Let me start off with the only thing that bothered me Our protagonist David Dixon is so genre savvy that he knows he s in a thriller novel Not on a 4th wall breaking sort of way but I m his inner monologue he knows all the tropes to avoid He even refers to the McGuffin as the McGuffin But for the plot to kick off he has to hold the idiot ball for the first couple chapters ignoring sign after sign that something is up The inconsistency threatened to take me out of the story for the first bit. But I was able to get past that because Andrew Mayne is great at writing thrillers It also is in the same mold as The Martian highly technical with a sarcastic protagonist Although I m not the space nerd I once was I still have a love of space and the tech needed to get up there What else is great about this book It subverts a few thriller tropes The main female does not have sex with our man She s never in need of rescue and she s incredibly smart There are lots of great scenes where things go wrong in realistic ways. When I first published the review yesterday I forgot to mention that Mayne s short chapter structure is devastating for someone like me who suffers from one page until the end of the chapter etc It means I often ended up reading for hours when I meant to read for minutes Because there was always a cliffhanger only a couple pages away it was way too hard to stop. I bought this book because I got the second book in the series free I m very happy I did this was a blast and would probably make a good movie or premium cable mini series Kindle Edition 35 5 Kindle Edition A rough and tumble adventure with a constant threat against our hero and moments of levity Our hero manages to rise to the occasion when events get out of hand. Recommended Kindle Edition UnrealisticWhile I get that SCIFI is supposed to push the boundaries of what is possible there are too many issues with the science and training to be believable even with the help of future technology Playing on a video game as a kid even the best simulator does not prepare you for flying a 777 low to the ground Is the main character a nerd or Superman One of the characters is introduced as a former Navy Seal Navy Pilot and Astronaut Because this plot is set in the near future it comes with too many inconsistencies with reality to make any sense While I typically like a sarcastic protagonist the main character in this book comes across as simply annoying The book ends in a place to encourage you to buy the sequel I managed to get through this one and will bail on the story here Kindle Edition My original Station Breaker audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer. Station Breaker written by Andrew Mayne is the first book in the Space Ops Series which is getting some attention due to the high customer ratings and reviews At this time the first two books are currently available in audiobook format on Audible It is unclear if the series will become a trilogy or something much larger I guess we will have to wait and see The book was well narrated by Andrew Mayne who has over sixty books narrated at the time of this review If you are looking for a fast paced action packed science fiction spy thriller like a SciFi version of The Fast and the Furious blended with pieces from The Abyss and parts from The Right Stuff you will want to have a listen to this audiobook There are times you will be required to suspend belief as this book is not a true story However the author reminds the listener at the beginning of the book that all the space technology covered actually exists today giving a very authentic feel. From its beginning the book draws the listener quickly into the story through a few of the initial character s mysterious and suspicious actions There is a last minute change to the crew due to illness as many know this is never a good thing Then quite surprisingly the spacecraft is required to divert to an orbiting Russian space station due to an unusual system failure while initiating its orbital procedure If all that seems quite strange things quickly spin out of control and get even complicated for our main character after this One quickly learns who their friends are from those attempting to kill them and at times this line is blurred From the book s start to its finish it keeps the listener on the edge of their seat wondering who and what is behind all this clandestine activity and thankfully I was able to listen to most of it during a long car trip. Even though at times the book felt predictable in places I thought the author did a good job of keeping my interest The characters were given depth and life by way of background details often in flashback sequences helping the listener know why they act a certain way There were quite a few unexpected events that I felt outweighed the predictable ones I also felt the author did a good job of showing the decline in the United States space program and that there is still the competition between the US and its Russian counterparts There were some welcomed discussions around Elon Musk and his SpaceX program along with a few other commercial space programs In my opinion the book really is a spy thriller wrapped in a space theme Again this is not a bad thing just be aware if you are expecting a deep and heavy science fiction space story These are a few of the reasons I m recommending the book However that is not to say that the book does not have its issues. I found the action sequences to often be rushed and much shorter than I would have expected When there was a good amount of tension and action throughout the book and I would have liked to have had detail focusing on the event occurring than the author provided A story often follows the standard build up climax and release stages allowing the listener to have some time to comprehend what just took place However with this book action events build and climax then move right into the next action scene I felt there was little time given to the listener by means of release I wanted to have time between action events allowing me to come up for air before being thrown into the next scenario I also felt the use of internal dialogue to be overly used I know such dialogue is important when the main character is the only person in the scene like with the move Cast Away but I would have liked to have less internal dialogue and narration This also goes for the character s internal communication consisting of both wit and sarcasm I m hoping for a little less in the second book as this one seemed to be over the top for me. As I listen to a book I m going to review I often take notes to help remind me of items or issues observed along the way As I look back on my notes relating to the narrator there were very few which is a good thing I thought Mr McCarley did an exceptional job narrating the multiple characters and even the many accents including Russian and Portuguese A few of the female parts were rough at times but I understand a male character properly narrating a female character can be difficult I do not recall any issues with volume inconsistencies or any other audio artifacts such as swallowing page turns or background noise I was also glad to see that the second book in the series is performed by the same narrator. For parents and younger readers be aware this book has a fair amount of vulgar language Four letter words flow quite freely and are not the words one expects coming from highly trained astronauts The book includes some discussion and references to topics involving sex along with sexual innuendos There are also a few scenes that may not be appropriate for younger readers due to the amount of intense or graphic violence For those easily offended by the above I recommend you find a different series. In summary the book is a great first entry in to what appears to be quite an action packed space series The author did a great job researching the many topics and technology covered but I would have liked to have had information or details around some of these items I m all for action and adventure yet it is important to understand the technology used and why There is a fine line where an author can be overly descriptive but I feel this author went a bit farther to the other side of the line I would still recommend this book to others even with a few of its faults and I m excited to hear what comes next in book two. Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR Kindle Edition A cutting edge technothriller from the bestselling author of Angel Killer and Public Enemy Zero Astronaut David Dixon s first mission to space goes horribly wrong when shots are fired on a Russian space station He finds himself making an emergency landing from orbit and becomes the most wanted man on Earth Desperate to unravel the plot he s found himself in he takes his pursuers on a wild chase from space to the backstreets of Rio and beyond Dixon s survival relies on his skills as a pilot and willingness to do whatever it takes crashing a passenger jet into the Mexican desert to pulling off an incredible heist in Low Earth Orbit If space doesn t kill David Dixon Earth will Tom Clancy meets Gravity Dennis Owens Jr The love child of The Martian and Jason Bourne C Cadenhead This is what science fiction was meant to be MIchael Jacobs Andrew Mayne star of AE s Don t Trust Andrew Mayne is a magician and ITW Thriller Award nominated author His novel Angel Killer was the sixth best selling independent KDP title of the year on UK His Jessica Blackwood series is currently being developed for television by 20th Century Fox and Temple Hill Station Breaker Station Breaker 1 I like thrillers but along the lines of Ludlum Clancy and even Cussler However if you like your protagonists to speak in nearly constant one liners and have the maturity level of 12 year old boys this is the book for you Additionally the writing style was often as immature as the book s hero. Actual quotes from the book BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BAP BAP BAP BAP BAP BAP BAP BAP BAPBANG BANG BAP BAP BAP BAPBOOM I declared DNF at about 40% Kindle Edition Lots of actionThis is a fun action packed space thriller with spies Russians black ops and nuclear weapons The plot is original and refreshing but there is a lot of action for the main character Not alot of character depth but a good action thriller Highly recommend Kindle Edition 4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum my family went on a road trip and my husband and I needed a good audiobook to listen to for the 8 hour drive This was no small challenge First it would have to suit both our tastes and my husband can be really picky Second anyone who s ever driven long distances knows how monotonous it can be Doesn t matter how much coffee you load up on those long stretches of highway offering little to no variety when it comes to scenery can really sap your energy especially when you re driving at night or stuck in bumper to bumper traffic When searching for the perfect road trip book I knew I needed to look for something exciting something guaranteed to suck you in and make the time pass much quicker. And so I give you Station Breaker by Andrew Mayne I m already a big fan of the author from his Naturalist series and not long ago I discovered that before those books he had also written a near future sci fi duology described as a space disaster meets manhunt thriller Having seen what Mayne is capable of I had a really good feeling about this one. As the story opens we are introduced to astronaut David Dixon who is feeling excited but also a little nervous about his first mission His employer a private American aerospace and transport company had called him in last minute to replace another astronaut who had to bow out because of an injury His whole life David has always dreamed about going to space After waiting in the wings for so long he d started to think this day would never come So understandably he is a little hesitant to say anything to jeopardize his chances when he notices the mission commander slip a gun into their spacesuit. Being the rookie though David decides to trust his superiors Unfortunately that decision ultimately winds up with shots fired on a Russian space station and multiple deaths David is forced to make an emergency landing from orbit by himself plunging into the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro The whole world now thinks he is a terrorist but David has something that would prove his innocence and expose the real culprits behind an international conspiracy But first he ll have to make it back to the United States The problem is with enemies hidden in the upper echelons of the government David doesn t know who he can trust He can only rely on his own wits and knowledge to get himself home all the while dodging the shadowy forces who will do anything to get their hands on the evidence he has in his possession. By now I ve come to expect certain things from Andrew Mayne like his addictive writing style his hilariously snarky sense of humor and his ability to pull me in with fascinating science And of course who can forget his over the top plot twists This book was completely insane We re talking levels of insanity where characters jump out of space capsules during reentry partake in car chase shoot outs in a football stadium while driving an ambulance or commit grand theft airplane by attempting to make off with a passenger jetliner And here I thought The Naturalist was farfetched at times but that book has nothing on Station Breaker. Thing is though I didn t mind at all This book was funny and packed to the gills with action and the story s over the top nature gave it a summer blockbuster feel which is intended as a high compliment When you re stuck on the interstate with nothing to look at but miles of fallow farmland or industrial parks as far as the eye can see these breathtaking adrenaline pumping scenes get you revved up far better than a regular old shot of caffeine Time and distance flew right on by as we listened to this audiobook and there were quite a few laughs along the way too David Dixon is a likeable character and the fact that he is not your typical action hero makes it even easier to root for him His narrative voice is full of humor and good flow and his unconventional path to becoming an astronaut also means he often has a different perspective on problems and creative ways of solving them. Bottom line Station Breaker was a great choice for our purposes I was completely engrossed in the story Sure the plot can get a little far fetched and extreme at times but if there s one thing you can t accuse this book of it s being boring My one major criticism is that it ends on a very blatant and very annoying to be continued so my suggestion would be to have the next book ready All in all I highly recommend this one for anyone looking for a high octane and non stop action thrill ride I ve already picked up and devoured the sequel Kindle Edition I feel bad giving this only 3 stars but I don t want to give it quite 4 either We re still waiting for those half stars Goodreads Anyway I m not even sure exactly what genre this is because it really is a little bit of everything It was non stop action from the very beginning and while I did enjoy that this book needed a bit heart in my opinion David was a great protagonist with a sarcastic sense of humor I loved and I enjoyed my time with him but I m not invested enough to read the next book I will however read Andrew Mayne because this man is a stellar writer my friends Kindle Edition Looking at the other reviews it s clear you re likely to love this book or hate itfor the same reason The Mayne Style is distinctive I mean the guy had a TV show Don t Trust Andrew Mayne The folks you distrust tend to fall in two camps the ones you don t trust but love anyway and the ones you don t trust and avoid like the plague I m in the former camp Andrew Mayne knows how to dribble. So many books so many these days are hamstrung by stilted dialog and writing generally in need of a tough love edit Mayne s books read clean the dialog pops and the scenes flow well Mayne is a heck of a storyteller His books Angel Killer and the Naturalist are also gripping reads and Station Breaker is another book that leaves me bleary eyed from reading into the wee hours and leaping toward the next in the series. Without giving too much away this is a first person narrative of a pilot for a SpaceX style company led by a Musk like CEO on his first trip into space He s a last minute replacement on a trip that includes two legends in American space travel The mission goes awry and the capsule ends up making an emergency docking at a Russian space station. Picture astronaut Wandrey from Andy Weir s The Martian Now add a global manhunt Dixon the out of his league pilot on his first mission to space possesses superhuman levels of luck years of training and the right set of friends He ll need them all. Suspension of disbelief is stressed to the limits in this day after tomorrow tale Much of the tech doesn t seem that far away just a step or two past what s currently being used and or tested by Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos in their own battle of the billionaires space race Everything is plausible just a lot of oh come ON It helps that this is Dixon s response as well Incredulity is fine as long as you keep moving. This is a fast paced nail biting adventure with a lot of humor and a metric buttload of f bombs The characters are distinct and fleshed out well and I cared about even minor characters This book was straight up fun and I m hopping immediately to the sequel Orbital When a book causes me to reshuffle my to read stack it s a winner Kindle Edition
| Station Breaker (Station Breaker #1) By Andrew Mayne |
| English |
| 384 |
| Kindle Edition |
., Ends with a cliff hanger prompting you to get the next book in the series which I will be getting, To paraphrase the book some next level Jason Bourne sh t ensues