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Gaia Nova #2
Desert Stars
A TALE FROM THE FRINGES OF AN INTERSTELLAR EMPIRE THAT HAS FORGOTTEN ITS HOLIEST LEGEND: THE STORY OF EARTH.
He was the sole heir to the Najmi camp, a young man raised by tribesmen after falling to the desert from his home among the stars. She was the sheikh's most beautiful daughter, promised his hand in marriage-if she can convince him to stay.
Together, they must travel to a land where glass covers the sky and men traverse the stars as easily as tribesmen cross the desert. Here, at the ancient temple dedicated to the memory of Earth, they hope to find the answers that will show them the way home. But when love and honor clash, how can they face their destiny when it threatens to tear them apart?
He was the sole heir to the Najmi camp, a young man raised by tribesmen after falling to the desert from his home among the stars. She was the sheikh's most beautiful daughter, promised his hand in marriage-if she can convince him to stay.
Together, they must travel to a land where glass covers the sky and men traverse the stars as easily as tribesmen cross the desert. Here, at the ancient temple dedicated to the memory of Earth, they hope to find the answers that will show them the way home. But when love and honor clash, how can they face their destiny when it threatens to tear them apart?
- GenresScience Fiction
296 pages, Paperback
First published December 18, 2011
11 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
Joe Vasicek
125 books103 followersJoe Vasicek fell in love with science fiction and fantasy when he read A Wrinkle in Time and The Neverending Story as a child. He wrote several unfinished novels in high school and took Brandon Sanderson's writing class at Brigham Young University.
He first came onto the indie writing scene in 2011 with his debut novel Genesis Earth. Since then, he has written more than twenty novels and novellas, including Genesis Earth, Gunslinger to the Stars, The Sword Keeper, and the Sons of the Starfarers series. His stories have been published in Perehilion, Mirror Dance, Sci Phi Journal, Uprising Review, Kasma SF, and Leading Edge.
As a young man, he studied Arabic and traveled across the Middle East and the Caucasus Mountains. He has also traveled across the United States, and has lived in Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, California, Utah, Washington DC, and Iowa. Wherever he goes, though, he's always writing.
He first came onto the indie writing scene in 2011 with his debut novel Genesis Earth. Since then, he has written more than twenty novels and novellas, including Genesis Earth, Gunslinger to the Stars, The Sword Keeper, and the Sons of the Starfarers series. His stories have been published in Perehilion, Mirror Dance, Sci Phi Journal, Uprising Review, Kasma SF, and Leading Edge.
As a young man, he studied Arabic and traveled across the Middle East and the Caucasus Mountains. He has also traveled across the United States, and has lived in Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, California, Utah, Washington DC, and Iowa. Wherever he goes, though, he's always writing.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 21, 2012
I'd probably rate this somewhere around 4 or 4.5 stars. The author is a friend of mine and does a great job of creating a wonderful story about identity, belief, and duty in an intriguing setting. The writing reminds me of Orson Scott Card in some ways.
September 8, 2020
Science fiction at its best
Such a richly detailed world and culture. I did not want to stop reading.The characters have complexity and variety. It seemed like a world that really could exist.
Such a richly detailed world and culture. I did not want to stop reading.The characters have complexity and variety. It seemed like a world that really could exist.
June 28, 2012
I'm a big fan of Joe Vasicek's Gaia Nova universe. I read Bringing Stella Home last year, and was captivated not only by the interesting political and technological universe of the setting, but also by the characters and the heart-wrenching moral dilemmas they are faced with. After I finished, I couldn't wait for more Gaia Nova books.
Desert Stars did not disappoint, and presented a science-fiction story with some elements I haven't seen before--in particular, the first portion of the book, which, minus a few datachips and a spaceship, could have been a story about two real, believable people from modern earth making a challenging journey across the globe, not a science fiction book. That personal and "down-to-earth" beginning really set the stage for when the science fiction & space opera elements came into play later in the story, and made the story different than most science fiction I've read. Plus, their ethical dilemmas and struggles with morality, religion, and family are striking and interesting, and since I'm a person who reads books more for character and less for setting and plot, this worked well for me.
As the book progressed from a very personal planetside journey to something a little grander in scope, I started seeing connections between this and the world of Bringing Stella Home, which made the book even more enjoyable and exciting. I would recommend reading Stella before Desert Stars, but you definitely don't have to.
There were some things that didn't totally work for me, which is why I gave it 4 stars. Some situations seemed a bit contrived, and I couldn't empathize very well with Jalil and Mira's families (it's hard when you feel like characters are being stubborn for the sake of the story, not because they would actually behave that way). But those concerns are very minor, and I found the book a very enjoyable read--I read the first 30% over the course of a few weeks, and the last 70% in one night, if that's any indication.
I don't know what Vasicek's plans are for the series, but I sure hope that I see more of these characters (including side characters like Lars)...I hope they all have an Avengers-type encounter with the characters of Bringing Stella Home to team up and do something awesome in the face of the threats affecting all characters of the Gaia Nova universe.
Desert Stars did not disappoint, and presented a science-fiction story with some elements I haven't seen before--in particular, the first portion of the book, which, minus a few datachips and a spaceship, could have been a story about two real, believable people from modern earth making a challenging journey across the globe, not a science fiction book. That personal and "down-to-earth" beginning really set the stage for when the science fiction & space opera elements came into play later in the story, and made the story different than most science fiction I've read. Plus, their ethical dilemmas and struggles with morality, religion, and family are striking and interesting, and since I'm a person who reads books more for character and less for setting and plot, this worked well for me.
As the book progressed from a very personal planetside journey to something a little grander in scope, I started seeing connections between this and the world of Bringing Stella Home, which made the book even more enjoyable and exciting. I would recommend reading Stella before Desert Stars, but you definitely don't have to.
There were some things that didn't totally work for me, which is why I gave it 4 stars. Some situations seemed a bit contrived, and I couldn't empathize very well with Jalil and Mira's families (it's hard when you feel like characters are being stubborn for the sake of the story, not because they would actually behave that way). But those concerns are very minor, and I found the book a very enjoyable read--I read the first 30% over the course of a few weeks, and the last 70% in one night, if that's any indication.
I don't know what Vasicek's plans are for the series, but I sure hope that I see more of these characters (including side characters like Lars)...I hope they all have an Avengers-type encounter with the characters of Bringing Stella Home to team up and do something awesome in the face of the threats affecting all characters of the Gaia Nova universe.
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January 17, 2016a tale of self discovery for the protagonist
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews