I’ve been reviewing the Cassa series as I read it, which was out of order! In the correct order, it’s CassaDawn, (prequel short story recently released), CassaStar (#1), Cassa Fire, CassaStorm, CassaDark. So, having gone 1, 4, 2, 3, prequel, you’d imagine I was thoroughly confused. Actually, I reckon it helped me enjoy CassaStorm the most.
CassaStorm (Cassa #3)
by Alex J Cavanaugh
A storm gathers across the galaxy…
Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, his only struggles are occasional rogue pirate raids and endless government bureaucracies. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.
After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, shaking Bassan to the core and threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.
Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could be on its way back. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…
My Review
For me this is the best of the Cassa series, but then CassaStorm is the climax of Byron’s story, and all that has gone before leads to this.
It’s pacy, full of twists, and excellent characters. I suspect you might not get as much out of it if you haven’t come from book 2, though. Cavanaugh’s space description and tech is first-rate but this story will satisfy the scifi lovers who prefer the social side of the genre to the militaristics, despite being heavily involved with ‘the fleet’. Key to this is the emerging understanding of how the factions in the universe managed to get themselves into these alliances. These underlying reasons for hatred threaten to derail the whole plot. Cavanaugh has done a great job on complex societies with reasons for entrenched views of their opponents.
If you havent already read book 4, do, as it features Bassan, several years on. He has every right to be as mixed up as I said in my early review! Picking up the prequel (it’s an extended flash fiction) will complete your set, but you know the story already.
Sounds like reading this series out of order did not deter you!
Thank you! I feel it’s the best book of the series as well.
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