Publication Date: October 8, 2024
Page count: 392 pages
Jael’s world shifted, reality melting away as the woman’s touch transported his consciousness across the vastness of space. The galaxy unfurled before him, countless stars and vibrant worlds.
A creeping darkness emerged from the fringes, seeping into the cosmic fabric like spilled ink. Jael watched in horror as the void engulfed entire star systems, extinguishing their light with terrifying efficiency.
Planets that once teemed with life withered under the encroaching shadow. Lush forests crumbled to ash, oceans boiled away, and sprawling cities crumbled into dust. The screams of billions echoed across the vacuum, abruptly silenced as the darkness consumed them.
Stars flickered and died, snuffed out like candles in a gale. Nebulae collapsed, their swirling colors fading to a dull, lifeless gray. The galaxy’s spiral arms now resembled dark skeletal fingers reaching into nothingness.
As the last remnants of light faded, Jael found himself suspended in an endless, inky void. The darkness was not still, but writhed and pulsated. Shapeless entities, darker than the blackness surrounding them, twisted and coiled through the emptiness.
The woman’s voice echoed in his mind, “This is the future that awaits if you fail. The enemy comes, and with it, the end of all things.” She moved in close and placed a hand on his cheek. “Find me on Dusrist before it is too late.”
As the woman began to fade, behind her, another figure began to materialize. A shadow Jael hadn’t thought about in years.
Jael’s breath caught in his throat, his heart pounding against his chest. The figure’s face slowly came into focus—a sharp jawline, weathered by time and countless wars, gray, ashen skin, a tell-tale sign of genetic alteration and eyes that Jael would never forget. Those predatory, multi-pupiled eyes that had haunted Jael’s nightmares since he was a child.
Scott Killian grew up in California, where he consumed every bit of sci-fi and horror media he could find. Delving deep into the works of Thomas Harris, Stephen King, and H. P. Lovecraft, to name a few, those dark portals in his mind were opened, and his obsession with the macabre began. Storytelling, in any form, is his greatest passion. Scott can be reached via email at saltnsulfurpublishing@gmail.com.
Outstanding beginning for this fresh, action-packed space opera.
Steller Heir is the first novel in author Scott Killian’s new science fiction adventure series of the same name, and it was absolutely a thrill-a-minute, hit-the-ground-running debut! Great characters, witty dialogue, amazing alien beings, a compelling mission to save ALL, and vivid imagery that made me feel I was there all combined to deliver an exciting epic of a space opera.
Jael Ked’Korhva is the main character and the young captain of the scavenger ship, Zigzagunda. Along with his humanoid simian sidekick, Goni Tinge, they scour space for items of value. However, a mysterious bracelet, an artifact from the ancient past, once clasped around Jael’s wrist, changes everything. Not only is every pirate, mercenary, and alien death squad on their trail to get the power of the artifact for themselves, but it has shown Jael the future fate of the galaxy should he fail to stop what’s coming.
I enjoyed Jael’s narrative so much. He’s witty, smart, and relatable, and Goni is entertaining with his banter, enthusiasm, and single-mindedness on a couple of issues, such as food. I loved their interaction, camaraderie, and relationship with the Zigzagunda, especially the banter and rivalry with Goni. The action sequences are tense and easy to follow because they are so well choreographed. Descriptions are fluid and easy to visualize. The author’s alien beings are diverse, imaginative, and often horrifying in their extreme physical strangeness and interactions.
The plot goes from 0 to 60 from the very first chapter, and there’s little downtime; the tension just keeps building. Told from multiple points of view, readers follow the action from the different angles of the story. The good guys, on occasion, stray left and right of what’s moral but who you can’t help rooting for from the start. Then, there are the bad guys, the VERY bad guys. And yet, there are those you won’t be able to categorize yet – are they going to fall on the side of good or evil? Thankfully, the second book in the series is shown to be scheduled for publication in March of 2025 because there’s so much more story left to unfold.
I recommend STELLAR HEIR for science fiction readers who enjoy space opera action and adventure.
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Thank you so much for featuring and reviewing STELLAR HEIR today.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteI loved Stellar Heir too. Great review.
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
Great giveaway and excerpt. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for reviewing and featuring my book!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really interesting book.
ReplyDeleteAmazing cover
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