- Paperback: 278 pages
- Publisher: Mummer Media (August 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0986659347
- ISBN-13: 978-0986659348
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14 x 2.2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 358 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #696,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
At the end of the 21st century, a catastrophic accident in the asteroid belt has left two surveyors dead, but the asteroid itself is completely missing, along with their young son, Alex Manez, who was accompanying them. On the outer edge of the solar system, the first manned mission to Pluto, led by the youngest female astronaut in NASA history, has led to an historic discovery: there is a marker left there by an alien race for humankind to find. We are not alone! While studying the alien marker, it begins to react and, four hours later, the missing asteroid appears in a Plutonian orbit, along with young Alex Manez, who has developed some alarming side-effects from his exposure to the kinetic element they call Kinemet. From the depths of a criminal empire based on Luna, an expatriate seizes the opportunity to wrest control of outer space, and takes swift action. The secret to faster-than-light speed is up for grabs, and the race for interstellar space is on!
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.2 out of 5 stars (39 customer reviews)
62 of 69 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Recommended, Sep 7 2010
By Richard E. Jackson - Published on Amazon.com
It's easy for a writer to get bogged down when writing science fiction. Some writers focus too much on the science and not enough the story. Others do the reverse. Valmore Daniels manages to maintain a balance between the two. It's one of the things that made Forbidden the Stars a good read for me.
I enjoyed the author's writing style. There are places where Valmore Daniels uses excerpts from ship logs, personal journals and files to help further the story. For the most part, this worked to great effect.
The characters were interesting and believable. Each one had a fully developed personality and clear motivations. That said, some characters were stronger than others. There were also a few minor characters that I wanted to know more about.
The setting, especially how things are run on Earth, is unique. It's a different take on how things could be that I liked. It would have been nice to learn more about the events that led up to this but the story isn't hurt by the lack of details.
Finally, the plot and pacing of the story made the book an easy read. There was always something happening and events kept moving at an even pace. Towards the end of the book, things felt a little rushed as the author tied up the plot.
If you want to get a science fiction fix, you should give this book a try.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting story, lacking characters, Jan 8 2011
By Mike Kai - Published on Amazon.com
This is a very well written and thought out book. The link to science and possible future technology lends itself to a reasonable future, but the connection to the characters left me feeling like they were just a sideline to the events, not an actual part of them. Add in the unlikely international corporate view and it pushes the story where I think would lead down a slippery slope that borders unreasonable fiction.
This book and expected sequels I believe have a very high possibility of achieving so much, so long as the characters are brought more to the forefront with less emphasis on "profits before life" feeling I got from this book.
Keep up the good work Valmore, cannot wait to see where you leads us next!
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An ambitious SF read, Dec 18 2010
By Debra L. Martin - Published on Amazon.com
3.5 stars out of 5
I received a review copy from the author.
This book is an ambitious story weaving multiple storylines at once. There is Michael Sanderson, President of Canada Corp's Space Mining Division; Justine Turner, the first female astronaut who pilots Orcus 1 to Pluto; 10 year-old Alex Manez; the criminal base of operations on Luna and the legend of Kulkulkan, the Mayan god of the sun, the oceans, the earth and the sky. Maybe, a little too ambitious.
Alex Manez travels with his parents on a survey mission to the asteroid Macklin's Rock in the Sol System. This should have been a routine mission, but tragedy strikes and his parents are killed in an explosion. This is no ordinary explosion, but one that will change space exploration for mankind. The asteroid disappears only to reappear four hours later in a Plutonian orbit; the first instance of FTL aided by a mysterious element named Kinemet. Young Alex survives the FTL travel, but his exposure to kinetic element fundamentally changes him. Justine and her crew who were currently serving on a mission to Pluto rescue him. She must abandon her mission on Pluto to bring Alex back to Earth.
I wanted to bond with Alex and everything that he must be feeling, but the author keeps Alex at bay keeping him distant and aloof from every overture that Justine makes to befriend him. We do get to know Justine better, a woman who lost everything in her personal life, because of her unfailing dedication to her career. From the moment Justine rescues Alex, however, she develops an over protectiveness toward the young boy. This is where Mr. Daniels gets it right. I felt that I knew Justine and could understand the reasons why she made the decisions she did in her life.
Not being a scientist, I found myself skipping over many of scientific descriptions and explanations. These don't interest me, but this is in no way a reflection on Mr. Daniels who obviously did an enormous amount of research for this book. I prefer to know more about people in the story - their motivations, desires, and dreams.
Without giving away any spoilers, there are many events in this book that keep the action moving. All of the storylines came together and I finished the book within a week. It was an enjoyable read and I have no problem recommending this book to fans of science fiction.
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