Stardogs

by Dave Freer

Revolution rises!

The Interstellar Empire of Man was built on the enslavement of the gentle Stardogs, companions and Theta-space transporters of the vanished Denaari Dominion. But the Stardogs that humans found can't go home to breed, and are slowly dying out.

As the ruthless Empire collapses from its rotten core outward, an Imperial barge is trapped on top of a dying Stardog when an attempted hijacking and assassination go horribly wrong. Trying to save its human cargo, the Stardog flees to the last place anyone expected - the long-lost Denaari motherworld.

Crawling from the crash are the Leaguesmen who control the Stardogs' pilots by fear and force, and plan to assassinate Princess Shari, the criminal Yak gang, who want to kill everyone and take control of a rare Stardog for their own, and an entourage riddled with plots, poisons, and treason. But Shari and her assassin-bodyguard have plans of their own...

Stranded on the Denaari Motherworld, the castaway survivors will have to cooperate to survive. Some will have to die.

And some, if they make it to the Stardogs breeding ground, will have to learn what it means to love.

Genres: Science Fiction

286 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 10, 2014

Reviews

[Kjirstin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting idea -- a novel FTL approach, and I like the consideration of what that might do, culturally, to people in the wake of the discovery. I enjoyed the adventure in an unknown world, and the eventual resolution with foes coming from all sides.

Drawbacks... there are a lot of characters and I had a little trouble keeping them straight in my head, between all the titles, nicknames, and so on that they each used. Was this guy the bad guy-with-a-heart or was he the horrible cold-blooded killer? Not a big deal but it did make it a little confusing.

I'm definitely excited to see what happens in the next one -- what the political developments will be and how further exploration will advance things... (and I want to know more about New Texas!)

[Darren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just plain don't like Freer's books very much. There were parts of this one I liked - the mind games on the trek through the desert, for example. But there were too many characters who I never felt I really understood, too much switching back and forth of perspectives, and plots within labyrinthine plots.

Interesting story, but I think I'm giving up on Freer.

[Mark Alger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't finish. Set it aside. This happens quite frequently to me. It's not that the book is bad, I thoroughly enjoyed the part I did read. It's just that my magpie attention span went: **SQUIRREL!** on me and I got into another book. I'm sure I'll pick this up again, and, when I do, I will probably give it the attention it deserves.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amusing Tale of intrigue.