For protecting the frontier.

"For several generations, families on earth have chosen for their children to receive genetic modifications not only to evade possible illnesses but also to enhance abilities. This had not occured as frequently on outlying galactic colonies. Henry Gallant was one of those who had not been altered and the only non modified human to be accepted into the space academy. He was different, so he was stunned by most of his fellow students. But he went through it, and achieved an assignment on the Repulse, heading for Jupiter orbit. He'd hoped for more acceptance from the crew. And was mostly disappointed. Very few expected him to survive the two year commission: he was simply too different, not gifted with their abilities.
But Henry is determined to succeed.

This is a modern day Ugly Duckling tale in many ways, the spurned become the admired. Curiously, it has a feeling of authenticity, much of which comes from the style of writing, also matched by the narration, where the text reads more like a report than a novel. There is little by way of characterisation, but enough. There is technical and equipment description, insufficient to bore but enough to form mental pictures. There are dangers and battles, all clearly related but without much emotion. And the story of the encroaching aliens is interesting and slightly surprising. The scene is set for forthcoming adventures.
As previously mentioned, Rich Miller's performance mirrors the text, his solid pleasant voice reading precisely, giving seperate voice to protagonists and with good intonation but little emotional imput.

This is the first volume of a new series. It is a good, simple read, even if it is not hugely original in content. It will be interesting to see how Henry progresses in future books as he continues to face not just the Titans but the prejudice which always seems to accompany him. My thanks to the rights holder who, at my request, freely gifted me a complimentary copy of Midshipman Henry Gallant in Space, via Audiobook Boom. It was an enjoyable listen.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!