3 out of 4 stars
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This is a review of the science fiction book Fields of Rust as written by Robert Gryn. It is volume one in the Suns of End series.
The background of the story is a cosmos that is running down and heading towards almost total entropy. As the title suggests, the machines and structures of old are worn down leaving particles of rust scattered all across the landscape. This fact has not stopped the battles of war from continuing as ultimate power is still sought by rulers and kings as it has been for centuries before.
The story opens with a battalion of soldiers in hyper iron armor coming across a single unarmed man as they march across the land. After a brief exchange of words with the commander of the column, the man, Nezantes, proceeds to single-handedly destroy the entire force of soldiers using only his eerily glowing hands. He finishes with a soldier named Solaz. He cuts off his arm, and as Solaz bleeds out, Nezantes burns his way down to the bone, upon which runes appear and begin to glow. Thus begins his quest to honor his promise to redeem his king from the war he lost in times long past.
The main characters of the book are the aforementioned Nezantes and Solaz, along with a mysterious female monk named Isolde who rescues Solaz from certain death after losing his arm, and finally the humbled and tired king Darsen. The setting begins in the colossal Worldship that is so huge that the inhabitants simply know it as the World, for most do not even realize that it is truly a ship that sails the sub cosmic rivers of the universe. The story also travels to the Seven Worlds where the children of the gods and Darsen once fought their battles. The universe of the book is quite massive in its scope to say the least.
The story positively pulled me in right away and kept me rapt with attention throughout as I waited to see what would become of Nezantes’ quest and the efforts put forth to stop or aid him in it. The description of the events happening in the story are quite vivid as the author did a wonderful job of constructing excellent scenes throughout the book. It truly is an epic telling of science fiction that left me desirous to read the next part of the saga.
One problem that I did have with the book, was that it just seemed to get too big as it went onward. The scale with which the battles and characters took kept escalating to where it seemed to go even beyond the cosmic level that the story was set in. The auras and abilities of the characters became exceedingly powerful, especially in the final battles of the story, where it all felt too prodigious to me in the end.
I rate this book a solid 3 out of 4. Mr. Gryn has written an extremely entertaining tale that I heartily recommend for any lovers of science fiction. He will take you on quite the staggering ride with this book and hopefully the rest of the series as well.
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Fields of Rust
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