This is an alternate cover edition of ASIN B00INUKZWW.
What could an assassination program begun by the Nixon administration and a malfunctioning camera on board NASA’s Voyager II space probe possibly have in common?
To Francis Moore, finding the answer is about to become a matter of life and death.
Uprooted by a chance encounter from a promising career in the Marine Corps and thrust onto the front line of the country’s clandestine “war on terror”, Francis has few illusions left about the world and how it works. In an attempt to atone for his complicity in one of the more egregious of the CIA’s covert operations, he resolves to expose the program, only to find his efforts thwarted at the last minute by the intervention of a highly determined “third party”, whose motives he neither suspects nor understands.
Caught suddenly in a rising tempest of murder, deceit and betrayal, Francis has no choice but to turn his talents to identifying his new assailants before it is too late.
From the streets of Manhattan and the country lanes of rural New England to the wilderness of Canada and far beyond, he reluctantly finds himself dragged into the depths of a mystery that is as frightening as it is incredible, a journey that will open his eyes to the existence of something few could imagine, and fewer still would believe possible. A secret with the power to both resurrect the fortunes of a world edging ever closer to the brink of disaster, or tip it over once and for all.
I’m a Swede, born in England and raised in the United States. In many ways I was a Caucasian gypsy for the first twenty-five years of my life, settling in Sweden, Denmark, Florida, California (Hollywood, Palmdale and San Francisco), Curacao, Mexico, Hungary, and finally the United Kingdom, where I reside today. I was a soldier for ten years in the British Army, first in the Parachute Regiment, and later in the Royal Military Police. I think the only thing that really strings all these things together is that I never stopped reading. Now a family man, I live with my wife and our five year old twins in West Sussex.
A not so simple mistake at the highest level within The Federal Reserve Bank, New York, leads to the deaths of over two dozen people, but what happens between that mistake and the end of this book is exciting, scary, and full of suspense.
It's hard to believe that this is the author's debut novel, it's so intricate and well thought out. There are a lot of characters into whom he breathes life, so much so that you can almost get into their mindset. He takes us on a highly entertaining roller coaster of a ride, and he certainly excels at pulling the many elements of this story together. It's a credit to his storytelling that he kept my interest right the way through.
Very well written book. Lots of characters introduced at the beginning that I had to stop and think who was who. I kept getting Frank and Mike mixed up. Very suspenseful, very thought out plot, lots of twists and turns all because of a mistake at the beginning when something is removed from the Federal Reserve Bank from the wrong people. I agree with the author in his assessment that the universe is so huge there is no way we are the only life forms around. Very enjoyable. I read this on my phone mainly at lunch and I found myself wanting to sneak in a little bit more reading when I was at my desk, but I resisted. Mr. James is a great writer and I'm sure I would enjoy anything he writes. If you like twists and turns, lots of action and intrigue, pick this up.
I thank the author for a free copy of the book for an honest review.
Initially I found this book to be very hard going as the characters were introduced thick & fast and too quickly for me, as in every chapter a new set of characters were introduced with their own plot to throw into the mix. I definitely had to keep my wits about me to begin with, so in honesty it did take me quite a few chapters to mentally catalogue figure out what was going on. But once I got my head into gear, all in all I found this to be an enjoyable book. It’s action packed, fast paced as the chapters constantly switched between story lines, a few unexpected twists thrown into the mix as well and at times it was also rather gory (so maybe not for a younger reader or faint hearted). With all this going on it inevitably kept me intrigued for two reasons; 1) when there are many story lines going on, I’m always intrigued to see whether the author can seamlessly combine them together or whether it just epically fails, and 2) what is going to happen at the end. On the 1st point you’ll be glad to know the story lines come together successfully and on the 2nd point, well I’m not going to spoil it. It will be interesting to see how the sequel will play out. "I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review"
I really enjoyed this book, had me confused in a few places but highly enjoyable. It had none stop action from start till end, really good storyline I loved the characters too especially Francis he was bad ass. Loved it will definitely be reading the sequel to this as soon as its released.
The characters and the action fly fast and furious in Nathaniel Dean James' Origin Season One.
There's been a break-in at The Federal Reserve Bank. The mastermind behind the break-in quickly realizes he has stolen the wrong thing and the people he stole from are ruthless in their efforts to get it back.
James does a master job with a sprawling narrative that features about thirty characters across at least as many scenes. There are appendixes in the back that are very helpful in terms of keeping straight who's who and where's where. The prose is character driven and extremely fast paced.
The protagonist is Francis, who used to be part of an elite CIA hit squad that he is now trying to get shut down. Francis is profane, lethal, and good-hearted. It is easy to get behind him.
James deftly navigates through several twists and some breathtaking turns. The science is involved enough to make the reader think 'that might be possible' but not so complicated that only a dedicated sci-fi reader will enjoy it.
The books only weakness is it's ending, where you get the feel that James was thinking 'Geez, I gotta tie this up somehow.' It was the only time in the entire book I found myself going 'c-mon now...'.
Kudos for a fun read, Mr. James, and I'm ready for Season Two.
Hell of a good book! Well written, well plotted out, and well edited. If there are any negatives to this story it would be the confusion of too many characters early on. They are brought in hard and fast and it's a tad confusing until you get to know them. But once you do, it's a wild ride to the end. With enough reality mixed in to 'almost' keep it real, the plot spun out a yarn that borders on Sci-Fi Thriller. I enjoyed it and if you're looking for a story with a hero that survives on an equal portion of skill and luck, you're bound to enjoy this one. I actually put off reading this one for a while because I thought it was an adaptation of a television series by the title "Season One". Glad I didn't put it off any longer. Looking forward to the next in the series.
[Origin:Season One] by [Nathaniel Dean James] is a great debut novel. It has a great sense of mystery and conspiracy. I really enjoyed reading this novel although usually I tend to shy away from alien stuff but it reminded me of the [Destroyermen] series.
The flow was a little choppy and the location seemed to get mixed at times but those are minor things that should be cleared up in the second book.
A fast paced, and extremely easy to read adventure that has a little bit of everything for everyone. Action, intrigue, and mystery without the distraction of being overshadowed by science fiction. I'm looking forward to continuing this story in season two. Sorry, no spoilers.
Wow, how intriguing. This book is 3 dimensional. Meaning it takes place in one time frame in 3 different areas in the world. It is a little hard to follow but If you can keep up it is easier to understand. It is a great read and Ming boggling too.
there were parts of this story that were interesting, active, and kept my attention. Other parts not so much. And the ending was "different" clearly pointing to more "books" which I was unable to find.
The author sent me a complimentary eBook copy in return for an honest review. I'll try and keep this spoiler free, but I might accidentally include some.
My first thought about the book is that the writing style is a bit reminiscent of The Hades Factor (Covert-One, #1) by Robert Ludlum & Gayle Lynds, a book that I really enjoyed. It's an interesting style and the author has included a lot of information, much of it explained to the standard where I, as a reader, can understand it if it's discussing something that's a little bit complicated. I think in a way, it also helps that the author doesn't go too overboard with some things. If the matter is something technical, the author has either simplified it or has the characters wave it off so that it doesn't get too dificult. All we really need to know in some portions is that the job gets done.
The characters are particularly intriguing as well, in my opinion. There are the occasional characters that I don't agree with. Though, I like most of them and the author has basically got examples of all walks of life. It was interesting to read about an adventure which a lot of different people have an involvement with, though not by choice in some cases. On that same point, it was also intriguing to read about various peoples' reasons for them to become involved in such an international conspiracy (to put describe it bluntly).
I did like many of the action and drama sequences. My favourite portion was the sort of adventure portion of the book. It felt kind of incredible to be picked up and to go on this adventure with many of these characters, an experience that felt kind of new to some of them as well.
Overall, I thought it was particularly interesting. In many cases, I think people rush science fiction too much. In the case of this book, I think it was a little bit slow and we don't get very much of the science fiction until later on in the book. It's more of a thriller/ spy-type novel with a lot of action scenes. That's not to say that I'm disappointed by that. I actually enjoyed it, but felt that the science fiction aspect wasn't followed through with as well as it could have been. There were some portions of the story and some plot lines which weren't completely resolved. Though, I can't really mention those portions without including spoilers. Though it took me a while to complete it (due to a busy schedule), the book was fairly easy to read and had some themes which might appeal to all sorts of different people.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I'd give this book 3.5 stars, ideally. For a lot of the book, I wasn't sure how the different characters and storylines fit together. I did find the different plots intriguing and as I got to know the characters, I did find them interesting and I found myself caring about the characters and the plot.
This book was definitely much more of a thriller than a science fiction book. I found myself drawn into the plot and it was good to see more normal people get caught up in what was going on. I thought that Jesse and Amanda were interesting characters, though I found myself getting a bit confused by their history at times. It was good to see them working together, even though there were times I didn't like Amanda that much... at least at first.
Almost from the beginning, I found Francis to be a really intriguing character, though I did feel that I didn't learn as much of his history as I could have done. I didn't feel that the blurb was entirely accurate when it came to him... but I did like him as a character.
There was quite a lot of intrigue in this book and for a long time, I was completely confused about what was going on and why exactly people were so interested in the contents of the disk. I guess that was the same position as many of the other characters were in, though even by the end, I felt that I didn't really understand everything.
I liked Mitch and Mike as characters, though there were a few times when I got confused between the two of them. I would have liked to see more of their history and how they knew each other.
There was quite a lot of action in this book that did hold my attention and kept me reading throughout. There were some very gory scenes in this book. There were also some characters I found a bit harder to follow... but it was nice to see when the 'good guys' had to outsmart the plans of the people trying to kill them.
I think I would read the next book in this series, since it would be good to get some answers to what was going on.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It is quite surprising to me that Origin Season One is Nathaniel's debut book! His style of writing and the way he captured my attention throughout the book made me feel as though it was written by a seasoned author. I will definitely be watching for other books written by Nathaniel, like the sequel to Origin which should be coming out soon! I can't wait!! :)
I did have a bit of trouble keeping track of all of the characters though. I was thankful for the character descriptions at the beginning of the book that I could refer back to each time I had trouble remembering who was who. It was a bit cumbersome going to the front of the book each time while reading this on my Kindle...I am sure it would have been so much more convenient had I been reading a paperback version.
I am not much for descriptive sex scenes in books so, me personally, could have done without the one written into this story. There was some foul language that may offend some people, but I was perfectly fine with that.
What I really enjoyed was that the story wasn't the same ol', same ol', if you know what I mean. It was so nice to read a book that doesn't fit into the cookie cutter mold that a lot of books these days seem to fit into. The way this sci-fi book was written, it was believable--like this could really happen!
There was a date and time at the beginning of each chapter, which was helpful with the storyline. And the chapters were just the right length. I prefer to finish up a chapter if I have to stop reading a book and Origin allowed me to do this with ease...even though I really didn't want to put it down!
Origin Season One is a nonstop action and adventure with twists and turns throughout. I was captivated from beginning to end! Add in the mystery and it became the perfect book for my taste!
I am so glad I had the opportunity to read Origin...as I am sure you will be, too!!
I received this eBook for free courtesy of the author.
Origin: Season One is a science fiction thriller set for the most part in the United States. It is 2006 and the Federal Reserve Bank in New York has been broken into – something that should have been impossible. Whilst the FBI are investigating this, the thief discovers that what he thought he was stealing turned out to be an ancient computer hard drive belonging to someone else. It is clear his life is in grave danger once people begin to get killed as someone tries to retrieve the drive and its mysterious content.
I found it difficult to get into the storyline. There were far too many characters and it was hard to remember who was who and what side they were on. Were they trustworthy or one of the bad guys? In the end I gave up trying to keep track and hoped that everything would eventually click into place. I also thought there were way too many deaths. It felt as though the first half of the book was only about people being brutally murdered. I felt sorry for two of the characters, Amanda and Jesse, college aged youngsters, who, although innocent, got caught up in the action.
The latter half of the book was easier to read and by then things had begun to make more sense. For starters there were slightly less characters – many had been killed already – and it was clear who were the key figures in the story.
It was not until the late stages of the novel that the science fiction genre really appeared. However I think there is to be a follow on book so perhaps this theme will continue more in that installment.
I received this book for free. I was not required to provide a review.
Positives: 1) It was an enjoyable read. 2) It has pretty decent character development. 3) I liked that there were not many long chapters, so it gave a nice point to stop reading when needed. 4) I definitely would read more from this author. 5) The concept of the book was refreshing, in that it did not feel like it was a rehashed version of another book, like some newer books come across. 7) Nice sci-fi type story that actually makes you feel like it is believable.
Negatives: 1) There were some grammatical errors, but nothing major. 2) A little rough language a couple times. 3) One sexual scene that I really could have done without, it was a little to graphic for my tastes.
Conclusion: A fun and interesting book that definitely makes me want to read the next one in the series. It was a nice change of pace reading a Sci Fi, style book that felt plausible.
Someone has broken into the safe of the New York Federal Reserve Bank. The problem: he stole the wrong object and the owner wants it back, at any cost.
The debut novel of ND James is a balanced mix of thriller and science fiction, with a political component. The plot begins slowly but the pace gets faster as the different characters get more and more involved in the events. Speaking of characters, be prepared to use your memory, because it takes time to understand all the connections! I appreciated the fact that each chapter subtitle displays the date and time since a lot happens simultaneously. I also liked the graphical elements; there is a link to view them in a better resolution. The ending is intriguing and I look forward to reading the sequel. The afterword gives some interesting hints.
If you wish to feel like on a roller coaster ride taking place in a maze, this book is for you!
I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.
Wow this book was amazing. When Nathaniel D. James offered me this book I was very pleased and looked forward to this Goodreads read. But the agonies of life got in the way of my reading time so that is why it has taken this long to read this fabulous book. It is not very often that I read a book that keeps me wondering what the heck is going on. It was totally not what I expected. The intrigue was wonderful and kept me reading late into the night trying to figure out what was happening. Who was the bad guy etc. I'm not going to give away anything so that it doesn't spoil it for someone else. I can hardly wait for the next book to come out so that I can find out more. Nathaniel you did a great job keep up the good work. I absolutely loved it and know that you have a hit on your hands. Thanks again for the chance to read this book. Cheers
I recieved this book from a Goodreads Giveaway n return for a honest review.
I honeslty did not think i would like this book as much as i do. I have to say it does have a lot of information to keep up with along with character. So i have to give a big thank you to the author for putting a appendix in the back of the book. I am not a big action enthusiast but i do find myself liking the gory provided in the book. This book is basially a big puzzel little by little the author give you a piece at a time. It Relates to are own world in a way that the goverment goes to extraordinary links to cover up after themseleves. From Big secrets to extraterrestrail through wars and Surronding continent this book has it all with a love story intertwined. So i recommend getting a copy and finding out for yourself what the big secrect is involving a black box hiden behind this page turning book.
Put simply, this book is amazing! From the first word in chapter one right through to its conclusion the storyline and characters hold the reader spellbound. The reader eats sleeps and breathes each individual character as each twist and turn of the plot gives us just that little bit more insight and the pages turn faster the deeper we are drawn in. Words paint pictures in our minds eye and we embark on a roller coaster of a journey living the lies, loves, manipulations and plain shock as each element draws us along with it. I for one cannot wait for the second book in the story so that I can continue on this mad merry go round of tension, thrills, fear and raw emotion as the characters take us even further on this journey
I received a free e- copy of this book from the author Nathaniel Dean James. I would like to thank Goodreads as well, for without it I may never have heard of Origin: Season One. I would classify this as a thriller with science fiction undertones. Once I learned all of the characters, I thought the pace of the book was quick and read like a movie. I cannot wait to read the second book in the series, as there are so many places - literally and figuratively - that the author can take us. What I liked most about this book was that the science fiction aspect did not overshadow - it had just enough to be intriguing. I recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers or just a good, fast paced story.
It is really hard for me to realize that this is a debut novel for ND James. This is easily the most enjoyable book that I have read in a very long time.
As the reader finds out well into the story, there is a bit of science fiction. A picture taken by Voyager 2 showed an alien craft near Jupiter. The rest of the book is about various sub plots.
The characters, of which there are many, come to life. Thankfully, the author provides an appendix of the characters that I did use to keep track of who was who. This is a nonstop action adventure with mystery and intrigue. I had a very difficult time putting it down each evening. I would give this six stars if it were an option. Thankfully the next book in the series comes out in Nov 2014 so only a short wait.
I read this book on the nook after the author kindly sent me an electronic copy. Firstly, I have to say I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read a paper copy. I enjoy the feel of a book as opposed to an ereader and this does impact on my enjoyment of a novel. Having said that I did enjoy the story and warmed to the characters in the book. It did take me a while to grasp who all of the characters in the story were and did find myself skimming backwards to remind myself. I would look to reading the second book released later this year (in old fashioned book form) as it left me wanting to know more. Overall a good read if a little confusing at first.
This was one of those books that stops you from getting a good night sleep, as you say to yourself “just one more chapter” before you know it, the wife is complaining that the light is still on and its one in the morning.
I found the first half of this book to be a fast paced, action packed thriller, the characters were well written and could easily be identify with. Just over halfway through the book the pace slowed down and the story changed, but this was a change I really enjoyed, the storyline was expanded and a whole new insight into what had occurred during the first half of the book.
I'd like to start by thanking the author for the free e-copy of the book. I'd also like to thank Goodreads, because without it, I would never have heard of the book.
IT's well written and editted. The characters are interesting and believable. There is depth to many of characters, both main and secondary.
The plot is interesting and well paced, with slower scenes to help you think, and fast paced action sequences.
While it's more thriller than science fiction, it has enough sci-fi for most.
It was an enjoyable read, and one of the best I've read this year. I look forward to the second book.
What a great book! Origin Season One is a mystery, action, thriller, science fiction story. It's fast paced and nonstop from start to finish. It has twists and turns that keep you engrossed in the story. Origins Season One had me hooked from the beginning to the end and I am looking forward to the sequel. Most of the criticisms I read refer to the introduction of too many characters at once and the book going back and forth between them. I admit to using the appendixes that the author included at the end of the book. Let's hear it for good, old fashioned books where you have to turn the paper pages!
A complex thriller that will keep you scratching your head.
I enjoyed this book. However, I admit I couldn't keep track of all the characters in spite of the character list at the end of the book. That's really what keeps me from giving this 5 stars. Very hard to keep track of the characters when you're only reading 5 minutes at a time. I would definitely read the rest of the series. If you like political intrigue, murder mysteries, and the tiniest hint of sci-fi, then you will like this book. I don't want to give too much away, but don't be put off by the sci-fi label. The sci-fi is really more of a modern scientific aspect, and you don't need to know any science to understand it.
I got this copy from Librarything in return for an honest review. It was so fast paced that it was hard to follow all the new characters in the beginning. But stick with it, it's worth it. The book took unexpected twists and turns which I enjoyed. And the characters were like-able. The only continual problem I had with the book was the unrealistic nature after fights. If someone shots someone sitting next to them in a car, they are going to have lots of blood on them and not be able to ask the next person they meet for help. That said, I liked the writing and characters, and will be looking for the next in the series.
If you're looking for an action packed, fast paced read then "Origin: Season One" by Nathaniel Dean James is probably the book for you.
Initially, the introduction of characters comes too quickly for me. It took me a little while to mentally catalogue everyone (and reading the Kindle version made that harder than with a paperback).
I should make mention that several scenes are fairly gory and not for those readers of a nervous disposition!
I was expecting a little more sci-fi from this read, but I'm not disappointed at all.
I got this book from the Author as a gift in exchange for a review. I don't read to many Sci-Fi books but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It had interesting characters and a lot of non stop action, which really made it hard to put down. I found myself reading late into the night just to find out what will happen next. And now the hard part is to wait for Season Two to come out so I can find out where we are going from here. If book one is any indication, it will be a crazy and action packed ride. I am ready.
Incredible! Loved it! Would read again, someday, not today, much more to read before then, but yeah its one of those books that you'd like to revisit sooner or later!
The characters were cool, the action and thrill rides were intense! The storyline, wow! This was a very fun read, I really enjoyed it.
If you like Bond, Bourne, sci fi, conspiracy theories, or just plain like to read, I'd suggest this book, it was wonderful!