Into the Stars

Rise of the Republic, Book 1

By: James Rosone

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

The stars are within mankind’s reach…but what awaits in the void may end humanity.

Mars and the Moon have been colonized, piracy runs rampant in the asteroid belts, and a thriving society grows in the depths of space. Humanity prepares to embark upon its greatest journey - the colonization of Alpha Centauri.

Then, everything changes. A deep space reconnaissance probe discovers a new Earth-like planet 12 light-years from Earth’s sun. The probe also finds something unusual, something...unnerving. A new mission is created, a space fleet is formed, and humanity embarks on unravelling the greatest mystery of all - the origins of life itself.

Can the factions of Earth remain united, or will old rivalries and animosities destroy the fragile peace in the face of this terrifying existential threat? Will exploration prove to be a fatal mistake?

If you love new technologies, fast-paced action, and gut-wrenching turns of fate, you’ll love this military sci-fi series.

©2020 James Rosone (P)2021 Podium Audio

Really enjoyed, looking forward to the next book

I love sci-fi, but it seems the last few books I've bought could all have been part of the same series since they were all so similar. This series has a unique concept and I enjoyed the characters.

Annoyingly unbelievable interactions with aliens

I found this book interesting enough to finish but not interesting enough to go on to the second book as I often do when I read a good series of this kind. The humans acted as though they could not discern when a vicious alien is dangerous and that all reasonable precautions should be taken. It was so annoying that I could not bring myself to go on with the series. There were a few other credibility-stretching omissions here and there but the story did have some interesting aspects such as changing alliances on Earth and, of course, the battles with the aliens. The narrator was excellent. So an adequate but not a great book.

Pros and Cons

I needed something after completing the Bobiverse Series. In some ways, it ticked some of the same boxes (minus the major nerd factor and the VR aspect). Some subpar work on physics/space travel, some issues that aren’t worth bringing up throughout…in the end, though, I don’t regret reading it and was honesty entertained. I’m sad to see the sequel has such poor reviews and the weird ancient aliens/biblical flood/ sphere of water/magic comet thing going…otherwise I would have kept going with the series.

bravo Zulu on using the term "ground pounders".

Chief engineer is "Cheng". enjoying the story very much.
HT1 (SW) retired. Spent too much time trying to negotiate. President Biden might but no REAL leader would.

What a world!

My favorite part of space opera’s, especially hard fiction is the background. Where are we, who are we, how are we, etc. Rosone does very well creating and describing the “current” world while still staying true to the story and not being too early verbose.