Displaying Ashton’s signature humor, The Fourth Consort takes place in outer space in a sci-fi light comedy. A short and quick read. Enjoyable but I did wish for a little more substance.

Edward Ashton has quite an imagination. He has the ability to build what can seem like far-fetched worlds with borderline fantastical creatures. But, somehow he does it so masterfully the stories become feasible and I can't stop reading them. This is an example of that.

Though in a different direction than the Mickey7 series, this story touches on similar themes. To those open to an abstract but feasible story line, with a well crafted world and storyline, I highly recommend. If the beginning doesn't grab you immediately, keep reading, the book will grab you eventually!

While I enjoyed the book, it didn't excite me as much as I thought it would! But it brought some humour that I wasn't expecting and definitely enjoyed. Overall I thought the story was great and well written and was enjoyable.

Thank you to SMP and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

The Fourth Consort was so compelling, emotional, and interesting. It was sci-fi that kept me on the edge of my seat with the right balance of humor. Overall, an enjoyable read that I would recommend to any sci-fi readers out there.

Dear Author,

I laughed, I laugh cried, but I did not cry. Your book was one of the funniest books I've read this year. What a fun ride from beginning to end. I'm looking forward to picking up Mickey 7!

Thank you,

J.D.McCoughtry

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC.

Dalton Greaves is working for Unity, a group working to bring sentient life across multiple planets into a single confederation. But the work Unity is promised is not at all what Dalton is expecting and he ends up trapped on a planet with his co-worker, an alien from the rival confederation, and a city full of potentially hostile locals. Dalton has to manage the wants of the local queen and balance the desires of the two confederations in laying claim to the world. Only everyone, for different reasons, thinks it might be easier if Dalton is out of the way.

Edward Ashton has delivered another funny, unique science fiction story in The Fourth Consort. The book is lightening fast and quickly builds out its world before throwing everything off with new twists and turns. Dalton reminded me a lot of Mickey and the motley group of characters reminded me a lot of the crew in Mal Goes to War (along with all of the translator AI issues throughout), so this book really brings out the best of Ashton's prior works. The final climactic fight made me laugh harder than any book recently. This book will please anyone who has enjoyed Ashton's prior stuff and anyone looking for some easy to read light science fiction. The audiobook also has a lot of fun with the voices of the different species and how it relates to the translator used by Dalton.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy of the Fourth Consort in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book sounded so interesting - I couldn't wait to read it. I'm not sure what happened - but it just wasn't for me. After I figured out what was happening, it could not hold my interest. There were parts I liked - I enjoyed the humor and I liked the technology of the translator. I understood the broader idea of not being tied to your "kind" to find true friendship and understanding. But, I couldn't connect with the story or the characters, I wanted more action, maybe? If this wasn't an ARC I would have DNF'd it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Love me a historical fiction and or historical fantasy book and this is not exception and I always appreciate when it reads like it's all been researched and it actually plausible

I have heard so many great things about Ashton's Novel "Mickey 7" (and the movie adaptation looks great), so I was really looking forward to "The Fourth Consort". However, it just fell flat in a lot of ways.

First, I never really cared that much about or connected to any of the characters. Even with significant time spent in Dalton's flashbacks, I still generally felt pretty indifferent towards him. We didn't learn enough about any of the other characters for me to care about them, or even really understand their motivations. My favorite characters were the other two male consorts. They were funny. Honestly, I think this would have been a much better book if the events were told from their perspectives.

I would have loved to know more about the wider context that this book takes place in. There is some sort of conflict that sets off the events of the book where our characters are trapped planetside. However, we never actually learn about it other than the vague knowledge of two adversarial groups. There's a lot of assumptions and accusations thrown around about said two groups throughout the book, we never really learn what's true. I guess maybe the point is that they're the same.

I think overall there just wasn't a ton that happened in this book and it didn't deliver what it advertised. The description blurbs the book as "Part first contact story, part dark comedy, and part bizarre love triangle". I guess it's a first contact story? I wouldn't exactly call it a dark comedy, it wasn't all that dark or comedic. Love triangle? That was thrown out the window almost immediately. This was mainly a book focused on court politics that didn't have real stakes and no one really understood (especially the characters).

I enjoyed the ending (really the final page), if only because it was so out of left field that it broke up a some of the monotony of the rest of the book. I kind of wish the entire book had that energy.

2 stars

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

An enjoyable survival adventure story on another planet.

"The Fourth Consort" by Edward Ashton kept my attention, and left me wanting to read more when I finished it. This novel pretty much has what I look for in Scifi: spaceships and space travel, explosions, exploding space ships, exotic weapons, multiple aliens, a sense of mystery, and a sufficiently capable protagonist. I definitely recommend to those that like adventure scifi!

I thank the publisher and author for kindly sharing an advanced electronic review copy of this work.

This book surprised me! While marketed as sci-fi and a first-contact narrative, its true heart lies in the compelling buddy dynamic between two of the main characters. The author masterfully crafts believable characters whose actions feel organic and authentic within the story's unique context. Their relationship forms the emotional core of the narrative, driving the plot forward and keeping me deeply invested in their journey. The well-developed characters, combined with the intriguing sci-fi elements and the clever first-contact scenario, created a truly engaging and enjoyable reading experience. The ending, hinting at future adventures for the main character and his friend, leaves a satisfying sense of closure while cleverly planting seeds for further exploration of this richly imagined world. I'm eagerly anticipating their next adventure! Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored Ashton’s Mickey 7. I wouldn’t call myself a big sci-fi reader, but Mickey 7 really won me over. It was witty, funny, and wonderfully cynical while also exploring weighty topics like immortality, colonization, and individuality. The blend of absurdity and deeper themes made it such an engaging read. It was so clever and well-written that it left me eager to dive into more sci-fi!

Then came Antimatter Blues, the follow-up still centered on Mickey, and it absolutely lived up to my expectations. Snarky, cynical, and outrageously hilarious—it was another hit for me.

So, when I saw The Fourth Consort up for grabs, I couldn’t wait to read it. Even though it wasn’t part of the Mickey 7 series, I was excited, given how much I’d enjoyed Ashton’s previous work. But unfortunately, this one didn’t quite do it for me. ☹

The book isn’t bad, but I just couldn’t get into it. I really wasn’t engaging at all with the political intrigue, hierarchical structuring, cultural divides, and miscommunications. Sure, like Mickey 7, there was some snarky dialogue, but not enough. The humor? It was there, but it leaned more toward dry and understated rather than bold and brash. And honestly, the repetitive elements dragged it down for me. I kept thinking the story would’ve worked much better as a concisely written short story.

The Fourth Consort focused a lot on misunderstandings between species due to language barriers. I feel like I probably experienced that a bit myself while reading this book. I just didn’t “get it”. I’ll also admit that my love for Mickey 7 likely impacted my expectations for The Fourth Consort. That said, I’m not giving up on this author. I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for whatever he comes up with next!

Thank you @netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed voluntarily.

The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton

challenging (for all the wrong reasons).

Slow-paced

Plot or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus? It's complicated

2.5 Stars

Suffice it to say, this book/story was not for me. This was an eArc given to me by Net Galley for a fair and honest review...and that's the ONLY reason that I actually finished this book, instead of DNFing it.

I thought it would be a good idea to reread Mickey7, then read its sequel, then read the next published book, Mal Goes to War (even though it was not related to the previous series, nor towards this book), BEFORE reading The Fourth Consort.

Looking back on this strategy, it may not have been the best one. That being said, I'm not sure that IF this book was the first story I had read by this author, it would've been much better, but it couldn't have been worse (sadly).

The way that I viewed this story, is from the anti-Starship Troopers model that Robert Heinlein used (mindless bugs...until you get to the Brain), and also the trope was used in the Alien franchise of movies. Even Orson Scott Card used a similar trope in Ender's Game. In this story, the "bugs" were thinkers, and possibly thought TOO much.

The overall story was TOO convoluted and overcomplicated. In a sense, it seemed to me...the reader, that the author was trying to make a statement...and in doing so, put me to sleep.

I kept putting the book down, just not getting a rhythm with the story, then picking up another book (by another author) and reading it in a day (or two). Then picking this book up, and struggling to read more than a chapter. Then not wanting to pick it up, again.

At first, I thought it was because I got over-saturated by this author's prose (having read all his latest published books), but...no, that wasn't it.

I just never connected with the protagonist, nor the antagonists. The setting was too similar to his previous works, and still different.

I hope someone else likes this book. I really do. I love reading from new authors, and I'm hoping that the next book I pick up from Edward Ashton will be one that I love (or at least tollerate). Sadly, this was one was NOT for me.

The Fourth Consort is a quick, interesting Sci Fi read. I haven't previously read any of Aston's work, but I am eager to pick up something else after finishing this book.

I liked how fleshed out all the races were, especially for this book being on the shorter side. I thought each one was really well defined and their morals/belief systems were well thought out and explained. I thought the mixture of humor was a nice touch to the story. I was really impressed philosophical aspects of this book and was a wonderful surprise.

My only complaint is I never really felt attached to any of the characters. I didn't find myself sitting on the edge of my seat during the intense moments. I can't exactly pinpoint why that is though. Maybe if this had been a longer book? Don't let this discourage you though, I still had a great time reading this book!

I think readers Sci Fi lovers (and those who don't often pick up the genre) will enjoy this one and I encourage you to give it a shot!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

With a synopsis like that, there’s little room to break down the story. But i will say this, Ashton’s ability to make you love the ‘hapless hero’ trope is pretty spectacular and I can’t get enough of it. His main character is the space-faring everyman whose sharp wit and just dumb luck gets him into some pretty interesting situations.

The supporting characters here are also where this book shines. I enjoyed this on audio so the uppity-british accents for the second and third consorts were very comedically received. The ‘Stickman’ and Neera were also quite well developed as we learned about the opposing motivations and the alien cultures, and customs of Dalton’s companion.

Overall, I really enjoyed the pace of this and the mix of light-heartedness with a mix of harrowing scenarios and tribal feuds – which is what is to expect from an Ashton story. Come the for great story and stick around for the sharp wit and eccentric alien characters.

The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton is a fun, adventurous, full of great escapism literature.
I enjoyed this book immensely and am anxious to know if he will continue this storyline or not. I hope the author does. A great read.

I really enjoyed the Mickey novels so I have been looking forward to this one. Unfortunately this one just did not pull me in. With the exception of Dalton, I found the characters extremely unlikeable and the pace very slow. Many will probably enjoy this one, it just wasn’t for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

DNF - 20%
2.5-3 stars

This book just wasn’t working for me. I found it to be slow and I was bored. I didn’t connect with the characters or the story. I found the characters to all be annoying. I read some of the other reviews (both positive and negative) and none of them made me want to continue reading the book.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve had the pleasure of being an early reader for all of the books in this series and I look forward to any other books that come out in this universe! I hope they continue to turn the books into movies! This is completely different than Mickey but equally entertaining and intriguing! I would definitely recommend if you’re into science fiction set in space/ other universes!

#TheFourthConsort: 4️⃣🚀🧑‍🚀⁣
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Thank you @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for my gifted copies! ⁣
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“If you had a brain to match your bulk, you might be dangerous.”⁣
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I’ll be honest, I was iffy starting out. Do I really want to sci-fi this day? The answer is a resounding yes. Even my non-sci-fi friends, this is the one. This is it. ✨slams finger into book for emphasis.✨⁣
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I went in blind because that’s my thing. But I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was such an interesting premise and I really liked the translator aspect of the story. ⁣
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Audio was phenomenal. I had a lot of books to read, but I just kept grabbing the audio because it was so intriguing. Barrie Kreinik had the perfect voice for this. ⁣
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This just released February 25th and honestly, it’s one of my favorites so far because dang this story was so unique and good.