good

good start and end but the middle started to feel like all the rest. he saved it

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

the story continues

yet another jewel. continuing the Rigs saga and also keeping the momentum up.
this instalment is as exiting and enjoyable as the rest of the series.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 star's ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

very good book series is great story I highly recommend listening to this book 😀

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Yet another great book.

This I hope another great continuation of Riggs, Cody Riggs has kept the true Riggs humour with Marvin protecting himself at all cost.
A must for Starforce followers.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Another Ripping Yarn

Exile, the eleventh book in the Star Force series and second featuring Cody
Riggs as the main protagonist following on from his father, Kyle Riggs,
raises its game even further in this enthralling and exciting adventure.
Larson and Van Dyke have come together again to develop an excellent follow
on from the previous book, Outcast and we as the reader are pulled into the
action right from the start with bugs akin to the largest seen in the
Starship Troopers original movie. Larson and Van Dyke suck the reader in
right away and keep the interest, action and intrigue going all the way in
this ripping yarn.

Exile brings into the storey mix a welcome aspect in the form of the
"dimensional maze" which proved mysterious and fascinating as the characters
explore this strange and confusing inner world. The technology and intent of
the all powerful and yet barely understood race called "The Ancients" sees
the authors intrigue us with time and dimensional effects that go beyond
what we understand as technology in the conventional sense and this element
alone spark the imagination and illustrates the brilliant and very alien
concepts imaginatively depicted.

Cody gets some extra help to bolster his already depleted crew from an
unexpected source which nicely sees "Riggs Pigs" take on a dual species mix
that we haven't seen since the Sentars integration into the Star Force
Marines back in the main Kyle Riggs series of stories which is a welcome
plot element.

This book keeps the action and interest going at all times and I find I keep
wanting to read just one more chapter and take every opportunity I can to
delve back into the unfolding and gripping story. As mentioned in previous
reviews of Larson's work, I find his writing style and narrative
refreshingly straight forward and heavily biased toward fast moving plots
and always keeping things relevant and interesting unlike a lot of science
fiction stories which can tend to be rather heavy or cerebral in nature. If
you've been put off sci-fi in the past because of such things then you will
find Larson's writing much more accessible and in a style that will more
likely leave you feeling a shot of adrenaline rather than a headache.

In this story a character we thought long lost and not seen since the early
Star Force books makes an appearance which causes Cody Riggs all sorts of
problems. From the readers perspective it was obvious what this person would
do and I could see it coming but this is not a failing in the story but
rather, I think, the still overly trusting Cody character who didn't
understand this person as we the reader do. While on the subject of Cody
Riggs, I still tend to think that he is far too competent a leader and
tactician given his 24 odd years regardless of who his father was and the
stated 4 years in Star Force Academy. I'd like to see a few more mistakes or
errors of judgment we can see relates to his youth and lack of life
experience but that is only a minor point I have in relation to how this
key character is written.

The previous book, Outcast, which kicked off this new chapter in Star Force
also brought back a much loved character for me in the guise of the ever
loyal Kwan. I was so pleased to see him back in the pages of these books and
his presence in this story is even more welcome as he plays a larger part of
the overall narrative and often comes out with funny lines that befit his
simple and direct personality.

Exile also sees the return of an adversary not seen in an active state since
the end of the main Star Force series ended with book 9. However, one rather
odd plot aspect that I thought strange was why when invading our band of
heroes vessel that rather than want to just tear up the ship why it was that
they simply didn't have a nuclear bomb with them and detonate it once aboard
thus ending in the most efficient way the scourge of Star Force and Cody
Riggs. Typically, when such a departure from what might appear the easiest
way to kill our hero and his crew and ship comes about the author manages to
see this as something the reader will ponder over and finds a clever and
believable explanation to deal with the plot or behavioural anomaly which
doesn't happen here.

Still, this oversight does not detract from the enjoyment of the story and
I suppose that even the most imaginative writers cannot always do the things
we think an enemy should as it would simply end the story so I am not
marking the snovel down on this tiny point.

If you liked Outcast then you will love Exile even more. It is fast paced
with plenty of mystery and action in just the right mix and perhaps leaves
the reader at the most fascinating cliff hanger ending I can think of late
in this series of books. I remember thinking "What? .. Oh no, it's just
finished like that!". There's nothing quite like an ending leaving you on
the edge of your proverbial seat to want to make you come back for more and
Larson does this so well throughout this series and always manages to
maintain or even increase the quality of the story such that the reader is
never disappointed in each follow on in the series. it's hard to do this and
this marks Larson and Van Dyke out as those that can continually rise to the
challenge of writing interesting and enthralling stories again and again.

Mark Boyett goes without saying regarding the quality of his ongoing
narration in this series and his range of voices and accents are superb
providing the story with rich characterization and giving the reader clear
and easily distinct characters that makes the audio form, I believe, the
definitive version of such books. After all, for thousands of years and even
before the written word humans have been listening to the spoken word for
story telling and this seems to me the ultimate form to render a book in.

As ever I have to point out one mistake right at the start of the book which
saw Boyett saying "Army piercing" rather than "Armour piercing" but despite
me bringing up such errors in my reviews, I do not blame the narrator but
rather think it's more a failing of the production team to detect and have
such misspoken words corrected. the narrator does a splendid job and so any
minor errors made by him are quite forgivable given the overall top
quality reading he does.

Exile is another superb read and one that continues to extend the Star Force
series in an ever expanding universe of interesting, thought provoking and
exciting directions.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Excellently Written and Narrated.

Yet again, excellently written and narrated.
I love the Star Force books. I really hope a 12th edition is written.
Every book keeps you on your toes and at the edge of your seat, so to speak.
I also hope Kyle Riggs comes back into the story.
I will continue to buy the Star Force Series!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Awesome

Can't wait for the next book. Epic story, can only guess what will happen. You got to love marvin lol

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Enjoyably mindless

Any previous bv larson readers/listeners will also enjoy this latest installment. A welcome break from literature. Carbon copy Riggs

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Another great Star Force book

Once again another great book in the Star Force series. Mark Boyett is on top form as usual and is one of my favourite narrators. Waiting in anticipation for another.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

another great story

I am a fan of all the Sat Force books so if you have enjoyed the previous books you will enjoy this book. I was hoping the Star Force series would just keep going but I can see I am nearing the end. Great narration I can listen to a book with a poor narrator.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!