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Lunar Free State #3
Valkyrie's Daughter
The Otuka are hunting a most dangerous game!
The alien Akara have a secret. They’ve discovered the location of a planet that is home to a primitive human civilization, another ancient “seeding” of the legendary Progenitors. But this planet lies in the territory of the Otuka, spacefaring alien predators who consider human flesh to be a delicacy and the planet to be their private hunting preserve.
Unwilling to confront the Otuka, the Akara have passed the problem on to their human allies, the Lunar Free State. Now, the LFS needs to decide what to do about it. Are the “Moonies” willing to take responsibility for an entire planet’s population?
One thing seems certain: a favorite food of the Otuka is about to get much more expensive, as the LFS Marines stand ready to teach the Otuka hunters a hard lesson in the perils of hunting the humans in this part of the galaxy. But no one knows the technology state of the Okuta. Will the Marines be the hunters, or find themselves being hunted in turn?
The alien Akara have a secret. They’ve discovered the location of a planet that is home to a primitive human civilization, another ancient “seeding” of the legendary Progenitors. But this planet lies in the territory of the Otuka, spacefaring alien predators who consider human flesh to be a delicacy and the planet to be their private hunting preserve.
Unwilling to confront the Otuka, the Akara have passed the problem on to their human allies, the Lunar Free State. Now, the LFS needs to decide what to do about it. Are the “Moonies” willing to take responsibility for an entire planet’s population?
One thing seems certain: a favorite food of the Otuka is about to get much more expensive, as the LFS Marines stand ready to teach the Otuka hunters a hard lesson in the perils of hunting the humans in this part of the galaxy. But no one knows the technology state of the Okuta. Will the Marines be the hunters, or find themselves being hunted in turn?
426 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 7, 2014
About the author
John E. Siers
30 books29 followersJohn Siers is an Air Force veteran, currently retired from his old job as a software developer. He spends his time writing, and operates a little gunsmith business on the side.
John lives near Memphis, Tennessee with his wife, youngest son, dog, and two cats. Hobbies include astronomy, woodworking, hunting, and shooting sports. He has been writing Science Fiction for over twenty years, and published his first full-length novel, The Moon and Beyond in 2012. His second novel Someday the Stars was published in May,2013 and won the 2014 Darrell Award for Best SF Novel by a Midsouth Author.
John has since published four more novels in his Lunar Free State series and has also contributed two novels and several short stories to universes developed by other authors. He is currently working on the seventh Lunar Free State novel, and the series is now being translated into German for release on Amazon.de and is also being put out in audio book form on Audible.
John lives near Memphis, Tennessee with his wife, youngest son, dog, and two cats. Hobbies include astronomy, woodworking, hunting, and shooting sports. He has been writing Science Fiction for over twenty years, and published his first full-length novel, The Moon and Beyond in 2012. His second novel Someday the Stars was published in May,2013 and won the 2014 Darrell Award for Best SF Novel by a Midsouth Author.
John has since published four more novels in his Lunar Free State series and has also contributed two novels and several short stories to universes developed by other authors. He is currently working on the seventh Lunar Free State novel, and the series is now being translated into German for release on Amazon.de and is also being put out in audio book form on Audible.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 18, 2022
Quite good!
May 9, 2023
This was another good one in the series.
As the blurb says the story revolves around the Otuka, a despicable alien species that likes to snack on other intelligent species. When the Akara bring the fact that, in the Otuka controlled space, happens to be a planet inhabitated by primitive humans used as farm animals by the Otuka to the attention of the Babe on a Horse, aka The Valkyrie, aka Admiral Greenwood, things can only go one way. The way that creates loud noises (yes nuclear warheads do make loud noises in space… when they hit the ship your sitting in).
Now you may wonder why there are primitive humans on planets lightyears from Earth. Well, there is an explanation to that but you really need to read the book for that explanation.
I liked the story. To some extent it is a bit of a side story that actually could almost stand on its own even if you have not read the previous books. As the name of the book implies the book also introduces Valkyries daughter and her boyfriend.
A lot of the book is of course actual confrontation with the despicable Otuka, both in space and on the ground. The ships of The Lunar Free State are significantly more advanced than the Otuka but they make up for it with numbers so it is far from cut and dry and there are sacrifices on both sides.
It is as well written as the previous books, the action is great and there are plenty of the likable characters from the previous books around.
Overall, a very enjoyable book.
As the blurb says the story revolves around the Otuka, a despicable alien species that likes to snack on other intelligent species. When the Akara bring the fact that, in the Otuka controlled space, happens to be a planet inhabitated by primitive humans used as farm animals by the Otuka to the attention of the Babe on a Horse, aka The Valkyrie, aka Admiral Greenwood, things can only go one way. The way that creates loud noises (yes nuclear warheads do make loud noises in space… when they hit the ship your sitting in).
Now you may wonder why there are primitive humans on planets lightyears from Earth. Well, there is an explanation to that but you really need to read the book for that explanation.
I liked the story. To some extent it is a bit of a side story that actually could almost stand on its own even if you have not read the previous books. As the name of the book implies the book also introduces Valkyries daughter and her boyfriend.
A lot of the book is of course actual confrontation with the despicable Otuka, both in space and on the ground. The ships of The Lunar Free State are significantly more advanced than the Otuka but they make up for it with numbers so it is far from cut and dry and there are sacrifices on both sides.
It is as well written as the previous books, the action is great and there are plenty of the likable characters from the previous books around.
Overall, a very enjoyable book.
October 29, 2021
Is Carla a 'Mary Sue'? Probably, but I just don't care. I find it interesting that as the third book of an ongoing series, you could pick this up on it's own and it would still make sense. Most indy authors give up on any pretense of writing a work that can stand on it's own. Sure, it would probably only be a three star book to someone who started here, but really, that is an accomplishment.
Siers does an outstanding job of bringing in new characters while the past ones retire. It keeps the stories fresh as they move along. Another aspect Siers has excelled at is developing the culture of the Free State while the tory continues. It only seems natural that a newly formed nation in a hostile universe might create it's own unique culture as it grows and survives challenges. It's one of those ideas that seems so simple once you see it but so many other authors miss entirely. I'm counting the days until book four...
Siers does an outstanding job of bringing in new characters while the past ones retire. It keeps the stories fresh as they move along. Another aspect Siers has excelled at is developing the culture of the Free State while the tory continues. It only seems natural that a newly formed nation in a hostile universe might create it's own unique culture as it grows and survives challenges. It's one of those ideas that seems so simple once you see it but so many other authors miss entirely. I'm counting the days until book four...
October 8, 2021
Really enjoyable.
We are some years after the second book and Valkyrie's daughter is now old enough to enjoy having a boyfriend...
And to go on a sort of honeymoon cruise with him, which ends up in close quarters combat with nasty aliens, whose culinary habits are more than discutable.
At the same times, the Copper Hills clan (of the Akara alien race allied with humanity) gives some information about a planet populated with primitive humans... which gets visited by nasty aliens with discutable culinary habits...
The Lunar Free State won't let those humans, primitive or not, alone and facing those aliens, it's time for Valkyrie to ride to battle again... and for her daughter to test her mettle under less than optimal conditions.
Top characters and action, highly enjoyable... .
We are some years after the second book and Valkyrie's daughter is now old enough to enjoy having a boyfriend...
And to go on a sort of honeymoon cruise with him, which ends up in close quarters combat with nasty aliens, whose culinary habits are more than discutable.
At the same times, the Copper Hills clan (of the Akara alien race allied with humanity) gives some information about a planet populated with primitive humans... which gets visited by nasty aliens with discutable culinary habits...
The Lunar Free State won't let those humans, primitive or not, alone and facing those aliens, it's time for Valkyrie to ride to battle again... and for her daughter to test her mettle under less than optimal conditions.
Top characters and action, highly enjoyable... .
June 18, 2023
Started out good
Had a lot of potential as a remake of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress with a modern twist and I enjoyed the first book alot. Then the series degenerated into an LGBTQ advertisement, far more than was reasonable, and that killed it for me. I'm not shocked by that but when it became the focus of the story I'm forced to acknowledge its not for my demogrqphic. Too bad for me but it's really a niche book.
Had a lot of potential as a remake of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress with a modern twist and I enjoyed the first book alot. Then the series degenerated into an LGBTQ advertisement, far more than was reasonable, and that killed it for me. I'm not shocked by that but when it became the focus of the story I'm forced to acknowledge its not for my demogrqphic. Too bad for me but it's really a niche book.
May 15, 2022
This sci-fi series is a joy to read! The characters are engaging and -- for the most part -- enjoyable. The ones that aren't enjoyable: some nasty aliens species and many antagonistic and unneighbourly folks on Earth. The characters, the politics and the situations are very realistic and believable. To top it off, the series has an excellent editorial/proofreading team.
June 21, 2022
The battles continue.
The Free Lunar State attempts to do the right thing. There are a couple of nice twists in the plot. We get continued character development. Good story, fast read.
The Free Lunar State attempts to do the right thing. There are a couple of nice twists in the plot. We get continued character development. Good story, fast read.
June 16, 2023
Space where aliens may eat you.
Absolutely brilliant military sci-fi.
Great characters with realistic situations and lots action.
Lizards, donkeys, what's next?
I look forward to the next one.
Absolutely brilliant military sci-fi.
Great characters with realistic situations and lots action.
Lizards, donkeys, what's next?
I look forward to the next one.
March 22, 2024
The series just gets better.
A new book a new alien race to battle. Even though she went the scientist career path instead of military Carla kicks ass. Could not put this down
A new book a new alien race to battle. Even though she went the scientist career path instead of military Carla kicks ass. Could not put this down
June 26, 2024
First contact well done.
The parallels between the authors Siers and Jucha are quite interesting. I would have enjoyed reading their first contact stories in parallel. The number of characters needs to expand a bit.
The parallels between the authors Siers and Jucha are quite interesting. I would have enjoyed reading their first contact stories in parallel. The number of characters needs to expand a bit.
October 8, 2021
End of the Trilogy
Bottom line - this may be the end of the trilogy, but I hope there’s more Lunar Free State coming! Action packed, great characters, and an awesome universe.
Bottom line - this may be the end of the trilogy, but I hope there’s more Lunar Free State coming! Action packed, great characters, and an awesome universe.
December 30, 2021
Plowed through number 3!
Headed for number 4! I never read more than one book in a series at a time, but I'm really enjoying this series!
Headed for number 4! I never read more than one book in a series at a time, but I'm really enjoying this series!
December 31, 2021
Characters survive
Character driven space opera with some battles. Bad guys think of humans as snacks. Good guys give them indigestion. Nice
Character driven space opera with some battles. Bad guys think of humans as snacks. Good guys give them indigestion. Nice
April 21, 2022
Still cannot stop
Book 3 was just as good as the previous books. Love the characters, intriguing story line, kept me engrossed from start to finish. What's next?
Book 3 was just as good as the previous books. Love the characters, intriguing story line, kept me engrossed from start to finish. What's next?
May 20, 2022
A thrill ride end to end
Really enjoyed this book from end, whether it was the events or the characters. A book I didn't want to put down.
Really enjoyed this book from end, whether it was the events or the characters. A book I didn't want to put down.
May 24, 2022
This book just got too busy with lots of characters and locations. It was more than I could keep track of. I'm sure other folks (with better memories) will really enjoy this story.
December 7, 2022
Really like this story line.
It's a joy to know when I get some extra time and can dive back into the series with a smile on my face!
It's a joy to know when I get some extra time and can dive back into the series with a smile on my face!
December 29, 2014
After taking a hiatus from reading, Valkyrie's Daughter, the third book in John E. Siers Saga of the Lunar Free State, was the first book I picked up a couple of nights ago. I started and finished it the same evening. I do enjoy books that while reading I tell myself I'm going to stop at the end of the current section but then I find myself deciding I really need to see what happens next so...maybe just one more section! Next thing I know I've finished the book! ... And now have to wait for the next one!
The books in this collection can be stand alone reads. In Valkyrie's Daughter the reader is provided some informative background of the characters, setting, and previous situations while at the same time getting the ball rolling, so to speak, on the current storyline. For new readers that helps diminish that 'lost feeling' while piquing their interest in the earlier books. Having read the first two books, The Moon and Beyond and Someday the Stars, that type of beginning gives me a nice refresher without making me feel like I have to wade through pages of a condensed version of the previous plotlines before getting onto a new story.
Since Valkyrie's Daughter is set approximately thirty years after Someday the Stars there is also nice mix of previously known characters and new introductions. I've found with this group of books, while there are main characters who have been/are the backbone of The Lunar Free State, the series isn't completely focused on one or two main characters and I like that, given the expanding time frame of the stories and the types of situations that arise. There have been characters all along that I've grown attached to and I hope I find out more about what their paths were even if they are no longer a main focus of the storyline. I'm finding that's true in Valkyrie's Daughter, too, and that includes one of the Otuka foes!
Pros, for me, in this book...
1)Wide range of characters and realistic character-types,
2)Right amount of detail when it comes to the science, the ships/weapons, battles - I don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand pages of minute details nor am I treated like I'm not able to understand the information so it's not described at all,
3)Right amount of character background - I get to know the characters without being overwhelmed with every little detail of their lives that could be included (Of course, this can also be a con as there are times I'd really like to know more about certain characters! :) ) and yet enough of the 'self' is known that it's believable when a character is faced with a sudden realization and understanding of "what it's really like" out there. I don't like giving storylines in a review, but I will say I was most impressed with the description of just that type of situation with one the main characters in this book. Since I was getting a bit frustrated with said character's seemingly lack of real understanding of situations that she's essentially grown up seeing, it was a nice "Now do you get it?" moment for me when I reached that point in the story. The interesting thing, even as I'm getting frustrated with her, I'm "seeing" how often people (myself included) "know" something without really "knowing" until some defining moment. I could just imagine someone looking at me with that "Now do you get it?" look.
I think what I've appreciated most in these books is that the members, for the most part, of The Lunar Free State serve as reminders that people can choose to be more. They can make the choice to reshape their own destinies as well as be a help to others. They're not perfect and not everything always goes as planned, but they keep going. An enjoyable story filled with visions of possibilities of what can be and reminders that what is doesn't have to be all there is...worthwhile evening of reading!
Valkyrie's Daughter: Book III in the Saga of the Lunar Free State
The books in this collection can be stand alone reads. In Valkyrie's Daughter the reader is provided some informative background of the characters, setting, and previous situations while at the same time getting the ball rolling, so to speak, on the current storyline. For new readers that helps diminish that 'lost feeling' while piquing their interest in the earlier books. Having read the first two books, The Moon and Beyond and Someday the Stars, that type of beginning gives me a nice refresher without making me feel like I have to wade through pages of a condensed version of the previous plotlines before getting onto a new story.
Since Valkyrie's Daughter is set approximately thirty years after Someday the Stars there is also nice mix of previously known characters and new introductions. I've found with this group of books, while there are main characters who have been/are the backbone of The Lunar Free State, the series isn't completely focused on one or two main characters and I like that, given the expanding time frame of the stories and the types of situations that arise. There have been characters all along that I've grown attached to and I hope I find out more about what their paths were even if they are no longer a main focus of the storyline. I'm finding that's true in Valkyrie's Daughter, too, and that includes one of the Otuka foes!
Pros, for me, in this book...
1)Wide range of characters and realistic character-types,
2)Right amount of detail when it comes to the science, the ships/weapons, battles - I don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand pages of minute details nor am I treated like I'm not able to understand the information so it's not described at all,
3)Right amount of character background - I get to know the characters without being overwhelmed with every little detail of their lives that could be included (Of course, this can also be a con as there are times I'd really like to know more about certain characters! :) ) and yet enough of the 'self' is known that it's believable when a character is faced with a sudden realization and understanding of "what it's really like" out there. I don't like giving storylines in a review, but I will say I was most impressed with the description of just that type of situation with one the main characters in this book. Since I was getting a bit frustrated with said character's seemingly lack of real understanding of situations that she's essentially grown up seeing, it was a nice "Now do you get it?" moment for me when I reached that point in the story. The interesting thing, even as I'm getting frustrated with her, I'm "seeing" how often people (myself included) "know" something without really "knowing" until some defining moment. I could just imagine someone looking at me with that "Now do you get it?" look.
I think what I've appreciated most in these books is that the members, for the most part, of The Lunar Free State serve as reminders that people can choose to be more. They can make the choice to reshape their own destinies as well as be a help to others. They're not perfect and not everything always goes as planned, but they keep going. An enjoyable story filled with visions of possibilities of what can be and reminders that what is doesn't have to be all there is...worthwhile evening of reading!
Valkyrie's Daughter: Book III in the Saga of the Lunar Free State
March 21, 2016
Of course I'd give it five stars -- I wrote it. Why does Goodreads want an author to review his own book?
Seriously, Valkyrie's Daughter was First Runner-Up for the 2015 Darrell Award for Best SF or Fantasy Novel (its predecessor, Someday the Stars, won the 2014 Darrell Award).
Seriously, Valkyrie's Daughter was First Runner-Up for the 2015 Darrell Award for Best SF or Fantasy Novel (its predecessor, Someday the Stars, won the 2014 Darrell Award).
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews