The 13th Continuum

Continuum #1

by Jennifer Brody

One thousand years after a cataclysmic event leaves humanity on the brink of extinction, the survivors take refuge in continuums designed to sustain the human race until repopulation of Earth becomes possible. Against this backdrop, a group of young friends in the underwater Thirteenth Continuum dream about life outside their totalitarian existence, an idea that has been outlawed for centuries. When a shocking discovery turns the dream into a reality, they must decide if they will risk their own extinction to experience something no one has for generations, the Surface.

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic, Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook

404 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Jennifer Brody / Vera Strange (pen name) is the author of the "Disney Chills" 7-book series, "The 13th Continuum" trilogy, and the Stoker Finalist "Spectre Deep 6," prompting Forbes to call Brody “a star in the graphic novel world.” She is the co-author of "Star Wars: Stories of Jedi & Sith," where she penned the Darth Vader story. She’s a graduate of Harvard University, a film/TV producer and writer, and a creative writing instructor for the Writing Pad. She began her career in Hollywood working for A-List directors and movie studios.

You can find her on Twitter and TikTok @JenniferBrody, and Instagram and Facebook @JenniferBrodyWriter.

Reviews

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't been as surprised by how fast a book has grabbed me in quite a while. I loved the premise of it , it is not just another dystopian book, it has more substance and the characters are very well developed, the plot is believable and it grabs you from the first moment you start it . Highly recommend this book to any lovers of science fiction out there . This is one of the best YA books I have read in quite a while .

[michelle (travelingbooknerds) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fresh, exciting post-apocalyptic adventure that will have you on the edge of your seat!

This book... where do I even begin?

The story is engaging from the first page. You will go to sleep dreaming about these incredibly well-rounded, strong characters; and wake up unable to stop yourself from delving back into Myra and Aero's stories. Their journeys and challenges they face throughout the course of this book have incredible stakes that are action-packed and Jennifer Brody makes them completely believable. She has you rooting for them almost immediately, and the characters are incredibly layered and complex. It's impossible not to fall in love with them.

The supporting characters are lovable. The dialogue is realistic, and each character's voice is so uniquely their own. The antagonists are multi-faceted incredibly formidable opponents, and as you progress through the story, you worry for your new friends and root for their safety. Their quests to the surface - though different - are equally exciting and you continuously hope for their success throughout their missions to get there.

The amazing heavy lifting Jennifer Brody accomplishes in setting up her incredible vast universe in The 13th Continuum just immediately envelopes you. The surroundings, the tech, the descriptions of the inhabitants of the Continuums are incredibly visual, and she paints a vivd picture in your imagination of the world 1000 years into the future.

The only sadness I have, is that I have to wait until I get to tag along onto the next new chapter of the incredible journey of these characters that have become a part of my soul. But as I wait for the next installment of Myra, Aero, and the rest of the inhabitants of The 13th Continuum to unfold, I am glad I have this book to revisit, so I can hang out with these strong, funny, inspiring, well-written characters many times over again.

Get in on this book before it becomes the incredible world-wide hit it will undoubtably become, so you can tell everyone you read it first! You will definitely not regret this page-turning addictive read.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved the book so much, I also purchased both a paperback and two hardcover copies on my own, for myself and a friend.

[Olivia-Savannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 13th Continuum is a book I more so picked up because it looked interesting more than anthing else. I didn't know too much about it, but the idea of the book intrigued me. I liked the word continuum. And that was enough for me to sign up and keep me fingers crossed that I was chosen to be part of the tour! I'm so happy I got the chance to read and review this book because I flew through it in the space of two days, despite it being 400-something pages long.

This novel is a post-apocalyptic set book. The beginning had me head over heels in love already because we get to see the Doom unfolding, and what happened to the chosen people who were sent to the continuums. But then we got a little bit of history as we skip forward 1000 years (it's not a disjointed skip at all!) We get to see how the situation in the 13th Continuum develops, and it was perfect because I could see all the patterns in history that we studied occurring. The religion overtaking democracy, the burning of books and most things related to the past [in order to create a new history that suits themselves] and so on. It's just how I would have pictured it to happen and was just so realistic, I could believe it was happening now if I wanted to!


But then the story kicks in, and we are swept into this scientific underwater world. It's described so perfectly that it is easy to envision where everything is and what being part of this society is like. Myra, our main character, definitely doesn't have it easy. She dreams of The Surface - words that are forbidden to even be spoken about - and when she hears of the Beacon that can help guide her society back to earth (especially as the Continuum itself is failing) I just loved the journey it took her on. She needed bravery, she needed friends and she manages to bring all that and more to the forefront in this novel.

We don't only get to see Myra's perspective though. The second voice in the story belongs to Captain Aero who is in another continuum, but one of the ones that was persevered in space. Although all the continuums began with humans, this one has taken a very different approach after the last 1000 years. Advanced technology and a war-run kind of society where soldiers and being emotionless is valued, it was interesting to see this take on the world. It wasn't as developed as I felt Myra's was, but it was still fantastically done and fed my imagination until it was satisfied.


There is plenty of action in this book to keep you hooked. The climax is especially jam-packed because nothing seems to go perfectly right in the way you'd want for people who are trying to save the world. At times I felt like the way Myra and her gang managed to escape some situations was leaning a little on the too-good-to-be-true side, but aside from that I greatly enjoyed reading it.

As for the secondary characters, some were fairly well developed and others were a little lacking. We never really get to know Rikard, Kaleb or Paige as much as I would have liked. But by the end of the book I really felt a connection to Maude, Wren and Tinker as well. It was strange that sometimes I could connect incredibly well with some secondary characters, but with others at times not at all!

This story took me in on a ride that I couldn't keep track of my notes and just enjoyed reading the book! If that isn't a testament to how good this book is, then I'm not sure what else could be. I'm looking forward to the sequel!

This book review and others can originally be found on Olivia's Catastrophe: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/20...

[yueyaooo ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

finally back to reading bc of this book 🫡🫡

[ullianachase · Rating 2 out of 5]

Если бы не завышенные ожидания из-за восторженных отзывов, может, книга мне больше понравилась бы, но теперь уже никуда не денешься.
Начало шло очень хорошо. Интересный подход к дистопии, продуманный конец Земли, ковчеги, разбросанные по разным местам, система жизни под водой в течение тысячи лет. Все вроде круто, и хоть написано простым языком, книга читается с интересом. И все бы шло хорошо, если бы однообразие не утомляло. Через вторую половину книги я буквально продиралась, мне надоел 13 ковчег и его общество, поклоняющееся Святому морю, а второму ковчегу не хватило места и времени для раскрытия. Хотя главы от лица Аэро читать было интереснее, чем от лица Майры. Вот только как персонаж Аэро уступает Майре, слишком уж он блеклый.
Сюрпризом стал и сам сюжет, аннотация немного запутала, и ожидала я другой ход событий. Правда, не знаю, устроил бы он меня теперь.
В общем, очень смешанные впечатления оставила после себя эта книга. Буду ли читать продолжение? Очень сомневаюсь, но кто знает.
Не хочется ставить 2 звезды, но и 3 кажется многовато.

[Rachel Adiyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel; I liked it very much, but I didn't love it, thus I cannot give it five stars. My ability to love it was compromised at the very beginning when we ran into a christian-like theocracy running the colony, which I thought was a waste of an awesome premise. Then we run into the other continuum introduced in this book, and we have people who have somehow developed FTL spaceflight and have made emotions illegal and live in a militaristic oligarchy, which I also thought was a waste of a good premise.

What hooked me into continuing to read this book were the relationships developed between the characters. I wanted to see where Myra and Kaleb were going, and how Theo Wright figured in to the romantic tensions building up around the adolescents. But frankly, I had some problems with certain ideas introduced in the novel, and they spoiled it for me. Such as:

It's been a thousand years but everyone still speaks the same type of English; no one could survive the lethal radiation of a planet orbiting a neutron star; how did they come up with FTL travel; wouldn't it have taken a few hundred years before the Oracle of the Sea religion and its attendant political changes come into existence rather than a few decades; how the Hockers survive, I mean, just think about it; where do they get fish at the bottom of an ocean trench; why do all mystic people from the brotherhood at the beginning to the Plenus to the Forgers all wear similar crimson robes; how it seems that everyone other than Myra, her family, Kaleb, and Theo seem like background decoration rather than genuine characters; and why I get the feeling that all of the continuums have gone all weird or been destroyed.

Oh I'll be reading the sequels, but I'll probably have complaints about them, too. But don't let these stop you from reading the book.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a signed copy of this novel from the author during the Fall 2016 YASH via Jennifer Brody's bonus giveaway. Thanks very much, Jennifer!

A thousand years after an apocalyptic event, humanity has saved itself from extinction by surviving in continuums specifically designed to sustain us until repopulation of the surface of the earth becomes possible. A group of citizens from the 13th Continuum, deep at the bottom of the ocean, begins to consider what life could be like out from under totalitarian rule - a very dangerous thing by itself. However, when shocking information comes to light, they'll have to decide if they want to risk death and extinction for something no one has experienced firsthand in a thousand years - the Surface.

The 13th Continuum by Jennifer Brody is an excellent series opener - it's quite a unique post-apocalyptic dystopian sci-fi debut. I particularly appreciated the novel's opening - the fact that we get to see a glimpse of the world before the continuums and that we have an idea of what they're for, and the way the 13th Continuum in particular has evolved away from it's original purpose. While we spend most of our time with the citizens of the 13th Continuum, we also get a look at the fates of some of the other continuums - the most important being one in space. I liked seeing the comparison between the lives of the citizens of both, and discovering how much everyone knows from the beginning and just how different life is for everyone. The main cast of characters including Myra, Tinker, Aero are all well drawn and their dialogue comes across as quite realistic considering the circumstances. They're all quite likable and I found myself wanting to root for them. However, the villains didn't stand out as much to me because at times I imagined they must be twirling their mustaches and cackling to themselves.

Overall, I highly enjoyed The 13th Continuum and I'm really looking forward to what comes next in book two, The Return of the Continuums. If you like Divergent series by Veronica Roth or the The 100 tv adaptation, I have a feeling that you'll become a fan of Jennifer Brody's debut novel.

[T.A. Maclagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this first entry into the Continuum series. If you're a dystopian lover this a must read and every bit as good as The Hunger Games and Divergent. The world building is utterly compelling and unique and the characters are ones you can easily root for. The pacing never lags and I ALWAYS wanted to keep reading! The ending was fulfilling while leaving me aching for more. Bring on the sequel!

[Nadia Zeemeeuw · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is definitely that kind of book you become addicted with but you understand pretty well why it consider a young adult genre. Naiveness, predictable turns, carelessness with details which sometimes makes it not plausible at all. Anyway I will continue reading this series like my guilty pleasure thing.

[Sarahdactyl ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

• My full review can be found on my YouTube channel: The 13th Continuum by Jennifer Brody

[StarMan · Rating 4 out of 5]

VERDICT: 4 Young Adult stars. (I am more lenient with YA ratings, in general, since I'm not a YA).

One of the better post-apoc YA books I've read in a while, featuring 2 very different settings (sea and space), 2 good protagonists (female & male), and eventually some tense life-or-death moments.

I can't say it was 100% plausable or realistic, but as a YA post-apoc adventure tale it was a fun ride most of the time. If you don't mind YA tales with some of the usual tropes (16-year-olds in leadership positions, YAs getting stuff done immediately that the adults are too dumb/lazy to do, some sort-of instalove), this is a darn good read. It does end as things take a major turn, but at least no one's dangling over a cliff. Cue Books 2 & 3...

Only minor cons in this Book 1, namely a couple things the editors should have caught, some info-dumps and parenthetical add-ons that toss you out of the flow, and ridiculously evil one-sided villainry (close-set beady eyes? pointy black beard? maniacal laughs? REALLY?)

Editors asleep at their desks?
p 34: ...she hadn't studied, that for her the [Engineering] test had been easy...
p 45: ...for the last few weeks, she'd been holed up in the Engineering Room, studying for her test.

WOULD I READ BOOK #2? Yes.

WHAT? Apparently the space folks have FTL (Faster Than Light) capabilities, or close to it, since the 16-year old dude has visited several planets and moons in various star systems. Authors, your more astute readers would appreciate at least a hand-wave explanation of how such this near-magic technology allegedly works. Likewise with the cryogenics/cryonics, another magical technology we are nowhere near implementing.

PARENTS & PRUDES: Family-safe for tweens & up, unless you count some sci-fi violence, one instance of unwanted crotch & breast grabbbing through clothing, and some mild innuendo in dream-like sequences.

[Kristyn - Reading to Unwind · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story follows two individuals Myra and Aero from two different Continuums. We get to hear both views of Myra and Aero while we are reading. Myra lives below the sea in one of the Continuum's that is beginning to fail. The society down there is setup in to different ranks and jobs. We get to learn a lot about the different jobs and how you choice to become part of those jobs/portions of society. Aero is actually from a space continuum in which they are set up military style with no emotions allowed. The reader gets to hear about a few of the continuum's and how they are setup.

I loved the beginning of the book because we are thrown into the Doom coming to the country and they now need to take the chosen ones to the Continuum's. We really get to see where the author thought the world would end up. I also really enjoyed reading more about how the Doom came about towards the end of the book of how society got to where it was in the book. Another thing I enjoyed was seeing how the two society's where setup differently, but still with the same ranking type of system.

I really enjoyed how the author setup the two perspectives and showed us a small portion of each of their perspective continuum's. At the end the same idea comes across that power corrupts people and still causes harm 1000 years later. It is like society no matter what is set up to fail. I loved that in Myra's continuum they cut off all knowledge of what happened before the Doom they didn't want everyone learning from past mistakes, but they again where on the same path to make these mistakes. It was an interesting perspective of the author that society even restructured will go back in line to how it was before.

Things I just didn't love in the book was the beginning of the story. I felt like it dragged along way to slow in the beginning almost forcing me to stop reading. The action really picks up in the last half of the book and becomes a book that you can't put down. The first half of the book is a lot of background information in my mind and some of it could have been cut out for the reader.

I would suggest this as a night time read. It is easy enough to follow along in the story to read a chapter a night or even pick it up when you have nothing else to read. The chapters are short enough that you could even read a few a night.

I received this book from Fantastic Flying Book Club in return for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion of this book.

[Empress Reece (Hooked on Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Continuum Trilogy- Book #1...

1000 years ago, 13 Continuums were created to shelter a number of people to prevent complete extinction if a cataclysmic event called "The Doom" ever came to pass. The 13th Continuum is an underwater colony set at the bottom of the ocean. Some of their leaders over the years have conspired to implement a very strict regime in order to prevent their colony from learning about the 13th Continuums and their true purpose. In parallel, we also learn about another Continuum; a military colony set in outer space on the planet Mars. Their society is a lot different but they both suffer from similar strict regimes. The book follows the stories of those two Continuums as they battle with their respective leaders, piece together their true purpose and fight to save their dying colonies. 
 
The cool settings are what really attracted me to this book in the first place. I loved both the underwater colony and the Mars colony but I thought the entire concept was pretty unique. I also thought the two parallel storylines worked well together. At the beginning though, there was quite a bit of an info dump that I didn't quite care for. The information I think was relevant and a necessary part of the story but I wish it could have somehow been worked in better. There were also a few things that I thought could have used a little more back story but other then that I really enjoyed the book. I thought the author, Jennifer Brody, did a great job on her debut and I'm looking forward to starting book two, Return of the Continuums, this weekend.
 
*I received this ARC from Edelweiss & Turner Publishing in exchange for an honest review! Thank you! 
 

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book, and man-oh-man did I enjoy it.

I feel like I was the first to the party (in a good way, though!). I can't wait for The 13th Continuum to hit the shelves so that I can't talk about it with other folks who've read it!

This book puts a new spin on the post-apocalyptic genre. The reader gets to experience bits and pieces of the apocalypse, but also lives with characters 1000 years after "Doom." We spend most of our time with those characters in the distant future and learn about the Continuum project that was put in place to ensure the future of mankind. As the title suggests, there are 13 of these continuums, and they aren't all the same. One such continuum (the 13th), where we spend most of our time, roams the depths of the ocean, far below the hell that the Earth's surface has become. The reader also gets to spend time on a different, far off, continuum that travels the stars.

Despite the main characters of these two very different continuums being separated by thousands and thousands of miles, the author has dreamt up a clever conceit that brings them together, making their journeys parallel. Both characters have to overcome great odds to complete their mission - reclaiming the earth. Couple their personal trials with the rich world-building the author has done within these continuums and you've got a fascinating and adventurous read.

I can't wait to read the next two installments of this series!

[Liz Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won't do what so many other reviewers do and outline the story here. (And I can never quite understand why some feel the need to give such detailed accounts in a review, given that the point of reading a book--in this genre particularly-- is to be surprised and engaged by the plot and characters.) What I can tell you is that if you enjoyed the likes of the Hunger Games trilogy and the Divergent series, then you will be delighted to find a similarly engaging and smart read in Jen Brody's wonderful debut novel.

This was one of those night-time reads where I found it just too easy to keep delaying putting the light out as I told myself, "Just one more chapter," then "Just one more chapter." That's the measure of a master storyteller, in my book (excuse the pun!)

Not least, I enjoyed the fact that I could see so many parallels with our lives today, with so-called "experts" who have established rules and restrictions that keep us from realizing our authenticity and deeper growth as human beings.

I'm way beyond the age of "Young Adult" but am so grateful to this author for writing the first in what I trust will be a quality series, exploring the worlds and experiences of the protagonists Myra and Aero.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot WAIT until part 2 of this trilogy comes out! This story just sucks you in and doesn't let go The thirteenth continuum opens in the near future as a doomsday machine prepared to go off and decimate the earth. The presidents family and other chosen set off to a safe harbor beneath the ocean as others take off for other havens. Fast forward one thousand years and some of these havens are left and are starting to structurally fail. Society has changed in these havens and a revolution of sorts is starting to take place according to legends it is time to go back and repopulate the earth I really enjoyed the young cast of characters for all their various faults I can easily see this as a movie and again can't wait for the rest of the story to unfold!

[Deena Lipomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Myra lives in an underwater shelter one thousand years after the Doom destroyed Earth, but as control by the rulers becomes more strict, and secrets about their past come to the surface, Myra seeks out the beacon that may be the only way to preserve their future. CITY OF EMBER meets ATLANTIA in this post-apocalyptic, sprawling novel. A seemingly excessive use of italicized-for-emphasis words on each page is a bit distracting, but the set-up is compelling and a sequel is welcome. A solid YA for fans of the genre.

[Frances Madrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non-stop excitement! This is a book for all ages with strong, well drawn characters and an engaging plot. Jennifer Brody has created a vivid, believable new world for readers to immerse themselves, following the riveting adventures of the smart, plucky heroine, Myra Jackson. A definite must-read for fans of the science fiction genre. Looking forward to continuing the adventure with book two.

[Demi · Rating 3 out of 5]

My actual rating is 3.5 stars.

I'll post my review later today. :)

[Paula Hess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars good YA dystopian.

[Justice Asante · Rating 4 out of 5]

An action packed si-fi tale with romance and mystery at every corner.
I will right review when I get over my feelings about this

[Jessa Franco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Similar to The 100, but with a touch of fantasy. Excellent world building, though I wish the story had progressed further in this first of a new series. Can't wait until November for the sequel!

[Sandra "Jeanz" · Rating 4 out of 5]

INITIAL THOUGHTS
I first saw this book via an email from the publishers, and I wasn't sure whether I would enjoy it or not, then I kept hearing more and reading more about the book and it wasn't long before I felt I had to read the book.

THOUGHTS WHILST READING
At 44% "Can the beacon ever be found? Will Myra's father be the next one to be arrested and abandoned in the same way, to drown?"

REVIEW
I received a download widget from Turner Publishing to download a free ecopy from Edelweiss in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
The cover has a part that is circular and blue which depicts the ocean. Whilst at the same time the circular shape could also be represent earth. The rest of the cover is orange and has an aged effect to it. The title of the book follows the curve of the circular shape too, which I think is quite eye catching.
Would the cover make me pick this one up from a book store shelf? Being totally honest here, I did not fall in love with this cover immediately. I do sincerely think I would pick the book up whilst browsing though as the cover is really unique in comparison to other covers around at the moment.
This book begins being told from the point of view of ten year old Sari. Sari has being woken by a loud warning siren. Initially she wanders around amidst the chaos, then is found and taken into a waiting helicopter with her mother, fifteen year old sister Elianna and their father, who is the President. Though at first relieved to be with her family, Sari soon becomes inconsolable when she realises the grandmother that has always lived wit them will not be going with them because she isn't one of the "chosen". The President and his family were of course "chosen" to be given a place in the underwater Continuum - (a Continuum is a "sanctuary" away from the destruction and devastation of "the Doom"). One person needs to be the "Carrier" and wear the "Beacon". The Beacon is a wrist bracelet that once put on a person cannot be removed from that person until their death. The beacon is what will ensure that the surviving civilizations from the different Continuums can be guided back to earth and each other.
In this book we follow two Continuums, one far under the sea and the main character is a young teen girl Myra Jackson. The other Continuum we follow in this book far up in the sky in outer space, and the main character we follow is a young military man, Aero Wright.
Myra Jackson is in the Continuum that houses religion and situated deep under the sea, and is a strong feisty kind of character who doesn't give up when faced with obstacles. Myra lives in her small apartment with her father and her younger brother, Tinker. Myra has been expelled from school, cut off from her friends, but has been allowed to "pledge" to the Engineers - which is not a bad thing for her really, as its the career choice she would have decided on herself anyway. Being an engineer places Myra in the class of "Factum".
There are three classes in this Continuum, the lowest is "Hockers" and consists of those with no trade or for some reason have done something bad and being placed in this section of people as a punishment. To be honest being made to live as a "Hocker" is better than the other form of punishment doled out to people, which is being cast out of the Continuum and "sacrificed" to the sea (and certain death). The mid level class is called the "Factum" and the highest level class is "Plenus" who are the more priviliged people. The rulers of the Continuum are those that sit on the Synod. Those who are in the Synod are the ones that preach religion. They took over from President Wade. The Synod may be religious but the things they consider to be a crime are becoming more and more trivial, and the punishment for almost any indiscretion is that the "criminal" be sacrificed to the sea. The Synod has ruled that all books from "before the doom" should be destroyed and any talk about the time before life in the Continuum is considered blasphemy and punishable by being sacrificed to the sea.
Myra is a resourceful type of character who has found ways around the Continuum in old abandoned pipes and passageways. It's whilst on one of these excursions that she overhears her father and some of his friends discussing some very important information....It's not long until Kaleb, Paige, Rickard and Tinker are helping Myra hunt for the Beacon. It's both a race against time and a race against the Synod, as they too want to find the Beacon to destroy it! During this search we learn more about Myra and her ancestry as well as more about her friends.
Aero Wright is in the Continuum that is based in a ship that is in outer space. This Continuum is full of military personnel and those in military training too. This group of survivors is more scientifically led. A woman has a child, which stays with her until the child is 5 years old and then the mother takes her child male or female) to the military academy and never sees or communicates with the child again. The child is trained and is paired with another to procreate with when they reach adulthood. To train for different fighting circumstances that may occur. To train the cadets go into a simulation chamber, they then fight in different scenarios using their special weapons that are called Falchions.
This is the way of life that Aero has been living by and knows no other way of life. Aero is a well thought of leader, finishing top of his class in the Military Academy. Aero Wright is the son of the present ship commander though is never shown any sort of favouritism at all, though after him and his team are chosen to be the first to step on earth and have a look around. Everything seems pretty simple until during a simulation the scenario and the injury level are changed. . . .I could go on and on, so many things to try and explain and things I want to share without giving too much away! Its so difficult to decide what and where to include things without over sharing and spoiling the book.
My favourite character from the under the ocean Continuum is Tinker. He is Myra's younger brother and is quieter, more reserved than his sister and her friends. He may not speak very much, but he takes in everything that is going on around him, and when he is really needed he thinks quickly and acts immediately. I also like Maude, a Hocker, thought of as poor and not very intelligent, which is quite amusing as she is quite the opposite! I also love Myra's friend Rickard. . . his sense of loyalty and protectiveness over those he loves, you'll know what I mean when you read the book.
For the Military Conrinuum, I'd say my favourite characters are Aero and Wren. I think Aero was a great mixture of duty, loyalty, honour as well as being forward thinking and having a sense of adventure for what he may be going to witness on earth. I also think Wren would be a perfect match for him rather than the scientifically chosen betrothed he has been allocated.
Both Continuums have their own ruling systems that also control their population. The simplest example of this is that Myra's Continuum is heavily led by religion, whereas Aero's Continuum is a Military based one. Both Continuums have elements of survival, elements of ancestry and traditions passed down. Of course as in any type of population there is fighting, class bickering, adventure, mystery, betrayal and sacrifice. When I first began reading this book I was enthralled in the story of the Wade family but the book quickly switches over to the present day of the two different colonies. I felt a little disappointed to not have had more of the Wade family and how the colonies first worked together and managed to survive. Then on the other hand, there were occasions where I felt the pace slowed too much and I was being given to much detail and information. At times I was irritated with jumping from Myra's colony at a really interesting point, to read what I considered at the time to be insignificant points about Aero's colony. At one point in the book I actually resented having Aero's colony in the book at all. I was thinking: why can't we just follow Myra? Though I must say that from about two thirds into the book, Aero's colony becomes much more interesting and as enjoyable to read about as Myra's colony is.
So Did I enjoy the book? I was initially a little undecided but there was something that just made me want to read that "just a bit more". Then before I knew it I was engrossed firstly in Myra's colony life and then a little after I also became engaged by Aero's colony, the whole military science and their scientific pro creation system. The main/central thread in the book that grabbed my attention and held it throughout the whole book was the beacon.
Would I recommend the book? Yes, especially to sci-fi/dystopian/post apocalyptic fans as this has both the complex societies and the "Doom" back story with the futuristic and sci-fi elements too.
Would I want to read another book in this series? Yes, I'd sign up right now if I could to read Return Of The Continuums, I'm glad its due out later this year. It's on my must read list.
Would I want to read other titles by this author? I would certainly pay close attention to anything written by this author.

FINAL THOUGHTS
After my initial doubts about the pace of the book it soon became addictive reading! Definitely recommend reading this one, Already counting the days to the next book in the Continuum Trilogy. Roll on November 2016!

[Laura (crofteereader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Your typical YA genre-fiction, with a female character and a male character who were "chosen" to undertake a quest. With help from their friends (all of whom happen to be smarter, faster, and stronger than their adult opposition), our heroes escape to fulfill their destiny. Oh, did I mention that they share a weird semi-romantic telepathic bond?

The Villains are exaggerated stereotypes (literally spitting out "kill them all" at least once near the end), the girl hero gets way more "screentime" than her male counterpart, and they're both conveniently impossibly good at things. (Cases in point: Aero is an undefeated duelist with the weird shapeshifting weapon of his people, at the age of 16; and Myra has a photographic memory for blueprints and memorized how to manipulate complicated machinery after a few minutes of frenzied studying.

It's a fun take on the post-apocalyptic genre, though I'd have liked to see a bit more about how Aero's society functions (since we focused so heavily on Myra). If you like quick and elaborate YA stories, go for it.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

The 13th Continuum starts out as a sci fi but rapidly turns into a dystopian as enclosed societies stagnate and begin to feed off themselves. We read through two different POVs - and each character is distinct, as is the small communities in which they find themselves. Comparisons to Divergent, City of Ember, Red Rising, and even the anime Ergo Proxy will be inevitable. But in all, this is a satisfying adventure and first in a trilogy.

Story: An unexplained catastrophe destroys the surface of the Earth. But humanity had prepared and created continuum colonies - deep underwater, underground, and even in spaceships and a Mars colony. 1000 years later, in the Marianas Trench, teen Myra's continuum exists under a harsh religion-based hierarchy that prohibits knowledge/discussion of the surface. In space, a continuum colony ship that has searched the stars in vain for a new home has returned to Earth to see if it is ready for resettling. On the militaristic-discipline meritocracy, teen Aero is an elite warrior chosen to be the first to lead a small reconnaissance mission on Earth once they arrive. In Myra's world, she must find the lost artifact, the Beacon, if she is to lead her dying colony back to the surface. But the Synod, the religious leadership, will do anything to stop her and destroy the Beacon once and for all. Aero, meanwhile, must contend with a mutiny that will overthrow the ship's leaders and send them back on a fruitless quest into space again. Both will struggle to reach the surface of the earth and learn if it is inhabitable.

This first book in the trilogy sets up conflicts in the path of our protagonists to keep them from their goals to get to the underground first continuum. So this entire book takes place in both continuums. There is not a lot of explained - about the beacons, the mechanics of the mysterious machines that allowed civilizations to continue in space and under water for a thousand years, what exactly the cataclysm was, how scientists knew it was coming, etc. It's all up in the air for the adventure aspects of the story, placing this firmly in the YA category. And a lot of the technology is almost magical in what it can do (transforming its shape at will, mind melding, continuous autonomous existence, etc.)

Admittedly, although this was a smooth read with likable characters, I did have a hard time with the logic of the societies and would have liked them more deeply considered. E.g., although the author showed how they took their totalitarian regimes to a logical extreme conclusion, only the leadership changed and not the people. The languages, mores, etc. didn't feel fully developed enough and the characters were contemporary (2016) but in dystopian trappings. Little things - such as a military society where men and women have equally shorn heads for a thousand years, yet the 16 year old Aero noted that even the girls had short hair (where would he get a context for women not having long hair if it hasn't been a part of their society for a thousand years and there was no male/female differentiation?). Or someone being able to build a submarine that can leave the Marianas Trench out of 'spare' parts from a thousand years of sitting around? I just find it hard to believe that over a thousand years, materials didn't get scarce and re-purposed beyond further reuse. And then suddenly in Myra's world everyone is searching for the Beacon after hundreds of years of being lost. Because of logic holes like those (and there are several) I didn't get into the 13th Continuum as much as I would have liked.

Myra and Aero are characters we want to follow. Each has a strong moral compass, companions who support them, and a clear goal to get their people to the Earth's surface. Side characters are less well drawn, however, and with the exception of Myra's little brother Tinker and Aero's lieutenant Wren, it was hard to tell them apart at times. Their antagonists were very one-dimensional, each unremittingly evil and reveling in their murderous crimes. Sadly, we have villains who loudly tell our protagonists about their evil acts while twirling metaphorical mustaches. It would have been better to draw upon nuanced 'bad guys' who think they are doing the right thing (either in abject faith of their religion (Myra's continuum) or because they really believe they can relocate to another planet (Aero's continuum)). But sadly, it's all about, "Cackle, I murdered (insert relative or nice person here) and I enjoyed it because I'm so evil, cackle" type of histrionics.

Myra's world reminded me greatly of City of Ember. Aero's world very much felt like Darrow's in Red Rising. Readers of those books will likely fund much to enjoy in 13th continuum as a result. It is a quick and easy read and doesn't get bogged down by the science. At the same time, it can feel very simplistic at times to more sophisticated readers. But in all, definitely recommended to the YA audience. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Tatyana Naumova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Стильно, модно, молодежно

[Elisa Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot of this book was interesting to me, and though the pace at which crucial historical details were revealed was sometimes frustrating, I remained interested throughout the book. However, I repeatedly found myself feeling unusually disconnected from the characters and the story as a whole. Normally, if I make it more than twenty or thirty pages into a book, I can't put it down for more than a few moments without finding myself preoccupied with thoughts and speculation about the book. With this book, though, I stopped reading several times in the middle of a page and didn't feel a need to return for several hours.

Once I finally did finish, I found myself strangely dissatisfied. I don't mind most of the ending, as I know it is meant to set up the next book in the series. I believe my major problem with this book is the parallel between Myra and Aero's storylines. There are numerous clear differences between them, of course, but they are also carefully mirrored opposites. The way in which this is presented gives the story a contrived, overly neat sense that ultimately detracts from the story's potential.

The most pointed example of this is in Myra and Aero's final moments and escapes from their Continuums. Each faced a similar path of government corruption, loss, betrayal, and unexpected assistance. Then, almost simultaneously, they fled their Continuums while under attack, and we're forced to leave behind friends who were fighting for them. While piloting their respective escape vehicles, each experienced a near death situation brought on by natural forces (the "kraken" for Myra, and reentry into Earth's atmosphere for Aero). While I'm sure a great deal of thought and care went into planning these paths to Earth's surface, the similarities are (for me anyway), too neatly mirrored to be realistic, which keeps me feeling removed from the story and it's characters when I want/need to feel a connection to them. Especially at the end of the first book, I need to feel strongly connected to characters so that I remember their story by the time I read the second book.

[Just Commonly · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It is time to return to the surface."

I need to let out a sigh - more like a grunt. I can't believe I have to wait another seven months for Book 2, Return of the Continuums in The Continuum Trilogy. Yes. The 13th Continuum took hold of my thoughts and wouldn't let go. The ingenuity of world-building in books and how much I've fallen in love with it lately have caught me by surprised. Jennifer Brody built a fascinated world that is not our world, but it can be as we dive into it eyes first, and then your heart can't help but thump rapidly at all the excitement following Myra and Aero. I was so engrossed in it that I couldn't put it down.

The first book of a story of such usually takes some getting use, learning about the world and the science behind, the types of technology it has and what it means. However, with The 13th Continuum, your mind is already in as you followed along almost visually and be impressed by it. The complexity of the characters, from Myra to Aero and to all the supporting characters have you rooting for them from the get go. Even the "villains" deserves your "respect" of time to understand them. I'm still in awe at how Jennifer can write such layered characters with everything she's telling us already in this first book.

Unlike The Hunger Games, which took me a second read to really fall in love with it; The 13th Continuum already had me. Maybe because I've already fallen in love with this genre, but in truth, it's the innovation and insight of the author, Jennifer Brody that deserves the credit. The 13th Continuum was fun and action-packed, fill with lovable characters and dialogue and stimulates imagination. For now, I'll need to calm that stimulant to patiently wait for Return of the Continuums.

This review first appeared on Just Commonly Blog.

NOTE: I received a complimentary ARC of this book from the publisher, Turner Publishing for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. For my review policy, please see my Disclosure page.

[Ashley Urquhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the premise of this book was very interesting. There are all kinds of post-apocalyptic tales out there, but they rarely go into much detail of how exactly groups of people managed to survive when everyone else died. This book definitely goes into those details. I thought it was really interesting to see how the different Continuums evolved over the thousand year period. It definitely makes you think what would happen if something like this was real. I hope that future books go into some of the other Continuums (that is if any of the other ones survived!).

The characters were interesting. I liked our two protagonists and I feel like I was able to understand their motivations. There were some times that I had a hard time with Myra, but just because I felt like she was being too secretive or paranoid. Tinker is an interesting character too and I’ll be excited to see how he grows throughout the series. Secondary characters added a nice layer to the overall story, but as characters they were pretty flat. Hopefully they’ll be able to develop more as the series progresses as well.

The plot of the story was just okay for me. I thought the end had a nice amount of suspense, but earlier in the story it just seemed like problems were solved a little too easily. It just makes it seem like what the characters were trying to do actually wasn’t that hard and I found it difficult to believe that in 1,000 years they were the first to put this plan into action.

Overall this book had some definitely pluses, but some minuses as well. I’m not sure at this point whether or not I’ll be continuing with the series, but I’m thinking I might. This book doesn’t end on a cliffhanger necessarily, but it’s definitely not resolved.

Overall Rating: 3
Language: Mild
Violence: Heavy
Smoking/Drinking: Mild
Sexual Content: Moderate

[Lelia Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who visits Buried Under Books on a fairly regular basis knows that I have a fondness for post-apocalyptic and/or dystopian fiction. I haven't read any in a while, more than a month, so I was quite happy when the opportunity to review The 13th Continuum came along and, in most ways, Ms. Brody didn't let me down.

Worldbuilding is a crucial component of any science fiction and, in particular, this kind of book and I did think it was just slightly lacking here but not by much. The truth is I haven't found more than a few books that have truly incredible worldbuilding so I've come to a place of contentment when enough is provided to give me a sense of place and the people and the reason(s) for how society has gotten to the state it's in. This author has devoted a lot of time, thought and effort towards creating a future that's very credible.

What we find here is that, although this is a future time and life as we know it today has changed a great deal, the characteristics that make up humanity haven't changed all that much. The best part of that is that I found it easy to connect with Myra and Aero, two characters who are so believably drawn that they're almost here in the flesh. Tinker and other secondary players, even their adversaries, are just as vivid.

The story here is complex, highly entertaining, thought-provoking and as intriguing as any I've read in quite a while. I hope that word of this book will spread widely throughout the young adult market, as well as adult, because it's such a shining example of how good science fiction really can be when it's done right. The next book, Return of the Continuums, will be out in November, not nearly soon enough for this reader who wants to know what will happen next.