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Fallen Empire #3
Starseers
Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
The mysterious and powerful Starseers have Captain Alisa Marchenko's daughter, and she will do whatever she must to get her back, even if it means traveling to their stronghold and confronting them personally.
Unfortunately, her strongest ally, the cyborg Leonidas, may become a liability since the cyborgs and the Starseers have a long history of hating each other. It doesn’t help that Leonidas and Dr. Dominguez have a mission of their own, one that could jeopardize all that Alisa is fighting for.
The mysterious and powerful Starseers have Captain Alisa Marchenko's daughter, and she will do whatever she must to get her back, even if it means traveling to their stronghold and confronting them personally.
Unfortunately, her strongest ally, the cyborg Leonidas, may become a liability since the cyborgs and the Starseers have a long history of hating each other. It doesn’t help that Leonidas and Dr. Dominguez have a mission of their own, one that could jeopardize all that Alisa is fighting for.
Audiobook
First published June 1, 2016
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About the author
Lindsay Buroker
198 books6,298 followersI'm a full-time indie fantasy and science fiction author. When I'm not writing, I'm ferrying my dogs to hiking trails for adventures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 249 reviews
February 14, 2019
Last part of this audible trilogy. The light sci-fi series has failed to grow on me.
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June 7, 2016Inhaled this third installment of what is developing into a quest with bigger questions and broader ramifications, while never letting either the delightful banter, or the fast action, flag.
As in the second book, I really like the sense of chaos conveyed in the aftermath of war. The range, from cannibalistic pirates to old pieces of the various armies trying to establish order ring true, and Buroker keeps the tone entertaining and the pacing moving along at a fast clip, which I appreciate. It could so easily bog the story as the point is hammered about personal freedom versus state-imposed order. We're getting various views on it through the characters trying to navigate this changed, and not so great world, rather than the narrative voice ponderously lecturing us on paradigms of state.
In this book, we get insight into the earlier lives of several characters, which I also appreciated, one of the high-points being a conversation between Alisa and Alejandro, whose position is at best anomalous.
We also get to meet some of the mysterious Starseers, which made for a eyes-glued-to-the-page arc, with some nifty characters emerging, in specific Yumi's eldest half-sister, who I hope shows up again.
I can hardly wait for the next installment.
As in the second book, I really like the sense of chaos conveyed in the aftermath of war. The range, from cannibalistic pirates to old pieces of the various armies trying to establish order ring true, and Buroker keeps the tone entertaining and the pacing moving along at a fast clip, which I appreciate. It could so easily bog the story as the point is hammered about personal freedom versus state-imposed order. We're getting various views on it through the characters trying to navigate this changed, and not so great world, rather than the narrative voice ponderously lecturing us on paradigms of state.
In this book, we get insight into the earlier lives of several characters, which I also appreciated, one of the high-points being a conversation between Alisa and Alejandro, whose position is at best anomalous.
We also get to meet some of the mysterious Starseers, which made for a eyes-glued-to-the-page arc, with some nifty characters emerging, in specific Yumi's eldest half-sister, who I hope shows up again.
I can hardly wait for the next installment.
August 4, 2020
An action filled fun! :)
Alisa is just great and she deserves 5 stars!
Alisa is just great and she deserves 5 stars!
May 2, 2020
Finally, some sort of bigger things and plots and adventures start looming somewhere in the periphery.
It is already absolutely clear, that this series will be solely plot-based. That ain't so bad, actually. Sometimes one needs only a lite version of an adventure, and these series serves this need very well.
What puzzled if not made me feel uneasy in the final chapter, had been some revelations, that tend to suggest that this space western might have some fantasy elements up further. Please, pretty please... DON'T!!!
3 solid stars.
It is already absolutely clear, that this series will be solely plot-based. That ain't so bad, actually. Sometimes one needs only a lite version of an adventure, and these series serves this need very well.
What puzzled if not made me feel uneasy in the final chapter, had been some revelations, that tend to suggest that this space western might have some fantasy elements up further. Please, pretty please... DON'T!!!
3 solid stars.
December 26, 2023
I NEED THESE CHARACTERS TO KISS AND ALL THE BOOK IS GIVING ME IS BANTER AND TEAMWORK AND PHILOSOPHY DISCUSSIONS. I love it.
Only 3 stars because the book is just spinning its wheels plot-wise and it's showing.
Only 3 stars because the book is just spinning its wheels plot-wise and it's showing.
July 31, 2016
Another enjoyable installment in this light SciFi series.
January 21, 2017
I’m happy to report that Starseers was a massive improvement from Honor’s Flight, because I wasn’t sure what to think after the mixed bag that was the previous book. We finally get to know more about the mysterious Starseers and become better acquainted with Yumi Moon, not to mention there’s some (very much welcome) plot progress as Alisa finds the first real clues she’s had as to her daughter’s whereabouts.
After the second book, where nothing much happened at all except for a convoluted series of spaceship battles, it was a vast relief when Alisa’s crew finally located the mysterious Starseer temple – not only because the plot could finally move along, but because the Starseers were by far the most interesting and complex group introduced in the series thus far. Move aside, Empire and Alliance! For all that they were shady and suspicious, with motivations that Alisa could not understand and did not trust, I found myself wishing that the protagonists could have spent more time at the Starseer temple. There was an intriguing cast of potential allies and enemies there, particularly Yumi’s mother, Ji-yoon, and her sisters Young-hee and Soon-hee. I was rather tickled at the confirmation of Yumi’s Korean background, and I love that Buroker sidestepped the cliché “evil half-sisters” trope. Young-hee was a remarkably good sport with a great sense of humour, and I hope she’ll be back in later books. Although we’ve barely seen much of him for now, Abelardus promises to be a very interesting character, too.
On the plot and relationship front, I personally am not overly concerned about the overarching plot of Alisa’s missing daughter; it is obvious by now that it is mostly an excuse (for now) to drag her halfway across the galaxy during the search, and won’t come into the forefront until the end. But nevertheless, it is nice to see some progress made, and for Alisa to be reminded that it is her priority. It continues to bother me that Alisa seems to have a one-track mind when it comes to Leonidas; she ultimately always prioritizes him, even if it means fighting against her own side and endangering the general wellbeing of her crew, her ship and her future with her daughter. It’s not Leonidas’ fault that Alisa acts like a love-struck teenage girl (despite being a 30-something widow with a daughter), but I do hope his feelings catch up with hers soon; there are some encouraging signs from Leonidas that he cares for her in this book, but they’re still few and far between. It’s certainly not making it easy for me to get behind this romance when it mostly involves Alisa embarrassing herself with her behaviour. They’d be in danger and she’d make cracks about offering him intimate massages – it makes me cringe so badly.
Alisa is truly badass when she’s piloting a craft through tight spots and fighting off enemies with flashy manoeuvres, though, so as long as we get more space battles and Starseers in the next book and less romance or Alliance/Empire politics, I’m going to be a happy little reader.
After the second book, where nothing much happened at all except for a convoluted series of spaceship battles, it was a vast relief when Alisa’s crew finally located the mysterious Starseer temple – not only because the plot could finally move along, but because the Starseers were by far the most interesting and complex group introduced in the series thus far. Move aside, Empire and Alliance! For all that they were shady and suspicious, with motivations that Alisa could not understand and did not trust, I found myself wishing that the protagonists could have spent more time at the Starseer temple. There was an intriguing cast of potential allies and enemies there, particularly Yumi’s mother, Ji-yoon, and her sisters Young-hee and Soon-hee. I was rather tickled at the confirmation of Yumi’s Korean background, and I love that Buroker sidestepped the cliché “evil half-sisters” trope. Young-hee was a remarkably good sport with a great sense of humour, and I hope she’ll be back in later books. Although we’ve barely seen much of him for now, Abelardus promises to be a very interesting character, too.
On the plot and relationship front, I personally am not overly concerned about the overarching plot of Alisa’s missing daughter; it is obvious by now that it is mostly an excuse (for now) to drag her halfway across the galaxy during the search, and won’t come into the forefront until the end. But nevertheless, it is nice to see some progress made, and for Alisa to be reminded that it is her priority. It continues to bother me that Alisa seems to have a one-track mind when it comes to Leonidas; she ultimately always prioritizes him, even if it means fighting against her own side and endangering the general wellbeing of her crew, her ship and her future with her daughter. It’s not Leonidas’ fault that Alisa acts like a love-struck teenage girl (despite being a 30-something widow with a daughter), but I do hope his feelings catch up with hers soon; there are some encouraging signs from Leonidas that he cares for her in this book, but they’re still few and far between. It’s certainly not making it easy for me to get behind this romance when it mostly involves Alisa embarrassing herself with her behaviour. They’d be in danger and she’d make cracks about offering him intimate massages – it makes me cringe so badly.
Alisa is truly badass when she’s piloting a craft through tight spots and fighting off enemies with flashy manoeuvres, though, so as long as we get more space battles and Starseers in the next book and less romance or Alliance/Empire politics, I’m going to be a happy little reader.
July 17, 2019
Another fun, strong installment. Much of the comments I would make in this review would match those for the previous two in the series. Really feels more and more like a serial story. Each book a sizable section in one larger, complete tale. They aren't really complete arcs on their own. Curious to see how the series ties up as a whole. These first three have been only about 9 hours of audio each, and even taken as an omnibus they still only feel like the first half of the story. I notice that the rest of the books in the series begin to climb in length, ranging from 11-15 hours. Makes me think it's about to deepen and expand significantly, which I'm ready for. I need a break for a bit, but I plan to return to these and finish the series over the course of the year.
April 21, 2019
The mysterious and powerful Starseers have Captain Alisa Marchenko's daughter, and she will do whatever she must to get her back, even if it means traveling to their stronghold and confronting them personally.
This was another fun ride with the crew of the Nomad. It was interesting to see the Starseers closer up. I enjoyed the character development for Leonidas. I enjoyed the bond that has grown between him and Alisa. I'm totally rooting for them to get together. I enjoyed the banter between the characters. I laughed several times at things the characters did. Whether it was Alisa's jokes, Alejandro's love for his Orb, or Beck's grilling at the most unpredictable of times, it kept me smiling even through the tense moments. If you think you might enjoy a light space opera give this series a try! It's just pure fun.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
This was another fun ride with the crew of the Nomad. It was interesting to see the Starseers closer up. I enjoyed the character development for Leonidas. I enjoyed the bond that has grown between him and Alisa. I'm totally rooting for them to get together. I enjoyed the banter between the characters. I laughed several times at things the characters did. Whether it was Alisa's jokes, Alejandro's love for his Orb, or Beck's grilling at the most unpredictable of times, it kept me smiling even through the tense moments. If you think you might enjoy a light space opera give this series a try! It's just pure fun.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
July 10, 2016
the weakest installment in the series as the action devolves into self-parody on many occasions, especially on the Starseers base and the events there and around; the dialogue is still mostly entertaining (though even there there is some repetitiveness that starts becoming noticeable); on the plus side, a few new characters are interesting and one of Yumi's younger (Starseer step)sisters is actually the best new secondary character of the novels so far, while the plot thickens and the general story-line advances; still fairly interested in the series, but I hope the "jumping the shark" action sequences and the impermeable plot armor of the main characters will be less noticeable in volume 4
December 6, 2020
As well as the edge-of-your-seat fight action, the growing attraction between Alisa and Leonidas, and the fascinating forward movement in the overall plot, this book was really FUNNY! Alisa cracks me up.
January 5, 2023
Unresolved plots and Maguffins. Kidnapped children and "witty banter." :/
A trope of long-running sitcoms is the *surprise baby* that makes for a brief spike in viewership but then is largely forgotten/ignored by the writers. See: Ross and Rachel's kid from Friends.
Buroker's third "Fallen Empire" novel "Starseers" falls into the same trap. Despite ostensibly being about former ship Captain Alisa Marchenko's quest to find her daughter and rescue her from being apparently kidnapped by a cult of "Starseers" (psychic space-wizards or something) -- after three books, that plotline moves barely an inch as Marchenko and her Firefly-from-Wish.com shipmates get distracted by various shiny objects/set-pieces.
That could be forgiveable if Alisa the character exhibited any sort of frustration or motivation to actually find her daughter. But she doesn't. She willingly embarks on tangent after tangent all the while offering quippy dialogue and "banter" with and about her crew.
There are innumerable examples of her pining away, flirting, and fantasizing about the chiseled physique of cyborg Leonidas. It gets tiresome because it strips her of any gravitas towards what was set up as her raison d'etre -- reuniting/rescuing her daughter.
Because this series is so derivative of Firefly, I'll have to compare what Firefly did right here -- as an episodic series, each episode of Firefly largely stood on its own with some occasional movement of the "main" narrative of keeping River Tam away from the Alliance/discovering her story. You can have random adventures without feeling like the characters are forgetting to do the more important thing.
So when Buroker tries to do something similar, the fact that her main narrative is KIDNAPPED CHILD -- anything that distracts from that becomes more annoying/frustrating than jaunty sci-fi fun.
The "plot" of this novel, such as it is, is that Marchenko's ship makes its way to a Starseer temple where her daughter might be, but like Super Mario, "the princess is in another castle" and we never come close to resolving where (let alone why) by the end. In the interim, we get several dead-end plot threads about the Empire, the odd glowing orb carried by monk Alejandro that everybody wants but that we still have no real idea its purpose, and a doofy "Leonidas framed for murder" subplot that generates most of the running/jumping/shooting.
None of the major threads get resolved or meaningfully moved forward, and Marchenko continues quipping/thinking about naked massages with Leonidas. As Chandler might say: Could you BE any more an insufferably bad parent?
Allegedly, this series goes on for another seventy bajillion (or 5, whatever) books -- but I'm tapping out.
A trope of long-running sitcoms is the *surprise baby* that makes for a brief spike in viewership but then is largely forgotten/ignored by the writers. See: Ross and Rachel's kid from Friends.
Buroker's third "Fallen Empire" novel "Starseers" falls into the same trap. Despite ostensibly being about former ship Captain Alisa Marchenko's quest to find her daughter and rescue her from being apparently kidnapped by a cult of "Starseers" (psychic space-wizards or something) -- after three books, that plotline moves barely an inch as Marchenko and her Firefly-from-Wish.com shipmates get distracted by various shiny objects/set-pieces.
That could be forgiveable if Alisa the character exhibited any sort of frustration or motivation to actually find her daughter. But she doesn't. She willingly embarks on tangent after tangent all the while offering quippy dialogue and "banter" with and about her crew.
There are innumerable examples of her pining away, flirting, and fantasizing about the chiseled physique of cyborg Leonidas. It gets tiresome because it strips her of any gravitas towards what was set up as her raison d'etre -- reuniting/rescuing her daughter.
Because this series is so derivative of Firefly, I'll have to compare what Firefly did right here -- as an episodic series, each episode of Firefly largely stood on its own with some occasional movement of the "main" narrative of keeping River Tam away from the Alliance/discovering her story. You can have random adventures without feeling like the characters are forgetting to do the more important thing.
So when Buroker tries to do something similar, the fact that her main narrative is KIDNAPPED CHILD -- anything that distracts from that becomes more annoying/frustrating than jaunty sci-fi fun.
The "plot" of this novel, such as it is, is that Marchenko's ship makes its way to a Starseer temple where her daughter might be, but like Super Mario, "the princess is in another castle" and we never come close to resolving where (let alone why) by the end. In the interim, we get several dead-end plot threads about the Empire, the odd glowing orb carried by monk Alejandro that everybody wants but that we still have no real idea its purpose, and a doofy "Leonidas framed for murder" subplot that generates most of the running/jumping/shooting.
None of the major threads get resolved or meaningfully moved forward, and Marchenko continues quipping/thinking about naked massages with Leonidas. As Chandler might say: Could you BE any more an insufferably bad parent?
Allegedly, this series goes on for another seventy bajillion (or 5, whatever) books -- but I'm tapping out.
December 17, 2017
Actual rating 3.5 stars.
What exactly happened here? A lot of action. Plenty of dialogue that makes the reader chuckle quite a lot. A romance that kind of is there but kind of isn't. Some ill-timed, yet funny humor. More action and even more banter. The perfect recipe for a book that I might love.
There's something going on between Alisa and Leonidas and I'm rooting for it like crazy! There's nothing but a few glimpses and some wishful thinking (on Alisa's part) but the tension is definitely there and I love it!
Definitely continuing.
The Book Challengers blog // The Book Challengers Instagram // The Book Challengers Twitter
What exactly happened here? A lot of action. Plenty of dialogue that makes the reader chuckle quite a lot. A romance that kind of is there but kind of isn't. Some ill-timed, yet funny humor. More action and even more banter. The perfect recipe for a book that I might love.
There's something going on between Alisa and Leonidas and I'm rooting for it like crazy! There's nothing but a few glimpses and some wishful thinking (on Alisa's part) but the tension is definitely there and I love it!
Definitely continuing.
The Book Challengers blog // The Book Challengers Instagram // The Book Challengers Twitter
February 23, 2019
“Are you reading my mind?” “Of course. Would you trust anything that comes out of your mouth?” “Perhaps not in this case, no.”
More space opera adventures of Buroker’s fighter pilot turned pacifist and herder of strays. Alisa seems a magnetic for conflicting and conflicted companions and all the trouble which floats in their wake. The storytelling is fast paced and snarky.
“Did you expect something else?” “From you? I’ve come to expect inappropriate humor when it would be … inappropriate.” “I don’t always make a joke.”
Previously noted the parallels to Star Wars stories, perhaps a more apt comparison would be to Martha Well’s murderbot stories, though in them the snarkiness and cyborgnetics are in one package.
“I won’t do anything cyborgy.” “Cyborgy? What would that look like exactly?” “I don’t know, but I assure you it’s very menacing.”
Quibble: “Her ship, which weighed thousands of pounds … was resting on a sheet of ice.” No, a space freighter would weigh thousands of tons. And it just crash landed on that ice. If it was going through the ice, it would have been when velocity multiplied its mass.
“A tool is only as good or evil as the man who wields it.” “Says the man smithing a sword.”
More space opera adventures of Buroker’s fighter pilot turned pacifist and herder of strays. Alisa seems a magnetic for conflicting and conflicted companions and all the trouble which floats in their wake. The storytelling is fast paced and snarky.
“Did you expect something else?” “From you? I’ve come to expect inappropriate humor when it would be … inappropriate.” “I don’t always make a joke.”
Previously noted the parallels to Star Wars stories, perhaps a more apt comparison would be to Martha Well’s murderbot stories, though in them the snarkiness and cyborgnetics are in one package.
“I won’t do anything cyborgy.” “Cyborgy? What would that look like exactly?” “I don’t know, but I assure you it’s very menacing.”
Quibble: “Her ship, which weighed thousands of pounds … was resting on a sheet of ice.” No, a space freighter would weigh thousands of tons. And it just crash landed on that ice. If it was going through the ice, it would have been when velocity multiplied its mass.
“A tool is only as good or evil as the man who wields it.” “Says the man smithing a sword.”
July 10, 2023
The writing in this installment is back on track! The action is still high-powered, but it is tempered and a bit more logical than the previous book in this series. There are small interludes where we are able to see some growth in the characters and their relationships to each other, as well.
There are a few small cracks that I’m a bit perplexed with, however. Alisa is a military trained captain yet she acts like a total pushover. She allows complete betrayal from people on her ship with absolutely no reprimands, and no consequences. That makes absolutely ZERO sense! I know she is running a civilian freight carrier now, but she could at least act like a decent boss and fire the employee who almost gets everyone killed… or SOMETHING other than just ignoring it!! She also ignores the fact that a passenger is actively trying to get her to “disappear”. AND… she never even expects those aboard to be honest and forthright about things that will directly affect - and possibly kill - everyone else aboard? *HUGE eye roll*
Still, I do want to see where it goes from here, so after a brief break (the fast pace and high action is a bit exhausting even when it is well done - so it’s a bit harder to binge), I’ll be right back in the saddle and ready for the next ride!
There are a few small cracks that I’m a bit perplexed with, however. Alisa is a military trained captain yet she acts like a total pushover. She allows complete betrayal from people on her ship with absolutely no reprimands, and no consequences. That makes absolutely ZERO sense! I know she is running a civilian freight carrier now, but she could at least act like a decent boss and fire the employee who almost gets everyone killed… or SOMETHING other than just ignoring it!! She also ignores the fact that a passenger is actively trying to get her to “disappear”. AND… she never even expects those aboard to be honest and forthright about things that will directly affect - and possibly kill - everyone else aboard? *HUGE eye roll*
Still, I do want to see where it goes from here, so after a brief break (the fast pace and high action is a bit exhausting even when it is well done - so it’s a bit harder to binge), I’ll be right back in the saddle and ready for the next ride!
July 27, 2023
Adventures in space with the gang. Alisa is on the trail of her kidnapped daughter after years as as a fighter pilot. With a eccentric crew and passenger she encounters pirates, gangs, monks, seers, old enemies, cyborgs and more.
November 26, 2016
Too busy already reading #4 to write a proper review, so just a few thoughts below. I am not certain whether I liked this more or less than previous instalments...it's strange, as while I was reading it, I thought maybe it was slightly slower and a bit frustrating with the situation they were in, but actually thinking back on it, I liked all the elements we found out in this one...so I think a 4 stars again.
In this instalment we find out a lot more about the Starseers, maybe getting a bit too close to them in fact! There's a lot more fighting and accusations, captures and escapes - I am beginning to wonder how on earth the ship and the crew are still in one piece and still standing after all the scrapes they get in! They don't even seem to get much of a breather in between each bout of excitement!
There's a little bit of development in the 'romance' aspect, although I use that term loosely - it's more friendship and trust developing at the moment...although Alisa does seem to be having some rather more-than-friends thoughts in this one! And we meet some interesting characters, some nice, some rather less so...
Anyway, one thing I wanted to mention was that I like the way that each episode is nicely wrapped up each time, so that although there is clearly a wider story arc that's continuing, it doesn't leave you on a complete cliffhanger. Instead each book comes to a decent conclusion and the team are then off to the next part of their adventure. Although authors sometimes use more obvious cliffhangers to draw you into the next book, I sometimes find this annoying/off-putting and stop reading, so I much prefer it this way and it's one of the reasons I've found I can keep reading them one after another.
Right - carrying straight on with the next one now...
In this instalment we find out a lot more about the Starseers, maybe getting a bit too close to them in fact! There's a lot more fighting and accusations, captures and escapes - I am beginning to wonder how on earth the ship and the crew are still in one piece and still standing after all the scrapes they get in! They don't even seem to get much of a breather in between each bout of excitement!
There's a little bit of development in the 'romance' aspect, although I use that term loosely - it's more friendship and trust developing at the moment...although Alisa does seem to be having some rather more-than-friends thoughts in this one! And we meet some interesting characters, some nice, some rather less so...
Anyway, one thing I wanted to mention was that I like the way that each episode is nicely wrapped up each time, so that although there is clearly a wider story arc that's continuing, it doesn't leave you on a complete cliffhanger. Instead each book comes to a decent conclusion and the team are then off to the next part of their adventure. Although authors sometimes use more obvious cliffhangers to draw you into the next book, I sometimes find this annoying/off-putting and stop reading, so I much prefer it this way and it's one of the reasons I've found I can keep reading them one after another.
Right - carrying straight on with the next one now...
August 13, 2021
Another decent installation. Lots of frustration came from this one though, it just felt we though nothing was going the way it should, nothing was working out.
As I mentioned in my previous review, I really think Alisa should be far more worried for Jelena. Like, girlie, ditch Alejandro and Leo (even though he’s a hunk), they’re just distracting you from getting Jelena back. Like, you’re choosing to help someone with opposing political views get their hands on a massive weapon instead of just getting your daughter??? Miss Ma’am, you were saying in the other book how you regretted joining the Alliance because it kept you away from you family and now you’re doing the exact same thing again except this time your daughter could be in danger? Make it make sense Lindsay.
Oh yeah!! After note but special mention goes out to Yumi, I really liked her contribution to this one and I find learning about her more to be real intriguing. Especially everything we learned about her family.
As I mentioned in my previous review, I really think Alisa should be far more worried for Jelena. Like, girlie, ditch Alejandro and Leo (even though he’s a hunk), they’re just distracting you from getting Jelena back. Like, you’re choosing to help someone with opposing political views get their hands on a massive weapon instead of just getting your daughter??? Miss Ma’am, you were saying in the other book how you regretted joining the Alliance because it kept you away from you family and now you’re doing the exact same thing again except this time your daughter could be in danger? Make it make sense Lindsay.
Oh yeah!! After note but special mention goes out to Yumi, I really liked her contribution to this one and I find learning about her more to be real intriguing. Especially everything we learned about her family.
March 21, 2019
I enjoyed this continuation of the series very much. The ongoing quest to track down her daughter takes Alisa into all sorts of scrapes and adventures that often involve her troublesome passengers. Though I do have to say that this would have been a 5 star review if she didn't, at times, take some really daft risks that endanger herself and her ship - and the chances of finding her lost daughter... Looking forward to tucking into the next slice of the adventure, anyway.
June 25, 2016
Full of action and mirth, which sometimes did annoy me but overall, I enjoy it quite a lot. Alisa might not be my favourite though. She's too selfish, impulsive and blunt at moments. Anyhow, I'm still waiting for kisses to be shared since we were last promised them in one of Buroker's interview at the end of the first book. Looking forward to the prequel and then the 4th instalment.
July 26, 2016
Giving up on this series--the worldbuilding could be interesting, but the characters haven't grown on me at all. The main character in particular keeps making bad decisions, or decisions that go against her own interests, without any real logic or explanation as to why, other than the plot requires her to be with these people and doing these things. Not for me.
July 17, 2019
Starseers is the third book in the Fallen Empire series and I am really enjoying this series so far. In Starseers captain Alisa, her crew and passengers are on route to planet Arkadius on which there should be a Starseer temple. She's hoping to find answers there about where her daughter is. The doctor Dominguez has his own reasons for wanting to visit the Starseers relating to his mysterious artifact.
This book follows the trend of the rest of the series with plenty of action and interesting characters. the pacing is quite fast, but the actual main plot points advance very little, but I don't mind. Each book brings another hint about Alisa's daughter and the artifact of the doctor and along the way they have enough adventures to keep you entertained. It's fun to read about how they keep getting in trouble and it has a very cinematic feel to it somehow.
Starseers gives us a better understanding of the Starseers, whom we haven't met much before. I read Fractured Stars before this series so I already knew a bit about Starseers, but there was still plenty of additional information about them in this book. It was interesting to see how they lived and they didn't really seem as friendly, but that made sense. Their mind powers seem quite powerful and I think we'll be seeing more of them along the series. Also the cover for this book paints a good image of their temple.
I also feel like the relationship between Alisa and Leonidas progressed a bit in this book, but it goes very slowly. It's clear they have each other's back and Leonidas seems to take her humor a bit better. There are also some interesting tidbits we learn about Leonidas in this book. It also was interesting to see Alisa's loyalties get questions a bit again, that already happened in the last book, but in this book she doubts a bit more whether the Alliance really is as good as she once believed when she noticed some less positive aspects about it. I like how loyal she is to her friends and also Leonidas as she stands up for him a few times in this book.
The rest of the side characters are there too. Beck and Mica don't play a big role here, but there are still important scenes with both of them. I didn't really care for something beck did in this book, but it was very much in character. There is a big hint/ reveal concerning the doctor's quest toward the end of the book and an interesting development that makes me curious for the next book. I am still not sure why the doctor stays with her though, as they don't seem to like each other. As Yumi has a connection to the temple there is a bit more we learn about her and her family as well. There are some new side characters that were interesting and also plenty that weren't.
As they visit another planet again in this book and visit the Starseers, there is more we learn about the world in this book, which was interesting. It also shows some of the prejudice toward cyborgs and how they're seen. And the two sides The Empire and The Alliance both seem more grey than good and bad as the series continues.
To summarize: I am enjoying this series so far with plenty of action and interesting characters. I like the direction the story took in this book and meeting the Starseers. There are some interesting plot developments mostly toward the end and ofcourse plenty of trouble the characters get into along the way. There are some character developments and new pieces of information we learn which was fun as well as I enjoy reading about these characters. I also think the romance between Alisa and Leonidas is building a bit, but is sure is slow going. All in all this continues to be a great series and I would recommend it if you like action packed science fiction books with interesting characters.
This book follows the trend of the rest of the series with plenty of action and interesting characters. the pacing is quite fast, but the actual main plot points advance very little, but I don't mind. Each book brings another hint about Alisa's daughter and the artifact of the doctor and along the way they have enough adventures to keep you entertained. It's fun to read about how they keep getting in trouble and it has a very cinematic feel to it somehow.
Starseers gives us a better understanding of the Starseers, whom we haven't met much before. I read Fractured Stars before this series so I already knew a bit about Starseers, but there was still plenty of additional information about them in this book. It was interesting to see how they lived and they didn't really seem as friendly, but that made sense. Their mind powers seem quite powerful and I think we'll be seeing more of them along the series. Also the cover for this book paints a good image of their temple.
I also feel like the relationship between Alisa and Leonidas progressed a bit in this book, but it goes very slowly. It's clear they have each other's back and Leonidas seems to take her humor a bit better. There are also some interesting tidbits we learn about Leonidas in this book. It also was interesting to see Alisa's loyalties get questions a bit again, that already happened in the last book, but in this book she doubts a bit more whether the Alliance really is as good as she once believed when she noticed some less positive aspects about it. I like how loyal she is to her friends and also Leonidas as she stands up for him a few times in this book.
The rest of the side characters are there too. Beck and Mica don't play a big role here, but there are still important scenes with both of them. I didn't really care for something beck did in this book, but it was very much in character. There is a big hint/ reveal concerning the doctor's quest toward the end of the book and an interesting development that makes me curious for the next book. I am still not sure why the doctor stays with her though, as they don't seem to like each other. As Yumi has a connection to the temple there is a bit more we learn about her and her family as well. There are some new side characters that were interesting and also plenty that weren't.
As they visit another planet again in this book and visit the Starseers, there is more we learn about the world in this book, which was interesting. It also shows some of the prejudice toward cyborgs and how they're seen. And the two sides The Empire and The Alliance both seem more grey than good and bad as the series continues.
To summarize: I am enjoying this series so far with plenty of action and interesting characters. I like the direction the story took in this book and meeting the Starseers. There are some interesting plot developments mostly toward the end and ofcourse plenty of trouble the characters get into along the way. There are some character developments and new pieces of information we learn which was fun as well as I enjoy reading about these characters. I also think the romance between Alisa and Leonidas is building a bit, but is sure is slow going. All in all this continues to be a great series and I would recommend it if you like action packed science fiction books with interesting characters.
June 17, 2024
The mysterious Starseers are holding Captain Alisa Marchenko's daughter, and she plans to confront them personally to demand her return.
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A lot more happened in this book, which I was glad for.
This series is really episodic in a way, so no overarching plot points or themes are there, but it's really just light fun.
I liked the expansion of the lore and the characterization of the Dr. Dominguez. I don't get Leonidas loyalty to him.
Nothing solved, but I had fun! I don't think this should've been solved as a 3-1 audiobook because nothing is solved at the end, just teasing future plot points.
If the Kindle books ever go on sale, I'll probably buy them. My local library doesn't have copies.
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A lot more happened in this book, which I was glad for.
This series is really episodic in a way, so no overarching plot points or themes are there, but it's really just light fun.
I liked the expansion of the lore and the characterization of the Dr. Dominguez. I don't get Leonidas loyalty to him.
Nothing solved, but I had fun! I don't think this should've been solved as a 3-1 audiobook because nothing is solved at the end, just teasing future plot points.
If the Kindle books ever go on sale, I'll probably buy them. My local library doesn't have copies.
January 14, 2025
Nu interesi sagādā, bet kaut kā trūka.. un trūka tieši tā, ka triloģijā nesniedz atbildi uz galveno jautājumu un tas ir (tā nav, jo būtu spoileris).
Alisa un visi pārējie dodas meklēt viņas meitu un arī atbildes us Alejandro jautājumeim pie Zvaigžņskatītājiem uz nekam nezināmu vietu uz viņu templi, jo tur neviens netiek utt...
Viņi tomēr tiek...
Daudz ekšina, daudz dažādu lietu. Un beigas. Beigas pārāk ātri.
Alisa un visi pārējie dodas meklēt viņas meitu un arī atbildes us Alejandro jautājumeim pie Zvaigžņskatītājiem uz nekam nezināmu vietu uz viņu templi, jo tur neviens netiek utt...
Viņi tomēr tiek...
Daudz ekšina, daudz dažādu lietu. Un beigas. Beigas pārāk ātri.
November 30, 2018
This is my favourite in the series so far. We see Leonidis at his most vulnerable when pitched against the Starseers, who have incredible mind powers. I have fallen for the characters and their interaction. Love Alisa's witty humour and problem solving skills.
An outstanding series - so glad that it was recommended to me!
An outstanding series - so glad that it was recommended to me!
June 30, 2019
Nice sci-fi action. Really enjoy the sarcasm and humor of the main character Alisa and her interaction with her crew. Each books reveals a little more of the story so although a lot is happening you only learn a few new pieces of the main storyline. I’m also enjoying the developing romance between Alisa and Leonidos. Definitely going to finish the series!
June 25, 2018
This series is still really good! Still an interesting overall story and quality character interaction.
March 5, 2022
4 stars
March 31, 2024
Alisa’s quest to find her daughter gets sidetracked again. This is a fun, action filled book with great characters and story. Really enjoying this series.
January 17, 2018
Why are these books so short? They are like sci-fi crack.
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