Review: The Forsaken Planet by Bryan Wilson

Blurb:

-The Power of the Stars
“With it, we are capable of greatness or are a weapon that will only bring suffering to the universe.”

When mysterious aircraft wreak havoc across Earth’s skies, it is revealed that there are clusters of other planets where humankind resides, distant worlds where the people wield the power of the stars themselves. It is an energy force that can bring about miracles or, as the alien fleet’s ruthless leader displays, unleash horrors beyond imagination.

After experiencing a loss during the onslaught, Colton Samson, an ordinary college student, vows to protect his loved ones at any cost. But to learn the power to do so, he must enlist into the Army of the Universal Throne—a second alien force with its own agenda.

With the revelation of a secret prophecy foretelling humanity’s demise and Colton’s improbable role in preventing it, he embarks alongside a diverse group of friends to the Throne’s capital, the planet of Vintara. There he faces prejudice from supposed allies, lifelike combat simulations that test him to his core, and the looming threat of a universal war. Only by embracing his true potential can Colton hope to secure the safety he seeks, in a universe that views him as nothing more than Forsaken.

Review:

Every once in a while I catch myself reading a book that just seems to have it all. And then there are some that seem to have it all and then some. So enters a fantastic debut from an author who seems to have an epic science fiction tale that will be hailed for years to come. I had heard many good things about the novel and the series which made me very excited to finally read this one. Bryan Wilson gets things going with such a scene that pulls on emotions in a way that everyone can relate to. Needless to say I was hooked within the first few pages and went for a wild ride for the next few hundred.

I really enjoyed the read and can completely understand why everyone hypes it up so much and I am honored to add my name to the list who will continue to do so for as long as I can. This story does start with a lot of similar tropes, but I thought that it was interesting to see it play out in a science fiction setting with Earth being one of the worlds involved. The world building of the universe that is contained is rich with history, lore, and so much more. The nice thing about it was how much it made sense to the reader without it becoming overly difficult to understand. This is something that can happen very easily in a lot of science fiction and fantasy worlds, and I found it refreshing to be able to see all of it make complete sense in the simplest of ways.

The strength of the novel for me were the characters that were within the novel. Colton is most definitely the focus for obvious reasons, but every character will attach themselves to the hearts of the readers. This allows the reader to fully understand the choices and emotions that the characters are experiencing. I really enjoyed that all of the characters had their own backstory that is just hinted at, and getting just enough to whet the appetite. Even the villains are memorable, almost to the extent that they could be on a level of the one and only Darth Vader. The image that is portrayed when they are described is great and definitely one that will be a favorite of mine for a long time. The one thing that I can see as being a drawback for some readers is the fact that there is a lot of training that happens in this novel, especially in a couple of different school-like settings. I felt that the pacing was done extremely well as it was just the most important parts that were shown on page, without overdoing the parts that tend to slow down a lot of other narratives. 

The amount of care that was taken to create this novel is very evident in almost every facet of the novel. The attention to all of the little details are what makes this a true diamond of a novel. I know that I am eagerly looking to start the sequel and look forward to all of the novels that the author will write. I highly encourage all fans of science fiction to pick this up without any type of hesitation. The prophets may have foretold how good this series is, and l know that it will fulfill the prophecy of it being one of the best sci fi reads to date.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!