In Her Name – Michael R. Hicks

Empire, Book One of the Redemption Trilogy of the In Her Name Series
By Michael R. Hicks

For far to long I’ve been ignoring the writer in me so I could bring into focus the rest of my life, I needed to bring people and things that really mattered to me to the forefront of my existence.  Having made those necessary changes and adjustments to my life I returned to my keyboard and screen.

The screen was blank and the keys played no tippity-tap music. I was empty and my story had been pushed to far back in my mind to spill out onto the pages. Then I realized the mistakes I had made. First, I should have continued to write, even if it was just a few paragraphs a week – about anything. And, second, I should have read more. I hadn’t read a book in more than a year. The two most important daily tasks writers should do is write and read.

I set forth to find a book that I might enjoy but instead found BookBud.com, a service that sends out a daily email with my chosen categories of books on sale or free for a limited time. And, that’s when I found the book, Empire, Book One of the Redemption Trilogy of the In Her Name series by Michael R. Hicks. I’ve known of Michael R. Hicks for some time. He was one of the first persons I followed on Twitter. However, for some reason I never took the leap to pick up one of his books. It was a terrible mistake on my part.

From the moment I started reading, I was hooked. In Hicks’ author bio on Amazon, he mentions he is a fan of Larry Niven, who is one of my all time favorites. This is what led me to download the book. I wanted to see how much of a inspiration Niven was on Hicks and if his work compared. Hicks did not disappoint and can be easily ranked with Niven and a host of other Science Fiction giants. In fact, he creates a universe substantial and well-lived-in, with characters so real that they become your friend and allies or your enemies.  So much so that when something unexpected happens, you are left thinking “What the Hell is Hicks thinking? This can’t happen!” But it does happen and it’s all part of his incredible and imaginative plot that in the end works to create an unbelievably, well written and amazing story. And that’s just the first book…

Empire follows the life of Reza Gard from his childhood to his early adulthood. To say he faces challenges along the way is an understatement at the very least. In addition to Reza, the supporting characters are people you want as your friends, people you come to trust and believe in or they are people you grow to hate and loath.  Because of the characters and Hicks’ superb writing skills, this story moves quickly, a staggering pace that makes you fear the story will end all to soon. However, even with this frantic pace that holds you on the edge of your seat, you do not become lost or disoriented in this wondrous universe.

I strongly suggest you get a copy of Empire (it’s free) and follow it up with Confederation and Final Battle, the complete Redemption Trilogy in the In Her Name Series. If you are a Science Fiction fan, you will be completely enthralled with Hicks’ masterful story telling, his attention to detail, and his ability to hold you on the edge throughout the entire story. I envy Hicks’ talent and admire his command of the craft. He is a wordsmith of the highest quality and I look forward to reading more of his work. I’ve already started on First Contact, Book One of The Last War Trilogy which is turning out to be another great read.

Thank you Michael, for taking us on this great adventure. I am inspired to get back to writing as soon as I’m done reading…

• Michael R. Hicks on the web: http://authormichaelhicks.com
• Where to buy his Books: Amazon
• Follow Michael R. Hicks on Twitter