Trident's Forge

Children of a Dead Earth #2

by Patrick S. Tomlinson

Humans have arrived on Tau Ceti G, their new home - but it was already inhabited by the g'tel. The first offical meeting ceremony between humans and the g'tel ends in disaster, with deaths on each side. Now Constable Benson is brought out of retirement and paired with a g'tel 'truth-digger' to crack the case so the humans and g'tel have a chance to learn to live together.

Genres: Science Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Aliens, Fantasy, Space, Audiobook

526 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 2, 2016

About the author

Patrick S. Tomlinson lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his wife, a menagerie of houseplants in varying levels of health, a Mustang, and a Triumph motorcycle bought specifically to embarrass and infuriate Harley riders. When not writing sci-fi and fantasy novels and short stories, Patrick is busy developing his other passion for writing and performing stand-up comedy in the Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago scenes.

Reviews

[MadProfessah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in The Children of the Dead Earth series. I really loved the first book, "The Ark" because it was a fast-paced, funny mash-up of mystery-thriller and post-apocalyptic science fiction. It's sequel "Trident's Forge" is a very different book, but with several familiar characters from the first book: Bryan Benson, his wife Teresa, their former nemesis Chao Feng, and Bryan's sidekick Pavel Korolev.

"Trident's Forge" is set three years after the events of "The Ark" and now humanity is settling down to surviving on the planet Gaia. The planet is inhabited by aliens the humans call Atlantians. I didn't get a good image of the aliens in my mind's eye but one interesting move by the author is to give us point-of-view chapters from one of the alien's perspective. The alien's name is Kexx and because the alien's have three genders (although this is not really fully explained) Kexx uses the pronouns ze and zer instead of she/he and his/her to describe his fellow Atlantians.

Tomlinson has a way of combining action scenes with comedic situations that remind me of John Scalzi (Redshirts) and Wesley Chu (Rebirths of Tao). I don't know if this is a compliment or a dis (your mileage may vary) but I intend it as a positive recommendation.

The reason why I loved The Ark so much was that the stakes for the characters were so high ( all of humanity is on one ship and the villains want to blow it up with nukes!) and one doesn't get that level of tension here. Yes, Benson is put in one incredibly dangerous situation after the other (and is actually declared dead at one point when his heart stops) but I never believed for a second that the Zero Hero would bite the dust. Thus I think Tomlinson needed to find dramatic tension in different ways and he truer to depict it in the political situation at Shambhala, the main colony city for the former Ark residents, after a surprising assassination.

The best part of the book is the interactions between Benson and the aliens as they uncover a sinister plot to exploit the planet and learn to cooperate in order to survive against common enemies.

I do love mash-ups, and "Trident's Forge" has a plot melange combining first-contact, frontier intrigue, colony politics, fast-paced action and some (minimal) mystery/thriller elements. I am looking forward to the third book in the series, I hope it is set far enough in the future that maybe Benson is no longer the main character but that we do get a resolution about whether the black hole that destroyed the Earth was a deliberate act and if so, get to meet those aliens. Now that would be raising the stakes!

4.25 STARS.

[John Purvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Trident’s Forge” eBook was published in 2016 (April) and was written by Patrick S. Tomlinson (http://www.patrickstomlinson.com/). This is the second in his “Children of a Dead Earth” series.

I received a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. This Science Fiction novel is set in a far future. Humanity has had to flee Earth and have voyaged for generations to reach their new home around Tau Ceti.

It has been three years since the colonists arrived at Tau Ceti G. The human colony is thriving, but there is some unrest. When it is discovered that a few have broken away, building a ship and sailing to another of the planet’s continents, those in control feel that a mission must be sent.

The local intelligent humanoid species inhabits the other continent and first contact has been made, but not as they had planned. Bryan Benson, who was the hero that saved the colony ship in the first volume of the series “The Ark”, is volunteered to accompany the small group hoping to establish relations with the natives.

They are there only a short time when the village they are visiting is attacked. They barely are able to fight off the unknown warriors. A coalition force of natives and humans is assembled and sets out to find out who attacked and why. They set off across land into unexplored territory. They are threatened repeatedly along the way.

While this is happening, Benson’s wife and now chief of police, Theresa, is dealing with further unrest in the human settlement. They both slowly become aware that they are being manipulated by powerful humans.


I spent just under 11 hours reading this 448 page book. I thought it was a good Science Fiction novel and extended the story ark of the series. I give this novel a 4.4 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

[Sarah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another exciting story in this series! The last third of this book was thrills, close calls, big twists and endless action. It was just like a movie! And just like a movie it had a huge monumental scene at the climax too..! What more could you want?

And reading this, near the end it made me remember what had happened to Earth. And I am wondering if we will learn anything about that in the 3rd book ? I guess we may not as the characters in here do not know as they are all descendants of the people who had managed to get out on the Ark on that one way space voyage to Gaia in the Tau Ceti System. But then maybe the answer to that would be just too gloomy...but I do wonder. A few characters in here seem to think that "they" are still out there. But who are "they" if they even exist?

I do hope the author covers that as its just too big to just leave hanging!

So this was quite the fast paced adventure. And the danger in here was varied and came multiple times in many different forms. And Benson is back being a Detective again instead of being the Chief of Recreation. They have American Football again! But then trouble breaks out so the football drills have to be put on hold. And soon Benson is on a shuttlecraft flying across the ocean to go to the village of the native aliens. And there he meets his counterpart, the Truth-Digger Kexx. Together the two must work together to unravel a horrid scheme against both of their peoples.

I did notice a little lull near the middle of the book where the story slowed a tad but it quickly picked up again and then it was truly electrifying! Things were moving at breakneck speed and the danger was explosive! Very literally too.

Like the original book, I liked the characters in here. They are all so well written they seem so real. And you get to know them. And care for them. Benson is the hero and is willing to go to incredible lengths to solve the case and save lives. And he has the needed skills to do so. But the enemies in here are powerful too.

There were a few things at the very end of this one that actually surprised - no shocked me! It came totally out of left field as they say. And I wonder how these new sudden unexpected developments will affect the third book? At the moment I cannot say.

The aliens in here are well created. I just wish that they are described better - and the other animals they have too - so I can better understand what they look like. In fact a drawing would be even better!

The writing in here is so vivid that while reading this I had a few brief flashes of mental images from other movies I had seen. Normally I cannot "see" anything due to aphantasia. But I had a few memories pop up. Very rare indeed! But boy oh boy that last third of this book was some real dynamite!

This book does have a short story at the very end. "Last Launch". While I read it and I know how it connects to the story in The Ark I really didn't find myself interested in it at all. I only want to read about Benson and the current characters if that makes sense?

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

*copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review*

Trident’s Forge is the second in Patrick S. Tomlinson’s “Children of a Dead Earth” series. The first, The Ark, was a rather clever murder mystery, with some decent characterisation and a top-notch setting, so the sequel had a fair amount to live up to. Despite, or perhaps due to, being distinct from its predecessor in many ways, Trident’s Forge does rather well.

Where The Ark was set in the tight confines of a generation ship, this sequel takes place on the planet to which that ship was heading. The author manages to capture the sense of fear and wonder felt by the new colonists as they break ground. There’s new plants, new animals, and the feeling of a collective leap into the unknown is pervasive through those parts of the text. This is a new world, and it has the potential to be welcoming – or deadly. The highlight though, are the other inhabitants. Loose limbed, with shifting-coloured skin and headcrests, they certainly seem rather strange. There’s a degree of familiarity which grows up over the course of the text, but enough reminders of cultural distinctions are left in place to remind the reader that these are, well, aliens. They’re a well realised, unfamiliar brood, with some interesting social characteristics, which are explored sufficiently to emphasise the exotic – it would have been nice to get into the alien society a little more, but what’s there is well done in any event. It’s a cleverly crafted, plausible but alien society on a mostly familiar world with strangeness floating at the edges – all good stuff.

Most of the characters are familiar from the first book in the series. Benson, the detective-and-sports-icon returns, as does his one-time subordinate, now wife, and a host of other familiar faces. Benson spends a fair amount of time being a combination of sarcastic, clumsy and heroic. That works rather well, and is quite an entertaining read; it also masks a few quieter changes in his character. This is an ever-so-slightly more cautious Benson, with perhaps a little more humility. There’s a sense of a man shaped by the events of the last book, one who has had to grab on to a certain amount of maturity in order to continue to function. It’s subtle stuff, in between the laughter, the quick thinking and the gunfights, but it’s good to see.

Equally as intriguing is Kexx, the indigenous equivalent to, well, Benson. An analytical thinker, with a good ear for languages and a long streak of tenacity, they’re an excellent window into the indigenous social customs, expectations, and the surrounding geography. There’s also the wonderful opportunity to look at humanity from the outside, and it’s taken advantage of fully. Watching Kexx, and the rest of the indigenes, deal with the arrival of humanity is fascinating. There’s those who would worship them, those that will go along to get along, and those working with different levels of suspicion and prejudice. This parallels, of course, the reactions of humanity to the aliens themselves. Watching the shift in attitudes between the factions on both sides over the course of the book allows for an undercurrent in the narrative about the broader issues of colonisation, invasion, cultural hegemony, and so on; it’s not trying to hit you over the head, but it gives an additional layer to an otherwise entertaining and thought-provoking conflict of societies.

The plot – well, I won’t spoil it. It kicks off with something of a bang, and slowly ratchets the tension up over the course of the book. There’s some explosive action scenes, which are excellently paced and well drawn – my heart was in my mouth more than once. There’s a fair amount of witty banter and character pieces to break things up, and add some context to the explosions. There’s quite a lot of investigative work going on here as well – it’s not the same locked room feel as The Ark, but there’s a sense of adventure and exploration in the air, alongside the scent of murder.

Anyway – is it worth reading? If you read the first in the series, I’d say yes. Benson is an entertaining protagonist, and he’s surrounded by an interesting world, with an intriguing investigation, the occasional gunfight, and a supporting cast who have enough depth to feel human. If you’ve not tried The Ark, I’d start there first – but come back to this one, it’ll reward your effort.

[Dominic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done sequel to The Ark. I was looking forward to seeing how Patrick S. Tomlinson handled the new species on Atlantis. They were complex, unique beings different from humans in diverse ways while still maintaining the capacity for empathy and compassion as an intelligent species. Humans and Atlanteans had their strengths and weaknesses without one dominating the other and still able to teach and learn from each other to be a stronger whole living symbiotically on Atlantis.

Even though humans chose the best of the best to embark on their journey to a new world aboard The Ark the lust for power still lurks under the surface. Of course, Benson, to the chagrin of Theresa his wife the head constable, lands smack dab in the middle of it. Humans and the Atlanteans have barely met each other when they are thrust into the subterfuge of the desire to control the planet.

I do want to thank Mr. Tomlinson for putting a chapter where Devorah makes an appearance. She is by far my most favorite character.

[Daniel Ruffolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trident’s Forge is the second novel in the Children of a Dead Earth series by American author and stand-up comedian Patrick S. Tomlinson. While I once again didn't realise an Angry Robot Books novel was a sequel and not a first book, I had no trouble picking up and following this interesting and engaging action-mystery. While it was just tropey enough to occasionally make me shake my head, the interesting world, the well-paced plot and engaging protagonist more than made up for it. A solid read, and one I definitely recommend.

Full Review At
http://strangecurrencies.org/2016/02/...

[Books In Brogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another amazing story with all the twists and turns I've come to expect from Patrick S. Tomlinson.  With a great mix of science fiction, action and mystery it is wonderfully written and it's not "world" building but as the author said it's "race building",  so don't miss out on the turbulent ups and downs that had me undeniably hooked throughout the entire thing.

 

This review was originally posted on Books In Brogan

[Katherine Hunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is book 2 in a trilogy. The ark has reached it's destination and the inhabitants are rebuilding human civilization and doing reasonable things like having a mandatory retirement age for irreplaceable people and eating anything alien that they find growing around. Aliens talk like college students with pithy phrases like "No shit" and "No fucking way." So, you know, not a great book.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I was able to read an electronic advance reader's copy of this through Netgalley. I don't think it affected my review.

Humanity has finally arrived at its new home... for more than two centuries, after Earth was destroyed by a black hole, all of humanity was aboard a generation ship that managed to escape. Now that they've arrived, they can start rebuilding and some of the old rules fall away... but humanity isn't alone on this world, it's also inhabited by the G'Tel, a humanoid race at a more limited stage of technological development. When a diplomatic meeting goes tragically wrong, Bryan Benson teams up with a truthseeker of the G'Tel to find out what exactly happened.

This is a sequel to last year's The Ark, which was the author's first published novel, and it's intended to be part of an ongoing series. These days both situations (an author's second book, and the second book in a series) carry almost of an expectation of disappointment, the so-called sophomore slump. There are many reasons for this... one simple one is that an author typically has years to work on their first book, but has to, comparatively, rush out the second so they can capitalize on their brand-new name recognition or avoid keeping fans waiting.

So does this book suffer from a sophomore slump? Unfortunately, yes, but not to a fatal degree. It's still largely enjoyable, does a few things better and is more ambitious in a couple ways, but it just wasn't as good as the first.

The ambitiousness, while not a flaw, may be part of the reason it wasn't quite as impressive. When you do something really well, and then try something quite a bit harder, even if you don't outright stumble it can come off looking a little rougher of a performance. That's the case with the worldbuilding. In the first book, the author really sold the setting, a generation starship. It felt authentic, that anything unusual about the way people behaved or what was possible flowed naturally from that premise.

In this book, Tomlinson tackles the much harder task of creating a planet and an alien race. And it's broadly done well... or at least the aliens are done well. The planet, I'm afraid... I got very little sense of it being all that much different than Earth with a few different species on it. While there might have been occasional references to differences in say, gravity or the composition of atmosphere, I never really FELT them. Plants were edible (although occasionally not quite as edible), there were no unusual pests I could recall, and weather never felt like much of an issue.

The aliens, though, a lot of thought did go into them, and there were a few nice moments where their alien biology and culture intersected in ways that could make them horrifying or incomprehensible to most people, which is a great trick when you can pull it off. But on the whole the aliens weren't all that different from types aliens I've read in SF before, maybe some details were interesting but they fell into some standard tropes. They aren't going to make it in any of my lists of favorite alien races. And there were a few times where some of the behind-the-scenes craft of writing was more obvious, where it seemed like the reason that the aliens had certain physiological or behavioral differences was because it drove the plot in a specific way. This is of course to be expected, but ideally the reader doesn't notice that it's being structured. And there were a few times where something just felt off, like when an alien, who largely use their bioluminescent skin to indicate emotions, "smirked."

The first book mostly (possibly exclusively, I can't remember) followed the perspective of Detective Bryan Benson. In this book, the author again goes the more ambitious route and has three major viewpoints, Benson, his wife (and also police chief), and one of the G'Tel. Largely this is a good move, a crash course in the alien culture from the inside, and a good way to break away from the action in one scene and jump somewhere else. I actually found Esa's investigation back home more interesting a lot of the time (although sometimes I felt the author was succumbing to the urge to tell the reader how awesome Bryan Benson is by having his wife think he's just the best except for a few heroic flaws). The other two characters spent a good deal of their time in the same place, so it lead to the occasional feeling that the perspective was shifting for no other reason than that it was the other character's "turn," which again is one of those little things that pulled me out of experiencing the story by reminding me that it was, in fact, structured and written by a person.

Other than these authorial "stretch-marks", the book's characterization, plotting, pace, and other such basic requirements fit into the same "pretty good" quality of the first one. I think it might have been a little lighter on the humor, which might be a plus or a minus to different people... for me, it was a small disappointment, but I'd much rather it be not quite as funny than being too played for laughs. But, most importantly, the book was fun and I was interested in what was happening all the way through. Although I only rated it three stars, it's on the high end of three stars, and I liked it enough that not only do I see myself continuing on to the third book when it comes out, but also going one better... I read this book for free, and electronically, but I'm a physical book man, so I think I'm going to buy a copy of it to keep with the first. Granted, the fact that it's released in paperback form first rather than starting with hardcover makes this decision a lot easier, but still, I think it's going to be one of those series I reread again when I want something that's readable, fun and yet still at it's core good science fiction.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This turned out to be a pretty good story.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received via Angry Robot Books in exchange for an completely unbiased review.
Also posted on Silk & Serif

The Ark, a massive space shuttle outfitted to harbor thirty thousands souls away from a dying Earth in the hopes of finding a new home world, has arrived at a suitable planet. The residents of the Ark have begun to build a new colony by the sea on this strange planet inhabited by strange creatures called the G'tel. The G'tel have called the Tau Ceti G home for generations and have a primitive social structure based on gods and ritual rather than logic and technology. The two very different cultures are bound to clash - and do - when the first official greeting ceremony for humans is interrupted with violence that causes losses for both species. Bryan Benson, ex-detective and current football coach, teams up with an alien 'turth-digger' Kexx in order to bring those culpable to justice. Benson is thrust into an alien landscape with interstellar strangers whom he must trust to keep him alive while he proves that his colony is not to blame for the grisly greeting ceremony slaughter.

Meanwhile, the Cheif of Police and Bensons wife, Theresa, is dealing with violent outbursts within the human colony. The general populace suddenly wants to wipe out the G'tel, whom they claim, are dangerous species bent on war with the humans. In a rush to ensure that the colony remains peaceful with their new neighbours, Theresa uncovers a plot to manipulate the populace to commit genocide.

Guys, I don't even know where to start with this one. I requested Trident's Forge from NetGalley without really knowing what to expect. I'd never read Patrick S. Tomlinson before and I certainly wasn't sure how the plot would go, but thankfully I decided to take a chance. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself immersed into a world of strange beings, deep questions about the dishonesty of humanity, a whodunit mystery supported by a strong cast of characters.

The G'tel is a cleverly crafted, plausible but alien society that exists on a world that is, for the most part, familiar to humans.

I have always enjoyed science fiction because of the pure creativity that goes into creating new worlds, cultures and species. The entire spirit of science fiction is one that allows anything to be possible - entire worlds can be created and entire cultures can be developed no matter how implausible they seem. Tomlinson obviously did plenty of research to develop the G'tel: a species composed of loose limbs, headcress and shifting-coloured skin for communication. These elements of biology in the G'tel are both foreign and familiar in our current world's animal populations and yet, at their very core, the G'tel have similar drives and motivations as humans: love, loss and honor. In the end, the G'tel are an unfamiliar civilization, with some interesting social characteristics, which are explored sufficiently to emphasize the exotic while illuminating the key qualities that make us human.

Trident's Forge is a fast action science fiction novel that doesn't disappoint with strong characters that continue to develop as they begin to understand their new, alien neighbours. This novel is also exceptionally good at creating interesting mysteries that span a continent and that initially appear to be completely unrelated. In the end, Trident's Forge is an exciting second installment of what appears to be a fantastic series. I am definitely looking forward to book three of the Children of a Dead Earth series!

Trident's Forge is a well written novel that kept me obsessively reading until the last page.

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy science fiction, whodunit mysteries, action and adventure and first contact novels. I would definitely recommend reading Trident's Forge if you're in the mood to read something unique and exceptionally well written. It's not required to read The Ark, book one of the Children of a Dead Earth series, as Trident's Forge is a book that can be consumed as a stand alone.

[Judy Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Angry Robot Books.

Yahoo, all you lovers of space opera escapism gather round. May I present the second book in the Children of a Dead Earth series, "Trident's Forge". I don't know how many of you will have the slightest concept of what I'm talking about, but this book is pure Buck Rogers! On Saturday afternoons we oldsters (who were then youngsters) would take our allowance money and walk (by ourselves even!) to the movie. If we were very fortunate we got to see the "next" thrilling space adventure episode of Buck Rogers. After some years had passed there was a Buck Rogers series on television. Both good, both not-to-be-missed because they were about SPACE adventure! Golly! Gee! Wow!

As I was reading this novel I could almost smell the popcorn and hear all the kids yelling for Buck to look behind him because the aliens were coming to get him. The humans in this book are almost three hundred years removed from a destroyed Earth. In the first book they had to deal with the results of a madman who killed thousands of the people living contentedly in their space station home. New plans had to be made. The Atlantians, looking up into the sky from their planet, saw two new "stars" in their universe, then a slender thread which seemed to move from one star down to their world. So most of the remainder of mankind moved down from the Ark to Tau Ceti G - Gaia, and the colony of Shambhala over the next three years although they are still dependent on the Ark for specific resources. One group of humans, the Unbound, want to be out from under the observation of the remaining colonists and the governing body - they just want to be free - so they plot and plan to secretly go to another portion of the planet to establish themselves. In doing so they encounter the original inhabitants of the planet. The clash of the two cultures would have proceeded well had it not been for the greed of a few.

This is a well conceived world on Gaia and the author has made the aliens different from the humans so that both sides have to work at learning how to cope with each other. The main alien character is called Kexx, a truth-digger, and the G'tel (Atlantians) are non-gender specific. This means that there is no her, him, hers, his but instead ze and zer. My brain didn't particularly like that and it took me quite a while to be able to read over those words quickly and meaningfully. On the human side we have Bryan Benson, the man who saved humanity in book one. What can I say about Bryan? He's a fighter, a born leader of people and as much of a common man as you can be when everything you do turns you into more and more of an heroic figure. But don't get me wrong, Bryan doesn't get a big head, he just leads by example. The language barrier between the two groups of people is solved in several ingenuous ways, one of which is by the humans having a "plant" which is a computer that sort of helps them over rough patches. Now this really did bother me because my stopping and saying What? could have been completely done away with if Mr. Tomlinson had just called it an "implant". I got a little lost sometimes. However, this story started out not being my kind of thing at all but it grew on me the more I read until I thoroughly enjoyed it. My tongue still wedges very firmly in my cheek whenever I think about the story.

[Crittermom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humans may have discovered how to live together in peace during their time on the Ark. but that doesn’t mean that human vices, particularly greed, have been extinguished.  

Bryan Benson saved humanity once already.  Now the denizens of the Ark are settling on Tau Ceti G, building a colony which will hopefully thrive.  The natives of the planet, the G’tel are sentient and have their own civilization.   When circumstance mandates first contact between the humans and the g’tel, the situation goes drastically awry.  An unknown group of natives attacks both the humans and the villagers hosting them.  Many on both sides are killed. Suspiciously, the leader of the team, the head of the colony, dies suddenly after being in stable condition throughout the return to the colony.  Voices decry the need to attack and eliminate the G’tel.

Bryan Benson decides to stay with the G’tel and investigate alongside their truth-digger Kexx.  If they can’t discover who plotted the attack, a war is likely to occur, a war the G-tel have little hope of surviving. 

The investigation takes place on two fronts.  Bryan’s wife, the new chief of security is examining the roots of the conspiracy at home.  Old enemies become new allies in the hopes of finding the truth.

Trident’s Forge is an impressive follow-up to The Ark.  Both are riveting page-turners combining mystery and adventure.  Patrick Tomlinson does an amazing job in his creation of the G’tel, their bodies, culture, and language.  I can’t wait to see what will be in the third book of his trilogy.

5/5

Trident’s Forge is available for preorder and will be released April 5, 2016.

I received a copy of Trident’s Forge from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

—Crittermom

[Glennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is set a few years after the first book but for the most part if you pick this one up in error and start first you will pick up the background without any problems. Benson is no longer a police officer but since he is a hero to many he is drafted to go with several other people to deal with a first contact with the natives of Atlantis that wasn’t supposed to happen but did thanks to the separatists that snuck away and made a village near them. Most people are worried about the one group warning the aliens against the others with examples of our past but it doesn’t seem to be the case. When a gathering of the tribes is called to let everyone know of the Earthlings then things go down the tubes quickly.

Benson and a native truth digger set out with others to find out who and why the gathering was attacked. And of course things are not what they seem there and problems back at the colony’s first city keep all the action moving quickly. This was a good read and I’ll be looking for the next book when it comes out.
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley

[Krista-lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only disappointment I have is that I have now finished the book and the third one isn't out yet. This story kept me up well into the night with all the the exiting action, but spoiler, ended on a little bit of a cheesy note. I mean, I giggled and loved it and it was the perfect ending, but I hope Patrick realizes that he needs to write a book about the newly formed Benson family now, because I need to know. How do Atlantians grow up? What do they eat? Oh, and a chapter or two on those transitions would be nice too ;)

[Syndi Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was the lucky winner of a copy of this book as a goodreads win. i loved the storyline. a sci/fi action adventure between humans and aliens with a bit of romance thrown in. it is well written and easy to follow and quite detailed. the characters are very real and the story ties together nicely. i recommend reading "the ark" which is part one first, although it is not necessary to understand trident's forge just more indepth for the background of the story. i look forward to a part three. syndi

[Patrick Tomlinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my "totally not biased by the fact I wrote it" opinion, this one is even better than THE ARK. I'm really glad I had another chance to dig more deeply into characters that I've grown to know and appreciate over the last couple years, and to add in some new and exciting names as well. Also, the chance to create an alien race from scratch was pretty awesome, so there's that.

[Dale Rosso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 2nd story starts several years after the children of Earth have made planet fall and are well into building their new home. Once I started it, I found it hard to put down and had to finish it to see who was guilty and how the rebels against the established government of the new city were going to fare.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Fair.

Just a passable story, but in the end not worth the seven dollars paid, nor the seven dollars to read the next installment.

Garden variety noble savages misled by greedy immoral humans saved by the dauntless yet flawed good guy. Ze have been there, Ze have done that.

[Aly White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is as awesome as the first one. I got sucked in and just couldn't put it down. Very well written! The added short story was a great addition. I hope to see more books in this series in the future!!

[David Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, solid book with plenty of humor and a few surprises.

[Nils · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, this sequel felt a lot less promising than the first book, but once it got going it was just as enjoyable. Curious where it'll go from here. Slightly better cover, thank the almighty.

[Martin Willoughby · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent follow up to The Ark. Now down on the planet, Humanity faces another problem. Itself.

[Mal Warwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ark has arrived at Tau Ceti g after a voyage of 235 years. The 30,000 clones who have survived the harrowing journey to this planet they call Gaia represent the eleventh generation since the Ark‘s departure from Earth. They are the remnants of humanity after a wandering black hole swallowed the planets of the solar system. And now, shortly after their arrival, conflict arises with the local inhabitants all the while the humans’ new city, Shambhala, rises on the surface. Bryan Benson, former chief constable of the Ark and a sports hero, once again finds himself facing down the powerful forces who would seize power and the lion’s share of the community’s wealth. In Trident’s Forge, Patrick Tomlinson has written a mash-up of science fiction and mystery to weave a gripping adventure tale.

A bipedal race that communicates with sound and light

Of course, there weren’t supposed to be any local inhabitants. Only on close approach to their new planetary home did the Ark‘s instruments detect the evidence that an intelligent race was building a preindustrial civilization there. And while they appear radically different to human eyes, the two species do, in fact, share important characteristics. The G’tel walk upright on two legs and manipulate tools with two arms that end in hands of four fingers each. However, their limbs are structured around highly flexible ligaments and cartilage rather than bone. And they speak with sound although they communicate as well with shifting patterns of bioluminescence on their naked upper bodies. Bryan and other humans are nonetheless able to speak with them through the translation program in their plants (neural implants).

Of course, the G’tel think and act in ways that are far too similar to human behavior to be believed. But, then, science fiction authors always ask us to suspend disbelief. If you can do that, you may enjoy this novel.

A mashup of science fiction and mystery

Trident’s Forge is, like its prequel, a mashup of science fiction and mystery. Benson is no longer the chief human law enforcement officer—that would be his wife, Theresa, his former deputy—but circumstances force him into undertaking a perilous mission among the G’Tel to unravel what appears to be a conspiracy within the highest reaches of human society. The story is action-packed and suspenseful to a fault. Although the novel lacks the verisimilitude of genuine hard science fiction, Tomlinson does respect the laws of logic following the assumptions on which he bases the tale.

The real (new) world

Tau Ceti is a star much like Sol located 11.9 light-years from Earth, or about 70 trillion miles. It warms at least four planets, of which Gaia holds the innermost orbit.

As NASA notes, “Tau Ceti g is a super Earth exoplanet that orbits a G-type star. Its mass is 1.75 Earths, it takes 20 days to complete one orbit of its star, and is 0.133 AU from its star. Its discovery was announced in 2017.” An AU, or Astronomical Unit, is about 93 million miles, so Gaia’s close-in orbit only about twelve million miles from Tau Ceti would ensure extremely intense light and radiation. And the planet’s size would ensure that gravity is far stronger than on Earth. It is supremely unlikely that anything even remotely resembling human life could exist on Tau Ceti g.

Could Earth’s colonists find conditions more favorable on Tau Ceti h or even conceivably Tau Ceti e? Both are located farther from their star and far less subject to a constant barrage of lethal radiation. However, they’re also both much larger than Earth, so gravity might well pose insurmountable problems there. In fact, astronomers believe it is implausible that any of the star’s four or five exoplanets could harbor life, let alone anything resembling the intelligent life-forms depicted in this novel. But, hey, this is science fiction, so take it as you will.

About the author

Patrick S. Tomlinson reveals little about himself other than through his novels. Here’s how his own website’s bio reads: “Patrick S. Tomlinson lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his wife, a menagerie of houseplants in varying levels of health, a Mustang and a Triumph motorcycle bought specifically to embarrass and infuriate Harley riders. Patrick’s books swing wildly from hard scrabble murder mysteries to mil-spec to the completely ridiculous, but always wrapped in colorful sci-fi trappings. When not writing sci-fi and fantasy novels and short stories, Patrick is busy developing his other passion: writing and performing stand-up comedy in the Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago scenes.” And there are flashes of humor in the dialogue in this novel that suggest Tomlinson might actually be funny.

[Stéphanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Book 1 spoilers included in this review**

Like the first book in the series, this sequel blew me away. I'm always afraid of the sequel slump, but in this case, there's nothing to worry about. It's as if the author introduced us to a completely different world, and in a way, he did. In the first book, The Ark, we travel along with the last of the human race on a large ship, headed for a new planet. In this sequel, the human race has begun colonizing a new planet and making first contact with the native sentient beings.

Trident's Forge is a novel about making first contact with a new species. The Atlantians, as humans are calling this native race, also known as the G'tel are strange amphibian-like beings that are relatively new from an evolutionary stand point. They live in small tribal-like communities with very little in terms of technology, and have developed a faith system that worships a trio of deities. This trinity is really important to them and is a recurring theme in the book.

Oddly enough, this race doesn't really have genders, but it actually takes three beings to procreate; a pair of mates and a breeder. I had a hard time understanding their concept of gender, or lack thereof. The Atlantians don't really have genders. Instead of saying he or she, they say ze. And instead of saying him or her, they say zer. It's very confusing at first, especially when reading from the alien point of view, but the more you read through it, the easier it is to follow. I thought it was a very original approach and I applaud the author for taking the risk.

The hero of the first book, Bryan Benson, is still the main character in this novel. However, instead of being police chief and detective, his official role is as the director of athletic preparedness and recreation. He's also a coach for the new football league, a sport that hasn't been played in over 200 years. However, because of his success in risky and deadly situations and his strong investigative skills, he gets volun-told to be a member of the group that will make first contact with the aliens.

When a welcoming ceremony between humans and atlantians is disrupted by an attack that leads to multiple deaths, blame and fear erases the newly develop trust between the races. Benson and Kexx, an atlantian, are committed to investigating this attack. Kexx, the truth-digger of his tribe is responsible for investigating or finding the truth about anything threatening his tribe. His (or I should really say zer) vast knowledge, and zer ability to stay neutral makes zer an important advisor to the elders and the chief of zer tribe. Benson, as a retired detective, feels like he's obligated to help find the culprits who would wish war between the two races.

Benson and Kexx are similar in many ways and they form an easy friendship. Their respect for one another only grows as they work and fight together. Kexx is envious but hesitant of all the new technology the human race brings. As for Benson, he gains a strong appreciation for the connection the aliens have with their land. This simple friendship is a symbol of a strong future.

I'm really happy Benson and Theresa are still together, and now married instead of having a secret relationship. I guess there was no need for secrecy anymore since Benson retired from the force. Oddly enough, they are separated for most of the book. While Benson is investigating the attack, Theresa, as chief constable, is trying to control the rising tension and protests in the human city after the death of some of their own in the alien attack.

I really enjoyed the way the author combined everything together. It's obviously a sci-fi novel, but it also has mystery, adventure, and action. The author is also very good at keeping things light with humour and camaraderie between characters. I highly recommend this book. Even if it can be read as a stand-alone, it would be a good idea to read the first book. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book. Apparently, it will be set 15 years in the future and I really hope to read more about Benson, his wife Theresa and obviously his new atlantian friends.

[Daniel Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was excellent, just like its predecessor (The Ark). While I learned in the acknowledgements at the end of Trident's Forge that this book series was intended originally just to be a standalone of The Ark, I couldn't tell at all by the body of the work. This is impressive to me, as I imagine it's very hard to write 90%+ of a book to then go back and re-write the ending to allow for continuation. The acknowledgments also clued me in to the fact that Patrick S. Tomlinson, the author intentionally chose a more open and expansive setting for this book than he chose for The Ark. I think this gives his characters more space to breathe and was refreshing. The bottle episode setting of The Ark worked great for the mystery Tomlinson was trying to convey, and I think it was smart of him to adapt his scenery to the type of story he wanted to tell rather than just plodding along in the tracks of the first novel. I won't go into the plot very much because it would be too easy to casually spoil things, but I will say that the expanded setting gives the main characters a distance from each other that wasn't present in the first book. This means they can each have their own agency, allowing them to develop more as characters individually from each other. This let me see aspects of Theresa (who is one of the new viewpoints we are treated to) and Chao Feng that I didn't pick up on in the first book. This also allowed for some very human miscommunication and lack of knowledge of what the others are doing that lends some intensity and believability to the plot. This book - characteristic of Tomlinson - took off fast and never really slowed down. For some books this would leave me feeling windswept and harried, but for this type of go-getter main character it really makes sense. And Tomlinson has done a good job of breaking this up with perspectives from other characters who are less chaotic (Kexx, for example). Speaking of other characters, I thought the author did a good job of creating and portraying the perspectives of alien species trying to comprehend humans. The ending was similarly well-crafted, if quick and dirty. The set up was very elaborate and detailed, and it allowed the quick ending to fit neatly into the story without the book overstaying its welcome. The one thing I wish I had seen in the book was more digging into a piece of information - a spoiler I won't mention - we discover at the end of the 1st book, which is not referenced again until the end of the 2nd. Presumably, it will blossom in the 3rd book, but a little bit of development here would've been awesome. I was very pleased with the second Tomlinson book I've read and will pick up the conclusion to the trilogy whenever I find it.

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

TRIDENT'S FORGE is Book 2 of the engrossing Far Future Science Fiction Trilogy CHILDREN OF A DEAD EARTH. In Book 1, THE ARK, the Generation Ship flying to Tau Ceti star system over the duration of 2.5 centuries, prepares for imminent orbit over their chosen planet, and landing to found a new Colony. (I guess Colonization is intrinsic in human evolution, and apparently Manifest Destiny too.) In TRIDENT'S FORGE, the Tau Ceti Colony has been in existence now for 3 years; the Unbound, the group of independents on the Ark who concealed themselves on the lower levels, eschewing the prenatal brain implants the Ark's test-tube generations all received, have formed their own Village, then 6 months earlier migrated to a Village of a native tribe (yes, Virginia, a sentient species on a planet in Tau Ceti's system, called by the human colonists "Atlantians").

Our Feckless Hero, Bryan Benson, formerly Chief Constable on The Ark, is now Director of Recreation; his wife Theresa is now Chief Constable. A diplomatic mission from the humans' Colony to an Atlantian village (where the Unbound have emigrated) and a meeting with emissaries from other villages suddenly erupts in violence from without, fatalities, and the beginning of unraveling a conspiracy which reaches back in Ark's history and intends to permanently affect this entire planet.

This Trilogy is exciting, adventurous, and highly suspenseful, filled with creatively designed world-building, intriguing aliens, fauna, and flora; and plenty of satisfyingly constructed conspiracies to keep enthralled readers alert and guessing.

[Ralph · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ark has reached its destination and the remainder of the human race is trying to get established in their ne home and to establish relations with the local inhabitants but, there are those from both races that are making things very difficult. The difficulties threaten to destroy efforts of goodwill between the humans and the Alantians and may even destroy one or both races.
Benson has retired from law enforcement but, finds himself drafted into service as the humans' ambassador, diplomat, field marshal, etc. as he tries to save everyone from a costly war. His former lieutenant, now wife, is the new Chief Constable and has her hands full dealing with subterfuge, conspiracies, and betrayal amongst the humans.

As in the previous book, the writing is well done and keeps me turning pages and reading one more chapter when I should be going to sleep. The relationships and interactions between the human characters and the locals is interesting, frequently challenging and, often funny as they try to make sense of one another. Tomlinson tells a good story. Can't wait to see what happens in book #3.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.25 of 5

The last humans from a dead planet Earth have been traveling through space for centuries on an 'ark' but now they've finally arrived at their destination - Tau Ceti. A planet that can support human life. But it also supports the life forms indigenous to the planet and despite trying to live out of sight of the native life it comes as more than a little surprise when one of the natives, Kexx, can speak to them in their own language. Thanks to the implants in the humans, they are able to connect to their ship's computer and get an instant translation from those who can't speak the human language. Except ... the computer would have had to have learned the native language somehow....

Bryan Benson, once a popular sports figure on board the Ark, then the Ark's detective who saved the entire human race, has been in retirement since arriving at Tau Ceti but his services are requested, to work with Kexx and uncover what's happening on the planet. Shortly after arriving, the village is attacked and there are great losses on both sides. Benson almost instantly becomes legend among the natives for his battle skills.

But nothing about this feels 'right.' With Kexx as guide to the way the world (Tau Ceti) works, Benson suspects that there is something going on that has less to do with the locals than it does the humans. The human presence is akin to the serpent in the garden of Eden. And the deeper Benson, and his wife (the chief constable of the human's) probe into this, the worse it looks for the last members of mankind.

This is the second book in the Children of a Dead Earth series, and while it's always best to have read a series from the beginning to pick up on some of the detail, I truly believe that this book could be read as a stand-alone novel. But even if you read this first, you will want to go back and read the first book!

This book is pretty significantly different from book one. Just the setting alone changes things. The action of Book One (The Ark), took place completely on the Ark. This book primarily takes place on a planet, with some action occurring on the ship. But 'action' is the operative word here. This book is full of action with one heroic moment after another and Bryan Benson coming out of it like the action hero he is clearly set up to be.

What author Tomlinson has done particularly well here is his 'alien building.' He gives us a new set of intelligent life unlike anything we've seen before. Primitive but capable of abstract thought that allows them to understand some of what Benson and the humans explain to them.

And with the aliens, we get a unique view of mankind. And to show the wisdom potential of this alien race, we have Kexx reflecting:

And what industry would the humans not immediately come to dominate? Kuul and Tuko were worried about their guns, but Kexx was coming to think the real danger the humans posed was more subtle and wider-reaching than something as blunt as a new weapon.

Pretty good for primitive insight (and foreshadowing).

The mystery that Tomlinson sets up is quite interesting, though breaking it hinges almost solely on one bit of over-sight from an otherwise pretty careful contingent of criminals. The action is nearly non-stop and Bryan Benson is a perfect action hero, throwing himself into battle with reckless abandon and partly through skill and partly through dumb luck, comes out on top time and again. I found I was breathless during some of the more intense action scenes and I was often eager to read on to the next page.

Tomlinson manages to incorporate some aspects of voyagers being on a new world that I don't remember reading before, but would appear to make a lot of sense. The notion of gravity for one. While the Ark had an artificial gravity, a planet is going to have something quite different than what was on a ship.

But also...space (or distance). This moment touched me and helped lend an authentic air to the story:

It was closer to midday by the time the caravan pulled out of the village’s northern gate and pointed down the laser-straight road toward the horizon. Benson’s eyes actually had trouble looking down it. Maybe not his eyes so much as his sense of depth. He’d spent the first thirty-five years of his life inside an artificial habitat only two kilometers long and two kilometers in diameter. Avalon and its twin module Shangri-La were, without a doubt, the largest enclosed spaces ever built by mankind, but they were still miniscule compared to an actual planet. He’d had enough trouble upon landing dealing with an infinite sky, especially after his incident in the EVA pod, but somehow the straight line of the road reaching all the way out to the horizon helped define the distance, fixing it in his mind. The longest street back in Shambhala was less than three kilometers, and he’d watched it built incrementally over the span of three years.

This Atlantian road, by contrast, was many dozens of kilometers long. Some part of his stunted visual cortex told him it was impossible. Benson actually felt a pang of vertigo when he looked down it for too long. Instead, he spent quite a bit of time looking at his shuffling feet.

I would be surprised if there are only two books in the series, so I am quite curious to see where it goes from here, but wherever it is, I hope that I can come along for the ride.

Looking for a good book? Trident's Forge, by Patrick S. Tomlinson is a wild space opera story, full of mystery and plenty of action and makes for an entertaining read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as The Ark but different. This starts 3 years after the Ark arrived at their new home. While The Ark was a locked room mystery this is a first contact story with interesting natives and trouble for our main characters. Some humans just cannot seem to stop showing their worst behavior and greed and greed is at the heart of the story. I loved seeing how Bryan and others were operating in their new home. The natives showed some of the same characteristics as humans but did have their own culture. This was a page turner that was hard to put down. A great second book in the series.