I acquired a assessment copy from the writer. This doesn’t have an effect on the contents of my assessment and all opinions are my very own.

The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton

Mogsy’s Score (Total): 3.5 of 5 stars

Style: Science Fiction

Collection: Stand Alone/Ebook 1

Writer: Macmillan Audio (February 25, 2025)

Size: 8 hrs and 25 minutes

Narrator: Barrie Kreinik

I grew to become a fan of Edward Ashton after his motion sci-fi journey Mickey7 impressed me with its humorousness, even when coping with a topic like existential dread. Naturally, after I heard about The Fourth Consort, I used to be curious to see what it’s all about.

The story follows Dalton Greaves, who has been residing adrift ever because the demise of his father. All this adjustments one evening in a bar, when, after his girlfriend dumps him, he’s approached by Neera, a consultant of the Unity who gives him a job. It’s a chance for Dalton to overlook his aimless life on Earth and develop into part of one thing greater, becoming a member of a company with a mission for peacekeeping and cooperation to unite all sentient beings within the galaxy. Since there’s nothing left tying him to his outdated life and lots to achieve from the brand new gig, Dalton agrees.

Nevertheless, the reality is way much less glamorous. The Unity seems to be not so noble in any case, as soon as Dalton will get a glimpse behind the curtains and sees how issues actually are. The galaxy’s true benefactors are the truth is the Meeting, bitter rivals of the Unity who view Dalton and Neera with suspicion. After a disastrous encounter in orbit leaves the 2 people stranded on a newly found world, Dalton abruptly finds himself separated from Neera’s safety and thrust into the clutches of the planet’s native inhabitants, whose ruling queen claims him as her consort—her fourth one, because it seems. In the meantime, caught at court docket with him can be an alien named Breaker, a stickman who fights on behalf of the Meeting. Caught reluctantly within the politics of his position the place enemies can strike from any path, Dalton should work out navigate this unusual new world and survive Neera’s scheming at the same time as she tries to rescue him.

At its core, The Fourth Consort is a unusual sci-fi novel that doesn’t take itself too critically—undoubtedly related in tone to the Mickey7 sequence, which is nice information if that’s what you had been searching for. Ashton’s writing type is as sharp and environment friendly as ever, holding the story shifting alongside at a quick clip. The humor can be on level with loads of witty banter and absurd moments, particularly when alien cultures collide, typically resulting in Dalton buying and selling barbs along with his spicy translator AI.

However for its fast pacing and tremendous lean prose which doesn’t lavatory itself down with pointless exposition, the story does typically really feel a bit too breezy for its personal good. The world-building, as an example, is intriguing however on the lighter facet, leaving many questions and difficulties envisioning the creatures and worlds being described. I by no means obtained a powerful sense of the alien cultures and what makes them genuinely distinctive, and equally, the political intrigue felt tacked on moderately than absolutely built-in. Likewise, character growth is one other space that felt a bit sparse, and though Dalton himself is a strong protagonist, he lacked company and appeared carried alongside by occasions, robbing his character of alternatives to shine.

This made the general story arc really feel sort of shallow and undercooked. Whereas the plot featured conflicts aplenty, there was hardly any rigidity in any respect as I used to be by no means made to consider our protagonist was ever actually in hassle. If something, Breaker, the Meeting shock trooper, felt extra developed although we primarily obtained to know him by conversations filtered throughout damaged translations. Certain, the occasional flashback to Dalton’s previous helped, however a lot of them felt like taste textual content and fully pointless, and I’m undecided that these little snippets that includes his pre-Unity days had been fairly definitely worth the distraction.

That stated, hopefully I didn’t come off as too damaging, as The Fourth Consort really turned out to be a really satisfying and enjoyable learn, particularly the audio ebook model whose narrator Barrie Kreinik gave a vigorous efficiency. The pacing was tight, the humor sharp, and I beloved the intelligent dialogue. Nevertheless, whereas the ebook is entertaining within the second, I don’t assume it is going to go away an enduring impression. If the writer decides to proceed Dalton’s story, I’d have an interest to see the place he finally ends up taking issues, however because it stands, this one will get a strong 3.5 stars.