I picked up The Captain by Will Wight on Audible—either as a freebie or one of those 2-for-1 deals. Honestly, I cannot remember which, but it fit that perfect “why not?” category. What I got was a fun blend of sci-fi and magic that plays out like Doctor Strange squaring off against the Super Soldier/Hive-Mind Reavers from Firefly. That combination alone kept me listening.

This is the first book in a series, and it reads that way—fast, energetic, with plenty of worldbuilding threads dangled in front of you. Wight is good at momentum. The story moves, the action hits at a steady clip, and the premise has real promise. It never quite crosses into “must-read immediately” territory for me, but it stayed entertaining from start to finish.

A recent comparison point from my reads this year would be The Perfect Run. If I lived in a world where I had to choose only one series to follow, The Perfect Run wins without much debate. But The Captain still holds its own as a solid, enjoyable sci-fi romp with enough magic and chaos to keep things interesting.

I will likely continue the series, but not urgently. Instead of hitting “Buy Now,” I added book two to my Audible wish list and will wait for the next sale. That feels about right: fun enough to keep going, but not so compelling that I need the next one immediately.

Overall: 3 out of 5 stars. Decent, entertaining, and worth a listen if you catch it on a deal.