An eons-long galactic war pitting man against machine. A federation of worlds that upends every notion of the novelty of humanity. A military institution struggling to hold it all together. And a mental ability that might save life itself.
Roberto Reed's childhood was marred by tragedy, yet he overcame his past only to become sick of the corporate life and hungry for adventure. When another tragedy forces Berto to leave Earth on a path of revenge in a war and life he doesn't understand, he receives more than he bargained for. He might be the key to winning the war, but can he trust the two women who've recruited him?
I received an ARC from Reedsy Discovery in exchange for an honest review.
Exodus by M. R. Parsons is a fantastic new science fiction series opener. Berto's story reeled me in right from the first few pages and didn't let go until the very end. Roberto had a rough life growing up, but now with his past behind him he is ready to take on a new adventure. When another tragedy strikes, he has no choice but to leave Earth and he finds himself right in the middle of a war that has been raging for eons. He's gotten more than he bargained for in terms of adventure, and even revenge. He might be able to help bring an end to the war, if only he can trust himself and his recruiters.
One of the things I loved the most about this novel is the fact that it drops us right into action. Everything comes head on at the cast of characters and us. It never feels rushed or confusing in the wrong kind of way as it feels like we're right there in the same boat with everyone else. The novel is fast paced with quite a bit of action, but it doesn't feel rushed but instead engaging. There are also plenty of complex and futuristic ideas, but there written in such a way that doesn't make the reader feel out of the loop. My only real issue is that I never felt terribly connected with the characters. They're all written well, but it seemed to me as that I was busy taking in everything else before the characters themselves, if that makes sense.
Finally, I highly recommend Exodus by M. R. Parsons to fans of high speed science fiction, especially sci-fi that's a bit on the harder side. It feels like I really flew through this novel and just devoured every crumb the author gave us. I'm honestly looking forward to whatever comes next in for these characters.
I would give this book 3 1/2 stars. It started off rocky for me but picked up as we got to the back story of the characters and the world that they now lived in. While I think the characters could have used a little more development, it has some good basic bones. I didn't really connect with any of the characters, and at times, they were annoying.
I should say that sci-fi is generally not my preferred genre. This was a book club choice, so getting me out of my comfort zone was good.
It leaves you on a cliffhanger, so if you want to find out what happens next, you must read the next book.
Why did you read this book? This author is doing a panel at my local library and I wanted to read one of his books.
What format did you read this book in? Read it as an eBook on Kindle.
Is this an educational book or a book for entertainment? I read this book for pure entertainment purposes.
What genres do you think this book belongs to? Fantasy, Horror, Psychology, Science Fiction
What was your favorite part of the book? My favorite concept in this book was the nano armor the characters wear.
Who would you suggest this book to? I would only suggest this book to someone who likes stories like Gundam Wing or “chosen one” stories.
What is your general opinion/ rating of this book? I did not care for this book. I felt this book would have been a good young adult book, but not as an adult science fiction. Many of the characters were immature for their ages. A lot of the story arcs reminded me of the big robot animes I used to watch as a kid. And the violence towards the main character was a bit over the top. The repetition of calling him a traitor gets annoying towards the end of the book. The villains were too much as well. Overall, I thought this book would have been better for a young adult to middle school grade science fiction. But as but as an adult science fiction, it really didn't do it for me. (Take my review with a grain of salt. This story had the “someone killed my family, so I want revenge” trope in it. And I’m a little tired of that cliché.)
Are there any cliché scenes or concepts? (If yes, does the author add something unique to them?) There are a couple tropes that this story hits on. As I mentioned above, the main characters family is killed and he wants to get revenge. The protagonist was born more powerful than anyone else. He also has a rival that is jealous of his ability.
Any trigger warnings? Racial and Religious: Racism, Racial Slurs, Racial Profiling, Talk of Superior Race, Prejudice, Genocide Mental Health: Trivializing Mental Illness, Romanticized Mental Illness, PTSD, Emotional Abuse, Panic Attacks, Trauma, Child Abandonment, Nightmares about Traumatic Events Violence and Death: Death, Death of a Loved One, Graphic Deaths, Mass Death, Murder, Execution, Decapitation, Extreme Violence, Gore, Torture, Mutilation of Corpses, Threatening baby/child, Violence against Children, Escalating Violence, Described Blood, Graphic Violence Other: Drugging Someone Against Their Will, Kidnapping, Adultery, Bullying, Profanity, Classism
I really liked the concept of the book, I was drawn to it because I thought a cgristian author, but seeing the name of Jesus, is used as a curse, and the usual God, name in vain, I just can't and comprise this,.
Enjoyed this book very much, first of the series. Recommend by a friend! I went in blind and loved it! The sci-fi world building is pretty limited as we’re just following the MC as he heads off Earth. Few piece of the story threw me how graphic they suddenly became but overall enjoyed the first book and will continue the series.