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Welcome to the universe of His Majesty's Starship (published in the United States as The Ark) and The Xenocide Mission, by Ben Jeapes
| The Xenocide Mission |
"The action is extremely well-plotted, moving from world to world in a series of exciting cliff-hangers that kept me feverishly reading to find out what happened next. Trust, betrayal, hidden agendas and ulterior motives, inter-species misunderstandings and loyalties, all are dealt with deftly and intelligently, making this a very satisfying read." - SF Crowsnest [full review: external link]
"There's enough action, well-rounded characters and tech-speak here to keep older, more jaded readers entertained ... the use of multiple viewpoints works well, providing a timely reminder that pointless wars can be triggered by nothing more than arrogance, paranoia and misinformation. Just like the real world."
"The book is, unfortunately, timely. It neatly and unpatronisingly points to the double standards we apply in politics: we are exploring, you are invading; we are ignorant, you are stupid; we recognise authority, you are slavish and therefore suitable to be enslaved; and it goes beyond this. By the end of the book there are new questions to be asked about the First Breed, and other new questions about the universe."
"The scale of the story opens out in a way that raises new questions, leaving a clear path towards the next sequel. I'm impatient to see how this saga develops."
"This is good science fiction, offering imagination and ideas in equal measure, and gives us Ben Jeapes as one of the shamefully few writers who can create original SF for a teenage readership. Offer this to good readers who have yet to be convinced that there is life beyond Star Trek/Star Wars spin-offs."
"This is a space opera that employs sociological examination and world building of a very high order — who could ask for anything more? A rip-roaring read."
"Deftly switching between viewpoints and time frames, Jeapes tells a story of interspecies and interworld rivalries that moves at the speed of a space launch."
"Jeapes winds surefootedly through his labyrinth of plot points and viewpoints. A strong measure of humor, slyly directed at the next century's British Navy, spices the action, and as plotting never quite upstages character development, even such stock devices as interspecies sidekicks and multi-limbed foes are surprisingly fresh."
"Jeapes delivers a space opera worthy of David Brin or early C.J. Cherryh, replete with complex politics; ingeniously different aliens; brutal fire fights; cliff-hangers; and tough, likeable characters."
"The action is convincing and so fast paced that the result is a thriller of a story." "This is an exciting, demanding but hugely rewarding exercise in science fiction writing."
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| His Majesty's Starship | "A great story, wonderful aliens, fine writing. Ben Jeapes is a name
to watch for." - David Feintuch
"Bursting with fun and energy."
"A veritable fount of plot, characterisation and intrigue, with some astoundingly original ideas."
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Use this site to explore the universe of His Majesty's Starship and The Xenocide Mission; to find out about the people and the technology; and to see what might have been. Note that it's a text-based site: apart from the occasional flashing icon, you're expected to read it. The author hopes this is not too conceptually challenging, but if you can't handle it then you probably won't do very well with a 100,000 word novel, so you might as well find somewhere else of interest now.
Here and there you'll find this icon, which will take you to the author's own comments on the story. But be warned, this could also lead to unwelcome prior information.