First of His Kind

Sidus Series #1

By: Dan Sugralinov

Narrated by: Brian Wiggins

Captain Carter Riley's last stand on Mars was meant to be his end. Instead, it sparked a new beginning. In the 22nd century, Riley's life is upended by an alien attack that leaves him with a missing arm, a wiped memory, and a cryptic message imprinted on his subconscious. A decade of loss and desperation later, the unraveling of this message catapults him to Sidus—a galactic station where the universe's eclectic denizens trade, compete, and vie for power.

In Sidus, notoriety comes with danger, and every enhancement is a double-edged sword. Betrayed by his species, his family dissolved, Carter Riley is the quintessential underdog turned unwilling pioneer. As the first human to interface with the legacy of an ancient race, he is thrust into the heart of the Sidus system—a game-like reality where his every move is monitored, and every level gained draws him deeper into a labyrinth of intrigue. Carter has the power to level humanity up by deciphering the legacy of an ancient civilization. Each level is more complex than the next and his very own life it's at risk, so will he want to go on for a race that betrayed him?

The stakes couldn't be higher: decipher the past or be doomed to repeat it. Prepare for a journey where the line between player and legend blurs, in a universe where making contact has consequences beyond imagination.

©2023 Dan Sugralinov; English translation copyright 2023 by Simon Hollingsworth and Joe Millward (P)2024 Tantor

Characters

Yet again Dan knocks it out of the park. Love your work please keep them coming

Refreshing and Exciting

It's a great listen even without the context of the other series'.

I enjoyed the easter eggy/spoilery stuff from Disgardium and Level-up, like the name of the president of humanity. I'm hopeful to see a certain writer make an appearance in this series.

Definitely look into the other two series that build up to this one you'll see how this author's world is taking shape.

Awkward prep for the next book

Basically, the whole book is a very long setup for the litrpg style storyline I'm assuming is going to follow (based on how absolutely all other series by this author are made).

Unfortunately, it sounds like something a teenager wrote (could be one of the first books he wrote) with most dialogs being very unrealistic, actions and scenes being ofter quite illogical, character introductions (and disappearances) blatantly serving as attempts to patch plot holes resulted from poor story planning, etc.

This is more of a pre-draft collection of thoughts, only some of which belong to the story, hastily glued together by something that, similarly to the resulting material, doesn't really work.

The narrator did a generally good job, but his efforts weren't enough to save this mess.

That’s the end???

Ending was abrupt. Story was ok but I didn’t connect with the characters. This book was just not as engaging as the author’s other series.