The Cruel Stars
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Narrated by:
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Morgan Hallett
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By:
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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.
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By: Gareth L. Powell
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Lost Planet Homicide
- By: Larry Correia
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 2 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
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When the biggest colony ship in human history was sent to settle a paradise world, an accident hurtled it deep into uncharted space. A thousand light years from Earth, with no way home and no way to call for help, the colonists’ only hope for survival was the one barely habitable planet in range, a nightmare world they named Croatoan. Landing on the only five mountain peaks tall enough to rise above the lethal acid clouds, the settlers carved a civilization from the rock.
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Awesome
- By Justin H on 10-22-21
By: Larry Correia
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Terra Nova Chronicles: Publisher's Pack
- Terra Nova Chronicles, Book 1-2
- By: Richard Fox, Josh Hayes
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Chief Katherine “Kit” Carson, of the elite Pathfinder Corps, joins the mission as a last-minute replacement, hoping to put a spotty past behind her and build a new life on a brave new world. The expedition arrives on Terra Nova, expecting to join the first wave of colonists, instead they find abandoned cities and are soon faced with a new, terrifying enemy humanity has never encountered before. This publisher pack includes Terra Nova and Bloodlines.
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Ugh. Characters lack some originality.
- By Nathanael on 09-08-19
By: Richard Fox, and others
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Living Starship 1
- The Last Symbiotes, Book 1
- By: Dante King
- Narrated by: Heather Stonewell, Wayne Kelly
- Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Captain James Decker has lived a life of hunting, killing, and earning credits. To some, it hasn’t amounted to much, but to him, it’s led to him captaining the SC Fortune, a space cruiser with a competent crew that he’s grown fond of. After accepting a bounty hunting mission with a beautiful blonde woman as the mark, Decker finds himself soon without a ship and a crew. But as luck would have it, this same mission gives him back what he lost: a new ship and a new crew.
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Narration and internal monolog !!
- By CooJo on 02-16-23
By: Dante King
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The Daedalus Job
- Outlaws of Aquilia, Book 1
- By: M. D. Cooper
- Narrated by: Christian Rummel, Amy Landon
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Within the L, a tri-star system located inside the Aquilian Nebula, Jax makes a living trading and smuggling whatever goods pay the best. So far, he’s avoided being caught with anything too damning in his ship’s holds, but when he takes a job for Korinth, an infamous arms dealer, all that changes. The haul is worth 10 times his ship, and when the contents gets him embroiled in a tug of war between the major political factions of the L, Jax has to keep the criminals he works for from discovering that he’s playing both sides.
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A Crate is a crate?
- By Gil T on 07-21-20
By: M. D. Cooper
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Invasion
- Forgotten Vengeance, Book 1
- By: M.R. Forbes
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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false information
- By Kindle Customer on 09-22-20
By: M.R. Forbes
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Rebel Stars: Books 0-2
- By: Edward W. Robertson
- Narrated by: Ray Chase
- Length: 20 hrs
- Unabridged
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A thousand years ago, an alien invasion set humanity back to the Iron Age. Slowly, we recovered, colonizing the Solar System in peace. And discovered that an unknown force is stopping us from exploring any farther. But before the cause can be discovered, a slow-burning conspiracy threatens to explode into System-wide war. With enemies at home and in the darkness beyond, a team of unlikely heroes-a janitor, a mercenary, an asteroid miner, and a pirate-are the only ones who can avert a second apocalypse. This set includes the first three books of the newly-finished REBEL STARS series.
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Fun and entertaining.
- By Shirley on 01-04-18
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Rift
- By: Nathan Hystad
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone, Flynn Earl Jones, Mark Sanderlin, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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They’ve watched us for centuries through the Rift. They’ve prepared. Invasion is inevitable. The Earth Fleet has known of the Watchers for years, unwilling to share the knowledge with humanity. Now it might be too late. Hidden away from the Fleet, one man is creating a new colony ship destined for the other side of the Rift, but he’s missing a few pieces. Three other people have varied paths to get there. Ace goes from the streets of Earth to the Fleet training facility on the moon. Flint, an ex-Fleet pilot, must decide if a job is worth his life.
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The story didn't end.
- By Amazon Customer on 06-25-20
By: Nathan Hystad
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A Fiery Sunset
- The Omega War, Book 1
- By: Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey
- Narrated by: Todd McLaren
- Length: 16 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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The plot by the Galactic Union’s Mercenary Guild against the Four Horsemen has culminated in an invasion of Earth. Faced with an overwhelming force, the human mercs had no choice. They’ve fled, leaving Sansar Enkh to go to the Mercenary Guild headquarters on Capital Planet to stand trial for humanity. On the run, Jim Cartwright and Nigel Shirazi have travelled to the Winged Hussars’ secret base of New Warsaw, in an effort to convince Alexis Cromwell to join the fight, while the other mercenaries who escaped the fall of Earth have gone to the perceived safe haven of Karma.
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had a hard time finishing
- By Connie Uriarte on 05-17-20
By: Chris Kennedy, and others
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Sten
- Sten Series, Book 1
- By: Chris Bunch, Allan Cole
- Narrated by: Jerry Sciarrio
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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The first book in an action–packed new SF adventure series. Vulcan is a factory planet, centuries old, Company run, ugly as sin, and unfeeling as death. Vulcan breeds just two types of native: complacent or tough. Sten is tough. When his family is killed in a mysterious accident, Sten rebels, harassing the Company from the metal world’s endless maze-like warrens. He could end up just another burnt–out Delinquent. But people like Sten never give up.
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THE MASTERPIECE BY JERRY SCIARRIO
- By Professor on 10-31-12
By: Chris Bunch, and others
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Starship Liberator
- Galactic Liberation, Book 1
- By: David VanDyke, B. V. Larson
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 16 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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The Hundred Worlds have withstood invasion by the relentless Hok for decades. The human worlds are strong, but the Hok have the resources of a thousand planets behind them, and their fleets attack in endless waves. The long war has transformed the Hundred Worlds into heavily fortified star systems. Their economies are geared for military output, and they raise specialized soldiers to save our species. Assault Captain Derek Straker is one such man among many.
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Super author team fails
- By Jesper on 05-03-17
By: David VanDyke, and others
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Vigilante
- By: Michael Anderle, Natalie Grey
- Narrated by: Chris Andrew Ciulla
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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When a mine owner thinks that he's above the law and continues to utilize slave labor to keep his mines running, Barnabas, a former Ranger One, must fight for justice.
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If I could I would give 10 stars..
- By Trish R. on 08-05-21
By: Michael Anderle, and others
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The Circuit
- By: Rhett C. Bruno
- Narrated by: Jefferson Mays
- Length: 28 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Earth is a dying planet. To survive, humanity founds the Circuit, a string of colonies across the solar system, dedicated to mining resources vital to preserving what remains of mankind. Here there are no heroes or villains, only those willing to do what's necessary to survive. The New Earth Tribunal, a powerful religious faction, has risen to rule the Circuit. They believe a Spirit within the Earth will one day appear and welcome humanity back home.
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If you liked The Expanse, walk away.
- By Anonymous User on 09-25-18
By: Rhett C. Bruno
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Savage Wars
- Galaxy's Edge: Savage Wars, Book 1
- By: Jason Anspach, Nick Cole
- Narrated by: Stephen Lang
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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They were the Savages. Raiders from our distant past. Elites who left Earth to create tailor-made utopias aboard the massive lighthuggers that crawled through the darkness between the stars. But the people they left behind on a dying planet didn't perish in the dystopian nightmare the Savages had themselves created: they thrived, discovering faster-than-light technology and using it to colonize the galaxy ahead of the Savages, forming fantastic new civilizations that surpassed the wildest dreams of Old Earth.
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A Great Voice Actor can make or break a book/serie
- By bart on 03-01-20
By: Jason Anspach, and others
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A wild thrill ride of urban fantasy.
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Abrupt ending too much f language
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What listeners say about The Cruel Stars
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- 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
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- 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!
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3 people found this helpful
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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. 😬
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Story
- Daring2do
- 09-20-19
Wanted more - Got enough
I have read most of Mr. Birmingham's novels and enjoyed. This novel offers us characters who are compelling and likeable ( we have seen characters like them in previous Birmingham novels) although the setting of space nazis just struck me as a bit cliched. The universe itself seems well conceived but, for me, it fell a bit flat, Still, there is enough here to have me coming back for the next book [ultimately, this is the test] and I hope that a slower start resolves into a great end.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Octavius
- 09-18-23
Intriguing
Moves pretty quickly. It mixes a lot of tropes and I think that makes it fun and easier to listen to.
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