Heritage (Tales of the Phoenix Titan) Paperback – December 26, 2021

Hold on to your space helmets, fellow Sci-fi Fans, because "Heritage" by S.M. Warlow is an interstellar ride that's part space opera, part cosmic carnival, and a whole lot of fun. Picture Firefly meets the Star Wars movie, Solo.The character arc is top-notch and fun. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but isn’t too funny to be distracting. Zak Jordan’s narration is great. His voice for the main character is spot on and his portrayal of the “bad guy” is perfect. If you miss the days of Firefly, this one might be for you.OVERVIEWNathan Carter, our protagonist and mediocre criminal, takes center stage in a winding space adventure. From a simple heist to a mission to save the galaxy, Nathan's journey has laughs, surprises, and a few "oh no, he didn't" moments.MY HANGUPSBeing an author, I have a few picadilies, one of which Wartlow writing style struck. While our first-time author keeps his writing sharp, I had to let go of MY baggage to enjoy. Listen to the five-minute Audible sample for a sneak peek to ensure you don’t share my issues. If it tickles your fancy, you're in for a treat.VERDICTHeritage is worth a read.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Story⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Narration⭐⭐⭐⭐ Overall

Heritage by S. M. Warlow is the first entry into the Tales of the Phoenix Titan. We follow Nathan Carter as he and the rag-tag crew of the Pheonix Titan attempt to defend the galaxy from the Revenant, a war-like species bent on reshaping the galaxy in their image.Heritage is a hefty book, with numerous subplots and a large cast of characters, and I think they are all handled very well for the most part. S. M. Warlow deserves props for taking on such a massive work for a debut novel. The almost episodic progression of the story allows for solid development of the Pheonix Titan's crew and exploration of the world that has been created without taking away from the main conflict.Fans of sci-fi and space operas will find a good balance between familiarity and uniqueness in Heritage. I definitely caught shades of Mass Effect, Dune, and Firefly. There was also a section that had me thinking of DOOM and Alien. It was unexpected and I really enjoyed it.One of my favorite bits of this novel were the epigraphs at the beginning of the main antagonists' POV chapters and sections. It's additions like those that bring that extra something that I enjoy in sci-fi and fantasy novels.All said, if you enjoy sci-fi, space operas, and a tiny bit of horror, you're sure to enjoy Heritage! I'm happy to see that book two is scheduled to be released in April.

The worldbuilding is grim (planetary destruction, oppressive regimes, just little stuff), but Nathan and his crew are a definite bright spot. The plot is thrilling, and the romances are believable. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Such a great premise and exceptional world-building skills!Yet…The reader should not need to stop and try to make sense of the very numerous typos and odd or missing punctuation.Ex: “Still, it had been a long day, and the need for a drink and some bunk-time was needed.”

There was some promise and a lot of world building. Sadly basic physics disappeared in the first shockwave travelling through space. I'm all for suspension of belief but it's either our universe or its not.I battled my way to 75%.1 star for using the thesaurus.

I started this and immediately thought that I was a bit slow but I persevered and I’m glad I did, the characters are engaging and likeable the story, after the slow start, very good and thought out. Definitely looking forward to the next instalment.

I tend to lean towards books that are longer than 400 pages, usually because the descriptions and the storylines aren’t rushed and well thought out, and this certainly lived up to me expectations. Loved the world building, the characters, the moral dilemmas they had to fight, and the story that I honestly didn’t know where it was going to end up. Looking forward to the next in the series.

The plot was generally fine, the characters sort of card board, but the pace was very slow. I think the book can shrink by 25% and still get all the necessary bits in. I think there will be a sequel but I don't think I care enough about the plot/characters to read the next installment.

A barnstorming rollercoaster ride across the cosmos in this hugely enjoyable sci fi novel. Some original characters that I found you could believe in and care about as the journey unfolds. I really enjoyed reading this book and am already looking forward to any sequel that may follow.

Nice character development and relationships with a good paced story fun to read. Keep it up looking forward to the next one