Showdown: A Galactic Cold War Story, Dan Moren, 2020
This is a short (22 pages) story from a universe I haven’t explored before. Moren plunges us into a deadly showdown between a “Commonwealth operative” named Simon Kovalic and a double-crossing bounty hunter, followed by a desperate escape into space. It was a fun read. Decent writing, good pacing, although too short for much character development -- it seems like a good advertisement for the longer series of which it’s a part. (“Book” 1.5, apparently.)
Smirk factor: Above-acceptable: 1.5 pts (No smirks, undistinguished word use.)
Immersion factor: Shallow: 1 pt
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Total: 6/10 (3 stars)