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Earthrise #12
Earth Unleashed
It begins. The final battle between man and machine. Earth burns. The Dreamer, a cruel artificial intelligence, brutalizes our world. His robots reduce our cities to ash. His cyborgs march by the millions. Humanity is now an endangered species. But we still fight! A band of heroes undertakes a dangerous quest. Some call it a suicide mission. They fly to a computerized world, deep in space, where the Dreamer dwells. There humanity will face an electric god. There we will fall . . . or rise higher than ever before.
458 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2019
About the author
Daniel Arenson
164 books887 followersDaniel Arenson is a bookworm, proud geek, and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy and science fiction. His novels have sold over a million copies. The Huffington Post has called his writing "full of soul." He's written over forty novels, most of them in five series:
EARTHRISE — They came from deep space. They came to destroy us. Against the alien onslaught, Earth stands alone. But we will fight. We will rise. We will win. Start reading with Earth Alone, the first novel in this military science fiction series.
REQUIEM — Welcome to Requiem, an ancient kingdom whose people can grow wings and scales, breathe fire, and take flight as dragons. Requiem is explored in six trilogies, which can be read in any order. If you're new to Requiem, you can start reading with Requiem's Song (you can download it for free). For fans of dark, gritty fantasy like A Game of Thrones.
MOTH — Discover Moth, a world torn between day and night—its one half drenched in eternal daylight, the other cloaked in endless darkness. For fans of classic fantasy worlds such as Middle Earth and Narnia. Start reading with Moth, the first novel in this epic fantasy saga.
ALIEN HUNTERS — Got trouble with aliens? Call the Alien Hunters. A group of scruffy mercenaries, they'll remove the pest for you. Low rates. No questions asked. Start reading with Alien Hunters, the first book in this space opera series. For fans of Star Wars, Firefly, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
KINGDOMS OF SAND — Enter a world of sand and splendor, a world where gladiators battle in the arena, where legionaries and barbarians fight for glory, and where empires rise and fall.
EARTHRISE — They came from deep space. They came to destroy us. Against the alien onslaught, Earth stands alone. But we will fight. We will rise. We will win. Start reading with Earth Alone, the first novel in this military science fiction series.
REQUIEM — Welcome to Requiem, an ancient kingdom whose people can grow wings and scales, breathe fire, and take flight as dragons. Requiem is explored in six trilogies, which can be read in any order. If you're new to Requiem, you can start reading with Requiem's Song (you can download it for free). For fans of dark, gritty fantasy like A Game of Thrones.
MOTH — Discover Moth, a world torn between day and night—its one half drenched in eternal daylight, the other cloaked in endless darkness. For fans of classic fantasy worlds such as Middle Earth and Narnia. Start reading with Moth, the first novel in this epic fantasy saga.
ALIEN HUNTERS — Got trouble with aliens? Call the Alien Hunters. A group of scruffy mercenaries, they'll remove the pest for you. Low rates. No questions asked. Start reading with Alien Hunters, the first book in this space opera series. For fans of Star Wars, Firefly, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
KINGDOMS OF SAND — Enter a world of sand and splendor, a world where gladiators battle in the arena, where legionaries and barbarians fight for glory, and where empires rise and fall.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 12, 2019
The last push to defeat the Dreamer and save humanity, one more time.
Marco and Addy's twins, Rosa and Sam, Marco's daughter with a girl from Haven - Terri, and Einav and Noah's son Carl are safe inside the mountain Matterhorn with Professor Noah Isaac while Noah worked on finding a way to save the Sleepers, humans whose minds have been overcome by the Singularity, the Dreamer. Lailani, with her daughter Tala, her robot guardian Hobbs and her four-legged protector Epimetheus (Epi) are trying to get the chip in Lailani's head to the Matterhorn. The chip prevents Lailani's Scum heritage from ruling her mind and they hope the chip will block the Dreamer from taking over people's minds.
Marco, Addy, Kai and Einav with Russian ballerina and leader of the pirates known as the Basidio Boys, are trying to attain spacecraft which the Dreamer can't hack. The pirates' craft powered by Tarjan unhackable technology and Don Basidio's fungus powered fighters and transports are the only way to get President Einav Ben-Ari's army to the Dreamer's lair on Haven. Don Basidio wasn't exactly accommodating, but he did replace Einav's torn up pantsuit with a little black dress. He agreed to provide the craft needed, but with many conditions attached.
What follows is a tremendous battle between the Earth Defense Force and the robots and cyborgs of the Dreamer. The battle sequences, the twists and turns of fate and the terror of combat are some of the best written I've read. The characters, of course, we've known through three previous wars. They still bring tears to your eyes, lumps in your throat, gasps of fear, and chortles of laughter on nearly every page. You'll laugh at Addy's shenanigans, cry over lost loved ones, scream obscenities at the antagonists, quiver with fear as soldiers are torn to pieces and fighter pilots are thrown to vacuum as their craft are torn apart around them.
This end of the trilogy, the last of the Earthrise books, is a great read. I know you'll love it as much as I have.
Marco and Addy's twins, Rosa and Sam, Marco's daughter with a girl from Haven - Terri, and Einav and Noah's son Carl are safe inside the mountain Matterhorn with Professor Noah Isaac while Noah worked on finding a way to save the Sleepers, humans whose minds have been overcome by the Singularity, the Dreamer. Lailani, with her daughter Tala, her robot guardian Hobbs and her four-legged protector Epimetheus (Epi) are trying to get the chip in Lailani's head to the Matterhorn. The chip prevents Lailani's Scum heritage from ruling her mind and they hope the chip will block the Dreamer from taking over people's minds.
Marco, Addy, Kai and Einav with Russian ballerina and leader of the pirates known as the Basidio Boys, are trying to attain spacecraft which the Dreamer can't hack. The pirates' craft powered by Tarjan unhackable technology and Don Basidio's fungus powered fighters and transports are the only way to get President Einav Ben-Ari's army to the Dreamer's lair on Haven. Don Basidio wasn't exactly accommodating, but he did replace Einav's torn up pantsuit with a little black dress. He agreed to provide the craft needed, but with many conditions attached.
What follows is a tremendous battle between the Earth Defense Force and the robots and cyborgs of the Dreamer. The battle sequences, the twists and turns of fate and the terror of combat are some of the best written I've read. The characters, of course, we've known through three previous wars. They still bring tears to your eyes, lumps in your throat, gasps of fear, and chortles of laughter on nearly every page. You'll laugh at Addy's shenanigans, cry over lost loved ones, scream obscenities at the antagonists, quiver with fear as soldiers are torn to pieces and fighter pilots are thrown to vacuum as their craft are torn apart around them.
This end of the trilogy, the last of the Earthrise books, is a great read. I know you'll love it as much as I have.
June 4, 2026
3.5 Stars
Earth Unleashed is the twelfth book in the Earthrise series by Daniel Arenson. It is a sweeping, fast-paced (YA) space opera that swept me into high-stakes interstellar warfare that was balanced with some deeply human moments.
Across the saga, we follow a ragtag crew of misfits, soldiers, and survivors as they navigate a galaxy torn apart by war, political intrigue, and alien threats.
But Mr. Arenson doesn’t just give us epic space battles, he also gives us characters who feel real, flawed, and worth rooting for. The camaraderie between the crew, the moral dilemmas they face, and the moments of humor amidst chaos really made the series feel believable and ‘alive’.
Mr. Arenson’s worldbuilding is rich without getting bogged down with too much technical jargon. Alien species, futuristic tech, and galactic politics are introduced in a way that was easy to follow, which makes the series is easy to dive into even to readers who are new to sci-fi or space opera.
So, if you enjoy a (more YA type) of Firefly-style found families, with Battlestar Galactica-level tension, and a dash of Star Wars-like adventure, then the Earthrise series is a ride you won’t want to miss. It’s not just about saving the galaxy - it’s also about the bonds forged in the fire of war.
Happy Reading…
Earth Unleashed is the twelfth book in the Earthrise series by Daniel Arenson. It is a sweeping, fast-paced (YA) space opera that swept me into high-stakes interstellar warfare that was balanced with some deeply human moments.
Across the saga, we follow a ragtag crew of misfits, soldiers, and survivors as they navigate a galaxy torn apart by war, political intrigue, and alien threats.
But Mr. Arenson doesn’t just give us epic space battles, he also gives us characters who feel real, flawed, and worth rooting for. The camaraderie between the crew, the moral dilemmas they face, and the moments of humor amidst chaos really made the series feel believable and ‘alive’.
Mr. Arenson’s worldbuilding is rich without getting bogged down with too much technical jargon. Alien species, futuristic tech, and galactic politics are introduced in a way that was easy to follow, which makes the series is easy to dive into even to readers who are new to sci-fi or space opera.
So, if you enjoy a (more YA type) of Firefly-style found families, with Battlestar Galactica-level tension, and a dash of Star Wars-like adventure, then the Earthrise series is a ride you won’t want to miss. It’s not just about saving the galaxy - it’s also about the bonds forged in the fire of war.
Happy Reading…
July 4, 2021
The first several books in this series are not bad--a little black-and-white (you can spot pretty early who's going to live and who's going to die, classic horror movie rules), but overall not bad.
As we get past the first six or so books, though, the writing becomes progressively worse, almost as if the author wanted to try and tailor his prose to be more accommodating to 12-year-olds, even as he continues to display some pretty adult themes (sex, violence, even rape threats).
The characters never really seem to learn anything, they continue to agonize over the same issues, they continue to have the same internal conversations, and by about the twelfth book, everybody in the inner circle has slept with everybody else, and are constantly revisiting every decision they've ever made, even if they just made that decision a few pages ago.
My enjoyment of the series has progressively declined with each successive book, to the point that I will not buy anything further in this series.
As we get past the first six or so books, though, the writing becomes progressively worse, almost as if the author wanted to try and tailor his prose to be more accommodating to 12-year-olds, even as he continues to display some pretty adult themes (sex, violence, even rape threats).
The characters never really seem to learn anything, they continue to agonize over the same issues, they continue to have the same internal conversations, and by about the twelfth book, everybody in the inner circle has slept with everybody else, and are constantly revisiting every decision they've ever made, even if they just made that decision a few pages ago.
My enjoyment of the series has progressively declined with each successive book, to the point that I will not buy anything further in this series.
October 4, 2023
Extreme
Again I know this is science fiction, but there should be no one left on earth alive after all this. Also, a lot of the story is rehashed too often. Like the author thinks we forgot what we just read. Things did keep moving so you could stay in the story and get through it.
Again I know this is science fiction, but there should be no one left on earth alive after all this. Also, a lot of the story is rehashed too often. Like the author thinks we forgot what we just read. Things did keep moving so you could stay in the story and get through it.
July 24, 2019
Solid conclusion for a great series.
Perfect except for Marco's exaggerated empathy for the enemy. Less duex ex machina than past books. Is the Earthrise series an allegory for Judea?
Perfect except for Marco's exaggerated empathy for the enemy. Less duex ex machina than past books. Is the Earthrise series an allegory for Judea?
November 21, 2019
Earth Unleashed
If you are a fan of great adventure and saving not only Earth but several galaxies! Then I think you will love reading this series!
Thank you and keep the books coming.
If you are a fan of great adventure and saving not only Earth but several galaxies! Then I think you will love reading this series!
Thank you and keep the books coming.
June 23, 2019
The Dozen Completed
This book intersperces scenes of battle, fear and terror with deep thoughts and moralizing about what it means to be human. Enjoy!
This book intersperces scenes of battle, fear and terror with deep thoughts and moralizing about what it means to be human. Enjoy!
July 1, 2019
Superb
A great ending to an epic story just sorry it ends I love Marco addy be ari and all the wonderful characters
A great ending to an epic story just sorry it ends I love Marco addy be ari and all the wonderful characters
Read
July 2, 2019Excellent story line sorry to see it end.
January 14, 2020
Great Story throouh
Finally, I have reached book 12, and I was sad to have come to the end of this saga. A great story of mankind. I must admit it did
Finally, I have reached book 12, and I was sad to have come to the end of this saga. A great story of mankind. I must admit it did
October 12, 2020
Amazing
I really enjoyed this book. There are some good twists and turns and some unexpected moments. This series is SOOOOOO good!!!
I really enjoyed this book. There are some good twists and turns and some unexpected moments. This series is SOOOOOO good!!!
May 18, 2021
Earth Unleashed
I really don't know how much more these heroes can take . Three wars and still they stand. On to book 13
I really don't know how much more these heroes can take . Three wars and still they stand. On to book 13
October 9, 2021
Amazing!!!!
With twists and turns the story continues through Haven. If there is any constant it is the human hope and love which never changes!!!!
With twists and turns the story continues through Haven. If there is any constant it is the human hope and love which never changes!!!!
July 17, 2022
I should give up, but am hooked.
I have come to dislike this story. The writing remains good, but the depths that it takes the reader are unpleasant.
I have come to dislike this story. The writing remains good, but the depths that it takes the reader are unpleasant.
August 30, 2024
Hang On
Against some big odds our characters march on. Man AI’s are scary. This book takes you deep into no mans land. Good read. Big D
Against some big odds our characters march on. Man AI’s are scary. This book takes you deep into no mans land. Good read. Big D
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews