Ascending the Hourglass

The Voided Man #2

by Anthony Dean

There are great deserts in space...

So began The Voided Man.

Prisoner Number One has survived in the void. He has even thrived there. But the question remains, can he ever leave there?

If so, by what possible method? And at what risk to himself and others?

Return to the void, and learn if it offers the possibility of escape to those who master the art of Ascending the Hourglass.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction

315 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 10, 2024

About the author

I have had a long career as a professor (28 years and counting), and I am at the podium still. I am also a lifelong fan of science fiction.

I plan to add new installments to my Voided Man series several times a year for the foreseeable future.

Reviews

[Peggy Phillips · Rating 1 out of 5]

***SPOILERS***

If you are looking for sci-fi that would make a good Hallmark movie set on an asteroid referred to as, The Potato, then this series is for you.

These could be great books if they had a bit more grit to them. As it is, there are no struggles over resources or personality clashes. The abundance of resources is staggering and seems to be never ending. Food, oxygen, building materials, jeeps, drones, musical instruments and even a never ending supply of paper. And any type of meal is magically created by the computer system. Anything these characters need, they find inside the two person ship that must have more cargo space than the bottomless carpet bag that Mary Poppins carries.

There was one moment where I perked up thinking these people are finally having to overcome a serious problem that won't be magically fixed. One of the characters was going to lose his hand because of a terrible accident. But nope, they stuck his hand in some goop and the hand was totally repaired and had no damage.

Sigh, gave the second book a try. Won't bother with anymore in the series.

[Ryan Larrabee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book a lot, especially cause the first one was so amazing. Really enjoyed the sci-fi elements and all the characters and world building that came along with it. Such an easy read loved being immersed into the world. Can’t wait to read book 3.

[luke st. hilaire · Rating 2 out of 5]

everything is a bit too easy

Not much conflict, basis of the story creates a creative idea but unrealistic characters that kind of just figure everything out pretty quickly. I thought the first book was great, but had the same problems, this book they just kind of grew. Not continuing with the series after this one.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t give away 5 stars easily (only to two of the 53 books I read last year) but I 5 starred the first in this series and immediately downloaded book 2.

Firstly, I didn’t like the narrator change. I get that the author wanted to show another characters experience but I wanted ‘number one’s to continue.

Secondly, I just could not get over the spelling and grammatical errors! There was a few in the first one but this one had so many and it really broke the immersion for me. There was so many instances like this:

‘Are we good here Percy?’
‘We are good aunt cassie’
‘Glad to hear that Percy’
‘Me too aunt cassie’

Argh! It drove me mad - how many times do you need to mention the persons name? The reader already knows who is involved in the conversation.
It really needs a new editor.

Thirdly, I really struggled with chapter 17. There were so many ‘space terms’ that I felt like I was in a science lesson and didn’t understand a lot of what I was reading - it needed simplifying for readers.

And lastly this line that was clearly written by a man:
‘My labor was lengthy and often uncomfortable, but after six hours we had a baby boy’
Uncomfortable and not painful 😂 and lengthy but was 6 hours?! He has no clue 😂

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful. feels like a modern twist on hopeful 50s sci fi

These books remind me strongly of masters like Heinlein (but with a decidedly modern lens)
The characters are clearly defined and pleasantly put together, but no one would accuse any of them of being deep or particularly complex.

What they are is curious, capable, and motivated for the common good. They cheerfully tackle the struggles of living on a tiny asteroid near the (literal) middle of nowhere. And then they just as gamely tackle freeing the galactic empire of humans from their evil capitalist overlords.

These are a fun romp and I look forward to reading more.

[Felicia Belcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassie

Wow, could you imagine if "black holes" were actually "hourglass" shaped. I've always been fascinated with the unknown and this series reignited my love for that

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good sci-fi story with a good ending.

Ascending the Hourglass is an enjoyable sci-fi story with a satisfying ending.
It, and the first book, had predictable plot elements, but strangely it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story one bit.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. So Cassie has spent 80 years in a women’s prison but has never been kissed cause no men? Be so ffr those girlies would be going at it

[Roger Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very pleasant surprise as I started this series a few days ago when looking for something new to read. I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and transitioned from the first of the second book which I ended up, enjoying even more. I look forward to to the next.

[Iain R · Rating 2 out of 5]

So there we are, don’t want to read any more in the series. No tension, no excitement this one past 40% then... Had to skip from 40% to 90% and then just flicked to the end, and boy, was that a stupid implausible end. Diatribe from main character, pointless dialogue to keep the storyline moving - the writing has descended into mush, and the brilliant Book 1 concept and expectation - well, I should have stopped then. Verbiage as a storyline filler doesn’t work for me. Very little character development: nothing in the writing makes me care about the additional names. I’m so disappointed - how this one got through editorial is beyond me. World building has collapsed into farce. A dud.

[lynn swallom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

Great reads. I reserved my comments on book 1 and 2 until I finished the second book. I thoroughly. Burned through book 2. Now I can say without reservation that both are among my favorites. Reminds me of "Macroscpe" with a big family.

[Mason Richmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Voided Man is the second book in the series, and it was even better than the first.

The story gets darker and more intense, and I loved how it focused more on the characters this time. There were some slow parts, but overall, I couldn’t stop reading.

My favorite character is Cassopiea. She’s smart, brave, and has a really interesting story. Every time she showed up, I wanted to know more about her. She’s the kind of character that stays with you even after you finish the book.

The Voided Man is also more mysterious and broken in this one. It’s cool (and kind of scary) to see how much he changes. A lot of the book is about what happens when someone loses everything—and what they’re willing to do to get it back.

Some parts were a little slow or confusing, but most of the time I was hooked. The ending was really strong, and now I really want to read the next book.

If you like dark fantasy, deep characters, and stories that make you think, I definitely recommend this one.

[Debbie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Voided Man series because it is refreshingly wholesome - free from gore or smut, which is hard to find in modern fiction. The first book ends with a happy twist I didn’t see coming. The second book, Ascending the Hourglass, picks up with the daring escape of Annabelle and Cassie from Earth, reuniting with Prisoner Number One over 200 million years in the future.

While some reviewers have pointed out the lack of major conflict or slow-building tension, I still find the story immensely satisfying. There’s a real sense of relief and joy when things work out. Problems are solved through logic, teamwork, and sheer willpower, not senseless violence or forced drama.

It’s especially inspiring to watch John Dawson, aka Prisoner Number One, rise from a bleak dystopian society to build a utopia in the Void - not only for himself, but for countless others. It’s an optimistic, thoughtful series and I can’t wait to read the next installment.

[Sami Köykkä · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jatkaa suoraan edellisen kirjan tarinaa keskelle tyhjää avaruutta karkoitetusta miehestä - en spoilaa sarjan tapahtumia mutta paljon on jo ehtinyt tapahtua. Ja tässä tapahtuu vielä lisää. Kirja on nopealukuinen, vähän ehkä välipalan omainen, mutta silti osa usean kirjan mittaista jatkumoa. Näitä ei ehkä kannattaisi edes ajatella niinkään kirjasarjana kuin yhtenä isona eepoksena joka kertoo (oletettavasti) eeppisen tarinan. Suositellaan niille jotka etsivät kepeää sci-fi-viihdettä joka tarjoaa lukuelämyksiä perinteisten klassikkojen hengessä (suoraviivainen tarina, sense of wonderia, ohuet henkilöhahmot jne).

[Ralph · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the sequel to "The Voided Man" and as with the first book of this series, I found that I have to suspend my critical thinking in order to just enjoy the story. This book is told from the perspective of Cassiopeia, John's daughter who was imprisoned on Earth with her mother at the time that John was shipped off to the void. It is an enjoyable, if somewhat predictable story in the same vein as the first book. I did enjoy it, and there is a third book but, I think I will hold off on reading it, at least until I'm in the mood for another light, somewhat implausible, feel-good story.

[Robert A Geloran · Rating 4 out of 5]

a family reunion deep in the Void

This sequel to the Voided Man wraps up some details from the original story and shows how one man built not only an extended family, but a community as well. There were a few exciting chapters but quite a few unexciting ones.
Well written for the most part with just few editing errors (wrong/misspelled/missing word) but was generally easy to read.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

boring, forced feeling sequel

The potato families all working together in harmony and Number 1 being an exaggeration of humility was tough to swallow. The “big challenge” is someone not wanting to risk leaving the potato.

Fissures form in relationships. People get sick either of illness or of each other. People covet. People hurt. All of this is lost in the author’s lack of introspection.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

the next generation

AI quirks and very basic family dynamics bookend a big idea novel about stellar phenomena, and a family of three people out of time (plus the clones one of them raised).

Some of the dialogue seems stilted, not certain if that’s a limitation of the author or chosen purposely to reflect the result of homeschooling on an asteroid.

[Stephen M Blank · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rated book #1 only 4 stars because of the amount of discursion and the relative lack of character interaction. This one gets 5 stars because he gets the balance right imho.

Question foolish risks in exploring new planet, wonder where giant carnivores get food and energy from, marvel at recovery ability - but enjoy!

[Ian Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A saga continues

Easy reading, feel good, family centric sci-fi - don’t know if that a genre!?!
Enjoyed the first one, this one was fine, interesting to see how it progressed and I’ll read the next one…

[Robert Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting second book that takes the reader farther than expected!

Like the creative plot and clean story without obscenities, violence or some sexual drama. Lots of creative problem solving. Some interesting twists.

[Paul Eastley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just as good as the first one and once again as technical as it can get, so prepare to be baffled, and perplexed at times, but like myself, you'll get there.

[Kim DeGrazia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book as a giveaway. It was an enjoyable sci fi read and it should also be considered in the YA category.

[Nancy M Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Father Knows Best in the Future

Like the first book, a mild-mannered “Hallmark Channel” tale. Pleasant enough, but not riveting. Mildly entertaining. Not bad. Not bad.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good futuristic story with interesting characters. A lot of personal development and some scary moments. Enjoying the series so far.

[Jesse Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am still in love with the storyline as well as the characters. I will say that I didn't love this book quite as much as the first (which was probably my favorite book of all time), but I still greatly enjoyed it. I can't wait for the third book to come out! Long live the potato!

[Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from Anthony, I always get enthralled with his books. Especially in this series.

If you think teleportation is real, maybe you just have to go to the center of your local void to find out!