This book was an absolute blast: witty, fun, and lighter than a zero-gravity tea party. I went in expecting Dalton, our protagonist, to be your typical brooding, traumatized soldier with a death wish, but surprise! Turns out he’s a big ol’ softie with a killer sense of humor. (Who knew trauma could be so hilarious? Well, comedians, probably. And now Dalton.)

Then there’s Neera. Oh, Neera. I have mixed feelings about her. Sure, she’s selfish, but she’s also got a soft spot for Dalton, which makes her... complicated. (Or maybe just human. Or alien. You get the idea.)

The world-building? Perfectly balanced. Enough futuristic tech and planetary lore to feel immersive, but never so much that my brain short-circuited. Soft sci-fi indeed, and I mean that as the highest compliment.

Now, the ending. Whew. I won’t spoil it, but let’s just say I was expecting a supernova and got... well, a very different kind of bang. My reaction? A mix of stunned silence, laughter, and utter confusion. I just stared at the page for a few minutes like that meme of John Travolta in Pulp Fiction. And yet? It worked. The wrap-up was satisfying, especially Dalton and Breaker’s... I want to say friendship. It was an interesting dynamic he was like that brutally honest friend that is there but doesn't know how to comfort you.

Bottom line: This book is a fantastic slump-buster or intro to sci-fi for newbies. It’s smart, funny, and just the right amount of weird. And that last page? Oh, you tease. Now I’m left wondering if there’s more—because I’d happily sign up for another round. 4.5/5 stars, would consort again.

This book description intrigued me, and I'm really glad I read it. The dark comedy, the weird live triangle, and of course the awesome sci fi story make it well worth the read.
It was a bit convoluted in parts, but enjoyable overall.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

Dalton Greaves, ex-soldier and current ambassador for a confederation of species called Unity, finds himself in a bit of a pickle. While attempting to convince a species of insect-like creatures called Minarchs to join Unity, he becomes entangled in dangerous political machinations with not only the Minarchs but also with the nemesis of Unity, a rival confederation called the Assembly.

I really enjoyed the action and fast-paced narrative. While the book was quite short and left much of the backstory unexplained, Dalton is a relatable character stuck on an unfamiliar world, struggling to balance his own (vaguely conceived) honor and morality with that of another human’s and two other entire species’. Humorous and a good, light read; this feels like The Murderbot Diaries, where there could be more stories to come.

3.5/5

I have read, and enjoyed several books by Edward Ashton, so I was excited to be granted access to this early. It had a lot of things I love about an Ashton read- aliens, humor, fast-paced action, and political intrigue. However, this one did not feel as strong as his other books.

Still a fun read though for fans of Ashton.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me for my review.

Ashton does a great job with his far from perfect protagonists, and envisioning how very different aliens might be from humanity. He even managed to surprise me with the ending, even though he'd given a fair number of clues leading up to it. I very much look forward to what he brings us next.

I made it 17% of the way through before DNFing. I think this was a me problem, as the characters and plot were interesting. I’m just not a big sci-fi fan. For fans of Project Hail Mary.

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!