Readers! Are you ready to go back to the beginning of it all? Back before Leachim, Cora, and Markka ever even knew each other? Readers who are familiar with Brooks’s deep space series will be thrilled to be reunited with familiar characters in his latest book – When Destinies Collide. Are you a reader who enjoys deep space science fiction novels but hasn’t read any of the Destined series? Well, consider yourself lucky! In When Destinies Collide…you can read it all from the beginning and enjoy every second of this dynamic series.
When Destinies Collide works to grab readers with its eye-catching cover: a space battleship in the foreground! Coupled with the battleship is an array of fighters with explosions going off while they fight in deep space over a planet. The cover beautifully sets the stage for the story contained within its pages. One thing is for sure…this cover compels you to pick this book up and discover what’s inside.
When Destinies Collide is the latest book in Michael D. Brooks’s Deep Space Destined series. This book takes readers back before Leachim and Markka wound up stranded in space fighting for their lives with their fighter ship unable to continue the fight. When Destinies Collide takes readers back to even before our heroic characters ever even met or knew the others even existed.
Readers who have read the previous books in the Destined series are going to be the real winners when it comes to this book. Why? Because this book is the final piece in the puzzle when it comes to the Destined series. Of course, that’s not to say that newbies to the series aren’t going to want to dive into this book.
Newbies though are the ones who will get to follow along with Leachim’s and Markka’s story from the very beginning and read it all the way to completion in the “proper” order. So, maybe the newbies are the ones who come out as the real winners in all of this. LOL!
Of course, if you’re expecting this book to start out with David Leachim, you’re going to be mildly disappointed. No, author Brook’s is going to take the time to set the stage one character at a time, and this book starts with Vee. Vee, of Avian ancestry, lost her family to an attack from the Galactic Star Empire. Readers who have devoured this series will remember this collective depicted as a militaristic empire bent on the subjugation of all species and worlds under their totalitarian rule.
As each chapter unfolds readers are learning about their favorite characters from the Destined series. Each “mini” story comes to light as When Destinies Collide unfolds a page at a time. You’ll get to see how each character had devastating circumstances happen to them that helped push them in the direction of choosing to join up and become a part of the Alliance. What a treat!
Brooks showcases undeniably that he has found his stride with his writing in When Destinies Collide. The details are well done and give readers just enough to paint vivid pictures in their mind of the scenarios playing out on the page. You’re going to see the characters fighting for their lives, losing loved ones and family, and having to struggle with the loss and how to move forward.
When Destinies Collide is going to work to tease your visceral emotions and reactions to the variety of characters found within these pages. Brooks artfully showcases how each of these characters comes to the decision to join the military with the intent to either fight or save those innocents caught in the line of fire of the GSE. Some will start out with one path in mind, while circumstances will push them to choose another path later on.
When Destinies Collide is tantamount to an origin story for these characters and the birth of how the crew of the Infiltrator came to be in existence. If one mission had gone awry by one second earlier or later, or if a particular situation hadn’t panned out in a particular way…fate would have been altered and the dynamic crew would never have come into existence.
One fact is true and that is it is an absolute delight to be able to better get to know these characters. We get to meet them when they are still fresh and malleable. We, as readers, get to bear witness to their losses and how they make the choice of how to move forward. Brooks allows us, as we read When Destinies Collide, to watch as each of these characters cross paths and, more often than not, go a different way.
Honestly, the crossing of paths is going to drive you to get hyped only to come crashing down when they go separate ways. It’s okay though! They’ll eventually come back together. When will that be? Well, you’ll just have to read this book for yourself! Trust us…it’s worth reading.
Readers who are familiar with Leachim and Markka especially will love how the author pays special attention to not just their personalities, but shows how their “sibling-like” relationship came to be. The birth of this connection is one born of heartbreak and loss, so go ahead and grab a few tissues.
Yet, the way that the author shows how well they help each other become more in When Destinies Collide is absolutely worth mentioning. The character development and the storyline build-up are artfully done and come together to create a dynamic story.
When Destinies Collide is a page-turner of a science fiction novel that will keep you glued to the pages and coming back for more. Whether you are new to the series, and choosing to read this book for the first time. Or, whether you are a reader who has enjoyed the previous three books and are ravenous for more, this book will captivate you.
Whether you have read the series to completion or are just finding it for the first time — the ending? The ending beautifully and perfectly blends together with how book one begins. So, one thing is for sure. Readers, new and old to the series, will find themselves wanting to devour this series as it follows our heroes in their quest to save and protect all innocent life from the threat that is the GSE.
Pros:
- Well written storyline
- Page-turner
- Well developed characters
- Good attention to detail
- Engaging from beginning to end
Cons:
- None of merit
Scribble's Worth 
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