Pros
- Lots of action-packed and suspenseful scenes
- An interesting plot twist for the story
Cons
- A lot of references to more contemporary pop figures like musicians that grounds the story in reality instead of fiction
Asher’s Fall Review
Asher’s Fall by Justin S. Leslie is the beginning of what promises to be a grand military science fiction story filled with epic, action-packed space battles spanning galaxies if the sequels are anything like this first story in the series.
The USF Murphy and its elite crew led by Ben Dailey and his Viper Company are sent to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the Asher-5, which was transporting some top secret cargo at the edge of explored space when it disappeared.
Only when the USF Murphy arrives to investigate, it makes some interesting discoveries that not only reveal some rogue elements attempting to usurp the power structures on Earth, but also a discovery that rewrites human history and its place in the universe.
The story begins with the destruction of the Asher-5 and the escape of a crew member who is the sole witness to the surprise ambush. The Murphy and her crew discover the sole survivor on a strange planet being mined by a collection of humans and aliens. While that may not be strange on the surface, the crew discovers that these humans have been on this planet for a very long time, predating perhaps even humanity’s first travels into space.
What this discovery suggests about humans, aliens, and humanity’s purpose in the greater universe is bleak, especially since this apparent mining colony is able to control the population on planet with minimal resources and a rudimentary artificial intelligence. But perhaps the most depressing aspect is that it is humans who are acting at the behest of their alien overlords to oppress others.
The story continues with the USF Murphy exploring an abandoned ship, following the resource haulers back to their home port, and making an even grander discovery about who the oppressors are and where they come from.
Meanwhile, Dailey discovers that not all is well in military when his commander is revealed to be working for a mining corporation with its only goal the pursuit of profit, a pursuit that leads to the oppression and extinction of life and land. Perhaps this part of the story is less fiction.
One aspect of the writing that perhaps interferes with the flow are the references to pop culture “ancient” cultural references that are fairly contemporary. These references can sometimes have the effect of diminishing the magic of the story by grounding it to reality even if characters love ancient pop music or are ancient history buffs.
Asher’s Fall by Justin S. Leslie is a thrilling story in what promises to be an exciting start to series featuring epic battles, exploration, and political intrigue.
Read reviews of other action-packed military science fiction stories below.
