BOOK REVIEW – Midshipman Henry Gallant in Space

I was drawn to this book by the cover and title, expecting a good old fashioned space adventure. I also found the primary plot idea intriguing – a “natural” human having to prove himself among genetically advanced shipmates. Finally, when the description mentioned “for fans of Honor Harrington”, I was sold!

All too soon, my excitement turned to disappointment.

The book originally appeared in 2013 but is now in its fifth edition. It must be self-published, since a traditional publisher would never have released it in its current condition. I suspect the author re-released it with a new cover and some expensive marketing, but left the manuscript untouched. The book desperately needs to be edited, proofread and turned over to a team of beta readers.

This was Alesso’s first book and it shows. As a former scientist turned author, he heavily favored plot over characters, overwhelmed the reader with unnecessary techno-babble, and included trivialities which did nothing to further the story. As to genre, I have no problem categorizing it as science fiction, though the “science” it contains is actually fantasy. Most readers will ignore errors of this sort in favor of a good rousing story, but a number of disgruntled hard science fiction fans made note of it in the reviews. (Don’t get me started on that whole debate!)

Another let-down involved the central idea that the MC was a natural human, while all his shipmates were genetically enhanced. I expected this thread to have a far-reaching influence on the story from start to finish. It didn’t. Yes, it was mentioned from time to time, but the reader is never really told why it was important or how the MC miraculously turns out to be better at his job than everyone else. Great idea, but so poorly executed as to leave the reader wondering – is that it?

With such a shaky foundation, I find it incredible that the author is about to release book five in the series. Apparently, there are plenty of folks out there who disagree with me, willing to accept both the manuscript errors and clumsy storytelling. Of course, even a poor quality product can be successfully marketed – remember pet rocks? So I wish you luck, Henry Gallant, but you’ll have to conquer the universe without me.