Far Stars

4 primary works

Shadow of Empire

by Jay Allan

Published 3 November 2015

The first installment in the Far Star series, a swashbuckling space saga that introduces the daring pirate Blackhawk and the loyal crew of the Wolf's Claw, from Jay Allan, the author of the bestselling Crimson Worlds saga. Smuggler and mercenary Arkarin Blackhawk and the crew of the ship Wolf's Claw are freelance adventurers who live on the fringe of human society in the Far Stars. A veteran fighter as deadly with a blade as he is with a gun, Blackhawk is a man haunted by a dark past. Even his cynicism cannot banish the guilt and pain that threaten his sanity. Sent to rescue the kidnapped daughter of his longtime friend Marshal Augustin Lucerne, Blackhawk and his crew find themselves drawn into one deadly fight after another. When the Wolf's Claw is damaged, they are forced to land on a remote planet subsumed by civil war. Pulled unwittingly into the conflict, they uncover disturbing information about secret imperial involvement that could upset the plans of Lucerne. For the Marshal is determined to forge a Far Stars Confederation powerful enough to eliminate all imperial influence and threats in the sector.
He needs a skilled warrior like Blackhawk on his side, but the mercenary, plagued by dark memories from the past, refuses to join the cause. All too soon, though, he and his crew will have to take a stand.

Enemy in the Dark

by Jay Allan

Published 1 December 2015

The second book in Jay Allan's Far Star series, Enemy in the Dark, follows Blackhawk and the crew of the Wolf's Claw as they are gradually--and unwillingly--drawn more deeply into Marshal Lucerne's campaign to form a united power bloc in the Far Stars to resist imperial encroachment. Successfully completing their mission to rescue Marshal Augustin Lucerne's daughter, Astra, the crew of the Wolf's Claw are enjoying some well-deserved rest-all, that is, except Blackhawk. The space gun for hire cannot escape Lucerne's relentless pleas for help against growing imperial control in the Far Stars. While Blackhawk deeply respects his friend, he fears that the power Lucerne offers will lead him back to his old dark ways. His resistance crumbles, however, when Lucerne presents evidence that the imperial governor has been manipulating the conflicts in the Far Stars. Convinced of the deadly danger of imperial domination, Blackhawk and his crew board the Wolf's Claw once more and set out to gather intelligence on the Empire's movements-the proof Lucerne needs to unite the fractured and feuding worlds of the Far Stars into single power bloc capable of resisting imperial aggression.
But deep in the sparsely populated territory of the Far Stars, he discovers that the imperial governor's machinations are far reaching-and threaten the independence of every world this side of the Void. A man seemingly running from himself, Blackhawk is beginning to realize he can no longer remain a prisoner to his own past while the future of the Far Stars is in jeopardy.

Funeral Games

by Jay Allan

Published 19 January 2016

The battle for the unification and rule of the Far Stars Confederation will be decided in Jay Allan's exhilarating third and final book in the swashbuckling space saga, The Far Stars, begun with Shadow of Empire and Enemy in the Dark. The Far Stars stands on the edge of a precipice. The forces of Governor Vos have surged forth, conquering worlds and imposing the emperor's brutal rule over millions. Only one thing stands in the way of total victory: Marshal Augustin Lucerne and his newly created Confederation. Vos has a simple plan: assassinate the marshal, and manipulate his generals to fight over his legacy, destroying each other in the process. But another threat lurks: Arkarin Blackhawk. The smuggler and mercenary has been the marshal's ally, working in the shadows and unraveling Vos' plans. The governor can only hope the mysterious adventurer continues to resist a formal position in the Confederation. Or he can have Blackhawk assassinated, too. Because with Blackhawk succeeding Lucerne, the black and gold imperial flags will be stained red with blood.
For his is a dark and dangerous past, and if he is put at the helm of the Confederation armies, the brutal imperial general he once had been may rise once again. The Far Stars are facing the final battle. The Imperials seem unstoppable. But if Blackhawk somehow survives-and can come to grips with the horror deep within him-he just might be able to save the Far Stars from the iron hand of empire.

The Emperor's Fist

by Jay Allan

Published 20 August 2019

In this thrilling new installment in the Far Stars saga, a reluctant hero with a bloody past must reunite with an old love to battle an evil emperor willing to destroy all their worlds if he cannot control them.

When the Far Stars came under imperial attack, Astra Lucerne-the daughter and successor of the Far Stars' greatest conqueror-Marshal Augustin Lucerne-rallied her father's confederation forces to defend their worlds. They were joined in the fight by former imperial general Arkarin Blackhawk, a warrior whose skills and brutality made him infamous, and who has, for two decades, sought the redemption he knows is unreachable.

Now, with the imperial foothold in the sector eliminated, the Far Stars is free and almost united. While Astra's forces continue to depose local tyrants and warlords, Ark and his crew have slipped back into the shadows. Though his heart belongs to Astra, Ark cannot get too close. His imperial conditioning remains under control, but it is still volatile, and the temptation of power threatens to unleash the dark compulsions that made him the most merciless of the emperor's servants. He cannot risk allowing Astra to see the darkness inside him.

But while the battle has been won, the war may not be over. A petty smuggler makes a discovery that can enable the emperor to strike back and crush the resistance-unless Ark and Astra join forces again to stop him.