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Slip Runner #2
Dark Peace
Cole Riker is a free man.
Or close enough. He no longer has the weight of his past hanging over him, threatening to put him away for the rest of his days. All it took was finding an unknown alien lifeform and agreeing to escort it back to its homeworld.
Except his newfound luck doesn’t want to last. Gray doesn’t remember how to get home and all the evidence says his people abandoned him after an unknown threat came calling.
And that’s only the beginning.
After Cole and his misfit crew are forcibly ejected from a collapsing slip tunnel, they find themselves in a different galaxy with no hope of getting back. That is, until they find something unexpected.
One of Earth’s lost seed ships adrift in a sector that’s never been mapped.
There, they discover something even more impossible: survivors.
Getting back on track should be as easy as convincing the 2,000 year old passengers to fire up the engines and set a course for the nearest star system, but there’s something insidious about the long lost seed ship.
It’s a little too perfect, and Cole will have to unearth more secrets before his chance to escape disappears completely.
Or close enough. He no longer has the weight of his past hanging over him, threatening to put him away for the rest of his days. All it took was finding an unknown alien lifeform and agreeing to escort it back to its homeworld.
Except his newfound luck doesn’t want to last. Gray doesn’t remember how to get home and all the evidence says his people abandoned him after an unknown threat came calling.
And that’s only the beginning.
After Cole and his misfit crew are forcibly ejected from a collapsing slip tunnel, they find themselves in a different galaxy with no hope of getting back. That is, until they find something unexpected.
One of Earth’s lost seed ships adrift in a sector that’s never been mapped.
There, they discover something even more impossible: survivors.
Getting back on track should be as easy as convincing the 2,000 year old passengers to fire up the engines and set a course for the nearest star system, but there’s something insidious about the long lost seed ship.
It’s a little too perfect, and Cole will have to unearth more secrets before his chance to escape disappears completely.
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 20, 2022
699 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
J.N. Chaney
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
December 16, 2022
Fun read
A little slower than the first book but still a fun ride. I gave it a 4 star as I don’t feel it accomplished much more than giving more depth to the characters. No satisfying conclusion. No further down the trail of finding Gray’s home. My hope is the next book rounds it out.
I still love the characters and the feel of the story. Keep at it Chaney and Lerma. I’m having fun on the ride.
A little slower than the first book but still a fun ride. I gave it a 4 star as I don’t feel it accomplished much more than giving more depth to the characters. No satisfying conclusion. No further down the trail of finding Gray’s home. My hope is the next book rounds it out.
I still love the characters and the feel of the story. Keep at it Chaney and Lerma. I’m having fun on the ride.
December 17, 2022
Very very good!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I love how we're back in the universe of the renegade star. It's like going back to a really comfortable chair after being away from it. The characters are new but the antics and humor are the same and I love it! I cannot wait until book 3 I'm so excited! This series is definitely worth reading if you enjoyed renegade star or any of his other offshoots in the same universe.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I love how we're back in the universe of the renegade star. It's like going back to a really comfortable chair after being away from it. The characters are new but the antics and humor are the same and I love it! I cannot wait until book 3 I'm so excited! This series is definitely worth reading if you enjoyed renegade star or any of his other offshoots in the same universe.
December 12, 2022
Good read
Great storyline! I really enjoy how the authors navigate the same universe that Jace Hughes of the Renegade Star series lives. The tie in lends stability and depth to the story. Well done!
Great storyline! I really enjoy how the authors navigate the same universe that Jace Hughes of the Renegade Star series lives. The tie in lends stability and depth to the story. Well done!
December 14, 2022
loved it!
Rousing adventure in the Renegade universe. Really just one long story but if you enjoy a first persons adventure with a lovable rouge then it’s a story for you.
Rousing adventure in the Renegade universe. Really just one long story but if you enjoy a first persons adventure with a lovable rouge then it’s a story for you.
December 2, 2022
A real page turner and an excellent sequel...
The story picked up, no too surprisingly where the last one left off. The story quickly moves from one situation to the next. Before I realized it, I was an the end of the book. Now comes the hardest part...awaiting the next book!
The story picked up, no too surprisingly where the last one left off. The story quickly moves from one situation to the next. Before I realized it, I was an the end of the book. Now comes the hardest part...awaiting the next book!
November 27, 2022
another hit by Chaney and Lerma!
Follow along as the crew strive to bring Grey home but run into issues along the way! You’ll be caught up in the story as problems are solved and puzzles are unraveled. As always we are eagerly awaiting the next installment
Well done!
Follow along as the crew strive to bring Grey home but run into issues along the way! You’ll be caught up in the story as problems are solved and puzzles are unraveled. As always we are eagerly awaiting the next installment
Well done!
November 25, 2022
The kind of storyline I love
Great read, great crew, and just the right amount of snark. Truly enjoying this series. Enjoying discovering the Renegade universes.
Great read, great crew, and just the right amount of snark. Truly enjoying this series. Enjoying discovering the Renegade universes.
November 21, 2022
Fantastic sci fi adventure
The worldbuilding is fascinating, the crew is memorable (and often hilarious), and the story is great. I rushed to get Dark Peace as soon as it released, and the book didn't disappoint me. I recommend reading Book 1 first for the best reading experience. I'm looking forward to the crew's next adventure.
The worldbuilding is fascinating, the crew is memorable (and often hilarious), and the story is great. I rushed to get Dark Peace as soon as it released, and the book didn't disappoint me. I recommend reading Book 1 first for the best reading experience. I'm looking forward to the crew's next adventure.
November 23, 2022
Good Series
As usual Mr Cheney provided an excellent piece of reading material. I can't wait to read the third book in the series which should be coming out in January of 2023!
As usual Mr Cheney provided an excellent piece of reading material. I can't wait to read the third book in the series which should be coming out in January of 2023!
March 3, 2023
Not sure where this story was going after our main character, Cole Riker, former criminal and Slip Runner. He has just hit the jackpot, so to speak, with the Alliance giving him a new ship and a mission, find the homeworld of Gray, his alien friend. Gray is an Anypsian that has some problems with amnesia in that he can't exactly remember where in the universe his homeworld might be. So they are going to have to figure out where to start and finally get going.
Captain Riker is now the captain of the Star Trader, a souped-up freighter given to him by the Alliance/Renegades for this mission. HIs own ship, the Nebulous, was undergoing extensive repairs. This ship is much nicer, newer and much more capable than his old ship, but it's going to take some getting used to having a regular crew around. He ha four "volunteers", namely Camilla Abernathy, Riker's former Liaison officer who has close contacts with Jace Hughes, the leader of the Renegade faction of the Alliance. Then there was Lieutenant John Barrick, the military muscle of the crew, and Selina Vasquez, medical expert, although she's mostly trained as a veterinarian! Lastly, was Deacon Smith, Engineer and former assessor for any Celestial junk that the Nebulous might have acquired while as a Slip Runner ship. Deacon had been with Riker for the longest and had been offered the second-in-command slot for this mission, but refused, saying it would interfere with his engineering duties and would be boring anyway. Gray was also included as part of the crew although the first thing on their list of things to do was to find and recover Gray's ship.
That ship was cloaked on Della, the planet on which Riker had found Gray and freed him from the stasis prison. While there were Alliance scientist crawling all over the cave that Gray was found, they hadn't yet stumbled upon a cloaked ship. Gray didn't believe they every would because his ship was not only cloaked, but out of phase with normal space.
So, they got to Della and without much trouble, secured Gray's ship only Gray's ship was enormous, so much so that it could take on the Star Trader in it's landing dock and still have room for two or three more ships of that size. So, Captain Riker decided to let Gray's ship doing the flying while he and his crew lived aboard the Star Trader on the flight deck. But, the first problem they encountered was the information that Gray though would be available aboard his ship wasn't there. It seems like some of his navigation data was missing and especially the location of his homeworld. All he had was the location of a couple of outposts that were probably closed down by now since his people had left this part of the universe a long time ago fleeing the Celestials. So this definitely complicated matters.
The rest of the story is about the ship and crew attempting to find its way towards Gray's homeworld. They get off course quite a bit and find some other interesting things that lead them to still more interesting stuff, but none that gets them closer to Gray's people. Still, it seems that Captain Cole Riker is adapting to his responsibilities well even to the extreme surprise of his crew. They will be a lot of interaction with Poe, the Star Trader's limited AI, but it has been definitely upgraded while also recognizing that Captain Riker was now officially in-charge which was not necessarily the way they operated when he was a Slip Runner. So, this part of the book is kind of humorous to some extent.
They don't accomplish much in this book. Oh, they do travel around a bit, but they definitely get side-tracked and spend a bunch of time doing something that isn't going to get them anywhere close to Gray's home planet. I'm not sure what will happen in the next book and that's good to an extent, but this mission is going to take a long time if it keeps up like this.
Still, I'm adding book 3, "Defiant Exile" to my reading list.
Captain Riker is now the captain of the Star Trader, a souped-up freighter given to him by the Alliance/Renegades for this mission. HIs own ship, the Nebulous, was undergoing extensive repairs. This ship is much nicer, newer and much more capable than his old ship, but it's going to take some getting used to having a regular crew around. He ha four "volunteers", namely Camilla Abernathy, Riker's former Liaison officer who has close contacts with Jace Hughes, the leader of the Renegade faction of the Alliance. Then there was Lieutenant John Barrick, the military muscle of the crew, and Selina Vasquez, medical expert, although she's mostly trained as a veterinarian! Lastly, was Deacon Smith, Engineer and former assessor for any Celestial junk that the Nebulous might have acquired while as a Slip Runner ship. Deacon had been with Riker for the longest and had been offered the second-in-command slot for this mission, but refused, saying it would interfere with his engineering duties and would be boring anyway. Gray was also included as part of the crew although the first thing on their list of things to do was to find and recover Gray's ship.
That ship was cloaked on Della, the planet on which Riker had found Gray and freed him from the stasis prison. While there were Alliance scientist crawling all over the cave that Gray was found, they hadn't yet stumbled upon a cloaked ship. Gray didn't believe they every would because his ship was not only cloaked, but out of phase with normal space.
So, they got to Della and without much trouble, secured Gray's ship only Gray's ship was enormous, so much so that it could take on the Star Trader in it's landing dock and still have room for two or three more ships of that size. So, Captain Riker decided to let Gray's ship doing the flying while he and his crew lived aboard the Star Trader on the flight deck. But, the first problem they encountered was the information that Gray though would be available aboard his ship wasn't there. It seems like some of his navigation data was missing and especially the location of his homeworld. All he had was the location of a couple of outposts that were probably closed down by now since his people had left this part of the universe a long time ago fleeing the Celestials. So this definitely complicated matters.
The rest of the story is about the ship and crew attempting to find its way towards Gray's homeworld. They get off course quite a bit and find some other interesting things that lead them to still more interesting stuff, but none that gets them closer to Gray's people. Still, it seems that Captain Cole Riker is adapting to his responsibilities well even to the extreme surprise of his crew. They will be a lot of interaction with Poe, the Star Trader's limited AI, but it has been definitely upgraded while also recognizing that Captain Riker was now officially in-charge which was not necessarily the way they operated when he was a Slip Runner. So, this part of the book is kind of humorous to some extent.
They don't accomplish much in this book. Oh, they do travel around a bit, but they definitely get side-tracked and spend a bunch of time doing something that isn't going to get them anywhere close to Gray's home planet. I'm not sure what will happen in the next book and that's good to an extent, but this mission is going to take a long time if it keeps up like this.
Still, I'm adding book 3, "Defiant Exile" to my reading list.
December 22, 2022
Good story, I wanted to give five stars, but…
Galaxies? Really?
I loved the Renegade books, great storytelling and lots of humor mixed with action. But, come on now, aren’t you smarter than that?
They are, in the vernacular, solar systems. More accurately star systems. They are most assuredly not galaxies. That is about the most amateur mistake you could possibly make, second only to having a breathable atmosphere in deep space. Throughout the second half of the book star systems are suddenly referred to as “galaxies”. Running into this during a good read is like hitting speed bumps on the autobahn. Please do take steps…
If, by some bizarre twist you actually DID mean galaxies, then you need to explain why Gray’s is potentially years away? And, further, if you did actually mean to say they were traveling between galaxies (you know, those big things with billions of stars in them ) you needed to be a whole lot more explicit about it. But I don’t believe that is what you meant.
Seeing as I don’t recall this sophomoric error in the renegade series, perhaps it is your co-writer who needs to get off the stick and do a little research.
Galaxies? Really?
I loved the Renegade books, great storytelling and lots of humor mixed with action. But, come on now, aren’t you smarter than that?
They are, in the vernacular, solar systems. More accurately star systems. They are most assuredly not galaxies. That is about the most amateur mistake you could possibly make, second only to having a breathable atmosphere in deep space. Throughout the second half of the book star systems are suddenly referred to as “galaxies”. Running into this during a good read is like hitting speed bumps on the autobahn. Please do take steps…
If, by some bizarre twist you actually DID mean galaxies, then you need to explain why Gray’s is potentially years away? And, further, if you did actually mean to say they were traveling between galaxies (you know, those big things with billions of stars in them ) you needed to be a whole lot more explicit about it. But I don’t believe that is what you meant.
Seeing as I don’t recall this sophomoric error in the renegade series, perhaps it is your co-writer who needs to get off the stick and do a little research.
February 27, 2023
In this story we follow Cole Riker and Gray (and the crew) as they attempt to find a planet with no real understanding of the direction they should be going. They begin by trying to get Gray's ship which should have what they need since Gray has lost his memory. They end up in a slipstream and then they have to bail out as the stream is "broken". They survive and eventually discover a large seed ship like Titan. On this ship the Eternal that took them from Earth is still alive as he has been making the crew and himself enter cryo often. The AI is also broken and can't fully function the way that she should. They have to fight there way off the ship and start heading towards another planet where they have place the "exiles". It was a better story then the first book in the series, but hard to really get into the narrative of the ship and AI and crew.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2023
Conflicts and Advancement
This second book in the series continues to move the overall story arc forward, supported by good character development, continued for existing characters and bringing in a few new cast members as required. Some conflict, but mostly questions and seeking answers occupies our small group of protagonists. This installment ends with some story threads resolved, some continued and a few new threads initialized.
This second book in the series continues to move the overall story arc forward, supported by good character development, continued for existing characters and bringing in a few new cast members as required. Some conflict, but mostly questions and seeking answers occupies our small group of protagonists. This installment ends with some story threads resolved, some continued and a few new threads initialized.
January 19, 2023
Interesting
Cole is now a free man, in name only though. He has to do a job for the Alliance to get everything he wants/needs
As ever, nothing goes as planned and that pretty much sums up the first 2 books perfectly. This time round they end up on a completely different tangent as. A result of an accident. Leads them to a totally different adventure with none of the expected storyline Anticipated at the start
Cole is now a free man, in name only though. He has to do a job for the Alliance to get everything he wants/needs
As ever, nothing goes as planned and that pretty much sums up the first 2 books perfectly. This time round they end up on a completely different tangent as. A result of an accident. Leads them to a totally different adventure with none of the expected storyline Anticipated at the start
December 6, 2022
Its OK
I will continue reading in the series, but his continual referral to Renegade Star series characters and events is a bit like he's trying to justify his story using borrowed glory. At one point, he made a reference to Abigail Pryar completely out of context with what was going on.
I will continue reading in the series, but his continual referral to Renegade Star series characters and events is a bit like he's trying to justify his story using borrowed glory. At one point, he made a reference to Abigail Pryar completely out of context with what was going on.
January 20, 2023
Getting worse
Neutronium nails, really, what is this author thinking.
Called it an alloy, apparently has no concept of what it actually is or its density.
Also, the ship reached maximum speed, it's not a boat, you don't hit the thrusters in space and be at "maximum speed" a minute later, fundamental issues with understanding basic science aren't good in sci fi.
Neutronium nails, really, what is this author thinking.
Called it an alloy, apparently has no concept of what it actually is or its density.
Also, the ship reached maximum speed, it's not a boat, you don't hit the thrusters in space and be at "maximum speed" a minute later, fundamental issues with understanding basic science aren't good in sci fi.
March 5, 2023
Well, I immediately began Book 2 after completing Book 1. So that says something for the series. I do wish to know more about where this whole journey is going. It is not edge-of-your-seat reading, evidenced by the fact that I have started another book entirely, before going on to Book 3.
But it's good enough that I will continue the series.
But it's good enough that I will continue the series.
March 6, 2023
I couldn’t put it down!
The first book in this series was great…this book was even better! I literally could not put this book down and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series! I love Cole and his snarky humor and the banter between him and the AI Poe. Such great characters and world building. I’m also dying to know everyone’s secrets.
The first book in this series was great…this book was even better! I literally could not put this book down and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series! I love Cole and his snarky humor and the banter between him and the AI Poe. Such great characters and world building. I’m also dying to know everyone’s secrets.
March 24, 2023
Thin story
I read the second book to see where the author was going with this,because he went no where with it in the first book. He went nowhere imaginative. Simply another variation of the "road trip" type of story, with technology and an alien to make it Sci-fi.
Ok I guess if you were in need for popcorn to pass the time
I read the second book to see where the author was going with this,because he went no where with it in the first book. He went nowhere imaginative. Simply another variation of the "road trip" type of story, with technology and an alien to make it Sci-fi.
Ok I guess if you were in need for popcorn to pass the time
September 12, 2023
Cliche overload
I'll start off that this is a very fun book that I enjoyed. I will absolutely jump to the next book while binging the series. However, every cliche trope you can think of happens in this book. Some basic formulaic elements of the greater story are so predictable it bothers me at this point. Can't do anything about it but enjoy, that's what I'll do.
I'll start off that this is a very fun book that I enjoyed. I will absolutely jump to the next book while binging the series. However, every cliche trope you can think of happens in this book. Some basic formulaic elements of the greater story are so predictable it bothers me at this point. Can't do anything about it but enjoy, that's what I'll do.
December 20, 2023
Good book
Great read, nicely developed story. I actually like the 6 main characters. I hope that the authors continue to flesh them out..
Having said that, I must say that I am really enjoying the story. I like the idea of having a mystery to solve; where are all of the people from that ship? Where is Grey's home world? Discovering these answers keeps me coming back...
Great read, nicely developed story. I actually like the 6 main characters. I hope that the authors continue to flesh them out..
Having said that, I must say that I am really enjoying the story. I like the idea of having a mystery to solve; where are all of the people from that ship? Where is Grey's home world? Discovering these answers keeps me coming back...
March 12, 2023
good story
The characters are developing. The action and intrigue are very well done. The story keeps my attention and even surprises me at times. Any fan of SciFi should read this.
The characters are developing. The action and intrigue are very well done. The story keeps my attention and even surprises me at times. Any fan of SciFi should read this.
May 14, 2023
Time alone can be risky
We need each other and our need to touch means life is good. How good life can be when shared. This book is intriguing I look forword to the rest of this series. I hope you like them.
We need each other and our need to touch means life is good. How good life can be when shared. This book is intriguing I look forword to the rest of this series. I hope you like them.
July 31, 2023
Reminiscent of Hienline
Asimov would have loved this story, I sure do! That's a solid A+ in anybody's book. This story is full of tech, romance and action, with quite some mystery as well as danger and just a touch of magic. Highly recommended.
Asimov would have loved this story, I sure do! That's a solid A+ in anybody's book. This story is full of tech, romance and action, with quite some mystery as well as danger and just a touch of magic. Highly recommended.
December 29, 2022
shades of Jace
Nice tie in with the renegade series, even though it stands alone in its own right. Great cast of continues to complement each other.
Nice tie in with the renegade series, even though it stands alone in its own right. Great cast of continues to complement each other.
January 1, 2023
More twists and turns to keep us guessing
Great second installment of a good story. Love the AI's and Grey. What comes next. I'll be waiting for the next nook!
Great second installment of a good story. Love the AI's and Grey. What comes next. I'll be waiting for the next nook!
January 9, 2023
I xcellent read
great story line with really great characters you can connect with - will def read rest of series - narrator good for the story too
great story line with really great characters you can connect with - will def read rest of series - narrator good for the story too
January 14, 2023
Boring
Started boring. Four chapters In I started skipping pages. Good book for making me sleepy. Won't be reading the third book.
Started boring. Four chapters In I started skipping pages. Good book for making me sleepy. Won't be reading the third book.
January 17, 2023
Another Good 1
Fits in well with the previous book and just kind of carries on it's Well written book with a lot of good humor. Overall it says pretty fun read.
Fits in well with the previous book and just kind of carries on it's Well written book with a lot of good humor. Overall it says pretty fun read.
March 12, 2023
Great follow-up story
That was a great follow up to the first book in the series. A good change to the characters for this adventure and nice to see the growth.
That was a great follow up to the first book in the series. A good change to the characters for this adventure and nice to see the growth.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews