The Battle of Serenity Valley was the turning point that led the Independents to their defeat at the hands of the Alliance. Yet the Browncoats had held the valley for weeks against all odds, before being ordered to lay down their arms. Command stated they refused to send in airpower because the ground war was “too hot.” But the soldiers who were there insist that was not true…

While picking up a new cargo on Persephone, Captain Malcolm Reynolds is kidnapped by a bunch of embittered veteran Browncoats who suspect him of sabotaging the Independents during the war. As the rest of the crew struggle to locate him, Mal is placed on trial for his life, fighting compelling evidence that someone did indeed betray them to the Alliance all those years ago. As old comrades and old rivals crawl out of the woodwork, Mal must prove his innocence, but his captors are desperate and destitute, and will settle for nothing less than the culprit’s blood. 

Oh, this is very shiny.

Fuck…I feel almost relieved by this book. Like…OF COURSE there should be Firefly novels, OF COURSE THERE SHOULD BE!! I’m not sure what the hell took so long to get this ball rolling, but the wait is is over, and Big Damn Hero kicks things off rather excellently! James Lovegrove absolutely nails the voice of each and every one of these beloved characters, and this book reads just like a lost episode of the show. There are already two more books scheduled for publication, and I really hope they keep expanding the Firefly universe…I AM HERE FOR THIS!!! 

The crew are hired by Badger to transport some highly explosive cargo. Captain Malcom Reynolds, ever the opportunist, also takes a second mysterious job…one that ultimately puts his life in danger, separates him from Serenity, and forces him to deal with mistakes & trauma from his past.

While Zoë and Mal take center stage in this first Firefly novel, I think the fact that all the characters have their own POV for some portion of the story is pretty remarkable. And Lovegrove really balances the flashback scenes quite nicely. For me, that’s one of the biggest strengths of this book…we spend A LOT of time with a younger Malcolm Reynolds, and also get some more details about Shepherd Book’s mysterious past. 

This is an extremely thoughtful first book. I’m sure I wasn’t the only Browncoat anxiously awaiting the day when we’d finally see Firefly tie-in novels. And the tone is just dead on…that western/sci-fi vibe. The found family bond between the crew members of Serenity. Wash’s goofiness & sincerity. Jayne’s often tone-deaf humor. River being…River. These are the characters we know & love from the show, and after reading this, the story just kind of sunk into me in a way…it feels like it was always there. 

I’m absolutely thrilled that this book exists, and that we will get at least two more novels in this world. The thing I’m most curious about (not necessarily concerned…but maybe) is if/when someone will be writing about a post-“Serenity” (the movie) time period. I kinda feel like that needs to happen, should there be more than just the three planned novels. With the show having been so short, there’s only so many adventures we’ll be able to imagine wedged between episodes. Either way, Big Damn Hero feels like required reading for all Firefly fans…I just loved being back in this world!!