Down Below Beyond

by T.A. Bruno

Lodespace is a collection of worlds dominated by the Fessenog Fleet trade empire. Thanks to the Voyalten portals, alien civilizations from all over the universe can gather for glorious trade. For the wealthy, there has never been a more lucrative circle.

But the Fleet is hiding something from its investors. A secret that, if exposed, could bring the empire to its knees.

Levort Aatra is a prospector on the planet Tayoxe. While scavenging the wastes of the abandoned world, he discovers a mysterious starship and stakes his claim on it. Little does he know, he just made himself the most wanted man in Lodespace.

DOWN BELOW BEYOND is a stand-alone sci-fi fantasy adventure filled with aliens, planets, and portals set in a universe crafted by T. A. Bruno, author of the award-winning Song of Kamaria trilogy.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 31, 2023

About the author

T. A. Bruno grew up in a suburb south of Chicago and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the film industry. Since then, he has brought stories to life for over a decade as a previsualization artist. At home, he is the proud father of two boys and a husband to a wonderful wife.

Reviews

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 Stars
This was a fun rompy space adventure. The tone of the story felt light hearted so I did not worry too deeply for the characters.

The story itself was a little dialogue heavy for my preference. I wish instead that the worldbuilding and character backgrounds had been revealed more organically.

I would primarily recommend this one for someone looking for lighter science fiction story.

Disclaimer I received a copy for review as a judge for the SFSPC.

[Andrews WizardlyReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

I really enjoyed this read! Video review to come. Get your preorders in because T.A Bruno has done it again. Down Below Beyond is Fast paced and full of heart. I’m now convinced this author can’t write a bad book

[Trinity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book from someone I can now deem a favorite author.

You may know that The Song of Kamaria is one of my favorite sci-fi series. So, when asked to review this book, I was more than excited. One of my favorite things about Bruno's writing is the sheer creativity of the world's he builds. This book was no different. I've said from the moment I picked up his books that I love seeing all of the different planets and how he builds unique cultures within these worlds. Just reminds me of sitting down to play my favorite video game and exploring.

I really enjoy how he also twists the plot. He let's you settle in with what you think is happening, only for that to change drastically by the end. It's amazing.

His characters are also really well done. I always find myself attached to many of them. In this one there were a few. The found family of this novel is top notch. Building an entire community just so everyone can find peace and a few moments bliss.

The ending gutted me. It was bittersweet and entirely lovely. I honestly can't wait for more from Bruno.

[Craig Bookwyrm · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adreneline fuelled thrill ride

(Originally Reviewed on 31 July 2023)

Down Below Beyond is a break-neck science fantasy action adventure that will whisk you away across the universe.

The book packs so much in. As a standalone novel, under 400 pages, the universe created here is filled with diverse planets, creatures, aliens, technologies, and characters.

The main characters of Levort and Bayfo are great. Their contrasting stories underpin the human side of the story - their individual struggles to find a better life for themselves sends them on completely different journeys.

Despite the fast pace and the immense action, Bruno doesn't ignore the heart of the story, told through it's main characters and their friendship, exploring what different people will do for the truths they believe in - questions of truth and what is real, trust and friendship. I enjoyed the moral journey the characters take.

The wider cast of alien characters are superb, adding so much to the story form comedic moments to more heart-felt moments. I particularly enjoyed the duo of Floem and Vobsii.

From the sublime to the ridiculous, the book really has it all, aliens who are plant like, others who have several life cycles, balloon-like engineers, and my personal favourite, Skipper, a potted plant. Need I say more. Wildly imaginative.

There are also little nods to the author's Song of Kamaria series, with a couple of Easter eggs I found. I'm sure there's a Star Wars reference in there too.

This book really reads like a movie in all the best ways. Bruno vividly brings the universe to life, and his use of the portals are phenomenal. The conclusion, for me, was hugely satisfying. The questions surrounding the Beyond, and the shift from dystopia to possible utopia is handled really well.

Down Below Beyond is pure space fantasy escapism. It's like Indiana Jones meets Guardians of the Galaxy. I loved it.

I know this is a standalone, but I'd definitely like to have more adventures from the characters in this book, either in the same universe or beyond.

[Kayla Kay's Hidden Shelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars

I received an eArc from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Down Below Beyond is a standalone self-published sci-fi that is perfect for fans of fast-paced adventures, heists, found family, and high stakes. This adventurous race across the stars is packed with action, heart, and survival.

The story is told through multiple POVs and follows two main characters. Levort Aatra a prospector on the planet Tayoxe who makes his way in life by scavenging the planet, and Bayfo Niall an enforcer for the Fessenog fleet and childhood friend to Levort. While Levort is scavenging, he stumbles upon the find of a lifetime, resulting in a target on his back.

It’s important to mention that T.A. Bruno balanced a plot driven narrative along with several character driven aspects which helped balance the storytelling.

Why does this matter? Well, as a character driven reader this balance gave me some of the character depth I often crave in books while the action and suspense kept me on the edge of my seat.

I was pleasantly surprised by the direction the main characters developments and arcs took over the course of the book. Although the side cast doesn’t receive as much development, they were endearing. Their roles in the story were well plotted and added several memorable moments. I even found myself laughing out loud as I read to some of the dialogue.

Now, there were wholesome moments however there were plenty of darker emotional scenes that raised the stakes.

It’s impressive to see exploration of the characters, themes including the meaning of friendship and truth, travel across multiple planets, battles, heists, and unexpected plot developments all packed into 326 pages.

The adventures also felt episodic at times and the twists were enticing. While this isn’t hard sci-fi, it includes intriguing concepts that had my imagination running wild. The battle scenes were gripping and showcase T.A. Bruno’s skill with depicting action.

I can’t forget to mention the authors creativity with unique planets and species. From sentient frogs to plant like beings, it was fun to learn about each species and their home worlds. There is even artwork included as reference to help visualize them.

Down Below Beyond would make a great reading slump buster for anyone looking for their next sci-fi escape or their next action packed adventure.

[Tori Tecken · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

A race against time, a motley crew of humans and alien species, found family, and letting go...

Down Below Beyond is the perfect balance of light-hearted found family, high stakes action, and emotional depth. Levort Aatra is our resilient protagonist, a young salvager determined to make something better of himself as he peruses a ruined planet for sellable trinkets. His long time best friend, Bayfo Niall, stands guard as an enforcer protecting Levort as they sift through the rubble.

When the two of them discover a mysterious spaceship and the strange space creature it belongs to, their worlds turn upside down. Literally. Levort's life changes in the span of moments, and it just proves the old adage that you should be careful what you wish for.

Along the course of the story we are introduced to a motley crew of creatures and characters who each have something distinct to say about the cosmic world Bruno has created. Shining through each alien race is the author's passion for creating them. This is some of the best and most interesting creature design I've come across in SFF. The author's inclusion of interior artwork adds even more visual delight to an already vibrant cast.

The pacing of this book is incredible, and it wasn't long before I had a hard time putting it down. The short chapters, emotionally magnetizing POVs, and constant shift between thrilling action and heartfelt moments of normalcy all meld together into one page-turning experience.

Down Below Beyond, while the perfect page-turning read for any adult SFF reader, can also be a great gateway novel for younger readers ready to cross the bridge into the adult SFF book world. I would also use this as a great intro to indie SFF in general and the possibilities that exist within it. Bruno's fresh take on sci-fantasy will translate to a wide range of readers in multiple genres and age categories, which is a noteworthy feat for any author.

This was an excellent intro into Bruno's work, and I'll definitely be picking up his other series sooner rather than later now.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, space action adventure that worked really well for me. I had fun listening to this one (the audio presentation was very well done!) and looked forward each day I was reading to seeing where the action would take us next. If you enjoy alien worlds and a good adventure, this is one to check out. I definitely plan to read more books by this author.

[Alyssa (HeartwyldsLibrary) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The prospector sat with the enforcer a little longer.”

For months I had been pestering encouraging Bruno’s work for his next book. And like I had assumed he completely delivered with this new book. He has officially slated himself as one of my favorite Self pub sci fi authors! Bruno gives me exactly what I want in a scifi book, beautiful planets, amazing characters, actual aliens, and heart shattering moments. I will continue to read anything he puts out!

Now on to the book itself, Down Below Beyond is a fantastic standalone novel that has the smallest yet easily identifiable connections to his other series The Song of Kamaria, and the great thing is you don’t have to read that series to understand them. His easter eggs are exactly that, easter eggs, they aren’t a point of interest that then creates a forcing push towards making the reader pick up the other series. Although one particular easter egg allows him to really expand his universe without having to make giant connections and I think that was absolutely brilliant! I hope he will continue to give us books in his Universe.

Just like in The Song of Kamaria, Bruno’s imagination really shined in Down Below Beyond. Not only did he take us portal hopping across multiple planets in one galaxy, but he took the time to bring each of them to life. Each one was given just enough information that you could visualize them and feel like you were part of the planet. He even went so far as to create lore for some that involve their burial process and frankly that location sounds beautiful. The variety in planets was also very well done, and I kinda hope we get to see a bit more of Zhok in the future, that place gave Levort an uneasy feeling and I would love to see it explored even more in depth, it sounds extremely creepy and unsettling and I think Bruno could pull it off!

When it comes down to the characters again Bruno knows what he is doing. It’s like he speaks to my soul when he creates these aliens. Yes I am in love with Vobsii, I knew it the moment he shared art of the lizard like alien. But you can’t blame me, he is a walking tank, straight solid!!(I shall pester him for a Resluni story now, along with the Auk’nai centered story I still want hint hint 😉 ) Outside of that, The entire cast is likable, well one is maybe not likable, but they play an important part, but its a large cast for such a short story. The alien races do not disappoint the creativity shines for each one and even if he hadn’t provided images for them the descriptions alone are fantastically done. Outside of my love for Vobsii, Sevodan was one who really stood out to me, they where just naturally funny, but so many of the others will be loved by other readers. Though I do think Piper could have used a bit more development, she wasn’t terrible by no means, I just personally think she faded more to the back in comparison to everyone else.

Now I can say some might find the way the group comes together a bit cliche and almost too easy. It definitely gives those anime vibes where everyone is instantly bffs and they all want to work together and do the right thing, but you know what, I was here for it. I loved it. The main take away I got from this book is its built on friendship, true pure friendship and it gives the story that fuzzy cute adorable feeling, while also giving you a ton of action that is absolutely fantastic.

But Alyssa you said there was heart shattering moments? And yes there absolutely is, these don’t appear till the very end of the story and while Bruno really honed in on the purity of friendship he also took the time to showcase the toxicity of friendship as well. The final scene between the Levort and his Antagonist was absolutely flawless and one of the most beautiful scenes I have read in awhile. I spent a majority of the book not really caring what would happen to the antagonist, but once that final shot happened I was done, I was breaking down, tears streaming it was beautiful and held so much tenderness in it and in that final shot Bruno did the most beautiful scene change, that really showed who Levort was to the core of who he is. He is caught is this toxic friendship and recognizes it and still gives his enemy the graces of compassion. The antagonist was also given the moments he needed in that scene, he is brash and spends so much of the book lying to himself and for Bruno to give him his moment as well was just as important. It is clear the theme hits close to Bruno because the passion and care was prevalent and handled so well. I still cry just thinking about it, and that to me shows the level of craft Bruno truly possesses.

The larger plot involves a government system that is purposely lying to their people to keep them unaware of what is truly out there, and Levort does find himself wrapped up in the center of it. Bruno uses this plot to build up his cast and create the rift that springs between Levort and specific people in his life but also the importance he has in others lives, and in himself, while also making him learn and become aware of what is truly going on around him. His adventures to other planets didn’t always bring sunshine and happiness. Its an engaging plot that hooks you right from the start and you want to see it play out as you learn and discover more about the Fleet. There is an incredible amount of action that is high paced and frankly extremely captivating, flying through portals landing in random planets, the way Bruno used the portals in his fight scenes, absolute top notch craftsmanship!

A high paced rollicking space adventure that doesn’t forget to show the love, loss and tenderness that springs from friendship.

[Scarlett Readz and Runz....Through Novel Time & Distance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t wrong when I said I will read anything T.A. Bruno writes and if you haven’t picked up any of his novels, then it is time to remedy it, because there is wholesomeness to be found in all of them. As a fan from the beginning when I first read In The Orbit of Science, book one in the Song of Kamaria trilogy, I was eagerly awaiting where his next novel might take us. Down Below Beyond is the newest addition to T.A. Bruno’s list of written works and standalone Sci-fi adventure and it is pure gold! Check it out!

Here is what you’ll get into in Down Below Beyond

- Portals, action, cool tech, and more portals. Did I mention portals?

- Alien races otherworldly and well-imagined.

- Friendships gained, lost, and betrayed. Disclaimer: Not in that order.

- Scenes of beauty; tranquil but also hellish action. Keep a heart monitor for your own safety.

- Bad guys! Yep!

- Unique worlds and interconnected systems.

Here’s the scoop:

There is a familiarity that connects elements of the story to the Song of Kamaria in terms of the origin of human characters in the novel, but there is a whole set of alien races to be found due to an interconnective system of a linked universe in the Voyalten Web and BEYOND! The worlds in BEYOND to be more precise, but no knowledge of the prior novels is required!

Citizens of the Lodespace, where everything begins, come in all shapes, sizes, races, and genders imaginable. Our main character Levort Aatra and his best friend Byfo Niall in the story are human but with different upbringings in classes. Levort is a prospector for tech items left behind from an old galactic feud among other things. He’s tight on cash but always has a heart for the less fortunate and it comes clear right from the beginning as he helps a man in need. Byfo (that name sounds so beefed up, doesn’t it? ) is of an elite class and aspiring to command his own ship/fleet one day. On one of their missions, Levort disappears while investigating deep into the space of an old starship and ends up being portelled onto another planet where he finds Wolil, this really cool alien with 4 arms and a gateslinger. (This is where the portals come in, as in a cool gun-type gadget that slings portals of different kinds when you trigger it).

Time runs differently in the worlds one can portal to and from, and Byfo has been searching for Levort for a half cycle or more. In the meantime, his career is falling into place and he doesn’t grasp right away that he is becoming a pawn in the corrupt concealment of worlds or the BEYOND from the higher leaders up.

As Levort encounters danger where he is stuck and escapes via gateslinger action he doesn’t fully grasp the functionalities of yet, he encounters harrowing, amazing, beautiful or dark worlds in tumbling through space and time fashion till he ends up on Bloom. Along the way, he begins these friendships and creates a ragtag team of friendly Beyonders who want to help him get back to his fleet. While circumstantial resources are limited, they are taking their time to rebuild a ship but encounter different dangers in procuring materials, and this leads Byfo and his leaders through a trail onto their heels, only now, Byfo has been corrupted as to what to believe about his best friend. A test of loyalties Lavort never thought he’d have to prove in spine-tingling combatants and struggles ensue.

…

Where to begin?!

A novel that holds friendships or family found in high regard combined with awesome hair-raising battles in space. That’s what T.A. Bruno does best. Understanding people and their emotions, he has a way of connecting readers with characters symbiotically. And this book was a feast of races to behold. Levort’s ragtag team begins with Floem and Vobsii, who are just the most endearing but Sevodan, Kurnult, Skipper, and Piper are great additions to the team among other unique characters throughout. The worlds to which Levort travels and the systems or lack of them put in place, be it biomes, cultures, etc. are unique and interesting and Levort’s free-fall space battles had me bade my breath. I never thought it could get any worse and then it did. Of course.

There are graphics throughout the book and they adorn each chapter head, a recognizable trademark of T.A. Bruno by now and they never fail to be anything less than fantastic. There’s a map of the Voyalten map included as well as a glossary on planets, the cast, and races as well as a picture dramatis personae, which is just so cool.

This isn’t exactly what I categorize as a portal fantasy as in one travels and stays, but the choice of portals used like ropes in the jungle and was among my favorite parts. Not quite the same, but if you know the scene in the new D&D movie with the mirror portal on the wagon, it’s what I had to think of in moments. I stinking loved portalling through the worlds!

Another great novel, it’s all I can say and the cover and artwork are top-notch. Well done!

Pick it up. Now!

-S

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, Thank you!

More of my reviews here:
Through Novel Time & Distance

The Fantasy Hive

[Jord MiddleofNowhere · Rating 4 out of 5]

TA Bruno does it again. He has created another SciFi story that stands apart, one that will be talked about as one that will be unique and fun to read for years to come. I am constantly reminded of SciFi stories that I love each time that I read one of his stories. This one once again has endearing characters that will latch onto your heart and never let go. It is endearing and heart wrenching, but overall extremely entertaining.

The strength of the novel were the variety of characters that we come into contact with. It is easy to connect with them and want to know more of what they are striving to overcome and accomplish. The story is unique and interesting, with a science that is fun to read about and discover. The characters make some great jumps with it and makes it fascinating to discover more of what the author can do with it. This science and the way the character learned was very fast, leaving me wanting to see more of how the character could have learned and used it.

I highly recommend this book for all lovers of SciFi, as it has different alien species, characters to love, science that makes complete sense as well as entertaining to read about. Look forward to more amazing adventures from an incredible author that definitely knows how to write some amazing SciFi. The audio is also extremely well done!!

Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review!!

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a standalone, the world in this book is rich and full of detail and stories. I think T A Bruno has gotten even better with this new novel and I'm loving it. The characters within this book have such interesting arcs and reasons for the things they are doing, it has been such a pleasure to experience this book and more of Bruno's writing. Definitely a standalone that I would recommend for less intense sci-fi with a fantastic storyline, rich characters and a world that makes you want to experience more of.

[C.J. Daley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won an audible code prelaunch of the book via a giveaway done by the author. The narration by Kyle Snyder is fantastic and brings the characters to life.

This is my first read from this author, but it certainly won’t be the last. This is a scifi fantasy novel that heavily features found family and friends. It really is at its core about choosing your people and making the best of things. Everyone knows loss and hardship, certainly so does Levort Aatra. Perhaps even more than others. As a prospector, he has to forage and search for every little bit he can call his own, which makes sense, as that is his actual arc throughout the novel itself too.

My favorite thing about the mixture of scifi/fantasy is that it doesn’t feature hard science. The author is creating languages, races, planets. I don’t need to have heavily believable science backing it, I can allow being told what is, is just what it is. And the novel itself progresses at such a pace that you won’t even have time to dive too deep.

I really loved the villain role being kind of ambiguously filled by Levort’s best friend Bayfo. It exists as this really incredible way of showing two sides of the same coin as each of them just want to make a better life for themselves. I love the utilization of the ‘villain’ thinking his friend is so misled that he has to save him no matter what, therefore becoming blinded himself.

Personally a 5/5* for me. I need a physical copy and so do you.

https://fanfiaddict.com/review-down-b...

[Dave Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun sci fi read with some lovable characters. I listened to the audio, so I’m probably about to misspell some names, but I liked Lavort as the main character and loved Flome and Vobsey! The idea of portal hopping gun was a lot of fun.
There was a part in the middle where I was losing steam, but things picked up again and I enjoyed the ending.
Full review to come!

[Karen ⚜Mess⚜ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet gem Down Below Beyond was. An absolute joy and easy to read as well.

A lot of alien races to absorb. Thankfully, T.A. Bruno has provided us with a glossary AND pictures! The artwork is top shelf quality. My favorite character is Floem. Floem is a free loving flower child, and hilarious. All the characters were easy to play out in my mind. Because of this it's well worth the 5 stars.

[Boe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Down Below Beyond is a cozy standalone Sci-Fi novel that you will breeze through as T.A. Bruno nailed the pacing. I’m impressed at how expansive this world is for a book that is just over 300 pages long.

The story centers around two characters Levort and Bayfo who throughout the story are accompanied by an eclectic cast that is sure to have you laughing. If you are a fan of the found family trope then you will surely enjoy this story.

Bruno’s ability to show to write characters that you can easily connect and relate to shines once again in this book. While Levort and Bayfo are both working towards the same end goal of building a better life for themselves, the path each takes and the lengths they are willing to go to accomplish it are completely different.

This book tackles many issues we face today, such as discerning truth from false information, what true friendship looks like and does blood make you family or is a family something more than just some shared DNA. Bruno does a stellar job at showing how one's perception of these types of topics can send them down totally different paths. One creates hope for those it comes in contact with and the other leaves those in its path experiencing destruction and despair.

Beyond the two main characters Bruno's writing really does a fantastic job of bringing your own imagination to life as I could clearly see the story playing out in my mind as I made my way through which is not always the case for me. The different alien races/species he created are fantastic and reminds me of the movie “Guardians of the Galaxy” which is a personal favorite of mine.

I know this book was a standalone and I’m not sure if Bruno has any plans to expand on this but I sure hope he does. While the ending of the book left me 100% satisfied with warm fuzzies on the inside. I feel like he wrote this in a way where he can write plenty more spin offs allowing us to experience more of the Beyond with all new characters and then one day bring it all full circle and have us reconnect with some of the main cast to close out the series as a whole if he chooses to expand. Personally I hope he does and I might have to team up with some other friends and heckle him into doing so :)

[S. Bavey · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I have come to expect from T. A. Bruno, Down Below Beyond is filled with cinematic worldbuilding. There are multiple imaginative worlds containing acid storms, carpets of wildflowers, deathly temperatures, one that is mostly ocean and many more which Bruno must have had a lot of fun inventing. These worlds are populated by extraordinary aliens: there is a hive-minded group of balloon-like tentacled creatures, Floem is from a plant-based race with petals and leaves decorating her person, there are amphibians, empaths, feline/fungus creatures and many more, including a fair amount of scary monsters. I have always said that deeply visual worldbuilding is one of the strengths of Bruno and this continues to be the case.

The story itself revolves around a friendship gone bad, two childhood friends, Levort and Bayfo are pitted against each other by the evil “powers that be” and an epic chase ensues, through portals into other worlds as the pair seeks/flees from each other. In addition to this chase, which continues for most of the book, there is an exciting prison break and a fast-paced final battle with high stakes for everyone involved.

I found Bayfo’s motivation a little hard to swallow. He goes from being Levort’s friend who we are told always had his back, to a bloodthirsty, cold-blooded killer, brainwashed by his superiors and I found it difficult to believe how easily this change occurred. He showed no remorse whatsoever when ordering the robotic prison warden to electrocute Levort. The last scene between the two of them felt a little contrived, due to the complete change of heart he appeared to have had towards his one-time friend.

Floem and Vobsii were a wonderful duo and I really enjoyed their scenes together. Floem is a unique, funny and endearing character, who has a close relationship with Skipper the potted weed. She is the much-needed positive influence on the group of misfits she brings together. She makes friends everywhere she goes.

Vobsii, her fellow “tourist” (or should that be grifter?) is loyal, brave and dependable. I would love to see more adventures with these two in a starring role! There are plenty of other interesting characters met by Levort along the way, including the amazingly technically-talented, hive-minded group of Mulptre, without whom the story would have had a completely different outcome. Chance encounters with just the right people needed for the mission to be a success abound, which is very lucky for Levort, and for the reader, as it all adds to the entertainment level of this enjoyable romp through space.

The book is not without its losses and tragedies, indeed the broken friendship between the two main characters Bayfo and Levort haunts the entire story, but at the end of the novel we are given a heartfelt positive message:

“It’s not about the place. It’s about accomplishing the goals you set for yourself. We all have our own happiness we work toward, but I think it’s important to know when you’ve found it. I have found it here.”

I thoroughly enjoyed Down Below Beyond and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys science fiction without the detailed scientific explanations. There is more fiction than believable science in this story and you may need to suspend your disbelief – but that is just how I like it!

[Athena (OneReadingNurse) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love shorter, fast paced books like this. Bruno’s cinematic descriptive style is back in a romp through different planetary environments as the characters travel around the Voltaren Web and beyond. While Kamaria is mentioned briefly and the book is written in the same universe, there’s no need to read one to enjoy the other. I was expecting lots of fun artwork and a wonderful presentation – not disappointed at all.

It’s an interesting idea that a separate realm of space was created by a civilization intent on transcending and uplifting it’s members. It seemed like a giant commune for anyone open to improving, learning, and creating. Not hard to see where it could have been pegged as a cult.

So who wouldn’t want to go there? Not the power hungry alien who seized power once the Beyond split off from the Below. Years later, enter a wide cast that comes together to take down this oppressive fleet dictator using advanced technology from a lost race of native aliens. Getting surprisingly dark at times, two friends turn enemies as new friends are made and paths are chosen. Unfortunately not everyone is fit for the ideology of the Beyond.

It was cool to meet a whole bunch of different races and get a glimpse of different worlds. I liked the characters and their arcs either towards good, acceptance, or evil. One thing I didn’t love was how, despite significant time passing in the book, the characters all became ride-or-die BFFs so quickly without as much on page bonding time.

The overall pacing was great. There is plenty of discovery and humor spread out among the fight scenes and darker parts to create a nice, balanced read.

The whole book just felt … clunkier than Kamaria, which was not clunky. The dialogue was stiff and repetitively tagged, odd naming conventions were used and repeated more than necessary, and he did things like repeat “the Marothallan enforcer” four times in one paragraph. Kamaria was not like this at all so I don’t know if it’s editorial or what changed, but the text didn’t flow as well overall. That’s where I docked the star.

As far as the story, themes, and characters, and of course the descriptive settings and atmosphere, absolute A+ 👩‍🍳😘. I love love love the overall theme that “friends don’t keep friends small”. Whether it’s a potted weed or a balloon with tentacles, the author makes me feel for these people! It wasn’t always happy and I appreciated the darker parts too. When a book doesn’t end up where you think it’s going to?

I definitely recommended Down Below Beyond for space opera & galactic empire fans

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 - Stars

Opening:
I'll start this review stating that T.A. Bruno is one of those authors that have been on my radar now for a couple of years. Unfortunately, I just hadn't gotten a chance to slide any of his work into my monthly TBR. I still want to get to his The Song of Kamaria series as I have book one In the Orbit of Sirens waiting.

Luckily enough though I was able to get his standalone Down Below Beyond into my March TBR and it was so much fun! This gives me rather high hopes for the other series and I just may have to make sure I get the above mentioned started yet this year.

Pacing:
I can't speak highly enough about the pacing within Down Below Beyond. I settled in to this one so quickly. I elected to go the route of the audiobook version so I could keep on top of this one more frequently and not have to depend on finding time to sit still and visual read it. However, I will touch on the Kindle version when I get to the Character Development in a moment.

The audiobook was narrated by Kyle Snyder who I believe was new to me. I can't recall if I've experienced his performances previously or not. If I have it hasn't been very many. Kyle did such a great job with so many difference voices bringing each of these characters and the world to life. (While doing research on this very topic I found out Kyle has been narrating another fun series I enjoy, Toroth-Gol by Kenny Gould. Even though I'm caught up on visually reading that series, I might have to go back and give Kyle's performance a listen)

World Building:
The world building was very creative. The author seems to take full advantage of this being a science fiction world where he can just go wild with the world environments and races. There was so many things to experience for the first time. Especially early on when things are just being introduced and laying the foundation for the rest of the story.

I honestly don't want to give too much away but there are various locations that give a very dark feeling and others that seem more light and whimsical. Bruno does a wonderful job describing these places allowing the reader to lose themselves within.

Finally, I wanted to touch on the fact there is also plenty of political intrigue and different castes and races providing a lot of depth to the world and its history.

Character Development:
The character development could be described in many of the same ways as the world building. We have so much diversity of characters. I had heard from some friends in the bookish community that T.A. Bruno does aliens very well and they weren't kidding. I was struggling a bit early on trying to picture all of these unique character races. That is until I picked up the Kindle version just to get a better idea of character names and I found out there was a wonderful single page drawing of our main characters. That was all I needed to settle in and visualize these characters the rest of the way while listening to the audiobook.

We have several amazing character arcs through Down Below Beyond. Levort and Bayfo had a great relationship for the story. Maybe not with each other but the story definitely benefits from these two. I will admit I'm more than a little bit of a fan for Floem though. What a great character! Whether she was bringing some much needed comedic relief at times or she was just off being her own strong self, any scene with her was a pleasure to experience.

Closing:
In the end, I really enjoyed this book. I'm kicking myself now that I haven't gotten to his first series yet and I need to remedy that this year. I doubt I'll get through its entirety by end of the year, but I plan to at least get through book one.

Down Below Beyond is easy to recommend to readers of Science Fiction, looking for a deep, wild and adventurous space tale that is darker at times but has a rich world and some amazing characters. I'd be shocked if readers couldn't find at least one character to gravitate towards and latch onto in this one.

[Jim Scriven · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has created a science fiction adventure that has some deep themes and commentary on existence hidden behind a cover of light humor. Despite some really dark events, you end up unable to feel too badly, as the tone remains upbeat and entertaining throughout. I'll admit, it leaves me a little unsure of just how I SHOULD feel about the book. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the reading experience, and appreciated the points the author makes as he brings the story to completion. My 4-star choice is based entirely on the lightness of the story despite the deep themes; it lacked the gravitas to take it to a 5. But I'd definitely recommend!

[Ericka Evren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It's intriguing, fun, heartfelt, detailed, and has a plethora of worlds. I loved the vast range of characters and aliens.

The technology was so fun (I love portals!). The story itself carries a beautiful message of friends growing apart, new friends being created, while all striving for the greater good. The humor was fun. Bruno made the interactions between the characters seamless and enjoyable.

I loved the growth of our two main characters and how they changed throughout the story but grew stronger into who they were. The ending was satisfactory.

If you need a palette cleanser, a mood lifter, or just want to have some fun, I definitely recommend this book.

[Dom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one turned out not to be for me. One of the key elements of the story is the concept of worldhopping using gateslingers, which are basically portal guns, and I felt that at various parts of the book this made the story a little too jumpy. It could sometimes be difficult to track where we were and who was there when the POV character is slipping through multiple portals before his feet touch the ground – although that disorientation would surely be felt by the character as well, so may have been intentional.

I didn’t really get on with the characters at all, I just felt no connection to any of them. There was a good variety of roughly humanoid alien characters, although our two main POVs are both human. This contributed to me getting a Titan AE vibe from the book, and indeed, as I was reading, I realised I was voicing some of the characters in imitations of the voices from that movie. To be clear, the story was nothing like Titan AE, it was just a vibe I got initially from the updated cover, which features a more cartoon-style illustration than the original green cover. The updated cover definitely does a good job at representing the content of the book, IMO, and had it been released before I planned to read this book, I might have avoided it as I did turn out to be the wrong audience for the book.

[Derek Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER: I'd won a free Audible code for this book as part of a giveaway, but that has not impacted my opinion of the book.

This science fiction action romp is filled with fascinating planets and strange alien species. I wasn't really able to feel emotionally invested in anyone or anything in particular, but I still had a really good time just being taken along for this crazy ride.

CHARACTERS
Levort Aatra serves as our main protagonist. He's not the most unique hero, but he has an interesting enough backstory and his pure-hearted motivations make him easy to root for. Because I'm not really sure how to spell the names for anyone else (his was the only one listed in the book's description), I won't me mentioning them by name. I will say that it took me longer than it probably should have to memorize what everyone was called and even as I neared the story's end, there were still some characters that had me going, "wait, who was that again?" This wasn't necessarily because any of these characters are bad. I think instead, it had more to do with a combination of me just not feeling much of an emotional connection to any of them and there being a very large cast for such a quick adventure. Some of the ones that came through clearest for me were Levort's best friend turned enemy, one of the "Beyonders," a plant lady, a three eyed creature, and a big brutish fellow who I wasn't really sure I was able to clearly picture accurately. Even though I'm not sure this was the intent, I found myself picturing them all as animated characters like something from TREASURE PLANET or TITAN A.E. I don't think this is an inherently negative thing, but it did throw me off somewhat because the cover didn't really give me that type of expectation. They're all also quite quirky and charming in the way that a cartoon character might be. I'd argue that none of them are especially complex, though I wouldn't necessarily say they were one-dimensional either.

PLOT/TONE
There's a sort of lighthearted air to this novel that might feel reminiscent of adventure stories from one's childhood. On one hand, that can be a rather fun and perhaps even nostalgic trip to take. On the other, I think it really through me off as that is not at all what I thought this was going to be. Personally, I would have liked to have felt more invested in either the characters or the story being told. I loved the parts where the book took me to a new world and/or introduced a new alien species, but didn't feel especially hooked in the events playing out around all that. The conflict between Levort and his best friend was handled well enough, but I think there were some emotional moments between them that were supposed to hit me a lot harder than they did. I think this is partly due to how the story really prioritizes the adventure. I loved the forward momentum that drives the narrative forward, I just thought that we could have paused a little longer to more deeply explore a character's inner feelings, a more complex idea, or even the background for a specific world or people. There were some truly compelling topics that the novel touches upon like the distinction between a cult and a community or what it means to be party to a toxic friendship where someone always has to have the upper hand in order for the relationship to work. Instead, these concepts are mostly skimmed over at surface level and characters seem to bounce back quickly from the more traumatic moments. I felt like that was a little bit of a shame, but I think the main point of this story is really to be fun rather than to serve as something that hits readers with intense emotions. I definitely feel like this story succeeds in delivering ample amounts of fun. It's a sort of joyride and a relatively clean one at that, which is always nice. I could see this being perfect for someone who's looking for something quick and light after finishing something denser and/or more emotionally taxing. Yes, I was expecting something a little bit deeper and a little more gripping, but I think what I got out of this was perfectly worthwhile in it's own way too.

SETTING/WORLD
If I've been a little harsh on the book so far, this is one area that I want to make it clear that I was quite impressed with. Bruno has a real talent for imagining vibrant alien worlds and the exotic peoples that live within them. For such a relatively short book, I was amazed at how many of each we got to see. There's just a ton of creativity on display here and it's impossible not to appreciate the love and care that Bruno has put into developing this universe. The technologies used were also quite fun. From starships to little handheld portal devices, there's a ton of mobility that this sci-fi setting has to offer and that really opened things up when it came to the possibilities for exploration. I liked that there were still some limits around how characters could move around though and how those restrictions gave the tech almost the same feel as a magic system. Equally enjoyable is the subtle bits of lore that are sprinkled throughout the story. There are elements of a dystopia present which I usually enjoy and while they weren't particularly deep, I felt as though the politics of this universe were perfectly compelling and believable. I enjoyed the backstory of the Beyonders and I found myself wanting to know more about them. I also thought it was pretty interesting that humans aren't as common here as they typically are in other science fiction universes and I appreciated the book's commitment to delivering such a diverse array of alien species. I think Bruno has a real gift for crafting interesting settings, so I hope he continues to dream up more fantastical worlds and universes for readers to explore.

AUDIOBOOK
In terms of overall production quality, this is a perfectly solid eBook. The narrator does a fantastic job of giving funny, but fitting voices to all the different characters and is largely able to keep everyone consistent. There are one or two moments where I felt like Lavort and his best friend sounded too much alike, but they were typically distinct from one another and mostly only blended together during an argument. As colorful as the voicework was though, the recitation of the book's prose felt jarringly flat. It's not necessarily bad, just a little lacking in intonation changes, especially between action scenes and quiet moments which made the action a little tough to stay engaged with and sometimes hard to follow. I do think that this may have detracted from my overall enjoyment of the story somewhat and I have to wonder if my experience with the story itself would have been different had I read it visually. I also wonder if some of the scene changes would have felt less abrupt if I was seeing them split up by paragraph on a page. They all just kind of bled together in the audio version, which made me feel a little disoriented at times with what was going on.

My last gripe has to do with the book's cover. While I am a massive fan of both the cover art and the book title, I think the artwork actually set me off on the wrong foot with the story because it seemed to indicate a much more serious and intense story than what I felt we ultimately got. To me, something more whimsical and cartoonish would have been more fitting, but I understand that probably would not have been as eye catching to as many people.

CONCLUSION
If you're coming hot off the heels from a really dense or heavy read, then this might serve as the perfect pallet cleanser. It's not the most compelling book I've read all year, but I did ultimately have a good time just going along for this wild ride. I'm also curious to try more books by the author, especially because he has a whole trilogy that is set in this same universe, but is not specifically connected to this book.

(+) A cast of colorful characters who were each quite distinct from one another
(+) A lighthearted and generally clean romp across a science-fiction universe
(+) A fast paced, relatively quick read
(+) TONS of creativity that went into crafting these bizarre worlds and the equally alien creatures that live within them
(+/-) The narrator did a largely spectacular job with the voices, but the way he recited the prose came off as a bit flat to me
(+/-) The cover and title, though fantastic, sort of gave me a false impression of what this story would be like
(-) In spite of how much fun I had, I wasn't all that emotionally invested in the story or characters
(-) The more interesting concepts aren't really explored in all that much depth
(-) Some of the characters and alien species were hard to picture and/or keep track of
(-) Scene shifts that felt rather fast/abrupt (on audio at least)

[BoiledJellyfish · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5
This book is the perfect stand alone for someone who wants to dabble into Sci Fi and self pub.
Coming from reading the Song of Kamaria trilogy, T.A. Bruno's strengths in his previous trilogy really comes over to Down Below Beyond.
We got:
Fun characters with lots of depth and unique voices✅
Fun and enjoyable Sci Fi technology ✅
Cinematic action scenes✅
Lots of cool and unique alien races that don't overwhelm you✅
And obviously we got, Skipper (the best character)✅

[Jonathan Nevair · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for plot-driven sci-fi space adventure filled with creative world building and lots of action, Down Beyond Below delivers. Bruno’s got his finger on the pulse of this subgenre and style of writing – rich in inventiveness (like, wow… some of these species, locations, etc. are fab. I mean, FLOEM!), action and excitement, tension between friendship and rivalry, found family, and… wait for it… portals! I’m big on portals, but they need to be done right to feel convincing and not just easy ways to shift location/time in a story. DBB was a great use of portals in a galactic setting. No spoilers here, but the ending was a clever way of utilizing story aspects to enhance a final showdown!
Down Beyond Below is an entertaining foray into space adventure that brings together numerous aspects of science fiction into a fun and exciting read. As with Bruno’s three-book Kamaria series, there’s a secondary current running through the story involving character relationships. I really appreciate how Bruno adds heart to plot-driven space adventure with his characters. As a standalone, you can go this as a solo read or as part of the Kamaria world the author has created.

*Not to be missed are the amazing illustrations and other extras Bruno provides. I read this as an ARC but bought the Hardcover because it looks amazing and I had to have it. Can't wait for it to arrive!

[Ross Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to @tabrunoauthor
For sending me an audible code of his standalone Sci Fi novel, Down Below Beyond

This one is a fast paced, character driven multi world story about Levort, a prospector who scavanges for waste on an uninhabited world and comes across an unusual starship. Realising he's not the only one linked to this ship, there's now a target on him . An unlikely team is formed and our story takes off from there.

The main thing that impressed me with this one was the character work. Both the main and side characters are all interesting, well written and developed, and had a chemistry that really shined through.

The world is also pretty intriguing , portal hopping shows us a number of different worlds and alien species , it reminded me No Man's Sky, If any of you are familiar with that game .

The story is relatively short , but it's fast paced, with plenty of action , emotion , and often wholesome light hearted moments.

The audiobook is well narrated , I've noticed there's almost a particular type , or style of narrating to a lot of the sci fi I've listened to. Lots of similarities to other sci fi books I've listened to. It works well for me

While this book didn't quite blow my socks off compared to the (albeit small amount) of sci fi I've read to date . It was very enjoyable.

This author is definitely one I'll be checking out more of

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was so good!! I loved the portal hopping and exploring new words. A lot of wholesome moments and I got attached to the characters and really worried about what would happen.

I liked that there were pictures of the different alien races to help you imagine them better.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Something clawed at Levort’s heart as stood at the base of the bed. Memories of loneliness, sorrow, never-ending dread. It was all still resting here, in this room. Places remembered what people often forgot-or what people would strive to forget.”
TA Bruno, Down Below Beyond. On the Threshold of the Universe

Down Below Beyond is T.A. Bruno’s exceptional, standalone science fiction novel. Having read his Song of Kamaria Trilogy, one of my favorite science fiction series, I was excited to read this book. Once again, Mr. Bruno does not disappoint. He delivers exciting science fiction, filled with action and adventure. However, beyond that, there is also a story of finding oneself, love, friendship, betrayal, loss, and found family. I always enjoy how Mr. Bruno subtlety goes beyond the excitement of science fiction to bring home other messages that the reader can relate too. The story revolves around two lifelong friends, Levort Aatra and Bayfo Niall. They live in Lodespace, more specifically on the Fessenog Fleet at the center of this world. Levort is prospector on the long-abandoned planet of Tayoxe, and Bayfo is his enforcer/protector. Both Levort and Bayfo have dreams for their future. Levort wants to get a license that would allow him to leave and prospect elsewhere, and Bayfo wishes to rise through the enforcer ranks to a command position. The book opens with Levort prospecting and Bayfo making sure no one steals his claim. Levort finds a crashed spaceship and lays claim to it, knowing it will be valuable enough to get him off Fessenog. Upon returning, the ship has been destroyed, and with it, Levort’s dreams. He meets a female Tayoxen named Wolil, with advanced technology to open pocket portals to different worlds. Wolil, known as a Beyonder in Fessenog, opens Levort’s eyes to this new technology, to the Beyond where he can travel too and leave Lodespace, and the truth about Fessenog. It is ruled by a despot and it is very unlikely he would ever be able to leave. As he begins to hop through portals with this new technology, he finds allies and friends that want to travel with him to find a new life. Bayfo’s life takes a different turn as he believes Levort has been exposed to the Beyonder “cult” and begins hunting his friend. Down Below Beyond was brilliant science fiction. It had everything-space battles, advanced alien technology, portal travel, and so many different races and worlds. There are themes of friendship, family, betrayal, and inner discovery that are woven beautifully throughout the novel that grabs the reader and does not let go from the first to the last page. Suffice to say I absolutely love Down Below Beyond.

There are many aspects of science fiction that Mr. Bruno excels at. First, his world building. It is some of the best I have read. In this novel, he is not just creating one planet, he has numerous worlds he creates as the technology allows Levort to easily travel to different worlds. Each one is unique and has its own species. Tayoxe has the remnants of an advanced civilization, but it is a hostile environment with frequent acid rain storms. There worlds that are deserts, ones that are various types of forests, ones that are mostly water, and others that are desolate wastelands. With the portal technology, they can tell if the atmosphere is safe to breath for Levort and his friends. That is something that was so realistic. As an environmental scientist, I do look at ecosystem creation critically. While I know these worlds are not real, they still must make sense. To have every atmosphere safe for humans is simply not realistic. The species that exist there must fit into these worlds as well. This is something Mr. Bruno does is so skilled at. It was incredible in the Song of Kamaria, and just as amazing in Down Below Beyond. Levort and his friends hide on a planet they name Bloom, a place undetected and Bayfo cannot find.

“Bloom was a small planet with soft sloping hills and underground tunnels. Everything on the surface was blanketed in wildflowers, and the most prominent native life form was only a fist-sized insect that resembled a Tayoxe strider. This was a world untouched by civilization-unharmed by the Fessenog fleet. A lazy moon hung in the air, close enough to see its craggy exterior.”
TA Bruno, Down Below Beyond

The various races are also incredibly well-done. It was amazing to see each one come to life on the page. It was an interesting choice, and beautiful tie-in to Kamaria, that there are few humans in Lodespace. At the end of the book, Mr. Bruno gives a breakdown of where each race comes from, and when I looked, the humans all came from Kamaria. I thought that was such a touching tie-in to both books. One of my favorite characters was Floem, a race that could photosynthesize. She could eat and drink as well, but prefers her sunlight for food. She was my dream character. I always thought it would be great if humans could photosynthesize. I was never fond of cooking, and if my children were hungry, I could tell them to just go out in the sun and have dinner. Floem radiated such joy. The friends that Levort makes in his travels become family to him. There is Floem, Vobsii, Sevodan, Kurnult, and Piper. Piper and Levort are the only humans. How can I forget Skipper? Skipper is Floem’s potted plant that she talks to and goes everywhere with. She is exceptionally perceptive and wise. Piper is grieving her sister when Floem meets her and they have a drink and talk about passing on. It is quite profound how she approaches death.

“It's not really instead of death, at least not how you think. In a way, it’s the same for you as it is for all of us…My people root down and phase into our tree form before we drop more seedlings like me…The version of me I recognize dies, but I still live on. Humans are similar. They die, but they live on as memories. Sure, it’s not as visible as a tree, but its warmer.”
TA Bruno, Down Below Beyond

Fessenog is ruled with an iron fist by Gulna Kii Fessenog. Bayfo Niall cuts a deal and has become a commander of his own ship. Throughout the book he hunts for Levort, thinking he will rescue him from this “cult” of the Beyonders, races that come from beyond Lodespace and offer them a chance to go beyond. In Fessenog, it is a cult that must be dealt with at any cost. His chase of Levort morphs into something darker as he becomes obsessed with finding him, where he is hiding, and brutally hunting down other “cult members.” He and many others have the portal technology and the race between Bayfo and Levort across worlds is edge-of-your seat excitement. It is through this chase that the bond deteriorates and all Bayfo wants is to not only find Levort, but Bloom, so he can wipe out all 0f them. Bayfo’s arc takes a rather dark turn. He desperately wanted a command position, he did what he needed to do to secure it, and now does what he must to remain in Gulna’s favor. Levort wants more than to be stuck on Fessenog, and he will do what he must ensure it. They are all fully fleshed out characters with complete arcs.

“Levort whispered, “Bayfo?”
Bayfo Niall cut into a run rushing towards Levort. Levort noticed the crackle of a stun bolt as it exploded against a nearby rock, and he knew that Bayfo was not here to rekindle their friendship. Levort felt a knot in his throat and tears come to his eyes. This validated what Floem had said before…
Friends don’t keep you small.”
TA Bruno, Down Below Beyond

The pacing and prose are excellent. The excitement of the action was also filled with the quiet moments of reflection for the characters. It is not a non-stop battle. There is character development along with the focus on the importance of the Beyonder technology, hiding from Bayfo, and building their life on Bloom. When there are battles, they are epic. The descriptions take you right into the action and you are there along with the characters. There are twists and turns that I never saw coming. Down Below Beyond was so exciting that I finished it in one sitting. Mr. Bruno’s ability to create exciting, heart racing science fiction action, interwoven with well-developed characters, imaginative world building, and deeper themes of friendship, loyalty, and found family is nothing short of astounding. I said it in my review of The Song of Kamaria that Mr. Bruno’s imagination knows no bounds. He used that same imagination to create Down Below Beyond.

The narrative is told in the third person of many of the characters. We get to see how each interacts with each other, and the developing friendships. It is also in this way we see the deterioration of Bayfo and Levort’s friendship. With multiple perspectives, we are privy to what each character is doing. For example, we can see how Floem meets Piper and brings her into their family. In a first-person perspective of a single character, perhaps Levort, we would not see the beautiful details of that interaction. More and more travelers arrive in Bloom and before Levort’s realizes it, something beautiful has happened. The third person narrative to tell this story was a perfect choice.

“Look around, Lev. Bloom is a paradise. You built it with Vobsii and Floem. This is a homestead the original human pioneers would be jealous of.” Piper waved her hand in grand gestures…
Levort looked around. Over the past quarter cycle, they had obtained more mouths to feed. Alien races both familiar and strange, dotted the floral landscape…There was a warmth to the air, a friendliness of gathered star travelers. The new residents of Bloom were officially a colony.”
TA Bruno, Down Below Beyond

Overall Thoughts
Down Below Beyond, TA Bruno’s new standalone science fiction novel, was an exciting, action-packed story that kept me enthralled from the first to the last page. At its core, it is the story of Levort Aatra and Bayfo Niall, childhood friends who partner together for work. Levort is a prospector and Bayfo is the enforcer who accompanies him to protect what he finds. Working the desolate planet of Tayoxe for any valuable finds, both wish to rise above their stations. Levort wants to travel to other worlds, while Bayfo wants to rise in his rank and possibly command his own ship. Down Below Beyond has everything you want in science fiction-incredible space battles, advanced technology, alien worlds, portal travel, unique worlds, and unique races. Interwoven with the story is something that Mr. Bruno does so well. He incorporates themes of found family, love, friendship, betrayal, and loyalty. One of my favorite characters was Floem, from a race that can photosynthesize. I always thought it would be awesome if we could do the same. I am not overly fond of cooking, so anytime someone asks for dinner, I can just say go outside and sit and get something to eat. She was also wise, caring, and loyal to all who joined their found family. Everything about this book was so creative and amazingly well done. It was brilliant. I also love the inclusion of the maps, and the character and race pictures. I could not love Down Below Beyond more, and without a doubt, highly recommend it.
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[Twainy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an imaginative book! The variety of alien species were each brought to life with a clarity that was unique to each character. Great sci-fi! This is the 3rd book I’ve read from this author & he’s done it again. Looking forward to book two!

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF.

A very old-school space opera, populated with rubber-suit aliens that physically are reminiscent of Earth animals of various kinds, mostly, and psychologically are completely indistinguishable from humans. The planets seem to have single biomes in many cases, and the spaceships don't appear to require any fuel. It's definitely way up the trope end of the trope-to-actual-science spectrum; what little original worldbuilding there is doesn't make any attempt at plausibility.

But how about the story?

Observing from afar, I'm starting to think that it's increasingly difficult for an author living in today's USA not to write dystopian fiction, which is a pity, because I'm not a fan of it. This is a corporate dystopia, with an obviously evil corporate overlord who's rewritten history to remove or demonize the courageous and generous Beyonders, who want everyone to have access to their utopian tech. Instead, characters like the protagonist are stuck in dead-end jobs which exploit their labour for the benefit of the corporation and force them into increasing debt. He was sold by his parents as a child because of debt, and worked in a sweatshop growing up; sweatshops have, inexplicably, since been abolished (there's no sign of any government that could make the corporation improve its policies, at least as far as I read). When he finds a piece of Beyonder tech while scavenging a post-apocalyptic world, he ends up on the run, using a Beyonder device which opens portals to random places (though always ones that are survivable), in a way that, for reasons that seem more story-related than realistic, can't be predicted or controlled. Fortunately for him, it's almost impossible for a named character to die in this setting (you basically have to be shot at close range; even firing superheated plasma at someone just pushes them away, for some reason, and falling a long distance or being shot only once or from a distance generally leaves the characters just fine).

His one friend is an Enforcer, a member of the corporation's private security, who befriended him when they were children together, but he's a company man and believes the obviously evil boss's disinformation about the Beyonders being a dangerous cult, so the friends end up on opposite sides. In fact, the enforcer, coerced into heinous acts by the evil boss, falls down the slippery slope and becomes a bit of a psychopath, with no sign of the compassion that made the two friends in the first place. At the point I stopped reading, he had just captured his old friend, and since convenient coincidence had played a bit of a role up to that point, I found myself unwilling to wade through whatever dystopian scenes were to come to get to what I assumed would be a convenient coincidence enabling the plot to be resolved.

None of the characters had much depth, even the protagonist; they had, at most, one simple motivation and a plot role.

Very few authors seem to know how (or at least when) to use the past perfect tense these days, and this author is not one of those who do, though at least most of the other mechanical issues are minor and could be cleaned up relatively easily by a good editor. (Usual disclaimer that I got this in a pre-publication version from Netgalley, and it may - but honestly probably will not - get another editing pass after I see it but before it's published.)

I'm willing to give undercooked worldbuilding and mediocre mechanics a bit of a pass if the emotional arc of the characters is working for me, but this wasn't, certainly not well enough for me to wade through the dystopian bits. For someone with different tastes, it may well work better.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair review.

Down Below Beyond is an absolutely fun ride featuring several alien cultures and portal technology.

The book is a mix of found family feels, action, and fun world-building. It features an interesting style because while the book is for adults, it has a sort of coziness and ease to it that you could let an older kid read it too. There's violence in this book, but nothing more than you'd see in Star Wars. In fact, it retains a very Star Wars feel (I'm a big SW person - I even watch the animated stuff - so I don't make that comparison lightly). The aliens are culturally are kind of homogenous, but physically they are very different, and they all coexist and accept one another. The tech is also very space opera focused, as it's not heavily based on realism and science (it's not a hard sci-fi by any means), but it's not ridiculous - the balance between fun and physics is great. Portals are always a blast (especially portal fights!).

The characters are delightful. It took me a bit to really care for Levort, but his arc is well-rounded and, minus the fighting, something we've all dealt with: the end of a friendship. Honestly, this is such a wholesome book. It brings in some heavy topics (greed, looking the other way when people are taken advantage of, the corruption of power, imprisonment, and deterioration of friendship) but in a way that's not traumatic or too dark.

The characters are so fun! One of the best things is there is a graphic glossary at the start that I bookmarked and kept flipping back to. I loved that because I often have trouble picturing aliens on description alone. There are tons of species, as I said earlier, but my favourite two characters were my boi, the reptilian Vobsii, and his friend Fleom. They had a fun sibling dynamic that I really enjoyed. I also loved the Mulptre, which are like floating balloon tentacle hivemind creatures.

Other things I loved:
- There is a great battle scene climax
- Varied female characters that have their own motivations
- Forerunner technology and scavenging it!
- This line: "Levort didn't know what was lonelier: a world that had a society and lost it, or one that never had it at all."
- The cover!

There is also no love story in this book. While I wouldn't have minded some flirtation between characters, the lack of romance was not a detriment. If one had developed with the main character specifically, it likely would have felt forced or taken up space.

My only minor critiques of the book are more personal preferences. One is that I wanted a bit more difference or focus on the alien cultures. The second is that I wish we'd had a little more downtime with Bayfo and Levort before the inciting incident (to really make the shift in their relationship hit harder) and with the friends on Bloom to give them more time to play off one another.

As I said, minor critiques, as they basically boil down to my wanting MORE of the story.

I had a great time with this quick-paced, fun, exciting space opera. Definitely check it out, and thank you again to the author for letting me read his book early!