Stranded

Starship of the Ancients, Book 1

De: A.K. DuBoff

Narrado por: Greg Tremblay

Shipwrecked on a distant planet. Mysterious alien relics. His fresh start just turned into an interstellar conspiracy.

After an undercover investigation goes bad, ex-soldier Evan hopes to forge a new life on a remote colony world. But when the transport ship explodes in orbit, his plans for a peaceful early retirement go out the airlock.

He crash-lands with a small group of settlers, away from the target site, and with limited resources. Unable to call for help off-world, Evan and the mission's xenobiologist Anya race for survival in the dangerous wilds—until they realize they aren't alone on the planet.

Evan's investigative instincts tell him that nothing about this colony mission going awry is an accident. When evidence points to an ancient alien starship hidden somewhere on the planet, he realizes that solving the mystery will be the biggest case of his life.

Can Evan survive the hostile planet long enough to uncover the truth?

Stranded is the thrilling first installment in the Starship of the Ancients series. If you like suspenseful space adventures with dynamic characters, alien worlds, and escalating interstellar intrigue, then you'll love this riveting new space opera by author A.K. DuBoff, creator of the Cadicle Universe.

©2025 A.K. DuBoff (P)2025 Podium Audio

Good story!

I liked the storyline but thought the conversation between Evan and Onya, while crossing the planet was unnecessary. Their goals were very dangerous (killer animals, vines and people), yet they kept having time to talk to each other like they were on a first date.

Plenty of action, great narration

I absolutely loved this book. Starship of the Ancients hooked me from the very first chapter and never let go. The mix of mystery, action, and character drama is spot-on. The whole concept of the ancient ship is fascinating, and every new reveal about its origins had me glued to the page.

What really stood out for me were the characters. They aren’t just cardboard cutouts thrown into space battles—they feel real. The crew’s banter, their doubts, and even the little moments of humor made me care about them as much as the bigger story. By the end, I wasn’t just invested in the fate of the galaxy, I was rooting for this crew like they were old friends.

The pacing is fast but never rushed, and the worldbuilding is fantastic. I’ve read a lot of space operas, but this one manages to make familiar ideas feel fresh again. The sense of wonder whenever the “Ancient” technology shows up gave me chills in the best way.

The ending was everything I hoped it would be—tense, emotional, and packed with payoff. Honestly, this book reminded me why I fell in love with science fiction in the first place.

If you like epic space adventures with a human heart, I can’t recommend Starship of the Ancients enough.
Ron

Ok - convenient and predictable

Characters seem like a “first date” . That said the underlying story is interesting. I will continue listening to the series

Immersive Sci-Fi, Stellar Narration—A Must-Listen!

I’m a big fan of “slow burn” science fiction, and Stranded by A.K. DuBoff delivers everything I hope for in a smart, character-driven story. The book opens with a tense escape from a failing colony ship and steadily builds intrigue without ever dragging. The world of Aethos is introduced piece by piece—DuBoff masterfully plants small details early on that pay off as the plot unfolds, especially around the alien tech and underlying conspiracy.

The main characters, especially Evan, feel authentic and multi-dimensional. As someone with a bit of a legal background, I really appreciated how believable his choices were—never forced or “just for the plot.” The development of trust between the protagonists is gradual and realistic, making their bond feel earned rather than convenient.

Greg Tremblay’s performance elevates the experience even more. He gives each character a distinct, memorable voice and uses rhythm and tone to match the mood of each scene. Even listening at 1.7x, I had no trouble following who was speaking or catching subtle emotional beats. Podium Audio’s production is flawless, with crisp audio and no distracting glitches.

If you love character-driven sci-fi with smart plotting, real emotional stakes, and top-tier narration, this is the audiobook for you. I listened alongside the ebook and would recommend both for the full experience. Can’t wait for book two—this is my new benchmark for “alien contact” fiction!

Entertaining Experience

This a solid story and a wonderful off planet experience for sci-fi heads. What stood out the most was the reading performance--I would call it "top-notch"!

Good story and we'll worth the read

The narration was noteworthy, and made the entire story sing with excitement. I hope the rest of the series is narrated as well.

An Excellent Start

What a compelling start to a new series! I cannot wait to continue this adventure! Well written and well narrated, this story has everything you could ask of a space adventure.

Adolescent level concepts, stilted dialog.

No depth to the characters or story. Not worth the time to listen. No resolution to story unless you get the next book, maybe.

mediocre

inconsistent, underwhelming illogical with some banter between boy and girl about something not sure what, and no conclusion. it just ends. kind of a sitcom ending of a two parter.

Painful!!

Here is the book in a nutshell (ad much as i could stomach any ways) - I have a secret. What is it? I can't tell you. You can tell me... tells secret... Now I have a secret. What is it? I can't tell you. You can tell me... tells secret... I have another secret. What is it? I can't tell you. You can tell me... tells secret... and so on and so on