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The Second Star
The Parada had been lost for almost two hundred years before they recovered the ship, drifting in stygian interstellar darkness, and brought her home again.
But that was not the miracle.
The miracle was that the crew was still alive.
That was also the problem.
Six crew members went out on the Parada , Earth’s first starship. All contact was lost, and the ship vanished for almost two centuries. When the Parada ’s successor found the drifting ship and somehow managed to bring it home, the six crew members were not only still alive but barely older, due to the time dilation effects of near-FTL travel. Their return was a miracle – but it could not be revealed to the waiting world. The problem was, six individuals went out to the stars. More than seventy fractured personalities came back.
Psychologist Stella Froud and Jesuit Father Philip Carter were recruited as part of the team assembled to investigate the mystery, and to try and help the Parada ’s crew understand their condition and possibly reverse it. What they discovered was a deepening mystery, and very soon they found themselves forced to take sides in a conflict that nobody could have possibly predicted. Their world would never be the same again.
***
"Like its cast of returned starfarers, this rich and continually surprising novel is many things at a religiously-inflected first contact novel; an engaging psychological mystery; a glimpse of the future through the eyes of the past; and a moving tale about the difficulties of homecoming. I highly recommend it." - Matt Ruff, author of Set This House in Order and Lovecraft Country
But that was not the miracle.
The miracle was that the crew was still alive.
That was also the problem.
Six crew members went out on the Parada , Earth’s first starship. All contact was lost, and the ship vanished for almost two centuries. When the Parada ’s successor found the drifting ship and somehow managed to bring it home, the six crew members were not only still alive but barely older, due to the time dilation effects of near-FTL travel. Their return was a miracle – but it could not be revealed to the waiting world. The problem was, six individuals went out to the stars. More than seventy fractured personalities came back.
Psychologist Stella Froud and Jesuit Father Philip Carter were recruited as part of the team assembled to investigate the mystery, and to try and help the Parada ’s crew understand their condition and possibly reverse it. What they discovered was a deepening mystery, and very soon they found themselves forced to take sides in a conflict that nobody could have possibly predicted. Their world would never be the same again.
***
"Like its cast of returned starfarers, this rich and continually surprising novel is many things at a religiously-inflected first contact novel; an engaging psychological mystery; a glimpse of the future through the eyes of the past; and a moving tale about the difficulties of homecoming. I highly recommend it." - Matt Ruff, author of Set This House in Order and Lovecraft Country
432 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2020
30 people are currently reading
318 people want to read
About the author
Alma Alexander
73 books204 followersAlma Alexander is a scientist by education, duchess by historical accident, and an author who has written more than a score of novels, including 'The Secrets of Jin-shei', published in dozens of editions and languages around the world.
Known as the Duchess of Fantasy, she is also a blogger sharing writing tips, and glimpses of both the mundane and magic of a fantasy author's life.
Her latest novels include 'Val Hall', a series about a retirement home for Superheroes, Third Class; 'Embers of Heaven' a Jin-shei follow-up; 'Empress', a love story; and 'Midnight at Spanish Gardens'.
Coming in July is 'The Second Star', a novel about the big eternal questions – about who, or what, God is; about our own immortal souls and their salvation; what it really means to be human; and whether it is possible to go out to where the monsters dwell and expect to come home again unchanged. It is a story of how humans meet the stars, and find themselves there.
Her YA include the four-book Worldweavers series, and 'The Were Chronicles' trilogy.
Her work has been translated into 14 languages worldwide, including Hebrew,Turkish, and Catalan.
She is currently at work on a new series of alternate history novels with roots in Eastern Europe.
She lives in Bellingham, WA, with her husband, two cats, and assorted visiting wildlife.
Visit her website/blog at www.AlmaAlexander.org or AlmaAlexanderAuthor.com , like her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alma-A...
Known as the Duchess of Fantasy, she is also a blogger sharing writing tips, and glimpses of both the mundane and magic of a fantasy author's life.
Her latest novels include 'Val Hall', a series about a retirement home for Superheroes, Third Class; 'Embers of Heaven' a Jin-shei follow-up; 'Empress', a love story; and 'Midnight at Spanish Gardens'.
Coming in July is 'The Second Star', a novel about the big eternal questions – about who, or what, God is; about our own immortal souls and their salvation; what it really means to be human; and whether it is possible to go out to where the monsters dwell and expect to come home again unchanged. It is a story of how humans meet the stars, and find themselves there.
Her YA include the four-book Worldweavers series, and 'The Were Chronicles' trilogy.
Her work has been translated into 14 languages worldwide, including Hebrew,Turkish, and Catalan.
She is currently at work on a new series of alternate history novels with roots in Eastern Europe.
She lives in Bellingham, WA, with her husband, two cats, and assorted visiting wildlife.
Visit her website/blog at www.AlmaAlexander.org or AlmaAlexanderAuthor.com , like her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alma-A...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
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August 12, 2020DNF at 56%.
I gave it all I got, ya'll, but I don't have the will necessary to sit through the rest of the book to maybe find out what all the big deal is about.
First of all, this book is at least half longer than it needs to be. Everything draaaags. We have reflections, and recollections, and repetitions, and circular rants by the main character.
And let me tell you about that main character. Renown psychiatrist specializing in multiple personalities disorder? Yeah, I will believe that when pigs fly. Nothing she does in this book shows any kind of professionalism or even an attempt at pseudo-psychiatric treatment. Oh, she talks to them and listens to them a lot... okay, so could have any other person off the street. Which by the way doesn't prevent her from acting like a know-it all who absolutely LOVES hearing herself speak and doesn't even pause to listen to anybody else's ideas or arguments.
Also, most of her ideas end up in disasters, which is kinda ironic. For someone who is so worried about the well being of her charges, she is the one who did them more harm than good.
Anyway, I have no desire to read about her making even more bad decisions and blaming the "military" for everything instead of stopping and reevaluating her actions.
PS. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I gave it all I got, ya'll, but I don't have the will necessary to sit through the rest of the book to maybe find out what all the big deal is about.
First of all, this book is at least half longer than it needs to be. Everything draaaags. We have reflections, and recollections, and repetitions, and circular rants by the main character.
And let me tell you about that main character. Renown psychiatrist specializing in multiple personalities disorder? Yeah, I will believe that when pigs fly. Nothing she does in this book shows any kind of professionalism or even an attempt at pseudo-psychiatric treatment. Oh, she talks to them and listens to them a lot... okay, so could have any other person off the street. Which by the way doesn't prevent her from acting like a know-it all who absolutely LOVES hearing herself speak and doesn't even pause to listen to anybody else's ideas or arguments.
Also, most of her ideas end up in disasters, which is kinda ironic. For someone who is so worried about the well being of her charges, she is the one who did them more harm than good.
Anyway, I have no desire to read about her making even more bad decisions and blaming the "military" for everything instead of stopping and reevaluating her actions.
PS. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 14, 2020
An extremely well-done book where the heroic astronauts on a faster-than-light vessel return from their amazing journey with their minds permanently scrambled. They've all broken into multiple competing personalities and it is up to another team of scientists to examine them in order to try to find out what went wrong. The book straddles the line between horror and science-fiction (as befitting a Crossroad Press book) with the protagonists dealing with an ominous yet inexplicable condition. The book is a bit slow paced at the start but gradually picks up the pace as it continues. It is a solid and cerebral read that I think many fans of more intellectual sci-fi will appreciate.
July 5, 2020
The idea of this book was fascinating and original and kept me pushing through to find out what happened. The execution of that idea was something else, though. It could have benefitted greatly from a really thorough editing. There was a relationship that came out of nowhere and was entirely unbelievable. A turn toward the spiritual, which I am usually down for, was kind of flimsy and felt shoehorned into the story unnecessarily. I've never read this author before, but was surprised to see she has written many previous books; of this were a debut, it might have been bumped up to 3 stars.
April 26, 2021
Really liked this one. A space ship disappears for 200 years and when it is rediscovered by another space ship, the 6 astronauts are still alive. However, where 6 left Earth 200 years ago, many more returned -- many more personalities/souls -- but only 6 bodies. Something happened out there and the people shattered into multiple souls (disassociative identity disorder (multiple personality disorder)). The main character is tasked with figuring out what happened and try to help -- and figure out if those 6 will ever be released to live free.
July 6, 2020
Full review on my website in the morning! (7am US Eastern Time).
January 29, 2021
I might be wrong but this book is realy amazing
August 23, 2020
2.5 stars, Metaphorosis Reviews
Summary
The first interstellar scout ship disappeared, and humanity took decades to decide on another one. But when the second comes back, it brings with it the crew of the first - still astonishingly young, but seemingly fractured into multiple personalities. Dr. Stella Froud, assigned to find out what happened, is more concerned about why both crews are effectively incarcerated.
Review
The concept of the book didn’t grip me, and that’s partly my fault. Some time ago, I read a collection of stories by Alma Alexander, Untranslatable. While I wasn’t bowled over by the collection as a whole, I thought her prose had promise, so when I saw this come available, I thought I’d give it a try. Unfortunately, I didn’t look too closely at the premise when I did.
The premise – a crew of returned astronauts whose minds have fragmented under the pressure of whatever they found – has elements of both psychological (there’s lots of discussion about multiple personalities, though mostly pretty generic) and thriller (how the doctor working with them can escape evil bureaucracy), neither of which is a genre that interests me. That’s my fault for not being more careful in book selection. While the story and its characters are carefully constructed, I found it very slow moving – one of those books I was reluctant to go back to.
The characters, while well developed, are on the stock side, and there’s relatively little surprise in the actions they take. At least one – a Native American with mysterious wisdom and special psychic senses, verges on cardboard. While the principal character has depth, the ending loses its way a bit, with an attempt to both wrap up loose ends and draw in a secondary character who until that point has played a supporting role.
Philosophically, the book is more interesting. There are some nice animal friendly moments. While the plot development is somewhat pedestrian, Alexander delves into faith and belief a little more than a book of this type normally would, though much of that is stuck in at the end as a bit of an afterthought. At the same time, her ending undermines the original theme of justice and right, and effectively betrays some characters through no fault of their own. While the protagonist stands up for self-determination at the beginning, she abandons that pretty thoroughly at the end.
Overall, the book feels long, and there’s a fair amount of repetition, from the protagonist constantly citing authority she may not have to descriptions of the central mystery and whether harm was caused intentionally. I got tired of what felt like the same scene repeated multiple times, with little forward motion. This is a story that might have worked better at novella or novelette length.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Summary
The first interstellar scout ship disappeared, and humanity took decades to decide on another one. But when the second comes back, it brings with it the crew of the first - still astonishingly young, but seemingly fractured into multiple personalities. Dr. Stella Froud, assigned to find out what happened, is more concerned about why both crews are effectively incarcerated.
Review
The concept of the book didn’t grip me, and that’s partly my fault. Some time ago, I read a collection of stories by Alma Alexander, Untranslatable. While I wasn’t bowled over by the collection as a whole, I thought her prose had promise, so when I saw this come available, I thought I’d give it a try. Unfortunately, I didn’t look too closely at the premise when I did.
The premise – a crew of returned astronauts whose minds have fragmented under the pressure of whatever they found – has elements of both psychological (there’s lots of discussion about multiple personalities, though mostly pretty generic) and thriller (how the doctor working with them can escape evil bureaucracy), neither of which is a genre that interests me. That’s my fault for not being more careful in book selection. While the story and its characters are carefully constructed, I found it very slow moving – one of those books I was reluctant to go back to.
The characters, while well developed, are on the stock side, and there’s relatively little surprise in the actions they take. At least one – a Native American with mysterious wisdom and special psychic senses, verges on cardboard. While the principal character has depth, the ending loses its way a bit, with an attempt to both wrap up loose ends and draw in a secondary character who until that point has played a supporting role.
Philosophically, the book is more interesting. There are some nice animal friendly moments. While the plot development is somewhat pedestrian, Alexander delves into faith and belief a little more than a book of this type normally would, though much of that is stuck in at the end as a bit of an afterthought. At the same time, her ending undermines the original theme of justice and right, and effectively betrays some characters through no fault of their own. While the protagonist stands up for self-determination at the beginning, she abandons that pretty thoroughly at the end.
Overall, the book feels long, and there’s a fair amount of repetition, from the protagonist constantly citing authority she may not have to descriptions of the central mystery and whether harm was caused intentionally. I got tired of what felt like the same scene repeated multiple times, with little forward motion. This is a story that might have worked better at novella or novelette length.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
August 15, 2020
So so late with this. I can only plead pandemic brain.
This gets 3.5 to 4 stars for the concept and the idea, and the story. The first true starship, thought lost for 200 years is found and her crew brought back to earth. They should be heroes, but there's on small problem. The people who came back from the stars aren't the people who left. What happened to them?
I'm not going to lie, this book has pacing issues, but the story is first rate.
This gets 3.5 to 4 stars for the concept and the idea, and the story. The first true starship, thought lost for 200 years is found and her crew brought back to earth. They should be heroes, but there's on small problem. The people who came back from the stars aren't the people who left. What happened to them?
I'm not going to lie, this book has pacing issues, but the story is first rate.
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June 3, 2020Hey look, it’s me coming back with another review on another science fiction book! I’m so proud of how I’ve been sticking to trying out the genre this year. I find that I really like science fiction books that explore more than just traditional sci-fi aspects and elements. Which is probably why I enjoyed The Second Star so much!
Coming back from space is unimaginable to me, but add in getting lost in space and coming back with multiple personalities just makes the whole thing even scarier. I mean, think about it. What would you do if you were lost in space? What would you see? What would happen? It’s like an eternal internal debate.
This was definitely a high stakes and thrilling read. It just made me think the entire time I was reading the story and learning about all of the characters. It also reiterated my belief that I never want to go into space. There is just so much to discover from within these pages.
You can view my full review & giveaway on my blog! I also post about a lot of different types of books!
Reader | Bookstagrammer | Blogger | Reviewer
@ya.its.lit - https://www.instagram.com/ya.its.lit/
Blog - https://yaitslitblog.wordpress.com/
Coming back from space is unimaginable to me, but add in getting lost in space and coming back with multiple personalities just makes the whole thing even scarier. I mean, think about it. What would you do if you were lost in space? What would you see? What would happen? It’s like an eternal internal debate.
This was definitely a high stakes and thrilling read. It just made me think the entire time I was reading the story and learning about all of the characters. It also reiterated my belief that I never want to go into space. There is just so much to discover from within these pages.
You can view my full review & giveaway on my blog! I also post about a lot of different types of books!
Reader | Bookstagrammer | Blogger | Reviewer
@ya.its.lit - https://www.instagram.com/ya.its.lit/
Blog - https://yaitslitblog.wordpress.com/
June 4, 2020
The Second Star is more than just a Sci-Fi read...Sure, I love this genre and a devoted fan. However, it also includes psychological thrill and mystery.
The crew of the Parada was found after being lost is space for almost 200 years, so many questions troubled the crew that is handling the most important kept secret...How is this possible? How are they still alive? How has the six most famous space explorers' minds be so complicated? Complicated how you ask? Each has multiple split personalities that includes different ages and genders each with unique mannerisms and voice.
This is where Dr. Stella Froud comes in. She is brought in, kind of against her will, since she is an expert in this area. However, as she talks with each personality, to get to know them, she understands that they will probably never be the same and will probably remain as prisoners for the rest of their lives.
This story is packed with sci-fi thrill and imagination. As I fell into this story, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what would happen next. It's full of mystery, twists, and has the perfect amount of magic for a great escape. It was fun to discover the different and unique personalities right along with Stella.
You Will LOVE this story...adventure...and imagination!!!
The crew of the Parada was found after being lost is space for almost 200 years, so many questions troubled the crew that is handling the most important kept secret...How is this possible? How are they still alive? How has the six most famous space explorers' minds be so complicated? Complicated how you ask? Each has multiple split personalities that includes different ages and genders each with unique mannerisms and voice.
This is where Dr. Stella Froud comes in. She is brought in, kind of against her will, since she is an expert in this area. However, as she talks with each personality, to get to know them, she understands that they will probably never be the same and will probably remain as prisoners for the rest of their lives.
This story is packed with sci-fi thrill and imagination. As I fell into this story, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what would happen next. It's full of mystery, twists, and has the perfect amount of magic for a great escape. It was fun to discover the different and unique personalities right along with Stella.
You Will LOVE this story...adventure...and imagination!!!
November 30, 2020
Twists
A deliciously long read that mostly Moves along with decent speed. Several surprising twists and a couple leaps that left me backtracking a bit. One very big beer into religion and faith at the end, making the story much more about Christian God than anticipated for a sci-fi.
A deliciously long read that mostly Moves along with decent speed. Several surprising twists and a couple leaps that left me backtracking a bit. One very big beer into religion and faith at the end, making the story much more about Christian God than anticipated for a sci-fi.
July 29, 2020
Wow. Just wow. That was amazing and not at all what I expected and went off in a totally different direction then I had ever considered, but Boy did I enjoy the heck out of it!
September 20, 2020
Interesting Conclusion
Enjoyed main character and liked plot. The psychological, religious, and future society envisioned were thought provoking. Thanks for your vision.
Enjoyed main character and liked plot. The psychological, religious, and future society envisioned were thought provoking. Thanks for your vision.
July 25, 2020
Lost in space - the aftermath
A ship's crew lost between the stars for 200 years is found still alive and brought home. It's a great premise for a story and I looked forward to the reading experience. It was well written, thought provoking , exciting and interesting but became mired in places in introspective discussion. Maybe it could have been a shorter book. The science was presented plausibly , including the existence of FTL without delving into the nuts and bolts of it. The state of future Earth wasn't discussed much and was in fact only revealed towards the end , too late to answer the questions that sprang to mind. The main character came across as an interfering busybody who caused most of the situations she got into, but was likeable enough to keep towing me along. There was an odd one out who I liked but his presence seemed a little contrived as his only real purpose was to make the ending work. In summary, this is a well constructed story and slow in places but curiosity kept me going and I enjoyed the developing adventure .
A ship's crew lost between the stars for 200 years is found still alive and brought home. It's a great premise for a story and I looked forward to the reading experience. It was well written, thought provoking , exciting and interesting but became mired in places in introspective discussion. Maybe it could have been a shorter book. The science was presented plausibly , including the existence of FTL without delving into the nuts and bolts of it. The state of future Earth wasn't discussed much and was in fact only revealed towards the end , too late to answer the questions that sprang to mind. The main character came across as an interfering busybody who caused most of the situations she got into, but was likeable enough to keep towing me along. There was an odd one out who I liked but his presence seemed a little contrived as his only real purpose was to make the ending work. In summary, this is a well constructed story and slow in places but curiosity kept me going and I enjoyed the developing adventure .
August 16, 2020
I would have liked the ending to go on a little bit longer.
I found it started out slowly but being a persistent person , continued on. I was so glad I did. I wished that the ending could have at least gone on long enough to show whether what she had asked of Martin, in her letter to him, he showed her a softer, forgiving side.
I found it started out slowly but being a persistent person , continued on. I was so glad I did. I wished that the ending could have at least gone on long enough to show whether what she had asked of Martin, in her letter to him, he showed her a softer, forgiving side.
July 30, 2020
Decent story, moved a little slow at times, and had a unique twist.
February 7, 2021
A wonderful story
I liked it because it was written so empathetically. I really enjoyed this book. It was very adult.
An interesting conundrum, ended sympathetically.
I liked it because it was written so empathetically. I really enjoyed this book. It was very adult.
An interesting conundrum, ended sympathetically.
August 3, 2020
I started out loving this - crew returns from space with multiple personalities (apparently), psychiatrist comes in to treat/explain this; but I got gradually more angry at the psych character for speechifying, regularly repeating herself, not letting other people talk (!), being smug and self-righteous, and yet generally being adored and admired. Even called "magnificent." It was classic MarySue fiction. Also, an editor's stronger hand would have really helped the repetition issues. It was also long, can you tell I'm still mad.
December 7, 2020
This book could have been 5 stars, but unfortunately it almost, but unltimately not made it to 3, and it all comes down to characterization. The concept is original and frankly fascinating, the writing style very good and the plot, though it is very slow-paced, interesting. I had a few minor irritations, like how society appears to not have changed at all in 200 years and the changes in the physical world are alluded to but not fleshed out, the romance is completely superfluous and unbeleivable and the conclusion, which is rooted in spirituality and religion, very much not what I like, but that is a personal preference.
The main issue is the protagonist, to be referred to from now on as Idiot Plucky Heroine, and the antagonists, who do nothing to deserve the title. Yes, I know goverments and the military are guilty of multitudes of shady stuff, but, no, that doesn't mean you can annoint them the villains of your story and expect me to hate them and take your protagonist's part against them, just because they are the goverment and the military and she is a woman "scientist" going against them, a.k.a. the Idiot Plucky Heroine, that's just laziness on the author's part. In this particular case, it especially doesn't work, because the actions the goverment and the military take, while not ethical, not only aren't particularly nefarious, not only is it difficult to see what else they could have done in such a situation, even the Idiot Plucky Heroine doesn't have any better ideas about what else can be done here. In the one instance that she manages to make a coherent case offering a reasonable alternative to their arrangements, they agree with her. For the most part, though, she mostly fumes about the "ego" and the "beaurocracy" of the people in charge, even though from any reasonable point of view it is her who is making mistakes right and left, refuses to accept the blame for the consequences of her actions and has no idea at all what she even wants to acheive. E.g. she takes a group of people detained in an underground facility on a roof garden without permission and a few hours later someone dies. Does she even consider that she might have made a mistake? No, she rushes to state that it could have nothing to do with it, even though the situation is completely new and she simply cannot know that. She then acts as if the fact that the dead person will have to undergo an autopsy is an affront to their dignity and further proof of the military's villainy, instead of, you know, a necessary process in case of a completely unexplained death, and the military commander's anger a result of his ego being offended by the magnificently brave actions of her own brilliant, uncompromising self, and not, you know, a totally justified response to the man finding himself with a corpse on his hands. And the fact that this person carries the day, in large part because she manages to overwhelm all and sundry military personel that crosses her path with the force of her personality, frankly is beyond belief. It is very hard to take the part of such a smug, irresponsible character and it pretty much ruined any satisfaction at the end of the book, which closes with a homily from her in the guise of the poor, mistreated victim to the people she has betrayed, endangered and left to pick up the pieces of her mess.
This could have been a great book, it has a lot going for it even now, but it is so frustrating to read that I cannot recommend it to anyone.
The main issue is the protagonist, to be referred to from now on as Idiot Plucky Heroine, and the antagonists, who do nothing to deserve the title. Yes, I know goverments and the military are guilty of multitudes of shady stuff, but, no, that doesn't mean you can annoint them the villains of your story and expect me to hate them and take your protagonist's part against them, just because they are the goverment and the military and she is a woman "scientist" going against them, a.k.a. the Idiot Plucky Heroine, that's just laziness on the author's part. In this particular case, it especially doesn't work, because the actions the goverment and the military take, while not ethical, not only aren't particularly nefarious, not only is it difficult to see what else they could have done in such a situation, even the Idiot Plucky Heroine doesn't have any better ideas about what else can be done here. In the one instance that she manages to make a coherent case offering a reasonable alternative to their arrangements, they agree with her. For the most part, though, she mostly fumes about the "ego" and the "beaurocracy" of the people in charge, even though from any reasonable point of view it is her who is making mistakes right and left, refuses to accept the blame for the consequences of her actions and has no idea at all what she even wants to acheive. E.g. she takes a group of people detained in an underground facility on a roof garden without permission and a few hours later someone dies. Does she even consider that she might have made a mistake? No, she rushes to state that it could have nothing to do with it, even though the situation is completely new and she simply cannot know that. She then acts as if the fact that the dead person will have to undergo an autopsy is an affront to their dignity and further proof of the military's villainy, instead of, you know, a necessary process in case of a completely unexplained death, and the military commander's anger a result of his ego being offended by the magnificently brave actions of her own brilliant, uncompromising self, and not, you know, a totally justified response to the man finding himself with a corpse on his hands. And the fact that this person carries the day, in large part because she manages to overwhelm all and sundry military personel that crosses her path with the force of her personality, frankly is beyond belief. It is very hard to take the part of such a smug, irresponsible character and it pretty much ruined any satisfaction at the end of the book, which closes with a homily from her in the guise of the poor, mistreated victim to the people she has betrayed, endangered and left to pick up the pieces of her mess.
This could have been a great book, it has a lot going for it even now, but it is so frustrating to read that I cannot recommend it to anyone.
April 14, 2021
This indie press sci fi novel tells the story of a broken, yet oddly triumphant mission to the stars. It is a tale of compassion and faith, of loss and surprise.
June 29, 2022
This was a "high thought" sci-fi story; one of those more interested in exploring the human condition as it deals with sci-fi scenarios. Think Issac Asimov or The Culture from Iain M Banks.
There isn't much that happens in this book in terms of action or travel or anything like that. It's all focused on the protagonist and her priest friend (who is part of a far future incarnation of the Jesuit order) dealing with the returnees from an interstellar trip, all of whom have returned with multiple personality disorder beyond what anyone can fathom.
These types of books aren't my favorite, honestly, because so much time is spent spinning wheels. The nature and causes of the problem are not easy for the characters to figure out and most of the answers come from a series of happy accidents or being caught off guard and catching up after the fact. And of course you have the ever present "Big Government Organization" that is against everything that the protagonists are doing.
It was an entertaining enough read but there were definitely stretches where I was pushing myself through it. I will admit this type of sci-fi isn't my favorite. The "constant mystery in the next room" books are always tough for me to get through because I can never seem to get invested in the slow burn solving of the mystery, usually because it's done very scientifically; everyone simply waits for the smallest deviation and then spends hours (or pages) debating what it means, and half the time it's not connected to the eventual solution. And it's not even like a traditional mystery where people are going out and talking to people and searching for information that gives them a new perspective; it's all passive analysis.
In my gut I wanted to give this three stars because of my difficulty getting through it, but I feel so much of that was personal I gave it the extra bump.
There isn't much that happens in this book in terms of action or travel or anything like that. It's all focused on the protagonist and her priest friend (who is part of a far future incarnation of the Jesuit order) dealing with the returnees from an interstellar trip, all of whom have returned with multiple personality disorder beyond what anyone can fathom.
These types of books aren't my favorite, honestly, because so much time is spent spinning wheels. The nature and causes of the problem are not easy for the characters to figure out and most of the answers come from a series of happy accidents or being caught off guard and catching up after the fact. And of course you have the ever present "Big Government Organization" that is against everything that the protagonists are doing.
It was an entertaining enough read but there were definitely stretches where I was pushing myself through it. I will admit this type of sci-fi isn't my favorite. The "constant mystery in the next room" books are always tough for me to get through because I can never seem to get invested in the slow burn solving of the mystery, usually because it's done very scientifically; everyone simply waits for the smallest deviation and then spends hours (or pages) debating what it means, and half the time it's not connected to the eventual solution. And it's not even like a traditional mystery where people are going out and talking to people and searching for information that gives them a new perspective; it's all passive analysis.
In my gut I wanted to give this three stars because of my difficulty getting through it, but I feel so much of that was personal I gave it the extra bump.
July 10, 2024
Please read Goodreads summary above.
2 and 1/2 stars
Religiously inflected First Contact novel indeed. I didn't read that quote (in the Goodreads summary) before I started the book, and then 3/4's of the way through I got slapped with some serious dogma.
I was and am so annoyed. This reminds me entirely too much of Maria Doria Russell's "The Sparrow" and its sequel "Children of God", which also was quite heavy-handed in terms of a Catholic message.
Philip is even from the same order, the Jesuits, as the head priest was in Russell's books. I should have known.
When the plot "twist" in this novel occurs, there's lots of theological bootstrapping on the part of Father Philip that was just a bit much for my taste. His faith is shaken, and then what? Get a grip, Father Philip, you're in the middle of an active situation!
The denouement of the book is yet another exploration of faith, perhaps in a bigger picture, conducted between Philip and the laconic (and somewhat stereotypical) Native American member of our cast of characters, Joseph White Elk. This is around Philip writing long letters to the Pope and the head of the Jesuit order exploring his beliefs.
There is existential thought, and then there is old-fashioned theology. This book represents a heavy dose of the latter, to the extent I felt that I was being educated contrary to my interest or inclination.
Then there's Stella. She was also a disappointment: she was often sanctimonious and yet not particularly professional as an alleged mental health practitioner. She was highly emotional rather than rational, but that is the well-worn feminine cliché after all, isn't it? Her concluding blather to here counterpart Martin-what's with all the letter writing as a narrative device?-at the very end of the book bears that out for the most part.
This First Contact could have been better if the author had simply recognized that "less is more".
2 and 1/2 stars
Religiously inflected First Contact novel indeed. I didn't read that quote (in the Goodreads summary) before I started the book, and then 3/4's of the way through I got slapped with some serious dogma.
I was and am so annoyed. This reminds me entirely too much of Maria Doria Russell's "The Sparrow" and its sequel "Children of God", which also was quite heavy-handed in terms of a Catholic message.
Philip is even from the same order, the Jesuits, as the head priest was in Russell's books. I should have known.
When the plot "twist" in this novel occurs, there's lots of theological bootstrapping on the part of Father Philip that was just a bit much for my taste. His faith is shaken, and then what? Get a grip, Father Philip, you're in the middle of an active situation!
The denouement of the book is yet another exploration of faith, perhaps in a bigger picture, conducted between Philip and the laconic (and somewhat stereotypical) Native American member of our cast of characters, Joseph White Elk. This is around Philip writing long letters to the Pope and the head of the Jesuit order exploring his beliefs.
There is existential thought, and then there is old-fashioned theology. This book represents a heavy dose of the latter, to the extent I felt that I was being educated contrary to my interest or inclination.
Then there's Stella. She was also a disappointment: she was often sanctimonious and yet not particularly professional as an alleged mental health practitioner. She was highly emotional rather than rational, but that is the well-worn feminine cliché after all, isn't it? Her concluding blather to here counterpart Martin-what's with all the letter writing as a narrative device?-at the very end of the book bears that out for the most part.
This First Contact could have been better if the author had simply recognized that "less is more".
July 27, 2020
I was given a free copy of The Second Star by Alma Alexander, the author, Crossroad Press, Mystique Press , and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first book written by Ms. Alexander that I have read. I think it is fair to say that this book is science fiction.
The description of The Second Star: A spaceship has been lost for two hundred years, only to reappear with all six crew members alive, but each of them aged a couple of years. The main character, possibly a psychologist or psychiatrist, studies the six crew members to learn what happened to them.
I read twenty-five percent of this story and decided to stop reading.
I stopped reading because I thought there is too much dialogue that appeared to be more telling than showing. I was bogged down in the minutiae and nitty gritty of why she studied the six crew members and what she was investigating. I have read and finished novels that are dialogue heavy. The difference with this novel is the dialogue is dry and not interesting. This might be more an issue with me and may not be an issue with other readers.
As far as I read of this story, there was no action and hardly any narrative text to move the story forward.
The tone of the story is academic, clinical, and somewhat dry. Maybe it was intentional on Ms. Alexander’s part to write this story as a psychological research paper with the main character’s thoughts and observations.
I will rate this book 2 stars because I not read enough to get beyond the introduction of the story because of issues with the dialogue, lack of action, and a sense there was nothing move the story forward.
I would like to thank the Alma Alexander, Crossroad Press, Mystique Press, and Net Galley for the free ARC.
This is the first book written by Ms. Alexander that I have read. I think it is fair to say that this book is science fiction.
The description of The Second Star: A spaceship has been lost for two hundred years, only to reappear with all six crew members alive, but each of them aged a couple of years. The main character, possibly a psychologist or psychiatrist, studies the six crew members to learn what happened to them.
I read twenty-five percent of this story and decided to stop reading.
I stopped reading because I thought there is too much dialogue that appeared to be more telling than showing. I was bogged down in the minutiae and nitty gritty of why she studied the six crew members and what she was investigating. I have read and finished novels that are dialogue heavy. The difference with this novel is the dialogue is dry and not interesting. This might be more an issue with me and may not be an issue with other readers.
As far as I read of this story, there was no action and hardly any narrative text to move the story forward.
The tone of the story is academic, clinical, and somewhat dry. Maybe it was intentional on Ms. Alexander’s part to write this story as a psychological research paper with the main character’s thoughts and observations.
I will rate this book 2 stars because I not read enough to get beyond the introduction of the story because of issues with the dialogue, lack of action, and a sense there was nothing move the story forward.
I would like to thank the Alma Alexander, Crossroad Press, Mystique Press, and Net Galley for the free ARC.
August 30, 2020
A talky, ponderous, philosophical novel about an incomprehensible alien entity that is somehow supremely dangerous. There were so many things here that did not work for me: the egregious stereotypes, the tell-don't-show approach to everything from emotions to plot points, the annoying naïvete of the main characters, and a central conceit that ultimately did not resonate with me at all. I couldn't find any depth in the mysticism either. Honestly, this felt like the story of an experimental LARP or a low-budget and not particularly good Twilight Zone episode. I didn't really hate the story as much as I was utterly unmoved and uninvested.
April 5, 2024
This book has an intresting concept, but definatly needed to be thouroughly edited. While some areas had me slowly slogging through the book, other secrions moved fast and had me on the edge of my seat. This might be just me, but PLEASE use commas more often, it read very strange at times without pauses. The concept was intelligent, however it is ruined by long descriptions, circular rants, and charaters that despite mulitiple personalitys has zero depth. I give this book 2.5 stars.
April 30, 2022
The concept (a deep space ship is recovered with its crew alive but all fractured into multiple personalities) is intriguing, and carries the reader through a story that depicts many scenes that it could easily elide, but the plot takes a ham-fisted left turn that takes the fun out of that concept and again makes explicit things that would be better left to inference.
July 16, 2020
A VERY INTERESTING BOOK.
July 21, 2020
DNF at chapter 2. Those two chapters could be used as examples of what not to do when writing.
August 16, 2020
I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed it until about 85% when a plot twist came out of nowhere and changed the feeling of the book. The author did a great job creating the multiple personalities. I had no problem keeping up with the different personalities or who they belonged to.
I liked how we slowly found out what had happened to our 6 explorers and why they came home with fractured personalities.
However, I hated how the last 15% of the book unfolded. Without giving spoilers I felt the the end was rushed. Several things happened with no warning or no set up earlier in the book. This is what kept it from being a 4 star book for me.
ARC from Netgalley
I liked how we slowly found out what had happened to our 6 explorers and why they came home with fractured personalities.
However, I hated how the last 15% of the book unfolded. Without giving spoilers I felt the the end was rushed. Several things happened with no warning or no set up earlier in the book. This is what kept it from being a 4 star book for me.
ARC from Netgalley
November 7, 2020
I LOVE STARS DONT YOU
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