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Enervation
The third instalment of Drew Wagar's Shadeward Saga, science fiction firmly grounded in science fact as modern myth meets old technology.Shadeward: Enervation follows Kiri, Zoella and Meru as they battle history to reconcile ancient science against more recent legend. With their continued existence under threat from the forces of nature, only Meru’s desperate journey can divert the terrifying priestesses of Drayden from bringing death and destruction down on them all. Drayden has discovered the secret of the exiles across the sea and plans a vast fleet to reach and subdue them. Even the mighty Mobilis with its ancient technology cannot hope to prevail.The adventure plays out under the all-seeing, all-searing eye of Lacaille...
438 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 16, 2019
3 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Drew Wagar
40 books62 followersDrew Wagar is a science fiction and fantasy author, living in the UK. He is the author of the Hegira Series, the Shadeward Saga, The Midnight Chronicles, the Elect Saga and the official Elite Dangerous novelisations.
You can join a mailing list and discover more about Drew's books at his website.
www.drewwagar.com
You can join a mailing list and discover more about Drew's books at his website.
www.drewwagar.com
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 22, 2022
Enervation is the third book in the Shadeward fantasy/science fiction adventure series by Drew Wagar. I read the first two in the series, Emanation and Exoneration way back in 2017, but many factors in my life and that of the writer combined to stop me reading Enervation until now. I’m now starting to read the concluding story, Expiation, driven by the desire to know how all the many threads are wound-up.
The novels are set on a world tidally bound to a dwarf red star, with all the issues and problems such an environment creates. I won’t synopsise the story here; the blurb does that very well.
The story, however, continues through the viewpoints and actions of some familiar characters and some new ones. One feature of Drew’s writing is his ability to empathise with his characters in a manner that helps the reader do likewise, something I always look for in any work of fiction. I don’t know how you feel as a reader, but I really can’t get involved in a story if I’m unable to empathise with at least one character. I need to feel connected, to care what happens to them. And it isn’t always reliant on the morals of the character, more on understanding why they behave in the manner that forms their personality and guides their behaviour. That need was readily fulfilled by the author in this series, and continued in the current book.
The continuing theme of how religious myth and legend can, and does, distort truth and honesty to serve its own purpose remains at the heart of the story. That destructive power of a belief in something for which no evidence exists is manifest here in the mind-power of the protagonists, used largely as a control mechanism to conquer and subdue. But becoming, in our leading female protagonist, a power she can use for the good of the general population. And it is the conflict that inevitably builds between the ‘good’ priestess and the ‘bad’ with her sycophantic supporters that drives the story. It’s difficult not to find comparisons with the likes of the vile ISIS and Taliban cults, and the appalling abusers of the Bible Belt in the USA with their overriding desire for power allowed to distort the many truths that could be found in their legends.
Along the way, we encounter beasts in service to the mind controllers, servants, slaves, victims, and the kings and rulers of lands subdued or threatened by the power of these gifted beings driven by their own interpretation of a myth resulting from misunderstandings of realities occurring many hundreds of years before the protagonists were born.
There is a wonderful harmony to be found in the author’s ability to have the heroes and heroines discover machinery and evidence of their real roots, and, along with these finds, the real cause of one of the major planetary problems. This is a threat so enormous and vital that it could wipe out the entire population, yet many incidents block their ability to deal with this issue. Again, one is forced to compare this situation with our current climate emergency on Earth, where vested interest, misinformation, superstitions, and ignorance threaten the very existence of our species, and many others.
Drew Wagar has created an exciting adventure here, with engaging characters and a storyline guaranteed to have the reader turning the pages eager to find out what happens next. I look forward to reading the concluding book!
The novels are set on a world tidally bound to a dwarf red star, with all the issues and problems such an environment creates. I won’t synopsise the story here; the blurb does that very well.
The story, however, continues through the viewpoints and actions of some familiar characters and some new ones. One feature of Drew’s writing is his ability to empathise with his characters in a manner that helps the reader do likewise, something I always look for in any work of fiction. I don’t know how you feel as a reader, but I really can’t get involved in a story if I’m unable to empathise with at least one character. I need to feel connected, to care what happens to them. And it isn’t always reliant on the morals of the character, more on understanding why they behave in the manner that forms their personality and guides their behaviour. That need was readily fulfilled by the author in this series, and continued in the current book.
The continuing theme of how religious myth and legend can, and does, distort truth and honesty to serve its own purpose remains at the heart of the story. That destructive power of a belief in something for which no evidence exists is manifest here in the mind-power of the protagonists, used largely as a control mechanism to conquer and subdue. But becoming, in our leading female protagonist, a power she can use for the good of the general population. And it is the conflict that inevitably builds between the ‘good’ priestess and the ‘bad’ with her sycophantic supporters that drives the story. It’s difficult not to find comparisons with the likes of the vile ISIS and Taliban cults, and the appalling abusers of the Bible Belt in the USA with their overriding desire for power allowed to distort the many truths that could be found in their legends.
Along the way, we encounter beasts in service to the mind controllers, servants, slaves, victims, and the kings and rulers of lands subdued or threatened by the power of these gifted beings driven by their own interpretation of a myth resulting from misunderstandings of realities occurring many hundreds of years before the protagonists were born.
There is a wonderful harmony to be found in the author’s ability to have the heroes and heroines discover machinery and evidence of their real roots, and, along with these finds, the real cause of one of the major planetary problems. This is a threat so enormous and vital that it could wipe out the entire population, yet many incidents block their ability to deal with this issue. Again, one is forced to compare this situation with our current climate emergency on Earth, where vested interest, misinformation, superstitions, and ignorance threaten the very existence of our species, and many others.
Drew Wagar has created an exciting adventure here, with engaging characters and a storyline guaranteed to have the reader turning the pages eager to find out what happens next. I look forward to reading the concluding book!
June 22, 2022
An Engaging and Believable Page-Turner
What a story! No need to reiterate the intriguing story lines described in the blurbs. Suffice to say it takes a special kind of genius to conceive of, and then write, a saga of this magnitude and complexity and do it this well. I am not a fan of fantasy where the stories are not grounded in facts and have no consistent rules for the reader to rely on (Even ancient myths had rules, didn’t they?), but the Shadeward series by Drew Wagar is science fiction and fantasy at its best because the “fantasy” is actually grounded in science. Unfortunately for the characters, the scientific basis for their experiences and their powers is largely unknown to them, having been lost to the ages, and they are left to speculate or assume, or worse, ascribe them to a sun-worshipping religion. However, some do embark on a quest to learn the truth of their history, and the slowly impending collision of their still-developing worldviews is the overarching driver of the larger story. Through it all, the main characters are vivid and easy to relate to and empathize with, so much so that I found myself rooting for many of them in turn even though some are sworn enemies. The “good guys” in this chapter may be the “bad guys” in the next. Their stories are arresting and easy to follow, and the saga is well-written and fun to read. I especially liked the device of what amounts to thought balloons in italics at key points as characters silently express their questions, observations, and epiphanies. It’s a nice touch and keeps the action going without the narrator interrupting with “He thought” or “She mused” every time. Each of the four books stands on its own, but it is more fulfilling to read them all in order.
What a story! No need to reiterate the intriguing story lines described in the blurbs. Suffice to say it takes a special kind of genius to conceive of, and then write, a saga of this magnitude and complexity and do it this well. I am not a fan of fantasy where the stories are not grounded in facts and have no consistent rules for the reader to rely on (Even ancient myths had rules, didn’t they?), but the Shadeward series by Drew Wagar is science fiction and fantasy at its best because the “fantasy” is actually grounded in science. Unfortunately for the characters, the scientific basis for their experiences and their powers is largely unknown to them, having been lost to the ages, and they are left to speculate or assume, or worse, ascribe them to a sun-worshipping religion. However, some do embark on a quest to learn the truth of their history, and the slowly impending collision of their still-developing worldviews is the overarching driver of the larger story. Through it all, the main characters are vivid and easy to relate to and empathize with, so much so that I found myself rooting for many of them in turn even though some are sworn enemies. The “good guys” in this chapter may be the “bad guys” in the next. Their stories are arresting and easy to follow, and the saga is well-written and fun to read. I especially liked the device of what amounts to thought balloons in italics at key points as characters silently express their questions, observations, and epiphanies. It’s a nice touch and keeps the action going without the narrator interrupting with “He thought” or “She mused” every time. Each of the four books stands on its own, but it is more fulfilling to read them all in order.
September 3, 2020
Book three of the four book series SHAEWARD... Events ramp up into a very action filled and dramatic pitch in this volume. The three main characters and the associated others around them get caught up in a war that could lead to the destruction of all. This, being the next to the last of the four book series leaves you with a bit of cliff hanger, but if you are not hooked yet... Hey, at least book four is out now and you can continue on to the end!
Excellent actions, descriptions, world-building and characters!
Excellent actions, descriptions, world-building and characters!
September 28, 2020
Wow. I struggled with book 2, and only half heartedly started this one, but this is so much better. Action, tension, plots, betrayal, Meru making more dumb decisions ... It's got it all. Really looking forward to reading book 4!
June 28, 2021
This one has a star knocked off my score, as I really hate books that finish with a TV soap-style cliffhanger at the end of a book. This isn't Dallas!
That disappointment aside, it's a decent third book within the series. Great characters and storylines and plenty of heart in mouth moments.
That disappointment aside, it's a decent third book within the series. Great characters and storylines and plenty of heart in mouth moments.
December 15, 2022
Yet again Drew has pulled me in with his fantastic writing, I struggled to put this down every time I picked it up.
I have become so attached to every character in these books, each chapter becomes a emotional rollercoaster.
Drew is a good old fashioned story teller, the kind of guy you want sat round a roaring fire in the middle of a wood, so you can ask him to tell you a story.
I can not recommend this series enough, and when they are surely found by some film director can I play Coran please.
if you have not read any of this saga, go out now buy them all and take some time off work.
Outstanding work
I have become so attached to every character in these books, each chapter becomes a emotional rollercoaster.
Drew is a good old fashioned story teller, the kind of guy you want sat round a roaring fire in the middle of a wood, so you can ask him to tell you a story.
I can not recommend this series enough, and when they are surely found by some film director can I play Coran please.
if you have not read any of this saga, go out now buy them all and take some time off work.
Outstanding work
October 19, 2019
Enervation is the 3rd in Drew Wagar's Shadeward series. A must-read for anyone who has been following the stories since book 1. If you haven't read the earlier books, I recommend that you get them and read them in order. You won't lose the adventure and excitement if you read out of order, but the drama will have much more depth for knowing how the characters developed and what shaped them.
Kiri and Zoella remain key players, as do the crew of the Mobilis. In this book strands come together in ways that are surprising and dramatic, but satisfyingly inevitable once all the pieces settle together. No spoilers - it's hard to know quite what to write about a 3rd book without giving away anything to spoil the reading of the earlier two - but this book, like the rest, is very cleverly constructed. And it is hard science-fiction throughout. You can find yourself forgetting that as the story unfolds through the eyes of the different characters.
The main thing though is that the story will pick you up and sweep you along from start to finish. I was very pleased to learn that there will be a book 4.
Kiri and Zoella remain key players, as do the crew of the Mobilis. In this book strands come together in ways that are surprising and dramatic, but satisfyingly inevitable once all the pieces settle together. No spoilers - it's hard to know quite what to write about a 3rd book without giving away anything to spoil the reading of the earlier two - but this book, like the rest, is very cleverly constructed. And it is hard science-fiction throughout. You can find yourself forgetting that as the story unfolds through the eyes of the different characters.
The main thing though is that the story will pick you up and sweep you along from start to finish. I was very pleased to learn that there will be a book 4.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews