This is a brilliant space opera which I could not put down.
A great variety of characters bring this story to life.
None stop action just left me wanting more and feeling sad when it had finished.
Give me more please.

It was an interesting beginning of a series. I will probably continue with it.
Absolutely adored the setting and world building.

“Star Marque Rising” eBook was published in 2019 and was written by Shami Stovall (https://sastovallauthor.com). Ms. Stovall has published five novels.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence, Mature Language, and Mature Situations. The story is set in a far future. The primary character is Clevon Demarco.

Demarco is a genetically modified human who has been involved in many activities on the dark side of the law. He lives and works around the shady space station, Capital Station. This all changes when he crosses paths with Endellion Voight, the captain of the starship Star Marque.

Though Voight arrests Demarco, she gives him a choice. He can be taken to a prison planet or he can join her crew. He doesn’t take long to choose her crew. It unsettles him some that the Star Marque is working for the superhuman that run the human expanse of space. The Star Marque acts as a mercenary police unit enforcing the superhuman’s laws.

Voight and Demarco grow close as the Star Marque pursues its missions. They eventually become lovers. Voight has a goal of becoming the first human planet governor and she will let nothing get in the way of that goal.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 11.5 hours I spent reading this 455-page science fiction thriller. Demarco is a dark hero. He has had a ruthless past, but as he serves on the Star Marque, he gradually becomes part of the crew and the Star Marque becomes a home he has never had. I liked the plot of this novel and see great opportunities for further books in this series. I also like the selected cover art. I give this novel a 4.6 (rounded up to a 5) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Star Marque Rising is one of those unexpected surprises. It is an action-Packed interstellar adventure that sizzles with action and excitement from page one right through to the end. In a world of Superhumans and Genetically Modified Humans, there are interstellar spoils to be had and treasures as big as planets if you have the ambition to attain them.

The story is from the POV of Clevon Demarco, a genetically-modified human with a questionable history who has lived his whole life in the underbelly of Capital Station and is just trying to get out by whatever means necessary. Enter Endellion Voight, cyborg captain of the Star Marque and an opportunity for Demarco to finally escape Capital Station and explore — on the condition that he joins her crew as an Enforcer starfighter.

DeMarco is a brutal thug on the run on a giant space station inhabited by over a million people. But, he’s been genetically modified and he is tough and relentless enough to take on any gladiator and confident enough to become the universe’s best starfighter, well almost. And, you gotta say almost because there’s one whose better than him at almost everything and she’s got cyborg enhanced muscles and confidence greater than anything. Signed as as her number two, DeMarco is ready to take on the universe.

What makes this novel stand out from dozens of other space battle stories is how actionpacked it is, how relentless the pace is, and how much fun these characters turn out to be. The author is rather skillful in crafting his world around Clevon, who is rather brash but still quite likeable despite his bendable moral compass. Internal struggles regarding morals, duties and loyalties are present. Stovall weaves in backstory to multiple characters and back plot as well to help fill out the world for the reader. There are plenty of action scenes to keep the reader interested and the story moving at a decent clip.

The story ends with the possibility of a sequel, and I really hope we get one. I want to know where this story is going! Recommended for those who enjoy space opera/ sci-fi along the lines of Star Wars and Ender's Game.

Star Marque Rising is a Science Fiction story to sink your teeth into. It is a long book that gives you time to be completely enthralled and entangled with the characters, always giving you an unexpected twist when you least expect it.

Demarco is a genetically modified human, looking for a way out of Capitol Station (which is not the best place to be for anyone!) Going into the ring is his ticket out of there, but things don't quite go his way. He ends up being taken by enforcers, and propositioned by their Captain, and not in the usual way. He ends up agreeing with her, and is taken on as a Starfighter.

So much action, excellently paced, and a bunch of characters you will grow to know... or do you? I have to say Endellion was never my favourite character, and I really hope there is a second book (or maybe more), as I would love to read further into this, and see where Demarco, Sawyer, and the others go from here.

A gripping tale guaranteed to keep your attention. Absolutely recommended by me.

Interesting take on the space opera genre. Most of the leading characters here have the morals of a black snake. It is hard to figure who to root for. Just about everyone has character and/or physical flaws. I did like the the fairly subtle humor. Be aware of the sexual mores of this future universe is fairly fluid. Sexual partners of either sex come and go without much continuity.

Meh, I really didn’t enjoy this one. This is a space opera where there is a genetic hierarchy with superhumans on top, regular humans next, and defects (humans with genetic issues) at the very bottom. Clevon is a genetically modified human, a slight oddity as he wasn’t “made” for anything specific, but uses his skills in shady ways. He is picked up by Endellion, a captain of a ship of mercenaries and given the choice between going to prison or joining her. She has big plans, like becoming a planet governor, something a human hasn’t done since superhumans won the war and she needs Clevon’s skills. It became obvious to me that Endellion was ruthless and would do anything to get what she wanted. But all the people around her just adored her and wanted to be along for the ride to the top. Clevon has to decide if he is willing to do anything to get what she (Endellion) wants or if his moral compass is actually there. I like Clevon’s character, but I just couldn’t stand Endellion and her shady-ness that was so obvious. Hard pass for me on this one.

4.5 stars. Star Marque Rising is a fantastic space opera with plenty of high-intensity action, high stakes, and great pacing.

The story is from the POV of Clevon Demarco, a genetically-modified human with a questionable history who has lived his whole life in the underbelly of Capital Station and is just trying to get out by whatever means necessary. Enter Endellion Voight, cyborg captain of the Star Marque and an opportunity for Demarco to finally escape Capital Station and explore — on the condition that he joins her crew as an Enforcer starfighter.

Stovall paints a vivid world with a diverse cast of characters. Each character has a unique backstory, and as the adventure progresses, we see a lot of change and growth from all of them. The plot didn’t ever feel stale and was perfectly paced with the right balance of intense action and slow moments. The ending provides a satisfying finality to this arc but leaves a lot of room for a sequel. I’m really looking forward to whatever comes next!

Clevon is picked up for illegal fighting after his old ‘employer’ tries to stop him leaving. Genetically Altered, Clevon is faster than the average person. His captor, Captain Endellion Voight is enhanced herself (hence how she took him down). So she offers him a choice, either serve her on her starship the Star Marque or go to prison. It’s an obvious choice and Clevon is a criminal turned cop, for the lack of a better description.

The captain and her crew serve ‘superhumans,’ as mercenaries. Voight’s plan is to claw her way to the top and take over the position of governor, which no normal human has held since before the war. She sees Clevon as a handy addition to her crew that will let her do that. She literally uses her crews successes to promote herself and further her own agenda. I can’t help but admire her gusto.

The author is rather skillful in crafting his world around Clevon, who is rather brash but still quite likeable despite his bendable moral compass. Internal struggles regarding morals, duties and loyalties are present. Stovall weaves in backstory to multiple characters and back plot as well to help fill out the world for the reader. There are plenty of action scenes to keep the reader interested and the story moving at a decent clip.

This novel, to me, is a pretty classic case of action science fiction/ space opera mixed with a bit of political maneuvering and intrigue. The characters are likeable and pretty filled out as believable people with pasts. And I do thoroughly enjoy a good gun fight.

Great writing and an all-consuming story. I thoroughly enjoyed this sci-fi novella, and would recommend it to anyone who loves the genre. It’s got an action packed plot, that will make you bite your nails in anticipation and laugh out loud, strong characters and lots of space battles.

Wow. What can I say about this book - it's definitely a real gem.

This is the kind of book - the kind of book which stopped me dead in my tracks when I'd finished it, and I couldn't get into any other book for about a week after (I normally read 2-3 a week)

I loved it that much.

I will be devouring everything this author writes henceforth.

Do yourselves a favour - please - read this book. Especially if you like military sci fi, it's going to be one of my favourite books of 2019. Possibly every !

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review
#starmarquerising #netgalley

This sci-fi military novel was highly enjoyable! Shami Stovall's writing was easy to get used to and her descriptions were fantastic. I find it hard to find sci-fi book I enjoy that eliminate the info dump and jargon of space operas. But I really liked this one!

Much recommended!

Star Marque Rising by Shami Stovall, a very nice read. Clevon is genetically enhanced and wanting to get off planet. Before he is able to do so he gets drafted to an Enforcer crew in exchange for a Pardon for his crimes. The Captain is out to prove herself and recruits those who can help her do so, but there is a fly in the ointment...

Star Marque Rising is one of those unexpected surprises. It is an action-Packed interstellar adventure that sizzles with action and excitement from page one right through to the end. In a world of Superhumans and Genetically Modified Humans, there are interstellar spoils to be had and treasures as big as planets if you have the ambition to attain them.

DeMarco is a brutal thug on the run on a giant space station inhabited by over a million people. But, he’s been genetically modified and he is tough and relentless enough to take on any gladiator and confident enough to become the universe’s best starfighter, well almost. And, you gotta say almost because there’s one whose better than him at almost everything and she’s got cyborg enhanced muscles and confidence greater than anything. Signed as as her number two, DeMarco is ready to take on the universe.

What makes this novel stand out from dozens of other space battle stories is how actionpacked it is, how relentless the pace is, and how much fun these characters turn out to be.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for review.

Star Marque Rising is great space opera. It has everything needed for a fascinating story full of danger and adventure. The world building is very well written and the back story is blended into the action and dialogue. The character development is layered. There are the superhumans, the genetically modified humans, the plain humans and the humans with defects. Each play a role in the story. All of this is seen through the eyes of Clevon Demarco, one genetically modified human. His story starts when he joins the crew of the Star Marque. I enjoyed following him as he adjusted to a new life and changed how he reacted to the action in the story. A hard to put down plot that had a somewhat open ended conclusion.

This was all kinds of fantastic!

It is really fast paced and with a nice action-packed plot, and I found myself completely immerged in what turned out to be a very fascinating story. I just couldn't stop reading until the very end.
I'm really looking forward to read the follow up.

If you like Science-Fiction do yourself a favour and try this one out.

Stovall's Star Marque Rising is to Moby Dick what House, MD is to Sherlock Holmes. It takes the bare bones framework and wraps a new skin around it. At its core, Moby Dick is a story about obsession, and the destruction it can wreak, and so is Star Marque Rising. It trades the vastness of the ocean for the vastness of space, and a mobile white whale for an elusive stationary governorship. Endellion, though, is every bit as ruthless and blindly obsessed as Ahab.

Told from Clevon Demarco's POV, we get to follow Endellion's continuing descent into madness. Clevon is recruited by Endellion after he's captured on Capital Station. Though raised in the horrid environment of Capital Station, Clevon happens to be a genetically modified human in a galaxy ruled by the hand-crafted Homo superior, created by humankind to improve the species. They succeeded all too well. Superhumans, or H. superior, ousted Homo sapiens from power, knocking them down to the bottom of the ladder. Superhumans often craft genetically modified humans for very specific purposes. Besides genetically modified humans, cybernetic enhancements aren't uncommon. For the dregs of the stations, these are shoddy and often lead to early death. For others, these enhancements are barely noticeable physically.

Space travel in this universe takes a long time, and the Star Marque makes several six month trips. I loved how these chapters are handled. The pure stir craziness of being trapped in close confines for months at a time came across well. Through small scenes set at different intervals during the trip, you get to see Demarco begin his change from a station thug to a respectable starship officer.

As a starfighter, Demarco's immediate cohort are the other starfighter pilots- Quinn, Noah, Lee, Yuan, Mara, and Advik. He also spends a lot of time with Endellion, Lysander, the commander of ground forces, and Sawyer, who serves as the chief engineer and chief cybernetics officer as well. I loved how Noah, and Demarco grew over the course of the story. These are the two who changed the most. On the flip side, Endellion came across as flat and one-dimensional. She's a grade-A psychopath with little redeeming characteristics that I could find. Not too much of a biggie, since Demarco is the key character, and he's more complex. His ethics and morals evolve as he's given a fortuitous change in circumstances, and the room to grow beyond what his environment made him. The story ends with the possibility of a sequel, and I really hope we get one. I want to know where this story is going! Recommended for those who enjoy space opera/ sci-fi along the lines of Star Wars and Ender's Game.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Capital Station Books for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed for the San Francisco Book Review