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Redemption Song: The Beginning of the Rynn-Human Alliance
A child of wealth and privilege, Small Snow Flower is a member of a highly intelligent spacefaring species called the Rynn. Although she is young and untested, she is given a trading ship to command by her father. But just months into her first voyage there is a mutiny, and Small Snow Flower finds herself marooned on a primitive planet, believing she will die alone.
Jeremy Blunt is a bitter old man. For fifty years, he's mourned the death of his wife, cutting himself off from the world and living alone in a forest cabin, believing he will die alone.
But fate has other plans. It brings together these two lonely people in spite of their differences?age, experience, and species. Slowly but surely, the alien girl and the elderly human man find ways to work together. They must find the strength to change their destinies and those of their respective home worlds. This is the beginning of the Rynn-Human alliance.
In a story of fate, second chances, and redemption, an unlikely partnership forms between a young alien and an old human widower that will change the future of both their races.
Jeremy Blunt is a bitter old man. For fifty years, he's mourned the death of his wife, cutting himself off from the world and living alone in a forest cabin, believing he will die alone.
But fate has other plans. It brings together these two lonely people in spite of their differences?age, experience, and species. Slowly but surely, the alien girl and the elderly human man find ways to work together. They must find the strength to change their destinies and those of their respective home worlds. This is the beginning of the Rynn-Human alliance.
In a story of fate, second chances, and redemption, an unlikely partnership forms between a young alien and an old human widower that will change the future of both their races.
484 pages, Paperback
Published July 7, 2017
About the author
Henry A. Burns
4 books4 followersHenry A. Burns has studied martial arts since he was 15, played in various Latin bands as a percussionist and just recently decided to retire and devote his energies toward writing. Redemption Song is his first novel in what is expected to be a multi book series.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 30, 2018
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
Great characters make this an exciting and fun read.
Difficult to put down and leaves you wanting more.
Great characters make this an exciting and fun read.
Difficult to put down and leaves you wanting more.
October 21, 2018
What would you, personally, do if you met an alien from outer space? Not just an idle question—your response could mark a pivot in the course of human history. The gut response from many people is to assume the alien is a predator, so one should shoot first and ask questions later. A more thoughtful person might reason that any alien race so advanced that it can travel to and visit Earth certainly would have weapons vastly superior to ours, so a cautiously friendly welcome would be more appropriate.
But suppose the alien was in distress? Would your strongest and most “human” emotion—compassion—kick in and decide your response?
When a mutiny robs Small Snow Flower of control of her space ship and the usurper exiles her on Earth, the man who witnesses the diminutive captain’s plight takes pity and nurses her back to health. Though Jeremy Blunt knows his advanced years and failing body signal that his own death will come soon, he refuses to let his weakness stand in the way of helping a fellow sentient being. And that makes all the difference.
Author Burns subtitled his novel, “The Beginning of the Rynn-Human Alliance.” Indeed, the Alliance has major implications not only for human life on Earth but also the interstellar balance of power. But no matter how large the picture grows, it always comes back to the example and teachings of that elderly man who showed compassion, Jeremy Blunt.
But don’t worry—the book is not all deep philosophy. While the Alliance is important, the alliances between individual humans and aliens comprise the bulk of the story. As members of the two races meet, become friends and lovers, and form what we would think of as almost marital relationships (usually involving three of four partners), the reader comes to recognize the characters’ personalities and become invested in their growth and development.
The politics and leaders described in the story often bear strong resemblance to events and figures we know in our own world. At one point we meet a president who is so dense that his own chief of staff calls him an idiot. An African American television personality wields so much wealth and influence that she becomes known as The Oligarch during a period of unrest between various American regions. Certain TV reporters and other public figures seem familiar to us in the world of non-fiction.
Burns has created a possible future that holds out optimism for the human race. Despite so many indications of a more dismal future, I’d like to believe the path to Redemption Song is one we can still travel.
But suppose the alien was in distress? Would your strongest and most “human” emotion—compassion—kick in and decide your response?
When a mutiny robs Small Snow Flower of control of her space ship and the usurper exiles her on Earth, the man who witnesses the diminutive captain’s plight takes pity and nurses her back to health. Though Jeremy Blunt knows his advanced years and failing body signal that his own death will come soon, he refuses to let his weakness stand in the way of helping a fellow sentient being. And that makes all the difference.
Author Burns subtitled his novel, “The Beginning of the Rynn-Human Alliance.” Indeed, the Alliance has major implications not only for human life on Earth but also the interstellar balance of power. But no matter how large the picture grows, it always comes back to the example and teachings of that elderly man who showed compassion, Jeremy Blunt.
But don’t worry—the book is not all deep philosophy. While the Alliance is important, the alliances between individual humans and aliens comprise the bulk of the story. As members of the two races meet, become friends and lovers, and form what we would think of as almost marital relationships (usually involving three of four partners), the reader comes to recognize the characters’ personalities and become invested in their growth and development.
The politics and leaders described in the story often bear strong resemblance to events and figures we know in our own world. At one point we meet a president who is so dense that his own chief of staff calls him an idiot. An African American television personality wields so much wealth and influence that she becomes known as The Oligarch during a period of unrest between various American regions. Certain TV reporters and other public figures seem familiar to us in the world of non-fiction.
Burns has created a possible future that holds out optimism for the human race. Despite so many indications of a more dismal future, I’d like to believe the path to Redemption Song is one we can still travel.
October 8, 2017
A compelling story, beautifully told. There are many fantasy books out there but the author has a unique slant, telling a compelling tale about relationships, imbuing the meaning behind our common humanity, no matter the outward circumstances. The story drew me in immediately, not something that happens very often. I struggle to find books of interest but this one is outstanding. So happy to have discovered it.
August 20, 2018
I like the title. It's a different style of book. I found it to have interesting characters and lots of action. I would read the second book in the series.
My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.
My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.
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April 12, 2018Review available at Foreword Reviews.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews