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Space Assassins #1
The Interstellar Slayer
Kill or be killed, that was the assassin's way. It was an easy choice. That is, unless you found yourself fighting your former lover.
Hozark was a master assassin, one of the finest the galaxy had ever seen. But when a routine contract goes horribly wrong, it becomes clear something sinister is at play. A powerful foe is hunting slayers, and only one weapon can end the bloodshed. A legendary vespus blade.
But there's just one enormous problem. Those with the arcane skill to craft them all perished long ago. Or so it is believed. But romors tell of one who may yet live, and if Hozark hopes to prevail, he will have to pursue those whispers to the ends of the galaxy. For not only does his own survival depend on it, but that of his order as well.
Hozark was a master assassin, one of the finest the galaxy had ever seen. But when a routine contract goes horribly wrong, it becomes clear something sinister is at play. A powerful foe is hunting slayers, and only one weapon can end the bloodshed. A legendary vespus blade.
But there's just one enormous problem. Those with the arcane skill to craft them all perished long ago. Or so it is believed. But romors tell of one who may yet live, and if Hozark hopes to prevail, he will have to pursue those whispers to the ends of the galaxy. For not only does his own survival depend on it, but that of his order as well.
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 22, 2020
145 people are currently reading
696 people want to read
About the author
Scott Baron
55 books291 followersScott Baron is an American author with a penchant for oddball stories with O. Henry-esque twists.
Born in Hollywood, Baron credits growing up in Los Angeles with skewing his humor towards the offbeat and absurd. He studied abroad in Italy during his college years, returning to Los Angeles to work in the film industry as an on-set medic. In addition to writing shorts and novels, Baron is also a screenwriter of both feature and television scripts.
Born in Hollywood, Baron credits growing up in Los Angeles with skewing his humor towards the offbeat and absurd. He studied abroad in Italy during his college years, returning to Los Angeles to work in the film industry as an on-set medic. In addition to writing shorts and novels, Baron is also a screenwriter of both feature and television scripts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
March 18, 2023
The worldbuilding is a very interesting mix of SF and fantasy. Vampire space assassins, a legendary blade and magic. Sadly, we don't see much of the worldbuilding. It's all tell, no show and feels like we're missing a book of backstory.
The writing is so bad I thought surely this must be the first work of the author - and then I looked him up and saw that he has published a bunch of books. This here could have profited from a lot more editing. Neither the plot or characters could convince me. The plot was simple, almost childlike, the characters are one-dimensional.
The story has potential, but the execution is terrible.
The writing is so bad I thought surely this must be the first work of the author - and then I looked him up and saw that he has published a bunch of books. This here could have profited from a lot more editing. Neither the plot or characters could convince me. The plot was simple, almost childlike, the characters are one-dimensional.
The story has potential, but the execution is terrible.
December 16, 2020
2.5 stars
Thanks to the Editor and BookSirens. I received this book in exchange for an honest review
Assassins in Space and spatial dragons. What could go wrong? I am glad you asked. First thing first, it is simply too much. The length of the book and the content of the book did not match. We have a very rich and complex world-building but we don't get to explore it. At all. We are thrown in there and the author dumps on us the info he deems necessary to understand what is happening. But he didn't show us his world. And it is a shame, because... Dragons! But dragons aside (even if he managed to make something with dragons... In space... A spatial bore! And I cannot forgive him!) we really have a complex world, inhabited by a ton of different races. But we are just said what we need and we are pushed onward. It is such a waste. And I had a really hard time figuring out what was what because we don't have time to immerse ourselves. We had so much potential in there, and seeing it go to waste was just annoying. But I could have closed an eye there (dragons! In space! And assassins! But boring... Ok, maybe not. How dare you??)Anyway, let's get going because I am not done, sigh! The characters are the most boring ever! Let me see... We have an assassin (and then we have two, but this is another story), a pirate in space and his new copilot that seems quite the roguish tipe. So, this trio should have been an amazing trio! I was there, waiting for funny things to happens because... Come on! How could they not! Maybe witty retorts. Banter here and there. But do you know what we get? Exactly! None of those. And we have also a wise old swordsmith (in space!) and a renegade assassin. It has to count for something right?? Wrong. Nothing special, again! And don't get me started on the dialogues. Plain. Boring. Bidimensional. Sometimes they made me cringe. Ow, come one!! Plotwise is really fast-paced, maybe too much. Usually, I would have been happy to see a fast-paced plot, a lot of action, fights, and intrigues. But here we have a heavy underline of political intrigues, but... But we are just told they are there. And that's it. Nothing more. On one hand, I have to admire him, because he came out with a magnificent idea, and managed to make it boring. I wasn't invested in the story. I wasn't invested in the characters. And the writing wasn't the best either. He did a very subtle thing with the voices of his characters: usually, we don't "hear" them, because it is a 3rd person, external narrator. But here and there he throws in a sentence that brings the focus on one of the characters. Without rhyme or reason.I complained a lot (because again! Dragons! And assassins! In space! Pirates! Old wise swordsmith! This is the opposite of boring!!) but I think that the main problem is the length (or lack of) of the book. There is simply too much and the author didn't manage to balance all in the right way. I was sooo looking forward to this series, but our journey together ends here.
Thanks to the Editor and BookSirens. I received this book in exchange for an honest review
Assassins in Space and spatial dragons. What could go wrong? I am glad you asked. First thing first, it is simply too much. The length of the book and the content of the book did not match. We have a very rich and complex world-building but we don't get to explore it. At all. We are thrown in there and the author dumps on us the info he deems necessary to understand what is happening. But he didn't show us his world. And it is a shame, because... Dragons! But dragons aside (even if he managed to make something with dragons... In space... A spatial bore! And I cannot forgive him!) we really have a complex world, inhabited by a ton of different races. But we are just said what we need and we are pushed onward. It is such a waste. And I had a really hard time figuring out what was what because we don't have time to immerse ourselves. We had so much potential in there, and seeing it go to waste was just annoying. But I could have closed an eye there (dragons! In space! And assassins! But boring... Ok, maybe not. How dare you??)Anyway, let's get going because I am not done, sigh! The characters are the most boring ever! Let me see... We have an assassin (and then we have two, but this is another story), a pirate in space and his new copilot that seems quite the roguish tipe. So, this trio should have been an amazing trio! I was there, waiting for funny things to happens because... Come on! How could they not! Maybe witty retorts. Banter here and there. But do you know what we get? Exactly! None of those. And we have also a wise old swordsmith (in space!) and a renegade assassin. It has to count for something right?? Wrong. Nothing special, again! And don't get me started on the dialogues. Plain. Boring. Bidimensional. Sometimes they made me cringe. Ow, come one!! Plotwise is really fast-paced, maybe too much. Usually, I would have been happy to see a fast-paced plot, a lot of action, fights, and intrigues. But here we have a heavy underline of political intrigues, but... But we are just told they are there. And that's it. Nothing more. On one hand, I have to admire him, because he came out with a magnificent idea, and managed to make it boring. I wasn't invested in the story. I wasn't invested in the characters. And the writing wasn't the best either. He did a very subtle thing with the voices of his characters: usually, we don't "hear" them, because it is a 3rd person, external narrator. But here and there he throws in a sentence that brings the focus on one of the characters. Without rhyme or reason.I complained a lot (because again! Dragons! And assassins! In space! Pirates! Old wise swordsmith! This is the opposite of boring!!) but I think that the main problem is the length (or lack of) of the book. There is simply too much and the author didn't manage to balance all in the right way. I was sooo looking forward to this series, but our journey together ends here.
November 20, 2020
In most cases, when you read a book, you are going for the good guy, we all love a story of the Hero (gender neutral term) saving the day. But what happens when it isn’t about the Hero saving the day? What about when it is about an Assassin sneaking in to take out someone (Well, multiple someone’s, since generally there are multiple guards at the location who all have to die first for the Assassin to reach their Target, or on the way back out!)
This is the story of one such Assassin, and the Race/Order that he belongs to. This Race is known as Wampeh, and as a general rule, their race is fairly common, a pale race with dark hair. But our main character is a Wampeh Ghalian, which are only ‘a fraction of a fraction’ of the Wampeh, and have unique gifts. They have a rare anomaly of magical potential that allows them to steal another’s magic, but only by drinking their blood – in a sense, the Wampeh Ghalian are Vampire Assassins, with the ability to use magic. Over thousands of years, they have refined their skills, abilities, and craft, to become the most feared Assassins in all the known Galaxy. If you find out that you have a Ghalian after you, you might as well just give up, it will just be easier on you.
This is an epic story, and the world building is truly masterful. There is just so much detail that has gone into the background of the Ghalian’s, their Guild, how everything comes together, their magical abilities, weapons, magic items, and then there is the magical abilities of others.
In this first book, we are introduced to Hozark, a Master in the Ghalian Order, who has been set a task. He has to assassinate a Political figure known as an Emmik (they hold this title as this is a rank that has been earned and means the holder has significant power and magical ability. They work for an organisation called ‘The Council of Twenty’, which is the ruling body for the Galaxy, but is also very corrupt.
The Wampeh Ghalian do not take sides in confrontation or war, although several times it is referenced that due to the Councils overwhelming corruption, the Ghalian’s have been known to act against the Council, work for less etc, to disrupt Council plans, as they see the Council as a corrupt entity that should not exist.
The main focus of this story is that Hozark is to assassinate this Emmik, but to do so, he is going to have to get past the guards of the Emmik, and if intel is correct, one of those protecting the Emmik is a former Wampeh Ghalian, who carries a formidable weapon, one that can only be used properly by a Wampeh Ghalian – A Vespus Blade.
When a Wampeh Ghalian uses their special ability, and feeds upon someone with Magic, drinking their blood, they take this magic, and they can pass it to the sword, imbuing the sword with power.
I don’t want to go into huge detail and give away too many spoilers, but let’s just say it makes them even more lethal.
As such, part of this story becomes about Hozark finding his own Vespus Blade, and this is no easy feat, as there are very few left who can create such amazing weapons.
As I said previously, the world building is just incredibly in-depth, but rather than being overwhelming, or losing you (as it can do in some books where there is just too much information), in this case, you find you get totally absorbed in it, and just want more. It is utterly fascinating, this world of assassins, and with each new revelation, several more doors open into this wonderous world.
The Character work is just outstanding. Hozark, as the Wampeh Ghalian – the master Assassin, is brilliant. The captivating way in which he engages with his world is totally enthralling, and you find yourself glued to the book, unable to pull away. Hozark travels with a small crew, a pilot ‘Bud’, who helps him on missions, he is just hilarious. He is not a Ghalian, but having worked with Hozark, knows all about them. He has a co-pilot Laskar, who is a gifted pilot (the only reason they keep him around), but he has the common sense of a dead rat. The dialogue between Bud and Laskar is like a comedy routine at times, and keeps you laughing. There are some other characters, but I won’t discuss them so as to not give away spoilers.
As a Space Opera/Mil Sci-Fi, this is just an exceptional story, with fast paced action, intense combat scenes that are masterfully described (the sword-fighting scenes are just beautifully choreographed, and read so well). There is clever dialogue that compliments a creative, well thought out storyline, that keeps you both enthralled and guessing.
If you love a good story, doesn’t matter the genre, you will like this – and seriously – ‘MAGICAL VAMPIRE ASSASSINS!!!’, do I have to say anything else??
This is the story of one such Assassin, and the Race/Order that he belongs to. This Race is known as Wampeh, and as a general rule, their race is fairly common, a pale race with dark hair. But our main character is a Wampeh Ghalian, which are only ‘a fraction of a fraction’ of the Wampeh, and have unique gifts. They have a rare anomaly of magical potential that allows them to steal another’s magic, but only by drinking their blood – in a sense, the Wampeh Ghalian are Vampire Assassins, with the ability to use magic. Over thousands of years, they have refined their skills, abilities, and craft, to become the most feared Assassins in all the known Galaxy. If you find out that you have a Ghalian after you, you might as well just give up, it will just be easier on you.
This is an epic story, and the world building is truly masterful. There is just so much detail that has gone into the background of the Ghalian’s, their Guild, how everything comes together, their magical abilities, weapons, magic items, and then there is the magical abilities of others.
In this first book, we are introduced to Hozark, a Master in the Ghalian Order, who has been set a task. He has to assassinate a Political figure known as an Emmik (they hold this title as this is a rank that has been earned and means the holder has significant power and magical ability. They work for an organisation called ‘The Council of Twenty’, which is the ruling body for the Galaxy, but is also very corrupt.
The Wampeh Ghalian do not take sides in confrontation or war, although several times it is referenced that due to the Councils overwhelming corruption, the Ghalian’s have been known to act against the Council, work for less etc, to disrupt Council plans, as they see the Council as a corrupt entity that should not exist.
The main focus of this story is that Hozark is to assassinate this Emmik, but to do so, he is going to have to get past the guards of the Emmik, and if intel is correct, one of those protecting the Emmik is a former Wampeh Ghalian, who carries a formidable weapon, one that can only be used properly by a Wampeh Ghalian – A Vespus Blade.
When a Wampeh Ghalian uses their special ability, and feeds upon someone with Magic, drinking their blood, they take this magic, and they can pass it to the sword, imbuing the sword with power.
I don’t want to go into huge detail and give away too many spoilers, but let’s just say it makes them even more lethal.
As such, part of this story becomes about Hozark finding his own Vespus Blade, and this is no easy feat, as there are very few left who can create such amazing weapons.
As I said previously, the world building is just incredibly in-depth, but rather than being overwhelming, or losing you (as it can do in some books where there is just too much information), in this case, you find you get totally absorbed in it, and just want more. It is utterly fascinating, this world of assassins, and with each new revelation, several more doors open into this wonderous world.
The Character work is just outstanding. Hozark, as the Wampeh Ghalian – the master Assassin, is brilliant. The captivating way in which he engages with his world is totally enthralling, and you find yourself glued to the book, unable to pull away. Hozark travels with a small crew, a pilot ‘Bud’, who helps him on missions, he is just hilarious. He is not a Ghalian, but having worked with Hozark, knows all about them. He has a co-pilot Laskar, who is a gifted pilot (the only reason they keep him around), but he has the common sense of a dead rat. The dialogue between Bud and Laskar is like a comedy routine at times, and keeps you laughing. There are some other characters, but I won’t discuss them so as to not give away spoilers.
As a Space Opera/Mil Sci-Fi, this is just an exceptional story, with fast paced action, intense combat scenes that are masterfully described (the sword-fighting scenes are just beautifully choreographed, and read so well). There is clever dialogue that compliments a creative, well thought out storyline, that keeps you both enthralled and guessing.
If you love a good story, doesn’t matter the genre, you will like this – and seriously – ‘MAGICAL VAMPIRE ASSASSINS!!!’, do I have to say anything else??
July 28, 2021
Thank you to BookSirens for a free copy of this book. An honest review follows.
Vampire assasins in space. Space faring vampire assasins with magic.
An intriguing concept for a book, and the book blurb had me wanting to know more.
Our protagonist Hozark is a master of the feared Wampah Ghalian vampire assassins, who we meet while he is supervising a job. His graduating student is not succesful, but Horzark completes the job and returns to base. On arrival, he is told an important job has arisen, and he is the only one who can complete it.
It involves seeking a vespus blade (the most powerful sword of the Ghalians that stores and channels magical power), and dealing with someone the assassins thought was dead.
Given the number of books the author has written and published, I was expecting a polished and well honed plot, and well developed characters.
I really struggled to get engaged with this book.
Imagine if you will, tuning into a science fiction series halfway through episode 4 in season 2, where season 1 is when all of the relationships have been developed, high jinks have been had, histories are given, galaxy described etc etc, and you are trying to work out who, what, where, and why.
When reading the first chapter I had to check that I was indeed reading the first book as I felt like I was missing all the back story. But, I thought, perhaps this was just a clunky start, and the next chapter would lay out the why's and who's and where's. But no, the back story never really arrived.
What snippets there were, arrived in dribs (no drabs, just dribs), and were only to further the next few pages of text.
The characters were one dimensional, and attempts at humourous interplay and comic side comments fell flat, or were distinctly high school cafeteria level.
The book required much better editing, and a thesaurus. The writing was distinctly clunky, and repeated statements abounded.
Vampire assasins in space. Space faring vampire assasins with magic.
An intriguing concept for a book, and the book blurb had me wanting to know more.
Our protagonist Hozark is a master of the feared Wampah Ghalian vampire assassins, who we meet while he is supervising a job. His graduating student is not succesful, but Horzark completes the job and returns to base. On arrival, he is told an important job has arisen, and he is the only one who can complete it.
It involves seeking a vespus blade (the most powerful sword of the Ghalians that stores and channels magical power), and dealing with someone the assassins thought was dead.
Given the number of books the author has written and published, I was expecting a polished and well honed plot, and well developed characters.
I really struggled to get engaged with this book.
Imagine if you will, tuning into a science fiction series halfway through episode 4 in season 2, where season 1 is when all of the relationships have been developed, high jinks have been had, histories are given, galaxy described etc etc, and you are trying to work out who, what, where, and why.
When reading the first chapter I had to check that I was indeed reading the first book as I felt like I was missing all the back story. But, I thought, perhaps this was just a clunky start, and the next chapter would lay out the why's and who's and where's. But no, the back story never really arrived.
What snippets there were, arrived in dribs (no drabs, just dribs), and were only to further the next few pages of text.
The characters were one dimensional, and attempts at humourous interplay and comic side comments fell flat, or were distinctly high school cafeteria level.
The book required much better editing, and a thesaurus. The writing was distinctly clunky, and repeated statements abounded.
June 30, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. While there were some spoilers for me because I've read books of Bawb prior, it didn't bother me. It was fantastic to see a younger Hozark and the other characters I love from the later series. The book provided more insight into their stories and helped build up to who they become later on.
**I received a free advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
**I received a free advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 28, 2024
4/27/24
I'm going back and listening to these on audio and so far I'm enjoying it. A few words I was pronouncing differently in my head, but overall, it's a good narration and I'm enjoying going back to the beginning. I just finished the Book of Bawb, and I'm waiting for the next one to come out so I thought I'd revisit this original Space Assassins series.
Original Review:
A novella that was an interesting introduction to a 5-book series (I think). The feel of the story was kind of like an RPG for me, and I found the magic system to be really interesting. The main character (at least in this book) is Hozark, a man who was plucked from a very harsh planet as a boy and trained to be a master assassin. When things go completely sideways during a job, he needs to regroup and figure out what is going on. This was a short first book, so you're introduced to some of the various factions and types of magic users and animals, but I suspect we'll find out more as we move further into the series. I liked his longtime friend and ex-space pirate and hope he'll be around for the rest of the series. His friend's partner was a bit obnoxious, but I suspect that was deliberate. I have never heard of this author or series before I found it on BookSirens as a recommendation based on my past reviews, and I'm really glad I came across it. This was a relatively quick read, but I'm glad to see that the next book is normal novel length. I am definitely interested in seeing where this is going to go!
I received an advance review copy from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I'm going back and listening to these on audio and so far I'm enjoying it. A few words I was pronouncing differently in my head, but overall, it's a good narration and I'm enjoying going back to the beginning. I just finished the Book of Bawb, and I'm waiting for the next one to come out so I thought I'd revisit this original Space Assassins series.
Original Review:
A novella that was an interesting introduction to a 5-book series (I think). The feel of the story was kind of like an RPG for me, and I found the magic system to be really interesting. The main character (at least in this book) is Hozark, a man who was plucked from a very harsh planet as a boy and trained to be a master assassin. When things go completely sideways during a job, he needs to regroup and figure out what is going on. This was a short first book, so you're introduced to some of the various factions and types of magic users and animals, but I suspect we'll find out more as we move further into the series. I liked his longtime friend and ex-space pirate and hope he'll be around for the rest of the series. His friend's partner was a bit obnoxious, but I suspect that was deliberate. I have never heard of this author or series before I found it on BookSirens as a recommendation based on my past reviews, and I'm really glad I came across it. This was a relatively quick read, but I'm glad to see that the next book is normal novel length. I am definitely interested in seeing where this is going to go!
I received an advance review copy from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 31, 2021
The Interstellar Slayer is a Space-Fantasy romp that, unfortunately, left me wanting. The standout concept of "Vampire Assassins In Space" and thrilling prologue made my expectations skyrocket, and the novella couldn't quite live up to them.
There's a clean, sparse, quality to Baron's writing, excellent for avoiding info-dumps and speeding along a plot. There was just enough information on the new universe I found myself in to find-my-feet as a fantasy-bricks-worth of assassin-on-high-takes-job/revenge-quest-plot was stuffed into a novella. The downside to this is that the action and character work were also fairly sparse. I'm a very visual reader and really struggled to "see" the fight scenes, which were so central. I also like either some complex characters or a bit of banter, and outside the lead the characterisation felt very perfunctory and dialogue could be a bit one-note. At times I could imagine the "comic-relief-character says something funny here" draft notes as I read.
On the whole if "Vampire Assassins In Space!" sounds like your thing this should be an entertaining read. I'll probably try the next book and see if a higher word count fixes the niggles that made this just not click for me.
I received a free copy via Booksirens and am voluntarily leaving an honest review
There's a clean, sparse, quality to Baron's writing, excellent for avoiding info-dumps and speeding along a plot. There was just enough information on the new universe I found myself in to find-my-feet as a fantasy-bricks-worth of assassin-on-high-takes-job/revenge-quest-plot was stuffed into a novella. The downside to this is that the action and character work were also fairly sparse. I'm a very visual reader and really struggled to "see" the fight scenes, which were so central. I also like either some complex characters or a bit of banter, and outside the lead the characterisation felt very perfunctory and dialogue could be a bit one-note. At times I could imagine the "comic-relief-character says something funny here" draft notes as I read.
On the whole if "Vampire Assassins In Space!" sounds like your thing this should be an entertaining read. I'll probably try the next book and see if a higher word count fixes the niggles that made this just not click for me.
I received a free copy via Booksirens and am voluntarily leaving an honest review
March 2, 2021
Simply put this book is fun in a brutal action sort of way. (There is a Mass Market Edition available now.)
The author did well to craft a back story of the protagonist, expansive world, and narrative plot in such a short novel. It comes off as a delectable appetizer for a hopefully fullying series.
Although prejudice would lead to believe that this book is Assassin Creed in space. A more apt synopsis may be a turned Harry Dresden joined Red Rising's Howlers.
I recommend this book and I will continue the series.
The author did well to craft a back story of the protagonist, expansive world, and narrative plot in such a short novel. It comes off as a delectable appetizer for a hopefully fullying series.
Although prejudice would lead to believe that this book is Assassin Creed in space. A more apt synopsis may be a turned Harry Dresden joined Red Rising's Howlers.
I recommend this book and I will continue the series.
November 11, 2020
Same universe as the Dragon Mage Series, you get to follow around a new Wampeh assassin. A very entertaining and worthwhile read
January 25, 2021
Assassin's Creed in Space??
That was the vibe I first got so sorry in advance, no intended to be taken literal here!!
First of all, thank you BookSirens and Scott Baron for the opportunity to read and review this work!!
The Interstellar Slayer introduces us to a world where the science in science fiction is more or less replaced with magic! The universe has magic and projects magic all around!! Characters themselves have little to no magic, having to resource to devices that'll give them the powers!!
In a way I didn't like this idea, because in some sections you feel like there was an afterthought and the author did a "magic did it!" to save it... But that's not a common occurrence!!
There's a huge world of wich we only see a fraction but we follow Hozark, an assassin, and one of the deadliest of them all!! We create some empathy with him, even knowing him to be fearless and emotionless (on purpose)!! The main character is deeper than the rest of them, but being such a short book I didn't expect a lot of character development outside the main ones!!
The narrative, other than the situations stated above, is very interesting and it keeps up with the pace of the story, wich is FAST!! The dialogues are very straight forward and knowing the main character along the book you accept it as part of him and not a problem with the writing itself!!
Downside?? Well there were, supposedly space dragons and we saw none, that was a major downside.... Just kidding, but I hope to see space dragons next!!
It's a very interesting formula, to match sci-fi and fantasy in a story and even though I feel that there's a lot to evolve, there's also a lot to explore, my rating here represents the potencial for the story to continue and get better because it has that potencial!!
This e-book was freely given to me through BookSirens in exchange for an honest review!!
That was the vibe I first got so sorry in advance, no intended to be taken literal here!!
First of all, thank you BookSirens and Scott Baron for the opportunity to read and review this work!!
The Interstellar Slayer introduces us to a world where the science in science fiction is more or less replaced with magic! The universe has magic and projects magic all around!! Characters themselves have little to no magic, having to resource to devices that'll give them the powers!!
In a way I didn't like this idea, because in some sections you feel like there was an afterthought and the author did a "magic did it!" to save it... But that's not a common occurrence!!
There's a huge world of wich we only see a fraction but we follow Hozark, an assassin, and one of the deadliest of them all!! We create some empathy with him, even knowing him to be fearless and emotionless (on purpose)!! The main character is deeper than the rest of them, but being such a short book I didn't expect a lot of character development outside the main ones!!
The narrative, other than the situations stated above, is very interesting and it keeps up with the pace of the story, wich is FAST!! The dialogues are very straight forward and knowing the main character along the book you accept it as part of him and not a problem with the writing itself!!
Downside?? Well there were, supposedly space dragons and we saw none, that was a major downside.... Just kidding, but I hope to see space dragons next!!
It's a very interesting formula, to match sci-fi and fantasy in a story and even though I feel that there's a lot to evolve, there's also a lot to explore, my rating here represents the potencial for the story to continue and get better because it has that potencial!!
This e-book was freely given to me through BookSirens in exchange for an honest review!!
September 6, 2021
The Interstellar Slayer is a fun science fantasy adventure that takes us into a thoroughly interesting and detailed universe. In a way it reminded me a lot of The Mandalorian in the way that the story follows this rather taciturn assassin as he navigates through this rich new universe on a mission from his guild. There's plenty of action to show off his interesting, magic-like abilities that make him so effectively deadly, and we also got a glimpse of some colorful side characters and lore which I'm sure get more facetime in future books. Honestly, the only criticism I have this book is that it packs of lot of info into such a short book, but with lots of sequels to follow, there's still so much to explore and see through Hozark's adventures. Definitely recommend for anyone looking for a fun new space-fantasy world to explore with a fresh new magic system and lots of action. (4.5/5)
Thanks so much to Booksirens for the free ARC!
Thanks so much to Booksirens for the free ARC!
March 24, 2021
Lately I am really in the mood for a good SciFi story. Coming from reading a lot of Fantasy I was able to find quiet a few fun Space Operas, but nothing that really screamed Science Fiction Fantasy that I loved.
This book might have answered that call.
The Interstellar Slayer had everything a good fantasy story needs for me: interesting magic system, interesting races, political construct, revolution, intrigue, coup d'é·tat, assassins (a whole freakin shapeshifting assassin-species!), swords - and swords wih special powers. What made it amazing is to bring all of this into an intriguing SciFi setting with different planets, space travel, different species and interplanetary politics.
I really enjoyed diving into this very rich world with so much potential to build an epic story on. The characters we were introduced to are quite straight forward and there is not too much character growth happening, but then again this is only a very short book that introduced us to this world. I expect that the author is fully capable of writing great development across the rest of the series.
The only caveat I have is that again - this book is very short and for these few pages, we might have been introduced to a bit much within this world. The author was able to not make it too info-dumpey but the downside to that was that for the first half of the book it took me quite long to start to understand everything. I was at times struggling between understanding if we are talking about a planet or a person since all the names and descriptions are so unfamiliar and names have such a similar structure that it was hard to tell it all apart. I believe that as soon as you understand the world and who is who, this will not be an issue anymore. But I would have appreciated to be introduced into this world a little slower.
If you enjoy coup d'é·tat stories and power struggles and sword and sorcery action in a slightly space-y setting, this book definitely is for you.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book will be included in my biweekly reading wrap up on my YouTube channel that will be published on March 19th.
See my thoughts in my March Reading Wrap Up #1 : https://youtu.be/sEGcZO7pYak
This book might have answered that call.
The Interstellar Slayer had everything a good fantasy story needs for me: interesting magic system, interesting races, political construct, revolution, intrigue, coup d'é·tat, assassins (a whole freakin shapeshifting assassin-species!), swords - and swords wih special powers. What made it amazing is to bring all of this into an intriguing SciFi setting with different planets, space travel, different species and interplanetary politics.
I really enjoyed diving into this very rich world with so much potential to build an epic story on. The characters we were introduced to are quite straight forward and there is not too much character growth happening, but then again this is only a very short book that introduced us to this world. I expect that the author is fully capable of writing great development across the rest of the series.
The only caveat I have is that again - this book is very short and for these few pages, we might have been introduced to a bit much within this world. The author was able to not make it too info-dumpey but the downside to that was that for the first half of the book it took me quite long to start to understand everything. I was at times struggling between understanding if we are talking about a planet or a person since all the names and descriptions are so unfamiliar and names have such a similar structure that it was hard to tell it all apart. I believe that as soon as you understand the world and who is who, this will not be an issue anymore. But I would have appreciated to be introduced into this world a little slower.
If you enjoy coup d'é·tat stories and power struggles and sword and sorcery action in a slightly space-y setting, this book definitely is for you.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book will be included in my biweekly reading wrap up on my YouTube channel that will be published on March 19th.
See my thoughts in my March Reading Wrap Up #1 : https://youtu.be/sEGcZO7pYak
November 6, 2020
What a wonderful addition to the Charlie and Daisy stories! Yes, one can read this book without reading the other 14, but why would one want to? This is more of a backstory with an "ah ha!" moment. Still, wonderfully written and hard to put down. I highly recommend reading this book/series.
November 13, 2021
Received as a review copy from Booksirens (2020), this is an honest review. Hozark has spent his entire life enduring the rigorous training it takes to become an expert Ghalian assassin. Wielding a complex set of magic spells and deftly used swordsmanship, Hozark sets off across the galaxy to accomplish the contract his has been called to complete. From the first page to the last, this story is beautifully crafted, balanced with elements of the genres meshed together that will keep you engaged as the epic journey unfolds. A very exciting series beginning with The Interstellar Slayer, highly recommended.
January 15, 2021
Thanks to the Editor and BookSirens. I received this book in exchange for an honest review so here we go!
The Interstellar Slayer by Scott Baron is a short first book in a 5 book series called Space Assassins, that follows, Hozark, a man who is one of the finest assassins the galaxy has known.
And I don’t know what to think of him.
I feel like the book is what I needed. It was short, action packed and fast paces, something that I definitely wanted to read after a few slower and bigger books. However, and this is what I find with most assassins books, the characters are so skilled. They know so much, they know how to handle every situation, and they get to handle the situation (almost)perfect. That, and most of the time the writer tells more about how amazing their assassin character is without actually showing it. Put that together with magic users, and well, it can feel like the characters are overpowered sometimes.
This book kind of follows under it. There is this balance, we have the start where stuff doesn’t go as planned and there are some chapters of Hozark when he was young and just started training, which I did like to read about. He sure is an interesting character, does what he needs to do, ha some inner conflicts, and an angsty past which is always a plus for me.
Speaking of characters, I did like the rest of the cast. Some characters stayed there the entire book and some got introduced halfway, but they never felt too flat and got some cool history themselves (as individual as well as tied to Hozark), which I would love to read about. The main thing that does itch me a bit, are the ‘villains’, since I didn’t get much about them, but then again, it was a short book and it might be for a reason, which I believe it is.
This book is a great start of a series that I feel like wouldn’t drag too much (the danger of a long-ish series for sure) and I do think I’ll continue reading about it. It is also great for anyone who is looking for a book that mixes science fiction and fantasy together, but isn’t too hard to understand.
The Interstellar Slayer by Scott Baron is a short first book in a 5 book series called Space Assassins, that follows, Hozark, a man who is one of the finest assassins the galaxy has known.
And I don’t know what to think of him.
I feel like the book is what I needed. It was short, action packed and fast paces, something that I definitely wanted to read after a few slower and bigger books. However, and this is what I find with most assassins books, the characters are so skilled. They know so much, they know how to handle every situation, and they get to handle the situation (almost)perfect. That, and most of the time the writer tells more about how amazing their assassin character is without actually showing it. Put that together with magic users, and well, it can feel like the characters are overpowered sometimes.
This book kind of follows under it. There is this balance, we have the start where stuff doesn’t go as planned and there are some chapters of Hozark when he was young and just started training, which I did like to read about. He sure is an interesting character, does what he needs to do, ha some inner conflicts, and an angsty past which is always a plus for me.
Speaking of characters, I did like the rest of the cast. Some characters stayed there the entire book and some got introduced halfway, but they never felt too flat and got some cool history themselves (as individual as well as tied to Hozark), which I would love to read about. The main thing that does itch me a bit, are the ‘villains’, since I didn’t get much about them, but then again, it was a short book and it might be for a reason, which I believe it is.
This book is a great start of a series that I feel like wouldn’t drag too much (the danger of a long-ish series for sure) and I do think I’ll continue reading about it. It is also great for anyone who is looking for a book that mixes science fiction and fantasy together, but isn’t too hard to understand.
February 6, 2021
Vampire(-ish) Assassins. In Space. With Magic. What more could you want?
For someone who doesn't read short stories/novellas often, this book was surprisingly captivating. An amazing world building, interesting characters and action packed, fast paced plot.
We follow Hozark, one of the five masters (we are told this quite repeatedly 😅) of a group of deadly elite assassins, travelling across systems and planets to fulfil a contract that puts him opposite an important person from his past. One he thought was dead.
The magic in this world was very fascinating. It made me curious to know more and more about it, but at the same time it seemed to be more than what the story required at this point which made it a little bit confusing.
Same was true with the world building. As I mentioned before, I found it to be really good, but at the same it was written in an info-dump-y way and there was quite a lot of it. Despite this, I have to say, coming as a surprise to me, it was very easy get through them.
The ending was definitely intense, but it also made it quite obvious what should have a twist at a later point in the story. Nonetheless, I'm very eager to continue on with the series.
** I received a free copy of this book from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review. **
For someone who doesn't read short stories/novellas often, this book was surprisingly captivating. An amazing world building, interesting characters and action packed, fast paced plot.
We follow Hozark, one of the five masters (we are told this quite repeatedly 😅) of a group of deadly elite assassins, travelling across systems and planets to fulfil a contract that puts him opposite an important person from his past. One he thought was dead.
The magic in this world was very fascinating. It made me curious to know more and more about it, but at the same time it seemed to be more than what the story required at this point which made it a little bit confusing.
Same was true with the world building. As I mentioned before, I found it to be really good, but at the same it was written in an info-dump-y way and there was quite a lot of it. Despite this, I have to say, coming as a surprise to me, it was very easy get through them.
The ending was definitely intense, but it also made it quite obvious what should have a twist at a later point in the story. Nonetheless, I'm very eager to continue on with the series.
** I received a free copy of this book from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review. **
December 5, 2020
5/5 Stars
Space travelling, magic sucking, vampiric assassins. What more can I say?
As an introduction to this story, I was drawn in by the first page. The characters are cool and multidimensional, the vivid storytelling is superb, and the pacing is awesome.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy from BookSirens
Space travelling, magic sucking, vampiric assassins. What more can I say?
As an introduction to this story, I was drawn in by the first page. The characters are cool and multidimensional, the vivid storytelling is superb, and the pacing is awesome.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy from BookSirens
December 3, 2020
Great read! Magic, tech, laughter, strong friendships, and a fast moving pace made this book interesting and fun to read. Lots of intrigue and evil plots being thwarted. Some wins for the good guys and some for the bad. Can’t wait to read the next book! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 19, 2021
I received a free copy of this book for a voluntary review through BookSirens.
This book was a nice fresh take on a fantasy story for me. Not really read a book yet that takes place in outer space and this writer really worked it out nicely and made me want to take a new look at how I review my books (which is also why it took me a bit longer since finishing it). I would want to rate it based on various aspects of storywriting so here goes:
The book starts off with a so called Emmik which I presume is somewhat similar to what we call a duke in a monarchy or maybe more like a lieutenant in the army (sort of 2nd or 3rd in command) who is made aware by the captain of the guard that a body has been found and his thoughttrain on that it must be done by an assassin. Not just any assassin, no, something called a Wampeh Ghalian which are the best of the best and one of the few creatures in the galaxy that can use a form of magic that they stole by draining it from their victims.
Conversations flow smoothly, the way characters in the book talk are consistent for their characters but there is something missing. Conversations are stale at some points where only said what needs to be said
World building is limited at times but descriptive and livid enough to grasp the environment the characters are currently in. Can feel that the author really tried to relay the images in his own head onto paper.
Story flow is excellent. The pace is steady and solid. Ups and downs which makes you want to somewhat root for the protagonist and feel the emotions he's feeling.
The ending is satisfying enough to want to read on so next book review I'll be doing is clear! :)
This book was a nice fresh take on a fantasy story for me. Not really read a book yet that takes place in outer space and this writer really worked it out nicely and made me want to take a new look at how I review my books (which is also why it took me a bit longer since finishing it). I would want to rate it based on various aspects of storywriting so here goes:
The book starts off with a so called Emmik which I presume is somewhat similar to what we call a duke in a monarchy or maybe more like a lieutenant in the army (sort of 2nd or 3rd in command) who is made aware by the captain of the guard that a body has been found and his thoughttrain on that it must be done by an assassin. Not just any assassin, no, something called a Wampeh Ghalian which are the best of the best and one of the few creatures in the galaxy that can use a form of magic that they stole by draining it from their victims.
Conversations flow smoothly, the way characters in the book talk are consistent for their characters but there is something missing. Conversations are stale at some points where only said what needs to be said
World building is limited at times but descriptive and livid enough to grasp the environment the characters are currently in. Can feel that the author really tried to relay the images in his own head onto paper.
Story flow is excellent. The pace is steady and solid. Ups and downs which makes you want to somewhat root for the protagonist and feel the emotions he's feeling.
The ending is satisfying enough to want to read on so next book review I'll be doing is clear! :)
June 7, 2021
ARC Review: Received for free via BookSirens for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you Scott Baron for the opportunity.
CW/TW: death, blood, blood drinking, stabbing, assassin, violence, slavery, child abuse, child neglect, emotional abandonment, nudity, physical fight, mention of slave trading, slavery
This book feels like it should be longer. It's set up to be one of those long ass book with big sciencey words that I end up not remembering or caring to remember because they're so long and so many. But this book is nothing like that!
This book is such a quick read, with an interesting plot. We are not clogged with big sciencey words nor are we clogged with a whole lot of info dumping. I think this book was actually paced really well without taking away from the world building. The chapters are nice and short, again, again, there is no unnecessary info dumping.
The characters are a little lacking I think, in such a way that I didn't 100% care enough about them to be sad if they were assumed dead. But at the same time, it's not so bad that I didn't not care about them. AND we aren't clogged up with so many characters that I end up not knowing who's who, instead we have a minimum amount of characters that we remember and we know exactly who to root for.
And on the topic of sciencey words, I like that this mixes magic and science and that even then we aren't clogged up and made to feel like we know nothing. Scott Baron doesn't lose us with big words and long-winded explanations about the science and magic of it all, instead he keeps it simple and therefore let's me care enough to try and understand the magic system and science of it all. I like that, like that in a book that could've gone all the way with the fake science, it decided to keep it simple and understandable.
I was a little afraid going into this, thinking that by the end I wouldn't want to complete it, but lo and behold, I could barely put it down because it's that good and that intriguing. I really enjoyed this and cannot wait to get into the second book, especially now that we're going to be introduced to even more alien races. Yay!
CW/TW: death, blood, blood drinking, stabbing, assassin, violence, slavery, child abuse, child neglect, emotional abandonment, nudity, physical fight, mention of slave trading, slavery
This book feels like it should be longer. It's set up to be one of those long ass book with big sciencey words that I end up not remembering or caring to remember because they're so long and so many. But this book is nothing like that!
This book is such a quick read, with an interesting plot. We are not clogged with big sciencey words nor are we clogged with a whole lot of info dumping. I think this book was actually paced really well without taking away from the world building. The chapters are nice and short, again, again, there is no unnecessary info dumping.
The characters are a little lacking I think, in such a way that I didn't 100% care enough about them to be sad if they were assumed dead. But at the same time, it's not so bad that I didn't not care about them. AND we aren't clogged up with so many characters that I end up not knowing who's who, instead we have a minimum amount of characters that we remember and we know exactly who to root for.
And on the topic of sciencey words, I like that this mixes magic and science and that even then we aren't clogged up and made to feel like we know nothing. Scott Baron doesn't lose us with big words and long-winded explanations about the science and magic of it all, instead he keeps it simple and therefore let's me care enough to try and understand the magic system and science of it all. I like that, like that in a book that could've gone all the way with the fake science, it decided to keep it simple and understandable.
I was a little afraid going into this, thinking that by the end I wouldn't want to complete it, but lo and behold, I could barely put it down because it's that good and that intriguing. I really enjoyed this and cannot wait to get into the second book, especially now that we're going to be introduced to even more alien races. Yay!
December 1, 2020
Audio, n Bryan Moore
This was a very mixed bag for me. The pacing was good, and the narrator was decent. That said, I had a hard time trying to marry fantasy (magic) with sci fi (space travel); saying spells to make it possible doesn't work for me, especially since it's never really elaborated or explained.
There was a lot of potential, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Though the story was interesting and I liked what I could "see" of this world, every Noun (person, place, or thing) in the book was named so terribly I instantly hated it.
The main character, Hozark, - aside from having a stupid name and even more ridiculous title/descriptor/rank/race....? - is skilled at everything and has no flaws. It makes him very one-note. The other characters are also very one-dimensional, though lacking perfection.
The narrator was pretty good overall, with the exception of two major annoyances. Firstly, he pronounced "didn't" as "dinnint." I found it incredibly unprofessional. If it had been done in character, I wouldn't have minded, but he said it every time, as the narrator. Not cool. The other strange quirk he exhibited was a weird lengthening of sibilants. For instance, the word "strode" (which came up a lot - characters strode or were striding everywhere) sounded like "schtrode." It was very distracting. Otherwise he had a pleasant voice that was well-modulated, capable of a wide range for different voices (though I did feel some interpretations should have been reconsidered).
In sum, I think I would give it a solid meh. I didn't hate it, and as I said above, I felt it had a lot of potential. On the other hand, I'm not sure there's enough here to propel me to the next book. The world is only partially realized, the characters are very shallow, and the writing indifferent. In the interest of fairness, this is a prequel novella, so maybe these complaints will be address in the following full-length novel.
This was a very mixed bag for me. The pacing was good, and the narrator was decent. That said, I had a hard time trying to marry fantasy (magic) with sci fi (space travel); saying spells to make it possible doesn't work for me, especially since it's never really elaborated or explained.
There was a lot of potential, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Though the story was interesting and I liked what I could "see" of this world, every Noun (person, place, or thing) in the book was named so terribly I instantly hated it.
The main character, Hozark, - aside from having a stupid name and even more ridiculous title/descriptor/rank/race....? - is skilled at everything and has no flaws. It makes him very one-note. The other characters are also very one-dimensional, though lacking perfection.
The narrator was pretty good overall, with the exception of two major annoyances. Firstly, he pronounced "didn't" as "dinnint." I found it incredibly unprofessional. If it had been done in character, I wouldn't have minded, but he said it every time, as the narrator. Not cool. The other strange quirk he exhibited was a weird lengthening of sibilants. For instance, the word "strode" (which came up a lot - characters strode or were striding everywhere) sounded like "schtrode." It was very distracting. Otherwise he had a pleasant voice that was well-modulated, capable of a wide range for different voices (though I did feel some interpretations should have been reconsidered).
In sum, I think I would give it a solid meh. I didn't hate it, and as I said above, I felt it had a lot of potential. On the other hand, I'm not sure there's enough here to propel me to the next book. The world is only partially realized, the characters are very shallow, and the writing indifferent. In the interest of fairness, this is a prequel novella, so maybe these complaints will be address in the following full-length novel.
May 14, 2023
**I received a free ARC from Book Sirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.**
(Why do I always have to put that? Did someone really think there is a person looming over me with vampire fangs forcing me to type my random thoughts?)
But, I digress. I read the rest of the series "Space Assassins" first. I wasn't offered this one until I was finished with the other four. And, I am kind of glad that I did. I LOVED the other four. They were fast-paced, witty, entertaining and just WOW. Absolutely adored them. Scott Baron was one of my favorite, new authors. And he still is...just this book doesn't match with the other four. This was the first one, so maybe he was still finding his voice. Maybe he thought his readers wouldn't like assassins in space? Who knows? I am glad that he found it though. My suggestion to you, other readers would be enjoy this one for what it is and then go and devour the other four!
(Why do I always have to put that? Did someone really think there is a person looming over me with vampire fangs forcing me to type my random thoughts?)
But, I digress. I read the rest of the series "Space Assassins" first. I wasn't offered this one until I was finished with the other four. And, I am kind of glad that I did. I LOVED the other four. They were fast-paced, witty, entertaining and just WOW. Absolutely adored them. Scott Baron was one of my favorite, new authors. And he still is...just this book doesn't match with the other four. This was the first one, so maybe he was still finding his voice. Maybe he thought his readers wouldn't like assassins in space? Who knows? I am glad that he found it though. My suggestion to you, other readers would be enjoy this one for what it is and then go and devour the other four!
December 23, 2022
I can't with this book. I rarely don't finish a book. Especially one so short. The magic in space, that was a stretch already. But the writing style of this book...... I just can't get past it. I feel the author is fighting to write in 1st and 3rd person. One paragraph will be 3rd and then the next two in 1st. There was no world building and not much explanation on what things were. I could give the story and plot a chance but frankly I can't get past the writing style. It is not for me unfortunately.
November 17, 2020
Scott Baron is becoming the “go to” for compelling science fiction stories that blend fantasy and technology into an action-packed adventure that works and keeps the listener engaged. The two previous series, “The Dragon Mage” and “The Clockwork Chimera” have been well reviewed and received in the audiobook community. To many, it was a nice surprise seeing a new series now available and three of the audiobooks already available on Audible. Thanks Scott, for giving us all something in a year that has not been kind to many. I was a big fan of the previous narrators, yet I can say that I’m more than happy to have Eric Bryan Moore as the narrator of this new series. I have reviewed many of his other narrated works and found them all professionally performed — this audiobook is no different. Bring together strong writing and wonderful narration and you have a great start to a new science fiction/fantasy series. If you are searching for something new or you have listened to any of Mr. Baron’s previous works, I highly recommend you give this new series a try. I was not disappointed and I’m sure you will not be either. Lastly, I wanted to call out the very good cover art of this series and the other works written by Mr. Baron, they often tell a story themselves. So, let us dive into this new series and learn what the first book is about.
The first book in the new series, and the one we will be reviewing here, is “The Interstellar Slayer” which is more of a novelette introducing the series along with all new characters. This audiobook is about three and a half hours long, but it is a good primer to the new series. The first book in the series is designed to whet your appetite for what is to come in future audiobooks. I would highly recommend you listen to the “Dragon Mage” series prior to this one. Yet, it is good to know that this is a standalone series and because of this, it is not a requirement to know any of the previous series. I do like that having the extra knowledge from the other series helped me to jump right in and feel comfortable with the story. I do not recall the length of time between this series and “The Dragon Mage” series but I think of it as a prequel similar to the Star Wars series. The focus of this series is on the well respected and rightfully feared space assassins group called the Wampa Ghalian. These assassins are the best of the best, but powerful magic and hidden agendas will impact this mysterious assassin group and potentially change the future of these highly trained killers. I found it interesting to know this group is monetary focused, but they also have a moral code that supersedes any amount of financial offering.
Scott Baron has the ability to create new and exciting worlds, people, and situations that feel different from others I have ever listened to. He is a visual writer and I’m a visual learner, so I find his books very entertaining and engaging. The characters are often complex and purposeful, and many are likable as well. If you enjoyed the banter from his previous stories, there is plenty in this book as well. There are a few characters one might expect from the other series making an appearance in this series as well. The listener will also learn more about the special waters Charlie first discovered during his crash landing in this new world from “The Dragon Mage” series. We also are given a better view in into the secretive Council of 20 referenced previously as well. The author is able to blend both technology and fantasy, yet this initial book is more fantasy focused even with space travel being accomplished using spacecraft, etc.
The audiobook’s narration is expertly performed by Eric Bryan Moore; I have reviewed a few of his other narrated audiobooks. I enjoy listening to his voice and he easily becomes the main character’s voice. He does an exceptional job voicing the many different characters and creatures we find in the book as well. The volume is consistent, there were no audio artifacts that I recall, and no mistakes in swapping character voices which has been a common issue with some narrators. I look forward to hearing the other audiobook in the series and am happy to see Mr. Moore a part of it.
For parents and younger readers, this book contains quite a bit of profanity (as with other Baron books) the farther the story progresses. This audiobook includes some light romance along with alcohol use, not uncommon in this genre. If you are at all offended by any of these, I cannot recommend the series. I was hoping to be able to recommend this for my younger readers, as I think many would enjoy the series, but I would have to say it is more geared towards more mature listeners.
In summary, Scott Baron’s books follow a successful writing and blending style that make enjoyable science fiction stories that are well-rounded and appeals to many. His ability to use picturesque worlds and complex characters makes for an engaging adventure filled with action and mystery. Add solid narration by Mr. Moore and you have the start of a new and exciting series I’m looking forward to listening to. I can say that I would recommend this audiobook and potentially the series, to those who enjoy dragons, magic, and covert group.
The first book in the new series, and the one we will be reviewing here, is “The Interstellar Slayer” which is more of a novelette introducing the series along with all new characters. This audiobook is about three and a half hours long, but it is a good primer to the new series. The first book in the series is designed to whet your appetite for what is to come in future audiobooks. I would highly recommend you listen to the “Dragon Mage” series prior to this one. Yet, it is good to know that this is a standalone series and because of this, it is not a requirement to know any of the previous series. I do like that having the extra knowledge from the other series helped me to jump right in and feel comfortable with the story. I do not recall the length of time between this series and “The Dragon Mage” series but I think of it as a prequel similar to the Star Wars series. The focus of this series is on the well respected and rightfully feared space assassins group called the Wampa Ghalian. These assassins are the best of the best, but powerful magic and hidden agendas will impact this mysterious assassin group and potentially change the future of these highly trained killers. I found it interesting to know this group is monetary focused, but they also have a moral code that supersedes any amount of financial offering.
Scott Baron has the ability to create new and exciting worlds, people, and situations that feel different from others I have ever listened to. He is a visual writer and I’m a visual learner, so I find his books very entertaining and engaging. The characters are often complex and purposeful, and many are likable as well. If you enjoyed the banter from his previous stories, there is plenty in this book as well. There are a few characters one might expect from the other series making an appearance in this series as well. The listener will also learn more about the special waters Charlie first discovered during his crash landing in this new world from “The Dragon Mage” series. We also are given a better view in into the secretive Council of 20 referenced previously as well. The author is able to blend both technology and fantasy, yet this initial book is more fantasy focused even with space travel being accomplished using spacecraft, etc.
The audiobook’s narration is expertly performed by Eric Bryan Moore; I have reviewed a few of his other narrated audiobooks. I enjoy listening to his voice and he easily becomes the main character’s voice. He does an exceptional job voicing the many different characters and creatures we find in the book as well. The volume is consistent, there were no audio artifacts that I recall, and no mistakes in swapping character voices which has been a common issue with some narrators. I look forward to hearing the other audiobook in the series and am happy to see Mr. Moore a part of it.
For parents and younger readers, this book contains quite a bit of profanity (as with other Baron books) the farther the story progresses. This audiobook includes some light romance along with alcohol use, not uncommon in this genre. If you are at all offended by any of these, I cannot recommend the series. I was hoping to be able to recommend this for my younger readers, as I think many would enjoy the series, but I would have to say it is more geared towards more mature listeners.
In summary, Scott Baron’s books follow a successful writing and blending style that make enjoyable science fiction stories that are well-rounded and appeals to many. His ability to use picturesque worlds and complex characters makes for an engaging adventure filled with action and mystery. Add solid narration by Mr. Moore and you have the start of a new and exciting series I’m looking forward to listening to. I can say that I would recommend this audiobook and potentially the series, to those who enjoy dragons, magic, and covert group.
January 4, 2021
I received a free review copy from the author and BookSirens and am leaving this review voluntarily; this is an honest review. I found this novella introduction to a speculative fiction series to be interesting and creative, if somewhat lacking in execution. The creative part was the genre-twisting, taking a typical fantasy trope (the magical assassin, part of a secret order), and placing him in an interstellar universe where there is no technology per se, only that technology which is powered by magic. Even their space travel in this galaxy is powered by magic. And they have dragons, of course, who can travel at warp speed also, since they have magic as well.
The story is a typical assassin-with-a-heart-of-gold story, with our hero, Hozark trying to eliminate a couple of bad guys who are threatening ordinary people in the galaxy too much for the order of Wampeh Ghalians to stand for. So they take the jobs to eliminate them. (They only take the jobs that align with their own interests and values). If Wampeh sounds like "vampire", that's probably not a coincidence, for the Ghalians drink the magic of their victims (if the victims are magic users) by drinking their blood.
The book was too short to get more than a glimpse of the universe that Scott Baron has imagined, one that is quite unlike anything that I have experienced in science fiction or fantasy before. Perhaps we will learn more in the full-length novels to follow. Hopefully, the writing and characterizations will improve as well. I thought that the dialogue could get hackneyed from time to time, as illustrated by this excerpt:
“Gather your things. We shall depart when you return.” “I already have them prepared,” she replied.
“A sister Ghalian. Of course you do.” “I will retrieve them and be aboard in five minutes.” Hozark nodded. “Very well. Once we are safely aboard our mothership, I will introduce you to Bud and his new copilot. And then we begin our deadly work in earnest.”
Who would really talk like that? And then, I thought that characters would use contractions more often than they did in the story. The author didn't explain the culture enough to explain the way that these characters behaved the way they did to my way of liking. Nevertheless, I became invested enough in the story and characters that I wanted to know if they would complete their mission -- and equally important -- survive in the process. I should like to at least try another book in the series to find out what a longer book is like.
The story is a typical assassin-with-a-heart-of-gold story, with our hero, Hozark trying to eliminate a couple of bad guys who are threatening ordinary people in the galaxy too much for the order of Wampeh Ghalians to stand for. So they take the jobs to eliminate them. (They only take the jobs that align with their own interests and values). If Wampeh sounds like "vampire", that's probably not a coincidence, for the Ghalians drink the magic of their victims (if the victims are magic users) by drinking their blood.
The book was too short to get more than a glimpse of the universe that Scott Baron has imagined, one that is quite unlike anything that I have experienced in science fiction or fantasy before. Perhaps we will learn more in the full-length novels to follow. Hopefully, the writing and characterizations will improve as well. I thought that the dialogue could get hackneyed from time to time, as illustrated by this excerpt:
“Gather your things. We shall depart when you return.” “I already have them prepared,” she replied.
“A sister Ghalian. Of course you do.” “I will retrieve them and be aboard in five minutes.” Hozark nodded. “Very well. Once we are safely aboard our mothership, I will introduce you to Bud and his new copilot. And then we begin our deadly work in earnest.”
Who would really talk like that? And then, I thought that characters would use contractions more often than they did in the story. The author didn't explain the culture enough to explain the way that these characters behaved the way they did to my way of liking. Nevertheless, I became invested enough in the story and characters that I wanted to know if they would complete their mission -- and equally important -- survive in the process. I should like to at least try another book in the series to find out what a longer book is like.
October 13, 2021
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Let’s start with what I loved about this book. The world was so rich with lore, and I liked how Baron respected the intelligence of the reader and didn’t oversimply or overexplain things. Chapter 1 immediately hooked me in and the parts with action in were well-paced and suspenseful.
However, for a fantasy novel with so much world-building, there was A LOT of telling and not showing. It was very interesting to find out about the world this way, but I wish we could have learned this information through the protagonist’s actions throughout the novel instead of just being told all of this.
Speaking of protagonists, I did not feel like some parts of the story were being told through the perspective of any particular character.
For example, Chapter 2 was simply told from the perspective of the author. Everything we were told about the world was not from anyone’s viewpoint – it was just what the author wanted us to know.
At the end of Chapter 2, the second character is mentioned again, and I simply do not understand how all the information we were just told couldn’t have been told from his perspective, or through his actions. He could easily have been in his study or something, looking at his books, and this would have been a great way to introduce the space dragons and other races that were mentioned.
This happens in every chapter that mentions some aspect of world-building. Initially, the chapter is told from the character’s perspective, but then we get a random paragraph on space dragons, and then it goes back to the character’s actions. It’s great learning about the Zomoki and Drooks but it has no relation to the main protagonist. What does he think about space dragons? Does he have history with them? Why do they keep getting randomly mentioned?
It is a real shame because I loved the world Scott Baron created but this is a really basic thing to get right when writing a story.
There is nothing wrong with shorter length fantasy/sci-fi, as long as it is done right. One notable example is Martha Wells Murderbot series. Each book is short and sweet but the character’s voice is so strong throughout and everything is told from their perspective. Unfortunately, this was not the case in this story.
I really don’t like leaving a negative review, especially when the general plot and lore is so good, but this one flaw really frustrated me. However, I enjoyed the rest of the novel and I thought it was a really clever and fun plot.
Let’s start with what I loved about this book. The world was so rich with lore, and I liked how Baron respected the intelligence of the reader and didn’t oversimply or overexplain things. Chapter 1 immediately hooked me in and the parts with action in were well-paced and suspenseful.
However, for a fantasy novel with so much world-building, there was A LOT of telling and not showing. It was very interesting to find out about the world this way, but I wish we could have learned this information through the protagonist’s actions throughout the novel instead of just being told all of this.
Speaking of protagonists, I did not feel like some parts of the story were being told through the perspective of any particular character.
For example, Chapter 2 was simply told from the perspective of the author. Everything we were told about the world was not from anyone’s viewpoint – it was just what the author wanted us to know.
At the end of Chapter 2, the second character is mentioned again, and I simply do not understand how all the information we were just told couldn’t have been told from his perspective, or through his actions. He could easily have been in his study or something, looking at his books, and this would have been a great way to introduce the space dragons and other races that were mentioned.
This happens in every chapter that mentions some aspect of world-building. Initially, the chapter is told from the character’s perspective, but then we get a random paragraph on space dragons, and then it goes back to the character’s actions. It’s great learning about the Zomoki and Drooks but it has no relation to the main protagonist. What does he think about space dragons? Does he have history with them? Why do they keep getting randomly mentioned?
It is a real shame because I loved the world Scott Baron created but this is a really basic thing to get right when writing a story.
There is nothing wrong with shorter length fantasy/sci-fi, as long as it is done right. One notable example is Martha Wells Murderbot series. Each book is short and sweet but the character’s voice is so strong throughout and everything is told from their perspective. Unfortunately, this was not the case in this story.
I really don’t like leaving a negative review, especially when the general plot and lore is so good, but this one flaw really frustrated me. However, I enjoyed the rest of the novel and I thought it was a really clever and fun plot.
November 19, 2020
I was given a free copy of The Interstellar Slayer: Space Assassins 1 by Scott Baron and Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.
The Interstellar Slayer: Space Assassins 1 by Scott Baron is a novel I considered to be a blend of fantasy and science fiction genres which would be something akin to science fantasy.
This review will be spoiler free.
Mr. Baron has a created a main character that is an assassin who appears to be powerful and overcomes any obstacle he faces to complete the assassination. As I read the story, I did not feel the main character was not facing any adversity and there did not seem to be any real stakes or danger. I thought the other characters featured are flat and not fully fleshed out and realized.
I would have preferred if I were able to see more of the world building. Mr. Baron describes several planets and their life forms and plant life, but I could not get a sense or picture of any of these planets, life forms, or plant life. The main character travels in a spaceship from planet to planet, but I was not clear on how the spaceship operated or what it looked like.
The magic system appeared but did not have a significant impact on the story. When a character cast a spell, I was told about the effects of the spell and the character casting the spell was successful in casting it. The magic did not have a sense of wonder or mystery. I would suggest that if the magic elements were taken out of the story, the story would not change in any significant way.
Mr. Baron has the bones of a potentially entertaining and engaging story in this novel. The major issue with this story is the way it is written. There is more telling than showing in this story. The story rushes from one action sequence to the next without letting the story, plot, and characters breathe.
The plot is not complex. The story is about a master assassin executing a couple of contracts without really any concern about obstacles and not really being in any danger.
I would recommend The Interstellar Slayer: Space Assassins 1 to anyone who wants to have a quick read and interested in assassins and space.
I rate The Interstellar Slayer: Space Assassins 1 2.5 stars.
I would like to thank Scott Baron and Book Sirens for the free e-book version of Sorcerer’s Conquest. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Interstellar Slayer: Space Assassins 1 by Scott Baron is a novel I considered to be a blend of fantasy and science fiction genres which would be something akin to science fantasy.
This review will be spoiler free.
Mr. Baron has a created a main character that is an assassin who appears to be powerful and overcomes any obstacle he faces to complete the assassination. As I read the story, I did not feel the main character was not facing any adversity and there did not seem to be any real stakes or danger. I thought the other characters featured are flat and not fully fleshed out and realized.
I would have preferred if I were able to see more of the world building. Mr. Baron describes several planets and their life forms and plant life, but I could not get a sense or picture of any of these planets, life forms, or plant life. The main character travels in a spaceship from planet to planet, but I was not clear on how the spaceship operated or what it looked like.
The magic system appeared but did not have a significant impact on the story. When a character cast a spell, I was told about the effects of the spell and the character casting the spell was successful in casting it. The magic did not have a sense of wonder or mystery. I would suggest that if the magic elements were taken out of the story, the story would not change in any significant way.
Mr. Baron has the bones of a potentially entertaining and engaging story in this novel. The major issue with this story is the way it is written. There is more telling than showing in this story. The story rushes from one action sequence to the next without letting the story, plot, and characters breathe.
The plot is not complex. The story is about a master assassin executing a couple of contracts without really any concern about obstacles and not really being in any danger.
I would recommend The Interstellar Slayer: Space Assassins 1 to anyone who wants to have a quick read and interested in assassins and space.
I rate The Interstellar Slayer: Space Assassins 1 2.5 stars.
I would like to thank Scott Baron and Book Sirens for the free e-book version of Sorcerer’s Conquest. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 8, 2021
Hozark is a particular kind of assassin. His order is able to revive their energy and take magical abilities from their targets--only while they are still briefly alive. Their contracts are very expensive, and no one knows why they accept or reject contracts. Hozark is one of the few most skilled.
A new contract requires Hozark to face perhaps, the most terrible defenses any of his order has ever known, to then fight and kill the dangerous target.
To make matters worse (as is typical in life), he will have to travel to his home world--a dark place with a black sun--and battle against a close former friend (long thought dead) using the most deadly magical blades in existence.
Despite all of his training, his mind is understandably in turmoil. Hozark doesn't fear death, but he does fear this reunion. He will achieve the mission or die in the attempt. Can his former friend and training partner be convinced to return to the order? Or will he have to kill her? What are the other secret guardians or defenses?
This book is obviously written by a reader of science-fiction and fantasy who understands world-building. The characterizations are sketches at first, allowing readers to fill some blanks, but the dialogue and story reveal who the people truly are. Fight scenes are realistic as far as I can tell (not an expert), but the space travel is not hard science; it's fantasy--which works out just fine for its purpose.
Although the topic is death, there is no gore, and the "on screen" violence is action-style, and mostly fair fighting (if fighting a magically enhanced assassin can be called fair).
NOTES: There was a lot of pre-action before the "nearly impossible battle," (which was mere paragraphs long), and disappointingly anticlimactic. Those are the secret-weapon creatures? Nothing trained and hiding in the office? Sad, after the huge build-up and anxiety. And Bud, the experienced pirate and tough guy gets stuck? (Details!) Wasn't he farther away? It was going well, then, a rush to end it. Needs work. 132 pages; very short.
3/5 Stars
Contains vulgar language.
Thanks to the publisher and BookSirens for the free preview of this ebook.
A new contract requires Hozark to face perhaps, the most terrible defenses any of his order has ever known, to then fight and kill the dangerous target.
To make matters worse (as is typical in life), he will have to travel to his home world--a dark place with a black sun--and battle against a close former friend (long thought dead) using the most deadly magical blades in existence.
Despite all of his training, his mind is understandably in turmoil. Hozark doesn't fear death, but he does fear this reunion. He will achieve the mission or die in the attempt. Can his former friend and training partner be convinced to return to the order? Or will he have to kill her? What are the other secret guardians or defenses?
This book is obviously written by a reader of science-fiction and fantasy who understands world-building. The characterizations are sketches at first, allowing readers to fill some blanks, but the dialogue and story reveal who the people truly are. Fight scenes are realistic as far as I can tell (not an expert), but the space travel is not hard science; it's fantasy--which works out just fine for its purpose.
Although the topic is death, there is no gore, and the "on screen" violence is action-style, and mostly fair fighting (if fighting a magically enhanced assassin can be called fair).
NOTES: There was a lot of pre-action before the "nearly impossible battle," (which was mere paragraphs long), and disappointingly anticlimactic. Those are the secret-weapon creatures? Nothing trained and hiding in the office? Sad, after the huge build-up and anxiety. And Bud, the experienced pirate and tough guy gets stuck? (Details!) Wasn't he farther away? It was going well, then, a rush to end it. Needs work. 132 pages; very short.
3/5 Stars
Contains vulgar language.
Thanks to the publisher and BookSirens for the free preview of this ebook.
January 2, 2021
This book starts out at a fast pace as Hozark, a Wampeh Ghalian assassin has started out on another contract but he is an observer for this one. As a Master Ghalian, he is one of the top five Ghalian assassins that assess the students they feel might be ready to take on contracts on their own. This is after they have had years of hardship and hard work to see if they have what it takes to be a Ghalian assassin.
This mission did not start out great as one of the men they killed to make use as a disguise was discovered rather quickly. This led to the untimely death of the almost fully graduated Ghalian assassin. It could have just as easily been Hozark that lost his life or neither of them, due to the nature of the death.
The author took time to explain what a Ghalian assassin was and described their training program as the entire book revolves around these assassins. A Wampeh Ghalian has one different attribute which is also explained.
Overall, I enjoyed this book especially the close relationship between Hozark, the centuries-old assassin, and Bud, the ex- space pirate, who had proven very handy during some of Hozark's previous missions, and Bud's newly introduced assistant-pilot who has yet to prove himself but was very confident of his skills.
The author has fleshed out the plotline quite well while still keeping enough secrets that you can't actually figure out where it is going. Just the fact that it is going, at a good pace, and well written at that, keeps the reader engaged. There are also excellent descriptions along with the author's good imagination of many different planets and the life forms that exist on them.
If you like Sci-Fi books and are possibly a little bit of a techy, I guarantee you will enjoy reading this one. It was hard to put down!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This mission did not start out great as one of the men they killed to make use as a disguise was discovered rather quickly. This led to the untimely death of the almost fully graduated Ghalian assassin. It could have just as easily been Hozark that lost his life or neither of them, due to the nature of the death.
The author took time to explain what a Ghalian assassin was and described their training program as the entire book revolves around these assassins. A Wampeh Ghalian has one different attribute which is also explained.
Overall, I enjoyed this book especially the close relationship between Hozark, the centuries-old assassin, and Bud, the ex- space pirate, who had proven very handy during some of Hozark's previous missions, and Bud's newly introduced assistant-pilot who has yet to prove himself but was very confident of his skills.
The author has fleshed out the plotline quite well while still keeping enough secrets that you can't actually figure out where it is going. Just the fact that it is going, at a good pace, and well written at that, keeps the reader engaged. There are also excellent descriptions along with the author's good imagination of many different planets and the life forms that exist on them.
If you like Sci-Fi books and are possibly a little bit of a techy, I guarantee you will enjoy reading this one. It was hard to put down!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 19, 2021
I didn't know what to expect from this book. The image on the front made me think of the dark elves from R.A. Salvatore's books, while the setting is in space. In short, I went in without preconceptions and enjoyed the book thoroughly.
In most stories the hero is a good person or at least someone who is trying to be good. The main character in this book, Hozark, at first seems to be a bad person. He's an assassin and one the five top assassins of some shadowy evil assassin guild that everybody knows about and is terrified of. Also he's like a vampire-assassin because he can drain the magic from his target. That's pretty evil. And he must get a sword from some master craftsman and this sword can be powered by the stolen magic. Sounds even more evil!
Then you learn a bit about his background, where he was taken from, how he was trained brutally. Suddenly he doesn't seem like such an evil person and as the story unfolds it seems that many of the people he has been hired to kill weren't very nice people to start with. Of course there is always the collateral damage, guards, etc who die along the way and that doesn't bug him. So maybe a bit evil.
The setting in which this story takes place is space but the spaceships are powered by magic and the people with the most magic to power ships are used as slaves for that purpose. The only creatures that don't need spaceships are some kind of space dragon but unfortunately we don't encounter one in this book. The setting is complex, involving many races. The plot is fast and action filled. There are some twists and turns in the plot, all well handled.
Only real criticism, the co-pilot is a dumb jock kind of character. They can definitely sacrifice him to some evil dark god along the way. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
I received a free copy of this book and chose to write a review
In most stories the hero is a good person or at least someone who is trying to be good. The main character in this book, Hozark, at first seems to be a bad person. He's an assassin and one the five top assassins of some shadowy evil assassin guild that everybody knows about and is terrified of. Also he's like a vampire-assassin because he can drain the magic from his target. That's pretty evil. And he must get a sword from some master craftsman and this sword can be powered by the stolen magic. Sounds even more evil!
Then you learn a bit about his background, where he was taken from, how he was trained brutally. Suddenly he doesn't seem like such an evil person and as the story unfolds it seems that many of the people he has been hired to kill weren't very nice people to start with. Of course there is always the collateral damage, guards, etc who die along the way and that doesn't bug him. So maybe a bit evil.
The setting in which this story takes place is space but the spaceships are powered by magic and the people with the most magic to power ships are used as slaves for that purpose. The only creatures that don't need spaceships are some kind of space dragon but unfortunately we don't encounter one in this book. The setting is complex, involving many races. The plot is fast and action filled. There are some twists and turns in the plot, all well handled.
Only real criticism, the co-pilot is a dumb jock kind of character. They can definitely sacrifice him to some evil dark god along the way. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
I received a free copy of this book and chose to write a review
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