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The Shadow Ship
It has many names – The Dead Ship, The Demon Ship, The Shadow Ship…
Sighted down the centuries, the ship occupies a space between myth and reality. Many have tried to find it but few have ever returned.
One lonely creature has seen the ship. He looked inside it. He saw what it was and what it was for, and the knowledge terrified him. He has been in hiding ever since, convinced the ship will destroy him because of what he knows.
On the eve of a war that threatens to tear the galaxy apart, Nyder Remi embarks on a pilgrimage to find out what happened to his father who went looking for the Shadow Ship twenty years ago and never returned.
The search leads Nyder and his companion Disparity through a trail of broken worlds and into the middle of the coming war.
Meanwhile the Shadow Ship begins the work it has waited millennia to accomplish.
Sighted down the centuries, the ship occupies a space between myth and reality. Many have tried to find it but few have ever returned.
One lonely creature has seen the ship. He looked inside it. He saw what it was and what it was for, and the knowledge terrified him. He has been in hiding ever since, convinced the ship will destroy him because of what he knows.
On the eve of a war that threatens to tear the galaxy apart, Nyder Remi embarks on a pilgrimage to find out what happened to his father who went looking for the Shadow Ship twenty years ago and never returned.
The search leads Nyder and his companion Disparity through a trail of broken worlds and into the middle of the coming war.
Meanwhile the Shadow Ship begins the work it has waited millennia to accomplish.
- GenresScience Fiction
346 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2014
6 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
John-Paul Cleary
5 books12 followersJohn-Paul Cleary lives in a small town called Stonehaven in the North-East of Scotland.
Interested in most fiction genres but specialising in science fiction, his biggest influence is the Culture series by the late Iain M Banks.
John-Paul's first book was Convergent Space which topped the Science Fiction Space Opera charts on Amazon UK.
The second book in the series - The Shadow Ship - was released in October 2014 with more books in the series to follow.
John-Paul is an avid Twitter user and blogger. You can contact him @ConvergentSpace on Twitter or via his blog http://convergentspace.blog.co.uk/.
Interested in most fiction genres but specialising in science fiction, his biggest influence is the Culture series by the late Iain M Banks.
John-Paul's first book was Convergent Space which topped the Science Fiction Space Opera charts on Amazon UK.
The second book in the series - The Shadow Ship - was released in October 2014 with more books in the series to follow.
John-Paul is an avid Twitter user and blogger. You can contact him @ConvergentSpace on Twitter or via his blog http://convergentspace.blog.co.uk/.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 14, 2017
Very enjoyable space opera
March 30, 2015
A fast-paced space-opera that addresses some weighty issues, The Shadow Ship by John-Paul Cleary (@ConvergentSpace) is the second entry in a series started by the excellent Convergent Space (see my review). Although helpful, reading the first book is not required to enjoy The Shadow Ship.
Nyder Remi, a human, and his sentient machine companion Disparity have signed on to be cruise directors on the Terillian, a luxury spaceship built by the mega-wealthy Della to celebrate her early retirement from business. Packed with the rich and idle, the Terillian is on a “Damage Tour” to visit worlds and species negatively affected by the Second Wave that crashed through the galaxy decades earlier (as detailed in the first book).
But Nyder and Disparity’s jobs on the ship are only a cover story. They’re really searching for what happened to Nyder’s father. Chet Remi disappeared while searching for the mysterious Shadow Ship, thinking its discovery would lead to great wealth. By diverting the Terillian to places Chet was known to have visited, they’re retracing his steps. Helping them is the mysterious Nex Pelez, a member of the Phlegar race.
Introduced in the first book, Phlegars are a widespread but not well-respected species. Since the Second Wave they have united under the banner of Tihn Forlihn (introduced in the first book), stoking the fears of the Renaissance, an alliance of planets and species that at the same time has become more conservative and militaristic.
Nyder’s search plays out against the backdrop of the rising tensions between the Renaissance and Phlegars. War is imminent and both sides believe the Shadow Ship is the ultimate weapon that can ensure their victory. But what cost is too high to pay to win? To say much more would be to spoil the fun for future readers but I spent several very enjoyable hours tagging along on as all parties search for the Shadow Ship, and I look forward to reading more from Mr. Cleary.
Nyder Remi, a human, and his sentient machine companion Disparity have signed on to be cruise directors on the Terillian, a luxury spaceship built by the mega-wealthy Della to celebrate her early retirement from business. Packed with the rich and idle, the Terillian is on a “Damage Tour” to visit worlds and species negatively affected by the Second Wave that crashed through the galaxy decades earlier (as detailed in the first book).
But Nyder and Disparity’s jobs on the ship are only a cover story. They’re really searching for what happened to Nyder’s father. Chet Remi disappeared while searching for the mysterious Shadow Ship, thinking its discovery would lead to great wealth. By diverting the Terillian to places Chet was known to have visited, they’re retracing his steps. Helping them is the mysterious Nex Pelez, a member of the Phlegar race.
Introduced in the first book, Phlegars are a widespread but not well-respected species. Since the Second Wave they have united under the banner of Tihn Forlihn (introduced in the first book), stoking the fears of the Renaissance, an alliance of planets and species that at the same time has become more conservative and militaristic.
Nyder’s search plays out against the backdrop of the rising tensions between the Renaissance and Phlegars. War is imminent and both sides believe the Shadow Ship is the ultimate weapon that can ensure their victory. But what cost is too high to pay to win? To say much more would be to spoil the fun for future readers but I spent several very enjoyable hours tagging along on as all parties search for the Shadow Ship, and I look forward to reading more from Mr. Cleary.
August 17, 2015
A good follow up to the first book ( Convergent Space ) and very much worth reading if you enjoyed Convergent Space. Although not an immediate sequel, taking place many years after the first instalment, it does feature a number of the players from the first book and their deeds are referenced occasionally.
As with the first book some of the characterisation is little light, it seems like some of the fairly key players in the narrative are dropped in almost as a plot convenience rather than a fully fleshed out member of the cast.
However it is none the less an enjoyable read and did keep me engaged until the end, I look forward to further instalments.
As with the first book some of the characterisation is little light, it seems like some of the fairly key players in the narrative are dropped in almost as a plot convenience rather than a fully fleshed out member of the cast.
However it is none the less an enjoyable read and did keep me engaged until the end, I look forward to further instalments.
January 30, 2015
Got half way through and gave up. Very average sci-fi and badly written as well. Won't be reading any more of this author. Wish I had the book version so I could actually put it in the bin.
June 22, 2016
A long wandering story
The space book no. 2 is the most rambling fantasy I have read. Good in parts, too many side stories for me, unlikely to read any further book in series.
The space book no. 2 is the most rambling fantasy I have read. Good in parts, too many side stories for me, unlikely to read any further book in series.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews