This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
R. J. Thompson writes stories born from a lifetime of exploration. From the skies of Earth to the farthest reaches of imagination. A veteran turned storyteller, he crafts tales of survival, betrayal, and fragile unity set among the stars. Through Shadow of Helios and beyond, his mission is simple: to remind readers that even across galaxies, the human spirit endures.
Along with his wife of twenty years and their four children, he has spent a lifetime exploring every corner of the globe... some places by choice, others by the demands of military service. A twenty-four-year veteran, he’s experienced the vast range of human culture and resilience firsthand. Those experiences, combined with a lifelong fascination with space exploration, inspired him to imagine what life might look like if every world in our solar system were alive with people, power, and conflict.
The spark for Shadow of Helios began in a quiet hotel room, with a single question: What if our solar system was governed by an assembly of representatives from every planet? From that moment, a universe was born. One filled with danger, hope, and the enduring human spirit that reaches for the stars.
Drawing inspiration from Dune, Red Rising, The Expanse, and The Hunger Games, as well as from Star Trek, Star Wars, and the boundless imagination of NASA’s missions, Rocky writes stories that blend cinematic action with grounded emotion.
Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Shadow of Helios by R. J. Thompson launches with Kaelen Voss selected to represent Earth in the Interplanetary Ascendance, a televised competition that determines who will hold power on the ruling Council. Transported from his home on Earth to Helios Station, Kaelen enters a regulated environment of trials designed to test endurance, reasoning, and cooperation under constant observation. As competitors from across the Solar System are eliminated, Kaelen begins to notice irregularities in the rules, unexplained deaths, and data that contradicts official accounts. Working quietly with other remaining delegates, including Lyra Tal of Mars and engineer Jax Petrova, he discovers indications that the Ascendance serves purposes beyond public governance. As the trials escalate and trust erodes, Kaelen must decide how to proceed inside a system that monitors every action and controls every outcome.
Shadow of Helios by R. J. Thompson is such a fantastic science fiction thriller, and the Ascendance itself is a great premise. I adored the competition and its engineered trials, all shaped by behavior, trust, and risk, which allow us to see Thompson's world-building through a unique lens. Kaelen is a protagonist you want to root for, and I was wholly on board by phase three. It was an energy maze and laser grid that demanded a calculated decision, and it all shifted when passage through a containment field was enabled, even though the blocking was believed to be absolute. The settings themselves are textured and immersive. I've never felt so at home in an abandoned archival complex, complete with cold strip lighting emitting low mechanical hums. With sharp writing and a lot of room to flex action and adventure muscles, Thompson reinforces the novel’s potential across its escalating scope as book one in the Solar Realms saga. Recommended.
