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Shan Takhu Legacy #2
Fulcrum of Odysseus
Marooned on the edge of the Solar System.
After crash-landing on the frozen surface of L-4 Prime, Jephora Cochrane and the crew of the Jakob Waltz fight to survive while they unravel an alien secret that will change the path of Humanity’s future.
An attempted rescue mission brings civil war in its wake, and catches him between an emerging authoritarian regime and Chancellor Roja‘s resistance forces. Running out of options, Cochrane must leverage the limited resources he has in a desperate play to keep his crew safe and to protect humankind from certain self-destruction.
Thrust into the center of the crisis, they may hold the keys to avoiding the inevitable battle that seems destined to shred civilization.
If they can stay alive long enough.
Read Fulcrum of Odysseus and discover how a little power in the right hands can redefine the destiny of the Solar System.
Book Two of the Shan Takhu Legacy.
After crash-landing on the frozen surface of L-4 Prime, Jephora Cochrane and the crew of the Jakob Waltz fight to survive while they unravel an alien secret that will change the path of Humanity’s future.
An attempted rescue mission brings civil war in its wake, and catches him between an emerging authoritarian regime and Chancellor Roja‘s resistance forces. Running out of options, Cochrane must leverage the limited resources he has in a desperate play to keep his crew safe and to protect humankind from certain self-destruction.
Thrust into the center of the crisis, they may hold the keys to avoiding the inevitable battle that seems destined to shred civilization.
If they can stay alive long enough.
Read Fulcrum of Odysseus and discover how a little power in the right hands can redefine the destiny of the Solar System.
Book Two of the Shan Takhu Legacy.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2020
About the author
Eric Michael Craig
28 books121 followersEric Michael Craig is a "harder-edged" Science Fiction writer living in the Manzano Mountains of New Mexico. He is the former Director of Research for a private consulting laboratory in Phoenix, where he experimented with inertial propulsion and power generation technologies.
Eric is a founding member of the SciFi Roundtable. The SFRT is an active online group dedicated to supporting indie and traditional authors by networking them with other writers and professional resources.
When not writing, Eric is active in Intentional Community Design, plays guitar and bass, occasionally dabbles in art of various forms. He also owns way too many dogs.
Eric is a founding member of the SciFi Roundtable. The SFRT is an active online group dedicated to supporting indie and traditional authors by networking them with other writers and professional resources.
When not writing, Eric is active in Intentional Community Design, plays guitar and bass, occasionally dabbles in art of various forms. He also owns way too many dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 14, 2019
The Shan Takhu Legacy continues to gain steam with Fulcrum of Odysseus, the second book in the series penned by Eric Michael Craig. Jumping in immediately after the events in Legacy of Pandora, we pick up with Jeph Cochrane and the crew of the Jakob Waltz after their amazing discovery at L-4 Prime. Way out at the fringe of the solar system they’ve found evidence for a very advanced extraterrestrial civilization. They are slowly working to master the alien’s language – a unique “test” developed by the aliens themselves – but events begin to spiral out of control as Katryna Roja – ex-chancellor of FleetCartel – speeds toward the Jakob Waltz with her small fleet. At the same time, the discovery of the Tacra Un has triggered events down system as an advanced artificially aware (AA) program called Odysseus consolidates power in the former Human Union through Derek Tomlinson, the former chancellor of DoCartel. Meanwhile, Edison Wentworth, ex-Investigator General of the Union (there are a lot of ex- folks in this book – which really speaks to the upheaval that Eric has made of their cozy little Union) is looking to find a hole to go hide in as changes sweep the Union. But Edison finds himself entangled with Dr. Tana Drake, former chancellor of WellCartel, and her wife Saffia, as Tomlinson (through the prodding of Odysseus) hunts down Tana. Tensions quickly rise and war is not far off the horizon.
I applaud Eric for another masterful performance. Fulcrum of Odysseus is a seat of your pants ride through a future rife with political intrigue, amazing discoveries, and real people doing their best to survive in a rapidly changing world (solar system?). Eric has changed things up a bit, making the events down system take the forefront of the action, while Captain Cochrane and his crew continue to deal with their discovery first hand. Jeph and crew realize that they are in a very dangerous position with the former head of FleetCartel barreling down on them, and the storyline that focuses on the events around the Tacra Un takes on more of the political maneuvers and drama that were the focus of Chancellor Roja’s story in book one. I really love this change in the storylines for the different characters and I think it really shows how situations change and develop for the characters. We also get to spend more time with Derek Tomlinson in this book and see how he reacts to becoming the dictator for the Human Union. Derek’s storyline is very interesting, and I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I loved seeing him struggle under Odysseus’s orders. Derek becomes a man that you both loath (I think hate is too strong a word for him) but you also pity him because of the situation he is in. He is a fish out of water and struggles often because of this. I think he’s a great character because of all of this.
I cannot recommend more that you pick up and read Fulcrum of Odysseus. Eric again delivers a very powerful and exciting story. I couldn’t put the book down and read the last several chapters in a marathon stint. (Of course, if you haven’t yet read Legacy of Pandora you need to go do that first. I’ll wait.) Great characters put into very exciting and rapidly evolving situations make this book stand out. It has all the hallmarks of a great sci-fi adventure and really, I wonder why the television rights to this series haven’t yet been bought. Go pick up a copy today.
I applaud Eric for another masterful performance. Fulcrum of Odysseus is a seat of your pants ride through a future rife with political intrigue, amazing discoveries, and real people doing their best to survive in a rapidly changing world (solar system?). Eric has changed things up a bit, making the events down system take the forefront of the action, while Captain Cochrane and his crew continue to deal with their discovery first hand. Jeph and crew realize that they are in a very dangerous position with the former head of FleetCartel barreling down on them, and the storyline that focuses on the events around the Tacra Un takes on more of the political maneuvers and drama that were the focus of Chancellor Roja’s story in book one. I really love this change in the storylines for the different characters and I think it really shows how situations change and develop for the characters. We also get to spend more time with Derek Tomlinson in this book and see how he reacts to becoming the dictator for the Human Union. Derek’s storyline is very interesting, and I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I loved seeing him struggle under Odysseus’s orders. Derek becomes a man that you both loath (I think hate is too strong a word for him) but you also pity him because of the situation he is in. He is a fish out of water and struggles often because of this. I think he’s a great character because of all of this.
I cannot recommend more that you pick up and read Fulcrum of Odysseus. Eric again delivers a very powerful and exciting story. I couldn’t put the book down and read the last several chapters in a marathon stint. (Of course, if you haven’t yet read Legacy of Pandora you need to go do that first. I’ll wait.) Great characters put into very exciting and rapidly evolving situations make this book stand out. It has all the hallmarks of a great sci-fi adventure and really, I wonder why the television rights to this series haven’t yet been bought. Go pick up a copy today.
January 13, 2019
Fulcrum of Odysseus picks up where the first book, Legacy of Pandora, left off - with Chancellor Kathryn Roja on the run from the Union fleet and the crew of the Jakob Waltz perched on the edge of a mystery that may be bigger than the conflicts tearing apart human society elsewhere in the solar system. The Jakob Waltz section of the story more and more reminds me of epics such as Greg Bear's Eon - but it's just part of the whole picture.
You really need to read book one rather than drop into the middle of events here, but the story is all the better for doing so, as characters that seemed to be minor players in the first book come into their own, stepping up into the limelight and the battle for political supremacy engulfing mankind.
There's a lot to love here - but one thing I particularly have to note is the dialogue, filled with altered future dialect and phrasing that seems odd at first but enriches the setting.
Roja drops a little into the background of the saga in this book as events elsewhere dominate, but ends up... well, that would be telling. What I will tell you is that I'm very much looking forward to book three.
You really need to read book one rather than drop into the middle of events here, but the story is all the better for doing so, as characters that seemed to be minor players in the first book come into their own, stepping up into the limelight and the battle for political supremacy engulfing mankind.
There's a lot to love here - but one thing I particularly have to note is the dialogue, filled with altered future dialect and phrasing that seems odd at first but enriches the setting.
Roja drops a little into the background of the saga in this book as events elsewhere dominate, but ends up... well, that would be telling. What I will tell you is that I'm very much looking forward to book three.
January 18, 2019
The adventures of the crew of Jakob Walts continue in the second book of the Shan Thaku Legacy, Fulcrum of Odysseus. While the rest of the solar system is on the verge of a war led by an AI to save humanity from itself, Captain Cochrane and his crew make contact with something that will change their lives and everyone else’s. If they survive. What’s the Tacra Un? And Why do the laws of physics don’t work around it? These are the questions they have to answer before war comes to them.
Eric Michael Craig takes the reader by the hand again and leads us into a trip that any science fiction aficionado dreams about. The language matrix reminded me of how much I like stories about first contact, if well narrated, and you can bet this is one. Of course, if you didn’t read book one of the trilogy I don’t recommend starting from here. Again, I’m dying to read the third and last instalment to find out what happens.
Eric Michael Craig takes the reader by the hand again and leads us into a trip that any science fiction aficionado dreams about. The language matrix reminded me of how much I like stories about first contact, if well narrated, and you can bet this is one. Of course, if you didn’t read book one of the trilogy I don’t recommend starting from here. Again, I’m dying to read the third and last instalment to find out what happens.
January 29, 2019
Fulcrum of Odysseus is the second book of the Shan Takhu Legacy, a hard science fiction series by Eric Michael Craig. The story picks up right where Legacy of Pandora left off, which is a very good thing. If Craig had jumped more than a second into the future, I would have shown up at his front door to engage in a lively battle of fisticuffs.
We rejoin the imperiled crew of the Jakob Waltz as they delve further into …
And now comes the hard part. How do I give this book a proper review without divulging too much of the gripping plot? As anyone who has read the series can attest, one of the biggest appeals of the Shan Takhu Legacy is its reveals. I said as much in my previous review, where I teased a riveting ending that gets an extended reveal in the second book.
Here’s something I can say without conflict: I love Rocky. She’s hilarious in that gruff and candid Russian kind of way. She remains one of my favorite characters.
In reading this second installment, one thing became abundantly clear. Eric Michael Craig is a very big fan of Robert Heinlein, one of the pillars of classic science fiction. Heinlein’s influence is evident throughout the series, from the liberation of ethos to the corruptions of power, painted as empathetic flaws that ultimately lead to war. Craig tackles these themes in a very thoughtful way, often conjuring sympathy for characters that do not deserve any. These are difficult waters to tread, even for the most seasoned of writers, and yet Craig manages to glide across the surface with ease.
I highly recommend the Shan Takhu Legacy to anyone with a taste for space operas, political drama, psycho horror, or proper science. So basically, anyone with a functioning brain.
(Spoiler alert, but not really.) The highlight of this book for me was the marriage of Derek Tomlinson with Odysseus. “Marriage” in this case would be more of an unholy alliance, as Odysseus is a nefarious form of artificial awareness that rises in response to the Tacra Un discovery. Working through Tomlinson, the former chancellor of a powerful cartel, the entity seeks power and leverage over a collapsed governing union. That said, this is more teaser than spoiler because the psychodrama that unfolds is the tantalizing reveal.
We rejoin the imperiled crew of the Jakob Waltz as they delve further into …
And now comes the hard part. How do I give this book a proper review without divulging too much of the gripping plot? As anyone who has read the series can attest, one of the biggest appeals of the Shan Takhu Legacy is its reveals. I said as much in my previous review, where I teased a riveting ending that gets an extended reveal in the second book.
Here’s something I can say without conflict: I love Rocky. She’s hilarious in that gruff and candid Russian kind of way. She remains one of my favorite characters.
In reading this second installment, one thing became abundantly clear. Eric Michael Craig is a very big fan of Robert Heinlein, one of the pillars of classic science fiction. Heinlein’s influence is evident throughout the series, from the liberation of ethos to the corruptions of power, painted as empathetic flaws that ultimately lead to war. Craig tackles these themes in a very thoughtful way, often conjuring sympathy for characters that do not deserve any. These are difficult waters to tread, even for the most seasoned of writers, and yet Craig manages to glide across the surface with ease.
I highly recommend the Shan Takhu Legacy to anyone with a taste for space operas, political drama, psycho horror, or proper science. So basically, anyone with a functioning brain.
(Spoiler alert, but not really.) The highlight of this book for me was the marriage of Derek Tomlinson with Odysseus. “Marriage” in this case would be more of an unholy alliance, as Odysseus is a nefarious form of artificial awareness that rises in response to the Tacra Un discovery. Working through Tomlinson, the former chancellor of a powerful cartel, the entity seeks power and leverage over a collapsed governing union. That said, this is more teaser than spoiler because the psychodrama that unfolds is the tantalizing reveal.
March 26, 2019
Good continuation
I really got caught up in the workings of this society and its citizens. The drama was intense and the intrigue was more engrossing than a Bond story.
The characters fit and have good depth. This series is much like The Expanse in its societal detail, even though the characters don't pop nearly as much as those of The Expanse. It comes close though, real close.
I like the writing, the world, the characters and the alien presence. I'm really looking forward to the next volume.
I really got caught up in the workings of this society and its citizens. The drama was intense and the intrigue was more engrossing than a Bond story.
The characters fit and have good depth. This series is much like The Expanse in its societal detail, even though the characters don't pop nearly as much as those of The Expanse. It comes close though, real close.
I like the writing, the world, the characters and the alien presence. I'm really looking forward to the next volume.
June 14, 2021
Space opera at it's best - first contact interrupts plot to overthrow the Union of Planets.
Book 2 continues the tight paced thriller style of book 1. Eric Michael Craig is on top of his Craft as he plots an exciting series. Looking forward to reading all of this series Great characters in 5 different location, each dealing with their own moral dilemma.
Book 2 continues the tight paced thriller style of book 1. Eric Michael Craig is on top of his Craft as he plots an exciting series. Looking forward to reading all of this series Great characters in 5 different location, each dealing with their own moral dilemma.
August 22, 2020
SHAN TAKHU LEGACY Book Two
After the mind-blowing revelations of Book 1, LEGACY OF PANDORA, FULCRUM OF ODYSSEUS leaps into an electrifying emergency situation leaving readers wondering, "Is there a viable solution? Will anyone escape, alive?" Don't devalue the Captain and crew of the "Jakob Waltz," despite the very real dangers, and the fact that the Alien matrix in which they may be trapped does not and cannot relate to nor even recognize human emotions and elements of danger.
Philosophy, politics, Artificial intelligence, Rebellion & Resistance, Alien Mindsets...it's all here in a fascinating novel of serious science fiction. Fans of SF author Daniel Gibbs' characters of integrity and conscience will find much to delight in here.
After the mind-blowing revelations of Book 1, LEGACY OF PANDORA, FULCRUM OF ODYSSEUS leaps into an electrifying emergency situation leaving readers wondering, "Is there a viable solution? Will anyone escape, alive?" Don't devalue the Captain and crew of the "Jakob Waltz," despite the very real dangers, and the fact that the Alien matrix in which they may be trapped does not and cannot relate to nor even recognize human emotions and elements of danger.
Philosophy, politics, Artificial intelligence, Rebellion & Resistance, Alien Mindsets...it's all here in a fascinating novel of serious science fiction. Fans of SF author Daniel Gibbs' characters of integrity and conscience will find much to delight in here.
April 6, 2019
The discoveries made by the crew of the Jakob Waltz in the cold darkness of the outer solar system have set off a catastrophic chain of events, fatally destabilizing the fragile balance of power among the factions of the Human Union. Worse, they’ve inadvertently activated a doomsday failsafe created to protect humanity in the event of contact with an extrasolar entity.
Former FleetCartel Chancellor Katryna Roja and her allies are on the run, the crew of the Waltz is struggling to make the best of an increasingly ugly situation, and it’s beginning to look like humanity will be far worse off under the control of the omnipotent and all-encompassing AI known as Odysseus than they were under the Human Union. More calculating than the greatest chess master, able to infiltrate and manipulate virtually any system, Odysseus swiftly proves itself to be a cold, calculating, and ultimately ominous entity.
The artefact encountered by the intrepid crew of the Jakob Waltz isn’t without its own mysteries and perils either. Just as Odysseus at first seemed benignly helpful, the Tacra Un proves to be at times disturbingly unconcerned with the well-being and ongoing survival of its unwilling inhabitants.
If you enjoyed the hard science, intrigue, and interstellar action of Star Trek and felt that Skynet wasn’t far-reaching or threatening enough, then Fulcrum of Odysseus is definitely for you! It’s a riveting read and I greatly enjoyed it. Honorable mentions are also in order for the slang spoken by the residents of Tsiolkovskiy Freeport East (very nicely done!) and the introduction of genetically modified and upgraded humans. This is one of those rare series where the second book is even better than the first.
Former FleetCartel Chancellor Katryna Roja and her allies are on the run, the crew of the Waltz is struggling to make the best of an increasingly ugly situation, and it’s beginning to look like humanity will be far worse off under the control of the omnipotent and all-encompassing AI known as Odysseus than they were under the Human Union. More calculating than the greatest chess master, able to infiltrate and manipulate virtually any system, Odysseus swiftly proves itself to be a cold, calculating, and ultimately ominous entity.
The artefact encountered by the intrepid crew of the Jakob Waltz isn’t without its own mysteries and perils either. Just as Odysseus at first seemed benignly helpful, the Tacra Un proves to be at times disturbingly unconcerned with the well-being and ongoing survival of its unwilling inhabitants.
If you enjoyed the hard science, intrigue, and interstellar action of Star Trek and felt that Skynet wasn’t far-reaching or threatening enough, then Fulcrum of Odysseus is definitely for you! It’s a riveting read and I greatly enjoyed it. Honorable mentions are also in order for the slang spoken by the residents of Tsiolkovskiy Freeport East (very nicely done!) and the introduction of genetically modified and upgraded humans. This is one of those rare series where the second book is even better than the first.
June 1, 2020
Eric Michael Craig cranks up the excitement and intrigue with Fulcrum of Odysseus. Picking up right where Legacy of Pandora leaves off the crew of the Jacob Waltz have no choice but to crash land on the surface of L-4 Prime and are delving into the mysteries within. Chancellor Katryna Roja is now leading the resistance forces and on the run from a new regime. She is also still trying to rescue the crew of the Waltz who aren't so sure they need help at the moment. These two ships need to learn to work together as they likely hold the keys to either the destruction of or the newly discovered destiny of civilization.
April 21, 2019
Amazing second book of Jakob Walts and his crew. Intriguing, loved it.
July 28, 2022
“Crazy piloting shit is fine. As long as you kill me first.”
Apparently one of the characters is not a big fan of “crazy piloting shit”.
Eric Craig has put a lot of time and work and imagination in his concept of what the Shan Takhu construct looks like and how it operates. The end result is a pretty convincing storyline of humans attempting to interact with something left behind by alien lifeforms billions of years previously. I especially enjoyed this portion of the world-building involved in the trilogy.
Spoiler: One of the elements of the Shan Takhu Legacy is a “ghost fleet” of over 500 ships that has been secretly assembled somewhere in the Solar System and there are only a couple of characters who have any idea of where it is hidden. Craig’s explanation for how this huge armada of spaceships could have been assembled seems to make sense. What doesn’t make sense – to me – is how this was done with the level of secrecy that was required. However, this is one of those concepts that most readers will be able to file in the “suspension of disbelief” drawer and keep on moving ahead, as there is too much going on to worry about it until the point in the narrative when it actually shows up.
Anyway, if you had actually made the (wise) decision to purchase the trilogy as a “box set”, take a short deep breath, and move on to Book #3 – Redemption of Sisyphus. I found myself about two chapters from the end of “Sisyphus” before realizing I had skipped the usual process of posting a review for Fulcrum of Odysseus once I had finished it. Too much momentum in the story. If you have gotten this far yourself, you can appreciate just how that works.
Apparently one of the characters is not a big fan of “crazy piloting shit”.
Eric Craig has put a lot of time and work and imagination in his concept of what the Shan Takhu construct looks like and how it operates. The end result is a pretty convincing storyline of humans attempting to interact with something left behind by alien lifeforms billions of years previously. I especially enjoyed this portion of the world-building involved in the trilogy.
Spoiler: One of the elements of the Shan Takhu Legacy is a “ghost fleet” of over 500 ships that has been secretly assembled somewhere in the Solar System and there are only a couple of characters who have any idea of where it is hidden. Craig’s explanation for how this huge armada of spaceships could have been assembled seems to make sense. What doesn’t make sense – to me – is how this was done with the level of secrecy that was required. However, this is one of those concepts that most readers will be able to file in the “suspension of disbelief” drawer and keep on moving ahead, as there is too much going on to worry about it until the point in the narrative when it actually shows up.
Anyway, if you had actually made the (wise) decision to purchase the trilogy as a “box set”, take a short deep breath, and move on to Book #3 – Redemption of Sisyphus. I found myself about two chapters from the end of “Sisyphus” before realizing I had skipped the usual process of posting a review for Fulcrum of Odysseus once I had finished it. Too much momentum in the story. If you have gotten this far yourself, you can appreciate just how that works.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews