Reviewed by: J. J. Hanna, a Professional Writing major at Taylor University.

Introduction

Book Title: Into the Void

Author: Joshua A. Johnston

Publisher: Enclave Publishing

Publication Date: February 6, 2018

Format: Print Book

Length: 345 pages

OVERVIEW

Into the Void follows the crew of the battleship Hattan, captained by Jared Carter, who was promoted to captain for the purpose of this voyage. His crew is a mix of five main races of sentient beings—humans, Acerons, Hazionites, Riticans, and Exos—each race more specialized in one or two aspects of space travel than the others, sent on a reconnaissance mission by their government, the Confederacy.

As the crew advances through space unexplored for centuries, they are faced with dangers onboard as well as dangers outside. Every interaction could end in a battle, and they carry the weight of a strong need for diplomacy. Uncharted space means new interactions—interactions that could end in bloodshed or alliances, both of which happen as the crew of the Hattan interacts with a new alien race called the Plury’be.

I spentmost of the book a little confused about which races were doing what, where the ship was, and how much time had passed since the last chapter. Whereas the worldbuilding is incredible, the cultures are unique and well-created, there wasn’t enough of a driving plot to keep me engaged. This made it hard to keep picking the book up to read.

ASSESSMENT

Rating: 3 stars

 Suggested Audience:

Young Adult and New Adult readers of Sci-Fi looking for a story of hope and faith in the darkest of circumstances.

 Christian Impact:

In the fictional world in which this story takes place, there are multiple iterations of God and Jesus found in each of the alien planets and cultures. This book emphasizes the power of faith and prayer against the forces of evil and darkness, however, it suggests that there are more instances of the all-important incarnation than Christianity believes.

 Other Notes:

The author has included an appendix to assist readers in understanding Plury’be culture and sociological background.

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