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willrefuge's review against another edition
4.0
7 / 10 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2023/11/04/forgotten-worlds-by-d-nolan-clark-review/
Please beware spoilers for Forsaken Skies—the Silence, Book #1
The second volume of Clark’s Silence trilogy takes on a slightly darker cast than its predecessor as headliner Aleister Lanoe become set on vengeance to deal with the loss of his former lover, Zhang. A lover he still sees in his dreams, hears in his head, and can even feel from time to time, nearby, but just out of touch.
More worrying than the state of Lanoe, however, is the state of the universe as a whole. The alien known only as the Blue-Blue-White produced replicating fleets they sent in every direction—and, due to an error in their AI coding—which have been exterminating every sentient species they’ve met along the way.
Which is more worrying: that the reason humanity hasn’t met any other sentients is that they’ve all been systematically exterminated because of an error in code; or that there could be countless billions worth of the same fleet that they’ve just fought off, waiting just off the edges of space, to finish the job?
It’s a take on the universe I hadn’t heard before. A reason why humanity appears to be the only sentient in the galaxy; because the rest of them have been eradicated. The Milky Way exists on a spur, after all, far from the center of the universe. It’s feasible to think that that’s why humanity has lived so long. It’s an interesting realization, and makes for a decent plot to build a trilogy around. First, though, there’s the bit with the corps: an all-powerful, private entity trying to control and monetize the universe around them, blah blah blah.
I mean, it’s not terribly creative, and fails to grab center stage even where the overarching plot succeeds. Thus we have an impasse. This book’s main thrill-ride is based on escaping the corporate threat. The overarching plot is detailed at the same time, but plays second fiddle to the opposing plot. Both are built well-enough that they play out concurrently. I wasn’t thrilled with the corporate story, but I enjoyed the rest of it: Lanoe’s revenge, a secret message from out in the stars, the search for the Blue-Blue-White. What results is an interesting, entertaining followup, yet one which is held back from greatness by its own ambition, and the author’s (or publisher’s?) doubt that it could carry the plot alone.
Some good, some bad. Overall, an entertaining sequel I’d recommend, especially for some surprise twists, immersive characters, and memorable moments. Some I haven’t even forgotten in the years since first reading it.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2023/11/04/forgotten-worlds-by-d-nolan-clark-review/
Please beware spoilers for Forsaken Skies—the Silence, Book #1
The second volume of Clark’s Silence trilogy takes on a slightly darker cast than its predecessor as headliner Aleister Lanoe become set on vengeance to deal with the loss of his former lover, Zhang. A lover he still sees in his dreams, hears in his head, and can even feel from time to time, nearby, but just out of touch.
More worrying than the state of Lanoe, however, is the state of the universe as a whole. The alien known only as the Blue-Blue-White produced replicating fleets they sent in every direction—and, due to an error in their AI coding—which have been exterminating every sentient species they’ve met along the way.
Which is more worrying: that the reason humanity hasn’t met any other sentients is that they’ve all been systematically exterminated because of an error in code; or that there could be countless billions worth of the same fleet that they’ve just fought off, waiting just off the edges of space, to finish the job?
It’s a take on the universe I hadn’t heard before. A reason why humanity appears to be the only sentient in the galaxy; because the rest of them have been eradicated. The Milky Way exists on a spur, after all, far from the center of the universe. It’s feasible to think that that’s why humanity has lived so long. It’s an interesting realization, and makes for a decent plot to build a trilogy around. First, though, there’s the bit with the corps: an all-powerful, private entity trying to control and monetize the universe around them, blah blah blah.
I mean, it’s not terribly creative, and fails to grab center stage even where the overarching plot succeeds. Thus we have an impasse. This book’s main thrill-ride is based on escaping the corporate threat. The overarching plot is detailed at the same time, but plays second fiddle to the opposing plot. Both are built well-enough that they play out concurrently. I wasn’t thrilled with the corporate story, but I enjoyed the rest of it: Lanoe’s revenge, a secret message from out in the stars, the search for the Blue-Blue-White. What results is an interesting, entertaining followup, yet one which is held back from greatness by its own ambition, and the author’s (or publisher’s?) doubt that it could carry the plot alone.
Some good, some bad. Overall, an entertaining sequel I’d recommend, especially for some surprise twists, immersive characters, and memorable moments. Some I haven’t even forgotten in the years since first reading it.
kodermike's review against another edition
4.0
A lot more fun than a second book deserve to be. Actually enjoyed this one more than the first. Plus, ALIENS! yay!
tome15's review against another edition
3.0
Competently written but formulaic military space opera. If you liked Forsaken Skies, you will like this one.
juliusmoose's review
3.0
This book was pretty okay. It had aspects I liked and ones I didn't.
One thing I liked about the previous book was the setting, and I still like it in this book. The way corporations are pretty much running things and are ... not evil exactly but profit-maximizing sociopaths seems pretty accurate. Also the idea of unstoppable robots is kinda cool in a terrifying way.
The prose is kinda choppy. I got used to it after a couple days of reading but it was a bit jarring. Also the space fighting is cool (and less boring than in the first book) but the maneuvers don't really make sense, 'cause there's a lot of swooshing around that would make more sense in atmosphere. Like, that's how a dogfighting airplane would turn. Third, there's one character who I thought was just kinda odd but I was just like, okay space people are weird and space engineers are weird, but then it was sorta hinted he was gay (I guess?) and that was him supposed to be kinda flaming? I don't know, the whole thing was weird. I like queer characters in my books but I like to know they're queer (unless they don't know, that's fine) and also I don't like them to be weird stereotypes. Anyway this character was actually cool and I like him, I just don't like things being weird like that.
There are also a couple things I have mixed feelings about. The main character is an ass and he's a well-described and plausible ass and it's not depicted that his assholeness is good or anything, but he's such a jerk. Also, this whole thing is his quest to fight the space jellyfish who unleashed the unstoppable robots, but that doesn't actually make sense. Like, they unleashed the robots a long time ago! Millions or maybe billions of years ago! That horse has well and truly escaped the barn! Also, the space jellyfish aren't the problem, their killer robots are the problem, and fighting the space jellyfish won't do anything about the robots, because they were unleashed a long-ass time ago. I mean, maybe this will be addressed in the third book?
One thing I liked about the previous book was the setting, and I still like it in this book. The way corporations are pretty much running things and are ... not evil exactly but profit-maximizing sociopaths seems pretty accurate. Also the idea of unstoppable robots is kinda cool in a terrifying way.
The prose is kinda choppy. I got used to it after a couple days of reading but it was a bit jarring. Also the space fighting is cool (and less boring than in the first book) but the maneuvers don't really make sense, 'cause there's a lot of swooshing around that would make more sense in atmosphere. Like, that's how a dogfighting airplane would turn. Third, there's one character who I thought was just kinda odd but I was just like, okay space people are weird and space engineers are weird, but then it was sorta hinted he was gay (I guess?) and that was him supposed to be kinda flaming? I don't know, the whole thing was weird. I like queer characters in my books but I like to know they're queer (unless they don't know, that's fine) and also I don't like them to be weird stereotypes. Anyway this character was actually cool and I like him, I just don't like things being weird like that.
There are also a couple things I have mixed feelings about. The main character is an ass and he's a well-described and plausible ass and it's not depicted that his assholeness is good or anything, but he's such a jerk. Also, this whole thing is his quest to fight the space jellyfish who unleashed the unstoppable robots, but that doesn't actually make sense. Like, they unleashed the robots a long time ago! Millions or maybe billions of years ago! That horse has well and truly escaped the barn! Also, the space jellyfish aren't the problem, their killer robots are the problem, and fighting the space jellyfish won't do anything about the robots, because they were unleashed a long-ass time ago. I mean, maybe this will be addressed in the third book?
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