An Intergalactic Space Opera Adventure - Renegade Star

Here is a note to Walker, Scott, Kern, Dalzelle, Hadfield, Dresse, Webb and Heppner, This Chaney can flat out write. Try to do what he does, and Alanson does as well. No confusing plots, No boring characters. Just stick to the basics and make it flow like Chaney does. Don't get cute, don't over describe, and avoid large space battles every 33 pages. It's just space opera and it's supposed to be fun and easy. Take a page out of Chaney's book and study it, it will improve your writing and increase your sales.

"Firefly" fans might enjoy this book. It's not set in the Firefly universe, and has nothing to do with Joss Whedon's creation, but there are many loose similarities between the two. It's a good story, and a good, light read. Nothing "heavy" or "deep" in it - just entertaining.

A very interesting book, certainly different than my usual read. This author is taken a different track than other books than I have read. I did enjoy the story the twists were Good enough to keep me guessing. I would recommend this book to all readers of space opera. Note I seldom credulous

A very interesting book, certainly different than my usual read. This author is taken a different track than other books than I have read. I did enjoy the story the twists were Good enough to keep me guessing. I would recommend this book to all readers of space opera. Note I seldom credulous

I loved this book! Fast-paced, never boring, with an interesting story line. Just what I was looking for: A FUN READ! I’m so glad there are more books in the series. I’ve already downloaded book 2!

What a creative, masterful and adventurous start to Chaney's new series. I love Jace and the other characters that make this book come alive and, which will continue to bring intrigue as this series moves forward. Can't wait to read the other books in this series. The Variant Saga captivated me and I'm ready for this ride with Jace and the other interesting characters and all their adventures!! Great Job, Chaney!

Space travel, science, and societies all seem to work in an unrealistically simple way. I don't care if it's 2,000+ years in the future, long range space vessels will never be built that small or require that small of a crew. Secondly, the authors idea of space combat is just silly. Ships would rarely ever be in visual range of each other. Everything would be done using sensors, and would likely be seen in delay. Why shoot at someone within visual range while you can shoot at them 5,000 miles away? Lastly, the author seems to have forgotten how large space is. How the hell are enemies finding him so easily? I don't care if there's a limited number of slip space paths, there's still a massive amount of space.

The economics of running a starship must be enormous- fuel, food, Oxygen & water (to replace what is lost to space), repair parts and docking charges. And how else would a ship pay if each sector uses different banking systems? Against that, this pilot must steal things and take to a fence. Impossible! And now destitute passengers? If the pursuers don't ground him, bankruptcy will.

New series and a new author. Wow! This is certainly an adventure book. And it certainly contains a lot, and I mean a lot of four letter words. Yeah, if you’re gun-shy of cuss words including the often used “f_ck*, then maybe you had better find a milder book. It seems like the main character says this word every time he opens his mouth. Now, I’m a former Sailor and I did my share of cussing back in the day, but this guy is a little overboard on his use of that one particular four-letter word. Just be warned.

It’s not all that military, almost anti-military except the main character, Jace Hughes, seems to be fighting all the time. He’s a “Renegade” or a person that does whatever they want in this galaxy. He’s an outlaw due to his numerous thefts for hire, assassinations, and downright bad guy stuff. He operates in the Badlands, just outside the jurisdiction of the Union which is the only organized power in this part of space.

Right now, the Union doesn’t have any particular interest in Jace. Oh, they’d certainly lock him up if they could catch him, but he stays pretty much away from the Union and does his stuff only in the Badlands, most of the time. Jace’s home base is on Taurus Station. There he can get his ship, the Renegade Star, serviced, repaired and refueled and generally take it easy between jobs. He works with a shopkeeper that has some connections that can lead Jace to other jobs on occasion.

This new job involves escorting or transporting a Nun and a little girl from Taurus Station to Arcadia. This Nun is a member of The Church of the Homeworld and she and the girl are trying to get back there as soon as possible. Oh, and they are apparently wanted by the Union. It seems this “Nun” broke the girl, Lex, out of a Union research center and now they are running from the Union. At first, Jace wisely refuses the job, but with a troubling debt he needs to pay and no other job around, he finally accepts.

This is where the adventure begins. You’ll soon find out that there’s more to this Num and the little girl than meets the eye. The Union wants her back desperately and will apparently do anything and everything to find her. They even make a deal with their enemy, the Sarkonians, to travel through their territory, if necessary, to pursue the Renegade Star. The Sarkonians get to claim half of the Badlands as their territory for their cooperation. This is an unprecedented arrangement and Jace doesn’t know why. He can’t figure out what’s so important about this Num and her charge.

Then they arrive at Arcadia. Jace is hired by the church to take a contingent to another planet so they can research some religious ruins. He’s going to be paid a hundred thousand credits which happens to be what he owes a major crime boss who’s about to collect one way or another. Little does Jace realize that he’ll never see this money nor will he ever have to worry about paying his debt back. He’s off on one wild trip that has no end in sight.

This is kind of a fun book to read. While the language is pretty raw, at least from Jace, it doesn’t seem all that out of place. Jace does what he wants and has always done things that way. He’s not all that educated, but he’s been able to stay alive in the Badlands which is remarkable in itself. He does have a compassionate side which he wouldn’t ever admit and takes a liking to the little girl, Lex, from the start. He treats other people pretty nicely in action although his words don’t always sound that nice.

I like this storyline so well that I have continued on with the second book, “The Renegade Atlas”. I don’t know how long this story will continue, but it’s good enough that I’m going to read it all the way to the end. Maybe Jace will clean up his language a bit…nah, that ain’t goin’a to happen!

Captain Jace Hughes is no Malcolm Reynolds. Until the last quarter of the book he’s pretty unlikable, lacking Mal’s accidental charm and quick wit. I wouldn’t feel the need to belabor this point except that it’s impossible to avoid the comparison between the stories–Renegade Star is just too obviously based on Firefly.

None of the characters are all that interesting. Ten-year-old albino Lex is little more than a MacGuffin, there to move the plot forward and occasionally be cute while interacting with Jace. The most interesting character is a rather badass nun, but she shows so little personality that she completely fails to live up to her potential. The bad guy Jace owes money to is about as stereotypical as it gets.

The last quarter of the book is better than the rest. Jace becomes more likable as he’s forced to abandon his expectations for the future. Some of the characters he’s toting around with him display a little more personality. The amount of action goes up exponentially, and the author seems to be better at action scenes than quieter material.

The premise of archaeologists trying to find a map to the near-mythological Old Earth is interesting, but very little is done with that in this installment. The book hurries through anything having to do with the arc-plot. While it’s true that if you look far enough you’ll find that every plot has been done before, you still need to come up with your own, unique voice and window-dressing to make things new and interesting–and Renegade Star fails to do that.

I grew up in the full flourish of Science Fiction's Golden Age, reading Heinlein, Asimov and the rest before I was ten and eagerly awaiting each new book from Clarke, Pohl and Poul while catching up on E.E. "Doc" Smith, Gernsback and Campbell. While I've continued to follow the genre since, and certainly found plenty to stir my imagination, JN Chaney's "Renegade Star" series has done what few others have accomplished, reawakening that pure thrill I enjoyed as a kid.
"Renegade Star" introduces us to a lovable rogue character, Jace Hughes, whom we can immediately recognize from innumerable other stories, not only in Science Fiction but throughout literature. Within the first few pages we get to know enough about Jace to bring the character to life, and then we're launched with him into an adventure which crosses the galaxy and, along the way, dips into some of the most enduring concepts from all of Science Fiction. A brief warning: Captain Jace Hughes is not a sanitized 1930's-style character; his language is rough and his actions can be brutal. The life of a renegade is a gritty one.
If you're not ready to spend far too many hours surfing some of the highest waves of imagination, you have two choices: avoid this series, or get your priorities back on track.

I Almost exclusively read in the Sci-fi, dystopian, fantasy and post apocalyptic genres. Most of what I like to read takes place ON the earth and not ABOVE it though, but I read Mr. Chaneys The Variant Saga series and really liked it, so I thought I would give the "outer space" part of sci-fi another try since I liked his style of writing so much. Boy I was glad I did. Either this genre (space opera) has come a long way since I tried reading it, or he just really knows how to write! His main character kind of reminds me of an Indiana Jones of the stars. I will definitely stick with the other books in this series if they are as good as this one!

You should give it a try, I really think you will be glad you did.

The writing seemed more like young adult fiction than adult fiction. Like when I was 15 and loved Piers Anthony, but when I read it as an adult, I realized that it was just intended for 15 year olds, which was perfect for me when I was 15, but didn't stand the test of time afterward. I'm sorry to the author, but this was my impression of the book. The action sequences were great, and the twists and turns were great, but you're writing at a teenage level. Offer a little more depth and meat on the bones for adult audiences. Seriously. Read Neil Gaiman or George R.R. Martin, and look at how the same fantastical stories can be brought up to an adult reading level. Or just accept the fact that you're writing young adult fiction, and label and market it that way. Sorry. I wouldn't say this if I really didn't think you could up your game, and maybe be included in the class of writers I just mentioned.

Jace Hughes is a hired gun, known to steal, loot, smuggle and even kill if the price is right; a true renegade in the galactic system. In debt for a hundred thousand credits and only two weeks left to pay, he's in deep. A job escorting a nun carrying food and medicine off the planet, sounds like easy money. But the moment he meets Abigail Pryar, he knows she's lying about the cargo she's carrying. The discovery of the true cargo is extremely dangerous, but provides a payout that would be worth it - if he survives. Between the Union ships and marauding ravagers after him and the cargo he's carrying, there's a very good chance he won't. J.N. Chaney's newest novel is a rip-roaring adventure that's a cross between a space opera and space thriller, with a captivating array of characters. Action-packed and full of suspense, RENEGADE STAR is a wildly fun-filled read that will captivate its audience from the very first page!

I love science fiction and I really wanted to like this book, but I can't continue reading it. It starts with inconsistency: the hero is a thief and we get several instances of getting fed that he doesn't care to know what he is stealing and he makes a point of not knowing. Then all of a sudden he goes out of his way, for no reason, to get nosy about a cargo. That irked the heck out me. The story then reads like a boring diary: went here, did this, went there, had a conversation, went someplace else, got a job, had a scuffle, found a kid in a box, went to get paid, got a job, had a dream, went someplace, killed a packed of animals...
There is zero tension, nothing to make excitement even in a battle, no science (explained away as a point that the ship owner has zero interest in how his ship works).
I frequently read marginal books just to see if the author eventually finds his/her groove. I just find absolutely nothing to grab me in this book. It reminds me of a soup that has all the right ingredients, but still comes out just tasting like hot water. Sorry to the author, JN Chaney, but I can't give this book a better review.

WHAT A RIDE! I loved the cocky foul mouth Captain Jace Hughes from the start as he took no prisoner and cared for his rag tag misfit crew. Book one is the start when Jace and his crew tried to stay ahead of two enemy ships by jumping through time travel gates. The Union and the Sarkonians have joined forces to get what then nun Abby took and with so much action I almost needed a score card, now I can't wait to read book two!

Action on every page. I don't usually like shooting and killing but I couldn't put this down. Every page left me breathless. Lex seems to be the key to finding earth. A 10 year old colorless girl with a price on her head. Protected by 2 gun shooting criminals, the fake nun and the ship's owner, that everyone wants to kill with prices on their heads. They are not alone, 3 others are at their side and learning to be warriors. On their way to find earth that may not even exist, Siggy, the AI, space ship leads the way. On to earth and whatever awaits. Can't wait to see if they make it. How long can they run from the entire everyone wanting to earning the one million credits? Lets see!!! This was a different kind of writing for JN Chaney, but well worth the trip. Write on JN!

Felt like I was reading a poorly written movie script that was a blatant plagiarism of several different big time franchises. There was no world building or enough details to flesh out this story to make it unique and it's own. I do not recommend you waste your time with this story.

Great book. Not slow at all. Adequate details to let the reader know what is happening without trying to win some prose of the century award. Action. Story. Good main character to root for. Would like to see more development of the nun. Either she has to do more or get a chapter from her point of view. I guess its difficult when doing first person stories.

Renegade Star reads like Firefly fan-fiction. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it doesn't help make it great. There's other issues with this that hold it back from being a better book, but there's still enjoyment to be had here!

Pros:
- Solid sci-fi setting with a clearly established world
- Clear McGuffin

Cons:
- First person perspective
- Clear plot points directly from Firefly
- Repeated explanation of the main character's world view that is stated but not shown well through actions
- Lack of depth in other characters

Parts of the book, such as names or cliche characters (chubby, somewhat absent-minded academic) seem a bit tongue-in-cheek, while other parts beg to be taken seriously. This can be a fun read for those that like Firefly, but wasn't enough to have me read the next.

Renegade Star: An Intergalactic Space Opera... JN Chaney

Once more a great book by a great author. This one does not disappoint.
Jace Huges is a Renegade. Someone who is hired to smuggle, steal, loot and maybe kill. There’s suspense, action and even laughter. Jace’s ship AI, Siggy, is hilarious. Yes, a computer. That makes jokes!
The book isn’t too jargon-filled and it is easy to read. All in all it was an amazing book and I’d recommend it.

The “no nonsense” main character and the rest of the crew are a bit rough, but the action and the direction this series takes is intriguing. I have to say, I got the second book immediately after the first and am now impatiently waiting for the next installment of the Renegade series.
Im definitely a fan of Firefly, which has the same gritty, funny, hardcore space feel... but this is an entirely different direction. I’m hooked!

No long boring missile launches, with ship fleet movements, no extraneous filler. Couple of minor typos. Character development is light. I expect that to fill out in next book. The main characters colorful language reminds me of several acquaintances of mine. I enjoyed this one and will buy the next one.?

A fantastic, fast moving series. I love stories about groups of ordinary people who come together to slay gigantic villains and this story fulfills my wishes. The characters feel so real and are so likeable. I can't wait for the next book in this series to be released. Please keep on writing about these wonderful characters JN Chaney!

Great read. Believable characters and action scenes. The plot slowly and steadily builds as the main character learns more about the people he's agreed to take in. Doesn't waste time on too many world details and lets the reader enjoy the story. Leaves off at a bit of a cliff hanger, which only makes me want to read the next book more.

Enjoyable to read. fun story. Only reason it didn’t get five stars is the story is not original this could be an alternate universe for firefly this could be a prequel to firefly this could be a future story of the main character in fireflies son but it is firefly. Luckily firefly is awesome.