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Becky Black
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The Battle of Hollow Jimmy (Mercenary Earth Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Becky Black (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 76 ratings
In this sequel to Shoot the Humans First the ancient and hectic space station Hollow Jimmy has become a haven, offering safety to many of the beaten and hunted remnants of humanity. A battleship captain turned pirate, who is bent on revenge, turns Hollow Jimmy into the focus of a struggle for the support of the humans sheltering there.

Maiga wants to vanish. She wants to leave Hollow Jimmy before someone recognises her and remembers her part in the events that led to the human race being all but wiped out. Though the station is a sanctuary, she knows there’s a new home elsewhere in the darkness. But others have plans too, for Maiga and for Hollow Jimmy. Their fates are about to be intertwined.

Captain Bara wants revenge. Perhaps that will silence the noises only she can hear aboard her ship, the Trebuchet. A ship whose name is becoming a curse to those who would like to see humanity finished off once and for all. For Bara, Hollow Jimmy is not a sanctuary. It’s a fortress. It’s a place to start a war.

The first battle is for Hollow Jimmy itself. A power struggle between opposing factions for the hearts and minds of the humans of Hollow Jimmy. A fight against an enemy neither woman has faced before – their fellow humans.
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  1. Book 2 of 2
    Mercenary Earth
  2. Print length
    447 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    15 Jun. 2013
  6. File size
    2.2 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 2 books in this series.
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00IQC43CK
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 15 Jun. 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.2 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 447 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 2 of 2 ‏ : ‎ Mercenary Earth
  • Customer reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 76 ratings

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Becky Black

Becky Black

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
76 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this science fiction novel engaging, with one review noting how it keeps readers interested until the end. The book features interesting characters, with one customer highlighting how they are allowed room to breathe.

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6 customers mention ‘Story quality’6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, describing it as a fine sci-fi novel, with one customer noting its believable fantastic situations and another mentioning it kept them engaged until the end.

"...for past sins, packed with conflicted characters and believable if fantastic situations...." Read more

"...However, this does not matter as Beck Black can write a fine sci-fi novel; exciting, believable with some strong and interesting characters...." Read more

"...This is part two of a story but it works as a standalone tale as well." Read more

"Loved this book. Classic sci-fi but very nice to read of women playing key roles in the plot. I hope Bucky Black continues in this genre...." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Character development’4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one noting that the characters are allowed room to breathe.

"...betrayal, power-shifts, and retribution for past sins, packed with conflicted characters and believable if fantastic situations...." Read more

"...a fine sci-fi novel; exciting, believable with some strong and interesting characters...." Read more

"There's a good, strong pace to this story but the characters are allowed room to breathe...." Read more

"Good story and characterisation ... follow up to Shoot the Humans First ... enjoyed the sequel looking forward to hearing more from this author..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • A-Canadian-in-Singapore
    5.0 out of 5 stars Accomplished
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 December 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This stand-alone follow on from Shoot the Humans First is an accomplished work. It's a tale of betrayal, power-shifts, and retribution for past sins, packed with conflicted characters and believable if fantastic situations. It's one of those books that you pick up, intending to read only for a few minutes, then force yourself to put down an hour later because you're now late for work. Although it's entirely possible to read and understand this without having read Shoot the Humans First, it will have more emotional punch if you know what's come before.
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  • Chris Of The OT
    4.0 out of 5 stars Less technical than much sci-fi but good story and great characters make this an excellent sci-fi choice
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 September 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I do not usually enjoy reading female authors as, the best of them (like Catherine Cookson), tend to focus too much on the social and domestic, where I much prefer the political and military. However, the positive reviews swayed me – and I am well please that they did.

    ‘Hollow Jimmy’ follows the events of ‘Shoot the Humans First’, which I had not been aware of or I would have read that one first. It does show my least favourite thing about both books though: the titles. They just don’t work for me. However, this does not matter as Beck Black can write a fine sci-fi novel; exciting, believable with some strong and interesting characters. That said, the general female-ness of the work does show through: all the strongest characters are women; these characters all yearn for children or a family to some degree (even the baddie, deep down…); it is noted that ‘men take up more space’ than women – and there is even a cervix joke in there too. (Definitely not Ray Bradbury then…) We might also note that the mechanics and logistics of light-speed travel are wholly ignored – no FTL drives or worm holes here, so definitely not Jack Campbell either.

    This is also not Peter Hamilton. But that’s good as it is still pukka Sci-Fi with a proper story and excellent characters. (The ending may be a tad predictable but getting there is just great fun.) Becky Black’s other works – gay romance – just does not interest me and, unfortunately, there is much more of that than the sci-fi. A real shame as Maiga (and Wixa’s) stories – before and after ‘Jimmy’ and ‘Shoot’ – would be fascinating. Please Becky, more of this! (4½ stars really)
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  • B. BERWICK
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fast-paced
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 July 2020
    Verified Purchase
    There's a good, strong pace to this story but the characters are allowed room to breathe. This is part two of a story but it works as a standalone tale as well.
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  • Starling
    4.0 out of 5 stars believe able
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 January 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I was not happy with the end of shoot the humans first but this continuation if that book makes this book all the better. I could not put it down
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  • PJH
    5.0 out of 5 stars Cracking read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 June 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Loved this book. Classic sci-fi but very nice to read of women playing key roles in the plot. I hope
    Bucky Black continues in this genre.
    I for one look forward to more.
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  • hallelujah_steve
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good story and characterisation
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 March 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Good story and characterisation ... follow up to Shoot the Humans First ... enjoyed the sequel looking forward to hearing more from this author...
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  • Ginger Beer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Who will lay their ghosts?
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 July 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Nice bit of writing. Kept me interested right to the end. I might pay for the next one.
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  • S. Cooper
    5.0 out of 5 stars Kick-ass chicks in space? Hell yeah!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 March 2014
    According to the author's blog, this book's working title was "Kick-Ass Chicks In Space" - and it certainly lives up to that!

    Centering around Maiga, who we first met in Shoot the Humans First, I was somewhat wary of this tale. I didn't really like Maiga in the first book. I'm still not sure I like her now, but I sure as hell rooted for her to win!

    Hard to say too much about the plot without giving away the ending of Shoot the Humans First... every time I read it (and I've re-read a few times) I have to keep reminding myself that no one in this book knows what went down at the end of book 1 - they just know what the consequences were.

    Once again, it's the characters that make this story shine - anyone can write about a space station, and imagine what threats there might be in an unstable-at-the-point-of-war setting - but only the best writers can people them with real humans, whose downfall may result from their smallest action or neglect.

    Ms Black's bio states she is a long-term sci-fi fan, and I think this is what makes her stories glow - you won't find a string of tired old cliches because she's writing for her own enjoyment as much as for ours.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • MrBear30021
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and thought provoking. Highly recommended
    Reviewed in the United States on 30 October 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Every once in a while, you start a book with some preconceptions. Most of the time we find our preconception justified. For this story, not so much. Was it predictable? A little bit, but that really isn't a negative for me in this case. The things I saw coming were things I that seemed logical to occur. Heck, for all I know, the author intended them to be anticipated. Regardless, the story was thoroughly ejoyable and a satisfying followup to the first story in this series, Shoot The Humans First.

    I felt that Beck Black did a marvelous job of populating her story with a multitude of four dimensional characters. Not a one of them goes unchanged over the course of the story.

    There is only one reason I would tell you to not read this story, and that is if you haven't read Shoot the Human First yet. They are complete stories on their own with different plots and points of view, but when read in order, make a more satisfying story arc.
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  • Mary Sue Newson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Rating
    Reviewed in the United States on 27 October 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I truly enjoyed reading this book. The story line is mysterious and heartfelt. The characters are realistic and believable which doesn't always ring true in science fiction. Definitely want to read the prequel and hope another book by this author is in the works.
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  • Alan Black
    5.0 out of 5 stars A sequel better than the first.
    Reviewed in the United States on 2 June 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Earth is gone! Humans, once the hard edged mercenaries of the galaxy, are now being hunted to extinction without mercy. The last refuge of humans is perched on the edge of destruction. And typical of humans, we spend more time fighting each other than we do struggling to survive.

    Becky Black (no relation) has given us a tighter, more active space opera than the first book in this series. It is one step away from being a space cowboy story and I enjoyed it as a pleasant weekend read.

    Alan Black, author of Chewing Rocks
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  • TG Bear
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not the book I expected
    Reviewed in the United States on 1 May 2014
    Verified Purchase
    The storyline was not as compelling as the first book, as a follow up it left a lot to be desired.
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  • harold r. geddings
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on 1 February 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Good story.
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