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Draxius Lost
“You need to realize leadership isn’t a sprint. It’s a marathon and a team marathon at that. Even if you’re the fastest, sometimes you have to turn around and come back to help the slower ones. If you show them you care about the team, about them, then you’re all running the same race. That’s when you’ll really see what they can do.”
The clandestine war between the Xen Empire and the Terillian Confederation continues. The Dark Zone—officially called the Neutral Quadrant—is littered with the bodies of countless soldiers from both sides. It is into this wasteland that Lieutenant Emily Martin and her crew set out on a recon mission to investigate a planet they suspect contains an illegal Terillian base. Why have the Terillians violated the Peace Accords, and what are they so desperate to protect? It doesn’t take them long, however, to run into a squad of Terillian fighters. Outmatched and outgunned, Lieutenant Martin and her crew make a desperate gamble for survival, aiming their ruined ship for a crash landing at the planet below.
There the fight for survival takes a vicious turn. It’s not only the Terillians and the inhospitable ecosystem of the planet that Lieutenant Martin must defeat, but also dissent from within her own ranks. Her superior officer has no combat skills and her crew questions Emily’s own leadership—skills both her men and her superior officers report are sorely lacking. With the odds this stacked against her, how can Lieutenant Martin ever possibly survive, much less uncover what the Terillians are hiding?
Lieutenant Emily Martin didn’t become the only female officer ever in the Elite Guard because she thought it would be easy, but this battle could easily prove to be her last.
The clandestine war between the Xen Empire and the Terillian Confederation continues. The Dark Zone—officially called the Neutral Quadrant—is littered with the bodies of countless soldiers from both sides. It is into this wasteland that Lieutenant Emily Martin and her crew set out on a recon mission to investigate a planet they suspect contains an illegal Terillian base. Why have the Terillians violated the Peace Accords, and what are they so desperate to protect? It doesn’t take them long, however, to run into a squad of Terillian fighters. Outmatched and outgunned, Lieutenant Martin and her crew make a desperate gamble for survival, aiming their ruined ship for a crash landing at the planet below.
There the fight for survival takes a vicious turn. It’s not only the Terillians and the inhospitable ecosystem of the planet that Lieutenant Martin must defeat, but also dissent from within her own ranks. Her superior officer has no combat skills and her crew questions Emily’s own leadership—skills both her men and her superior officers report are sorely lacking. With the odds this stacked against her, how can Lieutenant Martin ever possibly survive, much less uncover what the Terillians are hiding?
Lieutenant Emily Martin didn’t become the only female officer ever in the Elite Guard because she thought it would be easy, but this battle could easily prove to be her last.
- GenresScience Fiction
138 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 17, 2015
42 people want to read
About the author
Brian Dorsey
23 books78 followersBrian Dorsey is a retired Naval Officer and writer of horror, science fiction, and fantasy books, comics, and screenplays.
www.mountaineerwest.com
www.mountaineerwest.com
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 21, 2015
I could not wait to read Draxius Lost and have to say it was absolutely fantastic!
A "coming-of-age" story revolving around Emily Martin, it concentrates on her early days as a Lieutenant. One of the things I found fascinating was the realism Brian brings to the military situations in his stories. I have no doubt that being a Veteran of the Navy and serving in both non-commissioned and commissioned roles allows him to write these parts so effectively. As a veteran myself, I was taken back to my time in the service and was able to relate to the story on a personal level. I think it's safe to say that I have known some of the characters in Brian's story.
The story is just wonderful and really serves as an excellent backstory to a character that has become quite popular among readers. It's a real treat to see Emily Martin's beginnings within the service - the leadership thrust upon her and the situations in which finds herself. There are moments of sheer terror as well as heartbreak. I found myself getting emotionally invested in this story, which is a rare thing for me.
Even if you haven't read Gateway (yet), I highly recommend reading Draxius Lost.
A "coming-of-age" story revolving around Emily Martin, it concentrates on her early days as a Lieutenant. One of the things I found fascinating was the realism Brian brings to the military situations in his stories. I have no doubt that being a Veteran of the Navy and serving in both non-commissioned and commissioned roles allows him to write these parts so effectively. As a veteran myself, I was taken back to my time in the service and was able to relate to the story on a personal level. I think it's safe to say that I have known some of the characters in Brian's story.
The story is just wonderful and really serves as an excellent backstory to a character that has become quite popular among readers. It's a real treat to see Emily Martin's beginnings within the service - the leadership thrust upon her and the situations in which finds herself. There are moments of sheer terror as well as heartbreak. I found myself getting emotionally invested in this story, which is a rare thing for me.
Even if you haven't read Gateway (yet), I highly recommend reading Draxius Lost.
May 7, 2016
Excellent space opera, with an additional focus on leadership. Veteran NCO has to take the ego out of Lt. Emily Martin, who is all action but short on human understanding. It takes the NCO two books (including the follow on book Draxius Redeemed) to knock some leadership into her, with a bit of final polish from her commanding officer (Major Stone), the hero of an earlier book.
May 20, 2015
I was delighted to see that Brian Dorsey brought back Emily Martin—a truly fascinating character—someone who is well worthy of her own book. A prequel was an excellent way to give readers a more robust understanding of Emily’s character and motives. It was wonderful to see her personal development via snapshots of who she was then in this book, and the factors that molded her into who she is now.
In terms of writing style, Dorsey does not disappoint. His descriptions are both vivid and precise—he tells you exactly as much as you need to know in order to from a complete picture of the world, and not one word more. The battle scenes had me at the edge of my seat for as long as they lasted.
We return to the Neutral Quadrant (also known as the Dark Zone), which is basically a demilitarized zone that separates the Xen Empire and the Terillian Confederation. While the Peace Accords may have officially ended a majority of the hostilities related to long-running war between them, both sides are still conducting a clandestine war in the Dark Zone.
Unlike in Gateway, when we see Emily as a seasoned leader, in Draxius Lost, her leadership abilities are bumbling and uncertain. She struggles to reconcile her harsh personal standards with the perceived failings of her men. On the one hand, she never asks them to perform tasks that she herself is either unable or unwilling to complete, but at the same time she is forced to recognize that they are fallible men with their own strengths and weaknesses.
In Draxius Lost, we see Emily tested from all sides. Her leadership abilities are openly questioned—both from people under her command and people who command her—and the glaring societal inequities (namely, the difference between how commoners and members of the First Families are treated) that she rails against are once again thrown in her face in a very obvious way. Without giving too much away, there is also a space battle—one that does not go as favorably as Emily would have hoped, and leads to new challenges that test Emily’s mettle.
Because this book is a prequel and we already know Emily survived whatever trials she faces in Draxius Lost (sorry, no spoilers!), it would be easy for the tension to dissipate throughout the course of the novel. It is to his credit that Dorsey does not allow his readers to fall into this trap. The stakes remain very high throughout the novel and, in fact, continue to build right through the final page.
I tore through this book in a matter of hours, and I’m already eagerly awaiting his novel, which is scheduled to come out this fall. Given all the work that goes into writing a novel, that is actually a pretty fast turnaround, but it’s still longer than I want to wait.
Since this novel is so short, readers may feel tempted to feel cheated, like it isn’t worth their money. One word of advice—don’t. This book is well worth every penny, and then some.
In terms of writing style, Dorsey does not disappoint. His descriptions are both vivid and precise—he tells you exactly as much as you need to know in order to from a complete picture of the world, and not one word more. The battle scenes had me at the edge of my seat for as long as they lasted.
We return to the Neutral Quadrant (also known as the Dark Zone), which is basically a demilitarized zone that separates the Xen Empire and the Terillian Confederation. While the Peace Accords may have officially ended a majority of the hostilities related to long-running war between them, both sides are still conducting a clandestine war in the Dark Zone.
Unlike in Gateway, when we see Emily as a seasoned leader, in Draxius Lost, her leadership abilities are bumbling and uncertain. She struggles to reconcile her harsh personal standards with the perceived failings of her men. On the one hand, she never asks them to perform tasks that she herself is either unable or unwilling to complete, but at the same time she is forced to recognize that they are fallible men with their own strengths and weaknesses.
In Draxius Lost, we see Emily tested from all sides. Her leadership abilities are openly questioned—both from people under her command and people who command her—and the glaring societal inequities (namely, the difference between how commoners and members of the First Families are treated) that she rails against are once again thrown in her face in a very obvious way. Without giving too much away, there is also a space battle—one that does not go as favorably as Emily would have hoped, and leads to new challenges that test Emily’s mettle.
Because this book is a prequel and we already know Emily survived whatever trials she faces in Draxius Lost (sorry, no spoilers!), it would be easy for the tension to dissipate throughout the course of the novel. It is to his credit that Dorsey does not allow his readers to fall into this trap. The stakes remain very high throughout the novel and, in fact, continue to build right through the final page.
I tore through this book in a matter of hours, and I’m already eagerly awaiting his novel, which is scheduled to come out this fall. Given all the work that goes into writing a novel, that is actually a pretty fast turnaround, but it’s still longer than I want to wait.
Since this novel is so short, readers may feel tempted to feel cheated, like it isn’t worth their money. One word of advice—don’t. This book is well worth every penny, and then some.
May 22, 2015
This story was a short and sweet little addition to the Gateway series where we were originally introduced to the character of Emily Martin. I loved this little side story where we get to find out more about her character. I only wish now that it was longer and I'm seriously hoping there will be more. For me, this character steals the show and I just love that the author, through this book, has shown us a young, stubborn, fallible, slightly volatile Emily Martin. Too often the hero's/heroines of a story are perfect from the get-go. I love how other characters in the story see potential in her but have trouble getting through or molding the stubborn and reactive nature that comes with trying to prove one self, especially in youth. There was a slight hint at romance/lust, which I really didn't want to acknowledge because the whole military part of the story was so well written. I always have trouble flipping back and forth between the toughness and the tenderness. Especially in a short story where there is not a lot of lead up. Other than that and the ending which left me wanting much, much more, I loved this short story and I'm really looking forward to the next in the Gateway series and hope we get to see a lot more of Emily Martin and her trials, tribulations, and growth as an awesome character.
November 28, 2015
Its official: Another reader snagged for life. Oh dear. Bye wallet.
Please note, I am biased when it comes to military sci fi.
I know I am horrible when it comes to reviews. Most times Ill leave feedback usually when yet another writer has gained access to my bank account for life.
Darn it all! Goodreads...the site that will drive me into the poorer house.
Please note, I am biased when it comes to military sci fi.
I know I am horrible when it comes to reviews. Most times Ill leave feedback usually when yet another writer has gained access to my bank account for life.
Darn it all! Goodreads...the site that will drive me into the poorer house.
June 4, 2015
I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. Fantastic writing!!!
August 24, 2015
Emily Martin is a badass. Good action. If you liked Gateway, this is a great companion!
June 9, 2015
Amazing story! I couldn't put it down! Lieutenant Emily Martin is such a strong character and this story just highlighted her strengths and awesomeness! Highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews