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Starswarm

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Starswarm

By: Jerry Pournelle
Narrated by: Lloyd James
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About this listen

 Kip has a secret. A young boy who lives with his uncle at the Starswarm Station research outpost on planet Paradise, he has heard a voice in his head for as long as he can remember. The voice guides him in all his decisions, helping him through situations with useful information and helpful insight.

One day, finally daring to ask the voice some tough questions, Kip discovers that his computer scientist parents implanted an artificial intelligence chip in his skull, which connects with a powerful mainframe computer via satellite. He also learns that his parents died under suspicious circumstances and that his very existence is a well-kept secret that will soon come to light - putting his own life and the whole of outpost Starswarm in grave danger.

©1998 Jerry Pournelle (P)2000 Blackstone Audio Inc. Fiction Science Fiction Space Opera Fantasy Space

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Critic reviews

"An extremely strong story....plenty of suspenseful action in a well-realized setting." ( Booklist)
"This is one you won't want to miss. [A] taut, credible, fast-paced adventure story." ( Science Fiction Chronicle)
"SF veteran Pournelle demonstrates his gift for traditional SF adventures in this coming-of-age tale that combines fast-paced action with...an appealing protagonist." ( Library Journal)
All stars
Most relevant  
Although it took a few chapters to properly get into this audio book, once hooked it developed into the audio version of the proverbial page turner.
The characters were interesting and well rounded; I was invested in each of them. The only discordant note was the abrupt ending. Apart from that it was a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

Interesting reasonably paced book

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for me the definition of a great book is one you can bot put down. this is one of those. if you like sci-fi and suspense, go for it.

pageturner

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The story was quite interesting and original enough to enjoy. Well paced, too. I especially enjoyed the idea of the artificial intelligence (AI) chip in the boy's head, as well as some other surprises of the planet.

The problem though was the narrator. I can't say that he was exactly bad, he tried to vary the voices and to put emotions into them. That he managed good enough. But - oh my - I hate his voice as such, the vibe to it! I can't stand it, it gives a very weird feeling to the book and it totally doesn't fit well with it. And he can't make woman's voices at all! It felt VERY weird to listen to him as Gwen, the AI, you couldn't picture a woman there even in your wildest dreams and you have to listen to it a lot and pretend you understand it as a woman speaking. I have to admit, it put me off a bit. I don't know what could've been the solution - maybe another narrator for women roles... Or a different narrator altogether.

But to conclude - the story beat the narration and it's a good choice of a book to listen to.

Interesting story, mediocre narration

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What did you like most about Starswarm?

The story flowed from one moment to the next which made it hard to stop reading

Who was your favorite character and why?

All the characters are good for the story

Have you listened to any of Lloyd James’s other performances? How does this one compare?

very good performance

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did listen to the whole book in one sitting, and I will do it again in a few days

Any additional comments?

Being an older reader (late 50s) I really enjoyed the book, but so did my teenage daughter who was as enthralled as I, the book is based around a characters for younger readers; but the author does very well to connect to all ages... it is a very good tale.

Good Yarn

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A terrific story, read brilliantly. The narrator really makes this a compelling and enjoyable listen.

Excellent reading

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Kind of book that the family would like dated but still a good story almost like the famous five but in space

Holism kids story

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Honestly I wasn't sure what to expect as I'd never read anything by the author before. You can be assured I'm looking up more books already!

A great little find. A strong story with no weak threads. My only niggle was a rather abrupt ending - although I guess thats not a bad thing in a way as it did leave me wanting more. I don't see a listing of another book following on but I would greatly appreciate one.

Great Story

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A really enjoyable listen. I loved the story line, a little out of the ordinary with Heroes, Villains and a plant! What’s not to love. I highly recommend this Audio Book.

A Really Enjoyable Listen!

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Good story with some thought-provoking ideas which held my attention until towards the end when it became quite militaristic with some rather unpalatable (to me) macho overtones. The threads eventually tied together well with a fairly satisfying ending.

There was much I liked about the story. The central character was interesting as were the indigenous inhabitants of the planet. Not quite 5 star and probably only just 4 but overall, I enjoyed it.

Good story with some thought-provoking ideas.

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I had to listen to this before allowing my 9 year old to do so. A really well written family adventure story. I had initial doubts about the quality of the recording but the narrator was so good that I my doubts were swept away

Entertainment for the whole family

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