I downloaded this book from
Kindle Unlimited and am leaving this review voluntarily.
I became aware of Aeon
Rising when it was being announced on my Facebook newsfeed. I've read
Mather's work in the past and enjoyed it, but this seemed to be a special
project from the author. There was a lot of content surrounding the release of
this story.
Aeon Rising is the tale of a
disaster from outer space that threatens to change life on the planet as we
know it. I enjoyed the characters and was pleased to see them grow as the story
progressed. There is plenty of engaging action taking place and I really didn't
want to stop reading when I started. I hurried through my mundane obligations
so I could get back to the book.
There is also a great deal of
emotional content in this story, and the writing was so good, one could feel
what the characters must have been feeling. The emotional spectrum in this tome
is mostly on the dark side, but there are also brief glimmers of hope and even
a small amount of humor thrown in for good measure.
Another thing I was stirred by
was the varied settings and how they were presented in the prose. There were
urban settings, the Amazon Jungle, and the frozen tundra of the South Pole.
Mather's descriptions were vivid and colorful, complete with the discomforts
that come with those environments, as well as a few the author made up to add
to the terror, especially in the jungle.
Overall, I love this engaging
story.
Opening at a scientific research
station on the continent of Antartica, a scientist monitors her equipment to
detect neutrino particles as they strike the detectors. During the project, the
scientist feels lucky when there is a hit, but one fateful day, her detectors
lit up with a brilliance as an astronomical number of neutrinos excites her
equipment. The scientist knows what this discovery means, and it isn't good.
What follows is a nearby (a
relative term in astronomy) super nova event that has the effect of placing a
second sun to heat the already warmed Earth. Climate change is rapid and will
prove catastrophic to all life, especially human life.
A man is sent to the Amazon in
South America to contact an eccentric billionaire and friend to learn what he
is up to in pursuing scientific discovery he would not be allowed to work on in
the U.S. The man's pregnant wife is left to fend for herself and finds
difficulty, but also finds help from a mysterious source.
The people of the Earth seek
relief by moving north as fast as they can while resources are stretched to the
limits and services are nonexistent.
The characters in this story
are all well written and come alive as the reader gets to know them.
Max Carver is former military,
currently a professional over-the-road trucker. He's been tapped to find and
contact a friend from his past and learn what he is doing in the Amazon jungle.
Max seems to be a gentle, nice guy on the surface, but he has a skill set and
very good survival instincts. Mostly, he just wants to finish the job he was
sent to do and get back home with his wife. She is seven months pregnant with
their first child.
Talisha Carver, Max's wife, is
also preoccupied with the idea of Max being home before their baby is born. She
also has a special skill set and is trying to survive in the difficult
situation brought about by the supernova that has trapped Max in the jungle.
When she is accosted by several dangerous people, she has to go on the run to
save herself and her unborn child, while trying to learn what happened to Max
and getting some place safe. She also finds she has a mysterious companion who
claims wanting to help her.
Dr. Xin Rhou is the first
person to detect the neutrino burst heralding the coming of the supernova. She
is stationed at the South Pole and is a Chinese national. There seems to be
more to her than just a simple researcher. She also finds herself involved in a
mystery involving murder and other mayhem.
My favorite point of plot for Aeon
Rising is all the things hinted at in future installments of the series.
There are several questions that come to mind:
1. How will governments deal
with a mass migration of people moving north to get away from the effects of
the Aeon supernova?
2. What part does Max's friend
play in the changes in the Amazon jungle?
3. What is the nature of
Talisha's mysterious friend who wants to help, and why has this entity
appeared?
4. How is Max going to survive
in an environment that is out to do him harm at every turn?
5. What will finally be the
fate of Xin and what is her actual role in developing events?
The overarching theme and my
takeaway from Aeon Rising is survival for everyone in a situation that
happened without warning. There are no contingency plans in place to deal with
the mass migration of humanity to the northern parts of the planet to escape a
developing situation. On the surface, the people of the planet seem to face
certain extinction from something no one understands and can't do anything
about, except hold out in hopes the crisis will work itself out.
Mather has set up a seemingly
impossible to survive story. It will be interesting to see what roads he will
lead us down as the questions are answered. This segment of the series gives
the reader an exposition of people, places, and things likely leading to some amazing
plot twists. I think Aeon Rising is an uncommonly great example of
telling a story to invoke compassion, apprehension, and extraordinary thrills.
I give Aeon Rising: The Apocalypse Begins my highest recommendations as
a book well worth reading.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The two novels following this
one are: Aeon Burn - due to be released early December 2022 - and Aeon
Fury - in April 2023.
You also might be interested in
some of the promotional material that is available from the author. He talked
about Aeon Rising with two other authors on videos available on YouTube.
You can access those through the links below:
Talk with author Steve Konkoly
In the meantime, be sure not to
pass up Aeon Rising; apocalyptic sci-fi fans should really enjoy this
one!
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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