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Saga of Davi Rhii #2
The Returning
Hugo-nominated editor Bryan Thomas Schmidt won Honorable Mention on Barnes and Noble.com's Year's Best Science Fiction Releases alongside books by Ben Bova, Robert J. Sawyer, Jack Campbell, Ernest Cline and more with his debut novel, THE WORKER PRINCE, which captures the feel of the original Star Wars than any other recent series. In book two, Davi Rhii helped his enslaved people fight for their freedom and earn equality, but now that they have it, they find freedom and acceptance don't necessarily go hand-in-hand. When assassins begin killing and terrorizing Vertullians, threatening Davi's family and friends, they face a renewal of old enmity all over again. Davi, Farien and Yao reunite to investigate the murders, finding their lives and friendship threatened again by what they discover.
Meanwhile, Xalivar is back seeking revenge on all those who defied him, especially Davi, while the new High Lord Councilor, Tarkanius, finds himself fighting all over again to preserve the unity of the Borali Alliance, with many of his allies and friends seeming determined to tear it apart.
Meanwhile, Xalivar is back seeking revenge on all those who defied him, especially Davi, while the new High Lord Councilor, Tarkanius, finds himself fighting all over again to preserve the unity of the Borali Alliance, with many of his allies and friends seeming determined to tear it apart.
- GenresScience Fiction
346 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2012
1 person is currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Thomas Schmidt
52 books168 followersBryan Thomas Schmidt is a national bestselling author and Hugo nominated editor of adult and children’s speculative fiction. His fourth novel, Simon Says is a page-turning near future thriller. His debut novel, The Worker Prince received Honorable Mention on Barnes & Noble Book Club’s Year’s Best Science Fiction Releases for 2011. His children’s books, 102 More Hilarious Dinosaur Books For Kids and Abraham Lincoln: Dinosaur Hunter- Land Of Legends appeared from Delabarre Publishing in 2012. His short stories have appeared in Tales of The Talisman, Straight Outta Tombstone, The X-Files: Secret Agendas, Predator: If It Bleeds, Decision Points and many more.
He edited the anthologies Space Battles: Full Throttle Space Tales #6 for Flying Pen Press, Beyond The Sun for Fairwood Press, Raygun Chronicles: Space Opera For a New Age for Every Day, Shattered Shields with coeditor Jennifer Brozek (Baen, 2014), Mission: Tomorrow (Baen, 2015), Galactic Games (Baen, 2016), Decision Points (WordFire, 2016), Little Green Men--Attack! with Robin Wayne Bailey (Baen, 2017), Monster Hunter Files with Larry Correia (Baen, 2017), Joe Ledger: Unstoppable with Jonathan Maberry (St. Martin's Griffin, 2017), Predator: If It Bleeds and Infinite Stars And Infinite Stars: Dark Frontiers both for Titan Books, 2017 and 2019.
As editor, he has edited books for Grail Quest Books, Wordfire Press, Delabarre Publishing and authors including Andy Weir's The Martian which hit number 6 on the New York Times Bestsellers list in 2014, Alan Dean Foster, Mike Resnick, Frank Herbert, Todd McCaffrey, Tracy Hickman, Angie Fox, Leon C. Metz , Ellen C. Maze, David Mark Brown, and more.
He’s also the author of the bestselling nonfiction book How To Write A Novel: The Fundamentals of Fiction.
Bryan can be found online at Facebook, on Twitter as @BryanThomasS and @sffwrtcht and via his website.
He edited the anthologies Space Battles: Full Throttle Space Tales #6 for Flying Pen Press, Beyond The Sun for Fairwood Press, Raygun Chronicles: Space Opera For a New Age for Every Day, Shattered Shields with coeditor Jennifer Brozek (Baen, 2014), Mission: Tomorrow (Baen, 2015), Galactic Games (Baen, 2016), Decision Points (WordFire, 2016), Little Green Men--Attack! with Robin Wayne Bailey (Baen, 2017), Monster Hunter Files with Larry Correia (Baen, 2017), Joe Ledger: Unstoppable with Jonathan Maberry (St. Martin's Griffin, 2017), Predator: If It Bleeds and Infinite Stars And Infinite Stars: Dark Frontiers both for Titan Books, 2017 and 2019.
As editor, he has edited books for Grail Quest Books, Wordfire Press, Delabarre Publishing and authors including Andy Weir's The Martian which hit number 6 on the New York Times Bestsellers list in 2014, Alan Dean Foster, Mike Resnick, Frank Herbert, Todd McCaffrey, Tracy Hickman, Angie Fox, Leon C. Metz , Ellen C. Maze, David Mark Brown, and more.
He’s also the author of the bestselling nonfiction book How To Write A Novel: The Fundamentals of Fiction.
Bryan can be found online at Facebook, on Twitter as @BryanThomasS and @sffwrtcht and via his website.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 5, 2012
It is a shame that heroic science fiction has fallen out of favor. It seems there is a certain dystopian threshold or grittiness of character that is required in fiction these days, resulting in dark and bleak stories. Reading The Returning is like a splash of cool water, bringing back the nostalgia and feel of a Star Wars-like universe that instills the passion from my childhood. The Returning is original with characters that draw the reader into their world.
Freedom doesn’t come easy for the Vertullians. Even after defeating Xalivar, the High Lord Councilor of the Borali empire, their return to full citizenship is marked with discrimination and treachery. Vertullians across the solar system are being murdered by assassins and everything they have fought for could soon be lost.
Davi Rhii, our hero and a captain in the Borali Alliance, is tasked with finding out who is behind these killings. But he is not alone in this crucial mission. Accompanying him are Farien, an old friend of Davi, who has worked alongside him in the alliance; Dru, a promising cadet who narrowly escapes an attempt on his own life and disobediently proves himself worthy of going on the mission; and Yao Brohma, a professor in charge of the Vertullian assimilation into the academy. Together they visit dangerous planets and Vertullian resistors to try and restore peace.
To complicate matters further, the love of Davi’s life, Tela, is growing impatient with his over-protection. She too has proven herself in battle and doesn’t want to sit around waiting for her boyfriend to be killed. While Davi tries to balance his duty to the alliance and to Tela, the lives of High Lord Councilor Tarkanius, Lord Aron, and even their family are in grave peril.
I must admit that I didn’t read the first book of the series, but there were no issues jumping in with the second novel. I understood The Worker Prince (book 1) to be a loose retelling of the story of Moses in the form of a space opera. I was pleased to find out the series is much more than that. The Saga of Davi Rhii is not really an allegory, but a story in its own right. The Vertullians are a Judeo-Christian people, but instead of entering a period of wandering toward the Promised Land, they are trying to establish peace, integrated with the Boralians. Also, the religious elements of the novel are non-intrusive and help paint a clearer picture of the Vertullian people and history.
The novel has good conflict and action. The characters are real and suffer real emotions and even death. I liked the romantic tension between Davi and Tela; however, it felt too contained. Davi remains too perfect, never letting his emotions make the best of him (unlike Moses, whose anger prevented him from entering the Promised Land). Tela’s emotions, on the other hand, seemed confused. She is a strong-willed woman around Davi, lovey-dovey with her “daddy,” and insecure when she is assigned to lead security detail. On the other hand, perhaps this is what makes her character more real.
The universe is creative, employing humans, insectoid-reptillian Lhamors, and blue-skinned Xanthians and Andorians. I would have liked for the novel to go a little deeper into their culture to help flesh out the solar system.
Overall, I don’t think you can go wrong with this novel. It was an enjoyable read and I had no trouble starting with the second book. Enough details are self-contained and it serves as a standalone novel within the broader story arc. If you are looking for optimistic science fiction with good action and adventure, The Returning is the book for you.
I look forward to the next book in the series.
Freedom doesn’t come easy for the Vertullians. Even after defeating Xalivar, the High Lord Councilor of the Borali empire, their return to full citizenship is marked with discrimination and treachery. Vertullians across the solar system are being murdered by assassins and everything they have fought for could soon be lost.
Davi Rhii, our hero and a captain in the Borali Alliance, is tasked with finding out who is behind these killings. But he is not alone in this crucial mission. Accompanying him are Farien, an old friend of Davi, who has worked alongside him in the alliance; Dru, a promising cadet who narrowly escapes an attempt on his own life and disobediently proves himself worthy of going on the mission; and Yao Brohma, a professor in charge of the Vertullian assimilation into the academy. Together they visit dangerous planets and Vertullian resistors to try and restore peace.
To complicate matters further, the love of Davi’s life, Tela, is growing impatient with his over-protection. She too has proven herself in battle and doesn’t want to sit around waiting for her boyfriend to be killed. While Davi tries to balance his duty to the alliance and to Tela, the lives of High Lord Councilor Tarkanius, Lord Aron, and even their family are in grave peril.
I must admit that I didn’t read the first book of the series, but there were no issues jumping in with the second novel. I understood The Worker Prince (book 1) to be a loose retelling of the story of Moses in the form of a space opera. I was pleased to find out the series is much more than that. The Saga of Davi Rhii is not really an allegory, but a story in its own right. The Vertullians are a Judeo-Christian people, but instead of entering a period of wandering toward the Promised Land, they are trying to establish peace, integrated with the Boralians. Also, the religious elements of the novel are non-intrusive and help paint a clearer picture of the Vertullian people and history.
The novel has good conflict and action. The characters are real and suffer real emotions and even death. I liked the romantic tension between Davi and Tela; however, it felt too contained. Davi remains too perfect, never letting his emotions make the best of him (unlike Moses, whose anger prevented him from entering the Promised Land). Tela’s emotions, on the other hand, seemed confused. She is a strong-willed woman around Davi, lovey-dovey with her “daddy,” and insecure when she is assigned to lead security detail. On the other hand, perhaps this is what makes her character more real.
The universe is creative, employing humans, insectoid-reptillian Lhamors, and blue-skinned Xanthians and Andorians. I would have liked for the novel to go a little deeper into their culture to help flesh out the solar system.
Overall, I don’t think you can go wrong with this novel. It was an enjoyable read and I had no trouble starting with the second book. Enough details are self-contained and it serves as a standalone novel within the broader story arc. If you are looking for optimistic science fiction with good action and adventure, The Returning is the book for you.
I look forward to the next book in the series.
May 3, 2012
The Returning: Multiple Meanings
A review of
Bryan Thomas Schmidt The Returning: Book 2 of The Saga of Davi Rhii (Diminished Media Group, 2012)
$14.99 396 pp ISBN-10: 0984020942 ISBN-13: 978-0-9840209-4-2
Reviewer: Forrest W. Schultz
A good question for a book discussion or an essay in a literature course would be to state the various kinds of "returning" in the book under review. The most important of these, at least on the surface, would be the attempt of Xalivar, the arch-villain of The Saga of Davi Rhii, to return to power. (It is not easy to note the other kinds without giving away the story.) Bryan Thomas Schmidt went to a lot of effort to create Xalivar in Book 1; he is wise to maintain him as a character here in Book 2. He does not want to waste a carefully crafted villain! Especially not in a story which has received such plaudits for being based on real good and real evil.
Having said that, Schmidt also, especially here in Book 2, depicts the complexity of the characters (especially Tela and Miri) who wrestle with tough questions trying to find what the right thing to do is in regard to their historical context and to their relationship with Davi. There is real good and real evil, yes! But his good characters are also complex, not simplistic. And there is realism in the debate by the Vertullians concerning staying within the Borali Alliance versus withdrawal. In fact it is reminiscent of the debates 40 years ago among American blacks in regard to integration versus separation. The answers are not easy to know. And Davi is not sure what to do about his deteriorating relationship with Tela, not only over the political issues but also over the question of the role of women in regard to careers and marriage, the same issue which has been discussed and debated a great deal in today's America. There is also realism regarding the principle that most people do not learn from history.
This is all very serious stuff both at the socio-political level and the personal level. But there is also humor interlaced with it, some of it subtle, such as the apparently serious discussion of "Trilithium", and, at another point of "Honorable Men".
This story is very good, very well told, and has us wondering how it will turn out. It makes us avidly await Book 3.
Information is available at these websites: www.bryanthomasschmidt.net and www.diminishedmediagroup.com.
A review of
Bryan Thomas Schmidt The Returning: Book 2 of The Saga of Davi Rhii (Diminished Media Group, 2012)
$14.99 396 pp ISBN-10: 0984020942 ISBN-13: 978-0-9840209-4-2
Reviewer: Forrest W. Schultz
A good question for a book discussion or an essay in a literature course would be to state the various kinds of "returning" in the book under review. The most important of these, at least on the surface, would be the attempt of Xalivar, the arch-villain of The Saga of Davi Rhii, to return to power. (It is not easy to note the other kinds without giving away the story.) Bryan Thomas Schmidt went to a lot of effort to create Xalivar in Book 1; he is wise to maintain him as a character here in Book 2. He does not want to waste a carefully crafted villain! Especially not in a story which has received such plaudits for being based on real good and real evil.
Having said that, Schmidt also, especially here in Book 2, depicts the complexity of the characters (especially Tela and Miri) who wrestle with tough questions trying to find what the right thing to do is in regard to their historical context and to their relationship with Davi. There is real good and real evil, yes! But his good characters are also complex, not simplistic. And there is realism in the debate by the Vertullians concerning staying within the Borali Alliance versus withdrawal. In fact it is reminiscent of the debates 40 years ago among American blacks in regard to integration versus separation. The answers are not easy to know. And Davi is not sure what to do about his deteriorating relationship with Tela, not only over the political issues but also over the question of the role of women in regard to careers and marriage, the same issue which has been discussed and debated a great deal in today's America. There is also realism regarding the principle that most people do not learn from history.
This is all very serious stuff both at the socio-political level and the personal level. But there is also humor interlaced with it, some of it subtle, such as the apparently serious discussion of "Trilithium", and, at another point of "Honorable Men".
This story is very good, very well told, and has us wondering how it will turn out. It makes us avidly await Book 3.
Information is available at these websites: www.bryanthomasschmidt.net and www.diminishedmediagroup.com.
July 29, 2012
A solid follow-up to "The Worker Prince." Exciting space opera action and some good intrigue. My full review will appear in Tales of the Talisman volume 8, issue 1.
February 21, 2014
This sequel to The Worker Prince was described by Howard Jones as fun space opera romp. I think he was correct. This is not high literature; it doesn't need to be. People who like space opera, as I do, will probably like this.
March 23, 2017
I can't wait 'til you guys see this book. Every beta reader and editor has said it's way better than the first one. It's been compared to a rocket ride pace or a Bourne movie. Lots of action and never lets up. Surprising twists and turns. It's coming soon! Hope you're excited!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews