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Shadow Space Chronicles #1
The Fallen Race
Humanity has fallen. Earth has become a charnel house, the bones of twelve billion inhabitants moldering in ruined and gutted cities, victims of their own governments. Earth’s remaining colonies are besieged. On two sides, aliens bent on the eradication of humanity continue their unstoppable march, capturing world after world. Baron Lucius Giovanni, Captain of the War Shrike, finds himself in a position to stand and fight. The son of a renegade officer and a social outcast himself, he nevertheless refuses to give up. Lucius has few a forgotten colony in a backwater of space, his ship and crew, and the rumors of a lost fleet that might hold the key to the survival of the human race. He’ll take on pirates, aliens, and his own treacherous allies in a bid to save humanity. Lucius will not give up. He will not go quietly into the night. He will stand against humanity’s foes and he will prove that while humanity may have fallen, they will rise once again.
357 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 29, 2014
71 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Kal Spriggs
66 books59 followersKal Spriggs started reading science fiction and fantasy in elementary school. Eventually he was the only eight year old with permission from the local public library to check out books from the adult section because he'd read everything else. He's written ever since he started running out of 'good' stuff to read when he was twelve, although he likes to think his writing has improved, if only slightly.
Spriggs is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy with an engineering degree. He followed in his parents' footsteps and joined the US Army after graduation and currently serves as an active duty Engineer captain. As well as earning a masters degree in environmental engineering, he's been deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq.
His website with free fiction, details on upcoming books, and other information can be found at
kalspriggs.com
Spriggs is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy with an engineering degree. He followed in his parents' footsteps and joined the US Army after graduation and currently serves as an active duty Engineer captain. As well as earning a masters degree in environmental engineering, he's been deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq.
His website with free fiction, details on upcoming books, and other information can be found at
kalspriggs.com
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 19, 2024
Lucius
This is a comp!ex story with a lot of characters, but it's wonderful.Action political intrigue an threat ,multiple threats to humanity, heroes,anti heroes, bad guys ,good guys and those in between but mostly Lucius. I loved this story and now for the sequal, I have a lot of books to read ,join me
This is a comp!ex story with a lot of characters, but it's wonderful.Action political intrigue an threat ,multiple threats to humanity, heroes,anti heroes, bad guys ,good guys and those in between but mostly Lucius. I loved this story and now for the sequal, I have a lot of books to read ,join me
May 16, 2014
Yes, The Fallen Race by Kal Spriggs is very definitely fan fiction, or homage, or both, and the serial numbers haven’t been filed off any too well. Which is odd, because the rest of the story is smooth as glass. It’s not only homage to Weber, but primarily to Star Wars, with a healthy dollop of Firefly, especially toward the end. I’m actually not sure how deep the tribute to Star Wars goes, because my daughter is more of a fan than I am. I’ll have to send her a copy to read.
With that opening, I didn’t expect the author to pull it off. But he does. The story is grandiose, as befits a sweeping space opera, and there is a little cooincidence where there ought not to be. I did sort of skim through the space battles, but I do that with Weber, too. Sometimes too much detail is too much. The characters are fun, the aliens are well-realized, and altogether the story is a good one. Sometimes I have to work at reading. Once I got into this book, it was effortless. I don’t think you will be disapoointed if you are already a fan of the genre.
With that opening, I didn’t expect the author to pull it off. But he does. The story is grandiose, as befits a sweeping space opera, and there is a little cooincidence where there ought not to be. I did sort of skim through the space battles, but I do that with Weber, too. Sometimes too much detail is too much. The characters are fun, the aliens are well-realized, and altogether the story is a good one. Sometimes I have to work at reading. Once I got into this book, it was effortless. I don’t think you will be disapoointed if you are already a fan of the genre.
June 16, 2014
Comparison to Honorverse almost made me skip this one...
And indeed, there are definite similarities in the style, which is actually a good thing, but it extends to some of the stylistic tics and quirks that I find annoying in Weber's writing. ("That's stupendous" said the older man.) At least people in this book aren't all obsessive grammarians who never say "choice of words" when "choice of adverb" would do.
That said, the setting of the book couldn't be more different. No political manifestos (not much, anyway,) no stupendous infodumps, and our two main opponents are basically evil Vulcans and .
And it does add up to a rather fun space opera that doesn't take itself too seriously with lots of action on all levels from bar brawls to epic battles, some rather sketchy romance and quite a few sequel hooks, but no true cliffhangers (thankfully.)
And indeed, there are definite similarities in the style, which is actually a good thing, but it extends to some of the stylistic tics and quirks that I find annoying in Weber's writing. ("That's stupendous" said the older man.) At least people in this book aren't all obsessive grammarians who never say "choice of words" when "choice of adverb" would do.
That said, the setting of the book couldn't be more different. No political manifestos (not much, anyway,) no stupendous infodumps, and our two main opponents are basically evil Vulcans and .
And it does add up to a rather fun space opera that doesn't take itself too seriously with lots of action on all levels from bar brawls to epic battles, some rather sketchy romance and quite a few sequel hooks, but no true cliffhangers (thankfully.)
March 13, 2018
As I get older I guess I'm getting grumpier. I don't want to spend time with book characters I don't like any more than I want to spend time with real life people I don't like. I gave the audio book a few hours listen but I found myself hoping just about every character would just stop talking. They did when I stopped the playback. Narration wasn't bad though.
May 13, 2015
Packed action!
A fun read. Things move pretty fast and not a lot of background world building initially, and the love affair of the main characters came out of nowhere.
A fun read. Things move pretty fast and not a lot of background world building initially, and the love affair of the main characters came out of nowhere.
February 6, 2023
At Last! A REAL Sci-Fi Adventure. Magnificently rendered.
Reading this wonderful sci fi book has been an.Adventure of a sort long-missed. All the elements gel perfectly. Human, emotional, honest characters carving their way.through the oppressive, challenging, threatenung, frightening challenges of racial embattlenent, senseless deaths by alien hands. Races carving out their Empires whilst destroying other Races whose mere existence they despise. Bravery and sacrifice on an heroic scale. Peace an ultimate goal. The price? Everything they own including their lives. First novel in what looks to be a great series.
Reading this wonderful sci fi book has been an.Adventure of a sort long-missed. All the elements gel perfectly. Human, emotional, honest characters carving their way.through the oppressive, challenging, threatenung, frightening challenges of racial embattlenent, senseless deaths by alien hands. Races carving out their Empires whilst destroying other Races whose mere existence they despise. Bravery and sacrifice on an heroic scale. Peace an ultimate goal. The price? Everything they own including their lives. First novel in what looks to be a great series.
July 18, 2018
An ok story but the dialogue in spots (too many spots) was tacky and cliché. It was distracting.
August 4, 2021
More film noir than mil sci-fi, but nice read.
August 27, 2021
A book of military politics
Beneath its many battle scenes it is a little love story. The battle planning is very detailed and through three out
Beneath its many battle scenes it is a little love story. The battle planning is very detailed and through three out
January 28, 2017
Crap plot, characters, and dialogue.
November 23, 2015
Wow! This is the first full length novel I read from Kal. It's a relatively light read, with the hero being a man trying to save humanity when we're already on the ropes. It is very much good military science fiction crossed with a bit of space opera. There are some fantastic scenes in here, particularly some of the combat sequences. One thing I really like is how human and relatable many of the characters are. The other thing I like is the sense of ironic humor that underlays some of the writing. Kal doesn't hesitate to reference scifi tropes and cultural themes with his writing, in ways that lighten a sometimes dark future. I recommend it and suggest his novellas as well!
June 28, 2014
I liked the story and the characters. The world was imaginative and I enjoyed the book. However, I did get lost rather often amid the miriad of points of view. Also, the constant naming of fleet strenght (how many cruisers, how many dreadnoughts...) was lost on me, though I can see that if I were more into the sci-fi space ships stuff, I would probably love it unconditionaly :)
All in all, a good book but I have read some that I liked more :)
All in all, a good book but I have read some that I liked more :)
August 28, 2014
Easy to read and follow. Straight forward plot. No complex charracters. I'd say everything is easy - too easy. At the end of the book a thought slipped trough my mind:"Why did I read this and whats the story and the point of all of it." Yeah it might have been be a good soap opera, but as a book its just OK.
April 10, 2014
If you like David Weber or John Ringo, you will like this book. Lots of action, realistic science, decent characters, and very fast paced. A few of the transitions are a bit rough, but not so rough you can't follow the plot.
October 1, 2014
A great old fashioned exciting scifi adventure filled with a plethora of space battles, great tech and fun characters. No complex story or deep characters here, just a fun read. Will definitely look forward to the next book!
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June 23, 2014Kal Spriggs - The Fallen Race. Reads like the book was written by a Twelve year old. Awful one dimensional characters, plot and story been done many times before. Really poor. Not even worth one star.
February 7, 2015
Wow. Giving 5 stars is rare for me. And it's been so long since I read good SciFi, that I was contemplating giving up on it.
Good story, good & interesting characters. Good old fashioned space battles.
Can't wait for the sequels. In the meantime, I'll check out the author's other books.
Good story, good & interesting characters. Good old fashioned space battles.
Can't wait for the sequels. In the meantime, I'll check out the author's other books.
May 5, 2014
Epic space opera that combines psionics and military action, not quite as epic as the lensman series. Will definitly read the next book.
September 4, 2014
Not bad but just a little over played. Like the old dramas.
July 7, 2014
Fun exciting
loved the first one can't wait for a second one hurry up and give us the rest of the series the wait is killing us all if u haven't read this one u need to
loved the first one can't wait for a second one hurry up and give us the rest of the series the wait is killing us all if u haven't read this one u need to
November 10, 2015
Great book couldn't put this down!!! Reminded a lot of Babylon 5 and Battleship Galactica. Pick this up if your in to space naval warfare Scify.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews