Original review posted Saturday, June 2, 2012

Description: From before the Dawn of Man, good and evil have battled on the Earth. As humans progressed from Eden to the skies and to space, Azrael watched over humanity — teaching, guiding, and protecting the Children of Earth.

The Enemy, imprisoned on Earth for their rebellion, carry out the Master’s plan to end their bondage and take the war to a new front — a pristine ‘cradle’ world where suffering and war are not known. Using the Emperor of Earth and the resources of his vast empire to build mankind’s first starship, the Enemy weaves a plot that spans generations, and threatens two sentient races.

In Book One, Azrael enlists Father Bożydar Jofre, a Jesuit priest, and Kavan Ferre, a brilliant physicist, to prevent the Enemy from escaping to the stars. Joined by an unlikely group of space pirates, Azrael leads an epic race across the solar system to halt the Enemy before their great migration can begin.

THE WATCHERS OF UR: CRADLE will take you from Earth to Mars, Europa, Titan, and beyond on an epic journey filled with fast-paced action, gripping human drama, and stunning glimpses of the future of Mankind.

Review: 4 of 5 Stars

When I started this book I was a bit leery given the framework and the obvious references to religion. Nevertheless, I sat down to read it and despite my initial misgivings it really was a fun read so I’m giving it a 4 for the entertainment I derived from it. I really enjoyed some of the characters and appreciated the spice thrown in by some of the more obscure ones in this merry band of mortals off to save the universe. In addition, I’m always up for some good action and a rollicking space battle and there was plenty of both. The author did add some twists to the age old struggle between good and evil, which were interesting to think about in the context of the story. Overall, I enjoyed it and I’ll probably read the next one. If you like an occasional swashbuckling type romp and have the ability to treat fiction as just that and not take it too seriously then you might pass an enjoyable afternoon with this space adventure.