I’m not sure who recommended Alan Black to me sometime last year. Probably somebody in the Galaxy Rangers group on Facebook. I snagged a copy of Metal Boxes and immediately found a new author.

The plot of this first-in-the-series feels like it could have come from Heinlein – young person adrift in space facing mortal danger. Black steps back from the edge of cliche over and over and in ways that delighted me. The main character – Blackmon Perry Stone, scion of a rich and powerful trading family – bends over backwards in trying not to take advantage of his family’s position, yet he continually finds himself in situations where his background contributes to his success.

I won’t spoiler the stories by trying to describe them or the difficulties he faces along the way. In doing this review I just discovered a new title in the series so I’m off to grab it myself. If you like your space opera with a little silly, a little swashbuckling, and the occasional clever world building, you might grab a sample of Metal Boxes and give it a try.

About the reviewer:

Nathan Lowell has been writing science fiction and fantasy most of his life. He started publishing in 2007 and has no intention of stopping any time soon.

Learn more about Nathan Lowell and his works at http://nathanlowell.com

[Note: You’re seeing more reviews from me because fellow authors aren’t sending reviews of the books they like. If you’re an author, consider the submitting a review about an indie book you loved. The submission guidelines link is at the top of this page.]