Kwelengsen Swarm (Logan's World, Book 3) by David M. Kelly

 

Release date: May 18, 2023

Subgenre: Military science fiction, Space opera

 

About Kwelengsen Swarm:

 

How long can one man keep fighting?

Logan's dreams of a peaceful life on Kwelengsen have been shattered. A final battle with the Corporate forces seems inevitable and will cost all the settlers' lives unless he can get them off planet. But with deadly new species appearing all around, the remaining survivors find themselves battling enemies on multiple fronts.

And when the settlers start behaving in strange, inexplicable ways, Logan must fight to uncover the reasons behind their sinister death wish. But with Corporate reinforcements on the way, he's fast running out of time.

Kwelengsen Swarm–the endgame is survival, but who is the enemy?

 

Excerpt:

 

One

 

"And yet there is only one great thing
To live to see the great day that dawns
And the light that fills the world."
— Inuit poem

 

The early morning sun washed the foliage around Logan Twofeathers with a dull, pink light that made the tree trunks look black and tinged their leaves the color of old blood. The sun had done little to warm the air yet, and the moss below his feet was slick with dew. Not that he felt it inside his self-contained TACS combat armor. He kneeled at the top of a shallow rise overlooking a thick expanse of native Kwelengsen trees, a single narrow path vaguely visible through the canopy as it meandered north toward the distant ridgeline. The mountains slashed west, a series of almost black serrations dominating the horizon like thick blades.

A week ago, he and the rest of his team had been escorted under those mountains and along the trail he was now contemplating. So much had happened since then it was hard to believe so little time had passed. This was where the giant gorillasaur creatures had attacked—that being the name Neeta Havji had subsequently given them. He hesitated to use the word "ambushed," despite feeling as though that was exactly what had happened. The word implied too much deliberate thought for comfort, and the creatures had shown little beyond animal instincts so far. Despite that, he was well aware how Earth creatures, and even people, had often been dismissed as savage and brutish in the past.

The sky was clear, for which he was grateful. The flying lizards had spent hours after the Corporate attack swooping around the caves devouring any bodies left behind, and in the days since, at least one or two had been constantly wheeling around looking for easy pickings. The only thing airborne was the small dot of the sentinel drone he'd launched, weaving over the treetops in long arcs as it scanned for signs of danger.

So far, it hadn't detected any threats. Logan got to his feet awkwardly and followed the trail, his movement hampered by wounds that were still healing and the makeshift repairs to his suit. He'd spent the last couple of days refurbishing it with parts scavenged from those used by Ogawa and Lwao. And although he'd managed to bring the suit back to life, without the equipment to tune the components properly, it was a partial fix at best.

The trail dropped into the shallow valley, the trees rising above him and plunging him into a shadowy gloom. His suit's systems automatically adjusted the image on his visor, brightening the view to make it as clear as if the sun were high in the sky. Logan took the further protection of setting the sensors to scan for infrared signals, adjusting the level to avoid everything glowing like a neon display. That, combined with the sentinel's feed, should be enough to stop anything from catching him unawares.

 

Amazon |  

 

About David M. Kelly:

David M. Kelly writes intelligent, action-packed science fiction. He is the author of the Joe Ballen sci-fi thriller series and the short story collection Dead Reckoning And Other Stories. He has been published in Canadian SF magazine Neo-opsis.

David’s interest in science and technology began early. At the age of six his parents allowed him to stay up late into the night to watch the television broadcast of Neil Armstrong stepping on to the surface of the moon. From that day he was hooked on everything related to science and space.

An avid reader, he worked his way through the contents of the mobile library that visited his street, progressing through YA titles (or ‘juveniles’ as they were known back then) on to the classics of Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Harry Harrison.

David worked for many years in project management and software development. Along the way his interests have included IPSC combat (target) pistol shooting, crew chief on a drag racing team, and several years as bass player/vocalist in a heavy rock band. He also managed to fit in some real work in manual jobs from digging ditches and work on production lines to loading trucks in a haulage company.

Originally from the wild and woolly region of Yorkshire, England, David emigrated to Canada in 2005 and settled in Northern Ontario with his patient and supportive wife, Hilary. Foot surgery in 2014 temporarily curtailed many of his favourite activities – hiking, camping, piloting his own personal starfighter (otherwise known as a Corvette ZR-1). But on the plus side, it meant a transition from the world of IT into life as a full-time writer—an opportunity he grasped enthusiastically.

David is passionate about science, especially astronomy and physics, and is a rabid science news follower. Never short of an opinion, David writes about science and technology on his blog davidmkelly.net. He has supported various charity projects such as the Smithsonian’s Reboot The Suit and the Lowell Observatory Pluto Telescope Restoration. He also contributes to citizen science projects such as SETI@home.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

Interview with David M. Kelly, author of Kwelengsen Dawn (Logan's World, Book 2)

It gives the Speculative Fiction Showcase great pleasure to interview David M. Kelly, whose latest novel Kwelengsen Dawn was our featured new release on Tuesday, June 7.

We interviewed you last in April 2018, around the time your second novel Perimeter was released. You have just released your seventh book, Kwelengsen Dawn (Logan's World, Book 2). How does that feel?

It feels great to have got the book out there. I dedicated this one to all the readers who cursed me after book one, as they had a long wait to see what happened to Logan! I tend to write things in timeline order. As a result of that, book one fell between the events in Joe Ballen books three and four, so that’s how I wrote them. Book two of Logan’s World is set after the final Joe Ballen book, and so is only now getting a release.

The good news is that book three in the Logan series is already well under way, so there won’t be such a big gap between books two and three!

Perimeter was set in the Joe Ballen universe. Kwelengsen Dawn relates to a spin-off character, Logan Twofeathers, who first appears as the protagonist in Kwelengsen Storm. What can you tell us about Logan and what makes him tick?

Logan first appeared in my Joe Ballen series as a close friend of Joe, someone who often helps him out when things are at their worst. An equally adept space engineer, he’s quieter than Joe, but with a drier humor, and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. He believes Kwelengsen is a new start for humanity, a chance to leave war behind and work together to build something better. But as the series progresses, his ideals are increasingly challenged, and he's pushed to the limits as he fights for justice and the people he loves.

What about the world in the title, Kwelengsen. How would you describe it?

The word comes from Logan's native language, Salish, and means "Eagle." He named the planet “Kwelengsen” after seeing a large continent on the surface that resembled a soaring eagle.  It's pronounced kwuh-leng-shun and represents Logan's dreams of freedom.

At the beginning of Kwelengsen Dawn, Logan is stranded on Earth. Who are the Corporate forces who threaten him?

In the first book, Kwelengsen was invaded by a ruthless Corporate invasion force. Although planets are common, habitable ones are scarce, making the planet incredibly valuable, especially as Earth is starting to deteriorate badly, due to uncontrolled climate change. The Corporates are a loose-linked group of independent communities built in space for commercial reasons and, with the exception of certain trade links, have largely broken ties with Earth. They want the planet and its resources for themselves, and see the settlement as a road block to be eliminated. Unfortunately, when Logan left the planet in book one, he found that many of the settlers were left behind.

What other trials will Logan face as he struggles to return to Kwelengsen?

His quest to return to Kwelengsen involves physical hardship and mental anguish as he's forced to journey through a backward society, deal with criminal groups, and seek help from one of the last people he would choose to go to for assistance. There are also several mysteries on the planet that the settlers have not encountered previously.

Why did you decide to follow Logan and give him his own series?

When I was researching the types of people who might take on space construction roles for the original Joe Ballen series, I happened upon several articles detailing the high numbers of Native Americans who worked on constructing the skyscrapers of New York and other cities. This made me think they might play a similar role in space construction. During one of the later books in that series, Logan discovers the planet he names Kwelengsen, and it felt right that I develop that situation further. Also, there have been few Indigenous roles traditionally in science fiction, and I wanted to base a series around him and develop his character. 

What can fans of the Joe Ballen series expect?

Right now, I have no plans to continue the Ballen series. Writing Joe was a lot of fun, but I feel it's time to move on to other projects. I have a continuous book universe planned moving into the future as humanity explores deeper into space. So it's safe to say his influence will be felt throughout books to come, but I can't give anymore details on that yet :-) I hope readers who liked Joe will give my other series a try and hopefully enjoy them just as much. The Logan's World series is a little darker in tone than Joe with more of a military edge, but there's still plenty of action, humor, and characters to care about.

You will be appearing at several events and conventions this year from July through September. Where will you be and what will you be doing?

I'm so excited to get back to in-person events this year. I have two events in central Ontario over the summer: the Elmvale Scifi Fantasy party and the Coldwater Steampunk Festival. These are close enough to be day trips from where I live in Northern Ontario. In the fall, I'm heading south to the Eden Mills Writers Festival, and then the big one: a 12-hour road trip to Thunder Bay, Ontario for their 2-day Thundercon - Bring the Thunder!

In your last interview, you talked about your lifelong fascination with science. How do you feel about the latest advances in space exploration?

I think there are a lot of amazing developments happening, and it's wonderful to see an upsurge of interest in space and its development. At the same time, I'm disappointed we're not seeing more international collaboration on these ventures. I also think some of the commercial projects being talked about are not sufficiently grounded in reality, in some cases to the point where you'd have to describe them as deceptive.

You moved from Yorkshire, England to Ontario, Canada in 2005. Has that change affected what you write about and the landscapes you imagine?

I'm not sure if it's changed how I write, but Sudbury, Ontario is a great place to be a sci-fi writer. The Sudbury Basin was formed 1.8 million years ago from a huge asteroid or comet impact, as evidenced by the local shattercones you can see here. NASA has used the rocky landscape for training exercises, and we have our very own Nobel prize-winning neutrino observatory. Thinking about it, the Kwelengsen landcape is very barren and rocky with harsh winters, so perhaps I've been influenced by Sudbury more than I realise! (There's more about the area on a blogpost I wrote a few years ago - https://davidmkelly.com/2016/11/28/space-town/)

One thing that the move has affected is my awareness and knowledge of First Nations cultures, which fed directly into my novels featuring Logan Twofeathers. The Indigenous people of North America have been abused for hundreds of years, all the way up to recent times, and, sadly, still have to deal with a lot of prejudice and injustice.

Apart from a foot injury, you have been physically very active. How far do activities like IPSC combat (target) pistol shooting, being crew chief on a drag racing team, hiking and camping in the wilderness enable you to imagine the adventures of your characters?

That's an interesting question! I hadn't thought about this before, but it's true that weapons, fast, powerful spaceships, and tests of endurance feature heavily in my books :-) Quick reactions and the ability to "cobble things together" McGiver-style were also quite advantageous in those situations, so perhaps I've passed some of those qualities onto my two space engineers. Before taking up writing, I was a software engineer and have worked with a lot of engineers in various roles, both on the IT side, but also mechanical and electrical, so I feel I have an understanding of how they might think and feel.

On your website, you list online resources for writers who are researching space travel. Tell us about these.

One of my goals when I started writing the Joe Ballen series was to create a story that was realistic AND fun – something a lot of people said couldn't be done. As I was writing, I found a number of very useful sites that I leaned on heavily to get the technical details right. Many of them were a little obscure, so I felt it would be helpful to highlight them to anyone else attempting to write similar books. 

Will there ever be a warp drive or something of that nature?

To me, the universe seems too large for speeds to be limited to below the speed of light - it feels inelegant somehow. There should be a way around it. Wormholes and warp fields have become a common theme in science fiction. My books are based around the idea of a universe comprising a dozen or more dimensions, where it's possible to temporarily slip into a different dimension and "skip around" great distances. More recently, we've heard that we could be living in a multiverse, which may also offer potential opportunities. That being said, if we do find a way to make one of these ideas possible, I believe it will take immense levels of energy to enable such shortcuts. Another question is whether humans could survive such a transition. My heart wants it, but my head says it's a long way off, if it's achievable.

What further adventures are you planning for your characters, including Joe Ballen, Logan Twofeathers and Hyperia Jones?

As mentioned above, Joe is taking a well-earned retirement. Book 3 of the Logan's World series is well under way and will be the final instalment of the series. As for Hyperia, she's just getting started and I have lots more adventures planned for her and the FIRE team – that's the Federation of Interstellar Rassling. That series is firmly in the sci-fi comedy genre :-) I'm also planning a new military sci-fi series that I'll be writing alongside Hyperia, so there's lots to look forward to!

Amazon

About David M. Kelly:

David M. Kelly writes intelligent, action-packed science fiction. He is the author of the Joe Ballen sci-fi thriller series and the short story collection Dead Reckoning And Other Stories. He has been published in Canadian SF magazine Neo-opsis.

David’s interest in science and technology began early. At the age of six his parents allowed him to stay up late into the night to watch the television broadcast of Neil Armstrong stepping on to the surface of the moon. From that day he was hooked on everything related to science and space. An avid reader, he worked his way through the contents of the mobile library that visited his street, progressing through YA titles (or ‘juveniles’ as they were known back then) on to the classics of Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Harry Harrison. David worked for many years in project management and software development. Along the way his interests have included IPSC combat (target) pistol shooting, crew chief on a drag racing team, and several years as bass player/vocalist in a heavy rock band. He also managed to fit in some real work in manual jobs from digging ditches and work on production lines to loading trucks in a haulage company. Originally from the wild and woolly region of Yorkshire, England, David emigrated to Canada in 2005 and settled in Northern Ontario with his patient and supportive wife, Hilary. Foot surgery in 2014 temporarily curtailed many of his favourite activities – hiking, camping, piloting his own personal starfighter (otherwise known as a Corvette ZR-1). But on the plus side, it meant a transition from the world of IT into life as a full-time writer—an opportunity he grasped enthusiastically. David is passionate about science, especially astronomy and physics, and is a rabid science news follower. Never short of an opinion, David writes about science and technology on his blog davidmkelly.net. He has supported various charity projects such as the Smithsonian’s Reboot The Suit and the Lowell Observatory Pluto Telescope Restoration. He also contributes to citizen science projects such as SETI@home.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Kwelengsen Dawn (Logan's World, Book 2) by David M. Kelly

 

Release date: June 7, 2022

Subgenre:  Military science fiction, Space opera

 

About Kwelengsen Dawn:

 

When you lose everything you love, the whole world becomes the enemy.

After his planet was invaded by ruthless Corporate forces, engineer Logan Twofeathers is trapped on Earth by the authorities, who are more afraid of starting a war than helping their people. He may be safe, but many others are still missing.

When security tries to arrest him on trumped-up charges, he must find his own way to return to Kwelengsen. His only option is to seek out someone from his past--a borderline psychotic, who might just be crazy enough to help.
Now, he must draw on all his strength and resilience as he undertakes a precarious and violent journey into the unknown, with enemies lurking in every shadow. The outlook is bleak, and all he has is his grit and sense of honor. Will that be enough?

The battle is over. But the war is about to begin.

 

Excerpt:

 

One

 

"Never confuse civility with civilization." — Grandfather Twofeathers

 

Sweat trickled down Logan's neck and crawled inside the collar of his shirt, the passive cooling in the building not nearly enough to combat the savage heat of a Baltimore summer. The whir of fans droned like a lethargic swarm of insects, stirring the fetid air ineffectually. He shifted position in a plastic chair clearly molded to provide zero comfort, his hands moist against the abrasive surface.

A heavy door to his left swung open. A man in a dark suit emerged, nodded to the secretary at the desk opposite, and hastened toward the exit. Logan jumped to his feet and strode after him.

"Mr. Twofeathers!" the secretary called after him. "I'm afraid Representative Campbell has left for the day."

Logan hurried after Campbell as best he could. Five months since returning from Kwelengsen and his injured leg still bothered him. Campbell was quick, darting through the throng of people bustling around the USP regional offices. The large clock display floating above the main foyer showed three in the afternoon. The representative was apparently looking for an early finish. Despite his limp, Logan's long stride allowed him to close within a couple of meters of Campbell.

"Mr. Campbell?" he called, as they approached the wide vestibule entrance. "I need a word, Representative."

Campbell glanced over his shoulder but didn't stop. "I'm sorry, I have an important meeting. Arrange an appointment with my secretary."

Logan's temper snapped, and he tapped Campbell's shoulder. "I've tried. Whenever I ask, I'm told your calendar is full. I've been sitting outside your office every day for over a week, and you will talk to me."

Campbell finally stopped, turning to face him. "Who do you think you are? You can't simply accost someone in this manner. Why, I could have you detained." His features twisted into an even more dour expression.

"My name is Logan Twofeathers."

Campbell's mouth opened slightly, then closed again. "You're that one. The settlement. Kweleng-something."

"I want to know what plans there are to recover the people we had to leave behind." His voice was tight, his chest constricting at the thought of Aurore and the others they'd inadvertently abandoned on Kwelengsen. "Everyone tells me I need to talk to the USP. You're the district representative."

"That's outside my remit." Campbell squeezed a smile across his narrow face. "Take it up with CESA."

"I did. They directed me to the World Congress."

"Then I suggest you contact them, Mr. Twofeathers. Good day."

Before Campbell could move, Logan grabbed his arm. "I've done that too. They told me it was an individual jurisdictional matter and I should contact my USP representative. So here I am."

They were as stationary as rocks in a river, while people swept by like the tumult of a stream flowing around them. Logan released his hold on Campbell, but only after stepping around to block his way out.

"This is outrageous. This isn't some backward colony. There are procedures and rules here, Mr. Twofeathers."

"I'd rather you didn't use that word." Logan's jaw tightened. "We were a settlement, not a colony. And there was nothing backward about how we managed our affairs, or the illegal invasion by Corporate forces."

"I've heard of you. You've been causing trouble for quite some time." Campbell's lips were a tight line. "Trying to drum up a stink to embarrass the administration. As you are well aware, negotiations with the Corporates over the Urafiki system and Kwelengsen are ongoing. This is a delicate matter. You would be smart to leave it to the professionals and not make further waves. Now, if you don't mind, I have to meet my wife and attend my granddaughter's ballet recital."

So much for the important meeting. "Do you love your wife, Mr. Campbell?"

"Of course I do. What game are you playing now?"

"I imagine you wouldn't want anything to happen to her."

"Is that a threat?" Campbell's eyes widened. "What have you done to her?"

"I haven't done anything. My wife is stuck on Kwelengsen. For all I know she's fighting for her life, or possibly a prisoner being tortured by Corporate soldiers. How would you feel if your wife was in that position?"

"Guards!" Campbell glanced around. Several people had stopped to watch the quarrel. "Security!"

 

Amazon

 

About David M. Kelly:

David M. Kelly writes intelligent, action-packed science fiction. He is the author of the Joe Ballen sci-fi thriller series and the short story collection Dead Reckoning And Other Stories. He has been published in Canadian SF magazine Neo-opsis.

David’s interest in science and technology began early. At the age of six his parents allowed him to stay up late into the night to watch the television broadcast of Neil Armstrong stepping on to the surface of the moon. From that day he was hooked on everything related to science and space.

An avid reader, he worked his way through the contents of the mobile library that visited his street, progressing through YA titles (or ‘juveniles’ as they were known back then) on to the classics of Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Harry Harrison.

David worked for many years in project management and software development. Along the way his interests have included IPSC combat (target) pistol shooting, crew chief on a drag racing team, and several years as bass player/vocalist in a heavy rock band. He also managed to fit in some real work in manual jobs from digging ditches and work on production lines to loading trucks in a haulage company.

Originally from the wild and woolly region of Yorkshire, England, David emigrated to Canada in 2005 and settled in Northern Ontario with his patient and supportive wife, Hilary. Foot surgery in 2014 temporarily curtailed many of his favourite activities – hiking, camping, piloting his own personal starfighter (otherwise known as a Corvette ZR-1). But on the plus side, it meant a transition from the world of IT into life as a full-time writer—an opportunity he grasped enthusiastically.

David is passionate about science, especially astronomy and physics, and is a rabid science news follower. Never short of an opinion, David writes about science and technology on his blog davidmkelly.net. He has supported various charity projects such as the Smithsonian’s Reboot The Suit and the Lowell Observatory Pluto Telescope Restoration. He also contributes to citizen science projects such as SETI@home.

Website | Twitter | Mastodon | Facebook | Goodreads