Broken Ascension

As a judge in the Self-Published Scienfe Fiction Competition there were plenty of action-scifi reads, however, this one was a stand-out contender and moved onto the semi-finals. Broken Ascension is an excellent sci-fi action story about reconciliation, relationships, and empathy, wrapped up in a tense post-war setting.

This book tells the story of a post-conflict era where the Humans and Gra'al war has ended and the two races must learn to respect borders and live in peace. Though - lo and behold - there's a derelict ship out there and this salvage crew must investigate! Though at this point, the story doesn't take the typical path of killer alien encounters, however, and our protagonist Drake - an pacifist artist and son of an ex-military Human-Gra'al-war-hardened father - finds the most precious of things that was left behind on the ship.

The story is told through Drake (not a typical character in action-scifi) as he tries to find his place among the salvage ships crew, trying to prove himself to his father. While he likes to spend his time painting the visions he sees in his dreams, he's the more sensible of the crew, and his naivete and determination to stand for what's ‘right' just might be the thing to get this team through some sticky situations.

Walsh crafts some excellent action scenes and tension in a high-stakes world while jugging the yin and yang of the characters. The world and background of the Gra'al and their customs (seen from their soldiers to their outcasts) were very interesting and I look forward to reading the next in the series.