Almost immediately, however, C.T. Phipps quickly leaps ahead from galactic space opera to something darker and grittier that reminded me more of the Deathstalker books than Star Wars, albeit with the cynicism and conspiracy of the rebooted BSG. There's actually a lot of philosophy to this, some deep thoughts and heavy ideas about the nature of good versus evil, family legacies, and right versus wrong. History is written by the victors, and one man's terrorism is another's rebellion.
While this absolutely nails the space opera spectacle, it also has plenty of world building, fantastic characters, byzantine plots, and equal parts wonder, horror, and humor. Our introduction to the crew of the Melampus will have your head spinning, with secrets and lies lurking under their skin. After that, you think you'd be prepared for the exploration of the Rhea, but toss in the issue of clones, and suddenly the secrets and lies are almost too deep to wade through.
It's those characters who make this such a fun read, though, with personalities to match their layers of deceit. Cassius is the perfect hero, damaged and flawed, and navigating his way through conflicting motivations. Ida reminded me a lot of Hetty from NCIS: LA (a scary sort of Yoda); Hiro is an intriguing, almost likable backstabbing scoundrel; and Clarice is a sexy sort of femme fatale, a good friend to have, and a terrifying enemy. I'll be honest, I didn't really care of Isla, and while I really did like Zoe, I hesitate to say too much without untying some of those treacherous knots of lies and conspiracies.
Lucifer’s Star is space opera for a grimdark generation, an action-packed story that doesn't forego character building or ethical dilemmas in delivering on the fun. It's not a feel-good story, and will likely leave you needing a shower, but it is effective storytelling.
Kindle Edition, 300 pages
Published October 2016 by Crossroad Press
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this title from the author in exchange for review consideration. This does not in any way affect the honesty or sincerity of my review.
