The Truth Beyond the Sky

With a transportation system that 'rings' a bell within you if you watched Syfy at for any length of time, an unexpected and appreciated nod to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and a story-line laid out in a way that screams out at you that the characters are about to embark up an epic quest, Andrew Crusoe's debut not is sure to appeal to many science fiction readers out there. I just wish I was one of them. There are times when you pick up a book, and the premise is interesting, the writing is good, and everything about the book screams "You should love this book"...but you don't. Something about it just doesn't resonate with you, and therefore it becomes a 'meh' sort of experience to read it. Such was my experience with The Truth Beyond the Sky. I could recognize while I was reading it that Crusoe was a talented writer. He's great with descriptions, his story is well-fleshed out, and the plot is something that's interesting. I can't point at any one thing, really, and say "this is why this book did not appeal to me". Trust me, its as frustrating for me as a reader as it is for you reading this review. I would still recommend readers give The Truth Beyond the Sky a try. Its not, by any stretch of the imagination, a bad book. Its just not a book that appealed to me. Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This book was AWESOME! It was AWESOME! AWESOME! Ok, now that I got that out....let me tell you why. This book embodied the wonder of space and yet inspired a connectedness to the cosmos that all of us should feel. After all, we are all made of star dust. "The Truth Beyond the Sky" is aptly named. Aren't we all searching for the truth of what's out there? Whether it be a personal truth or a truth of origin? My heart went out to Zahn. I couldn't imagine the terror a small child must feel whilst watching his beloved mother lifted away and disappear. The hole that type of uncertainty can leave is undeniable. The character development was so well done with Zahn. Honestly, it was well done with all the characters. The descriptions of space travel and the different planets was mesmerizing! I found myself able to make clear images of these places in my head. It was fascinating. Space is such a place of wonder for me already. I wish I could jump on a ship and see what's out there for myself. Some elements I really enjoyed were the descriptions of the different technologies. Especially Navika ( the ship ). I really liked that the ship had it's own awareness and was alive. It brought a very interesting aspect to the story. Especially since our tech is becoming more and more a part of our lives. It brings an interesting side to the AI moral debate. After all, is something a machine or a person at that point? I have found with Sci-fi novels it can go one of two ways. They are either amazing or horrible. This book had all the elements you need for it to be successful. It had just enough explanation of the tech that it felt believable instead of ridiculously impossible. It brought in actual aspects of science and used them in believable and possible ways. Who hasn't wondered about wormholes? The characters were humanoid and therefore relatable. At the same time, there are creature descriptions that are not humanoid but are so well done they ignite curiosity.

This is a great story. There’s not too much in the way of hard-core techie sci-fi, and definitely an amazing adventure for all. Myth, fantasy, a little transcendental regrouping and one amazing ship along with a host of interesting forms of life; some are “down-to-earth” though not from earth at all and some are, well, quite evil, and then there are those intriguing minor creatures that fill a scene or are only hinted about and all create the basis for “The Truth Beyond the Sky: The Epic of Aravinda.” So who wouldn’t want a spaceship that is alive, or the chance to explore space? What would you do if an alien asked you for help? Ahhhh, you think you know but at the moment of truth would you open up your heart and hands to save another in need? From planets far, far away these opportunities, or dilemmas as you might see them, and many more are presented to one young man who sets out to save his planet, his family, and maybe even himself. It’s not really a coming of age story, but more finding out the truth about oneself and what one is capable of achieving. The protagonist has suffered a horrible loss and is haunted by strange and often terrible nightmares, also he has only known space through a telescope and then he’s confronted with the reality of the galaxy and all that lives there. The descriptive scenes captivate the imagination and one truly feels a part of the story. The Truth Beyond the Sky has a rather fast but even pace that is easily followed and the narrator gives an incredible performance. There’s nothing choppy, just smooth sailing throughout the ocean of space….ok the characters might have to fight their way through some amazing battle scenes but the narrator just keeps a great flow and his voices are perfect. I truly enjoyed it and think others will too. My thanks to the author, Andrew Crusoe, for providing this audiobook for me to review. It was a pleasure to listen to and I look forward to the next installment in the series. Audiobook provided for review by the author. Please find this complete review and many others at audiobookreviewer dot com [If this review helped, please press YES. Thanks!]

Zahn sets out on a quest through time and space that he hopes will solve the mystery of his mother’s disappearance. This is a great original scifi story with a well-thought-out universe. During the course of the book, the travelers find themselves visiting different worlds and encountering strange new beings. There was never a moment where I suspected any race was copied from other scifi (such as Romulans, Klingons). Everyone seemed to be original and fresh, and I truly appreciated that in this story. I was immediately drawn in by the vivid descriptions at the beginning of the story. The author has a knack for fully immersing a reader into the hero’s plight, and I felt like I was hurtling through corridors of light alongside Zahn. There is some techno jargon that I had to just accept and move past, as I’m not a student of physics. Just like with Star Trek, I accept these moments and move on. It does not get bogged down by this language, and I felt it added nicely to the scifi effect. Zahn is your typical young guy who desperately wants to help. He was a little easily convinced to travel alongside an unkown alien, just as one might expect from a headstrong young man. His father made more sense in his worry and questioning, but he was unable to make his son see reason. I felt both characters were very realistic in this sense. My only complaint is that Zahn had to be attracted to the female Asha once she comes aboard ship. Can’t a male and female work together without falling in love? I get tired of the same old thing happening between major characters. Oonak had to be my favorite character. His first appearance was almost comical and brought a smile to my face. Though he doesn’t quote logic, his mannerisms and way of speaking reminded me of a Vulcan. That’s probably why I liked him so much, but he is an original and not a copy of Spock. I also enjoyed that he drove his sentient ship through the power of his mind. All in all, this is a great scifi adventure story. It has new worlds to explore, and it does not feel in any way that it copies from other major scifi franchises (Star Trek, Star Wars). This story is new and exciting and I enjoyed the escape from my own world while reading it. I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review.