Mark Lingane

An injured former space fighter pilot returns to help train new recruits to defend the Earth from alien attack.

Galaxy by Mark Lingane was an exciting, manic two-part story set in space, the moon, and an Earth in an unknown future time. The first part, called “After,” is the story of Spark, a renowned space fighter pilot who has survived a deadly encounter with an alien being referred to as the “oil-egg.” His co-pilot was not so lucky. His recovery from his injuries has taken a long time; he was in a coma for seven years. After regaining consciousness, he is released from the hospital to return to service on the moon. Recruits are dwindling in numbers and potential, and Spark is needed desperately to re-enter the fight, but he’s barely able to walk under his own power. Lingane employs a minimalistic style to deliver Spark’s point of view. I liked how the almost “stream of consciousness” delivery conveyed the character’s confusion in what he was thinking, feeling, and observing around him. It took a little getting used to, but it worked well for me as the story progressed. At first, there was a fogginess about it, and it mimicked what was going on inside Spark’s head. The story unfolds at an exciting pace, frenetic, tense, sex-fueled, and desperate as Spark’s world devolves into chaos.

Part two, “Before,” is the story of Verum, a social media influencer whose family has a tradition of military excellence; his uncle, until recently, had been the flight brigadier at the Space Academy. Verum has thousands of admiring followers, leading to his overinflated opinion of himself as a superior contender for Space Academy training as a pilot. He is a spoiled, entitled, overgrown brat, yet I still wanted him to straighten up and become the hero he imagined himself to be. The story of his attempt at pilot training is also fast-paced and sex, drug, and alcohol-fueled. With its unpredictable twists and turns, the book was unputdownable.

However, the “After” and the “Before” stories didn’t quite match up for me. There are recurring characters, and one that dies in the “Before” story is alive again in “After,” and I found this confusing. Also, I didn’t get a clear understanding of who or what the aliens were or what had transpired in their war against the Earth. On the other hand, I really liked the world of the Space Academy that the author has created, especially the multistoried accommodations for the pilots and other regular staff with their numbered disk entry keys, the barracks for the recruits, the rec area, and bar. I will probably reread this one in the future and enjoy it all over again.

I recommend Galaxy to Sci-fi readers who have read and enjoyed this author’s works in the past and those who like stories of humans struggling and training to overcome an alien threat to the Earth. Potential readers should be aware that the story contains explicit sex, drug use, alcohol use, and suicide, and is not recommended for a younger audience or those sensitive to these issues.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.… (plus d'informations)

Well-paced, easy to read and very engaging. Mark Lingane has indeed come up with a better than average read whose believable characters and intriguing plot will have you hooked from the first chapter. It has believable characters that you care about and want to find out what happens to them. This is very well written story with humor, romance, and suspense.

This was an excellent novel, fairy tale. A story that will stick in your mind and heart for a long while. The character development was wonderfully done. I look forward to reading the next novel by this author. Thanks for the great book!… (plus d'informations)