Welcome to
Tristan Smith and The Pirates Below
Professional Book Reviews
Please send your comments to: kphogan@hogan.ca
Review from "Readers' Favorite" Web Site
Completed on: September 23, 2018
Review Rating: 5 stars out of a maximum of 5 stars.
Reviewed By: Ruffina Oserio for Readers’ Favorite
Tristan Smith and the Pirates Below by Kevin P. Hogan is a gripping science fiction story set against the background of a
solar system in the future, with strong hints of adventure and suspense. The narrative begins with the protagonist,
Tristan Smith, and the rest of his day-shift colleagues waking up to find themselves locked in their quarters without
lights, power, or communication. And when he manages to get out, he discovers, to his utter stupefaction, that the
night-shift crew has been electrocuted. Stranded in space, Tristan and his mates must find solutions, reconnect with Earth
and face their worst enemies in an unforgiving environment. Have they been set up, prepared to be used as guinea-pigs? This
story is fast paced, filled with revolutionary technology and space battles that make for a pulsating read.
The novel reflects the author’s research. The confident narrative voice leaves readers in no doubt that this author is a
specialist in space navigation. The plot is cunningly done, filled with surprising turns and emotionally charged moments
that are as engaging as they are entertaining. Tristan is a character that readers will stick with — he is genuinely
flawed, intelligent, and blessed with a rare sense of adventure. Kevin P. Hogan crafts dialogues that carry the plot
forward, allow for character depth, and showcase the wit that enriches the narrative. Tristan Smith and the Pirates
Below features red herrings, cliffhangers, and an exacting suspense that makes it dificult to put the book down. While
the prose is excellent, the strength of this novel lies in the art of storytelling. It’s a great read for fans of sci-fi!
Source:
Comments From My Editor
Hi Kevin,
Thank you for sharing your work and universe with me. You have a great descriptive writing voice, Kevin, and there are
There are many things I enjoyed about Pirates, which I could see you handled with care, including notes on gender and
You take good care of space in terms of sci-fi, I see that you’ve gone to great extents to build a believable and well
I commend you on your work, Kevin. It is clearly a labour of love and was an interesting read. What an extraordinary
Warmly,
m.
E-mailed On: September 09, 2018
Reviewed By: Marina Malidzanovic
quite a few beautiful passages in the text. It took some time to familiarize myself with Tristan’s journey and your voice
in Alien Building Site, making sure to honour the voice and to see if the second installment, The Pirates Below, could
read as stand-alone, which it does!
labour, the detailed attention to the technological advancements of the universe you’ve created, the battle scenes, and
the humour. Some battle scenes were quite extraordinary. Tristan and the crew are quite the characters and I can see why
you would be attached to Tristan and would like to keep him going.
researched technological utopia for your characters, full of very interesting and thought-provoking advancements! I
appreciate that you took the time to write passages related to gender into the story. How gender operates in the future
is a big and important piece of the sci-fi puzzle so great for thinking on that!
undertaking and commitment to seeing your story through. I have a lot of respect for that. You should be proud!