The Brittle Sky

Brittle Trilogy #3

by Tom Kane

Matthew Turner's bloody vendetta against the Blackmore family spans decades.
​Turner's henchman, William Harker, is having his own vendetta within his family as his daughter rebels against his tyrannical rule.
Looking over their shoulder and fearing discovery becomes a way of life for the Blackmores. Until one fateful night when fear and vengeance come calling.

Set between the world wars, during the depression, and carrying on through World War 2, The Brittle Sky is a stunning conclusion to a saga of love, hate and vengeance.

403 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 2, 2021

About the author

Tom Kane is a seasoned writer whose literary journey began at the age of eight with his first short story, "Planet A for Acid." Armed with a pencil and notepad, he embarked on a lifelong passion for storytelling. Transitioning to a typewriter in his thirties, he penned tales whenever time allowed. It was the advent of the Kindle that spurred him to become an indie author and publish his debut novel, "Operation Werewolf," based his father's World War II experiences.

Drawing from personal and family narratives, Kane's writing evolved, exemplified by "The Diary of a Debt Collector," inspired by his wife's professional encounters. This catalyst ignited a prolific period, yielding both fiction and non-fiction works, with 1,284 copies sold.

During the Covid lockdown, Kane delved into historical fiction, crafting The Brittle Saga Trilogy comprising "The Brittle Sea," "The Brittle Land," and "The Brittle Sky." Offering the first book as a free enticement resulted in over 10,000 downloads, showing a growing readership.

Currently, Kane's focus now lies on the sequel to "Walking Away from Midnight," "Midnight's Child," his latest historical fiction endeavour part two of a promising series. Additionally, he is on the brink of completing "The Ragged Edge of Time," a captivating science fiction novel slated for release in the autumn of 2024.

With an ever-expanding repertoire and a knack for weaving intricate narratives, Tom Kane invites readers to explore his diverse literary landscape, offering a glimpse into his writing style through his published works.

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had the pleasure of reading the entire Brittle Trilogy which spans decades from pre-WWI to post-WWII. If you’ve read the first two books in the series, book three will not disappoint. The entire series takes on Hitchcockian-style elements with climactic plot twists and an innocent man accused. I recommend the entire Trilogy to those who enjoy Historical Fiction. As a WWII buff, I enjoyed the historical threads woven into this work of fiction. I’d love to share my favorite, but it would be a spoiler, and I’d rather readers get the full enjoyment as the story unfolds. The pacing is on target. Believable. I am happy to give it 5 out of 5 stars.

[Kiona18 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this series! A great story with history embedded in.

[Susana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a copy to read in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion about the book.

I give it 5/5. Once again, Tom Kane managed to surprise me. He is such a good writer, that I enjoy reading his books. "The brittle sky" is not the exception. Actually, it is the best book of the trilogy.

You need to read the other books to understand the story, they both are good and will leave you wanting for more. When I finished this one, I wanted to come back and reread it (and so I did), because I was left satisfied and was looking for getting engaged in the story once again. I never read a book twice in the same year, less of it read it again after just finishing it. That's is Tom Kane's fault", for being soamazing, and giving us a story that needs to be known by more people.

I won't give away the plot. Just read the book, it is perfect. The best I have read in years. I strongly recomend it... but you have to read the other two first.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review posted on my blog The Writer's Library.

When I first picked up The Brittle Saga by Tom Kane, I didn’t fully realize what I was in for. As the story went on, though, there were things about it that kept me guessing and waiting to see what twist he would throw into the narrative, given the nature of how the stories in this series have gone. The conclusion is no exception to having amazing twists!
I admitted in the last review that the second book in this series didn’t get me as excited given there weren’t as many surprising turns as its predecessor. That said, now that I have read the entire thing, I see exactly what Kane was doing in the second book and – having finished this one and realizing how it all connects – I can admit I enjoyed this entire trilogy very, very much.
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about this conclusion.
Summary
In this final installment, William Harker’s feud with the Blackmores comes to a head as Matthew Turner again gets involved. With Richard Blackmore still away, Maggie finds that she must contend with the threats of Harker and Turner and see the conflict ended.
Meanwhile, Peter Asparov has found that an old friendship from his time in the Great War could be more costly than he originally thought, and he must decide where his loyalties lie.
Will Maggie prevail over William Harker and Matthew Turner? And, meanwhile, will Peter Asparov finally figure out where he stands in the world conflict?
Thoughts
This story went where I was hoping it would go. Given the prequel deals with the onset of the Great War, I had a feeling there was a chance we would eventually see the onset of World War II. Early in the story, there is a scene that directly hints that this is where the narrative is headed and – while I did confess that the WWI arc in the last story was slightly disappointing in the review – the marching of time on to the next major world conflict did not disappoint! And once we got to it, the story became even more horrifying as we see WWII unfold and the effects of it on the narrative.
On the other side not directly dealing with that, seeing Maggie’s plight in the story is just as gripping as it was in the last book! I really adore what Tom Kane decided to do with her character and those she loves as her feud with Harker and Matthew Turner comes to a head. There are some amazing surprises with that plotline that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, and it was awesome seeing how the conflict between all of them came to a head!
Speaking of the characters, let’s talk about them a bit more.
Characters
Maggie Blackmore
I love what Tom Kane does with Maggie in this story. Seeing Magda start to merge more and more into Maggie’s life was fascinating! I really like how the merger between the two personalities plays out as well. When the idea was first introduced, I was incredibly nervous about how it would happen. That said, Tom Kane does it in such a way that I found myself warming up to Magda somewhat.
There is a scene where Magda wakes and does not recognize where she is. While there is some panic and anxiety from her, it felt more reserved than how she handled herself at the start of the first book. That said, I do have some questions regarding her, because the end did not make it entirely clear what comes next. What will be done when Magda reemerges again, assuming she does? Will her personality continue to merge with Maggie’s? We see so much of Maggie and – while it is nice – I find myself wondering how Magda will react upon seeing Richard Blackmore again, considering how she reacted when she saw him in this story.
Matthew Turner
I want to talk a bit about Turner for once. I neglected him in the last two reviews, and I see things about him that I want to discuss. What Kane does to this character is horrifying! I knew going in that he most likely had not changed from his characterization in the previous installments, but there is something that specifically shows up in this book that is concerning and disturbing. Seeing his mental health decline the way it does drives up tension, but it also convinces me that he is absolutely out of his mind!
I spent the last two novels thinking Harker was worse than Turner. Now that I have finished the entire story, they are equally terrible in my eyes. Turner could so easily be Harker if he got rid of the formalities he uses to keep his hands clean when he is plotting. I admittedly had not thought about the concept of the double in this case beforehand and – while I am not sure it applies here, given Turner is not the protagonist of this story – the concept behind him is eerily like the double in my eyes.
Peter Asparov
I said in my review of the previous installment that I was eager to see Peter again and get some answers regarding his plight. In this last installment, I love what Tom Kane does with this character! Now, in the beginning, some of Peter’s actions horrified me, but – not only did that work to create a gripping plot line – it turned his character around for me to the point where I like him now! I love what he goes through and how it impacts him!
Seeing how a simple friendship from the last book directly impacted his path here was amazing! I wrote several times in my notes on this story that I was praying Peter would turn his life around for the better and seeing him make the attempt (despite knowing how dangerous doing so is) completely changed how I feel about his character. I see someone with the capacity for cruelty, but also one for genuine change and growth.
Structure
This story is structured much in the same way as the prequels, keeping the formatting of the series in check. We again see many different viewpoints, allowing for the unfolding of different aspects of the plot. Unlike the previous installment, I rather enjoyed the historical plotline in this story, although that is most likely the case because I know more about World War II than I do World War I. That said, it is executed incredibly well! From the first scene in the bar where we see Wolff and how that meeting ties into the plot is fascinating! Once that scene finished, I knew I was going to be enthralled by the historical events in this installment!
On the side with Maggie and William Harker, I love seeing how their conflict continues to unfold here! I especially enjoyed how we see more of Harker and his children, showing just the person Maggie is up against because we see the way he treats his family. There is also another scene involving Harker that ties beautifully into both plotlines of the previous installments, and I was amazed when I connected it all together! While I cannot go into much more detail than that, I can say how the events seamlessly flow is awesome to see!
Writing
As with the previous stories, the writing is fantastic! Kane is able to build shocking outcomes out of seemingly-ordinary situations. The dialogue drops hints, little things designed to put the reader on edge before hitting them with the full context as the rest of the scene unfolds. This is like the trick I discussed in my review of Kane’s previous novel, but the difference is that the reader does not have to wait until several chapters later to see the full context. How these characters speak to each other, from their tone to their word choice to their body language, illustrates that full context for us.
This trick is done beautifully in a bar scene early in the story. Going in, it does not look like anything particularly mind-blowing, but how the characters speak to each other in that scene creates hard-hitting context that is designed to stay with the reader. At the same time, too, Tom Kane is still giving the reader more context from previous situations in the prequel, so seeing it all come together is amazing!
Conclusion
In the end, I enjoyed this trilogy very much! Tom Kane has created a very compelling narrative with characters I ended up enjoying following. The historical events used are used with care and are implemented in such a way that they flow with the narratives easily and naturally.
I would not just recommend this last installment to those already following the story, but those who are intrigued by the historical events played with in the narrative. Tom Kane has created a very interesting story here that I am glad I took the time to finish. I promise, the narrative will grab you and refuse to let you go until the very end!

[David H Dunham · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Brittle Sky, Book 3 in the Brittle Saga Trilogy, Richard Blackmore returns home to discover it no longer exists. While aiding the British Navy during World War I, he had learned that Magda, her daughter Ava, and her ward Kim were living nearby and awaiting his return. Better yet, Maggie—Magda's kind and loving personality—had asserted control. Now he learns his house has burned down, and Maggie, Ava, and Kim have fled without revealing their destination.

Magda's brother Peter struggles to make a new life in Germany. The 1918 Flu Pandemic took Peter’s wife and in-laws. Peter brings his son Eric to Munich, where he reunites with a soldier he fought alongside during WWI. His friend Adolf helps him find a job and a new purpose in the social movement he’s forming.

Maggie and the girls have settled in Oklahoma. The economic recession following WWI left many unemployed. Maggie and the girls establish a camp on their farm where they house and feed needy families. Jackson Hale--a pilot and former barnstormer--brings his son to live with them. While only 11 years old, Jake's full of ideas. Yearning to become a pilot like his father, he suggests Maggie and Jackson establish a crop-dusting business.

Matthew Turner III sold Magda's cannery in Alaska and bought a grand home in Fort Worth, Texas. He travels east to visit his henchman, William Harker, in Hell's Kitchen. In his prime, Harker was a prime example of why the New York City neighborhood needed a crime fighter like Marvel's Daredevil. Now, Harker shows little interest in carrying out Turner’s revenge upon Magda. Still, Turner leaves hopeful. He's discovered something intriguing about Harker's children, Fenella and Phillip.

While The Brittle Land covered the entirety of WWI, Tom Kane’s vision knows no bounds in this third volume. The Brittle Sky covers an astounding 27 years, from 1918 to 1945. Richard Blackmore’s search for Maggie will involve another battle with alcoholism and prove longer than the miles that separate them. As the years pass, Maggie will struggle to repress Magda from asserting control.

New characters arise and mature to make The Brittle Sky a generational saga. Fenella will flee her abusive and bullying father for the safety of Matthew Turner. Peter’s government service makes him an unwilling party in the Holocaust, while Adolf Hitler’s political machinery helps his son Eric pursue an interest in rocketry. Prohibition disrupts lives in the United States. Aircraft development and an oil boom in Oklahoma open up travel opportunities. And all the while, Matthew Turner burns with an unreasoning hatred for the wife who left him.

Love blooms, people build their dreams, soldiers defend their countries as war once again sweeps across our world, and the vengeful strive to settle old scores in The Brittle Sky, the third volume in Tom Kane’s epic saga.

[Chris Maddix · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Brittle Sky is the third book in a series by Tom Kane. As the titles imply, the first focuses on the sea, the second land, and this book the sky, principally the development of crop dusting, air transport, and air combat through Jackson Hale, his son Jake and Jake's wife Ava. The book covers a wide swath of years, the span of time from the first through the second World War. In this edition the reader gains a glimpse of the Spanish flu pandemic, the Great Depression, life in America's interior between the war years, and the rise to power of Hitler. For its marvelous expanse of action and character development, it is probably the best written of the three, yet it became my least favorite. Permit me to explain.

The original premise in this series was for Magda, a purchased bride, to be united with Mathew Turner, her would-be husband. Magda, "Maggie" is one of the fated passengers of the Titanic, and is the sole survivor rescued by Captain Blackmore. The Captain and Maggie develop a serious relationship, and are both very positive characters, having dealt with Turner's hired thug, Harker, for the first two books. In this, the third, the focus shifts elsewhere, away from this potentially happy couple, and to Jackson Hale, Jake, Ava, Harker's daughter Fenella, and Maggie's brother Peter, who is working with the Third Reich. Pitiable Captain Blackmore is again imprisoned for something he didn't do, and he and Maggie are put on hold while we learn about the aviators. Turner and Harker get their just deserts and the interlacing of actual history into this tale is quite effective. I suppose that my trouble with this book is that is that the author sets up such an excellent love story, only to have the principals suffer the difficulties of Job while we are introduced to other quite capable role players who can never be seen as important as Maggie and the captain.