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The Protectorate #1
Velocity Weapon
The last thing Sanda remembers is her gunship breaking up around her as her preserving pod expanded, sealing herself away for salvage-medics to pick up. She expected to awaken in friendly hands, patched up and patched back into a new gunship. Instead, she awakens 230 years later upon an empty enemy smartship, The Light of Berossus or, as he prefers to be called, “Bero”. The war is lost. The star system is dead.
However, Bero may not exactly be telling the whole truth.
However, Bero may not exactly be telling the whole truth.
544 pages, ebook
First published June 11, 2019
About the author
Megan E. O'Keefe
17 books995 followersMegan E. O'Keefe was raised amongst journalists, and as soon as she was able joined them by crafting a newsletter which chronicled the daily adventures of the local cat population. She lives in the Bay Area of California, and spends her free time tinkering with anything she can get her hands on.
Her fantasy debut, Steal the Sky, won the Gemmell Morningstar Award and her space opera debut, Velocity Weapon was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award.
Her fantasy debut, Steal the Sky, won the Gemmell Morningstar Award and her space opera debut, Velocity Weapon was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 920 reviews
May 7, 2019
ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review
An incredibly entertaining start to a new space opera series.
Velocity Weapon is the first book in The Protectorate series by Megan E. O’Keefe. This was my first experience reading O’Keefe’s work and I had a fantastic time with it. isn’t an easy book for me to review. It’s not because I found the book to be disappointing or not up to my preference, but I honestly think that many components of the storyline or what makes this book truly great can be considered a spoiler that the task of reviewing this book ended up being more difficult than usual.
The story in Velocity Weapon begins with Sanda finding herself awake 230 years in the future inside a sentient spaceship who calls himself Bero, shortened from The Light of Berossus. Bero is an enemy spaceship and he tells Sanda that the war has ended; the star system is completely dead now. Then, we have Biran—Sanda’s younger brother—as the second main POV character; his story takes place in the present timeline as he tries to find Sanda’s location. Separated by distance and time, both Sanda and Biran will have to do everything they can to survive or unveil the truth. Velocity Weapon tells a story of survival and intergalactic politics. I found the pacing and the tone of this book to be refreshing to read. O’Keefe’s storytelling style has a way of keeping things fun and gripping without ever making the tone of the story too dark; the right balance of varying emotions in this book was achieved through its charming characters.
I do believe that Velocity Weapon is a cleverly crafted novel. The usage of dual timelines in this book exhibited a strong sense of mystery; it made me intrigued to find out what happened within that 230 years differences. It was awesome to see how Biran’s and Sanda’s story connects with each other despite the differences in the timeline. O’Keefe cloaked revelations that should’ve been easily spotted in plain sight by making sure that the reader will be too immersed in the specific scene they’re reading; I was too absorbed to theorize about anything else. The characters, especially Sanda, was so easy to root for. A heroine like Sanda is hard to find in current SFF market; she’s a badass with no overpowered skills and she’s not a damsel in distress who’s hopelessly waiting to be saved. Not only that, reading her banter and dialogues with Bero and other side characters were super immersive, funny, and most importantly, hard to put down. The characterizations, their sexuality, their interactions, and the world of the series itself felt natural.
Admittedly, there was actually another prominent POV—Jules—other than Sanda’s and Biran’s. Although I found Jules’s storyline to be full of well-written actions, I didn’t find myself feeling invested in her story as much as I did for Sanda’s and Biran’s. This doesn’t mean that Jules’s story was lacking per se, it’s just that the sibling’s story was too good that every time the narrative shifted to Jules, I just wanted to go back to reading Sanda or Biran’s POV as fast as possible. Luckily, Jules’s last chapter in this book shows good promises on connectivity to the overarching storyline and more great things to come in the next installment.
I’m going to close my review here. In order to make this review spoiler-free, please know that I purposely left out some factors that, in my opinion, made the quality of the book even better. Imbued with exhilarating twists and turn, Velocity Weapon was a purely entertaining reading experience. If you’re a fan of sci-fi, space opera and the Mass Effect video game series by Bioware, your decision to purchase and read this delightful book should be settled already.
Official release date: June 11th, 2019
You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
An incredibly entertaining start to a new space opera series.
Velocity Weapon is the first book in The Protectorate series by Megan E. O’Keefe. This was my first experience reading O’Keefe’s work and I had a fantastic time with it. isn’t an easy book for me to review. It’s not because I found the book to be disappointing or not up to my preference, but I honestly think that many components of the storyline or what makes this book truly great can be considered a spoiler that the task of reviewing this book ended up being more difficult than usual.
“Being offended by facts is a long human tradition.”
The story in Velocity Weapon begins with Sanda finding herself awake 230 years in the future inside a sentient spaceship who calls himself Bero, shortened from The Light of Berossus. Bero is an enemy spaceship and he tells Sanda that the war has ended; the star system is completely dead now. Then, we have Biran—Sanda’s younger brother—as the second main POV character; his story takes place in the present timeline as he tries to find Sanda’s location. Separated by distance and time, both Sanda and Biran will have to do everything they can to survive or unveil the truth. Velocity Weapon tells a story of survival and intergalactic politics. I found the pacing and the tone of this book to be refreshing to read. O’Keefe’s storytelling style has a way of keeping things fun and gripping without ever making the tone of the story too dark; the right balance of varying emotions in this book was achieved through its charming characters.
‘In the upper right of her HUD, text flashed: :-P
“Oh my god. They taught you emoticons.”’
I do believe that Velocity Weapon is a cleverly crafted novel. The usage of dual timelines in this book exhibited a strong sense of mystery; it made me intrigued to find out what happened within that 230 years differences. It was awesome to see how Biran’s and Sanda’s story connects with each other despite the differences in the timeline. O’Keefe cloaked revelations that should’ve been easily spotted in plain sight by making sure that the reader will be too immersed in the specific scene they’re reading; I was too absorbed to theorize about anything else. The characters, especially Sanda, was so easy to root for. A heroine like Sanda is hard to find in current SFF market; she’s a badass with no overpowered skills and she’s not a damsel in distress who’s hopelessly waiting to be saved. Not only that, reading her banter and dialogues with Bero and other side characters were super immersive, funny, and most importantly, hard to put down. The characterizations, their sexuality, their interactions, and the world of the series itself felt natural.
Admittedly, there was actually another prominent POV—Jules—other than Sanda’s and Biran’s. Although I found Jules’s storyline to be full of well-written actions, I didn’t find myself feeling invested in her story as much as I did for Sanda’s and Biran’s. This doesn’t mean that Jules’s story was lacking per se, it’s just that the sibling’s story was too good that every time the narrative shifted to Jules, I just wanted to go back to reading Sanda or Biran’s POV as fast as possible. Luckily, Jules’s last chapter in this book shows good promises on connectivity to the overarching storyline and more great things to come in the next installment.
I’m going to close my review here. In order to make this review spoiler-free, please know that I purposely left out some factors that, in my opinion, made the quality of the book even better. Imbued with exhilarating twists and turn, Velocity Weapon was a purely entertaining reading experience. If you’re a fan of sci-fi, space opera and the Mass Effect video game series by Bioware, your decision to purchase and read this delightful book should be settled already.
Official release date: June 11th, 2019
You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
December 15, 2019
UPDATE: $1.99 Kindle US 12/15/19
Super fab space opera!! 😉
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Super fab space opera!! 😉
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
April 23, 2019
4.5 stars
I can’t remember the last time I read a book that got me with so many ‘Excuse, me, WHAT?’ moments. This is one tricksy author. And she’s put together more than just a well crafted story, it’s a genuinely fun reading experience that has you smiling at your own shock as much as what’s happening on the page. And therein lies the problem for any kind of review, because you really don’t want to be spoiled by any of the specifics before you start. Even more so than usual I mean. This is the kind of novel that extends a welcoming hand, one loaded with the promise of honesty and friendship, when all the while the other grips a knife just out of sight. You think you can imagine what comes next in this scenario….? Not if this author’s writing it. Nope, no way, not a chance. Maybe the whole damn world explodes. Maybe they whip out the blade and carve a wooden statue of your favourite sea creature. WHO KNOWS.
So… I’m going to avoid anything that could give the game away and talk about some of the other stuff that makes this book a damn good time.
At least 5 of the top 10 most awesome things are all Sanda. This MC is brave, capable, funny, inventive, vulnerable, and that perfect level of snarky. I hate falling back on the Ripley thing each time I find an awesome female in space, but that’s the kind of strength she’s channelling here. She takes zero shit, but isn’t one of those characters whose attitude is a shorthand for badassery. It’s her actions, not a big mouth, that show who she really is. The appeal is that she’s so very human, but trying to be the best of version of it she can be. It feels honest and real. Her emotional experiences are right there, making it so very clear why she battles on. Despite being knocked down more times and in more ways than most people could take, she comes back fighting. Every time. And I cheered. Every time. I flat out loved her.
When an author can work creatively with perspective and narrative structure but also give readers characters who can hold all the pieces together, it makes for a thrilling mix. Surprises can come from anywhere, and in this case, they really do. But that’s far from the only positive. High energy action scenes are balanced by quieter moments of emotional reflection, just as the humour holds its own against the tragedy. The past clashes brutally with Sanda’s present, allowing for how-the-hell-we-got-here as much as the-hell-we’re-in-now. Within that space, there’s room for all kinds of voices. Diversity, in particular, is done with such exquisite assuredness that it makes a liar of all those who say it doesn’t work. Notions of personal morality and identity, be it self expressed or imposed, underlie every characterisation, whether human, spaceship, or anything in-between, offering a multifaceted and complicated world with no easy answers. It’s especially evident when it comes to the AI, developed here through the smartship The Light of Berossus (Bero for short). It's a Frankensteinesque story, with all the associated themes. As good sci fi always does, this book asks the big questions: what it means to be human, what it means to live, what it means to be free…. Each individual must work out what really matters to them, what they’re willing to lie about, forgive, fight, or die for, and it’s all set against a backdrop of dystopian inequality, political machinations, and world ending weapons. Most of all though, it’s about family, whether blood or created, and how those bonds can hold strong across space and time.
This is space opera with a high wow factor, full of heart and humour, twisty enough to have you reading sentences twice over, desperate to see if it really said what you thought it did…
It's going to be big. Don't miss it.
ARC via Netgalley
I can’t remember the last time I read a book that got me with so many ‘Excuse, me, WHAT?’ moments. This is one tricksy author. And she’s put together more than just a well crafted story, it’s a genuinely fun reading experience that has you smiling at your own shock as much as what’s happening on the page. And therein lies the problem for any kind of review, because you really don’t want to be spoiled by any of the specifics before you start. Even more so than usual I mean. This is the kind of novel that extends a welcoming hand, one loaded with the promise of honesty and friendship, when all the while the other grips a knife just out of sight. You think you can imagine what comes next in this scenario….? Not if this author’s writing it. Nope, no way, not a chance. Maybe the whole damn world explodes. Maybe they whip out the blade and carve a wooden statue of your favourite sea creature. WHO KNOWS.
So… I’m going to avoid anything that could give the game away and talk about some of the other stuff that makes this book a damn good time.
At least 5 of the top 10 most awesome things are all Sanda. This MC is brave, capable, funny, inventive, vulnerable, and that perfect level of snarky. I hate falling back on the Ripley thing each time I find an awesome female in space, but that’s the kind of strength she’s channelling here. She takes zero shit, but isn’t one of those characters whose attitude is a shorthand for badassery. It’s her actions, not a big mouth, that show who she really is. The appeal is that she’s so very human, but trying to be the best of version of it she can be. It feels honest and real. Her emotional experiences are right there, making it so very clear why she battles on. Despite being knocked down more times and in more ways than most people could take, she comes back fighting. Every time. And I cheered. Every time. I flat out loved her.
When an author can work creatively with perspective and narrative structure but also give readers characters who can hold all the pieces together, it makes for a thrilling mix. Surprises can come from anywhere, and in this case, they really do. But that’s far from the only positive. High energy action scenes are balanced by quieter moments of emotional reflection, just as the humour holds its own against the tragedy. The past clashes brutally with Sanda’s present, allowing for how-the-hell-we-got-here as much as the-hell-we’re-in-now. Within that space, there’s room for all kinds of voices. Diversity, in particular, is done with such exquisite assuredness that it makes a liar of all those who say it doesn’t work. Notions of personal morality and identity, be it self expressed or imposed, underlie every characterisation, whether human, spaceship, or anything in-between, offering a multifaceted and complicated world with no easy answers. It’s especially evident when it comes to the AI, developed here through the smartship The Light of Berossus (Bero for short). It's a Frankensteinesque story, with all the associated themes. As good sci fi always does, this book asks the big questions: what it means to be human, what it means to live, what it means to be free…. Each individual must work out what really matters to them, what they’re willing to lie about, forgive, fight, or die for, and it’s all set against a backdrop of dystopian inequality, political machinations, and world ending weapons. Most of all though, it’s about family, whether blood or created, and how those bonds can hold strong across space and time.
This is space opera with a high wow factor, full of heart and humour, twisty enough to have you reading sentences twice over, desperate to see if it really said what you thought it did…
It's going to be big. Don't miss it.
ARC via Netgalley
March 9, 2020
‘Ada Prime’s Casimir Gate filled the sky. Only from this position, she thought, can one truly appreciate the gate’s beauty. It was massive beyond her ability to articulate — even Keeper Station, so large it housed hundreds of thousands, barely managed to eclipse a small stretch of the ring that was the frame of the gate. The light of it had always been Ada’s guiding star.’
~
Velocity Weapon is the first book in the Protectorate series by Megan O’Keefe. Hailed as a book that will provide ‘dazzling space battles’ and ‘intergalactic politics’, you can see why this one has been on my radar for quite some time now. So, was it all that I hoped it would be? Hell yes, and it was so much more.
It’s hard for me to describe the plot of Velocity Weapon, because I don’t want to unwittingly give away any spoilers or even any clues as to how the narrative unfolds. Let it be known now though, O’Keefe will take you down paths you were never expecting! So, I’ll just mention that the book begins with our main protagonist, Sanda, waking up onboard an enemy spaceship 230 years into the future. Sanda is not alone though, not by any means. You see, the ship is actually a sentient AI, who calls himself Bero. Our second main protagonist is Biran, Sanda’s younger brother, his timeline focuses back to the moments when the enemy Icarion declare war upon his homeland planet, Ada Prime. As Icarion unleashes their attack on Prime, Biran searches desperately for his sister.
I have stated before that I’m not a big fan of space opera, and that I’m also not overly fond of long scenes where characters are confined onboard a spaceship. I tend to prefer my sci-fi to be centred around a planet, and have culture, religion and alien life explored; if you think in terms of the Dune saga, which is one of my favourites, then you’ll understand the type of sci-fi I mean. However, Megan O’Keefe made me eat my words, because I adored this little gem of a space opera! Yes we do explore intergalactic politics through the conflict between Icarion and Ada Prime, and also through the concept of Keepers, who held the secret of intergalactic travelling through gates. We also touch upon philosophy shown through the nature of AI’s, but ultimately Velocity Weapon is a space-romp which revels in its hundred percent fun-factor.
I believe that O’Keefe creates a fantastic balance between an intriguing plot which constantly keeps you on your toes, and a fantastic array of charismatic characters. Take Sanda, for example. She is a character that drips with charm and fiestyness. She’s not one who wallows in self-pity or gives in to despair. No, not our Sanda. She sees a problem, she finds a solution, even if that solution may be ludicrous. Damn the risks, damn the consequences, LET’S DO THIS! I have to say, I hold such a soft spot for these ballsy type of characters.
In the early chapters, Sanda and the AI Bero, and even the repair bot, Grippy, form quite an endearing bond, which proved to be humorous and simultaneously thought-provoking. I wish I could discuss Bero in more detail but I think I would hit spoiler territory which I’m trying to avoid. What I will say though, is that Bero will make you feel many feelings. Nonetheless, these scenes often held Razor-sharp wit, and cleverly laced dialogue, so even though they were confined, they were always entertaining. In fact, all of Sanda’s interactions with other characters were a complete delight.
~
“Maybe I should have flown,” Tomas said.
She glared at him. “One leg is better than one arm in the command chair. Anyway, we’re not dead yet.”
“Yet.”
“Keep talking, might speed things up.”
~
Then as we are introduced to Biran, we see that he is more the intellect, the diplomat, the one who strives for peace rather than warfare. Seeing Biran navigate his way through politics, but also truly trying to help the people of Ada Prime, and his sister, well, you couldn’t help but root for him to succeed. There was a third POV too - Jules. I was less invested in her character and narrative, much of it was quite the mystery throughout. I kept trying to decipher where Jules’ story was leading, but couldn’t quite hit the mark. However, I did appreciate the way her character represented the seedy underworld on Atrux. I suspect Jules’ character has a lot more to offer in the sequel too after the way her narrative revealed its true nature at the end!
Often with the sci-fi genre, I find myself struggling to fully immerse myself because I get tied in knots over trying to understand and visualise all the world-building, particularly the technology. Did I understand all of the tech-y space terms in Velocity Weapon? Nope. Did I care? Not one bit. When a book is this well done, then not understanding every single detail ceases to matter. So, although I may have had certain terms go over my head, O’Keefe never left me bewildered either. I found the prose created a cinematographic read. Every scene was so well crafted, there was this ultra-real feeling, you could visualise it, like a film playing out on the page.
Speaking of well crafted. I love it when authors pay attention and include little details, especially in their chapter titles. Naturally, I very much enjoyed the humorous chapter titles that were included; ‘Surviving day forty would be super‘, ‘Naps are never long enough’ and ‘The wisdom of repair bots’ were ones that really stood out to me.
So, to sum up, reading Velocity Weapon felt like being strapped into our very own spaceship and being on one exhilarating, fun ride. Megan O’Keefe, I salute you, you are one damn deliciously thrilling, tricksy author!
Thank you to Brit E. B. Hvide at Orbit for providing this review copy in exchange for an honest review.
~
Velocity Weapon is the first book in the Protectorate series by Megan O’Keefe. Hailed as a book that will provide ‘dazzling space battles’ and ‘intergalactic politics’, you can see why this one has been on my radar for quite some time now. So, was it all that I hoped it would be? Hell yes, and it was so much more.
It’s hard for me to describe the plot of Velocity Weapon, because I don’t want to unwittingly give away any spoilers or even any clues as to how the narrative unfolds. Let it be known now though, O’Keefe will take you down paths you were never expecting! So, I’ll just mention that the book begins with our main protagonist, Sanda, waking up onboard an enemy spaceship 230 years into the future. Sanda is not alone though, not by any means. You see, the ship is actually a sentient AI, who calls himself Bero. Our second main protagonist is Biran, Sanda’s younger brother, his timeline focuses back to the moments when the enemy Icarion declare war upon his homeland planet, Ada Prime. As Icarion unleashes their attack on Prime, Biran searches desperately for his sister.
I have stated before that I’m not a big fan of space opera, and that I’m also not overly fond of long scenes where characters are confined onboard a spaceship. I tend to prefer my sci-fi to be centred around a planet, and have culture, religion and alien life explored; if you think in terms of the Dune saga, which is one of my favourites, then you’ll understand the type of sci-fi I mean. However, Megan O’Keefe made me eat my words, because I adored this little gem of a space opera! Yes we do explore intergalactic politics through the conflict between Icarion and Ada Prime, and also through the concept of Keepers, who held the secret of intergalactic travelling through gates. We also touch upon philosophy shown through the nature of AI’s, but ultimately Velocity Weapon is a space-romp which revels in its hundred percent fun-factor.
I believe that O’Keefe creates a fantastic balance between an intriguing plot which constantly keeps you on your toes, and a fantastic array of charismatic characters. Take Sanda, for example. She is a character that drips with charm and fiestyness. She’s not one who wallows in self-pity or gives in to despair. No, not our Sanda. She sees a problem, she finds a solution, even if that solution may be ludicrous. Damn the risks, damn the consequences, LET’S DO THIS! I have to say, I hold such a soft spot for these ballsy type of characters.
In the early chapters, Sanda and the AI Bero, and even the repair bot, Grippy, form quite an endearing bond, which proved to be humorous and simultaneously thought-provoking. I wish I could discuss Bero in more detail but I think I would hit spoiler territory which I’m trying to avoid. What I will say though, is that Bero will make you feel many feelings. Nonetheless, these scenes often held Razor-sharp wit, and cleverly laced dialogue, so even though they were confined, they were always entertaining. In fact, all of Sanda’s interactions with other characters were a complete delight.
~
“Maybe I should have flown,” Tomas said.
She glared at him. “One leg is better than one arm in the command chair. Anyway, we’re not dead yet.”
“Yet.”
“Keep talking, might speed things up.”
~
Then as we are introduced to Biran, we see that he is more the intellect, the diplomat, the one who strives for peace rather than warfare. Seeing Biran navigate his way through politics, but also truly trying to help the people of Ada Prime, and his sister, well, you couldn’t help but root for him to succeed. There was a third POV too - Jules. I was less invested in her character and narrative, much of it was quite the mystery throughout. I kept trying to decipher where Jules’ story was leading, but couldn’t quite hit the mark. However, I did appreciate the way her character represented the seedy underworld on Atrux. I suspect Jules’ character has a lot more to offer in the sequel too after the way her narrative revealed its true nature at the end!
Often with the sci-fi genre, I find myself struggling to fully immerse myself because I get tied in knots over trying to understand and visualise all the world-building, particularly the technology. Did I understand all of the tech-y space terms in Velocity Weapon? Nope. Did I care? Not one bit. When a book is this well done, then not understanding every single detail ceases to matter. So, although I may have had certain terms go over my head, O’Keefe never left me bewildered either. I found the prose created a cinematographic read. Every scene was so well crafted, there was this ultra-real feeling, you could visualise it, like a film playing out on the page.
Speaking of well crafted. I love it when authors pay attention and include little details, especially in their chapter titles. Naturally, I very much enjoyed the humorous chapter titles that were included; ‘Surviving day forty would be super‘, ‘Naps are never long enough’ and ‘The wisdom of repair bots’ were ones that really stood out to me.
So, to sum up, reading Velocity Weapon felt like being strapped into our very own spaceship and being on one exhilarating, fun ride. Megan O’Keefe, I salute you, you are one damn deliciously thrilling, tricksy author!
Thank you to Brit E. B. Hvide at Orbit for providing this review copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2020
This one started out well, but . . . . kind of tailed off, like she had run out of ideas? And I didn't really connect with any of the characters except the ship AI. Which is pretty cool. But, 500+ pages! For Book #1 of a new series, by a new author!
I'd read something else by her, after she gets her writing chops down, but I gave up on this one about 1/4 in. If you are thinking about reading it, I'd suggest reading some of the other 2 and 3-star reviews. My rating: 2.5 stars for what I read, rounded down for lack of promise of improvement.
Big Plus: great cover art!
I'd read something else by her, after she gets her writing chops down, but I gave up on this one about 1/4 in. If you are thinking about reading it, I'd suggest reading some of the other 2 and 3-star reviews. My rating: 2.5 stars for what I read, rounded down for lack of promise of improvement.
Big Plus: great cover art!
September 6, 2021
3.5 Stars
Video Review: https://youtu.be/dz0GG6yuIJs
As someone obsessed with space opera, I was eager to read Velocity Weapon, the first book in a brand new space opera series. My excitement only grew when I learned that it was written by a female author with a predominant female protagonist. Further to that, this novel shares the same publisher as my all time favourite science fiction series, The Expanse. Needless to say, my expectations when picking up this new release were incredibly high. Now that I've read it, I can say that Velocity Weapon does not quite live up to the perfection of the Expanse series, but it was still a fun start of new space opera adventure.
The biggest strength of this novel was the author's ability to surprise me as a reader. There were some great twists and turns in this novel that I absolutely did not see coming. I can usually predict stories so I was delighted when I realized that I had been blindsided. Given the nature of this novel, it would be best going into this one without knowing too much of the plot.
Since this book is told in multiple perspectives, I found myself more interested in certain chapters than others. Sandra’s perspective was easily the most entertaining and intriguing of the three main characters. I also enjoyed reading from Biran's point of view which provided some necessary backstory. I struggled most with Jules’ chapters simply because she was not obviously connected to the two other storylines. While I generally liked all the main characters in this novel, I felt that they were underdeveloped and even flat at times. Some of their reactions, or lack of reactions, simply felt unrealistic. For instance, the main protagonist apparently had no emotional response to losing one of her legs, which struck me as quite odd.
In terms of tone, this novel was more light-hearted than I expected. The best humour came from the banter between Sandra and the artificial intelligent ship. While this novel certainly involved some epic stakes, the humour tended to cut the tension of the situation. Personally, I prefer a slightly more serious narrative, but the lighter tone certainly made for a fun story.
Overall, the narrative within the novel was well paced. The balance of political intrigue and action kept me engaged throughout most of the story. Despite being over five hundred pages, this was a quick read. Once I hit the halfway point, I flew through the rest book in just over a day because I really wanted to see how it would all come together.
This book is the start of a new space opera series and I am interested to see where it will go from here. Additional books will provide more time for character development so this may be a case where the series that just gets stronger with each book.
I would recommend this book to science fiction readers that love space opera series filled with actions, plot twists and a healthy dose of humour.
Disclaimer: I requested a copy for review from the publisher Orbit Books.
Video Review: https://youtu.be/dz0GG6yuIJs
As someone obsessed with space opera, I was eager to read Velocity Weapon, the first book in a brand new space opera series. My excitement only grew when I learned that it was written by a female author with a predominant female protagonist. Further to that, this novel shares the same publisher as my all time favourite science fiction series, The Expanse. Needless to say, my expectations when picking up this new release were incredibly high. Now that I've read it, I can say that Velocity Weapon does not quite live up to the perfection of the Expanse series, but it was still a fun start of new space opera adventure.
The biggest strength of this novel was the author's ability to surprise me as a reader. There were some great twists and turns in this novel that I absolutely did not see coming. I can usually predict stories so I was delighted when I realized that I had been blindsided. Given the nature of this novel, it would be best going into this one without knowing too much of the plot.
Since this book is told in multiple perspectives, I found myself more interested in certain chapters than others. Sandra’s perspective was easily the most entertaining and intriguing of the three main characters. I also enjoyed reading from Biran's point of view which provided some necessary backstory. I struggled most with Jules’ chapters simply because she was not obviously connected to the two other storylines. While I generally liked all the main characters in this novel, I felt that they were underdeveloped and even flat at times. Some of their reactions, or lack of reactions, simply felt unrealistic. For instance, the main protagonist apparently had no emotional response to losing one of her legs, which struck me as quite odd.
In terms of tone, this novel was more light-hearted than I expected. The best humour came from the banter between Sandra and the artificial intelligent ship. While this novel certainly involved some epic stakes, the humour tended to cut the tension of the situation. Personally, I prefer a slightly more serious narrative, but the lighter tone certainly made for a fun story.
Overall, the narrative within the novel was well paced. The balance of political intrigue and action kept me engaged throughout most of the story. Despite being over five hundred pages, this was a quick read. Once I hit the halfway point, I flew through the rest book in just over a day because I really wanted to see how it would all come together.
This book is the start of a new space opera series and I am interested to see where it will go from here. Additional books will provide more time for character development so this may be a case where the series that just gets stronger with each book.
I would recommend this book to science fiction readers that love space opera series filled with actions, plot twists and a healthy dose of humour.
Disclaimer: I requested a copy for review from the publisher Orbit Books.
November 21, 2019
More half-baked than hard SF.
So, it turns out that the technology that would be at the very heart of the story in a classic hard-SF novel doesn't have much to do with how things actually play out in this one (strange that the book was categorized as military or hard SF in the first place).
The star-gate plans so valuable that they're split up into bio-chips implanted in multiple "Keepers" are just a classic McGuffin. Ms. O'Keefe doesn't care how the Casimir Gates work, and it matters not the slightest to the plot, except that maybe the fact that they're built following the model planted in an asteroid by unknown aliens will lead to some kind of "aha, it was all a trap to lure foolish humans into our clutches!" moment. But for now, the top-secret plans could easily be replaced with the coordinates to humanity's long-lost home planet, a single ring with the ability to control all others, or the list of herbs and spices in a famous fried-chicken recipe.
So the next question is, does the story work anyway? And my answer is no. Not because I'm opposed to interchangeable McGuffins, but because Ms. O'Keefe didn't seem to invest much in the story or the world(s) she was building. Each chapter begins with a date, 3541, that seems to imply that the action takes place about 1500 years from now. Fine, great; interstellar travel and civilization should be a ways off. But there are so many here-and-now elements that I couldn't settle into a futuristic mode, with mentions of Velcro (with capital letter), Apple watches (without the brand, but with the swipe-and-pinch navigation), ping-pong balls, duct tape, Newton, Einstein, disdaining Beethoven for music with guitars, denim jackets, newscasters with cheesy sign-ons, a slacks-blouse-and-blazer combo in a world of tailored jumpsuits, semi-smart houses with voice assistants, CamCasts (are video calls so new they are trademarked?), a tech geek who goes by "they/them" (but doesn't use the royal We), My Two Dads (the big, tough one and the little, loves-to-cook one) ... So much NOW! It would've worked better in a "20 minutes into the future" setting.
That lack of care in crafting a believably or even engagingly future world are particularly obvious when Ms. O'Keefe starts throwing in just about every cyberpunk thing she can think of (except for omnipresent corporate advertising): the aforementioned star gates, pervasive online credit and tracking, video calls, brain-implant chips (though none that connect to an Internet-like web), instant interplanetary communication (no lag time), spaceships, emergent AIs with personalities, nanotechnology, medical suspended animation, individuals with multiple identical bodies, blaster guns, villains with super-enhanced healing factors, etc., etc., etc. Nothing seems deeply integrated, or growing logically out of the society; it's just a bunch of cool stuff to play with.
And, for me, the players weren't very interesting. The two tough-chick point-of-view characters were pretty much interchangeable. The other point-of-view character was the smart-boy Keeper whose cute hair and devotion to his sister were his primary characteristics. The super-spy guy filled the "girl" role, a hottie for the sergeant to be attracted to and the smart-person source of plot-convenience solutions. The rest of the Keepers seemed qualified for nothing more than petty political games--whatever the criteria are, they don't measure actual leadership or intelligence. The AI ship was so traumatized about being created a weapon and used to kill his creator's enemies that he murdered his own crew--what? Why? At least HAL 9000 turned murderous because he'd been given contradictory instructions and couldn't resolve them....
This felt very much like a first effort, and there were salvageable elements, but this should've been a preliminary draft, not the final product.
So, it turns out that the technology that would be at the very heart of the story in a classic hard-SF novel doesn't have much to do with how things actually play out in this one (strange that the book was categorized as military or hard SF in the first place).
The star-gate plans so valuable that they're split up into bio-chips implanted in multiple "Keepers" are just a classic McGuffin. Ms. O'Keefe doesn't care how the Casimir Gates work, and it matters not the slightest to the plot, except that maybe the fact that they're built following the model planted in an asteroid by unknown aliens will lead to some kind of "aha, it was all a trap to lure foolish humans into our clutches!" moment. But for now, the top-secret plans could easily be replaced with the coordinates to humanity's long-lost home planet, a single ring with the ability to control all others, or the list of herbs and spices in a famous fried-chicken recipe.
So the next question is, does the story work anyway? And my answer is no. Not because I'm opposed to interchangeable McGuffins, but because Ms. O'Keefe didn't seem to invest much in the story or the world(s) she was building. Each chapter begins with a date, 3541, that seems to imply that the action takes place about 1500 years from now. Fine, great; interstellar travel and civilization should be a ways off. But there are so many here-and-now elements that I couldn't settle into a futuristic mode, with mentions of Velcro (with capital letter), Apple watches (without the brand, but with the swipe-and-pinch navigation), ping-pong balls, duct tape, Newton, Einstein, disdaining Beethoven for music with guitars, denim jackets, newscasters with cheesy sign-ons, a slacks-blouse-and-blazer combo in a world of tailored jumpsuits, semi-smart houses with voice assistants, CamCasts (are video calls so new they are trademarked?), a tech geek who goes by "they/them" (but doesn't use the royal We), My Two Dads (the big, tough one and the little, loves-to-cook one) ... So much NOW! It would've worked better in a "20 minutes into the future" setting.
That lack of care in crafting a believably or even engagingly future world are particularly obvious when Ms. O'Keefe starts throwing in just about every cyberpunk thing she can think of (except for omnipresent corporate advertising): the aforementioned star gates, pervasive online credit and tracking, video calls, brain-implant chips (though none that connect to an Internet-like web), instant interplanetary communication (no lag time), spaceships, emergent AIs with personalities, nanotechnology, medical suspended animation, individuals with multiple identical bodies, blaster guns, villains with super-enhanced healing factors, etc., etc., etc. Nothing seems deeply integrated, or growing logically out of the society; it's just a bunch of cool stuff to play with.
And, for me, the players weren't very interesting. The two tough-chick point-of-view characters were pretty much interchangeable. The other point-of-view character was the smart-boy Keeper whose cute hair and devotion to his sister were his primary characteristics. The super-spy guy filled the "girl" role, a hottie for the sergeant to be attracted to and the smart-person source of plot-convenience solutions. The rest of the Keepers seemed qualified for nothing more than petty political games--whatever the criteria are, they don't measure actual leadership or intelligence. The AI ship was so traumatized about being created a weapon and used to kill his creator's enemies that he murdered his own crew--what? Why? At least HAL 9000 turned murderous because he'd been given contradictory instructions and couldn't resolve them....
This felt very much like a first effort, and there were salvageable elements, but this should've been a preliminary draft, not the final product.
June 5, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ebook! All thoughts/opinions are my own.
It's best to consider this book based on the three perspective characters we follow: Sanda (arguably the main character), Biran (Sanda's brother and a secondary force in her storyline), and Jules (off on her own and completely separate from the rest of the story).
Sanda, despite being a military officer, is rather undisciplined and not particularly believable in that capacity. As a person and the hero of this story, she does very well: between her need for distraction, the pain (physical and emotional) that she experiences, and even the way she interacts with other people (until near the end, which really goes back to her supposed military background) are very authentic. The timeline is a little wonky because of the kind of work she has to do and there's a bit of a forced romance plot. The conspiracy is all a little convoluted and I'm left, at the end, not really understanding who was right - or even if it matters. The enemy nation (planet? empire?) didn't feel like a real threat and when we did meet them, it felt more like posturing than actual threats.
Biran is shot straight to stardom and power in a structure we never quite understand. The Keepers (essentially the government of the Prime intergalactic empire) are never fully explained: their reach, their power, the political red tape. Instead, we focus on Sanda and skip over most of that. Without this background information, Biran's story is irrelevant outside of Sanda and indeed draws the plot out well beyond the necessary.
And then we come to Jules. She's the one I personally was the most interested in. I guess I like the scrappy ones who take the fight into their own hands. But she has a history that we get hints of (and, like the Keeper structure, we don't ever get an explanation). She's living a conspiracy and a tragedy (not unlike Sanda) that continues to get more and more complicated. The real problem with Jules, however, is that, relative to Sanda and Biran, she gets almost no "screentime" and therefore we get no real answers. Perhaps she'll factor more into future books, but because we get no real payoff in connection with the larger story, she felt unnecessary (and, once again, the weird timeline in this book made this worse).
I think this book was too ambitious. There was simply too much to balance: a complex system of planets connected by proprietary technology, two storylines (across three characters) that are not given anything like equal weight, a massive conspiracy that we never really get to understand, and a whole lot of hints to a bigger conspiracy that never comes into focus.
It's best to consider this book based on the three perspective characters we follow: Sanda (arguably the main character), Biran (Sanda's brother and a secondary force in her storyline), and Jules (off on her own and completely separate from the rest of the story).
Sanda, despite being a military officer, is rather undisciplined and not particularly believable in that capacity. As a person and the hero of this story, she does very well: between her need for distraction, the pain (physical and emotional) that she experiences, and even the way she interacts with other people (until near the end, which really goes back to her supposed military background) are very authentic. The timeline is a little wonky because of the kind of work she has to do and there's a bit of a forced romance plot. The conspiracy is all a little convoluted and I'm left, at the end, not really understanding who was right - or even if it matters. The enemy nation (planet? empire?) didn't feel like a real threat and when we did meet them, it felt more like posturing than actual threats.
Biran is shot straight to stardom and power in a structure we never quite understand. The Keepers (essentially the government of the Prime intergalactic empire) are never fully explained: their reach, their power, the political red tape. Instead, we focus on Sanda and skip over most of that. Without this background information, Biran's story is irrelevant outside of Sanda and indeed draws the plot out well beyond the necessary.
And then we come to Jules. She's the one I personally was the most interested in. I guess I like the scrappy ones who take the fight into their own hands. But she has a history that we get hints of (and, like the Keeper structure, we don't ever get an explanation). She's living a conspiracy and a tragedy (not unlike Sanda) that continues to get more and more complicated. The real problem with Jules, however, is that, relative to Sanda and Biran, she gets almost no "screentime" and therefore we get no real answers. Perhaps she'll factor more into future books, but because we get no real payoff in connection with the larger story, she felt unnecessary (and, once again, the weird timeline in this book made this worse).
I think this book was too ambitious. There was simply too much to balance: a complex system of planets connected by proprietary technology, two storylines (across three characters) that are not given anything like equal weight, a massive conspiracy that we never really get to understand, and a whole lot of hints to a bigger conspiracy that never comes into focus.
December 28, 2020
[3.5/5 stars] Overall, Velocity Weapon was an entertaining read. Probably in the upper half of scifi novels I’ve read lately. It’s very character-driven and political, involving two worlds on the brink of war. I appreciated the slightly more complex ideas and thought the non-human characters were handled especially well. I also liked the initial suspense – it had a lot of interesting and dynamic plot points to keep the pages turning. If I can say nothing else about the book, it was consistent from start to finish…
… which may have been why the novel ultimately left me feeling underwhelmed.
I definitely don’t mind a slow-burn plot that takes a while to unfold all of its mysteries. I do mind, however, when that slow burn doesn’t eventually escalate, as was the case with Velocity Weapon. It kept the same plodding pace through the entire novel when everything about the story supported a careening finish. Unfortunately, the height of interest for me hit at about the halfway point and never really went back up from there.
The good news is, at least it was consistently good. If you like the book right from the beginning and know what to expect, chances are you’ll continue to like it well into the second novel.
Series status: I set down the second book in favor of other series I was more impassioned about. However I can see myself picking it back up eventually because the series is written well and has a lot of merit.
Recommendations: pick this scifi up for a slow-burn, character-driven political novel.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
… which may have been why the novel ultimately left me feeling underwhelmed.
I definitely don’t mind a slow-burn plot that takes a while to unfold all of its mysteries. I do mind, however, when that slow burn doesn’t eventually escalate, as was the case with Velocity Weapon. It kept the same plodding pace through the entire novel when everything about the story supported a careening finish. Unfortunately, the height of interest for me hit at about the halfway point and never really went back up from there.
The good news is, at least it was consistently good. If you like the book right from the beginning and know what to expect, chances are you’ll continue to like it well into the second novel.
Series status: I set down the second book in favor of other series I was more impassioned about. However I can see myself picking it back up eventually because the series is written well and has a lot of merit.
Recommendations: pick this scifi up for a slow-burn, character-driven political novel.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
May 11, 2019
I inhaled Velocity Weapon in a few hours, it was so much fun, also brilliantly written, dark and beautiful and a rollicking good adventure.
Sanda is a purely wonderful character, having woken up on an intelligent ship years into the future, everyone lost to her. Said ship Bero is a melancholy companion, a kind of virtual Eeyore, their growing relationship is compellingly clever.
Meanwhile back before Bero, Sanda’s brother searches for her…
I loved all the many layers to Velocity Weapon, it is a proper, sprawling epic with many intricate levels, the world building and political landscape wonderfully imagined and cleverly woven. A highly addictive storyline, quality storytelling and a cast of characters you’ll love this is just the ticket when you need pure escapism and a new world to explore.
Loved it. Cannot wait for more…
Highly Recommended.
Sanda is a purely wonderful character, having woken up on an intelligent ship years into the future, everyone lost to her. Said ship Bero is a melancholy companion, a kind of virtual Eeyore, their growing relationship is compellingly clever.
Meanwhile back before Bero, Sanda’s brother searches for her…
I loved all the many layers to Velocity Weapon, it is a proper, sprawling epic with many intricate levels, the world building and political landscape wonderfully imagined and cleverly woven. A highly addictive storyline, quality storytelling and a cast of characters you’ll love this is just the ticket when you need pure escapism and a new world to explore.
Loved it. Cannot wait for more…
Highly Recommended.
June 27, 2019
Very cinematographic read, full of twists and turns!
The narration is divided mostly between the siblings, gunnery sergeant Sanda stranded alone on an enemy ship controlled by an AI with attitude some 230 years in the future, and her brother Biran, in the present, who tries everything he can, now that he has just joined the powerful Keepers, to find out what happened to his sister and save her.
O’Keefe serves up a real space opera, full of action, yes, but also charismatic characters. Sanda and Biran bring different angles of the same story, a somewhat convoluted one, which are both compelling. I particularly appreciated how the author portrayed their tight relationship, with each other as well as with their fathers. And let’s not forget the brilliant Bero, who brings to the fore questions on the nature of sentience and ‘human’ rights.
The narration is divided mostly between the siblings, gunnery sergeant Sanda stranded alone on an enemy ship controlled by an AI with attitude some 230 years in the future, and her brother Biran, in the present, who tries everything he can, now that he has just joined the powerful Keepers, to find out what happened to his sister and save her.
O’Keefe serves up a real space opera, full of action, yes, but also charismatic characters. Sanda and Biran bring different angles of the same story, a somewhat convoluted one, which are both compelling. I particularly appreciated how the author portrayed their tight relationship, with each other as well as with their fathers. And let’s not forget the brilliant Bero, who brings to the fore questions on the nature of sentience and ‘human’ rights.
September 10, 2020
This is a story I picked up on recommendations from friends on Twitter and as part of Space Opera September, and I am very glad that I have discovered a new author who I really enjoy, who is female, and who writes awesome books. I tend to favour fantasy over sci fi, but this is great and I found lots to love in the characters and the plot of this.
In this story we follow a few PoV characters, but the main ones are Sanda and Biran Greeve, one is a Sergeant in the army and the other is a Keeper of information. They come from a society where they live in Space and they frequently have access to gates to fly through Space but these are controlled by the main power, Ada Prime. They are both part of Ada's society, and they believe in their people and the power struggle against the moon Icarians. However, when the Icarians begin to strike at Prime they both become mixed up in things and have no clue what has happened to the other or how to fight back. Each of their stories is insightful and fascinating, and I liked them both.
The other main character that I enjoyed learning about is Bero, an AI who is quite incredible in comparison to most of the tech that Ada Prime have previously had. He has a strong personality and a sarcastic but fun side too.
There's one further character, Jules, who we also get as a PoV but I found her harder to connect with and I didn't think her story was quite as compelling or engaging. I have a feeling we have more to come from the plotline she sets up here however, and maybe book #2 is where this will play out.
Megan O'Keefe is a quality writer becuase she manages to surprise the reader at multiple points over the course of the book with big reveals I didn't see coming and interesting facets of information and twists. I really liked lots of the plot points and I feel like she really kept me on my toes and kept me guessing up to the end of the story about where everything was heading.
There is LGBTQ+ rep and that was a nice thing to see as a part of the story. I really liked Biran and Sanda's dads :)
I definitely want to read book #2 soon as there's clearly a whole lot more to come, and I really feel like i want to follow the plot and characters further and find out where they are heading. Certainly a solid first read by her, and I will also be interested in picking up her other work too. 4*s
In this story we follow a few PoV characters, but the main ones are Sanda and Biran Greeve, one is a Sergeant in the army and the other is a Keeper of information. They come from a society where they live in Space and they frequently have access to gates to fly through Space but these are controlled by the main power, Ada Prime. They are both part of Ada's society, and they believe in their people and the power struggle against the moon Icarians. However, when the Icarians begin to strike at Prime they both become mixed up in things and have no clue what has happened to the other or how to fight back. Each of their stories is insightful and fascinating, and I liked them both.
The other main character that I enjoyed learning about is Bero, an AI who is quite incredible in comparison to most of the tech that Ada Prime have previously had. He has a strong personality and a sarcastic but fun side too.
There's one further character, Jules, who we also get as a PoV but I found her harder to connect with and I didn't think her story was quite as compelling or engaging. I have a feeling we have more to come from the plotline she sets up here however, and maybe book #2 is where this will play out.
Megan O'Keefe is a quality writer becuase she manages to surprise the reader at multiple points over the course of the book with big reveals I didn't see coming and interesting facets of information and twists. I really liked lots of the plot points and I feel like she really kept me on my toes and kept me guessing up to the end of the story about where everything was heading.
There is LGBTQ+ rep and that was a nice thing to see as a part of the story. I really liked Biran and Sanda's dads :)
I definitely want to read book #2 soon as there's clearly a whole lot more to come, and I really feel like i want to follow the plot and characters further and find out where they are heading. Certainly a solid first read by her, and I will also be interested in picking up her other work too. 4*s
July 25, 2019
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/07/25/...
Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O’Keefe was a book I picked up on a recommendation from several reviewers whose descriptions of the book sounded like something I would really love—and I’m glad I decided to check it out! As space operas go, it was highly entertaining with some fantastic character development and world-building, and I couldn’t have asked for more.
As the story opens, our protagonist Gunnery Sergeant Sanda Greeves finds herself waking up naked and alone on an unfamiliar ship. Exploring her surroundings in shock and confusion, she manages to access the ship’s sentient AI, discovering that she has been asleep for more than two centuries. The war she had been fighting in is over, with both sides having destroyed themselves. The ship Sanda is on now is The Light of Berossus, an enemy ship. Bero, as it calls itself, informs her that the two of them are now alone in a dead star system, her home world of Ada Prime and their rivals from the planet Icarion having wiped each other out.
In a separate thread, we also get the story from the perspective of Biran, Sanda’s brother. When the news arrives that his beloved sister’s gunship had just been blown up in the Battle of Dralee, Biran barely has time to grieve before he is swiftly whisked off by the Keepers of Ada Prime to discuss their next step. And in another star system, a young smuggler inadvertently stumbles upon something she shouldn’t have while on what was supposed to be a routine job—a deadly secret that will have serious repercussions for the galaxy if it is discovered.
While it’s going to be difficult to review Velocity Weapon without revealing any spoilers, I’m going to try my best because some things are simply best experienced firsthand, including all the twists and shocking surprises in this book. As we alternate between the different character perspectives, more details of the plot are gradually laid bare, allowing the reader to piece together the clues and find out just what is going on. I won’t lie, the beginning will be confusing at first, and the big picture will be hazy and vague—but stick around if you can, for it will be worth it.
Each character’s point-of-view will present a conundrum, a conflict to be solved. Sanda is in the biggest bind of all, lost in space with a ship that seems to have its own personality and agenda, and it’s anyone’s guess what it has in mind for them both as they try to find their way back to civilization. Biran is in the process of being groomed to be the next Keeper of Ada Prime, though the only thing on his mind is his sister and how he will be able to get her back. What anyone could possibly do to help her is anyone’s guess, separated as the characters are by space and time, but eventually all will be answered. Kudos to O’Keefe for being able to juggle all these moving parts while keeping her cards close to the vest so by the time the revelations come, you will be floored.
Still, I have to say, one key aspect of the book I did not really care for was Jules’ part of the story. Although she ended up playing an important role in the overall plot, I thought her early sections detracted from the overall mystery and the tensions surrounding the siblings’ predicament. I think the author knew this might happen, because Jules’ chapters were packed full of intrigue and fast-paced action in order to tide us over while the character’s own arc was being developed. It’s not that I didn’t like Jules or enjoyed her chapters, but while Sanda and Biran’s threads were unfolding, all I really wanted was to get back to their part of the story to find out what happened next! The Greeves were hands down the most interesting characters, and I always felt a thrill especially whenever I returned to Sanda’s POV. One of the reasons for that is Bero. Now don’t get me wrong because I loved reading about Sanda—she’s strong, spirited, and tenacious. But as you know, I am also a sucker for ship AI characters, and Bero was a real trip. And that’s all I’m going to say on that subject!
In sum, I had a lot of fun with Velocity Weapon, and I was pretty excited to learn that there’s likely more to come as this looks to be the first book in a new series. Not much else really to say about this novel, except that it was entertaining and satisfying. I also think it opens up doors for many other possibilities, and I will be waiting with great anticipation for what Megan E. O’Keefe has in store for us next.
Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O’Keefe was a book I picked up on a recommendation from several reviewers whose descriptions of the book sounded like something I would really love—and I’m glad I decided to check it out! As space operas go, it was highly entertaining with some fantastic character development and world-building, and I couldn’t have asked for more.
As the story opens, our protagonist Gunnery Sergeant Sanda Greeves finds herself waking up naked and alone on an unfamiliar ship. Exploring her surroundings in shock and confusion, she manages to access the ship’s sentient AI, discovering that she has been asleep for more than two centuries. The war she had been fighting in is over, with both sides having destroyed themselves. The ship Sanda is on now is The Light of Berossus, an enemy ship. Bero, as it calls itself, informs her that the two of them are now alone in a dead star system, her home world of Ada Prime and their rivals from the planet Icarion having wiped each other out.
In a separate thread, we also get the story from the perspective of Biran, Sanda’s brother. When the news arrives that his beloved sister’s gunship had just been blown up in the Battle of Dralee, Biran barely has time to grieve before he is swiftly whisked off by the Keepers of Ada Prime to discuss their next step. And in another star system, a young smuggler inadvertently stumbles upon something she shouldn’t have while on what was supposed to be a routine job—a deadly secret that will have serious repercussions for the galaxy if it is discovered.
While it’s going to be difficult to review Velocity Weapon without revealing any spoilers, I’m going to try my best because some things are simply best experienced firsthand, including all the twists and shocking surprises in this book. As we alternate between the different character perspectives, more details of the plot are gradually laid bare, allowing the reader to piece together the clues and find out just what is going on. I won’t lie, the beginning will be confusing at first, and the big picture will be hazy and vague—but stick around if you can, for it will be worth it.
Each character’s point-of-view will present a conundrum, a conflict to be solved. Sanda is in the biggest bind of all, lost in space with a ship that seems to have its own personality and agenda, and it’s anyone’s guess what it has in mind for them both as they try to find their way back to civilization. Biran is in the process of being groomed to be the next Keeper of Ada Prime, though the only thing on his mind is his sister and how he will be able to get her back. What anyone could possibly do to help her is anyone’s guess, separated as the characters are by space and time, but eventually all will be answered. Kudos to O’Keefe for being able to juggle all these moving parts while keeping her cards close to the vest so by the time the revelations come, you will be floored.
Still, I have to say, one key aspect of the book I did not really care for was Jules’ part of the story. Although she ended up playing an important role in the overall plot, I thought her early sections detracted from the overall mystery and the tensions surrounding the siblings’ predicament. I think the author knew this might happen, because Jules’ chapters were packed full of intrigue and fast-paced action in order to tide us over while the character’s own arc was being developed. It’s not that I didn’t like Jules or enjoyed her chapters, but while Sanda and Biran’s threads were unfolding, all I really wanted was to get back to their part of the story to find out what happened next! The Greeves were hands down the most interesting characters, and I always felt a thrill especially whenever I returned to Sanda’s POV. One of the reasons for that is Bero. Now don’t get me wrong because I loved reading about Sanda—she’s strong, spirited, and tenacious. But as you know, I am also a sucker for ship AI characters, and Bero was a real trip. And that’s all I’m going to say on that subject!
In sum, I had a lot of fun with Velocity Weapon, and I was pretty excited to learn that there’s likely more to come as this looks to be the first book in a new series. Not much else really to say about this novel, except that it was entertaining and satisfying. I also think it opens up doors for many other possibilities, and I will be waiting with great anticipation for what Megan E. O’Keefe has in store for us next.
August 17, 2020
Update upon reread: somehow, even more awesome than I remembered! Can’t WAIT to dive into Chaos Vector next!!
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New favorite: ACQUIRED. This book was a whirlwind of plot twists, adventure, interesting characters, politicking, and AWESOME. I loved the diversity (disabled MC, siblings raised by two dads, etc.), the sibling relationship, the sentient ship, the epic story scope, and all of the TWISTS! Yes, I’ve mentioned the twists twice, because they really made the book for me.
I love pretty much everything about Sanda. Her grief at finding herself aboard a sentient enemy ship, the sole survivor of a war, was palpable. I found myself considering how I’d feel in her position -- and being so glad I didn’t have to experience it in my own lifetime. I love her practical attitude, her compassion, and her anger. I love that she was smart and competent, as all of my favorite characters are. I love how much she missed her family. I love that she chose to keep going anyway and channel her grief toward something productive.
I enjoyed the other storylines as well, but more for the pieces of worldbuilding and background they brought to Velocity Weapon than for the subplots themselves. Sanda’s was my favorite storyline, but I enjoyed seeing the rest of the puzzle pieces snap into place.
The book ends with so much progress and yet so many questions, but in a good way. The way that makes me wish I had the second book in my hands RIGHT NOW. I’m ready to dive back into Sanda’s story!
Recommended for anyone interested in: diverse adult SFF, space operas, badass female MCs, books with physical disability rep, psychological thrillers, and epic stories!
Advanced copy provided by Orbit Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
____________________________________________________________
New favorite: ACQUIRED. This book was a whirlwind of plot twists, adventure, interesting characters, politicking, and AWESOME. I loved the diversity (disabled MC, siblings raised by two dads, etc.), the sibling relationship, the sentient ship, the epic story scope, and all of the TWISTS! Yes, I’ve mentioned the twists twice, because they really made the book for me.
I love pretty much everything about Sanda. Her grief at finding herself aboard a sentient enemy ship, the sole survivor of a war, was palpable. I found myself considering how I’d feel in her position -- and being so glad I didn’t have to experience it in my own lifetime. I love her practical attitude, her compassion, and her anger. I love that she was smart and competent, as all of my favorite characters are. I love how much she missed her family. I love that she chose to keep going anyway and channel her grief toward something productive.
I enjoyed the other storylines as well, but more for the pieces of worldbuilding and background they brought to Velocity Weapon than for the subplots themselves. Sanda’s was my favorite storyline, but I enjoyed seeing the rest of the puzzle pieces snap into place.
The book ends with so much progress and yet so many questions, but in a good way. The way that makes me wish I had the second book in my hands RIGHT NOW. I’m ready to dive back into Sanda’s story!
Recommended for anyone interested in: diverse adult SFF, space operas, badass female MCs, books with physical disability rep, psychological thrillers, and epic stories!
Advanced copy provided by Orbit Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
June 26, 2019
Gunnery Sergeant Sanda Greeve wakes up on an enemy ship, alone, naked and missing a leg. The shocks don't stop there, as the ship she's on is controlled by an AI who tells her that she's slept for two hundred and thirty years and both her civilization of Ada Prime and the enemy civilization of Icarion that the ship is from have both been destroyed in the war between them.
In an alternate story thread in the distant past, Sanda's brother Biren has just found out that Sanda has been lost in a space battle with the enemy Icarians, and he has to struggle against the Keepers of Ada Prime to mount a rescue.
And in a neighboring star system a young criminal stumbles across a deadly secret.
Twist upon twist that doesn't let up until the last page ... If at any point you think you understand what's happening, just read a few more pages and you'll be lost again. Sanda and Biren really shine, with Sanda's grief and devotion to her family being the keystone of the first part of the book and Biren's almost fanatical pursuit of mounting a rescue of his sister. Their fathers are also a great addition.
The political mess that Biren finds himself navigating is fascinating, as is the relationship that Sanda has with the AI Bero. And the AI is well realized as well, complete with personality quirks and trauma.
It all makes for a wonderful first part of the series, and I will be reading on.
In an alternate story thread in the distant past, Sanda's brother Biren has just found out that Sanda has been lost in a space battle with the enemy Icarians, and he has to struggle against the Keepers of Ada Prime to mount a rescue.
And in a neighboring star system a young criminal stumbles across a deadly secret.
Twist upon twist that doesn't let up until the last page ... If at any point you think you understand what's happening, just read a few more pages and you'll be lost again. Sanda and Biren really shine, with Sanda's grief and devotion to her family being the keystone of the first part of the book and Biren's almost fanatical pursuit of mounting a rescue of his sister. Their fathers are also a great addition.
The political mess that Biren finds himself navigating is fascinating, as is the relationship that Sanda has with the AI Bero. And the AI is well realized as well, complete with personality quirks and trauma.
It all makes for a wonderful first part of the series, and I will be reading on.
June 12, 2024
Action is better than meetings.
What a surprise this ended up being. It has a lot going for it: good characters, well executed intrigue, competently depicted action sequences….
…but more importantly, a hatfull of twists and surprises.
I actually found the book to read quite quickly, despite being 500+ pages. As far as the more current Science Fiction offerings go (this was published in 2019), this is one of the better ones I think I’ve read.
Pros: rogue AI’s, enjoyable intrigue, a tantalizing mystery or two, some nice action sequences, layered characters, cool twists, and a (possible) love interest angle that didn’t make me want to vomit.
Cons: well, not too many, to be honest. Velocity Weapon is quite immersive, but it is the first in a trilogy and there is one parallel plot thread that doesn’t get wrapped up at all (it’s just left hanging and that was a bit of a downer).
Also (and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, depending on personal preference: this is a big sweeping story encompassing many star systems, but it only contains humans (insofar as I can tell from this entry).
If you’re hearkening back to some good Space Opera in the vein of the Vorkosigan saga, but with a nice technological edge reminiscent of, say, the Revelation Space books, this could be right up your alley. I am certainly hooked.
4.5 stars
What a surprise this ended up being. It has a lot going for it: good characters, well executed intrigue, competently depicted action sequences….
…but more importantly, a hatfull of twists and surprises.
I actually found the book to read quite quickly, despite being 500+ pages. As far as the more current Science Fiction offerings go (this was published in 2019), this is one of the better ones I think I’ve read.
Pros: rogue AI’s, enjoyable intrigue, a tantalizing mystery or two, some nice action sequences, layered characters, cool twists, and a (possible) love interest angle that didn’t make me want to vomit.
Cons: well, not too many, to be honest. Velocity Weapon is quite immersive, but it is the first in a trilogy and there is one parallel plot thread that doesn’t get wrapped up at all (it’s just left hanging and that was a bit of a downer).
Also (and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, depending on personal preference: this is a big sweeping story encompassing many star systems, but it only contains humans (insofar as I can tell from this entry).
If you’re hearkening back to some good Space Opera in the vein of the Vorkosigan saga, but with a nice technological edge reminiscent of, say, the Revelation Space books, this could be right up your alley. I am certainly hooked.
4.5 stars
July 5, 2020
Rogue AI!
Plot twist after plot twist after plot twist!
Interstellar, centuries-old mysteries!
Smart characters doing lots of action-y things!
Spies and politics!
MC with a disability!
A maintenance robot friend!
VELOOOOCCIIIIITTTYYYYYYYYYYY
WWWEEEEAAAAPPPOOOOONNNN
Plot twist after plot twist after plot twist!
Interstellar, centuries-old mysteries!
Smart characters doing lots of action-y things!
Spies and politics!
MC with a disability!
A maintenance robot friend!
VELOOOOCCIIIIITTTYYYYYYYYYYY
WWWEEEEAAAAPPPOOOOONNNN
October 8, 2022
Re-read Ocotber 2022
I have been re-reading this for the past couple weeks (minus half of Biran's chapters because who cares). I'm bumping this to five stars because I could now appreciate some things, though I'm still annoyed at a few things haha anyways the fangirl is leaving the room.
First read August 2022
This has legit been the most fun I’ve had in ages. I hadn’t stayed up reading past midnight since Tiamat's Wrath. Hence, I wish I could give this 5 stars because I honestly cannot tell the number of times I have fangirled, screamed, and laughed out loud with this book. But there were some things that didn’t work for me at all.
So, just as a quick review:
The good:
- The plot twists. I was 900% NOT expecting many things that happened here. O’Keefe played me like a violin.
- Sanda’s POVs - Sanda, Bero, Tomas, and Grippy (my one true love). The storyline in that POV was just insanely gripping and everything was unexpected, and the banter and interactions between are funny and clever - 10/10. I guarantee this POV would make you laugh.
- The dads. I want to hug them.
- The writing. Loved it.
The not-so-good:
- Biran. I loved the dude the first 20% of the book. And then he started rubbing me the wrong way. He reminded me of Holden in The Expanse in the first few books where he would broadcast everything he wanted and cause intergallactic ruckus. Biran, though, is not a ‘space paladin’ looking to right wrongs and make space safe; he makes his whole identity about finding Sanda and pushing buttons without thinking first. Which it’s fine, you go dude, but his promotion? All the attention he got and insta-power? It just didn’t make a lot of sense. Maybe if we had seen his interactions with other Keepers or just ANYTHING about his life, this would have been better. But it was just a lot of nonsense with silly political intrigue.
- World-building. I don’t think it was bad. I especially loved how different systems/whatever treated or just judged AI. However - and I admit this comes from me being too obsessed with The Expanse - a lot of it didn’t make sense. Why are humans in the year 3400+ still using idioms about cats and sharks if they do not exist anymore?
I’m going to quote Tomas directly here: “Societies don’t sit still, and two hundred years is a lot of time for development. Moore’s law may be way out of date, but that doesn’t mean things can’t change.” Societies change. Language changes. I don’t understand half the mumbo-jumbo I hear from my younger sister or see on TikTok, how would people in a different galaxy altogether be talking about sharks? Eating ‘Japanese’ and ‘Brazilian’ food? Why do they say ‘Dios’ so much? Why is French still a language? Now, all of this can be explained, but my point is that it was not. We just saw a galaxy in a futuristic setting, with no animals, that is very very far away, and we know Earth is gone - then why aren’t we at least briefly told why we’re still using Earth-like language and nationalities? – Maybe I am too used to the Expanse explaining these things, idk.
The ??:
- Jules’ POV. No offense, but why are you even here? Who are you? Who invited you to the party, honestly? I was having fun reading and then her nonsense POVs would come and I would stop reading. I’m guessing I’ll get why she exists in the second book, but I just did not connect with her storyline or liked her personality.
- Alexandra’s interludes. I guess I think the first one was necessary but we could have gone with one where all the info had been condensed IMO.
Overall, I loved this. This not only scratched my ‘I miss the Expanse’ itch, but it may be one of my new go-to series. But only for Sanda’s POV.
I have been re-reading this for the past couple weeks (minus half of Biran's chapters because who cares). I'm bumping this to five stars because I could now appreciate some things, though I'm still annoyed at a few things haha anyways the fangirl is leaving the room.
First read August 2022
This has legit been the most fun I’ve had in ages. I hadn’t stayed up reading past midnight since Tiamat's Wrath. Hence, I wish I could give this 5 stars because I honestly cannot tell the number of times I have fangirled, screamed, and laughed out loud with this book. But there were some things that didn’t work for me at all.
So, just as a quick review:
The good:
- The plot twists. I was 900% NOT expecting many things that happened here. O’Keefe played me like a violin.
- Sanda’s POVs - Sanda, Bero, Tomas, and Grippy (my one true love). The storyline in that POV was just insanely gripping and everything was unexpected, and the banter and interactions between are funny and clever - 10/10. I guarantee this POV would make you laugh.
- The dads. I want to hug them.
- The writing. Loved it.
The not-so-good:
- Biran. I loved the dude the first 20% of the book. And then he started rubbing me the wrong way. He reminded me of Holden in The Expanse in the first few books where he would broadcast everything he wanted and cause intergallactic ruckus. Biran, though, is not a ‘space paladin’ looking to right wrongs and make space safe; he makes his whole identity about finding Sanda and pushing buttons without thinking first. Which it’s fine, you go dude, but his promotion? All the attention he got and insta-power? It just didn’t make a lot of sense. Maybe if we had seen his interactions with other Keepers or just ANYTHING about his life, this would have been better. But it was just a lot of nonsense with silly political intrigue.
- World-building. I don’t think it was bad. I especially loved how different systems/whatever treated or just judged AI. However - and I admit this comes from me being too obsessed with The Expanse - a lot of it didn’t make sense. Why are humans in the year 3400+ still using idioms about cats and sharks if they do not exist anymore?
I’m going to quote Tomas directly here: “Societies don’t sit still, and two hundred years is a lot of time for development. Moore’s law may be way out of date, but that doesn’t mean things can’t change.” Societies change. Language changes. I don’t understand half the mumbo-jumbo I hear from my younger sister or see on TikTok, how would people in a different galaxy altogether be talking about sharks? Eating ‘Japanese’ and ‘Brazilian’ food? Why do they say ‘Dios’ so much? Why is French still a language? Now, all of this can be explained, but my point is that it was not. We just saw a galaxy in a futuristic setting, with no animals, that is very very far away, and we know Earth is gone - then why aren’t we at least briefly told why we’re still using Earth-like language and nationalities? – Maybe I am too used to the Expanse explaining these things, idk.
The ??:
- Jules’ POV. No offense, but why are you even here? Who are you? Who invited you to the party, honestly? I was having fun reading and then her nonsense POVs would come and I would stop reading. I’m guessing I’ll get why she exists in the second book, but I just did not connect with her storyline or liked her personality.
- Alexandra’s interludes. I guess I think the first one was necessary but we could have gone with one where all the info had been condensed IMO.
Overall, I loved this. This not only scratched my ‘I miss the Expanse’ itch, but it may be one of my new go-to series. But only for Sanda’s POV.
June 4, 2024
Here are some key elements of the world O’Keefe is building in Velocity Weapon:
"“You do understand, Speaker Greeve, that this is the weapon that vaporized that asteroid? That bombarded Ada and nearly killed us all? The weapon that can—and will—kill us all if Icarion gets it back under control? If I abort pursuit, chance of exodus is one hundred percent. You and I both agree that is the wrong move for Prime to make."
"Strength came back to her. It tunneled through her veins and swelled her will to survive, her urge to work the problem. Things were bad. But she had Bero, and Grippy, and her own little grey cells. She could figure this out. She’d live to see real human eyes again."
"“Steer us true, Bero. I’ll go have a look around those labs of yours.” “Why?” Bero’s voice tightened, worried. “Easy, old man.” She grinned and kicked, flopping the rolled-up leg of her jumpsuit around. “I’m going to go see about a leg.” “My facilities are not set up for biomechanics.” “Maybe not, but I got a whole lot of rubber, metal tubing, and time.” And maybe, just maybe, if she kept her hands busy, she could chase that smudge of greyish light where Ada used to be from her mind."
"There used to be two spheres of light out there, visible even from this distance. The gate, and the dwarf planet Ada, forever pirouetting around each other on the farthest edge of the star system. Her visor adjusted, filtered harsh light, and fed her back little more than a dim smudge of white where her home should be. Rubble, probably. Maybe it’d coalesce into a new planet someday. She’d never see it, but she hoped her descendants might. If Biran had escaped, she might already have descendants. That was the problem with space once you took the Casimir Gates out of play. Scales got too long for human lives."
There are three main stories interwoven in O’Keefe’s first book in the series. We get to know Sanda first and best as she copes with a several century gap in her life as she is found and rescued by an intelligent spacecraft known to her as “Bero.” The other two stories begin on her home world back at the time of the cataclysm. One concerns a band of young urban criminals who are “doing what they must to survive.” The other storyline focuses on the role of “the Keepers,” the heads of civilian government and the elevation of Sanda’s brother to that exalted roll. Readers beware that when this book ends, you will find not a shred of an ending or resolution of any of the story lines. It is, as if, the publisher said, “You have gone on long enough.”
My GR friend, Diane Wallace, has said more that once that a lot of authors can write but not all are good storytellers or have characters that you care about. The action (when there is action) is well-enough described and interesting. O’Keefe knows how to write; but I give her a meh for storytelling and (unfortunately) I couldn’t find any characters that I really cared about. This is the start of a series that I will not be continuing.
2.5
"“You do understand, Speaker Greeve, that this is the weapon that vaporized that asteroid? That bombarded Ada and nearly killed us all? The weapon that can—and will—kill us all if Icarion gets it back under control? If I abort pursuit, chance of exodus is one hundred percent. You and I both agree that is the wrong move for Prime to make."
"Strength came back to her. It tunneled through her veins and swelled her will to survive, her urge to work the problem. Things were bad. But she had Bero, and Grippy, and her own little grey cells. She could figure this out. She’d live to see real human eyes again."
"“Steer us true, Bero. I’ll go have a look around those labs of yours.” “Why?” Bero’s voice tightened, worried. “Easy, old man.” She grinned and kicked, flopping the rolled-up leg of her jumpsuit around. “I’m going to go see about a leg.” “My facilities are not set up for biomechanics.” “Maybe not, but I got a whole lot of rubber, metal tubing, and time.” And maybe, just maybe, if she kept her hands busy, she could chase that smudge of greyish light where Ada used to be from her mind."
"There used to be two spheres of light out there, visible even from this distance. The gate, and the dwarf planet Ada, forever pirouetting around each other on the farthest edge of the star system. Her visor adjusted, filtered harsh light, and fed her back little more than a dim smudge of white where her home should be. Rubble, probably. Maybe it’d coalesce into a new planet someday. She’d never see it, but she hoped her descendants might. If Biran had escaped, she might already have descendants. That was the problem with space once you took the Casimir Gates out of play. Scales got too long for human lives."
There are three main stories interwoven in O’Keefe’s first book in the series. We get to know Sanda first and best as she copes with a several century gap in her life as she is found and rescued by an intelligent spacecraft known to her as “Bero.” The other two stories begin on her home world back at the time of the cataclysm. One concerns a band of young urban criminals who are “doing what they must to survive.” The other storyline focuses on the role of “the Keepers,” the heads of civilian government and the elevation of Sanda’s brother to that exalted roll. Readers beware that when this book ends, you will find not a shred of an ending or resolution of any of the story lines. It is, as if, the publisher said, “You have gone on long enough.”
My GR friend, Diane Wallace, has said more that once that a lot of authors can write but not all are good storytellers or have characters that you care about. The action (when there is action) is well-enough described and interesting. O’Keefe knows how to write; but I give her a meh for storytelling and (unfortunately) I couldn’t find any characters that I really cared about. This is the start of a series that I will not be continuing.
2.5
September 1, 2021
It is NOT easy to do twists. Either they're super obvious, or the "twist" is that no one could have possibly figured it out because it relies on something the audience couldn't have known. This book though had like 4 twists that I didn't see coming and blew my mind.
CONTENT WARNING:
Things to love:
- The technical skill. I felt that overall this kept up the pace. There was one side story that slowed things down, but it fleshed out the world without infodumping, which I appreciated. The writing by itself was also fairly good, without too much reliance on the on-trend short paragraph/short sentence trick.
-The cleverness. I think this is really the thing it has going for it. It dropped my jaw more than once for things that made complete sense but that I didn't see coming.
-Bero and Tomas. These two were by far the most interesting to me. They had internal lives that were hidden from us as we shared POVs with other people, and I feel like I know them but not what they're doing, which is super good IMO.
-Inclusion. FINALLY!!! A gender-neutral and sexuality-neutral future! We still have us and them with various definitions, which keeps it sadly believable for me, but no one stymies anyone's life for their pronouns or their partner(s). Add on top of that a really good representation of PTSD and mobility issues in space and another who is beautiful and competent and also living with a stammer, I was just blown away by how well thought out these people and their realities were. This wasn't a cheap nod, these were just true characters in a world solid enough to ground them.
Things that didn't quite work for me:
-The characters. I didn't mind any, per se, but the three POVs also didn't grab me emotionally, either. A bit too melodramatic and flat, with the exceptions above.
-Jules. Her story was just waaaaaay too long. I think it would have been better to nix this, do more of Alexandria, and start book 2 with Jules.
-Villains. Gaahhh! They could have been SO COOL! And yet they were cartoons that seemed beefed up as the book progressed, as if the author had a cool idea halfway through writing and just incorporated it as opposed to editing the earlier parts for this new element.
-The stop. It's not an ending. It's just an end. I knew that going in, but be prepared!
Overall, very fun. I am dubious of the next book, because I can't see how there can possibly be more twists, and those are what pushed this from a 3 to a 4 for me, but I do plan on continuing.
CONTENT WARNING:
Things to love:
- The technical skill. I felt that overall this kept up the pace. There was one side story that slowed things down, but it fleshed out the world without infodumping, which I appreciated. The writing by itself was also fairly good, without too much reliance on the on-trend short paragraph/short sentence trick.
-The cleverness. I think this is really the thing it has going for it. It dropped my jaw more than once for things that made complete sense but that I didn't see coming.
-Bero and Tomas. These two were by far the most interesting to me. They had internal lives that were hidden from us as we shared POVs with other people, and I feel like I know them but not what they're doing, which is super good IMO.
-Inclusion. FINALLY!!! A gender-neutral and sexuality-neutral future! We still have us and them with various definitions, which keeps it sadly believable for me, but no one stymies anyone's life for their pronouns or their partner(s). Add on top of that a really good representation of PTSD and mobility issues in space and another who is beautiful and competent and also living with a stammer, I was just blown away by how well thought out these people and their realities were. This wasn't a cheap nod, these were just true characters in a world solid enough to ground them.
Things that didn't quite work for me:
-The characters. I didn't mind any, per se, but the three POVs also didn't grab me emotionally, either. A bit too melodramatic and flat, with the exceptions above.
-Jules. Her story was just waaaaaay too long. I think it would have been better to nix this, do more of Alexandria, and start book 2 with Jules.
-Villains. Gaahhh! They could have been SO COOL! And yet they were cartoons that seemed beefed up as the book progressed, as if the author had a cool idea halfway through writing and just incorporated it as opposed to editing the earlier parts for this new element.
-The stop. It's not an ending. It's just an end. I knew that going in, but be prepared!
Overall, very fun. I am dubious of the next book, because I can't see how there can possibly be more twists, and those are what pushed this from a 3 to a 4 for me, but I do plan on continuing.
July 15, 2021
Great sci-fi action story. Can’t wait to read book 2.
October 31, 2019
Almost 5 stars, 3 because it just stops rather than come to a satisfying conclusion, with none of the stories having any resolution at all. I suspect once all is said and done this will be a terrific story, but as it stands this is merely the first part. Waiting a year or more for the next installment is annoying. If only she had finished one of the many threads here I would’ve been more pleased.
That said, what is here is terrific. It feels like classic Niven with smart, capable people doing cool stuff in difficult situations, with a solid sense of humor and hints of deeper worldbuilding below the surface. I like the characters, I like the plot, I like the prose, I like the pacing... basically everything except the lack of a resolution.
That lack is kind of surprising, too, given that despite its 500+ page count the story is lean and propulsive. It zips right along, in fact. I hope I can remember to come back to this world in 2024 or whenever the final book comes out.
That said, what is here is terrific. It feels like classic Niven with smart, capable people doing cool stuff in difficult situations, with a solid sense of humor and hints of deeper worldbuilding below the surface. I like the characters, I like the plot, I like the prose, I like the pacing... basically everything except the lack of a resolution.
That lack is kind of surprising, too, given that despite its 500+ page count the story is lean and propulsive. It zips right along, in fact. I hope I can remember to come back to this world in 2024 or whenever the final book comes out.
Read
January 1, 2024Meticulously plotted, well-paced, and full of amazing characters, Velocity Weapon is a fun & thrilling space opera!
I adored the loving sibling relationship sooooo much. That whole family is just so sweet, and it was so refreshing to see such a supportive, loving family unit in sci-fi!
There were so many twists and turns, that combined with the natural, witty writing style kept me super engaged. I found myself hesitating on the last few chapters because I didn’t want it to end, haha. (Even though I know there’s a sequel, which I’m so looking forward to!!)
Excellent narrator performance on audiobook, highly recommend!
I adored the loving sibling relationship sooooo much. That whole family is just so sweet, and it was so refreshing to see such a supportive, loving family unit in sci-fi!
There were so many twists and turns, that combined with the natural, witty writing style kept me super engaged. I found myself hesitating on the last few chapters because I didn’t want it to end, haha. (Even though I know there’s a sequel, which I’m so looking forward to!!)
Excellent narrator performance on audiobook, highly recommend!
May 17, 2019
Hugely enjoyable space opera, with fantastic worldbuilding, some great characters and an intriguing starship AI. I really enjoyed the way in which the novel develops - it's twisty and exciting - and while there is a dark foreboding over much of the events, it's also light and fun. I loved Sanda. What a brilliant main character! Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.
June 2, 2022
4.5 stars
look at me adding another emotional support psychopathic AI to my collection uwu
(re-read 31.5.22)
look at me adding another emotional support psychopathic AI to my collection uwu
(re-read 31.5.22)
March 5, 2020
"Fuck."
"You say that a lot, Sanda."
"It's a fuck-y kind of day, Bero."
Velocity Weapon is the first book in The Protectorate series by Megan E. O'Keefe.
Stars smiled on me as I unhinged my jaw and devoured this glorious space opera!
Taking place roughly 1500 years in the future, Velocity Weapon follows three point of views during the aftermath of an attack on an Ada Prime fleet by rivals from Icarion, a neighboring planet.
In a spaceship far, far away awakes Gunnery Sergeant Sanda Greeve. Naked, alone and missing half a leg. Realizing that she is on an unknown ship, she explores further, discovering that the ship is being run by a sentient AI. The Light of Berossus, aka Bero, is a cheeky interstellar smartship and the first of its kind. Bero catches her up on what she has missed while asleep in her evacuation pod. Turns out, it's an enemy ship that had rescued her after the Battle of Dralee. Unfortunately, the war devastated both planets, leaving Sanda as (possibly) the only living being left. Oh, and that tragedy? Yeah, that was 230 years ago. TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY YEARS AGO!! Sanda's lost over two centuries, which she struggles to come to terms with. It's an intensely emotional time, having lost everyone she knows and loves, including her brother Biran and her dads, Ilan and Graham. But Sanda is a survivor and she isn't about to give up just yet.. even if the thought of waking up 230 years in the future boggles the fucking mind!
Told through a parallel narrative, the second storyline takes place 230 years before Sanda's and highlights her brother Biran just prior to the attack. Biran Aventure Greeve is climbing the ranks of the military on Ada Prime, finding himself in the Keeper role. Keepers are political leaders with a responsibility to uphold important information, including details about the Casimir Gate and how it works.. through a chip implanted in their head. Cool. Cool cool cool.
What's so special about gates, you may ask? Well, gates are a bridge from one interstellar system to another, allowing travel between distant planets. This causes trouble between Icarion and Ada Prime, who owns the technology and won't allow them to use it. Icarion is hoping to build their own gate, so they develop smartships and a super weapon, the Fibon Protocol, in retaliation. Biran learns that his sisters gunship has been shot down during battle, but refuses to believe that she is dead. The flashbacks weave in and out of the story, alternating chapters between the past and the present. We see how this war has affected Biran and just how much he is willing to sacrifice in order to have Sanda return home safely.
As if those dual timelines aren't bonkers enough, then we are introduced to a third perspective - Jules, a poor thief on the planet Atrux. She is playing a dangerous game, but it's one that we won't fully realize the impact of until later in the series. Although she is seemingly thrown into the mix and doesn't have many chapters to develop, there's enough that I'm super curious about!
I feel as though I've gone on and on about the plot, but I'm honestly just skimming the surface. There is a lot to unpack here! It doesn't take long though, as plot twists start threading together, clicking into place as the story surges through the short, punchy chapters.
"Shit, shit, shitshitshit."
Velocity Weapon has it all - interstellar travel, space battles, ultimate technology advancements, comfortable humor, political intrigue, a radical supporting cast. Each character truly felt like they had a place and that they were useful to the story. When a story is populated with this many, that is often a difficult thing to achieve. Not so for O'Keefe and this compulsively readable first installment. I absolutely loved Sanda and Bero and Grippy, the maintenance bot that looks like a crutch of sorts and is essentially a pet puppy!
As the map would seem to indicate, there is still plenty of planets to visit within this universe that O'Keefe has created. She has used the well-worn plot of a ragtag group in space and given it some much-needed fresh and boisterous energy! This was a delightfully fun adventure, but with very real stakes at hand. It's a bleak, yet hopeful examination on grief, PTSD, accountability, family and fighting to survive.
Velocity Weapon is a geeky, immersive science fiction novel that you can sink your teeth into with major Mass Effect vibes.. which I AM HERE FOR ALWAYS!!
Dios, this was bloody damn addictive. I was completely engrossed from cover to cover!
(Endless thanks to Orbit Books for sending me a copy! Sorry for the delay!)
"You say that a lot, Sanda."
"It's a fuck-y kind of day, Bero."
Velocity Weapon is the first book in The Protectorate series by Megan E. O'Keefe.
Stars smiled on me as I unhinged my jaw and devoured this glorious space opera!
Taking place roughly 1500 years in the future, Velocity Weapon follows three point of views during the aftermath of an attack on an Ada Prime fleet by rivals from Icarion, a neighboring planet.
In a spaceship far, far away awakes Gunnery Sergeant Sanda Greeve. Naked, alone and missing half a leg. Realizing that she is on an unknown ship, she explores further, discovering that the ship is being run by a sentient AI. The Light of Berossus, aka Bero, is a cheeky interstellar smartship and the first of its kind. Bero catches her up on what she has missed while asleep in her evacuation pod. Turns out, it's an enemy ship that had rescued her after the Battle of Dralee. Unfortunately, the war devastated both planets, leaving Sanda as (possibly) the only living being left. Oh, and that tragedy? Yeah, that was 230 years ago. TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY YEARS AGO!! Sanda's lost over two centuries, which she struggles to come to terms with. It's an intensely emotional time, having lost everyone she knows and loves, including her brother Biran and her dads, Ilan and Graham. But Sanda is a survivor and she isn't about to give up just yet.. even if the thought of waking up 230 years in the future boggles the fucking mind!
Told through a parallel narrative, the second storyline takes place 230 years before Sanda's and highlights her brother Biran just prior to the attack. Biran Aventure Greeve is climbing the ranks of the military on Ada Prime, finding himself in the Keeper role. Keepers are political leaders with a responsibility to uphold important information, including details about the Casimir Gate and how it works.. through a chip implanted in their head. Cool. Cool cool cool.
What's so special about gates, you may ask? Well, gates are a bridge from one interstellar system to another, allowing travel between distant planets. This causes trouble between Icarion and Ada Prime, who owns the technology and won't allow them to use it. Icarion is hoping to build their own gate, so they develop smartships and a super weapon, the Fibon Protocol, in retaliation. Biran learns that his sisters gunship has been shot down during battle, but refuses to believe that she is dead. The flashbacks weave in and out of the story, alternating chapters between the past and the present. We see how this war has affected Biran and just how much he is willing to sacrifice in order to have Sanda return home safely.
As if those dual timelines aren't bonkers enough, then we are introduced to a third perspective - Jules, a poor thief on the planet Atrux. She is playing a dangerous game, but it's one that we won't fully realize the impact of until later in the series. Although she is seemingly thrown into the mix and doesn't have many chapters to develop, there's enough that I'm super curious about!
I feel as though I've gone on and on about the plot, but I'm honestly just skimming the surface. There is a lot to unpack here! It doesn't take long though, as plot twists start threading together, clicking into place as the story surges through the short, punchy chapters.
"Shit, shit, shitshitshit."
Velocity Weapon has it all - interstellar travel, space battles, ultimate technology advancements, comfortable humor, political intrigue, a radical supporting cast. Each character truly felt like they had a place and that they were useful to the story. When a story is populated with this many, that is often a difficult thing to achieve. Not so for O'Keefe and this compulsively readable first installment. I absolutely loved Sanda and Bero and Grippy, the maintenance bot that looks like a crutch of sorts and is essentially a pet puppy!
As the map would seem to indicate, there is still plenty of planets to visit within this universe that O'Keefe has created. She has used the well-worn plot of a ragtag group in space and given it some much-needed fresh and boisterous energy! This was a delightfully fun adventure, but with very real stakes at hand. It's a bleak, yet hopeful examination on grief, PTSD, accountability, family and fighting to survive.
Velocity Weapon is a geeky, immersive science fiction novel that you can sink your teeth into with major Mass Effect vibes.. which I AM HERE FOR ALWAYS!!
Dios, this was bloody damn addictive. I was completely engrossed from cover to cover!
(Endless thanks to Orbit Books for sending me a copy! Sorry for the delay!)
October 19, 2019
All the time I was reading this I was thinking three stars, but in the end I'm giving two. Not because of the "oh, did you think there wouldn't be more volumes?" ending, just from a general feeling of dissatisfaction.
Early on I read "gunnery sergeant"and I thought "oh no, not another ridiculously capable female gunny" because there are so many such books out there, all military procedure and pompous officers. But to her credit, O'Keefe didn't go there. Sanda is good but credible.
Sanda's brother looked promising, but his sudden, unlikely promotion felt as if it only happened because the plot needed it to.
The slow unroll of what was going on with Bero was mostly well done. I didn't care for the chapter headers, which were more of an attempt to mislead than anything. Bero's personality issues were a good idea, if perhaps slightly overdrawn at times as he went from highly capable to toddler, but there was a bit of an explanation for that so OK.
The Nazca seem to have more leverage than I could accept. Tomas was not bad, but did we really need them to get it on? I wonder if the publisher insisted.
Enter Lavaux, who didn't quite twirl his mustache and go "nyah-hah-HAH" but certainly could have. In a group of fairly ordinary Keepers, he suddenly produces (from his cloak?) what appears to be the spaceship equivalent of a Bugatti Veyron, a ship in which is quite comfortable challenging an enemy general's ship. And as for what his story turned out to be, well, we haven't heard most of it but it feels like a "hey, you know what? What if we made Lavaux a (withheld)?"
So Lex did all this much earlier with two spinning rings, huh? That's short-cut worldbuilding. Has anyone used that one since the pulp era?
OK, let's talk irregular verbs. When writing it past tense, you can I suppose say "she sweat" and the like, but not if you later say "she gritted her teeth." And we can't have "spit" for "spat."
And don't get me started on "stepped foot," which appears so often it felt as if O'Keefe knew I hate it and was pulling my chain. Don't bother with the "writers have been using it for centuries," I know they have; it's still redundant, awkward and flow-stopping. Might as well say "touched hand to" instead of "touched."
At the end, just when I thought O'Keefe had made it without my least favourite SFF cliché, here it was. Sanda woke up from unconsciousness and immediately played the "how long?" card. I'm still waiting for an author to have someone ask, "What happened?" or "Where am I?" or "Can I have a bucket?" or "Did we win?" or "Is my brother OK?" or really ANYthing except "how long was I out?" It's only a step from that to steaming mugs and crisp white shirts.
And the punk thieves? Somehow I knew all along that they weren't going to matter, that they would be important in the next book.
Finally, here's Rainier. Not only is she a clone, but also ... well. let's just say that felt like another "hey, what if we made her a (withheld)?" Hint: not the same as the other (withheld).
I'll skip the next one, but I will go and look for #1 of her other series just to see.
Early on I read "gunnery sergeant"and I thought "oh no, not another ridiculously capable female gunny" because there are so many such books out there, all military procedure and pompous officers. But to her credit, O'Keefe didn't go there. Sanda is good but credible.
Sanda's brother looked promising, but his sudden, unlikely promotion felt as if it only happened because the plot needed it to.
The slow unroll of what was going on with Bero was mostly well done. I didn't care for the chapter headers, which were more of an attempt to mislead than anything. Bero's personality issues were a good idea, if perhaps slightly overdrawn at times as he went from highly capable to toddler, but there was a bit of an explanation for that so OK.
The Nazca seem to have more leverage than I could accept. Tomas was not bad, but did we really need them to get it on? I wonder if the publisher insisted.
Enter Lavaux, who didn't quite twirl his mustache and go "nyah-hah-HAH" but certainly could have. In a group of fairly ordinary Keepers, he suddenly produces (from his cloak?) what appears to be the spaceship equivalent of a Bugatti Veyron, a ship in which is quite comfortable challenging an enemy general's ship. And as for what his story turned out to be, well, we haven't heard most of it but it feels like a "hey, you know what? What if we made Lavaux a (withheld)?"
So Lex did all this much earlier with two spinning rings, huh? That's short-cut worldbuilding. Has anyone used that one since the pulp era?
OK, let's talk irregular verbs. When writing it past tense, you can I suppose say "she sweat" and the like, but not if you later say "she gritted her teeth." And we can't have "spit" for "spat."
And don't get me started on "stepped foot," which appears so often it felt as if O'Keefe knew I hate it and was pulling my chain. Don't bother with the "writers have been using it for centuries," I know they have; it's still redundant, awkward and flow-stopping. Might as well say "touched hand to" instead of "touched."
At the end, just when I thought O'Keefe had made it without my least favourite SFF cliché, here it was. Sanda woke up from unconsciousness and immediately played the "how long?" card. I'm still waiting for an author to have someone ask, "What happened?" or "Where am I?" or "Can I have a bucket?" or "Did we win?" or "Is my brother OK?" or really ANYthing except "how long was I out?" It's only a step from that to steaming mugs and crisp white shirts.
And the punk thieves? Somehow I knew all along that they weren't going to matter, that they would be important in the next book.
Finally, here's Rainier. Not only is she a clone, but also ... well. let's just say that felt like another "hey, what if we made her a (withheld)?" Hint: not the same as the other (withheld).
I'll skip the next one, but I will go and look for #1 of her other series just to see.
Shelved as 'dnf-lost-interest'
August 30, 2019I really couldn’t get into this. While Sanda’s storyline was – as far as I read – straightforward enough and easy to follow, the book is made of really short chapters, and between two Sanda chapters you always get one or more set “before”, following other characters. I understood nothing of what happened in those. My threshold for putting up with initially confusing worldbuilding and fictional societies in adult sci-fi usually isn't this low, but nothing about this book made me think the effort would be worth it. (Which is also probably due to the fact that it really doesn’t seem to be my kind of sci-fi.)
But let’s talk about what I liked:
- While I don’t know if there are any queer main characters, I did like that from the first chapter we get to know that the main character has two fathers, and that (I think) queerness isn’t in any way an issue in this future.
- Sanda is an amputee, which should be far more common when it comes to stories about war and characters surviving improbable disastrous situations.
- Tension and stakes were definitely there, in Sanda’s storyline. Mysterious enemy ship, and the enemies really might have designed a planet-destroying weapon they aren’t fully able to control… it’s a lot (and I wish the other chapters were as interesting and less “I have no idea what this means or how anyone and anything looks like, and most of all, why I should care”)
What I didn’t like:
- apart from the confusion, multi-PoV books with really short chapters tend to take me out of the story continuously, so I paradoxically end up reading them more slowly.
But let’s talk about what I liked:
- While I don’t know if there are any queer main characters, I did like that from the first chapter we get to know that the main character has two fathers, and that (I think) queerness isn’t in any way an issue in this future.
- Sanda is an amputee, which should be far more common when it comes to stories about war and characters surviving improbable disastrous situations.
- Tension and stakes were definitely there, in Sanda’s storyline. Mysterious enemy ship, and the enemies really might have designed a planet-destroying weapon they aren’t fully able to control… it’s a lot (and I wish the other chapters were as interesting and less “I have no idea what this means or how anyone and anything looks like, and most of all, why I should care”)
What I didn’t like:
- apart from the confusion, multi-PoV books with really short chapters tend to take me out of the story continuously, so I paradoxically end up reading them more slowly.
July 11, 2019
This book was a beast of a read. Took me forever to get through it but mainly because I was a bit too busy I read for about a week.
It’s a great first book in a series. Or maybe part of a duo? Not sure but it’s thrilling and so interesting and I was lost within the pages every time I was reading.
This book is written in multi-points of view over different times - the past and the present. And the story has multiple threads that weave in and out of each other, that at first I was put a bit off. I mean it’s lots of info but I kept reading because the more I read the quicker I found myself engrossed in these characters and this sci-fi adventure.
Also, I think I have a thing for books with space ships who end up to be a main character of the book. In this one it’s Bero.
Along with a main character who’s a ship, there’s action and adventure. There’s thrilling bits and politics and layers upon layers of history to round out such a great book!
Now, when’s the next book coming out?? What’s the next book even called?? Because I NEED MORE MORE MORE NOW please and thank you.
Highly recommend.
It’s a great first book in a series. Or maybe part of a duo? Not sure but it’s thrilling and so interesting and I was lost within the pages every time I was reading.
This book is written in multi-points of view over different times - the past and the present. And the story has multiple threads that weave in and out of each other, that at first I was put a bit off. I mean it’s lots of info but I kept reading because the more I read the quicker I found myself engrossed in these characters and this sci-fi adventure.
Also, I think I have a thing for books with space ships who end up to be a main character of the book. In this one it’s Bero.
Along with a main character who’s a ship, there’s action and adventure. There’s thrilling bits and politics and layers upon layers of history to round out such a great book!
Now, when’s the next book coming out?? What’s the next book even called?? Because I NEED MORE MORE MORE NOW please and thank you.
Highly recommend.
January 7, 2022
3.5
This book had so many twists it made my head spin a little. I enjoyed most of them (especially the ones I didn’t see coming), but at one point, it felt like a little too much of the story was hinging only on these twists.
I still enjoyed the book and found
This book had so many twists it made my head spin a little. I enjoyed most of them (especially the ones I didn’t see coming), but at one point, it felt like a little too much of the story was hinging only on these twists.
I still enjoyed the book and found
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