Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: It Takes Death to Reach a Star
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY:
STATE: AL
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: two.
EDUCATION:Earned a B.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Has worked as a beat cop, an investigator, an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics, and as a member and team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. Trained and qualified as a law enforcement SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics. Also served for three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force.
AWARDS:Sci Fi Winner, New York Book Festival, 2018, for It Takes Death to Reach a Star.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
American author Stu Jones is a veteran law enforcement officer. He worked as a beat cop, an investigator, an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics and as a member and team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. Trained as a SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics, Jones also served three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force, tracking down high-profile criminals.
Jones has turned his energy to writing, for which he gained a passion in college studying history. He has published a faith-based post-apocalyptic series, the “Action of Purpose” trilogy, as well as the 2018 futuristic thriller, It Takes Death To Reach A Star, written with Gareth Worthington.
Through the Fury to the Dawn
Jones’s “Action of Purpose” series kicks off with the 2011 novel, Through the Fury to the Dawn. Police officer Kane Lorusso is dying, having no hope in receiving a heart transplant. He spirals into depression at the thought that his life is over, and then the world is thrust into darkness following nuclear and chemical attacks. Most of humanity has been destroyed, but Kane finds himself among the living and begins to believe that he has been saved for a reason. An agnostic, Kane starts to see that God has saved him and now he must ally himself with other survivors and battle against the consuming darkness. Cannibalistic mutants are preying on survivors and brutal bandits, the Coyotes, wield evil power. To find redemption, Kane must battle against these terrors, joined with Molly, a woman who has always been a believer, and with the giant, Courtland, becoming crusaders to fight against the gathering darkness.
A Kirkus Reviews Online critic had praise for this first installment, noting that it “could become the first in an exciting series.” The critic added: “A strongly told, well-paced, inspirational story for Christians and nonbelievers alike.”
Into the Dark of Day
The series continues with Into the Dark of Day, with Kane and his new group of friends taking shelter at the Emergency Radio Control Station on South Carolina’s coast. Kane suffers from sleep deprivation, haunted by the loss of his family, but he and other survivors struggle on, trying to scavenge food, water, and other supplies to stay alive. Tensions rise and dangers increase, and Kane begins to lose his new-found faith. Members of the group begin to slip away as the mutant cannibals increase their attacks, and then a new, and even more dangerous menace emerges, even as Kane struggles to hold firm.
“This gritty Christian dystopian novel is powerfully dark at times and hopeful at others,” noted Clarion Reviews contributor Jason Henninger, who added: “Jones maintains an action-rich pace, bolstered by visual descriptions and well-developed characters … . The theme of God’s power and redemption is a strong current throughout, hopeful and spiritual in contrast to all the graphic bloodshed and grisly monsters.”
Against the Fading of the Light
The “Action of Purpose” series concludes with Against the Fading of the Light, in which Kane continues to be conflicted about his faith even as the bandit armies gather in strength and cruelty. Now Kane and his fellow survivors must finally decide if they will simply let the last bit of humanity be consumed by this evil, or if they will stand a final time and fight against the fading of the light.
A Kirkus Reviews critic felt that this novel and the series was brought to a “stirring, well-handled climax.” The critic added: “An energetic thriller about beleaguered warriors of God battling the powers of darkness that delivers a rousing conclusion.” Writing in Clarion Reviews, Diane Gardner was also impressed, noting: “Against the Fading of the Light, surprising within its faith-based genre, is a dark, violent, and graphic religious apocalypse novel with the nonstop action of a wartime thriller.”
It Takes Death to Reach a Star
Jones turns to future apocalypse in It Takes Death to Reach a Star, set in 2251 following World War III and an ensuing plague that wiped out all life on Earth except for one city in the frozen north of Siberia. Etyom is a place that is in constant combat with two groups struggling for control. The Robusts live in the Lower Etyom, and these are the descendants of the poor population that slowly became immune to the plague. Living above them on platforms are the Graciles, the descendants of the very wealthy who have been bio-engineered to resist the plague. Two characters from these different worlds are thrust together in a plot that is a threat to life on both levels. Mila Solokoff is a Robust who deals in information, a valued and dangerous commodity in this new world. Caught out, she is forced to work with a secret organization seeking revolution. Meanwhile, the Gracile, Demitri Stasevich has a secret illness that, if discovered, could have him destroyed. He needs an illegal drug found only with the Robusts, and journeying below, his fate and that of Mila are joined.
A Publishers Weekly reviewer had a varied assessment of It Takes Death to Reach a Star, terming it a “reasonably standard post-apocalyptic dystopian work.” The reviewer added, “Readers looking for innovation in worldbuilding or characters will be disappointed.” Others found more to like. Reviewing It Takes Death to Reach a Star in Booklist, Becky Spratford had praise, noting: “Cinematic, thought-provoking, and immersive, this is a great option for fans of darker, grittier, and more science-focused dystopias in the manner of the novels of Philip K. Dick.” Online Wining Wife writer Ronda Bowen similarly observed: “The characters are well-developed, and they do a great job of pulling the reader into their lives. I recommend this book highly to anyone–even those who haven’t been that into sci-fi will enjoy the novel.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, May 15, 2018, Becky Spratford, review of It Takes Death to Reach a Star, p. 34.
Clarion Reviews, March 4, 2016, Diane Gardner, review of Against the Fading of the Light; March 14, 2014, Jason Henninger, review of Into the Dark of the Day.
Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 2016, review of Against the Fading of the Light.
Publishers Weekly, April 30, 2018, review of It Takes Death to Reach a Star, p. 45.
ONLINE
Foreword Reviews, https://www.forewordreviews.com/ (March 4, 2016), Diane Gardner, review of Against the Fading of the Light.
It Takes Death to Reach a Star website, http://www.ittakesdeathtoreachastar.com/ (August 20, 2018).
Jathan and Heather, https://jathanandheather.com/ (June 11, 2018), Jathan Fink, review of It Takes Death to Reach a Star.
Kirkus Reviews Online, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/ (November 9, 2011), review of Through the Fury to the Dawn.
Stu Jones website, http://www.stujonesfiction.com/ (August 20, 2018).
Wining Wife, http://www.winingwife.com/ (June 4, 2018), Ronda Bowen, review of It Takes Death to Reach a Star.
SWAT Sniper. Adventurer. Visionary. Award-Winning Author of Epic Genre Blending Fiction.
A veteran law enforcement officer, Stu has worked as a beat cop, an investigator, an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics and as a member and team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. He is trained and qualified as a law enforcement SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics. Most recently, Stu served for three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force - hunting the worst of the worst.
Stu’s passion for writing developed during his years in college while obtaining his bachelor’s degree in history. In the years that followed, Stu published three faith-based post-apocalyptic novels – the Action of Purpose trilogy.
Stu's most recent published work is a futuristic thriller, It Takes Death To Reach A Star, written with co-author Gareth Worthington(Children of the Fifth Sun). It was published by Vesuvian books in May of 2018. Stu is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo-Helin-Fountain literary management. He is currently working with Gareth Worthington on the follow-up to "Star".
He lives in Alabama with his wife, two children, and a golden-doodle named "Gunny" who thinks he's human.
Follow Stu on social media @stujonesfiction
A veteran law enforcement officer, Stu has worked as a beat cop, an investigator, an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics and as a member and team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. He is trained and qualified as a law enforcement SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics. Most recently, Stu served for three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force - hunting the worst of the worst.
A genuine renaissance man, Stu is an Eagle Scout, a lifelong martial artist, and an avid outdoorsman. In addition, he enjoys cooking, has a soft spot for dogs, and can be coaxed into talking to strangers upon the introduction of a fine craft beer.
Stu’s passion for writing developed during his years in college while obtaining his bachelor’s degree in history. In the years that followed, Stu published three faith-based post-apocalyptic novels – the Action of Purpose trilogy.
Stu's most recent published work is a futuristic thriller, It Takes Death To Reach A Star, written with co-author Gareth Worthington(Children of the Fifth Sun). It was published by Vesuvian books in May of 2018. Stu is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo-Helin-Fountain literary management. He is currently working with Gareth Worthington on the follow-up to "Star".
He lives in Alabama with his wife, two children, and a golden-doodle named "Gunny" who thinks he's human
A veteran law enforcement officer, Stu has worked as a beat cop, an investigator, an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics and as a member and team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. He is trained and qualified as a law enforcement SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics. Most recently, Stu served for three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force - hunting the worst of the worst.
Stu’s passion for writing developed during his years in college while obtaining a bachelor’s degree in history. In the time since, Stu has published three post-apocalyptic novels – the Action of Purpose trilogy.
Stu is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo-Helin-Fountain literary management and is currently working with Gareth Worthington on the follow-up to DTRAS.
He lives in Alabama with his wife and two children.
Follow Stu on social media @stujonesfiction & find out more at stujonesfiction.com
QUOTE:
stirring, well-handled climax. An energetic thriller about beleaguered warriors of God battling the powers of darkness that delivers a rousing conclusion.
Jones, Stu: Against the Fading of the Light
Kirkus Reviews. (Feb. 1, 2016):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Jones, Stu AGAINST THE FADING OF THE LIGHT CreateSpace (Indie Fiction) $14.99 10, 8 ISBN: 978-1-5148-8039-5
A hero and his cohorts clash with a sinister clan in this tense volume, part of a post-apocalyptic trilogy.This latest novel from Jones (Into the Dark of Day, 2013, etc.) ends his action-packed trilogy about a world of toxic oceans, roving mutant bands, and scattered pockets of hopeful survivors. The previous book left its small band of heroes in a seemingly impossible situation, especially former cop Kane Lorusso. The evil Coyote clan of mutants forced Kane to watch his wife die and his two children led into slavery before he was shot off a high cliff and presumed dead. He didn't die, but this new volume opens with him almost wishing he had, badly wounded and deep in despair. His concerned comrades include his massive, 8-foot-tall, 500-pound guardian, Courtland Thompson; his former nemesis Dagen; and Jenna, the woman who saved Dagen from the worst in himself. While hoping that Kane will recover, Courtland sadly recalls the widespread destruction ("So much had happened. The world as they knew it had ended. It had been fast and furious, drowning the planet in plague and fire. Few had survived"). Stalking this group from afar, through lieutenants and moles, is Coyote leader Malak, a provincial warlord who's possessed by an ancient evil spirit. Malak and his minions are able to brainwash the innocent to join their cause. But benevolent spirits exist, too, in Jones' multifaceted world. As in the previous volumes, the narrative features strong, evocative Christian overlays, which Jones handles with considerable dramatic skill and a no-nonsense delivery that should make this series attractive to readers of Christian sci-fi. Plotlines that have been accumulating power in the first two books converge in this imaginative novel as the ragtag forces of Kane and his friends square off against the sinister Malak and his followers. Jones adeptly interweaves this earthly brawl (complete with copious amounts of violence and some compelling descriptions and dialogue--non-Christians should be every bit as gripped by the action as Christians) with a larger celestial struggle being fought over the future of humanity. Kane's quest to save his children, Dagen's search for the best parts of his soul, the survivors' hunt for an ancient artifact of enormous power--all are brought to a stirring, well-handled climax. An energetic thriller about beleaguered warriors of God battling the powers of darkness that delivers a rousing conclusion.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Jones, Stu: Against the Fading of the Light." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Feb. 2016. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A441734888/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=84267be4. Accessed 26 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A441734888
QUOTE:
Cinematic, thought-provoking, and immersive, this is a great option for fans of darker, grittier, and more science-focused dystopias in the manner of the novels of Philip K. Dick.
It Takes Death to Reach a Star
Becky Spratford
Booklist. 114.18 (May 15, 2018): p34.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
It Takes Death to Reach a Star.
By Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington.
May 2018. 306p. Vesuvian, paper, $17.99 (9781944109523); e-book, $7.99 (9781944109530).
In Etyom, a dark, freezing city in what was Siberia, there are two races of survivors of the New Black Death (NBD) that swept the globe after WWIII. In the walled cities on the ground live the Robusts, descendants of the poor who were immune to the NBD, while up in the skies live the Graciles, genetically engineered descendants of the super-rich. Readers enter this complex world through Mila, a plucky and resourceful Robust, and Demitri, a brilliant Gracile scientist with a dark secret. Their engaging first-person narrations alternate, while the action and twisting plot, blending political intrigue and caper, keep the story moving at a fun and brisk pace. But there is also much to ponder in this well researched tale, serious issues like the place where science and faith collide, human interference in evolution, and race and class biases. Cinematic, thought-provoking, and immersive, this is a great option for fans of darker, grittier, and more science-focused dystopias in the manner of the novels of Philip K. Dick. --Becky Spratford
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Spratford, Becky. "It Takes Death to Reach a Star." Booklist, 15 May 2018, p. 34. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A541400855/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=fae2ae58. Accessed 26 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A541400855
It Takes Death to Reach a Star
QUOTE:
reasonably standard post-apocalyptic dystopian work
Readers looking for innovation in worldbuilding or characters will be disappointed
Publishers Weekly. 265.18 (Apr. 30, 2018): p45.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
It Takes Death to Reach a Star
Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington. Vesuvian, $17.99 trade paper (323p) ISBN 978-1944109-52-3
The first collaboration between Jones and Worthington (the Action of Purpose trilogy) is a reasonably standard post-apocalyptic dystopian work. Thanks to a one-two apocalyptic punch of war and disease, most of the world is uninhabitable; only one remote area of Siberia remains a place where humans can live. Dystopia fans looking for the usual tropes--a highly unequal future society, protagonists from each half thrown together, machinations by the dictator in charge, etc.-will get all that, explained in straight-up exposition dumps by the two narrators (Demitri, a member of the genetically modified elite Graciles, and Mila, a scavenger and member of the tough but poor Robusts) and in ponderous conversations between characters telling each other what they both know. There are a few interesting twists involving Vedmak, a second personality inside Demitri who might represent a failure of the bioengineering and culling that the Graciles practice, but the limitations and sheer grunginess of the setting keep the story solidly predictable. Readers looking for innovation in worldbuilding or characters will be disappointed. Agent: Italia Gandolfo, Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary. (June)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"It Takes Death to Reach a Star." Publishers Weekly, 30 Apr. 2018, p. 45. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A537852265/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=cc386405. Accessed 26 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A537852265
QUOTE:
Against the Fading of the Light, surprising within its faith-based genre, is a dark, violent, and graphic religious apocalypse novel with the nonstop action of a wartime thriller.
Against the Fading of the Light
Diane Gardner
Clarion Reviews. (Mar. 4, 2016):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 ForeWord
https://www.forewordmagazine.net/clarion/reviews.aspx
Full Text:
Stu Jones; AGAINST THE FADING OF THE LIGHT; CreateSpace (Fiction: Christian) 14.99 ISBN: 9781514880395
Byline: Diane Gardner
This surprising apocalyptic novel is edgy within its faith-based genre, and has the action of a wartime thriller.
Against the Fading of the Light is the third gripping and graphically violent installment of Stu Jones's Action of Purpose trilogy, which explores the struggle to maintain faith against the powers of evil.
This novel focuses on one man's quest to save his children, and the world, during an apocalyptic battle against demonic forces. Dark entities possess and control legions of murderous people. Their ultimate goal? To find "the machine" that will rend the veil that divides the natural and supernatural worlds and grant themselves power that they expect will be greater than God's.
Kane Lorusso accepts that he and his ragtag group of resistance fighters may be the only chance of preventing world annihilation. But their numbers and strength are small. Their only hope is to trust in God, though so much of what they live through, including the words of evil voices, suggests that God cannot, or will not, intervene. Grotesquely violent battles test the resistance forces and their faith. As they seek a way to win this impossible fight, they rush to save Kane's children, captured by the evil Malak for his own demonic purposes.
The novel explores the fight to hold onto faith, even when evil seems likely to overwhelm. Questions are raised: Can God truly get people through their darkest moments? Can people find it in themselves to sacrifice for what is right? Deep, often theological questions like these are thoroughly considered.
Such topics come through characters who struggle inwardly, are imperfect, and are thus relatable. Their reluctance and weaknesses, even in belief, add powerful elements to moments in which they stand strong. The storyline utilizes well-crafted cliffhanger moments to create consistent intrigue, such as when Malak lets the children's cries of unspecified pain and terror lull him to sleep.
A Christian apocalyptic perspective directs the text, and its sense of spirituality is woven in well. The abundance of profanity, employed by those under the control of evil, is surprising within this religious context. Additionally, aspects of the story diverge from standard theological perspectives in areas such as how the earth was created -- in the novel, for example, God uses an orb-like "machine" to "speak" the world into existence.
Most striking, perhaps, is the story's graphic violence. The gore is presented in visceral detail, with limbs and brain matter flying throughout the text. At times, this edges on gratuitousness and detracts from the story. Some language verges on grandiose: one character "seemed possessed with the power of a thousand men."
Against the Fading of the Light, surprising within its faith-based genre, is a dark, violent, and graphic religious apocalypse novel with the nonstop action of a wartime thriller.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Gardner, Diane. "Against the Fading of the Light." Clarion Reviews, 4 Mar. 2016. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A445401297/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=9cc6c8b9. Accessed 26 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A445401297
QUOTE:
This gritty Christian dystopian novel is powerfully dark at times and hopeful at others.
Jones maintains an action-rich pace, bolstered by visual descriptions and well-developed characters
Into the Dark of the Day
The theme of God's power and redemption is a strong current throughout, hopeful and spiritual in contrast to all the graphic bloodshed and grisly monsters.
Jason Henninger
Clarion Reviews. (Mar. 14, 2014):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 ForeWord
https://www.forewordmagazine.net/clarion/reviews.aspx
Full Text:
Stu Jones (author); INTO THE DARK OF THE DAY; CreateSpace (Fiction: Science Fiction) 15.99 ISBN: 9781490549880
Byline: Jason Henninger
This gritty Christian dystopian novel is powerfully dark at times and hopeful at others.
A grim and bloody end-of-the-world story is not the first place most readers would expect to find Christian inspiration, but that's exactly what author Stu Jones sets out to create in Into the Dark of Day. Mixing a bit of Mad Max, a bit of The Stand, a lot of The Walking Dead, and a biblical message of hope into a gritty, gore-splattered novel, the author ambitiously blends postapocalyptic science fiction, contemporary Christian fiction, action, and horror.
The sequel to Through the Fury to the Dawn, Into the Dark of Day continues a tale of survivors in a world gone mad. As the story begins, a vicious plague has nearly annihilated the human race, leaving hordes of mutated flesh-eating ghouls. Jones names them "Sicks" and takes efforts to say they are not undead and, therefore, not zombies, but this distinction hardly matters to the reader. The remaining nonsick humans have banded together, forming groups and gangs.
The protagonists of Into the Dark of Day are a handful of generally good-hearted Christians, led by the troubled Kane Lorusso, a dark and hardened man whose faith in God is seriously shaken by the horrors he's seen. Along with Kane are an enormous, benevolent man named Courtland; an implausibly pure woman named Jenna; a Native American child warrior named Tynuk; and a suicidal former gang leader named Dagen. Together they fight against vicious gangs and try to rescue Kane's wife and children. Along the way, they run afoul of an evil being with supernatural powers named Malak, who joins forces with the most destructive gangs. Throughout it all, Courtland tries to rekindle Kane's faith, and Jenna seeks to turn Dagen's heart toward the love of God, even though Dagen once brutalized and left her to be gang-raped.
Jones maintains an action-rich pace, bolstered by visual descriptions and well-developed characters (with the exception of Jenna, who seems to have no traits other than benevolence). His dialogue generally works, but it feels a little stilted at times, especially when switching from the grim and gritty to the evangelical. Because the author is both a man of faith and a police officer and SWAT team member, the action and elements of religious inspiration come across with the greatest authority. The science-fiction and horror elements are less compelling.
Into the Dark of Day is a well-designed, readable book. With a quality binding, a suitably menacing cover image, and good paper quality, it could withstand sharing and rereading. The author's stated aim is to show that Christian fiction doesn't need to be "sanitized." In that, he certainly achieves what he set out to do. The theme of God's power and redemption is a strong current throughout, hopeful and spiritual in contrast to all the graphic bloodshed and grisly monsters. It's powerfully dark at times, heartfelt and hopeful at others, and nothing at all like sanitized Christian fiction.
Jason Henninger
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Henninger, Jason. "Into the Dark of the Day." Clarion Reviews, 14 Mar. 2014. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A361826146/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=63ca4a54. Accessed 26 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A361826146
QUOTE:
The characters are well-developed, and they do a great job of pulling the reader into their lives. I recommend this book highly to anyone – even those who haven’t been that into sci-fi will enjoy the novel.
Book Review: It Takes Death to Reach a Star by Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington
June 4, 2018 / Ronda Bowen / 3 Comments
I love science fiction. The last page-turner I read was Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. I couldn’t put it down. So when I had the opportunity to review It Takes Death to Reach a Star by Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington, I was excited – especially since it’s dystopian sci-fi.
Jones and Worthington do a masterful job of weaving their voices together – that’s a good thing, because sometimes when you have co-authors, you’re left with seams where you can tell where one writer stopped and the other picked up. They are masterful at world creation, putting together a tale that really pulls at my imagination. When it came to being a page-turner, this novel did not disappoint. It was difficult to put down (and it may have caused me to lose a night of sleep before a long run.) The characters are well-developed, and they do a great job of pulling the reader into their lives. I recommend this book highly to anyone – even those who haven’t been that into sci-fi will enjoy the novel.
‘It Takes Death to Reach a Star’ Is An Unforgettable Sci-Fi Epic Which Explores Man’s Darkest Fears [REVIEW]
June 11, 2018 by Jathan Fink 5 Comments
It’s 2251 and the human race is facing extinction. Now it is up to two people from vastly different aspects of society to join forces and save the world in Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington’s It Takes Death to Reach A Star. (Illustration courtesy Vesuvian Books)
The future looks bleak. Mankind has forced itself into a corner and it seems like there is no way out. Between a third world war, incessant fighting over the planet’s resources and a viral outbreak that knows no bounds, humanity has nearly been annihilated. But not everyone has succumbed to death just yet. Two people from disparate factions of society may be able to ensure our ultimate survival if they can only learn to trust one another. Will they succeed? Find out in Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington’s addictive new sci-fi thriller, It Takes Death to Reach a Star.
Vesuvian Books
Only five short years after World War III, all but one of mankind’s cities have been destroyed—Etyom—a frightening refuge built on the frozen Siberian tundra, where what remains of society has been divided into multiple factions and conflict never ends.
The Robusts dwell in the dark streets of Lower Etyom. Here, descendents of poor survivors of the New Black Death struggle to survive as each new day brings fresh chances for them to die in horrifying ways.
Meanwhile, high overhead, the Graciles, the progeny of the superrich who were bioengineered to resist the plague, reside in a shining platform city that keeps them elevated above the very ones they are taught to despise.
Mila Solokoff is a Robust who risks her life on a daily basis to trade the only thing she can: information. But the wrong kind of knowledge can get a person killed, especially when she is forced to take a dangerous job she doesn’t want and finds herself involved with an organization bent on revolution.
Demitri Stasevich is a brilliant Gracile scientist on the fast track to greatness. Yet even his world high above the Robusts could be in peril if his secret is ever discovered, for he has an illness that could get him Ax’d, unless he can obtain an illegal narcotic produced by the Robusts themselves. But to do so, he has to descend into Lower Etyom, a journey he will risk all to take.
When Mila and Demitri are suddenly caught in the midst of a sinister plot that threatens life both above and below the cloud line, they each have a choice to make. They can salvage what’s left of mankind or doom it to extinction.
With It Takes Death to Reach a Star, authors Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington have raised the bar on both sci-fi and post-apocalyptic dystopian fiction. In fact, this new series has the potential to render popular franchises like the Hunger Games, the Maze Runner, and Divergent as mere forerunners in the genre. When readers meet Mila and Demitri, they’ll quickly marvel at how they outshine characters like Katniss Everdeen and Tobias Eaton. Although they share some similarities, both Mila and Demitri’s stories are more fleshed out, each of them have more at risk, and both find a way to harness the greatness that lays dormant within them.
In addition to creating great characters, Jones and Worthington also deliver a dark but tangible setting that is as vivid as it is terrifying. Etyom is carefully drawn, and despite its futuristic timeline, readers are swept into this fractured city with its towering lillipads above and the Robust’s squalid tenements below. And let’s not forget the Vapid, where the deadliest men reside, outside the walls of society, hungry for blood.
This is not just a story, however, about how the heroes of the tale escape with their lives, or how they fight to bring mankind back from the brink against which it precariously teeters. No, in many ways this is also a parable that forces us to take a long hard look at what it means to be human, makes us examine our biases, and just how far we are willing to go to maintain our place in a global caste system built on our fears and prejudices. It Takes Death to Reach a Star is a novel for our time, when these questions are being asked more than ever. As such, it will linger with readers long after the last page is turned and leaves all of us begging for more and eager to read the next installment. If you love futuristic stories you can sink your teeth into, you can’t go wrong with this brilliant book.
Against the Fading of the Light
Stu Jones
CreateSpace (Oct 8, 2015)
Softcover $14.99 (326pp)
978-1-5148-8039-5
Clarion Rating: 4 out of 5
This surprising apocalyptic novel is edgy within its faith-based genre, and has the action of a wartime thriller.
Against the Fading of the Light is the third gripping and graphically violent installment of Stu Jones’s Action of Purpose trilogy, which explores the struggle to maintain faith against the powers of evil.
This novel focuses on one man’s quest to save his children, and the world, during an apocalyptic battle against demonic forces. Dark entities possess and control legions of murderous people. Their ultimate goal? To find “the machine” that will rend the veil that divides the natural and supernatural worlds and grant themselves power that they expect will be greater than God’s.
Kane Lorusso accepts that he and his ragtag group of resistance fighters may be the only chance of preventing world annihilation. But their numbers and strength are small. Their only hope is to trust in God, though so much of what they live through, including the words of evil voices, suggests that God cannot, or will not, intervene. Grotesquely violent battles test the resistance forces and their faith. As they seek a way to win this impossible fight, they rush to save Kane’s children, captured by the evil Malak for his own demonic purposes.
The novel explores the fight to hold onto faith, even when evil seems likely to overwhelm. Questions are raised: Can God truly get people through their darkest moments? Can people find it in themselves to sacrifice for what is right? Deep, often theological questions like these are thoroughly considered.
Such topics come through characters who struggle inwardly, are imperfect, and are thus relatable. Their reluctance and weaknesses, even in belief, add powerful elements to moments in which they stand strong. The storyline utilizes well-crafted cliffhanger moments to create consistent intrigue, such as when Malak lets the children’s cries of unspecified pain and terror lull him to sleep.
A Christian apocalyptic perspective directs the text, and its sense of spirituality is woven in well. The abundance of profanity, employed by those under the control of evil, is surprising within this religious context. Additionally, aspects of the story diverge from standard theological perspectives in areas such as how the earth was created—in the novel, for example, God uses an orb-like “machine” to “speak” the world into existence.
Most striking, perhaps, is the story’s graphic violence. The gore is presented in visceral detail, with limbs and brain matter flying throughout the text. At times, this edges on gratuitousness and detracts from the story. Some language verges on grandiose: one character “seemed possessed with the power of a thousand men.”
Against the Fading of the Light, surprising within its faith-based genre, is a dark, violent, and graphic religious apocalypse novel with the nonstop action of a wartime thriller.
Reviewed by Diane Gardner
March 4, 2016
QUOTE:
this book could become the first in an exciting series.
A strongly told, well-paced, inspirational story for Christians and nonbelievers alike.
THROUGH THE FURY TO THE DAWN
by Stu Jones
KIRKUS REVIEW
A band of Christian warriors struggles to defeat an evil warlord in a post-apocalyptic America.
In the middle of the night in April 2012, the world ended. Attacked with nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, the eastern United States was destroyed instantly, and those unlucky enough to survive the assault were turned into zombies as a result of the poison in the air. In Knoxville, Tenn., a middle-aged man and a silent woman wander the streets. This unlikely twosome was brought together not only by the destruction around them, but by God himself. For Molly, belief in God was never an issue. Her faith was a large part of her pre-catastrophe life, and during this difficult time—even after a pipe crushed her throat and took away her ability to speak—she still believes. Kane, however, was an atheist when hell broke loose. With his family believed dead and all he ever knew now lost, he has no reason to believe, and barely any reason to live. God, however, has spoken to him directly, and now Kane is on a mission. Unfortunately, that mission involves taking on the sadistic, polymorphic Malak and his group of psychotic warriors called the Coyotes. Kane, Molly, an almost mythic 8-foot-6-inch, 500-pound ex-athlete named Courtland and various other crusaders for good must navigate this new world and escape the changing forms of Malak in order to establish a just society. These scenes of flight and conflict are perfectly, tautly rendered and aptly convey the fear and desolation of the ruined world. However, the reader must wade through periodic, barely concealed religious and political rants against hot-button issues such as public health care, welfare recipients and Islamic radicalism that distract from the story. In the opening pages in particular, it seems as if the book will give way to a series of authorial rants. With a dose of editing aimed at removing such passages, this book could become the first in an exciting series.
A strongly told, well-paced, inspirational story for Christians and nonbelievers alike.