Lucifer's Star
By: C. T. Phipps, Michael Suttkus
Narrated by: Eric Burns
You can't predict what will happen in these books. There are always surprises, twists, lies, (from the characters), and unexpected characters ( clones, and worse). But you can always expect humor, to smile a few times, maybe groan, but I have never read one that I didn't like! I read this in book for and enjoyed it just as much in audible!
Narration was great! ( )

3.5 stars

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

Eric is a new narrator for me. From the first sentence Eric had a positive, hopeful sound to his voice for me. I can hear his deep breaths between lines. There is a short (about 3 or 4 words) that didn't follow character tone in the beginning, I caught only because following the book at that time. Eric does do different tones for characters, giving them a sound of age and their own voice. I did pick up on one small repeat, I almost missed it as it was quick.

I just love that first sentence! What a sight that would be. The sentence really drew the picture for me.

We start with Cassius in a big battle in his life on Crius. This battle is one that lingers in Cassius's mind, and what he's trying to escape from. There are sections that are memories, though with this being audio you don't see the italics that indicate it's different than the here and now. It sounds like two conversations happening at the same time. Then Cassius doesn't talk to himself as much and is easier to catch as the book goes on. The book is focused on Cassius and his time on his current ship. The people are also residing on this ship are not who they seem to be.

As we learn these people aren't who they say they are, we see much more in this unstable universe. The different groups in the universe are all working at different angles. Even the people in the organizations have different angles they are working. So much to play with here!

Cassius grows through the book, as he grows to realize he has friends. Cassius is running from who he is. He wants to be someone that's not of the Archduchy to live his life with the guilt he feels. Through what he learns in the events he lives through, and the connections made, Cassius learns of details he didn't know before. I love the moment when Cassius gets a...closure with someone from his past. Cassius confronts feelings he'd been holding in.

Cassius grows attached to people which helps him along in his journeys. We learn a few have rather heavy pasts as well. The crew on the ship he finds himself on has many who are fugitives in their lands or pasts that aren't of the best actions. There are moments that feel drawn out with details of histories of people and descriptions, but the story comes together and the ending is non-stop.

I found that the AI take in this book was very interesting. There is also cloning in this book. Biodroids were a neat creation. I know we haven't heard the last of these. I don't want to give to much on this as it's a big play in the book. You have to read or listen to the book to get the details. We learn details that all come to a head at the end of the book with a special type of AI.

This wouldn't be a fun space story if we didn't get action scenes. We get just that, in space and on planet action. Even among the crew on the ship.

The world feels vast and full with crew that Cassius has acquired. I look forward to continuing with Cassius and what is in store for him next. ( )

Set in a galaxy far, far away, Cassius Mass, supreme star pilot, has lost his faith in his side of the war. All his life he believed he was fighting for the right side, the Crius Archduchy. Alas, the Archduchy fell to the Commonwealth and people rejoiced (much to Cassius’s surprise). Now he spends his days drunk navigating a freight hauler, the Melampus, going by the name Marcus Grav. That is, until he’s swept up into intrigue and revolution.

I know I have said this before about a new-to-me Phipps series: This is my favorite of Phipps’s works! Well, I say it again. This gripping scifi story is a little darker than some of his other works and yet still has moments of humor and all of it has this space opera feel going for it. I was rooting for Cassius throughout the story since I felt he would do his best to get the least number of average people killed.

Then I started rooting for Ida Claire, a spy master and captain of the Melampus who may or may not be on Cassius’s side, because she was so damn interesting! I kept picturing her with a bit of knitting as she read over the latest spy logs, quietly drinking rum-spiked tea and casually checking off boxes on the log that would determine who lived and who died. I know. She never had any knitting in the book and yet I always picture her with knitting. Maybe the knitting needle tips are poison dipped.

Let’s talk about Cassius’s tangled family tree. So he’s technically a clone of his father, yet he was raised as a sibling with his father’s biological offspring…. so that makes them his, well, we’ll go with siblings for now. Someone learned from that and decided to make a clone of Cassius to raise an Archduchy rebellion against the Commonwealth. Now Ida wants to stop that uprising and hunt down this clone and whoever is controlling him. Obviously, things are going to get messy for Cassius who was raised to have strong familial ties.

I loved the bioroids! Originally crafted to serve as a slave work force, sometimes a bioroid breaks free and spends the rest of their days working on some rundown freight hauler. Take Isla Hernandez, a medical officer, who is glad for her freedom but still harbors plenty of anger. The bioroids plight put me in mind of the human-like AI robots of Bladerunner and Battlestar Galactica.

There’s also aliens! Yes! Humanity knows they exist but has very little to do with them, per the aliens’ choice. We’re not evolved enough to be of interest. Then there’s the nearly alien Chel, a race of once-humans that are so far removed from humanity in purpose, biology, and technology that they are considered alien by most. Clarice has had contact with them and it wasn’t pretty. She’s got her own scars to keep tucked away.

Cassius is in a relationship with Isla, who used to be in a relationship with William… so there’s some personal tension between the two men. There’s also the young Hiro who is everyone’s little brother and he does Cassius a good turn, earning his trust. It’s a ragtag crew that often put me in mind of Firefly.

My one little quibble is that I found Cassius a bit too trusting beyond reason. He has plenty of hints that a member of the Melampus is working for a different team but is then surprised when that betrayal comes to pass. Same thing when he meets up with his siblings once again. Since we’re experiencing the entire tale through Cassius’s eyes, if we see it, then Cassius sees it as well. So I felt it was just a touch clunky trying to portray these hints of forthcoming betrayal and yet still keep Cassius’s blinders on.

All around, I really enjoyed this tale. There’s plenty of skirmishes, spy networks, and individuals making plays for personal gain. Most of our would-be heroes have deep scars that affect their choices, which in turn, put them or others in great peril. I also loved the witty humor that kept popping up, providing breaks from the grimdark feel of the overall story. Plus, there were a few references to iconic movies such as The Godfather and Airplane. I’m so looking forward to Book 2!

I received a free copy of this book.

The Narration: Eric Burns was an excellent narrator for this story. I loved his voice for Ida, which could range from sweet grandmotherly to brutally honest. He also made a really good Cassius, holding onto that sense of honor throughout the story. He did a great job with the humor as well as the grim moments, expressing the right mix of emotions for any given scene. ( )

My original Lucifer's Star audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Surviving a battle with the Commonwealth, Count Cassius Mass hides in plain sight. Struggling to keep his identity a secret, he discovers he was fighting the wrong battle and was on the wrong side as well. Now, the battle is being waged again and it is up to him to decide what the truth is and who he should trust before it’s too late.

Deceit, intrigue, and conspiracy run rampant leaving Cassius questioning everyone and everything. Survival means figuring out who to trust and knowing when past alliances are no longer valid; Cassius is treading through a powerful minefield that will not only destroy him but his friends, lovers and him!

An awesome space opera that is truly full of intrigue and mystery. C.T. Phipps and Michael Suttkus develop an intricate dance for Cassius; one miss-step and it’s over! Complex relationships and moments of self-discovery are intricate and well crafted. Phipps creates a dramatic and action-packed world for Cassius to maneuver through while also challenging his audience to solve the conspiracy.

Character development was well done as was expected. Phipps and Suttkus do an excellent job of developing characters so much so that they come to life with the added help of the narrator. The story line flowed well; it did not seem overwhelming or daunting as Phipps and Suttkus provided excellent imagery and explanation. There were lots of layers to this story but they all connected and fit together smoothly with ease.

This book is well written and I enjoyed it very much. If you love space operas, starships, battles, and intrigue, this is the book for you. It’s hard to put down once you start to listen.

The narrator, Eric Burns performance was natural and precise. His ability to inject appropriate emotions into the script was exciting. His natural smooth voice for Cassius was relaxing, fluid and steady.

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

Audiobook was provided for review by the author. ( )

Lucifer’s Star (Lucifer's Star #1) by C.T. Phipps and Michael Suttkus is a very exciting sci-fi novel that kept my attention and interest. There were so many twists and turns that left me not knowing who the poor hero was suppose to trust! It was that way all the way through the book. Lots of action, adventure, suspense, secrets to be explored, excellent sci-fi, and good plot. Characters well developed and dialogue spot on for their character. It was the twists and turns that really captured the story, great work there! I was given this book to read and the review was voluntary. ( )