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Voidhawk series #1
Voidhawk
Voidhawk is the first book in an space fantasy series blending swords, sorcery, and travel through the void between worlds. It's wooden ships in space, read on and experience a multi-verse of new delights! Too young and naïve to care about the tensions between nations, Dexter Silverhawk considered himself the luckiest man alive when he found a derelict voidship hidden amongst some asteroids. Making it void-worthy and finding a crew to sail it seem like minor problems when he ends up in a Federation prison. Rotting in a communal cell, Dexter's luck shows a fickle side when a mysterious elven woman is thrust into into his life. Helping her fend off an assault Dexter quickly learns that her mind and her tongue are weapons against which he has little defense. Unable to resist, he hires her at the first opportunity. Surviving both politics, sorcery, and even ancient curses will force the growing crew of the Voidhawk to put aside their differences and work together. What remains for the young captain is the lessons of when to heed his mind, and when to heed his heart. Look for the continuing adventures of the Book 1: Voidhawk Book 2: Voidhawk - The Elder Race Book 3: Voidhawk - Redemption Book 4: Voidhawk - The White Lady Book 5: Voidhawk - Lost Soul Book 6: Voidhawk - The City at the Edge of Forever Book 7: Voidhawk - Broken Shards
458 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 22, 2009
92 people are currently reading
447 people want to read
About the author
Jason Halstead
107 books129 followersTalking about myself in the third person is giving me fits - time to switch this up.
My day job is that of a computer jockey and all the hands on and hands off work that entails. When I leave the office behind I jump into family life (beautiful wife and two obnoxiously cute young children), finding a new way to hurt myself while powerlifting, and writing.
As of mid 2015 I haven't hit the 100 book mark yet, but I'm getting close! There's always at least in process. I just can't seem to stop myself...
My day job is that of a computer jockey and all the hands on and hands off work that entails. When I leave the office behind I jump into family life (beautiful wife and two obnoxiously cute young children), finding a new way to hurt myself while powerlifting, and writing.
As of mid 2015 I haven't hit the 100 book mark yet, but I'm getting close! There's always at least in process. I just can't seem to stop myself...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
December 8, 2010
"Take my love, take my land,
Take me where I cannot stand.
I don't care. I'm still free.
You can't take the sky from me!"
Pardon me while I hum along. Why I'd have the theme song to Firefly in my head after reading Voidhawk will be readily apparent to anyone who's ever seen the show and read the book.
In fact, let me really geek this out. Imagine a Firefly-Spelljammer crossover. You now have a pretty good idea of how Voidhawk is set. For those of you who didn't spend an unwholesome amount of time debating the merits of stone dice versus plastic, and who can't tell me why Fireball is a more effective zombie deterrent that Melf's Magic Arrow, let me do a little explaining:
Spelljammer is a not too well known role playing game set on space going sailing ships. Instead of the Millennium Falcon sweeping through space, think the Black Pearl. Firefly is probably the best TV show in the history of TV and definitely the best Sci-Fi TV show. A band of unlikely people crewing a space ship, going from port to port, job to job, getting in interesting scrapes and adventures and becoming a tight knit family as they survive each new peril.
Now, put those two things together, and you've got Voidhawk: a swashbuckling fantasy of sword and pistol, spell and sail. This is fantasy in the Star Wars (New Hope) mode, fast, lots of action, not a lot of introspection. The characters don't get into long deep discussions about the morality of killing the bad guys, they, like Leia, grab a gun and start shooting. They don't have long conversations about how they feel. The reader does not have to slog through pages of internal monologue in which the characters debate their place in the universe and the nature of man.
It is, in a word, fun. The action sequences are especially well done, blending ship to ship combat with hand to hand and magic in a way I've never seen before (and I've read a pretty good collection of fantasy novels over the years.) A very quick example: Hordes of zombies are attacking the ship. The wizard is holding a protective circle around the ship. The hand to hand specialists will have to get the zombies off the landing struts before the ship can lift off. The pilot is in charge of a split second lift off. The Captain and a few of the crew are soaking the ground with oil so that, if they can get the timing right, they can drop the protective circle, have the zombies storm the ship, take off with minimal zombies clinging to the ship, knock the ones that are off, and then drop greek fire and light the ground under the zombies so they all go up in flame. In one scene we've got high magic, hand to hand, real world tech, flight fighting techniques, and zombies. Seriously, what more could you possibly want in a book?
Plot, character development, and snappy dialogue. Hmm... you're pretty picky aren't you?
There is plot coming out the ears of this book. We call books that read like movies cinematic. I'd call this book episodic. It reads like a TV show, and a first season one at that. We get to know the characters as they go on a series of adventures. There's not much of an overarching plot, unless you want to consider the introduction of the characters an overarching plot. However, each of the adventures is a nicely wrapped package of something interesting. Yes, some of them will feel a bit, familiar, if you've watched Firefly, but just when you start to think that possibly the book is in danger of straying from homage into full out rip-off, it finds its own footing and differentiates itself nicely.
Character development is probably the weakest aspect of this book. Most of the book is told through the point of view of Captain Dexter Silverhawk, and by the end of the book we know him pretty well. His First Mate(s) and Arms Master are well fleshed out, too. The other sevenish (the number of characters changes during the book) are more like character sketches than full characters. But as a certain TV show from the sixties proved, you can get on pretty well with a few well developed characters, a few less developed characters, and a crew of revolving redshirts.
Snappy dialogue: let me flat out say it, it's not as good as Firefly, but nothing else is either. Joss Whedon does dialogue snappier and tighter than anyone else, and he's got an ear for how people speak that's astounding. Jason Halstead doesn't. Which doesn't mean the dialogue is bad, though there are moments when the desire to create a distinct style of speech for his characters mucks with the flow of the scene. One of the reasons that accents and unique grammar structures are hard to pull off is because they trip up the reader. Watching a TV show the viewer sits back and absorbs words, but a reader has to slog through those words, put them together and try to figure out how they sound and what they mean. Since Halstead's characters speak in a sort of westernized-pirate patios, it can be even trickier to keep your eyes moving. Most of the time it's not an issue: the language flows properly and sounds correct for the characters, but every now and again it slips.
It is very clearly a first novel, and the writing gets better as the book progresses. Though I haven't started it yet, I anticipate the sequel will be even better yet. And, though I'd usually rather spend an hour grinding my teeth and wishing I was anywhere else, I'll enjoy the flight I'm taking on Friday because the sequel to this will make great plane reading.
At $15.99 the paperback is probably a bit over priced. The $6.99 Kindle book price fits better with the length of the book and the quickness of the read. Either way, if the rogue with a heart of gold and his cast of colorful misfits is your idea of fun reading, this book is for you.
Take me where I cannot stand.
I don't care. I'm still free.
You can't take the sky from me!"
Pardon me while I hum along. Why I'd have the theme song to Firefly in my head after reading Voidhawk will be readily apparent to anyone who's ever seen the show and read the book.
In fact, let me really geek this out. Imagine a Firefly-Spelljammer crossover. You now have a pretty good idea of how Voidhawk is set. For those of you who didn't spend an unwholesome amount of time debating the merits of stone dice versus plastic, and who can't tell me why Fireball is a more effective zombie deterrent that Melf's Magic Arrow, let me do a little explaining:
Spelljammer is a not too well known role playing game set on space going sailing ships. Instead of the Millennium Falcon sweeping through space, think the Black Pearl. Firefly is probably the best TV show in the history of TV and definitely the best Sci-Fi TV show. A band of unlikely people crewing a space ship, going from port to port, job to job, getting in interesting scrapes and adventures and becoming a tight knit family as they survive each new peril.
Now, put those two things together, and you've got Voidhawk: a swashbuckling fantasy of sword and pistol, spell and sail. This is fantasy in the Star Wars (New Hope) mode, fast, lots of action, not a lot of introspection. The characters don't get into long deep discussions about the morality of killing the bad guys, they, like Leia, grab a gun and start shooting. They don't have long conversations about how they feel. The reader does not have to slog through pages of internal monologue in which the characters debate their place in the universe and the nature of man.
It is, in a word, fun. The action sequences are especially well done, blending ship to ship combat with hand to hand and magic in a way I've never seen before (and I've read a pretty good collection of fantasy novels over the years.) A very quick example: Hordes of zombies are attacking the ship. The wizard is holding a protective circle around the ship. The hand to hand specialists will have to get the zombies off the landing struts before the ship can lift off. The pilot is in charge of a split second lift off. The Captain and a few of the crew are soaking the ground with oil so that, if they can get the timing right, they can drop the protective circle, have the zombies storm the ship, take off with minimal zombies clinging to the ship, knock the ones that are off, and then drop greek fire and light the ground under the zombies so they all go up in flame. In one scene we've got high magic, hand to hand, real world tech, flight fighting techniques, and zombies. Seriously, what more could you possibly want in a book?
Plot, character development, and snappy dialogue. Hmm... you're pretty picky aren't you?
There is plot coming out the ears of this book. We call books that read like movies cinematic. I'd call this book episodic. It reads like a TV show, and a first season one at that. We get to know the characters as they go on a series of adventures. There's not much of an overarching plot, unless you want to consider the introduction of the characters an overarching plot. However, each of the adventures is a nicely wrapped package of something interesting. Yes, some of them will feel a bit, familiar, if you've watched Firefly, but just when you start to think that possibly the book is in danger of straying from homage into full out rip-off, it finds its own footing and differentiates itself nicely.
Character development is probably the weakest aspect of this book. Most of the book is told through the point of view of Captain Dexter Silverhawk, and by the end of the book we know him pretty well. His First Mate(s) and Arms Master are well fleshed out, too. The other sevenish (the number of characters changes during the book) are more like character sketches than full characters. But as a certain TV show from the sixties proved, you can get on pretty well with a few well developed characters, a few less developed characters, and a crew of revolving redshirts.
Snappy dialogue: let me flat out say it, it's not as good as Firefly, but nothing else is either. Joss Whedon does dialogue snappier and tighter than anyone else, and he's got an ear for how people speak that's astounding. Jason Halstead doesn't. Which doesn't mean the dialogue is bad, though there are moments when the desire to create a distinct style of speech for his characters mucks with the flow of the scene. One of the reasons that accents and unique grammar structures are hard to pull off is because they trip up the reader. Watching a TV show the viewer sits back and absorbs words, but a reader has to slog through those words, put them together and try to figure out how they sound and what they mean. Since Halstead's characters speak in a sort of westernized-pirate patios, it can be even trickier to keep your eyes moving. Most of the time it's not an issue: the language flows properly and sounds correct for the characters, but every now and again it slips.
It is very clearly a first novel, and the writing gets better as the book progresses. Though I haven't started it yet, I anticipate the sequel will be even better yet. And, though I'd usually rather spend an hour grinding my teeth and wishing I was anywhere else, I'll enjoy the flight I'm taking on Friday because the sequel to this will make great plane reading.
At $15.99 the paperback is probably a bit over priced. The $6.99 Kindle book price fits better with the length of the book and the quickness of the read. Either way, if the rogue with a heart of gold and his cast of colorful misfits is your idea of fun reading, this book is for you.
July 11, 2013
-Híbrido blanco que trabaja conceptos poco actuales.-
Género. Ciencia-Ficción (con premisas fantásticas).
Lo que nos cuenta. Dexter Silvercloud es un piloto de la Federación corto de dinero y que por un golpe de suerte ha encontrado una nave (léase con la acepción “barco”) abandonada en un asteroide pero sin daños primarios en su estructura. Junto a su amigo Kragor, enano (léase con la acepción “miembro de una raza de fantasía”) que trabaja en la taberna Lost Sailor, deciden reflotar la nave y buscar miembros para la tripulación. Primer libro de la serie Voidhawk.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Ciencia-Ficción (con premisas fantásticas).
Lo que nos cuenta. Dexter Silvercloud es un piloto de la Federación corto de dinero y que por un golpe de suerte ha encontrado una nave (léase con la acepción “barco”) abandonada en un asteroide pero sin daños primarios en su estructura. Junto a su amigo Kragor, enano (léase con la acepción “miembro de una raza de fantasía”) que trabaja en la taberna Lost Sailor, deciden reflotar la nave y buscar miembros para la tripulación. Primer libro de la serie Voidhawk.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
November 27, 2011
Voidhawk’s world is a combination of star ship science fiction and fantasy with swords, elves, magic, pirates and sailing ships that look like those of the seventeenth century but sail the void between stars using solar winds and surrounded by an air bubble. I really liked the image of sailing ships in space and enjoyed the mad mix of elements.
The story is about a guy called Dexter who gets his own ship and sets off to seek his fortune. The book didn’t hook me immediately because the plot suffers from a lack of a clear antagonist to give it an overall direction and cohesion, rather it is a series of adventures through which Dexter finds his crew. However, what the book loses in a wandering plot, it gains in the characters. Once I got to know Dexter, I didn’t want to leave him. Dexter is what I call a noble character, a tough but good man with firm principles that include compassion and equality for all, and his character has a positive affect on the rest of the crew who are a motley lot that he picks up from various terrible situations. Once the romance kicks in, the plot has more direction to hold it together and it takes us deeper into Dexter and Jenna’s characters, all good stuff that made the initial plot weakness fade into insignificance.
The major issue I had with this book was the head-hopping, jumping from one person’s thoughts to another’s without warning. It made for a very rough ride and most of it was completely unnecessary. We didn’t need to know what every person on the crew was thinking. We could have had Dexter and Jenna’s as the main point of views and the occasional chunk from one or two of the others when absolutely necessary. As it was, the constant popping in and out of different people’s thoughts kept pulling me out of the story. If that doesn’t bother you, and the world and characters appeal, then definitely read this one.
The story is about a guy called Dexter who gets his own ship and sets off to seek his fortune. The book didn’t hook me immediately because the plot suffers from a lack of a clear antagonist to give it an overall direction and cohesion, rather it is a series of adventures through which Dexter finds his crew. However, what the book loses in a wandering plot, it gains in the characters. Once I got to know Dexter, I didn’t want to leave him. Dexter is what I call a noble character, a tough but good man with firm principles that include compassion and equality for all, and his character has a positive affect on the rest of the crew who are a motley lot that he picks up from various terrible situations. Once the romance kicks in, the plot has more direction to hold it together and it takes us deeper into Dexter and Jenna’s characters, all good stuff that made the initial plot weakness fade into insignificance.
The major issue I had with this book was the head-hopping, jumping from one person’s thoughts to another’s without warning. It made for a very rough ride and most of it was completely unnecessary. We didn’t need to know what every person on the crew was thinking. We could have had Dexter and Jenna’s as the main point of views and the occasional chunk from one or two of the others when absolutely necessary. As it was, the constant popping in and out of different people’s thoughts kept pulling me out of the story. If that doesn’t bother you, and the world and characters appeal, then definitely read this one.
March 2, 2012
First off, I know other reviewers are describing this as sci-fi, but I disagree. This is a very unique way of portraying a fantasy environment, with different lands being entire planets or moons, but this is fantasy. That being said, it's a very exciting read and well worth your time. It seems to me as if the writings of RA Salvore and Robert Asprin have collided in a universe created by Joss Whedon. (Drizz't and Skeeve sailing on Firefly) The writing falls a little flat here and there, but picks up again quickly. Jason Halstead is an author of above average merit and enormous potential. Do yourself a favor and read this book. As a side note, it took me quite a while to submerge myself in this world, its just so different that the setting takes a while to absorb. Once immersed, the story flew along thru multiple adventures with only minor snags.
October 21, 2011
A first reads win!
This was a fun and action filled, swashbuckling tale. It takes what could have been a generic science fiction story an adds a veneer of fantasy, giving it a fresh and interesting composition. While the story was fun, it seemed very episod driven without much long term development. Some characters were well developed while others are obviously being saved for latter books. Some of the writing was pretty rough but overall a great first effort. I would love to read the sequel.
This was a fun and action filled, swashbuckling tale. It takes what could have been a generic science fiction story an adds a veneer of fantasy, giving it a fresh and interesting composition. While the story was fun, it seemed very episod driven without much long term development. Some characters were well developed while others are obviously being saved for latter books. Some of the writing was pretty rough but overall a great first effort. I would love to read the sequel.
December 7, 2010
A solid swashbuckling space opera. The writing is a bit rough at times, but the story moves fast, is action packed, and the characters are likable.
I'd like to give it a three and a half star rating. It's fun, it's easy to read, but it's not the sort of book you reread over and over, grateful that it's story has touched your life.
I will happily read the sequel.
I'd like to give it a three and a half star rating. It's fun, it's easy to read, but it's not the sort of book you reread over and over, grateful that it's story has touched your life.
I will happily read the sequel.
August 11, 2011
Great SF adventure. A mixed race/species crew of a space ship in the model of Edgar Rice Burrough's Mars series transit space with many adventures becoming more human like in the process. Looking forward to the sequel. Free ARC paperback version.
November 4, 2014
There is a series of books out in the Science Fiction world by Peter Hamilton that have starships that are organic creations with transferred souls. That was what came to mind when I grabbed this work and I must say that at first I felt a bit betrayed to find that was not the case here.
Voidhawk in this context refers to a hawk shaped wooden ship that can sail between planets, stars, oceans and alight on land using magic, special sail cloth that catches solar winds and a crew working the lines for the sails. Weapons in this world include magic, ballistae, swords or bludgeoning objects and the occasional flintlock.
Where are their spacesuits you ask? Okay then. The assortment of humans, giants, golems, dwarves and elves rely on magically stable air bubbles and a gravity plane tuned by the ship ballast. Did I mention there are were-beasts? No. Okay then, forget that last bit.
Here’s the deal. I enjoyed the storyline even though fantasy is not really my bag. Things I didn’t enjoy included: misused, misspelled words; sentence jumbles that had to be read a couple times because that’s how long it took to get their meaning {no, they were not in dialogue}; and finally the overcrowding of plot and characters. There are some, I admit, who like that last peeve I listed. They are not here at the moment.
I’m giving this a three out of five because I liked things about the plot and the character interactions. Take note, if I want to read about vessels that ‘Sail’ the stars I’m going to be put off by use of the word ‘sale’. Please use global search and fix that.
http://www.amazon.com/Voidhawk-Jason-...
Voidhawk in this context refers to a hawk shaped wooden ship that can sail between planets, stars, oceans and alight on land using magic, special sail cloth that catches solar winds and a crew working the lines for the sails. Weapons in this world include magic, ballistae, swords or bludgeoning objects and the occasional flintlock.
Where are their spacesuits you ask? Okay then. The assortment of humans, giants, golems, dwarves and elves rely on magically stable air bubbles and a gravity plane tuned by the ship ballast. Did I mention there are were-beasts? No. Okay then, forget that last bit.
Here’s the deal. I enjoyed the storyline even though fantasy is not really my bag. Things I didn’t enjoy included: misused, misspelled words; sentence jumbles that had to be read a couple times because that’s how long it took to get their meaning {no, they were not in dialogue}; and finally the overcrowding of plot and characters. There are some, I admit, who like that last peeve I listed. They are not here at the moment.
I’m giving this a three out of five because I liked things about the plot and the character interactions. Take note, if I want to read about vessels that ‘Sail’ the stars I’m going to be put off by use of the word ‘sale’. Please use global search and fix that.
http://www.amazon.com/Voidhawk-Jason-...
February 15, 2018
Only a 10 year old boy could suspend disbelief
Putting wood sailing ships with canvas sails in space is just beyond any but a small children's lack of knowledge. Swords, flintlocks, elves, dwarves, wizards and magic join this unbelievable mess in space. Like watching a train wreck that you can't look away from. While a child might suspend disbelief, the story is not suitable for one. By the end you are wondering if the author just put a bunch of story scraps together because it finally ends as the most convoluted romance I have ever read.
Putting wood sailing ships with canvas sails in space is just beyond any but a small children's lack of knowledge. Swords, flintlocks, elves, dwarves, wizards and magic join this unbelievable mess in space. Like watching a train wreck that you can't look away from. While a child might suspend disbelief, the story is not suitable for one. By the end you are wondering if the author just put a bunch of story scraps together because it finally ends as the most convoluted romance I have ever read.
September 19, 2017
This had a nice try at a different plot, gathering pirates, elfs, dwarfs, magic and space, but unfortunately, I didn't feel it delivered. Throughout the entire book, I felt like this was a story about pirates, the weapons and language were very clear about that, with few reminders here and there, that the set was in space. If the story went a little bit more sci-fi (ish), if the language and weapons were adapted to be more space fitted, I think I would have enjoyed more.
October 8, 2011
I received Voidhawk by Jason Halstead from Goodreads giveaway. I really liked Voidhawk, it was well written and sucked me in immediately. Looking forward to reading more of Jason Halstead.
January 22, 2022
Dnf 5%
2/5
The dialog is confusing, and I had to reread things in the first few pages to understand. I also don't get the interaction between Kragor and Dexter. Why antagonize the boss after your friend does you a favor? And why would said friend then agree to go on a dumb dangerous adventure. The jump from there to infodumping was also quite abrupt. The premise sounded really cool on this one, maybe I'll check on another project by the author a few years down the road when great imagination meet better delivery.
2/5
The dialog is confusing, and I had to reread things in the first few pages to understand. I also don't get the interaction between Kragor and Dexter. Why antagonize the boss after your friend does you a favor? And why would said friend then agree to go on a dumb dangerous adventure. The jump from there to infodumping was also quite abrupt. The premise sounded really cool on this one, maybe I'll check on another project by the author a few years down the road when great imagination meet better delivery.
April 9, 2025
This was a fun story if not a little strange. It was a cross between Science Fiction, Fantasy and Pirates. The VoidHawk is a space ship that has sails and is made of wood. The characters are human, Elf, Dwarf, mages and other races usually found in fantasy novels. I would say it is more fantasy then scifi.
The story is exciting and has action and the complications with relationships. By the end of the book I cared what happened to the characters.
The story is exciting and has action and the complications with relationships. By the end of the book I cared what happened to the characters.
November 16, 2018
Fantastic adventure on the high seas of the universe!
Wonderful characters, terrific battles, epic adventures featuring good guys, bad guys, and a few in between of all races. A wonderful story that is hard to put down until it is over !
Wonderful characters, terrific battles, epic adventures featuring good guys, bad guys, and a few in between of all races. A wonderful story that is hard to put down until it is over !
July 7, 2021
Great story
Very well written and the characters grow so much throughout the story. I enjoyed the camaraderie between them all too and the deaths but me hard
Very well written and the characters grow so much throughout the story. I enjoyed the camaraderie between them all too and the deaths but me hard
September 6, 2021
Very episodic and has many typos
Other than the content of the title, the story is quite fragmented. I would not be surprised to hear that it is a collection of short stories.
Other than the content of the title, the story is quite fragmented. I would not be surprised to hear that it is a collection of short stories.
June 9, 2013
If you were watching a kind of cheesy, low to mid-budget mix of Lord of the Rings, Firefly and Pirates of the Caribbean on a Sunday afternoon this might be what fell out of the blender. It could also use some substantial copy editing for grammar, etc. The explanation for wooden spaceships that were like pirate ships never did settle with me as well as some other less than plausible things that went on throughout the book. However, it was basically a fun read and it was free. I picked it up because of some Firefly references in the comments of others because I loved Firefly and was curious. Firefly it was not, but it was swashbuckling in space alongside wizards, elves and the like. The lead character Dexter probably makes as many bad decisions as he can along the way and he's kind of bashful at times for a pirate/trader who makes his female friends in the gutter. Although considering where he finds them they are a pretty good bunch, just a little bit bad. We aren't talking world-class literature here, but for what it was it had its moments and I chuckled on several occasions. Fortunately for Dexter and despite his decisions getting him into trouble more often than not his crew members, picked up in various lowly places along the way, seem to demonstrate new and interesting skills just in the nick of time. This isn't the best book I have ever read, but it also wasn't the worst by far. I doubt that I'll be delving into more of Dexter's adventures, but it wasn't so bad I couldn't finish it and it had some fun moments. Some of the dialogue is witty. Fantasy/Science Fiction literally with more emphasis on the fantasy than the science for sure in a strange sitcom kind of way.
Review originally posted at http://tjhapney.wordpress.com/
Review originally posted at http://tjhapney.wordpress.com/
November 8, 2013
With a mix of humans, dwarves, elves, pirates, wizards and a ghost and all set on a wooden sailing ship in outer space, Voidhawk is a bit like Dungeons & Dragons meets Firefly. Following the adventures of Captain Dexter Silvercloud, we see him acquiring his own ship and building up a motley crew as they travel from one scrape to another while trying to eke a living as space traders.
It's definitely not high literature and the storylines are all pretty straightforward D&D type plots but it is quite addictive and very easy to read.
The concept of a wooden ship travelling from planet to planet in a bubble of air and powered by magic is a new one to me but it is fantasy so anything goes I suppose. It's also got a deal of things going on - robbery, dark magic, war, slavery, piracy, tragedy, alien monsters and even a bit of the other and some swashbuckling derring-do hero-type stuff.
I'm not sure if I'll pick up and run with the rest of the series but this one was mildy entertaining and you never know, I might.
It's definitely not high literature and the storylines are all pretty straightforward D&D type plots but it is quite addictive and very easy to read.
The concept of a wooden ship travelling from planet to planet in a bubble of air and powered by magic is a new one to me but it is fantasy so anything goes I suppose. It's also got a deal of things going on - robbery, dark magic, war, slavery, piracy, tragedy, alien monsters and even a bit of the other and some swashbuckling derring-do hero-type stuff.
I'm not sure if I'll pick up and run with the rest of the series but this one was mildy entertaining and you never know, I might.
July 8, 2016
Firefly + Farscape + Lord of the Rings = Voidhawk
Voidhawk requires the suspension of disbelief and acceptance of a universe that can not exist in our reality. The premise of wooden sailing ships that maintain their own gravity and atmosphere while traveling through space presents a challenge initially. However, magic also exists, so what point is there in expecting the author's creation to conform to standard physics?
Spelling and grammatical errors abound, but not to an extent that detracts from the narrative. A good editor could clean it up quickly.
Characters fit into standard archetypes with little development of irregular personality traits.
The book reads more as a series of small vignettes strung together than a single overarching story. Plots are predictable and the characters nearly invincible. Some loss and injury does occur, but not in balance with the dumb-luck that favors the protagonists the majority of the time.
Regardless, Voidhawk is an easy to read, enjoyable space fantasy. What it lacks in polish it makes up for in fun.
Voidhawk requires the suspension of disbelief and acceptance of a universe that can not exist in our reality. The premise of wooden sailing ships that maintain their own gravity and atmosphere while traveling through space presents a challenge initially. However, magic also exists, so what point is there in expecting the author's creation to conform to standard physics?
Spelling and grammatical errors abound, but not to an extent that detracts from the narrative. A good editor could clean it up quickly.
Characters fit into standard archetypes with little development of irregular personality traits.
The book reads more as a series of small vignettes strung together than a single overarching story. Plots are predictable and the characters nearly invincible. Some loss and injury does occur, but not in balance with the dumb-luck that favors the protagonists the majority of the time.
Regardless, Voidhawk is an easy to read, enjoyable space fantasy. What it lacks in polish it makes up for in fun.
November 3, 2013
This story has all the ingredients - wizards, magic, space-travel, pirates, ghosts and the un-dead - not to mention an abundance of promiscuous, semi-clad women. What it lacked was a coherent narrative - there is too much going on. The captain of the Voidhawk admits at one stage to not knowing where his ship was headed - which felt like an admission of the author as to where the story was headed too. Which was a pity - some of the ideas were neat; and often the story would rattle along at a fine pace, with excitement and adventure. But it needed some distilling to a less chaotic, cluttered plot. Characters came and went, places came and went, ideas came and went - and still we sped along, not quite sure what was propelling either the spaceship or the story. It never gripped me, and I neither knew where the book was going, nor much cared - it was trying to do everything. Which was a pity, because with a little less, the book could have been so much more.
July 30, 2014
Space fantasy with wooden sailing ships that cross the void on the "solar wind", carrying air bubbles with them and have "gravity planes" that extend outwards a ways so it's possible to toss people overboard.
The universe has magic, the ships have something like a "magic battery" that has to be charged in order for the helm to work, which is done by mentally interfacing with it. Not a lot of explanation on how the magic/tech works but the use of it is consistent.
Firearms aren't common and are all muzzle loaders. Cannon appear to not exist. Ship to ship weaponry are siege weapon style, mainly ballistae (giant crossbow type bolt throwers).
So, space pirates! Arrrrgggh!
Decent storytelling and characters in it, but needs another editing pass to fix some incorrect words and a few spelling errors. The key to a good fantasy tale is to establish a set of rules for the universe and stick to them, which Jason Halstead does a good job of.
The universe has magic, the ships have something like a "magic battery" that has to be charged in order for the helm to work, which is done by mentally interfacing with it. Not a lot of explanation on how the magic/tech works but the use of it is consistent.
Firearms aren't common and are all muzzle loaders. Cannon appear to not exist. Ship to ship weaponry are siege weapon style, mainly ballistae (giant crossbow type bolt throwers).
So, space pirates! Arrrrgggh!
Decent storytelling and characters in it, but needs another editing pass to fix some incorrect words and a few spelling errors. The key to a good fantasy tale is to establish a set of rules for the universe and stick to them, which Jason Halstead does a good job of.
January 27, 2016
Halstead has a vivid imagination, and has created an impressively different universe. Unfortunately, he's short on details. The 'spaceships' are wooden, and armed with catapults - but beyond that, there was no real description. Several chapters in, I still had no idea what these vessels looked like, how they operated, or how this very different universe worked! For some that might not be a problem - but for me it's a big one. I need to be able to visualise what's happening, see the characters and their environment. And though I can suspend disbelieve sufficiently to cope with wooden spaceships, there needs to be some sort of logical reason (however fantastic) for things being that way. Lacking that background development, I would at least need something in the characters, the dialogue or the plot to keep me reading. None of that happened. I gave up on it - reluctantly, because the idea had potential, but it needed much more work on the detail to capture my interest.
March 24, 2012
Elves, Dwarves, Wizards, Golums combined with Pirates on wooden ships sailing through space and fighting ship to ship and hand to hand with swords and muskets. This book has everything that would normally prevent me from reading it. However, once I began to read it, I began to like the characters enough to continue reading. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the crews antics and cringing at the thought that someone might be lost. I think the author did a very good job at creating realistic and likeable characters. The story seems to have no real goal and it reads like several short stories combined into a single book. Some plot and/or character development ideas seem to be lost in this first book but I am looking forward to finding the answers in the following books.
August 22, 2014
Voidhawk gives a nod to Firefly with its characters but it's enough different to not be fan fiction. The stage is the intrepid Voidhawk sailing around the Void ferrying cargo from place to place as our heroes get into one scrape after another. However Voidhawk is a wooden sailing ship (think single shot pistols and cutlasses), the Void is space, the inhabitants are humans, elfs, dwarves, etc..., and there is magic. My only real complaint is the initial world building was sluggish and I'm still not sure I have it in my mind right. By no means a deep book, it is a fun and entertaining read. Just keep in mind there is a lot of violence if that bothers you.
August 13, 2012
I'm not much into the "D&D in space" type novels. In fact, I had even put this one aside more than once. But, once I got past that hang-up and the slow first quarter start of the book, it became a pretty good read. Fans of FIREFLY will find a lot of familiar elements in the story. But Halstead has a gift for character development that supercedes any plot flaw. I'm not sure if I'll continue the series, but I did enjoy this book.....and I will check out some of the other novels he's written.
February 20, 2013
I have read one other Halstead novel and this one completely different both in subject as well as writing. I noticed a lot of editorial mistakes and I thought the store flowed a little choppy. Be that as it may, I was still entertained by this story. The characters well... I wasn't sure if I would like them or not, but I found myself really caring for them all. I will likely pick up part two soon and give it a read :)
April 11, 2017
Read sort of like the series "Firefly", only in a fantasy-space setting (yeah, I said fantasy-space. Don't ask me how that works). Started off strong, but definitely lost steam as the book went along, with the ending being pretty predictable. Not bad, not not good enough to make me look out for the rest of the series.
July 7, 2011
Definitely a book to recommend to any SciFi reader. I found it sharp, witty, and fast paced with characters that are interesting and unforgettable. I found myself unable to put it down, and read well into the late night...and didn't mind it at all!
Well done.
Well done.
January 2, 2012
What an adventure, wow really surprised me, mix fantasy, magic and Firefly, it is almost steampunk but a bit more.
Imagine space travel using old clippers and other sea going vessels, some real swashbuckling crews and hints of a higher conspiracy.
Thanks Jason for a real entertaining adventure
Imagine space travel using old clippers and other sea going vessels, some real swashbuckling crews and hints of a higher conspiracy.
Thanks Jason for a real entertaining adventure
November 4, 2012
A unique setting for a fantasy novel, Voidhawk entertained me with its light humour. It wasn't very deep, but kept me interested. Read my full review on my blog:
http://ireadencyclopedias.wordpress.c...
http://ireadencyclopedias.wordpress.c...
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