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Tears of a Thousand Years
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 18, 2025
Vega, a Rememberer dedicated to preserving cultures before they fade into obscurity, travels with her brother Wren to a remote mountain village known as Small Home.
Vega and Wren’s climb to Small Home is not just a physical journey but a symbolic one. Through their contrasting personalities, Vega’s seriousness and sense of duty balanced against Wren’s humor and irreverence, Olson immediately grounds the reader in character-driven storytelling. Their interactions feel natural and warm, adding lightness to a narrative that ultimately grapples with themes of memory, loss, and responsibility.
Small Home itself is beautifully realized. The village feels alive, shaped by traditions, community, and an intimate relationship with the land. As Vega observes and records the lives of its inhabitants, the novel gently asks whether remembering is enough or whether true respect for a culture demands something deeper. The townspeople tell her amazing stories about Tantea, the teacher of miracles. How Vega’s encounter with Tantea will go?
The writing style of the author is nice. The world building is amazing. The cover photo is eye-catching and the title is suitable. The characters are well developed and will stay on my mind for a long time.
Vega and Wren’s climb to Small Home is not just a physical journey but a symbolic one. Through their contrasting personalities, Vega’s seriousness and sense of duty balanced against Wren’s humor and irreverence, Olson immediately grounds the reader in character-driven storytelling. Their interactions feel natural and warm, adding lightness to a narrative that ultimately grapples with themes of memory, loss, and responsibility.
Small Home itself is beautifully realized. The village feels alive, shaped by traditions, community, and an intimate relationship with the land. As Vega observes and records the lives of its inhabitants, the novel gently asks whether remembering is enough or whether true respect for a culture demands something deeper. The townspeople tell her amazing stories about Tantea, the teacher of miracles. How Vega’s encounter with Tantea will go?
The writing style of the author is nice. The world building is amazing. The cover photo is eye-catching and the title is suitable. The characters are well developed and will stay on my mind for a long time.
April 27, 2026
A fable, in the best possible way, of a whole alien people who need to change—and do. Not instantly, The “thousand years” in the title is not hyperbole. And certainly not easily. But they do. And the process, and the characters driving it, are at least as interesting as the result. The people are in many ways admirable: long lived, learned, creators of beauty. But, as one character says, they love their own children so much, they can’t seem to love anyone else’s children. Their apparently benign presence on each new world leads to the gradual extinction of three other intelligent species. A whole new profession has arisen to remember and record those who will soon disappear on a fourth planet. (There are definite echoes of the work of early cultural anthropologists like Margaret Mead, on our own world.)
One young Rememberer begins to hear rumors of a miracle worker among her subjects. Being a scientist, she is deeply skeptical. However, she observes this traveler not only performing extraordinary things, but teaching others to do them too. One of whom is her incorrigible younger brother.
I personally loved the interactions between the siblings, which have the definite ring of truth. They are very different. She is serious, methodical, determined and a little shy. Also brilliant. He is chaotic, a bit self centered, musical and funny. And determined not to be obviously serious, although he clearly is, in his own way. He lives in the present moment. She lives in her head, and in her project. In the end, they both prove critical to the unfolding redemption triggered by her request for a miracle from the traveler (who may just be very good at physics—and ethics).
The traveler didn’t know about the disappearance of the three sentient species, and goes to investigate. The portraits of each race are both personal and successively more alien. The profound tragedy of the death of each extinct people is palpable, no matter how sympathetic or not, familiar or profoundly alien. The traveler's response of grief and anger opens the way for learning and change in virtually everyone in the book. Along with big and small environmental connections, the capacity to change and grow is the most important and ubiquitous theme of the book. While clearly a book about hope, this story is not a sermon. Each choice to grow is a real one, and can lead to frustration, chaos, hard work, and sometimes exhilaration.
There are other important characters: phlegmatic, cynical, bitter, courageous, brilliant, devious, loving, complicated. However, to say more would be to spoil the book. I hope you will read it for yourself. I found it very uplifting. It held up very well on a second reading. I admire the apparently simple storytelling which hides layers and layers. There is much more showing than telling, even though the implications about colonialism and ecology are hard to miss.
I notice it is listed, among other things, as a young adult book. It certainly could be. It’s a great story about realistic "people", many of them young adults, facing real choices and doing significant things. But that in no way means older adults will not enjoy it. I love it (I’m old) and I believe it has the potential to become a classic. There is something about the tone that reminds me of the picture book Old Turtle.
What did I not like? The writing is occasionally a little stiff, although that got better.
I was given an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
One young Rememberer begins to hear rumors of a miracle worker among her subjects. Being a scientist, she is deeply skeptical. However, she observes this traveler not only performing extraordinary things, but teaching others to do them too. One of whom is her incorrigible younger brother.
I personally loved the interactions between the siblings, which have the definite ring of truth. They are very different. She is serious, methodical, determined and a little shy. Also brilliant. He is chaotic, a bit self centered, musical and funny. And determined not to be obviously serious, although he clearly is, in his own way. He lives in the present moment. She lives in her head, and in her project. In the end, they both prove critical to the unfolding redemption triggered by her request for a miracle from the traveler (who may just be very good at physics—and ethics).
The traveler didn’t know about the disappearance of the three sentient species, and goes to investigate. The portraits of each race are both personal and successively more alien. The profound tragedy of the death of each extinct people is palpable, no matter how sympathetic or not, familiar or profoundly alien. The traveler's response of grief and anger opens the way for learning and change in virtually everyone in the book. Along with big and small environmental connections, the capacity to change and grow is the most important and ubiquitous theme of the book. While clearly a book about hope, this story is not a sermon. Each choice to grow is a real one, and can lead to frustration, chaos, hard work, and sometimes exhilaration.
There are other important characters: phlegmatic, cynical, bitter, courageous, brilliant, devious, loving, complicated. However, to say more would be to spoil the book. I hope you will read it for yourself. I found it very uplifting. It held up very well on a second reading. I admire the apparently simple storytelling which hides layers and layers. There is much more showing than telling, even though the implications about colonialism and ecology are hard to miss.
I notice it is listed, among other things, as a young adult book. It certainly could be. It’s a great story about realistic "people", many of them young adults, facing real choices and doing significant things. But that in no way means older adults will not enjoy it. I love it (I’m old) and I believe it has the potential to become a classic. There is something about the tone that reminds me of the picture book Old Turtle.
What did I not like? The writing is occasionally a little stiff, although that got better.
I was given an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Review, Tears of 1000 Years:
It is a rare thing when I find a book I can fully enjoy when reading it the second time through. A story where nuance fills the pages to the point that a second reading still becomes a page turner. Tears of a Thousand Years is one of those books. I was honored to have received an advance copy of Glen Olson’s newest book to pre-read. I am reading it once again to write this review a few months later, and I’m still finding new nuance and enjoyment.
Gene Roddenberry told us we needed the Prime Directive. Glen Olsen shows us why. When even a race capable of greater empathy than the human race ventures into the universe without it, it quickly can be seen why it’s important. Why first contact rules matter. The Race found a lot of tragic drama, yet with no true “bad guys,” as they found new planets they could inhabit. Despite the alien nature of the characters, Glen makes them all feel very real. Consquently I found myself caring about each and every one of them, despite the mistakes some made. They were all "people" deserving of my sympathies.
All in all, it was a very satisfying read and with enough nuance to both the characters and the storyline, I was still finding new things to love about the book even after multiple readings. Highly recommended for those who love science fiction that urges you to think, “what if.”
– W. D. Beal
It is a rare thing when I find a book I can fully enjoy when reading it the second time through. A story where nuance fills the pages to the point that a second reading still becomes a page turner. Tears of a Thousand Years is one of those books. I was honored to have received an advance copy of Glen Olson’s newest book to pre-read. I am reading it once again to write this review a few months later, and I’m still finding new nuance and enjoyment.
Gene Roddenberry told us we needed the Prime Directive. Glen Olsen shows us why. When even a race capable of greater empathy than the human race ventures into the universe without it, it quickly can be seen why it’s important. Why first contact rules matter. The Race found a lot of tragic drama, yet with no true “bad guys,” as they found new planets they could inhabit. Despite the alien nature of the characters, Glen makes them all feel very real. Consquently I found myself caring about each and every one of them, despite the mistakes some made. They were all "people" deserving of my sympathies.
All in all, it was a very satisfying read and with enough nuance to both the characters and the storyline, I was still finding new things to love about the book even after multiple readings. Highly recommended for those who love science fiction that urges you to think, “what if.”
– W. D. Beal
March 10, 2026
Thought-provoking science fiction about responsibility and redemption
Tears of a Thousand Years is an imaginative science-fiction novel that explores what happens when a powerful civilization is forced to confront the unintended consequences of its own expansion.
The long-lived species known as “the Race” has spread across many worlds and sees itself as largely peaceful and enlightened. But their presence quietly drives several intelligent species toward extinction. When a mysterious traveler intervenes and removes the Race’s ability to reproduce, their civilization is forced to reckon with what it has done.
The story follows Anya—the last child ever born to the Race—and the extraordinary effort that unfolds over centuries to restore the cultures and species that were lost. Along the way the book explores themes of responsibility, memory, humility, and redemption.
What I enjoyed most about this novel is its sense of scale and hope. Rather than focusing on dystopia or endless conflict, it asks a deeper question: what would a civilization do if it truly tried to make things right?
It’s thoughtful, imaginative science fiction that lingers in your mind long after the story ends.
Tears of a Thousand Years is an imaginative science-fiction novel that explores what happens when a powerful civilization is forced to confront the unintended consequences of its own expansion.
The long-lived species known as “the Race” has spread across many worlds and sees itself as largely peaceful and enlightened. But their presence quietly drives several intelligent species toward extinction. When a mysterious traveler intervenes and removes the Race’s ability to reproduce, their civilization is forced to reckon with what it has done.
The story follows Anya—the last child ever born to the Race—and the extraordinary effort that unfolds over centuries to restore the cultures and species that were lost. Along the way the book explores themes of responsibility, memory, humility, and redemption.
What I enjoyed most about this novel is its sense of scale and hope. Rather than focusing on dystopia or endless conflict, it asks a deeper question: what would a civilization do if it truly tried to make things right?
It’s thoughtful, imaginative science fiction that lingers in your mind long after the story ends.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Part Stargate, part Children of Men—but without the relentless violence—Tears of a Thousand Years is a moving and thought-provoking exploration of civilization’s cost. Glen Olson doesn’t just ask what happens when an intelligent species is held accountable for its actions, he dares to imagine that they might respond with grace, empathy, and transformation.
As I turned each page, I couldn’t help but wonder: would we rise to the challenge like Olson’s beautifully crafted characters, or falter under the weight of our history? The answer isn’t simple, but the hope is real. We may not have a thousand years to fix what we’ve broken, but maybe we don’t need that long.
Olson’s richly imagined worlds and unforgettable alien species offer more than escapism, they offer a vision. A future not rooted in despair, but in possibility. Tears of a Thousand Years is essential reading for sci-fi fans hungry for something beyond dystopia... a future worth believing in, and fighting for.
As I turned each page, I couldn’t help but wonder: would we rise to the challenge like Olson’s beautifully crafted characters, or falter under the weight of our history? The answer isn’t simple, but the hope is real. We may not have a thousand years to fix what we’ve broken, but maybe we don’t need that long.
Olson’s richly imagined worlds and unforgettable alien species offer more than escapism, they offer a vision. A future not rooted in despair, but in possibility. Tears of a Thousand Years is essential reading for sci-fi fans hungry for something beyond dystopia... a future worth believing in, and fighting for.
Review of advance copy received from Author
These days, it's hard not to draw parallels between recent science fiction and our own attitudes. Though this allegory is charming, the feline alien race called "The Race" clearly reflects a colonizing mindset, made deadlier by their long-lived nature.
The Race slowly expands across the galaxy, settling on a world and overpopulating it before moving on. As the indigenous races die out, the Race notices but tends to just shrug. Olson opens the novel with a member of the Race taking on the role of "Rememberer," which means she'll learn everything she can about the culture on a new world so her people can look back with (a bit of) melancholy on the vanished species.
They have sympathy, but no empathy, summed up by one conquered specimen as "we loved their children, but they didn't love ours." That only works, of course, until the Race encounters a god.
The Race slowly expands across the galaxy, settling on a world and overpopulating it before moving on. As the indigenous races die out, the Race notices but tends to just shrug. Olson opens the novel with a member of the Race taking on the role of "Rememberer," which means she'll learn everything she can about the culture on a new world so her people can look back with (a bit of) melancholy on the vanished species.
They have sympathy, but no empathy, summed up by one conquered specimen as "we loved their children, but they didn't love ours." That only works, of course, until the Race encounters a god.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I enjoyed this book immensely and finished it feeling hopeful for mankind. Going in, I was not entirely sure what type of book this would be because the cover made me think it was for a younger audience, but it is clearly meant for a much wider range of ages.
It is a sweet story about humanity and the consequences of our actions, even when those actions are well intentioned, and it was something I really needed to read at this point in my life. It's refreshing to come across a story that is hopeful when so much hatred is being spread in the news and on social media. I especially loved seeing the unlikely friendships that developed in the book.
The only reason this was a four star read for me was due to the slow pacing at the beginning, but I am very happy that I kept reading because it truly is a beautiful book.
It is a sweet story about humanity and the consequences of our actions, even when those actions are well intentioned, and it was something I really needed to read at this point in my life. It's refreshing to come across a story that is hopeful when so much hatred is being spread in the news and on social media. I especially loved seeing the unlikely friendships that developed in the book.
The only reason this was a four star read for me was due to the slow pacing at the beginning, but I am very happy that I kept reading because it truly is a beautiful book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I must be careful not to spoil te book, but this is one of my favorite books I have read in a while.
My take on this book was that it explored what people can be and how people can address harm and mistakes.
Up until the very last words of the book, we are experiencing the characters as they try to get it right.
While reading it, I had so many emotions.
I left this story with a favorite character, three moments that made me feel so warm and fuzzy, and my favorite line is on page 202.
If you like science fiction, animals, and exploring diverse communities, I recommend you grab a copy of this book.
It hit all of my inner Trekie buttons.
My take on this book was that it explored what people can be and how people can address harm and mistakes.
Up until the very last words of the book, we are experiencing the characters as they try to get it right.
While reading it, I had so many emotions.
I left this story with a favorite character, three moments that made me feel so warm and fuzzy, and my favorite line is on page 202.
If you like science fiction, animals, and exploring diverse communities, I recommend you grab a copy of this book.
It hit all of my inner Trekie buttons.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I loved this book. It reminded me of some of the greatest old-school sci-fi like Asimov's Foundation series. How do alien cultures solve galaxy-spanning problems over generations? Will they be able to learn about themselves and get past their preconceptions, or does it require a new pair of eyes to see things for what they could be instead of what they are? Glen Olson has created a unique and wonderful world of creatures both very alien and extremely human, and I fell in love with so many of them reading this. If you're a fan of space operas, you shouldn't miss this one.
March 9, 2026
A challenging read that often gets bogged down in detail and worldbuilding, and with a difficult pace, Tears of a Thousand Years is nonetheless a wildly imaginative work about the price of unimpeded progress, entropy, and the impossibility of restoring what’s been lost, and is the result of a singular, unique vision.
April 22, 2026
Her people explore the universe but in doing so every being they meet will eventually die out. She goes to meet a new tribe knowing she needs to remember than as she knows they will soon be gone. He will learn of this and he is very angry so see what he will do about it
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a brilliant read
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a brilliant read
May 22, 2026
Interesting world-building and story, marred by annoying teenage characters, and a huge plot hole - nothing said about 'the question' for the whole book until the end.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews