Fugue for the Sacred Songbook in Eb Minor (Master Symphony Trilogy #2)

Reviewed by:

G. Connor Salter, Professional Writing alumnus from Taylor University, Upland, IN.

Title:

Fugue for the Sacred Songbook in Eb Minor (Master Symphony Trilogy #2)

Author:

Keith A. Robinson

Publisher:

Independently Published

http://apologeticsfiction.com

Publication Date:

June 7, 2020

Format:

Paperback

Length:

464 Pages

OVERVIEW

Khalen hasn’t been on his home planet for a long time, and had no interest in returning. His people live in brutal warrior societies, taking what they can from each other as well as from other species. After a warrior murdered his father and claimed his mother as mate, Khalen’s family became even more brutal than before. Now his quest to retrieve stolen relics has brought him home as a captive. He will need all the help he can get – from the god he’s recently come to believe in as well as from others – to escape.

Robinson goes for a slower start in this novel than in the previous one. Prelude and Abduction threw readers immediately into a space battle which lead to a burglary and then to a quest to find relics. An exciting opening, but it didn’t initially give readers much information about the heroes or how they got together in the first place. Here, Robinson starts the action on one of the hero’s home planets, digging into details about where he came from and what sort of place he lives on. This may not be as flashy, but it grounds the characters and makes it a little easier to sort through all the exotic sci-fi names and descriptions. Overall, this sequel does a great job of fleshing out the established story while also taking it in new directions.

A worthy follow-up in a fascinating sci-fi adventure series.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5 stars)

4 stars

Suggested Audience

Christians interested in “space opera” science fiction and in adventure stories that raise questions about God and the problem of evil.

Christian Impact

Robinson describes an alien planet based on around materialism and “law of the jungle” ethics, then shows how that contrasts with his heroes who’ve come to believe in the Great Composer, a religious system clearly modelled on Christianity. Various characters debate the problem of evil, how their worldview impacts their beliefs and why they believe what they do.

As in the previous book, Robinson doesn’t do much to disguise these questions. The way characters talk about these ideas is clearly modelled on various apologetics approaches, and anyone who’s read much apologetics will quickly spot what he’s doing. However, there’s an inherent element of silliness to this kind of science fiction, so the responses don’t seem as cheesy as they would in another genre.

Note: This book is the second one in a series by the author. To read ECLA’s review of the previous book in the series, go to: