Fallen Empire: Books 1–3

I’ve really been enjoying this series. I love the banter between the characters.

Since this series really has to be read all the way through and in order, I’m writing this review about the WHOLE SERIES, not just this single book. So there will be BIG SPOILERS if you read below the BIG SPOILER notice below. But for those who want a spoiler-free, overall opinion of the series, this next paragraph is for you.

I loved it! It has a very Firefly-esque-ness to it (yeah, that’s totally a word). The characters are fantastic, and the action scenes pulled me in. I kept wondering how the hell they were going to get out of the predicaments they were in, but somehow Alisa always figured out a way.

Probably the best thing about this series was the banter between characters. It’s probably the best banter I’ve ever read in a book, and for that reason alone, it’s worth reading. I also loved the post-imperial politics. I like how there wasn’t a clear good or bad side, and that the characters had emotional scars from the war.

The whole series was very fast paced. It did come a bit predictable after eight books though. Alisa and the gang traveled through space and reached their destination, and some big bad dude was there to tractor beam in the Nomad. They escape, travel through space again, and someone shows up to tractor beam them in. Travel again, and an ambush they have to escape. Very predictable. And I think this is why I wish this series had been six books instead of eight. I was ready for the characters to accomplish something, not just escape enemies over and over again.

I ended up skimming much of books 5-8 for that reason. I’m not sure if I would have skimmed is much if I hadn’t read the books back to back. I think I finished all eight books in about two weeks, so that was a ton of reading. But I would have been too frustrated and unsatisfied if I had to wait for the next books to release. *shrugs*

I give this series a very strong 4 stars, and definitely recommend it. There were a few things I didn’t love about it. Example, for two or three books right smack dab in the middle of the series, it seemed like the author forgot how to use contractions. It made the writing feel unnatural, and it was confusing because I didn’t notice a lack of contractions in the first books. When I got to end of the series, I realized the author was using the contractions again, so it read much more smoothly. So…maybe she had a different editor for the middle books?

Alright. The rest of my thoughts will be below and with spoilers, so if you don’t want spoilers, you should stop reading NOW.

BIG SPOILERS BELOW

Thing #1 that bothered me: I didn’t love the fact that Leonidas’s quest turned out to be what it was. Buroker dropped enough hints throughout the first few books, so I suspected it. I was just hoping I was wrong because it was a major disappointment. I mean, his big motivation in the book is to find a way to get laid? Or worse, start a family (gag!)? It was just weird since everyone else had important, universe-impacting goals. Plus, I was ready for a bunch of kissing, and a bunch of kissing didn’t happen much in the series. That disappointment is on me, though, not the author. I was fully aware that I was reading a Science Fiction/Space Opera type of novel, and not a romance. It’s my fault that I always want romance as a big subplot.

Thing #2 that bothered me: they found Jelena. Of course they had to. It would have been an unhappy ending if they didn’t, but my interest in the series took a major dip as soon as she boarded the Nomad. There’s nothing wrong with Jelena. She’d be fine if this was a book about her, but this book is about Alisa, her mom, and as soon as Jelena comes into the story, Alisa changes. Oh, the banter is still there, and I still love her and Leonidas and the gang, but she goes into mom mode, thinking about what her daughter will think about things, questioning whether she should take risks, and Jelena’s bedtime is a big worry. And this of course came at a time when Leonidas achieved his goal, so even when he and Alisa hooked up, it was weird. *I* felt awkward for them, even when they were caught up in the moment. *I* couldn’t get Jelena out of my thoughts.

So, yeah. I would have preferred the series to be six books, and for Alisa to find Jelena in the epilogue of the last book. lol

Facebook have a great characters all of whom seem to be over 29. That is especially great for me since I don’t have to read you know like a sentences in the book. Some really funny dialogue. Was happy To find this writer, she’s new to me.

Gripping stories, I don’t want to put down.

Space opera at its best. Very much character driven, featuring a strong silent type man, and a smart wise-cracking female, who must resolve their own philosophical differences, while saving the Empire 😉

The first 3 books of the series were very entertaining and original. It is unfortunate that it has devolved into a predictable series that after 5 volumes seems no closer to the resolution of the main plot than it did in volume one.

The author is a pretty good story teller. I was often intrigued by the situations she set up and wanted to know how the character team would handle them. She had a good arc of characters, so the result could be interesting. However she often wandered off with characters chatting about topics, or making comments that were not germane to the story. This tendency was ultimately distracting and was what lead me to quit reading this book | series and move on to another author.

This was the first series I read by Lindsay Buroker and I couldn’t put it down! Fun in space with interesting characters who are each developed nicely.

I really liked these books. A good and believable story line. Very believable characters. All the different situations build on each other. All the action and interchange of situations are unpredictable. I highly recommend these books.

I absolutely love this author. Her characters are always unique, witty, and well written. Fallen Empire is a spectacular adventure with a little dash or romance, making this a fun and enjoyable read!