I remember reading once that you can do one complicated thing when you write a novel. But only one. A vast array of characters; a complex narrative structure; a twisting, turning, upside-down roller coaster of a plot; elaborate sentence structure. Whatever. One thing. Any more than that and you risk losing your readers.

Zig Zag Claybourne has either never read that advice or else, he read it and then laughed heartily, while tossing it into a fire. Because, oh my gosh, every single last thing about this book is over the top.

There plot mainly revolves around a group of four women. Mostly. But there are thousands of others. Good guys, bad guys, ambiguous guys, and folks who change sides. The alliances between them shift more often than a really shifty thing. Multiple groups of villains who may or may not hate one another. I don’t know. The sentences run for pages, with independent and dependent clauses branching off in every direction in five dimensions.

I have no idea what I just read, but I loved it.

If Claybourne ever decides to follow the above advice, I’ll gladly throw all my money at his books. As it is, they’re like a bottle of £300 scotch. Absolutely wonderful, but definitely not something I’m going to have every day. ( )

The Publisher Says: No one has time for your BS...but Captain Desiree Quicho and her crew of utter badasses surely don't. Got a universe to save. Again. Commandeer one piece of out-of-this-world tech and suddenly you have an evil billionaire and a corporate queenpin on your ass, factions scrabbling at the power grab to end all power grabs, and an ultimate AI bent on a rampage of healing.

All a captain wanted was a little chill time, a few tunes, and quality barbecue.

Woe to those blocking her groove.

Four women; One machine goddess; a Hellbilly, Saharan elves, the baddest Pacific Octopus this side of Atlantis... and Humanity's balance tilting toward its biggest unknown future.

THE AUTHOR GIFTED ONE TO ME. THANK YOU!!

My Review: I flat-out howled my way through this short, punchy, absolutely mad and manic story of what we all want to see...Right beating might...with women's place at the helm of the craft unquestioned, unfought-over, and unapologetically human. Which is to say, morally gray shading into gravity-well-colored. Even the Pacific Octopus.

Don't sit there staring, go buy a Kindlecopy for $4.99 and cheap at twice the price if you want a white-knuckle-speed trip through the Cosmos. (The link is a non-affiliate link.) ( )