What happens if you don't make your payments on the starship you're flying? It gets repossessed, of course. But what does it take to repossess a starship? Firstname Lastname is about to find out.
Firstname Lastname is a young woman (and yes, that's really her legal name, due to a clerical error, but she goes by "First") who is one of the very few humans left in the universe (a botched invasion of Earth left both the invaders and humanity nearly exterminated) and she's wandering, looking for work wherever she can find it. Often that comes by way of jobs that aren't exactly legal. She's hijacking cars and selling them to a fence when she finds herself caught in a trap specifically to catch car hijackers. But this trap isn't set by law enforcement, but by an individual pulling together a crew of skilled thieves to work as a legal (but just barely) team repossessing starships.

It takes some time for the team to adjust to, and trust, one another, but they find a common bond in wanting to truly be legit, and they respect each others' talents. First may finally have a home and a family.

This is a fast read that doesn't take itself too seriously. This is light space opera (think Guardians of the Galaxy without the cute raccoon and tree or Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) with a wafer-thin plot. In fact, the plot feels more like a set-up for future stories because we don't get much here other than an introduction to the characters as individuals and as a team. We get a sense of what they are capable of but what they are doing never feels as important as how it affects their relationships.

I quite enjoyed author Patrick S. Tomlinson's 'Children of a Dead Earth' series (is this a recurring theme in Tomlinson's work ... a dead earth?) and was really interested in reading this new series. I like Tomlinson's writing style but we'll need to see more plot and less forced humor for me to continue with future volumes.

Looking for a good book? Starship Repo by Patrick S. Tomlinson is a quick, light space opera that doesn't offer much interesting story but does set up some fun characters that will hopefully be challenged in future books.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Author Patrick S. Tomlinson (https://www.patrickstomlinson.com) published the novel “Starship Repo” in 2019. This is his sixth novel.

I categorize this novel as ‘PG’. The story is set in the far future. The primary character is ‘First’ aka Evelyn.

First is 17 and has run away from home. She is living on her own and is one of the only humans on an alien space station. First has been stealing and running small-time scams.

She steals a vehicle but instead of making a little cash, she is drawn into a team that repos spacecraft. She and her team have one close call after another.

I enjoyed the 8.5 hours I spent reading this 326-page young adult science fiction novel. I liked the plot of the novel, but I am not a fan of the tongue-in-cheek approach. The book is more a collection of short stories than one major plot. This is the fourth novel authored by Mr. Tomlinson that I have read and I have enjoyed them all. I give this novel a 3.7 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

Starship Repo es una space opera old-school con todo lo bueno y todo lo malo que un libro de esas características pueda ofrecernos. Palomitero como pocos y sin mucha sustancia, nos dará un rato de diversión que olvidaremos conforme cerremos el volumen. Si esto es bueno o malo depende de lo que vayas buscando cuando decidas leerla. Un buen resumen sería anunciarlo como Embargos a lo bestia en el espacio.

La protagonista del libro es Firstname Lastname (se ve que en el futuro no se libran de los errores administrativos), la primera humana en llegar Junktion, un puerto galáctico donde conviven todo tipo de alienígenas. El libro se desarrolla como una serie de capítulo tenuemente conectados en los que First va depurando sus planes para timar a alienígenas despistados.
El humor es una de las principales características del libro, es un humor bastante blando y poco ofensivo, utilizando sobre todo juegos de palabras que hace hincapié en las distintas características y el distinto bagaje de cada especie alienígena. En ocasiones te hace sonreír pero tampoco te hará soltar carcajadas. Resulta un poco llamativo que un libro situado 400 años en el futuro tenga casi más referencias ochenteras que Ready Player One, pero el autor sabe a quién está dirigiendo sus esfuerzos y justifica esta estrechez de referencias con la conveniente llegada a Junktion de las ondeas televisivas emitidas por la Tierra hace cuatro siglos, convirtiéndose en la última moda en el puerto espacial.
Que todos sean capaces de comunicarse con todos a pesar de los orígenes muy distintos de cada raza espacial es otro de esos pequeños milagros a los Star Trek que facilitan la interacción con otros personajes sin necesidad de calentarse la cabeza con un traductor universal ni preocuparse por la incapacidad física para emitir ciertos sonidos dependiendo de cada aparato fonador de cada alien, en el caso de que exista ese aparato. Desde el principio es necesaria nuestra colaboración con nuestras suspensión de la incredulidad para poder leer el libro.
Es curioso la sensación de camaradería que llega a emerger de una tripulación muy variopinta que consigue funcionar a pesar de las diferencias, reconforta un poco pensar que el ser humano pudiera llegar a formar parte de una alianza así.
Tomlinson despacha con oficio una novela bastante insustancial pero que cumple perfectamente su cometido de entretener sin exigir mucho al cerebro. ¿Se puede leer con el piloto automático puesto? Perfectamente. ¿Necesitas diversión sin complicaciones? Starship Repo es tu libro.

Published by Tor Books on May 21, 2019

As the title implies, Starship Repo falls into the category of science fiction stories that are intended to amuse the reader. It succeeds in that task by combining a basic science fiction action novel with some running jokes and imaginative aliens.

Firstname Lastname got her name from a mistaken data entry at a refugee center, but she goes by First during the novel. First has traveled far from home and is the only human most of the aliens she encounters have ever seen. Unfortunately for them, if they don’t keep a hand or tentacle on their wallet, she’ll probably take it.

First is in the process of stealing a car when the car steals her, depositing her in the penthouse of its owner. Since she has a knack for stealing cars, he blackmails her into joining his repo business. As the title suggests, he repossesses starships.

The plot follows First as the repo crew she joins uses a variety of schemes to take possession of various crafts, including a band’s spacefaring tour bus, a racer, a cruise ship, and a casino. Since First is the protagonist and since humans in sf novels are traditionally more clever than aliens, First devises most of the ploys to gain access to the ships and (in the case of the cruise ship and the casino) to evacuate passengers before seizing the vessel.

First’s exploits involve a fair amount of action, but since this is a comedy, there is little worry that any likeable characters will be irreparably injured. The plot is really just a mechanism for introducing imaginative aliens, including First’s best friend (who is something like a giant sloth that moves too slowly for any motion to be obvious) and the boss of the repo outfit, whose race assembles a variety of independently sentient components into an organic individual.

I appreciated the imagination that went into the development of the aliens and I chucked occasionally at the plot. First is a likeable if familiar protagonist, a plucky young woman who relies on her wits to get herself into and out of dangerous situations. I can’t rave about Starship Repo (there aren’t any ROFL moments and character development is minimal), but it works well enough as a diverting science fiction comedy to earn a recommendation.

RECOMMENDED

I was excited for this book but just couldn’t get into it. The characters were inventive but I felt like there just wasn’t enough deeper story for me to stay connected to the narrative. I appreciate the chance to review, it just wasn't for me.

In the future the galaxy is full of lots of aliens, but humans are known but are certainly not the dominate species in the universe. Firstname Lastname is on her own and running cons and small crimes to survive. Not her real name and it is a constant running joke due to a paperwork mix up. She gets picked up by a repo company after using some good software hacks on the wrong car and joins their team. This is more of a comic novel and not a serious SF novel. The hottest band is a group of kids from Earth that were playing in their garage. You do find out her real name by the end of the book and she does some growing up and there are lots of comments from the aliens about how strange humans are compared to most other aliens. A fun light beach read and I would read more in this setting for a fun light read.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley

Ignoring the furore over accusations and counter accusations about this author (which I knew nothing about until I spotted questions on Goodreads), this is a review of… y'know… the actual book.

Firstname Lastname is a small-time grifter, one of the very few humans on an alien space station. Her name is the result of a clerical error on her immigration paperwork, but she owns it beautifully. She's recruited (or that should be blackmailed) into the crew of a repo outfit, travelling the galaxy to repossess ships from all kinds of shady characters. What could possibly go wrong? It's a neat idea, and the (many different kinds of) aliens are interesting, though not always differentiated as much as they could be (or else I wasn't paying enough attention). Described as a 'romp' this is more properly a series of romps as each repo trip they make gets a little more hazardous each time. I would have preferred a more cohesive story rather than a series of barely connected escapades. Each escapade was well written, but didn't seem to have consequences that reverberated into subsequent capers. I put it down at about 20% and then went back to it only after reading a couple of other books.

The tale of Firstname Lastname, small time human con artist in a decidedly non-human world, turns into a full blown action, fantasy, science fiction adventure in the stars. Messages of tolerance, and personal growth are laced throughout the fast paced heist-centered space opera without being too heavy handed. It is an enjoyable ride.

Starship Repo is a book of very dry and often amusing humor, never taking itself too seriously and clearly written around creating funny lines rather than an engaging (or even remotely believable) plot. And as much as I enjoy fun/funny sci fi, this felt like the writer was trying a bit too hard to be clever, almost as if it was a vanity piece. From every alien starship named tongue in cheek takes on modern/current American cultural phrases ("Goes Where It Is Towed" "Pay To Prey") to a character named Fonald Plump (who "claimed to be a trillionaire virtual real estate developer turned casino magnate has had an awful habit of seeing his recent project go bankrupt."). It somehow seemed far less clever than it should have been - and I would have liked to see the author creating a whole new world and inhabiting it with fun and snarky characters unique to the world. Every alien seemed human - just with different features.

Story: Firstname Lastname (a clerical error led to this being her official name) is one of the few humans left in the universe after the Earth was invaded and the invasion fumbled, pretty much killing off most of both species. Now surviving in space stations, she lives by her wits, currently hijacking cars and giving them to a fence. But when she finds a juicy score, it appears it was the bait in the hook to obtain her services as hacker and brash carjacker. Working with a (barely) legal high end repo operation should be rewarding. Certainly, there is a colorful cast of characters assisting her. The only problem is that people just don't like having their property repossessed - and often will fight it.

The story felt a bit 'monster of the week' in that we have First getting an assignment to repo an item (rock band tour bus, floating casino, pod racer (a little Star Wars there)) and something typically goes wrong, usually because First acts without thinking. Trouble ensues, the item is successfully captured albeit never in perfect condition, and then we await a new target. Each of these feel like they are set up to highlight or showcase something about First - and not necessarily what would realistically or ordinarily occur for the repo operation.

The cultural references from the 1980s to current (most likely reflecting the age of the author) are the hallmark of the novel. From hair bands making a comeback in space ("We're just a bunch of kids from Michigan who had a band!"), First wearing her favorite Whitesnake band t-shirt, and many many more. It provides relevancy/ralatability to the audience but I couldn't help but feel true sci fi fans will want/desire a bit more accountability and logic to the cultural choices. Not so much from First - she is a teen girl, after all, though we don't know from what era of Earth's history she hails - but at least from the aliens, who seem to only have access to the 1980s in Earth history.

Now, the above nitpicks aside, there are some genuinely funny moments that made me laugh out loud. Because the book feels written only to come up with humorous situations, I would expect nothing less. The deadpan responses of the aliens, amusingly creative insults, and cast of characters were perfectly assembled to make the best use of First's very American teen rebelliousness and lack of logic. So although we won't ever believe these are real aliens or that this universe could ever exist, at least we can have fun laughing at the humor.

In all, I probably won't continue the series should there be more books in it (which could easily happen since the story was left open ended). It was funny but just not what I am looking for in my sci fi. I always want books to have a plot and the humor written around it, not the other way around. It felt like this was going for a Douglas Adams vibe (including the cover art)- but isnt nearly as crazy or over-the-top as it would need to be in order to really succeed. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

I don't know anything about this author or what is going on with this book.

The book itself is a silly bit of a thing. The humor is slight but good-natured. The plot careens all over the place, but is not in any way offensive. Just a standard caper novel set in space with lots of different aliens

In the book Starship Repo, author Patrick S. Tomlinson writes about Firstname Lastname and her stow away to a space station to start over. She is the only human in the station and quickly begins to make money running street scams. Soon she is taken in by a group of space ship repo hunters as their tech genius. Traveling through space taking back ships whose rich owners won’t pay their debts, what could go wrong?
This was an ok science fiction read. The concept was good and it was fun at times but it had a lot of typos and meandering plot lines! I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m honestly not that big of a science fiction reader, but every now and then I stumble across a book or author that just sounds too good to ignore. While I’ve never read anything by Patrick S. Tomlinson before, this book caught my eye the moment I saw the title and I knew I was going to read it. I’m glad that I did too because Starship Repo by Patrick S. Tomlinson was a fantastic read and probably one of the funniest books I’ve read so far this year. Any book that can keep my attention and make me laugh as this one did is well worth time or money.

While there was a lot that I enjoyed about this book I think the one thing that stood out to me the most was its characters, especially the crew that Firstname Lastname serves with on the ship she sneaks onto. I honestly expected the story to feel a bit bogged down since every member of the crew is of a different alien race, but Tomlinson does a great job of introducing them all as the story goes on without slowing the pace down at all. I couldn’t even pick a favorite character because they are all so different from each other that it’s hard to choose.

I didn’t know going into Starship Repo that it was going to be such an episodic story but I think that may be another reason why I enjoyed it so much. I felt like the episodic nature of the story gave some natural places to take a break from reading and just made the story that much more enjoyable to myself. We also get to see a lot more places and characters than I think we usually would in such a book because so little time is spent on what I consider the boring details of space flight. It’s pretty much hilarious action from beginning to end which I really appreciated.

I’m definitely going to be checking out more books by Patrick S. Tomlinson in the near future and I really hope this turns out to be a series and not a standalone story. I can’t remember the last time I smiled or laughed as much as I did while reading this book and I was honestly sad when it was all over.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to laugh while reading a great story. I think Starship Repo is a book that is enjoyable whether you normally read science fiction or not.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Starship Repo is the newest novel from the mind of Patrick S. Tomlinson. And honestly, I couldn’t be happier about picking this novel up. I’ve been really craving something like this lately, but I hadn’t been able to put it into words until now. I wanted a space opera with a healthy sense of comedic relief and character building. I got all of that here.
Starship Repo is honestly exactly what it sounds like. And then some. Yes, it follows a team of Repo Agents as they do what they do best – repossess some of the finest spaceships in the galaxy. The job isn’t as easy as it sounds, and it’s surprisingly competitive. But honestly, upping the stakes merely made this novel that much more interesting.

Starship Repo was a fun and clever read, one I really enjoyed. It was witty and full of interesting characters, tense moments, intricate plans, and of course, spaceship repossessions. It wasn’t quite like anything I’ve read, but at the same time it felt so familiar while reading it.
I’m so happy that I read I when I did, as I hadn’t realized just how badly I was craving something exactly like this. It combined elements I hadn’t expected to see, such as space opera, humor, reference humor, and some crime drama. It was brilliant.
The slightly inane humor combined with all of the references made this a lighter read than it would have otherwise been, and that’s a good thing in my book. That coupled with the more serious core of the plot – the repossession business – made for a truly unique read.
There were a lot of little things that made me fall in love with Starship Repo. For example, I loved the main character’s name. Or rather, the mix-up that resulted in her new name: Firstname Lastname. And yes, you read that right.
I also enjoyed First’s ability to be so human, on a world where she was one of the only of her kind. It made for a refreshing change. Plus, her willingness to grow fond of things she really shouldn’t have…it was just so human and endearing.
The alien races described in this novel were so unbelievable varied. It was fun seeing what Tomlinson would come up with next, to put it mildly. Alongside that, I loved the excuse for all of the older references. It made sense, and gave Tomlinson an excuse to slip in jokes and references that our generation would appreciate.
This was the first novel I had ever read by Tomlinson, but clearly I need to look through the rest of his works, because I absolutely adore his writing style. I hope this quirky style makes an appearance in his other novels.
Starship Repo was a unique and seriously fun read. There are plenty of positive things I could say about it, but then I’d run the risk of spoiling the best parts. So I’ll just settle for saying that this book is one worth reading – especially if you’ve been craving something new and different.

Have I talked about how much I love heist stories? Because I do. Both in books (think Six of Crows) and movies (Ocean’s Eleven, The Italian Job, etc). Earlier this year I read Patrick S. Tomlinson’s novel Gate Crashers and loved it, so when I saw he had a new novel coming out that was more heists in space, how could I resist?

Starship Repo actually takes places in the same universe as Gate Crashers, but rest assured you don’t need to read that one first at all. There are some small callbacks for those who did, but you could read them completely separately. It follows a human teenager named, hilariously, Firstname Lastname (she goes by First). Ridiculous, right? But also amazing. There was a clerical error somewhere along the line, and since she’s a runaway she just stuck with it. At first she makes her living as a small time pickpocket, aircar thief, and con lady. She eventually gets kinda forcibly recruited into a crew of “repo men”, who repossess ships from rich beings who haven’t kept up their payments, and return them to the banks/owners for a fee. Basically, legal space pirates. What’s not to like??

If that didn’t convince you to read it, here is the cast of characters (aside from First) in the author’s own words: “There’s a transgender crab alien, a brain in a jar, a communal organism, and a hentai tentacle monster living in the sewers with strong opinions about music piracy.” Seriously though, the characters make the book. Each one is so unique, and has an amazing personality. I’m majorly impressed with Tomlinson’s creativity, since all of the characters is a different species of being, and all the different species are so COOL. I’m also a sucker for found family stories, and this is definitely one. First is like their semi-rebellious child that they adopt along the way and I loved seeing the bonds develop between her and the rest of the characters.

There’s plenty of action and lots of heists in the novel, which keeps it going at a great pace. The only thing that brings it down to 4.5 from 5 stars is that I wanted a tad more of a larger plot. There is a background overarching plot through the whole novel, but it was pretty light. The plot focuses on a handful of different heists, which was awesome! I just wanted a bit more cohesiveness. But on the plus side one of the heists involves a high speed space race, so that’s pretty awesome.

The writing is also really fun to read, and the science part of the science fiction is never overwhelming. I noted this in Gate Crashers and I’m pleased to see it here as well – Tomlinson has clearly done his homework with space/physics/science/etc. The reference to Lagrange points killed me!! My astrodynamics loving heart.

There is also so much humor! Not the laugh out loud kind, but the kind that keeps you smiling and brings out the occasional snort. More so than Gate Crashers in my opinion, or maybe it just flows better in this one. There are also funny little pop culture references that are amazing and well done. For example:

“Yippee ki-yay, motherfu—”
“Language, young lady,” Hashin said from his own seat as he applied some sort of medicated patch to his upper arm.
“But how did you even know . . .”
“We’ve all seen Die Hard. We have Christmas out here, too, you know. It’s mostly a retail-driven holiday, but then, what holiday isn’t?”
-Patrick S. Tomlinson, Starship Repo (quote taken from eARC, subject to change)

Anyway, I truly enjoyed this and highly recommend it to everyone!! Especially if you’re a scifi fan, or a found families fan, or a heist fan.

Thank you SO MUCH to Tor Books for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley for review!

"Starship Repo is a fast-paced romp through the galaxy from Patrick S. Tomlinson.

Firstname Lastname is a no one with nowhere to go. With a name that is the result of an unfortunate clerical error and destined to be one of the only humans on an alien space station. That is until she sneaks aboard a ship and joins up with a crew of repomen (they are definitely not pirates).

Now she's traveling the galaxy "recovering" ships. What could go wrong?"

Because every now and then I'm desperate for a good space opera!

Starship Repo is a fast-paced, episodic adventure following the lone human in a ragtag crew of various aliens. If you enjoyed Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series, PICK THIS ONE UP. All of the (mis)adventures are so much fun and you can't help but fall in love with our team of characters. Also there's a hentai tentacle monster who lives in the sewers and they love music and want to share it with the main character okay.

My heart was so happy the entire time I read this book.

The alien species are all so different and plentiful and just downright alien that at first I struggled with them, but towards the middle I felt much more confident with recognizing and remembering which alien species had what physical characteristics. And - bonus! - they aren't just humanoid figures with weird faces (my alien pet-peeve).

I love our human MC, Firstname Lastname, and the entirety of her alien crewmembers and the friends she makes along the way. The banter throughout is very humorous and kept racial tensions between two characters light-hearted.

But honestly let's be real here. The best part about reading this book was that the author is very deft at knowing where to jumpcut the adventures to get to the fun parts and I was certainly never bored.

I will definitely recommend this book to adults, young adults, and older teen patrons of my library. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this gem of a sci-fi tale!

Humans have broken out of their preserve and Firstname Lastname is on the move. She is looking for a better life and finds it with a interesting mix of alien characters. If you read Gate Crashers you know the backstory and world building. It adds to the fun but is not necessary to enjoy First's story. Starship Repo is what the group does and each repo has its on danger and tension. A good addition to the Gate Crashers world. I am looking forward to further adventures in the interesting universe.

If you're looking for a rollicking space adventure, a mix of Mission Impossible and The Sting, then dive into Patrick S. Tomlinson's Starship Repo.

It stars human teenager Firstname Lastname (not her real name but one she's been stuck with by a clerical error in transition). She's been wandering far from home for some time, getting by as best she can (rarely legally) and surrounded by aliens of every type imaginable - and many that are not (imaginable that is).

Stealing on an alien space station, to make ends meet, Firstname (a skilled hacker) is blackmailed into working with a repo team. The story takes off from there and it's tons of fun.

DNF. TThe "light episodic humor" just did nothing for me. The allusions current events seemed inappropriate and references to current cultural icons such as 'Star Wars' have no place in a novel set 4 centuries in the future. The humor just seemed silly and forced.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

starship repo (Patrick S. Tomlinson)
Title: starship repo
Author: Patrick S. Tomlinson
Publisher: Macmillian-Tor/Forge
Publication Date: TODAY!! (paperback/e-book)
ISBN: 978-1250302717
Source: NetGalley

I have been meaning to check out Tomlinson's writing for a while and was glad to get a review copy from the publisher.  This one is a light and fluffy story that follows a repo company in space.  The main character is a human called "Firstname Lastname" due to a clerical error on her refugee status card.  First, as she goes by, is a grifter who uses tricks to con aliens out of their money as she makes her way through the galaxy.  Only she gets caught and is given a choice to join the repo crew or go to jail.  Ye know what she picks.

The plot really feels like a series of vignettes strung together.  The story details the oddball crew and their adventures to reclaim spaceships for creditors.  The highlight of this story is First and the relationships she builds with those around her.  She is the first human this part of the galaxy has seen and so silliness abounds.  Favourite characters included the transgender alien crab, the brain in a jar, the granite roommate, and the Boss who happens to be a communal organism.

There are little cultural illusions sprinkled throughout for fun though a very thinly veiled Donald Trump caricature is found so be forewarned.  It was fast-paced and I enjoyed it.  Many parts made me smile.  Nothing earth-shattering here but a pleasant popcorn book.  Arrrr!

So lastly . . .Thank you Macmillian-Tor/Forge!

Goodreads has this to say about the novel:
Firstname Lastname is a no one with nowhere to go. With a name that is the result of an unfortunate clerical error and destined to be one of the only humans on an alien space station. That is until she sneaks aboard a ship and joins up with a crew of repomen (they are definitely not pirates).Now she's traveling the galaxy "recovering" ships. What could go wrong?

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Patrick S. Tomlinson - Author

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starship repo - Book

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