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Plan8 Slaves #1

Five Light-Years to the Firesnake

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Aedre’s mum died in a sky city accident. Aedre survived.

Cloaked in grief, the young mystic travelled five light-years to the Firesnake for a fresh start.

But the backwater planet was overflowing with crime and violence, and she got in trouble with corrupt police and the mafia. She stumbled upon cages of naked women she wanted so dearly to free.

Her spirit guardian, an owl-woman, told her she’d become the saviour of slaves. But she didn’t understand how, though she knew her friends were in trouble.



INTERVIEW WITH RAYNER YE

How did you write the Firesnake/Plan8 Slaves series?

For my first ever book, I used the Snowflake Method and motivation reaction units. But first, I researched on NASA about exo-planets in Goldilocks Zones for my Seven System Plan8 Alliance. For five months before planning my book, I designed my galactic alliance, geology, geography, drew maps, religions, different ethnicities, a bit of history, the ancient amethyst pyramids, etc. Halfway through my series, I wrote into the dark, then used the snowflake method again when too many naughty characters wanted the lime light.

Then I planned out the first two books, using the snowflake method. I started at the Aedre, YuFu, Noomy Foster, Sharr Shuvuu, Bamdar (and other cheeky buggers sneaked in later.) After writing the first three chapters, I joined a critique group (thenextbigwriter.com). I got slashed and torn apart. But it was all good. I got brilliant advice. I licked my wounds and kept re-writing those chapters until critical reviews became good ones. The only criticism I ignored throughout was that I ‘had too many characters.’

Why is your heroine a mystic and yogi?

People say you shouldn’t base characters on yourself. Well, will you forgive me if I say, “Come on! I was a novice.” Luckily, she’s not completely like me. My Mum’s still alive, I never got arrested when I taught English in Jakarta, and I never got involved with the mafia or had to do the other things. The teleportation bit might have been cool, though. Oh, yes, authors already teleport.

One of the heros is Chinese. Do you know much about Chinese culture?

My husband’s Chinese. I lived in China for three years. I lived in Indonesia for a year, too. My in-laws can’t speak English, which helped tremedously in acquiring Mandarin.

There’s a temple in Five-Light Years to the Firesnake. It is like a Buddhist one. Is there a reason for that?

When I lived in Sunter Gardens, Jakarta, I walked past a local Vihara (Buddhist temple.) I knocked on the door and said, “Kung Fu?” If you want to know what happened next, read the series! Apek was my Shaolin Master (Mon-Fri). I did Wu Shu in the weekends.

There are hardly any spaceships. Why?

YuFu’s Run 4 is my most space-based book. I love galactic alliance, so use spaceships to transport those ignorant about the portals or who don't have crystal stars. I prefer to write about terra firma political problems, war, terrorism, conspiracies, slavery, etc.

Why write about that dark stuff?

It evokes emotional reactions. I’m all about motivation reaction units, even when dictating into the dark.

What's your next plan?

Narrate YuFu’s Run 1-4.

Have you done that before?

Nope. But I have a hover, I have a plasma gun, and I have the guts to kill the bad guys.

Huh?

I have a mic, the acting dream, and many like my voice.

Do you think you’re a talented writer?

Yes, for those who like my stories. No for those who don’t like my stories. Come on. How can you say what’s right and wrong? Stories are stories, not scientific experiments which require fixed variables.

229 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 8, 2019

16 people are currently reading
31 people want to read

About the author

Rayner Ye

58 books35 followers
Greetings! I'm a passionate writer hailing from Oxford, UK, with a unique blend of experiences that have greatly influenced my work. Having resided in East Asia for five years, I draw inspiration from multiculturalism, which is beautifully woven into my sci-fi and space fantasy books set in the captivating Plan8 Alliance. Within this seven solar system galactic alliance, I delve into the exciting journeys of my characters as they traverse space and time, all against the backdrop of a diverse interstellar alliance.

One aspect that sets my books apart is the incorporation of time travel, particularly in certain series where characters venture through portals and navigate the twists and turns of different eras. The Plan8 Alliance offers a fascinating platform for me to explore this concept. I hope you find as much enjoyment in reading my books as I do in crafting them.

As I embark on a new chapter in the summer of 2023, I am excited to expand the reach of my Plan8 books beyond Kindle Unlimited and make them available widely. Currently, I am in the final stages of combining and enhancing my first two series, "Plan8 Slaves" and "Red Star," which will be published as an epic space fantasy this summer. Additionally, I'm venturing into the world of comics, bringing the Plan8 Alliance to life through visual storytelling. On Patreon, I am also creating short stories and comics for my new urban fantasy series, the Ewin Multiverse.

While my Plan8 Slaves comics are presently accessible through Kindle Unlimited Comixology, I am considering moving them to my Plan8 Alliance Patreon in the future. To further support my creative endeavors, I maintain a separate Patreon for my Ewin Multiverse and the series "Vampire in Oxford," which I look forward to dedicating more attention to once I have established my presence in the space opera and space fantasy genres.

It's worth mentioning that the "Plan8 Slaves/Firesnake" series is far from your typical space opera. It was not written with a focus on market trends, but rather to captivate readers with its eclectic mix of thrilling elements, including secret agents, crime, metaphysical and supernatural phenomena, action-packed adventures, alien invasions, and, of course, time travel. In contrast, the sequel series, "YuFu's Run," delves into the realms of space opera techno-thriller, where time portals have closed, and magic no longer flows. Furthermore, "Cyborg Assassin" does not incorporate teleportation, shape-shifting, or time travel, presenting a unique flavor within the Plan8 universe.

As I transition from being exclusive to Amazon, I am currently building a stronger following on Goodreads. This shift allows me to connect with a broader audience, and I am thrilled to share my imaginative worlds and compelling narratives with readers from all walks of life.

Thank you for your support, and I hope my books will transport you to exciting realms of wonder and adventure!

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for Megan Rivera.
434 reviews72 followers
August 3, 2020
A great space adventure with many twists and turns. Overall would recommend to a fantasy reader who loves to read about space.
Profile Image for Rayner Ye.
Author 58 books35 followers
Read
October 30, 2021
My grandmother had MS. She went down with it at the age of 40. She begged doctors to kill her when she was elderly. It was so painful. But they kept bringing her back to life every time she tried to end it. She had a strong mind. But she couldn't move. She inspired me very much when I wrote about Aedre. I believe my nan's angel saved me twice on two occasions: once at the age of fifteen during a car accident with my brother and once at the age of eighteen during a motorcycle accident with my brother.

Some say men are braver than women. But it was my twenty-two-year-old brother who was screaming and crying after we both broke our left femurs on a country road on the evening of summer solstice, not me. Women can be extremely brave. Can you imagine a man giving birth? Giving birth was a thousand times more painful than having my leg broken in half and three-quarters of my kneecap removed.

Aedre is brave, too. Sure, she's desperately lonely and searching for love, but when she sees the abuse of women and girls from across the galaxy, she's prepared to risk her life for them.
223 reviews3 followers
February 29, 2020
**** SPOILER ALERT ****
"Five Light-Years To The Firesnake: ( Plan8 Slaves #1 )" is a bit convoluted with story elements that, initially, appear unrelated. Ye does a masterful job of world building and character development while they weave the, seemingly, disparate threads of this tale into a lovely tapestry. It is well worth your time to read the book. While the major theme of the book is slavery, the story is NOT an endorsement of that terrible, inhumane institution. The topic, however, is still relevant today. Why you may ask? Because slavery DOES still exist in our world even after more than a century since its abolition. I'll be reading ( and reviewing ) Book #2 as soon as I finish sharing this review because I'm curious and want to follow the trail of breadcrumbs that Ye has laid down in Book #1.
In the interest of transparency: I was given a review copy of this book and I am voluntarily sharing this review.
It is my own honest opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Joaquin.
191 reviews17 followers
September 8, 2020
I purchased this book because of the amazing reviews on Amazon and oh boy, they were all right. Such a good book with great characters that keeps you obsessed with every page since the first one. I couldn't put this down until I ended. This is a very original and fresh story that you will definitely enjoy! highly recommended!
Profile Image for Donald.
454 reviews4 followers
August 7, 2020
Very good story-line! Interesting characters, action, well developed plot but weak syntax. I will seek more of this author's work and must say that with a little polishing this is can be great read!
12.6k reviews189 followers
August 17, 2020
A superb story, that is well told. It’s about slavery and makes you feel as if you should be helping. Loved the characters. An amazing scifi.
Profile Image for Brandon Chandler.
Author 64 books9 followers
December 26, 2020
This was a particularly pleasant book with a complex plot that kept you hooked. Blinked once and you might miss an important detail. It has multiple P.O. Vs from several characters that are spread about the author’s universe and each character are connected in some way.
Aedre is a formidable protagonist, who learns she can shapeshift, body-snatch, and travel at the speed of thought through her meditation thanks to a river she discovered. However, this only leads to troubles for her. Aedre’s journey will have her face death, tragedy, slavery, and the ultimate ultimatum will she became a hero with her newfound abilities or will she return home to be with her dad and sister.
I'm extremely excited about diving in book two! This first book has been so much fun to read. I loved the characters and the twists, turns, and galactic world building.
I highly recommend this book!!!
415 reviews6 followers
August 10, 2020
Plenty of interesting and imaginative world building in this story – and definitely not for children. Unfortunately the writing is a bit choppy and it took me a while to understand the connections between the various chapters in the first half of the book – they jumped around among various planet systems and various characters. Eventually I got the idea and the goal of the story was revealed – but very near the end. There are 4 more books to finish the story. The writing needs a good editor and proofreader – everyone says "I wanna" and in the descriptions of the nasty people I don't see the need for the phrase "evil fucker" and the like (only a few instances, though – perhaps that's why it jars all the more). I can imagine places where it could fit, but not how the author uses it.
Profile Image for Helgaleena Healingline.
Author 2 books30 followers
December 20, 2020
This alternate universe is very absorbing and plausible. As the author's bio points out, there are plenty of bits that remind you of Earth mysticism and quantum physics. The only thing I miss is a happy- ever after. But this is only volume one of an open-ended serial.

These tales, from a multitude of POVs, are interwoven into a fat braid of events and outcomes, including disasters, massacres, wrong choices, and shifting allegiances. Carbon based humans in the Plan8 confederation are not always nice to one another, and constantly ostracize outsiders just like Earthlings we actually live with. I quit trying to intuit where one volume ended and the next began, only hoping in vain for it all to wind up neatly.

Profile Image for Tahnia Ross.
2,184 reviews10 followers
August 17, 2020
This book has a complex plot with stories about several people from different places that seem to be coming together to merge eventually. The different "religions" or beliefs of the various peoples are used by the heroine to strengthen her resolve, especially after she finds out her father was suicidal and in a mental health facility. After reading this book, I really want to read the rest of the stories so I can find out how our heroine prevails. Highly recommended for adult science fiction lovers.

I received a free copy of this book via StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Robert Nesbitt.
9 reviews
November 29, 2020
This is another great, well-written story by Rayner Ye that is multi-layered, multicultural, with stories woven together by a very skilled author. I am really looking forward to reading the series and meeting the rest of her intriguing cast of characters.
Profile Image for Laurie Robertson.
870 reviews19 followers
August 23, 2020
A good read which makes you want to read more.
Recommended read for anyone who enjoys something a little different.
Profile Image for Carolyn Vandine West.
883 reviews36 followers
March 10, 2022
Pleasantly surprised. There are some spelling errors but overall the author did a great job with several main characters and separate storylines running back to back.
This definitely is left up in the air and definitely leads to a promise of more. I really love a well-written SciFi and this fills the bill. Lots of violence and some bad language go with the themes of the book.
The main character, Aedre is quite resourceful and I enjoyed following her thought processing to get through some rough spots she finds herself in.
I received an ARC from StoryOrigin. This did not affect my review and I look forward to continuing this series.
Profile Image for Maxie Froelicher.
283 reviews10 followers
September 3, 2024
This book had a strong start, right out the gates with a pirate attack, but it slowed down when the main character was introduced. One of the most confusing parts to me was when things were taking place. There were year long time jumps that were alluded to in passing, and then YuFu's timeline jumped back into where his first chapter ended. Adding a date to the name and location at the tops of chapters might be beneficial. Once all the plotlines synced up it was much easier to understand.

The main thing I didn't like was how misogynistic everything was. Whether it was internalized, like "all I need is a boyfriend but I'm too fat because I gained less than 20 pounds so I'm not sexy anymore" that Aedre kept saying, or externalized, with the multiple threats of rape, the entire colony of sex slaves, and pretty much every infraction resulting in being sent to forced prostitution, I feel like it was a little oversaturated. I know the series is called "Plan8 Slaves" but it just felt... like overkill.

I also didn't like how the super poor, destitute, filthy planet was people of color and the rich planet everyone talks about is white people, plus some of the alien features seemed very stereotypical, also that the one white main character is oppressed because of her race and is going to be the savior of the entire system.

There was one instance in a Sharr Shuvuu chapter where the wrong character name was put, they said Aedre instead of Sharr.

I will say that the plot and cliffhanger is enough to make me want to pick up the second book, I NEED to know what's going to happen and how everything is going to come together.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Booksprout.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bryan Glosemeyer.
Author 8 books39 followers
January 5, 2021
One of my goals for 2020 was to read more books by indie authors, so Rayner Ye’s Five Light-Years to the Firesnake was a perfect way to end my reading year. One of the best things about indie authors is that they bring unique voices and approaches to different genres than you normally get in traditionally published books, and this is no exception.

Ye paints a broad picture very quickly. Her world is filled with many characters, places, races, religions, planets, and so on. Yet it all feels familiar and grounded. In some ways, it reads more like literary fiction more than space fantasy, but it just happens to take place on multiple planets with various alien races. The closest parallel I can see is the wonderful graphic novel SAGA by Brian K Vaughn, in that it feels like a stories of people we might know, in cultures and places that we can almost recognize, but transposed to this interplanetary space fantasy setting. And though I can’t quite put my finger on it, there’s something about Ye’s quick, frank writing style that brings to mind PKD.

Aedre is our main character, and her story is quickly very compelling and relatable. She travels off world to be a language teacher and find her own way, financially and spiritually, in the Plan8 universe. She has some trouble adjusting to such a different culture than her own, but just when things are finally come together for her, they take a brutal turn for the worse. But perhaps all this misfortune is leading to her true calling? The book is a pretty quick read, so it’s hard to say too much without going into spoilers. I’m diving into the second book right away.
Profile Image for Melina Lobo.
822 reviews96 followers
February 16, 2021
Five Light-Years to the Firesnake is the first book in the Plan8 Slaves, an adult space fantasy series by Rayner Ye.
The most fascinating element about this story is the world building because the story covers various planets and journeying space itself. The author has a great imagination and attention to detail when it comes to the little things. We're introduced to different types of characters that have various backgrounds and we also get to view the story from different perspectives because of this. (I never thought I'd see the word pirates in the story but yup we have pirates!)
Striping back the space fantasy part of the story, as a character Aedre shows a lot of care for others but she also knows that she's different from those around her and her goals differ from general standards. In the beginning we see how her father comparing her to her sister does waiver her from what SHE wants to do momentarily, but she's adamant in her decision. The only question is, is her decision the right one? (Read to find out!)
We are introduced to a few more entities but for the sake of not spoiling anything: 🤐
Overall, I did enjoy the story but I did get a bit confused in certain areas with so much going on.
🦄🦄🦄
Rated 8.5/10
Melina L.
Profile Image for Richard Houlden.
Author 2 books41 followers
May 15, 2023
This was a challenging read in some areas, mainly because of the obstacles and subjects written into the story, but it was an enjoyable read. The descriptions of the people and the worlds was extremely well done in my opinion. There were a few sections where the character’s dialogue didn’t feel natural / required but these were side-characters and the story nicely flowed past them.
Definitely looking forward to seeing where the journey goes in the next book.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

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