Steal the Stars

By: Mac Rogers

Narrated by: full cast

Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's Summary

The original podcast recording 

This audio ebundle includes all fourteen episodes of the Audio Verse Award-winning podcast series, plus exclusive bonus content, including the live staged reading of the prequel episode, "Deputy"; a round table discussion with the creators; and more.

Dakota "Dak" Prentiss guards the biggest secret in the world. 

They call it "Moss". It's your standard grey alien from innumerable abduction stories. It still sits at the controls of the spaceship it crash-landed 11 years ago. A secret military base was built around the crash site to study both Moss and the dangerous technology it brought to Earth. 

The day Matt Salem joins her security team, Dak's whole world changes. 

It's love at first sight - which is a problem, since they both signed ironclad contracts vowing not to fraternize with other military personnel. If they run, they'll be hunted for what they know. Dak and Matt have only way to be together: do the impossible. Steal Moss and sell the secret of its existence. 

And they can't afford a single mistake. 

This program is read by Ashlie Atkinson, Nat Cassidy, Hanna Cheek, Rebecca Comtois, Jorge Cordova, Sol Marina Crespo, Reyna de Courcy, Neimah Djourabchi, Autumn Dornfeld, Abe Goldfarb, Jason Howard, Daryl Lathon, Kelley Rae O'Donnell, Mac Rogers, Seth Sheldon, David Shih, Brian Silliman, Tarantino Smith, Jennifer Tsay, James Wetzel, Brittany Williams, Jordana Williams, Sean Williams, and Christopher Yustin. 

Also available from Tor Books: Steal the Stars, a novel by Nat Cassidy, the official adaptation of the podcast and an NPR Book of the Year 

©2017 Novelization copyright 2017 by Tom Doherty Associates. Based on the podcast Steal the Stars by Gideon Media (P)2018 Macmillan Audio

Critic Reviews

"Bundling a successful podcast with other material, this audio program makes an attention-grabbing listen...The episodic sci-fi thriller that results is a listening feast." (AudioFile Magazine)

Utterly Amazing

This is one of the coolest pieces I've listened to in a long time. As someone who listens to a lot of sci fi and audiobooks in general, I have to say this has really raised the bar on what I expect from a production.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Gripping story Talented cast Great sound effects

This was an exciting listen. The cast didn't just read their lines, there was emotion and personality in each voice actor's character. And the story was exciting, full of details that filled the mind's eye. And, I loved the sound effects which completed the scenes with their own little details.

There are book reviews on Audible where people express annoyance at sounds or music between scenes. And, sometimes it is done clumsily. But when it is done right, it adds to what we can get from an audio experience.

Some of my favorite narrators are also actors and it is obvious that their acting background only enhances the listening experience - they manage to flesh the characters out with pauses, or inflections, or emotions. Some have the ability to do a variety of accents. Steal the Stars doesn't have one talented actor narrating, there is an entire cast of actors doing various characters. It's delicious!

Right now, I found this audio book in Romance - Sci Fi. And only 4 feedbacks, and an average rating of "3" - which is awful! I wonder if this book was in another category - like Science Fiction, or whatever category ex-military or adventure stories would be in - if the ratings would be better.

I can't imagine that someone looking for "Romance" is going to find this book fulfilling.

Audio dramas are fun to listen to. I actually prefer audio comedies (Cabin Pressure, Ladies of Letters) and there are some audio books that have dabbled in the use of sound effects and done well (Koban Universe - but only the first book in the series) and some that are just okay - maybe they needed better equipment or someone with more talent.

This is well done - the production quality is high, the talent is wonderful, and the story is gripping - twisty - unpredictable.

The story was not what I expected and it took directions I didn't expect. Yes, there is a love story between a man and woman that threads through, but this is a lot more than a "romance" and I hope it will be moved to another category where it can be found. It's great!

And, at the end of the audio drama is a Bonus interview or round table discussion. Also fun.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

The perfect audio book

I just finished listening to this book! OMG! I didn’t want to stop.

This is what all audio books should be. Loved the cast! And the limited sound effects. Graphic audio books are too filled with sound effects. This book hit the right balance.

I really hope this gets turned into a movie at some point, so more people will read the book / listen to the audio book.

The story was compelling and fast paced. I feel for the characters quickly, hate and love.
The characters also seem to be suffering various different PSTD or mental conditions - yet they are all presented in believable ways.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

This Only Stole My Time

I tried hard to listen to the entire book, but had to fast-forward though the last 90 minutes. The relationships that were supposed to be at the center of the story were not interesting enough to offset the ponderous pace of the action. For a first-encounter story, it was remarkably boring. The protagonist, moreover, did not have compelling reasons for the many of the actions she took, despite the rationales provided.

Spend your money somewhere else.

0 of 4 people found this review helpful

Very well produced

I really enjoyed this, I hadn't heard of the Mac Rogers podcast prior to listening to Steal the Stars so wasn't familiar with the story. Given that it was based around an area 51 theme I thought it could be intriguing and the sample really pulled me in.
Which isn't a surprise as the majority of the sample has the central character Dak (played by Ashlie Atkinson) delivering a scene.

Ashlie Atkinson (Dak) really is fantastic in Steal the Stars, so much character in her voice and the performance she delivers. There were sections where I lost interest, when the alien narrative took back seat to some melodrama playing out. At this point I did consider to stop listening, but I continued and soon got pulled back in again through the twist and turns of the story. It was interesting to hear the round table at the end between cast and crew as they say when the podcast went out some people did feel there was too much melodrama rather than focusing on the scifi aspects, though there were also many who really loved the melodrama. I would be in the group of the former, but can still recognise that the romance elements will appeal to others, its certainly not that they're not well done. Also if you're in it more for the scifi don't let the melodrama put you off, as the story more than makes up for it.

In a standout cast Nat Cassidy puts in a highly entertaining performance as Lloyd.