Better World

Legacy Code #0.5

by Autumn Kalquist

The last humans spent centuries searching for a new Earth. Now they face extinction.

For three hundred years, arks have carried the last remnants of humanity through dark space. The ships are old, failing, and every colonist must do their duty to ensure the fleet's survival.

Maeve is a metalworker, toiling in the blistering sublevels of the London. She's lost friends and family to the hazardous work conditions and fears every job she's assigned could be her last. All she wants is a little control over her life, but the oppressive sublevel enforcers ensure that’s not an option.

Now, after decades of traveling, the ships have finally reached their destination: Soren, a toxic planet that may have the resources they desperately need. But mining a planet comes at a price, and Maeve and the other workers will be expected to pay it with their lives.

If a better world awaits, Maeve's sure to be dead long before the fleet finds it… unless she finds a way to control her destiny and change it.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Dystopia, Ebooks, Young Adult, Space Opera, Science Fiction Fantasy

154 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2015

About the author

Hello!
I stop by Goodreads once a month or so. But I love to hear from my readers! The best way to reach me is at autumn (@) autumnkalquist.com.


Visit AutumnKalquist.com to GET YOUR FREE STORY


FRACTURED ERA SERIES by Autumn Kalquist

FRACTURED ERA ARCHIVES
318
Decode
Protecteds: Origins - Only available to newsletter subscribers.

Fractured Era Defective
Defective
Infected (Coming Soon)
Protected (Coming Soon)

Fractured Era LEGACY SERIES
Better World - Prequel
Legacy Code: Book #1
Paragon: Book #2

OR read these episodes in one compilation: Legacy (Book One of Fractured Era Legacy)

Legacy Book Two - (Publication date to be announced)

Autumn Kalquist is a USA TODAY bestselling author of the Fractured Era book series. She writes fantasy, dystopian, and post-apocalyptic fiction that asks compelling questions--often met with morally gray answers. She records songs for each of her books, which can be found on her website or on music services like Spotify. You can also purchase her graphic design, artwork, and photography through several stores on Society6.com, Redbubble.com and Casetify.com. Visit AutumnKalquist.com for more details!

Reviews

[Ron · Rating 1 out of 5]

intriguing concept; poor execution. Logical, physical and storytelling gaffs. Cardboard characters.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

For an Amazon freebie, this was pretty good. The author had built a post apocalyptic, deep space world where people survived on ageing space ships in a tyrannical, hierarchical society. The whole purpose of existence was to try to find planets which had a particular metal on it which could be forged into another tool to jump to a new galaxy and hopefully discover a habitable planet. The story revolves around Maeve, 18 years old and almost desperate to end her own life to get away. It soon emerges that this desire is as much from her hatred of her position, as from the fact that she's in love with another woman. But she soon volunteers to be one of the first to make a landing on a new planet - a job which is an almost certain death sentence.

I wanted a bit more from this. There was such a lot of potential in the story but at 150 pages there just wasn't enough for me. There was tension and there was a decent plot but I felt it didn't quite meet the potential it had. I know it is part of a trilogy, so I had a look at the extract from the next book and it seems as if Maeve doesn't figure much at all, much to my disappointment. Nevertheless, this was an easy, entertaining read and worth a look considering the price :-)

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll be doing a short review, because this was a short book and because I feel a bit lazy today ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The Bad
Most people start with the good, but I figure I should leave off on a positive note for juuust this once.

Like most YA sci-fi, this novella is jam-packed with clichés, so much so that I started a list right off the bat in order to vent my frustrations somewhere.

BIG OL' LIST OF CLICHÉS
*Man appears and gives protag something to live for
*Broken-down ship in space
*All names are made up or weirdly-spelled versions of current names (Dritan, Bea, Kevan, Gilly, Cassia, etc)
*Strict, caste-like hierarchies on said ship
*The guards are dumb, unnecessarily rude, and get smashed on space hooch whenever possible (most of the time)
*Unnecessary, truncated words for average things (caretaker for kindergarten, recyc for recycle, etc)
*Leering authority figure leers at protag
*BFFs have been friends since kindergarten (not calling it caretaker) and leering authority figure bullied protag back then, causing BFF to step in and stop said bullying, thus creating a lasting friendship between BFF and protag
*Colors of outfits designate prestige/occupation
*Group of outcasts present
*Some silly substitution for a deity, used for swearing
*Word used for shit that isn't shit
*Obligatory random kid tossed in for protag to love and want to protect
*SPACE WEAPONS (a...taser-baton???) and FUTURISTIC SCHEDULE II DRUGS (because you can't just say it's an opiate)

Also, I have a lot of questions about their procedure for landing on uncharted planets. Such as: Why not send an unmanned ship down first, to avoid loss of life? Why don't the spacesuits contain some sort of flame retardant? Why do their transport ships have basically NO SHIELDING WHATSOEVER? If space agencies could bring people back safely through the atmosphere by the late sixties, without the use of modern computers, what are these people's excuse?


The Good
The book really picks up at chapter six (65% done) and I'd give that portion of it three stars, easily. The landing and ensuing situation Maeve finds herself in was genuinely entertaining and I flew through the final pages with minimal cliché detection. If the following books focused on the colonization of Soren, I'd definitely keep reading...unfortunately, they do not and I'm afraid I'd only find more clichés, so it looks like I'll be giving this series a pass for now.

[Itsy Bitsy Book Bits · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Better World’ is the first book in the author’s ‘The Fractured Era Series’ and it was a thoroughly enjoyable read! The story pulls you in right away with the main character’s disgruntled feelings on her life as a low-level sub stuck in a never-ending job of finding a new planet suitable for living on and having the necessary metals for mining. Maeve and her fellow sub, Dritan, have a very close friendship that is tested at times. The reader can feel the tension between the two as Dritan seems to want more from the friendship and Maeve’s obvious attempts to convince him to find someone else to pair with.
As a new planet is discovered, Maeve is part of the crew to make a first landing and test the soil to see if it has everything required to make it their home. The treacherous flight to the planet will keep you on the edge of your seat and the challenges that are faced as they investigate the planet will keep the reader drawn in wanting to keep reading.
Throughout the story, Maeve learns just how strong she is: from standing up for what is right to putting her own safety to the side in order to save others that don’t necessarily deserve to be saved. She is a character you can’t help but cheer for!
I would definitely recommend this novella to other readers! I can’t wait to dig in to books 2 and 3 to see how these character’s lives play out. This quick read is a wonderful Sci-Fi adventure!

[Suba Wijesinghe · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hope...! Soren meant hope.
She wants to survive.
She's BRAVE enough to live this life.
A BETTER WORLD awaits.
And MAEVE believed."


MAEVE..... my favourite character in this story. She was brave enough to stand as a volunteer for the first exploration to the planet SOREN. Even she knows that she'll be die during the exploration. But eventually she was lucky enough to save her life.

Awesome story.... Love it lot....

[Daphnee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 *

But what happens with Maeve? She wasn't in Legacy Code if I remember well or was she? I am so confused. It was a good novella. Autumn really has a way with words. I would've read an entire book about Maeve's story. I enjoyed it but did not love it as much as Legacy Code, I'm not entirely sure why. It also felt incomplete. It was fast-paced and full of suspense!

[Hmr28 · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF'd

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "Better World" the science fiction prequel to Legacy Code the colonists are planning to send landing parties to the noxious planet of Soren where they hope to find deposits of martisium needed to build another stargate. On the London where Maeve Vasquez a metalworker toils in hazardous conditions to keep the transport ship functioning, a call has gone out for volunteers for the mission but when no one steps forward a lottery is held for the seven workers required. Considered a deviant because she remains unmated and rumored to be attracted to the lead medic's daughter Cassia, Maeve finds herself swept up in a dangerous assignment that will have her making decisions that will not only affect her life but those on the ships left behind.

Emotionally-charged and fast-paced as events unfold, Autumn Kalquist sweeps the reader into a world where after three hundred years of searching for a habitable planet the fleet's ships filled with a remnant of humanity are old and falling apart. Hopeful that by jumping through another black hole an earth-like planet may be found that will support life, the officers decide to send teams to Soren to search for the resource they need. It is this mission and an odd set of circumstances that propels Maeve into volunteering.

In a well-written and heartbreaking plot where unmated subs and techs eighteen years and over are chosen for a suicide mission from which they may never return, the mood is dark and hopeless. There seems to be no justice for a worthy sub who trains and works hard only to be maimed or killed, and no tolerance for outcasts with missing limbs, health and mental problems who commit suicide so they don't use up the fleet's valuable resources. Slowly animosity and hatred is taking hold against the higher execs who live luxuriously, have different rules,longer lives and enforcers to keep them safe. Cleverly the author creates a stark contrast to an atmosphere that promises a better world just beyond a black hole.

Maeve Vasquez haunted by the loss of her parents struggles with depression and is defiant and unpredictable, having no control over her life. Isolated because of her lack of conformity she feels lost, without hope and cowardly after a tragic accident only to exude courage under duress when she's able to make choices and face the consequences. In contrast her crew-mate Dritan Corinth is smart, brave and passionate about his duty. He's confident, accepting and optimistic about the future. In love with Maeve he clings to the futile hope that she'll return and be his mate. All the characters are unforgettable adding passion, energy and drama to an intoxicating tale with an anti-climatic ending that will be further explored in the novel.

With a captivating plot, memorable characters and heart-pounding action, this prequel is a must read before Legacy Code. I can't wait to read more in a series that keeps you wondering whether or not the colonists will survive and find a planet they can colonize.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A better world awaits.
Really?

Not everyone believes, someone thinks it is better to leave via an airlock.
Maeve is full of darkness inside and wants release out in the darkness of space beyond the ship.
And it's her 18th birthday!

I do so like Autumn's stories, she makes them so real; bearing in mind they are set hundreds of years in the futures and hundreds of light years from Earth.

Although it is not the first book written in the Legacy Code series, it is chronologically the first in the series. Although I don't think it matters what order you read the books in, as each is a self-contained tale.

This is definitely a book I will recommend to a friend, and to you too.

I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author In exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars

More about the series:
LEGACY CODE
Better World
Legacy Code (Book One)
Paragon (Book Two)

Short Stories
Fractured Era Archives: 318
Fractured Era Archives: Decode
Legacy Code: Origin

Official description:
The last humans spent centuries searching for a new Earth. Now they face extinction.

For three hundred years, arks have carried the last remnants of humanity through dark space. The ships are old, failing, and every colonist must do their duty to ensure the fleet's survival.

Maeve is a metalworker, toiling in the blistering sublevels of the London. She's lost friends and family to the hazardous work conditions and fears every job she's assigned could be her last. All she wants is a little control over her life, but the oppressive sublevel enforcers ensure that’s not an option.

Now, after decades of traveling, the ships have finally reached their destination: Soren, a toxic planet that may have the resources they desperately need. But mining a planet comes at a price, and Maeve and the other workers will be expected to pay it with their lives.

If a better world awaits, Maeve's sure to be dead long before the fleet finds it… unless she finds a way to control her destiny and change it.

Available from:-
Better World (Fractured Era Series Book 1)

[Dede · Rating 2 out of 5]

"What if quitting was the only escape?"

Ok, so i'm not sure what my feelings are regarding this book.. I'm a little confuse; i think more than a little. And maybe, because there are so many books and short storys connected to this series, that i don't know how to associate them with the original story, i mean the first book. There are so many characters, and the story line is similar but different at the same time.

So this book, aparently, it's two years before the Paragon story, the first book in this series. For me, honestly, it wasen't necessary. I didn't need it, i didn't have questions that were needed to be answered. So, i don't see the point of this short story. The only short series that i need, and i think that ansewer to all the questions i have, and others that have read this series, is DEFECT.
It was a little hard for me to connect with it because i kinda forgot the details about first novel, and the name of the characters. But, i finally caught up.
It wasn't a bad story, but it was not my favorite. I don't know... For me - to many details, tehnical details. And being so short i thought that it will be more about the characters and not so much about the world. And i still didn't get the ending. Like i sad, so confusing.

The only part that i liked was that not typical love story that i read about it so far. *And i know i have to read more of those storys. Hope, very soon* That is the only reason why i'm giving this book 2 stars.
My opinion?! It will be better if the author would stay focused on the original story, and not on the short novels. I mean, there are so many of those... i don't need them, i need the real story, the volume 3 of the Legacy Code.

"Come back to me, and ask me again...I'll say yes."

[Jason H · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first book in a series, it was a disappointment overall. Think The Hunger Games meets The 100, except you've already read both so nothing is original or interesting.

Kalquist is a good writer, make no mistake -- the language is clear and easy to read, with no mistakes -- but she needs to come up with something new and interesting. Maybe it's not her fault these stories have already been done, but she didn't bring anything original to the old story to make me want to keep reading the series.

She plays the "gay = deviant" card right away, which is just annoying in a book published this decade. That might have been a groundbreaking strategy 30, 40, or 50 years ago in a sci-fi book, but nowadays it feels cheap.

Kalquist is going for the YA readership that many of her contemporaries have captured, and I don't blame her. Having this series be part of the Kindle Unlimited program should help her get some readership, and hopefully her other books with offer a bit more originality.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I probably started this series "backwards" because I read the prequels first (which she released after the main series began, and is really there to provide more background). I am really into this series. I find them fast-moving with good character development, and Ms. Kalquist does things that take a simply entertaining book to something more elevated; the world she develops in her books includes details, such as inventing slang, job titles, and more that would be unique to a different time in the future.
I also love the fact that the main character is dealing with her sexuality, creating an added storyline that isn't very often told in dystopian future novels. And she's a strong character who also, as us humans do, questions herself, doubts herself, but perseveres anyway.
I would say my only complaints are that this book seemed too short (which is a good problem, because if the book wasn't good, I'd be thankful) and I was really really hoping to hear more about the characters and storylines developed in the prequels, so I'm still hoping I'll hear more about those in the next couple of books in the series.

[Gary Sedivy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Got this off BookBub. It is not really a novel, perhaps a novella or a longish short story.
It is dystopian, or at least post-earth. The basis seems to be a fleet of arks are searching for a new habitable world for the remnant humans aboard. They’ve been doing it a long while because the ships may be falling apart. Two problems: they aren’t finding said planet, and they need a rare material, martisiam, to make a jump gate which they haven’t found on any previous planets.
The protagonist is female, about 18 years old. Her parents were killed in an accident and she is depressed, bitter, and exceedingly angry. The culture on these ships is very Socialist - determining who can marry, have children, and is fairly brutal in enforcement.
The writing is pedestrian. I don’t think the characters are well developed, except for the angry teenage female. The kicker for this reader: the teen is a lesbian. Sorry, but the ‘flaming loins’ scene was thrown in simply for prurient display. It was near the end of the story. It was gratuitous and had no bearing on the challenges that would be faced in trying to land on the planet.
Not worth the time spent reading it.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book through the author’s website. I understand that it’s a prequel to a complicated series that I’ve yet to explore. Having read this, though, I plan to read Legacy Code soon. A fleet of human spaceships roaming space is certainly not a new concept, but it’s an endlessly fascinating one.

There is not much back story in this book, and I have questions about some of the conditions and practices on the ship that’s home to the main character, Maeve. A few things puzzled me, but I assume the ships and the fleet’s operation are better described in the main series. Maeve was the focus of this story, and I felt that her emotional turmoil was depicted very well. Humans make it difficult for anyone that differs from the norm right here on planet Earth, and that’s magnified in the restrictive society on the ship. Maeve’s depression is terrible, and is ignored by all.

It’s an interesting, well-written story, and I enjoyed reading it. I hope I’ll get to see how Maeve handles the rest of her life in another part of this series.

[Katie Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better World is a sci-fi novel set after Earth has been destroyed and the last of the humans are working about working ships to prepare for a better world.

Maeve works on the ship, London. Along with her friend Dritan, but now eighteen and having lost her parents the trip to the planet below is dangerous.

However, after a colleague has an accident thay should have happened to her- Maeve takes Dritan's place to go to land. A trip that years ago, her parents never came back from.

What awaits her on the surface of Soren?

Does a better world really await?

It was a short but great read.
I really want to get into more Sci fi and easing my way in seems like the right thing to do.

[Emmanuelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this is a prequel to Legacy Code, I've read the sequels prior to this one (due to when they were published). I would say that this novelette can be read before or after and still make sense. Autumn continues to weave a fantastic tale that leaves you gripped to the edge of your seat and wishing to go on a space adventure.
In this story, we learn about the discovery of Soren and the excitement (and dread) of finding out whether the planet's surface will be suitable for life and metal mining. The main character is Maeve, accompanied by Dritan (who is a familiar name from Legacy Code). As low-level subs, their lives are pretty restricted and they are considered expendable. As thus, they are bullied into dangerous tasks and punished for disobedience and treason. As Maeve becomes disgruntled with this life, she becomes a more outspoken rebel; this in turn causes her to act rashly in order to save the lives of those she cares about.

[Pastyl · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book by Kalquist that I've read so I read this without knowing anything about Legacy Code...

Overall, it was alright. It wasn't a waste of my time and I liked the writing style. I didn't understand a lot of the terminology used, though, but it didn't really matter much to me. I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi, but the concept was pretty interesting.

That being said, I found the short novel really predictable... well, except for the kiss. That was definitely unexpected. Some parts were a little boring. Idk, I found Fenton to be a little /too/ antagonistic, if that makes sense? Like, the whole novel was basically focusing on how much of an ass he was. Dritan just sounds like your typical perfect character and idk, it just bugged me.

I'd give this 2/5 since it was okay.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy from the author for an honest review.

This was an o.k read, the thing is I read the books by date that I receive them and now there's the main series with several sub series and I'm just confused about the story lines and characters it's getting difficult to follow.

I love the writing and world building but the I don't see the story line anymore and I don't have the time to re-read all the books again to get back on track.

Maybe the author can make some summery in the beginning of the book?

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maeve was a character I wanted to root for, but I wasn't sure she would make it because she had mostly given up hope. We learn about her world and the limited choices she has. I was surprised by the choice she made on the surface of the new planet. I wanted to learn more about her. Unfortunately, the next book mentions that everyone on the surface had died. Maeve never really finds her better world.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no recollection of putting this on my ereader, but that's okay. It was a nice surprise. This has some great dystopian elements, a lead who's got grit, and is a super quick read. I mean, it's a really really quick read. Recommend.

[Stu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and hurried. Didn't connect with the characters. I've started the second one in the series and it doesn't continue from where this left off leaving an odd gap.

[Lucinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read - I read most of it last night before sleeping. When I finished this morning I was interested enough to start the next book straight away.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Struggle

This book is about struggle between lifestyle and an alien planet. Are young woman coming to grips with her sexuality and the problems that it causes in an enclosed environment of Space is an interesting story. At one point she wants to commit suicide but in another she understands the need to persevere and to survive. The characters seem to be a little shallow and almost caricatures of personality types. A little more development however would make this a really good story.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better World is part of the Fractured Era Legacy series. This should not be read as a standalone as it is clear from the ending that there is more to this story. This book should be a story of hope but after 300 years wandering in space, the ships are falling apart and no one has hope anymore. The beginning is a downer but the story does improve from that low point. But this is not the story for you if you are looking for sunshine and flowers because those don't exist on the ships or on the planet they land on for materials.

[Jellybean The horseshoe crab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now don’t get me wrong I like sci fi, if I had more world building around the main character I probably would have loved it. It’s dark, it hits that perfect note of dark sci fi, end of times, why bother humanity fucked up long ago that is beautiful. But without the world building, it falls a little flat. Now if there was a full on novel in this world I’d gobble that up. I do understand the view towards the alphabet mafia, but at the same time rubs me the wrong way, so am I rolling for those lovely lady lovers? Hell yes.

[Hw Huyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story , fast moving page turner, believable

He’d been there for her that day and every day after. They’d left the London to get away from the accidents, the random acts of violence, the terrorist threats, the deadly Soren work draft. If something had happened to him, if coming here had all been for nothing… “Era.” Her breath caught, and she opened her eyes. Dritan strode down the corridor toward her, his expression grim.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world felt complete and the characters were compelling. I'd recommend this book and I'll look for more by this author. The plot is simple, but in a way that would feel age appropriate for young adults.

[Kylie Cuevas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enticing read, never a dull moment and never any forced action

I enjoyed this quick read and couldn’t put it down. Perfect balance of constant motion that isn’t forced. Great world building.

[Gabriela Cornejo-Legora · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will be taken to a set of stories you want to read. They'll draw you to interesting and realistic characters, you'd feel strangely identified with... even when they are not like you... I just loved this series.

[Kathy KS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Promising introduction to this series. I will be following up with the next volume. A generation ship has left what appears to be a ruined Earth, but things seem to be be getting worse with the crew and the ship.