Fulcrum

The Adventures of Letho Ferron #1

by Doug Rickaway

alternate cover edition of ISBN: 9781490588179

Letho Ferron was just one of many citizens living out a mundane existence aboard the colonization vessel Centennial Fulcrum. However, an encounter with the Fulcrum's law enforcement agents forces Letho into exile in the bowels of the ship where he finds respite among the Slave Bears, a mysterious subservient race. It is there that Letho begins to uncover the truth about the Fulcrum, the Slave Bears, and his true identity. When a group of terrifying alien marauders attack the ship, Letho is forced to decide. Will he forever be just an asocial misfit? Or can he lead both races to freedom?

Genres: Science Fiction

262 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2013

About the author

I have always enjoyed writing, from the silly prompts in the back or our standardized reading and writing tests, all the way up to the scribblings in yellow legal pads that I filled by the dozens in intermediate and high school.

I enjoy reading, writing, movies, video games, and playing music. I am a classically trained double bassist (that's upright bass or bull fiddle for the layperson).

I am honored to have a wonderful family, and enjoy spending time with my wife and daughter.

Reviews

[Ron · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn't bad; it just wasn't good. There was probably a lot more to this story that the author assumed the reader would pick up, but I didn't.

[Al · Rating 2 out of 5]

CLIFFHANGER?

I do not like unfinished stories that are meant to entice you to keep reading your books! The story was slow, and confusing at times with the venue changes and the introduction of new characters, without any info as to who they are.
If this is your first book, not too bad. You need better proofreading friends, multiple typos and wrong grammar usage.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun sci-fi/fantasy read! I look forward to the next installment.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure whether to call this sci-fi, fantasy or thriller - it has all of those things, and the mix is fresh and interesting, with engaging characters that while not totally fleshed out yet, lay the groundwork to keep building on their lives/stories as the series builds. There's enough that you care about them and what happens to them early on, and the world the author is building is creative and absorbing. The plot is interesting and there is enough originality and twists to keep you turning pages. The only downside I found was that by the end, there are a lot of different things going on - it almost feels like too many ideas at once, but I think it's just building up to the full series, and I'll certainly read the next installment to see how it all moves forward. It's an easy, quick read - well worth your time, and a much stronger effort from a first-time author than I'm used to seeing.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recieved this book as a Goodreads giveaway. Rickaway has produced a story of some interest and potential though there are flaws that detract from the reading experience. Some of these might be addressed in future books in the series though one major issue is the ending of this book which provides very little resolution. There are a couple of interesting characters that beg for further development, not the least of which is the protagonist, Letho Ferron, whose transformation from corporate slug to a lean mean fighting machine is not very well explained and seems remarkably unnoticed by the other people in the book. I did like the Tarsi both as individual characters and as a believably alien culture and the "bad guys", especially Crimson Jim, are compellingly evil.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't have very high expectations for Fulcrum, since it was a random recommendation from a drummer I follow on Twitter who knew the author, and since the Kindle book was a freebie on Amazon. The story is surprisingly good, though, even if the writing is just average.

I'm hoping the author breaks away in future books from some of the things that kept this one from being better. Namely, characters that aren't fully developed and a lack of female characters with any depth.

It IS a good story, though, and I am actually curious about where Letho, Bayorn, Maka, and the others will end up.

[Bill Nobes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad read but the plunge into the vampire plot line was very much the wrong direction for my tastes.