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Argonauts
Some called her a sorceress, though what she did was science. Medea was a genomancer, a programmer of human genetic code. She could extend someone’s life, turn an ugly duckling into a startling beauty, and cure the most stubborn of diseases. She’d have spent her life helping those who needed it, if only she could have.
But the Argo Corporation didn’t pay her to help people. It paid her to remake their warriors into the ultimate fighting machines. Men with claws, and teeth to match. Men with the reflexes of cats and the strength of a bear. What was once the stuff of fantasy was now real, and corporations the world over were all using genomancers to build armies of their own.
Medea was comfortable in her lab, and she would have stayed there given the choice. She was one of the few who still had a job, now that most of the world’s occupations had been automated away, and she lived a life of relative luxury. But she didn’t count on being pulled into the machinations of two of the biggest corporations on the planet.
And she didn’t count on meeting Jason.
Jason was a shareholder, one of the few, and wealthy beyond the wildest dreams of the masses. He was tall, handsome, and rich, and he could have lived an idle life of ease. He’d chosen to be a warrior instead. But his father had kept him from fighting any actual battles, and years of grueling training left him with disgust for anyone who’d stoop to using a genomancer to cut to the front of the line.
Now Jason’s father is dead, and things have changed. He’s been summoned by Pelias, the CEO of the Argo Corporation, and assigned to a dangerous mission in a strange land full of wonders. And he hasn’t been given a choice about who he’ll take with him: Medea. She was born in the city they’re heading to, and she’s indispensable to the mission. Now Jason is forced to protect someone he sees as a cheater, someone whose genetic shortcuts can only taint a warrior’s honor. He can’t stand her, and he can’t stand what she does for a living. But he’ll need her if he expects to survive the trials to come.
Can a warrior and a scientist find love despite the conflicts between them? How will the wonders of the past echo in the wonders of the future? What will people do to themselves when every bit of their genetic code can change in an instant? And will they still be human anymore when they're done?
But the Argo Corporation didn’t pay her to help people. It paid her to remake their warriors into the ultimate fighting machines. Men with claws, and teeth to match. Men with the reflexes of cats and the strength of a bear. What was once the stuff of fantasy was now real, and corporations the world over were all using genomancers to build armies of their own.
Medea was comfortable in her lab, and she would have stayed there given the choice. She was one of the few who still had a job, now that most of the world’s occupations had been automated away, and she lived a life of relative luxury. But she didn’t count on being pulled into the machinations of two of the biggest corporations on the planet.
And she didn’t count on meeting Jason.
Jason was a shareholder, one of the few, and wealthy beyond the wildest dreams of the masses. He was tall, handsome, and rich, and he could have lived an idle life of ease. He’d chosen to be a warrior instead. But his father had kept him from fighting any actual battles, and years of grueling training left him with disgust for anyone who’d stoop to using a genomancer to cut to the front of the line.
Now Jason’s father is dead, and things have changed. He’s been summoned by Pelias, the CEO of the Argo Corporation, and assigned to a dangerous mission in a strange land full of wonders. And he hasn’t been given a choice about who he’ll take with him: Medea. She was born in the city they’re heading to, and she’s indispensable to the mission. Now Jason is forced to protect someone he sees as a cheater, someone whose genetic shortcuts can only taint a warrior’s honor. He can’t stand her, and he can’t stand what she does for a living. But he’ll need her if he expects to survive the trials to come.
Can a warrior and a scientist find love despite the conflicts between them? How will the wonders of the past echo in the wonders of the future? What will people do to themselves when every bit of their genetic code can change in an instant? And will they still be human anymore when they're done?
291 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 28, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
July 3, 2016
3.5 Stars
I love mythical retellings and this is certainly one of the most innovative. Kneupper has taken the details of 'Jason and the Argonauts' and moulded them into a high tech, futuristic thriller. It shouldn't work, but it does. The ancient Greek names and themes actually seem to feed perfectly into the world created by the author. The quest to find the Golden Fleece is reworked as an attempt by one Corporation to steal data from another, each massive, powerful company formed along the lines of the competitive city states of ancient Greece. There's a lot of the ancient within the storyline, but the imagination of the author with regards to the tech is both wild and fascinating. The gene redevelopment, robotics, personal modification- it reads like a potential future where science is left unchecked and escapes the boundaries of morality. All in all, it adds up to a fun time.
The romantic element between Medea and Jason was perhaps, a bit too much for me. She has a rather sympathetic characterisation in this novel, but I much prefer the destructive anger of the woman who kills her own children to get back at Jason's disloyalty...maybe thats something to look forward to in a sequel???
Many thanks to Kevin Kneupper and Booklover Catlady Publicity for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
I love mythical retellings and this is certainly one of the most innovative. Kneupper has taken the details of 'Jason and the Argonauts' and moulded them into a high tech, futuristic thriller. It shouldn't work, but it does. The ancient Greek names and themes actually seem to feed perfectly into the world created by the author. The quest to find the Golden Fleece is reworked as an attempt by one Corporation to steal data from another, each massive, powerful company formed along the lines of the competitive city states of ancient Greece. There's a lot of the ancient within the storyline, but the imagination of the author with regards to the tech is both wild and fascinating. The gene redevelopment, robotics, personal modification- it reads like a potential future where science is left unchecked and escapes the boundaries of morality. All in all, it adds up to a fun time.
The romantic element between Medea and Jason was perhaps, a bit too much for me. She has a rather sympathetic characterisation in this novel, but I much prefer the destructive anger of the woman who kills her own children to get back at Jason's disloyalty...maybe thats something to look forward to in a sequel???
Many thanks to Kevin Kneupper and Booklover Catlady Publicity for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 27, 2018
2 Stars
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book via NetGalley. This has not influenced my review.*
This book had its good and its bad, but ultimately I couldn't get into it.
The best thing for me was the world-building. It was a future in which machines/AI have taken over most of the jobs, and there are a few big corporations that function like independent cities, all vying for more stakeholders by offering different things. The genomancy, albeit far-fetched, was a cool idea too, how a person's DNA could be changed to not just make them look different, but also to give them animal traits, to give them a certain skill, to do almost anything to the body.
I also liked the retelling aspect. It was clever how the author included a lot of stuff from the Jason and the Argonauts/Golden Fleece myth but turned it all into sci-fi stuff to fit with the story. For example, the "seers" were connected to the network with access to a bunch of data and were able to parse through it and see the probability of different outcomes.
I never connected to the characters though---maybe because of the omniscient POV, or maybe because they felt kind of one-sided, like they had one trait or belief and not much more personality beyond that.
But the worst thing for me was the romance. Jason was a jerk to Medea, he was judgmental, and overall he gave off this air of superiority. And Medea knew he was a jerk to her. Yet she was still swooning over his muscles and his eyes and his commanding nature and how he had the firm grip of a leader... even while their lives were in imminent danger. Then all the sudden they were having a heart to heart about their childhoods, and within the span of maybe two days, they went from being strangers who couldn't stand each other to promising to protect each other and being so in love they didn't want to live without the other.
And then, near the end, there was this stuff about how it's man's instinct to protect women, and it's woman's instinct to do whatever men tell them to, and just sexist/misogynistic things that left a bad taste in my mouth, especially after the questionable woman-secretly-wants-to-be-with-the-guy-who-treats-her-like-crap romance.
Overall, it had a lot of creativity, especially in the world, but I couldn't deal with the romance and how poorly the book portrayed women.
Recommended For:
Personally, I wouldn't recommend this, but... Anyone who likes creative retellings of Greek mythology and unique futuristic worlds.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book via NetGalley. This has not influenced my review.*
This book had its good and its bad, but ultimately I couldn't get into it.
The best thing for me was the world-building. It was a future in which machines/AI have taken over most of the jobs, and there are a few big corporations that function like independent cities, all vying for more stakeholders by offering different things. The genomancy, albeit far-fetched, was a cool idea too, how a person's DNA could be changed to not just make them look different, but also to give them animal traits, to give them a certain skill, to do almost anything to the body.
I also liked the retelling aspect. It was clever how the author included a lot of stuff from the Jason and the Argonauts/Golden Fleece myth but turned it all into sci-fi stuff to fit with the story. For example, the "seers" were connected to the network with access to a bunch of data and were able to parse through it and see the probability of different outcomes.
I never connected to the characters though---maybe because of the omniscient POV, or maybe because they felt kind of one-sided, like they had one trait or belief and not much more personality beyond that.
But the worst thing for me was the romance. Jason was a jerk to Medea, he was judgmental, and overall he gave off this air of superiority. And Medea knew he was a jerk to her. Yet she was still swooning over his muscles and his eyes and his commanding nature and how he had the firm grip of a leader... even while their lives were in imminent danger. Then all the sudden they were having a heart to heart about their childhoods, and within the span of maybe two days, they went from being strangers who couldn't stand each other to promising to protect each other and being so in love they didn't want to live without the other.
And then, near the end, there was this stuff about how it's man's instinct to protect women, and it's woman's instinct to do whatever men tell them to, and just sexist/misogynistic things that left a bad taste in my mouth, especially after the questionable woman-secretly-wants-to-be-with-the-guy-who-treats-her-like-crap romance.
Overall, it had a lot of creativity, especially in the world, but I couldn't deal with the romance and how poorly the book portrayed women.
Recommended For:
Personally, I wouldn't recommend this, but... Anyone who likes creative retellings of Greek mythology and unique futuristic worlds.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
June 12, 2019
What a great retelling of a mythical classic! A great sci-fi/fantasy read especially if you enjoyed the original Jason and the Argonauts. Very innovative. Well done.
May 26, 2016
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2016/05/2...
Publisher: Book Enthusiast Promotions
Publishing Date: March 2016
ISBN: 9781530820290
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 2.4/5
Publishers Description: Some called her a sorceress, though what she did was science. Medea was a genomancer, a programmer of human genetic code. She could extend someone’s life, turn an ugly duckling into a startling beauty, and cure the most stubborn of diseases. She’d have spent her life helping those who needed it, if only she could have.
Review: A pretty cool story line with a futuristic take on “Jason and the Argonauts”. In the Greek tale there were 85 crew members of the Argo, whereas in this story there are only Jason, Medea, Idas, Mopsus etc ….and the Gods have been replaced with Artificial Intelligence.
While this was a great take on an ancient mythos, some of the characters really diminished the story line. Take Medea for example. An expert genome manipulator that looks at Jason’s “flashing emerald eyes” and hard abs. She is obviously smitten but we have to wade through her juvenile descriptive tendencies. Additionally there was a lot of backstory to wade through. While Medea is getting tingles in her naughty bits and blushing constantly, Idas is just too way over the top. He has no emotional brakes and it is only his preconceived notions that are most important, especially in crisis situations. Constantly hating someone for an assumed transgression even in the face of innocence did not create the tension desired. It was too overt and was subsequently annoying as it reared its ugly head in every scene. Other modes of excessiveness were the reliance on the “Gods” and sudden insights of clarity. A little too Deus Ex for me.
Delete dipshjt……er Medea and her love-struck YA persona and you got a great novel.
Publisher: Book Enthusiast Promotions
Publishing Date: March 2016
ISBN: 9781530820290
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 2.4/5
Publishers Description: Some called her a sorceress, though what she did was science. Medea was a genomancer, a programmer of human genetic code. She could extend someone’s life, turn an ugly duckling into a startling beauty, and cure the most stubborn of diseases. She’d have spent her life helping those who needed it, if only she could have.
Review: A pretty cool story line with a futuristic take on “Jason and the Argonauts”. In the Greek tale there were 85 crew members of the Argo, whereas in this story there are only Jason, Medea, Idas, Mopsus etc ….and the Gods have been replaced with Artificial Intelligence.
While this was a great take on an ancient mythos, some of the characters really diminished the story line. Take Medea for example. An expert genome manipulator that looks at Jason’s “flashing emerald eyes” and hard abs. She is obviously smitten but we have to wade through her juvenile descriptive tendencies. Additionally there was a lot of backstory to wade through. While Medea is getting tingles in her naughty bits and blushing constantly, Idas is just too way over the top. He has no emotional brakes and it is only his preconceived notions that are most important, especially in crisis situations. Constantly hating someone for an assumed transgression even in the face of innocence did not create the tension desired. It was too overt and was subsequently annoying as it reared its ugly head in every scene. Other modes of excessiveness were the reliance on the “Gods” and sudden insights of clarity. A little too Deus Ex for me.
Delete dipshjt……er Medea and her love-struck YA persona and you got a great novel.
July 22, 2016
I received a copy of this book from BookLover CatLady in return for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you.
Although it took me until I was more than halfway through to click to the Jason and the Argonauts story (I know bad moment for me)
I loved the book, I think the only thing I wasn't partial to was the change in paces throughout it.
But, the thought of modifying and mutating your genetic code to improve your looks or other aspects such as building the ultimate army, it sparked my curiosity right away.
In such a digital world where we all spend more time facing screens than we do faces, it's easy to see this sort of world coming true. Where our new Gods or Goddess' are those of a digital existence instead of the belief we usually need for them in today's world.
Imagining a world where we need technology to do everything for us isn't hard, so right away you can get a feeling for what it would be like. Imagining the sounds as you follow Jason, Medea and their little gang of Argonauts. Imagining beautiful cities that humans designed but needed robots and machines to create.
How people could warp their looks so much that they would be more of a hybrid species like the Haripies than human.
I really enjoyed the book, it's not a book I would normally pick up and read. But branching out this time certainly paid off!
Although it took me until I was more than halfway through to click to the Jason and the Argonauts story (I know bad moment for me)
I loved the book, I think the only thing I wasn't partial to was the change in paces throughout it.
But, the thought of modifying and mutating your genetic code to improve your looks or other aspects such as building the ultimate army, it sparked my curiosity right away.
In such a digital world where we all spend more time facing screens than we do faces, it's easy to see this sort of world coming true. Where our new Gods or Goddess' are those of a digital existence instead of the belief we usually need for them in today's world.
Imagining a world where we need technology to do everything for us isn't hard, so right away you can get a feeling for what it would be like. Imagining the sounds as you follow Jason, Medea and their little gang of Argonauts. Imagining beautiful cities that humans designed but needed robots and machines to create.
How people could warp their looks so much that they would be more of a hybrid species like the Haripies than human.
I really enjoyed the book, it's not a book I would normally pick up and read. But branching out this time certainly paid off!
February 6, 2017
Disclaimer: I'm not actually familiar with the original Jason and Medea story, only the very very basics, so this review is mostly a reaction to this story as it is.
It took me until the end of the book to realize what to call it. Part guilty pleasure and part entertaining fanfiction-eqsue retelling. I love retellings and this book offered a unique concept for retelling an ancient story. The plot was highly active and kept a brisk pace, and I think there's no denying that the characters were thoroughly resolved, given the relatively short length of this book.
There's a part where Jason and Medea pretty much psychoanalyze themselves TO each other – that's their turning point when they really start caring for each other and become a Thing. Sure, it seemed perhaps forced and... dare I say overdramatic, but it's Greek myth we're talking about, and you just have to chalk all the drama up to that in the end.
This story gets a solid 4 stars. The writing lacks a touch of sophistication and seemed heavy on the dialogue and character monologuing in my opinion, but if you love Greek myth like I do, it's an entertaining read and an interesting take on a sci-fi retelling.
Time to enlighten myself and find the original story! ;)
It took me until the end of the book to realize what to call it. Part guilty pleasure and part entertaining fanfiction-eqsue retelling. I love retellings and this book offered a unique concept for retelling an ancient story. The plot was highly active and kept a brisk pace, and I think there's no denying that the characters were thoroughly resolved, given the relatively short length of this book.
There's a part where Jason and Medea pretty much psychoanalyze themselves TO each other – that's their turning point when they really start caring for each other and become a Thing. Sure, it seemed perhaps forced and... dare I say overdramatic, but it's Greek myth we're talking about, and you just have to chalk all the drama up to that in the end.
This story gets a solid 4 stars. The writing lacks a touch of sophistication and seemed heavy on the dialogue and character monologuing in my opinion, but if you love Greek myth like I do, it's an entertaining read and an interesting take on a sci-fi retelling.
Time to enlighten myself and find the original story! ;)
July 9, 2016
Book Enthusiast Promotions and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Argonauts, in exchange for an honest review.
Medea works for the Argo Corporation, turning ordinary humans into super beings called the Argonauts. When Jason, who has now become a major shareholder for the Argo Corporation due to his father's untimely death, is summoned by the CEO, he is assigned a very dangerous mission. With Medea tasked to go with Jason, will they be able to put their obvious differences aside, in order to complete their mission?
A modern retelling of a classic story, Argonauts has an interesting premise to this updated story. Not having read the story that sparked the author's imagination, I was not able to see any parallels between the classic story and the modern one. The book, on its own merits, was not very interesting to me. I would have liked for the author to have stayed away from retelling a very famous story. I do like the author's writing style and would like to read more by him in the future.
Medea works for the Argo Corporation, turning ordinary humans into super beings called the Argonauts. When Jason, who has now become a major shareholder for the Argo Corporation due to his father's untimely death, is summoned by the CEO, he is assigned a very dangerous mission. With Medea tasked to go with Jason, will they be able to put their obvious differences aside, in order to complete their mission?
A modern retelling of a classic story, Argonauts has an interesting premise to this updated story. Not having read the story that sparked the author's imagination, I was not able to see any parallels between the classic story and the modern one. The book, on its own merits, was not very interesting to me. I would have liked for the author to have stayed away from retelling a very famous story. I do like the author's writing style and would like to read more by him in the future.
February 13, 2018
If you are a fan of the Percy Jackson novels you'll find the similarities are there. Maybe not the same style of which Riordan is so good at. But mixing sci-fi and mythology is quite fun. A great re-telling of one great Greek hero.
For those not yet understanding "Argonauts" tells the story of Medea the sorcerer/witch from the legend of Jason. As in Jason and the Argonauts. Yes, the one that went after the Golden Fleece. In this book Medea is a genetic engineer, in the city/corporation of Argos. The heroes of the city are called Argonauts. Jason a shareholder of the Argos corporation. He has a bone to pick with his father who has stopped his life ambition of being an Argonaut. Now with his death. He is given an opportunity to fulfill a quest. Retrieve the Golden Fleece and be called a hero. But its not that simple. Nothing really is?
Jason his team and Medea go out in their adventure and encounter all the monsters and creatures we have come to love from the mythical tale.
I really am a fan of re-tellings.
For those not yet understanding "Argonauts" tells the story of Medea the sorcerer/witch from the legend of Jason. As in Jason and the Argonauts. Yes, the one that went after the Golden Fleece. In this book Medea is a genetic engineer, in the city/corporation of Argos. The heroes of the city are called Argonauts. Jason a shareholder of the Argos corporation. He has a bone to pick with his father who has stopped his life ambition of being an Argonaut. Now with his death. He is given an opportunity to fulfill a quest. Retrieve the Golden Fleece and be called a hero. But its not that simple. Nothing really is?
Jason his team and Medea go out in their adventure and encounter all the monsters and creatures we have come to love from the mythical tale.
I really am a fan of re-tellings.
April 22, 2016
“…You’re exactly what the Argo Corporation needs in a warrior. Looks like today’s your lucky day. Welcome to the Argonauts.”
What if you could change any aspect of yourself, from your nose to the color of your eyes, to your actual body type? That’s what Medea does. She concocts DNA codes that create super soldiers called Argonauts. She is one of the best genomancers in the city of Argo.
Then there’s Jason…the startlingly handsome, yet obnoxious shareholder. He’s a fighter who likes to battle in the ring among cyborgs and monsters. He also believes genomancy should be banned. He meets Medea but he doesn’t trust her, or what she does; yet in order to become the warrior he wants to be, he has to learn to work with her. Their mission has them going on a journey together through a very vivid and engaging story arc.
I truly enjoyed reading this book, the author really builds up the characters; I really like Jason’s character- he has a lot of depth. The author has a very vivid imagination and you can literally see the city of Argo from his detailed descriptions. I definitely recommend this story, especially if you want to get lost in an exciting, futuristic adventure.
This book was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review.
What if you could change any aspect of yourself, from your nose to the color of your eyes, to your actual body type? That’s what Medea does. She concocts DNA codes that create super soldiers called Argonauts. She is one of the best genomancers in the city of Argo.
Then there’s Jason…the startlingly handsome, yet obnoxious shareholder. He’s a fighter who likes to battle in the ring among cyborgs and monsters. He also believes genomancy should be banned. He meets Medea but he doesn’t trust her, or what she does; yet in order to become the warrior he wants to be, he has to learn to work with her. Their mission has them going on a journey together through a very vivid and engaging story arc.
I truly enjoyed reading this book, the author really builds up the characters; I really like Jason’s character- he has a lot of depth. The author has a very vivid imagination and you can literally see the city of Argo from his detailed descriptions. I definitely recommend this story, especially if you want to get lost in an exciting, futuristic adventure.
This book was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review.
April 17, 2016
The novel is a very original and futuristic take on one of the oldest heroic myths, the ancient Greek myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece.
It’s brilliantly written. I was impressed by the author’s imagination and his ability to craft such a fantastic tale. He created a gripping new reality set in the future. The scenes and settings are vividly described. The characters are well developed. The storyline is moving, engaging and flows smoothly. The story gripped me from the beginning and kept my attention to the end. It’s an entertaining read, full of thrill and action.
It’s brilliantly written. I was impressed by the author’s imagination and his ability to craft such a fantastic tale. He created a gripping new reality set in the future. The scenes and settings are vividly described. The characters are well developed. The storyline is moving, engaging and flows smoothly. The story gripped me from the beginning and kept my attention to the end. It’s an entertaining read, full of thrill and action.
July 2, 2017
I thought this book was ok. The author spent very little time developing the characters or their relationships. When Jason and Medea's relationship became romantic I was completely confused, I literally turned back pages to see if I'd skipped pages. It went from Jason strongly disliking her to taking her in his arms in a matter of paragraphs and as a reader I had zero understanding of where that came from. The plot line had potential but in the end it fell short.
June 22, 2018
I want to give this 2.5 stars, but I just couldn't round it up to 3 because that would imply that I thought the book was ok/good. The idea of reworking an ancient saga into the modern or future world is a good one, but this was done clumsily and with little thought for the wider impacts that some assumptions made on the universe within this book. There are also lots of jarring inconsistencies - cutting edge genomics in a world where all the fighting is done with swords and spears.....apart from the hunter drones that carry rockets.....hunter drones that lose their quarry because they hide behind a rock......transportation that has the radar profile of a small bird and yet can sneak through the enemy city because no-one has invented identifying tags for all the other air traffic above the city. I wanted to like the book, but the shallowness of the story, the characters, the backstory, the scenery; it all left me feeling that the book was only really half finished. I certainly can only recommend the book as one to avoid.
November 29, 2017
DID NOT FINISH! I read good things about this online, but I found it slow, tedious, and uninteresting. I managed to get to Chapter 6, just over 50 pages in (about 18% of the book) before I had to take a break. It has been over a year and I have not been able to bring myself back to this story. I don't know if it is the writing style of the author, or this book in particular, but I'm giving up. The "They Who Fell" series sounds interesting, but I won't be taking a chance on it anytime soon - there are too many other things to read that I know I'll enjoy.
January 25, 2023
A must read...
There was nothing to dislike. First few pages catches your attention like nothing else. Love how the wrote titled the book Argonauts and the one of the major characters is named Jason. Also loved how the end was slowly wrapped up and not a sudden ending. Made for good read
There was nothing to dislike. First few pages catches your attention like nothing else. Love how the wrote titled the book Argonauts and the one of the major characters is named Jason. Also loved how the end was slowly wrapped up and not a sudden ending. Made for good read
May 17, 2017
Great retelling!
This was a great retelling of Jason and the Argonauts. Use of the original ideas was well done with a futuristic and very relevant slant. It is sci-fi, but built and told in a way that is entirely believable.
This was a great retelling of Jason and the Argonauts. Use of the original ideas was well done with a futuristic and very relevant slant. It is sci-fi, but built and told in a way that is entirely believable.
March 27, 2020
Another great story that leaves you wondering...
Interesting characters. Futuristic science fiction that makes you question lots of current thinking. I look forward to reading more from Kevin Kneupper.
Interesting characters. Futuristic science fiction that makes you question lots of current thinking. I look forward to reading more from Kevin Kneupper.
January 3, 2017
This book was okay. It is not anything I thought it was going to be. I kept waiting for it to get better. This definitely what I call a young adult book with not much emotion.
December 14, 2017
While I'm fine with a simply written story, I really found the writing pretty lame.
March 19, 2017
Loved. This. Book.
I'm a fan of updated stories, especially fairy tales. This is not an updated version of a fairy tale. It is the sci-fi version of one of my favorite sword-and-sorcery movies of all time and I absolutely loved the re-telling of the story. I'm hoping the author will write new versions of the old Sinbad movies as well. I'm already a fan.
I'm a fan of updated stories, especially fairy tales. This is not an updated version of a fairy tale. It is the sci-fi version of one of my favorite sword-and-sorcery movies of all time and I absolutely loved the re-telling of the story. I'm hoping the author will write new versions of the old Sinbad movies as well. I'm already a fan.
March 12, 2017
Kneupper does a great job of bringing the story of Jason and the argonauts to a genetically enhanced future.
February 24, 2017
After I finished this, I was like Austin Powers: "Yes, Yes, Yes! NO NO!"
In theory this book was right up my alley: a science fiction take on the Greek legends of Jason, the Argonauts, the Golden Fleece, and of course Medea. The concept was strong and for a while the delivery was pretty good too. Midway through the book, though -- right around the time Medea and Jason started falling in love -- it started to slowly go downhill.
If I'm really being honest though, what ruined it more than anything was the ending. I know how the story of Jason and Medea is supposed to end. If you're not familiar with it, I'll give you a hint: it's about the least "happily ever after" ending you could come up with. Seriously, look it up if you don't know. I'll wait.
The "real" end of that story is one of the most spectacular acts of insane vengeance ever told. As this book went on I got more and more hyped up for that ending...and then I noticed how little I had left to read. It just boggles my mind that someone would set out to retell the story of Jason and Medea AND THEN LEAVE OUT THE MOST INTERESTING PART!
Despite all that, it wasn't a bad read. The story held together well, and except for the romance, it's reasonably well written. It was just an incredibly disappointing ending, because it didn't go to the actual end of the myth.
I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
In theory this book was right up my alley: a science fiction take on the Greek legends of Jason, the Argonauts, the Golden Fleece, and of course Medea. The concept was strong and for a while the delivery was pretty good too. Midway through the book, though -- right around the time Medea and Jason started falling in love -- it started to slowly go downhill.
If I'm really being honest though, what ruined it more than anything was the ending. I know how the story of Jason and Medea is supposed to end. If you're not familiar with it, I'll give you a hint: it's about the least "happily ever after" ending you could come up with. Seriously, look it up if you don't know. I'll wait.
The "real" end of that story is one of the most spectacular acts of insane vengeance ever told. As this book went on I got more and more hyped up for that ending...and then I noticed how little I had left to read. It just boggles my mind that someone would set out to retell the story of Jason and Medea AND THEN LEAVE OUT THE MOST INTERESTING PART!
Despite all that, it wasn't a bad read. The story held together well, and except for the romance, it's reasonably well written. It was just an incredibly disappointing ending, because it didn't go to the actual end of the myth.
I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2016
Starting this book, I didn't know it was a retelling of Jason and the Argonauts until it mentioned the golden fleece for the first time. I'm not very familiar with the Greek story anyway so it was fun to just read the book as a stand alone.
The story immediately sucked me in and I couldn't wait to read more. The sci-fi setting was incredibly imaginative and realistic. I can imagine our world eventually developing into the world in this book. The possibility of programming genetic DNA as if it were simply a computer program is really cool.
The one thing that really ruined the book for me was the sheer amount of word count wasted on over-explaining the main characters' feelings, which was often repetitive and re-hashed feelings and background story that had already been explained. The story would often stop in the middle of action to monologue the characters' feelings.
Medea is a middle aged, highly educated, working, independent woman. and I found that very unrealistic and inconsistent with how her character had been set up.
On a few occasions the story felt forced as I assumed it was trying to fit in elements from the original Greek story.
Overall, the story was really cool but the writing style wasn't there for me.
The story immediately sucked me in and I couldn't wait to read more. The sci-fi setting was incredibly imaginative and realistic. I can imagine our world eventually developing into the world in this book. The possibility of programming genetic DNA as if it were simply a computer program is really cool.
The one thing that really ruined the book for me was the sheer amount of word count wasted on over-explaining the main characters' feelings, which was often repetitive and re-hashed feelings and background story that had already been explained. The story would often stop in the middle of action to monologue the characters' feelings.
Medea is a middle aged, highly educated, working, independent woman. and I found that very unrealistic and inconsistent with how her character had been set up.
On a few occasions the story felt forced as I assumed it was trying to fit in elements from the original Greek story.
Overall, the story was really cool but the writing style wasn't there for me.
June 29, 2016
Some sort of a disclaimer: I didn't know the myth about Jason and the Argonauts, so I read it as an original novel, not as a retelling. I don't know how related it is to the myth and frankly, I don't care.
Now that we're through with this, meet Argonauts: Argo Corporation's warriors. They jump from buildings, they get shit done, they kick enemy ass... only in the vids. Behind the scenes is another story entirely. Jason doesn't know about this though, he only knows that he wants to be one of them and is ready to do everything to reach his goal. Except getting his DNA modified like them cheaters do, he prefers doing it old-school and training for a freaking decade. Seriously. That's some dedication, boy.
On the other side, we have Medea, who handles the infamous DNA modification. According to Jason, she is one of the cheaters, but on another level. So it is not surprising that Jason is not jumping up and down in excitement when they have to work together, along with a few more even less interesting people. Then again, if they want to live, they have to suck it up and move on, and fall in love within the first ten minutes of the mission because why not.
This was where the book lost points for me. Two main characters do not have to equal sappy love. Maybe the book went in that direction because of the myth, I don't know but as I said, I also don't care. For a book with adult cast, it has too much YA crushing.
On the other hand, there is the whole worldbuilding to get awestruck. We have this Big Five concept, which I have always loved. It has a futuristic setting, where genomancy is something usual (as long as you've got the money) and people are not more than a bunch of code. Citizens are less than just basic workforce becase we've got robots doing almost everything humans do anyway. There are wrist sheats that connect people at all times, data is flowing more visibly than present day, et cetera et cetera. In short, tech is life.
The plot and the characterization was weak, it was obvious that the author thought more about the worldbuilding than the rest. The writing got better as the book progressed, which was one of the reasons why it took me quite long to get past the first half, and I read the second half during evening commute. There are also interesting details such as the evil genomancer, Circe if I'm not wrong, and Harpies.
All in all, I can say that the book mostly gets points for the worldbuilding and some more here and there. It wasn't exciting or gripping but I had fun. You can pick it up if it sounds like your kind of book.
Now that we're through with this, meet Argonauts: Argo Corporation's warriors. They jump from buildings, they get shit done, they kick enemy ass... only in the vids. Behind the scenes is another story entirely. Jason doesn't know about this though, he only knows that he wants to be one of them and is ready to do everything to reach his goal. Except getting his DNA modified like them cheaters do, he prefers doing it old-school and training for a freaking decade. Seriously. That's some dedication, boy.
On the other side, we have Medea, who handles the infamous DNA modification. According to Jason, she is one of the cheaters, but on another level. So it is not surprising that Jason is not jumping up and down in excitement when they have to work together, along with a few more even less interesting people. Then again, if they want to live, they have to suck it up and move on, and fall in love within the first ten minutes of the mission because why not.
This was where the book lost points for me. Two main characters do not have to equal sappy love. Maybe the book went in that direction because of the myth, I don't know but as I said, I also don't care. For a book with adult cast, it has too much YA crushing.
On the other hand, there is the whole worldbuilding to get awestruck. We have this Big Five concept, which I have always loved. It has a futuristic setting, where genomancy is something usual (as long as you've got the money) and people are not more than a bunch of code. Citizens are less than just basic workforce becase we've got robots doing almost everything humans do anyway. There are wrist sheats that connect people at all times, data is flowing more visibly than present day, et cetera et cetera. In short, tech is life.
The plot and the characterization was weak, it was obvious that the author thought more about the worldbuilding than the rest. The writing got better as the book progressed, which was one of the reasons why it took me quite long to get past the first half, and I read the second half during evening commute. There are also interesting details such as the evil genomancer, Circe if I'm not wrong, and Harpies.
All in all, I can say that the book mostly gets points for the worldbuilding and some more here and there. It wasn't exciting or gripping but I had fun. You can pick it up if it sounds like your kind of book.
April 28, 2016
This is a futuristic, science-fiction retelling of the classic Greek mythological fable, Jason and the Argonauts. This story comes complete with a plethora of characters from the fable, including Jason and Media, Circe, Mopsus the seer, Tiphys the Argo's pilot, the Argo itself, Pelias and Aeetes, Phineas and the Harpies, Khalkotauroi the bulls, the skeletons, The Golden Fleece, and...most uncommon in Mythology...a happy ending!
In this retelling, there are 5 major cities in the future and they each compete for stakeholders (people to live in their cities and provide income). Argo's (home of Jason) big selling point is genomancy, the ability to change one's genes and make the person look different, enhance their abilities, or give them abilities they never had. Jason is sent on a mission by Argo's CEO, Pelias, to Colchis to retrieve The Golden Fleece, which in this retelling is a database of genetic code. He is given a stealth dragonfly drone named Argo, a crew consisting of Medea, a gifted genomancer, Typhis, his pilot, Mopsus, the seer, and Idas and Anteus, genetically modified warriors and a dossier to help retrieve the Fleece.
Once inside Colchis, the crew face many dangers and are eventually captured by Colchis's CEO, Aeetes and Jason is forced to fight the Bronze Bulls of Colchis, which turn out to be four of the best genetically modified warriors of Colchis...and they have never been beaten!
This was definitely a page turner! I loved the spinning of the classic tale into something futuristic and different! Furthermore, the author gives many nods to the little details of the original story, whilst still making it completely his own. Some of the dialog between Jason and Medea was a bit awkward, but that is completely forgivable considering how much I enjoyed the story.
In this retelling, there are 5 major cities in the future and they each compete for stakeholders (people to live in their cities and provide income). Argo's (home of Jason) big selling point is genomancy, the ability to change one's genes and make the person look different, enhance their abilities, or give them abilities they never had. Jason is sent on a mission by Argo's CEO, Pelias, to Colchis to retrieve The Golden Fleece, which in this retelling is a database of genetic code. He is given a stealth dragonfly drone named Argo, a crew consisting of Medea, a gifted genomancer, Typhis, his pilot, Mopsus, the seer, and Idas and Anteus, genetically modified warriors and a dossier to help retrieve the Fleece.
Once inside Colchis, the crew face many dangers and are eventually captured by Colchis's CEO, Aeetes and Jason is forced to fight the Bronze Bulls of Colchis, which turn out to be four of the best genetically modified warriors of Colchis...and they have never been beaten!
This was definitely a page turner! I loved the spinning of the classic tale into something futuristic and different! Furthermore, the author gives many nods to the little details of the original story, whilst still making it completely his own. Some of the dialog between Jason and Medea was a bit awkward, but that is completely forgivable considering how much I enjoyed the story.
August 9, 2016
This is a science fiction re-telling of the Jason and the Argonauts Story from Greek Mythology. Pelias is the troubled CEO of Argos, one of the top 5 conglomerates in the world (another being Walmazon). He constantly worries about keeping his position. People at this time are either one of the few rich and powerful shareholders in the corporations, work for the corporation, or are stakeholders. The majority of the Stakeholders cannot find employment because automation has replaced them. Stakeholders are the lower class and are the vast majority of the people. They receive enough money from the corporation to live on but hardly enough to have a a real quality of life and many spend their time watching the latest vids and other forms of entertainment to pass the time. Medea is a genomancer--a skilled scientist in the field of genetics. She can change the genes in a person's body to keep them young, beautiful and strong or increase their relexes, strength and other abilities using an animal's genes (See Island of Dr Moreau or TVs Dark Angel). Jason is the son of the rich and powerful Argos Shareholder, Aeson, who wants nothing more than to be a warrior. Aeson dies suddenly from a drug overdose and Pelias, who needs Jason's shares in the company, uses this opportunity to send Jason on a suicide mission to rival corporation Colchis to bring back the Golden Fleece, a program with the genes of all all humans that Aaetes, the CEO of Colchis plans to use as a WMD to manipulate the genes of his enemies. I liked it. It was okay. Maybe 2 1/2 stars although I'm giving it 2. It was an exciting fast paced adventure although it read too much like a Young Adult novel (though not marketed that way) probably in keeping with the Dystopian type series that are so popular today.
June 27, 2016
I received an advanced ecopy from Netgalley for an honest review.
This is an interesting futuristic YA reworking of the Jason and the Argonauts story told from the perspective of Medea. In this world, Medea is a genomancer, able to alter peoples' genetic makeup to make them whatever they want to be. She also uses her abilities to cure disease and help those unable to help themselves.
Jason is the son of a shareholder, one of the wealthiest people in the Argo Corporation, He just wants to be a warrior but distrusts genomancy as cheating. When his father dies, Peleas, the CEO of Argo, invites Jason to go on a mission as an Argonaut, one of the great warriors of the city, to infiltrate the rival city of Colchis to recover something stolen from Argo, the Golden Fleece. Peleas also sends Medea with him and a group of Argonauts, here just a few unlike the original story of 85 crew.
From this point on the author tries to invoke sci-fi parallels to the challenges that Jason and crew encounter. The characterization is at times juvenile, the Argonaut Idas is very one dimensional, and Medea is a typical YA heroine, with a love-hate relationship with Jason. You just know they will be together by the end of the story. Jason comes across as very naive until he goes against everything he has ever stood for in the climax of the tale.
An awkward opening chapter cleared into a standard action piece. The writing improves as the story progresses. All in all not a bad retelling but the author tries much too hard to get every Argonaut reference into the mix.
This is an interesting futuristic YA reworking of the Jason and the Argonauts story told from the perspective of Medea. In this world, Medea is a genomancer, able to alter peoples' genetic makeup to make them whatever they want to be. She also uses her abilities to cure disease and help those unable to help themselves.
Jason is the son of a shareholder, one of the wealthiest people in the Argo Corporation, He just wants to be a warrior but distrusts genomancy as cheating. When his father dies, Peleas, the CEO of Argo, invites Jason to go on a mission as an Argonaut, one of the great warriors of the city, to infiltrate the rival city of Colchis to recover something stolen from Argo, the Golden Fleece. Peleas also sends Medea with him and a group of Argonauts, here just a few unlike the original story of 85 crew.
From this point on the author tries to invoke sci-fi parallels to the challenges that Jason and crew encounter. The characterization is at times juvenile, the Argonaut Idas is very one dimensional, and Medea is a typical YA heroine, with a love-hate relationship with Jason. You just know they will be together by the end of the story. Jason comes across as very naive until he goes against everything he has ever stood for in the climax of the tale.
An awkward opening chapter cleared into a standard action piece. The writing improves as the story progresses. All in all not a bad retelling but the author tries much too hard to get every Argonaut reference into the mix.
July 1, 2016
So this book was cute, but it was not as good as the They Who Fell series.
It was so.. cutesy? Sometimes a little too cliche for my taste. I got super excited in the beginning because I really wanted Medea and Tiphys to be a thing (another Ron/Hermione set up), but instead, of course, it had to be Jason. It was just so over the top mushy. I like romance, but this wasn't very convincing. They go from not being able to stand each other to instalove in a week all while on this deadly mission.
And then the fact that Jason decides to keep the code adjustments in the end, after everything.. I don't know that disappointed me. He was SO against changing his code and wanting to earn everything naturally.. But he didn't. Everything he got in the end was from his code being changed. That's the only way he defeated the Bulls and the only way he managed to rescue the girl and save the fleece and get back to Argo. And then of course he gets to instantly become the new CEO too? Kinda lame, as far as endings go.
However, I LOVED the world building here. It's fantastic. The Big Five Corps and the AI "gods" and all the genomancy and code changing.. it's brilliant. Definitely the best part of the book in comparison to the characters.
It was still a good book, and I'll totally read the sequel if there ends up being one. But I do think some aspects could have been better, especially since I know the author can write some brilliant characters as seen in his other books.
It was so.. cutesy? Sometimes a little too cliche for my taste. I got super excited in the beginning because I really wanted Medea and Tiphys to be a thing (another Ron/Hermione set up), but instead, of course, it had to be Jason. It was just so over the top mushy. I like romance, but this wasn't very convincing. They go from not being able to stand each other to instalove in a week all while on this deadly mission.
And then the fact that Jason decides to keep the code adjustments in the end, after everything.. I don't know that disappointed me. He was SO against changing his code and wanting to earn everything naturally.. But he didn't. Everything he got in the end was from his code being changed. That's the only way he defeated the Bulls and the only way he managed to rescue the girl and save the fleece and get back to Argo. And then of course he gets to instantly become the new CEO too? Kinda lame, as far as endings go.
However, I LOVED the world building here. It's fantastic. The Big Five Corps and the AI "gods" and all the genomancy and code changing.. it's brilliant. Definitely the best part of the book in comparison to the characters.
It was still a good book, and I'll totally read the sequel if there ends up being one. But I do think some aspects could have been better, especially since I know the author can write some brilliant characters as seen in his other books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2016
Starts out strong, but struggles in the end
I like the premise a lot! Two ideas are there, and the framework for an interesting series is laid. That being said, the character interactions just fall woefully short. In the beginning you get a brief idea of what the personalities for the two main characters are, but it feels like those traits are abandoned a quarter into the book. Medea starts out seeming like a pretty confident character, but just turns into a puddle the second Jason starts giving her orders. When conversations shift among other characters the dialogue is better and each character comes through more strongly. It feels like there was just a point where the author ran out of ways for the two main characters to communicate.
The sci-fi world that the author created is full of interesting ideas and concepts, and I would have liked to have seen more of that and less of the cringe worthy romance scenes. Despite its reputation, romance isn't as easy to write as one might think. Clunky and unrealistic dialogue paired with repetitive themes didn't outright ruin the book for me, but it made certain parts a chore to get through.
I like the premise a lot! Two ideas are there, and the framework for an interesting series is laid. That being said, the character interactions just fall woefully short. In the beginning you get a brief idea of what the personalities for the two main characters are, but it feels like those traits are abandoned a quarter into the book. Medea starts out seeming like a pretty confident character, but just turns into a puddle the second Jason starts giving her orders. When conversations shift among other characters the dialogue is better and each character comes through more strongly. It feels like there was just a point where the author ran out of ways for the two main characters to communicate.
The sci-fi world that the author created is full of interesting ideas and concepts, and I would have liked to have seen more of that and less of the cringe worthy romance scenes. Despite its reputation, romance isn't as easy to write as one might think. Clunky and unrealistic dialogue paired with repetitive themes didn't outright ruin the book for me, but it made certain parts a chore to get through.
April 20, 2016
Combing the mythological stories of the Argonauts, with futuristic genetic manipulation, Kneupper has crafted an exciting sci-fi tale that reimagines an old story in a fantastic new way.
Following the adventures of Jason, a super-soldier and product of the genetic code enhancements provided by Argo Corp, and genomancer Medea, Argonauts is faced paced, without skimping on immersive world building or short changing the plot.
Argonauts is well-written clear, clean prose, strong characterization, and page turning action sequences. It is sure to be a welcome addition to the reading shelf of fans of Sci-fi, and bio-genetics in particular.
My only criticism of this book is that I would have liked to see Medea’s personality be a bit stronger. I’m assuming she’ll have a growth arc later on, as it set up well for her to snap out of her “lovesick” behavior pattern. Her personality made the book read more like a “YA” to me, which may or may not have been his intention. Either way, could completely be a set up for future installments.
Following the adventures of Jason, a super-soldier and product of the genetic code enhancements provided by Argo Corp, and genomancer Medea, Argonauts is faced paced, without skimping on immersive world building or short changing the plot.
Argonauts is well-written clear, clean prose, strong characterization, and page turning action sequences. It is sure to be a welcome addition to the reading shelf of fans of Sci-fi, and bio-genetics in particular.
My only criticism of this book is that I would have liked to see Medea’s personality be a bit stronger. I’m assuming she’ll have a growth arc later on, as it set up well for her to snap out of her “lovesick” behavior pattern. Her personality made the book read more like a “YA” to me, which may or may not have been his intention. Either way, could completely be a set up for future installments.
June 1, 2016
An interesting read – a futuristic version of Jason and the Argonauts going in search of the Golden Fleece. Many names are the same as the traditional story but the difference and setting are worlds apart!
This Jason has done everything he could to join the Argonauts and has been rejected every last time of his many applications. On his fathers’ death he finds out why- his father blocked him. Medea is a Genomancer whom we learn more about than any other character. A clever woman with a heart of gold who has been through some rough times and come out the other side determined to be different than others.
A tale of fighting foes in very creative ways and atmospheres- this author is very descriptive and it would be easy to picture this on TV as it would make a wonderful spectacle especially near the end in the arena.
A very enjoyable read.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an open and honest review
This Jason has done everything he could to join the Argonauts and has been rejected every last time of his many applications. On his fathers’ death he finds out why- his father blocked him. Medea is a Genomancer whom we learn more about than any other character. A clever woman with a heart of gold who has been through some rough times and come out the other side determined to be different than others.
A tale of fighting foes in very creative ways and atmospheres- this author is very descriptive and it would be easy to picture this on TV as it would make a wonderful spectacle especially near the end in the arena.
A very enjoyable read.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an open and honest review
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