I'm so glad I got around to enjoying this book, which has been on my long list of to-be-read. The story is absolutely exceptional and feels like it would translate well to a Hollywood film.
It takes place in the near future and centers around the lives of two astronauts in particular - an American named Austin and a British man named James. Both are well written and have their individual personalities that are likeable and relatable. James takes center stage throughout most of the novel, and I like to think of the first few chapters as the aliens being the stars and the middle and later chapters being more centered on James and the extraordinary things revolving around him. Something fun that I thoroughly enjoyed was that the author included a character called Guy Furious who is basically the equivalent of a famous, crazy-haired, alien-obsessed man on TV who shall go unnamed! He was a really interesting addition.
Overall, the book was enjoyable from start to finish, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is interested in aliens & science fiction (and possibly even superheroes?). My only real criticism that I have is, at one point late in the book, the protagonist and his long-term girlfriend have a very intimate scene, which just felt really out of nowhere. I am certainly not opposed to romance in the slightest, and I actually prefer books with romance. I just think that kind of detailed scene felt out of place? Still, not anything to dissuade anyone from reading by any means. The sci-fi storyline alone is absolutely intriguing and well done. Hardcore sci-fi readers and fans will also find the author's vast knowledge and competence on the subject impressive.
This first book in the series lays the groundwork for all the incredible things left to come, and I'm excited to see what happens next!
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From the Publisher
ALAN K. DELL
Author of The Augment Saga
Alan K. Dell is a creative person and writer of sci-fi "by and for sci-fi nerds".
For his day job he works as the parish administrator for his local church, where he also volunteers as a musician. His hobbies include playing the guitar, illustration, graphic design, photography, astronomy, reading and playing video games. He lives at home in Essex with his wife and two children.
AUGMENT SAGA THEMES
- First Contact
- The Impact of Alien Technology
- Exploring Immortality
- The Wonder of Space Exploration
SERIES READING ORDER
The Re-Emergence: An Augment Saga Novella
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From the Grave of the Gods: The Augment Saga Book One
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The Flight of the Aurora: An Augment Saga Novella
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The Shadow of Arcadia
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| Customer Reviews |
22
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37
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11
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5
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| Price | $3.99 | $4.99 | $3.49 | $5.99 |
| Tagline | "It was just a myth. Just a d*** legend passed down from corrupted databanks." | Strange lights in the sky. A Red Planet. A catalyst to change the course of human history. | A crossroads for humanity. Endless sky. Boundless horizons. | Sidera Silere: Let the stars remain silent |
| Summary | When a strange probe appears in the P'hori star system, Da'kora Corasar and his crew are thrust into a deadly duel that will determine the fate of their homeworld. | CMDR James Fowler - an astronaut on the disastrous first mission to Mars - questions his identity, place in the world, and humanity when the accident leaves him changed. | An old friend presents CMDR James Fowler with the opportunity of a lifetime: a job as test pilot for the Aurora, an experimental spaceplane that promises to lead humanity to the stars. | When the Martian city, Arcadia Landing, suffers a devastating attack, Captain James Fowler sets out to bring those responsible to justice. |
| Genre | Space Opera | Near-Future Hard Sci-Fi | Near-Future Hard Sci-Fi | Sci-Fi Thriller |
| Word Count | 31,000 words | 120,000 words | 35,000 words | 126,000 words |
About the author
Hard Sci-fi with great first contact adventure and intrigue
From the Grave of the Gods is set in a current-day hard science fiction universe, which then takes you into an adventure of humanity’s first real contact with advanced alien civilizations – an amazing, full-length novel by new author Alan K. Dell. It’s wonderful to find a great page-turner from a new writer. The deeper I got into this book the more I couldn’t put it down (I know that is cliche’ but very true, I read the last 50% of it in a nearly consecutive 6 hour binge!) The prologue to the novel presents a sequence of Commander James Fowler’s memories in the format of a forced interrogation of his mind, by an unknown pair of alien tormenters. Some of them are very cryptic but I believe it’s setting up things for the future Augment Series novels. One of these memories leads into the first chapter of this initial novel. The story begins with the first manned mission to Mars in 2025, a mission to investigate what is at first believed to be an unusual comet impact site. The adventure follows the crew members through the mission as it morphs into a mysterious and traumatic ordeal, and the conspiracies and conspiracies which follow them back on Earth after the mission. The major characters are very compelling and my connection to the them continued to grow stronger as the plot expanded and the dangers of the adventure deepened. I found myself anxious and personally invested in the jeopardy that the characters faced. The pacing of the plot shows the patience of a seasoned storyteller, keeping us in the action and also giving the reader time to rest and invest in the characters. The universe that’s set in motion by this story is compelling. I can see how the series has a lot of room to expand and become even more exciting as the future novels come out. This novel is a wonderful read on its own, and ends with it’s own satisfying conclusion, but I anxiously await Dell’s future novels in this series.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2023
- Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2021
From the Grave of the Gods is set in a current-day hard science fiction universe, which then takes you into an adventure of humanity’s first real contact with advanced alien civilizations – an amazing, full-length novel by new author Alan K. Dell.
Hard Sci-fi with great first contact adventure and intrigue
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2021
It’s wonderful to find a great page-turner from a new writer. The deeper I got into this book the more I couldn’t put it down (I know that is cliche’ but very true, I read the last 50% of it in a nearly consecutive 6 hour binge!)
The prologue to the novel presents a sequence of Commander James Fowler’s memories in the format of a forced interrogation of his mind, by an unknown pair of alien tormenters. Some of them are very cryptic but I believe it’s setting up things for the future Augment Series novels. One of these memories leads into the first chapter of this initial novel.
The story begins with the first manned mission to Mars in 2025, a mission to investigate what is at first believed to be an unusual comet impact site. The adventure follows the crew members through the mission as it morphs into a mysterious and traumatic ordeal, and the conspiracies and conspiracies which follow them back on Earth after the mission.
The major characters are very compelling and my connection to the them continued to grow stronger as the plot expanded and the dangers of the adventure deepened. I found myself anxious and personally invested in the jeopardy that the characters faced.
The pacing of the plot shows the patience of a seasoned storyteller, keeping us in the action and also giving the reader time to rest and invest in the characters. The universe that’s set in motion by this story is compelling. I can see how the series has a lot of room to expand and become even more exciting as the future novels come out.
This novel is a wonderful read on its own, and ends with it’s own satisfying conclusion, but I anxiously await Dell’s future novels in this series.
Images in this review
- Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2022
Top reviews from other countries
- Annette JReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2024
Pure entertainment from beginning to end
- James GearyReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 24, 2023
Great Intro to a new Universe
- Mr B RyersonReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 5, 2022
Classic scifi that makes you want to read more
- Alan R PaineReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 3, 2021
Good science fiction with romance and suspense
