Pros
- Some more interesting lore revealed regarding Kayan and space travel
- Plot is heightened with threat to the Gavant Reach empire
- Wozim’s story is greatly expanded
Cons
- Not much about Earth is revealed except for the Expeditionary Force
Paragon’s Fall Review
Paragon’s Fall by J. N. Chaney and Scott Moon expand the breadth of Noah Gantz’s mission from saving Earth to now fending off an ancient force that threatens not only Earth and the Milky Way but also the Gavant Reach as well.
In this story, Gantz and his crew aboard the living ship Kayan answer a distress call from the United Earth Deep Space Exploration force stranded on a familiar planet called Destinia on the outskirts of the Gavant Reach. In an earlier story, Kayan dropped off a Hoyon seed world on this lonely planet, and now the crew revisit this planet in an attempt to rescue the remnants of the human explorers.
There should be no surprise that a planet with a name like Destinia is going to play a larger role in the story than just a quick stopping point for a drop-off. In this system, Noah and his crew encounter a threat that is larger than the Gavant Reach and the hunters chasing after Kayan. Here, Ryg, or rather, his sister Celia Kilis, make an appearance, though the threat she poses pales in comparison to the threat that the servants of the ancient Seer device makers.
Facing off against these Seer servants, the Gavant Reach, and Celia, Noah and his crew must navigate these threats and rescue the survivors of the human exploration force. Even though the humans are a big part of the story, Earth and its fate are for the most part ignored, and the role that these humans play in the story remain insignificant and unclear outside of requiring help.
Meanwhile, Wozim and his quest for the Tyton throne continue despite the turmoil that is slowly encompassing the Reach. Wozim’s decision to remain with Noah and his friends doesn’t help his candidacy for the throne, and his desire to help his mentor on the prison planet further undermines his authority.
More lore about who Kayan is and where she comes from is revealed throughout the story, and ancient beings who only make an appearance in ancient stories and rumors also make their appearance in this story. These legends become more than just rumors, and their presence even surprises Kayan, showing that a great change is coming to the Reach galaxy and perhaps even the Milky Way.
As with the previous books, the authors continue to amplify and expand the plot from the threat posed by one person, Tate Collins, to a more galactic-wide threat posed by faraway aliens whose goals are finally revealed in this book. And it’s a goal that doesn’t consider the native inhabitants of the Reach or the Milky Way.
Paragon’s Fall by J. N. Chaney and Scott Moon is an exciting adventure filled with fantastic action scenes and an thrilling and engaging story involving a human named Noah Gantz and his stumbling into a massive threat to two galaxies posed by ancient and powerful enemies.
Read reviews of other books in Homeworld Lost below.
