[Warner's World 01] • The Awakening

Dave Warner is the right person at the right place at the right time. He just doesn't know it yet. It's 2512 and he's had no time to grieve for his wife and children killed in the first nuclear strike of a civil war between the Federation and Alliance. He commands the Federation frigate, Hermes, and is deep in enemy space on a mission to rescue his best friend who has vital intelligence about the start of the war.

Trouble is they've been betrayed, ambushed and suffered losses. Now his crew are beginning to doubt his judgement. What Dave doesn't know is that he's about to go on a roller coaster ride of events that will give him a new chance at love and transform him from the spiritual warrior into the reluctant hero. Humanity is about to get a new legend.

The Awakening is the first of Dave O’Connor’s Warner’s World series of sci-fi books set in the 26th Century. Warner's World blends the genres of military sci-fi, space opera, adventure and romance. While the canvas gets bigger with each book in the series, the focus remains very much on the characters, their experiences and how they feel, think and respond to the events they are part of. These are not slow paced books devoted to intricate and evocative descriptions. Rather these are full of action, pace, rhythm and dialog. There is just enough description to provide a framework for the reader's imagination. In that sense this series is a partnership between you and the author.

Each book focusses on one or more themes and these are explored from different angles through the prism and perspective of the many characters. In The Awakening, we explore courage, trust and love.

The scope of the story broadens throughout the series. So too the cast of characters grows. But in each book the core set of characters are explored in increasing depth as they grow and develop. There are some really strong female leads. Yes misogyny is dead in the 26th Century!  But thankfully sex and romance are still alive and well. A galaxy without love and hope is too bleak to contemplate.

As in all war, there is plenty of death and dying. This is not a sugar coated portrayal or a boys own adventure. Characters of all persuasions are subjected to the rigors of war. Characters you grow to love may not survive, while others you loathe seem to escape their karma.

This is not a “futurist” expose. We have warp drives, right? While the author doesn’t let a fact get in the way of a good story, he does bring his own penchant for simulation to create as realistic a portrayal of future warfare as he can within the construct of science fiction. This includes a particular focus on the role of artificial intelligence in command decision making and the use of droids.

Warner’s World series:

The Awakening

Redemption

Insurrection

Retribution

Audacity

Resilience