NIGHTMARISH MACHINES HAVE DRIVEN HUMANITY INTO THE DEPTHS OF SPACE.

DENTON CASTUS is a starship mechanic caught in the destructive path of the Undriel war. The impossible machines force him and the last remaining fragments of the human race to abandon their homes in the Sol-System. Denton’s journey will take him to a distant planet, where a small colony is preparing for the arrival of refugees from the war. However, this new safe haven has undiscovered threats of its own.

ELIANA VESTON is a scout preparing the planet Kamaria for the refugees. The beauty of this new world masks the dangers that lurk within it. A pandemic named “lung-lock” is killing off colonists as the scouts struggle to find a cure. Eliana discovers that the auk’nai, a native race of technologically advanced birds, possess the last element she needs to synthesize a cure and save her people. She must convince them to help before the arrival of the refugees. If Eliana fails, humanity will become extinct.

The hunt for a cure unleashes a new threat to humanity—the Sirens—mysterious beings with incredible powers and a deep hatred for invaders.

It will be ADAPTATION or EXTINCTION.
IN THE ORBIT OF SIRENS.

Title: In The Orbit of Sirens

Author: T.A. Bruno

Genre: Sci-Fi

Paperback: 502 pages

Publication Date: 08/11/2020

Publisher: Independently published

Language: English

ISBN: 1734647019

ISBN-13: 9781734647013

GOODREADS

My Review

So flipping amazing! Among the best books I've ever read!

In the Orbit of Sirens just received the B.A.A.G Medallion Honoree Award, and it is so very well deserved. This novel ranks among the best I have ever read - It just blew me away! Not only is it an amazing Sci-Fi story that brims with action, but it also includes a great cast of characters to get invested in as they develop over time and additionally, Bruno’s imaginative settings are otherworldly stunning and most vividly descriptive.

Humanity is in danger. After leaving Mars behind due to an imminent threat, the people of Ganymede are experiencing a déjà vu as the Undriel network is threatening to absorb what is left of humanity. Told in alternating timelines of three hundred years apart, we meet our main characters, first separated by space and time.

Present Day on Kamaria:

Eliana Veston, aka Elly, a young doctor of 26, is part of the Telemachus project with a team of other scientists, with her father being the lead engineer and a small settlement of civilians. Their ship has departed half a decade prior to scout out Kamaria for further settlement and the team she is with has practically raised her. John (her father and lead engineer), George Tanaka (biologist), Marie Viray (chemist), Cpt. Roelin and his wife Faye (geologist) and Elly, are racing to find a cure for a condition that presents fatal lunglock in humans from airborne bacteria. With an expected influx of 10,000 more colonists in the near future, they have to find a cure fast for their settlement.

300 Years ago on Ganymede:

Denton Castus, 30, and his two brothers work at the family machine shop that’s been around for generations. Besides working all day and tooling around afterward, there isn’t much to do on this grey and rocky planet ever since the promise of more funding for the colony failed and left them to fear the apocalypse by the Undriel.

As the imminent threat of disaster becomes clear in a sudden turn of events, Denton and his family will have to risk their lives to attain safety and leave the planet sooner than ever expected along with thousands of other refugees. A bumpy ride and teamwork are their saving grace, but not everyone is so lucky. (On page 46 in the novel, Bruno ends that scene with a great juxtaposition to illustrate the point and it was one of the most cleverly written and favorite moments of mine in the book.)

In the meantime, Elly and her team make contact with the Auk’nai, a bird-like race that inhabits the area, and a cure for the lunglock is traded that will allow for better living. However, here too, events take unforeseen turns for the worst. When Elly’s father gets murdered within their small community, Cpt Roelin, combat soldier, disappears.

A few years later, Denton and Elly’s timelines meet and intersperse, when the Castus family and the refugees arrive on Kamaria. A new machine shop is set up for the mechanical engineering family, but Denton’s future changes after meeting Elly and the opportunity arises to become a scout with her team.

Bruno takes his time during these parts of the novel to develop the characters and create a storyline within the story that gives us a good idea of what everyone is made of. Though there are nuances of romance going on, the integrity of the characters does not suffer as they become more relatable and their strengths and vulnerabilities are enhanced. It’s all the good stuff that garners a reader’s investment into a character’s whole being like their thoughts, funny or sad moments, family ties, and friendships.

In the meantime, a third timeline perspective enters the storyline, and it is one of my favorite parts. Cpt. Roalin has undergone grueling times since that fateful day he disappeared. He is that mess of a character, that underdog I love in novels. His story is grueling and wretched and yet he is so likable and one to root for. Think of Tom Hanks stranded in Cast Away, not in control of his surroundings and without prospects of rescue. I’m not giving away more on his part, but I definitely looked forward to reading about him and was on the edge about the breadcrumbs and little cliffhangers his story left each time.

While Denton is going through the process and trials of becoming a scout, we learn more about Kamaria, the incredible landscapes of flora and fauna, the many creatures that inhabit unexplored areas, and the native bird man leader Mag’Ro. The lore that surrounds these birdmen isn’t fully worked out yet to the humans, but a show of dominance by their species drives the plot in unexpected directions and dangers.

When the parties become involved in new events, an action-packed climax catapults all the storylines into a racing, raging ending as the real test for the colony crashes every scenario imagined. In jaw-dropping fashion, Bruno just relinquished the floor beneath me while I was reading these heart-pumping scenes. I’m not going to lie, but this big ol’ tear just hung on to dear life above my right cheek while I was reading the last 15 pages or so and finally released when I closed the book, overwhelmed and moved.
(So, yeah, this is crazy. I haven’t read a book like that, but I heard of such reactions in readers and they just seemed over the top to me…until this book came along!)

This novel was phenomenal and the artwork on the cover, the binding, and between chapters is ridiculously amazing. I can’t get over how great of a story this was. The writing was superb and I loved many of the characters. One, that I haven’t mentioned was Major Volkov of Russian descent. Every good sci-fi story should have a character like him in it (I know many do). In my mind, his story played out with that accent as I envisioned him, and he was that all-around great character and great support role to Denton. Others I enjoyed were Homer, the AI of the scouting system, and definitely the Castus family and dynamic. That isn’t to say that Elly wasn’t a great character, but I think even though she was one of the mc’s she shone a light on those around her. A great quality to have and it was well portrayed in this novel.

The world Bruno imagined was immensely vivid and inventive, and there are parts I haven’t given away about, like the lore of the sirens. I just don’t want to tell it all, but it fit in so well and made for the scarier and more elusive parts. Never was there a dull moment in this story and though all parties had their own backstories, it never became confusing or fleshed out.

I do not read a ton of sci-fi, which could be a detriment or a blessing in this case of giving you my opinion. Often I shy away from the genre because I’m worried about the tech I may not understand, but I loved this novel so much. Therefore, If you are a reader with apprehensions like mine, let me lay them to rest. This is such an incredible storyline. Likewise, if you read a lot of sci-fi, I still think you would find this a great book to immerse yourself in.

And so, this book has taken a place among my absolute favorite books I’ve ever read and I highly, highly recommend it.

A must read!