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Escape From Mathebos
The people on Mathebos are dying. The Blue Death, a plague that suffocates its victims, is spreading across the planet, leaving its inhabitants with two impossible wait for a cure that may never come or leave their home in search of a new planet.
Eriska Insolna lost her parents to the Blue Death and failed her intergalactic license test on the same day, sending her dreams up in flames. She knows it’s the air of Mathebos suffocating her people, but without a pilot to take them to a new planet, they’re all out of hope. With her chance of getting her intergalactic license gone, she certainly can’t fly humanity to safety. But when her best friend and co-pilot falls ill to the Blue Death, she knows she has to fight to overcome her doubts and find a way off the planet.
Up and coming scientist, Yuri Aybram, imagined his twenties would be spent making huge discoveries and rolling in fame. Instead, he finds himself suffocating amongst government schemes. After his mentor, Fransix Arman, is arrested for digging too far into the truth, he entrusts the cause of the Blue Death to Yuri, hoping that Yuri will reveal it to the public. Only one Yuri doesn’t agree with Fransix and isn’t about to threaten his life for some insane theory. It isn’t until he’s invited to speak at the Conference for Disease Research in Fransix’s place and finds himself entangled in a web of cover-ups that he realizes Fransix might have been right all along.
As Eriska and Yuri find themselves sucked into the black hole of government conspiracy, they must race to reveal the truth behind the Blue Death to the masses before it’s too late. Skyward meets Cinder in this exciting novel about a desperate search for home.
Eriska Insolna lost her parents to the Blue Death and failed her intergalactic license test on the same day, sending her dreams up in flames. She knows it’s the air of Mathebos suffocating her people, but without a pilot to take them to a new planet, they’re all out of hope. With her chance of getting her intergalactic license gone, she certainly can’t fly humanity to safety. But when her best friend and co-pilot falls ill to the Blue Death, she knows she has to fight to overcome her doubts and find a way off the planet.
Up and coming scientist, Yuri Aybram, imagined his twenties would be spent making huge discoveries and rolling in fame. Instead, he finds himself suffocating amongst government schemes. After his mentor, Fransix Arman, is arrested for digging too far into the truth, he entrusts the cause of the Blue Death to Yuri, hoping that Yuri will reveal it to the public. Only one Yuri doesn’t agree with Fransix and isn’t about to threaten his life for some insane theory. It isn’t until he’s invited to speak at the Conference for Disease Research in Fransix’s place and finds himself entangled in a web of cover-ups that he realizes Fransix might have been right all along.
As Eriska and Yuri find themselves sucked into the black hole of government conspiracy, they must race to reveal the truth behind the Blue Death to the masses before it’s too late. Skyward meets Cinder in this exciting novel about a desperate search for home.
296 pages, Paperback
Published August 16, 2022
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 20, 2022
Every story, no matter how simple or short, carries a piece of its author with it. Reading is a way of getting to know people I would most likely never otherwise meet—and I don't mean just the characters, but the author, too. Escape from Mathebos was one of those stories where I felt I was learning as much about the (young, talented) author as I was about the world and characters she created—but I won't go into that here—because this is a book review, not an author review, after all.
Escape from Mathebos tells the story of Eriska, a young pilot, and Yuri, a scientist, who are both trapped on the planet of Mathebos while a mysterious illness called the Blue Death is slowly decimating the population. Through a series of unexpected events, they are brought together and begin a desperate search for a cure—or an escape.
I liked the story, but I didn't love it. It interested me, but didn't grab my attention. I think this is partly because I like my Sci-Fi fairly heavy on the "Sci," and this story only touched lightly on the nitty-gritty, technical aspects of the various problems the characters encountered. I still don't understand how Yuri and his coworkers figured out what was causing the plague, or how exactly the cure that was being developed would supposedly work.
Besides that, I struggled to suspend disbelief over several key plot points, including how a large, technologically-advanced society could be built from scratch in less than a generation, why the government seemed bent on self-destruction, and why, despite the futuristic technology, nobody was able to fix/build a basic radio.
Despite well-planned pacing, relatable characters, and good editing (which is not always the case with independently-published works) Escape from Mathebos didn't quite nail it for me. That's not to say someone else won't thoroughly enjoy the story, and it certainly wouldn't deter me from picking up another of this author's books.
Best scene? Eriska flying through the mountains. I've done that (not while being pursued by government gunships, thankfully) and the author really captured the adrenaline rush of the experience.
Worst scene? Well, there really were no completely lame scenes, but I was a little frustrated that near the end, Yuri just...disappears. Did he even survive his bout with the Blue Death?
First books are hard, and first books in a new genre are almost equally hard, so I applaud this young author for her effort and look forward to reading more of her work in future when she's had more time to find her Sci-Fi feet.
Escape from Mathebos tells the story of Eriska, a young pilot, and Yuri, a scientist, who are both trapped on the planet of Mathebos while a mysterious illness called the Blue Death is slowly decimating the population. Through a series of unexpected events, they are brought together and begin a desperate search for a cure—or an escape.
I liked the story, but I didn't love it. It interested me, but didn't grab my attention. I think this is partly because I like my Sci-Fi fairly heavy on the "Sci," and this story only touched lightly on the nitty-gritty, technical aspects of the various problems the characters encountered. I still don't understand how Yuri and his coworkers figured out what was causing the plague, or how exactly the cure that was being developed would supposedly work.
Besides that, I struggled to suspend disbelief over several key plot points, including how a large, technologically-advanced society could be built from scratch in less than a generation, why the government seemed bent on self-destruction, and why, despite the futuristic technology, nobody was able to fix/build a basic radio.
Despite well-planned pacing, relatable characters, and good editing (which is not always the case with independently-published works) Escape from Mathebos didn't quite nail it for me. That's not to say someone else won't thoroughly enjoy the story, and it certainly wouldn't deter me from picking up another of this author's books.
Best scene? Eriska flying through the mountains. I've done that (not while being pursued by government gunships, thankfully) and the author really captured the adrenaline rush of the experience.
Worst scene? Well, there really were no completely lame scenes, but I was a little frustrated that near the end, Yuri just...disappears. Did he even survive his bout with the Blue Death?
First books are hard, and first books in a new genre are almost equally hard, so I applaud this young author for her effort and look forward to reading more of her work in future when she's had more time to find her Sci-Fi feet.
June 9, 2023
I really wish I had liked this better.
Science fiction is usually a miss for me, although I keep trying to read it in spite of that. That was likely a big part of why I didn't enjoy this. Weirdly, I wished there had been more science in it? It was more dystopia and less hard SF, which was unexpected to me. The story was very much focused on the character's choices and their decision to go against the government, which is fine as a story, but was very much not what I was expecting.
Probably one of the trickiest things for me was reading a book about an illness that so closely mirrors the covid. Even the societal reactions to it were reminiscent of the pandemic. Not only was I not expecting that, I don't enjoy reading about that. I don't know what the author's views were on any of the pandemic politics, but I got the distinct impression that I was sitting in on one of those debates your family has at Thanksgiving.
I wish this had worked better for me, but it might work great for someone else! I appreciated the depiction of friendship in this book, especially the male/female friendship that never veered into romance. That is so rare, and was really nice to read about. I saw another review saying this was the author's first attempt at sci-fi, and I applaud her for it. The notion of writing sci-fi is so daunting to me, so I can't help but respect someone for diving into it. I'll stay firmly in the fantasy genre, were it's safe and I can make everything up with little to no consequences, mwaha.
Science fiction is usually a miss for me, although I keep trying to read it in spite of that. That was likely a big part of why I didn't enjoy this. Weirdly, I wished there had been more science in it? It was more dystopia and less hard SF, which was unexpected to me. The story was very much focused on the character's choices and their decision to go against the government, which is fine as a story, but was very much not what I was expecting.
Probably one of the trickiest things for me was reading a book about an illness that so closely mirrors the covid. Even the societal reactions to it were reminiscent of the pandemic. Not only was I not expecting that, I don't enjoy reading about that. I don't know what the author's views were on any of the pandemic politics, but I got the distinct impression that I was sitting in on one of those debates your family has at Thanksgiving.
I wish this had worked better for me, but it might work great for someone else! I appreciated the depiction of friendship in this book, especially the male/female friendship that never veered into romance. That is so rare, and was really nice to read about. I saw another review saying this was the author's first attempt at sci-fi, and I applaud her for it. The notion of writing sci-fi is so daunting to me, so I can't help but respect someone for diving into it. I'll stay firmly in the fantasy genre, were it's safe and I can make everything up with little to no consequences, mwaha.
July 25, 2025
This story immediately hooked me. The plot and characters were all super interesting. I only read the first line of the synopsis before I picked it up, which was good I think as the whole synopsis kind of gives a lot away.
The plot of the story is full of politics and conspiracy. Why is a plague that suffocates it's victims spreading through the planet? Why are scientists being arrested? All these questions made for a very interesting story. The only thing that could have possibly been done better was a couple of spots in the ending, just some things that had me questioning if that's really how it would have gone down. but all in all the plot was super intriguing.
I will say it was less action packed than I thought it would be as a whole, the ending has quite a bit of action, it leans more towards figuring things out and uncovering truth. (more spy novel then action novel)
The characters were interesting and I really liked reading from the point of views of both the main characters. I also really liked all of the side characters. Masse, the boss of the pilot main character, was a character who seemed angry and bent out of shape simply for the sake of the plot. so I couldn't take any scenes that had him in it seriously, because his character didn't make sense with the main characters background. He really didn't have a solid reason, on page, to be that antagonizing.
I personally like when an ending has a big glimpse of how the characters lives end up and this book didn't give that closure. so I was kind of disappointed by that, but I still think it was a good story as it delivered on the plot of the story well.
The plot of the story is full of politics and conspiracy. Why is a plague that suffocates it's victims spreading through the planet? Why are scientists being arrested? All these questions made for a very interesting story. The only thing that could have possibly been done better was a couple of spots in the ending, just some things that had me questioning if that's really how it would have gone down. but all in all the plot was super intriguing.
I will say it was less action packed than I thought it would be as a whole, the ending has quite a bit of action, it leans more towards figuring things out and uncovering truth. (more spy novel then action novel)
The characters were interesting and I really liked reading from the point of views of both the main characters. I also really liked all of the side characters. Masse, the boss of the pilot main character, was a character who seemed angry and bent out of shape simply for the sake of the plot. so I couldn't take any scenes that had him in it seriously, because his character didn't make sense with the main characters background. He really didn't have a solid reason, on page, to be that antagonizing.
I personally like when an ending has a big glimpse of how the characters lives end up and this book didn't give that closure. so I was kind of disappointed by that, but I still think it was a good story as it delivered on the plot of the story well.
February 11, 2023
OVERVIEW:
While this story is set in space, on another planet, it doesn't feel like a science fiction novel. There are no alien creatures or light-speed travel. It feels more like a dystopian story, where there's a hostile, take-over government, and people are silenced for speaking the truth.
While none of the characters are openly Christian, and God is not mentioned, the good characters are kind and loving, and show many Christian virtues. The book itself is brimming with a theme of finding one's true home.
CONTENT:
No language, innuendos, or even romance! While the two main characters are a male and a female, they remain friends, and work together to save the people on Mathebos.
There are depictions of death and heavy sickness, as people suffer and die from the Blue Death (a lung/breathing plague). They are not terribly graphic, but they are there. Plus some minor gun violence close to the end, where there is a stand-down with some government officials. Everything is handled with care.
COMMENTS:
This book is not my usual genre. I prefer thick fantasy tomes, or even historical fiction. But this book stands out (and not just because my friend wrote it). There are little bits of humor sprinkled throughout, references to The Hobbit, and gestures of friendship and self-sacrifice that attest to the love we are to have for one another.
This could be a science-fiction, but it's not quite. This could be a dystopian, but it's not quite. It's a story of searching for the truth and doing what is right.
While this story is set in space, on another planet, it doesn't feel like a science fiction novel. There are no alien creatures or light-speed travel. It feels more like a dystopian story, where there's a hostile, take-over government, and people are silenced for speaking the truth.
While none of the characters are openly Christian, and God is not mentioned, the good characters are kind and loving, and show many Christian virtues. The book itself is brimming with a theme of finding one's true home.
CONTENT:
No language, innuendos, or even romance! While the two main characters are a male and a female, they remain friends, and work together to save the people on Mathebos.
There are depictions of death and heavy sickness, as people suffer and die from the Blue Death (a lung/breathing plague). They are not terribly graphic, but they are there. Plus some minor gun violence close to the end, where there is a stand-down with some government officials. Everything is handled with care.
COMMENTS:
This book is not my usual genre. I prefer thick fantasy tomes, or even historical fiction. But this book stands out (and not just because my friend wrote it). There are little bits of humor sprinkled throughout, references to The Hobbit, and gestures of friendship and self-sacrifice that attest to the love we are to have for one another.
This could be a science-fiction, but it's not quite. This could be a dystopian, but it's not quite. It's a story of searching for the truth and doing what is right.
November 21, 2023
A story full of well-written prose, despite the lack of a compelling plot.
The story started off promising, and worldbuilding was awesome. The prose was very well-written! The plot, however, was difficult to justify - it seemed that so many pieces could have been handled more logically, the characters were lacking motivation, the pacing was majorly off, etc. Plus, the similarities between the Blue Death and COVID made the story seem too much like a vague political allegory than the sci-fi story it was supposed to be. But I like the concept of Mathebos and the idea of the characters, so I'm glad I read this story!
*Thanks to the author for a free eARC. All thoughts are my own. A positive review was not required.*
The story started off promising, and worldbuilding was awesome. The prose was very well-written! The plot, however, was difficult to justify - it seemed that so many pieces could have been handled more logically, the characters were lacking motivation, the pacing was majorly off, etc. Plus, the similarities between the Blue Death and COVID made the story seem too much like a vague political allegory than the sci-fi story it was supposed to be. But I like the concept of Mathebos and the idea of the characters, so I'm glad I read this story!
*Thanks to the author for a free eARC. All thoughts are my own. A positive review was not required.*
August 19, 2024
This book kept me on the edge of my seat through the entire book. I actually met Sarah at a local festival and seen this book. She told me about the storyline and I picked up and finally read it. Awesome book!!!!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews