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The Augment Saga #2
The Shadow of Arcadia
SIDERA
LET THE STARS
REMAIN SILENT.
Nestled in the shadow of a derelict alien warship, the Martian city of Arcadia Landing shines as a beacon of humanity’s golden future. There, United Nations representatives gather to sign a new international treaty; a stepping-stone towards global unity. But when a dangerous faction born of an unlikely blend of isolationists and alien-worshippers attacks the city, the hope of unity lies scattered among the ruins.
Heartbroken, Captain James Fowler must work together with Nate Rifkin, the rueful captain of the Magellan, to bring those responsible to justice. But a deadly encounter with the cabal’s enigmatic masked leader draws James into a deeper mystery stretching back nearly fifty years.
With the help of Capt. Erin Pritchard, and anachronistic force of nature, Capt. April Rose-Hartley, they investigate the links to James and Angela’s past to uncover the identity of this murderous figurehead, track him down, and put a stop to his grand plans for humanity.
The thrilling space adventure sequel to From the Grave of the Gods and The Flight of the Aurora.
LET THE STARS
REMAIN SILENT.
Nestled in the shadow of a derelict alien warship, the Martian city of Arcadia Landing shines as a beacon of humanity’s golden future. There, United Nations representatives gather to sign a new international treaty; a stepping-stone towards global unity. But when a dangerous faction born of an unlikely blend of isolationists and alien-worshippers attacks the city, the hope of unity lies scattered among the ruins.
Heartbroken, Captain James Fowler must work together with Nate Rifkin, the rueful captain of the Magellan, to bring those responsible to justice. But a deadly encounter with the cabal’s enigmatic masked leader draws James into a deeper mystery stretching back nearly fifty years.
With the help of Capt. Erin Pritchard, and anachronistic force of nature, Capt. April Rose-Hartley, they investigate the links to James and Angela’s past to uncover the identity of this murderous figurehead, track him down, and put a stop to his grand plans for humanity.
The thrilling space adventure sequel to From the Grave of the Gods and The Flight of the Aurora.
516 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2024
8 people want to read
About the author
Alan K. Dell
6 books30 followersAlan K. Dell is a British science-fiction author and creative person with far too many hobbies. For his day job he works at the parish administrator for his local church, where he also volunteers as a musician. His hobbies include playing the guitar, illustration, graphic design, photography, astronomy, reading and playing video games. He lives at home in Essex with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 14, 2024
The Shadow of Arcadia by Alan K Dell is the second novel in his ongoing Augment Saga and this is a series that is going from strength to strength. The prequel novella , The Re-Emergence piqued my interest in the series, when I picked up book one, From The Grave of the Gods I really enjoyed it and then the novella The Flight of The Aurora took it to the next level. The Shadow of Arcadia is such a wonderful blend of plot and character that I found myself completely captivated much to the detriment of all other weekend plans. This is not a book that I did not want to put down, its one that I could not put down until I turned that very last page.
As in the first novel the prologue seems to be hinting at what is to come in later books, and I loved the little breadcrumbs of potential plot that it lays down, but once we got into the story proper I forgot about wondering where the series was going and instead threw myself into trying to figure out the mystery at the heart of this book, just who is the mysterious terrorist responsible for the destruction of Arcadia Landing, the Martian city that was to be the site of a UN treaty signing.
Our old friend Captain James Fowler is tasked with bringing the perpetrators to justice, a duty that feels personal not just because among the casualties is his oldest friend and former mentor, but also because a chance encounter with the masked leader of the terrorists sparks a sense of familiarity with James, and suggests that the terrorist may have some of the same augmented phsyical characteristics that he developed on his mission to Mars decades before.
I rarely find as successful a blend of science , intrigue and mystery as I have found in this series. There are moments of full on hard science fiction- a space elevator , weapons technology etc, but also a really well plotted espionage thriller that really kept me guessing as I tried to figure it out before the characters did- not that I did, but I sure had a lot of fun trying.
It is not all plotting and gunfights however, there is also a real focus on the aftermath of trauma and how the characters handle grief - from anger and the urge to blame others to the desire to pursue revenge at all costs. Because this is a book that balances character and plot so well, the reader connects with the characters, new and old , and so feels the anguish and pain of their losses. Speaking of characters, we are introduced to some new ones in the shape of the crew of the Newton, an exploratory vessel captained by April, a no nonsese bad ass who rapidly became a firm favourite. As for the ending, well all I can say is that the next book can't come soon enough.
If you want a fast paced edge of your seat thriller with characters you care about, dramatic action sequences that belong on the screen and the lots of bantering dialogue this is absolutely the book for you.
I read an ARC provided by the author, all opinions are my own.
As in the first novel the prologue seems to be hinting at what is to come in later books, and I loved the little breadcrumbs of potential plot that it lays down, but once we got into the story proper I forgot about wondering where the series was going and instead threw myself into trying to figure out the mystery at the heart of this book, just who is the mysterious terrorist responsible for the destruction of Arcadia Landing, the Martian city that was to be the site of a UN treaty signing.
Our old friend Captain James Fowler is tasked with bringing the perpetrators to justice, a duty that feels personal not just because among the casualties is his oldest friend and former mentor, but also because a chance encounter with the masked leader of the terrorists sparks a sense of familiarity with James, and suggests that the terrorist may have some of the same augmented phsyical characteristics that he developed on his mission to Mars decades before.
I rarely find as successful a blend of science , intrigue and mystery as I have found in this series. There are moments of full on hard science fiction- a space elevator , weapons technology etc, but also a really well plotted espionage thriller that really kept me guessing as I tried to figure it out before the characters did- not that I did, but I sure had a lot of fun trying.
It is not all plotting and gunfights however, there is also a real focus on the aftermath of trauma and how the characters handle grief - from anger and the urge to blame others to the desire to pursue revenge at all costs. Because this is a book that balances character and plot so well, the reader connects with the characters, new and old , and so feels the anguish and pain of their losses. Speaking of characters, we are introduced to some new ones in the shape of the crew of the Newton, an exploratory vessel captained by April, a no nonsese bad ass who rapidly became a firm favourite. As for the ending, well all I can say is that the next book can't come soon enough.
If you want a fast paced edge of your seat thriller with characters you care about, dramatic action sequences that belong on the screen and the lots of bantering dialogue this is absolutely the book for you.
I read an ARC provided by the author, all opinions are my own.
August 15, 2024
This is a well paced intriguing follow on from the first novel and from the off we are hit with devastation with the first major event on Mars. Alan K. Dell is not afraid to keep putting his main characters in danger or hack them off after we have invested time in getting to know them. I feel Dell has hit the nail on the head here when I’m constantly concerned for a number of characters well being as they venture into the next deadly situation.
I enjoyed how the story with Sidera Silere played out and the twists it involved. The ending brings us to a point where you feel events from the first Novella might rear a their ugly head and I like this. The two small novellas are definitely worth the read if you really want to get into the back story.
I look forward to the 3rd book in the series to see how this all plays out and I hope there are more small novellas to come as these act as some superb fillers while we wait for the main arc to continue.
I enjoyed how the story with Sidera Silere played out and the twists it involved. The ending brings us to a point where you feel events from the first Novella might rear a their ugly head and I like this. The two small novellas are definitely worth the read if you really want to get into the back story.
I look forward to the 3rd book in the series to see how this all plays out and I hope there are more small novellas to come as these act as some superb fillers while we wait for the main arc to continue.
September 25, 2024
If you've not come across the Augment saga, here's a quick recap.
An alien spaceship crash landed on Mars after a battle. Astronauts go to explore it, not knowing what they'd find. One member, James Fowler, ends up accidentally become augmented by what he finds on the ship - he doesn't age, he has extreme stamina and better strength, and can even survive in a vacuum.
Years later, scientists are able to reverse engineer faster-than-light travel which they called the Austinium drive.
Decades after that, we join Fowler and his friends in The Shadow of Arcadia as terrorists attack a Martian settlement. The hunt is on to chase after the leader of the terrorists in a bid to stop them attacking again.
This book was a joy to read. Having already read the previous books, it was fascinating to see how Fowler's friends and relatives, all much older than he appears due to his lack of aging, are involved in the story. It also shows a compassionate side to him as he struggles with his own inner demons.
Aside from Fowler, we meet new friends, some of whom are not so good at their jobs as they think! The combination of characters, along with a mystery and tense military action, leads the book firmly through a crescendo into a magnificent peak.
All of this - even right from the very first book - is underpinned by prologues that never made much sense until the end of this book. I won't give away spoilers, but it shows how the story arc was planned all along and I, for one, can't wait to read more.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
An alien spaceship crash landed on Mars after a battle. Astronauts go to explore it, not knowing what they'd find. One member, James Fowler, ends up accidentally become augmented by what he finds on the ship - he doesn't age, he has extreme stamina and better strength, and can even survive in a vacuum.
Years later, scientists are able to reverse engineer faster-than-light travel which they called the Austinium drive.
Decades after that, we join Fowler and his friends in The Shadow of Arcadia as terrorists attack a Martian settlement. The hunt is on to chase after the leader of the terrorists in a bid to stop them attacking again.
This book was a joy to read. Having already read the previous books, it was fascinating to see how Fowler's friends and relatives, all much older than he appears due to his lack of aging, are involved in the story. It also shows a compassionate side to him as he struggles with his own inner demons.
Aside from Fowler, we meet new friends, some of whom are not so good at their jobs as they think! The combination of characters, along with a mystery and tense military action, leads the book firmly through a crescendo into a magnificent peak.
All of this - even right from the very first book - is underpinned by prologues that never made much sense until the end of this book. I won't give away spoilers, but it shows how the story arc was planned all along and I, for one, can't wait to read more.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
August 23, 2024
The Shadow of Archadia is book 2 in the
Augmented Saga with book 1 titled From the Grave of the Gods.
I have to say I have come into this series with book 2 as my starting point. What I found is that if you accidentally miss book 1 as I did that book 2 can work as a stand alone or starting point. However, the back story intrigues me so I will now be going backwards and reading book 1 to find out where this all started.
We start book 2 with a Prologue that introduces us to the Archelon as an advanced alien race and the concept of augmention whereby someone has been altered and is now immortal. This sets the context for the story arc for this book. This works well to some extent to plug some of the knowledge gaps I encountered coming in at book 2.
Alan has created protagonists that you really want to root for plus an enemy that really intrigued me. The story opens with the dramatic death of one of the characters I was really hoping could feature throughout the book. But, this death then sets the remaining characters up on a mission to identify the enemy and bring them to justice.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Alan K Dell
Augmented Saga with book 1 titled From the Grave of the Gods.
I have to say I have come into this series with book 2 as my starting point. What I found is that if you accidentally miss book 1 as I did that book 2 can work as a stand alone or starting point. However, the back story intrigues me so I will now be going backwards and reading book 1 to find out where this all started.
We start book 2 with a Prologue that introduces us to the Archelon as an advanced alien race and the concept of augmention whereby someone has been altered and is now immortal. This sets the context for the story arc for this book. This works well to some extent to plug some of the knowledge gaps I encountered coming in at book 2.
Alan has created protagonists that you really want to root for plus an enemy that really intrigued me. The story opens with the dramatic death of one of the characters I was really hoping could feature throughout the book. But, this death then sets the remaining characters up on a mission to identify the enemy and bring them to justice.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Alan K Dell
August 6, 2024
The Shadow of Arcadia, Alan K. Dell’s second full length novel in the Augment Saga kicks off (in the prologue - don’t skip it) with a dramatic scene where James Fowler is once again being held captive by unknown alien creatures. This story-line ties this novel to the first book, which also opened in this setting. Together, both books’ openings foreshadow something yet to be reveled in (maybe?) the coming final novel.
Chapter one settles us into a new setting, the martian settlement Arcadia Landing. We get to view it through the perspective of Austin Queen, a familiar major character from the first novel. The pace is good as we get reacquainted with Queen, who is now a much older man. The action sparks into fire just as we get comfortable in this new setting, and continues all the way to the end of the book!
The plot centers on discovering who the mystery leader of the terrorist group Sidera Silere is. Dell is not squeamish about putting his characters in mortal danger. He does this with characters that you have already been through a lot with if you’ve read the previous books. This creates a wonderful tension as you are not sure who might not make it to the end of the story! Dell also does a good job of making his characters distinctive. Although there are a lot of characters, the strengths, weaknesses, faults, and history of each of them makes them all feel unique and memorable.
This is Dell's second full length novel in the Augment Saga (plus the two novellas and one short story e-book that are also a part of the series). You will want to read at least the first novel (From the Grave of the Gods) and the second novella (The Flight of The Aurora) before starting The Shadow of Arcadia for context and characters that are further developed in this novel.
I highly recommend the book and the series as a whole. I’m looking forward to what comes next.
Chapter one settles us into a new setting, the martian settlement Arcadia Landing. We get to view it through the perspective of Austin Queen, a familiar major character from the first novel. The pace is good as we get reacquainted with Queen, who is now a much older man. The action sparks into fire just as we get comfortable in this new setting, and continues all the way to the end of the book!
The plot centers on discovering who the mystery leader of the terrorist group Sidera Silere is. Dell is not squeamish about putting his characters in mortal danger. He does this with characters that you have already been through a lot with if you’ve read the previous books. This creates a wonderful tension as you are not sure who might not make it to the end of the story! Dell also does a good job of making his characters distinctive. Although there are a lot of characters, the strengths, weaknesses, faults, and history of each of them makes them all feel unique and memorable.
This is Dell's second full length novel in the Augment Saga (plus the two novellas and one short story e-book that are also a part of the series). You will want to read at least the first novel (From the Grave of the Gods) and the second novella (The Flight of The Aurora) before starting The Shadow of Arcadia for context and characters that are further developed in this novel.
I highly recommend the book and the series as a whole. I’m looking forward to what comes next.
June 15, 2024
This book started with a literal bang and kept going. This is book 2 of a continuing series--and there are two other related books besides. This was my first one. Because if that, at first, I had a little trouble connecting to the characters--which isn't the author's fault, given I hadn't read the first book!
Despite that, I came to care about the characters rather quickly. The banter and dialogue is top-notch. The action doesn't let up--but the author still takes the time for the characters to process their emotions and their trauma. Once I hit 50%, I was hooked.
Despite that, I came to care about the characters rather quickly. The banter and dialogue is top-notch. The action doesn't let up--but the author still takes the time for the characters to process their emotions and their trauma. Once I hit 50%, I was hooked.
September 18, 2024
The Shadow of Arcadia is a great continuation of the Augment Saga. I liked the time jump and bringing us into an era of expansion into the Solar System thanks to the Austinium Drive. There is plenty of tension and intrigue, linking back into the past of the main character, James Fowler, and I loved the world and planet hopping adventure, and the action is excellent. A well-paced and engrossing space opera, and I definitely recommend it, and all the previous books in this universe.
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May 18, 2025Captain Austin Queen from The Augment Saga is aromantic asexual!
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews