Eternal Shadow

Fall of Gods #1

by Trevor B. Williams

What would you do if the world was going to end in ten years? For Jennifer Epstein, a by-the-books senior researcher at SETI, there is only one answer: prevent the apocalypse from happening. Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus were destroyed by an alien threat. The deck was stacked against humanity before the cards came out of the box.

But Jennifer isn’t alone. She has Samantha Monroe, her excitable but brilliant colleague. From South Africa, CEO Muzikayise Khulu of Khulu Global supplies his vast resources to the ultimate race for survival. The three find themselves in an unlikely alliance while political brinkmanship, doomsday cults, and untested technologies form ever-growing obstacles.

Will humanity unite to face the greatest challenge of their time, or will it destroy itself before the alien ship arrives?

Genres: Science Fiction

401 pages, Paperback

First published November 9, 2019

About the author

Trevor B. Williams was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, worked in the District of Columbia, and is now a father of a precocious little girl while living in San Francisco, CA. Despite living in cities his whole life, he loves seeing the night sky which rests beyond the surrounding buildings. When he isn't hiking in regional parks with his family or spending hard-earned time with friends, Trevor is creating familiar and alien worlds from the tips of his fingers.

He is addicted to all things related to astronomy, orbital mechanics, fantastical technology concepts (who doesn't like the idea of a ringworld?), and exploring the endless possibilities behind the question "what if."

Reviews

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initially I was so excited for this book! It had a great premise, interesting characters, and a healthy dose of science. In spite of the promising plot, the writing did not live up to my expectations. The entire mid section was extremely slow - it literally seemed like I was dragging myself through - and the science, which started on target, became way too nerdy for me. And I’m a strong self-professed nerd! The conclusion brought some much needed action. Although the ending was bittersweet, it seemed appropriate and was a tidy wrap up. These final factors moved my rating up to 3 ⭐️.

I enjoyed the overall story and the building relationship between our strong main female characters. That’s always a plus for me - that they were both world renowned doctors in the primarily male dominated field, was especially positive.

I would recommend this book to science fiction readers who prefer an extra large helping of scientific jargon in their extra long novels!

*Many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take notice, science fiction buffs! Trevor B. Williams’s ETERNAL SHADOW takes us into space and beyond in an imaginative tale of planetary destruction, alien contact and a desperate scramble from scientists and technology to save Earth from total annihilation.

Hang on tight as doomsday groups, political machinations and an unlikely alliance are at odds on how to prevent the end of the world. Peppered with some romance and so many “what ifs,” we are invited to be among those who make first contact with an alien species far beyond anything Earth can comprehend.

Told from different perspectives, prepare to shake your head at how different factions see the impending doom and how they use it to their own advantage, as opposed to working together to save humanity.

I enjoyed this one immensely, Trevor B. Williams tells a great tale, depicts some rather disturbing human flaws at a time when survival should rule supreme as a glue to bond the world together. I’m not sure the romance was a perfect fit, but it did seem to add the air of hope for the future.

If you like science fiction, tales of first contact and a quest for survival against the odds, Trevor B. Williams has put together some fascinating reading!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Trevor B. Williams! This is my honest and voluntary review.

Series: Fall of Gods - Book 1
Publisher: Trevor Writes (November 9, 2019)
Publication Date: November 9, 2019
Genre: Science Fiction
Print Length: 532 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Morgane Krauth]

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I dnfed this at 40%, I just couldn't do it anymore ; this book was dragging so much and I just couldn't take any more scenes with a character staring at a computer screen or other device and saying what they should do, this may work in movies because it goes by quickly but it seemed incredibly boring for me to read, especially so many times.

Besides that, this book shifted perspectives too much for me to be really invested and I could not feel the stakes, though they might be trying to save the earth, which isn't nothing. Nothing compelled me to keep reading so I stopped.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It is difficult to know where to begin when reviewing this book. Initially I was very excited by the first couple of chapters. I love a good sci-fi set in the solar system with an alien invasion theme, Orson Scott Card’s novels ranking among my favourites. The book begins with a SETI researcher detecting an unusual signal originating from near Pluto. By the time the signal has been reported and investigated Pluto is no more. The source of the signal rapidly makes it way to the next two planets, Uranus and Neptune.

Intrigued? I was. Apart from one thing. The science completely fell apart within the first chapter. It assumes that the planets are all in one neat line hopping from one to the other with great simplicity. However the outer planets are not only not in line with one another they are extremely far from one another. Earth is 2.7 billion km from Uranus. Uranus is 1.6billion km from Neptune. The being that destroyed the outer two planets and Pluto travelled between them in several hours but then conveniently will take ten years to get to Earth. That’s not to mention that the author completely neglects to consider the effect of losing two gas giants on the gravity holding all the planets in orbit rather than spiralling towards the sun. The basic lack of thought towards the Science part of Science-Fiction at the beginning of the novel makes me doubt the rest of the science throughout.

My other issue with this book is the poor pace. There are bits that are incredibly interesting but I found my self skimming through page after page of dull characterisation and technical details on possible solutions to the planet devouring entity backed on a poor scientific basis. I felt deeply uninterested in the two main characters and struggled to distinguish between both women in the early part of the novel. Kudos to the author, I did like that it featured LGBT protagonists, however their relationship lacked any real chemistry or believability.

Finally I felt this book needlessly brought the others own political opinions into the novel. Unusually for a sci-fi it makes exact reference to the real life president of the time. It begins in the Obama administration and travels into the Trump administration (not considering that maybe the entire politics of a country and subsequent election result might have been different in the event of an impending alien invasion). Although I am no republican and would also love to see a return to the Obama years I found it very frustrating to read the clear diaspora between Obama = golden, Trump = awful, Obama provided endless funding for SETI in the novel whilst Trump removed it all. This seems a good way to alienate some readers. I don’t read sci-fi to be reminded of the politics of the time and to be honest it made me feel uncomfortable to have a political agenda placed on me whilst reading.

[Myles Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eternal Shadow felt a lot like the movie Contact, except that Earth is in danger of literal destruction (not just whether we should be making contact). There's even a subversive group trying to fight the protagonists' efforts to save the Earth. I liked that there was plenty science to backup this sci-fi.

This story will appeal to fans of SETI and other efforts to find extraterrestrial life. My favorite parts were definitely the rockets, rovers, and space stations. Hermes 2 is the hero. Hopefully we'll see him again in the future.

The author, Trevor Williams, and I were both part of the 2018 PitProm competition. I'm always rooting for more realistic, space-related, science fiction out there, and Eternal Shadow definitely fits the bill.

[KiKi The #BookNerd KBbookreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. So, disclaimer, I am not at all proficient or good at hard science, in fact I have an affinity for softer social sciences instead, but wow - this book amazing despite the hard science (that I didn't initially understand) that is littered throughout it.

Eternal Shadow by Trevor B Williams is the perfect sci-fi read for people who like hard science in their fiction- though I cannot comment on it's accuracy myself, I can say it is incredibly believable and draws you further into the story!

Eternal Shadow follows the story of Dr Jennifer Epstein and Samantha Monroe (Sam) as the primary scientists who work at SETI (a scientific institution) where they monitor space. The book starts with Sam finding an irregular reading coming from space, specifically Pluto. She, being a star mathematician, calculates and recalculates the signal in order to find the source. After triple checking that it is a new and unusual occurrence, she calls Jennifer (Jen) who, trusting Sam's maths, heads straight to the institute where she leads the team on a task to find out what is going on. The team soon realise that the signal moved to another planet - after having 'consumed' or destroyed Pluto. This causes panic amongst the scientific community which quickly attempts to unite in order to track and identify the ship doing this damage. The panic spreads through the country and becomes a cause of political concern, as well as creating questions about humanity's survival. However, we also follow the story from Muzie's (Muzikayise) perspective. He runs Khulu Global and sees this event as a way to potentially increase his own earnings and visibility in the long run, thus, he offers his services to help with building equipment to deal with this astronomical problem. Unfortunately, while the majority of characters are attempting to communicate with the monster/ship and help save the Earth, a group of religious fanatics - who believe this is the apocalypse/Armageddon/God's will (The group have taken elements of Christianity/Catholicism and warped it to fit their belief instead of looking at the facts of the religious passages i.e Armageddon only occurs when the armies of heaven will fight those who are Satan's, or when Michael will fight Lucifer etc...) Because of this warped belief system they attempt many attacks to prevent the scientists from saving the Earth - which causes untold amounts of issues.

When you first start the book you are thrown into the science straight away, and yet even for someone like me who literally did not understand it you still feel the correct emotions of excitement and curiosity for what is going on for two reasons; Firstly, Trevor B Williams, is a wonderful writer who is able to create the perfect tone and atmosphere to engage the reader and have them connect emotionally to the text. Secondly, because he has created such a dynamic character that, even from the start, you love her - and by that I of course mean Sam ! Moreover, as you read more of the book the science becomes much simpler to understand and is explained very well through character dialogue or through their actions - which cleverly avoids it feeling too informative and instead makes the science feel organic and understandable.

The plot itself is extremely original and intriguing. Throughout the story you are constantly questioning what the alien/ship's (dubbed the leviathan) intentions are, whether or not it is actually alive, and whether or not humanity will survive. However, though the main crux of the plot is based around the leviathan and whether or not it can/should be contacted and explored, we also get to see conflict in other ways. Such as the religious extremists vs the scientists (a sociological issue that is inherent and relevant despite our growing secularisation) and the conflict as to whether or not an AI is alive or just a machine. These conflicts and scientific debates are intriguing and keep the story interesting as it allows the reader to evaluate their views and allows us insight into the characters which makes them feel real, more in-depth and more human. This in turn builds pathos for the characters that the reader readily accepts and enjoys as we can connect with the characters. Moreover, Williams portrays the extremists in a clever way- that is he portrays them as they truly are, a group led by someone who has selected and manipulate specific elements of their chosen religion, Christianity, and used it support their beliefs and violent actions. This conflict is the primary cause of many issues and events that occur and makes for an action packed novel.

Furthermore, the story is never stagnant due to all these intertwined elements, debates and themes. The ending to the novel is shocking, unexpected and it BROKE MY HEART! However, the resolution is also satisfying, intriguing and raises many more questions. This is significantly due to the change in narrative at the end where we get a small snippet of another characters conversation that we don't get to see throughout the novel- this gives us the insight to the truth. Moreover, the epilogue is also satisfying and interesting and allows us to see the progress and ideas that have developed in the future-which just makes us want to know even more. The ending of the novel leaves us with a sense of progress, intrigue and emotion.

The characters that Trevor B Williams has created are so key to the success of this novel as they are interesting, in-depth and diverse in sexuality, ethnicity and personality so they feel real and reflective of an actual society. In case you hadn't picked up on my hints just yet- my favourite character in this entire novel was Sam. She is funny, clever, outspoken and accepting of everyone and herself and I love her character so much!

Moreover, the relationships between the character are realistic, complex and reflective of their personalities. For example, Sam and Jennifer's relationship is wonderful as we get to see it build up right from the start, they gel so well together, despite that they can be polar opposites at times, and inherently understand one and other due to the amount of time they have known and worked together. In contrast to this, Muzie and Ami's relationship is more distant, they are professional and know each other well but emotionally they have many differences. However, this relationship also evolves well through the story and matches with their personalities. Each character is so distinct and their relationships so complex and individual that it is so realistic and fun to read about.

Trevor B Williams has created such an original story with such amazing characters that it is not surprising that I loved it. This is definitely a sci-fi that should be in you TBR's .

If you love hard Sci-Fi you will definitely love this, and if you don't I still recommend giving it a try, it may initially seem difficult to get into and understand but its definitely rewarded!

https://kbbookreviews867789450.wordpr...
Publishing in November 2019 !!!
*I received a free eARC of #EternalShadow from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Kay Brooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very Technical and Slow Moving

I love a good Sci-Fi novel, but it should be somewhat believable and engrossing. Eternal Shadow started off like any good Sci-Fi would, with a mysterious entity rapidly devouring the outer planets of our solar system. Estimates are that it will destroy earth in two days. But wait, now it is over a week away so there is time to plan.

The dialog then disintegrates into a bunch of technical gibberish that may be true or false but is certainly not interesting. The first major flaw I identified was when they placed the space observatory at the Lagrange point between the sun and earth, saying the position was ideal for any observatory, “being in the shadow of the Earth insured the telescope would sustain passive temperatures well below…) Huh? How do you position between the earth and the sun and be in the earth’s shadow?

The characters were not well developed except for Jennifer and Samantha, who were not particularly likeable. The interaction was strange at times, with their characters and dialog intermixing so it was not clear which character was talking or being discussed. In addition, the overall dialog was often strangely worded and confusing: “His shoulder pads were light, making him look wider than he appeared.” And: “The Leviathan continued to deliver surprises, from the areas that were claimed and built upon by civilizations unknown to be then reclaimed by time after their mysterious disappearance to the theories behind the structures and buildings.” Anyone want to explain?

I found myself slogging through the last quarter of the book hoping it would be over soon. Even the unexpected activity toward the end did not capture my interest. As it dragged on I started to hope the earth would be devoured. At least that would be the end.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Kerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if something alien destroyed several planets in our solar system and is now travelling towards earth, arriving In 10 years time. What would we do?

This is what Eternal Shadow plans to answer in this Sci-fi epic as we follow multiple characters and the people of planet earth over this time period.

This book is Sci-fi but based on science fact. I did sometimes feel like some of the science was slightly beyond my comprehension but the flow of the story and the characters kept me engaged. I'm sure someone with more scientific knowledge would appreciate the depth of detail in these areas.

Because the story plays out over several years it means we get to see the way the news of the unknown entity coming towards earth really impacts people on earth. We get to see the big picture and then focus in on how the relationships change and are explored throughout this time with our main characters. There are some characters I feel are underdeveloped or maybe didn't need as much time spent on them. But maybe it's just I liked the main women Sam and Jennifer so much that I was always just wanting to get back to their perspectives.

One thing I did really like is that we do get answers to the mysteries. Enough over time to keep me interested and flesh out the story in a interesting way. My pet hate is stories that give big mysteries and never reveal anything about them. I usually feel cheated. But in this book it wasn't the case.

Even though the book covers a huge expanse of time there is plently more to be answered and discovered and I would hope we will see some kind of sequel.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*

[Alexis Willetts · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are definitely elements of hard sci fi here, so stay away if you're not interested in exploring how some advanced tech could work in reality. Eternal Shadow starts on page one like a Dan Brown novel: exciting, gripping. I was literally pacing while reading it at times. Half way through the novel starts to fall flat, increasingly falling to cliche tropes and transparent critiques on the state of modern civilization.

The two female leads are fleshed out okay but the third and final protagonist is far too on the nose of precisely which famous South African man Williams hero worshiped when creating the character. The justifications of a fictional Elon Musk and mockery of Clinton's distorted world view may, perhaps, be accurate but don't belong here and only serve to take you out of the story.

I like what the author tried to do here as a thought experiment of how our species would react when posed with a mid term existential threat. It's a decent first novel, I expect his work will mature as he continues to write more.

[Bryan Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trevor gave me an early look at this book and it was a fantastic read.

See my full review here: http://bryanfoxjr.com/review-eternal-...

[Nicholas · Rating 2 out of 5]

ETERNAL SHADOW states that this is the first book by author Trevor B. Williams. While I am naturally attracted to "first contact" sci-fi novels, this one began with a lot of promise, and then fizzled out by the end. The book begins in pretty exciting fashion, as SETI scientists discover a huge structure has suddenly appeared near Uranus and almost immediately destroys it through some kind of molecular breakdown and absorption. You see, this object is more than 70,000 kilometres long, and had been traveling near the speed of light before it showed up in our solar system. Then, the object slows down, destroys Neptune in a similar fashion, and then further slows down and heads on a course to Earth that will take about 4 years to reach us. And now the scientists have to try to communicate with the object if they can, and try to figure out its intentions and how to protect Earth.

As I said, this was a pretty intriguing beginning, but the author then chooses to spend most of the rest of the book focusing on the two female SETI scientists who first discovered the object, and became tasked with heading up the efforts to learn more about the entity, and how to keep Earth from being destroyed like the other planets. However, this focus on these two scientists devolves into a rather soap-operish description of the growing same-sex attraction between these two characters. After the first 100 pages or so, most of the action and mystery is left behind, as the author chooses to focus on the relational and sexual aspects of these two characters.

The book ends on a positive note where the Earth is saved from disaster by using solar mirrors to camouflage the Earth from this alien object. But no satisfying explanation on the nature and origins of this giant alien craft are forthcoming; so, this may be a hint of a sequel to come. My hope is if there is a sequel, that the author will decide to focus on the much-more interesting aspects of actually communicating with and understanding the thinking of an alien species, rather than rather mundane and sophomoric relationship intrigues.

[E.B. Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, out of 5
--Setting/Concept: 1.5
--Characters: 0.5
--Plot: 0.5
--Style/Voice: 0.5
--Theme: 0.5

(Review based on a free giveaway copy)
TL;DR: In Trevor B. Williams’s debut novel, humanity is faced with a catastrophe in the form of an alien threat: part nightmare, part riddle, and part call to scientific and political action. While the writing suffers from “first book” issues and the main characters’ endings felt forced, the story’s general concept and the logic for the alien behavior were so enjoyable that I recommend this book for any hard sci-fi fan or first contact enthusiast.


Main Review: How does one search for extraterrestrial intelligence, when one’s conception of intelligence is limited to an effective sample size of one planet? And how does one contend with that intelligence, especially when obviously destructive actions may not be malicious? By what method can the ant deter the bulldozer? And what happens when the coming crisis is slow enough that we have to keep dealing with daily life, even as doom creeps toward us?

Eternal Shadow, the debut novel by Trevor B. Williams, offers a fascinating take on all these questions.

A story of such epic, almost Asimovian scale must be grounded by a human element, and so we follow the journeys of three characters. Samantha Monroe and Jennifer Epstein are SETI researchers, the former of which discovers a signal emanating from just beyond Pluto at the story’s beginning. Muzikayise Khulu is a corporate titan, kind of an Elon Musk/Bill Gates of South Africa. As the signal’s source, dubbed the “Leviathan”, obliterates Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus in a matter of days before mysteriously turning toward Earth at much lower speed, we follow these three characters over a span of years as they race to understand the Leviathan’s motive, and—most importantly—how to stop it from destroying our world.

Eternal Shadow is definitely hard sci-fi. Aside from the imaginative leaps for the Leviathan’s existence and Khulu Global, the story makes no fanciful assumptions. Every technique and technology presented has a basis in the scientific literature, and many are built from existing projects. The world is grounded in our own reality of 2014 and beyond, to the point where political regimes track along with the story, with surprisingly little disruption. (For example, Trump is still elected in 2016.) Mr. Williams has obviously done his homework, though, offering the reader technical details on such items as the position and velocity of the Leviathan, as well as the construction of the probes and engines humanity inevitably sends to study it. Aside from incorrectly stating that the National Radio Astronomy Observatory was in Virginia (I know it’s in West Virginia because I’ve been there), I was inclined to trust his descriptions.

But for a doomsday scenario, the world is painfully slow to react, to the point that multiple times, I saw the Leviathan as an allegory for climate change. While this would be fine with me, it did distract me from the first contact premise of the book somewhat. Perhaps the bigger issue was that I had trouble feeling the emotions of the characters as they grappled with what would surely be a nightmare scenario, if not for the masses, then for those in the know. Aside from a few key scenes, I felt that Jennifer and Sam were more concerned with the technical aspects of monitoring the Leviathan’s approach than with the emotional ramifications. I found Muzikayise’s development more interesting, becoming philanthropic, but always with an ambiguity about how much he hoped to personally gain from humanity’s survival as he went all-in to fund a defense. The support characters were either hyper-realistic (Mr. Williams uses well-known names from the Obama administration, for example, causing me a strange feeling of dissonance as I tried to imagine what their IRL counterparts would think), or they were thin caricatures (the trope of the doomsday cultist who hates all things scientific and progressive). Minor spoilers, but in my opinion, the most lively and engaging support characters were nonhuman. This led to many characters’ voices blending, so that I had to reread multiple exchanges to be sure of who was saying what. Perhaps this contributed to my frustration with the ending, or rather, the focus of the ending. Without going into spoilers, I was far more interested in whether humanity’s attempt to defeat the Leviathan would succeed, but a few characters’ seemingly random decisions, followed by a very contrived (or lucky, in-world) sequence of events, were so sudden and strange that it broke my suspension of disbelief.

The book was surprisingly filled with typos (strange jumps between past and present tense, for example), leaving me to believe it would have benefitted greatly from one more copy edit. I found myself having to reread sentences just to parse out their meaning, because while technically correct, they were dense, much like academic writing often is. While this contributed to the overall hard sci-fi feel of the story, it did make the reading more laborious. A casual reader would almost certainly skim through the details and miss half the interesting stuff.

But for all its failings, I still enjoyed this book, so much so that I highly recommend it to the patient reader and sci-fi enthusiast. The concept is excellent, and the eventual explanation of the Leviathan’s behavior and how to contend with it is equally excellent. (Aside from its slow approach to Earth after leaping around the outer solar system; I never did get a clear sense of that logic.) I couldn’t put the book down once I got past a critical point, because I needed to see how things resolved, for better or worse. And, in the cosmic sense, I found the ending very satisfying.

Eternal Shadow stands as an excellent debut novel for Mr. Williams, and for the reader that can forgive “first-book” issues, it’s a read well worth your time. I look forward to his follow-up work.

[Ari Meghlen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I read science fiction though I have many on my TBR list. So this was a refreshing change to my usual reads.

The book is written in the third person and has multiple main characters/points of view.

The story starts with SETI scientists discovering a signal that appeared to be originating from the edges of our solar system. This builds to learning that an alien ship is destroying our outer planets (for ease I’m calling Pluto a planet).

Unlike most books, Eternal Shadow is set over a 10 year period and broken into four sections. This definitely works for such an intense science fiction novel and the time period allows us to see how humanity is coping with the knowledge of extraterrestrial life as well as how the scientific communities around the world are working the situation.

The biggest thing that struck me about this novel was the level of detail regarding the technical and scientific information. Thankfully, some of my Open University courses covered Planetary sciences so I didn’t feel totally overwhelmed.

I do feel if I hadn’t covered some of these topics in my studies, I would have struggled with some of the heavy technical and scientific details. I think this book is definitely aimed towards more hard-core science fiction readers.

While some of the details were quite dry, others did help to paint a full picture of things like the Leviathan (alien ship), the rover, the satellites etc.

I did like the mini images that made up the start of a new section and repeated throughout the section’s chapters.

One part that didn’t fit well for me was how the Leviathan destroyed Pluto, then Neptune, then Uranus all within a very short time frame as if they were lined up, all close together.

Now it seemed logical that the scientists would assume Saturn would be next target, then Jupiter, but that was never even voiced as a possibility, despite the fact that the destruction of Saturn and Jupiter would have a devastating effect on Earth.

However, instead of Saturn, Leviathan turned to head for Earth. The data from how the alien threat had destroyed three planets suggested it would take only a few days to reach Earth.

Then suddenly, for no reason given, it changed speed so that it would take 10 years to reach Earth, giving humanity a longer window in order to prepare and come up with possible solutions to save Earth from suffering the same fate as the other planets.

It felt a little like a Deus ex Machina that the alien threat would suddenly slow down on its travels since it was now heading to Earth.

I did like how there was an explanation, later in the book as to why those specific planets were destroyed and why the Leviathan was heading to Earth rather than targeting Saturn and Jupiter.

In regards to the characters, I personally, didn’t feel very connected to any of them, in fact, I couldn’t really remember what most of them look liked as there wasn’t enough detail dropped throughout the story to remind me.

Any personal life connections or backstories for the characters didn’t feel strong enough for me to really connect with them and other than maybe two or three, I also didn’t get distinctive voices from them either.

However, this could be because it’s definitely a plot-driven book rather than a character-driven book and the story unfolded well that you were drawn into the mystery of what was going to happen to Earth and humanity.

I did like how the author touched on excellent points about how different people viewed the issue of First Contact, from fear, elation or sudden upsurge in religions. The book gave glancing views at how the scientists had to navigate the political arena and had to often deal with nations thinking short-sightedly.

The pace did slow down in the middle but the story was interesting enough that I was excited to see how it would all end.

Received this as an ARC copy from the author

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to #NetGalley, Trevor B. Williams and the publisher for an eARC of Eternal Shadow.

This is an apocalyptic sci fi adventure, following two strong female doctors/researchers at SETI who are desperately trying to save the world from total annihilation, with the help of an unexpected ally in Africa.

Eternal Shadow is HEAVILY loaded with science and advanced tech theories and also peppered with politics, to the point where I found it really hard going at times. It was really well written and everything sounded believable, but I prefer a healthier dose of fantasy with my sci fi (just my personal taste).

This was a 2.5-3 ✨✨✨read for me.

[Sari Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a digital advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Eternal Shadows was absolutely wonderful. This very science heavy novel creates the perfect tone and atmosphere to keep you truly invested in the story. The plot is incredibly intriguing and original.

I loved how the story takes place over several years. Most stories take place over a day or a couple of days, but this one was very unique. It progresses years and makes the effects of their choices feel more realistic. Even though this book was drawn out over such a long period of time, there was never a dull moment.

I could easily see this being turned into a series. I would love to see where Williams would take the story. It doesn’t really leave you with many unanswered questions. Everything gets answered no matter how big or small. You don’t get the answers in one big arc either. William’s answered them slowly through the whole book and overall it just felt very real and natural.

I really enjoyed this book, and I hope I get to see more from this author. He has a captivating writing style and knows how to keep a long suspenseful novel full of constant chaos.

Thank you so much to Trevor Williams for such a wonderful novel and to NetGalley and Trevor Writes for allowing me to review this title. This review will be posted on www.featheredfables.wordpress.com closer to the publication date.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast-paced with plenty of action, I love this book/series. I was hooked immediately/from the start wanting to know what happens with Jennifer and Samantha. This is beautifully written with an awesome cast of characters. I am looking forward to the next book in the series/by this author.

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

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Eternal Shadow is an interesting concept to think about. What would we do if this type of event really happened. Would we react like those in the story did? Or would we do something else? Would it work? While i think the overall storyline could have been better, it was still a book worth reading.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this hard SF novel by my co-worker, Trevor. An added bonus of working with him was a recent lunchtime book discussion in which he talked about the writing process and provided a little more insight into the book while avoiding any spoilers. I appreciated the technical detail in the book, though I can understand it being too much for some people. Neal Stephenson's books can also elicit a similar very positive or very negative reaction. That said, I think the pacing could have used some tuning. I expect Trevor will take care of that in the middle part of the trilogy, which he is working on now.

[tabz_talks_tales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eternal Shadows: aliens had already destroyed Pluto, Neptune and Uranus and earth could face a similar threat in 10 years!

Half a synopsis was enough to draw me in. The story starts immediately and the characters were immediately likeable. Unfortunately the plot moved a little too slowly for me and about half way through I started to lose interest.

My initial positive opinion of the book kept me going and so I skimmed about half the book until the end. Glad I did since I enjoyed the ending but for the most part I was slightly disappointed.

I admit I do prefer my Sci-Fi with a bigger dose of fantasy thrown in and so that skews my opinion a lot.

I do believe this is a fantastic read for sci-fi lovers and so I’ve rated it 3 stars.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with a copy for review.

[Rachel Kathryn Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the storyline of this book was interesting and unique, but it needed more. The first chapter of this book was so good, but then it died down. This was a slow paced book that didn’t do enough for the characters. There were only a few characters that were fully developed, and the rest were not. Even the characters that were fully developed, I did not find them to be likable. And because only some characters were fully developed the dialogue was not that good, I found it to be boring. The ending did make things a little bit better,because I did not expect it. Overall, I don’t think this book was the best book for me, but anyone who really enjoys sci-fi novels this might be good for you.

[Karol · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the book takes on a very interesting premise, it unfortunately doesn't really translate it into a compelling story.

It'd be unfair to describe it as a "mere" first contact story, although it has all of the usual trappings: a brilliant and gutsy researcher stuck in a corner of SETI who discovers the initial signal; the animated speculations about the nature and goals of the aliens; the pros and cons of sending back a response; and so on. These are by far the best parts of the book, with the air of mystery wafting around in just the right concentration before being dispersed, ever so slightly, by the trickle of intriguing discoveries.

Unfortunately, once everything becomes more or less clear, the glaring issues bleed through the initially ominous facade.

Firstly, the author seemingly couldn't decide where exactly should he put the story on the Mohs scale of sci-fi hardness. All various plausible solutions for faster interplanetary travel are juxtaposed with the nigh-magical alien technology which, as the reader soon learns, can be used to drive the plot in an almost arbitrary manner. As for the science used in the novel, the author has an unfortunate tendency to go into elaborate descriptions of technical minutia, in a style that tries to imitate similar passages from The Martian -- but sadly, without Mark Watney's incisive wit. The result is often downright boring, even for nerds who'd appreciate this kind of attention to detail.

The story has three main characters, cast against the backdrop of countless others, and for the most part they are written quite well. A South African expy of Elon-Musk-slash-Jeff-Bezos is probably the most intriguing among them, being the main driver of events in the latter part of the book. Not one but two separate romance subplots are also woven throughout the narrative, mostly to a good effect. There are (human) villains, too, but they tend very much on the cliche and predictable side for this kind of setting.

Speaking of tropes and cliches, there are quite a few -- which doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing but many of them end up having a detrimental effect on the story. There is almost no deviation from the bog-standard template where scientists=good and politicians=bad, with the author playing clear favorites and having the world leaders make baffling decisions while the plucky scientists are forced to defy them. Similarly with religion coming up mostly in the context of its supposed opposition to science, complete with one of the main characters severing contact with their overtly religious family.

All of this could be overlooked, however -- but only if the author didn't display a complete lack of tact in shoehorning some obviously transparent political messages into the story.

It doesn't take a trained eye to spot that the main driving point of the story -- the sudden appearance of a mysterious alien vessel and the way humans are dealing with the ensuing crisis -- is a thinly veiled allegory for climate change and humanity's presumptive lack of a unified and adequately radical response to it. The protagonists, who fancy themselves an enlightened few, would regularly decry the shortsightedness of the masses and politicians who cater to them. This becomes more and more blatant as the story progresses, following the decade-long timeline that starts in 2014 and eventually hits, well, 2016.

That's when things suddenly turn for the worse, and for no other reason that the author feeling like he should incorporate real-life US presidents into the novel rather than going with vaguely blue-going-on-purple politicians that many sci-fi stories opt for instead. And so we have two years of Obama who gives historic speeches on the TV and lets the scientific endavors flourish. Then Trump comes and just like that, everything goes to the dogs, with the US apparently choosing to ignore aliens hanging around almost literally in their backyard. Not only this is an extremely biased take that mirrors the blind spots and prejudices of most of the coastal elites and the American media, but also serves to make the plot much less compelling. The cheap potshots at the post-2016 America also come up often enough that they serve as a real distraction from the story.

As a result of this, "Eternal Shadow" comes off as a disappointing waste of potential, despite being built on a very strong foundation that could easily build up to a great story. You might still enjoy it if you are big sci-fi buff but otherwise, I'd just re-read "Contact".

[Frank Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first discovered that Trevor Williams, my college roommate managed to write and publish a novel I was floored. I knew he was (and probably still is) a big fan of video games and last I checked he was a fan of playing the music from the video games. For the most part I didn’t know he liked science fiction or even had dreams of writing a novel. We were too busy playing video games or desperately trying to finish schoolwork to discuss what our future plans would be. Plus, he already had a job lined up and I was planning on grad school afterwards.

With all that being said, I purchased the book fairly quickly after it was released last year. However I would not be able to start reading the book until maybe the beginning of this year. When I first started reading, I made very little progress because of my work schedule. But after the pandemic hit and I began working remotely from home I suddenly had a lot of time. So I managed to get through the book. I had finished reading the book back in May and I had promised a review but I was unable to get around to it until now so here it goes.

Trevor knows that sex, violence, and some radical feminism sells. So that’s exactly what he put in the book. Yes we all know that it’s a story about an unidentified flying object flying towards earth and the main characters manage to stop it. But it’s the hidden life lessons in this book that makes me think this is required reading for everyone.

Let’s start with the “me too” movement. Trevor shows you how to avoid getting metooed. In the book there’s a male supervisor who is having relations with his secretary and she gets pregnant. So what does the supervisor do? You’ll have to read and find out. Personally I don’t think the male supervisor is out of the woods but he did what he could to stop the bleeding and the potential accusations. At least that is until the female slowly becomes the alpha and the male becomes beta. We all know if that happens, the female will monkey branch off to the next guy and exercise her open hypergamy. Alpha seed beta need. Then we might be seeing the male supervisor reading The Rational Male by Rollo Tomassi in the sequel provided that Trevor writes the sequel.

Trevor knows that having two gay male characters probably wouldn’t be as juicy as having to lesbian females. So what does he do? Well you’ll have to read and find out. Just know that the Attitude Era of World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment had a lot of girl on girl action and bra and panties matches. Speaking of wrestling, it will become obvious that Trevor is a huge professional wrestling fan. First there’s references about a “Leviathan”. Clearly he was a fan of Dave Bautista as “Leviathan” was one of his first ring names. Then there were numerous “End of Days” references. Isn’t End of Days the name of Baron Corbin’s finishing move? Yes I think it is. There were also numerous “Yes Yes Yes” chants in the book. Could he be referencing Daniel Bryan? And of course when earth appeared to become invisible (read the book to find out), the enemy couldn’t see where earth was. Is this a reference to John Cena’s “U can’t c me” taunt? The final wrestling reference that I picked up on was something about Akam and Rezar. Authors of Pain tag team? Hopefully I got all the references.

Trevor also teaches that you should not get too close with your coworkers. You might think they are your friends but in reality they could hate your guts and secretly be aligned with the enemy. When it comes to your corporate job, just go to work, get paid, and go straight home. Your coworkers are not your friends. This is a major subplot in the story as the main characters kept trying to become buddy buddy with their middle eastern coworkers. Just leave them alone.

All in all, this was a good story with a lot of life lessons and girl on girl action. I am most interested in whether the male character Muzikayise Khulu can “maintain frame” with that secretary or if he will become a victim of radical feminism. Chances are that he will lose frame because if he stays masculine, the author of this book just might get #metooed.

[Nikki Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.5 stars

Something has come into Earth's galaxy, and has already consumed 3 planets--assuming that Pluto is still considered a planet. But it's not done. It turns its course for Earth, allowing the scientists across the globe a chance to band together in the next 8 years before the green and blue planet is destroyed as well. But knowing humanity, will they be able to put aside their differences and political agendas for a long 8 years to ensure their survival? Or will the pettiness of human nature win out, the Earth's doom already written in the stars?

In this first book in a sci-fi series, Williams shows both his creative writing skills as well as his acumen for understanding and explaining science. I legit cried in this book. Sci-Fi isn't normally my go-to genre (even if most of the books on my TBR right now are sci-fi--go figure), namely because I can't get into them like I can with fantasies. I just don't connect with the characters as much as I would like to, and as a result, sci-fi's tend to come off as cold reads for me. Unemotional. Interesting, rather than feely. But this novel was the exception. Although it has major sci-fi elements and science and all that jazz, it also relies heavily on a character-driven plot. I get to see my favorite characters grow up and evolve throughout the years, and I feel so much closer to them. 

As I alluded to above, the science is absolutely brilliant. So brilliant, in fact, that I had no idea what some of the characters were talking about perhaps 20% of the time. Williams does not just gloss over the science and logic in his sci-fi world, but actually goes into detail about why and exactly how the science works. This lends the novel a sense of realism that is rare in sci-fis (at least from what I've seen so far). These events could have transpired, it was that real. 

Something to mention is that there is a bit of political ideology that seeps through the book, namely considering the Obama and Trump administrations in the US and their differences. I was not offended by the author's blatant political views, but rather found them to enhance the story, but it is something to keep in mind. 

I also want to mention that there is an LGBT+ element to the story!! YES! I love any sort of representation of a minority group. It was also somewhat unexpected, so that was an added bonus to the excitement of the story :)

Overall, this was a great read. Exciting, unpredictable, realistic, emotional... Everything that I could have wanted in a novel. I kept it at 4.5 stars instead of 5, simply because I think the science explanations were a bit overdone for me, as I had to skip over large sections of the text when the characters got too technical--I just could not keep up!

See this and other book reviews at thebookdragondotblog.wordpress.com

[Don Viecelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Book Review Number 191:

This review is on Eternal Shadow (Fall of Gods Book 1) by Trevor B. Williams. This is the first book I have read by this author. It is a Hard Sci-Fi, First Alien Encounter, speculative thriller set in the near future.

The story begins in 2014 with Samantha Monroe, a research scientist at the Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute, who discovers an alien signal tone received over the Allen Telescope Array that is part of SETI, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

Once the signal is confirmed by other sources, Samantha notifies her boss, Jennifer Epstein. The signal originates near Pluto, which is 7.5 billion miles from Earth—much too close.

It soon becomes apparent the discovery is not good news. In fact, it could mean the end of humanity. The source of the signal is a massive object that is intent on destroying the solar system. The worst part of this discovery is there does not seem to be any way to stop it.

The story goes into explicit detail about the giant alien structure and tries to determine what it is, what it plans to do and how to prevent the destruction of Earth and everyone on the planet. It is a massive Extinction Level Event only years from happening.

The entire world goes into action to find a way to prevent its destruction. Attempts are made to contact the alien structure and communicate with it. The results are not positive. It seems the alien structure is alive, but not sympathetic to the human plight. It remains to be seen if Earth can survive this alien presence in the solar system.

I give this book Four Stars because the story is suspenseful, original and informative. The main characters are well developed and struggle with the fear of the unknown. The plot is well constructed with worldwide settings. The dialogue and writing style are excellent. The hard science is believable, although hard to accept at times. The story is very long and could have been shortened without loss of suspense. I look forward to finding out what happens to Earth in Book 2.

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

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trevor B. Williams has combined world-class imagination and meticulous research to tell the story of humanity’s first contact with alien life like it’s never been done before. In a fresh approach to both the sci-fi and alternate history genres, an ancient, gargantuan entity arrives at the edge of the solar system in 2014. How does it greet us?

By eating the outer planets.

The story that follows pairs the awe-inspiring technological scale of Arthur C. Clarke with the cosmic dread of Stephen King. Scientific discovery, economic intrigue, political maneuvering, and social upheaval all unfold in the wake of this epochal event - and you’ll find yourself engrossed in the lives of the complex, eminently human characters who must navigate it. Though their long term motivations don’t entirely align, their short term goal is shared: ensure the survival of life on Earth as we know it.

The storytelling in Eternal Shadow is superb. It’s matched by detailed explorations of advanced technologies developed in consultation with subject matter experts and field practitioners. Some are experimental or speculative, but all lie within reach using principles grounded in today’s science. Ranging from propulsion methods to planetary defense systems, all are described with a voice that will inspire readers to learn more about the cutting edge of space exploration.

Fans of space exploration, astronomy, and technology will love this book. I also highly recommend it for young people with interest in STEM fields. Pick up a copy - you won’t regret it!

[Sierra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately this was a DNF. Very very technical and jargon heavy without much plot to move it along. No way to invest in the characters. I made it 53% and just couldn’t anymore. Skimmed the end and still not sure what the point was.

[Neil · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

The characters are well developed with some nice twists in the story.

Unfortunately the story was contradictory in places with the ending seeming very contrived and rushed.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had hopes for this book. I was really looking forward to a novel and interesting science fiction novel. Unfortunately, it turned out as an amalgamation of stories that were already written by other authors. Although the physics seem to be accurate the biology is lacking.To be

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent beginning of a new sci-fi series: “Fall of Gods.” This venture has introduced to the industry a creative new talent, Trevor B. Williams. .This novel is an exciting and well-written sci-fi story dealing with saving the planet from the unique perspective of various characters. These characters add a flavor to the story that is rarely used; yet powerful for the direction of the plot. Each scene is easily visualized and believable, each character has been fleshed out and relates smoothly with the material. This is one enjoyable ride! Cannot wait until book 2 is completed.

[Scott Whitmore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although it starts well and features some thought-provoking ideas, Eternal Shadow, the debut novel of Trevor B. Williams, is ultimately weighed down by pacing and other issues that make it a frustrating read. This review is based on an advance copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley for that purpose. The book will be available on November 9, 2019.

The story opens with Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) scientist Dr. Samantha Monroe detecting a signal from the outer edge of our solar system. Sam calls her boss, Dr. Jennifer Epstein, who in turn calls out her entire team to help assess what increasingly looks to be humanity’s first contact with alien life. But then in short order Pluto, Neptune and Uranus disappear, apparently consumed by the signal’s source, a self-propelled object three times the size of Earth. When the object changes course to head toward our home planet, a decade-long countdown to Armageddon begins as Sam and Jennifer, with key members of their crew and the assistance of the global community of Astrophysicists, try to figure out a way to stop it.

Exploring the immediate reactions of world leaders and populations to the appearance of the object, which is named ‘Leviathan,’ and how a worldwide response is cobbled together was interesting, and the author makes some solid points about the difficulty we humans have maintaining our focus and willingness to sacrifice over the long haul, even when our lives are at stake (cough, cough: climate change anyone?). But the narrative bogs down, veering off on tangents that don’t significantly advance the plot or going on deep dives into details perhaps better served in smaller portions.

One choice the author makes that I initially thought was interesting was to open the story late in President Obama’s second term, and to include some of his key advisors as characters. But when this was extended to include Trump’s election and administration, my opinion of the idea was reversed. Trying to create an alternate timeline where both the Leviathan and our present reality co-exist requires the reader to believe the former wouldn’t fundamentally affect the latter. Would the pragmatic Putin really have helped Trump over Clinton, no matter how much he despised her, with the fate of the world relying upon competence from the leader of America and sanctions over Ukraine lifted so Russia could better assist with the response? Better to just create new characters.

Speaking of characters, while I liked Sam and Jennifer as protagonists, no one else was as fleshed out or remarkable. In one scene, two characters end up at odds with each other after a conversation that I re-read a couple times but couldn’t find what set them off. Evidently they needed to be mad at each other at that moment, but their disagreement played no further role in the story. While the focus was on the Earth-based reaction and response, there were a few scenes on the Leviathan, which was the location of the two characters that I really wanted to learn more about.

In summary, there were some intriguing ideas in Eternal Shadow, and I wanted to like it more, but I also found myself setting it aside for long stretches — a sure sign that it wasn’t working for me. Of course, each reader will form their own opinion, and if the subject interests you by all means explore it for yourself.