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Phoenix Horizon #1
(R)evolution
Scientist Peter Bernhardt has dedicated his life to nanotechnology, the science of manipulating matter on the atomic scale. As the founder of Biogineers, he is on the cusp of revolutionizing brain therapies with microscopic nanorobots that will make certain degenerative diseases become a thing of the past. But after his research is stolen by an unknown enemy, seventy thousand people die in Las Vegas in one abominable moment. No one is more horrified than Peter, as this catastrophe sets in motion events that will forever change not only his life but also the course of human evolution.Peter’s company is torn from his grasp as the public clamors for his blood. Desperate, he turns to an old friend, who introduces him to the Phoenix Club, a cabal of the most powerful people in the world. To make himself more valuable to his new colleagues, Peter infuses his brain with experimental technology, exponentially upgrading his mental prowess and transforming him irrevocably.As he’s exposed to unimaginable wealth and influence, Peter’s sense of reality begins to unravel. Do the club members want to help him, or do they just want to claim his technology? What will they do to him once they have their prize? And while he’s already evolved beyond mere humanity, is he advanced enough to take on such formidable enemies and win?
Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2015
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2936 people want to read
About the author
P.J. Manney
4 books74 followersPJ Manney is a former chairperson of Humanity+, the author of "Empathy in the Time of Technology: How Storytelling is the Key to Empathy," and a frequent guest host and guest on podcasts including FastForward Radio. She has worked in motion-picture PR at Walt Disney/Touchstone Pictures, story development and production for independent film production companies (Hook, Universal Soldier, It Could Happen to You), and writing for television (Hercules--The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess). She also cofounded Uncharted Entertainment, writing and creating pilot scripts for television. Manney is a culture vulture and SF geek, and the daughter and mother of them, too. When not contemplating the future of humanity, she is a mother, wife, PTA volunteer and education activist in California.~ Amazon Publishing
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 357 reviews
July 11, 2015
Really awful in the worst ways
1. Every character has the same 10 min diatribe about society
2. Writing songs into the book was not a good idea - very annoying
3. She writes all the females as weak or incompetent and tries to make you side with the main character even as he beats a woman
4. In sum, garbage
I want my money and my time back. I only read the book so I could write a good review of how bad it was. I am so passionately displeased that I took the time to write my very first review.
1. Every character has the same 10 min diatribe about society
2. Writing songs into the book was not a good idea - very annoying
3. She writes all the females as weak or incompetent and tries to make you side with the main character even as he beats a woman
4. In sum, garbage
I want my money and my time back. I only read the book so I could write a good review of how bad it was. I am so passionately displeased that I took the time to write my very first review.
May 5, 2015
40%, and I gave up. It's pretty excruciating reading - a whole bunch of adjectives and similes, a muddled plot, and when the main character did something that is physically impossible, that was enough for me.
Worth every penny of the $1.99 I paid for it, but no more.
Worth every penny of the $1.99 I paid for it, but no more.
May 8, 2015
A SIMPLE MAN'S REVIEW:
First the good: The story has a great opening scene. It was captivating and exciting. The almost-end was pretty good too with Tom's "enhancements" being handled really well. And the topic of nanotechnology is an exciting field, especially in the bionic brain direction that the author took it.
Now the bad: I'm not a huge fan of a story that relies on adult characters acting like immature teenagers. I just don't get why authors do it! Also, I wished the author had gone into more detail on how the technology was supposed to work. Maybe I'm alone on this, but the details make it more interesting. Finally, every single character was unlikable. When I thought the main character might die, I found that I really didn't care. Not good.
Should you read it? It is a pretty quick read and the story does get better as it goes. But reading it didn't add to my knowledge or opinion of nanotechnology or bionics, which seems like a lost opportunity for the author. Maybe skip this one.
First the good: The story has a great opening scene. It was captivating and exciting. The almost-end was pretty good too with Tom's "enhancements" being handled really well. And the topic of nanotechnology is an exciting field, especially in the bionic brain direction that the author took it.
Now the bad: I'm not a huge fan of a story that relies on adult characters acting like immature teenagers. I just don't get why authors do it! Also, I wished the author had gone into more detail on how the technology was supposed to work. Maybe I'm alone on this, but the details make it more interesting. Finally, every single character was unlikable. When I thought the main character might die, I found that I really didn't care. Not good.
Should you read it? It is a pretty quick read and the story does get better as it goes. But reading it didn't add to my knowledge or opinion of nanotechnology or bionics, which seems like a lost opportunity for the author. Maybe skip this one.
March 15, 2016
Some interesting premises, and points for the secret society living in plain sight. There were some parts that felt untrue, though, where it pulled me out of the story and I thought, "There is no possible way those characters would have done that." I got about 3/4 through and put it aside.
2015 Phillip K Dick nominee, I can see why, though not my cup of tea.
2015 Phillip K Dick nominee, I can see why, though not my cup of tea.
June 8, 2015
This is a hard one to review because I got really into the first half of the book but then it took a horrible turn into nonsense land and bad writing, with a plot that I was already sucked into and some decent writing woven into it. So, I was desperate to know what happened to the characters and how the nano technology was going to change the main character and how and if everything was going to work out in his favor but I found myself thinking "GOD, please let this be over soon! I can't take much more of this!" What happened to the editor for this novel? I think that if someone would have edited this properly it would have been a really kick ass book but with so much unnecessary explanation in between the plot points and a VERY slow and drawn out middle of the book, it became excruciating to get through toward the end. Then, I wasn't exactly sure what I was reading at the end. The writing just became kind of nonsensical and unclear. I managed to figure it out, I think, but it just seemed non cohesive. I'm sorry but there was a very very good idea in there and good characters but the writing needed some help, edited a bit.
November 12, 2017
Great premise. This should be a summer blockbuster with Tom Cruise.
May 29, 2015
A struggle
While for the majority of the book I was willing to stretch my suspension of disbelief, I was eventually forced to give up and accept that the author had lost her way in the story.
The basic premise of the book, a man uses his experimental cybernetic and nano enhancements to take on the secret society that betrayed him, is a bit weak to begin with, and requires an excellent writer to pull it off. Manney is unfortunately not up to the task.
The hero is one dimensional until it suits the narrative for him to have any complexity, but the depth doesn't last. Despite being written by a woman, the female characters are all either simmering sexpots or have little presence outside some minor descriptive text, despite the authors assertions that the awkward OCD scientist is somehow a love interest of the hero's.
The secret society is something out of Dan Brown's imagination, only even less believable.
And the elements of science fiction (the Cybernetics and Nano-technology) while all theoretically sound in their basis, become absurd parodies with the authors description of their effect.
The point at which I gave up trying to like the book was when the hero overcame a psychosis inducing overstimulation resulting from an injection of nano-bots to successfully defeat one of his foes later that afternoon. Essentially implying that the "LSD-like" trip he was experiencing was either not as bad as her overly extensive description made it sound... or he's a completely un-relatable superman.
The finale was so absolute and took the whole story so far over the edge of reason, that I find the thought of reading the subsequent books unappealing at best
While for the majority of the book I was willing to stretch my suspension of disbelief, I was eventually forced to give up and accept that the author had lost her way in the story.
The basic premise of the book, a man uses his experimental cybernetic and nano enhancements to take on the secret society that betrayed him, is a bit weak to begin with, and requires an excellent writer to pull it off. Manney is unfortunately not up to the task.
The hero is one dimensional until it suits the narrative for him to have any complexity, but the depth doesn't last. Despite being written by a woman, the female characters are all either simmering sexpots or have little presence outside some minor descriptive text, despite the authors assertions that the awkward OCD scientist is somehow a love interest of the hero's.
The secret society is something out of Dan Brown's imagination, only even less believable.
And the elements of science fiction (the Cybernetics and Nano-technology) while all theoretically sound in their basis, become absurd parodies with the authors description of their effect.
The point at which I gave up trying to like the book was when the hero overcame a psychosis inducing overstimulation resulting from an injection of nano-bots to successfully defeat one of his foes later that afternoon. Essentially implying that the "LSD-like" trip he was experiencing was either not as bad as her overly extensive description made it sound... or he's a completely un-relatable superman.
The finale was so absolute and took the whole story so far over the edge of reason, that I find the thought of reading the subsequent books unappealing at best
August 13, 2015
Hate to say it, but this is the first book of the year that I DNF. I had high hopes for (R)evolution based on it being selected for Kindle First, the beautiful artwork and after reading the synopsis. And after reading the prologue, I was 100% invested in what was going to happen next. That is where, unfortunately, I began to lose interest. I never really cared for the protagonist or any of the characters for that matter. I felt that there was too much information given, but at the same time too little at certain points. The inclusion of the Phoenix Club where a bunch of rich white men gather to do as they please felt just...ugh. Save for the little bit of action that happened around 40% in, this book was just rather boring. A ton of material could've been cut out, especially since this is being made into a trilogy. Had the book been cut down 150 or so pages, I probably would've been a little more intrigued.
Overall, I thought David de Vries did a fine job with the narration (showing why I gave this book 3 stars and not 2). I just think that more could've been done to hold my interest.
Overall, I thought David de Vries did a fine job with the narration (showing why I gave this book 3 stars and not 2). I just think that more could've been done to hold my interest.
May 8, 2015
Great premise, poor execution
PJ Manney's near sci-fi thriller is based on an intriguing possibility but quickly devolves into a 'by the numbers' summer reading paperback. The plot borrows from far too many others and character development, which should be crucial, is woefully underdeveloped.
PJ Manney's near sci-fi thriller is based on an intriguing possibility but quickly devolves into a 'by the numbers' summer reading paperback. The plot borrows from far too many others and character development, which should be crucial, is woefully underdeveloped.
August 3, 2015
There is very little that falls into the realm of "normal" when relating my experience with this book. The first third of the book I devoured. The characters are brilliant and distinct, each resonating in their own way despite their obvious failings. What I love about this book is that Manney isn't afraid to take her characters down a road most authors would shy away from. Without giving anything away from the plot, the main character, Peter, is and yet is not the same character you're following later in the novel. It's a tricky premise, yet well-executed. I did feel the book was a little overbloated and could have been pared down a bit but overall a surprisingly great read. 3.5 stars.
May 9, 2015
Revolution
Was. Interesting the whole way through. Keep writing stories. Keep me reading it ,every chance I could get to it. Thanks for a great stories.
Was. Interesting the whole way through. Keep writing stories. Keep me reading it ,every chance I could get to it. Thanks for a great stories.
June 25, 2015
Slow beginning, Better Ending
When I started this book, I was really confused. After a manhood terrorist attack, a company and its founder Peter Bernhardt are shot down after accused of the crime. Amongst silicon valley name dropping, whining about unfairness, and showing off the cool lifestyle, we end Part 1. Part 2 is all about rich white boy clubs, with a bit of bleeding edge tech thrown in.
I considered stopping at this point. A lot of people have read and liked this book, but from these two sections, I'm not seeing it.
Section three gets the ball rolling. The book is part ultimate conspiracy, par technology genius becoming more than human, and part revenge saga. After everything gets taken away from Peter, he goes on a well financed vengeance campaign to save the world, use his new brain technology and take down his enemies. Even though Peter is pitted against an entire conspiracy, he only wants to take out three players to foil plans of world domination. Seems a bit simplistic to me.
The last half of the book, where the technology and vengeance are focused on reads like a completely different book than sections one and two, which are lighter and trendy. The first sections get a 2, and the later sections get a 4, averaging out to a 3.
The future technology and it's impact on society were elaborated on quite well in separate discussions and applications. This was one of the best parts of the story, along with the explanation of what was necessary to build a false identity.
If you are expecting a typical A. I. novel, this is not it. Instead this is a story of a silicon valley biomedical engineer who becomes the victim of a conspiracy, and fights back using his own technology as well as the expertise of his friends.
When I started this book, I was really confused. After a manhood terrorist attack, a company and its founder Peter Bernhardt are shot down after accused of the crime. Amongst silicon valley name dropping, whining about unfairness, and showing off the cool lifestyle, we end Part 1. Part 2 is all about rich white boy clubs, with a bit of bleeding edge tech thrown in.
I considered stopping at this point. A lot of people have read and liked this book, but from these two sections, I'm not seeing it.
Section three gets the ball rolling. The book is part ultimate conspiracy, par technology genius becoming more than human, and part revenge saga. After everything gets taken away from Peter, he goes on a well financed vengeance campaign to save the world, use his new brain technology and take down his enemies. Even though Peter is pitted against an entire conspiracy, he only wants to take out three players to foil plans of world domination. Seems a bit simplistic to me.
The last half of the book, where the technology and vengeance are focused on reads like a completely different book than sections one and two, which are lighter and trendy. The first sections get a 2, and the later sections get a 4, averaging out to a 3.
The future technology and it's impact on society were elaborated on quite well in separate discussions and applications. This was one of the best parts of the story, along with the explanation of what was necessary to build a false identity.
If you are expecting a typical A. I. novel, this is not it. Instead this is a story of a silicon valley biomedical engineer who becomes the victim of a conspiracy, and fights back using his own technology as well as the expertise of his friends.
October 1, 2015
This book offered as much to like as to not like. The concepts were certainly intriguing—using nanotechnology to enhance one's mental capacities and essentially surf the internet via an optical implant, having medical nanobots used for evil. But after a certain point, the stereotyped characters became overly annoying and the plot just a little bit predictable.
Nonetheless, it was entertaining in the same way that action movies where lots of things blow up can be entertaining, if one is in the mood for that sort of thing. I'm sure that there are other SF novels that explore these same scenarios and themes in a more thorough fashion, but I am hardly comprehensive in my familiarity of that genre so cannot make any concrete comparisons.
The most surprising thing about this book for me is that the author is female—which I did not find out until having finished the book. Having previously written for the television series "Xena, Warrior Princess", the author certainly knows how to cater to an essential part of the male geek psyche.
My review copy was furnished courtesy of the publisher, 47North (an Amazon imprint) in exchange for an honest review. I waited over a month to write this review in order to better ascertain what made me enjoy such a salacious piece of literature. I honestly do not know why I liked this book, but I know that I did not love it, though I liked it enough to pass it on to a friend who shares my interest in the philosophical exploration of consciousness and the possibility of simulation/enhancement thereof.
Nonetheless, it was entertaining in the same way that action movies where lots of things blow up can be entertaining, if one is in the mood for that sort of thing. I'm sure that there are other SF novels that explore these same scenarios and themes in a more thorough fashion, but I am hardly comprehensive in my familiarity of that genre so cannot make any concrete comparisons.
The most surprising thing about this book for me is that the author is female—which I did not find out until having finished the book. Having previously written for the television series "Xena, Warrior Princess", the author certainly knows how to cater to an essential part of the male geek psyche.
My review copy was furnished courtesy of the publisher, 47North (an Amazon imprint) in exchange for an honest review. I waited over a month to write this review in order to better ascertain what made me enjoy such a salacious piece of literature. I honestly do not know why I liked this book, but I know that I did not love it, though I liked it enough to pass it on to a friend who shares my interest in the philosophical exploration of consciousness and the possibility of simulation/enhancement thereof.
June 12, 2015
This book leaves me with a mixed feeling. Parts of it were brilliant, parts felt flat. The parts dealing with potential scientific advancement were well thought out and brilliantly executed. The parts dealing with human interactions and motives at times stretched the readers credulity. Really smart people had to be incredibly stupid... not because it made sense for the integrity of their character, but because the plot was stymied otherwise. That was a little disappointing to encounter when the other parts of the story were so brilliant. When you mash the two together, you come out with an "average" rating.
May 23, 2015
I liked this book at first; it's fast paced and has a lot of interesting ideas, but I lost interest about 2/3 of the way through. There's nanotech terrorism, a secret society and centuries-long conspiracy, experimental cyborg tech, a high speed boat chase complete with hand to hand combat and a big explosion... and that's in the first third of the book. It gets even more outlandish after that; instead of being drawn in, I kept thinking about how ridiculous it was. I put it down and read another book, then gave it one more try, but kept checking how much longer it would be.
May 8, 2015
The word I come up with is predictable. A secret society, composed of the highest office holders and business execs in the land. They started well, but then wanted to enslave all of humanity. And the protagonist kept getting in terrible scrapes, getting saved each time. It was an OK story, but so repetitive. I wonder if an editor told Manney that he had to write 500 pages, so the story simply went on repeat. The indication is that this is book 1 of a planned series. Don't bother.
May 12, 2015
Too long. Didn't finish. I have no issue with long books, unless they feel long. This book started so well. The prologue was intense, pulling me in. Even when it switched gears to the main character it flowed well and had a good pace. Then suddenly it switched gears from techno - thriller mystery to secret society and slowed to a snails pace. At 20% I just couldn't imagine another 400 pages of skimming entire paragraphs that didn't seem to matter.
December 8, 2019
This book was a hot mess, although with a fascinating premise. A little bit of Dan Brown and illuminati madness, a little bit of William Gibson and cyberjacking, and some interesting takes on biotechnology. It could have been a little tighter, and tended to ramble somewhat.
May 5, 2015
Basically a technological Count of Monte Christo. Since I've always loved that story, it worked for me. It isn't something I'll want to read again for a while but had some cool ideas.
March 1, 2025
I think this book has some really thought provoking concepts about what it means to be human. I really enjoyed how fleshed out the sci-fi concepts were - some may see it as a negative, explanations can get a bit complex. I've seen a lot of complaints that the sci-fi got too "unbelievable" at some parts. And while the book does DRASTICALLY build upon the fiction established in the first act, I don't think it goes so far to detract from the story. We're learning about these technologies as they're being developed and tested in the books universe.
My highlight of the book is the continued use of music and how different songs relate to the main characters memories. Although I personally did not know 95% of the songs mentioned, the concept was illustrated flawlessly. And the author including a playlist of the songs at the end of the book underlines how much of a pivotal aspect it is to understand this concept in order to understand the main character.
I also enjoyed that the main character is very morally grey, and seeing the changes his augmentations have on his morality. However, I do not appreciate how some characters react to his actions. Characters with backstories of being very strong women continually act as if their infatuation with the main character is all that matters. And they ignored or brushed over extremely horrific decisions by him for the sake of that. It was off putting to say the least.
That said, I think the story wrapped up (and was left open) in a way that makes me hopeful for what's to come from the series. I just hope to see more depth come for any new or returning characters in the subsequent books!
My highlight of the book is the continued use of music and how different songs relate to the main characters memories. Although I personally did not know 95% of the songs mentioned, the concept was illustrated flawlessly. And the author including a playlist of the songs at the end of the book underlines how much of a pivotal aspect it is to understand this concept in order to understand the main character.
I also enjoyed that the main character is very morally grey, and seeing the changes his augmentations have on his morality. However, I do not appreciate how some characters react to his actions. Characters with backstories of being very strong women continually act as if their infatuation with the main character is all that matters. And they ignored or brushed over extremely horrific decisions by him for the sake of that. It was off putting to say the least.
That said, I think the story wrapped up (and was left open) in a way that makes me hopeful for what's to come from the series. I just hope to see more depth come for any new or returning characters in the subsequent books!
June 12, 2015
Remember that ScarJo movie, Lucy? The trailers looked super cool and you were like what if you could use more of your brain and be even smarter and do superhero type stuff! So of course you think YEAH THAT LOOKS AWESOME. So then you go see it and it starts off ok and then gets worse and worse and eventually at the end you're like WTF did she just turn into a USB drive? This book is exactly like that.
I realized it was utter dreck by about the 40% mark, but couldn't stop hate-reading until the end. Several events are quite offensive while others are just plain ridiculous. One character's plastic surgery ends up making him look like a female character's dad. They have sexual tension but she won't act on it because duh, he looks like her dad. So the character ends up holding her at knifepoint and forcing her to have sex with him. Oh and of course she liked it. What?! No thank you. Just one of several charming vignettes that made me want to puke. Later the man gives her permission to date someone else as he lays dying, cause of course she doesn't have her own agency and has to remain loyal to a corpse. I mean, come on! The only woman portrayed as smart is also ugly and unlovable and has unrequited love for the main character. These are just a few of the parts that are offensive to women/feminists.
As the book progresses the writing gets worse and the plot more contrived. Skimming over certain parts is the only way to maintain any kind of suspension of disbelief. It goes on for much longer than it needs to, and yes the main character turns into a computer in the end. Seriously you will regret the time you've lost if you read this book.
I realized it was utter dreck by about the 40% mark, but couldn't stop hate-reading until the end. Several events are quite offensive while others are just plain ridiculous. One character's plastic surgery ends up making him look like a female character's dad. They have sexual tension but she won't act on it because duh, he looks like her dad. So the character ends up holding her at knifepoint and forcing her to have sex with him. Oh and of course she liked it. What?! No thank you. Just one of several charming vignettes that made me want to puke. Later the man gives her permission to date someone else as he lays dying, cause of course she doesn't have her own agency and has to remain loyal to a corpse. I mean, come on! The only woman portrayed as smart is also ugly and unlovable and has unrequited love for the main character. These are just a few of the parts that are offensive to women/feminists.
As the book progresses the writing gets worse and the plot more contrived. Skimming over certain parts is the only way to maintain any kind of suspension of disbelief. It goes on for much longer than it needs to, and yes the main character turns into a computer in the end. Seriously you will regret the time you've lost if you read this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2015
Wow, so glad I got this for free, I would have been really upset had I paid money for it. Why didn't I like it?
Characters were poorly drawn, couldn't like or hate any one of them. Thus I suppose the only feeling was "meh, who cares?" no matter what they got themselves into.
Could there be a shadowy secret club running the world? Sure, but the author became way too involved in initiation rites and non-consequential sorts of things to explore the real ramifications of this shadow super group. He hints at things here and there,but never really explores that part of things.
Name dropping - of people, body parts, locations, educational facilities and anything else he can come up with is just flat out boring and somewhat amusing although probably not meant to be.
But I really almost lost it at the dolphin rescue. Actually that was about the dozenth time I found myself saying "oh come on now, that's just ridiculous".
This book could have really used a good editor to sharpen the plot, draw the characters better, cut down on lazy writing and polish the gem this book could have been. Sadly, without that help, it remains muffled in poor writing, undeveloped characters, and brief glimpses of what could have been.
Characters were poorly drawn, couldn't like or hate any one of them. Thus I suppose the only feeling was "meh, who cares?" no matter what they got themselves into.
Could there be a shadowy secret club running the world? Sure, but the author became way too involved in initiation rites and non-consequential sorts of things to explore the real ramifications of this shadow super group. He hints at things here and there,but never really explores that part of things.
Name dropping - of people, body parts, locations, educational facilities and anything else he can come up with is just flat out boring and somewhat amusing although probably not meant to be.
But I really almost lost it at the dolphin rescue. Actually that was about the dozenth time I found myself saying "oh come on now, that's just ridiculous".
This book could have really used a good editor to sharpen the plot, draw the characters better, cut down on lazy writing and polish the gem this book could have been. Sadly, without that help, it remains muffled in poor writing, undeveloped characters, and brief glimpses of what could have been.
October 19, 2017
Could not make myself read further. By the time I got to the ugly autistic Jewish woman with the unrequited love for the piece-of-shit MC, I had to put it down. This will be more to the taste of a reader who took up the guitar to get laid and thinks all women are carrying a secret torch for them thanks to their legit shredding.
I know how hard it is to write - and worse, to edit - a book and I do not review poorly except when a book straight up pisses me off. Like when a young woman gets groped in the first few pages and the author writes that she “forgives” the man because she is very busy conducting a terror attack. Not “ignores”, forgives. Professional murderess with a heart of gold? Or when the MC’s hot-but-of-course-not-very-technical wife gets super-horny right after this attack. An attack for which she and her husband have been fired, bankrupted, and may face charges for, their lives utterly ruined. And she is all “LETS MAKE A BABY”. Presumably because he has just played some very loud guitar in her vicinity. She gets super-horny for the MC basically all the time in just the first few pages.
I know how hard it is to write - and worse, to edit - a book and I do not review poorly except when a book straight up pisses me off. Like when a young woman gets groped in the first few pages and the author writes that she “forgives” the man because she is very busy conducting a terror attack. Not “ignores”, forgives. Professional murderess with a heart of gold? Or when the MC’s hot-but-of-course-not-very-technical wife gets super-horny right after this attack. An attack for which she and her husband have been fired, bankrupted, and may face charges for, their lives utterly ruined. And she is all “LETS MAKE A BABY”. Presumably because he has just played some very loud guitar in her vicinity. She gets super-horny for the MC basically all the time in just the first few pages.
February 3, 2016
Initially I was turned off by the book, but I stuck it out because I was primarily finding myself completely uninterested in the character Peter. I'm glad I dug in and continued, because to some degree, that's the point. Peter is a vapid character who gets caught up in a dangerous and difficult situation - way outside of his depth.
And, I eventually realized, that is the point. The story is about the evolution of Peter into someone and something else.
Overall the story is intriguing, and having finished the first book I look forward to the next books in the series, and to seeing how the story progresses. P.J. Manney has built strong potential into whatever comes next.
And, I eventually realized, that is the point. The story is about the evolution of Peter into someone and something else.
Overall the story is intriguing, and having finished the first book I look forward to the next books in the series, and to seeing how the story progresses. P.J. Manney has built strong potential into whatever comes next.
September 29, 2017
The ideas in the book are my sweet spot (cyborg and nanotech), but the book is poorly written. The main character is unattractive and difficult to empathize with. The other characters are not much better. The plotting is not effective and relies on impossible gimmicks. The fundamental idea that human personality and emotions are solely based in the brain ignores the role that the sympathetic nervous system plays in emotions. I will not be reading the sequel, and I encourage others to not read the first.
November 16, 2017
Thought provoking
Though a little slow and quite long, (R)evolution touches on some interesting and potentiality possible outcomes of Bioengineering and Human-Computer Interaction. Being a musician myself it was really interesting to read a protagonist who had music as deeply ingrained in his mind, body and soul as I do. And yet have other things to do in life that take a majority of the time. All-in-all, a really good novel but whose speed and sometimes confusing dialogue and language leave the reader wanting something a little more awesome.
Though a little slow and quite long, (R)evolution touches on some interesting and potentiality possible outcomes of Bioengineering and Human-Computer Interaction. Being a musician myself it was really interesting to read a protagonist who had music as deeply ingrained in his mind, body and soul as I do. And yet have other things to do in life that take a majority of the time. All-in-all, a really good novel but whose speed and sometimes confusing dialogue and language leave the reader wanting something a little more awesome.
May 8, 2015
This is a very well-written science-fiction story. It hits all the right notes, technologically, and even includes a good political conspiracy structure as well. I will echo other reviewers in saying the repeated mentioning of songs is somewhat distracting and takes one out of the story. Nevertheless, I thought the plot was well-developed and the characters both white-hat and blackguard to be well-written.
May 4, 2015
Really confusing story, shadowy power controlling organization with a dose of high technology mumbo jumbo thrown in. And some really shallow and stereotypical characterizations of everyone from politicians to scientists. Also a lot of never explained back-story which might have made more of this story make some slightly better sense.
August 9, 2016
This is a fun enjoyable near-future what if sci-fi story. I enjoyed the world the author has built and the characters she portrays within. The end of the story might have been a little far fetched but I am willing to continue with this series to see where she takes it.
4 stars for a fun read. Recommended for fans of near future sci-fi.
4 stars for a fun read. Recommended for fans of near future sci-fi.
November 27, 2017
Pretty good
Took a little while to grab my interest but it DID get there. I found a number of confusing sentences and at times, I lost track of who would be talking in a conversation (no: ...," Tom said.).
But the story is solid and I'll probably continue reading the series.
Took a little while to grab my interest but it DID get there. I found a number of confusing sentences and at times, I lost track of who would be talking in a conversation (no: ...," Tom said.).
But the story is solid and I'll probably continue reading the series.
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