The Lost Artifact

This is one of the best sci-fi series that I have ever read. Captain Maddox is exceptional, although exotic for lack of another word, awesomely well put together storylines.

I would like an option for 4.5 stars. Sections of this book were excellent but a couple other sections were just very good. I really want to see a very likable character that maybe provides some comic diversion.

The Lost starship series began with wonderful imagination and innovative science fiction but with clunky prose and stilted dialogue. With every book heppner's writing skills have improved and his imaginative science fiction story writing has become ever more enjoyable. An excellent read, I'll be looking forward to the next one.

Describing a Vaughn Heppner book to somebody unfamiliar with the author is next to impossible without a lot of background. There's this ancient spaceship, controlled by an alien construct, the last of his kind and thousands of years old. And Captain Maddox is a brilliant tactician, half man and half new man. His ace pilot is a former drunk but without peer in space. His second in command trusts him but is always ready to counter his random, risk-taking nature. His girlfriend is one of the strongest women anywhere and ready to throttle anybody who threatens her man. His best friend is an old soldier with a mechanical arm who never lets him down. And his enemies are many, topped by a so-called Methuselah man named Strand, who always has a contingency plan. "The Lost Artifact," the eighth novel in the Lost Starship series, starts with our hero Maddox about to be exterminated. He misjudged his opponents and let them get the upper hand. Maddox must rely on the help of a relative stranger to get free and the good will of an android, who may or may not be interested in the extermination of the human race. Strand, who is in the custody of the New Men, nonetheless is the antagonist. His plans unfold because he is in custody and they spin so far out of control that Maddox will be hard pressed to even slow them down much less get the problem solved and the bad guys immobilized. I'd been reading a lot of thrillers and mysteries when I plugged myself into Heppner yet again, and it made me realize what a vast and complex imagination this guy has. I mean I offered up some detail but he goes so far beyond that. Maddox is good, but his enemies are far stronger and better equipped. He only succeeds because of his loyal team and their combined wits. Heppner's a master at his craft.

Congratulations to Vaughn Heppner for this amazing series. It’s extremely hard to find such an interesting and exciting author who not only writes intelligently but also provides top rated plots, characters and excitement in the stories. I’m really looking forward to the next book.

While overall yet another thrilling read, with Captain Mattox striking a blend of James Kirk and James Bond, the nearly habitual destruction of anything bigger than him by the end of a book continues, often with little rhyme or reason. With similar disorder, the author attempts routinely to make antagonists appear more clever than they really are through obfuscation. If you enjoy an action scifi romp with cherry on top explosions, though, don't let these things turn you away. Just ... don't think too hard about why some things are happening.

This was the most action acted of all.A good read and a believable close to this adventure. Thank you

This is the book that finally prompted me to write another review of the series. Apparently in the minority, I'm among those who think the series is starting to wear thin enough that the willing suspension of disbelief, and the acceptance of the existence of unique single individuals upon who major events in history continually turn is eroding quickly. I've begrudgingly accepted the premise of the solitary hero (with merry band of accomplices) enough that I've actually made it through the 8th book in the series, having basically binged volumes 3-8, having read the first two earlier. (Binged is a relative term-I read a little bit every day before sleeping, so I guess it's been weeks and months getting through these 6 volumes.) I guess that says something about the series and Vaughn Heppner's skill as a writer, but it's really starting to feel like he's "phoning it in." Not every saga needs to go on forever, and not every saga needs to end with a nice bowtie ending. The pacing and level of action has certainly slowed down. There's lots of reflection, but most of it is personal, and I'd really like to read more reflection on the broad cultural ethics, sociology and psychology of this universe. Even the level of interstellar intrigue and comparisons of species value systems seems less designed to get the reader thinking and more to say "hey, this is part of the formula for successful sci-fi writing so I must include at least a little of it sprinkled here and there." Also, another matter bothers me. At least Star Trek gives an occasional nod to the ship's crew as if they matter. Throughout almost this entire Lost Starship series, the rest of the crew has been given short shrift, barely ever mentioned and certainly never developed as characters of any significance. That's hundreds of regular ordinary working stiffs getting ignored while the focus remains on the top echelons. Not the future I hope for, and not exactly an egalitarian portrayal; giving all the credit to a few the top (and mostly the hero protagonist) rather than the folks in the trenches. That bothers me quite a lot. It's as if we have never moved beyond our contemporary lopsided valuing of a small elite above all in the future instead of the future equal society without prejudice that most sci-fi author hopefully predict. Even character development has thinned out. Oh, we see hints here and there of changes in how characters think, but again it feels obligatory rather than purposeful. The borderline misogyny has been present throughout, perpetuated by female stereotypes as only a male could imagine them (and I say this as a CIS-gendered white male.) The strong female characters are a pretense, its female strength as imagined by a man, not a woman. Why has the series taken this path of a non-improved humanity? No faith left in humanity, Vaughn? Watching too many superhero films? Yes, one person can change the universe. But in 8 books in a row (and yet more after that?) My credulity is strained beyond its limit. I'll probably continue reading on, but not in a streak, and if things don't change I may decide to move on without finishing it, which would make me sad.

Another great episode in the saga deserves a net flix series. Always interesting when the unexpected comes at you. Just what a good science fiction saga should be.

Succinct script, story goes on adding another layer of complexity, a tad repetitive wrt bad guys are really bad and heavily armed aliens till they —- ah well—- they are not and capt Maddox wins against all odds - and it sounds a bit disjointed here and there but then who cares ….. bring it on… I want to move into this crazy alien world and may the earth win!!!

Great read and imaginative. I've read all 9 in the series. Except for the characterizations of the " builders" the author kept my interest throughout even though I kind of had an idea as to how things would go..

This is one of my favourite series from Heppner. This entry is a standout in the Lost Starship series. Maddox is recovering from his actions during the swarm invasion and is not at his best however even on a bad day Maddox is head and shoulders above the regular Star Watch intelligence officers. As usual for this series we get action but it's spaced out with a great deal of head faking and double crossing. Infiltrators, rogue androids, vengeful clones and if that isn't enough the ancient Builders and Nameless Ones are still a threat. Eager to see what happens next.

I am a rabid Heppner fan and love all his books. I found rthis book slightly harder going and a little too intricately spun with the vying factions and iterations of Strand & his Clones along with his histories. Von Ludendorf & his Mrs aren't in this series which greayed it out a bit too. Driving Force Galyan is there but I miss his original beligererant slightly caotic manner.The above all sounds as though I didn't enjoy the book. Nothing can be further from the truth. I have consistently invested in and love this series but do so hope that it doesn't fall into a paradoy of itself in future episodes. I said it in my last review.....Heppner is the best with alien descriptions...........Please can he do a bit of a stretch away from humanoids and bad doesn't necessarily mean bloodthirst? Apart from those issues....I'm good for more......