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ORION
Orion is dead again. Whether death comes from a stab wound, a bullet to the brain, or just plain dumb luck, he always comes back. He is glad to have the second chances because there is a princess in each life who seems to be in trouble. Whether she's a nurse in the Vietnam war or medieval English royalty, Orion is determined to win her over.
149 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 17, 2018
32 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
About the author
Aaron Frale
61 books120 followersAaron Frale writes Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy usually with a comedic twist. Time Burrito is the audience favorite. He also hosts the podcast Aaron’s Horror Show and screams and plays guitar for the prog/metal band Spiral. He lives with his wife, his son, and two cats in the mountains of Montana.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 19, 2024
This review was originally posted on SFFINSIDERS.COM
I read this book as part of the SFFI Insiders Team judging for SPSFC4.
Before we even get into the book, the first bit of content after the Table of Contents is a free book called Time Burrito, which has a calico cat standing on top of what looks like a breakfast burrito hurtling through space. The image alone already put me in a good mood, though I can tell you nothing about that book by Aaron Frale. Anyway, onto the actual book.
Sometimes I finish a book and I know there are thoughts in my head but I need to excavate them to find a coherent review, and unfortunately for my partner, this oftentimes requires him to listen to me talking about the book. So in describing Orion by Aaron Frale, my partner responded with ‘It sounds like Edge of Tomorrow.’ Having not seen Edge of Tomorrow, I’ll take his word for it and consequently you’ll have to too. Orion by Aaron Frale is allegedly like Edge of Tomorrow.
We follow Orion through three lives, though there have been countless more and we get snippets of some happening off screen. A world of mushrooms, or ‘Drive a car that has trouble staying on the road to get [the princess’] trophy, or feudal Japan’, for example. But mainly we follow Orion as a Roman soldier, a peasant and soldier fighting in the Vietnam War. This isn’t a spoiler, it’s kind of there in the blurb.
What I found really interesting in this was that he could change these tiny details, certain actions of his, what he says but the wider story plays out as it always does. There is the Butterfly Effect, there is Chaos Theory and there is Orion’s life which keeps ending with him meeting Stabby and not getting the Princess-who-sometimes-isn’t-a-princess.
What I found more interesting was that Orion keeps his memories from one life to the next and, with all the off screen lives that mean he’s not reliving these three in a linear revival, he’s got the skills learned from all other lives to keep making decisions to change the outcome. The outcome almost always being ‘Sorry, bro.’ then being stabbed in the face. Ok that actually made me laugh a lot. Let me explain, because it’s not the face stabbing that’s funny to be clear.
“The weird part was that Stabby said, “Sorry, bro.” I didn’t know it at the time, but “bro” wasn’t exactly in the Roman dictionary. Strange final words to hear for a person who gave his life for the glory of the Roman Empire.”
“I knew I should have recognized that “bro” wasn’t a medieval colloquialism.”
These are great lines. I have no notes. I laughed. I’m also glad it’s addressed because nothing irritates me more than out of place language in a book. Like I kicked off once because someone swore in a very modern way when they were meant to be from 987ce. There were a lot of little laughable lines and moments throughout the book. The humour is clever, and more importantly it was fun, and because of that I didn’t mind revisiting the scenes we already knew the outcome of.
Now I have to say, where it lost me was around the 80% mark. I spent over ⅔ of the book wondering ‘How is Frale going to explain this one?’ so it’s safe to say I didn’t see the ending coming. But that said, it kind of felt like ‘And he woke up and it was all a dream. Ooooooo.’ That’s not what happens for the record. But it felt like that. Still, I enjoyed the bulk of the book and the reveal as to what’s going on wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t quite for me. I also don’t know how else it could have been explained so maybe I should stop raising problems if I have no solutions.
So basically, this was a fun, relatively quick (less than 200 pages) read that has you wondering why Orion is reliving so many lives, who is Stabby and why is there always a Princess, while you giggle along the way. Unless you’re too tough to giggle, then maybe you’ll chuckle?
I read this book as part of the SFFI Insiders Team judging for SPSFC4.
Before we even get into the book, the first bit of content after the Table of Contents is a free book called Time Burrito, which has a calico cat standing on top of what looks like a breakfast burrito hurtling through space. The image alone already put me in a good mood, though I can tell you nothing about that book by Aaron Frale. Anyway, onto the actual book.
Sometimes I finish a book and I know there are thoughts in my head but I need to excavate them to find a coherent review, and unfortunately for my partner, this oftentimes requires him to listen to me talking about the book. So in describing Orion by Aaron Frale, my partner responded with ‘It sounds like Edge of Tomorrow.’ Having not seen Edge of Tomorrow, I’ll take his word for it and consequently you’ll have to too. Orion by Aaron Frale is allegedly like Edge of Tomorrow.
We follow Orion through three lives, though there have been countless more and we get snippets of some happening off screen. A world of mushrooms, or ‘Drive a car that has trouble staying on the road to get [the princess’] trophy, or feudal Japan’, for example. But mainly we follow Orion as a Roman soldier, a peasant and soldier fighting in the Vietnam War. This isn’t a spoiler, it’s kind of there in the blurb.
What I found really interesting in this was that he could change these tiny details, certain actions of his, what he says but the wider story plays out as it always does. There is the Butterfly Effect, there is Chaos Theory and there is Orion’s life which keeps ending with him meeting Stabby and not getting the Princess-who-sometimes-isn’t-a-princess.
What I found more interesting was that Orion keeps his memories from one life to the next and, with all the off screen lives that mean he’s not reliving these three in a linear revival, he’s got the skills learned from all other lives to keep making decisions to change the outcome. The outcome almost always being ‘Sorry, bro.’ then being stabbed in the face. Ok that actually made me laugh a lot. Let me explain, because it’s not the face stabbing that’s funny to be clear.
“The weird part was that Stabby said, “Sorry, bro.” I didn’t know it at the time, but “bro” wasn’t exactly in the Roman dictionary. Strange final words to hear for a person who gave his life for the glory of the Roman Empire.”
“I knew I should have recognized that “bro” wasn’t a medieval colloquialism.”
These are great lines. I have no notes. I laughed. I’m also glad it’s addressed because nothing irritates me more than out of place language in a book. Like I kicked off once because someone swore in a very modern way when they were meant to be from 987ce. There were a lot of little laughable lines and moments throughout the book. The humour is clever, and more importantly it was fun, and because of that I didn’t mind revisiting the scenes we already knew the outcome of.
Now I have to say, where it lost me was around the 80% mark. I spent over ⅔ of the book wondering ‘How is Frale going to explain this one?’ so it’s safe to say I didn’t see the ending coming. But that said, it kind of felt like ‘And he woke up and it was all a dream. Ooooooo.’ That’s not what happens for the record. But it felt like that. Still, I enjoyed the bulk of the book and the reveal as to what’s going on wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t quite for me. I also don’t know how else it could have been explained so maybe I should stop raising problems if I have no solutions.
So basically, this was a fun, relatively quick (less than 200 pages) read that has you wondering why Orion is reliving so many lives, who is Stabby and why is there always a Princess, while you giggle along the way. Unless you’re too tough to giggle, then maybe you’ll chuckle?
February 7, 2020
Wow, this story is rather different, I have to say! For the first 40% of the book I thought it was primarily a Groundhog Day type story. At about the halfway mark I started remembering an old Mario game I used to play on the Nintendo 64 (ahh, memories!). It was such a different story that I had to keep reading, even though at times it felt a little slow and repetitive (as would be expected of any story that is along the lines of Groundhog Day!). I won't disclose where the story ended up, however I will say that I did like this book overall. I liked the author's originality in the combined stages of where the story took me, and I think that the ending was rather captivating. It is a book that is hard to determine if people might enjoy it or not, but I say give it a go because you might find it refreshingly just that little bit different from anything else you've read recently. Good writing, interesting characters and definitely some originality thrown in for good measure. An interesting read overall.
July 26, 2018
This was such a fun read! I couldn't put it down for the first about 75% of the book. After about the 75% point it lost my interest a little bit. I felt this part of the book didn't quite jive with the more fun, spunky and snarky Orion of the first 75% of the book. The ending wasn't even close to what I was expecting and it did feel a bit rushed and like the writing style didn't quite match up with the first 75% of the book, but overall it was a really fun read and I enjoyed it! The characters were great and I loved all of the different worlds and the explanation for who/what Orion is and his different worlds.
I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.
I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.
January 5, 2019
This was GoodReads giveaway of a Kindle ebook. I have a negative bias of a lot of ebooks. I don't usually find them very well thought out nor well written.
This was a Groundhog Day / Edge of Tomorrow book. I liked aspects of this book. It gave me a much better feel for just how many iterations of a life one must subject oneself to in order to reach certain goals. I did not see the twist ending. I like a twist at the end. I thought this was pretty well done. It was a better book than I was anticipating.
Have a GoodReads.
This was a Groundhog Day / Edge of Tomorrow book. I liked aspects of this book. It gave me a much better feel for just how many iterations of a life one must subject oneself to in order to reach certain goals. I did not see the twist ending. I like a twist at the end. I thought this was pretty well done. It was a better book than I was anticipating.
Have a GoodReads.
September 20, 2024
Orion, the supposed hero of the story, is named after the hunter constellation. He is living through a series of lives, trying to win the Princess in each. The primary storylines oscillate randomly between a farm boy in a feudal kingdom, and a soldier in Vietnam. Each lifecycle terminates with his “friend” Stabby ending his suffering. There are clues throughout the short book about how it should end. Despite a little disappointment in the last few chapters, the story is clever and a bit of a comedy.
I got this as a free download from the author’s site. Thanks!
I got this as a free download from the author’s site. Thanks!
July 2, 2018
I really enjoyed this book, the author has a great sense of humor and you can't help but feel for Orion. In a constant cycle of repeating events and death, Orion is constantly trying to do things different to obtain a different outcome. Even through the trials of the plot twist, Orion's strength of character is amazing.
This book is a refreshing break from convoluted story lines, love triangle angst, and political intrigues.
This book is a refreshing break from convoluted story lines, love triangle angst, and political intrigues.
July 9, 2018
I received my kindle copy of Orion for free in a Goodreads giveaway. It is a fun and fast read for at least the first 75%. The humor was wry, the main character a spunky rascal. The character reliving life after life did not even irk.
I only have three stars because the ending kind of fizzled for me. Loved the start of the book, felt like I was forcing those last few chapters. A little let down.
I only have three stars because the ending kind of fizzled for me. Loved the start of the book, felt like I was forcing those last few chapters. A little let down.
June 2, 2018
Absolutely loved this. Part-death wish, part-love story, part-computer game, part-forgotten why he was here at all.
The humour is great and the story is well written and infectious. Once you start, you can't stop.
The humour is great and the story is well written and infectious. Once you start, you can't stop.
September 5, 2024
This was a fun read - one of my favs this year
Despite the repeating lives, there was always something different, it was never boring and loved the twist at the end, did have a feeling that's where it was going, but Stabby's role was still a surprise
Despite the repeating lives, there was always something different, it was never boring and loved the twist at the end, did have a feeling that's where it was going, but Stabby's role was still a surprise
June 12, 2018
I enjoyed reading the book, especially the first part. The plot twist in the ending was interesting, but felt rushed and could use a bit more polish.
July 23, 2018
More on the okay side, it takes a long time to get where it's going.
May 23, 2019
What a wonderful story! I loved the twist three quarters of the way through.
August 25, 2022
A very intersting story. But a person needs to read the entire book to truly understand the undercurrent and what the author is leadin gup to. Well worth reading.
November 20, 2022
I wasn’t sure what to think initially. The writing isn’t the more descriptive style I normally prefer, but as I settled down into the repeated lives, I saw the story flesh out bit by bit. As intended by the author.
From the endpoint, the world-building is decent. There are three main scenarios and another half dozen rifled off the top of the author’s head. I’m not certain it was that easy, but he made it seems so, as he did it at least twice. I’m thinking Aaron Frale has a lot to say and many, many worlds to say it in.
The plot is easy to follow since the same venues are repeatedly visited. The MC tries various things to make changes, but they end up virtually the same. Until one day … and then the story twists and we get new material. I’m not sure that Z has satisfactory motivation for the Armageddon outlook, but that��s my only real quibble.
The characters themselves are not that deep, but you’ll come to find out the reason for that, so I think that not delving deeply into personal angst, situations, dreams and hopes is also an author decision. Not to say that the characters are shallow, but outside of the main two, there isn’t a great deal necessary to say.
Pacing is on point .. it never felt rushed, except near the end, but again.. it’s by design, not a result of running out of material. Nowhere does it feel like we’ve been given short shrift in the story.
As said, I usually prefer writing style to be a bit more descriptive, but this also works. Not every cloud has to be “as luminous as … “ In the end, I enjoyed the story and nothing struck me as a strange choice of word or turn of phrase.
The story matter itself is a fresh take on an old trope, and one I hope we see more often.
The cover art is the one place I’d hesitate to offer even mediocre points. The font itself is ill-matched with the graphic and the colour is jarring. The pencil drawing seems unambitious. It’s as if, upon seeing the finished work, the author said, “meh, good enough” or was distracted and approved it without really paying attention.
From the endpoint, the world-building is decent. There are three main scenarios and another half dozen rifled off the top of the author’s head. I’m not certain it was that easy, but he made it seems so, as he did it at least twice. I’m thinking Aaron Frale has a lot to say and many, many worlds to say it in.
The plot is easy to follow since the same venues are repeatedly visited. The MC tries various things to make changes, but they end up virtually the same. Until one day … and then the story twists and we get new material. I’m not sure that Z has satisfactory motivation for the Armageddon outlook, but that��s my only real quibble.
The characters themselves are not that deep, but you’ll come to find out the reason for that, so I think that not delving deeply into personal angst, situations, dreams and hopes is also an author decision. Not to say that the characters are shallow, but outside of the main two, there isn’t a great deal necessary to say.
Pacing is on point .. it never felt rushed, except near the end, but again.. it’s by design, not a result of running out of material. Nowhere does it feel like we’ve been given short shrift in the story.
As said, I usually prefer writing style to be a bit more descriptive, but this also works. Not every cloud has to be “as luminous as … “ In the end, I enjoyed the story and nothing struck me as a strange choice of word or turn of phrase.
The story matter itself is a fresh take on an old trope, and one I hope we see more often.
The cover art is the one place I’d hesitate to offer even mediocre points. The font itself is ill-matched with the graphic and the colour is jarring. The pencil drawing seems unambitious. It’s as if, upon seeing the finished work, the author said, “meh, good enough” or was distracted and approved it without really paying attention.
July 7, 2018
If I Was A Gamer....
Quick read. Frustrating Groundhog Day set up which I would have recognized if I’d played video games for any period of time! It was entertaining and I favor dogged heroes.
Quick read. Frustrating Groundhog Day set up which I would have recognized if I’d played video games for any period of time! It was entertaining and I favor dogged heroes.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews