Well, this book was definitely written in parts by J. N. Chaney & Terry Maggert. They’ve got the seeming never ending “Backyard Starship” series out to twenty-six books now, but I believe it’s about to come to an end. So, in steps this new series, but we’re going back to the very beginning with some very new characters. I’m not so sure I like these new guys and gals. I’m also thinking that I’m about worn out reading about Peacemakers and that whole story-line. Still, this book was interesting and somewhat exciting, but I’m just not sure it’s for me.
Alexander Hawkes is a young man more of a nerd than anything else. He’s graduated from college with a graduate degree in geological engineering. Now he and his absent partner, Jacob Finely, are trying to create a startup company interested in exploring a very interesting gravimetric anomaly in the Antarctica. Well, actually Alexander is the only one trying to promote his new company, “Graviton”, but he’s not having much luck. He’s in New York to start with by himself with little to no support from his partner back in Colorado. In fact, he can’t even reach his partner right now. Jacob’s phone just seems to ring and ring without anyone answering it. That kind of confirms Alexander’s suspicions that his partner might not be as invested in this new company as he should.
Well, the truth is, nobody seems interested in what Alexander is trying to pitch. Most don’t understand all the scientific background required to know what he’s trying to tell them and they are all looking for a fast payback from any investment they might make. Alexander can’t guarantee must of a return on any money invested, because, well he doesn’t know what they will find. So, after getting rejected by his latest financial source, he was pretty dejected and ready to go home.
Then he meets Petyr Groshenko, a Russian and whose name I’ve heard many, many times before. Petyr has been watching Alexander going through his presentation in the diner’s booth and finally comes and sits in front of Alexander uninvited. He asks if Alexander is looking to monetize gravity! Of course Alexander doesn’t know who this gentlemen is, what he wants, or why he’s interested in what Alexander is trying to do. But after some discussions, Groshenko tells Alexander that he has a ship and is ready to take Alexander to the Antarctica! Alexander can’t believe his ears, but tells Groshenko that he has to go back to Colorado and gather his equipment plus notify his partner that they have someone willing to get them to the Antarctica. Groshenko tells Alexander (Alexander doesn’t like shortened names) that’s all not necessary since his ship has all the necessary equipment he might need including appropriate cold weather clothing. He tells Alexander to meet him at a pier 82 tomorrow. He also tells Alexander that money is not a question, Groshenko is really to fully fund the trip without further explanations!
Alexander can’t believe if this Groshenko is a nut-job or what. After Groshenko leaves, Alexander trying to once again contact his partner, Jacob, only to hear that the phone number he had being using is now a non-working number! Apparently, his partner is now no longer interested in this adventure and probably never really was. Alexander still isn’t sure he wants to go through with this, but he does show up early the next morning attempting to find pier 82. Yet, he easily finds pier 81 and pier 83, but doesn’t have a clue where pier 82 is until Petyr Groshenko seeming appears out of the mist. He then asked Alexander to board a small boat that will take them to his ship. And sure enough, once in the water and going through the heavy fog, pier 82 suddenly appears. The ship isn’t all that special, but Groshenko says it will get them where they want to go and back, if necessary!
He also tells Alexander not to go wandering around the ship and especially stay out of the bridge. Of course, Alexander doesn’t follow these instructions so his world is about to be turn upside down! He’s going to find himself taken much further than the Antarctica with a very strange companion. He’s going to find that the galaxy is not devoid of life as we on Earth assumed it was, but the Galaxy has its problems just like Earth. Whether Alexander can help solve some of those problems is going to be the crux of this entire series. The first problem Alexander must solve is how to get back home. That one might be the last of his problems because he’s going to experience a whole lot more. We’ll meet a lot of people (or aliens) that we’re quite familiar with if you’ve read any of the “Backyard Starship” series. Just remember, this is just the start of what Van Tudor got himself involved in a few years, centuries, millennium later.
Again, I’m not so sure I will continue with this series. Alexander isn’t the kind of character I really can associate with, certainly not a Van Tudor. Still, it’s well written and I can read a lot of Chaney and Maggert in the story. The next book, if you’re interested, is “Afterfall”, and it’s available on Amazon right now.
==[Note: As of 12/03/2023, this will not be published on Amazon since I have been banned from posting reviews for some unknown reason. Once the ban is lifted, assuming it does get lifted, I’ll go back and post this to Amazon.]==