Okay, let’s be real—if you’ve made it to Book 18 of this series, you’re already a die-hard fan. And guess what? Craig Alanson STILL hasn’t run out of ways to make me snort-laugh at Skippy’s antics while simultaneously gripping my Kindle like it’s a lifeline.

The dynamic duo (Joe and that gloriously arrogant beer can) are back with more universe-saving chaos. This time? Let’s just say the cliffhanger had me yelling at my ceiling. Classic Alanson move—dangling that carrot of ‘what next?!’ like a sadistic puppeteer.

Plot-wise, yeah, you can sometimes see the twists coming (looking at you, predictable alien diplomacy tropes). But who cares when the banter between Bishop’s pirates feels like catching up with old friends? The humor’s still sharp enough to cut through a starship hull.

Small rant: WHY must audiobook releases lag behind? R.C. Bray’s narration IS Skippy. Reading this first feels like watching a movie on mute. Still, 10/10 would pre-order again.

Final verdict? If you loved the previous 17 books, this delivers exactly what you crave—space shenanigans, Skippy’s ego, and that addictive ‘just one more chapter’ pull. Newbies, start from Book 1 unless you enjoy being cosmically confused.