This is a very interesting character-driven military-type sci-fi read. I like that. It's a bit complex, but I caught on as I read. It's my first book by this author. It has a lot to do with justice and wrong from right, and it makes for an engaging story. I guess I don't get tired of a "rag-tag" crew on a starship. It never gets dull for me. Capting Dewis is old-fashioned, and he's not wanting the new tech on his ship. It's not the same kind of jumpgate as some other series, and that's okay. I liked most of the characters and I wish I had been able to know more about their stories. I think this is because I dropped into a series I had known nothing about It stood up okay though.

Thanks to Net Galley for my digital copy of this book. This is my review and a positive one is never required.

"The Jumpgate" was a rather entertaining story with a few hiccups. It starts off as a rather slow read with a lot of descriptors.

This book starts with a past experience that Jacob Diego has on his previous command. When the Phoenix was hit by enemy fire, Jacob was knocked unconscious. He has been harboring guilt because he felt he let others on the ship down some of which unfortunately lost their lives.
The story continues two years later as Jacob requests an assignment to another ship. There are several main characters added along the way, including some alien forces
I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. A first read for me by author Robert Stadnik. I will warn you the first chapter or so was a slow trudge through various names and descriptions. Hang in there it does get better.

Author Robert Stadnik published the novel “The Jumpgate” in 2019. Mr. Stadnik has published 8 novels. This novel is set in the author's "Exodus Universe".

I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains some Mature Language. The story is set 120 years in the future. In the author's "Exodus" series rebels commandeer an experimental starship, the Phoenix. They are able to form the Alliance and free the human race from oppressive aliens.

Young Commander Jacob Diego was a member of that crew. He is one of the few who requested a transfer off of the Phoenix. Now he is the new Executive Officer for the Solara. It is 25 years old, yet the newest ship in the fleet.

The regular space force all look down on the crew of the Phoenix. Yes, they freed humanity, but they broke all the rules to accomplish that. Diego is faced with a major challenge to win the crew and officers of the Solara over.

A Jumpgate was discovered by the Phoenix on her way into deep space. The Solara along with a handful of Alliance ships are sent to investigate it. Captain Dewis of the Solara is seeing his time in command rapidly coming to an end. He is willing to put his ship and crew at risk to achieve acclaim. Will the crew of the Solara overcome their animosity and follow Diego as he attempts to bring them home?

I enjoyed the 7.5+ hours I spent reading this 237-page science fiction 'space opera' novel. While the plot isn't unique it is engaging. I will look forward to other novels by Stadnik and may try to go back and read his previous works. I do like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.

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The Jumpgate by Robert Stadnik

This was a decent book but would have been better with a little more backstory. The main protagonists served on the Phoenix and the author doesn’t, in my opinion, provide enough backstory. The crew of the Phoenix are regarded as heroes or traitors. This provides the tension when Jacob takes the XO position on the Solera which is crewed and captained by people who see the Phoenix crew as traitors. Friction between the captain and the XO is inevitable. Xenophobic reactions to the alien alliance that defeated the Screen in the preceding book also contributes to increasing the tension.
The story has the Solera and its alien allies finding the jumpgate that allowed the Screen to enter our galaxy. Captain Dewis behavior allows Jacob to prove himself to the crew while putting the ship and crew in jeopardy. The mission also demonstrates the impact of the Alien alliance.
I enjoyed the book.

This is the third book in the series and the first that I have read. Although I probably wouldn't recommend starting here, I found it readable. SGA is my favourite tv series, and space is one of my favourite genres, so I was very interested to see what this was all about.

I thought overall, the writing was pretty good, it flowed nicely which made this book a quick and easy read. Though nothing really happens until after the 50% mark. The first half of the book is pretty much solely spent introducing the characters and establishing the setting - both of which, I assume you'd already be mostly familiar with if you've already read the first 2 installments. So, that said, I thought there was quite a substantial amount of time that felt like filler.

I did really like Jacob, our protagonist. I felt like he was a strong male lead and his position was believable. But I noticed, unfortunately there is little to no descriptive writing. Aside from the one alien on the crew, I have absolutely no idea what any of these characters are meant to look like. There's also little description of the ship itself. A lot of tell but no show.

Descriptions are good for immersion.
Immersion is what I'm here for.

I thought the story was pretty good, but I was left wanting more. I feel like very little actually happened in this book and it was a filler episode leading up to a climax for the next one. I personally think the end of chapter 20 would have been the perfect place to end. I think it would have made the scene more impactful and exciting. I skimmed over the actual ending itself as it was just too nicely tied up with a bow and ribbon for me.

Overall, a solid 3 stars.

(I do have to say something about the amount of typos, for a completed and published book, there were far too many. (pet peeve)).

I enjoyed the characters in this space exploration adventure. My rating 4.25.

Lieutenant Jacob Diego was part of a renegade human starship, the Phoenix, that defied military orders. Although the crew members became heroes to the public as their actions resulted in defeating the alien forces, they are shunned and spurned by most other military crews as traitors. Jacob requested reassignment to be the Commanding Officer (XO) of the Solaris, one of the few remaining capital ships that are being directed to patrol space. The communication officer on the Solaris is another ostracized survivor of the Phoenix. Jacob is surprised to find another crew member or two onboard who are willing to accept him. Even the captain’s acceptance is reluctant as he has no choice but to follow the orders of the Admiral.

Captain Dewis knows this is his last ship before he is sent to retirement. Instead of maintaining patrol, Dewis decides to take the unauthorized risk of entering the jumpgate to explore the other side and make a name for himself. Jacob protests but is helpless to stop Dewis as the crew would certainly not support the 'traitor'. Two other alien races agreed to explore the outside of the jumpgate but they are unhappy with the digression going through the jumpgate.

When Captain Dewis pursues his obsession by taking the Solaris through the jumpgate it isn’t long before they are attacked by enemies. Jacob and a handful of other crew members, including allied aliens, struggle to keep the ship intact and bring it back to the home galaxy. Will they be able to escape the enemy and destroy the jumpgate to protect their own worlds?

Although there is space action, including battles, this story is strongly character-driven with characters who are troubled. I found the development of the characters – the isolationism, the disharmony, and the power-seeking – interesting. I recommend this book to fans of space adventure who like the character elements as well as the space elements.

Source: NetGalley 2019.

This is my first book by Robert Stadnik - it perhaps wasn't the best place to start, but it wasn't a bad place either. The first couple of chapters of this story bothered me a bit because I could tell there was a LOT of back-story I had missed, and sure enough, there's a whole series about the Phoenix. But that was handled ok - after that first bit I felt like I knew what was going on, and got into the current story.

Basically humanity is now free after being trapped by a group of aliens. Then the humans and their alien allies find a jumpgate, and, wanting glory, the ship's captain decides to go through. I liked the alliance of humans and aliens, and I thought the people were realistic and the story was interesting. I'd be happy to read another book set in this universe.

Jumpgate was a fast read, but too short. It has a good plot but some of the characters are described in nearly the same exact phrases multiple times, taking me abruptly out of the fictive trip.

Jumpgate seems more like a novels rather than a longer work. But if you can get past those negatives, the story will give you a pretty wild ride.

While this book is set in space and has alien technology, it is really a character driven story with good pacing and adequate grounding in science. The overarching theme is more about unfair judgement, and a path forged to acceptance.

Competently written book, well edited. I received this book from Netgalley and chose to review it.
Hints of previous events are everywhere. The crew that stole the starship and defeated the enemy with the help of allies they made along the way are now moving on. Most remain together and leave to explore more space, knowing the rest of the force hate them. A few remain behind and start new jobs. Jacob is the executive officer on an older ship. He is treated with contempt by captain and crew alike. When the captain is killed in a surprise attack it is up to Jacob to handle ship and crew and find a way home.

It was like reading an episode of Star Trek Voyager, or any of the Star Trek where we see the foundations of a story being laid after catastrophe or massive insubordination. I enjoyed it and I think any Trekkies probably would too.

An absorbing science fiction story of alien oppression of humans. Where did they come from and why? The answer can be found but is anybody brave enough to try? Great story.

This was my first book by Robert Stadnik and my introduction to the star ship Phoenix, although I understand there are other books, featuring the Phoenix, in his Exodus series. Although basically a science fiction novel, the author brings the characters to life in a way that is unusual for a sci fi story. In this book we see jealousy, pride, ambition, Intolerance and compassion, all weaved into a book with a good science fiction story to go with it. We are in the year 2145 and for the last few generations the Earth’s people, and several other alien races within the Milky Way galaxy, have been under the control of another alien race “The Screen”. Finally, a group of rebels, including the book’s main character Jacob Diego, steal the Phoenix and form a coalition with the Ni alien race and manage to defeat “The Screen”. Now free to explore beyond their own solar system, which had been forbidden by The Screen, the Phoenix comes across a gateway to other galaxies – The Jumpgate – and we learn that this is how The Screen originally arrived, whilst escaping from an even more aggressive race “The Jokai”, from the Triangulum galaxy, some 3 million light years away. In spite of a consensus among the Milky Way races that it would be unwise to try to use the Jumpgate, an over ambitious captain of an Earth capital ship decides to go through it and, of course, comes across the Jokia, with disastrous consequences and the Earth becomes reliant on Commander Diego to save the day. This was a very enjoyable science fiction book with believable characters and I am grateful to Netgalley for providing a copy for review. I shall be looking out for other books by Robert Stadnik.

I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Set in space, with all the dangers of space including battles, damaged ships, lost communications and heroism, this tale is much more a character driven story. The story begins with a prologue where the Phoenix,a huge starship filled with humans exploring outer space are attacked by hostile aliens. Two men on the ship, Jacob Diego, the ship’s engineer officer, and David Webster, communication officer were among the survivors of the battle.

Reassigned to a new ship under a Captain who did not want them, a crew that regarded them as traitors, and each man dealing with his own demons, they are determined to make the best of the situation and try to retain their careers as TERRA Military Officers. Throughout the journey into space we are told their stories as lived on the Phoenix. Unjustly deemed to be traitors, the men go about their jobs isolated from their peers. But fate has more in store for these two men.

Their Captain wants to make a name for himself. He wants a bigger, better ship or he will die trying. Commander Jacob Diego has been assigned his Executive Officer and begins to see the Captain’s obsession with his own career over that of the safety of his crew. Commander Diego is faced with a moral dilemma as well as a personnel problem. Who will listen to him against an officer whom most of the crew have been with for many years? He needs allies. Will he find any? Will he prevail against such odds?

As the commander deals with these problems, the Captain goes against orders entering a forbidden galaxy, putting his crew in extreme danger. Everything Diego was afraid of becomes true. The ship is attacked by an entity far superior in technology than anything his ship is equipped with. They are left on their own to fight something they are totally unprepared for and are stranded in unknown territory. How the crew comes together, how allies are forged, and how alliances deal with breaking with their own command is a great study in humanity; humans and aliens alike. A fascinating look into a possible future.

A couple of competent space ship officers who happen to also be political misfits are assigned to a ship destined to investigate an interstellar jump gateway leading to an unknown solar system. Most of the crew loathe them, but a few give the new Executive Officer and Senior Communications Officer the benefit of the doubt and befriend them. The long-termed Captain of this vessel, a fellow being pushed out of the service, decides to make a name for himself by transversing the jump gate even though he was specifically ordered not to by his superiors. This exposes the ship and crew to an enslaving alien race bent on capturing every new interstellar species they come across in order to steal their technology. Severely damaged, the Terran ship is rescued by a friendly allied race and returned to their own star system just ahead of the attacking new race. They destroy the jump gate as they enter it so that their pursuit is ended. However, as we learn later, this isn’t the end as this new race is relentless, especially after now knowing the Terran’s exist.

This is more a story about being wrongfully judged and ultimate acceptance and less about space battles. While there is action, it comes in the second half of the book. The majority of this story is about the ultimate acceptance of the Executive Officer and his ship’s Senior Communications Officer. The story is entertaining and kept me reading long after my bedtime when I should have quit for the evening.

I liked this story but although I got 42% into it I wasn’t able to finish it as I wasn’t pulled into the story. That said it was a decent read and I have no complaints about the story thus far

This was a book that got close to being a 'difficult to put down' book. (It probably helped that I had just forced myself to finish a much more turgid book!). This was well written and in some ways could be the start of a series rather than a stand alone or continuation as it is.
The characters were well described with the technical input being low key but in the background. The only slight down side is the last couple of chapters where the action moves quickly but predictably and could have been extended a little or used as a starting point for the next instalment.
Overal a book that I would recommend to fans of Sci Fi easy read novels.

publisher description: After being trapped within the solar system for nearly a century, humanity is finally free to explore the galaxy. But questions still remain about the aliens that oppressed them. Where did they come from? Why did they come to the Milky Way galaxy? The opportunity to uncover those answers finally presents itself. But is anyone brave enough to go through...the jumpgate.


This book is the second in a series, which I was unaware of when I requested it. It is very technically worded, and each word is defined, but you get almost a whole new language in the first chapter that may take away from the enjoyment of the reading depending on your mindset. I could follow the story, mostly, but without having read the first novel there were some holes that were not filled in the story.

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. The ideas and thoughts included in this review are my own.

The Jumpgate
By Robert Stadnik

3 stars

One of a series of Science Fiction novels in the Exodus Universe Series.

While this is one of a series, it can, as I did, be read alone. There is enough of the back story woven into the novel to fill most of the missing gaps.

The story picks up with three alien races working with the human species after defeating a joint enemy. They investigate a Jumpgate, used by threatening aliens to attack planets in the Milky Way Galaxy. With orders to investigate but not go thorough all would seem safe.

While this is primarily a science fiction novel, it does highlight the greed and poor judgement of some leaders, and the affects it has on others.

Not my favourite genre, but an easy and relaxing read.

Even in space human poor judgement affects leadership and people's futures.
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This title was provided by Netgalley and the publisher in return for an open and honest review.