Siege of Praetar (Tales of a Dying Star Book 1)

Awarded Honorable Mention in the 2015 Writers of the Future Contest

The red giant Saria is dying.

Praetar, a sand-blown planet, lies occupied. Its people are buried and beaten, forced to toil for the Melisao Empire that prepares to flee their star. Hyken, a Sentinel pilot in orbit around the planet, is faced with a moral dilemma that forces him to choose between his co-pilot and their mission. Mira, a factory worker on Praetar, struggles to make a better life for her daughters--using what little resources at her command. A slumlord named Bruno makes his own arrangements, gathering what meager power he can in the Empire's scramble to flee.

Caught up in the exodus, these people struggle to survive. Are they strangers, or do their decisions affect one-another in unexpected ways?

What people are saying about Tales of a Dying Star:

"An engaging dystopian morality play, told from all angles." -J.S. Morin

"Kristoph excels at realistic character creation that vividly brings the conflicts to life... Any fan of Dune will love Tales of a Dying Star." -Stuart Thaman, author of For We Are Many

"David Kristoph has a real talent for world-building... there is so much more I want to know about this universe." -Charles Nall, author of the Shatterspace series.

"Excellent and vivid... like a space age Les Miserables." -Casca Green

"I devoured it. Simply couldn't put it down after about page fifty." -Mike Reads Books