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Farhope
Rediscovered after being lost for three hundred years and suffering the effects of an asteroid strike, the world of Pharann is the site of the Terran Hegemony's newest naval base in its war with the alien Gara'nesh. Pharann's regressed but still civilized population has been targeted for exploitation. All that stands in the way of their societal destruction is Naval Intelligence analyst Lieutenant Commander Jade Lafrey. Forming an unlikely alliance with a young native healer and a missionary priest she confronts an implacable foe who always seems to be one move ahead...
- GenresScience Fiction
291 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 10, 2019
8 people want to read
About the author
Andrew M. Seddon
33 books25 followersI was born in England, but have lived most of my life in the US... upstate NY, Maryland, West Virginia, and for the past 30 years, Montana. I am semi-retired, and my wonderful wife Olivia (a veterinarian) and I divide our time between Montana and Florida. Our dogs - Rex ,my German Shepherd, and Bakhita, Olivia's Chiweenie - love both places as well.
I began writing in 1990, both fiction and non-fiction. My genres are science fiction, historical fiction, and supernatural fiction (I don't like the term horror, but that's what Goodreads had me choose). I like mixing genres.
When not writing, my wife and I can be found running marathons, hiking, or travelling.
I began writing in 1990, both fiction and non-fiction. My genres are science fiction, historical fiction, and supernatural fiction (I don't like the term horror, but that's what Goodreads had me choose). I like mixing genres.
When not writing, my wife and I can be found running marathons, hiking, or travelling.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 7, 2020
Note, April 7, 2020: I've just edited this review again to make a factual correction. NOW, it should be in final form! :-)
Note, April 6, 2020: I've just edited out the reference to "faster-than-light" travel here, which was my layman's way of expressing the idea of traversing distances between stars in less time than a ray of light would. However, Andrew explained his concept this way: "There is really no FTL travel. My idea of hyperspace is that in higher dimensions real space is crumpled up, like a sheet of paper crumpled into a ball, so that it brings parts that in normal space are far apart to be close together (in a random fashion) in hyperspace. The ships travel at sub-luminal speeds, but have vastly shorter distances to travel. The “transition waves” are the ripples in normal space caused by ships entering and exiting hyperspace. Since the dimensional crumpling is unpredictable, routes in hyperspace have to be discovered and mapped before ships can traverse them." Hope this clarification is helpful to SF fans more knowledgeable about physics than I am! :-)
While the author and I have been Internet friends for about 16 years, his status as one of my favorite authors isn't due to the friendship, but to the consistently high quality of his writing. Much of his output of both long and short fiction is in the SF genre; and while this body of his work isn't a series as such, all of it falls into an overarching conception of far-future fictional history. (The dating is a bit hazy in my memory, because it's been a while since I read the older books and I don't have them in front of me.) Red Planet Rising (1995) is set early in the history of human expansion beyond Earth, when a small settlement exists on Mars. Some time after this, in the 23rd century, the discovery of "hyperspace waves" and the technology to exploit them led to a subsequent surge of human settlement through much of the galaxy. Most of the colonies planted by these original settlers, though, lacked the human and physical resources to maintain high technology or contact with Earth, and so "regressed" to various degrees, materially and culturally. By the 25th century, Earth had fallen under the sway of a totalitarian world government, the Hegemony, which had ambitions to become a galactic government. Under its auspices, the second wave of (better-financed and supported) expansion began, with the goal of re-discovering the previously settled worlds and bringing them under the Hegemony heel --and, in the case of those considered too "regressed," subjecting their populations to ethnocide or genocide. Iron Scepter (2000) tells of the beginning of the decades-long war waged between the Hegemony and the only alien space-faring race it encountered, the Gara'nesh. The story collections The Deathcats of Asa'ican and Other Tales of a Space Vet and Ring of Time: Tales of a Time Traveling Historian in the Roman Empire are set some centuries later, after the Hegemony has fallen and been flushed down the drain of history.
The novel that introduced fictional heroine Jade Lafrey, Wreaths of Empire (2015), is set in the 26th century, when the Hegemony is still gripping human-colonized space and the Gara'nesh war is still dragging bloodily on. Farhope, named for a recently re-discovered star handily located astride hyperspace waves leading to Gara'nesh space, is a prequel novel to that one. The only habitable planet (Pharann, a corruption of "Far Run") in the system was settled some 300 years earlier by Roman Catholic refugees seeking religious freedom. Now, their planet is the site of a Hegemony (space) Naval base; and while they aren't classified as regressed enough for immediate extermination, they're without any rights and slated for ethnocide and exploitation. Some of that exploitation can be particularly nasty, since (like any system with no ethics and no accountability) the Hegemony has plenty of officials prone to self-serving corruption. But, while the Hegemony has its cadres of fanatics (especially in the feared Political and Ideological Sector, its version of the KGB or Gestapo), not all of its military personnel, or even all of its higher functionaries, are necessarily mindless True Believers.
Newly fledged Lt. Commander Jade Lafrey of Naval Intelligence, a decorated hero of the Battle of Felton 114 (which was described at the beginning of Wreaths of Empire) five years previous, has been posted to Pharann at the request of the sector's governor --although his role in the decision, and her private channel to report to him, isn't for public disclosure. Jade's a smart, decent lady with linguistic and intelligence analysis skills that serve her well, who serves capably as a military officer in wartime and packs a pistol, but who's committed to the cause of ultimate peace. She's also a sincere Catholic herself, raised in that faith (as are several of Andrew's fictional protagonists; he was himself an adult convert from Anglicanism), part of a small religious minority grudgingly tolerated by the Hegemony because it's small, and distrusted by the Political sector even though the Navy needs and values her abilities for its war effort. Though she's sympathetic to the Pharanni, she's not sure she can help them in any way. But as it turns out, her predecessor was murdered, knifed in a dark alley by assailants assumed to be local (but were they?), and there may be some things going on which are untoward and illegal even by the Hegemony's lax standards....
This is a thoroughly gripping novel with a strong heroine, which exhibits many of the strengths of the author's work: excellent, life-like characterizations, well-crafted prose, capable world building, and a solid moral and spiritual vision. As Political officer Capt. Sholto realizes, we have a conflict of worldviews going on here: human freedom vs. totalitarianism; traditional ethics centered in the intrinsic value of other human beings vs. moral nihilism and denial of intrinsic human worth; Christian faith vs. aggressive and intolerant secularism and atheistic materialism. On Pharann, these play out especially in the area of medical ethics, with the traditional concept of "do no harm" pitted against the "eliminate the weak and unfit" school of thought. (It's not coincidental that Andrew is a medical doctor, who faces this conflict in real life as all modern health-care workers do.) All of these are conflicts taken directly from the real world. But the conflict plays out in the action of the story itself, not in long-winded ideological disputations. And not every loose end is going to be resolved (though I won't engage in any spoilers!); that's not a structural flaw in the novel, but a recognition that in real life, conflicts and challenges are always ongoing.
While this could be called military SF and has some space combat content (IMO, it might appeal to fans of David Weber's On Basilisk Station --both novels got five stars from me!-- though it's without Weber's bad language and info-dumps; if they ever met, I suspect Jade and Honor Harrington would like and respect each other from the get-go :-) ), it's centered around the human element, not around military technology and long expositions of how it works.
By way of full disclosure, I beta read the first draft of this novel about three years ago (and Andrew kindly mentions me in the front matter), and he gave me a free copy of the published version, with no pressure for a favorable review. I'd have given the first draft five stars; and if anything, I'd say this one is better!
Note, April 6, 2020: I've just edited out the reference to "faster-than-light" travel here, which was my layman's way of expressing the idea of traversing distances between stars in less time than a ray of light would. However, Andrew explained his concept this way: "There is really no FTL travel. My idea of hyperspace is that in higher dimensions real space is crumpled up, like a sheet of paper crumpled into a ball, so that it brings parts that in normal space are far apart to be close together (in a random fashion) in hyperspace. The ships travel at sub-luminal speeds, but have vastly shorter distances to travel. The “transition waves” are the ripples in normal space caused by ships entering and exiting hyperspace. Since the dimensional crumpling is unpredictable, routes in hyperspace have to be discovered and mapped before ships can traverse them." Hope this clarification is helpful to SF fans more knowledgeable about physics than I am! :-)
While the author and I have been Internet friends for about 16 years, his status as one of my favorite authors isn't due to the friendship, but to the consistently high quality of his writing. Much of his output of both long and short fiction is in the SF genre; and while this body of his work isn't a series as such, all of it falls into an overarching conception of far-future fictional history. (The dating is a bit hazy in my memory, because it's been a while since I read the older books and I don't have them in front of me.) Red Planet Rising (1995) is set early in the history of human expansion beyond Earth, when a small settlement exists on Mars. Some time after this, in the 23rd century, the discovery of "hyperspace waves" and the technology to exploit them led to a subsequent surge of human settlement through much of the galaxy. Most of the colonies planted by these original settlers, though, lacked the human and physical resources to maintain high technology or contact with Earth, and so "regressed" to various degrees, materially and culturally. By the 25th century, Earth had fallen under the sway of a totalitarian world government, the Hegemony, which had ambitions to become a galactic government. Under its auspices, the second wave of (better-financed and supported) expansion began, with the goal of re-discovering the previously settled worlds and bringing them under the Hegemony heel --and, in the case of those considered too "regressed," subjecting their populations to ethnocide or genocide. Iron Scepter (2000) tells of the beginning of the decades-long war waged between the Hegemony and the only alien space-faring race it encountered, the Gara'nesh. The story collections The Deathcats of Asa'ican and Other Tales of a Space Vet and Ring of Time: Tales of a Time Traveling Historian in the Roman Empire are set some centuries later, after the Hegemony has fallen and been flushed down the drain of history.
The novel that introduced fictional heroine Jade Lafrey, Wreaths of Empire (2015), is set in the 26th century, when the Hegemony is still gripping human-colonized space and the Gara'nesh war is still dragging bloodily on. Farhope, named for a recently re-discovered star handily located astride hyperspace waves leading to Gara'nesh space, is a prequel novel to that one. The only habitable planet (Pharann, a corruption of "Far Run") in the system was settled some 300 years earlier by Roman Catholic refugees seeking religious freedom. Now, their planet is the site of a Hegemony (space) Naval base; and while they aren't classified as regressed enough for immediate extermination, they're without any rights and slated for ethnocide and exploitation. Some of that exploitation can be particularly nasty, since (like any system with no ethics and no accountability) the Hegemony has plenty of officials prone to self-serving corruption. But, while the Hegemony has its cadres of fanatics (especially in the feared Political and Ideological Sector, its version of the KGB or Gestapo), not all of its military personnel, or even all of its higher functionaries, are necessarily mindless True Believers.
Newly fledged Lt. Commander Jade Lafrey of Naval Intelligence, a decorated hero of the Battle of Felton 114 (which was described at the beginning of Wreaths of Empire) five years previous, has been posted to Pharann at the request of the sector's governor --although his role in the decision, and her private channel to report to him, isn't for public disclosure. Jade's a smart, decent lady with linguistic and intelligence analysis skills that serve her well, who serves capably as a military officer in wartime and packs a pistol, but who's committed to the cause of ultimate peace. She's also a sincere Catholic herself, raised in that faith (as are several of Andrew's fictional protagonists; he was himself an adult convert from Anglicanism), part of a small religious minority grudgingly tolerated by the Hegemony because it's small, and distrusted by the Political sector even though the Navy needs and values her abilities for its war effort. Though she's sympathetic to the Pharanni, she's not sure she can help them in any way. But as it turns out, her predecessor was murdered, knifed in a dark alley by assailants assumed to be local (but were they?), and there may be some things going on which are untoward and illegal even by the Hegemony's lax standards....
This is a thoroughly gripping novel with a strong heroine, which exhibits many of the strengths of the author's work: excellent, life-like characterizations, well-crafted prose, capable world building, and a solid moral and spiritual vision. As Political officer Capt. Sholto realizes, we have a conflict of worldviews going on here: human freedom vs. totalitarianism; traditional ethics centered in the intrinsic value of other human beings vs. moral nihilism and denial of intrinsic human worth; Christian faith vs. aggressive and intolerant secularism and atheistic materialism. On Pharann, these play out especially in the area of medical ethics, with the traditional concept of "do no harm" pitted against the "eliminate the weak and unfit" school of thought. (It's not coincidental that Andrew is a medical doctor, who faces this conflict in real life as all modern health-care workers do.) All of these are conflicts taken directly from the real world. But the conflict plays out in the action of the story itself, not in long-winded ideological disputations. And not every loose end is going to be resolved (though I won't engage in any spoilers!); that's not a structural flaw in the novel, but a recognition that in real life, conflicts and challenges are always ongoing.
While this could be called military SF and has some space combat content (IMO, it might appeal to fans of David Weber's On Basilisk Station --both novels got five stars from me!-- though it's without Weber's bad language and info-dumps; if they ever met, I suspect Jade and Honor Harrington would like and respect each other from the get-go :-) ), it's centered around the human element, not around military technology and long expositions of how it works.
By way of full disclosure, I beta read the first draft of this novel about three years ago (and Andrew kindly mentions me in the front matter), and he gave me a free copy of the published version, with no pressure for a favorable review. I'd have given the first draft five stars; and if anything, I'd say this one is better!
April 23, 2020
From beginning to end I enjoyed this richly descriptive and action-packed book. Richly descriptive without getting bogged down in details and flowery language. Action-packed without sacrificing plot or character development. Seddon is a talented writer and Farhope is a wonderful example of his talent. If you prefer the technology and details of serious hard-core Science Fiction this might not be for you, but if you enjoy Space Opera with enough technical details to keep it real wrapped around an interesting tale, this is a good choice.
Jade is a well-constructed main character. Though a Christian she still makes hard decisions that force her out of the standard mold and leave her questioning. She is strong, smart, likeable … and sensitive without being maudlin.
Dan’el is an intense character, if young. Mistrustful of the Terrans and their offers of help, he speaks out against them to his detriment. He clings to his integrity with a firm determination even when the cost of doing so is high. Admirable and likable, I could see him carry a book on his own.
The supporting cast is also well-developed. More than one-dimensional with no more purpose than to give the MC support, Kerry Nolan, the Star Priest, Mannon, a servant, and Emmers, Jade’s aide, to name just a few, each have distinctive characteristics and feel real. And not to forget the antagonists, Captain Sholto is suitably creepy and unlikable.
Then there’s the ever-present general enemy, the Gara’nesh. Like a cloud on the horizon, their threatening presence hovers in the background until they make a brief appearance at the end. With strong support for endless war and a desire for peace found only within a few individuals, I felt there is much fertile ground still to be plowed within this future universe, especially with questions regarding the integrity of the Hegemony and the actions of their Political operatives. I found myself questioning who the true enemies of Christian charity and human decency were, the Gara’nesh or the Hegemony. Seddon leaves the reader hanging on that one, opening the door for another novel perhaps. He has certainly created a universe worthy of more exploration.
Jade is a well-constructed main character. Though a Christian she still makes hard decisions that force her out of the standard mold and leave her questioning. She is strong, smart, likeable … and sensitive without being maudlin.
Dan’el is an intense character, if young. Mistrustful of the Terrans and their offers of help, he speaks out against them to his detriment. He clings to his integrity with a firm determination even when the cost of doing so is high. Admirable and likable, I could see him carry a book on his own.
The supporting cast is also well-developed. More than one-dimensional with no more purpose than to give the MC support, Kerry Nolan, the Star Priest, Mannon, a servant, and Emmers, Jade’s aide, to name just a few, each have distinctive characteristics and feel real. And not to forget the antagonists, Captain Sholto is suitably creepy and unlikable.
Then there’s the ever-present general enemy, the Gara’nesh. Like a cloud on the horizon, their threatening presence hovers in the background until they make a brief appearance at the end. With strong support for endless war and a desire for peace found only within a few individuals, I felt there is much fertile ground still to be plowed within this future universe, especially with questions regarding the integrity of the Hegemony and the actions of their Political operatives. I found myself questioning who the true enemies of Christian charity and human decency were, the Gara’nesh or the Hegemony. Seddon leaves the reader hanging on that one, opening the door for another novel perhaps. He has certainly created a universe worthy of more exploration.
May 3, 2020
Nice tale with no real hope
As a purely sci-fi tale, it was good. But I purchased it as Christian fiction. That it was not.
The characters were well done, the plot was intriguing, but the values were all worldly.
The Christianity is religious with no mentioned of reality of our savior or the power of His Holy Spirit. So, though I truly enjoyed the story, the ending left me feeling hollow.
As a purely sci-fi tale, it was good. But I purchased it as Christian fiction. That it was not.
The characters were well done, the plot was intriguing, but the values were all worldly.
The Christianity is religious with no mentioned of reality of our savior or the power of His Holy Spirit. So, though I truly enjoyed the story, the ending left me feeling hollow.
June 22, 2020
Great story!
Star Wars fans will love this story, though it has more in common with the prequels than the other movies. It's a blend of sci fi and fantasy with a low tech planet that has been rediscovered by the Hegemony. The book opens with the arrival of Jade to the planet Pharrun, an Intelligence officer. The other main point of view character is a young Healer named Dan'el, who is a native of Pharrun. The story unfolds as a Star Priest contingent crashes on the planet, bringing Jade into conflict with the evil faction of the Hegemony. It's a story of intrigue with a satisfying conclusion. I really enjoyed reading it!
Star Wars fans will love this story, though it has more in common with the prequels than the other movies. It's a blend of sci fi and fantasy with a low tech planet that has been rediscovered by the Hegemony. The book opens with the arrival of Jade to the planet Pharrun, an Intelligence officer. The other main point of view character is a young Healer named Dan'el, who is a native of Pharrun. The story unfolds as a Star Priest contingent crashes on the planet, bringing Jade into conflict with the evil faction of the Hegemony. It's a story of intrigue with a satisfying conclusion. I really enjoyed reading it!
June 22, 2020
Andrew M. Seddon's "Farhope" (loved the title as soon as I saw it) is a well-written, tightly woven science fiction novel that will satisfy you and keep you turning the pages. We find ourselves hundreds of years in the future at a time when humanity, known as Terrans, have expanded into the stars and discovered habitable new worlds.
At the time of the novel, humanity is at war with an alien race, the Gara’nesh, similar in power and style of civilization to humanity. By this time, mankind has formed what is called the Hegemony wherein "politicals" (reminded me of Soviet Union-style political officers) have a great deal of power and sway to carry out their ambitions, and where Christian beliefs are not looked upon favorably.
This novel begins on Pharann wherein a naval force has set up shop on the planet a year after a devastating asteroid struck the planet, tilting the world's simple populace toward a nuclear winter. The inhabitants of the planet have been deemed too low-grade to warrant protection or rights. Enter the lead, Jade Lafrey, an up-and-coming naval intelligence commander. We also follow a native apprentice healer known as Dan'el and his witty servant, Mannon, and are later introduced to a Star Priest known as Kerry Nolan. Captain Sholto is the political for Pharann, who does not get along with Jade.
As I said at the outset, the book draws you into the world of Pharann with likeable, realistic characters, a fast-moving plot, and a satisfying, straightforward finish. I was especially drawn to the naval battles and the overall worldbuilding of this future human society. I want to follow the exploits of Jade in the near future! The novel is clean so any age will enjoy it. Recommended!
-Sean Elliot Russell
At the time of the novel, humanity is at war with an alien race, the Gara’nesh, similar in power and style of civilization to humanity. By this time, mankind has formed what is called the Hegemony wherein "politicals" (reminded me of Soviet Union-style political officers) have a great deal of power and sway to carry out their ambitions, and where Christian beliefs are not looked upon favorably.
This novel begins on Pharann wherein a naval force has set up shop on the planet a year after a devastating asteroid struck the planet, tilting the world's simple populace toward a nuclear winter. The inhabitants of the planet have been deemed too low-grade to warrant protection or rights. Enter the lead, Jade Lafrey, an up-and-coming naval intelligence commander. We also follow a native apprentice healer known as Dan'el and his witty servant, Mannon, and are later introduced to a Star Priest known as Kerry Nolan. Captain Sholto is the political for Pharann, who does not get along with Jade.
As I said at the outset, the book draws you into the world of Pharann with likeable, realistic characters, a fast-moving plot, and a satisfying, straightforward finish. I was especially drawn to the naval battles and the overall worldbuilding of this future human society. I want to follow the exploits of Jade in the near future! The novel is clean so any age will enjoy it. Recommended!
-Sean Elliot Russell
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews