Epic: Dawn of Destiny

First off, for you non sci-fi fans, don't get scared off by the genre. It's so much more than `a genre'. I was enveloped in the story from start to finish. I ate up that book in a few hours (which is pretty good for me). I read it every moment I had at work, at home, and in between. The story sucks you in from the first page. The characters are well developed and believable - I think that's what attracted me most to them - they were people I could point out and say, "Hm, I know a guy like that" and mean it. There's a great mix of action wonderfully spaced throughout the book with a few dramatic sequences, tense moments, and plenty of comedic relief. You follow the lead character, Scott Remington, through his experience as a soldier in Earth's global military. The story takes place in the future, with the dawn of world peace at hand. Contact is made with extraterrestrials (who are aggressive) and the unified Earth Defense Network (EDEN) is the first and only line of defense. This book is the first in a series of eight or nine to follow. While the book has a clear beginning, middle, and end, it leaves much to look forward to. If there is one concern I had, it was that there wasn't an in depth look to how Earth became what it was - they adopted a new `era' called, the "New Era", so dates are described as 0002 NE. That's awesome, but I'm super intrigued as to how Earth got to even that point, what made them decide to unify, and how does the world exist in that time - are there still countries, governments for each? How does society function? EDEN gives plenty of insight into how their military functions, but the book steers away from much more than that. I'm anxious to see what answers are given in the upcoming book, Outlaw Trigger, the next in the series. Some of my favorite points DOD: * The introduction and staying power of the characters - different personalities, characteristics, and even nationalities make each person unique, identifiable, and unforgettable. * The fact that everyone in the book is `real'. No one is indestructible. No superheroes. And no outrageous feats. HOWEVER, characters show they CAN be heroes and accomplish amazing things. Just in the way that humans sometimes do. * Intensity. There are a few battle sequences where I feel like I'm sitting across the street from the action watching every moment. Like I can almost feel the heat from the guns. * Real fiction. What I mean by that: Lee Stephen makes the story as close to believable as you can be with aliens involved. The way they act, move, react, and relate is something lots of other sci-fi book/movies, miss. They become too `fantasy' or forced. * It kept me entertained throughout the entire book. At no point did I say, well this chapter is moving kinda slow. I didn't want to put down the book and I didn't want to finish. I was actually upset that I finished the book because I wanted more. * Undertones. While I believe they're obvious throughout the

It was difficult to put this book down. I'm halfway through the second as I write this review, and I'm anxious to see where the story goes. There are some great characters and good dialog. Battle episodes are separated by human scenes where the author demonstrates that there are people behind the armor, people with lives and relationships that extend beyond the war. I found the main character's references to his faith refreshing and honest. A really great read and an amazing first foray into writing.

I recently read Dawn of Destiny by Lee Stephen, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I was unaware of this author and his works until one of my students `introduced' me to the series. [I teach gifted English Language Arts at a middle school in Paradis, LA...] My student said that he thought it was great, and he thought I would enjoy reading it as well. Well, I did. I found it quite refreshing that the book dealt with serious, hard subject matter in a manner that is appropriate for anyone to read. The author leads the reader into an introspective process to uncover and accurately portray the psyche of an individual. Profanity is not a fundamental element in literature; it adds no momentous embellishment. Therefore, I completely disagree with the reviewer that said that "the dialogues are way too sterile for this genré." The author did re-create slang words for the world the book takes place in, such as "veck" and "dregg hopper." This was quite creative, in my opinion, and I felt like the dialogue was very appropriate for the genré. The former reviewer must not have realized that the genré is science FICTION. I think he/she missed a key word there! As for the mention of the unnecessary presence of Christianity in the book - there actually was no direct mention of Christianity whatsoever. The religion in the book is an unnamed religion. The words "Christ" and "Bible" don't even appear, as the book Scott reads is only referred to as "Scripture." It IS a "natural part" of a person's psyche to reflect upon their plan, what they will choose to do, and what is `right' from the standpoint of a `spiritual aspect.' That's normal and an inevitable component of the human experience. Overall, I think this is an awesome book! I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in intellectual entertainment, and I look forward to reading the second book in the series, Outlaw Trigger!

Dawn of Destiny lies at the intersection of faith and science fiction. Science fiction may have characters who subcribe to a particular creed, but rarely in the genre is theme of faith so integral to plot or character development, but don't let that scare all of the secular humanists out there. Underneath this theme is a tightly plotted military science fiction book that provides a glimpse of a future Earth under the constant threat of attack by one of three extra-terrestrial groups. The characters are memorable, the world building maintains the right pace of mystery and revelation, and the writing is easily digestible. In fact, I would say that Lee Stephen and John Scalzi have a lot in common in terms of style, belonging to the group of the "New Comprenhensible" that Scalzi sometimes prattles about. I won't go into too many details in order to avoid spoilers, but Stephen does provide a definitive answer about why men and women fight that may be as valid as the answers provided by Ambrose, Heinlein, or Haldeman. Let the unshakeable faith of his main character begin to catalyze your thoughts and you might be surprised at your destination. If you're interested in more details, I'd encourage you to check out the Web site devoted to the universe that Lee Stephen has created. There's some really good information on there about the world and the author. (I'll leave the URL to some patient Googling; I don't want to have my review canned as spam for including a link.)

I just finished reading this and I haven't enjoyed a book this much in awhile. I'm not much of an alien or sci-fi enthusiast, so I was a little hesitant in giving this a shot, but I was beyond pleasantly surprised. The story is solid, it keeps the reader engaged and interested and never veers off far enough to loose your interest. The character depth is outstanding, being an avid King reader I have come to be very picky about connecting with the characters in a story. Lee Stephen does an excellent job at connecting the reader to each of the characters, you don't just read about them you feel for them, experience their ups and downs, and hope for their success. The story itself is very believable, enough detail is given to make the story seem authentic without overselling it. The world he creates begins to take on a life of its own, with a bit of its history revealed but also with questions left unanswered. The unanswered questions leave you wanting more, you start wanting to understand and find the same answers the characters are searching for. There were times I found myself trying to understand something only to find on the next page a character asking the very same questions, as if we were in this world together. It is a world that I already desire to get back to and see what is going on and it is my hope that Mr. Stephen gains enough backing and support to continue this series. If you haven't picked this up I highly recommend it. It is outside of my normal genre yet I found it terrific, hopefully all those who read it will too.