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Archangel Project #1
Archangel Down
In the year 2432, humans think they are alone in the universe. They’re wrong.
Commander Noa Sato plans a peaceful leave on her home planet Luddeccea ... but winds up interrogated and imprisoned for her involvement in the Archangel Project. A project she knows nothing about.
Professor James Sinclair wakes in the snow, not remembering the past twenty four hours, or knowing why he is being pursued. The only thing he knows is that he has to find Commander Sato, a woman he’s never met.
A military officer from the colonies and a civilian from Old Earth, they couldn’t have less in common. But they have to work together to save the lives of millions—and their own.
Every step of the way they are haunted by the final words of a secret transmission:
The archangel is down.
Commander Noa Sato plans a peaceful leave on her home planet Luddeccea ... but winds up interrogated and imprisoned for her involvement in the Archangel Project. A project she knows nothing about.
Professor James Sinclair wakes in the snow, not remembering the past twenty four hours, or knowing why he is being pursued. The only thing he knows is that he has to find Commander Sato, a woman he’s never met.
A military officer from the colonies and a civilian from Old Earth, they couldn’t have less in common. But they have to work together to save the lives of millions—and their own.
Every step of the way they are haunted by the final words of a secret transmission:
The archangel is down.
436 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 19, 2015
2529 people are currently reading
2180 people want to read
About the author
C. Gockel
67 books572 followersC. Gockel got her start writing fanfiction, and she is not ashamed! Much. She received emails, messages and reviews from her fans telling her she should 'do this professionally'. She didn't; because she is a coward and life as a digital designer, copywriter and coder is more dependable. But in the end, her husband's nagging wore her down: "You could be the next '50 Shades of Gray' and I could retire!" Unfortunately, the author isn't much for writing smut. She is sad about this; she'd love for her husband to be able to retire and just work for her so she could nag him.
At the moment, Ms. Gockel is working on the next installment of her Archangel Project series.
Ms. Gockel loves to hear from readers. She can be reached by email at: cgockel.publishing at gmail.com
Her Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/CGockelWrites
At the moment, Ms. Gockel is working on the next installment of her Archangel Project series.
Ms. Gockel loves to hear from readers. She can be reached by email at: cgockel.publishing at gmail.com
Her Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/CGockelWrites
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 299 reviews
September 14, 2019
💀 DNF at 39%.
I was going to write a fantastically fantastic (not to mention fascinatingly fascinating) crappy non-review for this most entertaining little book here, when I realized that a) I have other
And also:
So tada and stuff.
April 21, 2017
I went on a long drive with a friend who likes SF and he chose this one for us to listen to. It was ok.
Commander Noa Sato is a pilot in the Galactic Republic Fleet, but while taking leave on her home planet of Luddeccea, finds herself imprisoned and tortured in a hellish POW camp. Luddeccea, always a religious and anti-technology planet seems to have gone full on paranoid and totalitarian. During Noa's escape she encounters Professor James Sinclair who is a complete enigma. He has some of the memories of a history professor who specializes in the 20th century, but he has the capacities of a killer cyborg and he looks a lot like Noa's dead husband.
Noa and James hatch a plan to get off world and back to the Galactic Republic to let them know about the millions of people that Luddeccea is abusing in prison camps. This involves stealing the Luddeccean's original colony ship, the Ark. (Just in case that's not obvious enough for you, the second book in this series is called Noa's Ark.
First, the good stuff. The world-building here is solid enough and a descent of this sort of society into a totalitarian nightmare makes a lot of sense. Noa and her attitudes towards the planet and her family make sense and are treated with some nuance. The sexbot 6T9 is a rare example of a male sexbot in SF and has an excellent part providing some hilarious comic relief (particularly as performed by the excellent narrator Emily Woo Zeller) as well as some small profound parts.
Unfortunately a lot of that is outweighed by the bad stuff. There is no answer to the central question surrounding the "Archangel" and who or what James actually is. Given that this is so central that it is in the title of the book, some element of that mystery should have come out by the end. Similarly, the bizarre actions of the Luddeccean government isn't explained anywhere. You only get the propaganda that they're spreading even when you do get a little insight into the ruling council at the end. As a reader I feel like there's an embargo on the information needed to make sense of what's going on, and not just because I'm closely following the characters who don't know what's going.
Finally, the biggest issue I had with it was editing. Not the copy-editing which was quite competent, no obvious typos or anything, but the actual editing for content, or lack of it in this case. Noa and James are unbelievably repetitive, constantly going over the same emotional beats and internal questions across an array of circumstances, and just not moving forward with any of it. The author jams in stuff about 20th century movies that James and Noa end up watching and then endlessly referring to for the rest of the book. All of this should have been cut. It's not cute; it's derivative. It's also unbelievable that centuries later people would be quoting Star Wars at each other.
Despite spending so many hours with these characters with none of the central mysteries even slightly resolved, I feel no urge to continue with the series.
Commander Noa Sato is a pilot in the Galactic Republic Fleet, but while taking leave on her home planet of Luddeccea, finds herself imprisoned and tortured in a hellish POW camp. Luddeccea, always a religious and anti-technology planet seems to have gone full on paranoid and totalitarian. During Noa's escape she encounters Professor James Sinclair who is a complete enigma. He has some of the memories of a history professor who specializes in the 20th century, but he has the capacities of a killer cyborg and he looks a lot like Noa's dead husband.
Noa and James hatch a plan to get off world and back to the Galactic Republic to let them know about the millions of people that Luddeccea is abusing in prison camps. This involves stealing the Luddeccean's original colony ship, the Ark. (Just in case that's not obvious enough for you, the second book in this series is called Noa's Ark.
First, the good stuff. The world-building here is solid enough and a descent of this sort of society into a totalitarian nightmare makes a lot of sense. Noa and her attitudes towards the planet and her family make sense and are treated with some nuance. The sexbot 6T9 is a rare example of a male sexbot in SF and has an excellent part providing some hilarious comic relief (particularly as performed by the excellent narrator Emily Woo Zeller) as well as some small profound parts.
Unfortunately a lot of that is outweighed by the bad stuff. There is no answer to the central question surrounding the "Archangel" and who or what James actually is. Given that this is so central that it is in the title of the book, some element of that mystery should have come out by the end. Similarly, the bizarre actions of the Luddeccean government isn't explained anywhere. You only get the propaganda that they're spreading even when you do get a little insight into the ruling council at the end. As a reader I feel like there's an embargo on the information needed to make sense of what's going on, and not just because I'm closely following the characters who don't know what's going.
Finally, the biggest issue I had with it was editing. Not the copy-editing which was quite competent, no obvious typos or anything, but the actual editing for content, or lack of it in this case. Noa and James are unbelievably repetitive, constantly going over the same emotional beats and internal questions across an array of circumstances, and just not moving forward with any of it. The author jams in stuff about 20th century movies that James and Noa end up watching and then endlessly referring to for the rest of the book. All of this should have been cut. It's not cute; it's derivative. It's also unbelievable that centuries later people would be quoting Star Wars at each other.
Despite spending so many hours with these characters with none of the central mysteries even slightly resolved, I feel no urge to continue with the series.
August 6, 2019
I’ve read few novels that were as boring, confusing and with so many outside influences as Archangel Down. Essentially The Expanse meets The Martian Chronicles without the interesting characters or a coherent plot line. A book to be avoided.
November 11, 2018
Archangel Down by C.Gockel is an audible book I found confusing in spots, boring in many areas, and needed condensed! I did like some of the science tech it describes. I won't be following this series!
December 8, 2018
The year is 2432, the universe is in upheaval and humans are about to discover they are not alone and the universe is about to discover how brutal humanity can be.
ARCHANGEL DOWN by C. Gockel is a science fiction lover’s dream (or worst nightmare), because humanity can still be inhumane.
She has given her all as a commander, but Noa finds herself a prisoner under brutal integration for the mysterious Archangel Project, something she knows nothing about. In a desperate attempt to flee her captors, at that very moment she is about to be overtaken, she is rescued by an Earth man who claims to be a history professor, but there is something “other” about James Sinclair, something “more” in his strength, his abilities and in the fact that he has no true memory of his life. He just knew he had to rescue HER…
Together these two will do the seemingly impossible-survive, because not to could destroy the universe.
C. Gockel’s storytelling is brilliant! Filled with moments of nail-biting danger, humor, romance, intrigue and the magic of the unknown future, science fiction that is limited only by one’s imagination. Meet a sexbot and its quirky owner, feel James’ confusion at being so positive about what he remembers, yet not sure why he can do what he does. Respect the commitment to her training, as Noa relies on logic and years of leadership when the chips are down.
Will they escape the hell they have found themselves in? Science fiction, dystopia and a firm foundation to what looks to be an incredible series!
Series: Archangel Project - Book 1
Publication Date: October 19, 2015
Publisher: C. Gockel
Genre: Science Fiction | Space Opera
Print Length: 436 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
ARCHANGEL DOWN by C. Gockel is a science fiction lover’s dream (or worst nightmare), because humanity can still be inhumane.
She has given her all as a commander, but Noa finds herself a prisoner under brutal integration for the mysterious Archangel Project, something she knows nothing about. In a desperate attempt to flee her captors, at that very moment she is about to be overtaken, she is rescued by an Earth man who claims to be a history professor, but there is something “other” about James Sinclair, something “more” in his strength, his abilities and in the fact that he has no true memory of his life. He just knew he had to rescue HER…
Together these two will do the seemingly impossible-survive, because not to could destroy the universe.
C. Gockel’s storytelling is brilliant! Filled with moments of nail-biting danger, humor, romance, intrigue and the magic of the unknown future, science fiction that is limited only by one’s imagination. Meet a sexbot and its quirky owner, feel James’ confusion at being so positive about what he remembers, yet not sure why he can do what he does. Respect the commitment to her training, as Noa relies on logic and years of leadership when the chips are down.
Will they escape the hell they have found themselves in? Science fiction, dystopia and a firm foundation to what looks to be an incredible series!
Series: Archangel Project - Book 1
Publication Date: October 19, 2015
Publisher: C. Gockel
Genre: Science Fiction | Space Opera
Print Length: 436 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
March 14, 2017
I really couldn’t get into this book. I took too long to work out what was going on and even though I tried hard to like Noa and James I found I didn’t really care what happened to them. It didn’t help that I found the whole style of the writing a bit confusing, sentences half finished, half the dialogue an internal debate, meandering random thoughts that just pop up for no reason and the over use of flashbacks. The two main characters are both damaged in various ways, the situation is chaotic and the universe created by the author isn’t established soon enough to make sense of the storyline.
June 14, 2018
couldn't finish, yawn
December 17, 2021
In the opening scenes, Noa escapes from a concentration camp on the planet of Luddeccea. Elsewhere, James, a supposed history professor, crash-lands on the same planet after his craft gets shot down. They meet in the woods while both are being chased (for different reasons). Once united, they must formulate their escape plan. There’s a mysterious alien invasion going on, too. But it’s all wrapped up in a fundamentalist religious fervor.
And James himself is a mystery, too. Why was his craft shot down? Why does he resemble Noa’s dead husband? The rest of the plot is about their escape from the planet. How are they going to do it? Who will help them?
There are some interesting sci-fi elements at play. Time bubbles and time gates are mentioned throughout. There’s the werfle—and who does not like a cute, fluffy animal that eats rats? A “pleasure” bot named 6T9. Hard-linking; done by plugging cables into “internet” style ports implanted into the person’s brain.
References to “archangel” and “heretic” are sprinkled throughout the text. Until the very end, however, their significance is obscure. Somehow, they fit in with the alien invasion and the religious fervor. While their apparent meaning does become apparent, the significance of these terms does not.
Furthermore, parts of the book are slow, especially in sections where Noa and James argue or go on virtual conversations while hard-linking. At times, that dragged a bit, but the story was still a good read.
It’s like “Escape from New York” but more sci-fi-ish and fleeing a planet instead of a city. I enjoyed it.
And James himself is a mystery, too. Why was his craft shot down? Why does he resemble Noa’s dead husband? The rest of the plot is about their escape from the planet. How are they going to do it? Who will help them?
There are some interesting sci-fi elements at play. Time bubbles and time gates are mentioned throughout. There’s the werfle—and who does not like a cute, fluffy animal that eats rats? A “pleasure” bot named 6T9. Hard-linking; done by plugging cables into “internet” style ports implanted into the person’s brain.
References to “archangel” and “heretic” are sprinkled throughout the text. Until the very end, however, their significance is obscure. Somehow, they fit in with the alien invasion and the religious fervor. While their apparent meaning does become apparent, the significance of these terms does not.
Furthermore, parts of the book are slow, especially in sections where Noa and James argue or go on virtual conversations while hard-linking. At times, that dragged a bit, but the story was still a good read.
It’s like “Escape from New York” but more sci-fi-ish and fleeing a planet instead of a city. I enjoyed it.
September 2, 2021
--------- UPDATE AFTER FINISHING THE TRILOGY -------
Well worth the read, getting better and better with every book!
--------------------------------------------------
Noa escapes a concentration camp where she was hold for reasons unknown to her, and meets James, a civilian who got attacked when he shuttled from a space gate down to planet to get ready for a vacation with his family. They join forces, he very reluctantly but driven by an inner force he does not understand, she with the goal to safe her brother and the whole world from a government that seems to suppress the population with the excuse of an alien attack. She does not believe that aliens are taking over, while James has second thoughts how he may be involved since his memory is playing tricks with him. The two protagonists gather a motley crew around them to assist them calling the military from another solar system for help.
This would be the story in a nutshell. The characters, while interesting, are not fleshed out enough for the reader to understand why they would do certain things. The secrecy around James - who/what is he? feels at times more confusing to the reader than suspenseful.
The book is well written and one wants to know what happens next, but for a SiFi it has too much holocaust for me to really enjoy it, and the plot line does not reveal much. It was definitely written with the sequel in mind; while it does not end with a cliff hanger it leaves many (important) questions unanswered.
I will read the next book in the series, hoping that once they are in space I get more of the SiFi feeling.
Well worth the read, getting better and better with every book!
--------------------------------------------------
Noa escapes a concentration camp where she was hold for reasons unknown to her, and meets James, a civilian who got attacked when he shuttled from a space gate down to planet to get ready for a vacation with his family. They join forces, he very reluctantly but driven by an inner force he does not understand, she with the goal to safe her brother and the whole world from a government that seems to suppress the population with the excuse of an alien attack. She does not believe that aliens are taking over, while James has second thoughts how he may be involved since his memory is playing tricks with him. The two protagonists gather a motley crew around them to assist them calling the military from another solar system for help.
This would be the story in a nutshell. The characters, while interesting, are not fleshed out enough for the reader to understand why they would do certain things. The secrecy around James - who/what is he? feels at times more confusing to the reader than suspenseful.
The book is well written and one wants to know what happens next, but for a SiFi it has too much holocaust for me to really enjoy it, and the plot line does not reveal much. It was definitely written with the sequel in mind; while it does not end with a cliff hanger it leaves many (important) questions unanswered.
I will read the next book in the series, hoping that once they are in space I get more of the SiFi feeling.
April 10, 2017
Very entertaining and certainly unlike anything that I had read before! Ms. Gockel is a pro and getting the humor in a situation. Her characters are well thought out and very authentic. I literally laughed out load reading this <3
November 2, 2018
Archangel Down combines elements of both space opera and dystopia to tell the story of a colony world that imposes totalitarian rule in the wake of a mysterious alien invasion.
We meet Commander Noa Sato in a concentration camp where she’s being grilled about her involvement in the Archangel Project. Problem is, she’s never heard of the Archangel Project. She escapes and is found by James Sinclair, an amnesiac Earth history professor whose augments give him superhuman strength and speed, and possibly an inhuman lack of emotion about killing the people after him and Noa.
The central mystery of the book revolves around the alien invasion that the local government has apparently become tyrannical in response to. There are rumors aliens have taken over the planet’s wormhole gate and are taking over humans through their augments, with a strong implication James may be under alien influence.
There’s some interesting world building and characterization in this book: people connect to the internet as well as each other via their augments, and linked people have insight into each other’s emotions and can communicate thoughts and images. The “time gates” that allow FTL travel and antigravity are some neat handwavium. And I especially liked the duo of Eliza and 6T9, her sex bot and robot butler. I thought Gockel invites discussion through these characters of what assistive technology and companion robots for the elderly might look like in the future.
However, there were some prose-related quirks that bothered me. For instance, facial expressions could have used more variety—Noa’s jaw is often clenching or hardened in resolve, which got repetitive. A few cliches also appear in the book. The novel also opens with dialogue, which is generally a no no because it forces readers to work harder to mentally set the scene.
Finally, I wanted to make a note about Noa’s brother Kenji since I haven’t seen a review address this. I’m positive Kenji is autistic. He has difficulty with eye contact, is very focused on technical matters and less on relationships, and has trouble interpreting and showing emotions. Yet Gockel doesn’t make it explicit that he is autistic, and I wish she had because it would be interesting to read an autistic character in SF, especially one whose POV we get to inhabit.
Overall, Archangel Down was a decent series starter for me. The sequel Noa’s Ark promises more intrigue and danger in the Luddicea system, so I will probably check it out.
We meet Commander Noa Sato in a concentration camp where she’s being grilled about her involvement in the Archangel Project. Problem is, she’s never heard of the Archangel Project. She escapes and is found by James Sinclair, an amnesiac Earth history professor whose augments give him superhuman strength and speed, and possibly an inhuman lack of emotion about killing the people after him and Noa.
The central mystery of the book revolves around the alien invasion that the local government has apparently become tyrannical in response to. There are rumors aliens have taken over the planet’s wormhole gate and are taking over humans through their augments, with a strong implication James may be under alien influence.
There’s some interesting world building and characterization in this book: people connect to the internet as well as each other via their augments, and linked people have insight into each other’s emotions and can communicate thoughts and images. The “time gates” that allow FTL travel and antigravity are some neat handwavium. And I especially liked the duo of Eliza and 6T9, her sex bot and robot butler. I thought Gockel invites discussion through these characters of what assistive technology and companion robots for the elderly might look like in the future.
However, there were some prose-related quirks that bothered me. For instance, facial expressions could have used more variety—Noa’s jaw is often clenching or hardened in resolve, which got repetitive. A few cliches also appear in the book. The novel also opens with dialogue, which is generally a no no because it forces readers to work harder to mentally set the scene.
Finally, I wanted to make a note about Noa’s brother Kenji since I haven’t seen a review address this. I’m positive Kenji is autistic. He has difficulty with eye contact, is very focused on technical matters and less on relationships, and has trouble interpreting and showing emotions. Yet Gockel doesn’t make it explicit that he is autistic, and I wish she had because it would be interesting to read an autistic character in SF, especially one whose POV we get to inhabit.
Overall, Archangel Down was a decent series starter for me. The sequel Noa’s Ark promises more intrigue and danger in the Luddicea system, so I will probably check it out.
October 26, 2015
Failure Is Not An Option
This series must be read in order. This is the first book. I can't wait to find out what is next for Noa&James in the next book!!!
Noa came home to visit her baby brother Kenji... Unfortunately she ended up in a concentration/forced work camp instead of spending quality time with her favorite sibling. She thought life was at its all time low when her husband was murdered. Too bad she was wrong. Knowing she must escape and rescue her brother is the only thing that keeps her going. Why has her homework devolved into Nazi like persecution and insane antitechnology religious zealotry? Why are they railing about heretics and demons as well as aliens? What caused this horrific mix of violence and genocide?
James woke on the planet with no clear idea of how he got there or what transpired before that. All he knows is he has a driving urge to find Noa and save her from those who would harm her. His past is fuzzy and unreal. Why does he feel an overwhelming desire to gain her trust? Why is he always seeing black whenever it seems like something will end her? Will they escape with their lives and sanity intact? Will they be able to find a way off planet to expose the atrocities of the camps?
***This series is suitable for adult readers who enjoy a little first contact in their futuristic dystopian sci-fi fantasy action adventures with a dash of romance and a heavy serving of horror :)
***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review***
This series must be read in order. This is the first book. I can't wait to find out what is next for Noa&James in the next book!!!
Noa came home to visit her baby brother Kenji... Unfortunately she ended up in a concentration/forced work camp instead of spending quality time with her favorite sibling. She thought life was at its all time low when her husband was murdered. Too bad she was wrong. Knowing she must escape and rescue her brother is the only thing that keeps her going. Why has her homework devolved into Nazi like persecution and insane antitechnology religious zealotry? Why are they railing about heretics and demons as well as aliens? What caused this horrific mix of violence and genocide?
James woke on the planet with no clear idea of how he got there or what transpired before that. All he knows is he has a driving urge to find Noa and save her from those who would harm her. His past is fuzzy and unreal. Why does he feel an overwhelming desire to gain her trust? Why is he always seeing black whenever it seems like something will end her? Will they escape with their lives and sanity intact? Will they be able to find a way off planet to expose the atrocities of the camps?
***This series is suitable for adult readers who enjoy a little first contact in their futuristic dystopian sci-fi fantasy action adventures with a dash of romance and a heavy serving of horror :)
***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review***
October 26, 2015
This review is from: Archangel Down: Archangel Project. Book One (Kindle Edition)
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book...it's definitely an adventure! Sure it's set in the future where any sort of physical/racial difference makes you a "throwback" but who doesn't love an underdog? Noa is one of these throwbacks; and though she definitely mulls it over a bit, she never lets it get in her way. She has bigger fish to fry...Like escaping a slavelabor encampment while half starved and figuring out who this guy is who has almost every skill she needs when needed. For that matter this story is also the Professor trying to figure out how he has those skills too.
This book is worth the read, it's not your typical sci-fi drabble. The author does some amazing work with words on paper (or e-paper). You'll love this, or at least be curious enough to wait for volume 2 ;)
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book...it's definitely an adventure! Sure it's set in the future where any sort of physical/racial difference makes you a "throwback" but who doesn't love an underdog? Noa is one of these throwbacks; and though she definitely mulls it over a bit, she never lets it get in her way. She has bigger fish to fry...Like escaping a slavelabor encampment while half starved and figuring out who this guy is who has almost every skill she needs when needed. For that matter this story is also the Professor trying to figure out how he has those skills too.
This book is worth the read, it's not your typical sci-fi drabble. The author does some amazing work with words on paper (or e-paper). You'll love this, or at least be curious enough to wait for volume 2 ;)
October 25, 2015
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Archangel Down is a suspenseful science fiction novel! In her previous series, C. Gockel deftly wove Norse mythology into present day - in Archangel Down she weaves our present into a Sci-Fi future.
In the 25th century, humans are routinely augmented and are connected over the Ethernet through ports in their brains. But on the conservative planet Luddeccea, a mysterious presence that takes control of the Time Gate leads them to revert to earlier technology and an authoritarian government. Fleet officer Noa and history professor James must find a way to get help - before the genocides of the 20th century repeat themselves.
Gockel's world building is masterful and humorous touches ensure that this suspenseful read is enjoyable from beginning to end.
Archangel Down is a suspenseful science fiction novel! In her previous series, C. Gockel deftly wove Norse mythology into present day - in Archangel Down she weaves our present into a Sci-Fi future.
In the 25th century, humans are routinely augmented and are connected over the Ethernet through ports in their brains. But on the conservative planet Luddeccea, a mysterious presence that takes control of the Time Gate leads them to revert to earlier technology and an authoritarian government. Fleet officer Noa and history professor James must find a way to get help - before the genocides of the 20th century repeat themselves.
Gockel's world building is masterful and humorous touches ensure that this suspenseful read is enjoyable from beginning to end.
May 2, 2018
Although confusing at the start, the unique approach to the two main character’s thoughts set this novel apart. Noa adapts easily to her changing circumstances, and she holds no grudges, rather, sees the strength in everyone she meets, which makes her a good leader. James keeps the reader guessing with his observations about his own behaviour, which differs from his memories. Together, they assemble a diverse set of followers to achieve their aim.
With focused thoughts, the two main characters impart their knowledge of a possible future. People’s nature remains the same, both good and bad, but technology has advanced and the prospective includes an unknown alien race, whose intentions remain hidden.
With focused thoughts, the two main characters impart their knowledge of a possible future. People’s nature remains the same, both good and bad, but technology has advanced and the prospective includes an unknown alien race, whose intentions remain hidden.
February 10, 2017
Now this is a totally different read for me personally, Science-fiction, I do not usually go for Alien movie or whatnot .. well I saw ET, but I was never into the Alien movies, they kind of creeped me out or scared me as kid. That being said, I really enjoyed the read. Solid plot, No, NO, no cliffhanger, A Trilogy. I enjoyed it so much. I will be looking more into C. Gockel very very soon. I love finding new author and this is a totally different not my norm genre. Cool book cover as well. LOVE IT!! ( ;
March 9, 2018
I tripped over this book on Bookbub.com. A freebie. Imagine naming a sexbot, 6T9? Adventure Sci Fi with a history professor as one of the main characters. Insights to the past. Entertaining enough, I bought the next two in the series and have started #2,
Noa's Ark.
Light, mindless entertainment.
Noa's Ark.Light, mindless entertainment.
November 8, 2015
Foams up for Archangel Down!
The first book of this trilogy has certainly left me anxious for the second. C. Gockel has a talent for ending chapters in a way that makes the reader want to continue right into the next chapter. The flow of the story is smooth and the pieces fit together nicely. I'm not a person who reads much science fiction but I did purchase the book because I enjoyed the previous series so much. I'm really glad that I took that Leap of faith.
The first book of this trilogy has certainly left me anxious for the second. C. Gockel has a talent for ending chapters in a way that makes the reader want to continue right into the next chapter. The flow of the story is smooth and the pieces fit together nicely. I'm not a person who reads much science fiction but I did purchase the book because I enjoyed the previous series so much. I'm really glad that I took that Leap of faith.
March 13, 2018
Archangel Down is a good story with interesting characters that has too much clutter. C. Gockel writes well but the book bogs down in a few places, not enough to make me stop reading, but enough to notice.
Overall the story is right between 3 and 4 stars, actually quite good but could use some work. The premise is great and some characters are very well done. Please see my full review here: http://www.morebooksthantime.com/arch...
Overall the story is right between 3 and 4 stars, actually quite good but could use some work. The premise is great and some characters are very well done. Please see my full review here: http://www.morebooksthantime.com/arch...
February 23, 2017
While I had hope for elements of this book, as the book went on I found myself bored, uncaring and waiting for it to end.
There were only 2 characters I really liked, and neither of them were human. In fact, neither of them were sentient.
One of those was the small furry animal sidekick.
There were only 2 characters I really liked, and neither of them were human. In fact, neither of them were sentient.
One of those was the small furry animal sidekick.
March 24, 2017
An interesting beginning to the series
This was an interesting book. The premise is interesting, first contact set in a theological/anti-technology revolt on a planet of the Republic.
This was an interesting book. The premise is interesting, first contact set in a theological/anti-technology revolt on a planet of the Republic.
May 3, 2018
Lots of action, tension, solid scientific projection
A gripping read. Lots of tension, shifting plot, and believable science extrapolation. I enjoyed the tale immensely and recommend it
A gripping read. Lots of tension, shifting plot, and believable science extrapolation. I enjoyed the tale immensely and recommend it
June 18, 2018
Had me hooked
An adventure into the future that has the human race both advanced and harking back to darker times. I didn't get much sleep with this as I couldn't put it down. Would definitely recommend
An adventure into the future that has the human race both advanced and harking back to darker times. I didn't get much sleep with this as I couldn't put it down. Would definitely recommend
November 27, 2017
Well done. Plenty of action and interesting characters that are trying to figure out literally who they are.
Read
December 7, 2022Rating: minus 5
It is cute but the world building is incomplete. The main character seemed interesting but was never really developed. Since the other reviewers must have seen things that I missed, a scan of them might be useful.
A "rogue?" Goodreads tech does not "Allow" me to see other reviews, does not "Allow" me to see my commenter's name, does not "Allow" me to remove a Dr Susan Hamilton from my friend list and does not respond d to query or complaint over almost three years. 🤔🤔🤔
I closed my pages and removed my lurkers with the exception of this Dr Hamilton. She posted nothing over two years since her friend request and has not responded to five requests that she unfriend me. 🤔
I hope that she does not find me that fascinating because I am just not that interesting, as my siblings will attest. 🤗🤗
It seems that writing a brutal review of a "ridiculous libertarian pile of shite", suddenly causes being a communist to be seen a bad thing. What a shock. 😊😊
A female reader was shocked by a science fiction book from a Ringo Zombie book centered on and glorifying pedophilia. I'd tried to read it myself and was too shocked to even write a review. For a really horrible Zombie series, try Ringo's Zombie series. The hard cover is revealing (the Ebook cover was changed), when you reach that exact scene in the book. This was not a problem for Goodreads, apparently. Hmmm.🤔
It's odd that neither Goodreads employees nor other male readers objected to a comment that suggested that since white males appreciated it, her opinion was worthless and another that suggested the reviewer was obviously recovering from anal rape. interesting. 🤔
For more Goodreads fun, see my review of "Capital Starship", a boom-boom spacey-space book or Powers of the Earth (a ridiculous libertarian pile of shite) and comments from a Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 (a self-identified NeoNazi and US patriot).
Claes Rees Jr/cgr710
Don't be a numpty. Be a smarty. Come and join the Communist Party. 🤗
I wonder how much money is paid to american patriots (Tucker Carlson, Claes Rees Jr and US Republican Party, for example) who strenuously defend Putin's Russia. Russia has declared the US to be enemy Number One for more than a year and has threatened it several times with nuclear war during that period. The gold bars are fine but the fascism is probably the real lure. In any case.
GLORY TO UKRAINE !!! and GLORY TO THE HEROES !!!
This was a silly adventure that was passable as a mediocre light read. The biggest issue is that like many current science fiction books, the background universe was not fleshed out. There is no sense of solidity in the universe.
How does this region of space relate to the rest of human space? What is the history of these polities and how did this war begin and why? What is the size of these regions and how do they compare? What is the nature and structure of the interstellar network? What is the size of the various militaries and what does the general tech and economy look like?
How does the main character understand her life to that point, especially her military experience? Remember that these are fresh not old wounds.
What is the society that she helped create? What is the society that she fought against? How damaged are the victors and losers?
I could not locate the characters in their space. I could not grasp the quality of this religious movement or government. I ended reading and not being the wiser about the threat. I definitely walked away with no emotional map of the literary terrain.
This book is not exceptional that way but it was unsatisfying.
The book doesn't merit much more detailed examination. I think that there are really three must-haves for a science fiction title. The first must be for the background world to be clearly pictured and logically consistent. In any other genre, the writer has a real world model ready to hand.
Science fiction writers have to create their world from the ground up. The characters must belong to that world. They must think, behave and interact plausibly in that universe. The second is the big idea. If science fiction does not present a new challenge or question present understandings of the world, there is nothing left of value.
Most current science fiction can be described in the same way. The only difference is that some writers have a better, if not stellar grasp of standard prose. The streaming services are a good option. The storytelling and writing is usually superior to that of the print. Netflix also carry a nice multinational selection and so is my first choice.
I started using YouTube in the last two years, searching for science fiction channels. I found news, fan fiction, shorts and more but the book tubes were the best find. 😍😍 The reader communities are curious, varied and excited by all things bookish. I would recommend a visit to several for any reader and have listed a few below.
YouTube have documentaries and video essays but there are also dedicated educational video sites. Visit an area of interest channel and you'll probably be directed to one. I looked at Curiosity Stream/Nebula, Magellan, Epic History TV and others. Curiosity Stream/Nebula only costs about $15 USD for a yearly subscription which I thought a bargain.
My YouTube Picks of the moment.
Book Furnace, A Day of Small Things, Lady Knight the Brave, Sciencephile The AI, Emma Thorne, All Out History, Undecided with Matt Ferrell, Politics Joe, Marvelous Videos, Sort of Interesting, Natasha's Adventures, Mia Mulder.
As for Goodreads, please consider treating this site as potentially hostile. 😐
Ominous music begins. 🙂 My solution. I minimized information on my profile, removed all lurkers but the one, screenshot the odd and the ugly and accept that no response to query will be answered. Ominous music ends, 🙂
Seriously, please protect yourself. 🙂 May we all find Good Reading. 😊
Some of my favorite YouTube channels are.you
Kurzgesagt, Rebecca Watson, Narrowboat Pirate, Jean's thoughts, Alice Cappelle, Tulia, Tara Mooknee, Munecat, A Clockwork Reader, Mrs Betty Bowers, The Juice Media, Eleanor Morton, A Day of Small Things, Sabine Hossenfelder, Kings and Generals, World War Two, The Great War, Novara Media, Lady of the Library, Dr Ben Miller, What Vivi did next, Spaghetti Kozak Media & Heavy Ind. LLC, Kelly loves Physics and History, Novara Media, Useful Idiots, Alize, Chloe Stafler, Book Odyssey, Northern Narrowboaters, Task and Purpose, Battle Order, Straight No Chaser, Make Better Media, May Moon Narrowboat, Art by Annamarie, Story worldling, Melodie Rose, Austin McConnell, Kathy's Flog in France, Real Engineering, Chill Goblin, Then & Now, The Present Past, 2Cellos, The Leftist Cooks, The Mindful Narrowboat, The Kavernacle, Overly Sarcastic Productions, Real Life Lore, Spacedock, The Gravel Institute, Vlad Vexler, Fictional Fates, Lilly's expat life, Fiction Beast, Lady Knight the Brave, Sarah Z, The Templin Institute, Prime of Midlife, Tiny Wee Boat, Ship Happens, Holly the Cafe Boat, Pro Robots, Violet Orlandi, Celtica, Straight No Chaser, With Olivia, I'm Rosa, Olivia Reads a Latte, Told in Stone, AlysOtherLife, A Clockwork Reader, The Armchair Historian, A Curly Reader, Brittany the Bibliophile, Novara Media, Adult Wednesday Addams, Eleanor Morton, Rowan J Coleman, Big Think, Neringa Rekaslute, Caucasus Sword Dance, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, Tibees, Ana Psychology, Engineering with Rosie, Timeline, A Cup of Nicole, Traveling K, Sort of Interesting, Cruising Alba, Chugging Along, Philosophy Tube, Owen Jones, Tom Nicholas, A Life of Lit.
I wish you the best morning, a passionate afternoon, an entertaining evening, a pleasant night and may we all keep learning.
Hope is not a weakness but a strength.
Lore, Sisters of Light
It is cute but the world building is incomplete. The main character seemed interesting but was never really developed. Since the other reviewers must have seen things that I missed, a scan of them might be useful.
A "rogue?" Goodreads tech does not "Allow" me to see other reviews, does not "Allow" me to see my commenter's name, does not "Allow" me to remove a Dr Susan Hamilton from my friend list and does not respond d to query or complaint over almost three years. 🤔🤔🤔
I closed my pages and removed my lurkers with the exception of this Dr Hamilton. She posted nothing over two years since her friend request and has not responded to five requests that she unfriend me. 🤔
I hope that she does not find me that fascinating because I am just not that interesting, as my siblings will attest. 🤗🤗
It seems that writing a brutal review of a "ridiculous libertarian pile of shite", suddenly causes being a communist to be seen a bad thing. What a shock. 😊😊
A female reader was shocked by a science fiction book from a Ringo Zombie book centered on and glorifying pedophilia. I'd tried to read it myself and was too shocked to even write a review. For a really horrible Zombie series, try Ringo's Zombie series. The hard cover is revealing (the Ebook cover was changed), when you reach that exact scene in the book. This was not a problem for Goodreads, apparently. Hmmm.🤔
It's odd that neither Goodreads employees nor other male readers objected to a comment that suggested that since white males appreciated it, her opinion was worthless and another that suggested the reviewer was obviously recovering from anal rape. interesting. 🤔
For more Goodreads fun, see my review of "Capital Starship", a boom-boom spacey-space book or Powers of the Earth (a ridiculous libertarian pile of shite) and comments from a Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 (a self-identified NeoNazi and US patriot).
Claes Rees Jr/cgr710
Don't be a numpty. Be a smarty. Come and join the Communist Party. 🤗
I wonder how much money is paid to american patriots (Tucker Carlson, Claes Rees Jr and US Republican Party, for example) who strenuously defend Putin's Russia. Russia has declared the US to be enemy Number One for more than a year and has threatened it several times with nuclear war during that period. The gold bars are fine but the fascism is probably the real lure. In any case.
GLORY TO UKRAINE !!! and GLORY TO THE HEROES !!!
This was a silly adventure that was passable as a mediocre light read. The biggest issue is that like many current science fiction books, the background universe was not fleshed out. There is no sense of solidity in the universe.
How does this region of space relate to the rest of human space? What is the history of these polities and how did this war begin and why? What is the size of these regions and how do they compare? What is the nature and structure of the interstellar network? What is the size of the various militaries and what does the general tech and economy look like?
How does the main character understand her life to that point, especially her military experience? Remember that these are fresh not old wounds.
What is the society that she helped create? What is the society that she fought against? How damaged are the victors and losers?
I could not locate the characters in their space. I could not grasp the quality of this religious movement or government. I ended reading and not being the wiser about the threat. I definitely walked away with no emotional map of the literary terrain.
This book is not exceptional that way but it was unsatisfying.
The book doesn't merit much more detailed examination. I think that there are really three must-haves for a science fiction title. The first must be for the background world to be clearly pictured and logically consistent. In any other genre, the writer has a real world model ready to hand.
Science fiction writers have to create their world from the ground up. The characters must belong to that world. They must think, behave and interact plausibly in that universe. The second is the big idea. If science fiction does not present a new challenge or question present understandings of the world, there is nothing left of value.
Most current science fiction can be described in the same way. The only difference is that some writers have a better, if not stellar grasp of standard prose. The streaming services are a good option. The storytelling and writing is usually superior to that of the print. Netflix also carry a nice multinational selection and so is my first choice.
I started using YouTube in the last two years, searching for science fiction channels. I found news, fan fiction, shorts and more but the book tubes were the best find. 😍😍 The reader communities are curious, varied and excited by all things bookish. I would recommend a visit to several for any reader and have listed a few below.
YouTube have documentaries and video essays but there are also dedicated educational video sites. Visit an area of interest channel and you'll probably be directed to one. I looked at Curiosity Stream/Nebula, Magellan, Epic History TV and others. Curiosity Stream/Nebula only costs about $15 USD for a yearly subscription which I thought a bargain.
My YouTube Picks of the moment.
Book Furnace, A Day of Small Things, Lady Knight the Brave, Sciencephile The AI, Emma Thorne, All Out History, Undecided with Matt Ferrell, Politics Joe, Marvelous Videos, Sort of Interesting, Natasha's Adventures, Mia Mulder.
As for Goodreads, please consider treating this site as potentially hostile. 😐
Ominous music begins. 🙂 My solution. I minimized information on my profile, removed all lurkers but the one, screenshot the odd and the ugly and accept that no response to query will be answered. Ominous music ends, 🙂
Seriously, please protect yourself. 🙂 May we all find Good Reading. 😊
Some of my favorite YouTube channels are.you
Kurzgesagt, Rebecca Watson, Narrowboat Pirate, Jean's thoughts, Alice Cappelle, Tulia, Tara Mooknee, Munecat, A Clockwork Reader, Mrs Betty Bowers, The Juice Media, Eleanor Morton, A Day of Small Things, Sabine Hossenfelder, Kings and Generals, World War Two, The Great War, Novara Media, Lady of the Library, Dr Ben Miller, What Vivi did next, Spaghetti Kozak Media & Heavy Ind. LLC, Kelly loves Physics and History, Novara Media, Useful Idiots, Alize, Chloe Stafler, Book Odyssey, Northern Narrowboaters, Task and Purpose, Battle Order, Straight No Chaser, Make Better Media, May Moon Narrowboat, Art by Annamarie, Story worldling, Melodie Rose, Austin McConnell, Kathy's Flog in France, Real Engineering, Chill Goblin, Then & Now, The Present Past, 2Cellos, The Leftist Cooks, The Mindful Narrowboat, The Kavernacle, Overly Sarcastic Productions, Real Life Lore, Spacedock, The Gravel Institute, Vlad Vexler, Fictional Fates, Lilly's expat life, Fiction Beast, Lady Knight the Brave, Sarah Z, The Templin Institute, Prime of Midlife, Tiny Wee Boat, Ship Happens, Holly the Cafe Boat, Pro Robots, Violet Orlandi, Celtica, Straight No Chaser, With Olivia, I'm Rosa, Olivia Reads a Latte, Told in Stone, AlysOtherLife, A Clockwork Reader, The Armchair Historian, A Curly Reader, Brittany the Bibliophile, Novara Media, Adult Wednesday Addams, Eleanor Morton, Rowan J Coleman, Big Think, Neringa Rekaslute, Caucasus Sword Dance, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, Tibees, Ana Psychology, Engineering with Rosie, Timeline, A Cup of Nicole, Traveling K, Sort of Interesting, Cruising Alba, Chugging Along, Philosophy Tube, Owen Jones, Tom Nicholas, A Life of Lit.
I wish you the best morning, a passionate afternoon, an entertaining evening, a pleasant night and may we all keep learning.
Hope is not a weakness but a strength.
Lore, Sisters of Light
January 8, 2025
This was a fun space adventure. Most of it is planet-bound, but quick spoiler: there will be space.
Look, this is a fast-paced book. The narrator, Emily Woo Zeller, seamlessly switches characters and emotions. I'm sure the paper book is good, but I have to admit that I can't imagine not hearing it. But it made a bad bedtime book. I didn't want to put it away. I probably should have been a book for three nights, but I couldn't stop.
The main character, Noa, is quite persnickety, but that is required of the movement leader and the spaceship's pilot. But it gets in her way. She doesn't know who to trust. All she knows is she needs to save people from being tortured or killed. Noa is flawed but likable. I found myself rooting for her.
If you get the chance to read/listen to the book, I think you will love it, too. It is on Audible. Please give it a try.
Look, this is a fast-paced book. The narrator, Emily Woo Zeller, seamlessly switches characters and emotions. I'm sure the paper book is good, but I have to admit that I can't imagine not hearing it. But it made a bad bedtime book. I didn't want to put it away. I probably should have been a book for three nights, but I couldn't stop.
The main character, Noa, is quite persnickety, but that is required of the movement leader and the spaceship's pilot. But it gets in her way. She doesn't know who to trust. All she knows is she needs to save people from being tortured or killed. Noa is flawed but likable. I found myself rooting for her.
If you get the chance to read/listen to the book, I think you will love it, too. It is on Audible. Please give it a try.
July 18, 2019
I very much enjoyed this sci-fi tale. It is action packed and full of breath taking suspense. The characters are complex and realistic; the protagonists, Noa and James, are heroic yet imperfect. The plot is fascinating but incomplete. No matter, though, because I am starting the next in series NOW!
August 8, 2019
Creative storyline with some unexpected twists. Characters have some depth too.
September 12, 2022
Wonderful world building that didn't feel like exposition but more organic. The story follows an escaped prisoner who has trouble facing reality and complains when others jump to conclusions.
August 19, 2018
This book took a while to get going, and I admit I switched away from it a time or two to read something else. I kept being drawn back, though, and by about the half way point I was hooked enough that I finished in one session long into the night.
I think part of the problem for me was the fact that the story itself didn't seem to have a concrete shape. It felt as if Noa was reacting rather than acting, and my engagement suffered for it. As soon as she came up with a concrete plan of action, the story took off and I was hooked.
This novel had a fascinating setting, a complex cast of characters and an escalating scale of complications that kept the tension ratcheted to high. I've already downloaded the next in series.
I think part of the problem for me was the fact that the story itself didn't seem to have a concrete shape. It felt as if Noa was reacting rather than acting, and my engagement suffered for it. As soon as she came up with a concrete plan of action, the story took off and I was hooked.
This novel had a fascinating setting, a complex cast of characters and an escalating scale of complications that kept the tension ratcheted to high. I've already downloaded the next in series.
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