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The Crimson Deathbringer Series #1-3
The Crimson Deathbringer Series #1-3
A formidable alien fleet is on the verge of subjugating the entire galaxy, and it’s up to a rag-tag team of unlikely heroes which includes an ace fighter pilot, a stuntwoman, a super-assassin, and an alien prankster to save not only humanity but also billions of other sentient beings.
THE BOX SET INCLUDES THREE BESTSELLING SPACE OPERA BOOKS WITH OVER 1200 PAGES OF EPIC, NON-STOP ACTION—AND 1000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS/RATINGS ACROSS AMAZON STORES AND GOODREADS!
Jim, a wise-cracking, OCD-suffering fighter pilot, is about to propose to his girlfriend when his friend Kurt surprises them by showing up at his house, wounded and covered in blood. This one event will propel Jim's life into a chaotic whirlwind of complicated problems, the least of which being a galactic conflict that threatens the very existence of the human race.
Can a dysfunctioning band of heroes save the galaxy from the wrath of an all-conquering alien fleet?
The Crimson Deathbringer series seamlessly blends breathtaking action sequences with mischievous humor. If you enjoy reading a well-written space opera saga, or if you are a Star Wars, Star Trek, or Stargate fan, this book, with its nerve-wracking space battles, memorable characters, formidable antagonist, and Game of Thrones style shocking twists, is written especially for you. Pick it up and see for yourself!
THE BOX SET INCLUDES THREE BESTSELLING SPACE OPERA BOOKS WITH OVER 1200 PAGES OF EPIC, NON-STOP ACTION—AND 1000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS/RATINGS ACROSS AMAZON STORES AND GOODREADS!
Jim, a wise-cracking, OCD-suffering fighter pilot, is about to propose to his girlfriend when his friend Kurt surprises them by showing up at his house, wounded and covered in blood. This one event will propel Jim's life into a chaotic whirlwind of complicated problems, the least of which being a galactic conflict that threatens the very existence of the human race.
Can a dysfunctioning band of heroes save the galaxy from the wrath of an all-conquering alien fleet?
The Crimson Deathbringer series seamlessly blends breathtaking action sequences with mischievous humor. If you enjoy reading a well-written space opera saga, or if you are a Star Wars, Star Trek, or Stargate fan, this book, with its nerve-wracking space battles, memorable characters, formidable antagonist, and Game of Thrones style shocking twists, is written especially for you. Pick it up and see for yourself!
979 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 15, 2022
146 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Sean Robins
105 books63 followers"Who am I? I am Spider-Man."
Well, not really, but this should tell you all you need to know about me and my writing style.
I'm a huge Marvel (plus Game of Thrones, Star Trek AND Star Wars) fan, which shows since my novel is loaded with pop culture references. If you are a sci-fi fan (I assume that you are, otherwise what are you doing here?) you will enjoy them tremendously. I even went full Deadpool in my first draft and broke the fourth wall multiple times, until my editor told it was distracting and kept taking her out of the moment. Shame. Those fourth-wall breaks were hilarious. Still, I can guarantee a few laugh-out-loud moments. Case in point: The "good" aliens in my novel are a race of pranksters, whose main goal in life is pulling other people's legs (They have four legs, hence the slight change in the idiom). My favorite author is Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files), which is probably how I ended up writing in a first-person POV with the same light-hearted, funny tone as he does. The fact that my MC's name is Jim is purely coincidental though.
I am a university/college level English teacher, and including Canada, I have lived and worked in five different countries. I have met people from all around the world. Plus, my parents are from a different background, and so is my wife. As a result, diversity has become a major theme in my novel. My characters look like the bridge crew from Star Trek. One of my female characters even impersonated Uhura once, albeit posthumously.
Well, not really, but this should tell you all you need to know about me and my writing style.
I'm a huge Marvel (plus Game of Thrones, Star Trek AND Star Wars) fan, which shows since my novel is loaded with pop culture references. If you are a sci-fi fan (I assume that you are, otherwise what are you doing here?) you will enjoy them tremendously. I even went full Deadpool in my first draft and broke the fourth wall multiple times, until my editor told it was distracting and kept taking her out of the moment. Shame. Those fourth-wall breaks were hilarious. Still, I can guarantee a few laugh-out-loud moments. Case in point: The "good" aliens in my novel are a race of pranksters, whose main goal in life is pulling other people's legs (They have four legs, hence the slight change in the idiom). My favorite author is Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files), which is probably how I ended up writing in a first-person POV with the same light-hearted, funny tone as he does. The fact that my MC's name is Jim is purely coincidental though.
I am a university/college level English teacher, and including Canada, I have lived and worked in five different countries. I have met people from all around the world. Plus, my parents are from a different background, and so is my wife. As a result, diversity has become a major theme in my novel. My characters look like the bridge crew from Star Trek. One of my female characters even impersonated Uhura once, albeit posthumously.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 7, 2022
The series is interesting and I have read 6 books in the series. They started to become a little repetitive. I think the author could have taken later books in a different direction.
June 12, 2022
Great
Can't wait to read the next box set 4 to 6 of this space opera too see where it goes.
Can't wait to read the next box set 4 to 6 of this space opera too see where it goes.
December 17, 2022
Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
As someone who has a questionable history of sci-fi books and disappointment, I admit I was a little intimidated by the length of this book and it has taken me a little while to work my way through. Having just finished book 3 I am pleased to say that not one moment of the near-30 hours was wasted.
Starting slowly with the planned invasion of earth, there is a lot of comedy and craziness while mankind, divided by alien mind-control, fight to prepare for the impending full-stage invasion, This part of the series was the slowest part for me, with a lot of guerilla action and negotiation but it soon became obvious that many of these colourful characters I was meeting were destined to fall in the coming battle.
It ends with a major battle and one moment in that battle nearly broke me and remains one of the most shocking moments I've read in scifi but onwards from there things get more crazy, With further alien races and new dangers appearing in book 2, I soon found that the stakes were much higher and the scale so much larger than simply Earth. Again, the action is secondary to the brilliant characters but the battles remain beautifully described and come thick and fast.
None of this could have prepared me for the Black Fleet and their almost Sith-like quest for universal dominance. The threat is so great, old squabbles and differences must be set aside and alliances made to ensure the universe can survive,
Throughout all of these, I found C J Grey's narration impeccable and he injects both pathos, humour and excitement in his readings while providing a sense of identity and purpose to each character and, under less skillful hands, the 30 hours could have been a drag but they chose their narrator perfectly.
All said and done, this is the second longest sci-fi audio I've listened to but definitely my favourite of them all and I look forward to seeing what books 4-6 have to offer.
As someone who has a questionable history of sci-fi books and disappointment, I admit I was a little intimidated by the length of this book and it has taken me a little while to work my way through. Having just finished book 3 I am pleased to say that not one moment of the near-30 hours was wasted.
Starting slowly with the planned invasion of earth, there is a lot of comedy and craziness while mankind, divided by alien mind-control, fight to prepare for the impending full-stage invasion, This part of the series was the slowest part for me, with a lot of guerilla action and negotiation but it soon became obvious that many of these colourful characters I was meeting were destined to fall in the coming battle.
It ends with a major battle and one moment in that battle nearly broke me and remains one of the most shocking moments I've read in scifi but onwards from there things get more crazy, With further alien races and new dangers appearing in book 2, I soon found that the stakes were much higher and the scale so much larger than simply Earth. Again, the action is secondary to the brilliant characters but the battles remain beautifully described and come thick and fast.
None of this could have prepared me for the Black Fleet and their almost Sith-like quest for universal dominance. The threat is so great, old squabbles and differences must be set aside and alliances made to ensure the universe can survive,
Throughout all of these, I found C J Grey's narration impeccable and he injects both pathos, humour and excitement in his readings while providing a sense of identity and purpose to each character and, under less skillful hands, the 30 hours could have been a drag but they chose their narrator perfectly.
All said and done, this is the second longest sci-fi audio I've listened to but definitely my favourite of them all and I look forward to seeing what books 4-6 have to offer.
May 3, 2021
I went into this audio book without any prior knowledge of the author or narrator, but I figured that it was high time I dove into another Space Opera, and possibly a military Space Opera novel at that... and boy was I surprised by what I got! This book is so different from the same-old, same-old... and I absolutely loved it! Yes, it's a near-future dystopian novel, and yes it's a first-contact situation with Spaceships, but that's where the similarities end, with nothing else familiar, or even expected!
I seriously loved how Sean Robins wove his dystopian world (and freedom fighters) into a Scifi political-drama... and this is how our freedom fighters found themselves, inducted into not only saving the world and human race from themselves, but from alien conquerors too!
The plot is so well written, so tightly woven, and so beautifully narrated, you'll find yourself glued into your headset! The story has great characters, plenty of pop-cultural references, wit, and lots of real laugh-out-loud moments! Plus, I found all the action that I could've ever wanted. Crimson Deathbringer will even make you forget about getting a goodnight's sleep! It's Perfect!
So do yourself a favor and grab the audiobook because CJ Grey is raring to give a great performance and transport you into Sean Robins future world!
And I can safely add that book Golden Viper and The Black Fleet gives you more fantastic pulse pounding adventures and really why buy the stories separately when can get three for one price!
*see my reviews under the individual titles...
I seriously loved how Sean Robins wove his dystopian world (and freedom fighters) into a Scifi political-drama... and this is how our freedom fighters found themselves, inducted into not only saving the world and human race from themselves, but from alien conquerors too!
The plot is so well written, so tightly woven, and so beautifully narrated, you'll find yourself glued into your headset! The story has great characters, plenty of pop-cultural references, wit, and lots of real laugh-out-loud moments! Plus, I found all the action that I could've ever wanted. Crimson Deathbringer will even make you forget about getting a goodnight's sleep! It's Perfect!
So do yourself a favor and grab the audiobook because CJ Grey is raring to give a great performance and transport you into Sean Robins future world!
And I can safely add that book Golden Viper and The Black Fleet gives you more fantastic pulse pounding adventures and really why buy the stories separately when can get three for one price!
*see my reviews under the individual titles...
May 28, 2022
Diverting and creative
I have enjoyed the series so far. I find the jokes puns, and pop culture references entertaining and enjoyable, though they may not age well into the future. While realistic to the perils of reality, I find myself simultaneously annoyed with the frequent and casual termination of the bulk of the main character selection. It seems excessive, and loses my interest in the story when those I've grown attached to summarily get obliterated to the point almost none of the main characters still exist. On the whole I do like the science handling and the story telling, as it keeps me involved and flipping forward through the story.
I have enjoyed the series so far. I find the jokes puns, and pop culture references entertaining and enjoyable, though they may not age well into the future. While realistic to the perils of reality, I find myself simultaneously annoyed with the frequent and casual termination of the bulk of the main character selection. It seems excessive, and loses my interest in the story when those I've grown attached to summarily get obliterated to the point almost none of the main characters still exist. On the whole I do like the science handling and the story telling, as it keeps me involved and flipping forward through the story.
October 25, 2021
Great fun, lots of action with a good dose of drama
This is an often amusing set of books yet there is plenty of action and drama as well. It starts with one Alien race determined to rule the galaxy by conquering planets, destroying the population and then eventually polluting the planet before moving to the next. Another alien race attempts to stop them by convincing Earth to join the fight. The trilogy ends with yet another alien race determined to destroy all other life in the galaxy. The original 2 alien races have now formed a truce with Earth and in spite of overwhelming odds, the final battle begins.
This is an often amusing set of books yet there is plenty of action and drama as well. It starts with one Alien race determined to rule the galaxy by conquering planets, destroying the population and then eventually polluting the planet before moving to the next. Another alien race attempts to stop them by convincing Earth to join the fight. The trilogy ends with yet another alien race determined to destroy all other life in the galaxy. The original 2 alien races have now formed a truce with Earth and in spite of overwhelming odds, the final battle begins.
April 3, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series though the first The Crimson Deathbringer was my favorite. The author is Canadian and I love the Canadian references, also the many pop culture references scattered tongue in cheek throughout the books. The boxed set would make a fantastic gift for a sci-fi / fantasy fan who enjoys Star Trek, Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy, etc. It's written as an autobiography of a swashbuckling future spaceship pilot.
Very enjoyable. I look forward to Book 4.
Very enjoyable. I look forward to Book 4.
January 19, 2022
An epic Space opera long enough to really get your teeth into. A dystopian techno-thriller following in the footsteps of Gene Roddenberry. I was invested in the characters from very early in the story. Clever, witty, well written with excellent narration by C J Grey, this was thirteen hours of listening pleasure. I’m looking forward to following up on Sean Robins other works.
April 26, 2022
This Author has Created a detailed near-future universe in this captivating series. The evolving and engaging characters are relatable, likeable, lifelike and flawed. I laughed with them and was saddened when some were lost. This clever adventure is fast-paced with many twists and turns, conflicts, intrigue and lots of space battle sequences.
January 19, 2022
Fantastic series
A captivating series that just keeps getting better! Characters are well written and you want to know what happens to each one even the evil ones you end up loving them.
A captivating series that just keeps getting better! Characters are well written and you want to know what happens to each one even the evil ones you end up loving them.
May 28, 2021
I received a free review copy of this audio book, at my request, and am voluntarily leaving this unbiased review.
I appreciate the value in a box set like this, 25ish hours of books in one package. However, I found it to be a bit of a slog to get through. Part of this is because I was listening to the whole box set, rather than a book then break, book then break. But the other reason is the story never really resonated with me.
This is a character driven story. The struggle of our main character is what we meant to emphasize with. The main character is mostly likeable and he is charismatic enough to make a connection with. The characters are one of the strengths of this story, but it also reveals some of the weaknesses.
My biggest issue with the characters lie in the emotional responses of them. They have wild emotional mood swings constantly. One sentence will be uttered and a pleasant conversation will turn on a dime and become a fight, often physical. For example, a brawl breaks out between Marines and Pilots. Month later some Marines are having a friendly drink with the main character and they make a passing comment about being remorseful for their actions in the brawl, and the main character becomes angry and violent. This is a constant theme throughout the story, and it is honestly exhausting.
There is also a complete lack of self awareness with the characters. No one considers how their actions affect anyone else, or their own responsibility in their current situation. For example, bad guys are mad when one of their number is killed, while trying to kill the good guys. Good guys attack the baddies and get upset when the baddies fight back. It's bizarre, and leaves me constantly questioning the sanity of the characters.
The main character, is also constantly cracking jokes and making references to current pop culture, for only the readers benefit. It feels at times like a sitcom, with the laugh track missing. The main character will crack a joke, none of the other characters will react, the main character doesn't react to the joke, and even the main characters internal monolog often doesn't appreciate the joke. The joke/reference is made purely for the reader, which is fun for a while but feels unnatural and rarely makes the connection it is going for.
The characters themselves are likeable and it feels like a loss when are written out, and characters are written out regularly. Unfortunately, are constantly tossed away and often their departure doesn't feel necessary or justified. Also some characters have a tendency to not stay dead, making their deaths meaningless and the struggles leading to their deaths pointless. I can't help but think, in a vast universe, in such a rich world there had to be someone else who could have stepped into that role, we didn't need to bring that character back.
The world itself is fairly rich, but it is not explored as well as I would have liked. We get a taste of alien cultures, but I never really felt that I knew them.
The settings are mostly earth with a little bit of alien worlds. Again l, mostly familiar with only a taste of new, but even the new wasn't alien enough to be interesting.
The combat was fairly lack luster. The ground combat is fairly well documented, but the crux of the story is the Space combat. Unfortunately, most of the space combat is glossed over and is not gone into in depth, which is unfortunate in a story like this.
The characters are where the heart of this story lies, and it's where most of the story takes place. The alien worlds and the battles are such a small part of this story. I would have liked to have seen the combat expanded and less minutiae of the main characters lives. It is important to spend time with them, and it was a joy, at times, because they are so endearing, but it can drag on a bit.
The science is mostly science fantasy, as it has little to do with real physics. Space folding, anti grav, etc. It's all just tossed in there with little regard. Which is fine, until the time travel part shows up. The time travel makes 0 sense, with half consequences, etc. The less said about it the better.
The voice narration, by CJ Grey, was fairly good. His voice takes some getting used to, but he does male voices fairly well and has passable female voices. He had a range of different voices to differentiate the characters and has a good range. His comedic timing was a bit off at times, but over all he does a fairly good job.
All in all, this is a fine story which has too many draw back to be great. The characters are both great and odd. They are likeable, but have violent mood swings, charismatic but no self awareness. The settings and aliens are all standard and are not well explored. The voice narration is decent.
With some tweaking, it could be a really good story, but as it is, it's just OK.
I won't be continuing this series.
I appreciate the value in a box set like this, 25ish hours of books in one package. However, I found it to be a bit of a slog to get through. Part of this is because I was listening to the whole box set, rather than a book then break, book then break. But the other reason is the story never really resonated with me.
This is a character driven story. The struggle of our main character is what we meant to emphasize with. The main character is mostly likeable and he is charismatic enough to make a connection with. The characters are one of the strengths of this story, but it also reveals some of the weaknesses.
My biggest issue with the characters lie in the emotional responses of them. They have wild emotional mood swings constantly. One sentence will be uttered and a pleasant conversation will turn on a dime and become a fight, often physical. For example, a brawl breaks out between Marines and Pilots. Month later some Marines are having a friendly drink with the main character and they make a passing comment about being remorseful for their actions in the brawl, and the main character becomes angry and violent. This is a constant theme throughout the story, and it is honestly exhausting.
There is also a complete lack of self awareness with the characters. No one considers how their actions affect anyone else, or their own responsibility in their current situation. For example, bad guys are mad when one of their number is killed, while trying to kill the good guys. Good guys attack the baddies and get upset when the baddies fight back. It's bizarre, and leaves me constantly questioning the sanity of the characters.
The main character, is also constantly cracking jokes and making references to current pop culture, for only the readers benefit. It feels at times like a sitcom, with the laugh track missing. The main character will crack a joke, none of the other characters will react, the main character doesn't react to the joke, and even the main characters internal monolog often doesn't appreciate the joke. The joke/reference is made purely for the reader, which is fun for a while but feels unnatural and rarely makes the connection it is going for.
The characters themselves are likeable and it feels like a loss when are written out, and characters are written out regularly. Unfortunately, are constantly tossed away and often their departure doesn't feel necessary or justified. Also some characters have a tendency to not stay dead, making their deaths meaningless and the struggles leading to their deaths pointless. I can't help but think, in a vast universe, in such a rich world there had to be someone else who could have stepped into that role, we didn't need to bring that character back.
The world itself is fairly rich, but it is not explored as well as I would have liked. We get a taste of alien cultures, but I never really felt that I knew them.
The settings are mostly earth with a little bit of alien worlds. Again l, mostly familiar with only a taste of new, but even the new wasn't alien enough to be interesting.
The combat was fairly lack luster. The ground combat is fairly well documented, but the crux of the story is the Space combat. Unfortunately, most of the space combat is glossed over and is not gone into in depth, which is unfortunate in a story like this.
The characters are where the heart of this story lies, and it's where most of the story takes place. The alien worlds and the battles are such a small part of this story. I would have liked to have seen the combat expanded and less minutiae of the main characters lives. It is important to spend time with them, and it was a joy, at times, because they are so endearing, but it can drag on a bit.
The science is mostly science fantasy, as it has little to do with real physics. Space folding, anti grav, etc. It's all just tossed in there with little regard. Which is fine, until the time travel part shows up. The time travel makes 0 sense, with half consequences, etc. The less said about it the better.
The voice narration, by CJ Grey, was fairly good. His voice takes some getting used to, but he does male voices fairly well and has passable female voices. He had a range of different voices to differentiate the characters and has a good range. His comedic timing was a bit off at times, but over all he does a fairly good job.
All in all, this is a fine story which has too many draw back to be great. The characters are both great and odd. They are likeable, but have violent mood swings, charismatic but no self awareness. The settings and aliens are all standard and are not well explored. The voice narration is decent.
With some tweaking, it could be a really good story, but as it is, it's just OK.
I won't be continuing this series.
February 21, 2023
The Crimson Deathbringer Series (Books 1-7) by Sean Robins and C.J. Grey
Military SyFy, check. Evil Aliens hell-bent on destroying the galaxy, check. Advanced tech that appears to be magic, check. Drama and characters full of themselves, check. Author not afraid to kill off characters, check. Non-stop action, check. A good long read? Double check. Hard to say much about the series without giving up spoilers. A bit much (over the top) at times, but definitely lots of fun. Put it on your TBR list. I found this boxset somewhere for free with no expectations, this is an honest review.
Military SyFy, check. Evil Aliens hell-bent on destroying the galaxy, check. Advanced tech that appears to be magic, check. Drama and characters full of themselves, check. Author not afraid to kill off characters, check. Non-stop action, check. A good long read? Double check. Hard to say much about the series without giving up spoilers. A bit much (over the top) at times, but definitely lots of fun. Put it on your TBR list. I found this boxset somewhere for free with no expectations, this is an honest review.
July 31, 2023
This is a brilliant series, full of massive battles, huge fleets, seemingly unstoppable enemies. Lots of twists and turns. Triumph and tragedy. Sean is not afraid to put his characters and readers through huge highs and heartwrenching lows, and this is only half the series. I have no idea what is coming next but it will be epic. Great stuff.
November 25, 2024
Loved this series. It’s been a month or so since I listened to this series. I absolutely recommend this. It was so much fun. The characters were brilliantly written. They were smart, sarcastic and funny. I’d revisit this world if there were ever more books in the series.
Narration was excellent as well!
Narration was excellent as well!
October 28, 2023
Action in space and Kirk like character
Fun filled old fashioned space fight and xenophobic war action that somehow come together as a fun read. Reminds me of our childhood Star Trek shows.
Fun filled old fashioned space fight and xenophobic war action that somehow come together as a fun read. Reminds me of our childhood Star Trek shows.
August 3, 2022
good story
Good story and characters. Enjoyed the series happy to recommend it to anyone looking for a lighthearted sci-fi series. Nice little twist at the end.
Good story and characters. Enjoyed the series happy to recommend it to anyone looking for a lighthearted sci-fi series. Nice little twist at the end.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews