Fires of Man (SF)
By Dan Levinson
ASIN BOOKK6BBBY
Jolly Fish Press
Rating 4-Stars
“Excellent Writing.”
Opposing armies are recruiting gifted people with psionic powers even
if they have to kidnap them. A war is coming between Orion and Calchis, and both
sides believe their side is right.
This concept is not new, and is one that I normally love. People with
minds capable of teleporting, or hurling massive energy bolts about with ease.
Unfortunately, I had trouble getting into FIRES OF MAN. It contains a huge cast
of players, and the point of view constantly switches between them, slowing the
pace drastically. There isn’t time to connect to the character before we’re
involved with someone else. We don’t follow a clear protagonist or antagonist. Everyone
could be either. It’s just the characters involved, and they are many, each
having a story.
Were we on another world, in another dimension, a future Earth – or
ancient Earth? This was not explained very well, and the dialogue sounded more like
modern America, making the characters read and act like people in soap operas. They
practice Yoga, there’s drug abuse in the streets, martial arts, and you can
find the same dialogue that’s on TV and in current movies. Except for the
psionic powers, it had little interest for me. At 300 pages you’ll find it a
long read, but give the book a try. You may not find it as distracting as I did.
If this is to be an ongoing series, maybe we will eventually find a strong
protagonist and antagonist to follow, leaving the cast of thousands in the
background where they belong.
Tom Johnson
Author of Pangaea:
Eden’s Planet
Science Fiction
Date Published: June 17, 2014
In a world where a gifted few can manipulate reality with
their minds, two great nations—Calchis and Orion—employ these psionic powers in
a covert war for global superiority.
In the heart of Calchis, a powerful young psion named Aaron
Waverly is kidnapped, and forcibly conscripted. To the north, in the capital, a
plan is hatched to decimate Orion, to be carried out by the ruthless operative
known only as “Agent.”
In Orion, fresh recruit Stockton Finn comes to terms with his
incredible new powers, and learns firsthand how dangerous they can be.
Meanwhile, officers Nyne Allen and Kay Barrett navigate the aftermath of their
shattered love affair, oblivious to the fact that Calchis draws ever closer to
destroying the tenuous peace.
Finally, in the arctic land of Zenith, Calchan archaeologist
Faith Santia unearths a millennia-old ruin. This lost temple might just hold
the hidden history of psionic powers, as well as hints of a deeper mystery . .
. that could shake the foundations of all mankind.
Excerpt
He ran toward the edge of the cliff.
The sun beat down upon him as his limbs pumped. Earth crunched
beneath his feet, and a breeze blew across his black-stubbled scalp. His breathing
was calm, meticulously measured.
When the ground slipped away, he felt only anticipation.
Plummeting, the man inhaled. Power flooded into him, thrilling,
delicious. He reached out with that power, warping reality with an energy born
from the depths of his being. Suddenly . . .
He winked out of existence . . .
And then reappeared at the base of the cliff.
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