Take notice, science fiction buffs! Trevor B. Williams’s ETERNAL SHADOW takes us into space and beyond in an imaginative tale of planetary destruction, alien contact and a desperate scramble from scientists and technology to save Earth from total annihilation.

Hang on tight as doomsday groups, political machinations and an unlikely alliance are at odds on how to prevent the end of the world. Peppered with some romance and so many “what ifs,” we are invited to be among those who make first contact with an alien species far beyond anything Earth can comprehend.

Told from different perspectives, prepare to shake your head at how different factions see the impending doom and how they use it to their own advantage, as opposed to working together to save humanity.

I enjoyed this one immensely, Trevor B. Williams tells a great tale, depicts some rather disturbing human flaws at a time when survival should rule supreme as a glue to bond the world together. I’m not sure the romance was a perfect fit, but it did seem to add the air of hope for the future.

If you like science fiction, tales of first contact and a quest for survival against the odds, Trevor B. Williams has put together some fascinating reading!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Trevor B. Williams! This is my honest and voluntary review.

First Contact May Be Big. Really Big.

There were some exciting new ideas in this book, new to me anyway. The contemporary setting was also intriguing, with echoes of real world current events and knowledge of human nature and doomsday cults that gave the story a firm grounding in believability.

The science seems very well-researched and cutting edge, though a lot of it went over my head. And that's one issue I had with the book. Because of the careful attention to detail in describing the astrophysics, programming, and technology involved, I found it a little tedious at times.

But, the concept was original and exciting enough to keep me slogging through the hard science parts because I knew the book had great promise. And I was immensely pleased that I stuck with it! It was thrilling and suspenseful and it's sparked some enjoyable conversations.

I'm an unpaid reviewer of an ARC I received from the publisher via NetGalley. I believe the book will be published sometime in November, just in time for the gifting season!

What would you do if you had only 10 more years to live? Would you try and save the world? When a researcher from SETI calls Jennifer Epstein in the middle of the night that something happened, at first she thinks nothing of it. But soon she and her collegues watch Pluto, Neptune and Uranus being destroyed by something. A spaceship. And its next target is Earth.

This is definitely one of the most complex books I've read this year. The science behind the story was a little complicated for me and there were times I had to rearead certain parts.
I was fascinated with the basic idea of an alien intelligence coming our way. The story is about what humans do to make sure the spaceship doesn't destroy Earth.

The romance part of the book was not for me at all, some forewarning would be advisable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy.

Eternal Shadow is well-written, but the science behind it is not accurate or as believable as it should be. However, if you can look past that then you'll be able to enjoy what is essentially a good "Earth is doomed because ALIENS" story with characters that have significant depth. It's definitely worth reading.

This is mostly good, and also flawed. The science will turn off some readers due to the amount at times, some inaccuracies, and due to a young writer lacking polish. However, many hard sci-fi fans may like this. It's a good premise with good characters and interactions. Overall, a solid effort. 3.5 stars.

I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!

Although it starts well and features some thought-provoking ideas, Eternal Shadow, the debut novel of Trevor B. Williams, is ultimately weighed down by pacing and other issues that make it a frustrating read. This review is based on an advance copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley for that purpose. The book will be available on November 9, 2019.

The story opens with Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) scientist Dr. Samantha Monroe detecting a signal from the outer edge of our solar system. Sam calls her boss, Dr. Jennifer Epstein, who in turn calls out her entire team to help assess what increasingly looks to be humanity’s first contact with alien life. But then in short order Pluto, Neptune and Uranus disappear, apparently consumed by the signal’s source, a self-propelled object three times the size of Earth. When the object changes course to head toward our home planet, a decade-long countdown to Armageddon begins as Sam and Jennifer, with key members of their crew and the assistance of the global community of Astrophysicists, try to figure out a way to stop it.

Exploring the immediate reactions of world leaders and populations to the appearance of the object, which is named ‘Leviathan,’ and how a worldwide response is cobbled together was interesting, and the author makes some solid points about the difficulty we humans have maintaining our focus and willingness to sacrifice over the long haul, even when our lives are at stake (cough, cough: climate change anyone?). But the narrative bogs down, veering off on tangents that don’t significantly advance the plot or going on deep dives into details perhaps better served in smaller portions.

One choice the author makes that I initially thought was interesting was to open the story late in President Obama’s second term, and to include some of his key advisors as characters. But when this was extended to include Trump’s election and administration, my opinion of the idea was reversed. Trying to create an alternate timeline where both the Leviathan and our present reality co-exist requires the reader to believe the former wouldn’t fundamentally affect the latter. Would the pragmatic Putin really have helped Trump over Clinton, no matter how much he despised her, with the fate of the world relying upon competence from the leader of America and sanctions over Ukraine lifted so Russia could better assist with the response? Better to just create new characters.

Speaking of characters, while I liked Sam and Jennifer as protagonists, no one else was as fleshed out or remarkable. In one scene, two characters end up at odds with each other after a conversation that I re-read a couple times but couldn’t find what set them off. Evidently they needed to be mad at each other at that moment, but their disagreement played no further role in the story. While the focus was on the Earth-based reaction and response, there were a few scenes on the Leviathan, which was the location of the two characters that I really wanted to learn more about.

In summary, there were some intriguing ideas in Eternal Shadow, and I wanted to like it more, but I also found myself setting it aside for long stretches — a sure sign that it wasn’t working for me. Of course, each reader will form their own opinion, and if the subject interests you by all means explore it for yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I dnfed this at 40%, I just couldn't do it anymore ; this book was dragging so much and I just couldn't take any more scenes with a character staring at a computer screen or other device and saying what they should do, this may work in movies because it goes by quickly but it seemed incredibly boring for me to read, especially so many times.

Besides that, this book shifted perspectives too much for me to be really invested and I could not feel the stakes, though they might be trying to save the earth, which isn't nothing. Nothing compelled me to keep reading so I stopped.

Unfortunately I couldn't finish this novel. I was disappointed with what felt like a lot of new novelist pitfalls. Eternal Shadow drew me in with a good premise, but in my opinion fell apart in the execution. I didn't feel that the author has yet the skill to explain very technical concepts whilst still keeping the reader engaged. I also felt that much of the prose was inelegant, and a better flow could have been achieved with more rigorous proofing and editing. It is clear that Mr. Williams is passionate about his subject I just felt that I needed a big red marker pen to get through this work which made it stressful instead of pleasurable to read.

Very Technical and Slow Moving

I love a good Sci-Fi novel, but it should be somewhat believable and engrossing. Eternal Shadow started off like any good Sci-Fi would, with a mysterious entity rapidly devouring the outer planets of our solar system. Estimates are that it will destroy earth in two days. But wait, now it is over a week away so there is time to plan.

The dialog then disintegrates into a bunch of technical gibberish that may be true or false but is certainly not interesting. The first major flaw I identified was when they placed the space observatory at the Lagrange point between the sun and earth, saying the position was ideal for any observatory, “being in the shadow of the Earth insured the telescope would sustain passive temperatures well below…) Huh? How do you position between the earth and the sun and be in the earth’s shadow?

The characters were not well developed except for Jennifer and Samantha, who were not particularly likeable. The interaction was strange at times, with their characters and dialog intermixing so it was not clear which character was talking or being discussed. In addition, the overall dialog was often strangely worded and confusing: “His shoulder pads were light, making him look wider than he appeared.” And: “The Leviathan continued to deliver surprises, from the areas that were claimed and built upon by civilizations unknown to be then reclaimed by time after their mysterious disappearance to the theories behind the structures and buildings.” Anyone want to explain?

I found myself slogging through the last quarter of the book hoping it would be over soon. Even the unexpected activity toward the end did not capture my interest. As it dragged on I started to hope the earth would be devoured. At least that would be the end.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I received a digital advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Eternal Shadows was absolutely wonderful. This very science heavy novel creates the perfect tone and atmosphere to keep you truly invested in the story. The plot is incredibly intriguing and original.

I loved how the story takes place over several years. Most stories take place over a day or a couple of days, but this one was very unique. It progresses years and makes the effects of their choices feel more realistic. Even though this book was drawn out over such a long period of time, there was never a dull moment.

I could easily see this being turned into a series. I would love to see where Williams would take the story. It doesn’t really leave you with many unanswered questions. Everything gets answered no matter how big or small. You don’t get the answers in one big arc either. William’s answered them slowly through the whole book and overall it just felt very real and natural.

I really enjoyed this book, and I hope I get to see more from this author. He has a captivating writing style and knows how to keep a long suspenseful novel full of constant chaos.

Thank you so much to Trevor Williams for such a wonderful novel and to NetGalley and Trevor Writes for allowing me to review this title. This review will be posted on www.featheredfables.wordpress.com closer to the publication date.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It is difficult to know where to begin when reviewing this book. Initially I was very excited by the first couple of chapters. I love a good sci-fi set in the solar system with an alien invasion theme, Orson Scott Card’s novels ranking among my favourites. The book begins with a SETI researcher detecting an unusual signal originating from near Pluto. By the time the signal has been reported and investigated Pluto is no more. The source of the signal rapidly makes it way to the next two planets, Uranus and Neptune.

Intrigued? I was. Apart from one thing. The science completely fell apart within the first chapter. It assumes that the planets are all in one neat line hopping from one to the other with great simplicity. However the outer planets are not only not in line with one another they are extremely far from one another. Earth is 2.7 billion km from Uranus. Uranus is 1.6billion km from Neptune. The being that destroyed the outer two planets and Pluto travelled between them in several hours but then conveniently will take ten years to get to Earth. That’s not to mention that the author completely neglects to consider the effect of losing two gas giants on the gravity holding all the planets in orbit rather than spiralling towards the sun. The basic lack of thought towards the Science part of Science-Fiction at the beginning of the novel makes me doubt the rest of the science throughout.

My other issue with this book is the poor pace. There are bits that are incredibly interesting but I found my self skimming through page after page of dull characterisation and technical details on possible solutions to the planet devouring entity backed on a poor scientific basis. I felt deeply uninterested in the two main characters and struggled to distinguish between both women in the early part of the novel. Kudos to the author, I did like that it featured LGBT protagonists, however their relationship lacked any real chemistry or believability.

Finally I felt this book needlessly brought the others own political opinions into the novel. Unusually for a sci-fi it makes exact reference to the real life president of the time. It begins in the Obama administration and travels into the Trump administration (not considering that maybe the entire politics of a country and subsequent election result might have been different in the event of an impending alien invasion). Although I am no republican and would also love to see a return to the Obama years I found it very frustrating to read the clear diaspora between Obama = golden, Trump = awful, Obama provided endless funding for SETI in the novel whilst Trump removed it all. This seems a good way to alienate some readers. I don’t read sci-fi to be reminded of the politics of the time and to be honest it made me feel uncomfortable to have a political agenda placed on me whilst reading.

4 stars posted on goodreads and my blog linked below.
Wow. So, disclaimer, I am not at all proficient or good at hard science, in fact I have an affinity for softer social sciences instead, but wow - this book amazing despite the hard science (that I didn't initially understand) that is littered throughout it.

Eternal Shadow by Trevor B Williams is the perfect sci-fi read for people who like hard science in their fiction- though I cannot comment on it's accuracy myself, I can say it is incredibly believable and draws you further into the story!

Eternal Shadow follows the story of Dr Jennifer Epstein and Samantha Monroe (Sam) as the primary scientists who work at SETI (a scientific institution) where they monitor space. The book starts with Sam finding an irregular reading coming from space, specifically Pluto. She, being a star mathematician, calculates and recalculates the signal in order to find the source. After triple checking that it is a new and unusual occurrence, she calls Jennifer (Jen) who, trusting Sam's maths, heads straight to the institute where she leads the team on a task to find out what is going on. The team soon realise that the signal moved to another planet - after having 'consumed' or destroyed Pluto. This causes panic amongst the scientific community which quickly attempts to unite in order to track and identify the ship doing this damage. The panic spreads through the country and becomes a cause of political concern, as well as creating questions about humanity's survival. However, we also follow the story from Muzie's (Muzikayise) perspective. He runs Khulu Global and sees this event as a way to potentially increase his own earnings and visibility in the long run, thus, he offers his services to help with building equipment to deal with this astronomical problem. Unfortunately, while the majority of characters are attempting to communicate with the monster/ship and help save the Earth, a group of religious fanatics - who believe this is the apocalypse/Armageddon/God's will (The group have taken elements of Christianity/Catholicism and warped it to fit their belief instead of looking at the facts of the religious passages i.e Armageddon only occurs when the armies of heaven will fight those who are Satan's, or when Michael will fight Lucifer etc...) Because of this warped belief system they attempt many attacks to prevent the scientists from saving the Earth - which causes untold amounts of issues.

When you first start the book you are thrown into the science straight away, and yet even for someone like me who literally did not understand it you still feel the correct emotions of excitement and curiosity for what is going on for two reasons; Firstly, Trevor B Williams, is a wonderful writer who is able to create the perfect tone and atmosphere to engage the reader and have them connect emotionally to the text. Secondly, because he has created such a dynamic character that, even from the start, you love her - and by that I of course mean Sam ! Moreover, as you read more of the book the science becomes much simpler to understand and is explained very well through character dialogue or through their actions - which cleverly avoids it feeling too informative and instead makes the science feel organic and understandable.

The plot itself is extremely original and intriguing. Throughout the story you are constantly questioning what the alien/ship's (dubbed the leviathan) intentions are, whether or not it is actually alive, and whether or not humanity will survive. However, though the main crux of the plot is based around the leviathan and whether or not it can/should be contacted and explored, we also get to see conflict in other ways. Such as the religious extremists vs the scientists (a sociological issue that is inherent and relevant despite our growing secularisation) and the conflict as to whether or not an AI is alive or just a machine. These conflicts and scientific debates are intriguing and keep the story interesting as it allows the reader to evaluate their views and allows us insight into the characters which makes them feel real, more in-depth and more human. This in turn builds pathos for the characters that the reader readily accepts and enjoys as we can connect with the characters. Moreover, Williams portrays the extremists in a clever way- that is he portrays them as they truly are, a group led by someone who has selected and manipulate specific elements of their chosen religion, Christianity, and used it support their beliefs and violent actions. This conflict is the primary cause of many issues and events that occur and makes for an action packed novel.

Furthermore, the story is never stagnant due to all these intertwined elements, debates and themes. The ending to the novel is shocking, unexpected and it BROKE MY HEART! However, the resolution is also satisfying, intriguing and raises many more questions. This is significantly due to the change in narrative at the end where we get a small snippet of another characters conversation that we don't get to see throughout the novel- this gives us the insight to the truth. Moreover, the epilogue is also satisfying and interesting and allows us to see the progress and ideas that have developed in the future-which just makes us want to know even more. The ending of the novel leaves us with a sense of progress, intrigue and emotion.

The characters that Trevor B Williams has created are so key to the success of this novel as they are interesting, in-depth and diverse in sexuality, ethnicity and personality so they feel real and reflective of an actual society. In case you hadn't picked up on my hints just yet- my favourite character in this entire novel was Sam. She is funny, clever, outspoken and accepting of everyone and herself and I love her character so much!
Moreover, the relationships between the character are realistic, complex and reflective of their personalities. For example, Sam and Jennifer's relationship is wonderful as we get to see it build up right from the start, they gel so well together, despite that they can be polar opposites at times, and inherently understand one and other due to the amount of time they have known and worked together. In contrast to this, Muzie and Ami's relationship is more distant, they are professional and know each other well but emotionally they have many differences. However, this relationship also evolves well through the story and matches with their personalities. Each character is so distinct and their relationships so complex and individual that it is so realistic and fun to read about.

Trevor B Williams has created such an original story with such amazing characters that it is not surprising that I loved it. This is definitely a sci-fi that should be in you TBR's .

If you love hard Sci-Fi you will definitely love this, and if you don't I still recommend giving it a try, it may initially seem difficult to get into and understand but its definitely rewarded!

*I received a free eARC of #EternalShadow from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*