The Shadeward Saga
A four part science fiction saga with a fantasy feel, set on the planet Esurio in the Lacaille 9352 system.
Book 1 : Emanation
A tidally locked world of eternal day and everlasting night, burning deserts and frozen wastes. An awakening civilisation seeks the truth about its past, long lost in vague, yet disturbing, myth and legend. Three young people, Kiri, Meru and Zoella, begin to unlock the secrets of their world.
Kiri has a strongly religious upbringing and believes the star Lacaille is a vengeful goddess, worshipped by the mysterious priestesses of Drayden. Meru discovers strange technology abandoned long ago yet still operating and Zoella comes to learn of a secret which holds the key to understanding the strange world upon which they live.
The more all three uncover, the more they understand the peril they are in.
Reviews of Emanation
“The world-building and central concept of this novel is top-notch. The fantasy-style underpinned by a solid science foundation that stays in the back of your mind throughout and gets you invested to know more. The characters are interesting and engaging, the action is engrossing.”
“It is to Drew’s credit that he gets the science right in this series. It shows his extensive knowledge of how the universe works as he weaves real science into this fictional work and yet still makes it a damn good read. The characters are believable, the storyline faultless, the ‘romance’ handled with a lot more tact and decorum than a lot of Sci-Fi writers manage, all go to make this compulsive reading.”
“It is, essentially a science fiction book, but reads, certainly in the beginning, like a fantasy novel. It’s a merger of both genres, but is also deeper than that limiting definition. The book is about many things; myth, the propensity of people to make misunderstood history into religion, betrayal, envy, and gender politics, to name just a few.”
Book 2 : Exoneration
The priestesses of Drayden, with Kiri in their ranks, seek to dominate the planet Esurio, believing they have a goddess given right to do so. Meru discovers artefacts from the past which shed light on the strange and forgotten history of the people of the planet. Zoella’s fears grow into reality as the star above them, the fierce red dwarf Lacaille, demonstrates its devastating power.
The relationships between our protagonists deepen dramatically as they meet and are forced to choose sides. War and conflict rages around them. Forced into confrontation they discover the strange and remarkable powers of the priestesses and the unforeseen consequences of technology long forgotten.
Our protagonists begin to question what they’ve been told and Kiri, in particular, has a difficult decision to make between her feelings and her loyalty.
Reviews of Exoneration
“Some of the chapters are just sheer excitement, the breath taking plot developments along the way keep the reader both guessing the outcome, yet at the same time totally enthralled.”
“A welcome return to the strange world of Esurio. The story continues where we last left the main characters, and there is trouble brewing for everybody courtesy of the planet’s sun. Drew has excelled himself yet again with the excellent mix of old and new conflicts, deception, lust, divided loyalty, hatred, and a novel way of tackling pirates! It’s a cracking read.”
“Drew definitely ups the ante with Exoneration. Without giving away any spoilers, I can say that the excitement levels are extraordinary with the priestesses powers and the restless Lacaille combining to cause the predicted havoc. The characterization as always with Drew’s novels is first class. They are all fully three dimensional even in this exotic world where almost nothing is as we know it on Earth. The sexual tension between the two of the protagonists is supernatural and hints at more secrets to be revealed.”
Book 3 : Enervation
The priestesses, now aware there is a power that can stand against them, make plans to ensure their domination of Esurio isn’t threatened, by drawing up the means to deal with their enemies once and for all. Desperate to defend their way of life, Meru’s people are forced into taking huge risks to defend their home.
Zoella, still plagued by dreams and visions sees a future calamitous event that will engulf all the people on the planet unless it is set right. Kiri’s power continues to grow and she sees the opportunity for herself to claim ultimate control of the planet. The animosity between Kiri and Zoella grows to a fever pitch.
Meru finds himself torn between the pair of them, trying to balance his own feelings against the dire needs of the planet.
Reviews of Enervation
“More discoveries for the Mobilis crew. More of our burning questions finally answered! More politics and plotting from the priestesses. More action and more drama with our cast of amazingly well written characters. Drew has one again written characters that draw you in, I care what happens to these folk! Our regular cast learn more about themselves and each other. Lots of great character development in here again, lots of “Yes!” and “Wow!” moments.”
“However what this book really showcases, and the saga’s biggest and best feature, is Drew’s remarkable ability to create characters that you really, deeply care about and who bring you along for the ride as they experience the full gamut of human emotions. Characters you love, then hate, then sympathize with, cheer, jeer, love and hate all over again!”
“This book is a worthy continuation of the previous two installments of the saga. Character development is great, they are absolutely loveable – the reader finds himself rooting for everyone to get along and solve the mysteries. The story is captivating, I found it very hard to put the book down. The world is one of my absolute favourite sci-fi-fantasy creations: the way “magic” and technology is addressed is truly believeable and realistic. Can’t wait for the conclusion of the saga!”
Book 4 : Expiation
In the final installment of the Shadeward Saga, the stakes are raised to the highest point.The threat to the planet becomes imperative and a last ditched attempt to deal with the problem is compounded by the unresolved animosity between Kiri and Zoella.
The priestesses plot their own revenge as the nature of the power that has twisted the course of fate on Esurio is finally revealed. It becomes clear that life will soon be threatened all across Esurio and only a handful of people are able to stop the destruction.
Desperate voyages are undertaken in order to stave off the threat, for time is now of the essence as Lacaille burns ever more fiercely in the sky above.
Kiri, Meru and Zoella learn that sacrifices have to made to secure the future of their planet.
Reviews of Expiation
“The whole Shadeward series is a beautiful story of love, war…betrayal, pain and ultimately understanding and reconciliation. It spans sci-fi and fantasy in a twisting turning sometimes shocking tale of hidden power and murderous ambition seen through the eyes of some of the most compelling and memorable characters I’ve ever read. The story takes you through an emotional rollercoaster never really knowing for sure who you can trust or where loyalties lie until well towards the end of the series which builds to an incredibly moving finale.”
“I haven’t read many books that have brought me to tears, but this did on more than one occasion. Powerfully written right up to the end, I will miss the many characters that I grew to love and loathe over this series. Story writing at its very finest.”
“This series couldn’t have ended in a much more spectacular fashion. All of the strings are tied up nicely, and for a story that is so epic in its scope, it hits all of the right emotional beats. This story has everything. It is also, in no uncertain terms, the end of the journey. Kiri, Zoella and Meru won’t grace another page again. But, with the way their tales are told, I think I’m okay with that.”