Blood of the Scarecrow

Solstice 31 Saga, Book 3

By: Martin Wilsey

Narrated by: Andrew Tell

Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Captain James Worthington, Roland Barcus and the crew of the deep space survey ship Ventura have been betrayed and blown out of the orbit of the planet Baytirus in a heinous ambush.

As they struggle to survive, the crew discovered they were sacrificed to protect a dark agenda. Now that they've fought their way free of their planet-bound trap, the survivors are ready to go home. Whether Earth wants them back or not.

©2016 Martin Wilsey (P)2016 Martin Wilsey

Somewhat over-the-top but very entertaining

This being the last installment of the trilogy, Martin decides to end it in Dr. Strangelove one-upmanship fashion. He also, wrongly, conflates megalomania with liberal fascism. The earth governance was more of a kleptocracy headed by a psychotic nut-job than some collectivists pipe dream. Also, some of the SciFi elements were more than a bit outlandish.

Even so, the novel was a kick to go through, in no small part due to the excellent narration by Andrew Tell.

Great ending to a terrific series

If you could sum up Blood of the Scarecrow in three words, what would they be?

Action-packed, exciting,

Who was your favorite character and why?

Barcus... a man who never wanted to be a hero, but felt himself obligated to take the mantle.

Have you listened to any of Andrew Tell’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Any additional comments?

All questions are finally answered, and a few new mysteries are revealed, as the truth behind the 'incident' comes to light. Fates of the characters we've come to love are determined, some good with a few not so good. All in all, a terrific ending to the Solstice trilogy.

Book 3 kicks it up a notch

Blood of the Scarecrow is Martin Wilsey's 3rd installment in the Solstice 31 Saga trilogy. As with Book 2, the story opens with a focus on another survivor of the Ventura destruction, Wes Hagen and begins concurrent with Books 1 & 2. More quickly however, all the survivors hook up, along with Wex who saved Barcus' life, but transformed him into something else. The plot shifts back to the Earth system where the mystery of the Ventura destruction is revealed as part of a larger political move to cement power, thus explaining the basis for the chapter intros regarding a subsequent investigation into events that resulted in millions of deaths.

The sci-fi elements are mostly in line with earlier installments, especially with AI sophistication. One new intriguing element is the concept of a "scarecrow", an alternate lifeform, that human can become that have "wolverine" (X-Men) like recuperative powers, and can perceive time as human perceive space allowing for limited precognition. The geopolitical machinations that created the basis for the story are well crafted, but devilishly complex, equal to the planet on which the story began.

The narration continues to be above average with a solid range of voices. Tone and mood are well suited to the plot. Of particular note is the pacing which allows for absorption of a complex web of motives and interactions. If possible, listening to all three books in succession will help in the flow as the character count is on the high side.

great rap up

Would you listen to Blood of the Scarecrow again? Why?

I would listen to again, I will listen to all three books again they were awesome

What did you like best about this story?

Barcus was my hero and the whole series just is so captivating. very well done.

Have you listened to any of Andrew Tell’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Andrew did the first two books and I would listen to other stories he reads.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Any additional comments?

Mr Wilsey did a fantastic job with this series and I hope he continues writing.

Great conclusion to a great series

A proper ending. Book one was amazing book two was awesome. This was just as wonderful and as sci fi as it gets.

Disappointed Ending

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Story was confusing with too many changes and views, overall I was disappointed especially considering the depth of the first two books in the series.