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Fallen Empire #8.6
Cyborg Legacy
Former Cyborg Corps soldier Jasim Antar was relieved to come out of the war alive and looked forward to switching to a less violent line of work. But nobody wants to hire a brawny cyborg to do anything that doesn’t involve brutalizing people on a daily basis. Stuck working as a debt collector alongside an eccentric pilot who enjoys knitting gifts for her grandkids when she isn’t blowing people up, Jasim longs to find a more peaceful existence.
But peace is elusive when you have a violent past. While on a routine mission, Jasim comes across the body of a soldier he served with during the war. He soon learns that someone is murdering former members of the Cyborg Corps, men who should be extremely difficult to kill. And he’s next on the list.
Jasim steels himself to reach out to the one person he’s certain can help, his old commander: Colonel Leonidas Adler. Adler is strong, smart, and deadly, good traits to have in an ally. Unfortunately, he remembers Jasim as a misfit rather than a model soldier, and convincing him to join forces may be even tougher than finding and facing the killer.
But peace is elusive when you have a violent past. While on a routine mission, Jasim comes across the body of a soldier he served with during the war. He soon learns that someone is murdering former members of the Cyborg Corps, men who should be extremely difficult to kill. And he’s next on the list.
Jasim steels himself to reach out to the one person he’s certain can help, his old commander: Colonel Leonidas Adler. Adler is strong, smart, and deadly, good traits to have in an ally. Unfortunately, he remembers Jasim as a misfit rather than a model soldier, and convincing him to join forces may be even tougher than finding and facing the killer.
168 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2017
213 people are currently reading
533 people want to read
About the author
Lindsay Buroker
198 books6,235 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 132 reviews
February 25, 2025
4.5 stars. All the good words. Loved Jasim. A very different cyborg to Leonidas. Jasim wants to be a teacher but no one will employ an ex-cyborg. He's got a lot of guilt and low self-esteem about how he lied to try and get out of the cyborg corps when Leonidas was in charge. The dynamic between the two of them is really good. Full of false impressions and expectations and envy. Plus we see Leo coming to terms with his new peaceful life with Alisa and the kids. Truly a comfort read for fans of the Fallen Empire. Really looking forward to the new arc in this series starting this year.
March 22, 2017
In this spin off of the Fallen Empire series a younger cyborg who wants to be a teacher but finds only a job as "hired gun" finds out about former cyborg comrades being killed one by one. He asks Leonidas for help to find the killer. Beside a very lame story and plot, most of the book is about the angst of the cyborg about wrong decisions in the past and future, and him trying to find the sympathy of idol Leonidas.
Maybe I went with the wrong expectations into this story, I love (!) and highly recommend the Fallen Empire series and expected this spin off to be about a cyborg who is hated or feared by "normal" humans and finds their approval during this novel, preferably that of a strong female protagonist. But there is not even a hint of romance or anything leading up to one, nor any interacting with other characters to speak of. Even the pilot character did not impress me at all, unusual for Lindsay Buroker's normally very quirky characters.
This said - any other book of the author is definitely worth 4+ star ratings, so please do not judge the author by this book if you did not like it.
Maybe I went with the wrong expectations into this story, I love (!) and highly recommend the Fallen Empire series and expected this spin off to be about a cyborg who is hated or feared by "normal" humans and finds their approval during this novel, preferably that of a strong female protagonist. But there is not even a hint of romance or anything leading up to one, nor any interacting with other characters to speak of. Even the pilot character did not impress me at all, unusual for Lindsay Buroker's normally very quirky characters.
This said - any other book of the author is definitely worth 4+ star ratings, so please do not judge the author by this book if you did not like it.
October 19, 2022
I got this book as part of a StoryBundle.com bundle - I wouldn't have otherwise bought book #8.6 out of a series I've never read. But the description said it worked as a standalone story. In the intro to the book, the author confirms this. So I jumped in.
This book did not disappoint. It was an incredibly fast read - I think my ereader (Kobo) marked it as 155 pages. But Buroker does a good job of quickly setting up the world and our characters before jumping into the main plot. I don't know if the main series is like this, but the narrative is a lot more fun than you'd think based on the cover (I know, I know.... don't judge a book by its cover) or the description. There are heavy topics discussed and there's death and violence. But there's also a sweet married relationship that involves flirting and innuendoes. There are pilots who make wry comments. The main characters don't take themselves too seriously except when it makes sense to the plot.
All in all, this was a surprisingly good book that I got in a virtual grab bag. I'll be going back to read the original series and, if it has the same tone as this book, I think I'll be having a lot of fun. I heartily recommend and you definitely don't have to have read the first 8 to get it.
This book did not disappoint. It was an incredibly fast read - I think my ereader (Kobo) marked it as 155 pages. But Buroker does a good job of quickly setting up the world and our characters before jumping into the main plot. I don't know if the main series is like this, but the narrative is a lot more fun than you'd think based on the cover (I know, I know.... don't judge a book by its cover) or the description. There are heavy topics discussed and there's death and violence. But there's also a sweet married relationship that involves flirting and innuendoes. There are pilots who make wry comments. The main characters don't take themselves too seriously except when it makes sense to the plot.
All in all, this was a surprisingly good book that I got in a virtual grab bag. I'll be going back to read the original series and, if it has the same tone as this book, I think I'll be having a lot of fun. I heartily recommend and you definitely don't have to have read the first 8 to get it.
February 10, 2017
I enjoyed this glimpse into Leonidas & Alisa's life - all settled down with kids and enjoying the life they've carved out for themselves. Of course this book wasn't strictly about them, it followed Jasim and I really liked him. His doubts and insecurities as a soldier/cyborg rang true and I liked that he had grown and matured and even did so during the book. I'd definitely like to know how he does in life now that he has more of a direction to move in and I want good things for him! Hope he's in the next series Buroker writes in this world.
February 18, 2017
this is another by the numbers Lindsay Buroker book. I liked it even though it sticks to its formulaic elements. Her writing is excellent as always. The character development was also very good as usual. We get introduced to a new cyborg this time - Jasim, an atypical cyborg, who hates killing and regrets joining the military. We get to meet the familiar Fallen Empire characters too.
If you are a fan of Linday Buroker and the Fallen Empire series, you will like this book.
If you are a fan of Linday Buroker and the Fallen Empire series, you will like this book.
August 23, 2021
I enjoyed this little addition to the series. Our main protagonist Jasim was fun, I liked seeing his side of the whole cyborg thing, although it might have been nice to know more about his motivations. I loved seeing Leo again and his new family, in fact, I would have loved to see more of them all together but this wasn't their book so I shan't complain.
May 11, 2020
Cyborg Legacy is a Novella set several years after the events of End Game, the final book of the Fallen Empire series. It sees Alisa and Leonidas happily married, Jelena living with them, and they now have twin 3 and half year old girls Maya and Nika. Mica has left the ship to follow her own path, Yumi is together with Aberlardus, and Osberg has stayed on the ship, both as their mechanic, and to get Starseer training from Stanislov, who is also on the ship to train Jelena.
However, even though they brought a semi-peace to the galaxy in the events of Fallen Empire, all is not peaceful. A member of Leonidas’ unit Jasim, contacts him to let him know that someone is killing Imperial Cyborgs, using a deadly poison and then cutting out their implants to sell on the black market.
Jasim unfortunately was not the best of soldiers back in the day, having signed up for the Cyborg treatment without thinking things through, and then getting stuck with the 20yr plan and no out. He tried though, asking on the grounds of mental health, much to the disgust of the Commander at the time, Leonidas.
Now however, Jasim has changed, he works doing repo work, just trying to make an honest living (he did want to be a teacher and help kids, but they are all too scared of him, being an imperial killer cyborg and all), so he is back to being hired muscle. He works with an old grandmother, who is the pilot of the ship they work from, Maddy loves to knit things, whilst Jasim does the grunt work, it makes for a rather hilarious set up.
And so begins our story, as Jasim and Leonidas come together to hunt the Cyborg Killer and try to bring him to justice.
Or just kill him, either one will do.
This book is Buroker at her best, with thrilling action and fight scenes, but at the same time, brilliant wit and humour as only she can do. In amongst this we get to explore not just Jasim, but also some of Leonidas, and how they managed to survive the war, not just the physical aspect of it, but the psychological aspect of being turned into killing machines and having to deal with the consequences of this, and the outcomes of years of war.
It quickly becomes clear that Jasim has not survived unscathed, and he must fight his inner demons to be able to help Leonidas find this killer before anymore of their Cyborg brothers are killed (or one of them is).
It is fascinating reading the struggles that Jasim had, but Buroker also gives us a rare insight into Leonidas, both his Cyborg past, and the future he has now, and we get to see how the two sides of the coin conflict (but which he easily prefers).
The title of ‘Cyborg Legacy’ has many possible connotations, and Buroker uses the story to explore many of them.
There are multiple facets of the Legacy of the Cyborgs, the Legacy of their work within the Empire as brutal killers for the Empire, there is their Future Legacy, what is to become of them now, both in the sense of who do they work for, how do they survive, but also, since they cannot reproduce, what happens to these men when they die, who will remember them? And as Jasim has found, there is the Legacy of the fear associated with them, and no one willing to hire a Cyborg for anything except mercenary work, making their lives very lonely.
Buroker explores these topics exceptionally well through both the Characters of Jasim and Leonidas, but also uses other characters such as Maddy to help bring out some of the more personal elements. Buroker’s character writing is brilliant, making this such a great series to read, as you can really get into each of the characters, they become part of your life you know them so well. It is rare to find a book in which you find that you are so intimately bound with the characters, that you know what they are thinking, their senses of humour, Buroker has given each of them such depth.
One of the really funny characters in this book is Maddy, Jasim’s ‘older’ pilot, who likes to knit when the ship is on Autopilot. Her dialogue is very real, gritty, raw, and absolutely hilarious at times, you will laugh so hard you will have to stop reading.
If you are a fan of the series then you have to read this, it is a must read. If you are going to read the series ‘A Sky Full of Stars’ then you have to read this before you read ‘A Rogue Prince’, it gives some very valuable background that will make that series so much better and easier to understand.
Otherwise, it is just a great read on how the war has impacted the Cyborgs, Buroker has made a great effort to really understand the psychological damage that war can do to people so she can write believable characters. As someone who suffers PTSD, I totally got the Jasim character, as well as Leonidas. There are some things the Human Brain is not designed to deal with. This is a fantastic read.
However, even though they brought a semi-peace to the galaxy in the events of Fallen Empire, all is not peaceful. A member of Leonidas’ unit Jasim, contacts him to let him know that someone is killing Imperial Cyborgs, using a deadly poison and then cutting out their implants to sell on the black market.
Jasim unfortunately was not the best of soldiers back in the day, having signed up for the Cyborg treatment without thinking things through, and then getting stuck with the 20yr plan and no out. He tried though, asking on the grounds of mental health, much to the disgust of the Commander at the time, Leonidas.
Now however, Jasim has changed, he works doing repo work, just trying to make an honest living (he did want to be a teacher and help kids, but they are all too scared of him, being an imperial killer cyborg and all), so he is back to being hired muscle. He works with an old grandmother, who is the pilot of the ship they work from, Maddy loves to knit things, whilst Jasim does the grunt work, it makes for a rather hilarious set up.
And so begins our story, as Jasim and Leonidas come together to hunt the Cyborg Killer and try to bring him to justice.
Or just kill him, either one will do.
This book is Buroker at her best, with thrilling action and fight scenes, but at the same time, brilliant wit and humour as only she can do. In amongst this we get to explore not just Jasim, but also some of Leonidas, and how they managed to survive the war, not just the physical aspect of it, but the psychological aspect of being turned into killing machines and having to deal with the consequences of this, and the outcomes of years of war.
It quickly becomes clear that Jasim has not survived unscathed, and he must fight his inner demons to be able to help Leonidas find this killer before anymore of their Cyborg brothers are killed (or one of them is).
It is fascinating reading the struggles that Jasim had, but Buroker also gives us a rare insight into Leonidas, both his Cyborg past, and the future he has now, and we get to see how the two sides of the coin conflict (but which he easily prefers).
The title of ‘Cyborg Legacy’ has many possible connotations, and Buroker uses the story to explore many of them.
There are multiple facets of the Legacy of the Cyborgs, the Legacy of their work within the Empire as brutal killers for the Empire, there is their Future Legacy, what is to become of them now, both in the sense of who do they work for, how do they survive, but also, since they cannot reproduce, what happens to these men when they die, who will remember them? And as Jasim has found, there is the Legacy of the fear associated with them, and no one willing to hire a Cyborg for anything except mercenary work, making their lives very lonely.
Buroker explores these topics exceptionally well through both the Characters of Jasim and Leonidas, but also uses other characters such as Maddy to help bring out some of the more personal elements. Buroker’s character writing is brilliant, making this such a great series to read, as you can really get into each of the characters, they become part of your life you know them so well. It is rare to find a book in which you find that you are so intimately bound with the characters, that you know what they are thinking, their senses of humour, Buroker has given each of them such depth.
One of the really funny characters in this book is Maddy, Jasim’s ‘older’ pilot, who likes to knit when the ship is on Autopilot. Her dialogue is very real, gritty, raw, and absolutely hilarious at times, you will laugh so hard you will have to stop reading.
If you are a fan of the series then you have to read this, it is a must read. If you are going to read the series ‘A Sky Full of Stars’ then you have to read this before you read ‘A Rogue Prince’, it gives some very valuable background that will make that series so much better and easier to understand.
Otherwise, it is just a great read on how the war has impacted the Cyborgs, Buroker has made a great effort to really understand the psychological damage that war can do to people so she can write believable characters. As someone who suffers PTSD, I totally got the Jasim character, as well as Leonidas. There are some things the Human Brain is not designed to deal with. This is a fantastic read.
February 17, 2023
Brief Summary
I fell in love with Linday Buroker books when I got my first kindle 7 years ago. I devoured everything she had written but then got hooked on arc-reading romances and it's been a few years since I've read her work. I won't be leaving it as long in future!
Whilst Cyborg Legacy is a standalone story, you do need to have read the Fallen Empire Books 1-3 series first. Buroker examines how special forces (aka cyborg) soldiers on the losing side are villainized simply for following orders and how, had they not been defeated, would instead have been considered saviours and heroes. She also delves, albeit fairly lightly, into survivor's guilt along with the impact of war on soldiers and civilians alike.
That said, overall the story is an action-packed sci-fi adventure, with plenty of lighter moments to balance the tough ones.
Themes and Trigger Warnings
Friendship, Redemption/Self-forgiveness.
Death, Brief description of a mutilated body.
Star Rating
5 stars. I had forgotten how much I love this author's writing voice and stories. She has such a warm and engaging style of narration and creates such loveable characters
The Characters
Whilst Jasim is the main protagonist we also get to spend time with Leonidas Adler, which always makes me happy. There are brief glimpses of Alisa and their children, and a supporting character who is a delightfully crazy, granny-of-13, knit-a-holic, pilot with a penchant for tassels. My heart broke for Jasim, so I was delighted to see the positive impact Leonadis had on Jasim's future. Maddie was a hoot with her wicked sense of humour and no-nonsense ways.
The Plot
Jasim becomes aware that cyborgs are being murdered and he is next on that alphabetical list. He manages to contact Leonidas, also high on the list, and together they set off to stop whoever is behind the deaths since no one else seems to care what happens to the former cyborg corps soldiers. As mentioned above, the reasons are quite dark and delve into how no one truly wins in a war situation.
The Writing
Ms Buroker manages to write about some very tough topics without the story becoming depressing or overwhelming. She sprinkles enough humour in to keep the story feeling light but is careful where she uses it so that the impact of events isn't lessened or belittled. Her storytelling skills are magnificent and I soon found myself immersed in the story, unwilling to step away from it and quickly jumping back in when life allowed. The pace was good and the plot had periods of tension and threat but also quiet times of reflection and space for the aforementioned wit and sarcasm.
The World-Building
This was a shorter story in the Fallen Empire world and relied somewhat on the reader knowing about the war, the Alliance, Prince Thorian, Cyborgs and Starseers. She still did a magnificent job of creating space stations, planets and hidden bunkers, and if you read, or have read, Fallen Empire you will know how awesome the author's world-building is in that series.
The only question now is whether I do a re-read of the series because *sigh* Leonidas, or if I move on to all the wonderful books the author has released that I have still to read. Oh, decisions decisions!
I fell in love with Linday Buroker books when I got my first kindle 7 years ago. I devoured everything she had written but then got hooked on arc-reading romances and it's been a few years since I've read her work. I won't be leaving it as long in future!
Whilst Cyborg Legacy is a standalone story, you do need to have read the Fallen Empire Books 1-3 series first. Buroker examines how special forces (aka cyborg) soldiers on the losing side are villainized simply for following orders and how, had they not been defeated, would instead have been considered saviours and heroes. She also delves, albeit fairly lightly, into survivor's guilt along with the impact of war on soldiers and civilians alike.
That said, overall the story is an action-packed sci-fi adventure, with plenty of lighter moments to balance the tough ones.
Themes and Trigger Warnings
Friendship, Redemption/Self-forgiveness.
Death, Brief description of a mutilated body.
Star Rating
5 stars. I had forgotten how much I love this author's writing voice and stories. She has such a warm and engaging style of narration and creates such loveable characters
The Characters
Whilst Jasim is the main protagonist we also get to spend time with Leonidas Adler, which always makes me happy. There are brief glimpses of Alisa and their children, and a supporting character who is a delightfully crazy, granny-of-13, knit-a-holic, pilot with a penchant for tassels. My heart broke for Jasim, so I was delighted to see the positive impact Leonadis had on Jasim's future. Maddie was a hoot with her wicked sense of humour and no-nonsense ways.
The Plot
Jasim becomes aware that cyborgs are being murdered and he is next on that alphabetical list. He manages to contact Leonidas, also high on the list, and together they set off to stop whoever is behind the deaths since no one else seems to care what happens to the former cyborg corps soldiers. As mentioned above, the reasons are quite dark and delve into how no one truly wins in a war situation.
The Writing
Ms Buroker manages to write about some very tough topics without the story becoming depressing or overwhelming. She sprinkles enough humour in to keep the story feeling light but is careful where she uses it so that the impact of events isn't lessened or belittled. Her storytelling skills are magnificent and I soon found myself immersed in the story, unwilling to step away from it and quickly jumping back in when life allowed. The pace was good and the plot had periods of tension and threat but also quiet times of reflection and space for the aforementioned wit and sarcasm.
The World-Building
This was a shorter story in the Fallen Empire world and relied somewhat on the reader knowing about the war, the Alliance, Prince Thorian, Cyborgs and Starseers. She still did a magnificent job of creating space stations, planets and hidden bunkers, and if you read, or have read, Fallen Empire you will know how awesome the author's world-building is in that series.
The only question now is whether I do a re-read of the series because *sigh* Leonidas, or if I move on to all the wonderful books the author has released that I have still to read. Oh, decisions decisions!
March 13, 2017
Jasim Antar, formerly of the Imperial Cyborg Corps, stumbles upon a series of brutal and mysterious murders of fellow cyborg soldiers - all of whom had last names beginning with A. Fearing that nobody else is going to give a damn and that he might be next on the list, Jasim reaches out to another man likely to become a target very soon: His former commanding officer, Colonel Adler. While Leonidas isn't exactly thrilled to hear from someone he mostly remembers for his penchant for mischief and anyway has his hands full keeping a couple of adventurous three-year-olds out of trouble, he agrees that something must be done - and that in lieu of other options, he and Jasim are the ones to do it.
Set about four years after End Game, this latest novel in the Fallen Empire series not only gives us a glimpse of what has become of all the quirky characters the first eight books made us fall in love with, but also introduces a new fun and lovable duo in form of Jasim and Maddy, the knitting-obsessed grandma and badass pilot providing transportation for Jasim and Leonidas's adventure. I'm definitely far from tired of this universe and its characters - looking forward to seeing what more Lindsay Buroker has in store for them!
Set about four years after End Game, this latest novel in the Fallen Empire series not only gives us a glimpse of what has become of all the quirky characters the first eight books made us fall in love with, but also introduces a new fun and lovable duo in form of Jasim and Maddy, the knitting-obsessed grandma and badass pilot providing transportation for Jasim and Leonidas's adventure. I'm definitely far from tired of this universe and its characters - looking forward to seeing what more Lindsay Buroker has in store for them!
April 6, 2024
A nice story about some of the cyborgs and their life after the war. It was good to see Leonids and his life after the events that happened previously. Good book
March 8, 2017
I didn't know we were going to get to play in Leonidas and Alisa's world again, SO THIS IS FANTASTIC!
That said, I didn't love Jasim as much as Alisa and her cyborg. Which isn't to say I didn't like him. I did. I just REALLY liked the push and pull between the captain and her grouchy cyborg. But we got to get into Leonidas's head, so there's that. Plus, a cyborg wearing sticker covered armor makes me grin.
But let's get back to Jasim. I felt for him. He was a smart guy who jumped at a chance to get out of a crappy situation and he ended up in a place he didn't quite fit in. After the war, no one saw him as more than just a man with metal parts and...well, it was tough. I can only imagine all the cyborgs are similarly hampered by what they'd become. Sure, some might make out better than others, but cyborgs are sort of universally hated and that makes finding a good job hard now.
Bottom line: I enjoyed being back in the world and I'm looking forward to the next set of adventures these cyborgs end up on.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
That said, I didn't love Jasim as much as Alisa and her cyborg. Which isn't to say I didn't like him. I did. I just REALLY liked the push and pull between the captain and her grouchy cyborg. But we got to get into Leonidas's head, so there's that. Plus, a cyborg wearing sticker covered armor makes me grin.
But let's get back to Jasim. I felt for him. He was a smart guy who jumped at a chance to get out of a crappy situation and he ended up in a place he didn't quite fit in. After the war, no one saw him as more than just a man with metal parts and...well, it was tough. I can only imagine all the cyborgs are similarly hampered by what they'd become. Sure, some might make out better than others, but cyborgs are sort of universally hated and that makes finding a good job hard now.
Bottom line: I enjoyed being back in the world and I'm looking forward to the next set of adventures these cyborgs end up on.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
February 12, 2017
Highly Entertaining "Comfort Food" SciFi Saga Continues
The storyline of the "Fallen Empire" series continues in a highly entertaining, "comfort food" novel, the "Cyborg Legacy." Authored by Miss Lindsay Buroker, a writer who is well skilled, and has a really nice touch, the novel brings back a few of the series original crew, cookies, brownies, chocolate, cyborg combat, and introduces new characters.
The story centers around a young, former imperial cyborg, now working as "muscle" for a starship repo business, assigned to a vessel, piloted by the owner's quirky mother-in-law. He stumbles across the murder of another former imperial cyborg during a repo, discovers other similar deaths, and reaches out to his ex-CO, Leonidas Adler, for assistance. The two join forces, and investigate the murders.
This is a stand alone novel, but readers of the prior "Fallen Empire," books will enjoy the fleeting return of Alisa and others from the "Star Nomad" family and crew. The author creates a character driven plot, mixing well the interesting eclectic nature of the main characters, with new characters. Some of the familia domestic bliss, the "lovey-dovey" stuff, can be a bit distracting, but not to the degree it undercuts the read. Editing and proofreading are competent, excepting one error on a character's name, towards the end.
The writing level and skill set of the author in her "Fallen Empire," has always been welcome, and continues in "Cyborg Legacy." It is recommended, the reviewer wishes it was longer in length, and was fully read via Kindle Unlimited.
The storyline of the "Fallen Empire" series continues in a highly entertaining, "comfort food" novel, the "Cyborg Legacy." Authored by Miss Lindsay Buroker, a writer who is well skilled, and has a really nice touch, the novel brings back a few of the series original crew, cookies, brownies, chocolate, cyborg combat, and introduces new characters.
The story centers around a young, former imperial cyborg, now working as "muscle" for a starship repo business, assigned to a vessel, piloted by the owner's quirky mother-in-law. He stumbles across the murder of another former imperial cyborg during a repo, discovers other similar deaths, and reaches out to his ex-CO, Leonidas Adler, for assistance. The two join forces, and investigate the murders.
This is a stand alone novel, but readers of the prior "Fallen Empire," books will enjoy the fleeting return of Alisa and others from the "Star Nomad" family and crew. The author creates a character driven plot, mixing well the interesting eclectic nature of the main characters, with new characters. Some of the familia domestic bliss, the "lovey-dovey" stuff, can be a bit distracting, but not to the degree it undercuts the read. Editing and proofreading are competent, excepting one error on a character's name, towards the end.
The writing level and skill set of the author in her "Fallen Empire," has always been welcome, and continues in "Cyborg Legacy." It is recommended, the reviewer wishes it was longer in length, and was fully read via Kindle Unlimited.
August 24, 2025
Talk about appearances and the way they get people to judge a person without really knowing if the soul is beautiful or the heart is kind... It's so easy to form an opinion superficially, and it's so much better to get to know someone who surprises us in a good way!
So there - meet Jasim, get to know him through his actions and thoughts and the thoughts of those around him, and enjoy a good read.
So there - meet Jasim, get to know him through his actions and thoughts and the thoughts of those around him, and enjoy a good read.
May 14, 2017
What can I say, I love these series! It's wonderful to get to know other cyborgs lives with Leonidas, of course, and his family. The in depth of the characters is very outstanding and described with realism. I'm very happy to know about the Fallen Empire Kindle Worlds; at this rate, I'll never be able to leave this universe!
October 19, 2020
This is a fun addition to the series. It's optional reading, but I liked spending a bit more time in this universe and especially seeing a glimpse of how Leonidas and Alisa re now doing.
Cyborg Legacy takes place a few years after End Game and the end of the series. The story is mostly told from the point of view of Jasim as well as some chapters from Leonidas' point of view. Jasim stumbles upon the dead body of a cyborg and gets in contact with Leonidas who helps him find hose behind this. Jasim was an interesting character, a cyborg who wants to teach, but only can find work at a repossession company. He has some inner struggles to overcome and struggles with what to make of his life and things he did in the past.
It was interesting to get a bit of insight into Leonidas character and how he thought. I did think it a bit odd how now he has what he wants he is hunkering for a fight and I liked how he changed his thinking by the end even tough his situation mostly stayed the same.
Most of this story is pretty straightforward. Once the two cyborg meet up they join forces to find whose responsible for the cyborg killings. There aren't many twists and turns. Mostly it's an action packed story that gives a bit of insight in how cyborg's are treated. The resolution to this one was a tad sad with the whole whose behind it and why. But also ends on an uplifting note as Leonidas returns home and Jasim has new motivation for what to do next.
My favorite part of this story were the scenes at the start and end where we see what Leonidas' and Alisa's lives are now. It was fun to get that glimpse into their future and how they're doing now.
To summarize: This is a fun story to pick up after you finished the main series. It gives a glimpse into Leonidas and Alisa's future. As well as a new cyborg character we meet. I mostly liked Jasim and how he wanted to be a teacher. The story was pretty straightforward with plenty of action along the way and a bit of character development. The pilot made for a fun side character. The resolution at the end was a bit sad tough. I did like the ending and seeing Leonidas' return home.
Cyborg Legacy takes place a few years after End Game and the end of the series. The story is mostly told from the point of view of Jasim as well as some chapters from Leonidas' point of view. Jasim stumbles upon the dead body of a cyborg and gets in contact with Leonidas who helps him find hose behind this. Jasim was an interesting character, a cyborg who wants to teach, but only can find work at a repossession company. He has some inner struggles to overcome and struggles with what to make of his life and things he did in the past.
It was interesting to get a bit of insight into Leonidas character and how he thought. I did think it a bit odd how now he has what he wants he is hunkering for a fight and I liked how he changed his thinking by the end even tough his situation mostly stayed the same.
Most of this story is pretty straightforward. Once the two cyborg meet up they join forces to find whose responsible for the cyborg killings. There aren't many twists and turns. Mostly it's an action packed story that gives a bit of insight in how cyborg's are treated. The resolution to this one was a tad sad with the whole whose behind it and why. But also ends on an uplifting note as Leonidas returns home and Jasim has new motivation for what to do next.
My favorite part of this story were the scenes at the start and end where we see what Leonidas' and Alisa's lives are now. It was fun to get that glimpse into their future and how they're doing now.
To summarize: This is a fun story to pick up after you finished the main series. It gives a glimpse into Leonidas and Alisa's future. As well as a new cyborg character we meet. I mostly liked Jasim and how he wanted to be a teacher. The story was pretty straightforward with plenty of action along the way and a bit of character development. The pilot made for a fun side character. The resolution at the end was a bit sad tough. I did like the ending and seeing Leonidas' return home.
April 9, 2017
3.4 on Goodreads, because there's no way to have a *happy* resolution to the main mission
I liked the unusual character concept for Jasim: a cyborg ex-soldier who realized soon after signing his contract that he'd bound himself into a career that didn't fit him at all. Now that the war is years over, he's depressed again to find that too many people hate and/or fear cyborgs to even consider hiring him to teach children, despite his having earned a degree in hopes of balancing all the killing with doing some good. Until he meets Leonidas Adler, his once-disapproving commander, again, and learns of medical possibilities he hadn't imagined, he also thought teaching would be as close as he could come to having children of his own.
Our old friend Leonidas (Ahem, not *that* old!) is the other lead in the story, and he feels somewhat guilty about his eagerness to experience a bit of the conflict and action he's missed in his routine merchant-trader life, despite how much he loves his family. Worse, he even sees the hunt as a break from their own brand of chaos aboard the Star Nomad. It's really cute to see the kids putting stickers on his armor and all, but you can't really blame him.
He's much less open with Jasim than vice versa, as his respectful and regretful former subordinate seeks to explain his past and present. Leonidas frowned on his youthful pranks, and worse, his attempts to leave the Corps, since to Leonidas, honoring your word comes above all. However, we can see his opinion of the younger man evolve. I wish Jasim himself had more of a moment of gaining confidence, taking Leonidas's advice to fight for his dream, rather than simply accepting a suggestion that may give him part of it.
The grandmotherly but weapons-happy and lascivious pilot, Jasim's boss's mother-in-law, adds an amusing note, though she has to be bribed and persuaded to help.
The pursuit is fairly straightforward, if full of brawls and blasters. There are no red-herring twists, though there is an emotional one when the killer's motivations become clear, and there's one disappointment.
The denouement is Leonidas's happy homecoming, which leaves the reader with a smile.
I liked the unusual character concept for Jasim: a cyborg ex-soldier who realized soon after signing his contract that he'd bound himself into a career that didn't fit him at all. Now that the war is years over, he's depressed again to find that too many people hate and/or fear cyborgs to even consider hiring him to teach children, despite his having earned a degree in hopes of balancing all the killing with doing some good. Until he meets Leonidas Adler, his once-disapproving commander, again, and learns of medical possibilities he hadn't imagined, he also thought teaching would be as close as he could come to having children of his own.
Our old friend Leonidas (Ahem, not *that* old!) is the other lead in the story, and he feels somewhat guilty about his eagerness to experience a bit of the conflict and action he's missed in his routine merchant-trader life, despite how much he loves his family. Worse, he even sees the hunt as a break from their own brand of chaos aboard the Star Nomad. It's really cute to see the kids putting stickers on his armor and all, but you can't really blame him.
He's much less open with Jasim than vice versa, as his respectful and regretful former subordinate seeks to explain his past and present. Leonidas frowned on his youthful pranks, and worse, his attempts to leave the Corps, since to Leonidas, honoring your word comes above all. However, we can see his opinion of the younger man evolve. I wish Jasim himself had more of a moment of gaining confidence, taking Leonidas's advice to fight for his dream, rather than simply accepting a suggestion that may give him part of it.
The grandmotherly but weapons-happy and lascivious pilot, Jasim's boss's mother-in-law, adds an amusing note, though she has to be bribed and persuaded to help.
The pursuit is fairly straightforward, if full of brawls and blasters. There are no red-herring twists, though there is an emotional one when the killer's motivations become clear, and there's one disappointment.
The denouement is Leonidas's happy homecoming, which leaves the reader with a smile.
March 13, 2018
This review is actually regarding the whole Fallen Empire series.
Being ancient and decrepit, I was raised in the era when Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein were supreme. Now retired, I am back with a vengeance to catching up on my reading. My first experience of Lindsay Buroker was in downloading her 'Beginnings' volume. It was a very cunning ploy by the author to start me off on sampling her works, for which I must thank her. Eventually I chose to follow the 'Fallen Empire' series from go to whoa!
What an enjoyable journey I travelled on. The beautifully constructed tale kept me enthralled the whole way through, from the prequel, to 'Cyborg Legacy', the last stand alone novel in the series. I got to know many of the characters deeply. Adding to the pleasure was the author's wonderful use of her extensive vocabulary. For me it just raised my pleasure in reading the series to a whole new level.
I recommend not only this last novel 'Cyborg Legacy', in the series, but urge all readers that if you have not read the other books in the series, that you start with 'Remnants' (in the You are There anthology), then the prequel 'Last Command', before starting in on the series proper, 'Star Nomad' onwards.
I now look forward to going back to that 'Beginnings' volume to read the other series.
Move over Messer's Asimov and Heinlein, the Lady is coming to join you
Being ancient and decrepit, I was raised in the era when Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein were supreme. Now retired, I am back with a vengeance to catching up on my reading. My first experience of Lindsay Buroker was in downloading her 'Beginnings' volume. It was a very cunning ploy by the author to start me off on sampling her works, for which I must thank her. Eventually I chose to follow the 'Fallen Empire' series from go to whoa!
What an enjoyable journey I travelled on. The beautifully constructed tale kept me enthralled the whole way through, from the prequel, to 'Cyborg Legacy', the last stand alone novel in the series. I got to know many of the characters deeply. Adding to the pleasure was the author's wonderful use of her extensive vocabulary. For me it just raised my pleasure in reading the series to a whole new level.
I recommend not only this last novel 'Cyborg Legacy', in the series, but urge all readers that if you have not read the other books in the series, that you start with 'Remnants' (in the You are There anthology), then the prequel 'Last Command', before starting in on the series proper, 'Star Nomad' onwards.
I now look forward to going back to that 'Beginnings' volume to read the other series.
Move over Messer's Asimov and Heinlein, the Lady is coming to join you
May 10, 2025
This was a fitting end to a series that felt like it started with the question: What if Firefly, but the Browncoats won? How would they have managed the logistics and the infrastructure that the Alliance (or in this case, the Empire, because the Alliance in Fallen Empire ARE the Browncoats) had, despite their tyranny, at least built? It's all very well to tear an oppressive regime down, but what happens when you don't have the ability to do the much harder job of building something genuinely better in its place?
But having seen Leonidas's despair at the chaos the Alliance brought to his beloved Empire, we now get to see him acknowledging that it wasn't nearly as honourable and worthy of his loyalty as he remembers it. There was a REASON the Alliance fought against it and brought it down. Actions have consequences, and those consequences invariably come home to roost (although they don't always roost with the people who made the decisions behind those actions - or even who actually directly acted)
And there was all the snark and banter that I've loved about previous instalments in the series - to the point where my separation anxiety kicked in and I ended up buying 5 box sets of her other series (to be fair, they were ~$2 each, which means it was cheaper to buy the box set than it was to buy the first instalment). But I'm delighted I won't need to stop reading Ms Buroker any time soon :-)
But having seen Leonidas's despair at the chaos the Alliance brought to his beloved Empire, we now get to see him acknowledging that it wasn't nearly as honourable and worthy of his loyalty as he remembers it. There was a REASON the Alliance fought against it and brought it down. Actions have consequences, and those consequences invariably come home to roost (although they don't always roost with the people who made the decisions behind those actions - or even who actually directly acted)
And there was all the snark and banter that I've loved about previous instalments in the series - to the point where my separation anxiety kicked in and I ended up buying 5 box sets of her other series (to be fair, they were ~$2 each, which means it was cheaper to buy the box set than it was to buy the first instalment). But I'm delighted I won't need to stop reading Ms Buroker any time soon :-)
February 29, 2020
I did something I almost never do, which is read a book at the tail-end of a series without having read the previous ones. I picked up Cyborg Legacy as part of the multi-author box set Galaxia: 13 Tales Spanning the Unknown Multiverse, and thought why not? I’d been meaning to sample some of Lindsay Buroker’s work.
Lucky for me, this is intended as a stand-alone work set in Buroker’s Fallen Empire universe. Jasim Antar, a former imperial cyborg now working as a repo man, finds out someone is hunting down and killing cyborgs—no easy task! He teams up with his former commander Leonidas (a character familiar to those who’ve actually read the series, I’m sure) to hunt down the hunter before more of their colleagues wind up dead.
I liked this book a lot. Despite being a short read, it paints a picture of the world and characters’ circumstances that made me want to know more.
What resonated most for me was Jasim trying to find a meaningful direction for his life after the end of the war. Both he and Leonidas are searching for their place as relics of a past war in a world that has clearly moved on. The ways they discover (or rediscover) meaning reminded me of the challenge soldiers face today when reintegrating into civilian life.
Lucky for me, this is intended as a stand-alone work set in Buroker’s Fallen Empire universe. Jasim Antar, a former imperial cyborg now working as a repo man, finds out someone is hunting down and killing cyborgs—no easy task! He teams up with his former commander Leonidas (a character familiar to those who’ve actually read the series, I’m sure) to hunt down the hunter before more of their colleagues wind up dead.
I liked this book a lot. Despite being a short read, it paints a picture of the world and characters’ circumstances that made me want to know more.
What resonated most for me was Jasim trying to find a meaningful direction for his life after the end of the war. Both he and Leonidas are searching for their place as relics of a past war in a world that has clearly moved on. The ways they discover (or rediscover) meaning reminded me of the challenge soldiers face today when reintegrating into civilian life.
September 2, 2020
Excellent follow-up
I really enjoyed the Fallen Empire series and this was an excellent follow-up. It was great to read how Leonidas and Alisa have made a family and a life together and gave some closure to the characters stories that readers frequently don't get.
It is possible this story is a reflection of military members returning to post-deployment life, but it is still a fun, murder mystery, with wild western moments, read with both light and suspenseful moments.
Fantastic to see that despite all the changes to his life, and how he felt like he didn't belong anywhere (in Star Nomad), Leonidas is fulfilled in all aspects of his life, but remains intense and rigorous in battle. He loves the excitement and challenge, yet he chooses to return to his family to have a quiet life.
Yes, this story has a new character, Yasim, but he really seems secondary. He is more of a conduit and contrast for the reader to learn more about how even compared to other Cyborg Corps members how great and unexpected Leonidas is and how his inner dialog, life and entourage has changed. I was hoping Yasim would end up on the Nomad and start a relationship with Yumi, but the story ends before Yasim makes changes to his life.
I really enjoyed the Fallen Empire series and this was an excellent follow-up. It was great to read how Leonidas and Alisa have made a family and a life together and gave some closure to the characters stories that readers frequently don't get.
It is possible this story is a reflection of military members returning to post-deployment life, but it is still a fun, murder mystery, with wild western moments, read with both light and suspenseful moments.
Fantastic to see that despite all the changes to his life, and how he felt like he didn't belong anywhere (in Star Nomad), Leonidas is fulfilled in all aspects of his life, but remains intense and rigorous in battle. He loves the excitement and challenge, yet he chooses to return to his family to have a quiet life.
Yes, this story has a new character, Yasim, but he really seems secondary. He is more of a conduit and contrast for the reader to learn more about how even compared to other Cyborg Corps members how great and unexpected Leonidas is and how his inner dialog, life and entourage has changed. I was hoping Yasim would end up on the Nomad and start a relationship with Yumi, but the story ends before Yasim makes changes to his life.
February 16, 2017
Jasim Antar, former Imperial cyborg, is working as a repo man, since he can’t seem to land a job doing what he wants to do, which is teach children. When he learns that someone is murdering former Cyborg Corps members in alphabetical order, he knows he’ll be next unless he does something about it. Jasim calls on his former commander, Colonel Adler, who agrees to help. What follows is a dangerous adventure, with pirate attacks, a knitting granny pilot, poisonous drones, and a teenager out for revenge. Leonidas has been itching for some action and he gets it, and Jasim fights to do what is right, even though it might cost him his job. I loved seeing Leonidas and hearing his point of view, especially with a few scenes with wife Alisa and their three girls. Jasim was a nice young man and all he wants to do is leave the violence of war behind and become a teacher. I sure hope he realizes his dream.
August 17, 2017
This was ok. Nothing really special. I felt like it had potential - the main character was a regretful cyborg now struggling to find meaningful work in the post-empire world. He is very self-hating, and a story showing how overcomes his lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem would have been quite impactful. But instead we really just see him go off on a mission, defeat a bad guy (in a bit of an anti-climax), and never really change his circumstances. Leonidas makes some recommendations at the end, which he seems to be on board with, but we get no sense of whether or not they're effective.
Honestly I'm not even sure why this story exists. I read it because I thought it might be 'required reading' after finishing Fallen Empire and before starting Sky Full of Stars, but that really doesn't seem to be the case. If you're on the fence about it, then I recommend skipping it.
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 for Good reads because I feel bad giving it 2.
Honestly I'm not even sure why this story exists. I read it because I thought it might be 'required reading' after finishing Fallen Empire and before starting Sky Full of Stars, but that really doesn't seem to be the case. If you're on the fence about it, then I recommend skipping it.
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 for Good reads because I feel bad giving it 2.
October 27, 2017
Cyborgs
This standalone sci fi adventure takes place four years after End Game. Leonidis and Alisa are married and have three year old twin's, as well as Alisa's daughter, Jelena. Leonidis is feeling a little hemmed in when he gets a call for help from another cyborg. Someone is killing cyborgs in alphabetical order and Leonidas' name is overdue. He packs up his sticker decorated armor and heads out to face an unknown foe, secretly excited to be back in the action. But the danger they face is unlike anything they could have expected, and much worse.
This book helps bridge the gap between End Game and The Rogue Prince, a spin-off series opener. There are still events mentioned in background in RP that aren't covered here, leaving me wanting another in between book to fill those holes.
This standalone sci fi adventure takes place four years after End Game. Leonidis and Alisa are married and have three year old twin's, as well as Alisa's daughter, Jelena. Leonidis is feeling a little hemmed in when he gets a call for help from another cyborg. Someone is killing cyborgs in alphabetical order and Leonidas' name is overdue. He packs up his sticker decorated armor and heads out to face an unknown foe, secretly excited to be back in the action. But the danger they face is unlike anything they could have expected, and much worse.
This book helps bridge the gap between End Game and The Rogue Prince, a spin-off series opener. There are still events mentioned in background in RP that aren't covered here, leaving me wanting another in between book to fill those holes.
April 16, 2021
What happens to the soldiers after the war is over? We see a lot of it in our own present, but when those soldiers are modified to be nothing but killers, and have armor making them look all the more imposing, what's a retired soldier to do? Especially when someone starts hunting them down for revenge? Well, you can read this story, and find out. Cyborgs have always been interesting to me, (well, and mechs too), and this story is pretty good. It has plenty of light humor to go along with the heavy content, and while they didn't really act like battlehardened soldiers at the end, (it always puzzles me why nobody checks to verify the bad guy is actually dead, allowing them to show up again later), but what the heck, it makes for good reading anyway. Good story, if you like military scifi, you should add it to your reading list.
June 6, 2017
Jasim is a former member of the Cyborgs Corp who has struggled to find work since the fall of the Empire. He is currently working as an intergalactic repo man, and stumbles across a plot to kill cyborgs and harvest their parts.
Jasim was not an ideal soldier and did not leave a great impression on his former commander, Leonidas, but when he reaches out to Leonidas for help, he joins him in is quest. It turns out that the person murdering cyborgs is a young man who was orphaned due in part to the cyborg corps. It was a short read with out a long reaching plot that takes several books to resolve, so you don't have to read anything else from the series to understand this book. It was fast paced and interesting.
Jasim was not an ideal soldier and did not leave a great impression on his former commander, Leonidas, but when he reaches out to Leonidas for help, he joins him in is quest. It turns out that the person murdering cyborgs is a young man who was orphaned due in part to the cyborg corps. It was a short read with out a long reaching plot that takes several books to resolve, so you don't have to read anything else from the series to understand this book. It was fast paced and interesting.
October 12, 2025
I was putting off reading this one because it meant the series was finally over.
It was really nice to come back to this universe of "The Fallen Empire" and spend some time seeing what happened after the end of the main series with regards to Leonidas and Alisa, but it was also good to be back with the quirky humor and light hearted space opera in general.
The new characters were interesting enough and I flew though this little book in a few hours. I am very sad that this is the last I will see of the Star Nomad crew (not including the few sequel books with "the next generation"... but I'm not quite wanting those yet).
MORE PEOPLE NEED TO READ THIS SERIES SO I CAN TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT IT!
It was really nice to come back to this universe of "The Fallen Empire" and spend some time seeing what happened after the end of the main series with regards to Leonidas and Alisa, but it was also good to be back with the quirky humor and light hearted space opera in general.
The new characters were interesting enough and I flew though this little book in a few hours. I am very sad that this is the last I will see of the Star Nomad crew (not including the few sequel books with "the next generation"... but I'm not quite wanting those yet).
MORE PEOPLE NEED TO READ THIS SERIES SO I CAN TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT IT!
September 19, 2018
A proper military sci-fi story in which two cyborgs investigate a serial cyborg killing spree. If you are familiar with the Fallen Empire series, this stars Leonidas and another cyborg from the corps and it takes a few years after the end of that adventure. No telepathy, no robes, no dimensional rifts or invisible space stations in this stand alone volume. An enjoyable read, my only quibble is that it was too short for me. I would like more of this type of story, and I am happy to see that the author is very capable of writing a sci-fi without any fantasy elements.
August 21, 2017
Nice story ❤
I liked getting the perspective of another cyborg, especially one who was a soldier & not an officer. I really liked Jasim's honesty & my heart ached for his lack of confidence and bleak outlook. Even though life was not all sunshine & rainbows for him, Jasim was a good guy. I liked the suspense in finding the cyborg killer, though it was easy to figure the why & who to it all. Like Jasim, I felt bad for the killer. Hoping to see more of Jasim.
I liked getting the perspective of another cyborg, especially one who was a soldier & not an officer. I really liked Jasim's honesty & my heart ached for his lack of confidence and bleak outlook. Even though life was not all sunshine & rainbows for him, Jasim was a good guy. I liked the suspense in finding the cyborg killer, though it was easy to figure the why & who to it all. Like Jasim, I felt bad for the killer. Hoping to see more of Jasim.
August 22, 2017
Who is killing Cyborgs in their sleep?
Jasim, an Imperial Cyborg, is serving as a Repo man for his pilot, Maddy on the ship Interrogator. On a Repo job on Temperance he discovers the body of a fellow Cyborg. Getting in touch with his former Colonel, Leonidas, they begin an investigation. Good plotting and charectorization.
Jasim, an Imperial Cyborg, is serving as a Repo man for his pilot, Maddy on the ship Interrogator. On a Repo job on Temperance he discovers the body of a fellow Cyborg. Getting in touch with his former Colonel, Leonidas, they begin an investigation. Good plotting and charectorization.
January 16, 2018
Enjoyable but...
Enjoyable but not quite up to my grown expectations for Lindsay's writing. Nice tidbits to round out the HEA for Alisa & Leonides. An undestandable plot given history but could have done with a bit more depth maybe. A bit like a great dish with just something, not quite sure what, missing. Still a good, if somewhat brief, read.
Enjoyable but not quite up to my grown expectations for Lindsay's writing. Nice tidbits to round out the HEA for Alisa & Leonides. An undestandable plot given history but could have done with a bit more depth maybe. A bit like a great dish with just something, not quite sure what, missing. Still a good, if somewhat brief, read.
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