After Megiddo

This is an interesting fiction that finds the line between intellectualism and poetry. The writing style itself is elevated, yet the author doesn't just dump endless dense paragraphs on you. Instead, they show an aptitude for knowing how to break the story up, use appropriate line breaks and concrete sentences. Lots of visuals and an elegant pen. 

A troubled MC who is unable to take two steps without stumbling over grand revelations in a Sci-Fi works that has been taking its vitamins and did not skipleg day. So far, five chapters of more questions than answers and a story that just can't get ahead at an agreeable pace.

Style: Not as direct and easy to understand for non-native speakers, but definitely a good one that uses evocative language to a highly successful degree, albeit many questions about the surroundings remain and some things are either never explained or not explicitly enough, such as what a mirador or IIT is.

Story:Overall, the story delves into some mythologically-inspired grand story threads, all layered behind a fun and highly-developed Sci-Fi narrative, but this layering is exactly what could put readers off; the main narrative of the MC suffers quite a bit from parallel developments that hype up a role on an epic scale for an MC who is already exalted by fate and birth. These parallel developments havent found together to a solid single narrative with a clearly visible goal to strive towards by chapter 5, but they surely hint at promising things, although one reveal seemed counter-intuitive and silly at first glance. 

Grammar: Flawless with some the exception of some careless mistakes.

Characters: The talking, intelligent corgi and the chibi pixie hologramm AI waifu (pictures included, nice) make it kind of obvious where the author got the inspirations from, but it still plays into good dialogue and make sense internally, to some degree. Sadly, due to constant dream-sequences, I cannot actually say whether these characters are one-trick-ponies or really deeper than the witty dialogue.

In the end, I have to admit that this is one of the more interesting and inspired stories on this site and the themes used in it were certainly ones I would have loved to pick up, had I written Sci-Fi myself yet.

I heartily recommend you give this a read!

INTRODUCTION:

Baxter is a god-tier dog and no one can change my mind.

STYLE:

After Megiddo is well-polished and has a style closely resembling a traditionally published work. Some of the descriptions are very imaginative and leave a mark in your mind, while some can read a little clumsy. Overall, though, it is consistently good, far above average for a typical serial.

GRAMMAR:

It's good. I didn't notice many errors, so there isn't much to comment on.

STORY:

The story, and particularly the world, is sometimes familiar and sometimes strange. It's clear that the author has spent considerable time crafting something that's both comprehensible and profound. Religion is a big theme here, but dealt with in a fun way.

I personally wasn't a fan of the MC's seeming lack of agency. He has several authority figures speaking to him through visions, telling him where to go, what to do, and who to talk to. Though the story might open up a bit and allow the MC more autonomy, given the developments where I left off.

CHARACTER:

The characters are varied, and I found most of them excellent. As previously stated, Baxter is the b e s t boy, and that's hard fact. Characters like Sol and Shindow are also engaging, and the MC has enough internal conflict to be interesting. The interactions are snappy to read through and generally don't drag, with a fair bit of levity and humor.

OVERALL:

After Megiddo is polished and readable, with clear care put into the setting and characters. I recommend it to anyone who likes sci-fi/space opera/science fantasy, or just someone who's looking for a quality piece of fiction with a lot of work put into it.

A very unique take on apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction. I can't recall the last time I saw angels, demons, and space-travel all in one place. As with Star Wars, loving the non-human characters most of all.

* based on Five opening chapters, likely more than 10K words.

first things first - the book does not have the usual pitfalls of the webfiction, as in poor grammar, badly realized first person pov, undeveloped narrative skill and losing steam by chapter 3.

in terms of setting, I picked up the classic space opera and sic fantasy influences, so if you are hot on Dune, Star TReck and Mass Effect, you will be in familiar waters. Some themes linking more directly to the angel-demonic epoth of some post-apocalyptic works are also noticeable. The space flight is space opera rather than realistic like in, say, Expanse.

The book builds up on the sci fantasy fascination with the space feodalism and space mystesism, relying on visions and theology to deliver information and conflict.

however, it blends it with interesting technological lifeforms, such as one of the pov characters, a chibi like AI, Shindow.

The main pov character, Gideon comes from the corporate feudalism type setting, a son of a powerful figure, one of many siblings. What sets this archetype apart is that Gideon is separate from his siblings as he is unable to assimilate the cybernetic implants, but he is cherished by his family. His is also not entirely idle unwilling adventurer, as he works towards his test pilot role, and is accomplished in his field. His relationship with his father is something that adds a wonderful human dimension to the book.

the already mentioned Shindow is another memorable character, with an obvious feminine aspect to her, and a strong arc starting up, hints of personality and feelings.

the cast of characters probably would be a bit too large for someone who cannot easily navigate Marvel Infinity Wars,  but even if you get lost in the secondary name characters, Gideon, Shondow and Gideon’s unforgettable talking pooch are there to anchor you in the book, and help you with the direction.

you will enjoy this read if you want a space opera in your life to sink your teeth in.