My stop on the tour for A. G. Rodriguez's "Space Brooms!" for Angry Robot. You want a scifi romp that leans into the ridiculous with some heart, look no further.

Johnny Gomez is not thriving. Left Luna to see the galaxy...but then he got stuck in the last space station in Sol system. As a Space Broom (space janitor) for a real creep of a boss. But when cleaning a slurry of alien defecation out of a bathroom he finds a data-chit, and suddenly there is a target painted on Johnny. Now he is getting to live the action movie of his day dreams when his life is bombarded with charming smugglers, space pirates, gangsters, and assassins. Clean up on aisle Johnny's guts.

Reasons to read:
-New teeth based horror
-Actually talking about alien bathrooms and stuff you don't normally see in scifi
-The best roommate
-I didn't except the message of the ending but it is one we all probably need to hear
-It's a fistful of assholes fleeing from bigger assholes, it's a good time

Cons:
-Oddly less time spent with aliens than expected

“Space brooms, get out there and show Kilgore why we’re the best custodial service on station!”

As soon as I saw the title for this book, I knew it was going on my tbr list. Thank you AngryRobotBooks and NetGalley for the early copy!

This book follows Johnny Gomez, who is a space broom, or custodian, for the furthest space station in our solar system. This world has augmented humans and aliens of all kinds, and the world building was so much fun to read. The story takes off when Johnny finds a highly valued data-chit that leads to him going on an adventure and eventually finding a place among a ragtag crew of smugglers. Along the way, there is trouble at every turn and Johnny ends up finding out if this adventure was all he dreamed it would be.

The set up to the novel is very amusing and light-hearted, but it does not veer from having deeper character moments, especially towards the end of the story. I am also weak for found family dynamics in media, and I love the emphasis that this book places on family and friendships over romance. My biggest complaint is that I wish we had more development from the other characters present, but I still enjoyed reading about them. I would classify this as a cozy sci-fi read, and it is perfect for fans of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy, or The Martian. Both the humor and world-building were highlights for me, and I hope that we see more from these characters in the future!

Space Brooms! is a fun romp through space. I found it to be funny and fast-paced. Worth the read if you have a chance!

3.5 stars rounded up!

This is a classic sci-fi adventure novel with all the hallmarks of a good time - plenty of high stakes and action, goofy alien species and worldbuilding, and a sprinkle of pop culture references to boot. Plus, it has an excellent character development arc that I didn’t expect from such a funny action novel! I don’t think the book as a whole package was wholly original, but I had a good time reading it nonetheless.

Space Brooms! has a strong character arc for Johnny, who gets a chance to escape the drudgery of his day job for the excitement and adventure he always dreamed of. I’d say the progression of Johnny’s character, and his relationships with the other lead characters is this novel’s real strength; an accolade of which many sci-fi adventure novels can’t boast! A couple of the other main characters felt a little one-dimensional by comparison, but the book is very much Johnny’s show, so I didn’t really mind so much.

I think I’d have rated Space Brooms! higher but for a couple of quibbles with the plot progression and worldbuilding. I wasn’t overly gripped with the main plot, which to me had an air of inevitability; I could see where the characters were heading from early on in the story, which personally took the sting out of any tension the story tried to build. There were a couple of unusual little twists in the plot that I didn’t expect though, that gave it a different flavour to the usual. My main gripe was with the worldbuilding and introduction of other alien species, which was written in a way almost to undermine itself. It felt like the Rick & Morty approach of “here is a clearly made up alien species name - don’t worry about remembering it, it’s not important”. It’s a good method in the context of a satirical TV show, but in a novel such as this it had the effect of making me glaze over all the alien species and factions names! Thank you to Angry Robot and to NetGalley for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review!

Space Brooms! Is a fun and exciting and silly sci-fi adventure that's not without its heartfelt moments. We follow Johnny, who accidentally gets himself caught up in a galaxy-wide cat-and-mouse game, where he's got the treasure everyone's after! This book is a quick read, and it's exactly what I expected in all the best ways. I enjoyed it, and I liked getting to know the quirky crew, and the society and history of the galaxy has a lot of potential to expand on. I liked the queernormative and non-human centric take that the setting has, and overall this book was solid! A huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for my thoughts.

Space Broom Johnny Gomez is dragged into a race across space filled with deadly hijinks after he stumbled across a data chit that everyone wants buried amongst a pile of alien excrement in this laugh-out-loud funny book reminiscent of Douglas Adam's and the early sci-fi works of Terry Pratchett.

I had such a good time reading this book as you really feel for Johnny stuck in a job that doesn't give himself fulfillment after dreaming of so much more. All of the characters are vibrant and leap off of the page with compelling backstories. I didn't want to put down this story as this band of misfits face trials and tribulations as they attempted to reach their goal.

I am excited to see where the story goes next as we are given a tantalising look into their next mission in the final pages of this book.

I admit I had different expectation on this book - I expected it to be satirical in nature but it turned out to be a rather grand adventure where the journey is more important than the destination and its a good fun journey. It has a bit of an Alchemist about it in some regards and the found family thing works rather well

I love me a good found family and ragtag crew in space. And this was exactly that. It felt like so many of my favorites mashed up into one very strange romp across the solar system. And what this book skipped over in large-scale world building, it made up for with interesting destinations and fantastic characters.

Our MC, Johnny Gomez, is a nobody janitor on Kilgore, a space station outside of the solar system. He is down on his luck and not very skilled. Yet he suddenly becomes the target of several intergalactic gangs that want the data chit that he accidentally found while cleaning the toilets. This is what first brings him to the crew of the Mentirosa: Hooper and Leilani, who together with their fence, Lisette, makeup Johnny’s new found family.

The whole plot is ridiculous and I love it. I cannot wait for the sequel.

The humor, found family, an MC that starts out pretty incompetent, and wild antics all remind me a bit of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, mixed with Firefly, Lord of the Rings, and Cascade Failure.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to @angryrobotbooks and @netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

This book reminded me of one of my all-time favourites, The Long Way To a Small Angry Planet. The main similarity is that it follows a rag-tag crew through a journey in space. Along their journey, they visit multiple stops, that all have their own short stories within an overarching plot. I liked seeing the author's view of the future through the different places the characters visited. A difference that I noticed between The Long Way To a Small Angry Planet is that the crew needed some time to get used to each other, which brought a bit more tension on board. Nonetheless, I'm excited to see the story continue and see the friendships develop further.

Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot for giving me access to an e-arc for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

DNF at ~50 pages.

I was very much looking forward to a cozy sci-fi space adventure, but unfortunately this one just didn’t work for me.

The writing style wasn’t really my favorite, and a lot of the humor read as juvenile and made me cringe. The main character was “meh.” Honestly if you can’t make me either love or hate a main character in the first fifty pages, I’m not interested.

I thought the premise was great, but the overall execution of it just fell flat.

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was the silly rompy space adventure I was looking for! The plot was fast, it was exciting and I enjoyed my time reading it. Space Brooms! was definitely a great palate cleanser between some heavy, darker reads. I'm curious what A.G. Rodriguez writes next.

Outstanding! This was a fun romp and I can see this being a stellar favourite amongst like-minded community members.

This was a fun cozy sci ri romp through space! Johnny Gomez is a janitor on a space station, aka a “space broom”, that happens to be cleaning in the wrong place at the wrong time. Suddenly pursued by several nefarious groups, he joins a small band of smugglers on an adventure across the galaxy and gains a newfound family. Really hoping this turns into a series. Thanks to Netgalley and Angry Robot for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Ooff, ok, this needed some editing. The story was fun and there was a lot of action, but there was also a lot of filler, too many Star Wars references, relationships just happened, without a good reason, suddenly everyone is friends, stuff that I questioned but the characters didn’t…
I kinda did enjoy that our MC is lost in life, not knowing what to do but he’s not 22, he’s pushing 40! Nice change!

Things I muttered or yelled throughout:
“How do they know he has it when he JUST picked it up?”
“How do they know what he looks like? Was there an email, just to the sketchy people?”
“Why does he trust them?”
“Why does he STILL trust them?”
“I have no idea why they are such great friends, I have not been shown.”
“Why wouldn’t people everywhere know about this and hunt for him?”
“How are people not trackable in the future? They are pretty much today!”
“Star Wars, yeah, I get it…Sigh!”
“Show, don’t tell!”
“Who reacts like that?”
"Is everyone just emotionally very unstable here? I do not want to talk about it is easily said, you know!"
“Can we move on, please?”
“Why not, you know, stay hidden or at least disguise yourself? No?”
“Did we need found family explicitly explained and pointed out to us?”

Overall I did have an ok time reading this and the world building was nice, albeit sometimes too detailed, I just think it could have done with an additional sanity check and some editing. It was ok for me, just not great. Three stars meants exactly that.

Space Brooms
A.G Rodriguez
4.5 ⭐️

"Would this ragtag trio of miscreants be able to keep me safe?"

This was such a fun read. The story centres around Johnny, a custodian for the space station Kilgore. He is pretty unhappy with his current lot in life. This all changes when he comes across a data-chit whilst cleaning. Unfortunately for Johnny every creature in the solar system is after him as they all want that data-chit for themselves.

I loved the concept of this story. The plot was engaging and has a steady pace. I really enjoyed the world building as well as the nice mix of characters. The development of Johnny's relationships with these characters was also a highlight for me. It was both humorous and touching.

The story is different, but there were little moments that were reminiscent of Ready Player One, which I loved!

I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Imgaine you are an everyday guy in your everyday life, just minding your own business and then one day you hit the jackpot. The only catch is you have to outrun rival gangs, assassins, the government and stay alive. Johnny is a custodian for Astro-Suds who finds himself in this such predicament. Que the adventures across the solar system with a crew reluctantly thrown together, who must, in order to survive, learn to trust each other and utimately fight for each other.

This story was full of adventure and colorful characters. With danger around every corner, it was hard to find a spot to put it down. The chacters are fun and the story was exciting. There was some intense scenes of violence, so if that isn't your thing, you may want to check your triggers. But overall, worth the read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot books for the eARC of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Space Brooms! is a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud space adventure that throws an ordinary custodian into a galaxy-spanning mess of smugglers, crime syndicates, and high-stakes danger—all thanks to a piece of data buried in alien excrement.

Johnny Gomez, a down-on-his-luck “space broom” aboard Kilgore Station, never expected to be anything more than a janitor scraping by on the outer edges of the solar system. But when he stumbles upon a mysterious data-chit, he suddenly becomes the target of every criminal and assassin looking to claim it. With his augmented roommate, a pair of cunning smugglers, and an enigmatic (and beautiful) stranger at his side, Johnny embarks on a frantic journey to Luna, hoping to cash in on his accidental discovery—if he can survive long enough to make it there.

Rodriguez masterfully balances humor, action, and heart in this wild ride across space. Johnny is an instantly endearing protagonist, and his misadventures keep the story moving at a breakneck pace. The found-family dynamic is one of the book’s strongest elements, bringing warmth to the chaotic energy of space heists, betrayals, and unexpected friendships. While some moments lean into the absurd, the charm of the characters and the sheer fun of the narrative make it impossible to put down.

Perfect for fans of Stringers by Chris Panatier and Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series, Space Brooms! delivers a delightful mix of comedy, sci-fi hijinks, and a scrappy underdog you can’t help but root for. With the promise of more adventures ahead, this is a series I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I recently had the opportunity to read an early copy of Space Brooms! A.G. Rodriguez created a neat little sci-fi world where Earth is no more (surprise surprise) and mankind has moved to the Moon and beyond. Humans live amongst augmented folks and alien species. Johnny Gomez is a space custodian in his mid to late 30s and he’s living his worst life. 10 years ago he left Luna (the Moon) to go on a space adventure in search of fortune and now he’s working a toxic job with a toxic boss.

One day he finds a tiny glass data-chit and now he’s the most wanted man in the galaxy. Johnny meets some smugglers that want to help him out and sell the chit. With assassins and crime syndicates on their tail, what follows is a fun galactic adventure in the realm of Cowboy Bebop and Firefly.

I enjoyed reading this book. I'm a big sci-fi nerd and if you’re gonna dedicate time to talk extensively about Neptune (the planet I did a report on in the 3rd grade) then sign me up. The characters were lovely, Rodriguez did a great job at making each character unique without solely relying on tropes.

If you’re looking for an easy sci-fi read then give this a shot. I was happy to learn that there will be more books in this universe.

Thank you angryrobot and netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book!

Space Brooms! If you didn’t know—I didn’t—that’s what you call janitors or caretakers in space. Well, Johnny Gomez is one. He didn’t set out to be; he had grand dreams of adventure, of seeing other worlds and peoples. But he’s ended up here, working for Astro-Suds, assiduously and conscientiously keeping his head down and doing his work. And daydreaming about being a great hero in front of the girl of his dreams.

Except, one day he finds a data-chit while cleaning the monstrous aftereffects of events in a zero-g toilet. Turns out it’s worth a *lot*, and that there are many bad guys who are willing to kill him for it. What follows is a rollicking adventure across space—and, fortunately for him, Johnny falls in with pals who have far better life survival skills than him, who’ll help him because they want in on any proceeds.

It’s a very fun read! You may have to suspend your disbelief a little more than normal, but no matter—because, honestly, who else has thought about custodians in space?! Such a unique premise. Johnny is completely hapless (I facepalmed a lot) but very lovable, and it’s so very easy to empathise with him and what he wants in life—to be happy and wealthy, to be in love, and to pursue his dreams. That he gets caught up in events far beyond his control is just bad luck, the kind of bad luck that tends to befall decent people. It’s heartwarming that Johnny finds his new people, and all’s well that ends well. (Also read for a really unusual pet!) (Also, cool cover!)

An excellent read, recommended. Many thanks to Angry Robots and NetGalley for early access.

This book was on my tbr list since it was announced. And it did not disappoint at all. I absolutely love these kind of swashbuckling adventures with humor and joy so much infused within the story. I read many of these parts aloud, and reread paragraphs because they were so well written. I cannot tell you how much joy had experienced reading this. This book should be on the wall of fame together with Terry Pratchett and Brandon Sanderson. I have the biggest book-hangover from this and cannot stop recommending it to my friends. Read it! It’s such an incredible journey. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this book. I salute the author.