Learn more
These promotions will be applied to this item:
Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Starshine: Aurora Rising Book One (Amaranthe 1) Kindle Edition
The year is 2322, and humanity has expanded into the stars. Earth struggles to retain authority over far-flung planets and free-wheeling corporations, while an uneasy armistice with a breakaway federation hangs by a thread as the former rebels rise in wealth and power. And in the shadows, powerful forces conspire to bring the fragile peace crashing down.
Alex Solovy is a space scout for hire. When she takes a routine job to chase down an errant signal in the Metis Nebula, nothing suggests the secret it conceals will turn her life—not to mention the entire galaxy—upside down. But a chance discovery reveals a terrifying truth: we are not alone. And we are not ready.
Now Alex, acerbic loner and recalcitrant wanderer, must navigate a galactic power struggle, a political conspiracy and the worst impulses of human nature to expose a threat on two fronts and avert all-out war. The fate of civilization hangs in the balance.
When faced with our greatest challenge, will we rise to triumph or fall to ruin?
Starshine is a riveting tale of resilience, sacrifice, and the unyielding human spirit. G. S. Jennsen weaves a masterful narrative that will keep you on the edge of your seat, immersing readers in a richly imagined world of interstellar intrigue and extraordinary technology as she whisks you along on an exhilarating journey, where the choices of one individual may determine humanity’s destiny.
Fans of Peter F. Hamilton, Adrian Tchaikovsky and The Expanse will love this epic science fiction tale of galaxy-spanning adventure, political conspiracy, alien invasion, interstellar war, space exploration and intrigue, all anchored by an incredible cast of memorable and compelling characters who fight, fail, persevere and refuse to fade away.
Shop this series
See full series-
First 3$7.98
-
First 5$17.96
-
First 10$42.91
-
All 22 available$112.79
-
First 3$7.98
-
First 5$17.96
-
First 10$42.91
-
All 22 available$112.79
This option includes 3 books.
This option includes 5 books.
This option includes 10 books.
This option includes 22 books.
Customers also bought or read
- Resonance: An Action Packed, Hard Science Fiction Thriller (Relentless Suspense)Kindle Edition$5.99$5.99
- Blue SunRise: A Riveting Character-driven Hard Sci-fi Adventure (Blue Sun Space Opera Book 1)Kindle Edition$4.99$4.99
Customers who bought this item also bought
- “We don’t get to choose what happens to us—but we always get to choose how we react to it.”Highlighted by 120 Kindle readers
- So though humanity conquered the very stars, it remained unable to conquer the darkness within.Highlighted by 71 Kindle readers
- Occupying your hands with a detailed task became a form of meditation, allowing your mind to work through concerns in the background.Highlighted by 49 Kindle readers
From the Publisher




![]()
Starshine: Aurora Rising Book One (Amaranthe 1)
|
![]()
Vertigo: Aurora Rising Book Two (Amaranthe 2)
|
![]()
Exin Ex Machina: Asterion Noir Book 1 (Amaranthe 11)
|
![]()
Medusa Falling: A Cosmic Shores Novel (Amaranthe Book 20)
|
![]()
The Thief: A Cosmic Shores Novel (Amaranthe Book 21)
|
![]()
The Universe Within: A Cosmic Shores Novel (Amaranthe Book 22)
|
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Customer Reviews |
4.3 out of 5 stars 3,483
|
4.5 out of 5 stars 1,260
|
4.5 out of 5 stars 489
|
4.6 out of 5 stars 136
|
4.7 out of 5 stars 138
|
4.8 out of 5 stars 38
|
Price | $0.00$0.00 | $3.99$3.99 | $3.99$3.99 | $5.99$5.99 | $5.99$5.99 | $5.99$5.99 |
Series | Aurora Rhapsody | Aurora Rhapsody | Asterion Noir | Cosmic Shores | Cosmic Shores | Cosmic Shores |
Good Entry Point | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Editorial Reviews
Review
When faced with its greatest challenge, will humanity rise to triumph or fall to ruin?
Aurora Rising is an epic tale of galaxy-spanning adventure, of the thrill of discovery and the unquenchable desire to reach ever farther into the unknown. It's a tale of humanity at its best and worst, of love and loss, of fear and heroism. It's the story of a woman who sought the stars and found more than anyone imagined possible.
***
"Start a conversation about best world-building in sci-fi, "hidden gems," or addictive and re-readable storylines, and you'll hear about G.S. Jennsen's magnificent Amaranthe series. Jennsen has a gift for connecting readers to her characters; you can't help but to be fully invested in their struggle to triumph over the seemingly impossible challenges they face. The stories are gritty, the heroes determined, the readers... hooked. How can you not be? This is a truly EPIC series. If you haven't picked it up yet, you really must."
-- Discover Sci-fi
***
"Starshine...smoothly weaves together multiple story lines with intrigue, murder, adventure and even a bit of romance."
-- The Best Sci Fi Books, naming Starshine 14th among the 23 best sci-fi books by female authors in the last 50+ years
***
"G.S. Jensen magically weaves a wondrous tapestry that pulls us in and spurs us across a galaxy of her own making. As slaves to her whims we are taken along for a ride of intrigue, murder, adventure and a bit of romance. All woven so completely that she sucks you in head over heels, leaving her readers salivating for more."
-- Reviews of the Written Word
***
"[A] brilliant trilogy "Aurora Rising" by G. S. Jennsen. You are thrown into action and suspense from the start and the plot of the story unravels at a satisfying pace, all the time giving the feeling of deeper and even more nefarious revelations to come. [I]t's the characters who really make or unmake a book, and here Jennsen really shines...The Aurora Rising trilogy is a must read."
-- Book O' Loco
***
"This book might be the perfect set-in-space science fiction book. That's [a] bold statement with things like Hitchhiker's Guide roaming about, but I feel that strongly about it. Jennsen is one of those magical authors who make you forget you're reading."
-- Novel Commentary
From the Author
*
This ebook is provided free of DRM restrictions.
Visit gsjennsen dot com to explore concept art and other media and get the inside scoop on the universe of AMARANTHE.
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B00J709RIK
- Publisher : Hypernova Publishing; 1st edition (March 23, 2014)
- Publication date : March 23, 2014
- Language : English
- File size : 3.9 MB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 461 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #2,764 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

G. S. JENNSEN lives somewhere in the U.S., in a locale that may or may not be where she lived the last time she published a book (she’s a gypsy at heart), with her husband and two dogs. She has become an internationally bestselling author since her first novel, Starshine, was published in 2014. She has chosen to continue writing under an independent publishing model to ensure the integrity of her stories and her ability to execute on the vision she has for their telling.
While she has been a lawyer, a software engineer and an editor, she’s found the life of a full-time author preferable by several orders of magnitude. When she isn’t writing, she’s gaming or working out or getting lost in the mountains that loom large outside the windows in her home. Or she’s dealing with a flooded basement, or standing in a line at Walmart and wondering who all these people are (because she’s probably new in town). Or sitting on her back porch with a glass of wine, looking up at the stars, trying to figure out what could be up there.
*
Website: gsjennsen.com.
Newsletter: gsjennsen.com/subscribe
Twitter: @GSJennsen
Facebook: facebook.com/gsjennsen.author
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the storyline engaging and complex, with a wildcard aspect. They describe the book as fun to read and worth finishing. The characters are well-developed and relatable. Readers praise the writing quality as intelligent and easy to follow. They enjoy various types of love stories and sex scenes. Overall, customers find the book has a satisfying pace that keeps them hooked until the end.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the storyline. They find the characters, action, intrigue, and plot development complex without being overly complex. The book is described as an enthralling science fiction series with a well-paced story that never gets bogged down or boring. Readers appreciate the military strategy, alien species, and in-depth plot of terrorism, politics, romance, and believable future worlds.
"...o Also the main plot is full of mystery and has made me genuinely curious as to just how future events will unfold •..." Read more
"Starshine is a fantastic science fiction adventure that will take you across the galaxy to vivid and exciting worlds...." Read more
"...delightful, and the entire episode is so well written, with such vivid intensity and tremendous emotional highs and lows and risks and fears and..." Read more
"...Smooth dialogues, fleshed-out characters, action, intrigue, and treason made Starshine: Aurora Rising Book 1 by G. S. Jennsen a good reading...." Read more
Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They say it's worth finishing and the mini-interlude novellas are excellent. The book gets them back into reading.
"...Also I’d like to end with one more pro; that is getting me back into reading, I was at one point a pretty avid reader until school and other things..." Read more
"...Stop the Madness! Anyway, despite the title, I LOVED the book. The chapters with the two main characters are simply fantastic...." Read more
"...and treason made Starshine: Aurora Rising Book 1 by G. S. Jennsen a good reading. I especially enjoyed all female characters...." Read more
"...This was one of my favorite novels of the summer -- along with works from Hugh Howey (Silo, Sand), Lee Doty (Out of the Black), and David Weber..." Read more
Customers enjoy the well-developed characters with relatable motivations. The dialogue between them is natural and easy to follow. The romantic elements are sympathetic, and the characters leap off the page with complex human traits.
"...o So far there have been quite a few characters introduced in rapid succession, and the majority of them are, or appear to be quite integral to the..." Read more
"...That's not the case in Starshine. Each of the female characters is a unique individual with believable, relatable motivations and personalities...." Read more
"...Smooth dialogues, fleshed-out characters, action, intrigue, and treason made Starshine: Aurora Rising Book 1 by G. S. Jennsen a good reading...." Read more
"...technically proficient (unlike many non-edited works), the characters are well developed..." Read more
Customers find the book's writing quality engaging and easy to follow. They appreciate the well-developed characters and plot. The writing style is described as intelligent, detailed, and technically proficient. Overall, customers find the book enjoyable and a great addition to their reading list.
"...would call a “mainstream audience” comfortable, it's graphic, and detailed when and where it needs to be without ever going overboard..." Read more
"...Jennsen's writing is superb, and at times there are sentences or phrases so beautifully and perfectly crafted that one can't help but be impressed...." Read more
"...I found the shift in perspective delightful, and the entire episode is so well written, with such vivid intensity and tremendous emotional highs..." Read more
"...All in all I gave this novel 3 stars. I can't trash it because it's well written and it wouldn't be fair to the author...." Read more
Customers enjoy the romance in the book. They find the love scenes few and graphic, but appreciate the exploration of different aspects like love, friendship, parents, and sex. The protagonists' steamy sex scenes are enjoyable. The book also features adventures of intellect, true friendship, and heroic heroism. The chemistry between Alex and Caleb is wonderful, and the central story of Alex and Caleb investigating a mysterious anomaly is well-received.
"...to be honest, one of the things I really did enjoy was the incredibly steamy sex scene...." Read more
"...is definitely (in addition to being a well crafted sci fi story) a romance novel...." Read more
"...of complex characters, fantastic world building, advanced technology, romance, political intigue, space battles, and so much more...." Read more
"...Plot aside, I find the characters to be well written. Different aspects such as love, friendship, parents, are all explored and I feel that I..." Read more
Customers find the book's pacing satisfying and easy to read. They find it well-written with good dialogue and an engaging plot that progresses naturally. The book makes their commute less boring.
"...(I had no trouble keeping them straight, since each has a distinct and memorable personality)..." Read more
"...Additionally, each set of books is logically grouped and progresses naturally...." Read more
"...None of this rang false, nor tripped me up as I read...." Read more
"...The science and action were still very good and constant while the emotional and character components were refreshingly different...." Read more
Customers find the book an excellent start to the series. They appreciate the imaginative writing and unique world. Many readers are eagerly awaiting the next installment in the trilogy.
"...In conclusion it’s a fantastic first entry in what I hope to be a forever lasting series of outstanding books...." Read more
"...Stick with it, as the series is an excellent and logically divided set of trilogies...." Read more
"...This novel is definitely the first book of a trilogy...." Read more
"...Great first dive. Enjoy yall, and happy reading!!" Read more
Customers appreciate the book's grammar and dialogue. They find the writing engaging with descriptive details and a well-crafted vocabulary. The story is free of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Readers also mention that the characters are well-developed and the dialogue is modern.
"...Jennsen's writing is superb, and at times there are sentences or phrases so beautifully and perfectly crafted that one can't help but be impressed...." Read more
"...I mostly enjoyed this fast-paced adventure rich with technobabble. Smooth dialogues, fleshed-out characters, action, intrigue, and treason made..." Read more
"...The writing is both engaging and technically proficient (unlike many non-edited works), the characters are well developed..." Read more
"...The technical wording which I know I’ve listed as a “Pro” but I understand that some people, even sci-fi fans, may not enjoy. OR •..." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2014What a pure joy this book is, I’m only 100 pages in and I can't stop, nor do I want to!!(Correction, i've just finished the novel and good god sweet marry it was amazing, there are literally no words to describe the pure emotional adrenaline rush of a high im on after just finishing what is quite possibly my new favorite Sci-Fi novel ever.) It’s like an addiction, one I’m completely ok with having! I mean the writing is so crisp, stark, and intelligent it almost baffles the mind. While I may still be reading the book ill change this review if I feel like there are any significant changes (which I doubt there will be regarding the absurd quality this far).
Pros:
• Phenomenal world building
o The attention to detail is amazing, and it is more than evident that the author has done their research; as several modern experimental scientific endeavors have come to fruition in this fantastic new universe G.S. has created. One such example is using stem cells to reverse the aging process.
o Plus the technical wording is an absolute joy for any hardcore Science-Fiction buff (myself included)
o Also the main plot is full of mystery and has made me genuinely curious as to just how future events will unfold
• Intricate, believable, and relatable characters
o Not much else to share here, outside of the fact that the protagonist Alexis (or Alex as she prefers) is in a lot of way what I could only hope humanity would be like over 300 years from now. She motivated, determined, independent, and most important of all curious. The rest it speaks for itself, plus I don’t want to give away any spoilers
• “Non-apologetic” style writing
o What I mean by this is that this novel makes no efforts to conform to what makes what most would call a “mainstream audience” comfortable, it's graphic, and detailed when and where it needs to be without ever going overboard
Cons(?):
So far there are only two possible cons I can find and both are quite subjective, they are either;
• The technical wording which I know I’ve listed as a “Pro” but I understand that some people, even sci-fi fans, may not enjoy.
OR
• The abundance of characters early in the book.
o So far there have been quite a few characters introduced in rapid succession, and the majority of them are, or appear to be quite integral to the plot. While different people have different capacities to keep track of multiple plot threads I can see how for some it may be perhaps a little on the overwhelming side.
In conclusion it’s a fantastic first entry in what I hope to be a forever lasting series of outstanding books. Fortunately I have not found myself affected by the aforementioned “cons” in any significant way, which is great because that means that I have fewer obstacles to avoid in order to enjoy the reading experience! Also I’d like to end with one more pro; that is getting me back into reading, I was at one point a pretty avid reader until school and other things were quick to snuff out any chance I had to read due to stress, lack of time, or both. And believe me I’ve tried the past few years to re-ignite that spark and failed to do so at every turn, until now. I understand if someone is skeptical of that statement, since I happen to be avid skeptic myself. It would take an essay five times this size to truly convey why what said was true since it is such a subjective experience, so I ask for your trust in that I know what I felt when reading this book. So Thank you. I’d like to sincerely thank you; Ms. Jensen, for enabling my love to books to really shine through and here’s to you, in hope you can finish the next installment as soon as possible! :)
- Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2014Starshine is a fantastic science fiction adventure that will take you across the galaxy to vivid and exciting worlds. GS Jennsen weaves a complex and intruiguing plot, and you will keep turning the pages, eager to see how the pieces all fall into place. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next in the series. The two main characters were absolutely endearing and I can't wait to read more about them. Jennsen's writing is superb, and at times there are sentences or phrases so beautifully and perfectly crafted that one can't help but be impressed. The author's ability to describe character emotions is some of the best I have ever seen. I also particularly appreciated the author's portrayal of female characters. Too often, I read books where the female characters are mere caricatures meant to fill some placeholder role so the men can do all the important things. That's not the case in Starshine. Each of the female characters is a unique individual with believable, relatable motivations and personalities. I loved all of them for that, but was particularly fond of Alex and Miriam and the relationship between them. Olivia was also a very interesting character and I hope to see more of her in the next book.
There are a few reasons why I didn't give this book 5 stars. The main issue I had was in the way characters were presented, especially in the beginning of the story. Point of view changes frequently, and with such a myriad of characters thrown at you all at once, it becomes very difficult to keep them straight. The character index is helpful, but might have been unnecessary if the characters were presented in such a way that made them more distinct, memorable, and distinguishable. Many of the characters seemed to blend together for at least the first half of the book, and at times I wondered why the point of view chapters for some of the more minor characters had been included at all.
I admit that I am not really an avid science-fiction reader, so this may just be a personal preferrence. However, I was a little frustrated by how much in-depth explanation of science and technology there is. Scientific concepts have never been easy for me to understand, so some of this felt like it was completely over my head and obviously that's just my own failing. However, it wasn't always the content of these sections that annoyed me, but the way in which they were presented. At times--particularly early on in the book--Jennsen interupts the action of the story to tell us about some bit of technology and how it works. It's a little off-putting to be reading an exciting spaceship chase only to have it interrupted so that the author can tell you about particle beams.
That being said, this was without a doubt an excellent story. I would certainly recommend it to any science fiction fan and, as I said, I can't wait to read the next books in the series.
Top reviews from other countries
- Peter SmithReviewed in the United Kingdom on March 22, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars An utterly compelling read
This is the first book I've read by this author. Usually, I dip in and out of sci-fi novels, just reading the odd one by a particular author and not bothering to buy another book in a series. For the first time, I'm going to read the entire series and I've even joined the mailing list - another first for me.
In this novel, the author has managed to create a logical and believable world of the future, peopled by characters that seem real and compelling and very definitely three-dimensional. And she tells a hell of a good story that is also believable, not least the pointless bickering of Earth-bound bureaucrats seemingly too stupid to appreciate the huge threat lurking in the heavens above them. For anyone who's ever had any dealing with government officials, that will strike a very familiar chord. She knows the science and manages to convey details about faster-than-light travel and technology in a way that seems just to be reminding you of something that you already knew but had forgotten about. That's a difficult trick to pull off, but she manages it effortlessly, which means she took a lot of care over her writing.
One characteristic of self-published books, and even some commercially-published novels, is the number of typos, punctuation errors and the like that creep in, sometimes making the book virtually unreadable. This is a big book telling a big story and I was unable to find a single error, which is both astonishing and highly commendable. And I do know what I'm talking about - I'm a commercially published author of over thirty books and even when the manuscript has gone through all the professional editing stages it is still possible for errors to exist. As a self-published author, she must either have a brilliant copy-editor or check the manuscript ruthlessly herself: either way, it's an excellent result.
And she can certainly write. My only tiny negative comment is that I didn't like the explicit sex scenes. This is something that I've noticed before: almost every book I've read that contains such scenes has been written by a female author. Male authors tend to stop the description at the bedroom door and leave it there. Having said that, I do know why she did it, because it was important in establishing the relationship between the two main characters, and she does write the scenes with a particularly deft hand. But I still think she could have done without them.
Overall, an excellent first novel - in fact, it's very difficult to believe that it was a first novel because it is so well written - and highly recommended. I'm greatly looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
- LouiseReviewed in Australia on January 29, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Unstoppable
So you think you'll try one or two books and see how it goes. Think again! This story is addictive, you will want more. And there is also that age old question... "What if...?"
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in India on July 30, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Good
Good
-
SenzasensoReviewed in Germany on August 14, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Großartig
Dieses Buch war für mich eine echte Entdeckung. Die Charaktere sind komplex und interessant, der Plot hochspannend, das beschriebene Universum samt Technik stimmig und die politischen Verwicklungen zwischen den rivalisierenden Parteien überzeugend, ohne zu langweilen.
Noch ein Pluspunkt - für mich bei Serien superwichtig: Es endet nicht nur NICHT mit einem unangenehmen Cliffhanger, sondern die Folgebände fassen die vorhergegangenen Ereignisse kurz zusammen. Man könnte im Prinzip jedes Buch der Serie auch einzeln lesen oder den nächsten Band mit einigem Abstand, ohne dass man Verständnisprobleme hat.
Sehr empfehlenswert.
- McKnifeReviewed in Canada on April 20, 2014
5.0 out of 5 stars An honest 5 star read
I was quite disappointed when I went looking for volume two and found out there wasn't one yet and there were no more books by this author, unless there are some under another name. The author writes too well to believe he has only published one so far. Excellent varieties of characters and interesting plot. The many intricacies in this plot demand that you give the book your full attention. All in all, an excellent book.