Quantum Surge
Book I of the Jankin Decatur Series
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"New military sf with both the physics and the history meticulously worked out in interesting ways"
-- David Drake
"First book in a new series by Philip Nolen, an epic tour de force that will draw, hold, and envelope you
in a tale of Earth's first star colony; the coming of age of a people."
-- Steve Alten, NY TImes & international best-selling author of The MEG series.
2173 CE; At twenty-one years, Tyron Barry was the youngest XO in the North American Union’s (NAU) merchant fleet. Less than a year into their mission, mutiny strikes. Barry corners the mutineers into a shuttle, they demand the release code. He yields but then destroys the shuttle. On return, a friend sends warning, a senator’s son was one of the mutineers. Life in Jeopardy, everything lost, he flees to the colonies in a small ship.
Years pass, war now exists on Earth between the NAU and oriental CTAC forces. Jankin Decatur’s freighter limps into Kraken Colony. Although a neutral, they were savaged by CTAC forces but managed to escape. Expecting to be broken, Decatur instead is ordered to a politician’s estate on Kraken. Commissioner Hollen knows about Decatur’s past life as Tyron Barry. Kraken is under attack, both NAU and CTAC forces press common spacers into service, murder the officers, and confiscate ships. Kraken will declare independence and offers Decatur a commission and a military frigate, Alfred.
Decatur draws upon old mates to staff and finish Alfred. Their maiden cruise -- shuttle a convoy to Jasper. Convoy captains vary from cooperative to not even appearing at rendezvous. One ‘no show’ vessel is found in the process of being boarded by a CTAC frigate. Decatur approaches innocently while his rangers secretly board and take both vessels. The merchant was smuggling goods for the same person responsible for his past-life mutiny. Worse, prisoners are found in harsh conditions on the frigate. Decatur learns of a prison on distant Mars and is torn between completing his mission and attempting rescue.
Captain Decatur must decide, follow the detailed orders of his commission or attempt a prisoner rescue on the enemy’s doorstep.
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Reviews
1. "First book in a new series by Philip Nolen,
an epic tour de force that will draw, hold, and envelope you
in a tale of Earth's first star colony; the coming of age of a people."
--"Steve Alten, NY TImes & international best-selling author of The MEG series.
2. Cornelia
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! New level of science fiction and action!
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2021
The book was amazing. Good story line, characters and incredible action scenes!
I liked details and how author answers (delicately and very interestingly weaved in to the story) the questions which would come up while watching other
sci-fi movies or reading other sci-fi books such as: how that could be?
it's not possible!? why that did not blow-up? no consequence of this action?
Concepts of astrophysics, mainly string theory, create incredible pursuit and
battle scenes in open space while incredible and detailed use of weaponry
used by regular "space marines" on the "ground" or while breaching the enemy spaceships.
Took 2 days to read and waiting for the sequel!
3. Jim C.
guardsix6@sci-fibookreviews.com
Science Fiction Book Reviews
09/28/2020
- 5 Stars out of 5 ***** -
You’ll meet a young Lieutenant Tyron Barry, XO of the North American Union (NAU) merchant ship, Regilis. Well, he was until the crew mutinied, which he quickly quelled and then threw the ring leaders out an airlock! As the Captain of the Regilis was killed in the mutiny, young Lt Barry became the new Captain headed back to it’s home port on Earth. He had sent work back to Corporate HQ detailing the mutiny and his actions which were all legal and such, but he had some very powerful enemies awaiting his arrival. He also had one powerful friend who contacted him while enroute home and told him he might not want to return to Earth.
This friend also arranged for a small ship to be available to Lt Barry as the Regilis passed a major asteroid on its way to Earth. His friend strongly suggested that Barry take a shuttle, land on the asteroid, and take that provided ship and to disappear forever! And that’s what Lt Tyron Barry did; he no longer exists in name from that time forward.
About five years later, now Captain Jankin Decatur of the Astral Service Fleet of the Colony World Kraken, had just returned his merchant ship in a very deplorable condition after repelling a hostile boarding action by a ship of the NAU. It seems that the NAU and the China Trans-Asia Coalition (CTAC) were at war with both sides losing valuable spacers and ships. It had become almost common practice for these two warring entities to raid colony ships of their supplies, crews and the ships themselves. It did not matter that Captain Decatur’s ship was from a NAU colony. What did matter was that he fought the attack off successfully and now had to report to his superiors.
When he does arrive back on Kraken, he meets, first with COO Jack Bastian of the Astral Service Fleet. Captain Decatur doesn’t expect to leave the COOs office still a Captain, yet he does, only he’s now directed to report to Commissioner Alexander Hollen. Commissioner Hollen isn’t exactly the President of Kraken since it’s still just a colony of the NAU, but he’s about as close to one as it gets. Why Captain Decatur must see him is something of a puzzle, but he does meet with the Commissioner.
What he finds out in this meeting will once again change his entire life and possible the life of every citizen on Kraken. The Colony Planet Kraken is planning to announce its independence from the NAU. While the Commissioner knows all about Captain Jankin Decatur’s past life as Lt Tyron Barry, he understands that he has a ships Captain that will fight to save his ship and crew. And that’s what he wants Captain Decauter to do, fight with a new ship, the Alfred, under the new flag of the Independent Planet Kraken!
A very entertaining book, although a might detailed in places. I now know how a “slipdrive” works although I’m not sure this knowledge will do me much good, at the moment, anyway!
End Excerpt