Runs in the Family

By: Kevin Ikenberry

Narrated by: Cici Kay

An outcast of the Eden Academy, physically unfit for military duty, and lacking a civil service assignment, Mairin Shields is going nowhere fast. With little hope of leaving the outer rim of the Milky Way, Mairin agrees to participate in a classified experiment offering her genetic perfection and a chance to see the galaxy. Now, armed with her great-grandfather's military knowledge and combat-refined instincts, Mairin is tasked with leading inexperienced troops in a war against a shadowy enemy using hauntingly familiar tactics.

But the first rule of the military is "hurry up and wait", and Mairin learns this firsthand. Without transport to the fight, Mairin spends the downtime on a lush paradise world, getting to know her new body, her imprint, and her heart. Mairin meets Tallenaara, a beautiful Styrahi architect whose mission and past will come to challenge them both. Faced with the most difficult choice of her young life, Mairin Shields can only watch as her world spins out of control.

©2016 Kevin Ikenberry (P)2016 Kevin Ikenberry

Pretty good for a first book.

The premise is interesting and I am wondering if he will be writing more in this universe.
Once again, I can tell that this is his first because I have read his more recent work and I can see how he has improved.

Outstanding Space Sci-Fi

I found this to be a very interesting listen some of it is believable with other parts not so much. I enjoyed the plot and the characters. I really liked how you saw things from many different sides getting to know what each character was thinking.

MS. Kay narration is delightful with lots of emotions as she takes us on a journey.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review

Strong female protagonist

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom dot com.

Narrator did fine, but a few of the character voices sounded too similar. I like the military-scifi stories with strong female protagonists. I think the story would have been better focusing entirely on Mairin without using the other characters' points of views as well. Fair warning, the ending is either hate-it-or-love-it.

too long,not satisfying ending

struggled to finish,actually yelled out loud when not one but 2 main characters died!
unless this is going to be a series it is a terrible standalone.
I might ne a sap but all the detailed battle scenes and the lack of a happily ever after was disappointing
also the author used so many ing words to describe multiple actions it was distracting.

I liked it!

Well done plot, beginning a a great opera!


This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Very interesting

Many years in the future things are not the same as we seem them today, in the future earth has been attacked by aliens many times over. They have made allies with other plants working together to keep peace. The Grays need something and knows earth has it, the allies are trying their best to keep peace but the Grays are having nothing of it. This is not a romance book although it does have romance in it which is put together in an interesting way. There is a gay scene but as with the romance part it isn’t gone into it that much. In other words you will not find sex scenes here which is totally find by me. I am torn a little on the rating so I will leave that until the end. I have listened to one other audio by this author which really blew me out of the water. This is good but not that good. The plot is built around war and Mairin who they want to give a DNA transplant from her grandfather. Over a few days she will sleep when waking she should know most of what her grandfather has learned before he died. They are testing this in hopes to make her a fighting power like no other. In short they can take a no body that has no future and make them a killing machine with heart and soul wanting nothing more than to protect the lands.


MS. Kay narration is delightful with lots of emotions as she takes us on a journey of love, pain, sorrow and dreams. Her character voices were wonderful she has no problem delivering true emotion to her characters. Mairin character voice she it right on the money. So of her character voices sounded a little too much the same at times I did have trouble keeping them apart. It doesn’t take away from the audio that much and I could work out who is talking at any giving time. She did make it a very interesting listen as she lays out the plot you are spellbound. If any breaks were taken I could not tell. There were no background noises, no repeating or words just a very clean and clear audio.


I found this to be a very interesting listen some of it is believable with other parts not so much. I enjoyed the plot and the characters. I really liked how you saw things from many different sides getting to know what each character was thinking. I thought at time things moved a little fast. I am unsure of the love triangle there are no winners. Earth and many other plants won the war pretty much before it began. I have no trouble believing the DNA transplant of memories I believe this may happen down the road. The romance in this is heartbreaking in so many ways.


Mairin is a wonderful character that changes right before your eyes as she learns from her grandfather. She starts out as shy and turns in to a wild tiger as she takes over not letting any man get in her way. She becomes sassy, bold and takes charge kind of person. I really enjoyed watching her grow as a person. I had to laugh at a few places. I thought this was written very well with interesting characters. The author does hold your attention. The ending I didn’t care for very much but it ends in a way that there could be a book 2. I enjoyed listening to it and having it open my mind to possibilities. This review does not do justice to this story there were parts I really enjoyed and others I didn’t. I am getting a head cold so I will just close it and may update it when I feel better.

Outstanding Space Sci-Fi

Where does Runs in the Family rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was the best audiobook I heard all year, and I listen daily!

What other book might you compare Runs in the Family to and why?

Ikenberry's style reminds me a little of Robert Heinlein, but Ikenberry has a better grasp of romance.

What about Cici Kay’s performance did you like?

Loved her voices! She nailed Mairin's voice perfectly.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The ending, it was so brilliant and heartrending, I wanted to howl out loud.

Any additional comments?

Tremendous novel! Outstanding.

hUMANS VS ALIENS

A solidly written book, I had a hard time finishing, No real new ideas, imprinting DNA not feasible to me, nor the idea that one tank commander could change the course of a galactic war. The book leans more toward inter species romance than military science fiction. hard core military science fiction fans give this book a pass.

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom dot com."

Interesting read

This was an interesting sci -fi book. I knew the author several years back so I was excited to see what he wrote.

It makes interesting points about possible first contact and earth's relations with aliens (both on a large and personal level). It also address the possibility and consequences of interstellar war, with a unique way of looking from the soldier/company level officer view.

While similar themes have been explored I though this was very unique in several aspects without copying previous themes. At the same time it pulls from and even mentions many of the great sci-fi novels and series prior.

A prequel would also be interesting set up of the loose backstory given.

Above Average Science Fiction

This was a better-than-average science fiction story with some really cool key concepts and technologies. I’m sometimes quite surprised how good the writing is from authors previously unknown (to me at least). You wouldn't know that the author wasn't a best-selling book author straight from the bookstore shelf.
I’d definitely recommend this book for any fans of sci-fi, but I really think that almost anyone will enjoy the listen.

The narration was very good, but there were a couple of places that the narrator threw me off. Overall, it was a 4.5, but I gave a 5 because it was still well above average.

I requested and received a free copy of this audiobook from the author, publisher, or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review. I was NOT required to write a positive review and this reflects my honest opinion of the work.