Renegade Earth

Renegade Star #6

by J.N. Chaney

Three Empires Collide.

Captain Jace Hughes and his band of rebels have managed to outrun the Union at every turn, barely escaping with their lives. What started as a simple transport job has escalated into a war between empires, all for the sake of a child.

But a Renegade never backs down.

With Titan, a fleet of strike ships, and a newly transformed Sigmond, the crew of The Renegade Star will need to pull out everything they have in order to make their final stand.

Suit up, Renegades. The battle for Earth has finally begun.

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

314 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 3, 2018

About the author

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Reviews

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

This really is the perfect series for times when one is feeling Certifiably Braindead™.



· Book 1: Renegade Star ★★★★
· Book 2: Renegade Atlas ★★★★
· Book 3: Renegade Moon ★★★★
· Book 4: Renegade Lost ★★★★
· Book 5: Renegade Fleet ★★★★
· 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 4 out of 5]

I'm sooooo glad the showdown between the Renegades and the Union finally came to a head in this book. I was getting tired of the Union leader always turning up.

Also, loved Siggy's transformation and excited about the crew finally reaching Earth. Can't wait to see what the next book has in store!

[Meenaz Lodhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You never know what’s good for you until it happens.”

This has been full of trepidation and surprise scenes, making me stand at the edge of the unknown and slowly approach the so yearned Earth. A Wealth of suspense and extremely impressive. This is one of my fav series!

[Amber J (Thereadingwitch) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not having the best luck with books lately. Although this one was a bit better than the last few I read. I like the action. If I can get myself submerged in this world it is a lot of fun to read. Unfortunately, I do find that my mind wanders a lot. This book ended on a high note though, and as always, it leaves just enough interest for me to continue this series.

How I choose my rating:
1* Didn't like it at all. These are rare as I usually just don't finish any book I dislike this much.
2** Didn't like it. Again usually DNF if I dislike it this much, but occasionally I feel it still has potential and I try to stick with it to the end.
3*** I liked it. It wasn't great but it was enjoyable enough. It is unlikely I'll ever reread it but I might finish the series if it is a part of one.
4**** I really liked this book. Maybe not a work of genius, but highly entertaining. I might reread this at some point, and I will almost always finish the series if part of one.
5***** I loved this book. I found little to no issues with it at all. I will probably reread this and possibly more than once. I will definitely finish the series if it's part of one.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

We’re now back aboard the Titan, the moon-size starship which left Earth eons ago and was found by Jace Hughes and his crew of the Renegade Star. They had just defeated Hephaestus, the Cognitive in charge of Earth’s defense network and drone factories. It had cost them a lot of lives and equipment. The lives couldn’t be replaced, but the equipment had to be repaired. Their journey to find Earth was almost, but not quite complete. They also found a Union scout ship still trailing them.

The original plan was to head straight for Earth and see what they would find. But with the Union scout following not far behind, the crew decided it wouldn’t be good to lead the Union straight to Earth. So, they looked at their long-range scans in an attempt to find a system that might give the appearance of Earth, but not be Earth. They soon found one. So that’s where they headed. You’ll read about their plan to fight the Union and how they would like to split the forces of General Brigham. Jace also comes up with a “bag and grab” idea that involves the very same person I just wrote about. Unfortunately, nothing ever goes as planned!

Sigmond plays a significant role in this book. He’s now a full-fledge Cognitive and he appears just as I had imagined him. He does seem a little British and has a very formal way of speaking, but that just makes him Sigmond all the more.

If this book review seems short it’s because it is! There is only one scene taking place and that’s the fight with the Union. I don’t want to give everything away so you get a shorter review than normal. Sorry about that!

I will say that Jace Hughes and his crew do reach Earth. What it looks like isn’t what they expected, but they are there so that’s where the next book will start. According to the author, the next title is “Renegade Dawn” and it should be out in July 2018. I have looked on Amazon as of 7 July 2018 and it’s not yet available. Should be out soon.

[Nancy Phy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

This is the best book yet in this series. I love the characters and can't wait to see what they do next. If you like a great syfi/space opera then I recommend you read this series.

[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!

[Frances Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anti climactic

There were some really stupid actions in this story, in particular when Jace and co. captured Brigham. So, the Union soldiers are there to rescue the general and Jace just leaves him in order to save Lucia. How much time would it have taken to put a bullet through his head? Then of course, there’s the matter of Lucia’s staff. At one moment it can bring a build down but in the next she can’t take down more than one soldier. And I must comment on Jace’s marksmanship; it’s terrible! According to the end of the book, the Eternals must have departed very soon after the Transients and have totally disappeared! Why would they have needed to terraform Earth? No suggestion was made about there being a problem that needed to be fixed. Were the Eternals that bored? As a Millennial ship the Titan should have everything needed to start a new colony but nothing is ever explained. This series has really lost it’s way! I’m not sure if I want to continue the journey.

[Katyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun wrap-up to the first arc of the story, and I enjoyed it, though I have some criticisms.

Firstly, it has been a bit repetitive, in this book and the last couple, seeing Jace end up mortally wounded on every excursion, and passing out... waking up in a med pod. It doesn't feel dramatic anymore, just tiresome.

Secondly, I hoped we'd get some actual development / info on Brigham and why he was so invested in this. But all the way through the end, he was very 2-dimensionally evil. He ended up feeling like an 80s horror movie villain - no matter how many times you injured him or how slowly he shambled behind you, he'd always catch you again and you'd have a violent encounter. And in Brigham's case, a violent encounter that began - like 10 times - with him demanding you finally just surrender yourself because he promises that you are totally fucked now. Seriously, that happened so many times I can't count, and at least 3 times in this book alone. He arrives, tells Jace that there's no way he will get out of this situation and he should just give himself up and save some dignity. It got REALLY tiresome.

And this Jason/Freddy Krueger/Michael Myers shit would only stop with his conclusive death. We're never given a reason for what he was doing - no rationale for why it is acceptable for the Union to kidnap, experiment on, and murder children at their whim ... he never even attempted to justify himself or give what, to him, is a reasonable explanation. I was expecting ... I don't know, something. He called Lex "that weapon that you call a child" ... but why? Like, it would have been so much better if we were told that Lex lost control - those tattoos activated something and people were killed. Some REASON why he is treating a child with a goddamn tattoo as if she is a walking nuclear bomb.

But we got nothing. Just plodding forward into the classic 80s horror movie finale, and another trip to the med pod.

*shrug*

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Earth has gone through a shocking transformation in the last 2000 years. The most shocking revelation - SPOILER ALERT - the asteroid belt HAS MOVED.

That fun tidbit aside, Renegade Earth continues its slog across the galaxy. The Union, ever pursuing for reasons that become less and less clear as they bypass/destroy the forest to find a single tree, remains a few days behind the burgeoning fleet. This fleet, comprised of hundreds of ships that were, a mere three books earlier, individually nearly invincible, now requires an absurd plan to overcome their stubborn foe. Led by Hans Solo our heroes finally face off with the cartoonish generalissimo.

They win, but at what cost (almost none), successfully arriving at Earth (not really a spoiler, since it's in the title) only to stop and wonder, wait a second, some one remind me why we were going here again?

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Renegade Earth - a review by Rosemary Kenny

J.N Chaney's novel idea for a thrilling space-opera is here in this excellent novella about a W.A.L.L-E type Earth-based scenario, where for aeons past Humanity's only means of survival was to take refuge on Titan, a Moon-sized Arkship travelling through space until the chosen one - in this case a young albino girl called Lex - is born and can recall inherited race memories of the way to return to and re-colonise their historic Mother planet, Earth, as only she can.
What is the Union? Why do they want to capture Lex? What is their agenda for Earth?
Where do Captain Jace Hughes and Lex meet - and for what purpose? How will Lex be safe there?
Who are the Renegades? What is their relationship to Jace? When do Jace and the others return to Earth - and what did they have to do before that could take place?

Renegade Earth is the 6th and last story in this arc/series, Renegade Star, by J.N Chaney. It's a novella with interesting and well-developed characters (including Sigmond the Cognitive, a nun assassin, a spy, two archaeologists (think Indiana Jones in space), a 130 year old kick-ass warrior granny, a Colony leader etc), in more twists and turns than a Chubby Checker dance-athon and epic creative space battles, worthy of Star Wars.
A 5-star adventure that should definitely be on your fantasy/space-opera book shelves.
Get them all today and tell all your friends about the excellent Renegade Star series they'll love too!

[Per Gunnar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally Hughes & Co finds Earth and I have to say it felt a bit like a anti-climax. It kind of felt like these six books has been nothing but a prelude to the “real” story. If I step back, take a deep breath, there really nothing wrong with that of course but it did come as a bit of surprise and at the moment when I was reading it I actually felt a bit disappointed. Well, that was my personal reaction of course.

Otherwise, the book was good. It continues the story from where the previous book left off. Hughes old AI is back and better than ever. I quite liked that.

They are closing in on Earth but the Union fleet is close behind. Time to make a stand. I will of course not go into details but that creates the opportunity for plenty of action. Hughes & Co makes a plan to get rid of those pesky Union ships which, although ultimately successful, encounters a few whoopsies on the road. No plan survives first contact with the enemy and all that. I did find the Union Admiral’s fate a bit uninspired though. I had almost expected him to become the next fan.

One thing that irks me is that the author seems to have a bit of a Voyager syndrome. Please stop shooting up the Titan all the time for Christ sake!

Well, I guess it’s no surprise that they finally arrive at Earth. Earth is not what it used to be though. Instead some fixing up of their new home will most likely be required. And thus we are ready for the next book in the series and I am looking forward to it.

[s · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining but not a fan of the serialization

These stories and characters are entertaining enough, but it’s annoying that basically each plot point is broken down into its own episode. I don’t understand why the author releases a new one every couple months instead of just waiting to release a book with these stories all consolidated into one. Is it a money thing?

I’d much rather have had this first “story arc”, as the author put it, be the first *book*. If you take out all the repetition required to explain the characters and previous plot points in the series, and consolidated these first... six?... stories into one, the resulting book would be a reasonable length, IMO.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally after fighting many battles, exploring multiple colonies, and picking up a few passengers here and there; the renegade crew is a few slipstreams from their goal of the lost planet of Earth. Before they can go there, they must end the Union's constant pursuit of Titan and its precious cargo Lex. The plan is in place and risks have been weighed. They cannot lead the Union to Earth so this will be their last battle come what may. Fast-paced and action-packed, this story did not disappoint. I felt myself tense up at multiple points in this book as I rooted for my favorite Renegade characters.

[Jeffrey Brannen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sixth book in this arc finishes this part of the story, with more promised to come. Have and his friends have made it to the near region of earth, bringing the story to its climax.

They have their super-Death Star with its powerful AI having waged war against an evil AI and its army of drones, limping from the Gundam sword attack against the Death Star, the Union fleet finally arrives which is tricked into a final battle.

The stakes are higher, some real danger to the characters seems to exist, with some growth and character development.

[dennis barron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Renegade Earth. J.N. Chaney

Renegade Captain Jace Hughes and his crew are hunted fugitives the most wanted criminals in the galaxy. They are preventing the capture of a young girl named Lex. An eternal, a small girl with capabilities far beyond any human. A nun named Abey kidnapped her from a medical facility where she was being held for research purposes. Their end goal to reach the planet of stories, possibly a myth, Earth. Battles and non stop action throughout their journey which ends with them finding and landing their ship and crew on Earth. A tremendous read!

[Dennis Zimmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, with Earth in the title you can guess where this book is headed. I've been holding my breath the whole time while reading these stories, hoping that Earth is still around and that they actually make it that far.

More than the extra creative battle scene, I especially loved the flashbacks that answered why the Foxy Stardust bobble is so important to Jace. He just keeps getting better and better as a character the more we learn about him. Kind of like the whole Renegade series. Each book builds so perfectly on the last one. I can't recommend these books enough.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The end (almost), and a new beginning...

Jace, his crew, and the people they have rescued (and held hostage) are coming together as a community, with Titan being their city. We see more flashbacks from Jace’s past, which helps to show how he ended up where he is now.

I’m particularly happy to see the inclusion of an elderly woman who is active, sassy, fights well, and doesn’t take nonsense from anyone! Lucia is awesome, and we need more characters like her.

[Saul Baisley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tying things up for now

Well this book definitely ties up some of the on going story lines. The Galactic Dawn and Titan finally have their showdown. As do some of the other protagonists and antagonists. But in between, we learn more about Jace’s past and the events that sculpted him from a delinquent juvenile to becoming one of the Galaxy’s greatest heroes. It will be interesting to see where the next book takes us and what new threats wait in the darkness.

[Christopher Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeehaw! Great story!

This is such a great series, and this installment lived up to all of its predecessors. It's a rocking good story with loads of adventure and character development. I feel like this series is Battlestar Galactica crossed with Firefly. I also am really enjoying the audible books, but I couldn't wait to read this one!

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in the series.

Same review as before.
—————

Quick, easy, fun read.
It’s like a young Han Solo (Star Wars) or Malcolm Reynolds (Firefly/Serenity). Great fun.

I wish there were not so many swear words throughout the book. While not necessarily gratuitous, definitely over the top excessive and unnecessary.

[DAVID · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one bites the dust

Well these storylines just get better and better your imagination must run wild lol.. Totally loving this series of the Renegade Star Shane the ship got destroyed hopefully Jace can either rebuild it or get something similar even tho he has the Galactic Dawn.. Looking forward to the next book

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait for the next round of Renegade books!!!

Have and Abby have finally made it to earth. It wasn't easy and there has been a lot of fighting with the Union. But keep reading and see how it all works out.

Read and enjoy!!!

[David Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jace and the other refugees are finally in a full tilt battle with the Union to protect Earth. After all the danger and sacrifice the Titan and its crew aren't backing down, lots of space battles and butt kicking in this one.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great end to the initial story

A great easy read. A little predictable. But entertaining nonetheless. Would love the books to start becoming a little less one dimensional as they evolve

[Mark Goletto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well OK

I’ve read all the books in this series now, enjoyed all of them, but still haven’t figured out why Chaney bothered with the Freddie character. As far as I’m concerned, he gave absolutely no value to the storyline other than to bug the heck outta me.

[Norm S · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Book 6 has Jace and crew finally finding Earth. But that is toward the end of the book. First they must find one last outpost where the Union, Sarconians, Titan, and Siggys drones have a major battle and Jace and General Brigham square off face to face.

[GaiusPrimus · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun ride

Even though the situations we're getting ridiculous by the end of the book, the whole of it was truly entertaining.

I'll keep up on this sci-fi roll and finish the rest of the series.

[C.A. Knutsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good addition to the series

A critical battle that the Renegade and crew absolutely had to win. They developed a very clever strategy they didn't know if it was going to be enough.

[InexactEarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling conclusion the the first story arc! Jace an crew finally make it to Earth despite numerous challenges and adventures, only to find it not QUITE what they were expecting!

Love the series so far, and I’m excited to start the next arc and see where they go and what happens!