Customer Reviews

Starfire : The Mending, Book 1

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Stuart Vaughn Stockton is a writer to watch. I'm a sci-fi fan from way-back-when and I was intrigued when I heard about his book. I couldn't imagine how I'd relate to computer using dinosaurs, but it couldn't have been easier. Stockton's writing style transports the reader into the story. The characters were relatable without being stereotypical. The action and conflict kept me turning the computer pages!

Rathe, a Yanguch dinosaur warrior finds himself the protector of an artificial intelligence named Karey Or. In his attempt to keep her safe, he and his fellow warriors find themselves in a deadly race against his enemies, the Herians. There are many new terms and dozens of clans, but Stockton manages to pull it off without confusing the reader.

The world the author has created is rich and diverse, with enough detail to make me long to visit.
The ending was pure genius and the author managed to catch me by surprise while delivering a satisfying conclusion. I can hardly wait for the next book in the series!

Serious sci-fi fans needn't shy away from the term `Christian Science Fiction'. This book delivers in all ways to the larger sci-fi genre and is only enhanced by the underlying message of the story.

Review by Jill Williamson

Rathe, a Yanguch dinosaur, happens upon a dying Jerkrenak in the Draskil Skereta Mines. He also discovers a maimed hatchling that the Jerkrenak had doubtlessly planned to kill. Rathe sees his chance to rise above his low rank. He takes a fang from the Jerkrenak's mouth, carries the hatchling to safety, and claims to have killed the beast.

His heroism gives him the opportunity to rise to a new level of rank in the imperial army, a rank no five-five level hatching has ever managed to meet. But Rathe remains haunted that he lied about saving the hatching, and about the Jerkrenak's dying words: "If yi follow through on the path that lies at yir feet, yi'll bring the fire of the stars down."

Rathe and his team fly out on a routine mission to transport an engineering team to a station where the communication system has gone down. They stumble into something much greater, however. Herian troops attack their camp and the engineers panic. When Rathe chases one of the engineers into the forest, he discovers an old science station. The engineer has stumbled into an old machine that somehow altered the creature to a being called Karey Or.

Karey Or believes that Rathe is her protector and that he must take her to a place where the Starfire can be engaged. Rathe's troop believes that Karey Or is the key to a great weapon. They set off to use that weapon to destroy their Herian enemy.

As they journey, Rathe is haunted by prophecies from his past and present that speak of a religion he does not believe in. He might be the one chosen to decide if the Starfire will be destroyed or used as a weapon against his enemies, but that doesn't mean he has to take into account old fables. Rathe will do what he feels is right and hope it's the right choice. Either way, it seems, an empire will be destroyed.

Starfire was a completely surprising story. I would have never thought I'd like a story about dinosaur people. But Rathe is a fun character to read about. He is practical and tough and easy to relate to. He prefers to make his own path in life and can't see how "some mixed-up, homicidal god could lay out a better track" for his life than he could himself.

Like Star Wars, Stuart Vaughn Stockton's dinosaur creatures are all new and unfamiliar, so it was fun to imagine such a world. Stockton also provides a marvelous chart in the front of the book that shows the shape and size of each species in relation to each other. It was extremely helpful. As I read, I kept flipping back to the front to compare the species as I got to know each character.

This is pretty much a guy book. It's about fighting and war and cool weapons and dinosaurs who bite each other's heads off--only if they really have to. Pretty awesome stuff, depending on your interests. There is no romance in this story, but Rathe is a softy at heart and carries the smaller engineer female around on his back so she won't have to walk. He's the kind of guy I'd want fighting for my world. All in all, this was an action-packed adventure. I highly recommend it for those who love science fiction, fantasy, and epic tales of war.

Starfire is a unique sci-fi treat. It combines the ferocity and reality of Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park with the knowledge and complexity of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings. What I enjoyed throughout this book was that you can soon relate to everything that is going on, despite the scale barrier. The best sci-fi that I have read has always found a way to bring the reader between the pages into the reality of the tale. This is most certainly how I felt when I read Starfire. This is a great book to lose yourself in during any season, if you enjoy futuristic fiction.

Allow me to begin this review by saying I am an aspiring author who one day wants to be published through Marcher Lord Press.
I started reading Starfire in the emergency room when one of my grandmothers was getting stitched up after a fall. Several family members can attest to my despair at that time, and not for my grandmother's sake (she recovered nicely). The prologue instantly transported me to a world where dinosaurs are the dominant species, volcanoes spew ash and fire into the air at will, and plants move around as much as the animals. I thought, If this is the quality Marcher Lord Press seeks, I'll never make it with them. Who could? This writer is too good for the rest of us mere mortals.
Again, my relatives will testify to this. So will the hospital emergency staff on duty that night. I am not the quietly despairing type.
Stockton creates an enormous, violent, technicolor world, where Rathe must survive and thrive in the fight-or-die-fighting rules of his society. His empire is at war, and through sheer coincidence (or is it?), he gets the break he needs to elevate his position from unknown runt to war hero.
Is he worthy of the trust of his new team, or will he prove himself to be just a soft-shell from an unknown family who got a lucky break?
I have never read nor wanted to read a book with dinosaurs as the main characters. After the first chapter, I wished I had a tail because the things are so darn useful.
Fortunately for me, my despair eventually wore off and I realized Stockton is not a god of writing but a man with a well-conceived and well-executed story. I was relieved when I found my first typo (Jeff the Publisher explained on The Anomaly forum why books have typos, and his reasons sound accurate).
Dinosaurs with weapons, computers, airplanes and ground transports are a wonderful mix of contrasts to this reader, reminding me of the epic battle between the demon Hell Boy and the fairy monsters in Hell Boy 2. Talk about clash of worldviews!
Stockton isn't afraid of violence, blood or killing characters to prove the situation is serious. This is a real world, with a real war, and real casualties. I especially enjoyed the little Karey Or (carrier?) who contains the computer program that will launch the Starfire weapon and end the war, thus elevating Rathe to positions beyond his wildest dreams.
This is subtitled Book 1. I have no idea how many books are planned, but I will be buying them, right after I buy a copy of this one for myself. I borrowed the book for this review.
This book will appeal to guy and girl geeks and nerds (as far as I know, jocks only read sports magazines, and there isn't a lot of romance for the girly-girls). I had to read in snatches over the course of a month, and I had no problem remembering where I was or what was happening.
Stockton includes size charts (I used a lot), species definitions (don't think I read it) and lexicon of unfamiliar words (only looked at twice because he's so good at defining in context). I would have liked a listing of all the different types of saurn but not having one didn't hinder me too much.
To sum up: Great book. Buy it. Read it. Don't despair.

It's been a while since I've read an honest-to-goodness sci-fi novel. I tend more toward fantasy (way more), but something about this book intrigued me. It's part of the second run from Marcher Lord Press (a publisher I'd be submitting to in a heartbeat if they took YA), and endorsed by Donita K. Paul (all the reason I personally needed to buy it). But those factors aside--the book rocks.

This story has all the classic elements--an Empire at war, a young soldier who rose above his lowly origins, a prophecy...but with a twist.

The protagonist is no ordinary soldier. He's a Yanguch, a species of saurn.

Honestly, I have no idea how to write about this without thinking things like "talking purple dinosaurs for grown-ups"--but the book deserves to be taken seriously! It's well-written, action-packed, and intelligent. The characterization is strong. It's got some way cool technology and solid dialogue. Even the world-building descriptions don't weigh the story down, as can so often happen in sci-fi.

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. And I felt the ending was balanced--the front cover says it's number one in a series, so I knew there would be a lead-in to the next book. I will definitely be buying the sequal when it's released.

Being a low born Yangkuch in the Karn Empire, Rathe, has no future except to become a Saurian warrior; still Rathe dreams of becoming much more. His hope lies in being the best warrior. He works hard at training to be ready when his chance at success occurs.

However, his first assignment is routine so Rathe knows he cannot shine as his dreams of glory will wait. Still he does his best and works his way up the ranks based on a lie about saving a hatching from a Jerkrenak. On his next mission he finds an ancient artificial intelligence who says his name is Karey. She takes control of the female body of a scientist and firmly believes Rathe is her protector. However, Rathe and his unit are in mortal combat with the Herians and the fearsome Jerkranaks.

Pulled in two directions the hero is terrific as Rathe stars in a coming of age allegorical science fiction saga. The story line is fast-paced yet filled with references to the Karn Empire including its simplistic caste system that keeps low born like Rathe drowning in the ooze below the food chain though his "heroism" lifts onto the ladder. Devoid of humans in the entire novel, Stuart Vaughn Stockton provides a clever well written inspirational head biting thriller as salvation is within anyone's grasp if they reach out of the darkness.

Harriet Klausner

Dinosaur sci-fi? Yep, maybe we've heard it all now. Ever since I heard about this novel it was apparent that it would be one of this year's more unusual offerings. And so it is.

We are swept into the Karn Empire on the planet Sauria, and into the life of Rathe, a lowly saurn from the Yanguch clan, as he fights his way to a coveted military position. We are introduced to the wide variety of Saurian species, varying in size and configuration.

On what seems like a routine mission to accompany a group of engineers, Rathe stumbles into an ancient technological site which promptly transforms a companion into an artificial life form. Yep, now we've got a cyborg dinosaur, and she proves to be a key in the bewildering circumstances now faced by Rathe and his squad.

Rathe is haunted by the words of a fearsome jerkrenak who spoke to him in his youth of the Way. The squad medic echoes these beliefs and Rathe is torn between loyalty to his Empire and a desire for truth. The team treks through wild hinterlands, dodging enemy forces in dramatic clashes. Finally Rathe must choose whether to embrace peace by a murder, or do as the cyborg instructs him.

At the end, the tale is far from over, so there must be more to come. Yet even at this point there is enough resolution so this book can stand on its own. Many questions remain to be answered in a sequel, which is a very promising prospect.

Is it an allegory? Is it an adventure? Is it weird with a message?
It's all the above. Stuart Stockton's debut novel deserves every bit of acclamation it has received to date. On a planet far, far away, entrenched in an unforgiving caste system, Rathe, a low-born Saurian warrior, desires to be a Saurian of distinction. Like most warriors, Rathe becomes enmeshed in military matters not of his making but that force him to make decisions that impact his world, not just himself.

After years of training, Rathe looks forward to his first military assignment. And on what should be a routine mission, he stumbles unto an ancient artificial intelligence called Karey Or who imprints herself onto one of the scientists along on the journey. Karey Or believes Rathe is her proector. Rathe and his team run a race against time as they battle the Herians and the dreaded jerkranaks.
Through well woven subplots we also feel Rathe's internal struggle against his past, a prophecy that spells his doom, and an introduction to a religion that seems ill-suited for the path he has chosen. As he struggles to do what's right within his own knowledge and understanding, he struggles with the teachings of The Way, its tenants far more puzzling than any challenge he had yet to face.

Though the book contains a host of new terminology, Stockton's world is so cleverly crafted it is hardly a stumbling block to the reader. For those who need it, the book does contain a glossary. However, Stockton's clever placement of the terms made them understandable in context. Stockton handles his complicated world with expertise. While not a human in the whole cast of characters, Stockton has given us a host of characters who will long be remembered. As well written as the impeccable plot design, Stockton has shown his gifts both as a literary genius and a master story teller.

While providing the reader with a clear Christian message, the tone is far from preachy. Stockton demonstrates the power of God's salvation through a well crafted story that holds the reader's attention from beginning to end. Can't wait for the sequel.

I meant to write this review a while ago but am now just getting to it. I'm a guy who normally has no interest in dinosaurs. When I first heard about Starfire, I was like.. "Ah well... guess I'll be passing on that one."

But when I read the excerpt and finally the novel, I was blown away. Stockton's crystal clear writing skills and immense respect for and thorough knowledge of the world gave the story so much credibility it was impossible not to suspend disbelief.

What impressed me even more than the action packed plot and vivid setting was the humanity and authenticity of the characters. Even though I could picture them in my mind as dino-people it was sometimes shocking to remember... hey... these people are all dinosaurs! That's because they were just so human in nature.

This is an adventure story through and through. Serious readers need not shy away. This is not a dumb book, its quite a masterpiece.

Starfire is one of the strangest science fiction novels I've read.

Why's that? Well, there are no humans or human-like aliens. Thus it goes against one piece of advice that beginning sf writers are told: to make sure the reader is fully sympathetic with the main character. The more alike the reader and the character are, the advice goes, the deeper the connection between the two. So a sure-fire way to turn OFF a reader is to make the main character unlike him.

So then what's up with a computer-using dinosaur? Yep. Stockton's main character is Rathe, a Yanguch on a planet with fifteen saurian species on it...and not a single humanoid anywhere in sight.

Stockton excels at showing, not telling. Even though the story starts at a relief point rather than an adrenaline jump point, Rathe is active, and we're a part of his action with solid verbs.

The action continues throughout the tale of traitors and wars, of things that are not what they seem. The Karn Empire has an ancient enemy, the Herian Dynasty, who has been encroaching on their territory. When Rathe and his team are sent to spy, they're shocked to discover how deep the incursions are. Why now? What are the Herians after? And how did it become Rathe's destiny to stop them?

The negatives? The same things that make Stockton's work so unique: all the saurian species, plant species, types of weapons. In short, the world is fully-formed, functioning, and not at all like ours. I had a hard time keeping all the strange terms straight. Stockton does include appendices for this, but I prefer to keep reading than look things up. As a result, I was sometimes more lost than I wanted to be.

Starfire is a book for folks who love an exploding helicopter or two in their reading. The pace stays high and the stakes increase. If you love action and dinosaurs, you're in for a good read. I'll happily read the next book in this series.