My interest in this novel was peaked when I read about it on the Kindle Scout page. I voted for it and received a free copy when it won the contest for publication. Having read Chase Harwood's Of Sudden Origin, I already knew the potential for a good read was there. I wasn't wrong!
Bastion Saturn is about Wild West Cowboy Space Pirates and Evil Artificial Intelligence! Well, not exactly, but the elements are there. The action is pretty much non-stop, which made it a page turner for me. The background setup is of an AI + Human Hive-Mind Singularity in 2101 forcing non-conformists to escape to space. The AI feels threatened by their very existence and takes steps to remove the thread. That dread permeates the entire work.
The struggle to establish a viable existences on the many moons of the Saturn ring system encapsulates the actions of the main characters. They come at you fast paced and fully formed. Caleb Day, the petty thief and general wanderer, annoyed me at first. I guess he was supposed to though. He finds himself in the middle of a corrupt Police action where - finding his conscience isn't as sadistic as the other participants - he ends up throwing his lot in with the fleeing refugees. One of those, a very attractive woman named Jennifer, is also somewhat more than she lets on at times. They end up in a series of unpleasant moon hopping situations as they try to find a new way to make it in the Saturn system.
Character development isn't a main component of the book, although there is some, especially for Caleb. The general direction of change is more of a getting-to-know-each-other kind progression where familiarity and acceptance between them bonds the gang together in a way that works. There is quirky humor employed in the book. I had a few eye-rolls at some of it. A couple of times I felt like I was missing an inside joke as if the author forgot to explain the lead in part. Hard to put my finger on though. Still, I can remember the character's names and their quirks, so they left an impression.
I found the science to be believable and fun. It may not be as detailed as I sometimes like, but the trade-off is the action. That is epic, and kept the novel moving from start to finish. One nag I do have is the roughshod yet dependable equipment. It always seems to work, no matter how much abuse or neglect it takes. Sure, it is 100 years in the future, but space is a very hard place to live... and stay alive... in. The jumping in and out of suits and airlocks. The crashing and scraping into things. The tracking in of dust particles. All that amounts to some very serious maintenance issues to me. But again, maintenance is boring, so.... action!
I enjoyed this read, and I look forward to the sequel (if there is one). I give this novel 5 stars and call it an Exciting Read.
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From the Publisher
Need a rip-roaring space adventure?
Book 1 in the Saturn Series
What if most humans chose to tie their minds to an Artificial Intelligence? What if man had conquered the Solar System and what if the only place to be free of that AI was living off-world? What if Earthlings decided Off-Worlders were a threat... In 2101, Saturn and its vast system of moons are the wild frontier. The only caveats to living there: the funds to fly a billion miles into space and a pledge to keep vigil against the threat of AI. Otherwise, what you do out there is your business.
Book 2 in the Saturn Series
The ringed planet and its moons remain the Wild West as Pirates of Saturn delves into the meaning of what makes us human, and what is freedom anyway? Exploring these truths—space is hard, relationships are complicated, sh_t happens, and just as art is subjective, evil is often defined by the eye of the beholder—Pirates remains a romp. Enjoy the romp
Book 3 in the Saturn Series
The Rip-Roaring Conclusion! No Spoilers!
Enjoy this always Free prequel
A desperation has taken hold within the unincorporated zones where free humans still live. Many of them are choosing to leave Earth forever and fly to colonies on the moons of Saturn. In an ancient diner, Spruck Jones is about to make a bold move to change his flagging fortunes. Even the best laid plans almost never go as planned. The Last Rats is a short prequel that introduces the reader to some of the characters and the underlying world that is the basis for the space opera, Bastion Saturn.
Author C. Chase Harwood (aka Chris)
C. Chase Harwood made a career in Hollywood, decorating sets for film and television before turning his passion for storytelling into clicks on a keyboard. While scaling the walls of the screenwriting world, he chose to experiment with prose and found a fondness for Scifi-action-adventure. Within that framework, he gets to explore the countless ways that humans interact while under duress. "Life is all the more lived when the consequences are high. When told as a tale it can be quite a page-turner," says Harwood. He lives in Southern California with his costume designer wife and young boy girl twins.
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2016
- Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2025
