Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Epsilon: Broken Stars” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Epsilon: Broken Stars

(Epsilon Universe)

Erin Klitzke (Goodreads Author)

4.18 · Rating details · 11 ratings · 5 reviews

In a universe where the fate of free worlds hangs in the balance, can one man make a difference?

The Resistance is a thin line of defense for the free planets of the Borderworlds. The strip of former colonies forms a shrinking boundary between the Earth-controlled Drilin Imperium and the Epsilon Alliance, superpowers locked in a cold war a hundred years old. It's a no-man's ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 242 pages

Published August 8th 2012 by Taliesin Ambrose Books (first published October 27th 2011)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Epsilon, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about Epsilon

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

Showing 1-38

Average rating 4.18 ·

Rating details

· 11 ratings · 5 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Epsilon: Broken Stars

Jan 27, 2012 SciYourFi Team rated it really liked it · review of another edition

View the full review at http://sciyourfi.blogspot.com/2012/01... ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 17, 2012 Alana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: first-reads, 2012

the beginning was a bit confusing and slow due to not having read the previous story. so i was lost on the background politics and who was who. but once i sorted everything out, it was hard to put it down. i really enjoyed the off world feel of the story. the writing style gave my mind's eye very detailed descriptions and in-depth characters to embody. i kind of wished the beginning was as action packed as the ending. there was heart racing fighting as well as a few good explosions.
there was ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 17, 2012 Amanda rated it liked it

Shelves: won-gr

After the initial jolt (since I haven't read the other books in this series and didn't know the background or who was who) this book was a great read. I read it through in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it. I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 17, 2012 Sandy marked it as to-read

Shelves: books-won

I received this book as a Goodreads ARC giveaway. This was a great book and I really enjoy it

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 03, 2013 Jason rated it liked it

Shelves: science-fiction

Full disclosure: I've been friends with the author a long time.

The galaxy of the future is locked in a cold war between the assumedly democratic Alliance and the authoritarian Earthcentric (Yes Erin, you have my permission to use the term "Earthcentric" ;-) ) Imperium. Caught in the middle are the world/systems on the border between these two powers. It sounds like the background of The Expanse (great show!) or maybe even Babylon 5 (equally great show!), but the similarities end there. Epsilon Full disclosure: I've been friends with the author a long time.

The galaxy of the future is locked in a cold war between the assumedly democratic Alliance and the authoritarian Earthcentric (Yes Erin, you have my permission to use the term "Earthcentric" ;-) ) Imperium. Caught in the middle are the world/systems on the border between these two powers. It sounds like the background of The Expanse (great show!) or maybe even Babylon 5 (equally great show!), but the similarities end there. Epsilon is more of a sci-fi cloak-and-dagger story, focusing on the exploits of one secret agent, Aaron Taylor, as he provides much needed assistance to a Resistance forming among the Borderworlds. It provides a good story, although it is weak in the dagger aspect of cloak-and-dagger.

The story is essentially split into two parts; the first part focusing on Taylor's efforts to integrate into the Alliance, with its interesting cast of characters, and the second part being the Resistance's attempts to fight for freedom from the Imperium.

The first part is a mixed bag; Klitzke does a great job of introducing the reader to Alliance secret agent Aaron Taylor, and he's a solid, 3-dimensional character. He has a good, analytical mind (good for secret agents), and I appreciate that the author presents what he's thinking and how his thoughts lead to the choices he makes. He's witty and he definitely has a past due to this cold war that shows the war has definitely left its wearying mark on him. Taylor's been assigned to lend assistance to the borderworlds Resistance, consisting of a large number of characters (it's a pretty big cast) with varying personalities, from the highly paranoid Doc to the firey, strong-willed Sam. While he's trying to get friendly with them, Taylor's dealing with his own baggage. It's a good setup, and it helps flesh out the characters, but I think it goes too long.

The second half has some decent action as the Resistance starts to make moves against the Imperium. It has a good pace, and the fallout from those moves is intriguing; it's obvious another story is in the works, and I look forward to it. It also shows Taylor's not afraid to get into the fray, which is good. Unfortunately, I also never had the feeling Taylor was ever in any danger, which might be the story's biggest weakness.

For a story about a secret agent in the middle of a rebellion, I never get the impression Taylor, or even the other Resistance, are ever in any danger, thus my earlier comment about being light on the dagger element. For the first half, there are few to no signs of any Imperial presence or even any other security that makes Taylor or the Resistance keep hidden. This could be because the main planet isn't dominated by the Imperium, or it could be Taylor's that good, but in a situation like this, it's feels like a stretch that there are no Imperium sympathizers or secret agents or even neutral planetary security out there to make the Resistance's existence difficult. For the second half, there is action and combat, and I noticed the Resistance starting to become more careful, but until some specific scenes near the end happen, it doesn't feel like Taylor and the Resistance are in trouble. It could be there's a sucker punch waiting, and there are some exceptions, but it frequently lacks the tension you would expect from a revolution.

Overall, the book is a good one, with likeable, interesting characters, and it's quite likely the author will up the ante a few notches for Taylor and the Resistance in the next book, but for a cloak and dagger story, it is light on the espionage side of things. I'll definitely be curious about it.

...more

flag Like · see review

Shannon Muir rated it really liked it
Jan 10, 2012

R rated it it was amazing
Nov 21, 2012

Torfinn Ingolfsen rated it it was amazing
May 04, 2019

Brian Jeffreys rated it really liked it
Jan 31, 2012

Oct 29, 2011 Erin Klitzke rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Arijit Bhattacharya rated it really liked it
Apr 05, 2013

Babon rated it really liked it
Aug 03, 2013

Angela R. marked it as to-read
Nov 05, 2011

Alexandra marked it as to-read
Nov 06, 2011

Mohammad Dalbah marked it as to-read
Dec 20, 2012

Christiane marked it as to-read
Aug 20, 2012

Nancy The book junkie marked it as to-read
Aug 20, 2012

Adam Kokkonen marked it as to-read
Aug 21, 2012

Alexandra marked it as to-read
Aug 27, 2012

Nicole marked it as to-read
Aug 28, 2012

Michelle marked it as to-read
Aug 31, 2012

Nicole Tozier marked it as to-read
Sep 01, 2012

Roxanne Barbour marked it as to-read
Sep 01, 2012

Samantha marked it as to-read
Sep 05, 2012

Sophie Vaillancourt marked it as to-read
Sep 06, 2012

Deja marked it as to-read
Sep 06, 2012

Alena marked it as to-read
Sep 06, 2012

PJ marked it as to-read
Sep 07, 2012

Cassandra marked it as to-read
Sep 08, 2012

Heather marked it as to-read
Sep 10, 2012

Laura Reid marked it as to-read
Sep 11, 2012

Danielle Joy marked it as to-read
Sep 11, 2012

Rob Armstrong marked it as to-read
Sep 11, 2012

Robin marked it as to-read
Sep 12, 2012

F. marked it as to-read
Sep 12, 2012

Joseph marked it as to-read
Sep 12, 2012

Jay marked it as to-read
Sep 12, 2012

Nancy Gallagher marked it as to-read
Sep 12, 2012

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Currently at work on the sequel...	1	3	Sep 16, 2012 09:19AM

Genres

Science Fiction

3 users

See top shelves…

About Erin Klitzke

Erin Klitzke

15 followers

Erin M. Klitzke has been writing since she was an adolescent, though most of those early works will never see the light of day. She got her BA in history and anthropology from Grand Valley State University and her MA in history from Oakland University, and much to her mother’s occasional dismay, what she does with those degrees is write fiction.

She lives in Detroit’s northern suburbs and enjoys re ...more