Bearing Gifts Audiobook By Sean Fenian cover art

Bearing Gifts

The Stardock Trilogy, Book 1

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Bearing Gifts

By: Sean Fenian
Narrated by: Michael Karl Orenstein
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About this listen

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
Adventure Military Science Fiction Space Opera
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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.

I Want to Like It, But...

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This was a interesting start to a series of books which I am sure many people will enjoy. I totally agree with the authors view on the UN. looking forward to book 2.

interesting start

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Concept is good but I feel nothing of note happened in the first book.i don't like the pacing. Based on where the writer seems to be going it could have been done in half the book. it doesn't leave me wanting more.

slow build

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The first couple of chapters were ok. Then……nothing….. absolutely nothing happened. I will not be continuing the series

Nothing actually happened

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I really enjoyed the story and look forward to the next two. That being said, the story does get bogged down sometimes with technical descriptions.

Great story but gets a bit overtly technical

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Listening to this book it seems that all the worlds problems can be solved if everyone just decides to forgive eachother and get along. also while listening I found it easy to forget if this was a book on a space war or if it was a book on how western civilization is oppressive and needs to redidicate itself to pushing equality and equity amongst the entire world

Good plot idea, not well executed

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I realize this is a start of a trilogy but it felt like there was a lot of redundancy in the story telling that made it drag on.

Sort of drags along

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this was well executed plot and performance of this book. I would highly recommend adding to your collection

first couple of chapters were slow but really good overall

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Great story line but the authors woke views and preaching suck alot of the enjoyment out of the story.

to much preaching

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The US and other World Leaders all agreeing and working together. Everyone does the right thing. Good story made me laugh.

To unreal even for SciFi

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