Ark of Souls

Vale Series, Book 1

By: Paul Grover

Narrated by: Nicky Griffiths

With a plague of darkness threatening to consume the galaxy, salvation lies with one battle-scarred warrior.

The 24th century: Humanity has colonized the galaxy. Inter-solar corporations have grown immensely powerful and are no longer subject to the rule of law.

Navy Pilot and Martian War veteran Mira Thorn is driven by the desire to finish her duty rotation with what's left of her parts intact. A goal that gets far more complicated when the FSS Berlin disrupts a pirate attack on a corporate freighter.

Dispatched to investigate the damaged vessel, Mira and her companions uncover a startling threat that could wipe out all those aboard. With the broken ship fast becoming their only hope of survival, Mira's team must fight to prevent their situation from spiraling into a hopeless black hole.

Delving into the unknown, Mira embarks on a journey that forces her to confront her past, her future...and her own mortality.

©2019 Paul Grover (P)2021 Paul Grover

Fascinating space fantasy

I loved the narriation of this story! I appreciated the narrator's voice and cadence. They did a fantastic job switching between characters and accents.

This was a fascinating space fantasy story! Mira is a battle weary space soilder that has lost her eye and her piloting ability. But an explosion on the ship means that her and the few people they can rescue must take over a broken ship that has now become their only hope of escape. Mira and her friends face an arduous journey through space to make it to a repair facility with mysterious cargo, that seems everyone is trying to interfere with.
I loved Mira's humanity and her moral compass that led her and the surviving friends on this journey. The author did a wonderful job showing us her past through the eyes and experiences of her friends, in a way that made me feel part of the story. The diversity of the cast and what they faced was wonderfully written and lots of moments kept me on the edge of my seat. I had some confusion as the POV switched in this book at the beginning multiple times, with people you don't know, but as the book goes on you understand much more. I look forward to future books and hope that Mira and her friends are up to new shenanigans.

“Everyone is special, Mira. It took a long time for me to understand that. We all contribute our best to make the universe better.”