Book Review: Unheard Destruction by Zach Sweets

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Unheard Destruction
Author: Zach Sweets
Author: The Destruction Trilogy
Heroes: Rusty/Hal
Genre: MM Sci-Fi
Length: 200 Pages
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Release Date: May 14, 2014
Available at: Less Than Three, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance Ebooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Rusty and Hal step out of their house to a world destroyed. Before they can make sense of what has happened, they are abducted—by aliens.

Help arrives in the unexpected form of Assim, an alien who can speak directly to Rusty’s mind, but getting them out of one mess is only the first step in resolving a much greater one—and it is a problem that only humans can solve, leaving Rusty and Hal no choice but to learn fast and fight hard if they ever want to see home again.

Review: I have always loved reading about strong, deaf characters. I’m not really sure what the draw is for me, but as soon as I saw this book I knew I had to read it. I was not disappointed…even if sci-fi type stories are not my favorite. And this is definitely sci-fi. At times I likened it to Star Trek and the kind of action one would expect to take place on the USS Enterprise.

Rusty and Hal are an established, deaf couple planning a special Valentine’s Day celebration, complete with a new sex swing that was recently installed in their bomb shelter. The bomb shelter was a “just in case” scenario, and one that they really didn’t expect to be needed. So, here we have Rusty and Hal going to town on their new swing, wearing themselves out, and falling asleep. So morning comes along and they both want food so they open the door to complete destruction. Nothing is left, nope, nada, nothing.

Rusty and Hal are in a state of shock. Are they really the only people left alive in their town? Is the destruction local or world-wide? They have no way of knowing, only that they appear to be the only surviving members of some type of unheard destruction. Much of the dialogue is actually sign language but it is written in such a way that you easily know what is being spoken and what is being signed.

Hal and Rusty spend time exploring, trying to find survivors, food, clothes, anything to ensure their continued survival. What they don’t expect is a monster or alien or whatever the fook that eight foot tall creature is that grabs Hal and attempts to take off with him. Rusty wants to save him at all costs but how the heck can he take on a creature that size without him killing them both? Fortunately, or not, Hal and Rusty and the creature are engulfed in light and they awaken on a spaceship…with even more lovely creatures.

This is where to story becomes very Star Treky. Hal and Rusty have been delivered into the middle of battle between two different alien species and it appears the eight foot tall creatures are winning, and are also the cause of the destruction on earth. Hal and Rusty are rescued, kind of, by a female alien and the ship (who has a voice inside their heads) who enlists their aid in her retaking of her ship. This is also where you need to suspend belief and just go with it, because there is really no other way to accept that shifting, invisibility cloaks, and the special powers.

So after much battling, Hal and Rusty are victorious in helping to eliminate the evil creatures, but to what end? They learn at the end of the mêlée, when they were promised a one way ticket back to earth, that the earth was indeed completely annihilated and there is nothing to go back to. They are devastated, but are assured that they will find a new planet to inhabit. This is where the book ends and even though I am not much for sci-fi, like I mentioned above, I am very much excited to see how the adventures of Hal and Rusty play out.

Very much recommended for those who enjoy action and other world type stories.

Overall Impression: I really liked it

*I received a copy of this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.*