Stellarnet Rebel

Stellarnet #1

by J.L. Hilton

Welcome to Asteria, a corporate-owned, deep-space colony populated with refugees, criminals and obsessive online gamers. Genny O'Riordan has shifted in from Earth determined to find a story that will break her blog into the Stellarnet Top 100, and even better—expose the degradation of the colony's denizens.

Duin is an alien—a Glin—a hero of a past revolution against the Glin royal family, yet branded a terrorist. Duin speaks every day in the Asteria market, hoping to spur humans to aid his home world, which has been overtaken by the evil, buglike Tikati.

When Genny and Duin meet, what begins with a blog post becomes a dangerous web of passion and politics as they struggle to survive not only a war but the darker side of humanity...

94,000 words

Genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Aliens, Science Fiction Romance, Ebooks, Fantasy

307 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 2, 2012

About the author

J.L. HILTON is the author of Stellarnet Rebel (January 2012) and Stellarnet Prince (November 2012), and designer of unique SF/F themed jewelry, which is featured in the books "Steampunk Style Jewelry" and "1000 Steampunk Creations." She also has a video gaming channel on Youtube.

For more information, visit JLHilton.com.

Reviews

[Robert Appleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Hilton made a huge effort with the worldbuilding in Stellarnet Rebel, and her characters play off it beautifully. The Glin, a semi-aquatic alien refugee race whose plight is given the Stellarnet spotlight by blogger Genny O'Riordan, are a fascinating bunch. Two males in particular, Duin and Belloc, who feature prominently in the story, couldn't be more different from one another if they tried, yet both point to a common underlying strength in this seemingly beaten species. They have unfinished business with their overlord enemies, and perhaps each other. All they need is a helping hand, and someone willing to bring the best out in them.

Genny's a fun, very liberal heroine who lives life by her own heart and her own moral compass. She sees helping the Glin as the right thing to do, and that's that. Her blog becomes a sensation, so presumably most people agree. But there's also a hint of a perverse public obsession with Genny and her alien partners, particularly in regard to the obvious interspecies attraction between them. It's the kind of thing that *would* send our internet of the future into a feeding frenzy.

I liked the romantic touches. They were sweet and tasteful and added a lot to the characters. They never dominated the plot either, which is refreshing to see in a romantic SF story. The action scenes were brisk and imaginative. Much of the humour was of the fish-out-of-water variety--always good--and perhaps the only quibble I had with the Glin language was that many of the words came across as a little juvenile, a la Phantom Menace.

I'd definitely recommend Stellarnet Rebel to SF and romantic SF readers, especially those who like clever worldbuilding, cyber tech, and intriguing human-alien relationships. It's an excellent debut novel.

[Celestine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duin is a rebel. A revolutionary. A freedom fighter.

Duin is an orator, a tailor, a hunter, an insurgent, an elder and a father. He is also Glin, a bi-pedal alien with amphibious qualities seeking justice and assistance for his people from the Earth inhabitants of a remote space station in the same sector as his home planet. The Glin have been invaded by the Tikati, an insect race intent on mass genocide and enslavement of the Glin in order to control the resources of their home world.

It is on the space station Asteria that he meets Genny O'Riordan, a news blogger who has come to scoop the deprivation and injustices on the remote station, which appears to be a place to send "undesirables" rather than house or provide for them on crowded Earth. Shortly after she arrives, she hears Duin in the market commons proffering his daily liberty speech, and she is fascinated by the "righteous fury" of this "pugnacious patriot." Genny and Duin become companions for his cause while she elevates the plight of his people. Along the way, the two develop an unbreakable bond that transcends other relationships.

The relationship between Genny and Duin is the cornerstone upon which change is fostered for the entire human and Glin races. Since the goal is to amplify the Glin situation, and make the entire human race care and send aid, Genny and Duin become media darlings on the 'Net. She gives Duin a wider voice, where his loquacious skills are rousing. Genny adds to his vocabulary by providing synonyms for new words, which was a running thread throughout the novel. Their popularity adds peril to their mission. Their lives are also very public, especially in this future world where the 'Net is omnipresent and the expectation of privacy is non-existent. Not that Genny and Duin shy away from publicity. Ever. Under any circumstance.

They are assisted by a host of somewhat stereotypical but completely entertaining individuals. Station Chief Blaze helps when he can, turns a blind eye when he should, and is a hoot, full of politically incorrect yet never cruel colloquialisms. Hax, the tech guru and hacker extraordinaire, comes up with neat gadgets and saves the day more than once. His slick operations are integrated into the story throughout, and gamers will love Hax (and this book). On the Glin side, Belloc emerges as a protagonist later in the story, adding additional romantic tension. The Glin have a different perspective on love and commitment and romantic titles, and this is explained in detail. Be prepared for three characters in a committed relationship. However, while there is some "other man" drama, there is no graphic threesome action, and no M/M. In fact, there is a brevity to most of the sex scenes that was a little unexpected given the voyeuristic nature of this imagined future. But keep in mind the nooky is between a human and an alien.

While non-traditional romance is a major tenet of this novel, the sci-fi and political elements are on equal footing. Sadly, they will get short shrift in this review to avoid plot spoilers. This novel is futuristic, and the space station, weapons, tech, and human modifications are absorbing (and very well done). This backdrop offers the perfect offset to the bucolic, no-tech lifestyle of the indigenous Glin. Everything about their life - sounds, cycles, faith, necessities - comes from water, which is projected masterfully by author J.L. Hilton. At the same time, this novel is a treatise on fighting tyranny and establishing liberty. Copious quotes are offered by Duin, and he takes great inspiration from the freedom fighters of Earth history. He is a Glin of action as well as word. I found it very inspirational. Encouraging. Motivating. Stimulating.

[J.L. Hilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm the author, so I'm a bit biased! :)

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick review for an afternoon/evening read of 90,000 words. I definitely felt like I ran a marathon after I read this book - so much happened between these pages that I could probably write a book on the book. I received "Stellarnet Rebel" as an ARC on NetGalley back in 2012. I didn't realize I still had it until going through my old digital galley stack. I'm glad I was able to read it. If "The Shape of Water" were a futuristic cyber-action story with political tensions among different alien races across space, a kick-butt heroine, with some romantic (including polyamory!) elements thrown in for good measure, you'd likely get a version of this story.

The only downside that really affected my enjoyment of "Stellarnet Rebel" is that the story gets in its own way to a point where I felt the weight of getting through it. For all the action scenes, human-alien tensions, political intrigue, and romantic interludes the story featured - many of which really intrigued me - there were also as many moments where the pacing slowed and I had to readjust to understand what was going on. I really liked following Genny, Duin, and Belloc among the cast of characters in this story, particularly seeing how they fought against the corruption and prejudices they were up against.

It's really rare to see a heroine like Genny in an ambitious sci-fi story with romantic elements like this. She's a blogger originally from Earth on a space station (Asteria) interacting in the Stellarnet trying to break a story big enough to expose the corruption in the colony. She gets the story of a lifetime when she meets Duin, a Glin fighting for the freedom of his people and planet from the control of the Tikati. Duin, an alien among a majority human population, tries to appeal to humans because of learning of their commitments to fighting injustice and promoting ideals of freedom. Of course, being of an alien race, Duin faces his share of prejudices and rebuffs because of who he is and can't get as wide or supportive an audience as he'd like. Genny and Duin work together to showcase the story to their audience, which gets a huge amount of traction. Along the way, as their exposure climbs and their personal relationship grows closer, Genny and Duin find themselves in multiple conflicts across different groups seeking to cover up the truth and the corruption that their coverage exposes. That lends to assumed friends becoming foes and having to find allies in short notice to help them out.

The worldbuilding in this story is intriguing, if a bit clunky for execution. So much so that I had to reorient myself a few times as I was reading to make sure I was following what was going on. (There is a full glossary with the language of the Glin and terms that are used, so that helps a little.) I found myself really caring for the main cast of characters. For as many conflict heavy encounters as there were in the text, there were other moments when I felt the transitions between scenes were sluggish and not necessarily moving the plot along. I could follow the relationships in this story fine, though it definitely made for a few awkward moments between the characters as there are stark differences between how humans and the Glin navigate their relationships (both romantic and not). The attention to detail on those interactions is nice, though at the same time - as with some of the narrative worldbuilding, somewhat clunky.

I wasn't aware this book had a sequel, and I'm definitely curious to return to this world again and revisit the characters to see how things turn out. Overall, I enjoyed the experience, but I also understand why it has mixed reception because of how the presentation of the worldbuilding and narrative comes across. It was still worth the read for me, even if it took me a little bit to really get into it.

Overall score: 3/5 stars.

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Carina Press.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be a very enjoyable read. While we step into Genny's world from the get-go, I found I was able to follow the new terms in this futuristic world rather easily. The plot was solid and the story unfolded in a perfect pace. It was smooth and easy when it needed to be, romantic at proper moments, and action-packed in a sense that any person can enjoy.

Due to the nature of some content, such as certain "language" and sexual themes, I don't suggest this for anyone under 18. The sexual themes are easily skipped for those who don't wish to view it; it doesn't drag on like some books. I found this particular feature nice since I'm an action oriented woman. Some may like it, some may not. To each their own. That's what creativity is all about.

Beyond some few things I personally skip across, I found the entire story to be exciting and well worth the read. This book has something for everyone who enjoys scifi in a more real-world setting.

As far as influences go, I happened to find this author when looking up some things about Babylon 5. While I do see the influence there, it isn't so strong that it feels like a copycat. I found quite a few uncanny resemblances to Doctor Who, but the relationships of the books were written before the author saw the series, which I found rather interesting and exciting. Perhaps the Scifi community sees the world in a similar fashion. I did see a bit of her personality influences, such as Marian's (BBC Robin Hood) personality in Genny, the strong-willed rebel who was able to stare danger in the eye and do her part. A good example is Genny pretending to be objective while stewing in anger, comparable to Marian's relationship to Guy in the show.

The one thing I found most interesting, that I never considered for a future idea, is the "Gen mods." I will try not to spoil here, but the idea of people's features being altered as a common place thing, from the body genetics to random colored hair, eyes, and even tattooed eyebrows (as the cover shows), was a very new idea to me. I thought this was very creative. It didn't feel like an "anime" or "manga." It felt like it fit in perfectly.

Overall, the story was wonderful. The characters fit well together, and the story flowed easily. I wish more modern, scifi books were written this way.

[SoBeA · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars....initially would have been just under 4, but the ending...well, I'll just say I didn't care for it.
Also I'd say this is more sci fi with romantic elements then sci fi romance

[Franny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting at first. I couldn't make it through.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stellarnet Rebel by J.L. Hilton is really good science fiction romance. The heroine is a blogger, which made it particularly fun for me! Not many blogger/heroines in science fiction romance. Or anywhere.

Genny O'Riordan is the blogger. She "shifts" in from Earth to Asteria to find a story that will make her blog, that is kick it up into the Stellarnet Top 100. That's her big dream. The story she wants to break is a universal story of corporate greed, just moved out to the deep-space colony of Asteria.

Asteria sounds like Babylon 5 without the aliens and without the interstellar wars. (Well, almost, but we'll get to that in a minute) Babylon 5 had "Downbelow", where all the people who were too broke to buy passage back "home" and not skilled enough to get decent paying jobs mostly lived in the corridors. "Downbelow" was a slum, except with even fewer options. Asteria is a lot like a civilian Babylon 5, and there are too many people on Asteria who have either been forcibly shipped to or conned into shifting to Asteria and living as "overload" -- in other words, living in the corridors and overloading the ecological systems. On a space station, that's even more serious than on a planet, any planet. Humans can't breathe vacuum.

There are also a lot of obsessive online gamers on Asteria, playing an immersive Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) called Mysteria. There's no lag time if you live on Asteria, the way there is on Earth. That's a big deal to a truly obsessed gamer.

Asteria has a military commander, Colonel Blaze Villaneuva. Blaze is the one trying to keep the lid on the pot. His U.S. Air and Space Force mostly act as MPs. And they keep Asteria flying. Blaze is a realist more than he is a stickler for the rules. And part of Blaze's reality is that there isn't any water in space.

Blaze gets most of Asteria's water from Duin's clandestine raids on a nearby planet, his former home.

Duin is a Glin. He's an alien. He's the only alien on Asteria. His planet was conquered, and devastated, by another alien race, the Tikati. So Duin spends his days in the Asteria Colony market, making speeches about the oppression of his people to anyone who will listen. Because Duin has read all about the human drive for freedom, and he believes that somewhere, some human will want to help him free his people. He just has to keep believing. And speaking.

The first time Genny walks through the Asteria market, she hears Duin speak. He is passionate about the plight of his people. He is also incredibly articulate, even in a language manifestly not his own. And Genny is utterly captivated by him. At first, she believes it is because she has found a story, and a cause, that will rocket her blog not just into the Stellarnet 100, but maybe into the Stellarnet Top 20.

But the more time she spends with Duin, the more she involved she becomes with him and his cause, the more she realizes that it is the man, the Glin himself, who has captured her heart and soul.

Does love mean the same thing to a Glin that it does to a human? And will the blind prejudice and hatred of other humans conspire to keep them apart?

Escape Rating B: I absolutely adore the idea of the Stellarnet. It seemed like a merger of the blogosphere, Twitter and the constant stream of headline news all rolled into one. As a blogger, Genny is online to her fans almost constantly, to the point where Genny does debate whether or not to blog herself having sex, complete with video. But the concept of the all-invasive, all-intrusive Stellarnet, of fans living vicariously through a blogger/star does not seem far-fetched from here.

Duin was a little bit too good to be true for me. Especially when Belloc, the second Glin, came into the picture. I understand that the author used Belloc to show that the Glin attitude toward sex and relationships was not just different, but, in fact, alien, but that part of the plot didn't quite work for me.

I liked Genny and Duin together. It felt more realistic in the relationship when he got so caught up in the cause that he lost sight of the person he was involved with. That happens. Belloc's plot maybe should have been book 2.

Speaking of book 2, Stellarnet Rebel is the start of a series. I'm looking forward to it!

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blogger, Genny O’Riordan moves to Asteria to join her current boyfriend, to report on life in the colony and to find a story that will propel her blog into the big league. During her tour of the colony, she comes across her first alien—a Glin. She’s fascinated and immediately sees the seeds of a great topic for her blog.

With Genny’s help and friendship, the plight of Duin’s race is brought center front, but there are some people who don’t support her cause. Her strength of conviction brings danger and unexpected love.

The thing I liked most about Stellarnet Rebel is the world building. JL Hilton has done a wonderful job of creating the Glin, an alien race who are tribal hunter-gatherers. Like humans they are capable of verbal and written language. They can reason and solve problems. They’re amphibian-like in appearance, have a bald head, no visible ears and large eyes, consisting mainly of iris. Their skin is speckled in shades ranging from taupe to grayish-green. They wear a form-fitting garment that resembles a wetsuit.

Not only do the Glin fit seamlessly into the story, but all the technology and the way the colony functions is blended into the plot without weighing down the reader and making them feel as if they’re reading a science textbook.

I’ll admit that I didn’t warm to Genny straight away. At the start she seems a bit self-absorbed, but I soon lost that impression. Once she meets Duin and starts to help him, I found her more likeable. Duin is determined to free his people and passionate about his cause, despite the backlash and racist remarks from people who don’t understand. He’s a great character.

I enjoyed Stellarnet Rebel very much and raced through the smooth plot in no time. Highly recommended.

This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

For more (mini) reviews check out the thesisterstale @ blogspot

Let me just get this out here right now: science fiction is my favorite. I’m a sci-fi geek, especially if it’s set in space. So, when I came across Stellarnet Rebel, I was excited. I didn't love it as much as I hoped I would, but it was still a decent read. Once the story clicked more for me toward the middle, I found myself turning the pages more quickly. Genny, the protagonist of this book, is fantastic. I loved her from the start, and even when I was struggling getting invested toward the beginning, she kept me engaged in the story. By far my favorite thing about this book is the world building. It’s outstanding. The level of work J.L. Hilton must have put into it, I can’t even begin to contemplate. It will blow you away. Stellarnet Rebel is also full of laugh-out-loud lines, with top notch humor infused in every page. There is a love triangle in this book, and while 98% of the time have zero tolerance policy for those, J.L. Hilton did something very unconventional, and I thought it worked extremely well. It’s definitely a refreshing spin on the typical ‘triangle’. Go pick up Stellarnet Rebel if you like space opera/futuristic stories, with amazing world-building and lots of humor. Note: This is an adult book, so you will find explicit sex scenes in here.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stellarnet Rebel highlights what a blogger can accomplish when she takes on injustice. Genevieve O’Riordan comes to Asteria Colony space station to highlight living conditions on the station. All of that changes when she meets Duin. Duin wants help for his people. Their villages are being destroyed, their water stolen, and they are being put into slavery. Duin comes to the market every day to tell his story and ask for help. Genevieve changes the focus of her blog and tells Duin’s story. It is a story Earth government does not want to here but change comes whether they want it or not. It is a SFR so along the way she falls in love.

I was immediately drawn into the story. The characters were well developed, the action consistent, and the plot very well thought out. The romance is blended into the story and fits the plot. This is the first in a series so there were loose ends when the story ended. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

I really loved the way the space station was built. Genevieve traveled to Asteria in her living quarters called cubes. She barley had room to move around because cubes were not only living quarters when they arrived they were freight containers during transport. Once they arrived they were attached to the station and hooked up to stations systems. Arriving with your living quarters solves the space problem.

[Janice Sears · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was amazed at how hard it is to put this book down. The plot is quite gripping, because the main characters face so many obstacles and have to grow spiritually and emotionally during their struggles. The author does a wonderful job of creating very three-dimensional characters who are easy to identify with, even if they are from other planets! She touches on issues that plague our own civilization now, such as indefinite detention, torture, non violent resistance, equality, women's rights, human rights, committed relationships and so much more.

She does a wonderful job of developing her characters by getting in touch with their inner feelings about each other and their moral convictions, their memories, their vulnerabilities, and their courage. You find yourself caring about what happens to these characters as they risk their lives to free others save each other's lives over and over again in this wonderful and romantic adventure tale.

I am now reading this book for the third time, because I flew through it the first two times and I am certain that I don't want to miss anything in this very impressive first full length book by J. L. Hilton. And I'll be waiting for the completion of the sequel with bated breath!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very good science fiction romance and I loved that the main character was a blogger this something you do not see very often in this genre.

This book was extremely hard to put down and was full of twists and turns that kept me as a reader hooked.

The author done a very good job in developing her characters and I found myself caring about what happened to the characters next and feeling what they were feeling when they were feeling it. The romance between the characters was well thought out and did not feel pushed and it all blended well into the plot.

Stellarnet Rebel was an interesting read and I heard that it is part of a series. I am very much looking forward to reading the next installment.

This review was first published on http://everybookhasasoul.wordpress.com

[Kait Gamble · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Stellarnet Rebel and can’t wait to read the next book in the series. JL Hilton’s wonderful world building brings Genny, Duin and Belloc’s struggles to life. Blogger Genny travels to Asteria looking for a big story. This is where she finds it in Duin, a Glin trying to aid his people by asking for help from apathetic humans who are more interested in what they can get out of him. From there the adventure builds to a satisfying resolution that begs for more. I found the three main characters to be well developed, interesting and even relatable, though two are alien. I definitely recommend for readers who enjoy reading about worlds that aren’t too far off from our own.

[Jax Garren · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been awhile since I've read straight up science fiction, but this was a great way to get back into the genre. Fantastic world building with a particularly well done alien race. Hilton takes current social and political events--such as how blogging and social media have torn down privacy--and extends them in a way that is both frightening and yet completely natural for the characters inhabiting her world. A great read!

[Nicole Luiken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent world-building, both of the future human colony of Asteria and the alien Glin. Engaging characters and plot. A nice build from a lone alien standing on a soapbox, to achieving the freedom of his world.

Fave quote, Duin to the human children: "Shall I do the Tempest? Or do you want to hear The Little Lost Eel again?"

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read a cyber-futuristic romance in a long time, and this one was really good. The world-building was solid, and I enjoyed Hilton's vision of how our language will progress in the years to come. Highly recommend this enjoyable read.