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The Brin Archives #3
Empyrean
In this conclusion to The Brin Archives, Maliche Rocker must risk everything including his family’s reputation and even his life, to uncover the truth about the Skae. For over three hundred years the Brin have believed the Skae to be their benefactors, and the race that rescued them from extinction. But recent revelations by a group of young Kolbri, the offspring of Brin and Kolandi mating, tell a disturbingly different story. Three Kolbri, including Maliche’s son Jontar, must use their unique abilities to telepathically connect with technology, and discover the truth about the Skae once and for all by undertaking a perilous journey through thousands of years in space and time, unravelling the history hidden from them by Skae. During this expedition, Jontar and his two companions must encounter the Gorvin, hated enemy of the Skae and supposed instigators of the current interstellar war. What turned the Skae and Gorvin into mortal enemies? What is the true cause of the war responsible for the destruction of hundreds of worlds over thousands of years? Will Maliche and his small group find the truth and avert disaster both at home and across the galaxy? Can his wife, Ryma, hold the Brin government together long enough for Maliche to succeed? Only time will tell.
325 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2017
About the author
Jim Cronin
8 books67 followersI am a 2021 Book Excellence Award Finalist winner for my book: Aeon Rises! The Book Excellence Awards honor books that have high quality design, writing and market appeal.
I am a retired middle school science teacher, working part-time as an educator at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. I began writing my books as a way to express myself in new and different ways as well as to challenge myself during my retirement from the classroom.
I have been married for forty years to the love of my life. We raised two incredible sons, and now have five amazing grandchildren to spoil rotten.
My science fiction series, The Brin Archives is an epic adventure encompassing an entire galaxy on the verge of destruction. This trilogy, to my amazement and delight, has won critical acclaim and numerous awards. Aeon Rises is my first try at young adult scifi, and has also earned critical acclaim. Who would have ever guessed this old, retired science teacher would become a successfully published author? I hope you enjoy my stories.
I am a retired middle school science teacher, working part-time as an educator at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. I began writing my books as a way to express myself in new and different ways as well as to challenge myself during my retirement from the classroom.
I have been married for forty years to the love of my life. We raised two incredible sons, and now have five amazing grandchildren to spoil rotten.
My science fiction series, The Brin Archives is an epic adventure encompassing an entire galaxy on the verge of destruction. This trilogy, to my amazement and delight, has won critical acclaim and numerous awards. Aeon Rises is my first try at young adult scifi, and has also earned critical acclaim. Who would have ever guessed this old, retired science teacher would become a successfully published author? I hope you enjoy my stories.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 13, 2017
Reviewed For Author Resource Centre by Grant Leishman
In Empyrean, Jim Cronin brings down the curtain on the wonderful and fascinating Brin Chronicles. Having been privileged enough to have read all three books, I can honestly say the author has done a tremendous job of tying everything up nicely and leaving this reader, anyway, extremely satisfied. I couldn't help but give myself a wry smile as I realised Cronin had indeed left a tiny hole for the possibility of a fourth book, but that having been said, if the Brin Chronicles ended with Empyrean, that would be just fine.
In this latest iteration, suspicion has been raised about the Skae's true motives toward the Brin. They had always been seen as the saviours of the Brin race and as such had been revered, with some factions of the population even embracing the Skae as Gods. When Maliche Rocker, head of the Brin Council, suspects there may be more to the story of their salvation than the Skae have told them, he embarks on a risky adventure to try to uncover the truth about what really happened all those years ago. Along with his son, Jontar Rocker and some other exceptionally gifted Kolbri (the result of mating between the Brin and the Kolandri), they risk everything in a search for the truth.
The Kolbri have unique talents that allow them to interact with technology in ways never seen before and to utilise the space strings to travel through both time and space, returning thousands of years to the rebirth of the Brin race and to try to pinpoint the true causes of the long-lasting and violent war against the Gorvin, which seems to have been going on forever.
What I particularly enjoyed about Empyrean is the totally new cast of characters, as time has moved on. Yes, they are still Rocker's, but they have their own unique perspectives on life and especially on the Skae. Maliche is married to a Kolandri, in Ryma and this alone gives rise to thought and discussion about things such as inter-marriage between races and/or species. Their goal is to live in peace, as one people, but there are many who see that as not only undesirable, but positively evil. Cronin brings us plenty of political corruption and lobbying, but all set in a fantastic world that he has created from his own imagination.
This is a very easy book to read, despite the technological innovations and theories straight from the author's imagination. Science Fiction can so easy descend into mind-boggling technological descriptions that can distract the reader. Equally able to distract some readers is the concept of time travel and the paradoxes associated with it. We all love a good piece of time travel and Jim Cronin definitely has an understanding on writing in this genre, with some clever and at times witty comments and asides.
I have compared Cronin, in the past, to my favourite Science Fiction author, Robert A Heinlein and nothing in Empyrean would change my opinion from that comparison. It is an incredibly readable, fast-paced and enjoyable adventure, that just happens to be set in space and in a world very different from our own. The entire Brin Archives series is a triumph for this author, in my opinion and I would recommend all three books; Hegira, Recusant and Empyrean not only to all Science Fiction aficionados, but also to just readers who love a rollicking adventure story.
In Empyrean, Jim Cronin brings down the curtain on the wonderful and fascinating Brin Chronicles. Having been privileged enough to have read all three books, I can honestly say the author has done a tremendous job of tying everything up nicely and leaving this reader, anyway, extremely satisfied. I couldn't help but give myself a wry smile as I realised Cronin had indeed left a tiny hole for the possibility of a fourth book, but that having been said, if the Brin Chronicles ended with Empyrean, that would be just fine.
In this latest iteration, suspicion has been raised about the Skae's true motives toward the Brin. They had always been seen as the saviours of the Brin race and as such had been revered, with some factions of the population even embracing the Skae as Gods. When Maliche Rocker, head of the Brin Council, suspects there may be more to the story of their salvation than the Skae have told them, he embarks on a risky adventure to try to uncover the truth about what really happened all those years ago. Along with his son, Jontar Rocker and some other exceptionally gifted Kolbri (the result of mating between the Brin and the Kolandri), they risk everything in a search for the truth.
The Kolbri have unique talents that allow them to interact with technology in ways never seen before and to utilise the space strings to travel through both time and space, returning thousands of years to the rebirth of the Brin race and to try to pinpoint the true causes of the long-lasting and violent war against the Gorvin, which seems to have been going on forever.
What I particularly enjoyed about Empyrean is the totally new cast of characters, as time has moved on. Yes, they are still Rocker's, but they have their own unique perspectives on life and especially on the Skae. Maliche is married to a Kolandri, in Ryma and this alone gives rise to thought and discussion about things such as inter-marriage between races and/or species. Their goal is to live in peace, as one people, but there are many who see that as not only undesirable, but positively evil. Cronin brings us plenty of political corruption and lobbying, but all set in a fantastic world that he has created from his own imagination.
This is a very easy book to read, despite the technological innovations and theories straight from the author's imagination. Science Fiction can so easy descend into mind-boggling technological descriptions that can distract the reader. Equally able to distract some readers is the concept of time travel and the paradoxes associated with it. We all love a good piece of time travel and Jim Cronin definitely has an understanding on writing in this genre, with some clever and at times witty comments and asides.
I have compared Cronin, in the past, to my favourite Science Fiction author, Robert A Heinlein and nothing in Empyrean would change my opinion from that comparison. It is an incredibly readable, fast-paced and enjoyable adventure, that just happens to be set in space and in a world very different from our own. The entire Brin Archives series is a triumph for this author, in my opinion and I would recommend all three books; Hegira, Recusant and Empyrean not only to all Science Fiction aficionados, but also to just readers who love a rollicking adventure story.
January 7, 2018
Empyrean, the third book in Jim Cronin’s Brin Archives series, invites readers into the middle of interstellar conflict for a page-turning space adventure with compelling characters.
Two massive empires, the Skae and the Gorvin, are locked in a struggle for control of a black hole. They have very different ideas of how this could be used, and this is where the world-building shines. Even without the first two novels to set things up, Cronin really makes readers believe in these two empires and their two viewpoints. The Skae and the Gorvin are very different, and on this, they’re completely opposed. Could this singularity provide beneficial and necessary power, or is it a danger to lives and homes? Both viewpoints sounds believable, and make sense with what Cronin has shown us at the beginning of the book about the Skae and the Gorvin. The discovery of the black hole is exciting, and will pull in scifi fans, but the ensuing galactic war seems inevitable. Our protagonists must work to find a solution, and the fate of both empires hangs in the balance.
These characters will be familiar to readers who’ve read Recusant and Hegira, Cronin’s previous novels in the Brin Archive series, but readers new to the trilogy will get to meet scientist Jontar Rocker, and the others. Characterization is quick and easy to grasp, even for newcomers to the series. Cronin is able to express characters’ personalities through natural-sounding dialogue. Even though the setting is in a distant, future galaxy, even though there is advanced technology and telepathic powers, the characters’ realistic conversation moves the story and expresses their relationships to one another.
The epic scale of the conflict and the exciting setting will pull readers into a space adventure story. The two empires, once allies, have become enemies, and their war over the black hole affects everyone in the galaxy. Jontar Rocker and some of the Kolandi try to bring a peaceful resolution, which means learning more about the Skae, and their opposition to the Gorvin, and their history with the Brin. There’s good tension here, as readers discover the revelations about the Skae’s past along with our protagonists. The Skae’s history and their true motivations offer exciting twists, and there’s even more page-turning tension when readers wonder if this information can be used to stop the war.
As the third in a trilogy, with fictional places, people and technology, some of the world-building in Empyrean isn’t very accessible without reading the first two novels. Some sections, especially on the political machinations, were confusing, without the background of the first two novels. Fortunately, the compelling characters and the page-turning tension from the galactic conflict will pull new readers into the series. Creative, imaginative situations make this space adventure pop.
Two massive empires, the Skae and the Gorvin, are locked in a struggle for control of a black hole. They have very different ideas of how this could be used, and this is where the world-building shines. Even without the first two novels to set things up, Cronin really makes readers believe in these two empires and their two viewpoints. The Skae and the Gorvin are very different, and on this, they’re completely opposed. Could this singularity provide beneficial and necessary power, or is it a danger to lives and homes? Both viewpoints sounds believable, and make sense with what Cronin has shown us at the beginning of the book about the Skae and the Gorvin. The discovery of the black hole is exciting, and will pull in scifi fans, but the ensuing galactic war seems inevitable. Our protagonists must work to find a solution, and the fate of both empires hangs in the balance.
These characters will be familiar to readers who’ve read Recusant and Hegira, Cronin’s previous novels in the Brin Archive series, but readers new to the trilogy will get to meet scientist Jontar Rocker, and the others. Characterization is quick and easy to grasp, even for newcomers to the series. Cronin is able to express characters’ personalities through natural-sounding dialogue. Even though the setting is in a distant, future galaxy, even though there is advanced technology and telepathic powers, the characters’ realistic conversation moves the story and expresses their relationships to one another.
The epic scale of the conflict and the exciting setting will pull readers into a space adventure story. The two empires, once allies, have become enemies, and their war over the black hole affects everyone in the galaxy. Jontar Rocker and some of the Kolandi try to bring a peaceful resolution, which means learning more about the Skae, and their opposition to the Gorvin, and their history with the Brin. There’s good tension here, as readers discover the revelations about the Skae’s past along with our protagonists. The Skae’s history and their true motivations offer exciting twists, and there’s even more page-turning tension when readers wonder if this information can be used to stop the war.
As the third in a trilogy, with fictional places, people and technology, some of the world-building in Empyrean isn’t very accessible without reading the first two novels. Some sections, especially on the political machinations, were confusing, without the background of the first two novels. Fortunately, the compelling characters and the page-turning tension from the galactic conflict will pull new readers into the series. Creative, imaginative situations make this space adventure pop.
December 29, 2017
The third book of The Brin Chronicles by Jim Cronin, Empyrean is an overall satisfying conclusion to the science fiction trilogy. Mailche Rocker must risk everything in order to uncover a mystery that make shake their world to its foundations. For three hundred years, the Brin have believed the Skae to be their benevolent benefactors but with recent revelations from a group of hybrids of Brin and Kolandi, the Kolbris, the truth may be more disturbing. It is up to Rocker’s son, Jontar, and two other Kolbris, who use their unique telepathic abilities to travel through thousands of years of space and time to reveal the secret. They may even have to confront the Gorvin, hated enemies of the Skae and instigators of the current war that rages across the stars.
Cronin has given us a fantastic quest story that expands already upon his established universe. For any long time reader of the series, Empyrean will not be a disappointment and should be a satisfying way to send off the series. Cronin writes in a way that brings to mind some of the classics of the science fiction genre, but also with a slight flair all his own. His prose bespeaks of Bradbury and Heinlein, though there is enough of a bend that his prose can speak for itself. He has it all in this book and series, new worlds, space travel, and interesting futuristic technology! Cronin’s best quality is keeping his description of technology simple and clear for the reader to follow, which is usually a hiccup for most science fiction writers.
The narrative flows quite well and does not leave anything out. If anything, Cronin may be a little too thorough in his storytelling and slows the pacing down, especially with all the ground they have to cover in this climax of the series. His characters, especially Jontar, are enjoyable to read and while being new characters may still feel like old friends by being Rockers. They help flesh out this strange and new world that has been built around the Brin people and in some ways, keep it familiar.
I would love to comment more on this book, but with it being a third in a series, I’d rather not spoil any of it. Any reader of science fiction would enjoy this final entry of the series and should be encouraged to read it from start to finish, they will not be disappointed!
Cronin has given us a fantastic quest story that expands already upon his established universe. For any long time reader of the series, Empyrean will not be a disappointment and should be a satisfying way to send off the series. Cronin writes in a way that brings to mind some of the classics of the science fiction genre, but also with a slight flair all his own. His prose bespeaks of Bradbury and Heinlein, though there is enough of a bend that his prose can speak for itself. He has it all in this book and series, new worlds, space travel, and interesting futuristic technology! Cronin’s best quality is keeping his description of technology simple and clear for the reader to follow, which is usually a hiccup for most science fiction writers.
The narrative flows quite well and does not leave anything out. If anything, Cronin may be a little too thorough in his storytelling and slows the pacing down, especially with all the ground they have to cover in this climax of the series. His characters, especially Jontar, are enjoyable to read and while being new characters may still feel like old friends by being Rockers. They help flesh out this strange and new world that has been built around the Brin people and in some ways, keep it familiar.
I would love to comment more on this book, but with it being a third in a series, I’d rather not spoil any of it. Any reader of science fiction would enjoy this final entry of the series and should be encouraged to read it from start to finish, they will not be disappointed!
December 15, 2017
The sophisticated and aloof Skae, an ancient galaxy-travelling race, plan to harness the power of a star which, once collapsed into a black hole singularity, will provide unlimited free energy. The unfortunate consequence of this seemingly brilliant scheme however, is that half the galaxy will be destroyed in the process. The Gorvin, also an interplanetary race and once close allies of the Skae, attempt to put a stop to the plan, but the unfortunate result is a galactic war which rages for hundreds of years, leaving whole planets destroyed and countless millions dead or homeless. Empyrean by Jim Cronin is the third book of the Brin Archives and describes how the Brin, Jontar Rocker, who is on trial for the murder of his father Maliche, allies himself with members of the Kolandi who also share the same planet, all determined to bring to an end to this seemingly endless conflict. Struggling against tribal machinations and political subterfuge, they embark on a terrifying journey in both space and time, uncovering astonishing facts about the true nature of the Skae -facts that bring new light to the origins of the conflict and information that can change the course of history, but can they use this new-found knowledge to bring about a lasting peace? Will the arrogant Skae even listen to those trying to bring about an end to hostilities?
Even though Empyrean is the third book of the Brin Archives and brings the series to a close, it stands on its own with no necessity to read the previous volumes in order to enjoy the storylines. Well-written, with an astounding cast of alien characters, it is crammed with imaginative concepts and sometimes mind-boggling ideas. The narrative moves along at a brisk pace, switching seamlessly between several storylines, all of which are brought expertly together in the final denouement. Those who have read the previous two books will not be disappointed and neither will those new to the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the book - it is sound, classic, science fiction and highly recommended.
Even though Empyrean is the third book of the Brin Archives and brings the series to a close, it stands on its own with no necessity to read the previous volumes in order to enjoy the storylines. Well-written, with an astounding cast of alien characters, it is crammed with imaginative concepts and sometimes mind-boggling ideas. The narrative moves along at a brisk pace, switching seamlessly between several storylines, all of which are brought expertly together in the final denouement. Those who have read the previous two books will not be disappointed and neither will those new to the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the book - it is sound, classic, science fiction and highly recommended.
May 20, 2018
Author Jim Cornin brings us the last adventure of the Brin and their allies as the war that the Skae have fought with the Goven comes to an end. Leading the charge is the youngest Rocker to take the lead in this trilogy and he is a hybrid between Brin and the species that inhabit their new homeworld. This is a great end to this trilogy as Cornin shows us the different sides of the conflict as well as give the heros the ability to save not only themselves but the rest of the galaxy. I won't spoil the ending. I will say this this is a great book and not one to be missed. I highly recommend that you pick up a copy to see how everything comes together.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews