Pros
- A little more reveal about the banshee’s purpose
- Some new characters
Cons
- Story feels a bit short with longer periods of exposition instead of the action present in previous books
Star Rage Review
M. R. Forbes’ Star Rage continues the exciting adventures of Commander Stone as he retreats from an alien attack into the sphere in order to warn the Alliance of the alien invasion. This third book in the series finds Stone rushing between Bruxton and a setting from the second book, Warrick.
Unlike previous books where Stone was either in a constant fight or run for his life, this third book focuses a bit more on exposition, setting up for the impending conflict between the Alliance, the Commune, and the aliens referred to as the banshees.
So there are longer periods of rest in the story that are great for the character, but perhaps not as enjoyable for readers. It’s during these periods of rest at Bruxton and on the ship Sleipnir that readers are introduced to new characters like Admiral Yi and the new crew of misfits on the ship, including the digital personality Amara.
These new characters, each with their faults, give the story a more “realistic” feel because their faults lead to consequences that have the potential to affect the story, especially the faults of the new engineer.
Not much background is given about the new characters though, and one promising new character only has a brief appearance. One common thread among all the new characters is that the fact that they’re stationed at a fringe outpost like Bruxton means that they’re not necessarily the best of the best, but as Stone reiterates, you have to work with what you have.
Stone seems to live with this motto, from his escape with the Commune captain Rozik, to getting the ship Sleipnir, and finally to his new ship crew of rejects from the Alliance navy and military.
Because this book has more exposition, a bit more background is revealed about the purpose of the banshees. While we still don’t know what their intent is, their goal for breaching the sphere of humanity is revealed, and it’s not a good one.
Other aspects of the story, like the political structure in the universe and a tiny bit more revelation about the Commune’s role in igniting the alien’s interest, are suggested toward the end of the book when Rozik shows up again in an unexpected place.
This third book feels like an interlude to an even greater showdown in the series, though the events that take place suggest some hindrance to an enormous battle between star-draining aliens and humanity.
Star Rage by M. R. Forbes teases readers with some new revelations about the aliens and continues building the foundation for a great conflict between humans and the aliens known as the banshees.
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