Awakened by Joshua James

 

Awakened by Joshua James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The fourth novel in this series "Awakened" takes a bit of a departure in format from the first three. We learn that the cooperation between nations to fight off the Alien threat has not been maintained and alas scientific research using a portal to explore worlds has gone spectacularly wrong and threatens Earth and numerous other worlds. The Photosynthians arrange a number of teams comprised of two individuals each and they are sent off world to reclaim the deadly canisters that could destroy the biosphere of any world they are opened upon and the clock is ticking.
We then follow each team on their chosen world from start to finish, for example Mission One follows Vasko and a new character Corporal Queens who encounter giant crab like creatures while other missions/teams have to handle time manipulation, alien beings with robots and the dangers of the asteroid belt plus much more. I really did like following each team as they handled their tasks, I suspect the complexity of weaving six elements would have been chaotic and confusing if merged into a single narrative so thumbs up from this reader.

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Lineage by Joshua James

 

Lineage by Joshua James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Unexpected alliances have been formed as humanity fights for its very survival as the balance of power tips precariously between those the seeded the universe and those that wish to use the power of the Stellar Key and Sparks to dominate and control life everywhere it is found. The conflict moves on to Titan and an "abandoned" Chinese facility but on Earth there is an almost unreal dash to gain the power the the planets spark and key offer despite the utter foolishness of that desire. Thankfully the bloodlines of the original defenders/protectors of these gifts are still active and there are those prepared to defend life and the Earth regardless of the cost to themselves.
Lineage really ramps up the threat to life across the universe in a macro form centered in the solar system as multiple vested interests fight to obtain, deny or destroy the power the Stellar Keys and Sparks present. We continue to follow the core characters but with get a major influx of Earth based people and their story rivals what we've been presented with so far and expands the narrative by leaps and bounds. Looking forward to the fourth novel in the series "The Creed" which is due out March 2023.


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Cascade by Joshua James

 

Cascade by Joshua James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The catastrophic events surrounding Saturn and on its moon Enceladus has far reaching consequences, the military conflict between factions of humanity raises tensions on Earth but the arrival of an alien starship and their own goals has really caused a rethinking of mankind's place in the cosmos. Carpenter Lowell and Peter Chang now "captive" onboard the alien ship are privy to many of the secrets humankind have been unaware of and maybe just maybe our place in the universe may finally unify us to make the right decision when dealing with the Stellar Key and the Spark that is at the core of Earth and so many other worlds.
Cascade is the second novel in the series and continues the quite impressive world building (quite literally) that is at the core of Joshua's story. Our two main protagonists continue to be entertaining and handle the dire situations they find themselves in often with a healthy amount of luck. The scope of the narrative is definitely impressive and offers up an intriguing look at alien contact with humanity. Overall a strong second novel with the third already on my kindle.

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Artifact by Joshua James

 

Artifact by Joshua James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The year is 2219 BCE in the kingdom of Ur-An in Mesopotamia. The King of all things looks to the heavens were ships from the depths of space are attacking and his calls for help from the other visitors who gave him knowledge and gifts go unanswered. Faced with the end of all things (from his point of view) the most precious object on Earth is sent away to be hidden and protected but this is not the end of the story nor the beginning.
I've read some of Joshua's work before so was more than willing to begin a new series (Saturn's Legacy which is currently three books and one due soon). Well the beginning of Artifact was different but we soon learn that humanity has had contact with alien intelligence for generations and the secrets of that contact continue to Mars and beyond. It is infact Mars where we meet the central character of Carpenter Lowell who is a member of the US Space Corp assigned to protect a science project which alas ends poorly and then some time later Lowell is assigned to Enceladus (Moon of Saturn) to babysit another science project but his past catches up to him and he finds himself in the middle of a mystery that has been hidden for thousands but will soon be revealed as various military powers race to uncover the secrets.
This was a strong start to the series of novels, as I said the beginning through me but adds the foundation the series requires to build upon as events take place in the near future. There is plenty of action, lots of well developed characters and the beginning of some solid narrative which will take us forward, highly recommended.

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Lucky Universe by Joshua James

Lucky Universe by Joshua James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lance Corporal "Lucky" Lee Savage is a Frontier Marine one of a highly trained and equipped assets of the Empire. Between missions they are frozen to prolong their use but "Lucky" was the sole survivor of a disastrous mission and spent over half a century frozen and lost in between the stars. Together with his AI which is named Rocky a legend has grown, the ability to survive missions and come away unscatherd (even allowing for the nanotec in the suits) has made his name known across the military but with his memories lost thanks to long term cryostasis was it luck or something else at work?
Lucky Universe was an entertaining read, the technology was off the charts and the world created by Joshua sufficiently futuristic but still anchored in a military mindset. The humour worked and the mystery behind the nightmares and lost memories were intriguing and I'll probably pick up the second novel in the series just to confirm if I am committed to the full story which will span multiple novels.

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