Arkadian Skies

Fallen Empire #6

by Lindsay Buroker, Kate Reading (Narrator)

Listening Length 11 hours and 38 minutes

With the man who kidnapped her daughter imprisoned aboard her ship, Captain Alisa Marchenko is closer than ever to reuniting her family. But her new guest has been in a coma for weeks, with the secret to her daughter's location locked away in his mind. She must find a way to sneak him into a state-of-the-art hospital on Arkadius, a planet in the heart of Alliance territory. Not an easy task when she and the cyborg Leonidas, her most trusted ally, are wanted by the Alliance army.

As if that mission weren’t daunting enough, the Staff of Lore has appeared on the planet. As has the man who stole it: Alisa’s father.

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

12 pages, Audible Audio

First published September 1, 2016

About the author

I'm a full-time indie fantasy and science fiction author. When I'm not writing, I'm ferrying my dogs to hiking trails for adventures.

Reviews

[Efka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yay! Plot twists, twist plots! Boom-kaboom and stuff!!

The most actionish book of the series so far. Basically, a single non-stop fight sequence.

Still very light, but still surprisingly enjoyable.

[Hallie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with book 5, way too much of the mind-invading treated as flirty banter. And now we've added talk about Leonidas's penis to the list of - oh dear, better not say 'abused' in the context -overused words. It bugged me that everyone in the ship seems to feel free to comment about it. (This makes more sense if you know WHY they're doing so, as it's not random, but still, not their business and I don't get why Buroker thinks this is fun to read.) Also, the innuendo and 'wriggling eyebrows' Alisa still does? That's downright insensitive if not worse.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series, and yet this book, while exciting, didn't make any forward movement on several plot points. I mean fix the penis problem already! So many pots on the fire can't they at least have passion?

[Tammie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another enjoyable read in the series, but I'm disappointed that there is very little forward movement as far as the plot goes. As a friend of mine said, this series seems to be written like one long book and we aren't going to see those things resolved until the end. My only other complaints are that, in this book and the one before it, Alisa comes off as rather juvenile with her obsession over wanting to consummate her relationship with Leonidas. The jokes, innuendo, and inner dialog are funny to a point, but the author has taken it too far. It's old now and Alisa needs to grow up and stop pressuring Leonidas to do something that he can't do. I do however, very much enjoy the chemistry between the two characters. I also feel like Mica's character is underutilized and she has just turned into more of a grump than a pessimist. Other than those things I still love the witty banter between characters, and I'm looking forward to reading the last two books in the series.

Review also posted at Writings of a Reader

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing, particularly the dialogue, continues to be snappy, fast-paced and fun. As has been the case so far this series, though, the main cast of characters (surprisingly, considering the author's past series) continue to be less fleshed out than I'd like them to be, or their motivations are inherently unsound. Buroker has a real talent for introducing plot-relevant side characters that are easy to like or at least intriguing, however, regardless of potentially dubious moral compasses, so my interest is captured more by individuals such as Admiral Tiang and the mysterious Stanislav.

We're finally at the business end of finding Alisa's daughter and the rogue Starseers reveal themselves, so we're at a nice place in the story for more high quality conflict. We also have the return of Admiral Tiang and the introduction of two very interesting key players, Hawk and Stanislav, which means we find out more about Alisa's background and the respective plans of the empire, the Alliance and the Starseers. There's less of the seemingly-pointless interventions by the Alliance military in this book as well, which honestly raised my enjoyment of this book by a considerable margin. I like Tomich, with his reluctant friendship with Alisa and all, but I'm starting to wonder how many more dirty Alliance tactics Alisa will have to witness before she stops stubbornly insisting on Alliance superiority over the empire.

In fact, Alisa's inability to respect Leonidas' choice to remain loyal to the empire is just one more strike against her as a protagonist whom I'm supposed to like. She goes as far as trying to manipulate him into defecting to the Alliance's side, out of her own selfish wish for a happy future with him, free of the guilt of defying her allies as well as having to constantly shake off their pursuit. Did she stop at any point to consider how he felt? Nope. And yet she is defensive when he questions the (honestly questionable) behavior of the Alliance, because it's her side.

I was honestly disgusted at her by that point, and to make matters worse, her desperate pursuit of sex with Leonidas only seemed to increase in intensity and insensitivity following his recent concerns over continuing their relationship. The man admitted to enjoying tender and emotional moments with her and an inability to feel anything sexual, and yet she constantly makes crude remarks about wanting to engage in the horizontal mambo with him. 99% of the time, Alisa's thoughts are preoccupied with her wish to sleep with Leonidas, Leonidas, Leonidas, while her kidnapped daughter is only remembered in passing when the topic conveniently comes up. It's sad, but I find myself liking Alisa less and less with each book - she continues to be the series' biggest flaw.

Hopefully Leonidas gets his "problem" fixed in the next book, because I'm not sure how much more of it I can stand! Fingers crossed for more Starseers, dealing with Starseer threats and getting acquainted with Stanislav, because I'm far more excited to find out how Alisa & Co. will deal with Terrible Tym and what the empire's plans are for the young prince, than whether Alisa and Leonidas can one day procreate.

[David P. Duffy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sex Starved Space Freighter Heroine Captain Still Randy, Daughter Still Kidnapped & Missing

"Arkadian Skies: Fallen Empire, Book 6," continues the enjoyable and eminently readable SciFi series. The author writes exceedingly well, making the pages (sorry, "loc's") fly by.

The intrepid, sarcastic, and flawed heroine, a former Alliance combat pilot, captains her "classic" space freighter, with its eclectic crew, as she listlessly searches for her kidnapped daughter, a Starseers artifact, and generally runs into and out of trouble. The main objective of the captain is to copulate passionately with a former Empire cyborg, who is a member of her crew. There is a problem, however: he is not fully "functional." The "mission creep" of getting him repaired, finding the Starseers' artifact, a myriad of other bright and shiny objects, seem to put the issue of finding her eight (8) year old kidnapped and missing daughter always out of reach. The heroine waxes poetically throughout this book, as the others, on her need for chocolate. Finding her daughter never rises to that level of need.

The eBook is well written, well paced, and well edited. It is not a true "stand alone," as reading the prior eBooks, is needed to fully understand the arc of the multiple plots and the storyline. This eBook also teeters on the razor's edge of being "too cute" and becoming a harlequin romance disguised as SciFi.

As with earlier eBooks in the series, the failure of having the main character have laser focus on getting her daughter safely back, prevents a higher rating.

The eBook is recommended and was fully read via Kindle Unlimited.

[T. Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arkadian Skied

I LOVED every minute of reading this story! I will miss this series when it finally ends! Lindsay Buroker is my favorite Sci Fi Author!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alisa finally tracked down the man who kidnapped her daughter and has him on her ship. Unfortunately, that's currently of exceedingly little use to her, as he's in a coma and Alejandro has no idea how to wake him up without help. Instead of lying low and staying far away from Alliance strongholds, the team must therefore endeavour to sneak their patient into a state-of-the-art hospital on Arkadius. And since wherever the Star Nomad lands these days, there's bound to be more than just one kind of trouble waiting, the Staff of Lore is also on Arkadius, as is the man who stole it: Alisa's father, whom she has never even met yet.

Action and adventure galore, with a generous amount of humour thrown in: the sixth entry in the Fallen Empire series, just like its predecessors, has all the elements that make Lindsay Buroker's books such great fun to read. Slowly but surely Alisa is getting closer to finding her daughter - and keeps getting herself embroiled in all kinds of unrelated trouble, with the stakes rising all the time. Only two more books to come - on the one hand, I can't wait to see how it all turns out, on the other, I'd love to follow Alisa and her crew a good deal longer if I could.

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arkadian Skies is the sixth book in the Fallen Empire series. I really like this series and it was great to be back in this world. While Arkadian Skies wasn't my favorite book in the series and had a few things I didn't care for, I did mostly enjoy it. It's always fun to follow these characters around.

Arkadian Skies has the group returning to Arkadius as the best hospitals are there and with that their best chance to wake up the character who has information about Alisa's daughters location. However this planet is controlled by The Alliance and The Alliance isn't too happy with Alisa or Leonidas at the moment, so this won't go smoothly. Add in some more that comes to light about the staff of lore, starseers and more problems.

I was curious to find out what Durant knew about her daughter, but ofcourse nothing goes that smoothly. I had expected the main plot line to continue more in this book now that they had a more solid lead, but instead of the Alisa's daughter plot line continuing, there was some progress about the staff of lore instead and some more trouble Alisa and the rest lands in along the way. Which was also fun to read about, but I kinda want the main plot line to finally continue more, only 2 books left so probably the next book should have some significant progress.

One thing that bothered me about this book is how Alisa kidnaps some characters in this book. She doesn't always makes the best decisions, but most of the time I can see why she does things. In this case kidnapping just didn't seem like the best option to get what they wanted and then how that plot line got resolved felt just a bit off. It just felt a bit forced to bring her in contact with these people, but it just didn't feel right or realistic. I do understand her motivations, but after what she did to them could she ever really trust them for what she needed?

I enjoyed reading about these characters again. I like following Alisa and her crew around the galaxy while they all try to follow their own goals. It's also nice to see how the romance develops. There again is plenty of banter between the characters and some goals that progress, even if only a little.

To summarize: Another fun read in this series. I like following the characters around the galaxy and seeing how the story progressed. Part of the plot line didn't progress as much as I had hoped in this book, but there were some interesting developments and happenings. I was a bit bothered by how Alisa kidnapped some people in this book as it didn't feel like it made sense to me to achieve what she wanted. How it got resolved also felt a bit off to me. There is some fun banter and character interactions as well in this book and the romance progresses a bit. All in all another good book in this series.

[Amyiw · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2
Would've like some furthering of the goals but a great next step. I'm reading pretty much right after one another since the 4th.

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I feel fortunate to be one of your passions”

Oh. My. Freaking. Goodness. Ain’t that just the sweetest thing you’ve ever heard?!

Since I’ve been reading these books in quick succession and they’re all really similar, this one has just kinda blended in with the rest.

Um, Stanislav’s whole character is interesting, I also liked the sorta development in Leo’s erectile issue (although he’s a stubborn git).

There are only two books now left in this series, if we don’t finally find Jelena by the next one, I will be calling the feds and having Miss Lindsay Buroker arrested for crimes against humanity.

[bookwormmama · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish the plot didn’t drag so much. Six books in and she’s still on a wild goose chase for her child. She takes people on, but no one leaves. Battle after battle and no one dies. Aside from Leonidas, there is essentially no character development. I keep reading because I keep thinking that surely the story gets somewhere this time, but it’s around the mountain again. 🙇‍♀️

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read

This series has had me hooked since book one. With each book in the ongoing storyline, the characters become more real, the settings more familiar and the storyline more engaging. I can't wait to find out what happens next. Highly recommend.

[Airwreckah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didnt realize that she alao writes as Ruby Lionsdrake! No wonder i love this series :)

[Paraphrodite · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Got to say Alisa certainly has no intention of keeping herself safe! I'm not sure how she's going to bring up her daughter in her current situation if she ever gets her back!

There's been some intimate progress with Leonidas but with obvious constraints. I admire Leonidas in upholding his principles even though he was given an offer to "fix" his problem.

Looks like we're getting to the final stretch with Alisa's hunt for her daughter. It's going to be interesting to see how Ms Buroker ties everything together.

[Kate Swed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lindsay Buroker delivers a fun, funny, action-packed story as always. I love her quirky characters and exciting space battles :)

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tons of action. Enjoyed this installation and really hope we find Jelena in the next book.

[Susan1566 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable read. A quick moving, action packed, fairly light at times, great character interactions. A very good read.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find this volume similar to the preceding books, but to my mind the dialogue has improved. Once again, there are some very unlikely events (e.g. finding someone you have never met on a large University campus in the chaos immediately after a massive earthquake, or stopping mid brain surgery and carrying the patient through a raging battle with no adverse effects - in fact all of the seriously unwell patients in all volumes are remarkably resilient to being slung over shoulders and manoeuvred through heavy enemy fire, dropped out of planes, serious shaking and power outs while being operated on, gas attacks, and more) apart from the mind mageing and telepathy which to me is barely credible. I also find the romance slightly cringey at times - at least the constant referral to chest muscles has reduced somewhat, possibly in favour of meaty arms. Not sure which is worse.

I feel an opportunity to flesh out the very promising and potentially fascinating characters of Alisa's rag tag crew has been missed. This is book six, and the plot is advanced, yet other than the well fleshed out characters of Alisa and Leonidas, we have only a vague back story for Yumi. Key characters like Mica remain characterised solely through their dialogue and hints at unusual proclivities, I am not even sure what they look like. Tommy is mainly characterised by his hair style and unusual chef/fighter occupation. Other than an unsubstantiated story about accidentally killing a crime lord, we know nothing about him. The same goes for cheeky Abelardus, another potentially interesting character. There are more, like the grumpy Doctor, or some with potential for complexity on the 'dark side' (Solstice, maybe). Presumably the author made a conscious decision to run with a bunch of near cardboard cutout characters that are essentially used as props for banter dialogue and fill in parts of the plot that cannot be driven by Alisa and Leonidas, but I feel this is a shame. Fleshing out these unusual and complementary characters could shift this story from OK to great.

[Lianne Pheno · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://delivreenlivres.blogspot.fr/20...

J'ai un peu moins aimé ce tome.
En fait on est plus sur un tome qui m'a donné l'impression de meubler l'histoire car finalement contrairement aux précédent ils ne se passe rien de spécial ni de bien défini.
En dehors de cette constatation on est toujours dans une série de SF vraiment ultra fun. Nous suivons la capitaine du transporteur Star Nomad, Alisa, qui essaye de récupérer sa fille qui a été enlevée pendant qu'elle se remettait de ses blessures de guerres sur une autre planète. Sur le chemin elle va devoir faire avec les besoins de ses passagers en plus des siens car elle n'est pas la seule avoir une mission qui met en danger tout l'équipage.

Alisa est toujours aussi sarcastique, pétillante et plein d'humour, même dans les pires moments. Son principal allié, anciennement ennemi le Cyborg Leonidas, l'ancien médecin de l'empereur Alejandro et quelques Starseers, peuple dont certains dissidents ont justement enlevé sa fille.

Oui je sais ça parait un peu compliqué vu comme ça mais après 6 tomes c'est normal que l'histoire soit passé par de nombreuses ramification et elle n'a rien de mystérieux pour les lecteurs.
C'est d'ailleurs un des points que j'aime bien dans cette série, sa fluidité et la facilité avec laquelle tout est compréhensible.
Comme dans tous les tomes précédent ce qui fait l’intérêt se sont vraiment les personnages et leurs interaction, les différents besoins et missions de chacun. Chacun est vraiment unique et du coup il y a plein de clash verbaux délicieux et super marrant.

Bref c'était moins intéressant au niveau de l'intrigue mais comme toujours les personnages sauvent largement le tout.
En plus on arrive vraiment à la fin de la série du coup je n'ai aucun doute sur le fait que ce problème d'intrigue ne risque pas de se reproduire !

16/20

[Cyd O · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot thickens as Alisa tries to get information from an unconscious Starseer, while tracking a powerful artifact, sidestepping authorities, and dodging weapons fire – all in the hunt for her little girl.

This Fallen Empire series keeps getting better, and Arkadian Skies is filled with action and excitement from cover to cover. Just as important to me are the relationships between the characters, and Lindsay has let us into their lives even deeper.

Those of us who are holding our collective breath for things to heat up further between Alisa and a certain handsome, and oh-so-strong cybernetically-enhanced man, are not disappointed here. Who among us could resist such a man – who would also encourage his lady to SHOP (even if it is for combat armor)?

This is definitely my favorite installment so far, though I believe I may have said that last time. Hats off to Ms. Buroker for spinning a tale that keeps us wanting more!

[Lili · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way Alisa never gives up on her goals, including not letting Leonidas give up on his goals and each other - it all boils down to the pursuit of happiness, I think. The fact that she manages to hold on to her humor in the process, against such overwhelming odds and despite the mad pace at which things happen while trying to help the people around her is so awesome!

I so look forward to see what comes next, which I hope will be soon. Always 5 stars and a bow for Lindsay's writing from me!

I received and ARC copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Francene Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one didn't grab me so much as the last. Maybe because of the action, albeit masterfully written. With so much going on--and more characters joining the force of needy passengers with every turn--I'm beginning to wonder if anyone will get what they aim for. Oh. Of course. One thing is going right for Alisa: she and her cyborg are working things out on a physical level, although that won't bring lasting satisfaction. The next book calls.

[Nicola Pike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so hoping this book would finish the series because I can't wait for Leonidas and Alisa to finally have their happily ever after. But saying that, it did deliver on adding to the story. We meet Alisa's father and I would say more but SPOILERS! Just trust me, if you have read the rest of the series then this one is even better than the last.

[christel l. doucette · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite in the series so far!

Loved this book. Not as dark as Cleon Moon, with lots of action and dialog. I won't talk about the plot, don't want to spoil it for anyone... Except to say Alisa does finally get her blue combat armor. Can't wait for book 7!

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reads, plenty of comedy that you would expect from ex military members even on a sci-fi. Theses books go way to quick kind of like a Hershey Bar, wink wink.

[Kay Dee (what is your storygraph name? mine is in my bio. join me!) Meadows · Rating 3 out of 5]

another terrific series by Lindsay Buroker!
this one will rank as number 2 in my love of her series and characters.
buy the books! read the books! love the books!

the main characters, Alisa and Leonidas, remind me sooooooooooooo very much of Armanthe and Sicarious from The Emperor's Edge Collection

first the women
both women's name start with an A (wish they didn't. since they are so similar, it's a lil confusing.)
both women are tall and can fight and are the leaders of their ragtag bunch
both are witty but Alisa is funnier. she has made me LOL so very many times (and i am on book 6)
both women are attracted to men who are lethal killing machines and none of the crew or eveyday folks they meet gets why that is
both wore uniforms- Alisa- military, Armanthe - local law enforcement
both come up with crazy schemes to get out of hairy situations or to fulfill their missions
both prefer not to kill on their missions or in self defense but will do so when necessary
both have staff that they are paying with hopes & dreams and sometimes money.

the men are similar as well
both are extraordinary and not like normal men
both have lethal fighting and killing skills that the average man cannot defend against
both don't express feelings very well
both are hated and feared by the majority of the population because of what they did by order of their king/emperor
both have looks that make them stand out in a crowd
both are very smart as well in other areas not just fighting, combat, killing, and war strategy.
both soften up and trade barbs with the women and come to care about them
both have this honorable streak to do whatever is necessary to help their kingdom, empire and the young boy emperor/king
both train the rest of the team

similarities in the plots
both have a government that is in turmoil and restarting
both have magicians/psychics with powers like telepathy and telekinesis, that are feared/hated by the mundane folks (she calls them mundanes in both worlds. also it a lil confusing at times)
both keep getting into trouble with all members of the various factions fighting for control of the government even though they don't mean to
both have a team of folks with various skillz that are need for their adventures
both have folks on their team wanted by gang/mafia
both have folks on their team that can cook really well
both have folks wanted by local governments
both never really get a rest from the fighting, scheming, or running away from folks trying to kill them
both make jokes even when they are in the midst of battle
both have favor with the enemy and are let go when they should be arrested or captured or killed
both are VERY lucky and escape many times by the skin of their teeth thanks to some other event that happens at the same time
both have a young heir to the throne
both remind me very much of some of my favorite tv shows which just so happen to be someof lindsay's favorite tv shows like macgyver, stargate sg-1, a-team, BSG, star trek NG, star wars, Firefly (esp firefly cuz space and old ship and rebels and war and snotty doctor and well like so much) etc.
both convinced me to buy more books.

i mean, i didn't even use my gift card to buy the anthologies (Beyond the Stars: New Worlds, New Suns: A Space Opera Anthology andYou Are Here - Tales of Cartographic Wonders) with short stories related to this series or the trilogy that continues this series with the kids as the MC's (The Rogue Prince,Angle of Truth,Stolen Legacy)!!!!

this series also reminds me of the chains of honor series in that both have some things that are in the plot that make me roll my eyes. either a character's inner monologue is way too immature and doesn't match up with how they have acted previously. or characters do something stupid when they have been brilliant in the rest of the story. or they don't fully utilize their lethal men and magician/psychic which would help them avoid major trouble. but like with chains of honor the rest of the story and characters are enjoyable enough to over look these things and continue on reading. cuz they are FUN!

buy the books! read the books! love the books!

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came to this series after the Star Kingdom series truly rocked my world. Fallen Empire is good. I would say above average since Lindsay Buroker does banter so well. If it weren't for that I don't know if it would keep me interested. In this book, the main character kidnaps a woman and her father, who has knowledge of the cybernetic modifications made that remove sexual function from cyborgs, and who presumably will have insight into what it may take to restore it for dick. Which is a perfectly reasonable motivation. Leonidas is def above average dick. I really love how slow-burn the romance is. But this complication frustrates me. Also he never acts like he enjoys being around her. She's funny and he doesn't even really respond to it. He approaches sarcasm and is sometimes dryly humorous but his affection for her is mostly shown by angry protectiveness. And he was altered to be a supersoldier, and he's all messed up, sure, but I just wish he showed more. It would make it less wtf when she undertakes wild criminal capers to get his issues dealt with. Also at the beginning of the series she mentioned feeling like she's betraying her recently dead husband but now she's all-in on Leonidas and like nothing has even really happened between them. Idk I'm just not feeling the tension the way I do in the somewhat-analogous slow-burn ship in the Star Kingdom series, which is one of my favorite things in that series. And like the concept that she is supposed to sign up & be happy even if he isn't "fully functional" is silly. Especially once there is any other option. Idk I really feel like i'm just trying to get through this series bc I think I might like Sky Full of Stars more. And also bc I am invested in these characters and certainly want to see the resolution of their arcs. I wouldn't mind more on Beck. Like maybe Beck has a restaurant that is really a ship that acts like a food truck at different space stations and they go on different barbecue adventures around the galaxy? I could really get into that.

[Tim Seabrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alisa and crew have picked up a couple more Starseers, just not the ones that she had hoped for (her daughter Jelena and Thorian slipped their grasp again). A little more hope has been gained as the man behind her daughters disappearance is now in the ship's medical bay, unfortunately he is unconscious and the doctor has no clue how to bring him out of the coma.

Though there are a few locations where they could go with good medical facilities, the Doctor pushes for Arkadia, home of the Alliance and soon, they are back within the seat of power of the Alliance, though this is not as comforting to Alisa as it would have been in the past.

Just when it seems that help is coming from another quarter, the Doctor's friend who offered to help them on the QT, has definitely turned them in. As forces charge in from all directions, another bigger problem presents itself...

The action doesn't stop! In continuous battles, the Alliance is closing in on the group from the Star Nomad, the Staff of Lore is also on the planet and being used in ways nobody ever expected, the Starseers from their last encounter are also in trouble from the wayward Starseer group that they have been chasing and Alisa is still no closer to finding her daughter. Not only that but after a severe earthquake damages the area of the planet she is on, she uses the event to kidnap someone else she has been seeking, to try and help Leonidas with his quest, not that she's telling him her intentions just yet.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family Ties and Fights: Fallen Empire 6/9

The Captain and crew of the ancient space freighter, Nomad Star, head back into the Alliance stronghold on the planet Arkadia, still seeking the Starseer Staff and Alisa’s missing daughter Jelena. One of the Starseer group that kidnapped Jelena is now in their custody, albeit still in a deep coma. And Dr Dominguez wants to get him into a better-equipped hospital and scanner.

But the Alliance military are looking for Alisa and her team, believing they betrayed them in taking the magical Staff in the first place. They also have a bounty on her Cyborg boyfriend’s head, wanting to know the fate or location of the defeated Emperor’s son and heir. And Alisa has a separate plan in mind to find the Alliance Admiral who knows how to fix Cyborgs.

Even as they dodge their would-be captors, the planet comes under attack from the renegade Starseer who now has that Staff and is using it to provoke eruptions and earthquakes. Can Alisa and Leonidas and their motley crew save the day? And avoid arrest?

Once again the author skilfully takes the plot in ways to assist in character development. The adventures and battles keep the reader gripped, always wanting more. As space operas go, in my opinion this is on a par with the Star Wars series - there are points of similarity - but instead of two opposing armies in battle, in this universe there are three.