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Second Star #1
Breaking Through
*Alternate Cover Edition ASIN: B00ODQIKFY
Second Star: Breaking Through is a novella, around 25,000 words (just over 100 pages) and is the first in a planned series of five books that I plan to release as they are finished.
Sixty-six days is all pilot John McNeal has left on his service contract, after that his combat days will be over for good -- if he survives that long. After a mysterious rift in the fabric of spacetime strands him on an alien world, John must join forces with some unlikely childhood heroes to have any chance of surviving and soon discovers that this strange new world isn’t that alien after all.
Someone has been here before and found a way back to tell about it. There is hope, but this is not the fairy tale he knows and John will have to fight if he wants to get home.
Second Star: Breaking Through is a novella, around 25,000 words (just over 100 pages) and is the first in a planned series of five books that I plan to release as they are finished.
Sixty-six days is all pilot John McNeal has left on his service contract, after that his combat days will be over for good -- if he survives that long. After a mysterious rift in the fabric of spacetime strands him on an alien world, John must join forces with some unlikely childhood heroes to have any chance of surviving and soon discovers that this strange new world isn’t that alien after all.
Someone has been here before and found a way back to tell about it. There is hope, but this is not the fairy tale he knows and John will have to fight if he wants to get home.
- GenresScience FictionEbooks
Unknown Binding
First published October 30, 2014
96 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 8, 2016
Lt. John McNeal is a member of the North American Union air force in a future where the world is owned and controlled by Corporations. An ongoing conflict between the Union and the European Alliance over mining rights throughout the solar system kept the battle group aboard the carrier Lincoln and today was no different. John heads out to face the enemy – and the systems of his fighter go dead.
The carrier picks up evidence of localized electromagnetic disruptions. The only thing John can detect are the multiple Vulcans headed straight for him, and then a brilliant light flashes in front of him. The radar of the Falcon he was flying flashed a contact warning, and then the sky rips open around him.
Lt. John McNeal sees a black hole form, and what he finds on the other side as he’s sucked through is nothing he would have ever dreamed existed.
This story is the first part of a series. It is very much military science fiction, reminding me of John Ringo’s work. It’s all about the soldier, his equipment, and surviving from one round to the next. The action is non-stop, as it should be. The ending caught me entirely off guard. It made sense, but nothing in the rest of the story prepares you for a decidedly fantasy twist.
It’s a good story. The characters are well drawn. The plot is definitely still in motion at the end, but there is resolution. The story does find a natural stopping point, along with a hook that is sure to make you curious about the next book.
The carrier picks up evidence of localized electromagnetic disruptions. The only thing John can detect are the multiple Vulcans headed straight for him, and then a brilliant light flashes in front of him. The radar of the Falcon he was flying flashed a contact warning, and then the sky rips open around him.
Lt. John McNeal sees a black hole form, and what he finds on the other side as he’s sucked through is nothing he would have ever dreamed existed.
This story is the first part of a series. It is very much military science fiction, reminding me of John Ringo’s work. It’s all about the soldier, his equipment, and surviving from one round to the next. The action is non-stop, as it should be. The ending caught me entirely off guard. It made sense, but nothing in the rest of the story prepares you for a decidedly fantasy twist.
It’s a good story. The characters are well drawn. The plot is definitely still in motion at the end, but there is resolution. The story does find a natural stopping point, along with a hook that is sure to make you curious about the next book.
January 29, 2018
A tense, action-filled plot.
A plane's systems fail. A pilot ejects. All is right with his world until he finds himself sucked through a portal into another world. And finds himself caught by his chute, dangling hundreds of metres in the air, in the dark. Everything goes rapidly downhill from there!
A fast-paced adrenaline filled adventure unfolds with solid characters, wry humour and potential disaster awaiting Lt. John McNeal around every corner.
An enjoyable read and a great beginning to a promising series which I will be following.
This action-packed story is well worth reading.
Highly recommended.
A plane's systems fail. A pilot ejects. All is right with his world until he finds himself sucked through a portal into another world. And finds himself caught by his chute, dangling hundreds of metres in the air, in the dark. Everything goes rapidly downhill from there!
A fast-paced adrenaline filled adventure unfolds with solid characters, wry humour and potential disaster awaiting Lt. John McNeal around every corner.
An enjoyable read and a great beginning to a promising series which I will be following.
This action-packed story is well worth reading.
Highly recommended.
June 7, 2015
My First Time With… "Second Star"
I worship books that come in series, especially if they are mixtures of fantasy, sci-fi and other genres. I love tracking the trails of imagination which combine motifs from fairy tales, myths and legends – dressing them in new, modern outfits. I believe that literary descriptions of alternative universes may tell us the deepest truth about our world.
Yes, and I found it all in Josh Hayes’s novella Breaking Through, which is the first of five volumes in the planned series Second Star. According to Choose the Perfect One, “Book lovers never go to bed alone". Well, to me, this act of reading – my personal breaking through – was fully rewarding indeed!
The Foreplay
Why did I choose Second Star out of 25 sci-fi books offered by OpenBooks? Because of the Peter Pan appealing to me from the author’s profile. Somehow this character has attracted my inner child or even my inner boy* for as long as I can remember. As a kid I used to play the Disney boy who wouldn’t grow up. As a grown woman I became more Wendy-like, taking care of some lost children, younger or older. As a fantasy freak I watched season 3 of Once Upon a Time considering the price of being eternally young. As a bookworm I read Lost Boys by Orson Scott Card feeling horrified and touched at the same time.
Right here, right now I consciously regain a child’s imagination, creativity, self-belief… and a little bit of fairy dust that helps me fly. My life is honestly “an awfully big adventure!”
* I am female but my male partner used to say that I have truly interiorized my opposite animus:)
The Act
It’s not my intention to spoil your joy of reading, so these are just a few hints of what you may expect while discovering Second Star:
What’s lost? Principles, patriotism, peace, adult common sense… all are fakes in the more or less distant future of our planet.
What’s found? Big boys’ games in the city jungle, extraterrestrials who are not aliens, basic human bonds, which last even in outer space.
And Josh Hayes himself is still on his way, inside the creation process, as he says:
I began the series thinking it would be a two part ‘hero’s journey’, but I think now the underlying theme is exploring the point at which people stand up and fight for what they believe in, right or wrong. With ‘Second Star’, I wanted to explore how people arrived at that place where enough is enough.
The Climax
Now I have to admit that I lied in the introduction! No, I don’t feel fully satisfied by the book as the author left me with sooo many questions to be answered! What is the Neverland of the 21st century going to be like? Is my presumption for the character of Peter Pan correct? Will the incarnation of Tinkerbell be a warrior here? These are the reasons why I’ve just ‘liked’ Josh Hayes’ fanpage, subscribed to his newsletter and can’t wait for The Forgotten Prince – the next part of Second Star! I also guess the Rats may represent Pirates, so who’s gonna walk the plank?!
- Basia, OpenBooks.com Team
Second Star: Breaking Through by Josh Hayes is available at OpenBooks.com, where you download and read first and then decide if and how much to pay. Price recommended by author is 0,99$, but you can contribute more if you wish. You may also copy and share the eBook with no restrictions.
Second Star: Breaking Through by Josh Hayes at OpenBooks.com
September 25, 2016
This was a great quick read about a downed pilot getting pulled thru a wormhole. Nice story line, engaging characters and an ending leaving you wanting more !
June 9, 2016
Kudos For Hayes's First Published Work
I enjoyed this book from the beginning. There is great action, character interaction and really good dialogue. I'm looking forward t book 2.
The only negatives were, A) I didn't feel as if I was able to get to know the characters well and B) that the editing could've been better. There was a bit too much repetition, overuse of the word "had" and a few other editing issues.
With better editing, and more writing practice, I see this author improving and becoming successful.
I enjoyed this book from the beginning. There is great action, character interaction and really good dialogue. I'm looking forward t book 2.
The only negatives were, A) I didn't feel as if I was able to get to know the characters well and B) that the editing could've been better. There was a bit too much repetition, overuse of the word "had" and a few other editing issues.
With better editing, and more writing practice, I see this author improving and becoming successful.
December 29, 2016
If you like non-stop action with no "rest" breaks, this is the book for you. Hayes is a master of ACTION! That left the characters a bit on the "thin" side as well as any real explanation as to what was going on. The last line is, however, a jaw-dropper.
There's a sample of the next book at the end that is just the opposite. Very little action, but filled with suspense and fear.
There's a sample of the next book at the end that is just the opposite. Very little action, but filled with suspense and fear.
August 11, 2016
Breaking Through
I like this story. A unique plot that has a lot of action. I recommend wholeheartedly. An interesting quick read.
I like this story. A unique plot that has a lot of action. I recommend wholeheartedly. An interesting quick read.
April 4, 2019
Hmm, I'm kind of glad I read the second book first. This one was way too short to be the first book in a series. You have a lot of world building and explaning to do, and this book didn't do much of that. I'm not sure I'd have read the second one if I'd read this one first. Plus it needs another round of proofreading to iron out some of the bugs, added together, I'm fairly certain this series would have gone into my not going to finish pile.
However, since I did read the second one first, I got a bit more out of this one than most folks might, because I knew where it was going, and I wanted to see how it got there. Not that great of a story to be honest. It started out well, but once arrival through the hole was complete, it kind of tailed off in both quality and interest. Put together with the second book, it's quite the good story, but if someone starts here, I'm not sure they'd arrive at that conclusion. In any case, the story as a whole is a good one, so stick with it folks, it gets better.
However, since I did read the second one first, I got a bit more out of this one than most folks might, because I knew where it was going, and I wanted to see how it got there. Not that great of a story to be honest. It started out well, but once arrival through the hole was complete, it kind of tailed off in both quality and interest. Put together with the second book, it's quite the good story, but if someone starts here, I'm not sure they'd arrive at that conclusion. In any case, the story as a whole is a good one, so stick with it folks, it gets better.
June 24, 2017
Must be a guy thing.
Lots of action, interesting worlds. Good dialogue, and I liked the characters. What stumped me was the lack of story, for 2 chapters the main character is just falling. Then he meets 2 other guys and they spend the rest of the book getting shot at. I am intrigued enough to read the next book in the series, but if I don't get some answers I'm outy. Also, needs a proofreader, quite a few wordy errors.
Lots of action, interesting worlds. Good dialogue, and I liked the characters. What stumped me was the lack of story, for 2 chapters the main character is just falling. Then he meets 2 other guys and they spend the rest of the book getting shot at. I am intrigued enough to read the next book in the series, but if I don't get some answers I'm outy. Also, needs a proofreader, quite a few wordy errors.
February 15, 2018
Although only a short book, the writing is good enough to keep your attention, such that you're disappointed when it ends. A clever scifi take on Peter Pan, set in modern day or near future, I was intrigued. The settings are good and the characters believable. I will be looking for the sequels.
August 3, 2018
For such a short book this had a lot going on, it tried to introduce two completely different locales and sets of characters - with only one character who appeared in both. Nicely written, with good action sequences, but for me it tried to do to much in to short a space of time.
September 7, 2019
Neverland
Interesting take on a,contemporary classsic. Well written and great story, the characters go from the frying pan into the fire. Great read and I can't wait for the rest of the series.
Interesting take on a,contemporary classsic. Well written and great story, the characters go from the frying pan into the fire. Great read and I can't wait for the rest of the series.
October 27, 2017
Excellent story
This story was great. It has a great story line and wonderful characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes space fantasy.
This story was great. It has a great story line and wonderful characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes space fantasy.
November 1, 2017
I'm never a fan of stories with more narration than dialogue. That's my only issue with this story, but not at all keeping me from reading the next one.
December 9, 2018
No bad
Not bad for a spin-off of a childhood story. It did surprise me and I like a good surprise. Good show
Not bad for a spin-off of a childhood story. It did surprise me and I like a good surprise. Good show
January 14, 2019
Good read. Love the characters and their development. Laughing about how the author plays on other stories!
October 23, 2019
Good Read
I wasn't sure about this book but it turn out to be a hard to put down book.A very good book looking forward to reading the 2nd book.
I wasn't sure about this book but it turn out to be a hard to put down book.A very good book looking forward to reading the 2nd book.
April 10, 2020
It took a little while to learn to care about the characters. But the vernacular is good, the action sequences are well written, and it has an interesting twist on a world we all grew up with. I'd be interested in continuing the series.
November 25, 2016
Good beginning!
Good story. A bit shorter than I like, but well written. Fun characters, decent plot, and good beginning. Going to try the second book!
Good story. A bit shorter than I like, but well written. Fun characters, decent plot, and good beginning. Going to try the second book!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews