Space Drifters: The Iron Gauntlet, by Paul Regnier

Captain Glint Starcrost and his crew are back for more adventures in Space Drifters: The Iron Gauntlet.  The bulk of the story involves Starcrost's competition in a reality show where he his life is on the line for the Iron Gauntlet and a huge prize.  He's assisted by the Emerald Enigma, which, readers of the first Space Drifters book will remember, is a necklace that gives the wearer some extraordinary abilities.  He quickly finds that he is a pawn in a larger game that is playing out as the reality show competition is playing out.

The Iron Gauntlet retains the character--and characters--of the first book.  We learn a little more about the backgrounds of Starcrost's motley crew.  Regnier even includes a few chapters told from their perspectives.  In the first book, The Emerald Enigma, Regnier worked in a few theological questions and the characters dealt with the Christian faith.  The Iron Gauntlet scales that down quite a bit, with very little mention of faith in passing.  Also, lizard guy Blix's gift/curse of things coming into reality from his imagination is strangely absent.

Regnier's story is great fun to read.  It has the feel of YA fiction with its action-packed, dialogue-heavy pace and light-hearted tone.  Don't expect hard science fiction when you pick up the Space Drifters series, but look forward to a wild, imaginative ride.