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It Takes Death To Reach A Star #2
In The Shadow Of A Valiant Moon
DESTINY HAS NO ALLEGIANCE.
Four years have passed since the lillipads fell and Etyom slipped into darkness.
The New Black Death has mutated again, spreading to near epidemic proportions. What little order existed in Earth’s last city has disintegrated into chaos. Rippers roam the Vapid, robbing and leaving their victims butchered. The Robusts have spilled out of their broken enclaves and hide in any dark corner that will conceal them. Meanwhile, the elite Graciles, fallen from their pristine towers in the sky, have all mysteriously disappeared.
Demitri is a prisoner in his own mind. His demon, Vedmak—now known as the Vardøger—is manipulating Demitri’s body and knowledge to execute a secret plan far more disastrous than even the Gracile Leader dared.
Mila, her status among the fractured resistance elevated to that of Paladyn—a protector of the people—leads the fight against zealots intent on destroying what little remains of Etyom. It is a responsibility she never wanted, a calling that prevents her from doing what she truly desires.
Yet, Mila should be careful for what she longs. Caught between annihilation and loyalties that refuse to die, she must reconcile a single immutable truth: following your heart comes at a price.
Four years have passed since the lillipads fell and Etyom slipped into darkness.
The New Black Death has mutated again, spreading to near epidemic proportions. What little order existed in Earth’s last city has disintegrated into chaos. Rippers roam the Vapid, robbing and leaving their victims butchered. The Robusts have spilled out of their broken enclaves and hide in any dark corner that will conceal them. Meanwhile, the elite Graciles, fallen from their pristine towers in the sky, have all mysteriously disappeared.
Demitri is a prisoner in his own mind. His demon, Vedmak—now known as the Vardøger—is manipulating Demitri’s body and knowledge to execute a secret plan far more disastrous than even the Gracile Leader dared.
Mila, her status among the fractured resistance elevated to that of Paladyn—a protector of the people—leads the fight against zealots intent on destroying what little remains of Etyom. It is a responsibility she never wanted, a calling that prevents her from doing what she truly desires.
Yet, Mila should be careful for what she longs. Caught between annihilation and loyalties that refuse to die, she must reconcile a single immutable truth: following your heart comes at a price.
- GenresScience Fiction
396 pages, Paperback
Published August 25, 2020
6 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Stu Jones
12 books225 followersSWAT Sniper. Adventurer. Award Winning Author of Epic Genre Bending Thrillers.
A veteran law enforcement officer, Stu Jones has served in patrol, narcotics, criminal investigations, as an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics and as a team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. He is trained and qualified as a law enforcement SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics. Recently, Jones served for three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force - hunting the worst of the worst.
A Dragon Award Nominee, Jones is the author of multiple sci-fi/action/thriller novels, including the multi-award-winning It Takes Death To Reach A Star duology and Condition Black, written with co-author Gareth Worthington(Children of the Fifth Sun, A Time for Monsters).
Known for his infectious storytelling and blistering action, Jones strives to create thought-provoking reading experiences that challenge the status quo. When he’s not chasing bad guys or writing epic stories, he can be found planning his next adventure to some remote or exotic place.
Jones is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin & Fountain literary.
www.stujonesfiction.com
For updates - make sure to follow Stu @StuJonesFiction
A veteran law enforcement officer, Stu Jones has served in patrol, narcotics, criminal investigations, as an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics and as a team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. He is trained and qualified as a law enforcement SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics. Recently, Jones served for three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force - hunting the worst of the worst.
A Dragon Award Nominee, Jones is the author of multiple sci-fi/action/thriller novels, including the multi-award-winning It Takes Death To Reach A Star duology and Condition Black, written with co-author Gareth Worthington(Children of the Fifth Sun, A Time for Monsters).
Known for his infectious storytelling and blistering action, Jones strives to create thought-provoking reading experiences that challenge the status quo. When he’s not chasing bad guys or writing epic stories, he can be found planning his next adventure to some remote or exotic place.
Jones is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin & Fountain literary.
www.stujonesfiction.com
For updates - make sure to follow Stu @StuJonesFiction
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 31, 2020
4.25 stars
That's it, I want a Creed for a best friend. Can I have Zaldov please?
I don't know why, but I seem to always fall in love with AI that has human emotions. That's apparently my weak spot :'D
After this little, but very important, remark, let's get on with the review.
IN THE SHADOW OF A VALIANT MOON is not an easy book to read. Not because it is long or boring or anything like that; on the contrary, it is an action-packed, fast-paced novel where you don't have any time to relax or take a breather, but neither do the characters.
Mila and Demitri lead miserable lives. They are constantly losing people they love, witnessing some abhorrent atrocity wrought by the sadistic Vadmek, or trying to stop said sadist and spectacularly failing -to list a few. There is no sunshine, no happiness, and no laughter in the city of Etyom; there is only suffering. And it gets to you. You can feel the despair of not just Mila and Demitri, but Faruq and Husniya and Anastasia and Oksana and all the innocent people who want nothing but to have a roof over their heads and put food on their tables, you can feel their despair emanating from the pages.
But woven through all this pain is what I think is the central message of the book. For while It Takes Death to Reach a Star emphasized the importance of honest communication between us humans, regardless of our religion or social class or physical qualities, In the Shadow of a Valiant Moon hammers home the message that hope is the force that will keep one alive through all that sard. We see Mila forced to make some really tough decisions, regretting them, but somehow finding the will to keep going forward, one step at a time. We see Demitri fighting with everything he has, despite the odds not being in his favour -sometimes despairing yes, but always getting up after every blow he has to endure. I have nothing but deep respect and sympathy for both of them. They did well.
As this is book II and the world building has already been established, I don't feel the need to comment on that. The new characters introduced were quite interesting: Oksana making a comeback in a surprising yet very impressive and much appreciated character development; Zaldov, who is just the most endearing person in the novel (yes I will call him a person not a robot, sue me); and Anastasia, whose bravery, loyalty, and endurance were praiseworthy (not to forget Ussuri *_*). I was glad to see more of Master Ghofaun, poor Faruq, and Husniya as well.
PS: I wish there was some translation of Margarida's Spanish(?) as I couldn't understand what she said, although I was able to get the Si, vuelve al Infierno, demonio bit pretty well xD
Another side note: You know how some authors write strong female MCs but then make every other woman in the novel stupid, useless, and not anywhere near leadership roles *which actually reflects their true opinions on this matter*. This did not happen in In the Shadow of a Valiant Moon. I seriously liked that.
Regarding Vedmak..................It was a nice touch: explaining his past and shedding some light over what might have caused him to become the thing he is, nonetheless, he gets zero sympathy from me. Ida should divorce him in the afterlife, if possible.
I won't talk about the ending. It sucked.
Well okay, it did not suck very much, but I would have preferred a better conclusion to this miserable journey. *sigh* Life is depressingly unfair. I also wish we had more Gracile characters; their way of life is incredibly interesting. On the positive side, the last scene with Giahi was extremely satisfying. There you go, you prick.
My favourite quote:
All in all, this was definitely worth reading. So, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
And never forget:
That's it, I want a Creed for a best friend. Can I have Zaldov please?
I don't know why, but I seem to always fall in love with AI that has human emotions. That's apparently my weak spot :'D
After this little, but very important, remark, let's get on with the review.
IN THE SHADOW OF A VALIANT MOON is not an easy book to read. Not because it is long or boring or anything like that; on the contrary, it is an action-packed, fast-paced novel where you don't have any time to relax or take a breather, but neither do the characters.
Mila and Demitri lead miserable lives. They are constantly losing people they love, witnessing some abhorrent atrocity wrought by the sadistic Vadmek, or trying to stop said sadist and spectacularly failing -to list a few. There is no sunshine, no happiness, and no laughter in the city of Etyom; there is only suffering. And it gets to you. You can feel the despair of not just Mila and Demitri, but Faruq and Husniya and Anastasia and Oksana and all the innocent people who want nothing but to have a roof over their heads and put food on their tables, you can feel their despair emanating from the pages.
But woven through all this pain is what I think is the central message of the book. For while It Takes Death to Reach a Star emphasized the importance of honest communication between us humans, regardless of our religion or social class or physical qualities, In the Shadow of a Valiant Moon hammers home the message that hope is the force that will keep one alive through all that sard. We see Mila forced to make some really tough decisions, regretting them, but somehow finding the will to keep going forward, one step at a time. We see Demitri fighting with everything he has, despite the odds not being in his favour -sometimes despairing yes, but always getting up after every blow he has to endure. I have nothing but deep respect and sympathy for both of them. They did well.
As this is book II and the world building has already been established, I don't feel the need to comment on that. The new characters introduced were quite interesting: Oksana making a comeback in a surprising yet very impressive and much appreciated character development; Zaldov, who is just the most endearing person in the novel (yes I will call him a person not a robot, sue me); and Anastasia, whose bravery, loyalty, and endurance were praiseworthy (not to forget Ussuri *_*). I was glad to see more of Master Ghofaun, poor Faruq, and Husniya as well.
PS: I wish there was some translation of Margarida's Spanish(?) as I couldn't understand what she said, although I was able to get the Si, vuelve al Infierno, demonio bit pretty well xD
Another side note: You know how some authors write strong female MCs but then make every other woman in the novel stupid, useless, and not anywhere near leadership roles *which actually reflects their true opinions on this matter*. This did not happen in In the Shadow of a Valiant Moon. I seriously liked that.
Regarding Vedmak..................It was a nice touch: explaining his past and shedding some light over what might have caused him to become the thing he is, nonetheless, he gets zero sympathy from me. Ida should divorce him in the afterlife, if possible.
I won't talk about the ending. It sucked.
Well okay, it did not suck very much, but I would have preferred a better conclusion to this miserable journey. *sigh* Life is depressingly unfair. I also wish we had more Gracile characters; their way of life is incredibly interesting. On the positive side, the last scene with Giahi was extremely satisfying. There you go, you prick.
My favourite quote:
"Yet as quickly as it comes, the fire is gone, replaced by a smoldering pile of embers. Much like our brief time on this earth -a flash of light, an opportunity for great good, immense evil, or worse, selfish nothingness. And just like that, our light too, for better or worse, goes out.
The monk leans close, whispering to the flame with gentle breaths, coaxing the sparks to live again. A small finger of fire takes hold on the moss bed. Rebirth. Renewal. The light begins again, feeble but growing. It knows nothing else, only the perpetual act of pressing back against the darkness. That is its only purpose. It knows not of the endless cold in which it exists and will never overcome."
All in all, this was definitely worth reading. So, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
And never forget:
DESTINY HAS NO ALLEGIANCE
June 12, 2019
In The Shadow of a Valiant Moon is book two of It Takes Death to Reach a Star. I have been waiting for this book ever since I finished book one. I couldn't put this book down! The action doesn't stop! The story pulled me in quite quickly, and I found myself reading all night to the early morning hours. I like the way both Mila and Demetri's characters developed. I was completely surprised by the ending. Can't wait for the next book!
June 11, 2019
The award winning authors really knock it out of the ball park on the sequel to It Takes Death To Reach A Star. Non stop action suspense makes this second book impossible to put down! Plot twists and surprise events keeps the reader from being able to second guess what may happen next. Characters are passionately involved in
Surviving this post apocalyptic world and learn the meaning of trust and sacrifice to allow others to live. Phenomenal!!
Surviving this post apocalyptic world and learn the meaning of trust and sacrifice to allow others to live. Phenomenal!!
June 12, 2019
**No Spoilers!**
ITSOAVM (I’m title condensing here), was an excellent follow up to the Multi-Award winning Book 1 - It Takes Death To Reach A Star (ITDTRAS). First off, the story is highlighted with complex character arcs, taking advantage of the post-apocalyptic world ingeniously built by the authors. Mila and Demitri share their 1st person impressions throughout the story, much as they did in book 1, however Vedmak has grown much stronger, retaining almost total control over the body he occupies. That struggle within was a dark and bitter fight that I enjoyed throughout the entire read. The evil within definitely pays homage to the phrase coined in ITDTRAS - “We all have Demons, Some Demons have You.”
One other character, thought lost, makes his way back into the story. They say in writing to make the struggle real - well, Jones and Worthington did it to the extreme. They paid attention to so many thoughts, had by so many characters, that you’re left feeling their emotional ups and downs. The depth they laid into this story was outstanding.
As for the story, its got many things a good story needs to have. Love, Hate, Struggle, Bitterness, and a twist of Sweet. My favorite aspect? They took many hard turns that were unexpected, while staying on track with the story at large. There’s an overarching story, a back story, and multiple side stories that carry on throughout. Most of all, the ending - an emotional thrill-ride to say the least, was the kind of bittersweet this story deserved. 5-Stars!
ITSOAVM (I’m title condensing here), was an excellent follow up to the Multi-Award winning Book 1 - It Takes Death To Reach A Star (ITDTRAS). First off, the story is highlighted with complex character arcs, taking advantage of the post-apocalyptic world ingeniously built by the authors. Mila and Demitri share their 1st person impressions throughout the story, much as they did in book 1, however Vedmak has grown much stronger, retaining almost total control over the body he occupies. That struggle within was a dark and bitter fight that I enjoyed throughout the entire read. The evil within definitely pays homage to the phrase coined in ITDTRAS - “We all have Demons, Some Demons have You.”
One other character, thought lost, makes his way back into the story. They say in writing to make the struggle real - well, Jones and Worthington did it to the extreme. They paid attention to so many thoughts, had by so many characters, that you’re left feeling their emotional ups and downs. The depth they laid into this story was outstanding.
As for the story, its got many things a good story needs to have. Love, Hate, Struggle, Bitterness, and a twist of Sweet. My favorite aspect? They took many hard turns that were unexpected, while staying on track with the story at large. There’s an overarching story, a back story, and multiple side stories that carry on throughout. Most of all, the ending - an emotional thrill-ride to say the least, was the kind of bittersweet this story deserved. 5-Stars!
August 5, 2023
This duology hit all the right marks. I'm working on actually writing separate reviews for each of these novels, rather than this short blurb, but I'm just blown away by the world building and characters in both of these.
October 7, 2020
Really enjoyed the second installment in the Series. Good writing and great story!
June 9, 2021
In this edgy speculative novel future humanity is embroiled in constant skirmishes culminating in an epic battle for survival.
September 7, 2020
Four years have passed for Mila and her Robust rebels and they thought with the leader and the Lillipads being gone that their world would level out a bit more. With Dimitri/Vedmak stepping in to take the place of the now dead leader and the plague on the rise again their world is still covered in darkness and it’s getting darker as time goes by.
Once you have Mila’s loyalty there is nothing she wouldn’t do to protect you and while Dimitri has gone off the reservation Mila still feels a responsibility to him. Dimitri when he does surface in Vedmak’s mind is whiny and ineffectual the few times he is able to wrest control of his body are short lived and almost futile.
Vedmak is now in charge of Dimitri’s body and he’s calling the shots and boy he is a piece of nasty work. He is sadistic and driven to the point of madness not only to destroy Mila because she is a part of Dimitri’s past but basically to destroy anything and anyone that does not fit in with his need to bring others like himself into the world.
There are very few threads of light in this story, it is filled with an encompassing darkness, that runs the gauntlet from prejudice, torture, sexual assault and mass murder.
The story does move at a pretty decent clip as you wade through all of the dark hoping to get to the light only to be gutted at the ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Hidden Gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Once you have Mila’s loyalty there is nothing she wouldn’t do to protect you and while Dimitri has gone off the reservation Mila still feels a responsibility to him. Dimitri when he does surface in Vedmak’s mind is whiny and ineffectual the few times he is able to wrest control of his body are short lived and almost futile.
Vedmak is now in charge of Dimitri’s body and he’s calling the shots and boy he is a piece of nasty work. He is sadistic and driven to the point of madness not only to destroy Mila because she is a part of Dimitri’s past but basically to destroy anything and anyone that does not fit in with his need to bring others like himself into the world.
There are very few threads of light in this story, it is filled with an encompassing darkness, that runs the gauntlet from prejudice, torture, sexual assault and mass murder.
The story does move at a pretty decent clip as you wade through all of the dark hoping to get to the light only to be gutted at the ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Hidden Gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 13, 2019
In The Shadow of A Valiant Moon was an incredible sequel to It Takes Death To Reach A Star, which I couldn't wait to read. Star #1 produced great protagonists when we met Mila and Demitri, and it seemed that the readers wanted to see more of Vedmak. Well In Star #2 Jones and Worthington gave us Vedmak like we never imagined. He is fierce, powerful, evil, witty, and at times downright frightening.
We also get to see Mila and Demitri return and watch their personalities develop as the story went along. Love, bravery, sacrifice and heroism and only few of the words that come to mind to describe these characters and what they are going through.
Thank you Stu and Gareth for creating this apocalyptic world and for letting us go on a journey with you.
We also get to see Mila and Demitri return and watch their personalities develop as the story went along. Love, bravery, sacrifice and heroism and only few of the words that come to mind to describe these characters and what they are going through.
Thank you Stu and Gareth for creating this apocalyptic world and for letting us go on a journey with you.
March 31, 2022
Such a great story. So much action. So many intertwined lives. I recommend this series. Was sad to see it end.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews