Dragons In The Stars (Star Rigger)

Description

Jael LeBrae finally gets the chance to navigate a ship through hyperspace, but when the co-pilot tries to enslave her, she kills him in self-defense and is left alone to battle an evil population of dragons. Original.

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Customer Reviews

Dragons in Space?
I was skeptical about a Science Fiction book with dragons in it... but Dragons in the Stars is wonderfully executed. Read this book and find out if the legends about dragons encountered in the Flux are true, or just imaginative manifestations created by the minds of Riggers.

2010-04-29 (Gainesville, FL USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Great romp!!!
A beautifuly written romp through the realms of science fiction and fantasy. I've read it at least seven times and still can't put it down once I've started. Carver creates a wondrous blend of action and emotion. This is one of the few books that can make me cry, especially after having read it so many times. It claws at your heart and tears a great hole. For me the hole becomes bigger every time. A must read for all who love dragons.

2000-09-18 (Laguna Niguel, CA USA) | Helpful Votes: 6 | Rating: 5

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Star Rigger's Way

Description

In order to survive the turbulent currents of the Flux, Gev Carlyle, sailing on the mental sea in his starship, must meld his mind and memory with a suspicious castaway alien star rigger--the sole surviving member of his crew. Reprint.

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Customer Reviews

not Carver's best work
I am a big fan of Jeffrey A. Carver's Chaos Chronicles. This was my first flight into his Star Rigger universe. The "rigging" premise is interesting enough that I will be reading some of the other rigger books soon, I have hopes that they are better than Star Rigger's Way. I was disappointed by the ending, some characters changed for the better, some changed for the worse, and the changes seemed to be out of convenience to the author and not necessarily fitting with whatever we had learned previously about the characters. The notion that people change and no longer "fit" after being years apart is true to life, it just does not seem like an idea worthy of being *the* plot element for a story.

2010-04-27 (Gainesville, FL USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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The back story to Eternity's End - but not nearly as good
Star-Rigger Gev Carlyle found himself alone on a spaceship where all the other riggers had been killed by a space anomaly and unable to get the ship home by himself till he stumbled across someone else also stranded.

After reading _Eternity's End_ by this same author I found this book a disappointment. Although it must be said that this book dovetails into that one with certain sequences. I nevertheless found it hard to warm to Gev who seemed slightly crazed throughout this entire book with his obsessive attempt to re-create a past already lost to him. Its easy to see from this book how much this author has improved over the years from this rather simple SF story to his much more rich _Eternity's End_ offering.

2007-01-23 | katmax1 (Perth, Australia) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 2

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Interstellar travels using mind controlled ships.
Star Rigger's Way is a story of a pilot and the ship he guides through intersteller space by a mind enhanced guidance system. Beyond the space and science references, the story reads much like any other man & ship story, be it in space or ocean.

A little on the pyscodelic side, Star Rigger's way is an easy read and would make a good summer beach book.

1997-08-11 | Helpful Votes: 4 | Rating: 2

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Sunborn (Chaos Chronicles)

Product Details

• Make ready: New
• Notes: BUY WITH Self-reliance, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and services to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• ISBN13: 9780812571202

Description

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Customer Reviews

It was worth the LLOOOOOONG waiting time
I really love it. the only worrying factor is the question: when will we have the next one????? Let's hope ii won't be in some light years....

2010-06-08 (Palmeiras, GO Brazil) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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More!
Early in the book, the idea of sentient stars was just a bit much for me... but I was in good company because the characters in the book had a hard time believing it, too. It's a good thing that I (and the characters in the book) were able to get past this because wow, the story takes off and never lets go. There are many characters in the book and each one plays a very important role. Not much more to say that isn't expressed in the other reviews.

2009-09-01 (Gainesville, FL USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Well worth the wait
This is my first time writing a review on Amazon (so forgive any rambling I may do). Normally, don't feel strongly enough about a book to bother with a review, or someone else has already written a review expressing my opinion. But this book is definitely worth the effort.

I got into reading the Chaos Chronicles years ago and would periodically check the author's website for any news on the next book. So I was thrilled when I heard Sunborn was to be released. The first chapter teaser offered on the site whetted my appetite, and the book definitely did not disappoint. The author's skill at weaving a compelling story have refined rather than faded in the years between the previous sequel and this one.

I have enjoyed science fiction books for many years and one of the things I love about Jeffery Carver's books is that they do indeed delve into the realm of "hard core" science fiction, with all of the science background that requires, without stifling the plot or making it overly cerebral. The descriptions written by Carver take previously unfathomable things, like sentient space entities such as stars and black holes, and make those characters feel as real and alive, though definitely alien, as any human character I've read about. I have enjoyed watching the character development of John Bandicut and his fellow travelers throughout the series, and Sunborn takes that to the next level.

Usually I prefer the POV of a book to focus only on the main character, with few detours. Sunborn alternately switches points of view to advance the story and make the reader feel they have a more complete picture of what's going on. Normally I hate switching POV b/c I find I don't care enough about the other characters in a story, as much as the main character, to care what they are thinking or what's going on with them. But Sunborn manages the switches while only building the interest and tension, rather than feeling like the story is losing steam or taking an unnecessary break from the main action.

Most books have certain lulls that tempt me to skim and skip pages to get back to "the good stuff" but I didn't find myself doing that in Sunborn. I found the secondary story, involving Julie and the translator launching their own mission, just as engaging as John's newest Shipworld mission.

The other "side kick" characters in the book became more vibrant and in the forefront, without pushing John Bandicut, the previous main character focus, into the background. Even the robots, which started off in the series just a few generations ahead of what could be created today, managed to blossom in their personalities and their sacrifices to achieve the goal of the book felt important and emotionally resonant. Also the romance between John and Antares deepened, without overtaking the science fiction feel of the book. And the conclusion of the book hinted as some interesting conflicts for the next book in the series, and I only hope it doesn't take as many years for the next installment to be published.

And if you haven't read the first three books in the Chaos Chronicles: Neptune Crossing (The Chaos Chronicles, Vol 1), Strange Attractors: Volume Two of the 'The Chaos Chronicles', & The Infinite Sea (Chaos Chronicles), you'll definitely want to check those out first.

2009-02-21 (Midwest) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Carver is back!
In the mid-nineties Jeffrey Carver released the first three books of a planned six book series called "The Chaos Chronicles." As a friend noted at the time, in telling a story that spanned the galaxy, Carver finally had a canvas big enough for his imagination. Then for more than 10 years no more books. Finally the fourth book, "Sunborn" has arrived. It takes a while to get back into the series, and he realizes that, providing some background reminders without interfering with the present story.

The new plot has Earth facing two threats, one in the Solar System and one 1500 light years away. Both involve human characters interacting with an increasingly bizarre array of aliens. The vaguely humanoid aliens and robots are fun characters, but then Carver introduces characters like you've never seen: a hyperdimensional character seen as a cone in our space, thinking clouds from another universe, and most bizarre of all, sentient stars.

It's a great read leading to not one but two climaxes. The story is fully resolved, but the stage is now set for the bigger conflicts to come. Carver combines likable and all-too human characters (including some of the aliens with hard science and big adventure. If you read the first three books, you'll want this one. If you haven't, time to get started.

2009-01-07 | film critic, author (Somerville, MA United States) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

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Chaos Rules!
I expected to enjoy this fourth volume of the "Chaos Chronicles" but "Sunborn" is more than a good story, it is a real achievement in science fiction writing. Unlike a lot of modern series that are fun to read but tend toward repetition, every "Chaos" book travels to exotic new places, introduces different characters and explores the latest real-science ideas. Proven human hero John Bandicut keeps the reader grounded - a grand feat since he's racing through space-time on all cylinders. As usual Bandie is accompanied by a stylish group of aliens some of whom are difficult - but not impossible - to imagine. Their challenge is to track down and defeat a threat to star life. As the plot unravels a variety of wonderful themes are explored including the tender relationship between John and the lovely Antares, the friendship and trust between Ik and Li-Jared and everyone's reliance on robots Copernicus and Napolean. Toss in the translator stones, the Charlie variations and new friends nicknamed Deep and Dark and you've got a cast of characters unlike any other in the genre. Additionally, John's old flame Julie Stone is following in his footsteps back in the Solar System! Jeffrey Carver employs cutting-edge science, speculation and old-fashioned, way-out imagination to create a gem of a novel.

2008-12-31 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Strange Attractors: Volume Two of the 'The Chaos Chronicles'

Description

Stranded on the artificial structure known as Shipworld, John Bandicut searches for the keys to its mysteries and stumbles into a confrontation with an entity known as the boojum, an evil corruption that threatens both Shipworld and the universe. Reprint. K.

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Customer Reviews

Adventures in Outer Space... or something.
Background: I came to the book because I was interested in reading Sunborn, the fourth installment in the series, and wanted to get the backstory first. Crossing Neptune was interesting enough to get me to pick up Strange Attractors, but unfortunately I couldn't make heads or tails of the book. I gave up after about 100 pages.

The characters just aren't that interesting, and their motivation, to keep moving so as not to be eaten by the mysterious boojum -- no joke -- just couldn't persuade me to stick with the story. There are too many good books in the world to read.

2009-11-01 | michaepf (Los Angeles, CA, US) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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another great read
When I finished Neptune Crossing I immediately returned to locate Strange Attractors. I had to find out where John Bandicut had ended up and what would happen to him.

Carver develops a world of overwhelming technology... one that envelopes a space the size of our solar system. John Bandicut has been brought here because he was needed. He has no idea where he is or why he is needed by such an advanced civilization.

The plus to this book is the relationship Carver builds between Bandicut, his two robots, and his new friends Ik and La-Jared. He also brings out Bandicut's deep sense of loss at finding himself thousands of light years from home thorugh a developing relationship between John and a human-looking alien named Antares.

I read this book almost entirely without putting it down... and immediately reached for the next book in the series.

2003-09-02 | ihijump (Arkansas) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

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A Step Up
STRANGE ATTRACTORS is the second book in Carver's "Chaos Chronicles" series. I was rather ambivalent after reading the first installment (NEPTUNE CROSSING). There are aspects of it I liked and other aspects I wasn't especially happy with. STRANGE ATTRACTORS, however, was better. I feel it is a solid step up from NEPTUNE... and I enjoyed it considerably more.

To be sure, there are still problems. The "boojum" is a rather vague entity, the characters remain underdeveloped, and I'm getting a little weary of the quarx dying and then resurrecting himself with no memory of past events. A couple of times is one thing, but after four or five generations of Charlie it's getting a little old.

For space opera, though, this is fairly good stuff. Intriguing new worlds (or, at least, environments) are explored and you never know what will turn up around the next corner. There's a fair amount of action and some interesting aliens. It wasn't deep, but it was fun and it held my interest. If good space opera is what you want, give this series a try.

2002-06-03 | antiochandy (Antioch, CA USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

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A Step Up
STRANGE ATTRACTORS is the second book in Carver's "Chaos Chronicles" series. I was rather ambivalent after reading the first installment (NEPTUNE CROSSING). There were aspects of it I liked and other aspects I wasn't especially happy with. STRANGE ATTRACTORS, however, was better. I felt it was a solid step up from NEPTUNE... and I enjoyed it much more.

To be sure, there are still problems. The "boojum" is a rather vague entity, the characters remain underdeveloped, and I've gotten a little weary of the quarx dying and then resurrecting itself with no memory of past events. A couple of times is one thing, but after four or five generations of Charlie it's gotten a little old.

For space opera, though, this is fairly good stuff. Intriguing new worlds (or, at least, environments) are explored and you never know what will turn up around the next corner. There's a fair amount of action and some interesting aliens. It wasn't deep, but it was fun and it held my interest. If good space opera is what you want, give this one a try.

2002-06-03 | antiochandy (Antioch, CA USA) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

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Possibly the best and most imaginative books in the series
John Bandicut and his pals are back in this je'ne sais qoi of a space opera. There are scenes in this book that reminded me of the alien bar scene in Star Wars I(V) and scenes that are unique to the book. Bandicoot is sidetracked (kidnapped?) to an intergalatic arc worldship and all that he has is blind gumption and a quixotic alien entity guiding him named Charlie that lives in his mind. Bandicoot must save this intergalatic arc from the clutches of an evil malevolent force known as the boojum (translation for boogey man). This part reminded me of the excellent Madeleine De'Engle(sp?) story A Wrinkle in Time (another highly entertaining and compelling SF) and tesseracting. Can Bandicut save the shipworld and himself from the clutches of the Boojum? Read this and see!!!

2001-06-23 (Douglasville, GA USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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From a Changeling Star

Description

Across the galaxy, tensions are rising between the authoritarian Tandesko Triune and the free-marketeers of the Auricle Alliance. Nevertheless, scientists of both sides have come together in Project Starmuse, to observe the giant star Betelgeuse as it goes supernova. At the space station imbedded inside the roiling star, the team anxiously awaits the return of the one man essential to the success of the project. On Kantano's World, astronomer Willard Ruskin must discover why someone has infected him with nano-agents - artificially intelligent, microscopic computers, which alter his appearance, his memory, his very DNA. Drawn into a conflict from which not even death will free him, Ruskin must find a way to reach Betelgeuse before his enemies sabotage Starmuse...and humankind's future among the stars. A harrowing journey from inside the human cell - to the mind of a dying star.

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Customer Reviews

Great stuff here, keeps you on your toes!
There's something to be said for a good story that actually makes you use your brain. It seems to be a sad state of entertainment that if everything isn't laid right out in front of you in black and white right in your face that people won't pay attention because they just wan't mindless entertainment and i've seen plenty of this in movies, tv and books. It's actually funny (in a sad kind of way) that i've actually seen people dismiss intelligent entertainment as being boring or that it "sucks" because it's their way of trying to deflect from the fact they don't want to admit that the real problem is that they don't want to have to think while being entertained. You can tell that this is their real issue because they'll be the same people that tell you how the movie with the biggest explosions and little or no plot is "awesome". Anyway now that i've completely gone off a tangent, let's bring it back: Thank goodness for authors like Jeffrey A. Carver. Now here's an intelligent man that takes pride in actually putting the "science" in science fiction. He also takes seriously doing research of the scientific ideas in his books. This book is a perfect example of that, afterall it's nearly 20 years old now and it doesn't suffer like some sci-fi books and feel dated. It still reads like it could've been written yesterday. He quite simply does his best to get it right and that is refreshing. Now on top of that he has an interesting story going on here that combines the best of sci-fi, adventure and mystery. Ultimately I think it's amazing how Mr. Carver manages to give the reader the sci-fi goods and keep the story moving along at a brisk pace that keeps you turning the pages. There are authors out there that use sci-fi as a backdrop to tell their stories. There are authors out there that get so caught up in the future tech minutia that they forget to tell a good story. Jeffrey A. Carver is one of the few out there who seems to get the balance right and because of that I think he's one of the most underapprecicated authors we have writing today.

2006-07-09 | self-proclaimed sci-fi/fantasy geek (Gas City, IN) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

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Well, _I_ liked it....
There are very few books that I will read in one sitting, and this is one of them. It literally begins with a bang (gunshot) and ends with the biggest bang of them all (a supernova). Nanotechnology has always fascinated me, and this book gives a far-future look at the applications of it. I enjoyed the internal battle of the main character as he attempts to rediscover who (and what) he is. About the only thing I was disappointed by was the fact that it actually ended. It is a very fast-paced book that kept me on edge the whole time. Unfortunately, my copy of the book was destroyed by water damage after it went out of print. There are also very few books that I would go on an all-out crusade to find, but this is one of them. I give it 5 of 5 stars.

1999-10-19 | noctros | Helpful Votes: 5 | Rating: 5

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Blow up a star, no problem. Who am I?...Hmmm
Is our protagonist a psychotic, amnesiac destroyer of stars or a brilliant research scientist reaching for the ultimate prize? While nanotechnology plays an important part in this story it is not the central issue. How can a man stay true to his convictions when he is the pinned between galactic empires and his own body is rebelling against him?

1998-04-01 | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 3

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sucked.
I heard about the concepts of this story several years ago: nanotechnology and space travel; nanoagents fight for a scientist whose brain becomes valuable, with devastating affects; the awakening of Betelguese; wormholes -- and I was fascinated. I was RABID for this book. No great scifi writer has yet written a good book about nanotechnology and spacetravel combined, excpet for perhaps A FIRE UPON THE DEEP. But it manages to totally weaken the ending so I just put it down in utter boredom, multiple times, makes the nanotechnology weak and lame, is melodramatic, canned characters, and can make dull the war for our heros body.

1997-05-16 | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 2

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Seas of Ernathe

Description

Millennia after the skills of starship rigging have been lost, can Seth Perland find the key to rediscovery on the world of the mysterious sea people, the Nale'nid? Seas of Ernathe was Jeffrey A. Carver's first novel, and the first full-length tale of what was to become his popular Star Rigger Universe. Set farthest into the future of all the Star Rigger stories, Seas of Ernathe sets the stage for a new cycle of history. A touching story of love and personal discovery, it leads the way to the rediscovery of the mode of star travel that once knit galactic civilization together.

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