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lady_mair's review against another edition
3.0
(3.5 STARS)
A fun, rollicking romp with 2 engaging POV characters. This was definitely “space opera candy” as a front cover review proclaims. I couldn’t clearly visualize a lot of the settings and tech, but I also couldn’t get enough of the rough-and-tumble Jaqi. This would actually be a 4-Star read for me if not for some adult bits, some wonky religion stuff, and the ending that dragged on just a bit too long.
A fun, rollicking romp with 2 engaging POV characters. This was definitely “space opera candy” as a front cover review proclaims. I couldn’t clearly visualize a lot of the settings and tech, but I also couldn’t get enough of the rough-and-tumble Jaqi. This would actually be a 4-Star read for me if not for some adult bits, some wonky religion stuff, and the ending that dragged on just a bit too long.
ferrisscottr's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book.
It is space opera cranked all the way up to 11.
I would be remiss if I also didn't point out things that might seem "Star Wars-esque" - we've got our young hero Jaqi (Luke) fleeing the evil Resistance (Empire) while she grapples with her rare ability to use the Starfire (Force). Of course she's pursued by the troops of John Starfire (the Emperor). The elite troops, the Vanguard (Stormtroopers) are armed with their soulswords (lightsabers).
For about the first 130 pages (remember it's only 204 pages long) I was confused as hell as to what this book was about and why I was spending my time reading it but around page 130 it all started to come together (the confusion factor is why this is a 4 star book and not a 5 star book).
If you've read any of my other sci-fi book reviews you know that I'm actually not a huge sci-fi fan and in order for me to enjoy the genre we've got to have reallly great characters and dialogue and this book has them. There are two main POV characters, very different but both equally captivating.
Too much more about the plot and we'll enter spoiler territory so let me just say this was a fun, kick-ass space opera. If you love the original Star Wars trilogy then you will love this book. There are similarities w/ Star Wars but it really doesn't take away from the book.
I will definitely be continuing with this series.
It is space opera cranked all the way up to 11.
I would be remiss if I also didn't point out things that might seem "Star Wars-esque" - we've got our young hero Jaqi (Luke) fleeing the evil Resistance (Empire) while she grapples with her rare ability to use the Starfire (Force). Of course she's pursued by the troops of John Starfire (the Emperor). The elite troops, the Vanguard (Stormtroopers) are armed with their soulswords (lightsabers).
For about the first 130 pages (remember it's only 204 pages long) I was confused as hell as to what this book was about and why I was spending my time reading it but around page 130 it all started to come together (the confusion factor is why this is a 4 star book and not a 5 star book).
If you've read any of my other sci-fi book reviews you know that I'm actually not a huge sci-fi fan and in order for me to enjoy the genre we've got to have reallly great characters and dialogue and this book has them. There are two main POV characters, very different but both equally captivating.
Too much more about the plot and we'll enter spoiler territory so let me just say this was a fun, kick-ass space opera. If you love the original Star Wars trilogy then you will love this book. There are similarities w/ Star Wars but it really doesn't take away from the book.
I will definitely be continuing with this series.
ferrisscottr's review against another edition
3.0
Middle book in this space opera trilogy.
I had the same problems with this book as I did with the first one - for large portions of the book there seems to be absolutely no point to any of it, it's like you're just turning pages and reading words. Nothing seems to move the story forward because there doesn't seem to really be a story.
The last book I rounded up because the last 20% of the book was amazing.
This book I'm rounding down because there just isn't enough story to warrant anything else (and this is a SHORT book).
We still have our Empire and Resistance and Reckoning (you take your pick), we have our heroes and villains, we have fights and battles. But what we really have is a great story outline that didn't really get written all that well.
Good enough for a three star rating but just barely.
We'll see if Ellsworth can bring it together in Book 3.
I had the same problems with this book as I did with the first one - for large portions of the book there seems to be absolutely no point to any of it, it's like you're just turning pages and reading words. Nothing seems to move the story forward because there doesn't seem to really be a story.
The last book I rounded up because the last 20% of the book was amazing.
This book I'm rounding down because there just isn't enough story to warrant anything else (and this is a SHORT book).
We still have our Empire and Resistance and Reckoning (you take your pick), we have our heroes and villains, we have fights and battles. But what we really have is a great story outline that didn't really get written all that well.
Good enough for a three star rating but just barely.
We'll see if Ellsworth can bring it together in Book 3.
mr_mouse's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Just finished my second read of this. It’s a rollicking good time of space opera and figuring out that being special isn’t just being a chosen one trope. Really loved reading it out loud.
nghia's review against another edition
3.0
This is a competent and entertaining space fantasy novella in the vein of Star Wars. It's brevity (barely over 200 pages) harks back to the pulps and serials of yesteryear (like Buck Rogers) that the space fantasy genre was built on. That alone is a welcome change from the usual 500-600-and-more page monsters that have come to dominate the SF/F genre. I mean, I love The Expanse but of the 3 books I've read in it so far, the shortest is 539 pages.
This doesn't really do anything super-groundbreaking. An orphan with a secret lineage who turns out to be The Chosen One of Destiny and have special powers. Rogues with hearts of gold. An evil empire with a clone army they are on the run from. Etc etc. Like I said, it is very much Star Warsy. Not a ripoff but certainly many parallels. Not that that's entirely a bad thing; sometimes novelty is overrated and we just want a fun comfort read that hits all the familiar notes. And this does that.
It packs a lot into its 200 pages. An cage death match, a space fight, a gunfight, escapes, and more. One reason for its brevity is that it confines itself to just two POVs: Jaqi and Araskar. Jaqi is the one on the run the Araskar is the Evil Empire soldier tasked with tracking her down -- but he's beginning to have doubts, he never signed up for an Evil empire and his character is the real highlight of the series.
“It doesn’t do much good to get scared out here, I think. Everything is scary. You have to get used to it.”
This doesn't really do anything super-groundbreaking. An orphan with a secret lineage who turns out to be The Chosen One of Destiny and have special powers. Rogues with hearts of gold. An evil empire with a clone army they are on the run from. Etc etc. Like I said, it is very much Star Warsy. Not a ripoff but certainly many parallels. Not that that's entirely a bad thing; sometimes novelty is overrated and we just want a fun comfort read that hits all the familiar notes. And this does that.
“I—I died.”
“Not enough blood and honor,” I say, and it’s hard to talk around that big thing in my throat. “Had to bring you back.”
It packs a lot into its 200 pages. An cage death match, a space fight, a gunfight, escapes, and more. One reason for its brevity is that it confines itself to just two POVs: Jaqi and Araskar. Jaqi is the one on the run the Araskar is the Evil Empire soldier tasked with tracking her down -- but he's beginning to have doubts, he never signed up for an Evil empire and his character is the real highlight of the series.
mr_mouse's review
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I read this book when it came out, and now I’m rereading it with my girlfriend and it totally held up!
quirkycatsfatstacks's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I received A Red Peace from Net Galley in exchange for a fair an honest review.
A Red Peace is the first in the Starfire Trilogy written by Spencer Ellsworth, and along with an interesting plot (more on that in a minute) it comes with an utterly stunning cover. Please take a minute to appreciate the artwork, detail and color palette of the cover. I’m in love with it. As far as the plot is concerned, it’s a bit like space opera meets the Wild West. It’s full of aliens, giant space bugs (who doesn’t love giant space bugs?) and psychic weapons galore.
A Red Peace starts off with the end of a war; which is unexpected, despite the name of the title. The Resistance (a group of Jorians seeking their freedom from the humans) have won, but their job doesn’t appear to be over yet (yay for plot continuation!). There’s more going on in the Resistance than there appears to be at first glance; and there’s certainly more to their motives than the lower ranks are allowed to know.
Jaqi (a name I had a lot of fun imagining how it was pronounced) is a half-breed Jorian girl looking to find her place in the world; especially if that place involves tomatoes, but really any actual food will do. I was immediately drawn into liking Jaqi’s character, her motivations are very straight forward and human (yes, I see the irony in that statement, but you know what I mean). Despite knowing better, Jaqi constantly finds herself doing the right thing, even if it means putter herself at risk (for little to no payout to boot). It’s hard not to like and even respect a character like that.
Araskar is a perfect foil for Jaqi’s character – he’s been through hell (I think being on the Resistance during the war probably counts as such) and has completely lost his hope. He’s content with the idea of dying; especially if that means none of his slugs (lower ranking soldiers he’s in charge of) die in his stead. While that sounds honorable, to me it read mostly as him looking for a way out, an escape. Just like his drug addiction. While Jaqi is looking for hope, Araskar is all but lost to the concept. It makes their meeting so much more intense and meaningful.
Earlier I mentioned Jaqi’s love of tomatoes because it’s basically the reason she gets pulled into this whole mess (and thus the plot) in the first place. I personally loved that part; that something so little ended up spinning out into something so massive and unanticipated.
What I particularly loved about Ellsworth’s work was the way he blended his imagery with music and color. It was exceptionally evocative, and didn’t even have to be subtle in some cases – such as when Araskar was directly interpreting it for us. The most poignant moment (for me at least) was later in the novel (I promise this isn’t a crazy huge spoiler) where Jaqi gives Araskar a guitar and tells him to learn how to play. To me this not only connected the musical element to the characters (again), but represented Araskar physically being handed a chance at hope. It was beautifully done.
I really enjoyed reading A Red Peace, and am greatly looking forward to the next installation. Unfortunately I have a bit of time before that happens, and patience is not one of my virtues.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
A Red Peace is the first in the Starfire Trilogy written by Spencer Ellsworth, and along with an interesting plot (more on that in a minute) it comes with an utterly stunning cover. Please take a minute to appreciate the artwork, detail and color palette of the cover. I’m in love with it. As far as the plot is concerned, it’s a bit like space opera meets the Wild West. It’s full of aliens, giant space bugs (who doesn’t love giant space bugs?) and psychic weapons galore.
Spoiler
A Red Peace starts off with the end of a war; which is unexpected, despite the name of the title. The Resistance (a group of Jorians seeking their freedom from the humans) have won, but their job doesn’t appear to be over yet (yay for plot continuation!). There’s more going on in the Resistance than there appears to be at first glance; and there’s certainly more to their motives than the lower ranks are allowed to know.
Jaqi (a name I had a lot of fun imagining how it was pronounced) is a half-breed Jorian girl looking to find her place in the world; especially if that place involves tomatoes, but really any actual food will do. I was immediately drawn into liking Jaqi’s character, her motivations are very straight forward and human (yes, I see the irony in that statement, but you know what I mean). Despite knowing better, Jaqi constantly finds herself doing the right thing, even if it means putter herself at risk (for little to no payout to boot). It’s hard not to like and even respect a character like that.
Araskar is a perfect foil for Jaqi’s character – he’s been through hell (I think being on the Resistance during the war probably counts as such) and has completely lost his hope. He’s content with the idea of dying; especially if that means none of his slugs (lower ranking soldiers he’s in charge of) die in his stead. While that sounds honorable, to me it read mostly as him looking for a way out, an escape. Just like his drug addiction. While Jaqi is looking for hope, Araskar is all but lost to the concept. It makes their meeting so much more intense and meaningful.
Earlier I mentioned Jaqi’s love of tomatoes because it’s basically the reason she gets pulled into this whole mess (and thus the plot) in the first place. I personally loved that part; that something so little ended up spinning out into something so massive and unanticipated.
What I particularly loved about Ellsworth’s work was the way he blended his imagery with music and color. It was exceptionally evocative, and didn’t even have to be subtle in some cases – such as when Araskar was directly interpreting it for us. The most poignant moment (for me at least) was later in the novel (I promise this isn’t a crazy huge spoiler) where Jaqi gives Araskar a guitar and tells him to learn how to play. To me this not only connected the musical element to the characters (again), but represented Araskar physically being handed a chance at hope. It was beautifully done.
I really enjoyed reading A Red Peace, and am greatly looking forward to the next installation. Unfortunately I have a bit of time before that happens, and patience is not one of my virtues.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
quirkycatsfatstacks's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of Shadow Sun Seven from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Shadow Sun Seven is Spencer Ellsworth’s second book in the Starfire trilogy. This series is perfect for anyone looking for a science fiction read with just a little bit of fantasy thrown into the mix; the cover description calls it a space opera, and while that term didn’t immediately come to mind I certainly can’t argue with it either. Like the last novel, I absolutely loved the cover (Thank goodness for those bright covers – it caught my attention right away!). Fans that enjoyed A Red Peace will appreciate the follow up, meanwhile those that haven’t read it will probably be at least a little bit lost, so please don’t jump right to this one.
Shadow Sun Seven feels very much like the middle of a trilogy – it starts off with the assumption that we’ve read the first novel (seriously, don’t skip it) and concludes knowing we’ll read the third one to find out what happens next. The ending isn’t a cliff hanger, in the “I’m going to go crazy if I don’t see what happens next” sense, but it still laid the groundwork to keep you coming back.
Ellsworth spends a lot of time with character development in this novel. Like the last one, most of the focus is directed towards Jaqi and Araskar. There’s a handful of other characters included as well (the children and Z being the predominant ones from the last book), but they don’t get as much attention or development.
Jaqi has so much on her head right now. As if running a resistance (…against the Resistance) wasn’t enough, many of her followers think she’s a new saint or deity. Talk about pressure. It’s understandable that she’s having a lack of faith crisis here. She’s never had to have anyone rely on her in any way that actually matters, and suddenly there are all these people who are literally willing to die for her. That’d be scary for anyone (anyone that isn’t a sociopath at least). I feel like her lack of immediate belief in her supernatural powers makes her more relatable and human (I know, I know, she isn’t actually human, but you know what I mean). Despite her reservations about herself and her abilities, Jaqi is one of the best people in the group she’s running. She’s determined to do what is right (even if that makes their job so much more difficult that it becomes next to impossible) and so far she’s always stepped up to the job when it was needed of her.
I really enjoyed Araskar’s character arc for this novel. As with the last book, he’s got a lot of ground to improve upon. Last time we saw him as a drug addict trying to make the hard choice between following his leader, or doing what is right. This time he’s a recovering addict (during the roughest part of the transition, no less), he’s made the choice to do the right thing, and yet he’s suffering. He’s haunted by his past, by his actions and actions of his now ex-comrades. Despite all this he’s loyal to a fault to Jaqi – in a way I almost feel like she’s become his replacement drug (an easy connection to spot – both induce music in his mind). While I’m concerned about what this will ultimately mean for Araskar (he’s a walking tragic hero, so I can easily see him giving up his life to save her), I do appreciate the work that’s gone into his character him to this point.
I’m anxious to see how the reunion between Araskar and John Starfire goes. I feel like it’s a safe assumption that this will happen at some point – after all John is aware the Araskar survived and betrayed him (not to mention the whole killing his daughter thing). Between the actions Araskar is taking and the bounty by John on his head…well it’s inevitable. Likely this will happen at the end of the trilogy…but hey, you never know!
Z also got a little bit of character development, though it’s hidden well behind all of his bluster and ranting about blood and honor (get used to that saying). Two major turn of events are thrown at him, both causing his honor and his beliefs to be questions. The first is a choice; complete the mission (which Jaqi, a woman he considers to be sacred, and more, needs completed), or kill the man that slaughtered his people. I’ll admit I don’t really envy his position here; morally he’s in the wrong no matter which option he chooses, at least in theory. After his choice was made, and while accepting the consequences of his actions, Z is forced to learn that something has changed, specifically something about him. This change may or may not make him a pariah of his people, removing his honor and taking away his ability to go home. It’s no surprise after this double whammy that Z needs to take some time and think (I never got the impression that he was a quick thinker to begin with…so…).
You’ve probably noticed that I’ve spent more time talking about the characters than I have about the actual plot. There’s a reason for that. This novel, while absolutely fantastic, is clearly setting up for the third novel, where the heavy impacts will occur. Part of that setup includes insuring that the characters are at a place where they’ll make sense. So it’s only naturally that they’re a major part of this book, in many ways more so than the plot (but don’t worry, there actually is a plot for this book, I promise!).
I absolutely cannot wait for the third novel to be released! It’s so difficult to find a series that fits perfectly into the genre and mood you’re in at that moment, but this series has been perfectly for me lately. Naturally that’s making me a little bit anxious to get my hands on the next one!
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Shadow Sun Seven is Spencer Ellsworth’s second book in the Starfire trilogy. This series is perfect for anyone looking for a science fiction read with just a little bit of fantasy thrown into the mix; the cover description calls it a space opera, and while that term didn’t immediately come to mind I certainly can’t argue with it either. Like the last novel, I absolutely loved the cover (Thank goodness for those bright covers – it caught my attention right away!). Fans that enjoyed A Red Peace will appreciate the follow up, meanwhile those that haven’t read it will probably be at least a little bit lost, so please don’t jump right to this one.
Shadow Sun Seven feels very much like the middle of a trilogy – it starts off with the assumption that we’ve read the first novel (seriously, don’t skip it) and concludes knowing we’ll read the third one to find out what happens next. The ending isn’t a cliff hanger, in the “I’m going to go crazy if I don’t see what happens next” sense, but it still laid the groundwork to keep you coming back.
Ellsworth spends a lot of time with character development in this novel. Like the last one, most of the focus is directed towards Jaqi and Araskar. There’s a handful of other characters included as well (the children and Z being the predominant ones from the last book), but they don’t get as much attention or development.
Jaqi has so much on her head right now. As if running a resistance (…against the Resistance) wasn’t enough, many of her followers think she’s a new saint or deity. Talk about pressure. It’s understandable that she’s having a lack of faith crisis here. She’s never had to have anyone rely on her in any way that actually matters, and suddenly there are all these people who are literally willing to die for her. That’d be scary for anyone (anyone that isn’t a sociopath at least). I feel like her lack of immediate belief in her supernatural powers makes her more relatable and human (I know, I know, she isn’t actually human, but you know what I mean). Despite her reservations about herself and her abilities, Jaqi is one of the best people in the group she’s running. She’s determined to do what is right (even if that makes their job so much more difficult that it becomes next to impossible) and so far she’s always stepped up to the job when it was needed of her.
I really enjoyed Araskar’s character arc for this novel. As with the last book, he’s got a lot of ground to improve upon. Last time we saw him as a drug addict trying to make the hard choice between following his leader, or doing what is right. This time he’s a recovering addict (during the roughest part of the transition, no less), he’s made the choice to do the right thing, and yet he’s suffering. He’s haunted by his past, by his actions and actions of his now ex-comrades. Despite all this he’s loyal to a fault to Jaqi – in a way I almost feel like she’s become his replacement drug (an easy connection to spot – both induce music in his mind). While I’m concerned about what this will ultimately mean for Araskar (he’s a walking tragic hero, so I can easily see him giving up his life to save her), I do appreciate the work that’s gone into his character him to this point.
I’m anxious to see how the reunion between Araskar and John Starfire goes. I feel like it’s a safe assumption that this will happen at some point – after all John is aware the Araskar survived and betrayed him (not to mention the whole killing his daughter thing). Between the actions Araskar is taking and the bounty by John on his head…well it’s inevitable. Likely this will happen at the end of the trilogy…but hey, you never know!
Z also got a little bit of character development, though it’s hidden well behind all of his bluster and ranting about blood and honor (get used to that saying). Two major turn of events are thrown at him, both causing his honor and his beliefs to be questions. The first is a choice; complete the mission (which Jaqi, a woman he considers to be sacred, and more, needs completed), or kill the man that slaughtered his people. I’ll admit I don’t really envy his position here; morally he’s in the wrong no matter which option he chooses, at least in theory. After his choice was made, and while accepting the consequences of his actions, Z is forced to learn that something has changed, specifically something about him. This change may or may not make him a pariah of his people, removing his honor and taking away his ability to go home. It’s no surprise after this double whammy that Z needs to take some time and think (I never got the impression that he was a quick thinker to begin with…so…).
You’ve probably noticed that I’ve spent more time talking about the characters than I have about the actual plot. There’s a reason for that. This novel, while absolutely fantastic, is clearly setting up for the third novel, where the heavy impacts will occur. Part of that setup includes insuring that the characters are at a place where they’ll make sense. So it’s only naturally that they’re a major part of this book, in many ways more so than the plot (but don’t worry, there actually is a plot for this book, I promise!).
I absolutely cannot wait for the third novel to be released! It’s so difficult to find a series that fits perfectly into the genre and mood you’re in at that moment, but this series has been perfectly for me lately. Naturally that’s making me a little bit anxious to get my hands on the next one!
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
alexanderpaez's review
4.0
Divertidísima space opera ambientada en una galaxia donde una guerra estelar ha terminado pero comienzan ciertas intrigas para levantar un imperio tiránico y eliminar a la especie humana. Espadas de alma (soulswords), bichos, razas híbridas, mucho (MUCHÍSIMO) humor y personajazos inolvidables. Ganas de poner ya con al segunda parte.
jvan's review
4.0
There's a lot going on in this little book, and you get hit by a huge amount right at the start. It feels a bit overwhelming but quickly enough you're past that hitch and the exciting, energetic story carries you along with it. This is a fun, well assembled tale with masses of aliens, cybernetic entities, bugs, psychic powers, star devouring monsters and hapless people who just want a bath and maybe a nice piece of fruit. Good stuff, and the next book will be out only a few months after this one.