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Firefly #2
The Magnificent Nine
The second original novel tying into the critically acclaimed and much-missed Firefly series from creator Joss Whedon.
An old flame of Jayne Cobb's, Temperance McCloud, sends a message to Serenity, begging him for help. She lives on the arid, far-flung world of Tethys, and bandits are trying to overrun her town to gain control of their water supply: the only thing standing between its people and dustbowl ruin. Jayne tries to persuade the Serenity crew to join the fight, but it is only when he offers Vera, his favourite gun, as collateral that Mal realizes he's serious.
When the Serenity crew land at a hardscrabble desert outpost called Coogan's Bluff, they discover two things: an outlaw gang with an almost fanatical devotion to their leader who will stop at nothing to get what they want, and that Temperance is singlehandedly raising a teenage daughter, born less than a year after Temperance and Jayne broke up. A daughter by the name of Jane McCloud...
An old flame of Jayne Cobb's, Temperance McCloud, sends a message to Serenity, begging him for help. She lives on the arid, far-flung world of Tethys, and bandits are trying to overrun her town to gain control of their water supply: the only thing standing between its people and dustbowl ruin. Jayne tries to persuade the Serenity crew to join the fight, but it is only when he offers Vera, his favourite gun, as collateral that Mal realizes he's serious.
When the Serenity crew land at a hardscrabble desert outpost called Coogan's Bluff, they discover two things: an outlaw gang with an almost fanatical devotion to their leader who will stop at nothing to get what they want, and that Temperance is singlehandedly raising a teenage daughter, born less than a year after Temperance and Jayne broke up. A daughter by the name of Jane McCloud...
336 pages, Hardcover
First published March 19, 2019
About the author
James Lovegrove
155 books606 followersJames Lovegrove is the author of several acclaimed novels and books for children.
James was born on Christmas Eve 1965 and, having dabbled in writing at school, first took to it seriously while at university. A short story of his won a college competition. The prize was £15, and it had cost £18 to get the story professionally typed. This taught him a hard but necessary lesson in the harsh economic realities of a literary career.
Straight after graduating from Oxford with a degree in English Literature, James set himself the goal of getting a novel written and sold within two years. In the event, it took two months. The Hope was completed in six weeks and accepted by Macmillan a fortnight later. The seed for the idea for the novel — a world in microcosm on an ocean liner — was planted during a cross-Channel ferry journey.
James blew his modest advance for The Hope on a round-the-world trip which took him to, among other places, Thailand. His experiences there, particularly what he witnessed of the sex industry in Bangkok, provided much of the inspiration for The Foreigners.
Escardy Gap was co-written with Pete Crowther over a period of a year and a half, the two authors playing a game of creative tag, each completing a section in turn and leaving the other to carry the story on. The result has proved a cult favourite, and was voted by readers of SFX one of the top fifty SF/Fantasy novels of all time.
Days, a satire on consumerism, was shortlisted for the 1998 Arthur C. Clarke Award (losing to Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow). The book’s genesis most probably lies in the many visits James used to make as a child to the Oxford Street department store owned by his grandfather. It was written over a period of nine months while James was living in the north-west suburbs of Chicago.
Subsequent works have all been published to great acclaim. These include Untied Kingdom, Worldstorm, Provender Gleed, The Age Of Ra and the back-to-back double-novella Gig. James has also written for children. Wings, a short novel for reluctant readers, was short-listed for several awards, while his fantasy series for teens, The Clouded World, written under the pseudonym Jay Amory, has been translated into 7 other languages so far. A five-book series for reluctant readers, The 5 Lords Of Pain, is appearing at two-monthly intervals throughout 2010.
He also reviews fiction for the Financial Times, specialising in the Young Adult, children’s, science fiction, fantasy, horror and graphic novel genres.
Currently James resides in Eastbourne on the Sussex Coast, having moved there in August 2007 with his wife Lou, sons Monty and Theo, and cat Ozzy. He has a terrific view of the sea from his study window, which he doesn’t sit staring out at all day when he should be working. Honest.
James was born on Christmas Eve 1965 and, having dabbled in writing at school, first took to it seriously while at university. A short story of his won a college competition. The prize was £15, and it had cost £18 to get the story professionally typed. This taught him a hard but necessary lesson in the harsh economic realities of a literary career.
Straight after graduating from Oxford with a degree in English Literature, James set himself the goal of getting a novel written and sold within two years. In the event, it took two months. The Hope was completed in six weeks and accepted by Macmillan a fortnight later. The seed for the idea for the novel — a world in microcosm on an ocean liner — was planted during a cross-Channel ferry journey.
James blew his modest advance for The Hope on a round-the-world trip which took him to, among other places, Thailand. His experiences there, particularly what he witnessed of the sex industry in Bangkok, provided much of the inspiration for The Foreigners.
Escardy Gap was co-written with Pete Crowther over a period of a year and a half, the two authors playing a game of creative tag, each completing a section in turn and leaving the other to carry the story on. The result has proved a cult favourite, and was voted by readers of SFX one of the top fifty SF/Fantasy novels of all time.
Days, a satire on consumerism, was shortlisted for the 1998 Arthur C. Clarke Award (losing to Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow). The book’s genesis most probably lies in the many visits James used to make as a child to the Oxford Street department store owned by his grandfather. It was written over a period of nine months while James was living in the north-west suburbs of Chicago.
Subsequent works have all been published to great acclaim. These include Untied Kingdom, Worldstorm, Provender Gleed, The Age Of Ra and the back-to-back double-novella Gig. James has also written for children. Wings, a short novel for reluctant readers, was short-listed for several awards, while his fantasy series for teens, The Clouded World, written under the pseudonym Jay Amory, has been translated into 7 other languages so far. A five-book series for reluctant readers, The 5 Lords Of Pain, is appearing at two-monthly intervals throughout 2010.
He also reviews fiction for the Financial Times, specialising in the Young Adult, children’s, science fiction, fantasy, horror and graphic novel genres.
Currently James resides in Eastbourne on the Sussex Coast, having moved there in August 2007 with his wife Lou, sons Monty and Theo, and cat Ozzy. He has a terrific view of the sea from his study window, which he doesn’t sit staring out at all day when he should be working. Honest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 398 reviews
October 16, 2022
This book's ending made me cry, and that's all I've got to say about that.
August 15, 2021
4 Stars
For fans of Firefly I don’t think this will disappoint especially if you want some Jayne action! A past paramour calls for help, and it looks like Jayne may have to take on an additional role… as a father.
Of course, this made me smile and laugh as I was so merrily entertained with the adventures of the Wild West of space. When push comes to shove, adversity allows these 9 people to show their loyalty to each other despite all the grumbling and bitching they do. Each brings their own wonderful strengths and quirkiness to eke out that crazy violent win that seems nigh impossible, but somehow they do so consistently with grit, luck, and ingenuity!
Lovegrove continues to capture perfectly the complex interpersonal relationships that make up the heart of why this fictional creation still holds so much sway. The crew of Serenity always seems to be the underdog, but one should know better to never underestimate them!
For fans of Firefly I don’t think this will disappoint especially if you want some Jayne action! A past paramour calls for help, and it looks like Jayne may have to take on an additional role… as a father.
Of course, this made me smile and laugh as I was so merrily entertained with the adventures of the Wild West of space. When push comes to shove, adversity allows these 9 people to show their loyalty to each other despite all the grumbling and bitching they do. Each brings their own wonderful strengths and quirkiness to eke out that crazy violent win that seems nigh impossible, but somehow they do so consistently with grit, luck, and ingenuity!
Lovegrove continues to capture perfectly the complex interpersonal relationships that make up the heart of why this fictional creation still holds so much sway. The crew of Serenity always seems to be the underdog, but one should know better to never underestimate them!
January 16, 2022
The Magnificent Nine
(Firefly #2)
by James Lovegrove
This is another audio version I picked up and with the narrator sounding like the Captain it made it really great! In this book, Jayne gets a message asking him to come help a past love. Yes, that grisly Jayne! So the crew flies to see what the problem is. A dry planet and bullies trying to take over all the water, women, and leave people to starve.
Jayne sees Temperance, a past love from 14 years before and she has a 13 year old girl. Things get very interesting for Jayne. Action packed for everyone!
(Firefly #2)
by James Lovegrove
This is another audio version I picked up and with the narrator sounding like the Captain it made it really great! In this book, Jayne gets a message asking him to come help a past love. Yes, that grisly Jayne! So the crew flies to see what the problem is. A dry planet and bullies trying to take over all the water, women, and leave people to starve.
Jayne sees Temperance, a past love from 14 years before and she has a 13 year old girl. Things get very interesting for Jayne. Action packed for everyone!
April 12, 2020
Two years ago, I was pleasantly surprised that Firefly finally had a novel - set before Serenity. Earlier this year, I was pleasantly surprised again that apparently there are sequels and one has been published last year. I keep a record on series I follow and somehow this one fell into the crack.
I decided to listen to the audio version and it turned out to be a great decision. The narrator did a bang-up job, he had the cadence and accent of most characters, including Jayne, who's the center of this novel. Jayne oh Jayne, such a fun character. Sure, the story is a straight copy of the Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven (or Firefly's own Heart of Gold episode) but it is still A-grade entertaining. There's the usual oppressed folks vs. some dictator dirt bags, added with our gun-toting heroes and many, many fights and a whole lot of shenanigans. But that's not all, since this is Jayne-centric, similar with the previous book that focuses on Mal's background, we also treated with the Canton hero's past. I think if you're not a fan of Jayne yet, you'll be one after reading this book.
Can't wait to read the next ones in this 'verse!
I decided to listen to the audio version and it turned out to be a great decision. The narrator did a bang-up job, he had the cadence and accent of most characters, including Jayne, who's the center of this novel. Jayne oh Jayne, such a fun character. Sure, the story is a straight copy of the Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven (or Firefly's own Heart of Gold episode) but it is still A-grade entertaining. There's the usual oppressed folks vs. some dictator dirt bags, added with our gun-toting heroes and many, many fights and a whole lot of shenanigans. But that's not all, since this is Jayne-centric, similar with the previous book that focuses on Mal's background, we also treated with the Canton hero's past. I think if you're not a fan of Jayne yet, you'll be one after reading this book.
Can't wait to read the next ones in this 'verse!
April 10, 2019
Magnificent Nine is much better than the previous Firefly book Big Damn Hero. This book had a better pace and did a better job of capturing the magic of Firefly. Though there's nothing outstanding in this book, it does a pretty good job of filling the Firefly craving.
May 24, 2021
This was better than the first novel, but still has its problems. This suffers for most of the same reasons the first novel did; you can't build any real suspense when the story takes place between the series and the movie. It doesn't matter if someone is in a fight for their lives because we already know they live.
One of the other big problems were a couple of the characters were off. Jayne was too stupid and River was too lucid. Jayne's dialogue was alright, but there were some things that he should have figured out quicker. The thing that bugged me most was that the author has apparently never seen the show. They kept referring to the "wings" of the ship. There's nothing on a Firefly that even really approaches wings, so not sure what he was trying to talk about.
I'll probably read the next book since it's written by Tim Lebbon, but I'll probably pass on the rest.
One of the other big problems were a couple of the characters were off. Jayne was too stupid and River was too lucid. Jayne's dialogue was alright, but there were some things that he should have figured out quicker. The thing that bugged me most was that the author has apparently never seen the show. They kept referring to the "wings" of the ship. There's nothing on a Firefly that even really approaches wings, so not sure what he was trying to talk about.
I'll probably read the next book since it's written by Tim Lebbon, but I'll probably pass on the rest.
December 31, 2019
I take it back. I'm not reading any more of this series. The writing's just terrible.
So much expositional chatter!
And it beats you over the head with something that's obvious(Jayne's dumb but he's not THAT dumb.) and is also just an obvious red herring.
So much expositional chatter!
And it beats you over the head with something that's obvious(Jayne's dumb but he's not THAT dumb.) and is also just an obvious red herring.
August 14, 2024
i fucking love firefly
March 17, 2022
Wow! I loved this side of Jayne and I need more! The characterizations were spot on and I loved every minute of this one! When an old flame contacts Jayne in need of help, he and the crew of Serenity come to the rescue! I loved little Jane and Temperance was just the sort of badass female that I loved to see Jayne with. Zoe and Wash were adorable as always, and there was even some Mal/Inara stuff going on in the background. Really looking forward to reading the rest of these books, especially if they are as good as this one!
October 12, 2023
I got me a shiny orangish toque, a cunning Jayne hat (and I even wear it when I am plowing my Manitoba driveway during blizzards), so I love me a tale about the Hero of Canton. And this here The Magnificent Nine is something of a redemptive tale for our Jayne.
He's crass, he's a wee bit dishonourable, he's a horndog, he's uncouth, but he's one of Mal's crew, so he is also crazy tough, surprisingly reliable, nearly loyal (when he's not being a wee bit dishonourable), and just a bit lovable.
In The Magnificent Nine, which feels like one of the most epic episodes of Firefly never filmed, Jayne is our main character. He is called to a planet by the love of his life to save her and her fellow settlers from a group of epic douchebags called the Scourers. It's very much the Seven Samurai - Magnificent Seven - blah, blah, blah, but with characters we know and love. And a teenager named Jane, who happens to be the daughter of the love of Jayne's life.
Things turn out just fine, of course, but what matters most are all of the pivotal moments for Jayne Cobb as a character. Had this been a true episode in a second season of Firefly (well ... maybe a "very special" two-parter) Jayne would have found his mojo with fans everywhere. He is his same old brash and ridiculous self with a whole lot of softened edges, moments of growth, and love from the crew that usually loves to hate him.
The Magnificent Nine is episode 2 of a second season that never happened, and it is everything a Firefly fan could want. And it sure doesn't hurt that James Anderson Foster captures the cadence of Joss Whedon's characters. He's not just an actor of Firefly books, I am certain he is a fan of Firefly and it shows. Give him a listen if you can.
He's crass, he's a wee bit dishonourable, he's a horndog, he's uncouth, but he's one of Mal's crew, so he is also crazy tough, surprisingly reliable, nearly loyal (when he's not being a wee bit dishonourable), and just a bit lovable.
In The Magnificent Nine, which feels like one of the most epic episodes of Firefly never filmed, Jayne is our main character. He is called to a planet by the love of his life to save her and her fellow settlers from a group of epic douchebags called the Scourers. It's very much the Seven Samurai - Magnificent Seven - blah, blah, blah, but with characters we know and love. And a teenager named Jane, who happens to be the daughter of the love of Jayne's life.
Things turn out just fine, of course, but what matters most are all of the pivotal moments for Jayne Cobb as a character. Had this been a true episode in a second season of Firefly (well ... maybe a "very special" two-parter) Jayne would have found his mojo with fans everywhere. He is his same old brash and ridiculous self with a whole lot of softened edges, moments of growth, and love from the crew that usually loves to hate him.
The Magnificent Nine is episode 2 of a second season that never happened, and it is everything a Firefly fan could want. And it sure doesn't hurt that James Anderson Foster captures the cadence of Joss Whedon's characters. He's not just an actor of Firefly books, I am certain he is a fan of Firefly and it shows. Give him a listen if you can.
April 12, 2020
Максимально не объективная оценка.
Просто потому что Светлячок - в топе 3 любимых сериалов, которые пересмотрены раз 20, а миссия Серенити - топ 5 лучших фильмов.
Просто потому что эту вселенную у нас отняли, забрали и оставили с носом на долгие годы. И вот теперь вышло три новые серии любимых приключений.
Поэтому не важно , что герои - картонные (я ж их из сериала прекрасно знаю, а остальные не очень то важны). Что диалоги - тупенькие, а сюжет - примитивен (я этого не говорила).
За возможность окунуться в любимую историю - я все прощу ♥️
Просто потому что Светлячок - в топе 3 любимых сериалов, которые пересмотрены раз 20, а миссия Серенити - топ 5 лучших фильмов.
Просто потому что эту вселенную у нас отняли, забрали и оставили с носом на долгие годы. И вот теперь вышло три новые серии любимых приключений.
Поэтому не важно , что герои - картонные (я ж их из сериала прекрасно знаю, а остальные не очень то важны). Что диалоги - тупенькие, а сюжет - примитивен (я этого не говорила).
За возможность окунуться в любимую историю - я все прощу ♥️
June 2, 2019
Rating of 4.5.
Fresh off writing the fantastic first book in this new series of Firefly tie-in novels, author James Lovegrove has crafted another amazing Firefly book that focuses on one of the more entertaining members of the Serenity crew, the hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne.
As I mentioned when I reviewed the first book in this new series of Firefly novels, Big Damn Hero, and in one of my subsequent Waiting on Wednesday entries, I am a massive fan of the Firefly franchise and was particularly eager to read the second book in this new series, The Magnificent Nine, which sounded liked it had an amazing plot. As a result, I made sure to order this copy online well in advance and was extremely happy when it came last week so close to the worldwide release date. I managed to read through it in about a day, and once again had the amazing feeling of being transported back into Firefly universe.
Out in the darkness of the verse, the crew of the Firefly class ship Serenity is up to its old tricks, searching for smuggling jobs that will keep them flying, while at the same time staying off the Alliance’s radar. While Captain Malcolm Reynolds is used to anticipating the needs and wants of the inhabitants of his ship, he is completely thrown when a request for an unpaid mercy mission comes from one of the most unlikely members of his crew. Serenity’s resident disgruntled mercenary, Jayne Cobb, suddenly asks that the ship be diverted to the backwater world of Thetis. An old flame of Jayne’s, Temperance McCloud, has reached out requesting aid. A vicious bandit, Elias Vandal, is threatening her small town of Coogan’s Bluff with a horde of trigger-happy thieves and murderers. Mal initially does not take the request seriously, but then Jayne does the unthinkable and offers up his most prized possession, his beloved gun, Vera, as payment for the crew’s help.
Arriving at Thetis, the crew find that not only are the inhabitants of Coogan’s Bluff reluctant to get involved in any sort of fight, but a well-armed force of killers is waiting for them and spoiling for a fight. However, the most shocking discovery is the fact that Temperance is raising a teenage daughter, born less than a year after Temperance and Jayne parted ways and named Jane McCloud.
View the full review at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/04/01/...
For other exciting reviews, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
Fresh off writing the fantastic first book in this new series of Firefly tie-in novels, author James Lovegrove has crafted another amazing Firefly book that focuses on one of the more entertaining members of the Serenity crew, the hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne.
As I mentioned when I reviewed the first book in this new series of Firefly novels, Big Damn Hero, and in one of my subsequent Waiting on Wednesday entries, I am a massive fan of the Firefly franchise and was particularly eager to read the second book in this new series, The Magnificent Nine, which sounded liked it had an amazing plot. As a result, I made sure to order this copy online well in advance and was extremely happy when it came last week so close to the worldwide release date. I managed to read through it in about a day, and once again had the amazing feeling of being transported back into Firefly universe.
Out in the darkness of the verse, the crew of the Firefly class ship Serenity is up to its old tricks, searching for smuggling jobs that will keep them flying, while at the same time staying off the Alliance’s radar. While Captain Malcolm Reynolds is used to anticipating the needs and wants of the inhabitants of his ship, he is completely thrown when a request for an unpaid mercy mission comes from one of the most unlikely members of his crew. Serenity’s resident disgruntled mercenary, Jayne Cobb, suddenly asks that the ship be diverted to the backwater world of Thetis. An old flame of Jayne’s, Temperance McCloud, has reached out requesting aid. A vicious bandit, Elias Vandal, is threatening her small town of Coogan’s Bluff with a horde of trigger-happy thieves and murderers. Mal initially does not take the request seriously, but then Jayne does the unthinkable and offers up his most prized possession, his beloved gun, Vera, as payment for the crew’s help.
Arriving at Thetis, the crew find that not only are the inhabitants of Coogan’s Bluff reluctant to get involved in any sort of fight, but a well-armed force of killers is waiting for them and spoiling for a fight. However, the most shocking discovery is the fact that Temperance is raising a teenage daughter, born less than a year after Temperance and Jayne parted ways and named Jane McCloud.
View the full review at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/04/01/...
For other exciting reviews, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
October 16, 2021
A decent book, the storyline (no spoilers) delivers what you expect from a Firefly universe novel, the storyline includes some new themes/ideas and is not just using previously used ideas. I found the story fresh and imaginative, it was interesting, exciting in parts, slower in other parts, but in conclusion the story is a good addition to the Firefly universe. The front cover is exceptionally good, and in your hands the paper of the book is quality, I am impressed reading the 1st two books in this series of six. Cannot find anything to be too critical of, I am a firefly fan, and this book is readable and enjoyable, that is all I wanted. The characters and story line are well detailed, the storyline is easy to follow and as a reader you never get confused about what is happening. Well worth reading, no editorial errors. Enjoyanble.
July 16, 2020
I love Serenity! Am so glad James Lovegrove picked up this series & he does such a great job with it. My only minus to the novel was that Jayne was played just a little too dense. I found I enjoyed this book a bit more than “Big Damn Hero”. If you’re a fan of the show &/or movie this book/series is worth reading.
Browncoat forever!
Browncoat forever!
March 24, 2019
Some of the characters were a little iffy at times (and River, who can be incredibly tricky, felt right more often than not) but otherwise a very good addition to the Firefly canon. It might rely a bit too heavily on established canon/episodes, but it's nowhere near as rampant as it could be.
June 11, 2019
With "The Magnificent Nine" author James Lovegrove again offers up another solid story set in the Firefly 'verse. The characters all seemed true to their television counterparts and the plot felt like it could've filled another hour-long episode. In this story, different characters step to the forefront, Jayne most notably. Doctor Simon, Inara, Mal and Zoe have solid supporting roles too. It is a fun jaunt into Jayne's past--history that we learned little about in the show itself. Another page-turner for me. Looking forward to the next Firefly offering from Titan Books. Shiny!
September 22, 2019
First if you want more firefly you need to read this book. Its like watching another episode. Well written each character is captured perfectly. The have the voice of each found in the short-lived series and fills the void when the show was canceled. Many times shows following believed characters from a movie or television don’t live up to what the actors give. Not true here. I have already ordered book three. Like the show I can’t get enough and several of the speculations about the characters is explored further so we get some answers to question the show laid the groundwork for. I read a few of the treatments for season two and hope those unfilmed episodes are translated into more books.
July 7, 2021
Another very fun book that seems like an extended episode of the beloved show. We listened to this on audio and the narrator did a good job. I liked learning a little bit more about Jayne and seeing his softer side. It also helps fill in a little more of what happened between the end of the show and the movie, explaining a little more why Inara and Shepherd Book are no longer on Serenity when the movie starts.
This is a classic Western story, pretty much what you'd expect per the title. It was fun and funny although parts of it were pretty dark!
This is a classic Western story, pretty much what you'd expect per the title. It was fun and funny although parts of it were pretty dark!
July 14, 2021
3.75/5
It's Firefly fan fic, if you like the show i think there's enough nods and winks to the past for enjoyment but it also acts like a good Ep that starts filling in the gaps between the show and the film.
Not sure fans without prior knowledge will he as invested, however, i enjoyed it.
It's Firefly fan fic, if you like the show i think there's enough nods and winks to the past for enjoyment but it also acts like a good Ep that starts filling in the gaps between the show and the film.
Not sure fans without prior knowledge will he as invested, however, i enjoyed it.
September 6, 2023
Books based on television series always come with a generous serving of cheese, and it can be hard to accept your beloved characters in these new situations. This is NOT the case with the Magnificent Nine. James Lovegrove has nailed it; the characters act like and sound like just how you would expect. There's some cheese here and there, but it's not cringey; the familiar quips lean more towards endearing. There were a few plot twists that I didn't even see coming. Thanks for keeping the Browncoat dream alive.
March 11, 2020
3 stars. This was better than book one but then some of the characters kinda suffer personality wise here. Jayne and River particularly. Jayne is a big, gruff airhead at times but he’s not stupid and the author really makes him come across that way here. River is a particularly difficult character to get right as she is the most complex and the author definitely didn’t get her right and I don’t think he actually understands her. She was just all over the place character wise here and she felt completely OOC to me.
The plot of this was fine, I liked that Jayne was the primary focus but man did I hate Temperance and her daughter. They both annoyed the shit out of me and honestly by the way this ended it made me feel like they added absolutely nothing to the story overall. Just a waste of time.
The pacing was a whole lot better in this one and I was thoroughly entertained throughout. The action scenes are great and the humor landed for me and the other characters felt true to themselves. This series hasn’t wowed me yet but I will read the third book when it comes out because they are fun reads.
{Challenges completed:
✔Romance Readers Reading Group: March Monthly Challenge (8 out of 10)
✔The Challenge Factory: Lost in Space Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: The Bookish Life Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: Women’s History Month Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: Hunt the Serial Killer Challenge}
The plot of this was fine, I liked that Jayne was the primary focus but man did I hate Temperance and her daughter. They both annoyed the shit out of me and honestly by the way this ended it made me feel like they added absolutely nothing to the story overall. Just a waste of time.
The pacing was a whole lot better in this one and I was thoroughly entertained throughout. The action scenes are great and the humor landed for me and the other characters felt true to themselves. This series hasn’t wowed me yet but I will read the third book when it comes out because they are fun reads.
{Challenges completed:
✔Romance Readers Reading Group: March Monthly Challenge (8 out of 10)
✔The Challenge Factory: Lost in Space Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: The Bookish Life Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: Women’s History Month Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: Hunt the Serial Killer Challenge}
April 7, 2019
3.5 stars. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first, but it's still always a treat to get to visit with the Firefly crew! I felt the story was a little too reminiscent of previous episodes and the twist was fairly easy to guess. Not bad, but not as good as I'd hoped it would be.
April 12, 2019
The author tries too hard at times to emulate the TV series and I don't agree with certain character traits, but this did feel like the Firefly universe most of the time.
August 22, 2021
"The Magnificent Nine" von der Firefly-Serie - awwww! Was habe ich jede Seite wieder geliebt!
Die Charaktere erwachen wirklich haargenau wieder zum Leben und Fans der Serie/ des Films werden sie alle wiedererkennen. Dieses Buch (ich weiß nicht ob das für die gesamte Reihe gilt) spielt zwischen Serie und Film und erzählt hier eine Jayne-zentrierte Story.
Als sich eine alte Flamme von Jayne mit einem Hilferuf bei ihm meldet, steht für die Crew der Serenity schnell fest, dass sie das Dorf auf dem Wüstenplaneten Thetis nicht sich selbst überlassen können, wenn eine Bande voller Banditen es angreift und droht, den Wasservorrat zu übernehmen. Beim Wiedersehen mit seiner alten Komplizin/Freundin Temperance steht Jayne noch eine Überraschung bevor ... alle glorreichen Neun der Mannschaft haben ihren Auftritt, wobei Jayne hier an vorderster Front ist. Wash und Zoe haben ein wenig Romantik-Anteile, Mal seine Zweifel, Simon und Kaylee kommen sich immer noch nicht näher, River ist typisch River, Shepherd Book bringt nützliches Wissen aus der Vergangenheit mit und Inara ist so klassisch wie immer. Es passt sich alles haargenau ins Serienuniversum ein. Inara und Book denken hier auch bereits darüber nach, die Serenity zu verlassen und Book liebäugelt mit dem Planeten Haven. Es ist wundervoll, endlich wieder bei der Crew zu sein und mehr vonihrer Story zu erleben! Als eingefleischter Fan habe ich es von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite geliebt - tatsächlich noch ein wenig mehr als Band 1, der mir etwas zu spannungsvoll war. Hier gab es ebenfalls viele spannende Momente, Schießereien, Verletzungen, sehr knappe Kisten, aber ich saß nicht so auf glühenden Kohlen wie in Band 1, wo es mir etwas zu viel des Guten war.
Große Empfehlung für Fans!
Die Charaktere erwachen wirklich haargenau wieder zum Leben und Fans der Serie/ des Films werden sie alle wiedererkennen. Dieses Buch (ich weiß nicht ob das für die gesamte Reihe gilt) spielt zwischen Serie und Film und erzählt hier eine Jayne-zentrierte Story.
Als sich eine alte Flamme von Jayne mit einem Hilferuf bei ihm meldet, steht für die Crew der Serenity schnell fest, dass sie das Dorf auf dem Wüstenplaneten Thetis nicht sich selbst überlassen können, wenn eine Bande voller Banditen es angreift und droht, den Wasservorrat zu übernehmen. Beim Wiedersehen mit seiner alten Komplizin/Freundin Temperance steht Jayne noch eine Überraschung bevor ... alle glorreichen Neun der Mannschaft haben ihren Auftritt, wobei Jayne hier an vorderster Front ist. Wash und Zoe haben ein wenig Romantik-Anteile, Mal seine Zweifel, Simon und Kaylee kommen sich immer noch nicht näher, River ist typisch River, Shepherd Book bringt nützliches Wissen aus der Vergangenheit mit und Inara ist so klassisch wie immer. Es passt sich alles haargenau ins Serienuniversum ein. Inara und Book denken hier auch bereits darüber nach, die Serenity zu verlassen und Book liebäugelt mit dem Planeten Haven. Es ist wundervoll, endlich wieder bei der Crew zu sein und mehr vonihrer Story zu erleben! Als eingefleischter Fan habe ich es von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite geliebt - tatsächlich noch ein wenig mehr als Band 1, der mir etwas zu spannungsvoll war. Hier gab es ebenfalls viele spannende Momente, Schießereien, Verletzungen, sehr knappe Kisten, aber ich saß nicht so auf glühenden Kohlen wie in Band 1, wo es mir etwas zu viel des Guten war.
Große Empfehlung für Fans!
February 12, 2023
*Spoilers*
James Lovegrove does a pretty good job with this series, having read the first two now they really feel like they could have been episodes we never got in the series. However they're not exactly the most eliciting stories. The Magnificent Nine is a classic western story of some reluctant heroes coming across a town overran by bandits and in need saving. (Perhaps this one should have been called "Big Damn Heros" not the first one?).
Lovegrove does a really good job of getting the dialogue right for all the characters from the original TV show. He also explores some of the backgrounds of each of the characters that we never got to see in the show, movie and comics. However doesn't really do too much to develop them. Obvious this is because he's limited by how much the characters can grown based on their appearance in Serenity (2005) which is probably a fairly difficult task.
While the story itself feels like it could be straight from an episode of the show, it's ultimately fairly boring. There isn't much in the way of excitement or intrigue here. Just a straight story about saving a town. There's also the sideplot about Jayne's daughter-not daughter, Jane. But again it ends with it all being false and a misunderstanding as this would have dramatically changed the character for the movie, so once again Lovegrove's hands are tied.
I don't Lovegrove's writing is bad here, it's limited by having to fit it into the existing cannon. That being said if you wanted a another episode of Firefly, it works for that.
James Lovegrove does a pretty good job with this series, having read the first two now they really feel like they could have been episodes we never got in the series. However they're not exactly the most eliciting stories. The Magnificent Nine is a classic western story of some reluctant heroes coming across a town overran by bandits and in need saving. (Perhaps this one should have been called "Big Damn Heros" not the first one?).
Lovegrove does a really good job of getting the dialogue right for all the characters from the original TV show. He also explores some of the backgrounds of each of the characters that we never got to see in the show, movie and comics. However doesn't really do too much to develop them. Obvious this is because he's limited by how much the characters can grown based on their appearance in Serenity (2005) which is probably a fairly difficult task.
While the story itself feels like it could be straight from an episode of the show, it's ultimately fairly boring. There isn't much in the way of excitement or intrigue here. Just a straight story about saving a town. There's also the sideplot about Jayne's daughter-not daughter, Jane. But again it ends with it all being false and a misunderstanding as this would have dramatically changed the character for the movie, so once again Lovegrove's hands are tied.
I don't Lovegrove's writing is bad here, it's limited by having to fit it into the existing cannon. That being said if you wanted a another episode of Firefly, it works for that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2021
Much better than "Big Damn Hero", but not perfect
I decided to drop the series of Firefly novels after having read "Big Damn Hero"; my worst read of 2018 as I found it completely bland and uninspiring. But I received this as a gift sometime after and finally got around to reading it.
Lovegrove clearly loves writing about Jayne, so it was for the best to put Jayne and his past (and future?) front and center and introducing new characters to flesh Jayne out and putting Jayne in familiar and unfamiliar situations. And I also liked the new characters a lot, both the white and the black hats.
By biggest issue with this book is that Lovegrove has a much better handle of some characters than other characters. Jayne/Mal/Zoë/Wash are well-written, they have a natural place in the story and their personalities are intact. Inara/Book/Kaylee all have their moments and then kind of fade into the background. Simon/River feel like a waste of space, despite of River having some great moments when it comes to fighting, otherwise they are both kind of just there or playing doctor.
My other big problem is the overuse of references to the best moments of each character from the show; how many mentions of Jayne’s hat and Vera are really necessary? Was it needed to have a version of Mal’s “not a democracy-speech”? And so on.
I’m glad that I read it, and I have already moved on to “The Ghost Machine”.
I decided to drop the series of Firefly novels after having read "Big Damn Hero"; my worst read of 2018 as I found it completely bland and uninspiring. But I received this as a gift sometime after and finally got around to reading it.
Lovegrove clearly loves writing about Jayne, so it was for the best to put Jayne and his past (and future?) front and center and introducing new characters to flesh Jayne out and putting Jayne in familiar and unfamiliar situations. And I also liked the new characters a lot, both the white and the black hats.
By biggest issue with this book is that Lovegrove has a much better handle of some characters than other characters. Jayne/Mal/Zoë/Wash are well-written, they have a natural place in the story and their personalities are intact. Inara/Book/Kaylee all have their moments and then kind of fade into the background. Simon/River feel like a waste of space, despite of River having some great moments when it comes to fighting, otherwise they are both kind of just there or playing doctor.
My other big problem is the overuse of references to the best moments of each character from the show; how many mentions of Jayne’s hat and Vera are really necessary? Was it needed to have a version of Mal’s “not a democracy-speech”? And so on.
I’m glad that I read it, and I have already moved on to “The Ghost Machine”.
January 24, 2020
Neįsivaizduoju žmogaus, nemačiusio „Firefly“, bet skaitančio šitą knygą. Yra aibė smulkmenų ir netgi labai ne smulkmenų, kurios praslys pro akis nežinančiam kanono. Bet netgi ne tai svarbiausia – yra tiek geresnių knygų, kad pasirinkti šitą – kone mirtina nuodėmė. Na, taip – esu nuodėmingas. Kas ne, pradėkit rinkti akmenis, gali prireikt.
Kaip ir pirmoji šio ciklo knyga, taip ir ši – tiesiog dar viena „Firefly“ serija, tik ne ekrane, o popieriuje. Ir net ne pati stipriausia. Bet pameluosiu, kad visai nebuvo malonu sutikti senus pažįstamus. Tiesą sakant, sandoris buvo garbingas – žinojau, ką gausiu. Tai tą ir gavau. Greito maisto užkandį. Ne itin įmantrų, bet iš anksto žinomo skonio, iš popierinio maišelio, valgomą čia pat, gatvėje.
Trys iš penkių. Net už nostalgijos liūno pamakalavimą negaliu duot keturių.
Kaip ir pirmoji šio ciklo knyga, taip ir ši – tiesiog dar viena „Firefly“ serija, tik ne ekrane, o popieriuje. Ir net ne pati stipriausia. Bet pameluosiu, kad visai nebuvo malonu sutikti senus pažįstamus. Tiesą sakant, sandoris buvo garbingas – žinojau, ką gausiu. Tai tą ir gavau. Greito maisto užkandį. Ne itin įmantrų, bet iš anksto žinomo skonio, iš popierinio maišelio, valgomą čia pat, gatvėje.
Trys iš penkių. Net už nostalgijos liūno pamakalavimą negaliu duot keturių.
February 12, 2020
I found this randomly when i took my son to the library. Loved the tv show but couldn't get excited about the graphic novels. The first chapter captures the characters of firefly perfectly in the most firefly way possible. My favorite chapter I'd the first chapter. After that is a fun scifi western with most unlikely hero and father possible, Jayne Cobb. He convinces the crew to help him save a town from bandits because his ex asked him for help. A very unjayne thing to do. It's not long before bar fights, gun fights and water rights. A fun book. The last chapter ends the book perfectly. Everyone can be a positive influence on someone else's life.
March 23, 2019
What a hugely entertaining read!
Firefly really WAS the Old West in space, unlike Star Trek that had been pitched as Wagon Train to the stars.
Firefly had cowboys, cattle shipped by starship, guns, and the Old West mentality in spades!
The title harkens back, of course, to one of my favorite Old West movies the Magnificent Seven. Like the Magnificent Seven (the seven best gunfighters in the West), each of our cast has their own unique contribution to the group's overall defense strategy.
If you enjoyed the Firefly TV series, you are gonna love The Magnificent Nine!
Firefly really WAS the Old West in space, unlike Star Trek that had been pitched as Wagon Train to the stars.
Firefly had cowboys, cattle shipped by starship, guns, and the Old West mentality in spades!
The title harkens back, of course, to one of my favorite Old West movies the Magnificent Seven. Like the Magnificent Seven (the seven best gunfighters in the West), each of our cast has their own unique contribution to the group's overall defense strategy.
If you enjoyed the Firefly TV series, you are gonna love The Magnificent Nine!
April 26, 2020
The following review was originally published in the online newspaper The Orkney News in April 2020. Link here: https://theorkneynews.scot/2020/04/26...
Firefly: The Magnificent Nine by James Lovegrove
Informational Note: I am reviewing this audiobook release completely of my own free will. However I have had some previous contact with the narrator of this audiobook prior to my reviews of the Firefly book series as a whole and as such must be honest with my readers
Hello again to my readers! Now if I remember correctly last time I promised you all a return to Firefly? A return to the ‘Verse’? It’s been quite some time since the release of Big Damn Hero so why not have some good old fashioned space western fun!
For those of you who need a slight refresher, Firefly was an American space western TV show which followed the misadventures and chaotic lives of the crew of the Firefly class transport, luggage and generally all purpose vessel known as Serenity. She was captained by Malcolm ‘Mal’ Reynolds and had quite the rag-tag crew. Unfortunately because American companies are sometimes ridiculous the show only lasted one television series before being unceremoniously cancelled. The show did get a film sequel which was thankfully received but there were no official continuations beyond that point.
The book series is one of a decent handful of modern Firefly related projects and has a fairly heavy level of involvement from the original television crew including creator Joss Whedon and writers and producers such as Nancy Holder and Tim Lebbon.
The plot of The Magnificent Nine is as follows: The crew of the Serenity are experiencing money troubles. Again. The ship herself is in desperate need of new parts to the consternation of ship mechanic Kaylee, running low on medical supplies despite medic Simon Tam’s best efforts and Mal is searching for some good paying work. Unfortunately the planet Thetis has certain other ideas. On the planet Thetis lives a Temperance McCloud…an old friend of Jayne Cobb…and Thetis is having bandit troubles with a unsavoury Elias Vandal and his Scourers. Out of desperation Temperance reaches out to Jayne and when the crew of the Serenity land on the dustbowl to protect the inhabitants of one small town, they meet Temperance…and her daughter Jane McCloud.
This story is quite the page turner for Firefly fans! (Affectionately known as Browncoats.) Very obviously inspired by The Magnificent Seven and Seven Samurai the book is very entertainingly written by Lovegrove. All the major characters are written very convincingly with their reactions to events coming across as completely genuine especially with regards to Jayne. Just as Big Damn Hero was very much Mal’s character piece, Magnificent is the same for Jayne. As things gradually become more and more serious over time you feel yourself getting pulled into the character’s mindsets. Regardless if they wait to stay and fight, to break certain captainly orders, or to fly like a leaf on the wind. The same can also be said for the various book original characters who feel very true to Firefly as it was in its TV days
This book – and I believe the entire series of books – is set after the television series but before the events of the movie. There are multiple references throughout to events in the show such as the Heart Of Gold ‘incident’, the little ditty known as Hero of Canton and Mal’s duelling history to name just a few examples. As this may indicate, the series is very much written for and aimed at an audience of already existing fans. As such although I highly enjoyed the book (to the extent that the ending made me cry! Congratulations Misters Lovegrove and Foster!) I would not recommend it unless you’ve already watched or could be interested in watching the television series (which I do think would be a worthwhile time investment with the current lockdown!)
The narrator of this audiobook is a James Anderson Foster who performs his duties very well. Between the combination of Lovegrove’s already excellent writing and Foster’s narration style which captures the western adventure vibe of Firefly, the audiobook comes across as a true return of the show. Several characters sound like they came out of the television. He also does a brilliant job of making the threat of Elias Vandal particularly clear. He is NOT the kind of man you want to run into! The only criticism I have for the audiobook – and this is very much something which is on a person by person basis so it may just be me – is that the voices for Jane McCloud and River Tam, good old moonbrained River Tam, are just slightly too similar. You can still separate them and the audiobook is very enjoyable but it is something I noticed over time. Even still though it’s very much a personal nitpick over a very enjoyable story. In my personal opinion Magnificent Nine is superior to Big Damn Hero which I also enjoyed immensely.
In conclusion I highly recommend both The Magnificent Nine and Firefly overall as a series. I had a great deal of fun going back out into the black and experiencing life aboard Serenity once again. The audiobook of book three in the series The Ghost Machine was originally due for release at the end of April but has been pushed back to mid June. Hopefully these books and their audio versions do well so we can get some more adventures! Now if you’ll forgive me, before I start singing Hero Of Canton it is time for me to go.
Sayonara!
Nephrite
Firefly: The Magnificent Nine by James Lovegrove
Informational Note: I am reviewing this audiobook release completely of my own free will. However I have had some previous contact with the narrator of this audiobook prior to my reviews of the Firefly book series as a whole and as such must be honest with my readers
Hello again to my readers! Now if I remember correctly last time I promised you all a return to Firefly? A return to the ‘Verse’? It’s been quite some time since the release of Big Damn Hero so why not have some good old fashioned space western fun!
For those of you who need a slight refresher, Firefly was an American space western TV show which followed the misadventures and chaotic lives of the crew of the Firefly class transport, luggage and generally all purpose vessel known as Serenity. She was captained by Malcolm ‘Mal’ Reynolds and had quite the rag-tag crew. Unfortunately because American companies are sometimes ridiculous the show only lasted one television series before being unceremoniously cancelled. The show did get a film sequel which was thankfully received but there were no official continuations beyond that point.
The book series is one of a decent handful of modern Firefly related projects and has a fairly heavy level of involvement from the original television crew including creator Joss Whedon and writers and producers such as Nancy Holder and Tim Lebbon.
The plot of The Magnificent Nine is as follows: The crew of the Serenity are experiencing money troubles. Again. The ship herself is in desperate need of new parts to the consternation of ship mechanic Kaylee, running low on medical supplies despite medic Simon Tam’s best efforts and Mal is searching for some good paying work. Unfortunately the planet Thetis has certain other ideas. On the planet Thetis lives a Temperance McCloud…an old friend of Jayne Cobb…and Thetis is having bandit troubles with a unsavoury Elias Vandal and his Scourers. Out of desperation Temperance reaches out to Jayne and when the crew of the Serenity land on the dustbowl to protect the inhabitants of one small town, they meet Temperance…and her daughter Jane McCloud.
This story is quite the page turner for Firefly fans! (Affectionately known as Browncoats.) Very obviously inspired by The Magnificent Seven and Seven Samurai the book is very entertainingly written by Lovegrove. All the major characters are written very convincingly with their reactions to events coming across as completely genuine especially with regards to Jayne. Just as Big Damn Hero was very much Mal’s character piece, Magnificent is the same for Jayne. As things gradually become more and more serious over time you feel yourself getting pulled into the character’s mindsets. Regardless if they wait to stay and fight, to break certain captainly orders, or to fly like a leaf on the wind. The same can also be said for the various book original characters who feel very true to Firefly as it was in its TV days
This book – and I believe the entire series of books – is set after the television series but before the events of the movie. There are multiple references throughout to events in the show such as the Heart Of Gold ‘incident’, the little ditty known as Hero of Canton and Mal’s duelling history to name just a few examples. As this may indicate, the series is very much written for and aimed at an audience of already existing fans. As such although I highly enjoyed the book (to the extent that the ending made me cry! Congratulations Misters Lovegrove and Foster!) I would not recommend it unless you’ve already watched or could be interested in watching the television series (which I do think would be a worthwhile time investment with the current lockdown!)
The narrator of this audiobook is a James Anderson Foster who performs his duties very well. Between the combination of Lovegrove’s already excellent writing and Foster’s narration style which captures the western adventure vibe of Firefly, the audiobook comes across as a true return of the show. Several characters sound like they came out of the television. He also does a brilliant job of making the threat of Elias Vandal particularly clear. He is NOT the kind of man you want to run into! The only criticism I have for the audiobook – and this is very much something which is on a person by person basis so it may just be me – is that the voices for Jane McCloud and River Tam, good old moonbrained River Tam, are just slightly too similar. You can still separate them and the audiobook is very enjoyable but it is something I noticed over time. Even still though it’s very much a personal nitpick over a very enjoyable story. In my personal opinion Magnificent Nine is superior to Big Damn Hero which I also enjoyed immensely.
In conclusion I highly recommend both The Magnificent Nine and Firefly overall as a series. I had a great deal of fun going back out into the black and experiencing life aboard Serenity once again. The audiobook of book three in the series The Ghost Machine was originally due for release at the end of April but has been pushed back to mid June. Hopefully these books and their audio versions do well so we can get some more adventures! Now if you’ll forgive me, before I start singing Hero Of Canton it is time for me to go.
Sayonara!
Nephrite
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