Columbus Day

Expeditionary Force, Book 1

De: Craig Alanson

Narrado por: R.C. Bray

Nominee, Audie Awards—Audiobook of the Year, 2018

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.

©2016 Craig Alanson (P)2016 Podium Audio

An Excellent Sci-Fi Adventure

This was a really excellent book that kept me wanting to listen straight through... It was just about everything I could want in a good sci-fi book, and more!

The story begins with an alien invasion that takes the world by surprise. Power plants and critical infrastructure across the planet are targeted and Earth's military forces are no match for their overwhelming force. A military reservist and his buddies manage to capture one of the alien soldiers after their ship crash lands in their hometown. The main character treats him well and eventually releases him, bringing him to the attention of the military's top brass and winning the appreciation of the alien race.
The aliens are soon driven away by another superior alien force. Pegging the new aliens as the saviors of the planet, Earth governments are all too happy to send hundreds of thousands of soldiers off planet to fight along-side their technologically superior allies. However, their new "allies" may not be all that they appear to be, and a great deal of our military might is now off planet... Do they really have humanity's best interest in mind? Are our attackers and enemies really out to harm or destroy humanity?
The main character goes from a small town enlisted reservist to one of the last, best hopes for humanity. Can he, a single powerful ally, and a rag-tag group of soldiers protect the planet from the vastly superior technology of the other alien races in the galaxy? Can they pull Earth off of the front lines of a millennia-long proxy war?

This book was good for the first half but was positively outstanding by the last few chapters. Not only was it good, but it was actually full of great humor. I laughed out loud on multiple occasions. The writing really was excellent. I was actually pretty surprised at the direction it went, but that was a good thing! I can't wait to listen to the next book.

The narrator was top-notch. He's narrated several other books I've listened to and I couldn't be happier.

This book will be enjoyed by any fans of military or space sci-fi. It has everything from alien tech, land battles, space battles, and all of the characters are very realistic and believable. All of the military slang and jargon were straight out of your choice of military service. 5 stars all-around!

fun listen

maybe my monkey brain can't understand the innumerable forces at work to allow Joe the ability be at the right place at the wrong time. very tropish ( that means you need to understand all of the science fiction theories out there, or you're going to get lost) but it goes from mediocre to entertaining when you find Skippy

Fun SciFi best since "Hitchhikers Guide...."

Serious but fun and Joe's encounter with "Skippy" the AI made me laugh out loud! Clever writing by Craig Alanson, and Joes character is brilliant and funny yet dead serious. Brings me back to the tough, wisecracking characters in WWII movies. Joe is smarter than he gives himself credit for, and is masterfully narrated by R.C. Bray. What a hoot!!!

Started a little slow...then I was hooked

There's a lot of background information and explaining in the beginning for the storyline to make sense. It started a little slow for me, but then I couldn't stop.

If you like plausible sci-fi mixed with adventure this is a great choice.

Light as Froth But Plenty of Fun

This was a fun listen which kept me coming back for more once it got going. I would describe it as military sci-fi laced with humor and with characters you grow to love. It is a light, easy listen in that there is not much tension of any sort, so you will not need to bite your knuckles or sweat. Don't look for in-depth character development or lots of hard science. If you are just in the market for an entertaining, fun ride, this book is for you!.

For the impatient listener, you will just have to sit tight as the story develops, knowing that Skippy is coming. No, I can't and won't tell you who he is. That would spoil the fun and give away the plot, which you really don't want me to do.

So, take a leap of faith if you are looking for an entertaining, stress-free listen that will make you smile and maybe even laugh. You don't have to be a fan of military sci-fi to have fun with this one, (I'm not).

Oh yes, you will love the narration by R. C. Bray. If you recognize his name, you know this to be true. If not, you are in for a pleasant surprise.