Who can you trust

Cassius Mass has been hiding for years, since his side lost the war, now he has been coerced to help the victors in a plot being run by his family who he thought were dead. Good story, with some interesting characters, with double crosses, triple crosses and more double dealing. Truth and trust are in low supply.

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"We're not criminals. We are - differently legal!"

Any additional comments?

... or, "Okay, what the hell is going on?"
This is a great space romp, humerously written with a fun story of constantly changing parameters. The author has drawn an interesting universe, in which The Commonwealth has been expanding, absorbing all other planetary governments into itself. Only one had escaped defeat: a strange people known as the Chell.
Cassius Mass had fought valiantly against the Commonwealth but had been unable to save his home world. But he survived. Famous (or infamous) for his war deeds and fighter pilot skills, and with a price on his head, he changes identities and gets work as a navigator on a freight ship. When a lookalike version of himself starts appearing on news channels inviting people to join a resistance faction, Cassius finds his secret identity isn't quite as secret as he had thought ... And nearly everything else is somewhat different, too.

A really enjoyable book with great characters, good dialogue and a story which just keeps on shifting. There are humans, AIs, bioroids, clones, genetically enhanced people and aliens, spies everywhere, and even a two hundred plus year old grandmother, Captain of the freight ship, with her mechanical aid, Hunkajunk, probably the oldest robot still in use, now you really don't want to annoy her.

The.narration by Eric Burns is excellent, giving individual voice to the numerous characters and his reading of the text between dialogue is in an expressive, well paced enthusiasm very fitting to the action and pleasing to the ear. One or two tiny slips but, overall, an impressive performance.

I was very fortunate to receive my copy of Lucifer's Star as a gift from the rights holder, via Audiobook Boom. My thanks. I really enjoyed the numerous confusions as beliefs and expectations prove wrong and new directions are introduced. Lots of ingenious fight scenes and I loved the humour which bubbles up throughout. Some interesting ideas, too. If you are looking for the more usual battle between good and evil, this is not the book for you. But if intrigue and double dealing with a 'hero' as confused about his place in the greater scheme of things as the listener is sure to become, then don't delay - get this book now, read, enjoy and then, like me, hope that another adventure will soon follow.

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Back to my favorite genre !

C. T. Phipps imagination is so awesome and one great author.
This book is truly amazing especially for me always thought that there are things in the Bible that to much sound like aliens technology like if you lived in biblical times and see a space ship wouldn’t you call it chariot of fire or the Egyptian pyramids are the rest of the pyramids all over the world and many other signs of alien beings that have visited our planet not that any of this in this book but I always said that if aliens wanted to slow down humanity from achieving greatness is giving a bible which till today wars are being fought because of religion, again this is not in this book but what is in this book is ancient aliens which achieved elation to higher dimensions and one of their game is to screw is humanity for fun.

Eric Burns narration is absolutely and without a doubt excellent.

So yea I absolutely
recommend this book !!!

Oded Ostfeld.

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STAR WARS MEETS STARSHIP TROOPERS

ENJOYED THIS STORY AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THIS TALE A PREQUEL WOULD BE GOOD TO GET BACK STORY OF CHARACTERS.

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A huge covering of interstellar storytelling in a small tin.

A vivid and entertaining novel (and audiobook) that remains interesting and pacy while holding back on humour and pop culture references. Part of me thinks that must be hard for CT Phipps, but like Wraith Knight, there is a dry sobriety in places that allows an almost trademarked polyamorousness to cover a lot of ground with AI, cyborgs, synthetics a nod to alien races, interstellar war, servitude and lastly what next after losing an interstellar war.

The nods to Serenity and Guardians are there and William adds Jaynesque humour, especially around the prison break. It could have gone darker, there is enough mayhem to add in brutality, but on a Star Wars and not Grimdark level with rich world building. Part of me wishes it let the leash slip, but I understand the broad appeal.

Mass and Isla stand out for me and the Frozen twist is welcome for any parent with a little one of a disney age. The book and audiobook are tightly put together and the richness of story is truly impressive and could be a steadfast example for anyone interested in Sci Fi, space opera, or having a stab at having a go yourself. Mass sounding like Clint Eastwood in space on the audiobook was icing on the cake and I write that as a diabetic [final comment redacted].

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Ghost in the Shell meets Firefly

I'm still not entirely sure what to think about this one. On one hand, I really enjoyed the world building and the responses and actions of the characters and the characters themselves. On the other hand, this is a story which spends a lot of time on the horrors of war; the concept of identity and how "there are no good guys, just guys who try not to do evil" (paraphrased a bit, but you get the idea). But, at the end of the day, I think this is a book about redemption, learning to live with your mistakes and relationships. There's definitely a touch of "found family" too, a trope I love

As I said above, I really liked the world building. The tech is very similar to Ghost in the Shell (the reason I got into manga, anime and webtoons); but this is about the closed to "grimdark" that I'll actually read/listen to, I think.

So, the ultimate test: will I pick up book 2? Not as right now. Maybe when I'm in a less stressful place

Audio: Good narration. It took a bit of getting used to how the narrator did the female voices; but I would listen to Eric Burns again

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An interesting space adventure

C. T. Phipps and, Michael Suttkus have done a great job with this book it is well written and the great narration makes this book is an enjoyable listen.

Each character has their own goals, personality, and history adding to the richness of the story enhanced by the unique voice Eric Burns's narration give them. The story is well paced and the action scenes feel quick and intense. The setting has a lot of history and in is interesting seeing it in the past with the flashback and in the present. As the story goes on you find out more and more about why things are happening. I really want to find out what might be next for the characters I hope there is a sequel.

I think they dynamics between the characters are very well done and the flashbacks are handled well giving you enough information and not side tracking the whole story. The development of the main character as they learn more about their past and the truths about their home nation. The ragtag crew of the ship is just brilliant and reminds be very much of Firefly I love the old granny captain.


I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone that like space adventures.
5/5



I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

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Great Sci-Fi action

I really enjoyed this story, its set in a complex universe with multiple factions and characters but structured in a way to not leave you confused. The story is full of action and suspense managing to keep the story interesting without getting tedious.

The author does a great job at bringing the characters to life, each with their own distinctive voice.

I already have the next installment of this series and cannot wait to get it started.

please note that I was provided with a free copy of this audiobook to provide a non-biased review

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A darkly humourous far-future sci fi

I listened to the audiobook of this far-future, ship-based, first-person sci fi novel and I really enjoyed it. The combination of C.T. Phipps’s highly-detailed galactic history, strong prose and character interactions, plus Eric Burns’s excellent narrative delivery – especially the dialogue, most notably of the main character, Cassius – make the audio version of Lucifer’s Star a fun and atmospheric ride and a difficult book to stop listening to. The gestalt entity of Phipps-Burns switches flawlessly from gritty drama to dark humour in this first novel of what I’m sure is an epic space opera series. I highly recommend it.

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Darkly comic swashbuckling space opera

Cassius Mass is on the run for war crimes, hiding out as navigator on a tramp merchant spaceship. Because Mass is really an ace starfighter pilot with over four hundred kills to his name, cybernetic enhancements and a proton sword hidden in his quarters. In a galaxy far, far away, Mass would be an innocent man out to clear his name – but here he’s just trying to survive. Because this is a darkly comic work which upends the usual expectations, with no Jedi, no Force and no good guys and survival being everyone’s aim.
Mass’ team of killer cyborgs, rogue sex androids, clones, double (or triple) agents and other desperadoes takes on a mission which will restore his fortune, get the authorities off his trail, and might just save the galaxy. The merchant ship blasts off for a dangerous rendezvous…It’s space opera, or rather space comic opera, as even in the most serious situation the characters can’t resist cracking jokes.
The setting is the aftermath of a war between the evil and fascist Archduchy, which has been defeated by the evil and corrupt Commonwealth. The Commonwealth’s competing evil and machievallian intelligence agencies are rooting out the remnants of the Archduchy, but are also threatened by the evil and inhuman Chel, and the “Free Systems Alliance” rebels…who are evil and violent terrorists. There are other parties involved too, including merchant guilds, slavers and aliens. Just nobody nice.
The fun here is the combination of galactic warfare, from space battles to blaster shootouts to power-armor punch-ups and swordfights, with Phipps snark-infested dialog. There’s a decided disrespect for the norms of the genre – the protagonist pokes fun at a popular series called ‘Space Voyage’ about a noble, heroic starship crew. The plot goes through some convolutions and revelations abound. Sometimes it gets hard to keep track of who is on which side, or indeed whether Mass is on anyone’s side, but the action keeps rolling along the answers arrive in due course.
Eric Burns does a terrific job of narrating, switching easily from gravel-voiced spacers to girlish sidekicks while keeping an almost straight face the whole way through.
A kind of anti-Star Wars, with a dash of Blade Runner thrown in, Lucifer’s Star is a fun swashbuckling adventure.

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