The Shattered Skies

The Cruel Stars #2

by John Birmingham

A group of intrepid heroes must rebuild and protect civilization after a long dormant enemy shattered their once-peaceful empire in this thrilling sequel to The Cruel Stars.

The Sturm, a group of "species purists" intent on destroying any human with genetic or cybernetic enhancements, returned from the far reaches of Dark Space to strike a devastating blow against humanity. Though their victory seemed inevitable, a small group of reluctant heroes managed to beat back the invading force. Now left with the remains of a crippled civilization, they must work together to rebuild--and to stand guard, in case those weren't the only enemies hiding in the dark...

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fiction, Space, Audiobook, Fantasy, Military Science Fiction

480 pages, Hardcover

First published January 11, 2022

About the author

John Birmingham grew up in Ipswich, Queensland and was educated at St Edmunds Christian Brother's College in Ipswich and the University of Queensland in Brisbane. His only stint of full time employment was as a researcher at the Defence Department. After this he returned to Queensland to study law but he did not complete his legal studies, choosing instead to pursue a career as a writer. He currently lives in Brisbane.

While a law student he was one of the last people arrested under the state's Anti Street March legislation. Birmingham was convicted of displaying a sheet of paper with the words 'Free Speech' written on it in very small type. The local newspaper carried a photograph of him being frogmarched off to a waiting police paddy wagon.

Birmingham has a degree in international relations.

Reviews

[bookishcharli · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best parts of this book, for me anyways, is my man McLennan trading insults with an AI. Hahaha, I love this guy. This is the second part of John Birmingham’s The Cruel Stars series and it had the same amount of razzle dazzle that the first novel had, just amped up a bit. The battle scenes are yet again so well described that I could imagine myself in the midst of all of this chaos, I even shed a tear for some of the comrades that fall in this book… ouch… I want to read the final book now, because I’m torn about whether or not the villain is actually the villain… he has reasons, motivation, facts and receipts for why he’s fighting for his cause, and why it’s the right one… it reminded me of Star Wars in a way, where I can see the reasons why both side think they’re right and the other side is wrong. It leaves you in a place of uncertainty and you need answers NOW.

Please can you publish the last book next week Head of Zeus? (PS – thank you so much for sending me a copy of this one, I absolutely loved it).

[Peter Tillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle book in the trilogy, and it moves right along. No new ground is broken, and in fact the Space Nazis Ultimate Terror weapon -- turn your enemies into Zombies! -- was thoroughly disgusting, and cost the book a half-star from me. If Zombies are your cuppa, you may take it in stride. Anyway, I started skimming past those gory details, and the rest is the well-written mil-SF we expect from Birmingham. I'll be on board for the wrap-up volume. Needless to say, don't start here!

[Kate Hyde · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure this book will appeal to many readers, as it has all the prerequisite elements of a good space opera - a ragtag bunch of heroes fighting valiantly against an implacable enemy, space pirates turned good, plenty of futuristic weapons and biotech, desperate shootouts, a princess who may be the saviour of humanity, and loads of zipping around galaxies. However, it just didn't sit well with me, mostly because of the style. While the plot arc itself progressed logically and at a good tempo, I thought the author spent too much time talking about the tech to no good impact on the narrative. I'm not against info dumps on technology in my sci-fi, that's part of the genre, but I have seen better writers blend it into the plot or characterisation, instead of just tacking it on to a paragraph unnecessarily. Heavy-handed as this was, I took even greater issue with the level of violence; again, I have no problem with violence per se, but the better class of science fiction will flesh out its acts of violence with some comment on the ensuing political ramifications, so for me The Shattered Skies was more like a video game, where everyone was a disposable pawn. This impacted greatly on the characterisation, because no matter how much effort the author then put into the backstory of various characters, it didn't seem worthwhile getting attached. And I took great exception to the alleged banter between McLennan and his super-intelligent AI. I'm not in the least prudish, but the use of language here was crass and unnecessary. It does not leaven tense situations with comedy, it merely comes across as puerile - indeed if I were one of his crew members, facing almost certain death at the hands of an implacable enemy, McLennan's nonsense interactions with his AI would have me looking for an escape pod. Readers looking for a truly amusing space odyssey should check out Barry Hutchison's Space Team.

My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book, but I found it a very hard slog to finish, and did so only out of a sense of duty, and I certainly won't be reading his back catalogue.

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's fun and jolly adventure liberally littered with colourful language and merry explosions of violence. You feel that Mr Birmingham is just writing for fun and he certainly creates a lovely bit of over-the-top entertainment.
My one complaint? What is this love affair with princesses and the idea that deep down they're all caring and intelligent. They're selfish and inbred!

[Millie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. A lot of my complaints from the first book are the same for this one.

The first half was a bit of a slog, it was heavy on politics which I don't usually mind, and the worldbuilding was slightly more comprehensible this time round, but I still found myself getting lost and bored at times. I didn't care much for Suprarto's chapters.

Lucinda solidified herself as my favourite character and I enjoyed her chapters the most. I also enjoyed McClennan much more this time round.

Alessia annoys me. It feels as though whether she acts like a child or as an adult entirely depends on what the plot demands of her at the time.

Justice for Booker, he wasn't in this book enough.

I'll probably read the third one when it comes out just to see how it all ends.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Shattered Skies is the second book in the Cruel Stars trilogy by John Birmingham. Released 11th Jan 2022 by Penguin Random House on their Del Rey imprint, it's 480 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out Sept 2022. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is campaign space opera on an epic scale. Following directly on from book one, it's engaging and intricate. It's not particularly suited to a standalone read and readers who haven't read book one will probably want to pick up and read it first. The language and descriptions are rough and graphic. The writing, characterizations, scene descriptions, choreography, and plotting are superlative; often sublime.

This is an experienced and talented author at the top of his game and there are passages which transcend the genre and should be categorized as good literature instead of "just" good SF. There are a significant number of sly in-jokes and light humor which raised a smile.

The unabridged audiobook version has a run time of 15 hours and 40 minutes and is capably narrated by Morgan Hallett. She has a rather flat, generic Midwestern American (with a hint of homogeneous Central Canadian?) accent, but does a clear and well enunciated job with the read. I didn't find myself distracted by her accent at any point.

Five stars. Highly recommended to fans of the genre. I would go further and recommend it highly to fans of historical/military epics. The third book in the trilogy is due out 2nd quarter of 2023.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[MadProfessah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shattered Skies by John Birmingham is the second book in the space opera science fiction trilogy called the Cruel Stars. Birmingham has summarized the Cruel Stars trilogy as “Space Nazis invade and try to ruin everything, everywhere, all over the galaxy.” I quite enjoyed reading the first book in the series The Cruel Starsearlier this year and as soon as I finished it I wanted to read the next one in the series and was quite happy to see that it was available. Sadly, the third book in the series is not scheduled to come out until next year. Middle books in trilogies have a reputation for disappointing the reader but in this case The Shattered Skies bucks the trend and continues the story begun in The Cruel Stars in a way that is as exciting, entertaining and engrossing as the first book.

In addition to the five main characters from The Cruel Stars, Lucinda Chase, Frazer McLennan, Sephina L’trel, Princess Alessia and Booker, The Shattered Skies introduces two new POV characters in Captain Anders Revell, an aide-de-camp of a high-ranking Sturm military leader who is investigating the surprising defeat that befell the Sturm in the first book, and Sub-commandant Domi Surprarto, a underling suddenly promoted to captain of the Javan Navy ship Makassar after the Sturm malware turns the top brass into mindless zombies.

The Shattered Skies has the same frenetic action, snarky humor, political intrigue and social commentary of The Cruel Stars. Additionally, the author uses the addition of the new characters to provide a more nuanced view about the two warring sides in the Sturm-Volume war. In the first book, we are basically introduced to the Sturm as galaxy-invading ideological zealots who want to kill everyone who is not a “pure human” if they have had any technological or genetic modifications. And so our assumption is that the people opposing the Sturm are the good guys.

However, by giving us Revell’s POV we see that he is quite passionate about his belief that he’s fighting for the “good” side and we see that the Sturm are providing aid and comfort to people (like Lucinda’s father) who have been abused and exploited in a debtors prison planet that they liberated. The fact that the "good guys" support a system where debtors prisons are a real thing begins to raise niggling doubts about the righteousness of their cause. Also, by getting Suprarto’s POV we see that some of the “Allies” on the good guys’ team (like the Javan Army and the Yulin-Irawaddy Collective) have problematic characteristics (they’re extremely hierarchical, rife with corruption and selfish and self-centered). This makes for a more interesting read because as the stakes of the military conflicts go up, the reader starts to more seriously question who they want to win this battle. Which vision for civilization do we really want to prevail? The Sturm's neo-Luddite view of unaltered "natural" humanity? Or the competing corporate capitalist view where single families can own entire planets and control the lives of every sentient being on their "property"? How should the choice be decided? That the Cruel Stars books even raises these questions puts it above most other books in the military sci-fi/space opera genre.

Overall, The Shattered Skies is an excellent space opera, with interesting characters, well-depicted action sequences, neat technology and an exciting plot. Hopefully, the story will all be resolved in the third and final book of the trilogy, expected in summer 2023 (currently I have seen two proposed titles on the internet,The Forever Dead and The Empty Heavens). Whatever it’s called, this book will be on my must-read list!

[Runalong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent slice of space opera this time how can you prepare the fight back. Space battles, dangerous space stations and cunning adversaries all need dealing with - very impressed again how well delivered this was once again

Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...

[S.J. Higbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book is full of action right from the start, as the Sturm’s horrific weapon incapacitates all the crucial personnel holding power throughout the galaxy by dint of a terrifying attack that scrambles their brains. However in The Shattered Skies that impetus takes a while to get going. But it was a pleasure to get reacquainted with Commander Lucinda Hardy, who finds herself captaining the only surviving warship that can hold its own against the Sturm; Booker3, a super-soldier slated for total deletion before the hammer falls; Princess Alessia, the 12-year-old sole survivor of the most powerful ruling house throughout the system; Sephina L’trel, outlaw and smuggler with a small crew of misfits who have slipped through the cracks; and finally an elderly living legend – former war hero Admiral Frazer McLennan, who has been studying the crash site of the Sturm’s dreadnought to glean whatever information he can about their society. He is accompanied by an A.I. who looks after McLennan’s needs, while the two of them spend their time exchanging insults.

Inevitably in a cast of five protagonists, I had favourites. During The Cruel Stars, it was poor little Alessia’s plight that snagged my attention. Birmingham’s riveting depiction of her kidnap by the Sturm was the highlight of the book for me, as it was written with power and emotion without sliding into sentimentality. My least favourite character was Frazer McLennan and his Intellect, whose constant bickering became a tad tiresome. I was pleased to see that Birmingham was smart enough in The Shattered Skies to have Lucinda Hardy also find these exchanges annoying, too.

While it’s always better to read the first book in a series, particularly as The Cruel Skies is a cracking adventure from start to finish, Birmingham makes sure readers who haven’t had the pleasure won’t flounder too much. But once The Shattered Skies hit its stride, once again I was swept up in the conflict, though there were times when I felt the pacing could have been tightened up. The battles are vividly depicted with plenty of action and tension, so that I could easily visualise who was doing what to whom. Deaths are given plenty of emotional heft and matter to the protagonists, making me care, too – something that doesn’t always happen in this genre.

In this book, there is also the addition of an intriguing antagonist emerging from the ranks of the Sturm who is on the trail of our plucky freedom fighters. He is suitably menacing without sliding into the cliché of a pantomime villain. I liked the fact that he absolutely believes in the rightness of his cause and that we are given clear evidence to back up his point of view. Birmingham’s multi-layered society with its various factions convinced me and provided a strong backdrop for the unfolding story. I’m very much looking forward to reading the final book in this series and recommend this series to military sci fi fans looking for vivid, convincing characters and a high-stakes space war. While I obtained an arc of The Shattered Skies from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

[Ken Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
A superior middle volume of MilSF/Space Opera from the talented Mr Birmingham. The Shattered Skies kicks of shortly after the conclusion of 'The Cruel Stars'.
The surprise attack on the Greater Volume by the Sturm (aka Space Nazis) has decapitated human and enhanced human civilization and left the fate of humanity in the hands of a few doughty survivors.

Commander Lucinda Hardy and crew of the good ship Defiant are backed up by the Ariane, a Russian oligarch's space yacht liberated by Lucinda's childhod pal Seraphina L'Trel. They are on a mission to retrieve the backup copies (if they exist) of the parents of Princess Allessia of Montrachet, who they have rescued from the clutches of the Sturm (and a posible life as a dynastically wed figurehead).

Meanwhile, we get a looksee into life on a world liberated by the Sturm. And it is not so bad unless as one of the 'liberated' you do not meet the definition the invading fanatics use for 'human'. Nevertheless, many of the masses ruled by the powerful corporate interests and debt-slaver empires of the Greater Volume do meet that definition (being to poor to aford the 'enhancements' abhored by the Space Nazis). So it is that we encounter Human Republic officer Captain Anders Revell as he investigates just how the Sturm got their noses so comprehensively bloodied by our heroes Cmdr Hardy and the ever so ancient war hero/criminal Frazer McLennan in the final battle at Montrachet.

Revell is depicted as a decent man (as distinct from the Sturm 'Inquiry' or secret police, as personified by the odious Skomo - a Tuckerization of Australia's incompetent and now former Prime Minister). But his decency is in service of the Sturm's objectives and his investigations lead him, he hopes to a liberated debt slave who might in future provide him with leverage against Cmdr. Hardy.

Meanwhile, the rag-tag remnant of the Armadalen Navy must resupply (cue battle vs zombified former colleagues - ick), and then negotiate with former adversaries of the Javan Empire and Yulin-Irrawaddy Combine to make a common front against the resurgent Sturm (cue inevitable betrayal and dastardly incompetence of these parties). These events of course remind us that Alessia is a 'special' case of royalty, and that the organization of power and wealth in the Greater Volume are its major weakness.

All these elements build up to a climactic battle with high tension and even higher stakes. It is well done, but does end on a fairly major cliffhanger, where the 'stay tuned for the next episode' rings loud and clear!

[William Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Birmingham is one of my favorite authors in the Science Fiction genre. Indeed, several of my first academic papers were on the subject of his "Axis of Time" trilogy. It is, then, no surprise that I jumped at the chance to peruse a copy of "The Shattered Skies," volume II in another trilogy quite different from the "Axis of Time." In "Shattered Skies" he takes up the tale he began with "The Cruel Stars." Birmingham has a unique facility for using his mastery of his genre to explore complex ethical and moral issues embedded in our history and culture without being at all heavy handed about it. Indeed, he is nothing if not thoroughly and consistently entertaining. It
often seems as though he sets out to disrupt our complacency by forcing us to confront inherent biases and contradictions in our thinking. In this series of books, a great war is being waged between two alignments of forces, neither of which is perfect, but both of which are based on our shared human heritage. He is interested in exploring here the conflict between a technologically advanced capitalist society resting on a feudal bedrock of extremely exploitative "Great Houses" (think "Game of Thrones). This group enslave their populations using the contradictions in capitalism and the inherent consequences of grotesque disparities in income. Leaders and the economically privileged can live essentially as long as they like using their technology and relying on sentient AI's at the highest levels to manage their armed forces and hold their people down. On the other hand is a group often referred to by the group I just mentioned as the Space Nazis; these are a less technologically advanced (slightly) group who restrict human ability to manipulate themselves genetically and restrict their use of computers to a very subordinate role. In their messianic zeal to "liberate" those who live under the "Great Houses," and, ironically to "free" them from the technology which they believe has corrupted them, they have adapted a far more authoritarian model for their society with obvious similarities to National Socialist Germany. As is characteristic of Birmingham's work, neither side is without serious flaws. This technique serves to defuse the reader's ingrained tendency to take sides, thereby forcing him or her to draw uncomfortable conclusions which belie any innate tendency to simplify things in favor of one side or the other.

[Kris Sellgren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This science fiction novel is the second in a trilogy about interstellar war, which started with The Cruel Stars. The first wave of the Sturm (humans who are fanatical about killing any genetically modified humans and humans with implants) wiped out most of civilization via a computer virus that turned people into zombies. and was fought off by our heroine, acting captain Lucinda Hardy. Now she has to assemble as much of a fleet as she can to fight the second wave. Political disputes, between different empires and corporations, are complicating this immensely. We spend too much time in the heads of various despicable characters, and irritating Admiral McKenna persists in swearing constantly in archaic slang from Scotland (despite the book taking place many centuries after the present day). It does do some good to spend time in the head of a Sturm officer, as we realize that he is basically a decent person, and that while they are fanatics about modified humans, their civilization shows signs of being free from the awful capitalist exploitation that pervades our heroine’s side. Another in the series is promised by the ending of the story.
I ‘m not sure I’ll continue reading this. I had hopes that the obnoxious admiral would be killed but alas. And I really don’t want to spend more time in the point of view of evil characters.

[Sonia Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great next instalment in John Birmingham’s Cruel Stars trilogy. Picking up where The Cruel Stars left off, (so highly recommend you have read this) the non-stop action continues as we follow the small group of unexpected heroes as they start to rebuild humanity and seek out its enemies.

The plot circles around the Sturm are a species purist empire who were defeated and exiled to Deep Space. They return to the galaxy and wage war on humans who do not meet their purist yardstick. So any human who adopted genetic and neural engineering: mutants and borgs are to be eradicated and ‘pure’ humans must be liberated. Luckily for the humanity their plans are thwarted.
We reconnect with Commander Lucinda Hardy, Admiral Frazer McLennan and their allies space pirate Sephina L'trel and dodgy battle-rig operatorBooker3. A small diverse group who manage to destroy the massed power of an entire Sturm Attack Fleet, and save Earth senator Princess Alessia. Although that battle has passed the fight continues as the Sturm are still out there as are other enemies in the depths of space.
If you are looking of action, adventure, high drama, twisted humour and quirky banter look no further.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for access to the ARC – however just to note that there were formatting issues with the ARC that made readability difficult.

[Leane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A more than satisfying sequel and second in the Cruel Stars Trilogy, this novel continues the complex and resonating world building, the cavalcade of sharply realized CHs, adrenaline rushed Tone and Pace, as well as the intricate plotting that weaves and “folds” in various locales of Dark Space. The pervasive salty language of admiral McLennan and humor especially shines in his diatribes and exchanges with Hero, the Intellect—one of the many fascinating AI beings. At least three converging Story Lines continue the war with the Strum who believe only true humans (ones without mesh or AI enhancements) should rule and live in the universe and the one band of intrepid heroes fighting for their various worlds, searching for survivors to supplement their forces, and trying to keep the surviving heir and only surviving Earth senator from harm. All the CHs are nuanced and even the villains drawn with a unique slant even while incorporating the evil archetypes. This is a Military/Space Opera SF tale that considers what is the definition of human, the nature of grief, and the consequences of choices in an engaging, sometimes hilarious, way. Great twists. Lots of technology and physics terms but well-integrated into the narrative. Write the next one faster, Mr. Birmingham. I posit that fans of Elizabeth Moon, Ann Leckie, and John Scalzi may enjoy. Red Flag: Vulgar language, bloody violence. Start with The Cruel Stars (2020).

[Bory · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable follow up the The Cruel Stars.

The pace suffered a little from Birmingham struggling to stretch the story to fill three whole books - the internal squabbling in the Javan system had me rolling my eyes, and the whole sequence with Steph and co. being captured by the space Yakuza because of what happed all the way at the beginning of The Cruel Stars was supremely tacked on and unnecessary. But the characters are very well-crafted and very enjoyable. Mac and Hero continue to steal the show, and Steph and Lucinda are not far behind. The space battles are good, especially at the end. And I do like Birmingham's authorial voice and his British humour.

In all honesty, however, the rating for The Shattered Skies is closer to a 3 star than to a 4, but I do appreciate the Star Trek references.

[Keira F. Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great follow on to "The Cruel Stars". As before some good laughs, solid action.

What was a bit of a pleasant surprise was some not inconsiderable thought and discussion around the moral murkiness of being a "free" state that profits off the suffering of others. Also a lot more heart than the first one...

Anyways, hard to write review one handed due to holding a kiddo in the other, but suffice to say I greatly enjoyed it.

[Tim Hanton]

Another phenomenal yarn from the King of hilarious, rowdy space opera.

[Jacob Hoogstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to Scotland.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun and kinetic space opera with funny and interesting characters. This would make a great Netflix series. Quite cinematic.

[Ian Bannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Epic Sci Fi Masterpiece! I would rate this 11 out of 10, just brilliant...

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

The hard sci-fi military elements and intrigue almost save this book, but ultimately the dialogue and deus ex machina solutions to fundamental plot obstacles break it. Birmingham could badly use an editor who could help him stay away from these aching faults.

The dialogue, especially, is devastating. Constant use of slang and terms from *this* decade (which already read as dated) being thrown around by characters in the far, far future breaks the suspension of disbelief over and over and over. Character's saying "for realz" or "as fuck" or references to "MAGA" or just the endless sniping between characters that is supposed to be clever banter, just feels like sloppy and insecure writing.

I'm sure many readers will love Birmingham lifting characters almost directly from Fire Fly and Guardians of the Galaxy, but at a time when everything feels like a remake or a sequel, it's getting really, really tiring and disappointed to see the same tropes, cliches, and types dragged out again and again.

The deus ex issues... a stickier problem. Ultimately when you have characters and weapons with near god-like powers and abilities, it hurts the dramatic tension, strains the reader's faith and in the end, just makes you wonder, 'why didn't they just do XYZ from the start?"

I think all of these issues could have been corrected or at least massaged by a good editor. It's a bummer they weren't.

[Groucho42 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first (Cruel Stars), was average space opera -- barely. This book didn't rise to the previous. Long, tedious, cardboard characters. Worst was the attempt to use the old admiral and the AI for comic relief. It really didn't work, they were just annoying.

[Jack Deighton · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there are some scenes in this second instalment of Birmingham’s trilogy which feature Lucinda Hardy’s father Jonathyn, whose term in a debt defaulter’s prison on Batavia has been ended by the Sturm, the bulk of the text remains focused on the five main characters surviving from Book One, though four extra viewpoints also come into play: Sturm Captain Anders Revell, Sub-Commandant Domi Suprarto of the Imperial Javan Navy (whose organisation and command style seem to be modelled on that of the Japanese armed forces of the 1930s and 40s,) his superior, Imperial Volume Lord Juono Karna, plus Rinaldo Pac Yulin of the Yulin-Irrawaddy Combine. In the Natuna system the Javan and Combine ships of the latter three were running silent to weather a solar storm just as the Sturm attack on the Greater Volume’s zero point network occurred and so mostly avoided the fate of all those connected to it. Like Hardy, Suprarto finds himself unexpectedly in command after his officers’ brains were scrambled when they switched online again.

While the others, being adult, remain true to their earlier selves it is noticeable that Princess Alessia undergoes character development here in that she begins to blossom into her aristocratic heritage. Her tendency to use swear words does perhaps occur a mite quickly though. She drives most of the plot in this volume as, due to her revelation that her family maintained illegal and therefore secret engram vaults to restore their consciousnesses in case of the type of disaster which has just occurred, the occupants of the Defiant and Sephina’s new ship Arianne (named after her dead lover) set off to find such a cache at the space habitat called Lermontov in the Natuna system but first stop off at Descheneaux Station to rescue the few inhabitants and Armadalen Navy regulars who had not succumbed to the Sturm strike. Body strewn encounters ensue with the zombiefied but bloodthirsty remnants of humanity whose minds had been destroyed. (Why they do not turn on each other rather than seeking out “normal” humans is not explained. But then, of course, we would have had no gory battle scenes.) Hardy, though now a Commander, herself forms part of the rescue team, for which McLennan chides her as an unnecessary risk for a leader.

Hardy and McLennan put pressure on Princess Alessia to sign a declaration which would emancipate the many inhabitants of the Greater Volume who were de facto slaves. Despite the likelihood that if her family were to be revived they would declare it null and void she eventually agrees. This almost throwaway aspect of the book puts a gloss on our heroes’ determination to combat the Sturm. It smacks of a kind of desperation to show their cause is just. (Birmingham presumably intended this to stand comparison with another war during which an emancipation proclamation provided a higher purpose to its continuation. It doesn’t.) Alessia herself perceives later on that living conditions on Lermontov are harsher than she could have imagined. This is one more indication to the reader that the society for which her companions are fighting is probably not really worth defending.

As is common in second parts of trilogies there is a degree of marking time here. In particular the animosities the Javan Empire and the Combine have with the Armadalen Navy, even in the face of the advancing Sturm, take up most of the narrative.

Again we have an indicator of what may be Birmingham’s inspiration for the Sturm in that Pac Yulin (not the best example of a good guy it has to be said) says of them, “‘They do not just distrust the science. They despise and repress it.’”

In the climactic scene Birmingham plays a trick on his characters, and perhaps the inattentive reader. The logic of it was however implicit since early on in The Cruel Stars.

I suppose it is a defining feature of military SF but there is a degree of having and eating cake in describing scenes of mayhem and violence while insisting they are necessary. The Sturm are certainly monomaniacal and vindictively brutal to those with opposing views but Hardy, MacLennan, Sephina L’Trel and Booker are hardly less so.

There are nevertheless some pleasing grace notes. Intellect Herodotus’s interjection of, “‘I have no mouth and yet I must scream’” slightly misquotes Harlan Ellison, while the designation ‘SPY 7 sensor hooks’ may be an oblique reference to James Bond.

Again, the epilogue is a teaser for the next book in the trilogy. Despite the usual wallowing in carnage of the sub-genre and a tendency to overdo banter between his characters Birmingham has invested enough in them to make the reader persevere.

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Shattered Skies picks up the story of Lucinda Harvey, Sephina L'Trel, Princess Alessia and Frazer McLennan (amongst others) after the conclusion of The Cruel Stars. Along with the rest of the crew if the Defiant and recently stolen acquired Ariane, they look to rearm and resupply themselves as they seek to continue and grow the resistance to the geno-fascist invading Sturm, or self-styled Human Republic. Meanwhile, Human Republic officer Captain Anders Revell is investigating how Commander Harvey and Admiral McLennan managed to destroy a Sturm Attack Fleet with a view to preventing that from happening again.

Similar to the first novel of this trilogy, The Shattered Skies is built around two large action pieces, one of which occurs on a recently disabled Armadalen navy base and second which comprises of a space battle in a solar system of the Javan Empire. Birmingham writes these sequences and chapters well.

The action is complemented by chapters, paragraphs and exchanges between characters that give the universe he has built more texture. The character Captain Revell, for example, helps us better understand the perspective of the Human Republic, particularly when he engages with the poorer people of the Greater Volume, who might be receptive to his worldview. Readers are also reminded of the vile practices of the Yulin-Irrawaddy Combine and other political realms within the Greater Volume that smudge the black and white Sturm/Volume conflict into shades of grey.

Additionally, Birmingham's writing is punctuated by the humour for which he has become known. McLennan's propensity for ever more colourful and inventive insults grows exponentially over the course of the novel. The narrative is also peppered with less-than-oblique references to contemporary society and politics, such as 'hugely eccentric MAGA Corp Habs' that insist on using Fahrenheit and the awful prosecutor-major Skomo "please note the spelling".

Birmingham's ability to blend action and humour as he does makes for an entertaining read. I'm very much looking forward to the next volume.

[Vivienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to Head of Zeus for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Shattered Skies’ by John Birmingham in exchange for an honest review.

This is Book 2 in his Cruel Stars trilogy of military-themed science fiction. As it is a continuous story it’s best to read Book 1, ‘The Cruel Stars’, first as the story picks up where that one ended.

As a result I am wary of giving too many details about the plot for those who have yet to read ‘The Cruel Stars’. I will say that the narrative focuses on a small group of unlikely heroes, seeking ways to strike back at the Sturm, an empire of species purists, who have mounted a devastating attack.

Centuries ago the Sturm had been defeated and exiled to Deep Space. Their intention in returning to the galaxy is to wage war on humans who have adopted genetic and neural engineering: mutants and borgs. They also seek to liberate those humans that they consider ‘pure’. Eep - Space Nazis.

The novel is packed with action and strong violence (and language). Yet this is tempered by quirky humour and lively banter. For example when one character quips “This is not the droid we’re looking for,”, another is impressed as she “hadn’t imagined a simple grunt would ever have studied the classics.”

As with the previous book it’s rather full-on, which can be a little exhausting after a while. Obviously this style will suit some readers more than others.

There was plenty for me to enjoy. Alongside things being spectacularly blown up, I was taken with the camaraderie between its main characters. Yes, they are facing overwhelming odds but such is the stuff of space opera, including the ‘classics’ that the text references. There’s even a Princess, who is also a senator, and Space Zombies! You can’t go far wrong with Zombies in Space.

The final book, ‘The Empty Heavens’ is set for publication in the summer of 2023 and I am certainly intending to read it.

‘The Cruel Stars’ had an international audiobook edition, produced by Recorded Books, and I am hoping that this will also happen with the other two books of the trilogy.

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a review copy from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

One of the things I noticed, reading this and the previous book back-to-back in short order was how short a timeframe these books happen over. Both are a matter of days, and given these books are both on the order of ~500 pages, that's a lot happening in a short space of time.

It means the book is very action packed, as the crew of the Defiant rock from one disaster to another, and then have to deal with politicking surviving lords who are out to increase their power by taking advantage of the disaster IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLE!! I really did enjoy that major battle as it just had so many twists and turns. The politicking "allies" did really help to give the battle a completely different feel too.

However, the downside of it being over such a short period of time (and having such a large narrating cast) was that I didn't feel like the characters got much time to shine. They felt pretty much the same as they had at the start as the end, and didn't really get a chance to become more understood to the reader. The focus was on the disaster facing them, and so the characters felt more like instruments of plot being moved about as the plot needed than as characters in their own right.

Mac (the foul-mouthed ancient Scot) and the AI Hero were once again the standouts, because their snipping like an old married couple was just so funny and out of place around the military types. They got a lot of chuckles out of me, and did help alleviate the bigger "we're all going to die" threats.

I am interested to see how this trilogy ends, how they're going to defeat the Strum, and how Hardy's father will play into the final book as he was clearly being set up for involvement (though I thought he would this book, which was a bit disappointing when he didn't.)

[Richard Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book in this trilogy, and the second is just as good. Maybe better.

This is a very rich, well imagined universe that is profoundly real in the best science fiction way possible. It is weird and complex and beautiful and ugly, filled with extrapolations from the present that sure seem possible.

The story is a space opera staple, with star-traveling empires competing for survival in an all-out war, but like the best novels it's told from the perspective of about a half-dozen really engaging, well-developed characters with unique voices. They're all brilliant in their own ways, and hilarious, and super fun to follow.

The bad guys, who are clearly fascist and terrifying, are not entirely wrong, and the good guys, who emerge from somewhat freer societies that also include horrible slavers and noblemen and oligarchs who are crushing the common people, are obviously pretty horrible. There's hope, and there are many people fighting for better lives for people, but there's a lot that's pretty bleak. And I feel like this could represent exactly where we'll be someday--where the rich have infinite lifetimes and the poor are completely shackled by their superior tech.

This book ends with a nice conclusion, as did the first book, but it's the larger arc that brings me back, and I'm bummed that the final part was supposed to be out already and still isn't schedule a year later. I can wait, I guess, but I'm ready for it.

In many ways, this has a fantasy feel, with action and stakes like maybe Joe Abercrombie or someone like that, blended with a bunch of John Scalzi dialogue and humor. Highly recommended.

[Rowena Hoseason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second in a superbly constructed sci-fi series, stacked with multiple meshed threads from ideologically estranged offshoots of future humanity. You do need to have read The Cruel Stars first, however.

Any sci-fi enthusiast will feel right at home with author John Birmingham’s affectionate accolades to genre classics: the references to the worlds of Larry Niven, Iain M Banks and Alastair Reynolds. The deliciously supercilious Intellect, Herodotus, who has a habit of transporting his enemies into the heart of a passing star, could be any Ship Mind from the Culture. There are even a couple of starships named Defiant and Enterprise, fer gawshsakes. The author’s universe feels comfortably familiar and you can rapidly assimilate the technological situation which frees up your attention to deal with the increasingly complex action.

And then there’s the Sturm, seriously nasty space fascists. Star-spanning space battles on a glorious scale. Intimate, delicate moments of galactic importance. The creeping, insidious brain-washing of a broken man. Unpredictable, savage violence and strikingly emotive snapshots of sacrifice. It’s almost everything I want from space-opera, even if there’s precious little that’s actually original.
You may find an older Scottish character to be extremely irritating. I did. But stick with him; even the corny accent is worth the payoff in the end.

Best of all, there’s a final part of the trilogy to come so we’ve all got something to look forward to…
9/10

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a worthy sequel of this series, of which I enjoyed the first book as well. It's interesting trying to parse the politics of the various factions, even though I know that's probably dangerous and unproductive, but there are frequently referred-to SPACE NAZIS, so.... The book continues the first's themes of humanity and AI, of class struggle and corporate control, and of the question of endless life, but is also a fairly fun space opera action romp. My minor qualms: 1. I understand the usage of modern nationalities 1000+ years in the future for the sake of relevance to the readers, but my linguistic brain knows that nobody would speak English with a Scottish brogue at that point (for reference, 1000 years ago, nobody spoke English as we know it, period). That we're still seeing Russian and Indian and Chinese federations square off (and play off some maybe cliche tropes about those cultures) is weird. 2. The "cool" characters speak in a lot of modern slang. They say, "Whatevs" and lots of other very 2020s things that won't be said by 2030, much less the distant future of this text unless culture just gets stuck in stasis for some reason. 3. There's a central buddy-rival element between two sets of characters, but one involves a huge amount of poorly timed back and forth that is constantly being sternly ended by the captain. Much of it is funny (the author's creativity for cursing is wonderful), but it stretches credulity at many times. Overall: fun, and I am in for book three (which is, damnably, not out yet).

[Jenna Kass · Rating 1 out of 5]

Somewhere in here is a compelling enough story that I might black out everything I hated about the writing and finish the trilogy, but that is a pretty big "might".

The biggest problem with this book is how absolutely hilarious Birmingham finds himself whenever he's writing Mac. There is no scene too dramatic to stop dead for some divorced-couple spat between him and the AI, resulting in some of the unfunniest dialogue imaginable. I love filthy jokes, but Mac exists only to spout line after line of what is obviously the juvenilely explicit material Birmingham finds breathtakingly funny.

Additionally on the character front, whatever first readers and/or editors told him he was really nailing the voice of the twelve-year-old was committing malpractice; characterizations for many of the secondary and tertiary characters shift wildly; and plot stupid is a galaxy-wide affliction. Almost all direct enemies of our heroes are caricatures so over the top I kept expecting for there to be a rug-pull showing what was *really* going on. Alas.

Aside from these serious issues with his characters, he really went ahead and gave us cartoonishly evil Race Purity Space Nazis and then tried to go "but maybe they have a point" about how horrific the system is to the lower classes. If you want to present a complex moral conversation about the grinding banal evils of capitalism, maybe don't couch it within a clearly black-and-white space opera where the bad guys are, once again, Space Nazis.

I barely finished this book and I don't know why I put the effort in.