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4 out of 4 stars
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Russ returned to Evanstown for his beloved grandfather’s funeral. While cleaning out his grandparents’ bookstore, which had fallen into disrepair, he ran across a very unusual rock. To try to discover what it was, he took it to Nina, a gorgeous woman with a reputation for being the most intelligent person in town. Nina invited him to bring the rock to her house later, so she could take a more thorough look at it. She also requested one of the rare firearms Russ had inherited from his grandfather be brought along since she enjoyed guns.
After visiting with Nina, Russ headed home but ran into a deer. Having his gun with him, he followed on foot and put the deer out of its misery. Shortly after killing it, he was suddenly assaulted, thrown through the air, and knocked unconscious. After regaining consciousness, he discovered the mutilated corpse of the deer next to him and overheard several people in the woods, obviously searching for something. Unexpectedly, an enormous cat-like creature, twice the size of a grizzly bear, suddenly appeared. Russ grabbed a gun and killed it, saving one of the group and impressing them with his skills. Subsequently, the leader declared that he was being conscripted into Intergalactic Exterminators, Inc., and it sounded as though Russ didn’t have much say in the matter. In addition, he discovered that the rare rock had somehow drawn the creature to Earth.
Intergalactic Exterminators, Inc. by Ash Bishop is a wonderfully imaginative and adventurous science-fiction novel with intermixed romance. Because most of the questions are resolved, the story can be read as a standalone; however, there is an epilogue that suggests there is a sequel in the works. The epilogue is followed by an appendix with several terms used in the story and their definitions. However, the words are clearly explained at the time they are first utilized in the book, so the appendix should only be needed rarely.
The story begins with Russ regaining consciousness in the woods after being knocked out and hearing the voices of the Intergalactic Exterminators. Subsequently, it wastes no time in capturing the reader’s attention. The novel then goes back in time to inform the reader how it reached that point. The story unfolds with plenty of adventure and excitement, which is not always realistic but is highly entertaining. For example, even though this takes place where there are advanced medical achievements, personnel with very little expertise are used to erase the memories of people who have come into contact with intergalactic visitors. In addition, the methods that are used inflict a lot of pain and usually have bad repercussions, so Russ tries to avoid the surgery at all costs. However, the novel is fun, suspenseful, and intriguing. The believable dialogue incorporates enough interwoven humor to cause me to chuckle frequently. I had trouble putting it down.
The story has an emphasis on the cost of items, which seems unimportant in most science-fiction novels. The most cost-efficient companies are the only ones that succeed. Even though the jobs are extremely hazardous, Intergalactic Exterminators, Inc. is in danger of folding because the expenditures are more than the company is making. This gives it a realistic touch.
Because I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it captivating, Intergalactic Exterminators, Inc. receives a rating of four out of four stars. I enthusiastically recommend it to readers who enjoy adventure, romance, and space-travel novels that have lots of humor. I can’t wait to read the author’s next book. Profanity and violence are encountered in this story. If that is a problem for the reader, they might want to look elsewhere.
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Intergalactic Exterminators, Inc.
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