'Mavericks' by Craig Alanson
'Mavericks' by Craig Alanson

The good

  • Focuses on two loosely connected storylines, one involving Joe and Skippy, and one involving the Mavericks. The jump between them is initially jarring, but both stories are interesting, and ultimately connect back together.

  • Advances the overall plot forward. The stakes for humanity continue to grow; the mystery with the Elders is revealed a tiny bit more.

  • Joe and Skippy are still entertaining.

  • A good mix action, subterfuge, and “sciencing the sh*t out of things.”

  • A couple jokes that land and get you to chuckle.

The not so good

  • Most of the jokes don’t land. Many are repeats from the previous books (especially the “Joe you’re a dumb monkey… and wait, how did you ever come up with this brilliant idea?” bit); some are just lame or cheesy; this book in particular takes its time to tell you how various characters are cracking up at the jokes, which is awkward if you, as a reader, don’t find the joke funny.

  • While Joe and Skippy are highly entertaining characters, the Mavericks are a bit bland. So much so I can’t remember most of their names. They just blend together into a generic space marine mush. The plot around them is interesting, but the characters themselves feel flat.

Rating: 4 stars