Genesis

Kingdom Come Series #1

by Wade Garret

Speculative Fiction in the tradition of Dune, The Dark Tower, A Song of Ice and Fire and LOTR! Jak Hartlen, 19, the son of William and Mary, will face many thresholds of flesh and mind on his road to reaping the Whirl Wind; seeds of grief and guilt only now coming to fruition. If only they'd know what they were doing... The Gan and their Areht who shape the world behind the scenes will hate him, because he's a threat they're not sure can be chained. The Pillars and their Faithful who spread the world's leading religion will fear him, because his existence, once known, will challenge Ages of dogma and accepted history. The Crimson King and its Servants who seek to return to power, destroying all that remains of The White, will hunt him, because even in death, they're not sure he'll ever bow to the Dark. --They All Should. For as One of Five with the power to shake the world, they will hollow his heart and mind through countless sacrifice and vengeful selfishness.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction

606 pages, Paperback

First published August 14, 2013

About the author

Born in NY, but raised in the Southern United States, Wade is married to a wonderful woman and lucky to have his first beautiful daughter. When not reading, writing or occasionally drinking at the pub, he can be found researching the latest comics or in the chair of his favorite tattoo shop. GENESIS is only the beginning of Mr. Garret’s epic Kingdom Come series.

Reviews

[Petros Triantafyllou · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately I didn't like Genesis at all. I had trouble with more than one aspect of this book: I found the world-building poorly constructed, the characters flat, the pace uneven, the dialogues boring, and the main storyline itself uninteresting.
On the other hand, it seems like I'm the only one who gave it a poor rating, so maybe, just maybe, the book is good and I'm in the wrong. Feel free to read other reviews before making your decision.

You can find more of my reviews over at http://BookNest.eu/

[Ben Galley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of Wade's books I've read, and I did really enjoy it. Here's my spoiler-free review!

Firstly, the world and mythos is very rich, explained in depth in dialogue as well as clever excerpts at the start of each chapter – something I do with my own books and a technique I really like. It's a good world, though with so much going on, and so much history, it was hard to keep up at points. Especially with so many characters coming in and out. However, I'm sure subsequent books will expand on it, which I'd like. Jak, the main protagonist, really carries the story through this world, and it's that personal investment that kept me hooked throughout. He grows with your own understanding of the world.

There's some of our own mythology mixed in, with clever twists, but Wade's also spent time crafting his own as well, which was very enjoyable to read. There're also elements of steampunk/dieselpunk, which I'm personally all for, and it's added in a great way that's not anachronistic or incongruous.

Description is one of Wade's strengths, and each scene is developed well with plenty of adventurous language. Sometimes, some of the descriptors seemed a little forced, but this is very minor and didn't distract me much. The action is nicely paced and well written, and there're plenty of bloody moments to keep my inner grimdarkian happy.

The story does flit around a lot, sometimes switching perspectives during scenes which might be confusing for some readers. The pace also changes frequently, however for a long story this is useful as you get breathing space between the action and information. It's quite a tome, so this is a good thing.

Overall, Genesis is rich, multi-faceted story set in a unique world with a strong cast of characters and a protagonist that's compelling. It's an enjoyable tale, and I'm looking forward to Book 2!

[Andy Peloquin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has been a very difficult book to read and review.
To begin with, I absolutely loved the hook and the writing style. From the characters dialogue to the quotes at the beginning of chapters, I very much enjoyed the author's skill at constructing a complicated world with interesting people.
The downside is that there's little or no explanation or back-story given for anything. Right from the beginning, we are told it is the “third age”. OK, the third age of what? Why is this the third age? What happened to the second age? These questions and more are never answered.
This author has great potential and is probably a terrific lecturer or essay writer. This book has everything it needs to make it a great story except the story itself. It lacks both narrative and description. I finished reading it because I enjoyed the style.
The reader is left to wonder if this world is a future Earth or a completely different universe. The narrative is often hard to follow because the POV switches from one character at one time to another in possibly a different time, right in the middle of chapters with no warning. This makes it difficult to keep track of who is doing what where and when.
This story is about continuing war. The enemy seems some kind of giant cyborg bug, which was thought to have been defeated and or destroyed at some unknown time in the past. The story centers around a small group of people, one of whom has discovered his father's mysterious sword. The sword seems to grant or awaken some kind of power within our hero, but it's unclear if his power is purely mental or some kind of man machine hybrid.
That said, I look forward to seeing how Wade's writing grows from here!

[Julia Sarene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is even harder for me to rate.
I must confess beforehand, I only got to the middle, then I paused it in favour of some other books, and I didn't pick it up again. This again is mostly due to my own preferences, not the quality of the book.

First of, you get thrown right into the story. I usually like that, but in this case it didn't start of with an action scene, so you know what's happening. Instead you start of in the middle of the story, and for me it was a really hard, confusing entry into the story. I do like to know exactly where I am, who I'm reading about and what happens.

And that is what made the whole book hard for me. There are new names, things, people and locations thrown into the story all the time - without the reader knowing who/what/where that might be.

Other than that, I did really enjoy the story, the characters and the writing style. I might pick it up again, when my private life slows down a bit, and I can concentrate better on the book again, as I'm really curious what's going to happen to the characters.

That's why I give three stars, as it really caught my interest, but simply is to difficult to get into for me at this point.

[Claire Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I was asked to review this book by the author, I accepted as it really sounded like my kind of book and the synopsis appeared promising.



From the very beginning, lots of different petiole and places you aren't familiar with are mentioned, which I found really confusing. I knew that all would probably become clear eventually, so I tried to keep track and persevered.



I've read lots of books where each chapter is told from a different person's perspective and quite enjoy that, but, in Genesis this happens every paragraph. I was completely lost after a few chapters in so decided to leave it there.



I think this is the kind of book that you need to read when you have lots of time to devote to it exclusively. Think log cabin, solitude and snow. There are several 5 star reviews on Amazon for this book, so people obviously enjoyed it. It just wasn't for me.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an epic tale! I really liked the main character Jak, and really started getting into the story when he was introduced. When he and his friends and family went through all these major events, the suspense of seeing what happens to them really carried me through this book. I can't say I understood everything in the book, but there was a surreal sense of time and place and reality that was compelling within it. Things were really interesting when attention was put on the Areht people and the way they lived. Anyway, events and people in the story grab the reader's attention, so it's worth a look if you want to go to a very different place. Thanks to the author and goodreads for providing the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jayra Almanzor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wade Garret's Genesis: Book One of the Kingdom Come is one of the most epic sci-fi books I've read this year. The characters are so realistic that they almost feel tangible. Although I feel that the dialogue can be improved (I think it's just me not being used to dialogue written like this), the characters' personalities are something I can actually associate with, which is great.

Though the novel is quite long, Garret's talent made me flip through my e-reader like a steam engine, almost non-stop, and I finished the book in a few days. However, the prologue with Black didn’t really catch my attention as much as the actual first chapter did, but I’m pretty glad that I didn’t drop the novel as the chapters after the prologue makes up for it.

With each scene painted in full colours and vividness, I can imagine each event happening in my head. If you like books with great detail, you will like how Garret explained his world from how the buildings line up on the road to how some characters choose to wear their clothing.

Even though I'm not usually a fan of past tense and third-person in writing, I was still astounded by the amount of detail and effort put in the making of this novel. The different point of views of the characters were confusing at first, when views switched from character to character, but I got used to it, and truth be told, I actually liked it.

All in all, this is one novel sci-fi fans shouldn't miss. Thanks Garret for sharing your story with us and I'm looking forward to the second book.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genesis reminds me of the original Wheel of Time novel, The Eye of the World, in that it opens with a collection of references and description of a strange new world full of ideas as well as concepts which the reader is dumped head first into. It's a fascinating but frequently distracting tale which exists halfway between sci-fi and high fantasy. This is not going to be a book for everyone but I, personally, enjoyed it once I managed to immerse myself fully into the world. The beginning is a bit rough, though, I will state the perspective changes a few too many times. The breadth of the author's imagination is fascinating, though, and I'm envious as an author.

The character of Jak seems like a typical farmboy protagonist in an unusual world which combines Bronze Age city-states with supernatural phenomenon and technology. After a series of events push him from his home, he is joined by a cast of intriguing characters in the brainy Leia and Evangeline as well as the roguish Ruddiger. Events propel them forward on a road trip which takes them against a post-apocalypse world of science and religion gone wrong with mysteries and bizarre locales. The story follows their multiple perspectives on events and we get a sense of the alien far-future humanity has degenerated into. It can be a little overwhelming but very satisfying once it gets going.

I suggest readers stick with it until at least the Jak chapters to enjoy.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of the book through goodreads first reads.

3.5/5 stars. A good book filled with interesting characters and a rich, full world that is massive in scope. It was a little hard to get into the book in earlier chapters because of all of the references to places/words/events/etc. that you have no real knowledge of what, where, or who it is talking about. Once you get farther in the book, however, all of it begins to come together and you have a better understanding of how deep and complex the world in this series actually is.

Another thing that was difficult in the beginning was how the perspective kept changing between the characters, told from one characters perspective in one paragraph, a different character in the next, and back again to the first character in a third paragraph. Once you get used to it, however, this approach was actually fairly interesting as it allows you to see events from each of the characters perspectives.

All in all it was a good book that I enjoyed reading and I look forward to reading more books from this series. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in science fiction, and while it is a bit difficult in the beginning, if you stick with it you will be rewarded with an impressively detailed and rich world with a great story to go along with it.

[Dave-Brendon Burgh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wade has written a considered and carefully crafted tale here, one that merges different genres not only well but in interesting and exciting ways.

He allows his characters to grow in the reader's mind, giving them to space and time to continuously define themselves, while also expanding and exploring the world they live in without dumping info on the reader or bogging down the narrative.

His tale also creates new cultures and magic while subtly twisting our own history, so don't be surprised if you read about something that sounds familiar.

My only issue is that the book is a slow read, but that may be because I'm used to reading fast paced tales - one thing is for sure: this is a novel that builds subtly and consistently, showing Wade to be a writer and storyteller who has great control and a vast imagination.

Looking forward to reading more from this author!

[Michael Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complex and compelling. Diving into this book is diving into a complete world already served and delivered. The world in which Wade Garret has built is not one that is constructed as you go. It’s hard not to get sucked into the rich and developed story as well as the elaborate and well fleshed out characters. As we follow the main character Jak, the story chugs along, building up momentum and makes it hard to put down
In the beginning you feel a little bombarded with all the little details, but the farther you get those details help guide you through and make it all the more real.
This isn’t a book to expect to read quickly and move on. It’s a fantastic tome of sci-fi/fantasy immersion.

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Call me a little bias, but there's a reason why I chose to sway away from out-in-out horror and decided to publish Wade Garret's GENESIS: Book One of the Kingdom Come Series. It's not only well-conceived and well-written, but it's great science fiction. The scope is massive, the characters well-defined, it'll take you a handful of nights to read and comparable to Dune in that regard, and, like the fantastic sagas of its genre, there are more to follow. It's an impressive debut from a talent basically coming out of nowhere to impress us all.

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed this book,it is a fairly long read,but,i like that in a book.He does get a little sidetracked on his characters,from time to time,again ,i like this.A litlle character background keeps them real and gives your mind something else to think on(ponder).he stays on the story line well and keeps the whole story moving along.
I belive this is a well written book,worth the time to read.This is a gifted author and i look forward to more of his work.I will be there to get my copy.

[Bryan Rainey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book. A lot to wade through initially as the explanations are abound for what the Areht does. Some parts of it seemed a little complex for the average reader to follow.

Once the action picks up, it us full throttle from there on. Then, you see how the characters interact and why.

I found a few if the scenes jumbled but for the most part I found this book ocerall enjoyable.

[Steven Wetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting read!

As far as fantasy, action thrillers go.... This will pique your interests. Creating a whole world, races, abilities and political structures isn't easy. There are action sequences, character back stories, schemes within schemes and a whole lot more. Keeping an eye on this author.

[Tony DiMatteo · Rating 5 out of 5]

GrimDarker!

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end and everything in between. Pacing was great and Wade seemed to have a unique idea told in a new voice. Loved it. I would definitely recommend this one to anyone interested in fantasy, especially you GrimDark fans.

[Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome. Keeps your interest until the end. Very well written.

[Josh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just couldn’t muscle through this book. The pacing is sluggish, there are multiple editorial errors, and there is no set-up or world building. You’re thrust blindly into a new world, with its own words, but given no explanation for them.

I wanted, so very much, to like this book, but it’s one I’ll not finish.

[S.C. Hayden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vast and wonderful book. The storyline is a little dense at times but never plodding. Layered and lovely, it kept me up late more than a few times. Epic Sci Fi is not dead. Huzzah.