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Tom Shepherd

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Light the Dark Sky: First Voyages Book 2 Kindle Edition

by Tom Shepherd (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.5 28 ratings

Book 2 of 3: First Voyages

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Light the Dark Sky takes readers along on humanity’s First Voyages beyond the solar system into unexplored space by Faster-Than-Light propulsion.

Captain Aurelio Lupetti leads a multi-cultural crew into the unknown aboard humanity's first FTL starship, named after the first vessel to circumnavigate the globe, Ferdinand Magellan’s flagship Victoria.

Lupetti discovers Earth-class planets everywhere. Some uninhabited, others packed with friendly aliens, others not so welcoming. And he quickly discovers the advantages and drawbacks from flying a ship from a neutral world into a galaxy at the verge of war.

Great new species, colorful characters, romance and conflict and the thrill of first footprints on an unknown world. Light the Dark Sky will keep you turning pages to find what’s really waiting to greet H-sapiens out there in the depths of starry space.

"Excellent! One of Tom Shepherd's best."
"Love the banter between Aurelio and Ndari. And bringing her brother Kadek aboard was brilliant!"
"Where is Book 3 -- the story MUST go on!"

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CWDHNC7J
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bookbag Press (April 15, 2024)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 15, 2024
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2583 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 335 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #30,155 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #209 in Space Fleet Science Fiction
- #257 in Exploration Science Fiction
- #278 in First Contact Science Fiction eBooks

Customer Reviews:
4.5 28 ratings

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About the author

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Tom Shepherd

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Tom Shepherd flew medical evacuation helicopters in Vietnam, where he received two Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart. He has worked as a Japanese linguist, public school teacher, and graduate school professor. Shepherd is originally from Reading, Pennsylvania, but lived in Alaska, Germany, Indochina, and the Republic of Korea.

Dr. Tom (not medical) spent the balance of of his professional career working with churches in the Deep South, California, and the Midwest, all leading to his final post as Professor of Religious Studies at Unity Institute near Kansas City, Missouri.

Author of a wide array of articles and nonfiction books, plus more than twenty plays and two novels for the middle grades, Shepherd “retired” in 2016 to write sci-fi novels full time.

"Arrested on an alien world--who you gonna call?"

STAR LAWYERS, Dr. Tom's best-selling series, continues to thrill readers, who describe it as “Star Trek meets Law & Order.” Tom Shepherd lives with wife Carol-Jean in Tucson, Arizona.

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4.5 out of 5

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Chuck Woodbury

finally!

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2024

Verified Purchase

Been waiting for a sequel to First Voyages for a long time. Glad it’s finally here and was a great second act. Tom’s books are always entertaining, bawdy, light hearted, exciting at times, and generally just fun.

4 people found this helpful

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Dr. Geoff

2nd Voyage of the Victoria will leave you breathless!

Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2024

If there is one thing that you are guaranteed with Tom Shepherd, it's action from the starting bell, and it never lets up. First Voyages 2 kicks that action up a notch, and is a heart-stopping edge-of-your-seat adventure that you cannot put down.

From the first chapter, where our gallant Captain Aurelio Lupetti is a hero, and about to launch into the Vicky's second voyage: This time instead of finding a lost colony ship and rescuing Earth's only existing colony from the treacherous and lethal Lutzak Horde, he has a hit on him from the Lutzak. They will stop at nothing to kill Lupetti since they think he threatens their empire. From secret government agents to spies and traitors onboard the Victora, they have it in for Lupetti. Can he survive their lethal onslaught?

This is but one of the many multi-faceted problems facing Captain Lupetti and his wife and Commander Ndari, as well as Kadek, Ndari's brother who is along on the voyage to help with security. Tom Shepherd is fabulous when it comes to developing alien races, he is extremely detailed and life-like with his descriptions that make you feel like these are real live beings. So many have their quirks, their multiple skills, and the dialogue and perspectives they use to bring the story to life in a way that makes you keep reading and not want to put it down.

Robert Jordan in fantasy has an extraordinarily descriptive style. For Science Fiction, and space opera especially, Tom Shepherd has some of that same aspect of detail that brings alien races, cultures, and characters to life, and brings you into the action. You really believe in the worlds and people in Tom Shepherd's universe, and this adds tremendously to the enjoyment of the story. For those of us who have been reading the Star Lawyers books for some time, it is great to see some of the first contact happening between humans and other races. It gives a great perspective on what happens 700 years later in the next series.

True enough, it would not be a Tom Shepherd story without a bawdy and romantic - and romance - nature to it. This only adds to the enjoyment of the story. With First Voyages, the bawdiness is integral to the story and the characters, and you want to find out what will happen next to them.

In summary, this book was a fast read, and left me wanting the next installment, Hard into the Storm, as soon as possible, and thank goodness that is only a few weeks away. This book was worth the wait, as is every story in the Star Lawyers universe from Tom Shepherd. As long as he keeps writing them, I'll keep reading them.

2 people found this helpful

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arrietty7

A great author comes up with another winner!

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2024

As I have mentioned in previous reviews, I am a great fan of Tom Shepherd’s books, and this one does not disappoint. Having finally achieved FTL flight capabilities, earth populations are finally reaching out to other worlds, colonizing or exploring. Tom has a vivid, somewhat quirky imagination and his aliens and other off-worlders are an extremely varied and sometimes improbable but-he-makes-it-work bunch. I have long given up trying to figure out how some of the made-up names are pronounced – just go with the flow. Needless to say, these characters are all either very talented in one way or another or quite evil; some of them have incredible multiple talents which helps in the various crises that the ship encounters. This book is so full of plots, subplots, twists and turns, heroic and criminal behaviors that it would seem impossible to bring them all to resolution – but he does, even if it is not always what the reader is hoping for. There is just enough reference to past events to bring the reader into this universe even if one has not read the first book of this series – Wind Among the Stars – although I recommend reading it, even out of order. Another great book from a very talented author.

4 people found this helpful

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Jan

First rate space opera

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2024

Lupetti is on the alien hit list and life is dangerous for him and his crew; but the ship will still explore the stars.
Shepherd is bringing in all his aliens in this prequel story to the Star Lawyers series. This is Earth's first contact and the aliens are all strange. I love his characters and the strange worlds they populate. The story moves along at a good pace and keeps the excitement coming.
I received this book for free and wished to leave a review.

4 people found this helpful

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Manie Kilian

Starry-eyed

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024

It is quite amazing the universe that can open up for exploration when you have a FTL spaces freighter, like the Victoria.
More so for Aurelio Lupetti, his wife Ndari and the crew one gets to meet as the plot unfolds.
Yes, space is exciting.
And dangerous.
As the adventures they go on, unfolds despite dangerous onslaughts on Aurelio.
So, I feel a lot in common with Ndari wanting to throttle Aurelio when he darts away on a mission or two almost guaranteed to get himself killed.
But it certainly also leaves one starry-eyed and wistful at the conclusion of this book.
Enjoy.

4 people found this helpful

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Dr Susan

Excellent sci fi adventure

Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2024

The worldbuilding is interesting, the characters are likeable and entertaining (except the bad guys), and the story is great. I disliked two of the plot twists but not enough to drop my rating. I have never enjoyed time travel and hope it doesn't become a frequently used device in the series. And the other plot twist feels irresponsible, considering the length of the Victoria's exploratory cruise, as well as the inherent danger. I'm looking forward to the crew's further adventures.

One person found this helpful

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PeterR

Great new series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 6, 2024

Verified Purchase

Book 2 and Captain Aurelio Lupetti and his multi species crew of the Victoria and once again facing problems from home as well as in the larger expanse of our galaxy. And what a ride book 2 has been. No spoilers, just look out for the various aliens, none of whom drip acid all over the floor, but can be just as nasty in their own way. The crew have to resort to guile to resolve some issues, and meet very powerful new friends. The storyline romps along, and leaves you needing, not wanting, needing book 3. Did I say it was a fun ride, and I want to sign on to the Victoria?

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Light the Dark Sky: First Voyages Book 2 Kindle Edition

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