Lost Souls

A smuggler, a stowaway slave, and a pirate find themselves on a collision course deep in the no-man's-land of space, tracking a mystery that's centuries old.

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Maurice "Moss" Foote used to be somebody. Then nobody. Then somebody again, for a while. Now he's back to square one, using his last hundred credits to try and get back his old ship and start over. Again.

Hel doesn't have a last name. Or maybe she does. She was born a slave. Or maybe she wasn't. It's all rather confusing to her, just like the strange compulsion that has her trying to build... something out of spare ship parts in the junkyard she calls home.

When she sees an opportunity to escape on board a rebuilt transport, she takes it, not realizing what she's getting herself into. All she knows is the answers she's looking for are on board that ship. Or maybe they're inside her head.

Roy "Hellno" Herzog left the Silver Legion in favour of becoming a pirate, only they didn't like his attitude any more than the Legion did. Now he's got a lead on a prize so big it could set him up for life, if he can stomach working with other people.

All he's got to do is track down one runaway slave.

Read an excerpt here

 

5 comments on “Lost SoulsAdd yours →

  1. FIVE STARS!

    Heads up out there, fans of Firefly, The Expanse, Crudrat, The Ship Who Sang, and other adventures in the REAL stars! You need to read Lost Souls and sign up to join the Get Lost series!

    I hate to admit my age, but I grew up during the Golden Age of Science Fiction – Heinlein, Bradbury, Clarke, etc. Then graduated to McCaffrey, Norton, Schmitz, and SO many others. My “keeper” shelf is full of these, and Bujold, of course! This book reminded me of the best of those. Exciting and suspenseful adventure in space!

    Noah has created a thoroughly fleshed-out and detailed, and REALISTIC, universe peopled with fully developed characters. But like ALL good storytellers, all of that is a dense background to the tale and the people in it.

    I require a sense of humor. If ANYONE thinks humanity would make it into space without a sense of humor and fun, well, seriously, who wants to spend time in a floating in a metal hunk with a bunch of stiff-necked military types? And I have to admit, I love a book with witty and sarcastic and funny and revealing quotes at the beginning of each chapter. Don’t ask me why. But Noah offers those up on a silver platter, or rather on a piece of dented hull plating from a Dragonfly.

    I won’t give away the plot (I really don’t understand why some reviewers do that), but Noah does a great job of conveying Hel’s sense of loss and confusion and answers-just-out-of-reach to the reader. He also made me fall in love with Moss (much in the same way that I fell in love with Malcolm Reynolds). Moss’s sardonic sense of humor and pick-yourself-up-and-brush-yourself-off attitude give the reader hope that things will work out. Hel’s plucky determination in the face of the void that is her past and her sheer gutsiness has the reader rooting for her from the beginning.

    This book, this series I am SURE, will make a wonderful movie or streaming series. (And, although it leaves you with hope for another in the series, it doesn’t leave you “hanging” on a cliff!) It’s a story of hope, comradeship, and new beginnings.

    Creative and complex and fast-paced and exciting. Fantastic story telling and terrific characterization. I want MORE adventures in this universe.

    JUST PLAIN FUN!

  2. “Lost Souls” is an action-packed space romp with a dry sense of humor that will appeal to fans of “The Orville” who wish that show was more like “Firefly.” And that’s a pretty sweet niche to fill.

    Our hero Maurice “Moss” Foote has had more than his fair share of ups and downs (including having a name that sounds like it needs a healthy dose of Tinactin). After having reinvented himself a few times, he’s on the verge of starting from zero yet again when a stowaway named Hel throws a wrench in his plans. Hel is an ex-slave with a confusing past and a driving desire to build a… thing. She doesn’t know what it is, and neither does anyone else. And that’s just one of the varied and layered mysteries that Chinn weaves together in a story that always keeps you guessing and often has you chuckling.

    With his “grouchy space adventurer with a heart of gold” persona, Moss feels like the best of Han Solo and Malcolm Reynolds with a touch of Carl Fredricksen from “Up.” Though he’s a little bit hard-boiled and a big bit whiny, he’s always in control, cooking up a plan, and kicking ass when the chips are down. He’s the kind of guy you like to root for, and to see him warm up to his new crew and allies is the kind of feel-good story the world needs right now.

    This is a fun story with charming, likable characters and a deeply fleshed-out universe. Judging by the designation of “book one,” it looks like Moss and the gang will be getting into a lot more trouble, and I’m on board for it.

  3. This is a great space opera adventure in the grand tradition. You can see the inspiration of space trading games of yore in the backdrop – the universe being peopled by space-faring types involved in trading, exploring, piracy and bounty hunting and that “last 100 credits” that is all the lead character starts out with 😉 – and this book draws upon those established archetypes. So far, so familiar.

    It well written, with a tight plot, a gaggle of interesting characters which don’t fall into cliché (always a danger for these types of story). The backdrop brings in a series of alien races with humankind alongside, which itself is an interesting piece of lore development and gives this book a bit more heft than your typical space opera. Against this background, our characters come onto the scene.

    Moss is introduced to us already in some adversity, having once had it all and then having lost pretty much everything. He’s quite the seasoned old space dog and his backstory is revealed to us along the way, which is important to how the story pans out.

    Hel, a young woman, stows away (sort of accidently) on his ship and then mysteries start to unfold. She’s not quite sure of her memories and clearly something has happened to her prior to current events.

    The rest of the cast are fun and memorable. There’s a pirate, Roy, another pirate Steva, an alien called Tameria and even the ship itself has a personality in the form of Violet. Overall I think she was my favourite… I mean who doesn’t like a snarky AI with a bit of an attitude problem?

    The story drives forward with good pace and the end resolution is clever, exciting and not quite what I expected. There are lots of revelations and resolutions for the characters which make the conclusion worth waiting for.

    If you like space trading computer games, mixed with a touch of Galaxy Quest and perhaps a little of the original Battlestar Galactica… you should definitely enjoy “Lost Souls.”

  4. Lost Souls is a fun space opera! Fans of J.S. Morin’s Black Ocean universe will enjoy the adventure and wit of Chinn’s characters. An entertaining and enjoyable read.

  5. Some Off Site reviews:

    Excerpt from the Ottawa Review of Books:

    Lost Souls is good old fashion space opera, complete with spaceships, space rangers, and pirates. The setting is the familiar universe of interstellar federations and humanoid aliens. Imagine Star Trek, but the comedic episodes. Think A Piece of the Action or I, Mudd; science fiction in the tradition of Harry Harrison’s Stainless Steel Rat or Lois Bujold’s Miles Vorkosigan.

    Read the full review here:

    https://www.ottawareviewofbooks.com/single-post/lost-souls-by-noah-chinn

    Excerpt from Amazing Stories Magazine:

    …an old-fashioned space opera, with all the comfort zone reading that implies, but also so full of original touches, cynical humour and quirky detail that as a result everything feels fresh and original. The best of both worlds. A past view of the future seen through contemporary eyes. Suits me just fine. I enjoyed every bit of it. Left me satisfied and exhilarated. I trust it will do the same for you.

    Read the full review here:

    https://amazingstories.com/2023/02/clubhouse-review-lost-souls-a-space-opera-novel-by-noah-chinn/

    Excerpt from On Spec Magazine:

    Right from the first opening lines Chinn’s effortless style draws you in through excellent character development, believable world-building, and a brisk pace. There’s nothing extraneous here, no ponderous exposition, no lecturing about the very real societal issues with which he deals, no precious prose. The entire story—peopled with a reluctant hero, an AI that’s more than algorithms, individuals lost in manipulation and enslavement, and deliciously dastardly villains—is a perfect layer cake. There’s nothing half-baked here.

    Read the full review here:

    https://onspec.ca/book-reviews-page-lorina-stephens/

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