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Shadows of the Void #8
Mars Born
The future of the galaxy hangs in the balance as the Shadows continue their invasion.
Jas Harrington has escaped to the starship Bricoleur, where she must decide how best to continue the fight.
Along with her companions, she travels to Mars, her birthplace. Jas delves into her murky past and uncovers surprising secrets.
What’s more, in the midst of the declining colony world, she finds aliens who might be the key to everything: the Shadows, where they come from, how they operate, and how to defeat them.
The race is on to free the aliens and enlist them in the desperate battle to save the galaxy.
Mars Born is book eight in the ten-book Shadows of the Void space opera serial.
- GenresScience Fiction
110 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 30, 2017
27 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
J.J. Green
106 books392 followersJ.J. Green is a British-Australian science fiction author with a lifelong love of distant landscapes, intriguing cultures and fascinating places. She was born within the sound of the bells of Mary-le-Bow church in Cheapside, London, making her a bona fide Cockney, and she lived in Australia, Laos and Taiwan before returning to the UK to settle down in Cambridge.
Green’s novels weave science-based speculation with richly personal stories. Her works explore themes of environmental degradation, political conflict, mythical resonance, human resilience, and the ethics of technology and expansion. Her characters—often strong women—navigate future worlds grounded in both scientific plausibility and mythic imagination.
Sign up to J.J. Green's reader group at jjgreenauthor.com
Green’s novels weave science-based speculation with richly personal stories. Her works explore themes of environmental degradation, political conflict, mythical resonance, human resilience, and the ethics of technology and expansion. Her characters—often strong women—navigate future worlds grounded in both scientific plausibility and mythic imagination.
Sign up to J.J. Green's reader group at jjgreenauthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 14, 2021
I received a copy of this book from the author.
These short novels are so easy and exciting to read but you’ll already know that if you’ve followed the story so far.
Author, JJ Green, has focussed on the birthplace of Jas this time.
Having escaped from Earth with the help of Sayen’s brother, Phelan, the group head to Mars to wait for word from the Transgalactic Council about what to do next in the fight against the Shadows.
After the trauma of losing Mr and Mrs Lee, Sayen falls into a depression. Carl, having got back Flux from Australia before they left Earth, cheers her up with a visit from himself and Flux.
On Mars, Sparks, the medical officer from the Gallathea, has been instructed to find out all that he can about Paths.
He does not get on well with the rest of the research team on Mars. So when Jas goes down to Mars and meets him he is desperate to get her to help him to escape from the planet.
Once again friends are made and lost along the way.
These short novels are so easy and exciting to read but you’ll already know that if you’ve followed the story so far.
Author, JJ Green, has focussed on the birthplace of Jas this time.
Having escaped from Earth with the help of Sayen’s brother, Phelan, the group head to Mars to wait for word from the Transgalactic Council about what to do next in the fight against the Shadows.
After the trauma of losing Mr and Mrs Lee, Sayen falls into a depression. Carl, having got back Flux from Australia before they left Earth, cheers her up with a visit from himself and Flux.
On Mars, Sparks, the medical officer from the Gallathea, has been instructed to find out all that he can about Paths.
He does not get on well with the rest of the research team on Mars. So when Jas goes down to Mars and meets him he is desperate to get her to help him to escape from the planet.
Once again friends are made and lost along the way.
January 6, 2019
Author J.J. Green brings us Jas Harrington's next adventure. Jas and her crew jump to Mars to do two things. One is to find out if the Tansgalactic council has sent an information packet for them. Two to find out if the Shadows have infiltrated the planet. But along the way Jas meet's the doctor of her old ship who has been turned from experimenter into a lab rat for the species that Jas found on the planet that they had crashed on months ago. This is a great book and I look forward to reading the last two books in this series. I highly recommend this series too.
March 23, 2018
These series is fantastic. when finish the previous book, i just have to go on, to found out more about the shadows.
In this book, they travel to Mars, Jas birthplace.
What they find here on Mars, might bring light into the misery and fight against the shadows and t might, find out what the shadows are and how they can defied them.
So, the question is: Can they, with the help of the other aliens they find on Mars, defied the shadows?
In this book, they travel to Mars, Jas birthplace.
What they find here on Mars, might bring light into the misery and fight against the shadows and t might, find out what the shadows are and how they can defied them.
So, the question is: Can they, with the help of the other aliens they find on Mars, defied the shadows?
June 1, 2020
These series is fantastic. when finish the previous book, i just have to go on, to found out more about the shadows.
In this book, they travel to Mars, Jas birthplace.
What they find here on Mars, might bring light into the misery and fight against the shadows and t might, find out what the shadows are and how they can defied them.
So, the question is: Can they, with the help of the other aliens they find on Mars, defied the shadows?
In this book, they travel to Mars, Jas birthplace.
What they find here on Mars, might bring light into the misery and fight against the shadows and t might, find out what the shadows are and how they can defied them.
So, the question is: Can they, with the help of the other aliens they find on Mars, defied the shadows?
February 8, 2024
For Jas being on Mars is something of a surprise and even a mystery she did not really think she would ever have been confronted with. Yet it might clear up something of her past, having left Mars at age 12.
Jas could never have guessed that here she would discover a surprise answer to dealing with the Shadows.
Mars Born is full of surprises and for me, somehow, time passed misteriously fast just reading it.
Enjoy
Jas could never have guessed that here she would discover a surprise answer to dealing with the Shadows.
Mars Born is full of surprises and for me, somehow, time passed misteriously fast just reading it.
Enjoy
March 16, 2021
This episode steps away from the Shadows.
At the start of the series, there were actually two types of aliens. The Paths have been studied by scientists - sometimes they cause euphoria, sometimes they kill. It's not clear what their intent is.
Also, Jas takes the opportunity to look at the area of Mars where she had started her life.
At the start of the series, there were actually two types of aliens. The Paths have been studied by scientists - sometimes they cause euphoria, sometimes they kill. It's not clear what their intent is.
Also, Jas takes the opportunity to look at the area of Mars where she had started her life.
May 21, 2017
Another Great Reading Experience
JJ Green has done it again. This one has a lot going on and I cannot wait for the next installment.
I Highly Recommend this Series.
JJ Green has done it again. This one has a lot going on and I cannot wait for the next installment.
I Highly Recommend this Series.
March 27, 2022
We get some closure on Mars and advancement of the plot as well
March 15, 2020
It is said that you can never go home again - perhaps that's true but Jas finally caves in and re-visits Mars, the planet of her birth. There, she goes to the site of the disaster that took the lives of her parents where she meets another former resident. After a quick tour, during which she finds out that nothing has changed, she goes to a bar where she re-connects with her old nemesis, Dr. Sparks - the bigoted, opinionated medic from the 'Galathea' who is dealing with some troubles of his own. After a barely successful rescue of the "Paths," she and the remainder of Phelan's crew head to Ganymede where they finally hook up with the Transgalactic Council. Let the fun & games begin.....
Once again, I'm going to keep everyone in suspense. You'll just have to read it.....and I hope, enjoy it!
Once again, I'm going to keep everyone in suspense. You'll just have to read it.....and I hope, enjoy it!
April 1, 2017
There are definitely no signs of the author’s creativity falling into a black hole in book 8 of this series (excluding the prequel).
‘Mars Born’ follows on from the dramatic events on Earth that saw our plucky crew coming once again into direct contact with the creepy Shadows. Not everyone came out of that encounter unscathed, whether physically or emotionally.
In fact, ‘Mars Born’ seems to focus heavily on the emotional. From Sayen’s grief, to Jas’ fears, and even into the engine of the ship that came to the rescue. Interestingly, the name of the ship means ‘Handyman’ in French and it certainly proves very handy to our crew! Oh, and don’t forget the ultimate emotions from our old friends, the Paths.
There are some great moments here that I think everyone will relate to. For me, it’s the moment when Jas realises that ‘facing an attack of hostile aliens on a far flung planet' seems easier to deal with than investigating her past. She then assesses herself as a coward for feeling this way, though personally I reckon the deep emotions are often much harder than hitting someone over the head, and it just proves that Jas has the same insecurities as the rest of us.
As with the rest of the ‘Shadows of the Void’ series, there’s plenty of high-tension action to be enjoyed. However, it’s not all edge-of-your-seat stuff. I particularly loved the moment when a relatively hollow alien is used as a water receptacle – the image of that made me laugh out loud.
As with all the books in this series, you’re left hungry for more. It’s a great snack-sized read – somewhat bigger than a bite but definitely not a 3-course dinner. I’ve been with these characters right from the start and I don’t anticipate abandoning them before the author brings the adventure to a conclusion. Even though, I can feel them taking up residence in my heart so I’ll be very sad when the time comes to wave goodbye.
‘Mars Born’ follows on from the dramatic events on Earth that saw our plucky crew coming once again into direct contact with the creepy Shadows. Not everyone came out of that encounter unscathed, whether physically or emotionally.
In fact, ‘Mars Born’ seems to focus heavily on the emotional. From Sayen’s grief, to Jas’ fears, and even into the engine of the ship that came to the rescue. Interestingly, the name of the ship means ‘Handyman’ in French and it certainly proves very handy to our crew! Oh, and don’t forget the ultimate emotions from our old friends, the Paths.
There are some great moments here that I think everyone will relate to. For me, it’s the moment when Jas realises that ‘facing an attack of hostile aliens on a far flung planet' seems easier to deal with than investigating her past. She then assesses herself as a coward for feeling this way, though personally I reckon the deep emotions are often much harder than hitting someone over the head, and it just proves that Jas has the same insecurities as the rest of us.
As with the rest of the ‘Shadows of the Void’ series, there’s plenty of high-tension action to be enjoyed. However, it’s not all edge-of-your-seat stuff. I particularly loved the moment when a relatively hollow alien is used as a water receptacle – the image of that made me laugh out loud.
As with all the books in this series, you’re left hungry for more. It’s a great snack-sized read – somewhat bigger than a bite but definitely not a 3-course dinner. I’ve been with these characters right from the start and I don’t anticipate abandoning them before the author brings the adventure to a conclusion. Even though, I can feel them taking up residence in my heart so I’ll be very sad when the time comes to wave goodbye.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews