Blue Thunder Across the Shattered Stars
Reunited by chance, siblings on opposite sides of intergalactic tensions learn to work together in the inventive science fiction novel Blue Thunder Across the Shattered Stars.
Gregg R. Overman’s imaginative science fiction novel Blue Thunder Across the Shattered Stars follows siblings on opposite sides of an interplanetary conflict between Earth and Mars.
Gracely and Jered, Martian siblings, are separated as children. They grow up on opposite sides of the looming conflict, each marked in different ways by the sudden loss of their father and family. Both of their lives are entwined with the plans of the mysterious Sakshi, an alien species with inscrutable goals for their family and the solar system at large.
Populated by spaceships, alien species, wormholes, and high-tension space battles, this is a cohesive story vivified by small, charming touches, as with a far-future version of Dungeons and Dragons. However, the prose is dry when describing the mechanics of space travel and the mysterious, physics-defying powers of the Sakshi. More delightful are the descriptions of strange alien species, as of the Phageans with their advanced electromagnetic senses and digging claws and the complex, conjoined body plans and unique lifecycles of the sentient Trees of Mars. Even the Martians are subtly different from Earth’s humans.
There are references to a deeper history and background to the setting, but these factors are not expanded upon here. When explanations are necessary to explain alien biology or the future history of the United States, they are inserted in a seamless manner—often in ways that humanize the cast. Still, while the characters are engaging to follow, there are times that the plot and action are obscured. The space battles and gravitational orbits are complex and not always conveyed in clear ways. The Sakshi, when they make their brief appearances, use cryptic language and warnings that are both evocative and interruptive.
Gracely and Jered have opposing personalities, and the story’s back-and-forth between Gracely’s ragtag crew of spacers and Jered’s insular life in a dystopian, theocratic future US make for excellent contrast. While Gracely lives the life of a space-racer and free spirit, Jered is raised by a religious Earthling couple, taught to fear Martians and all other aliens. Again and again, the story emphasizes the effects of hostile propaganda between Earthlings and Martians.
This growing tension explodes into a conflict once the siblings meet and fears of a war between the planets reach an all-time high. Reunited by chance, the siblings are unwilling to trust each other after a decade spent being taught that the other is a monster. Despite their initial mistrust, Jered and Gracely work together to prevent the catastrophe of interplanetary war. Drawn together by their struggle, many characters who begin the story as enemies become as close as family members, coming to work toward a common goal.
In the exciting science fiction novel Blue Thunder Across the Shattered Stars, a family is entangled in a story far larger than themselves.
Reviewed by
Brendan McKelvy
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