Title: Return of the Seraph
Author: Craig Ungruhn
Publisher: Page Publishing
ISBN: 978-1662428746
Pages: 122
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Reviewed by: Jack Chambers

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Human nature is one of life’s greatest mysteries. For some, human nature is one of love, kindness, compassion, and the ability to create and engage with the world around us all. For others, human nature is one defined by war, cruelty, bloodlust, power, greed, and corruption. Although life tends to be a balance between these two trains of thought, the need to prove ourselves never seems to end, as with every good piece of news we see, ten more acts of death or devastation seems to rise in its place.

In author Craig Ungruhn’s Return of the Seraph, the author explores the concept of human nature on an alien world. After humanity’s failure to return the Earth to its natural healthy state and the planet lost itself to total destruction, the survivors of humanity found a new planet to live on. Yet the planet was already occupied by humanoid beings called Seraph, and when peace could not be achieved, humanity and the Seraph waged a war that left humanity the dominant species once more. Only three Seraph were kept alive and imprisoned, left to be studied by humanity. Years later, former soldier turned inspector Zack Branford performs a routine maintenance check on a facility where one of the Seraph are held, and soon the being escapes, forcing Zack to return to active duty and capture the Seraph before it can release his fellow captives and wreak havoc humanity’s adopted world.

The author does an incredible job of world-building and mythos creation within this novel. In particular, with the quicker pacing of the narrative and the vast amount of action, the level of world-building and emphasis on sci-fi level mythology was truly impressive. The imagery of this world and the near-human appearance of the Seraph were quite descriptive, and made it feel like a true Earth 2.0, making the story feel more plausible and relatable. The rivalry between Zack and the initial Seraph that escapes under his nose was filled with great tension and really elevated the atmosphere whenever they battled one another.

This is the perfect read for those who enjoy science fiction and fantasy, especially those who enjoy quick paced hard science fiction narratives. The themes of morality and human nature were quite prevalent in the story, especially with Zack’s evolution as a character. His arc felt like a more gruesome and grittier version of Kal-El’s own journey in DC Comics, and the heroism and heroic journey he undergoes throughout this narrative will have readers clutching the book and hanging off of the author’s words.

Thought-Provoking, action-packed, and entertaining, author Craig Ungruhn’s Return of the Seraph is a must-read hard science fiction novel. The twists and turns the narrative takes and the shocking history that Zack discovers about himself and the Seraph race as a whole will have readers enthralled, and the cliffhanger ending will have fans eager for a sequel from this talented sci-fi author.