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Star Trails Tetralogy #2
A Dark of Endless Days
Cyraria is a hostile world with weather extremes beyond imagination. With Opposition, the worst portion of the heat season on the way, Dirck Brightstar and his father, Laren take on the challenge of modifying their primitive shelter to withstand the hostile environment in what is rapidly becoming a dystopian nightmare. Their attempt to build a heat exchanger (air conditioner) to maintain a survivable temperature is interrupted when Laren is arrested in a midnight raid and incarcerated as a political prisoner as a part of Augustus Troy's Integration recruiting efforts. Dirck is thus left on his own to fend for his family, more separated now than ever before. His friend, Win, proves to be a valuable ally though his little brother, Deven, becomes the real hero thanks to his strange alliance with an indigenous race known as the bnolar. Creena, another family member separated from the family in a previous incident, experiences increasing trouble as well when she and her 'troid, Aggie and vegemal, Thyron, land on a planet seeking a more capable vehicle for the trip back to the family's homeworld, Mira III, to obtain assistance. Their efforts are thwarted when authorities impound their ship and separate them as targets for government scrutiny and investigation. Creena's options are severely limited and further complicated by Integrator attempts to abduct her, the evil purpose of which she can sense but doesn't understand. With no other choice but to adapt to a primitive and alien lifestyle until her situation is resolved, when it finally comes time to leave she discovers she's grown more attached to this backward world than she ever thought possible. [NOTE: --Readers with a strong interest in science will particularly enjoy these stories in which the author demonstrates numerous scientific principles and their importance through entertaining plot action. This is Volume II of the Star Trails Tetralogy. Enjoying this episode does not depend on reading Volume I.]
- GenresScience Fiction
366 pages, Paperback
First published August 26, 2012
About the author
Marcha A. Fox
17 books188 followersThe first book in the Star Trails Tetralogy, "Beyond the Hidden Sky", is free on most online sales channels which you can find here: https://books2read.com/u/bOr8j0
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Marcha Fox was born in Peekskill, New York and has lived in California, Utah and Texas in the course of raising her family.
Her passion for science fiction began as a child. While her first stories were written in 6th grade describing her teachers' planets of origin, her determination to write seriously in that genre knew no bounds, such that she went back to college in her 30s to obtain a bachelor’s of science degree in physics. After graduation she spent over 23 years working in the aerospace industry, most of which was at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas where she held a variety of positions including technical writer, engineer and eventually manager.
Science and engineering experience notwithstanding, it’s the unexplained mysteries of the cosmos, such as psi phenomena, time travel and the concept of a universal consciousness, which fascinate her the most and provide the setting for her Star Trails Tetralogy. Centered on the Brightstar family who has been torn apart by a storm of political and scientific intrigue, they will stop at nothing until they are reunited.
She is currently retired and living in the Texas Hill Country.
Join Preferred Readers to receive notice of giveaways, special deals, events and public appearances! http://eepurl.com/bn0N7v
Marcha Fox was born in Peekskill, New York and has lived in California, Utah and Texas in the course of raising her family.
Her passion for science fiction began as a child. While her first stories were written in 6th grade describing her teachers' planets of origin, her determination to write seriously in that genre knew no bounds, such that she went back to college in her 30s to obtain a bachelor’s of science degree in physics. After graduation she spent over 23 years working in the aerospace industry, most of which was at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas where she held a variety of positions including technical writer, engineer and eventually manager.
Science and engineering experience notwithstanding, it’s the unexplained mysteries of the cosmos, such as psi phenomena, time travel and the concept of a universal consciousness, which fascinate her the most and provide the setting for her Star Trails Tetralogy. Centered on the Brightstar family who has been torn apart by a storm of political and scientific intrigue, they will stop at nothing until they are reunited.
She is currently retired and living in the Texas Hill Country.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 15, 2016
I made time over the holiday season to read the second book in this wonderful series. The family is still torn apart, Creena is on Terra, desperate to return to her family and completely bewildered by the backward humans living on planet Earth (loved all the references to UFOs and aliens), while the rest of her family is surviving life on a hostile planet passing between two suns.
The heat ramps up as does the drama as Dirck is forced to take on Laren Brightstar’s design for an AC system that might keep the family alive during the hot season while Troy (baddie) plots how to manipulate Laren into doing his bidding.
I am in awe of the world author Marcha Fox has created. She has populated our galaxy with human colonies and aliens, enriching the story with intricate detail covering solar systems, seasons, geology, politics, anthropological, fauna, eco-commerce, technological, and spiritual beliefs that are unveiled layer upon layer as the story progresses.
The children are learning so much and (as I mentioned in my review for the first book) the reader learns right along with them. These kids face an epic struggle for survival and I felt their joy with each small success and their despair when everything they’ve worked for begins to fall apart on them. The characterisation is beautifully carried throughout and you witness the children’s emotional growth. Deven is still one to watch! I think leaving Mira was the best thing that could have happened to them. I shudder to think how their lives might have turned out if their biggest trial to face had been boredom and compliance in a system designed to perpetuate the ordinary. Not on Cyraria. Here, Marcha Fox has created something extraordinary.
Take your time reading this book as this is not a fast-paced read although it certainly has its heart-thumping moments. However, the pace encouraged me to slow down, savour the rich detail, and get inside the heads of these children. A thoroughly enjoyable read and I’m very much looking forward to Book 3!
( I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.)
The heat ramps up as does the drama as Dirck is forced to take on Laren Brightstar’s design for an AC system that might keep the family alive during the hot season while Troy (baddie) plots how to manipulate Laren into doing his bidding.
I am in awe of the world author Marcha Fox has created. She has populated our galaxy with human colonies and aliens, enriching the story with intricate detail covering solar systems, seasons, geology, politics, anthropological, fauna, eco-commerce, technological, and spiritual beliefs that are unveiled layer upon layer as the story progresses.
The children are learning so much and (as I mentioned in my review for the first book) the reader learns right along with them. These kids face an epic struggle for survival and I felt their joy with each small success and their despair when everything they’ve worked for begins to fall apart on them. The characterisation is beautifully carried throughout and you witness the children’s emotional growth. Deven is still one to watch! I think leaving Mira was the best thing that could have happened to them. I shudder to think how their lives might have turned out if their biggest trial to face had been boredom and compliance in a system designed to perpetuate the ordinary. Not on Cyraria. Here, Marcha Fox has created something extraordinary.
Take your time reading this book as this is not a fast-paced read although it certainly has its heart-thumping moments. However, the pace encouraged me to slow down, savour the rich detail, and get inside the heads of these children. A thoroughly enjoyable read and I’m very much looking forward to Book 3!
( I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.)
August 5, 2016
In THE DARK OF ENDLESS DAYS, Book II of the STAR TRAILS TETRALOGY, the author, Marcha Fox, takes us deeper into the lives of the Brightstar family and their personal expressions of communal love. Torn apart by diabolical political forces, the Brightstars commitment to reuniting the family almost seems hard-wired in their brains. The validity of this commitment is not really questioned because this type of allegiance is familiar to most of us. It’s something primal in our souls, a feeling buried so deeply within us that it is beyond words. Commitment to family gives us comfort, especially as children. It gives us security and keeps fear at bay while subtly suggesting, “As long as we all are together, everything will be okay.”
Two generations of Brightstars play off each other in sharp contrast and they approach life’s problems in different ways. The older, or experienced, generation consists of Laren and Sharra. Laren, the patriarch of the family, is the linchpin that holds them all together and he sets the bar high for his children. To me, Laren is the most interesting character in the book. He is the exhausted yet tireless hero-in-chief and the wisest among men. I want to know more about his life and his extraordinary gifts and skills. If Laren has any weakness, it’s for his darling wife, Sharra. From the reader’s prospective, Laren appears to protect her from the harsh realities of their situation and I wonder why. Sharra is mostly the silent martyr in the story; she is ever present, yet reserved or distant and unknowable. I would like to see Sharra’s character developed a bit more. She certainly deserves a breakthrough moment where she feels her strength.
The younger, or untested, generation consists of the teenagers, Creena and Dirk Brightstar. Creena seems the antithesis of her mother. Creena is direct, rebellious, opinionate and highly evolved while Dirk is petty and somewhat of a bully. While Creena’s spaceship lands on our favorite, familiar planet, the rest of the Brightstars are stranded on the toxic planet of Cyraria and doing their best to stay alive.
Dirk, Laren’s older son, takes on a larger role in this book. Abrupt changes in the family dynamics leaves Dirk feeling unprepared when he realizes his commitment to family has put him into a position of caring for his mother and little brother. When crisis after crisis strike, Dirk struggles to fill his father’s shoes, but Dirk’s optimism shrivels to hopelessness as their technology fails to serve them.
Despite Dirk’s lack of confidence, he is the only family member that questions his father’s motives. If Dirk is the young hero of this story, he must question the assumptions of the previous generation and find better ways of coping with the problems at hand. It’s not that Dirk mistrusts or dislikes his father, if anything Dirk is in complete awe of the great Laren Brightstar. The trial of questioning our assumptions and motives of the past takes great courage and is a crucial test along the hero’s journey. Adulthood usually comes in drips and dabs, yet defining moments arise when the hero realizes the future is upon him and he must act. “Hold onto 16 as long as you can, changes come around real soon, make us women and men.”* (*John Mellencamp). With adulthood come new powers, but the powers are useless until the hero takes responsibility for his actions. When the hero learns to weigh his intentions, it will define the parameters of his integrity and he will own his power. Despite all the hurdles the Brightstars face, the challenge of gaining their power and using it properly will decide all their fates.
This is a story for our times, about what endures when technology fails, the climate turns toxic, and we are out of luck. Despite the injustices suffered, despite the petty differences between Creena and Dirk and the light years separating the Brightstars, their loyalty to family never wavers. They are sustained by the belief that, “No problem is insurmountable as long as long as they are together.” No human animal thrives alone. Our connections are not always obvious, because the spirit of community is deep within our entwined roots.
The irony in the Brightstar family becomes apparent as the family reacts to their immediate struggles. Their definition of family must burgeon to encompass more than genetic similarities. When help is needed, humans make friends and learn the meaning of trust. Some of these friends don’t look like us and have beliefs different from our own, but family is intangible and made of more than genetic material. Family is made of commitment and loyalty to life.
Marcha Fox has a nice writing style and she sneaks little science lessons into her stories. Although her audience is “young adult,” there is nothing childish in her books and they are enjoyable to a wide spectrum of adult readers too. I thoroughly recommend the Star Trail Tetralogy. What a great read for these cold winter nights!
Two generations of Brightstars play off each other in sharp contrast and they approach life’s problems in different ways. The older, or experienced, generation consists of Laren and Sharra. Laren, the patriarch of the family, is the linchpin that holds them all together and he sets the bar high for his children. To me, Laren is the most interesting character in the book. He is the exhausted yet tireless hero-in-chief and the wisest among men. I want to know more about his life and his extraordinary gifts and skills. If Laren has any weakness, it’s for his darling wife, Sharra. From the reader’s prospective, Laren appears to protect her from the harsh realities of their situation and I wonder why. Sharra is mostly the silent martyr in the story; she is ever present, yet reserved or distant and unknowable. I would like to see Sharra’s character developed a bit more. She certainly deserves a breakthrough moment where she feels her strength.
The younger, or untested, generation consists of the teenagers, Creena and Dirk Brightstar. Creena seems the antithesis of her mother. Creena is direct, rebellious, opinionate and highly evolved while Dirk is petty and somewhat of a bully. While Creena’s spaceship lands on our favorite, familiar planet, the rest of the Brightstars are stranded on the toxic planet of Cyraria and doing their best to stay alive.
Dirk, Laren’s older son, takes on a larger role in this book. Abrupt changes in the family dynamics leaves Dirk feeling unprepared when he realizes his commitment to family has put him into a position of caring for his mother and little brother. When crisis after crisis strike, Dirk struggles to fill his father’s shoes, but Dirk’s optimism shrivels to hopelessness as their technology fails to serve them.
Despite Dirk’s lack of confidence, he is the only family member that questions his father’s motives. If Dirk is the young hero of this story, he must question the assumptions of the previous generation and find better ways of coping with the problems at hand. It’s not that Dirk mistrusts or dislikes his father, if anything Dirk is in complete awe of the great Laren Brightstar. The trial of questioning our assumptions and motives of the past takes great courage and is a crucial test along the hero’s journey. Adulthood usually comes in drips and dabs, yet defining moments arise when the hero realizes the future is upon him and he must act. “Hold onto 16 as long as you can, changes come around real soon, make us women and men.”* (*John Mellencamp). With adulthood come new powers, but the powers are useless until the hero takes responsibility for his actions. When the hero learns to weigh his intentions, it will define the parameters of his integrity and he will own his power. Despite all the hurdles the Brightstars face, the challenge of gaining their power and using it properly will decide all their fates.
This is a story for our times, about what endures when technology fails, the climate turns toxic, and we are out of luck. Despite the injustices suffered, despite the petty differences between Creena and Dirk and the light years separating the Brightstars, their loyalty to family never wavers. They are sustained by the belief that, “No problem is insurmountable as long as long as they are together.” No human animal thrives alone. Our connections are not always obvious, because the spirit of community is deep within our entwined roots.
The irony in the Brightstar family becomes apparent as the family reacts to their immediate struggles. Their definition of family must burgeon to encompass more than genetic similarities. When help is needed, humans make friends and learn the meaning of trust. Some of these friends don’t look like us and have beliefs different from our own, but family is intangible and made of more than genetic material. Family is made of commitment and loyalty to life.
Marcha Fox has a nice writing style and she sneaks little science lessons into her stories. Although her audience is “young adult,” there is nothing childish in her books and they are enjoyable to a wide spectrum of adult readers too. I thoroughly recommend the Star Trail Tetralogy. What a great read for these cold winter nights!
February 11, 2015
In THE DARK OF ENDLESS DAYS, Book II of the STAR TRAILS TETRALOGY, the author, Marcha Fox, takes us deeper into the lives of the Brightstar family and their personal expressions of communal love. Torn apart by diabolical political forces, the Brightstars commitment to reuniting the family almost seems hard-wired in their brains. The validity of this commitment is not questioned because this type of allegiance is familiar to most of us. It’s something primal in our souls, a feeling buried so deeply within us that it is beyond words. Commitment to family gives us comfort, especially as children. It gives us security and keeps fear at bay while subtly suggesting, “As long as we all are together, everything will be okay.”
Two generations of Brightstars play off each other in sharp contrast and they approach life’s problems in different ways. The older, or experienced, generation consists of Laren and Sharra. Laren, the patriarch of the family, is the linchpin that holds them all together and he sets the bar high for his children. To me, Laren is the most interesting character in the book. He is the exhausted yet tireless hero-in-chief and the wisest among men. I want to know more about his life and his extraordinary gifts and skills. If Laren has any weakness, it’s for his darling wife, Sharra. From the reader’s prospective, Laren appears to protect her from the harsher realities of their situation and I wonder why. Sharra is mostly the silent martyr in the story; she is ever present, yet reserved or distant and unknowable. I would like to see Sharra’s character developed a bit more. She certainly deserves a breakthrough moment when she feels her strength.
The younger, or untested, generation consists of the teenagers, Creena and Dirk Brightstar. Creena seems the antithesis of her mother. Creena is direct, rebellious, opinionate and highly evolved while Dirk is petty and somewhat of a bully. While Creena’s spaceship lands on our favorite, familiar planet, the rest of the Brightstars are stranded on the toxic planet of Cyraria and doing their best to stay alive.
Dirk, Laren’s older son, takes on a larger role in this book. Abrupt changes in the family dynamics leaves Dirk feeling unprepared when he realizes his commitment to family has put him into a position of caring for his mother and little brother, Deven. When crisis after crisis strike, Dirk struggles to fill his father’s shoes, but Dirk’s optimism shrivels to hopelessness as their technology fails to serve them.
Despite Dirk’s lack of confidence, he is the only family member that questions his father’s motives. If Dirk is the young hero of this story, he must question the assumptions of the previous generation and find better ways of coping with the problems at hand. It’s not that Dirk mistrusts or dislikes his father, if anything Dirk is in complete awe of the great Laren Brightstar. The trial of questioning our assumptions and motives of the past takes great courage and is a crucial test along the hero’s journey. Adulthood usually comes in drips and dabs, yet defining moments arise when the hero realizes the future is upon him and he must act. “Hold onto 16 as long as you can, changes come around real soon, make us women and men.”* (*John Mellencamp). With adulthood come new powers, but the powers are useless until the hero takes responsibility for his actions. When the hero learns to weigh his intentions, it will define the parameters of his integrity and he will own his power. Despite all the hurdles the Brightstars face, the challenge of gaining their power and using it properly will decide all their fates.
This is a story for our times, about what endures when technology fails, the climate turns toxic, and we are out of luck. Despite the injustices suffered, despite the petty differences between Creena and Dirk and the light years separating the Brightstars, their loyalty to family never wavers. They are sustained by the belief that, “No problem is insurmountable as long as long as they are together.” No human animal thrives alone. Our connections are not always obvious, because the spirit of community is deep within our entwined roots.
The irony in the Brightstar family becomes apparent as the family reacts to their immediate struggles. Their definition of family must burgeon to encompass more than genetic similarities. When help is needed, humans make friends and learn the meaning of trust. Some of these friends don’t look like us and have beliefs different from our own, but family is intangible and made of more than genetic material. Family is made of commitment and loyalty to life.
Marcha Fox has a nice writing style and she sneaks little science lessons into her stories. Although her audience is “young adult,” there is nothing childish in her books and they are enjoyable to a wide spectrum of adult readers too. I thoroughly recommend the Star Trail Tetralogy. What a great read for these cold winter nights!
Two generations of Brightstars play off each other in sharp contrast and they approach life’s problems in different ways. The older, or experienced, generation consists of Laren and Sharra. Laren, the patriarch of the family, is the linchpin that holds them all together and he sets the bar high for his children. To me, Laren is the most interesting character in the book. He is the exhausted yet tireless hero-in-chief and the wisest among men. I want to know more about his life and his extraordinary gifts and skills. If Laren has any weakness, it’s for his darling wife, Sharra. From the reader’s prospective, Laren appears to protect her from the harsher realities of their situation and I wonder why. Sharra is mostly the silent martyr in the story; she is ever present, yet reserved or distant and unknowable. I would like to see Sharra’s character developed a bit more. She certainly deserves a breakthrough moment when she feels her strength.
The younger, or untested, generation consists of the teenagers, Creena and Dirk Brightstar. Creena seems the antithesis of her mother. Creena is direct, rebellious, opinionate and highly evolved while Dirk is petty and somewhat of a bully. While Creena’s spaceship lands on our favorite, familiar planet, the rest of the Brightstars are stranded on the toxic planet of Cyraria and doing their best to stay alive.
Dirk, Laren’s older son, takes on a larger role in this book. Abrupt changes in the family dynamics leaves Dirk feeling unprepared when he realizes his commitment to family has put him into a position of caring for his mother and little brother, Deven. When crisis after crisis strike, Dirk struggles to fill his father’s shoes, but Dirk’s optimism shrivels to hopelessness as their technology fails to serve them.
Despite Dirk’s lack of confidence, he is the only family member that questions his father’s motives. If Dirk is the young hero of this story, he must question the assumptions of the previous generation and find better ways of coping with the problems at hand. It’s not that Dirk mistrusts or dislikes his father, if anything Dirk is in complete awe of the great Laren Brightstar. The trial of questioning our assumptions and motives of the past takes great courage and is a crucial test along the hero’s journey. Adulthood usually comes in drips and dabs, yet defining moments arise when the hero realizes the future is upon him and he must act. “Hold onto 16 as long as you can, changes come around real soon, make us women and men.”* (*John Mellencamp). With adulthood come new powers, but the powers are useless until the hero takes responsibility for his actions. When the hero learns to weigh his intentions, it will define the parameters of his integrity and he will own his power. Despite all the hurdles the Brightstars face, the challenge of gaining their power and using it properly will decide all their fates.
This is a story for our times, about what endures when technology fails, the climate turns toxic, and we are out of luck. Despite the injustices suffered, despite the petty differences between Creena and Dirk and the light years separating the Brightstars, their loyalty to family never wavers. They are sustained by the belief that, “No problem is insurmountable as long as long as they are together.” No human animal thrives alone. Our connections are not always obvious, because the spirit of community is deep within our entwined roots.
The irony in the Brightstar family becomes apparent as the family reacts to their immediate struggles. Their definition of family must burgeon to encompass more than genetic similarities. When help is needed, humans make friends and learn the meaning of trust. Some of these friends don’t look like us and have beliefs different from our own, but family is intangible and made of more than genetic material. Family is made of commitment and loyalty to life.
Marcha Fox has a nice writing style and she sneaks little science lessons into her stories. Although her audience is “young adult,” there is nothing childish in her books and they are enjoyable to a wide spectrum of adult readers too. I thoroughly recommend the Star Trail Tetralogy. What a great read for these cold winter nights!
March 11, 2019
Following directly on from book one, this second novel in the Star Trails series continues the adventures of the Brightstar family as they fight against the odds to become united once more. With the necessary ‘world building’ out of the way in book one, the second is free to plunge headlong into the adventure, pitting the family members against a variety of dangers, some human, some alien and some just nature itself. The story flows at a good pace and is well written with descriptions that are rich and vivid but never too dense as to be detracting. The story mainly centres on how the disparate parts of the family adapt to their changing environments rather than being an action oriented adventure, however, when the action scenes do come, they are tense and exciting, with a genuine sense of urgency.
Out of all the characters’ story arcs, I enjoyed Creena’s the most as she is without a doubt the most fully realised and sympathetic character in the story - her pain at the separation from her family felt very real and honest. Being aimed at younger readers, the story concentrates mainly on the younger characters as you might expect, meaning the adults are very much demoted to background characters, and there perhaps lies the only downside for me as I would have liked to have learned a little more about Creena’s parents. Perhaps this will be addressed in later books.
Even though the book is primarily aimed at younger readers and is therefore ‘clean’ and free of graphic violence, there is enough story depth and characterisation to appeal to sci-fi fans of all ages - I am fifty myself. So if you would like to lose yourself in a fascinating otherworldly adventure, I can heartily recommend this book. Well done.
Out of all the characters’ story arcs, I enjoyed Creena’s the most as she is without a doubt the most fully realised and sympathetic character in the story - her pain at the separation from her family felt very real and honest. Being aimed at younger readers, the story concentrates mainly on the younger characters as you might expect, meaning the adults are very much demoted to background characters, and there perhaps lies the only downside for me as I would have liked to have learned a little more about Creena’s parents. Perhaps this will be addressed in later books.
Even though the book is primarily aimed at younger readers and is therefore ‘clean’ and free of graphic violence, there is enough story depth and characterisation to appeal to sci-fi fans of all ages - I am fifty myself. So if you would like to lose yourself in a fascinating otherworldly adventure, I can heartily recommend this book. Well done.
August 10, 2014
A Dark of Endless Days by Marcha Fox is volune two in the Star Trails Tetralogy. This segment picks up exactly where volume one stopped. The Brightstar family is living on Cyraria-a hot dismal planet with two suns. The blazing heat and high opps creeping up on them they build a cooling system for their ballome and consider heading for cooler ground. Merapa always one step above the law isn’t so fallible and Creena gets stuck on Earth. Her opinions about earth and the descriptions of Earthlings and our society sent me into fits of laughter. A couple new characters drop in on this volume, a bnolar and Win- a friend of Dirck’s to make this story an ever increasingly interesting read.
Fox once again does an exceptional job building character and making her created universe a reality. I can’t turn a page without picturing the story in my mind and visualizing each character. With each novel in this series I read I find myself cringing on the edge of my seat, laughing out loud, and worried for each character. She gives the reader a bang for their buck.
A well written book that will not disappoint.
Fox once again does an exceptional job building character and making her created universe a reality. I can’t turn a page without picturing the story in my mind and visualizing each character. With each novel in this series I read I find myself cringing on the edge of my seat, laughing out loud, and worried for each character. She gives the reader a bang for their buck.
A well written book that will not disappoint.
October 29, 2015
A Dark of Endless Days by Marcha Fox is book 2 of Star Trails Tetralogy and the story just gets better. Gotta so love that title. Goosebumps! The author excels at delving deeper into her characters and their almost insurmountable problems that binds them together even though separated by the vastness of space.
With father and son on their chosen planet now in a heatwave to end all heatwaves that will suck every drop of fluid from them and if they survive that there are those sinister forces at work to keep them on their toes. Life is tough out there for the Brightstar family.
And poor Creena has her own problems to solve on a distant planet.
What amazed me was the author's techno-babble, I loved it and it all sounded plausible explaining distant solar systems, weather patterns, alien life and strange religions. Uber Cool!!!
This sequel is nothing less than extraordinary in its vast scale. Keep them coming Marcha.
Family friendly scifi of the highest standard. Very highly recommended.
With father and son on their chosen planet now in a heatwave to end all heatwaves that will suck every drop of fluid from them and if they survive that there are those sinister forces at work to keep them on their toes. Life is tough out there for the Brightstar family.
And poor Creena has her own problems to solve on a distant planet.
What amazed me was the author's techno-babble, I loved it and it all sounded plausible explaining distant solar systems, weather patterns, alien life and strange religions. Uber Cool!!!
This sequel is nothing less than extraordinary in its vast scale. Keep them coming Marcha.
Family friendly scifi of the highest standard. Very highly recommended.
December 18, 2014
Having read Marcha Fox's first book in this series, I knew what I was in for-- a great story, relationship conflicts, an imaginative new world, and some interesting technology to go along with it. I had taken some time between the two books, but was not confused when I continued the adventure with this story. In some other series, I feel like the author rushes the first chapter and squeezes all the characters in, not giving the reader a chance to reconnect with the characters. This was not the case with Ms. Fox's book.
Ms. Fox possesses a great writing style which draws the reader in and keeps the reader's attention. The flow and plot, although sci-fi, are somewhat believable because of the writing style and characters that come alive. Comic relief was inserted when we visit Earthilings, and there is enough substance and sub-plots to entertain readers of all genres, not just sci-fi. This is also a clean read which is suitable for the entire family.
Ms. Fox possesses a great writing style which draws the reader in and keeps the reader's attention. The flow and plot, although sci-fi, are somewhat believable because of the writing style and characters that come alive. Comic relief was inserted when we visit Earthilings, and there is enough substance and sub-plots to entertain readers of all genres, not just sci-fi. This is also a clean read which is suitable for the entire family.
August 17, 2016
A true Sci-fi in the vein of old science fiction literature, this story could end up as another classic. Its original, with all the components, technology, other world and races, and a contact with Earth. It also has tension and conflict, though mostly emotional and interpersonal, not ray guns. The characters are wonderful and real, and the only thing that disappointed me was that it was another "to be continued" story. If you are willing to follow a series then you will not be disappointed with this one.
July 18, 2014
The estimable sci-fi writer, Marcha Fox does it again. In this fast-paced sequel to Beyond The Hidden Sky, the Brightstar family continues to battle evil forces. His beloved father languishing in a fetid prison, it is up to young Dirck to embark on a hero's journey. Equipment malfunctions, duplicitous entities and High Opp's torturous heat conspire to foil Dirck in his efforts to rescue his father and reunite the family. Written in a technically proficient yet engaging style this book is sure to captivate science fiction lovers of all ages!
February 11, 2015
In this book the Brighstar's saga continues as Creena continues her efforts to be reunited with her family while they suffer on Cyraria with extreme heat and a hostile environment. Creena's brother Dirck and their father attempt to make a heat exchanger to help the family survive the brutal atmosphere until the father Laren is arrested and held as a political prisoner. Drick tries his best for the family as they seem to be flung further apart. This series is addictive. One is not enough.
November 25, 2017
4.5 for this second installment in the Star Trails Tetralogy. It took me a little while to get into this one, mainly because it was more difficult to connect with Dirck than I had with Creena in book 1, but the suspense grows tighter and tighter as the story progresses, leaving the entire Brightstar family in dire peril! The ending will definitely make you want to dive into book 3 to find out what happens to them! Recommended for science fiction fans of all ages.
November 13, 2021
This book was really well written and well thought out. The Brightstar family feels genuine and like a family you would love to know. As you follow their exploits you become involved and want to continue on with the story. This book and the others in the series are an interesting read and take you on a wonderful adventure. Great job!
August 28, 2015
Just getting warmed up! I love these books!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews