What do you think?
Rate this book
The Triple Stars #1
Dead Star
A hidden trail among the stars
The galaxy is in flames under the harsh theocratic rule of Concordance, the culture that once thrived among the stars reduced to scattered fragments. Selene Ada, last survivor of an obliterated planet, joins forces with the mysterious renegade, Ondo Lagan.
Together they attempt to unravel the mystery of Concordance’s rapid rise to galactic domination. They follow a trail of shattered starship hulks and ancient alien ruins, with the ships of the enemy always one step behind.
But it’s only when they find the mythical planet of Coronade that they uncover the true scale of the destruction Concordance is capable of unleashing…
The galaxy is in flames under the harsh theocratic rule of Concordance, the culture that once thrived among the stars reduced to scattered fragments. Selene Ada, last survivor of an obliterated planet, joins forces with the mysterious renegade, Ondo Lagan.
Together they attempt to unravel the mystery of Concordance’s rapid rise to galactic domination. They follow a trail of shattered starship hulks and ancient alien ruins, with the ships of the enemy always one step behind.
But it’s only when they find the mythical planet of Coronade that they uncover the true scale of the destruction Concordance is capable of unleashing…
329 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 18, 2020
24 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Simon Kewin
115 books85 followersSimon Kewin is a fantasy and sci/fi writer, author of the
Cloven Land
fantasy trilogy, cyberpunk thriller
The Genehunter
, steampunk Gormenghast saga
Engn
, the
Triple Stars
sci/fi trilogy and the Office of the Witchfinder General books, published by Elsewhen Press.
He's the author of several short story collections, with his shorter fiction appearing in Analog, Nature and over a hundred other magazines.
He is currently doing an MA in creative writing while writing at least three novels simultaneously.
He's the author of several short story collections, with his shorter fiction appearing in Analog, Nature and over a hundred other magazines.
He is currently doing an MA in creative writing while writing at least three novels simultaneously.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 29, 2022
From my initial chuckle about the Omnians - do they have pamphlets? They'd better have pamphlets! - I was drawn into this story by the sheer scale of it. This is the sort of thing I like. We're treated to a great opening with a nice layer of deep-history space gospel and a side order of alien megaengineering, an intriguing and gut-wrenching introduction to our protagonist with a sprinkling of moral dilemma about forcing life on someone who wants to die in the moment ... and then it's off at breakneck speed into a series of adventures across (and in some cases behind) interstellar space.
Selene is the last surviving inhabitant of Maes Far, a planet of bucolic innocents that was destroyed by evil space zealots the Concordance by way of a massive shroud set up between Maes Far and its sun, cruelly strangling all life in the darkness and the cold.
The Concordance, a strange and terrifying cult who went to the centre of the galaxy and found Omn there, are a constant and oppressive presence throughout the story. Their goals are mysterious ... but "your soul goes through a wormhole when you die and depending on whether you're good or evil the wormhole deposits you in Heaven or Hell, and this is all taking a bit too long so we're just going to go ahead and kill everyone now and let Omn sort them out," as far as sci-fi religious premises go, is a fucking banger.
Oh, and along with Omn they also found a big stash of doomsday weapons and other tech, to help Phase Two happen faster. Anyway, think "the Ori from the latter seasons of Stargate SG-1, only less goofy" and you won't be too far off.
Selene barely manages to survive the death of her homeworld, with the help of an old family friend named Ondo who literally rebuilds her - turning her into a cybernetically-augmented whup-ass can-opening machine.
Ondo has many tools at his disposal in his secret hollowed-out asteroid, and he uses a lot of them to info-dump.
Now don't misunderstand me when I say this - I know a lot of people get the wrong idea when I do. A lot of people also don't like info-dumps, but they're wrong. Info-dumps are good actually, and I will die on this hill but here's the important thing: I will die on a hill made out of info.
I will always have time for an author who finds interesting and plot-appropriate ways to get the reader and the protagonist up to speed about what the stakes are, what the general situation is, and ideally also summarise what's just happened a little bit so we can move on to the next action scene with confidence. I may be in a minority of readers and viewers who enjoy info-dumps for their own sake and in more or less any format - I've rambled about this before - but when it is done right, it should be more respected than it is. I feel it was done right in this story. These dumps were necessary, and every part of them was interesting. They're good dumps.
The quest to understand and ultimately overthrow the Concordance seems insurmountable, and we only take the first little steps in this book, but there's still a lot of ground covered. From the beautifully surreal superluminal physics to the massive scope of the galaxy and its zones, from its strange mythology of Omn and Morn to its fabled history of Coronade (the Lost Planet of Gold ... okay it's not that but that's what I'm calling it for now), there is so much to enjoy. What is the sacred tally and the seventeen sevens? What were Ondo and Selene's dad up to? What are the entities like the Warden, and who assembled its weird and mega-cool trove and the other dead zone mysteries? What about the Radiant Dragon and the Aether Dragon? What in the name of Omn's perfectly-formed balls (hah!) is it all about?
Now, is it perfect? Well no, there's no such thing as a perfect book. Some of the action and other plot elements felt a little slapped-together - although that definitely sounds harsher than I'd like. Let's try again. There is a certain sense of ... "oh yeah, I heard about this, we could go there," to the story, and while it hangs together with the characters following a trail of clues and relics on their quest to discover the secrets of Coronade and the Concordance, it still made me go "huh" a couple of times. Ondo has a fascinating backstory and setup with his rebel asteroid and gear, but he inherited it from predecessor-rebels and seems unaware of a lot of it until the plot brings it forward. This is almost certainly by design and it can be explained away - Ondo is cautious, and has been alone for a long time, and new facts and gizmos are coming to light - but it is a little difficult to plot out and all. Look, I love to say it, but if anything it felt like Ondo should have info-dumped more at the start. I might have ended up being the only reader who went for it, but that lack of establishing knowledge is kind of what makes the story's underwear visible in some of the later chapters.
Still, it's absolutely forgivable and this was a really enjoyable story. Highly recommended! Let's go to the meters, shall we?
Sex-o-meter
Dead Star includes one (1) sexy time, but it's not particularly graphic - it's sweet and nice, and provides a foundational shift in character and pace for Selene. One-half of a perfectly-formed Omnian space ball out of a possible three. Omn has three balls until book canon establishes otherwise, and I haven't read the next books in the series - yet.
Gore-o-meter
Butchered kids, eradicated planets, and a reconstructive surgery that borders on mad scientist grotesque. Yep, this story has some stakes - not literal stakes with people impaled on them, but fuck it, might as well be. At the same time it's not overdone, the anguish and death and loss handled well and not lingered over in a weird way. Four-and-a-half flesh gobbets out of a possible five.
WTF-o-meter
The entire big-picture and origin of the Triple Stars galactic civilisation is a solid block of WTF with 'WTF' carved into it by a sharpened WTF. I love it. The dead zones, particularly the cool chamber of pedestal-mounted alien wossnames, shows there is a lot here still to tell, a huge background that we've barely scratched, and a whole lot going on under the hood, and that's exactly what I like to see in a story. A seventeen-minute Smeg 'n' the Heads Om solo out of a possible crypto-fascist bourgeoise tension sheet for Dead Star on the WTF-o-meter.
My Final Verdict
With an amazing setting and villains, and protagonists you can't help but root for (Selene's traumas, and her trust / suspicion relationship with Ondo, is compelling and believable); some great tense space moments and exciting action sequences; and a grand cliffhanger ending but also some closure to the book's narrative that makes this satisfying on its own, Dead Star is another good 'un. Do pick it up and take a look. I give it four stars on the Amazon / Goodreads scale.
Selene is the last surviving inhabitant of Maes Far, a planet of bucolic innocents that was destroyed by evil space zealots the Concordance by way of a massive shroud set up between Maes Far and its sun, cruelly strangling all life in the darkness and the cold.
The Concordance, a strange and terrifying cult who went to the centre of the galaxy and found Omn there, are a constant and oppressive presence throughout the story. Their goals are mysterious ... but "your soul goes through a wormhole when you die and depending on whether you're good or evil the wormhole deposits you in Heaven or Hell, and this is all taking a bit too long so we're just going to go ahead and kill everyone now and let Omn sort them out," as far as sci-fi religious premises go, is a fucking banger.
Oh, and along with Omn they also found a big stash of doomsday weapons and other tech, to help Phase Two happen faster. Anyway, think "the Ori from the latter seasons of Stargate SG-1, only less goofy" and you won't be too far off.
Selene barely manages to survive the death of her homeworld, with the help of an old family friend named Ondo who literally rebuilds her - turning her into a cybernetically-augmented whup-ass can-opening machine.
Ondo has many tools at his disposal in his secret hollowed-out asteroid, and he uses a lot of them to info-dump.
Now don't misunderstand me when I say this - I know a lot of people get the wrong idea when I do. A lot of people also don't like info-dumps, but they're wrong. Info-dumps are good actually, and I will die on this hill but here's the important thing: I will die on a hill made out of info.
I will always have time for an author who finds interesting and plot-appropriate ways to get the reader and the protagonist up to speed about what the stakes are, what the general situation is, and ideally also summarise what's just happened a little bit so we can move on to the next action scene with confidence. I may be in a minority of readers and viewers who enjoy info-dumps for their own sake and in more or less any format - I've rambled about this before - but when it is done right, it should be more respected than it is. I feel it was done right in this story. These dumps were necessary, and every part of them was interesting. They're good dumps.
The quest to understand and ultimately overthrow the Concordance seems insurmountable, and we only take the first little steps in this book, but there's still a lot of ground covered. From the beautifully surreal superluminal physics to the massive scope of the galaxy and its zones, from its strange mythology of Omn and Morn to its fabled history of Coronade (the Lost Planet of Gold ... okay it's not that but that's what I'm calling it for now), there is so much to enjoy. What is the sacred tally and the seventeen sevens? What were Ondo and Selene's dad up to? What are the entities like the Warden, and who assembled its weird and mega-cool trove and the other dead zone mysteries? What about the Radiant Dragon and the Aether Dragon? What in the name of Omn's perfectly-formed balls (hah!) is it all about?
Now, is it perfect? Well no, there's no such thing as a perfect book. Some of the action and other plot elements felt a little slapped-together - although that definitely sounds harsher than I'd like. Let's try again. There is a certain sense of ... "oh yeah, I heard about this, we could go there," to the story, and while it hangs together with the characters following a trail of clues and relics on their quest to discover the secrets of Coronade and the Concordance, it still made me go "huh" a couple of times. Ondo has a fascinating backstory and setup with his rebel asteroid and gear, but he inherited it from predecessor-rebels and seems unaware of a lot of it until the plot brings it forward. This is almost certainly by design and it can be explained away - Ondo is cautious, and has been alone for a long time, and new facts and gizmos are coming to light - but it is a little difficult to plot out and all. Look, I love to say it, but if anything it felt like Ondo should have info-dumped more at the start. I might have ended up being the only reader who went for it, but that lack of establishing knowledge is kind of what makes the story's underwear visible in some of the later chapters.
Still, it's absolutely forgivable and this was a really enjoyable story. Highly recommended! Let's go to the meters, shall we?
Sex-o-meter
Dead Star includes one (1) sexy time, but it's not particularly graphic - it's sweet and nice, and provides a foundational shift in character and pace for Selene. One-half of a perfectly-formed Omnian space ball out of a possible three. Omn has three balls until book canon establishes otherwise, and I haven't read the next books in the series - yet.
Gore-o-meter
Butchered kids, eradicated planets, and a reconstructive surgery that borders on mad scientist grotesque. Yep, this story has some stakes - not literal stakes with people impaled on them, but fuck it, might as well be. At the same time it's not overdone, the anguish and death and loss handled well and not lingered over in a weird way. Four-and-a-half flesh gobbets out of a possible five.
WTF-o-meter
The entire big-picture and origin of the Triple Stars galactic civilisation is a solid block of WTF with 'WTF' carved into it by a sharpened WTF. I love it. The dead zones, particularly the cool chamber of pedestal-mounted alien wossnames, shows there is a lot here still to tell, a huge background that we've barely scratched, and a whole lot going on under the hood, and that's exactly what I like to see in a story. A seventeen-minute Smeg 'n' the Heads Om solo out of a possible crypto-fascist bourgeoise tension sheet for Dead Star on the WTF-o-meter.
My Final Verdict
With an amazing setting and villains, and protagonists you can't help but root for (Selene's traumas, and her trust / suspicion relationship with Ondo, is compelling and believable); some great tense space moments and exciting action sequences; and a grand cliffhanger ending but also some closure to the book's narrative that makes this satisfying on its own, Dead Star is another good 'un. Do pick it up and take a look. I give it four stars on the Amazon / Goodreads scale.
June 11, 2020
Splendidly done! Should be on every reader’s ‘Must Read’ list!
Dead Star is the first volume in the Triple Stars Trilogy. As a first volume must, it establishes the context, the characters, and the nature of the conflict. For this reason it may seem like it is starting off a little slowly, but it isn’t. You, the reader, have already been grabbed by the plot and you are impatient to know what happens next. The story is told in three sections offering an uncommon logical progression.
The first section establishes the characters and the devastating magnitude of the crisis.
The second section develops the suspiciously sudden rise and dominance of the Concordance church and its “Omn” cult, and its maliciously maneuvering and power-hungry leaders who use merciless ‘Void Walker’ enforcers. The Concordance church holds the entire galaxy in its iron grip using lies, fake histories, enforced social engineering and, on a whim, planetary genocide as a big way to make a small point.
Resisting this galactic empire from their asteroid “refuge” are Selene Ada (a twenty-something spitfire), and Ondo Lagan (and elderly researcher and inventor) – and a space ship that is at least four hundred year old, should be sentient but is in a mental fugue and hiding secrets of its own. …let the bad guys tremble.
In the third section, the larger story is developed. Ondo suspects that there is a lot more going on than anyone suspects. He is more right than he could ever guess. Galactic civilization came to a sudden standstill three hundred years ago when the Magelenic coalition lost the Omnian war to the Concordance who suddenly had massive fleets of super powerful ships. What happened three hundred years ago that Concordance wants forgotten? Did something even worse happen hundreds, or thousands of years before the Onmian war? Is a forgotten terror attempting a comeback? Is some long silent entity still resisting this terror and secretly helping Selen and Ondo?
I recommend this book, and the two to follow, as must read. I am certainly looking forward to learning what happens to Selene and Ondo.
Dead Star is the first volume in the Triple Stars Trilogy. As a first volume must, it establishes the context, the characters, and the nature of the conflict. For this reason it may seem like it is starting off a little slowly, but it isn’t. You, the reader, have already been grabbed by the plot and you are impatient to know what happens next. The story is told in three sections offering an uncommon logical progression.
The first section establishes the characters and the devastating magnitude of the crisis.
The second section develops the suspiciously sudden rise and dominance of the Concordance church and its “Omn” cult, and its maliciously maneuvering and power-hungry leaders who use merciless ‘Void Walker’ enforcers. The Concordance church holds the entire galaxy in its iron grip using lies, fake histories, enforced social engineering and, on a whim, planetary genocide as a big way to make a small point.
Resisting this galactic empire from their asteroid “refuge” are Selene Ada (a twenty-something spitfire), and Ondo Lagan (and elderly researcher and inventor) – and a space ship that is at least four hundred year old, should be sentient but is in a mental fugue and hiding secrets of its own. …let the bad guys tremble.
In the third section, the larger story is developed. Ondo suspects that there is a lot more going on than anyone suspects. He is more right than he could ever guess. Galactic civilization came to a sudden standstill three hundred years ago when the Magelenic coalition lost the Omnian war to the Concordance who suddenly had massive fleets of super powerful ships. What happened three hundred years ago that Concordance wants forgotten? Did something even worse happen hundreds, or thousands of years before the Onmian war? Is a forgotten terror attempting a comeback? Is some long silent entity still resisting this terror and secretly helping Selen and Ondo?
I recommend this book, and the two to follow, as must read. I am certainly looking forward to learning what happens to Selene and Ondo.
June 18, 2020
Selene Ada dies several times after her home world is destroyed by the evil rule of Concordance. When she finally regains herself, she is half herself while the other half is remade by a strange scientist, Ondo Lagan. Following tiny bits of ruined history, they try to figure out where Concordance came from and what life was like before them. Except Concordance doesn't want anyone to discover the truth.
An excellently written first book in the science fiction series, The Triple Stars. The reader is immediately pulled into the story with the destruction of Selene's home planet, and also the ruins of Selene herself and how she is remade. The characterization is fantastic not just for her but for the whole cast. I was thoroughly wrapped up in the mystery of the paradise planet, Coronade, and the once great peaceful galaxy. Of course Concordance was in every way despicable, but they're so big and powerful, it's hard to see anything from within their seemingly endless shadow. We're taken on twists and turns, shown wonders and horrors, and never knowing what's around the next star. This is science fiction at its best.
An excellently written first book in the science fiction series, The Triple Stars. The reader is immediately pulled into the story with the destruction of Selene's home planet, and also the ruins of Selene herself and how she is remade. The characterization is fantastic not just for her but for the whole cast. I was thoroughly wrapped up in the mystery of the paradise planet, Coronade, and the once great peaceful galaxy. Of course Concordance was in every way despicable, but they're so big and powerful, it's hard to see anything from within their seemingly endless shadow. We're taken on twists and turns, shown wonders and horrors, and never knowing what's around the next star. This is science fiction at its best.
December 27, 2020
I have become annoyed with large publishing house sci-fi. I get the feeling a lot of the stories produced are specs from the publisher to fill some type of perceived need. It doesn’t help that I’m seeking more fiction to keep my head sane during the times of COVID. The desire to find other sources led me back to Smashwords. I had forgotten about the marketplace. Previously I had found a wide range of quality, as it was a bit raw. At least the authors were trying.
I came across this author and his Triple Star trilogy. The first book was appealing. I’m in for stories about seeking hidden knowledge and how learning the truth changes someone’s perspective.
Here it is an unlikely pair who are searching for the secrets of the Concordance, the galaxy spanning empire that seeks order at all costs. They have spun a whole range of myths to keep the populations stuck on their respective planets. In such situations I always ask, to what end is the control. There isn’t a galaxy wide economy, just fear. Hints are dropped that eventually lead into the second and third books.
The story is mainly focused on Selene & Ondo. There are a lot of ideas that spin through the first book, but are not fully worked through. Selene’s makeover is one. The story moves along, though the Concordance is always there to make life a hassle for our intrepid pair. It is much better than some of the books I’ve come across this year. I picked up the other two books to see what the secrets really are.
I came across this author and his Triple Star trilogy. The first book was appealing. I’m in for stories about seeking hidden knowledge and how learning the truth changes someone’s perspective.
Here it is an unlikely pair who are searching for the secrets of the Concordance, the galaxy spanning empire that seeks order at all costs. They have spun a whole range of myths to keep the populations stuck on their respective planets. In such situations I always ask, to what end is the control. There isn’t a galaxy wide economy, just fear. Hints are dropped that eventually lead into the second and third books.
The story is mainly focused on Selene & Ondo. There are a lot of ideas that spin through the first book, but are not fully worked through. Selene’s makeover is one. The story moves along, though the Concordance is always there to make life a hassle for our intrepid pair. It is much better than some of the books I’ve come across this year. I picked up the other two books to see what the secrets really are.
March 27, 2020
Have you ever started a story you can’t read quickly enough but hesitate to scan or skip through in case you miss something? This is that book. It’s truly space opera – very little action takes place on-planet and stuff that does is rarely pleasant. One mystery is resolved at the end of this book and it leads to a great jump-off for the next story.
The baddie is a religion that relies on great violence to maintain its power now that it’s rewritten history as much as it can over 300 years. It opens as a planet is destroyed and the lone survivor is cast into space to be rescued. It follows the survivor through reconstruction and searches for relics that can inform the past.
I really wish this wasn’t a trilogy because of the wait to find out what happens.
I received a free review copy but my opinions are my own. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The baddie is a religion that relies on great violence to maintain its power now that it’s rewritten history as much as it can over 300 years. It opens as a planet is destroyed and the lone survivor is cast into space to be rescued. It follows the survivor through reconstruction and searches for relics that can inform the past.
I really wish this wasn’t a trilogy because of the wait to find out what happens.
I received a free review copy but my opinions are my own. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 29, 2020
Received as an ARC/review copy, this is an honest review. Selene has lost her family, the world she once called home and nearly her life... if it wasn't for her mysterious savior- Ondo Lagan. Staying alive for Selene is an torturous struggle but her hatred for what regime of Concordance has done to her. With the aid of Ondo's advanced technology and the layered alien bread crumbs, they race against the shadow of their enemy to shake Concordance down. What Selene unravels with leave her haunted as what Concordance's planned will have consequences across the universe. This emotionally deep thrill ride with have you caught up in one epic struggle to change the future. Highly recommended.
March 9, 2022
https://fanfiaddict.com/review-dead-s...
I came across this book as part of our blog’s allocation for SPSFC (Self Published Science Fiction Competition) and boy, am I glad that I did. This was a lights out knock out read and pretty much my personal favourite from our bunch.
As the blurb says, Selena Ada is the last survivor of her planet that got obliterated with her watching. Her family gave it all up, so she could escape and survive, which she barely does. Waking up from the terrible ordeal with a mysterious renegade, Ondo Lagan, she not only finds herself mentally traumatized with the losses of everything she has ever known, but also physically recovering from the ‘exotic’ treatments that Ondo had to resort to, just to keep her alive. As if her ordeal wasn’t enough, she realizes that everything she thought she knew were just the first layer in a maze of hidden mysteries with some far reaching (sometimes literally) consequences.
The book starts off as we see the tragedy and recovery of Selena with no clue on what is about to come. The segments were written bring out the physical and mental anguish realistically. Then we get to the segments where mystery begins and the plot takes off in leaps and bounds. Making things worse is that she’s going up against the Concordance, the preeminent, totally dominating and ultra powerful religion that is dead set of keeping the mysteries as such and doesn’t mind dishing out disproportional punishment’s … like the destruction of entirety of Selena’s planet! Why is the Concordance intent of keeping mysteries hidden and history blurred? Who is Ondo and what to make of his shattering revelations of her own past? The rest of the book makes up for her following the crumbs left behind trying to unravel the events that led to her loss and her planet’s destruction.
The world building is spectacular and sublime. The all powerful dominance of Concordance feels like a evil that cannot be even contested far less beaten. With their Cathedral Ships and weaponry, they make for a top notch sinister opponent. There’s some political machinations at play which just adds to the complexity of the mystery. Ondo and his technological and medical marvels and his stealth ship just adds another angle to the mystery. The plot alternates between current while dropping hints of the historical war that lead to rise of concordance and rewriting of history. Inter-spread with advanced tech, FTL travel, remnants of historical lost civilizations, which get clearer as we follow Selena on her adventures. The prose flows smoothly as the world unravels organically as Selena tries to figure her way out of her predicament. It’s just easy to read and just lead me one page after another as I got lost in the universe till the end!
Overall, this is a brilliant sci-fi read. If not for the other reads in our allocation, I’d have dived into the trilogy back to back and binge finished that as soon as possible. I still am eager to get back to Book 2!
A definitely must read for all sci-fi fans!
I came across this book as part of our blog’s allocation for SPSFC (Self Published Science Fiction Competition) and boy, am I glad that I did. This was a lights out knock out read and pretty much my personal favourite from our bunch.
As the blurb says, Selena Ada is the last survivor of her planet that got obliterated with her watching. Her family gave it all up, so she could escape and survive, which she barely does. Waking up from the terrible ordeal with a mysterious renegade, Ondo Lagan, she not only finds herself mentally traumatized with the losses of everything she has ever known, but also physically recovering from the ‘exotic’ treatments that Ondo had to resort to, just to keep her alive. As if her ordeal wasn’t enough, she realizes that everything she thought she knew were just the first layer in a maze of hidden mysteries with some far reaching (sometimes literally) consequences.
The book starts off as we see the tragedy and recovery of Selena with no clue on what is about to come. The segments were written bring out the physical and mental anguish realistically. Then we get to the segments where mystery begins and the plot takes off in leaps and bounds. Making things worse is that she’s going up against the Concordance, the preeminent, totally dominating and ultra powerful religion that is dead set of keeping the mysteries as such and doesn’t mind dishing out disproportional punishment’s … like the destruction of entirety of Selena’s planet! Why is the Concordance intent of keeping mysteries hidden and history blurred? Who is Ondo and what to make of his shattering revelations of her own past? The rest of the book makes up for her following the crumbs left behind trying to unravel the events that led to her loss and her planet’s destruction.
The world building is spectacular and sublime. The all powerful dominance of Concordance feels like a evil that cannot be even contested far less beaten. With their Cathedral Ships and weaponry, they make for a top notch sinister opponent. There’s some political machinations at play which just adds to the complexity of the mystery. Ondo and his technological and medical marvels and his stealth ship just adds another angle to the mystery. The plot alternates between current while dropping hints of the historical war that lead to rise of concordance and rewriting of history. Inter-spread with advanced tech, FTL travel, remnants of historical lost civilizations, which get clearer as we follow Selena on her adventures. The prose flows smoothly as the world unravels organically as Selena tries to figure her way out of her predicament. It’s just easy to read and just lead me one page after another as I got lost in the universe till the end!
Overall, this is a brilliant sci-fi read. If not for the other reads in our allocation, I’d have dived into the trilogy back to back and binge finished that as soon as possible. I still am eager to get back to Book 2!
A definitely must read for all sci-fi fans!
May 27, 2020
My introduction to science fiction came via Arthur C Clarke. His stories meant more to me than any other SF writer of the time for three main reasons:
1. His settings, his worlds, the technology were all built on credible science. (Time has shown the extent of this credibility). What happened took place because of scientific principles which he explained in ways I understood. He knew storytelling and science needed to work together.
2. His characters were people who you warmed to, you engaged with them on an emotional level. Like the science, they were credible too. They were people who reacted to the science – becoming an extension of the concepts.
3. His definition of societies and how they reacted to the science and technology. Often this was the basis of his stories, it was the way they reacted that mattered. Sometimes with curiosity, or fear, often both.
Can you see how they lead into each other? They conclude in stories about people responding to these scientific concepts, with the same sense of awe as the reader.
I highlight points because this is precisely why I enjoyed Dead Star so much. Simon Kewin has captured these same qualities. We encounter a cruel, ruthless, galaxy-wide regime committing an act of genocide, motivated by religious obsession. The protagonist is the only survivor, mortally injured until she’s rebuilt by a man being hunted by the regime. On the micro-level, the story follows their relationship as Selene moves from resenting his rescue and wanting to die, to become the centre of the rebellion against Concordance, the evil regime. It’s a tale of warmth and affection as it battles evil, Clarke would approve.
The science and world building (galaxy building is more accurate) introduces us to a variety of SF high concepts that may not be original but are new interpretations. For instance, the sentient spacecraft has been a feature of writers like Anne McCaffery, Ann Leckie and my favourite, John Meaney. Here these minds are more than just the ship, they are enigmatic and they’re broken, unreliable perhaps but with the promise of vital answers. I mentioned John Meaney because Dead Star includes the concept of something beyond conventional space. Meaney calls it mu-space, Kewins calls it metaspace. It allows the inclusion of concepts that extend and bewilder the imagination. Again, in ways Clarke would approve.
I have to conclude by saying this is a wonderful, ambitious, exciting and incredibly well written SF story, worthy of me labelling Simon Kewins as a new Arthur C Clarke.
1. His settings, his worlds, the technology were all built on credible science. (Time has shown the extent of this credibility). What happened took place because of scientific principles which he explained in ways I understood. He knew storytelling and science needed to work together.
2. His characters were people who you warmed to, you engaged with them on an emotional level. Like the science, they were credible too. They were people who reacted to the science – becoming an extension of the concepts.
3. His definition of societies and how they reacted to the science and technology. Often this was the basis of his stories, it was the way they reacted that mattered. Sometimes with curiosity, or fear, often both.
Can you see how they lead into each other? They conclude in stories about people responding to these scientific concepts, with the same sense of awe as the reader.
I highlight points because this is precisely why I enjoyed Dead Star so much. Simon Kewin has captured these same qualities. We encounter a cruel, ruthless, galaxy-wide regime committing an act of genocide, motivated by religious obsession. The protagonist is the only survivor, mortally injured until she’s rebuilt by a man being hunted by the regime. On the micro-level, the story follows their relationship as Selene moves from resenting his rescue and wanting to die, to become the centre of the rebellion against Concordance, the evil regime. It’s a tale of warmth and affection as it battles evil, Clarke would approve.
The science and world building (galaxy building is more accurate) introduces us to a variety of SF high concepts that may not be original but are new interpretations. For instance, the sentient spacecraft has been a feature of writers like Anne McCaffery, Ann Leckie and my favourite, John Meaney. Here these minds are more than just the ship, they are enigmatic and they’re broken, unreliable perhaps but with the promise of vital answers. I mentioned John Meaney because Dead Star includes the concept of something beyond conventional space. Meaney calls it mu-space, Kewins calls it metaspace. It allows the inclusion of concepts that extend and bewilder the imagination. Again, in ways Clarke would approve.
I have to conclude by saying this is a wonderful, ambitious, exciting and incredibly well written SF story, worthy of me labelling Simon Kewins as a new Arthur C Clarke.
October 19, 2020
Selene Ada is rescued, unconscious, from her homeworld. The planet had been condemned to death by the brutal, galaxy-spanning Concordance: their sunlight slowly being blocked by a planetary shroud. Someone breaks through from space to try to save her and her family from the planet’s imminent destruction, but he is only able to save her – crushed and nearly dead.
We follow Selene through her tortuous medical rehabilitation, and slowly discover that her sad, elderly savior, Ondo Lagan, is an old friend of her archaeologist father. He is, and her father was, part of a loose confederation that was trying to tease out history of the previous galactic civilization – civilization that the 300-year-old religious Concordance is brutally trying to erase, supplant, and demonize.
Will Selene decide on an alias, a new life and name somewhere else, or will she choose to try to delve into the forbidden past by salvaging space artifacts and data? She at least decides to help Ondo find the center of the ancient, hidden civilization: the planet Coronade, hinted at in the records of derelict spaceships Ondo has salvaged over the years.
And what they find shows that there’s a lot more at stake than even Ondo dreams.
There’s also a prequel (Home World) and there are two sequels (Red Star and God Star). I look forward to reading the entire space opera series since it’s fresh and original – something rare in my experience.
We follow Selene through her tortuous medical rehabilitation, and slowly discover that her sad, elderly savior, Ondo Lagan, is an old friend of her archaeologist father. He is, and her father was, part of a loose confederation that was trying to tease out history of the previous galactic civilization – civilization that the 300-year-old religious Concordance is brutally trying to erase, supplant, and demonize.
Will Selene decide on an alias, a new life and name somewhere else, or will she choose to try to delve into the forbidden past by salvaging space artifacts and data? She at least decides to help Ondo find the center of the ancient, hidden civilization: the planet Coronade, hinted at in the records of derelict spaceships Ondo has salvaged over the years.
And what they find shows that there’s a lot more at stake than even Ondo dreams.
There’s also a prequel (Home World) and there are two sequels (Red Star and God Star). I look forward to reading the entire space opera series since it’s fresh and original – something rare in my experience.
March 23, 2022
An old-school planet-hopping scifi adventure! If you like ancient cosmic mysteries in your world-building, this story is for you. After an explosive opening scene, the first quarter of the novel is a Q&A session between our protagonist Selene and her saviour / mentor Ondo, where she learns all about the fuzzy history of the galaxy and its cruel rulers. And there are mysteries all over the place. I'm talking Lost Season Two levels of mystery here. Then follows a series of missions to different exotic locations to try and figure some of them out - and maybe find a way to defeat the baddies while they're at it. Will our heroes find any answers?! I don't want to spoil anything, but it's worth noting that this is the first novel in a trilogy...
While the narration is often densely technical, especially in its description of space travel, Kewin's prose is fast and clean, and I flew through it. And I'm a sucker for Ringworld-style exploration of forgotten alien stuff. Definitely check this one out if you're in the mood for some extra-sciency scifi with oodles of galactic world-building!
While the narration is often densely technical, especially in its description of space travel, Kewin's prose is fast and clean, and I flew through it. And I'm a sucker for Ringworld-style exploration of forgotten alien stuff. Definitely check this one out if you're in the mood for some extra-sciency scifi with oodles of galactic world-building!
May 20, 2022
DEAD STAR starts off with a punch to the gut: “Selene Ada died twenty-three times from her injuries—“ Then it settles into a slow-burn tale of Selene and Ondo trying to elude overlords of the universe, Concordance, while searching for the mythical planet of Coronade.
Written in third person, past tense, multi-POV, the plot is clear, the writing is strong, and the worldbuilding is great! Loved reading the sections about dead space and its lone rocky planet and hidden depository full of relics from across the universe. Honorable mentions: the planet killing shrouds, the Refuge and its tech, the tunnel portals of Coronade.
If you love slower-paced SF novels, nefarious overlords of the universe, and cool tech/body enhancements, then you will love this book!
Written in third person, past tense, multi-POV, the plot is clear, the writing is strong, and the worldbuilding is great! Loved reading the sections about dead space and its lone rocky planet and hidden depository full of relics from across the universe. Honorable mentions: the planet killing shrouds, the Refuge and its tech, the tunnel portals of Coronade.
If you love slower-paced SF novels, nefarious overlords of the universe, and cool tech/body enhancements, then you will love this book!
March 11, 2020
This novel follows Selene, the sole survivor after the Concordance - a sort of religious galactic government - destroys her planet. Her survival is precarious, but thanks to the intervention of her father's friend, Ondo Lagan, who is a rebellious thorn in the Concordance's side. As Selene recuperates, she learns more about Ondo's mission and must choose whether (and how) to aid Ondo, or to forge her own path.
I really liked the primary elements of this novel. The pacing is very strong. The world-building is excellent. The characters are strong, well fleshed-out, and come across as very human, despite Selene being the primary focus of the story.
The technology has its own vocabulary, which I can't claim to fully understand, but it was obviously something the author spent time developing. It came across as plausible and logical. It was really interesting system, and it certainly added believability for me.
Another element that I thought was really well-done was the archeological element, and the search for the history of the occupants of the universe. I really enjoyed the discovery of these elements, and the way they were wound into the story. It was probably the single most fascinating and unexpected arc for me.
Another strong element was the editing. There were a couple of oddities that I noticed, but these were rare, and did not detract from the story.
If there is one area that I would have perhaps made a different choice, it's in the portrayal of the Concordance. This is portrayed as largely mysterious and monolithic in scope, although there are hints within the story that provide a bit of insight to challenge that view. I would have appreciated more of that, as well as more details of their theology and how they have been able to infiltrate so much of the galaxy so successfully. Having said that, this was not something integral to the story told in this book, and it would definitely have slowed the pacing down, so I do understand why it was handled as it was. I do hope that this is developed further in future entries (as this is a planned series).
I think that the author did a really fantastic job of creating compelling characters, an intriguing world, and I'm looking forward to the next novel in the series!
I received an ARC via the author.
I really liked the primary elements of this novel. The pacing is very strong. The world-building is excellent. The characters are strong, well fleshed-out, and come across as very human, despite Selene being the primary focus of the story.
The technology has its own vocabulary, which I can't claim to fully understand, but it was obviously something the author spent time developing. It came across as plausible and logical. It was really interesting system, and it certainly added believability for me.
Another element that I thought was really well-done was the archeological element, and the search for the history of the occupants of the universe. I really enjoyed the discovery of these elements, and the way they were wound into the story. It was probably the single most fascinating and unexpected arc for me.
Another strong element was the editing. There were a couple of oddities that I noticed, but these were rare, and did not detract from the story.
If there is one area that I would have perhaps made a different choice, it's in the portrayal of the Concordance. This is portrayed as largely mysterious and monolithic in scope, although there are hints within the story that provide a bit of insight to challenge that view. I would have appreciated more of that, as well as more details of their theology and how they have been able to infiltrate so much of the galaxy so successfully. Having said that, this was not something integral to the story told in this book, and it would definitely have slowed the pacing down, so I do understand why it was handled as it was. I do hope that this is developed further in future entries (as this is a planned series).
I think that the author did a really fantastic job of creating compelling characters, an intriguing world, and I'm looking forward to the next novel in the series!
I received an ARC via the author.
June 16, 2020
Reads enormously quick. A real page turner. Further more, can't wait to read de next one. What to say: it's science fiction with dead worlds, evil culprits, a woman daredevil and her uncle facing or extinction or victory, what will it be? No idea, but at the end of book one, where they have crossed large parts of the universe, they realize they are there for a reason.... Who and why is to be discovered in de next books.
May 29, 2020
Great book
Dead Star was a gripping story, with well-developed characters. Interesting premise. I’ve already ordered the second book in the series.
Dead Star was a gripping story, with well-developed characters. Interesting premise. I’ve already ordered the second book in the series.
March 23, 2020
Allow a full day for this NC17 space adventure in which Selene Ada, the sole survivor of planet Maes Far which had been sterilized by Concordance, is rescued by Ondo Lagan, originally of Sintorus and now of Refuge. I had an ARC and this voluntary review is my own opinion.
September 26, 2022
Read for SPSFC Semifinalists!
Overall Thoughts
There’s a lot of interesting mystery and awe in this story, set in the far future. There are augmented humans, the Concordance (a shadowy theocracy ruling with an iron fist and some heavy Warhammer themes), and dead spaces where people are forbidden to go. There are some good character moments as the main character Selene goes from near death to a powerful figure. All that said, I was left wanting by multiple mysteries and not a lot of answers. This is the first book in a trilogy, so I assume some of those questions get answered later, but I would have preferred a few more hints now as well.
Plot
The plot focuses on the adventures of Selene, the sole survivor of a destroyed planet, who’s fallen in with a renegade called Ondo. They’re on a quest to… Well, and this is where I think the plot is the weakest part of the book, because I’m honestly not sure what they were doing. They’re on the run from the Concordance, and looking at forbidden and dead planets, but I never had a very clear overarching directive to the story. The beginnings of several mysteries emerge, from a ship that’s more than it seems, to evidence of galactic engineering, to dead planets and races that knew a lot more than they were supposed to. I really wanted to make something of all this but at the moment they all just seem thrown together and I’m missing the thread tying them all together.
Setting
Some great ideas in this book. There are museum planets, and giant spaceships that control access to entire solar systems. There are megastructures larger than stars, and also people who are augmented far more than normal humans. The scope goes from intricate hacking of virtual personalities to planetary rebellions, in the tradition of a lot of great space operas. I think with just a little more to make it cohesive, the setting could channel a really great saga.
Character
Selene gives us a character to cheer for, as she spends the first part of the book getting literally reconstructed from near death (or even brought back from death), and develops into formidable figure. It even strays into her being too powerful, as the lightness of the plot doesn’t give her a lot of really crunchy conflict to resolve. There is a nice side relationship included, which gives some good LGBTQ representation, but I felt it didn’t stand up to the rest of what was going on. Overall, the characters were fun, but the lack of a definite plot kept this adventure from being a truly stellar experience.
Score out of 10 (My personal score, not the final contest score)
Great ideas, fun characters, and universe spanning events that meandered and didn’t really resolve. 6.75/10.
Overall Thoughts
There’s a lot of interesting mystery and awe in this story, set in the far future. There are augmented humans, the Concordance (a shadowy theocracy ruling with an iron fist and some heavy Warhammer themes), and dead spaces where people are forbidden to go. There are some good character moments as the main character Selene goes from near death to a powerful figure. All that said, I was left wanting by multiple mysteries and not a lot of answers. This is the first book in a trilogy, so I assume some of those questions get answered later, but I would have preferred a few more hints now as well.
Plot
The plot focuses on the adventures of Selene, the sole survivor of a destroyed planet, who’s fallen in with a renegade called Ondo. They’re on a quest to… Well, and this is where I think the plot is the weakest part of the book, because I’m honestly not sure what they were doing. They’re on the run from the Concordance, and looking at forbidden and dead planets, but I never had a very clear overarching directive to the story. The beginnings of several mysteries emerge, from a ship that’s more than it seems, to evidence of galactic engineering, to dead planets and races that knew a lot more than they were supposed to. I really wanted to make something of all this but at the moment they all just seem thrown together and I’m missing the thread tying them all together.
Setting
Some great ideas in this book. There are museum planets, and giant spaceships that control access to entire solar systems. There are megastructures larger than stars, and also people who are augmented far more than normal humans. The scope goes from intricate hacking of virtual personalities to planetary rebellions, in the tradition of a lot of great space operas. I think with just a little more to make it cohesive, the setting could channel a really great saga.
Character
Selene gives us a character to cheer for, as she spends the first part of the book getting literally reconstructed from near death (or even brought back from death), and develops into formidable figure. It even strays into her being too powerful, as the lightness of the plot doesn’t give her a lot of really crunchy conflict to resolve. There is a nice side relationship included, which gives some good LGBTQ representation, but I felt it didn’t stand up to the rest of what was going on. Overall, the characters were fun, but the lack of a definite plot kept this adventure from being a truly stellar experience.
Score out of 10 (My personal score, not the final contest score)
Great ideas, fun characters, and universe spanning events that meandered and didn’t really resolve. 6.75/10.
April 21, 2020
Took awhile to grow on me due to several passages of advanced technobabble and a whole host of world building lingual. Hope you like your sci-fi wordy. Like actually understanding the jargon and mechanics for teleportation tech in Star Trek wordy. Without the baby steps to help non Trek fans.
Not sure if I'm sold on Selene's motivations and her relationship with Ondo. The whole moral dilemma of what Ondo did was flirted with rather than given depth. It felt like the story was saying, "Look, we have a protagonist with cyber parts and multiple deaths. Let's just get on to the real adventure already." When Kewin writes of Ondo's fatherly concern for her, that backfired on me. You know he means well, but...
Character conversations make the bulk of the story, yet sometimes it felt insincere and somewhat stilted. Kinda blended together during the book's longer passages. The only one I could accept being a little out of touch and speaking like a living dictionary was Ondo since that was close to his character history. Different story by the end.
Once the general conflict was in place, it became a race between scientific truth and mystical cults. The hunt and preservation for real history. That was the part that grabbed my attention the most. So much so that I'd like to see how the next entry in this series plays out. No spoilers from me, but the ending left me curious about the rest of the universe's world building blocks.
Dead Star is an oddball to me. Half the book I liked, the other half alienated me. Don't always get that experience reading sci-fi.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Not sure if I'm sold on Selene's motivations and her relationship with Ondo. The whole moral dilemma of what Ondo did was flirted with rather than given depth. It felt like the story was saying, "Look, we have a protagonist with cyber parts and multiple deaths. Let's just get on to the real adventure already." When Kewin writes of Ondo's fatherly concern for her, that backfired on me. You know he means well, but...
Character conversations make the bulk of the story, yet sometimes it felt insincere and somewhat stilted. Kinda blended together during the book's longer passages. The only one I could accept being a little out of touch and speaking like a living dictionary was Ondo since that was close to his character history. Different story by the end.
Once the general conflict was in place, it became a race between scientific truth and mystical cults. The hunt and preservation for real history. That was the part that grabbed my attention the most. So much so that I'd like to see how the next entry in this series plays out. No spoilers from me, but the ending left me curious about the rest of the universe's world building blocks.
Dead Star is an oddball to me. Half the book I liked, the other half alienated me. Don't always get that experience reading sci-fi.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 18, 2022
I read Dead Star as part of a judging team for the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC), where it is a semifinalist.
If you can hook me on a mysterious secret underpinning a reign of terror built on a foundation of lies, you’ve pretty much got me. And Dead Star did an exemplary job setting the stage.
I have some quibbles about some of the details—the villains are a bit one-note, the characters sometimes seem to put themselves in danger without adequate cause, and there are a couple too many narrow escapes—but ultimately, that central mystery kept driving me through the whole time. The storytelling was good enough to make me want to overlook minor gripes even as they arose, and my interest didn’t wane the whole book.
I would’ve liked a little more answers and a little less sequel hook, but I appreciate that it didn’t go full cliffhanger, and I’m definitely going to have to look up the next entry in what appears to be a completed trilogy.
First impression: 15/20. Full review and official SPSFC score to come at www.tarvolon.com
If you can hook me on a mysterious secret underpinning a reign of terror built on a foundation of lies, you’ve pretty much got me. And Dead Star did an exemplary job setting the stage.
I have some quibbles about some of the details—the villains are a bit one-note, the characters sometimes seem to put themselves in danger without adequate cause, and there are a couple too many narrow escapes—but ultimately, that central mystery kept driving me through the whole time. The storytelling was good enough to make me want to overlook minor gripes even as they arose, and my interest didn’t wane the whole book.
I would’ve liked a little more answers and a little less sequel hook, but I appreciate that it didn’t go full cliffhanger, and I’m definitely going to have to look up the next entry in what appears to be a completed trilogy.
First impression: 15/20. Full review and official SPSFC score to come at www.tarvolon.com
April 10, 2020
I was provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book was quite enjoyable, and you couldn’t help but want to know more about where the first book was leading to. The dialog was engaging, and well presented.
Selene is a believable character who you want to care about and Ondo brings his experience and wisdom to play which brings good contrast to the story.
There were a few errors not caught by the editor, but it did not detract from the overall experience.
You are left with a cliffhanger at the end of the first book which will leave you chomping at the bit in anticipation of book two.
The premise of the book was quite enjoyable, and you couldn’t help but want to know more about where the first book was leading to. The dialog was engaging, and well presented.
Selene is a believable character who you want to care about and Ondo brings his experience and wisdom to play which brings good contrast to the story.
There were a few errors not caught by the editor, but it did not detract from the overall experience.
You are left with a cliffhanger at the end of the first book which will leave you chomping at the bit in anticipation of book two.
June 21, 2021
From the first explosive encounter with the 'bad guys' until the gripping cliffhanger at the end, no book has dragged me in so quickly, or made me hate the antagonists so much (and with good reason).
Selene's home is destroyed, her life ripped away from her. While she can't get those things back, she's determined to take the fight to those responsible. But the forces in play are larger than her: a vast galactic regime of suppression and control.
Everything in this book has character and life, from the planets we visit, to the very ships we fly in. A must read for any space opera or scifi fan.
Selene's home is destroyed, her life ripped away from her. While she can't get those things back, she's determined to take the fight to those responsible. But the forces in play are larger than her: a vast galactic regime of suppression and control.
Everything in this book has character and life, from the planets we visit, to the very ships we fly in. A must read for any space opera or scifi fan.
April 25, 2020
Got this book trough booksirens, the beginning is muddled and clearly setup as a start for the rest of the story and not in a good way but more a james bond "here you have this watch you will need later" . The characters are at the beginning more put trough the emotions they have to feel as in something more natural.
The story did intrigue me with enough hints to make you want to read a bit further.
I wish he had taken a bit more the time to srtup the story and let it flow more natural .
Overal a decent read and a good enough setup for the rest of the series.
The story did intrigue me with enough hints to make you want to read a bit further.
I wish he had taken a bit more the time to srtup the story and let it flow more natural .
Overal a decent read and a good enough setup for the rest of the series.
October 30, 2022
This is a tough one to rate. On the one hand, the book never really lives up to the potential exhibited in the first couple of chapters; the author relies too heavily on telling, rather than showing, and the reader is never really given time for the information to settle; the characterization is rather shallow, and I really do believe that Selene should exhibit way more emotional trauma than she does. On the other hand, there's an interesting mystery at the core of the story, which I want to see unravelled, so I'll give book two a chance.
December 17, 2022
Interesting Read
This picks up several centuries after a galactic empire is destroyed and a religious/military scourge rules space. A young woman is brutally attacked in the opening sequence and her planet destroyed. Her recovery and mission of revenge are mind boggling.
This picks up several centuries after a galactic empire is destroyed and a religious/military scourge rules space. A young woman is brutally attacked in the opening sequence and her planet destroyed. Her recovery and mission of revenge are mind boggling.
July 23, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this space opera and the depth to the universe that it takes place in. Was hoping to have a bit more revealed at the end but it has definitely been set up to give me answers in the next instalment.
Looking forward to the next book
Looking forward to the next book
August 6, 2020
Enjoyable Sci Fi
May 18, 2025
A good blend of mystery and science fiction, with some comical moments in the mix. A good read for sci-fi fans.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews