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Frank Mercer finds a computer chip embedded in ancient rock, the last message of a dying civilization. It tells of a toxic interstellar Cloud larger than the sun that glides through the galaxy, destroying all life.
Earth is next.
With all the resources of Genesis Corporation, Mercer conceives a plan to save a select few and restart civilization under his control.
Billions will die.
Only the science prodigy Qaara Kapoor stands in his way. With Mercer in pursuit, she escapes to warn the world and save as many as she can.
Fourteen-year-old Luca lives in squalor at an Institution for schizophrenic girls born a century after the Japanese nuclear disaster in Fukushima. The radiation gave her a special mutation: the thoughts of others play as voices in her mind. One night, she makes mental contact with the Cloud. It’s alive, hungry and searching.
As Qaara and Mercer fight each other, they both come to the same conclusion.
Luca is the key to everything.
Earth is next.
With all the resources of Genesis Corporation, Mercer conceives a plan to save a select few and restart civilization under his control.
Billions will die.
Only the science prodigy Qaara Kapoor stands in his way. With Mercer in pursuit, she escapes to warn the world and save as many as she can.
Fourteen-year-old Luca lives in squalor at an Institution for schizophrenic girls born a century after the Japanese nuclear disaster in Fukushima. The radiation gave her a special mutation: the thoughts of others play as voices in her mind. One night, she makes mental contact with the Cloud. It’s alive, hungry and searching.
As Qaara and Mercer fight each other, they both come to the same conclusion.
Luca is the key to everything.
- GenresScience Fiction
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 12, 2015
46 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Jacob Whaler
8 books235 followersI first learned about the power of words when, at the age of 14, I picked up a torn copy of The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury. It blew me away. I devoured his other books in quick succession: Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Martian Chronicles, Fahrenheit 451. I didn't just read his books; I lived them. His novels and short stories were my secret world, not just a place of escape, but a universe where my imagination could soar beyond the limits of time and space. In high school I discovered other writers like J.R.R. Tolkien and Edgar Rice Burroughs. I fancied myself to be Strider or John Carter and made a sword from a machete, complete with a leather sheath.
My English teacher insisted that we try creative writing ourselves. To my surprise, I enjoyed it immensely. From time to time, there were fleeting thoughts about writing my own novels. By the time I went to college to study economics and philosophy, reading and writing were an essential part of my life. Along the way, I spent time in Japan and learned to read Japanese. Then came law school and work in international law firms. I still made time to read, but my writing consisted of drafting corporate documentation. It taught me once again the power of words, not only to stimulate our imaginations, but also to control the flow of money around the globe.
As time passed, I felt the urge to write my own novels. My inner voice said it couldn't be done, that novel writing was for other, loftier minds. Then one day, I got tired of the inner voice telling me what I could and couldn't do. With it screaming in my ears, I grabbed my laptop and began to write the kind of books I wanted to read. The rest is, well, history.
My English teacher insisted that we try creative writing ourselves. To my surprise, I enjoyed it immensely. From time to time, there were fleeting thoughts about writing my own novels. By the time I went to college to study economics and philosophy, reading and writing were an essential part of my life. Along the way, I spent time in Japan and learned to read Japanese. Then came law school and work in international law firms. I still made time to read, but my writing consisted of drafting corporate documentation. It taught me once again the power of words, not only to stimulate our imaginations, but also to control the flow of money around the globe.
As time passed, I felt the urge to write my own novels. My inner voice said it couldn't be done, that novel writing was for other, loftier minds. Then one day, I got tired of the inner voice telling me what I could and couldn't do. With it screaming in my ears, I grabbed my laptop and began to write the kind of books I wanted to read. The rest is, well, history.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 24, 2017
I couldn't finish reading this book. The main characters were escaping impossible situations to the point that believability was lost. I do understand fantasy but this was beyond fantasy. Sorry.
September 17, 2018
The writing style is just not to my taste.
October 20, 2015
Although science fiction isn't generally my ken, I really enjoyed Jacob Whaler's sci-fi novel Luca. Whaler does a great job of creating tension and keeping the reader turning the page.
A nemesis cloud that destroys all in its path is approaching the Earth. The plot revolves around the approaching cloud, a sweet and sensitive teenaged girl named Luca who may be able to stop it, and a secretive and powerful billionaire who sees the cloud as an opportunity to reboot life on the planet- with him as the overlord.
Whaler manages POV like a pro, moving deftly back and forth between the two main characters. He builds the tension to a fever pitch, telling the story from the mindset of both as they careen toward their inevitable collision.
Luca has enough science to keep hardcore sci-fi fans entertained but not overload casual readers.
A nemesis cloud that destroys all in its path is approaching the Earth. The plot revolves around the approaching cloud, a sweet and sensitive teenaged girl named Luca who may be able to stop it, and a secretive and powerful billionaire who sees the cloud as an opportunity to reboot life on the planet- with him as the overlord.
Whaler manages POV like a pro, moving deftly back and forth between the two main characters. He builds the tension to a fever pitch, telling the story from the mindset of both as they careen toward their inevitable collision.
Luca has enough science to keep hardcore sci-fi fans entertained but not overload casual readers.
January 16, 2016
End of the world as we know it? A 3.5 billion year old artifact and a mysterious cloud headed for earth in four days? 300 foot seawalls and irradiated wastelands? Sign me up. It's a little bit sci-fi and a heaping spoonful of fantasy, and it's everything promised in the blurb, and more. It's got hi-tech, lo-tech and metaphysical components; Road Warrior meets Stranger in a Strange Land.
I became an instant Whaler fan when I read his STONES series. I read the quartet non-stop in a week. When I joined Whaler's mailing list I got an advanced copy of LUCA for review purposes. It only confirms my belief that Whaler has one 'whale' of an imagination. And, not too get all touchy-feely or anything, I develop a deep empathy for his characters, the good guys, anyway, and think about them long after I've finished reading. The bad guys? Mild spoiler: they get what they deserve.
I became an instant Whaler fan when I read his STONES series. I read the quartet non-stop in a week. When I joined Whaler's mailing list I got an advanced copy of LUCA for review purposes. It only confirms my belief that Whaler has one 'whale' of an imagination. And, not too get all touchy-feely or anything, I develop a deep empathy for his characters, the good guys, anyway, and think about them long after I've finished reading. The bad guys? Mild spoiler: they get what they deserve.
October 17, 2015
LUCA A NOVEL BY JACOB WHALER EVOLUTION NEEDS A REBOOT!
Another 5 star read by Author Jacob Whaler! LUCA was amazing. This story was packed with excitement, great characters and a wonderful plot.
This novel is based around an object Frank Mercers father found dating back 3.5 million years.
One of my favorite characters is the evil Frank Mercer who is intent on ending civilization and restarting it with him as the leader. I also loved Luca, a young girl who has this incredible power due to radiation from the Fukushima fallout.
I loved the way the Author told the story, back and fourth from Frank Mercers world to Lucas. In the end it all comes together to an incredible tale I know you will enjoy.
I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys the impossible!
Another 5 star read by Author Jacob Whaler! LUCA was amazing. This story was packed with excitement, great characters and a wonderful plot.
This novel is based around an object Frank Mercers father found dating back 3.5 million years.
One of my favorite characters is the evil Frank Mercer who is intent on ending civilization and restarting it with him as the leader. I also loved Luca, a young girl who has this incredible power due to radiation from the Fukushima fallout.
I loved the way the Author told the story, back and fourth from Frank Mercers world to Lucas. In the end it all comes together to an incredible tale I know you will enjoy.
I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys the impossible!
October 16, 2015
I’ve been a fan of sci-fi for most of my life; LUCA is a fantastic book, with great characters, surprising plot twists, and awesome technology. Whaler’s writing is addictive - I started reading it on my morning commutes, then reading it on my lunch breaks, then after work and before bed. I got sucked into the story, with all it’s tension, descriptive imagery and page-turning scenes. As my first book of Whaler’s, I’m really excited to read his other work; I’ve already bought them, and will be sitting down this weekend to enjoy!
December 4, 2015
I enjoyed this book, but I thought that at times the characters acted out-of-character to move the plot forward. It felt contrived.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews