Cast Under an Alien Sun (Destiny's Crucible Book 1)

This is a decent "modern guy in an alternate history" story. The modern guy happens to be a chemist, kind of like the hero from Frankowski's "Cross-Time Engineer" (but without the constant sexualization of 14yo girls, and racism, so +1). And he winds up in a disorganized kingdom which is being attacked by a much more powerful militant culture (kind of like the hero from "Cross-Time Engineer"). And he makes a boatload of money, then starts industrializing the kingdom he lands in (kind of like...) and then teaches his new friends more modern tactics and becomes a war-leader (kind of like ... ).

The writing is solid. There are some errors (name transpositions, and the like) but nothing unforgivable. This is an enjoyable story, but clearly the start of a series- there is no pretense of reaching a stopping point at the end of the book.

There are two problems: first, the story is much too predictable. If you've read much SF/Fantasy, or much history, you know what is coming. The friendlies are basically Britain, the baddies are basically Rome, etc. Second, the first two books are available under Kindle Unlimited, but the remainder are not. So if you want to finish the series, you'll have to shell out extra money. (If you aren't a KU reader, this isn't a problem.)

Strangely, the last book in the series is a collection of short stories from other transplantees on the same world (plus some other stuff). There are a couple good stories there, including one that suggests a follow-on series where the band might get back together... I'd love to read that, especially on KU!

This is an excellent book series and I will recommend it to anyone who enjoys science fiction and alternate history or cross genre novels, as the four books like many self-published titles do not it neatly fit into one genre. In a break from my normal practices I actually bought the first book on audible by chance, before I read all four books, as I had a few credits to spare and was sick of listening to more action orientated stories. Do not get the wrong impression that there is no action in the series, there is quite a bit, but action, violence and your stereotypical quest for the “widget of ultimate power” are not the driving forces of the storyline. The inclusion of science and business development as the means to find ones place in society and as the path to maturity for the main character is a different take on character development than many of the novels I typically read.

This quartet of books is not your typical lost in time, or sent back in time storyline either. Where the main character as the modern man with the assistance of the “divine” or the “aliens” crushes all who oppose him with magical powers granted by the gods or superior modern knowledge thus saving the helpless pre-historic villagers from certain doom. There are a few moments of suspense where events do not go the main characters way and he has to adapt to loss, sudden change and unwelcome surprises. The main character relies upon his wits, work ethic, education along with some luck to outsmart the opposition and forge his own path on a new world. While, forging this path the main character constantly questions himself and this emotional and psychological turmoil comes across better on the audio version of the book than in print at times. Yet, through this questioning and self-doubt the main character grows to accept his place in the wonderful world the author built for him to experience.

The world building is top notch and authors background as a professional scientist and student of history is very evident throughout each book. What I found most appealing about the world was that the author took the time to create different animals and plants to fill the same ecological roles for his world. Instead of importing organisms from earth and changing their colors like many authors building mirrors of Earth’s ecosystems do in other works. The motivations of the different organizations, nations and individuals on the new world also align with reality. We do not have a big bad nation of stereotypical villains attacking the weak for no reason. The villains have a strategic and economic plan as do the heroes, similar to the plans history has shown us actual nations have followed.

Overall this is a well written and excellent self published book series and self publishing four books is no simple feat. Please give this author a try if you are looking for a more intelligent and well thought out series as I was instead of a straightforward stereotypical formulaic science fiction book. Do not get me wrong formulaic fiction has its place on my reading list still and much of it is highly entertaining. But we all need a break from the “hulk-smash” heroes or the “Jason Bourne has a laser pew pew” and he can out think the government conspiracy “for the win” characters now and again. May this series be that break for you, give it a try.

If there were interventions for science fiction addicts, my family and friends would have cornered me long ago. I may delve into other genres but sci-fi continues to be my main mode of entertainment. A good movie lasts an hour or two but a good serial sci-fi can transport me into an alternate universe vacation of new experiences. That journey may last days - or weeks.

Destiny's Crucible deals with a man who is placed unexpectedly placed on an alien planet populated by humans with similar history and technology as pre-industrial age Earth. He arrives just in time to possibly use his knowledge to help his new homeland face an enemy with the potential to destroy their way of life.

The story's pace, description and characterization are as good as it gets. This rates high emong my favorite sci-fi series of all time. I've read the 1st three installments and am anxiously awaiting book 4.

This is the first in a four book series. My husband read the first book and recommended it to me and our son. All three of us enjoyed the whole series which actually got better with each volume. As others have pointed out the story is a mixture of science fiction, history and actual science as well as an element of what feels like time travel. What I particularly appreciated is that the characters were well rounded out and the "good guys" were all very likable. Even some of the "bad guys" deserved some empathy. I have a hard time reading a book in which I can't stand the characters as people. These characters felt like real people that we care about and want to know what comes next. Other reviewers mentioned minor errors in the writing that should have been edited out. However, these are self published books which we are grateful to have available to us on Kindle Unlimited and the minor errors did not take away any enjoyment of the read. I highly recommend the series and look forward to Mr. Thorensen's next effort.

I really struggled with this one, but the second half was strong enough to get to me to go on the second book, which is much better. Be warned, the book is very slow paced with not much action.

First off, this book starts slow. Incredibly slow. I actually gave up on it twice, but for some reason kept coming back to it. The first 40% of the book is just bad, if I'd quit before making it past there this would be a one or two star review. In this kind of story, the fun stuff is where the modern man introduces new tech and ideas into a less advanced society, and that doesn't really start until after the 40% mark. Before then, it's focused on the main character's personal tragedy (being removed from all he knows on Earth) and I didn't really have any reason to care. I didn't like the main character at this point and wasn't given any reason to, so his suffering didn't matter to me. It's totally understandable in his situation, but he spends of lot of these early chapters coming across as a whiner. This beginning part is further hurt by having sections from other points of view and these other points of view are extremely heavy on boring infodumps (especially when its the enemy point of view) and these info dumps don't really serve the story or at least should have been conveyed in some better way. They were so many of these info dumps on culture and city population and trivial minutia that I started skimming whenever the point of view wasn't on the main character.

Once into the second half, the book actually starts to gain momentum and get to the interesting and fun parts and I started to enjoy it. The one thing that really irritated me from the second half is that there's a point of view character that is obviously being set up as a romantic interest for the main character, and then the book ends without them ever meeting.

This book really does all the groundwork for the rest of the series to be interesting (and based off reading the second book, which was much better, it succeeds) but it makes this book a bit of a slog to get through.

The author has come up with an original premise with dropping the main character into a pre-industrial-age Earthlike society that's believable (if you believe in benign extra-terrestrials) and engaging.

The book was well-written, well-edited, and a joy to read.

Perhaps a bit too much of the book is taken up by the bad-guy characters, their motivations and ultimate goals, but they are the antagonists... so I guess their dastardly plans are part of telling the story. I was just wanting to have more of Joseph/Yozef and his technological innovations and when he was going to finally cross paths with the hetman's daughter.

Slightly remenicent of Weber's Safehold series... maybe it was the twinkey overuse of names with "y" in them instead of the normal vowel. But - not as blatently contrived and unpronouncable as in Safehold, thankfuly.

I read book one with Kindle Unlimited, foolishly thinking 'I'll read just this book and not pay the three ninety-nine for each of the following two books. Foolish me. I'm about to download books two and three and be happy about paying 'regular' Kindle prices for them.
So, the author's marketing strategy paid off by luring me in with a great story in the first book, well-presented, and hooked me into paying hard cash to find out what happens next.

Well done. As Captain Hook would say, "good form, sir".

Joseph Colsco, bound for a chemical society meeting, is traveling on an airplane involved in a mid-air collision with an alien spacecraft. Barely surviving the crash, Colsco, physically repaired by alien technology, is given a choice. He can be released on another planet also populated by humans, but at a much earlier stage of development, or die. Not much of a choice, but one from which Colsco was determined to do his best to adapt and survive.

Now called Yozef Kolsko, he becomes a resident of the large island of Caedellium on the planet Anyar at a time in human development roughly corresponding to the seventeenth century on Earth. What follows is his struggle to learn the language, social skills, and to learn to fit into the indigenous society. The author has skillfully and imaginatively detailed most of the issues that would confront a person in such a situation to include simple technologies he could teach the residents to better their lives.

But all is not rosy in paradise; the aggressive Narthani Empire (the Anyar equivalent of Earth’s Roman Empire) has begun to subvert the clans of Caedellium with the goal of seizing Caedellium’s resources and enslaving its people. Learning of the Narthani threat shocks Yozef, but he is able to find the inner resolve necessary to help the people of Abersford and his benefactors at St. Sidryn’s Abbey in their struggle against Narthani mercenaries, the Buldorians.
Cast Under an Alien Sun is built upon a large cast of well developed characters who are believable in their roles and circumstances. The reader can easily identify with Yozef’ and I felt his actions and responses were reasonable within the circumstances of the scenes. The other characters were likewise reasonable and fit their roles. I would have expected more suspicion of Yozef, but his ability to produce simple products and strategies and provide limited but rational explanations keep effectively protect his status and prevent fear among his neighbors.

Cast Under an Alien Sun is s thoughtful and entertaining read for anyone who loves action adventures. While it is science fiction in concept, it crosses the line into political drama and historic fiction as well. It should be well received by a variety of readers.

This story is rather like the Grantville series writ small, as rather than a whole town, only one man is displaced, and yet many of the issues and questions dealt with are the same. On the townspeople's side: Is Joe/Yosef an agent of God or the Devil? Where did he really come from? Can they afford to believe in his ideas, despite how strange they seem? On Joe's side: What now? How much can he change the way things are in this new world without getting himself demonized or burned as a witch? Where is home and what defines it?

The story is well-written, the characters are clearly individuals and the worldbuilding consistent and solid. A few too many things are overly telegraphed, as Thorensen tends to foreshadow with a heavy hand and some of the developments in book two are made much too obvious early in book one. Thorensen needs to learn how to leave readers more joy in discovery and wondering as they go along, instead of forcing his plot on them. All in all a very worthwhile read and I look forward to the next installment.

SPOILERS:
It's fascinating to see how much of a difference one man can make, and to watch Joe's transformation from a rather feckless chemistry grad student who just wants to make money in a comfortable secure industry job, to prophet of advanced knowledge who's becoming committed to making his new people's lives better, safer and longer. He doesn't quite get all the way there in this book, but it's clear that's where he's heading.

I read all 4 books and while the story itself was good, they all needed another round or two of editing. In most "good" books, I'll catch 1 or two errors. In Thorensen's work, it seems like its closer to 10 per book. Also Mr Thorensen, please stop telling us when a character's decision is going to turn out to be good or bad. Just leave it alone and when something important happens we will remember that the character did something stupid (or great) a few chapters back.

Overall, it's a decent read for a self published book. Otherwise it's kind of "meh".

Cast Under an Alien Sun, written by author Olan Thorensen, centers on a lead character, Joe Colsco. An airplane ride from San Francisco to Chicago with plans to attend a business meeting will, instead, take a startling turn leaving Joe not even on the same planet. But at the risk of revealing too much about this book’s plot, I will say no more about that though. However, on a related topic, please note that Cast Under an Alien Sun Book is 1 of a book series entitled Destiny’s Crucible.

Switching gears away from the storyline and to the cover of the book, I found the image of a solitary man staring at an alien craft that looks like a world of sorts fascinating. Truly, the cover drew me in to wanting to read this book. This cover would also work as a movie poster should this transform from book to movie.

In addition, the first sentence drew me in, causing me to sit on the edge of my seat as well as inwardly want to know more about what was going to happen. This fast pace that Thorensen develops immediately transported this reader into the story and kept me there wanting to know what was going to happen next.

The overall editing is also clean, making this book very easy for this reader’s eyes. The use of grammar is stellar, for example. Because Thorensen properly uses semicolons versus periods versus commas in this book.

Changing topics away from editing and to character development, the lead character Joe transforms through the book because of being thrust from a world that he knows to a world that he does not know. And as he adapts and has to, this reader sensed his progression. But at the risk of revealing too much about the storyline, I will say no more about that though.

Overall, I would rate Cast Under an Alien Sun 4 stars out of 5 stars for the reasons already explained above.

I really love the cover of this book. It's super unique and it really caught my eye. The synopsis starts with

"What if you were thrown into a foreign society, never to see home again? What would you do and could you survive?"

I didn't need to read much more after that, I knew I wanted to check this book out. Joe is basically given the choice of death, or go live on a new planet, after he's rescued from a crazy plane crash by something or someone unknown to him, otherwise known as aliens.

I loved the fact that Anyar is similar to Earth from the seventeen hundreds. He has to get used to a whole new life, on a whole new planet. Joe transforms amazingly as a character, and I really enjoyed the adventures he took me on.

This is a great intro to the Destiny's Crucible series by Olan Throensen. This book is overall fun to read, it certainly kept me highly entertained. I was instantly hooked from the very beginning. Descriptive enough for imagining the whole new world Thorensen has created, without being overly done or tiresome to read. It seemed to me the spelling and grammar was on point, and I read through it with ease.

There's enough of a small cliff hanger at the end to make me crave more! I can't wait to read the next sequel. I already know quite a few sci-fi readers that will absolutely love this book! I give it 5/5.

Where did this author come from and why have I not known of his work until now? Olan Thorensen is a highly gifted writer who combines a Harry Turtledove alternate history theme with a time traveler element to create an amazing trilogy ( and counting ).
While the main character's name changes to Yozef to adapt to the language and customs of the world he now must thrive in to survive, the cerebral and personal skills he brings from his world remain static. It is Yozef's ability to prove invaluable to the clan- like politics on the island he's dropped into that sets him apart.
He is a rudimentary entrepreneur armed with futuristic proof of concept and he knows how to capitalize on it. Thorensen's writing reflects immersive descriptions of the ancient worlds the main character now lives in and the reader is able to live in this new world with vivid detail.
This book starts a bit slow but takes off after the first few chapters and never looks back.

As soon as I started reading the book I couldn't put it down, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. When I first start reading this book I thought it was going to be a science fiction book about aliens and space travel. I was surprised that aside from the first few chapters of this book we rarely see or hear anything about aliens or space travel. Rather this book is more similar to a time travel fiction book like the ring of fire series than anything else. It a great book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good time travel fictions.

This book and this series are something new. If you try to pigeonhole it into a box, you're not going to enjoy it. First, let me say the narration by Jonathon Davis is excellent, his Character voices are distinct and really bring them to life. This book has elements of both Hard Science Fiction and Soft Science Fiction; it's a difficult balance many authors struggle to achieve, which is why many are either firmly one or the other. This series also reads at times like a fantasy novel, and in some ways it is but it's also squarely science fiction and that is part of what is great about it. It's frequently categorized as a time travel novel, but it isn't, there's no time travel, just differences of technological level at the same time -- so no breaking physics. This book (and series) has great character development but also an excellent plot; it also has a good structure for those of you who care about that -- when I read the kindle version of the fourth book the 4 major developments all happened at about the right percentiles within a couple of percent each. Also, the author doesn't just make the bad guys evil and one dimensional; they are players in the story and justly receive not insignificant portions of the text. This is a book of hard science, of military strategy, of adapt and survive but also a book of new cultures, politics as usual, and a proper demonstration of the difficulty to seismically shift a society's way of functioning and thinking.
So, my recommendation is, try something new. Perhaps, rather than wishing the book were more like something else, you'll find yourself wishing there were others more like it. What would you do in Kolsko's position in the book? If you were told your efforts in life were predicted to have an outcome so infinitesimal that it's effectively immeasurable, would you accept it, or determine you're going to prove them wrong?
So, read/listen, and recommend to friends. That's what I did. I'll wager you'll find yourself doing the same. Enjoy this book and the series, Four books are out now, hopefully with more to come.

Not an easy read. Starts out well enough with dick aliens screwing up and throwing a main character into an impossible situation. A plausible beginning for a huge new world new rules novel, but then it overwhelms you with too many other main characters and their points of view and tons of minutia that frankly scares me. I can see myself later in the book desperately backtracking to try and figure out “who was that person and group again?” If you are into deatails and complex world building you might like this but for me it’s just too much work and not fun to read.

Absolutely love this book and the second. It is a nice development story of what can happen when new knowledge meets with a knowledge-starved society with a need for salvation.

There are so many avenues open to development. The actual implementation of the university, the introduction of more sophisticated manufacturing, rail roads and electricity.

Shame that this line was not so much followed up in the remainder of the series. Especially part 4 is a true Dantean Inferno Abbattoir.

Olan I love what you do, but please follow up the development of Cadelion in a second story arc. There is still space for a third one with another infernal abattoir at a mainland campaign with the Fuomi.

I really like Cast Under an Alien Sun by Olan Thorensen. I read it in one day. Not to give spoilers but it had plot elements similar to one of my favorite books Lord Kalvan of Otherwen by H. Beam Piper (to me a great complement) with his own twist. At little disjointed for me when he changed point of view and the timeline, but a worthy effort. Want to read the next book!

Currently, I'm listening to the third book in the series. Olan Thorensen's imagination and details have completely - and surprisingly - drawn me into this epic work. I say surprisingly, because It took me a while to get into the first book, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Also, Jonathan Davis does a great job with the narration. I came to the store today because I had to find out more about this writer and was thrilled to learn there is a fourth book in the series to look forward to. Thanks Olan!

I loved this book. Once I started it I could not stop, and that was the case with the other 3 books in the series. I would consider myself really picky and don't get totally drawn into stories unless they are really good. I honestly don't understand what it is about the books that really grabbed. I know I found myself really caring about the characters and what happened to them but there was nothing fancy about the writing. The plot is simple but there is just something about basically being a smart guy from the future and building businesses and war machines that just grabbed me and would not let me go. This series is just plain fun. If you aren't pulled into the story quickly, just go on about your life. You deserve a chance to get enjoy this world. Hope this helps.

An alien abductee is dropped into a revolutionary war era civilization. This book is exactly what i have been looking for for a summer read. The characters are dynamic, with real driving forces, the warfare is well researched and described, similar to The Red Badge of Courage, and the societies described are just as detailed and well laid out as the rest of the book. Well done!

This an outstanding series about a rather ordinary but well educated man that is put back together after an accidental collision between an alien space ship and an American airliner. He is given the choice of either a painless death or being cast onto another planet that has been populated sometime in the past with humans whose technology is about 1600's level.
Obviously he chooses life even though he will never see Earth again. The series follows his trials and tribulations in the new world in a very believable way.
I've read the whole series twice.

Gordon Dickson wrote a short story back in the 70's about some aliens who ignored a warning about getting involved with the human race.It was good advice, and the aliens who abducted Joseph Colsco should have remembered it. Dump one alien on a planet, Nothing can happen, right? Just a leap in technology of hundreds of years from one mans ideas, a great story,and the truism that some warnings should be listened too.Reminds me of Michelle Dieners Class 5 series. Well worth reading, and getting the second in the series

Enjoyable to the last word. Take a modern man toss him on a different planet whose technology is inferior, and how does he try to survive without being burned as a witch. Add that where he lands is being attacked by outside invaders making Joseph Colsco the only one able to save the island. Well written and keeps you thirsty for the next book

Wow. So glad I found this series. A regular guy, finding himself in a land several hundred years before his current time. How he survives and adds to the the knowledge of the people who rescue him is such an interesting story. The characters are beautifully developed. Having devoured each of the three books written so far I find myself anxiously awaiting book four. I cannot recommend this series highly enough. It deserves more than five stars.

This is about a modern dude who was a chemistry grad student going to a 1700 society on a different planet who tries to bring in modern inventions without them burning him at the stake for being a Demon. After he kind of finds his footing and niche he learns of an empire who is bent on conquering his new home, so he starts teaching the natives The Art Of War. I really am enjoying this story and can't wait for the next books.

The first book (and the next two) were well written and carefully edited. The plot is interesting, and the characters are engaging. I found myself reading as quickly as I could to get to the next plot event. Now, having read through book 3, I'll light my torch and join the rest of the villagers clamoring for the 4th book! The author had better not be taking days off from writing!!

Though I have read and enjoyed all three books currently released, but this is where you start. For many years I have often thought to myself, what if. This series is an excellent take on "what if". I read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy, and I found this series very much worth my time. Heck, I only write reviews about 5% of the time, so that alone should tell you something.

I really enjoyed this and look forward to more to come. What has become pretty common knowledge today amazes me just looking back to what life was like in the 1960's. Let alone the advances in technology and medicine. Who wouldn't' find many ways to contribute as a modern person dropped into a pre-industrial age. So I enjoy thinking about the possibilities as much as reading to see what happens next.

Who would have ever considered an alien computer glitch for a plane crash? Combine that with the alien version of a relocation program and you have the basis for this book. Chemistry student, Joseph Colsco, is forced to make a new life for himself when he is relocated to a distant earth-like planet. He never imagined he would actually use all his academic knowledge for practical applications in a pre-industrialized world. This is a fun read for sci-fi fans and science geeks. Can't wait to read how Joseph will solve the Narthanian problem.

I'm a picky reader, not finishing all books or not getting into them quickly. This novel took me in immediately and it moved at a perfect pace. The author seems to understand how to focus on interesting detail while moving things along quickly not taking us on a minute by minute, day by day approach to storytelling. Simply just bounce ahead! Loved it!

I wasn't too sure what to really expect with this novel but found it hard to put down once I started it. Fairly good concepts that were easy to follow. Definitely will read novel number two to see how the author further develops the story. Wish I recalled more regarding chemistry and world history though. A good story.

Really interesting book - however the first 1/5th almost saw me putting it down - it took until the transition for me to be drawn in by the story. I recommended it once already but trust me it is worth getting to the (Obvious) transition...

I've just finished book 4 in this series, which I couldn't stop reading. It's hard science fiction at its best. The characters are people, not placeholders, who evolve over the course of the series. The innovations introduced by the protagonist are well thought through and realistic. The battle scenes are equally realistic. I wanted to slow down and savor the story, but it's just too good.

There's no necessity for more books after the fourth, but I hereby beg Mr. Thorensen to give us more anyway. Please.

This was a great story! I'm a big fan of books like this, where a person or group of people is transplanted in time or space. This is up there with some of my all-time favorites, like Forstchen's Lost Regiment, 1632, and Turtledove's Lost Legion.

The main character seems real and not a superhuman, wish fulfillment fantasy of the author, as sometimes happens in stories like this. I look forward to reading more in this series.

The best in this genre of time traveling/post apocalyptic fiction. Great and believable characters as well as a rock solid plot. I could not recommend this series enough to anyone who enjoys sci-fi or fantasy fiction. A true beacon of what indie authors should try to achieve in their craft.

I liked the story. However, this Yosef seems to remind me of the Safehold series by David Weber. The main character ended up on an island as well in the beginning of an invasion. Curious.... I will read the next one, though.

A nice read. The pace was good, the writing well edited, an the story engaging.

Imagine being in a plane crash only to awake on a spaceship, told is was an accident and deposited elsewhere far from home.

Page turner. It pulls you in for that one more page then another. Guy got transplanted into a pre- Industrial Revolution era, a bit naive tho natives are up there too in naivety deparment. Cant wait whats he gonna introduce next.

A great story well written and thought out. An adventure for the academic among us...any of us really but i think the author came at this with a fresh perspective, that of an academic's point of view. Book two is already out and i gobbled them both up like a kid eating candy. Well done Olan!

Interesting, both plot and characters. Well written and nice character development. One of my favorite types of story!
Looking forward to the rest of the series... And thank heavens it's only a month till part three. Well done! Will be following for more by this author. : )

I really enjoyed this novel, even if it was a little slow at times, it wasn't forced, it flowed well, and ut is very interesting. The progression of characters is smooth, and even if the extra perspectives are a bit distracting, they add to the overall world veiw.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the alternative with first contact. Easy to read and follow with not too many characters. I can see where Joseph can fill lost and fulfilled at the same time. Also enjoyed the small amount of sex thrown in and how it was explained.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was hooked from the beginning and didn't want it to end. I listened to the audiobook version and loved it. I'm interested to see what happens next and how the characters develop.

This book would make a good manual for how not to write a science fiction story. The majority of the book is exposition delivered the in driest and least interesting way imaginable. You get bombarded by proper nouns from the very beginning, inane geographical information, troop movements for the past 20 years etc., while getting almost nothing in the way of interesting characters, emotion, or conflict. The excessive set-up is done way before any of it becomes relevant. It was a fun concept, and I think the author did create a fleshed out and believable world (probably), but it was poorly executed. I abandoned the book in the middle of Chapter 5.

I needed something to read. At first I thought that that is exactly what I found in this book. The deeper I fell into to the story the more I enjoyed it. I would have given 5 stars if it caught my attention from the begining.

I could not put this book down. I've read stories about a person taken back in time and causing significant change but putting a person on a different planet that is populated by humans is an entirely different "what if" scenario. This book is extremely well written with some excellent science.

I really enjoyed this novel outside of some of the most obvious romantic foreshadowing Ive ever read (but you have to read the 2nd book to see it I assume). I rate it 9/10 but it deserves to be rounded up for one of the most realistic modern person in a tech backwarsds world.

I needed something to read. At first I thought that that is exactly what I found in this book. The deeper I fell into to the story the more I enjoyed it. I would have given 5 stars if it caught my attention from the begining.

I could not put this book down. I've read stories about a person taken back in time and causing significant change but putting a person on a different planet that is populated by humans is an entirely different "what if" scenario. This book is extremely well written with some excellent science.

I really enjoyed this novel outside of some of the most obvious romantic foreshadowing Ive ever read (but you have to read the 2nd book to see it I assume). I rate it 9/10 but it deserves to be rounded up for one of the most realistic modern person in a tech backwarsds world.

I started reading and enjoyed the story so much , Firefly ,action , would actually make a great TV series . Finished the book and bought book 2 ,stopped reading @ 03h00 only because i had to get some sleep so I could get to work that day . Great story , great characters ,can't wait for book number 3.

I bought this book because I know personally the author (that has a completely different job) and I was curious. I was scared because I am not an English mother tongue but ....what a surprise to find a story that catched me until the end! When I am sorry that a book finishes, it means that it is a very good book and this is what happened to me. Fortunately there is a follow up that I have just bought.
In this story there are all the elements necessary to make a good science fiction story: normal life that change suddenly because of unexpected and incredible events, a very good scientific basis to make the story reliable although incredible, "human" feelings even in alien conditions, war, love, a taste of sex, jokes, everything written clearly and gripping.
I already imagine this story converted in a blockbuster movie. Congratulations Olan!

Thoroughly enjoyable read and a nice approach to a fairly common genre. I usually don't enjoy books that switch back and forth between characters but this one is interesting enough for me to get past my dislike.

Good story. Interesting characters and background. Good plot. But it felt a little like I only got 90% of the book. The three main characters' stories are clearly meant to interweave, but the characters never meet. A little tighter story line and a bit of editing and this would be a really good book. It is very close.

Excellent story of "what would you do if aliens dropped you off on another world with tech two hundred years older?" How 'Yozef' adapts, and in some cases, doesn't, makes for a great read. Looking forward to book 2!

Thoroughly satisfying. The plot reminds me of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, but Cast Under... is serious. I have just finished the first book, and can see more than one kind of trouble looming for Joseph Colsco. Must see what happens next!

Stop what you are doing and pick this book. You will be glad you did. Once you finish this book you will be looking forward to the second book.

I've read the entire series so far and I am looking forward to the next.

Absolutely loved it the book just had me deeply entranced from page 1 and on and I cannot believe I had been on the fence for reading it for so long. I am definitely going to buy the other 2 books now!

not a real sci-fi. the alien planet is more similar to europe in cultures, people, religion, politics, and even food, than non-western countries on earth. cathedrals ? gimme a break. and the main character's background as a chemist on early is the most advanced science in the story. very boring.

It was a decent premise but I couldn't get past the poor writing and execution. There's literally a scene with one guy rehashing years of events to five other guys who are supposed to already know this.
There's also zero lead-up into them expecting you to remember three countries, several cities, a multitude of different characters, and a religious order, without ever telling you why you should care enough to remember.
Futhermore there's scientific inaccuracies like the great wall of china being visible from space(it isn't) that really shouldn't exist in a book that's essentially about technology.
If none of these would bother you then feel free to read the book, but don't go in expecting a modern masterpiece.