This is a totally addictive series and when the 9th book was released, I devoured it just as fast as Book 1.
The characters are absolutely fantastic, Kyle Riggs and his star force personnel, the machines, the blues, the centaurs, and of course Marvin!
It really saddens me that this is the final of the series but BV Larson has squeezed another little opening that could be the beginning of another series. I hope it is true!
I could not possibly be fucked reviewing every one of these books so this review of the last will have to suffice to contain my thoughts on what is essentially a gigantic Sci-Fi novel split into 9 parts. This is mediocre, fairly satisfying and largely pointless ending to the series. And in the end... Star Force wins, no one of consequence dies, Kyle Riggs retires to his old farm and for some reason decides to start settle for a second rate middle aged woman when he could have any girl on the planet. Yea, nah. Marvin had a lot of potential in this novel, he could have played a much more interesting role, but was, in my opinion, wasted as a prop and a story device that allowed Larson to manipulate the plot more easily, so as to save time and effort: 'A 400 ship macro fleet is on the way? No problem. Marvin!', 'We can't get through the last ring? Marvin!' 'We're all going to die in an apocalyptic final attack? Marvin!' Also the politics are stupid. It's basically, Kyle Riggs is one character, all of Earth's politicians are an opposing character referred to as 'Earth's Politicians', and that's about it, it's no more complicated than that, no intrigue, no real politics, just: I have the biggest gun, make me Emperor of Earth. Yeah, nah. Also the amount of Kyle Riggs in this book is just fucking overwhelming, I mean I know it's a first person narrative but in the name of fuck ballicking christ shite, would you give it a fucking rest with the sophomoronic philosophizing about the nature of power / corruption / rights v safety etc. I came here for a junky read because I wished to be diverted, maggot. Why did I start out by giving this piece of shit 3 stars? This is clearly a 2 star affair. Anyway, its like this: Read the first Star Force book, it's great. But for the love of God don't read the rest, or you will be enslaved into the pages of this constant cliff hanger, page turner of a Dan Simmons a la Sci-Fi trash for 100 hours of so. Fuck, just think what I could have read with that time... Thank God its over and I will never again have to read another B fucking V fucking Larson book again. Shit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Thank God it's over. I no longer have to deal with Kyle Riggs, his errant penis, or his inexplicable ability to hold onto command.
This final novel in the war against the robotic "Macros" (who really haven't been a major threat for like the past three books--they would just show up for a battle or two and then fade into the background) begins with Riggs finally achieving his dream: becoming the dictator of Earth. I say it's his dream because that's precisely how he has acted throughout the ENTIRE series, as a complete and utter tyrant. I don't know if that's a function of the author's ignorance of all things military or just his penchant for authoritarianism, but while Riggs gives lip-service to democratic ideals, he's more than happy to run roughshod over them at every opportunity.
So we begin with him having invaded Earth and LITERALLY decapitating the head of state (the erstwhile emperor Crowe). But poor Riggs doesn't like a desk job so he's very quickly back in space (despite not leaving or having any sort of bureaucratic apparatus for governing the WORLD while he's gone--because he handles ALL things personally).
So ok, some random tech talk about new weapons and whatnot and we discover an assasination attempt and coup attempt that gets resolved in the space of LESS THAN A CHAPTER (no kidding). Oh, and the Macros are apparently hurtling back towards Earth but Riggs ends up winning that battle because the Macros are just THAT scared of Riggs (they say as much).
I'm glad this series is over. I enjoy military sci-fi generally, and these were insanely fast listens via Kindle Unlimited/Audible, but I can't recommend any other than the first book to anyone.
Thank goodness, I'm finally free from these awful books.
Actually this one wasn't that bad. Pretty bad, but not that bad. As before it's helpful to just accept that the main character is a giant tool. I guess the story is meant to get some complexity from such a flawed character, but he's mostly just annoying when he's boozing, carousing, and bullying.
The final chapter is good though, if mis-matched to the rest of the story.
And overall the action is compelling and varied enough to keep my attention.
So, I guess I'm glad I read the series... so long as I don't think too much about what I could have read instead.
I was happy the way this part of the Star Force saga finished. Okay, so as a female reading this book it's still sexist, but as this was book 9, and I have read all the other Star Force books, I was kinda used to the fact that BV Larson seems to forget that females read and enjoy military sci-fi too so if he's reading this - less of the descriptions of sexy females ogling Colonel Kyle Riggs and more story, ok?!!!
Like I said though, excellent conclusion to this part of the story, the majority of the story lines were tied up and I was happy that the colonel found his conclusion, whilst still leaving the way open for the other books in the series.
Moje słuchawkowe guilty pleasure ostatnich kilku miesięcy, dzięki wyzwaniu #przyzywamkosmitówzunseriouspl nabrało zupełnie nowego znaczenia. ;) Dlatego też teraz z czystym sumieniem i oczywiście pozytywnym nastawieniem sięgnęłam po dziewiątą odsłonę cyklu Star Force B.V. Larsona pod tytułem Martwe słońca.
Imperator Kyle Riggs. "Kyle Riggs zasiada na tronie Imperium Ziemskiego, ale nie może zaznać spokoju. Wyzwolił swoją ojczystą planetę od tyrana tylko po to, by go zastąpić. Do tego zaczyna się ostatni rozdział wielkiej wojny między żywymi istotami a maszynami. Obie strony rozwinęły nowe technologie i przemysł zbrojeniowy. Siły Gwiezdne i makrosy próbują nawzajem wyeliminować się z gry w walce na śmierć i życie całych gatunków. Zanim zniszczy maszyny, Riggs musi się jednak dowiedzieć także, kto jest zdrajcą w jego własnych szeregach."
Ostateczne rozliczenie z Makrosami i niezawodny Marvin. Ta odsłona przygód największego kosmicznego erotomana zaskoczyła mnie pod wieloma względami.
Przede wszystkim była bardziej stonowana od poprzednich odcinków. Autor sukcesywnie zamykał poszczególne wątki, a bohaterowie jakby troszeczkę odbiegali od swoich poprzednich ról i teraz dopiero dali się poznać czytelnikowi z innej strony.
Riggs stety/niestety nadal pozostał sobą. Jest najmądrzejszy. Doradcy, którymi się otacza, są półgłówkami, więc nie ważne, co i kiedy powiedzą i tak ich nie słucha. Do tego wraz z nową pozycją stał się władcą absolutnym, a jego decyzji nikt nawet nie próbuje podważyć. Liczy się w zasadzie tylko ze zdaniem Marvina, ale tylko wtedy, gdy humor mu na to pozwoli. ;) Oczywiście w swoich oczach nadal żadna kobieta nie może się mu oprzeć, a teraz gdy dodatkowo pozostał Imperatorem, jego ego zyskało dodatkowe punkty. ;) Choć muszę przyznać, że nie wykorzystuje swojej pozycji i jest wierny jednej kobiecie.
Jeżeli chodzi o akcję i kosmiczne rozprawienie się z Makrosami, to czuć ten dynamit z poprzednich części, ale samo rozwiązanie wydało mi się mocno naciągane. Tak jakby autorowi spieszyło się zamknąć ten rozdział, „pozamiatać” bez względu na konsekwencje i w końcu odejść na zasłużoną emeryturę. ;)
Podsumowując. Martwe słońca B.V. Larsona to niezłe domknięcie przygód kosmicznego casanovy Kayla Riggsa. Przygód, które zapierały dech w piersiach, wprowadzały na salony nowe technologie, wspaniałe kosmiczne potyczki i zmyślnych obcych. Jeżeli macie ochotę na taki rodzaj przygody, to sięgając po Star Force nie powinniście być zawiedzeni.
P.S. Jeżeli myślicie, że to już koniec kosmicznej sagi Star Force, to bardzo się mylicie. Ponieważ show must go on, „pchamy dalej ten wózek” już w towarzystwie potomka Riggsa. ;)
Chubby Checked would love this story. Well, maybe. But he did sing a song in 1960 about a dance called The Twist where the dances twisted all over the place. (Yes, I did it.). That's what The Dead Sun does, it twists and turns as much as Chubby Checker. Just when you think you know where the story is going it twists again. Of course, that's what makes it fun. The main character, Kyle Riggs, compares himself to George Washington. While there are some comparisons, there are many differences. George Washington, for example, never actually won a battle prior to Valley Forge (and he almost lost that). Riggs wins them all. He does retire to a farm, which surprised me. As does his girlfriend. Somehow, I don't trust her. I guess well see where it goes. Can't wait for #10!
I really enjoyed this book, just like the earlier ones in the series. The battles were exciting and full of action, with plenty of tense moments that kept me turning the pages. I like how the story moved forward quickly without getting stuck in slow parts, which made it easy and fun to read.
The characters also continue to grow, and the way the story builds on what happened before makes the whole series feel connected. It’s clear that the stakes are getting bigger, but it never feels confusing or too much.
If you’ve been following the Star Force books, this one will not disappoint. It’s another thrilling chapter that makes me want to jump right into the next volume.
The saga continues. I have followed this series from the beginning; at its heart some good old-fashioned escapism. I was mildly critical of #8, feeling the characters had become a bit comic book, but pleased I continued. #9, for my taste, is back to being the imaginative, well-written adventure/sci-fi story that has sustained this engrossing series so well.
Nothing sophisticated, just an interesting, imaginative space adventure with intriguing characters. Escapist Sci-fi that doesn't strain the brain but also doesn't insult your intelligence. I'm reading all of his series of books.
I am a fan of this Star Force series. After having read every book in this series, I can say that I've enjoyed each one. Colonel Riggs and I have been through a lot. Most of his battles were outstanding in that they were very clearly described and he didn't win all the time. Colonel Riggs is quite the character. He's grown a great deal from being a farmer and a college professor to the Emperor of Earth. Along the way he's had many adventures that defy explanation as to how he survived this long. I don't know if his new nanotized body has given him the secret to immortality since he never discusses that in the book but it looks like he's going to be around for a long, long time. I look forward to more stories with him involved.
What I didn't like about this series is the gross number of stupid people he seems to have around him. There doesn't seem to be one single person on his staff or anywhere in these books that can come up with an original idea and follow through with it without Riggs having to jump in and do the whole thing himself. And he seems to do everything regardless of how much he says he's learned to delegate. He has not learned to trust anyone to do something dangerous nor important. And because of this, people die because he doesn't take the kind of cautious approach to problem solving normal military people would. He got the Andoria crushed as well as two other ships going down to land on a dead star. He could survive such a trip but he didn't even think about those around him not being up to the task so they died. Someitimes he's as stupid as his staff and other commanders.
This book needs to come up with some civilian character that can stand toe-to-toe with Riggs and let him know that Earth will be taken care of while Riggs goes out and kills our enemies. This civilian needs to be confident and not another megalomanic like Admiral/Emperor Crow. We need someone to stand up to Riggs and think for him or herself. Jasmine was close but she eventually became as stupid as the rest of Rigg's military. It was just irritating to read page after page of Riggs berating everyone around him and all of them just cowering back and doing nothing. Even Admiral Miklos tried to become something more than a Riggs stooge but he wasn't strong enough to really pull it off.
And then there's Marvin! This thing should have been destroyed a long time ago. He's so irritating that I could barely stand reading about him. I don't really know who's side he's on but apparently he has chosen to aggravate the humnans until Riggs finally has him crushed. It's about time that happened. Riggs relies far too much on Marvin to bail him out of tight situations which seems to be the solution to most of the problems in this book. I suggest getting rid of Marvin and finding a smart Earth scientist who has been some how enhanced.
Still, the books are interesting to read even if they get a little tedious after a while. Sgt Kwon was the best character in the book. I'd like to see a whole series made with him as the lead. But, hopefully, we'll get to read more about Colonel Riggs because I know he and Jasmine are not really farmers. And there's their baby BOY! I could have bet a million dollars that it would be a boy. I wonder how the child of two nanotized parents is going to develop! I bet he's going to be something special!
I encourage you to read all of these books. The Star Force Series is just great military science fiction.
I've been a fan of the Star Force series from book 1 and always eagerly await the next exploits of Kyle Riggs. Although I can't find confirmation of this (not that I've tried that hard), I imagine this is the final book of the Star Force series based on how the story went.
As a final book in a series, The Dead Sun was pretty satisfying. It wraps everything up in a nice little bow, you know what happens to everyone-- no being left to wonder. I hate being left to wonder. What kept me from giving the book 5 stars is that the book is very expositional. In an effort to wrap things up, there is a lot more telling than showing. It's still told in an entertaining way, so it's not so bad, but it's not the kind of in the moment action throughout that I've come to love in Larson's series.
Still, definitely worth reading if you are a fan of Star Force! If this is the last book, Kyle Riggs will be missed! Here's me hoping to see this series in the movies some day!
Noooooooo! I've loved every one of this series, and am totally bummed out that it's over. That said, it was a satisfying ending that tied up all the loose ends. Initially I was wondering if maybe the return of the Ancients might bring Kyle out of retirement, but then realized they could crush us like bugs -- so probably not. Farewell, Kyle Riggs :-( PS. 4.5 stars (I still can't believe that Goodreads thinks the reading experience has so few levels)
A nice conclusion to the first arc of Star Force, as the war with the macros comes to a conclusion. Unlike some authors, Larson seems to understand that you can't keep going indefinitely, and so he wraps up this arc with these characters, and Star Force #10 takes place about 20 years later, with a new cast. As for the contents of this book, I enjoyed it, and found the conclusion satisfying, including how we got there, which nicely calls back to the very beginnings.
The ninth book in the pulp sci-if Star Force series gets us to the epic final battle between Earth and Kile Riggs and the Macros. As always, Larson includes novel future science in the story. But, I feel like he's really starting to use the Marvin character as an ex machina too much. This is Tolkein's eagles. It doesn't take away from the fun though. Aliens kick human ass and humans kick alien ass.
I've said it before, and I will say it again. B.V. Larson's "Star Force" is one addictive read if you like Military SF. It's fast-paced and a fun read!
It saddens me that this is the last one in the first saga of the Star Force series, but I am hopeful that Larson will be back to begin a new saga in this series.
In what appears to be the last book in the series, the author gets rid of all the bollocks that had slowly built up in the last four books, and just resorts back to normal Macro fun.
It was an amazing finish, totally worthy of five stars. Well done
B.V. Larson wrote a gem when he first penned the Star Force 1 book. If you've stuck with it this far, you've gotta read this one. Don't worry, it's got lots of nano and Martin action.
Have been a fan of this series for awhile but am disappointed it's later editions focus more and more on the cringe-worthy romance angle. If you like a bit of Mills & Boon with your sci-fi then this is for you.
Rigg's plans sure got dumber as the books went on. Miklo's saved his ass. At least Riggs bombed the blues in the end. Of course, he half assed even that because now they can rebuild and attack again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Another fantastic book from Larson, strong action scenes and well thought out plot. Love the cliff hanger too, definitly ties up some loose ends, story wise.