Quirky Cat
Written on May 20, 2019
Starship Repo is the newest novel from the mind of Patrick S. Tomlinson. And honestly, I couldn’t be happier about picking this novel up. I’ve been really craving something like this lately, but I hadn’t been able to put it into words until now. I wanted a space opera with a healthy sense of comedic relief and character building. I got all of that here.
Starship Repo is honestly exactly what it sounds like. And then some. Yes, it follows a team of Repo Agents as they do what they do best – repossess some of the finest spaceships in the galaxy. The job isn’t as easy as it sounds, and it’s surprisingly competitive. But honestly, upping the stakes merely made this novel that much more interesting.
Starship Repo was a fun and clever read, one I really enjoyed. It was witty and full of interesting characters, tense moments, intricate plans, and of course, spaceship repossessions. It wasn’t quite like anything I’ve read, but at the same time, it felt so familiar while reading it.
I’m so happy that I read I when I did, as I hadn’t realized just how badly I was craving something exactly like this. It combined elements I hadn’t expected to see, such as space opera, humor, reference humor, and some crime drama. It was brilliant.
The slightly inane humor combined with all of the references made this a lighter read than it would have otherwise been, and that’s a good thing in my book. That coupled with the more serious core of the plot – the repossession business – made for a truly unique read.
There were a lot of little things that made me fall in love with Starship Repo. For example, I loved the main character’s name. Or rather, the mix-up that resulted in her new name: Firstname Lastname. And yes, you read that right.
I also enjoyed First’s ability to be so human, on a world where she was one of the only of her kind. It made for a refreshing change. Plus, her willingness to grow fond of things she really shouldn’t have…it was just so human and endearing.
The alien races described in this novel were so unbelievable varied. It was fun seeing what Tomlinson would come up with next, to put it mildly. Alongside that, I loved the excuse for all of the older references. It made sense, and gave Tomlinson an excuse to slip in jokes and references that our generation would appreciate.
This was the first novel I had ever read by Tomlinson, but clearly I need to look through the rest of his works, because I absolutely adore his writing style. I hope this quirky style makes an appearance in his other novels.
Starship Repo was a unique and seriously fun read. There are plenty of positive things I could say about it, but then I’d run the risk of spoiling the best parts. So I’ll just settle for saying that this book is one worth reading – especially if you’ve been craving something new and different.
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