In this Blog, we’ll be discussing this:
This is not so much a spoiler as an explanation of what appeared at the beginning of the first book. Most would not likely notice that there was a page at the beginning of the book with two words on it (Except my editor) since it didn’t seem like there would be a reason for them to be there.
This may not even seem important after reading the entire book, since you may conclude this was only the first episode of the series, not a multipart segment of the series. I would like to say this was by design, but it wasn’t.
It was by necessity. I wasn’t sure of how long this book should be. More than that, I wasn’t sure if there would be a second (or now, possibly more) after this. And I wasn’t honestly comfortable trying to neuter the story down to 30-50k, since it was already moving too fast for (the adult) me.
Since I was still trying to preserve the past, the only way I was comfortable doing so was to split the book. Thus, the next book begins at ‘Part II.’
I’m going to try to avoid spoilers in this blog, but there will be some. I’m sure you realize by talking about the next book, it can’t be helped.
Richard, while addressing the ‘issue’ in the first novel, by part II is still living life. That is, stuff is still happening, though at the beginning of the novel it seems the stuff happening is more mundane. It’s obvious by this remark he is wanting to start his adventure anew:
After a number of rest days, I am certain that I am ready to venture out into the vastness of space. Well, perhaps I am ready.
Richard Tyberius
He once again starts this novel with a desire to seek adventure, or at least try. And since this novel starts only a few days after the first one ends, not much will change in the makeup of the people surrounding him at the end of the first. Though, there are some additions (we’ll get to that later…).
Richard in his first log entry will also bring us up to date on what has happened since he last recorded a log, though as I’ve mentioned previously, don’t expect an exhaustive recount of all events and occurrences from the previous book. If anything, you may find his recounting of events sparse of details.
The first few chapters may also seem light on ‘adventure.’ I would remind you that this was the middle of the book, and a major event occurred in the chapters previous so it could seem like these are merely observations in the daily life of Richard:
Richard rubs his hand over his face. “This is bad,” he comments.
Tess raises her eyebrows, folding her arms tightly. “What?”
“When we are fighting over who gets to do menial work!” He shakes his head.
Richard & Tess
After his previous adventure, the story it could be said is in need of a new ‘arc,’ a reason why it continues. If you were to start with this book (book II), you may not even realize anything prior has happened to Richard, since it seems ‘The Silent Invader’ is no longer referenced. But if you read the previous book, you could realize something else is starting to play out. Just not in a way readily visible to Richard yet.
But, do not assume nothing is happening. Richard is still seeking adventure, even when things like this happen:
Richard gets up, straightening his uniform. “I could have lived well without that experience, thank you.” He walks over to Joe’s console. “Well, what happened?”
Richard & Joe
Joe pushes a series of buttons, looking at the feedback, then pushes more buttons. He lets out a huff. “I think I chose too ambitious a target. Since I now know that the exit of the fold opening actually travels to the destination, there has to be a delay in initiating the entrance of the portal.” He turns to Richard. “I assumed they appeared in the exact same moment, but the distances we traveled before were only a few hundred light years. The exit could easily traverse that in a split nanosecond, so I never registered a delay. But this time, I targeted a site 550 quadrillion light years away, so it was going to take a few minutes to travel the distance.”
“How far is that exactly?” Richard asks. “I have trouble comprehending the few hundred lightyears we normally travel!”
“Well, it’s equal to 550 thousand trillion, or 550 million billion.” Richard’s face remains blank after Joe’s remarks. Joe looks down at the console briefly. “If we traveled this distance conventionally, it would take about ten years.”
Richard looks up, glancing at a nearby bright orange star. “Whoa, that is a long time!” He pans his eyes across the expanse, stopping at various distant bright points of light. “So, we are seeing things that we may never see?”
“Easily,” replies Joe. “In a sense, we’re looking into the future, seeing the light from stars that won’t reach our worlds for years.”
There is still a lot yet to be learned about much of what was initially presented in the first book. For example, The how the drive system that Joe developed actually works, and what effect it has on everything. Including what happened in the first book. Or, how the events of the previous book affect Richard’s friends, even when it may seem Richard was personally unaffected. And then there’s the fact that this is a continuation of a complete novel that was entitled “The Silent Invader.”
Next week, I would like to touch on something I mentioned last month and point to who (or what) is now suspected to be the ‘Silent Invader.’
Thanks for reading! Please like and share! You can follow on Facebook, Tumblr, and read excerpts from The Silent Invader @RB_Thurman (and follow!), in addition to the chapters I add here. If you prefer, you can also read my posts on Goodreads. Your comments are always welcome below. Also, sign up now to receive notifications for when the next blog arrives.
In written form 