“...Epic space opera with depth, heart, and non-stop adventure!” A galactic trader and a psi-gifted mercenary discover why they must find and save an alien-ruled mystery world while negotiating the snares of an intensifying relationship. Ciarán Rhys is the successful Captain of his family’s galactic tradeship, the Northern Star . Yet puzzling dreams challenge his life’s trajectory, suggesting he isn’t on the right path. Triya Noeh discovers an alien temple on her planet when she’s a teenager. Visions she receives in the temple set her upon a journey to find out why she is different. Eventually Ciarán and Triya meet in the most unlikely of circumstances, the shattered remains of a gang turf war. Triya accepts Ciarán’s offer to join his crew, and they soon discover a strong mutual attraction. But the inevitable clash of lifestyle and heart’s intent threatens to prevent them from reaching the mysterious planet. Just as they begin to find their way, opposition from cosmic forces and the influence of a dangerous relic imperils the existence of their starship. It takes all of Triya’s psi powers and Ciarán’s determination to battle the peril. Ultimately, the relic will invade and reconfigure their ideas about identity and destiny. PRAISE FOR ALIEN QUEST: AWAKENING: " Steven Eckroad’s Alien Quest: Awakening , weaves together scientific speculation, spiritual intuition, and human longing . Eckroad dares to see beyond the limits of physics, using the language of science fiction to ask moral and metaphysical questions about purpose, consciousness, and the unseen dimensions of reality. Eckroad’s universe feels inhabited by meaning. It carries the ambition of world-building worthy of Frank Herbert and the inward depth of C. S. Lewis’s metaphysical imagination. The book is not only a tale of space and science, it is a meditation on awakening, belonging, and destiny. For readers drawn to stories where the cosmos becomes a stage for moral and spiritual discovery, Alien Quest: Awakening offers both wonder and reflection. " Paulo Ribiero, PhD, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Federal University of Itajubá, Brazil; Life Fellow IEEE. “ Alien Quest: Awakening embraces destiny, adventure, calamity, and romance. As we follow the lives of the hero and heroine, it’s engaging to relate to their challenges, growth, and journeys. This is a tale of overcoming past hurts and finding redemption—played out on a stage of space travel and psychometry. Mr. Eckroad has a winner here. I can’t wait to read the second book!” Chris Valentino, Founder & COO, Pacific Inpatient Medical Group . “The original ideas in Alien Quest: Awakening enrich a plot line that takes multiple twists and turns. There is excellent development of characters and appropriately, only a few words are lost on detailed descriptions of fantastical mechanical equipment, which is a typical failure of some other books in this genre.” William V. Hassenzahl, PhD, President, Advanced Energy Analysis