I’m a big sci-fi fan, so when I had the opportunity to read Vulcan’s Forge, I was excited. This one is a unique premise about a future where Earth no longer exists and what humans remain, have colonized another planet. This new society puts a lot of emphasis on marriage, children, sexual repression, and so on.

Vulcan’s Forge centers around Jason, his job, and how this culture affects his life. Jason is a fantastic protagonist. Readily wanting to rebel against this repressive new society. His actions, of course, have consequences, and it was interesting to watch his story progress.

Robert Mitchell Evans has a talent for pulling his readers in. Tension, intrigue, and action galore, Vulcan’s Forge was a compelling read. I could not put it down because I was so intrigued to see where the story would go.

Vulcan’s Forge is a well-written, intriguing sci-fi that I definitely recommend checking out.

Rating:

4/5☆

*I received a free copy of this book from Random Things Tours in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*

Set in the far future, Vulcan’s Forge starts with a mysterious theft. A man has stolen the Vulcan’s Forge. We don’t know what it is, why he wants it, what it can do, only that it is powerful and valuable and its owners are desperate to get it back. With that prologue hanging over the story, we then meet Jason. A young man whose job is to show movies and discuss them with audiences, Jason is a generally well-meaning person without much purpose in life.

This is a major problem on the planet Nocturnia, where purpose defines life. Nocturnia is reminiscent of a Christian theocracy, where the law prohibits sinful acts such as sex out of marriage. Every person’s responsibility is to marry, procreate, and help rebuild the human population in its new interstellar home.

Jason has delayed marriage, but finally his girlfriend Seiko and his buddy Brandon have convinced him to settle down and set a date. Just at this point, though, a problem arises.

Pamela.

Pamela is stunningly beautiful, daring in her fashion choices among a very conservative populace, and really into Jason. With very little effort, Pamela sweeps Jason off his feet. She is willing to flout the law, flout convention, and cater to Jason’s every sensual dream. Before he knows it, he is swept into a world of trouble that threatens his job, his place in society, his girlfriend, and possibly his life.

Robert Mitchell Evans manages to create a world that is both a caricature and frighteningly believable. Nocturnian society is not just prudish. It is a fundamentalist’s dream. Church attendance is virtually mandatory. Sin can lead to expulsion from the community, and on a world where native plants and animals are inedible, expulsion leads to certain death. Jason wants to watch movies that feature racier and adult themes. However, media is strictly monitored. Watching such films is not just illegal, it is virtually impossible under the strict guidance of the government. Behavior is monitored. Travel is monitored. Illegality is rare, because it is so hard to get away with anything. It does exist. But it is buried deeply.

Jason is a very believable protagonist. He is not a bad guy. He means well, loves his girlfriend, supports his friends, works hard at his job. He is weak. It does not take Pamela a lot of effort to sway him to betraying Seiko. Pamela convinces Jason to do even more as the novel progresses. But he is in love, and young people in love will do many things for their lovers.

Under the guise of a science fiction novel, Evans has written a character study about a man discovering who he truly is. Jason’s journey is a painful one, and there are times when I wanted to yell at him, “Don’t be an idiot!” Then again, I am the father of three boys in their twenties, so that reaction is not a completely foreign one to me. As the plot develops and the threads are drawn together, the book becomes more and more exciting. The end was surprising, satisfying, and quite fitting. Sometimes finding yourself is not the adventure you hoped it would be

If I had to describe this book with one word, it would be DRAMA! Jason rebellion leads him into the arm of Pamela, a gorgeous woman he just met, while still being engaged with another woman. The affair turns Jason’s life around more than he could ever imagine. All the lies and secrets create a lot of drama that was delicious to read.

The book was fairly quick because I couldn’t put it down. I desperately wanted to know what was going to happen to Jason and Pamela. And from a simple forbidden romance, the story turned into murder. Suddenly, the affair didn’t matter anymore, and Jason was caught up into a web of crime.

There was so much happening, it made me forget that this was a sci-fi book. Still, there were plenty of references to a technological world very different from our own. Although since the culture and religion were reflective of an exaggerated twentieth century in America, society is very recognisable.

Thoughtfully-presented future science fiction, offered from a sociological or cultural viewpoint rather than from hard Science, VULCAN'S FORGE reminded me of the early decades of Communism in both the Soviet Union and Russia. The new planet's human culture seems so controlling, so determined to "guide" the species into culturally approved "right thinking" and away from the least taint of "immorality. " Of course, there are always going to be free-thinkers and rebels, too.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was an interesting sci fi novel filled with suspense and imagination. Jason lives in a post apocalyptic world where humans live on a different planet after their earth was destroyed. Here life is dictated by working and having families. Jason is seduced by the idea that he doesn't have to conform to those norms and falls into the trap set up by others with alternative motives. The novel is well written and well paced. It begs to question whether humans can overcome their propensity for violence and chaos.

This book immediately pulled me in. I absolutely loved the storyline and the style of writing. So immersive. Cannot wait for more.

This is an interesting tale about how mankind in the future can get screwed up. I see many parallels to todays times. I enjoyed the fast paced novel.