AUTHOR: Ross Harrison
PUBLISHER: Self-published
AVAILABILITY: Lulu Marketplace (hardcover), Amazon US (Kindle e-book), Amazon UK (Kindle e-book), Smashwords (multiple e-formats)
APPROXIMATE LENGTH: 465 pages (hardcover)
APPROXIMATE LENGTH: 465 pages (hardcover)
Recommended for fans of space operas/space westerns (Firefly, Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.) and anyone who enjoys adventures with fun moments
GENRE
Science Fiction—Space Opera/Science Fantasy
Shadow of the Wraith
is set in the distant future, in which humans have mastered space travel and settled
on a new homeworld, becoming part of an interstellar alliance with a number of
alien races, many of which are humanoid. Familiar territory for fans of Star
Wars, Star Trek, etc. There is also something reminiscent of Firefly in the
character of Travis Archer, a freelance bounty hunter turned rogue starship
captain. In fact, in the book, Travis is a fan of the series.
Although Shadow of the
Wraith is the first book of a planned series (called “Nexus), the story is
self-contained and does not end with a cliffhanger.
PACE
This is a plot-driven story, and the bulk of the narrative
consists of detailed action sequences—assassin attacks, fast getaways, space
battles, etc. There are a number of mysteries, and sometimes the solution to
one only brings up more, making it quite the page-turner.
PERSPECTIVE
Third person omniscient. The point of view rotates from
character to character within a scene, and at times the narrative voice appears
to be entirely the author’s own.
CONTENT REVIEW
Travis Archer is a freelance bounty hunter who accepts an
official assignment to hunt down and destroy the Star Wraith, a powerful but
apparently unmanned ship with the nasty habit of appearing out of nowhere and
destroying ships. He puts together a colorful crew of misfits, the most
memorable members of whom are the beautiful but not-very-nice Juni Lien, who is
deadly with weapons and not at all forthcoming about her motivations, and the
somewhat cantankerous Jay Miller, an old pal of Travis’ with whom he is
constantly butting heads.
Although Travis and his crew are the focus of the story, the
narrative cuts to other scenes in a cinematic fashion, showing, for example,
one of the Star Wraith’s attacks before he gets his assignment. The more fascinating
of these scenes reveal glimpses of a shadowy villain called Baorshraak, whose goals
and motivations remain shrouded in mystery even as he appears to be the one
pulling the strings.
The world-building that takes place in this story is
detailed but understated—we are given a good idea as to how this universe works
without the lengthy explanations or technobabble. Readers not accustomed to science fiction will nonetheless be able to slip into the universe Harrison creates, which is clearly explained and familiar despite its futuristic setting. Most of the story takes place in
the fringes of a highly advanced alliance of alien civilizations or on board
starships.
In terms of narrative voice, Harrison writes with a distinct
attitude that is very aware of the genre his story takes place in. References
are made to the clichés of space opera, which he acknowledges and makes fun of
even as he unapologetically takes advantage of them. Many ideas in this book
are decidedly familiar—starfleets, space cowboys, humanoid aliens—but they are
used well. There is a dry sense of humor that radiates not only from the
characters but the narrative itself, as though it isn’t taking itself too
seriously.
Travis himself appears well aware of the clichés he
embodies, and he delights in them. For example, in the first chapter: “Twenty-six
years of glowering at people—and forgetting his sunglasses on sunny days—had
given Travis permanent glare lines and the useful ability to severely harden
his eyes; reminiscent of a badass space cowboy, he liked to think.”
Although this attitude makes for entertaining commentary,
there are a few moments where it seems somewhat intrusive—as though it’s the
author speaking and not the character. Nevertheless, it’s what adds an extra
bit of sparkle to the already dynamic plot, which carries the reader to
unexpected corners of this galaxy.
Other notable points—although the story starts on a small
scale, it eventually escalates from one man’s dangerous assignment to a
potentially devastating interstellar conflict. Race relations between alien
civilizations are touched upon—at one point, an official notes that one of
Travis’ alien crew members cannot be paid like a human would. Also, there is an
android called Arkuun-Marl with the obnoxious tendency to make lame jokes about
everything. His commentary is cringingly facepalm-worthy, and the other
characters are quick to tell him to shut up, adding an element of quirky comedy to the story.
Overall, Shadow of the
Wraith is a smartly plotted and entertaining space adventure that takes the
reader on many twists and turns—the direction the story goes in is quite
different from what is expected. But in the end, it’s really the characters’
voices—and Harrison’s—that make it memorable. I ended up enjoying it so much that I suffered from two nights in a row of Star Wraith Insomnia—the inability to sleep due to the fact that I had to keep reading.
THE NITPICKY STUFF
Heads up to American readers: Shadow of the Wraith uses British formatting conventions.
In terms of spelling and grammar, this book is well-written
and has a natural flow to it. There are a teeny, tiny, barely perceptible number
of typos.
The book is organized by location, not chapter numbers, and
so there is no table of contents.
There is some adult language and a lot of violence, but
nothing gruesome or graphic.
AUTHOR INFO
[From Amazon.co.uk's author page]
Ross Harrison has been writing since childhood without thought of publication. When the idea was planted by his grandmother to do so, it grew rapidly, and after a bumpy ten years or so, here sits the fruit.
Ross lives on the UK/Eire border in Ireland, hoping the rain will help his hair grow back.
Check out his blog, Like his Facebook page, or Follow him on Twitter
AUTHOR INFO
[From Amazon.co.uk's author page]
Ross Harrison has been writing since childhood without thought of publication. When the idea was planted by his grandmother to do so, it grew rapidly, and after a bumpy ten years or so, here sits the fruit.
Ross lives on the UK/Eire border in Ireland, hoping the rain will help his hair grow back.
Check out his blog, Like his Facebook page, or Follow him on Twitter
RELATED: An Interview with Ross Harrison
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