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Wings of Earth #2
Dust of the Deep
Some runs pay better than others ... Especially when there are pirates involved.
After almost losing his Shipmaster’s licenses, Captain Ethan Walker takes on three new crewmembers and the first job that will get him back into space. He realizes en route that the supplies and personnel they’re carrying make the ship a prime target for pirates. It’s too late. He has no option but to complete the run regardless of the danger.
Things get worse for the Olympus Dawn when they make a one hundred light-year detour to pick up an archaeologist who knows their actual destination, only to find that someone has kidnapped her.
While they’re waiting for instructions from the archaeologist who hired them, Walker learns that Captain Kendrick Jetaar will stop at nothing to capture their cargo. Captain Walker must escape the ruthless pirate lord before he and his crew become casualties in a war he didn’t know existed.
Fortunately, the load pays exceptionally well, if only he can survive to collect.
Follow the adventures Captain Walker and his crew in book two of Wings of Earth.
After almost losing his Shipmaster’s licenses, Captain Ethan Walker takes on three new crewmembers and the first job that will get him back into space. He realizes en route that the supplies and personnel they’re carrying make the ship a prime target for pirates. It’s too late. He has no option but to complete the run regardless of the danger.
Things get worse for the Olympus Dawn when they make a one hundred light-year detour to pick up an archaeologist who knows their actual destination, only to find that someone has kidnapped her.
While they’re waiting for instructions from the archaeologist who hired them, Walker learns that Captain Kendrick Jetaar will stop at nothing to capture their cargo. Captain Walker must escape the ruthless pirate lord before he and his crew become casualties in a war he didn’t know existed.
Fortunately, the load pays exceptionally well, if only he can survive to collect.
Follow the adventures Captain Walker and his crew in book two of Wings of Earth.
- GenresScience Fiction
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2019
About the author
Eric Michael Craig
33 books127 followersEric Michael Craig is a "harder-edged" Science Fiction writer living in the Manzano Mountains of New Mexico. He is the former Director of Research for a private consulting laboratory in Phoenix, where he experimented with inertial propulsion and power generation technologies.
Eric is a founding member of the SciFi Roundtable. The SFRT is an active online group dedicated to supporting indie and traditional authors by networking them with other writers and professional resources.
When not writing, Eric is active in Intentional Community Design, plays guitar and bass, occasionally dabbles in art of various forms. He also owns way too many dogs.
Eric is a founding member of the SciFi Roundtable. The SFRT is an active online group dedicated to supporting indie and traditional authors by networking them with other writers and professional resources.
When not writing, Eric is active in Intentional Community Design, plays guitar and bass, occasionally dabbles in art of various forms. He also owns way too many dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 17, 2020
Dust of the Deep, the second book in the Wings of Earth series, sees Captain Walker in control of his own fate as master of the Olympus Dawn. With a new crew and a first job that will pay really well, Walker’s life seems to be turning around. But a stop at Escabosan reveals that Ethan has gotten on the wrong side of the Shipmaster’s Guild. Worse, the passenger he was supposed to pick up is missing and the cargo he’s carrying could land him in trouble with FleetCom. All of this, and he hasn’t even reached his destination yet. When he does, a notorious privateer will put Walker’s, and the rest of crew of the Olympus Dawn, lives in danger.
Eric Michael Craig delivers another exciting space adventure. While Ethan Walker is the main character and the story is told from his point of view, the other characters all shine through, from Nukko and Rene, to Kaycee and new characters like Ammo and Quintan. Craig’s writing makes all of their personalities shine through – especially Quintan. But what I really enjoyed is the plot. Craig keeps the tension ratcheting up as Ethan and the crew face off against the privateer and a client whose ego is bigger than the oort cloud. At the same time, Craig sprinkles in tidbits of a larger story arc that will want you to pick up the next book.
Once again Eric Michael Craig delivers an exciting space adventure filled with drama, action, cunning, and humor. The story is fast-paced, and the characters remind me of other ramshackle space crews trying to earn a living in the black. Go pick up your copy today.
Eric Michael Craig delivers another exciting space adventure. While Ethan Walker is the main character and the story is told from his point of view, the other characters all shine through, from Nukko and Rene, to Kaycee and new characters like Ammo and Quintan. Craig’s writing makes all of their personalities shine through – especially Quintan. But what I really enjoyed is the plot. Craig keeps the tension ratcheting up as Ethan and the crew face off against the privateer and a client whose ego is bigger than the oort cloud. At the same time, Craig sprinkles in tidbits of a larger story arc that will want you to pick up the next book.
Once again Eric Michael Craig delivers an exciting space adventure filled with drama, action, cunning, and humor. The story is fast-paced, and the characters remind me of other ramshackle space crews trying to earn a living in the black. Go pick up your copy today.
August 20, 2020
Eric Michael Craig is at it again with Dust of the Deep, book two in his Wings of Earth series. Fans of the author will know exactly what I mean by "at it again," as his writing style tends to hook readers into wild adventures. Notably, he employs a “take no prisoners” pacing that launches you directly into the action.
In my previous review of Echoes of Starlight (book one), I applauded Craig’s departure from large ensemble casts. We’re introduced to Ethan Walker, captain of the Olympus Dawn, who endures a terrible, no good, very bad day. After some heroic antics on a hostile planet, the stage was set for book two.
Dust of the Deep opens after the brief calm of Echoes, where a dark and mysterious vessel named Blackwing attacks a neutral ship. In the next scene, we see Ethan assembling a new crew for the restored Olympus Dawn, fresh off some funding from the equally mysterious Dr. Caldwell. A new high-paying job sees his fortunes turning around, which, of course, is entirely short-lived. Chaos ensues before he reaches the destination, which is further exacerbated by an aggressive gang of space pirates.
Once again, the proverbial stink hits the fan. What could have been an easy rehash for a less experienced author is quickly nullified by Ethan’s character arc. He’s still a fault-prone wreck, mind you, but he has grown enough through the first book to avoid some mistakes before he makes them. That, in a nutshell, is the ongoing appeal of the series.
It’s often said that a star is only as good as their supporting cast. Ethan is no different, as several new faces shine brightly. Standouts include Ammo, a crafty vixen who lacks modesty and wields charm like a weapon. And then there’s Quintan, a literal giant who loves to cook and dress the part. Their quirky personas inject a steady stream of levity into a near-constant tension. Quintan's intro alone is enough to to draw some hearty chuckles.
Dust of the Deep is an easy recommendation to fans of gritty space adventures. As with Craig’s other works, the science is sound, the pace is snappy, and the humor is sharp. Grab book one, if you haven’t already, and dive head-first into the Wings of Earth.
In my previous review of Echoes of Starlight (book one), I applauded Craig’s departure from large ensemble casts. We’re introduced to Ethan Walker, captain of the Olympus Dawn, who endures a terrible, no good, very bad day. After some heroic antics on a hostile planet, the stage was set for book two.
Dust of the Deep opens after the brief calm of Echoes, where a dark and mysterious vessel named Blackwing attacks a neutral ship. In the next scene, we see Ethan assembling a new crew for the restored Olympus Dawn, fresh off some funding from the equally mysterious Dr. Caldwell. A new high-paying job sees his fortunes turning around, which, of course, is entirely short-lived. Chaos ensues before he reaches the destination, which is further exacerbated by an aggressive gang of space pirates.
Once again, the proverbial stink hits the fan. What could have been an easy rehash for a less experienced author is quickly nullified by Ethan’s character arc. He’s still a fault-prone wreck, mind you, but he has grown enough through the first book to avoid some mistakes before he makes them. That, in a nutshell, is the ongoing appeal of the series.
It’s often said that a star is only as good as their supporting cast. Ethan is no different, as several new faces shine brightly. Standouts include Ammo, a crafty vixen who lacks modesty and wields charm like a weapon. And then there’s Quintan, a literal giant who loves to cook and dress the part. Their quirky personas inject a steady stream of levity into a near-constant tension. Quintan's intro alone is enough to to draw some hearty chuckles.
Dust of the Deep is an easy recommendation to fans of gritty space adventures. As with Craig’s other works, the science is sound, the pace is snappy, and the humor is sharp. Grab book one, if you haven’t already, and dive head-first into the Wings of Earth.
May 2, 2019
Epic
A man, a ship, and a crew are thrown into the muck that dirties the proverbial fan and are forced to negotiate the narrow path of right and wrong and still get paid.
Great story, excellent characters, the only reason I can't give it 5 stars is the editing. (Sorry Ducky)
A man, a ship, and a crew are thrown into the muck that dirties the proverbial fan and are forced to negotiate the narrow path of right and wrong and still get paid.
Great story, excellent characters, the only reason I can't give it 5 stars is the editing. (Sorry Ducky)
April 22, 2019
Too rushed, lost clarity
I was disappointed early into the book. The formatting problem where two sentences appear at the top of one page and a sentence is finished on the next page makes reading difficult. It happened a lot.
The background society had promise but it's fading fast. Alien tech isn't being studied or utilized openly and logically but instead is being controlled, more or less, in pieces more or less. What could go wrong with a multi-million year legacy of science and technology being scavenged and incompletely analyzed by little competitive corporations and other organizations in back alleys and secret labs with no oversight or understanding of the principles which underlie it? "Danger, Will Robinson!!"
The tech is funny. In the first series, it was logical and consistent. It made sense and the writer was clear what it looked like. In this book, the clarity is gone and It's not pretty. Ships have windows, how cute(-ly insane). Ships cruise at up to thousands of times the speed of light (mentioned in the last battle) to cover interplanetary distances (Star Fleet is jealous). Without an engineer familiar with either Shan T. science or human orbital control artillery, a freighter crew can connect planetary defense batteries to alien power sources. Interesting. The freighter seems to have passengers berthed on the same deck as crew, that's a small ship. It's a common description but it should strike writers as odd, since that's not how ships at sea work. There's more but why bother listing it.
The characters have become caricatures. All goodness, light, wisdom and intelligence flows down the social ladder without any basis and in direct opposition to the original series. It's as if the two series have different writers. The captain in the previous book was self-indulgent, not very bright and reckless. That broken, flawed officer/ship-owner was incompetent, not a model to admire but his story was a good way to jump into this new human society. In this book, he has the same attributes but suddenly they are normal and OK. There won't be any growth in this character. He knows less about his ship than any other crewmember. He doesn't like to be bothered with technical details, even about his own ship. He destroys a shuttle full of pirates attempting to board his ship but crippling the pirate mother ship (whose captain announced that he was planning to kill the freighter's crew) is enough because he's a good man. What??? He makes every decision with less forethought than James T Kirk displayed. Murderous pirates won't continue to follow you, if they're not super mad at you (or if you blow the hell out of their space ship, dude). I bailed at 94% because he offered emergency aid to pirates after they attempted to kill thousands of researchers on a private colony as well as his ship (again). What??? I couldn't take him anymore at that point.
The Doctor is so special, that she doesn't invest some of her billions to upgrade the power, weapons, sensors and maybe armor of the ship on which she is sailing as crew. She can't force the captain to hire more security types? She's valuable, right? She doesn't think that bad things like pirates can happen to her because she's a billionaire? She's noble because she realized that there could be consequences to her lackadaisical approach to her security?
The billionaire archeologist can't bother to pretend that the murder of researchers he hired is a horrible thing? Their deaths are slowing his progress and inconveniencing him. He sets up a research settlement but doesn't bring His own power source to the planet? His people are so loyal that It's a toss up whether to deal with the nut job or die at the hands of "The dread pirate, Roberts". This is normal for a bad (thoughtless) billionaire? How Scooby Doo.
It's hard for me to imagine how you can write your way back to a healthy story or adult writing style after you've drunk that kool-aid. Another series has to be abandoned.
I was disappointed early into the book. The formatting problem where two sentences appear at the top of one page and a sentence is finished on the next page makes reading difficult. It happened a lot.
The background society had promise but it's fading fast. Alien tech isn't being studied or utilized openly and logically but instead is being controlled, more or less, in pieces more or less. What could go wrong with a multi-million year legacy of science and technology being scavenged and incompletely analyzed by little competitive corporations and other organizations in back alleys and secret labs with no oversight or understanding of the principles which underlie it? "Danger, Will Robinson!!"
The tech is funny. In the first series, it was logical and consistent. It made sense and the writer was clear what it looked like. In this book, the clarity is gone and It's not pretty. Ships have windows, how cute(-ly insane). Ships cruise at up to thousands of times the speed of light (mentioned in the last battle) to cover interplanetary distances (Star Fleet is jealous). Without an engineer familiar with either Shan T. science or human orbital control artillery, a freighter crew can connect planetary defense batteries to alien power sources. Interesting. The freighter seems to have passengers berthed on the same deck as crew, that's a small ship. It's a common description but it should strike writers as odd, since that's not how ships at sea work. There's more but why bother listing it.
The characters have become caricatures. All goodness, light, wisdom and intelligence flows down the social ladder without any basis and in direct opposition to the original series. It's as if the two series have different writers. The captain in the previous book was self-indulgent, not very bright and reckless. That broken, flawed officer/ship-owner was incompetent, not a model to admire but his story was a good way to jump into this new human society. In this book, he has the same attributes but suddenly they are normal and OK. There won't be any growth in this character. He knows less about his ship than any other crewmember. He doesn't like to be bothered with technical details, even about his own ship. He destroys a shuttle full of pirates attempting to board his ship but crippling the pirate mother ship (whose captain announced that he was planning to kill the freighter's crew) is enough because he's a good man. What??? He makes every decision with less forethought than James T Kirk displayed. Murderous pirates won't continue to follow you, if they're not super mad at you (or if you blow the hell out of their space ship, dude). I bailed at 94% because he offered emergency aid to pirates after they attempted to kill thousands of researchers on a private colony as well as his ship (again). What??? I couldn't take him anymore at that point.
The Doctor is so special, that she doesn't invest some of her billions to upgrade the power, weapons, sensors and maybe armor of the ship on which she is sailing as crew. She can't force the captain to hire more security types? She's valuable, right? She doesn't think that bad things like pirates can happen to her because she's a billionaire? She's noble because she realized that there could be consequences to her lackadaisical approach to her security?
The billionaire archeologist can't bother to pretend that the murder of researchers he hired is a horrible thing? Their deaths are slowing his progress and inconveniencing him. He sets up a research settlement but doesn't bring His own power source to the planet? His people are so loyal that It's a toss up whether to deal with the nut job or die at the hands of "The dread pirate, Roberts". This is normal for a bad (thoughtless) billionaire? How Scooby Doo.
It's hard for me to imagine how you can write your way back to a healthy story or adult writing style after you've drunk that kool-aid. Another series has to be abandoned.
August 21, 2022
All good adventures start in taverns
Captain Ethan Walker has managed not to end up in jail, following his decisions in Echoes of Starlight. He remains captain of the freighter Olympus Dawn. He has a new delivery contract, and three new crewmembers. One of them, Ammo, he encountered at the end of the stand-alone novella Wings of Earth – Scatter the Winds and it was a treat for this reader to reconnect with her.
This time there are well-armed pirate ships with long-range weapons. The Olympus Dawn is, for all intents and purposes, unarmed. (So Captain Walker risks all as he pits his brain against pirate brawn.) Archeologists are exploring what appears to be a Shan Takhu planet-based site, and the Olympus Dawn has been contracted to deliver cargo to, and pick up artifacts from, the site.
The missing one hundred thousand colonists of the previous story – Echoes of Starlight – only get a passing reference, so if there is to be a solution to that mystery, it has to be further down the line of the volumes making up the Wings of Earth. (So far, I have read the first three, have yet to be disappointed, but continue to hope that Mr. Craig will eventually get around to accounting for that major event.)
As was the case in Echoes of Starlight, this story is character-driven. Strong female characters abound. Mr. Craig’s world-building once again takes the reader into more creative and fascinating places. The pacing remains torrid.
Purchase the box set that includes the first five “episodes” in the Wings of Earth series. That will save you some money and provide you with the continuity that will result from the desire for more, as each book is finished.
Captain Ethan Walker has managed not to end up in jail, following his decisions in Echoes of Starlight. He remains captain of the freighter Olympus Dawn. He has a new delivery contract, and three new crewmembers. One of them, Ammo, he encountered at the end of the stand-alone novella Wings of Earth – Scatter the Winds and it was a treat for this reader to reconnect with her.
This time there are well-armed pirate ships with long-range weapons. The Olympus Dawn is, for all intents and purposes, unarmed. (So Captain Walker risks all as he pits his brain against pirate brawn.) Archeologists are exploring what appears to be a Shan Takhu planet-based site, and the Olympus Dawn has been contracted to deliver cargo to, and pick up artifacts from, the site.
The missing one hundred thousand colonists of the previous story – Echoes of Starlight – only get a passing reference, so if there is to be a solution to that mystery, it has to be further down the line of the volumes making up the Wings of Earth. (So far, I have read the first three, have yet to be disappointed, but continue to hope that Mr. Craig will eventually get around to accounting for that major event.)
As was the case in Echoes of Starlight, this story is character-driven. Strong female characters abound. Mr. Craig’s world-building once again takes the reader into more creative and fascinating places. The pacing remains torrid.
Purchase the box set that includes the first five “episodes” in the Wings of Earth series. That will save you some money and provide you with the continuity that will result from the desire for more, as each book is finished.
August 12, 2022
Typical space opera too much star trek influence
I wanted to like the series. Characters are just out of Star Trek from both the Captain and XO leaving their warship together to investigate (huge No, No in real life) to let's kill all the minions but always leave the bad guy boss alive.
--------Spoiler Alert -------
The pirate Captain brags about raping, torturing and spacing innocent victims but our good guy Hollywood Captain must go out of his way to save the sorry waste of oxygen. Only in Hollywood !!!!!!
I wanted to like the series. Characters are just out of Star Trek from both the Captain and XO leaving their warship together to investigate (huge No, No in real life) to let's kill all the minions but always leave the bad guy boss alive.
--------Spoiler Alert -------
The pirate Captain brags about raping, torturing and spacing innocent victims but our good guy Hollywood Captain must go out of his way to save the sorry waste of oxygen. Only in Hollywood !!!!!!
January 16, 2022
A Ship heading for the deep Black.
As Captain Walker takes his ship into the deep black of space, he is confronted by pirates and mysteries galore. He is attacked and responds with ingenuity and bravery. His sense of self will not let anyone change his beliefs or methods of actions.
As Captain Walker takes his ship into the deep black of space, he is confronted by pirates and mysteries galore. He is attacked and responds with ingenuity and bravery. His sense of self will not let anyone change his beliefs or methods of actions.
February 15, 2021
A new set of villains. Interesting story line.
Just another space opera, but a fun read. I don't necessarily agree with how the main characters behave, but it made for a good read. Probably won't read the next in line for awhile. Need a little less constant crisis in a story
Just another space opera, but a fun read. I don't necessarily agree with how the main characters behave, but it made for a good read. Probably won't read the next in line for awhile. Need a little less constant crisis in a story
December 26, 2021
Sealanes in space.
It's not hard to imagine sealanes in space. As on earth now ships delivering vital supplies to far away places. Exotic destinations and alien cultures make exciting reading.
It's not hard to imagine sealanes in space. As on earth now ships delivering vital supplies to far away places. Exotic destinations and alien cultures make exciting reading.
Read
February 18, 2023A great angle on first contact
What would the government do with advanced alien technology.
Would they introduce the technology or decide what the world is ready for?
This is a peek at the future which shows that power troop me in the know will always want to be an exclusive club.
What would the government do with advanced alien technology.
Would they introduce the technology or decide what the world is ready for?
This is a peek at the future which shows that power troop me in the know will always want to be an exclusive club.
March 28, 2021
A good read
I like the characters. They're well defined and believable. Pace is a little slow but no biggie. I look forward to the rest of the series.
I like the characters. They're well defined and believable. Pace is a little slow but no biggie. I look forward to the rest of the series.
April 10, 2021
Very interesting that one capital can get to so much trouble.
November 27, 2022
Nice moves ,reads well
I'm like with the likes of the expanse.
I
I like that he expands his crew and deepen their relationship.
Stionship.
I'm like with the likes of the expanse.
I
I like that he expands his crew and deepen their relationship.
Stionship.
August 8, 2026
I really liked it.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews