Dawn of Procyon

Distant Suns, Book 1

By: Mark R. Healy

Narrated by: Travis Baldree

Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

A distant planet. A deadly secret.

Seventeen years after it began, the interstellar war has taken its toll: the inhabitants of Earth are desperate to find a way to defeat the Argoni, a merciless and horrifying alien race.

Light-years away from the fighting, mechanic Landry Stanton lives a peaceful, mundane life on the desolate planet Procyon One, and that's just the way he likes it. But when an unauthorized trip to the other side of the planet leaves him shipwrecked and stranded alongside a hostile alien that wants him dead, Landry discovers a terrifying secret: The Argoni threat is greater than anyone back on Earth imagined.

With his oxygen and water running out, and with no way to warn the United Earth Marines, Landry's lonely fight for survival becomes a battle for humanity itself.

©2016 Mark R. Healy (P)2017 Future House Publishing LLC

Isolated & alone even before his craft crashed

Mark Healy tells the story of Landry Stanton a mechanic who has a past he does not talk, partially because he does not really have friends. Landry spends his time fixing all of the things that break on the meager station that makes up the livable space on Procyon One. The reason for the station is to serve as a watch station and staging point for the war against the Argoni.

Through some bad decisions Landry ends up alone and isolated on the planet surface. The station is under lockdown and no one is coming to look for him, and to make matters worse he is running out of oxygen and has very little to work with to keep himself alive. While battling those extreme odds Landry discovers that he is not really alone and though the area had been swept before at least one Argoni has escaped detection.

Mark Healy tells a tale full of suspense and drama, keeping the reader on edge at times. In fact the one downside to the book is that it ends with a cliff hanger of sorts and the reader is left wondering what will happen next. The narrator Travis Baldree does a great job depicting Landry's struggle not only with his predicament and environment but also with his own internal demons. This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Nothing Routine Here! Action Packed.

Landry Stanton is kind of your generic everyman at the start of this story, however, that changed pretty quickly as things go awry very quickly for him. He is a mechanic that works on all manner of craft for the base he lives at. One of my favorite aspects of this book was the pacing, it never felt slow, nor did it feel rushed. Landry is going out on what seems like a routine run to the wastelands of Procyon 1 (Also known as Proc, Proc Rock, and Proc 1) with his pilot friend. It quickly goes wrong and all of a sudden, Landry has to figure out how to survive in the harsh wilds of Proc Rock without any support systems, or communication with the base.

A little bit of history here, there has been a war going on between the “Argoni” and humans for roughly 17 years. The Argoni are these big, nimble, linebacker-sized aliens that ruthlessly slaughter and torture humans that they come in to contact with and Landry has just found himself stuck in the wastes with an Argoni.

I was honestly expecting a kind of “The Martian” meets “Aliens” kind of thing and I was pleasantly surprised with the way Mark Healy navigated this literary terrain. I never felt lost in the story or questioned why a character would react the way they did when given the information they were. The one major complaint I have as far as the writing goes… almost all of Landry’s character arc takes place from the point of view of someone else. She is another mechanic that works under Landry, and she starts to learn things about him that explains who he is and why he is the way he is.

Travis Baldree did an amazing job with the narration of this book. His voice definitely added so much to this story. It was easy enough to listen to a conversation between multiple people and not get confused as to who was saying what (one of my biggest pet peeves in audiobooks) and it was ultimately a pleasure listening to him masterfully tell this well-written tale.

The ending of this book was a bit of a cliffhanger, but it feels like a natural stopping place for a planned second book. It left me wanting more, but not wondering what was happening in the next few minutes. Well executed ending to a wonderful book. I look forward to part 2.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author/narrator/publisher.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog.

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What did you love best about Dawn of Procyon?

I don't love books. That said, DofP did not follow the formula of alien invasion novels.
The aliens did not attack in overwhelming numbers. Humans were not defending their home planet or even their homes. This is the story of an outpost and the opening moves in what could become a grand space opera.

What did you like best about this story?

The science was light in this science fiction piece, but it did not slow the story and the tech was not a crutch to save day. I believe I liked the pacing of the story best.

Which character – as performed by Travis Baldree – was your favorite?

Travis has a great voice. His performance of Landry Stanton reflected Landry's pain and resolve to help even when his boss just doesn't care. All indications are, his boss would prefer him dead.

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

I don't usually listen all the way through a book in one sitting, but what with hurricane Harvey and my kids back at school, I was able to enjoy a continuous block of time to listen. Dawn of Procyon was a good choice for non-stop listening.

Any additional comments?

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

A very satisfactory listen

Earth is at war with the Argoni. To avoid being caught by surprise, human have set several outposts in order to detect any Argoni. Escaping from his sorrow, Landry Stanton decides to leave Earth and work on an outpost planet, Proc-One. While being there he is asked by one of the pilots, his only friend, to help him get something out of the compound. To avoid too many questions, Landry’s friend decides to fly under the radar, but before then can land, the ship crashes. Landry will learn that they are in more danger than what they thought.

This was a very satisfactory listen. After a couple of just okay books, I am happy that I have stumbled upon this one. It is one of those that trap me from the start and get ahold of me until the very end. The characters seem real and we are provided with enough background from them. Their stories alternate with the current narrative in a way that they complement each other. The information was given in small doses, making me want to know more about Landry and Kate. Both had flaws, but also very humane reactions. Due to this it was easy to relate to them and get in their shoes.

The parts in which Landry is stranded reminded me a lot of ‘The Martian’, and his conversations with Harry made me chuckle more than once. I really enjoyed this part, wondering how Landry could find a way to survive enough time to be able to find a way to go back to the station.

He discovers part of the biology of the Argoni, unknown until then to men, and I found it quite original. More often than not we are not given a lot of information about aliens in books, and I found Healy’s approach quite interesting and refreshing. It made me think, in a way of the Pequeninos, created by Orson Scott Card.

Travis Baldree delivered a wonderful narration. His voice is clear and he has an ample range to give each character a different personality. It was clear at all times who was talking. He also transmitted well the character’s emotions, and it felt like I was watching a movie instead of listening to an audiobook. It definitely raised the book to a higher level.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it left me hungry for more. I hope ‘Eclipse of Procyon’ gets released soon as an audiobook.

I received a copy of this book in audio format from the narrator in exchange for an honest review.

Great start to a new series.

Dawn of Procyon is the first book in the Distant Suns series by Mark R. Healy. And if this first volume is any indication it's going to be one heck of a series. There are actually two stories being told in this first book. They may seem only superficially connected for much of the book, they eventually come together, and quite honestly both were extremely engaging in their own way. Complex characters and intriguing storylines kept me fully engaged and I listened to the over the course of two days. I've seen other reviews that compare this to The Martian with aliens, and yes I can see that but it's much more. Do just say it's The Martian but with aliens is kind of underselling it, IMO. Yes, there is definitely a tale of one man's struggle to survive, but as I said there is so much more. Definitely can't wait to find out what happens next.

This is the first book I've heard narrated by Travis Baldree and I have to say he knocked it out of the park. Great delivery, just the right amount of inflection. Not sure how long he's been doing it, but sounds like a consummate professional to me. Will definitely be looking into more of his work.

I received a copy of this audio title for free in exchange for an unbiased review

Can't wait for the next book.

Gteat story, office politics, big aliens, hostile planet, helpful smartass computer, problem solving, secret motives.

Great sci-fi survival story!!!

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I would liken this to a futuristic version of The Martian, except there was also a war going on with aliens to cause the main character's situation. He also has an AI to banter with, which was great. It was fun, well written and narrated. It was a very enjoyable experience. If you like sci-fi and survival stories, definitely pick this one up.

Excellent sci-fi story. Can't wait for the next.

The story started out a little slow but picked up quick. Fast paced excitement with some intrigue. Well told story of isolation both in a world full of people and a would absent of people. The onboard AI is great and it is played up for quite a few good laughs. Definitely recommend.

The narrator did a great job. Voices did not sound similar others and he was able to convey all the emotions needed. Excellent.

Good Science Fiction Suspense/Adventure

Good progressive storyline.
Reader can easily identify with situations presented
Some profanity, but not excessive
Recommend for 16 or older

Great book for fans of sci-fi survival stories

What did you love best about Dawn of Procyon?

I'm a huge fan of the Martian and other survival stories of that ilk going as far back as My Side of the Mountain when I was a child. With that in mind I loved that aspect of the book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dawn of Procyon?

When Landry tried the 'fruit' and his interaction with Hairi after.

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

Yes, I really enjoyed his performance in Dog Walker. I think this performance was on par with that one. I'm looking forward to listening to other books narrated by him in the future.

His voice doesn't get in the way of the story and he does a terrific job of creating vocal identities for the characters in the book; keeping them solid through out so you never get one of those moments that force you to pause and try to figure out who is talking. Overall, I'd say his narration is one of my favorite parts of this book.