Recommended reads are either independently published books – or those that are published via a small press – that I have bought and enjoyed. The story is short for a novel but this length suits the story perfectly, allowing it to barrel along at a good pace. It’s a great combination of hard science fiction and the lawlessness of a western, and it’s no surprise that Bale acknowledges Firefly as a major influence. What works especially well is the feel to the book. This story is tight, well-written, with a group of characters that are relatable without falling into standard tropes or clichés. When Shepherd, a sometimes smuggler arrives at the planet withe supplies for the village just attacked, he finds himself caught up in something much bigger than it first appears. It’s not clear why the village was attacked but there are hints it has something to do with them following the teachings of a heretic preacher. The story starts with a raid on a small village of exiles on a planet close to The Wall, the boundary between the civilised galaxy and the rest of the universe. If you’re a fan of Firefly and have been itching to get your hands on something similar, you’d do well to read The Heretic by Lucas Bale. It is the story of humanity’s future and the discovery of the truth of its past. The award-winning Beyond the Wall series is gripping, epic space opera, written as hard science-fiction. The Heretic is the bestselling first book in a longer tale spanning four volumes. He is dragged into a fight he does not believe in and a desperate struggle to protect his ship, his way of life and the lives of the persecuted few who seek only freedom. Shepherd, a freighter-tramp and smuggler, is commissioned to deliver illicit medical supplies to a hostile border planet near the Wall. He and a handful of survivors flee into the frozen, snow-covered forest to wait for the preacher who told them their way of life was based on lies. A fourteen-year-old boy, Jordi, sees armed men approaching and manages to wake his family.

In the cold of a winter’s night, a small village is the subject of a brutal attack. Yet there are those who preach a new religion and who want to be free. Humanity’s true history survives only in whispers of a secret archive.

Freedom, religion and self-determination are anachronisms. Every citizen is implanted with a device to monitor their location, health and emotions. The Magistratus controls interstellar travel, access to technology, even procreation. In return for its protection, citizens must concede their rights absolutely. Humanity’s survivors are now dispersed among distant colonies, thousands of light years from the barren, frozen rock that was once their home.Īt a time when power means everything, the ultimate power, the imperium, rests with the Consulate Magistratus. Centuries have passed since life ended on the blue planet.