Where to Start Your Renegade Journey
If you are looking to dive into J.N. Chaney's sprawling, action-packed space opera, the absolute best starting point is the very first book: Renegade Star. While the broader universe contains prequels set thousands of years in the past, starting here introduces you to Captain Jace Hughes, his ship, and the central mystery of humanity's lost homeworld, Earth. Beginning with the publication order ensures you experience the core lore and character dynamics exactly how the author intended, without running into spoilers from the spin-offs.
Renegade Star Main Series in Publication Order
The core narrative of the Renegade Star series spans 16 mainline novels following the crew of the Renegade Star. The subsequent two entries in the main list are companion short stories set within the same timeline. To follow Jace Hughes' quest to find Earth, read the books in this order:
- Renegade Star (2017)
- Renegade Atlas (2017)
- Renegade Moon (2017)
- Renegade Lost (2018)
- Renegade Fleet (2018)
- Renegade Earth (2018)
- Renegade Dawn (2018)
- Renegade Children (2019)
- Renegade Union (2019)
- Renegade Empire (2019)
- Renegade Descent (2019)
- Renegade Rising (2019)
- Renegade Alliance (2019)
- Renegade Evolution (2020)
- Renegade War (2020)
- Renegade Peace (2020)
- End of Watch (2022) - A companion short story set concurrently with Renegade Moon.
- Lost in the City (2023) - A companion short story set in the Renegade Star universe.
Chronological Order vs. Publication Order
For readers who want to experience the universe in the order that historical events occurred, J.N. Chaney maps out a detailed chronological timeline. However, reading chronologically can be confusing for newcomers because it jumps across thousands of years and shifts focus away from Captain Jace Hughes. Here is how the timeline is structured chronologically:
- The Transient Era: Set over 2,000 years before the main timeline. This era is covered by the Orion Colony series, which chronicles humanity's early interstellar journeys.
- The Prequel Era (Renegade Origins): Set 26 years before the main timeline. It features stories like Nameless and The Constable, detailing the backstory of the universe's factions.
- The Main Timeline (MTL): The core 16-book Renegade Star series following Jace Hughes.
- The Sequel Era: Set after the events of the main series, starting with The Fifth Column.
We strongly recommend sticking to the Publication Order of the Main Series first, and then branching out into the prequel or sequel series once you are fully invested in the universe.
Exploring the Prequels, Spin-offs, and Sequel Series
J.N. Chaney has collaborated with several authors to expand the Renegade Star universe. If you want to explore the galaxy further, here are the major subseries and how they fit in:
Orion Colony (Prequel Series)
Co-authored with Jonathan Yanez, this 4-book series takes place thousands of years before Jace Hughes' time. It is a classic colonization survival story. The books are:
- Orion Colony
- Orion Uncharted
- Orion Awakened
- Orion Protected
Renegade Origins (Prequel Era)
This series acts as a direct prequel to the main series, detailing the origins of key factions and characters 26 years before Book 1. The books in this subseries include Nameless, The Constable, The Constable Returns, and Warrior Queen.
The Fifth Column (Sequel Series)
Co-authored with Molly Lerma, this 5-book series is set after the events of the main Renegade Star storyline and focuses on the aftermath in the Sarkonian Empire. The books are:
- The Fifth Column
- The Solaris Initiative
- The Forlorn Hope
- Nature of War
- Last Stand
Other Interconnected Spin-offs
- Galactic Law: Co-authored with James S. Aaron, following peacekeepers in a lawless galaxy.
- Slip Runner: Co-authored with M.F. Lerma, diving into the dangerous job of slip running.
- Deadland Drifter: Co-authored with Ell Leigh Clarke, bringing space western grit to the forefront.
- The Last Reaper: Co-authored with Scott Moon, which shares crossovers and connections to the broader timeline.
What to Know Before You Start
The Renegade Star series is a fast-paced, action-oriented space opera that reads like a mix of Firefly, Han Solo, and Indiana Jones. You should expect a lot of banter, military sci-fi action, and ancient mysteries. However, because the overarching plot about finding Earth is continuous, the mainline books cannot be read as standalones. You will want to read them in sequence to understand the evolving galactic politics and character relationships.