12/02/2019
Wagers (Down Among the Dead) kicks off the NeoG series with this fun, feel-good space opera. The Near-Earth Orbital Guard does low-profile rescue and policing work in space, akin to the U.S. Coast Guard. Other branches of the military look down on the NeoG, making it especially important to the NeoG that they win the annual Boarding Games, an all-service athletic and technological skill competition. When NeoG Lt. Cdr. Nika is transferred away from his Interceptor team, an anxious new lieutenant, Maxine Carmichael, is assigned in Nika’s place, disrupting the dynamic of the highly competitive team. As Max struggles to prove herself to her distrustful teammates, they train for the Games and work to rescue errant space travelers, leading them to stumble on a massive government conspiracy. There’s surprisingly little tension in the political story line; readers will be more invested in the interpersonal relationships as Max attempts to win over the crew—among them Nika’s prickly adopted sister, Jenks—and be accepted into their chosen family. This effortlessly entertaining novel is sure to have readers coming back for the next installment. Agent: Andy Zack, Zack Co. (Mar.)
Wagers kicks off the NeoG series with this fun, feel-good space opera. This effortlessly entertaining novel is sure to have readers coming back for the next installment.” — Publishers Weekly
“If Wagers didn’t serve, they certainly got the skinny from somebody who lived it and it shows. They spin a captivating sea-story in space. As an ex-Coast Guardsman, I appreciate that what the crew lacks in gear, they make up for in heart. Semper Paratus.” — Nathan Lowell, creator of the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper
"Wagers delivers a space adventure that's a found family story that's an interstellar conspiracy story that's... it just keeps going! Fierce, rollicking, kind, intimate and vast. If A Long Way to A Small, Angry Planet had more kickboxing matches and death-defying space rescues, this would be the book. Go Neo-G!" — Max Gladstone, author of Empress of Forever
“Great characters and white knuckle tension. Recommended.” — Gareth L. Powell, author of Embers of War
"Perfect for fans of Becky Chambers, A Pale Light in the Black is an energetic, unique military sci-fi with a found family heart." — Emily Skrutskie, author of Bonds of Brass
"Wagers builds a complex and compelling mystery against a military sci-fi backdrop in a book full of diverse characters you're going to laugh and cry with. It all adds up to the sort of book that is impossible to put down and I never wanted to." — Bryan Young, writer
"Every character is someone readers will enjoy spending time with, and exploring the characters' relationships is the heart of the tale. […] Wagers' first book in the NeoG series is an unexpected and refreshing twist on military science fiction." — Library Journal
"Perfect for fans of Becky Chambers, A Pale Light in the Black is an energetic, unique military sci-fi with a found family heart."
"Wagers delivers a space adventure that's a found family story that's an interstellar conspiracy story that's... it just keeps going! Fierce, rollicking, kind, intimate and vast. If A Long Way to A Small, Angry Planet had more kickboxing matches and death-defying space rescues, this would be the book. Go Neo-G!"
Great characters and white knuckle tension. Recommended.
If Wagers didn’t serve, they certainly got the skinny from somebody who lived it and it shows. They spin a captivating sea-story in space. As an ex-Coast Guardsman, I appreciate that what the crew lacks in gear, they make up for in heart. Semper Paratus.”
★ 12/01/2019
The Near-Earth Orbital Guard protects human life in the Sol System and ensures the safety of space where humans roam. As the Interceptor crew of Zuma's Ghost recovers from its defeat at the annual Boarding Games last year, they are surprised by a sudden reassignment of one of their own and getting a new lieutenant. Maxine Carmichael may come from one of the most powerful families on Earth, but she intends to find her own way into the black of space. She hopes her new team and Jupiter Station will become home, but doubt slowly creeps in. The crew of Zuma's Ghost must come together to take the next Boarding Games and deal with a growing mystery surrounding missing ships, long-lost people, and a secret from Max's family's past that could put Zuma's crew and thousands of others in danger. VERDICT The U.S. Coast Guard in space! Wagers ("Indranan War" trilogy) launches an exciting new military sf series filled with smart characters and taut action sequences that will keep readers engaged.—Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton
2019-12-23
Character-driven military science fiction, the first installment in Wagers' NeoG series revolves around Maxine Carmichael, a lieutenant in the Near-Earth Orbital Guard who has spurned the influence of her powerful family and followed her own path into space.
Set in the year 2435—centuries after the nebulous Collapse—the narrative begins with Carmichael's being assigned to Zuma's Ghost, a NeoG ship with a close-knit crew that has done well in the Boarding Games, an annual competition that pits various military infiltration teams against one another for bragging rights. As if being the person to replace a beloved crew member (who got promoted) wasn't bad enough, the perception of her dynastic family name (her parents are both Navy admirals) makes her assimilation even more difficult. With four months until the next Games, Carmichael has the added pressure of not only doing her high-pressure job, but of performing well in the hypercompetitive matches. Her life quickly becomes even more complicated when the salvagers they apprehend onboard a missing system jumper turn up dead shortly after being taken into custody. Traces of a substance link the dead to LifeEx, a company that produces a life-extending serum and that Carmichael's sister coincidentally heads as its CEO. When someone begins attempting to kill off Zuma's Ghost crew members, Carmichael must figure out if the attacks are connected to the upcoming Games, her investigation into the LifeEx mystery, or both. While the multidimensional character of Carmichael—who happens to be asexual—and other female characters (like butt-kicking Petty Officer 1st Class Altandai "Jenks" Khan) are the story's obvious strength, there are noticeable flaws. Carmichael's complicated relationship with Jenks at times strains the bounds of believability. Additionally, the pacing and fluidity are erratic, particularly in the later Games sequences, which come across as rushed and don't fit organically with the overall narrative flow.
A military sea novel set largely in space: Patrick O'Brian meets Elizabeth Moon.
