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Renegade Star #12

Renegade Rising

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The Great Celestial War isn't coming. It's already here.

After taking over the artificial metal planet from the enemy, Jace must focus his energies on locating Athena, the missing Cognitive and one of the greatest intelligence assets to ever exist.

But Athena's whereabouts are entirely unknown. With no sign or clue to guide the search, Jace must continue to explore the many layers deep inside the planet, for they hold many secrets and technological wonders that reach far beyond what anyone can imagine.

And somewhere deep inside the walls of this ancient place, someone is listening. 

An intelligence of unknown origins has been watching and waiting, spying on the humans. Their motives are unknown. Their identity is unknown. Their allegiance is unknown.

But a Renegade never falters, and Jace has a job to do.

328 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 17, 2019

575 people are currently reading
175 people want to read

About the author

J.N. Chaney

466 books9,619 followers
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5 stars
491 (53%)
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313 (34%)
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98 (10%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
June 10, 2024
· Book 1: Renegade Star ★★★★
· Book 2: Renegade Atlas ★★★★
· Book 3: Renegade Moon ★★★★
· Book 4: Renegade Lost ★★★★
· Book 5: Renegade Fleet ★★★★
· Book 6: Renegade Earth ★★★★
· Book 7: Renegade Dawn★★★★
· Book 8: Renegade Children ★★★★
· Book 9: Renegade Union ★★★★
· Book 10: Renegade Empire ★★★★
· Book 11: Renegade Descent ★★★★
· Book 13: Renegade Alliance ★★★★
· Book 14: Renegade Evolution ★★★★
· Book 15: Renegade War ★★★★
· Book 16: Renegade Peace ★★★★
Profile Image for Meenaz Lodhi.
1,023 reviews87 followers
August 24, 2019
“That’s what it means to be human. Living with the weight of your past and learning to walk forward with it.”
Fast paced, eminently readable, it starts with an irresistible reader’s hook, drawing me into the story, making it a page turner to discover what lies ahead! I really enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot with complex characters, full of suspense till the end. Every new discovery brought on more questions and intrigue. The forging of the Human Alliance against the Celestials is established at long last, although not sure for how long. I can’t get enough of The Renegade series. I highly recommend it!
Profile Image for J.R. Handley.
Author 54 books261 followers
April 13, 2020
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!
1,477 reviews25 followers
August 22, 2019
Renegade Rising. J.N. Chaney

The battle wages on to rescue Athena, a cognitive, a prisoner, captured by the Celestials who are intent on controlling, dominating the entire known universe. By whatever means necessary. The Union and Sarkonian forces have formed an alliance with former renegade Jace Hughes now the the leader of humans, and other people from different planets who have joined him. Non stop action from first to the last page. Tremendous read!
Profile Image for Dale.
139 reviews2 followers
Currently reading
December 24, 2019
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.
Profile Image for Molly.
Author 7 books8 followers
August 18, 2019
Keep ‘em coming!

Another seriously awesome addition to the Renegade Star series. We get to see more of the Celestial’s metal planet and meet one of them too. Loved this one.
Profile Image for Kevin Beck.
966 reviews9 followers
August 20, 2019
Jace and crew continue trying to deal with the threat from the Celestials.
Profile Image for Dawn.
1,677 reviews16 followers
November 13, 2021
Together as the Human Alliance the people of Earth, the Union, and the Sarkonians are putting aside their differences to battle the Celestials. In this book, they are researching and exploring the space station left behind by the Celestials. There is a report of a signal deep in the belly of the structure and it could be Athenia. Now the group must prepare for battle...not with each other, but with an adversary that has advanced weaponry in order to rescue the lost member of the Renegade crew. This book was a bit slow compared to others, but still interesting. It felt like a filler but was necessary to move the story along.
351 reviews4 followers
September 1, 2021
The continued search for Athena

The 'planet' now named Tartarus is being explored further as they search for Athena. A Celestial AI is found and named Carl, but can it be trusted? A landing area full of ships (and a few celestial!) Is found, as well as a transporter and finally Athena, but is it a trap? The three forces appear to be working together smoothly as they fight the threats.
Profile Image for Saul Baisley.
181 reviews1 follower
February 4, 2021
Another enjoyable read

This was a fun read if maybe a little short, or at least it felt that way. I still love the characters, but I worry Jace is getting a little too trusting as of late. Hope you enjoy this like I did.
Profile Image for DAVID.
583 reviews5 followers
March 11, 2020
Great storyline

Well once again another great storyline with plenty of action and banter.. Glad they got Athea back... Looking forward to book 13
1 review
April 24, 2020
Another great entry in the series

I don’t want it to end
The Story continues to grow and new characters and situations are added. It really keeps moving
1,107 reviews3 followers
July 14, 2020
Enjoyable space opera continues.
17 reviews
September 15, 2020
These books get pretty formulaic, but the action is pretty much non-stop, and it happens in outer space.
1,038 reviews4 followers
December 21, 2020
Great read...

Great read I have enjoyed reading every single one of the books in this series!And I love the characters in the series!
Profile Image for Dave.
637 reviews8 followers
Read
November 1, 2025
You wrote a wonderful series, J.N, and this was one of your better books.
48 reviews
March 30, 2021
Great read

This book has action from page one right to the last page leading you to the upcoming continue conflict in the next book
Profile Image for Per Gunnar.
1,318 reviews76 followers
May 14, 2021
I quite liked this instalment in the Renegade Star series. As is often the case in this series there is a lot of exploration, mysteries and discoveries going on. As usual our heroes ends up with some new toys to play with. This time some very large toys indeed.

I am very happy that the alliance with the Union and the Sarkonians appear to be a done deal now. It has toned down the annoying politics a bit and both the Union and the Sarkonians actually appear to contribute to the cause instead of just being a burden and waste of time.

There are of course the usual action sequences, twists etcetera that keeps the story interesting. I really hope that they will finally be able to not only recover Athena but restore her to her former self. I quite miss her.

I am very eager to see what they will do with their new toys as well. I mean a ship the size of… (sorry, no spoilers, you will have to read the book) is almost over the top.

I’m a bit sorry that some people seems to complain a lot about the language in these books. Sorry guys, there are NOT really a lot of cursing in these books, at least not compared to a lot of books I read. Just grow up!
Profile Image for Frances Law.
1,123 reviews14 followers
February 10, 2020
Athena

Athena has been found, at least a copy of her. But it is corrupted. When they realise that there is more than one copy it becomes a fight to stop a Celestial from escaping with it. Then they realise that they are in danger from another Celestial attack. But where to go?
26 reviews
September 14, 2019
Amazing story!!

What an amazing roller coaster of a ride on this one. I can almost figure out what is coming next, then find out I’m totally WRONG!! The Author is pulling at the strings of my entire being with this saga. Only part I hate...waiting for the next book. Lucky you (and shame on you) if you waited to read this space opera...because you can move on to the next book while I sit here drooling. I love this author!!
3 reviews
August 22, 2019
Space Opera at its best

The next entry in the Renegade Universe does not disappoint. Jace, Abigail, and the rest keep you captivated. A strong storyline, fun writing, and engaging characters keep me coming back for more. Chaney brings new characters to life with each book, but never leaves the others forgotten. Can't wait to see where they head next!
Profile Image for Veronica.
1,014 reviews5 followers
December 18, 2019
Politics, intrigue, mystery, and a fight!

Jace is pushed further out of his comfort zone as he continues his move from Renegade to Leader. The mystery of the planet perplexes Jace and Dressler, but they are determined to solve it. We learn a little more about the Celestials, and see the determination of humanity pushing everyone to work together and defeat the common enemy.
Profile Image for Nancy Phy.
314 reviews6 followers
August 20, 2019
Great series

If you enjoy great space adventure with plenty of action then I recommend this series. Jace and his unique crew have a long way to go to save earth so come along for the ride.
Profile Image for Nigel Frankcom.
398 reviews4 followers
August 21, 2019
All good fun...

JC continues to wow us with this most entertaining series. This book continues to follow Jace, Abi and their eclectic retinue through more battles with the Celestials. An excellent read and great fun. I’m looking forward to reading the next book..
310 reviews4 followers
August 23, 2019
Yes!

I can’t put these books down! The suspense, action and interwoven storyline keep you on your toys. Love the references to his separate series happening in the same Renegade universe.
239 reviews1 follower
November 7, 2019
Have a read

Have a read you will enjoy. I had to think about the characters as I had just finished another book but that did not stop me as it took a few pages to remember the story then it was oh it's bed time already. Read and enjoy
97 reviews
August 25, 2019
Another excellent read

I love the Renegade series by Chaney. I was hooked from the first book and always look forward to the next. I highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews

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