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Locus Origin #1
The Never Born
Over a century after the seedship Lazarus completed its near 1,200 year journey, the Terran colonies found themselves in conflict with a hostile alien race. In a world decimated by a long, drawn-out war where a never-ending stream of fresh clones are fed to the Terran war machine, a genetically engineered squad of soldiers must fight to survive against all odds. When society is ruled from behind the scenes by massive corporate conglomerates that control powerful secret organizations and even the very Republic itself, the clones will come to question the world they live in, their fellow soldiers, and even the very nature of their existence. What’s more, they must struggle to establish their own identities in a world that has little respect for human life, and even less for that of a clone.
- GenresScience FictionEbooks
412 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2011
17 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 23, 2014
LOCUS ORIGIN: THE NEVER BORN is a science fiction book by Christian Matari. I have a hard time classifying this story as hard science fiction because of the lack of explanation or deep description about how all of the technology works. At best, I would call this hard-soft science fiction. I know that probably isn't very helpful, but I don’t think there is a classification between the two distinctions (where this story belongs).
THE NEVER BORN is story told primarily from the point of view of Marcus Grey, a clone that was bred specifically to fight in Terran society’s armed forces. There are some brief cut aways to other characters (the main side point of view that of Takahasi the head of C-CORE corporation). The story starts at Grey’s ‘birth’ and follows through to the culmination of his first and second mission.
The story itself probably could use another editing run-through. No book is edited perfect, and I understand that. However, I found more errors than I normally would reading a book. Secondly, the book is very slow to start. I didn't get that feeling of being hooked until after Chapter ten or so. The hook didn't sink deep until I was well into the book. I think part of that is some of the situations in the book felt awkward, and While I found myself liking Grey’s character, his motivations seemed fractured to me. All in all, these problems didn't pull me directly out of the story. By the end of the book, I found myself feeling let down. The feeling wasn't with the quality of the story. It was that normal feeling one gets when they have come to the end of a book and wanted more. That’s what sequels are for. I’ll be getting my copy to keep the adventure going.
This was a good story that kept me entertained through most of the book. Yes, it had its dull moments, but the parts of the book that really executed well were enough to push this book over the edge into likable story telling.
THE NEVER BORN is story told primarily from the point of view of Marcus Grey, a clone that was bred specifically to fight in Terran society’s armed forces. There are some brief cut aways to other characters (the main side point of view that of Takahasi the head of C-CORE corporation). The story starts at Grey’s ‘birth’ and follows through to the culmination of his first and second mission.
The story itself probably could use another editing run-through. No book is edited perfect, and I understand that. However, I found more errors than I normally would reading a book. Secondly, the book is very slow to start. I didn't get that feeling of being hooked until after Chapter ten or so. The hook didn't sink deep until I was well into the book. I think part of that is some of the situations in the book felt awkward, and While I found myself liking Grey’s character, his motivations seemed fractured to me. All in all, these problems didn't pull me directly out of the story. By the end of the book, I found myself feeling let down. The feeling wasn't with the quality of the story. It was that normal feeling one gets when they have come to the end of a book and wanted more. That’s what sequels are for. I’ll be getting my copy to keep the adventure going.
This was a good story that kept me entertained through most of the book. Yes, it had its dull moments, but the parts of the book that really executed well were enough to push this book over the edge into likable story telling.
March 13, 2024
I really enjoyed this story. When it first started i thought it was going to be just another clone war kind of book but I was pleasantly surprised. The characters were great. The story was heartfelt and funny and the science fiction part was well done and approachable for any level off SciFi reader. The unique perspective of just because they are clones doesn't mean they are all the same is great. All and all a great story with a great ending leading you to want to go on to the next book.
September 3, 2013
If you're new to Sci-Fi, you'll love this book. If you love Sci-Fi, you'll love this book.
As a newbie you'll love the extensive and detailed descriptions. This is something seasoned Sci-Fi writers forget to do; they expect their audience to already be familiar with certain concepts and machinery that the new reader has no knowledge of. You'll also love this if you're a veteran Sci-Fi fan, as the exciting and panoptic world Christian Matari has created comes alive in your very hands.
The build up in this book seemed slow to me at first, but when the sh*t finally hits the fan, the whole story comes together and you just can't put the book away. The second half of this book read itself as Matari's clones struggle to survive the brutal onslaught and incredible things happening to them.
Locus Origin's take on how clones develop personalities is amazing and the characters are fun and interesting. They're flawed, with great quirks and sometimes hateful characteristics. They make mistakes and don't have an innate moral compass, but rather learn from mistakes like the rest of us. I can't wait to see how they grow as this Sci-Fi series continues.
What excites me the most about this book is indeed the fact that this is only the first in a series of books. And the reason for that excitement is definitely the plot in the background of the story. It promises to be great. The main characters of the book are totally unaware of a much much larger picture that I can't wait to see unfold.
All in all, this is a must read!
As a newbie you'll love the extensive and detailed descriptions. This is something seasoned Sci-Fi writers forget to do; they expect their audience to already be familiar with certain concepts and machinery that the new reader has no knowledge of. You'll also love this if you're a veteran Sci-Fi fan, as the exciting and panoptic world Christian Matari has created comes alive in your very hands.
The build up in this book seemed slow to me at first, but when the sh*t finally hits the fan, the whole story comes together and you just can't put the book away. The second half of this book read itself as Matari's clones struggle to survive the brutal onslaught and incredible things happening to them.
Locus Origin's take on how clones develop personalities is amazing and the characters are fun and interesting. They're flawed, with great quirks and sometimes hateful characteristics. They make mistakes and don't have an innate moral compass, but rather learn from mistakes like the rest of us. I can't wait to see how they grow as this Sci-Fi series continues.
What excites me the most about this book is indeed the fact that this is only the first in a series of books. And the reason for that excitement is definitely the plot in the background of the story. It promises to be great. The main characters of the book are totally unaware of a much much larger picture that I can't wait to see unfold.
All in all, this is a must read!
April 1, 2015
A world of clones
Imagine a world settled by machines after a very long trip from Earth. On board are a limited number of viable human genetic material. The machines, following their programming, create a population of clones from the genetic material.
But that part of space has been challenged by an implacable alien race and the war has settled down to a long, drawn out conflict on yet another planet. The human response was to create a clone army, born and grown at an accelerated pace, with some residual information and an ability to learn rapidly.
Into this mess is born Marcus, another clone born as “cannon fodder” for the war. He and his comrade clones (each one from a different “line”) go through training, form bonds, and prepare themselves for insertion into the war, an almost suicidal mission. Finally, their orders arrive …
I’ll go no further.
This is an excellent story. The author has a good imagination and keeps his world consistent. However, the book should have been run past a good editor. There are a few errors (minor distractions), and some clumsy phrasing that should have been caught. Also, parts of their first mission were drawn out too much for my taste (a PERSONAL problem, others may not mind, so take that remark for what it’s worth).
In spite of that, however, the story is engaging, and the characters are well-developed. The story has a conclusion, but the author left a hole open for a follow-on book.
Imagine a world settled by machines after a very long trip from Earth. On board are a limited number of viable human genetic material. The machines, following their programming, create a population of clones from the genetic material.
But that part of space has been challenged by an implacable alien race and the war has settled down to a long, drawn out conflict on yet another planet. The human response was to create a clone army, born and grown at an accelerated pace, with some residual information and an ability to learn rapidly.
Into this mess is born Marcus, another clone born as “cannon fodder” for the war. He and his comrade clones (each one from a different “line”) go through training, form bonds, and prepare themselves for insertion into the war, an almost suicidal mission. Finally, their orders arrive …
I’ll go no further.
This is an excellent story. The author has a good imagination and keeps his world consistent. However, the book should have been run past a good editor. There are a few errors (minor distractions), and some clumsy phrasing that should have been caught. Also, parts of their first mission were drawn out too much for my taste (a PERSONAL problem, others may not mind, so take that remark for what it’s worth).
In spite of that, however, the story is engaging, and the characters are well-developed. The story has a conclusion, but the author left a hole open for a follow-on book.
July 26, 2013
Possibly the best free amazon ebook I have read thus far. Although a little bit of the science is left unexplained, that isn't really important. What makes this novel entertaining is the story, which keeps you turning the pages and caring about the characters. That said, there were a couple issues I had. There were times when the writing itself felt jarring or cliche and would pull you out of the book for a moment, but these were mostly minor. Also, I didn't like the ending. "The Never Born" definitely gets you hooked into the world and caring about the characters, but at the end, it feels like a movie reel that ran out of tape. The story seemed to continue to be progressing, with more information revealed and more events happening, but then it takes off for somewhere else and ends. I would still recommend it, but I suspect you'll have to read the next book to get a proper feeling of closure.
July 31, 2012
Over a century after the seedship Lazarus completed its near 1,200 year journey, the Terran colonies found themselves in conflict with a hostile alien race.
In a world decimated by a long, drawn-out war where a never-ending stream of fresh clones are fed to the Terran war machine, a genetically engineered squad of soldiers must fight to su...rvive against all odds.
When society is ruled from behind the scenes by massive corporate conglomerates that control powerful secret organizations and even the very Republic itself, the clones will come to question the world they live in, their fellow soldiers, and even the very nature of their existence. What’s more, they must struggle to establish their own identities in a world that has little respect for human life, and even less for that of a clone.
In a world decimated by a long, drawn-out war where a never-ending stream of fresh clones are fed to the Terran war machine, a genetically engineered squad of soldiers must fight to su...rvive against all odds.
When society is ruled from behind the scenes by massive corporate conglomerates that control powerful secret organizations and even the very Republic itself, the clones will come to question the world they live in, their fellow soldiers, and even the very nature of their existence. What’s more, they must struggle to establish their own identities in a world that has little respect for human life, and even less for that of a clone.
January 14, 2014
Birth of a Space Opera
This book was fun to read. I like how the author lets you discover the plot or plots. the character development was fun to be a part of. The core group of clones have different views and about abilities we can see them grow. I liked the fact that we don't really know why these clones exist but their existence is different then others but what it is you will have to read to discover. I gave the book 4 stars because I feel some scenes were to short and not in depth enough. Perhaps they were over edited. On a side note the book has great art work supporting this series. I will definitely read this series. It is a lot of fun and I would give it a soft PG rating. I t good get a G rating if you don't mind the death of a child. It was no more graphic then when Bambis mom was shot.
This book was fun to read. I like how the author lets you discover the plot or plots. the character development was fun to be a part of. The core group of clones have different views and about abilities we can see them grow. I liked the fact that we don't really know why these clones exist but their existence is different then others but what it is you will have to read to discover. I gave the book 4 stars because I feel some scenes were to short and not in depth enough. Perhaps they were over edited. On a side note the book has great art work supporting this series. I will definitely read this series. It is a lot of fun and I would give it a soft PG rating. I t good get a G rating if you don't mind the death of a child. It was no more graphic then when Bambis mom was shot.
August 10, 2012
The prologue to this book had me hooked from the start. I immediately fell in love with the writing style of Christian Matari upon reading just the first few pages. This book is a great read for fans of science fiction or anyone looking for a good book. The story of Marcus Grey captivated me and left me wanting more. I cannot wait to read more installments in this series. I could easily see this book making it to the big screen.
June 20, 2013
I read this pretty quickly but it isn't a short book and yes some people may say it's a bit derivative in parts but it does what it says on the tin, military sci-fi with lots of action a good episodic storyline with stakes that continue to increase throughout. I really enjoyed it, don't expect deep and meaningful it's supposed to be fast paced and action-packed - and it is! Enjoy it for what it is and it's a really good read.
September 24, 2015
The book was slow at first but picked up and now I'm hooked. The characters are shallow, but what should you expect from a world of clones, it is also shallow on the science fiction end. There are no detailed explanations or theories about cloning. The author is great at describing the actions scenes. There is very little philosophy or ideological thought about life or the science involved in the settings of this book. I am enjoying it through and working my way through the series.
January 26, 2013
If you're looking for a science-fiction novel that's full of action, adventure, scary aliens, and a likeable hero, check out Locus Origin! I was immediately hooked from the beginning of the novel right up to the end. Despite the few spelling and grammatical errors, this should not detract you from the story itself.
March 16, 2015
"The Never Born" by Christian Matari was a very enjoyable Sci-Fi tale. Very well written page turner with plenty of intrigue - when you think you know who the good and bad guys are, a twist in the story changes your perspective! I would certainly recommend the book to readers of science fiction!
August 3, 2014
A little slow in spots but overall a good book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews