Anvil of Change

Edge of Destiny #1

by Jack Dash

Seeing the future with ease, the Joon live a contented life. Until the greatest of their visionaries foresees a terrible danger that can only be avoided by destroying a world inhabited by ten billion people who have done them no harm. Sojourning through the deeps of space, the Joon capture a monstrous comet and send it to a neighbouring star and the planet called earth. Their objective is not to destroy the earth but to manipulate the future of mankind in three separate timelines and force them to converge. For only then will the long prophesied Forge of Time be born, a prescient human who will build an empire to rule a thousand stars and bend destiny itself to save three species from an implacable enemy.

357 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2011

About the author

Jack started reading grown up books at the age of seven and has averaged four a week ever since. Not surprisingly, he dreamed of becoming a writer himself but life got in the way and he finished up working in the computer industry for thirty years, the last ten years of it running his own company. When they finally started making computers that worked properly, Jack lost interest and sold his business. He became a teacher and taught at schools around the world, including the Lake District, Egypt and Hong Kong, before taking early retirement to follow his childhood dream and become a writer.

Reviews

[Margart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say I enjoyed the book, even though it was not quite what I was expecting. The cover led me to expect a plot similar to the Armageddon/Deep Impact films but, apart from having a comet heading for earth, the plot has little in common with either. There are some nasty politics involved which, given an end-of-the-world scenario, I suspect, might be quite close to the mark and the author deals with a few uncomfortable truths that would almost certainly arise in such a case. The plot mixes in liberal dose of time travel and alternate realities and I got lost in a couple of places but, apart from that, the story works quite well. It has aliens who see the future as a matter of course and they are actually quite believable (déjà vu is a way of life - I love it!) The story is mostly told through two main characters, one alien and one human and you get to see both sides of the story - just because someone is trying to wipe out your planet, it doesn't necessarily make them a bad person - that kind of thing. There are a few colourful characters that we don't see enough of and, hopefully, they will return in book two. There are one or two nasty twists and it's worth a read just for the ending. The typos are minimal and the writing style is good, the book keeps you interested and it certainly leaves you wanting more. Overall, I think it's a good book, but it didn't quite have me on the edge of my seat as it could so easily have done. With a little more suspense, it could have been a great book and so I can only give it four stars. But, if you want a good read with some interesting and original ideas, then I would say it's definitely worth the money.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack handles a complicated story with confidence and style. Aliens who can see the future have to destroy the earth to save themselves and, it would seem, us humans too. The author definately thinks outside the box to weave a clever plot across multiple timelines in a way that I have not seen before. His aliens are beleivable, even if the see the future instead of the past and the climax really leaves you quite shocked. You see it coming and you don't belive it will really happen, but it does. I will be reading book two.

[Simon Grimbley · Rating 5 out of 5]

AoC is an epic at 300+ pages and very good value at 99c.The way the author weaves timelines is original and I like his Joon aliens who can see the future. Counterintuitive though it may be, the author makes the Joon future sense seem perfectly natural and creates a universe where such an ability is inevitable. The book has some entertaining characters that jolly the story along and I hope they return in the sequel. AoC has an unusual ending and the author sets you up for it, leaving just enough wiggle room to let you believe there will be a different outcome, then he lowers the boom and to say he finishes with a bang would be the understatement of the millennium. I suspect the ending was deliberately written to make sure you buy the sequel and it worked. I’ll let you know how book two turns out.

[John Bilbeli · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book has an intricate plot played out across three parallel timelines and it has an unusual twist, aliens that can see and manipulate the future. The aliens themselves are well thought out and their ability to see the future makes perfect sense in the universe created by the author, in fact it makes us poor humans seem like retards. Without giving away the plot, the aliens see a dark future that is only hinted at in the story so far but (surprise, surprise) it necessitates the destruction of earth to avoid it and this book is about the human efforts to avoid Armageddon. It’s a well written page turner and certainly worth a read.

[Richard Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

An original twist on the aliens destroy the earth scenario. Instead of saliva dripping monsters, we have nature loving chameleons that see the future and, even though they want to destroy the earth, they're only doing it for our own good and what's more, it actually makes sense. A very clever plot.

[Bob Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is weaved across multiple timelines and in two star systems and the author weaves the complicated plot with skill. It's a cliff hanger and whilst the ending is predictable, it is still not what you expect. This guy is good by any standard but, for a first novel, it's brilliant.

Addendum: Just finished the series and it lives up to all the promise of the first book. This guy is the new Asimov.

[Heather Scott]

Seems good to me

[Peter Astbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is of a race of aliens desperate to destroy earth to ensure their own survival and about humanity's desire for its own survival. It plays out across three alternate timelines and gets kinda confusing at times but it all makes sense when you finally discover what's going on. It gives a credible feel for the near future and especially life on the moon. It is easy reading and quite a page-turner in places. The story takes place over two centuries which slows down the pace a little to start but things warm up when all the timelines catch up. The book kept me interested and there are a few twists in the plot but I have to say the `twist' at the end which another reviewed raved about I did find quite predictable and guessed the ending about 2/3 of the way through. This author definitely thinks outside the box and has managed to write something a little out of the ordinary and I'm looking forward to part two.

[John Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

good story, good characters, great aliens, recommended.

Addendum: There are four books in the series and each each one gets better. The final book is brilliant. Well worth a read.