Swarm

Star Force, Book 1

By: B. V. Larson

Narrated by: Mark Boyett

Length: 10 hrs

Publisher's summary

Earth arms marines with alien technology and builds its first battle fleet! Kyle Riggs is snatched by an alien spacecraft sometime after midnight. The ship is testing everyone it catches and murdering the weak. The good news is that Kyle keeps passing tests and staying alive. The bad news is the aliens who sent this ship are the nicest ones out there.

A novel of military science fiction by best-selling author B. V. Larson, Swarm is the story of Earth's annexation by an alien empire. Long considered a primitive people on a backwater planet, humanity finds itself in the middle of a war - and faced with extinction.

Battle stations! Listen to another Star Force novel.

©2010 B.V. Larson (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

great sci-fi story

this was a book that I didn't expect to like as much as I did. The title can be a little misleading when you think about swarm. However I was thoroughly pleased with this book and can't wait for the next one. Narration was great as well.

This book is a primer for better things to come

I'm writing this after having listened to the entire series, and I'm going to be honest. I accidentally started with book 3 or so, then came back and listened to the first one. If I had listened to book one before the rest I may not have continued and would have missed out on some of the best listening I've had on Audible.

So let me explain. First off I'd like to say that anyone who loved the "evil dead" series of movies is going to have a great time with these books. They are action packed, campy, sometimes funny and full of great one liners. In this first book it's hard to get past some of the "no one would act that way in that situation" moments, but later in the series it just sort of becomes part of charm. I never got the feeling that the author was trying to push any of his characters as "truly believable". They are not intended that way, and if you need truly down to earth characters you aren't going to get half the humor in this series anyway.

Our hero Kyle Riggs like most of the characters in this story is sort of a cardboard cut out type action figure. That's not to say that he isn't dynamic. Just dynamic in a sort of womanizing alien killing one liner tossing macho man out to singlehandedly save the earth. Forced into a situation between power hungry government leaders who want nothing more than to control all of the alien tech for their own purposes and evil alien robots set to decimate all sentient biotic species in the universe. Kyle throws himself head first into the fray without looking back. With very few real friends and way to many enemies he has his hands full right to the end of the series.

So about this book in particular. Read it and you'll understand how it all started. Read the rest if you want to go on a very action packed and sometimes hilariously funny ride all the way through.

Did not care for the story

Would you try another book from B. V. Larson and/or Mark Boyett?

Maybe.

What could B. V. Larson have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Mr. Larson is a very good writer. The book is well written. I just didn't care for the story line.

Excellent Syfy, Great Story

Where does Swarm rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the best stories I have read in a very long time.

What did you like best about this story?

I really like the concept for this story. How do we fend off a robot invasion? With help from nanites sent by aliens.

What about Mark Boyett’s performance did you like?

The audio performance is very good.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Some of the character responses do make me chuckle.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait to read the next one.

Series review

I am currently on book five of the series. I am putting this review on book one, since, of course, this will be the first book someone will look at to see if the series is worth a read. I have been an avid reader of sci-fi for over 50 years. I teethed on Heinlein, Asimov and Clark. I do recommend the series. If you are looking for something groundbreaking and complelely original then move on and good luck on finding what you are looking for since sci-fi has been around a long time. If you are looking for an entertaining story that will keep you interested and buying the next book in the series then you will not be disappointed.
Mark Boyett also does an excellent job on narrating the series.

Humans vs. Advanced Alien Technology

What made the experience of listening to Swarm the most enjoyable?

This first salvo of the Star Force series is a good listen, I would place this is the same area as John Ringo's Troy Rising series minus the heavy political commentary and minus the actually superior Alien species, just the superior Alien Technology.

As others have said, Larson does tend to repeat himself alot, and you will find your self thinking, why is he explaining this again. One example is how many times he will describe nanites, and the injections.

On a positive side, Larson doe snot overly explain technology nor does overly describe things, leaving you to fill in the rest with your own imagination.

In all the story is very good, and worth the credit. I am currently at book 4 of the series and it is still worth the time.

What did you like best about this story?

The explination of Alien visits and abductions.

What about Mark Boyett???s performance did you like?

Mr. Boyett has a strong voice although he does have a limited range when it come to multiple character voices. You will find he uses the same voice for several characters.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

What It Says On the Tin

If you are looking for an in-depth book with a deep plot and well-developed characters, look elsewhere. This book is all about testosterone-filled men using testosterone. The main character is a computer genius, who is also brilliant with tactics (so much that he is better than career military officers). The only female character is there to cook, clean, and have sex with the main character. Although there are a few times when she exerts herself, she mostly sits back and cowers in fear.

That said, the reader was good. I liked the way he did accents, and put emotion into the book.

I want to know what happens with the rest of the series. I just don't think I can bring myself to listen to the rest of the books.

Another BV Larson Sci-Fi Hit

If Kyle Riggs is the answer, what was the question? Love this series. Twists and turns and heroes and bad guys.

A vast adventure

Throughout this series I found the writing to be a little clunky and the characters emotionally stunted and unrelatable. But the concepts throughout are refreshingly creative and unique. This series takes the reader on an adventure spanning at least 6 different star systems and many worlds it's scope is truly vast. If you're a fan of sci-fi and can forgive some sloppy writing then I highly recommend this series however if your new to the genre I'd recommend starting somewhere else as this particular author might scare you off.

Couldn’t stop listening

Where does Swarm rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book is in the top three. Daemon by Daniel Suarez still ranks as my favorite, but this one certainly gave Daemon a run for its money. This book is very fast paced and very entertaining. It kept my attention the entire time. There was one section of the book when I had listened for two hours without even realizing it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Swarm?

I think the most memorable moment was the ending, though I won’t give that away for aspiring readers.

Any additional comments?

Though this isn’t the first time that a science fiction novel utilizes the concept of humans gaining access to alien technology and using it against other aliens, the execution of this concept was very original….as far as I know. It was refreshing to see a creative spin to this branch of military science fiction.