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Kestrel Saga #1
The Army of Light
It had started with an attack on a research station near the frontier region, the furthest portion of the Outer Sphere of Unified space. Then, one by one, subsequent border systems began to fall victim to the unknown attackers.
The Kafaran had arrived.
The fighting raged on for nearly five years. Tens of thousands of military personnel perished, and millions of innocent beings lost their homes… or their lives. Then, nearly as quickly as the war had started, the Kafaran’s inexplicably retreated to an unexplored region of space. Even with their once expansive foothold in the Milky Way now lying in ruins, it seemed to the once peaceful Unified Collaboration of Systems that victory was finally theirs.
Now, with the Galactic War five years in the past, retired fighter pilot Shawn Kestrel wasn’t nearly as content in his peacetime life and he should have been. Not only was his fledgling cargo business steadily losing customers, his interstellar transport was fatally incapacitated, the victim of a now all too common pirate attack.
Without warning, the prudish daughter of his former commanding officer appears, informing Shawn that William has mysteriously disappeared—apparently the victim of foul play. And, as if things weren’t difficult enough, a Unified Sector Command carrier quickly arrives to assert the UCS’s own self-guided interests into the disappearance.
As Shawn endeavors to put all of the pieces together, one thing becomes terrifyingly clear: the Kafaran's are no longer idle.
With the government suspiciously pressing down on him from one side, and the beautiful and enigmatic daughter driving him on from the other, Shawn Kestrel must search deep within himself to decide where his past and present loyalties lie before the universe once again erupts into all-out war.
The Kafaran had arrived.
The fighting raged on for nearly five years. Tens of thousands of military personnel perished, and millions of innocent beings lost their homes… or their lives. Then, nearly as quickly as the war had started, the Kafaran’s inexplicably retreated to an unexplored region of space. Even with their once expansive foothold in the Milky Way now lying in ruins, it seemed to the once peaceful Unified Collaboration of Systems that victory was finally theirs.
Now, with the Galactic War five years in the past, retired fighter pilot Shawn Kestrel wasn’t nearly as content in his peacetime life and he should have been. Not only was his fledgling cargo business steadily losing customers, his interstellar transport was fatally incapacitated, the victim of a now all too common pirate attack.
Without warning, the prudish daughter of his former commanding officer appears, informing Shawn that William has mysteriously disappeared—apparently the victim of foul play. And, as if things weren’t difficult enough, a Unified Sector Command carrier quickly arrives to assert the UCS’s own self-guided interests into the disappearance.
As Shawn endeavors to put all of the pieces together, one thing becomes terrifyingly clear: the Kafaran's are no longer idle.
With the government suspiciously pressing down on him from one side, and the beautiful and enigmatic daughter driving him on from the other, Shawn Kestrel must search deep within himself to decide where his past and present loyalties lie before the universe once again erupts into all-out war.
330 pages, Paperback
First published June 15, 2013
48 people are currently reading
972 people want to read
About the author
Stephen A. Fender
20 books24 followersBorn and raised in Southern California, Stephen A. Fender joined the Navy at the age of 18. During his last deployment in 1999, he decided to take up the keyboard and write his first story.
Since that time, he's produced seven novels, the first of which was published in June of 2013.
Stephen lives with his wife and two dogs.
Since that time, he's produced seven novels, the first of which was published in June of 2013.
Stephen lives with his wife and two dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 9, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. It satisfied my search for space fiction, adventure, and witty dialogue.
Not only is it fun, but it's clean. Anyone in my family (youngest is 13) can read it and I'm not worried about what they'll find, and yet it doesn't fall into the category so many books do, where the author thinks clean = sappy. No sappy stuff here, that's for sure.
The main character, Shawn Kestrel, is a trader and a smart aleck, which gets him into trouble more often than not; and the female lead character, Melissa Graves, is stuffy and uptight most of the time, which makes for some great conversational moments.
One of my favorite moments is when Kestrel gets the idea that they're being chased because Melissa is "hot" (a.k.a. wanted by the law). Her reply? "While I know that it's something of an archaic term for someone who is attractive, I do suppose I've turned my share of heads in the past, and..." Shawn: "Are you some type of crazy person?" This is in the middle of fighting for their lives while trying to leave the planet, and it makes me laugh every time I've read it.
The Army of Light is the first in a series, The Kestrel Saga. The second book in the series, Icarus, is due to be released at the beginning of October (2103) along with an updated hardcover version of The Army of Light to add to your library.
Not only is it fun, but it's clean. Anyone in my family (youngest is 13) can read it and I'm not worried about what they'll find, and yet it doesn't fall into the category so many books do, where the author thinks clean = sappy. No sappy stuff here, that's for sure.
The main character, Shawn Kestrel, is a trader and a smart aleck, which gets him into trouble more often than not; and the female lead character, Melissa Graves, is stuffy and uptight most of the time, which makes for some great conversational moments.
One of my favorite moments is when Kestrel gets the idea that they're being chased because Melissa is "hot" (a.k.a. wanted by the law). Her reply? "While I know that it's something of an archaic term for someone who is attractive, I do suppose I've turned my share of heads in the past, and..." Shawn: "Are you some type of crazy person?" This is in the middle of fighting for their lives while trying to leave the planet, and it makes me laugh every time I've read it.
The Army of Light is the first in a series, The Kestrel Saga. The second book in the series, Icarus, is due to be released at the beginning of October (2103) along with an updated hardcover version of The Army of Light to add to your library.
September 4, 2013
„Wszyscy zdają się przeoczać fakt, iż mityczny Feniks, po to, aby mógł narodzić się ponownie ze swych popiołów, musiał najpierw spłonąć…”
Akcja książki dzieje się w XXIV wieku, głównie na planecie Minos. Głównym bohaterem jest Shawn Kestrel, były pilot wojskowy, bohater niedawnej wielkiej wojny, obecnie prowadzący swój własny biznes transportowy. Interesy nie idą zbyt dobrze, Shawn czasem musi imać się nie do końca legalnych zleceń. Podczas jednego z kursów zostaje zaatakowany przez piratów (kosmicznych). Jego statek zostaje uszkodzony, a on sam ledwo uchodzi z życiem. Na domiar złego w jego biurze pojawia się Melissa. Kobieta podaje się za córkę byłego dowódcy Shawna. Twierdzi, że jej ojciec zaginął i prosi o pomoc w jego odnalezieniu.
Tak w skrócie rozpoczyna się fabuła owej książki.
Bardzo dobre science-fiction. Aż dziwne, że to dopiero pierwsza książka autora. Widać dojrzałość i systematyczność w budowaniu historii. Dużo akcji. Dużo humoru. Ciekawie wyglądające fabuła.
Największe wrażenie robi sam początek. Rozmachem przypomina genialną „Wróżbiarkę” Resnicka. Galaktyczna wojna. Dziesiątki gatunków żyjących wspólnie na ponad dwustu planetach. Barwny opis zniszczonego księżyca dryfującego na orbicie…
Wszystkie odniesienia do wielkiej wojny, wspomnienia głównego bohatera z tamtego okresu nadają jakości całej historii.
Kolejny plus to bohaterowie. Sprawnie skonstruowane dwie główne postaci, nie mogące się ze sobą dogadać silne osobowości, które zmuszone są współpracować ze sobą. Ale najlepsza postać pozostaje w cieniu. Trent – wiecznie usmarowany czymś mechanik, jako jedyny na Minosie potrafiący naprawić przestarzały statek kapitana Kestrela. Bardzo specyficzny bohater, którego nie da się nie polubić (jest niczym Osioł w Shreku). Wprowadza bardzo ważny element komizmu do książki. Oby w kolejnych częściach także był obecny.
No i minusy:
- Podczas bardzo dobrze opisanych scen bitewnych bohaterowie cały czas przerzucają się docinkami i komentarzami. Bardziej filmowo niż książkowo.
- Momentami akcja jest trochę przegadana, spowolniona.
Mimo wszystko czyta się bardzo dobrze. Solidna porcja klasycznego, kosmicznego s-f.
Szkoda, że nie ma polskiego wydania. No, ale może kiedyś się doczekamy.
8/10
„Nigdy nawet nie przeszło mu przez głowę, że któregoś dnia będzie musiał zatrzeć linię między dobrem a złem, tylko po to aby mieć co włożyć na talerz…”
„Wojna jest wielką stałą wszechświata, zaraz obok biurokracji.”
„Zastanawiał się czemu jeszcze nie zabił wielkiego pająka w rogu pokoju. Może miał nadzieję, że ten dołoży się do czynszu…?”
malynosorozec.blogspot.com
Akcja książki dzieje się w XXIV wieku, głównie na planecie Minos. Głównym bohaterem jest Shawn Kestrel, były pilot wojskowy, bohater niedawnej wielkiej wojny, obecnie prowadzący swój własny biznes transportowy. Interesy nie idą zbyt dobrze, Shawn czasem musi imać się nie do końca legalnych zleceń. Podczas jednego z kursów zostaje zaatakowany przez piratów (kosmicznych). Jego statek zostaje uszkodzony, a on sam ledwo uchodzi z życiem. Na domiar złego w jego biurze pojawia się Melissa. Kobieta podaje się za córkę byłego dowódcy Shawna. Twierdzi, że jej ojciec zaginął i prosi o pomoc w jego odnalezieniu.
Tak w skrócie rozpoczyna się fabuła owej książki.
Bardzo dobre science-fiction. Aż dziwne, że to dopiero pierwsza książka autora. Widać dojrzałość i systematyczność w budowaniu historii. Dużo akcji. Dużo humoru. Ciekawie wyglądające fabuła.
Największe wrażenie robi sam początek. Rozmachem przypomina genialną „Wróżbiarkę” Resnicka. Galaktyczna wojna. Dziesiątki gatunków żyjących wspólnie na ponad dwustu planetach. Barwny opis zniszczonego księżyca dryfującego na orbicie…
Wszystkie odniesienia do wielkiej wojny, wspomnienia głównego bohatera z tamtego okresu nadają jakości całej historii.
Kolejny plus to bohaterowie. Sprawnie skonstruowane dwie główne postaci, nie mogące się ze sobą dogadać silne osobowości, które zmuszone są współpracować ze sobą. Ale najlepsza postać pozostaje w cieniu. Trent – wiecznie usmarowany czymś mechanik, jako jedyny na Minosie potrafiący naprawić przestarzały statek kapitana Kestrela. Bardzo specyficzny bohater, którego nie da się nie polubić (jest niczym Osioł w Shreku). Wprowadza bardzo ważny element komizmu do książki. Oby w kolejnych częściach także był obecny.
No i minusy:
- Podczas bardzo dobrze opisanych scen bitewnych bohaterowie cały czas przerzucają się docinkami i komentarzami. Bardziej filmowo niż książkowo.
- Momentami akcja jest trochę przegadana, spowolniona.
Mimo wszystko czyta się bardzo dobrze. Solidna porcja klasycznego, kosmicznego s-f.
Szkoda, że nie ma polskiego wydania. No, ale może kiedyś się doczekamy.
8/10
„Nigdy nawet nie przeszło mu przez głowę, że któregoś dnia będzie musiał zatrzeć linię między dobrem a złem, tylko po to aby mieć co włożyć na talerz…”
„Wojna jest wielką stałą wszechświata, zaraz obok biurokracji.”
„Zastanawiał się czemu jeszcze nie zabił wielkiego pająka w rogu pokoju. Może miał nadzieję, że ten dołoży się do czynszu…?”
malynosorozec.blogspot.com
August 5, 2016
A good start to the Kestrel space opera saga. Good character interaction, which sets the story up nicely. This is not a stand alone book and the story stops with out any conclusions. I notice that you can buy all three books in one edition, this is probably the best option.
August 7, 2013
Had a few swear words, mostly the d, h, and g words. Not a super suspenseful sci-fi novel. A kissing scene and some crude humor, but lots of good humor too. Unique characters as well.
June 19, 2022
Space opera with a grumpy pilot trusty, usually, mechanic and a damsel in distress. light hearted dialogue with the group continually falling in and out of trouble. Good reaad. The only problem twas that it is the start of a series and theis first book is obviously not a coplete story,
July 21, 2025
Outside the norm
Pretty good story, so far anyway. Well constructed and keeps you turning pages. Looking forward to the next book to find out what will happen to our brave explorers. Heading into the military part may be interesting to read about.
Pretty good story, so far anyway. Well constructed and keeps you turning pages. Looking forward to the next book to find out what will happen to our brave explorers. Heading into the military part may be interesting to read about.
June 26, 2017
Good
Good read. I wish that there was more info on enemy. Book has interesting characters and plot. I will read next book.
Good read. I wish that there was more info on enemy. Book has interesting characters and plot. I will read next book.
April 21, 2018
Great book
Great book. I liked the plot, characters are fun. Plenty of action. The romance gives it a slightly silly turn, but doesn't detract from the story.
Great book. I liked the plot, characters are fun. Plenty of action. The romance gives it a slightly silly turn, but doesn't detract from the story.
April 20, 2021
Good sci-fi story
This is a good adventure sci-fi read. It has couple of great main characters and is full of action for a great book
This is a good adventure sci-fi read. It has couple of great main characters and is full of action for a great book
August 27, 2015
I must confess, I’m not usually a fan of sci-fi books, and I haven’t read a vast amount. However in this case, I found myself enjoying the introduction to Shawn Kestrel. It wasn’t too exposition-heavy in the opening chapters, despite forming the introduction to a series, something which can often be a difficult line to tread. The easy, realistic dialogue kept the plot moving at a good pace, and made the book very easy to read. There were interesting characters with nicely subtle hints at their backstories, something I wasn’t necessarily expecting from a book picked up for 99p, though precisely the reason I do pick up cheaper books.
Having said this, the culmination left many more questions than it really answered. I’m a great believer in each book in a series also working as a self-contained story, which The Army of Light didn’t really seen to. It makes me question the idea of having the first book significantly cheaper than the rest of the series, as I feel it only really encourages such an unsatisfying ending.
‘The Army of Light’, by Stephen A. Fender is Book 1 in The Kestrel Saga.
Having said this, the culmination left many more questions than it really answered. I’m a great believer in each book in a series also working as a self-contained story, which The Army of Light didn’t really seen to. It makes me question the idea of having the first book significantly cheaper than the rest of the series, as I feel it only really encourages such an unsatisfying ending.
‘The Army of Light’, by Stephen A. Fender is Book 1 in The Kestrel Saga.
November 30, 2020
I really liked this book, the main character's relationship reminds me of a certain scoundrel and princess but I enjoy that dynamic so I don't mind.
This first book was mostly introductory and didn't really move the plot much (a lot of character building instead) but it set up for an interesting story with likable characters and witty dialogue and I'm looking forward to the next one. Onto book 2!
This first book was mostly introductory and didn't really move the plot much (a lot of character building instead) but it set up for an interesting story with likable characters and witty dialogue and I'm looking forward to the next one. Onto book 2!
February 5, 2015
incomplete
I don't like teaser books that are like serials. It is fine to leave part of the story untold but the to be continued is not acceptable especially when pit was not understood from the beginning.
I don't like teaser books that are like serials. It is fine to leave part of the story untold but the to be continued is not acceptable especially when pit was not understood from the beginning.
January 3, 2014
Good read. Keeps you awake wanting to know what happens next!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews