Review: The Forsaken Planet by Bryan Wilson
Blurb:
-The Power of the Stars
“With it, we are capable of greatness or are a weapon that will only bring suffering to the universe.”
When mysterious aircraft wreak havoc across Earth’s skies, it is revealed that there are clusters of other planets where humankind resides, distant worlds where the people wield the power of the stars themselves. It is an energy force that can bring about miracles or, as the alien fleet’s ruthless leader displays, unleash horrors beyond imagination.
After experiencing a loss during the onslaught, Colton Samson, an ordinary college student, vows to protect his loved ones at any cost. But to learn the power to do so, he must enlist into the Army of the Universal Throne—a second alien force with its own agenda.
With the revelation of a secret prophecy foretelling humanity’s demise and Colton’s improbable role in preventing it, he embarks alongside a diverse group of friends to the Throne’s capital, the planet of Vintara. There he faces prejudice from supposed allies, lifelike combat simulations that test him to his core, and the looming threat of a universal war. Only by embracing his true potential can Colton hope to secure the safety he seeks, in a universe that views him as nothing more than Forsaken.
Review:
The book arrived a few days ago, and I put it on my shelf to read later. Two days ago, before bed, I read the first few chapters, and to me, it felt like the pacing went from null to 100 far too fast and so, after sleeping for several hours, continued from there yesterday. Despite my fears that the pacing would remain lightning fast, it did not, and slowed down to an even, regular tempo only a few chapters later.
If I had to describe this book in one sentence… I’d say:
“Space Opera meets Prophecies and magical mayhem.”
Let's talk about the main character, Colton Samson. He’s a guy in the middle of the suburbs outside of New York when all of a sudden, space monsters appeared and picked his house as a target practice. Due to him being like you and I, he takes great offence in this. Which is good. It shows that the main character is human. Then, as the book progresses, he learns how to deal with THE LOSS, which again, I enjoyed immensely. The way he acts changes a bit throughout the book, but it feels natural, it acts as if it was always meant to happen that way.
His friends… are also something. Not in a bad way something, a good way something. Don’t really want to go into them because it would spoil the surprise of reading through the book. All I can say is that they are well written, in a way. Colton and his friends weaved a delicate dance through the book. Didn’t feel too overdone, didn’t feel too underdone, went well together.
The villain of this book… At first, I thought he was a bit one dimensional at first and as the book progressed it became clear that what I thought about this villain was a bit off. Actually, a bit off was an understatement. Really enjoyed how he played into the end of the book.
Be prepared for POV jumps, there are a few of them and, like how the rest of the book ebbs and flows, seem to have been mathematically calculated inserts that flesh out the story a bit more.
Worldbuilding. Well… we have several planets… and each planet has humans on it. Aside from that, we also have magic in this world. And it is done rather interestingly. Combined elements I have already seen and added new components to it. We have the general uses of magic, and humans can use their magic together as a group of up to 11 people. Why eleven? RAFO. Besides that, this series has space travel and virtual reality shenanigans, which was a fun read. Was not expecting the virtual reality shenanigans in this space opera… but it was a welcome surprise.
To sum up this review, I’d recommend this book to everyone who enjoys space operas and science fiction, or just dabbles with it occasionally. If that is not your cup of tea, feel free to check out other reviews here on this site to see if you’re able to find the book that will fit what you want to read. Hope I’ve helped send you in the right direction towards your next read and thank you for reading this review and have a good day.
Read Anie’s review of The Son of the Prophets (Power of the Stars Book 2)
Read The Dragon ReReads review of The Son of the Prophets (Power of the Stars Book 2)
