The Contingency

The Contingency War #1

by G.J. Ogden

No-one comes in peace. Every being in the galaxy wants something, and is willing to take it by force.

The Hedalt were no different. They came from the distant reaches of the galaxy to wage war. Their fleet wanted to take Earth for its prize, but we were ready. We were stronger.

For years, we fought them, ship-to-ship, until we scattered their forces and drove them back. Pursuing the Hedalt fleet to their home world, we delivered the decisive blow. We nuked their planet and wiped them out for good.

Or so we thought.

For decades, Earth Fleet sent out Deep Space Recon missions to scour the galaxy and clean up the remnants of the Hedalt Empire. Eventually, we found only ghosts – empty outposts and long-dead colonies. But, close to the edge of known space, I – Captain Taylor Ray – and my crew are about to make a discovery that will change everything.

The war isn’t over. The war has yet to begin.

Genres: Science Fiction, Military Fiction, Space Opera, Aliens, Amazon

293 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 20, 2019

About the author

G J Ogden is a proud recipient of the Kindle Storyteller Award and has written over 50 books that have garnered over 15,000 5-star ratings. When he’s not writing, G J Ogden is usually getting whooped in games of Warhammer 40K by his son. Unless he’s playing Adepta Sororitas, then he wins.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if Aliens Attacked, Earth Beat them back… and then on the edges of space we find The Contingency?

When it comes to indie books the premise is key. And boy is the premise for The Contingency all kinds of intriguing. I’d line up all day for an alien invasion story… but what if that’s already come and been beaten back? Instead you’re on a mission to recon deep space for the alien remnants that escaped… I know, right?! I had to check it out.

Did The Contingency live up to this Fangirl’s excitement?
The first 30% of The Contingency was so tight I was immediately drawn in. We start at the end of a long haul deep space recon mission when we meet our 4-person crew. They’re clearly comfortable with each other, some more than others, and work well together. And I could feel the bond between them. We learn they were paired deliberately due to personality compatibility. This was a neat fact that characterized how deeply the author thought about his universe. And I was hooked!

I wanted to be on Captain Taylor Ray’s crew too.
To be honest I wasn’t in love with either Casey or Blake, two of our 4-person crew, who open the book. They seemed like two crew members who got along well due to sharing similar outlooks on life. No, I love me the serious, quietly commanding types. Men like Captain Taylor Ray.

I totally loved how connected he was to crew mate Satomi. To the point they could recognize the signs when one was stressed or knew they were pushing it. But being captain and crew they kept it friendly yet professional. You could feel their emotions simmering under the surface. It added much needed tension to this final outpost check. I wanted them to be able to go home and advance their relationship.

The Hedalt race is clever, cagey and cruel.
We tightly focus on our small crew as they follow a signal to a hidden outpost. I loved how in the moment the story was, they have a mission, steps to follow before they can return to earth. The immediacy of the search and the suddenness of their findings made for an explosive climax.

For a few beats I was confused what was happening and felt the need to read furiously to find out what Taylor Ray concludes. It’s a shocking twist! I was truly floored. Even if you don’t fall for the crew like I did and feel the clenching in your gut over events… you’ll still love the truth that’s revealed.

The Contingency sets up the start to a fantastic sci-fi war.
Captain Taylor Ray has a lot to figure out. And we get to explore a bit of his new mission with him. It gives us a glimpse into what he’s getting into and how creative this war is going to get. I have no doubt that the sequel is going to take us on another tight, intimate, tense, action packed new adventure.

But the end was anti-climatic.
We have this intimate beginning that builds to a flabbergasting twist. We get some answers too. But they lead to an overwhelming number of possible directions to go from here. It’s intriguing, I want to read the sequel. But the contrast was stark. Too stark. It doesn’t make for a satisfying end. That may just be the heavy lot a first book has to bear…

The Contingency is the first installment of what is sure to be a fabulous sci-fi war. We have some aliens who are incredibly clever and creative. And Captain Taylor Ray is going to go head to head with them! If you enjoy intimate, focused adventures with flabbergasting twists then you need this now.

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing:
Verbose, with overlong sentences. Everything explained truly well, including the obvious, which really takes the fun out of things. Repetitive. Juvenile humour. Overabundance of metaphors. Some grammatical blunders. The writing irritated me so much that I had a hard time immersing myself into the story.
With the plot twist in the middle of the book, the writing became tighter and more focussed for a while, but then wandered off again into over-explaining mode. It almost felt as if written by somebody else for a while. Alas, ...

The characters:
Barely developed characters. Interchangeable and immature. Casey reminded me of Jar Jar Binks and was really annoying. The Hedalt remained blanks. In that case it would have been nice to get at least a little information. If the humans didn’t know what the Hedalt look like, why not say so? Did I miss something in the beginning?

The plot:
Light space opera. Not a lot of world building, very little backstory.
Nice twist in the middle. It took the tale into a more unusual direction and offered something new. The next major plot development after that was a bit too much too soon. It all needed more depth, there wasn‘t enough meat to it.
The epilogue (wasn‘t called that, but felt like it) was nice. The story idea was not bad and had its moments.
I wish the first half of the book had been only half or a third as long. As it was, the plotting felt uneven.

Would I recommend this or get it for a friend? No.

I received this free e-copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley as well as BookSirens, in exchange for an honest review, thank you! Sorry, I just didn‘t like this much.

[Meenaz Lodhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We know what we are, but know not what we may be…”
What began as a normal space recon mission turned out into an intricate, intriguing mystery, with an amazing twist in the plot. An unsuspecting turn of events, and daunting revelations lend to the story sufficient spice to make it so exciting! The human soul and feelings come into play and forces a thoughtful and provocative debate. It’s about survival, courage and love. The storyline is very original and unique, a wonderful surprise! The characters are beautifully created with vivid detail. The gripping plot draws you in and holds you there. I’m keeping close tabs on this new Sci-fi series.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and my review is entirely voluntary.

[Christi M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a science fiction novel I see in two very different lights. The Contingency that I started reading and the one I ended with were so very different from each other. It was a cohesive story line, but the reality of the story I was reacting too at the beginning was not the one I was reading in the end.

Thoughts:
To be perfectly honest, I didn’t begin the story connecting with any of the characters. When the story opens the four-person crew is near the end of a long deep space recon mission and, to me, had perhaps become a bit lax in protocol or work place decorum. It is this lack of work place etiquette that really, really bothered me. Or perhaps I’ve seen too many Star Trek shows with its many protocols and regulations and when I see something that differs it doesn’t feel natural. Knowing the description of the book and how it relates to a war that may not have ended, I had hopes that perhaps Casey, whom I liked least, would be killed off early. (Probably not a good sign when you’re actually wanting one of the characters to be killed). I think the biggest issue is that it starts immediately. If I had seen the characters performing in an office-appropriate manner who then later had an uncharacteristic lack of decorum moment, I would have felt differently. But it didn’t, we’re introduced to this aspect first and then later is when we see the business side of them.

One of the ongoing themes within the book is how the four-person crew are matched together personality wise. Long deep space missions require so incredibly much from an individual – you are alone, isolated, and away from those who can help you should something go wrong. Therefore, certain personalities are required and how they are matched together perfectly is something that is thought about and discussed at multiple points within the novel. This is also why I suspect the story begins the way it did – introducing two characters who appreciated each other’s humor and silliness and showing us, the reader, this very specific important piece of information.

During the team’s recon mission they pick up an unusual reading and go to check it out. This then leads to a discovery about the Hedalt empire that completely surprises them. As the team begins to look into what was causing the unusual reading, I began noticing how much the book and its direction had shifted and changed. Issues that I had at the beginning of the book regarding the work place weren’t even something to notice and consider as I got further into the story. The story had changed so incredibly much that my perception of characters and reasons behind things had altered too.

Even though the last half of the book went better for me than the first half, I’m still not sure I ever truly connected with any of the characters and that may be ok, especially now that I know the entire story. What I can say is that as I progressed further into the book my perception of each one of them drastically changed. I also appreciated how the issues I had at the beginning were reduced enough for me to enjoy the book more for it’s actual story and not my own personal hang-ups.

Rating: 4 stars

[Charles Remington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captain Taylor Ray and his small crew of three are on a four-year mission to search the outer reaches of the galaxy for any remnants of the conquered Hedalt, an alien species against whom the earth has fought a terrible war. The Contingency, by SF author G.J. Ogden, tells how the crew receive a faint anomalous signal from a nearby planetary system, and believing it to be an old Hedalt beacon, they decide to investigate. Making landfall and after negotiating an ancient lava tube, they find what appears to be a long-deserted underground space station housing a large number of ships, repair shops and equipment. Shockingly, they also find stasis tubes containing the long-dead remains of Hedalt troopers - at least, that is how it appears until an empty stasis tube is discovered. So begins a desperate firefight - a fight against a seemingly invincible foe, but a fight that in the end leads to an astounding turn of events. Not to give away too much of the plot, I will simply say that from this point the narrative takes an astonishing and unexpected turn and we find that far from being over, as Captain Taylor Ray and his crew believed, the war against the Hedalt has hardly begun.

The Contingency is classic space opera, though I must say that the author G.J. Ogden has included some cunning twists in his tale which managed to surprise even this old experienced reviewer. The book is well-written, with a pace just a little slower than average in places. The characters are solid, rounded and believable and the situations, though sometimes necessarily complex, are lucidly described. As a fan of the genre, I enjoyed The Contingency - I think Mr Ogden has launched what I believe will be a very successful new series. Highly recommended - sci-fi fans will not be disappointed with this novel.

[Space Cowgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghost👻In The Machine🚀💫

"Every living creature in the universe wants something and is willing to take it by force. "

It's Deep Space💫, and YOU Are There.
It's Bold, it's Realistic, it's Streaming, it should be a 🎥Movie! It's a book that will totally immerse you in it's realism.
This is the best sci-fi🚀 I have read in years! The characters are real people with wants, needs, feelings. They are the best at what they do, but they aren't superheroes.

What a book! Gifted author, Ogden📚, writes an extremely realistic tale of a small human crew in a deep space💫 mop up operation. There was a knock down, drag out war with a horrid alien species called the Hedalt👺, and The humans won.

The four man crew, two women and two men, are sent on a years long voyage to the outer reaches of space to seek and destroy the last remnants of the Hedalt👺 alien forces. They must be completely exterminated, such is the awful and extreme nature of the ancient alien species, who had spread widely across the universe. They are a threat to mankind.

The crew has equipment to seek out the electronic signals particular to the alien's bases and technology. Throughout their searching, they only get 👻ghost signals, the Hedalt👺 bases they locate have already been destroyed or abandoned or the signals are false echoes.

Until one day, near the very end of their years in space💫, they get a signal from the last star✨ system they visit that seems real. They have to check it out.........
Every Single One Of us Has The Devil Inside.

ARC Received from Booksprout🌱
I both this ebook for $.99 on Amazon
Opinions Expressed here are entirely my own.

This book is part of a new series.

[Jash · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Contingency is the first book of the Contingency War series by G.J.Ogden. The book follows the adventures and revelations of Casey Valera, Blake Meade, Taylor Ray, and Satomi Rose. The four are part of a crew that looks for the remnants of an evil race of aliens that had tried to exterminate humanity.


In this kind of book it is obvious there is going to be a twist. The thing though is trying to guess what category that twist will fall into. If it will be something like humans were the enemies all along or something else. The twist comes around the midpoint of the book and is a shock. If the author hadn't developed the characters well enough then the twist wouldn't have had as much of an impact.


One of the things a first book in a series needs to do is draw your interest to the point you have to read the next book but it still feels like a self-contained story. In fact, that goes for any book in a series but is more important in the first of a series as the ball needs to get rolling somehow. This book does a good job with having a gripping plot, good characters, and a plot that can continue to the next book.


I would recommend this to any science fiction fan that likes a mystery.

[Nina Wendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

the book had a unique approach to a space war and genocide of a species. When the twist came I was really surprised. But the twist made the book and now I cant wait to read the whole series. I also liked the development of the characters and was rooting for them. You just meet the protagonist in this book and they seem to kick the story and the potential to where the story can go up several levels. I am anxious to see where it does go!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Greg Braden · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Premise here is totally new to me . Great Idea . Excellent Character introduction and build-up . I read it , all at once . It keeps pulling at you . I'll be buying the rest of the series . Thanks .

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing space story. This is not my usually genre, but I’m definitely hooked now. Totally intriguing until the end. Don’t miss out once it’s released.

[Nooilforpacifists · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review covers the entire “G. J. Ogden’s ‘Contingency War’ Series.” And I am not making this up.

I’ve always hand insomnia. When I was a kid, a read the latest Heinlein or Azimov strip from the SF magazines, with a flashlight, under my blanket. (This may have been the reason I did not read much fantasy growing up: scary stuff won’t put you to sleep.) Later, I read military (particularly naval) history books. But well-written non-fiction books also keep you awake.

Over the years, I’ve tried other remedies. Drugs—OTC and prescription. All of them. Sometimes in dangerous combinations. The idea is to knock me out with a wham without making me a morning zombie. The problem is not so much addiction, but getting used to it, so needing ever increasing doses. Nicht so gut.

I’ve tried Transcendental Meditation—took the course in the early 1970s with money earned from working as a cashier. Paid what I think was $25: a lot back then. It was a six-week course, yet I only remember the last day when we were assigned our personal mantras. One-by-one, we went to the guru, who whispered in our ear some meaningless phonemes , followed by a warning to keep all mantras secret. Sixty years later, I never have told anyone my three-syllable mantra. Yet doesn’t everyone think there might be only one mantra given to everyone, then placed under double-secret probation? Anyway, the point is TM is helps if I want to meditate during the day. But it doesn’t get me to sleep.

I also have tried similar phycological gimmicks. Basically, they are designed to slow your thoughts, wipe out daily or long-term concerns, and leave you with nothing but blackness. Blackness matters, to be sure, and if I can get to a fully black environment, I usually sleep. Unfortunately, that is the rare event.

I still read before I sleep, as I’m sure everyone here does. And, at this point—if you’ve made it to this point—you must be saying, “What does this have to do with G. J. Ogden?” Before I answer that, I’ll say that whenever I read a SF, Fantasy, or Techno-thriller written by an author using initials instead of a name, I assume it’s written by a woman. In this case, I’m too lazy to look it up, but I’ll use the feminine pronoun not because I’m Woke, but because I suspect it’s accurate.

Anyway, to continue not to talk about the books, my doctor suggested I might have sleep apnea. And if you’ve ever had that diagnosis, you know what it entails: two nights of sleeping at the basement of some suburban shopping mall with 47/11 wires hooked up to every part of your body. Thinking about peeing is difficult. But if you do, the helpful staff will rush in, unhook you (briefly) from the master control box) and allow me some privacy away from the cameras. Sounds, and is awful.

Your reward for all this diagnosis of profound sleep apnea (how did we not notice those brain cells disappearing before?) is a life sentence to a sleep machine. These machines ensure that enough we breathe through our nose, not mouth, so sufficient Oxygen circulates to keep us alive until there is still less social security. But both at the sleep test and afterward at home, with my machine, any woman would think I look like an alien. I was told “do everything you normally do.” So I did.

Now the wonderful KateBlue recommended the Contingency War Series, and I downloaded all four books the day before my first sleep test. I am astonished to find universal 4 and 5 star ratings for the series. Because my reaction was quite different.

Ms Ogden’s prose is so stilted that she cured my insomnia. Really. At least when reading her books. At the cost of a Kindle. You see, after completing all my ablutions, when I finally lay down in the darkness and started reading any of the four “Contingency War” books (2: The Way Station Gambit; 3: Rise of Nimrod’s Fleet; 4: Earth’s Last War), my eyes would close on their own command. Then I would fall asleep. Then the Kindle would fall out of my right hand and take a hard bounce off the concrete or hardwood floor. So much so that I had to return to my prior Kindle, with its iffy power cord connection.

Ms. Ogden cannot write. Her characters were cardboard—and yes, I know four of them were intended to be cardboard. Yet simply nothing in his series made any sense or was the least bit interesting. I am tempted to buy another of her series and see if it’s similarly bad. But I thought putting this review on-line might guide my path.

Stay away.

[Don Viecelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Book Review Number 186:

This review is on The Contingency, Part One Of The Contingency War Series by G.J. Ogden. This is the second book I have read by this author. It is very good Space Opera Military Science Fiction story with strong characters, military action scenes and a surprising storyline twist in the middle of the story.

The story opens with several likeable characters on a spaceship in deep space conducting search and destroy mission looking for enemy aliens called Hedalt that attacked Earth and tried to eliminate all of mankind.

The first character, Casey Valera, is the pilot. Blake Meade is a technical specialist along with Satomi Rose. Taylor Ray is the Captain of the ship. They have been together on this mission for four years, which will be completed in two weeks before returning to Earth.

Their mission is to find any Hedalt outposts or colonies left in the galaxy in order to exterminate them once and for all. So far they have not found a single alien until they receive a weak signal over the super-luminal transceivers called the Fabric, which is a vast network of nodes or wormholes that stretch across the galaxy built by the Hedalt. These wormholes called threads is a super-highway for FTL navigation between stars.

The crew follows the signal to the deepest reaches of space and what they find causes total disruptions to their mission. Things are not what they seem and this causes the storyline to take a sharp turn to the unexpected with profound effects on the crew’s lives.

I give this book Five Stars because the story is very suspenseful, entertaining, mysterious and shocking with a totally unexpected twist. The characters are strong, likeable and easy to identify with. The plot is thrilling and holds your attention in almost every scene. The dialogue and writing style are excellent. The science is original. I look forward to reading the next book in this series to see what happens.

Keep reading good science fiction and let me know when you find an interesting novel or author.

[Chris Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out rather juvenile. I almost gave up on it, but decided to go on a bit more as it flowed quickly. Half way through things changed; an unexpected plot twist and I was suddenly intrigued. (I love it when an author surprises me).
I rated it three, but really the first part was a two, and the second half close to a four. Here's hoping book two is as good as the second half of this one.

[Eric Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contingency is a fun romp in a new universe with a likeable bunch of characters. And just when you're getting comfortable, the twists and turns hit you like a steamroller. The only thing keeping this from being five stars is the constantly shifting POV's, which is a pet peeve of mine. But it won't keep me from reading the next installment!

[Jas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what one could only call an intriguing and fascinating story. Ogden writes really interesting stories that have incredibly in-depth backgrounds to them, you find yourself quickly immersed in a Universe that has been really well thought out.
Taylor Ray, Captain of an Earth Recon vessel, is deep in space, with only 2wks left of a 4 year mission. He and his crew, Casey Valera their Pilot, Blake Meade their Tac Specialist and Satomi Rose, their Tech Specialist, have all been cruising through space hunting for signs of Earths greatest enemy, the Hedalt.
The Hedalt were an alien race that came to Earth, initially seeming to come in peace, before, as it seems in most cases, war broke out, and the only way for humanity to win was the total annihilation of the Hedalt homeworld – Humanity nuked it from orbit, ‘just to make sure’.
The crew is intensely close, each crew member having been psychologically picked to be compatible with each other, and this has resulted in the crew forming strong bonds.
At the start of the book, they discover a beacon, and have to go and check it out, to make sure that it is not something that is nefarious.
It is here, that things start to become really interesting, as Captain Taylor Rays world is turned on its head in a way that he would never have believed.
I can’t really go further without giving away huge spoilers, but needless to say, the base that they discover has ramifications not just for the crew, and for Taylor, but for all of humanity (and possibly for the Hedalt as well).
As with all his books, Ogden’s characters are just brilliant.
The Captain is such a complex character, and the way he develops throughout this story is makes for really compelling reading. This is both a really gripping Mil Sci-Fi story, that is about the future of humanity, and it is really interesting, with outstanding tech, brilliant action scenes, and a clever and creative storyline. But one of its really clever and masterful bits of writing, is the psychological aspects of the character work, especially that relating to the Captain, and how he develops and changes as a result of the mission that occurs. I really don’t want to give too much away, but the writing is remarkable, and Ogden has done such a stunning job of capturing the Captain, portraying the gritty realism of his situation, that it seems so real, it is really well done.
The dialogue, and interplay between the other characters was also just brilliant, again, incredibly realistic for the dynamic that they were in, and it is this quality of writing that really makes a story so much better.
Overall, this was a fantastic first part to the story, and I can’t wait for part 2, and to see how this plays out!!
If you love a good mystery, a good Mil Sci-Fi, then grab this, you won’t be disappointed, the writing is exceptional!!

[John Purvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author G. J. Ogden (https://www.ogdenmedia.net) published the novel “The Contingency” in 2019. Mr. Ogden has published eight science fiction novels and novellas. This is the first of four novels in the 'Contingency War' series. 

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in the far future. The primary characters are ship Captain Taylor Ray and the three other crewmembers of his deep space reconnaissance vessel.

The Hedalt had attacked Earth. Earth's forces had responded and had driven off the Hedalt. Earth put an end to the threat with the destruction of the Hedalt homeworld.

Ray's reconnaissance mission is part of an effort to find and destroy any remnants of the Hedalt. They didn't expect to find anything but 'ghosts' - long-abandoned outposts and bases. They find far more than they were expecting.

I enjoyed the 5.5 hours I spent reading this 289-page science fiction novel. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a 3.8 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

[Duncan Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Incomplete - even for a first book in series

I've read Ogden's books before and they have generally been pretty good and scientifically accurate. This book is what I would call a lazy series starter. Not enough of the story is presented to really determine if it's worth the $$ to buy the second one.
This one just meanders and toward the end we finally get a sense of what the second book might be about, but it ends before any real working relationship or otherwise can be developed between the two main characters. Waaaayyyy too much time is devoted to the initial crew, especially when you learn they aren't the main story line, but possibly a secondary story line in the next book - maybe. Why maybe?, well the original crew actually completes a mission and you get a sense of how they work together. The two main characters don't complete a mission, they just shoot a bad guy to take control of an asteroid station, and it's assumed we have a couple of buddies who will work together.

Other Ogden books are better, and I surely don't recommend this one. Interesting plot, but very poorly executed.

[Kevin Pimbblet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Candidly, I'm torn on how to rate this book. The premise of the series is excellent territory: humans have fought a war with a different species, won, and all but destroyed them. Small crews are employed to eliminate any remnants of them from the rest of known space. The first part of the book introduces us to one such crew and provides a tight introduction to the book and the overall series. Then there is THE TWIST. Fantastic stuff. And one that I will not spoil here. The other parts of the book I found to be less engaging than the rest and I also wondered about the aliens who didn't engage in space travel but had all sorts of other interesting technology and were everywhere. 5/5 for the twist though! Recommended!

[John JJJJJJJJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hedalt, humanoid alien creatures, invaded Earth. However, the Earthlings were prepared and repelled the invasion. Decades later, the Earth Fleet travels into space to "cleanse" the remnants of the Hedalt empire. Arriving on a moon, Captain Taylor's crew finds the remains of a Hedalt ship.

Interestingly, unlike other military science fiction works, the plot doesn't take place during the war, but afterward. So, there's no huge space battle.

There are two protagonists; we follow Casey (first half) and Captain Taylor (second half).

Furthermore, the author's writing style is simple, and the English is easy to understand.

[RBSProds · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Contingency” by G. J. Ogden, Book 1 of 4 in “The Contingency War” series. Captain Taylor Ray and a nicely-defined crew of 3 on a Nimrod-class Deep Space Recon ship, nearing 4 years of duty, are looking for remnants of something elusive, maybe something impossible to find, to bring things to a conclusion. This is the beginning of a fascinating, twisty space adventure that is all about the unexpected. Based on the book’s last sentence, make no assumptions about the future, be openminded, and buckle up. On to Book 2. Highly Recommended. Five INTRIGUING Stars. Kindle, via BookBub, 287 pages.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone wants something and will use force to get it. They try to invade earth but everyone was ready for them. They were pushed back and even had their planet destroy. He has to seek any they have missed but he is for a shock, it seems the war is not even begun. What have they found? Can they be destroyed? See what is about to happen

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[M.J. Blehart]

A flawed effort

The overall concept of this novel intrigued me. But then, a couple of missed errors and jarring jumps in character perspective later, I found myself struggling to get through it. But I gave it a chance, as the premise intrigued me. Then, a hard left turn plot twist threw me off further. With apologies to the author, I've no interest in reading the rest of this series. YMMV.

[Robert Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprising twist

Thoroughly enjoyed. The crew interactions were very believable and did not indicate the actual story line that followed the initial part of the story. The premise that earth had been attacked by aliens and crews had been sent to search for any survivors was eventually turned on its ear in a very surprising way.

[Stefanos Kouzof · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice series nicely written, but the plot has a huuuuge hole. Most of the alien species can't stand space travel, but they are .. everywhere. And plasma weapons are definitely not firing "shards".
Why is it so difficult for a writer to know what he's writing about? Or for a science fiction writer to know some bits of science? Am I asking too much?

[David Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Narrated Story

The author narrates the story between the bits of dialog. He is setting up scenery, history, and plot. So as you learn to recognize the first sentences of the narration you can start skimming the text until the next bit of dialog which makes the reading go much faster.
I do like the story idea.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe Truth

Great first book of a series. Half the book I thought I was on one side of a mirror looking into it, then the second half I was in the mirror looking back at me. Creative twist on reality and what do you do when the ‘unreal’ becomes ‘real’. Interesting interweaving of characters giving reader tuff time figuring out real from imaginary events happening.

[PF Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am reading the next book in the series. I wouldn't have done that if I was not engaged in the story line. All books have weak spots (including mine), My judgments are aggregate, and overall, I am enjoying reading the series.
PF Walsh

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast Read / Good Pacing

It’s an interesting take on this genre. Was not quite expecting the plot twist; I almost put it down because of it. However, the book got better as I read it.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captain Taylor Ray and his crew are on a four year mission to search out and destroy any leftover Hedalt, Aliens that waged war against humans. The Hedalt were not suited for space travel. Then the captain makes an incredible discovery.

[Debra H. Wruble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind blowing

Well written story about a crew on a ship in the universe, searching for alien outposts in order to destroy them. Things aren't what they seem, and the crew may not be who or what they thought they we. Great read