Kye Verex is trapped.

Due to a fluke of genetics, the decisions of the galaxy’s elite, and a lack of finances, he’s stuck on his polluted and noxious home world indefinitely. And it’s slowly killing him.

Then his more fortunate sister returns one day, bringing the promise of salvation. Kelsey has always hoped to find the means to pull him out of his desperate cycle of survival, but it has taken years. Now, she has a plan, one that will cure his genetic condition and clear him for interstellar travel.

The catch?

He has to sign over his very existence – and a portion of his humanity – to Zylar Inc., the galaxy’s most prominent and notorious corporation, in exchange for the necessary treatment. Is his cure worth the cost?

Review:

Rating: /10

What are you willing to trade for a better life? That’s the central question in A.J. Calvin’s fantastic new novel, Wraith and the Revolution. The book presents a complex and highly detailed peek into the future, in which humanity thrives in a galaxy teeming with strange, fascinating life. Unfortunately, humanity barely regards its own living.

“Earth is a cesspit of toxic shit,” the main character Kye says early on, and his life there is sifting through an irradiated wasteland dominated by dangerous creatures. He suffers from a medical condition for which there is no cure, and puts a very low ceiling on his life. His life isn’t all bad, however. He scavenges alongside his close friend Pablo, and their deep, funny bond is the heart of the novel.

Kye and Pablo are warm, hilarious, and utterly human in their breezy yet complicated relationship. Humanity often seems unrecognizable in the book, and literally morphs into something else as Kye accepts an offer to improve his lot in life. He gets a chance to upgrade figuratively and literally, to leave Earth behind and Pablo, too, but the cost is great. All he has to do is let an intergalactic megacorporation enhance his body and as his sister says, ‘become half-machine.’

You find yourself not wanting him to take what is obviously a bad deal, or leave behind Pablo, who is his soul mate in so many ways. The story could potentially benefit from a little more pressure on Kye to make this choice than it applies, especially with his sister’s manifest caginess about this seemingly great offer. But Kye’s journey is one we all face today. What is it to be human when our humanity is rapidly evolving? Are we our circumstances, or are we our potential? What’s human in us, if we’re more machines in body, or simply cogs in one?

The book asks huge questions while also providing lots of action and deep worldbuilding. The Botanaari are among the most fascinating, complex alien races I’ve read in recent science fiction. The book goes from the pits of a dying world to the florid heights of alien ones, traveling through abject poverty to the crux of cosmic power, and tells a thrilling story along the way.

Synopsis:

Light dims on humanity’s reign over the galaxy.

Charlus Vaughn, a teenage refugee, escapes deadly machine justice with her penitent mother.

Rescued by a data-pirate crew, she falls into the path of ancient arachnid machinations that propel her back towards her mysterious origins and the heart of her unknown heritage.

Review:

DB Rook carries an air of chaotic calm within all his books. An author who is able to conjure from the written word great depth and vivid imagery with prose that has a dark eloquence. So, it was no surprise to find this book carries the same ambience into the scifi action genre. Here Rook leads us into a tale of genocide, humanity being wiped from existence by our once robotic slaves who have become both judge and executioner. We initially follow Charlus and her mother through these killing fields, on the run and desperate to escape. We gain hints of the Black Bots origins, that there is far more behind the destruction they bring than it first appears, to which they both have a deep connection.

 It is then that Rook flips the narrative. Having been immersed in Charlus’s fate, the reader is set deliberately off-balance by the arrival of a spaceship filled with data-pirates whose tangle of relationships and attitudes add a distinct layer of depth to the characterisation that runs through the rest of the novella. Saved by this weird collection of thieves, a grieving Charlus and the crew hurtle blindly into events that shape the future of humanity.

Part warning, part rollicking adventure, Residuum is a slice of dark action science fiction I urge you to try. Superb.

Synopsis 

Forty thousand years ago, humanity fled a dying Earth. They travelled into space on arkships and found a new home.

When the first arkship arrived, it signalled for the others to follow. Those from that first ship evolved into Celestials, establishing themselves as rulers over mankind’s new home. 

Now, as new arkships arrive, people must choose whether to submit to the rule of the Celestials, or fight for freedom.

Finn hasn’t arrived on an arkship. He was born under the rule of the Celestials, and is a dreamer who yearns for the freedom to travel space for himself one day. When another arkship from Earth — previously thought lost — arrives unexpectedly, Finn sees his chance to embrace a greater destiny and journey into the vast unknowns of distant space. 

Review

‘Exodus’ is an epic introduction to a huge universe, skilfully keeping you grounded while expanding its scope to ever-increasingly colossal levels. It’s a space opera that enhances Hamilton’s reputation as a titan of the genre, and serves as a masterclass in how to make sci-fi BIG! 

Before the story begins, the book’s opening sections thoroughly catalogue all the main characters and provide a timeline of events of what happened after Earth was abandoned. It’s a LOT and I worried I might struggle to take it all in, but as soon as the narrative got going, I found myself pulled straight into the Exodus worlds. In fact, the main thing that might dissuade you from picking up the book is its sheer breadth. It’s a chonker. And in terms of audio (FYI I listened to the audiobook), it comes in at a whopping 33 hours. But as soon as you make a start, the novel hooks you immediately and keeps you listening/reading. So don’t be put off by its size. After all, they say bigger is better, and sci-fi doesn’t come any bigger than this.

Across a mega 928 pages, the story unfolds through the perspectives of several main characters living in various parts of society. Their stories cleverly interlink to reveal a bigger picture — but I’ll get to that more in a little bit. First, let me give you a flavour of what it feels like to inhabit the worlds of this universe. To do that, context matters. So here’s some context that sets everything up. 

The story is set in a future where mankind has taken to space in arkships to find more habitable planets. Some ships succeed in finding habitable worlds and send out a ‘green world beacon’ to the rest of the fleet. But, thanks to time dilation, the new arkships arrive to find society in a much more advanced state than what they’d expected. 

When the last arkship gets to the Centauri cluster, new human arrivals take in the lay of the land. As a reader, you share their shocked reaction at what they discover — that those who arrived on the first arkship have evolved into ‘celestial beings’, and have enslaved other humans as well as genetically engineered races. The various branches of Celestials each have their own special abilities, depending on the way each set of scientists focused their work. 

Tobias is the leader of the newly arrived arkship ‘Diligent’, and he begins to shift the status quo for humans — who are not allowed to own property. He feels an undercurrent of dissatisfaction among them, despite everyone having somewhere to live, work to do, and food on the table. Who really wants to spend all their time farming just to send it off-planet so the Celestials can eat it?

Finn is our link to the Uranic race. He’s had a privileged upbringing and enjoys a high status within his world, yet wants to throw it all away to fly across the stars and seek his own path as a traveller. Finn helps Tobias and those of the ‘Diligent’ navigate the complicated order of things, stopping them from breaking the rules before they’ve even got started. Ellie is Tobias’ granddaughter, and theres a love interest between Finn and Ellie that runs constantly through the book — it anchors Finn’s character development. It’s always entertaining to spend time with Finn as he’s such a loveable rogue. 

The narrative of Terrance Wilson-Fletcher, a member of the police on Santa Rosa (where Finn is from) gives you an insight into the political undercurrents that are going on amongst the different branches of the Celestials. He does undercover work and gets called to meet with a security chief, where he experiences for himself what life is like on a celestial planet — really out of this world. The Celestials’ technology makes getting away with anything pretty impossible, yet there’s a time delay between what happens on other planets and the Celestials finding out about it. Every plan they make (based on information they get from informants) feeds into a bigger purpose. 

While each section of the narrative is interesting to read on its own and you get pretty invested in finding out what happens, slowly, slowly you begin to realise the bigger plot that lies underneath it all. When multiple strands finally come together, it comes over as very clever and enhances the enjoyability of the book no end. It’s so much fun to see the web being woven in front of your eyes. 

When the book ended, I felt keen to know when the next one will be ready! I was really excited to discover Peter F Hamilton was asked to write the book to promote a new video game set in the same universe. I have to say, having read the book, I’m eager to see what the game is like! 

In terms of the audiobook performance, John Lee had a very commanding voice that is easy to listen to, and he made the 33 hours fly by. Once I’d finished listening to it, I had a few days of feeling like I was forgetting to do something. I can’t talk about the book without hearing his voice in my head! 

Overall, ‘Exodus’ is an engine of invention and speculation that reaches as high as it aims. It’s both complex and immersive, and makes for an ideal escape from our boring old Earth, leaving you with plenty to chew over. I can’t wait to see where it takes us next. 

Ebook, Hardback, and Audiobook are available now.

Paperback to be released on June 19th, 2025

Synopsis:

Kye Verex is trapped.

Due to a fluke of genetics, the decisions of the galaxy’s elite, and a lack of finances, he’s stuck on his polluted and noxious home world indefinitely. And it’s slowly killing him.

Then his more fortunate sister returns one day, bringing the promise of salvation. Kelsey has always hoped to find the means to pull him out of his desperate cycle of survival, but it has taken years. Now, she has a plan, one that will cure his genetic condition and clear him for interstellar travel.

The catch?

He has to sign over his very existence – and a portion of his humanity – to Zylar Inc., the galaxy’s most prominent and notorious corporation, in exchange for the necessary treatment. Is his cure worth the cost?

Review:

Wraith and the Revolution is a standalone sci-fi with an emotional gut punch of a backstory. So let’s start at the beginning, or rather the end, if you will. For Earth has tumbled into the cycle of industrial wasteland we can all see happening around us. Humanity, mainly, has left for the stars, leaving behind those that can eek out a living sifting through electronic detritus and radioactive rubbish piles on the hunt for things to sell. Food comes down to tasteless cubes, munched on while the cancers eat away at your body.

You get the picture.

Against this backdrop we have Kye and Pablo, best friends forever, surviving day to day while seeking a way off their shit pile. This section of the book is introspective, and the drudgery of staying alive takes up much of the first third. This takes patience for the reader, with Kye’s struggles continuing when it emerges the only way off world is a complete body upgrade into a flesh and machine soldier.

The pay-off is worth it.

It has a purpose. Drawing you into real characters with depth who are then thrown in at the deep end into, well it says it in the title, into a revolution. But one at which they are at the crux and the action, intrigue and energy, take you on a roller-coaster ride of sci-fi promised by the title and that stunning cover. Kye is a full cybernetic badass, and Pablo’s circumstances position him at the centre of the revolt too. Once again, friends standing against whatever life throws at them.

AJ Calvin has crafted a story that has personal meaning to her, and it shines through. Be patient, the pay-off is coming and is all the more powerful for the depth given in those opening pages.

Synopsis:

Rohan doesn’t want to be famous, to be rich, or to rule over the galaxy with an iron fist. All he wants is a peaceful life towing ships, a decent cup of coffee, and time to pursue the woman of his dreams.

First he’ll have to tame or destroy a self-centered god, a sector-spanning evil empire, and a race of slumbering moon-sized vampiric cephalopods.

That will require new allies by his side and new tricks up the sleeves of his purple and yellow jumpsuit.

Allies like the il’Zkin, cat people who can’t leave their homeworld, or the kaiju of Toth 3, monsters he can’t control. Tricks like the mystical technique given to him by Spiral, his mentor, that seems completely incompatible with the Hybrid rage that has been his greatest strength.

When his friend Wei Li receives visitors from her own mysterious past, Rohan realizes they might hold the keys to helping him with several of those problems.

Those visitors seem to have other ideas.

Review:

I decided to bump this book up on my TBR after reading several others that were pretty dark and/or tense because I needed some humor in my life. I knew this one would deliver, and it certainly didn’t disappoint on that front. Rohan’s jokes, Wei Li’s sarcasm, and Katya’s feline antics (just to mention a few characters) are a huge part of why I love the Hybrid Helix series. While there are high stakes and galactic-level problems to solve in each story too, the humor is what keeps me coming back for more.

Suppression of Powers shows us a slightly different side of the series’ main character, Rohan. He still gets into just as many fights, and he’s still doing his best to protect those he cares about, but he goes about it in a different way. Mastering Spiral’s technique is impossible when Rohan gets angry or afraid, but he believes he needs to learn it if he wants to succeed in saving the galaxy from the latest big threat. And that means he gets beat up. A lot. Probably more than any other book in the series so far.

While I understand Rohan’s desire to change his methods, I was getting a little impatient with him after a while. He needed to figure things out, yes, but there’s only so much of the main character being repeatedly trounced by people I know he can win against that I can take. That element of the story did get better before the end, though.

Beyond Rohan, we also get to learn more about Wei Li and Tamaralinth in this book. Both women are powerful in their own ways, but even more so than I could have anticipated (I really liked both of their stories!) I also enjoyed the addition of Terry, Rohan’s sort-of pet kaiju/pterosaur.

Suppression of Powers is the beginning of the second “sub-series” within the Hybrid Helix, and there is quite a bit of set up for things that will inevitably happen later. I’m excited to see where the series will go from here.

Synopsis:

For fans of Guardians of the Galaxy or Invincible.
Like Dragonball Z but wish it had a little more hard science fiction in it?

The il’Drach Empire spans half a galaxy, built on the feet and fists of their Powered hybrid children.

At eight Rohan of Earth learned that he was only half human. By sixteen he was an active superhero, using his inherited powers to fight crime, in mask and spandex. At twenty-two he left his home to fight for the his father’s people, expanding the il’Drach Empire and protecting it from local and interdimensional threats. At thirty-two, exhausted by ten years of ruthless warfare, he retired to Wistful, a vast sentient independent space station, to try to live a normal life.

With a steady job, someone far out of his league to date, and the most cosmopolitan selection of fine dining in the sector, things are looking up.

Then a long dormant wormhole in Wistful’s system is opened by a ship full of refugees, drawing unwanted attention from the Empire. The appearance of the refugees sets off a chain of events that will force Rohan to confront his checkered past and cast doubt on whether he can ever leave behind his violent warrior heritage.

To keep his friends safe, and himself in one piece, Rohan has to face giant insects, body-skipping assassins, vengeful armored aliens, an inquisition of intelligent bears, and a team of his fellow hybrids. The open question is whether tapping into his savage alien powers will end up destroying the peaceful life he has been trying to build.

Review:

Wistful Ascending begins with a wild, action-packed prologue. Our main character is in turmoil. We’re on the edge of our seats, but we don’t know why. Just when we think something devastating is about to occur, the prologue ends, and the first chapter takes us back to twelve days earlier.

Rohan, our main character, is a man trying to lead a normal life. Except, he is not normal. He is a mix of human and something incredibly powerful, labeling him a “hybrid”. Hybrids are strong and fierce and born to fight wars. Except Tow Chief, Second Class Rohan is happy enough to tow ships into Wistful’s space station. Regardless of what makes him happiest, the universe has other ideas for what Rohan will endure.

As someone who is newer to the science fiction genre, I always fear that books in this genre will lose me, or the world-building will go over my head. It is books like Wistful Ascending that prove me wrong. The world-building is done in my favorite style. No long paragraphs of info dumps. The world around Rohan is actually done primarily through dialogue.

The dialogue in this book is astounding. I did not even realize that I was gaining so much knowledge about the world because I was enjoying tense conversations or witty banter. Next thing I knew, I was aware of the different species in Berne’s world, past historical events, and how the space station Wistful came to be. There were many parts that had me laughing out loud.

Rohan’s voice in this book contrasts with the other characters—aliens and AI—in the best of ways. While he is casual, snarky, and very human in his speech, other characters converse formally and without humor, making his jokes even funnier. Some of my favorite back-and-forths were between Rohan and the space station Wistful herself. She is quick to answer his questions far too honestly, and he is quick to regret asking questions that do not always warrant an honest answer.

Rather than being chock full of wild adventures or harrowing events, Wistful Ascending takes its time. Rohan faces many challenges, but we also get moments of dinner with friends or playing frisbee with a local boy. While I was enjoying myself in the calm, thoughtful moments, there were always undertones of an issue soon to be faced.

The second half of the book picks up as Rohan faces several adversaries. His attempts at remaining peaceful and under the radar are futile. Berne produces top-tier, well-described bouts of action as Rohan performs like a true hybrid.

I listened to this as an audiobook, and I found it to be an incredibly enjoyable way to absorb this. Most of the time, I find narrators to be pleasant enough. Other times, I feel as though no other narrator could have done a book justice better than the one chosen. Wistful Ascending is an example of the latter. Wayne Farrell used many different accents and really brought Rohan to life.

Wistful Ascending was exciting, hilarious, and kept me engaged throughout. It is a must-read for anyone who enjoys light-hearted space adventures, loveable main characters, and severe situations involving dangerous enemies.

Synopsis:

Earth That Was has faded into myth. After millennia spent wandering, humans are no longer nomads. Twelve tribes stand allied under the United Tribal Axis; but there is a signal in the darkness that threatens to destroy everything.

All Skyla wanted after leaving the Navy was to be left alone. Just her ship, the stars, and a new adventure. But when a strange virus disables her ship, she is thrown into the middle of a conflict she doesn’t understand, forcing her to take on responsibilities she swore she never would again.

Hinata always followed the rules, honor above all else. He always won, until he didn’t. Sentenced to exile for his failures, he is determined to prove himself, until a mysterious woman arrives on his station and chaos threatens to break already fragile alliances.

Freyja was always angry, an outcast, playing the part of admiral and black ops operative. But she is tired of being a pawn in the Empress’ games and when she’s stranded on the wrong side of enemy lines after a vengeful battle, she’s forced to ally with her adversaries to clear her name.

Review:

Umbra hits all the notes of a classic space opera; humanity has taken to the stars, there’s a major conflict brewing, lots of inter-tribe conflict, a plethora of interesting tech, and plenty of worlds/habitats to explore. While the main characters were each interesting in their own way, the worldbuilding (galaxy-building?) was my favorite part.

The story begins with Skyla, who is an adventurer/archeologist seeking ancient tech. Most of what she finds is human in origin, even if the worlds she finds it on have been abandoned for generations. She keeps her distance from the United Tribal Axis (UTA) due to her past, so when circumstances align to bring her into contact with Hinata, and later Freyja, who are both high-ranking officials in the UTA navy, it’s not something she expected. She’s an explorer at heart and the rigid rules of the UTA aren’t for her.

Hinata is the classic, duty-bound, noble soldier who always follows orders and works for the greater good. Of the three main characters, he’s the only one from a different tribe. They’re all human, but the rules his people follow differ from the others. For instance, his tribe believes the AI ships many naval officers bond with are only tools. Both Skyla and Frejya interact with their AI ships as if they were fully sentient people (in the context of this book, they pretty much are.)

Freyja was a difficult character to like. She was always angry, and often running errands for her very powerful mother—against the directives of the UTA navy. It was hard to trust her, even after certain things come to light.

The technology featured throughout the book was really interesting. I already mentioned the AI ships, but the preferred weapons used by most were fairly unique. Since projectile weapons aren’t suited for battles waged in spaceships or small space stations, they’ve fallen out of popularity to be replaced by “older” sorts of weapons like swords and staves. But those weapons were integrated with tech that can produce localized EMPs, or blunt the edges for training… I find little elements like that are fun to uncover in a story. The “wetware” defense system they encounter was an inventive idea too—bioengineered plants that act as building security aren’t just creative, they’re kind of scary.

There were a lot of pieces to this book that I don’t want to go too far into due to spoilers, but I will say this: Umbra sets the stage for the rest of the series. There are a lot of “beginnings,” but not much is resolved here. (The good news for readers is that book 2 is on the horizon.)

Synopsis

Turn Two of the Hybrid Helix.

Humanity faces extinction. Ten-kiloton monsters are rising from the depths of the Pacific, levelling entire cities in frenzies of destruction. Earth’s heroes have been decimated. The survivors put their hope in one last, desperate plan: find Hyperion, Earth’s most powerful hero, and ask him to return from exile to save them.

What they don’t know is that Hyperion is dead. The Griffin spent ten years fighting wars across the sector as a weapon of mass destruction for the il’Drach Empire. His victories made his name a curse on a dozen worlds and a nightmare on scores more. He retired to the peaceful station Wistful and discovered that leaving his name behind didn’t clear his sins, his debts, or his conscience.

Earth’s peril may give him a chance for redemption, if he can only find a way to stop the monsters without turning into one. Without becoming The Griffin again.

Review

‘“Rohan, if you get yourself killed, I will be sad. If you get Lyst killed, I will find a team of Shayjh to resurrect you so I can kill you again, with my own hands.”

He sighed. “I’ll prioritize her safety over my own. Good enough?”

“It is a start.”’

I’m back with turn two of the hybrid helix and am determined to get through the series this year. It is definitely one of the fun books I get to read. Superhero fantasy usually gets little of the limelight while discussing the different subgenres under the fantasy umbrella but this series is one of the best realizations of it. There is no way simply that readers do not love Rohan a.ka. The Griffin. 

Book 1 (Wistful Ascending) is one of the best books I have ever read and it was in my top 10 reads of the year 2023. I shouldn’t have taken such a long break after that but I’m determined to correct that this year especially with one or two books coming out every year. As I said in book 1’s review, even with a lot of action and some pretty dark stuff, I associate a cozy, comforting feel with this series and it doesn’t change. 

Sentient spaceships are always a nice touch. A new one was introduced in the beginning of this book and immediately skyrocketed to the top of my favorites list. While the first book happens entirely in space, this one takes Rohan back to Earth. He was an angry superhero who left Earth a decade ago but is now back because Earth is facing an extinction-level threat. The way this threat is written is so effective. I truly felt that humanity was in an impossible situation and the battle, and the losses suffered as the threat grew felt so convincing. The stakes were set up so well and I was invested. While he faces a very obvious threat, he also has to go back and talk to his mother and his ex – after being in no contact for more than a decade.

‘Ben raised his donut in a salute. “Two angry women. Not something the Empire trained you to handle.”’ 

Great action scenes, witty banter, and great emotional character arcs are all  ̶f̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶b̶e̶c̶o̶m̶i̶n̶g̶ already trademarks of JCM Berne. Rohan is such a captivating character to follow, I simply don’t see how anyone can not enjoy and be captivated by his journey. He is such an OP character in this universe and yet is also flawed, relatable, complex – leaving the readers with such a lasting impression and an emotional connection. I want Rohan to win and I want him to be happy. We also get a lot of references to our Earth’s pop culture and that adds to a lot of fun. 

Two minor quibbles I have are that – I am personally more partial to the side characters and relationships developed in book 1 and I miss them. This book being set in a totally new area, offers a new cast of side characters but it is like starting a tv series on its fourth season and while they do win me over, it takes a very long time. The other is that while the ending is certainly explosive and has a proper resolution to the plot threads, I wanted the orchestrators of the enormous thread explored a bit more. This one definitely seems to be more about Rohan’s character growth and redemption. 

So while this falls slightly short of the highs Wistful Ascending (Book 1) reached for me, it was still an enjoyable time and I’m certainly going to start Book 3 very soon.  

Synopsis

The Forsaken Planet is the epic first installment of the genre-bending science fantasy series Power of the Stars.


-The Power of the Stars-
“With it, we are capable of greatness or are a weapon that will only bring suffering to the universe.”

When mysterious aircraft wreak havoc across Earth’s skies, it is revealed that there are clusters of other planets where humankind resides, distant worlds where the people wield the power of the stars themselves. It is an energy force that can bring about miracles or, as the alien fleet’s ruthless leader displays, unleash horrors beyond imagination.

After experiencing a loss during the onslaught, Colton Samson, an ordinary college student, vows to protect his loved ones at any cost. But to learn the power to do so, he must enlist into the Army of the Universal Throne—a second alien force with its own agenda.

With the revelation of a secret prophecy foretelling humanity’s demise and Colton’s improbable role in preventing it, he embarks alongside a diverse group of friends to the Throne’s capital, the planet of Vintara. There he faces prejudice from supposed allies, lifelike combat simulations that test him to his core, and the looming threat of a universal war. Only by embracing his true potential can Colton hope to secure the safety he seeks, in a universe that views him as nothing more than Forsaken.

“The Forsaken Planet is an epic science fantasy debut that simultaneously satiates and leaves me hungry for more.” – BiblioTheory, BookTube

“Uniquely weaves together the beginnings of a sprawling space opera with a fantasy core that works surprisingly well…Overall, I loved this book and highly recommend it!” – The_Dragon_Reread, Bookstagram

Review

I originally received this as an e-ARC read. On a personal note, I was reading this when I went through a really serious breakup. The author saw, and messaged me to say it was okay to be late or even drop the read altogether. It meant a lot and it just so happened that I did need to step away. I have since purchased the book (and all his others though!).

I stopped reading the book right around the same time I picked it back up this year. I was about 50% in, and it had been a slow burn. Other than the impetus that set up the story’s drive, not much action had happened. I was wondering how and when it would finally pick up. But then strangely, I stepped away, and I have never continually thought about something I’ve read so much as this for the entire year I was away. 

The novel starts with a group of friends on earth the night their hometown is attacked by a group of invaders. They fight back, in defense of each other, and something extraordinary happens. Earth finds out overnight that they are not alone, never were, and are now actively being recruited into a space army. Colton and his friends sign up, charged up and looking for revenge. They ship off and get filtered into groups that are immediately sent to an accelerated schooling program. This is where I left off, and yet I continued to find my thoughts coming back to Colton and his friends time and again. 

The author does a great job of showing healthy male relationships, with empathy and understanding, and emotional scenes. And while they may not all learn at the same pace, they embody different strengths and they learn to come together and support each other. This book is a real journey too, it’s basically A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back in one. They have answered the call, and they have to pass the test and training to have any hope of facing the enemy and making it out in one piece. The combat simulations they are put through were riveting and really showed the reader their growth. 

The background political intrigue was just another layer that shows the author’s ability. Well sprinkled in, and I really enjoyed the use of keeping our lead informed as our way of finding out too. Oh, and it lead into one hell of a twist and climax! I gotta get into book two soon!

Synopsis

The Starship Atlantis takes you on an unforgettable journey through the extraordinary. From alien civilizations and rogue AI to desperate missions on the brink of collapse, these stories will transport you across the stars into the heart of the unknown.

This anthology features six never-before-published novellas and short stories, plus two exclusive bonus tales.

Explore epic adventures crafted by eight USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling authors, whose works have captivated readers and sold over ten million copies worldwide.

Stories:
The Return by Joshua Dalzelle
Locust Twilight by Steven Konkoly
Hope Springs by Lindsay Buroker
Glass Lanterns by Anthony J. Melchiorri
Redwoods by Nathan Hystad
Starborn by Jasper T. Scott
Helpful Machines by Bobby Adair
Knight’s Gambit by Samuel Peralta

Review

Writer’s Note: Samuel Peralta, who wrote the forward and the concluding story for this short story collection, previously curated a number of sci-fi/fantasy anthologies, of which I have appeared in five of them with short stories of my own. 

Short story anthologies and collections are fantastic books for those unsure of what exactly they are looking for or wanting to read. By reading a shorter length work, you can find new authors that you vibe with and may even discover something you’d never find otherwise. 

Tales from the Starship Atlantis is a new collection from a collective of sci-fi and fantasy authors who call themselves Discover Sci-Fi. They had a previous collection of stories assembled in 2019 entitled Tales from the Starship DIscovery and plan to release another volume this fall, Tales from the Starship Endeavor.

With all these starships, all the stories are space-based sci-fi fare, right? You’d be wrong there. It definitely starts that way with The Return by Joshua Dalzelle, but there are a blend of Earth-based sci-fi stories as well from about half of the authors. 

My favorite of the bunch was Starborn by Jasper T. Scott. While the story has a definite space-based tone to it, most of it takes place on a planet with mysterious origins. Before long, the reader is clued in to the fact that the story is flipped from how it’s normally presented in books and stories, and the planet isn’t all it’s first presented as. And then, for fun, there are some subtle (and not so subtle) allusions to some current geo-political situations and figures that add a slightly humorous (and maybe troubling) twist to everything. 

And I know I’m biased, but I have always loved the stories that Samuel Peralta has put out. His output over the years hasn’t been huge like other authors (Peralta devotes more time to other pursuits like curating works and putting books and works of art in space – see https://www.lunarcodex.com/ for more info), but what he does write is always fascinating and thought-provoking. He has a point of view on his short stories that isn’t something you see from most authors. 

If there is a downside to the collection, a few of the stories feel incomplete. Like they are just a sample of much larger works. Which, given the nature of the Discovery Sci-Fi group, is definitely a good chance with some of the authors and their other works they want readers to find and read. 

I’d recommend checking out Tales from the Starship Atlantis. Eight fun sci-fi stories and each one has its own flavor and personality.