Bearing Gifts

The Stardock Trilogy, Book 1

By: Sean Fenian

Narrated by: Michael Karl Orenstein

Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

When the over-driven hyperdrive on their mobile shipyard burned out, the Chhrt'ktk't abandoned it in an inhabited system along their path, hoping it would work as a decoy to buy them more time to escape the Khreetan fleet pursuing them.

They didn't anticipate how far the pre-spacefaring species they turned over their broken-down maintenance facility to would subvert their plan.

Alex Holder, a retired engineer, just happened to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right mindset, to find himself chosen by the Chhrt'ktk't to hand over control of their shipyard to, simply because he was the first person they found able to interface with it. The Chhrt'ktk't could not possibly anticipate what he would do with it. And neither would anyone else.

©2024 Sean Fenian and Fenian House Publishing (P)2024 Podium Audio

I Want to Like It, But...

Bootstrapping stories are fun. HFY is fun. Military Scifi is fun. Based on the description, I was really hoping to get some of that here.

Instead, there's the same conversation ten times. Sometimes with the exact same phrases. Rarely with anything new, or much in the way of characterization.

Technical specifications get thrown around to make Alex Holder - the main character - look smart. Only the inconsequential details just serve to slow things down. I appreciated one where it got into the guts of a computer testing problem, but it felt simultaneously superficial to me as a technical person while it would go over the head of anyone without experience in the field.

Then there was a point where Alex offers a solution to a major contemporary political issue that boils down to "Why doesn't everyone just share?" and it's treated as a revelation that no one ever thought of before. Honestly, it would be great characterization if the story was trying to portray him as an ivory tower intellectual, but it isn't so it just comes across as a Marty Stu moment.

There are positive moments, which is part of why I really want to like this book. Not to get into any spoilers, but here and there are glimpses of what the story might have been if it weren't for problems with pacing, repetition, and character design.

And to set the record straight, I don't think that Alex is pushing a particularly "Woke" agenda, regardless of what other reviews say. He's definitely liberal. It definitely is a character trait that drives him. There's probably some of the author showing through there. But people need to stop accusing stories of being woke at the first sign of an opinion they disagree with.

Long story short, I like the premise, there's some high points, but the execution wasn't quite there.

repetitive and gets lost in the details

the story is compelling; however, it gets bogged down by repetive plot points told over and over again to each new character.

Has potential maybe, but can't stand anymore 4 now

First contact stories are among my favorites. But after 5 chapters I can't stand listening to it for one reason, I HATE characters that appoint themselves as the only person that decides humanity fate. Alex Holder by chapter 5 basically makes himself ruler of our solar system. If I find myself with nothing to listen too I might give this another try...