Pros
- Engaging adventure continues and expands the scope of the story
- Mystery deepens about the artifacts
- Fun, light writing style
Cons
- Overall plot feels like it hasn’t advanced much except to introduce more elements that broaden the story
Forsaken Crown Review
Forsaken Crown by J. N. Chaney and Scott Moon continues the thrilling and suspenseful adventure undertaken by Noah Gantz and his attempt to prevent his rival and fellow test pilot, Tate Collins, from taking over Earth with an armada of ships from the Gavant Reach under his control.
One of the great characteristics of this book—and there are many—is the pacing. The story moves along just quickly enough to keep readers engaged, and the story doesn’t get too bogged down on diversions.
Readers also learn a little more about the characters in the story, and Wozim, perhaps the character for whom the book is titled, takes center stage. Emerging from his cocoon of isolation and mysterious intrigue from the first book, Wozim faces his responsibilities and adversaries in this story.
What results is an age-old struggle for the crown, only this time it’s between Wozim and his young, brash, power-hungry nephew who feels his father, Wozim’s brother, should have inherited the title and perhaps the crown.
Having Wozim’s story unraveled and revealed to readers not only makes him more endearing to readers, but it also creates a much stronger bond among the crew of Kayan. And one of the markers of any good story is the camaraderie among the cast of characters. While the other backgrounds of the other characters aren’t revealed, there are hints of their traumas and their motivations later.
In this sequel, Kayan and her crew face off against a legendary, weaponized Kayan who can destroy both living and manufactured ships with its beams. This motivations and loyalties of this ship aren’t quite known except that for the duration of the story, it’s under control of Collins, who intends to use it to dominate other ships and Earth.
While Wozim’s settles on his decision to accept his destiny as the leader of his species, Noah Gantz chases down the remaining pieces of the mysterious artifact embedded in his chest. Collins, not to be surpassed, races Gantz to the mysterious system controlled by the ancient beings simply known as Monitors.
These ancient artifacts that once brought down a mighty civilization are now intertwined once again in the story of the Gavant Reach and will perhaps determine the fate of multiple galaxies, including Earth and the Milky Way. The mystery of these artifacts, their purpose, and their creators adds that extra element of intrigue to an already exciting story.
Forsaken Crown by J. N. Chaney and Scott Moon is an exciting sequel to the first book, Homeworld Lost, and readers will find another engrossing adventure in this space opera.
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