“A very exciting and accurate account. Michael has captured my voice precisely. I’m verklempt, too emotional perhaps, but very grateful for his skills as a biographer. If you want to know what really happened in 2616 in the Maia system, this is the book to buy.”
—Lieutenant Hel Brand.
“While I respect the attention to detail and the intensity of emotion in this depiction of my former employee’s journey, I resent the persistence of a unilateral perspective. Far too much of my own beautiful vision of authoritarian MetaInt rule is left off… nevertheless, Mr. Phillips has created a dramatic and gripping account of the events of the Second Maian Rebellion.”
—Mairon Salai, COMSEOC oligarch
“Exactly as I remember it. I feel like I’m reliving every detail because the worldbuilding is so deep and visceral.”
—Captain Jenson Mikel, rebellion leader
“One day, perhaps I’ll reveal my own notes on this gripping adventure—for now, they’re top secret and triple-encoded under 49-qubits of quantum encryption—but in the interim this is a great book that covers all the known facts and doesn’t skimp on the heart-pounding excitement. Don’t wait. Buy it.”
—Chthon, editor of the Chthonic Underground digital magazine
“Of all the pale imitators of this story that fill the digital libraries of the galaxy, this one is the most genuinely thrilling. It breaks my heart to read about the intensity of Hel’s suffering in this journey. He kept it all hidden behind a stoic wall, and now it is revealed for the first time. That’s how deep, emotional, and thoughtful this story is.”
—Marcus Henriksson
“Rubbish! This nonsense is nothing like what happened. It paints me as the villain! Can you believe it? Never has anyone been so persecuted in the history of the universe! This ridiculous book is a False Report! Zero stars!”
—King Kosmas II, Chairman of COMSEOC
“A solid retelling of the Second Maian Rebellion. I can only hope that my own story will receive the same skilled and nuanced treatment by Michael Scott Phillips. There is so much more to tell, and I hope it will be covered in future sequels. Doubtless, Beyond the Empyrean remains the most essential and cogent primer on the subject. Highly recommended.”
—Dr. Sanda Thiri
“A scintillating narrative with incredible nuance. I’ve already read all the sequels and they’re even more brilliant. Michael just keeps getting better as a writer. Five Starsongs.”
—The Celestial Pilot, one of the timeless Ainar