Charlie found himself drifting on a cosmic wind toward a
mound of skulls that looked curiously familiar. His pain had vanished, but he
felt disoriented. The skulls appeared to be gigantic but he couldn’t be sure if
they were large or if he had become exceedingly small. A swift, turbulent wind
carried him into one of the skulls, through the orbit of an eye then its optic
canal.
A dazzling light appeared before him, gradually fading into
an aerial view of Sleeping Woman Mountain. Now he discovered he was a mere
speck riding between what he perceived to be two enormous insect eyes. He
immediately thought of the Ngala totem and concluded these were the eyes of a
dragonfly.
Rainforest shadows parted below him to reveal the ruins of
his former camp filled with soldiers lounging casually near the bloodstone, the
site of Gnesh’s murder. Their arrogance fueled Charlie’s rage.
On his command, thousands of wasps flew out of the forest and
descended on the soldiers.
The men screamed as the insects stung them. They swatted at
the horde, firing their weapons uselessly. Desperate to escape the swarm, they
dived into the river where they met a pack of hungry crocodiles. The waters ran
red with blood.
Now Charlie saw Prime Minister Jahuara’s distinctive
helicopter appear, hovering above the carnage. Charlie directed his dragonfly
into the cockpit. The insect buzzed up to the head of the prime minister
sitting at the helicopter’s controls, repeatedly biting the tyrant’s eyes with
its great mandibles. Jahuara tried to swat it away but the dragonfly was too
quick. He shrieked in pain as blood flowed from his sockets.
Flying blind, he lost control and the helicopter plummeted
into the trees. Charlie and the dragonfly escaped the craft in time to watch it
explode in a mass of flames.
Charlie found himself drifting above the forest canopy. He
turned his gaze toward the black sky shimmering with starlight. One by one,
stars fell from the night like droplets of a celestial mist. The Pleiades
constellation was the last to fall. Merope lingered for a moment, then
disappeared into the darkness. A feeling of immense tranquility settled over
him as he relished the embrace of this sacred void.
The world was back in balance. He closed his eyes…and
succumbed to peace.
REVIEW:
5 stars!
With its fascinating dual storylines and engaging characters,
this science fiction story mixes in mystery, adventure, and intrigue.
Moon Life is an exciting and entertaining Sci-Fi
novel by authors Hank Fabian and Marlene Fabian Stiles, a brother-sister writing
team. With its easy-to-read delivery, engaging group of space-traveling
characters, and intriguing plot, it is easily one of the best stories I’ve read
this year. This science fiction tale will appeal to a wide range of readers,
even those who think they don’t care for the genre.
The book has an interesting dual storyline: one, the
scientific mission to Europa and the other set within a primitive tribe in
Papua New Guinea, and both kept me completely drawn in and turning pages to
find out what would happen next. The story opens in Papua New Guinea and hits
the ground running with an attack by an unknown force of armed men. People are killed,
and Dr. Charlie Adamson, the main character, is wounded. When his partner, who
is leading their study, is murdered and the same men destroy their field station,
Charlie finds himself on the path to becoming a reluctant astronaut.
The long preparation and eventual journeys force the small crew
of the Merope into close proximity for many months at a time. Inevitably, Charlie’s
professional nemesis on the mission ends up on the same spacecraft and
multiplies the stress for everyone. I liked that the characters all got
together for their meals and devised different ways to bond and pass the time,
including some in-depth conversations regarding life, death, the existence of
God, and an afterlife. I liked that the crew members weren’t in complete
agreement with each other but displayed a range of opinions and reactions.
Naturally, there are opposing views, which is particularly significant because,
in their world, there is a powerful Earth First or Firster movement who are
adamant that Earth is the only planet with life in the universe.
The writing flows well, and the action starts early and maintains a fast pace. As a science
fiction book, technical topics are broached throughout the story. However, the
authors do a fabulous job of working in explanations as needed, and a handy and
useful guide or glossary is included at the end of the book. It even lists the
bird species Charlie mentions that he associates with all the characters he
encounters. There is enough tech talk to satisfy those who enjoy it but not too
much to confound those that do not. Descriptions of the surroundings are vivid,
and I clearly visualized the various settings on land or space. This was just a
darn good adventure story.
With its fascinating dual storylines and engaging collection
of interesting characters, I recommend MOON LIFE to readers who enjoy science
fiction mixed with mystery, adventure, and intrigue.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
The
family that writes together stays together, so siblings Marlene Fabian Stiles
and Hank Fabian co-authored a science fiction adventure that explores Jupiter’s
moon Europa as two rival astrobiologists race to be the first to find
extraterrestrial life. This discovery should ensure the winner fame and
fortune, but the Universe has other plans.
Hank Fabian -
Hank
is the guy walking around with a long lens camera and binoculars, a tourist of
the world fascinated by every creature that moves and every plant that grows.
He teaches biology and helped devise a college genetics program. As a scientist
he likes to work with facts, so there's a possibility that the creatures he’s created
actually exist!
- Marlene Fabian Stile
Marlene
is the president of a nonprofit, The I Will Projects, dedicated to advancing
educational venues that include a middle school aquaponics program in
partnership with the Boys and Girls Club which received a NASA grant. She writes
in multiple genres and also has published “Elderchild,” an Alzheimer’s
narrative written in the first person. She shares Hank’s love of the natural
world and is dazzled by the interconnectivity of all living things.
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
One randomly-drawn winner will receive a $25
Amazon/BN Gift Card.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining us on our adventure from the wild rainforest of Papua New Guinea to Jupiter's mysterious ice moon Europa. The universe is interconnected in strange ways and actions have unexpected consequences!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your awesome review of Moon Life, sci-fi is my favorite genre and this sounds like a story that I will truly enjoy reading
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great review. The book sounds fascinating.
ReplyDelete