Bearing Gifts Audiobook By Sean Fenian cover art

Bearing Gifts

The Stardock Trilogy, Book 1

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Bearing Gifts

By: Sean Fenian
Narrated by: Michael Karl Orenstein
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $33.90

Buy for $33.90

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

When the over-driven hyperdrive on their mobile shipyard burned out, the Chhrt'ktk't abandoned it in an inhabited system along their path, hoping it would work as a decoy to buy them more time to escape the Khreetan fleet pursuing them.

They didn't anticipate how far the pre-spacefaring species they turned over their broken-down maintenance facility to would subvert their plan.

Alex Holder, a retired engineer, just happened to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right mindset, to find himself chosen by the Chhrt'ktk't to hand over control of their shipyard to, simply because he was the first person they found able to interface with it. The Chhrt'ktk't could not possibly anticipate what he would do with it. And neither would anyone else.

©2024 Sean Fenian and Fenian House Publishing (P)2024 Podium Audio
Adventure Military Space Opera
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about Bearing Gifts

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    25
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    4
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    30
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    20
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good plot idea, not well executed

Listening to this book it seems that all the worlds problems can be solved if everyone just decides to forgive eachother and get along. also while listening I found it easy to forget if this was a book on a space war or if it was a book on how western civilization is oppressive and needs to redidicate itself to pushing equality and equity amongst the entire world

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Has potential maybe, but can't stand anymore 4 now

First contact stories are among my favorites. But after 5 chapters I can't stand listening to it for one reason, I HATE characters that appoint themselves as the only person that decides humanity fate. Alex Holder by chapter 5 basically makes himself ruler of our solar system. If I find myself with nothing to listen too I might give this another try...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

I Want to Like It, But...

Bootstrapping stories are fun. HFY is fun. Military Scifi is fun. Based on the description, I was really hoping to get some of that here.

Instead, there's the same conversation ten times. Sometimes with the exact same phrases. Rarely with anything new, or much in the way of characterization.

Technical specifications get thrown around to make Alex Holder - the main character - look smart. Only the inconsequential details just serve to slow things down. I appreciated one where it got into the guts of a computer testing problem, but it felt simultaneously superficial to me as a technical person while it would go over the head of anyone without experience in the field.

Then there was a point where Alex offers a solution to a major contemporary political issue that boils down to "Why doesn't everyone just share?" and it's treated as a revelation that no one ever thought of before. Honestly, it would be great characterization if the story was trying to portray him as an ivory tower intellectual, but it isn't so it just comes across as a Marty Stu moment.

There are positive moments, which is part of why I really want to like this book. Not to get into any spoilers, but here and there are glimpses of what the story might have been if it weren't for problems with pacing, repetition, and character design.

And to set the record straight, I don't think that Alex is pushing a particularly "Woke" agenda, regardless of what other reviews say. He's definitely liberal. It definitely is a character trait that drives him. There's probably some of the author showing through there. But people need to stop accusing stories of being woke at the first sign of an opinion they disagree with.

Long story short, I like the premise, there's some high points, but the execution wasn't quite there.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

interesting start

This was a interesting start to a series of books which I am sure many people will enjoy. I totally agree with the authors view on the UN. looking forward to book 2.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

repetitive and gets lost in the details

the story is compelling; however, it gets bogged down by repetive plot points told over and over again to each new character.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

To unreal even for SciFi

The US and other World Leaders all agreeing and working together. Everyone does the right thing. Good story made me laugh.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great imagination of what unlimited ability to fabricate stuff would look like

Lack of serious character development. Romantic interest was Wittenberg strained and flat. No serious emotions or back stored of charters

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Good Hard Sci-Fi poorly executed, but will continue reading the series

there is a saying "show, don't tell". This book mostly ignores that to some extent. If you want to go deep into world building befire the actual story, this is for you

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

keep politics out of your writing

Main character went on a political rant which want really relevant to the plot... I get that people have different views but you didn't need a political rant in your book. I wish I hadn't waited my money on it now.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Childish

In overly repeative dialogs the author comes up with political solutions only a kindergartner would think is workable. I love first contact humans as the underdog story, but this was just pathetic.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful