| Five worlds at war. Only one can survive. Ten thousand years ago, five cosmic beings―a dragon, a phoenix, a serpent, a lion, and a wolf―set their worlds on an inevitable collision course. Each civilization was given one command: destroy the rival worlds, or crash into them and die. As the planets draw near to each other, the moment of final reckoning is at hand. In a galaxy filled with starfighters and superweapons, magic and manipulation, planet-killing devices and mechanized legions, five heroes must defend their homeworlds against overwhelming odds. But when prophecy and destiny collide, a far greater power begins to stir―one that challenges everything they’ve been told. Oaths will be broken. Chains will be shattered. Champions will rise. The fate of the universe hangs in the balance as these heroes discover whether any world deserves to survive. The War of the Creators has begun. Perfect for fans of Red Rising, The Expanse, and mythic sci-fi epics, Worlds Collide blends high-stakes interplanetary war with a legendary, fate-driven mystery―where the final battle may not be what it seems. |  |
Genre: Adult Science Fiction
Release Date: July 14, 2026
Release Date: July 14, 2026
Click here to get your copy!
My Review
The point of impact will soon be at hand....
Sci-fi is still a genre that I haven't read a lot of over the years. But it's fun to run into a new one every so once in awhile that sounds interesting. Worlds Collide is surprisingly different from pretty much any other sci-fi novel that I've read. Instead of the usual evil empire taking over the solar system or the adventures of a starship and its crew, the first book in the Worlds Collide Trilogy focuses on five different characters from five different planets. Planets, that, thanks to an ancient prophecy, are fighting each other tooth and nail to become the only one left standing.
I found Clint Hall's worldbuilding to be very imaginative in this book. Each of the planets is very different as are the races that inhabit them. From, I think, Nordic-inspired culture to essentially robots with artificial intelligence. From a culture that worships their dragon creator with singular devotion to one that despises their snake god. From slaves to royalty. But they all share a common goal, to destroy the other four planets before the prophesied moment of collision.
It is so easy for humanity to fall into a kill-or-be-killed mentality and the portrayal of that in Worlds Collide was almost a little too truthful for comfort. But, on the other hand, readers also get to see how the single decision of one person can change an entire world.
If sci-fi is your thing, this first book in the Worlds Collide Trilogy was an entertaining read for the most part. Clint Hall has a good start to a unique series that I think will prove to be even more interesting in the next novel....
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Worlds Collide by Clint Hall a 3.5 Bark rating.
Sci-fi is still a genre that I haven't read a lot of over the years. But it's fun to run into a new one every so once in awhile that sounds interesting. Worlds Collide is surprisingly different from pretty much any other sci-fi novel that I've read. Instead of the usual evil empire taking over the solar system or the adventures of a starship and its crew, the first book in the Worlds Collide Trilogy focuses on five different characters from five different planets. Planets, that, thanks to an ancient prophecy, are fighting each other tooth and nail to become the only one left standing.
I found Clint Hall's worldbuilding to be very imaginative in this book. Each of the planets is very different as are the races that inhabit them. From, I think, Nordic-inspired culture to essentially robots with artificial intelligence. From a culture that worships their dragon creator with singular devotion to one that despises their snake god. From slaves to royalty. But they all share a common goal, to destroy the other four planets before the prophesied moment of collision.
It is so easy for humanity to fall into a kill-or-be-killed mentality and the portrayal of that in Worlds Collide was almost a little too truthful for comfort. But, on the other hand, readers also get to see how the single decision of one person can change an entire world.
If sci-fi is your thing, this first book in the Worlds Collide Trilogy was an entertaining read for the most part. Clint Hall has a good start to a unique series that I think will prove to be even more interesting in the next novel....
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Worlds Collide by Clint Hall a 3.5 Bark rating.
(I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
More from Clint
The battle lines we cannot see
By Clint Hall
By Clint Hall
The enemy seeks to divide us. And while there are wars to be fought, the battle lines often aren’t in the places that we think.
This is not the reason I started writing Worlds Collide. But in the more than ten years that I’ve been working on this trilogy, it has become the reason this story is the thing I most want to say to the world.
I started writing Worlds Collide because of a few ideas that came together at once. I had been reading a book that discussed five types of heroes: the selfless hero, the hero with a code, the charming hero, the cunning hero, and the sympathetic hero. I challenged myself to write a story featuring each type of hero as a way of better learning the archetypes.
Around the same time, I came up with the concept of different worlds being set on a collision course by their respective creators—cosmic beings in the forms of dragon, phoenix, lion, serpent, and wolf—as a “contest of the gods.” This idea came out of nowhere. At the time, I was working on a completely different story (that still has not been published). That evening, I took my wife on a walk, told her the concept, and she said, “This has to be the next thing you write.”
But as I wrote the story, these characters from different worlds started coming together in interesting ways. Each believed that they were doing the things they had to do to survive, to protect their own kind. The distance between them and the rival planets served to create a sense of “otherness” about the people inhabiting those worlds. It was easier to hate them when they were so far removed. And like most (if not all) instances of hate, it was rooted in fear.
The danger of division is a central theme in scripture. In Matthew 12:25 and Mark 3:24-25, Jesus states, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” The Greek word for the devil, diabolos, is derived from a verb that means “to throw apart” or “to scatter,” directly identifying his nature as a divider.
We see this division every day, much of it sparked by what we read online. Humans are designed to be in connection with each other, so the most deceptive way to subvert that innate design is to present the façade of increased connection that is actually voluntary isolation and polarization.
I’m not against the internet and social media, but it must be stated that the technologies that were supposed to bring more people together have achieved the opposite. They constantly present us with groups of people who—at a distance—appear to be dangerously opposed to everything we hold dear.
When we engage with so much of this content, we believe we’re learning more about people. But in truth, we’re only presented with algorithmically curated experiences that are incented to spark fear and outrage, emotions that lead to clicking and engaging. We are told that they are the enemy, that they are to blame, and that they will destroy our way of life. Then we’re told, “click here to read more.”
I wasn’t raised in church; I came to my faith during my teenage years. As a result, and due to a handful of other personal experiences, I’m comfortable in environments where I’m surrounded by people whose beliefs are very different than my own.
But here’s what has surprised me: I never feel like I need to hide my faith in these situations. When I engage such people in conversations from a place of love, respect, and genuine curiosity, they are almost always receptive. We find common ground. How could we not? Regardless of their beliefs, these people are created in the image of God, just like me. Through these interactions, I have created real friendships with people that might have never walked through the doors of my church (but that doesn’t mean I won’t try).
I’m not saying that I’m without my biases. I’m far from perfect. But when I manage to push past my perceived boundaries, I’m often amazed at what I discover on the other side.
As believers, we affirm that every person is made in the image of God. But we must ask ourselves—do our words, our posts, and our attitudes reflect that truth? Or have we, too, begun to see those who are unlike us primarily as enemies?
That tension is at the heart of Worlds Collide. As these characters begin to interact, they discover aspects of each other that they never would have expected. They start asking questions they were never meant to ask, and the answers challenge everything they have ever known.
We may not be on warring planets, but we are constantly being told where the battle lines are in our world, and that anybody on the other side of those lines is our enemy.
And when that happens, will we accept that as the truth? Or will we dare to step across those lines in love, courage, and faith to reach out our hands, as the Savior did for us?
This is not the reason I started writing Worlds Collide. But in the more than ten years that I’ve been working on this trilogy, it has become the reason this story is the thing I most want to say to the world.
I started writing Worlds Collide because of a few ideas that came together at once. I had been reading a book that discussed five types of heroes: the selfless hero, the hero with a code, the charming hero, the cunning hero, and the sympathetic hero. I challenged myself to write a story featuring each type of hero as a way of better learning the archetypes.
Around the same time, I came up with the concept of different worlds being set on a collision course by their respective creators—cosmic beings in the forms of dragon, phoenix, lion, serpent, and wolf—as a “contest of the gods.” This idea came out of nowhere. At the time, I was working on a completely different story (that still has not been published). That evening, I took my wife on a walk, told her the concept, and she said, “This has to be the next thing you write.”
But as I wrote the story, these characters from different worlds started coming together in interesting ways. Each believed that they were doing the things they had to do to survive, to protect their own kind. The distance between them and the rival planets served to create a sense of “otherness” about the people inhabiting those worlds. It was easier to hate them when they were so far removed. And like most (if not all) instances of hate, it was rooted in fear.
The danger of division is a central theme in scripture. In Matthew 12:25 and Mark 3:24-25, Jesus states, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” The Greek word for the devil, diabolos, is derived from a verb that means “to throw apart” or “to scatter,” directly identifying his nature as a divider.
We see this division every day, much of it sparked by what we read online. Humans are designed to be in connection with each other, so the most deceptive way to subvert that innate design is to present the façade of increased connection that is actually voluntary isolation and polarization.
I’m not against the internet and social media, but it must be stated that the technologies that were supposed to bring more people together have achieved the opposite. They constantly present us with groups of people who—at a distance—appear to be dangerously opposed to everything we hold dear.
When we engage with so much of this content, we believe we’re learning more about people. But in truth, we’re only presented with algorithmically curated experiences that are incented to spark fear and outrage, emotions that lead to clicking and engaging. We are told that they are the enemy, that they are to blame, and that they will destroy our way of life. Then we’re told, “click here to read more.”
I wasn’t raised in church; I came to my faith during my teenage years. As a result, and due to a handful of other personal experiences, I’m comfortable in environments where I’m surrounded by people whose beliefs are very different than my own.
But here’s what has surprised me: I never feel like I need to hide my faith in these situations. When I engage such people in conversations from a place of love, respect, and genuine curiosity, they are almost always receptive. We find common ground. How could we not? Regardless of their beliefs, these people are created in the image of God, just like me. Through these interactions, I have created real friendships with people that might have never walked through the doors of my church (but that doesn’t mean I won’t try).
I’m not saying that I’m without my biases. I’m far from perfect. But when I manage to push past my perceived boundaries, I’m often amazed at what I discover on the other side.
As believers, we affirm that every person is made in the image of God. But we must ask ourselves—do our words, our posts, and our attitudes reflect that truth? Or have we, too, begun to see those who are unlike us primarily as enemies?
That tension is at the heart of Worlds Collide. As these characters begin to interact, they discover aspects of each other that they never would have expected. They start asking questions they were never meant to ask, and the answers challenge everything they have ever known.
We may not be on warring planets, but we are constantly being told where the battle lines are in our world, and that anybody on the other side of those lines is our enemy.
And when that happens, will we accept that as the truth? Or will we dare to step across those lines in love, courage, and faith to reach out our hands, as the Savior did for us?
 Clint Hall | Clint Hall is an author, speaker, and podcaster who has been writing stories since middle school, where he spent most of his time in English class creating comic books. (Fortunately, his teacher not only allowed it, she bought every issue.) Known for stories of hope, wonder, and adventure, Clint is the author of Steal Fire from the Gods and Echo Nova. You can find him hosting panels at conventions, online at ClintHall.com, or at The Experience: Conversations with Creatives podcast, available on all major platforms. |
It's Time For A Giveaway!
To celebrate his tour, Clint is giving away the grand prize of
a $50 Amazon Gift Card and signed hardcover copy of the book!!
a $50 Amazon Gift Card and signed hardcover copy of the book!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!
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Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 29
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Simple Harvest Reads, August 2 (Guest Review from Susan)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 3 (Spotlight)
The Lofty Pages, August 4
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The Bookish Ledger, August 8 (Author Interview)
Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 8
Vicky Sluiter, August 9 (Spotlight)
Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, August 10
For the Love of Literature, August 11 (Author Interview)
Books, Books, & More Books, July 30 (Spotlight)
Texas Book-aholic, July 31
Artistic Nobody, August 1 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 1
Simple Harvest Reads, August 2 (Guest Review from Susan)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 3 (Spotlight)
The Lofty Pages, August 4
Guild Master, August 5 (Author Interview)
Blogging With Carol, August 6
Fiction Book Lover, August 7 (Author Interview)
The Bookish Ledger, August 8 (Author Interview)
Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 8
Vicky Sluiter, August 9 (Spotlight)
Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, August 10
For the Love of Literature, August 11 (Author Interview)
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