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Brett James
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Tangent (The Outer Rim Chronicles Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Brett James (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 35 ratings
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Three billion miles from home, Commander Xianx Paul helms an antiquated space station orbiting Tangent, a lonely planet at the edge of the solar system. Tangent is a fabled El Dorado, its wealth taking the form of artifacts left behind by its long-lost civilization—powerful relics that have attracted some of the system’s most dangerous criminals.

Understaffed and underequipped, Paul’s crew struggles to maintain order with nothing but the distant threat of military retaliation to back them up. But when an admiral arrives from Central Command intent on advancing her own career, she dismisses Paul’s warnings, accuses him of inaction, and wages a reckless war against a savage gang of smugglers.

But there are more eyes on Tangent than anyone realizes. As other forces rush in to take advantage of the turmoil, Paul and his crew are trapped in a desperate, three-way battle for their very lives.

This book is the first of a series. Paperbacks are available at brettjames.com
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 2
    The Outer Rim Chronicles
  2. Print length
    202 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    January 9, 2016
  6. File size
    769 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B018H0I1FA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fallacy Publications (January 9, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 9, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 769 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 202 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1521086877
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 35 ratings

About the author

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Brett James

Brett James

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Brett James makes irrationally large art installations that he has installed in New York, San Francisco, Amsterdam, England, and Croatia. He has written and directed six films and been honored at a dozen festivals. He was raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

James hand-makes (most of) the paperback versions of his own books.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
35 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

John
5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable read
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2016
Verified Purchase
A very enjoyable, well written book. The story has consistent pacing and a great cast of interesting characters that stand out from the norm, and the main characters were especially charming. The titular Tangent station also came across as a believable environment with a great sense of place, and the wider universe in which the story is set seems intriguing. The ending wraps up the events that happen in the book well but it still leaves a lot of questions unanswered, so I assume a sequel is in the works. I will definitely be picking that up when it comes out.
One person found this helpful
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J. Sasse
4.0 out of 5 stars A crumbling space station, ragtag heroes, and alien artefacts
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2016
Tired of Firefly reruns and looking for a new science fiction series to follow? Tangent has exactly what you're looking for - a ragtag bunch of misfit not quite heroes living and working in a crumbling long past obsolete space station on the edge of the universe. What they are missing in tech and backup, they make up for with moxy and creativity. They are led by Commander Xianx Paul, an almost forgotten hero of the last war. Tangent is not the easiest posting. By law noone is allowed on the planet. In reality several million people live amongst the ruins of a long absent civilization. Smuggling scavenged tech is how the people of Tangent survive, and Paul is used to being pragmatic rather than following the letter of the law, particularly since the smugglers have more firepower.

When a Vice Admiral arrives from Central Command to take over the station, it's only a matter of time before her hard enforcement of the rules brings trouble. Something big has been found on Tangent and more than one party is interested in getting their hands on the item.

One character neglected in the description plays what I feel is the most important role. Tanyat "Red" is the government's political liaison. She is clever, a talented pilot, quick on the draw, and not afraid of her own sexuality. Without her, the rest of the crew would be up the proverbial creek without a paddle. In this, what is clearly the first of a series of books, her character has a more central role than Paul.

This is a stand-alone novel, but Tangent is clearly the first in a series. I look forward to see what Brett James has up his sleeve for the next installment.

4/5

I received a copy of Tangent from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom
2 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars Hate Cliffhangers
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2019
Verified Purchase
Storyline doesn't flow very well. Characters are ok, but not well defined. Absolutely hate Cliffhangers like this one, especially one that leaves you in the dark!
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Jessie
5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting read!
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2016
Verified Purchase
It's an exciting read, with explosive action sequences, including one of the best fights I've read recently. Brett James's stories just keep getting better and better!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2019
Verified Purchase
Great read very entertaining.
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V Su
5.0 out of 5 stars A Worthy Read!
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2016
Verified Purchase
A read really worth your time. Give it a whirl.
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EOD Phil
5.0 out of 5 stars A Thriller in Space
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2017
I loved nearly everything about Tangent. I searched for criticism, but couldn’t find it. The characters are fun and exciting, especially Red. I read the whole book through in one reading. It only took me 2.5 hours and my only real complaint is that the novella should have been a novel. I want more. I will definitely pick up the sequel and any other books in the Tangent universe.

Here is a list of the many aspects that I especially loved (some minor spoilers):

I immediately related with Paul’s situation when an obnoxious boss takes over his command. The admiral was a pain in every sense of the word, but she was never to the level of being a caricature. The author knows how to write characters.

The ancient ring was a nice touch, and it gave me a nostalgic vibe of Star Wars.

The superstar of the book, Paul, turns out not to be the guns blazing hero you may expect. Without Red, his whole team would be pretty useless. Her stance as an outsider makes the dialogue pop even more.

Despite being such a quick wit, Red isn’t perfect. Many authors would have her take a gun out of a soldier’s hands and mow down the enemy. Red’s reaction to death is far more suitable to her character.

Although it’s clear there is more to the story, the book can stand as an individual adventure. There are hints to the future, but they can be ignored and you still have a fun tale.

The downside:

I really can’t think of anything legitimate. The book is too short, but I expect 500 pages would have left me wanting more. There were a few typos, but they hardly justify a lost star because they were so few and far between. Normally I would complain about the limited action, but the book was so suspenseful that I didn’t mind the missing violence. The book is good. I can’t say it any other way.
2 people found this helpful
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