With the Celestial ship Tartarus now under his command, the former Renegade known as Jace Hughes heads toward a lost colony in search of answers.
What he finds may change the war forever.
Meanwhile, the Celestials are drawing closer to locating Earth with every passing day. With an invasion looming, the Alliance has little time to prepare its forces.
The Union, Sarkonians, and Earth must unite together or die alone.
“Knowledge is power.” This has been a revealing and exciting experience! Chaney keeps adding more and more mysteries, while also solving other past intriguing aspects of the Celestials. The delicate Alliance is proving to be worthwhile and I really feel proud of it. Lol. We’ve come a long way since book #1, with Jace Hughes the Renegade. World building is superbly designed, the characters’ growth is admirable and the storyline is magnificent! I can’t get enough of this series! I already want to read #14 now!
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 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!
After a minor battle with the Celestials, the Alliance has complete control of the Tartarus. With the help of Siggy and the previous Celestial cognitive, it is determined that the Celestials were more likely to come back to reclaim their ship rather than go to Earth. Jace decides that they will lead the war away from Earth by leading the Celestials through a series of slip tunnels with the final destination of an old Eternal research facility called Nova. Once there Lex runs into trouble and takes a few years' life off of Jace and Abby. To compound all their problems the war with the Celestials escalates to other parts of the galaxy. Our heroes, along with their Alliance, must continue to fight the Celestials any way they possibly can and explore all options to exploit their weaknesses. The excitement continues and I am curious to see where the story goes from here.
The alliance plans to get the Celestials to follow Tartarus, by heading to Nova, an earlier settlement, long since abandoned. However the AI in charge does something to Lex and additional information is unearthed. Meanwhile the Celestial s begin attacking Sarkonian space. The alliance sends in some ships and manage to hold them off. However they then head into Union space, and again they are fought off. The origin of the Celestial tech is worked out to be foreign and so they investigate...
Another enjoyable read in the on going Renegade universe. The characters are definitely building toward a finale and I can’t wait to see where it leads. So glad I started this series
Jace , his crew and Alliance partners, some formed enemies are fighting a battle with the Celestials and ancient race bent on dominance and destruction. Another non stop action thriller in this amazing series!! Enjoyed immensely!!
Wow another fantastic storyline even tho it is going to get crazy lol... Loving it well about to start the next one Renegade Evolution totally looking forward to it.. Hopefully there will be a spin off series about Lexie as well
I enjoyed this book and the fact that it seems to of gotten more science fiction oriented. I love the fact that it did not get rid of the character Athena glad to see her back. Love the new technology hard light weapons and guns that use other technology instead of bullets. To me these facts kept me in the story and I enjoyed the book. My only pet peeve is Jace Hughes relationship with Lex. He professes affection for her in one hand and keeps her away with the other by calling her kid and she calling him Mr. Hughes that puts a golf between them. There needs to be bonding there, her calling him Jace and he calling her Lex, that shows true affection for each other. I am eagerly awaiting the next book.
The story continues to grow and become more epic. The change and evolution of each character keeps them from becoming cardboard cutouts. I think that the story of Lex, what she was, where she is currently and what she will become is the best part of the saga.
Book 13 starts out kind of slow. A lot of strategy talk and trying to figure out how to get Athena back. But once the fighting with the Celestial's starts it picked up.
Here we go again with Jace, Abby and Lex. Lex is a scheming little girl who has them all wrapped around her little finger, but very cute. I feel that Jace and co. still have a lot to learn from her which may help the whole human race. Jace decides that they are going to take the war to the Celestials and he does with the help of Dr Dressler and a lot of his associates. In fact the Alliance is working very well much to Jace’s surprise and thankfulness. Good for all sci-fi and space opera fans.
Author Chaney keeps upping his game and skill in telling the well written and exceptional book. I believe new challenges are facing the cast as well as bringing together various subplots and storylines. This is exciting reading folks!!! Buckle in cecause I believe we are in for the story ride of or life!
This series just keeps on getting better.. I find it amazing that JNC manages to keep each episode fresh and interesting. This really is one of the best series I’ve read since Neal Asher’s Gridlinked series.
I can't wait to see where the newest clues lead us!! If you haven't been reading J.N. Chaney you really should. You will.not be disappointed, spellbinding characters and storylines that draw You into the story!!!
It ended and my mind is screaming noooooooooo. I want more. This book incorporates the best from all books in the series and manages to show case each character at the same time. Well done Chaney! I can’t wait for what comes next!
Usually I’m getting a little tired of a series around book 10 or so and ready to wrap the story up. This series has kept my interest and I’m still looking forward to the next. Kudos to this author.
Jace and the Alliance are making headway, but not enough. New mysteries come along, hints of things to come are sown, and the battles are heating up. We are left with astounding news, and I can’t wait to read Renegade Evolution!
I didn't want this to end. This series is always fast paced with a lot of action. Some old friends returned and we got to meet some new friends. I cannot wait till the next book in the series comes out.