Ten Thousand Thunders

by Brian Trent

"Ten Thousand Thunders is a thrilling science-fiction adventure from first page to last; Brian Trent is one of our very best new writers and now's the time to start reading him." - Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author

Having just been killed in a mysterious shuttle explosion, Gethin Bryce is back to uncover what happened. An unusually gifted investigator with the InterPlanetary Council, Gethin is tasked with seeking out the truth behind unexplained anomalies that lie outside IPC control.

His investigation takes him from the luxurious enclaves of Earth’s elite, to the battered Wastelands beyond civilization’s protective thrall. Linking up with an inquiry team from a planet-spanning corporate powerhouse, he also befriends a grim and reluctant outlander who has an important piece of the puzzle—evidence of a sadistic entity which threatens not just civilization, but all life…

FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launching in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.

Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Thriller

304 pages, Paperback

First published October 6, 2018

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brian Trent has spent time in the universe of his new novel Ten Thousand Thunders before, with his “War Hero” series of short stories. It's obvious he’s thought about this setting a lot and packs a ton of detail into it. Set in a post-collapse future where technology and corporate dominance reignite with a vengeance and death is a minor inconvenience for those who can afford to clone a new body to house their consciousness. There’s a little bit of Altered Carbon meets The Expanse in its mix of bloody, hard-boiled action and solar-system spanning political maneuvering.
The plot machinations of Ten Thousand Thunders are so byzantine it’s impossible to encapsulate it in a nutshell, but for better or worse the novel follows InterPlanetary Council investigator Gethin Bryce as he tries to figure out who blew up the shuttle he was riding in, and why. He crosses paths with revolutionary soldier Celeste Segarra, whose organization wants to level the playing field for the haves and have nots, and together they try to keep their heads attached to their necks while uncovering a conspiracy as old as humanity itself.
About two-thirds of the way through I realized the plotting was just going to keep getting denser and denser, and even then, nothing prepared me for how outrageous it was going to get. The action is tough, the pacing perhaps a bit too fiendish, and its final revelations a little hard to swallow.

[Karl]

This Is an advanced reading copy, uncorrected proof, of the book in the 'Fiction Without Frontiers' series.

[Frank Errington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review copy

There was a time when I immersed myself in Sci-Fi, long before I discovered horror and it took over my reading experience. Every now and again, it's nice to go back and visit those days, and that's just what I did with this epic, hard Sci-Fi novel by Brian Trent.

How does one know right away they're reading a Science Fiction novel? Try this opening line on for size...

"Fourteen-and-a-half hours after being killed in the shuttle explosion, Gethin Bryce found himself in a newly sculpted body staring at his hands."

Ten Thousand Thunders takes a wildly imaginative look at one possible future where humans are living on Mars and there's even an AI colony on the moon, but there are restrictions on further colonization and this has folks fired up on both sides of the issue.

Gethin Bryce now finds himself at the forefront of an investigation into a Lunar explosion and the destruction of the shuttle on which he was a passenger. Not just to find those responsible, but the reasons for their violence.

It takes time to acclimate to the world the author has built in this novel. Take Mars, for example...

"Mars, where the cities crawled with screaming toddlers or wide-eyed pubescents. The younger generation was already… changing, too. Martian gravity encouraged a beanpole look, with legs like stilts and long, swinging arms, graceful necks, torsos stretched like a troop of gingerbread men pinched at the waist to achieve an elongated look. Funhouse mirror people."

Although Ten Thousand Thunders requires a rather generous willingness to suspend disbelief, it more than makes up for it in story. If anything, the work suffers from too much story. At times I found myself having to reread portions of the book to get a better grip on what was going on.

Majestic in scope, Ten Thousand Thunders is an elaborate look at a future somewhere between utopia and dystopia. But wait, there's more, Brian Trent is already at work on a sequel. Despite the challenges in reading a book so massive in scope, I'll be back.

Recommended.

Published by Flame Tree Press, Ten Thousand Thunders is available in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and Audible formats.

From the author's bio - Brian Trent's speculative fiction appears regularly in the world's top markets, including Analog, Fantasy & Science Fiction, COSMOS, Nature, Galaxy's Edge, Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show, Daily Science Fiction, Terraform, Escape Pod, Pseudopod, The Year's Best Military and Adventure Sci-Fi, The Mammoth Book of Dieselpunk, The Cackle of Cthulhu, Flame Tree's Gothic Series, and much more.

The author of the novels Ten Thousand Thunders (hard SF) and the fantasy/historical series Rahotep and its sequel The God and the Gate, Trent is also a Writers of the Future winner and Baen Fantasy Award finalist. Trent lives in New England.

[Lukasz]

DNF at 28%. The story is interesting, but the storytelling isn't engaging enough to make me continue.

[Barb (Boxermommyreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I don't read a lot of science fiction and at first I found this book somewhat intimidating. However, after the first few chapters, I was immersed the the work of the New Enlightenment and was curious about what was happening.

I found Trent's world building to be spot-on in this book and reading it was much akin to watching an engrossing science fiction film. The book contains quite a bit of action and a fair amount of political intrigue - in a scientific manner. I did form a connection to a few of the characters, especially Jack and Keiko.

"Ten Thousand Thunders" is probably the most science-fiction book I've read to date. Since I liked it, I am sure hardcore fans will be even more caught up in Trent's tale. "Ten Thousand Thunders" is not a quick read, but it is one worth picking up.

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: TEN THOUSAND THUNDERS by Brian Trent

Set in the future, in the era of "New Enlightenment" (NE), Death is basically a thing of the past. Providing one's DNA is on file, anyone can be immediately reconstructed (in a brand-new physique, of course). Gethin Bryce, seasoned and gifted investigator for the InterPlanetary Council, dies on a shuttle flight between Mars and Luna, which occurs moments after a corporate explosion. Once resurrected, Gethin is immediately tasked by IPC to uncover the causes.

TEN THOUSAND THUNDERS brings an intricately detailed world-building and interweaves fantasy elements while providing hard science fiction and intriguing characterization.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ten Thousand Thunders is a complex sci-fi mystery with plenty of intrigue and action, and more than a few intensely cool ideas.

I do not find myself venturing into hard sci-fi territory often, as much as I love the genre I have my limits in terms of attention span. Thunders tested those limits quite a bit. I really enjoyed most of the set up that Trent gave us, with a very intriguing ‘solution’ to the problem of mortality. I love the idea of an ‘extra life’ where you get a second chance (or third, or fourth) to live with a new body altogether. The history of Earth, Luna, and Mars was also quite interesting and I liked seeing how things had developed and changed, even if some of it was a bit quirky. We were even treated to quite a bit of action, some intrigue, and some badass ladies to boot. The style of the book, however, is what solidified this as a 3 star read for me. It has a very cut and dry style that makes it harder to digest and for me harder to focus on. All of those really cool ideas were kind of lost in the very matter of fact way it was presented, and I had to take more breaks than I normally do with it. Much of the world building is presented very quickly, along with a whole host of characters, and with multiple story threads to follow. It can be quite overwhelming at first, but as the story moves forward and the stories start to merge a bit it becomes much easier to handle and much more enjoyable.

Our main character is Gethan, who has had a rather long and interesting life. He works as an investigator and as a result ended up dying in an explosion while on a case. He’s certainly quick-witted but found him rather bland overall. He is very much a main focal point but I often found myself more intrigued with those around him. We do get chapters that also focus on a wide range of other people, and while this is initially confusing by the end of the book I found myself sad to see some of them go. Celeste and Keiko were definitely a highlight for me, but I think my favorite character was certainly Jonas, a young boy who finds himself tangled up in the web of schemes. Where the other characters had moments where they would be lost in the ongoings of the story, Jonas stood out and felt fully realized everytime he appeared.

While the story can be very dense I really liked the overall storyline, I just wish it had been a bit easier to digest and paced a little better in terms of information output. There are a ton of strong ideas to be had in this, but at a lower page count, it often felt like too much in conjunction with everything else. I, however, would be interested in seeing more from this author in the future as he definitely has some really intense ideas that are worth reading.

If you enjoy sci-fi and are not scared off by denser reading material, then this one is definitely one to check out! There is a fair bit of violence and some mature content as well, for those who might wish to shy away from such things.

Thanks to Flame Tree for providing me with an advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

[Yolanda Sfetsos]

Okay. I'm going to stop reading after 112 pages.

As exciting as the premise sounds, how well the worldbuilding blends into the narrative, or that the writing is really nice, I just can't connect with any of the characters. I can't pinpoint what it is exactly that kept me at a distance, but even the unique locations all over the place couldn't keep my attention. :(

Yeah, if it doesn't keep me hooked and my mind starts to wander... that's when it's time for me to put it aside.

Oh well.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author says "Ten Tousand Thunders tells the story of a future directly threatened by its past. It also sets the stage for short fiction he has published that is set along a timeline. This is the start. I found it interesting. Filled with different characters who work together and at cross purposes the story is fast paced and filled with tension. The end left a big question and I wonder if that short fiction will turn into a series. I did think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read some of that short fiction.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
(My thanks to Flame Tree Press and Brian Trent for the ARC copy in return for an honest and fair review.)

I’ll be the first to admit- I don’t read as much science fiction as I used to. Well, not novels at least. I do pick up collections from time to time and of course, classics from different eras: Asimov, Ellison, Herbert and dozens of others. So to the hardcore sci-fi guys and gals, if my opinion doesn’t mesh with yours- remember- this is just one man’s opinion.

Ten Thousand Thunders is the latest from Brian Trent. I have never read Trent (save for a small fiction piece online) but have seen his name and interviews some. In a lot of those, he discusses his fascination with history and technology, the impact of tech through the years… and believe me, it shows in much of this novel.
Full review here: https://wordpress.com/view/dreamdarkl...

[Arden Belrose ♛ Phantom Paper · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Ten Thousand Thunders, mankind has advanced in leaps and bounds, a select stratum of humans have achieved immortality by means of ‘saving a copy’ of themselves on to a database and being regenerated once they die. Gethin Bryce has just died aboard a spaceship and is consequently regenerated in a new body. As soon as he’s been ‘reborn’ he’s tasked with getting to the bottom of the uncommon crash he’s suffered along with a handful of other influential passengers. Unbeknownst to him, Gethin Bryce is merely a pawn in a galactic war that no one knows has already begun. A war that pits two(or three, the more the better) giant organizations against each other, but its effects will be cataclysmic. Could it be the sphinxlike and foreboding entity that’s in the center of all this building political drama? What about the AI group that evolved beyond its programmed parameters? And who is this ‘Aphophis’ really?

Ten Thousand Thunders gave me mixed feelings. I was drawn by the blurb, I enjoy science fictions with large world-building and high-tech involved. It’s always fun to see how creative authors can get with them, and Trent did a good job of it. I would say the story would have benefited if he had eased out the world-building and new terms, so that readers wouldn’t suffer from info indigestion(haha, I’m so funny). While in some instances I appreciated that he treated us as intelligent readers, certain words were not that easy to decipher based on context and felt a little contrived. For e.g.

Twelve days were unaccounted for. It was the length of time for a Martian shuttle, sailing brightquest to Luna.

What does ‘brightquest’ mean? I’d hazard a guess that it means ‘super-fast’ or ‘at the speed of light’. Am I close?

This was a major gripe I had. It wasn’t until half-way in that I started getting invested in the story because I’d finally amassed all the new vocabulary and ideas introduced. However, Trent has evidently did some research on the technological stuff mentioned, it makes the story more believable.

Another aspect I didn’t take to was the sexuality that thrummed beneath it all. I’m not a fan of explicitness, if I come across it I try to ignore it, but in Ten Thousand Thunders it sometimes felt like it wouldn’t have made any difference without it. And I found the ratio of attractive vs. ordinary female characters unrealistically imbalanced. There were more boobs mentioned than any male parts(the disproportion is what got to me).

The characters though, were dynamic and felt real. Each one of them had their motives and none of them realised that they were all, in a way, brain-washed on some else’s agenda. At least, not until later on, as they dig themselves unwittingly deeper into the brewing war.

It’s like the first line of Romance of the Three Kingdoms: ‘The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide.

I thoroughly enjoyed the dangers that lurked around the corner, the characters’ confusion as to who’s the real enemy and the wily lab creature that struck unpalpable terror into people’s hearts.

One teeny-tiny scene I also liked was the part where the author described a city taken over by nature, evoking a sombre dystopian picture of a bygone era(ours). Ten Thousand Thunders is an ambitious science-fiction that spans across planets and in the burrows of Earth. It dissects the human nature with a keen, albeit bitter, eye. If the world-building was dealt more smoothly I’m sure this would’ve been a 4 star read, because Brian Trent’s writing skill has potential.

Recommended for:

▪ readers who enjoy hefty sci-fi worlds
▪ if you like reading about high-tech(like that in TV series Almost Human and Altered Carbon)

I received a free copy of this book, thanks to Random Things Tours and Flame Tree Press, in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinions on the book.

[Jadewik · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book begins as Gethin Bryce wakes up in his new body after being blown to smithereens. He is then assigned to investigate his own demise in a world of technologically modified bodies and other gadgets.

The book starts with a modest pace with character introductions, character development, back stories, plot and sub plots-- setting up a series of events that leave the reader in thrall, turning page after page in anticipation of the story's culmination. About 130 pages into the novel, the plot turns fast-paced and doesn't stop until the end!

Nine chapters in (page 48)-- I did something I rarely do with fiction that isn't classical, and I pulled out a pencil to make notes in the margins. There are so, so many Easter eggs in the writing, it was like feasting on a delicious egg salad sandwich until you're about to burst. There were nods to classic literature (Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, John Milton, Beowulf), classic artwork (Salvador Dali's Persistence of Time), and tons of allusions and ties to ancient Greek mythos (Cassandra, Perseus, Apollo, etc.) and Norse mythology. Trent wove different cultures into the story-- European, East Indian, Japanese, Chinese. And there were nods to major historical people/events-- the Medici family being one example of many. The author even throws in some philosophy, expertly explained, into the story like Zeno's Paradox. You don't have to be familiar with these things, but it does add depth beneath the surface of the story for those who enjoy a little brain tease.

And, my god, the science part of the fiction was completely believable. The second page of Chapter 1, I was elated when I read about the aminocube, remembering how amino-acids work from Biology class, it was perfectly named! Smartshirts, wetports, sensorium, and more bits of futuristic tech were cleverly invented and folded seamlessly into the story by Trent's practical and scientific acumen and keen mine. I felt a fool when it took me 219 pages to realize that the virtual realm of Arcadia was a nod to the arcades of old...

The verbage and writing so cleverly derived picturesque visions as the prose piqued my interest:
"irrational bubbles in quantum foam"
"wormholes in neat glass blocks of holographic logic"
"the safety zone was zipping up like the ocean closing over a ship's wake"
"His stomach bubbled, stricken with a surging irrational desire for steak tartare and raspberry pie."
"... like a steampunk interpretation of a medieval plague doctor."

No one does metaphors like Brian Trent.

I know I "wasted" a lot of my review on the linguistics and the intricacies of the writing-- but one has only to imagine how elaborately crafted the story can be if the author has taken such care with his craft to have really written something that is pleasurable for more than its plot.

I don't often read Science Fiction, but I may have to read more Brian Trent.
------------
For the more conservative readers: There is some sex in the book. It's light on swearing-- in context for the soldiers. Violence (obviously-- it starts with an explosion!). Nothing unexpected for adult-level reading.

... and to explain why my review shows only 4 of 5 stars despite the glowing recommendation-- I have a very specific requirement for a 5-star rating. I think the modestly paced start to the book made it easy to put-down (except towards the end there). Since I could pause my reading without the strong urge to keep reading all night, I dropped my rating slightly. I would give another half-star if Goodreads allowed-- 4.5 stars of 5 stars.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

BLURB: Having just been killed in a mysterious shuttle explosion, Gethin Bryce is back to uncover what happened. An unusually gifted investigator with the InterPlanetary Council, Gethin is tasked with seeking out the truth behind unexplained anomalies that lie outside IPC control.

His investigation takes him from the luxurious enclaves of Earth’s elite, to the battered Wastelands beyond civilization’s protective thrall. Linking up with an inquiry team from a planet-spanning corporate powerhouse, he also befriends a grim and reluctant outlander who has an important piece of the puzzle―evidence of a sadistic entity which threatens not just civilization, but all life…

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER: FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launching in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Brian Trent's speculative fiction appears regularly in the world's top speculative fiction markets including ANALOG, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show, Daily Science Fiction, Apex (winning the Story of the Year Reader's Poll), Escape Pod, Flash Fiction Online, COSMOS, Galaxy's Edge, Nature, The Mammoth Book of Dieselpunk, Pseudopod, and numerous year's best anthologies. His work has been featured in several volumes of Flame Tree Publishing's popular Gothic Fantasy Series.'

The author of the historical fantasy series Rahotep, Trent is also a Baen Fantasy Adventure Award finalist and Writers of the Futurewinner. His nonfiction works have also appeared in Strange Horizons, Clarkesworld, Humanist, and UTNE.

Combining a fascination for history with a unique vision of the future, Trent's novel Ten Thousand Thunders is the beginning of an exciting new science fiction universe.

Trent lives in New England, where he works as a novelist, screenwriter, and poet. His website and blog are located at http://www.briantrent.com/
Twitter: @BrianTrenthttps://twitter.com/BrianTrent

AWARDS

Baen Fantasy Award Finalist
Writers of the Future Winner'
Apex Magazine Story of the Year Winner









The book is set in the future and is divided into factions. There has been peace for hundred of years. But the start of a war seems to be inevitable.

An unexplained explosion happens and sets of a series of events that need to be investigated. Which happens when a group of people from different factions decide to find out what is actually happening and try to stop all out war that will have catastrophic effects.

The book has been really well written. The sci-fi aspect of the book had me gripped from the start. I thought the characters were really well written and all tied into the story nicely.

The world building could've been abit better for me. That is probably my only gripe with this book if I'm honest. I'm looking forward to reading the second book. Fingers crossed the author is writing it as we speak or type or read 😂

[Deni Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn't read a really good and self-contained sci fi for while. Well, this is it. The story happens in about the 25th century when the world has finally came to a lasting peace after centuries of darkness and blood. The peace, however, is fragile and someone (of course) is trying to derail it. That's the short story.
The long story is that we have a beautifully crafted world, where as one would imagine, some people are happy and practically immortal, other people are dying from all kinds of diseases and living in caves/holes/whatever. Because humans, we never really learn. The world is really realistic, at least for me and the plot is really interesting and not so predictable, at least up to certain point. The characters are pretty cool (though what kind of name is Gethin, really?) and the whole thing feels a lot like watching a decent sci fi movie. There's a lot of action and a lot of moving around. The final seems a bit rushed, though maybe the idea is to let the reader fill the blanks. In any case, I really enjoyed the world of the book and I hope there is more of it. Thanks to the author for the great story.
P.S. I don't claim the story is super-original (especially for sci fi fans), neither that it's hard-core sci fi (it is not). But it's written so well, that it makes you ignore all the annoying little details. Like constant use of the word "Balkanization" which is kind of offensive for the people from the Balkans. And I don't even know if most people know what this term refers to anyway. And for those of us who know, this is a sad time. And the Balkans have been turned into a sad place. And the Balkans are really not just Greece and Turkey, as the author seems to want to pretend. Yeah, I guess that word got me a bit upset. But on the other hand, I appreciate the taste for ancient (mostly greek) history of the author.
Anyway I really enjoyed the story, so this is why I give it 5 stars. Because a good book doesn't have to be really original, before all, it has to be well written and be enjoyable. This one is.

[Yev · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the time of this writing, this book had only 70 ratings, which isn't much at all. I've read some of Trent's short fiction in magazines and came across this book while I was looking for books by authors whose short fiction I had found worthwhile. Often that doesn't work out well, whether it's because I have different standards for short fiction or some other reason still isn't clear. This wasn't an outlier in that regard.

I may have rounded this up to four stars if it weren't for its ending and that which led up to it. Even though it was foreshadowed I was unable to accept the shift from science fiction to supernatural conspiracy that occurred. The title of the book is mentioned in text and is explicitly explained, to which my reaction was, "This has to be a joke". Even a character suggested that maybe it's a joke, but it wasn't.

It reminded me of a lot of different SF, The Expanse, Takeshi Kovacs, Terra Ignota, The Centenal Cycle, and much else. I never felt that it really was ever doing its own thing. At first I wasn't impressed with it at all, but over time I warmed up to it. It's fine enough on its own and tells a fully contained story in a single book. This may sound strange, but it also felt linear, as it was mostly going from point A to B, to C, and so on. The characters are relatively sexualized, especially the women, and there's a sex scene that seemed somewhat out of place.

Even so, it was moderately fun and enjoyable, and I liked the world, technology, and characters, despite all of it needing to be more explored. If you're looking for a world a few centuries past an apocalypse where people can be scanned and revived and features an unlikely team who is trying to unravel the mysteries of recent geopolitical events, then you could do worse.

Rating: 3.5/5

[Andrea Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like:
-VR worlds you (and the characters) can get lost in
-The ability to live on in another body after death and the psychological ramifications of that
-Multifaceted characters with multi-layered relationships
-A complex political landscape

Ten Thousand Thunders is a fascinating take on the future, with some very cool speculative elements thrown in for good measure. You can tell the author has taken a lot of time to think through what the future might look like as well as the personal and societal implications of various new technologies.

There are multiple POVs, so it takes a bit to see where everything is going and why we're following certain characters, but once some of the POVs cross, everything starts to come together, and you understand why everything was set up the way it was.

I found the relationships between the characters to be one of my favorite parts of the book. Not to get too spoilery, but Gethin has a complicated past with another character. The author handles this deftly, in a way where you could feel the weight of their past history, and their interactions felt truly genuine. I also found Celeste interesting when we first meet her, and as the story progressed, she quickly became my favorite character. Her resourcefulness is compelling.

I listened on audiobook and would definitely recommend. The narrator read the characters with different voices, which helped to differentiate them, and had a very clear and easy-to-follow style.

The ending of the book (again not to get too spoilery) gets pretty crazy, so I'm hopeful there will be a sequel where we can find out what happens next!

[John Loyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Year 322 of the New Enlightenment. People are immortal. Shuttle 3107 from Mars to Luna explodes and Gethin Bryce awakes in the regen center on Luna. Prometheus Industries had a secret project at base 59 on Luna which exploded at the same time as the shuttle. Gethin gets a call from IPC to investigate the anomaly.

PI is the by far the largest corporation, rivaling the power of the government's IPC. Most people live in the arcologies. The rest of the Earth is the wastelands. The people that live there risk permadeath every day. That has given rise to a couple of terrorist groups. Strike Down which wants to hurt the arkies, make them worry about death and force some sort of negotiation. Stillness operatives don't want immortality. They believe in life after death.

PI wants humanity to expand beyond the solar system. IPC currently has a ban. Three smaller corporations are taking the opportunity of the PI mishap to try to take them down even further.

Gethin gets teamed up with Jack and Keiko from PI and the wastelander Celeste. They try to figure out what's happening. Who or what is Apophis?

Gethin waking up in the regen center is a great hook to start the story. It was a bit of a let down when the POV changed, but then a couple of the POVs merged when Gethin met with Jack and Keiko and then with Celeste. A lot of world building, lots of action, in the end the anomalies were explained and the way the four main characters worked together was great when they could have easily decided they were enemies.

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although Ten Thousand Thunders ostensibly falls under the category of "hard sci-fi", Trent does a superb job of ensuring that even casual fans of the genre are effortlessly and organically immersed in his truly original world from page one. His exceptional ability to introduce novel phrases, concepts, and technologies on nearly every single page--sometimes, every single paragraph--that are innately understood by the reader without dumbing anything down OR requiring a graduate's degree in science fiction is one of the book's great accomplishments.

Equally impressive is Trent's penchant for genre-bending narrative, as he has somehow managed to blend classic sci-fi elements with a hard-boiled neo-noir crime story laced with thriller-esque action sequences and a rich layer of historical and mythological over- AND undertones to create his own brand of sci-fi-cri-thri-hi-my. (Though I don't know if you'll find that category on Goodreads.) The result is a synaptically nourishing jambalaya of references and allusions that offer a frisson of self-satisfaction for every mental Easter egg the reader uncovers.

On top of everything else, Ten Thousand Thunders is just a damned good story that I haven't read before--one that opens up literal worlds of possibilities for sequels, prequels, inquels, and spin-offs exploring the enormous universe that Trent has only begun to tease out. Count me in for the next one, and every one after that!

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a future time, the world is run by industrial factions and for 300 years there has been peace of sorts. Now war is upon civilisation once again, this time there seems to be something else at play. An unexplained explosion on the Moon and the destruction of a space craft with seconds of the explosion seem at first unrelated but it is soon realised they are related.

In the aftermath, Gethin Bryce is tasked with finding out what went wrong and what forces are at play. He is joined by a Wastelander and two operatives from an opposite industrial faction. This disperate quartet aim to get to the truth about what is going on and try to halt the total annihilation of all life in the solar system as war would surely bring the end of everything.

I found the plot facsinating but somehow, reading the book left me deflated. The characters seemed flat, I did not like them or hate them. The writing is well paced and kept the story moving along nicely. What world building there is, is quite sparce. I like good world building in SF, sadly this left me wanting more.

Overall, a good solid read, hopefully more and better to come as I will be looking out the next episode as I understand the author is already working on it.

My thanks to Flame Tree Press, Brian Trent & Netgalley for the eARC copy in return for an honest and fair review.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Ten Thousand Thunders, Brian Trent creates a relatively near-future yet posthuman world—think Richard K. Morgan’s Altered Carbon and Thin Air, for example. Gethin Bryce, an investigator for the Interplanetary Council, is revived in a “newly sculpted” body fourteen hours after he is killed in a shuttle explosion. The plot slowly unfolds as he investigates his own murder. Along the way, he picks up three allies, whose characters are diverse and well-developed. But frankly, it is world-building, not plot or character, that is the focus of the novel. Trent describes a rebuilding post-apocalyptic future in which privileged citizens have all the technology one could want, while others live in places like the Hudson Wastes or the Old Minnesota ash bowls. Gethin, for example, has two implanted online AIs that he calls Ego and Id. He has martial arts skills, enhanced by a BLURMOD that permits brief periods of hyper-fast activity. The novel is not billed as the first of a series, but a teaser suggests that Trent’s recently published Redspace Rising is set a few years in the future of the same universe. 4 stars.

[Henry Lazarus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brian Trent has a gritty far future. Humanity has recovered from a nuke exchange, and its government, based on Archologies on Earth, has settlements all over the solar system. Waste lands on Earth remain outside the recovery and grow with stolen weapons, and a hatred of the haves. The destruction of a shuttle coming in from Mars to the Moon, creates a cascade of events. Gethin Bryce was on the shuttle, rebirthed with memories from his last backup two weeks before, and set to investigate the strange energy that destroyed the shuttle. He is assisted by two employees of Prometheus corporation, one his ex-wife. A wasteland warrior is added after she is attacked by something strange. At the heart of the puzzle are ancient gods who preceded the creation of life on Earth. Ten Thousand Thunders (hard from Flame Tree Press) is set in a wonderful, and complicated future. It’s a complicated mixture of technology and culture and makes Mr. Trent a writer to watch.Review printed by Philadelphia Free Press

[Angela Maher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a highly detailed book with a complex plot. In other words, not a light read. Set in familiar locales, the futuristic society holds plenty of reminders of contemporary life and culture, but this is set against envisaged technology and society changes that make a stark contrast. There is a lot of detail about new tech, and the way society works, which was initially hard to process. What made it hard for me to get into the book, however, was the introduction of new characters and organisations in rapid succession as I was acquainting myself with the setting, tech, etc. It was information overload. As soon as I got into one story line, the next chapter would switch to somewhere else.
This is a good book, with an intriguing story, but the intricate detail takes away from the story. There is simply too much going on for the core story, or the characters, to shine.
Many thanks to Flame Tree Press for the ARC. My review is my honest opinion.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read any "hard" science fiction, so it took me a little while to get back into that mindset again. There were times when I found myself wishing for a glossary. What's a glop? How does a wetport work?

Then I remembered the joy of the challenge. I remembered how it feels to immerse yourself in a future world, to learn the lingo, to become invested in the story and the characters.

Both are excellent in this book. Gethin Bryce is a great character, as are Celeste, Keiko, Jack, and Jonas. And the story! The author weaves a complicated thread of intrigue, conspiracy, greed, betrayal, and sheer badassery into a compelling and action-packed finale, with plenty of surprises along the way.

This was a total blast. If you're in the mood for a ripping sci-fi yarn, you can't go wrong with this one!

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
This starts with an anomaly investigator with the InterPlanetary Council (IPC) being 'resurrected' after being killed in a shuttle explosion between Mars nad the Moon. From there, it moves on to conspiracies, hidden wars, and 'unknown entities on the Net' who turn out to be... well, you need to read this one to find out! Excellent book!

[Jeni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook. This story which is many years in the future, starts out boldly, but didn't maintain my interest. It's not a light read!

While the main character, Gethin Bryce, is interesting, I couldn't connect or really relate.

The plot is rather complex and lots of details are provided to the extent it seemed an info overload with constant addition of new things so it was difficult to focus & I found myself zoning out rather than being drawn into the story.

[Rhane · Rating 4 out of 5]

What will we be when/if we grow up?

Amazing plot, creative ideas, excellent writing and vocabulary. The entire story attests to the breadth and depth of the author’s interests and the quality of his research. The end of the story poses a very important question for mankind.

[Jennifer Meintjes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning read

This book grabs you from the first sentence and does not let go. Well formed characters and non stop action. The environments are well fleshed out and you would not think this was a post apocalyptic story. Well done Mr. Trent.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another dud. Maybe I need to give up on sci fi. Battle, battle, deceit, more fighting, more deceit. No interesting insights into individuals or what the future or other life forms and societies might be like.

[Therese Lyons Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://wordofthenerdonline.com/revie...

[Jonathan Tripp · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a lot of information in this book but once you get into the flow of things it's amazing. Awesome
World the author made, looking forward to more by him. 5 star review 😎👍👍