Clash of Wills

Cercians, Book 1

By: S. H. Jucha

Narrated by: Nicole Poole

SADEs Hector and Trixie discover the world where the colonists of the Terminus, the fifth colony ship, settled. Unfortunately, their Trident squadrons arrive at the worst possible time and catastrophe strikes. The powerful fleets of three races are fighting for possession of a beatific world, Cercia.

The Trident squadrons are occupied by SADEs skilled in exploration, astronomy, and data research. They’re unprepared for the onslaught of deadly probes, fighters, and warships directed against them. SADEs are forced to abandon their damaged Tridents and make for the planet. Only two Tridents manage to make it safely into the planet’s lower orbit.

Hector sends an emergency message to Omnia, which finds its way to the Imperium Empire. He calls for support, warning the Omnians to come in two waves, aggressors first and support second. An unusual mix of individuals heeds Hector’s call.

The first wave’s individuals learn that the local race was uplifted by the Messinants. This aquatic race, the Cercians, developed the ability to phase shift their presence, leaving real space to appear at great distances from their starting points. This unique capability and the unusual coincidence of three enemy races arriving at the same time make the newcomers suspicious.

While waiting for the second wave of defenders, the individuals of the first wave resort to unusual tactics to teach the enemy races some harsh lessons. An unexpected asset is a young colonist, Sadie, who can shift with unbelievable power.

©2024 Hannon Books, Inc. (P)2024 Hannon Books, Inc.

exciting

I'm thrilled to dive into S. H. Jucha's new series, Cercians, starting with book one, “Clash of Wills”. The story begins with Hector and Trixie's discovery of the fate of Earth's 5th colony ship. Along the way we are introduced to Sadie, a fascinating new character with a unique talent.

The book weaves two compelling storylines: one follows the Conclave as they defend Cercia, the home of the 5th colony ship, from an opposing fleet. The other takes readers on an exciting hunt for the Messinants, led by a human/SADE team joined by Sadie.

I experienced this as an audiobook from Audible, which runs for twelve hours and thirty-one minutes. Nicole Poole's narration is outstanding and truly brings the story to life. Highly recommended!

After silver ships Jucha's work is lazy and boring

After the Silver Ships, Jucha’s books spiral into monotony and formulaic repetition. The stories feel lazy, recycling the same plots and character dynamics until it feels like a soulless assembly line. There’s barely any tension, development, or meaningful struggle, just endless convenient solutions and bland optimism. He couldn't have picked a worse narrator, Poole sounds like a bad AI voice.