Summary
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
The Forsaken Planet takes well known fantasy tropes and applies them to a unique sci-fi universe, combining many of my favorite elements of both genres.
If someone were to recommend me a book with prophecies, a chosen one, gods (or not?), and magic, I would immediately assume it is a fantasy novel. Well The Forsaken Planet has all of these, but set in a decidedly sci-fi universe with FTL travel, advanced technology and weaponry, distant planets, and other clear indicators of sci-fi. I really enjoy a good sci-fantasy that blends the two, but usually these novels lean heavily towards one genre or the other. This novel is probably the most evenly balanced sci-fantasy I’ve read to date. While clearly a sci-fi setting, the fantastical elements are strong and numerous. And while some readers may be tired of these classic tropes, the author breathes new life into them by placing the series in a setting foreign to most fantasy novels, so it doesn’t feel like a retreading of old ground.
Colton, our protagonist, is an average twenty-something guy with a run-of-the-mill job, thrust into a new world by circumstances beyond his control. Sound familiar? When earth is attacked by humans from another planet, he is involved in a fight and learns that he is the only human in thousands of years that has been able to wield magic on earth, the forsaken planet of the galaxy. That is, the only one except for the leader of the invading force, who also appears to have wielded magic on earth as a demonstration. There is a prophecy that foretells the chosen one using magic on earth again. So now the coalition of human planets is split between allegiances, and Colton must fight to defend his home, as well as countless others who he’s never met, and are prejudiced against him because of the planet of his birth.
The worldbuilding of this novel was probably the highlight for me. As I mentioned earlier the combination of sci-fi and fantasy intrigued me and I loved learning about how the people from other planets incorporated the use of magic to power their advanced technologies. A large part of the novel takes place in a school on a foreign planet where volunteers from earth are being trained to use magic and fight. The setting works well to naturally teach the reader about human society outside earth, about the magic, and about the wider conflict, since the earthlings know nothing either and we learn alongside them. The school also has simulation technology that lets us get a taste of action and magic use that feels real to the characters but without life-endangering consequences, so we don’t need to worry about plot armor protecting them in unbelievable ways.
Regarding the characters, I found them interesting and compelling, if somewhat one-note. Colton probably has the most depth though very familiar to many readers, he is a classic fantasy chosen one, noble and self-sacrificing but plagued with doubts, imposter syndrome, and guilt over others dying for and because of him. His friends and other side characters have their strong traits that dominate their personalities, though we don’t spend much time focused on them so it doesn’t become too much of an issue. I will note that the author has built interesting and complex backgrounds for most of the characters so there is definitely room for them to grow and develop more depth as the series progresses. There are a couple of characters in particular that have huge potential for growth and I look forward to seeing what the author does with them.
I will say I struggled with the pacing of the beginning of the novel, up until they travel to another planet and reach the school. I also had issues at times throughout the novel with the dialogue, which could feel bland or unrealistic, though this was most noticeable during the same stretch at the beginning and improved as the book progressed. So if you also have a hard time at first I would recommend you keep reading because the book definitely improved for me once we were immersed in the larger universe of the book.
Ultimately I had a really good time reading this book, and despite a few flaws there is huge potential for the series. The groundwork for the series is now laid down and I am eagerly anticipating the next book. If you are a fan of sci-fantasy I highly recommend you check this one out, it’s a fun ride and I have a feeling it’s only going to get more exciting from here.