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The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend
Change—Restoration follows a woman who has survived enslavement on a swamp world and is ready to take on a corrupt corporation that is set to plunder the last of Earth’s resources for its own greed. What was the initial idea behind this story, and how did that transform you as you wrote the novel?
Back in the late 80’s I wrote my first and second novels out in full, on paper, over a period of 6 weeks. It just seemed to come out onto the paper as I wrote. Over the next 20 years I was a bit busy, but I kept on re-writing the first novel as and when I could. The story was originally going to be one book. But I realised if I didn’t publish the first part when I did – then I’d probably procrastinate for another decade and work on the second part of the story would never get done.
In the first book: CHANGE – the idea was, what would happen if two people from our world, were suddenly abducted and plunged into a sophisticated interstellar civilisation. A civilisation where off-world Corporations utilise the output of slave labour camps situated in inaccessible regions, much as ours do on our world – allegedly – today. That is what happens to Paul and Bernadette. In an instant, everything they knew and loved is gone.
All this happens against a backdrop of dynamic instability and insurrection within a vast interstellar Imperium, on the brink of civil war. Patricea Markiss and the Royal Party are forced to flee the usurper Emperor Ral Karjeck, as the hegemonic glue which binds civilisation in that region of space, unravels and falls apart.
The central plots of both novels remained the same throughout the writing process, but as the characters evolved, so did the situations taking place around them, up to and including the final, final re-write.
In the second book: CHANGE – RESTORATION, Paul and Bernadette, have been rescued from the slaver camp, by an interstellar NGO – The Carmine Heart [CH] Foundation. For the CH Foundation, Direct Action means just that. But interference has its costs. On Earth, the Interstellar DI-LAN Corporation liberated the planet from the grip of the slavers, and are now in the process of stripping the planet of its remaining resources. The CH Foundation equip and train the indigenous people they rescue, to return to Earth to challenge DI-LAN Corp. On Earth, mayhem ensues as the fates of the rescued humans, and the Royal Party converge.
Bernadette is a woman with strength. What do you think makes her a valuable and worthy heroine?
Bernadette is a strong woman, but there are times when she hasn’t got it together at all – as happens to us all. What makes her a valuable and worthy heroine is that she’s human, she’s capable and keeps on going through adversity, no matter who or what gets in her way. Surviving the horrors of the slaver planet Es-Ra, and her mission for the CH Foundation, has given her purpose. Accidentally obliterating a deserted city might make some of us pause to reflect on our life choices, momentarily – but that’s not Bernadette. Yes, she’s flawed, but in a good way. She’s loyal, driven, street wise and will do whatever she has to, to save the day.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
We are the dominant civilisation on the planet, but what would happen to our understanding of our place in the universe, if an alien civilisation actually arrived. And what if that alien civilisation was as flawed and exploitative as we are – their mission being to extract and export our remaining resources, all the while hiding behind a disarming smile? What could we do, unassisted, to take our planet back? Not a lot I expect. Which brings us to Bernadette’s involvement with the CH Foundation. She has doubts and questions about them. But after her ordeal on Es-Ra and the DI-Lan Corporation’s role in facilitating her abduction – she falls back on the old adage that the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
All this takes place during a period of upheaval and insurrection within an interstellar Empire far from Earth. Where decades of order and stability are rapidly being overturned. What if the fate of that Empire was to be decided, not on the home battlefield, but on our primitive backwater world?
Where does the next book in the series take the characters?
The next book in the Change Odyssey takes us on a journey from the court of the exiled Old Emperor, to a battlefield on a strategic war-torn world. It takes us to Inferno – the New Emperor Ral Karjeck’s prison planet, and from there, to the Dark Mirror universe, from which Ral Karjeck initially emerged.
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The organisation follows a Prime Directive, to discourage and ameliorate cultural contamination caused by off-world incursions, affecting Class III cultures and below. The Foundation maintains a paramilitary wing. The activities of which, are not well documented and little is known.
Liberated by the Foundation from the slave planet of Es-Ra, Bernadette completes her paramilitary training, with her companions, on the ice planet of Medval. Things may not go according to plan… She leaves for Earth to challenge the newly arrived DI-LAN Corporation, which is intent on plundering the Planet’s remaining resources, no matter what the cost.
Meanwhile…
Forced to flee the usurper Emperor Ral Karjeck, following the assassination of the Imperial Heir designate, Major Patricea Markis and the Royal Party emerge from stasis, aboard their crippled hyperdrive vessel, within the Sol system.
At the behest of the DI-LAN Corporation, Dr Mendal embarks on a perilous project which may jeopardise civilisation as we know it, both on Earth, within the Greater Imperium and beyond.
The fate of our world and the Imperium will be decided by the actions of a few, as the battle for the Empire rages on.
CHANGE – RESTORATION
Change – Restoration throws readers headfirst into a galaxy teetering on the edge of chaos. This second installment of the Change Odyssey picks up in the aftermath of assassinations, betrayals, and shifting power structures. At the heart of it all is Bernadette Smith, a survivor of enslavement on the hellish swamp world of Es-Ra, and Major Patricea Markis, entangled in political machinations and the intoxicating mind-games of the enigmatic Lady Orphalia Darteane. The book is a fast-paced sci-fi epic, weaving together political intrigue, military operations, and personal vendettas in a universe brimming with corporate overlords, mysterious artifacts, and the ever-looming threat of war.
One thing that really struck me about N G Nelson’s writing is the rawness. The book doesn’t hold back on violence, addiction, and the psychological toll of surviving a brutal universe. Take Bernadette, for example—her escape from Es-Ra isn’t a triumphant, clean break. She carries that trauma with her, shaping every decision she makes. Her struggle to reclaim agency in a universe that sees her as expendable felt painfully real. There’s a particularly gut-punching moment when she reminisces about Es-Ra, the fog of captivity thick in her mind, as she stomps through the snow on an ice-covered world. The contrast between the suffocating swamp and the vast, frozen wasteland mirrors her emotional state, which is still trapped, just in a different kind of prison.
And then there’s Patricea. If you’re into morally grey characters, then you’ll like her. Her relationship with Orphalia Darteane is a tangled mess of power, seduction, and betrayal. The way Nelson writes their dynamic is electric. One minute, Patricea is under Orphalia’s spell, lost in the lingering effects of the mind-altering drug Sync; the next, she’s gunning her down in a dogfight. It’s this constant push and pull that makes their interactions so tense. Orphalia isn’t just an antagonist. She’s an addiction, a temptation, and a reflection of Patricea’s own divided loyalties.
Nelson also excels in world-building. The novel is packed with details. Whether it’s the Carmine Heart Foundation’s dubious peacekeeping efforts or the lost knowledge of Origin, every piece of lore feels meticulously thought out. But at times, there are moments where the sheer amount of exposition slows things down, especially when diving into the historical and political background. Still, the universe is so rich and textured that it’s worth pushing through the heavier sections. The tension is palpable when a mission goes south, and a small act of defiance—tampering with a reactor, despite being warned—spirals into a catastrophic chain reaction. When Bernadette and her team watch in horror as a fiery red half-bubble engulfs an entire city, you feel the weight of their recklessness.
Change – Restoration is an intense and gripping read that will appeal to fans of complex science fiction with a heavy dose of political maneuvering and deeply flawed characters. If you like your space operas messy, full of secrets, and teetering on the edge of disaster, this is a book worth picking up.
Pages: 293 | ASIN : B0DR2Y35RR
LITERARY TITAN 