Ep.#4 - "Freedom's Dawn" (The Frontiers Saga) [Kindle Edition]

Ryk Brown (Author)

Book Description

Episode 4

A ship under siege…
A world on the brink of civil war…
A distraught people seeking a new beginning…
A battle weary crew that can barely hold it together…

Even a legend can use a little help from time to time.

The crew of the Aurora, the Karuzari, and the Corinairans must find a way to work together or else they may all perish.

“Freedom’s Dawn” is a 94,000 word novel, and is the 4th episode in The Frontiers Saga.

Episode 5, "Rise of the Corinari" and Episode 6, "Head of the Dragon are available now on Amazon. Episode 7, "The Expanse" is coming in May 2013.

Product Details

• File Size: 493 KB
• Print Length: 365 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1480121142
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Ryk Brown (July 3, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B008HC0V1Q
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,827 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #5 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction > Space Exploration
  • #39 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction > Hard Science Fiction
  • #45 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > High Tech

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Recap and Review July 7, 2012

By Some Average Guy

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This one was as good as the others, especially the end. The only real thing lacking/different was an absence of ship-to-ship space battles (but still a lot of action/combat). A little slower pace in the first half, but the action picks up after that. Also the first part is a bit disorienting as the book opens with a new character's perspective, going back in time a little bit to overlap the last part of book 3.

Given we only get small installments every two months on this story, you're probably like me and need a refresher. Bad news is there seem to be none on the web. Good news is I'm therefore attaching one below to hopefully save you the trouble of re-reading the first three as I had to do.

If you haven't read the first 3 books, stop reading my review and do so now. It's worth it and they are great.

If you have read the first three books, here's a recap....

*****Spoilers for the 3 previous books below (BUT NONE FOR THIS BOOK) *****
*
*
*
-----Character Recap -----
Nathan: The lieutenant turned captain, young guy, star of the show

Cameron: By-the-book, was a peer/competitor to Nathan for Aurora pilot duties but he was promoted over her because of Nathan's superior shoot-from-the-hip instincts, he promoted her to commander / XO when he became captain

Jessica: The hardcore rough-around-the-edges marine chick (Nathan coincidentally had random sex with her before knowing her)

Jalea: A main rebel leader, stone cold / manipulative / beautiful

Abigail Sorenson: Daughter in the father-daughter duo who invented Jump Drive (Father died on maiden trip)

Vladimir Kamenetskiy: Nathan's friend / chief engineer (basically a Russian knock-off of Scotty from Star Trek, but with some combat training too)

Josh & Loki: Hotshot pilot and copilot that replace Nathan & Cameron's old piloting roles on Aurora, found during book 2 as wildcat asteroid harvester pilots

Tug: Retired leader of rebel faction, basically a general mentor for Nathan

Deliza: Tug's 16yr. old daughter, brilliant on tech

Dr. Chen: Tiny female resident med staff serving as chief of med, full of spunk

-----Aurora CV-01-----

Mankind had spread to the stars, only to suffer a mysterious" bio-digital plague" throwing the core worlds back into a new dark age. We assume the fringe worlds were affected to less degree and continued to progress. A data ark was discovered by earth that was apparently chocked full of the knowledge they previously had but lost. Earth is scrambling to catch up under the constant threat of invasion by (also) mysterious Jung faction of humans that are conquering everything slowly but surely.

Nathan & Cameron are fresh grads, assigned to brand new prestigious Aurora for piloting duty. Aurora turns out to have a secret Jump Drive and takes a test flight on the maiden voyage that has limited crew and incomplete construction. It gets into a surprise fight w/2 Jung scout ships during the test. Aurora wins, but has to escape using the Jump Drive at same time the second scout ship self-destructs, the nearby shockwave throwing the jump off by a gazillion light years.

Aurora jumps into the middle of a battle between a huge ship (Takaran) and a bunch of little ships (Rebel / Karuzari). All senior staff basically die in the first moments of conflict (Captain, XO) leaving Nathan as captain. Nathan manages to lead Aurora and blow up the big ship, but Aurora takes a severe beating and is adrift.

One of the little ships comes along and lands on their deck where we meet Marack & Jalea. We learn who is who, where they are, and a good bit of what's going on in this bit of space. Rest of book is a prolonged escape to safe location... in process of getting there the few remaining little rebel ships sacrifice themselves heroically to save the Aurora at various points.

A note about technology: The fringe worlds seem to be ahead in certain technologies, and behind the Aurora in others. Most importantly, the Jump Drive tech was accidentally discovered when working on related tech and was not included in the Data Ark. The Aurora is the ONLY ship to have it and all specs on it were either loaded onto the ship or destroyed back on earth to prevent it from falling into Jung hands. If the Aurora gets destroyed, Earth has no copy of research to fall back on as only a handful even knew of its existence that weren't aboard.

-----Rings of Heaven-----

Aurora sneaks into a system with a huge asteroid belt Jalea has recommended for repairs and supplies. They meed a seedy guy named Tobin (also recommended by Jalea) who makes their arrangements for a cover ID mining permit to be in the "rings" (asteroid belt) around Haven. Right after getting settled into the rings Nathan/Jessica/Jalea/Vladimir/etc. go shopping on the surface for supplies and meet a "molo" farmer/salesman (think mushroom) named Tug to buy badly needed food from in large quantities.

Everyone goes to Tug's house to check out the molo. Tobin ends up betraying them, there's a big shootout at Tug's house with Takaran commandos and snipers, and a couple of people die but Nathan and company ultimately manage to escape back to Aurora via the hotshot harvester pilot/kid Josh that volunteers to come back to the surface under fire and pick them up. Oh, and just so happens that Tug is the retired head of the rebel faction.

While this has been going on planetside Aurora has been fighting off another big Takaran capital ship that showed up and came after them. Everyone lands back on board just in time to jump out to the edge of the system. Vladimir and Jessica are total combat super-ninjas, Nathan has headshot a guy like a pro, Tug's wife has died (the third to "the cause"), Tug's two daughters are aboaed, the mining crew survivors contracted with earlier are aboard including Josh and Loki the pilot/copilot superduo,

Conspiracy Notes: There was a weird scene as Jalea shoots Tobin in the head back on Tug's farm in which she says "you were early"... raises suspicions Jalea might be a spy. Later we also learn that the first Takaran battle the Aurora jumped into the middle of in book 1 was the result of betrayal from one of three people (Tug, Marack, or Jalea).

-----Legend of Corinair-----

This is where we learn about "The Legend of Origin" and "Na-Tan"... people from Earth are supposedly warriors of God that will come to free the outer worlds from their own evil.

Aurora heads to a hollowed out asteroid near Corinair for repairs. On Corinair Jalea secretly sends a message to Ta'Akar Office of Military Intelligence notifying them that Karuzai Leader (Tug) and mysterious disappearing warship (Aurora) are currently hiding at Corinair. She also tells the Order to look in space at a specific time and place (where Aurora's last jump will show soon due to light catching up to them).

Rumors spread. The planet freaks out and riots. The Takaran ship Yamaro, captained by de Winter shows up. De Winter says he'll glass the planet just for welcoming the Aurora. Aurora steps in and saves the planet mid-destruction. Yamaro surrenders after junior crew subdue the noble elite commanders. Read more ›

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing Compared to First 3 July 16, 2012

By Paul D. Fraser

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have really enjoyed this series, space battles, crew drama, fighting an eveil empire, etc. But this episode just didn't cut it. Very ho hum.

The whole episode was based on the attemts by the evil Takar to capture the Aurora by boarding action while the Capitan was on Corinair trying to convince everyone he was no legend, all to no avail. As other reviewers put it, this was all about one bad day that should have been attached to the last book or the begining of the next. I nearly stopped reading this book. After finishing, it occurs as a filler story designed to set up what comes next.

I still gave it 3 stars because if I'm going to read filler, better that it's from a good series and the action parts were not bad. But I do hope the author gets back to what made the series interesting in the first place. Ditch the hocus pocus legend crap, fix the ship, go take on the Takar fleet.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Episode July 4, 2012

By Michael P Strong

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'll admit that I'm an unabashed space opera guy. I've been one for 50 years or so even since I cut my teeth on Doc Smith, Edmond Hamilton and John Campbell. That being said I am immensely enjoying this book and the entire series as well. It's well written and the author has the storytelling gift. The action keeps moving and the main protagonists are constructed well enough so that you become interested in their stories. This story takes place in the Corinair system and follows the adventures of the Aurora crew directly after the third novel. I highly recommend this book and this series to any who like a good old fashioned space story.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great chapter July 7, 2012

By Stable Boy

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Was a great chapter in the ongoing story.

SPOILER ALERT#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
As you can read in other reviews in this one most of the action happens in and around the planet rather than " in space".
This didn't bother me at all even though I wanted the story to "move along" faster it was still very relevant despite what some other reviews have said.
It was obvious to me this book was another introduction, it was an introduction to the legend of Na-Tan which I believe will probably be quite important as the series progresses. When I purchased this book I went back and read starting from book 1.
You have to keep in mind that the story isn't "moving fast" as each book is a day or two in the life of the story. This story is meant to be serialized. Each book is meant to be another "episode".

I understand there is always a fear in serialized fiction whether in tv or book form that the writer will just add lots and lots of filler to keep the story going and the money flowing. I did not feel like that has started happening here at all.Instead I feel like we are still very much getting introduced to the story with lots and lots of detail.

If anything I think the author could be accused of adding to much detail and moving the story along to slowly but I have yet to see where pointless information is being fed. I imagine the Na-Tan legend is going to be a big part of the story and I am glad it was given ample introduction. Yes, there is lots of detail but I think its pretty realistic. Lots of characters dying..... dang it, lots of mistakes getting made (don't let anyone board this ship un vetted again no matter how tired and stretched you are), lots of new characters getting introduced into the story, and overall a great read.

One thing broken down into several part that I would love Mr. Brown to do that I wish would become a movement among authors is:
Label each book clearly so an idiot could tell which order to read them in
Warn each reader before the prologue "this is book (3 etc)" please start at book one for the most enjoyment if you haven't already
Then put a synopsis "previously in the Frontier Saga" at the front of the book for those that want a refresher but has no new material so its easily skipped.
Do not review any previous books or content during the "actual" story but let people either read them in order, read the synopsis, or be confused :)

The only real drawback I found in the book is once again.. I wish I hadn't started reading until they were all out cause again I have that empty feeling in my gut saying... NO NO I WANT MOOOOOOORE.

Thanks and great job Mr. Brown... NOW get back to work... we want MORE :) Read more ›

More About the Author

Born in 1960 and raised on an overdose of television, NASA, and science fiction, Ryk Brown has worked as a cook, rock guitarist, stage lighting technician, and paramedic. He currently resides in Northern California with his wife, daughter, and cat. By day he fixes computers, and by night he creates stories.
Having spent his entire life "thinking stuff up", the advent of digital publishing has finally given him an excuse to write it all down and share it with others. ("Others" meaning someone other than his poor wife and daughter.)
A long-time fan of all things science and space, his goal is to write and publish an on-going series of sci-fi adventures. To be set in his own version of humanity's future, his characters will explore the vast reaches of the galaxy, and perhaps even the universe. He invites you all to join him on this journey through his vivid imagination.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

(What's this?)

#67 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Science Fiction

#74 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction

#67 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Science Fiction

#74 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction