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Code Breakers #1-4
Code Breakers: The Complete Series
Code Breakers has been one of the highest rated sci fi series on Amazon for the last four years, with over a million downloads and conversion into an RPG setting. Containing all four novels of the series, this box set will delight fans of gritty post-apocalyptic fiction, with a cyberpunk flavor.
Often compared to the early works of William Gibson and Neal Stephenson, Code Breakers is a fast-paced, action-packed and thought-provoking series. Barnes has injected the world full of interesting characters, AIs, droids, and advanced tech in a post-cataclysmic setting where the very idea of freedom has to be fought for.
Join Gerry, Gabe, and Petal in this epic tale of survival, cutting edge science, and a thrill-a-minute adventure that will have you turning pages as fast as you can, as our heroes struggle for their lives, and for the future of humanity itself.
Contains four full length novels: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta.
Often compared to the early works of William Gibson and Neal Stephenson, Code Breakers is a fast-paced, action-packed and thought-provoking series. Barnes has injected the world full of interesting characters, AIs, droids, and advanced tech in a post-cataclysmic setting where the very idea of freedom has to be fought for.
Join Gerry, Gabe, and Petal in this epic tale of survival, cutting edge science, and a thrill-a-minute adventure that will have you turning pages as fast as you can, as our heroes struggle for their lives, and for the future of humanity itself.
Contains four full length novels: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta.
1178 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 2015
1699 people are currently reading
1135 people want to read
About the author
Colin F. Barnes
25 books194 followersColin F. Barnes is a British author of thrillers featuring working-class heroes doing extraordinary things. He is published by 47North, Audible, and Podium. He is represented by Paul Lucas of Janklow & Nesbit.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 98 reviews
February 26, 2016
I tried. I really tried to plow through this book series, but there was a .0001925% chance that I made it to the end.
Why, you ask?
The answer is that over the last year, I have had it demonstrated that the Sophomore Slump is REAL. The first book is great, the second and subsequent books are underdeveloped, and could double as text-based Ambien. Snore! And so disappointing...
Is it lack of time? Pressure to publish quickly? Spankings from authority figures? Delusions of literary greatness? It can't be easy to write hundreds of pages of detailed stories under any conditions. I now believe that the environment is designed to pressure authors into producing work in severely limited timeframes (with the exception of GRRM), hence, the Slump.
The first book ALPHA was interesting and different. Not only the people/hardware/software mesh, but androids with other people's personalities running them, AI Madness, hordes of mutants ( replaces zombies in EoW fun ), the Family oligarchy, the War Widow Army, the Stepford Dome and those tricksy hackers - so many hackers.
Instead of changing reality the old fashioned way, the characters instead hack each other's software to bring about the desired effect. Gerry, Gabe and Petal can even hack and kill people this way. Some people can hack without a computer. They make the best friends in this new world, especially when everything is technical and bleak.
First Book bottom line: many factions, cool mutant snipers, much advanced hacking, weapons and warfare, the end.
The second book forgot that it was about a technological apocalypse and decided to focus on alternate crime, family and political storylines. While I have nothing against these types of stories, when presented liked half-cooked chicken, the subsequent books clearly need more attention.
According to the hype, these books have been top sellers for years on Amazon; so maybe it's just my skewed perspective that keeps me from mass agreement. If you love these books, that's wonderful -just don't flame me.
As I feared, I couldn't finish the second, third or fourth books. A three-fer DNF in grand style.
I tried...
Why, you ask?
The answer is that over the last year, I have had it demonstrated that the Sophomore Slump is REAL. The first book is great, the second and subsequent books are underdeveloped, and could double as text-based Ambien. Snore! And so disappointing...
Is it lack of time? Pressure to publish quickly? Spankings from authority figures? Delusions of literary greatness? It can't be easy to write hundreds of pages of detailed stories under any conditions. I now believe that the environment is designed to pressure authors into producing work in severely limited timeframes (with the exception of GRRM), hence, the Slump.
The first book ALPHA was interesting and different. Not only the people/hardware/software mesh, but androids with other people's personalities running them, AI Madness, hordes of mutants ( replaces zombies in EoW fun ), the Family oligarchy, the War Widow Army, the Stepford Dome and those tricksy hackers - so many hackers.
Instead of changing reality the old fashioned way, the characters instead hack each other's software to bring about the desired effect. Gerry, Gabe and Petal can even hack and kill people this way. Some people can hack without a computer. They make the best friends in this new world, especially when everything is technical and bleak.
First Book bottom line: many factions, cool mutant snipers, much advanced hacking, weapons and warfare, the end.
The second book forgot that it was about a technological apocalypse and decided to focus on alternate crime, family and political storylines. While I have nothing against these types of stories, when presented liked half-cooked chicken, the subsequent books clearly need more attention.
According to the hype, these books have been top sellers for years on Amazon; so maybe it's just my skewed perspective that keeps me from mass agreement. If you love these books, that's wonderful -just don't flame me.
As I feared, I couldn't finish the second, third or fourth books. A three-fer DNF in grand style.
I tried...
January 24, 2021
Second time reading this, great story with many twists and turns. The story is a good mixture of post apocalyptic, and Sci fi, computers , AI etc... It is spread over four books, and they need to be read in order. I think they all come bundled together anyway. A pc buff would get a kick out of this I think, because it is heavy on Servers, data , and wireless networks. There is a lot of action as well, with all kinds of weapons being used. So if you like sci fi, and apocalyptic stuff check this one out. I read some reviews about not liking the characters dying and coming back too much, but to me it was no worse than what you might find in Star Trek or similar sci fi stories. There is cloning and cyborgs in the story that make this possible with the characters. Petal is my favorite, she kicks ass and reminds me of wolverine from x-men.
June 8, 2016
Starts out strong!
As I'm a retired IT guy I wanted to like this series and indeed it started out at a good pace. However, it started to fizzle out about a third of the way in. The storyline started bouncing around for no good reason, seemed like the author was struggling to fill a series.
As I'm a retired IT guy I wanted to like this series and indeed it started out at a good pace. However, it started to fizzle out about a third of the way in. The storyline started bouncing around for no good reason, seemed like the author was struggling to fill a series.
May 12, 2016
This book couldn't be more confusing. I didn't like the way Petal or Gabe talked and they called the main character a weird name (Gez) which didn't make sense to me. I feel like the plot line was very interesting, but very poorly written.
I got to chapter 7 before I finally had to just accept that I couldn't get through this book and then 3 others before the story would even come to fruition.
I'm very sad to say that I won't be returning to this series. I really do feel like it had potential.
I got to chapter 7 before I finally had to just accept that I couldn't get through this book and then 3 others before the story would even come to fruition.
I'm very sad to say that I won't be returning to this series. I really do feel like it had potential.
June 10, 2016
Interesting, but...
This book is full of interesting ideas about technology and what it means to be human. Yet, at the same time, it is deeply flawed as a story. The characters have more lives than a dozen cats, implausibly surviving crisis after crises. A mixed bag. A strong editor would have greatly improved this book.
This book is full of interesting ideas about technology and what it means to be human. Yet, at the same time, it is deeply flawed as a story. The characters have more lives than a dozen cats, implausibly surviving crisis after crises. A mixed bag. A strong editor would have greatly improved this book.
May 16, 2019
Code Breakers Complete Series 1-4 by Colin F. Barnes
I picked this one up on a special. It looked good and though I have to admit that it wasn't quite what I expected, there were a great number of other things that have caused me to put this on my love to hate list. I wasn't so much expecting a dystopic tale. Just having read John Shirley's A Song Called Youth which is touted as a cyberpunk story, but is more a thriller suspense with cyberpunk leanings. Code Breakers ABGD is more a dystopic tale wrapped around cyberpunk with elements ranging from those familiar to Mary Shelly's Frankenstein all the way to some of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Martian and Venusian series. There were certainly all the tropes for cyberpunk and those classic SFF adventures. A lot of good ideas wrapped in old tropes and unfortunate smatterings of grammatical challenges.
The author appears to be British English and I try to keep that in mind. I've read a wide number of British authors recently and have been training my ear to certain quirky colloquialisms and idioms and even have discussed a few with those authors. With that in mind there is a pet peeve that I still feel a need to mention because it doesn't appear to be universally accepted as good English throughout the realm. This would be the usage of was sat, were sat, was stood and were stood. In all cases I'm used to was sitting, were sitting, was standing, were standing and those others are like fingernails on a chalkboard when I say them out loud. But those are pet peeves and have little if nothing to do with the stars I portion out.
What I'm mostly concerned with is the omitting of words and the subsequent creation of incomplete sentences that leave the reader to fill in the blanks. Such as:
Gerry detected a hint of disappointment Jachz's voice.
Barnes, Colin F. (2015-11-12). Code Breakers Complete Series: Books 1-4 (Kindle Location 3205). Binary Books. Kindle Edition.
Sasha had learned from Enna that Cheska a transcendent.
Barnes, Colin F. (2015-11-12). Code Breakers Complete Series: Books 1-4 (Kindle Location 6463). Binary Books. Kindle Edition.
If he could feel, he'd have felt exhilarated, such was the speed at which moved.
Barnes, Colin F. (2015-11-12). Code Breakers Complete Series: Books 1-4 (Kindle Location 6788). Binary Books. Kindle Edition.
These are just a random sampling and there are more, but it doesn't stop there because there are words munged together missing spaces between them and places where the t is missing from stay.
or this next::
Despite their lack of proper military training and experience, they displayed admirable brave.
Barnes, Colin F. (2015-11-12). Code Breakers Complete Series: Books 1-4 (Kindle Location 6484). Binary Books. Kindle Edition.
I can't help but think they displayed bravery rather than brave.
Still I am forgiving even for those; but there is one spot where my bubble burst when the author was in the middle of a scene and the name of a character who was not in the scene was used in the place of another character and nearly spoiled the up and coming reveal later in that or the next chapter. In case the author cares to fix this it is in location 4250 of my kindle.
Really, though, I enjoyed the series most of the way through and would have loved to give it 4 stars, and since I am giving it 3 stars that is the reason I'm being a bit hard on it. I think that any fan of cyberpunk and fantasy and perhaps those who have read John Shirley should enjoy this book and after stumbling over some of those errors and getting past most everything the first three stories make for a great set.
As to the last book; there is no doubt that it finishes off the series and completes specific threads and further answers some lingering question, so it has a purpose. There were some moments when I almost put it down but for the most part I'm glad I finished it just to wrap up the lives of the few characters who made it through those first three books. Oh...and of course, some of those don't make it through the last book.
There are lots of twists and turns in the plot to surprise the readers; though I have to admit sometimes the feeling of Deus ex Machina is there. It has all the tropes and earmarks found in most dystopic tales and I'll admit that dystopia's are not my favorite or strongest genre. For those who love those and enjoy the cyberpunk elements I think this would be a good addition to their library and looking at the number of 4 and 5 stars reviews there are a good number of people who must have more than enjoyed reading these novels.
The author goes on my to read list for some future enjoyment.
J.L. Dobias
I picked this one up on a special. It looked good and though I have to admit that it wasn't quite what I expected, there were a great number of other things that have caused me to put this on my love to hate list. I wasn't so much expecting a dystopic tale. Just having read John Shirley's A Song Called Youth which is touted as a cyberpunk story, but is more a thriller suspense with cyberpunk leanings. Code Breakers ABGD is more a dystopic tale wrapped around cyberpunk with elements ranging from those familiar to Mary Shelly's Frankenstein all the way to some of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Martian and Venusian series. There were certainly all the tropes for cyberpunk and those classic SFF adventures. A lot of good ideas wrapped in old tropes and unfortunate smatterings of grammatical challenges.
The author appears to be British English and I try to keep that in mind. I've read a wide number of British authors recently and have been training my ear to certain quirky colloquialisms and idioms and even have discussed a few with those authors. With that in mind there is a pet peeve that I still feel a need to mention because it doesn't appear to be universally accepted as good English throughout the realm. This would be the usage of was sat, were sat, was stood and were stood. In all cases I'm used to was sitting, were sitting, was standing, were standing and those others are like fingernails on a chalkboard when I say them out loud. But those are pet peeves and have little if nothing to do with the stars I portion out.
What I'm mostly concerned with is the omitting of words and the subsequent creation of incomplete sentences that leave the reader to fill in the blanks. Such as:
Gerry detected a hint of disappointment Jachz's voice.
Barnes, Colin F. (2015-11-12). Code Breakers Complete Series: Books 1-4 (Kindle Location 3205). Binary Books. Kindle Edition.
Sasha had learned from Enna that Cheska a transcendent.
Barnes, Colin F. (2015-11-12). Code Breakers Complete Series: Books 1-4 (Kindle Location 6463). Binary Books. Kindle Edition.
If he could feel, he'd have felt exhilarated, such was the speed at which moved.
Barnes, Colin F. (2015-11-12). Code Breakers Complete Series: Books 1-4 (Kindle Location 6788). Binary Books. Kindle Edition.
These are just a random sampling and there are more, but it doesn't stop there because there are words munged together missing spaces between them and places where the t is missing from stay.
or this next::
Despite their lack of proper military training and experience, they displayed admirable brave.
Barnes, Colin F. (2015-11-12). Code Breakers Complete Series: Books 1-4 (Kindle Location 6484). Binary Books. Kindle Edition.
I can't help but think they displayed bravery rather than brave.
Still I am forgiving even for those; but there is one spot where my bubble burst when the author was in the middle of a scene and the name of a character who was not in the scene was used in the place of another character and nearly spoiled the up and coming reveal later in that or the next chapter. In case the author cares to fix this it is in location 4250 of my kindle.
Really, though, I enjoyed the series most of the way through and would have loved to give it 4 stars, and since I am giving it 3 stars that is the reason I'm being a bit hard on it. I think that any fan of cyberpunk and fantasy and perhaps those who have read John Shirley should enjoy this book and after stumbling over some of those errors and getting past most everything the first three stories make for a great set.
As to the last book; there is no doubt that it finishes off the series and completes specific threads and further answers some lingering question, so it has a purpose. There were some moments when I almost put it down but for the most part I'm glad I finished it just to wrap up the lives of the few characters who made it through those first three books. Oh...and of course, some of those don't make it through the last book.
There are lots of twists and turns in the plot to surprise the readers; though I have to admit sometimes the feeling of Deus ex Machina is there. It has all the tropes and earmarks found in most dystopic tales and I'll admit that dystopia's are not my favorite or strongest genre. For those who love those and enjoy the cyberpunk elements I think this would be a good addition to their library and looking at the number of 4 and 5 stars reviews there are a good number of people who must have more than enjoyed reading these novels.
The author goes on my to read list for some future enjoyment.
J.L. Dobias
September 20, 2024
I really liked the beginning of this. How the character is forced to abandon his current life to take on a new one.
After a while, though, things just sort of get fuzzy. Whether there aren't enough details in the magic system or the
battles, I'm not sure. However, I come away feeling unsatisfied.
Is the main character's name Gerry or Jess? It felt like even the characters kept calling him different names. It kept getting harder to
recognize which character was which. Also the character mannerisms sometimes seemed to be the same, which did not help to separate
who they were. Those combinations smudged the painting so to speak so that what could have
been a crisp, clear, and amazing tale; is instead out of focus and just so-so.
Also, a main character who gets by on his instincts, who is custom built as a solution to the current problem deflates the excitement.
If he is that powerful, then it can make things seem a bit boring. If he is unbeatable, then who cares if he wins. Even if it is mentioned after
the fact, it can ruin my first impression of him. I find my mind wrestling with it.
On the other hand, he does leave the fight damaged, but the
things used to heal him don't really show up until that moment. A bit of foreshadowing or showing it used on someone else in the world before the main character needs
it would help prepare the readers belief system so that they don't have to take so much on faith.
I should also mention that the worldbuilding is fantastic. I really wanted the book to be more. I suppose that means I see its potential.
To me, this seems like a good opportunity for the author to do a rewrite and edit session to improve the story.
Of course, all of this is my opinion.
After a while, though, things just sort of get fuzzy. Whether there aren't enough details in the magic system or the
battles, I'm not sure. However, I come away feeling unsatisfied.
Is the main character's name Gerry or Jess? It felt like even the characters kept calling him different names. It kept getting harder to
recognize which character was which. Also the character mannerisms sometimes seemed to be the same, which did not help to separate
who they were. Those combinations smudged the painting so to speak so that what could have
been a crisp, clear, and amazing tale; is instead out of focus and just so-so.
Also, a main character who gets by on his instincts, who is custom built as a solution to the current problem deflates the excitement.
If he is that powerful, then it can make things seem a bit boring. If he is unbeatable, then who cares if he wins. Even if it is mentioned after
the fact, it can ruin my first impression of him. I find my mind wrestling with it.
On the other hand, he does leave the fight damaged, but the
things used to heal him don't really show up until that moment. A bit of foreshadowing or showing it used on someone else in the world before the main character needs
it would help prepare the readers belief system so that they don't have to take so much on faith.
I should also mention that the worldbuilding is fantastic. I really wanted the book to be more. I suppose that means I see its potential.
To me, this seems like a good opportunity for the author to do a rewrite and edit session to improve the story.
Of course, all of this is my opinion.
September 1, 2018
Binge Read-much?
Then you’ll fly through this wild version of a messed up future. But, don’t worry there’s hope. Somehow, I wouldn’t be convinced unless that indomitable shred of humanity didn’t poke its head through the ashes of destruction caused by the other human tendencies toward power hungry greed. Each book is a convincingly wild ride through a world struggling to survive using good old fashioned determination and gerry rigging to get by and conquer the technologically superior entities trying to wipe out all humanity only to live on as Artificial Intelligent non-beings. “The Family” as they called themselves, didn’t count on good old Gerry, the ultimate AI. One with a heart and an appreciation for the human spirit. One of their own gone rogue, cutting through all their bullshit and foiling their plans again and again. The real “feelgood” thread running through the story that got me, though, was that the hero kept picking up life’s rejects and seeing through their faults and rough exterior to the beauty and brilliance that made them unique. Without that diversity and comradery our hero wouldn’t have reason or ability to go on. At every obstacle an opportunity arose, together they had the strength and reason to push on through. That rings true in my life. When your own family lets you down, never fear, your adopted family will be here. Unless they’re all imposters sent in by the bad guys to F-U up? You’ll never know until you try. Read ‘em and weep, my friends.
Then you’ll fly through this wild version of a messed up future. But, don’t worry there’s hope. Somehow, I wouldn’t be convinced unless that indomitable shred of humanity didn’t poke its head through the ashes of destruction caused by the other human tendencies toward power hungry greed. Each book is a convincingly wild ride through a world struggling to survive using good old fashioned determination and gerry rigging to get by and conquer the technologically superior entities trying to wipe out all humanity only to live on as Artificial Intelligent non-beings. “The Family” as they called themselves, didn’t count on good old Gerry, the ultimate AI. One with a heart and an appreciation for the human spirit. One of their own gone rogue, cutting through all their bullshit and foiling their plans again and again. The real “feelgood” thread running through the story that got me, though, was that the hero kept picking up life’s rejects and seeing through their faults and rough exterior to the beauty and brilliance that made them unique. Without that diversity and comradery our hero wouldn’t have reason or ability to go on. At every obstacle an opportunity arose, together they had the strength and reason to push on through. That rings true in my life. When your own family lets you down, never fear, your adopted family will be here. Unless they’re all imposters sent in by the bad guys to F-U up? You’ll never know until you try. Read ‘em and weep, my friends.
September 21, 2017
This series will get you thinking - the author does a great job of getting you inside the head (pun intended) of his characters, and what I found refreshing for this one was he doesn't try to overwhelm you with the future technology or situations in a post-apocalyptic world: we've all read SF where you want to call b.s. on a futuristic technology but in this case it's believable, and you can wrap your arms around it and understand it. The action scenes are fairly realistic, and you will find your pulse racing (mine did) at various times as you feel as if you are right there.
I originally picked this up for just 99 cents vs. the regular price of each standalone book of $3.99 each or about $20 total. I certainly received a lot more than 99 cents worth of entertainment value. If you're looking for a change of pace from a lot of the sci-fi out there today, I'd recommend giving this series a shot.
I originally picked this up for just 99 cents vs. the regular price of each standalone book of $3.99 each or about $20 total. I certainly received a lot more than 99 cents worth of entertainment value. If you're looking for a change of pace from a lot of the sci-fi out there today, I'd recommend giving this series a shot.
December 6, 2017
I wanted to like it, but the writing is bad enough that I only made it a few chapters in. The plot is interesting: a programmer living within the utopian Dome is suddenly singled out for lottery execution by an algorithm he designed (an act that should have been impossible). Thrust into an outside world he'd been told didn't exist, Gerry must determine who is friend and foe on a battleground he knows nothing about.
Hype, right? The trouble is you'll spend at least as long trying to figure out what's happening as you do actually reading text. The story arc is comically overpopulated with tropes: Gerry's best friend gets turned into a zombie by a malicious virus. Ninjas attack suddenly and for no apparent reason. And that's just the tip of this wacky iceberg.
Unless you have the infinite patience required to sift a plot from poor prose, give this read a miss.
Hype, right? The trouble is you'll spend at least as long trying to figure out what's happening as you do actually reading text. The story arc is comically overpopulated with tropes: Gerry's best friend gets turned into a zombie by a malicious virus. Ninjas attack suddenly and for no apparent reason. And that's just the tip of this wacky iceberg.
Unless you have the infinite patience required to sift a plot from poor prose, give this read a miss.
July 4, 2018
An action filled drama through life and virtual reality
From the moment you get sucked in, to the moments you learn more about the Family. The story keeps you reading. Cliff hanger moments abound as you continue to identify with each character whether you like them or loathe them. Beautiful city scapes, barren wastelands, and derelict abandoned bases and other structures appear in your imagination. Not to mention, the digital realms of avatars, streaming lines of code, and the digital warfare paralleling conflict in real life. It was a fun journey to follow. There's mystery, love, friendship, and the inevitable evil influence. Maybe you'll find out the truth, maybe you won't.
From the moment you get sucked in, to the moments you learn more about the Family. The story keeps you reading. Cliff hanger moments abound as you continue to identify with each character whether you like them or loathe them. Beautiful city scapes, barren wastelands, and derelict abandoned bases and other structures appear in your imagination. Not to mention, the digital realms of avatars, streaming lines of code, and the digital warfare paralleling conflict in real life. It was a fun journey to follow. There's mystery, love, friendship, and the inevitable evil influence. Maybe you'll find out the truth, maybe you won't.
January 13, 2020
Good: Lots of craziness, well put together post-apocalyptic and almost post human world, lots of twist and turns, no fear of killing of major characters. Two main characters in love wait until marriage (a very rare occurrence), no sex scenes. Fighting is not all pew pew but also happens in cyberspace with code. Cool near future tech -neck ports, Hydrogen batteries, clones and AI.
Bad: characters never really felt like real people, did not connect with the characters. Almost every chapter ends with someone passing out or dying. The visuals were weak, not very descriptive language. Some editing mistakes.
Books felt like I was reading a script for a videogame. A good videogame, with lots of action and leveling up.
The machine overlords want to kill us all - and our clones are worse.
Bad: characters never really felt like real people, did not connect with the characters. Almost every chapter ends with someone passing out or dying. The visuals were weak, not very descriptive language. Some editing mistakes.
Books felt like I was reading a script for a videogame. A good videogame, with lots of action and leveling up.
The machine overlords want to kill us all - and our clones are worse.
May 4, 2018
An entertaining post-apocalyptic scifi thriller about the next evolution of humans that have technology wired, grown, and genetically modified in the body and braid allowing for direct neural connections and the ability to mentally manipulate code and data. I enjoyed the characters, their style, and the overall plot although the character interactions and minor antagonists felt repetitive as the series progressed, same situation slightly different characters as our heroes successfully dealt with the same type of challenges under the broader overarching story. I'd read more from this author but this wouldn't be the first series I'd recommend to someone trying to get into scifi/fantasy.
January 4, 2018
Code Breakers Complete Series: Books 1-4 Review of the main
Dear Colin, what a fantastic series from beginning to end! It is most definitely an adult reading and the low rating is the result of the foul language use, calling the Bible fiction, and all the gory details. The story itself was imaginative, exciting, well written and riveting. It was extremely hard to put down once started. I highly recommend reading this book to anyone interested in reading a great story (adults only).
Dear Colin, what a fantastic series from beginning to end! It is most definitely an adult reading and the low rating is the result of the foul language use, calling the Bible fiction, and all the gory details. The story itself was imaginative, exciting, well written and riveting. It was extremely hard to put down once started. I highly recommend reading this book to anyone interested in reading a great story (adults only).
July 8, 2017
Good characters
Over all this was a good story. But don't get attached to any of the characters. The twists in the plots could have been better, as things were somewhat predictable. But it was a good read I would recommend. If your anal about grammar and structure you'll need to get past it. The author needs some work in that area, but it doesn't detract or detract from the story.
Over all this was a good story. But don't get attached to any of the characters. The twists in the plots could have been better, as things were somewhat predictable. But it was a good read I would recommend. If your anal about grammar and structure you'll need to get past it. The author needs some work in that area, but it doesn't detract or detract from the story.
November 10, 2017
What started out as my feeling overwhelmed by computer/gamer-speak as I began reading this series, ended up with my very much enjoying the story-line. This definitely a series most comfortably read by those with experience in programming. Yet, it becomes an imaginative vehicle to explore the dangers of artificial intelligence, especially as it pertains to creating humanoids. Hard to put down at the end of each of the novels in the series.
November 22, 2017
Action Packed
This collection can be read in a week, easily because the fast pacing keeps you going. The characters are fairly well rounded, especially considering that many of them are not human, or are human/computer cyborgs, although not call borgs in the book. It was enjoyable, well written and asks questions about the our future as computers take over more tasks and become!more integrated into our society!
This collection can be read in a week, easily because the fast pacing keeps you going. The characters are fairly well rounded, especially considering that many of them are not human, or are human/computer cyborgs, although not call borgs in the book. It was enjoyable, well written and asks questions about the our future as computers take over more tasks and become!more integrated into our society!
September 7, 2021
It is rare these days that I read trilogies these days. I don't mean three books in the same "universe." I mean one story over three books. Nobody wants to write a stand alone novel anymore, especially in scifi. I loved the story and really got into it, bingeing the series, which I usually don't do. This was a fun, fast read. I enjoyed it and will definitely read more of his work. The Red Widows are a trip.
January 9, 2017
Entertaining series
Lots of action and a good storyline about an apocalyptic society ruled by the family that caused the apocalypse. Plot switches galore as you follow the heroes that lead the fight to free Earth from the family's control. Many interesting and well developed characters.
Lots of action and a good storyline about an apocalyptic society ruled by the family that caused the apocalypse. Plot switches galore as you follow the heroes that lead the fight to free Earth from the family's control. Many interesting and well developed characters.
September 19, 2017
Hard to put Down
So many twists, so many turns, you'd think it would be hard to follow. Nope. It did keep me guessing wondering, thinking and turning the pages. I loved the fact that it made me really think about a technological future as well as genetics run smock. Under it all though it is about friendship and love, I loved it all the way through.
So many twists, so many turns, you'd think it would be hard to follow. Nope. It did keep me guessing wondering, thinking and turning the pages. I loved the fact that it made me really think about a technological future as well as genetics run smock. Under it all though it is about friendship and love, I loved it all the way through.
November 14, 2017
Good enough
I give it three stars because it was a solid story, fairly well delivered. I felt character development was good, not great. The tech failed to suspend disbelief. I did like the plot twists.
Gerry and Petal with retinue saved the ragged remnants, once, twice, maybe more. Rising from the dead to take on yet another super villain, with plenty of ward
I give it three stars because it was a solid story, fairly well delivered. I felt character development was good, not great. The tech failed to suspend disbelief. I did like the plot twists.
Gerry and Petal with retinue saved the ragged remnants, once, twice, maybe more. Rising from the dead to take on yet another super villain, with plenty of ward
March 28, 2018
Bizarre Science Fiction
This was a fun read. Not particularly believable, but neither are other stories like superman, batman, or the green arrow. I did develop empathy for the hero/heroine, and their friend Gabe, which make the series a fun read, just not meat and potatoes for me.
This was a fun read. Not particularly believable, but neither are other stories like superman, batman, or the green arrow. I did develop empathy for the hero/heroine, and their friend Gabe, which make the series a fun read, just not meat and potatoes for me.
August 23, 2018
Amazing sci-fi totally worth the read
Loved every book from start to finish. Never a dull moment with the characters and narrative. The genre and themes throughout were exactly what I was hoping for and I got completely thrown into the world it creates. Must read if you love post apocalyptic, robotic insanity and badass tech.
Loved every book from start to finish. Never a dull moment with the characters and narrative. The genre and themes throughout were exactly what I was hoping for and I got completely thrown into the world it creates. Must read if you love post apocalyptic, robotic insanity and badass tech.
October 19, 2017
Decent
Good all action science fiction. Kept my interest throughout with some interesting ideas. You will not learn anything new or be overawed with the descriptive language. Turn off the brain and enjoy.
Good all action science fiction. Kept my interest throughout with some interesting ideas. You will not learn anything new or be overawed with the descriptive language. Turn off the brain and enjoy.
November 4, 2017
It was interesting. My first time with this sort of novel. Some concepts in it really made you think, but don't mistake me, these books are pretty fast paced so you don't really get bogged down with over thinking, just interesting ideas.
November 29, 2017
Creative stories with twists
Some of the characters , and therefore the language were rough, but fun. Creative with the science and technology. A dystopian tale with all the requisite relationships, betrayals and excitement to keep you reading.
Some of the characters , and therefore the language were rough, but fun. Creative with the science and technology. A dystopian tale with all the requisite relationships, betrayals and excitement to keep you reading.
December 20, 2017
A Great Sci-Fi Read
A bit of The Matrix, The Running Man and Blade Runner with a touch of Mad Max thrown in for good measure! A fun and entertaining sci-fi romp with chapter-ending cliff hangers that keep you wanting more. Great read! :)
A bit of The Matrix, The Running Man and Blade Runner with a touch of Mad Max thrown in for good measure! A fun and entertaining sci-fi romp with chapter-ending cliff hangers that keep you wanting more. Great read! :)
May 8, 2018
A different post apocalyptic novel
A wonderful story with great characters and a truly unique storyline. It grabs you and demands your afternoon a you wind your way thru unexpected twists and turns.
A wonderful story with great characters and a truly unique storyline. It grabs you and demands your afternoon a you wind your way thru unexpected twists and turns.
May 15, 2018
Really enjoying
To me it's the characters that make a good read. This book had great characters even the villains. I was techno savvy or at least I felt that way reading the book. I felt as if I lost 15 pounds running through book. Wonderful job Colin and thanks for the memories!
To me it's the characters that make a good read. This book had great characters even the villains. I was techno savvy or at least I felt that way reading the book. I felt as if I lost 15 pounds running through book. Wonderful job Colin and thanks for the memories!
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