
The Cruel Stars
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $21.49
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Morgan Hallett
-
By:
-
John Birmingham
About this listen
With a ruthless sect of humanity intent on wiping out their species, five intrepid heroes must think like their enemies in this epic sci-fi adventure for fans of The Expanse and Battlestar Galactica.
The galaxy was once terrorized by the Sturm, a group of “species purists” intent on destroying any human with genetic or cybernetic enhancements. Fashioning themselves as the one true “Human Republic,” the Sturm cut a bloody swath across the stars, killing billions before finally being defeated and driven into the far reaches of Dark Space. Centuries of peace bred complacency. Everyone believed the Sturm had died out in the Dark. They were wrong.
The enemy has returned and, with a brutal and decisive attack, knocks out almost all of humanity’s defenses. Now on the brink of annihilation, humankind’s only hope is a few brave souls who survived the initial attack: Commander Lucinda Hardy, thrust into uncertain command of the Royal Armadalen Navy’s only surviving warship. Booker3, a soldier of Earth, sentenced to die for treason, whose time on death row is cut short when the Sturm attack his prison compound. Princess Alessia, a young royal of the Montanblanc Corporation, forced to flee when her home planet is overrun and her entire family executed. Sephina L’trel, the leader of an outlaw band who must call on all of her criminal skills to resist the invasion. And, finally, Admiral Frazer McLennan, the infamous hero of the first war with the Sturm hundreds of years ago, who hopes to rout his old foes once and for all- or die trying.
These five flawed, reluctant heroes must band together to prevail against a relentless enemy and near-impossible odds. For if they fail, the future itself is doomed.
©2019 John Birmingham (P)2019 Recorded BooksListeners also enjoyed...
-
Dandelion
- The Newhome Rangers, Book 1
- By: Philip R. Johnson, Justin C. Louis
- Narrated by: John Keating
- Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amber Houston was born light-years away from Earth aboard the enormous colony starship Dandelion. By the age of 14, she has spent her entire life training as a Ranger, ready for the day when she will be among the first humans ever to set foot on an alien world and build a new civilization. When Dandelion suffers an emergency toward the end of its journey, Amber and her fellow young rangers are evacuated and land on the planet Newhome years ahead of schedule.
-
-
Solid old-school science fiction
- By R. Jernigan on 06-17-21
By: Philip R. Johnson, and others
-
The Acheron: Publisher's Pack
- The Acheron, Books 1-2
- By: Rick Partlow
- Narrated by: Tess Irondale
- Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Contains books one and two of The Acheron series: The Acheron and The Prodigal. Sandi and Ash never set out to be heroes. She joined the Fleet to please her mother, the Admiral. He signed up to escape the grinding poverty of the Housing Blocks. And the unlikely friends envisioned boring, peacetime careers as shuttle pilots. The Tahni Imperium had other ideas.
-
-
Gritty and Dank. Just how war stories should be..
- By European on 10-20-20
By: Rick Partlow
-
The Icarus Hunt
- A Novel
- By: Timothy Zahn
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson
- Length: 17 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jordan McKell has a problem with authority. Unfortunately for him, the iron-fisted authority of the powerful Patthaaunutth controls virtually every aspect of galactic shipping. In order to survive, Jordan ekes out a living dabbling in interstellar smuggling for outlaw concerns that represent the last vestiges of free trade in the galaxy. So when Jordan and his partner, Ixil - an alien with two ferret-like "outhunters" linked to his neural system - are hired by a mysterious gentleman to fly a ship and its special cargo to Earth, they jump at the job.
-
-
I've been waiting a long time for this.
- By Aerindel on 02-03-22
By: Timothy Zahn
-
The Lost Starship
- By: Vaughn Heppner
- Narrated by: David Stifel
- Length: 13 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ten thousand years ago, a single alien super-ship survived a desperate battle. The vessel's dying crew set the AI on automatic to defend the smashed rubble of their planet. Legend has it the faithful ship continues to patrol the empty battlefield, obeying its last order throughout the lonely centuries.In the here and now, Earth needs a miracle. Out of the Beyond invade the New Men, stronger, faster and smarter than the old. Their superior warships and advanced technology destroy every fleet sent to stop them.
-
-
A Good Concept and Decent (But Not Great) Story
- By Striker on 12-01-14
By: Vaughn Heppner
-
Invaders
- By: Vaughn Heppner
- Narrated by: Christian Rummel
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They came from the brightest star in the southern constellation of Carina. First they studied us. Now they're among us, threatening human existence as they search for the Starcore, the greatest device of the lost Polarions. Logan is captured in the Nevada desert but escapes in Greenland. There he finds an extraterrestrial stealth ship, giving him the means to take the battle to the enemy.
-
-
WISHING WASN'T GOING TO HELP ME NOW
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 09-07-17
By: Vaughn Heppner
-
Earthcore
- By: Scott Sigler
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 20 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
EarthCore is the company with the technology, the resources, and the guts to go after the mother lode. Young executive Connell Kirkland is the company's driving force, pushing himself and those around him to uncover the massive treasure. But at three miles below the surface, where the rocks are so hot they burn bare skin, something has been waiting for centuries. Waiting...and guarding. Kirkland and EarthCore are about to find out first-hand why this treasure has never been unearthed.
-
-
Awesome Book. Well written and very creative!
- By Leslie on 06-25-17
By: Scott Sigler
-
Dandelion
- The Newhome Rangers, Book 1
- By: Philip R. Johnson, Justin C. Louis
- Narrated by: John Keating
- Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amber Houston was born light-years away from Earth aboard the enormous colony starship Dandelion. By the age of 14, she has spent her entire life training as a Ranger, ready for the day when she will be among the first humans ever to set foot on an alien world and build a new civilization. When Dandelion suffers an emergency toward the end of its journey, Amber and her fellow young rangers are evacuated and land on the planet Newhome years ahead of schedule.
-
-
Solid old-school science fiction
- By R. Jernigan on 06-17-21
By: Philip R. Johnson, and others
-
The Acheron: Publisher's Pack
- The Acheron, Books 1-2
- By: Rick Partlow
- Narrated by: Tess Irondale
- Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Contains books one and two of The Acheron series: The Acheron and The Prodigal. Sandi and Ash never set out to be heroes. She joined the Fleet to please her mother, the Admiral. He signed up to escape the grinding poverty of the Housing Blocks. And the unlikely friends envisioned boring, peacetime careers as shuttle pilots. The Tahni Imperium had other ideas.
-
-
Gritty and Dank. Just how war stories should be..
- By European on 10-20-20
By: Rick Partlow
-
The Icarus Hunt
- A Novel
- By: Timothy Zahn
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson
- Length: 17 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jordan McKell has a problem with authority. Unfortunately for him, the iron-fisted authority of the powerful Patthaaunutth controls virtually every aspect of galactic shipping. In order to survive, Jordan ekes out a living dabbling in interstellar smuggling for outlaw concerns that represent the last vestiges of free trade in the galaxy. So when Jordan and his partner, Ixil - an alien with two ferret-like "outhunters" linked to his neural system - are hired by a mysterious gentleman to fly a ship and its special cargo to Earth, they jump at the job.
-
-
I've been waiting a long time for this.
- By Aerindel on 02-03-22
By: Timothy Zahn
-
The Lost Starship
- By: Vaughn Heppner
- Narrated by: David Stifel
- Length: 13 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ten thousand years ago, a single alien super-ship survived a desperate battle. The vessel's dying crew set the AI on automatic to defend the smashed rubble of their planet. Legend has it the faithful ship continues to patrol the empty battlefield, obeying its last order throughout the lonely centuries.In the here and now, Earth needs a miracle. Out of the Beyond invade the New Men, stronger, faster and smarter than the old. Their superior warships and advanced technology destroy every fleet sent to stop them.
-
-
A Good Concept and Decent (But Not Great) Story
- By Striker on 12-01-14
By: Vaughn Heppner
-
Invaders
- By: Vaughn Heppner
- Narrated by: Christian Rummel
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They came from the brightest star in the southern constellation of Carina. First they studied us. Now they're among us, threatening human existence as they search for the Starcore, the greatest device of the lost Polarions. Logan is captured in the Nevada desert but escapes in Greenland. There he finds an extraterrestrial stealth ship, giving him the means to take the battle to the enemy.
-
-
WISHING WASN'T GOING TO HELP ME NOW
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 09-07-17
By: Vaughn Heppner
-
Earthcore
- By: Scott Sigler
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 20 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
EarthCore is the company with the technology, the resources, and the guts to go after the mother lode. Young executive Connell Kirkland is the company's driving force, pushing himself and those around him to uncover the massive treasure. But at three miles below the surface, where the rocks are so hot they burn bare skin, something has been waiting for centuries. Waiting...and guarding. Kirkland and EarthCore are about to find out first-hand why this treasure has never been unearthed.
-
-
Awesome Book. Well written and very creative!
- By Leslie on 06-25-17
By: Scott Sigler
-
Omega Rising
- By: Joshua Dalzelle
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jason Burke was a man hiding from himself in a small cabin high in the American Rocky Mountains when his simple, quiet life was shattered one night by what he first assumed was an aviation mishap. But when he investigates the crash, what he finds will yank him out of his self-imposed exile and thrust him into a world he could have never imagined.
-
-
Entertaining but nothing special. Take a look.
- By Desmond on 10-31-15
By: Joshua Dalzelle
-
Retrograde
- By: Peter Cawdron
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mankind has long dreamed of reaching out to live on other planets, and with the establishment of the Mars Endeavour colony, that dream has become reality. The fledgling colony consists of 120 scientists, astronauts, medical staff, and engineers. Buried deep underground, they're protected from the harsh radiation that sterilizes the surface of the planet. The colony is prepared for every eventuality except one - what happens when disaster strikes Earth?
-
-
Who rescues the Martians when Earth is gone?
- By Jason on 09-20-17
By: Peter Cawdron
-
The Crypt: Shakedown
- The Crypt, Book 1
- By: Scott Sigler
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 16 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Few know the warship’s actual name. But everyone has heard the rumors. The PUV James Keeling can do something no other vessel in existence can do—slip into another dimension, travel undetected, then re-emerge onto our plane and surprise enemy targets. But the thing that makes the Crypt unique also makes it a nightmare for those onboard; interdimensional travel causes hallucinations, violent behavior, and psychotic breakdowns. Keeling could be the Union’s greatest weapon, a game-changing asset that can defeat the bloodthirsty zealots of the Purist Nation, the Union’s mortal enemy.
-
-
classic sigler
- By martin on 10-05-23
By: Scott Sigler
-
Weapons of Choice
- Axis of Time, Book 1
- By: John Birmingham
- Narrated by: Jay Snyder
- Length: 20 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
History is rewritten in an instant as the future smashes into the past, and high-tech hardware goes head to head with World War Two technology. In the chaos that ensues, thousands are killed, but the maelstrom has only just begun. The veterans of Pearl Harbor have never seen a helicopter, or a cruise missile - let alone nanotechnology, ceramic bullets, and F22 Raptor stealth jetfighters. Allied and Axis forces are then caught in a desperate struggle to gain the upper hand.
-
-
The story line is a political stretch
- By Bruce on 04-18-15
By: John Birmingham
-
The Black Elfstone
- The Fall of Shannara
- By: Terry Brooks
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Across the Four Lands, peace has reigned for generations. But now, in the far north, an unknown enemy is massing. More troubling than the carnage is the strange and wondrous power wielded by the attackers—a breed of magic unfamiliar even to the Druid order. Fearing the worst, the High Druid dispatches a diplomatic party under the protection of the order’s sworn guardian, Dar Leah, to confront the mysterious, encroaching force and discover its purpose.
-
-
Noooooo!
- By Mama1ady3ug on 06-21-17
By: Terry Brooks
-
The Translocator
- By: M.G. Herron
- Narrated by: Tess Irondale
- Length: 24 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Archaeologist Eliana Fisk is ripped from Earth while the whole world watches. She lands on a strange new world inhabited by a lost tribe of ancient Mayans. Meeting them, getting firsthand exposure to age-old customs and rituals...it seems like an archaeologist’s dream. But what if their rituals have a darker meaning? What if the god these people pray to is no god at all? And how in the world will she ever get back home?
-
-
Started out promising, ending in a slog.
- By Trenton on 11-20-19
By: M.G. Herron
-
Grand Central Arena
- By: Ryk E. Spoor
- Narrated by: Dina Pearlman
- Length: 18 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It was supposed to be a simple test flight, one that pilot Ariane Austin was on only as a last-ditch backup; intelligent, superhumanly fast automation would handle the test activation and flight of humanity's first faster-than-light vessel. But when the Sandrisson Drive activated, every automated system crashed, the nuclear reactor itself shut down, and only the reflexes and training of a racing pilot saved the test vessel Holy Grail from crashing into the impossible wall that had appeared before them.
-
-
awesome
- By casey on 02-22-17
By: Ryk E. Spoor
-
He Who Fights with Monsters: A LitRPG Adventure
- He Who Fights with Monsters, Book 1
- By: Shirtaloon, Travis Deverell
- Narrated by: Heath Miller
- Length: 28 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s not easy making the career jump from office-supplies-store middle manager to heroic interdimensional adventurer. At least, Jason tries to be heroic, but it's hard to be good when all your powers are evil. He’ll face off against cannibals, cultists, wizards, monsters...and that’s just on the first day. He’s going to need courage, he’s going to need wit, and he’s going to need some magic powers of his own. But first, he’s going to need pants.
-
-
Great!
- By tb3 on 03-10-21
By: Shirtaloon, and others
-
Columbus Day
- Expeditionary Force, Book 1
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We were fighting on the wrong side of a war we couldn't win. And that was the good news. The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon come ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There go the good old days, when humans only got killed by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits. When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved.
-
-
WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 01-04-17
By: Craig Alanson
-
The Blade Itself
- By: Joe Abercrombie
- Narrated by: Steven Pacey
- Length: 22 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian - leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies. Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.
-
-
Characters drive the story. The Narrator rocks!
- By Brian Alsobrook on 11-01-16
By: Joe Abercrombie
-
Below Us
- The Abyss, Book 1
- By: Nathan Hystad
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After a rough break up, Wyatt moves to New York City, eager to prove himself while working on Wall Street. When he’s asked to visit the father of his ex-girlfriend, a billionaire tycoon, his fate is sealed. The revolutionary company, Nu-En, launches a radical innovation, an energy that will allow every person on the planet access to power. Only it doesn’t perform as anticipated. Harnessing the ocean has consequences, and highly dangerous creatures emerge from the depths. Soon, the Earth is fracturing, and the world will never be the same.
-
-
Interesting story but..
- By Mike Fedotov on 09-28-23
By: Nathan Hystad
-
The Land: Founding: A LitRPG Saga
- Chaos Seeds, Book 1
- By: Aleron Kong
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tricked into a world of banished gods, demons, goblins, sprites and magic, Richter must learn to meet the perils of The Land and begin to forge his own kingdom. Actions have consequences across The Land, with powerful creatures and factions now hell-bent on Richter's destruction. Can Richter forge allegiances to survive this harsh and unforgiving world or will he fall to the dark denizens of this ancient and unforgiving realm? A tale to shake "The Land" itself, measuring 10/10 on the Richter scale, how will Richter's choices shape the future of The Land and all who reside in it?
-
-
A bit cringy
- By Jeremy Schultz on 03-13-18
By: Aleron Kong
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
A Girl in Time
- By: John Birmingham
- Narrated by: Vanessa Johansson
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cady McCall is ready to be rich and famous. She has sacrificed everything, putting her work ahead of family and friends. Now, with breakout success and huge, insane wealth so close she can taste it, her life is blown apart by Deputy Marshal John "Titanic" Smith, the man who rescues her from two muggers only to carry her off into history. Lost on the seas of time, Smith is desperate to get home to his family in 1876, and now Cady is lost along with him.
-
-
Abrupt ending too much f language
- By R. Packard on 05-19-17
By: John Birmingham
-
Chain of Command
- By: Frank Chadwick
- Narrated by: Graham Rowat
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lieutenant Sam Bitka, US Naval Reserve, is getting used to civilian life when he is called back to active duty. Tensions between Earth and the alien Varoki are on the rise, and Sam is assigned as tactical officer aboard the deep space destroyer USS Puebla. Dispatched to the distant world of K'tok to protect human colonists, he wants nothing more than to serve out his active duty time and get back to his civilian life. But when the Varoki launch a crippling surprise attack against the Earth coalition fleet, Sam finds himself suddenly in command of the USS Puebla.
-
-
Not well written and terrible narration
- By Deanne Morgan on 02-03-20
By: Frank Chadwick
-
The Arrival
- A Military Sci-Fi Alien Invasion Series
- By: Joshua T. Calvert
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On New Year's eve 2022, unknown flying objects appear over Europe and ignite an inferno of violence among themselves. Debris from one of the spacecraft falls on Athens, turning the city center into a smoking crater. The destroyed remnant of the former metropolis is declared a restricted zone by NATO forces and sealed off. Amid the few survivors struggling for food, medicine, and clean water, Nikos takes care of his girlfriend, Maria, only to soon find out that to avert a creeping death, there is only one way out of the hell of Athens—the wreckage of the alien ship.
-
-
Started slow. Good finish
- By Tim on 05-06-22
-
Every Sky a Grave
- By: Jay Posey
- Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
- Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This first in a “fresh new sci-fi” (Jason M. Hough, New York Times best-selling author) series follows a powerful woman who can destroy planets with a single word but is suddenly faced with an adversary that threatens the entire known universe.
-
-
Only 3 Stars?
- By Mary Ignacio on 08-30-20
By: Jay Posey
-
Forgotten
- The Forgotten Series, Book 1
- By: M.R. Forbes
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sheriff Hayden Duke was born on the Pilgrim, and he expects to die on the Pilgrim, like his father, and his father before him. That's the way things are on a generation starship centuries from home. He's never questioned it. Never thought about it. And why bother? Access points to the ship's controls are sealed, the systems that guide her automated and out of reach. It isn't perfect, but he has all he needs to be content. Until a malfunction forces his engineer wife to the edge of the habitable zone to inspect the damage.
-
-
Surprised
- By Tm on 07-28-18
By: M.R. Forbes
-
Another World
- Galena Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Samuel Best
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Merritt Alder is done with Earth. The planet is polluted and overpopulated, and its people are hungry. Earth's first colony, Galena, is a pioneer world 10,000 light years away. It has clean air, unpolluted water, and continents of arable land. Anyone can start a new life…if they can get there. For Merritt, the journey is only the beginning. Obstacles arise every step of the way, forcing compromise and sacrifice. And not everyone on his ship is pure of heart. The bonds he forges on the journey will be the key to surviving on another world—a world anyone has yet to fully explore.
-
-
Save your credit
- By Scott on 11-08-22
By: Samuel Best
-
A Girl in Time
- By: John Birmingham
- Narrated by: Vanessa Johansson
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cady McCall is ready to be rich and famous. She has sacrificed everything, putting her work ahead of family and friends. Now, with breakout success and huge, insane wealth so close she can taste it, her life is blown apart by Deputy Marshal John "Titanic" Smith, the man who rescues her from two muggers only to carry her off into history. Lost on the seas of time, Smith is desperate to get home to his family in 1876, and now Cady is lost along with him.
-
-
Abrupt ending too much f language
- By R. Packard on 05-19-17
By: John Birmingham
-
Chain of Command
- By: Frank Chadwick
- Narrated by: Graham Rowat
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lieutenant Sam Bitka, US Naval Reserve, is getting used to civilian life when he is called back to active duty. Tensions between Earth and the alien Varoki are on the rise, and Sam is assigned as tactical officer aboard the deep space destroyer USS Puebla. Dispatched to the distant world of K'tok to protect human colonists, he wants nothing more than to serve out his active duty time and get back to his civilian life. But when the Varoki launch a crippling surprise attack against the Earth coalition fleet, Sam finds himself suddenly in command of the USS Puebla.
-
-
Not well written and terrible narration
- By Deanne Morgan on 02-03-20
By: Frank Chadwick
-
The Arrival
- A Military Sci-Fi Alien Invasion Series
- By: Joshua T. Calvert
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On New Year's eve 2022, unknown flying objects appear over Europe and ignite an inferno of violence among themselves. Debris from one of the spacecraft falls on Athens, turning the city center into a smoking crater. The destroyed remnant of the former metropolis is declared a restricted zone by NATO forces and sealed off. Amid the few survivors struggling for food, medicine, and clean water, Nikos takes care of his girlfriend, Maria, only to soon find out that to avert a creeping death, there is only one way out of the hell of Athens—the wreckage of the alien ship.
-
-
Started slow. Good finish
- By Tim on 05-06-22
-
Every Sky a Grave
- By: Jay Posey
- Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
- Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This first in a “fresh new sci-fi” (Jason M. Hough, New York Times best-selling author) series follows a powerful woman who can destroy planets with a single word but is suddenly faced with an adversary that threatens the entire known universe.
-
-
Only 3 Stars?
- By Mary Ignacio on 08-30-20
By: Jay Posey
-
Forgotten
- The Forgotten Series, Book 1
- By: M.R. Forbes
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sheriff Hayden Duke was born on the Pilgrim, and he expects to die on the Pilgrim, like his father, and his father before him. That's the way things are on a generation starship centuries from home. He's never questioned it. Never thought about it. And why bother? Access points to the ship's controls are sealed, the systems that guide her automated and out of reach. It isn't perfect, but he has all he needs to be content. Until a malfunction forces his engineer wife to the edge of the habitable zone to inspect the damage.
-
-
Surprised
- By Tm on 07-28-18
By: M.R. Forbes
-
Another World
- Galena Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Samuel Best
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Merritt Alder is done with Earth. The planet is polluted and overpopulated, and its people are hungry. Earth's first colony, Galena, is a pioneer world 10,000 light years away. It has clean air, unpolluted water, and continents of arable land. Anyone can start a new life…if they can get there. For Merritt, the journey is only the beginning. Obstacles arise every step of the way, forcing compromise and sacrifice. And not everyone on his ship is pure of heart. The bonds he forges on the journey will be the key to surviving on another world—a world anyone has yet to fully explore.
-
-
Save your credit
- By Scott on 11-08-22
By: Samuel Best
-
Sleeper Agent
- An Audible Original
- By: John Birmingham
- Narrated by: Dan Bittner
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the town of Gainesville, Virginia, Cooper Fox has a special place in people’s hearts. Since the car accident that wiped his memories, Cooper has been...a little foggy. Cooper doesn’t know how to do much, but one thing he instinctively seems to know about is strength training, and with his help, Gainesville High’s football team has just won the Mid-States final. With Cooper the hero of the hour, the whole town is getting ready to celebrate in style.
-
-
Can’t-put-down action and intrigue
- By conemaugh on 10-02-21
By: John Birmingham
-
Zero Day Code
- End of Days, Book 1
- By: John Birmingham
- Narrated by: Rupert Degas
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every modern city has one week’s worth of food to feed itself. Then it will collapse. Cut off the resources to New York, Sydney, or even a mid-size metropolis, and millions will soon starve. In Zero Day Code we see those immense and open, hyper-complex, networked supercities of the new millennium die. And in the last moments we see their vengeance take form as all the best and worst traits of humanity bubble to the surface.
-
-
If Bernie Sanders’ wrote about the apocalypse...
- By Anonymous User on 07-30-19
By: John Birmingham
-
The Tyr: Arrival
- The Tyr Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Richard Fox
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Daniel Clay fought across the galaxy as a corporate soldier. He left the violence behind for a life of science, raising a family far from the bloodshed of the Corporation. With his wife, Sarah, and son, Michael, he studied the alien Tyr for years, hidden among their complex societies. Their mission should have ended with the arrival of a replacement team. Instead, the Clays’ corporate overlords choose a death sentence: an invasion fleet to conquer the Tyr.
-
-
Very solid, almost missed it.
- By AJ Woodburn on 09-20-21
By: Richard Fox
-
Space Carrier Avalon
- By: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Avalon was the flagship of the Castle Federation in the last war, now 20 years past. The first of the deep space carriers, no other warship in the fleet holds as many honors or has recorded as many kills. No other warship in the fleet is as old. Accepting the inevitable, the Federation Space Navy has decided to refit her and send her on a tour of the frontier, showing the flag to their allies and enemies as a reminder of her glory - and then decommission her for good.
-
-
Could have been 5 star most might consider it so
- By Jim K on 10-11-15
By: Glynn Stewart
-
The Lazarus Protocol
- SynCorp Saga Series, Book 1
- By: David Bruns, Chris Pourteau
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With a cataclysmic climate crisis on the horizon, Colonel William Graves, head of the US Disaster Mitigation Corps, has been ordered on a bold and highly classified mission. Graves must help billionaire tech entrepreneur Anthony Taulke develop the Lazarus Protocol, a secret plan to geoengineer the Earth's atmosphere, and prevent disaster. Taulke's vision is to create a Manhattan Project for repairing the earth's air, and he quietly recruits four other family-owned conglomerates to take part in the project.
-
-
Weak ending
- By Anonymous User on 01-04-20
By: David Bruns, and others
-
Parallax
- A Space Opera Adventure (Redshift Runners, Book 1)
- By: Tony Peak
- Narrated by: John Skelley
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is fortune to be made across the stars. If it doesn't kill him first. When Deadeye, a hotshot space jockey, is captured by pirates, he decides to join the motley group called the Redshift Runners. Maybe they can help him get rich. These Runners aren’t typical interstellar bandits, however. They risk their lives delivering food and supplies to starving colonies in the outer rim.
-
-
FTL Navigator Story
- By AD on 03-15-25
By: Tony Peak
-
Man of War
- Rebellion, Book 1
- By: M. R. Forbes
- Narrated by: Jeff Hays
- Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the year 2280, an alien fleet attacked the Earth. Their weapons were unstoppable, their defenses unbreakable. Our technology was inferior, our militaries overwhelmed. Only one starship escaped before civilization fell. Earth was lost. It was never forgotten. Fifty-two years have passed. A message from home has been received. The time to fight for what is ours has come.
-
-
Hope from Ashes
- By Victor @ theAudiobookBlog dot com on 07-23-16
By: M. R. Forbes
-
Space Junk
- A Military Sci-Fi Series (Waymaker Wars, Book 1)
- By: Rachel Aukes
- Narrated by: Scott Aiello
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Captain Jack Hale and his crew of ragtag scavengers live by a code. They do the job, get paid, and keep their heads down. Salvaging a distant section of the asteroid belt seemed like the perfect job. But when he and his crew stumble across a mining camp filled with dead bodies, their plans for a quick payday quickly go out the airlock. Especially when they find a scared little girl who knows the truth about the massacre.
-
-
Boyo, this is good!
- By Lonnie-The GreatNorthernTroll-Moore on 05-05-22
By: Rachel Aukes
-
Cast Adrift
- Cast Adrift, Book 1
- By: Christopher G. Nuttall
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over the years, humans have grown used to their position within the empire, serving as soldiers and spacers for alien masters as well as building a place in the universe for themselves. But now, in the aftermath of a violent interstellar war that shattered the power of the Alphans, humanity has rediscovered its pride.
-
-
well done
- By alan on 12-13-21
-
Majority: A Dark Sci-Fi Epic Fantasy
- Torth, Book 1
- By: Abby Goldsmith
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 23 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Majority always gets what it wants. Thomas Hill just wishes it didn't want him. There's no way to escape a galactic mob of mind readers, no way for him to blend in with his foster family and other average Americans. Because Thomas invented a way to save his own life. His custom medicine halts the progress of his degenerative neuromuscular disease. Newscasters proclaim him the next Einstein, but mere humans have no idea his bioengineered processing capacity rivals that of a supercomputer. They just think he's smart. However, there are other bioengineered supergeniuses in the Majority.
-
-
"A Fusion of YA and Dune-esque Elements"
- By Carson on 02-12-24
By: Abby Goldsmith
-
Invasion
- Forgotten Vengeance, Book 1
- By: M.R. Forbes
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two hundred years ago, aliens invaded Earth. A violent war followed. The enemy won. Some of us escaped, most of us didn’t. On Proxima they flourished - the invasion forgotten. On Earth we floundered - the horror began. Their world is advanced, peaceful, and secure. Our world is broken, savage, and overrun. A new invasion is coming. A hunger that has swallowed half the universe. They don’t care which planet we live on. They want to end us all. But where there is life, there is hope. And where there is hope, there are heroes. This time, vengeance will be ours.
-
-
false information
- By Kindle Customer on 09-22-20
By: M.R. Forbes
-
Inception
- A Near Future Thriller
- By: Jonathan Yanez
- Narrated by: Jay Snyder
- Length: 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
My history is unknown. My present is violent. My future may be more dangerous still. I use my unique skillset in one of the Moon’s many watering holes. Here, miners can spend their hard-earned money to forget that they’re not among the wealthy elite in the paradise colony on Mars. When a known crime boss walks in, events will begin to unfold hinting at a dark past and an even murkier future.
-
-
Hunh?
- By Linda Luella on 11-08-19
By: Jonathan Yanez
What listeners say about The Cruel Stars
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ed Cortis
- 09-02-19
Just finished reading this, loved it.. nice one JB!
I, for one, welcome a return to the military sci-fi of Weapons of Choice era - natch
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Howard Wetsman MD
- 09-07-19
More!!!
There’s only one thing bad about starting a new John Birmingham book. It’s that it will probably be the first of a series, and that means you’ll want more by the end. Cruel Stars has a world of great imagination, but is so real, you’ll feel you know these characters. At least I did, and I want to know them better. Come on, John, get writing!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Simon Pot
- 05-14-20
Comoetetive and fun Space Opera
Well-paced. A number of well-fleshed-out characters, if not fantastically unique. There was (is?) much more to be done with however. Good tech talk. Worth the listen.
As for the “performance:” the narration was well-paced and the voicings competent. My only complaint (and I don’t know if this should be directed at the narrator or the producer), is that a number of words were consistently mispronounced, words for which there are not disputed pronunciations. Sloppy and distracting.
Summary: a fun “read”/listen. It’s major flaw is underutilization/developers,ent of its characters and institutions. Presumably,there are sequels intended in which more detail will be added, but there was little reason to withhold them in his book and they would have been the strongest aspect of it had they been included.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Alexander Gaiser
- 06-24-21
Love the narrator, story was good popcorn fare
Had a pretty decent story. Pretty light reading so good for listening while doing chores or exercising. Definitely takes inspiration from the book Altered Carbon.
Loved the Narrator, she definitely elevated the material.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- J. Stucky
- 04-02-22
Great sci-fi adventure book
in the beginning this book follows three main groups that all end up coming together in the storyline. The audiobooks reader does a fantastic job. The story is engaging and made me interested enough to purchase the second book in the trilogy. I imagine I'll get through that one just as quickly and be waiting for the third one to come out on 2023.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jason M
- 09-21-19
A little loose in the story line
I’m a big fan of sci-fi, but I found that this story jumped between three stories and the transition made it rough to follow. I’m still going to give it a listen, but while paying less attention.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Edward Kirton
- 10-29-23
A full tale
I enjoyed the universe building in this novel and that it was a complete story that can stand on it's own.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michael E. Murray
- 08-29-19
Different but “bloody good”
Interesting times and interesting characters. Unlike any sci-fi future I’m familiar with but it is up to the usual high level of Mr. Birmingham’s works. I’m hoping this will be a series.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- FatBoy
- 11-28-22
great listen. very engaging
excellent story. better than mass production sci. an interesting vision of our future as humans.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Joey De La Torre
- 11-01-22
A barrage of action & comedy 💥🤣
I don't consider myself well-read. I never took any writing classes. I don't know what's needed to properly tell a story, build a world, or develop characters. But I know what I like, and that's action. Call me uncultured, call me a shallow reader, but I love it when a book takes me on an adventure at a million mph, and The Cruel Stars does that in spades. 👍
There are 6 different characters you follow, and the first 6 chapters are dedicated to introducing each character. After that, all hell breaks loose. And from that point on for about 50% of the book, it's constant action.
Now, when said hell breaks loose, it may cause some confusion for the reader (or at least it did for me). That's because there is no lead up, it happens almost instantly (damn near mid-sentence). Things start out normal, people going about their day, then suddenly gunfire, explosions, people trying to eat each other. It comes out of nowhere and almost makes you feel like you accidentally skipped a page or something. But it's okay, just roll with it. My thought is that this was intentional in order to give the reader the same sense of surprise and confusion as the characters.
But I do want to take a moment to mention, what I feel, is probably the books only downfall. It's that there are a lot of sci-fi words and acronyms that get thrown at you with no explanation as to what they mean. It often seems like your just expected to know, or you're left to figure it out through context. While the context does help, it felt like a sci-fi version of English slang: these aren’t real words, this isn’t a real sentence... but I know what you mean.
And finally, not only does this book have tons of action, it's also hilarious 🤣. McLennan's banter with his AI partner Hero (favorite character), Seph's "screw it" attitude, and Booker's struggle of trying to find a new body; when there's no action, there's comedy. There's one part in particular, when the action subsides and the all protagonists finally meet each other for the first time, it's a laugh-out-loud collision of personality types.
I can't wait for the sequel. 😬
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
9 people found this helpful