In the spotlight: Alex J. Cavanaugh's two books, CassaStar and CassaFire. This is the story of Byron, an ace pilot with a lonely background and troubled past.
Cassastar
Alex J. Cavanaugh, Science Fiction
Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C., 2010
Arriving on the planet Guaard for training, Byron knows this may be his last chance to reach his goal of being a fighter pilot. His current navigator is the only one left who can tolerate him. Senior Officer Bassa notices Byron's piloting skills and learns of his secret ability, a skill only found in a few Cassans. He investigates the young man's background and sees a troubled past that reminds him of his own mistakes.
Through battles with an encroaching enemy and a personal crisis, Byron is forced to step outside himself and worry about others. When all seems lost, he is determined to right a few wrongs and makes a heroic effort.
As an introduction to this universe and to the character of Byron, this book succeeds in showing us the growth of the individual. Alex takes us through the learning curve that Byron must traverse to reach his full potential. I enjoyed this book, and it provides the background for Alex's second book in this series, released early in 2012. See below.
http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.ca/ Alex's Blog
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CassaFire
Alex J. Cavanaugh, Science Fiction
Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C., 2012
In CassaFire, Byron has matured in age and feels his glory days are behind him. He doesn't want to be reminded of his past misdeeds or accomplishments. When alien ruins and writings are discovered on the planet Tgren, an exploration ship is dispatched to assist the Tgrens and try to break the alien code. Initially a little cool to the Cassans, the Tgrens must learn to trust them.
Learning shortly after his arrival that he will be training another pilot, a female with potential for mental powers, Byron is annoyed. He doesn't easily acknowledge her proficiency. She wants to get to know him. He resists.
There's plenty of action and pyrotechnics (primary colours, loud noises, and bright explosions) in the battle scenes. If you like science fiction and discovering new authors, check out these two books. See Alex's blog. He's full of information about film, current books and ninjas.
http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.ca/p/cassafire.html Alex's Blog
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Have you read Alex's books? Do you follow his blog?
Please share any comments you have, and if you don't know Alex, drop by his page to find out more about him. It's also a nice place to meet other writers and readers.
DG's Note: After Blogger wiped out two previous attempts at this post and refused to upload images, I was unable to show the separate covers for the two books. Now, in the right sidebar, I've uploaded a photo showing both covers.
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