It Ain't Over..‪.‬

This series opener is so well done it needs to head to the big or small screen! I listened to the audiobook read by Tia Rider and it was so exciting that I kept listening until I was falling asleep last night and started up as soon as I awoke this morning. I simply couldn't put it down until it was finished!
Why?
It was the best written sci-fi I've reading a long time.. The physics are believable because Rob Kerns takes you through just the right amount of tech stuff to make it interesting without being boring.
At one point Captain Cole is saying, 'I asked Srexx ( the sentient ship brain that runs the ship) how all that works and he gave me 10 pages of equations, so I still don't know, but it's enough that he does."
Srexx and the ship are many thousands of years old and so advanced that the technology of the current day (which is hundreds of centuries in our future) is so primitive to Srexx that it is laughable.
There is laugh-out-loud comedy to break the tension on this really fast paced romp.
The book starts right out explosively! and never stops.
The Hero is so smart, has such a big heart, and is impossibly brave and daring, while at the same time plagued with self doubt. There is always room in his heart for 1 (or a hundred, or a thousand) more, no matter what species they are or what their life has been. He is a firm believer in redemption, second chances, and equal opportunity for everyone.
Rarely will you find a hero or a cast of characters that are so skillfully, artfully, embodied that it is more like watching a 3D movie than listening to (or reading) a book.
If You like reading, rather than listening, you can find the whole collection of 4 books here right now for just $9.99. I think that's a terrific bargain! But I like this narrater so much that I am glad that my library is getting the series in audio books.
Finally I want to say that Rob knows exactly the right moment to end a book in a series.
Sometimes a book seems to end because there is a deadline to be met no matter where the story is, or the author has just run out of steam.
Knowing just the right moment to draw the line is a true skill that, here, is an excellent example of a mini master class in writing. Some of the problems have been satisfactorily worked out while there is a framework in place to get you excited to pick up the next book right away, to get on board and join this wonderful crew as the adventure continues.
This series is NOT TO BE MISSED!

I found the book by accident, and a fortunate accident it was. As a long time fan of old school military and adventure sci-fi I found the book riveting, and much to my wife's consternation, I read it late into the night until I finished it.

There were so many things I liked about this book. It’s way, way in the future but tosses in some old Earth references to keep things in perspective. I liked the characters and appreciated that it didn’t drop into the usual romantic attractions so many do.

Even the various life forms are interesting. And I appreciate the “good guys win but it’s tough” approach. More power to you!