Renegade Atlas

Renegade Star #2

by J.N. Chaney

The search for Earth has begun.

After barely escaping the Union's grasp, The Renegade Star is off to parts unknown. Every member of its crew is a wanted fugitive. None of them can ever return home.

But all is not lost.

Thanks to Lex, a strange girl with a remarkable gift, the path to Earth has been revealed. According to ancient myth, Earth holds valuable treasures, lost technology, and endless secrets, ripe for the taking. Jace and his new friends have a chance to discover it all, but only if they can keep Lex out of the Union's grasp.

Doing so won't be easy.

With enemies on all sides, the deck is stacked against them, but nothing in this universe comes easy when you're a Renegade.

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fiction, Space, Audiobook, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure

348 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 10, 2017

About the author

If you want to stay up to date on my releases, concept art, or speak to me directly - you should join my Facebook fan group:

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Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn! These book are turning out to be freaking awesome! I hope I love them all. I want them in paperback. I love every damn person in the book, well not the evil twats. They are fleshed our good for evil twats though 😉

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Choko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting to feel better about the characters, they are starting to feel real and we start carrying more about their faith. Still a whole a lot of action, two superpowers are interested in one of the passengers and there is something like a crew beginning to form. We are a step closer to finding a way back to Mythical planet Earth! A fun Sci-fi Space Opera in its conception 🙂👍

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despicably light and revoltingly fun. Exactly what my two ever-decaying grey cells need right now.



· Book 1: Renegade Star ★★★★
· Book 3: Renegade Moon ★★★★
· Book 4: Renegade Lost ★★★★
· Book 5: Renegade Fleet ★★★★
· Book 6: Renegade Earth ★★★★
· Book 7: Renegade Dawn ★★★★
· Book 8: Renegade Children ★★★★
· Book 9: Renegade Union ★★★★
· Book 10: Renegade Empire ★★★★
· Book 11: Renegade Descent ★★★★
· Book 12: Renegade Rising ★★★★
· Book 13: Renegade Alliance ★★★★
· Book 14: Renegade Evolution ★★★★
· Book 15: Renegade War ★★★★
· Book 16: Renegade Peace ★★★★

[Empress Reece (Hooked on Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you guys remember the show Knight Rider and the AI, Kitt, that was installed his car? Well the main character in this series, Jace Hughes, has an AI in his spaceship named Sigmund aka Siggy and he's so cool! He's like the star of the series.

I have some good memories of watching Knight Rider and Indiana Jones and this series is like a cross between the two but set in space, so I'm enjoying it tremendously. But if you're not a fan of over the top, outrageous action scenes then you might want to find something else because this is pure entertainment. You really have to be willing to believe the unbelievable as they say.

I listened to the Publishers Pack audio version and the audio performance made the story come to life even more. There's no audio for books 3, 4 and 5 though which completely sucks especially after hearing and loving the narration in this book.

[Meenaz Lodhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okaaay! You’ve convinced me, I’m on board! We’ve got a complex and great crew aboard. Mysteries are solved but more appear, in every jump they make in slipspace! The quest for Earth has begun, a yearning that surpasses the battle with the Union, reminds me with fond memories of The Foundation trilogy.

[Amber J (Thereadingwitch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the series is actually better than the first. In fact, I would probably love this series if the MC didn't annoy me so very much. The inner dialogue isn't so bad, but every time he talks it grates on my nerves. The story is actually a big action-filled adventure. Try to imagine everything and it is truly a great book.

[Marta A M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aquí está nuestro Renegado favorito y su nueva tripulación dando caña desde la primera página.

Jace, que no se esperaba cambiar sus hábitos solitarios por la convivencia con una tripulación con tanta naturalidad.

No hay descanso para estos chicos y chicas. Salen de una para meterse en otra, siempre en ruta hacia la legendaria “Tierra”, siempre perseguidos tanto por “La Unión” como por el Imperio Sarkoniano.

Y aquí está el quid de este libro, hay muchas preguntas y pocas respuestas y ellos están siguiendo la ruta que les marca el Atlas a toda velocidad para contestarlas y de paso escapar de todas y cada una de la veces que van a por ellos.

Ni tiempo para respirar tienen. Y menos mal que Jace, y la ex monja Abigail, no les importa nada apretar el gatillo para poder conseguir que tanto ellos como el resto salgan vivos de cada uno de los berenjenales en los que se meten.
Y Olivia (no nos olvidemos de ella), que de peso muerto esta mujer no tiene nada.
Aquí cada uno de esta tripulación tiene algo que aportar… o se busca la vida para hacerlo.

Así que allá vamos, a por todas y hacia adelante, con prisas y sin pausas, salvo los que conceden los túneles de deslizamiento, que si no ni dormir podrían.

Me ha encantado barbaridad, y ya tengo el tercero en cola.
Y te preguntas… ¿como algo de tan poquitas páginas puede engancharte tanto?

Solo los buenos autores saben sacarle jugo a cada página en obras tan cortitas..

¡A por el siguiente!

[Anafenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Fantástico, un Space Opera en mayúsculas , esta cargado de acción al igual que el primero, continúa exactamente donde terminó aquél, ritmo frenético, las escenas de acción estan perfectamente narradas parece una película donde te metes totalmente.

El prota y el resto de los tripulantes de la nave han forjado una relación de familia al más estilo Firefly o Star Trek, y eso a mi me encanta, me hace quererlos y temer por ellos en cada situación de riesgo y de esas el libro esta cargadito.

Persecuciones imposibles, tiroteos trepidantes, una busqueda inquietante, y una niña especial, forman junto a la nave y sus tripulantes el cocktail de esta gran historia en mi caso relatada de manera magistral por el gran Juan Magraner.

Muy recomendable, si os gustan las peliculas/series o libros sobre una tripulación que va forjando vínculos a golpe de acción.
Alejaros si buscáis un libro de Scifi dura pues no es el caso, es un libro para dejarse llevar, ligero y adictivo, un no parar.

Quiero escuchar el tercero en breve

[Ms. Just One More Book (Kris Miller) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captain Jace Hughes of The Renegade Star is no stranger to living outside the law. For the right price, he's been known to do a little thieving, or even mercenary work here, or there. Better yet, in the past, he generally got away with it without ending up on the Union's radar. That all changed the day he met a so-called nun named Abigail Pryar, who smuggled little Lex, a small girl with strange powers onto his ship. Now, Jace, and the rest of the crew of The Star, are wanted fugitives. Home is no longer an option. But, according to a mysterious atlas, the long-forgotten planet of earth -- lost over 2,000 years prior -- has a chance to be rediscovered. Lex holds the key to this revelation, and the Union will stop at nothing to get her back. J.N. Chaney has outdone himself in the follow-up to the original! Smartly plotted, with cunning twists and turns, RENEGADE ATLAS takes you on an action-packed adventure. Witty dialogue ensures you enjoy the journey, with the ending guaranteeing your ticket for the next ride.

[Red Tide]

Unfortunately I did finish this. Rating: minus 10 on a scale of minus 5 through plus 5.

If you are a fan of his writing, my rating should suggest that this is not the review for you. I originally wrote these reviews as quick notes to myself. I rewrite now as if for an audience.

Before I begin this, I must visit YouTube. This was made possible by the channels - Doctor Who/Be Kind - TheGaroStudios, NCMI, Anark, Anne Applebaum, Keffals. RevolutionarythOt, Red Glasgow, Mia Mulder, Maggie Mae Fish, Kyiv Independent, Reese Waters, Fun Size Reader, Kazachka, Terrible Writing Advice, The Ritual Kitchen with Laura May, ScaredKetchup, Ukraine Calling, Tariff Point, Welcome to Ukraine, Travelling K, 2 Cellos, Perun, Eugenia from Ukraine, Anka Daily News, Ginny Di, Female Warriors - Teresatessa, Owen Jones, Alt Shift X, Jormungandr, Sarah Z, Agro Squirrel Narrates, FAFO, Ukraine Matters, Operator Starsky, The British Museum, Renegade Cut, Veritas et Caritas, iWriterly, Verilybitchie, Sarah Millican, Pentatonix, No Justice, Purple Sweater, Renegade Cut, Lady Knight The Brave, Mercado Media, Main Street Report, Combat Veteran Reacts, Discourse Minis, Lily Alexandre, Michael Lambert, Oliver Lugg, Dr Fatima, Eileen, Don't F@ck with Ukraine, World Anvil Worldbuilding, Sci-Fi Odyssey, History with Kayleigh, Dr Ben Miles, Guard the Leaf, Geo Girl, Planarwalker, Gutsick Gibbon, Spacedock, Zelda Mutoke, How To ADHD, Pike and Shot Channel, Legendary Tactics, Jessica Kellgren Fozard, Alexa Donne, Lindsay Nikole, May, Drawn to Books, Cindy's Villa, Dungeons and Discourse, Rogue Hobbies, Cappy Army, Wes O'Donnell, ThePrimeChronus, Queen Penguin, It's Black Friday, Skip Intro, Princess Weekes, Amanda The Jedi, The Part Time Hobbit, Savy Writes Books, Anna from Ukraine, Professor Gerdes Explains, Canadian Dominion, Real Vintage Dolls House, V. Birchwood, Covert Cabal, Supertanskiii, Naughty Nana DUZ, Nicole Chilaka-Ukpo, Amie's Literary Empire, Nikki Carreon, Lindsay Ellis, Guard the Leaf, FunkyFrogBait, Jen the Librarian, TallGirl6234, Tabithaspeakspolitics, Gingers are Black, Allison talks Books, Books with Chloe.

Whilst insulting a favourite essayist, an idiot complained to her that I list list trans creators. I wonder at times what in the air causes the US male to publicly parade the deficiencies of their upbringing.

A warning trigger seems needed. The channels which I list include economist, married, cis, Irish, military historian, miniatures painter, lesbian, archaeologist, Swedish, farmer, asexual, primatologist, astrophysicist, military board gamer, intersex, sewist, tall, redhaired, trans, older, shipbuilder, WOC, marine biologist, Kenyan, architect, bi, mathematician, communist, comedian and other creators known as Women.

Almost as threatening to limited reference group stupidity are the channels hosted by anarchist, Canadian, other LGBTQI+, linguist, philosopher, writer, zoologist, fashion historian, Ukrainian, other BIPOC, chemist, chess player, neurodivergent, book reviewer, homebuilder, socialist, New Zealander, miniatures wargamer, boater, RPG player, film maker, anthropologist and other creators whom the sane label Human Beings.

If the voices are still active, seek emergency therapy, develop a hobby (reading for example) or embrace Taoism. I find reliving memories of horrible books traumatizing. When these feelings threaten to overwhelm, I remember the short early days interview with a middle age teacher, who organised and led her civilian anti-tank team hunting Russian armour North of Kyiv. With that example I can not but soldier on. Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the Heroes. Crimea is Ukraine.

Through Unlimited, I stumbled upon Chaney. His writing imagination is limited to poor imitations of Film or TV programmes.

In this and another book, the writer demonstrated no familiarity with or understanding of science fiction, worldbuilding, character depth, dialogue appropriate to the situation, plot as cohesive narrative or the thinking that contrivance and plot hole are to be avoided. In his defence, much of the Kindle science fiction and fantasy which I attempted suffered the same lack. Of a sample size of 1000+ titles over several years, my guess would be easily 80%+ of the Unlimited choices fall into that mould.

The villainous Union lack any description, any hint at purpose or available resources. The plucky crew is every generic plucky crew seen since Star Wars. For any other writer, the character named Lex might have been a coincidence. With this writer, his other books and this poorly understood imitation of "Farscape" or "Lexx", this is not coincidence but pattern.

This writer to my mind, is a product of a well regarded Liberal Arts school, who majored in English and whose family through connections secured a favoured spot in published fiction. Since US speculative fiction have been effectively degraded into something more like children's night time stories, he slots into the stream seamlessly. He has now been awarded the title "Writer" and family now can present him to society.

There are a number of other writers with similar lack of talent, imagination or skill in ebook science fiction. Nicholas Sansbury Smith and John Ringo come to mind with others whose names I have mercifully forgotten.

If not mistaken, Amazon is the major English language ebook publisher and they apply no standards to what they publish. The US print publishers do no better in speculative fiction, romance or romantasy.

I have earned time on TV, YouTube and hot chocolate. This next was made possible by the channels DoctorWho/Cruel or Cowardly - StoryScape Studios, NCMI, Fiona Hill, AllShorts, Acollierastro, Fantasy and World Music by the Fletchers, Mr Newberger's AI Funnies, Dr Fatima, Up and Atom, Kris Atomic, Mallen Baker, DUST, Ben and Emily, Gemma Dyer, Jean's Thoughts, RobWords, Serena Skybourne, Nerdy Kathi, Snappy Dragon, Ukraine News TV, Zoe Bee, Amie's Literary Empire, J Draper, Truth to Power, The Juice Media, Library Ladder, Books with Emily Fox, Swell Entertainment, RFU News, Reporting from Main Street, Jabzy, Mandy, Sailing Melody, Ship Happens, Living Anachronism, Space 1889, SCP Explained, Andrewism, Real Time History, Vlad Vexler, Mitchell and Webb, Squire, Harbo Wholmes, Cindy's Villa, Ash L G, CreatedIam, Abby Cox, The Written World, Tom Nicholas, Abbie Emmons, Jay Reed, Claus Kellerman POV, The Dadvocate, Trae Crowder, Tara Mooknee, Ask a Mortician, Dark Docs, Dark Seas, Book Furnace, A Day of Small Things, Art Deco, The Confused Adipose, Knowing Better, Tibees, TVP World, Not the Andrew Marr Show, MechWest Show, Ravens Rants, Reese Waters, Writing with Jenna Moreci, Shannon Makes, Brief Brain Snacks, Table Top Productions, Jake Broe, Mediocre Medievalist, Science Fiction with Damien Walter, Underthedesknews, Belle of the Ranch, SandRhoman History, UATV, Lily Simpson, The Clockwork Reader, Deerstalker Pictures, Cold Fusion, Dark Brandon, Cruising Alba, Ben and Emily, Vanwives, The British Museum, A Lil Bit Mads, Blooms and Greens by Chloe, The Researcher, CBC News, Flikazzo, Science of Science Fiction.

I watched Glitch (the Korean), Bodkin, Dead Boy Detectives, Landscape with Invisible Hand.

There are several key elements of storytelling common to again 80 to 90% of Kindle science and fantasy fiction. Between BookTubers and my much smaller personal sampling, I am assuming something similar in romance and romantasy. Again my sampling is anecdotal not scientific study but is a fairly large number of Unlimited titles.

Worldbuilding
The human societies are vague sketches of present capitalism, despite setting being hundreds of years into the future or fantastical mediaeval realm. Capitalist Realism allows no reflection on the dissolution of that system or alternatives. On occasion these books do describe its dystopian offspring.

Characters
No character is presented with enough history as to allow development. They are stick figures without life. Occasionally Electronic or alien intelligences are given heftier description and backstory but their story arc is limited to that of faithful companion to a human.

Humanity consist only of americans and those are white with a naming pool smaller than that of the Roman Republic. They will be males, though a woman as lead character is allowed only if she is exceptionally damaged. A female "love" is allowed if she has no other qualifications. It is very 1950's fiction.

Dialogue must be poorly suited to scenes and/or banter and juvenile.

Technology
The engineering and science will bear no resemblance to anything which sounds plausible to any reader older than eleven years. There needn't even be technobabble. Travel time for crossing a hundred thousand light years in a week if not days is common. It will be inconsistent, illogical and change to meet the needs of the story point.

All hero ships must be no more than 50 to sixty meters in length. All needs being met magically as the story requires if even mentioned. It will provide bunks for the crew not cabins, since such small craft have no room. Fighter craft are close to twenty meters or longer. Long distance passenger jets are eighty meters long or longer.

You now have a synopsis of the core elements in almost every Amazon e-book involving a rogue, renegade, rebel, explorer, scout or other very small hero ship. I may copy and paste this section to other reviews.

I need another step away on YouTube before winding this up. This next was brought to you courtesy of Doctor Who/Cruel or Cowardly -StoryScape Studios, NCMI, Yanis Varoufakis, Honest Government Ads, Katie Montgomerie, ScaredKetchup, PDS News Clips, Dark Brandon, SK Media, Kozak Muzon, Lily Simpson, Jessie Gender, Monte Mader, Viva La Dirt League, Science Asylum, Sarah Z, Jackie Rabbit, Anna from Ukraine, Kyiv Post, DinsArt Design, Geography by Geoff, Council of Geeks, Sci-Fi Odyssey, Friendly Space Ninja, Silicon Curtain, Ana Fern, The Russian Dude, Times Radio, Riley J Dennis, Xiran Jay Zhao, Yarmak, Grungeon Master, Certifiably Ingame, TIKHistory, GhostTime History, The Cold War, Ashley Adamson, Lee Francis, The Amber Ruffin Show, Dr Brian Keating, Make Better Media, Eleanor Morton, Slaggy Book Club, Ana Psychology, Rowan Ellis, Tom Nicholas, Atun Shei Films, I'm Rosa, ATP Geopolitics, Ukraine the Latest, MGW Studios, The European, Ro Ramdin, PonySmasher, C.L.Peach, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Evans from Kenya, Fall of Civilisations, Physics Girl, Roisin's Reading, Shades of Orange, Renegade Cut, LuckyBlackCat, NFKRZ, Depressed Russian, Bookslike Whoa, Sophie from Mars, Euronews, Hej Sokoly, Anton Petrov, Belinda Strnad, The Book Leo, A Cup of Nicole, Lindsay Nikole, Miniminuteman, Nikki Howard, Just a Robot, LydLoves, Princess Weekes, Eileen, Nini Music, Guard the Leaf, Chloe Daniels, Covert Cabal, Scallydandling About the Books, OrangeRiver, Amanda's Mild Takes, Caitlin Speaks, Anti-Social Studies, Montemayor, FAFO, Dungeons and Discourse, Arvin Ash.

There are only three US science fiction categories at present The No Effort, The insulting and The Abhorrent. The political tracts posing as fiction probably comprise 90% of the whole. I have been watching my fiction for more than for two years now. That resulted from trying to read Amazon loan selections for four to five years.

I only began using YouTube about four years ago. I began searching for useful science fiction commentary, having given up on Goodreads. I accidentally found the hobbyist, lifestyle, educational, and essayist channels before I stumbled upon my first book channel. I owe thanks to the splendid Lindsay Ellis 😍 whose channel encouraged me to also explore BookTube. 😍 They host really wonderful communities of friendly, curious and critical readers who are enamoured of all things bookish. I promise that they are completely different to whatever Goodreads pretend to be. I found educational video sites through sponsor spots on educational and essayist channels. They are all worth a look and Nebula is my favourite.

Consider treating this as a potentially hostile site. 🤔

Goodreads discourse does not exist and is not encouraged. As example, I wrote a review of Powers of the Earth perhaps three years ago. The book book is a poorly written, juvenile salute to what are now called the MAGA January 6, 2021 hero, wherein a newly rich idiot hopes to overthrow the US government with the aid of the military because he does not see the need to pay taxes.

The writer is Travis Corcoran self-described as libertarian (now an anarcho capitalist?) 😊 and vocal advocate for the return of chattel slavery (socially acceptable opinion in the US), veteran, fan of Putin (another popular opinion in the US), an employee of an unnamed US agency. He and six patriotic friends spent pages and months demanding that I engage with them. It seems that these patriots were outraged that my review suggested that this popular theme in Goodreads selections was dangerous and unhealthy. Only a fellow communist will truly appreciate the levels of irony.

The most vocal and final commenter Claes Rees Jr aka cgr710 now ka Clayton R Jesse Jr (formerly self-described as Nazi) wrote after referencing the contents of my last message exchange on Goodreads with a friend, that They had "won" (?). The victory consisted of a deluge of vile sexual and racist attacks against channels which I list. It continues still.

While the hobbyist, boater, essayist, scientist and the many other female creators were hardly impressed, the world's overabundance of unpleasantness was increased. With the addition of delivering an accurate self-portrait of the Snowflake (vicious, uneducated US man-child) to a multinational audience, this was quite a Victory. Goodreads, Yay ?? USA, Yay ??

Ominous music begins. 😊 The comment gangs are prevalent in the science fiction space and while present are possibly less active in romance and romantasy. The activities of both groups are not limited to nasty comments in favour of ableist, misogynistic elements or defence of poor prose, shoddy worldbuilding and the like but have branched out to include doxxing, stalking, threats and in future possibly the Swatting. I myself suffered a hacking attempt which may not be of Amazon origin. These Goodreaders have targeted not just members but also BookTubers.

A seventh ex-employee of EBay was sentenced for harassment of a couple whose small ecommerce channel was deemed unkind to EBay. The couple were awarded several millions and that ex-employee had been EBay Chief of Global Security or some such. All the above occurred before the current license given by the US to data corporations.

My most dangerous situation on Kindle, was the request of a favour from Australian Intelligence through Pine Gap Centre. The one friend whom I occasionally messaged was interrogated for my personal history. The attempt failed, though it resulted in two angry customers. He was fearful for my safety and it was days before I was able to control my rage. Good use was made of sharing that limited message history with madmen/women, it seems.

No apologies, no explanation were forthcoming. Amazon did respond to our widely vsharing the experience with removal of all visible harassment, returning page formats and options to normal, disappearing all Lurkers whom I had previously not been Allowed to remove, etc. BookTubers will guide you to better reader sites.

To improve your security I suggest precautions. Remove all personal information from profile and avoid messaging. Remove any Lurkers, those who do not post. They are monitors for gangs or employees disguising their unusual interest in your pages, not admirers. With Amazon's interesting views on the acceptable, the screenshot of the odd, ugly or threatening are quite valuable.

Kindle presents more danger. Do Not use Kindle Files, Calendar, Contacts, Email. They read customer email with neither permission nor notice. A thing to ponder. Do Not "purchase" Amazon ebooks. You own only your device, not downloads which may be deleted or altered at whim. Searches on Amazon Silk should be innocuous and non-critical. BookTubers may direct you to alternative providers, print options.

To implement those precautions immediately cost nothing, To not might do. Your status is dependent upon the whims of the mental. These individuals, employees and members alike are possessed of no recognisable morality but are US patriots. Ominous music ends. 😊

May we all find Good Reading! 🤗

Some of my favourite channels.
NCMI, Some More News, Ben and Emily, Operator Starsky, Guard the Leaf. Tara Mooknee, Kiko1006 - Empire of Angels, Gemma Dyer, Roomies Digest, Verilybitchie, Acollierastro, Malinda, Abbie Emmons, Lilly's Life, Maiorianus, Munecat, Sabine Hossenfelder, Owen Jones, With Olivia, Bobbing Along, Sailing Melody, Adam Something, Ukraine Matters, Alexa Donne, Bookslike Whoa, Foster on the Spectrum, FAFO, With Olivia, Cover in French, Prime of Midlife, Times Radio, Chris and Shell, Reese Waters, PondLife Omnibus, Big Train, Cass Ellis, Ponderful, What Vivi did next, Elina Charatsidou, Smack the Pony, Tibees, Jabzy, Rebecca Watson, The Dadvocate, Patrick is a Navajo, Adult Wednesday Addams - 2 seasons, Lily Simpson, The Chloe Connection, Travelling K, Skip Intro, Installation 00, J Draper, Up and Atom, Brandon Fisichella, Swell Entertainment, Battle Order, Joe Blogs, Natasha's Adventures, GhostTime History, The Great War, Gingers are Black cNorthern Narrowboaters, Amanda Rae, Steve Shives, Amanda The Jedi, The Juice Media, Living Anachronism, LuckyBlackCat, Cambrian Chronicles, The Kavernacle, Cruising Crafts, Cruising the Cut, UATV, Kathy's Flog in France, AllShorts, Truth to Power, Ro Ramdin, Ukraine News TV, Crow Caller, The Caspian Report, DUST, One Day at a time, The Black Forest Family, France 24, IzzzYzzz, Peter Coulson, Dominic Noble, Gingers are Black, Niobe Aurum, The Russian Dude, Dami Lee.

I wish you a splendid morning, a productive afternoon, a pleasant evening, a wonderful night and may we all continue learning.

Kindness is that which Empathy wears in public.
Lore, Sisters of the Light

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entering new territory

Jace and his crew are continuing their search for earth, whilst being pursued by the Union, Sarkonians, and Renegades. There’s a sense of urgency as they try to keep ahead and stay alive. The plot continues to be interesting, and I’m off to read Renegade Moon.

[Soo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes:

Solid follow up to the first book. Fun events, couple of key reveals and more lures to keep going with the series. =)

*The rating is due to the narration + story. I would rate the first two books at 3.5 stars.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that everyone aboard the Renegade Star is a wanted fugitive, they can't go back. Their only choice is to keep running and hope to stay one step ahead of the massive Union ship chasing them. Their destination: The mysterious lost planet known as Earth. Or, y'know, wherever else those weird coordinates the combination of Lex and ancient tech got them might lead.

Have I mentioned that this series is a hell of a lot of fun? The Renegade Star picks up a few new faces during this book, would love to see them stick around. Only one way to find out!

[Stephanie Runion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second installment in The Renegade Star Series is even more fast paced and action packed than the first. We learn much more about our cast of characters while enjoying this interesting section of the massive story arc.

[Daniel Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely strong firefly vibes with this series. Book 2 was better than book 1. I am starting book 3 now. Our protagonist is a smuggler who has some passengers who have a quest they need to go on and he reluctantly is helping them.

#spaceadventure

[Jon Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating closer to a 4.5

The second installment was a bit better than the first. As the gang hurls towards finding the mythical planet earth, they are pursued, once again by the same nemesis.

The action is pretty non-stop. I found that while it keeps the excitement level pretty high, it was a bit too much. Hardly time to catch your breath. The action is always death and destruction described in its full gory detail, quite unnecessary in my opinion.

The story in and of itself is pretty good. It's the only thing that keeps me coming back. I hope the 3rd installment ratchets the non-stop chasing, catching, and killing down so we can get more into the story.

I am off to book 3.

[J.R. Handley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun series! It was so amazing that I blasted through the series and forgot to write individual reviews. I'll be posting a review of the entire series on the page for book one, but I didn't want to keep my enthusiasm to myself. So, I’m sharing this ringing endorsement of the series, here, on the individual book pages. They were all epic in their own right, though there were times I thought I might have a heart attack during the action scenes! And can we talk about how awesome the narrator was? Wow, just wow! Overall, this series was a fun read and I was able to gloss over the near-death experiences!

My full review for this series doesn't fit, so read it here: https://jrhandley.com/2020/04/10/book...

My Overall Thoughts:
Okay, let’s get into the weeds on this one! I’ve organized my overall assessment by putting the stuff I didn’t like first so we can end on a high note. I also want to be clear that I really loved this series overall, it’s why I plowed through the audiobooks so quickly that I had to write a series review instead of an individual one for each of the six novels that make up The Renegade Star Series.

Alright, let’s rip off the band-aide and dive in. There were many parts that I wasn’t thrilled with in this series. First, the lack of details about the world was disheartening. I’m a guy who prefers all of the details, and I wasn’t given that in this series. This is a different type of book than I usually read, more pulp than anything, so some of that can generally be addressed by the fact that I’m not his ideal audience. However, I wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t mention that this was something I didn’t particularly like.

Another issue with the books was the profanity. I’m aware that the books description out a warning about the crude language. That normally bothers me, however, when you’re hooked on the fast-paced story, you want to listen every chance you get. I couldn’t do that if my kids were around, so this is more of an annoyance than anything because I went in with eyes wide open. Again, it wasn’t the profanity itself so much as the way that limited my ability to listen to the audiobooks. Luckily, this book is in the Kindle Unlimited program, and you can read it for free if you hit a patch where your rug rats won’t give you room to breathe.

I chose this book because the covers and the premise sounded entertaining, and I wasn’t disappointed. However, this book was very much a pulp novel and didn’t give me a lot to sink my teeth into. As many of you know, I’m the kind of reader that wants all the details in the novels I read. Some of this is just my own oddities, but I really like the little descriptions of the world that flush it out for me. I don’t just want to know that the character fired a blaster, I want the make and model. Again, some of this is just my preference, so this lack of detail was annoying, but not so much that I couldn’t keep reading because I obviously blazed through the series.

Another minor announcement I had was the lack of proper naval terminology. The main character calls the bulkheads walls and calls the decks a floor. I grew up in a Navy town, so hearing vessels using proper terminology always catches my attention. However, these traditions could change in the future, so this is really just nitpicking for the sake of my review.

My one major complaint about the story, aside from like details, was the character’s lack of reaction to killing. I’ve been in situations where you were required in someone else’s life, thank you Iraq, and there is always an emotional response to the action. I did not feel like the main character, Jace Hughes, ever felt remorse for the people he killed. It was just the thing he did, and then he’s callously shrugged it off. The combat veteran, this bugs me, but I’m sure most readers would never notice this.

Alright, now let’s talk about the happy things! One of the things that I liked about the series was the way characters grew as the story developed across the 13 novels. This is an area where the author grew as a creator, and it showed. I can’t really say anything else about the specific category because that would give spoilers, but trust me, it’s worth waiting for the big reveal later in the series.

Another area that struck me with this series was the audio narration. I loved this audiobook, Luke Daniels gave one of his trademarked top-notch performances. My only complaint in this arena was the way the main character socked on hard candy. However, this was more about the author’s characterization and how it translated to audiobooks, but it was about Luke’s performance. However, if especially noticeable in the morning and audiobook format. Despite that one minor complaint, this audiobook was a rollicking good adventure! Seriously, if you weren’t already hooked on Luke, this book would get you there! This was one of the many areas where this series really shined for me.

What did shine was the amazing premise of this book series. This definitely hit on all of the tropes that I love about science fiction, but not in a way that felt derivative. He carried it out in a way that somehow became uniquely his own thing. I found shades of the short-lived Firefly television show and the anime Outlaw Star that inspired it. There was also a Star Wars meets Indiana Jones element to this series, which kept you glued to the edge of your seat, waiting to see what happens next. Oh, and some of the reviewers called the series a mash-up of Andromeda and Battlestar Galactica. I agreed with them, though I didn’t see it at first. Once I read the review, the comparison was obvious!

If I haven’t said it enough, I REALLY loved the basic premise of this series. The concept of a grand adventure, trying to solve the mysteries of the universe, struck the right chord for me. It was very much. The Da Vinci Code in space, which I really liked. The fact that it was written in first person made you much more connected to the adventure, which I really appreciated. All of this combined, and you end up with a series of books that are a lot of fun to read. Seriously, it’s pulpy popcorn comfort food. Except you won’t regret eating it, because it’s calorie-free.

One of the overarching themes of the series that I enjoyed was the classic story of good versus evil. This was your typical David versus Goliath story except you had blaster since the slingshots. While the main character wasn’t quite the everyman, he was close enough that you ended up rooting for him and cheering as the bad guys get taken down a peg or two. There’s a Union officer whose face you want to smash in, but luckily Jace wants to do the same thing, and so you get a vicarious thrill of living for him. Isn’t that why we read fiction in the first place?

Oh, and I really loved the way Chaney explained his science of faster than light travel (FTL). It had just the right amount of Handwavium to keep me happy. Because of the structure of the story, he never felt let down by the lack of a more detailed explanation of how the science works. Instead, you have a character who doesn’t know and so can’t tell you. This is one of the beauties of the first-person narration done right!

Finally, I thoroughly enjoyed the more direct language that the author chose to use. It had a very Tom Clancy-esq vibe with simple words that avoided the tendency towards a pretentious use of big words, whether they were needed or not. It made it possible for Luke Daniels to give the stellar performance that he did with his narration, which I obviously loved. I know this style of writing isn’t for everyone, but it was something that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I wish I could gush more about the series, but I can’t think of ways to do this justice without giving spoilers. So… have I hinted that I enjoyed this universe yet? Good, I want it to be obvious! So, to wrap this bad boy up, I loved this series. Each one of these novels was at least 75,000 words long, about what you expect from the genre. Despite the length, each book felt like a quick read. If you didn’t know how long each novel was, you could almost imagine them as short stories. This is because they were so engrossing that the reader loses track of time while they temporarily live in the story. The author definitely made me want more from this universe, and I’ll definitely be reading the follow-on series that are already available.

In conclusion, I was hooked from the first page/minute! JN Chaney wove the action into this fun space opera romp that made me lose track of time. Basically, he had me hooked from the beginning and kept it going throughout the whole series. These are books that I would happily recommend, and an author I will definitely read again. While I don’t see myself diving more into the pulp side of the house, I don’t regret swimming in this pool of awesomesauce! Buy these novels! But hey, it’s easy to spend someone else’s money! I give these books a 5 out of 5 grenades!

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, by now, I hope you’ve gotten used to the language in these books. It continues the same in this second book and probably will throughout the series. I don’t have a problem with it all that much, but some of you might. Still, if you got through the first book, then you should have no problem continuing with the series. Jace doesn’t let up one bit no matter whom he’s talking to.

In the first book, we read where the Star Renegade has a journey to make, but after their terrible experience on Taurus Station they had to make a hasty escape to somewhere. Siggy, the Renegade Star A. I., moved them closer to Sarkonian space which was well away from Union space. The Union was now definitely after them and apparently were devoting some might powerful assets to find and hold the Renegade Star. Jace has decided that he’s had enough of his passengers so he’s decided to drop them off at an out of the way Keasler System. The space station there would allow them to find passage to where ever they wanted to go, but Jace had had enough!

Then his plans changed. Some how the Union has been tracking the Renegade Star even with it’s cloaking device activated. That doesn’t make sense. How can you track a cloaked ship. Still, it’s being done because a Union ship has forcibly docked with the Renegade Star and now is boarding. Once again, Jace and his companions, manage to kill the Union Captain and his crew, well, all expect three whom they secure in a hidden compartment aboard the ship. Jace now starts interrogating his prisoners and finds out that the cloaking device came from a Union ship. So, it’s no wonder they can now track it. And, the Union has assigned a carrier and General Brigham to track and capture the Renegade Star.

Not only that, but the Sarkonians also know about the huge bounty on the Renegade Star and it’s passengers, so they are out after the ship also. Jace and his friends see mounting trouble if they hang around much longer. So, it’s decided that they will follow their original plan which was supposed to lead them to the mythical planet called Earth!

The only problem with this course is that he goes right through Sarkonian space. In fact, it goes right through the Sarkonian home world system which must have tons of Sarkonian warships present. Some how they must get through that area knowing they can’t use the cloak or they Union will be hot on their trail.

From here the story takes a significant change. I’m not sure where this is going to lead, but it’s getting very interesting. The little girl, Lex, has a mysterious background and she’s much different than most little girls. Where she originated is something that will surprise everyone if they can prove what they believe. Does Earth still exist and if so, why has it been lost to the rest of civilization for over 2,000 years? Hopefully these questions will be answered in the third book, whenever it gets published.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Reading Log
Plot Summary
Jace Hughes continues his adventures as he uncovers the truth about the Renegade Star and its connection to a larger galactic conspiracy. With Abigail's mysterious powers developing and the Order of the Nexus pursuing them relentlessly, Jace must delve into ancient secrets hidden within the stars. As he forms uneasy alliances and fights against impossible odds, Jace discovers that his destiny may be tied to the fate of humanity itself. The stakes rise as betrayal, loyalty, and courage collide in a race to unlock the secrets of the Renegade Atlas.

Characters
Jace Hughes - A cunning smuggler who becomes entangled in a galaxy-spanning mystery as he searches for answers about the Renegade Atlas.
Abigail Pryar - The enigmatic girl whose abilities and purpose remain at the center of the unfolding conspiracy.
Sigmond - Jace’s AI companion, providing critical insights and humor in the face of danger.
Eliza Lobo - A skilled bounty hunter with shifting loyalties, who must decide between her mission and her personal sense of justice.
Kell - A former ally with questionable motives, whose reappearance complicates Jace’s journey.
The Order of the Nexus - A secretive organization intent on controlling the galaxy’s future and eliminating those who oppose them.
Captain Sheridan - A fierce military leader whose own goals intersect with Jace’s mission, adding another layer of intrigue.

Quotes
"The stars hold more secrets than anyone dares to believe." - Context: Sigmond remarks on the mysteries Jace and his crew uncover, emphasizing the scale of their journey.

"You can’t outrun destiny, Jace. It finds you, no matter how far you go." - Context: Abigail says this to Jace during a pivotal moment, hinting at his growing importance in the galactic struggle.

"Trust is a weapon as dangerous as any blade. Use it wisely." - Context: Captain Sheridan warns Jace about the cost of alliances and betrayal in their fight for survival.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey there book lovers! It is your old pal, Ninetoes, coming at you with a review of J.N. Chaney’s Renegade Atlas. I have coffee in my system, and my thinking cap on, so let’s do this!

One of the aspects I love in reading is when a book is in a series. For some reason, I am a sucker for a series. I always have been. When a series is fast-moving, and holds my attention, it is even better. Such is the case with J. N. Chaney’s “Renegade Star” series.

Jace Hughes and his crew narrowly escaped The Union, but that was by the very skin of their teeth. Their mission to find Earth has just begun, but now they are being hunted by the Union and the Sarkonians, an enemy of the Union. If Jace gives up a young girl traveling with him he is promised to be let go. It goes for the entire crew. However, Jace and the crew know the moment they hand over the girl, she is as good as dead, and so are they. So, they run and do not look back. But the hunters are hot on their heels and there is no safe haven for Jace and his crew, not even in the outer fringes where the Union does not go.

This book is a fast-paced roller coaster ride of a book. It can easily be finished in a night. Sure, some things are borrowed from popular culture, and the ideas in this book may not be one hundred percent original, but it does not detract from the overall fun in reading it.

This is a good read. Not spectacular, but fun nonetheless.

I give this 4 bookmarks out of 5.

[David P. Duffy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lightweight and Harmless Lowbrow Space Saga

“Renegade Atlas...[lengthy title excessively pretentious],” authored by Mr. J.N. Chaney, continues a lightweight, mainly harmless, lowbrow space saga of a dimwitted rogue, with the proverbial “heart of gold,” search for the location of Earth, lost in “ancient” times-2,000 years prior [sic]. He is taken on the journey by his paternal urges towards a genetically perfect young girl, “Lex,” accompanied by her mixed bag of scientific cult protectors. Malevolent forces attempt to thwart the search at all stages, by retrieving “Lex,” and killing any that stand in their way.

It’s written simplistically, slightly above the level of most hobbyist indie authors, in a cotton candy style, seasoned by brutal blood shedding.

The book was fully read via Kindle Unlimited.

“Renegade Atlas,” is marginally recommended.

[Liv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a good book, even better than the previous given the amount that has unraveled in the story's arc, but the sheer amount of unnecessary profanities has put me off a bit.

It isn't that I'm against cursing or anything of the such, it's just a lot of times the placement felt forced or severely off. I noticed an extreme uptick from the first book in the amount of f bombs that were dropped (90%+ of which felt unnecessary).

Again, storyline wise it's a solid book with enjoyable characters. Lex and Abigail are my favorites by far, as Lex is young to still posses her innocence despite all that had happened to her, but also adventurous and curious. Abigail is equal parts scary and motherly that she makes for an appealing character. I hope to see how things unravel for her going forward, as Lex has definitely brought a softer side out of her.

[Cheree Castellanos Edits · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another amazing adventure that keeps me guessing and in shock! Fast paced, I'm talking fast! Never a dull moment. And just when you think you have it figured out, nope, a new piece to the puzzle to confuse the crap out of you! Full of laughs, even the ones that make you question your moral compass a bit LOL. I get more and more excited with each book for how the story is building and evolving! I have decided that if I am ever in an impossible situation that can't be escaped from... I need an author to help me figure out a genius escape! Mr. Chaney may be my first contact. And a little bit of help for our dear Captain, can Jace PLEASE get another decent coffee maker? Poor guy. Can't wait for the next one!

[Neal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stopped here.

I finished this book... but only because i didn't want to not finish something I'd started. I just got tired of a caption with absolutely zero situational awareness or intelligence. He never has a clue what he's doing and allows people with galactic warrants, including an easily recognizable albino with tattoos, to wander around in public everywhere he goes. Every time he stops somewhere, someone magically sneaks up on him (of all thos he should throw out the airlock, his AI should be first), and every tool has juuust enough to get him through a situation, then it's worthless.

I just got enough of the cliches. I think I'll go back and read some hard sci-fi now.

[Mark Goletto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kinda quirky

This book was kinda quirky but I enjoyed the heck outta it. Didn’t even realize until I finished it that it was book 2 but can’t see that I missed anything by not reading the first one. There weren’t any references to the first book that threw me off so overall I really liked it. The only criticism I could possibly have was the excessive foul language that Jace used. Don’t get me wrong, I’m nowhere even close to being a saint and use my share of curse words, but it seemed like Chaney got a little carried away. It wasn’t enough to turn me off to the book but just sayin. I’ve already bought the next book.

[Tony Hinde · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 75%

It seems the reward of finding Earth is clearly reserved for later books. I don't have the patience.

For two books I've been waiting for one of the clueless crew, or super-clueless captain, to realize the ship is being tracked. The crime-lord that added the cloak tech virtually admitted as much. How many times does an enemy have to miraculously appear behind them for someone to get suspicious? Oh my GOD!

At one point Jace is teaching a young girl how to be a better thief. He explains about reconnoitering and having an exit strategy. Good advice, right? Not once does he do either thing, despite moving from one task/job to another almost every chapter.

[Christian Orton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. The author knows how to tell a story for sure. It doesn't get bogged down in explaining technology, waste time on pointless plot elements, or exaggerate action scenes. It's just story first, which allows the reader to use the reading time to melt into that world and have a great time. And while not every sci-fi reader prefers this style of writing, it's perfect for me, the busy Dad who needs an escape at the end of the day.

Update: In my review of the first book, I docked one star for the lack of description. Believe it or not, that's not contradictory to what I've said here. It did lack adequate description. Whereas this one has the perfect amount for my tastes.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jace has picked up some additional crew members. Now he is trying to keep them fed and alive as the Union continues to search for the little girl Lex. Lex has strange tattoos that act like a key that activates ancient machinery. The crew travels to some old ruins on a distant planet viewing a map that gives the location of the route to the lost planet of Earth. Jace does not believe the myth, but he has to keep ahead of the Union and they have to go somewhere. I really like this series. Non-stop action and interesting characters. Abby can get on your nerves with her constant harping but she is growing on me too. I am very interested to see where the story goes.

[marmarci · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*

La verdad es que me lo estoy pasando genial con estos libros. Sigue en la línea del primero con ese punto Firefly que me encanta. Además, con lo bien narrado que está es como seguir una serie de aventuras en el espacio.

Con este segundo libro ya he terminado de encariñarme con todos los personajes, la narración diría que incluso mejora (algunos diálogos son geniales), la historia es interesante (aunque no sea la más super original no desmerece para nada).

Son libros sencillos (también son cortos) pero son la mar de entretenidos y ágiles de leer (o escuchar en mi caso). Seguiré con el siguiente sin duda.

[BobA707 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary: Lots of action and the premise has some interesting properties, but basically this is very YA and ultimately not very plausible, the plot and the characters need a lot more work to make them believable. The book just reads as if its made up on the fly. Book 2 more of the same

Plotline: Doesn't feel like their is a plot, just fast and furious

Premise: interesting parts to this that could lead to better things

Writing: all the characters are a bit wooden and unpleasant, may be it will improve ... the writing style certainly propels the reader at a very fast pace

Ending: Enough, putting the rest of the series aside.

Pace: Never a dull moment!