CHAMPULONS Legions of Doom: The 1st Evolution of the Robotic Era

Champulons: Legions of Doom is an ambitious novel by up and coming author James R. Girtman. It’s the story of two warring interstellar groups, the DEMARs and the Stargons, as they fight one another in the coming robotic era. Startimus is the leader of the Stargons, at least until he’s captured by a man he didn’t realize was his father, Auldawrun Khaponus, creator of the Stargons. Startimus will face the great DEMAR warrior Ninja-1 on his journey and their stories will become legend in the universe.

Champulons is reminiscent of many classic sci-fi movies, especially Star Wars. The science fiction aspect doesn’t overpower the characters, who possess depth and recognizably human frailties and heroic flaws. The tension between the opposing interstellar groups, the Starrgons and the DEMARs, is thick as the war rages, conflict is sewn, and heroes are brought low. It’s a good old-fashioned sci-fi romp, well positioned toward hard-core sci-fi fans. While the writing and dialogue lack polish and the novel as a whole would greatly have benefited from another round of editing, this is an entertaining first novel.