Silence of the Stars

by Patrick Wayne Leitzen

James Enoch and Lania Surkov couldn’t be more different. The first is an overconfident but jaded archaeologist who believes he can do everything himself; the latter is a disgraced Chief Engineer with no desire beyond restoring her prior standing and returning to Earth. These unlikely allies find themselves awoken in the year 3535 after a century-long journey to an exoplanet called Cambridge II, where they are tasked with a simple shutting off a beacon that is broadcasting Earth’s location to the cosmos. The Terran Coalition, a government encompassing the whole solar system, believes that a hostile alien race destroyed life on Cambridge millennia before and that the same civilization could come back to exterminate humans similarly. However, after an emergency crash landing, the team is shocked to discover settlers from pre-Coalition Earth have already made Cambridge a home.

Personalities clash and loyalties are tested as the Coalition pressures James and Lania to complete their mission, even if shutting down the beacon could destroy the lives of the planet’s human inhabitants. When the Coalition dispatches a military fleet to enforce their supposed superiority, the pair must decide between duty to the Coalition and loyalty to humanity before all-out war erupts between these polarized factions.

Genres: Science Fiction

363 pages, Paperback

Published February 19, 2023

About the author

Sci-fi author, reader, and enthusiast from the Midwestern United States.

'Silence of the Stars,' my debut science-fiction novel, was released in February of 2023 after years of writing and revision. I am currently in the final drafting phases of its sequel, tentatively entitled 'Solace of the Stars.'

I draw vast quantities of inspiration from classic genre authors like Asimov and Clarke, as well as contemporary writers such as Adrian Tchaikovsky and Alastair Reynolds.

Outside of writing and reading, I am a passionate logistician who has been involved in transportation for nearly seven years, a dedicated historian, and a veteran infantryman since 2012. I use my interests and life experiences to bring life and authenticity to my writing, and I hope they add substance to the page.

Reviews

[Daniel Villines · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a first novel, Silence of the Stars does everything that a first novel should. The work shows the potential for future novels that will strike closer to authentic realism in science fiction, should the writer choose to move in that direction. All the elements of a great novel are there. The characters have distinct personalities, the setting is unique, and the plot has some interesting turns. But all of these elements never fully develop into their own reality.

While Silence of the Stars is out in front of many novels of its type, it stalls about halfway through. At that point, the story defaults to the stereo-typical, action-oriented format that resembles the vast majority of science fiction novels that I chance to read. Also, some of the plot elements don’t quite flow together. It’s hard to accept that an entire military force, and two of the main characters, would switch loyalties without much of any of the human considerations that such decisions entail. There’s an entire novel set in space that is not written within this story.

To its credit, the story has a beginning, middle, and most importantly, an ending. It’s not half-a-book waiting for a sequel. However, the ending consists of a series of easy-to-write events that allows the story to simply and quickly reach its last page.

[Space Cowgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this galactic adventure but I'm waiting for the next book! This author has only written 1 book so far.
I got this ebook from Amazon with Kindle unlimited.

[Cristen Cagle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Silence of the Stars is, as promised, a science fiction novel with galactic implications. An unlikely pair - an archaeologist awakened from a lengthy sleep after assuming he'd died in his previous mission -- and an engineer - who has certain rules and regulations she must adhere to based on past events. These two are at odds with one another and have differing views as to how they should proceed after crash landing on a planet.

When the pair find that this planet is actually home to a civilization, the dynamic changes drastically, especially when more keeps going wrong instead of right.

I really enjoyed that this novel didn't inundate me with a ton of scientific terminology, nor did it get bogged down by the technical aspects of how the world worked. There were brief discussions of the tech and science, but Patrick's focus was on the characters and the story, which I truly appreciated.

The plot moves along at a decent clip and there's always something looming on the horizon. I do feel that some of the ending was a tad rushed and moments needed explained further, but overall I had a good time reading and would recommend this novel to others who enjoy a character based science fiction read!


Much thanks to Patrick for my gifted copy of his book! This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

[Jordan Encee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine, you’re in a coma then you wake up to be a store manager

I like this book more than I thought. In the beginning a lot of was kinda boring. Other than the deaths happens. The story felt at some points aimless and we were just in the same place with very little going on to move the plot toward. But once the plot showed up, I was invested. I really enjoyed the actions scenes in the third act. Really looking forward to more.

[Jarrett Woodrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sound. (pun)

A good read. I appreciated this story. Creative and the Cambrites were interesting and a different take. Romance part was a bit clunky. Sometimes it is in the real so accept it. Look forward to more from this author.

[Steve Osten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doable

It took a while for me to get into this book but once I did I really enjoyed it. The plot was a great surprise compared to other books of the same theme. I am a first time reader of this author and I enjoyed his work. I look forward to other books by him.

[Sam Hoftender · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun sci-fi Read

Lovers of Sci-fi will enjoy this one. Kept the pace moving from beginning to end. Will definitely look forward to more from Patrick

[Ale · Rating 1 out of 5]

This novel tries very hard to mimic the grand, cerebral science fiction of yesteryear, but ends up as little more than a hollow echo. The science, even with suspension of disbelief, feels flimsy at best—more like pseudo-science strung together with buzzwords than anything rooted in logic or theory. It’s the kind of speculative tech that makes you roll your eyes instead of stretch your imagination.

The writing itself is unfortunately subpar—clunky dialogue, awkward pacing, and prose that seems more interested in sounding smart than actually being engaging. But perhaps the most painful part of the book is the romance. It’s forced, shallow, and entirely unconvincing. You can tell the author has no real grasp of love, nor any clue how a person in a caring relationship actually behaves. The emotional beats fall flat, and what’s meant to be moving just comes off as cringeworthy.

Overall, this is a frustrating read. It’s trying so hard to be profound and nostalgic, but lacks the depth, heart, and craftsmanship to pull it off.

I had looked forward to this author’s work for years, genuinely believing they were poised to bring something meaningful to the genre. That belief now feels misplaced. It’s not just disappointment—it feels like betrayal. The depth I hoped for isn’t just missing, it was never there to begin with. What we were promised and what we were given are worlds apart, and it’s hard not to feel misled by all the buildup and bravado that led to something so hollow.

[Scott Roche · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It reminded me in story and tone of an old school piece of science fiction. I don’t know if it was how he treated interstellar travel, the political intrigue, or the intellectual tone the whole story had. That’s not to say there wasn’t action. There certainly was. But the stakes were more political/philosophical than personal/visceral.
The optimism about our future combined with the scientifically realistic approach and the philosophical tone work together to remind me of an archetypal Asimov story. It moves a little slowly, but I think that’s a strength in this case. While there’s action in this book and those parts move quickly, there’s a lot to think about here. What rights is this colony, separated from the rest of humanity for so long, entitled to? How should an ultra powerful piece of alien technology be used? What does it mean to be human, in a post humanist universe? Exploring these ideas takes space and time. Patrick allows himself this room, but also treats us to a fair amount of dramatic tension as politics and a potential civil war play out across the surface of the planet.
I give this book five stars and if you like your science fiction a little heady, I think you’ll like this book as much as I do.

[Deena VanCura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a few thoughts… This book has all of the potential to be a classic sci-fi book and 40+ years. My favorite character is Enoch. Surkov grew on me overtime. The precision and detail makes it feel so real. The moments across the story felt extremely intentional. The plot twists were so amazing, I kept having to guess and constantly got it wrong as to where the story was going. Which is a good thing for me. There was a point though where I wondered what all the detail about the world was for, but then the big reveal of conflict made it make sense. Oh and before I forget.. Fitz is the biggest B word ever! Wait to the end to see what happens with all that. Hope you feel as fulfilled as I did. Ok thanks!

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

SciFi novel? Check. Plausible plot? Check. REALLY, REALLY Good Book? No

This story runs the gamut from multi-generations of space-faring SciFi to warring plots and lots of shoot-em-up, to ridiculous diplomacy efforts, to mind-numbing super-technology that boggles the minds of those interfacing with it. (And, apparently, exceeds the thought-processes and writing capability of The Author.)

Would I read this book, again? Probably not. (I really had to convince myself to spend the time just to finish it.) But — maybe some of you other Readers will enjoy it more than I did!

[Mikel Melwasul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic fantasy vibes in a unique universe! This sci-fi adventure is grounded and throws you from one plot twist to another.
My only qualm is that the story gets so wrapped up in grounding its sci-fi explanations that it detracts a little from the character work for me.
Otherwise though, I tore through this and greatly enjoyed it.
The way the author uses the passage of time necessary for realistic space travel is fascinating and my favorite element of the story. If you're looking for a fun space exploration sci-fi look no further!

[Shazara Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

so much fun

There were some amazing plot twists and unexpected friendships formed in this book that I loved. I will definitely be getting a physical copy to have on my bookshelf soon. If you love weird (and amazing!) alien tech, an unknown world colony, and fun insights to human nature, then you’re gonna love this one.

[I.D. Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

You want Sci fi? You’ll get it! Leitzen flexes his Sci fi skills by throwing you into a galaxy of novel technology, strange planets, and genetically modified humans. If you’re looking for a true Sci fi story in every sense of the genre, look no further!

[Don Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Written

Believable characters and story. Interesting twists that need a sequel. Hopefully author is due working on it. A definite next buy for me

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book

Completely engaging read with compelling, three dimensional characters you really want to root for. Looking forward to more from this author.