Book review by Corey
Broken Galaxy
Broken Galaxy follows Jim Carter, a former Marine dealing with PTSD who is hiding a very unusual secret: a damaged, sentient starship in his airplane hangar. His life gets even more complicated when Bonnie, a test pilot, discovers what he has been hiding and gets pulled into the effort to repair the ship before the wrong people find it.
The story mixes military science fiction, alien technology, romance, and a growing threat from both human governments and an alien species. It has a big, pulpy space-opera feel, and while some of the character relationships are a little unusual, the book moves quickly and keeps adding new problems once the secret of the ship starts getting harder to contain.
The Goods
- Fun sentient-starship concept
- Good mix of military sci-fi and space opera
- Moves quickly once the story gets going
- Plenty of larger threats building in the background
- Interesting alien technology
The Bads
- Some relationship dynamics are a little strange
- A few characters could use more depth
- The setup takes some time
- Certain ideas feel over-the-top
- Not everything gets explained right away
My Recommendation
This is a good choice for readers who like military science fiction, sentient ships, alien technology, and stories that start small before opening into a much bigger space conflict. The book has a slightly old-school space-opera feel and is more interested in adventure and big ideas than hard scientific detail. If you enjoy fast-moving sci-fi with a former Marine lead, secret technology, and several different groups all wanting control of the same ship, Broken Galaxy is an entertaining start to the series.