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The Earthborn Trilogy #1
The Last Exodus: The Earthborn Trilogy, Book 1
The Earth lies in ruins in the aftermath of an extraterrestrial invasion, the land devastated by a desperate war with no winners between mankind and a race of vicious, intelligent creatures. The seas are drying up while the atmosphere corrodes and slowly cooks any life remaining on the now desolate rock. Food is scarce, trust even more so, and the only people left alive all have done horrific things to stay that way.
Among the few survivors is Lucas, an ordinary man hardened by the last few years after the world’s end. He’s fought off bandits, murderers, and stranded creatures on his long trek across the country in search of his family, the one thing that drives him to outlive his dying planet. What he finds instead is hope, something thought to be lost in the world. There’s a ship buried in a crater wall. One of theirs. One that works. To fly it, Lucas must join forces with a traitorous alien scientist and a captured, merciless raider named Asha. But unless they find common ground, all will die, stranded on a ruined Earth.
Combining gritty post-apocalyptic survival and epic space opera, The Last Exodus is the beginning of a new action-packed science fiction adventure where the future of the human race depends on its survivors leaving the past behind.
Among the few survivors is Lucas, an ordinary man hardened by the last few years after the world’s end. He’s fought off bandits, murderers, and stranded creatures on his long trek across the country in search of his family, the one thing that drives him to outlive his dying planet. What he finds instead is hope, something thought to be lost in the world. There’s a ship buried in a crater wall. One of theirs. One that works. To fly it, Lucas must join forces with a traitorous alien scientist and a captured, merciless raider named Asha. But unless they find common ground, all will die, stranded on a ruined Earth.
Combining gritty post-apocalyptic survival and epic space opera, The Last Exodus is the beginning of a new action-packed science fiction adventure where the future of the human race depends on its survivors leaving the past behind.
348 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2012
220 people are currently reading
1196 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
January 10, 2022
For a book with lots of gunplay in it the author has clearly spent zero time educating himself about firearms. The female protagonist's preferred weapon is a "45 magnum" revolver. Such a revolver would not be an appropriate and effective choice for a female. (body mass, recoil, and physics are not "social constructs") Pretty much everything written in this book about firearms is wrong. "Clips" are everywhere. It's not hard to pick up the basics from the internet, but the author was clearly too lazy to spend any time researching a major component of his book. Apparently the editor(s) were also clueless.
It gets better (worse). The hostile aliens' key technology enabling them to travel among the stars uses water as fuel. They've used all the water on their own planet, and came to Earth to steal ours to fuel their technology. The problem is hydrogen is the most common element in the universe. Oxygen is the third most common. When you burn hydrogen gas using oxygen... you get water. There is no need to wage war with other intelligent species to steal their planet's water. All the water one can use is available from the universe relatively easily...
It gets better (worse). The hostile aliens' key technology enabling them to travel among the stars uses water as fuel. They've used all the water on their own planet, and came to Earth to steal ours to fuel their technology. The problem is hydrogen is the most common element in the universe. Oxygen is the third most common. When you burn hydrogen gas using oxygen... you get water. There is no need to wage war with other intelligent species to steal their planet's water. All the water one can use is available from the universe relatively easily...
October 20, 2015
Originally posted: http://amazingstoriesmag.com/2015/10/...
Being a book blogger means its not unusual to receive unsolicited books in the mail to review. Its actually one of the perks of this job, but it is also a lot like playing Russian Roulette. You just never know if you are going to get a good or bad book until you read it. So when I was mailed The Last Exodus by Paul Tassi, first book in the Earthborn Trilogy, I was intrigued by the story description enough on the back of the book to give it a shot, even though I ran the usual risk of whether or not I would enjoy the experience.
The Last Exodus is set directly after an alien invasion has devastated Earth. All the world’s cities have been destroyed, the oceans are receding and the planet is heating up significantly. Its predicted that the Earth will become unlivable in just a few years and for the remaining humans it means every moment is a desperate state of survival, even for those who have turned to cannibalism. Our tale follows Lucas, who has traveled cross-country to reach his hometown of Portland to reunite with his family. What he discovers instead is that the city is a crater and is wife and son are most likely dead. On the verge of losing hope, he comes upon an alien survivor who is struggling to fix his ship. This alien, who comes to be named Alpha, is actually a traitor to his own race and with the help of Lucas and a woman named Asha (who coincidentally has tried to kill Lucas in the past) thinks he can fix the ship and fly it to his people’s enemy who they have been locked in an endless war with. It won’t be easy as Alpha may unknowingly have information that could turn the tide of the war against his people and they will do anything to stop him before that can happen.
The Last Exodus is…just okay. It had its moments and I actually thought the ending was very well done and left just enough unanswered to make me interested in what happened next without annoying me with excessive mystery. That being said, the book had its issue. I found the characters to be rather bland and the Lucas/Asha romance could be seen from a mile away. There were also too many instances of magical sci-fi technology that hand-waved away the usual problems of space travel. Take the faster-than-lighter travel Alpha’s ship used. Apparently water is an important ingredient and it was one of the reasons Earth was invaded in the first place. Yet we know space is full of water and ice so why invade a primitive, yet nuclear armed, civilization when you could just capture and melt a comet instead? Granted Paul does give an ideological reason for why humanity was attached along with the economical one, which is fine, but it is still a noticeable plot hole.
All the above would usually not be enough for me dismiss this book entirely and if you want a grimdark SF adventure without much depth, The Last Exodus is probably for you. What ruined the book for me, however, was this text from early on in the story:
"[Lucas] had been a religious man before they arrived. Their appearance broke his faith like it did so many others, but not to the point where it drove him to participate in the mass suicides that happened around the world. Priests, rabbis, clerics, and their congregations had all been driven mad by physical proof that everything they had devoted their lives to was a lie."
Um…what? Is Paul arguing that the existence of aliens prove that human religion is a lie? That seems silly considering that numerous religions have discussed the theological implications of extraterrestrial life and there are numerous believers among the SF community who haven’t lost their faith because they read stories about intelligent non-humans. Perhaps Paul is arguing that the belief that God made us in his own image would shatter people’s faith if they learned of other intelligent life, but wouldn’t that only effect the Abrahamic religions that came out of the Middle East and not the local faiths of Asia, Africa and America? Even if that’s the case, would the existence of other people’s really change the fact in the eye’s of a Jew that he or she is a member of God’s chosen people?
Heck, many, if not all, of the Abrahamic religions have ignored or downplayed certain parts of their holy books, even those who take a literal interpretation of them, which means their beliefs are resilient enough to deal with alien life. There is even some precedent in our history for dealing with unexpected people such as the Native Americans, who weren’t mentioned in the Christian Bible despite many people at the time taking it as the truth directly from God. Even the legend of Prester John hints at the struggle Christians had to go through when the reality of the world didn’t fit exactly with what their priests and books were telling them, and yet they survived and thrived regardless. See also heliocentrism, evolution, the Big Bang, dinosaurs, etc. for other issues that contradict major religions without destroying them entirely.
I may be nitpicking a little, but as you read The Last Exodus you start noticing Paul relies heavily on religious terms and themes (The Last Exodus, Noah, the Ark, depictions of heaven/hell and angels/demons, etc.) giving you the sense that he is trying to tell a spiritual story amount a man who lost his faith following a horrible catastrophe and is now trying to get it back. That would be fine, but the paragraph I criticized above makes me doubt Paul did a lot research on the subject of religion before writing his book or his editor made a major mistake by keeping that in.
In the end, The Last Exodus is not a bad book, but I wouldn’t go as far to call it a great, or even a good, book. It has its moments, but the book has too many cliches and struggles to give an realistic depiction of human religion. That is all I can say really. I can’t really give a strong recommendation for The Last Exodus, but those looking for a story about humanity rising from the ashes of their destroyed world and won’t be bothered by the clumsy themes on faith, may find some enjoyment out of it.
Being a book blogger means its not unusual to receive unsolicited books in the mail to review. Its actually one of the perks of this job, but it is also a lot like playing Russian Roulette. You just never know if you are going to get a good or bad book until you read it. So when I was mailed The Last Exodus by Paul Tassi, first book in the Earthborn Trilogy, I was intrigued by the story description enough on the back of the book to give it a shot, even though I ran the usual risk of whether or not I would enjoy the experience.
The Last Exodus is set directly after an alien invasion has devastated Earth. All the world’s cities have been destroyed, the oceans are receding and the planet is heating up significantly. Its predicted that the Earth will become unlivable in just a few years and for the remaining humans it means every moment is a desperate state of survival, even for those who have turned to cannibalism. Our tale follows Lucas, who has traveled cross-country to reach his hometown of Portland to reunite with his family. What he discovers instead is that the city is a crater and is wife and son are most likely dead. On the verge of losing hope, he comes upon an alien survivor who is struggling to fix his ship. This alien, who comes to be named Alpha, is actually a traitor to his own race and with the help of Lucas and a woman named Asha (who coincidentally has tried to kill Lucas in the past) thinks he can fix the ship and fly it to his people’s enemy who they have been locked in an endless war with. It won’t be easy as Alpha may unknowingly have information that could turn the tide of the war against his people and they will do anything to stop him before that can happen.
The Last Exodus is…just okay. It had its moments and I actually thought the ending was very well done and left just enough unanswered to make me interested in what happened next without annoying me with excessive mystery. That being said, the book had its issue. I found the characters to be rather bland and the Lucas/Asha romance could be seen from a mile away. There were also too many instances of magical sci-fi technology that hand-waved away the usual problems of space travel. Take the faster-than-lighter travel Alpha’s ship used. Apparently water is an important ingredient and it was one of the reasons Earth was invaded in the first place. Yet we know space is full of water and ice so why invade a primitive, yet nuclear armed, civilization when you could just capture and melt a comet instead? Granted Paul does give an ideological reason for why humanity was attached along with the economical one, which is fine, but it is still a noticeable plot hole.
All the above would usually not be enough for me dismiss this book entirely and if you want a grimdark SF adventure without much depth, The Last Exodus is probably for you. What ruined the book for me, however, was this text from early on in the story:
"[Lucas] had been a religious man before they arrived. Their appearance broke his faith like it did so many others, but not to the point where it drove him to participate in the mass suicides that happened around the world. Priests, rabbis, clerics, and their congregations had all been driven mad by physical proof that everything they had devoted their lives to was a lie."
Um…what? Is Paul arguing that the existence of aliens prove that human religion is a lie? That seems silly considering that numerous religions have discussed the theological implications of extraterrestrial life and there are numerous believers among the SF community who haven’t lost their faith because they read stories about intelligent non-humans. Perhaps Paul is arguing that the belief that God made us in his own image would shatter people’s faith if they learned of other intelligent life, but wouldn’t that only effect the Abrahamic religions that came out of the Middle East and not the local faiths of Asia, Africa and America? Even if that’s the case, would the existence of other people’s really change the fact in the eye’s of a Jew that he or she is a member of God’s chosen people?
Heck, many, if not all, of the Abrahamic religions have ignored or downplayed certain parts of their holy books, even those who take a literal interpretation of them, which means their beliefs are resilient enough to deal with alien life. There is even some precedent in our history for dealing with unexpected people such as the Native Americans, who weren’t mentioned in the Christian Bible despite many people at the time taking it as the truth directly from God. Even the legend of Prester John hints at the struggle Christians had to go through when the reality of the world didn’t fit exactly with what their priests and books were telling them, and yet they survived and thrived regardless. See also heliocentrism, evolution, the Big Bang, dinosaurs, etc. for other issues that contradict major religions without destroying them entirely.
I may be nitpicking a little, but as you read The Last Exodus you start noticing Paul relies heavily on religious terms and themes (The Last Exodus, Noah, the Ark, depictions of heaven/hell and angels/demons, etc.) giving you the sense that he is trying to tell a spiritual story amount a man who lost his faith following a horrible catastrophe and is now trying to get it back. That would be fine, but the paragraph I criticized above makes me doubt Paul did a lot research on the subject of religion before writing his book or his editor made a major mistake by keeping that in.
In the end, The Last Exodus is not a bad book, but I wouldn’t go as far to call it a great, or even a good, book. It has its moments, but the book has too many cliches and struggles to give an realistic depiction of human religion. That is all I can say really. I can’t really give a strong recommendation for The Last Exodus, but those looking for a story about humanity rising from the ashes of their destroyed world and won’t be bothered by the clumsy themes on faith, may find some enjoyment out of it.
February 9, 2016
I don’t read much Science-Fiction, but:
"What would happen if you threw Independence Day, The Walking Dead, and Guardians of the Galaxy into a blender? I can’t say for sure, but it’d probably look something like The Last Exodus."
How could I not check it out, right?
Things kick of with a grim view of future Earth. Out of nowhere, aliens appeared (Independence Day) and all but destroyed our beloved planet. Our cities, our culture, our people – there’s very little left (The Walking Dead). The few humans who do remain don’t bother to hope, they’ve little to live for – thick red clouds keep survivors in darkness, the planet is heating up rapidly and water is disappearing. With food and water almost impossible to find, people have become so desperate that you can’t trust anyone. The vast majority of those who remain have turned to murder and theft as their means to survive. Cannibalism is commonplace and seems to have resulted in some-kind of insanity amongst those who have chosen it as their path.
The protagonist of The Last Exodus is Lucas. Lucas was away working when the aliens unleashed their devastation. With communications down, he was never able to find out what happened to his family. When we meet him, Lucas is heading back home as a means of finding out. You get the impression, however, that our ‘hero’ already knows what is waiting for him and is ready to end things once he confirms his suspicions. Indeed, once he arrives at his destination, it’s not just his family or his home he finds missing, but the whole of Portland: it’s little more than a crater.
Before Lucas can make a decision about what to do next, he comes across an alien spaceship. Within it he finds an alien who – rather than kill him where he stands – offers him a way off the Earth. If Lucas can learn to fly his alien ship and trust this alien creature then perhaps he can find a new life… doing something… somewhere. He doesn’t really know where he is going and neither do we, and that’s a big part of the book’s appeal: what next?
In addition to Lucas, there is a completely unstable female character named Asha. Once Asha boards, she seems just as likely to kill Lucas and the alien-traitor as she is to help them. Despite this, if Lucas’s mission is successful, it’s likely she will be the only human that he will ever communicate with again. That is until Noah, a baby, is brought onto the ship. So, in addition to dangerous missions to salvage parts required to repair the spaceship, the odd-ball crew (Guardians of the Galaxy) must protect and bring up an infant.
The dynamic between the characters and their changing relationships is the perfect blend of amusing, nail biting and touching. The characters are forced together and their pasts and recent experiences should have seen each kill the other within seconds of meeting. However, the human (and, seemingly, alien) need to communicate, to survive and to support sees them find a way to work and thrive together. It’s quite a powerful message and although Paul Tassi doesn’t explore human nature as deeply or as directly as other speculative fiction novels do (i.e. it’s subtlety done), the characters’ journeys and reliance upon each other does hit you at numerous points throughout the novel.
In addition to providing a message, these relationships also help the pace of the novel, which is relentless. One minute we are in the middle of a gunfight, the next we are learning to fly a ship, the next we are learning about alien technology, the next an elite alien seeking vengeance appears to take us out, then… well, I won’t spoil it all. But there’s plenty more awaiting you. You do sense that there will be a slowing down of things in the second novel. This first novel was an explosion of action, as I’ve said, but there were some clever ideas and space-opera reminiscent plot-threads that will likely see this series of novels head more in the alien politics and alien warfare direction from the very beginning of book two, The Exiled Earthborn.
Now, I said I don’t read much Science-Fiction and that’s true (I’ve only really read the popular stuff – Iain Banks, Phillip K. Dick, Alistair Reynolds, and so on). However, I do know that a lot of Science-Fiction readers can be quite picky when it comes to the details and explanations given in terms of how tech was created and how it works, etc. Tassi’s explanations never really go beyond: this is an x and it works by the power of y. You won’t get a chapter or even page worth of detailed manual-like explanation. I imagine a large part of this comes from Tassi’s background as an avid video game player and renowned blogger working within that industry. Certainly, the technology featured feels far more as though it came from Gears of War, Halo or Deadspace than novels like Banks’s Culture, Robinson’s Red Mars or Reynold’s Revelation Space, for example. The upside of this is that nothing is restricted to the author – the alien, Alpha, is forever creating cool weapons, cool armour and cool modifications for the ship. I think those not used to Science-Fiction will appreciate this and those who grew up playing games like Duke Nukem and enjoying the absurdity of the BFG-type weapons from that generation of gaming will be in for a treat.
I’ve tried not to talk too much about the antagonist in The Last Exodus, because to do so would ruin quite a few reveals and twists, in addition to the direction of future novels. What I would say is that he is a badass and suits his purpose very well. Just like the very best video game villains, he is pure evil and his tactics for solving a problem are stop it moving with maximum possible brutality. Paul weaves in a good backstory for him and I hope that there is more about his particular breed in future novels.
Evidence suggests – when you combine his blogging/journalism/social media output – that Tassi is a guy who writes 5000-10,000 words a day. Certainly, at no point during this novel do his prose feel amateur. Readers looking for a fast, fun, action-packed novel that offers memorable characters, terrifying and seemingly unbeatable foes, cool tech and a twisting-turning storyline that could head just about anywhere will really enjoy this debut from Tassi and be quick to pick up the sequel to see what trouble our oddball cast of questionable heroes find themselves in next.
"What would happen if you threw Independence Day, The Walking Dead, and Guardians of the Galaxy into a blender? I can’t say for sure, but it’d probably look something like The Last Exodus."
How could I not check it out, right?
Things kick of with a grim view of future Earth. Out of nowhere, aliens appeared (Independence Day) and all but destroyed our beloved planet. Our cities, our culture, our people – there’s very little left (The Walking Dead). The few humans who do remain don’t bother to hope, they’ve little to live for – thick red clouds keep survivors in darkness, the planet is heating up rapidly and water is disappearing. With food and water almost impossible to find, people have become so desperate that you can’t trust anyone. The vast majority of those who remain have turned to murder and theft as their means to survive. Cannibalism is commonplace and seems to have resulted in some-kind of insanity amongst those who have chosen it as their path.
The protagonist of The Last Exodus is Lucas. Lucas was away working when the aliens unleashed their devastation. With communications down, he was never able to find out what happened to his family. When we meet him, Lucas is heading back home as a means of finding out. You get the impression, however, that our ‘hero’ already knows what is waiting for him and is ready to end things once he confirms his suspicions. Indeed, once he arrives at his destination, it’s not just his family or his home he finds missing, but the whole of Portland: it’s little more than a crater.
Before Lucas can make a decision about what to do next, he comes across an alien spaceship. Within it he finds an alien who – rather than kill him where he stands – offers him a way off the Earth. If Lucas can learn to fly his alien ship and trust this alien creature then perhaps he can find a new life… doing something… somewhere. He doesn’t really know where he is going and neither do we, and that’s a big part of the book’s appeal: what next?
In addition to Lucas, there is a completely unstable female character named Asha. Once Asha boards, she seems just as likely to kill Lucas and the alien-traitor as she is to help them. Despite this, if Lucas’s mission is successful, it’s likely she will be the only human that he will ever communicate with again. That is until Noah, a baby, is brought onto the ship. So, in addition to dangerous missions to salvage parts required to repair the spaceship, the odd-ball crew (Guardians of the Galaxy) must protect and bring up an infant.
The dynamic between the characters and their changing relationships is the perfect blend of amusing, nail biting and touching. The characters are forced together and their pasts and recent experiences should have seen each kill the other within seconds of meeting. However, the human (and, seemingly, alien) need to communicate, to survive and to support sees them find a way to work and thrive together. It’s quite a powerful message and although Paul Tassi doesn’t explore human nature as deeply or as directly as other speculative fiction novels do (i.e. it’s subtlety done), the characters’ journeys and reliance upon each other does hit you at numerous points throughout the novel.
In addition to providing a message, these relationships also help the pace of the novel, which is relentless. One minute we are in the middle of a gunfight, the next we are learning to fly a ship, the next we are learning about alien technology, the next an elite alien seeking vengeance appears to take us out, then… well, I won’t spoil it all. But there’s plenty more awaiting you. You do sense that there will be a slowing down of things in the second novel. This first novel was an explosion of action, as I’ve said, but there were some clever ideas and space-opera reminiscent plot-threads that will likely see this series of novels head more in the alien politics and alien warfare direction from the very beginning of book two, The Exiled Earthborn.
Now, I said I don’t read much Science-Fiction and that’s true (I’ve only really read the popular stuff – Iain Banks, Phillip K. Dick, Alistair Reynolds, and so on). However, I do know that a lot of Science-Fiction readers can be quite picky when it comes to the details and explanations given in terms of how tech was created and how it works, etc. Tassi’s explanations never really go beyond: this is an x and it works by the power of y. You won’t get a chapter or even page worth of detailed manual-like explanation. I imagine a large part of this comes from Tassi’s background as an avid video game player and renowned blogger working within that industry. Certainly, the technology featured feels far more as though it came from Gears of War, Halo or Deadspace than novels like Banks’s Culture, Robinson’s Red Mars or Reynold’s Revelation Space, for example. The upside of this is that nothing is restricted to the author – the alien, Alpha, is forever creating cool weapons, cool armour and cool modifications for the ship. I think those not used to Science-Fiction will appreciate this and those who grew up playing games like Duke Nukem and enjoying the absurdity of the BFG-type weapons from that generation of gaming will be in for a treat.
I’ve tried not to talk too much about the antagonist in The Last Exodus, because to do so would ruin quite a few reveals and twists, in addition to the direction of future novels. What I would say is that he is a badass and suits his purpose very well. Just like the very best video game villains, he is pure evil and his tactics for solving a problem are stop it moving with maximum possible brutality. Paul weaves in a good backstory for him and I hope that there is more about his particular breed in future novels.
Evidence suggests – when you combine his blogging/journalism/social media output – that Tassi is a guy who writes 5000-10,000 words a day. Certainly, at no point during this novel do his prose feel amateur. Readers looking for a fast, fun, action-packed novel that offers memorable characters, terrifying and seemingly unbeatable foes, cool tech and a twisting-turning storyline that could head just about anywhere will really enjoy this debut from Tassi and be quick to pick up the sequel to see what trouble our oddball cast of questionable heroes find themselves in next.
March 5, 2016
I'm waffling between 2 and 3 stars for this. I didn't hate it but it does have serious issues.
On the one hand the basic idea is interesting: Earth was invaded by aliens and fought them off, but in the process the planet was ruined. At first it seems like the reason for the invasion is a lame cliche of the aliens wanting our water, but it turns out that's a secondary goal.
Our main character, Lucas, comes across a wrecked alien ship which has an alien desperately trying to repair it so he can leave the planet. After an action scene where the hero fends off attackers and spares the alien for some reason. Lucas kills two men and knocks out a woman. The alien brings the woman inside and convinces Lucas that he's actually a good guy by showing Lucas a recording where the alien tried to protect kids from the invaders. That was a neat way to get the alien and man to team up, I thought.
But then he ruins it by making the woman a literal supermodel. I get the argument that she used her feminine wiles to survive the end of the world, but it's just such a cliche.
I wasn't sold on some of the other backstory. He says that religious people suffered such a psychic shock they committed suicide en masse. I'm sure there might be some of that, but humans are amazingly adept at rationalization. Either extraterrestrials would be seamlessly incorporated into their dogma (as the Catholic Church and Mormons are already prepared to do) or they'd be rejected as tools of Satan. But giving up across the board and committing mass suicide? Nope. Don't buy it.
Much better to simply say, "Religious leaders were just starting to grapple with the theological aspects of confirmed alien intelligence when the arguments were rendered moot: E.T. attacked. Humanity was too busy scrambling for survival to consider existential implications."
There were little inconsistencies which niggled as well. Early on our protagonist sprints up the side of a crater, despite being weak from years of hunger and days of thirst, while experiencing crushing heat.
Probably the biggest issue was the fact our last man and last woman rescue the last baby... and then basically ignore the kid for long stretches of time. It made me wonder if Tassi has even spent an evening babysitting a baby. They need constant attention. Yet here baby Noah is basically treated like a cat. Give him a ball and a saucer of water and go off to do your own thing. The kid will be fine. I don't think they even changed his diaper more than twice over the many months they were aboard the starship.
Also, the whole not-eating thing. Metabolizing vaporized nutrients sounds good, but the human body is designed to eat and drink.
On the flip side of the coin, the sleep pods designed for the aliens has deleterious psychological effects on humans, which leads to complications later. That was a nice touch, and I was sold on why Asha would subject herself to the thing, as well as the side-effects. But then she recovers too easily once the super-intelligent alien puts his mind to the problem.
This is my problem with the book in a nutshell: on one hand there are really interesting ideas, but on the other there are some dumb ones that drag it down. I could only imagine if this were by Scalzi or Niven we'd have more of the former and less of the latter.
On the one hand the basic idea is interesting: Earth was invaded by aliens and fought them off, but in the process the planet was ruined. At first it seems like the reason for the invasion is a lame cliche of the aliens wanting our water, but it turns out that's a secondary goal.
Our main character, Lucas, comes across a wrecked alien ship which has an alien desperately trying to repair it so he can leave the planet. After an action scene where the hero fends off attackers and spares the alien for some reason. Lucas kills two men and knocks out a woman. The alien brings the woman inside and convinces Lucas that he's actually a good guy by showing Lucas a recording where the alien tried to protect kids from the invaders. That was a neat way to get the alien and man to team up, I thought.
But then he ruins it by making the woman a literal supermodel. I get the argument that she used her feminine wiles to survive the end of the world, but it's just such a cliche.
I wasn't sold on some of the other backstory. He says that religious people suffered such a psychic shock they committed suicide en masse. I'm sure there might be some of that, but humans are amazingly adept at rationalization. Either extraterrestrials would be seamlessly incorporated into their dogma (as the Catholic Church and Mormons are already prepared to do) or they'd be rejected as tools of Satan. But giving up across the board and committing mass suicide? Nope. Don't buy it.
Much better to simply say, "Religious leaders were just starting to grapple with the theological aspects of confirmed alien intelligence when the arguments were rendered moot: E.T. attacked. Humanity was too busy scrambling for survival to consider existential implications."
There were little inconsistencies which niggled as well. Early on our protagonist sprints up the side of a crater, despite being weak from years of hunger and days of thirst, while experiencing crushing heat.
Probably the biggest issue was the fact our last man and last woman rescue the last baby... and then basically ignore the kid for long stretches of time. It made me wonder if Tassi has even spent an evening babysitting a baby. They need constant attention. Yet here baby Noah is basically treated like a cat. Give him a ball and a saucer of water and go off to do your own thing. The kid will be fine. I don't think they even changed his diaper more than twice over the many months they were aboard the starship.
Also, the whole not-eating thing. Metabolizing vaporized nutrients sounds good, but the human body is designed to eat and drink.
On the flip side of the coin, the sleep pods designed for the aliens has deleterious psychological effects on humans, which leads to complications later. That was a nice touch, and I was sold on why Asha would subject herself to the thing, as well as the side-effects. But then she recovers too easily once the super-intelligent alien puts his mind to the problem.
This is my problem with the book in a nutshell: on one hand there are really interesting ideas, but on the other there are some dumb ones that drag it down. I could only imagine if this were by Scalzi or Niven we'd have more of the former and less of the latter.
December 14, 2020
3.5 stars. It was definitely an enjoyable and fun sci-fi story with a lot going on. Don't have much to say about this one other then I had a fun time reading it
May 1, 2020
Worth reading!
I don’t generally like post apocalyptic stories as there are often too many holes in them. But I picked up this book because it promised more. It delivered. Lucas is a strange hero. We don’t know a lot about him but he was obviously always more than he achieved. Asha is a strong woman. Stronger than Lucas in many ways. She uses her femininity as a weapon but also trains to be an exemplary fighter. Then we have Alpha; an alien scientist but one who doesn’t believe in his race’s cause. This book is fast paced and full of action.
I loved the opening line:
The war was over. And everyone lost.
That seems to express the world’s situation only the war is not yet over! But we all seem to be losing far too much!
Just read it.
I don’t generally like post apocalyptic stories as there are often too many holes in them. But I picked up this book because it promised more. It delivered. Lucas is a strange hero. We don’t know a lot about him but he was obviously always more than he achieved. Asha is a strong woman. Stronger than Lucas in many ways. She uses her femininity as a weapon but also trains to be an exemplary fighter. Then we have Alpha; an alien scientist but one who doesn’t believe in his race’s cause. This book is fast paced and full of action.
I loved the opening line:
The war was over. And everyone lost.
That seems to express the world’s situation only the war is not yet over! But we all seem to be losing far too much!
Just read it.
December 18, 2020
This is one of those vapid mass produced syfy books that are far too common nowadays. The only reason anyone should read this book is to test how quickly they can read.
February 23, 2017
Dieses Buch hat mich schwer beeindruckt, war es zu Beginn eine Dystopie vor dem Hintergrund einer sterbenden Erde, wandelte es sich zuletzt zu einer Space Opera, bei der die letzten 3 überlebenden Menschen, in einen Konflikt zwischen 2 galaktischen Großmächte hineingezogen werden.
Der Beginn dieses Romans ist nichts für schwache Gemüter, da wird gemordet und unter den schwierigsten Bedingungen überlebt, wer "The Walking Dead" mag, ist hier genau richtig. Allerdings muss man über Tassis's Debütroman sagen, dass die Figurenbeschreibung und die Story über viele Sterotypen verfügt, die Ideen sind nicht besonders orginell und wurden in der SF schon viele mal verwendet, dennoch ist es ein Pageturner, den man nur schwer aus den Hand legen kann. Ich bin jetzt schon sehr gespannt auf die beiden Folgeromane.
Fazit: Spannend und mit viel Gefühl, man wird gut unterhalten, aber ich glaube nicht, dass der Roman mich über längere Zeit im Gedächtnis bleibt....
Der Beginn dieses Romans ist nichts für schwache Gemüter, da wird gemordet und unter den schwierigsten Bedingungen überlebt, wer "The Walking Dead" mag, ist hier genau richtig. Allerdings muss man über Tassis's Debütroman sagen, dass die Figurenbeschreibung und die Story über viele Sterotypen verfügt, die Ideen sind nicht besonders orginell und wurden in der SF schon viele mal verwendet, dennoch ist es ein Pageturner, den man nur schwer aus den Hand legen kann. Ich bin jetzt schon sehr gespannt auf die beiden Folgeromane.
Fazit: Spannend und mit viel Gefühl, man wird gut unterhalten, aber ich glaube nicht, dass der Roman mich über längere Zeit im Gedächtnis bleibt....
December 6, 2019
This review is really for the entire trilogy. Overall, not too bad, but kind of a conglomeration of many sci-fi cliches. And every time you turn the page the characters get more and more superhuman powers and eventually it becomes a bit crazy. I think a really good storyteller will focus more on character weaknesses and struggle than just constantly upping the hero factor again and again.
July 27, 2025
After an alien invasion Earth is ruined. Even though the aliens have gone, the balance of the atmosphere has been destroyed and the seas are evaporating and the land is burning. Lucas is desperately trying to get back to his family in Portland, but when he arrives he finds nothing but a crater where the city used to be, a fellow refugee, Asha, and an alien ship which is not quite lifeless. Hardened by the last few years of suviving at all costs he doesn't trust easily, but it seems as though the only salvation lies in teaming up. This is a high body count book which combines post-apocalyptic survival with space opera. As the first book in a trilogy it doesn't quite have a cliffhanger ending, but it stops at a point which tempts you into the second book. The characters are interesting and Victor Bevine's narration is perfectly adequate.
November 12, 2021
3.5 ish
Pretty good fun if a little light, but no real issues with it nor reason to think its a classic.
Pretty good fun if a little light, but no real issues with it nor reason to think its a classic.
January 1, 2022
I really enjoyed this audio book, I’m on to the second in the trilogy already .
Recommended for all sci-fi fans.
Recommended for all sci-fi fans.
January 3, 2016
Went into it thinking it was going to be hard science fiction. It definitely isn't that but it was a very good space opera. The story was well paced and the characters had enough flaws to make them believable in the setting.
October 14, 2017
Aliens have come to Earth and after a nuclear war which no one won, the planet is dying. A handful of survivors strive to live as best they can, some even resorting to eating human flesh. Lucas and a woman he can not trust team up with one of the aliens to escape the dying planet.
March 4, 2017
A lot of action, not a lot of science. The alien is the best character.
November 26, 2020
Nice read, a simple entertaining sci fi thriller, pretty good page-turner. Lots of action, plot twists, and an almost cliffhanger ending makes me want to buy the next one in the series.
October 29, 2025
Loved main storyline, loathed the back stories. Writing was far from stellar but was as much fun as the plot. The surprise is not very surprising but the ending is neat.
Plus I'm already two chapters into the next one and it's heading in a good direction. I suspect that things are not as rosy as they seem.
Plus I'm already two chapters into the next one and it's heading in a good direction. I suspect that things are not as rosy as they seem.
January 18, 2020
I haven't read a science fiction novel since middle school, and reading this was incredibly enjoyable. This novel takes you into a new world of post apocalyptic story telling that has mysteries unraveling at every turn. The action captured is fantastic, and the relationships bring a heart to this novel that grips you. Can't wait to read the next one.
January 27, 2023
This was a 3,5 but I have to round down to fight the rating inflation. Enjoyable sci-fi and entertaining story. It lacks some depth to get a higher rating.
May 22, 2024
Great premise but just wasn't engaging enough. Felt very predictable and parts left me cringing. The characters weren't overly interesting either...
February 25, 2017
Fantastic!
This book grabs you on the first page and takes you on a thrilling adventure. Alien invasion, post-apocalyptic survival, and space battles! I can't wait to read the next one!
This book grabs you on the first page and takes you on a thrilling adventure. Alien invasion, post-apocalyptic survival, and space battles! I can't wait to read the next one!
September 8, 2020
I gave this 4 hours before I called it quits.
The opening scene was good. But the characters and the world are sorta just told at you as a way to get around having to develop them. I wouldn't mind this if the world building was good enough. But the world building is not good enough, it also feels somewhat glazed over in favor of trying to speed up a plot.
Technology is used to help explain away some impossible stuff like learning how to fly and alien spacecraft via a videogame sim, my first eye rolling moment.
Relationships with the first alien met feels forced and completely unrealistic. Especially with how quick the main characters are at taking his side and doing missions for them.
The whole thing just needed refining. I felt like maybe this story lacked passion from the author because I felt none of it. It felt all cliche and overly borrowed.
The opening scene was good. But the characters and the world are sorta just told at you as a way to get around having to develop them. I wouldn't mind this if the world building was good enough. But the world building is not good enough, it also feels somewhat glazed over in favor of trying to speed up a plot.
Technology is used to help explain away some impossible stuff like learning how to fly and alien spacecraft via a videogame sim, my first eye rolling moment.
Relationships with the first alien met feels forced and completely unrealistic. Especially with how quick the main characters are at taking his side and doing missions for them.
The whole thing just needed refining. I felt like maybe this story lacked passion from the author because I felt none of it. It felt all cliche and overly borrowed.
July 24, 2021
Stop me if you've heard this one: A man and a woman initially don't get along but after a few trials and tribulations they fall in love. Throw in a big alien scientist they initially distrust but both grow to trust deeply and you've got most of the characters in this book.
Then throw them into a poorly thought out sci fi adventure with bad science that get basic stuff wrong . The aliens are the generic big humanlike creatures we all know and tolerate.
The main appeal seems to be the action scenes, which I don't know about you but I don't find appealing in the least.
While not the worst book I've read, you'd have to be scraping the bottom of the barrel of books to read to pick this up.
Then throw them into a poorly thought out sci fi adventure with bad science that get basic stuff wrong . The aliens are the generic big humanlike creatures we all know and tolerate.
The main appeal seems to be the action scenes, which I don't know about you but I don't find appealing in the least.
While not the worst book I've read, you'd have to be scraping the bottom of the barrel of books to read to pick this up.
March 2, 2021
Good work-a-day Space Opera with a post-apocalyptic Earth thrown in for good measure. Fun to read, with some excellent aliens, cannibals, bad guys, nuclear detonations and cool space ships. Whats not to like?
March 16, 2017
simple easy sci-fi with fights, aliens, space travel.
August 16, 2019
Post-apocalyptic space opera that's a quick, enjoyable read.
September 8, 2020
Very good plays on popular sci-fi tropes but I can't get enough of them
January 10, 2023
Really struggling with deciding whether to rate this 3 or 4 stars. I really enjoyed the story. I actually loved the audio narration (listened on audible) and found the narrator really good. I'm making more and more of an exploration into sci-fi and am so far a big fan of humans and aliens teaming up and adventuring into outer space. I also was really intrigued by the added element of a baby being in the mix and the wider implications of these three humans being the last survivors of earth (was the whole Noah and the Ark thing a bit too on the nose? A bit but it's still conceptually a banger). The aliens/other life forms and their connections were a bit confusing/slightly convoluted at times but human-alien interactions are always a delight and the action and tension was fun.
However, there were a few things that I had issue with. I was so excited to see how the baby would add a new element of tension to this type of plot but unfortunately it felt largely underutilised. I understand that maybe the characters, having been through the hell that is the end of the world and having seen all the horrors they saw, wouldn't have this instantaneous connection to Noah. But a lot of the time it felt like if Noah hadn't been there, nothing would really be any different. I'm not saying Lucas and Asha immediately needed to have become Noah's parents but there felt like there was this vast disconnect between them even when they were shown interacting and getting to the point where Lucas even threw himself in harm's way to protect Noah and Asha from certain death. I don't know, I guess I just wanted a bit more of an internal character spotlight. Something a bit more about the gravity of being the last three saved from a doomed planet, how Lucas and Asha have to come to terms with being the guardians for this child - hell, how did Lucas even feel being put in this situation after we find out that it seems he was a bit of an absent/disconnected parent and husband and tried too late to fight to get back to his family only to find that in the end they were long dead?
I also have a few other minor grievances, such as the incredibly convenient learning methods that allowed Asha and Lucas to basically become experts in areas in an incredibly short time, Alpha's additionally convenient genius and creativity (being able to make powerful high-grade weapons in a short time from spare parts just conveniently lying around), and also while the romantic development was obvious a mile away, it was a tad underdeveloped and forced. Don't get me wrong, I want to root for them and do because forging that kind of connection in those kinds of pressured circumstances is always a delight to read, but it felt like there wasn't a solid emotional backing to it and that it was rather something that the author wanted to happen so it did. I mean, Lucas dragged himself across a wasteland America to find his wife and son but also upon first meeting Asha when she supposedly was trapped and in need (and it turned out to be a trap in which she shot and rob him), he's also noticing how drop dead beautiful she is and then also mentioning how beautiful her eyes are. And Asha, almost killing herself in the pod for the chance at a glimpse of her fiancé who she loved so much, and then it's never brought up again and out of the blue she shows up at Lucas' bed. I want the series to end happily with Asha and Lucas and Noah being a family and loving each other, but it feels like the plot is more about going from Point A to B to C without the characters influencing much (again, Noah barely made any impact to anything despite the potential for major emotional influence) or deriving much emotional development from it, or at least not any that's meaningfully conveyed to the reader - it seemed like their entire time on the ship they all had their own routines and things to do with barely any interaction or forging connection. Five months just the three (adults/capable of speech) of them and surely there would have been down times, times where the isolation and need for connection would have kicked in, small conversations about the banalities of life, not necessarily learning major secrets but at least small insights into habits and personalities. But it was all small or background or unsaid that left the pregnancy reveal and Lucas realising he loved Asha feeling rushed and disconnected. I like them together but I need more.
However, there were a few things that I had issue with. I was so excited to see how the baby would add a new element of tension to this type of plot but unfortunately it felt largely underutilised. I understand that maybe the characters, having been through the hell that is the end of the world and having seen all the horrors they saw, wouldn't have this instantaneous connection to Noah. But a lot of the time it felt like if Noah hadn't been there, nothing would really be any different. I'm not saying Lucas and Asha immediately needed to have become Noah's parents but there felt like there was this vast disconnect between them even when they were shown interacting and getting to the point where Lucas even threw himself in harm's way to protect Noah and Asha from certain death. I don't know, I guess I just wanted a bit more of an internal character spotlight. Something a bit more about the gravity of being the last three saved from a doomed planet, how Lucas and Asha have to come to terms with being the guardians for this child - hell, how did Lucas even feel being put in this situation after we find out that it seems he was a bit of an absent/disconnected parent and husband and tried too late to fight to get back to his family only to find that in the end they were long dead?
I also have a few other minor grievances, such as the incredibly convenient learning methods that allowed Asha and Lucas to basically become experts in areas in an incredibly short time, Alpha's additionally convenient genius and creativity (being able to make powerful high-grade weapons in a short time from spare parts just conveniently lying around), and also while the romantic development was obvious a mile away, it was a tad underdeveloped and forced. Don't get me wrong, I want to root for them and do because forging that kind of connection in those kinds of pressured circumstances is always a delight to read, but it felt like there wasn't a solid emotional backing to it and that it was rather something that the author wanted to happen so it did. I mean, Lucas dragged himself across a wasteland America to find his wife and son but also upon first meeting Asha when she supposedly was trapped and in need (and it turned out to be a trap in which she shot and rob him), he's also noticing how drop dead beautiful she is and then also mentioning how beautiful her eyes are. And Asha, almost killing herself in the pod for the chance at a glimpse of her fiancé who she loved so much, and then it's never brought up again and out of the blue she shows up at Lucas' bed. I want the series to end happily with Asha and Lucas and Noah being a family and loving each other, but it feels like the plot is more about going from Point A to B to C without the characters influencing much (again, Noah barely made any impact to anything despite the potential for major emotional influence) or deriving much emotional development from it, or at least not any that's meaningfully conveyed to the reader - it seemed like their entire time on the ship they all had their own routines and things to do with barely any interaction or forging connection. Five months just the three (adults/capable of speech) of them and surely there would have been down times, times where the isolation and need for connection would have kicked in, small conversations about the banalities of life, not necessarily learning major secrets but at least small insights into habits and personalities. But it was all small or background or unsaid that left the pregnancy reveal and Lucas realising he loved Asha feeling rushed and disconnected. I like them together but I need more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2021
A bit sloppy on execution
I listened to the Audible release of The Last Exodus with Victor Bevine as the reader who did a fine job bringing this book to life. Aliens invade earth for its water but underestimate the human's level of technology and end up fighting earth to a draw and poison the earth leaving it essentially uninhabitable.
The book finds our protagonist, Lucas, attempting to get to Portland to find his family after the invasion of Aliens catches him away from his family. Essentially, all life on earth is dead or dying, temperatures are going up and all naturally existing water is gone. He makes it to Portland only to find it has been obliterated. Before he ends it all with a bullet to the head, he discovers an alien scientist trying to get the ship functional. It turns out the scientist is in rebellion against his own people for these senseless wars and is looking to defect to the main enemy of the Aliens. So Lucas and Asha (a woman he finds along the way) now set out to find the enemy and defect.
This is not a bad quest story with plenty of action. What held this book in large part from achieving greatness is the degree to which the so-called science is either not explained or just plain wrong. The aliens are there for the water because it is used, somehow for their transportation. These very same aliens who get caught by surprise by Earth's ability to fight back - to the point that the aliens retreat (without the water), are the ones who manage to poison the earth - to the point that the oceans are dried up and temperatures rise beyond survivability. Really? They don't take the water, but all the water disappears? Tassi misses the mark on known technology, like weaponry. I am not talking laser guns here, but a 45 Magnum?
There are some other elements of the book that stretch beyond believability. Namely, Also, that three people manage to fly a ship (normally maintained by dozens) using tech from another crashed ship.
If you can get past some of these issues, what remains is entertaining and fast-paced. This is a trilogy, but the ending is decent (at least finishing without a cliffhanger). I think I will give book 2 a go.
I listened to the Audible release of The Last Exodus with Victor Bevine as the reader who did a fine job bringing this book to life. Aliens invade earth for its water but underestimate the human's level of technology and end up fighting earth to a draw and poison the earth leaving it essentially uninhabitable.
The book finds our protagonist, Lucas, attempting to get to Portland to find his family after the invasion of Aliens catches him away from his family. Essentially, all life on earth is dead or dying, temperatures are going up and all naturally existing water is gone. He makes it to Portland only to find it has been obliterated. Before he ends it all with a bullet to the head, he discovers an alien scientist trying to get the ship functional. It turns out the scientist is in rebellion against his own people for these senseless wars and is looking to defect to the main enemy of the Aliens. So Lucas and Asha (a woman he finds along the way) now set out to find the enemy and defect.
This is not a bad quest story with plenty of action. What held this book in large part from achieving greatness is the degree to which the so-called science is either not explained or just plain wrong. The aliens are there for the water because it is used, somehow for their transportation. These very same aliens who get caught by surprise by Earth's ability to fight back - to the point that the aliens retreat (without the water), are the ones who manage to poison the earth - to the point that the oceans are dried up and temperatures rise beyond survivability. Really? They don't take the water, but all the water disappears? Tassi misses the mark on known technology, like weaponry. I am not talking laser guns here, but a 45 Magnum?
There are some other elements of the book that stretch beyond believability. Namely, Also, that three people manage to fly a ship (normally maintained by dozens) using tech from another crashed ship.
If you can get past some of these issues, what remains is entertaining and fast-paced. This is a trilogy, but the ending is decent (at least finishing without a cliffhanger). I think I will give book 2 a go.
March 14, 2023
This review is based on the Audible audio book version
This is my first Paul Tassi novel, and whilst I did find it engaging enough I am unsure if I will continue with the series. There were some good points in the story as well as being elements that I found less satisfactory. The good points were
1) The story moved along at a reasonable pace back story was included as part of the natural development of relationships between the characters meant that they didn't slow the story down
2) The Lucas and Asha as the human protagonist do learn how to use alien tech and fly the ship but's its not instant and need alien infused learning which fed directly to the brain
3) The humans using alien tech did sometimes struggle with side effects due to the different physiology
4) Whilst Alpha (the alien) developed a translator there were phrases or technical terms that didn't translate which felt realistic
On the negative side
1) I struggled to warm to any of the characters to any great extent and for different reasons, Lucas appears as excessively naïve it that he always trusts even after being shown that live in the dystopian earth post the alien war is not a trustworthy place - he just never learns. Asha just doesn't across as a nice person whilst Alpha is portrayed as someone they in an unwanted alliance with and who is an enemy not fully to be trusted
2) The book can't really decide what it is, there are elements of a dystopian thriller with barren earth and the end of the war, there are elements of Alien invasion (hence the war), elements of military Sci-fi with battles required to get the three of them to 'safety' and right at the end we have first contact. For me I would have preferred for there to be less jumping around.
3) Maybe it was being an audio book, but having frequent unpronounceable elements (which is the untranslatable alien language) whilst realistic was annoying to listen to
The narrator was excellent and whilst it was somewhat annoying with the constant unpronounceable words he did as good a job as could be done with this.
This is my first Paul Tassi novel, and whilst I did find it engaging enough I am unsure if I will continue with the series. There were some good points in the story as well as being elements that I found less satisfactory. The good points were
1) The story moved along at a reasonable pace back story was included as part of the natural development of relationships between the characters meant that they didn't slow the story down
2) The Lucas and Asha as the human protagonist do learn how to use alien tech and fly the ship but's its not instant and need alien infused learning which fed directly to the brain
3) The humans using alien tech did sometimes struggle with side effects due to the different physiology
4) Whilst Alpha (the alien) developed a translator there were phrases or technical terms that didn't translate which felt realistic
On the negative side
1) I struggled to warm to any of the characters to any great extent and for different reasons, Lucas appears as excessively naïve it that he always trusts even after being shown that live in the dystopian earth post the alien war is not a trustworthy place - he just never learns. Asha just doesn't across as a nice person whilst Alpha is portrayed as someone they in an unwanted alliance with and who is an enemy not fully to be trusted
2) The book can't really decide what it is, there are elements of a dystopian thriller with barren earth and the end of the war, there are elements of Alien invasion (hence the war), elements of military Sci-fi with battles required to get the three of them to 'safety' and right at the end we have first contact. For me I would have preferred for there to be less jumping around.
3) Maybe it was being an audio book, but having frequent unpronounceable elements (which is the untranslatable alien language) whilst realistic was annoying to listen to
The narrator was excellent and whilst it was somewhat annoying with the constant unpronounceable words he did as good a job as could be done with this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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