffles me as the classic cliffhanger is a bedrock of episodic story telling. Valkyrie's ending is a more intense cliffhanger than others in this series, but the others still end in such a way as to make the reader wonder what will happen next. It does appear that we live in an age now where some people want it all and must have it now otherwise they get"angry".
Valkyrie sees our merry band of pirates take a more proactive role rather than a reactive one, which is a welcome change of direction and in itself offers a different set of challenges.
In the best tradition of Alanson's Expeditionary Force series, the plot takes several turns, which once more have Bishop and company having to come up with brilliant problem solving solutions. I'm always impressed with the way Alanson is able to achieve this, coming up with innovative methods of dealing with obstacles. Alanson never makes it easy for himself either, which is the mark of a good author. He throws proverbial spanners into already impossible situations, keeping everything moving along at a nice clip in the process.
I was looking back over my library to see that his previous book in the series, the aforementioned Armageddon, was only released sometime around October last year, so I was quite shocked at how rapidly Alanson is able to write these stories. I know he is now a full time writer, but it does seem rather fast to me. My hope is that he doesn't burn himself out. I'd much rather he slow down and come up with quality over quantity every time. Still, he is clearly a very talented writer, so perhaps this rapid work flow is his natural cadence and one that suits him.
The incomparable R.C. Bray narrates once more and having him do so is the icing on the cake. By now, no other narrator would do. There are other series' of books out there on Audible that use different narrators throughout, which really disrupts continuity in my view. Bray is superb, as ever, although I did note an inconsistency when he rendered the voice of the Maxolhx aliens. In a prior story, one where we first get dialogue from these aliens, Bray delivers it rolling each of the 'R' sounds in a clever way of differentiating these new alien voices at the time. Sadly, this unique speech attribute is missing from the Maxolhx dialogue now.
Still, this is a very minor observation on my part and not a criticism. As an extra treat, be sure to listen right to the end as there is a montage series of out-takes relating to Bray's narration. A nice humerus touch that I cannot recall ever hearing in an audio book before.
Valkyrie ticks pretty much all the boxes I have come to look for in an Expeditionary Force story. I think I'd like to see another Mavericks book next. Unlike some other readers, I can wait for the conclusion to the cliffhanger we were left with, that's kind of what gives them the power they have over the reader .... the waiting and therefore the hunger it generates to continue with the story.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Paully
- 26-02-20
ExFor: 'GoT season 8 hold my beer'
Pretty sad to be leaving this review especially as followed this series since the beginning. You want meaningless side plots where strong powerful diverse female #4 + #5 battle galactic misogyny + a thinly veiled patriarchy?...yay! You want the main male hero to become a submissive, regressive, needy shadow of himself being treated like a butt wipe or an idiot by strong powerful diverse female #1 + #2?.....cool! You want character's motives, personalities and action to flip on a dime complete in contrast to all previous stories for..for..reasons?....interesting! You want all previous supporting male characters now sidelined + address important social issues like strong powerful diverse female #1 gave HER man a ring + proposed?....u go girl!! You want a retread of previous space scenarios interspersed w a teenage love triangle where the guy gets treated like garbage by SPDF #2 + she flirts with anything w a bulge in it's pants?...emotional!!! You want an ending which give a planet sized middle finger to fans following this series?...subversive!!! Don't believe the 'haters'! ExFor: 'flick them the bird' is what u been waiting for.....awesome! What happened...seriously is this pressure from publishing companies and agents??? Why the need to ruin all good sci-fi with this virtue signalling Rubbish?
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Titan
- 23-02-20
Bloody brilliantly written
What the heck a brilliant ending now have to wait 6 months for next one. Please hurry these books just get better and better
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Brian G.
- 21-02-20
Skippy!
Damn it Skippy!
ok fine, here are the extra words needed to post a review
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Kunde
- 08-03-20
Noooo.... What happens next???????
Awesome.... love this series. Great job Alanson and Bray... can’t wait for the next installment
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- AGGELOS IOAKIMIDES
- 23-02-20
About time a proper twist!
Yes, this time you will get the same, usual items of entertainment, but this time, you finally get a twist of something actually happening. Too bad it’s toward the end
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kevin
- 04-02-20
A chore to read. A disappointment and repetitive.
My first review was removed. I'm not sure why? It was ranked the number 1 review of the book as most helpful....
I'm pretty upset. I'm not going to lie. I download and binge the books as they are released. Pulling all nighters...
I've been patient. I've been calm. I've defended the series from justified criticism... but I'm so disappointed with this book. Half the book was nothing but filler that didn't need to be there.
The first half of the book had me fist pumping the air.
The second half made me tired, annoyed, upset, and honestly it was a chore to finish the book. I've never felt so bored and annoyed by an author's choice to create a problem that doesn't need to exist, ONLY TO THEN SHOEHORN the advertised revealing of everything. It felt unnatural. And it was as if he simply got tired of writing the filler and just wedged in the reveals.
It made me mad that the MBOP also never seem to actually show appreciation of Skippy. They are jerks to him. Yes he's a jerk at times, but look at some of the statements towards him.... I cannot recall a genuine thank you or anything. It's unnatural and a poor attempt at foreshadowing.
The ending.. I'm glad we know, but I'm certifiably mad that Craig decided to waste the second half of the book on some mission that did not need to be in the book at all. There's literally no reason for that problem to exist.
I'm so tired of the filler dragging the books out. Honestly, I'm seriously debating giving up on my second favorite book series. I'm a diehard fan and have read each book at minimum 4 times each.
The cliffhanger wasn't clever or exciting, it was annoying. We deserved better after waiting so long for answers.
I'm genuinely disappointed that after everything, our heros have yet again waste their time, nothing matters, no one respects Joe for some darn reason, and he still might not get the girl. It's been 9 books, do your thing or get off the pot with the relationships.
The repetitiveness of the story arches and the repetitiveness of the books plot points is unnecessary and filler. We get it, the earth is doomed. Okay. You told us that 7 times in the last 20 pages. We.get.it.
439 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Carl Haynes
- 06-02-20
You stupid monkeys! Why would anyone read a review for book 9
It’s book freeking 9. If you ate 8 bananas from a bunch would you think the 9th banana would be so different that you would have to consult other monkeys on the tasty deliciousness of their 9th banana. Nnoooooo stupid monkeys love bananas and when they have loved their previous 8 bananas form this bunch, said stupid monkey should already know that they will love their 9th banana. Or similarly they will love the continuing adventures of the worlds most magnificent and awesome elder AI Skippy the Magnificent and his stupid side kick Joe “stupid smelly monkey” Bishop on their newly assembled BATTLECRUISER Valkyrie
296 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 05-02-20
Talk about beating the dead horse.
I was huge fan of this book series. But it feels like I'm reading the same book over and over again. I have relationship fatigue. Sick of hearing the unnatural Way the relationships all exist. This series should have ended three books ago. I think Skippy says it best when he sums up everything blah blah blah
177 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 06-02-20
Feel sorry for RC Bray having to read this
Loved the first book. Sadly the quality have declined steadily as the series have progressed. Seems the author has run out of fresh ideas and is just rehashing old material without being able to develop the plot further. As the story gets more and more confusing, it ends in a cliffhanger. A waste of time and a waste of money. It is obvious that Alanson has decided to milk this series for all it is worth by publishing books faster and faster at the expense of ever declining quality.
157 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Ryan
- 05-02-20
Terrible book
You keep hoping the story is going to progress it doesn’t. The narrator is awesome. If it wasn’t for him I would not even bother with the story.
139 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- LaSwaggy
- 09-02-20
I made it this far, but I can't take any more.
First review ever because enough is enough. I'm done.
I've been waiting for the plot to advance. And it did to an extent as they went on the offensive and the dynamic of the Universe totally changed. I really enjoyed it.
But then do something incredibly dumb based on Bishop's jealousy over an Adams non-issue (For the love of God retire the "I can't date Adams because the Army would be mad at me." trope. It's not even casual mentions this time either, Bishop vomits on and on about it and even the other characters are tired of it. Like Bishop hasn't commited Mutiny before? More insultingly, Bishop casually dismisses Army regulations in a single sentence later in the book (Chinese General).
Furthermore, Bishop has not developed as character. He's been in command for years, but still struggles to act like an adult, both in terms of maturity and intelligence (he's almost proud of his ignorance). When people tell him obvious truths his feelings get easily hurt, and then he mopes. Skippy has to lock Mario Kart until he finishes his readings. He thinks "fortuitous" is a fancy word. The list goes on and on. Would Piccard or say Jack Ryan act like this?
And then the plot goes to die. An entire section of the book should have been cut. It killed the plot momentum for a mission that made no sense. What made me the most mad about the situation is that it heavily referenced book 3.5 about the Mavericks; I didn't listen to that one as these books don't work without Skippy/Bishop dialogs. Same thing he did in book 8 with Daytona (book 7.5). I was confused about my first read of book 8 that reference Daytona. So I tried to listen to Daytona, but I couldn't finish. Just terrible. Upside however: I learned how to exchnage Audible books. These plot references feel cheap and simple quick cash grabs. I'm disappointed in the author. He has plenty of plot ideas to work with and we've proven we'll pay for strong content.
New and usual faults aside, the cliffhanger at the end is intriguing. But it's a development that didn't require 11 books to introduce.
Narration was great, but I'm still done with the series.
138 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Dan Walton
- 04-02-20
Don't stop now!
I have experienced all nine books and all I can say is please don't stop now even if you have to make up something... hehe. This author and narrator combination make these books very fun to hear. If you wrote 90 books I would listen to them all!
82 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- shannon Pitman
- 05-02-20
wow hours I cant get back
I have over 100 books 1st review.. loved the books till now got the preorder. 1st time not worth it on this one. sorry 1st bad reviews
72 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Michael T
- 04-02-20
Thank you !
RC and Craig do it again
This is a series I will never tire of
The interplay is just sooo damn good
40 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Johnathon Harris
- 10-02-20
WTF Craig!!!!
i love expeditionary force, overall its a great series and when book 9 was announced i immediately preordered it and waited several months. then it was released and i dived on in expected another amazing adventure with the merry band of pirates. And for the most part, i got that.
However...... [[[Spoiler Alert]]]
Spoilers are ahead, if you dont want to know them, dont continue this review. My non spoiler complaint is the cliffhanger, i HATE them. The rest involves spoilers, you have been warned.
---------------------------------‐-----------------------------------------
Skippy got his memories back at the end of a mission, hooray right? WRONG. He has a sudden personality shift and betrays the entire crew, abandoning them to certain death by a very pissed off alien AI who has full control over both the valkryie and thr dutchman, who has beatten nagetha, putting the dutchman's reactors on critical and is using combat and maintenance bots to murder the Valkryies crew......oh and joe is alone on a dropship that has been caught by the thranin.......did i miss anything?
Craig WTF, this is NOT a good ending or cliffhanger, skippy is absent minded yes, but not to extend to get everyone killed or betray them!!!! theres no forgiving what he justvsid and many members of the team are probably going to die if not everyone....
i am so......mad righy now its not even funny. i use to love this series and recommended it to all my friends, now, i gotta tell them to hold off because of this horrible ending. that was completely unnecessary. if you wanted to shake things up craig, this was NOT the way to do it.
if their is a book 10, i dunno if i even want it or hear what happened to my favorite scifi heroes.
ill end this rant-review here with one word....
Disappointed.
38 people found this helpful