Scion of Conquered Earth by Michael J. Allen is a wildly imaginative ride that takes us from an apocalyptic earth to the far reaches of space. The story follows a nameless young hero as he struggles to remain free in a world overrun by heartless aliens. His journey eventually leads him into space where he meets all kinds of interesting characters and gets involved in some really crazy adventures. The meandering story is a mash-up of an array of sci-fi classics including Mad Max, Star Wars, and the Firefly series, to name a few. That being said, Scion of Conquered Earth has a personality all its own. It is both amusing and exciting and, as an extra bonus, the story has lots of heart.

Author Michel J. Allen has a colorful way of telling his story that keeps it both humorous and life-threatening at the same time. Scion of Conquered Earth moves quickly from scene to scene with quick descriptions and clever comparisons between sci-fi elements and familiar items that we can all relate to. It makes for a fun read that never gets boring. On the flip side, the story was occasionally hard to follow because of a lack of explanation. However, the plethora of interesting characters, the fully developed alien worlds, and the intricate plot full of many twists and turns make up for it. I also liked that the main character has a strong moral compass. He makes mistakes along the way, but, overall, he stands out because of his fervent desire to do the right thing in a universe gone mad.

Scion of Conquered Earth: A Science Fiction Space Opera Adventure by Michael J. Allen is a sci-fi story with a compelling dystopian setting. With the earth decimated and left in ruins by alien fighters, a group of survivors must fight not just to stay alive, but equally to evade the flesh eating aerobics instructors who prowl the wastelands, seeking to devour human flesh. It is against this backdrop that a young man is captured by a dispirited AI. Follow his journey as he faces new enemies, and finds support in unusual places and in desperate times. With a broken starship and vicious enemies all around him, can the “teen” who barely remembers his name redefine his destiny and be the hope of a dying world?

This is a gritty tale of survival, an action packed story with unusual and well-developed characters. The protagonist is the “teen” and readers will enjoy the enigma created around his personality. He is swift and slippery, but there is more to this character than meets the eye. Michael J. Allen does an excellent job of integrating the element of adventure into the plot. There are moments when it feels as if it’s a story about the setting — and this is one of the author’s fortes — because the author conjures up such vivid images of a destroyed earth, creates objects that symbolize violence, and submits his characters to strong physical challenges. Scion of Conquered Earth: A Science Fiction Space Opera Adventure is well-paced, crafted with interesting dialogues, and infused with a quirkiness that keeps the reader wholly interested in the narrative.

Scion of Conquered Earth by Michael J. Allen is an interesting take on the alien invasion trope. At almost three hundred pages, you can read this book in a three-day weekend if you don’t have anything else to do. It is a good story, with all the necessary action and suspense that make these kinds of science fiction books and movies so popular. I enjoyed it. It is different enough and unique enough to make it stand out. I liked the young hero. There is something about a young man stripped of family, food, possessions, and pride, and yet he still manages to be compassionate, considerate, and human. Many people in that situation don’t.

I liked Scion of Conquered Earth mostly for its portrayal of conquered humans. It is depressing to watch how easily some people become sadistic torturers of their own kind. Marvy, Burr, and Silv were painful to read, but Michael J. Allen was brutally accurate and honest in portraying them. They represented an excellent balance to the admirable characters like Lane. I liked the plot. It is fast paced but there are moments of reflection and introspection. Scion of Conquered Earth reminded me of the Robert A. Heinlein novels that first got me interested in science fiction. Michael J. Allen is already a good writer, but I feel he’s going to get better and better as he moves this story from Earth to space. He does an excellent job in depicting the setting and the weird characters that make up this vision of the future.

Scion of Conquered Earth by Michael J. Allen is billed as space opera, but I found it to be much more. More like a dystopian space adventure. The story starts with a young man running for his life, trying to find some semblance of safety on an Earth that has been attacked and virtually destroyed by a powerful alien race. The aliens are manipulating humans into rounding up other humans to put them into slavery. Survivors suffering from starvation must hide from the “snatchers,” but also from zombie-like cannibals looking for their next meal. When the boy is captured, he is subjected to terrible physical and mental abuse. Against overwhelming odds, he manages to survive and escapes to an abandoned spaceship, run by highly developed artificial intelligence, which promptly takes off into space. That is when the adventure really begins to move as the young man meets many different alien races across the universe.

I will have to admit this was my first dystopian space adventure. The author has developed a strong group of characters, human and non-human, and cleverly combined two science fiction sub-genres. I particularly enjoyed the AI of the ship. The plot and pacing are solid and, once you get into the story, it moves along at a rapid pace. The author has produced a well conceived story with a well designed ending that leaves room for future adventures. For a reader that enjoys dystopian fiction or space opera or even alien invasion tales and the like, Scion of Conquered Earth could be right up their alley. I encourage any science fiction fan to pick it up and have a go. A good story, overall.