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Empire of Bones Saga #2
Veil of Shadows
Veil of Shadows Book 2 of the Empire of Bones Saga By Terry Mixon It's always darkest before the dawn! Commander Jared Mertz and Princess Kelsey have scored a stunning victory over the savage Pale Ones. Yet they paid a terrible price for it, one that left their ship crippled and changed the Princess forever. With only one chance to destroy their powerful enemy, Jared and Kelsey race to unravel the secrets behind the ancient rebellion that destroyed galactic civilization and thwart unseen foes determined to take their new ship and their lives. If they fail, an entire planet dies.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2014
472 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
About the author
Terry Mixon
88 books299 followers#1 Bestselling Military Science Fiction author Terry Mixon served as a non-commissioned officer in the United States Army 101st Airborne Division. He later worked alongside the flight controllers in the Mission Control Center at the NASA Johnson Space Center supporting the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station, and other human spaceflight projects.
He now writes full time while living in Texas with his lovely wife and a pounce of cats.
He now writes full time while living in Texas with his lovely wife and a pounce of cats.
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March 18, 2021
Summary:
First, let me say that none of what I’ll say in this section couldn’t be found on the back copy of the novel. Heck, I cribbed this summary from the back, and then I added my own twist!
Things never go as planned, especially not in combat. This is something Princess Kelsey Bandar learned the hard way. She made a terrible, life-altering mistake. One that cost her, as her enemies gave her unspeakable agony in return. It leaves her with two choices; roll over and die or stand up and fight back. She chooses to forge an iron will, to control the weapon her body has become. If she fails, the monsters who tortured her come for humanity.
If you love epic, galaxy-spanning, action-oriented space opera, then you should read this series. Plenty of adventure and intrigue to keep you glued to your seat in this page-turning novel! It’s the perfect blend of space opera and military science fiction. If this sounds like your flavor of badassery, then you’ve come to the right place! This novel is the brilliant continuation of the Empire of Bones Saga, where the author harkens back to the heyday of pulp science fiction!
Characters:
In this novel, there are two main characters who we follow; Commander Jared Mertz and Princess Kelsey Bandar. Keeping the focus on two characters made you feel closer to them, which is how I like things. All of the secondary characters were a lot of fun as well! They were all fully realized, none of them felt flat or fake.
Commander Jared Mertz: He’s a senior naval officer of the largely peaceful New Terran Empire, but he felt real and not one of those stereotypical military pencil pushers from the Pax New Terra. He was a consummate professional who genuinely cared for the sailors and Marines under his command. He was a good officer, who knew his craft and was tactically creative during combat training simulations. He’s the kind of guy you’d want on your side if war ever did break out in the New Terran Empire. When he’s exposed to combat for the first time, against the elusive “pale ones,” he proves that he’s got what it takes to get things done under fire. He’s the illegitimate son of the emperor, whose royal pedigree was discovered on his entrance physical for the Imperial Navy. This knowledge came with dark undertones, as Fleet tried to hold him back to prove they weren’t giving him special treatment. During this novel, we see more growth from him, as he’s forced to accept the burdens that come with combat leadership. Like in any combat scenario, Jared’s orders lead to men dying; men and women whose ghosts will haunt his sleep. He was, by far, my favorite character in this novel. Overall, I enjoyed following him from the first word until the last! It felt like there was so much more to come from him!
Princess Kelsey Bandar: When we first meet her, she’s the spoiled daughter of the New Terran Empire, a petite bombshell of sassy entitlement. Picture a princess in your mind, and you can envision Kelsey. She’s the “spare apparent,” a term I first heard from Terry Mixon and summed her role as the second in line to the imperial throne. When she decided she wants to find a mission for her life, to become more than her status as an imperial princess, her father turns her life upside down. The emperor sends her on the voyage to explore the remains of the fallen empire, where she gets stuck on the other side of a one-sided flip point. During those adventures, she is implanted with super soldier Terran Empire Marine Raider enhancements and is left to deal with the consequences of those changes. She becomes an unlikely warrior, turning a spoiled princess into the “every man” soldier. Except she has those enhancements. Overall, I was thrilled at her growth in this novel, to watch her process what happened in the last book. Her character came alive on the page, giving Jared fits as he tried to corral her.
Senior Sergeant Russel “Russ” Talbot: He’s what you’d call your Space Marine’s Space Marine. He’s such a motto that even his mother just calls him Talbot! This character is one of the senior Marine Detachment NCOs on the Athena, and then the Courageous. Once Princess Bandar is assigned to the exploration mission, he’s tasked with leading her protection detail. She doesn’t make it easy for him, but we see his true value when he’s imprisoned by the “pale ones” with Kelsey Bandar. Under the crucible of battle, his mettle is proven… solidifying him as one of the most pivotal secondary characters in this series. I really liked him, he’s a grizzled veteran of the numerous policing actions. Despite his experience, he felt real and not one of those stereotypical military killers. He was badass, a consummate professional and genuinely good NCO for his troops. He’s the kind of guy you’d want on your side in a firefight, though he’s a bit of an ass to his own subordinates. Overall, I enjoyed following him from the first word until the last! It felt like there was so much more to come from him!
Crown Princess Elise Orison: She’s the heir to the throne of Pentagar and serves as the Pentagaran ambassador to the New Terran Empire. She is our eyes into one of the other polities that arose from the ashes of the Old Terran Empire. Elise is a bubbly woman, who is enchantingly feminine while retaining the aura of command competency. Overall, she didn’t get as much air time in this book, but I wanted to see more of her. I included her because I suspect we’ll be seeing more of her as we kick off deeper into this series.
Overall, I really loved the two main characters and the entire supporting class of this book. I give these characters 5 out of 5 Grenades and can’t wait to see where the author takes them in the books to come!
Plot:
The premise for this series was not that different from other space opera stories out there, humanity post-earth trying to reclaim the spacefaring society that they’d left behind. However, it’s in the execution where the author excels. His stories are pure escapism and enjoyment, under the banner of intergalactic science fiction. This book, like the rest of the novels in this series, fit squarely within the scope of an expansive space opera that I love to read. I loved that there were never any lulls that bored me, this novel was action-packed with a defined plot. There were places where I thought that he could’ve expanded certain things, but the novel as is – still works as is. It was just so fun that I wanted to explore every nook and cranny. The story is set as the New Terran Empire is finally revitalizing their exploration of the empire that they lost during the rebellion 500 hundred years before the story began. This gripping adventure was never boring, and the characters and universe behaved in a way that made sense for the worlds the author created. It was a good set-up and well-executed premise that held my interest. Since I’ve read the rest of this series, I can assure you that there are bigger things to come from the Empire of Bones universe. What I like about this universe is that it fit squarely within the large expansive worlds through the copious amounts of space opera that I read. This plot fits nicely into that framework, and Terry is raising the bar on this one. As you can tell by the gushing, I really got into this book. I couldn’t put it down; the plot was that compelling. Heck, this is my fourth or fifth re-reading of this series. I really loved the premise, and more importantly, I enjoyed how the execution. The pacing was excellent, and there was never a slow moment. There was never a point where the plot was confusing, or that I couldn’t figure out what was going on. I couldn’t ask for anything more; a unique premise, perfect execution, and incredible pacing! I again give Terry Mixon 5 out of 5 Grenades!
World Building:
This is the second book in the Empire of Bones Saga, and I absolutely loved it. The world was flushed out, and everything was explained in a way that made sense. The universe was consistent, with just enough of the mundane facets of life thrown in the fall grounded in this reality. Everything made sense and sucked you into the story. Some of the details seemed inconsequential, but those hooks just make me think that the larger universe will continue to grow and expand. I loved reading about the culture of the New Terran Empire, and Terry spoon fed us those details in a way that didn’t feel like an info dump. I especially love the new tidbits thrown into the lore, giving the feel that this universe could be out there waiting for us just beyond the Milky Way. There was never anything he described that I couldn’t envision, or that felt like it wasn’t “real.” We get to see the weaponry and technology has evolved (or devolved) since the fall of the Terran Empire and feel inspired by what the characters have we gained access to. I could picture every setting described, easily envisioning myself living there. Heck, I’ve even entertained myself on long road trips telling side story set in this larger universe. When describing the world, Terry was light on the details… but not so much that I was lost or experienced the floating head syndrome. I could always picture the scene in my head, watching it in the movie theater of my mind. Despite being a bubblegum space opera, Terry has upped the bar of excellence, adding more sensory input to the mix; sights, sounds, smells, and feelings. He didn’t reinvent the wheel, building on the existing tropes of space opera. Instead, he made brought it into the 21st Century! Overall, the world building was well done, and I was sold on the way it happened. It felt believable, and the characters fit within the universe Terry Mixon created. Like most of the stories I read, this one didn’t take itself too seriously, which allowed you to focus on the fun which is why I read in the first place. I give the world building 5 out of 5 Grenades.
Description:
I have to give it to this author, this novel was chock-full of visualization, and you could definitely imagine yourself in this world. He described things across the sensory spectrum; sights, sounds, smells and even how the world felt. While I could visualize all of the characters, I would still love it if Terry could describe the characters physical traits in more details. Terry went light on the details, with just enough specifics to allow you to visualize it for yourself. I wanted more, but I’m told I’m an outlier on this front. The modern trend is for less description, which I detest. I loved that Terry kept his language simple, reminding me of what I liked about Tom Clancy’s style of writing. Their genres aren’t the same, but their style of language is similar, and I like that. He balanced the explanation of this new world with the need to move a story along. This book didn’t have a single place where I couldn’t picture the scenery and the equipment, which added to the world that felt tangible and I enjoyed it. The author’s description of his universe was evocative, and enough to please your average readers. Again, I always prefer more descriptions over less, but Terry did enough to get the job done.
In summary, I didn’t find any issues with the descriptions and was impressed by the literary skills of Terry. I wish he were more descriptive, but he gave you enough to form your own visual image. If you want a pulp era space opera, then this is the book for you! I give him 4 out of 5 grenades in this category.
Narration:
After becoming a fan of audiobooks, I’ve listened to over a hundred hours of stories read to me by awesome narrators like RC Bray, Luke Daniels and now Veronica Giguere. I’m confident in what I enjoy and what I dislike. I know that I hate accents that seem too cheesy and despise narrators that sound like robots. With those pesky caveats, I will review the narration quality of this novel. The audiobook was well done, and the accents were consistent. There were a few places where the sound popped and spiked, but that could’ve been the interface with my Bluetooth speakers since they happened while I was on my morning walks. The narrator, Veronica Giguere, did a fantastic job narrating this novel. Obviously, I would listen to more books by her, since this is the second one now! And with Amazon’s recent audiobook price increase, that is saying something. Heck, I’ve already bought all of the books by Terry Mixon that she’s produced. I’ve even bought books outside my preferred genre because I enjoy the quality of what she puts out there. She didn’t bore you, or make you zone out because of her monotone or vocal fry. Did that make me sound smart? Because I have no clue about vocal fry, but I do know that Veronica puts together a fine narration. Her performance didn’t feel robotic like a machine was reading the novel to me. You’ll often see that from me because it’ll drag me out of a book so fast that I can’t listen to it anymore. With Veronica Giguere, it felt like a friend was sitting with me reading an amazing story that she couldn’t put down. Only she made kind of cool voices, with believable accents that didn’t yank you out of the story. I listened to this novel with my wife, who also loved her presentation. She told me I should write more female characters, so I had an excuse to hire her myself! Overall, I give her 5 out of 5 grenades for her performance.
Overall:
I really loved this book, it was a lot of fun to read. It is worth mentioning again, I’ve read these novels multiple times and never once felt like it was a waste of time. They brought back the era of pulp science fiction that started the genre we know and love. This novel harkened back to what I loved about space opera and followed the first novel in this series. The vibe of this story was amazing, and I loved seeing where the adventurers would end up. I wanted to know what happened to the Terran Empire, and how they lost so quickly to the rebels that broke an intergalactic empire in several weeks. There were no deep messages, or political themes, just good clean fun.
Like the other novels in this universe, the first thing that caught my eye was the cover. Okay, covers are the first thing that grabs us about any universe, but I digress. The spaceship on the cover is growing on me, and they’re well branded as a part of the same universe. These covers fit the space opera market, but I don’t think they hit the military science fiction genre as well. It isn’t a flaw since this book fits into both genres, it’s just an observation. Keep in mind, I’m colorblind, so your mileage may vary. Check them out, share your thoughts in the comments.
Now onto the book itself! The military culture shown was spot on, just what I’d expect from an Army veteran. He created a compelling interstellar naval force, but again… the author spent some time working for NASA, and it shows. The place where this novel really shined was the characterizations, nobody felt like cookie cutter clichés or parodies. The way Terry Mixon portrayed how his characters handled the developments of this book was superbly done; from the “pale ones,” to the political intrigue on Pentagar. There was never a moment where I thought… “that’s not how I would act.” I believe that the characters responded as expected to the situation they found themselves in.
One of my complaints from the first book was how sterile the combat felt. It was well within the boundaries for the space opera subgenre but missed the mark from a military science fiction perspective. In this novel, those issues were partially resolved. The combat felt more real, the action more intense and the setting was grittier. It was a nice balance between the two subgenres that this book is positioned in. Again, I won’t downgrade the book for this because I believe this is just my preference for military sci-fi bleeding through.
Speaking of gritty realism, one of the things that enjoyed about Terry’s novel was that logistics were considered. The characters did seem to run out of supplies, and this was a central plot point. He doesn’t dwell on it, but several casual mentions that they’d packed for a journey of several years was enough. Further, he has the sailors worried when they’re low on consumable military tech; missiles and bullets, etc. In this novel, we again see the Kingdom of Pentagar re-suppling the crew of the Athena, which cemented that little attention to detail.
Another place where this novel shined was with the pacing. The action was intense, and the characters responded as you’d expect in those circumstances. Terry kept the story moving along, constantly introducing new complications just when they’d come to some sort of resolution to the old one. The examples of ground combat were primal and more fully immersive than in the last novel. In this novel Terry kept the action moving along, illustrating the chaos of combat while not dwelling on it. Again, it was everything you expect from this subgenre. The fleet battle scenes were believable, gripping and I never felt like the author missed a chance to get creative with the tactics. I liked how he made the results of the ship-to-ship combat unexpected, but I can’t say how without spoilers. It was in the fleet battles where this novel really stood out, technically speaking. The main character, Jared Mertz, is a career naval officer, allowing the reader to tamp down their expectations about his prowess on the battlefield. Rather than letting this created a hang-up, Terry leans into it. The ship’s onboard Marine complement take charge when necessary, much like you expect if that situation happened in today’s modern military.
When it comes to creating believable civilizations, Terry stood heads and tails above his peers. He created two believable political polities and made the differences between them facilitate the reader’s ability to easily distinguished one from the another. I liked that he messed with the language of the Pentagarans. It felt just alien enough to be different from how we would normally speak, while still being accessible to modern readers. I detected a slight medieval vibe to some of the word choices, which he managed to pull off without sounding overly cheesy. I could definitely envision myself walking among these people, interacting with them and that’s all you could ask for from an author. Another aspect of these two societies that was believable was how Terry handled their first joint combat situation. When the citizens of the New Terran Empire were caught up in Pentagaran political intrigue, all of the characters acted in a believable manner.
Finally, I didn’t really find any grammatical or technical issues with this book. Seriously, I realize I’ve gone full fanboy, but the authors have definitely raised the bar for space opera. He’s one of the shining stars of science fiction authors everywhere, you should check it out. This book, Veil of Shadows, was leaps and bounds above most of what’s out there! I was hooked from the first page because he wove the action in such a compelling way that you wanted to jump into the page and join the party. Some of that was because I’m already invested in this world, but if you’ve been following me, you already know that. Basically, this novel had me hooked from the beginning and kept it going throughout the whole novel. This is a book I would happily recommend, and an author I will definitely read again. Buy the novel! But hey, it’s easy to spend someone else’s money! I give this novel a 5 out of 5 grenades!
This was abbreviated per GoodReads word count, read full review here.
https://jrhandley.com/2019/03/04/book...
First, let me say that none of what I’ll say in this section couldn’t be found on the back copy of the novel. Heck, I cribbed this summary from the back, and then I added my own twist!
Things never go as planned, especially not in combat. This is something Princess Kelsey Bandar learned the hard way. She made a terrible, life-altering mistake. One that cost her, as her enemies gave her unspeakable agony in return. It leaves her with two choices; roll over and die or stand up and fight back. She chooses to forge an iron will, to control the weapon her body has become. If she fails, the monsters who tortured her come for humanity.
If you love epic, galaxy-spanning, action-oriented space opera, then you should read this series. Plenty of adventure and intrigue to keep you glued to your seat in this page-turning novel! It’s the perfect blend of space opera and military science fiction. If this sounds like your flavor of badassery, then you’ve come to the right place! This novel is the brilliant continuation of the Empire of Bones Saga, where the author harkens back to the heyday of pulp science fiction!
Characters:
In this novel, there are two main characters who we follow; Commander Jared Mertz and Princess Kelsey Bandar. Keeping the focus on two characters made you feel closer to them, which is how I like things. All of the secondary characters were a lot of fun as well! They were all fully realized, none of them felt flat or fake.
Commander Jared Mertz: He’s a senior naval officer of the largely peaceful New Terran Empire, but he felt real and not one of those stereotypical military pencil pushers from the Pax New Terra. He was a consummate professional who genuinely cared for the sailors and Marines under his command. He was a good officer, who knew his craft and was tactically creative during combat training simulations. He’s the kind of guy you’d want on your side if war ever did break out in the New Terran Empire. When he’s exposed to combat for the first time, against the elusive “pale ones,” he proves that he’s got what it takes to get things done under fire. He’s the illegitimate son of the emperor, whose royal pedigree was discovered on his entrance physical for the Imperial Navy. This knowledge came with dark undertones, as Fleet tried to hold him back to prove they weren’t giving him special treatment. During this novel, we see more growth from him, as he’s forced to accept the burdens that come with combat leadership. Like in any combat scenario, Jared’s orders lead to men dying; men and women whose ghosts will haunt his sleep. He was, by far, my favorite character in this novel. Overall, I enjoyed following him from the first word until the last! It felt like there was so much more to come from him!
Princess Kelsey Bandar: When we first meet her, she’s the spoiled daughter of the New Terran Empire, a petite bombshell of sassy entitlement. Picture a princess in your mind, and you can envision Kelsey. She’s the “spare apparent,” a term I first heard from Terry Mixon and summed her role as the second in line to the imperial throne. When she decided she wants to find a mission for her life, to become more than her status as an imperial princess, her father turns her life upside down. The emperor sends her on the voyage to explore the remains of the fallen empire, where she gets stuck on the other side of a one-sided flip point. During those adventures, she is implanted with super soldier Terran Empire Marine Raider enhancements and is left to deal with the consequences of those changes. She becomes an unlikely warrior, turning a spoiled princess into the “every man” soldier. Except she has those enhancements. Overall, I was thrilled at her growth in this novel, to watch her process what happened in the last book. Her character came alive on the page, giving Jared fits as he tried to corral her.
Senior Sergeant Russel “Russ” Talbot: He’s what you’d call your Space Marine’s Space Marine. He’s such a motto that even his mother just calls him Talbot! This character is one of the senior Marine Detachment NCOs on the Athena, and then the Courageous. Once Princess Bandar is assigned to the exploration mission, he’s tasked with leading her protection detail. She doesn’t make it easy for him, but we see his true value when he’s imprisoned by the “pale ones” with Kelsey Bandar. Under the crucible of battle, his mettle is proven… solidifying him as one of the most pivotal secondary characters in this series. I really liked him, he’s a grizzled veteran of the numerous policing actions. Despite his experience, he felt real and not one of those stereotypical military killers. He was badass, a consummate professional and genuinely good NCO for his troops. He’s the kind of guy you’d want on your side in a firefight, though he’s a bit of an ass to his own subordinates. Overall, I enjoyed following him from the first word until the last! It felt like there was so much more to come from him!
Crown Princess Elise Orison: She’s the heir to the throne of Pentagar and serves as the Pentagaran ambassador to the New Terran Empire. She is our eyes into one of the other polities that arose from the ashes of the Old Terran Empire. Elise is a bubbly woman, who is enchantingly feminine while retaining the aura of command competency. Overall, she didn’t get as much air time in this book, but I wanted to see more of her. I included her because I suspect we’ll be seeing more of her as we kick off deeper into this series.
Overall, I really loved the two main characters and the entire supporting class of this book. I give these characters 5 out of 5 Grenades and can’t wait to see where the author takes them in the books to come!
Plot:
The premise for this series was not that different from other space opera stories out there, humanity post-earth trying to reclaim the spacefaring society that they’d left behind. However, it’s in the execution where the author excels. His stories are pure escapism and enjoyment, under the banner of intergalactic science fiction. This book, like the rest of the novels in this series, fit squarely within the scope of an expansive space opera that I love to read. I loved that there were never any lulls that bored me, this novel was action-packed with a defined plot. There were places where I thought that he could’ve expanded certain things, but the novel as is – still works as is. It was just so fun that I wanted to explore every nook and cranny. The story is set as the New Terran Empire is finally revitalizing their exploration of the empire that they lost during the rebellion 500 hundred years before the story began. This gripping adventure was never boring, and the characters and universe behaved in a way that made sense for the worlds the author created. It was a good set-up and well-executed premise that held my interest. Since I’ve read the rest of this series, I can assure you that there are bigger things to come from the Empire of Bones universe. What I like about this universe is that it fit squarely within the large expansive worlds through the copious amounts of space opera that I read. This plot fits nicely into that framework, and Terry is raising the bar on this one. As you can tell by the gushing, I really got into this book. I couldn’t put it down; the plot was that compelling. Heck, this is my fourth or fifth re-reading of this series. I really loved the premise, and more importantly, I enjoyed how the execution. The pacing was excellent, and there was never a slow moment. There was never a point where the plot was confusing, or that I couldn’t figure out what was going on. I couldn’t ask for anything more; a unique premise, perfect execution, and incredible pacing! I again give Terry Mixon 5 out of 5 Grenades!
World Building:
This is the second book in the Empire of Bones Saga, and I absolutely loved it. The world was flushed out, and everything was explained in a way that made sense. The universe was consistent, with just enough of the mundane facets of life thrown in the fall grounded in this reality. Everything made sense and sucked you into the story. Some of the details seemed inconsequential, but those hooks just make me think that the larger universe will continue to grow and expand. I loved reading about the culture of the New Terran Empire, and Terry spoon fed us those details in a way that didn’t feel like an info dump. I especially love the new tidbits thrown into the lore, giving the feel that this universe could be out there waiting for us just beyond the Milky Way. There was never anything he described that I couldn’t envision, or that felt like it wasn’t “real.” We get to see the weaponry and technology has evolved (or devolved) since the fall of the Terran Empire and feel inspired by what the characters have we gained access to. I could picture every setting described, easily envisioning myself living there. Heck, I’ve even entertained myself on long road trips telling side story set in this larger universe. When describing the world, Terry was light on the details… but not so much that I was lost or experienced the floating head syndrome. I could always picture the scene in my head, watching it in the movie theater of my mind. Despite being a bubblegum space opera, Terry has upped the bar of excellence, adding more sensory input to the mix; sights, sounds, smells, and feelings. He didn’t reinvent the wheel, building on the existing tropes of space opera. Instead, he made brought it into the 21st Century! Overall, the world building was well done, and I was sold on the way it happened. It felt believable, and the characters fit within the universe Terry Mixon created. Like most of the stories I read, this one didn’t take itself too seriously, which allowed you to focus on the fun which is why I read in the first place. I give the world building 5 out of 5 Grenades.
Description:
I have to give it to this author, this novel was chock-full of visualization, and you could definitely imagine yourself in this world. He described things across the sensory spectrum; sights, sounds, smells and even how the world felt. While I could visualize all of the characters, I would still love it if Terry could describe the characters physical traits in more details. Terry went light on the details, with just enough specifics to allow you to visualize it for yourself. I wanted more, but I’m told I’m an outlier on this front. The modern trend is for less description, which I detest. I loved that Terry kept his language simple, reminding me of what I liked about Tom Clancy’s style of writing. Their genres aren’t the same, but their style of language is similar, and I like that. He balanced the explanation of this new world with the need to move a story along. This book didn’t have a single place where I couldn’t picture the scenery and the equipment, which added to the world that felt tangible and I enjoyed it. The author’s description of his universe was evocative, and enough to please your average readers. Again, I always prefer more descriptions over less, but Terry did enough to get the job done.
In summary, I didn’t find any issues with the descriptions and was impressed by the literary skills of Terry. I wish he were more descriptive, but he gave you enough to form your own visual image. If you want a pulp era space opera, then this is the book for you! I give him 4 out of 5 grenades in this category.
Narration:
After becoming a fan of audiobooks, I’ve listened to over a hundred hours of stories read to me by awesome narrators like RC Bray, Luke Daniels and now Veronica Giguere. I’m confident in what I enjoy and what I dislike. I know that I hate accents that seem too cheesy and despise narrators that sound like robots. With those pesky caveats, I will review the narration quality of this novel. The audiobook was well done, and the accents were consistent. There were a few places where the sound popped and spiked, but that could’ve been the interface with my Bluetooth speakers since they happened while I was on my morning walks. The narrator, Veronica Giguere, did a fantastic job narrating this novel. Obviously, I would listen to more books by her, since this is the second one now! And with Amazon’s recent audiobook price increase, that is saying something. Heck, I’ve already bought all of the books by Terry Mixon that she’s produced. I’ve even bought books outside my preferred genre because I enjoy the quality of what she puts out there. She didn’t bore you, or make you zone out because of her monotone or vocal fry. Did that make me sound smart? Because I have no clue about vocal fry, but I do know that Veronica puts together a fine narration. Her performance didn’t feel robotic like a machine was reading the novel to me. You’ll often see that from me because it’ll drag me out of a book so fast that I can’t listen to it anymore. With Veronica Giguere, it felt like a friend was sitting with me reading an amazing story that she couldn’t put down. Only she made kind of cool voices, with believable accents that didn’t yank you out of the story. I listened to this novel with my wife, who also loved her presentation. She told me I should write more female characters, so I had an excuse to hire her myself! Overall, I give her 5 out of 5 grenades for her performance.
Overall:
I really loved this book, it was a lot of fun to read. It is worth mentioning again, I’ve read these novels multiple times and never once felt like it was a waste of time. They brought back the era of pulp science fiction that started the genre we know and love. This novel harkened back to what I loved about space opera and followed the first novel in this series. The vibe of this story was amazing, and I loved seeing where the adventurers would end up. I wanted to know what happened to the Terran Empire, and how they lost so quickly to the rebels that broke an intergalactic empire in several weeks. There were no deep messages, or political themes, just good clean fun.
Like the other novels in this universe, the first thing that caught my eye was the cover. Okay, covers are the first thing that grabs us about any universe, but I digress. The spaceship on the cover is growing on me, and they’re well branded as a part of the same universe. These covers fit the space opera market, but I don’t think they hit the military science fiction genre as well. It isn’t a flaw since this book fits into both genres, it’s just an observation. Keep in mind, I’m colorblind, so your mileage may vary. Check them out, share your thoughts in the comments.
Now onto the book itself! The military culture shown was spot on, just what I’d expect from an Army veteran. He created a compelling interstellar naval force, but again… the author spent some time working for NASA, and it shows. The place where this novel really shined was the characterizations, nobody felt like cookie cutter clichés or parodies. The way Terry Mixon portrayed how his characters handled the developments of this book was superbly done; from the “pale ones,” to the political intrigue on Pentagar. There was never a moment where I thought… “that’s not how I would act.” I believe that the characters responded as expected to the situation they found themselves in.
One of my complaints from the first book was how sterile the combat felt. It was well within the boundaries for the space opera subgenre but missed the mark from a military science fiction perspective. In this novel, those issues were partially resolved. The combat felt more real, the action more intense and the setting was grittier. It was a nice balance between the two subgenres that this book is positioned in. Again, I won’t downgrade the book for this because I believe this is just my preference for military sci-fi bleeding through.
Speaking of gritty realism, one of the things that enjoyed about Terry’s novel was that logistics were considered. The characters did seem to run out of supplies, and this was a central plot point. He doesn’t dwell on it, but several casual mentions that they’d packed for a journey of several years was enough. Further, he has the sailors worried when they’re low on consumable military tech; missiles and bullets, etc. In this novel, we again see the Kingdom of Pentagar re-suppling the crew of the Athena, which cemented that little attention to detail.
Another place where this novel shined was with the pacing. The action was intense, and the characters responded as you’d expect in those circumstances. Terry kept the story moving along, constantly introducing new complications just when they’d come to some sort of resolution to the old one. The examples of ground combat were primal and more fully immersive than in the last novel. In this novel Terry kept the action moving along, illustrating the chaos of combat while not dwelling on it. Again, it was everything you expect from this subgenre. The fleet battle scenes were believable, gripping and I never felt like the author missed a chance to get creative with the tactics. I liked how he made the results of the ship-to-ship combat unexpected, but I can’t say how without spoilers. It was in the fleet battles where this novel really stood out, technically speaking. The main character, Jared Mertz, is a career naval officer, allowing the reader to tamp down their expectations about his prowess on the battlefield. Rather than letting this created a hang-up, Terry leans into it. The ship’s onboard Marine complement take charge when necessary, much like you expect if that situation happened in today’s modern military.
When it comes to creating believable civilizations, Terry stood heads and tails above his peers. He created two believable political polities and made the differences between them facilitate the reader’s ability to easily distinguished one from the another. I liked that he messed with the language of the Pentagarans. It felt just alien enough to be different from how we would normally speak, while still being accessible to modern readers. I detected a slight medieval vibe to some of the word choices, which he managed to pull off without sounding overly cheesy. I could definitely envision myself walking among these people, interacting with them and that’s all you could ask for from an author. Another aspect of these two societies that was believable was how Terry handled their first joint combat situation. When the citizens of the New Terran Empire were caught up in Pentagaran political intrigue, all of the characters acted in a believable manner.
Finally, I didn’t really find any grammatical or technical issues with this book. Seriously, I realize I’ve gone full fanboy, but the authors have definitely raised the bar for space opera. He’s one of the shining stars of science fiction authors everywhere, you should check it out. This book, Veil of Shadows, was leaps and bounds above most of what’s out there! I was hooked from the first page because he wove the action in such a compelling way that you wanted to jump into the page and join the party. Some of that was because I’m already invested in this world, but if you’ve been following me, you already know that. Basically, this novel had me hooked from the beginning and kept it going throughout the whole novel. This is a book I would happily recommend, and an author I will definitely read again. Buy the novel! But hey, it’s easy to spend someone else’s money! I give this novel a 5 out of 5 grenades!
This was abbreviated per GoodReads word count, read full review here.
https://jrhandley.com/2019/03/04/book...
April 13, 2021
The woe of an Imperial Princess getting commando implants and suddenly becoming Batman, and Ironman incarnate in a cute small package. Wish that her half-brother would get more page time, not that her Imperial Cyborgness isn't interesting, just that Imperial Bastard is pushed in the background but I guess there are more books in the future that will make Jared shine. Science fiction in all of it's pulp glory, with space monarchies and bringing the fallen Terran Empire from the ashes one system at the time.
July 15, 2019
I was provided a review copy courtesy of the author.
An old old idea in fantastical fiction is that it might be possible to enhance, or even replace, parts of the human body, giving the subject greater power. Since this often produces an unsettling, or even disturbing result by deviating from the natural appearance and abilities of a typical human being, it also raises the fear that doing such a thing calls into question the human nature of the person so enhanced.
When the mode of the story is one of tragedy, that is often exactly what happens. This, however, is not a tragedy, but rather a romance, by which I mean a sequence of marvelous adventures. Often, in an adventure story, our hero is markedly superior to other men. Faster on the draw, stronger, more clever, more beautiful than their foes. In an otherwise mundane universe, cybernetic enhancements can give a character something very much like superpowers.
An undesired transformation of this sort is a way that we can introduce an element of pathos to the hero’s story, without completely losing what makes an adventure story exciting and wondrous. I think you can dial this element up or down, and end up with stories that feel different even though they are exploring the same concepts. The circumstances of a character’s involuntary transformation shape their character and their place in the universe.
You can go for something only one step removed from horror, as in the Stroggification sequence from Quake 4. Kelsey’s experience in book 1 isn’t far off from this.
Or you can go for something a bit more subtle, like the self-inflicted anguish of Will Smith’s Del Spooner, who is only a monster in his own mind. Since her outward appearance is unchanged, thanks to the medical technology of her society, Kelsey does not have to deal with shock and rejection just because she walked into a room.
Rather, her struggles are those of a victim of a crime. Grief and loss as she tries to cope with the knowledge of what happened to her, plus an entirely reasonable fear that she might hurt someone by accident, as the rescue interrupted the implantation procedure. Her psychological feeling of a loss of control is shadowed by a very physical lack as well.
But, since this is an adventure, Kelsey doesn’t wallow in self-pity like Detective Spooner, but rather deals with her trauma in roughly the same way that Teddy Roosevelt dealt with the death of his mother and first wife: by never leaving herself a quiet moment to think about it. Fortunately for her, the opportunity to pay back her attackers comes quickly.
To heighten the tension, Kelsey and her half-brother Jared, commander of their ill-fated expedition, are drawn into local politics as well. A coup is imminent among their new allies, because why waste a good crisis when you can consolidate your position?
As the series progresses, we learn more and more of what the pre-Fall Empire of Man was like, and the magnitude of the disaster that befell it. This is of course part of the fun, and I like the pacing of revelations in Mixon’s work. A good backstory makes an enjoyable work even more interesting for me, and we get to learn about the world at the same time that Jared and Kelsey do.
The second volume has time for quite a lot of action, since the stage was set so well in book 1.Each new discovery broadens the universe, and the scope of what can be seen and done. Since the scene has been set, now I can look forward to seeing Kelsey drive her enemies before her.
An old old idea in fantastical fiction is that it might be possible to enhance, or even replace, parts of the human body, giving the subject greater power. Since this often produces an unsettling, or even disturbing result by deviating from the natural appearance and abilities of a typical human being, it also raises the fear that doing such a thing calls into question the human nature of the person so enhanced.
When the mode of the story is one of tragedy, that is often exactly what happens. This, however, is not a tragedy, but rather a romance, by which I mean a sequence of marvelous adventures. Often, in an adventure story, our hero is markedly superior to other men. Faster on the draw, stronger, more clever, more beautiful than their foes. In an otherwise mundane universe, cybernetic enhancements can give a character something very much like superpowers.
An undesired transformation of this sort is a way that we can introduce an element of pathos to the hero’s story, without completely losing what makes an adventure story exciting and wondrous. I think you can dial this element up or down, and end up with stories that feel different even though they are exploring the same concepts. The circumstances of a character’s involuntary transformation shape their character and their place in the universe.
You can go for something only one step removed from horror, as in the Stroggification sequence from Quake 4. Kelsey’s experience in book 1 isn’t far off from this.
Or you can go for something a bit more subtle, like the self-inflicted anguish of Will Smith’s Del Spooner, who is only a monster in his own mind. Since her outward appearance is unchanged, thanks to the medical technology of her society, Kelsey does not have to deal with shock and rejection just because she walked into a room.
Rather, her struggles are those of a victim of a crime. Grief and loss as she tries to cope with the knowledge of what happened to her, plus an entirely reasonable fear that she might hurt someone by accident, as the rescue interrupted the implantation procedure. Her psychological feeling of a loss of control is shadowed by a very physical lack as well.
But, since this is an adventure, Kelsey doesn’t wallow in self-pity like Detective Spooner, but rather deals with her trauma in roughly the same way that Teddy Roosevelt dealt with the death of his mother and first wife: by never leaving herself a quiet moment to think about it. Fortunately for her, the opportunity to pay back her attackers comes quickly.
To heighten the tension, Kelsey and her half-brother Jared, commander of their ill-fated expedition, are drawn into local politics as well. A coup is imminent among their new allies, because why waste a good crisis when you can consolidate your position?
As the series progresses, we learn more and more of what the pre-Fall Empire of Man was like, and the magnitude of the disaster that befell it. This is of course part of the fun, and I like the pacing of revelations in Mixon’s work. A good backstory makes an enjoyable work even more interesting for me, and we get to learn about the world at the same time that Jared and Kelsey do.
The second volume has time for quite a lot of action, since the stage was set so well in book 1.Each new discovery broadens the universe, and the scope of what can be seen and done. Since the scene has been set, now I can look forward to seeing Kelsey drive her enemies before her.
August 4, 2017
Making Lemonade
Jared and Kelsey have made new friends and enemies. Their friends are helping them come to grips with all of the new technology the Old Empire left behind. A lot of that technology is now inside Princess Kelsey. She's learning to deal with it, but it's a struggle. An expensive struggle, since she keeps breaking things. Their new enemies are plotting against their new friends.
A mission to a nearby star system may be just what they need. They control the skies, but until they control the planet, the Rebel Empire can still hurt them. Things come apart when their new enemies make their move. It will be up to Kelsey and Jared to stop them before their new found friends come to an untimely end.
Terry Mixon delivers the next episode in his Empire of Bones series. Jared and Kelsey grow and change in this book as they come to grips with their new reality. The galaxy will need them at their best, because the enemy isn't idle.
Jared and Kelsey have made new friends and enemies. Their friends are helping them come to grips with all of the new technology the Old Empire left behind. A lot of that technology is now inside Princess Kelsey. She's learning to deal with it, but it's a struggle. An expensive struggle, since she keeps breaking things. Their new enemies are plotting against their new friends.
A mission to a nearby star system may be just what they need. They control the skies, but until they control the planet, the Rebel Empire can still hurt them. Things come apart when their new enemies make their move. It will be up to Kelsey and Jared to stop them before their new found friends come to an untimely end.
Terry Mixon delivers the next episode in his Empire of Bones series. Jared and Kelsey grow and change in this book as they come to grips with their new reality. The galaxy will need them at their best, because the enemy isn't idle.
October 23, 2016
Princess Kelsey and Commander Jared have their work cut out for them. With their ship damaged beyond major repair, they decide to repair the derelict Old Empire battlecruiser. With the help of their new friends they begin to repair the ship and crew it with people from both worlds. Little do they know a rebellion is working behind the scenes. They plan to strike back at the Pale Ones, as soon as they get the ship up and running. What do the rebels have planned? Can Princess Kelsey and Commander Jared keep the rebels from destroying everything they have achieved?
What an amazing book! Very well written, and the dialog is fantastic! I love the character development, and it's so easy to be drawn into the book like you are there experiencing the story with them. The author has created a great universe, and has the awesome responsibility of making each book live up to that. He definitely has with book 2! I highly recommend reading this series. It has amazing potential! I can't wait to see where the story leads!
What an amazing book! Very well written, and the dialog is fantastic! I love the character development, and it's so easy to be drawn into the book like you are there experiencing the story with them. The author has created a great universe, and has the awesome responsibility of making each book live up to that. He definitely has with book 2! I highly recommend reading this series. It has amazing potential! I can't wait to see where the story leads!
August 26, 2018
Before you start this book, please realize it is the second title in the series: you will need to read the first book in the series in order to understand the back story and the characters.
The author picks up right where he left off with book one of the series. While this isn’t a hard science fiction tale or over complex from my usual science fiction reading stack it was enjoyable and I am looking forward to the next one of the series. I picked this up for free with my Kindle Unlimited plan vs. the normal price of $4.99, and I believe I received more than $4.99 worth of entertainment value out of it: if you enjoyed the first book of this series I am confident you will like this one, also.
The author picks up right where he left off with book one of the series. While this isn’t a hard science fiction tale or over complex from my usual science fiction reading stack it was enjoyable and I am looking forward to the next one of the series. I picked this up for free with my Kindle Unlimited plan vs. the normal price of $4.99, and I believe I received more than $4.99 worth of entertainment value out of it: if you enjoyed the first book of this series I am confident you will like this one, also.
September 23, 2017
Wow I could hardly put it down.
Audio version, Of volume 1 of empire of the bones, includes books 1-3 + a short story.
Well the title says it all. I listened to the three books in 2 days.
The narration is superb.
These Audiobooks was given to me for free at my request from the publisher or author or narrator and I provided this voluntary review.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Action-packed, Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Great world building, Original, Page-turner, Unpredictable Whimsical, Wonderful characters.
Audio version, Of volume 1 of empire of the bones, includes books 1-3 + a short story.
Well the title says it all. I listened to the three books in 2 days.
The narration is superb.
These Audiobooks was given to me for free at my request from the publisher or author or narrator and I provided this voluntary review.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Action-packed, Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Great world building, Original, Page-turner, Unpredictable Whimsical, Wonderful characters.
March 12, 2022
"Veil of Shadows" takes its time to set the scene - Princess Kelsey Bandar is centre stage, only her implants can communicate with the AI of the starship Courageous, a survivor of the Terran Empire wars 500 years ago.
In fact, with one exception, very little happens in the first half of the book.
And then, as with the first book ("Empire of Bones") the action begins to ramp up until, by the end it is fairly galloping along.
I enjoyed it a lot but did get the feeling that both books so far are really only setting the scene for the real story.
3 Stars
In fact, with one exception, very little happens in the first half of the book.
And then, as with the first book ("Empire of Bones") the action begins to ramp up until, by the end it is fairly galloping along.
I enjoyed it a lot but did get the feeling that both books so far are really only setting the scene for the real story.
3 Stars
May 5, 2017
Too short, but a good read. Here we do not find too much character thought analysis that seems to be prevalent in so many novels these past 10 - 20 odd years. This story moves along without getting caught up in what goes on endlessly in a particular character's mind that overall has little to do with the real story. Our heros move towards their destiny often in what one might see as a naive state. Enjoyed the adventure as it rolls on. It is a good read.
December 5, 2017
Very enjoyable but it does have some cursing.
It has some cursing but not a lot. So it lost one star. Additionally, there is not any sex or nudity and that is good, very good.
The story is fun and exciting. There several plot twists that I didn't see coming which kept me guessing.
Lastly it ended well. By ended well I mean all the right people lived.
I really enjoyed the read and will continue to read the series.
It has some cursing but not a lot. So it lost one star. Additionally, there is not any sex or nudity and that is good, very good.
The story is fun and exciting. There several plot twists that I didn't see coming which kept me guessing.
Lastly it ended well. By ended well I mean all the right people lived.
I really enjoyed the read and will continue to read the series.
July 4, 2021
Excellent!
Marvelous action and plot. This is the second time I've read this series and I'm enjoying it a lot. It's much like a good steak, just because you know how it tastes, you'll never have another one. Well, books are like that to me, in that they can leave a good feeling in my head. I want that again so I re-read the story.
Marvelous action and plot. This is the second time I've read this series and I'm enjoying it a lot. It's much like a good steak, just because you know how it tastes, you'll never have another one. Well, books are like that to me, in that they can leave a good feeling in my head. I want that again so I re-read the story.
October 12, 2017
Life in a new world! It's getting interesting.
Commander Jared and Princess Kelsey have an interesting story in this book. Lots of intrigue and action as they continue to stay with the new kingdom. Good and interesting story.
Commander Jared and Princess Kelsey have an interesting story in this book. Lots of intrigue and action as they continue to stay with the new kingdom. Good and interesting story.
March 28, 2020
Veil of Shadows
Jared and Kelsey are making friends where ever there journey takes them but it is getting harder to find a way back home .
But with there help from the marines and other crew members I think they just might make it! Let’s hope
Jared and Kelsey are making friends where ever there journey takes them but it is getting harder to find a way back home .
But with there help from the marines and other crew members I think they just might make it! Let’s hope
November 24, 2017
A lot of space action and adventures and coups and so on.
There is enough happening that the weakness of the characters and their interactions do not disturb the fun of reading it so much.
There is enough happening that the weakness of the characters and their interactions do not disturb the fun of reading it so much.
January 22, 2018
Just as fun as book 1
No complaints, really. I really enjoy Mixon’s knack for a fun story. I look forward to the rest of his works, as I’m sure they only get better.
No complaints, really. I really enjoy Mixon’s knack for a fun story. I look forward to the rest of his works, as I’m sure they only get better.
March 6, 2018
Book 2 empire of bones
Great short episode in this series of empire of bones. Not much of character fleshing out. Hope for a more focused novel going forward.
Great short episode in this series of empire of bones. Not much of character fleshing out. Hope for a more focused novel going forward.
September 30, 2018
4 stars. Good Continuation
January 6, 2019
A really interesting story with great characters and a very fast paced plot.
November 9, 2019
Entertaining, but the story was weak in places. The plot seemed a bit jerky at times
December 9, 2019
Great series.
September 20, 2020
Classic Space Opera Moves
This second book continues with the same skill and fun as the first installment. Continued characters, new characters and situations and still a fun read.
This second book continues with the same skill and fun as the first installment. Continued characters, new characters and situations and still a fun read.
June 9, 2021
Wow
Book 2 is very good. I am just sorry that kindle just suggested I should read your book. Now to the next!
Book 2 is very good. I am just sorry that kindle just suggested I should read your book. Now to the next!
June 13, 2021
very good read
am enjoying this series. plot is good , characters
are well developed. a lot of suspense. I plan on reading
the rest of the series.
am enjoying this series. plot is good , characters
are well developed. a lot of suspense. I plan on reading
the rest of the series.
August 12, 2021
Great military sci-fi. On to book 3
August 24, 2021
Just my type of series. Not as good as first one, and also all these books are very short. I will try one more in the series though
October 14, 2021
Book two
This is a fine adventure story. I love the story line and how the main characters interact with each other.
This is a fine adventure story. I love the story line and how the main characters interact with each other.
August 13, 2023
Veil of Shadows is written by Siddharth Maheshwari.This is an interesting and engaging read.The story revolves around Vikram and Ranbir. They both race against time .The story is full of mystery, suspense, twists and turns.
The plot of the story is engaging. The writing style is intriguing. The cover page is appropriate. The language used was simple and lucid.I would like to recommend this book to all the thriller readers.
The plot of the story is engaging. The writing style is intriguing. The cover page is appropriate. The language used was simple and lucid.I would like to recommend this book to all the thriller readers.
March 10, 2017
I did not like this one as well as the first one. This could have been titled how to deal with your implants and space suit. That was abut 70% of the book. I also did not like the narrator at all. I listened to the majority of the book. I probably will continue on with the series but this book almost put me off of it entirely.
December 4, 2016
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review, at my request.
Jared's crew is stuck in the Pentagar Empire. Kelsey is recovering and going through therapy for her implants while on Pentagar. Jared is working on Courageous and Athena to fix them up and find a way to continue on the mission when a ship is ready. But Pentagar has their own troubles that royalty is not aware of. There is someone who wants usurp the throne. Jared and Kelsey along with the crew get stuck in the middle of it all.
Veronica is the voice of our crews once again. In this case of a vast crew, Veronica shines. I love listening to her as she gives me different tones, personalities, and emotions with each character relating to the moment they are in. She easily slips into the persona of each character, and the event they are living through so we can feel the emotions as well as hear them in her voice. Veronica gives the space opera a fourth dimension to absorb with the story.
We start in a little over a week from where we ended with Empire of Bones. I'm glad for that as I wanted to see Kelsey in her recovery! And there is plenty happening to keep our attention, with the new Empire and troubles they have, creating a fully functioning ship for Jared and crew to continue on, and finding a way to stop the Pale Ones from attacking again. Wow! It all fits together in a wonderful harmony as we explore with Kelsey and Jared, learning about the new worlds.
I got to thinking about this book because I can't find the words to express how much I really, truly enjoyed this book/series thus far. The question arose: How do you share when you simply love a book? What was it that drew me in? I don't know. Everything.
The characters are ones I really felt I became close to; Kelsey, Jared, Talbot, and many more. There are characters I don't like, but that's because of who they are and what they are doing. These characters are well written and I just want to scream they are bad to all to stop the troubles that will come. These characters spike my worry and suspense for when they will be found. But I love how our crew fights on and get better with each chapter and event. They never stop, having the determination to keep going.
The setting. I like the unknown of space. The troubles that could linger out there, waiting to find our characters. I like that there is action and fighting to go with it. This book is set in Pentagar and the systems around, which we have visited when attacking the Pale Ones. But we also see a bit more as we have a small crew land on a planet.
The plot. Wow. There is trouble in the paradise of Pentagar. There is always a threat to the throne and it crosses with what Jared, Kelsey, and their crew is trying to accomplish. Oh how things get complicated. We also are looking for the main AI system that sends commands to the Pale Ones. This needs to be found and stopped to stop the Pale Ones making more ships and soldiers like them. But what is found with doing this could open doors to more information! Yes!
The characters interact and are smart. They relate to their surroundings and adjust for them too. There's action and information. All the things I enjoy and draw me in.
So, to answer my previous question, this story/series (so far) has everything I love in one nice, neat package. Sweet find!
Jared's crew is stuck in the Pentagar Empire. Kelsey is recovering and going through therapy for her implants while on Pentagar. Jared is working on Courageous and Athena to fix them up and find a way to continue on the mission when a ship is ready. But Pentagar has their own troubles that royalty is not aware of. There is someone who wants usurp the throne. Jared and Kelsey along with the crew get stuck in the middle of it all.
Veronica is the voice of our crews once again. In this case of a vast crew, Veronica shines. I love listening to her as she gives me different tones, personalities, and emotions with each character relating to the moment they are in. She easily slips into the persona of each character, and the event they are living through so we can feel the emotions as well as hear them in her voice. Veronica gives the space opera a fourth dimension to absorb with the story.
We start in a little over a week from where we ended with Empire of Bones. I'm glad for that as I wanted to see Kelsey in her recovery! And there is plenty happening to keep our attention, with the new Empire and troubles they have, creating a fully functioning ship for Jared and crew to continue on, and finding a way to stop the Pale Ones from attacking again. Wow! It all fits together in a wonderful harmony as we explore with Kelsey and Jared, learning about the new worlds.
I got to thinking about this book because I can't find the words to express how much I really, truly enjoyed this book/series thus far. The question arose: How do you share when you simply love a book? What was it that drew me in? I don't know. Everything.
The characters are ones I really felt I became close to; Kelsey, Jared, Talbot, and many more. There are characters I don't like, but that's because of who they are and what they are doing. These characters are well written and I just want to scream they are bad to all to stop the troubles that will come. These characters spike my worry and suspense for when they will be found. But I love how our crew fights on and get better with each chapter and event. They never stop, having the determination to keep going.
The setting. I like the unknown of space. The troubles that could linger out there, waiting to find our characters. I like that there is action and fighting to go with it. This book is set in Pentagar and the systems around, which we have visited when attacking the Pale Ones. But we also see a bit more as we have a small crew land on a planet.
The plot. Wow. There is trouble in the paradise of Pentagar. There is always a threat to the throne and it crosses with what Jared, Kelsey, and their crew is trying to accomplish. Oh how things get complicated. We also are looking for the main AI system that sends commands to the Pale Ones. This needs to be found and stopped to stop the Pale Ones making more ships and soldiers like them. But what is found with doing this could open doors to more information! Yes!
The characters interact and are smart. They relate to their surroundings and adjust for them too. There's action and information. All the things I enjoy and draw me in.
So, to answer my previous question, this story/series (so far) has everything I love in one nice, neat package. Sweet find!
October 15, 2016
Sequel to a light space opera
“Veil of Shadows” is the second book of “The Empire of Bones Saga” picking up where book one ends. The book is written by Terry Mixon, having real-world military and NASA experience which he brings to this engaging space series. The audiobook, along with the others in the series, is narrated by Veronica Giguere; who is no new comer to the narration scene. If you enjoy action-packed light space opera books, you will enjoy the depth, complexity, and characters the author creates within the series.
The book is intended to be read as a series. Yet, the author does a decent job of wrapping up most of the open story lines. Unlike other serialized books ending at a chapter break, this books could almost be read as a stand-alone story. There are always a few remaining cliff-hangers at the end of the book because the story continues in the next.
Terry is able to intertwine a solid space opera, with a hint of the “Silo” series, and even a bit of romance in a decent sized book covering the vastness of space. He is able to include some scenes of action, emotion, and even humor all at times that make sense. The characters are mostly developed, well-rounded, and consistent with how they were introduced in the first book. The author adds new twists and turns as the series unravels, and this includes some new races and technology not previously discovered.
Although I enjoyed the book overall, portions of it seemed (or at least the characters at times) to be more young adult (YA) in nature than what I remember of the first book. There appears to be more usage of earthly slang, clichés, and a few other forms of speech pulling me out of the storyline. I would have liked to have had the author use more unique phrases or words that would have been other-world centric. Regarding language, it should be noted that there are some occurrences of vulgar language in the book, not overly used, but there; so parental guidance should be used if the book is to be read by a younger individual.
I have to admit the narration by Veronica would not be my first choice for this series even though she has voiced over 15 Sci-Fi/Fantasy books. It is not that she does a bad job narrating, it is more how I visualized the characters based on her voicing of them. For example, the princess comes off more as a whiny twelve-year-old girl and not an older more mature woman. To her credit, I have not listened to other book she has narrated so it is difficult for me to judge her voice only based on this series. All of her currently published works on audible are given 3-5 stars for performance, so it may be more a personal preference on my part. I liked the story enough that I wanted to finish it even though some of the characters bothered me.
I also wanted to note as I did in my review of the first book, this book’s audio contains multiple places where there are audio artifacts not edited out. There are frequent long pauses and sounds of swallowing in the audio version. These are not so bad that one cannot listen to the book, however they are noticeable and I would have expected them to have been edited out prior to production.
Disclaimer: This book was provided to the reviewer by the author, narrator, and/or publisher free of charge in exchange for publishing a non-bias review.
“Veil of Shadows” is the second book of “The Empire of Bones Saga” picking up where book one ends. The book is written by Terry Mixon, having real-world military and NASA experience which he brings to this engaging space series. The audiobook, along with the others in the series, is narrated by Veronica Giguere; who is no new comer to the narration scene. If you enjoy action-packed light space opera books, you will enjoy the depth, complexity, and characters the author creates within the series.
The book is intended to be read as a series. Yet, the author does a decent job of wrapping up most of the open story lines. Unlike other serialized books ending at a chapter break, this books could almost be read as a stand-alone story. There are always a few remaining cliff-hangers at the end of the book because the story continues in the next.
Terry is able to intertwine a solid space opera, with a hint of the “Silo” series, and even a bit of romance in a decent sized book covering the vastness of space. He is able to include some scenes of action, emotion, and even humor all at times that make sense. The characters are mostly developed, well-rounded, and consistent with how they were introduced in the first book. The author adds new twists and turns as the series unravels, and this includes some new races and technology not previously discovered.
Although I enjoyed the book overall, portions of it seemed (or at least the characters at times) to be more young adult (YA) in nature than what I remember of the first book. There appears to be more usage of earthly slang, clichés, and a few other forms of speech pulling me out of the storyline. I would have liked to have had the author use more unique phrases or words that would have been other-world centric. Regarding language, it should be noted that there are some occurrences of vulgar language in the book, not overly used, but there; so parental guidance should be used if the book is to be read by a younger individual.
I have to admit the narration by Veronica would not be my first choice for this series even though she has voiced over 15 Sci-Fi/Fantasy books. It is not that she does a bad job narrating, it is more how I visualized the characters based on her voicing of them. For example, the princess comes off more as a whiny twelve-year-old girl and not an older more mature woman. To her credit, I have not listened to other book she has narrated so it is difficult for me to judge her voice only based on this series. All of her currently published works on audible are given 3-5 stars for performance, so it may be more a personal preference on my part. I liked the story enough that I wanted to finish it even though some of the characters bothered me.
I also wanted to note as I did in my review of the first book, this book’s audio contains multiple places where there are audio artifacts not edited out. There are frequent long pauses and sounds of swallowing in the audio version. These are not so bad that one cannot listen to the book, however they are noticeable and I would have expected them to have been edited out prior to production.
Disclaimer: This book was provided to the reviewer by the author, narrator, and/or publisher free of charge in exchange for publishing a non-bias review.
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