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Expeditionary Force #1
Columbus Day
We were fighting on the wrong side, of a war we couldn't win. And that was the good news.
The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon come ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There go the good old days, when humans only got killed by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits.
When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved. The UN Expeditionary Force hitched a ride on Kristang ships to fight the Ruhar, wherever our new allies thought we could be useful. So, I went from fighting with the US Army in Nigeria, to fighting in space. It was lies, all of it. We shouldn't even be fighting the Ruhar, they aren't our enemy, our allies are.
I'd better start at the beginning....
The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon come ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There go the good old days, when humans only got killed by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits.
When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved. The UN Expeditionary Force hitched a ride on Kristang ships to fight the Ruhar, wherever our new allies thought we could be useful. So, I went from fighting with the US Army in Nigeria, to fighting in space. It was lies, all of it. We shouldn't even be fighting the Ruhar, they aren't our enemy, our allies are.
I'd better start at the beginning....
299 pages, Paperback
First published January 11, 2016
About the author
Craig Alanson
43 books3,580 followersIf you want to stay up to date on releases, receive promotion alerts and speak to me directly, please join my Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/Craig.Alanso...
My Bio:
Craig Alanson used to create financial reports for a large IT services company. Writing fiction at nights and on weekends, he finally independently published three novels on Amazon. Within 6 months of his first ebook release, he was able to quit his day job and pursue a full-time writing career.
The breakout success of Columbus Day (Expeditionary Force, Book 1) reached new heights when Podium Audio released it in audio format, narrated by Audie Award Winner R.C. Bray. The Columbus Day audiobook was a huge hit, and a finalist for an Audie Award as Audiobook of the Year.
The ExForce series, as it is known to fans, has gone on to 10 books/audiobooks, many of which have hit the NYT best-seller list, with a 11th book releasing June 2021 and 14 books planned.
Craig has also published a spin-off series, ExForce: Mavericks; an ExForce audio drama, Homefront; a fantasy trilogy, Ascendent; and a young adult space opera, Aces. Craig lives in Virginia with his wife, who loves him even though he perpetually refuses to clean the garage.
https://www.facebook.com/Craig.Alanso...
My Bio:
Craig Alanson used to create financial reports for a large IT services company. Writing fiction at nights and on weekends, he finally independently published three novels on Amazon. Within 6 months of his first ebook release, he was able to quit his day job and pursue a full-time writing career.
The breakout success of Columbus Day (Expeditionary Force, Book 1) reached new heights when Podium Audio released it in audio format, narrated by Audie Award Winner R.C. Bray. The Columbus Day audiobook was a huge hit, and a finalist for an Audie Award as Audiobook of the Year.
The ExForce series, as it is known to fans, has gone on to 10 books/audiobooks, many of which have hit the NYT best-seller list, with a 11th book releasing June 2021 and 14 books planned.
Craig has also published a spin-off series, ExForce: Mavericks; an ExForce audio drama, Homefront; a fantasy trilogy, Ascendent; and a young adult space opera, Aces. Craig lives in Virginia with his wife, who loves him even though he perpetually refuses to clean the garage.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,941 reviews
July 7, 2017
Expected sci-fi and got American army in space fantasy with some pretty dull dad jokes. Cannot force myself to finish.
Being European, this is just a cringeworthy when author calls British army Brits and explains that sex with random person who runs good is a-w-e-s-o-m-e.
I think it is a decent read for 7y olds who are into pew-pew.
Being European, this is just a cringeworthy when author calls British army Brits and explains that sex with random person who runs good is a-w-e-s-o-m-e.
I think it is a decent read for 7y olds who are into pew-pew.
June 11, 2017
Columbus Day (Expeditionary Force #1) by Craig Alanson, R.C. Bray (Narrator), is an absolutely outstanding sci-fi novel!!! Outstanding in everything such as plot, world building, characters, dialogue, science, action, and just everything!!! My gosh...I was so engrossed in this book! I had the audio narration and loved the narration, it was perfect! Outstanding is the perfect word for all of this book, even the narration. A sci-fi must read! Going in my favorite read file and will definitely read rest of series!!!
May 26, 2018
Yep, went with 5 stars on this one and am planning to go download the second in the series in a very few minutes.
I started this with a mild hope I'd like it. I'm a big military science fiction fan and this is another the aliens come out of the sky and humanity gets its collectiveass err, I mean keister, yeah that's it keister, kicked. Of course I assume you get the title. The aliens arrive on Columbus day hearkening back to the European arrival here in the New World.
It started out about like that, seen the plot before if not the Columbus Day twist. It did have some good humor and the story was well told. Helping that I have the Audible version and R.C. Bray does a great job. However as the story rolled along I found that this one has a bit more depth, an engaging main character (plus a great second protagonist you meet about a third of the way through the book) and kept up or actually improved the humorous banter and narrator commentary.
All in all I came to the conclusion that at least for this volume it broaches the not to be missed status of only the best brain candy... So from a possible 3 or 4 stars this one moves to the 5 out of 5 rating I don't often give.
I can recommend this one. It's not Dostoevsky. it's not Dickens, nor Wells, nor Orwell....but it is a rollicking (and how often can you actually use the word "rollicking"?) good read.
Recommended, enjoy.
I started this with a mild hope I'd like it. I'm a big military science fiction fan and this is another the aliens come out of the sky and humanity gets its collective
It started out about like that, seen the plot before if not the Columbus Day twist. It did have some good humor and the story was well told. Helping that I have the Audible version and R.C. Bray does a great job. However as the story rolled along I found that this one has a bit more depth, an engaging main character (plus a great second protagonist you meet about a third of the way through the book) and kept up or actually improved the humorous banter and narrator commentary.
All in all I came to the conclusion that at least for this volume it broaches the not to be missed status of only the best brain candy... So from a possible 3 or 4 stars this one moves to the 5 out of 5 rating I don't often give.
I can recommend this one. It's not Dostoevsky. it's not Dickens, nor Wells, nor Orwell....but it is a rollicking (and how often can you actually use the word "rollicking"?) good read.
Recommended, enjoy.
June 2, 2017
Turn off your brain. You won't need it here.
December 23, 2016
As someone who writes science fiction it is very rare that I find one that I truly love. I truly loved this book. I have rarely seen someone merge hard core science fiction action, the realities of technological disparity, and relatable humor in such an amazing fashion. Seriously, if you like science fiction at all read this book. If you like humor that takes a third person look at the human condition without being all atheist preachy, read this book. Just read it... if you are disappointed then don't ever walk up to me in a coffee shop. We probably won't get along.
March 30, 2018
I'm not sure I read the same book as a majority of other people.
The first half of this book was a real slog. So much flat out exposition telling with so much pointless military technobabble. As well as some very obvious redundancies that I'm shocked weren't caught during editing. The famous Skippy shows up and the narrator takes a back seat to his own story in favor of just a series of sarcastic dad jokes. Don't get attached to any other characters, because they either won't be around for long, or aren't developed. Every situation is resolved way to easily.
Also... I'll give you two guesses what the Chinese character's name is. Also... there are only five women, none of them given much to do.
It had some funny parts, and the narrator of the audiobook is excellent. His performance is the reason I'm giving it two stars and didn't give up on it.
Am I interested in the rest of the series? No. Because the main character isn't interesting, and half a book of Skippy was enough.
Also... authors... STOP explaining pop culture references!!! Is this an editor thing? It's SUPER annoying, stops the story dead, and kills any fun there is in recognizing a pop culture reference.
The first half of this book was a real slog. So much flat out exposition telling with so much pointless military technobabble. As well as some very obvious redundancies that I'm shocked weren't caught during editing. The famous Skippy shows up and the narrator takes a back seat to his own story in favor of just a series of sarcastic dad jokes. Don't get attached to any other characters, because they either won't be around for long, or aren't developed. Every situation is resolved way to easily.
Also... I'll give you two guesses what the Chinese character's name is. Also... there are only five women, none of them given much to do.
It had some funny parts, and the narrator of the audiobook is excellent. His performance is the reason I'm giving it two stars and didn't give up on it.
Am I interested in the rest of the series? No. Because the main character isn't interesting, and half a book of Skippy was enough.
Also... authors... STOP explaining pop culture references!!! Is this an editor thing? It's SUPER annoying, stops the story dead, and kills any fun there is in recognizing a pop culture reference.
June 22, 2017
At first I gave this one two stars, but in hindsight I liked it more than that. The plot is okay, and even promising, with an intriguing reminder of the Shadows and Vorlons and benevolent Elder Races in Babylon 5. It differs from Baylon 5 in tone. This book is irreverent and light, despite the doom and gloom of an alien invasion. This book is humorous. It's hard to take it seriously. That's okay with me.
The biggest problem is the hero, Joe. A likable guy, but there is too much of him! I usually don't like 1st person POV, but I gave this book a try anyway, based on some positive reviews. That was a mistake. First person here is worse than in some books, because the army hero Joe Bishop frequently summarizes discussions and events, so we don't get to hear others speaking aloud. Joe summarized several discussions with the alien Ruhar governor (aka The Burgermeister). He summarized what he learned at other briefings, about the aliens. He rambles on about how the space elevator works, etc. So...mostly I had to listen to nonstop Joe and his summarized thoughts and anecdotes about life. He just ain't that exciting.
It would have been better if Joe had been surrounded by a few solid secondary characters, so we could hear them speak more. Joe had friends, but they came and went, first on Earth, then on planet Paradise. Just when I thought he finally had a little team of former army buddies, he was transferred. Then he had a group of three new soldiers placed under his command. But then he was called away from that group. So....no go.
It wasn't until half-way through the story that a long-staying character joined the story, and he was an AI shaped like a beer can. Joe's dubbed the cheeky AI Skippy. When Skippy joined the book, the pages turned faster.
Yes, the pages. I tried listening to the audiobook, but despite the superb narration I grew weary of hearing Joe Bishop yammer on about his army days fighting in Nigeria, or about how various alien-based weapons and communication devices work. I needed to hear from other characters.
When I grew weary of listening and wanted to speed-read, I opened the book. Oops. Oodles and oodles of grammatical errors. I suppose the narrator had to proofread it — put the commas and periods where they belong — before he could narrate with such superb flow. Good on him.
I'd give the book 3 solid stars, if not for all the punctuation problems and assorted typos.
Contents: Space battles, some death, some swearing and religious cussing, some implied sex scenes (not graphic).
The biggest problem is the hero, Joe. A likable guy, but there is too much of him! I usually don't like 1st person POV, but I gave this book a try anyway, based on some positive reviews. That was a mistake. First person here is worse than in some books, because the army hero Joe Bishop frequently summarizes discussions and events, so we don't get to hear others speaking aloud. Joe summarized several discussions with the alien Ruhar governor (aka The Burgermeister). He summarized what he learned at other briefings, about the aliens. He rambles on about how the space elevator works, etc. So...mostly I had to listen to nonstop Joe and his summarized thoughts and anecdotes about life. He just ain't that exciting.
It would have been better if Joe had been surrounded by a few solid secondary characters, so we could hear them speak more. Joe had friends, but they came and went, first on Earth, then on planet Paradise. Just when I thought he finally had a little team of former army buddies, he was transferred. Then he had a group of three new soldiers placed under his command. But then he was called away from that group. So....no go.
It wasn't until half-way through the story that a long-staying character joined the story, and he was an AI shaped like a beer can. Joe's dubbed the cheeky AI Skippy. When Skippy joined the book, the pages turned faster.
Yes, the pages. I tried listening to the audiobook, but despite the superb narration I grew weary of hearing Joe Bishop yammer on about his army days fighting in Nigeria, or about how various alien-based weapons and communication devices work. I needed to hear from other characters.
When I grew weary of listening and wanted to speed-read, I opened the book. Oops. Oodles and oodles of grammatical errors. I suppose the narrator had to proofread it — put the commas and periods where they belong — before he could narrate with such superb flow. Good on him.
I'd give the book 3 solid stars, if not for all the punctuation problems and assorted typos.
Contents: Space battles, some death, some swearing and religious cussing, some implied sex scenes (not graphic).
July 18, 2022
The series is now 16 books strong with high praise on each one, so of course I had to check it out. Was I impressed? Not really. I'm actually surprised there aren't a ton more negative reviews. Is everyone else seeing something I'm not?
If you're looking for a space combat book this is surely not that. Imagine showing up to a futuristic alien battle on foot using a M4 rifle with explosive tip ammo and a bunch of rocket launchers with better than average lock-on technology. That's as fancy as it gets along with spacecrafts blowing stuff on planets to smithereens with what they call a rail gun.
There are a ton of extraterrestrial races in this book. Sadly they're all fairly boring. Besides having different ideologies and physical dimensions, none have cool abilities distinguishing them from others. They're all to various degrees smarter than the dumb apes known as human beings. From what I gather they all breath oxygen and habitate similar planets to Earth, but for some weird reason their diet is not compatible with ours. Doesn't really add up in my opinion, but maybe that is better explored further into the series.
Joe Bishop is the main character and he's ok. He has a decent moral compass, thinks well under pressure, and tends not to whine much. The problem is that he really doesn't have a supporting character along with him until halfway through the book. That initial half is rough to get through, but I promise Skippy makes it much better. Skippy is an arrogant AI who provides a ton of comic relief and mischief. I didn't know what to think of him at first, but now it's clear he saved this book.
I'm willing to check out the sequel, but it falls in that category of me not really caring too much about when.
If you're looking for a space combat book this is surely not that. Imagine showing up to a futuristic alien battle on foot using a M4 rifle with explosive tip ammo and a bunch of rocket launchers with better than average lock-on technology. That's as fancy as it gets along with spacecrafts blowing stuff on planets to smithereens with what they call a rail gun.
There are a ton of extraterrestrial races in this book. Sadly they're all fairly boring. Besides having different ideologies and physical dimensions, none have cool abilities distinguishing them from others. They're all to various degrees smarter than the dumb apes known as human beings. From what I gather they all breath oxygen and habitate similar planets to Earth, but for some weird reason their diet is not compatible with ours. Doesn't really add up in my opinion, but maybe that is better explored further into the series.
Joe Bishop is the main character and he's ok. He has a decent moral compass, thinks well under pressure, and tends not to whine much. The problem is that he really doesn't have a supporting character along with him until halfway through the book. That initial half is rough to get through, but I promise Skippy makes it much better. Skippy is an arrogant AI who provides a ton of comic relief and mischief. I didn't know what to think of him at first, but now it's clear he saved this book.
I'm willing to check out the sequel, but it falls in that category of me not really caring too much about when.
May 10, 2017
Hilarious. I loved it.
Regarding the audiobook, R. C. Bray absolutely nails a late character in the story. Just nails it, and the banter is perfect. You will know what I mean when you get there.
Regarding the audiobook, R. C. Bray absolutely nails a late character in the story. Just nails it, and the banter is perfect. You will know what I mean when you get there.
May 21, 2021
What a pleasant surprise this was!
It's about intergalactic war with the human race way way down the food chain, but fighting relentlessly.
This may sound like your everyday Military SF. And basically it is.
What made this such a fun read for me, is that kinda sorta hero by accident we have here. And his wonderful sidekick in the second half of the book. The book is funny right from the get-go, but as these two team up it really gets hilarious at times. I was having a blast!
4 stars in the end because of the really bad editing and the immature depiction of sex. Fortunately there's not a lot of the latter.
The editing, though, was really annoying. I'm not a native speaker. While most of the time the mistakes were obvious, other times it left me guessing and I had to re-read some passages to be sure it wasn't my English letting me down. This really should be fixed.
Nevertheless, I'm definitely looking forward to the second book.
It's about intergalactic war with the human race way way down the food chain, but fighting relentlessly.
This may sound like your everyday Military SF. And basically it is.
What made this such a fun read for me, is that kinda sorta hero by accident we have here. And his wonderful sidekick in the second half of the book. The book is funny right from the get-go, but as these two team up it really gets hilarious at times. I was having a blast!
4 stars in the end because of the really bad editing and the immature depiction of sex. Fortunately there's not a lot of the latter.
The editing, though, was really annoying. I'm not a native speaker. While most of the time the mistakes were obvious, other times it left me guessing and I had to re-read some passages to be sure it wasn't my English letting me down. This really should be fixed.
Nevertheless, I'm definitely looking forward to the second book.
March 30, 2017
This book is like the Adam Sandler of comedy movies. Sure, he is not Oscar material and he is definitely not a comedic genius. But. People watch his movies. His movies make money. And no one seems to know why.
This book is no "2001: A Space Odyssey" and nor does it entertain like "Old man's war" series does. But. Its alright. This book works. Just don't ask me why because I don't know. I've read both the books in the series and although I had no major take away, I was entertained and I think thats what matters end of the day.
The eBook sells for like a dollar on Amazon, go buy it and give this writer a chance to impress you.
This book is no "2001: A Space Odyssey" and nor does it entertain like "Old man's war" series does. But. Its alright. This book works. Just don't ask me why because I don't know. I've read both the books in the series and although I had no major take away, I was entertained and I think thats what matters end of the day.
The eBook sells for like a dollar on Amazon, go buy it and give this writer a chance to impress you.
April 24, 2016
Decent SciFi Read With Issues
"Columbus Day," Book 1 of a series is a decent SciFi read, an entertaining storyline of humanity in the near time, becoming the lowest level species involved in an intergalactic war between advanced alien races. The humor is real life-sometimes it works, other times, not so much.
There are issues with both the writing and editing. The writing is immature, corny (dangerously close to cartoonish) and excessively repetitive. The editing is subpar, numerous redundant passages, wrong words, no paging (location in lieu of pages is obnoxious) and overall sloppy. The novel could be a pretty decent one if true effort was put into the product.
Negatives aside, this reader does look forward to Book 2.
"Columbus Day," Book 1 of a series is a decent SciFi read, an entertaining storyline of humanity in the near time, becoming the lowest level species involved in an intergalactic war between advanced alien races. The humor is real life-sometimes it works, other times, not so much.
There are issues with both the writing and editing. The writing is immature, corny (dangerously close to cartoonish) and excessively repetitive. The editing is subpar, numerous redundant passages, wrong words, no paging (location in lieu of pages is obnoxious) and overall sloppy. The novel could be a pretty decent one if true effort was put into the product.
Negatives aside, this reader does look forward to Book 2.
November 27, 2022
Quality Content.
I haven't read many space operas. Not because I am not interested, but because I have so much to read. However, this particular book I have now read twice. I love it.
Here's what makes the story so great, the humor. Yes, aliens are upon us, yes, there's huge stakes for every move they have to make in this world but it never becomes too much because we have awesome characters with a great sense of humour. The first time we meet Skippy, he gets called an asshole (that's prime storytelling right there).
Seriously though, Craig Alanson knows how to balance humor and serious Situations to give us an incredible story that doesn't get boring or too technical or too melodramatic.
Anyone looking for a good book on aliens, soldiers in space, pirates and shiny beer cans should definitely give this one a go.
I haven't read many space operas. Not because I am not interested, but because I have so much to read. However, this particular book I have now read twice. I love it.
Here's what makes the story so great, the humor. Yes, aliens are upon us, yes, there's huge stakes for every move they have to make in this world but it never becomes too much because we have awesome characters with a great sense of humour. The first time we meet Skippy, he gets called an asshole (that's prime storytelling right there).
Seriously though, Craig Alanson knows how to balance humor and serious Situations to give us an incredible story that doesn't get boring or too technical or too melodramatic.
Anyone looking for a good book on aliens, soldiers in space, pirates and shiny beer cans should definitely give this one a go.
October 11, 2022
3.5 stars rounded down to 3. Initially I really liked this one. By the end it had become mediocre.
I enjoyed the humor, the likeable MC and his hilarious point of view, the peripheral characters, the premise, the funny hamster tags, (such as the Hamvee military vehicle and the Habitrail village), the writing, and the military action.
Earth was invaded by some "giant space hamsters" a/k/a the Ruhar. The hamsters appear to be winning until another alien species, (the giant lizardlike Kristang), steps in to thwart the hamster invasion. The Kristang ally with Earth, but all is not as it seems.
I started to lose the loving feeling when the Skippy silliness entered the picture. The Great All Powerful Skippy. He spoke using American vernacular, and was constantly bringing up pop culture references. That's okay if it were the contemporary American forces using them, but Skippy's not an American. After another quarter of the book I became used to Skippy's juvenile snarkiness, but I think it says something when I learned to tolerate this aspect of the book. It's no fun when I as a reader am merely tolerating rather than enjoying the book.
In addition to Skippy, (or maybe because this character was a distracting irritant), I kept forgetting who, what, where, when, how and why. I started having trouble differentiating between soldiers' names/background. I also kept mentally confusing the many different aliens, clients species, and subcontractors. That could be just me, I don't know.
I finally decided to stop forcing myself to finish at the 90%-ish mark. It was around the time that Skippy addressed the President, national security advisor and chief of staff as "peeps". Basically I think I'm going to quit while I'm ahead. I won't be reading the rest of the series.
I enjoyed the humor, the likeable MC and his hilarious point of view, the peripheral characters, the premise, the funny hamster tags, (such as the Hamvee military vehicle and the Habitrail village), the writing, and the military action.
Earth was invaded by some "giant space hamsters" a/k/a the Ruhar. The hamsters appear to be winning until another alien species, (the giant lizardlike Kristang), steps in to thwart the hamster invasion. The Kristang ally with Earth, but all is not as it seems.
I started to lose the loving feeling when the Skippy silliness entered the picture. The Great All Powerful Skippy. He spoke using American vernacular, and was constantly bringing up pop culture references. That's okay if it were the contemporary American forces using them, but Skippy's not an American. After another quarter of the book I became used to Skippy's juvenile snarkiness, but I think it says something when I learned to tolerate this aspect of the book. It's no fun when I as a reader am merely tolerating rather than enjoying the book.
In addition to Skippy, (or maybe because this character was a distracting irritant), I kept forgetting who, what, where, when, how and why. I started having trouble differentiating between soldiers' names/background. I also kept mentally confusing the many different aliens, clients species, and subcontractors. That could be just me, I don't know.
I finally decided to stop forcing myself to finish at the 90%-ish mark. It was around the time that Skippy addressed the President, national security advisor and chief of staff as "peeps". Basically I think I'm going to quit while I'm ahead. I won't be reading the rest of the series.
December 29, 2017
It feels like the narrator is reading a checklist. The characters are uninteresting, significant situations are resolved quickly and without detail, the world building is super weak and there is absolutely no compelling reason to follow along with this story. I have no idea what everyone else read but it most certainly was not this book.
May 22, 2023
What a ride! A great SciFi adventure. Craig Alanson has created a universe that I just can't wait to explore. It's hard to stop listening to R.C. Bray. What's Col Joe and Skippy going to do next? Fabulous start to this space opera. I'm looking forward to listening to the next instalment.
March 26, 2020
Columbus Day is one of what looks like an endless parade of series like this being promoted on Amazon and Audible — military SF about a Joe EveryMan who has to soldier up and fight aliens for Earth. If this sounds a lot like Marko Kloos's Front Lines series, it's a lot like Marko Kloos's Front Lines series. So I only picked this book up because it was an Audible Daily Deal - I was willing to give it a try.
Glad I did. Columbus Day is fun. It's well-written. The characters are fairly standard, the aliens equally so, the plot pretty much what it says on the cover. But I liked it. It's like a cheeseburger. (One of the running jokes in this book is how much the main character, Sergeant Joe Bishop, misses cheeseburgers.) You don't expect a cheeseburger to be an innovative new taste experience. You aren't expecting a culinary experience that transcends previous cheeseburgers. But a decent cheeseburger is tasty, and a good cheeseburger can be really, really good, and this is a good cheeseburger.
The plot: aliens invade Earth. Joe Bishop is a US Army Sergeant on home from leave. By chance, he leads his hometown homies in one of the only successful human military operations in the war, and captures an alien. Then another alien races arrives, liberates Earth from its invaders, and grateful humans sign up to fight for their new benefactors against the evil aliens who invaded them.
The Ruhar (or "Hamsters," because they look like six-foot hamsters, when they aren't in powered armor) are the aliens who invaded. The Kristang (or "lizards," because they look like, well, humanoid lizards) are humanity's new allies. Sgt. Bishop arrives with an international team on a former Ruhar colony world. Apparently the Kristang just captured it, and per some treaty (the Ruhar-Kristang war has been going on for a long time), the Ruhar are being allowed to evacuate on a months-long timetable. Bishop and his people will be serving garrison duty.
At this point, Bishop and the rest of the humans begin to learn that everything they thought they knew was a lie. Columbus Day has shades of David Brin's Uplift series (which is a very good thing, because Uplift is one of my favorite SF series ever). The Kristang and the Ruhar are both "client" races of more advanced patrons, and their patrons in turn have even more advanced patrons. Almost everyone in the war is just a proxy for a more advanced civilization. Humans are just a bunch of barely-civilized monkeys whose planet happened to be inconveniently in a strategic location at a critical time, and the Ruhar invaded Earth, not because they wanted it, but to deny it to the Kristang. And it turns out, the Ruhar are actually fairly civilized, while the Kristang don't take long to set humans straight on what the "patron-client" relationship means.
But this isn't just a SF military war novel. Bishop, after several reversals of fortune which leave him as a prisoner first of the Kristang and then of the Ruhar, discovers an advanced alien artifact which is actually an AI built by the long-gone "Elder Race." It's borderline omnipotent, occasionally absent-minded, regards humans as barely paramecium, and also really, really lonely. And in interacting with Joe, it absorbs the sum total of late 20th and early 21st century Earth pop culture and soon becomes the most smart-ass, annoying super-powered alien AI you've ever met.
Skippy is fun, and so is this book. Joe and a crew of Earthlings end up capturing a middle-tier alien race's starcruiser, with the help of Skippy, and then go back to Earth to liberate it from the Kristang.
Now, looking ahead, I realize that there are so far nine books in this series. Unfortunately, my experience with series like these is that if they go on for nine books, it means the author at some point starts milking it, with little forward progress in the plot. A neverending war may be realistic, but is not very satisfying as a story. So I have reservations, but I've definitely put the next few books on my wish list to be indulged in soon.
Glad I did. Columbus Day is fun. It's well-written. The characters are fairly standard, the aliens equally so, the plot pretty much what it says on the cover. But I liked it. It's like a cheeseburger. (One of the running jokes in this book is how much the main character, Sergeant Joe Bishop, misses cheeseburgers.) You don't expect a cheeseburger to be an innovative new taste experience. You aren't expecting a culinary experience that transcends previous cheeseburgers. But a decent cheeseburger is tasty, and a good cheeseburger can be really, really good, and this is a good cheeseburger.
The plot: aliens invade Earth. Joe Bishop is a US Army Sergeant on home from leave. By chance, he leads his hometown homies in one of the only successful human military operations in the war, and captures an alien. Then another alien races arrives, liberates Earth from its invaders, and grateful humans sign up to fight for their new benefactors against the evil aliens who invaded them.
The Ruhar (or "Hamsters," because they look like six-foot hamsters, when they aren't in powered armor) are the aliens who invaded. The Kristang (or "lizards," because they look like, well, humanoid lizards) are humanity's new allies. Sgt. Bishop arrives with an international team on a former Ruhar colony world. Apparently the Kristang just captured it, and per some treaty (the Ruhar-Kristang war has been going on for a long time), the Ruhar are being allowed to evacuate on a months-long timetable. Bishop and his people will be serving garrison duty.
At this point, Bishop and the rest of the humans begin to learn that everything they thought they knew was a lie. Columbus Day has shades of David Brin's Uplift series (which is a very good thing, because Uplift is one of my favorite SF series ever). The Kristang and the Ruhar are both "client" races of more advanced patrons, and their patrons in turn have even more advanced patrons. Almost everyone in the war is just a proxy for a more advanced civilization. Humans are just a bunch of barely-civilized monkeys whose planet happened to be inconveniently in a strategic location at a critical time, and the Ruhar invaded Earth, not because they wanted it, but to deny it to the Kristang. And it turns out, the Ruhar are actually fairly civilized, while the Kristang don't take long to set humans straight on what the "patron-client" relationship means.
But this isn't just a SF military war novel. Bishop, after several reversals of fortune which leave him as a prisoner first of the Kristang and then of the Ruhar, discovers an advanced alien artifact which is actually an AI built by the long-gone "Elder Race." It's borderline omnipotent, occasionally absent-minded, regards humans as barely paramecium, and also really, really lonely. And in interacting with Joe, it absorbs the sum total of late 20th and early 21st century Earth pop culture and soon becomes the most smart-ass, annoying super-powered alien AI you've ever met.
Skippy is fun, and so is this book. Joe and a crew of Earthlings end up capturing a middle-tier alien race's starcruiser, with the help of Skippy, and then go back to Earth to liberate it from the Kristang.
Now, looking ahead, I realize that there are so far nine books in this series. Unfortunately, my experience with series like these is that if they go on for nine books, it means the author at some point starts milking it, with little forward progress in the plot. A neverending war may be realistic, but is not very satisfying as a story. So I have reservations, but I've definitely put the next few books on my wish list to be indulged in soon.
March 30, 2018
10 stars!
Columbus Day is one of those books that I connected within the first 5 minutes of listening and it is non-stop adventure to the end. It is no wonder that this book is a 2018 finalist of audiobook of the year. R. C. Bray is outstanding bringing this book to life.
It's a quiet autumn day, Columbus Day, when Army Specialist Joe Bishop sees a space ship crash in potatoe field in his home town, Thompson Corners, Maine. He wonders what strategic value this back water town has to these alien creatures. Then they do something incredible:
The Ruhar troops, cute and furry bewhiskered bastards that they are, no doubt waited until their transport finally skidded to a stop on the front lawn of the elementary school in the middle of town, popped the door open, gazed in awe at the magnificent vista of Thompson Corners, and asked the pilot where the hell they were. Soldiers are soldiers, whether they have fur, skin or scales. So, logically, the Ruhar lobbed a missile at the most imposing structure in the area, the potato warehouse, and took it out in impressive fashion. I mean, they blew the hell out of it, those soldiers must have had something against potatoes.
That's all it took! I was hooked and it keeps getting better. The story is told from Bishop's POV. Through his eyes we learn about multi-tiered alien spieces predicated upon their respective advancement in technology. The "lesser" or "client" species do the "dirty work" for the more highly advanced species. The humans happen to be on the bottom rung of this hierarchy. Earth is just a pawn in an intergalactic conflict between the Ruhar (aka Hamsters) and the Kristang (aka Lizards). It gets more complicated but I won't go into that. The armed forces from all earth governments (including Bishop) get shipped to another solar system for training and eventually be redeployed where the Lizards need them.
The characters are well developed and banter has some military lingo. Most of the dialog is on the light side which keeps the story moving and interesting.
This book is great science fiction and, for me anyway, a highly entertaining read. I will definitely will be picking up Book 2 and soon. This is a fun read and would venture even to those who don't normally read science-fiction may enjoy. Highly recommended.
Columbus Day is one of those books that I connected within the first 5 minutes of listening and it is non-stop adventure to the end. It is no wonder that this book is a 2018 finalist of audiobook of the year. R. C. Bray is outstanding bringing this book to life.
It's a quiet autumn day, Columbus Day, when Army Specialist Joe Bishop sees a space ship crash in potatoe field in his home town, Thompson Corners, Maine. He wonders what strategic value this back water town has to these alien creatures. Then they do something incredible:
The Ruhar troops, cute and furry bewhiskered bastards that they are, no doubt waited until their transport finally skidded to a stop on the front lawn of the elementary school in the middle of town, popped the door open, gazed in awe at the magnificent vista of Thompson Corners, and asked the pilot where the hell they were. Soldiers are soldiers, whether they have fur, skin or scales. So, logically, the Ruhar lobbed a missile at the most imposing structure in the area, the potato warehouse, and took it out in impressive fashion. I mean, they blew the hell out of it, those soldiers must have had something against potatoes.
That's all it took! I was hooked and it keeps getting better. The story is told from Bishop's POV. Through his eyes we learn about multi-tiered alien spieces predicated upon their respective advancement in technology. The "lesser" or "client" species do the "dirty work" for the more highly advanced species. The humans happen to be on the bottom rung of this hierarchy. Earth is just a pawn in an intergalactic conflict between the Ruhar (aka Hamsters) and the Kristang (aka Lizards). It gets more complicated but I won't go into that. The armed forces from all earth governments (including Bishop) get shipped to another solar system for training and eventually be redeployed where the Lizards need them.
The characters are well developed and banter has some military lingo. Most of the dialog is on the light side which keeps the story moving and interesting.
This book is great science fiction and, for me anyway, a highly entertaining read. I will definitely will be picking up Book 2 and soon. This is a fun read and would venture even to those who don't normally read science-fiction may enjoy. Highly recommended.
June 21, 2019
3 Stars
Columbus Day was a fun read, but one that felt a bit too shallow for me to enjoy as much as I would have liked.
As the blurb says, Earth was floating merrily along in the galaxy when it was attacked by an alien race with marked technological superiority. A second alien race shows up and saves the day, though it doesn’t take too long to realize that Earth’s saviors may not be quite as wholesome allies as first thought.
So I’m new to this whole sci-fi thing. This is in fact only the second sci-fi series I’ve read, the first being the excellent Frontlines series by Marko Kloos (if you like military sci-fi go read it-it’s very good). So I went into this without a whole lot of expectations beyond a fun read, if the previous reviews were anything to go by.
Any by and large it was a fun read. The author has a witty, humorous writing style that moves the story along briskly. There were a number of moments that made me smile while reading it. There was also a particular character (Skippy!) that deserves special mention for his sheer entertainment factor.
Unfortunately, the constant use of humor was a bit of a two edged sword. I’m all for a good bit of mindless entertainment every now and then, but this was a bit much for me. Some of the writing was over the top glib and the cheese factor was strong at times. The first half in particular was a bit of a struggle, and until we meet Skippy I thought this book was heading for a 2 star rating.
Skippy helped redeem the book through his pure unbridled readability, but he also brought his own problems. I felt that there were several situations that were resolved far too conveniently.
Columbus Day was a decent lighthearted sci-fi that had its moments but was just a bit too glib for my taste.
Columbus Day was a fun read, but one that felt a bit too shallow for me to enjoy as much as I would have liked.
As the blurb says, Earth was floating merrily along in the galaxy when it was attacked by an alien race with marked technological superiority. A second alien race shows up and saves the day, though it doesn’t take too long to realize that Earth’s saviors may not be quite as wholesome allies as first thought.
So I’m new to this whole sci-fi thing. This is in fact only the second sci-fi series I’ve read, the first being the excellent Frontlines series by Marko Kloos (if you like military sci-fi go read it-it’s very good). So I went into this without a whole lot of expectations beyond a fun read, if the previous reviews were anything to go by.
Any by and large it was a fun read. The author has a witty, humorous writing style that moves the story along briskly. There were a number of moments that made me smile while reading it. There was also a particular character (Skippy!) that deserves special mention for his sheer entertainment factor.
Unfortunately, the constant use of humor was a bit of a two edged sword. I’m all for a good bit of mindless entertainment every now and then, but this was a bit much for me. Some of the writing was over the top glib and the cheese factor was strong at times. The first half in particular was a bit of a struggle, and until we meet Skippy I thought this book was heading for a 2 star rating.
Skippy helped redeem the book through his pure unbridled readability, but he also brought his own problems. I felt that there were several situations that were resolved far too conveniently.
Columbus Day was a decent lighthearted sci-fi that had its moments but was just a bit too glib for my taste.
January 31, 2019
Probably one of the worst books I've ever read. How did this piece of shit get published? Who read it and thought, "This is good"? Absolutely baffling.
The first half was in the realm of 'so bad it's good'. The second half was drivel. The character of Skippy could be the worst character ever created in any form of media. The interactions with the protagonist were excruciating. I skipped through large portions of the second half of the book.
How anyone found this book good is beyond me. I wish I could ask some of them what specifically about this book was good. The book couldn't have had an editor. There were so many errors like poor use of commas or lacking commas in certain spots, capitalizing words and not capitalizing them, etc. There was a section in the book where the indentation margin increased for a couple of pages. How does that go unseen?
I'm rambling on now. In closing, this book is awful. Do NOT believe the average review of this book. It is not a 5, 4, 3, even 2 star book. It shouldn't get any stars and I am not kidding when I say that. I knew I was in for trouble when the only positive quote they could get for the cover was an Amazon reviewer simply named 'Vic'.
0 stars.
The first half was in the realm of 'so bad it's good'. The second half was drivel. The character of Skippy could be the worst character ever created in any form of media. The interactions with the protagonist were excruciating. I skipped through large portions of the second half of the book.
How anyone found this book good is beyond me. I wish I could ask some of them what specifically about this book was good. The book couldn't have had an editor. There were so many errors like poor use of commas or lacking commas in certain spots, capitalizing words and not capitalizing them, etc. There was a section in the book where the indentation margin increased for a couple of pages. How does that go unseen?
I'm rambling on now. In closing, this book is awful. Do NOT believe the average review of this book. It is not a 5, 4, 3, even 2 star book. It shouldn't get any stars and I am not kidding when I say that. I knew I was in for trouble when the only positive quote they could get for the cover was an Amazon reviewer simply named 'Vic'.
0 stars.
February 2, 2024
DNF at page 54.
"Male author who's never touched a woman before wishes the USA had a dick so he could destroy his throat with it"
This was the cringiest thing I read. I knew 10 pages in that I would DNF it, but I waited a bit longer. I got to the sex scene and the "If a guy has blood in his veins and pulse, he wants sex" was enough for me.
"Male author who's never touched a woman before wishes the USA had a dick so he could destroy his throat with it"
This was the cringiest thing I read. I knew 10 pages in that I would DNF it, but I waited a bit longer. I got to the sex scene and the "If a guy has blood in his veins and pulse, he wants sex" was enough for me.
July 9, 2017
Okay, this is a fun series. The plot gets a little lost here and there, but it is witty, funny, and interesting even with its flaws. It is also a book that is likely helped by the narrator in the Audio-book version. The dude can really rock a Maine Accent... The Barney Theme was hilarious and ... well, don't get me started on "Skippy." It reminds me of a sci-fi version of Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Exploits of Brigadier Gerrard." The second and third books are also good and the story firms up even better in them. There are times when the witty dialog is all that keeps it going, but, rest assured there is a plot in here somewhere that the heroes always manage to find. But then, I am just an ameba if you ask "Skippy."
December 31, 2021
Notes:
Note to Self - Maybe try a different series by the author but do not continue with this one unless it's free.
Low end of 3 Stars (Great Narration by R.C. Bray)
The story doesn't hold up well under scrutiny. Too much tell and now enough show.
Note to Self - Maybe try a different series by the author but do not continue with this one unless it's free.
Low end of 3 Stars (Great Narration by R.C. Bray)
The story doesn't hold up well under scrutiny. Too much tell and now enough show.
August 16, 2022
A nice military sci-fi story with some memorable characters, a plot that I am eagerly awaiting to learn more about, and world-building that is a bit like Mass Effect. I will be reading the full series as long as the quality is maintained through out.
July 4, 2023
SPOILERS AHEAD!!
Not sure if Goodreads’ spoiler tags work, but you’ve been warned.
This wasn’t bad, but not outstanding either.
On Columbus Day weekend at some indeterminate time in the near future, Earth is invaded by aliens, the Ruhar (or “hamsters”, as the Earthers call them).
The first half of the novel was just a fairly ordinary tale of military conflict, except transferred to space and other planets. Little differentiated it as science fiction.
There is though, a funny bit in which Joe and some compatriots capture one of the Ruhr, alien invaders of Earth, in an ice cream truck with a stuffed Barney attached (to the roof I think).
The second half was more fun.
Pros and Cons
Pros
1. Lots of humor. Joe Bishop competes with his jerky AI buddy for who has the biggest smart mouth.
2. Joe is an average all-American guy who, however, is good at adapting quickly to new situations. He’s a funny and likeable character. He cares about the people he commands.
3. Minor characters feature feisty women and lots of diversity.
4. The ebook was available through Kindle Unlimited and the e-audiobook was part of Audible Plus. So essentially I read this for free.
Cons
While Joe’s ordinariness makes him relatable, it’s also stressed so much that it can become annoying to those of us who aren’t ordinary men, (for example women) especially since Joe constantly makes a big deal out of how “normal” his aggressively all-American tastes are. Examples: he loves cheeseburgers and hates blue grass music. His idea of good music is Coolio. I’m a female vegetarian who likes bluegrass and isn’t into Coolio. So, according to Joe, I’m weird 😺.
2. There are no memorable minor characters.
3. Not much original or distinctive in the story (except maybe the Barney truck).
4. The AI was just a little too convenient as a deus ex machina allowing Joe and his crew to accomplish impossible tasks.
5. I would have preferred it if the author had clearly established dates for the book’s action, instead of leaving the time frame so vague.
Summary
This was fun and entertaining light reading. And it was free.
I’m unlikely to continue with the series though, as I’d have to pay for subsequent volumes, and I didn’t like it enough to pay for it.
Audio Narrator
R.C. Bray was a good reader and he gave Joe (a guy from rural Maine) an appropriate New England accent.
But he really played fast and loose with the text.
I’ve noticed that the vast majority of audio narrators do this. I don’t like it, but I’ve no choice but to accept it.
Not sure if Goodreads’ spoiler tags work, but you’ve been warned.
This wasn’t bad, but not outstanding either.
On Columbus Day weekend at some indeterminate time in the near future, Earth is invaded by aliens, the Ruhar (or “hamsters”, as the Earthers call them).
The first half of the novel was just a fairly ordinary tale of military conflict, except transferred to space and other planets. Little differentiated it as science fiction.
There is though, a funny bit in which Joe and some compatriots capture one of the Ruhr, alien invaders of Earth, in an ice cream truck with a stuffed Barney attached (to the roof I think).
The second half was more fun.
Pros and Cons
Pros
1. Lots of humor. Joe Bishop competes with his jerky AI buddy for who has the biggest smart mouth.
2. Joe is an average all-American guy who, however, is good at adapting quickly to new situations. He’s a funny and likeable character. He cares about the people he commands.
3. Minor characters feature feisty women and lots of diversity.
4. The ebook was available through Kindle Unlimited and the e-audiobook was part of Audible Plus. So essentially I read this for free.
Cons
While Joe’s ordinariness makes him relatable, it’s also stressed so much that it can become annoying to those of us who aren’t ordinary men, (for example women) especially since Joe constantly makes a big deal out of how “normal” his aggressively all-American tastes are. Examples: he loves cheeseburgers and hates blue grass music. His idea of good music is Coolio. I’m a female vegetarian who likes bluegrass and isn’t into Coolio. So, according to Joe, I’m weird 😺.
2. There are no memorable minor characters.
3. Not much original or distinctive in the story (except maybe the Barney truck).
4. The AI was just a little too convenient as a deus ex machina allowing Joe and his crew to accomplish impossible tasks.
5. I would have preferred it if the author had clearly established dates for the book’s action, instead of leaving the time frame so vague.
Summary
This was fun and entertaining light reading. And it was free.
I’m unlikely to continue with the series though, as I’d have to pay for subsequent volumes, and I didn’t like it enough to pay for it.
Audio Narrator
R.C. Bray was a good reader and he gave Joe (a guy from rural Maine) an appropriate New England accent.
But he really played fast and loose with the text.
I’ve noticed that the vast majority of audio narrators do this. I don’t like it, but I’ve no choice but to accept it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2017
I was looking for a Sci-fi book to read by an author I did not know. I seem to be in a rut reading the same authors continuously. So, this is my brake away book.
The protagonist in this story is a U. S. Army enlisted man name Joe. The Earth is invaded by the Ruhar. Then the Kristang come to the aid of Earth to defeat the Ruhar. Th Kristang then ask for volunteers to help them fight the Ruhar in space, and Joe volunteers. He discovers Skippy the Magnificent. Skippy is a millennia-old artificial intelligence who acts like a child and is the source of endless amusement. Skippy is highly intelligent and helps Joe stay alive. The question is about the Kristang: Are they friend or foe?
The plot is okay. There is lots of action and suspense. The book is irreverent and funny. It is hard to take the book seriously. The book makes a good “escape from it all” story. Of course, in my opinion Skippy is the star character of the story.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is sixteen and a half hours long. R. C. Bray does a great job narrating the book. Bray is an actor, voice over artist and a multi-award winning audiobook narrator.
The protagonist in this story is a U. S. Army enlisted man name Joe. The Earth is invaded by the Ruhar. Then the Kristang come to the aid of Earth to defeat the Ruhar. Th Kristang then ask for volunteers to help them fight the Ruhar in space, and Joe volunteers. He discovers Skippy the Magnificent. Skippy is a millennia-old artificial intelligence who acts like a child and is the source of endless amusement. Skippy is highly intelligent and helps Joe stay alive. The question is about the Kristang: Are they friend or foe?
The plot is okay. There is lots of action and suspense. The book is irreverent and funny. It is hard to take the book seriously. The book makes a good “escape from it all” story. Of course, in my opinion Skippy is the star character of the story.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is sixteen and a half hours long. R. C. Bray does a great job narrating the book. Bray is an actor, voice over artist and a multi-award winning audiobook narrator.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2017
This book is a 4 on a good day and a 3 on most days.
Earth gets attacked by a whole bunch of hamster people, but then saved by some lizards. Then our main pal gets shipped off to war in space. Turns out, space war is a lot less chill than you might expect when you are in a technologically inept society.
This novel is fun but felt a little clunky. The main character was fun and a fine character to hang around, if not a bit plain. Other characters seemed to have been forgotten about and the plot seemed to unfold at a strange pace. The philosophical elements never felt totally realized, but perhaps that will be improved as the series goes on.
About halfway through, a character is introduced that becomes a proper sidekick and gives a little life to the book. Up until that point, dialogue felt a bit flat and the main character didn't properly "play off" anyone. The second half of the book seems to mostly fly by.
R.C. Bray's narration was excellent as always, although the main character sounded like he was from Boston and not Maine. Would recommend.
Earth gets attacked by a whole bunch of hamster people, but then saved by some lizards. Then our main pal gets shipped off to war in space. Turns out, space war is a lot less chill than you might expect when you are in a technologically inept society.
This novel is fun but felt a little clunky. The main character was fun and a fine character to hang around, if not a bit plain. Other characters seemed to have been forgotten about and the plot seemed to unfold at a strange pace. The philosophical elements never felt totally realized, but perhaps that will be improved as the series goes on.
About halfway through, a character is introduced that becomes a proper sidekick and gives a little life to the book. Up until that point, dialogue felt a bit flat and the main character didn't properly "play off" anyone. The second half of the book seems to mostly fly by.
R.C. Bray's narration was excellent as always, although the main character sounded like he was from Boston and not Maine. Would recommend.
October 26, 2018
Earth is attacked by giant Alien Hamsters and then saved by lizards. An earth expeditionary force is sent out with the lizards to help them fight the Hamsters but all is not as it seems.
I really wasn't sure that this was my cup of tea, far too much gung ho american attitude for my delicate British ears and I was dreading that someone would start chanting "USA USA" at any second. I was determined to finish the book and doubted I'd attempt book 2, that was until Skippy appeared.
Skippy is a Million year old AI whose just been waiting for some dumb monkeys to come along and do his bidding. Something of a mix of Robin Williams Genie in Aladdin and Marvin the paranoid android from Hitchhikers and wonderfully voiced (as usual) by the narrator R.C Bray, who to my ears gave the character more than a hint of Frasier Crane which perfectly fitted the characters arrogance and superiority).
From his (its?) arrival onward this book was great fun, so much so that I've given it 4 instead of 2 stars and am heading straight to book 2.
I really wasn't sure that this was my cup of tea, far too much gung ho american attitude for my delicate British ears and I was dreading that someone would start chanting "USA USA" at any second. I was determined to finish the book and doubted I'd attempt book 2, that was until Skippy appeared.
Skippy is a Million year old AI whose just been waiting for some dumb monkeys to come along and do his bidding. Something of a mix of Robin Williams Genie in Aladdin and Marvin the paranoid android from Hitchhikers and wonderfully voiced (as usual) by the narrator R.C Bray, who to my ears gave the character more than a hint of Frasier Crane which perfectly fitted the characters arrogance and superiority).
From his (its?) arrival onward this book was great fun, so much so that I've given it 4 instead of 2 stars and am heading straight to book 2.
September 4, 2018
I really enjoyed this first entry in the series, and am very much looking forward to seeing where it goes from here. It kind of feels a bit like a John Scalzi series, if Scalzi took things a bit more seriously and did more research into military bureaucracy and jargon.
The highlight is definitely the strong voice of the protagonist, who is human, flawed, and fleshed out into three dimensions. He is easy to relate to, as he seems just as baffled as the reader as to why this alien invasion is happening and what to do about it. While lucky, and in the right place at the right time more than once, he also never feels invincible, or loses his humanity.
The highlight is definitely the strong voice of the protagonist, who is human, flawed, and fleshed out into three dimensions. He is easy to relate to, as he seems just as baffled as the reader as to why this alien invasion is happening and what to do about it. While lucky, and in the right place at the right time more than once, he also never feels invincible, or loses his humanity.
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