Lucifer's Nebula

Lucifer's Star, Book 2

De: Michael Suttkus, C. T. Phipps

Narrado por: Eric Burns

From the best-selling author of The Rules of Supervillainy: Captain Cassius Mass can only run so far from his problems and the galaxy isn't big enough to hide from those pursuing him. Cassius soon finds himself blackmailed into a mission that will clear him of all charges as well as protect him from future persecution: bring an end to the civil war currently racking the galaxy. Accompanied by a new set of untrustworthy allies, the crew of the Melampus, and the A.I duplicate of his dead wife - Cassius needs to figure out how to not only deal with his target but also his employers.

Because the entire universe is at stake.

©2017 Charles Phipps (P)2018 David N. Wilson

Great action Sci-Fi

This has been a great series that I found it difficult to put down at times. The story was full of twists, lies, sex and action all put together with a nice dollop of dry humor. The narrator does a great job of bringing the characters alive with distinctive voices.

I believe that this is a two book series but I plan to look up other books from the author.

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

Great Story

Filled with action, the plot was fun to follow. I literally had to stop the audio so I can catch up breathing from laughing at one point. I can't wait for the next one.

A good follow-up with a fast-paced story.

Over all, I really enjoyed this story. The characters are fun and the banter had me chuckling a couple of times. There were some definite good twists and turns in the story, Though occasionally the main character seems a bit slow for someone who's 10 times as smart as normal humans. That's part of his charm I suppose.

The narrator did a better job of not having loud inhales between every sentence as in the first book, though there were a few places where edits obviously not been taken out, a couple duplicate lines things like that. But the voices, except Clarice which started to grate after a while, we're well done and well-read.

Definitely Check This One Out

This is my eighth book by CT Phipps and there hasn't been a single one that I haven't liked yet.  Even some of the ones that aren't in my "normal" genres.  Lucifer's Nebula is the second book in the Lucifer's Star series by Phipps and Michael Suttkus and it was a blast to listen to.  Which, ironically is exactly what I said about the first book.

I went back and read my review of the first book and now I have to try really hard not to write the exact same thing.  I felt the same way about this book but it wasn't as much of a whodunit and more of a pure science fiction book.  It has alien races, alien god-like races, cognition AI's, deceit, double-crossing, cloning (legal and illegal), family issues, and so much more.  I've noticed that in these books I think I'm going to get one or two stories and arcs but Phipps and Suttkus always throw 10-15 at me.

I think my favorite parts of this book were just the attitude that Cassius had throughout it.  He grew, a lot, as a character and he both hated and loved himself for it.  His journies - both internal and actual physical ones were both extremely interesting to follow.  I felt like I was getting a deep psychological look into his brain as he was going through these things - without it feeling like too much.

Near the end of this book, I found myself needing to focus a lot since they were jumping all over the place.  I believe this was done on purpose and it caused some disconnect for me (not in a bad way) but just a "what in the heck is going on" way.  I think we were supposed to feel the same confusion and disorientation that Cassius felt.

Combine the excellent writing with the narration by Eric Burns who just brings their words to life - you have a winner in Lucifer's Nebula.  A blast of a book from beginning to end.  You should definitely check this one out. I requested a free copy of this book - it has not affected my review in any way.

Entertaining story

I like the science fiction stories written by C.T. Phipps. He has a certain style that give his characters a flawed personality which makes them more entertaining. The characters in this book are very entertaining as is the story. Well worth the listen.

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

Star Wars for grown ups (kind of)

Lucifer's Nebula, the sequel to Lucifer's Star, carries on the story of the Author's "dark Star Wars," as it's often referred to.

Cassius, the hero, is a former evil noble turned arms dealer (you'll see). He's like a boozy, sweary Han Solo type with a jaded wit that will have you chuckling. He has a supporting cast of characters painted as stereotypes initially, but the author does a good job of breathing some life into them. The universe is interesting, with humans dominating, and (shock, horror!) constantly at war with each other. There's also an elder race that appears to be pulling the strings.

Cassius and Co, instead of pulling out the heroics, continually putting themselves in danger due to a misguided sense of right, or just being petty (Cassius trying to one-up his father). At times the set pieces can seem ridiculous, but way less so than taking out an evil Empire with four X-Wing fighters (I remember that shot from the original original). This being a parody, it's all good.

My favourite thing though, is the narrator. He carries the pace well, and you can almost hear the constant sighing as he churns out Cassius' lines. His best bit is the woman who butchers a Scottish accent in the belief that she's honouring her culture. Even when she wasn't saying something funny, I was chuckling.

Great story, not the author's finest, but definitely a fun read.

Space Opera thriller that subverts all the tropes

I read this as an ebook when it came out and reviewed it. I'll post that review below. I enjoyed the book so much that, with a credit waiting to be spent, I couldn't resist getting the audio version. The narrator does a great job of capturing the atmosphere and feel of one of my favourite books and still the best sci-fi I've read or listened to all year. Having listened to it, my views below haven't changed, they've only been confirmed.

"Sequels. That sticky second book in a series that has to carry on the story without any final resolution. You lose the thrill of meeting the main character and seeing the setting unfold. Think about any trilogy--the second book in a good one will have something incredible happen. Think of the Lord of the Rings. The battle of Helm’s Deep, Gandalf & Saruman etc. So sequels have got to go big or go home. Now, I loved Lucifer’s Star. I think it’s one of the most original space operas I’ve ever read. Check out my review before reading this one, because frankly, you’re not going to start on book 2 are you?
Anyway, this volume continues the story of our hero (/S) Cassius Mass, The Fire Count, War criminal and general bad egg. Imagine a Luftwaffe Ace from WW2 finding out that he’d been on the side of one of the most evil regimes in history and that his acts of heroism are now considered war crimes. But…. IN SPACE. I suppose it’s fair to use (or reuse) a Star Wars comparison -- Cassius is a bit like A TIE Fighter Ace after the Battle of Endor.
The best of the characters from Book 1 make a return as well, mostly, in the same form as we left them. I’ll not give you a blow by blow rundown of the motley crew but honourable mention has to go to the bioroid Isla who really develops very well for a Bioroid replica of that ice queen from a certain Disney film my daughter won’t shut up about. I wish she’d just let it go… Clarice also returns and is again an example of a multifaceted female character. I’ll leave it there because with Cassius, Isla and Clarice you’ve got a great caste already and they showcase something which sets Phipps’ and Suttkus’s writing apart. They’re each different. Clearly, we see Isla and Clarice through Cassius’s eyes (it’s 1st person POV), yet through their interaction with Cassius we get a strong feel for what’s going on inside both women. They’re very different and both are rich characters. Probably, what would be called strong female characters, but that does the writing a disservice. Here, they have more nuance than just ‘strong’; they have flaws that are believable and give them a great deal of depth. Like characters are meant to be, whatever their gender.
So on to the story itself. Fast paced, thrill ride. It’s got some brilliant set pieces, in the finest tradition of space opera but as always, it’s the personal confrontations that count the most. Here we’ve got one on par with Vader revealing he’s an absentee daddy. There’s also enough twists and turns that it kept me guessing until the end--reinforced by the death of an important character that you won’t see coming.
The worldbuilding doesn’t slacken off, but we get a longer view of galactic civilization. It’s pitched just right to add to the existing setting without overdoing it.
All in all, it’s the best book I’ve read so far this year and it’ll take a hell of a novel to beat it."

Enjoy it, I certainly did.

Had me chuckling to myself for the entire book

Note: Even though this is Book 2, it works pretty well as a stand alone.

This story was so much fun, with the perfect mix of serious, snark, action, sexiness, & humor. If Firefly and Deathstalker had a baby and then abandoned it, this would be that dysfunctional, snarky, angry, & heroic offspring. Cassius Mass is a very approachable hero. He’s a drunk, has some self- loathing going on, family issues, and is both enamored and confused by his two lovers (Isla & Clarice). The universe will be affected by the choices he makes, and of course, he’ll do his best to get his crew paid.

Clarice and Isla are great at bossing Cassius around. I loved their relationship. These two ladies were lovers on and off before Cassius came into the scene. He comes from a rather conservative upbringing, so it’s taken him some time to get used to the idea of their relationship all around. Clarice is the warrior, willing to sacrifice herself for lovers and friends and the greater good. Isla is a freed sexbot turned ship’s medic. The story gives us much more time with Isla than Clarice Rin O’Hara and I really felt her character developed in this tale.

I also love Ida Claire! Her nephew Fade, a trained spy and assassin, gets pulled into the tale as well. Ida reminds me a bit of the Spider in the Gentlemen Bastards series. She’s a clever old bat who pulls the strings on Cassius and his crew, hopefully for the greater good. There’s also William One Arm Baldur who had me laughing out loud with his very pointed and blunt observations. Cassius’s dead wife Judith still plays are role in this story. Then there’s Cassius’s messed up family – sister Zoe, brother Thomas, and his own father Cassius Elder. Lots of cloning has happened in this family, so the family tree looks more like a messy yarn ball.

The overall plot has some great surprises built into it. Cassius is going to have to go toe to toe with the powerful Kathax Prime of the Elder Races. There’s all sorts of stumbling blocks with unexpected allies and plenty of enemies. The action is well balanced with quieter moments of introspection and humor. The story ends wrapping up the immediate issues while leaving room for the next story. 5/5 stars.

The Narration: Eric Burns does a great job as Cassius. He has the perfect voice that can capture Cassius’s anger, humor, and tenderness. Burns gave each character their own unique voice and his female voices were feminine. I liked his voice for Clarice and his mild accent for Fade. He was made a great evil Cassius Elder. The pacing was perfect and there were technical issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.
#Clever #Witty

#tagsgiving and #sweepstakes

Universe survives but with funny bad decisions!

Cassius and the crew of the Melampus are once again being used as pawns in a struggle for power. The survival of the universe depends upon the decisions Cassius and his crew make. Of course, not everything is as it appears! Cassius is faced with some difficult decisions.

The conversations were well done, the growth of the characters continued. The plot flowed nicely and while not a lot of action was present, the story was fast paced. Cassius is a dark character supported by strong females.

Eric Burns, the narrator, performed the audiobook professionally and strongly keeping the audiobook moving nicely.

CT Phipps did a great job furthering the story of Cassius, I just wish it was longer. That is my only issue with the book. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys space operas. The story itself is fascinating.

There were no issues with the production or quality of this audiobook.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author/narrator/publisher.
Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog.
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Ambitious Continuation of Phipps Lucifer's Star

Book 2 in the Lucifer's Star Saga (is it too soon to call this a "Saga"? -- I don't care, I'm calling it a saga) is even more ambitious than the first. It's got new (not really) and improved (they're pretty good and not at all worn-out) tropes as well as more of the patented C.T. Phipps quirky pop culture references and punchy humor that made Lucifer's Star so much fun.

So, where were we . . . Oh, yes! Clones? Check. Replicants? Check. Rogue AI? Check. Cyborgs and/or transhumanism? Cloned, programmable zombies? That's new. And a deeper connection to the Old Ones (sci-fi Cthulhu) that made sense.

There's plenty to enjoy here, I especially liked the homicidal/patricidal/fratricidal(?) interactions between Cassius and his dysfunctional family. The only downside for me was self-destructive behavior and attitudes evinced throughout, but once you see where Cassius came from it makes more sense.

Two books into the series and I'm still not 100% sold on Eric Burns as a narrator--at least not for this series. He's fine for the most part, but I'm not a fan of his female characterizations. I usually am against changing narrators mid-series, but I'd love to see Jeffrey Kafer get picked up for this series if Ray Porter or Luke Daniels (#dreamcasting) are too busy.

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