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Crystal #0.5
Crystal Horizon: A Short Prequel to Crystal Deception
Crystal Horizon, a short prequel to the books of The Crystal Series, is a mini-adventure that provides a sampler for new readers and a fun diversion for fans. Set five years before the start of the saga, it tells the backstory of Sid and Cheryl. In Crystal Deception (Book 1), Cheryl is introduced as the captain of a Fleet space cruiser, and Sid as a covert warrior for the Defense Specialists Agency. Along the way we learn that the two have a shared history—a romantic connection that somehow went awry. In this story, we join Sid and Cheryl on the day they first meet and we live that shared history with them.
This story is available FREE at my author website when you sign up for my newsletter.
This story is available FREE at my author website when you sign up for my newsletter.
- GenresScience Fiction
43 pages, ebook
First published March 26, 2015
About the author
Doug J. Cooper
10 books468 followersWhen he is not writing science fiction novels, Doug fills his day working as a professor emeritus of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at UConn, and as founder and director of Control Station, Inc. His passions include telling inventive tales, mentoring driven individuals, and everything sci-tech. He lives in Connecticut with his darling wife and with pictures of his son, who is off somewhere in the world creating adventures of his own.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 9, 2018
Exciting prequel
Good prequel to let readers know how the two main characters got to know one another. It's short and doesn't really have an ending of course since the books come after it. Now I know how they met...I plan to continue the series.
Good prequel to let readers know how the two main characters got to know one another. It's short and doesn't really have an ending of course since the books come after it. Now I know how they met...I plan to continue the series.
October 24, 2018
Update: October 24, 2018 re-read-yep, still love this prequel to CRYSTAL DECEPTION! Sid and Cheryl are both competitive, talented and filled with the attitudes of youth on a mission to succeed in life, but have they missed out on something just as important?
Tell the truth, we all love a little gossip sometimes, or at least we want to know “the rest of the story.” The obvious tension and familiarity of two powerful warriors in Crystal Deception begs the question, “What’s with them?” Like a good parent, author Doug J. Cooper nips all questions in the bud by finally revealing the past relationship between Sid and Cheryl from its inception as trainees assigned as partners to young lovers in a budding romance that may or may not stand the test of time and distance as they each pursue their chosen paths. As partners in training they are like two well-matched bookends, each complimenting the other’s talents and strengths, but off the training field, are they as well-matched?
Crystal Horizon is the big reveal, the rest of their story and Doug J. Cooper has once again, taken us back to the future, where technology is far advanced, but the mystery of the human heart remains unchanged. With brilliant details and pulse-pounding action, I felt myself wanting to hit my com button and warn Sid and Cheryl of danger. Not to fear, Mr. Cooper has given them that warrior spirit that is daring enough to take on all challenges, and in Sid’s case, makes it seem like his idea of fun while, thankfully, Cheryl uses her brains, rapid-fire analysis to plan her moves.
Should you read this prior to the rest of the series, up to you, sometimes it’s more fun to get the scoop after, especially when Doug J. Cooper is doing the telling!
Published March 26th 2015 by Douglas Cooper Consulting
Genre: Sci-fi | Thriller
Number of pages: 43
Available from: Amazon
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Tell the truth, we all love a little gossip sometimes, or at least we want to know “the rest of the story.” The obvious tension and familiarity of two powerful warriors in Crystal Deception begs the question, “What’s with them?” Like a good parent, author Doug J. Cooper nips all questions in the bud by finally revealing the past relationship between Sid and Cheryl from its inception as trainees assigned as partners to young lovers in a budding romance that may or may not stand the test of time and distance as they each pursue their chosen paths. As partners in training they are like two well-matched bookends, each complimenting the other’s talents and strengths, but off the training field, are they as well-matched?
Crystal Horizon is the big reveal, the rest of their story and Doug J. Cooper has once again, taken us back to the future, where technology is far advanced, but the mystery of the human heart remains unchanged. With brilliant details and pulse-pounding action, I felt myself wanting to hit my com button and warn Sid and Cheryl of danger. Not to fear, Mr. Cooper has given them that warrior spirit that is daring enough to take on all challenges, and in Sid’s case, makes it seem like his idea of fun while, thankfully, Cheryl uses her brains, rapid-fire analysis to plan her moves.
Should you read this prior to the rest of the series, up to you, sometimes it’s more fun to get the scoop after, especially when Doug J. Cooper is doing the telling!
Published March 26th 2015 by Douglas Cooper Consulting
Genre: Sci-fi | Thriller
Number of pages: 43
Available from: Amazon
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
March 26, 2017
I love a summer away at camp! Hiking, Swimming, advanced military training to prepare for a likely alien invasion… Sid has been getting great marks all through his advanced military training, even juggling a fling with another rising star Cheryl. Then a Captain from a covert division makes him an offer he can’t refuse.
If you’ve been on the fence about trying the Crystal Series, this is what you need. Crystal Horizon has introduced me to a couple key characters in the series and Cooper proved his writing prowess in the hour or so I spent on the novelette. I got this story free for signing up for a newsletter, I think… It sat in my TBR pile for a couple months, so I can’t be sure. However I saw that it’s priced to move on Amazon for a buck. It’s worth every penny, people.
I would complain that it left me wanting more, but since this little tale is designed to do exactly that, I confirm that Crystal Horizon only takes an hour to draw you into the series.
If you’ve been on the fence about trying the Crystal Series, this is what you need. Crystal Horizon has introduced me to a couple key characters in the series and Cooper proved his writing prowess in the hour or so I spent on the novelette. I got this story free for signing up for a newsletter, I think… It sat in my TBR pile for a couple months, so I can’t be sure. However I saw that it’s priced to move on Amazon for a buck. It’s worth every penny, people.
I would complain that it left me wanting more, but since this little tale is designed to do exactly that, I confirm that Crystal Horizon only takes an hour to draw you into the series.
May 6, 2017
CRYSTAL HORIZON is an ebullient science fiction novelette which moves at an assured pace, with great characters, and plenty of action to keep it vital throughout. It is measured in its use of science fiction terminology and this works to its advantage, employing this sparingly, instead concentrating on the human element, and accompanying emotional thrills.
July 23, 2017
A nice setup for the Crystal Series.
March 15, 2016
I read the other two books of this series, so when Doug J. Cooper came out with the prequel, Crystal Horizon, I knew I had to read it, too!
Synopsis (from the author): Crystal Deception is a science fiction thriller that includes everything from my list above, and this work, Crystal Horizon, is a prequel to that book.
I wrote this short piece with two thoughts in mind. One was to give new readers a low cost opportunity to sample the larger story and meet a couple of characters from the series. Perhaps you’ll enjoy yourself so much, you’ll want to read the full length books?
My second reason was to give current fans the backstory on Sid and Cheryl. This prequel takes place five years before the time of Crystal Deception, where we meet Cheryl as a captain of a military space cruiser and Sid as a covert warrior for the Defense Specialists Agency.
We learn in Crystal Deception that Sid and Cheryl have a shared history and, in particular, a romantic relationship that has somehow gone awry. In this prequel, we join them on the day they first meet and we experience that history with them.
What I liked: As mentioned above, Sid and Cheryl are two of the main characters throughout the books. In the later books, Sid is the fearless operative in a shadowy organization and Cheryl is working her way up the military chain of command, but you’ll get no spoilers from me on the later books. We do find out in the sequels that Cheryl and Sid have a history and Crystal Horizon gives a great backstory, and details how they met and the start of their relationship. For fans of the series, it is a satisfying completion. For those who haven’t read any of the books, it is a great introduction!
What I didn’t like: The only disappointment I had with the book was the relationship between Sid and Cheryl was a bit predictable. Other than that, good stuff!
Overall impression: Well-written, with a good introduction to the characters, Crystal Horizon was a quick, interesting, and entertaining sci-fi read. If you haven’t read the series, read this one first and then go enjoy the other two! Well done, Doug J. Cooper!
My rating: 5 Stars
Synopsis (from the author): Crystal Deception is a science fiction thriller that includes everything from my list above, and this work, Crystal Horizon, is a prequel to that book.
I wrote this short piece with two thoughts in mind. One was to give new readers a low cost opportunity to sample the larger story and meet a couple of characters from the series. Perhaps you’ll enjoy yourself so much, you’ll want to read the full length books?
My second reason was to give current fans the backstory on Sid and Cheryl. This prequel takes place five years before the time of Crystal Deception, where we meet Cheryl as a captain of a military space cruiser and Sid as a covert warrior for the Defense Specialists Agency.
We learn in Crystal Deception that Sid and Cheryl have a shared history and, in particular, a romantic relationship that has somehow gone awry. In this prequel, we join them on the day they first meet and we experience that history with them.
What I liked: As mentioned above, Sid and Cheryl are two of the main characters throughout the books. In the later books, Sid is the fearless operative in a shadowy organization and Cheryl is working her way up the military chain of command, but you’ll get no spoilers from me on the later books. We do find out in the sequels that Cheryl and Sid have a history and Crystal Horizon gives a great backstory, and details how they met and the start of their relationship. For fans of the series, it is a satisfying completion. For those who haven’t read any of the books, it is a great introduction!
What I didn’t like: The only disappointment I had with the book was the relationship between Sid and Cheryl was a bit predictable. Other than that, good stuff!
Overall impression: Well-written, with a good introduction to the characters, Crystal Horizon was a quick, interesting, and entertaining sci-fi read. If you haven’t read the series, read this one first and then go enjoy the other two! Well done, Doug J. Cooper!
My rating: 5 Stars
April 22, 2016
On its own, this very short writing is not really eligible to be rated. It does not delve into a basic plot with a climactic resolution. However, this is really just an introductory prelude to the well-written sci-fi fantasy, Crystal Deception, which is being presented by the author as a taste to readers to interest them in the main saga. For readers like me, who have read Crystal Deception, this is a quick read that provides a flashback to the initial meet and personal connection between two of the major characters before an unexpected action separated them. This prologue does give readers new to the author’s writing a feeling of easy connection to the main characters and a quick sense of action and adventure that will expand in the main novel. Whether one reads it before or after Crystal Deception, this quickie is a fine addendum to the opening book of the saga.
May 11, 2015
I loved to know what happened between Sid and Cheryl. I liked them as pair but I was leaning towards Juice and Sid as a pair in Crystal Deception but I don't mind Sid and Cheryl to be together as I got to know them more about them. And the task under water had me holding breath,lol. Sid was risk taker from the beginning! I'm really excited to read Crystal Conquest!
August 31, 2015
I really enjoy this author's characters. His style is simple, yet manages to convey that there are intriguing things going on. Thus, I am on to his next book, which will be a reread for me. I really enjoyed the previous time I read it.
April 30, 2015
Excellent short story which caught my interest and succeeded in getting me to start reading the next full length book of the series. I can't wait to see how the story plays out.
December 15, 2020
This is a quick read, and an introduction to the story world that carries on into Cooper’s Crystal series. I discovered this book through Twitter and downloaded it for free from Cooper’s website. I’d definitely recommend that you do the same.
The book/story shows the meeting between two characters at a training camp, and the development of their relationship. I’ve got this far without mentioning that it’s sci-fi - probably because the story is really focussed on Sid and Cheryl’s characters and interactions.
An enjoyable read that has certainly made me curious about the series.
July 18, 2019
Cool little story that gives some background to "Crystal Deception" and the whole series. Makes me want to read the rest.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews