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Haven Prime #1
Earthshatter
Haven Book One
The world is gone. All that’s left are the monsters.
The creatures attacked Haven VII with no warning. An AI named Kyrios, a nearly omnipotent being, should have protected the city during the Night of the Swarm.
Except It didn’t.
No one knows why It failed, or why It saved eight specific the Captain, the Seer, the Sentry, the Messenger, the Engineer, the Alchemist, the Medic, and the Stewardess. They have no idea of the meaning behind the titles they’ve been given, why they were selected and brought together, or what Kyrios expects from them. When they awake from stasis, they find their city in ruins and everyone long dead. They’re alone—or so they think. But then the creatures start pouring out from underground, looking for them. They don’t stand a chance in a fight, and with limited supplies, they can’t run forever. All they know is that the creatures aren’t their only enemies, and there’s only one place they can turn. Kyrios beckons them toward Its Portal, but can It be trusted? In Its isolated shrine in the desert, they might find the answers they need—if they can survive long enough to reach it.
The world is gone. All that’s left are the monsters.
The creatures attacked Haven VII with no warning. An AI named Kyrios, a nearly omnipotent being, should have protected the city during the Night of the Swarm.
Except It didn’t.
No one knows why It failed, or why It saved eight specific the Captain, the Seer, the Sentry, the Messenger, the Engineer, the Alchemist, the Medic, and the Stewardess. They have no idea of the meaning behind the titles they’ve been given, why they were selected and brought together, or what Kyrios expects from them. When they awake from stasis, they find their city in ruins and everyone long dead. They’re alone—or so they think. But then the creatures start pouring out from underground, looking for them. They don’t stand a chance in a fight, and with limited supplies, they can’t run forever. All they know is that the creatures aren’t their only enemies, and there’s only one place they can turn. Kyrios beckons them toward Its Portal, but can It be trusted? In Its isolated shrine in the desert, they might find the answers they need—if they can survive long enough to reach it.
530 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 8, 2016
About the author
Albert Nothlit
17 books27 followers Albert Nothlit is an engineer who loves thinking about the science behind science fiction. He fell in love with literature ever since Where the Red Fern Grows made him cry as a ten-year-old. Growing up as a gay man, he realized that he had rarely been able to truly connect with the characters he read about in books because almost none of them were like him. He didn’t have any fictional role models to look up to. Now that he is a writer, he tries to convey the joy and pride of being different through his own books, celebrating the fact that each unique voice brings something special to the beautiful chorus that is human artistic creation.
He likes to think about what the future might be like with the help of science, but he has always been fascinated by that other, much more elusive corollary to scientific curiosity: the mystery of consciousness. He finds the fact that a mind can think about itself both marvelous and slightly terrifying. His books often explore how people (or aliens) grow as a result of facing hardship, which itself has taught him variable lessons through the tough portions of his life.
When he takes a break from writing, Albert loves to cook, despite his varying degrees of success when attempting to make good sushi rice.
He likes to think about what the future might be like with the help of science, but he has always been fascinated by that other, much more elusive corollary to scientific curiosity: the mystery of consciousness. He finds the fact that a mind can think about itself both marvelous and slightly terrifying. His books often explore how people (or aliens) grow as a result of facing hardship, which itself has taught him variable lessons through the tough portions of his life.
When he takes a break from writing, Albert loves to cook, despite his varying degrees of success when attempting to make good sushi rice.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 8, 2017
5 STARS
Link to in-depth review http://ontopdownunderbookreviews.com/...
OK, so that was an unexpected punch the air with 5 stars. Not only was it enthralling from the beginning, it then preceded very quickly onto one of the most exhilarating sci-fi and thrilling post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels I have read for a very, very long time.
There is so much within this book that I loved and won't be able to detail in any great length as it has 8 MC's, it's also a long book too so having that many MC's made it even better. It switches to all of their respective POV's with little to no overlap recounting dialogue. So it's not confusing even if you don't immediately know who POV it is you are always told and it soon becomes second nature. I really liked this because as I said earlier, the POV's don't repeat or backtrack but continue on with what's happening at that point in time and that is not and easy thing to do as a lot of authors do fuck it up BUT Albert Nothlit did not. I also feel that this added to the momentum of the book and resolved the problem of having 8 MC's. You'll understand where I'm coming from when you read it and please read this book if you love sci-fi or dystopian novels.
It's one of those stories that keeps barreling along, accelerating as it goes literally shooting you out of a cannon as it finishes but before you hit the net to catch you it finishes. I AM GAGGING FOR THE SEQUEL.
One thing I'd like to point out is that there is no MM relationships going on here either. There is a hint of that to come and a past F/M relationship but if you're looking for that then this is not for you because there isn't time for it and he did not publicise that way at all, it was on 2 different listopia bookshelves????????
It is 8 people running for their lives from page 2 until the end. It's tense and relentless but not overly nasty as most of the dystopian novels that I have read are but in NO way get me wrong, this no walk in the park. The intent of ill feeling and dread are consistently ratcheted up perfectly, reaching fever pitch as the book smashes over the finish line when it ends.
My god (agnostically speaking) just read this book.
Link to in-depth review http://ontopdownunderbookreviews.com/...
OK, so that was an unexpected punch the air with 5 stars. Not only was it enthralling from the beginning, it then preceded very quickly onto one of the most exhilarating sci-fi and thrilling post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels I have read for a very, very long time.
There is so much within this book that I loved and won't be able to detail in any great length as it has 8 MC's, it's also a long book too so having that many MC's made it even better. It switches to all of their respective POV's with little to no overlap recounting dialogue. So it's not confusing even if you don't immediately know who POV it is you are always told and it soon becomes second nature. I really liked this because as I said earlier, the POV's don't repeat or backtrack but continue on with what's happening at that point in time and that is not and easy thing to do as a lot of authors do fuck it up BUT Albert Nothlit did not. I also feel that this added to the momentum of the book and resolved the problem of having 8 MC's. You'll understand where I'm coming from when you read it and please read this book if you love sci-fi or dystopian novels.
It's one of those stories that keeps barreling along, accelerating as it goes literally shooting you out of a cannon as it finishes but before you hit the net to catch you it finishes. I AM GAGGING FOR THE SEQUEL.
One thing I'd like to point out is that there is no MM relationships going on here either. There is a hint of that to come and a past F/M relationship but if you're looking for that then this is not for you because there isn't time for it and he did not publicise that way at all, it was on 2 different listopia bookshelves????????
It is 8 people running for their lives from page 2 until the end. It's tense and relentless but not overly nasty as most of the dystopian novels that I have read are but in NO way get me wrong, this no walk in the park. The intent of ill feeling and dread are consistently ratcheted up perfectly, reaching fever pitch as the book smashes over the finish line when it ends.
My god (agnostically speaking) just read this book.
April 9, 2016
A Scattered Thoughts And Rogue Words Review:
2.5 stars
First of all, if you dislike creepy crawlies, stay the hell away from this book. This book is about flesh-eating centipedes the size of a housecat. Gross? Absolutely! If that doesn’t scare you off, at least don’t read this while eating. Trust me, I regretted that decision…
You should also be aware that there is no romance in this novel. And by “no romance”, I really do mean absolutely zero romance. Marie is engaged to Alain, but that’s all the romance we get. A past relationship between Alain and Nikos is sort of implied, but that’s very much open to interpretation.*
Looking back, I have absolutely no idea why I actually thought this might be a book for me. I find insects utterly disgusting. So yeah, I did not particularly enjoy this book…
First of all, I had major issues with the MCs, especially the girls. They wake up in the middle of the desert and they have to assume that everybody they know is dead. Instead of worrying about their loved ones, they complain about a lack of lip gloss, conditioner and make-up. What on earth are the boys supposed to think about their appearance? That’s a recurring theme for the two, especially Marie. I found that reaction absolutely unrealistic.
Marie came across as extremely self-centred and a bit of a tyrant. I absolutely couldn’t stand her. It seemed she had a hard time deciding which was worse: having to be in the company of a fat guy (Omar), a crazy kid (Dex) or an immature kid (Kenichi).
Rain was a bit better, but still rather annoying.
Kenichi was also quite annoying, in a very immature, care-free way that absolutely didn’t fit the situation.
Omar’s characterization seemed a little shallow. He mostly thought about how hot Rain was and how hot Marie could be, if she wasn’t such a bitch.
Nikos, Dex and Alain were mostly alright. Probably because they didn’t talk too much.
The world as such was very interesting, but I really would have liked more info about everyday life before the Night of the Swarm.
At the beginning, the plot promised lots of suspense. Later on, that was ruined by ridiculous actions of the MCs. The ending was actually the best part of the whole book, even if I did skim a little to finally get there.
Overall, I didn’t particularly enjoy this book. There was a lot of unused potential. It probably didn’t help that sometimes I just found the descriptions too gross to read. Honestly, it might just me being weird, because there are a lot of very positive reviews about this book.
I won’t read the sequel.
Cover: The cover shows a huge mantis. It definitely fits the creepy and slightly gross feel of the whole book.
2.5 stars
First of all, if you dislike creepy crawlies, stay the hell away from this book. This book is about flesh-eating centipedes the size of a housecat. Gross? Absolutely! If that doesn’t scare you off, at least don’t read this while eating. Trust me, I regretted that decision…
You should also be aware that there is no romance in this novel. And by “no romance”, I really do mean absolutely zero romance. Marie is engaged to Alain, but that’s all the romance we get. A past relationship between Alain and Nikos is sort of implied, but that’s very much open to interpretation.*
Looking back, I have absolutely no idea why I actually thought this might be a book for me. I find insects utterly disgusting. So yeah, I did not particularly enjoy this book…
First of all, I had major issues with the MCs, especially the girls. They wake up in the middle of the desert and they have to assume that everybody they know is dead. Instead of worrying about their loved ones, they complain about a lack of lip gloss, conditioner and make-up. What on earth are the boys supposed to think about their appearance? That’s a recurring theme for the two, especially Marie. I found that reaction absolutely unrealistic.
Marie came across as extremely self-centred and a bit of a tyrant. I absolutely couldn’t stand her. It seemed she had a hard time deciding which was worse: having to be in the company of a fat guy (Omar), a crazy kid (Dex) or an immature kid (Kenichi).
Rain was a bit better, but still rather annoying.
Kenichi was also quite annoying, in a very immature, care-free way that absolutely didn’t fit the situation.
Omar’s characterization seemed a little shallow. He mostly thought about how hot Rain was and how hot Marie could be, if she wasn’t such a bitch.
Nikos, Dex and Alain were mostly alright. Probably because they didn’t talk too much.
The world as such was very interesting, but I really would have liked more info about everyday life before the Night of the Swarm.
At the beginning, the plot promised lots of suspense. Later on, that was ruined by ridiculous actions of the MCs. The ending was actually the best part of the whole book, even if I did skim a little to finally get there.
Overall, I didn’t particularly enjoy this book. There was a lot of unused potential. It probably didn’t help that sometimes I just found the descriptions too gross to read. Honestly, it might just me being weird, because there are a lot of very positive reviews about this book.
I won’t read the sequel.
Cover: The cover shows a huge mantis. It definitely fits the creepy and slightly gross feel of the whole book.
May 5, 2016
Earthshatter by Albert Nothlit is one of the most non-stop, on-the-edge-of-your-seat fantasy/sci-fi books I have read. Every page is filled with action, danger, and nail-biting adventure. By the time I finished the book I felt so tense, I needed a muscle relaxer or a massage! The book is filled with twist, turns, unexpected things happening on every page that you can't get comfortable at any time. Creatures attack Haven, well the whole world really, and Kyrios saves (has them kidnapped) eight certain people, only the AI knows why. When the people come out of stasis the craziness begins. Everyone on Earth is dead, they think. They are hunted by poisonous giant bugs, swarms of them, they are thirsty, hungry, and no idea how long they were in stasis. They start looking for Dex's brother. Dex, the kid, is a little psychic. He is my favorite in the story. Everyone thinks he is crazy. I would love to see this as a movie, wow! The plot is great, dialogue is fun, witty, and true to the characters. The characters are interesting and varied, well developed, and I can't wait to see them in another book. Please? The book is long but I didn't want it to stop, I wanted more and more... The creativity, imagination, the fantasy, the science, humor among the terror, the planning, the details, I can't say enough about this book. Excellent job.
I received this book from NetGalley for a honest review and it in no way effected my review or rating. Thank you NetGalley, I might not have found this book without you!
I received this book from NetGalley for a honest review and it in no way effected my review or rating. Thank you NetGalley, I might not have found this book without you!
April 7, 2016
This story really took me by surprise. To be honest, I'm not exactly a sci/fi fan. But EARTHSHATTER by Albert Nothlit is such a terrific adventure, it doesn't matter if you're a sic/fi fan or not. The book is beautifully written. The eight main characters are fleshed out so well, that in my head I still see them as real people. The action just never stops. I mean NEVER. I admit I had reservations about buying this book. It's over 500 pages, and I thought, wow, if it's just the least bit boring that 500 pages is going to really drag. But was I bored? Not for a minute. DSP Publications made a wise choice when they contracted this story. It truly is top-notch. And I need to mention one more thing. Not often do readers comment on editing, but this time I think I should. I didn't run across one editing mistake in all these 500 pages. I've read books from the top 5 publishers with mistakes scattered through them. But not here. So kudos to the DSPP editors who prepped this book for publication. Story, editing, cover art, everything. EARTHSHATTER by Albert Nothlit is an amazing achievement. I loved it.
June 29, 2018
Some of the mysteries were painfully obvious, which just made the characters seem stupid and made waiting for them to figure out what was going on seem like endless torture. A ton of action which moved neither the plot nor the character development forward, and then a cliffhanger at the end. And I didn't even care, because I was just glad it was over. Why did this seem so long? Also, why is this even shelved as LGBT? Did I miss something?
I was really excited to find some new-to-me, highly rated sci-fi, but I was left disappointed.
I was really excited to find some new-to-me, highly rated sci-fi, but I was left disappointed.
June 15, 2016
I reviewed this for The Novel Approach. I loved it so fucking hard. OMG. Read this book, please.
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
May 25, 2016
Earthshatter is an adrenaline-pumped page-turner with an action-packed plot—I freaking loved it. I was on the edge of my seat from the beginning to the end. The premise of the plot is pretty simple: eight people are taken by an artificial intelligence for safe keeping during a riot, but when they wake up, the town they grew up in has been destroyed by swarming bugs, and even though it seems to them as if they were just put into stasis, the evidence stacks up to suggest they were under for a lot longer. Why they were chosen, and what happened to the town is a mystery they have to uncover before they die of the elements, starvation, or the horde of man-eating insects that are hot on their trail. Yeah… that might be a problem.
The author told an amazing story, and took some risks too. The point of view is in first person, but the author divides the POV into large chunks between each character. At first the reason for this particular type of shift isn’t clear, but as the story unfolds it adds a brilliant dynamic to the telling. Usually I’m not a huge fan of rotating POV, but the fact this was in first person helped because I tend to prefer it, and the fact that these shifts were in large chunks allowed me enough time to sink into each character and enjoy them before I was directed to the next character. Expertly done!
This is a smart suspense/thriller science fiction, with political intrigue reminding me of X-Files, which dips into a bit of horror, Stephen King style. I loved making “ew gross!” faces through the entire thing, and my knuckles were white on my iPhone—a truly fantastic reading experience.
In addition to the incredible plot and the horrific bugs, I was impressed with the world building. As readers we aren’t given the entire story of the world, on purpose, so we have to construct the bits and pieces as we go. What’s clear is the world isn’t our Earth, or if it is, it’s an Earth way, way in the future. What’s also clear is there was a horrific cataclysmic event which left the planet nearly barren of life. An artificial intelligence was set up to create lush cities and protect the people, and it had been doing a fairly good job until the bugs attacked and destroyed the city. We don’t know why the AI couldn’t handle the bugs, or even where the bugs came from—at first. The clever mystery and science fiction elements to the world building completely won the scientist in me over. I loved the technology, I loved being in the dark with what was happening, and I loved the rich history of the world. This was an absolute win for me, and one of my favorite books of the year. I can’t say enough good things. Read this book so I have someone else to gush to, please.
5 fucking fabulous stars.
Reviewed by Brock for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
The author told an amazing story, and took some risks too. The point of view is in first person, but the author divides the POV into large chunks between each character. At first the reason for this particular type of shift isn’t clear, but as the story unfolds it adds a brilliant dynamic to the telling. Usually I’m not a huge fan of rotating POV, but the fact this was in first person helped because I tend to prefer it, and the fact that these shifts were in large chunks allowed me enough time to sink into each character and enjoy them before I was directed to the next character. Expertly done!
This is a smart suspense/thriller science fiction, with political intrigue reminding me of X-Files, which dips into a bit of horror, Stephen King style. I loved making “ew gross!” faces through the entire thing, and my knuckles were white on my iPhone—a truly fantastic reading experience.
In addition to the incredible plot and the horrific bugs, I was impressed with the world building. As readers we aren’t given the entire story of the world, on purpose, so we have to construct the bits and pieces as we go. What’s clear is the world isn’t our Earth, or if it is, it’s an Earth way, way in the future. What’s also clear is there was a horrific cataclysmic event which left the planet nearly barren of life. An artificial intelligence was set up to create lush cities and protect the people, and it had been doing a fairly good job until the bugs attacked and destroyed the city. We don’t know why the AI couldn’t handle the bugs, or even where the bugs came from—at first. The clever mystery and science fiction elements to the world building completely won the scientist in me over. I loved the technology, I loved being in the dark with what was happening, and I loved the rich history of the world. This was an absolute win for me, and one of my favorite books of the year. I can’t say enough good things. Read this book so I have someone else to gush to, please.
5 fucking fabulous stars.
Reviewed by Brock for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
March 9, 2016
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Such a wild ride! Humanity is basically wiped out, with the exception of eight people in stasis, while giant bugs rule the earth. With enough mystery to hold your interest, and characters well-developed and intriguing, I recommend this book.
Such a wild ride! Humanity is basically wiped out, with the exception of eight people in stasis, while giant bugs rule the earth. With enough mystery to hold your interest, and characters well-developed and intriguing, I recommend this book.
April 1, 2017
4.5* Review written for Love Bytes Reviews.
During a time known as the Breaking, Earth’s population was fragmented, her people scattered, and the world as it once was, was destroyed. Those that remained gathered within thirteen cities, the Havens, under the watchful eyes and protection of an AI named Kyrios. When the unthinkable happens and humanity is threatened once more, Kyrios saves only eight people but it is with these eight that the rest of the world may find salvation.
Whoo boy! This book was pretty much one non-stop ride from the first page to the last. Earthshatter is an amazing Sci-fi novel that deals with the destruction of the world and the last people that are left to try and survive in it. There are eight main characters and past the initial introduction to them, the chapters rotate through each of them so you get to see the inner workings of their minds. This was used to great effect as it allowed me to get to know each person more in depth than if you just had a general third person point of view. The descriptions were really well done and I fell into the story quite easily though I did have to get a little into the book to find my groove, so to speak.
I genuinely liked most of the characters with the exception of two. Each one was unique and had a distinct personality; it was easy to differentiate between them without getting confused. I’ll be perfectly honest and say I HATED Marie, however. She comes off as vain and self absorbed when you first meet her and through like 90% of the book she’s just a raging bitch. Every time I thought she’d do something to make me like her at least a little she’d turn around and do something else that had me go, “nope, still a bitch and I hate her”. I understand she was necessary but still, I’d have been happy to see her killed off. Just saying.
Now, this book is listed as a m/m romance on Goodreads and also on Amazon but it is NOT. There is not a single smidge of romance of any kind in this book. Did I care? Hell no! The book itself was excellent and I loved the story. If you squint you may see some things that indicate there might have been something between Alain and Nikos at one point in time but there isn’t anything there now. The sequel looks promising on the m/m romance front so I’ll have to wait and see if I get some sexy man time in the future. I highly recommend this one, even without any romance, as it was just that good. With as good as this one was, I have high expectations for the second book in the series and if I get some man lovin’ in it, that will just be an awesome bonus. The only reason I didn’t rate this a five was because I just hated Marie that much. :p
During a time known as the Breaking, Earth’s population was fragmented, her people scattered, and the world as it once was, was destroyed. Those that remained gathered within thirteen cities, the Havens, under the watchful eyes and protection of an AI named Kyrios. When the unthinkable happens and humanity is threatened once more, Kyrios saves only eight people but it is with these eight that the rest of the world may find salvation.
Whoo boy! This book was pretty much one non-stop ride from the first page to the last. Earthshatter is an amazing Sci-fi novel that deals with the destruction of the world and the last people that are left to try and survive in it. There are eight main characters and past the initial introduction to them, the chapters rotate through each of them so you get to see the inner workings of their minds. This was used to great effect as it allowed me to get to know each person more in depth than if you just had a general third person point of view. The descriptions were really well done and I fell into the story quite easily though I did have to get a little into the book to find my groove, so to speak.
I genuinely liked most of the characters with the exception of two. Each one was unique and had a distinct personality; it was easy to differentiate between them without getting confused. I’ll be perfectly honest and say I HATED Marie, however. She comes off as vain and self absorbed when you first meet her and through like 90% of the book she’s just a raging bitch. Every time I thought she’d do something to make me like her at least a little she’d turn around and do something else that had me go, “nope, still a bitch and I hate her”. I understand she was necessary but still, I’d have been happy to see her killed off. Just saying.
Now, this book is listed as a m/m romance on Goodreads and also on Amazon but it is NOT. There is not a single smidge of romance of any kind in this book. Did I care? Hell no! The book itself was excellent and I loved the story. If you squint you may see some things that indicate there might have been something between Alain and Nikos at one point in time but there isn’t anything there now. The sequel looks promising on the m/m romance front so I’ll have to wait and see if I get some sexy man time in the future. I highly recommend this one, even without any romance, as it was just that good. With as good as this one was, I have high expectations for the second book in the series and if I get some man lovin’ in it, that will just be an awesome bonus. The only reason I didn’t rate this a five was because I just hated Marie that much. :p
August 13, 2016
Book – Earthshatter (Haven Prime #1)
Author – Albert Nothlit
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 530
Cover – Awesome!
POV – 1st person, multi POV (with brief 3rd)
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – Sci-Fi, Adventure, Apocalypse, Alternative History
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK, BY DSP PUBLICATION, IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
This was an awesome feat of detailed story planning and world building. There was such a complexity – from character interactions, events and consequences – that it had an epic effect, when they were revealed. Yet nothing was ever too far-fetched, too far out of reach or understanding. The fact that we had 7 (really 8, but mostly 7) main characters could have made this confusing to read, except for one thing – the genius use of 1st person, multi POV. Without becoming omnipresent, each character gets to tell their own story, as and when it’s appropriate. Their POV lasts exclusively for anything from 1 to 8 chapters; as long as is needed.
And that’s where things get interesting.
The story begins with a diary format, with the entire Part 1 in 3rd person. Not only does the time/date format give us a real time build up to 'the swarm' – the event the entire book is based around – but we're introduced to the characters in a much more complete way. Thanks to the 3rd person POV, we get to know the ins and outs of each character, who they are and how they act with other people, from a slightly more all-round perspective than 1st person allows. Which is one of the reasons 1st person doesn't really work for me – it takes so long to learn who “I” as the character is (in terms of age, gender, build, abilities, personality etc) that it can often take 5-10% of the story to learn who “I” am. This 3rd person, allowing us to know character first, then letting us since into their 1st person POV, made all of that irrelevant. There was no confusion, no uncertainty, just letting us get to know each character right from the start. By the time Part 2 begins (the end of 3rd person and the start of 1st person POV), we already have a foundation for who these people are.
I love that the bugs (centipedes) are not only a wholly original concept – being not at all scary in real life, but becoming something monstrous in a believable, entirely possible way – but they also have a real scientific classification. That is how much attention to detail has been put into this book – we have medicine, psychiatry, technie stuff, military, scientific and more going on, and the details are never passed off, glossed over or ignored for any of them. Each is explored in the kind of detail required to the extent that matches the knowledge and qualifications of the characters, as well as the requirements of the story.
When it comes to characters, I naturally have my favourites. The top most two never changed for me, though the others fluctuated according to the story and how they treated my favourites. Here's my evaluation of all the characters, to help you understand why they're in the order I place them (favourite to least favourite). I'm going to try to keep spoilers out of it, as much as I can.
Dex – childlike, sweet, caring
Kenichi – fun, cheeky, comic relief, smarter than he's given credit for, attentive
Alain – mysterious, fun, smart, Dex's brother and the unofficial leader
Nikos – second leader (or the leader when Alain isn't around), strong, dedicated, survivalist
Omar – techie geek, fun, strong, chubby in a good way (he's not held back or ashamed of how he looks, even when he's teased for it)
Joachim – doctor, thoughtful, careful, smart, scientist
Rain – bit of a wimp, self involved at times, flirty, doctor and more open minded than everyone but Dex
Marie – very self involved, selfish, egoist, superficial, tries to be a leader, teases or underestimates the others often
If I had to rank Kyrios (who is an It not a Who), then he's come just under Nikos. He's interesting, devious, smart and mysterious. I really hated Marie, as you can tell, because she was so dump to what was obvious, as well as close minded. She had no room in her head for anything but her own thoughts and opinions.
For me, Dex was the most incredible character. I hated the way everyone ignored Dex, even after he'd proven himself countless times. Alain humoured him, but never really believed or understood him. Kenichi didn't try to change or understand Dex, but he accepted him as he was and, although made his unofficial babysitter, took up the challenge and tried to befriend Dex, bringing him out of his shell and even teasing back and forth with him. Rain and Nikos eventually redeemed themselves by understand and appreciating Dex, but only after he'd saved their lives by being 'weird'.
Though we didn't see Dex's POV often, I understood him the most. Any time he spoke or acted, I smiled or felt relief or concern, because – to me – he's the most important person in the group. He's also the most expressive. No one knows or appreciates him, but he's written in such an open way that we never have to wonder what he's thinking or feeling; he's an open book to anyone who looks at him and although often faces ridicule for it, doesn't shy away from speaking his mind, especially when it's important. Everything is right there in how he's acting or what he's saying.
When it comes to the plot, I loved every minute. I read this on holiday, so I had to put it down a lot in between, which I really hate doing. I love to get absorbed into a story and read it over the course of one day. But, stopping frequently just showed me how good this story was. It never affected my reading, except in a good way. I never stopped wondering about what would happen next, who would be in trouble or who would get the next POV and what it would reveal. I was always eager to get back to reading. The POV format meant that I got just enough of what I needed/wanted to know, but was left in the dark a bout enough to keep my reading and anticipating more.
There were so many twists and turns, but it never felt overdone. Nothing in this incredibly real world felt impossible, ridiculous or unbelievable. Everything had a scientific possibility, even when the 'thing' had a very real chance of being supernatural or extraterrestrial. Everyone was of an age and background to explain their behaviour and knowledge base, that were so vital to the plot.
And, just so you know, there is no love stuff here – no sex, no real relationship except that of two brothers who love each other and no romance. BUT, it worked. It worked better that way, because it meant the story was entirely focused on the plot and the survival of these characters.
Still, I'm totally shipping Nikos/Alain and Dex/Kenichi, no matter how unlikely they may be or how long it might take. I don't care. I love those two potential couples together; that's when the real sparks fly.
I really loved that there was no romance. The story stayed true to its roots, with life and death situations and no rubbish of wasted time/effort on anything but survival.
The reasoning and cleverness of the trials was quite something. It really had an efficiency and sense that was all Kyrios, but also made sense of everything that came before.
Despite being told a lot in the blurb, I was pleasantly surprised and relieved to get to see it all unfold for myself. I'd worried that we'd suddenly be thrust into this unfamiliar world, in a survival situation. Instead, we got the build up and exploration I wanted, right from T-minus so many hours to the big event and beyond. I loved and appreciated the tension build up, the uncertainty and gradually being told which 'card' belonged to whom, only after we'd been given enough clues to guess for ourselves.
The idea of the advanced tech – recorders and Kyrios, etc – meant that we got to experience things our 8 MC's hadn't, in a very real way, while gaining answers at the same time. Even better was how there was no repetition of events when the POV changed. We got to see what was important and if we didn't see something, it was because it wasn't important or we needed to discover that later.
Nothing was left to chance.
Overall
It was a fantastic sci-fi adventure, with steampunk element. Without an obvious romance, the story's focus on the survival of the characters meant that we got an action packed adventure story, full of nervous anticipation and pulse-racing excitement.
I can't wait to read book 2. And, fingers crossed, Dex (or a new favourite) is waiting there to captivate me.
Favourite Quote
"Dex knew that was the way people expected him to look. The poor, helpless crazy boy. Look at him. He needs help. In truth, he didn’t need anybody’s help. And he was stronger than even Alain suspected."
"I screamed. I imagined kamikaze centipedes with guns bursting through the window and pouring onto the streets. I didn’t care if it was insane. I was panicking."
"It was like a nightmare version of a 3D puzzle, with a death threat hovering over my head and a timer to boot."
Author – Albert Nothlit
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 530
Cover – Awesome!
POV – 1st person, multi POV (with brief 3rd)
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – Sci-Fi, Adventure, Apocalypse, Alternative History
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK, BY DSP PUBLICATION, IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
This was an awesome feat of detailed story planning and world building. There was such a complexity – from character interactions, events and consequences – that it had an epic effect, when they were revealed. Yet nothing was ever too far-fetched, too far out of reach or understanding. The fact that we had 7 (really 8, but mostly 7) main characters could have made this confusing to read, except for one thing – the genius use of 1st person, multi POV. Without becoming omnipresent, each character gets to tell their own story, as and when it’s appropriate. Their POV lasts exclusively for anything from 1 to 8 chapters; as long as is needed.
And that’s where things get interesting.
The story begins with a diary format, with the entire Part 1 in 3rd person. Not only does the time/date format give us a real time build up to 'the swarm' – the event the entire book is based around – but we're introduced to the characters in a much more complete way. Thanks to the 3rd person POV, we get to know the ins and outs of each character, who they are and how they act with other people, from a slightly more all-round perspective than 1st person allows. Which is one of the reasons 1st person doesn't really work for me – it takes so long to learn who “I” as the character is (in terms of age, gender, build, abilities, personality etc) that it can often take 5-10% of the story to learn who “I” am. This 3rd person, allowing us to know character first, then letting us since into their 1st person POV, made all of that irrelevant. There was no confusion, no uncertainty, just letting us get to know each character right from the start. By the time Part 2 begins (the end of 3rd person and the start of 1st person POV), we already have a foundation for who these people are.
I love that the bugs (centipedes) are not only a wholly original concept – being not at all scary in real life, but becoming something monstrous in a believable, entirely possible way – but they also have a real scientific classification. That is how much attention to detail has been put into this book – we have medicine, psychiatry, technie stuff, military, scientific and more going on, and the details are never passed off, glossed over or ignored for any of them. Each is explored in the kind of detail required to the extent that matches the knowledge and qualifications of the characters, as well as the requirements of the story.
When it comes to characters, I naturally have my favourites. The top most two never changed for me, though the others fluctuated according to the story and how they treated my favourites. Here's my evaluation of all the characters, to help you understand why they're in the order I place them (favourite to least favourite). I'm going to try to keep spoilers out of it, as much as I can.
Dex – childlike, sweet, caring
Kenichi – fun, cheeky, comic relief, smarter than he's given credit for, attentive
Alain – mysterious, fun, smart, Dex's brother and the unofficial leader
Nikos – second leader (or the leader when Alain isn't around), strong, dedicated, survivalist
Omar – techie geek, fun, strong, chubby in a good way (he's not held back or ashamed of how he looks, even when he's teased for it)
Joachim – doctor, thoughtful, careful, smart, scientist
Rain – bit of a wimp, self involved at times, flirty, doctor and more open minded than everyone but Dex
Marie – very self involved, selfish, egoist, superficial, tries to be a leader, teases or underestimates the others often
If I had to rank Kyrios (who is an It not a Who), then he's come just under Nikos. He's interesting, devious, smart and mysterious. I really hated Marie, as you can tell, because she was so dump to what was obvious, as well as close minded. She had no room in her head for anything but her own thoughts and opinions.
For me, Dex was the most incredible character. I hated the way everyone ignored Dex, even after he'd proven himself countless times. Alain humoured him, but never really believed or understood him. Kenichi didn't try to change or understand Dex, but he accepted him as he was and, although made his unofficial babysitter, took up the challenge and tried to befriend Dex, bringing him out of his shell and even teasing back and forth with him. Rain and Nikos eventually redeemed themselves by understand and appreciating Dex, but only after he'd saved their lives by being 'weird'.
Though we didn't see Dex's POV often, I understood him the most. Any time he spoke or acted, I smiled or felt relief or concern, because – to me – he's the most important person in the group. He's also the most expressive. No one knows or appreciates him, but he's written in such an open way that we never have to wonder what he's thinking or feeling; he's an open book to anyone who looks at him and although often faces ridicule for it, doesn't shy away from speaking his mind, especially when it's important. Everything is right there in how he's acting or what he's saying.
When it comes to the plot, I loved every minute. I read this on holiday, so I had to put it down a lot in between, which I really hate doing. I love to get absorbed into a story and read it over the course of one day. But, stopping frequently just showed me how good this story was. It never affected my reading, except in a good way. I never stopped wondering about what would happen next, who would be in trouble or who would get the next POV and what it would reveal. I was always eager to get back to reading. The POV format meant that I got just enough of what I needed/wanted to know, but was left in the dark a bout enough to keep my reading and anticipating more.
There were so many twists and turns, but it never felt overdone. Nothing in this incredibly real world felt impossible, ridiculous or unbelievable. Everything had a scientific possibility, even when the 'thing' had a very real chance of being supernatural or extraterrestrial. Everyone was of an age and background to explain their behaviour and knowledge base, that were so vital to the plot.
And, just so you know, there is no love stuff here – no sex, no real relationship except that of two brothers who love each other and no romance. BUT, it worked. It worked better that way, because it meant the story was entirely focused on the plot and the survival of these characters.
Still, I'm totally shipping Nikos/Alain and Dex/Kenichi, no matter how unlikely they may be or how long it might take. I don't care. I love those two potential couples together; that's when the real sparks fly.
I really loved that there was no romance. The story stayed true to its roots, with life and death situations and no rubbish of wasted time/effort on anything but survival.
The reasoning and cleverness of the trials was quite something. It really had an efficiency and sense that was all Kyrios, but also made sense of everything that came before.
Despite being told a lot in the blurb, I was pleasantly surprised and relieved to get to see it all unfold for myself. I'd worried that we'd suddenly be thrust into this unfamiliar world, in a survival situation. Instead, we got the build up and exploration I wanted, right from T-minus so many hours to the big event and beyond. I loved and appreciated the tension build up, the uncertainty and gradually being told which 'card' belonged to whom, only after we'd been given enough clues to guess for ourselves.
The idea of the advanced tech – recorders and Kyrios, etc – meant that we got to experience things our 8 MC's hadn't, in a very real way, while gaining answers at the same time. Even better was how there was no repetition of events when the POV changed. We got to see what was important and if we didn't see something, it was because it wasn't important or we needed to discover that later.
Nothing was left to chance.
Overall
It was a fantastic sci-fi adventure, with steampunk element. Without an obvious romance, the story's focus on the survival of the characters meant that we got an action packed adventure story, full of nervous anticipation and pulse-racing excitement.
I can't wait to read book 2. And, fingers crossed, Dex (or a new favourite) is waiting there to captivate me.
Favourite Quote
"Dex knew that was the way people expected him to look. The poor, helpless crazy boy. Look at him. He needs help. In truth, he didn’t need anybody’s help. And he was stronger than even Alain suspected."
"I screamed. I imagined kamikaze centipedes with guns bursting through the window and pouring onto the streets. I didn’t care if it was insane. I was panicking."
"It was like a nightmare version of a 3D puzzle, with a death threat hovering over my head and a timer to boot."
June 11, 2016
A free copy of this book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
First off I feel like I should state that the story is about 500 pages long excluding the excerpt for the next book and dissected into three parts (I had the PDF version, epub and mobi maybe shorter or longer). That being said it was daunting but I was up to reading it and I really loved it. I do have to warn those looking for a romantic love story that you will not find one here (I can't even label it LGBT since there are barely any undertones for m/m or f/f...although I wish there was something taboo happening *wink wink*). But if you love a good Sci-Fi story then this is one you should definitely give a read.
I don’t want to go into too much detail about the story since there are a lot of occurrences that take place and there’s no way to really prevent spoilers if I do. The story revolves around eight individuals and is written in such a way that allows readers to get the story from differing perspective throughout the story.
At the start I was a bit confused. I wasn't sure who the brotherhood was since they weren’t exactly mentioned and I had no idea that there was rioting. It made Marie and Rain’s segment in part one confusing until we found out later what had happened with them. All readers knew was that Rain was terrified and grabbed up Marie to get out of there. Of course by the end of part one it’s known that Alain is the one character that has ties to all the other characters.
There was a lot happening in the book but it was very well pace and spaced out as to not overwhelm the reader. It was so well paced that there were times when it felt like the story was getting a bit stale but would pick up quickly as to tease and tantalize the reader.
It was very descriptive and I really felt like it would make a fantastic movie. In fact I was comparing it to several sci-fi movies and anime I’ve seen (Alien was one of them). The characters themselves were all very different and it was interesting seeing how the author managed to create and keep track of so many different personalities. I loved that the author managed to shock me with small details about the eight characters and that no character was safe from being killed off.
The book wasn’t all easy riding to cruise through. There were times when I was frustrated or infuriated because it seemed the characters were lacking in comprehension. It was not a major ability that all the characters seem to have in certain moments of the tale. A lot of things seemed to go over theses intelligent college age kids and in Kennichi’s case, his young teen mind. It made me want to slap the characters for acting so clueless or for just being jerks whenever Dex stated something in warning. Their minds felt overly inquisitive sometimes and at other times were indifferent. The vagueness of the events did help buildup the suspense and mystery though.
I was especially vexed on Dex’s behalf. He was treated deplorably by every other character. Even his brother didn’t seem to give him the time of day although he did (he was there but at the same time not really). When Dex stated a warning or shared his thought, he was pretty much ignored because he was thought of as crazy/insane or treated like a child. I loved Dex, he was my favorite character and I wish his POV had been expanded on.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book and hope to see the crew in the sequel and what part they will play after the ending in this book.
First off I feel like I should state that the story is about 500 pages long excluding the excerpt for the next book and dissected into three parts (I had the PDF version, epub and mobi maybe shorter or longer). That being said it was daunting but I was up to reading it and I really loved it. I do have to warn those looking for a romantic love story that you will not find one here (I can't even label it LGBT since there are barely any undertones for m/m or f/f...although I wish there was something taboo happening *wink wink*). But if you love a good Sci-Fi story then this is one you should definitely give a read.
I don’t want to go into too much detail about the story since there are a lot of occurrences that take place and there’s no way to really prevent spoilers if I do. The story revolves around eight individuals and is written in such a way that allows readers to get the story from differing perspective throughout the story.
At the start I was a bit confused. I wasn't sure who the brotherhood was since they weren’t exactly mentioned and I had no idea that there was rioting. It made Marie and Rain’s segment in part one confusing until we found out later what had happened with them. All readers knew was that Rain was terrified and grabbed up Marie to get out of there. Of course by the end of part one it’s known that Alain is the one character that has ties to all the other characters.
There was a lot happening in the book but it was very well pace and spaced out as to not overwhelm the reader. It was so well paced that there were times when it felt like the story was getting a bit stale but would pick up quickly as to tease and tantalize the reader.
It was very descriptive and I really felt like it would make a fantastic movie. In fact I was comparing it to several sci-fi movies and anime I’ve seen (Alien was one of them). The characters themselves were all very different and it was interesting seeing how the author managed to create and keep track of so many different personalities. I loved that the author managed to shock me with small details about the eight characters and that no character was safe from being killed off.
The book wasn’t all easy riding to cruise through. There were times when I was frustrated or infuriated because it seemed the characters were lacking in comprehension. It was not a major ability that all the characters seem to have in certain moments of the tale. A lot of things seemed to go over theses intelligent college age kids and in Kennichi’s case, his young teen mind. It made me want to slap the characters for acting so clueless or for just being jerks whenever Dex stated something in warning. Their minds felt overly inquisitive sometimes and at other times were indifferent. The vagueness of the events did help buildup the suspense and mystery though.
I was especially vexed on Dex’s behalf. He was treated deplorably by every other character. Even his brother didn’t seem to give him the time of day although he did (he was there but at the same time not really). When Dex stated a warning or shared his thought, he was pretty much ignored because he was thought of as crazy/insane or treated like a child. I loved Dex, he was my favorite character and I wish his POV had been expanded on.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book and hope to see the crew in the sequel and what part they will play after the ending in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2016
**I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.**
Wow...
Okay, first I feel the need to repeat what others have said. This is not a romance. And, in my opinion, it is a disservice to the book to market it as such. There was no gay romance, no het romance. None. I think that this book would do better if it was promoted to those who primarily read science fiction. That being said, I, myself, am primarily a romance reader, and yet, I still enjoyed reading it.
It's not exactly an easy read-- a bit of an undertaking actually-- but all in all, it held my attention and I found myself rooting for our characters' survival. There was a ton of action. Characters running for their lives, trying to figure out pieces to a cryptic puzzle they didn't know they were supposed to solve. Set in a dystopian future, where the human population of Haven VII has been obliterated with the exception of our eight characters who were mysteriously saved just prior to the "Night of the Swarm." The city has been overrun by mutant centipedes. No naturally occurring food or water sources to be found. And seven of eight of the MCs, all between the ages of early adolescence and their early twenties, are thrown together with one thing in common. The story tells of their discovery of the new hellish world they awaken to, and of themselves and what they are both physically and mentally capable of.
The MCs: Dex, Kenichi, Nikos, Rain, Marie, Joachim, and Alain. I loved Dex and Nikos. They were relatable-- well, as much as they could be-- but I empathized and understood them. I was angry when the MCs looked down upon and dismissed Dex. They could not see what was obvious to the reader, but still, I wanted them to wake up. Nikos was strong. He had presence, even when the story wasn't being told from his POV. I admired him. Kenichi... at first, I found him annoying in that typical adolescent-boy way. The kid that might be trying a bit too hard... but by the end, I grew to love him too.
Joachim. I think I felt the most for him when the story was being told by someone else.
Marie and Rain and Alain. Marie annoyed me. I did not see the point of her character except for being that character similar to the bitchy girl in a horror movie who you really wouldn't be mourning when the bad guy went at her with the kitchen knives or a chainsaw. I think my biggest issue with these three was that, imho, their voices were too similar. As the book progressed, there wasn't a whole lot of distinction in their word choices or patterns. More than once I found myself rereading portions to remind myself whose POV it was. And this does not even take into consideration all the stupid choices they make. I wanted to shout "Open your eyes!" "Pay attention... listen to Dex!" so many things...
There were a few questions I still have. I did not understand the instant dislike between Marie and Nikos, especially since Nikos had not been involved or even seen Alain since he was fourteen years old. I think it would have made more sense if the friendship had still been current when the swarm occurred. Furthermore, early in the book upon the first awakening, I found it hard to believe that Nikos would simply accept Marie as a "co-leader" of sorts. There were also things about Alain that Marie alluded to, but were never expanded on. Those intrigued me, and I was disappointed I didn't learn more.
Throughout the book, I thought I could see the smallest inkling of hints to what might be in store with any "romance." It was an idea I liked, but reading the intro/description to book two, it appears we are, at least for the time being, taken away from this group of characters.
The writing was good, though there were times it would seem slightly repetitive with the same details being said a few times over. But technically speaking, I did not find any blaring typos or out and out inconsistencies.
Overall, this is an action-packed ride with the creepiest and crawliest of "villains." I am interested to see where the story goes from here.
Wow...
Okay, first I feel the need to repeat what others have said. This is not a romance. And, in my opinion, it is a disservice to the book to market it as such. There was no gay romance, no het romance. None. I think that this book would do better if it was promoted to those who primarily read science fiction. That being said, I, myself, am primarily a romance reader, and yet, I still enjoyed reading it.
It's not exactly an easy read-- a bit of an undertaking actually-- but all in all, it held my attention and I found myself rooting for our characters' survival. There was a ton of action. Characters running for their lives, trying to figure out pieces to a cryptic puzzle they didn't know they were supposed to solve. Set in a dystopian future, where the human population of Haven VII has been obliterated with the exception of our eight characters who were mysteriously saved just prior to the "Night of the Swarm." The city has been overrun by mutant centipedes. No naturally occurring food or water sources to be found. And seven of eight of the MCs, all between the ages of early adolescence and their early twenties, are thrown together with one thing in common. The story tells of their discovery of the new hellish world they awaken to, and of themselves and what they are both physically and mentally capable of.
The MCs: Dex, Kenichi, Nikos, Rain, Marie, Joachim, and Alain. I loved Dex and Nikos. They were relatable-- well, as much as they could be-- but I empathized and understood them. I was angry when the MCs looked down upon and dismissed Dex. They could not see what was obvious to the reader, but still, I wanted them to wake up. Nikos was strong. He had presence, even when the story wasn't being told from his POV. I admired him. Kenichi... at first, I found him annoying in that typical adolescent-boy way. The kid that might be trying a bit too hard... but by the end, I grew to love him too.
Joachim. I think I felt the most for him when the story was being told by someone else.
Marie and Rain and Alain. Marie annoyed me. I did not see the point of her character except for being that character similar to the bitchy girl in a horror movie who you really wouldn't be mourning when the bad guy went at her with the kitchen knives or a chainsaw. I think my biggest issue with these three was that, imho, their voices were too similar. As the book progressed, there wasn't a whole lot of distinction in their word choices or patterns. More than once I found myself rereading portions to remind myself whose POV it was. And this does not even take into consideration all the stupid choices they make. I wanted to shout "Open your eyes!" "Pay attention... listen to Dex!" so many things...
There were a few questions I still have. I did not understand the instant dislike between Marie and Nikos, especially since Nikos had not been involved or even seen Alain since he was fourteen years old. I think it would have made more sense if the friendship had still been current when the swarm occurred. Furthermore, early in the book upon the first awakening, I found it hard to believe that Nikos would simply accept Marie as a "co-leader" of sorts. There were also things about Alain that Marie alluded to, but were never expanded on. Those intrigued me, and I was disappointed I didn't learn more.
Throughout the book, I thought I could see the smallest inkling of hints to what might be in store with any "romance." It was an idea I liked, but reading the intro/description to book two, it appears we are, at least for the time being, taken away from this group of characters.
The writing was good, though there were times it would seem slightly repetitive with the same details being said a few times over. But technically speaking, I did not find any blaring typos or out and out inconsistencies.
Overall, this is an action-packed ride with the creepiest and crawliest of "villains." I am interested to see where the story goes from here.
June 10, 2016
Book was provided for free by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Earthshatter tells a story of 8 people, who woke up from stasis to discover that the world as they knew is gone. We are shown through different POV's their journey.
I don't think it's a book that would suit everybody. So if you consider reading this story, you should know few things:
1. There are monsters. Lots of them.
2. Although it seems to get tagged as a mm romance. It's not. There is no romance in this book.
3. There are different POV's.
I liked it. I really did. It was one of those books that I didn't want to put down before I finishing it. It was engaging. I didn't lose interest. Even while being stuck in MC's head who I couldn't quite stand. It was still interesting. I think that's very important, that even if a reader doesn't like certain characters that the story(big picture) is so interesting that in the end of day those annoying parts doesn't matter.
My least favourite characters were Marie and Rain. They did stuff that just baffeled me. Constantly, because it was so stupid or arrogant or selfish or just plain annoying. I would not take survival tips from those two. I could rant about those two for hours. But i'm not going to.
I don't know what the author has planned, but to me this book seemed like a book, where the groundwork for the world is laid. We just saw the tip of the iceberg here. Hopefully the next book and the books after that will explore this world more fully.
There were stuff that annoyed me, but as I said before in the big picture it didn't matter, because it was so interesting. I just wanted to keep reading.
Earthshatter tells a story of 8 people, who woke up from stasis to discover that the world as they knew is gone. We are shown through different POV's their journey.
I don't think it's a book that would suit everybody. So if you consider reading this story, you should know few things:
1. There are monsters. Lots of them.
2. Although it seems to get tagged as a mm romance. It's not. There is no romance in this book.
3. There are different POV's.
I liked it. I really did. It was one of those books that I didn't want to put down before I finishing it. It was engaging. I didn't lose interest. Even while being stuck in MC's head who I couldn't quite stand. It was still interesting. I think that's very important, that even if a reader doesn't like certain characters that the story(big picture) is so interesting that in the end of day those annoying parts doesn't matter.
My least favourite characters were Marie and Rain. They did stuff that just baffeled me. Constantly, because it was so stupid or arrogant or selfish or just plain annoying. I would not take survival tips from those two. I could rant about those two for hours. But i'm not going to.
I don't know what the author has planned, but to me this book seemed like a book, where the groundwork for the world is laid. We just saw the tip of the iceberg here. Hopefully the next book and the books after that will explore this world more fully.
There were stuff that annoyed me, but as I said before in the big picture it didn't matter, because it was so interesting. I just wanted to keep reading.
November 8, 2016
This title was originally reviewed for Prism Book Alliance®
Earthshatter by Albert Nothlit is an ensemble adventure story set in a dystopian earth filled with venomous insects, enigmas, and enemies. There isn't an LGBTQ theme present in this first installment of the series, but there are hints that there will be one in future installments. If you make it through this verbose and intricate tale, you will certainly be primed and ready for book two... whenever it comes out.
For complete Review see http://www.prismbookalliance.com/?p=4...
July 9, 2016
This the first time I have every read Alber Norhilt stories. I saw this on DBML. and it look very interesting.. so I asked if I can do a ARC for it. Which I was very happy the except me. This story is very long.. and if your like me who like short story that are no more 70.000 words. It did take me a long time to read this story.. But is was definitely worth the time and energy spent on reading it.
It held my attention, it had lots of action and suspense. very well written. I would love to read more of Albert's stories. and definitely the next book in the series.
It held my attention, it had lots of action and suspense. very well written. I would love to read more of Albert's stories. and definitely the next book in the series.
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