I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Two heroes emerge who must fight to save their corner of the Andromeda galaxy, as the heroes Galen and Rhea fight to save their father, the king, from all the old enemies, lawless criminals and new usurpers in Richard Paolinelli’s novel The Blade of Galen. the second book in the A Starquest 4th Age Adventure series.
Synopsis
Galen Duin’s journey continues in the second book of the Starquest 4th Age series.
While Duin lies in stasis, recovering from injuries sustained during a battle with Garmul’s fleet, Rhea has assumed the title of Regent of Solatia, leading the search for her missing father, King Iodak. She also helps repair the damage done to the Alliance in her uncle and mother’s mad quest to create a new Empire. A shocking last-second assassination attempt is foiled by Duin, who appears to have changed now that he’s come out of stasis to save his love.
The King’s location is established and a rescue mission is organized to retrieve him from the Wildlands, a lawless expanse of space. An ambush separates their forces and Duin pulls off the ambush so Rhea and her father can escape. Before Duin can find his way back to Alliance territory, an old enemy returns from the grave and holds Rey and the King hostage while sparking a mass uprising that overthrows the Alliance and installs a new Emperor.
Now Duin must orchestrate a second rescue while finding a way to rally the rebellion against this threat to peace in the hominid corner of the Andromeda Galaxy.
Review
This was another incredible sci-fi read. The depth of world building and character development was so rich and amazing. The intense action and the layers of myths on which the author builds help to elevate the story to the literary stratosphere. The reader is instantly fascinated by the wild atmosphere and changing landscapes of the story, getting lost in the author’s world for several hours.
What impressed me, like the first book in the series, was how the author used and developed these rich characters throughout the story. The evolution and journey of Rhea and Galen to save the king and protect each other in the process was equally balanced and allowed them to show the depth of the impact that journey had on them individually and as a group as a whole.
Judgment
Exciting, entertaining and thrilling, The Blade of Galena by Richard Paolinelli is the perfect sci-fi read this summer and a wonderful next chapter in the A Starquest 4TH Age adventure series. The overarching narrative and rich character growth felt very much like a combination of classic sci-fi series like Firefly and Star Wars put together, feeling like some elements of fantasy and mythology also came into play to make this a unique reading experience. If you haven’t already, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the author
Richard Paolinelli began his writing career as a freelance writer in 1984 in Odessa, Texas, and received his first fiction credit as lead writer for the first two issues of Elite Comics’ sci-fi/fantasy series, Seadragon. In 1991, Richard began his career as a sports writer at the Gallup Independent before moving on to work at the Modesto Bee, Turlock Journal, Merced Sun-Star, Tracy Press, San Mateo County Times and San Francisco Examiner. He also worked as an editor and photographer for some newspapers. In 2001, he won the California Newspaper Publishers Association Award for Best Sports Story while at the Turlock Journal.
In 2010, Richard retired as a sports writer and decided to return to his fiction writing roots. He released two short stories – “The Invited” and “Death’s Legacy”, as well as a full-length science fiction novel “Whirlpool”. In 2015, Richard completed nearly two years of research and interviews and published From The Fields: A History of Prep Football in Turlock, California, chronicling 95 years of high school football in his hometown. A month later, the first book in Jack Del Rio’s series, Reservations, was published by Oak Tree Press.
In 2016, Richard was one of a dozen authors selected to contribute to the anthology of original Sherlock Holmes stories, Beyond Watson, and was one of 20 authors to contribute to the second Holmes anthology, Holmes Far From Home, released in December. Perfection’s Arbiter, a biography of National League umpire Babe Pinelli, was released on October 8. W & B Books acquired the Jack Del Rio series and released the second book, Betrayals, in November. The remaining two books in the Jack Del Rio series will be published in 2017 and 2018.
In January 2017, Richard returned to his sci-fi roots with the novel Escape from Infinity and will release another sci-fi novel, When the Gods Fall, on September 4, 2018.
