Words I never expected to be typing. I just read an epic space opera and I absolutely loved it. So much so I can't wait to return to the world created by C.T. Phipps and Michael Suttkus in Lucifer's Star.
Cassius Mass the Fire Count. The Colonel-Count of Analathas. The Butcher of Kolthas. Awarded the highest honor his country had to give...the Lucifer’s Star.
Lucifer's Star is filled with cybernetics, bioroids, and clones Oh, my. They are all very much the norm, that being said there are still prejudices. It's a time after the war and being on the losing side sucks. Cassius is hiding in plain site on board the Melampus.
Just when I think I should no longer stray from my chosen genre of horror along comes this truly great read. Admittedly I don't have anything to compare this too but it is a solid story with great characters. Cassius Mass is suitably flawed with the mindset of a Han Solo without being a copy and he's certainly not afraid of firing first.
Lucifer's Star is filled with pithy words of wisdom like...
War was always beautiful from a distance, full of glory and promises of epic heroism.
Lasting peace is a lie told to children. Peace is simply a measure of time between wars.
...space seemed to have brought out the worst in humanity.
People don’t give a shit about freedom as long as their bellies are full and there’s something good on the holo.
And...
The bigger the lie, the more people would believe it, especially if you started with something plausible to build on.
Lucifer's Star is filled with explosive twists and turns to numerous to count with delightful wordplay throughout. There's just so much juicy goodness in a story which is incredibly complex yet easy to follow.
Recommended.
Lucifer's Star is available in paperback, e-book, and audio formats from Crossroad Press. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
From the authors' bios...
C.T.Phipps is a lifelong student of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. An avid tabletop gamer, he discovered this passion led him to write and turned him into a geek for life. He is a regular blogger on "The United Federation of Charles" (http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogspot.com/). To date, his books include Agent G, Cthulhu Armageddon, Straight Outta Fangton, The Supervillainy Saga, and Lucifer's Star.
Michael Suttkuss is a man of mystery. There is a dearth of information available about Michael.
Thanks, Frank! This is a great review and I'm extremely glad you enjoyed it! It's always nice to know you've managed to entertain someone outside their comfort zone.
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