Lee Stephen

Scott Remington aka Remy left school to enroll to Eden in the military. AS Scott felt a calling to go to Eden. Scott leaves everything including the love of his life, Nicole. Remy and the rest of his platoon will try their hardest to fight and protect Earth.

I opted for the audio version of this book. So glad I did as listening to this book is like being in a theater. It is very theatric with the music, action, and great sound effects. It was like I was transported into either a Broadway show more show or movie theater. I know it might sound odd to say Broadway but it was the music and sound effects. I could picture a chorus of musicians playing instruments specifically for this book. At times I would find myself closing my eyes to just listen to this book. This way I could just enjoy the audio version more and see this book playing out in my head.

Per Mr. Stephen's website it explained this book as follows:

"audio “experience,” is the audio equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie. Over thirty voice actors played a role in this. This is ear-splitting sound effects, bombastic music, and characters shouting back and forth in the middle of a war zone. This is unlike anything you’ve ever heard."

Well Mr. Stephen is right. This was not just an "audiobook" but an experience. I have not enjoyed such an experience listening to an audiobook in a long time. I would love to see this book on the big screen in the movie theater but I also am fearfull that if this book was made into a movie it would not do it justice. I really hope that the next book can be produced in such the same way as this book. A not to be missed experience! show less

Dawn of Destiny is a fantasy story set in the near future. A global defense group - EDEN - is charged with protecting humans on Earth against three different alien races...all intent on destroying humanity!

EDEN outposts are strategically located around the globe, this story begins in one of them which is located Richmond, VA, four new soldiers, fresh from the academy, come together on their first day at at the outpost and become fast friends. The story follows Scott, a young college student show more who dropped out of college to join; David, an older man of forty and former NYC police officer for 14 years; Becan, a young man with a heavy Scottish brogue and always into mischief; Jayden, a quiet man from Texas - he's the team sniper. Their first battle takes them to Chicago where the BAKMA are attacking in force, many operatives are killed and in one incident, Scott takes it upon himself to lead a small team against the alien carrier. The outcome is noticed by upper military and government officials and soon Scott is rewarded for his efforts.

Their second encounter is called a bug hunt, which pits the team against a group of different alien beings who are hiding out in a school. They are led by the captain of the platoon so he can assess Scott and the team firsthand. These creatures are like giant bugs and it takes much to put them down. One consolation is that this group of aliens also despise the BAKMA and have been fighting them for years. This is a plus for later in the story.

Suddenly, the team is transferred to an outpost in Russia to help replenish their ranks after ongoing battles on that side of the world. The Americans are assigned to Platoon #14, which are mostly Russian operatives and led by a British captain. They are met with animosity and despised upon their arrival and immediately challenged in the first group activity; Becan surprises me here. It doesn't take long for them to prove themselves and gain the respect of their fellow soldiers. The entire post is led by a ruthless Russian General and a secret society of "Knights"...it's his rules and sure death if orders are not followed. EDEN officials turn a blind eye and allow him free reign...there is much more going on here than meets the eye.

The Russian post is the largest EDEN facility on earth, built on a freezing wasteland near Siberia. The invaders possess an advanced technology that is far superior to anything on earth, yet EDEN manages to defend the planet. The last few chapters will keep readers captivated and force them to stay up late to finish the story. There is no cliff hanger at the end, but there are plenty of questions left unanswered. So what's next? I'll be downloading the next installment to see how this group fares in their quest to further protect earth. I thoroughly enjoyed "Dawn of Destiny" and recommend it anyone - even if they're not a fan of sci-fy or fantasy. Great job Mr. Stephen!

John Podlaski, author
Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel show less

I crossed my fingers and toes before I started reading this book. The first book, Dawn Of Destiny, was amazing and I was wondering if the author could pull off another winner with the second book.

My worries were unfounded. This was every bit as good as the first book.

Scott Remington, the youngest man to ever receive the honorary Golden Lion, rose through the ranks like a rocket. But with all victory comes a fall. He suffers a tragic loss and loses his way.

But time waits for no man, and show more neither do the aliens. They step up their attacks, a rookie makes a huge error, and casualties are staggering. Scott must pull himself together fast. The men look to him for leadership, to fuel their bravery. His crushing loss has him in limbo. The rage builds. It’s all leading to a breaking point.

It’s good to be back with the gang again. Most of the characters made it through the first book and are back in the second one. But that doesn’t mean I can relax. As a matter of fact, the author quickly hit me with massive losses when a rookie made a huge mistake, sending men to their slaughter.

And there’s a lot of political maneuvering going on. That’s never a good thing, and I smelled a skunk or two.

Thoor, mysterious leader of the Nightmen, is also upping the stakes. He’s strategically placing his men in the Eden ranks. This can only be bad.

Outlaw trigger is a lot darker than the first book. There’s more suspense, more loss, more intrigue. And a whole lot of shock and awe.

And the wild ending. I so didn’t see it coming. One word describes it. FUBAR! show less

I’ve been getting back to reading science fiction again. I got away from it for a while and I’ve discovered some exciting new authors and stories lately

Author Lee Stephen and his EPIC series are among them.

I’m huge on character driven novels and got everything I could ask for with Dawn of Destiny.

There’s also a lot of action and intrigue.

Several different alien species are attacking our planet. We don’t know why. Their attacks are random and sporadic. The world unites, setting up show more military bases all over the world. The agenda: attack, eliminate, protect.

Our very survival depends on it.

From the beginning you are drawn into story. The characters are strongly written. They all have distinctive voices. I could recognize some easily without the author even having to mention who was acting or speaking.

How these military units came together, how they learned to work together, and their personal issues were so captivating. I had a couple of favorites right from the beginning, but as new ones entered the story, I found more. I came to care about them, to celebrate their triumphs, grieve over their losses, and rage over the injustices.

I also became interested in a few of the not so nice characters. They were equally well developed and their stories were fascinating too. It was hard not to feel some empathy for a few of them. I wanted to let down my guard, as some of the characters in the book did, but I quickly remembered, this is a book, the author doesn’t promise me good things, and anything can and will happen. Boy. did it ever.

The battles were strongly written too. Watching a lot of science fiction movies made it easy to visualize these. Especially when it came to the aliens. There are two main ones and they both utilize other alien creatures as weapons. Those are pretty scary. One scene with some necrilids was very chilling and I used the last Predators movie to see that.

And I wanted to mention the characters again. When they were first all brought together I pictured the movie Starship Troopers. It wasn’t a blockbuster movie, but I really liked it. The camaraderie of the units, their personal lives, their wins and losses, it all felt similar in Dawn of Destiny. This was the spine of this story and it was strong.

As for the ending. I got one. A good one. I knew it was the first book in the series and would leave me hanging so I wasn’t surprised by that. But it did wrap up some things and leave me wanting more. I was glad their would be more and immediately started reading the second book, which takes place three months later.

I hope you try this series. You don’t have to love science fiction to enjoy these. They read fast, and even when there’s no shooting, running, screaming, and blowing things up, there’s plenty to keep you glued to the pages. show less