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Infinity's End #5
Secrets Past
Beyond the Edge Things get Weird.
Having barely survived their encounter with the mysterious race known only as Andromeda, the crew of the USCS Tempest now must find a way to repair the ship if they ever want to get back to the Coalition to warn them of what’s coming. Their comms are down, their engines are shot and unless the god Kor himself makes an appearance, they’ll have to rely on local help if they want a way out of this mess.
But finding friendly species in an uncharted region of space is easier said than done. They’ve already captured one pirate attempting to take advantage of a nearly-derelict ship without any backup and have spent the last few weeks fending off even more. If this doesn’t let up soon, there won’t be anything left of Tempest to save.
However, their new prisoner offers a solution. He knows where to find exactly what they need, if they’re willing to let him out. If that weren’t enough, he knows where they can find out more about Andromeda before returning to the Coalition. The catch is they have to put their trust in a bunch of strangers they know nothing about.
Having barely survived their encounter with the mysterious race known only as Andromeda, the crew of the USCS Tempest now must find a way to repair the ship if they ever want to get back to the Coalition to warn them of what’s coming. Their comms are down, their engines are shot and unless the god Kor himself makes an appearance, they’ll have to rely on local help if they want a way out of this mess.
But finding friendly species in an uncharted region of space is easier said than done. They’ve already captured one pirate attempting to take advantage of a nearly-derelict ship without any backup and have spent the last few weeks fending off even more. If this doesn’t let up soon, there won’t be anything left of Tempest to save.
However, their new prisoner offers a solution. He knows where to find exactly what they need, if they’re willing to let him out. If that weren’t enough, he knows where they can find out more about Andromeda before returning to the Coalition. The catch is they have to put their trust in a bunch of strangers they know nothing about.
- GenresScience FictionAudiobook
297 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 10, 2019
About the author
Eric Warren
37 books133 followersBestselling author Eric Warren has loved stories all his life. And despite writing from a young age, it took him a few years to realize being an author was what he wanted to do for a living. Today, he is the author of over twenty novels, including the highly successful INFINITY'S END series. Never one to shy away from what he loves, he plans to continue writing for another century, depending on the viability of life-extending technology.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 29, 2019
“Failure of your task does not mean failure as a person.”
This installment blew all my expectations. The exploration of in depth emotions, feelings.. is so poignant. It kept me reading far into the night following the high energy plot through it's many twists and turns. It’s fast paced, action filled, with a great dialogue of interchange of wits and social alien cultures. The author’s portrayal of this close-knit group of individuals who bond, and share, and face challenge after challenge, is remarkable. He makes the reader part of the team, as you sense their danger, feel the camaraderie, and experience their anguish...Compelling characters, intriguing plot, and an inspiring message… I absolutely loved this book! An absolutely amazing series that I’ve fallen in love with!
I received an early version of this book from the publisher and my review is entirely voluntary.
Merged review:
“Failure of your task does not mean failure as a person.”
This installment blew all my expectations. The exploration of in depth emotions, feelings.. is so poignant. It kept me reading far into the night following the high energy plot through it's many twists and turns. It’s fast paced, action filled, with a great dialogue of interchange of wits and social alien cultures. The author’s portrayal of this close-knit group of individuals who bond, and share, and face challenge after challenge, is remarkable. He makes the reader part of the team, as you sense their danger, feel the camaraderie, and experience their anguish...Compelling characters, intriguing plot, and an inspiring message… I absolutely loved this book! An absolutely amazing series that I’ve fallen in love with!
I received an early version of this book from the publisher and my review is entirely voluntary.
This installment blew all my expectations. The exploration of in depth emotions, feelings.. is so poignant. It kept me reading far into the night following the high energy plot through it's many twists and turns. It’s fast paced, action filled, with a great dialogue of interchange of wits and social alien cultures. The author’s portrayal of this close-knit group of individuals who bond, and share, and face challenge after challenge, is remarkable. He makes the reader part of the team, as you sense their danger, feel the camaraderie, and experience their anguish...Compelling characters, intriguing plot, and an inspiring message… I absolutely loved this book! An absolutely amazing series that I’ve fallen in love with!
I received an early version of this book from the publisher and my review is entirely voluntary.
Merged review:
“Failure of your task does not mean failure as a person.”
This installment blew all my expectations. The exploration of in depth emotions, feelings.. is so poignant. It kept me reading far into the night following the high energy plot through it's many twists and turns. It’s fast paced, action filled, with a great dialogue of interchange of wits and social alien cultures. The author’s portrayal of this close-knit group of individuals who bond, and share, and face challenge after challenge, is remarkable. He makes the reader part of the team, as you sense their danger, feel the camaraderie, and experience their anguish...Compelling characters, intriguing plot, and an inspiring message… I absolutely loved this book! An absolutely amazing series that I’ve fallen in love with!
I received an early version of this book from the publisher and my review is entirely voluntary.
February 28, 2021
Secrets Past picks up almost immediately after the end of Journey’s Edge, in which the Tempest has been struck by multiple mines left by the Andromeda ships. This has resulted in critical damage to Tempest, not only damaging the engines, but damaging them so badly, that Zenfor’s modifications will no longer work, and even if they manage to get back to an undercurrent, the trip will now take them 200 days, instead of just the 5 it took to get back to the ‘edge’ of Coalition space.
With limited supplies, and a depleted crew from both injury and deceased crew members, not to mention that the Captain of the ship, Captain Greene is in a critical condition and may not live, and is certainly not in any condition to command, the Tempest is in a very serious situation, especially given their mission.
The only good news is that Evie seems to have recovered from her hallucinations, having received help for Sester with a mind-link.
At the start of Secrets Past, the Tempest finds a strange alien stealing from their ship (even though he calls it ‘Borrowing’ – you know, he borrows it now, and then they can ‘borrow’ something from someone down the line, everyone is happy….).
As well as this, the ship is being constantly attacked by these other strange alien ships, that come in and strafe the ship, causing damage, before being chased off, leaving the Tempest with even more damage.
As a result, the ship sits, floating through the void of space, barely being held together by forcefields and the strength of will of Sester and Tyler, who are operating from different locations as engineering had to be evacuated.
Secret’s Past sees the turning point in this series. Without giving away spoilers, the series up until now, has mainly been a fairly strict Coalition Crew, following all the rules, regulations, etc of the Coalition, with the exception of Caspian, who was allegedly once a criminal, until it was proven that he was actually wrongly accused, and he had really done the right thing, again, upholding the high morale code of the Coalition.
As we have moved towards this middle point of the series, some of the cracks have started to show, Rutledge and probably several others high up in the Coalition deliberately conspired to commit acts of War against the Sil and cover it up, going so far as to be responsible for the deaths of multiple people, both Sil and Coalition.
And this is one of the really fascinating, and absolutely brilliant parts of this book, and series, the political intrigue, and the mystery surrounding the threat of Andromeda, as well as the introduction of Caspian, and the Sil Consul, and how all of these factors are having such an interesting, and rather distinct impact on each and every member of the crew. As this story has progressed, there have been subtle changes to all of the main characters, as well as to the perception of how we see the major Factions within the Galaxy.
The “Galaxy” or ‘World’ building in this series is just extraordinary, with such a rich and complex tapestry of interwoven Characters, each that are so comprehensively detailed, so that we really feel that we know each and every member of this crew, alien and human alike. There is such a wonderful range of aliens in this series as well, and Warren has made an exemplary effort to try and develop his aliens in a way that they are exotic, astonishing, thrilling, but most of all, different – they are not 2 arms, 2 legs, 1 headed creatures, with vaguely different skin colour, and the one or two species that might appear like that, he has everyone pondering the question of how this happened, as it is so unlikely in the great game of genetic monopoly. From the spider like Xax, to the starfish like Sester, there are some stunning aliens, and he has gone into great depth about each of the species, making it a fascinating read on xenobiology.
The really impressive and engaging part of this story though, are the actual Characters, each of whom are just enthralling. From the seriously damaged Caspian, but even though he is a total narcissist, Caspian does seem to care for both Box and Evie, going out of his way to help Evie on multiple occasions. Evie is easily one of the best characters in the series, with her complex, multi-faceted personality, and multiple storylines attached to her, there is still a lot we have not uncovered about the Acting Captain of the Tempest.
And of course, there is Box, one of the best characters I have ever read in any sci-fi series ever. His consistent obsession with all things relationship, genital, and anything that annoys Cas is just hilarious, and his ability to say the most inappropriate thing, at the most inappropriate time, is just brilliant. It’s funny, I sit, writing about Box almost as if he is a ‘real’ entity, (the timing of his comments), but that is just how exceptional the Authors writing is, that you view these people as real people when you read about them.
The outstanding Character work, and Aliens, is only extenuated by the captivating technology that the Author has developed for this series. Whilst some of it, is regulation (guns, communicators), Warren has given some of the weapons his own unique style, and then had a lot of fun in designing the ships, and other aspects of the tech. This again lends to the incredible depth that has gone into the world building.
This series does have a very real ‘Star Trek/Orville’ type feel to it, in that there is a crew aboard a ship, working for a collective of space faring sentient species, with the vast majority of them aiming to do the right thing, and being bound by a set of rules that dictates these values. Of course, whenever Sentient species get together, they invariably can’t play nicely together, one always wants what the other one has – look at every series of Star Trek – Khan, The Cardassians (Not to be confused with the Kardashians – same level of arrogance, just without the neck ridges), The Klingons, The Romulans, and so on and so on….
Warren has not just replicated it though, he has created something that is similar, but in which his crew, although similar to a ‘StarFleet’ crew, are unique in their own way, making this such a fun read, especially if you are a fan of Trek.
Overall, this is a fascinating continuation to the story, and sees Cas, Box, Evie and the crew in a dire situation. But as they struggle to continue their mission, it seems that no matter how fast Zenfor makes the ship, their individual pasts continue to catch up with them. As each of them battle with these demons of what has haunted them for so long, they realise that the only way they are going to be able to stand up to the problems that they now face, is to face up to their demons, and that is what makes for such a Masterful read this book!!
If you have read the other books, you will Love this one, and if you haven’t picked up any of the series yet, get into it, because this is one of the best Mil Sci-Fi, Space Operas, I have ever read, it is exceptional.
With limited supplies, and a depleted crew from both injury and deceased crew members, not to mention that the Captain of the ship, Captain Greene is in a critical condition and may not live, and is certainly not in any condition to command, the Tempest is in a very serious situation, especially given their mission.
The only good news is that Evie seems to have recovered from her hallucinations, having received help for Sester with a mind-link.
At the start of Secrets Past, the Tempest finds a strange alien stealing from their ship (even though he calls it ‘Borrowing’ – you know, he borrows it now, and then they can ‘borrow’ something from someone down the line, everyone is happy….).
As well as this, the ship is being constantly attacked by these other strange alien ships, that come in and strafe the ship, causing damage, before being chased off, leaving the Tempest with even more damage.
As a result, the ship sits, floating through the void of space, barely being held together by forcefields and the strength of will of Sester and Tyler, who are operating from different locations as engineering had to be evacuated.
Secret’s Past sees the turning point in this series. Without giving away spoilers, the series up until now, has mainly been a fairly strict Coalition Crew, following all the rules, regulations, etc of the Coalition, with the exception of Caspian, who was allegedly once a criminal, until it was proven that he was actually wrongly accused, and he had really done the right thing, again, upholding the high morale code of the Coalition.
As we have moved towards this middle point of the series, some of the cracks have started to show, Rutledge and probably several others high up in the Coalition deliberately conspired to commit acts of War against the Sil and cover it up, going so far as to be responsible for the deaths of multiple people, both Sil and Coalition.
And this is one of the really fascinating, and absolutely brilliant parts of this book, and series, the political intrigue, and the mystery surrounding the threat of Andromeda, as well as the introduction of Caspian, and the Sil Consul, and how all of these factors are having such an interesting, and rather distinct impact on each and every member of the crew. As this story has progressed, there have been subtle changes to all of the main characters, as well as to the perception of how we see the major Factions within the Galaxy.
The “Galaxy” or ‘World’ building in this series is just extraordinary, with such a rich and complex tapestry of interwoven Characters, each that are so comprehensively detailed, so that we really feel that we know each and every member of this crew, alien and human alike. There is such a wonderful range of aliens in this series as well, and Warren has made an exemplary effort to try and develop his aliens in a way that they are exotic, astonishing, thrilling, but most of all, different – they are not 2 arms, 2 legs, 1 headed creatures, with vaguely different skin colour, and the one or two species that might appear like that, he has everyone pondering the question of how this happened, as it is so unlikely in the great game of genetic monopoly. From the spider like Xax, to the starfish like Sester, there are some stunning aliens, and he has gone into great depth about each of the species, making it a fascinating read on xenobiology.
The really impressive and engaging part of this story though, are the actual Characters, each of whom are just enthralling. From the seriously damaged Caspian, but even though he is a total narcissist, Caspian does seem to care for both Box and Evie, going out of his way to help Evie on multiple occasions. Evie is easily one of the best characters in the series, with her complex, multi-faceted personality, and multiple storylines attached to her, there is still a lot we have not uncovered about the Acting Captain of the Tempest.
And of course, there is Box, one of the best characters I have ever read in any sci-fi series ever. His consistent obsession with all things relationship, genital, and anything that annoys Cas is just hilarious, and his ability to say the most inappropriate thing, at the most inappropriate time, is just brilliant. It’s funny, I sit, writing about Box almost as if he is a ‘real’ entity, (the timing of his comments), but that is just how exceptional the Authors writing is, that you view these people as real people when you read about them.
The outstanding Character work, and Aliens, is only extenuated by the captivating technology that the Author has developed for this series. Whilst some of it, is regulation (guns, communicators), Warren has given some of the weapons his own unique style, and then had a lot of fun in designing the ships, and other aspects of the tech. This again lends to the incredible depth that has gone into the world building.
This series does have a very real ‘Star Trek/Orville’ type feel to it, in that there is a crew aboard a ship, working for a collective of space faring sentient species, with the vast majority of them aiming to do the right thing, and being bound by a set of rules that dictates these values. Of course, whenever Sentient species get together, they invariably can’t play nicely together, one always wants what the other one has – look at every series of Star Trek – Khan, The Cardassians (Not to be confused with the Kardashians – same level of arrogance, just without the neck ridges), The Klingons, The Romulans, and so on and so on….
Warren has not just replicated it though, he has created something that is similar, but in which his crew, although similar to a ‘StarFleet’ crew, are unique in their own way, making this such a fun read, especially if you are a fan of Trek.
Overall, this is a fascinating continuation to the story, and sees Cas, Box, Evie and the crew in a dire situation. But as they struggle to continue their mission, it seems that no matter how fast Zenfor makes the ship, their individual pasts continue to catch up with them. As each of them battle with these demons of what has haunted them for so long, they realise that the only way they are going to be able to stand up to the problems that they now face, is to face up to their demons, and that is what makes for such a Masterful read this book!!
If you have read the other books, you will Love this one, and if you haven’t picked up any of the series yet, get into it, because this is one of the best Mil Sci-Fi, Space Operas, I have ever read, it is exceptional.
May 9, 2023
Received as an ARC, this is an honest review. After the surviving the assault by the 'Andromeda' aliens, the crew of the Tempest begins to limp back to Coalition space. Unfortunately, they aren't alone and endure several attacks by an unknown species; capturing one of them stealing power conduits off the hall. Called Vrij, he claims to know where they can acquire the parts they need from a place called the Hub. A floating city crafted by the Bulag (a wicked/ awesome/ scary alien race) whom scavenge whatever they can to survive after the ruthless destruction of their home planet called Lag. Here Caspian and several of the crew encounter Diamant, whom is in control and strike a precarious deal during an alcoholic ritual. Caspian's learns that the Bulag know of these 'Andromeda' aliens due to a history they don’t want to repeat. It seemed a simple, easy deal with both sides benefiting but something isn't right and slowly the truth about Diamant and his agenda comes dangerously clear. He will do what it’s takes- even murdering anyone whom stands against him. As the crew fights to contain Diamant's crew from accomplishing he's ultimate goal there's another secret that threatens to undermine the integrity of the crew and destroy the Coalition itself if it reaches back home. Secrets Past packs one hell of a emotional punch from beginning to end; its last half a whiplash of intense action and shocking suspense that you'll just devour at a breakneck pace. This is the best one yet of this remarkable series. Absolutely recommend!
August 11, 2019
You can never foretell exactly what you're going to get in a book, never mind a whole series by Eric Warren. You may be correct with a couple of your forecasts, but they won't be precisely the way you expected. I am genuinely overwhelmed by Warren's flair for leading his readers one way, and the plot (and usually some characters) in another. He writes very well and his work is so entertaining and with meaning.
I'm pleased to say that Box is continuing his antics and made me laugh out loud, as usual. There's a new species too. Are they what they first appear to be? Or is there more underneath to be unearthed? Wonderful! I love all the beings on the ship - regardless of their species - and there's always something more to be learned about them, and from them. Their true natures are helping others and being a small cog in the larger machine.
The ending? Oh boy, the ending. Can't wait for the next book!
I chose this book from a larger selection, then voluntarily read and honestly reviewed it. All opinions are my own.
I'm pleased to say that Box is continuing his antics and made me laugh out loud, as usual. There's a new species too. Are they what they first appear to be? Or is there more underneath to be unearthed? Wonderful! I love all the beings on the ship - regardless of their species - and there's always something more to be learned about them, and from them. Their true natures are helping others and being a small cog in the larger machine.
The ending? Oh boy, the ending. Can't wait for the next book!
I chose this book from a larger selection, then voluntarily read and honestly reviewed it. All opinions are my own.
August 31, 2019
Wow! There are so many things running around in my head after finishing this book!
What I am loving about these characters is that each individual character arc is filled with pivotal moments in their lives that then lend themselves to enriching the overall storyline and the experience of the reader.
Mr Box is a favourite for me, his sass, and irrelevance of what is acceptable in society, by human standards, fills me with joy. His one liners and snark almost take on a life of their own.
Evie and Cas are certainly put through the wringer in this book, both emotionally and physically. As they try to deal with the latest threat to the ship and crew, Cas and Evie must put their trust in an unknown. Are they foe or ally? What lengths will they have to go to protect their ship, crew and their mission?
Another brilliant read, and I am over the moon I only have a week and a bit to wait for the next one!
What I am loving about these characters is that each individual character arc is filled with pivotal moments in their lives that then lend themselves to enriching the overall storyline and the experience of the reader.
Mr Box is a favourite for me, his sass, and irrelevance of what is acceptable in society, by human standards, fills me with joy. His one liners and snark almost take on a life of their own.
Evie and Cas are certainly put through the wringer in this book, both emotionally and physically. As they try to deal with the latest threat to the ship and crew, Cas and Evie must put their trust in an unknown. Are they foe or ally? What lengths will they have to go to protect their ship, crew and their mission?
Another brilliant read, and I am over the moon I only have a week and a bit to wait for the next one!
January 21, 2023
The Tempest sure is in a pickle, and it doesn't look like their situation is going to get better soon.
And that revelation at the end of the book... who knows what surprises that planet will hold.
And that revelation at the end of the book... who knows what surprises that planet will hold.
April 5, 2020
Five books in and Cas, Evie and Box are still aboard The Tempest and still having a torrid time of it! The Tempest has definitely seen better days and even Zenfor and Sesster may not be up to fixing it, especially not after Cas’ latest blunder – you really should not invite people into your home without making sure they are house broken first or else they’ll just pee all over it!
What I love about this series is how far a journey these characters have taken across the five books and how different each book and situation is for them. When I first started reading Caspian’s Fortune during my summer holidays, I would not have expected the story to end up where it is now and seen the route it has taken to get here. There are nine books in this ever-growing series and I really do not know what is going to happen, that is the joy of these.
Of course there are some things I would like more of and less of, Box, Xax and Zaal have very little to do in this book, but Ryant and Jann are excellent additions to the narrative and give the story more of a scope to reach into. Vrij is also an interesting addition but the new engineer from the previous book has pretty much vanished. I suppose with this many characters, some will fall by the wayside, but I do hope they pick up their stories in future books.
The friendship between Evie and Cas has really developed, it has gone through some rough patches, but it is so much more than it ever has been and it is nice to see Laura bring out the humanity in Evie.
It ends with a big reveal and one I worry about the future of some of these characters with. But I also know I will get humour, character development and a twisty tale ahead of me, but I also know they are not all going to make it back to the Coalition – as long as Box does, then I will be a happy man.
Next up is Planetfall, but I may have a break for a month or so, so I come back with renewed vigour for these characters, they deserve nothing less!
What I love about this series is how far a journey these characters have taken across the five books and how different each book and situation is for them. When I first started reading Caspian’s Fortune during my summer holidays, I would not have expected the story to end up where it is now and seen the route it has taken to get here. There are nine books in this ever-growing series and I really do not know what is going to happen, that is the joy of these.
Of course there are some things I would like more of and less of, Box, Xax and Zaal have very little to do in this book, but Ryant and Jann are excellent additions to the narrative and give the story more of a scope to reach into. Vrij is also an interesting addition but the new engineer from the previous book has pretty much vanished. I suppose with this many characters, some will fall by the wayside, but I do hope they pick up their stories in future books.
The friendship between Evie and Cas has really developed, it has gone through some rough patches, but it is so much more than it ever has been and it is nice to see Laura bring out the humanity in Evie.
It ends with a big reveal and one I worry about the future of some of these characters with. But I also know I will get humour, character development and a twisty tale ahead of me, but I also know they are not all going to make it back to the Coalition – as long as Box does, then I will be a happy man.
Next up is Planetfall, but I may have a break for a month or so, so I come back with renewed vigour for these characters, they deserve nothing less!
September 4, 2019
I don’t know how an editor or publisher can release a book that has two Chapter 1s! My ebook certainly did. That’s a distraction right off the bat. After reading Chapter 1, I expected Chapter 2, but had to go looking for it. That’s not a good way to start.
Let me just say that in my opinion this book was badly written. The improper and highly unlikely lesbian relationship between Senior and Subordinate offcers; the ridiculous drama about a classified mission being found out by Sasster, who didn’t have a need to know; Cas bringing a bunch of aliens aboard the Tempest when he didn’t know enough about them; the ship’s crew just gives up when the aliens capture their Captain; Cas’s continued self-pity about his past decision is idiotic, and lastly, Box is getting really obnoxious and not very funny as he used to be.
Those are the major reasons I’m dropping this series. It’s just too stupid to continue to read. It’s not worth my writing more about it.
Let me just say that in my opinion this book was badly written. The improper and highly unlikely lesbian relationship between Senior and Subordinate offcers; the ridiculous drama about a classified mission being found out by Sasster, who didn’t have a need to know; Cas bringing a bunch of aliens aboard the Tempest when he didn’t know enough about them; the ship’s crew just gives up when the aliens capture their Captain; Cas’s continued self-pity about his past decision is idiotic, and lastly, Box is getting really obnoxious and not very funny as he used to be.
Those are the major reasons I’m dropping this series. It’s just too stupid to continue to read. It’s not worth my writing more about it.
November 12, 2020
Would give 5 stars if it had a better reader.
January 28, 2021
Good story, again.
September 12, 2025
And the saga continues
This one I had to give 4.5 stars as it took a little longer than I'd like for the action to increase and the book to grab ahold of me, but when the story finally picked up it was fantastic. Great story and I'm enthralled. I'm excited to learn the outcome of this phenomenal series!
This one I had to give 4.5 stars as it took a little longer than I'd like for the action to increase and the book to grab ahold of me, but when the story finally picked up it was fantastic. Great story and I'm enthralled. I'm excited to learn the outcome of this phenomenal series!
April 9, 2021
The relationship between captain and a junior officer ruined it for me. Plus all the doubt and self-doubt. Geez grow a pair.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews