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Dawn of Mankind
Commander Cassian Reeve expected his survey run to end the way it always did. Tag the rocks, log the readings, go home.
Then object four fifty-three rolls across his display. Its surface reads like ordinary nickel-iron. Its core says something else entirely. Whatever is buried inside that asteroid has been waiting a very long time.
Reeve makes one mistake. He tells his crew to drill.
The moment the bit touches that ancient shell, a pulse goes out. Somewhere far beyond human space, something old and patient opens its eyes. A silent vessel shifts course through systems no human has ever charted, and another faction, older and far less forgiving, is already closing in.
For centuries, humanity believed it was alone. It wasn't. It was simply beneath notice.
Reeve came out here to catalog rocks. Instead, he has stumbled onto a galaxy-spanning network that was buried for a reason, and every ancient power that still remembers why is moving to claim it first.
Humanity has just stepped onto the galactic stage. And the galaxy has been waiting.
Then object four fifty-three rolls across his display. Its surface reads like ordinary nickel-iron. Its core says something else entirely. Whatever is buried inside that asteroid has been waiting a very long time.
Reeve makes one mistake. He tells his crew to drill.
The moment the bit touches that ancient shell, a pulse goes out. Somewhere far beyond human space, something old and patient opens its eyes. A silent vessel shifts course through systems no human has ever charted, and another faction, older and far less forgiving, is already closing in.
For centuries, humanity believed it was alone. It wasn't. It was simply beneath notice.
Reeve came out here to catalog rocks. Instead, he has stumbled onto a galaxy-spanning network that was buried for a reason, and every ancient power that still remembers why is moving to claim it first.
Humanity has just stepped onto the galactic stage. And the galaxy has been waiting.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 7, 2026
About the author
John Walker
1,070 books182 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 11, 2026
For fans of Arthur C Clarke
This is intelligent SCIENCE fiction, thought provoking first contact where suspense keeps building and building during a strategic cat and mouse game where the survival of humanity is at stake interspersed with space battles from a separate alien force. These authors understand human nature, the good and the bad, on which we will be judged. I cannot wait for the next book to continue the story!
This is intelligent SCIENCE fiction, thought provoking first contact where suspense keeps building and building during a strategic cat and mouse game where the survival of humanity is at stake interspersed with space battles from a separate alien force. These authors understand human nature, the good and the bad, on which we will be judged. I cannot wait for the next book to continue the story!
May 9, 2026
Qualifying for access to fellowship with something unknown
Reeve, captain of a military survey ship, finds an artifact that is a detection key on an observation network that has been active for a long time. One race that tried to monopolize the network got disqualified. Reeve and his crew have to make clever and thoughtful responses under stress and combat situations. They manage to get to a formal recognition, but the story continues with a temporary hiatus and promising outcomes.
Reeve, captain of a military survey ship, finds an artifact that is a detection key on an observation network that has been active for a long time. One race that tried to monopolize the network got disqualified. Reeve and his crew have to make clever and thoughtful responses under stress and combat situations. They manage to get to a formal recognition, but the story continues with a temporary hiatus and promising outcomes.
June 1, 2026
it was okay
This was an OK book, I know I will not be reading the subsequent stories. The characters really were not that likable, in my opinion. At first, I didn’t understand the story then when I figured out what was going on, I found the cruise ability to extrapolate information astonishing on such small samples. It’s a three star if you don’t read it you haven’t really missed anything.
This was an OK book, I know I will not be reading the subsequent stories. The characters really were not that likable, in my opinion. At first, I didn’t understand the story then when I figured out what was going on, I found the cruise ability to extrapolate information astonishing on such small samples. It’s a three star if you don’t read it you haven’t really missed anything.
May 26, 2026
The idea behind this book is intriguing, but the writing is very distracting. "He had the face of someone who ..." is repeated so often that it became distracting. Sometimes I wondered if this was AI produced. I know some like this book, but I just couldn't get past the overused conventions of the author's writing style.
May 28, 2026
Yes, we listen"
Very interesting take on the "First Contact" scenario. Plenty of action with known but in described antagonists. Character development could be a little stronger in my opinion, but then I can't Wright worth a hill of beans. Descriptions of the unknown objects & aliens(?) is well done.
Very interesting take on the "First Contact" scenario. Plenty of action with known but in described antagonists. Character development could be a little stronger in my opinion, but then I can't Wright worth a hill of beans. Descriptions of the unknown objects & aliens(?) is well done.
May 8, 2026
A new take on first contact...
this story is vastly different and to me, more entertaining on any other book based on first contact that I have ever read.
Hopefully there will be more in the series .
this story is vastly different and to me, more entertaining on any other book based on first contact that I have ever read.
Hopefully there will be more in the series .
May 11, 2026
Good writing,fast paced
I actually loved this book and hope there are at least 1 or 2 more to come. The writing is done well ,there were no dead spots I only
Put the book down to use the bathroom. Please more in this series.
I actually loved this book and hope there are at least 1 or 2 more to come. The writing is done well ,there were no dead spots I only
Put the book down to use the bathroom. Please more in this series.
May 14, 2026
Great Beginning for a new series
.99 what could go wrong! You take a chance on a new series and it pays off! Excellent book. Highly recommend it to any serious ST reader. Hope to see more in the series
.99 what could go wrong! You take a chance on a new series and it pays off! Excellent book. Highly recommend it to any serious ST reader. Hope to see more in the series
May 19, 2026
Review for Dawn of Mankind
It was a little choppy. Events taken out of sequence and jumps in sequence with no bridge as to what happened. Plot interesting but a little tedious. overall not a bad book and had some interesting ideas.
It was a little choppy. Events taken out of sequence and jumps in sequence with no bridge as to what happened. Plot interesting but a little tedious. overall not a bad book and had some interesting ideas.
May 31, 2026
Wispy
Pretty soon the answers out of nowhere start to annoy and it doesn't let up . What happened to defining your books physics then making later events consistent with it?
This is full of characters hard deductions based on nothing!
Pretty soon the answers out of nowhere start to annoy and it doesn't let up . What happened to defining your books physics then making later events consistent with it?
This is full of characters hard deductions based on nothing!
May 31, 2026
Military Syfy at it best
Doing the right thing pays off when a survey ship encounters the ghost of the Founders -the remnants of the intelligence that regulates the known solar system.
Doing the right thing pays off when a survey ship encounters the ghost of the Founders -the remnants of the intelligence that regulates the known solar system.
June 4, 2026
Totally freaking awesome!
I loved that this story was not easy or the usual thing I read. I liked not really knowing what is coming next but liking the reasoning behind everything.
I look forward to more...
I loved that this story was not easy or the usual thing I read. I liked not really knowing what is coming next but liking the reasoning behind everything.
I look forward to more...
May 10, 2026
Great story
Very interesting treatment of first contact. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and characters. I hope this story continues. Thank you
Very interesting treatment of first contact. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and characters. I hope this story continues. Thank you
May 20, 2026
excellent read
An interesting and clever story.well worth a read. The plot is interesting and the concept of the book very good.
An interesting and clever story.well worth a read. The plot is interesting and the concept of the book very good.
May 22, 2026
Very interesting book
A different take on first contact, the ending is definitely open ended. I hope there is a continuing story line. 🤞🤞🤞
A different take on first contact, the ending is definitely open ended. I hope there is a continuing story line. 🤞🤞🤞
May 30, 2026
A bit too long.
A good book to waste a lot of time on. It could have been about 1/4 th as long. Wasted words and wasted time. Not my favorite thing.
A good book to waste a lot of time on. It could have been about 1/4 th as long. Wasted words and wasted time. Not my favorite thing.
June 3, 2026
good
Make a good netflix series this
Something like star trek
But showing how good humans can be
Amongst the idiots
Looking forward to second book
Make a good netflix series this
Something like star trek
But showing how good humans can be
Amongst the idiots
Looking forward to second book
June 5, 2026
Not a book that you can't put down
An interesting concept, almost by accident you find a rock, a large rock floating in far distant space. It turns out this rock has a lot of ancient history locked within it. It has to be a very special rock to keep someone interested in reading this book till it's end.
An interesting concept, almost by accident you find a rock, a large rock floating in far distant space. It turns out this rock has a lot of ancient history locked within it. It has to be a very special rock to keep someone interested in reading this book till it's end.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews