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The Pattern #1
When the Pattern Breaks: A Sci-Fi Thriller
In 2004, Navy pilots encountered something impossible off the coast of San Diego. The Tic Tac incident became the most documented UAP case in history, and the most ignored.
Twenty years later, oceanographer Dr. Morgan Hale discovers why.
Morgan sees patterns others miss. Seven miles beneath the Pacific, her acoustic sensors detect a repeating signal anchored to the Mariana Trench. Seventy-two hour cycles. Harmonic intervals. Coordinated across every ocean floor on Earth. When she isolates the pattern, the timeline becomes clear: contact is coming. And it's not random. It's scheduled.
With physicist Gianna Moretti and ex-NSA analyst Eli Navarro, Morgan has seventy-two hours to decode what the signals mean before the beings beneath the ocean surface. Vice Admiral Thomas Harlan mobilizes the USS Carl Vinson. Global powers race to the trench. But Morgan realizes the pattern has been there all along, hidden, watching, waiting for humanity to finally listen.
The countdown is ending. And the ocean is done being silent.
For readers who loved Project Hail Mary, The Andromeda Strain, and The Expanse.
Book 2: When the Pattern Collides - Coming 2026
Book 3: When the Pattern Unites - Coming 2027
Twenty years later, oceanographer Dr. Morgan Hale discovers why.
Morgan sees patterns others miss. Seven miles beneath the Pacific, her acoustic sensors detect a repeating signal anchored to the Mariana Trench. Seventy-two hour cycles. Harmonic intervals. Coordinated across every ocean floor on Earth. When she isolates the pattern, the timeline becomes clear: contact is coming. And it's not random. It's scheduled.
With physicist Gianna Moretti and ex-NSA analyst Eli Navarro, Morgan has seventy-two hours to decode what the signals mean before the beings beneath the ocean surface. Vice Admiral Thomas Harlan mobilizes the USS Carl Vinson. Global powers race to the trench. But Morgan realizes the pattern has been there all along, hidden, watching, waiting for humanity to finally listen.
The countdown is ending. And the ocean is done being silent.
For readers who loved Project Hail Mary, The Andromeda Strain, and The Expanse.
Book 2: When the Pattern Collides - Coming 2026
Book 3: When the Pattern Unites - Coming 2027
436 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2025
About the author
C. J. Hale
2 books8 followersC. J. Hale is a military officer and science fiction writer who explores the edge where science, mystery, and humanity intersect. His work draws on years spent inside the world of national security, where real missions and real consequences shape the way he understands danger, hope, and the cost of survival. He writes grounded, character driven stories about ordinary people confronting forces far larger than themselves.
When the Pattern Breaks opens the Pattern Series, a three-book arc that charts humanity's final push against extinction. The second book, When the Pattern Collides, is available now, and the finale, When the Pattern Unites, arrives June 18, 2027.
Away from the keyboard, he plays chess, keeps a disciplined routine, and finds meaning in the quiet work of discovering patterns in the noise.
Stay tuned. Stay aware.
For direct feedback or contact, reach him at authorcjhale@gmail.com
When the Pattern Breaks opens the Pattern Series, a three-book arc that charts humanity's final push against extinction. The second book, When the Pattern Collides, is available now, and the finale, When the Pattern Unites, arrives June 18, 2027.
Away from the keyboard, he plays chess, keeps a disciplined routine, and finds meaning in the quiet work of discovering patterns in the noise.
Stay tuned. Stay aware.
For direct feedback or contact, reach him at authorcjhale@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 3, 2026
I'm giving this two stars and not just one because I liked the idea and the last couple chapters partially redeemed the rest.
On the whole, the writing is pretty bad, I'm sorry to say. The main issue is just this continuous repetition of the same phrases over and over and over ad nauseum. Every time I read one of these recycled sentences, I rolled my eyes into the back of my head.
Here are the main offenders:
'It wasn't X, it was Y'
'Not A, not B, not C. D'
'So and so spoke with the weight of X in his/her voice'
'His voice carried the weight of the moment'
'He let that sit fora moment'
'He waited a beat'
Everything is a mystery, a pattern, an intention, language, a weight, a silence. After a while, you start to feel like things are being described kind of randomly almost. Everything is 'watching' or 'waiting'. The characters talk like they are actors in some film-noir parody. Many of the things they say to one another have these vague moralistic constructions which are supposed to sound profound, but they fall flat. Some of the lines don't even make sense. My favorite one was the archetypal physicist estimating the impact in 'roughly 4-6 months, give or take a few days' (p.235). Huh?
The story also suffers from this silly structure where one super-smart person first notices the anomaly, then they insist on their friend, another super-smart (but of course snarky) person joining the team to complement the limited abilities of the first super-smart person. Then they happen to know another super-smart (but of course paranoid and reclusive) person who completes the puzzle needed to locate the signals and analyze it perfectly more or less immediately. The snarky person also happens to be talented enough to take down Marines barehanded. You know, those kinds of people.
The whole schtick about the snarky person being able to listen to the harmonics generated from these aliens and instantly catch all this detailed pattern (of course pattern, right?) was just too much. She ended up in a coma and no one else in the world seemed to have this uncanny ability except her, try as they all did while she was unconscious. But the moment she wakes up, (you guessed it!) she intuits what no one else can. That was a close one!
Then there's the whole thing with the translation app she sets up (the snarky one) which just delivers this perfect and idiomatic speech from these aliens by analyzing some harmonics? That was easy! Eye roll.
And, oh my god, the thing with the DNA-tagging of the individuals by these aliens. Okay, I'm a biologist, so this one I couldn't take. The aliens start referring to individuals with like four nucleotides attached to some five or six-digit number. Like, 'Greetings, AGCT 298 76!'. I don't know where to begin on this one. Each of us has a 3 billion nucleotide genome with a lot of letters in common, so the idea here is that one person might have AGCT at some spot. Well, so will like a million other people! That's not even close to specific enough to identify individuals. AI could've helped you with that one.
Speaking of AI, the text has a very familiar feel to it based on the last few years of our immersion in chatbot speech. At first I thought that the entire book was churned out by AI (and I still think that's possible). What's more likely though is that the author made heavy use of AI in writing the prose.
Maybe I'm wrong about that, but the novel was self-published like a year ago. Clearly no one professionally edited it, so it would make sense. Anyhow, this was a trying read. Good effort! Fun idea! Keep trying! But maybe get an editor for the next one.
On the whole, the writing is pretty bad, I'm sorry to say. The main issue is just this continuous repetition of the same phrases over and over and over ad nauseum. Every time I read one of these recycled sentences, I rolled my eyes into the back of my head.
Here are the main offenders:
'It wasn't X, it was Y'
'Not A, not B, not C. D'
'So and so spoke with the weight of X in his/her voice'
'His voice carried the weight of the moment'
'He let that sit fora moment'
'He waited a beat'
Everything is a mystery, a pattern, an intention, language, a weight, a silence. After a while, you start to feel like things are being described kind of randomly almost. Everything is 'watching' or 'waiting'. The characters talk like they are actors in some film-noir parody. Many of the things they say to one another have these vague moralistic constructions which are supposed to sound profound, but they fall flat. Some of the lines don't even make sense. My favorite one was the archetypal physicist estimating the impact in 'roughly 4-6 months, give or take a few days' (p.235). Huh?
The story also suffers from this silly structure where one super-smart person first notices the anomaly, then they insist on their friend, another super-smart (but of course snarky) person joining the team to complement the limited abilities of the first super-smart person. Then they happen to know another super-smart (but of course paranoid and reclusive) person who completes the puzzle needed to locate the signals and analyze it perfectly more or less immediately. The snarky person also happens to be talented enough to take down Marines barehanded. You know, those kinds of people.
The whole schtick about the snarky person being able to listen to the harmonics generated from these aliens and instantly catch all this detailed pattern (of course pattern, right?) was just too much. She ended up in a coma and no one else in the world seemed to have this uncanny ability except her, try as they all did while she was unconscious. But the moment she wakes up, (you guessed it!) she intuits what no one else can. That was a close one!
Then there's the whole thing with the translation app she sets up (the snarky one) which just delivers this perfect and idiomatic speech from these aliens by analyzing some harmonics? That was easy! Eye roll.
And, oh my god, the thing with the DNA-tagging of the individuals by these aliens. Okay, I'm a biologist, so this one I couldn't take. The aliens start referring to individuals with like four nucleotides attached to some five or six-digit number. Like, 'Greetings, AGCT 298 76!'. I don't know where to begin on this one. Each of us has a 3 billion nucleotide genome with a lot of letters in common, so the idea here is that one person might have AGCT at some spot. Well, so will like a million other people! That's not even close to specific enough to identify individuals. AI could've helped you with that one.
Speaking of AI, the text has a very familiar feel to it based on the last few years of our immersion in chatbot speech. At first I thought that the entire book was churned out by AI (and I still think that's possible). What's more likely though is that the author made heavy use of AI in writing the prose.
Maybe I'm wrong about that, but the novel was self-published like a year ago. Clearly no one professionally edited it, so it would make sense. Anyhow, this was a trying read. Good effort! Fun idea! Keep trying! But maybe get an editor for the next one.
August 5, 2026
A Triumphant Achievement!
When The Pattern Breaks is a thought provoking, exciting, sci-fi thriller that wildly exceeded my expectations for the book. I was expecting a good read based on the synopsis provided by the author, but was blown away! If the rest off the series is as good as When The Pattern Breaks, it is destined to become a classic. Dr. Morgan Hale is brilliant, empathetic, loyal and thoroughly relatable, as is Admiral Hale, which adds to the richness of the narrative. The story itself is phenomenal and believable. The writing is of the highest caliber. Overall, 5/5 stars! Highly recommended to fans of first contact thrillers, science fiction fans and to anyone else who have wondered "What else is out there?"!
When The Pattern Breaks is a thought provoking, exciting, sci-fi thriller that wildly exceeded my expectations for the book. I was expecting a good read based on the synopsis provided by the author, but was blown away! If the rest off the series is as good as When The Pattern Breaks, it is destined to become a classic. Dr. Morgan Hale is brilliant, empathetic, loyal and thoroughly relatable, as is Admiral Hale, which adds to the richness of the narrative. The story itself is phenomenal and believable. The writing is of the highest caliber. Overall, 5/5 stars! Highly recommended to fans of first contact thrillers, science fiction fans and to anyone else who have wondered "What else is out there?"!
August 17, 2026
Excellent sci-fi military saga
This will keep you up until the end.
We are not alone and never were.
Action packed from the first page until the end. I hope to see this on TBE big screen
Well done
This will keep you up until the end.
We are not alone and never were.
Action packed from the first page until the end. I hope to see this on TBE big screen
Well done
April 3, 2026
Wow
Such an amazing story! It's hard to explain what happens without spoilers 😕 So it is light spoilers. It is a story about a race of aliens that live at the bottom of the ocean. They have been there for millions of years. Something happens and they have to depend on humans to save both races. I am looking forward to the next book, I want to know if we survive.
Such an amazing story! It's hard to explain what happens without spoilers 😕 So it is light spoilers. It is a story about a race of aliens that live at the bottom of the ocean. They have been there for millions of years. Something happens and they have to depend on humans to save both races. I am looking forward to the next book, I want to know if we survive.
April 22, 2026
When the pattern breaks
It's always nice to find an engaging story when there are so many mediocre tales these days. I was not expecting to be so immersed as I became when reading this story. It's well written and has a depth to character's I found refreshing. Definitely worth the read. Well done!
It's always nice to find an engaging story when there are so many mediocre tales these days. I was not expecting to be so immersed as I became when reading this story. It's well written and has a depth to character's I found refreshing. Definitely worth the read. Well done!
October 8, 2026
An excellent book mixing some reality with the infamous Tictac disclosure and taking it further to build a suspenseful book that you don't want to put down. I have downloaded the second in the series and cannot wait to see how the story develops.
My only issue will be awaiting the 3rd book, which is not due for release until July 2027. But I am sure it'll be worth the wait.
My only issue will be awaiting the 3rd book, which is not due for release until July 2027. But I am sure it'll be worth the wait.
April 16, 2026
Humanity at its finest and its worst
The story reminds me of the 1950s movie “When Worlds Collide.”
I enjoyed the author’s writing style: short sentences; simple language; fast paced.
The story reminds me of the 1950s movie “When Worlds Collide.”
I enjoyed the author’s writing style: short sentences; simple language; fast paced.
June 27, 2026
Great Story
Realistic description of military ops combined with believable sci fi with a new twist on the we are not alone theme. Highly recommend. This is a new author for me and will definitely be reading book 2 in this series.
Realistic description of military ops combined with believable sci fi with a new twist on the we are not alone theme. Highly recommend. This is a new author for me and will definitely be reading book 2 in this series.
August 24, 2026
This was a great read and quite different to anything I’d read before. It felt like everything was explained with carefully used detail, making the incomprehensible understandable. Can’t wait for book 2.
May 26, 2026
A Great story!!
If you're tired of reading about space bugs that musk be eliminated in space wars, this is the book to read.
A great puzzle to to save our planet.
If you're tired of reading about space bugs that musk be eliminated in space wars, this is the book to read.
A great puzzle to to save our planet.
October 13, 2026
Excellent read. Hard to put down. Anxiously waiting to read the next one.
August 15, 2026
Seriously Good
Here’s an author who combines genius sci-fi storytelling with a writing style that draws you into the characters lives in a way only great writers know how to do. Riveting.
Here’s an author who combines genius sci-fi storytelling with a writing style that draws you into the characters lives in a way only great writers know how to do. Riveting.
January 3, 2026
Sharp Characters, Relentless Pacing, and an Ending That Left Me Screaming
This book was everything. From the very first chapter to the final page, it held me captive in the best way, tight plotting, razor-sharp pacing, and characters that leap off the page.
Act 1 immediately hooked me with its sharp writing and intriguing setup. The characters are memorable from the start, and their relationships feel loaded with potential. Every interaction hints at something deeper, and the world starts to unfold with just the right amount of tension and mystery. You get that feeling, the “I’m in good hands” kind of feeling, and it doesn't let go.
Act 2 dials everything up. The stakes rise, secrets surface, and the story takes some seriously bold turns. I love when a middle act doesn’t sag, and this one soars. The pacing is relentless in the best way, and the twists feel earned, not forced. Every chapter made me say “just one more,” which of course meant I was up way too late.
Then comes Act 3, and wow. The lead-up is intense, but it’s that final choice the main character makes that absolutely explodes the story wide open. It’s gutsy, it’s risky, and it leaves her in a wildly dangerous situation that I did not see coming. And that cliffhanger?! Completely unhinged, incredible. I closed the book and just stared into space for a full five minutes.
This book doesn’t just keep you reading, it owns your attention. It’s clever, unpredictable, and not afraid to take big swings. If you love stories that escalate with purpose and land a killer ending, this one will wreck your weekend plans in the best possible way.
This book was everything. From the very first chapter to the final page, it held me captive in the best way, tight plotting, razor-sharp pacing, and characters that leap off the page.
Act 1 immediately hooked me with its sharp writing and intriguing setup. The characters are memorable from the start, and their relationships feel loaded with potential. Every interaction hints at something deeper, and the world starts to unfold with just the right amount of tension and mystery. You get that feeling, the “I’m in good hands” kind of feeling, and it doesn't let go.
Act 2 dials everything up. The stakes rise, secrets surface, and the story takes some seriously bold turns. I love when a middle act doesn’t sag, and this one soars. The pacing is relentless in the best way, and the twists feel earned, not forced. Every chapter made me say “just one more,” which of course meant I was up way too late.
Then comes Act 3, and wow. The lead-up is intense, but it’s that final choice the main character makes that absolutely explodes the story wide open. It’s gutsy, it’s risky, and it leaves her in a wildly dangerous situation that I did not see coming. And that cliffhanger?! Completely unhinged, incredible. I closed the book and just stared into space for a full five minutes.
This book doesn’t just keep you reading, it owns your attention. It’s clever, unpredictable, and not afraid to take big swings. If you love stories that escalate with purpose and land a killer ending, this one will wreck your weekend plans in the best possible way.
December 29, 2025
A must read from the very first page. When the Pattern Breaks captures the mounting pressure of collapse with a quiet intensity, showing how people carry unbearable knowledge as the timeline tightens and certainty disappears. The restraint, the silences, and the way the characters keep moving forward without guarantees make it feel unsettlingly real. I could easily see this story translated to the screen as a limited series on Netflix or Apple, where its slow burn tension and human focus would shine.
January 4, 2026
This is written well and the characters are believable and interesting. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Not many books keep me up but this one did. If you like sifi you’re going to love this one. Get it and enjoy a great read.
June 16, 2026
Actually pretty slim on ideas, schematic in descriptions, scientific explanations not very convincing, basically gibberish, characters are simplistically defined, more like in comics than novels, dialogs are utterly boring and author's obsession to use several 2-3 words sentences in place of phrases, as any literate person would rather do, makes the book annoying to read.
The whole novel is written rather like a movie script, my assumption is that the author nurtures the hope that a Hollywood studio or Netflix might offer him a deal someday. But even as a film it wouldn't do any better in my opinion, because of lack of real substance.
Author's military background might explain much of the above, however I think though he should not be encouraged, there is little chance he will ever improve his literary skills beyond what he could demonstrate in this book.
The whole novel is written rather like a movie script, my assumption is that the author nurtures the hope that a Hollywood studio or Netflix might offer him a deal someday. But even as a film it wouldn't do any better in my opinion, because of lack of real substance.
Author's military background might explain much of the above, however I think though he should not be encouraged, there is little chance he will ever improve his literary skills beyond what he could demonstrate in this book.
August 28, 2026
This book is 100% written by Ai. As a guy who owns an aai business, I’m with absolute certainty this was written by chatGPT. Perhaps the author chimed in 20% of the book but the rest was written by AI..
It’s a shame too, it wasn’t a bad start but too many signs of ChatGPT fingerprints all over this. I even scanned several pages and sent to Ai and even the model agreed it was Ai written.
I just wasted my money on a book written by Ai when I could have had my own model do the same for me. Shame on the author. I’m an avid sci-fi reader and I don’t think I’ve ever give a 1 star. This is so disappointing.
It’s a shame too, it wasn’t a bad start but too many signs of ChatGPT fingerprints all over this. I even scanned several pages and sent to Ai and even the model agreed it was Ai written.
I just wasted my money on a book written by Ai when I could have had my own model do the same for me. Shame on the author. I’m an avid sci-fi reader and I don’t think I’ve ever give a 1 star. This is so disappointing.
June 9, 2026
I have read this book 4 times now and each time I pick up something new that I previously missed. Being into SCI-FI and prior Intel, this really got my mind spinning. The author really got me thinking and with that it turned my casual reading before bed into a couple late nights. I would say ok this is the last chapter and then something would happen and I'd just have to keep going. I'm really looking forward to the series as a whole and cannot wait for the rest of the books to be published. Definitely a good one to dive into!!
June 16, 2026
A thin plot is overworked
I like the general premise of the book. Even though the plot is the overworked “save humanity “ genre, I think this version is creative.
That said, the prose of this novel is stupefying. Page after page is devoted to matters that don’t advance the plot. It seems to me the author believes he is painting beautiful pictures with his words. But this ambition causes him to use every word in a thesaurus in torturous torrents of gibberish. I found myself skipping pages to avoid having to slog through irrelevancies.
I am not tempted to proceed to Part 2.
I like the general premise of the book. Even though the plot is the overworked “save humanity “ genre, I think this version is creative.
That said, the prose of this novel is stupefying. Page after page is devoted to matters that don’t advance the plot. It seems to me the author believes he is painting beautiful pictures with his words. But this ambition causes him to use every word in a thesaurus in torturous torrents of gibberish. I found myself skipping pages to avoid having to slog through irrelevancies.
I am not tempted to proceed to Part 2.
January 20, 2026
I'm all in favour of using AI tools to help brainstorm for a story, to fix structural problems or even to edit a book, but this text is riddled with ChatGPT fingerprints. Outsourcing the vast majority (if not all) of the writing to an LLM is a waste of a good idea and a terrible reader experience.
Humans don't speak. The text is fragmented. It's not smart outsourcing, it's lazy tool use.
Humans don't speak. The text is fragmented. It's not smart outsourcing, it's lazy tool use.
May 24, 2026
Exciting pace to a great story. I intentionally slowed my reading pace near the end because I didn't want this part of the story to end. It's that great! World-building and characterization of the non-humans are both intriguing. Looking forward to the sequel.
July 27, 2026
Could have been a great story
If I want political back-stabbing, I’ll watch the news (which I do not). Is it so difficult to write a novel with just a good story line, and no greed, power hunger or malice?
If I want political back-stabbing, I’ll watch the news (which I do not). Is it so difficult to write a novel with just a good story line, and no greed, power hunger or malice?
March 29, 2026
This book was a good book to read in the evening to relax and have some suspense ! Excellent read.
April 26, 2026
I have been an avid reader for close on 45 years. I have a voracious appetite for high quality writing. In recent months life got hard and I struggled to concentrate for long periods of time which drove me nuts. I must've read the plots of 50 plus books before finally settling on when the pattern breaks (I read the books split into 3 Acts).
I was about 4 pages in when I lost track of time and realised that my dry spell was over. I then powered on and finished the book last night.
I have never read such lazer focused writing that with an economy of words paints the story on the canvass that is my imagination. And what blew mind even further is that this is the authors FIRST BOOK!
So dear reader, brace yourself for one heck of a read. This right here. Is my new addiction - and for a change it's a healthy one.
Prepare for full immersion. Peace
I was about 4 pages in when I lost track of time and realised that my dry spell was over. I then powered on and finished the book last night.
I have never read such lazer focused writing that with an economy of words paints the story on the canvass that is my imagination. And what blew mind even further is that this is the authors FIRST BOOK!
So dear reader, brace yourself for one heck of a read. This right here. Is my new addiction - and for a change it's a healthy one.
Prepare for full immersion. Peace
February 10, 2026
An interesting enough story with good pace and raising some interesting questions, even if the stereotypes were in full flow.
But the reason I won’t be reading any more from this author is the continual use of the construct “the room smelled of stale coffee and regret” etc. That’s a good device, but use it once or twice in the book, not in every scene! It was so bad I was waiting for it towards the end, and they still kept coming.
But the reason I won’t be reading any more from this author is the continual use of the construct “the room smelled of stale coffee and regret” etc. That’s a good device, but use it once or twice in the book, not in every scene! It was so bad I was waiting for it towards the end, and they still kept coming.
December 22, 2025
A Note From Me to You
Hi, I'm C.J.
Before I ever wrote a word of fiction, I spent my adult life in uniform. I flew helicopters as a young man, then moved into military intelligence, where I spent decades learning to sit with uncomfortable information until it made sense. That job teaches you two things: how to spot what doesn't fit, and how to notice when everyone around you is pretending it fits fine.
Which brings me to how this series started.
In 2017, footage from Navy fighter pilots hit the news. Objects doing things our physics says they can't do, tracked by hard sensor data, witnessed by trained aviators. Two years later, the Pentagon confirmed it was all real. And the world... shrugged. Twice.
I couldn't let it go. Not because I needed it to be aliens. What kept me up was the shrug itself. We looked at something that broke our model of reality, confirmed it was real, and went back to scrolling. What does that say about us? I turned that question over for years, the way an analyst does, and eventually realized it couldn't be answered in a briefing or a white paper. It needed pressure and consequence and people who could fail. It needed a story.
So at an age when most people are winding down, with zero experience and a lot of stubbornness, I started writing one. The Pattern Series is that question asked at full volume.
The other thing you should know about me: I'm a husband and a dad, I still serve, and I write early in the morning before the rest of my life wakes up. Every review, every email, every "when's the next book" message genuinely lands with me. I read all of them. After a career spent working in the shadows, hearing from readers in the open is the strangest and best part of this whole thing.
Thanks for being here. The Pattern isn't finished with us yet.
V/r,
C.J. Hale
Hi, I'm C.J.
Before I ever wrote a word of fiction, I spent my adult life in uniform. I flew helicopters as a young man, then moved into military intelligence, where I spent decades learning to sit with uncomfortable information until it made sense. That job teaches you two things: how to spot what doesn't fit, and how to notice when everyone around you is pretending it fits fine.
Which brings me to how this series started.
In 2017, footage from Navy fighter pilots hit the news. Objects doing things our physics says they can't do, tracked by hard sensor data, witnessed by trained aviators. Two years later, the Pentagon confirmed it was all real. And the world... shrugged. Twice.
I couldn't let it go. Not because I needed it to be aliens. What kept me up was the shrug itself. We looked at something that broke our model of reality, confirmed it was real, and went back to scrolling. What does that say about us? I turned that question over for years, the way an analyst does, and eventually realized it couldn't be answered in a briefing or a white paper. It needed pressure and consequence and people who could fail. It needed a story.
So at an age when most people are winding down, with zero experience and a lot of stubbornness, I started writing one. The Pattern Series is that question asked at full volume.
The other thing you should know about me: I'm a husband and a dad, I still serve, and I write early in the morning before the rest of my life wakes up. Every review, every email, every "when's the next book" message genuinely lands with me. I read all of them. After a career spent working in the shadows, hearing from readers in the open is the strangest and best part of this whole thing.
Thanks for being here. The Pattern isn't finished with us yet.
V/r,
C.J. Hale
January 11, 2026
Loved this book. Kept me reading into the night. Anxiously waiting for book 2.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews