New enemies. Unlikely allies. A neon city in the Deadlands that never sleeps.
Halek Cain has mysteries to solve, people to rescue, and a vendetta to carry out.
But he must fix his Reaper augmentations before they kill him. He needs raw materials from Gronic, a technical specialist on Roxo III, and time to put himself right before the Union comes for him.
Everything seems like it’s going to work out…until he learns Elise is in trouble.
If Cain doesn’t get to her first, everything that happened on Dreadmax will have been for nothing.
The Last Reaper will encounter assassins, Union special operators, and a mysterious rival from his past. The odds are overwhelming, and the enemies are mounting.
But when all is said and done, each of them will learn that you must always fear the Reaper.
“Fear the Reaper. Respect your limitations.” First of all, the cover is impressive, as is the story! Brutal, heart stopping and epic! Non-stop action and chills abound in this astounding SciFi, Cyberpunk novel. This book has a thrilling plot, complete with formidable characters, magnificently blended with heart-pounding scenes filled with blood and guts. It starts with a bang and continues to build to an explosive finish... All the elements in the story mesh well together to form an extraordinary novel. I am totally impressed!
There are some interesting additions to the cast in this continuing story of Reaper Cain. It was nice to see him continue to have moments of conscience with regard to his "ward" Elise and the way he cares about putting people into imminent danger. This guy has no illusions about who he is, just inner conflict about what that means. There's lots of shooting and hacking and slicing and dicing of people without much thought. Kind of like a video game. But that's the genre.
Ray Porter makes this story great. I'd never enjoy it as much had he not narrated.
Action packed, the Snake Plissken in space story we always wanted
The first book in the Reaper series was awesome but book two was even better! Loved the pacing and edge of your seat action. Exciting see what the authors do for book three!
I enjoyed this addition to the Reaper series. I began reading this as a filler between other military science fiction series I have been following, but now it is one of my go to series.
If you like pulp sci-fi then this will be great for you, I love it so I really enjoyed this book. It does not have a wide appeal though so I took a star off for that. This continues the adventures of Cain the reaper who is trying to rescue a young girl and faces several other people also trying to capture her. He is also trying to find an engineer to fix his arm. Lots of absurdity but fun absurdity.
Action Packed Space Opera🚀💫 I got this e-book from Amazon with Kindle unlimited. Of course this book ends in a cliffhanger and is part of a continuing series With the same characters.
I gave the first book in the series two stars and didn’t find this one any better. There was plenty of action but the story arc did not improve and none of the questions which came up in the first book were answered in the second. At least I have saved myself from reading 13 more books.
★★★★★ Great book! Can’t wait to read it again (and I will). ★★★★☆ Good book. I am glad I read this. ★★★☆☆ OK book. Nothing special but not bad. ★★☆☆☆ Not good. Why did I waste my time? ★☆☆☆☆ Lousy. I didn’t finish.
If for whatever reason, I go back and reread a good book, I will change the rating to five-star because I read it again.
I couldn't finish this book. Slugged through the first two because I had nothing better to read. All had some interesting parts but the action within the plot jumped from one meaningless crisis to another. I say that because though the characters moved around and the action stayed high, common sense and supposed reaper awareness and intelligence seemed missing in action. There wasn't one character I really cared about. They seemed to contradict themselves and each other so many time I kept looking back to see where I got turned around. The dialogue seemed stilted and disjointed so many times it grated on me. I don't know how the MC lasted so long as a reaper when he and his AI seemed to be just getting to know each other, working so poorly together. But maybe it was just me. A lot of others seemed to be high on it.
After book 1 of (The Last Reaper) series, book 2 of the series is not as entertaining or exciting the authors still provide an excess of detail but Cain instead of being a hero the reader can empathize with becomes an insecure indecisive aragant jerk that makes a person how this idiot has managed to survive as long as he has.
I'm just not a fan of this Reaper guy. We met Halek Cain in the first book where he has to rescue a scientist and his daughter from a prison planet or actually a moon. Now Cain is a Reaper of a highly advanced human augmented with a cybernetic arm, an implanted Limited AI, and of course some very advanced and challenging military training. He appeared to be the only person capable of going to the prison moon and extracting the scientist and his daughter or if failing then he loss wouldn't be that terrible. In other words, that mission was a suicide mission.
Cain wasn't on active duty with the Union military although he had started out that way. No, he was serving a very long prison sentence since he went rouge and killed eighteen of the thugs who had killed his father while he was away on a mission. Obviously, those killing weren't sanctioned by the Union and they couldn't very well allow an enhanced fighting machine like Cain to just do what he wanted so he was in prison until he was not. The deal for the rescue mission at the prison moon came with a pardon for Cain, but of course, he had to live to enjoy that pardon. The Union had a plan that was meant to ensure that if the scientist and his daughter were rescued, it would be at the cost of Cain's life. He wasn't supposed to live through this mission.
But, he did, and he even escaped from his Union overseers with the scientist's daughter. She was a highly intelligent, but belligerent teenager that didn't want to stay with her father and certainly didn't want to stay with Cain. So, he had dropped her off with a former army buddy on the planet Greendale in Zag City. He was supposed to look after her, ensure she got to school and work if that's what she wanted. It's been awhile since he left her there and now he feels the need to go an check on her wellbeing. Only this isn't what he should really be doing.
Cain has a lot of specialized, advanced and intricate electronic and computerized parts in his body. Even one of his eyes have been replaced to provide him with very capable sight in any kind of conditions. Only some of his parts were damaged in the fighting on the prison moon. He really needs to get things and himself fixed. He's always reminded of this by his internal AI, X-37. Cain and X-37 have conversations all the time about what he's doing and why. Since no one knows that he an enhanced Reaper, it seems to others around him that he's talking to himself. X-37 is supposed to be a "limited" AI which means there are definitely things he cannot or will not due because of his Union programming. So, there is constant dialogue between X-37 and Cain that is supposed to be humorous, I guess, or an essential part of the story, which I don't believe it is. Most of the time, their conversations are pretty stupid.
X-37 has told Cain that he needs to go get himself fixed. He's also advised by the AI that runs his ship, the Jelly, that it would be good for him to go to Roxo III and see a specialist there that could repair/fix his arm and his eyesight. He's been experiencing glitches in both for some time now and it would definitely be best to have those taken care of before doing anything else.
So, of course, Cain ignores both entities and decides to go to Greendale. This is a major mistake. The Union has placed a huge price on Elsie's young head (the scientist's daughter). Cain isn't going to claim the reward, but there are others who will be seeking this young lady out and they have no qualms about taking her with force. Of course this is where Cain should come in a fix things. But, he doesn't because he's broke, but he won't admit it. So, this guy is about the dumbest Reaper every built. Luckily he's the last Reaper or so he thinks. He might be wrong there too!
I think the story would be better if Cain actually took the time to make himself combat ready. He's always trying to do things he knows he's not capable of doing in his current state. There is not particular reason why he has to check on Elise right now. He could easily have gone and got fixed and then come back. But of course he didn't so now we've got to read about him bumbling around almost getting everyone killed.
Don't know if I'll bother reading the next book. I would have expected better from J. N. Chaney, but this is not his best work. Either way, book 3, "Blade of the Reaper" is available on Amazon.
I am struggling to find the appeal of this series. Cyborgs are an interesting sci-fi troupe, but this series seems to be missing all the marks. We have a foul mouth, i'll tempered, highly trained killer with a "moral code". Somewhere in there should be a decent character, but somehow Scott Moon keeps missing the mark.
In place of dialogue, we have a reaper who likes to curse and a limited A.I. with sas. In place of a story arc, we have said reaper constantly survive one battle after another by sheer dump luck (or author hand waving explanations). And in place of a supporting cast of characters, we have thugs and mini bosses that are disposed of as quickly as they are introduced.
This last bit probably the most annoying part of this book. There were lines thrown out in this (and the last book) to hype up a baddie, only to have said bad guy killed off as soon as the fight starts. It difficult to believe this individuals rose above the rest, survived their cut literal throat business, only to go down quickly. What's the point of introducing these characters if they will have little to no impact beyond the page they are introduced in?
Oh, and once the fight begins, there's pages, upon pages of meaningless action and dialogue between characters. I found myself skipping ahead several pages until the scene changed.
I'm going to try one more book, but I do not have high hopes for it. Three strikes and I'm done with the reaper series.
8/10: Excellent read, well written, fell right into the fictional world created.
Fear the Reaper.
It hasn't been that long since I read the first book in this series, but I've got to admit, I had trouble remembering what had happened. Not a good sign, usually, but despite my amnesia, this turned out to be fun. Again. I think.
I took out a cigar and stuck it in the corner of my mouth. “Piss off, you non-driving fucks.”
I love Reaper Cain and his hard-knocks attitude. I definitely like the mystery noir feel to this sci-fi, and appreciate that the authors haven't tried to tone down the Reaper's language. He swears like a trooper, but it's appropriate for the character and story. None of this namby-pamby sh!t.
“Outstanding, Reaper Cain. I will put a gold star on your report card,” X-37 said.
But my favourite is again X-37, the (limited) artificial intelligence inside Reaper Cain's head. He lightens the atmosphere when things are getting tough. A much-needed counterpoint to Cain's abrasiveness.
Lots of action, heaps of sci-fi goodness, and an AI that spices up the storyline nicely.
I'll be reading on.
“X, this is going to be ugly,” I said. “The ugliest,” X-37 agreed.
Warning: some people might consider that there are spoilers in the following review so, be warned! I get rather tired of MCs who have everything against them, are nearly dying from their injuries and still defeat everyone who comes against them. This is a very convoluted plot with old enemies coming to an awkward entente to achieve a mutual goal. Everyone is after Elise. I can emote with her to a point but can’t understand her continued antagonism to Hal. Yes, he made a mistake when he left her but he’s more than made up for it by coming back and getting shot to hell in aiding her escape from the Union goons. Judging by the people she gathered around herself she must have a lovely side to her personality but, unfortunately, we’ve never seen it. I just hope that in the next book Hal actually gets his gear repaired because this ‘I’m dying but I’ll save you all’ is getting rather old! Only 3 stars.
The story picks up right where The Last Reaper left off. This book is an adrenaline rush from start to finish. Before reading this story I didnt think it was possible to have so much action while still telling an amazing story with strong characters who continue to develop.(Please excuse my poor sentence structure Imna reader not a writer) Reaper Cain is a perfect example of an antihero. He may not be perfect and he has some moral issues but im the end he fights on the side of good. He is someone every reader will fall in love with. All characters feel real with hopes dreams demons and faults
Reaper Cain against the Union. An unenviable task. Extremely dangerous. A bad habit of his. He rescued a young girl from a previous mission, Elise and left her in the care of a good friend. Realizing he has put him in a bad spot, and fearing for his safety, his family and Elise he has returned to the planet to take here with him. His usual problem occurs, nothing ever goes as planned. Non stop action, enjoyed immensely!
“The Last Reaper” series takes place in the “Renegade Star” universe. You do not need to read “The Renegade Star” series to enjoy “The Last Reaper” series. I enjoyed “Fear the Reaper” and considered it a fun fast read. However, the first four books in “The Last Reaper” series are not as polished as the “Renegade Star” books. The manuscripts really needed another once over by Chaney, Moon, and their editor. If you can get past this, it is a fun series.
I really like Halek Cain even though he is a smartass and the other characters think he is an asshole. He is a typical domineering male who thinks that he has to do everything himself. Although he does a really good job himself, he does need others sometimes. This is the second book in the series. It is better than the first one and the first one was GREAT! I loved the story and can't wait to read the next book in the series.
An old fashioned SF story, which is to say it's a western novel, updated. Now that I think of it, it even follows the old western serials my brother and I watched back in the last century (and yes, the movie was a dime, popcorn a dime and a Coke was a nickel - took every penny of the slave wages my parents paid me for making my bed and doing the daily dinner dishes).
Cain gets wind of a contract on Elise and heads back to greenbay to try and find her.on the way he tangles with an old reaper 'friend' whose supposed to be dead. How did the other reaper survive? Briggs and Cain are also hunting him (and the girl). Several battles happen and Cain's neural wear is on the fritz!
Cain is looking at going to a place where he can get some repairs done on his augmentation when he finds out that Elise might be in trouble. Despite this being rather counterproductive to him remaining safely hidden he decides to investigate & besides the usual enemies that he expected, he finds himself facing an unexpected & potentially lethal one.
I liked this one but I'm only going to give this series one more chance and if Halek Cain continues to be in constant pain and slowing falling apart, then I'm done. I can't keep reading about a hero like that. I did like X-37 his AI and Jelly, the AI for the ship.
No romance and the F-bomb was used 58 times.
As for the narration: Ray Porter is an awesome narrator, no matter what he's reading.
This book was a pretty good read. It was full of action and a lot of the times the odds are against reaper Cain but he still manages to pull off a win . The bad part is he has the whole union army after him and the girl with him. You see they just want to kill and be rid of Cain but the girl they want to experiment on like a lab rat. On to the next one.
I've read every one of his books that are on kindle and recommend them all to any fan of space operas. Good characters and stories throughout his inventory.
This was not as surprising as the first book, but still OK. I'd like to see some direction in the plot and not just our augmented hero get to a place and destroy all the bad guys there.
book one was great but this is even more fast paced. It's very exciting, the twists keep coming and it's hard to put down until the last page. Interesting to see how it can be bettered in a third book. I hope there is one and look forward to reading it.
The Reaper is a badass and he has no political correctness, or any kind of correctness, so to speak. Saying that, he is a good guy (kinda sorta) put in bad situations and comes out fighting! Good book.
I had really mixed feelings about this episode, especially considering the “to be continued “ end of the story. I suspect most people would rate this story a 4, but I have not become truly enamored with this character yet.
Book two of the series was a bit of a slow start and kind of disjointed. But once it got going it became a good page-turner! Waiting with some excitement for the next in the series!
The Reaper series features a superb mix of action, comedy, and mystery. This second book is very strong! My only complaint is that, after 2 books, we still don’t know what Elise has gone through! I’m awaiting those revaluations...maybe in book 3?
What kind of man are you when you are built to kill? And everyone wants you dead? Check out book 2, Fear the Reaper for some soul-bearing, cigar-smoking fun as the last reaper does what he does best. Even when he is pretty much dead man walking.