Michael Anderle

Marshal the Stars is a new old-school space opera done with refreshing energy. Think Top Gear with aliens and space pirates. Beau Ward, call sign Lobo, does not fit neatly into the orderly world of the Federation Fleet. His last chance to avoid being cashiered is to form a makeshift squadron of misfits like himself and bring law and order to an outpost station in a system where kidnapping and hijacking have become routine. One bit of fun: the station’s AI has become fixated on early show more television and thinks of itself as June Cleaver. She confuses Beau Ward with the dad in the show and a young ensign with the Beaver. 3.5 stars. show less

This was my last book by Michael Anderle.
It's always the same. They are always the same. Despite the vast amount of writing this author supposedly does, there is no improvement over time whatsoever.
It's just fanfiction power-fantasy wish fulfillment all the way down.
The writing is crude and repetitive. The jokes are worth a tired chuckle at best and cringe-worthy at worst.
If I have to listen to the MC tell us how she doesn't mind killing evil murderers and then give them ultimatum after show more ultimatum one more time I will blow a gasket which is why I dropped the book.
But even apart from that it's just all-around low effort and low quality even for a simple power fantasy. show less

Note: This series is part of a much bigger series and is technically Book 59 of The Kurtherian Gambit Universe. This book works just fine as a stand alone.

This was the book of badassery I needed and didn’t even knew existed until a few weeks ago. Perhaps I’ve been living under a rock. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. The characters were fun, the plot was full of action, and the world building drew me in completely.

Abbey is my favorite character. She’s been working in her dad’s show more blacksmithery all her life and playing with sharp pointy things since she could stand. She’s a full on action hero in this book but she’s also NOT a cliched broken character that needs to find redemption or her place in life. She comes from a loving single-parent home and has self-confidence.

Sid was my second favorite character. She’s a warrior on board the ship that Abbey sneaks onto after her dad is falsely accused of murder. She’s bald headed and swings two swords like nobody’s business. She’s also a great commander in battle. Such a practical woman! Then there’s Dustin, who took longer to grow on me. He’s just recently gotten his cloak and staff and is officially now a Storm Caller. Yay Dustin! Dustin initially is a little standoffish to Abbey but he comes around, especially after Abbey saves his life a time or two.

Benjamin, Abbey’s dad, has a past that adds some mystery to the mix. He also has a special staff that is a bit of magictech from his hometown of Arkadia. Tor and Dallia are the foremost Storm Captain and Storm Caller of Holdgate. They sail the Thunderclap and they and their crew are always treated as heroes when they return to port.

The plot has these Viking-like reavers that the Storm ships are suppose to repel, protecting Holdgate and nearby settlements. However, Abbey and Dustin find out that not all is on the up and up on their first trip out. Once I learned the full extent of it, I briefly wondered how such a secret was kept with perhaps as many as 300 Holdgate citizens involved. Later we find out that certain people have been suspicious that something was afoot but hadn’t put it all together yet. Plus, you need a very strong case to take down the instigators.

They story was well paced bouncing between quieter moments where someone is learning a bit of magic or have a useful conversation and bigger moments where buildings are on fire and juiced up warriors are trying to take your head! Plenty of snarky comments are tossed around, making me laugh out loud at times. There’s a real sense of camaraderie among the main characters.

All told, this was a delight. It has the epic fantasy feel to it while being a book you can listen to in a day. This tale ended well, answering most of the questions presented but leaving just enough open for the sequel. I’m ready for Book 2!

I received a free copy of this book.

The Narration: Gabra Zackman was great for this book. She was the perfect Abbey, pulling off the snark and Abbey’s emotions with ease. Her male voices were all distinct and sounded like men. I love her calm, collected voice for Sid even in the heat of battle. Zackman’s narration really added to suspense and action. Awesome narration all around. show less

Woah, this one was intense, action-packed from the very beginning, there are a few moments where you question the outcome of James living or dying. I loved how Alison is at the School of Necessary Magic and starts calling Shay, Aunt Shay. Alison has her own series at the school and another series that takes place after. It had some hilarious dialogue and some twists and turns.