When I see a title like The Worst Ship in the Fleet, I know I absolutely
must read it! Now that I have read it, I have only one question: What the hell
did I just read? I ask that in a good way.
Worst Ship is the first in a seven-book series (so far). It is not a long book,
137 pages for the Kindle edition. Yeah, it is a fast read, but is it ever
packed with story that includes two reasonably well-developed characters. I
found it to be a great space opera perfect for what I enjoy reading, but I had
my doubts at the beginning.
This tale hits the ground running and doesn't let up all the way to the end.
It is packed with lots of plot twists and unexpected action, with some of the
backstory of the principal characters revealed through most of the book.
The story opens as we meet Brad Mendoza, a captain in the Prometheus Navy,
being dressed down by his commander and branded an idiot. Mendoza is being
blamed for the deaths of over 500 people, but there are questions about his
guilt. He is given the opportunity to resign, but refuses and is assigned to
command the HMS Persephone, a small, poorly equipped and maintained frigate
mostly assigned to patrol duty. In the case of Mendoza, it would seem the
perfect place for a disgraced officer with a myriad of problems of his
own.
Brad takes command of his ship and meets his new First Officer, Jessica Lyn.
She is pretty, intelligent, and can think on her feet. She also has personal
issues to deal with because of some dark secrets in her past.
Together, along with their ragtag crew of misfits, they go out on patrol and
encounter something completely unexpected, and very deadly to the Persephone
and her crew. A number of secrets are uncovered that will shake things up to
the highest levels of government!
The principal characters are among two of the most interestingly flawed I
have found in books I've read. I guess I would classify them as anti-heroes in
this story.
To call Brad Mendoza a flawed character would be a gross understatement. His
commanding officer calls him an idiot, and Brad is in full agreement with that
assessment, and has accepted it as an accurate description. He has multiple
problems, including a marriage gone wrong, raging alcoholism, low self-esteem,
depression, and an almost total loss of self-confidence. There is also a good
amount of PTSD involved as he has considered taking his own life occasionally.
Just when it seems he has no redeeming qualities as a human being, there is a
spark when he is present at an incident between Jessica and another crew
member.
Jessica Lyn has a few skeletons in her closet; she fights hard to keep them
from interfering with her duties. As an officer, she was on the fast track to
command through rapid promotions until it all got derailed through no fault of
her own.
Together, they somehow find ways to support each other, but it is a bumpy
road.
My favorite plot point in Worst Ship is how the author uses humor. There are
some funny moments in the narrative and dialog, but those moments are often
veiled by circumstances. I found myself trying not to read too fast, making
sure I didn't miss anything.
The theme that spoke loudest to me was that of redemption. Let's face it,
everyone makes mistakes. Brad is the embodiment of making mistakes one after
another. In this tale, the man has bottomed out in nearly every category there
is. But eventually, he does find something to show he may be redeemable. He
doesn't seem to recognize it right away, but as a reader, we see it, and it
felt like a moment of triumph to me.
My takeaway from Worst Ship is stated in the author's bio: "Everyone,
no matter how life has dealt with them, or how they've dealt with life,
deserves a second chance..."
When I first started reading The Worst Ship in the Fleet, I wasn't sure I
would finish it. The Mendoza character was someone I didn't want to know. But I
stayed with the story, and even if the character was initially reprehensible, I
began sympathizing with him and understand what had happened to this man who
seemed beyond hope. He grew on me. I also stayed with the book because the
story itself was moving in a fascinating direction.
I do enjoy space opera and military sci-fi, and this is a great story to
kick off what should prove to be an interesting series. I am a latecomer to the
Dumb Luck and Dead Heroes series by Skyler Ramirez, but I intend to continue
reading the series as time goes on.
I recommend this story to those who enjoy space-going military sci-fi.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It's important to me that everyone be able to read my books, including my
teenage children, so I purposefully leave out any swearing or graphic scenes,
though I don't shy away from serious topics. In this, I follow a tradition set
by many (far better) writers before me, most notably in my life, Louis L'Amour.
As for the personal side, I live in Texas with my wife and four children
(and often a revolving door of exchange students), and I work for a major tech
company in my spare time. But writing is my passion, and I often toil into the
early hours of the morning, especially on weekends, and it's all worth it when
I see people enjoy my books.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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