Starbreaker: Volume 2

Starbreaker #2

by Luke Chmilenko

“Blind eyes closed, but all-seeing. What was broken, mend and shatter.
Orphan child, man of letters, tower keeper, castle feller.
Body render, never feeling. What was severed, consume.
Left hand hunger. Right devour.
Starbreaker, death’s victor.
Starbreaker, world eater.
Starbreaker, awake.”

—Prophecy of Aion Origin, date unknown

The Culling is over, and against all odds, Sylvas stands victorious.

But even so, his training isn’t over. In fact, it’s barely even begun. Before he can do anything more than catch his breath, he and all the other cadets are whisked off planet for their next trial. Onslaught Citadel.

And this time, dying won’t be enough to save them.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction

437 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 13, 2025

About the author

Writing far faster than his hands can withstand, Luke Chmilenko hails from the Great White North where he lives with his wife and two daughters. Toiling endlessly Luke juggles his time between a rapidly growing catalogue of series while playing far more video games than he would ever openly admit.

If you're interested in getting all the news about Luke's upcoming work, check out his website at: http://lukechmilenko.com/

Reviews

[John Galt · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh. Better than book 1, but not by much. The book just seems too cliche. MC has all sorts of game-breaking advantages above his peers and still somehow has trouble being the best. Also, the story tries to make MC come across as highly intelligent and logical, but frankly he is just annoying and dumb. I kept thinking to myself during book 1 that the series might get better. I pushed into book 2 over the weekend. I finished book 2 today and am left with that bad taste of "wow i wasted my weekend on this?" Unfortunately, I was at the bottom of the barrel looking for a new series so this was more a reading of convenience than of love. Dnf the rest of the series.

[John-Torleif Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many questions after reading this…

How is Sylvas going to react when he finds out about the machinations at work around him? There is no way that he isn’t going to feel used and betrayed. But how he’ll react to that is going to be interesting. It’s clear that all of the big powers are aware of a prophecy revolving around Sylvas, but does anyone actually know what the end result will be? Wouldn’t it be ironic if it turns out the the eidolon’s are really Aions and trying to manipulate their way back into our reality through this whole thing.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good but not the calibre of Stormweaver

The idea was interesting in book one and is developed further here. The story is fine enough to hold my attention and there are enough characters for variety without overcomplicating matters. As said in the heading I personally didn't find it gripping me as Iron Prince did. Possibly because the 'rise of the prodigy ' trope is very similar but just not as well executed. I shan't dive into the third book just yet but can still recommend this second book for devotees.

[Adam Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

More fun times for Sylas

Poor guy can't catch a break, survived the Cull only to get Hell Week thrown at him. On the upshot, he does get some mental help for his issues. Though in the Ardent's usual brutal fashion.

Also there's some space station shenanigans, some crafting and power exploration, and planning for future growth! Really excited for his next rank up to see what his paradigm will be! And old Blackstar is plotting int he background still ...

[Lynn Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sylvas "Sigil" Vail is at it again! As he and his group grow stronger, the battles grow fiercer, testing them all. This is an amazing, action packed adventure, picking up where Volume 1 left off. The characters are entertaining and engaging, and I had a hard time putting it down! I can't wait for Volume 3!

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Space Fantasy Goodness

Love these books. The group of people around Sylvas is amazing and it’s incredible to me that I still miss Mira even though she hasn’t been in the series since the beginning of the first book.

I can’t wait to see where Sigil and the gang go to next. The staff is also so freaking cool

[William Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

breaking rules

It’s like Hogwarts…run by US Navy SEALs who know you can be healed of *almost* everything. And don’t care if ‘almost’ happens.

No progression in ‘circles’ but plenty of progression in using what he’s already got.

Pre-ordering the sequel now.

[Jason M Heller · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so very good

For someone who went into this expecting more of the same, I was pleasantly surprised. A ton of fun, wonderful character work, and really interesting progression. Cannot wait to see more from this world.

[Thorsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good continuation of the series. The only real complaint is that it still feels a little simplistic and predictable, although I appreciated the finale and the conclusion involving the latest antagonist. The reaction after the battle was delightfully unexpected.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wizards…in SPACE!!

ARC reader here! Great second book. Space Stations were a great new place for magic battles! Ready for round 3! Keep writing and I’ll keep reading!!

[Johnie C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read

I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book to anyone who likes LitRPG and progression type of books with lots of action.

[Dawna Raidmae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great second book!

For those who haven't picked the series up, i'd strongly recommend that you do so. The story is a great one and well worth the read!

[Dantegideon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually thought this was a little better than the first one, as he didn’t spend all his time being miserable. Let’s keep this up!

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is good, ready to get third now good.

This is good, ready to get third now good. No I mean it, I want more, soon, sooner, soonerest. How long till next?

[Fujukai RZPT · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was close to giving this 2 stars because of the stupid alcohol scenes.

[Trenton Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy the banter between the MC and his friends.

[Urhierefe]

DNF - Expected

[Mike Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Stuff

This story of an orphan mage who was tricked into thinking he is the Chosen One and destroying a world was a fantastic read.