The last survivor from a planet of eight billion
The galaxy is in flames under the harsh theocratic rule of Concordance, the culture that once thrived among the stars reduced to scattered fragments. Selene Ada, last survivor of an obliterated planet, joins forces with the mysterious renegade, Ondo Lagan.
Together they attempt to unravel the mystery of Concordance’s rapid rise to galactic … to galactic domination. They follow a trail of shattered starship hulks and ancient alien ruins, with the ships of the enemy always one step behind.
But it’s only when they find the mythical planet of Coronade that they uncover the true scale of the destruction Concordance is capable of unleashing…
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Splendidly done! Should be on every reader’s ‘Must Read’ list!
Dead Star is the first volume in the Triple Stars Trilogy. As a first volume must, it establishes the context, the characters, and the nature of the conflict. For this reason it may seem like it is starting off a little slowly, but it isn’t. You, the reader, have already been grabbed by the plot and you are impatient to know what happens next. The story is told in three sections offering an uncommon logical progression.
The first section establishes the characters and the devastating magnitude of the crisis.
The second section develops the suspiciously sudden rise and dominance of the Concordance church and its “Omn” cult, and its maliciously maneuvering and power-hungry leaders who use merciless ‘Void Walker’ enforcers. The Concordance church holds the entire galaxy in its iron grip using lies, fake histories, enforced social engineering and, on a whim, planetary genocide as a big way to make a small point.
Resisting this galactic empire from their asteroid “refuge” are Selene Ada (a twenty-something spitfire), and Ondo Lagan (and elderly researcher and inventor) – and a space ship that is at least four hundred year old, should be sentient but is in a mental fugue and hiding secrets of its own. …let the bad guys tremble.
In the third section, the larger story is developed. Ondo suspects that there is a lot more going on than anyone suspects. He is more right than he could ever guess. Galactic civilization came to a sudden standstill three hundred years ago when the Magelenic coalition lost the Omnian war to the Concordance who suddenly had massive fleets of super powerful ships. What happened three hundred years ago that Concordance wants forgotten? Did something even worse happen hundreds, or thousands of years before the Onmian war? Is a forgotten terror attempting a comeback? Is some long silent entity still resisting this terror and secretly helping Selen and Ondo?
I recommend this book, and the two to follow, as must read. I am certainly looking forward to learning what happens to Selene and Ondo.
Allow a full day for this NC17 space adventure in which Selene Ada, the sole survivor of planet Maes Far which had been sterilized by Concordance, is rescued by Ondo Lagan, originally of Sintorus and now of Refuge. I had an ARC and this voluntary review is my own opinion.
Received as an ARC/review copy, this is an honest review. Selene has lost her family, the world she once called home and nearly her life… if it wasn’t for her mysterious savior- Ondo Lagan. Staying alive for Selene is an torturous struggle but her hatred for what regime of Concordance has done to her. With the aid of Ondo’s advanced technology and the layered alien bread crumbs, they race against the shadow of their enemy to shake Concordance down. What Selene unravels with leave her haunted as what Concordance’s planned will have consequences across the universe. This emotionally deep thrill ride with have you caught up in one epic struggle to change the future. Highly recommended.