Author: Matthew Kadish
Hardcover: 680 pages
Publisher: Privateer Press
ISBN-10: 0991064704
ISBN-13: 978-0991064700
Synopsis:
Jack Finnegan only has to worry about dealing with school bullies, suffering through detention with his homeroom teacher, and getting noticed by the girl of his dreams… at least until an army of evil aliens invade Earth. Suddenly, this teenage slacker finds himself at the center of a galaxy-spanning conflict – where the lives of everyone on the planet are in jeopardy, soldiers use Quantum Physics to become superheroes, and the enemy uses some mysterious form of magic to make themselves practically unstoppable. The secret to ending the conflict and saving the universe may lie in a powerful ancient spaceship, which it seems can only be flown by Earthmen. Now, Jack and a rag-tag group of allies must overcome impossible odds, defeat an unkillable enemy, rescue the princess of the galaxy, and save the universe from a threat more terrifying than any it has ever faced. Can this underachiever rise to the occasion and become the hero Earth needs? The fate of all life in the galaxy may rest in his hands.
I went into Earthman Jack vs. The Ghost Planet with a heavy dose of skepticism, as I try to do with every new book/TV show/movie that I read/watch. I have found that if my expectations are low then things can only get better, and if my expectations are high, the book/TV show/movie will never live up. I’m telling you this so that hopefully you will remember to try and go in the same way that I did, because the following review definitely has the potential to build your expectations.
Earthman Jack vs. The Ghost Planet follows a typical American teenager, Jack, as he trades his struggles with alarm clocks, bullies, unforgiving teachers and detention, for struggles with fighting an army of evil aliens and saving a galactic princess.
The book is really well written for a self published work. While the beginning is slow, it needs to be. There needs to be a dramatic contrast between the humdrum of high school and the high intensity of space battle. And once the action starts, it doesn’t let up. You will be able to see a lot of influence from modern sci-fi, but I think if any of us “Earthmen” were thrown into an intergalactic space saga, we would be hard-pressed to not bring those influences (and even quotes) into situations which had always previously been science fiction.
More than the action, I loved the characters. Jack takes a life of gamer smack talk and is able to apply it to his space adventures. I always got the sense from Jack that he was constantly in a state of disbelief. That while he was fully aware that he was awake and in reality, the more he could make his situations like games he had experience with, the more comfortable he was.
And there are many more characters to love. A whole group of characters met half-way through the book are lovable and written to all be completely different from each other. These characters (but mostly Heckubus Moriarty) may actually be my favorites ahead of Jack, and I hope to see them in the next installment.
Speaking of the next installment, there is more information on the author’s website, but it’s a work in progress and could use the help of fans.
I. Loved. This. Book.
I loved this book like I love chocolate. The more time that passes from the last page flipped, the more my love for it grows. There are Five Star-reviewed books that certainly deserve their five stars and then there are Five Star-reviewed books that should have an addendum award that warn you of the sadness that will be felt when the book ends and your friends get stuck in the pages, their adventures (with you the reader) temporarily on hold until the next book.
I give Earthman Jack vs. The Ghost Planet Five Out of Five Stars.
As of the time of this post Earthman Jack vs. The Ghost Planet is available for FREE in digital download by author Matthew Kadish. Get it here on his website.
Once the free links deactivate or should you want to purchase a hard copy, you can get Earthman Jack vs. The Ghost Planet from Amazon. Here’s a link!
[AMAZONPRODUCT=0991064704]
