I really wanted to love this, I feel like a lot of good elements were there, but for me, it just didn't quite come out the way I hoped. I think a lot of the tone of the book kept changing and I couldn't keep up.

This was a fun and yet thought provoking read. I really enjoyed the characters and the writing was great. The pacing was a tad on the slow side, but the story was fascinating and very intriguing. It is my understanding that this is a standalone novel, but I am certainly hoping for more books covering the adventures of Dalton and Breaker.

The book is told from the point of view of Dalton. Dalton is a very relatable character, mostly because he is human, unlike many of the characters in the story. But Dalton felt like a real person, he is indecisive at times, makes mistakes, but has a strong sense of morality and what he feels is right. Of course this gets him into all sorts of trouble when it comes to dealing with aliens who have a totally different code of ethics and morals. But somehow Dalton perseveres and manages to survive. I really liked listening in on his thoughts and feelings as he struggled to figure out what was really going on in the civilization he found himself in.

Neera is the other human trapped on the world with him. We don’t get to know her well, but I didn’t like her very much. She seemed to be involved with this whole thing just to make lots of money and didn’t seem to care how that affected the natives of the planet. She wasn’t very supportive of Dalton and his issues either, which was weird considering their situation.

Breaker was the representative from the Assembly who also gets marooned on the planet. He was an interesting character and was often a good sounding board for Dalton as he struggled to understand the Minarch’s culture. Breaker seemed to understand the minarchs better than Dalton. This might be because the Assembly did their homework better than Unity did or it might be that Breaker’s culture was enough similar to theirs to give him an edge. I did enjoy watching the friendship develop between these two and learning a little bit about Breaker’s culture.

The aliens that Dalton encounters were really interesting. They were an insect like people who were the apex predators of their planet. Their society was sort of insect like with a queen, lots of female workers and then the males who were kept in harems and traded like a commodity among the different factions. It was a really interesting concept. I loved the two consorts that Dalton spent time with, they were quite the comedic duo and often made me smile with their comments. The Queen was quite terrifying but Dalton managed to keep her a bay while struggling to keep himself alive.

The writing was great, especially the descriptions of the planet and the different creatures that inhabited it. There were some great themes woven into the story, especially that had to do with what the two groups, Assembly and Unity, were perhaps up to. This was a great first contact story that was heavily influenced by colonialism and racism. I liked it when one of the other non human characters calls Dalton out on his assigning human nicknames to them and how insulting that really was. There are a lot of instances of this throughout the book.

There is some cool tech in this book as well, but I especially liked the somewhat sentient AI earworm that translates the languages for Dalton. It is sarcastic and funny at times, especially when it is struggling to give an accurate translation that has words it really isn’t sure what they mean. A lot of this story circles around language and the many meanings of words as well as cultural differences.

Sorry this has turned into such a long review, but as I said this one gave me a lot of interesting things to think about. I really hope that this isn’t a stand alone and that we get to see Dalton and Breaker again. Perhaps they will wind up with Mickey on his planet in the future. If you are looking for a sort of light yet thought provoking science fiction story this is one you might want to pick up.

While the work started off strong, I felt like it started lagging near the middle. I kept waiting for it to venture more deeply into the politics of the alien world, or some stronger worldbuilding, or some in-depth character development, but none of these things really happened. Things generally remained surface level. The protagonist was relatively passive throughout most of the book, which really made it difficult to engage with him.

I did enjoy the aspects of the book that dealt with "predator" versus "prey" species and how that would change the species' gut reactions to things. The translator was a fun addition and I enjoyed its personality. The aspects surrounding language barriers and errors in translation (especially relating to tones) was also fun. And the author's portrayal of the human species was also accurate and added much to the work.

This one was a bit of a mixed bag, and ended up just being somewhat average for me. If you enjoy very light sci-fi, then you'll probably enjoy this one. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’ve drifted away from sci-fi over the years, but The Fourth Consort reminded me why I used to enjoy the genre so much. It’s a witty, lighthearted take on alien-human politics and first contact, with a strong dose of wry humor and interspecies diplomacy. While it doesn’t dive deep into character development or overwhelm you with complex science, that’s part of its charm. This is a sci-fi story that focuses on being an entertaining read rather than a technical one. If you’re in the mood for something clever and accessible, this is a great pick!

3 stars.
Creative SciFi story that approached the "first contact" storyline from a novel angle. I did have difficulty picturing the various non-human creatures and would have appreciated either an illustration or better description in the story.

This was a fun, relatively light sci-fi read. It was mostly obvious where things were heading in the book, but the journey included a lot of humor and some interesting first-contact and translation issues. The world building wasn't extensive, but it fit the flow of the book and kept things light. I felt the ending didn't live up to the rest of the book, but it didn't detract from it too much, either. It did leave room for the story to continue.

This was an overall very enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to patrons both new to sci-fi and those who are already fans of the genre.

The Fourth Consort is a first contact sci-fi novel with a lot of humor and heart. It's a good choice for readers new to sci-fi as well as long-time sci-fi readers. Loved Greaves, Breaker, and the opinionated AI translator. Fun read. I will recommend this title to my patrons.

I am a library associate and received and advance copy from #NetGalley.

First contact type stories are not something I tend to like, but this one was done well. The writing is easy to follow and succeeds in creating interesting characters as well as a bit of humor. The most questionable part of the story is our main character and why he’s there rather than someone else. He pretty much could be anyone, but that actually works in the story’s favor because he’s so relatable.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Someone please tell me this will be a series. This was the most entertaining book. Totally enjoyable. I have already preordered a signed copy. I love the unexpected lightheartedness Edward Ashton managed to impart in the middle of what starts as a very tense story. I'll admit though I had to go back and read the synopsis again to get an initial picture of what was happening. Once I'd done that I was completely immersed. Snail aliens were an interesting idea. As was Spider, Scorpions aliens. It did make me smile. What a fun, sci-fi jaunt reading this book has been. The verbiage isn't science heavy. Even readers unfamiliar with the genre will enjoy this. The only book I can compare it to remotely might be Binti by Nnedi Okorafor. It has the same humor and relatable main characters. Great book. I'll absolutely be reading more from Edward Ashton.

Overall enjoyment:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Prose: easy
Pacing
(1=slow 5=fast): 4
Scary: not
Gore: mild
Spice: none
Character Development:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Atmosphere:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

On earth, Dalton Greaves was slowly drinking himself to death to cope with grief and depression. One would think that this would make him a poor candidate to be an emissary for the galaxy-spanning Unity organization. The giant sentient snails that run Unity, however, hire Dalton because they like his military career and the fact that his recently deceased father was his only relative. In Edward Ashton’s new novel, The Fourth Consort, we get to watch what happens when Dalton puts aside his grief for the promise of a boatload of money if he survives his years of service.

Dalton’s first mission does not begin auspiciously. Not only does he not beat Unity’s rivals, the Assembly, to make first contact with the minarchs, Dalton and his human compatriot Neera end up stranded on the minarchs’ planet when the snail piloting their ship launches a suicidal attack on the Assembly ship. Dalton, Neera, and the Assembly emissary, Breaker, now have to rely on the kindness of strangers—strangers who turn out to rather violent when it comes to enforcing their rigid code of conduct.

Dalton’s sojourn among the minarchs is enlightening, mostly because it brings him into proximity to Breaker, one of the “stickmen” Unity officials firmly declare to be their (and the humans) mortal enemy. For someone he was told would dismember him on sight, Breaker is surprisingly willing to get to know Dalton. All Breaker knows about Dalton is what he’s learned from the Assembly’s always combative encounters with Unity. Breaker believes that because Dalton and Neera evolved from a prey species, it is impossible for them to behave honorably. Humans lie and deceive. They don’t fight unless they have to and, when they do, they’re probably cheating.

It’s curious, at least to me, that Breaker and the minarchs have such a strange concept of evolution. Both Breaker and the minarch characters we meet are very proud of being descended from predator species and that this is why they straightforwardly fight when faced with a challenge. As I understand it, evolution is adaptation. Sure, evolution is survival of the fittest but “fittest” doesn’t necessarily mean becoming the deadliest thing on the planet. I also take issue with describing proto-primates and early hominids as prey animals. Our ancestral species hunted and were hunted; homo sapiens is a bit of both, especially when we have the chance to use technology.

Aside from the eyebrow-raising evolutionary psychology, I was entertained by The Fourth Consort and Dalton’s adventures with Breaker and the minarchs. There was humor, tension, and a solid helping of pathos to give it all some depth. Readers who prefer their science fiction to be heavier on foreign relations with aliens than spaceship specs should enjoy this one.

This author has a talent for constantly writing enjoyable science fiction novels. Like his previous novels, this one is a lighter sci fi story with the right balance of humor. I would recommend Ashton to readers who are a fan of John Scalzi and want another fun escapist author to follow.

I rarely appreciate humor in novels but this one had me smirking from the start. The humor is woven into the narrative in a way that worked for me.

I would recommend this novel as great representation of anyone looking to try out this author's work.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

In THE FOURTH CONSORT, by Edward Ashton, Dalton Greaves finds himself marooned on a foreign planet after a deadly squabble between the ship he arrived in and an Assembly ship. The Assembly have a disdain for Dalton's group, Unity, and especially of humans. Dalton finds himself with an alien race native to the planet, an Assembly member that scares Dalton at first, and his only connection to anything he knows is Neera, his shipmate before the deadly squabble who is now scavenging around the planet in a scout ship while Dalton is trying to diplomatically find a way to escape the alien race with creating more tension with them and the Assembly and his group, Unity.
I really enjoyed the blend of sci-fi, dark comedy, and mystery in this book. Dalton is wonderfully real: he is indecisive, makes mistakes, has morals, but is also selfish. So relatable, Dalton makes the reader feels like that's how they would act if confronted with this crazy scenario. Ashton's world creation is tremendous, he clearly paints a picture of this planet and of the alien "city" that most of the book takes place in. The aliens are interesting, they have very specific and non-negotiable values that makes it hard for Dalton to figure out how to interact and understand what is going on around him. The variable of the other alien, the Alliance stickman, creates a political conundrum that Dalton spends a lot of the novel trying to figure out, much like we as a world try to negotiate with other cultures politically to understand what they want and also accurately expressing what we want.
THE FOURTH CONSORT is entertaining and full of fascinating challenges that make the reader ponder how the would handles themselves if put in these situations. Lots of appeal across genres, I think this novel will be enjoyed by many.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this science fiction novel about first contact, the ways of the heart, the intricacies of politics and culture, and discovering that it is never too late to change especially when it is for the better.

People have always fled to the emptiness to get away from their old lives and find new ones. Some signed up on great clipper ships going from this land and to that fleeing their pasts. Many went west, changing names, dropping families and becoming something better, and sometimes worse. Space will draw people also. Those who want to explore and those that want to get lost. Abetting in this will always be corporations looking for damaged people, those the world won't miss, nor care if they go missing. These corporations promise much, deliver little, but always need helpers, people with the best of intentions. Even if those best of intentions leave them in a relationship with a Spider-like alien not looking for love, but more to secure her power base. The Fourth Consort is a science fiction novel by Edward Ashton, a stand alone from his Mickey 7 series, this one dealing with new life, new civilization, and boldly making a lot of mistakes while trying to do right.

Dalton Greaves has lost his father, his current girlfriend, abandoned the real love of his life, probably has lost his job, and his interest for being around. An offer of a job, full of new worlds, and new adventures comes to him from a woman called Neera who works for an extraterrestrial group known as Unity. Unity had come to Earth years before promising a new golden age, one that Dalton was still waiting to see. Unity needs humans to travel the stars, to find new civilizations, make contact, and well after that it gets a little iffy. Dalton agrees and soon finds himself in space, but still lost in what he is doing, and if what he was doing is right. After contacting a new race who look remarkably like spiders, Dalton finds that there is another group, the Assembly also traveling space, one that is sort of antagonistic towards Unity. Dalton and Neera as soon trapped on this new world, along with a member of the Assembly, called Breaker, waiting for backup. However the arrival of two new groups has not gone unnoticed, and soon the locals are in a bit of an uproar. Something only a marriage might settle. And the groom in question, Dalton, might not survive the honeymoon.

I've read almost everything Ashton has written and enjoy the fact that he never settles for the same kind of story. This one is a first contact story, with a lot of colonial influence. Sort of a modern Dutch East India company hitting the open stars, making profits over everything else. The book also looks at how we can have the best technology in the universe, and yet simple things can just be missed. A cultural idea, a feeling, a word with many meanings, that can lead to disaster. The universe is interesting, and one I would not mind spending more time in. I like the idea of competing companies, one kind of evil, maybe one kind of better. The aliens here are different, and their culture and ways are well planned out. The book is funny, but also there is a lot of sadness. Dalton has lost a parent, done things in wars he doesn't want to talk about, even suffering captivity that might still be bothering him. Yet he keeps going. Even when he makes he hole he is in deeper and deeper. Breaker also is well-defined, and again I would like to know more about his people and the Assembly that Breaker is a part of. Hopefully there will be more.

Ashton is one of the authors that I will drop anything and rearrange my book reading to get to when I see Ashton's name on a book. I have not been let down yet. Fans will enjoy this. The book also serves as a good introduction to an author with a lot of great ideas, and skill. Also role players will get something out of this, seeing who first contact is more than universal translators and technology, technology that good lead to some bad decisions. I can't wait to read more by Ashton.

I didn’t expect a book about space politics with comedic and romantic elements to be boring, but that’s what this was. The plot felt stagnant; Dalton, the protagonist, was almost completely blank as a character. Neera was slightly more interesting, but seemed present only to set up Dalton so the reader could get to know him (not that there’s anything interesting to know). The reader is dropped right into the central conflict without much explanation, which normally I don’t mind, but nothing became any clearer as I read on. There was just nothing to propel this story forward, and I didn’t find any of the “comedy” enjoyable.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press @stmartinspress , Netgalley @netgalley , and Edward Ashton @edashtonwriting for this free ebook!
“The Fourth Consort” by Edward Ashton⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Slightly Snarky SciFi. Location: West Virginia, USA to outer space.
“Try not to get eaten. Solid advice.”
The “ammies” (giant alien snails) arrived above Earth 20 years ago. Now Dalton Greaves is a human worker for Unity, a pan-species confederation bringing sentient life together. Well, that’s what they told him. He only knows Unity member Boreau (spiral-shelled, enigmatic snail), and human Neera Agarwal,(who convinced Dalton to join so she won’t be the next eaten by aliens). The 2 of them are “ground pounders”; Boreau pilots their ship Good Tidings. Their opponents are the “Assembly” who really, really hate Unity. When Good Tidings fights an Assembly ship, Dalton is marooned with Assembly “stickman” Breaker, (with his nightmare-long, clawed limbs), the Minarch (giant predatory insectoid locals), and Neera. He’s plunged into local politics, alien morality, and a demand from the Minarch ruler, while Neera can’t decide if he’s worth more dead or alive.

Author Ashton has written a mashup of 1st contact, dark comedy, and a bizarre triangle with Minarch queen “First Among Equals”, consorts Bob and Randall-and Dalton. There’s plenty of action-Dalton destroys a giant venomous nightstalker-but not without being bitten a bunch of times. How far will Dalton go to survive? How will he deal with the stickman Neera wants dead? Ashton’s irreverent tale is full of timely cultural references, unlikely alliances, thoughts about morality. It gives me early StarTrek with Snark vibes, and it’s 5 stars from me 🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️🎀

I liked Mikey 6 well enough but this one was better! I thought the world building and characters were really well thought out, and funny of course. The author got a lot of plot into a relatively short book and I am so glad I picked it up! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Edward Ashton's science fiction books, Micky7 and Antimatter Blues, so much that I was thrilled to see this standalone book. It is similar to the other two books in that he has crafted an alien culture in which a bumbling human must try to survive. Written with wit and odd situations, The Fourth Consort is another winner.

Dalton's life is going poorly: his father died, and his girlfriend dumped him. Faced with few prospects on Earth, he joins a group of multi-species space explorers called Unity, whose lofty goals include first contact with alien civilizations. On his first mission as an ambassador, Dalton's crewmembers consist of an alien pilot who looks like a giant snail and fellow Earthling Neera, a fellow scout. They encounter an alien culture, only to find a rival organization, the Assembly, that has gotten there first. Things go badly between the two groups, and Dalton and Neera get stranded on the planet with a crewmember of the Assembly, Dalton calls Breaker. They are in a race to see who can win over the alien culture first.

I loved the moral dilemmas Dalton faced and the diplomatic tightrope he walked. Ashton does an excellent job of world-building and describing the alien beings. First-contact stories are my favorite science fiction reads, and The Fourth Consort ranks right up there as one of the best. 5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is February 25, 2025.

THIS WAS SO GOOFY I LOVE IT.

this book had the vibes of Andy Weir mixed with John Scalzi. It was goofy and fun and silly but also really meaningful and I enjoyed it a lot. The whole concept of it was unhinged.

Bottom line: I really really love a good space opera

The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton is next level and is a step above Mickey7 and Antimatter Blues, which I do not say lightly. While it is marketed as a standalone, I sincerely hope (possibly for the first time) that it someday receives a sequel.

The Fourth Consort contains the bromance of the century alongside the palace intrigue of some of my favorite historical C-dramas and K-dramas. The characterization of Dalton Greaves, a human explorer and diplomat serving on behalf of a mysterious spacefaring organization known as Unity and Breaker, a “stickman” who works for another mysterious group known as the Assembly, was incredible, especially during their private interactions. Dalton constantly grapples with the meaning of duplicity and how to counteract human nature in sight of a hazy bigger picture where he is intentionally missing the biggest pieces of an intergalactic puzzle. However, Dalton makes do and often uses the simplest tools to make the most gains when assessing how to survive daily encounters with the matriarchal minarchs, an alien race who view humans as prey due to their weak-looking appearance. While Dalton’s companion Neera leaves much to be desired with her childlike mannerisms, when First-Among Equals, the minarch queen seeks Dalton’s hand in marriage, the plot thickens. It’s complicated…

While this was my third read by Ashton, I look forward to reading Mal Goes to War next and awaiting future science fiction from an author whose comedic sci-fi mash-ups never fail to leave you wanting more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read. I love reading Edward Ashton's novels. This is a great sci fi novel and the main character is from my home state of West Virginia.

This novel was great and I highly recommend.

4.5 stars rounded to 5.