Renaissance Calling

by Michael Bernabo

Technology failed. The 25th Century is not the century of robots, space ships and flying cars. Skyscrapers have fallen, highways crumbled, and modern technology faded into myth. It is a century of darkness. Sasha Small is unhappy. A young woman in a poor farming town, she cannot educate herself and she cannot leave to find work. Her future holds only unwanted marriage. So she fights. She fights the bullies, her father, and her hopeless future. Her family views fighting as a sin. She cannot defend herself without betraying their faith. She cannot back down without betraying herself. ‘It was a good fight.’ With those words, Sasha’s life changes. She learns of a group called the Renaissance Army. They fight as she does, and she joins them. Sasha takes up their cause, but can she find her calling?

352 pages, Paperback

Published March 16, 2017

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was hard for me to rate. I think this story has a ton of potential, and even though it takes place in a dystopian future, I would recommend it to people that like historical or military fiction.

Pros:
Unique setting
Lots of interesting and well-rounded characters with their own motivations
Plot is really engaging for those interested in military and political philosophy
Left me wanting to immediately know more/keep reading
Strong female protagonist (make that strong female characters in general!)

Cons:
Tons of typos were distracting (we're talking capitalization, spelling, changing tenses in the middle of a sentence, etc. These could be easily cleaned up with a read through. Hopefully future editions will fix this, because it detracts from the professionalism of the book)
Sasha is a bit of a Mary Sue in that she seems instantly good at military tactics with no formal training, besting experienced officers after reading a couple books.
Dialogue is a bit lacking in realism, could be better developed

Overall, it is worth a read and I plan on reading the next one. I want to know more about what happened between our time and this future, and why they are living in such an old-fashioned, non technological way. I'm also very interested to see how this war of theirs could play out.

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Renaissance Calling centers around a spirited young girl named Sasha, who is growing up in a far-future Minnesota under the unfair rule from another country. She has no rights, a dismal future, and an family who can't support her in the way she needs. In a fitting tribute to America's own past, she is handed a rare document from the "Before Time": The Declaration of Independence. After that, this girl takes the hard decision of escaping into the woods to forge a future free of the restrictions placed on her people.

This story endears itself along the lines of the American Revolution, in a dystopian future. The characters and struggles are compelling, driving me to devote all my free time to discovering what lay on the next page. Many readers may appreciate the growth and responsibilities of this young girl, the emotions of her people, the tense fear and anger of warfare, and the pull of a good story. It was unfortunate that a number of typos persevere, but they do not detract in any way from the journey. I highly recommend it, and I'm anxious to grab the sequel.

[Ian Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up at a local sci-fi convention and for a year it sat on my shelf unread. After finally reading it, I kicked myself for not reading it sooner. It's a great future/dystopian story, chock full of characters that are relatable and very easy to root for. If you are a fan of futuristic frontier stories (I didn't know I was) I can't recommend this book enough!

[William Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it and finished wanting the story to continue.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked up the book from the author at a Con and loved it. Part of it might be due to my Army background and living a half hour drive from Brainerd.

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so excited that Michael Bernabo has a sequel in the works! I can't wait to find out what the next book holds. Renaissance Calling starts the series with so much to offer - a story complete in itself, characters that you know have so much more to do, and set in a world familiar yet sort of apocalyptic. I think Michael has the vision and potential to possibly (yes, I know a big step out on a limb) to follow in Tolkien or Asimov shoes.