I really enjoyed the previous 15 books as well as this latest book in this series and hope you do too. The characters include the aforementioned snarky AI’s, a gorgeous heiress who can kick ass with Kung Fu, shoot off the antenna off of a spaceship from 500,000 kilometers, and pilot a spaceship like Han Solo, humans (remember all those alien abductions? Awash with loss and surrounded by enemies, Van and his crew are faced with the same challenge Mark Tudor dealt with decades earlier.

Legacy of Stars (Backyard Starship Book 4) Kindle Edition

That world is bigger, encompassing the entire Milky Way with new characters, new relationships, and new responsibilities for Van, his crew, their friends, and allies as a galactic conspiracy reemerges, and old enemies reappear. Characters from previous books play a large part in it and overall, while I would characterize the book as intense, there are the usual humorous interludes and pop culture references. I just can't see how this series is ever going to end - not that I want it to - with so much going on. With this being the 16th book in this series, it just keeps getting better with each additional book. With Van’s decision comes long term effects, and an Earth that is no longer alone in the universe, but connected to the stars.His grandfather used to tell him fantastic stories of spacemen and monsters, princesses and galactic knights. And the crown is heavier than one Peacemaker might be able to carry--unless he has a little help from his friends.

Backyard Starship – JN Chaney

For the first time in his career, Van must protect his home planet from people who look at humans as a resource—and Peacemakers as the key to untold wealth. Yeah, that will change the series' dynamic but I think that it is strong enough to survive the change.

However, I would say just be careful whose sensibilities you touch upon: “Um, excuse me, Liverpool has hooligans. That didn't happen, so following other readers' advice, I've gone overboard this time and brought in a few that resonated with me.