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The Earthburst Saga #5
Reason to Fear
When the stars whisper, we have to listen...
An alien signal.
Of all the things I expected to uncover while trying to make sense of the Anomaly, this didn't even enter my mind.
But now, the signal has changed my understanding of everything.
The Anomaly that's suffocating Earth isn't natural, and decoding this message could be our one shot at saving the planet.
The trouble is, we don't even know where to start.
What will it take to decipher the alien signal and unlock the secrets of the Anomaly? And how should we reply when we decode their message?
A lot of people don't think we should trust the aliens who are reaching out to us. I can't pretend I don't understand why.
But with no other way of putting things right, we have to at least figure out what they're saying.
The clock is ticking until the Anomaly consumes us. The fate of humanity lies in my hands all over again.
And this time, the choices I make will echo through the cosmos...
______________
Reason To Fear is the fifth book in The Earthburst Saga, which begins with Last Man Standing . From Craig A. Falconer, bestselling author of the global blockbuster Not Alone .
An alien signal.
Of all the things I expected to uncover while trying to make sense of the Anomaly, this didn't even enter my mind.
But now, the signal has changed my understanding of everything.
The Anomaly that's suffocating Earth isn't natural, and decoding this message could be our one shot at saving the planet.
The trouble is, we don't even know where to start.
What will it take to decipher the alien signal and unlock the secrets of the Anomaly? And how should we reply when we decode their message?
A lot of people don't think we should trust the aliens who are reaching out to us. I can't pretend I don't understand why.
But with no other way of putting things right, we have to at least figure out what they're saying.
The clock is ticking until the Anomaly consumes us. The fate of humanity lies in my hands all over again.
And this time, the choices I make will echo through the cosmos...
______________
Reason To Fear is the fifth book in The Earthburst Saga, which begins with Last Man Standing . From Craig A. Falconer, bestselling author of the global blockbuster Not Alone .
- GenresScience Fiction
315 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 25, 2023
142 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 2, 2025
4.5 stars
I thought this one was a bit slow starting. For a good while as I listened to the audiobook, I thought it was going to be about trying to solve a message, rather than trying to solve a physical problem (or a multitude of problems). That changed around the halfway point though, and things really picked up pace from there.
The dash to the end was as exciting as I’ve come to expect from these books, and I really enjoyed it. Although this second arc of the overall series hasn’t quite reached the heights for me of the first arc (books 1-3), there are signs that it might start to change, and although I’m not sure yet whether this is another three book arc, I am excited for where it looks like it might be going.
I thought this one was a bit slow starting. For a good while as I listened to the audiobook, I thought it was going to be about trying to solve a message, rather than trying to solve a physical problem (or a multitude of problems). That changed around the halfway point though, and things really picked up pace from there.
The dash to the end was as exciting as I’ve come to expect from these books, and I really enjoyed it. Although this second arc of the overall series hasn’t quite reached the heights for me of the first arc (books 1-3), there are signs that it might start to change, and although I’m not sure yet whether this is another three book arc, I am excited for where it looks like it might be going.
November 24, 2024
Nothing new to see here. Same storyline, same bad science, same Ray Ray with a hero-complex, same repeating over and over and over again, same mansplaining. And, alas, barely any action from Laika. There goes that third star.
Next book? Well, yes. Because I want to know what these aliens are like and will they eat Ray and Driver? And also, I need to fill my quotum for this year. Books like these, where you can skip paragraph after paragraph, are good for statistics.
Next book? Well, yes. Because I want to know what these aliens are like and will they eat Ray and Driver? And also, I need to fill my quotum for this year. Books like these, where you can skip paragraph after paragraph, are good for statistics.
June 19, 2025
Parts I would say 3.5, overall the rest a 4. The saga continues.
July 25, 2023
The Reason to Fear - Fantastic - Earthburst Saga Continues
The Earthburst Saga series continues with “The Reason to Fear”. A puzzle is created previously in the Anomaly, as Earth is being bombarded with a steady increase in deadly radiation. Zola is no more, so this is a separate disaster building to a potentially fatal ending to earth. Zola’s motive when he almost destroyed Earth was to locate his followers to a planet 4 light years away called Bazen. As a result of monitoring the destination, radio signals were detected. This became the message to decode now that it was not an uninhabited planet, but one with intelligent life.
The signal gets decoded in a saga of its own, which leads to several obstacles on Earth and a potential disaster on the Vita space station. The excitement never stops and is amplified when the message is finally decoded. The message is that Ray and Driver must travel through the wormhole to stop the radiation and its fatal ending to planet earth.
All of the favorite characters are back along with varying perspectives and levels of trust. Without giving away the thrill of the Reason to Fear, I will say no more than this is a must read and with a cliffhanger of an ending!
The Earthburst Saga series continues with “The Reason to Fear”. A puzzle is created previously in the Anomaly, as Earth is being bombarded with a steady increase in deadly radiation. Zola is no more, so this is a separate disaster building to a potentially fatal ending to earth. Zola’s motive when he almost destroyed Earth was to locate his followers to a planet 4 light years away called Bazen. As a result of monitoring the destination, radio signals were detected. This became the message to decode now that it was not an uninhabited planet, but one with intelligent life.
The signal gets decoded in a saga of its own, which leads to several obstacles on Earth and a potential disaster on the Vita space station. The excitement never stops and is amplified when the message is finally decoded. The message is that Ray and Driver must travel through the wormhole to stop the radiation and its fatal ending to planet earth.
All of the favorite characters are back along with varying perspectives and levels of trust. Without giving away the thrill of the Reason to Fear, I will say no more than this is a must read and with a cliffhanger of an ending!
September 23, 2023
Reason To Fear is book 5 in The Earthburst Saga. With aliens (yes, aliens!) sending a message to earth, everyone races to try to decode it. It could be the answer that Earth has been waiting for -- how to stop the Anomaly! Or not. Most people think that it will be the answer, while others flat out don't believe we should listen to the aliens. The Anomaly is "eating" our planet, and it's having an adverse reaction on the children. One of them is Scarlet. Not that Ray wouldn't do anything to save Earth. But Scarlet being affected -- this changes everything! So once again, with his trusted pilot Driver, if they have to find an answer, if there is one, they better get busy. Craig A. Falconer's Earthburst series keeps getting better and better. Can't wait for Book 6!
July 1, 2025
Book 1- ends with Ray crash-landing on Earth with the world-saving info
Book 2- Ray saves Earth from exploding by sabotaging the underwater bomb. He makes it back to his family in the other bunker.
Book 3- Ray and the team go to Zola's abandoned research center, but find it still full of his people, who changed sides when they learn the truth. going to space once again to stop the moon's explosion and kill Zola.
Book 4- Yet another world-ending event: a mysterious aura is happening, and it's affecting tons of Earth's life. Ray goes up to space to stop robots that was hijacked by an evil corporation- he loses his hand but saves everyone.
BOOK5- there's aliens... but aliens are good, ignorant humans are bad and trying to stop the scientist from saving all of Earth. Ray and Driver from space fly to earth to stop the satilite jamming BUT then have to 'hand deliver' the bomb themselves that will open the spcae portal and let the aliens come thru and tell them how to save the earth from the auora.
Book 2- Ray saves Earth from exploding by sabotaging the underwater bomb. He makes it back to his family in the other bunker.
Book 3- Ray and the team go to Zola's abandoned research center, but find it still full of his people, who changed sides when they learn the truth. going to space once again to stop the moon's explosion and kill Zola.
Book 4- Yet another world-ending event: a mysterious aura is happening, and it's affecting tons of Earth's life. Ray goes up to space to stop robots that was hijacked by an evil corporation- he loses his hand but saves everyone.
BOOK5- there's aliens... but aliens are good, ignorant humans are bad and trying to stop the scientist from saving all of Earth. Ray and Driver from space fly to earth to stop the satilite jamming BUT then have to 'hand deliver' the bomb themselves that will open the spcae portal and let the aliens come thru and tell them how to save the earth from the auora.
September 19, 2023
Magnum Opus
I'm beginning to think this might be the purpose of all those prior books that weren't very good because of all the repetitive introspection. This book goes through the gamut of basic human conflict. It is not sophisticated, but we do get a number of different perspectives. We have one basic objective, and everybody is trying to thwart our accomplishment. We get an example of teamwork when an expert,a savant, and a parrot interact to solve a problem. The problem is translating an alien message. The message warns that earth is in trouble, and directs how to save the earth. The rest of the book is overcoming barriers to accomplish the directions. Does this work? No. You have to read the next book. Ghaaa, three stars!!
I'm beginning to think this might be the purpose of all those prior books that weren't very good because of all the repetitive introspection. This book goes through the gamut of basic human conflict. It is not sophisticated, but we do get a number of different perspectives. We have one basic objective, and everybody is trying to thwart our accomplishment. We get an example of teamwork when an expert,a savant, and a parrot interact to solve a problem. The problem is translating an alien message. The message warns that earth is in trouble, and directs how to save the earth. The rest of the book is overcoming barriers to accomplish the directions. Does this work? No. You have to read the next book. Ghaaa, three stars!!
September 25, 2025
I really like the storylines in this series and will probably read the remaining books but…
I do find a small degree of repetition in books helpful, especially where there are many key characters or diverse story arcs however …
The degree of repetition used in this particular book I found to be distracting to the point of annoyance. Towards the end I was wondering if the author had been set a challenge to say the same thing in as many different ways as possible!
I do find a small degree of repetition in books helpful, especially where there are many key characters or diverse story arcs however …
The degree of repetition used in this particular book I found to be distracting to the point of annoyance. Towards the end I was wondering if the author had been set a challenge to say the same thing in as many different ways as possible!
December 12, 2023
OMG!!!
What a marvelous control of suspense and anticipation. I vividly pictured the actions as the book progressed. I have to say it's strange how the possibility the aliens weren't deemed as a possible source of the "Leak". Even the actions of the protesters weren't remotely aware of that as a potential source. On to next book to see.
What a marvelous control of suspense and anticipation. I vividly pictured the actions as the book progressed. I have to say it's strange how the possibility the aliens weren't deemed as a possible source of the "Leak". Even the actions of the protesters weren't remotely aware of that as a potential source. On to next book to see.
July 7, 2024
OK now this was a bit more exciting. Alien message sent to our heroes with a offer to help with the Anomaly. Open a worm hole so they can help. So again it's up to Driver and Ray to get the job done. I felt the panic and confusion by the people on Earth was very justified but extreme. Cannot wait to see what happens next.
November 22, 2023
As I said in the previous 4 reviews, I waited to do this review until I’d read up to book 6, they are all worth reading, Lots of credible, well fleshed out characters, human, animal and mechanical, more twists and turns
Thanks for the great reads Craig.
Regards, Reg.
Thanks for the great reads Craig.
Regards, Reg.
April 27, 2025
How do you not do everything you can when you discover an alien message? And it appears they want to help you fix a radiation leak that is rapidly killing earth?
Ray and Driver must once again do what must be done to save humanity. I love these people!
Ray and Driver must once again do what must be done to save humanity. I love these people!
August 17, 2023
Arrrrggghhh.....more!! Oh wait, #6 coming out in September!! I am sure I will mourn the last volume as I did with the Not Alone series.
September 17, 2023
Refreshingly different plot
Good characters
Lots to absorb, I was drawn right in, as if these characters were my friends. Can't wait to read the next book.
Good characters
Lots to absorb, I was drawn right in, as if these characters were my friends. Can't wait to read the next book.
January 4, 2024
Top Notch Science Fiction!
June 11, 2024
If you are able to skip endless repetitions(about half a book), it's enjoyable enough.
July 2, 2024
4.5 stars.
February 22, 2025
It's really thrilling! Enjoyed it so much, and unfortunately, I need to wait to read the next book 😭 Need it now.
May 11, 2025
Listened to the audiobook version. More adventures in space.
Read
June 3, 2025Exciting and fated passed.
January 16, 2026
Not nearly enough Lyca in this one but it was still a great book. Very intense and thrilling.
April 10, 2024
Getting a bit tired with our hero saving earth
January 27, 2024
Interesting and fun concept to follow.
It has the same issue as all the other books in the series. The Audiobook spends 6h with a slow-paced introduction (great!), then 2h with one single problem to solve, with some okay plot twist or whatever, and then it's just over. It's not satisfying and I wish the books would be combined into a stronger and more well-paced story instead of a split-up trilogy following the same formula for each book.
It has the same issue as all the other books in the series. The Audiobook spends 6h with a slow-paced introduction (great!), then 2h with one single problem to solve, with some okay plot twist or whatever, and then it's just over. It's not satisfying and I wish the books would be combined into a stronger and more well-paced story instead of a split-up trilogy following the same formula for each book.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews