Stargods

Star Carrier, Book 9

By: Ian Douglas

Narrated by: Nick Sullivan

Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's Summary

The last installment in the Star Carrier series, where first contact, space opera, and military adventure combine, from New York Times best-selling author Ian Douglas!

Will this be the end?

Or a new beginning...

Having battled aliens to prove humanity’s worth as a star-faring species, Admiral Trevor Gray has a new mission: follow the directives of the super-AI Konstantin and lead the star carrier America on a mission through time and space to determine if humanity can truly transcend into Singularity...and avoid the pitfalls that have plagued so many of the aliens Earth has encountered since it gained faster-than-light travel.

But there are those out there who don’t want an answer, who wish to maintain their own power with the status quo. Beyond the dangers of star travel, Gray must contend with politicians looking to end the influence of artificial intelligence on human decisions, a secret fleet out to destroy him, hostile aliens, and the vast, uncharted space full of clues but short on answers.

A species must evolve to survive into the future. But that species must have a vision of the future. Gray hopes to find that vision for humanity...800,000 years in the past.

©2020 Ian Douglas (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Excellent Scifi

The entire Star Carrier series has been very enjoyable, creative & insightful. I love the depth of diversity that go into the characters, tech and alien species. I think this would make a great scifi tv series, it is unique and interesting in many ways.

This entry did the entire series a major disservice.

I did enjoy a lot of this novel, but the last two hours or so was like listening to a drunk uncle with a ponytail and flip-flops go on and on about what a bad boy Trump was. I couldn’t believe how a solid sci-fi I have loved for nearly a decade turned into such a paper thin soapbox. This will definitely be the last Ian Douglas work I spend any money on.

Disappointing end

I was disappointed with this book. I am a loyal fan of the series. I have always enjoyed them minus the repetitive retelling of certain things such as grays background, or they obnoxious abbreviation and slang terms of certain words (eg “schedy” instead of schedule).
However for some reason the author decided to get very political in this novel. Perhaps it was his inclination all along and he figured since this was the last book he’s already got everyone’s money. The new president and his cohorts behaved like a bunch of nutty leftists. Weird to do for future military warfare and tech novels. But for whatever reason the author decided to make constant suggestions in the novel that the new preside and his cohorts were actually Donald Trump or similar politicians. And then other character such as Koenig and Admiral Gray, who are military leaders and obvious conservatives, suddenly turned into leftists. It made no sense and was very offputting and distracting to the storyline and the spirit of the prior eight novels.

I'll miss this series.

Ian Douglas is one of my top tier Authors, right up with B.V. Larson and Martha Wells. Douglas can imagine a future where humans have actually evolved and not just the technology, among the best--even his aliens challenge one's imagination of what an alien is or should be.. If this really is the last in the series I will miss not having the next book to look out for. I've already reread the series up to whatever the new addition was at least three times over the last five years or so, and I'll probably read it again in a year or two. Nick Sullivan is a seamless narrator insofar as you really don't notice his presence because of a mispronunciation or an inappropriate voice--its very easy to get lost in the story.

Wish I could flag narrators to AVOID in future

I'd forgotten how silly some aspects of the books in this series are, and how the social constructs read like the fantasies of a 15 year old boy. The interesting bits of harder science and speculation about the future make it readable but the characters and social aspects are juvenile. The way women in this book are portrayed would make Heinlein proud. That's not a compliment.

As to narration -- This may be just personal taste, but I cannot stand Nick Sullivan's reading. I find it like listening to a 4th grade teacher desperate to get the attention of the class by being overly dramatic in every sentence. I guess I'm spoiled by RC Bray, who could read the phone book and still hold my attention.

great end to a great series!

Ian Douglas has a knack for building characters and using scientific Concepts throughout his books. It is never dull and he introduces you to characters you grow to enjoy love, and new characters that show you the price of conflict. this ending is consistent with the entire series and I am happy and yet sad to read it, much like but ends in the book. I think the author author for a good use of my time.