|
When the
Sky Fell
|
Title: When the Sky Fell
Series: Sky Chronicles, 1
Author:
Mike Lynch &
Brandon
Barr
ISBN:
978-0-9787782-3-1
Product Code: BK0025
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 368
Release Date: May 2009
Cover
Price: $18.95
Our
Price: $10.00
Additional Formats Available:
Book Pages:
|
|
Book
Reviews
Review by:
T.W. Ambrose, Digital Dragon
Mike and Brandon Struck Gold
with When the Sky Fell
When
the Sky Fell is the first published novel of co-writers Mike Lynch
and Brandon Barr, published just a couple months ago by Silver Leaf
Books. It is the story of Commander Frank Yamane as he struggles
against the Deravan Armada for earth’s very existence. Through this
mix, we get space battles, political intrigue, alien races, and a cast
of characters you won’t soon forget.
Now to be upfront with everyone
before I go any further, I have been excited about reading this book.
When I saw this book was being released, I knew Brandon Barr should be
one of our featured writers (June 09), and after reading just a few
pages, I asked Mike Lynch to write a feature as well (August 09). What
this made me realize is I, like many of our readers, am starved for epic
Christian Sci-Fi. Perhaps I am missing something, but I just haven’t
seen a lot of it out there; there are great short stories, some amazing
serials being written, but there just isn’t much in the way of Space Sci/Fi.
I hope with Sky Chronicles leading the way, that’s about to change.
As the book gets started you
realize it’s definitely got more of a Battle Star Galaticia feel
then that of Star Trek. The Humans are basically on their own.
No warp drives, no deflector shields, no missions of exploration. Star
Force builds ships for protection and they feel they are secure in their
power. In comes the Deravan’s: cold, calculating, heartless, with
superior numbers and destruction on their mind. From there though the
story takes a spiritual turn, from references to Jonah to the story of
the High Son, and the salvation he brings.
This brings us into what makes
the story Christian Sci/Fi. Like many of the great works of Christian
fiction, this book doesn’t just come out and smack you upside with a
message, but it will deliver one to any reader. Yet those with a
greater understanding of the Bible will find deeper meaning in several
of the events and may find some paralleling the lives of heroes of the
church.
On the downside, several of the
main characters aren’t developed as much as I wished they would be.
Outside of Yamane and his first officer, we really don’t get to know the
other members of the Corona’s crew very well. We also seem to lose a
number of characters just as we get into their heads. Finally, at one
point in the story we seemed to rush at a romance between Frank Yamane
and the ship’s doctor; however, it ends as quickly as it starts and we
are left wondering what happened to the Doc as the book comes to a
close.
That being said, I believe Mike
and Brandon struck gold with When the Sky Fell, and from the
sounds of it, a sequel is already in the works. Although I can’t say
what the future holds, I do think this series has a chance to get big if
people will give a couple of authors they haven’t heard much about and a
publishing company they haven’t read much from a chance. It is honestly
one of the better Space Epic’s I’ve read in a while. I only hope these
guys are able to keep writing in this world they created, and aren’t
hired off to write more Star Trek TNG novels.
Review by:
KM Wilsher, Blog Days of Summer
Faithful Sci-Fi Fans will
love this Space Opera
My synopsis: A couple hundred years in the future, Earth
is on the brink of destruction at the hands of an evil alien race like you
have never seen. The only man brave enough to stop the annihilation, is
Commander Frank Yamane. And Yamane’s only hope lies in an enemy he
defeated a few years prior. Can he trust his old rival to aid him in
Earth’s salvation?
After a heart pounding prologue I connected with THE SKY CHRONICLES: WHEN
THE SKY FELL characters right away. The two main characters Yamane and
Kershaw were the kind of men I like to think hold high ranks in our very
own US Military. They are reflective men with a strong sense of patriotism
and a great love of duty, their country, and their crew. Whereas most
characters I’ve encountered in these roles are driven by dark revenge,
these two are light characters driven by purpose, duty and the greater
good. Refreshing.
I could really relate with Yamane’s adoration for the planets and stars
and all of creation. I could also relate to his adoration of ships and
star fighters – I have been a somewhat muscle-car junkie my whole life and
I love to put the pedal to the metal.
I liked how the authors explored what I called the character’s
"alien/space theology". I mean the age old questions of: What is over the
next rise? Who is on the other side of the mountain? And who can lay claim
to territory?
Mike Lynch and Brandon Barr are brilliant minds. I am fascinated by their
technical jargon that reminded me of algebra and geometry. I trusted them
with every parabolic curve, and longitude and latitude. Mike and Brandon
can give you a space battle – for sure!
Faith is evident through the whole book. In fact, in the later middle,
When the Sky Fell’s spiritual elements blossom, pulling from the New
Testament of the bible. The authors took a few unexpected, entertaining
turns that truly did make me smile.
The only negative thing I would have to say is that I couldn’t get a
handle on the big battle plan. I know there was a big picture (battle
plan) in the mind of the characters as they moved toward the climax, but I
couldn’t follow it. Meaning some of the skirmishes were reduced to
fireworks, blasters, and questions about how much power does the ship
have. To be fair, this could have just been my reading skills.
I hope lots of science fiction fans get a hold of this book. I think
faithful sci-fi fans will love this space opera. Lots of Skyjackets,
unique aliens, and great spaceships! I know I did. And, though I’ve said
it before, I say it again, “You got to buy this book.” (I know Mike and
Brandon have more novels on the way! Keep an eye out!)
Thank you Mike Lynch and Brandon Barr for such a wonderful ride.
Review by:
Josiah Wright, The Old Schoolhouse
An Apocalyptic
Military / Science Fiction Thriller
If you're like most people, you enjoy stories
about the end of the world. Come on, admit it! I'm not a psychologist
(only the son of two shrinks!), so I won't pretend to know why, but
there seems to be something in the human mind that is utterly fascinated
with the circumstances of our demise! Most of the time, apocalyptic
stories are nothing more than excuses for gratuitous destruction
on-screen (or on-the-page). Imagine my surprise and delight to find
When the Sky Fell, an apocalyptic military/science-fiction thriller
written (by two Christians) as an allegory of the life of Paul! The book
begins in the year 2217, when Earth has just fought and won a long and
costly war against the extraterrestrial Antarens. The book opens to the
discovery of an unknown object controlled by a mysterious race of beings
who call themselves the Deravans. As the story progresses, the Deravans
are revealed to be a demonic species that destroys other civilizations
coldly and methodically. And guess what? Earth is next on the hit list.
The hero of the story, Commander Frank Yamane,
is one of only a handful of survivors from the first devastating assault
upon humanity, an assault that culminated in the near-total destruction
of Earth and the decimation of the Star Force armada. The obvious
solution? Go beg a couple of starships from the aliens Earth just
defeated! What makes it worse? Those same aliens were responsible for
the death of Yamane's wife. If this book sounds like it tangles with
some weighty philosophical dilemmas, it does. Throughout the book,
Yamane and his close friend Stan Kershaw debate each other on issues
like conquest versus survival, and ultimately Yamane is asked to make a
decision to place his faith in the Antarens' "High Son." Sound familiar?
But not to worry--this book is definitely NOT an excuse-for-a-moral. (If
that's what interests you, read Plato's Republic.) The story, while at
times slightly difficult to follow, is extremely interesting. And oddly
enough, the fact that the ending is practically given away in the
opening pages of the book doesn't detract from the "edge-of-your-seat"
element throughout. While the descriptions of space battles are very
well written (such that even the sci-fi "uninitiated" can visualize
what's going on), the descriptions of some technological and military
procedures might fly like a starship right over most mortals'
heads--like mine. However, the story has elements of many other genres,
and there should be enough here to keep most anyone reading for a long
time.
Without giving away too much of the plot, I
can safely say that the Antarens are (in general) quasi-allegorical
representations of the early Christian church. Why then do some Antarens
do some very un-Christian things? This is one major flaw in the
allegorical structure, but it is easily overcome by noting that the
allegory (so far) is very loose. In fact, it's difficult to find
anything specifically symbolic until about halfway through the book,
when there's one of those great "a-HA!" moments. I say "so far" in order
to point out the other major con to this book: WHERE'S THE SEQUEL?!?
This book ends on a very undecided note that will leave readers hanging.
Fortunately, this appears to be only the first book in the series.
On the whole, I feel that When the Sky
Fell would be best suited for high-schoolers or adults. A very
confident reader of, say, middle-school age might also enjoy this book
but will likely need some assistance. I can therefore wholeheartedly
recommend this excellent faith-building book to you with only one
complaint--Where's the sequel?!?
Miscellaneous Review Quotes:
“An engaging sci-fi blend of
military and politics ... Fast-paced novel for fans of military science
fiction.”
– Mike Resnick
Hugo & Nebula Award Winning Author
“What a promising first novel
from Mike Lynch and Brandon Barr — exciting space battles, convincing
characters we can care about, sense of wonder and real heart. If only
the space opera I grew up on had been this human.”
– Bruce McAllister 2007 Hugo Award nominee
“When The Sky Fell’s
greatest strength is its believable and foreseeable science — you can
easily see how our society could evolve into that presented in the book.
Fans of military science fiction, with an emphasis on space battles, will
enjoy this book immensely.”
– Joshua Palmatier author of The Vacant Throne
“In war, things can go wrong,
and people will react well, or badly. Such is the case in this action-filled,
page-turning, epic space battle for the survival of planet Earth. Hang
on to your seats!”
– James C. Glass author of the Shanji trilogy www.sff.net/people/jglass
“Compelling heroes,
interesting allies, dastardly villains, wonderful pacing, and lovely
descriptions of night skies glimpsed on distant planets. If you love
23rd-century space adventures, When the Sky Fell is for you.”
– Kris Stoever co-author,
For Spacious Skies: The Uncommon Journey of a Mercury Astronaut,
and daughter of Mercury Astronaut, Scott Carpenter
“Exuberant space opera in the
style of the Golden Age of Sci-Fi.”
– Michael Z. Williamson
author of
Freehold
|
