Expeditionary Force: Columbus Day

The arrival of colonists brought devastation to indigenous populations through manipulation and overwhelming force. It's ironic that on the day we commemorate that event, Columbus Day, humanity is abruptly thrown into an intergalactic war for which we are woefully unprepared.

Overview

Expeditionary Force's first book, Columbus Day by Craig Alanson starts off with Earth joining up with the Kristang to get the Ruhan off of the planet. We follow Joe Bishop as he reports to his new station. He doesn't get much time to get comfortable before things start getting fishy. After a battle we are introduced to "Skippy the Magnificent" an Al program. He is able to start making sense of what's going on.

Along with the similarities with colonialism and imperialism we also see how two cultures intermixing can lead to a variety of issues. Mostly prejudice and loss of culture on either side.

Positives

There is a lot of use of humor and sarcasm. But it is used well. Both Joe and Skipper use it as a coping mechanism. I can't remember ever laughing during a sex scene, but I did in this book. It was in perfect cadence with the plot and gave more insight into Joe's character. The science and world building were great, its well thought out.

Negatives

While the world building was great the plot live was slightly predictable. It's definitely a military science fiction. Supporting characters also could have used a little more development. They were all pretty stereotypical.

Recommendation

I gave it 4 stars because it was good and I'm looking forward to the next book. While I found the humor redeeming, others might not. In summary Columbus Day is a fun, fast-paced adventure that sets the stage for an epic series. It's perfect for fans of military science fiction who enjoy a good laugh along with their action and intrigue.

Comments

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