What do you think?
Rate this book
Starganauts #2
Retribution
They found a new homeworld…only to discover an old enemy.
Kaity and her teammates enjoy life on Vexador, a futuristic world that welcomed them as heroes. Yet when an enemy threatens the planet, Kaity must return to Starganaut life—the last thing she wants. Meanwhile, Samantha is troubled after Vogul’s defeat. While the others enjoy peacetime, the prophetess remains vigilant. War looms on Vexador’s horizon, yet Samantha is unable to warn anyone of the coming storm.
Sharko is adjusting to being the Starganauts’ leader when Trylithia attacks. With intergalactic war brewing, he faces a personal crisis as well: his wife Kaity is poised to leave the team. He can barely hold his marriage together, let alone their planetary defense. Hope seems lost in the face of the Trylithian army, whose leader is bent on revenge against the Starganauts despite them never having met. Will this mysterious leader shatter their team, or will Samantha’s disaster prove their salvation?
Kaity and her teammates enjoy life on Vexador, a futuristic world that welcomed them as heroes. Yet when an enemy threatens the planet, Kaity must return to Starganaut life—the last thing she wants. Meanwhile, Samantha is troubled after Vogul’s defeat. While the others enjoy peacetime, the prophetess remains vigilant. War looms on Vexador’s horizon, yet Samantha is unable to warn anyone of the coming storm.
Sharko is adjusting to being the Starganauts’ leader when Trylithia attacks. With intergalactic war brewing, he faces a personal crisis as well: his wife Kaity is poised to leave the team. He can barely hold his marriage together, let alone their planetary defense. Hope seems lost in the face of the Trylithian army, whose leader is bent on revenge against the Starganauts despite them never having met. Will this mysterious leader shatter their team, or will Samantha’s disaster prove their salvation?
320 pages, Paperback
Published May 4, 2022
11 people want to read
About the author
C.E. Stone
7 books79 followersC.E. Stone is a tutor by day, award-winning Christian author by night. She is also the editor of the Daughters of Tamnarae series by M.H. Elrich. The wife of a chronically-ill husband, she tutors a host of students between writing her next book and plotting a galactic takeover. She created Starganauts at the age of 10.
Though primarily a fantasy writer, she told her best friend about the Starganauts universe one day. For 2 hours. Afterward, her friend insisted she write everything down. Starganauts is the result. C.E. hopes to follow in the footsteps of her favorite authors, Tolkien and Lewis, albeit with a sci-fi twist.
Though primarily a fantasy writer, she told her best friend about the Starganauts universe one day. For 2 hours. Afterward, her friend insisted she write everything down. Starganauts is the result. C.E. hopes to follow in the footsteps of her favorite authors, Tolkien and Lewis, albeit with a sci-fi twist.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 4, 2022
Things start off well for Kaity and company, as they enjoy peaceful lives as celebrities. But things quickly take a turn when their friend and fellow Starganaut, Samantha, is kidnapped, and the planet Trylithia declares war.
Packed with even more action and suspense, Retribution is a worthy sequel to the series, bringing the story of the Starganauts to a higher level, with an excellent mix of science and Christianity in a way that’s both believable and inspiring.
Packed with even more action and suspense, Retribution is a worthy sequel to the series, bringing the story of the Starganauts to a higher level, with an excellent mix of science and Christianity in a way that’s both believable and inspiring.
May 4, 2022
**Note: I received an ARC from the author, but my opinions are my own.
The end of Starganauts found our heroes on a new world, Vexador. Throughout Retribution, they must grapple against the ghosts of enemies from before which threaten this new home. They are once again summoned into battle, but the fight for Vexador will take a toll on them all.
Pros:
+ Imaginative world building. I can tell that C.E. Stone has put a lot of thought into her world. Her biography says that she created the world when she was 10, and I think it shows. There is a lot of depth here, and she often dips into a treasure trove of knowledge to craft a story.
+ Very Christian. Stone does not shy away from sharing the Gospel throughout the entire book. However, it could come across as somewhat preachy at times. It is very in-your-face, which is what some people like. But people who might prefer a subtler take might consider this a con. Either way, Stone’s heart for Christ and spreading the Gospel is evident!
+ No language or sexual content. That’s pretty much self-explanatory! I would let kids of any age read this, once they expressed interest. Even though some of the characters are married, there’s never anything explicit or even implied, so far as I could tell.
+ Lots of space battles. Though it takes a little while to get started, once the battles start, they don’t slow down. I think the battles will really appeal to sci-fi fans!
+ Diverse set of characters. Chances are, someone will have one character they like! We get to visit a lot of people, both good and bad guys, and they all get a lot of scenes. I think Kaity, Samantha, Dudeman, Sharko, and then the villain, Grunn, are the people we spend the most time with.
Cons:
- There were a lot of “-ing,” telling, not showing words throughout the novel. This made the novel seem more passive than active at times. Some choices of words/dialogue distracted me as well (which is personal preference, too).
- I personally felt like there were some Deus ex Machina vibes sometimes during this one. God seems to show up to move the plot along or deliver exposition at times. Which, again, this could be a pro to someone. But, since I pointed this out in the “pro” section, I felt I should point it out in the “con” section as well. :) It all boils down to your perception/preference here.
- LOTS of characters (which can also be a pro!!). I usually love a large cast, and for the most parts I did, but a couple go by several different names, even within the same paragraph. Like one character is referred to by their first, middle, and last names, as well as their rank. It kind of made keeping up with them hard, especially with so many other characters to keep track of. In the future, I would love to see characters referred to by one name (well—I’m a bit more lenient with the Starganauts themselves; them switching between names was easy enough), and possibly a glossary for this immersive, expansive universe.
Keep in mind, sci-fi is not my typical genre. I think, for MG Christian sci-fi readers, this will be a home run. It is very much “Christian Power Rangers in space.” If you enjoyed the first book, I would almost guarantee you will like this one, and it handles the balance between being second in a series + a standalone book well.
I admire the heartfelt service to Christ that Stone puts in every single one of her books. I look forward to seeing how she continues to grow the world, the characters, and her writing style as the series progresses! ♥️
The end of Starganauts found our heroes on a new world, Vexador. Throughout Retribution, they must grapple against the ghosts of enemies from before which threaten this new home. They are once again summoned into battle, but the fight for Vexador will take a toll on them all.
Pros:
+ Imaginative world building. I can tell that C.E. Stone has put a lot of thought into her world. Her biography says that she created the world when she was 10, and I think it shows. There is a lot of depth here, and she often dips into a treasure trove of knowledge to craft a story.
+ Very Christian. Stone does not shy away from sharing the Gospel throughout the entire book. However, it could come across as somewhat preachy at times. It is very in-your-face, which is what some people like. But people who might prefer a subtler take might consider this a con. Either way, Stone’s heart for Christ and spreading the Gospel is evident!
+ No language or sexual content. That’s pretty much self-explanatory! I would let kids of any age read this, once they expressed interest. Even though some of the characters are married, there’s never anything explicit or even implied, so far as I could tell.
+ Lots of space battles. Though it takes a little while to get started, once the battles start, they don’t slow down. I think the battles will really appeal to sci-fi fans!
+ Diverse set of characters. Chances are, someone will have one character they like! We get to visit a lot of people, both good and bad guys, and they all get a lot of scenes. I think Kaity, Samantha, Dudeman, Sharko, and then the villain, Grunn, are the people we spend the most time with.
Cons:
- There were a lot of “-ing,” telling, not showing words throughout the novel. This made the novel seem more passive than active at times. Some choices of words/dialogue distracted me as well (which is personal preference, too).
- I personally felt like there were some Deus ex Machina vibes sometimes during this one. God seems to show up to move the plot along or deliver exposition at times. Which, again, this could be a pro to someone. But, since I pointed this out in the “pro” section, I felt I should point it out in the “con” section as well. :) It all boils down to your perception/preference here.
- LOTS of characters (which can also be a pro!!). I usually love a large cast, and for the most parts I did, but a couple go by several different names, even within the same paragraph. Like one character is referred to by their first, middle, and last names, as well as their rank. It kind of made keeping up with them hard, especially with so many other characters to keep track of. In the future, I would love to see characters referred to by one name (well—I’m a bit more lenient with the Starganauts themselves; them switching between names was easy enough), and possibly a glossary for this immersive, expansive universe.
Keep in mind, sci-fi is not my typical genre. I think, for MG Christian sci-fi readers, this will be a home run. It is very much “Christian Power Rangers in space.” If you enjoyed the first book, I would almost guarantee you will like this one, and it handles the balance between being second in a series + a standalone book well.
I admire the heartfelt service to Christ that Stone puts in every single one of her books. I look forward to seeing how she continues to grow the world, the characters, and her writing style as the series progresses! ♥️
May 26, 2022
Since this is a sequel, it is difficult to go into too many details without giving away certain developments in book 1. I will say that the title is fitting to the plot of book 2, and, like book 1, the sequel is rooted in biblical truth about God’s protection, grace, and redeeming love though set in a fictional dystopian universe. Kaity’s journey in this book greatly resonated with me, but to learn more about her character growth, you will have to read the book(s) yourself!
My favorite quotes from the novel which highlight some of the big themes include:
*“Was she simply unaware of her dreams and motivations, or was she living for something shallow?”
*“I think I mistook foolish optimism for the Holy Spirit’s leading.”
*“God often uses the wilderness to train and shape His greatest servants.”
*“We don’t always get to choose what we want.”
*“Will you turn from your selfish desires and accept my calling for your life? Will you live for me, instead of the idols of comfort and stability?”
*“She’d lost sight of His goodness in her obsession with the negative.”
*“Do not forget that God has a plan even when the odds seem impossible.”
*“Truth is, we can’t live in ‘ifs.’”
*“Only surrender would save her.”
*“Failure need not define you….”
*“For I shall work great good out of…evil.”
*“God guarantees our salvation, not our ease.”
I greatly enjoyed the amount of detail in Stone’s writing, but wished for more dialogue throughout the story. There is a lot of narration and “telling” versus “showing;” yet, I found myself on the edge of my seat throughout the book waiting to see what would happen next! I do also wish that the book had a glossary of terminology used throughout the book. At times, it was difficult to remember which titles belonged to which characters.
Overall, I give Starganauts: Retribution 4 stars. I highly recommend the science-fiction adventure with PowerRanger vibes to adult readers who enjoy epic space battles and stories that share the gospel.
***I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
My favorite quotes from the novel which highlight some of the big themes include:
*“Was she simply unaware of her dreams and motivations, or was she living for something shallow?”
*“I think I mistook foolish optimism for the Holy Spirit’s leading.”
*“God often uses the wilderness to train and shape His greatest servants.”
*“We don’t always get to choose what we want.”
*“Will you turn from your selfish desires and accept my calling for your life? Will you live for me, instead of the idols of comfort and stability?”
*“She’d lost sight of His goodness in her obsession with the negative.”
*“Do not forget that God has a plan even when the odds seem impossible.”
*“Truth is, we can’t live in ‘ifs.’”
*“Only surrender would save her.”
*“Failure need not define you….”
*“For I shall work great good out of…evil.”
*“God guarantees our salvation, not our ease.”
I greatly enjoyed the amount of detail in Stone’s writing, but wished for more dialogue throughout the story. There is a lot of narration and “telling” versus “showing;” yet, I found myself on the edge of my seat throughout the book waiting to see what would happen next! I do also wish that the book had a glossary of terminology used throughout the book. At times, it was difficult to remember which titles belonged to which characters.
Overall, I give Starganauts: Retribution 4 stars. I highly recommend the science-fiction adventure with PowerRanger vibes to adult readers who enjoy epic space battles and stories that share the gospel.
***I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
May 17, 2023
A fantastic sequel to this fun sci-fi world.
I think what I most enjoyed about this sequel was seeing Stone’s growth from book 1 to here.
The strong themes and struggles keep you reading and rooting for these eight goons from earth. Personally, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the whole incineration of Earth thing in book 1, but Stone’s sci-fi world is so immersive, it hardly bothered me in Retribution. I just enjoyed diving in to these other planets she had created and hanging on for the ride.
The themes in this book really elevate it for me. The different things individual characters struggle and battle with are very mature and well written, as well as the struggles they come together to face.
Without giving any spoilers, James (one of my favorite characters) really shines in this book, being the catalyst for two very touching scenes! My favorite scenes in the book. But you’ll have to read it to find out why!
And a new character (that quickly became a favorite of mine) has an amazing arc that alone is worth the read!
A few cons.
Kaity and Sharko’s relationship continues to be a little hard to swallow for me. I’m very particular when it comes to romance or marriage relationships in books. And with most of their dialog I really have a “take it or leave it” feeling about.
Also, I have a bit of a problem with the Abigail Dundee character. Nick her brother is great and brings special things to the team, but Abigail seems solely their for comic relief and I often find the Starganauts’ thoughts and treatment of her pretty mean.
I’m still holding out hope that she surprises them at some point and they all have to eat their words. Lol.
Over all, this is a great sequel, packed with cool space travel, epic battles, clever strategy, and, of course, some dirty war crimes. All the things of a good sci-fi.
I can’t wait to see what happens in Defector, book 3!
I think what I most enjoyed about this sequel was seeing Stone’s growth from book 1 to here.
The strong themes and struggles keep you reading and rooting for these eight goons from earth. Personally, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the whole incineration of Earth thing in book 1, but Stone’s sci-fi world is so immersive, it hardly bothered me in Retribution. I just enjoyed diving in to these other planets she had created and hanging on for the ride.
The themes in this book really elevate it for me. The different things individual characters struggle and battle with are very mature and well written, as well as the struggles they come together to face.
Without giving any spoilers, James (one of my favorite characters) really shines in this book, being the catalyst for two very touching scenes! My favorite scenes in the book. But you’ll have to read it to find out why!
And a new character (that quickly became a favorite of mine) has an amazing arc that alone is worth the read!
A few cons.
Kaity and Sharko’s relationship continues to be a little hard to swallow for me. I’m very particular when it comes to romance or marriage relationships in books. And with most of their dialog I really have a “take it or leave it” feeling about.
Also, I have a bit of a problem with the Abigail Dundee character. Nick her brother is great and brings special things to the team, but Abigail seems solely their for comic relief and I often find the Starganauts’ thoughts and treatment of her pretty mean.
I’m still holding out hope that she surprises them at some point and they all have to eat their words. Lol.
Over all, this is a great sequel, packed with cool space travel, epic battles, clever strategy, and, of course, some dirty war crimes. All the things of a good sci-fi.
I can’t wait to see what happens in Defector, book 3!
June 23, 2022
Are you a fan of Christian Sci-Fi?
I'll be honest, unless the sci-fi in question is allegorical, I tend to not be a fan of this genre, especially if it involves other alien races existing within the same realm of the Judeo-Christian history and belief system.
Still, when I was given an opportunity to read Starganauts: Retribution by C.E. Stone I was thrilled!
And, while it wasn't my personal cup of tea for the reasons listed above, there is still a lot to enjoy about this novel!
If you absolutely love direct Christian fiction, Sci-Fi tropes on par with Star Trek and Star Wars, and incredibly intense and epic fight scenes, then this is the book for you!
Jammed packed with political strife, faith based tension, and some amazing space battles, C.E. Stone expertly weaves together a tale of mounting tension, building up to a final epic climax, and a beautiful theme of forgiveness to tie everything nicely together.
What impressed me the most about this book was how strongly it reminded me of Star Trek at points, with the fun banter and the desire to connect to other worlds and alien races.
However, I highly recommend reading the first novel first.
There are a lot of names, alien races, and sci-fi vocabulary in this series, so it's easy to get lost if you haven't had a chance to familiarize yourself with the world in the first novel. Still, I'm super grateful that there's a complete glossary now for character, location, and vocabulary reference for the future!
Also, as this is a very direct Christian sci-fi novel, there are some thematic and theological elements to note. Here is my full content disclosure:
For language, apart from some PG swearing, it's fairly clean. In terms of sexual content, pornography is present, but is never glamorized or shown on screen. For thematic content, there are a few character stereotypes present. Drinking and drunkenness are present, but not overly glamorized. For theological content: the biggest thing to note is that God is an actual character in the story Whose voice is written within the fictional world. There are themes of God encouraging seeking violence over peace, and war instead of turning the other cheek. A character at one point is shamed for seeking a peaceful and humble lifestyle, and is pressured into killing other characters, because of the theme that any desire for peace is selfish. There is a strong theme of complementarianism, where the theme of wives submitting to their husbands is taken very literally. There is also a female character who does all the preaching and sermons. Themes of witnessing to alien races are also present. For violence, there are a lot of intense and epic fight scenes, but all within the PG-13 range. For this reason, I give this book a solid PG-13 rating, with a moderate spiritual warning depending on your religious beliefs.
But if you're looking for a faith-filled sci-fi novel that's rich in its world building with some amazingly epic fight scenes, then this is the book for you!
I hope you have a blessed day!
I'll be honest, unless the sci-fi in question is allegorical, I tend to not be a fan of this genre, especially if it involves other alien races existing within the same realm of the Judeo-Christian history and belief system.
Still, when I was given an opportunity to read Starganauts: Retribution by C.E. Stone I was thrilled!
And, while it wasn't my personal cup of tea for the reasons listed above, there is still a lot to enjoy about this novel!
If you absolutely love direct Christian fiction, Sci-Fi tropes on par with Star Trek and Star Wars, and incredibly intense and epic fight scenes, then this is the book for you!
Jammed packed with political strife, faith based tension, and some amazing space battles, C.E. Stone expertly weaves together a tale of mounting tension, building up to a final epic climax, and a beautiful theme of forgiveness to tie everything nicely together.
What impressed me the most about this book was how strongly it reminded me of Star Trek at points, with the fun banter and the desire to connect to other worlds and alien races.
However, I highly recommend reading the first novel first.
There are a lot of names, alien races, and sci-fi vocabulary in this series, so it's easy to get lost if you haven't had a chance to familiarize yourself with the world in the first novel. Still, I'm super grateful that there's a complete glossary now for character, location, and vocabulary reference for the future!
Also, as this is a very direct Christian sci-fi novel, there are some thematic and theological elements to note. Here is my full content disclosure:
For language, apart from some PG swearing, it's fairly clean. In terms of sexual content, pornography is present, but is never glamorized or shown on screen. For thematic content, there are a few character stereotypes present. Drinking and drunkenness are present, but not overly glamorized. For theological content: the biggest thing to note is that God is an actual character in the story Whose voice is written within the fictional world. There are themes of God encouraging seeking violence over peace, and war instead of turning the other cheek. A character at one point is shamed for seeking a peaceful and humble lifestyle, and is pressured into killing other characters, because of the theme that any desire for peace is selfish. There is a strong theme of complementarianism, where the theme of wives submitting to their husbands is taken very literally. There is also a female character who does all the preaching and sermons. Themes of witnessing to alien races are also present. For violence, there are a lot of intense and epic fight scenes, but all within the PG-13 range. For this reason, I give this book a solid PG-13 rating, with a moderate spiritual warning depending on your religious beliefs.
But if you're looking for a faith-filled sci-fi novel that's rich in its world building with some amazingly epic fight scenes, then this is the book for you!
I hope you have a blessed day!
July 12, 2022
The story of the eight Stargonauts continues. In this book they are on Vexador, a planet occupied by humans, and because of events that happened in the first book, Vexador and Trylithia go to war.
Positives
I liked this book better than the first book. My main hang up (many names) was resolved in this book. Like many second books, this one is less about discovering the characters and more about seeing them in action.
The characters felt more realistic; they each had flaws they had to work through and they failed, struggled, and learned in relatable ways.
Sometimes the dialogue seemed a little too perfect, as if someone had taken time to think of what would be best to say.
The book had tons of exciting action and suspense.
The resolutions to the problems were unexpected.
Positives
I liked this book better than the first book. My main hang up (many names) was resolved in this book. Like many second books, this one is less about discovering the characters and more about seeing them in action.
The characters felt more realistic; they each had flaws they had to work through and they failed, struggled, and learned in relatable ways.
Sometimes the dialogue seemed a little too perfect, as if someone had taken time to think of what would be best to say.
The book had tons of exciting action and suspense.
The resolutions to the problems were unexpected.
June 6, 2022
A powerful story of prayer in the midst of battle...
I've been an alpha and beta reader of this novel, and this was my third time reading it. Despite the fact I knew what was going to happen, I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting my favorite characters and reading about the Trylithians, my favorite alien race of C.E. Stone. C.E. does a brilliant job of describing so you can visualize her science fiction setting. She is also an amazing tactician, including detailed and realistic portrayals of battles in a long war. Since I've been a fan of C.E. for awhile, I even noticed some hints she gives about future books that I won't spoil under pain of plasma waves. ;-) My review will be broken into three parts: characters, plot, and content.
Characters:
C.E. Stone has a wide array of characters, from the minor Ah'ae, to the all important antagonist, Tormac Grunn. She does a great job of describing the characters and making them different. For this book, I think I am split between whether Kexid or Kaity is my favorite. I enjoyed, even though it was painful, reading about Kaity's character arc. Stone definitely made you feel all the conflict that being a Starganaut brings and empathize with someone who wants a peaceful life. Another favorite character of mine is Kexid. Her convoluted feelings are very evident throughout the story, and I like how realistic that is-that people, or in this case, aliens,-don't just have one emotion. Sometimes, their emotions are conflicting, and for good reason. Even though Kexid and Kaity were may favorites in this novel, I empathized and related to many others, including Dudeman (James), Sharko, Samantha, and even Grunn. Some of the best parts of C.E. Stone's novel are getting to know these characters over several books, and relating to (sometimes painfully!) their struggles.
Plot:
I thought the first Starganauts book was rather fast-paced, but this one is even more so! The emotional stakes for the characters are present from the beginning, drawing and building the tension until Chapter 5, when the actions starts. From that point on, the action doesn't seem to stop. There are battles, skirmishes, space fights, and technology that makes the plot twist and turn until the intense conclusion. C.E. does an excellent job increasing the suspense from the heart-pounding prologue to the final battle. If you're looking for the epic space fights and one-on-one duels of Star Wars, you'll find it in this book. There are also unique alien abilities like the plasma wave, and some others I don't want to discuss because of spoilers. C.E.'s tactical battles and unique twists made this plot compelling and creative.
Content:
There are no swear words in this story, but there is a mention of pornography (dealt with tactfully), and mentions of torture (again, not described). There is a mention of alien wearing midriff bearing tops (but honestly, it makes sense that another culture wouldn't have our standard of modesty). Overall, this is a squeaky clean book.
Concluding Thoughts:
I read a review of C.E.'s first book that said it is Pureflix meets Scifi. I don't know if that person meant it as a compliment or not (who can tell with online reviews?), but I think it describes C.E. Stone's style and I mean it as a compliment. Christian values and Christian principles are present throughout the book. Prayer is emphasized, and the power of prayer is evident. I consider this to be a realistic view of the Christian life. God made not answer your prayers the way we expect (and neither does he answer the character's prayers the way they expect), but He is always there. He will pave a way through suffering, and each of C.E.'s novels speak mightily into that theme.
Therefore, if you like Christian fiction and are looking for a science fiction novel to add to your collection, I highly recommend C.E. Stone's work.
I've been an alpha and beta reader of this novel, and this was my third time reading it. Despite the fact I knew what was going to happen, I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting my favorite characters and reading about the Trylithians, my favorite alien race of C.E. Stone. C.E. does a brilliant job of describing so you can visualize her science fiction setting. She is also an amazing tactician, including detailed and realistic portrayals of battles in a long war. Since I've been a fan of C.E. for awhile, I even noticed some hints she gives about future books that I won't spoil under pain of plasma waves. ;-) My review will be broken into three parts: characters, plot, and content.
Characters:
C.E. Stone has a wide array of characters, from the minor Ah'ae, to the all important antagonist, Tormac Grunn. She does a great job of describing the characters and making them different. For this book, I think I am split between whether Kexid or Kaity is my favorite. I enjoyed, even though it was painful, reading about Kaity's character arc. Stone definitely made you feel all the conflict that being a Starganaut brings and empathize with someone who wants a peaceful life. Another favorite character of mine is Kexid. Her convoluted feelings are very evident throughout the story, and I like how realistic that is-that people, or in this case, aliens,-don't just have one emotion. Sometimes, their emotions are conflicting, and for good reason. Even though Kexid and Kaity were may favorites in this novel, I empathized and related to many others, including Dudeman (James), Sharko, Samantha, and even Grunn. Some of the best parts of C.E. Stone's novel are getting to know these characters over several books, and relating to (sometimes painfully!) their struggles.
Plot:
I thought the first Starganauts book was rather fast-paced, but this one is even more so! The emotional stakes for the characters are present from the beginning, drawing and building the tension until Chapter 5, when the actions starts. From that point on, the action doesn't seem to stop. There are battles, skirmishes, space fights, and technology that makes the plot twist and turn until the intense conclusion. C.E. does an excellent job increasing the suspense from the heart-pounding prologue to the final battle. If you're looking for the epic space fights and one-on-one duels of Star Wars, you'll find it in this book. There are also unique alien abilities like the plasma wave, and some others I don't want to discuss because of spoilers. C.E.'s tactical battles and unique twists made this plot compelling and creative.
Content:
There are no swear words in this story, but there is a mention of pornography (dealt with tactfully), and mentions of torture (again, not described). There is a mention of alien wearing midriff bearing tops (but honestly, it makes sense that another culture wouldn't have our standard of modesty). Overall, this is a squeaky clean book.
Concluding Thoughts:
I read a review of C.E.'s first book that said it is Pureflix meets Scifi. I don't know if that person meant it as a compliment or not (who can tell with online reviews?), but I think it describes C.E. Stone's style and I mean it as a compliment. Christian values and Christian principles are present throughout the book. Prayer is emphasized, and the power of prayer is evident. I consider this to be a realistic view of the Christian life. God made not answer your prayers the way we expect (and neither does he answer the character's prayers the way they expect), but He is always there. He will pave a way through suffering, and each of C.E.'s novels speak mightily into that theme.
Therefore, if you like Christian fiction and are looking for a science fiction novel to add to your collection, I highly recommend C.E. Stone's work.
October 15, 2022
C.E. Stone did a wonderful job with this Christian sci-fi tale! She is so descriptive in her world building while developing multiple characters and keeping suspense in her story as well. If you like a good space opera, this is the book for you! Make sure you also read her first book in the series, which is called Starganauts!
June 23, 2022
Are you a fan of Christian Sci-Fi?
I'll be honest, unless the sci-fi in question is allegorical, I tend to not be a fan of this genre, especially if it involves other alien races existing within the same realm of the Judeo-Christian history and belief system.
Still, when I was given an opportunity to read Starganauts: Retribution by C.E. Stone I was thrilled!
And, while it wasn't my personal cup of tea for the reasons listed above, there is still a lot to enjoy about this novel!
If you absolutely love direct Christian fiction, Sci-Fi tropes on par with Star Trek and Star Wars, and incredibly intense and epic fight scenes, then this is the book for you!
Jammed packed with political strife, faith based tension, and some amazing space battles, C.E. Stone expertly weaves together a tale of mounting tension, building up to a final epic climax, and a beautiful theme of forgiveness to tie everything nicely together.
What impressed me the most about this book was how strongly it reminded me of Star Trek at points, with the fun banter and the desire to connect to other worlds and alien races.
However, I highly recommend reading the first novel first.
There are a lot of names, alien races, and sci-fi vocabulary in this series, so it's easy to get lost if you haven't had a chance to familiarize yourself with the world in the first novel. Still, I'm super grateful that there's a complete glossary now for character, location, and vocabulary reference for the future!
Also, as this is a very direct Christian sci-fi novel, there are some thematic and theological elements to note. Here is my full content disclosure:
For language, apart from some PG swearing, it's fairly clean. In terms of sexual content, pornography is present, but is never glamorized or shown on screen. For thematic content, there are a few character stereotypes present. Drinking and drunkenness are present, but not overly glamorized. For theological content: the biggest thing to note is that God is an actual character in the story Whose voice is written within the fictional world. There are themes of God encouraging seeking violence over peace, and war instead of turning the other cheek. A character at one point is shamed for seeking a peaceful and humble lifestyle, and is pressured into killing other characters, because of the theme that any desire for peace is selfish. There is a strong theme of complementarianism, where the theme of wives submitting to their husbands is taken very literally. There is also a female character who does all the preaching and sermons. Themes of witnessing to alien races are also present. For violence, there are a lot of intense and epic fight scenes, but all within the PG-13 range. For this reason, I give this book a solid PG-13 rating, with a moderate spiritual warning depending on your religious beliefs.
But if you're looking for a faith-filled sci-fi novel that's rich in its world building with some amazingly epic fight scenes, then this is the book for you!
I hope you have a blessed day!
I'll be honest, unless the sci-fi in question is allegorical, I tend to not be a fan of this genre, especially if it involves other alien races existing within the same realm of the Judeo-Christian history and belief system.
Still, when I was given an opportunity to read Starganauts: Retribution by C.E. Stone I was thrilled!
And, while it wasn't my personal cup of tea for the reasons listed above, there is still a lot to enjoy about this novel!
If you absolutely love direct Christian fiction, Sci-Fi tropes on par with Star Trek and Star Wars, and incredibly intense and epic fight scenes, then this is the book for you!
Jammed packed with political strife, faith based tension, and some amazing space battles, C.E. Stone expertly weaves together a tale of mounting tension, building up to a final epic climax, and a beautiful theme of forgiveness to tie everything nicely together.
What impressed me the most about this book was how strongly it reminded me of Star Trek at points, with the fun banter and the desire to connect to other worlds and alien races.
However, I highly recommend reading the first novel first.
There are a lot of names, alien races, and sci-fi vocabulary in this series, so it's easy to get lost if you haven't had a chance to familiarize yourself with the world in the first novel. Still, I'm super grateful that there's a complete glossary now for character, location, and vocabulary reference for the future!
Also, as this is a very direct Christian sci-fi novel, there are some thematic and theological elements to note. Here is my full content disclosure:
For language, apart from some PG swearing, it's fairly clean. In terms of sexual content, pornography is present, but is never glamorized or shown on screen. For thematic content, there are a few character stereotypes present. Drinking and drunkenness are present, but not overly glamorized. For theological content: the biggest thing to note is that God is an actual character in the story Whose voice is written within the fictional world. There are themes of God encouraging seeking violence over peace, and war instead of turning the other cheek. A character at one point is shamed for seeking a peaceful and humble lifestyle, and is pressured into killing other characters, because of the theme that any desire for peace is selfish. There is a strong theme of complementarianism, where the theme of wives submitting to their husbands is taken very literally. There is also a female character who does all the preaching and sermons. Themes of witnessing to alien races are also present. For violence, there are a lot of intense and epic fight scenes, but all within the PG-13 range. For this reason, I give this book a solid PG-13 rating, with a moderate spiritual warning depending on your religious beliefs.
But if you're looking for a faith-filled sci-fi novel that's rich in its world building with some amazingly epic fight scenes, then this is the book for you!
I hope you have a blessed day!
June 23, 2022
Exciting Space Adventure!!
I loved reading the book, Starganauts, Retribution!! C.E. Stone’s story is an action packed sci-fi space adventure! This book was written with a Christian theme which added depth to the characters. The Starganauts’ struggles and successes were very relatable. I highly recommend this book!! I am looking forward to reading the next book in this sequel!
I loved reading the book, Starganauts, Retribution!! C.E. Stone’s story is an action packed sci-fi space adventure! This book was written with a Christian theme which added depth to the characters. The Starganauts’ struggles and successes were very relatable. I highly recommend this book!! I am looking forward to reading the next book in this sequel!
December 26, 2023
Vivid Sci-Fi
This book picked up in the second half.
Cool world -building! Really added color to the world.
These books keep getting better!
This book picked up in the second half.
Cool world -building! Really added color to the world.
These books keep getting better!
April 21, 2023
This book was terrific. I enjoyed reading it, from the Starganauts’ settling into their new planet to the epic space battles that took place!
C.E. Stone did a fantastic job describing details in the book.
There were also so many plot twists (that I enjoyed!) that kept me enthralled.
The message this book gives is remarkable. Everyone 14-99+ years old should read, Christian or not.
This book is one of my favorites!
Thank you, C.E., for writing this book/series. Keep up the excellent work!
C.E. Stone did a fantastic job describing details in the book.
There were also so many plot twists (that I enjoyed!) that kept me enthralled.
The message this book gives is remarkable. Everyone 14-99+ years old should read, Christian or not.
This book is one of my favorites!
Thank you, C.E., for writing this book/series. Keep up the excellent work!
September 10, 2023
The story continues with lots of action and a deeper understanding of God´s grace and forgiveness.
I do recommend it!
I do recommend it!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews