Black Star Renegades

October 16, 2017
Moreci (the Roche Limit comics series) delivers a story that recalls his work for the Star Wars franchise: it brims with exotic locales, weird aliens, an evil empire, and a Jedilike hero with a cohort of misfits. Cade Sura and his older brother, Tristan, spent 10 years studying to be Rai warriors, planning to defend the Galactic Alliance from Praxis and its evil Queen Ga Halle. Certain that Tristan is the legendary Paragon, their teacher, Ser Jorken, sends them to recover an ancient weapon called the Rokura—but a Praxis assassin murders Tristan. Cade, escaping with the Rokura, is now assumed to be the Paragon, but he’s not reconciled to that role, and neither is the sentient artifact. On the run from Praxis forces, Cade assembles a crew of oddballs who set off to find the real Paragon and take out the War Hammer, a planet-killing Praxian space ship. Moreci’s sci-fi adventure delivers plenty of action for fans willing to overlook the unoriginal story. Agent: Jason Yarn, Jason Yarn Literary.

October 15, 2017
A young space warrior must combat the forces of evil to bring peace and justice to the universe. Moreci (The Throwaway, 2018, etc.) is a prolific comic book writer, sci-fi observer, and generally nerdy dude, and he brings all of those strengths to bear in a propulsive space opera that is also an unapologetic love letter to Star Wars. The novel opens on a chase sequence as brothers Cade and Tristan Sura are on the run from some intergalactic scumbags. But they're rescued by Ser Jorken, a bo staff-wielding warrior who is loyal to an ancient order of galactic defenders known as The Well. A decade later, Tristan is prophesied to be the "Paragon," the uniting force who will use an ancient weapon to bring balance to the universe. But during a very Indiana Jones-style mission to steal an all-powerful spear called the Rokura, the brothers are set upon by a member of the Fatebreakers, a death squad loyal only to Ga Halle, the evil queen of the Praxis Empire. Left to his own mission, Cade hooks up with his reluctant friend Mig and Kira Sen, a badass space pilot, to save the universe. Now it's up to Cade and a rogues' gallery of pilots, amigos, and robots to take control of the Rokura and lead a fierce rebellion against the Praxis before they can use the War Hammer, a world-destroying superweapon powered by draining a sun. These are all the same beats used in everything from Joseph Campbell's mythology to George Lucas' enduring saga, but Moreci has assembled them with such devotion and style that it's impossible not to love this strange mashup for its own sake. From intergalactic space battles to blaster fights to rogue robots and various hives of scum and villainy, this shiny space opera is bound to be a pleasure for fans of all stripes. As they say in the movies, the Black Star Renegades will return.

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December 1, 2017
Rai brothers Cade and Tristan Sura are elite warriors dedicated to keeping peace. Tristan is destined to become the Paragon, wielder of a legendary weapon that can protect civilization from an evil empire threatening to take over the galaxy. But when Tristan dies, Cade is stuck with the weaponand saving civilization. Problem is, he doesn't want the job. Moreci's debut novel is a delightful mash-up of genre tropes: a reluctant hero, swashbuckling space adventure, martial arts, an evil empire, a scrappy band of outcasts, and a sentient killer robot. It's a loving ode to the science fiction Moreci grew up with. The pacing is fast and exciting, strong on action and generous with humor. Moreci's writing style could stand to be a bit more sophisticated; he doesn't fully adapt to prose from his beloved work in comics (Roche Limit, 2015). But he clearly has fun telling this story, and his joy is infectious; fans of his work in comics and the online Star Wars community will be looking for this one.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)