Star Kingdom Boxset

Star Kingdom #1-3

by Lindsay Buroker

★★★★★ “…endearing characters you can’t help but root for!”

It is a time of treachery, terrorism, and tyranny in the Star Kingdom. The king cannot be trusted, the galaxy is on the brink of war, and a notorious mercenary is destroying everything—and everyone—in his path on his quest for vengeance.

The Star Kingdom is in dire need of heroes.

What it gets is a band of misfits and underdogs:

• A washed-up bounty hunter struggling to make ends meet.
• A genetically engineered cat woman on the run from her makers.
• A robotics professor who gets space sick before leaving orbit.
• A brilliant scientist who’s better at punching people than talking to them.

As unlikely as it seems, this motley crew is the best hope for bringing peace to the galaxy. But they have troubles of their own, and they’ll have to fly fast to avoid being hunted down and killed.

A romping science fiction adventure for fans of Star Wars and Firefly, this space opera bundle includes:

1. Shockwave
2. Ship of Ruin
3. Hero Code

Pick up a copy and start enjoying the Star Kingdom series today!

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Audiobook, Adventure, Humor, Action, Fiction

984 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 16, 2019

About the author

I'm a full-time indie fantasy and science fiction author. When I'm not writing, I'm ferrying my dogs to hiking trails for adventures.

Reviews

[S.J. Higbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

During this difficult year, there have been a handful of authors who have helped me read through the trickier times - and Lindsay Buroker is one of them. So I jumped at the chance to snaffle an audiobook featuring the first three books in her Star Kingdom series.

I loved the premise - and while all the characters are engaging and quirky, I particularly bonded with the action hero, who is liable to brain seizures, gets dreadfully space sick and has a number of allergies. Think of Leonard from The Big Bang Theory having to fight for his life, armed with only a large black robot and his wits... As ever, Buroker keeps the action coming with a glorious variety of twists and some intriguing unanswered questions. And most refreshing of all - the constant touches of humour that I find I need right now. It doesn't get in the way of the action and danger, but it's such a treat to read an action, adventure story where I can also laugh out loud. I will, of course, be reading or listening to the rest of this engrossing series. Very highly recommended to space opera fans - and also to those who don't generally read the genre because it's too depressing.

[Cheyanne Rash]

I won this book from a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Goodreads!

[Simon Auld · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world where so many action and sci-fi protagonists are young and fit, Lindsay Buroker's Star Kingdom is a breath of fresh air - her protagonists are various ages and have highly varying skill sets, but science and avoiding conflict are prized over all else.

I received this set on kindle from a giveaway, and I'm so glad I did. The characters and world are beautifully written, and every moment of this sci-fi epic is a blast.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shockwave
Star Kingdom. Tiamat Station. Dr. Yas Peshlakai (35) & President Sophia Bakas (149) were enjoying dinner/drink.
Their discussion was about genetic engineering on human beings (zealot), & that it isn’t allowed even to cure diseases.
Dr./Professor Casmir Dabrowski (identical twin, military R&D, Zamek U; roboticist) & Dr./Professor Huang were also having an educated discussion,
What was Sir/Knight Daniel Friedrich (Drachen Castle) message to Dr./Professor Dabrowski?
It turned out it was from his adoptive mother: Irena Dabrowsk.
Mokku Park Lab. Hisayo (immunology) is working on some vaccines.
Stellar Dragon’s (spaceship). Viggo (Stellar Dragon’s computer system/voice, former smuggler) was posting the vital daily information for Captain Bonita “Laser” Lopez (System Diomedes, bounty hunter) & Qin Liangyu (co-pilot).
Z-6000’s job is to protect Dr./Professor Dabrowski & Kim Sato (Casmir’s roommate, bacteriologist).

Ship of Ruin
Skadi (frozen moon). Dr./Professor Casmir Dabrowski could see the Machu Picchu (spaceship) in the horizon.
Dr. Yas Peshlakai & Chief Engineer Jessamine “Jess” Khonsari (f) were aboard also.
Captain Bonita “Laser” Lopez was speaking to Dr./Professor Dabrowski.
Kim Sato was studying data in the lab.
It seems Captain Tenebris Rache (pirate) had never been inoculated against the Great Plague.
What was found out about Sir/Knight William Asger & Qin Liangyu?
Chief Dr. Sikou (ME) is busy working in the cryonics lab.

Hero Code
Dr. Yas Peshlakai had not been a cryonics revival patient.
President Sophia Bakas was assassinated at the Tiamat Station.
The Kingdom Guard was pursuing the Stellar Dragon (freighter).
What was Baron Takahashi interested in?
What was the crusher’s job?

Will Dr./Professor Casmir Eliezer Dabrowski complete his mission?
A list of your characters & what they do might have been nice.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. 3 very well written sci-fi adventure books. They were all very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge set of unique characters to keep track of. They all could also make great sci-fi movies, or animated cartoons, or better yet a mini TV series. The 3 books were just OK for me, not as exciting as I hoped so I will only rate them at 3/5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; Goodreads; MakingConnections; Making Connections discussion group talk; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[JW USA · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

A rare DNF. Just couldn’t accept the world so I didn’t connect with the characters or their stories. Seemed ridiculous and overly complex.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

great characters

Star Kingdom Box Set (Books 1-3) by Lindsay Buroker

Combined Review:
Good. The characters made this not only worth reading but worth buying next in series. A space opera with a good mix of excitement and humor.

Was originally going to give this 4 stars bc one man triumphing against insurmountable tech offended my hard SF sensibilities. Then started viewing this through the lens of a space opera and leaned toward 5 stars. But then realized the inconsistencies that took me out of the story couldn't be ignored. So 4 stars it is.

Also, usually if there are too many characters to keep up with then I DNF it. But these were well defined, differentiated, sympathetic characters which I rooted for and had to learn their story.

Academics and bff's Casmir (roboticist) & Kim (Aspie bioengineer) [both sarcastically humorous] inadvertently join the dubious crew of a spaceship because, for unknown reasons, assassins are after him.

The spaceship, Stellar Dragon (actually a freighter), is sentient from a human downloaded into the system. Calls himself Viggo. Bonita "Laser" Lopez is the captain of Stellar Dragon (will do anything for $ but grudgingly has a heart). Qin is her First Officer, muscle, and only crew member. She's an enhanced cat girl (18 yo bred as a warrior but has a surprisingly girly side).

They encounter the notorious pirate Captain Tenebris Rache who is feared by all (but is he totally evil?), and the knight Sir Asger.

The books are compelling, and are part of a grand saga. As such each has a bit of a cliffhanger, but not jarringly so.

Individual Reviews (personal notes after each story):

• Shockwave - Good. Cliffhanger of sorts: conclusion to one adventure, but many things left unlearned, leading into next quest. MCs: Casmir (roboticist) & not-wife Kim (Aspie bioengineer) [both sarcastically humorous], Bonita "Laser" Lopez (captain of Stellar Dragon) [will do anything for $ but grudgingly has a heart] & her muscle Qin (enhanced cat girl) [18 yo bred as assassin but surprising girly side] & Viggo (is the sentient spaceship, Stellar Dragon) [used to be human], Captain Tenebris Rache (notorious pirate & Casmir's twin?).
• Ship of Ruin - Great collection of characters. Still unsure of who the bad guys are. Casmir is the unlikeliest of heroes. And the action is impossible to believe which compromises my ability to suspend my disbelieve (ASD). Hence the 4-star rating instead of 5-star. BUT, a Good, fun, compelling read.
• Hero Code - Very exciting, BUT so wildly impossible that ASD suffered too much. Loved all the MCs, though usually I don't do well with so many characters to keep track of. But they were so well defined, and I rooted for them all, even when I still couldn't figure out who the bad guys were.

[Monadh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why oh why did I wait this long to read this amazing series?

First off, this is going to be kind of an aggregate review for whole series, since I read the almost 3000 pages at one fell swoop (in the space of about 10 days) and was unable to stop long enough to write reviews for the individual books. The books don’t really end in cliffhangers, but the whole story is just so riveting that one must know how it continues.

I am a great fan of Lindsay Buroker’s writing and I have read most of her other stuff (including books she published under her pen name Ruby Lionsdrake) and I loved most of it and liked the rest well enough. I think I was not really all that keen on this series as sci-fi/space opera is not really my preferred genre; I am more into UF (see her Death Before Dragon series). Also, I wasn’t really convinced by her lead characters, a geeky robotics professor with an unimpressive physique and health issues and his neurodivergent bacteriologist room-mate/best friend, or the hodgepodge of other characters, including a sentient spaceship and its aging, sacastic captain. But I finally broke down and gave the series a try and then couldn’t stop reading every free minute until I had finished the whole saga. I not only loved all the characters despite (or rather because of) their short-comings, especially antagonist/anti-hero Tenebris Rache, who remains quite an ambiguous character throughout, but I was kept on the edge of my seat by all the plot twists and unexpected events. The series combines different genres like Sci-Fi, adventure story, revenge tale (even love story) and draws on and references popular culture icons such as Star Wars and Terminator.

The story is told from the perspectives of different characters, and I loved how dexterously the author wove the various narrative strands together. I was also impressed on how Lindsay Buroker unobtrusively raises and debates philosophical questions like nature vs. nurture, diversity, good leadership/good government, the role/importance of science, etc.; I am going to explore some of those themes more in depth in reviews for some of the individual books…

Note: The narration by Fred Berman is really great; I loved how he gave all the characters a different voice!

[Courtney Lake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this Kindle book as part of the GoodReads giveaways

This was a really fun read! I like the protagonist- Casmir. I thought he was clever and endearing. Kind of reminded me of a likable Rodney from the Stargate Series. Very Smart (almost conveniently so, but I'll allow it since he was witty and amusing), very aware of his own shortcomings, very insightful into the motivations of others.

The other characters were just as likable. They were all consistant in their personality and had logical growth and development. That's not something you get in every sci-fi series!

I also liked the world building as well. The concept of the wormhole gates and "lost Earth" is a common theme in the space faring novels, but this one is nicely done. Probably because it focuses so much on the Kingdom, and doesn't try to educate you on the nuances of every one of the 12 systems, it just alludes to them.

The plot devices were convincing and logically flowed from one "Crisis" into another without feeling like it was constantly building up into new and even more worse situations. It doesn't fall into the trap of thinking that every new problem needs to be somehow worse than the previous. These problems vary in intensity and who resolves them. I feel that the burden of the plot advancement is nicely balanced across all of the cast.

In all I would definitely recommend this book!

[Ray]

The first "space opera" I read was "The Lensman" series by E . E. "Doc" Smith... and this "Dabrowski" series is VERY good. I bought the first three books as a bundle. And I was very happy to see there was a book 4; but that there were a total of 8 books published in the series. I will buy all of them. As a retired English Lit. Teacher, I empathized with the cloned foil protaganist with the alternative characteristics gives several contrasting views. The plot and subplots make this a very enjoyable read. Being a 70+ year old nerd, I Love that the awkward nerd succeeds. Sua Sponte.

The first "space opera" I read was "The Lensman" series by E . E. "Doc" Smith... and this "Dabrowski" series is VERY good. I bought the first three books as a bundle. And I was very happy to see there was a book 4; but that there were a total of 8 books published in the series. I will buy all of them. As a retired English Lit. Teacher, I empathized with the cloned foil protaganist with the alternative characteristics gives several contrasting views. The plot and subplots make this a very enjoyable read. Being a 70+ year old airborne nerd, I Love that the awkward nerd succeeds... and excels. Sua Sponte.

[Joga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully interwoven space comedy with mysteries

Why I love these stories? They are not too gritty and have somewhat semi believable adventure in space, filled with characters that grow on you as the story unfolds. We are introduced to our hero and heroine, they are funny and clever borderline personalities doing their things till their normal lives get interrupted and the adventure begins. There are quite a few mysteries and moral questions in the mix of a flow of space shenanigans. To brake up the flow of new acquaintances we get family connections and even an old rival becoming appropriate fellow in a difficult spot. The world building and it´s place in the plots and mystery is among the best I have read, if not the best. I really love how the author has thought out her stories, how things are woven together. But then I love everything about these stories, they are well written, humorous and beautifully set up. A joy to recommend.

[Manie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is certainly quite the mystery. Why would anybody want to kill Casmir Dabrowski?
He is a robotics engineer and a professor with no known enemies. So why sent two Crusher type robots after him, clearly intend on killing him?
He barely escaped.
Then came the news that there is now a substantial reward on his head as well.
Over the span of three books Casmir remains in danger and the things that he has to do simply to stay alive, is amazing.
I liked the character of Casmir a lot, with a sneaking sideways glance of admiration to the cat lady Qin whenever she makes an appearance as well. In fact, the characters surrounding Casmir are all well developed and impress.
Then there is all the action and suspense constantly building and you are in for quite an immersive Scifi space opera that will keep you busy non stop to the last page.
Enjoy

[KP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Casmir and his quirky band of space travellers will make you cheer, scream and jump up and down all the while on the edge of your seat thinking, "One more page."

I am new to Lindsay Buroker's work and I absolutely love this series. The book while having plenty of laughs, has many moral questions that humanity may likely have to face in the distant future. While the books don't dive into the ethical questions too deeply, it does go into it enough to make you think.

I got the omnibus on Audible and the narrator Fred Berman does a great job.

Overall, the series is absolutely fantastic and incredibly enjoyable.

*Minor Possible Spoiler Alert*







Does anyone else feel a possible ship coming from Kim and Rache? Because that would be great!

[Jean Holtof · Rating 5 out of 5]

For someone who thought she might not have what it takes to write Science Fiction, this series proves otherwise. It is an extremely well written story with so much detail that it boggles the mind and yet it is written in an easy to read style that flows from scene to scene and adventure to adventure with clarity and ingenuity. The characters are incredible, multifaceted, beautifully crafted with detail to feed the imagination. The action just goes on and on and on until the end and is filled with amazing imagery of worlds beyond comprehension. The depth of thought and planning that has been done to create this story is astounding. It is filled with wit, humor and philosophical theories. A wonderful reading experience and sensory delight. Thank you Lindsay for the pleasure.

[Lupine Smile · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

To quickly sum up this series of books, imagine if Forrest Gump took place in outer space. this is what you would get.

The plot and the characters are fun and the universe is well put together. I enjoyed the quirkiness of the writing, but at times things got a little too silly for my taste. Some of the nomenclature and plot drivers were hard to swallow, but nothing that put me off. This is just a goofy sci-fi book that is waiting for more readers. If you are looking for hard core science fiction, this is not it. That being said, this was a nice little jaunt through space that kept me entertained and is definitely worth picking up.

[Darci · Rating 4 out of 5]

3½, but rounded up because of the main character. I really enjoyed him. I will say that this is not usually my first pick for the type of book I read, but it sounded interesting. It is hard to talk about them as separate books also because they came as one bundle. They started with an interesting and exciting story and I enjoyed getting to know the characters. I enjoyed the different story lines, and ended up enjoying the series more than I originally thought I would. I was given a free Kindle copy of these books for my review.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Space opera fluff/cheesy poof listen - we enjoyed listening to these on road trips last year and went ahead and bought the next 2. If you like band-of-misfit adventures, this fits the bill. Audio narrator was great. It took a chunk of the first book to get rolling and warm up, but I liked the characters - particularly Viggo and his cleaner bots and Z. Bit of a parallel to the characters' in Emporer's Edge series in that Casmir is kind of the "Amaranthe" of the group and Rache is a "Sicarius" type...

[Mike Kozelsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good. I'm anxious to read the rest of the story. I like good science fiction and this story was believable and the characters were interesting. I would recommend it to anyone who likes this genre.

This was a good story. I like believable space fiction stories and this one fit g he bill. I liked the characters and his story as set in the future definitely represents a believable scenario of humans probable development.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting story; it lagged in a few places but I finished reading the three book bundle and enjoyed it enough to get the fourth book. To be fair, the storyline has a believable storyline and mostly likeable characters. There were a handful of places where details bogged down the story but eventually it got going again. There were a few surprises, revealed near the end of the third book; not all is as it seems.

[Kimberley Stafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fun Read

I received Star Kingdom as a Goodreads giveaway, and I am glad I did. I had a lot of fun reading the set and all the adventures the ragtag group had. I really enjoyed Casmir and Kim, but my favorite character was Qin. She was fierce and powerful yet pulled at my heartstrings when vulnerable. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

My review is voluntary and my own opinion.

[Sharon Hughson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adventure and Witty Characters

Buroker is a master of creating complex, relatable characters whose witty dialogue makes me laugh.
While I thought the stories lacked the clear character motivation of many of her other series, I enjoyed the cast. Book two was my favorite in the trilogy, and I had a hard time putting it down.
Now on to see if Casmir can find what he lost and unite humanity.

[Arnaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic space opera

All right, I was not expecting such a great space adventure but got sucked in very quickly! Lindsay Buroker is an amazing writer who knows how to balance seriousness with humor, action with moments of lull and generally keep the reader on edge :D It had been a while since I had read a good sci-fi novel: this one is better than good! Highly recommended. I know I'm hooked and will pursue the rest of Casmir's adventures :-)

[Mark H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It continues as well as it started

I enjoyed the first book so much that I continued reading because I was fascinated by the characters involved. I like them very much and I realized in my first review I had neglected to mention how much I liked Viggo. And now Z is starting to get some personality. This is just a lot of fun. And at a time when I need some good, Escapist reading. I highly recommend this.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and Yet Frustrating

A well written triad of the first books in this series. I found the characters to be both intriguing and frustrating at the same time. The storyline manages to draw the reader in, then feint and head in an unexpected direction, though ultimately ending with a mostly positive results. Good character development and some very good supporting cast.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are interesting, well-written and the characters are very engaging. This is not the genre that I usually read (I prefer historical fiction), but I enjoyed the books thoroughly!! Lindsay Buroker is a phenomenal writer!! Years ago, I discovered her Emperor's Edge series of books, and became a fan!

[Donald J Hilliker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than expected

Hits good old school adventure with well considered twists. Actually reading the 4th book right now. The differences between the core people makes it better than average, that I spent my hours reading this not on social media because I found it interesting should answer.

[Dr susan]

Excellent, quirky sci fi adventure series

I love this series and jumped at the chance to get the first 3 books for free. Casmir is a great, quirky, different main character. Rache grew on me. Kim is adorable. Zee and the bots don't really come into their own characters until later, except for the magnificent Viggo. Star Kingdom is a series worthy of multiple rereads.

[Sheron McCartha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A science fiction adventure

Once again Lindsay Buroker cooks up an exciting and entertaining science fiction adventure. An awkward robotic professor who uncovers secret genetic origins. A daring-do twin to him who is the universe’s biggest criminal, and a terrorist organization out to kill both, combine for a romping adventure and a fun science fiction read.

[Mumtaz Malik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read

So, a little slow at the beginning and it took a bit of time to get into the characters. However, about two thirds of the way through the first book, the story starts to pick up. By the end of the series, you are as invested in the story of any other Lindsay Buroker books!

[Sharon Eastvold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buroker delivers another fun ride!

I enjoyed this space adventure: Buroker explores how individuals are affected by nature vs nurture, how we deal with bullies, being “different” and facing adversity with our our feelings of inadequacy. Her stories are never just a wild ride but a force for reflection . I’m never disappointed.

[Marcus Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nerds save the universe!

I really liked this author's other works so I had to check out this series. Worth the read. It catches you quickly and doesn't let go. It's a great space opera and I enjoyed it immensely. My only complaint is that there's a lot of world building that's only hinted at and only mentioned once. Hopefully as I keep reading, it will become more revealed.