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Sidereus Nuncius
Good vs. evil. Two sides of the same coin deadlocked for centuries. A victor in this ultimate struggle has finally emerged on Earth. Or so it seems. In 2018, mankind has been seduced by the promise of paradise. For most, life is good and even better days remain ahead. Unknown to the population at large, the third and final great evil has absolute authority over the world's economy, politics, religion and media. Insidious forces are everywhere, lurking, unseen. Nothing is what it appears to be. Earth is headed for dark times. Then a powerful and enigmatic stranger arrives from the stars. He will either save the human race or accelerate a series of events that will lead Earth inexorably to its destruction.
- GenresScience Fiction
146 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2015
13 people want to read
About the author
Ethan Howard
28 books17 followersEthan Howard is a freelance writer and a graduate of Rutgers University. He is a combat veteran who continues to serve in the military today through the reserves.
Once an alternative school teacher, Mr. Howard is now a program director for a non-profit organization serving homeless and at risk youth. He offers a unique perspective on the human mind and the macabre due to personal and professional travels around the world.
Mr. Howard is an avid reader with an affinity for the classics. His other hobbies include football, hiking, movie watching, and playing board games with his wife and son.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 13, 2017
The year is 2018, the world is reaping the benefits of prosperity and the promises of more. Are these promises real or is there something evil behind them? Are the religious beliefs of the masses simply the machinations of advanced alien races? Earth is a disappointment to those who had hoped for more, there is a failure to thrive, to advance at the same rate as the universe. Time after time powerful aliens have come to Earth and time after time, the results have not changed, and now it is Quentin’s turn to investigate for his leaders. He is to do nothing, observe and report, what he didn’t foresee was that a small human woman and her young son could come between his sworn duty and the heart he didn’t know he had. Should Earth be given up as a lost cause or is there more to this planet than meets the eye?
Ethan Howard has combined the elements of science fiction, romance and spirituality, as well as the eternal battle between good and evil, creating a fascinating future look at our world. His characters range from strong, yet silent aliens, aliens that have integrated into the Earth “way,” humans with deep spiritual beliefs that guide their lives while being open to the possibility of otherworldly beings. He has even included a puppet for evil, one that seems to have sold his soul to dark aliens who have their own agenda. Clever plot, good delivery and thought-provoking words, is this a future look at our world? For readers who like to think outside of the box and ponder the what ifs of life, I think you are going to find Sidereus Nuncius right up your alley!
I received this copy from the author, Ethan Howard in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Elementá
Publication Date: October 9, 2015
Genre: Science Fiction
Print Length: 146 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Ethan Howard has combined the elements of science fiction, romance and spirituality, as well as the eternal battle between good and evil, creating a fascinating future look at our world. His characters range from strong, yet silent aliens, aliens that have integrated into the Earth “way,” humans with deep spiritual beliefs that guide their lives while being open to the possibility of otherworldly beings. He has even included a puppet for evil, one that seems to have sold his soul to dark aliens who have their own agenda. Clever plot, good delivery and thought-provoking words, is this a future look at our world? For readers who like to think outside of the box and ponder the what ifs of life, I think you are going to find Sidereus Nuncius right up your alley!
I received this copy from the author, Ethan Howard in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Elementá
Publication Date: October 9, 2015
Genre: Science Fiction
Print Length: 146 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
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May 13, 2017The year is 2018, the world is reaping the benefits of prosperity and the promises of more. Are these promises real or is there something evil behind them? Are the religious beliefs of the masses simply the machinations of advanced alien races? Earth is a disappointment to those who had hoped for more, there is a failure to thrive, to advance at the same rate as the universe. Time after time powerful aliens have come to Earth and time after time, the results have not changed, and now it is Quentin’s turn to investigate for his leaders. He is to do nothing, observe and report, what he didn’t foresee was that a small human woman and her young son could come between his sworn duty and the heart he didn’t know he had. Should Earth be given up as a lost cause or is there more to this planet than meets the eye?
Ethan Howard has combined the elements of science fiction, romance and spirituality, as well as the eternal battle between good and evil, creating a fascinating future look at our world. His characters range from strong, yet silent aliens, aliens that have integrated into the Earth “way,” humans with deep spiritual beliefs that guide their lives while being open to the possibility of otherworldly beings. He has even included a puppet for evil, one that seems to have sold his soul to dark aliens who have their own agenda. Clever plot, good delivery and thought-provoking words, is this a future look at our world? For readers who like to think outside of the box and ponder the what ifs of life, I think you are going to find STARRY MESSENGER right up your alley!
I received this copy from the author, Ethan Howard in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Elementá
Publication Date: October 9, 2015
Genre: Science Fiction
Print Length: 146 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Ethan Howard has combined the elements of science fiction, romance and spirituality, as well as the eternal battle between good and evil, creating a fascinating future look at our world. His characters range from strong, yet silent aliens, aliens that have integrated into the Earth “way,” humans with deep spiritual beliefs that guide their lives while being open to the possibility of otherworldly beings. He has even included a puppet for evil, one that seems to have sold his soul to dark aliens who have their own agenda. Clever plot, good delivery and thought-provoking words, is this a future look at our world? For readers who like to think outside of the box and ponder the what ifs of life, I think you are going to find STARRY MESSENGER right up your alley!
I received this copy from the author, Ethan Howard in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Elementá
Publication Date: October 9, 2015
Genre: Science Fiction
Print Length: 146 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
November 26, 2017
I have to be honest I picky when it comes to Sci-fi books because not all of them are good. Some just are not what I like to read. But this book was not one of them. I liked the characters and the story kept me reading more. I enjoyed the author's style of writing. *This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.*
November 10, 2017
In “Starry Messenger”, our world among many others is but a puppet on the strings of the ‘Collective’, the Degans and the God of all God’s, Yar. Quentin awakens and is directed by the Synod to observe Earth’s status. Why haven’t the humans conquered the stars? For centuries humans have been given a leg up and it seems to all be for naught. Quentin’s meetings with others like him leave him reeling in his convictions. What exactly is the end game for the Synod and is the way of Yar all Quentin had believed it to be? Will the chance meeting of a human woman and her son change everything for Quentin?
A few things I want to bring attention to first. Thank you Mr. Howard for such a compelling list of characters. Thank you a ton for having a male lead who is a POC and a grown adult. Too many of these stories are based around teens and do not reflect the diversity of humanity.
Quentin is still a bit of a mystery to me. He’s thousands of years old and a very intriguing man. He is introspective and open minded even when all he knows is being questioned. His character is stoic and endearing. It was a treat to watch as he discovered his human forms feelings and desires. How conflicting that must have been.
Regina and her son are an integral part of what made this story so good. I would like to see both of them fleshed out a bit more. The same can be said for Quentin. I’m hoping that in later books they come to understand the world together and our journey with them delves a bit deeper than this book seemed to.
There was a lot of world building in “Starry Messenger” but I didn’t feel like it was too much at once. I would of liked the book to be a bit longer, as it stands it’s a good toe into this new world and it’s mechanisms.
My only criticism is the withdrawn feel to both Regina and Quentin. I would like to see them fleshed out a bit more intimately since this is an introduction to the series. The language is a bit formal and could use to be loosened up a bit.
Looking for more reviews like this one? Check out my blog https://alliesopinions.wordpress.com/
A few things I want to bring attention to first. Thank you Mr. Howard for such a compelling list of characters. Thank you a ton for having a male lead who is a POC and a grown adult. Too many of these stories are based around teens and do not reflect the diversity of humanity.
Quentin is still a bit of a mystery to me. He’s thousands of years old and a very intriguing man. He is introspective and open minded even when all he knows is being questioned. His character is stoic and endearing. It was a treat to watch as he discovered his human forms feelings and desires. How conflicting that must have been.
Regina and her son are an integral part of what made this story so good. I would like to see both of them fleshed out a bit more. The same can be said for Quentin. I’m hoping that in later books they come to understand the world together and our journey with them delves a bit deeper than this book seemed to.
There was a lot of world building in “Starry Messenger” but I didn’t feel like it was too much at once. I would of liked the book to be a bit longer, as it stands it’s a good toe into this new world and it’s mechanisms.
My only criticism is the withdrawn feel to both Regina and Quentin. I would like to see them fleshed out a bit more intimately since this is an introduction to the series. The language is a bit formal and could use to be loosened up a bit.
Looking for more reviews like this one? Check out my blog https://alliesopinions.wordpress.com/
May 15, 2019
So, “Starry Messenger” paints itself as a story about a benevolent alien coming to save the world from the forces that have infiltrated it, that have set it on the path to self-annihilation. The world may appear to be this idyllic place on the surface, a near utopian, but it’s all just a smoke screen to distract from the fact that it’s far from perfect. Only a race of aliens, that are chosen by a supreme being to protect its favorite little fledgling planet—Earth—know the truth. They are sent to discover why humans haven’t progressed the way they should and haven’t joined the other enlightened races in the stars to live in true peace. This is where our main character Quentin comes in. He’s the one sent to find out what’s up with these earthlings, and in the process, discovers the true evil, and then falls in love. It’s an interesting twist on the whole aliens coming to Earth idea, but I personally found the characters to be a bit flat and the story ends rather abruptly.
This is a pretty short novella, so another one of those books that’s easy to read and knock out in a weekend, which is nice as we head into the summer reading months. The world building and the premise of what’s going on and the mission Quentin has is set up well and succinctly given the novella format, so I really appreciated that. And even with certain characters throwing out a bunch of names that you don’t really need, I wasn’t ever lost in terms of what the overall plot and conflict was. Plus, the twist with how Howard combines religion with his aliens was interesting and unique, regardless of if you believe the in the Creation Myths. It was a risk and I think it was one that was done well and found to be both interesting and could lead to thought-provoking book club discussions.
However, the dialogue and the characters themselves just kept me at such an arm’s length that I never felt invested in them. Things between Regina, her son, and Quentin escalate far too fast for my tastes. Quentin talks kind of like a robot, which fits his character, but is never called out or seen as odd by Regina. I didn’t really understand why Regina would be so drawn to Quentin so fast as there’s just not much about either of them that felt substantial enough for another character to be attracted to. The dialogue was kind of all over the place as well, and there were these big jumps from paragraph to paragraph sometimes in characters being in one location, and then in another, or jumping from one characters POV to another, that I could never feel immersed in the scene or get a firm sense of where I was—even though the author says we’re in the San Diego area. We also don’t really meet the person who is supposed to be the main antagonist. We see them for a few scenes, but that’s about it and we don’t see what they are doing that’s actually leading the world to the destruction the synopsis says is coming in 2020, so that sense of imminent danger was never present for me. Which, in turn, made me wonder why the Collective are all that worried to begin with. Then, around the 80% mark, things really start escalating, Regina and Quentin are getting closer and closer, Quentin is becoming aware of how the humans were lead down this evil path (even though you don’t really see many bad guys), and then Quentin is given a new order that would leave the world unprotected and he has to decide what to do… and that’s where it ends. We don’t know what he decides though it's implied he'll stick around, or what the evil alien race has in mind for the world. The end. I understand that it leaves things open for what will be an exciting sequel, but it personally left me pretty unsatisfied.
I did really enjoy the parallels between Quentin’s race and angels, the Degans with demons/the devil, and Yar as God. I enjoyed the twist that brought to the story and I thought Howard did a great job bringing the reader into the story pretty seamlessly. I just couldn’t get into the characters (the dialogue didn’t help this) and the tension I needed to help make the plot escalate and feel like something was accomplished outside of the relationship aspect was absent. I would have liked more closure toward the end, at least knowing what Quentin planned to do or what was coming for the humans would have been nice as well. Still, this is an interesting book especially for the discussions it could spark, so if you have a free weekend and enjoy religious debates, you may want to pick this book up! But for me, I was left wanting to feel something, so it’s a 2.5 star read for me, but the author definitely has promise! And thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for an honest review.
This is a pretty short novella, so another one of those books that’s easy to read and knock out in a weekend, which is nice as we head into the summer reading months. The world building and the premise of what’s going on and the mission Quentin has is set up well and succinctly given the novella format, so I really appreciated that. And even with certain characters throwing out a bunch of names that you don’t really need, I wasn’t ever lost in terms of what the overall plot and conflict was. Plus, the twist with how Howard combines religion with his aliens was interesting and unique, regardless of if you believe the in the Creation Myths. It was a risk and I think it was one that was done well and found to be both interesting and could lead to thought-provoking book club discussions.
However, the dialogue and the characters themselves just kept me at such an arm’s length that I never felt invested in them. Things between Regina, her son, and Quentin escalate far too fast for my tastes. Quentin talks kind of like a robot, which fits his character, but is never called out or seen as odd by Regina. I didn’t really understand why Regina would be so drawn to Quentin so fast as there’s just not much about either of them that felt substantial enough for another character to be attracted to. The dialogue was kind of all over the place as well, and there were these big jumps from paragraph to paragraph sometimes in characters being in one location, and then in another, or jumping from one characters POV to another, that I could never feel immersed in the scene or get a firm sense of where I was—even though the author says we’re in the San Diego area. We also don’t really meet the person who is supposed to be the main antagonist. We see them for a few scenes, but that’s about it and we don’t see what they are doing that’s actually leading the world to the destruction the synopsis says is coming in 2020, so that sense of imminent danger was never present for me. Which, in turn, made me wonder why the Collective are all that worried to begin with. Then, around the 80% mark, things really start escalating, Regina and Quentin are getting closer and closer, Quentin is becoming aware of how the humans were lead down this evil path (even though you don’t really see many bad guys), and then Quentin is given a new order that would leave the world unprotected and he has to decide what to do… and that’s where it ends. We don’t know what he decides though it's implied he'll stick around, or what the evil alien race has in mind for the world. The end. I understand that it leaves things open for what will be an exciting sequel, but it personally left me pretty unsatisfied.
I did really enjoy the parallels between Quentin’s race and angels, the Degans with demons/the devil, and Yar as God. I enjoyed the twist that brought to the story and I thought Howard did a great job bringing the reader into the story pretty seamlessly. I just couldn’t get into the characters (the dialogue didn’t help this) and the tension I needed to help make the plot escalate and feel like something was accomplished outside of the relationship aspect was absent. I would have liked more closure toward the end, at least knowing what Quentin planned to do or what was coming for the humans would have been nice as well. Still, this is an interesting book especially for the discussions it could spark, so if you have a free weekend and enjoy religious debates, you may want to pick this book up! But for me, I was left wanting to feel something, so it’s a 2.5 star read for me, but the author definitely has promise! And thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for an honest review.
November 27, 2017
My blog - https://lfbooks.blog/
(Disclaimer – I received a copy from the Author. This as always does not affect my review in anyway.)
Review: The alien concept brought a whole new twist to the whole story, in the way it talked about God and the Devil. It was very well played out and made you think a lot about a range of different things. What if Jesus was an alien? It an interesting idea. It doesn’t attack Christianity or any religions. One of the key characters is a devote christian. In a way the main character is also a christian because the alien that he has devoted his life too, is one and the same of God in the story.
It was a fast read sitting at 146 pages, didn’t take me long at all to finish it. Like I said before the whole concept was very interesting and made me think. It did feel like a bit of a romance story as well, with how the relationship with the alien and the women was a pretty big part. Then again that part was also key to him, helping making his own decision on whether he would stay and help or not.
Evil vs Good was very well done in the sense that you saw the effects it had on the ‘soldiers’. Some of them had enough of the endless war between the sides. They didn’t want anything to do with it, not the death, not anything. They just wished to live out a good life on Earth.
(Spoiler / Didn’t like)
The conversions with Aron were very confusing, firing names at you left, right and center. I got the whole meaning behind the story, him trying to explain all the major things that happened in human history was due to the ‘War’. Every God/person that is a key part in legend and history was an alien. But it just felt so rushed and like someone was machine gunning names at you.
One thing I really did not like was the whole bonding thing. Nice meal, nice setting. Then all of a sudden she says she loves him then BAM he yelling in her brain. The cap locks was completely unneeded and set the wrong tone. It made the whole scene aggressive. You spent most of the book building up to this scene, to then turn it into a he yelling at her for no reason. It happened way to fast, it felt as well. Not even left the table to straight away bonding. Could have dragged it out a bit just to make the scene more meaningful, and satisfying to the reader that it finally happened.
(Disclaimer – I received a copy from the Author. This as always does not affect my review in anyway.)
Review: The alien concept brought a whole new twist to the whole story, in the way it talked about God and the Devil. It was very well played out and made you think a lot about a range of different things. What if Jesus was an alien? It an interesting idea. It doesn’t attack Christianity or any religions. One of the key characters is a devote christian. In a way the main character is also a christian because the alien that he has devoted his life too, is one and the same of God in the story.
It was a fast read sitting at 146 pages, didn’t take me long at all to finish it. Like I said before the whole concept was very interesting and made me think. It did feel like a bit of a romance story as well, with how the relationship with the alien and the women was a pretty big part. Then again that part was also key to him, helping making his own decision on whether he would stay and help or not.
Evil vs Good was very well done in the sense that you saw the effects it had on the ‘soldiers’. Some of them had enough of the endless war between the sides. They didn’t want anything to do with it, not the death, not anything. They just wished to live out a good life on Earth.
(Spoiler / Didn’t like)
The conversions with Aron were very confusing, firing names at you left, right and center. I got the whole meaning behind the story, him trying to explain all the major things that happened in human history was due to the ‘War’. Every God/person that is a key part in legend and history was an alien. But it just felt so rushed and like someone was machine gunning names at you.
One thing I really did not like was the whole bonding thing. Nice meal, nice setting. Then all of a sudden she says she loves him then BAM he yelling in her brain. The cap locks was completely unneeded and set the wrong tone. It made the whole scene aggressive. You spent most of the book building up to this scene, to then turn it into a he yelling at her for no reason. It happened way to fast, it felt as well. Not even left the table to straight away bonding. Could have dragged it out a bit just to make the scene more meaningful, and satisfying to the reader that it finally happened.
October 9, 2017
From now on when I think about sci-fi this book will come to mind! I liked this book, a lot. Regina and Quentin both seem to have a "mission" neither realize yet to save Earth. Regina really impressed me. She's a compelling woman and character. She's tough, yet soft in the heart. She's also a strong female and mother. I loved the interactions between her and her son. Quentin is still somewhat of a mystery to me. I liked him, he's very protective and smart. At the same time he's an alien, so I think he has a bit of mystery about him that leaves me dying to learn more.
While I enjoyed this book immensely, I will admit a bit of confusion during the first few chapters. A lot of information in a small space was confusing, but the story did level out and a lot of the confusion went away. Overall I liked it a lot and will definitely recommend this to other sci-fi lovers! I'm very excited to see where this story will go!
While I enjoyed this book immensely, I will admit a bit of confusion during the first few chapters. A lot of information in a small space was confusing, but the story did level out and a lot of the confusion went away. Overall I liked it a lot and will definitely recommend this to other sci-fi lovers! I'm very excited to see where this story will go!
September 5, 2018
Starry Messenger by Ethan Howard, the first book in the Opportvnvs Adest series, was an interesting combination of romance, spirituality, science fiction, and, of course, the battle between good and evil.
This one wasn't exactly in my wheelhouse, but I did enjoy the read!
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
While this one wasn't wasn't super in my wheelhouse, I still found it quite interesting! The author certainly added in a number of elements that really got me thinking.
I really enjoyed the main characters and Quentin was especially interesting. I liked that as a reader we got to see his internal struggle as he tried to adjust to his human form.
If you think a sci-fi novel centered around a relationship that is heavy on spirituality sounds interesting, then this will definitely be your cup of tea!
This one wasn't exactly in my wheelhouse, but I did enjoy the read!
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
While this one wasn't wasn't super in my wheelhouse, I still found it quite interesting! The author certainly added in a number of elements that really got me thinking.
I really enjoyed the main characters and Quentin was especially interesting. I liked that as a reader we got to see his internal struggle as he tried to adjust to his human form.
If you think a sci-fi novel centered around a relationship that is heavy on spirituality sounds interesting, then this will definitely be your cup of tea!
January 24, 2018
**I received a digital copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
I enjoyed this book! I don't usually go for sci-fi because it doesn't always interest me, but this one did. It had a really interesting plot and some concepts I haven't ever read. I thought the writing was really well done. I really enjoyed the characters. All of them were really good, well-written characters. I thought this was a really good "set up" for the rest of the series. It was short, but it didn't feel super short, or rushed. It was really good pacing with an interesting storyline!
Full review here: https://katelynpdickinson.wordpress.c...
I enjoyed this book! I don't usually go for sci-fi because it doesn't always interest me, but this one did. It had a really interesting plot and some concepts I haven't ever read. I thought the writing was really well done. I really enjoyed the characters. All of them were really good, well-written characters. I thought this was a really good "set up" for the rest of the series. It was short, but it didn't feel super short, or rushed. It was really good pacing with an interesting storyline!
Full review here: https://katelynpdickinson.wordpress.c...
January 19, 2016
Ethan Howard is an amazing author! In "Sidereus Nuncius" he draws the reader in with very likable characters Regina and Dante. He keeps your attention by adding layers to the story. What starts as a fairly light story turns into a twisted plot involving several characters and delving into the heart of the reader on many levels.
The story has multiple elements including suspense, action, mild violence, a love story, and sci-fi/fantasy aspects as well. I found myself cheering for Regina as she begins a relationship with a mysterious character named Quentin. Quentin is a complex individual and a couple of his "sides" are revealed as you read your way through the book.
Then there is Rex Talion....there is more to him than meets the eye. Howard teases the reader and leaves us wondering about Talion.
This is a very enjoyable read. At times I found myself devouring the book, impatiently wanting to get to the next chapter. Howard's writing style is rich with description and provides wonderfully visual images for the reader. His words flow effortlessly, and he builds suspense, making the book a classic page-turner.
This is the first in a four-part series and I anxiously await the next installment. If the second is as good as the first, which I suspect it will be, we will likely have the next super author!
The story has multiple elements including suspense, action, mild violence, a love story, and sci-fi/fantasy aspects as well. I found myself cheering for Regina as she begins a relationship with a mysterious character named Quentin. Quentin is a complex individual and a couple of his "sides" are revealed as you read your way through the book.
Then there is Rex Talion....there is more to him than meets the eye. Howard teases the reader and leaves us wondering about Talion.
This is a very enjoyable read. At times I found myself devouring the book, impatiently wanting to get to the next chapter. Howard's writing style is rich with description and provides wonderfully visual images for the reader. His words flow effortlessly, and he builds suspense, making the book a classic page-turner.
This is the first in a four-part series and I anxiously await the next installment. If the second is as good as the first, which I suspect it will be, we will likely have the next super author!
November 4, 2015
Howard's first full length novel is a revelation – in more ways than one! This inventive sic-fi (and possibly spiritual?) tale turns convention on its head and makes you rethink what you may believe. The characters are well-written and relatable (despite some of them not being being from this world) and the story breezes along, making it very tough to put down. I hardly ever did!
As the first book in an installment, unanswered questions remain. But Howard has done an admirable job of setting the stage for what is sure to be a dynamic series. I get the feeling we might be seeing this story on the big screen someday.
As the first book in an installment, unanswered questions remain. But Howard has done an admirable job of setting the stage for what is sure to be a dynamic series. I get the feeling we might be seeing this story on the big screen someday.
December 22, 2015
I could not put the book down. I have so many questions. Is Rex some sort of Anti-Christ figure? If he is then who is our "Messiah", is it Quentin? Who or what is the source of Rex's power? Who or what is Quentin exactly? Did aliens assist humanity in the Middle East only or did they land on different continents on Earth? When is the next book coming out?
April 18, 2016
Sidereus Nuncius is a great story, Ethan Howard is able to create a story that is very intriguing. I was so interested in this book so much that I read it in one sitting! I would not change a thing to this book. Howard was able to create complex characters and an amazing journey. It was absolutely an amazing book that I would read again!
December 22, 2017
*Be sure to check out my blog post for this book!
Interesting mix of science fiction and spirituality.
This story reminded me quite a bit of the film The Day the Earth Stood Still. With parallels between the progression in plot where the alien is sent to Earth, meets a woman and her son who captivate him, and ends up changing his mind about the planet. His outlook on Earth mimics the alien in the film, and his otherwise almost snooty idea of our species is turned around. While there are plenty of differences, the similarities were obvious, as are many other stories of this type. That was my only real complaint with the book - it wasn't all that original of a plot, overall.
The redeeming originality I found interesting, that kept this book from being a carbon copy of many others I've read, was the almost spiritual aspect of it. The alternate image of the creator of unknown origin and all-encompassing credit for creation, who's devoted followers do what they can to spread his doctrine around the universe and push his agenda forward, was interesting. While I personally disliked the spin on a popular religious theology, and the idea aliens help our species advance is a personal pet peeve of mine, I can appreciate the creative aspect of the idea. For a sci-fi story, it's not a bad way to make it seem more relatable and realistic, and less like fiction.
It was well written, and I didn't find many errors or mistakes. The writing style is a rather over-dramatized and somewhat elegant-esque style commonly found in this genre. It flowed well, and I reached the end in less than an hour. As a writer, I can see talent in this author, and would be curious to read something of his in another genre.
Overall, I would say this is a good story. It wasn't my cup of tea, to be honest, but it wasn't bad itself. I could see a lot of sci-fi fans enjoying the quick read, and probably enjoying the rest of the series to follow. If it sounds interesting to you, I'd recommend picking it up, and exploring what this story shows happening in our very near future.
*I was given a complimentary eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.
~Rose
@Desert Rose Reviews
Interesting mix of science fiction and spirituality.
This story reminded me quite a bit of the film The Day the Earth Stood Still. With parallels between the progression in plot where the alien is sent to Earth, meets a woman and her son who captivate him, and ends up changing his mind about the planet. His outlook on Earth mimics the alien in the film, and his otherwise almost snooty idea of our species is turned around. While there are plenty of differences, the similarities were obvious, as are many other stories of this type. That was my only real complaint with the book - it wasn't all that original of a plot, overall.
The redeeming originality I found interesting, that kept this book from being a carbon copy of many others I've read, was the almost spiritual aspect of it. The alternate image of the creator of unknown origin and all-encompassing credit for creation, who's devoted followers do what they can to spread his doctrine around the universe and push his agenda forward, was interesting. While I personally disliked the spin on a popular religious theology, and the idea aliens help our species advance is a personal pet peeve of mine, I can appreciate the creative aspect of the idea. For a sci-fi story, it's not a bad way to make it seem more relatable and realistic, and less like fiction.
It was well written, and I didn't find many errors or mistakes. The writing style is a rather over-dramatized and somewhat elegant-esque style commonly found in this genre. It flowed well, and I reached the end in less than an hour. As a writer, I can see talent in this author, and would be curious to read something of his in another genre.
Overall, I would say this is a good story. It wasn't my cup of tea, to be honest, but it wasn't bad itself. I could see a lot of sci-fi fans enjoying the quick read, and probably enjoying the rest of the series to follow. If it sounds interesting to you, I'd recommend picking it up, and exploring what this story shows happening in our very near future.
*I was given a complimentary eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.
~Rose
@Desert Rose Reviews
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