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From the Logs of Daniel Quinn #2
Antagonize
The planets Terra and Gaia have been at war for generations. Now in a last ditch effort, a council is formed to usher in an era of peace. But when members are ruthlessly killed, lines are drawn, sides grow hostile, and mutual destruction seems inevitable.
Far away on a desolate planet, Captain Daniel Quinn of the Kestrel Belle is summoned in the hopes that he can help stop the bloodshed. With armies of soldiers around every corner and a deadly mercenary determined to stop him, Daniel is the only man who can help unite the two worlds
It's a war that he didn't start, but one he will have to stop in order to save lives, including his own.
Far away on a desolate planet, Captain Daniel Quinn of the Kestrel Belle is summoned in the hopes that he can help stop the bloodshed. With armies of soldiers around every corner and a deadly mercenary determined to stop him, Daniel is the only man who can help unite the two worlds
It's a war that he didn't start, but one he will have to stop in order to save lives, including his own.
Kindle Edition
First published March 28, 2014
1 person is currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Thomas R. Manning
2 books97 followersThomas R. Manning is a minister and writer, currently working as a campus director at Allison Park Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition to his two published science fiction novels, Thomas is also working on various other book projects.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 8, 2014
When I first started reading Antagonize I expected to read a good book. What I didn’t expect was for it to completely blow me away.
Thomas Manning’s second novel completely surpasses his first in every single way. The plot and narration are tightly focused. The characters are unique and memorable. The pacing was quick. Best of all, the atmosphere felt like an awe inspiring addition to the pantheon of great sci-fi stories told by Gene Roddenberry, Ridley Scott, and George Lucas. I’m not joking here-- there seriously were times were I felt like I was transported back to the worlds of Star Wars, Blade Runner, and company, and my inner nerd loved every minute of it.
Daniel Quinn starts the first book as a traumatized loner, but throughout Antagonize his personality and the dynamics of everything quickly evolve to something not only fascinating, but thrilling. He questions things, he gets in people’s faces, he does what has to be done, and he quickly develops a network of allies who all work together to stop an imminent war from coming to fruition (something that was lacking from Energize).
Speaking of allies, let’s talk for a minute about this expansive roster Manning has built. Daniel Quinn is the headliner as expected, though not the naïve young man he set out as in Energize. He has more guts and determination, not to mention a bad-ass sword which acts as an awesome supplement to his standard gun. By his side is Al, his trusty robotic navigator and friend who seems to be developing more of a personality as time goes on, blurring the line between man and machine. New to this list: Commander Scott, a no-nonsense tactical officer in charge of keeping the peace between Terra and Gaia; Tress, a lovable and affable alien who was exiled from his home planet Tristain for reasons unknown; and Autumn Derringer, daughter of Damon Derringer and strong female character who refuses to sit out on the action.
Throw in some compelling and intimidating villains such as the mighty Granak, a anthropomorphic lion assassin, and other surprise ones that I won’t spoil for you, and you get a multi-layered ensemble cast shrouded in mystery, as you are often left questioning each character’s motives and wondering who is the real villain.
I don’t have anything negative to say about Thomas Manning’s follow-up sequel. He did everything right that should be done with a sequel: he added more characters, delved deeper into the psyche of existing ones and pushed them beyond their limits, electrified the book with explosive yet clear action, sharpened and honed the narration leaving no dawdling, and tied up a lot of loose ends while leaving the ending open with a larger, looming threat on the horizon.
The author continues to impress me. I had to keep double checking to make sure this was really a Kindle book, because the level of quality he injected into his work was of the highest caliber. It’s books like these that give me hope for the future of Kindle and Amazon-published books. Thomas R. Manning is a literary Saiyan—he grows more powerful and formidable with each novel he writes. If he continues to improve at this rate, I can only pray for his competition.
Thomas Manning’s second novel completely surpasses his first in every single way. The plot and narration are tightly focused. The characters are unique and memorable. The pacing was quick. Best of all, the atmosphere felt like an awe inspiring addition to the pantheon of great sci-fi stories told by Gene Roddenberry, Ridley Scott, and George Lucas. I’m not joking here-- there seriously were times were I felt like I was transported back to the worlds of Star Wars, Blade Runner, and company, and my inner nerd loved every minute of it.
Daniel Quinn starts the first book as a traumatized loner, but throughout Antagonize his personality and the dynamics of everything quickly evolve to something not only fascinating, but thrilling. He questions things, he gets in people’s faces, he does what has to be done, and he quickly develops a network of allies who all work together to stop an imminent war from coming to fruition (something that was lacking from Energize).
Speaking of allies, let’s talk for a minute about this expansive roster Manning has built. Daniel Quinn is the headliner as expected, though not the naïve young man he set out as in Energize. He has more guts and determination, not to mention a bad-ass sword which acts as an awesome supplement to his standard gun. By his side is Al, his trusty robotic navigator and friend who seems to be developing more of a personality as time goes on, blurring the line between man and machine. New to this list: Commander Scott, a no-nonsense tactical officer in charge of keeping the peace between Terra and Gaia; Tress, a lovable and affable alien who was exiled from his home planet Tristain for reasons unknown; and Autumn Derringer, daughter of Damon Derringer and strong female character who refuses to sit out on the action.
Throw in some compelling and intimidating villains such as the mighty Granak, a anthropomorphic lion assassin, and other surprise ones that I won’t spoil for you, and you get a multi-layered ensemble cast shrouded in mystery, as you are often left questioning each character’s motives and wondering who is the real villain.
I don’t have anything negative to say about Thomas Manning’s follow-up sequel. He did everything right that should be done with a sequel: he added more characters, delved deeper into the psyche of existing ones and pushed them beyond their limits, electrified the book with explosive yet clear action, sharpened and honed the narration leaving no dawdling, and tied up a lot of loose ends while leaving the ending open with a larger, looming threat on the horizon.
The author continues to impress me. I had to keep double checking to make sure this was really a Kindle book, because the level of quality he injected into his work was of the highest caliber. It’s books like these that give me hope for the future of Kindle and Amazon-published books. Thomas R. Manning is a literary Saiyan—he grows more powerful and formidable with each novel he writes. If he continues to improve at this rate, I can only pray for his competition.
November 5, 2014
A fantastic sequel in every sense!
Antagonize, the sequel to Energize (From the Logs of Daniel Quinn), is an amazing sequel in every sense of the word. The danger is greater, the action stronger and the character growth enlightening; he has to save two whole planets for flux sake!
From the start, this book will not disappoint. Beginning with a mission from the starcade, Daniel's journey takes him to a new alien world where he meets his employer. Within minutes, he's engaged in a gunfight with an incredible adversary before flying off on an adventure where every tick of the clock diminishes his chances of success.
He meets new friends, makes new enemies, and sacrifices more than any one man should in the name of peace.
If you enjoyed Energize, you will absolutely love Antagonize.
A well deserved 5 stars!
Antagonize, the sequel to Energize (From the Logs of Daniel Quinn), is an amazing sequel in every sense of the word. The danger is greater, the action stronger and the character growth enlightening; he has to save two whole planets for flux sake!
From the start, this book will not disappoint. Beginning with a mission from the starcade, Daniel's journey takes him to a new alien world where he meets his employer. Within minutes, he's engaged in a gunfight with an incredible adversary before flying off on an adventure where every tick of the clock diminishes his chances of success.
He meets new friends, makes new enemies, and sacrifices more than any one man should in the name of peace.
If you enjoyed Energize, you will absolutely love Antagonize.
A well deserved 5 stars!
November 5, 2014
Solid science fiction tale. Daniel Quinn reminded me of the captain in Firefly. He has morals and a code of ethics that mostly involves money, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care about human (or other sentient) life. Although this is the second in a series, it stands alone, just like Star Trek episodes.
February 1, 2015
Antagonize is the second book in the Daniel Quinn series. This is not a series where you must read book 1 to understand book 2. You’ll be just fine picking up Antagonize, and you’ll be in for a fun journey!
Plot
This time, Daniel isn’t just trying to save one planet and its energy source, but two. Oh, and to maybe stop a war along the way. He doesn’t exactly go willingly, but he does whatever he can to fulfill the role he’s been given with plenty of bumps and problems along the way.
Characters
Daniel is always awesome. He’s down-to-earth—well, okay, not literally since he’s in space and on other planets, but you know what I mean! He kills when he has to, but it haunts him. He makes tough decisions, but not without thinking them through first. He does what’s right to the best of his ability. Even if he messes up or it gets him into trouble, he’s always willing to put himself on the line for someone else. In this book, we also get Autumn, who is the type of strong and smart, take-no-crap, refuse-to-sit-out female character I love to cheer for. I hope there’s more of her in the next book!
Writing Quality
I’ve seen much improvement in this book over the first. It’s cleaner and reads very easily. As fun as the first book was, I enjoyed this one even more.
Entertainment
There were so many scenes where I sat there reading going “AHHHHHHH!!!” and, “How in the world are they going to get out of this? There’s no way out!” Yet, just when you think you know what’s coming… plot twist! If you’re looking for an awesome adventure of overcoming the impossible, join Daniel Quinn on the Kestrel Belle and fly off to save two worlds!
See full review here.
Plot
This time, Daniel isn’t just trying to save one planet and its energy source, but two. Oh, and to maybe stop a war along the way. He doesn’t exactly go willingly, but he does whatever he can to fulfill the role he’s been given with plenty of bumps and problems along the way.
Characters
Daniel is always awesome. He’s down-to-earth—well, okay, not literally since he’s in space and on other planets, but you know what I mean! He kills when he has to, but it haunts him. He makes tough decisions, but not without thinking them through first. He does what’s right to the best of his ability. Even if he messes up or it gets him into trouble, he’s always willing to put himself on the line for someone else. In this book, we also get Autumn, who is the type of strong and smart, take-no-crap, refuse-to-sit-out female character I love to cheer for. I hope there’s more of her in the next book!
Writing Quality
I’ve seen much improvement in this book over the first. It’s cleaner and reads very easily. As fun as the first book was, I enjoyed this one even more.
Entertainment
There were so many scenes where I sat there reading going “AHHHHHHH!!!” and, “How in the world are they going to get out of this? There’s no way out!” Yet, just when you think you know what’s coming… plot twist! If you’re looking for an awesome adventure of overcoming the impossible, join Daniel Quinn on the Kestrel Belle and fly off to save two worlds!
See full review here.
January 9, 2017
Wow, what a sequel While reading the first half I was excited but it did seem to drag a little for me. I was constantly thinking of the first book and feeling that it was the better of the two but the second and third act completely changed the script and this book is my favorite of the series. The stakes are way higher, the characters more intimate, and not only that but both books are connected FLAWLESSLY without being too much "fan service". We also learn crucial details that without spoiling reveal that there is a huge over arching story that could be told for many years with numerous books. The third novel's release is on a indefinite delay but as soon it becomes available I'll have it in my hands !
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews