I certainly expected to like this audiobook more than I actually did. The story is okay but I found the humor to be a bit childish. It's not a terrible story but I certainly wanted to like it more than I did.

Columbus Day
Book 1 in the Expeditionary Force Series
By Craig Alanson
Audiobook narrated by R.C. Bray

4 Stars

An outstanding story that is gripping from the first chapter. The characters are well developed and come alive on the page. There is plenty of action for all audiences.

The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the Native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon came ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There went the good old days, when humans got killed only by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits.

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This title was provided by Netgalley and the publisher in return for an open and honest review.

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In this first book of an 11 book series, Joe Bishop finds himself being swept up in an interstellar battle that begun on Columbus day.
Normally I don't like military books, but when aliens are involved, that is definitely the exception. This is a fast paced novel, with one of my favorite tropes, a sassy AI with a mind of his own. Now I need to hunt down book 2!

wasn't able to get to work though the NetGalley Shelf , tried to download it more then once,and it just wouldn't do it

Could not manage to get into or finish this book, doesn't seem fair to review it based off of only a few chapters.

Columbus Day, Expeditionary Force, Book 1 by Craig Alanson
Narrated by R.C. Bray
Publisher: Podium Audio
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Literary Fiction | Sci Fi & Fantasy
Release Date: Dec 13, 2016

I give a lot of credit to the narrator. This audiobook was over 16 hours long and he had to use a Maine accent throughout. Other than that, I struggled to find depth.

Overall the story was ok, but it definitely was not in the style I prefer. It was very dry and drawn out. By the time I reached chapter 3, I felt like a lifetime has passed and we still weren't getting anywhere. I had trouble relating to any of the characters or even feeling interested in them. Instead of being drawn into a sci-fi drama, I felt like I was listening to a history lecture in high school. (I'm trying not to say it was boring, but it was boring.)


I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review from NetGalley and the publisher.

Such a great and fun listen. I've been meaning to get to this book for a while now, I usually only get to a couple audio books a year so I was overly pleased to enjoy this book. I'm sure this would also be a great read, but the audio version was excellent. Joe Bishop the main character was cast very well, all the side characters were great too. The story was engaging and entertaining and I will be listening to the next book.

Sometimes you aren’t looking for anything heavy. You want to relax and enjoy a book without challenges, one that has no pretentious aspirations. “Columbus Day” fit the bill perfectly.

This was such a fun book! The voice actor, R.C. Bray, obviously had fun recording the tale and it comes through in his voice. Bray’s style brings the main characters to vibrant life. Alanson gets the reader’s attention immediately with a flash forward, then continues the story from the beginning.

Alanson has created something of a cross between Drake’s “Hammer” series and Heinlein’s “Starship Troopers”. Several tropes are evident, but nothing that distracts the reader’s focus from the story.

A solid 4-star review because of the fun factor. I intend to read the next book in the series when I’m in need of another mental Caron of fudge-covered Nutter Butter cookies. A wonderful snack that is deliciously addictive, but unhealthy if you consume more than a single serving every once in a while.

This book was a NetGalley gift from the publisher. The opinions shared in this review are my own and I have received no compensation in exchange for offering them.

Columbus Day is sci-fi for people who like military fiction, and military fiction for people who like sci-fi. If you like either one of those genres, and you like a nice serving of low-brow humor, you'll probably like this book.

Yes, the main character is a US Army veteran, and there's a lot of talk about the chain of command, and Army titles, and training, and marching, etc. And there's a lot of jokes about MREs and body odor. But there's also, by the end, almost a dozen different alien races operating in an elaborate client-patron relationship that sees Earthlings hopping all over the galaxy.

It's a complex space opera involving the attempted subjugation of the human race, as experienced through a sometimes-cheeky grunt with a good sense of humor... and a talking, omnipotent beer can for a friend.

I recommend it.

There are so many ideas here, and the author goes through them like they're potato chips. Some of these ideas are so solid that they would have been the climax of a lesser book. So many set pieces and cool twists and neat little touches that enrich the universe. It elevates the book beyond its workmanlike prose, and I found myself easily shrugging off its quirks -- overused phrases, redundant dialogue, and frequent ramblings about this or that. It's a good one. And it's only the first in a 10-book series! Yikes!

Thank you so much to the author and NetGalley for a free copy of the audio book in exchange for a review. I'll likely be purchasing the rest of the series,

Engaging sci-fi romp. Humans are taken over by one race of aliens, affectionately called the Hamsters, only to be saved by another race, termed the Lizards. Our intrepid heroes, led by narrator Joe Bishop, are sent off world to fight Hamsters. Joe and others realize they are really just seen as slaves by both races. With the help of an omniscient AI called Skippy, Joe and team are able to steal a warship to head back to Earth to save the planet.
Although this is a familiar sci-fi trope it was told in a fresh and well crafted way.
The world building was fascinating and convincing, wholly believable, the main character was quirky and delightful. Secondary characters were at turns entertaining, funny or just plain normal but well drawn. The exception to this was Skippy, the AI. Skippy’s dialog pulled away from the otherwise plausible characters and world. Skippy’s bad dialog simply did not jibe with the rest of the tone of the book.
That said, the book was engaging, entertaining and thrilling. There were just enough fight scenes to satisfy some fans and just enough world-building to satisfy others with humor thrown in for both.


The narrator had an appealing and realistic sounding voice. It was told by soldier Joe Bishop from Maine and the narrator had a convincing, presumably, Maine-sounding accent. He was able to differentiate other speakers as they appeared, though very infrequently with less ability than others. His voice was engaging and engrossing, luring the listener fully into the sci-fi world, to forget they were being read to. His performance was one of the best I’ve heard in audiobook narration.

Columbus Day by Craig Alanson, a good Narrator. Really made the story come alive and felt like I was drawn in right away.

Who knew I loved space operas because I LOVED this book. I was already captivated even before I read the book with its concept. I love first contact alien stories and this book delivered and more. We followed Joe Bishop, a military man, as an unexpected alien attack occurs in the his hometown in Maine. Although this starts off with an attacked, the novel quickly expands its world by introducing us to different planet and multiple species.

I read this as an audiobook and the narrator does a FANTASTIC job with it. From chapter 1 I'm engrossed into what happening and very quickly like the characters. The author does a wonderful job in having a wide range of character and made me very partial to a particular Ruhar family. I think he does a wonderful job in explain the grey in war. I empathized with almost every species we encountered, even some of the bad ones. I also really enjoyed the comparison of military officers and average normal folk.

Beware that there is some military jargon which some new sci-fi readers may find boring but I personally had no problem with it. There are parts of the novel which slow for me or parts which I wan't as invested in, but I think most of the problems that the book has is solved by the second half.

I would highly recommend this to any sci-fi fans out there. I also think this is a great introduction to space operas as it not only has action packed scenes but also deals with the political intricacies of war.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, The Martian by Andy Weir, and the movie Independence Day all have one important aspect in common - humor. Without the levity, all three would be boring and forgotten works left in a drawer somewhere. Reading the humorous description of the first book in Craig Alanson's Expeditionary Force series, Columbus Day, I knew I had to read it and wondered why I had not read it before now.

The Ruhar attacks the world on, you guessed it, Columbus Day. We thought we were saved when the Kristang flew in and attacked the Ruhar. We else were we to do but pick the side of the guys who saved us. As we quickly learn, we made the wrong move.

Having the narrator of The Maritan, R.C. Bray, narrate Columbus Day was a stroke of genius. He again proves he can skillfully deliver snarky, "American" humor while making the end of the world as we know no laughing matter.

To date, there are ten books in the series, but Alanson ended it at a point in the story Columbus Day could work as a stand-alone novel, although readers would be remiss in not continuing,

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 8/10/20.

I didn't even make it to the end of the except. The story is bloated with unnecessary detail and over explaining. I also didn't find the main character likeable.