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Spacer's Bet: An Aliya War prequel Kindle Edition

by Bonnie Milani (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 60 ratings
See all formats and editions
The attack came out of nowhere. Suddenly a hunting pack, flashing Lupan IDs, dropped out of Jump to fire on the unarmed ore hauler Shojai.

Isfahan "Iz" Hauler Shojai had only an instant to wonder why before the attackers’ guns ripped open Shojai’s cargo bay.
The cargo bay where her ditzy younger brother Kansas was working. The bay whose crew was sucked out into the void. Like herself, Kansas was genetically engineered to survive vacuum. But his protective shell couldn’t hold forever. Battling time and the chaos of a wounded ship, Iz launched herself into the vacuum of the gutted hold to rescue her brother.

Badly damaged Shojai limps into RockPort only to discover that the port is now under the ‘protection’ of Moscow, a woman whose laws are as harsh as the blue ice of her liege world, Streiker. She demands all fees up front. Worse, the voices Kansas ‘hears in his head’ have him spouting a language he doesn’t even speak. But Moscow does.

Already fearing repercussions, Iz drags Kansas away from a dockside murder. But she soon learns that there is far more at stake than just their own lives. They must get to the near-mythical world of Earth or risk the destruction of the human Commonwealth itself.

It doesn’t help that Moscow’s cat attaches itself to Kansas. Especially because the cat seems to have an agenda of its own…

If you enjoy Anne Leckie’s Ancillary series, or Firefly, then you need to meet Iz and Kansas. Dive into this exciting prequel to the upcoming Aliya War series!
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  1. Print length
    351 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    September 23, 2022
  5. File size
    4246 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

5 Stars
Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Spacer's Bet by Bonnie Milani begins in the wide expanses of space, where Isfahan "Iz" Hauler Shojai, the pilot of the ship Shojai, must quickly respond to a surprise attack that threatens her crew. Battling their ship's extensive damage, they make it into RockPort, an outpost now controlled by the ruthless Moscow of Streiker. Amid the chaos, Kansas begins speaking an unknown language, recognized by Moscow, escalating their predicament. Meanwhile on Earth, Sgt. Tahoma Tso of Huachuca Search & Rescue is tasked with locating a missing Lupan, weaving his fate with Iz's. In a realm of complex political machinations, Iz and Kansas discover their status as Paradise Lottery winners is more than mere luck—it's a Commonwealth strategy for recruiting covert agents. Torn between joining this cause or returning to their previous lives, they choose the latter, aiming to leverage their new-found wealth and knowledge to survive and pursue their ambitions, while Tahoma uncovers a looming war linked to the Lottery and Streiker.

In Bonnie Milani's novel Spacer's Bet, the first thing that struck me was the world-building, which is outstanding. Between scenes like navigating through RockPort, where Milani beautifully describes the station's operations, to descriptions of the Sonoran desert's harsh conditions, the pictorial visualization truly displays Tahoma's challenging work environment. Of course, none of this matters if the characters are pedestrian, which nobody could accuse Milani of making them. Iz's ability to literally navigate through adversity as a strong, capable, and courageous female lead is the type of young woman I want my daughter to come across in what she reads. Milani gives Kansas equal growth and he evolves into the type of guy capable of evading the Derrakhti Sec. The writing is clean and fast-paced with unexpected twists that cleverly underpin the deceptive nature of the world in which they live. All in all, Spacer's Bet is a gem of a story, providing an exciting start to my journey with the series. I thoroughly enjoyed it and eagerly anticipate the next installment. Very highly recommended.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BD2LWVB3
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 23, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4246 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 351 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 60 ratings

About the author

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Bonnie Milani

Bonnie Milani

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Bonnie Milani's stories are garnering attention. Her short story 'A Hot Day on Titan' (Visions of Titan Anthology, Lillicat Press, 2015) has been nominated for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award. Her novella 'Liquid Gambit' was a Reader's Choice 2015 Top 100 selection. 'Home World' a sci fi novel set on the shattered remains of a future Waikiki, won the 2016 EVVY awards' 1st place in the science fiction category. Most recently, 'Home World' has been awarded the Books Go Social Gold Quality Mark.

Bonnie started writing before she started school. Over the years, her articles have appeared in 'Science Digest', a variety of East Coast newspapers, and magazines ranging from 'Mankind' through regional magazines such as 'Peninsula' to 'Speculations'. On the business side, she's also written and taught in-house classes for pension administration firms on such delightful topics as (yawn) 'IRC sections 404 and 415: understanding the differences' or 'Implementing REA' an administrator's guide to managing the complexities of the Retirement Equity Act.

She holds a Master's in Communication/Journalism from Stanford and has taught classes in every aspect of writing, from business courses in sales writing to understanding three-act structure in fiction. She is also a freelance editor for indie authors. And when she's not writing, teaching, or editing she keeps her wits sharpened as an insurance broker in the ObamaCare environment.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
60 global ratings
Great World, Great Characters!
5 Stars
Great World, Great Characters!
Just finished this book-- what a find! Great sci-fi, great world-building, and phenomenal characters. Really gave me a sense of the galactic proletariat getting caught up in space politics. Keep the android cat-- I want a Derakhti for Christmas!
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Top reviews from the United States

secyatlaw
5.0 out of 5 stars Oh, Ms. Milani! Such a treat!
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
Figured I’d read this, while waiting for Saturday’s release of Book II of the trilogy.

Boy, this one blew me out of the water! A slight paradigm shift from the fabled walls of the ruling Van Buren clan, yet each individual inextricably linked to the galaxy-wide governance and political posturing.
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Rousing good story!
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2023
Verified Purchase
I must say that it's a very entertaining story that I quite enjoyed. (might want a better proof reader)- weezi-🙏💖🙏💜🙏🫂
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Joey Feller
5.0 out of 5 stars A bit different and very fun.
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2023
Verified Purchase
A syfy book that perceives syfy as a perfectly normal state. It doesn’t try to impress with wonder weapons and technology. It simply places normal good and bad people among our typically corrupt selves in an interplanetary environment. It’s a refreshing take on syfy and a wonderful story about corruption, war, and the struggle against both. Very highly recommended.
One person found this helpful
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Dr Susan
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent sci fi adventure
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2023
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The worldbuilding is fantastic and believable, the main characters are likeable and surprising, and the story is great. The plot twists are intense; I was biting my nails, hoping everything would end well. Although there are deaths early in the story, Spacer's Bet isn't full of death and destruction, which is a welcome change from many sci fi books. The bit of romance is sweet; the characters are perfect together. I have enjoyed and own all the books set in this universe, and I highly recommend them.
One person found this helpful
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Laurie3488
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2023
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This book was such a different type of book that I am used to reading. Loved the different types of clans and how they evolved
One person found this helpful
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H. McCorkle
4.0 out of 5 stars For Fans of Firefly
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2023
This novel is filled with a unique imagining of the not too distant future. Creative world building keeps it fresh but the writing style helps it remain grounded and feel believable. Fully fleshed out characters kept me glued to the pages with a need to know what happens to them, especially the mischevious Kansas who cannot seem to keep out of trouble. And a cat with its own agenda, what is not to love there? This was the first book of Bonnie Milani's that I have read, but it certainly won't be the last.
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Zeligne
5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn’t put this book down
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2023
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This book is full of surprises and twists. I really connected with the main characters. Funny at times, full of suspense until the end. Highly recommend!
One person found this helpful
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Margaret Jacoby
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Hit from Bonnie Milani
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2022
Verified Purchase
This was a fast-paced story with great characters. I have read all of the author's previous stories and this one does not disappoint. Technology descriptions were believable and spot on. Characters were interesting and well-developed. I totally enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the next one.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Fabrice
5.0 out of 5 stars du grand space opéra
Reviewed in France on August 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
C'est un livre qui mérite de s'y arrêter et de prendre le temps de le lire. Pourquoi ?
D'abord des personnages intéressants, variés et attachants. Et bien sûr des personnages de science fiction avec toutes les variations que l'on peut attendre !
Ensuite un monde fascinant. l'auteur fait attention aux détails et construit un univers précis et super intéressant.
Enfin une histoire attrayante, divertissante.
En résumé, allez y
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