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A Star-Wheeled Sky
ORIGINAL TRADE PAPERBACK
THE WAYPOINT TO ULTIMATE POWER!
Over a millennium in the past, humans fleeing Earth in slower-than-light vessels discovered the Waywork, an abandoned alien superhighway system that allows instantaneous travel from star to star. The there are a finite number of Waypoint nodes—and the burgeoning population of humans is hemmed in as a result. Furthermore, humanity is divided into contending Starstates. One of the strongest is based on an oligarchy ruling families, but still mostly democratic. The other is a totalitarian nightmare. War seems inevitable.
Now a new Waypoint appears. Might it lead to the long-lost creators of the Waywork? If so, there may be knowledge and technology that will tip the balance in the coming war.
Three people race to make it to the new Waypoint—and beyond . These include Wyodreth Antagean, the reluctant son of an interstellar shipping magnate, Lady Garsina Oswight, the daring daughter of a royal family, and Zuri Mikton, a disgraced flag officer seeking redemption. They are facing an implacable foe in Golsubril Vex, a merciless, but highly effective, autocrat from the Waywork’s most brutal regime. Vex is determined to control the new Waypoint and whatever revelation or power lies on the other side.
Now humanity’s fate—to live in freedom or endless dictatorship—depends on just what that revelation might be. And who gets there first.
About A Star-Wheeled Sky :
“. . . offers a fresh take on interstellar conflict. . . .Torgersen provides a fast-paced, exciting adventure, pitting two determined and capable opponents against each other. . . . marvelous science fiction entertainment.”— Daily News of Galveston County
About Chaplain's War :
"Torgersen mixes the spiritual aspects of the book with subtlety, integrating questions about God and faith into the story organically. The result is thought provoking questions arising as part of an entertaining story . . . Torgersen [also] doesn't shy away from conflict, violence, or space battles."— Futures Past and Present
"Solid hard SF with the frisson of well thought through action. Much to enjoy!"—Gregory Benford, multiple Nebula award-winning creator of the Galactic Center saga
About Brad R.
"Brad Torgersen can write something technical and complex, yet still give it real emotional depth. He's one of the most talented authors I've ever read."—Larry Correia
"Brad R. Torgersen shows why he's going to be a power in this field for years to come."—Mike Resnick
"Brad Torgersen is a writer who's done a lot and come up the hard way... and the depth of his writing shows it, especially in understanding the nuts and bolts of technology and the souls of those who use it." —L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
THE WAYPOINT TO ULTIMATE POWER!
Over a millennium in the past, humans fleeing Earth in slower-than-light vessels discovered the Waywork, an abandoned alien superhighway system that allows instantaneous travel from star to star. The there are a finite number of Waypoint nodes—and the burgeoning population of humans is hemmed in as a result. Furthermore, humanity is divided into contending Starstates. One of the strongest is based on an oligarchy ruling families, but still mostly democratic. The other is a totalitarian nightmare. War seems inevitable.
Now a new Waypoint appears. Might it lead to the long-lost creators of the Waywork? If so, there may be knowledge and technology that will tip the balance in the coming war.
Three people race to make it to the new Waypoint—and beyond . These include Wyodreth Antagean, the reluctant son of an interstellar shipping magnate, Lady Garsina Oswight, the daring daughter of a royal family, and Zuri Mikton, a disgraced flag officer seeking redemption. They are facing an implacable foe in Golsubril Vex, a merciless, but highly effective, autocrat from the Waywork’s most brutal regime. Vex is determined to control the new Waypoint and whatever revelation or power lies on the other side.
Now humanity’s fate—to live in freedom or endless dictatorship—depends on just what that revelation might be. And who gets there first.
About A Star-Wheeled Sky :
“. . . offers a fresh take on interstellar conflict. . . .Torgersen provides a fast-paced, exciting adventure, pitting two determined and capable opponents against each other. . . . marvelous science fiction entertainment.”— Daily News of Galveston County
About Chaplain's War :
"Torgersen mixes the spiritual aspects of the book with subtlety, integrating questions about God and faith into the story organically. The result is thought provoking questions arising as part of an entertaining story . . . Torgersen [also] doesn't shy away from conflict, violence, or space battles."— Futures Past and Present
"Solid hard SF with the frisson of well thought through action. Much to enjoy!"—Gregory Benford, multiple Nebula award-winning creator of the Galactic Center saga
About Brad R.
"Brad Torgersen can write something technical and complex, yet still give it real emotional depth. He's one of the most talented authors I've ever read."—Larry Correia
"Brad R. Torgersen shows why he's going to be a power in this field for years to come."—Mike Resnick
"Brad Torgersen is a writer who's done a lot and come up the hard way... and the depth of his writing shows it, especially in understanding the nuts and bolts of technology and the souls of those who use it." —L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
384 pages, Paperback
First published December 4, 2018
33 people are currently reading
243 people want to read
About the author
Brad R. Torgersen
80 books75 followersWho is Brad?
Brad R. Torgersen is a full-time healthcare tech geek by day, and United States Army Reserve Warrant Officer on weekends. He is a Writers of the Future winner, as well as a contributing author for Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, and Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine—the latter awarding him the “AnLab” readers’ choice prize for best novelette, 2010. Presently, Torgersen is a Campbell nominee for Best New Science Fiction writer, Hugo nominee, for his novelette, “Ray of Light,” and also a Nebula nominee, for the same novelette. Married, with one daughter, Brad is back home in the Rocky Mountain West, after spending fourteen years living and working in various places around the Puget Sound.
Brad R. Torgersen is a full-time healthcare tech geek by day, and United States Army Reserve Warrant Officer on weekends. He is a Writers of the Future winner, as well as a contributing author for Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, and Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine—the latter awarding him the “AnLab” readers’ choice prize for best novelette, 2010. Presently, Torgersen is a Campbell nominee for Best New Science Fiction writer, Hugo nominee, for his novelette, “Ray of Light,” and also a Nebula nominee, for the same novelette. Married, with one daughter, Brad is back home in the Rocky Mountain West, after spending fourteen years living and working in various places around the Puget Sound.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 22, 2019
Humanity once spread throughout the stars in huge, slow generation ships, but one day they discovered a massive alien superhighway called the Waywork. Humanity could use the Waywork to fast travel between habitable systems and a vast galactic human civilization was born. No trace of the alien race that built the Waywork remained. A thousand years later human civilization has splintered into five Starstates, with the two largest—egalitarian Constellar and the merciless, imperialistic Nautilan—mired in bloody territorial conflict. When a brand-new waypoint appears on the map, the race is on for the two warring states to claim the territory as their own. Solving the mystery of why the waypoint appeared and of the strange new world they find there may be bigger than any dispute between the two powers.
Author Torgersen packs his military space opera with the kind of hard sf action detail-obsessed nerds drool over, and the setting is keenly imagined. However, the stock characters—the gruff-but-earnest flyboy, more-than-meets-the-eye space princess, and vicious, snarling antagonist—are one-dimensional. This could work well as a series, assuming the revelations to its riddles live up to the hype.
Author Torgersen packs his military space opera with the kind of hard sf action detail-obsessed nerds drool over, and the setting is keenly imagined. However, the stock characters—the gruff-but-earnest flyboy, more-than-meets-the-eye space princess, and vicious, snarling antagonist—are one-dimensional. This could work well as a series, assuming the revelations to its riddles live up to the hype.
December 25, 2021
Torgersen gives us some neat ideas in this hardish science fiction novel, but the ending left something to be desired for sure, unless this becomes the first of a series (which would be fun). The sitrep? Numerous ark ships left Earth over 1000 years ago and some found their way to where the story starts. Humans there stumbled upon some ancient, alien technology that allows for instantaneous travel between/among over 50 stellar systems. Over the ensuing generations, five or so empires or whatever (called Starstates here) have emerged but the novel focuses upon just two: a somewhat feudal, somewhat democratic Starstate and a totalitarian Starstate hostile to basically all the other states. The totalitarian Starstate is slowly taking over the linked stellar systems (called the Waywork) and it seems it is only a matter of time when something new happens-- a new system suddenly emerges on the Waywork and the two rival Starstates both rush to claim it.
I call this hardish science fiction as Torgersen obviously have given a lot of thought regarding the science involved and space ships in particular. I guess you could call this military science fiction, primarily due to the set up, although there are a few space battles along the way.
The story focuses upon 4 main characters: an autocrat from the totalitarian Starstate named Vex, a former navel officer pressed into duty once again named Wyo, who commands a flotilla of space liners into the new system, Lady Garsina, an aristocrat from the other, rival Starstate, and finally, the aging Flag officer of the rival system who commands the voyage to the new system. Torgensen does a decent job with the characters, although like much hard scifi, they are rather secondary to the overall plot/story. It is the universe Torgersen created here that is of the most interest, with the alien tech and such.
The main tropes involved are not really novel-- humans in the future finding old alien tech they do not really understand and rivalries among various star empires, including the 'good guys' slowly losing to the rival totalitarian empire. Yet, they are employed to good effect here and Torgersen moves the story along nicely. My biggest complaint has to do with the ending; without spoilers, I can say the story just stopped right when it was really getting interesting. Love to see a sequel of this, but as a stand alone novel, Torgersen needs to give us some closure at the end! 3 solid stars!
I call this hardish science fiction as Torgersen obviously have given a lot of thought regarding the science involved and space ships in particular. I guess you could call this military science fiction, primarily due to the set up, although there are a few space battles along the way.
The story focuses upon 4 main characters: an autocrat from the totalitarian Starstate named Vex, a former navel officer pressed into duty once again named Wyo, who commands a flotilla of space liners into the new system, Lady Garsina, an aristocrat from the other, rival Starstate, and finally, the aging Flag officer of the rival system who commands the voyage to the new system. Torgensen does a decent job with the characters, although like much hard scifi, they are rather secondary to the overall plot/story. It is the universe Torgersen created here that is of the most interest, with the alien tech and such.
The main tropes involved are not really novel-- humans in the future finding old alien tech they do not really understand and rivalries among various star empires, including the 'good guys' slowly losing to the rival totalitarian empire. Yet, they are employed to good effect here and Torgersen moves the story along nicely. My biggest complaint has to do with the ending; without spoilers, I can say the story just stopped right when it was really getting interesting. Love to see a sequel of this, but as a stand alone novel, Torgersen needs to give us some closure at the end! 3 solid stars!
October 31, 2018
I experienced disorientation each time I had to pause reading to tend to real life mundanes. It felt like I was ripped from hundreds of lightyears away back to Earth in a few minutes.
I particularly enjoyed that space battles weren’t instantly full-on contact, taking several hours from detection of the enemy to reaching firing range. The feeling of “silence” during the battles is believable and appreciated, and Torgersen’s pacing is wonderful.
It could have been a more immersive story, however, if I didn’t have to break out of the flow every now from the authorsplaining or repetitions of information already revealed. Of course, I read the unproofed ARC and this might be corrected in the final print version.
As much as A Star-Wheeled Sky has it flaws, I found the story amazing. When I realised I was half-way through, I didn’t want it to end.
A Star-Wheeled Sky is like some mash-up of 2001: A Space Odyssey and the Battlestar Galactica series (remake). All-in-all a riveting and enjoyable military sci-fi story packed with action, suspense, and mystery. Though I am disappointed with the lack of resolution at the end. If this is the first in a series, it might not be so bad and what I’d expect of a cliffhanger ending. That doesn’t hold in a stand-alone book for me. I do hope there’ll be sequel.
And to top it all off, Alan Pollack’s artwork for the book’s cover is spot-on true to the scene it’s based on and brilliantly made.
I particularly enjoyed that space battles weren’t instantly full-on contact, taking several hours from detection of the enemy to reaching firing range. The feeling of “silence” during the battles is believable and appreciated, and Torgersen’s pacing is wonderful.
It could have been a more immersive story, however, if I didn’t have to break out of the flow every now from the authorsplaining or repetitions of information already revealed. Of course, I read the unproofed ARC and this might be corrected in the final print version.
As much as A Star-Wheeled Sky has it flaws, I found the story amazing. When I realised I was half-way through, I didn’t want it to end.
A Star-Wheeled Sky is like some mash-up of 2001: A Space Odyssey and the Battlestar Galactica series (remake). All-in-all a riveting and enjoyable military sci-fi story packed with action, suspense, and mystery. Though I am disappointed with the lack of resolution at the end. If this is the first in a series, it might not be so bad and what I’d expect of a cliffhanger ending. That doesn’t hold in a stand-alone book for me. I do hope there’ll be sequel.
And to top it all off, Alan Pollack’s artwork for the book’s cover is spot-on true to the scene it’s based on and brilliantly made.
August 26, 2019
One of the best science fiction novels I’ve read in a very long time. A Star-Wheeled Sky combines military sci-fi, space opera, and complex characters in a well-developed universe. This is the first in what I hope will be a very long series, but it works well as a standalone novel. I have been a fan of Brad Torgerson since I first read “Life Flight” in Analog (March 2014), and this, his second novel, does not disappoint. The science is believable, the characters are relatable (even the ones who are morally flawed), and there is an undercurrent of spirituality that intrigues without ever becoming preachy. I think this series has the potential to rival the Dune series.
January 1, 2019
A good start to a promising new series. This takes some storylines that have been around for a while (gates left by a missing alien race with a technology we don't understand) and deepens it with the characters and the plot. The political situation and the various tensions are nicely done. The complexity of the characters also give a realism with more than a one side against the other feel.
January 23, 2020
“Knowledge is what you think you know, boy. But then you take what you think you know, and you hurl it against the wall of reality so that it smashes into little pieces. What you pick up off the floor? That is wisdom.” (p.291) Best line in the book. However...
I had a hard time getting through the first half of the book. The characters weren’t very interesting, but most of them did feel real (aside from Vex and Kalbi). I was interested to see where they’d go.
I got a bit dizzy from the amount of mechanical detail. I know some readers will like that, though. Very cool for nerds who want to build the ships and detailed workings of the Waywork in their brains.
I also felt there were quite a few plot points that were not believable. Why would Constellar go across the Waypoint with unarmed civilian ships in the first place? And why on earth (or Uxmal) would they let the unarmed ships go off by themselves? All of their excuses for making insane moves like that just did not work for me. I found myself questioning their intelligence every few chapters.
The sacrifices of side characters were very heroic, and each ship that went down rounded out Mikton’s character more and more. The other main characters started to grow on me a bit too, but they felt more stagnant. I enjoyed Lethiah and her backstory very much. The innerworld of her giant old Arc was probably my favorite part.
I also liked the Keys and the psychic labor of the way-point pilots. Super cool concepts.
I guess overall, I think more words could have been used on sense-making plot and character over mind-numbing mechanics and maneuvers (alliteration not intended! Lol)
Oh, and the buggers...I mean Waymaker machines, and their creators are intriguing. I’m considering reading the next book:)
I had a hard time getting through the first half of the book. The characters weren’t very interesting, but most of them did feel real (aside from Vex and Kalbi). I was interested to see where they’d go.
I got a bit dizzy from the amount of mechanical detail. I know some readers will like that, though. Very cool for nerds who want to build the ships and detailed workings of the Waywork in their brains.
I also felt there were quite a few plot points that were not believable. Why would Constellar go across the Waypoint with unarmed civilian ships in the first place? And why on earth (or Uxmal) would they let the unarmed ships go off by themselves? All of their excuses for making insane moves like that just did not work for me. I found myself questioning their intelligence every few chapters.
The sacrifices of side characters were very heroic, and each ship that went down rounded out Mikton’s character more and more. The other main characters started to grow on me a bit too, but they felt more stagnant. I enjoyed Lethiah and her backstory very much. The innerworld of her giant old Arc was probably my favorite part.
I also liked the Keys and the psychic labor of the way-point pilots. Super cool concepts.
I guess overall, I think more words could have been used on sense-making plot and character over mind-numbing mechanics and maneuvers (alliteration not intended! Lol)
Oh, and the buggers...I mean Waymaker machines, and their creators are intriguing. I’m considering reading the next book:)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2024
After reading Brad R. Torgersen's debut "The Chaplain's War", I was really interested in reading more from him. I got my hands on his second novel (he only has 2 out currently), and it is an entertaining read. Its not quite as good as the Chaplain's War, but it is very entertaining.
This book really is a space opera with an element of space exploration to it. The more Space Opera element is that there are these Starstates that are fighitng one another, and they believe they have an unexplored planet where they can fight for control. The space exploration really comes from the exploration of the planet, as well as the sci-fi elements of the backstory about humanity at this time. Both blend well together here.
The characters of Wyodreth Antagean and Lady Garsina Oswight were the two most compelling characters to follow, but I found myself facinated by the villains as well as Admiral Mikton.
The book felt paced well, and never really dragged for me. But the problem with the book is it didn't have that deeper theme or that hook that really kept me engaged. It doesn't really have a romance or ask that many deeper questions like The Chaplain's War did (although it does present 1 traditional sci-fi argument and flip it on its head regarding pacifism and cooperation).
The ending of this book feels a little open-ended, which makes me wonder if Brad Torgersen plans on returning to this universe anytime.
Overall, this was an entertaining book, but it doesn't particularly stand out to me. If you are interested in reading a Brad Torgersen book, I'll recommend "The Chaplain's War". But this was still a fun read. 7 out of 10.
This book really is a space opera with an element of space exploration to it. The more Space Opera element is that there are these Starstates that are fighitng one another, and they believe they have an unexplored planet where they can fight for control. The space exploration really comes from the exploration of the planet, as well as the sci-fi elements of the backstory about humanity at this time. Both blend well together here.
The characters of Wyodreth Antagean and Lady Garsina Oswight were the two most compelling characters to follow, but I found myself facinated by the villains as well as Admiral Mikton.
The book felt paced well, and never really dragged for me. But the problem with the book is it didn't have that deeper theme or that hook that really kept me engaged. It doesn't really have a romance or ask that many deeper questions like The Chaplain's War did (although it does present 1 traditional sci-fi argument and flip it on its head regarding pacifism and cooperation).
The ending of this book feels a little open-ended, which makes me wonder if Brad Torgersen plans on returning to this universe anytime.
Overall, this was an entertaining book, but it doesn't particularly stand out to me. If you are interested in reading a Brad Torgersen book, I'll recommend "The Chaplain's War". But this was still a fun read. 7 out of 10.
August 8, 2020
If you love The Expanse saga you should also enjoy this book while you wait for the last book or whenever. It’s a solid military hard sci-fi story with a little bit of wild alien tech, written while the author was in military deployment.
The whole book is about two interstellar nations – or Starstates – outsmarting each other while aiming to a common objective: get to the new and mysterious Waypoint – like a gate/road between solar systems – that spawned for everyone to see, and now it’s up to these two major powers to claim it. Because space battles take hours due to the distance they have to keep to avoid nuclear blasts and radiation, there’s usually a lot of talking the battle plans and next moves. But before that, before the characters are finally in space, there is somewhat of a slow burn beginning where the reader gets to know everyone’s motives for being there. Some are quite interesting and dynamic, a couple others seem kind of cartoonish, but they’re easy to warm up to.
One thing I’m not used to in these kinds of books is when leaders – admirals, captains, etc, talk a lot. Makes me wonder how realistic it is, being hard sci-fi and all, but since space is so big, ships are vacuum houses and the wait for missiles to reach contact can take a couple ours, it’s natural to be more familiar. It’s just I’m used to leaders being more matter of fact and not justify their line of reasoning to the hierarchy below them. In this book they seem more open about what they’re thinking and debating with everyone available in their room. Honestly, while the book is not exactly philosophical or politically heavy, it still reminded me of Starship Troopers in many instances, so maybe there’s something to the style.
The dynamic between the factions – Constellar and Nautilan – is incredibly tense, and you can be assured there’s not much of a plot armor. Everyone is ready to die for their nation and a hit is a hit, which is what makes me enjoy this book even more. As a reader, it feels like it gets the military part of the book quite right, though I’ve never experienced actual combat, much less in space.
In the end you get a sense of purpose, and even if this war may start to become questionable and losing popular support, duty still above all else, and that’s commendable. Torgersen did a good work here and I’m glad to have got this on Humble Bundle ebook sale. You’re good to do the same.
The whole book is about two interstellar nations – or Starstates – outsmarting each other while aiming to a common objective: get to the new and mysterious Waypoint – like a gate/road between solar systems – that spawned for everyone to see, and now it’s up to these two major powers to claim it. Because space battles take hours due to the distance they have to keep to avoid nuclear blasts and radiation, there’s usually a lot of talking the battle plans and next moves. But before that, before the characters are finally in space, there is somewhat of a slow burn beginning where the reader gets to know everyone’s motives for being there. Some are quite interesting and dynamic, a couple others seem kind of cartoonish, but they’re easy to warm up to.
One thing I’m not used to in these kinds of books is when leaders – admirals, captains, etc, talk a lot. Makes me wonder how realistic it is, being hard sci-fi and all, but since space is so big, ships are vacuum houses and the wait for missiles to reach contact can take a couple ours, it’s natural to be more familiar. It’s just I’m used to leaders being more matter of fact and not justify their line of reasoning to the hierarchy below them. In this book they seem more open about what they’re thinking and debating with everyone available in their room. Honestly, while the book is not exactly philosophical or politically heavy, it still reminded me of Starship Troopers in many instances, so maybe there’s something to the style.
The dynamic between the factions – Constellar and Nautilan – is incredibly tense, and you can be assured there’s not much of a plot armor. Everyone is ready to die for their nation and a hit is a hit, which is what makes me enjoy this book even more. As a reader, it feels like it gets the military part of the book quite right, though I’ve never experienced actual combat, much less in space.
In the end you get a sense of purpose, and even if this war may start to become questionable and losing popular support, duty still above all else, and that’s commendable. Torgersen did a good work here and I’m glad to have got this on Humble Bundle ebook sale. You’re good to do the same.
October 15, 2019
This book has a lot of familiar themes but still managed to surprise me at the end. This is definitely a setup for a series and the majority of the book was world building. The characters are still a bit one dimensional but I am hopeful they will show some growth in the next installment.
There are a lot of technical explanations about how things work and military tactics which reminds me a bit of Jack Campbell's books (which I've enjoyed).
Overall I really liked the book and I'm looking forward to the next one.
There are a lot of technical explanations about how things work and military tactics which reminds me a bit of Jack Campbell's books (which I've enjoyed).
Overall I really liked the book and I'm looking forward to the next one.
August 16, 2019
An extended and expanded of this review, with particular focus on the 2019 Dragon Award, may be found in my blog post for August 16, 2019, Papa Pat Rambles.
An Amazon review of this book has also been submitted.
“A Star Wheeled Sky” is set in the far future, long centuries after humans boarded arcologies and fled some impending disaster to Earth. So much time has elapsed that only the tiniest fragments of Earth history are known; not even the location of the home planet, nor the reason for the exodus. Surviving humans, separated into five factions, have settled a region of space, where inscrutable and undetectable aliens have constructed an interstellar network of passages between star systems that humans can't understand. They refer to this as the 'Waywork,' linked together by mysterious passageways (Waypoints), which can only be opened by alien artifacts humans call “Keys.” The Keys can only be operated by a select few, those with the talent to make psychic contact with them. The drain on the operators is intense, and they have to be closely monitored to prevent burnout.
We discover early on that there is an ongoing war in the Waywork, with the Nautilan faction determined to conquer all. People of the Starstate Constellar provide the primary POV characters' they are the number one enemy of Starstate Nautilan. Minor players include Starstates Yamato, Sultari, and Amethyne. Nautilan has overwhelming military superiority, however, and it seems that their goal of total conquest will be realized.
That path is completely disrupted by the unprecedented appearance of a new Waymark, with unknow resources on the other side. The structure of the book is set by the race of the competing factions of Constellar and Nautilan to secure the Waypoint, and whatever is on the other side of it,
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW:
1. This is book one of a new series. No idea how many are planned, but while numerous story plots are resolved, the main issue is only JUST broached.
2. These are not trivial characters, and they aren't treated trivially. Clearly, the Nautilans, with their desire to conquer and tyranical rule, are the Bad Guys, and the Constellars are the Good Guys, but there is plenty to be ambivalent about with both sides. Some of the Good Guys die, usually heroically; some of the Bad Guys die, and it's a bit sad. One of the primary characters voices the truth that war requires good people to do bad things to other good people.
3. In my mind, this story unfolds like a path in the woods. We go down the path, and then, there is a fork! Okay, Mr. Author, let's see how you handle THIS! And .every.single.time. Torgersen pulls a ptarmigan out of his trilby. He makes this work with technical problems, story-line resolutions, and relationships between the characters.
There are MANY examples of this masterful writing, such as his explanation of why the humans stopped expanding, and a wonderfully played, throw-away few lines about current habitats, but my favorite involves an interaction between what passes for royalty, First Family heiress Garsina Oswight, and her long-time bodyguard, Elvin Axabrast. For Garsina, no image comes to mind, but maybe Natalie Portman would fit. However, for crusty Elvin, I DEFINITELY have the image of some combination of Lee Marvin and Sean Connery (the gray-haired version). They have a heart-to-heart about his past, and his loyalty, and why he has a tattoo on his hand that says, essentially, “I HATE FIRST FAMILIES” and quite frankly, I didn't see HOW Torgersen was going to write his way out of the situation he had set up.
And then, he did it, and it was as perfect as we have any right to expect.
(For some extra backstory on Elvin, click here)
“A Star-Wheeled Sky” contains “Death before Dishonor!”; desperate ruses; a tiny, tiny hint at potential romance maybe; “so crazy it just might work”; the demands of service; exploding spaceships; David vs Goliath; and a huge portion of technology-indistinguishable-from-magic. There is even some slight taste of Bug Eyed Monster. No scantily-clad maiden fainting into the arms of a rescuer, though; Torgersen ain't that kind of writer. Other than that, it's got it all that you could want in space opera.
An Amazon review of this book has also been submitted.
“A Star Wheeled Sky” is set in the far future, long centuries after humans boarded arcologies and fled some impending disaster to Earth. So much time has elapsed that only the tiniest fragments of Earth history are known; not even the location of the home planet, nor the reason for the exodus. Surviving humans, separated into five factions, have settled a region of space, where inscrutable and undetectable aliens have constructed an interstellar network of passages between star systems that humans can't understand. They refer to this as the 'Waywork,' linked together by mysterious passageways (Waypoints), which can only be opened by alien artifacts humans call “Keys.” The Keys can only be operated by a select few, those with the talent to make psychic contact with them. The drain on the operators is intense, and they have to be closely monitored to prevent burnout.
We discover early on that there is an ongoing war in the Waywork, with the Nautilan faction determined to conquer all. People of the Starstate Constellar provide the primary POV characters' they are the number one enemy of Starstate Nautilan. Minor players include Starstates Yamato, Sultari, and Amethyne. Nautilan has overwhelming military superiority, however, and it seems that their goal of total conquest will be realized.
That path is completely disrupted by the unprecedented appearance of a new Waymark, with unknow resources on the other side. The structure of the book is set by the race of the competing factions of Constellar and Nautilan to secure the Waypoint, and whatever is on the other side of it,
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW:
1. This is book one of a new series. No idea how many are planned, but while numerous story plots are resolved, the main issue is only JUST broached.
2. These are not trivial characters, and they aren't treated trivially. Clearly, the Nautilans, with their desire to conquer and tyranical rule, are the Bad Guys, and the Constellars are the Good Guys, but there is plenty to be ambivalent about with both sides. Some of the Good Guys die, usually heroically; some of the Bad Guys die, and it's a bit sad. One of the primary characters voices the truth that war requires good people to do bad things to other good people.
3. In my mind, this story unfolds like a path in the woods. We go down the path, and then, there is a fork! Okay, Mr. Author, let's see how you handle THIS! And .every.single.time. Torgersen pulls a ptarmigan out of his trilby. He makes this work with technical problems, story-line resolutions, and relationships between the characters.
There are MANY examples of this masterful writing, such as his explanation of why the humans stopped expanding, and a wonderfully played, throw-away few lines about current habitats, but my favorite involves an interaction between what passes for royalty, First Family heiress Garsina Oswight, and her long-time bodyguard, Elvin Axabrast. For Garsina, no image comes to mind, but maybe Natalie Portman would fit. However, for crusty Elvin, I DEFINITELY have the image of some combination of Lee Marvin and Sean Connery (the gray-haired version). They have a heart-to-heart about his past, and his loyalty, and why he has a tattoo on his hand that says, essentially, “I HATE FIRST FAMILIES” and quite frankly, I didn't see HOW Torgersen was going to write his way out of the situation he had set up.
And then, he did it, and it was as perfect as we have any right to expect.
(For some extra backstory on Elvin, click here)
“A Star-Wheeled Sky” contains “Death before Dishonor!”; desperate ruses; a tiny, tiny hint at potential romance maybe; “so crazy it just might work”; the demands of service; exploding spaceships; David vs Goliath; and a huge portion of technology-indistinguishable-from-magic. There is even some slight taste of Bug Eyed Monster. No scantily-clad maiden fainting into the arms of a rescuer, though; Torgersen ain't that kind of writer. Other than that, it's got it all that you could want in space opera.
November 2, 2020
Entertaining, but it suffers from a sub-par plot that doesn't advance nearly farther enough, comically stupid badguys, and space combat that leaves a lot to be desired.
I hope Torgersen improves as his writing career advances.
I hope Torgersen improves as his writing career advances.
June 8, 2020
I was attracted to this book by the title; I found something mysterious and romantic about it. I have to say, I didn't find the story itself especially evocative of either. That's not to say it's a bad story, or that there's no mystery or romance at all. But it doesn't live up to the hopes I had based on the title.
The book is set in a future where Earth is a distant memory, and human civilization is made up of descendants of people forced to flee Earth by catastrophe. They have settled a network of planets connected by lanes powered by alien technology, known as the Waywork. There is no sign of these hugely advanced aliens, and not many of their artifacts left behind. One starstate with oppressive, vaguely Soviet undertones is gradually overpowering all others within the Waywork.
We experience the story from the point of view of a few different characters - a senior politician in the autocratic Starstate Nautilan, an admiral in the plucky underdog navy of another starstate, a powerful merchant's son, and an aristocrat's daughter with an interest in the aliens and what they've left behind. I found the characters within the book to be drawn with a bit too much of a heavy hand for my taste. The Nautilan politician is cartoonishly power obsessed and callous, the merchant's son is noble but reluctant, the aristocrat is inexperienced but determined, and so on.
When a new pathway opens up in the Waywork, these characters all find themselves racing to take control of a new system, which contains a habitable world, a huge alien pyramid and more valuable secrets. I found the politics of their world and some of the technical details plausible and interesting - though some were a bit odd. The author talks about ships using a kind of ring system where starships circle around a central point to vary which of them are vulnerable to enemy fire... but it isn't exactly explained how this works given that space is 3D, or how it makes much difference given that weapons are primarily missiles and anti-missiles. For the most part things rang true though, with huge distances and timescales appropriate to space battle.
There are battles fought, mysteries uncovered, and lots of cunning tricks by the good guys to even the odds against the evil Starstate Nautilan and their larger forces. There's also some slightly odd religious and philosophical asides that I feel is part of a larger story that may have been covered in other books by the author? They didn't entirely seem to gel with the rest of the plot here though.
Overall I just felt the book lacked... heart, maybe? No - it has heart, but it wears that heart on its sleeve. And that weakened the story for me, because it felt like there was less to discover about the characters, and less chance for surprises in the plot. This is a story of good vs evil, and we know how that tends to turn out in fiction. The ending is also basically a setup for another book, rather than resolving anything much at all, so that also didn't help my impression. I don't regret reading the book, but I don't feel inclined to go seeking out any other books set in the same universe either.
The book is set in a future where Earth is a distant memory, and human civilization is made up of descendants of people forced to flee Earth by catastrophe. They have settled a network of planets connected by lanes powered by alien technology, known as the Waywork. There is no sign of these hugely advanced aliens, and not many of their artifacts left behind. One starstate with oppressive, vaguely Soviet undertones is gradually overpowering all others within the Waywork.
We experience the story from the point of view of a few different characters - a senior politician in the autocratic Starstate Nautilan, an admiral in the plucky underdog navy of another starstate, a powerful merchant's son, and an aristocrat's daughter with an interest in the aliens and what they've left behind. I found the characters within the book to be drawn with a bit too much of a heavy hand for my taste. The Nautilan politician is cartoonishly power obsessed and callous, the merchant's son is noble but reluctant, the aristocrat is inexperienced but determined, and so on.
When a new pathway opens up in the Waywork, these characters all find themselves racing to take control of a new system, which contains a habitable world, a huge alien pyramid and more valuable secrets. I found the politics of their world and some of the technical details plausible and interesting - though some were a bit odd. The author talks about ships using a kind of ring system where starships circle around a central point to vary which of them are vulnerable to enemy fire... but it isn't exactly explained how this works given that space is 3D, or how it makes much difference given that weapons are primarily missiles and anti-missiles. For the most part things rang true though, with huge distances and timescales appropriate to space battle.
There are battles fought, mysteries uncovered, and lots of cunning tricks by the good guys to even the odds against the evil Starstate Nautilan and their larger forces. There's also some slightly odd religious and philosophical asides that I feel is part of a larger story that may have been covered in other books by the author? They didn't entirely seem to gel with the rest of the plot here though.
Overall I just felt the book lacked... heart, maybe? No - it has heart, but it wears that heart on its sleeve. And that weakened the story for me, because it felt like there was less to discover about the characters, and less chance for surprises in the plot. This is a story of good vs evil, and we know how that tends to turn out in fiction. The ending is also basically a setup for another book, rather than resolving anything much at all, so that also didn't help my impression. I don't regret reading the book, but I don't feel inclined to go seeking out any other books set in the same universe either.
May 4, 2023
This one was pretty decent: a story that holds my interest, establishes a setting of interstellar travel with political intrigue and military engagement, and checks off a few of the necessary boxes for characters, thriller plot, combat scenes, exploration, and good-vs-evil themes.
There were a few drawbacks. Author Brad Torgersen has fallen for the temptation to turn science fiction into fantasy by introducing new "technologies" that are so advanced and so alien that he doesn't feel the need to offer plausible explanations for how stuff works. Super-tough futuristic materials that can't even be destroyed with a nuclear explosion? Okay, I can forgive that one because I've read Cixin Liu's Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy, in which he explains how a new state of matter could result in such indestructible materials. But Torgersen uses that technique in other areas too, until the reader just has to accept that "it's beyond us; it's all magic" about pretty much every important alien capability.
Some of the "meh, it's just magic; just believe me" laziness isn't even necessary. One example (and this is a very mild spoiler) is the discovery of a person who benefitted from ancient efforts by humanity to extend their lifespans with unknown health treatments. So we meet a character who has lived a long, long time, but only just the one, and her character fills an important role in the book, so it's important that we believe that there is some technology (completely unexplained, therefore magic, actually) that affected her and just her. It was unnecessary to make her unique and magical and surprising. If the author had sprinkled a few of these long-lived characters throughout the story, it would be easier to buy the presence of this important ancient character. Make them rare, sure, but make them something we already know about when we meet the important character so she doesn't seem so wildly implausible. If we had already seen evidence of humanity's advancement in biological and medical technology, then the author wouldn't have to lean so heavily on "Hey, don't worry about it; it's just technology-that's-indistinguishable-from-magic that I don't have time to explain right now!"
I still enjoyed the book, though I wouldn't call it a favorite. It was worth the time investment, at least.
There were a few drawbacks. Author Brad Torgersen has fallen for the temptation to turn science fiction into fantasy by introducing new "technologies" that are so advanced and so alien that he doesn't feel the need to offer plausible explanations for how stuff works. Super-tough futuristic materials that can't even be destroyed with a nuclear explosion? Okay, I can forgive that one because I've read Cixin Liu's Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy, in which he explains how a new state of matter could result in such indestructible materials. But Torgersen uses that technique in other areas too, until the reader just has to accept that "it's beyond us; it's all magic" about pretty much every important alien capability.
Some of the "meh, it's just magic; just believe me" laziness isn't even necessary. One example (and this is a very mild spoiler) is the discovery of a person who benefitted from ancient efforts by humanity to extend their lifespans with unknown health treatments. So we meet a character who has lived a long, long time, but only just the one, and her character fills an important role in the book, so it's important that we believe that there is some technology (completely unexplained, therefore magic, actually) that affected her and just her. It was unnecessary to make her unique and magical and surprising. If the author had sprinkled a few of these long-lived characters throughout the story, it would be easier to buy the presence of this important ancient character. Make them rare, sure, but make them something we already know about when we meet the important character so she doesn't seem so wildly implausible. If we had already seen evidence of humanity's advancement in biological and medical technology, then the author wouldn't have to lean so heavily on "Hey, don't worry about it; it's just technology-that's-indistinguishable-from-magic that I don't have time to explain right now!"
I still enjoyed the book, though I wouldn't call it a favorite. It was worth the time investment, at least.
September 29, 2020
This review originally published in Looking For a Good book. Rated 3.0 of 5
Based on a number of Brad R. Torgersen's shorter works, I felt that Torgersen was one of the best sci-fi writers currently writing and I told him so in a Facebook message (to which he very kindly replied). But I have been less enthusiastic about his most recent novels, including this, A Star-Wheeled Sky.
A long time ago (from our very distant future) humans left Earth, to find other planets to settle, in ships that were slower than speed of light. Getting to any potential new settlement would take generations. But on the journey they discovered the Waywork - an alien super-highway that provides nearly instantaneous travel to and from different star systems. The number of systems is limited and humans, being humans (human nature just never seems to change), have completely taken over these new systems, setting up unique governments - which of course leads to disagreements, fights, and wars between the human settlements.
When war is nearly inevitable between two diametrically opposite ruling factions, a new Waypoint appears. A race is one to see which faction (aka 'Starstates') can get there first to gain control and expand their empire. But one of the most vicious regimes in the Waypoint is also on the hunt.
Torgersen definitely has a knack for military sci-fi and it is in the battles and the battle planning that he shines brightest here. He can't seem to not add a moment or two of religious contemplation as well (it didn't bother me here the way it did with the previous novel of his that I reviewed, and I think it was only because of this that I took notice).
The characters are ... okay. Nobody really stands out as someone with whom I can't wait to see what they do next, nor so evil that I can't wait to see them get their comeuppance.
I had a nagging feeling all along as I read this that someone, either Torgersen or his editors, were trying too hard to fit a mold to appeal to the widest possible audience. But by doing so, it's created a rather bland, almost generic, sci-fi adventure.
I sincerely hope the next one stands out.
Looking for a good book? Brad R. Torgersen's A Star-Wheeled Sky isn't a bad sci-fi adventure, but it won't likely excite too many readers.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
Based on a number of Brad R. Torgersen's shorter works, I felt that Torgersen was one of the best sci-fi writers currently writing and I told him so in a Facebook message (to which he very kindly replied). But I have been less enthusiastic about his most recent novels, including this, A Star-Wheeled Sky.
A long time ago (from our very distant future) humans left Earth, to find other planets to settle, in ships that were slower than speed of light. Getting to any potential new settlement would take generations. But on the journey they discovered the Waywork - an alien super-highway that provides nearly instantaneous travel to and from different star systems. The number of systems is limited and humans, being humans (human nature just never seems to change), have completely taken over these new systems, setting up unique governments - which of course leads to disagreements, fights, and wars between the human settlements.
When war is nearly inevitable between two diametrically opposite ruling factions, a new Waypoint appears. A race is one to see which faction (aka 'Starstates') can get there first to gain control and expand their empire. But one of the most vicious regimes in the Waypoint is also on the hunt.
Torgersen definitely has a knack for military sci-fi and it is in the battles and the battle planning that he shines brightest here. He can't seem to not add a moment or two of religious contemplation as well (it didn't bother me here the way it did with the previous novel of his that I reviewed, and I think it was only because of this that I took notice).
The characters are ... okay. Nobody really stands out as someone with whom I can't wait to see what they do next, nor so evil that I can't wait to see them get their comeuppance.
I had a nagging feeling all along as I read this that someone, either Torgersen or his editors, were trying too hard to fit a mold to appeal to the widest possible audience. But by doing so, it's created a rather bland, almost generic, sci-fi adventure.
I sincerely hope the next one stands out.
Looking for a good book? Brad R. Torgersen's A Star-Wheeled Sky isn't a bad sci-fi adventure, but it won't likely excite too many readers.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
January 11, 2019
Brad R Torgersen has crafted a highly entertaining romp through science fiction’s past imbibing the narrative with modern sensibilities, hard, nuts and bolts space battle, realistic orbital mechanics, but most of all, recognizable characters with depth and purpose.
Set after Earth has succumbed to disaster, the remnants of humanity occupy star systems connected by an ancient alien travel system, the Waywork. Those ancient aliens are long gone and although people use the network no one really knows how it works. Vying Star-States compete to control the network, but there’s a problem. The system is finite, and resources are scarce. Into the mix of the power struggles comes a new Waywork connection, opening a route to a new star system. War looms.
To say more would spoil the fun. There are nods to Niven/Pournelle’s CoDominium, alien mysteries, alien archaeology, and myriad ideas all wrapped up in an easily accessible narrative. Torgersen has managed to add a zesty freshness to the military SF subgenre, while honoring the trope’s and reader’s expectation of that genre.
The novel ends in a satisfactory manner yet has the door open for a sequel, which I believe is currently being worked on.
If you like solid, hard SF, or alien mystery, or military SF, I would highly recommend this novel. Get it now, read it and then grab the sequel. Torgersen is going to be a big name and you’ll be able to tell people you were there at the beginning.
Set after Earth has succumbed to disaster, the remnants of humanity occupy star systems connected by an ancient alien travel system, the Waywork. Those ancient aliens are long gone and although people use the network no one really knows how it works. Vying Star-States compete to control the network, but there’s a problem. The system is finite, and resources are scarce. Into the mix of the power struggles comes a new Waywork connection, opening a route to a new star system. War looms.
To say more would spoil the fun. There are nods to Niven/Pournelle’s CoDominium, alien mysteries, alien archaeology, and myriad ideas all wrapped up in an easily accessible narrative. Torgersen has managed to add a zesty freshness to the military SF subgenre, while honoring the trope’s and reader’s expectation of that genre.
The novel ends in a satisfactory manner yet has the door open for a sequel, which I believe is currently being worked on.
If you like solid, hard SF, or alien mystery, or military SF, I would highly recommend this novel. Get it now, read it and then grab the sequel. Torgersen is going to be a big name and you’ll be able to tell people you were there at the beginning.
September 25, 2020
Science Fiction readers out there... this book is good!
Brad R. Torgersen is a "full-time healthcare tech geek by day, and United States Army Reserve Warrant Officer on weekends" and I think I've found this reflected very positively on the writing style.
The feeling of space.
The simple but amazing fact that I start reading and get slowly detached from earth and feel like I'm surrounded by blackness and stars, is the main reason I like this book.
The second aspect I like, is something skilled/smart writers do. The writing style reflects the mood and pace of the book, in this book there is "a lot to read", and sometimes it feels a bit long, but, this is a realistic paced hard sci-fi, as something traveling in space is really slow, and even battles in space are happening slow, the main aspect in fighting in space is tactic.
The book rewarded me with great twists, a story with many credible characters (male and female), a space opera background, different point of views, military and non military ships, and, as you can guess from the cover, much more. Like the good old books where you get captured by the world created by the author, this one got me in like a was a small kid.
- “Knowledge is what you think you know, boy. But then you take what you think you know, and you hurl it against the wall of reality so that it smashes into little pieces. What you pick up off the floor? That is wisdom.”
Brad R. Torgersen is a "full-time healthcare tech geek by day, and United States Army Reserve Warrant Officer on weekends" and I think I've found this reflected very positively on the writing style.
The feeling of space.
The simple but amazing fact that I start reading and get slowly detached from earth and feel like I'm surrounded by blackness and stars, is the main reason I like this book.
The second aspect I like, is something skilled/smart writers do. The writing style reflects the mood and pace of the book, in this book there is "a lot to read", and sometimes it feels a bit long, but, this is a realistic paced hard sci-fi, as something traveling in space is really slow, and even battles in space are happening slow, the main aspect in fighting in space is tactic.
The book rewarded me with great twists, a story with many credible characters (male and female), a space opera background, different point of views, military and non military ships, and, as you can guess from the cover, much more. Like the good old books where you get captured by the world created by the author, this one got me in like a was a small kid.
- “Knowledge is what you think you know, boy. But then you take what you think you know, and you hurl it against the wall of reality so that it smashes into little pieces. What you pick up off the floor? That is wisdom.”
May 26, 2019
After having read and enjoyed some of Torgersen's previous work (the Chaplains War novel and a number of his shorter stories) I immediately elevated this book to the top of my to-read list when I saw its release. I really like his writing style, which possibly has something to do with the fact (which I only found out recently) that one of his key mentors is Mike Resnick who happens to be one of my favourite authors across all genres. Torgersen delivers to us a good story with good characters and an interesting plot, and the world-building is very good. These facets add up to a pretty good novel that is clearly just the beginning of a larger series of books and/or stories. While the story ideas contained in it are excellent and the execution is just fine, there did seem to be a slight lull in the middle, just enough to cause my attention to wander a little. But the last quarter really picks up again and finishes the book off nicely, albeit rather abruptly.
The writing style is excellent, in my opinion, and Torgersen (again) demonstrates his talents with words. For a chap who is not yet a professional author, his storytelling abilities are far in excess of many pro writers that I could name. This guy is one to really watch for the future, and I reckon we'll be seeing some huge best-sellers from him in the years to come. The only thing that seems to lack in the delivery of this book is the element of humor, a dose of light-heartedness or even some cutting sarcasm to break up the tension of the main plot. That would really elevate it for me and probably prompt me to award at least another half a star to the rating score. It's highly enjoyable at any rate, so that's really just nit-picking by me.
Anyway, this book is a fine read and a nice blend of military sci-fi and space opera that is worth picking up if you feel like some relaxing entertainment from one of the more prominent new sci-fi writers to come along in recent years. I'll certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for the inevitable sequel or sequels.
The writing style is excellent, in my opinion, and Torgersen (again) demonstrates his talents with words. For a chap who is not yet a professional author, his storytelling abilities are far in excess of many pro writers that I could name. This guy is one to really watch for the future, and I reckon we'll be seeing some huge best-sellers from him in the years to come. The only thing that seems to lack in the delivery of this book is the element of humor, a dose of light-heartedness or even some cutting sarcasm to break up the tension of the main plot. That would really elevate it for me and probably prompt me to award at least another half a star to the rating score. It's highly enjoyable at any rate, so that's really just nit-picking by me.
Anyway, this book is a fine read and a nice blend of military sci-fi and space opera that is worth picking up if you feel like some relaxing entertainment from one of the more prominent new sci-fi writers to come along in recent years. I'll certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for the inevitable sequel or sequels.
June 27, 2019
I had so enjoyed the author's first book "The Chaplain's War" that I looked forward eagerly to this work, and I have to say that it surpassed my expectations. The structure of the book is a little unusual, it is more like three back-to-back novellas with the main characters carrying on from part to part. The first part sets up the world, the universe, the technology, and the conflict. The second part is a bit more "military-SF", and the third part a bit more space operatic. Without any spoilers, I found the worldbuilding setting interesting (it was foreshadowed in one of the authors' stand alone short stories), and the technology is well handled. The military aspects are excellently done but do not overwhelm and dominate the story as is sometimes the case in other authors' works. The twists at the end are well done, and I especially like the way that the story is complete in itself, while still clearly being the beginning of a universe with wide storytelling scope that I am eager to see more of. I STRONGLY recommend this book.
March 23, 2019
Brad R. Torgersen tells of future humans who fled Earth and found a home in the planets of the Waywork, fifty-six worlds connected by a faster-than-light gate created by aliens who left no trace behind. They are fighting for dominance under A Star-Wheeled Sky (hard from Baen). Then, a fifty-seventh world appears. One starstate has slowly been conquering the others, but this might prove a hope for the Constellar starstate. So a combined expedition is hurridly put together with three civilian ships headed by the son of their owner, Wyodreth Antagean. Heading the military forces is Admiral Zuri mikton who had been heading for retirement. Insisting on coming along is Lady Garsina Oswight. Following them with battleships is the Kosmarch Golsubril Vex of the Nautilan starstate. What follows is ship to ship battles, and a surprise at the Earth like planet in the new system. There are many questions left to answer in future tales.Review printed by Philadelphia Free Press
February 21, 2019
This novel was exceptional sci-fi. It had a familiar feel like the best of Star Trek, and yet it had a raw, new feel to going where no man has gone before.
I came across Torgersen while reading some short sci-fi and then read his debut novel, The Chaplain's War, way back when. I've been waiting a long while to read more. It's enjoyable writing, and creative ideas.
A Star Wheeled Sky did not disappoint. In fact, it is some of the best sci-fi I've read.
The galaxy is at war, humans generations after earth are fighting over a power they don't understand and only think they control.
At the end, I was both excited that it seems there's more to come in this series and disappointed because I don't want to wait for the next installment. But I will. As this story was well worth the previous wait.
I came across Torgersen while reading some short sci-fi and then read his debut novel, The Chaplain's War, way back when. I've been waiting a long while to read more. It's enjoyable writing, and creative ideas.
A Star Wheeled Sky did not disappoint. In fact, it is some of the best sci-fi I've read.
The galaxy is at war, humans generations after earth are fighting over a power they don't understand and only think they control.
At the end, I was both excited that it seems there's more to come in this series and disappointed because I don't want to wait for the next installment. But I will. As this story was well worth the previous wait.
February 16, 2020
I'm conflicted about this book. It's not bad per se, but it is lacking something, and I can't pin down what it is. The characters are ok, but don't get developed enough to make you want to know more than what you do get. The plot is good enough that it's begging for a follow up story, but it ends as if Brad suddenly realised he'd gone beyond his word limit, and had to end it right there and then. There is a lot of action, and some excellent 'thinking outside the box' solutions to how under-armed or un-armed space ships can disable or destroy military vessels, but it's just not enough to make me want to care if another book does come out. I'll buy it when it does, but it will certainly not jump to the top of the TBR pile.
December 11, 2018
There were so many things I did not like about this book. Most of the main characters were killed off leaving only a few to carry on. About carrying on - this just stopped without any resolution to more than one problem. There was a lot of backstory and world building taking up a lot of the book. It was interesting but could have been edited down. At time I had to make myself keep reading. I will watch to see what happens next as this must be the start of a series. Maybe with everything set up the next book will be better.
I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.
I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.
August 12, 2020
This is an engaging hard science fiction novel, with four main viewpoint characters. There are two star states that are competing against each other. Three of the characters are from one of the star states, and the other character is from the later star state. I found it interesting to have these different view points as I read. Each character has different motivations and objectives, and their interactions form a good portion of the backbone of the story.
I enjoyed the book, but I found the focus to be a bit off, as the conclusion seemed to leap out and not be quite as fulfilling as I had hoped - it is possible that a sequel will be written.
I enjoyed the book, but I found the focus to be a bit off, as the conclusion seemed to leap out and not be quite as fulfilling as I had hoped - it is possible that a sequel will be written.
January 15, 2019
The first in what promises to be a series of books, and a pretty good start it is too. Plenty of things to chew on until the next book comes out (whenever that might be), and a whole lot of things only touched on in the book that appear to be parts of the larger whole. This will be an interesting series to be sure, and if you're a scifi fan, you don't want to miss it.
July 7, 2022
A slow starter, but it was needed to give you the universe that will leave you wanting more.
Characters that are well developed, a history of the universe to the depth of lore, space combat that makes sense, and aliens that are barely fathomable... all of this makes for a terrific read that demands a sequel.
Characters that are well developed, a history of the universe to the depth of lore, space combat that makes sense, and aliens that are barely fathomable... all of this makes for a terrific read that demands a sequel.
February 19, 2019
Tough read for me
I had trouble getting into this story. Not because of any problems with the writing or story line. Just wasn't enjoying it. I pushed through and by the end I believe we've got enough twists and turns to make a decent series. I'll certainly buy he next one.
I had trouble getting into this story. Not because of any problems with the writing or story line. Just wasn't enjoying it. I pushed through and by the end I believe we've got enough twists and turns to make a decent series. I'll certainly buy he next one.
March 9, 2019
I met Brad during military exercises in Poland. I enjoyed reading Chaplains War and he didn’t disappoint with this book. You don’t run into many accomplished authors that are also Army Reserve Warrant Officers.
September 9, 2019
Really good story. Genuinely human and flawed characters really tied everything together and made it very interesting to read from page to page.
Ends on a cliffhanger and as far as i'm aware there isn't a second book yet?
Ends on a cliffhanger and as far as i'm aware there isn't a second book yet?
November 24, 2019
Setting a new stage for a massive story
Humanity has left Earth, so long ago they barely know of it. They settled into an interstellar network built by Other, which they do not understand and can barely use. Now something evil is coming, ripping out the network as it does.
Humanity has left Earth, so long ago they barely know of it. They settled into an interstellar network built by Other, which they do not understand and can barely use. Now something evil is coming, ripping out the network as it does.
May 2, 2019
A slow start that eventually evolved into a good, developing story. I hope to read more in this universe from Torgersen.
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