The plot is a copy of backyard starship (which I love) The setup with a dog to be used as a hostage is worrying. The overall writing is good but someone needs to tell the writer “show, don’t tell” because the first of the book is a Loooooooong exposition that is painful to get through. If he had shown us as the story went along life would have been better. I got through the first one but am stopping there. Sorry.