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Commander Robert Wraith was reporting for his newest post aboard the ANS Sasha Malenkov as the chief medical officer. To his surprise the huge passenger pod was teleported aboard. No psychic had the power to teleport such a large object into orbit. Robert panicked as the teleport began. In the darkness of his teleport a voice reached out to him. The voice wanted to know why he was afraid. That voice led him to discover the horrifying secret of the ship. A secret he could not live with. A secret that would change the way the human race traveled in space, forever. A secret he fell in love with. To fix the horror of a young girl's life he would have to cripple the most advanced ship the Alliance Navy had ever built. He could not do it alone. He had to have help. After a hidden evil made an attempt on the life of the entire crew, he spoke to the Captain. Would the Captain help, or order him to leave the secret alone? The answer changes Robert's life, and the reach of the human race forever.
498 pages, Paperback
Published June 28, 2016
8 people want to read
About the author
Sean M. Campbell
28 books11 followersSean M. Campbell was born in Southern California. His interest in reading and writing started at an early age. He always found himself thinking, "How would I write that differently."
He attempted to write his first novel length work when he was in high school, but always felt his writing was not good enough for others to read. He continued to write the occasional story for himself or family members, but never even attempted to get any of them published.
At the age of 47, someone convinced him to post a story on a website and get some unbiased opinions on his work. Within days of posting the first chapter he was contacted by the publisher, Abby Adams, and asked if they could publish his first novel, "The Return".
He attempted to write his first novel length work when he was in high school, but always felt his writing was not good enough for others to read. He continued to write the occasional story for himself or family members, but never even attempted to get any of them published.
At the age of 47, someone convinced him to post a story on a website and get some unbiased opinions on his work. Within days of posting the first chapter he was contacted by the publisher, Abby Adams, and asked if they could publish his first novel, "The Return".
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 11, 2015
Sasha, the main character, is very easy to like. What's not to like about her? Kidnapped at age six, rescued as an adult, she overcomes hardship and returns to normal health. What she does throughout the book is err on the side of good, and resolve moral quandaries in favour of all of humanity (and the universe). Her heart seems unbounded, even as villains or scofflaws cross her path. She is loved by her to-be-husband and later, husband Robert, and she reciprocates in more than equal measures. She becomes friends with alien races, going as far as to be marked as close family. She relies heavily on not only the letter of the law (which she knows inside out, including contract law, military law, and so on) but also its spirit. She is confident, feisty, and loving.
Ultimately, though, the book lacks in tension. Situations arise, and they are more or less easily resolved. There are long portions where Sasha and her husband Robert are happy and content with their lives, which is pleasant to read, yet lacks tension. In a sense, it is like we are hearing family stories around the dinner table, about how a famous aunt had a lovely wedding, with details of the wedding and hearing how she dealt with the press afterwards, handling reporters, some of which are professional, and some of which are a bit too pressing.
Some themes in the book were a little eye-popping even in the context of a space opera. Apparently Sasha is so powerful that she can use her mind to teleport entire spaceships and their cargo many hundreds of thousands of kilometres in outer space, down to the more simple task of zapping in and out individual people or make objects float in the room. The author even derived in precise detail, using codes and numbers, her categories of kinetic powers and the level of her powers, and included them in an appendix. It was quite a leap of faith for me, but it was kind of fun to read something this different and see how it worked in the plot. I guess she could be the closest thing to a Supreme Being.
One small thing that put me off from this book was in the beginning when the crew is assembling to serve on a maiden voyage for the spaceship and largely for the general crew we read about their lusty thoughts "sexy voice" and so on... this was emphasized numerous times at the beginning, not just once. There are numerous sex scenes, verging on erotica, although taken altogether they did not constitute a major portion of the book, which stuck to its theme of science fiction and space opera. However some of the sex scenes between Sasha and her husband Robert seemed to fit in and showed their intimacy. I would have liked to see more professionalism from the newly forming crew at the beginning, sticking to the operations of running the ship and doing their jobs. Even though Star Trek the Original Series had its campy moments of attraction between crewmates, I always felt that the crew on the Enterprise were professional and dedicated.
In short, for a long book such as this, perhaps focus on the story arc, cut out more of the "all is fine" and "gossipy" scenes and heighten the tension, and maybe fewer incidents that are resolved easily, and more focus on the scenes that drive the book, such as Sasha's initial rescue by Robert, and the relations with the Chansim (which was fascinating as a species). There was also a lot of repetition about "shipment to go xx kilometres, contract is ready, shipment is complete" and terms of delivery--it was like seeing "workplace jargon" throughout the book.
Ultimately, though, the book lacks in tension. Situations arise, and they are more or less easily resolved. There are long portions where Sasha and her husband Robert are happy and content with their lives, which is pleasant to read, yet lacks tension. In a sense, it is like we are hearing family stories around the dinner table, about how a famous aunt had a lovely wedding, with details of the wedding and hearing how she dealt with the press afterwards, handling reporters, some of which are professional, and some of which are a bit too pressing.
Some themes in the book were a little eye-popping even in the context of a space opera. Apparently Sasha is so powerful that she can use her mind to teleport entire spaceships and their cargo many hundreds of thousands of kilometres in outer space, down to the more simple task of zapping in and out individual people or make objects float in the room. The author even derived in precise detail, using codes and numbers, her categories of kinetic powers and the level of her powers, and included them in an appendix. It was quite a leap of faith for me, but it was kind of fun to read something this different and see how it worked in the plot. I guess she could be the closest thing to a Supreme Being.
One small thing that put me off from this book was in the beginning when the crew is assembling to serve on a maiden voyage for the spaceship and largely for the general crew we read about their lusty thoughts "sexy voice" and so on... this was emphasized numerous times at the beginning, not just once. There are numerous sex scenes, verging on erotica, although taken altogether they did not constitute a major portion of the book, which stuck to its theme of science fiction and space opera. However some of the sex scenes between Sasha and her husband Robert seemed to fit in and showed their intimacy. I would have liked to see more professionalism from the newly forming crew at the beginning, sticking to the operations of running the ship and doing their jobs. Even though Star Trek the Original Series had its campy moments of attraction between crewmates, I always felt that the crew on the Enterprise were professional and dedicated.
In short, for a long book such as this, perhaps focus on the story arc, cut out more of the "all is fine" and "gossipy" scenes and heighten the tension, and maybe fewer incidents that are resolved easily, and more focus on the scenes that drive the book, such as Sasha's initial rescue by Robert, and the relations with the Chansim (which was fascinating as a species). There was also a lot of repetition about "shipment to go xx kilometres, contract is ready, shipment is complete" and terms of delivery--it was like seeing "workplace jargon" throughout the book.
August 5, 2015
Sasha by Sean M Campbell is an ambitious attempt at creating a unique universe where individuals employ staggering mental powers for good, and foes are unremittingly evil.
Yes, the novel did strike me in places as Star Trek like, but it is a curious mix. The author in his blurb says this is primarily a family story or even one for young adults, and for the most part it is. However there are some sex scenes that would not be out of place in Fifty Shades of Grey. They are definitely out of place here, incongruously so.
That brings me to my second point. The writing does not lack imagination - quite the opposite. Some of the descriptions are ingenious, but the whole piece needs to be edited by a professional. There are numerous repetitions, spelling and grammatical errors throughout. It begins in the second paragraph and continues through to the end, and personally I found it off-putting. Others will too. It's a shame because some of the ideas are worthy of a wide audience.
The plot wanders along at a leisurely pace without a lot of tension to sustain it. Many of the characters are flat, except for the two main ones, Robert and especially Sasha whom I did develop empathy with.
Despite these flaws, the author is incredibly enthusiastic about developing this far future universe and has clearly spent a lot of time working out the technical details, systems and ratings of the various powers (telepathy, telekinesis, clairvoyance, empathy etc). For those of you into hard SF this is brilliant stuff.
All of the above made it difficult for me to rate this book. It has the potential to be so much better, but I was provided with a copy by the author in return for an honest review and that's what I've attempted to give.
Yes, the novel did strike me in places as Star Trek like, but it is a curious mix. The author in his blurb says this is primarily a family story or even one for young adults, and for the most part it is. However there are some sex scenes that would not be out of place in Fifty Shades of Grey. They are definitely out of place here, incongruously so.
That brings me to my second point. The writing does not lack imagination - quite the opposite. Some of the descriptions are ingenious, but the whole piece needs to be edited by a professional. There are numerous repetitions, spelling and grammatical errors throughout. It begins in the second paragraph and continues through to the end, and personally I found it off-putting. Others will too. It's a shame because some of the ideas are worthy of a wide audience.
The plot wanders along at a leisurely pace without a lot of tension to sustain it. Many of the characters are flat, except for the two main ones, Robert and especially Sasha whom I did develop empathy with.
Despite these flaws, the author is incredibly enthusiastic about developing this far future universe and has clearly spent a lot of time working out the technical details, systems and ratings of the various powers (telepathy, telekinesis, clairvoyance, empathy etc). For those of you into hard SF this is brilliant stuff.
All of the above made it difficult for me to rate this book. It has the potential to be so much better, but I was provided with a copy by the author in return for an honest review and that's what I've attempted to give.
June 9, 2015
I enjoyed the concept of this book, but I didn't find the storyline easy to follow as there was often more dialogue than description. I think that this was just one of those books that wasn't suited to me; maybe I'm just not part of the target audience.
August 23, 2015
Sasha is a bold attempt at the creation of a true space opera, the elements of which would arguably contain a central, charismatic and heroic character, a setting in outer space with sophisticated technology and beings with advanced abilities, and a large-scale conflict—all of which would be told in a compelling style. The novel meets the mark in many of these areas, with room to maneuver in a few of the others, as I attempt to describe below.
In terms of a heroic character, the novel has this in spades thanks to Sasha herself. Brilliant, thoughtful, beautiful, charismatic, as well as clairvoyant, empathic, and telepathic, Sasha resonates with the wonders of the universe, both in terms of the best of human nature (her endearing traits) and also in terms of exceptional talents (the aforementioned clairvoyance, etc.). There are times when her power is dazzling to the point of near flawlessness, and can be awe-inspiring in that regard.
Due to its imaginative nature, the novel takes the reader on some compelling adventures in space (as a true space opera should), and through these the reader gets to meet intriguing and dastardly foes, as well as a series of inventive species. The future universe is rich with both technical capabilities and exceptional talents—teleportation, telekinesis, clairvoyance, telepath, empathy (as referred to previously). The culmination of this world-building and the enthusiasm with which the elements of the universe are shared with the reader result in a stunning portrait that stretches not only the bounds of the story itself but the bounds of the reader’s imagination as well.
The two areas that the novel has ‘room to maneuver’, and ultimately the reason the rating was not higher, reside in the conflict/tension and components of the writing. The conflict is set up after the introduction and plays itself out throughout the novel; however, the flow it takes lacks tautness at times, and there are periods of relaxation within the novel that slow it down during those moments. These are generally carried through by events with the characters themselves; with slightly tighter writing, these brief lulls in the tension would be less a factor. However, many readers (especially SF lovers) will likely be able to overlook this regardless.
Additionally, the writing has some gaps here and there, and needs refinement along those lines. That said, there are some wonderfully crafted phrases and moments of brilliance in the writing as well, and it is those that represent the true potential of the story. In its finest moments the novel taps the deep recesses of the author’s evidently boundless imagination to create wonderfully compelling periods of reading.
In terms of a heroic character, the novel has this in spades thanks to Sasha herself. Brilliant, thoughtful, beautiful, charismatic, as well as clairvoyant, empathic, and telepathic, Sasha resonates with the wonders of the universe, both in terms of the best of human nature (her endearing traits) and also in terms of exceptional talents (the aforementioned clairvoyance, etc.). There are times when her power is dazzling to the point of near flawlessness, and can be awe-inspiring in that regard.
Due to its imaginative nature, the novel takes the reader on some compelling adventures in space (as a true space opera should), and through these the reader gets to meet intriguing and dastardly foes, as well as a series of inventive species. The future universe is rich with both technical capabilities and exceptional talents—teleportation, telekinesis, clairvoyance, telepath, empathy (as referred to previously). The culmination of this world-building and the enthusiasm with which the elements of the universe are shared with the reader result in a stunning portrait that stretches not only the bounds of the story itself but the bounds of the reader’s imagination as well.
The two areas that the novel has ‘room to maneuver’, and ultimately the reason the rating was not higher, reside in the conflict/tension and components of the writing. The conflict is set up after the introduction and plays itself out throughout the novel; however, the flow it takes lacks tautness at times, and there are periods of relaxation within the novel that slow it down during those moments. These are generally carried through by events with the characters themselves; with slightly tighter writing, these brief lulls in the tension would be less a factor. However, many readers (especially SF lovers) will likely be able to overlook this regardless.
Additionally, the writing has some gaps here and there, and needs refinement along those lines. That said, there are some wonderfully crafted phrases and moments of brilliance in the writing as well, and it is those that represent the true potential of the story. In its finest moments the novel taps the deep recesses of the author’s evidently boundless imagination to create wonderfully compelling periods of reading.
June 26, 2015
Welcome to the far future, where humanity has expanded beyond Earth to colonies. Psychic abilities are highly valued, for it is the telekinists who enable space ships to travel by leaping the light years. Sasha is by far the most powerful telekinist. She's also a clairvoyant, empath, and telepath. We meet her in the introduction, which seems tacked on as an unenthusiastic attempt to catch reader interest.
The book improves after the introduction, as we see the detailed set-up of a future world and meet our male protagonist, Robert, a telepath and empath medical doctor. He is the first recruit for a ship with a mysterious teleportation drive. He soon learns it is powered by the psychic talents of a captive Sasha. He rescues her, and their relationship grows.
The story reads like a biography, peopled by what feel like ordinary individuals in an ordinary life, despite their special abilities and responsibilities. We see team players who work in a developing society to provide for the common welfare and fight wrongs.
Good description and an excellent bleed through of information through dialogue acquaints us with this world. The author writes intelligently with imaginative twists and innovative solutions to problems.
For all its strong points, it lacks polish and desperately needs proofreading and editing. Masterful strokes are mixed with awkward word usage, rampant grammatical errors, and typos. The writing is not always clear or logical.
Yet the details can be highly logical, and we sense the author's delight in the minutiae, whether it's the categories of psychic talents, poetic portrayal of love making, the building of a corporation, or the mannerisms of an alien race.
The categories of psychic ability can certainly fire the imagination and win followers, just as followers of Star Trek series might learn Klingon.
Robert's and Sasha's story is one of terror and bliss. Nevertheless it includes so much of the mundane that it feels ordinary, as if based on a true life. This is not a thriller. The details remind me of an instruction manual as we get into growing a corporation or colony. The reader may be tempted to skip details to get to the more interesting parts, and those parts do exist. The emergencies seem too short; the mundane too long. Yet I sense a message in the mundane details and the emergencies that are quickly resolved. If only. If only society were organized and run in this way, peace and plenty would be wide-spread. Utopia building appears to be the larger story. This has the feel of episodes, like a TV series.
The book improves after the introduction, as we see the detailed set-up of a future world and meet our male protagonist, Robert, a telepath and empath medical doctor. He is the first recruit for a ship with a mysterious teleportation drive. He soon learns it is powered by the psychic talents of a captive Sasha. He rescues her, and their relationship grows.
The story reads like a biography, peopled by what feel like ordinary individuals in an ordinary life, despite their special abilities and responsibilities. We see team players who work in a developing society to provide for the common welfare and fight wrongs.
Good description and an excellent bleed through of information through dialogue acquaints us with this world. The author writes intelligently with imaginative twists and innovative solutions to problems.
For all its strong points, it lacks polish and desperately needs proofreading and editing. Masterful strokes are mixed with awkward word usage, rampant grammatical errors, and typos. The writing is not always clear or logical.
Yet the details can be highly logical, and we sense the author's delight in the minutiae, whether it's the categories of psychic talents, poetic portrayal of love making, the building of a corporation, or the mannerisms of an alien race.
The categories of psychic ability can certainly fire the imagination and win followers, just as followers of Star Trek series might learn Klingon.
Robert's and Sasha's story is one of terror and bliss. Nevertheless it includes so much of the mundane that it feels ordinary, as if based on a true life. This is not a thriller. The details remind me of an instruction manual as we get into growing a corporation or colony. The reader may be tempted to skip details to get to the more interesting parts, and those parts do exist. The emergencies seem too short; the mundane too long. Yet I sense a message in the mundane details and the emergencies that are quickly resolved. If only. If only society were organized and run in this way, peace and plenty would be wide-spread. Utopia building appears to be the larger story. This has the feel of episodes, like a TV series.
August 3, 2016
Sasha Malenkov is a stunningly powerful telepath as well as teleporter, empath, and seer. The first book of the ROE Chronicles is her story. Sasha was kidnapped at age 6 by unknown forces. Twenty years later, a new breed of naval ship is created, one capable of traveling great distances by teleport. What does Sasha have to do with this? A doctor, Robert Wraith, aboard the ship has distressing teleportation dreams, which lead him to the incredible truth about the ship he’s on. To free Sasha, he would have to cripple the ship and enlist help. How he does this is the subject of the first quarter of the book, approximately.
Sasha is an interesting book. The author has chosen to restrict the main action to about the first quarter of the book. I would have expected an entire book for this. Yet, the book goes on for the next couple hundred pages, with small challenges and encounters fairly easily solved. The problem is, Sasha is so powerful that everything falls to her quickly. In spite of this somewhat unorthodox tack, the remainder of the book is highly readable. Even everyday life is interesting enough to form good stories. What unfolds is a utopic vision of what life could be like with what is (essentially) a benevolent dictator at the helm. The setting in space with advanced technology is icing on the cake. Campbell’s universe is part Babylon 5, part Star Trek, but unique enough to hold your attention until the end. I liked the book a lot and was sad when it ended. I only give it four stars because the last three-quarters, while eminently readable, were somewhat slow for an action-themed novel. Don’t let that stop you, though, especially if you like reading about fun and compelling world-building.
Sasha is an interesting book. The author has chosen to restrict the main action to about the first quarter of the book. I would have expected an entire book for this. Yet, the book goes on for the next couple hundred pages, with small challenges and encounters fairly easily solved. The problem is, Sasha is so powerful that everything falls to her quickly. In spite of this somewhat unorthodox tack, the remainder of the book is highly readable. Even everyday life is interesting enough to form good stories. What unfolds is a utopic vision of what life could be like with what is (essentially) a benevolent dictator at the helm. The setting in space with advanced technology is icing on the cake. Campbell’s universe is part Babylon 5, part Star Trek, but unique enough to hold your attention until the end. I liked the book a lot and was sad when it ended. I only give it four stars because the last three-quarters, while eminently readable, were somewhat slow for an action-themed novel. Don’t let that stop you, though, especially if you like reading about fun and compelling world-building.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews