Review: Lucifer's Star by C.T. Phipps & Michael Suttkus

Lucifer's Star by C.T. Phipps & Michael Suttkus

Mystique Press, 2017

Ebook. 300 pages

About Lucifer's Star:

"Cassius Mass was the greatest star pilot of the Crius Archduchy. He fought fiercely for his cause, only to watch his nation fall to the Interstellar Commonwealth. It was only after that he realized the side he'd been fighting for was the wrong one. Now a semi-functional navigator on an interstellar freight hauler, he tries to hide who he was and escape his past. Unfortunately, some things refuse to stay buried and he ends up conscripted by the very people who destroyed his homeland. 

LUCIFER'S STAR is the first novel of the Lucifer's Star series, a dark science fiction space opera set in a world of aliens, war, politics, and slavery."

Over the past couple of years I've been slowly starting to get more into sci-fi, and space opera is one of the subgenres I've been trying to dip into more and more. I'll be honest here and say something a bit controversial--I am not much of a Star Wars fan at all, so I'm always somewhat skeptical of whether similar sci-fi settings will be a hit or miss, but I have to say that I had such an enjoyable time reading this book and am glad I had the opportunity to read it.

Lucifer's Star is a great example of a well-written, highly entertaining space opera. The world-building was executed extremely well, with an engaging futuristic world in which humans have basically destroyed earth and have now colonized a large portion of the world in space. I really appreciated how much detail went into the world-building and also the politics and intricacies of the world that added layers of authenticity to the world. It did feel a little hard to keep up with everything at times because it all seemed to come at me pretty quickly, but it also made me appreciate how much work the authors put into it. I also found the mentions of alien life interesting, as they weren't a huge part of this story, but they were still mentioned in a way that made it apparent that they were a part of the world. The alien life in this book are known to have greater technology and advancements, but there is a still a large air of mystery surrounding them that I think only added to the world-building.

The story is told from the perspective of Cassius Mass, a man who was once a legendary pilot from the Archduchy of Crius, a smaller nation that fought--and lost--in a big battle against the Commonwealth. Cassius is the sort of character that is ready to be done with his career and fade away into a quiet retirement, but as is the case in most stories, he is inevitably drawn back into new threats and conflicts. I found myself intrigued by Cassius' character and I found him to be someone that I genuinely cared about and was interested in following throughout the entirety of the book. In addition to Cassius, there are many other intriguing characters that we meet throughout the story. Something that stood out to me was how many incredible female characters there were, all of which felt extremely well-written and were represented well, which is so important and can sometimes be difficult to find in sci-fi. They didn't feel cliche'd or pigeon-holed into one type, but instead varied and had distinct personalities that brought everything to life..

Lastly, I want to mention that I felt this book touched on some really interesting topics and themes. I particularly liked that nothing felt simply black and white or good and bad, there was so much grey area within this world and the story that reflected reality in such a good way. As I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of politics in play that can be a bit much, but there is also action and other content interspersed to keep things engaging.

Overall, I've given Lucifer's Star four stars! I though this was a well-written space opera full of intrigue and I would recommend to anyone interested in the genre.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

*I received a copy of Lucifer's Star courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the novel.*

Waiting on Wednesday: House of Spines by Michael J. Malone & Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

This week's upcoming book spotlight is:

House of Spines by Michael J. Malone
Publication Date: March 13th, 2018

Orenda Books
276 pages
Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository 

From Goodreads:

"Ran McGhie’s world has been turned upside down. A young, lonely, and frustrated writer, and suffering from mental-health problems, he discovers that his long-dead mother was related to one of Glasgow’s oldest merchant families. Not only that, but Ran has inherited Newton Hall, a vast mansion that belonged to his great-uncle, who it seems has been watching from afar as his estranged great-nephew has grown up. 

Entering his new-found home, it seems Great-Uncle Fitzpatrick has turned it into a temple to the written word—the perfect place for poet Ran. But everything is not as it seems. As he explores the Hall’s endless corridors, Ran’s grasp on reality appears to be loosening. And then he comes across an ancient lift; and in that lift a mirror. And in the mirror . . . the reflection of a woman."

The part that grabs me from this description is the new mansion that he moves into--it sounds incredibly intriguing. I am a huge sucker for weird mansions and the like!

and...

Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente
Publication Date: April 3rd, 2018

Saga Press
304 pages
Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository 

From Goodreads:

"The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets Eurovision in an over-the-top science fiction spectacle from bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente, in which sentient species compete for glory in a galactic musical contest—where the stakes are as high as the fate of planet Earth. 

A century ago, the Sentience Wars tore the galaxy apart and nearly ended the entire concept of intelligent space-faring life. In the aftermath, a curious tradition was invented—something to cheer up everyone who was left and bring the shattered worlds together in the spirit of peace, unity, and understanding. 

Once every cycle, the civilizations gather for the Metagalactic Grand Prix—part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past. Instead of competing in orbital combat, the powerful species that survived face off in a competition of song, dance, or whatever can be physically performed in an intergalactic talent show. The stakes are high for this new game, and everyone is forced to compete. 

This year, though, humankind has discovered the enormous universe. And while they expected to discover a grand drama of diplomacy, gunships, wormholes, and stoic councils of aliens, they have instead found glitter, lipstick, and electric guitars. Mankind will not get to fight for its destiny—they must sing. 

A band of human musicians, dancers, and roadies have been chosen to represent Earth on the greatest stage in the galaxy. And the fate of their species lies in their ability to rock.."

I love Catherynne M. Valente's work, and Space Opera is one I've been waiting ages for; it sounds like such a crazy and fun adventure. A battle of the bands in space? I will definitely try it out!

What do you think about this upcoming release? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

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