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The Falling Sky: A World War II Adventure Thriller
The Falling A World War II Adventure Thriller
The Falling Sky follows Ethan McAndrew, a veteran pilot haunted by the loss stemming from his father's experiences in WWI. Reluctantly called into action by Devoy Industries, he travels to the Philippines on the eve of war, reuniting with Margret, the fierce and calculating woman he loves. Their passionate relationship serves as both a refuge and a source of conflict as they encounter the looming threat of Japanese expansion.
Meanwhile, eight-year-old Yaeko Harada finds herself alone and hunted after betrayal devastates her family. Amidst a backdrop of danger and impending occupation, she must navigate brutal loss and rely solely on her wits to survive. With peril around every corner, Yaeko’s journey becomes a race against time where every decision could mean the difference between life and death.
In this pulse-pounding tale, the intertwining paths of Ethan, Margret, and Yaeko reveal the profound cost of love and the fierce instinct for survival in a world on the brink of chaos.
The Falling Sky follows Ethan McAndrew, a veteran pilot haunted by the loss stemming from his father's experiences in WWI. Reluctantly called into action by Devoy Industries, he travels to the Philippines on the eve of war, reuniting with Margret, the fierce and calculating woman he loves. Their passionate relationship serves as both a refuge and a source of conflict as they encounter the looming threat of Japanese expansion.
Meanwhile, eight-year-old Yaeko Harada finds herself alone and hunted after betrayal devastates her family. Amidst a backdrop of danger and impending occupation, she must navigate brutal loss and rely solely on her wits to survive. With peril around every corner, Yaeko’s journey becomes a race against time where every decision could mean the difference between life and death.
In this pulse-pounding tale, the intertwining paths of Ethan, Margret, and Yaeko reveal the profound cost of love and the fierce instinct for survival in a world on the brink of chaos.
329 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 6, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 27, 2025
I really enjoyed this read. The characters are quirky and likable. The author keeps you eager to discover what the actual hell is going on. The descriptive details made it easy to feel immersed in this story. I’m excited for the next book!
November 16, 2025
The Falling Sky is an incredibly descriptive story based on the real history and events of 1941 in the Pacific region as war loomed between two superpowers. But if you asked author Corky Farmer, this is, in a nutshell, the beginning of a love story; an “unconventional love story,” according to Farmer. “It's a story about a man who's already suffered the cost of war as a child, and chooses to take the path of least resistance in hopes of exploring his future, without being sucked into the next great war that everyone knows is coming (to the U.S.). Through the misfortunes of others, his desire for adventure, and an unshakable sense of duty, he is lured to ground zero of the war he swore to avoid. Ethan McAndrew’s strength is his unquestioning acceptance of duty, and ability to overcome his own doubt.”
THE JOURNEY
The process of bringing this project to fruition consists of a very interesting ‘journey’:
“The setting originates from the original manuscript I began writing in 2012 titled Carter, a historical fiction about a bomber pilot and his crew during the fall of the Philippines in 1941. I never finished that manuscript. Instead, I wrote a novella that I published in 2013 titled The Elco Run, which borders on alternate history.
In 2021, I picked up the research again, and decided I wanted to write a love story based on that era, taking place in that setting. That was the idea… the inspiration goes way back to my childhood. John Wayne's The Fighting Seabees, a 1944 movie about a construction battalion fighting in the Pacific, and other movies from that era. The 1941-1942 fall of the Philippines was swept under the rug of history for decades, and still receives little love. I want to eventually write more in-depth near-nonfiction novels that retell the entire battle through the eyes of a fictional character. That's a large undertaking that will take a massive amount of research, and with it, much organization,” Farmer explains.
And this book is indeed proof of the level of research it took to reproduce an historical setting that feels authentic and genuine. The reader will instantly feel transported to 1941 as the characters come to life within these magnificent settings.
PLOT
The story involves the murder of the Harada family as they seek asylum in the States while carrying international secrets from Japan that could change the course of history. Only little Yaeko, 8, and her doll Mia survive the assassination attempt and that is when the team of the Devoy Industries—a contractor that works covertly with the State department for tasks that would be outside of diplomatic channels comes into play to find out the fate of the Haradas and ultimately rescue little Yaeko. Our main character, Ethan, gets hired by the CEO of Devoy Industries and he finds himself getting into a very ‘frantic’ romantic affair with the CEO’s sister, Margret.
CHARACTERS
Where the book really excels is in character development. All characters, both primary and secondary, are rich in detailed background, sense of humor, fears, habits, making them all stand out. Absolutely fantastic job there. The best example of this is the main character Ethan, as he seems constantly torn between his commitment to duty and his impulsive passions towards Margret.
MAIN ISSUES
The two main issues I found were:
1. Overextended mundane scenes that contribute little to the plot overarch
2. Inconclusive ending
To be totally honest, my excitement for this book started at a ‘level 10’ but quickly dwindled as my reading progressed. In my opinion the author indulges too much in writing mundane sequences that serve the story very little. In particular, the ‘office sequences’ taking place at Devoy Industries really impacted my engagement negatively. There are only so many lines about drinking cheap coffee, grabbing a cigarette, or running inventory that I can take. Farmer explains: “The little things serve to build atmosphere, bring minor insights from the characters forward, and to paint a dynamic between the players.”
But this to me becomes a hindrance when the mundane scenes occur over and over throughout the book to the point that we almost forget what made us feel excited to read this in the first place.
In addition, the ending of the book is not an ending at all, as Farmer has a book 2 in the works. Nothing gets resolved: no villains get caught or terminated, no secrets are revealed, and all the characters are left hanging all within their own circumstances. “Book 1 does end with a setup for book 2.” Farmer says. And he adds: “Fitting within a specific page count was good for me to work toward, but I also believe I could have finished and released book two simultaneously.”
To me, as a reader, this is somewhat of a disappointment because I picked this up to read a good book with a clear beginning and a clear ending and the least thing I desire is to turn to the last page and realize all the compelling answers can only be found in the next book.
CONCLUSIONS
The Falling Sky is a very professional and well crafted book to which extensive historical research was applied. The attention to details is second to none, the characters are so well written and so 3D-like you may feel as though these were real people who lived back in 1941.
However, redundant and unnecessary scenes really slow down both the pace and dynamics of the plot (we want to know about the spies and the big national secrets, not about how bad the coffee at the office is over and over again.)
The book also fails to deliver a satisfying ending as nothing of great relevance gets accomplished (well, someone gets pregnant, so there's that). No secrets revealed; no villains caught or brought to justice, either.
I know more will be uncovered in book 2 and I truly hope the full story will eventually be published as a full book
💜
THE JOURNEY
The process of bringing this project to fruition consists of a very interesting ‘journey’:
“The setting originates from the original manuscript I began writing in 2012 titled Carter, a historical fiction about a bomber pilot and his crew during the fall of the Philippines in 1941. I never finished that manuscript. Instead, I wrote a novella that I published in 2013 titled The Elco Run, which borders on alternate history.
In 2021, I picked up the research again, and decided I wanted to write a love story based on that era, taking place in that setting. That was the idea… the inspiration goes way back to my childhood. John Wayne's The Fighting Seabees, a 1944 movie about a construction battalion fighting in the Pacific, and other movies from that era. The 1941-1942 fall of the Philippines was swept under the rug of history for decades, and still receives little love. I want to eventually write more in-depth near-nonfiction novels that retell the entire battle through the eyes of a fictional character. That's a large undertaking that will take a massive amount of research, and with it, much organization,” Farmer explains.
And this book is indeed proof of the level of research it took to reproduce an historical setting that feels authentic and genuine. The reader will instantly feel transported to 1941 as the characters come to life within these magnificent settings.
PLOT
The story involves the murder of the Harada family as they seek asylum in the States while carrying international secrets from Japan that could change the course of history. Only little Yaeko, 8, and her doll Mia survive the assassination attempt and that is when the team of the Devoy Industries—a contractor that works covertly with the State department for tasks that would be outside of diplomatic channels comes into play to find out the fate of the Haradas and ultimately rescue little Yaeko. Our main character, Ethan, gets hired by the CEO of Devoy Industries and he finds himself getting into a very ‘frantic’ romantic affair with the CEO’s sister, Margret.
CHARACTERS
Where the book really excels is in character development. All characters, both primary and secondary, are rich in detailed background, sense of humor, fears, habits, making them all stand out. Absolutely fantastic job there. The best example of this is the main character Ethan, as he seems constantly torn between his commitment to duty and his impulsive passions towards Margret.
MAIN ISSUES
The two main issues I found were:
1. Overextended mundane scenes that contribute little to the plot overarch
2. Inconclusive ending
To be totally honest, my excitement for this book started at a ‘level 10’ but quickly dwindled as my reading progressed. In my opinion the author indulges too much in writing mundane sequences that serve the story very little. In particular, the ‘office sequences’ taking place at Devoy Industries really impacted my engagement negatively. There are only so many lines about drinking cheap coffee, grabbing a cigarette, or running inventory that I can take. Farmer explains: “The little things serve to build atmosphere, bring minor insights from the characters forward, and to paint a dynamic between the players.”
But this to me becomes a hindrance when the mundane scenes occur over and over throughout the book to the point that we almost forget what made us feel excited to read this in the first place.
In addition, the ending of the book is not an ending at all, as Farmer has a book 2 in the works. Nothing gets resolved: no villains get caught or terminated, no secrets are revealed, and all the characters are left hanging all within their own circumstances. “Book 1 does end with a setup for book 2.” Farmer says. And he adds: “Fitting within a specific page count was good for me to work toward, but I also believe I could have finished and released book two simultaneously.”
To me, as a reader, this is somewhat of a disappointment because I picked this up to read a good book with a clear beginning and a clear ending and the least thing I desire is to turn to the last page and realize all the compelling answers can only be found in the next book.
CONCLUSIONS
The Falling Sky is a very professional and well crafted book to which extensive historical research was applied. The attention to details is second to none, the characters are so well written and so 3D-like you may feel as though these were real people who lived back in 1941.
However, redundant and unnecessary scenes really slow down both the pace and dynamics of the plot (we want to know about the spies and the big national secrets, not about how bad the coffee at the office is over and over again.)
The book also fails to deliver a satisfying ending as nothing of great relevance gets accomplished (well, someone gets pregnant, so there's that). No secrets revealed; no villains caught or brought to justice, either.
I know more will be uncovered in book 2 and I truly hope the full story will eventually be published as a full book
💜
December 28, 2025
I had a good time with this book. The author creates an excellent sense of time and place, pulling off descriptive scenes of the Philippines that are evocative and do not bore, and his characters come across as rounded and real. There are also some excellent quips and asides, making me snort on more than one occasion. Well recommended for a quirky and ultimately rewarding read that keeps you guessing all the way.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews