Author: James Young
Narrator: Jennifer Jill Araya
Length: 16 hours and 21 minutes
Series: Vergassy Chronicles, Book 1
Publisher: James L. Young Jr.
Released: Aug. 27, 2018
Genre: Science Fiction; Space Opera
“[S]pace opera that plays out on a grand scale, and Young conduct[s] it with aplomb.”–-Pop Cults, the website of Geek and Alternative Culture
For over seven hundred years, theSpartan Republic’s citizens have known one truth: Terra is coming. Descendants of exiles who dared to defy an emperor,the star nation’s 70 billion citizens spent the centuries training, arming…and waiting.
In 3035, Lt. Ian Campbell, Spartan Defense Forces (SDF), discovers a strange anomaly on his corvette’s sensors…and realizes the wait is over. The Spartans must convince the Terrans of the cost of subduing their nation. If they succeed, the Republic survives. If not, the SDF will be forced to paint the stars red with their enemies’ blood.
The Confederation of Man was born in the terror of the Harran Empire’s death throes. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, humanity now spreads from its cradle on Earth to hundreds of stars across the Milky Way, and seeks out new worlds to add.
Captain Marcy Cochran was hoping to find a habitable planet; she didn’t expect thesystem to already have hostile humans. Now a captive, Cochran mustcontend with a crew proving to be as dangerous as their enemies, and preventwhat has started out as a misunderstanding from becoming a full-fledgedinterstellar war. For Terran law isquite clear: All humanity will answer to the Confederation. For the Spartans, that makes the governmenton Earth no different than the empire it supplanted…and they would rather dieon their feet than subjugate themselves once more.
Aries’ Red Sky is the newest novel in James Young’s Vergassy Chronicles universe. A prequel to An Unproven Concept, it is the first in the Spartan Trilogy. If you like space opera with compelling characters, military sci-fi with high body counts, and capital ship battles on a galactic scale, pick up the the latest work in a series whose previous entry was recommended Amazing Stories, Pop Cults, and The MidwestBook Review.
James Young is a Missouri native who left small town life to attend a small, well-known Federal institution in upstate New York. After obtaining a degree in military history from West Point, Dr. Young spent six years repaying his education via military service in various locations (both foreign and domestic). Along the way he collected a loving, patient, and beautiful spouse (Anita C. Young)…and various animals that only fit those descriptions when it suited them.
Upon leaving the Army, James returned to the Midwest to obtain his Ph.D. in U.S. History from Kansas State. When not tormenting his characters, Dr. Young spends his spare time reading Anita’s first drafts, finishing that pesky dissertation, and trying to figure out how book eating shelter animals keep ending up in his office. Outside of Amazon, he can be found at conventions throughout the Midwest selling books and merchandise as James Young, Slinger of Tales.
In addition to his positive fiction reviews, Dr. Young is also the winner of the United States Naval Institute’s 2016 Cyberwarfare Essay Contest and runner up in the 2011 Adams Center Cold War Essay Contest. He has also had multiple articles published in Proceedings and the Journal of Military History since 2010.
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Jennifer Jill Araya has been listening to audiobooks since she was a young child, and the fact that she now gets to narrate audiobooks for a living is a dream come true. Jennifer’s training as an opera singer and orchestral cellist lend a musicality and depth of understanding to her narration that help bring her authors’ stories to life. She loves nothing more than giving life and breath to the printed word.
When she’s not narrating, Jennifer can be found hiking, biking, running, or generally exploring her home city of Cincinnati with her husband Arturo (aka “Partner in Crime”) and their two children.
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Wow, this was a long audio. Great thing is that it was not boring at all. On the contrary, it had so many elements to keep the reader entertained. I got carried away by the story, the characters and the narration and managed to get a good part of the book finished in be sitting.
A deep dive into the subject will show us a completely different universe. We have a more mature scene, with humans extending their discoveries into other planted and Space in general. There are many cultures, many characters and personalities. We don’t have the normal heroes who save everyone (not necessarily), but we do have characters fighting for what they consider home, peace and normalcy. I must admit though it was a bit difficult getting to know everyone but lucky I had the time! So the length of the story is perfect for the reader to get acquainted with everyone and experience this universe and all its planets and dark corners.
There are political intrigues, there are sides to choose. We have on one side The Spartan Empire, who’s been off the grid, doing their own things away from an Earth falling into a bad governing. And then we have the Confederation of Man and they intend to bring back the old Terran life. To a point, they both fight for the same thing, but does power corrupt? Will they put aside hundreds of years of history and put an end to this war? Or will it be as in nowadays, when we just don’t know when to stop anymore?
The narration was very beautiful and entertaining. We have a great amount of voice acting, considering the amount and diversity of the characters and we have emotions. So what more should I ask? We could feel the narrator’s interest for the story and that’s another good thing.
All in all, “Aries’ Red Sky” is not a book that you can simply read/listen. It is an experience, as all the elements can be analyzed and compared to our current times. Add to that Space, space ships, planets and stars and you obtain a galactic adventure. Give it a try, it’s great!
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by James Young. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Prize: Print of “Death Comes to Bluewater”
Aries’ Red Sky Giveaway: Print of “Death Comes to Bluewater”
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Lilly's Book World 
Nicely reviewed! Glad you found a 5* read/ listen.
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thank you !!! It was very interesting and complex. I could have usedhaving a copy of the book, maybe it has a character list or a map or something like that 😀
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