Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

Chronicles of the Gods by L. Scott Cisney is set in the twenty-fourth century, where Earth faces extinction as the generation ship Calypso departs with selected families aboard. Terra Winstead leaves as a child with her parents, Sam and Riley Winstead, growing up inside the hollowed asteroid that carries humanity outward. When Sam intercepts a classified signal from the Cervantes system, the ship alters course, drawing Terra into secret contact with an entity called The Mother. Sabotage from Earth-based conspirators threatens the voyage while revealing Terra as the only person able to perceive hidden dangers. After Earth is destroyed, Calypso reaches a habitable world where Terra helps organize settlements with the responsibility of governance. As outside forces close in on the colony, Terra faces a demand that places the lives of others above her own.

Chronicles of the Gods by L. Scott Cisney is a supremely ambitious first look into a science fiction series, committing to big ideas that are unique in a genre of mostly recycled storylines. The story itself is genuinely entertaining, juggling the people and the ship, whether it's nursing the Calypso into orbit through improvised steam venting or steering humanity's fragile colony toward the possibility of a stable future. I really like that Cisney holds on to the technological side without requiring a stretch in the reader's suspension of disbelief. The space-time displacement, measured through stellar drift and the North Star’s position, sits comfortably with even the most critical reader. For clarity: I am the critical reader! The landscapes are magnificent, shaped by rivers, storms, and settlement placement. An excellent example appears during a first contact along the riverbank, where gifts and attitude shape trust organically. With great writing, a premise that works, and a twist at the end that leaves the door wide open for more, I'm excited to see what comes in book two.