From the bestselling author of The Rules of Supervillainy: Captain Cassius Mass can only run so far from his problems and the galaxy isn’t big enough to hide from those pursuing him. Cassius soon finds himself blackmailed into a mission that will clear him of all charges as well as protect him from future persecution: bring an end to the civil war currently racking the galaxy. Accompanied by a … Accompanied by a new set of untrustworthy allies, the crew of the Melampus, and the A.I duplicate of his dead wife—Cassius needs to figure out how to not only deal with his target but also his employers.
Because the entire universe is at stake.
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I need a cybernetic hand so I can give this three thumbs up!
Sequels. That sticky second book in a series that has to carry on the story without any final resolution. You lose the thrill of meeting the main character and seeing the setting unfold. Think about any trilogy–the second book in a good one will have something incredible happen. Think of the Lord of the Rings. The battle of Helm’s Deep, Gandalf & Saruman etc. So sequels have got to go big or go home. Now, I loved Lucifer’s Star. I think it’s one of the most original space operas I’ve ever read. Check out my review before reading this one, because frankly, you’re not going to start on book 2 are you?
Anyway, this volume continues the story of our hero (/S) Cassius Mass, The Fire Count, War criminal and general bad egg. Imagine a Luftwaffe Ace from WW2 finding out that he’d been on the side of one of the most evil regimes in history and that his acts of heroism are now considered war crimes. But…. IN SPACE. I suppose it’s fair to use (or reuse) a Star Wars comparison — Cassius is a bit like A TIE Fighter Ace after the Battle of Endor.
The best of the characters from Book 1 make a return as well, mostly, in the same form as we left them. I’ll not give you a blow by blow rundown of the motley crew but honourable mention has to go to the bioroid Isla who really develops very well for a Bioroid replica of that ice queen from a certain Disney film my daughter won’t shut up about. I wish she’d just let it go… Clarice also returns and is again an example of a multifaceted female character. I’ll leave it there because with Cassius, Isla and Clarice you’ve got a great caste already and they showcase something which sets Phipps’ and Suttkus’s writing apart. They’re each different. Clearly, we see Isla and Clarice through Cassius’s eyes (it’s 1st person POV), yet through their interaction with Cassius we get a strong feel for what’s going on inside both women. They’re very different and both are rich characters. Probably, what would be called strong female characters, but that does the writing a disservice. Here, they have more nuance than just ‘strong’; they have flaws that are believable and give them a great deal of depth. Like characters are meant to be, whatever their gender.
So on to the story itself. Fast paced, thrill ride. It’s got some brilliant set pieces, in the finest tradition of space opera but as always, it’s the personal confrontations that count the most. Here we’ve got one on par with Vader revealing he’s an absentee daddy. There’s also enough twists and turns that it kept me guessing until the end–reinforced by the death of an important character that you won’t see coming.
The worldbuilding doesn’t slacken off, but we get a longer view of galactic civilization. It’s pitched just right to add to the existing setting without overdoing it.
All in all, it’s the best book I’ve read so far this year and it’ll take a hell of a novel to beat it.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series — kind of like what Star Trek or Star Wars might be like if they were written exclusively for adults — and this second book is even better. That might be because I’ve gotten to know the characters and the universe they inhabit better, or it may be because the authors are getting more and more comfortable with same. Whatever the case, this second novel in the series has more surprises, twists, humor, etc., and it’s really fun to read. In fact, there are enough twists in this book to fill five books, but none of them seem gratuitous. Each is character or story-based and, in retrospect, seems inevitable, and that’s a tough trick to pull off. As for the abundant humor, well, it’s right up my alley. I could easily imagine Hawkeye Pierce, B.J. Honeycutt and Hotlips Houlihan or the cast of Seinfeld saying some of this dialogue, albeit in a different context/venue. At any rate, this is a series just begging for a TV pilot. I hope it gets one.
Lucifer’s Nebula (Lucifer’s Star #2) by C.T. Phipps, Michael Suttkus is a book I requested and the review is voluntary. I loved the first book and the second one is just as fun. It is a great sci-fi about cyborgs, clones, Elder races, great characters, fun plot, crazy dialogue, and good humor. This is a space opera with a different fresh look. Great fun read.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the author to read, and review.
Well, read first, review now, of course.
Cassius Mass is back! More drunk, more morose, more Mad Max than Han Solo… Mad Solo? Han Max sounds like a drink, so Mad Solo it is.
Mad Solo gets drunk, gets laid, and gets into literally a world of trouble because as much as he wants to tell the universe to piss off, he can’t help being a nice guy at heart (which is part of why he gets drunk a lot, good guys having done genocidal stuff… well, it needs a lot of drowning, but sorrows can swim, the bastards)
I had a lot of fun, come to think of it, I should have listened to Judas Priest’s All Guns Blazing, all the time whilst reading it, because that is, in essence, what it boils down to. Stuff just keeps happening to Mad Solo… it’s not just right place at the wrong time, it’s also right place at the right time, only his common sense catches up too late. There’s deviousness, callousness, madness, and a whole slew of other nesses that make this a really cool ride… err… read!