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Eternal Shadow (Fall of Gods Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Trevor B. Williams (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 93 ratings
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What would you do if the world was going to end in ten years? For Jennifer Epstein, a by-the-books senior researcher at SETI, there is only one answer: prevent the apocalypse from happening. Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus were destroyed by an alien threat. The deck was stacked against humanity before the cards came out of the box.

But Jennifer isn’t alone. She has Samantha Monroe, her excitable but brilliant colleague. From South Africa, CEO Muzikayise Khulu of Khulu Global supplies his vast resources to the ultimate race for survival. The three find themselves in an unlikely alliance while political brinkmanship, doomsday cults, and untested technologies form ever-growing obstacles.

Will humanity unite to face the greatest challenge of their time, or will it destroy itself before the alien ship arrives?
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  1. Print length
    403 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    November 9, 2019
  5. Grade level
    12 and up
  6. File size
    3246 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Williams's debut novel is hard SF at its best." --Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of "Quantum Night"
"Eternal Shadow reads like a Michael Crichton sci-fi thriller, as there is lots of tension building with the events in the book, but what I find just as fun is that the work and science is also done with the cast and those involved around the world... Eternal Shadow is a compelling read that balances the science well with the action." -San Francisco Book Review - ★★★★½
"Fans of the hard science fiction of Andy Weir (The Martian) and Isaac Asimov--of epic tales and strong female lead characters--will have their eyes glued to the pages of Eternal Shadow... an edge-of-your-seat near future space odyssey." -IndieReader - ★★★★★
"In his series opener, Williams offers a wealth of well-informed, highly technical, and scientific details that will captivate fans of hard sci-fi... When apocalyptic disaster looms, humanity turns to science and technology in this well-crafted tale." -Kirkus Reviews
"Eternal Shadow is a tense science fiction story that paints a thoughtful, intelligent portrait of humanity's first contact with extraterrestrial life." -Foreward Reviews - ★★★★
"Overall, Williams' Eternal Shadow is a pleasing debut, well-paced and crafted. He manages to fully flesh out the characters (human, alien, and AI) while building to a satisfying ending which leaves open many tantalizing avenues for future books to explore." -Manhattan Book Review - ★★★★
"A stunning and far-reaching space thriller. The peripheral storylines and supporting characters, both good and bad, carry the plot along wonderfully, while the astronomically ambitious plan to save the planet makes perfect fodder for sci-fi futurist fans. The writing is precise, yet flexible, giving every scene an important sense of authenticity. Williams has delivered a unique and unpredictable titan of a novel, a bold launchpad for his Fall of Gods series." -Self-Publishing Review - ★★★★½
"This novel starts off with immediate action, pulling the reader in. As the SETI scientists figure out what the extraterrestrial signal they've received means, the story becomes an instant page-turner... This book will enthuse and entertain lovers of science fiction, but also offers plenty of romance, thrills, mystery, and literary fiction elements, which have the potential to draw in a larger audience." -The Book Review Directory - ★★★★★

About the Author

Trevor B. Williams was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, worked in the District of Columbia, and is now a father of a precocious little girl while living in San Francisco, CA. Despite living in cities his whole life, he loves seeing the night sky which rests beyond the surrounding buildings. When he isn't hiking in regional parks with his family or spending hard-earned time with friends, Trevor is creating familiar and alien worlds from the tips of his fingers.
He is addicted to all things related to astronomy, orbital mechanics, fantastical technology concepts (who doesn't like the idea of a ringworld?), and exploring the endless possibilities behind the question "what if."
Visit my website to learn more: trevorwrites.com

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07W77D7QG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Trevor Writes (November 9, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 9, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3246 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 403 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 93 ratings

About the author

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Trevor Williams

Trevor Williams

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Trevor B. Williams was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, worked in the District of Columbia, and is now a father of a precocious little girl while living in San Francisco, CA. Despite living in cities his whole life, he loves seeing the night sky which rests beyond the surrounding buildings. When he isn't hiking in regional parks with his family or spending hard-earned time with friends, Trevor is creating familiar and alien worlds from the tips of his fingers.

He is addicted to all things related to astronomy, orbital mechanics, fantastical technology concepts (who doesn't like the idea of a ringworld?), and exploring the endless possibilities behind the question "what if."

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
93 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Chris Yeazel
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfectly executed hard science fiction.
Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2021
Verified Purchase
Trevor Williams has combined world-class imagination and meticulous research to tell the story of humanity’s first contact with alien life like it’s never been done before. In a fresh approach to both the sci-fi and alternate history genres, an ancient, gargantuan entity arrives at the edge of the solar system in 2014. How does it greet us?

By eating the outer planets.

The story that follows pairs the awe-inspiring technological scale of Arthur C. Clarke with the cosmic dread of Stephen King. Scientific discovery, economic intrigue, political maneuvering, and social upheaval all unfold in the wake of this epochal event - and you’ll find yourself engrossed in the lives of the complex, eminently human characters who must navigate it. Though their long term motivations don’t entirely align, their short term goal is shared: ensure the survival of life on Earth as we know it.

The storytelling in Eternal Shadow is superb. It’s matched by detailed explorations of advanced technologies developed in consultation with subject matter experts and field practitioners. Some are experimental or speculative, but all lie within reach using principles grounded in today’s science. Ranging from propulsion methods to planetary defense systems, all are described with a voice that will inspire readers to learn more about the cutting edge of space exploration.

Fans of space exploration, astronomy, and technology will love this book. I also highly recommend it for young people with interest in STEM fields. Pick up a copy - you won’t regret it!
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D. Garletts
4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but also...
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2021
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I believe this is his first novel and that I thought it was pretty good. He did good on the character building and didn't make anything gratuitous. Was a bit disappointed at the current politics in the book, I try to read to escape that stuff. Hope the sequel is in the works! Look forward to solving the great mystery set up in this book.
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K. Kirkland
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written hard Sci-Fi with some cross-over appeal.
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2019
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Eternal Shadow is a hard sci-fi novel which tells the story of what happens when the world is under the ultimate threat. The plot moves along through the eyes of several key characters, but captures the larger themes of how humanity responds differently to impending doom. The timeline was surprisingly realistic, and it was fascinating to see how the world shifts in response to a very mysterious and unusual threat.

Overall, the whole book was a fun read. I don't normally read hard sci-fi, but I found that this one worked for me! The pace of this novel to be fast enough to keep me engaged, while also being detailed and full of rich technical and descriptive scenes. Williams' character development is on point (especially for this genre) with a nice slow burn with a few surprising twist and turns along the way, and some unexpected emotional moments.

One of my favorite things about this book was how it subverted many of the tropes associated with sci-fi and other genre fiction. Diverse relationships, diverse characters, and strong female protagonists felt tactful and genuine in their portrayal and enhanced the story without feeling cliché. The book left me feeling hopeful about the future in this universe. Can't wait to see where Williams' takes the story next. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a smart read.
7 people found this helpful
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Mark Schultz
5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book!
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2019
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I love science fiction, especially hard sci-fi! I have been reading it my entire life. This is a great story! It is so well written. Trevor’s plotting is quite good, combining a first-contact type of story with the potential destruction of the earth provides a white-knuckle ride!
The science is quite well done, the scenes are set perfectly. Some of the dialogue is so funny, I laughed out loud. The earth-bound antagonists, a zealous religious cult is very scary and very real. It is nearly impossible to stop a person willing to die for their cause, except to stop them before they do too much damage.
I am anxious for the next in the series. I award “Eternal Shadow” a score of 5 stars!
5 people found this helpful
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Galaxie
3.0 out of 5 stars great plot, terrible writing
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2022
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I don’t usually like to give harsh reviews, and I hope this is constructive criticism, but I have to be heard because I have suffered. This was really hard to read and enjoy because it was so badly written. I had to force myself through to the end and the temptation to skim read or walk away sat on my shoulder all they way.
The author has a great imagination and the plot was strong enough to keep me to the end, but only just - I did not enjoy the story because of the appalling way the English language was slaughtered throughout. This is a case of not knowing what you don’t know. Please don’t stop writing, but for the love of god please get an editor who knows what you don’t! Even a ghost writer- or if you used one, get a better one. Learn to do it better. If I can give one hint- one of the first rules of good storytelling is ‘show, don’t tell’. Don’t patronise your readers, we are not children. Learn about inference.
The other major point was the characters. They were transparent, one dimensional and boringly predictable, apart from when they did incredibly stupid things and made decisions no actual person would in order to suit the plot. It’s like they were competing for the title of Captain Obvious. I knew immediately who was the good guy, who was the terrorist. The women were all sexualised and behaved like men think they behave.
The science was good but too much was unnecessarily there- it was like a Victorian lady showing her undergarments and hoops- they are there to secretly support the dress and make it look good, not to be shown off in a vulgar display.

There were two really good things I loved in this book. The concept of the leviathan and it’s accompanying AI and all that implied - that was well done and actually probably the best writing was employed in that, because it was the only thing that wasn’t over explained. The second was that you pulled a GRRM. I won’t say what exactly because ‘spoilers’ and I myself know how to not spill beans. It was the only thing I didn’t expect to happen, until the characters concerned made the riskiest decision for the stupidest reason which was obviously contrived to cause the situation and not remotely sensible- like deliberately putting your hand in a fire because it’s raining outside. Still, no plot armour. They got burned. That was refreshing.

If I were you, author, I’d pull this down and do it over. The plot was that good. It deserves better.
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Top reviews from other countries

Rene
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read
Reviewed in Australia on May 15, 2020
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The story is easy to follow and has enough twists to keep you interested. The cast is well developed throughout the book and makes this a very personal journey.
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B. Walmisley
4.0 out of 5 stars I really liked it.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 13, 2020
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I was amazed when the book ended as I could’ve cheerfully read another thousand or so pages. Our protagonists are well defined and the detail given is good. One for fans of Jack McDebits The Engines of God.
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A customer
1.0 out of 5 stars Good idea, badly written.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2023
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This book was recommended by a respected science blogger, though the subsequent interview with the author should have rung warning bells concerning the book. The author was unable to express himself clearly and that carried into the book.

It seems to have been self-published, and despite, we are told by the author, seven beta readers, two alpha readers, and an editor who submitted a 50 page critique of the early chapters, this train wreck made it to publishing. Pretty much every page of every chapter was riddled with typos and poor grammar, and the characters were clichéd and predictable. The attempt to tick the diversity boxes with a frankly embarrassing lesbian relationship between the lead characters was carried naïvely and failed utterly. The less said about the inevitable end times sect byline, the better.

The only good thing to be said of this work is that the story idea itself was unique enough to have potential. It was just very badly executed at all levels of penmanship and publishing. As this is billed as book one in what seems will be a series, I won't be finding out how book two goes, that's for sure.

If you can get around the countless typos, I trust that you will enjoy it more than I did.
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