The Shadow And Night

The Lamb Among the Stars #1-2

by Chris Walley

In the first book in the epic Lamb among the Stars series, author Chris Walley weaves the worlds of science and the spirit, technology and supernatural into something unique in science fiction. Twelve thousand years into the future, the human race has spread across the galaxy to hundreds of terraformed worlds. The effects of the Fall have been diminished by the Great Intervention, and peace and contentment reign under the gentle rule of the Assembly. But suddenly, almost imperceptibly, things begin to change. On the remotest planet of Farholme, Forester Merral D’Avanos hears one simple . . . lie. Slowly a handful of men and women begin to realize that evil has returned and must be fought. What will this mean for a people to whom war and evil are ancient history? Thus begins the epic that has been described as “If C. S. Lewis and Tolkien had written Star Wars.”
The Shadow and Night was previously published in two The Shadow at Evening and The Power of the Night.

Genres: Science Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Fantasy, Inspirational, Science Fiction Fantasy

640 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2006

About the author

I was born in Wales in 1954 but grew up in northern England. I studied geology at university, gaining a BSc from Sheffield University and a PhD from University of Wales, Swansea. I taught at the American University of Beirut (AUB) in Lebanon from 1980-84, where I met my wife and where our two boys were born.

From 1984-94, I was based in Swansea, where I was a consultant for the oil industry. I did fieldwork in a number of African and Asian countries and wrote numerous synthesis volumes on the geology of different countries. In the late eighties, I began writing in my spare time. I had two novels, Heart of Stone and Rock of Refuge, published under the pseudonym of John Haworth.

In 1994, I was asked to return to Lebanon to rebuild the Department of Geology at AUB and we were there as a family 1994-98. During that time I managed the department, taught and also did research. I travelled extensively within Lebanon and got to know all the major geological localities very well, partly through interest, and partly through setting innumerable student mapping projects. My wife and I were also involved in setting up a large environmental project in the Bekaa with A Rocha Lebanon.

In 1998, we returned to the UK. Needing to go back to Swansea where there were few geology jobs, and fancying something of a change, I began to make a new career in writing and editing, in particular for the Christian market. I retained my geological interests, in particular in Lebanon/the Middle East, however, and led field trips for Wheaton College, Illinois in the Middle East and the UK.

In September 2004 I started teaching again, at Gower College Swansea (Gorseinon), on the edge of Swansea: geology and environmental science.

My wife and I live in an old cottage on the edge of Swansea and are very much involved in Pantygwydr Baptist church. Our sons, John and Mark, no longer live at home but remain a real blessing to us.

Reviews

[M.G. Bianco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this trilogy. It looks like a set of four, but books 1 and 2 have been combined into book 1. The Shadow and Night describes a world around 12,000 years into the future, where the Lamb reigns. There is no sin: no lying, cheating, stealing, murder, adultery, nothing. Yet, Merral, a forester on the farthest planet from Earth, Farholme, hears a lie uttered. Upon investigation, he and a visitor from Earth, Vero, discover a foreign spaceship and its crew on Farholme--having brought with them the return of evil. Together, they battle these creatures to defeat the threat they represent and the evil they've brought with them. This evil is a spiritual evil that affects the everyday lives of the humans living on Farholme, causing them to sin in ways humans have not done so for 12,000 years.

Although the early pages of the book make you feel as if Walley is trying too hard to convince you that the galaxy has been thoroughly Christianized, he does write well throughout. He brings in Biblical symbolism, and generally leaves it to the reader to discover on his own, with a few annoying exceptions.

The best part is the development of Merral's understanding of evil and how it has impacted him, his friends, and his family. The way he analyzes his tone, his words, his feelings, and his behaviors makes him endearing and lovable to the reader. This, at least for me, makes me want to imitate him in that. I feel like this is the type of book that serves as a type to the reader for how we should treat and interact with others. Not in a preachy way, but in an inspiring way.

A friend described this as postmillennial science fiction. I'd have to agree.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well... I read this whole thing, so that tells you I enjoyed it at least in some aspects. Yes, this was a slower-paced story then many of the genres, but I felt it was appropriate for world-building and so the reader feels the emotional tension.

Anyway, there were some theological points that felt very odd. I mean, this story felt like it takes place during the thousand-year reign of Christ when all is good in the world. Yet, this time of peace and goodness seems to have been brought about by people and has lasted for 11,000 years.

Evolution is stated as a fact, although it wasn't overdone so I haven't taken off any stars for that fact.

There was some gore, not a book for sensitive readers or those that don't like gory details.

There were a couple of other theological points that bothered me but I won't tear this book apart. I was interested, well done. And I did feel the author did a good job of showing right from wrong, good from evil, even in smaller things.

[Megan Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I may change this rating later... I need to think on it a bit more. But this is how I feel right now.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found myself enjoying this series so far more than I hoped I would. It is funny; it has sat on my shelf for over ten years without my ever picking it up to read. I have glanced at it a few times over the years but never actually thought about reading it. Now, having read these first two books in the series collected in this “omnibus edition,” I am sorry I neve read it before now. Granted, it might not have been the “right time” had I tried reading it earlier. It is an interesting take on what Christianity might be like in a distant future (around 12,000 years or more) in which apparently everybody is a Christian, sin is no more, and humanity has spread across over 1600 terraformed worlds. The story takes place on the furthest planet from Earth, the center of humanity’s assembly (as opposed to “Empire” of “Federation” or such).

The character development is good. The author develops the primary characters, of course, and focuses most of the books (narrative) on the “main” main character, Forester Merral D’Avanos. Merral worked as a Forester and took care of the woodland forests and their denizens in the northern part of Farholme (the name of this Made World inhabited by humans). He becomes “the man of the moment” and the (reluctant) warrior Farholme needs for its very existence. Others see him as being chosen by Yahweh to be a warrior, but it is a mantle he is reluctant to bear as he sees himself more as a man of peace than a man of war. It is funny; sometimes I want to shake this guy and yell at him for the actions he takes, for what he does and how naïve he seems to be, but then I think of how I can be and some of the mistakes I make and regular poor decisions when it comes to certain things, so perhaps Merral is closer to being “normal” and relatable than I first realized when the book started to get interesting.

The author does a nice job of developing other characters as well; I would say there are three–to–four other main characters in the book with a large number of secondary, tertiary, and quaternary characters as well as whatever other levels there are below that. The books are filled with a large cast of characters that changes a bit over the course of each book. I loved the development of Sentinel Verofaza Laertes Enand of Ancient Earth was well done; I came to like his character quite a bit. I also enjoyed the development of the characters of the two sisters, Anya and Perena Lewitz; it was fun, believable, and well-done. I also liked how Vero, Anya, and Perena were “teamed” with Merral to form a solid core for the book and the eventual defense of the planet. I felt their growth and development was natural in light of the events that were transpiring.

It was also interesting to see how different people were responding to the coming change in the world, their lives, as they knew them. The changes were miniscule, at first – mostly in terms of attitudes and dreams, people telling lies and then trying to cover them up. Awkward moments because of underlying attitudes that had not been experienced in millennia. Merral has a hard time with his role, first in the initial “defense” of the planet with Vero when they encounter a group of ape-creatures and cockroach-beasts that are seeking to kill them. Merral has to learn how to fight, to become violent, to kill, and he has a hard time with these lessons. Vero is with Merral during this initial skirmish, and he also has to undergo some hard lessons and changes in his mindset in order for the two of them to survive. It is funny – part of me thinks the two were incredibly stupid to have gone out without any additional help or backup or whatever, but then I have to remember that there has been zero crime, zero acts of violence committed by humans against other humans, zero sin, in this future civilization for thousands of years. They do not know what sin is, how to commit acts of violence, how to not trust their senses, or to have a greater sense of urgency or precaution. Nor do they have any kind of awareness of danger beyond making sure they are aware of their surroundings and potential natural sources of danger in the natural environment. So it is easy to judge these individuals for taking what I would see are “foolish, unwise” choices and decisions, but they do not have the same experiences I have (not that I have experienced anything excessively horrific), or say, people around the world have had “today.” So they are not going to know how to either react or respond to certain stimuli or potential threats. They do the best they can, and they barely survive.

The second book is more about their making preparations for war, to find the ship these creatures came in and either capture it or destroy it. In fact, most of the book is about the preparations for warfare and how society on this young planet is changing even further. Well, it is a mix of the mystery of trying to determine when “evil” (sin) first entered this world and of preparing to defend the planet. It was interesting how Vero so readily embraced his role as “intelligence” and more specifically “military intelligence” by accessing everything he can in the Assembly’s library “branch” on Farholme. Merral could have done better in regard to his preparing for the coming battle; he truly was a reluctant leader. We are also introduced to various other people who embrace the new lifestyle(s) being forced upon them, of shifting form a peaceful economy to that of a wartime footing. There is also an angelic visitor, an “Envoy,” who is of great service in the (limited) help provided to humanity (and yet, as limited as this help is, is enough to turn the tide of victory in their favor). So the author does a nice (great) job in that regard, in showing how ill-prepared these people are to defend their world from outside harm or attack and yet are able to reach the point to defending themselves against what they believed to be “an invasion force.”

It is interesting; the speech in the beginning is a bit stilted and forced, but as the story progresses it starts to feel “more natural.” I think some of this probably stems from trying to write conversations from the perspective of a civilization that has known nothing but peace and prosperity for over 9,000 years and has known zero sin or crime or anything else truly “negative” during this time. However, the speech does get a more “natural” feel to it as more “sinful behavior and attitudes” creep into this planet’s society. I think one of the “saddest moments” that show how much this society has changed in such a short time in the face of encroaching evil/sin is when one of Merral’s youngest cousins begs in Merral to kill whatever it is that has been spying on their isolated community because of the fear and nightmares that this young boy has been struggling with for several months; that I when Merral realizes that life will never be fully the same again, like it was before, before he and Vero hike off into the wilderness in hopes of finding the creatures that have been spying on his uncle’s isolated community.

The story does start out slow in the first book. The author has a lot of world-building to do to get the reader “up-to-speed” on life in this future “utopian, Christian” society. Once the groundwork is in place and the mystery is further expanded upon, then I would say the pace picks up pretty quickly and this faster pace is maintained over the course of the novel and into the second novel. Granted, it does slow down a bit, again, in the second novel before picking back up again. I think the author does a nice job of slowly building up the tension over the course of the first novel and then again in the second novel; I found myself having a hard time putting the book down because it kept getting “better” with each chapter. There was a nice mix of mystery and “horror” to the narrative as well; while what was not described might not be “horrific” to today’s readers, the author still did a great job of letting the reader “experience” the horror the characters in the book felt. I was also surprised at the amount of humor scattered throughout the books as well. It is not obnoxious humor, but it is a quiet humor that stems more in how people react to certain stimuli or information. Or somebody (usually Vero) will make a comment and somebody else (usually Merral) will wonder what he meant by what he said, and Vero usually messes up the translated explanation of the comment.

I also enjoy the level of technology described in this future society. On the one hand, it shows how interconnected these distant colonies are and how much they must rely upon each other to survive (especially the newer, younger colonies). The “gate” technology was pretty cool as it allowed a form of “extra-dimensional travel” that allowed faster travel between worlds that are lightyears apart (the closest world to Farholme being 50 lightyears away). The colonists have learned how to live with a mix of mechanical and natural means of survival. They cannot fully rely upon the mechanical in case the gate were to ever break down and/or be destroyed and the industrial capabilities of Farholme are not quite at the point of self-sufficiency. Yet they still have spacecraft of varying sizes and capabilities that are used; they have both wind-powered and automated sources of power for various equipment and vehicles (I am sure I remember something about solar power being utilized as well). Everybody has quick access to the Assembly’s Library. Everybody also carries a personal “diary” which is like a cell phone, but probably a bit larger form how it is described. When they look at images, schematics, or even during conversations, they use 3D imaging technology, which is pretty cool. There are other little things described in the book (like having knives that have monomolecular blades, and these monomolecular blades can be adjusted as needed for the task at hand). I like how there is such a blending of “hi tech” and “lo tech” in the book; it makes it fun to read and discover what might happen next. Also, in some ways, it reminds me of Tunnel in the Sky, as if it could be a sort of sequel.

I also like the spiritual insights and comments that are scattered throughout the book as well as the constant reminders that “The Lamb is Lord of All” and/or “The Lamb is still in control” and/or “The Lamb still sits on His Throne,” even when and especially when things start to go south for our heroes pretty quickly in each book. It might sound like a trite saying, but there is still a lot of truth in what they say and something I think many Christians “today” tend to forget as we get so caught up in our daily lives and forget to look above to Him Who sits on the throne and is in control of all things.

These were two fun stories to read; I am glad I read them in this collected format (although I would have been just as happy to have read them as individual books, too). I also liked the author's extrapolations on what future technology might look like, how it might be used, in this future society. It was fun and interesting and believable, in my opinion (especially as this future society, at least on Farholme, seems to have found a happy balance between technology and the natural world, in terms of being able to live with technology without letting it control their lives). I don't remember if I mentioned this in my reviews of the individual books, but it was also interesting how this future society chose to limit itself in what it created and how it utilized technology; they refused to blend the living and the artificial to create new life forms; they refused to create artificial life; they refused to create super-intelligent "creatures" or the possibility that such things could be created. They also were very careful in how technology was used so that it could not be used to intentionally "steal" from other people (especially in terms of works of art or artificially altering digital recordings to allow people to act or behave in ways that they would not have otherwise if they were still living, like making a tenor able to sing in higher keys than they could have otherwise). Interesting limitations with the goal of reminding humanity they were not gods and needed to stay inside the "confines" or "limits" they felt Yahweh had placed upon them. It was an interesting perspective, to say the least.

I am glad that I read them now, and I could easily see myself reading them again at some point in the future.

My individual reviews of the two books can be found at:
The Shadow at Evening
The Power of the Night

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is "in the tradition of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien" as advertised. The story is an outstanding, imaginary, epic adventure. Unfortunately, Walley is not a writer of the caliber of either Lewis or Tolkien--not many are. That is quite a reputation to be compared against.

I really appreciated the story line that Walley has created. What Christian has pondered a world eleven millenia into the future? A world essentially liberated from the daily affliction of sin, where Christ reigns supreme in a world where sin is ancient history, and the dominion of the entire universe is under the Kingship of Christ through the agency of man? This is great stuff and Walley is to be credited with creating a unique and compelling world.

The story begins very slowly at first (in the first few pages), but it quickly picks up the pace as Merral begins to see changes in the world around him. Very rarely am I so captivated by a book that find it difficult to put down--this is one of those books. I read it every chance I got in great eagerness to see what came next. The adventure rarely lets up.

But, as I alluded to in the beginning, Walley's writing is not quite up to the challenge of the story he's created. The dialog in many places is clunky, unnatural, and reminiscent of the writing one would expect in a video game. It isn't just the dialog either. There are many portions of the book that are very formulaic--and come across like a poorly written TV show. I would have expected the editor to insist upon a great many changes in the book. Perhaps the next installments are better.

I can only imagine how difficult it is to write of a world where sin is ancient history and inconceivable to a civilization, so perhaps I'm being too critical. Yet it is frustrating to read characters utterly naive to the realities of a world with sin in it. The characters in the book are frustratingly slow to accept the responsibilities they've had hoisted upon them.

There is a critical interaction toward the end of the book that is maddeningly unnatural, unrealistic, and even "unbiblical". I'll not spoil things for those who've not yet read it, but I trust I'm not the only one who was disappointed with this conversation.

Still, the story more than makes up for the deficiencies in the writing and editing. I highly recommend this one. I'm eager to pick up the next in the series.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I loved the plot of this futuristic, Christian society of planets and the slow, subtle infiltration of enemy forces into the the most remote planet. The author took great care in creating the government and society, but somehow the characters seemed rather flat. At first I thought this was because they lived in a sinless society and therefore had no flaws I could relate to, but even after I kept reading I still didn't warm up to any one. Also, the few lighthearted scenes in the book seemed a bit awkward and forced when they were supposed to be humorous. I will be reading the rest of the series, but for once its for the plot not for the people. I also had trouble deciphering some of the definitions of "Sin". The society in the book is so perfect that somethings they clarify as sin are not called so by even the most strict Christians of the real world, such as a ambition, and a need for privacy, which is equated with lying. This nitpicking made it a bit hard to realize that evil was threatening them until it became actual sin, such as prejudice, actual lying, and hatred. It's a good read, but a bit hard to get through until well midway when the plot begins to thicken.

[Davidk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts out slow, but picks up near the end of part one. The conclusion to part one and part two are masterful, fun, and action packed!

[Karol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very long, rich in detail. But it held my interest.

[Anna Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was skeptical at first. The story moves rather slowly, and the initial setting of a world without sin or evil of any kind was a little too unbelievable for me. However, as the plot thickened and that perfect world started slipping away, the pieces fell into place. Yes, it's unbelievable--but that's the point! It's difficult to adjust to the idea because it's so foreign to us, but Walley did an excellent job of depicting it, especially as evil started creeping back into the world. The subtlety and gradual shifting was done brilliantly.
One of my favorite parts of this book was when Merral and Vero are alone in the wilderness looking for the mysterious creature. The suspense was awesome--rarely does a book actually give me some tangible anxiety like that.
Overall, it's not fast-paced and if that's what you're looking for, probably not for you. But if you don't mind a slowly-developing but intricate plot, dive in. I also found it refreshingly original in the Christian fiction genre, since it brings some unusual concepts to the table--though in other Christian elements, it is admittedly cliché.
Finally, Vero's use of earth phrases and idioms that none of them understand--possibly the best part. I was snickering to myself in bed at midnight more than once.

[Richard New · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Shadow and Night by Chris Walley, Book 1 of the Lamb Among the Stars trilogy, I was first amazed at how slow characters and events developed. There was an extremely slow and plodding advancement to the story. So much so that at first, I dreaded returning to the story to read more. But that’s where the quiet, delicate honesty of the story expresses itself. Which is quite different from story’s end.

I urge the reader to press onward through the early parts of Shadow and Night. Eventually, events do pick up speed.

Most remarkable—not only do Merral D’Avanos, Forester, and Verofaza Enand, Sentinel, have individual character arcs and development, but so does the entire story—from a quiet innocence to enraged enlightenment. Much like the progression from the childlike innocence of a toddler to the curiosity of a teenager to the full knowing of adulthood, the story grows in awareness and knowledge. Also, from a certain richness to a discerned poverty.

I strongly encourage the reader to embark on this adventure. I’ve never seen a journey like this in other stories.

[Kerry and Glenn Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

An epic adventure in a foreign world at the end of the ages!

This was truly an enjoyable book for myself and my 11 year old son to read together! I am looking forward to finishing the series. This post millennial tale - of the conquest of the Gospel of Jesus and how Satan is unleashed after the millennial reign is completed - is fascinating to think about and utterly enjoy to read. You don’t have to agree with the Biblical Eschatology of the author... this series is just good fantasy sci-fi from a Christian worldview. I hope more people get the opportunity to read this with their kids. It is a good series!

[andrew everitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply excellent

Having read a significant amount of sci-fi/fantasy both with a Christian and non-Christian slant I downloaded this book to have a look-see and whether I should read (having just had a rather unsatisfactory read of a book of similar type). This decision has proven to be wise indeed. It is extremely well written whilst demonstrating a significant amount of research. As a Christian I often look for books which meet not only my desire for an imaginative resonance but also have biblical relevance with personal application; this without doubt satisfies in all areas. Highly recommend for all lovers of sci-fi with or without faith.

[Sean Sheeran · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book that although slower paced at points was absolutely gripping. The premise of postmillenialism is not an eschatological conviction I hold, yet against this backdrop the truly awful reality of sin and evil is shown in a subtle, eye-opening manner. This alone makes the book worth reading for the way the moral and theological imagination is fired, and the reflections that result on actual life. I look forward to reading the other two volumes in the trilogy, and I’ve been talking about and recommending this book to others. I’ve never quite come across one like this before.

[Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An epic read! I love LOR and this is a little similar but also very much it's own story. I think the first book is my favorite out of the series. I'm very much impressed with how Chris Walley built this world that is very believable. I'm surprised not more people know about this book. It reminded me a little of Ted Dekker's Black series because in both worlds you see the presence of evil return and the reader sees the effects in both worlds.

[Oskar Järnström · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story and well written but way too religious. Making the story a bit silly at times not to mention very annoying. Feels like this could have become new sci-Fi classic if the religious part had been down played just a little bit.

[Lewis Liberman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning - sets the bar for Christian science fiction. Great world building and character development. Highly thought provoking in the same way as C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy.

[John Terragnoli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Realistic but imaginative

The is my absolute favorite book from when I was a kid. Just re-read it and it still captivated me.

[Bryan Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was seriously super suspenseful. A really interesting mix of sci-fi and Christian lit.

[Doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing how you can make out the book in imagination

[Michael C Gremillion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greatly enjoyed this read

Well done captivating read. This was recommended by a friend as we discussed eschatological fiction. I can wait to read book 2

[Sam Gruber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy a lot of ideas from this book

And the ending was pretty good

But it really could have been about 250 pages shorter I think

[Margaret Chind · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Wally, the Welsh geologist, teacher, and writer may be found many places... Sometimes Wales, Lebanon, and northern England for a few, but also on Wikipedia, Facebook, and his own area of webspace his website and his blog.

This week the Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour for February is The Shadow and the Night by Chris Walley. This tour will run through from Feby. 18-21. Click on any of the links below to see other participants in the tour's input.

The Shadow and the Night is speculative fiction, pure and simple, learning "to fight evil without becoming evil." This book and the following sequels are not children's fiction. For me personally, I have never read a book quite like it and I must admit, as I am not finished, it is quite difficult to put down, because of the curiosity factor of what else and what next this author has put together. I find that reading something in the words of the author does well to sum some things up, or rather to at least touch to topic.


The book is The Shadow and Night, the first part of the trilogy whose overall title is The Lamb among the Stars. The two succeeding volumes are The Dark Foundations and The Infinite Day, which will be published in June 2008. Several things need noting. The first is that the tagline "in the tradition of C. S. Lewis and J.R. R. Tolkien" was given (not by me) to the books as much to mark out that they are British fantasy not in the tradition of J. K. Rowling (and Phillip Pullman). Yet Lewis and Tolkien are important influences. In terms of material, Lewis' science-fiction trilogy is perhaps these books' closest neighbour, and in terms of their scale and scope, a debt is owed to Lord of the Rings. Another point to be noted is that these books are neither a conscious imitation of, nor a reaction to, any existing work. The idea for them goes back nearly a quarter of a century and the first few chapters were written as long ago as 1988. In other words, the predate Pullman, Potter, and the Left Behind series.



To understand the theology of the story of the book, he has put together a great webpage "Puritans in Space". Overall, what I can tell you at this point is that Chris Walley has put together a story that all persons of intellect that enjoy a mind bending adventure will be pleased. For me, it is something that I could envision on something like the sci-fi channel, but at the same time couldn't, because it is so new and so different. I really like the way one tour participant describes it...


Imagine a perfect world. A world with no sin, no war, no murder, no theft, no need for law enforcement or weapons. A world where everyone believes in and worships the one true God. A world totally at peace. Farholme is just such a place - a man made world in the distant future many light years from earth.

Chris Walley has done a superb job of creating a perfectly believable world with characters that have depth and whom you come to care about.

[Tish · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was not that engrossing for me. I found it to be more work to read this book than anything.

Parts seemed to go on forever. I did like the idea of it taking place so far into the future. The created society on the new planet made sense and I enjoyed the detail the author put into the story. The story was presented very well and I could visualize what was going on. The characters added to the story. It was interesting how this society was dealing with evil and how of course, lead to my thoughts of whether a complete elimination of evil is possible.

The book does not shy away from the fact that God is the focus of their lives, but it also does not beat you over the head with religion, in my opinion.

Additionally, the conclusion of the book was satisfactory, but I was happy it was over.

[Debra Slonek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story takes place thousands of years into the future when humans are no longer restricted to living solely on Earth. Through advances in science and technology, other far-flung planets have been terraformed and have become man-made worlds. For many, many years these worlds and populations have lived peacefully and without the influence of sin. As a result, these people are naive, trusting and not the least bit suspicious of anything. As evil slowly creeps back into one of the man-made worlds, unwelcomed changes begin occuring. These changes grow into a huge battle between good and evil forces. Very descriptive writing which kept my interest throughout the whole book. Well done. I really enjoyed this book!

[Chris Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff here! Star Wars meets The Puritan Hope. A bit long and descriptive in some places but that comes with the territory when you're writing a postmillennial Christian science fiction work which takes place 12,000 years into the future on another planet! Merral D'Vanos, a reluctant hero finds his world spinning into a downward spiral of encroaching subtle deception. Explores the invasion of sin and the struggle against evil. The writer, Chris Walley is a Welsh geologist. This volume is a combo of parts I and II. Part III is called Dark Foundations and Part IV is entitled The Infinite Day. Can't wait to read the entire series!

[Sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best part of this book is the ending. This book starts extremely slowly and meanders about in a tale that doesn't make you completely lose interest but I found myself thinking "Get on with it!" It was pretty predictable and I did notice some plot holes. Not sure if these holes were left due to this being a trilogy and will be resolved in later books or if the author ran out of ideas. The main character was quite annoying and his inability to think outside the box was disquieting. The author seems to think a utopian society would inhibit free thought because apparently free thinking leads to evil.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't a terrible book, but it was forgettable (there's a reason my review is months late). It certainly brought a different point of view to the table - instead of the characters being naive and helpless, they're strong and capable of a lot. They simply have formed their own worldview after centuries of living in peace and tranquility. There wasn't much a of a hook to this series, and nothing to keep me really on the edge of my seat; I mostly just wanted to see whether or not the characters would encounter evil. The characters are fairly well fleshed out, and the second book looks interesting.

[Mark A Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, the first in a trilogy, fuses a Christian framework with a science-fiction setting in the far-distant future. Things start rather slow, but by taking the time to carefully establish this world and its rules, the effects of later events reverberate all the more. Although some conflict is resolved, most of the story remains open for the next book to resume. Solid writing, with generally compelling characters, substantial tension, and an appropriate sense of grandeur.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still unsure about this one. It's an interesting premise: thousands of years in the future, sin has been eradicated, and humanity is united and peaceful, happy to follow prescribed tradition. Then evil begins to rear its head. I was distracted by the theological implications of the proposed world, and had some issues with the way a sin-free world & sin's subsequent return were portrayed. The dialogue was also a bit clunky. Book club pick: should at least be a good discussion!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

An epic story of good and evil. The series is very reminiscent of the Lord of the Rings, but set in the far future. It also had elements that reminded me of the White/Black/Red series and some elements of the Chronicles of Narnia (adventures/battles). I would highly recommend it to those who like sci-fi.