The Forsaken Planet

I originally received this as an e-ARC read. On a personal note, I was reading this when I went through a really serious breakup. The author saw, and messaged me to say it was okay to be late or even drop the read altogether. It meant a lot and it just so happened that I did need to step away. I have since purchased the book (and all his others though!).

I stopped reading the book right around the same time I picked it back up this year. I was about 50% in, and it had been a slow burn. Other than the impetus that set up the story’s drive, not much action had happened. I was wondering how and when it would finally pick up. But then strangely, I stepped away, and I have never continually thought about something I’ve read so much as this for the entire year I was away.

The novel starts with a group of friends on earth the night their hometown is attacked by a group of invaders. They fight back, in defense of each other, and something extraordinary happens. Earth finds out overnight that they are not alone, never were, and are now actively being recruited into a space army. Colton and his friends sign up, charged up and looking for revenge. They ship off and get filtered into groups that are immediately sent to an accelerated schooling program. This is where I left off, and yet I continued to find my thoughts coming back to Colton and his friends time and again.

The author does a great job of showing healthy male relationships, with empathy and understanding, and emotional scenes. And while they may not all learn at the same pace, they embody different strengths and they learn to come together and support each other. This book is a real journey too, it’s basically A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back in one. They have answered the call, and they have to pass the test and training to have any hope of facing the enemy and making it out in one piece. The combat simulations they are put through were riveting and really showed the reader their growth.

The background political intrigue was just another layer that shows the author’s ability. Well sprinkled in, and I really enjoyed the use of keeping our lead informed as our way of finding out too. Oh, and it lead into one hell of a twist and climax! I gotta get into book two soon!

There is a lot to love in this book. It’s the perfect combination between sci fi and fantasy, there is some interesting world building, and it sets everything up for a big and epic adventure in the coming books.

There were also some downsides for me. The book has a clunky start and most of the characters were one dimensional. Especially the antagonist is just a basic bad guy. The tropes of the chosen one and going through test trials were really dominating.

It left me behind with the same feeling as I had when finishing Red Rising. But that first book is beloved by a lot of readers and the entire series is turning out to be one of my favorites.

So I will continue on to book 2, because I really believe the best is yet to come.