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Beyond Earth #1
Beyond Earth
Hidden in the fabric of our own galaxy are five planets, anchored to Earth and thriving with life. When young Adaminia walks through a doorway and onto another planet, she learns the truth about her destiny. She must locate the other six warriors and unite their shared power in order to fight off the growing darkness set to destroy their existence.
187 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 7, 2013
2 people are currently reading
1350 people want to read
About the author
Arlene Lagos
13 books183 followersLagos, a native of Massachusetts has written poetry, stage plays, screenplays and short stories for over 20 years.
She began writing the Beyond Earth Series in November of 2011 as a first time Nanowrimo participant, which she successfully completed, and now has three books in the series.
Her latest novel, "Butterflies Forever" is the third book in the Butterflies Series and is due out Summer 2017.
She has written two children's middle-grade novels, "Outside The Circle" and "Sneaky Pete"
Lagos also has fourteen short stories published in the Giant Tales Anthologies.
Her goal in life is to create and to inspire the world around her. Lagos currently resides in Massachusetts with her husband and their daughter.
She began writing the Beyond Earth Series in November of 2011 as a first time Nanowrimo participant, which she successfully completed, and now has three books in the series.
Her latest novel, "Butterflies Forever" is the third book in the Butterflies Series and is due out Summer 2017.
She has written two children's middle-grade novels, "Outside The Circle" and "Sneaky Pete"
Lagos also has fourteen short stories published in the Giant Tales Anthologies.
Her goal in life is to create and to inspire the world around her. Lagos currently resides in Massachusetts with her husband and their daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 7, 2013
If you pick up this book you have to be sure to read the whole thing, especially if you're used to reading more reality-based fare. This is a fantasy, let's be clear about that. Though at first it may seem a bit formulaic in the first couple chapters for the mise-en-scène, the patient reader is rewarded with layers of complexity, not unlike a good wine, that build gradually until you realize you're being taken on a wild ride. You will begin to turn the pages faster, wondering what will happen next. When you get to that point, it is a sure sign you're committed and engaged to the plot line that holds quite a few surprises and while I don't do plot summaries or spoilers, there's a big surprise at the end that I would never have called, at least not for this genre.
Not being one for fantasies, I may be somewhat more impressionable, but how Lagos comes up with some of the stuff in this book is beyond me. Traveling to invisible worlds orbiting earth through mirrors and trees? I could never in my adult life imagine something like that and if anything, Lagos still possesses that very special childhood ability (most of us lose by adulthood) to put our imaginations to work to spin tales packed with magic and colorful worlds. I can certainly see this series building a dedicated following in the future. I hope Lagos keeps going, I have a good feeling her subsequent offerings will be even better.
Lagos is accessible in her writing style, so this would not be an arduous read for the average person or light reader. Many might confuse clarity with simplicity but remember, we operate in a world where thoughts are condensed to 140 characters and conveyed to an audience with an ever-shortening attention span, not all readers find value in a complicated sentence structure. The modern author is concise. Presumably understanding this, Lagos definitely prioritizes the construction of the plot over the construction of the prose; she keeps it simple and I think that's smart.
When you are reading some really imaginative (and therefore complicated) concepts, the last thing you need is to decipher the writing first. True, she is not Hawthorne. And I think most people will heave a sigh of relief knowing this. To quote Sweet Brown, "ain't nobody got time for that." So if you're a literary snob perhaps this book isn't for you, but if you like a well-told imaginative story in the clearest method possible, you'll probably really get into this book and the subsequent offerings of the series as they come.
Lagos brings us back to the fantasy worlds of our childhood while adding a slightly adult edge to it, it's definitely worth a read.
Not being one for fantasies, I may be somewhat more impressionable, but how Lagos comes up with some of the stuff in this book is beyond me. Traveling to invisible worlds orbiting earth through mirrors and trees? I could never in my adult life imagine something like that and if anything, Lagos still possesses that very special childhood ability (most of us lose by adulthood) to put our imaginations to work to spin tales packed with magic and colorful worlds. I can certainly see this series building a dedicated following in the future. I hope Lagos keeps going, I have a good feeling her subsequent offerings will be even better.
Lagos is accessible in her writing style, so this would not be an arduous read for the average person or light reader. Many might confuse clarity with simplicity but remember, we operate in a world where thoughts are condensed to 140 characters and conveyed to an audience with an ever-shortening attention span, not all readers find value in a complicated sentence structure. The modern author is concise. Presumably understanding this, Lagos definitely prioritizes the construction of the plot over the construction of the prose; she keeps it simple and I think that's smart.
When you are reading some really imaginative (and therefore complicated) concepts, the last thing you need is to decipher the writing first. True, she is not Hawthorne. And I think most people will heave a sigh of relief knowing this. To quote Sweet Brown, "ain't nobody got time for that." So if you're a literary snob perhaps this book isn't for you, but if you like a well-told imaginative story in the clearest method possible, you'll probably really get into this book and the subsequent offerings of the series as they come.
Lagos brings us back to the fantasy worlds of our childhood while adding a slightly adult edge to it, it's definitely worth a read.
November 30, 2013
First I want to say thank you to Arlene Lagos for writing and amazing Fantasy Novel that she gave me the chance to read and review for free! I won a free copy personally signed on Goodreads.
...
Now what I thought about Beyond Earth. It was overall a very great Sci-Fi Fantasy novel. I would probably have changed some of the animal characters like the butterfly which seemed to not fit the rest of the book which was a lot more dark, cool and interesting, and not rainbows and fluff! I loved the connection between the characters, and the elements of romance. I loved how it ended and can't wait to read the next book in the series!
July 6, 2013
The book flows nicely and it keeps the reader engaged. I never felt overwhelmed or bored reading it. The characters are captivating and its refreshing to see a female lead for a change. Can't wait for book 2!
June 11, 2014
Thank you to Goodreads First Reads for a free copy of this book!
I liked this book over all, but it really had some problems. There were a lot of grammatical errors and a couple spelling ones, as well. I thought it had a good story line but some things were just a little too far fetched, I mean a woman riding on the back of a giant butterfly? Alright then. I don't think this book would be something I would pick up on my own just because I am a type of person who does judge a book by the cover. It had a good idea and plot line to it and I am interested in the second book when it comes out (partially because I hate to stop in the middle of a series). The end was really a huge surprise for me and wasn't expecting the last few words on the page. I think with a little editing help and maybe a couple quick fixes it would interest a broader audience.
Overall, I would have given the book a 4 out of 5 because I liked it so much. It wouldn't have earned a 5 out of 5 because some things were easy to predict or too cheesy. I gave it a 3 out of 5, though because of the grammatical and spelling errors.
I liked this book over all, but it really had some problems. There were a lot of grammatical errors and a couple spelling ones, as well. I thought it had a good story line but some things were just a little too far fetched, I mean a woman riding on the back of a giant butterfly? Alright then. I don't think this book would be something I would pick up on my own just because I am a type of person who does judge a book by the cover. It had a good idea and plot line to it and I am interested in the second book when it comes out (partially because I hate to stop in the middle of a series). The end was really a huge surprise for me and wasn't expecting the last few words on the page. I think with a little editing help and maybe a couple quick fixes it would interest a broader audience.
Overall, I would have given the book a 4 out of 5 because I liked it so much. It wouldn't have earned a 5 out of 5 because some things were easy to predict or too cheesy. I gave it a 3 out of 5, though because of the grammatical and spelling errors.
August 13, 2013
When Adaminia turns the knob to a door that seems to call out to her, she never expects it to be the doorway into another world. She meets new people and runs into old friends that she never expected to meet again. As the story progresses, Adaminia finds out that her life is a lot more complicated than having a mentally unstable aunt to care for. What will happen on Adaminia's journey as she finds that the fate of humanity is in her hands?
Arlene Lagos has written a Sci-fi adventure that brings together forces of good and evil, battling to take over the worlds she has so vividly portrayed in this story. The scenes are well imagined and the characters keep true to their personalities. I can't wait to read book two and find out what happens next in Arlene Lagos's Beyond Earth Series.
Arlene Lagos has written a Sci-fi adventure that brings together forces of good and evil, battling to take over the worlds she has so vividly portrayed in this story. The scenes are well imagined and the characters keep true to their personalities. I can't wait to read book two and find out what happens next in Arlene Lagos's Beyond Earth Series.
August 6, 2013
Who paid these people to write these good reviews????
I'm halfway done with the second chapter and am entirely impressed that I have been able to choke THAT much of it down. The book's grammar, story line and character development are all half-assed at very best, and don't seem to improve in the slightest as the story progresses.
Having helped to teach a ninth-grade English class for students with learning disabilities, I can honestly say that any one of them could have written something better on a bad day. I would highly advise Ms. Lagos to do the literary world an enormous favor and quit her writing career before she further embarrasses herself and the unlucky few who happen to mistakenly stumble across these novels.
I'm halfway done with the second chapter and am entirely impressed that I have been able to choke THAT much of it down. The book's grammar, story line and character development are all half-assed at very best, and don't seem to improve in the slightest as the story progresses.
Having helped to teach a ninth-grade English class for students with learning disabilities, I can honestly say that any one of them could have written something better on a bad day. I would highly advise Ms. Lagos to do the literary world an enormous favor and quit her writing career before she further embarrasses herself and the unlucky few who happen to mistakenly stumble across these novels.
August 18, 2013
The story itself was awesome. I loved the idea of it. The execution could do with a little more work though as I was taken out of the story a lot by the way it was written. Not because it was bad, but because it was more explaining and less showing. Example:
---
"Blah blah," he said.
"Blah blah?" She asked.
There are pages that look like that. It made it hard for me to get into it.
---
I still enjoyed the story though.
3/5 platypires
---
"Blah blah," he said.
"Blah blah?" She asked.
There are pages that look like that. It made it hard for me to get into it.
---
I still enjoyed the story though.
3/5 platypires
October 7, 2013
Beyond Earth literally takes you to a different place and time. The story moves along nicely and I had a hard time putting this book down! Arlene did a great job keeping the reader's attention too. She has a great talent for writing science fiction. I can't wait to read her next book! I'm sure it will be a great read!
July 7, 2013
Coming from someone who is not a big reader, it grabbed my attention and never lost it. It is a fast pace book with many twists and an ending that has me eagerly eating for more. 5 stars my friends!!
October 7, 2013
Great for adult and young adult readers looking to escape life and enter other worlds. The rhythm of the book keeps the intensity and adventure strong, which makes it a fast read. The strong female lead is refreshing to see.
October 7, 2013
I was into this book from the very start. Very creative and unique idea. Pages were flying as I was more and more excited to see what happened next. And then, three quarters through, it got even more exciting! I'm so looking forward to the next book! Great read!
October 7, 2013
Wow, this was truly one amazing book by Arlene lagos! She is one fantastic writer. I was hooked from the beginning to the end! I loved the overall story and the characters where so real and I loved the dialogue! As I said as a reader I was hooked as a writer I was amazed. Amazing!
Sylvia Stein
Sylvia Stein
September 4, 2013
It is a good book. I enjoyed reading it a lot.
April 26, 2015
I just want to say thank you Arlene Lagos for this signed, free copy of Beyond Earth. I'm sorry for the bad review but I just can't give it a better review what with all the problems this book has. It's a few months after I first read the book and just read it a second time so I could give it a thorough review. I owe Arlene Lagos, potential readers, and Goodreads for this review.
I won this book on Goodreads First Reads! So thank you to Arlene Lagos and Goodreads for this book!
First of all I just want to say the plot is good, it's mostly because of the flow of the book and other stuff mentioned later in this review. If the story was written differently I'm sure this book would have been a lot better. It had a surprising ending which was quite great, but it didnt improve the book by that much what with all its flaws and all.
As the story progressed, I thought the story was just too fast paced. It was just a little hard to follow what was going on and the the way it flowed from one point of thought to another was just too disconnected. The time it took to get from a morning to night to the story was a little confusing. The book stated that it was morning and then it just kind of travelled to night somehow. How did that even happen?
It was a little weird with how all the characters just trusted one another. It made a little bit of sense but the way how it all happened wasn't right. Also, the grammar and spelling in the book was, I guess I wouldn't say horrible but it was close to that; it was very frustrating. After 10 errors I just stopped counting. Some of the capitalization of the words wasn't even consistent either! Not only that but one of the characters called The Guardian was sometimes called The Watcher. Why wasn't there an explanation for why he was called The Watcher what, twice, thrice? No consistency! How did this book go into print with all these errors?! Even if it was the first publication, these errors on the page are permanent! Just how did this go into print?
Anyway, thank you for reading this insanely long review if anyone will actually ever read this. Again, I'm sorry Arlene Lagos for the bad review but it was just too horrible to give it a good review. You probably won't read this review anyways though. I am curious to see how it will this will all end despite how bad this book was…
Hopefully, the other book I won from Goodreads, "Escape From Eden" by Elisa Nader, will be better.
I won this book on Goodreads First Reads! So thank you to Arlene Lagos and Goodreads for this book!
First of all I just want to say the plot is good, it's mostly because of the flow of the book and other stuff mentioned later in this review. If the story was written differently I'm sure this book would have been a lot better. It had a surprising ending which was quite great, but it didnt improve the book by that much what with all its flaws and all.
As the story progressed, I thought the story was just too fast paced. It was just a little hard to follow what was going on and the the way it flowed from one point of thought to another was just too disconnected. The time it took to get from a morning to night to the story was a little confusing. The book stated that it was morning and then it just kind of travelled to night somehow. How did that even happen?
It was a little weird with how all the characters just trusted one another. It made a little bit of sense but the way how it all happened wasn't right. Also, the grammar and spelling in the book was, I guess I wouldn't say horrible but it was close to that; it was very frustrating. After 10 errors I just stopped counting. Some of the capitalization of the words wasn't even consistent either! Not only that but one of the characters called The Guardian was sometimes called The Watcher. Why wasn't there an explanation for why he was called The Watcher what, twice, thrice? No consistency! How did this book go into print with all these errors?! Even if it was the first publication, these errors on the page are permanent! Just how did this go into print?
Anyway, thank you for reading this insanely long review if anyone will actually ever read this. Again, I'm sorry Arlene Lagos for the bad review but it was just too horrible to give it a good review. You probably won't read this review anyways though. I am curious to see how it will this will all end despite how bad this book was…
Hopefully, the other book I won from Goodreads, "Escape From Eden" by Elisa Nader, will be better.
November 1, 2013
WALKI'S REVIEW
Beyond Earth' starts agreeably enough when Adaminia, the narrator, opens a door and steps into another world. The style is easy-reading, and the story is interesting. The idea of being a teenager destined to save worlds is always appealing. I was ready to give it three stars despite typos. Midway through the book, Arlene Lagos starts focusing more on the romantic relationships blossoming between the main characters. I remember reading somewhere that a writer should "show" to the readers what is happening rather than "tell", but Arlene Lagos slowly starts "telling" a bit more, while I stumble upon more typos and fall off to two stars. By the end of the book the relationships have turned into caricatures, and the plot has disappeared while the author doesn't "show" anything, but "tells" us with simplified words about certain major turns in the plot. I have an increasing toothache from clamping my mouth shut while staring at editing mistakes. I consider giving one sad star only.
I wonder how an author with twenty years of writing experience and twelve award-winning short stories can fail readers so badly. I couldn't honestly recommend this book to anyone. As a teenager I was an avid reader of science-fiction. I wanted solid plots, solidly written stories I could believe in.
No matter how hard I try, there is nothing I can honestly say to redeem this book. The best I can do is to advise Arlene Lagos to unpublish 'Beyond Earth', rewrite it, and edit it more thoroughly than the first time.
Review Disclaimer: Book provided in exchange for an honest review.
Beyond Earth' starts agreeably enough when Adaminia, the narrator, opens a door and steps into another world. The style is easy-reading, and the story is interesting. The idea of being a teenager destined to save worlds is always appealing. I was ready to give it three stars despite typos. Midway through the book, Arlene Lagos starts focusing more on the romantic relationships blossoming between the main characters. I remember reading somewhere that a writer should "show" to the readers what is happening rather than "tell", but Arlene Lagos slowly starts "telling" a bit more, while I stumble upon more typos and fall off to two stars. By the end of the book the relationships have turned into caricatures, and the plot has disappeared while the author doesn't "show" anything, but "tells" us with simplified words about certain major turns in the plot. I have an increasing toothache from clamping my mouth shut while staring at editing mistakes. I consider giving one sad star only.
I wonder how an author with twenty years of writing experience and twelve award-winning short stories can fail readers so badly. I couldn't honestly recommend this book to anyone. As a teenager I was an avid reader of science-fiction. I wanted solid plots, solidly written stories I could believe in.
No matter how hard I try, there is nothing I can honestly say to redeem this book. The best I can do is to advise Arlene Lagos to unpublish 'Beyond Earth', rewrite it, and edit it more thoroughly than the first time.
Review Disclaimer: Book provided in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews