The Lost Ship of the Tucker Rebellion

by Marie Sexton, Cari Z.

Alien invasion has rendered Earth uninhabitable. Now, humanity survives in settlements on Mars, the moon, and distant space stations around Jupiter and Saturn. It’s all people can do to eke out a living from mining, salvage, and scrap.

Twin brothers Denver and Laramie Clayborne’s salvage operation is a small one—just them, their friend Marit, and their quirky ‘bot, OPAL. Their lives are simple and they like it that way, even though they barely earn enough to pay for Laramie’s expensive, life-saving medications. They make do, just like everyone else. It’s all they can do.

Until the day they find something big floating in the wreckage of a battleship graveyard. Something so rare, so precious, it could change their lives forever. Trading it would make them loved. Selling it would make them rich. But keeping it might make them heroes. They have a chance at a whole new world, if they’re brave enough to grasp it.

And if Mars doesn’t catch them first.

Genres: Science Fiction, M M Romance, Romance, Aliens, LGBT, Fantasy, Dystopia

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 26, 2020

About the author

Marie Sexton lives in Colorado. She’s a fan of just about anything that involves muscular young men piling on top of each other. In particular, she loves the Denver Broncos and enjoys going to the games with her husband. Her imaginary friends often tag along. Marie has one daughter, two cats, and one dog, all of whom seem bent on destroying what remains of her sanity. She loves them anyway.

The absolute best way to stay up-to-date on my books is by joining my FB group. You can view livestreams about Oestend, Coda, and the Heretic Doms Club. I also give away books on a regular basis. NO DRAMA ALLOWED!!


Or, you might want to check out these pages:

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Visit my website/blog at http://www.MarieSexton.net

Reviews

[Kaje Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book leans more toward the SciFi plot than the romance, which is mostly without obstacle and in the background. Denver is part of a crew of three on a small ship, with his chronically ill brother Laramie, a friend Marit, and their AI intelligence OPAL. They scavenge wrecks and debris fields for usable metals and parts, eking out a survival, and bickering as four intelligences crowded together day in and day out, particularly siblings, are likely to do. Then one day Denver stumbles across a startling find - a pod from a failed rebellion, full of valuable biologicals and even more dangerous secrets.

Cashing in on that find will be hard, and involves trusting members of the black market on the nearest station, who by their nature aren't reliable. After a slow opening couple of chapters, there is action and tension, as the ship crew, along with a young gay man Denver almost hooked up with, and a couple of hangers-on, try to make use of the huge implications of the pod contents. While powerful people who suspect they made some valuable find try to stop them.

Some of the details of the plot are light on underpinnings and some god of great good fortune had to be watching out for them, in the way a few of the details fall out. But it works well enough, the writing is clear and engaging, there are amusing moments with their AI whose chosen dictionary is a twentieth century one, and the ending is HEA. (Almost too smoothly so, but satisfying.)

[QuietlyKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cari Z is always an automatic one click for me, I love her worlds, characters and stories. Though I’ve only read one Marie Sexton book, I LOVED it, so when I saw this collaboration, I was all in, no questions asked. Based on the blurb, I knew it was sci-fi but I wasn’t sure if it was a romance or would even include a romantic element. Given the authors, I did suspect there’d be a m/m relationship but since I love sci-fi, I figured I’d be happy regardless. Turns out there are romantic elements but they’re secondary to the sci-fi story and the relationship between brothers, Denver and Laramie.

What we end up with is a very entertaining romp through space in a post apocalyptic world with vibes that evoked Firefly and Battlestar Galactica in all the best ways. The world building was solid and organically integrated into the story, I never felt the weight of info dumps you sometimes get in sci-fi and alternate world stories. The story and plot were original and well crafted; every time I thought to myself, “Well what about this?” or “How’s that going to work?” the authors had an answer that was thoughtful and made sense.

As I mentioned, the romance was secondary to the action and adventure as well as the sibling relationship, but I didn’t mind that. I thoroughly enjoyed all the relationship dynamics whether it was between siblings or friends or romantic interests or AIs. Speaking of AIs, OPAL, the resident AI was one of my favorite characters, cleverly conceived and executed and an endless source of humor and laughs.

The Lost Ship of the Tucker Rebellion was immersive and entertaining, the perfect escape.

4.5 brightly shining stars

[Fabi NEEDS Email Notifications · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read books by each of these authors and enjoyed the stories. As a duo, they've created something quite different than what I've read from them before.

This is science fiction folks. Even with a teeny, tiny mm love story inside the plot, it can't be considered romance or even sci-fi romance. It took me by surprise since I'm used to reading mm romance from both authors. It reads like a sci-fi adventure thriller, but lacks the science of a hard science fiction.

It is well plotted with smooth transitions and believable characters, although it suffers from the indie plague of insufficient editing.

I really like both of these authors, independently as well as a writing team.

A special thank you to Clayton for bringing this one to my attention.

[Anabela.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew Marie Sexton has a great knowledge of how to write amazing stories so of course I jumped right away at the chance to read Lost Ship of the Tucker Rebellion. This collaboration with Cari Z. is absolutely brilliant!

The blurb doesn't give to much away and trying not to gush at how amazing the story is without giving spoilers is really, really hard. The world building is fabulous. The cast of characters is pretty much an ensemble one and they were all fantastic and unique. Nuanced, detailed personalities whose individual qualities added up making me love each one and root for them.

The storyline is exciting and thrilling, emotional and funny...it kept me entertained and enthralled from beginning to the end.

A book you absolutely have to read.

[Michi · Rating 5 out of 5]

***I was super lucky and able to receive an ARC from one of the authors***

The sci-fi adventure we all need right now. The book is witty, adventurous, nail-biting, and also hilarious. There are Firefly & Stargate: Atlantis vibes throughout the book which made me love it all the more.

This story takes place in the future and in space, because Earth has been devastated by nefarious aliens. This crew starts with three - two twins, Laramie & Denver and their alien friend, Marit. Laramie and Denver have a sort of twin connection that makes things hilarious at times. We start with them salvaging dead space for things of worth to pay their bills and keep their ship moving. They run across something with the potential to either give them new lives, or they'll all die following century old clues.

I can't say too much without giving it all away, but look forward to:

*One crazy moon guy who owns a flamethrower and loves mushrooms (excuse me, I mean he loves fungi).

*Stowaways

*Self-righteous negotiators that always seem to show up at the wrong time

*OPAL, their on board AI, had me laughing so much throughout this book -- especially with references to the 20th & 21st century

*HEA with an optimistic future for everyone

[UltraMeital · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 22%

I tried, I really did but I just couldn't continue on with this book. I'll admit I'm not a fan of Sci-Fi novels but I've read a few by Cari and LOVED them so it was a given I'm going to give this one a go. So I delved in hoping for something different and exciting and finding myself ANNOYED and mostly, truth being said - bored. I didn't connect or even like any of our 3 MCs, their constant banter was tiring and it led to almost nothing happening in the first quarter of the book. I think I actually got to the point things started to happen but I can't commit to it. I'm sorry.

I won't say a lot about the plot firstly because VERY little actually happened besides Denver Clayborne (our sole POV up until 22% where I stopped) finding a "pod" coming from at least a century ago and in it a promise of something extraordinary. His sick twin brother Laramie is skeptical and moreover he doesn't want Denver to put his life at risk for his sake (hoping for a cure) and their third member - Marit - isn't able of doing anything but complaining. There's a lot of not really world building but references to the past and how everyone came to be living in space (and Earth becoming uninhabitable). I didn't care about any of it because it was all done in their usual banter which threw me off this book in the first place.

So who this book is for? I think someone who generally enjoys Sci-Fi for everything that it is. I'm here for the romance (which hasn't started yet) and the adventure and character progression and these things weren't happening fast enough for me. Also this felt different than Cari's usual writing which isn't surprising for a collaboration (haven't read anything by Marie before). So I really don't know. I feel disappointed and I'm not sure if it's more with the story/characters or with myself for feeling the way I do.

More Reviews HERE

[Dumbledore11214]

So , this is a very unfortunate DNF. I usually like these authors' separate offerings. Cari Z especially wrote a lot in SFF subgenre of mm romance , which happens to be one of my favorite if not the favorite subgenre. When I saw this book on KU I jumped on it. I managed five chapters and decided life is too short. Funny thing is I am not even sure why - the authors certainly tried to create an interesting world and show it to the reader. I love imaginary worlds in SFF books and appreciate very much the world building. This one however I had no reaction too. As much as I enjoy good world building , I am able to continue reading if I enjoy the characters. I felt like I had zero emotional connection to any of them at 28 percent of the book ( when I stopped reading ). At the heart of the book we have two twin brothers who obviously have a close bond between them and one of them is sick and another is trying to find a cure. My emotions should have been very much involved, but nope, nothing at all. Bored.

[A.L. Lester · Rating 5 out of 5]

A queer space opera romp of the finest kind, with a romantic sub-plot that's very satisfying. There's a sarcastic AI, space wreckage, a destroyed earth, searching for a home; all the good tropes. I wanted it to be longer, but I always want books with a 'finding a new home' trope to be longer, because finding the home is the beginning of a new story as well as the end of the current one. Anyway...five stars, will read again!

[Sabrina · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @20%

My God, is this book boring.

It has been 20% of literally nothing but lame explanations about banal things happening. It’s just 20% of info dump and I’ve had enough. If your book doesn’t capture me in the first 10%, I am done.

[ᗰ.ᑕ. ❄️ O͎L͎D͎E͎R͎ ͎&͎ ͎W͎I͎S͎E͎R͎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

2020 = 4 stars
2024 = + 1 star for good reread
(Info. added to my original review)

I'm a fan of Marie Sexton and some of her books are favorites of mine. I was happy to see her new release. As a romance reader, I was disappointed to find the romance was insta-love with just a few kisses and a brief sex scene—like in YA novels. However, the story gradually drew me in with plenty of action and intrigue that kept my interest.

This sci-fi story follows twin brothers Denver and Laramie, who share a deep psychic bond. Laramie’s degenerative space disease threatens his life, so Denver searches for a habitable planet to save him. Their journey is complicated by the oppressive Mars government and troublemakers like Ginn, Tonlet, and Zahn, making their mission all the more challenging.

The found family is a favorite trope of mine. Denver and Laramie form a family with Marit and their AI, OPAL. As the story continues, others join, including Spence, Denver's love interest, and his 7-year-old sister, Treesa. Their growing group adds warmth, along with a few problems, to their space adventure.

The characters are distinctive, with their own voices and personality. OPAL is one of my favorites, due to her humorous comments.

😂 Examples:
• “You ready, OPAL?”
• OPAL’s voice echoed in his helmet. “Fo’ shizzle, dawg.”
• “I’m going to assume that means yes.”

• “I can uncover this sucker on my own. I’m a big boy.”
• “That’s what she said,” OPAL announced.
• Denver frowned. “What the hell does that even mean?”

I enjoyed the ending, but I wasn’t ready for the story to be over! A new chapter had just begun for the MCs and their friends, and I wanted to see what happened to them down the road.

If you want a feel-good, original story, I recommend giving this a try. It’s a quick, easy read that left me feeling warm and fuzzy—even if it’s not perfect. 😊

Dislikes:
🔻 The story is too short. It needed more details & descriptions.
🔻 The ending is rushed and abrupt.
🔻 This part made little sense: The brothers must pilot the La'Vin ship, named Legacy, to their new home using their psychic abilities. Later, it's revealed that Tonlet can't pilot the ship because it's low on fuel. Since he's not psychic, he wouldn't have been able to operate it.

🚨 SPOILERS BELOW!

🤗 A group hug after reaching their new home.
(Denver) He grabbed Spence and Marit and hugged them both at the same time. Laramie joined them, wrapping his arms around them all. OPAL scurried up Marit’s body to join in on the most joyfully awkward group hug Denver had ever been a part of.

The Epilogue:
The MCs and group arrive at their new planet, named "Legacy." A month later, they're settled in the homes they found there. Denver lives with Spence and Treesa. Laramie is now healthy and in a relationship with a woman named Dusty, one of the 450 escapists and the mayor of their new town. The story ends with a party and bonfire at the meeting hall.

Laramie and Marit plan to map the planet. Though Denver struggles to let Laramie go, he knows they’re finally living the adventure they’ve longed for.

Meanwhile, the two troublemakers, Tonlet and Zahn, are exploring their new solar system.

Denver & Spence discuss their future.
❤ FINAL WORDS:
They sat there, together, and Denver focused on the way the breeze made the grass rustle, and on the sound of insects they didn’t have names for yet, and the heat of Spence’s body. He couldn’t look up at the sky anymore, or the trees, or the vast horizon. It would overwhelm him, to be conscious of that and all these other things at once. But these pieces, he could enjoy. For now, this was more than enough.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many reviewers have noted, I would classify this as sci-fi with a male MC who happens to have a male love interest, and not a MM sci-fi romance book. The romantic relationship was very much secondary, and the steam factor was super low; not quite fade to black, but pretty damn close. I'm glad I'd read reviews and knew that going into the book, because otherwise, being familiar with the MM works of these authors, I probably would have been expecting something else which is the path to disappointment! Luckily, though, I was prepared and I love a good sci-fi with queer themes, so I quite enjoyed. Interesting concept, though it was quite slow to start and there were a few times at the beginning where I toyed with DNFing because it was a little boring. But things do pick up, and I thought the relationship between the two brothers was really interesting and well done. A couple of threads I'd have liked to see explored more--like the brothers' telepathic connection and all its implications, or anything about the actual aliens and where they are/what happened to them??--and the ending was quite neat and, though satisfying, felt a smidge sudden. But overall I had fun with this one, which is a relief after my last sci-fi read went a bit sideways...

[M'rella · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF at 33%
I am quite disappointed in this book.

I love sc-fi and I love science fiction (those two are not the same). MM is also my thing, as long as there is not too much sex, but so far there is only a nod to FF and a literal bromance (twinance?), and while their relationship is asexual - 'cause brothers - they do sound like an old married couple.

In the very first chapter, the finding of the space pod is promising and exciting: the spacewalk, the danger, the buried treasure, the AI with a sense of humor! Yet after a dozen pages it became boring and confusing.

So sorry to leave this review for my two favorite authors to find, but I can't help how I feel about this book and writing :(

PS I might give it another push and make it to at least 30%, just to get over the 1/4 mark.

[Amf0001 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like theses two authors and read a lot of their works. This is the first book I've read that they have collaborated on. I love space opera and I love m/m books, so this should have been a winner for me, but I found it underwritten on both space and romance. It chugs along, but not especially interestingly. The characters all felt a bit superficial except for our three initial crew mates. Even OPAL had more personality than other important people. I never really got a sense of who Spenser was and what was going on in his life before a five minute meting changed it all. There were huge plot holes which just irritated me.

It was written in a prosaic, matter of fact, style, and went for cheap laughs rather than any real insight. It could have been amazing, the bare bones were there, but it just didn't gel for me. I'm disappointed because I really like both the authors separately.

[Jenny (Nyxie) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly just got bored reading this. The first chapter started out pretty interesting with the space debris exploration. But by 30% there was just too much world building, too many characters, and too many plot threads to keep track of. The romance aspect is secondary to the platonic twin relationship of the brothers, which was more angsty than interesting. We had barely met the other romance MC by 30% - just enough to know his name, Spence.

Overall just not for me.

[Jambrea Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome team up!

This book was so wonderful and totally deserves a 5-star review. The story was compelling, the characters were awesome. OPAL steals the show with great dialogue. I don't usually give a lot of 5-star reviews, but this book kept me up most of the night as I needed to see what was going to happen next.

The story kept building and I was very invested in the brothers and Marit. I wanted them to succeed. This is a must-read book.

[Tony Williamson,jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Sci Fi

It is difficult for me to find a great sci go book. Maybe I am picky? I am happy I chose this book. Great world building, characters and plot. OPAL made me laugh. Lots of action to be had. I hope for a book 2 as I would love to know what else happens after.

[Didi]

I enjoy this crew’s adventure!! Really hope there’ll be sequel and some sort of reckoning for certain annoying chap(s) and beyotche... 😉

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.5 stars

I don’t read a lot of science fiction, but I love a good space adventure and The Lost Ship of the Tucker Rebellion captured me from the very start and I could barely put it down. This book has sort of a space opera/space western feel (note the twins are Denver and Laramie), and it’s just a whole lot of fun and adventure. For any book like this, the world building is key, and authors Marie Sexton and Cari Z do a great job here. The details are revealed in a natural flow as we learn about an alien race that came to Earth and brought with it an intergalactic war that destroyed the planet. The authors really set up an interesting world here and there are a lot of engaging side characters that develop things nicely. The world building here provides a great foundation for the rest of the book and we get a great sense of adventure as the group faces dangerous villains, risky escapes, and wild plans that could change their lives if they work — and destroy them if they don’t. I found the story creative and clever and very exciting.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[PaperMoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this sci-fi action tale - it kept my full attention in almost 5 hours of straight-through reading! Twin brothers with special communication powers discover what can only be described as the 'holy grail' of scavenger findings amidst historical battleground 'cemetery' wreckage/debris of spaceships. Denver and Laramie's put up a valiant fight to keep their find from controlling space-station power-lords, greedy space-pirates, manipulative lovers on the nearby space-station/hub, aided and abetted by one capable and feisty female shipmate (Marit) and OPAL, their AI/'bot' which provided most of the amusing scenes and chuckle-inducing one-liners in this excellent read. There's some M-M romance between one of the MCs and a secondary character but this was relatively 'low-key' and did not distract from the main thrust of a fast-moving, action -driven plot. A well-deserved 4.5 star read with a HEA ending.

[1000storie1000vite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Questo libro, scritto a due mani da Marie Sexton e Cari Z, mi ha stupita al 100%.
Una storia fantascientifica che, per prima cosa, è un avvincente romanzo d'avventura dalla narrazione intensa, dalle svolte inaspettate e dal ritmo sostenuto che mi ha fatto correre con gli occhi mentre leggevo.
Un mondo - anzi uno spazio- frammentato, in cui gli uomini vivono esuli su stazioni spaziali o su pianeti inospitali, mentre la Terra, come noi la conosciamo, è stata distrutta.
Una società in cui prevale la legge del più forte e del più scaltro.
Un ritrovamento inatteso, tanto fonte di speranza quanto di enormi problemi.
Questo è il contesto che fa da sfondo alle vicende dell'equipaggio della Jiminy.
In un concatenarsi di eventi ricchi di pathos, pieni di ostacoli e colpi di scena, la narrazione fluida e coinvolgente delle due autrici mi ha parlato di sogni che potrebbero divenire realtà, del coraggio incosciente e un po' folle che ci vuole per fare quel salto verso l'ignoto che serve a perseguirli, di un amore fraterno profondissimo e indomito, di amicizia piena di fiducia, di una disperata e totalizzante voglia di vivere.
Denver e Laramie, due gemelli identici che condividono un segreto, mi hanno commosso intimamente. Il loro meraviglioso e complesso legame mi ha toccato il cuore.
La voce narrante è solo quella di Denver, ma attraverso lui ho imparato a conoscere Laramie come fosse mio fratello. Le loro emozioni mi sono state trasmesse con forza e mi hanno fatto appassionare alla storia ancora di più. Al loro fianco ci sono svariati personaggi secondari, tutti caratterizzati attraverso una moltitudine di piccoli dettagli che li hanno resi indimenticabili, sia che li abbia amati, sia che li abbia odiati. Prima fra tutti OPAL, la bot dell'astronave, un'intelligenza artificiale che mi ha regalato momenti di puro divertimento 🤣... La voglio anch'io!
Che posso dirvi di più? Solo di allacciarvi le cinture, di tenere alta l'attenzione, perché non si sa mai di chi ci si può fidare, e di godervi questo bellissimo viaggio.
4 stelle e mezzo
Hugs&kisses

[Marco Khrenek Freddi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un futuro in cui l’umanità si è sparsa su colonie artificiali nel Sistema Solare, tutte dipendenti da Marte (che si dimostra essere un governo piuttosto dittatoriale), perché la Terra è ornai invivibile a causa di una guerra spaziale tra due razze aliene.
Due gemelli identici tranne per il fatto che uno è telepatico attivo ed è malato, si occupano di ricupero di “spazzatura spaziale” e, mentre sono impegnati nel loro lavoro si imbattono in un baccello contenente materiale organico (semi, funghi eccetera) provenienti dalla Terra e i diari di un gruppo di persone intenzionate a fuggire dall’influenza marziana e a trasferirsi su un pianeta alieno.
Da qui parte una storia di fantascienza veramente bella e ben scritta e con personaggi ben delineati e che si fanno amare (o odiare) fin da subito, i due gemelli (Denver e Laramie) soprattutto sono così ben delineati, soprattutto attraverso i loro dialoghi e comportamenti, da entrarti subito dentro e non andarsene più. C’è qualche piccola sbavatura nella trama, ma è francamente così poco importante (ad un certo punto la loro nave si ferma perché le vengono spenti i motori, ma è semplicemente un piccolo errore di descrizione), da non essere un problema.
La scrittura è scorrevole e divertente ed è uniforme; non si vede differenza tra gli stili delle due autrici.
Da ultimo, ci sono alcuni elementi queer (un personaggio gay e uno che si scopre bisessuale), ma questo elemento è molto ben integrato nella narrazione, non ci sono forzature, ed è funzionale alla costruzione dei personaggi e dei loro rapporti.

[Cynthia Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely phenomenal read. All of the characters are written outstandingly. Each has their own little problems and dealing with things. The way the writers made me feel like I was part of the people on board and just watching certain people and yes wanting to slap their noses off.
If you love sci-fi I believe it should be on you reader asap.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, this one is magnificent!  Alien technology, space cowboys, an intergalactic adventure, a brave new world, and a bit of romance.  Kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time!

[Macky · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️3.5⭐️

[Jenny Blackburn · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 17%

I have read works from both these authors for some time, but couldn't push myself to endure this book.it sounded promising but was a chore to read.

[Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshingly Complex Characters

I was expecting a typical "entertaining-enough" three star space opera. To my utter delight, the authors delivered some of the most complex and engaging characters I have come across in years. Bonus for an MM novel not to use sex scenes to distract from the lack of a plot. Instead, These characters felt honest, raw even, and got me totally invested in their journey. The ending was a bit abrupt, and the plot did needed a little more work, but that did not prevent me from thoroughly enjoying this story. All in all, well done!

[Avril · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay

I enjoyed this for the most part. Just found it a bit drug out and overly dramatic in some parts.

[Kelley Torque · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adventure

I loved this! I admit it was a little slow at times but each character was well done and enjoyable to read. I loved the combination of modern slang and futuristic tech - and even the experiences of what finding a new home would be like. Wonderful stuff ❤️

[Alfred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting!

This story was easy to read, and had more than a few plot twists. The characters felt real, and shone of the page.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don’t enjoy science fiction, but I very much enjoyed this book. I wish there were more!