I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Tackling award winning author John C. Wright’s “Starquest” series, author Richard Paolinelli explores the 4th Age of this saga as a lone mercenary must rescue a Princess who’s safety will determine the fate of the Andromeda Galaxy as he discovers his true destiny in the epic space-opera “Galen’s Way”.
The Synopsis
A KIDNAPPED PRINCESS.
A FEARED MERCENARY.
AN EVIL EMPIRE ABOUT TO BE BORN.
The Princess Rhiannon of Salacia has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom on the fortress planet Nammu. Galen Dwyn, the most feared mercenary in the Andromeda Galaxy has been hired to rescue her and bring her home.
He will soon find himself on the run with the Princess and right in the middle of a web of political intrigue even as he begins to fall for the Princess. For her love, he will stand alone against the forces looking to establish a new, and very evil, empire.
Galen will look to keep her safe and bring the budding empire to a halt before it can gain a foothold in the galaxy. He will choose to do so the only way he knows how.
Galen’s Way.
Dragon Award finalist Richard Paolinelli takes us on a grand adventure in this space Opera offering set in the 4th age of Dragon Award winner John C. Wright’s Starquest universe.
The Review
A truly perfect and engaging sci-fi opera! The author has managed to capture the politics, the adventure, and the almost mythical quality of the genre. The sense of imagery the author includes really does an amazing job of painting a picture of the characters and various settings this story utilizes, and while I myself am not familiar with the original series from John C. Wright, newcomers will have no problem delving into this vast world the author has brought to life.
The characters really jump off the page of this story. Galen Dwyn is the perfect blend of characters like Han Solo of the Star Wars franchise or Captain Malcolm Reynolds of the Firefly series, exuding confidence and steely-determination while boasting a blend of humorous interactions and deadly accuracy, and yet he also feels so much more complex and drawn out as a protagonist, which draws the reader in immediately. The backstory of humanity’s migration to the Andromeda and the sense of destiny that the story set’s up just really help the novel as a whole to coalesce, making for a fun read.
The Verdict
A masterful, adventurous, and engaging read, author Richard Paolinelli’s “Galen’s Way” is a must-read sci-fi epic that really encapsulates the space opera genre perfectly. Readers really get to experience the classic “hero’s journey” storytelling device and the larger-than-life mythos that this story explores will keep readers wanting more and more. Be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Richard Paolinelli began his writing career as a freelance writer in 1984 in Odessa, TX and gained his first fiction credit serving as the lead writer for the first two issues of the Elite Comics sci-fi/fantasy series, Seadragon. In 1991 Richard began his sports writing career at the Gallup Independent before moving on to work for the Modesto Bee, Turlock Journal, Merced Sun-Star, Tracy Press, San Mateo County Times and the San Francisco Examiner. He also served as an editor and photographer with some of the newspapers. He won the 2001 California Newspaper Publishers Association award for Best Sports Story while at the Turlock Journal.
In 2010, Richard retired as a sportswriter and decided to return to his fiction writing roots. He released two short stories – The Invited and Legacy of Death – as well as a full-length sci-fi novel, Maelstrom. In 2015, Richard completed nearly two years of research and interviews and published, From The Fields: A History of Prep Football in Turlock, California, chronicling 95 years of high school football in his hometown. One month later, the first book of the Jack Del Rio series, Reservations, was published by Oak Tree Press.
In 2016, Richard was one of a dozen authors selected to participate in, Beyond Watson, an anthology of original Sherlock Holmes stories and was one of 20 writers involved in a second Holmes Anthology, Holmes Away From Home, released in December. Perfection’s Arbiter, a biography of National League Umpire, Babe Pinelli, was released on October 8th. W & B Books acquired the Jack Del Rio series and released the second book, Betrayals, in November. The remaining two books in the Jack Del Rio series will follow in 2017 & 2018.
In January of 2017, Richard returned to his science fiction roots with the release of the novel, Escaping Infinity, and will release another sci-fi novel, When The Gods Fell, on September 4, 2018.