Progenitor: Palak and the Sky Gods

by Patrick T. German

As he waits to be transported back to the ship that brought him to Yimi for The Contest, the Captain struggles to catch his breath in the moon’s low oxygen atmosphere. As the light of the transport overtakes him, he glances back at the dead creature on the ground. He wonders what this creature was and where it came from.

Lemerik jumps for joy as he witnesses the Captain’s signature move to finish the fight. Relieved to have won The Contest, the Sucobers now have full rights to mine planet #762, Medias. Heading to the House of Technology, he demands a demonstration from one of the technicians of the device he requested. He will use this device as a failsafe to spy on Lozerick during his mining mission. Placing the device on his head, Lemerik’s spirit is soon inside one of the warrior clone’s heads.

Meanwhile, on Medias, the humanoid clans and tribes struggle for survival against each other and against the wild animal life of their territories: maxal, lemi, linex, gromble, brogars, and hunz. Some tribes thrive and succeed, having been touched by Sky Gods, while others fail to progress and end up mired in jealousy and anger.

The fate of Medias has already been determined by The Contest. But can any of the special species on Medias rise up to face the godlike adversaries who are crossing galaxies to stake their claims?


ForWard Reviews calls Progenitor a "fun read...with rewards aplenty," and states, "...readers will find that most delightful of all characters: the villain they love to hate!"

Kirkus states, “The numerous action-packed set pieces should please sci-fi aficionados, especially a showdown between Medias’ inhabitants and Sucober clones, and a brawl between Palak and the Captain, the seemingly indestructible winner of six consecutive Contests. Full of captivating characters and well-staged battles that should keep readers engaged and make them look forward to further Progenitor tales.”

287 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 2012

About the author

Patrick T. German is an active duty Marine with 19 years of service, a B.S. in Education, and MBA. He has been stationed all over the Continental US, Japan, and Iraq. His lifelong love of Science Fiction/Fantasy books and movies is eclipsed only by his love of family, Great Danes, and the Chicago Bears. He currently resides in York, PA but hails (obviously) from Illinois.

Reviews

[Alain Burrese · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed “Progenitor: Palak and the Sky Gods” by Patrick T. German. It was a good blend of science fiction with the old prehistoric kind of novels I read when younger. I thought German did a good job of blending the two while creating characters that you wanted to know more about and what would happen to them.

I especially enjoyed some of the fight scenes and battles. They were well written and descriptive. And because they were not all human vs. human battles, the description was important, and I felt that was one of the author's strong points.

There was only one thing I didn't care for as much, and that was the tense the author chose to tell the story. This is a minor concern, and a personal preference. For example, here is a line, “The next morning upon returning from the river, Palak is met by Urlak, who takes him inside his hut.” I'd have preferred the book to have been written like this, “The next morning upon returning from the river, Palak met Urlak, who took him inside his hut.” Again, that is just my personal preference, and I still enjoyed the story about these interesting characters.

This is the first of a series, and while the main story featured in this book resolved, it leaves you wanting to know what happens next. The first couple of chapters of the next novel in the series are included, and it looks like it will be another fun read. If you like science fiction and fantasy, check out the Progenitor series by Patrick T. German.

[Roxanne Barbour · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads programme.

Blurb:Can anything be done to save Medias? Medias is Planet #762 in the star charts of the Sucobers and Plamanics. It is the home of many species of humanoids and animals who have no idea they are being watched and monitored. Medias contains some of the most precious metals and metalloids at its core, materials needed by the Sucobers to stabilize their own planet and needed by Sucobers and Plamanics alike to continue their genetic studies and DNA experiments.
On Medias, the humanoid clans and tribes struggle for survival against each other and against the wild animal life of their territories: maxal, lemi, linex, gromble, brogars, and hunz. Some tribes thrive and succeed, having been touched by Sky Gods, while others fail to progress and end up mired in jealousy and anger.
The fate of Medias has already been determined by The Contest. Still we have to ask, can any clan leader rise up to face the godlike adversaaries who are crossing galaxies to stake their claims?

The pace suits this novel well.

I found the plethora of characters to be a little overwhelming. Perhaps fewer characters, in the next novel, would be appropriate. That being said, the characters were well described.

The descriptions were well done, particularly the action scenes.

Unfortunately, the point of view of the narrator threw me off. It is not one I am comfortable with. (I think it is called third party removed narrator.)

Overall, it is a decent novel, and the writer can only get better with further practice, since he obviously shows a love of writing.

[Mimi Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reads like a movie playing, mostly propelled by action and motivation, not weighed down by too many layers of description. The creatures (both humanoid and animal) are cool and fun to see moving around the landscape of Medias. Palak, the title character, is not the only special character, which makes the story very interesting. The plot twists and turns kept me guessing as to what would happen by the book's end. I was surprised at the turn of the final pages and now can't wait for book II. This book reveals some interesting considerations of technology and how it is used from the most primitive levels (spears or tribal medicines) to the most sophisticated levels (DNA modification and cloning for extended lifespans) not just for survival but for amassing power and control over others, mostly for manipulative and selfish purposes. For non human characters, there really is a lot of human relatable motives. It is a fun journey if you like an action oriented story with lots of plot twists and surprises. This book should be made into a movie...It would work so well on the big screen.

[Athena Nagel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Progenitor is a great story with tons of energy, adventure, action and more. It did take me a little while to get into the story simply because the characters were all from Patrick German's imagination and although vividly described, I had to learn about an entirely different world. Once you have been thoroughly introduced to the characters and creatures, the story moves more and more quickly and it becomes increasingly difficult to walk away from. I did read the story in one day because it was so interesting and ordinarily a book of this size would have taken me two days. One of the most interesting aspects of the book to me was the idea that a new life can only be brought into the world when another life is gone through death. You can even plan your death. It is a very interesting concept and a powerful way to control population growth. I give this book 4 stars.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Gaele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written with the feel of a screenplay, Palak and the Sky Gods is a twisty-turny ride through battles, encounters with multiple strange creatures, and ultimately a treatise on the struggle for power and domination through technological advances. While the pacing of the book increasingly gains momentum, the first few chapters require the reader to pay attention as many creatures and characters are introduced, and the point of view of a 3rd party removed narrator takes some getting used to.

With some epically detailed battle scenes, uniquely defined and designed creatures, and multiple twists that propel the reader through the story, this is one that is sure to please many science fiction and action fans.

I received an eBook copy from the author for review for Booked and Loaded. I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Jeanne (love2cook) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Received free from goodreads to read and review. I thought I might try a book of the genre, however, it just was not my cup of tea. I just couldn't get into it. Sorry!!

[MelAnnD · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun read!! It has tons of action, with a lot of plot twists and turns.

*Won on Goodreads*