Grand Theft Astro

Fun, If a Little Predictable, Sci-fi Heist

Review by: The Audiobook ReviewI picked up Grand Theft Astro, written by Scott Meyer, for nothing as part of my Audible Plus subscription, and while the story was mostly enjoyable, I'm on the fence as to if I'd have enjoyed it knowing I'd spent a credit on it.

The story follows the... allegedly... greatest thief of all time, Baird. Allegedly because that's all the cops have on her as she's quick to remind everyone. Infected by something unknown during a caper, she's placed into cryosleep by her employers, a shadowy outfit known as the Toolbox.

Baird, unfortunately, falls into the Mary-Sue trap. Being the greatest thief of all time apparently makes her the best at virtually everything. Seemingly impossible to do anything wrong, and she can breeze through every scenario without breaking a sweat.

Between that and her length of basically magic (because any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic) length of intelligent wool that is perhaps even more Mary-Sue than Baird, she breezes through without any real feeling of risk to her wellbeing.

All the antagonists seem bent on being defeated by their own hubris, as all of the security personnel, so enamoured of their own security setup they can’t help but show it off, explaining to Baird in great detail the minute details of essentially how to defeat it.

The made-up, overused, and unbelievable swearword alternative was also quite annoying. I did like the addition of gARgles... Artificial Reality (AR) goggles or glasses. I thought that was a fun addition and something I can see as a real brand in the future.

All that aside, the story itself was at times engaging, yet at others, a bit of a struggle to hold my attention. Overall, I did enjoy it, and the narration by Elizabeth Evans was excellent and the production well polished.


Will I listen again? Maybe. Would I have liked to spend a credit on it? I'm not sure. Is it worth a listen for free on Audible Plus? Yes, I believe so.