Having already experienced Ashton’s writing through Mickey7, I had a modicum of expectation for the dark, sardonic humor The Fourth Consort possesses in abundance. Mixed with a touch of weirdness, even for the Scifi genre, the story of Neera and Dalton goes down in my reading repertoire as creative, a bit disturbing, and just plain fun—but with a grimace. A bit like the old rides at pop-up fairs, such as The Zipper, Ashton’s writing should always be given a go at least once for the experience but never on a full stomach.

Dalton begins the story with a sarcastic disposition, a sullen attitude, and a bleak outlook on everything in existence. He’s a representative for humanity and a type of planetary confederation, Unity, on a mission to establish contact—and, of course, beneficial trading agreements—with previously undiscovered lifeforms in the ever-expanding known universe. His sidekick, Neera, shares a remarkably similar personality, excepting a moral compass.

With these two space hoppers, readers travel to a planet populated with warrior insect-type beings, which I interpret to be some resemblance to praying mantises, given the matriarchal structure of their society and their tendency to kill and eat the males (all off-page allusions) after mating. I’ll leave the details of what the title means to readers, should any decide to pick the book up and give it a read. It’s certainly very Ashton-like.

For a book that doesn’t quite hit the 300-page mark, this one packs an awful lot in a smaller space Ashton’s writing is both dense and concise, making The Fourth Consort a great choice for those who want the genre but not the hefty investment of time. Stopping far shy of the over-the-top humor in first contact comedies like Mars Attacks or Galaxy Quest, Dalton’s experiences with the minarchs still manages to offer something deeper for him to experience.

I appreciated Ashton’s humor immensely. Not much in books can make me laugh, but the wit had an air of intellectuality about it. For all his attempts at professionalism, Dalton sinks into a few spots of familiarity with some of his contacts/counterparts and lets some idioms and exasperations slip. To my delight, the characters clap back at him, showing humanity does not have the corner market on sarcasm.

Kreinik’s narration perfectly fit the characters and the genre. The enunciation was superb as well, allowing me to speed the book up to 2.5x, which helped the story zip by that much faster. The many character voices were easy to track, and the humor and sarcasm came through perfectly.

Overall, 4/5 for the story and 5/5 for the narration. It’s hard to find fault with Ashton, though some of the background story could have used a tad more development where Unity is concerned. A lot is left to interpretation, which I don’t necessarily like, but it does make for great literary discussions in classrooms or book groups.

Heads up—this book contains explicit language and descriptive violence.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the DRC/ALC, for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion.

The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton

I’m so glad I took a chance on this book! Ever since I joined NetGalley, I dreamed of the day when I would just be auto-approved for all of my favorite authors. So a few months back, when I got an email from NetGalley telling me I was auto-approved for a bunch of books by authors I had never heard of, I decided to say “what the heck!” And I downloaded all of them, thinking maybe I’d find something good, maybe I wouldn’t. So I was very pleased to be sucked right into The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton. I didn’t know anything about this book going in, it I quickly learned that it was a first contact style book. Humanity is linked up with a conglomeration of other species (although they are way down in the pecking order) and the protagonist is part of a first contact team for a low tech species of alien bug type people (I kept picturing them as mantis-like). There is a rival alliance of aliens who get into a shooting match in orbit with this conglomeration resulting in our protagonist stranded on this planet with one other human and a rival alien from a stronger, more violent and honor based culture. The book was a really fun page turner, hampered just a bit by the protagonist being a great guy who was pretty great at everything he tried. He read like a super-competent cis white guy Andy Weir- style main character and was the least interesting person in the story. But other than his bland super-competence, the book was a lot of fun! I would totally read something else by this author and I hope he continues these characters’ stories.

The audiobook narrator did a great job with the alien voices being translated by the protagonist’s snooty AI software. Quite enjoyable. I listened on 2x speed.

The Fourth Consort was a delightful audiobook - incredible kudos to Barrie Kreinik for the voice work. Her finesse around the extraterrestrial voices made this both easy to follow and clear on human vs alien. This first contact story strikes an excellent balance between humor and insight, and I thought the constant commentary on the human species' prey status were both astute and hilarious. Ashton's writing lends itself to visualization, and I could picture scenes in my mind. I particularly enjoyed the use of the AI translator throughout the story, adding both uncertainty and sarcasm to many interpersonal conversations. The ant-like minarks and the mantis-like stickmen were well realized in the text, and the differences in mentality and thinking played well throughout the plot. Dalton's human point of view was often at odds with both insectoid species, and their interpretation of human motives created excellent moments of dissonance. The Fourth Consort would transfer easily to the screen. Fans of the extraterrestrial found-family vibes of Becky Chambers' Wayfarers and the dry humor, but serious stakes, of the Murderbot Diaries will enjoy this science fiction tale.

The Fourth Consort was an interesting look at a first contact scenario. Main character Dalton is stranded on an alien planet with nothing but an enemy alien and an only mostly accurate translator having to try an survive and navigate a culture that is very different from his own.
The author manages to set up a tense and dire situation while keeping the tone relatively light and entertaining. With solid world and culture building and engaging characters this book is perfect for fans of Andy Weir and Star Trek.

I adore Edward Ashton’s books! He’s so good at what I will call ‘cozy sci-fi’. There are always stakes, but Ashton expertly weaves peril with humor and heart . The characters in this story, even the AI translator, are all infused with their own personalities, which made for some really funny scenes. The Second and Third consorts were hilarious and had me laughing out loud several times. And Dalton was a fantastic MMC. Discovering his past and how he came to be where he is was fascinating, and watching his character development throughout the story was so rewarding. But my favorite thing about the story was the interactions between Dalton and Breaker, their unlikely alliance, and eventual friendship. It was just so wholesome and charming. If you enjoy the humor and heart of Andy Weir, Martha Wells or John Scalzi I highly recommend The Fourth Consort! 4.5/5 Stars 🌟

TL;DR: The protagonist is caught in a web of deception, survival, and unexpected alliances. Ashton balances fast-paced storytelling with deeper questions of identity, morality, and human nature. If you enjoyed Mickey7 or Antimatter Blues, then The Fourth Consort will appeal to you. It blends suspense with humor, making for a compelling read.

For me: The best part of this book was the narrator, Barrie Kreinik. She has such range; so entertaining. Ultimately, this story was goofy. I enjoyed the back and forth between Dalton and the translator, though. That was clever. If you are into stand alone sci fi novels that take place in distant universes, then this is right up your alley.

More than anything, thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the #alc!

I really enjoyed the narration and story. It was an interesting storyline with unique characters, I especially like the insect-like characters. I think that the flashback parts could have been done a little better; they seemed not to flow very well with the story. Overall I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

When I first started this book, I wasn't sure what I was in for. The premise seemed interesting, and I hoped for an entertaining read. This book was that and more. I've always liked books where the main character is faced with the challenge of learning and navigating a culture different from their own. In this case, the main character (a human) is faced with trying to understand and negotiate with an alien culture that he is currently stranded with. Add some not so accurate translating of alien communication to the mix, as well as another alien agent that happens to be the enemy of the company the main character works for and you've got a recipe for disaster. What follows is a fascinating and humorous story of survival, and how far you might go to do so. That aside, along with the humor, there was also a lot of political intrigue and even some action to keep things interesting. But I feel that the best part of the story were the characters. There was a lot of depth to them, not only for the main character, but also the aliens he interacts with. As the story goes on and the more you learn about them, the more real they feel. Honestly, I'm sad that this is just a standalone because I would really like to know what happens next. All the same, I'd recommend this for fans of John Scalzi, or those of the Murderbot series by Martha Wells. As a side note for those that enjoy audiobooks, I'd highly recommend this one for that as well. The narrator is clear in their narration, and does an excellent job of giving the characters different voices through the story. It made for an enjoyable listen.

I’m rating this one almost simply for how hilarious it was that I misunderstood the true meaning of “consort’ in the title. It's not just a sci-fi term for 'diplomat'.


I really enjoyed Mickey7 when I read it, but I think I might like The Fourth Consort even better. Maybe because of how much I love Futurama, and imagine the main character Dalton as a more competent Fry and Beaker as Leela, and all of the minarchs as Zoidberg. It was a difficult image to erase from my head once it stuck.

This was laugh-out-loud funny, and made me think which is my favorite type of sci-fi. Edward, you have done it again with this one.

I honestly picked up this book with very little idea of what I was getting into. I LOVED it! If you're a fan of A Memory Called Empire or The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, then this is the book for you!

You follow Dalton in his attempts at First Contact with a bug type alien species. As you can guess, things do not go according to plan, and now he must survive. I loved the philosophical parts of this book, as well as the action and the general sci-fi vibes. It was a perfect mix of fun and excitement!

I was so pleasantly surprised by this read and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is new to sci-fi or an experienced genre junkie! 5/5 stars!

This book did a lot in such a short amount of pages. I really liked the humorous bits, and enjoyed the backstabbing from all parties. I would really be interested in more from this group of characters.

4.5 rounded up. An out-of-work, recently orphaned ex-military engineer accepts a job on a space ship to help spread the word of Unity to other planets. They make first contact with a formicidae-like race (very large, ant-like beings) at the same time another race of explorers arrive. Which of them will get in the good graces of the planet’s species to form an alliance? Ashton has created another character not unlike Mickey 7 (his previous very successful novel). This time, Dalton has an AI translator of dubious skill and their banter is great fun, as are Dalton’s observations and the situations in which he and his partner find themselves. On the serious side are conversations and observations about the nature of sentient beings and perhaps an explanation about why we don’t regularly see other species: “….the temporal window between development of language and self destruction is surprisingly tight.” I hope there will be more of Dalton’s adventures to come.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @MacmillanAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #TheFourthConsort for review purposes. Publication date: February 25, 2025.

***4.0 Stars***

Overall,
This was very Interesting, I found the story very intriguing and original in its descriptions of the characters. Our main character is a scout sent to make first contact with a civilization on a far from planet. What he finds there and the aliens he meets culminate in some wild adventures. The ending left me wanting more from two of our main characters and while i know that this is a standalone I can see this being a series, very loosely similar to Murderbot. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Science Fiction, exploring alien planets and people and if you enjoy a bit of philosophy. The audio narrator also does a fantastic job.

***Thank You Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to this book in exchange for my free and honest review.***

This new sci-fi story started strong as we’re thrown into an unknown world. Unfortunately, the enjoyment didn’t last.

Dalton and Neera are humans representing Unity, a corporation looking to take advantage of a newly-discovered civilization, the Minarch. It doesn’t take long for the two to become stranded on the planet and Dalton is forced to become a diplomat.

Neera cops out and stays with the drop ship, but Dalton gets wrangled into being the Fourth Consort to the scary, insecticide Minarch queen, and his life is on the line daily. The rest of the book is Dalton attempting to get free while not killing Breaker, another representative of a competing corporation and yet a different, although more polite, species.

The majority of the politics, misunderstandings, species banter, and inaction were a real let-down for me. I kept expecting more from Dalton, whose “sacrifice” seemed unnecessary. Neera’s character was a complete washout, and I wondered why she was even in the story.

Barrie Kreinik does a fine job of narrating the audiobook, but at almost eight and a half hours, it was about five hours too long for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Edward Ashton, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

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.

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 Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

As a die-hard fan of science fiction, I really appreciated this book. Good characters and even better dialog. I will definitely be looking into other books by this author.
However, I was a little disappointed in the book as a whole. I was expecting a larger story. For some reason, I felt as though once these characters get over this one hurdle, the real plot will ensue. I was wrong. What I perceived as the hurdle was actually the whole book. I'm not sure why I read it this way, and I'm sorry that this affected my rating. I would love to see these characters expanded into future books.

(4.9999999999 Stars)

This book was really great! The world building is superb, and the character development is fantastic. I really appreciate #NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

If you like science fiction, you should try this book. It reminds me a lot of John Scalzi, or Adrian Tchaikovsky.

I loved every part of this book except the final two paragraphs, but let me expand on that... I feel that the ending is not how I "wanted it" to end, but was perfectly in-line and appropriate with the characters, and how things would have played out in the world this author created. So the ending "made sense".

This one will stay with me for a while, and I really like this author.

I love a good first contact story. But what if 2 different groups, who have beef, make first contact for their respective outfits at the same time? That's what you get in "The Fourth Consort" by Edward Ashton. Out 25 February 2025.

Dalton Greaves is a bit out of his comfort zone. He took a job for Unity, a pan-pan species confederation that wants all sentient life to work together. Nothing like the folks in the Assembly. But he finds himself marooned on a planet with the representative of the Assembly, a fellow who really doesn't like humans and our lack of honor. Oh and the hosts are not the kind of aliens Kirk would take a pass at if you catch my meaning. Dalton has to survive politicking from a society he barely knows anything about while figuring out what kind of human he wants to be.

Narrated by Barrie Kreinik, I enjoyed the delivery of Second and Third very much.

Reasons to read:
-Stand alone scifi
-How does a being that has evolved like humans have cope with more armed species without the use of guns?
-Rather enjoyed that growing relationship
-When all the pieces are in play that politics makes a ton of sense

Cons:
-A certain name made the whole book kinda weird for me