Blinding Sky

Yay! I got to read Blinding Sky, the second book in The Journeyers' Tale series by John Brage. And, Yup, this e-version was provided for review by the author.

This book read quite differently than did Protocols of Uma, the first book. Protocols was a somewhat serene and calm beginning to the series, at least by comparison. Things heat up considerably in Blinding Sky. The gloves are off and the bad guys come out to play for real. Much more brutal than its predecessor. This is not a knock at all, it was just a surprise for me.

There are a lot of twists and turns in the story lines here, so for me at least, the book is not predictable at all. Most characters behaved true their natures as developed in the first book, but there were a couple....

Overall I probably enjoyed Blinding Sky a little more than the first book. Mainly because it didn't have the feeling of having to lay groundwork for the following books. Although a little bit techy (if that's a word, my spell-check doesn't think so), the story is not dependent on or overwhelmed by the tech aspects.

On the negative side, I did not feel as much of an emotional connection this time around. Most likely because interpersonal relationships were not as much a focus here. The story is more global in focus. Also the story did not seem to flow as easily, more jumping around.  But, these drawbacks did not hurt my enjoyment of Blinding Sky,

Blinding Sky is not a stand alone read. The reader needs to have read Protocols. But in his favor John Brage does not fall into the trap of retelling the first book while trying to continue the main story. For me, a great thing about this book is the ending. Yes, the ending! Not because it was over, but because while it leaves the reader wanting more, it's not the dreaded "cliffhanger". You know how much I hate those. I think a story should create enough curiosity without resorting to such an obvious trick as the cliffhanger.

If you liked the first book in The Journeyers' Tale you will like Blinding Sky, and eagerly anticipate the next installment. Enjoy!


Mike