Trapped

Fleet Ops, Book 1

By: Scott Bartlett, Joshua James

Narrated by: Mark Boyett

Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's Summary

We fought them for decades.

And we won.

But victory has proven more destructive than defeat.

Years after defeating aliens bent on burning down the galaxy, the Interstellar Union is breaking apart, its member species undermining each other at every opportunity.

When an interdimensional distress signal arrives, only humanity is interested in helping.

Captain Vin Husher is sent in with a task force....

...right into a trap laid by humanity’s old enemy.

Surrounded by a bioengineered super-species and unable to return home, Husher must draw on decades of experience just to keep his people alive.

If he can’t survive long enough to escape this hellish pocket universe and warn humanity of the impending danger, all will be lost.

And it might already be too late.

©2019 Scott Bartlett, Joshua James (P)2019 Mirth Publishing

Great Sci-Fi and Space Opera

This novel brings all of the other books in Scott Bartlett's universe together. Be forewarned this book contains tons of spoilers for Scott's other novels. Though the author does a fairly good job providing back story in this novel and the reader doesn't need the other novels to fill in the past. The reader will miss a ton of rich history between the characters (in particular 1. Vin and Fesky; 2. Steam and Clutch). The scene where Vin holds back tears staring at the Providence model won't have the same bittersweet memories without knowing about Vin's relationship with Captain Keyes. You also wouldn't know about the Ixa and their devastating blow to mankind. Nor about Darkstream and what destruction a galactic corporation can bring about.

It's like visiting old friends you have spent time with in a while. I teared up with the scene with Fesky kicking butt like she did in the past. One thing this novel did have was more profanity than other books in this universe. Though I'm not particularly fond of novels that use it. I think Scott deserves a pass in this regard. The humans in the universe have been in Three Galactic Wars and have been constantly in the face of death.

I listened to the Audible version, and I love Mark Boyett great narrator and love his Fesky, though with this novel Rooster sounded similar.

For the best experience it is highly recommended that you read all the Bartlett novels in the following order:
Ixan Prophecies Series:

* The Gauntlet (Novella)
* Traitor (Prequel)
* Supercarrier
* Juggernaut
* Reckoning

Mech Wars Series

* Onslaught (Prequel)
* Powered
* Dynamo
* Meltdown
* Infliction

Ixan Legacy Series

* Captain and Command (Prequel)
* Capital Starship
* Pride of the Fleet
* Dogs of War

Fleet Ops Series
* Trapped

Evidently only men are leaders in the future

This is pretty typical sci-fi military prose. Very light on physics, standard futuristic weapons, and a convenient if unexplained multiverse. The narration is outstanding and well paced.

My biggest complaint about this book is that evidently only men will hold any sort of senior leadership positions in this future. Females are relegated to one-dimensional incidental roles, and there are very few of them. If you like a purely testosterone-driven, old style, male-dominated military story, this is for you. However, I recommend you expand your reading universe to more balanced approaches to future worlds that will undoubtedly be the actual reality.

Narrator is Horrible

The narrator's regular voice is OK, like 2 stars. But his fake voices are 0 stars and is the main reason I could not finish this book.

The alternate universe that is intertwined into this story is quite bizarre and that really put my interest off as well.

I don't know!

not sure if I'm going to purchase the next book. the store kept going left. there always seems to be a new villain more powerful then the last.

A riveting story.

**** SPOILER ALERT ****
UPDATED: To include the Audible version.
"Trapped: Fleet Ops Book 1" is my introduction to Bartlett's writing, but I've read a few of James books prior to this. 
The authors wove a tale balancing action and exposition while doing a superb job of world building and character development.
Q: Who sent the mysterious distress call?
Q: Is the distress call a trap?
A: Get this book and find out!!
I was thoroughly entertained by this story and I would recommend this book to anyone in whichever format suits you.  I can hardly wait to read book two in the series so I can find out what happens next.  I fully intend to check out more of Bartlett and James' writing.
This book is such a good one that I was willing to "read" it twice. Once by eye and once by ear.  The authors, kindly shared the Audible version with me and since I've already reviewed the book, I'm turning the spotlight on the narrator, the often unsung hero/heroine whose voice talents bring stories and characters to life.  A good narrator can lift a book to higher heights, while an inferior narrator can destroy a great book.  Mark Boyett was an excellent choice for this book. His voicing was excellent and truly brought this story to life.   In addition, his audio production skills are top shelf.  I hope to hear more of Mr. Boyett's narrations in future.
In the interest of transparency: I was given a review copy of this book and I am voluntarily sharing this review.
It is my own honest opinion.

Felt like I missed...

Pros: engaging story and well told.

Cons: I spent most of the book feeling like I was playing catch up. There’s clearly a series of books (or more) before this. They reference a billion things that already happened and I just had to accept it.

In the end, I enjoyed the experience.

Great start to a new series

Props to both Scott Bartlett and Joshua James for an exciting and harrowing new series. I really enjoyed the mix of space opera engagements, mech hand-to-hand encounters and marines doing what they do best, breaking things and blowing sh*t up. Mark Boyett's superb narrating performance was icing on the cake.

There were new species encounters and the bad guys were horrific with their secondary upchuck juice weapon.

If the option was there, I would have only dropped it a half-star for Captain Vin Husher's lax attitude toward his new XO's lack of discipline through most of the book along with the XO being given that position without any prior fleet experience.

If you are on the prowl looking for an entertaining new series, you're bound to enjoy this one.

Enjoyable...

This was a pleasant sci-fi story. I would definitely listen to another by these two authors. Nothing outlandish or overly bizarre. No spoilers here but it ends well-poised for a sequel.

I thought the narrator did a great job. I’ve also enjoyed other books he’s narrated and he does well with many different character voices.

Awesome! A great addition that feels new!

I listen and read the book in 24 hours. Trapped is yet another great story centered around our favorite Captain, Husher.

The story is a great addition to the already two box sets, Super Carrier, and Capital Fleet, also know as The Ixan Prophecies.

I am trying to not give spoilers but the story centers around a distress signal, weapons that one would never thing would be a weapon, and some freaky aliens, all tastefully put together to satisfy anyone's scifi or Space Opera palate.

The story of Alt Husher is expanded a bit and the aftermath between Fesky and Husher is discussed, which is good because I was really curious how Scott was going to present it. some of the behaviors reminded me of PTSD survivors I have spoken to. well done. Scott did a phenomenal job at showing the human- condition with Capital Fleet, and he doesn't disappoint with this book.

One of the reasons I'm such a big fan is because Scott presents scenarios that can be interpreted into the real world as well. the only other series I can think of that does this, is The Expanse.

The ending was good. I may have missed it, but I would have liked to know what the opinion of one species is at the end of the novels, although I think this is going to be explained in the next book, so it's not a detractor. most questions presented are answered and the ones that aren't are tactfully left. it has me craving the next book already!

Loved the book. A great binge. Would recommend!

Great start to a new series

In the first book of a new series, we find Captain Vin Husher, our hero from previous galactic wars. Who had literally saved the human race plus the entire universe, once again finds himself as an outcast despite his heroic actions. The top brass at the admiralty want him out of the way, by giving him assignments that would have little chance of him getting back into the news. But that is never going to happen 😊. I have read and enjoyed all of Scott Bartlett’s Ixan books, and recommended the all to you, with the collaboration with Joshua James we now have a new series to start reading and listening too

Rollicking Space Opera!

I do like books that set out their stall early and then keep consistent. It's obvious from the start that this is going to be an all-action space opera rather than any kind of high-brow, deep thought style sci-fi - and I don't mean that disparagingly, I was brought up on the mean streets of Luton dreaming of being a Lensman or a Jeddi!

A mysterious distress call from an unknown race in an unknown universe . . . who are they? Why are they in trouble? From what I understand of the back story you'd expect humanity's response to be 'Sorry, your distress call is important to us but all of our agents are busy right now'. Oh no, Captain Vin Husher is dispatched with a task force with all haste to investigate. What follows is a high octane action fest full of space battles, mech-suited warriors and gung-ho fighter pilots and Bartlett and James incorporate some interesting combinations of space battle tactics.

The narration is well worth a mention. At first I wasn't at all convinced by Mark Boyett as some of his accents seemed to slip in and out a bit but once he started doing Fesky I think I came to appreciate what he was doing a little bit more and really started enjoying it. Even if she did sound like something out of the Simpsons!

The only point that I would add is that I blundered into this assuming it was a brand new series. Not a big problem as the story stood up well on its own but I suspect I missed a certain amount as there is considerable backstory in these characters from previous books.

To sum up. This one won't be one to trouble the likes of Adrian Tchaikovsky and his adherents but it is a straight out, good fun, high action read with some nice touches around the edges of the characters.

Excellent sequel

Looking fwd to book... The sooner the better 👍👍👍 superb narration excellent story fast pased and k intense.

Very good military sci fi

I wasn’t aware that this was a sequel to a series by Scott, but that didn’t stop me from being able to follow this story. It is a really well written book and the narrator does a fantastic job. Looking forward to more books in this series.

The action never lets up! Fantastic.

Captain Vin Husher is back, and he's in a position from which he can't easily leave! Hence the title.

After a politically sensitive incident, he's given an 'off the books' assignment that really puts his feet to the fire. They're outnumbered and unable to get home. Can Husher and his crew survive? Will they find allies?

Mark Boyett gives another stellar performance and really pulls you into the story.

The book is a collaboration with Joshua James who writes the Lucky's Marines books and the authors have done a great job here too. You'll get great action from the point of view of the bridge crew, fighter pilots, mech warriors and Marines, both alien and human characters.

If you haven't read any of Scott Bartlett's other books set in the same universe, you aren't going to feel lost here. You could easily start with Trapped, and then pick up one of the other series, IMNSHO.

another winner

loved the book. it went back to the original stuff. the one thing i wonder is what happened to the Vesta. other than that, it is action packed, and can't wait for the next one

Action pack military space opera

Action pack military space opera space battles mechs infantry action (what more do we need)
It's my first book in this universe it's good place to start not necessary to listen to prior books in the series to enjoy (never felt like I was missing anything)
Like always Mark Boyett did a great job narrating this book