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Aether's Call
Roy's just a conscripted cook on the Starr, the compound's first spaceship in decades. With Earth in ruins, the Starr speeds through the galaxies, hunting down those responsible for its destruction.
Meanwhile, Roy's stuck in the kitchen, missing all the action. It isn't until a beautiful woman involves him in her secret plan that things start to get interesting. She says it's the only way to save humanity. The only problem? It means committing outright treason.
Back on Earth, Roy's ex-wife Cynthia holds clandestine meetings with a renegade theorist. Amid the ashes of Philadelphia, they gather the equipment they'll need to remotely capture the Starr. And Cynthia knows what she's doing. She was on the Starr's development team.
Uma is the only science officer onboard the Starr. She feeds the captain the coordinates of enemy ships, and he trusts her completely. But maybe he shouldn't. After all, Uma works for the resistance. Or does she? Lately, she'd had the feeling that someone's been playing with her mind.
Meanwhile, Roy's stuck in the kitchen, missing all the action. It isn't until a beautiful woman involves him in her secret plan that things start to get interesting. She says it's the only way to save humanity. The only problem? It means committing outright treason.
Back on Earth, Roy's ex-wife Cynthia holds clandestine meetings with a renegade theorist. Amid the ashes of Philadelphia, they gather the equipment they'll need to remotely capture the Starr. And Cynthia knows what she's doing. She was on the Starr's development team.
Uma is the only science officer onboard the Starr. She feeds the captain the coordinates of enemy ships, and he trusts her completely. But maybe he shouldn't. After all, Uma works for the resistance. Or does she? Lately, she'd had the feeling that someone's been playing with her mind.
163 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 10, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 16, 2018
Although the author has an unusual writing style (starting sentences with 'and', the repeated use of crestfallen and very short paragraphs), I enjoyed the story of this dire depiction of a broken world and a spaceship that is rattling through space in a state of chaos.
The book switches between two characters (a just divorced husband and wife). The male 'roy' who is on the spaceship is introduced as a 'moron' in the books first sentence, with nothing particularly special about him. While his ex wife is depicted as a intelligent scientist back on earth.
There are other characters that get introduced as the they interact with the main duo. Some are well described and match their actions, while others are alittle odd - Tonys action didn't quite fit with me.
While the book switches back and forth (sometimes quite speedily) the story is entertaining while being nicely thought out sci-fi wise. There are moments of unfortunate events that happen to Roy which I found humorous - naked captain setting ship drills off just to use the ships sauna was fun.
All in all the books story end is somewhat predicable for anyone who reads space opera books. But I didn't find that to matter as the books characters kept me entertained.
By the end of this quite short story (124pages whip by) I was hoping the book could be longer.
Would I recommend people read this? Hell yes.
Disclaimer: the author gave me a preview edition of this book for a honest review.
The book switches between two characters (a just divorced husband and wife). The male 'roy' who is on the spaceship is introduced as a 'moron' in the books first sentence, with nothing particularly special about him. While his ex wife is depicted as a intelligent scientist back on earth.
There are other characters that get introduced as the they interact with the main duo. Some are well described and match their actions, while others are alittle odd - Tonys action didn't quite fit with me.
While the book switches back and forth (sometimes quite speedily) the story is entertaining while being nicely thought out sci-fi wise. There are moments of unfortunate events that happen to Roy which I found humorous - naked captain setting ship drills off just to use the ships sauna was fun.
All in all the books story end is somewhat predicable for anyone who reads space opera books. But I didn't find that to matter as the books characters kept me entertained.
By the end of this quite short story (124pages whip by) I was hoping the book could be longer.
Would I recommend people read this? Hell yes.
Disclaimer: the author gave me a preview edition of this book for a honest review.
February 6, 2019
This is strange sci fi. It has some good elements that could be worked together better.
Society on earth is in ruin and dying. One space ship, the Starr, has been sent out to find enemies in the galaxy. Roy isn’t a smart or skilled man. His powerful ex-wife helped to get him conscripted to the Starr as a cook. Conditions on the Starr are dysfunctional at best, and the kitchen is a mess – literally. The kitchen staff have to retrieve food from a freezer whose tight, unrelenting cold tunnels can drive men insane. The only glimmer of hope that Roy has is his dreams of befriending Uma, the beautiful science officer, even though he knows she has no reason to be interested in him.
Meanwhile, back in ruined Philadelphia, Roy’s ex-wife, Cynthia, is part of the government privileged few who are entitled to use body guard chauffeurs to help dodge the dangers of the outside streets. Cynthia has secretly been working with a scientist and renegade theorist. The scientist is has helped developed a sick world and he has convinced Cynthia to sacrifice her own daughter as part of a strange plot to reach out to the Starr’s mysterious Aether engine and the galaxy beyond.
Roy’s kitchen mate is the ship's EMT who he is losing his mind over the freezer. When threats of suicide arise, the Captain drafts Roy to serve as alternate EMT. On more than one occasion the Captain becomes enraged at Roy and tries to eliminate him, but. to the Captain’s disgust, something always saves Roy.
Uma is acting in secret to prepare the ship for the power event from earth. On one of her trips into the bowels of the ship she discovers a strange creature on board. Another trip she comes across Roy with a surprise that she decides to share.
The Captain prepares to attack an enemy ship, dragging Roy along to serve as the EMT to triage the warriors as they fall. It is all very confusing and distressing to Roy (and the reader). At a point of crisis, Uma makes Roy promise to complete her mission.
I found this story to be disjointed and difficult to figure out. Sometimes sci fi is about the ride so I kept reading to understand where it was going. When it arrives at the ending, I was left with the reaction: "what in the world was the purpose?" The author uses some demeaning descriptions and none of the characters are particularly likeable, although Roy evokes some sympathy. There were several scenes that made sense and were engaging by themselves but there was a lack of cohesion, clarity and purpose in the whole.
I think the disjointed pieces could be made interesting if reworked, but for now both the journey and the ending are obscure and left me unsatisfied. I appreciate the ebook from the author for review, but I can’t say that I liked it. I can only recommend this to readers who would be interested in a bizarre tale of dystopia and space exploration.
Society on earth is in ruin and dying. One space ship, the Starr, has been sent out to find enemies in the galaxy. Roy isn’t a smart or skilled man. His powerful ex-wife helped to get him conscripted to the Starr as a cook. Conditions on the Starr are dysfunctional at best, and the kitchen is a mess – literally. The kitchen staff have to retrieve food from a freezer whose tight, unrelenting cold tunnels can drive men insane. The only glimmer of hope that Roy has is his dreams of befriending Uma, the beautiful science officer, even though he knows she has no reason to be interested in him.
Meanwhile, back in ruined Philadelphia, Roy’s ex-wife, Cynthia, is part of the government privileged few who are entitled to use body guard chauffeurs to help dodge the dangers of the outside streets. Cynthia has secretly been working with a scientist and renegade theorist. The scientist is has helped developed a sick world and he has convinced Cynthia to sacrifice her own daughter as part of a strange plot to reach out to the Starr’s mysterious Aether engine and the galaxy beyond.
Roy’s kitchen mate is the ship's EMT who he is losing his mind over the freezer. When threats of suicide arise, the Captain drafts Roy to serve as alternate EMT. On more than one occasion the Captain becomes enraged at Roy and tries to eliminate him, but. to the Captain’s disgust, something always saves Roy.
Uma is acting in secret to prepare the ship for the power event from earth. On one of her trips into the bowels of the ship she discovers a strange creature on board. Another trip she comes across Roy with a surprise that she decides to share.
The Captain prepares to attack an enemy ship, dragging Roy along to serve as the EMT to triage the warriors as they fall. It is all very confusing and distressing to Roy (and the reader). At a point of crisis, Uma makes Roy promise to complete her mission.
I found this story to be disjointed and difficult to figure out. Sometimes sci fi is about the ride so I kept reading to understand where it was going. When it arrives at the ending, I was left with the reaction: "what in the world was the purpose?" The author uses some demeaning descriptions and none of the characters are particularly likeable, although Roy evokes some sympathy. There were several scenes that made sense and were engaging by themselves but there was a lack of cohesion, clarity and purpose in the whole.
I think the disjointed pieces could be made interesting if reworked, but for now both the journey and the ending are obscure and left me unsatisfied. I appreciate the ebook from the author for review, but I can’t say that I liked it. I can only recommend this to readers who would be interested in a bizarre tale of dystopia and space exploration.
December 28, 2018
The author kindly gave me a copy of this book in return for a review.
This is a very mixed up story, incorporating many ideas that could work very well, but just don't quite gel.
The basic premise is that there has been a series of wars, resulting in a post apocalyptic / dystopian society who are split into regions and struggling to pick up the pieces. There is little to no back story, allusions as to weapons and residual danger in the area are made to but without any real explanation, and the whole thing feels off - it's like reading book 2 of a trilogy and knowing nothing of the events in book 1.
That's not to say that this is all bad. There are some interesting ideas. A few of the characters stand out and are quite colourful (The Captain is certainly a very vibrant individual). The problem is, that you start getting used to the strange narrative style, and feel comfortable with the direction the story is going, only for it to completely u-turn in another totally unrelated escapade. These vary from quite comical, over the top scenes to picturesque 'dream time' moments that are quite deep but not put to full use.
There is a lot of potential for a 3 book trilogy within this single volume. If the author had just expanded and explained thing more, this would have been a really enjoyable book.
You will need to read this more than once to 'get' the idea of a new consciousness for humanity that the author is trying to put across. This is my 3rd read through, but 3 stars is still all I can give...
This is a very mixed up story, incorporating many ideas that could work very well, but just don't quite gel.
The basic premise is that there has been a series of wars, resulting in a post apocalyptic / dystopian society who are split into regions and struggling to pick up the pieces. There is little to no back story, allusions as to weapons and residual danger in the area are made to but without any real explanation, and the whole thing feels off - it's like reading book 2 of a trilogy and knowing nothing of the events in book 1.
That's not to say that this is all bad. There are some interesting ideas. A few of the characters stand out and are quite colourful (The Captain is certainly a very vibrant individual). The problem is, that you start getting used to the strange narrative style, and feel comfortable with the direction the story is going, only for it to completely u-turn in another totally unrelated escapade. These vary from quite comical, over the top scenes to picturesque 'dream time' moments that are quite deep but not put to full use.
There is a lot of potential for a 3 book trilogy within this single volume. If the author had just expanded and explained thing more, this would have been a really enjoyable book.
You will need to read this more than once to 'get' the idea of a new consciousness for humanity that the author is trying to put across. This is my 3rd read through, but 3 stars is still all I can give...
November 13, 2018
Unique! That is the first word that comes to mind to describe John Farr's book, Aether's Call.
I was given a free copy to read/review by the author and immediately read it cover to cover.
Reading this book was quite different. I started off being offended by his use of the word "moron" to refer to one of his characters. I then was put off by his lack of paragraphs - each sentence existed by itself - more like play's dialog than a book of fiction. But I kept reading.
Pretty quickly the story line and the characters took my focus more than these other issues. Farr built a Dystopian world of nation states that was barely existing follow terrible wars and horrific weapons that still littered the landscape.
The storyline shifts back and forth between a vague scientific experiment occurring on earth and a totally dysfunctional spaceship out on its maiden run. We quickly learn that some members of the spaceship's crew are directly linked to those involved in the experiment.
This book is a bit Catch 22, a bit Buckaroo Banzai, a bit Dr. Frankenstein, a bit Keystone Kops, and a bit something totally new. I found myself laughing with the characters and craziness, cringing at some of the horrific images, and puzzling over pieces of the story. I'm not sure I totally understand what the author was trying to say but I did enjoy the experience of reading it. I'll be very interested to see what other readers have to say and I look forward to Farr's next creation.
I was given a free copy to read/review by the author and immediately read it cover to cover.
Reading this book was quite different. I started off being offended by his use of the word "moron" to refer to one of his characters. I then was put off by his lack of paragraphs - each sentence existed by itself - more like play's dialog than a book of fiction. But I kept reading.
Pretty quickly the story line and the characters took my focus more than these other issues. Farr built a Dystopian world of nation states that was barely existing follow terrible wars and horrific weapons that still littered the landscape.
The storyline shifts back and forth between a vague scientific experiment occurring on earth and a totally dysfunctional spaceship out on its maiden run. We quickly learn that some members of the spaceship's crew are directly linked to those involved in the experiment.
This book is a bit Catch 22, a bit Buckaroo Banzai, a bit Dr. Frankenstein, a bit Keystone Kops, and a bit something totally new. I found myself laughing with the characters and craziness, cringing at some of the horrific images, and puzzling over pieces of the story. I'm not sure I totally understand what the author was trying to say but I did enjoy the experience of reading it. I'll be very interested to see what other readers have to say and I look forward to Farr's next creation.
April 3, 2019
"Aether's Call" eBook was published in 2018 and was written by John Farr. This is Mr. Farr's first publication.
I received a copy of this novella through a promotion by the author. I categorize this book as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. The story is set in the future with the primary character being Roy the cook on the new Earth spacecraft Starr.
Roy was conscripted onto the Starr. The only job he could perform was as the cook and even that he has trouble with. Everything he attempts ends in failure and Starr's Captain is ready to dispose of Roy out an airlock. Back on Earth Roy's ex-wife, Cynthia is conspiring with a scientist. Together with the science officer on the Starr, they are plotting to take down their government.
I spent 2+ hours reading this 158-page novella. It has all of the misconceptions of space travel one might associate with science fiction written in the '40s or '50s. The plot was confusing and I don't think much of the major characters. It does have nice cover art, but the art has little to do with the story. I give this novel a 2 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I received a copy of this novella through a promotion by the author. I categorize this book as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. The story is set in the future with the primary character being Roy the cook on the new Earth spacecraft Starr.
Roy was conscripted onto the Starr. The only job he could perform was as the cook and even that he has trouble with. Everything he attempts ends in failure and Starr's Captain is ready to dispose of Roy out an airlock. Back on Earth Roy's ex-wife, Cynthia is conspiring with a scientist. Together with the science officer on the Starr, they are plotting to take down their government.
I spent 2+ hours reading this 158-page novella. It has all of the misconceptions of space travel one might associate with science fiction written in the '40s or '50s. The plot was confusing and I don't think much of the major characters. It does have nice cover art, but the art has little to do with the story. I give this novel a 2 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
January 21, 2019
When I was originaly contacted by John Far, I was surprised at first but accepted his offer to read his book.
There was no counterparty needed, even not the need to write a review.
However, from the begining I planned to write a review.
It tooks me some times to read the book, so now it's done, let's start...
Aether's call setup in a post apocalyptic world where a ship, the Starr to name it, is on it's way for a mission.
The story is some sort of slow pace with some fast paced events.
I will not spoil the story, however, it seems the author likes blood while not very fond for secondary caracters.
First part of the book is not as mature, in terms of writing, as the second part who is much better writen.
During this first part, I had the feeling that editing / proof reading has not been done. However, this is gone when I reach the second half where the writing is much more consolidated and structured.
Generally speaking, the book opens a door to a wonderful world, yet to be visited.
The book finished in a very pleasant description of the cliff hanger.
PS: I do not like cliff hanger.
There was no counterparty needed, even not the need to write a review.
However, from the begining I planned to write a review.
It tooks me some times to read the book, so now it's done, let's start...
Aether's call setup in a post apocalyptic world where a ship, the Starr to name it, is on it's way for a mission.
The story is some sort of slow pace with some fast paced events.
I will not spoil the story, however, it seems the author likes blood while not very fond for secondary caracters.
First part of the book is not as mature, in terms of writing, as the second part who is much better writen.
During this first part, I had the feeling that editing / proof reading has not been done. However, this is gone when I reach the second half where the writing is much more consolidated and structured.
Generally speaking, the book opens a door to a wonderful world, yet to be visited.
The book finished in a very pleasant description of the cliff hanger.
PS: I do not like cliff hanger.
November 19, 2018
This is an interesting if not disjointed, quick sci-fi read. First I’ll give the author props for an utterly original story, which is the reason I gave this 3 stars instead of 2. The universe is dystopian and takes place both on Earth and in space but the rest of the storyline goes in directions I can’t even really explain. The chapters are short and the book reads quickly due to its lack of standard paragraphs; it’s just a sentence or two and then a space.
For me, though, there was not nearly enough character, environment or situational development. I spent a lot of time wondering what was going on or what the backstory was. I felt like I was thrown into a washing machine and then tried to watch a movie as I tumbled. Oh....and I have no idea what happened at the end. I turned the page and it was just over.
There is a really good story in here, if not a little strange. It just needs a lot of development.
***I was given a free copy of this book to review.
For me, though, there was not nearly enough character, environment or situational development. I spent a lot of time wondering what was going on or what the backstory was. I felt like I was thrown into a washing machine and then tried to watch a movie as I tumbled. Oh....and I have no idea what happened at the end. I turned the page and it was just over.
There is a really good story in here, if not a little strange. It just needs a lot of development.
***I was given a free copy of this book to review.
November 25, 2018
Not Bad!
Ok , i recieved this as a free copy by the author to review, so i will be honest in my opinions and remember they are MY opinions which you have a right to disagree with.
The whole concept of the story a decaying earth and its survivors is sound yet the development of the plot is confusing, no real explaining of what is actually ocurring and for what reason, the author has an image but doesnt seem to get it across.
The charachters are so so, they seem to be lacking in depth and most af all charisma, the only charachter who seems to shine is the captain.
The style of writing isnt too bad but lack of descriptive detail means there is little to draw you in and the ending was so abrupt it left me wondering if i missed a chapter.
In all i sort of understood what was meant to happen but was left a bit baffled by it all
Ok , i recieved this as a free copy by the author to review, so i will be honest in my opinions and remember they are MY opinions which you have a right to disagree with.
The whole concept of the story a decaying earth and its survivors is sound yet the development of the plot is confusing, no real explaining of what is actually ocurring and for what reason, the author has an image but doesnt seem to get it across.
The charachters are so so, they seem to be lacking in depth and most af all charisma, the only charachter who seems to shine is the captain.
The style of writing isnt too bad but lack of descriptive detail means there is little to draw you in and the ending was so abrupt it left me wondering if i missed a chapter.
In all i sort of understood what was meant to happen but was left a bit baffled by it all
March 20, 2019
I was given a copy of this book for free, so thanks, Mr. John Farr.
While I like the writing style which for some reason, really draws me in, the story is quite a jumbled mess.
Too many questions left unanswered and I get that the ending is ambiguous on purpose, it really didn't help untangled the mess.
I saw many potential in this book, but at the end of the day, it's really quite flat.
While I like the writing style which for some reason, really draws me in, the story is quite a jumbled mess.
Too many questions left unanswered and I get that the ending is ambiguous on purpose, it really didn't help untangled the mess.
I saw many potential in this book, but at the end of the day, it's really quite flat.
November 14, 2018
This novel is a space opera unlike anything I've read before. However it did grab and hold my attention until the end. The characters are rough, not much action, but it has a story to tell. I enjoyed the read however the ending stumped me.
November 16, 2018
This is very different from the space opera's that I've read. With 3 story lines all running together it gripped me from the start. Although it's not full of action it has good believable characters and an interesting ending. Hopefully there is more to come read it in 1 sitting
November 13, 2018
I struggled with this book. I enjoy a good futuristic space read but this one just didn’t do it for me. Story line was interesting but the characters and their interaction left a lot to be desired.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews