Get 50% off Catholic Books & eBooks

Discover the Next Tolkien & O'Connor

Join Here for FREE to Never Miss a Deal

Find new favorites & Support Catholic Authors

Genre

Science Fiction

Audience

Ages 13 & Up

Author’s Worldview

Catholic

Year Published

2020

Themes

Politics, Prejudice, Just War Theory, Death Penalty, Hidden Church, Persecution

 

Reviewed by

A.R.K.Watson

After an act of terrorism by an illegal fringe group rocks his world, Randall Yung vows to chase the murderer across the vastness of the galactic empire and brave any hardship for justice. This illegal organization just happens to be the Catholic Church, and his prey, an ace pilot ferrying secret priests to far flung planetary colonies. What follows is a nail-biting man hunt. Both Randall and the pilot are likable empathetic characters. Even though Randall is hunting Catholics, he is a good man. The son of a wealthy family, he, like St. Francis of Assisi, leaves his family’s wealth and corruption behind and devotes himself to his job in criminal justice where he hopes to change the galaxy’s corruptions from within and bring justice to those less fortunate. The devastation of life that happens during the terrorist attack at the start of the book sends him into a spiral of grief and depression. But as he gets closer to his prey he finds solace from that grief in the most unlikely of sources: his enemy.

This man hunt is full of close-calls and moments where it is uncertain who has the upper hand. I could not put this down and binge read it in a week. Because both sides of this hunt are represented by such charismatic characters I scarcely knew who to root for. It reminded me a lot of the movie The Fugitive for that reason. The wider world of rusty starships, backwater planets and shady intergalactic politics reminded me of worlds like The Expanse or Firefly.

As Randall hunts his prey across the galaxy, he cannot help but be changed by his encounters with this clandestine group. In another author’s hands his character arc could have slipped so easily in cheese and melodrama but Keiser knows what she is doing. Randall’s change is slow, painful and well earned.

Fans of Arthur C. Clarke, The Expanse and Firefly/Serenity will love this story. If you like your sci-fi character driven and with a little more rust on your spaceship than chrome pick up a copy. Given the explicitly pro-Catholic-against-the-repressive-government theme, I was at first hesitant about whether this would be a novel that non-Catholic readers would enjoy so I introduced it to one of my un-churched friends. I am happy to report that I was wrong. She found the premise intriguing and told me she thought that people from many different oppressed groups would instead find much to empathize with. That said, if you are looking for an apologetics style case for the church, this is not the book for you. The story’s strengths lie in keeping firmly within the point of view of one character undergoing a profound and even painful change of heart, as he learns to see past the prejudices he was raised with and find his way to true interior humility and compassion.

My only disappointment is that this is Keiser’s debut novel and there isn’t another book by Keiser I can sink my teeth into immediately. Regardless this is one author to keep an eye on.

Get Catholic Books & eBooks for as little as $1 to FREE

Do Carpenters Dream of Wooden Sheep? by Corinna Turner

A poignant retelling of the Holy Family in a cyberpunk universe.

Death Cult by Declan Finn

St. Tommy continues his fight against the death cult, battling Voodoo priests and zombies along the way.

Treelight by Colleen Drippe

When the planet of Treelight’s contract changes hands the Star Brothers send an agent to discover the corporation’s plans for the sleepy little space colony.

A Very Jurassic Christmas by Corinna Turner

Christmas with Jurassic dinosaurs is often wild!

The Other Side of Freedom by Cynthia Toney

A Catholic “To Kill a Mockingbird” if there ever was one.

Brave Water by Sarah Robsdottir

What if you had to risk your life for a simple cup of water?

The Joining by J. H. Dierking

The aliens will surprise you and lead you into greater insight into how our own bodily design determines much of what is considered right and wrong.

Shooting At Heaven’s Gate, by Kaye Park Hinckley

How does an ordinary boy become a mass murderer?

Through the Ashes by Jacqueline Brown

Fans of The 100 and Runaway’s and The Gifted will find this YA story riveting.

The Dunes by A.R.K. Watson

“The Dunes” raises questions that are relevant in any marriage: not just for the creepy, otherworldly couple who venture onto a lonely island to set up camp near prehistoric sand dunes for the last time.

Demons are Forever by Declan Finn

Marco flees from his fears of hurting Amanda by taking a job to train Vampire Hunters in San Francisco. Should be a quiet job right?

Gifts Visible and Invisible

If you are looking for a cozy read to get into the Christmas cheer, this collection has it all.

Gelen by Colleen Drippe

Fr. Ruiz has little idea what he’s getting into when he takes a post on the isolated and pagan planet of Fen.

Deus Vult By Declan Finn

Detective Nolan returns home for a well-deserved vacation only to find himself fighting hordes of gunmen, Lovecraftian monsters, and a demon straight from the pit.

Crusader St. Tommy NYPD Book 5 By: Declan Finn

Detective Nolan embarks on a Crusade against demonic sex traffickers trying to raise a demon.

Our Lady of the Artilects by Andrew Gillsmith

Robots, Souls, Muslim & Catholic Friendships, and the sacramental reality that binds them all together.

Unclaimed, Nameless, & Vanished by Erin McCole Cupp

Jane Eyre re-imaginged in a world where cloning, and genetic manipulation have returned us to a class system.

Someday by Corinna Turner

Ordinary schoolgirls face a terrible fate: abuse, forced marriages, and even death at the hands of Islamic extremists.

Saint Michael: Above the 38th Parallel by Shanti Guy

The true story of St. Michael, the original punch-communism-in-the-face superhero

Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.

In a post-apocolyptic world a small Catholic monastery fights to preserve civilization for the next age.