Space Team by Barry J. Hutchison

"Cal Carver is having a bad day. Imprisoned and forced to share a cell with a cannibalistic serial killer, Cal thinks things can't possibly get any worse. He is wrong. It's not until two-thirds of the human race is wiped out and Cal is abducted by aliens that his day really starts to go downhill. Whisked across the galaxy, Cal is thrown into a team of some of the sector's most notorious villains and scumbags. Their mission should be simple enough, but as one screw-up leads to another, they find themselves in a frantic battle to save an entire alien civilization - and its god - from total annihilation." - Back cover.

Originally posted at my blog - Squirtoon's Bookish Blog

Well, at first I had no words for this. It's probably one of the strangest things I've ever read. I've never read a sci-fi comedy before, so this was a first for me.

The main character Cal Carver is definitely the star of the show. He's got a remarkably quick wit, and is possibly the most annoying character in existence. I like main characters I can like, characters that I can cheer for. Cal was not this for me. Cal was a character I wanted to very desperately punch in the face. I wasn't alone in this opinion, most of the characters did as well. How he survived the whole book without being killed, I'm not entirely sure. He should've been. I've also got no clue what Cal actually looks like, which isn't great for a main character.

There was also the character of Miz. She was another character I couldn't stand. Miz is a werewolf-type alien, who had a crush on Cal, until she found out the truth about him. Her behaviour is super annoying throughout, because of this crush she had. Imagine the cheesiest, most possesive girl character you can, multiply it by 10, and you'll have Miz. It just made me roll my eyes every couple of pages.

My favourite character was Splurt. You won't understand it unless you read it, and I don't want to spoil too much. Splurt is the best character, and he doesn't even talk. Maybe that's why I like him so much.

The story itself is quite far-fetched, but still somehow fun. They get themselves into trouble, and somehow get themselves out of it in some very entertaining ways. This was the redeeming quality of the story. It kept me reading, instead of telling Cal to do one and giving up. The entertainment value of the story is what somehow upheld the 4 stars I've given to the story.

I've not decided if I'm going to get the next book in the series or not. Can I put up with two annoying characters for a whole other book? I'm not sure.

Is this profound? No. Is it an iteration of well-known tropes like the Lovable Rogue and the Ragtag Bunch of Misfits? Yup. Was it entertaining as all get-out? Fonk yes!

My opinion is that there's nothing new under the sun, but if you use established elements with talent and skill, they still provide satisfying stories (heck, that's WHY they're so well established, right?).

I laughed out loud a lot, and really got invested in this team - ah, this SPACE team - and their success. The characters are well drawn, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and very clear voices. And yet there's plenty of room for more development of the characters, so I'm keen to read on in the series.

If you like Galaxy Quest, Psych, Hitchiker's Guide, Guardians of the Galaxy, or heck, even Brooklyn 99, check this out!

(Oh and I got the audio version as well, and Phil Thron is my new favorite narrator!)