Anthem's Fall

by S.L. Dunn

Above a horrified New York City, genetics and ethics collide as the fallen emperor and a banished exile of the same herculean race ignite into battle over the city’s rooftops. In the streets below, a brilliant young scientist has discovered a technology that can defeat them both, yet might be more terrible than either.
Set both in modern New York City and in the technologically sophisticated yet politically savage world of Anthem, Anthem’s Fall unfurls into a plot where larger than life characters born with the prowess of gods are pitted against the shrewd brilliance of a familiar and unlikely heroine.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Ebooks, Superheroes, Fantasy, Comics

380 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2014

About the author

S.L. Dunn is the debut author of Anthem’s Fall, a novel he wrote amid the wanderings of his mid twenties. He has written while living intermittently in St. John USVI, Boston, Maine and Seattle. Raised on big screen superheroes and pop science fiction, he sought to create a novel that bridged a near-sci-fi thriller with a grand new fantasy. He currently resides in Seattle with his girlfriend Liz and their dog Lucy, and is hard at work completing the next book of the Anthem’s Fall series.

Website: http://www.sldunn.com
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/sldunnauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sl_dunn
Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/SLDunn

Giveaways: http://www.sldunn.com/giveaways/

Reviews

[Benjamin Gumbrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I begin, I feel that I must admit something: I had my doubts when I began to read this book. I know, I know, don’t judge a book by its cover. But it wasn’t the cover that made me snobby, it was something else entirely.
See, I had not heard anything of this book before this book found its way into my hands. SL Dunn himself was not someone I had ever heard of, nor had any great reviews to inspire faith in him. This, for me, created a large amount of reluctance on my part. My inner snob came out in full force, looking for some reason to dislike and potentially trash this novel.
It was the other side of me, the reasonable side of me, which won- and I mean it won by a landslide.
The moment I opened the book and began to read, I knew that I would like this book. The prose melts smoothly from line to line, creating pictures in my imagination with extreme ease, supported fully by a cast of characters that are brought to life through wonderfully written actions and reactions. Conversations between characters are well-written and interesting. The story is intelligent and teeming with questions of ethics and science... and that is only the first chapter!
Once I began to read, any preconceptions I had of the novel faded away, and I quickly found myself engrossed in the words before me. At times, a page or two will follow the characters through a mundane task for a little while, though it never feels boring- instead, it is used as a brilliant means to show us the characters we will be reading and allowing us a little time to get to know them.
The story itself is an interesting affair, with the multiple characters having their own part to play in the events played both on Earth and in Anthem. The mix between characters further increases the intensity of the story and I constantly found myself wanting not just to see what would happen next, but who we would be alongside. This is a rare feat in itself.
The ethical issues brought up in the book, while fascinating, are largely based upon scientific and anthropologic issues, and it is evident that Mr. Dunn has a great amount of knowledge in those areas. This is both good and bad, as it brings up an interesting topic, though it makes a light read bogged down with information and facts. It was only a little jarring, and is certainly not a complaint.
Overall, I must admit that I was a little surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I very much look forward to reading an upcoming sequel to the book, and would definitely recommend it to somebody looking for something original, thought-provoking and willing to try something new.
*
Thank you so much to S.L. Dunn and Prospect Hill Press for allowing me to review this ARC for them.
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthem's Fall is a debut novel from S.L. Dunn which centers around two different worlds, that of the Primus and the Humans. The story starts with a large catastrophe which causes the two worlds paths to cross and Earth will never be the same because of this.

I have to say I was impressed with this novel. I thought it was very well put together and overall the characters were built fabulously. I really enjoyed the struggle the main character Kristen went through, first with the ethics of the Vatruvian cell, and then with the struggle of survival and science later in the story. I thought S.L. Dunn provided an extremely real and conflicted character which added greatly to the story.

In this novel, each chapter is from a different perspective of certain main characters. I thought this brought a neat perspective during some of the intense parts of the story which let the reader gain multiple sides to a certain event. I only struggled with this a little in the beginning when we were switching back and forth between Anthem, the home of the Primus, and Earth. I thought that this was a little jumbled, but when the paths of the characters crossed, this became much more useful, and the switching around of characters started to fit together seamlessly.

Overall, this novel was extremely interesting and I enjoyed it a lot. S.L. Dunn uses an immense vocabulary, which may be a little too much at times, but I respected it nonetheless. The battle scenes may have been a little too long but I enjoyed the god-like strength of the Primus. I am a little upset with the ending, I felt it did not provide enough wrap-up and it really ended on an abrupt cliff-hanger, almost more like the end of an episode of a tv show. Looking forward to the next installation for sure!

[Beverly K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: I received a free copy of this book from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. I really believe that one of these days, people are going to regret giving me that opportunity.

A one-word summation of Anthem’s Fall: Eh. Properly pronounced as eh…

Anthem’s Fall has a lot to intrigue readers. It contains a nebulously described scientific discovery that is just barely plausible, Saiyaan, oh, sorry, Sejero warriors with super powers and super immorality (I feel like that phrase should be trademarked), and a looming catastrophe for humanity with its foreshadowing in the Primus race. It also contains implausible and cringe worthy names—Gravitas, really? And attempts at creating another language that sounds vaguely like Russian.

Anthem’s Fall has clunky prose that fails to properly engage the reader and numerous typing and grammatical errors. In one case, incorrect words were used and punctuation was missing. Unless the book is otherwise stellar, I extract points for this, because this is a published work eligible for critical review. Get your house in order.

My Kindle informed that this 379-page book would take me 10 hours to complete. As of this typing, I have 80 pages left and little motivation to finish. I slogged through this book. My determination to find out what would happen when the main characters met up and see the resolution occur propelled me through it, although not in great reading spurts. I have not been this reluctant to finish a book since a school assignment I dreaded.

Kristin and Ryan are likable characters and the chapters focusing on them were bearable, if not interesting. Kristen has a tendency to lapse into long monologues, but she proved sympathetic and realistic. Ryan, up until we discover his big reveal, is likewise realistic. They appear human, even when they’re not, and this helps compel the reader to continue. They are the ‘good guys’, the ones whose immorality has not led them to slaughter little Ewoks and then parade around proclaiming victory. They show the appropriate horror at Vengalis and his cohorts’ actions and for this, the reader is grateful.

They also provide relief, as the Anthem side of the equation heavily strains (if not outright breaks) suspension of disbelief.

Let me explain to you a thing about science fiction. Science fiction works best when written by scientists. In lieu of that, it works best when written by people who have a background in science. For example, in this world, cancer cells apparently are no longer alive or dead. They must have a hell of a problem with chemotherapy.

Even stepping away from that minor error, the Primus people lack the proper scientific background to make their existence plausible. Men who stand at nine feet tall and look gargantuan should not be able to fly or destroy cities. If they can do that, then some allowance should be made for whatever bizarre technology conspired in their DNA to permit this. The author should not simply shrug and go, “Eh. This is the way it is.” No, it is not the way it is, because now I see blonde men screaming and hurtling across the sky looking for Dragon Balls.

The reader is suddenly and unceremoniously flung into their planet and left to feel sympathy for them. It takes over two hundred pages for me to “pity the monsters” and even then, it’s more of a detached interest in them. Vengalis is, to put it bluntly, a jerk. I could call him all sorts of other epithets, but I believe I’m not allowed to curse in this forum. So imagine the ones you would like to use.

Being in his mind is thoroughly unpleasant. Monstrous creatures tear apart his planet and his first instinct is to tear apart another person’s planet in search of answers. At no point does he stop and consider that brute force may not be the best approach. At no point does he consider that bullying the crap out of the resident population, all the while slaughtering indiscriminately, is not the best way to make friends and influence people. We are fortunate that Kristin is not the type of person to quail and immediately take the coward’s way out, although her waiting for her big, strong man to save her is not encouraging.

Where the book actually picked up speed and proved entertaining is when Vengalis and Kristin actually meet. For about an hour or so, the book was hard to put down. It is entertaining to see a powerful figure, one that is supposedly indestructible, revealed to be an idiot in face of genius. However, at least in my point of view, mutants probably overrun Anthem and there’s likely no one left to save. Unless, of course, the people gather together and decide to overrun the establishment a la every single new dystopian book ever written. In either case, it is very hard to care whether Anthem exists in any form. Honestly, given the brutality of their race and their maliciousness, the universe is better off without them. If only we could scream “rip-off artist!” kick them in the shin, and then bolt before they figure out what’s going on.

Originally, I had planned to finish this book. However, when I discovered it was part of a trilogy, I realized it was unlikely to end in that book. As a stand-alone, I might have forced my way through it. As a trilogy…I have other books I’d much rather read.

Usually, when writing my reviews, I discover that my initial review does not match my initial perception. Therefore, I am giving this book two stars, as a generous gesture, because I believe the few moments where I did not utterly loathe it should at least artificially inflate the book’s rating.

This book is a mess. Just don’t.

[Jenn (One of Many, We are Legion) · Rating 3 out of 5]

7.20.14: Editing to state that this should be a 3.5 star book. Over a month later, and I'm still thinking about the story, which, at the end of the day, is really the important thing, right? So, while I had a few issues with it, as described below, I found the story thoroughly entertaining.

This is a surprising book, and one which I enjoyed despite its myriad flaws. As far as I know, this is a debut novel that was almost entirely self-published (which makes me wonder if the publisher is just the author? Or maybe the author found an indie publisher after he wrote the afterword, which states he did it all himself, in the book).

This is a fairly heavy sci-fi novel that deals with two separate worlds with surprising parallels. One world is modern Earth, the other is the far away Anthem. Anthem is fairly technologically advanced, but socially not so much (they still have monarchies). Basically, Anthem’s native species, the Primus, was almost wiped out due to an attempted takeover many years earlier. Using their biological technologies, they ultimately developed into a super-species enabling them to prevent their own eradication. Since they are now basically all a bunch of supermen (they have super-strength and can fly – although the book doesn’t read like a comic, it’s incredibly obvious that comics, and Superman, influenced the author), they tend to rule with an almost literal iron fist, and they value strength above everything else, including science.

Little do they know that one of their (disgraced) royal families, the Nerols, has continued the scientific tradition and has been researching genes in an attempt to create an artificial cell using both artificial and biological materials. He succeeds, perhaps too well, and the Felix, a clone created using these artificial cells, is born, only to then annihilate everyone on their planet (and I won’t reveal why that occurred, as it’s a flaw in the cells that’s pretty central to the entire plot).

Meanwhile, on Earth, Kristen Jordan is a gifted geneticist who was hand-selected by the famous Dr. Vatruvian to work on his next research project – the creation of a synthetic cell virtually identical to that developed by the Nerols on Anthem. Kristen is a genius and is about a year away from earning her PhD, even though she is but 21 or 22 years old. Kristen has a multitude of concerns about the ethics of their research, and the ultimate goals and use of whatever it is they create, which leads to some interesting exposition about those topics (for instance, she took issue with the fact that because these cells weren’t “technically” living organisms, there was virtually no regulation or oversight into their research, which could lead to egregious misuse of the technology).

In any event, Anthem and Earth eventually collide as Anthem’s emperor finds his way to Earth only to discover that Earth possesses the same cell research that led to Anthem’s demise. His goal is to use that research to defeat the Felixes on his home planet.
So, there was a lot to like with this book, but also a lot to dislike. There were also a few things I’m dubbing the “In-Between,” because they are details that some readers might really like, but others would intensely dislike, yet I am still sitting on the fence about.

The Good

• The writing – although it needs some definite polishing, the writing is actually pretty good. My gripes with it mainly concerned the overuse of prepositional phrases and his tendency to slide into passive voice, which sometimes made sentences a little clunky and overwrought. There were even moments that it felt try-hard. Yet, the basic talent is there and I found it remarkably smooth to read. Dunn writes detailed scenes and he wrote it with such clarity it did create those clear images in my mind.

• The dialogue – most of the time, it felt natural. There were moments here and there that I thought it faltered, but again, there is talent there.

• The Romance – romance was extremely minimal, but there was no hint of insta-love whatsoever. She and another character met, went on a couple dates, and got as far as saying they like each other, but that’s it. I appreciated that the relationship was progressing very naturally.

• The Science – Unless you are very knowledgeable about genetics and biological research, the science was believable enough to feel plausible. Whether it actually is plausible is not my concern – I only care that the book makes me believe it’s possible. And it succeeded. It sounded realistic (much in the same way that Jurassic Park felt plausible) and while reading I never sat there and said to myself that it all sounded silly.

• The Plot Twist – spoilered for obvious reasons: The reveal that Ryan was, in fact, Pral Nerol’s banished son, Gravitas Nerol, living among humans, and living as a human, for some five odd years. Totally didn’t see it coming.

The Bad

• The length – this book was entirely too long (just about 400 pages), and I think it has to do with the author not having an actual editor, which leads me to the next point:

• Lack of an editor - He needs an editor – one that isn’t family or friend – to help him refine his work. This book should have been a little more than half its actual length. There were so many chapters that could be cut in half, and a lot of repetition in places. For instance, he repeatedly reminded us of the Primus’s super-strength and speed, and not just in one sentence. There would be an entire paragraph devoted to it. It reminded me of how Meyer tells us how beautiful Edward Cullen is every time he floats into a scene.

Similarly, he repeated the ethical discussions ad nauseum at times – another moment when the editor could have reined him in and cut, cut, cut. The battle scenes went on entirely too long, as did most of the story actually occurring on Anthem.

In addition, Dunn has some definite writing “tells” – almost every time he talked about a Primus flying, he used the word “exploded,” as in they “exploded” into the sky. A little word choice variety would have been nice (on the flip side, there were some thesaurus abuse moments, also).

Going along with that – the writing was choppy at times. It would be brilliant one moment, then the next chapter felt like it got a little less editorial attention. It got purple at times. He used way too many prepositional phrases and adverbs (not every verb needs a damn adverb).

I’m not even getting into the actual editing errors (versus the style choices I’ve mainly focused on). Point blank – he needs someone independent to edit his work and give pointers, because any writer, or any work (and I’m including myself here) can get carried away easily. Sometimes it’s ok to keep things simple. A good editor could have helped with that and really made this a stellar book. I have every expectation that he will improve as he continues to write.

• Kristen’s 180 – I will spoiler this because it occurs late in the book. Kristen is supposed to be this genius heroine, who has these strong moral beliefs about the ethics of their research and its potential use. She spends half the book side-eyeing reps from the DOD who she believes intend to use their research for nefarious purposes. As the situation builds to a head with the coming of Anthem’s emperor, she realizes that they are “supermen” because of gene tweaking, so she seeks their DNA. She obtains a sample, and even though she knows that combining that DNA with the artificial cell results in an indestructible being that wiped out a planet, she turns the samples over to…the military. What? What happened to your ethical concerns? What happened to your mistrust of these people? What happened to all the political rants you subjected me to throughout the book? Where’s that intelligence again?! I didn’t buy it. I could see her using the sample and testing it for her own means, but to blindly turn it over after all her rants made absolutely no sense, and seemed about the dumbest thing she could do.

• Cliffhanger – I thought this was a stand-alone book, so imagine my utter surprise when it ended on a HUGE cliffhanger. That kinda pissed me off.

• The Names – I really disliked the names used for the main Anthem citizens. It was very try-hard and almost pretentious. Gravitas Nerol, who like his name, has this moral gravity about him. Vengelis Epsilon. Sounds sinister, right? Like he’s all revenge-y and vengeful? You’d be correct. Whatever, I just didn’t like these names – they were too silly, too comic-y for my tastes. You could argue that they are on this whole other planet so they’d hardly have human names, except they have so many parallels with humanity, from science and technology to the way they look, that the argument just doesn’t hold weight with me.

The In-Between

• The politico-ethical discussions – Dunn had a very in-your-face way about broaching the ethical discussions he raised in this book. He mainly did this through Kristen and Ryan (a potential love interest). Sometimes through dialogue, sometimes through Kristen’s POV chapters, and once even by staging a debate at a college. His basic premise is that scientific revolutions, like the A-bomb, often come with a cost that we cannot fathom absent hindsight, and he especially despises the use of these advances by corporations and the Department of Defense, neither of which he seems to trust very much (not to say he’s wrong). He goes into many additional issues, and with some detail, but the heavy-handed style about his views might be off-putting to some. Either way, it’s very thought-provoking.

• Mary Sue/Gary Stu – The Gary Stu criticism is practically a gimme, since, well, the Primus species are basically pretty Supermen. However, that’s a criticism that, in my opinion, is misplaced, since that doesn’t go beyond the surface traits of the characters. That label doesn’t address what the characters are actually like as “people,” and Gary Stus, they are not. They make many horrible decisions, they are myopic in their world view, and many of them lack such basic traits as empathy and compassion.

That said, I can see those criticisms being levied at Kristen and Ryan, both of whom are presented as attractive, intelligent people who think outside the box and have strong moral centers. I would agree more with the Mary Sue label if not for some of Kristen’s choices late in the book (see the bad under spoilers). And that’s to say nothing of the fact that she’s a little judgmental and snobby at times.

• Caricatures – some of the ancillary characters were definite caricatures, but this didn’t bother me. Like the smug corporate lobbyist who attended the aforementioned debate. Or the Primus guards, who are huge beastly things with an unrivaled bloodlust. As I said earlier, there were definite comic influences in this book, even though it read like a dramatic thriller, and not a comic, so the character stylings felt organic somehow. However, some might dislike that these secondary characters were not given much, if any, depth.

I could go on about the various likes versus dislikes in this book, but quite frankly I’ve gone on long enough at this point. I think you get the idea. This is a promising start, but needs some polish to really get to the next level.

ETA: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Ravencrantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest, I'm like 80% sure I requested this from NetGalley, but it's not showing up in my shelf there so either I'm hallucinating or they deleted it from their archives. I got behind in my requests and that's becoming a problem. Ah well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It took some time to get into, what with all the big new words, but so many people said it got better so I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did! There's a lot of action once it gets started. And I mean a lot. I had trouble putting this book down because every time I did I got that feeling I'd miss something. Which is silly because it's a book not a tv show. If this was to be made into a movie or tv show, I'd watch it in a heartbeat. I think it would translate well into a big superhero movie.

The characters were all overpowered and honestly, I loved that. It made sense in context, they weren't just overpowered because it makes for good fight scenes (which lets be honest, it generally does), but it was part of their culture. They were selectively bred to be this strong and powerful and the fight scenes could go on forever because of it. Despite this, fight scenes never felt drawn out like other series I've seen (look at you, Naruto...). They were as realistic as I'd expect from overpowered aliens coming to Earth to beat the crap out each other.

One particular "twist" was rather obvious, so I'm glad they got that one over with early on, but for the most part this book really kept me guessing at what was going to happen next. I'm still really curious as to how humans managed to replicate this super advanced alien technology, so I hope that will be explained later in the series.

Yes, I am interested and super excited about reading future installments of this series. There was so much left to wrap up! So many questions to be answered! I can't wait for the next book.

[eph4one · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of Anthem's Fall in exchange for an honest review.
Warning spoilers, well not really, sort of, read at your own risk.
Do you like super hero clichés? Anthem's Fall has 'em all.
Lost son from an alien planet? Check.
Oversized hulk like supers? Check.
Genetically enhanced powers? Check.
Robot apocalypse? Check.
Strange coincidences that make you groan at times? Check.
Godlike beings from an Asgard type world? Check.
A nerdy but adventurous scientist locked in a continuous debate about morality? Check.
A Yoda type mentor? Check.
A battle over New York City? Check.
I could go on. This book is loaded with just about every Super Hero/SciFi scene that you've come to expect. But here's the thing. By putting all of this together Dunn somehow makes it feel fresh. The book is great. Once it gets rolling it never bogs down. It's ridiculously fun, smart, and at times you'll be reading on the edge of your seat. I could hardly put it down. When life got in the way and I had to set the book down I found myself hours later still thinking of what would happen next. The action is top notch. The storyline will keep you turning pages. I can't wait for the next one. This series is one to grab up quick and tell your friends about.

[Peter Needham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised how hooked I became with this book.

There’s a ton of action, but the action doesn’t weight the story down. Underneath it all are some really interesting concepts. There’s a constant dialogue throughout the book about power.

On the Anthem side of the story this takes the form of super-powerful people. It's a world advanced compared to earth, but the government is run like an ancient war-obsessed empire because many people are basically Supermen from birth. Everything is Spartan as the result of some ancient war, etc etc. On earth, power is talked about in modern technology and the Vatruvian Cell. The technology ends up bringing the struggle for power on both worlds against one another with the Felix/Vatrivian cell.

The plot moves so quick that there is little I can say here without spoiling something, but the main characters are well conceived and believable. I thought Kristen grounded the story well, especially in the second half when the plot shifts to earth and Gravitas vs Vengelis.

As far as novels that deal with superpowers and technology, this book did a really good job.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an advanced copy of Anthem’s Fall in return for an honest review.

I was genuinely floored by Anthem’s Fall. Thinking that it was the first work of a debut author, I didn’t know what to expect. But by page fifty I was completely sucked in. When the storyline shifts from Kristen and Ryan and the Vitruvian Cell stuff to Anthem, I didn’t know what to think. Was it the past, present, future? How was the Anthem storyline going to somehow interact with the things happening in New York?

No spoilers here.

Dunn does a really good job raising the tension in the plot. As the story comes together, the characters play off each other well. The character development early on is fantastic, and there are several twists along the way. It’s kind of reminiscent of a big budget movie, what with superheroes, destruction etc. Highly recommend to people who like superheroish sci-fi/fantasy.

Definite 5 star.

[Jon Kali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read from a debut author. Can't wait for part 2.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annihilation and apotheosis

Washington state author S.L. (Sean) Dunn makes his literary debut with ANTHEM'S FALL, a novel he states he wrote amid the wanderings of his mid twenties wandering in St. John USVI, Boston, Maine and Seattle. He earned his degrees in anthropology and biology from the University of Vermont. His path to becoming a writer he explains elsewhere: `I've always looked up to authors with a certain degree of reverence. In this often prosaic world we live in, these few people, these mysterious and intrepid storytellers, work in the realm of awe, joy, sorrow and wonder. Raw emotion is the medium of the storyteller, and that notion has inspired me for as long as I can remember. The best writers can lift someone from the boredom or the unfairness of their life, and provide a refuge where peace or meaning can be sought. Buried somewhere so far down within myself that it took more than two decades to uncover, I've always wanted to add my own humble signature to the pantheon of human imagination. It's hard for me to define triumph or failure in this pursuit of "authorship", but I know that I can look back at my mid twenties and rest easy with the knowledge that I tried my hand.' With words such as these we, the reader expects a novel of significance from Sean - and he most assuredly delivers.

Because this is an important debut, it is best to rely on the author's synopsis of this complex, prescient tale: Anthem is a distant world with monarchical politics and technological dexterity vastly superior to ours.' Above a horrified New York City, genetics and ethics collide as the fallen emperor and a banished exile of the same herculean race ignite into battle over the city's rooftops. In the streets below, a brilliant young scientist has discovered a technology that can defeat them both, yet might be more terrible than either. The young emperor Vengelis Epsilon narrowly escapes the reckoning of his empire at the hands of strange machines known as Felixes. The Felixes are identical in every respect to the godlike men of Vengelis's world save for their mechanical blue eyes. Feared to be indestructible, the wanton holocaust of the Felix appears inescapable. His family murdered and his empire maimed under a shadow of destruction, Vengelis pursues the pained final words of his dying mentor, and sets course for a remote and unchartered world--our world. The son of the man who created the Felixes, Gravitas Nerol has spent four years in lonely exile. His crime? When the Lord General of the Epsilon Army ordered the genocide of a vastly inferior race, Gravitas refused him. A warrior to his marrow, Gravitas has cast aside his former life and committed himself to the pursuit of knowledge. Kristen Jordan is a young and talented graduate student working on a cutting edge research team. Their wildly inventive new biotechnology, the Vatruvian cell, is the celebrated milestone of modern science. Yet Kristen remains uneasy about the capabilities of the inexplicable Vatruvian cell, and as their project develops, it begins to ring oddly familiar to the perilous technology of Vengelis's home. Set both in modern New York City and in the technologically sophisticated yet politically savage world of Anthem, Anthem's Fall unfurls into a plot where larger than life characters born with the prowess of gods are pitted against the shrewd brilliance of a familiar and unlikely heroine.'

Why does this science fiction fantasy-laced novel work so well? Because it is penned by a young man with an extraordinary sensitivity both to imaginative worlds, creative characters and an unbounded sense of how to express all of this into a spectacular story. Sean Dunn is one of the important young authors to rise to this peak with a first novel.

[Viking Jam · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://koeur.wordpress.com/2014/05/22...


Publisher: Prospect Hill Press
Publishing Date: July 2014
ISBN: 9780991622412
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.0/5

Publisher Description: Above a horrified New York City, genetics and ethics collide as the fallen emperor and a banished exile of the same herculean race ignite into battle over the city’s rooftops. In the streets below, a brilliant young scientist has discovered a technology that can defeat them both, yet might be more terrible than either.

Review: The cover art is pretty bad.

Well I got to give props to an author that did it all himself. A true indie author if there ever was one. I give him a star for that.

The story-line was going along pretty well then we are transported to another world with super beings in constant conflict. Was this really SciFi? I dunno. It is a stretch that super beings in another galaxy would behave like the knights and kings of old earth and be fairly obstinate in their progression as advanced beings. To me if you reside outside of our solar system, I doubt there would be parallels in culture and especially not in form.

So Emperor High Farty Pants Vengelis ends up on earth after being ousted by the Felix on his home planet of Anthem. While there he fights with a banished super-being, Gravitas whom cares for these pathetic earthlings. Blah, blah, blah extended fight scene and THE END.

This novel just did not grab me in anyway. It should have. Good writer, good story-line, fairly well developed characters. Maybe it was the non-believable nature of an alien humanoid race that speaks like ancient earth royalty. Or maybe it was the over the top fight scenes that perhaps lasted too long and were unbelievable as well. Still it gets three stars for a good effort but definitely needs cleaning up to make a more poignant delivery.

[Plaguedoctor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads giveaway.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a little slow to start but then about half way through things really picked up. I was hooked and couldn't put the book down. S.L. Dunn has now become one of my favorite authors and I don't say that often with new authors. The story line is a little cliched but the characters make up for it. The characters are interesting and even thrilling at times. I think the Primus are interesting, they almost remind me of Space Marines. I really liked the dialogue between Ryan (Gravitas) and Vengalis. I just really liked that tension between the two and their clashing view points. The only thing that bothered me was towards the beginning of the book when it goes from Earth to Anthem, I felt like the transition could have been better. The writing style could use some improvement, but I'm sure S.L. Dunn will improve over time with the release of the next book. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it to anyone who loves sci-fi or likes fast past action books. If you don't like a lot of action then this probably isn't the book for you. I'm now eagerly awaiting the release of the next book in the series.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book from netgalley*

When I started this book it took me a while to get onto it, I can't put my finger on what it was but I myst confess I almost put the book down a few times but I'm glad I didn't because once I had a view of Anthem and a better understanding of the characters, and by the end I was insanely invested and very disappointed to be left hanging.
There was a clear theme of ethics in this story and I thought it was very well done, giving a look at it from some very different points if view and giving me some food for thought, which I love in a book. This book calls to question how far is too far when it comes to our advancement in technolgy and scientific research, and it was great how the two different yet similar planets were united by a single cell and its dangers.
I don't know why but I thought this book was a stand alone but now I know there is more to it and I am still a little on the fence about whether I will read the next book but that does not mean I didnt enjoy this book a lot, but there are so many books I want to read so time will have to tell.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I am incredibly impressed with this book and it's scope, especially considering it is a debut novel. The writing is well-crafted and drew me in from the very first sentence. This is a superhero book, but very different from other superhero books I've read. The plot was well thought out and very exciting with a ton of action. I loved all the science details included, and I even enjoyed reading the fight scenes (something I usually skim).

The book is told from multiple points of view, but it is easy to keep them straight and all POVs were warranted. The characters were multidimensional and I came to care about all of them, including the supposed villains. Kristen was very admirable and I was completely blown away by her character's strength and courage.

I cannot wait to read the next book!

[Conal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in a early giveaway on The Library Thing.

Reading a book by an author you have not read before is like going on vacation to somewhere you have not yet been. It might be fabulous or a big disappointment but you don’t know until you get there. For me, this novel fit into the first category and I can recommend it without any reservation.

S.L. Dunn weaves a tale that on the surface is just a fun an enjoyable read, lots of action, enjoyable characters and a great story flow. He also ties in quite a few social issues for those who want more meat in their reading. Either way you like a novel to progress, this one should fit the bill.

5 stars for a great read. Fully recommended for any fan of sci-fi, space operas or superheros.

[vicky. · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF


ARC by the author.



Essentially, there's nothing wrong with the book but I've been trying to read it for the last couple of days and it doesn't grab my interest.

I read until the 11%. The plot sounded really interesting but still I couldn't connect with the story or the characters.




Perhaps other will like it (hence the two stars, because like I said, nothing wrong with the story) but the book just wasn't for me.

[Liezl Ruiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually regret that I didn't finish reading this book when I received an eARC months before its release. As to why the temporary DNF (did not finish) status? Well, I find the first third part of the book so sloppy. The book was divided into two parts and I find Part One regurgitating that I've fallen in and out of the story for months. But upon reaching Part Two, there was never a moment that I put the book down. It was so engrossing that I was dismayed when I was met by a cliffhanger on the last page. I'm terribly sorry that I judged the book so early in the game.

Reviewed on: Zirev

Part One

I don't like it when there's too much emphasis on the female protagonist's looks right at the beginning of a non-romantic story. It feels like the author is rubbing it in my face that her heroine is awesome or whatever that what it did to me was disliking (if not hating) her instead. The author could have saved describing her appearance for later, after her personality or characteristic traits have defined her as a person in the story. Because of this, there was no character for me to root for, making my journey of reading feel so empty, which is so bad. If the reader can't connect with the protagonist at the beginning of the book, then the book deserved to be thrown in the bin before the story even has the chance to bud.

Let me describe this female protagonist in few words. Kristen Jordan is a 21-year-old geneticist working with Nobel-prize winner Professor Vatruvia for developing the Vatruvian Cell and now in her third year of a doctorate program at Columbia University, you know the works. I don't want to describe how she looks lest I groan again. And oh, she also graduated 2 years of undergrad at MIT. Totally unheard of.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Just for Kristen to be a legit genius, she also has to wear a pair of glasses.

Disregarding this Kristen, the introduction of the story feels like watching the old film, Andromeda Strain. It was informative and inquisitive that the book's scientific mojo sound so credible and ethical philosophies riveting. Too bad, the introduction left a bad taste to my mouth.

In basic terms, this Vatruvian cell that I already mentioned is an artificial cell that turned into a functional cell. Putting on traits unto this cell by introducing genetic codes of a pre-existing species, the resultant product is far stronger than the species it copied its codes from. It's also an extremophile that can survive extreme conditions and is resilient to stress, and as far as I can tell, is self-sustaining.

The story's confusing because of the poorly-written transitions. It began in a contemporary world and the next thing you know, you're in this fantastical alien world. As in alien, in a planet of some galaxy far away. The transition just jumps into my face and I was not prepared. I thought (in an exclamatory manner), "Am I still reading the same book?"

Apparently, the kingdom of Anthem belongs in this alien world and since the book is titled "Anthem's Fall", then I was not lost. There's a parallelism occurring in the book, that is to say, if the contemporary world (earth) has Vatruvian cell, then Anthem has produced monsters, evil machines called Felixes, which look exactly like its own people, wreaking havoc in the planet and killing its inhabitants, save for its new emperor, Vengelis Epsilon and his two Imperial First Class soldiers.

As confusing as this review is to the book, now let me talk a bit about the people of Anthem called Primus.

In a way, the Primus are like Saiyans (of Dragonball) when they could fly from one place to the next for miles (with their bodies ripping a hole in a supersonic barrier as they explode towards the sky) and their planet ruined by a stronger alien force. For Americans, you could also think of them as Superman's kin, and the royal-blooded among them look like male celebrity pinups.

Just like the way-too-perfect female protagonist, the prince of the Primus, Vengelis Epsilon, a Sejero is already the strongest among his kind that it would seem there's no longer any room of improvement for him, only that he'd prove himself worthy of his warrior heritage. The existence of Felixes served to be a lesson to his kind's onerous self-important philosophies.

For the Felixes, you can think of the machines in the film The Matrix only that the latter exhibit evident intelligence as they're communicative. But perhaps, there's so much to learn yet of the former in the sequel.

Because I don't like both Kristen and Vengelis, I was not even halfway through the book and I'm rooting for the machines to just wipe them all out (along with the book).

So basically, all you have to do is imagine the two films I already mentioned for the plot in this book. Put some spaceships that travel at light-speed so Vengelis may reach another world (Earth) and then add Dragonball anime series in the equation for the fight scenes.

For certain, I don't like how the book started but I really love this line:

All new technologies are feared at first. But that fear can’t be allowed to hinder the search for potential in the unknown. Think about electricity, or the airplane o-o-or one of the first vaccines ever administered. Of course, they were a bit . . . scary at first. But think of how far they have brought civilization. There is nothing unethical going on here, just unadulterated pioneering.

I considered ending my review with this:

The book was meant to be fast-paced as it was laden with so much action. Unfortunately, I was bored to death.

Well, that was until my bias, Gravitas Nerol came into the picture a third part into the book. He was the sole reason my perspective of the book changed that I was able to finish it.

Part Two

Part Two was were all the fun began. Too bad, I can't jump to that part without reading the first. No doubt this book needed patience from a reader before he/she can truly appreciate and enjoy it.

There's a light touch of romance in the book and it was written really poorly especially for the female protagonist's part (Kristen Jordan). Or perhaps, maybe it's because I don't like her to begin with and she eventually made love with the guy that I like (Gravitas Nerol).

Suddenly, I just found myself amused by Vengelis. That was when he just found himself enticed by a beauty (Madison) in a strip club. Theirs is the romance that I'm waiting for. Even though I expressed I didn't like Vengelis on Part One, now I'm seeing him in a different light. I think I like him more than Gravitas. Funny how fickle my heart tends to be.

I definitely love Part Two of the book that I'm letting all of its flaws off the hook. But I'm not letting this one slide: it's just so implausible that while New York was under attack by some unforeseeable forces, the government seem not to act when the military forces are concerned until near the end of the book. They're there but just not visible. Or maybe just like in Dragon Ball Z, the brawl of warriors are too fast to follow that a minute of fighting span lots of pages that the government's actions are relatively too slow in comparison.

Overall, I enjoyed the book with all of its address on ELSI (Ethical, Legal and Social Implications).

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthem's Fall is the debut novel from S.L. Dunn, and it's a pretty good debut. This isn't a straight sci-fi book. It's not set in the future and it's not about a technologically superior, space faring race. In fact, when I started reading it I forgot it was sci-fi at all.

The story starts in New York City with a young woman named Kristen Jordan, an incredibly brilliant geneticist and a student at Columbia. She's working on a new technology that allows us to create synthetic cells that are exact copies of biological templates. The science is a little over my head, but you don't really have to follow it and Dunn doesn't spend whole chapters hashing out the science behind it like some authors do.

The book then takes us to the planet Anthem, home to the Primus race. While they do have superior technology, that isn't really the thing this race focuses on. The Primus, you see, are vastly superior to us in strength. Dunn has created a race of people that don't need technological weapons, because none can hurt them. The only thing that can is their own prodigious strength, given to them by the Sejero genes they inherited 2000 years previously. This has led to the creation of a culture where might makes right. The strongest of their number advance the highest. Interestingly, the highest order of the Primus, the Royal blood lines, look just like humans. Humans with the strength to level cities.

I thought the story was good. I was interested and engaged the whole time. Dunn wrote good action scenes, and the fights between the Primus are visceral and super human. It's a little hard to visualize clashes between people that are stronger than tanks, but the fights are described very well to help with that visualization. I also think Dunn hit the nail on the head when he described the way the population would react to what was happening. The total bedlam he described seems to me to be an accurate guess.

There are a couple things I didn't like about the book. I wish Dunn would have explained Sejero genetics more fully. I wanted to know where it came from, what it meant, and what happened during the war with the Zergos in the distant past. I also wanted to know more about the link between the Primus and humanity and how Pral Nerol knew about Earth. I'm hoping those questions will be explained more fully in the later books. In term's of the writing, I had trouble believing the dialog between the two Primus soldiers on Earth. I just don't think that two people from a society so different from ours would speak in such a normal manner with each other.

Anthem's Fall is a genre bending book. There's aliens, but the fact that they fly around in space ships is minimized. No one uses technology too far ahead of what we have now, and the Vatruvian Cell technology the book focuses on seems plausible right now. The genre of the book isn't as important as the values the story is espousing. At it's core Anthem's Fall is a book about the morality of the strong dominating the weak because they can. It's a conflict between a society where the strongest dominate because no one and no technology could stop them and a protector who feels the strong have a duty to protect those at a disadvantage. It was a great debut novel, and I can't wait for the next one. Anthem's Fall is set to publish in July, so look for it soon.

Look for more of my reviews at http://www.tavernattheendoftheunivers...

[Isabel (kittiwake) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in return for a review, via the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

Vengelis did not hesitate. The moment Gravitas's body slipped unintentionally forward, Vengelis raised a left fist, sending it barrelling into Gravitas's chin. Gravitas's head rocked back from the blow, and as it came forward again, stunned and discombolulated, Vengelis's right fist came up and caught Gravitas on the cheek. He could feel the bone break against his knuckles.

To start with I was enjoying the scenes set on the planet of Anthem concerning the political infighting of human scientists as their behaviour seemed more realistic, but once the Primus Emperor and his two warriors arrived on Earth, it all got a bit silly. I like science fiction to be plausible enough to allow me to suspend my disbelief, but unfortunately this book kept dragging my disbelief down and stomping it into the ground so that I couldn't ignore the implausibilities in the plot.

The plot consists of far-fetched coincidence after far-fetched coincidence, The Primus warriors just happen to arrive on earth as Kirsten finds out about the Vatruvian mice, and just happen to decide to gatecrash the one scientific conference in the whole world where Vatruvian cells are being discussed, which just happens to be in the one city on earth where the Vatruvian cells were created, and the research scientist giving the presentation just happens to be the girlfriend of an exiled Primus who is living on earth incognito, who just happens to be the son of the Primus scientist who developed the Felix cell (the Primus version of the Vatruvian cell). I was expecting to discover that some of these coincidences were not coincidences after all, and that Pral Nerol who put Professor Vatruvius on the path of developing the Vaetruvian cells when he visited Earth a few years earlier, but it seems not. However the story is not complete by the time the book ends and, so maybe some of these coincidences will be cleared up in the sequel.

Other unlikely things: The US government ordering the evacuation of all major cities after Chicago is attacked. Knowing how much chaos there was when New Orleans was evacuated after Hurricane Katrina, I do not think this would happen. Also, the planet of Anthem being populated by powerful warriors who are impervious to all weapons, crashing through from one side of a skyscraper to another, and falling thousands of feet to the ground, but who can kill each other in fist fights. How could this possibly be due to genetic traits as Vengelis claims? Superheroes are one thing, but this is science fiction and the Primus species seems to have started off very similar to homo sapiens, before the Sejero genetic traits changed them into superhuman wariors. Towards the end of the book, I found myself skim-reading the fight scenes between the Primus warriors as I have never been a huge fan of fight scenes and these were boringly repetitive. Primus are able to take so much physical punishment that I couldn't believe Vengelis being surprised that his opponent was able to fight on after getting a broken cheekbone. The main characters were around 20 or 21 and both Vengelis Epsilon and Kirsten Jordan seemed staggeringly immature at times, so I checked to see if this is a YA book, but it doesn't seem to be.

[Merisha28 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthem's Fall by SL Dunn
Print Length: 381 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0991622405
Publisher: Prospect Hill Press; 1 edition (October 2, 2014)

My Review~~
I received this book in exchange for a honest review.
This was my first book to read by this author. This book was out of my normal genre that I was pleasantly surprised what an amazing read this is. The character's are awesome and this is not a typical sci-fi read. I love the plot because it is different and full of twists and turns that left me not able to put this book down. This book is very well written and full of action and adventure. It is a must read! I can't wait to read more of this author.


Amazon Book Description~~
A technology unleashes a genocide upon a race of gods.
Two lost warriors are willing to die for their divided beliefs.
And a lone young woman will decide the fate of two worlds.

Above a horrified New York City, genetics and ethics collide as the fallen emperor and a banished exile of the same herculean race ignite into battle over the city's rooftops. In the streets below, a brilliant young scientist has discovered a technology that can defeat them both, yet might be more terrible than either.

Set both in modern New York City and in the technologically sophisticated yet politically savage world of Anthem, Anthem's Fall unfurls into a plot where larger than life characters born with the prowess of gods are pitted against the shrewd brilliance of a familiar and unlikely heroine.

The young emperor Vengelis Epsilon narrowly escapes the reckoning of his empire at the hands of strange machines known as Felixes. The Felixes are identical in every respect to the godlike men of Vengelis's world save for their mechanical blue eyes. Feared to be indestructible, the wanton holocaust of the Felix appears inescapable. His family murdered and his empire maimed under a shadow of destruction, Vengelis pursues the pained final words of his dying mentor, and sets course for a remote and unchartered world--our world.

The son of the man who created the Felixes, Gravitas Nerol has spent four years in lonely exile. His crime? When the Lord General of the Epsilon Army ordered the genocide of a vastly inferior race, Gravitas refused him. A warrior to his marrow, Gravitas has cast aside his former life and committed himself to the pursuit of knowledge.

Kristen Jordan is a young and talented graduate student working on a cutting edge research team. Their wildly inventive new biotechnology, the Vatruvian cell, is the celebrated milestone of modern science. Yet Kristen remains uneasy about the capabilities of the inexplicable Vatruvian cell, and as their project develops, it begins to ring oddly familiar to the perilous technology of Vengelis's home.

ANTHEM'S FALL is a thought-provoking technothriller and high-flying action adventure about genetic engineering, a world of gods who have superpowers, and the collision of two worlds. What begins as a mysterious technology and an android apocalypse will evolve into a battle of perspectives and ethical points of view played out across a dramatic new space opera and a recognizable New York City. Anthem's Fall draws on unique superhero themes, science fiction and grand fantasy. Its complex characters, moral themes and thundering action will keep you thinking long after you finish.

[Zeb Kantrowitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

What or where is Anthem? Anthem is a planet of aggressive expansionists. Many years before they were attacked by another species with atomic weapons and were just able to repel the invaders and survive. Since then they had developed a super-warrior class (think super Klingons) that had become the rulers of their species, the Primus. They were the ones who now went out to conquer and destroy other planets.

On earth we meet a young genetic scientist, Kristen Jordan. Kristen is an overachiever who goes to work with the world renowned synthetic biologist Professor Nicoli Vatruvia. Together Kristen and Vatruvia invent to first synthetic cell, the Vatruvian cell. Though Kristen has reservation as to what Vatruvia has planned for this revolutionary and evolutionary creation. On a normal work day Vatruvia calls Kristen into his office with big news, the cells can replicate, and they’re going to show their find to people from the DOD (Department of Defense). Now Kristen is really worried, what does DOD want with the synthetic cell?

Ryan Craig is also a grad student at Columbia University working part-time in the library. He is an anthropology student, on the debate team and destined to become friend and lover to Kristen (didn’t see that coming). Kristen shares her fears with Ryan about what is happening with the Vatruvian cell.

Back on Anthem things are not well. Someone or something has destroyed a city with seven million inhabitants. Turns out that on this planet someone also has created a synthetic cell. (Wow what a coincidence!) Their genetics genius, Dr. Pral Nerol has gone a step further and created synthetic Primus called Felix. (In Latin, Felix is the word for happy or lucky, bad choice.) Once they are awakened (two men and two woman) they prove to be super Primus’ who immediately go on a killing spree. Think of them as King Kongs without the emotional baggage.

The Felix proceed to destroy the planet, city by city. The heir to the Imperial throne is Vengelis Epsilon. He is the ‘Capo de Tuti Capo’, the biggest badass on a planet of badasses. He is sent off to Earth (with two companions) to find a way to stop the Felix. (Tell me if some of this sounds familiar. Oh, did I mention they also wear capes and can fly.) So he comes to earth and blahblahblahblahblah.

The book is not as ‘comic’ as it sounds. The characters are people and the action is plausible to a point, it fits well in its genre. One problem is that so much of it is telegraphed before hand. Some things are just too obvious. The last quarter of the book is one big battle and after a while gets tedious. This is a self-published book and could be the next “Wool”, but will need to be sharpened up in the sequel.

Zeb Kantrowitz zworstblog.blogspot.com

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anthem's Fall begins as a science fiction thriller-type story featuring Kristen Jordan, a grad student at a New York university. She is one of those smart kids who skipped every couple of grades, graduated high school and college very early and is recruited to work on a ground-breaking cell research project by a prestigious scientist at Columbia, based on her senior thesis on the DNA double helix. Three years into the project, she is more of a colleague to Dr.Vatruvia than a research assistant.

But as the story opens, she is sensing that Dr.Vatruvia is not sharing all that he has learned about the synthetic cell the team has produced. The researchers are careful to emphasize that the cells they have produced are synthetic; not living, as categorizing them as living would mean dealing with regulatory governance and oversight. Kristen's ethical sensibilities are raised as she considers what consequences might result from further experimentation. Her fears are confirmed when Vatruvia insists that she sign a non-disclosure form before he tells her of the progress that has been made with the synthetic cells.

Tension mounts in the Research Center, but unexpectedly the author introduces a new set of characters and a seemingly different plot line, taking place on another planet in a galaxy far, far away, one might say. This is the planet Anthem, and be prepared because it's civilization is about to fall. This society is built on the assumption of the supremacy of raw power and strength. Battles and all out war are a way of life for these beings, who are similar to humans (except that they are able to fly and have super powers that make them virtually invincible).

Will these two stories ever come together? As a matter of fact they do. Genetic manipulation has contributed to their downfall, but can it be that their redemption might be found on Planet Earth? That is what the last survivors think, as they board a space ship headed there. They have no idea that one of their own has come to Earth several years earlier, but with a plan to assimilate and help, not conquer and subdue. Expect some mighty stunning battles in the skies filled with the skyscrapers of New York.

Surely there will be movie talks before long! Lots of action; lots of buildings destroyed and planes crashing, not to mention the battle of world views: Whose morality will prevail? Is it too late to save Earth? Too late to rebuild Anthem?

Look for a sequel to answer some of these questions.

I received my copy from LibraryThing, and am glad I got a chance to review it.

[Kate Wrath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthem's Fall is like an intellectualized comic book. Crossing scientists with flying superhero-style aliens, it is surprising and interesting. The book focuses on ethical issues revolving around scientific discoveries and advancements, and then tests those stances by introducing an unexpected threat. It is both a moral, cautionary tale, and, well... something like a comic book.

I love comic books, so I was totally there from the beginning. However, having heard it was something like a comic book, I was surprised when the beginning read much more realistically. I thought it was very interesting how Dunn firmly grounded the book in the real world before introducing more unbelievable elements, and I think this lent gravity to the story that wouldn't have been there otherwise.

I was pretty sure that I knew where the story was going from not-that-far in. However, there were a number of surprises that kept me guessing. The story was well-written, and crafted beautifully. Dunn proves that he knows how to weave a story expertly.

As far as things I *didn't* like, they are mostly matter-of-opinion. I felt that the battle scenes were incredibly long. I was kind of like... "They're fighting *again*?" I wanted it to be over. In this respect, I'm going to be a bit sexist and say this is a "boy story". I wanted more personal-level interaction and more depth. Not to say that the characters were not well-done, but they were more intellectual than emotional. I like emotional. That is really the only place where the story fell short for me.

What rocked:

The writing was great. Solid. Professional. I don't see a lot of writing of this quality in Indie books, to be honest. There were only a couple of typos.

Twists. While I wouldn't exactly call these "plot twists", there were some cool reveals. One I loved in particular. Totally didn't see it coming.

The epic feel of the disaster. Beautifully described. I felt like I was living part of the nightmare.

Overall, a solid book that I really enjoyed. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next one.

The full review is posted on Rock the Book:http://rockthebook.blogspot.com/2014/...

[Lostshadows · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I read an ARC.

My biggest problem with this book really isn't it's fault, but it hit some issues I have with 9/11 pretty hard. The worst of these were a couple of scenes, one from the POV of a office worker, the other from the POV of person stuck in traffic, but the descriptions of falling buildings was also a problem for me.

However, those aren't my only problems. The first issue is pacing. It seems take a long time to introduce us to the aliens and their home world, Anthem. When we do get there, the introduction seems a bit rushed so we can get to the action. The humans, on the other hand, get a decent setup.

The first chapter seems like the author didn't reread it. As well as giving us the background for one of the main characters, we also have her interact with a couple of other people who show up again later. However, those later scenes treat the conversations in the first chapter as if they never happened.

I also had some issues with the aliens, not seeming quite alien enough in some areas. I understand that its impossible to really invent a completely new alien language, but there seemed to be too many Earth specific terms. The only ones that stand out in my memory are a planet called Orion, especially since the author went to the effort of renaming Earth (Though the new name ends in "gaia", so he could have done better there too.), and a character named Gravitas*. In case you didn't guess, he's the good guy.

There's also a revelation that I suspect was suppose to be a surprise, but if you read comics, or are just kind of familiar with them, it probably won't be.

Also, while I under that this is the first book in a series, but the ending still felt rather abrupt. Nothing really seems to have been resolved, or even heading towards being resolved.

Some of my problems with this book might be fixed between the ARC and the published version, but others probably won't be. It has potential, so I may see if I can find the second book, if I still remember it.

*This name isn't helped by the fact I'm currently reading through Iain Bank's Culture series, which has a running gag of ship names with Gravitas in them.

[Michele(mluker) Luker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthem's Fall gradually pulls you into the story with unexpected twists and the power of strong ethics from two distant worlds.

Kristen is brilliant. She is a scientist in the making, and one of the specialists on the team for the Vatruvian Cell.

Gravitas, one of the strongest warriors on Anthem, will pay the ultimate sacrifice for his strong belief.

Vengelis Epsilon, Heir to the throne of Anthem, will do anything to save his kingdom and his people.

These three characters of Anthem's Fall will collide in this intense battle of moral ethics and will discover that the protection of both worlds will become the ultimate battle.

When I started to read this story, I wondered how Earth and Anthem had any connection at all. This will be revealed as the story plays out and was creatively written. I was in awe. The science and technology of an artificial cell in this story was completely planned out and to tell you the truth, kind of frightening. It felt so real, I can envision it happening in this era. The main characters had such an incredible back story to them, I really felt I understood each one. Each one has a battle to overcome, right along with the main confrontation at the end.

This story contains TONS of action. If you like battles, Anthem is a world that has the experience. I love a sci-fi story that isn't too techy that I can get completely lost in. Anthem's Fall fills that spot. This story will amazing you with surprises and keep you on your toes, that's for sure!

The flow of this story was mesmerizing. You travel back and forth between Anthem and Earth for a while, and I found this important to how the two worlds combine. It was flawless and smooth, when sometimes it can be confusing. And a little hint of a love story isn't too shabby either!

All in all, I loved this story and was left with that satisfied feeling that comes with finishing a book. This debut novel has the ingredients I always search for.

[Teressa Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthem's Fall starts out as an intelligent, thought-provoking read.  Kristen Jordan, the brilliant young research scientist is forced to deal with ethics issues beyond any we, as a society, have had to handle thus far.  How far is too far to go in the world of genetic modifications?  Kirsten's mentor draws the line a bit farther out than she does, and that creates a lot of conflict.
Then Kirsten meets Ryan Craig and finds in him a common sense of morality and justice.  Ryan raises valid arguments against the status quo in genetics research, such as:

The greater good is an opinion, and a dangerous one if it's used to force a group to act against its will....It's even more dangerous if that group doesn't have a voice in the government."

The ethics battling waging in Kristen's world reminds me of some of the logic debates between Kirk, Spock and McCoy in Star Trek ("the needs of the many outweight the needs of the few, or the one.").  Ryan compares it to Victor Frankenstein's love-hate relationship with his monster.
After the intellectual tone of the first chapters, the book takes a drastic turn into the world of Vengelis Epsilon and Gravitas Nerol - a world of superheroes and epic battles.  I loved the change of pace - it gave me a bit of a break from all the thinking, LOL.  When the superhero world collides with the "real" world, it is a battle I could never imagine.  The author made me feel like I was right there in the middle of it, and for that I am  most grateful.
Anthem's Fall is a stimulating read for intellectuals and adventure seekers alike.  The ending is a cliffhanger, but it does leave the reader with an inkling of what is to come, plus some hope for the future.

[Liquid Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genetically advanced beings live in peace as they conquer other planets for valuable resources. One powerful, royal dissident is exiled for his ethical position. When a superior soldier is created, peace is shattered and three lone survivors flee to find a means to take revenge.

Overall this is an entertaining read. If the cover doesn’t make you think about Superman, the story will. In fact, there are parallels between “Anthem’s Fall” and Superman II (1980), where we find three Kryptonian criminals coming to Earth: Super speed and strength, flight, and near-indestructible beings; it does sound like the genetically-altered Primus race. Luckily, there was one good-natured alien (Superman) to stand up for Earth. So, foundationally, I already knew the story.

Moving beyond that, however, is an engaging, action-packed story that illustrates scientific advancement and ethical parameters in which one must dance within to avoid destruction and genocide. Would you build a weapon that could, in the short-term, provide safety for your race? Would you consider the long-term ramifications? Dunn introduces different perspectives. The Primus are not criminals and are ‘just’ based on their singular goal. Their world has been destroyed and they believe Earth’s science can give them the means of retribution.

This story also, hopefully, allows one to ponder concepts such as:

Revolutions that free the suppressed tend to make aggressors of those that claimed their freedom.

Survival, as a race, will trump ethics and genocide.

The strong will always devour the weak.

Dunn’s debut novel is well written and edited. In fact, it is one of the better SPAs I’ve encountered.

Read October 2014: Copy provided by author

[Stephanie (Gorelenore) Cover2CoverBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthem's Fall... what can I say?... From the very beginning I was stoked to read this book, the synopsis sounds great and who doesn't need a little more sci-fi in their lives? So I got this book in the mail from the author for the tour and he wrote me a wonderful note about loving the green mountain state (where I live/ Vermont) and I was even more excited to read the book. I love when author take notice of things! (Thank you Mr. Dunn!). I finally dig into it while on my vacation and I have to admit, in the beginning I was SUPER confused about how this story would form.

We start the book on Earth with science and genetics and within those few chapters I came to really like the POV of Kristen, whom is one of the main characters; then we read from another Earthly POV and then are whisked away to another world entirely and they are at war. I felt like my head was spinning, but then the book got interesting -- worlds colliding, characters every which way, and I really liked reading from all of the views and normally that doesn't happen. I normally like one and sigh or 'arg' when another person came up, but not with this book, everyone had an interesting story to tell in the grand scheme of the book. Dunn did a wonderful job linking all these people and what was happening to them.

I am so glad that this book lived up to my expectations for it, but I forewarn, it can be a bit confusing with the amount of characters involved and the plot is action-packed and you will get sucked in. The number of pages may be a bit intimidating and the font on the smaller side, but I think many people will enjoy this book.

[Jessica Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never would I have fathomed that such an in depth, complex book could suck me in like this.





Now don't get me wrong, there are a lot of books that I read with complexity, but Anthem's Fall had multiple worlds, genetics and more scientific terms then I care to shake a stick at. Funny thing is with all of these aspects the plot and story line remained clear....it just meshed.



Kristen is the first character you initially meet, kid genius who was recruited into this special "think tank" team who is working to generate a synthetic type cell. What struck me with Kristen is she spoke her mind, that is one of my favorite characteristics in books. Especially when it comes from a female. (Because honestly when guys do it I sometimes want to smack them.)



Throughout the book you eventually cross over into Anthem, where similar testing's are being done with synthetic cells. Without spoiling anything, let's just say things get ugly....and they get ugly fast. Issues escalate, death happens, and now Anthem's people are looking for answers.

One thing I loved about Anthem was the massive range of character types there were. It wasn't just all super heroes, the author really added a new horizon with some of these "mutants".



Overall I truly can't wait to see where the rest of this series goes, the way the book ended it leaves the author with a WIDE variety of options as to which way this series can go!





4/5

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between life and work, the wording in places and the setup of this book it took me longer to finish than it should have. Overall, a unique story with very detailed characters. There were some places in the story where I felt bored. The fight scenes were a little dragged out or the explanation of powers and abilities were repetitive. Some of the wording in places had me wondering, why? It felt like I was stopping to reread some of these phrases because they just made no sense where they were. It really threw me off and I had to put the book down a couple of times because of this.
All that being said I was ANGRY when this book ended (minor spoiler). I waited all book for one thing to happen, then it hits and all of a sudden "till next time". I'm hooked for the next one that's for sure and the ending made that happen! I'm fond of the main characters and it seems like a good amount of detail, time and thought went in to each one. The only other thing to note would be that I did have to look up some of the words at the beginning of the book. They all pertained to the science that is referenced in the book.
I honestly think that if you can be patient with this book and want a unique story, that you'll be happy with this. Stick it out and endure some of the rough spots and you'll be hooked for the next one!