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Cauldron of Stars #2
Dirty Job
One more dirty job for the St. Clare's crew. This time it's all or nothing ...
In search of Pippa, an exiled teenage heiress, independent space freighter captain Mike Starrunner accepts a cargo for the Hurtworlds, the most hellish planets in the Cluster. The cargo is dirty, and could land the crew in jail ... but that's never stopped Mike before. This time, the prize is not just money, but the truth about the Traveller plot that's turned Mike's life upside-down.
But the job is a deadly trap for the Shifters.
On a ravaged prison planet, Mike and the crew tangle again with the predatorial Sophia and her Traveller allies. Pippa is the bait in a trap to destroy Mike ... and potentially wipe the Shifters off the face of the galaxy. Sophia and the Travellers stand on the brink of grasping unimaginable power, and now Mike is the only man standing in their way.
This ancient secret could shatter the uneasy peace of the Cluster.
To defeat the criminal conspiracy, Mike must evade the long arm of the law, while untangling an intrigue that stretches across light years and centuries. If he fails, Sophia's murderous plot will succeed, and Mike's name will go down in history as a detested traitor.
Join the crew of the St. Clare as they struggle to put the clues together, battle murderous criminals, and above all, hang onto their humanity. If you’re a fan of Firefly or The Expanse, you’ll love this interstellar adventure set in a cluster of stars far, far away, in a future where we’ve colonized the stars and even altered our own DNA, but remain all too human.
Dirty Job is the second book of A Cauldron of Stars, a new space opera thriller series from New York Times bestselling sci-fi author Felix R. Savage. It contains swearing, sex, spaceships, unapologetic badassery, shapeshifting wolves, tigers, bears, lions, and one very large snake. You have been warned!
427 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 3, 2019
89 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Felix R. Savage
90 books120 followersFelix R. Savage writes hard science fiction, space opera, and comedic science fiction. He has also occasionally been known to commit fantasy.
Felix has a long history associated with rebellion. He was born in the 1970s, a decade of American youth rebelling against the safe culture of their parents. He is married to a wonderful woman and they have two beautiful daughters. Together the four of them live in Tokyo serving their cat overlord and benevolent protector. Felix pounds the keyboard while not translating, delighting in his family, or catering to the whims of the family’s cat. He woke up one day to learn that he was a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, but he continues to keep a low profile, and never stops watching out for any sign the lizard people have found him.
Felix has a long history associated with rebellion. He was born in the 1970s, a decade of American youth rebelling against the safe culture of their parents. He is married to a wonderful woman and they have two beautiful daughters. Together the four of them live in Tokyo serving their cat overlord and benevolent protector. Felix pounds the keyboard while not translating, delighting in his family, or catering to the whims of the family’s cat. He woke up one day to learn that he was a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, but he continues to keep a low profile, and never stops watching out for any sign the lizard people have found him.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 9, 2019
Part 2 of the Cauldron of Stars sees the Crew all back together still licking their wounds (both metaphorically and literally in some cases), after the end of part 1.
Mike and the others are desperate to find Pippa and rescue her from the Hurtworld they had to leave her on, but also don’t want to bring down the law on their heads, having been in enough trouble as it is lately.
Dirty Job is about under the table deals, intrigue, political manoeuvring to get things done, and pulling in favours, no questions asked. It is all about getting Pippa back.
And making sure Lucy gets to camp of course, but of course that is never easy either, and when Travellers arrive things just get a whole lot more complicated, especially when Mike’s Ex is involved.
Dirty Job is a full-on Military Sci-Fi, action thriller, with so many twists and turns, that if you were Marty in snake form, you would be a knot within minutes.
This book though has a whole lot more depth than the first, ‘Lethal Cargo’ was brilliant, giving us the set-up for this book, but in this one, we get a real feel for Galactic Affairs, not just now, but over the last several hundred years. Savage has done an outstanding job of taking what was already an impressive Universe from book 1, and expanding on it, both its size and its time frame. The result is you are totally enthralled in this saga, of not just Mike and his crew, but of various legacies that stretch back hundreds if not thousands of years.
Part 2 is a lot darker than the first, there is a desperation in the characters, and this takes them down the darker path (thus the title!), but Savage is not afraid of exposing his characters to this, taking them away from their ‘Hero’ status as such, and letting us see a more realistic aspect of them. They are still ‘The Good Guys’, they just have to go through the ‘dirtier’ option to achieve their goals. And this allows Savage to really develop his characters, which makes for exceptional reading for us.
The other fantastic aspect of this book is the shapeshifter concept. They are not ‘Were-creatures’, they are genetically modified humans, designed to be able to shapeshift into animals to survive on colonised planets that have suitable wildlife, and as such, survive hostile environments until such time as the Colony has fully established itself. It is a fascinating look at genetic modification for complicated circumstances. It also adds some awesome opportunities for story writing to the book.
Overall, this is a sensational read, with a thrilling and enthralling story line, and masterful Character writing, Savage has delivered another stunning story that you should not miss!!!
Mike and the others are desperate to find Pippa and rescue her from the Hurtworld they had to leave her on, but also don’t want to bring down the law on their heads, having been in enough trouble as it is lately.
Dirty Job is about under the table deals, intrigue, political manoeuvring to get things done, and pulling in favours, no questions asked. It is all about getting Pippa back.
And making sure Lucy gets to camp of course, but of course that is never easy either, and when Travellers arrive things just get a whole lot more complicated, especially when Mike’s Ex is involved.
Dirty Job is a full-on Military Sci-Fi, action thriller, with so many twists and turns, that if you were Marty in snake form, you would be a knot within minutes.
This book though has a whole lot more depth than the first, ‘Lethal Cargo’ was brilliant, giving us the set-up for this book, but in this one, we get a real feel for Galactic Affairs, not just now, but over the last several hundred years. Savage has done an outstanding job of taking what was already an impressive Universe from book 1, and expanding on it, both its size and its time frame. The result is you are totally enthralled in this saga, of not just Mike and his crew, but of various legacies that stretch back hundreds if not thousands of years.
Part 2 is a lot darker than the first, there is a desperation in the characters, and this takes them down the darker path (thus the title!), but Savage is not afraid of exposing his characters to this, taking them away from their ‘Hero’ status as such, and letting us see a more realistic aspect of them. They are still ‘The Good Guys’, they just have to go through the ‘dirtier’ option to achieve their goals. And this allows Savage to really develop his characters, which makes for exceptional reading for us.
The other fantastic aspect of this book is the shapeshifter concept. They are not ‘Were-creatures’, they are genetically modified humans, designed to be able to shapeshift into animals to survive on colonised planets that have suitable wildlife, and as such, survive hostile environments until such time as the Colony has fully established itself. It is a fascinating look at genetic modification for complicated circumstances. It also adds some awesome opportunities for story writing to the book.
Overall, this is a sensational read, with a thrilling and enthralling story line, and masterful Character writing, Savage has delivered another stunning story that you should not miss!!!
January 5, 2019
Gen-mod madness at warp speed
Ages after humanity has gone galactic, the universe is studded with colonized planets, and any form of biological difference can be found on any number of planets. Genetic modification is mainstream old tech, and the humanoid response is even older: like sticks with like, differences are feared, and ignorance gives rise to prejudice. So, not a peaceful place, the Clusterverse. And that interstellar clan of gypsies/religious cultists/organized criminals known as the Travellers is still wreaking havoc on interstellar trade. Interstellar "trucker" Mike Starrunner is a shifter, a cargo hauler, and a single dad with BIG problems. His ex-wife is the Mother of all Travellers, a crazed power-mad psycho-bitch who need for control of the gene-mod future has her out to capture a refugee princess friend of Mike's. And if she spreads violence, death, destruction, and prion diseases in the process? Like I said, Mike's got BIG problems: a ticking time-bomb of terminal illness, crew members who turn on him, a sweetie and a daughter he can't seem to stick around for, and the unwanted attention of the Travellers, the Fleet, the cops, the refugees, and a crazy pretender to the refugees' planetary throne. I followed Starrunner's mis-adventures with my heart in my mouth, my credulity stretched to the max, and a persistent panting and pulse-pounding stress composed of equal parts OMG, OH-NO-HE-DIDN'T, and WTF? In short, this is a madcap, warp speed space opera with Felix R Savage's unique blend of "pew-pew" and spy VS. spy served up with ethical angst and spiced with irony. Great characters (especially the aliens) and fast pacing are the best of Dirty Job. I could wish for more detailed world building, but not at the expense of the pacing. And, for those who don't do serials, this ain't your cuppa. You definitely need to read Lethal Cargo first. (Like that's a hardship!!) There will be more - and I can't wait. Thanks to the author for the ARC, and this is a voluntary, independent, and uncompensated review.
Ages after humanity has gone galactic, the universe is studded with colonized planets, and any form of biological difference can be found on any number of planets. Genetic modification is mainstream old tech, and the humanoid response is even older: like sticks with like, differences are feared, and ignorance gives rise to prejudice. So, not a peaceful place, the Clusterverse. And that interstellar clan of gypsies/religious cultists/organized criminals known as the Travellers is still wreaking havoc on interstellar trade. Interstellar "trucker" Mike Starrunner is a shifter, a cargo hauler, and a single dad with BIG problems. His ex-wife is the Mother of all Travellers, a crazed power-mad psycho-bitch who need for control of the gene-mod future has her out to capture a refugee princess friend of Mike's. And if she spreads violence, death, destruction, and prion diseases in the process? Like I said, Mike's got BIG problems: a ticking time-bomb of terminal illness, crew members who turn on him, a sweetie and a daughter he can't seem to stick around for, and the unwanted attention of the Travellers, the Fleet, the cops, the refugees, and a crazy pretender to the refugees' planetary throne. I followed Starrunner's mis-adventures with my heart in my mouth, my credulity stretched to the max, and a persistent panting and pulse-pounding stress composed of equal parts OMG, OH-NO-HE-DIDN'T, and WTF? In short, this is a madcap, warp speed space opera with Felix R Savage's unique blend of "pew-pew" and spy VS. spy served up with ethical angst and spiced with irony. Great characters (especially the aliens) and fast pacing are the best of Dirty Job. I could wish for more detailed world building, but not at the expense of the pacing. And, for those who don't do serials, this ain't your cuppa. You definitely need to read Lethal Cargo first. (Like that's a hardship!!) There will be more - and I can't wait. Thanks to the author for the ARC, and this is a voluntary, independent, and uncompensated review.
January 4, 2019
I’m a huge fan of Firefly (both the series and all but the last five minutes of its related movie, Serenity). When I read Lethal Cargo, the first book in Felix R. Savage’s A Cauldron of Stars, I felt like he was channeling the “essence” of Firefly in all the important ways while still beginning what Aldo had the feel of a truly grand space opera. Both of roses feelings most definitely continue with Dirty Job, book 2 of the series. It’s a wild ride and a total pleasure following along as Mike and the crew of the St. Clare take on everything thrown at them. This series benefits from its author ‘s wonderful universe-building and from a superb cast of characters, both good and evil (yes, I hate Sophia but she’s perfectly crafted). The only downside to reading this is that it’s so addictive I’m going to go into withdrawal now that book 3 isn’t yet available. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises. The book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
January 28, 2019
This is the second installment of the sci-fi series called "A Cauldron of Stars". It's not my usual preferred type of sci-fi, but the author does a beautiful job integrating the crazy concept of humans able to shift into animals. It sounds wacky, but it works quite nicely and weaves well into the story-line. There are serious and also light hearted moments, so overall it's a fun book to read. The characters are fully developed and I ended up truly liking them. The story is hard to put down. Lots of action and twists.
Best to read this series in order, and be sure to read the prequel "The Hurtworlds Heist", which is quite good and offers insight into the characters. The author recommends reading it after finishing book #1 ("Lethal Cargo") and I would have to agree. The "The Hurtworlds Heist" is free once you've read "Lethal Cargo" (as a link at the end of the book).
Looking forward to book three of the series.
Best to read this series in order, and be sure to read the prequel "The Hurtworlds Heist", which is quite good and offers insight into the characters. The author recommends reading it after finishing book #1 ("Lethal Cargo") and I would have to agree. The "The Hurtworlds Heist" is free once you've read "Lethal Cargo" (as a link at the end of the book).
Looking forward to book three of the series.
January 9, 2019
Dirty Job, second in the series A Cauldron of Stars, is a wonderful continuation of this action-packed space opera. I was pulled into the story on the first page and did not want to put it down for any reason. I still wanted more and am anxiously awaiting book 3. I highly recommend this book and you should definitely read the first in the series, Lethal Cargo, in order to have all the great details and background on the well-developed characters. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this ebook from the author and this is my honest and freely given review.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this ebook from the author and this is my honest and freely given review.
January 2, 2019
Mike Starrunner is a single dad just trying to make an honest living for his young, beloved daughter. Unfortunately, the honest part never seems to work out for him what with running from bad guys and trying to save the world. Oh, yeah, did I mention he’s a shifter, too?
The story starts out a little slow but soon revs up to break neck speed — all the way to the end. I liked the drama, action, and seriously sensitive decisions as well as realistic dialogue (Watch out for f-bombs!) and twisty plot.
The story starts out a little slow but soon revs up to break neck speed — all the way to the end. I liked the drama, action, and seriously sensitive decisions as well as realistic dialogue (Watch out for f-bombs!) and twisty plot.
January 13, 2019
Not the finale ...
Just book two! Still, liked it but wish these writers didn't have to make their stories sooooo long! Ready for the ending already! Like, WHAT HAPPENS?! Why dont people write novels? Everything is like the Saturday serial movies at El Capitan Theater! Fine, if you're in the third grade ....
Just book two! Still, liked it but wish these writers didn't have to make their stories sooooo long! Ready for the ending already! Like, WHAT HAPPENS?! Why dont people write novels? Everything is like the Saturday serial movies at El Capitan Theater! Fine, if you're in the third grade ....
January 14, 2019
Gritty
This is an exciting read with a lot of the characters having flaws and hang ups, reminds me of Firefly but is grittier in it’s storytelling.
The plot develops at a good pace and has plenty of twists and turns, if you like a story with more of a bite then this is worth checking out.
This is an exciting read with a lot of the characters having flaws and hang ups, reminds me of Firefly but is grittier in it’s storytelling.
The plot develops at a good pace and has plenty of twists and turns, if you like a story with more of a bite then this is worth checking out.
February 15, 2019
Good Solid Book 2
Space shifter truckers, this time out it is the usual double cross, and a shifter kid of their own is kidnapped. The authority offers help and ship upgrades to get the girl, but they must also bring back the artifact the travelers have.
Space shifter truckers, this time out it is the usual double cross, and a shifter kid of their own is kidnapped. The authority offers help and ship upgrades to get the girl, but they must also bring back the artifact the travelers have.
January 15, 2019
Interesting read
Enjoyed the first one, and now I'm hooked. Solid characters and thoughtful thinking that keeps you from wanting to let go of the book.
Enjoyed the first one, and now I'm hooked. Solid characters and thoughtful thinking that keeps you from wanting to let go of the book.
January 25, 2019
Exciting space adventure. Good continuation from the last book. Wonderful characters and story. Looking forward to the next book.
February 5, 2019
Enjoyable book
I felt every thump our hero took. This could easily be expanded into a great series. I am anxious for the third book.
I felt every thump our hero took. This could easily be expanded into a great series. I am anxious for the third book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews