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Kevin W. Bates
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Prospector's Run (Artifact Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Kevin W. Bates (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 311 ratings
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Holtz Mitsumi is desperate.

Mitsumi gambled everything to find lost tech on the First Stellar Civilization’s dead, shattered worlds. Massive riches were his if he won.

He lost.

Instead of wealth, he was saddled with a mysterious alien artifact that invaded his mind and instilled an iron compulsion to find its origin. But the artifact did not communicate with anyone else and appeared to be common manufactured diamond—as common as dirt and worth as much.

Broke and in debt, but driven to get back to the stars, Mitsumi is stuck. Mounting an expedition to find the object’s origin is impossible.

Then an enigmatic stranger corners Mitsumi. He claims to have solid leads to fabulous lost tech and offers to let Mitsumi captain a prospecting run, in exchange for a share of the voyage profits.

After scraping a crew together, Mitsumi embarks on one last run to finance his search. But the crew has secrets, some of them deadly. Before he knows it, Mitsumi picks up the perfect accessory for a struggling prospector—an implacable foe. Chased across the galaxy, Mitsumi wrestles with his unruly crew in an impossible bid to survive and find the artifact’s secret.

It's a Star Trek, Firefly and Raiders of the Lost Ark mashup! Perfect for adventure lovers.

Join Mitsumi and his crew on their great adventure! Hit that buy now button!

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  1. Book 1 of 3
    Artifact
  2. Print length
    427 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    April 24, 2019
  5. Reading age
    14 - 18 years
  6. File size
    3.2 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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$11.97
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07R637QVF
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Nuova Aurora Press (April 24, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 24, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.2 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 427 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 311 ratings

About the author

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Kevin W. Bates

Kevin W. Bates

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Kevin W. Bates was born in Berkeley, California and, with the exception of a couple year stint in Sydney Australia and a study abroad program in Japan, was raised there. In his Martin Luther King Jr. High and Berkeley High School years, Kevin developed a life-long fascination with science fiction (and, oddly, nuclear weapons) and a tendency to day dream. He discovered early that among the greatest joys in life is the thrill of losing yourself in a gripping space adventure soaring across the galaxy. Raised on classic science fiction authors such as Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Ray Bradbury, Kevin took up writing science fiction to provide the same mind expanding thrills he enjoyed from those authors and more contemporary ones like Alastair Reynolds, Iain M. Banks, David Brin and Neal Stephenson.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
311 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book an engaging read with a complex story and interesting characters. They appreciate the well-written plot and fast pacing.

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ReadabilityStory qualityCharacter developmentPacing
17 customers mention "Readability"17 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and fun to read. They describe it as an imaginative adventure with lots of action and high-tech characters. The book starts a promising space opera series.

"...of action, adventure, mix of high tech, fun characters and overall a great book. I really enjoyed it and am glad it is part of a series...." Read more

"...A good story to suspend belief and spend a weekend reading. Will be interesting to see where the author takes the story line...." Read more

"...is some interesting drama sewn in that could make this into a very good series...." Read more

"It got off to a slow start but turned into a fun read. Interesting universe Kevin has built...." Read more

17 customers mention "Story quality"17 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story's complexity and originality. They find it engaging and a good way to suspend disbelief. The twists and turns are believable, reminiscent of adventure stories from the early pulp era.

"This was a really good book and story. Loved the characters and universe...." Read more

"...to care what happens to them, which for me is one of the signs of a good story. Mystery and tension, without graphic or gratuitous violence...." Read more

"...The sci-fi story is interesting and seems original. A good story to suspend belief and spend a weekend reading...." Read more

"...A good, if not overly complex, story. There is some interesting drama sewn in that could make this into a very good series...." Read more

13 customers mention "Character development"11 positive2 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed characters and good character continuity in this story.

"...There was a lot of action, adventure, mix of high tech, fun characters and overall a great book...." Read more

"Bates creates sympathetic and interesting characters. You come to care what happens to them, which for me is one of the signs of a good story...." Read more

"...in any sense, but the novel is well written and has relatable characters ...." Read more

"...The characters were well defined and easy to identify with. I really like this book and I highly recommend it." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing. They find the plot fast-paced and interesting.

"...All in all, great story, well told and fast moving. Recommended." Read more

"Fast paced plot. Interesting characters. Story line interesting and different from other sci fi stories I have read in a while." Read more

"Smart and well paced...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • J Krug
    5.0 out of 5 stars Really good book and story
    Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This was a really good book and story. Loved the characters and universe. There was a lot of action, adventure, mix of high tech, fun characters and overall a great book. I really enjoyed it and am glad it is part of a series. I definitely recommend this book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Scott Isaacson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Read
    Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Bates creates sympathetic and interesting characters. You come to care what happens to them, which for me is one of the signs of a good story. Mystery and tension, without graphic or gratuitous violence. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys good fun science fiction. Some current writers seem to want to create tension by being intentionally obscure, obtuse and difficult to follow. Bates' story is interesting but you can follow and understand the motives and actions of the characters. As a first novel in a trilogy, I certainly am eager to see what happens in this world and with these characters. Well done, Mr. Bates.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • CoBamboo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good Space Opera Story
    Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting take on a space opera story, lot of focus on the interaction between people. Tries to show the unsavory side of a human society using recognizable memes on common themes from today's headlines. The sci-fi story is interesting and seems original. A good story to suspend belief and spend a weekend reading. Will be interesting to see where the author takes the story line. Looks like the story line has 3 books in the series so far, will definitely read the second one in the series. I am curious to see where the author takes the story and characters.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Shane Pruyne
    4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting find.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This was an interesting find. A good, if not overly complex, story. There is some interesting drama sewn in that could make this into a very good series. I liked the the characters although I felt in many cases Bates tried just a little too hard to give them 'human' weaknesses. Not everyone has to have a secret.

    There were a couple editing misses. But for an indie author it was surprisingly few and never really distracted from the tale.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good start to series
    Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Prospector's Run is an excellent start to an exciting adventure series. Reading the story kept me up well past my bedtime as I followed the adventures of the crew.
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  • Chuck Woodbury
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fun adventure
    Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    It got off to a slow start but turned into a fun read. Interesting universe Kevin has built. Earth is a fairytale and mankind’s first interstellar civilization is long dead, nothing but legend and long sought after artifacts. Sounds like the start of a great space opera. Anticipating the next adventure!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars misfit fun
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This isn't really groundbreaking in any sense, but the novel is well written and has relatable characters . I assume they will be fleshed out a bit more in subsequent installments of this rollicking space opera. All in all, great story, well told and fast moving. Recommended.
    Helpful
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  • Jean Oldham
    3.0 out of 5 stars exposition are us
    Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The premise of the story is interesting. However, I found my self skipping over major chunks of exposition. Also, problems were solved pretty easily with additional information showing up conveniently. I think if the author keeps writing, he’ll figure out how to introduce things without.” surprise!”.

    Remember, if somebody gets shot in chapter 3, there better be a gun on the mantle in chapter 1.
    Helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • SwashB
    1.0 out of 5 stars Boring beyond belief
    Reviewed in Germany on October 8, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I started this book with high hopes but it just dragged on and on. I can’t believe the others in this series are any better.
    Report
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Artifact Book1
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 8, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Great story, loved all of the characters. Had to read it to the end despite my bedtime. I look forward to the next book hoping its as compelling as this one.
    Report
  • Oneballbobby
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Just stick to the one name for characters, no need for using multiples, makes it harder to follow. Otherwise good fun.
    Report
  • JUDITH
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant and gripping
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 3, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I so enjoyed this blend of action and convincing detail. The lead character was great and I|'d like to see more.
    Report
  • Dalesman1
    1.0 out of 5 stars Interesting idea let down by uninteresting characters
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Had to give up on this after about 60% of the way through. It seems like the idea would be very interesting, but nearly all the characters are unpleasant and self serving. I didn’t engage with any of them really and their stupid behaviour didn’t help. For myself, if a book has underdogs, then they should be the type I want root for, otherwise they are just annoying.
    Report

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