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Ally
Hidden away, buried for centuries. Until now.
Deep in space, the inhabitants of Planet Home regularly dig up broken-down relics of war, but this time they’ve discovered something different: a map with a cryptic destination. The location is meant to be found, but only few people know about it—including Royah.
As the town she lives in is becoming increasingly dangerous every day, while the only food source inexplicably dying out, someone must go east. The map likely holds secrets that will help them survive. Royah decides the quest will be hers. Maybe she can discover why humans were sent to the planet in the first place. Maybe she can save her mom. Maybe she can save the entire human race.
Deep in space, the inhabitants of Planet Home regularly dig up broken-down relics of war, but this time they’ve discovered something different: a map with a cryptic destination. The location is meant to be found, but only few people know about it—including Royah.
As the town she lives in is becoming increasingly dangerous every day, while the only food source inexplicably dying out, someone must go east. The map likely holds secrets that will help them survive. Royah decides the quest will be hers. Maybe she can discover why humans were sent to the planet in the first place. Maybe she can save her mom. Maybe she can save the entire human race.
187 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 14, 2021
71 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
C.A. Gleason
42 books5 followersC.A. Gleason was born in Seattle in 1976. He graduated from the Los Angeles Film School with a major in directing. Following a three-year enlistment in the military, he began turning his short film and movie ideas into cinematic fiction. He lives in the Pacific Northwest, where he creates tales of action, horror, science fiction, mystery, and fantasy.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 28, 2021
I don’t expect a highly nuanced read when looking into the military sf genre, but, spoiler alert, this is the absolute worst of its genre I’ve ever experienced. What is that movie that’s regarded as the absolute worst—The Hands of Manos? I haven’t seen it, but this book rivals that movie for the bottom of the barrel.
First, this book is not really proper sf. Aliens come to earth and randomly shanghai random folks off to some planet, and none of it makes any sense. The story is basically a big overgrown human kid who’s now on another planet, hiding from other humans, and having to kill them.
My favorite part is the main character’s name is Onan! LOL My least favorite part was a section that says something like “everyone he killed was less than human; people weren’t human once they lost their humanity.” It has to with barbarism and cannibalism, but this book lacks any nuance or philosophy whatsoever. Plus it just puts my head starting to spin with its circularity.
The purely atrocious part to me is the unbearably clumsy storytelling. It’s yet another trilogy, but the whole thing, if boiled down to a short story, would make no sense. But if you spread it out…. Maybe folks will forget, and if you baffle them with nonsense, they’ll get dizzy and just spin around like a child playing blind mans bluff, and if you repeat the same thing over and over…. Sometimes as an appositive, sometimes just repetition, you gotta make sure the reader doesn’t forget that the kid doesn’t sleep much. If they turn the page, they’ll forget, so repeat it again. But where’s the reason WHY the kid doesn’t sleep much? Why is he so atypical? I figured he’s a Superman or sumpin’ but no. No explanation. Just repetition.
I kept skipping forward. More of the same thing. The stuff that gets repeated isn’t even a story with dialogue and action. It’s all descriptive info dumps, explanations of nonsense like “he was awake because he didn’t sleep”, and super unenlightened interior monologues.
So I skipped right over book two—to the last few chapters of book three for the trilogy’s resolution, which features the awfully trite culmination of a relationship. Worse than any YA so-called instalove. And the way the series ends is ultra boring, like those transformer movies that were old ideas long before Shia le boffed them.
First, this book is not really proper sf. Aliens come to earth and randomly shanghai random folks off to some planet, and none of it makes any sense. The story is basically a big overgrown human kid who’s now on another planet, hiding from other humans, and having to kill them.
My favorite part is the main character’s name is Onan! LOL My least favorite part was a section that says something like “everyone he killed was less than human; people weren’t human once they lost their humanity.” It has to with barbarism and cannibalism, but this book lacks any nuance or philosophy whatsoever. Plus it just puts my head starting to spin with its circularity.
The purely atrocious part to me is the unbearably clumsy storytelling. It’s yet another trilogy, but the whole thing, if boiled down to a short story, would make no sense. But if you spread it out…. Maybe folks will forget, and if you baffle them with nonsense, they’ll get dizzy and just spin around like a child playing blind mans bluff, and if you repeat the same thing over and over…. Sometimes as an appositive, sometimes just repetition, you gotta make sure the reader doesn’t forget that the kid doesn’t sleep much. If they turn the page, they’ll forget, so repeat it again. But where’s the reason WHY the kid doesn’t sleep much? Why is he so atypical? I figured he’s a Superman or sumpin’ but no. No explanation. Just repetition.
I kept skipping forward. More of the same thing. The stuff that gets repeated isn’t even a story with dialogue and action. It’s all descriptive info dumps, explanations of nonsense like “he was awake because he didn’t sleep”, and super unenlightened interior monologues.
So I skipped right over book two—to the last few chapters of book three for the trilogy’s resolution, which features the awfully trite culmination of a relationship. Worse than any YA so-called instalove. And the way the series ends is ultra boring, like those transformer movies that were old ideas long before Shia le boffed them.
May 6, 2025
Interesting sci fi series with a slow, gentle start to what promises to be a great storyline. In the beginning, there are cues as to where we are and who the characters are, but nothing is obvious. It is a matter of gleaning the clues and building the personages.
There are three protagonists and I assume all three will somehow end up coming together at some point in time. They are all very different with different situations and reasons for what they do, which is to go wandering beyond their homeland. They are all loners, not the sort that fit in with social majority, so it is not a big deal when they leave home to go in search for whatever it is they want to find. They are unlikely allies, but I suspect that when they combine their forces they will flourish.
It is very hard for me to find a good sci fi book or series that I enjoy. I don't like too much tech nor too much humanity. This story takes place on a planet that is not earth. It isn't very clear what this planet is, but we learn bit by bit about it to form the concept of this story world. It doesn't come on too strong or dump a lot of data right off the bat, which I like. There is tech, but it is taken in stride as though everyone already knows what it is. Again, it comes to us bit by bit. The protagonists are very different, but have a certain core sense of morals that make them similar.
Because of the gentle inro and the tech not being the focal point, I really enjoyed this book. It has been easy to get to know the characters and what they each face. I'm curious about what happens now and how their lives cross over, so I think I will be reading the next two books.
There are three protagonists and I assume all three will somehow end up coming together at some point in time. They are all very different with different situations and reasons for what they do, which is to go wandering beyond their homeland. They are all loners, not the sort that fit in with social majority, so it is not a big deal when they leave home to go in search for whatever it is they want to find. They are unlikely allies, but I suspect that when they combine their forces they will flourish.
It is very hard for me to find a good sci fi book or series that I enjoy. I don't like too much tech nor too much humanity. This story takes place on a planet that is not earth. It isn't very clear what this planet is, but we learn bit by bit about it to form the concept of this story world. It doesn't come on too strong or dump a lot of data right off the bat, which I like. There is tech, but it is taken in stride as though everyone already knows what it is. Again, it comes to us bit by bit. The protagonists are very different, but have a certain core sense of morals that make them similar.
Because of the gentle inro and the tech not being the focal point, I really enjoyed this book. It has been easy to get to know the characters and what they each face. I'm curious about what happens now and how their lives cross over, so I think I will be reading the next two books.
April 3, 2025
A very interesting introduction. But it is very much a setup. On a planet long ago settled by those from earth it is a very small section of the planet is inhabited. Those who are seen as unsafe are in theory ejected into those rough spaces. The first of the players is a giant of a man who was targeted as a child not only by his peers for his advanced size but sold off by his parents and discarded. He since has escaped and wandering in the wild. The other is a young woman from one of the sectors who has been previously assaulted and who's crafty mother is encouraged to explore the beyond with a new trinket that is discovered and possibly revolutionary. Third is the son of a well to do shop that's being bullied by the grunts of a local official who's less than clean.
At first I really loved how varied the cast was not only in appearance and origin but emotionally. What became so disappointing was that near the end this book fell into a cliche that makes my eyes roll right out of my head. THere's nothing wrong with attraction and a draw to a more traditional value. When it happens instantly and seems almost entirely out of character? ugh.
I will continue as I purchased the series, but it really is a low three from that factor alone.
At first I really loved how varied the cast was not only in appearance and origin but emotionally. What became so disappointing was that near the end this book fell into a cliche that makes my eyes roll right out of my head. THere's nothing wrong with attraction and a draw to a more traditional value. When it happens instantly and seems almost entirely out of character? ugh.
I will continue as I purchased the series, but it really is a low three from that factor alone.
April 7, 2025
Gleason has a distinct (felt slow, or methodical, or highly explanatory?) voice. But once I got used to his style, I really enjoyed this story (and the whole trilogy). This is not my usual flavor of sci-fi, but I ended up really loving it and the characters. So if you don’t attempt, give yourself a chance to adjust to the writing style before writing this one off as boring. I promise, it’s a really good journey.
August 15, 2022
I loved this trilogy. I love Onnin. what a guy. I feel it was slow to start but defiantly worth it in the end. I was so eager for all the characters to meet and see how things played out and well... they played out. I had a feeling how things were going to play out when I started book 3 but damn. I thought maybe Yohiro would see falt in pals' way but damn. I hope this doesn't spoil things.
October 27, 2025
Excellent
As told from each personal perspective, the reader is quickly engaged. The only thing that one must do is to suspend disbelief in the ability to learn the use of the sword in one afternoon. Nonetheless, I will buy the next book.
As told from each personal perspective, the reader is quickly engaged. The only thing that one must do is to suspend disbelief in the ability to learn the use of the sword in one afternoon. Nonetheless, I will buy the next book.
October 12, 2021
Three main characters, Onnin, Royeh and Yohiro,
Abit slow to get started, then it pulls you in wanting to find out just how all three work things out.
Abit slow to get started, then it pulls you in wanting to find out just how all three work things out.
November 8, 2025
Interesting and different. Very well written, and although I did skim some of the musings and memories of the main character I still give it a 5 of 5 for the unique sci-fi.
February 9, 2024
It was OK. A little odd. 3 main character viewpoints. Takes place on a colonized planet that knows they were a colony of Earth but not much else. War wiped out most civilization so it's basically a post apocalyptic society with remnants like guns of the previous.
I listened to the audiobook which was not an option to pick.
I listened to the audiobook which was not an option to pick.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews