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Stormhaven Rising (Atlas and the Winds) (Volume 1) Reviewed By Dr. Wesley Britton of Bookpleasures.com
http://www.bookpleasures.com/websitepublisher/articles/8243/1/Stormhaven-Rising-Atlas-and-the-Winds-Volume-1-Reviewed-By-Dr-Wesley-Britton-of-Bookpleasurescom/Page1.html
Dr. Wesley Britton

Reviewer Dr. Wesley Britton: Dr. Britton is the author of four non-fiction books on espionage in literature and the media. Starting in fall 2015, his new six-book science fiction series, The Beta-Earth Chronicles, debuted via BearManor Media.

In 2018, Britton self-published the seventh book in the Chronicles, Alpha Tales 2044, a collection of short stories, many of which first appeared at a number of online venues.

For seven years, he was co-host of online radio’s Dave White Presents where he contributed interviews with a host of entertainment insiders. Before his retirement in 2016, Dr. Britton taught English at Harrisburg Area Community College. Learn more about Dr. Britton at his WEBSITE

 
By Dr. Wesley Britton
Published on January 17, 2017
 

Author: Eric Michael Craig

Publisher: Rivenstone Management, INC (April 12, 2016)

ISBN-10: 0997470720

ISBN-13: 978-0997470727



Author: Eric Michael Craig

Publisher: Rivenstone Management, INC (April 12, 2016)

ISBN-10: 0997470720

ISBN-13: 978-0997470727

https://www.amazon.com/Stormhaven-Rising-Atlas-Winds-1/dp/0997470720

The concept of the destruction of earth because of an asteroid crashing into our planet can be traced back to 1933’s When Worlds Collide by Philip Wylie and Edwin Balmer.   Since then, sci fi novels and high-octane Hollywood films have used the idea for a number of cinematic thrillrides from Armageddon to Asteroid to Deep Impact.

In When Worlds Collide, Scientist Cole Hedron built two spaceships that took survivors to a second approaching planet to give humans a second chance.   It’s difficult not to think Colton “Cole” Taylor, owner of earth’s largest advanced technology corporation called Stormhaven in Stormhaven Rising, isn’t an overt nod to Hedron. Taylor too wants to take survivors from earth to the moon to give humanity a second chance. 

 
Still, Stormhaven Rising is far more complex and believable than its literary ancestor.  For one matter, the science in Stormhaven is far more credible, as when earth scientists determine trying to blast the asteroid into bits won’t work and a better strategy would be to nudge the body off its present course.   But can this be done in time and can the governments of the earth put aside a host of political issues to cooperate?
 

For example, the government of paranoid U.S. President Sylvia Hutton is obsessed with maintaining secrecy to the point of destroying civil liberties of anyone who might know the truth.   The government doesn’t want Taylor to send up any spaceships without getting proper liscences.   The Chinese have their own moon-based plans. The Russians and Japanese are resentful the U.S. wants to call all the shots, notably building spaceships at the International Space Station without working with their international partners. In short, how can humanity save anything if all efforts are either bogged down in politics, bureaucratic squabbles, censorship, or conflicting schemes and goals?

With all these players on the chessboard, and all the stages on earth, on the moon, and in space, there’s no shortage of characters representing the differing interests. Some are better drawn than others, especially in Taylor’s stormhaven base and in the camp of government agents surrounding the company headquarters determined to capture an astronomer who knows about the asteroid and stop any unauthorized launches. One of those characters is the amazing computer with the feminine voice, MICA. In the midst of all this drama, we do get some light moments, as when two astronauts try their level best to enjoy some anti-grav sex on a space shuttle going, where else, around the world. In other words, Craig does a good job of creating characters that signal humanity, despite its flaws, is worth saving if it can only get out of its own way.

The final chapters include a very exciting climax and a long denouement full of both optimism and foreboding. Stormhaven Rising is the first book in a series that has already resulted in two sequels published last year (Prometheus and The Dragon, Shadows in the Flame) with two more volumes scheduled for June and December 2017 (Warlords of the Night,   The Orphans of Destiny). A related short story, “Ghostmaker,” is also in the pipeline.

So Stormhaven Rising, an epic on its own terms, sets the stage for an epic series in its wake. I like such series and know I’ll be exploring the sequels very soon. If this sort of sci fi is your cup of tea, you too will likely dig into this saga in short order. It’s a ride well worth taking as Craig breathes considerable fresh air into a well-established tradition.