Try free for 2 months
-
Critical Mass
- Expeditionary Force, Book 10
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Series: Expeditionary Force, Book 10
- Length: 19 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a 2 month free trial
Buy Now for $69.65
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
People who bought this also bought...
-
Brushfire
- Expeditionary Force, Book 11
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 19 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Peacetime can be a rough adjustment for the battle-hardened Merry Band of Pirates.
Especially when aliens don’t get the memo that the shooting is over.
-
-
When will it end
- By Anonymous User on 21-12-2020
-
Valkyrie
- Expeditionary Force, Book 9
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 19 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After saving the world many times, the Merry Band of Pirates have accepted the inevitable: Earth is doomed. All they can do is try to bring a few thousand people to safety, before vicious aliens arrive to destroy humanity's home world. No. There is one other thing they can do: hit the enemy so hard that the aliens will regret they ever heard of humans.
-
-
Love this series
- By Darius on 12-02-2020
-
Armageddon
- Expeditionary Force, Book 8
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 17 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After the Renegade mission by the crew of the starship Flying Dutchman, the UN Expeditionary Force thought Earth was safe for hundreds of years, at least. After there was trouble on the home front and the president had to authorize a nuclear strike on an American city, UNEF decided they did need the Merry Band of Pirates again. So, the Flying Dutchman is sent out on a simple recon mission. But for the pirates, nothing is ever simple, and their mission will become Armageddon.
-
-
Story evolves way too slowly!
- By Jordan Van Den Bosch on 04-12-2020
-
Renegades
- Expeditionary Force, Book 7
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 17 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The battle-scarred star carrier Flying Dutchman is finally on her way back to Earth, after an exceptionally successful series of missions that have once again saved the world. The ship needs a serious refit, and her exhausted crew just wants a break from constant clandestine warfare against a vicious and superior enemy. Wishes come true, right? Not for the Merry Band of Pirates.
-
-
Last quarter is best part
- By Calista on 28-03-2019
-
Breakaway
- Expeditionary Force, Book 12
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 19 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Merry Band of Pirates offered the bad guys a ceasefire. We won’t mess with them, if they don’t mess with us. Easy, right? No. The aliens chose to do things the hard way. So, the Pirates are racing around the galaxy to clean up the threat to Earth. The infant UN Navy has their own mission with the Alien Legion: Get humanity some allies in the fight. And the Ethics & Compliance Office might have to do something...ethical. Unless they can find a way around it.
-
-
Think some content editing is required
- By David B. on 15-06-2021
-
Mavericks
- Expeditionary Force, Book 6
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 17 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The remnants of the Expeditionary Force stranded on the alien-controlled planet "Paradise" get a chance to prove themselves, in a simple off-world training mission with a ship full of teenage alien cadets. When the mission goes horribly wrong and the survival of everyone on Paradise is at risk, the Merry Band of Pirates may have to come to the rescue. Unless they get killed first....
-
-
A change of pace
- By Jono on 07-10-2018
-
Brushfire
- Expeditionary Force, Book 11
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 19 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Peacetime can be a rough adjustment for the battle-hardened Merry Band of Pirates.
Especially when aliens don’t get the memo that the shooting is over.
-
-
When will it end
- By Anonymous User on 21-12-2020
-
Valkyrie
- Expeditionary Force, Book 9
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 19 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After saving the world many times, the Merry Band of Pirates have accepted the inevitable: Earth is doomed. All they can do is try to bring a few thousand people to safety, before vicious aliens arrive to destroy humanity's home world. No. There is one other thing they can do: hit the enemy so hard that the aliens will regret they ever heard of humans.
-
-
Love this series
- By Darius on 12-02-2020
-
Armageddon
- Expeditionary Force, Book 8
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 17 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After the Renegade mission by the crew of the starship Flying Dutchman, the UN Expeditionary Force thought Earth was safe for hundreds of years, at least. After there was trouble on the home front and the president had to authorize a nuclear strike on an American city, UNEF decided they did need the Merry Band of Pirates again. So, the Flying Dutchman is sent out on a simple recon mission. But for the pirates, nothing is ever simple, and their mission will become Armageddon.
-
-
Story evolves way too slowly!
- By Jordan Van Den Bosch on 04-12-2020
-
Renegades
- Expeditionary Force, Book 7
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 17 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The battle-scarred star carrier Flying Dutchman is finally on her way back to Earth, after an exceptionally successful series of missions that have once again saved the world. The ship needs a serious refit, and her exhausted crew just wants a break from constant clandestine warfare against a vicious and superior enemy. Wishes come true, right? Not for the Merry Band of Pirates.
-
-
Last quarter is best part
- By Calista on 28-03-2019
-
Breakaway
- Expeditionary Force, Book 12
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 19 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Merry Band of Pirates offered the bad guys a ceasefire. We won’t mess with them, if they don’t mess with us. Easy, right? No. The aliens chose to do things the hard way. So, the Pirates are racing around the galaxy to clean up the threat to Earth. The infant UN Navy has their own mission with the Alien Legion: Get humanity some allies in the fight. And the Ethics & Compliance Office might have to do something...ethical. Unless they can find a way around it.
-
-
Think some content editing is required
- By David B. on 15-06-2021
-
Mavericks
- Expeditionary Force, Book 6
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 17 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The remnants of the Expeditionary Force stranded on the alien-controlled planet "Paradise" get a chance to prove themselves, in a simple off-world training mission with a ship full of teenage alien cadets. When the mission goes horribly wrong and the survival of everyone on Paradise is at risk, the Merry Band of Pirates may have to come to the rescue. Unless they get killed first....
-
-
A change of pace
- By Jono on 07-10-2018
-
Zero Hour
- Expeditionary Force, Book 5
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 17 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
United Nations Special Operations Command sent an elite expeditionary force of soldiers and pilots out on a simple recon mission, and somehow along the way they sparked an alien civil war. Now the not-at-all-merry band of pirates is in desperate trouble, again. Their stolen alien starship is falling apart, thousands of light years from home. The ancient alien AI they nicknamed Skippy is apparently dead, and even if they can by some miracle revive him, he might never be the same.
-
-
What Has Happened To This Series?
- By Ryan on 08-05-2018
-
Fallout
- Expeditionary Force, Book 13
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 22 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The problem with lying about having a super weapon is that the bad guys might believe they have nothing to lose by doing something stupid that both sides will regret. Or, they might just call your bluff. Either way, the Merry Band of Pirates need a plan to deal with the Fallout.
-
-
good but
- By Richard McKenna on 15-01-2022
-
Homefront: An Expeditionary Force Audio Drama Special
- Expeditionary Force, Book 7.5
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: Zachary Quinto, R.C. Bray, Kate Mulgrew, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After the latest mission of the starship Flying Dutchman, Earth is safe not just for a year, but for hundreds of years. The ship’s weary crew wonders what they will do with their lives in peacetime, but the enemy has other plans, and there is danger on the Homefront. Starring Zachary Quinto, R.C. Bray, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Picardo, and everyone's favorite AI, Skippy the Magnificent, alongside a full cast. Includes plenty of pew-pew-pew, original sound composition, and maybe some singing by R.C. Bray.
-
-
Music tunes + sound effects
- By Brett D. on 24-06-2019
-
Black Ops
- Expeditionary Force, Book 4
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The elite crew of the pirate ship UNS Flying Dutchman had a simple mission: determining whether the Thuranin are sending another starship to Earth. Along the way, they became sidetracked by securing a future for the UNEF troops on the planet Paradise. When asked whether Earth was now safe, their ancient alien AI responded "Not so much"...now they have to deal with the consequences.
-
-
Love it
- By Mike on 20-10-2017
-
Match Game
- Expeditionary Force, Book 14
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 20 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For years, the ancient alien AI known as Skippy (the Magnificent, don’t forget that part) has been able to do one impossible thing after another. What is his secret? It’s simple: 100 percent Grade-A extreme awesomeness. And also because he had never been faced with an opponent of equal power. Until now. This time, he might need a little help from a band of filthy monkeys.
-
-
excellent series
- By Anonymous User on 26-06-2022
-
Paradise
- Expeditionary Force, Book 3
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While the crew of the starship Flying Dutchman have been trying to assure that hostile aliens do not have access to Earth, the UN Expeditionary Force has been stranded on the planet they nicknamed "Paradise". The Flying Dutchman is headed back out on another mission, and the UN wants the ship to find out the status of the humans on Paradise. But Colonel Joe Bishop warns that they might not like what they find, and they can't do anything about it without endangering Earth.
-
-
This is one of the best books I've read/listened to for a long time
- By Kaz on 29-07-2017
-
SpecOps
- Expeditionary Force, Book 2
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Colonel Joe Bishop made a promise and he's going to keep it; taking the captured alien starship Flying Dutchman back out. He doesn't agree when the UN decides to send almost 70 elite Special Operations troops, hotshot pilots, and scientists with him; the mission is a fool's errand he doesn't expect to ever return from. At least, this time, the Earth is safe, right? Not so much.
-
-
Not as good as book one but still interesting
- By Anonymous User on 24-04-2019
-
Freefall
- Expeditionary Force Mavericks, Book 2
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 19 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Alien Legion has a new mission, and this time, they are working for the enemy. Also against the enemy. Like every operation that Emily Perkins plans, it’s complicated. But plans require good intel, and when the plan falls apart, the Mavericks are in freefall....
-
-
Limits of a narrative and likeablility crutch
- By Mohammadreza Shoari on 02-06-2020
-
Deathtrap
- Expeditionary Force Mavericks, Book 1
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The human soldiers stranded on the planet Paradise have been recruited into an alien legion to do the dirty jobs that the high-tech species won't do. Their first mission is to kick the enemy off a backwater planet no one cares about. It's a simple assignment, except everyone has a hidden agenda, and the planet could become a deathtrap.
-
-
Chapter 18
- By Pete on 20-05-2019
-
Trouble on Paradise
- Expeditionary Force, Book 3.5
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While the crew of the UN Expeditionary Force's pirate starship Flying Dutchman are enjoying a luxury vacation cruise (not!), UNEF troops are still stranded on an alien-controlled planet. Major Emily Perkins and her team are busy picking up the pieces, and it's not easy, because there is trouble on Paradise...
-
-
Good book but should be cheaper as half a book
- By Andrew Haughan on 13-11-2017
-
Columbus Day
- Expeditionary Force, Book 1
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We were fighting on the wrong side of a war we couldn't win. And that was the good news. The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon come ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There go the good old days, when humans only got killed by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits. When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved.
-
-
Overly fond of the marines
- By Matthew willey on 27-09-2017
-
Ascendant: Book 1
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 17 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Wizard's Council of Tarador was supposed to tell young Koren Bladewell that he is a wizard. They were supposed to tell everyone that he is not a jinx, that all the bad things that happen around him are because he can't control the power inside him, power he doesn't know about. The people of his village, even his parents, are afraid of him, afraid he is cursed. That he is a dangerous, evil jinx.
-
-
Frustrating
- By Lotro on 28-06-2018
Publisher's Summary
The Merry Band of Pirates are in desperate trouble after the end of their last mission, and the real danger to humanity is just getting started.
Hostile aliens have discovered there is something odd going on with wormholes in the galaxy, and their investigations could lead to finding a shortcut to Earth....
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
More from the same
Author
What listeners say about Critical Mass
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 10-09-2020
Loosing impact
Most of the story was filler. Have loved the start of the series but now it is a bit like the difference between a British versus an American TV series. The British tell the story and then stop, the American say, that worked, let's squeeze out another, and another until the original concept is long dead.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 08-08-2020
A veritable roller coaster of a Sci Fi series worthy of an Oscar at the very least.
I think this book series is by far the most enjoyable l have experienced in either reading or audible listening in almost 70 years. Engaging characters, great story lines, clever ,witty, funny and hilarious in parts. Ingenious cliff hangers and side stories with a satisfying finish. My thanks and praise to Craig Alanson for his enviable talent and R C Bray for his impressive readings.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Aaron Littlefield
- 28-04-2021
Awesome
Another brilliant story narrated by the best in the business. this has to be one of the best series I have ever listened to. Mr Bray brings the characters alive. For me, he is the best narrator to which all other narrators are judged against.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Josh
- 23-02-2021
Best in the series so far
Finally the story is going somewhere... unlike the previous few books this one has not felt like the same story on repeat.
I’m excited for the next few now.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Honest Joe
- 27-01-2021
Skippy is back!
RC Bray has done another Stella job as narrator. Brilliant and fantastic story.
Loved it.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 15-08-2020
i love this series
it will be intersting to see how the story wil evolve from hear i hope the auther takes the time to get it right
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 12-08-2020
More of the same
After the exciting end of the previous book i was looking forward to more serious scary Skippy and some 'big picture' plot development. Unfortunately we just get more repeats of the same story elements from previous books.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Agent Simr
- 22-08-2021
Hold my beer!
Finally a bit of closure! No spoilers but loved the guest appearances from Mavericks. Make sure you have read or listened to the first two Maverick books to help make a bit more sense.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jack Collins
- 08-08-2021
Brilliant
Unreal books don't want it to end. Brilliant work from all involved in these books
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 05-08-2021
brilliant again
hahaha love the bloopers
wow what a story edge of my seat perfect finish .
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 06-08-2020
Money Grabber.
Full of extremely boring conversation and pointless talk or description, page fillers. Half a chapter talks about how Bishop likes vegan food and the other half was trying to get me interested in buying the author's other series. Skips over important stuff but focuses on pointless events. Same old jokes are used and not much new materials are provided. Lazy writing and total money grabber. Disappointing. Last dime I spent on this author.
141 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Greg
- 05-08-2020
Well...that sucked
Its really hard to take a book plot seriously when 50% of the book is explaining why a certain path is the only way to do things....and then those explanations thrown to the wind on the next encounter. In the first/second books, this approach can be granted some measure of plausibility. By book 10....yeah, its just poor.
I had skipped the first 4-5 chapters, because yeah it was that bad.
The series has jumped the shark. We don't care who shot JR. He can neither confirm or deny that the book is good. Weapons of mass destruction have not been found.
Take a pass.....unless you have completely forgotten the rest of the series....because maybe then its ok...maybe. The writing is ok.
125 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 06-08-2020
I finally had enough
the story was okay. but halfway it became the same rinse and repeat rutine from the the other books. (expect Armageddon) oh no.. earth will be attacked, save them, new threat again and again. still no character development. all the women in books could be very cool, but gets annoying. (raising an eyebrow, is disappointed, we will have words, uhh huh!!, suck it up) I finally had enough. Craig Alanson writes Joe and Skippy so good that you get to love the characters. the last 3-4 books the way the crew treated Skippy became too much. Very mean spirited. in the start of the books there was a good feeling in their banter. but the last 3-4 books it made me sick, that the only family Skippy ever had was constantly treating him like a thing they could all be cruel to. Basically a slave it disgusted me and destroyed the mood of the story totally for me R. C. Bray did a wonderful job as a voice actor.
94 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 08-08-2020
Not worth it anymore
It's unfortunate to 2 star performance to make sure this is rated properly because RC Bray is great as always.
I had 1 credit left on audible for months and after losing my job due to Covid and being unable to put money towards something like an audio book, I made sure to hold on to that last credit for months for this Book 10 because I was so looking forward to it and wanted to make sure I got to experience it.
Book 9's cliffhanger was great. I was in a state of shock and "WTF" after what happened in Book 9. Within a couple of chapters of Book 10 I was disappointed. It completely wasted the awe and story that the series FINALLY built up to, and made it an extremely lazy way to rinse and repeat AGAIN. This series has been 80% rinse and repeat but had enough to keep me interested. Until now. Now, it's just insulting.
Book 10 is a waste and clear sign the series is over. Any books coming out now are purely for a money grab. I don't say this as an upset reader. I loved the series, I respect the writer, and love RC Bray's work, but book 10 was 100% nothing more than previous books mashed into it but at an extremely slower pace and absolutely pointless chatter. Introduction of new characters, which should have been interesting, was an absolute slap to the reader with assumption we are stupid (Billy and Bob was just pathetic - I cringed when RC Bray had to read parts).
73 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Lauro
- 04-08-2020
Narrator and Skippy rules
Awesome book :) but we need more books, currently the book requires more awesomenes , and Joe to get Laid.
66 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Luke
- 05-08-2020
Amazing
The last ten chapters, I couldn't stop listening. Thank Skippy this book didn't end on a cliffhanger as bad as the last one!!
48 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Tony E.
- 06-08-2020
Restoration of Awesomeness
After the numbness that we were left with at the end of book 9, book 10 starts with the customary unraveling of what seemed inevitable to an unexpected exit. It all turns out okay. I have to admit, I had a hard time getting through Mavericks, Book 2. It was a drag at times and I had to force myself to get through it. I did not have that problem with this book. The difference is Joe Bishop. Joe brings an energy through the narrative that is missing in any other part of the story with which he isn't involved. I found myself once again engaged, excited, and involved.
There were some emotional parts in this story. I shed some tears of joy when we learned we could truly trust the friendship when the awesomeness was in doubt (stolen from someone else's review.) I laughed out loud several times in the last few chapters when what we've all been waiting for came around in the nature we were hoping it would. Fan service? Maybe, but it sure made up for the pain at the last book and I loved it.
This book is high energy and it starting to tie up some of the loose ends that have been built in the previous 9 books, as well as the 3 side adventures. You can see a huge finale coming up in the next few books that will be extremely satisfying.
46 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- smb
- 06-08-2020
Too much situation and not enough plot
I guess when you write so many books it must be difficult to write plot vs. situation. And there's the profit motive as well. The author wants to sell more books. My husband likes this series but I think that there's only enough plot in ten books to make about two or three books. End the series already.
44 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- James M.
- 05-08-2020
Survive the first two chapters and you'll love it
I was going to go for a refund, but I loved the previous books so much that I would give it another shot. I have in fact given it 6 shots. By the middle of chapter 2, I am completely lost. Understand that through chapter 2 the story is not composed of full scenes, but tiny snippets.
After chapter 3, the book was absolutely awesome.
38 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Richard Lawrence
- 05-08-2020
Excellent start to finish...
no spoilers.... you can trust the friendship, even if you can't always trust the awesomeness.
32 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 07-08-2020
The best series I have listened too
This is book 10,in an amazing series. My wife is having a baby (august 18th 2020) and I was just as excited to get critical mass on release the same month.
I needed answers and this book delivered. I can only hope that this series continues as out of all the 100’s of audio books I have listened too this is by far the best sci fi
16 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Sam
- 13-08-2020
Best syfy ever
This must become an epic TV or movie series. When it happens RC Bray must be the voice of skippy.
Imho
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Emma
- 14-08-2020
Same Sh*t Different Book - RC Bray saved it for me
Well the cliff hanger of the last book was wasted. Most of the book is just filler and the story only continues in the last few chapters and then its great again. It was hard to get that far though.
Saying that this may (fingers crossed) end up opening the story arc for future books with out the contraints of the story so far.
It could do with being half the length without all the filler about vegan meals, kids, karen quotes and surfer dude as that was just stupid - should have stuck with the killer AI as he was a more interesting character.
If the next one is as bad i am giving up.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- S. Morris
- 03-09-2020
It's Like Some Sandwiches I've had
Let me start by saying that I love Craig Alanson's work, I'm going to say that right off the bat here. I was hooked on this series right from the first book, Columbus Day, and have eagerly looked forward to all the subsequent instalments. Critical Mass was no exception. In fact, I'd forgotten the brilliant cliffhanger we were left with after the previous book and only remembered when listening to the opening paragraphs in this book. Note to publishers: Why not give us a sort of "Last time" type recap by way of a preface or something? The time between books and the fact I've often read many other stories in the interim mean that I am usually scrabbling to play catch up when starting the next instalment of a long running saga.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, After much thought having recently finish the book, I've come to the conclusion that this story was a bit like some sandwiches I've had. It looks on the outside to be big and juicy, with plenty of filling. However, once you start to eat it, you find out that the biggest parts are actually the bread that encapsulate the-filling and that, disappointingly, their is little actual substance inside. In other words, the most substantial parts are either side of the main body and what lies within is rather thin. Alas, as much as I love these stories, Critical Mass suffers from a lack of what its title implies. The first part of this story, perhaps the first few chapters or so, are interesting and kept the plot and pace moving nicely. Then, rather than building on this, we then slow down quite a bit and more or less spend the majority of the "filling" of the book not doing very much to be honest. There is too much padding in terms of the jibing going on between Skippy and Joe and, as much fun as this can be at times, it is over used here I'm sorry to say. Given the book's 19 odd hour runtime, I found a significant part of this book really saw very little going on. We did get a brief spike in interest levels when the band of merry pirates get themselves stuck for a while, but this appears in hindsight to be a morsel, a small piece of chicken we discover in our sparse sandwich filling and then we revert to lots of not a lot until the final act where things kick off again. The book could perhaps have been halved in length and we would have gotten all the important parts we needed for this story. I hate to use the phrase, but it felt as if this story suffered from style over content much of the time. Don't get me wrong, I am all for the "slow burner" type story, but really this was a bit too much.
As I was reading this, I had to wonder if Alanson, now a full time writer as I understand it and likely subject to publisher deadlines and minimum page counts etc, has forced the author to extend this story out artificially in order to both produce something within the expected time scales and to the required length. Of course, I could be very wrong on this, but this is how this story struck me as I reflect upon it afterwards. If this is so, then slaving oneself to a publisher for the mighty Dollar can sometimes lead to a loss of quality as they lack the time to really do their best work. I hope this isn't the case, I really do. This series as a whole has been spectacular and maybe Alanson has simply done what a lot of writers have and written themselves into a bit of a corner. In other words, they have an end point they want to reach and the trick is how to get there. In my view this story suffers from that as we find ourselves in another dire situation towards the end of the book, one where I thought the book was going to leave us hanging on for the next instalment. There seemed no way out, no clever solution and just when you thought our heroes were done, Skippy gets them out by ... umm ... just getting really angry? To me, that smacks of just not being able to come up with something more plausible in the time he had or just not able to come up with his usual clever escape, so as the plot required the rescue of our heroes, just getting really mad was the easy answer in that case.
The other difficulty I had with this book was the complex threads regarding worm holes, their locations and relevance to Earth and other places. These plot points were all built over a long series of books and trying to keep this stuff in your head in order to comprehend this plot element was too much for me. I was confused as to what worm hole was what, why it was important etc.
I hate to put a negative spin on this review. As I've said, I love these books, Alanson's writing and R.C Brays' superb narration, but I have to call it as I see it.
Reading the final stages of this book, I got the impression that this story arc was coming to an end, that Allanson had basically exhausted the possibilities and was wrapping things up. His handling of it also meant that the spin off series of stories, The Mavericks, also was thrown into doubt as to how that might continue. Sure, there was some dialogue right near the end that perhaps hinted at possible unrest that will likely lead to another book, but I kind of felt the main thrust of the series had now run its course.
In conclusion, you still must get this book if you've read the series to date, that goes without saying. However, this 'sandwich' sadly left me somewhat disappointed.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Bev carmody
- 07-08-2020
Sooo Good, read it you greasy little monkeys.
Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant. So depressed after the last book, this make up for it by sooo much. Excellent writing and excellent narration . Listening to the outtakes at the end while typing, I'm crying with laughter. I can not recommend this series enough. Just don't drink hot beverages while listening to it. So many well written characters, so many different narrations with each one. The humour is catchy, the kids keep telling me a must stop calling them monkeys and laughing. Read the darn thing, you will get it.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- joe sims
- 06-08-2020
meh, okay, good, awesome. in that order
the 1st half felt dull and generally unnecessary but 2nd half made up for it.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- S. Smith
- 12-08-2020
Wow
I love this series and book 10 blew away my expectations! Thank you R.C. Bray for doing your awesome work with the voices that brings Craig Alanson’s story to life. Can’t wait until December for book 11. Oh really cool pictures (look at the PDF)
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Aidy
- 28-10-2020
too long by half
another filler book. first couple hours were good but everything in between is just crap. no longer care about finishing series
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kindle Customer
- 13-08-2020
why are there not more of these?
The combination of Craig and Lord Bray is again a winning one. If you like science fiction and have a sense of humour, you have to listen to this. Begin with Columbus Day though. these books are Epic.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mohamed Alibi
- 07-08-2020
Good book like all the previous in the series
Good story but at a certain point I thought this will be my last book I thought the book will just keep on talking about side stories, but then it got really good. Can't wait for the next book December seems like along time.
2 people found this helpful
20 Best Fantasy Audiobooks
This genre is so full of talent, it can be difficult to know what to listen to next — so look no further than this list to get you started.



20 Best Nonfiction Audiobooks
From the entire history of humanity to astrophysics, to our gut and mental health, dig into this list and learn something new.



Best Australian Podcasts on Audible
Audible Original Podcasts are free for Audible members. Check out this list of home-grown content, from binge-worthy true crime to self-help.


