The Interstellar Age by Valmore Daniels
Product description:
At the end of the 21st century, a catastrophic accident in the asteroid belt has left two surveyors dead. There is no trace of their young son, Alex Manez, or of the asteroid itself.
On the outer edge of the solar system, the first manned mission to Pluto, led by the youngest female astronaut in NASA history, has led to an historic discovery: There is a marker left there by an alien race for humankind to find. We are not alone!
While studying the alien marker, it begins to react. Four hours later, the missing asteroid appears in a Plutonian orbit, along with young Alex Manez, who has developed some alarming side-effects from his exposure to the kinetic element they call Kinemet.
From the depths of a criminal empire based on Luna, an expatriate seizes the opportunity to wrest control of outer space and takes swift action.
The secret to faster-than-light speed is up for grabs, and the race for interstellar space begins!
My Review
A thoroughly engrossing read, with pieces of Myan history woven into a story of science, mystery, and galactic intrigue.
It was well written, with about 6 mistakes that I noticed only because I have an inner editor, but they didn’t detract from the story of 824 pages across 3 books.
The plot was well constructed, with plenty of unexpected twists that drew me deeper into the story line.
For myself the main theme brought out is that we are not alone in the universe, and there is much more to learn than we ever imagined.
Alex Manez and Justine Turner were the main characters that I enjoyed most out these books. Alex as an intelligent teenager who would rather play Space Pirate computer games than do his homework, and Justine whose life ambition to be an astronaut that travels to Pluto is exceeded beyond her wildest dreams.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sci-fi or space opera.
As an author myself I enjoy supporting other writers by reviewing their work, a good investment of the time I put in to finish the book. If you enjoy reading books, I would encourage you to pay it forward by leaving a few words on the site you bought it from. Just one word is enough, although a negative comment would be more helpful with a little explanation. Try it sometime.