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“Tiona” picks up six years after the end of Vaz. Tiona, Vaz’s daughter, is starting grad school in physics, has a “bad boy” musician boyfriend, and does her own strange variety of charity work at a homeless shelter.

Her professor has her start work on a project to try to achieve high temperature superconduction by doping the graphene membranes her lab partner has figured out how to precipitate. Oddly her experiments are plagued by bizarre movements in the membranes when she applies current to them.

When she mentions the movements to Vaz, typical for his odd autism-spectrum personality, he becomes intensely focused on the movements, disregarding any effort at superconduction. Soon he has determined that her “problem” represents a physics breakthrough that could result in the production of a “reactionless drive” capable of lifting a craft into space!

Not that Vaz wants to go to space, he just wants to build the spacecraft with his daughter, in the garage! Vaz has never heard of flying saucers, but the physics of the thrust effect makes it much more efficient in a disk shape, so, because form follows function…

When they lift from north Raleigh and boost all the way outer space it gets NORAD pretty excited, especially a high-strung general who perceives their saucer to be a threat to the country’s safety.

314 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 30, 2015

221 people are currently reading
44 people want to read

About the author

Laurence E. Dahners

60 books668 followers
I was born on the island of Cyprus where my dad was employed as a mining engineer. We moved to the Philippines (more mining) when I was three and then to Arizona when I was 9. I went to med school at the University of Arizona and did a residency in Orthopaedics at the University of Kansas. I taught Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill until I retired in 2017.

I've always loved science fiction and it's been great fun getting to write some. I also like music and have a little home recording studio. You can read more, listen to some music and look at some of my art, at http://laury.dahners.com/ if you like.

If you want to contact me, or be put on my email list to be notified when new books come out, just email me at ldahners@gmail.com

Laury Dahners

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5 stars
879 (59%)
4 stars
455 (30%)
3 stars
125 (8%)
2 stars
19 (1%)
1 star
10 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
Profile Image for Lukas Lovas.
1,392 reviews64 followers
September 8, 2022
Even better than the first book in the series, Tiona explores the possibilities of a new technology in the truest tradition of sci-fi. Her battles are more with minds than with violence, which is interesting and rather fresh. She's a great character and the book itself has put me in mind of Exo by Steven Gould - except fewer YA elements, which I didn't mind at all. To sum up....I've read it in a day without putting it down :)
14 reviews1 follower
October 8, 2020
Why her?

I loved the first book of the series. Vaz is fantastic. Now the viewpount changes to his daughter for the rest of the series which is really unfortunate because she is so very unlikeable. And she does not improve much.
62 reviews
February 4, 2020
A fun ride

There are lots of things to like about this one. Dad, the autistic genius of Vaz, is still around. But the story focuses on his daughter. Her mix of being drawn to bad boys, but also indulging in quirky charity, while exploring her own scientific education, makes her another surprising and beguiling character. You can see the plot machinations at work, but it's all very satisfying. A good book 2!
Profile Image for Thomas James.
578 reviews12 followers
June 14, 2020
OMG.... Another page-turner from Dahners!

Voz and Tiona have been so much fun! Not much violence, although there were two missiles fired that thankfully missed. One word of warning: Once you start you won't want to put it down! Imagine a new technology, dark-matter thrusters, and then write a story around it with compelling and believable characters. Some tales are quickly forgotten, but I will be comparing all space opera to this one from now on.
Profile Image for Johnny.
2,170 reviews79 followers
May 14, 2020
Book two

Mistakes: I found only one mistake in this book.

Plot: Let’s invent a reactionless drive. Build our own space craft and go rescue a couple of stranded astronauts. Sounds like fun.

Characters: I loved the interplay between the two astronauts.
The story was good and I like the science part of the fiction.

8/10
677 reviews
March 30, 2024
Awesome and fun series!!!!!!

Congratulations to Lawrence Dahners for this amazing series. It’s hard to find such an interesting and exciting author who not only writes intelligently but also provides top rated plots, characters and excitement in the stories. I’m really looking forward to the next book.
3 reviews
April 29, 2024
entertaining in parts, but like all his stories a positive mutation only effects one family and everybody else is an idiot who offends the protagonist in the same way, very unrealistic in humans with an iq higher than 86.
is he trying to write like Gene Roddenberry, Dahners is way off.
and someone really wants to build tunnels under his houses, mentally shrugs.

no spoilers
Profile Image for Wanda binz.
817 reviews6 followers
April 3, 2018
Fantastic Story

This is a fantastic story full of wonder of The thought of someone creating a way to go into space safely and quickly. Imagine that and this story gives you that story.
646 reviews3 followers
June 2, 2018
Fantastic

I can always rely on Laurence Dahners for a great story. And he delivers. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. And I look forward to reading anything Mr Dahners cares to write
388 reviews
May 21, 2019
More than a sequel. Yay!

Happy to see this is going to be a series. I wasn't sure I'd like the time jump and character transitions, but Dahner does it all incredibly well. I really like the way he maintains continuity with the earlier storyline and characters. Vaz is just too exceptional a character to leave behind.

A 'deserves the perks' Amazon review.
22 reviews
September 4, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyable.

Likable characters, believable sci-fi, fun story.
Much closer to potential reality than most and thankfully apolitical.
Look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Note, each story stands well on it's own, no awkward cliffhangers.
16 reviews
November 17, 2020
Lots of fun reading in both VAZ and this sequel.

A vert interesting and entertaining book. Well written and full of plausible technical details to flesh out the Story. I enjoyed this series very much.
43 reviews
January 4, 2021
Wow! Great story and good sci-fi

Great job by the author of weaving what if into a great story. Love his characters and telling a story without page after page of nonsense. Please read all his books!
922 reviews18 followers
February 23, 2021
I'm behind on my reviews so, since I listened to books 1-3 consecutively, I am giving them all this same, short, review: Read the book description and, if it appeals at all, give these books a try. While not perfect books, they are so far above average they deserve 5 stars.
Profile Image for Thomas G TenBrink.
13 reviews3 followers
December 22, 2021
Great second book, hope there are more coming

I love science fiction that teaches you things. The physics discussions were interesting and informative. I strongly recommend this and it's predecessor.
233 reviews1 follower
April 10, 2022
How have I missed these great books?

The science is back in sci-fi. What a great read. This is like being back in the 60's reading Asimov, Heinlein and so many others.p
I'm a happy guy to have found these book. Thanks so much Dr. Dahners!
Profile Image for Denzil Ernstzen.
188 reviews1 follower
January 31, 2024
Brilliant, Funny and exciting.

I think the title says it all. It was such and fun, exciting read that I felt sad knowing it had to come to an end soon. Well it is done so on to the next exciting booking the series
Profile Image for Thomas.
2,690 reviews
July 16, 2024
Vaz Gettnor is a genius inventor who is high on the autism scale and works from his basement. His daughter is a graduate student in physics. Together, they will develop a technology that uses dark matter to power a spacecraft. It’s fun.
Profile Image for Jay Collins.
1,630 reviews15 followers
May 11, 2019
3.5 to 3.75 good but not as good as the first book. I will continue with the series as I do like these type of books.
39 reviews
September 12, 2019
How Can A Sequel Be Even Better Than The Original?!

Oh, yeah. Dahners wrote it. Every time I read one of his novels I am absolutely amazed by his incredible brain!
718 reviews6 followers
August 12, 2020
Excellent

Good story, good science, good characters. The scene where one General told the other general he done stepped on his was funny.
892 reviews4 followers
January 28, 2021
Excellent story!

Sir, write more books, I've read all of them and want more. In fact, this is the third time I've read this series. And all your other books!
Profile Image for Jo.
370 reviews1 follower
May 26, 2021
Great sci-if

I love this author. I have read everything he has written. Most of them multiple times. I love the science and the kindness shown. Highly recommended.
23 reviews
May 3, 2022
who said ufo’s had to be from outer space

I thought after the first book Vaz that’s it be hard to top but this was just wonderful I enjoyed this book so much.
Profile Image for Scott Shjefte.
2,209 reviews75 followers
June 13, 2024
Borrowed this edition on June 12, 2024. Kindle Unlimited Book. Read Kindle book using Alexa audio asset. Thrust mechanics improve on Rockets
272 reviews4 followers
July 2, 2024
Excellent

I recommend this story to any who enjoy the genre. Its well written and fast paced despite the technological aspects. I wish it was longer!
8 reviews
January 30, 2025
Amazing book! It is a must read

This book is an excellent merger of hard science and fiction.
I liked the first book, Vaz.
But I am amazed at the quality of his writing.
2 reviews
April 9, 2025
great book

A great book. Great characters and interesting plot made this book an easy read I would recommend this book highly.
735 reviews2 followers
May 25, 2024
Nuclear fusion to the rescue. Good characters, a lively story and challenging science continues to make this an entertaining series. Looking forward to the next episode.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews

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