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Robot Empire #1
Dawn Exodus
Inspired by Asimov's Foundation series.For centuries they served. In gratitude we freed them. With vengeance they betrayed us.
When she's kidnapped by the Blessed Engineers, Arla discovers that she's been living a lie. She wasn't a farmer's daughter, but merely cargo transported in the carved out heart of an the Arkship Dawn on a thousand year voyage to a new home.
And someone got there first.
One act of rebellion leads to the fate of her people resting on her young shoulders. And, perhaps the future of humanity itself.
Because Dawn harbors a secret. It is the key.
Destiny awaits.
Dawn Exodus is the first book in a now complete six book series of space opera in the classic vein of Asimov, Bradbury and Bear.
If you like clean, fast paced, intelligent sci-fi that's full of ideas, memorable characters and examines what it truly is to be human, then the Robot Empire series is for you.
"Reminiscent of some of my favorite old time SciFi authors" - Mark"Inspired world building" - Belle"A brilliant read with an epic and unexpected ending" - Bethany
When she's kidnapped by the Blessed Engineers, Arla discovers that she's been living a lie. She wasn't a farmer's daughter, but merely cargo transported in the carved out heart of an the Arkship Dawn on a thousand year voyage to a new home.
And someone got there first.
One act of rebellion leads to the fate of her people resting on her young shoulders. And, perhaps the future of humanity itself.
Because Dawn harbors a secret. It is the key.
Destiny awaits.
Dawn Exodus is the first book in a now complete six book series of space opera in the classic vein of Asimov, Bradbury and Bear.
If you like clean, fast paced, intelligent sci-fi that's full of ideas, memorable characters and examines what it truly is to be human, then the Robot Empire series is for you.
"Reminiscent of some of my favorite old time SciFi authors" - Mark"Inspired world building" - Belle"A brilliant read with an epic and unexpected ending" - Bethany
135 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2017
138 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Partner
120 books59 followersBe sure to follow me on BookBub for the latest releases and offers: https://scrib.me/bookbub
I write post apocalyptic science fiction both on my own account and with Mike Kraus, as well as space opera and fantasy. And one or two other bits and bobs.
Based in the south of England, I've been writing since my teens, alternating between funny and serious. In the mid 1990s, I became a regular columnist for PC Pro magazine and have written a number of business and craft books over the years.
Fiction is my first love, however - I hope you enjoy my voyages into an uncertain future.
I write post apocalyptic science fiction both on my own account and with Mike Kraus, as well as space opera and fantasy. And one or two other bits and bobs.
Based in the south of England, I've been writing since my teens, alternating between funny and serious. In the mid 1990s, I became a regular columnist for PC Pro magazine and have written a number of business and craft books over the years.
Fiction is my first love, however - I hope you enjoy my voyages into an uncertain future.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 1, 2022
If you're into space stories, this is the story for you! And this book leaves you wondering how they survived, what did the humans eat? And how did they survive so long without seeing their captain, as you read this you find out who ends up commander. But at the end of this tale a twist happens that throws the new commander for a loop!
October 26, 2017
Dawn Exodus - a review by Rosemary Kenny
Hal Chen's a fugitive from the Vanis Federation; it's Empress Victorea's a ruthless dictator. Her henchman Chancellor Marco Lucius, (a sociopath with delusions of grandeur) and his crew are giving chase; Hal has something they want badly and they're not giving up without a fight.
Arla's part of a human colony aboard the arkship, DAWN, from planet Cluster 551. They're on a mission, looking for a mineral-rich asteroid that they can establish New Earth on. Arla (just chosen to be a Priest), encounters a glowing cuboid in an ancient ship she discovers while AWOL - and Hal - who persuades her to give him and the orb, ACE, sanctuary. ACE interacts with both Arla and Hal, to whom she 'links' via a brain implant and helps protect DAWN from the Federation's threats and nuclear weaponry aboard the Relentless.
What is the truth about the Captain and officers that Arla must keep at all costs? Will Arla and the colonists end up sacrificing themselves to save Hal and ACE from falling into the wrong hands? What is the Federation's - and Lucius' - true intention regarding their 'prey'?
Will/can ACE keep its promise to provide a new planet colony suitable for the human race on the far side of the galaxy, after improving the DAWN's technology? Can Arla cope with the pressure of everyone's expectations on her small shoulders?
The answers to these and more questions will be answered in this fascinating novella from the keypad of skilled sci-fi newcomer Kevin Partner, that engaged me right up to the cliff-hanger ending.
I would recommend it to fans of apocryphal storylines, Star Wars, rites-of-passage stories, W.A.L.L-e, Trekkies and more, as it has something for everyone in its well-thought out 3-dimensional characters, its detailed action scenes and warnings of what could be the fate of the human race, if it doesn't mend its ways and look after the planet Earth before it's too late.
Hal Chen's a fugitive from the Vanis Federation; it's Empress Victorea's a ruthless dictator. Her henchman Chancellor Marco Lucius, (a sociopath with delusions of grandeur) and his crew are giving chase; Hal has something they want badly and they're not giving up without a fight.
Arla's part of a human colony aboard the arkship, DAWN, from planet Cluster 551. They're on a mission, looking for a mineral-rich asteroid that they can establish New Earth on. Arla (just chosen to be a Priest), encounters a glowing cuboid in an ancient ship she discovers while AWOL - and Hal - who persuades her to give him and the orb, ACE, sanctuary. ACE interacts with both Arla and Hal, to whom she 'links' via a brain implant and helps protect DAWN from the Federation's threats and nuclear weaponry aboard the Relentless.
What is the truth about the Captain and officers that Arla must keep at all costs? Will Arla and the colonists end up sacrificing themselves to save Hal and ACE from falling into the wrong hands? What is the Federation's - and Lucius' - true intention regarding their 'prey'?
Will/can ACE keep its promise to provide a new planet colony suitable for the human race on the far side of the galaxy, after improving the DAWN's technology? Can Arla cope with the pressure of everyone's expectations on her small shoulders?
The answers to these and more questions will be answered in this fascinating novella from the keypad of skilled sci-fi newcomer Kevin Partner, that engaged me right up to the cliff-hanger ending.
I would recommend it to fans of apocryphal storylines, Star Wars, rites-of-passage stories, W.A.L.L-e, Trekkies and more, as it has something for everyone in its well-thought out 3-dimensional characters, its detailed action scenes and warnings of what could be the fate of the human race, if it doesn't mend its ways and look after the planet Earth before it's too late.
June 15, 2022
.
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My Opinion:
Page 66: I have no idea what’s supposed to be happening in this moronic-seeming effort.
This whole thing seems moronic to me.
“‘I’m not saying anything more until you answer a few of my questions,’ Hal said. They’d sat opposite each other, both leaning forward and whispering. Arla had said that the mics inside the airlock were old and barely functional - she had no desire to please her superiors, it seemed, even though they could, with one button press, vent both her and Hal into space. And yet, despite this risk, he found he liked her. ‘Well, if I do answer, at least I won’t be making it up as I go along,’ Arla snapped. Hal shrugged. ‘You can believe me or not, see if I care, but I’ve said nothing that’s not common knowledge….’”
“‘Ha,’ Arla said a little too loudly. The watcher in the window stopped its banging and craned as if trying to listen through the porthole. ‘So, your story about this great galactic empire that collapsed a couple of hundred years ago is on the up and up is it?’ ‘Yep, everyone knows it. Except you.’ Arla watched him as he spoke. He was a reasonably good-looking young man of slight build. He had dark brown hair that was wavy enough to be pointlessly unruly, and matching eyes. His face was slightly pitted and scarred. Whatever she thought of his story, the part about his upbringing on an oppressive mining colony at least had the ring of truth to it….”
WHUT????
WTF ??????
WHAD SHE SAY ????
By Page#69 I just quit and stopped reading and dumped the so-called “book.”
Terrible, awful, horrible, trite, stoopid, dum, repulsive, and really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really BAD!!!!
.
.
.
My Opinion:
Page 66: I have no idea what’s supposed to be happening in this moronic-seeming effort.
This whole thing seems moronic to me.
“‘I’m not saying anything more until you answer a few of my questions,’ Hal said. They’d sat opposite each other, both leaning forward and whispering. Arla had said that the mics inside the airlock were old and barely functional - she had no desire to please her superiors, it seemed, even though they could, with one button press, vent both her and Hal into space. And yet, despite this risk, he found he liked her. ‘Well, if I do answer, at least I won’t be making it up as I go along,’ Arla snapped. Hal shrugged. ‘You can believe me or not, see if I care, but I’ve said nothing that’s not common knowledge….’”
“‘Ha,’ Arla said a little too loudly. The watcher in the window stopped its banging and craned as if trying to listen through the porthole. ‘So, your story about this great galactic empire that collapsed a couple of hundred years ago is on the up and up is it?’ ‘Yep, everyone knows it. Except you.’ Arla watched him as he spoke. He was a reasonably good-looking young man of slight build. He had dark brown hair that was wavy enough to be pointlessly unruly, and matching eyes. His face was slightly pitted and scarred. Whatever she thought of his story, the part about his upbringing on an oppressive mining colony at least had the ring of truth to it….”
WHUT????
WTF ??????
WHAD SHE SAY ????
By Page#69 I just quit and stopped reading and dumped the so-called “book.”
Terrible, awful, horrible, trite, stoopid, dum, repulsive, and really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really BAD!!!!
.
.
January 1, 2019
Rogue AIs meet generational ship full of robots.
I like anything involving robots, this book was maybe 7% about robots, they were sentient and had reasonable positions of power so that is nice. The robots are limited by Asimov's laws which is rather annoying. On the plus side they have their own robot empire, one of the short chapters had a scene from it.
The writing itself was alright, though the book had a massive problem with its organization. The first chapter started out strong, then the next half of the book was dull as chalk till it picked up again about half way.
Personally my recommendation is that scenes should be introduced based on tension and not chronology.
It seemed like the author organized the chapters about Arla in a chronological fashion so I had 0 interest in reading about her, and skipped most of her chapters because i had no reason to care about her.
My recommendation to reorganize this book would be to stay on Hal's timeline/chronology and only use flashbacks where necessary.
Also the ending was kind of anticlimactic as Arla had pretty much 0 effect on the outcome.
At the very least she could have had them search the prisoners ship, but she basically had no ideas.
Kinda sad. I would have given it three stars, but having robots gives it an extra star.
I like anything involving robots, this book was maybe 7% about robots, they were sentient and had reasonable positions of power so that is nice. The robots are limited by Asimov's laws which is rather annoying. On the plus side they have their own robot empire, one of the short chapters had a scene from it.
The writing itself was alright, though the book had a massive problem with its organization. The first chapter started out strong, then the next half of the book was dull as chalk till it picked up again about half way.
Personally my recommendation is that scenes should be introduced based on tension and not chronology.
It seemed like the author organized the chapters about Arla in a chronological fashion so I had 0 interest in reading about her, and skipped most of her chapters because i had no reason to care about her.
My recommendation to reorganize this book would be to stay on Hal's timeline/chronology and only use flashbacks where necessary.
Also the ending was kind of anticlimactic as Arla had pretty much 0 effect on the outcome.
At the very least she could have had them search the prisoners ship, but she basically had no ideas.
Kinda sad. I would have given it three stars, but having robots gives it an extra star.
October 26, 2017
This is a great book and was a fun read from start to finish.
The story starts off with us finding ourselves in space on a ship piloted by a young man called Hal Chen. Hal has stolen something very valuable from the Empress Victorea of the Vanis Empire. She sent her very best spaceship to capture him.
This book has some great characters in it. I particularly liked Ace, Hal and the Captains of the Dawn, both of them. These characters had some fun things about them. I also got a kick outta Empress Victorea. She sounds like an A1 b***h, but you might think differently about her when you read about her.
The item that was stolen in the story is really interesting. What happens to it and because of it was great too. I won't tell you any more because of spoilers but you should read this if you want to known more, as it's really captivating.
What makes this a great book is the pleasurable read that it is. It has a surfit of good one liners and some interesting and unexpected plot twists that were huge fun.
I believe you will really enjoy reading this book. I certainly did!
The story starts off with us finding ourselves in space on a ship piloted by a young man called Hal Chen. Hal has stolen something very valuable from the Empress Victorea of the Vanis Empire. She sent her very best spaceship to capture him.
This book has some great characters in it. I particularly liked Ace, Hal and the Captains of the Dawn, both of them. These characters had some fun things about them. I also got a kick outta Empress Victorea. She sounds like an A1 b***h, but you might think differently about her when you read about her.
The item that was stolen in the story is really interesting. What happens to it and because of it was great too. I won't tell you any more because of spoilers but you should read this if you want to known more, as it's really captivating.
What makes this a great book is the pleasurable read that it is. It has a surfit of good one liners and some interesting and unexpected plot twists that were huge fun.
I believe you will really enjoy reading this book. I certainly did!
October 30, 2022
Arla had come of age, and being selected could promise a new world of knowledge. However she was definitely not the most pious, but she was among the smartest, so she was selected. The world that opened to her was amazing and in direct conflict with everything she knew. She wished she could tell her father the truth, but because of being selected, she would never see him again. She was impulsive and curious and finding out that they lived within an asteroid made into a generational ship to get them to a new world was not the only truth she would have to face. Other humans had beaten them there, and because of circumstances, she found herself in charge and had to deal with this new reality.
This had the feel of the old sci-fi classics but with a new story with the old thought-provoking moral dilemmas. I liked it! The world-building, the society-creating, and the character depth are more than enough to get me invested in the well-being of the heroine.
Readers, if you like the sci-fi masters, you will like this. I give this telling five stars out of five stars.
This had the feel of the old sci-fi classics but with a new story with the old thought-provoking moral dilemmas. I liked it! The world-building, the society-creating, and the character depth are more than enough to get me invested in the well-being of the heroine.
Readers, if you like the sci-fi masters, you will like this. I give this telling five stars out of five stars.
October 27, 2017
""You wish to escape the Vanis Federation?"
Hal Chen, a very personable thief, trying desperately to outrun the flagship Relentless of the degenerating Vanis Federation, a young girl, Arla Farmer, born in the Valley and chosen for higher calling, Lucius, Chancellor of the Vanis Federation, with plans of his own, and ACE. This intriguing and original science fiction story is reminiscent of the classic S.F. stories of the 1900s, combining fast paced action, new world visions and gently posing questions about the growths of civilisation and humanity itself.
The book is filled with colourful characters, well written and easy to read. The first of a new series: I look forward very much to book two
Hal Chen, a very personable thief, trying desperately to outrun the flagship Relentless of the degenerating Vanis Federation, a young girl, Arla Farmer, born in the Valley and chosen for higher calling, Lucius, Chancellor of the Vanis Federation, with plans of his own, and ACE. This intriguing and original science fiction story is reminiscent of the classic S.F. stories of the 1900s, combining fast paced action, new world visions and gently posing questions about the growths of civilisation and humanity itself.
The book is filled with colourful characters, well written and easy to read. The first of a new series: I look forward very much to book two
August 15, 2018
As is the author, I am a big fan of 70's SciFi and this fits into the genre really well. Good book and well written. It is a little on the short side, but I get that it is a series and its object is to hook you into buying the next book in the series. Given that it is also priced appropriately, I think Kevin has made a smart decision. It's left on a cliffhanger and if you do like old school SciFi, you will like this book. I was about to buy the second book and found that the first 3 books are available on Amazon as a trilogy so you can save on the first three books if you haven't already bough the first one. It was still cheaper even though I already have the first one two buy the trilogy set. You can find it here. https://amzn.to/2MjxyKn
January 7, 2019
Missing proofreader/editor
The basic story has promise, but the sloppy proofreading and enough anachronisms spoil the story for me. Spelling checkers aren’t intelligent so wouldn’t flag "breath" used as a verb instead of "breathe", indicating to me that the reader’s experience was not a high enough priority to warrant a human proofreader. Idioms based on Earth cultural experiences, yet shared between two groups of people separated for long enough for their language to have changed pronunciations are highly unlikely.
The basic story has promise, but the sloppy proofreading and enough anachronisms spoil the story for me. Spelling checkers aren’t intelligent so wouldn’t flag "breath" used as a verb instead of "breathe", indicating to me that the reader’s experience was not a high enough priority to warrant a human proofreader. Idioms based on Earth cultural experiences, yet shared between two groups of people separated for long enough for their language to have changed pronunciations are highly unlikely.
August 25, 2018
Robot Empire a Space Opera
On a forgotten Arc Generational space ship the people have forgotten who they are and what they are going to. A young girl is brought into the upper echolons of the Crew. Through a lot of misadventures she's named Captain just as a ship from outside their location lands and brings a Federation Destroyer seeking the Traitor. What's she to do? A well written space opera. Well worth the read. Nessie
On a forgotten Arc Generational space ship the people have forgotten who they are and what they are going to. A young girl is brought into the upper echolons of the Crew. Through a lot of misadventures she's named Captain just as a ship from outside their location lands and brings a Federation Destroyer seeking the Traitor. What's she to do? A well written space opera. Well worth the read. Nessie
June 22, 2022
Dawn Exodus is the first book of the series and the main character is relatable and likable. The world is very well developed while the storyline becomes more intense with each page turned. There are a few extremely surprising twists that I throughly enjoyed. Wordsmith, Kevin Partner, has been one of my favorite authors for quite some time and I highly recommend all of his works. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I’m looking forward to book 2!
October 1, 2022
Do you enjoy your sci-fi with a bit of mystery and a few unforeseen surprises? Dawn Exodus delivers in each of these areas all wrapped up in a solid action story. This story is just as much Arla’s awakening as an introduction to an interesting habit/world hurtling through space. Battle for Dawn is high on my to-be-read list. This review is based on listening to the audiobook version I received through a BookFunnel promotion.
December 10, 2025
Loved it, true to Asimov's universe.
It's a great short story. I give it five stars except I'm not a big fan of short stories, I like a little more literary meat for my consumption.
It seems like a plot to get me to spend money on books, and it very well may succeed. However there are so many many many free books on Amazon Kindle and great new authors to discover, that it's hard to justify spending anymore than my monthly fee.
It's a great short story. I give it five stars except I'm not a big fan of short stories, I like a little more literary meat for my consumption.
It seems like a plot to get me to spend money on books, and it very well may succeed. However there are so many many many free books on Amazon Kindle and great new authors to discover, that it's hard to justify spending anymore than my monthly fee.
January 1, 2022
A very entertaining, quick little read. I was pretty impressed for this being a free book from an author I had never heard of. I picked it up because I’ve been on a sci-fi kick as of late and have been looking for a new, not well known series, to get into.
Honestly it reminded me a lot of Isaac Asimov. Some similar ideas to like I, Robot. The story line wasn’t all that unique and it was fairly predictable but there were a couple twists that I liked. I am intrigued now though and would love to finish the series!
Honestly it reminded me a lot of Isaac Asimov. Some similar ideas to like I, Robot. The story line wasn’t all that unique and it was fairly predictable but there were a couple twists that I liked. I am intrigued now though and would love to finish the series!
July 19, 2018
Classic!
Robots, asteroid spaceship, empires - all well done and with the human characters clearly showing their motives and struggles to overcome the conflict situations. Very well done.
Robots, asteroid spaceship, empires - all well done and with the human characters clearly showing their motives and struggles to overcome the conflict situations. Very well done.
September 3, 2018
Excellent Read.
What a great story. The characters are all. Amazing. This story had everything I love, action, twists and turns, and a diverse group of characters to keep everything moving. A Very Good Read.
What a great story. The characters are all. Amazing. This story had everything I love, action, twists and turns, and a diverse group of characters to keep everything moving. A Very Good Read.
February 21, 2021
An action packed story
The story starts out with some intriguing concepts but you soon learn not all is as it appears. A lot can happen while the slow and steady wander across the universe. I look forward to what comes next.
The story starts out with some intriguing concepts but you soon learn not all is as it appears. A lot can happen while the slow and steady wander across the universe. I look forward to what comes next.
March 22, 2021
There are plenty of good ideas and it was an easy read. The score is not higher because I felt the characters were washed along by the plot rather than planning their actions. Many times they hit and hoped only to be saved or thwarted by events out of left field.
May 23, 2021
6/10: Good light-weight read, well done.
"Perhaps we should have known that human ingenuity would defy the laws of physics, but that mankind wouldn’t outgrow its baser instincts.”
Enjoyable, but I don't think I'll be reading on.
"Perhaps we should have known that human ingenuity would defy the laws of physics, but that mankind wouldn’t outgrow its baser instincts.”
Enjoyable, but I don't think I'll be reading on.
July 1, 2022
Kevin Partner
Granted that most audiobooks tend to put me to sleep, this one has the unfortunate quality of being just plain tedious. This attempt at science fiction falls dead on the page. It reads a loy like a high schooler’s attempt at English Composition.
Granted that most audiobooks tend to put me to sleep, this one has the unfortunate quality of being just plain tedious. This attempt at science fiction falls dead on the page. It reads a loy like a high schooler’s attempt at English Composition.
December 27, 2022
I liked this one. The robots appear to have the same three laws as Asimov's robots, only they've been pressed into an impossible situation, and the laws get bent (a bit) out of shape. Interesting story if you're an Asimov fan, especially of his robot stories.
March 29, 2023
Great read!
Very good story, well thought out and none of the "ham" you sometimes get with books. Wish it had been Tolkien long, I disliked coming to the end. Look forward to more from this author.
Very good story, well thought out and none of the "ham" you sometimes get with books. Wish it had been Tolkien long, I disliked coming to the end. Look forward to more from this author.
October 26, 2017
This was a refreshingly original and well-written story. It had a few surprises that I never saw coming. A brilliant read with an epic and unexpected ending. I can’t wait for the next one!
December 14, 2019
Good storyline
Good twist about spade travel and robots. Real cliffhanger in the end. I must get bok two. Need to find other books by this author
Good twist about spade travel and robots. Real cliffhanger in the end. I must get bok two. Need to find other books by this author
June 25, 2021
Great book.
Loved the characters and the science.
Moving on to book 2.
Loved the characters and the science.
Moving on to book 2.
September 12, 2021
A great start to a promising series.
Not all Generation Ships are full of humans or embryos in hibernation or stasis capsules.
Written in sci-fi classic style.
Book 2 awaits me.
Not all Generation Ships are full of humans or embryos in hibernation or stasis capsules.
Written in sci-fi classic style.
Book 2 awaits me.
June 13, 2022
A good sci-fi read but rather too short
July 15, 2023
A group of space colonists set off on a 1300 year journey in a hollowed out asteroid. Toward the end of their journey, they encounter other humans who have beat them there,
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews