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Retrieval Artist #14
Starbase Human
Can the fate of a forgotten starbase hold the key to the Moon’s survival?
Long before the Anniversary Day bombings brought the Moon to its knees, a far-flung starbase became the testing ground for a diabolical plan: the annihilation of every human inhabitant by an army of clones.
Every lead to the masterminds behind the bombings uncovered by criminal kingpin Luc Deshin dead ended in an Earth Alliance connection.
Undercover operative Iniko Zagrando refused to play patsy for the Earth Alliance Military Division Intelligence Service, and now he’s fleeing for his life from his old bosses.
And Frontier Marshall Judita Gomez puts her own life and the lives of her team on the line when her search for the origins of the Anniversary Day assassins leads to an Earth Alliance cloning factory.
From the quiet courage of a Disappeared who struggles to decide whether to come out of hiding to the potent fury of a master criminal who puts a plan in motion to strike back at an overwhelming enemy, Starbase Human brings readers one step closer to the exciting conclusion of the Anniversary Day saga.
Long before the Anniversary Day bombings brought the Moon to its knees, a far-flung starbase became the testing ground for a diabolical plan: the annihilation of every human inhabitant by an army of clones.
Every lead to the masterminds behind the bombings uncovered by criminal kingpin Luc Deshin dead ended in an Earth Alliance connection.
Undercover operative Iniko Zagrando refused to play patsy for the Earth Alliance Military Division Intelligence Service, and now he’s fleeing for his life from his old bosses.
And Frontier Marshall Judita Gomez puts her own life and the lives of her team on the line when her search for the origins of the Anniversary Day assassins leads to an Earth Alliance cloning factory.
From the quiet courage of a Disappeared who struggles to decide whether to come out of hiding to the potent fury of a master criminal who puts a plan in motion to strike back at an overwhelming enemy, Starbase Human brings readers one step closer to the exciting conclusion of the Anniversary Day saga.
358 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2015
21 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
1,366 books722 followersKristine Kathryn Rusch is an award-winning mystery, romance, science fiction, and fantasy writer. She has written many novels under various names, including Kristine Grayson for romance, and Kris Nelscott for mystery. Her novels have made the bestseller lists –even in London– and have been published in 14 countries and 13 different languages.
Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.
In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".
She has also published as:
Sandy Schofield (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kristine Grayson - romances
Kathryn Wesley (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kris Nelscott - mysteries
Kris Rusch - historical fiction
Kris DeLake - romances
Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.
In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".
She has also published as:
Sandy Schofield (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kristine Grayson - romances
Kathryn Wesley (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kris Nelscott - mysteries
Kris Rusch - historical fiction
Kris DeLake - romances
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 13, 2019
The answers have started coming in and I'm loving how this mystery resolves itself. Still haven't gotten to 'the' mastermind but many answers. I'm also enjoying character growth and change.
August 25, 2018
I love this series but these both this and Vigilantes both suffer from glacial beginnings. Honestly, that we're meeting completely new people connected to the story, a timeline 35 years before the Anniversary Day attack and other disparate but connected in some way threads, it took a bit for me to get into this. But just like the last, somewhere around the halfway point, it all gelled and took off then I didn't want to put it down and didn't want it to be over.
It was nice to have Zagrando pop up again and his storyline was so intense I wasn't sure he was going to make it to the Moon or tell Miles the pertinent intel (not that the end confirms that last bit entirely but I'm hoping!). It was slow going but I eventually got into the Frontier Marshalls storyline especially once it reached the cloning factory. And Luc Deshin, criminal enterprise head & businessman, looms so large & frankly, sympathetic & root-worthy, that he was basically coming off as a stand-in for Miles Flint. He's a complex figure and going down as one of the crusaders to change the way clones are treated in this society.
If I weren't so tired when I finished this one late in the night, I'd have gone right into Masterminds (the finale!) but sleep is a necessary thing. Definitely recommended.
It was nice to have Zagrando pop up again and his storyline was so intense I wasn't sure he was going to make it to the Moon or tell Miles the pertinent intel (not that the end confirms that last bit entirely but I'm hoping!). It was slow going but I eventually got into the Frontier Marshalls storyline especially once it reached the cloning factory. And Luc Deshin, criminal enterprise head & businessman, looms so large & frankly, sympathetic & root-worthy, that he was basically coming off as a stand-in for Miles Flint. He's a complex figure and going down as one of the crusaders to change the way clones are treated in this society.
If I weren't so tired when I finished this one late in the night, I'd have gone right into Masterminds (the finale!) but sleep is a necessary thing. Definitely recommended.
March 25, 2018
Can an old and dilapidated starbase be the key to solving the Moon’s Anniversary Day Bombings and it’s survival?
Starbase Human, the seventh book in the Anniversary Day Saga of the Retrieval Artist Series, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch attempted to answer that question. Long ago, this starbase became a clone-testing ground intent on destroying humanity and now could be the long-awaited clue to finally solving the mystery behind the Anniversary Day Bombings on the Moon’s colony of Armstrong that began in Anniversary Day, the first book of the Anniversary Day Saga.
This novel centered around several minor characters that have played key roles throughout the saga. Earth Alliance Frontier Marshall Judita Gomez, who had first appeared in Murder of Clones (Book 3 of the Saga), was nearing retirement from a distinguished career but decided to launch her own investigation into the bombings leading to a startling discovery. Criminal Kingpin Luc Deshin, who had first appeared in Blowback (Book 2 of the Saga), came forth with information that created another layer into what happened with the bombings and brought his participation along a criminal network into the arena. Several other minor characters played important roles in this novel as readers get one more step closer to finding out what happened in Armstrong.
Rusch has created a fascinating intergalactic world where richly drawn human and alien characters are the strength of the Retrieval Artist Series. She has made this reader create about minor characters like Marshall Gomez and Luc Deshin as much as I have with the main characters, Retrieval Artist Miles Flint and Moon Security Chief Officer Noelle DeRicci. The author has revealed throughout these books that characters matter first and foremost and are the essential ingredient to any great story regardless of genre.
Starbase Human is another winner from Kristine Kathryn Rusch and sets up the thrilling conclusion to the Anniversary Day Saga in Masterminds, Book 8 and the final novel of the saga. Again, I would suggest that new readers start with Anniversary Day (Book 1 of the saga) and read the following books before Starbase Human. Highly recommended.
Starbase Human, the seventh book in the Anniversary Day Saga of the Retrieval Artist Series, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch attempted to answer that question. Long ago, this starbase became a clone-testing ground intent on destroying humanity and now could be the long-awaited clue to finally solving the mystery behind the Anniversary Day Bombings on the Moon’s colony of Armstrong that began in Anniversary Day, the first book of the Anniversary Day Saga.
This novel centered around several minor characters that have played key roles throughout the saga. Earth Alliance Frontier Marshall Judita Gomez, who had first appeared in Murder of Clones (Book 3 of the Saga), was nearing retirement from a distinguished career but decided to launch her own investigation into the bombings leading to a startling discovery. Criminal Kingpin Luc Deshin, who had first appeared in Blowback (Book 2 of the Saga), came forth with information that created another layer into what happened with the bombings and brought his participation along a criminal network into the arena. Several other minor characters played important roles in this novel as readers get one more step closer to finding out what happened in Armstrong.
Rusch has created a fascinating intergalactic world where richly drawn human and alien characters are the strength of the Retrieval Artist Series. She has made this reader create about minor characters like Marshall Gomez and Luc Deshin as much as I have with the main characters, Retrieval Artist Miles Flint and Moon Security Chief Officer Noelle DeRicci. The author has revealed throughout these books that characters matter first and foremost and are the essential ingredient to any great story regardless of genre.
Starbase Human is another winner from Kristine Kathryn Rusch and sets up the thrilling conclusion to the Anniversary Day Saga in Masterminds, Book 8 and the final novel of the saga. Again, I would suggest that new readers start with Anniversary Day (Book 1 of the saga) and read the following books before Starbase Human. Highly recommended.
October 2, 2025
Next-to-last book in the big story. Most of the characters are onstage, and the action is moving along. Miles, Talia, Noelle, and Bartholomew are working together on the Moon, and one of the Earth Alliance representatives in Noelle's office is on board. Luc is on a mission far from our solar system as his usual maybe-ex-bad-guy-with-a-good-heart self, and Zagrando is back, yay! Judita Gomez is also working on the problem, as are several other characters scattered over the known universe. S3 is still setting up their Moon office for their part in the action. All of these people's stories are about to come together. I am ready for the big reveals of the last story! (And a little disappointed that there are no new Retrieval Artist books since these.)
August 17, 2021
2 stars for Part One, 5 stars for Part Two
Part 1 was really unnecessary—it was mostly a retread. But Part 2 was excellent and brought back characters I had missed and/or was worried about.
Part 1 was really unnecessary—it was mostly a retread. But Part 2 was excellent and brought back characters I had missed and/or was worried about.
April 21, 2020
This series is just so good. Well paced, lots of interesting characters. This is another bridge book, the next ties up the series.
November 7, 2022
And the threads start to come together . . . .
April 27, 2025
Another great read with this penultimate book in the saga. Everything is set up for the finale.
May 13, 2015
Starbase Human takes us closer to the end of the Anniversary Day Saga. Once again we visit the past and proceed to the present. Each part brings moves closer to the end of the series and everything points to a truly explosive ending. More pieces of the puzzle are in place. There are some new characters as well as some from previous books. Each has a part in finding out who has targeted the Moon. Like previous books there are several different stories featuring different characters. Each story is very well-developed and each contained a hint about what is to come.
I love the series and recommend it to anyone who loves Science Fiction mixed with a mystery. I have Masterminds on pre-order and it will go to the top of my TBR list as soon as it comes out.
I do need to add that this is a series that needs to be read in order.
April 19, 2016
Wonderful book. I've been terribly lazy on Goodreads. I suppose I'm not that interested in leaving a big e-print. But, I just love reading KKR's books. Once I start one I just can't put it down. That's how this book was for me. As she points out, this book should be read as part of the Anniversary Day Saga (part of the Retrieval Artist series). So, don't start here. But it's a wonderful read. (see I'm a lousy reviewer......it's good, read it, the end). P.S. I just read "Snipers" and it's great too.
June 7, 2015
Considering this is the second-to-last volume of the Anniversary Day sub series, I expected a lot more resolution than this volume gave me. Too much of the book seemed to be moving characters in place so they will be able to reveal their stories at the end. I continue to believe a reader could skip all the Retrieval Artist Universe books (ie, those without Miles Flint) and still get virtually all of the story.
November 2, 2021
Almost To The End
The Anniversary Saga is one long story that takes 8 books to tell. This part of the series needs to be read in order, and really needs to be read fairly close together in order to keep up with all the characters and storylines.
This book has more action than the previous 2 or 3, and answers some questions about the clones and the attacks on the moon.
The Anniversary Saga is one long story that takes 8 books to tell. This part of the series needs to be read in order, and really needs to be read fairly close together in order to keep up with all the characters and storylines.
This book has more action than the previous 2 or 3, and answers some questions about the clones and the attacks on the moon.
June 20, 2015
Holy crap....
...holy crap, holy crap! So glad the last book in this series is already out and I can find out how all this ends! Such an amazingly great story being told here and SO very much worth the money I've spent to read it!!!!
...holy crap, holy crap! So glad the last book in this series is already out and I can find out how all this ends! Such an amazingly great story being told here and SO very much worth the money I've spent to read it!!!!
July 22, 2015
The saga rolls on
Still a good saga and impressive, but I am getting both a little frustrated and confused by all the characters and switches from one to the other. Glad the next book is the last!
Still a good saga and impressive, but I am getting both a little frustrated and confused by all the characters and switches from one to the other. Glad the next book is the last!
August 1, 2015
highly recommend.
December 31, 2015
Still taking too long, too many threads to keep track of and I am glad the next book is the last!
September 7, 2016
My favorite in the series so far
September 17, 2017
Again dragging on. I'm only reading to see how it ends but there is much irrelevant or repetitive info that I am no longer enjoying it. Also, creating new character to close the stories is a cop out. Those should have been present right from the start or not at all. Too many characters makes it difficult to relate to any of them. The throw off is that she includes Miles' daughter's clones in book 7 and by book 14 they NEVER reappeared!!!!!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews