Author: Mark Whiteway
Kindle edition; 1324 pages
Published Nov 26, 2013
Following a momentous journey across space, two groups of Helvenans are locked in a struggle for survival on the strange, virgin planet they have named Kelanni.
Their long journey over, the exiles from the planet Helvena must now carve out a new existence. But the stain of war still blights the two factions - the hubbers with their strict caste system, now enforced by the new, fearsome keltar in their flying cloaks, and the free community of rimmers. On an alien world beset by unknown dangers and complex life forms they must find a way to come together...or be destroyed.
"This is the fifth book in Mark Whiteway's beautifully crafted Lodestone series".
The Conquered Shore is the fifth book from the Lodestone series. Author Mark Whiteway blew me away! He is absolutely genius. I actually read the first book (The Sea of Storms) before reading this one to better understand the characters and get familiar with the scenes. I was then transported to another dimension where I discovered a world with three suns shining up above, two of which rise from the west, and the other one is stationary. I discovered the world of Kelanni, the world where non humans exist. Kelanni people did not originate on this planet but they have travelled from a faraway world called Helvena.
Truth is, I have read a bunch of Sci-fi/thrillers before and the last one that really impressed me was the legendary Robert A. Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. Now, this! Yes, I am comparing the author Mark Whiteway to one of my favorite sci-fi genius because his works are at par with Heinlein. I am utterly astonished with these men because of their wild imagination and creative juices. I am jealous of their talent of creating a futuristic world, filled interplanetary devices and different races. I wish I could create worlds like them.
After the first book, which I actually couldn't put down, I found myself liking The Conquered Shore more. I felt like I was getting involved emotionally with Keris and the quirky hu-man, Alexander McCann. The author made the Kelanni native Keris more relatable as a human while Alex McCann was as always a delight to read. I also loved the other characters in the book, like Lokk, Aevan, Zemira, even the keltars, Glaisne, Torile and Ash.
Usually, when I read a book, it's either I forget about the characters and events right away, or I maintain them inside my head and dream about them. When these characters invade my sleep, it can only mean one thing: the book was highly effective and very engaging. And I felt this after dreaming about Alex and Keris. I would want to go with them in seeking out the Guardians of the Forest. In short, there must be a Book Six to watch out for and I can't wait to read it!
If you're in the mood to read some sci-fi, i highly suggest you read this one. Perfect for sci-fi fans like me. If you want to read a modern-day Robert A. Heinlein masterpiece, read Mark Whiteway's Lodestone series and be blown away!
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Mark Whiteway
website: http://markwhiteway.weebly.com/author-bio.html
twitter: https://twitter.com/mwhiteway1
genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Mark Whiteway (1959- ) lives in rural West Sussex, England, near the former home of H G Wells. The Lodestone series of novels is built around the concept of negative matter-an extension of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity.
