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Horizon Alpha #1
Predators of Eden
We never would have come here if we’d known.
Two hundred years ago, the great Ark Horizon Alpha escaped a doomed Earth and went searching for a new home. The passengers landed on Teu Ceti e expecting paradise, but instead they discovered a planet stuck in its own version of the cretaceous period. The humans’ one defense against the dinosaurs ravaging the planet is an electric fence, built from the remains of the shuttles that brought them there.
But Eden base has only days of power left.
With most of the adult men dead, rookie soldier Caleb Wilde and his unit of teenage boys leave the electric fences of Eden in search of a reactor core lost deep in the jungle.
The last remnant of the human race waits behind the electric fence for their return. The dinosaurs wait, too--for the electricity to die and the feast to begin.
Two hundred years ago, the great Ark Horizon Alpha escaped a doomed Earth and went searching for a new home. The passengers landed on Teu Ceti e expecting paradise, but instead they discovered a planet stuck in its own version of the cretaceous period. The humans’ one defense against the dinosaurs ravaging the planet is an electric fence, built from the remains of the shuttles that brought them there.
But Eden base has only days of power left.
With most of the adult men dead, rookie soldier Caleb Wilde and his unit of teenage boys leave the electric fences of Eden in search of a reactor core lost deep in the jungle.
The last remnant of the human race waits behind the electric fence for their return. The dinosaurs wait, too--for the electricity to die and the feast to begin.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2017
266 people are currently reading
1196 people want to read
About the author
D.W. Vogel
24 books46 followersD.W. Vogel is a veterinarian, marathon runner, SCUBA diver, and cancer survivor. She was raised on Cincinnati chili and is a really terrible bowler. She lives in Cincinnati with her husband Andrew and a houseful of special needs pets.
D.W. Vogel is a pseudonym of Wendy Vogel.
D.W. Vogel is a pseudonym of Wendy Vogel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
August 1, 2016
HANG ON WHILE I GLARE AT MY FELLOW REVIEWERS
4.56 STARS
WHAT
HOW
WHAT BOOK DID YOU READ
BECAUSE IT WASN'T THIS ONE
I read this book, despite my reservations, because it had such good reviews. I honestly wish I could get the time back. It promises a riveting action sci-fi with a little bit of dinosaur horror thrown in, but this is the bad kind of YA that leaves out details because YA readers are too young/stupid to understand them.
There are no dinosaurs in this book, and the narrator feels the need to point that out to you as soon as possible. The only creature that remotely resembles a dinosaur is the one on the cover, which is called a T-Rex because that's the easiest way to describe it (I'll give them that). I had high hopes when it was introduced in a scene designed to draw attention to its longer, more functional arms and heat-based vision. Those hopes were dashed by the end of the book, mostly because that scene is the only direct confrontation the characters have with the T-Rex. The others only serve to remind the reader that it exists, building up for a final confrontation that .
The rest of the "dinosaurs" only appear once or twice, and most of those appearances felt like they were shoehorned in for the sake of Chekhov's Gun. You've got the "Gila", which is a quadrupedal lizard; the "Crab", which resembles a crab (big surprise); and the "Wolves", which are scaly wolves with snake heads. The only things these "dinosaurs" have in common is that they're all carnivores and their scales make them nearly impervious to gunfire. Not only is it a huge leap that an entire planet's worth of predators have hides that tough for no reason, but it limits any interactions with the "dinosaurs" to hide, run, die, or shoot and hope the bullet hits a weak spot.
The misleading synopsis had me expecting that Caleb would be put in command of a group of boys who don't respect him while trying to retrieve the power core from some deep recess of the hostile jungle. That would have been interesting.
First, Caleb was not in charge. His step-father was. General Carthage. You may ask, why is he a general? What is he a general of if there's no real army? Thankfully, those questions are never answered.
Second, they found the power core within the first few pages after their dropship is knocked out of the air by not-Pteranodons. The rest of the book is the journey to bring it back.
Third, and perhaps most important, is that said journey isn't interesting. They walk. They get lost. They find the path again. Somebody gets killed. Repeat. The entire book devolves into a guessing game of who gets killed by what, and as fewer people are left alive and the list of "dinosaurs" that haven't been introduced yet shrinks, the guessing becomes easier.
Fourth, Caleb's narration consists mostly of infodumps and self-pity. The extent of his character growth is realizing his step-father wasn't as big a dick as he thought and finally getting to do something at the end.
Reading the climax, I felt like I was listening to a football match. HE'S GOING TO DO THE THING. HE'S DOING THE THING. HE'S STILL DOING THE THING. WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT, FOLKS? HE DID THE THING. HE REALLY DID IT.
The ending was an unsatisfying mess where everybody's happy, all the bad things that happened were worth it in the end, and the future is bright and shiny. It was so cloyingly sweet that if I hadn't already been on the last page, I would have put the book down right then. The only reason this is a 2/5 instead of a 1/5 is because I didn't (refer to my profile if this confuses you).
VERDICT:
Horizon Alpha: Predators of Eden should have gone through a couple more rewrites before being published. The writing is good, there are few to no typos or grammatical errors, but... but... there is no real substance. You will not be invested, or even interested, in what happens. The protagonist has just enough character that readers can't project themselves onto him, but not enough for them to care. The squad of teenage boys are little more than names, they have so little personality. The creatures are boring, the world is boring. The book is boring. It's just boring.
Oh, so you want to know what happened at the end to get me so riled up?
4.56 STARS
WHAT
HOW
WHAT BOOK DID YOU READ
BECAUSE IT WASN'T THIS ONE
I read this book, despite my reservations, because it had such good reviews. I honestly wish I could get the time back. It promises a riveting action sci-fi with a little bit of dinosaur horror thrown in, but this is the bad kind of YA that leaves out details because YA readers are too young/stupid to understand them.
There are no dinosaurs in this book, and the narrator feels the need to point that out to you as soon as possible. The only creature that remotely resembles a dinosaur is the one on the cover, which is called a T-Rex because that's the easiest way to describe it (I'll give them that). I had high hopes when it was introduced in a scene designed to draw attention to its longer, more functional arms and heat-based vision. Those hopes were dashed by the end of the book, mostly because that scene is the only direct confrontation the characters have with the T-Rex. The others only serve to remind the reader that it exists, building up for a final confrontation that .
The rest of the "dinosaurs" only appear once or twice, and most of those appearances felt like they were shoehorned in for the sake of Chekhov's Gun. You've got the "Gila", which is a quadrupedal lizard; the "Crab", which resembles a crab (big surprise); and the "Wolves", which are scaly wolves with snake heads. The only things these "dinosaurs" have in common is that they're all carnivores and their scales make them nearly impervious to gunfire. Not only is it a huge leap that an entire planet's worth of predators have hides that tough for no reason, but it limits any interactions with the "dinosaurs" to hide, run, die, or shoot and hope the bullet hits a weak spot.
The misleading synopsis had me expecting that Caleb would be put in command of a group of boys who don't respect him while trying to retrieve the power core from some deep recess of the hostile jungle. That would have been interesting.
First, Caleb was not in charge. His step-father was. General Carthage. You may ask, why is he a general? What is he a general of if there's no real army? Thankfully, those questions are never answered.
Second, they found the power core within the first few pages after their dropship is knocked out of the air by not-Pteranodons. The rest of the book is the journey to bring it back.
Third, and perhaps most important, is that said journey isn't interesting. They walk. They get lost. They find the path again. Somebody gets killed. Repeat. The entire book devolves into a guessing game of who gets killed by what, and as fewer people are left alive and the list of "dinosaurs" that haven't been introduced yet shrinks, the guessing becomes easier.
Fourth, Caleb's narration consists mostly of infodumps and self-pity. The extent of his character growth is realizing his step-father wasn't as big a dick as he thought and finally getting to do something at the end.
Reading the climax, I felt like I was listening to a football match. HE'S GOING TO DO THE THING. HE'S DOING THE THING. HE'S STILL DOING THE THING. WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT, FOLKS? HE DID THE THING. HE REALLY DID IT.
The ending was an unsatisfying mess where everybody's happy, all the bad things that happened were worth it in the end, and the future is bright and shiny. It was so cloyingly sweet that if I hadn't already been on the last page, I would have put the book down right then. The only reason this is a 2/5 instead of a 1/5 is because I didn't (refer to my profile if this confuses you).
VERDICT:
Horizon Alpha: Predators of Eden should have gone through a couple more rewrites before being published. The writing is good, there are few to no typos or grammatical errors, but... but... there is no real substance. You will not be invested, or even interested, in what happens. The protagonist has just enough character that readers can't project themselves onto him, but not enough for them to care. The squad of teenage boys are little more than names, they have so little personality. The creatures are boring, the world is boring. The book is boring. It's just boring.
Oh, so you want to know what happened at the end to get me so riled up?
August 1, 2023
If a T-Rex comes into your restaurant, don't expect a tip. He'll probably complain that all your customers were tough and undercooked.
Yet another fun-filled human-meets-dinosaur book with a twist. I like to see how various authors bring the hapless hoomans into contact with the chompy things. This is Jurassic Park meets Star Trek (Or Earth 2 - the TV series for those old enough to remember it).
DWV gets pretty much straight into the plot, sets the scene and starts the tension within the first 15%. Good job. Imagine you're one of the lucky 1,000 chosen to board one of the arks bound for distant worlds, to restart humanity, while Earth faced imminent destruction. Imagine arriving at your Earth-like destination to find it IS like Earth...in the Cretaceous Period, where it seems every living thing wants to kill you!!! WTF? I'd want to just stay on the Ark please. Only you can't. It's buggered.
So there you have it; our little colony has to battle T-Rex-like monsters, speedy little raptor bastards, and mosquitoes the size of Cessnas. The action is non-stop. The writing style is smooth and easy. This is a great Y.A. book full of adventure with a bit of dino gore but no real romance.
I loved it and will definitely be reading the next book in the series.
Yet another fun-filled human-meets-dinosaur book with a twist. I like to see how various authors bring the hapless hoomans into contact with the chompy things. This is Jurassic Park meets Star Trek (Or Earth 2 - the TV series for those old enough to remember it).
DWV gets pretty much straight into the plot, sets the scene and starts the tension within the first 15%. Good job. Imagine you're one of the lucky 1,000 chosen to board one of the arks bound for distant worlds, to restart humanity, while Earth faced imminent destruction. Imagine arriving at your Earth-like destination to find it IS like Earth...in the Cretaceous Period, where it seems every living thing wants to kill you!!! WTF? I'd want to just stay on the Ark please. Only you can't. It's buggered.
So there you have it; our little colony has to battle T-Rex-like monsters, speedy little raptor bastards, and mosquitoes the size of Cessnas. The action is non-stop. The writing style is smooth and easy. This is a great Y.A. book full of adventure with a bit of dino gore but no real romance.
I loved it and will definitely be reading the next book in the series.
October 1, 2021
3.5 stars. An entertaining enough dinosaurs in space action adventure. But I wanted more of it, wasn't fully satisfied but not sure why. Still enjoyed it tough
January 30, 2019
On one hand, it's a pretty standard "dinosaurs eat people"-book that have... well, it's wrong to suggest Jurassic Park popularized it because for as long as dinosaurs have been known to have existed, people having been dreaming up ways to get eaten by them in fiction. It doesn't take long after the book became widely available that people started writing up stories about lost lands where dinosaurs roamed and more than a few people tended to end up on the menu. Sure, in this one there's a sci-fi twist to the whole proceedings but ultimately, whether they're dinosaurs or just creatures on another planet that happen to look suspiciously like dinosaurs is merely a question of semantics, the function is the same.
But on the other hand, the world depicted in this book actually made me want more. The idea of humans being stranded on a planet that essentially wants them dead and how they survive through it all is... well, it's a very fascinating story. How do they keep out of danger, how do they feed themselves, how do they build, how do they continue to live in a depressing, oppressing environment? What hope do you cling to?
Unfortunately the book doesn't spend much time actually exploring these questions, instead focusing on the story of a young boy who must grow up really fast when a mission outside the comfort and safety of their settlement goes horribly wrong (as they tend to do in stories like this). It's too bad the main character then is about as likable as a plank of wood. He's young and stupid and you can tell really easily cause his inner monolog narrates the entire story. He comes across as incredibly whiny and entitled, always only thinking about how he wishes people treated him like a real man and not like the boy that he, quite frankly, is. If I had a better grasp of the person he was and the people surrounding him, his inner thoughts might actually have been a bit more compelling but we're thrust so quickly into the action and virtually no time after the main chunk of the story is spent exploring how this affected him it's hard to argue he grew at all.
If anything, he devolved as a person, becoming less of an interesting character as he seemed to mature into a standard soldier who gets off when people listen to him. The fact that the sole woman in the story given any sort of role ends up being his second despite being older and more knowledgable about everything except shooting a gun (thus making her a liability) makes me wonder about what the author's personal ideology is.
However, it would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy big parts of the book. Politics aside, the book is filled with interesting action pieces that makes it at least slightly more difficult to put down. With the short length of 208 pages, there isn't much breathing room, though, so action scenes tend to lead into more of the same and once the dino-dying begins, the book seems rather eager to get rid of superfluous characters. This is not uncommon in books like these, I'd know, but some of the characters dying is handled with such a lack of fanfare or details that it feels almost... by the book, if you don't mind the pun.
I know gruesome deaths aren't always necessary but when you're writing a story about people on a horribly dangerous and deadly planet, it's sort of expected and almost required. It's one thing to die but dying horribly, screaming and kicking to the end, well, that's a completely different matter. The lack of details and the rapidness of the deaths could've worked if the sense of hopelessness had been played up more, suggesting that people were just so used to seeing people die horribly that it became... mundane. "Oh no, my friend is being ripped apart by lizards... oh well..." There's hints of it but it's nowhere near explored enough in my opinion.
Kind of a running theme here, it seems.
Furthermore, I really wish the author hadn't chosen to call things by Earth-names because while it helps to give you a vague idea, it also made me think only of those things that they related to on Earth. If you call things a "Wolf" then I'm gonna picture a wolf. Sure, the book tells you it's a reptile (or something close to it) but I'll still picture them more furry and cute than things with scales and snake heads. If you call something a "Crab", I'm only gonna be confused when you suddenly start talking about it as if it's not an actual crustacean. If it had been used in a different way, if they used the words to explain things but it was somehow wrong or warped from how I would use it, that'd be one thing. But the book is so filled with popculture references to NOW, as in the time we live in now, that it's hard to seperate this world from our own. 200 years onboard a spaceship, going through numerous generations, and they still talk and act like real life contemporaries.
And you can write "shit", by the way. Writing "scat" instead of shit or any other curse word doesn't make you look cool or original. It's just tedious in the long run. I know, I know, works of sci-fi these days must invent or repurpose a word to use for swearing, it's the law or something but come on... at least go for something chinese or russian or something like Firefly.
Urgh, I make it sound like I hated this book but I really didn't. I'm definitely gonna pick up the sequel. But I normally complain that books are too long, that they include too much fluff but here, for once, I just felt it wasn't long enough. There wasn't enough fluff included. What were they doing back at base while the team was stranded? We're told the stakes are high but we're never really shown it. Even in books "show, don't tell" is king and I never really felt the pressure the characters were supposedly under. And a huge part of that is that I lack reference.
There was so much here that went untold that really needed to be explored, to be written about and I go into the sequel hoping that many of these gaps will be filled. Part of me doubt it, the ending pretty much removed any sense of danger that faced the survivors of Horizon and the blurb doesn't suggest much room will be left for getting a feel for the new, blossoming society.
Anyway, it's not a bad romp if you're into this sort of thing. It's short, well written and exciting in parts. Don't go in with too lofty goals and you'll be fine!
But on the other hand, the world depicted in this book actually made me want more. The idea of humans being stranded on a planet that essentially wants them dead and how they survive through it all is... well, it's a very fascinating story. How do they keep out of danger, how do they feed themselves, how do they build, how do they continue to live in a depressing, oppressing environment? What hope do you cling to?
Unfortunately the book doesn't spend much time actually exploring these questions, instead focusing on the story of a young boy who must grow up really fast when a mission outside the comfort and safety of their settlement goes horribly wrong (as they tend to do in stories like this). It's too bad the main character then is about as likable as a plank of wood. He's young and stupid and you can tell really easily cause his inner monolog narrates the entire story. He comes across as incredibly whiny and entitled, always only thinking about how he wishes people treated him like a real man and not like the boy that he, quite frankly, is. If I had a better grasp of the person he was and the people surrounding him, his inner thoughts might actually have been a bit more compelling but we're thrust so quickly into the action and virtually no time after the main chunk of the story is spent exploring how this affected him it's hard to argue he grew at all.
If anything, he devolved as a person, becoming less of an interesting character as he seemed to mature into a standard soldier who gets off when people listen to him. The fact that the sole woman in the story given any sort of role ends up being his second despite being older and more knowledgable about everything except shooting a gun (thus making her a liability) makes me wonder about what the author's personal ideology is.
However, it would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy big parts of the book. Politics aside, the book is filled with interesting action pieces that makes it at least slightly more difficult to put down. With the short length of 208 pages, there isn't much breathing room, though, so action scenes tend to lead into more of the same and once the dino-dying begins, the book seems rather eager to get rid of superfluous characters. This is not uncommon in books like these, I'd know, but some of the characters dying is handled with such a lack of fanfare or details that it feels almost... by the book, if you don't mind the pun.
I know gruesome deaths aren't always necessary but when you're writing a story about people on a horribly dangerous and deadly planet, it's sort of expected and almost required. It's one thing to die but dying horribly, screaming and kicking to the end, well, that's a completely different matter. The lack of details and the rapidness of the deaths could've worked if the sense of hopelessness had been played up more, suggesting that people were just so used to seeing people die horribly that it became... mundane. "Oh no, my friend is being ripped apart by lizards... oh well..." There's hints of it but it's nowhere near explored enough in my opinion.
Kind of a running theme here, it seems.
Furthermore, I really wish the author hadn't chosen to call things by Earth-names because while it helps to give you a vague idea, it also made me think only of those things that they related to on Earth. If you call things a "Wolf" then I'm gonna picture a wolf. Sure, the book tells you it's a reptile (or something close to it) but I'll still picture them more furry and cute than things with scales and snake heads. If you call something a "Crab", I'm only gonna be confused when you suddenly start talking about it as if it's not an actual crustacean. If it had been used in a different way, if they used the words to explain things but it was somehow wrong or warped from how I would use it, that'd be one thing. But the book is so filled with popculture references to NOW, as in the time we live in now, that it's hard to seperate this world from our own. 200 years onboard a spaceship, going through numerous generations, and they still talk and act like real life contemporaries.
And you can write "shit", by the way. Writing "scat" instead of shit or any other curse word doesn't make you look cool or original. It's just tedious in the long run. I know, I know, works of sci-fi these days must invent or repurpose a word to use for swearing, it's the law or something but come on... at least go for something chinese or russian or something like Firefly.
Urgh, I make it sound like I hated this book but I really didn't. I'm definitely gonna pick up the sequel. But I normally complain that books are too long, that they include too much fluff but here, for once, I just felt it wasn't long enough. There wasn't enough fluff included. What were they doing back at base while the team was stranded? We're told the stakes are high but we're never really shown it. Even in books "show, don't tell" is king and I never really felt the pressure the characters were supposedly under. And a huge part of that is that I lack reference.
There was so much here that went untold that really needed to be explored, to be written about and I go into the sequel hoping that many of these gaps will be filled. Part of me doubt it, the ending pretty much removed any sense of danger that faced the survivors of Horizon and the blurb doesn't suggest much room will be left for getting a feel for the new, blossoming society.
Anyway, it's not a bad romp if you're into this sort of thing. It's short, well written and exciting in parts. Don't go in with too lofty goals and you'll be fine!
February 18, 2021
Jurassic world but scarier. The world building and Caleb are great. Its just that kid needs to quit letting the food run down his chin while he is eating. I'm interested in what's going to happen in the next book.
August 16, 2016
Never a dull moment! Action packed from start to finish. It's like Jurassic Park in space. Felt like it ended well. Can't wait for the next installment!
June 29, 2024
Solid 4 star read. This book is a continuation of high wire but better. Cool survival story and the plot seems well thought out. Who doesn't like a survival story heavily involving violent dinosaurs. Fast paced action through most of the book, made better with relatable characters. The next two in the series will definitely be on my list!
September 12, 2024
This book was great for a small self published novel. There were some commonly known tropes in here, but I was on the edge of my seat like the whole book! I really enjoyed how the story progressed and I enjoyed the characters too. I am glad I picked this one up and excited to continue the series from here.
January 29, 2025
3.5 rounded up
the mom being pregnant at the end pissed me off so bad
the mom being pregnant at the end pissed me off so bad
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2016
Okay so when I started this ebook, Horizon Alpha: Predators of Eden, I could not put it down. I had never read a book by Vogul before but now I'm going to make sure to put her on my list of great authors.
Horizon Alpha is about where human civilization went after the planet Earth was destroyed. After spending 12 years in space, their ship, Horizon Alpha, crashes onto a planet called Tau Ceti. At first everyone is filled with great joy over finally being able to live on the ground with fresh air. But what ends up living on this planet with them? Dinosaurs.
The story follows Caleb Wilde who is part of the army group with the little human civilization that is left trying to make Ceti their home. On his first mission out to find a power supply, things end up going very wrong when dinosaurs attack their tank. Now Caleb and the other survivors of the attack on the tank must find their way back home without being eaten by the dinosaurs.
I've never read a story quite like this before. I had never even heard of stories about dinosaurs in space so that's what intrigued me the most about this book when I was offered the chance to read it for free in exchange for my honest review.
This story is full of suspense. I couldn't help but read it as fast as I could, dying to know if Caleb and the others would survive. It's truly a dinosaur thriller that those who love the Jurassic Park/World series will definitely enjoy.
I received a copy of Horizon Alpha: Predators of Eden from Future House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2016
Predators of Eden is a pleasant thrill ride of a YA sci-fi novel featuring a young man who comes of age in a brutal crucible as he tries to save not only himself but his fledgling colony on a remote world filled with dinosaurs. Caleb Wilde is a fifteen year old who gears up for his first mission on the planet Eden. He's excited to finally be counted as viable member of a squad. Much like his older brother Josh. Except Josh rolled out into the jungle one day and never came back. Before long their "routine" mission will become a life and death flight from hundreds of predators.
Usually I'm not much of a fan of these coming of age tales, but Caleb really struck a chord in me. His youthful enthusiasm is at first infectious. Then as his innocence quickly slips away in the face of death and danger, we all shed a tear seeing what he has already lost and all that he still fights for. On one hand it's the fate of what could be the last of the human race. On the other, it's the fate of one family. Just one family. One mother. One sister. And one remaining son just trying to keep it together long enough to get home with a power core needed to protect themselves from roving engines of destruction.
I couldn't recommend this more for either adults or kids. It took me back to the love I found discovering John Carter and Tarzan for the first time.
Usually I'm not much of a fan of these coming of age tales, but Caleb really struck a chord in me. His youthful enthusiasm is at first infectious. Then as his innocence quickly slips away in the face of death and danger, we all shed a tear seeing what he has already lost and all that he still fights for. On one hand it's the fate of what could be the last of the human race. On the other, it's the fate of one family. Just one family. One mother. One sister. And one remaining son just trying to keep it together long enough to get home with a power core needed to protect themselves from roving engines of destruction.
I couldn't recommend this more for either adults or kids. It took me back to the love I found discovering John Carter and Tarzan for the first time.
May 19, 2016
I grew up on Sci-Fi novels, but as I grew older, I turned to mysteries. But everything come full circle and I'm finding myself being drawn back to my childhood love. I'm glad that I am, but not so much as overjoyed that I found this novel by D.W. Vogel. Wow. What a fun read. I'd describe it as Lost in Space meets Jurassic Park. Space travelers marooned on a planet filled with deadly dinosaurs. A young boy trying to prove himself. It's flat-out exciting. Vogel has an effortless writing style and tight plotting keep this novel rolling along at a fast pace. Future House publishes books that are family friendly so this is a novel that can be enjoyed by any age. I plan to send this to my granddaughter (a huge fan of dinosaurs, tho maybe not so much after reading this book), to enjoy this summer. All I can say is, don't miss this gem of an adventure!
May 22, 2016
Jurassic Park meets the TV series The 100. Alpha Horizon was one of four arc ships carrying the fate of humanity in search of a new hospitable planet after Earth was sentenced to a catastrophic astrological event. However, starting anew on an unknown world proves to be more difficult than originally projected when Alpha Horizon is met with one distaster after another only to be faced with creatures that rival some of Earth's fiercest prehistoric predators.
With Earth gone humanity must find a way to persevere.
Right from the prolog I was drawn in and could not put the book down. Get ready for nonstop action and suspense in this futuristic scifi adventure.
I have received this title at a discount in exchange for sharing my opinions.
With Earth gone humanity must find a way to persevere.
Right from the prolog I was drawn in and could not put the book down. Get ready for nonstop action and suspense in this futuristic scifi adventure.
I have received this title at a discount in exchange for sharing my opinions.
August 26, 2016
This is a solid YA sci-fi survival/disaster story.
The first half of the book is a military scout team having to walk home through a dinosaur-infested jungle after their shuttle crashes. The number of team members quickly shrinks as various dinosaur-like monsters pick them off. The second half continues these events but adds some discoveries about the planet they've ended up on. I think it would have been better if these discoveries or other mysteries had started sooner. But it was still pretty good and not too long and age appropriate.
The first half of the book is a military scout team having to walk home through a dinosaur-infested jungle after their shuttle crashes. The number of team members quickly shrinks as various dinosaur-like monsters pick them off. The second half continues these events but adds some discoveries about the planet they've ended up on. I think it would have been better if these discoveries or other mysteries had started sooner. But it was still pretty good and not too long and age appropriate.
July 11, 2018
Rose
Who knew dinosaurs would make such interesting reading. D.W. Vogel has done an expert job telling a dinosaur story without the same old happenings. All the characters and exciting occurrences keep readers entranced during this entire book. What a great writer!
Who knew dinosaurs would make such interesting reading. D.W. Vogel has done an expert job telling a dinosaur story without the same old happenings. All the characters and exciting occurrences keep readers entranced during this entire book. What a great writer!
March 9, 2023
A ver...
No.
Síntoo, pero non.
Ca ilusión que me facía ler algo de dinosaurios... Dinos alieníxenas? Tamén.
Pero ai... Ai ai.... Tes que meter ahí certas cousas completamente innecesarias no "funcionamento da sociedá" que se instaura ahí... Pra qué? Como excusa de que as persoaxes femeninas sean prácticamente inexistentes? Pra que as que se nombran estean ahí para estar ou ben traumadas, chorando, ou "inútiles"?
É máis... Ti qués poñer que se da esta situación? Ok, compro. Que se sinten de esta ou oitra maneira? Tamén compro. Veña, dalle... ¡Despois faime unha reflexión sobre cómo iso non vai así! Non o reafirmes!
No momento de responder (e é que hai un momento que é pra darlle unha ao guión do protagonista... unha de ida e oitra de volta! Que o deixe abaneando!) non lle digas "ai, é verdá. Sinto que sexas un sobrante. Claramente por esa razón xa non tes valor, non vales pra nada." E ale. Pffff....
Qué necesidá...
Pero bueno. A parte:
Ceti, o planeta en cuestión, Ten unha fauna e flora propios, que recorda a un mundo xurásico semidescoñecido. Do que tes que aprender como futurrula pra sobrevivir nel...
Persoaxes? Un só que me parecese interesante: Carthage. Este home é guai.
Como extra, cando o libro empezou a dar algo de protagonismo a Shiro, persoaxe que para min tiña potencial (tivo ahí un par de detalliños majos)... ¡Puf! Bomba de fume! Ó final non se fixo nada con él... Unha oportunidade perdida.
En fin. Moitos "face palms" e desilusión total.
No.
Síntoo, pero non.
Ca ilusión que me facía ler algo de dinosaurios... Dinos alieníxenas? Tamén.
Pero ai... Ai ai.... Tes que meter ahí certas cousas completamente innecesarias no "funcionamento da sociedá" que se instaura ahí... Pra qué? Como excusa de que as persoaxes femeninas sean prácticamente inexistentes? Pra que as que se nombran estean ahí para estar ou ben traumadas, chorando, ou "inútiles"?
É máis... Ti qués poñer que se da esta situación? Ok, compro. Que se sinten de esta ou oitra maneira? Tamén compro. Veña, dalle... ¡Despois faime unha reflexión sobre cómo iso non vai así! Non o reafirmes!
No momento de responder (e é que hai un momento que é pra darlle unha ao guión do protagonista... unha de ida e oitra de volta! Que o deixe abaneando!) non lle digas "ai, é verdá. Sinto que sexas un sobrante. Claramente por esa razón xa non tes valor, non vales pra nada." E ale. Pffff....
Qué necesidá...
Pero bueno. A parte:
Ceti, o planeta en cuestión, Ten unha fauna e flora propios, que recorda a un mundo xurásico semidescoñecido. Do que tes que aprender como futurrula pra sobrevivir nel...
Persoaxes? Un só que me parecese interesante: Carthage. Este home é guai.
Como extra, cando o libro empezou a dar algo de protagonismo a Shiro, persoaxe que para min tiña potencial (tivo ahí un par de detalliños majos)... ¡Puf! Bomba de fume! Ó final non se fixo nada con él... Unha oportunidade perdida.
En fin. Moitos "face palms" e desilusión total.
December 24, 2023
Wow. This book reminded me greatly of Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton meets Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. I was immediately drawn into the unique and never-before-seen premise where the last of humanity has abandoned Earth to travel to a new planet, only to find alien dinosaurs already inhabiting the new world, jaws wide open. This book was refreshingly brutal in its honest portrayal of a dire military lifestyle where humanity is in its eleventh hour and dinosaur threats are diverse and deadly. D.W. Vogel really does a fantastic job of balancing character arcs with high-intensity action. Once the plot gets rolling, it really doesn’t slow down, and I appreciate that greatly. I really felt like I was in the main character’s troop and in his shoes as he experienced all the hardships and obstacles between himself and saving his home and family.
It was great to read a story from the perspective of a very relatable soldier who is used to wartime-esque training and traumatizing events. Vogel thinks out the sci-fi realism very well while not letting the world building take over or become too lengthy. It’s a world that has real, dire stakes, yet it’s not a hopeless or depressing one to read. There was also the cherry on the cake with the nontraditional family unit that the main character is a part of. It’s been a while since I’ve been so invested in a crazy survival story like this, and I enjoyed falling back in love with the genre! Fans of books and shows like The 100 and the newer Netflix Lost in Space reboot TV show will likely enjoy this book. You should give it a try to experience something fresh and entirely original!
It was great to read a story from the perspective of a very relatable soldier who is used to wartime-esque training and traumatizing events. Vogel thinks out the sci-fi realism very well while not letting the world building take over or become too lengthy. It’s a world that has real, dire stakes, yet it’s not a hopeless or depressing one to read. There was also the cherry on the cake with the nontraditional family unit that the main character is a part of. It’s been a while since I’ve been so invested in a crazy survival story like this, and I enjoyed falling back in love with the genre! Fans of books and shows like The 100 and the newer Netflix Lost in Space reboot TV show will likely enjoy this book. You should give it a try to experience something fresh and entirely original!
March 19, 2023
Fun SciFi Book to Read, but with LOTS of Gore!
What I initially assumed was a brief review of the book, as it appeared before Chapter 1 — was actually an important Prologue that I had to go back and read — VERY IMPORTANT BackGround info to not miss!
Some issues I have with this story:
a). The Author writes that the equivalent of the TRex can see humans REALLY well at night — so, I have to wonder — WHY does The General feel it was important to return to a hiding place with his flashlight off, thereby scaring the other humans with his unannounced presence? [That is, his body heat alone should have been a red beacon to the TRex he was trying to avoid!]
b). Perhaps not the best subject to bring up after all the death and dismemberment going into the story, but these human colonists never need to go to the BathRoom! Amazing! Their excretements never need to be buried to keep human smells and odors away from the wild animals! We mere mortal Readers have a lot to learn from these characters!
Do I want to spend another week reading the other 3 books of this series? I’m not sure right now (Fun is not the same as interesting …)
Do I recommend YOU read this series? By all means — jump into it! Have fun and enjoy the tale!
What I initially assumed was a brief review of the book, as it appeared before Chapter 1 — was actually an important Prologue that I had to go back and read — VERY IMPORTANT BackGround info to not miss!
Some issues I have with this story:
a). The Author writes that the equivalent of the TRex can see humans REALLY well at night — so, I have to wonder — WHY does The General feel it was important to return to a hiding place with his flashlight off, thereby scaring the other humans with his unannounced presence? [That is, his body heat alone should have been a red beacon to the TRex he was trying to avoid!]
b). Perhaps not the best subject to bring up after all the death and dismemberment going into the story, but these human colonists never need to go to the BathRoom! Amazing! Their excretements never need to be buried to keep human smells and odors away from the wild animals! We mere mortal Readers have a lot to learn from these characters!
Do I want to spend another week reading the other 3 books of this series? I’m not sure right now (Fun is not the same as interesting …)
Do I recommend YOU read this series? By all means — jump into it! Have fun and enjoy the tale!
December 14, 2023
The length is the biggest problem this book has: there’s no time to explore anything in-depth, the main adventure moves faster than the speed of light, and the worldbuilding was mostly skated over. The world that this story creates is cool and seems to be well thought out, but I would have loved more of it. The adventure that the main character is on through the book is supposed to be a week of exhausting tramatization, but it felt more like a couple days, despite the story mentioning every day and night fall.
I really liked the characters, though I would really have loved more time with them, especially before the action started. That is one thing you can say for this book - there is little downtime for a reader to be bored. But it would have benefited from the emotional reactions that the reader would have had if they were attached to the characters, which I struggled to be despite my affection for them.
Overall, it feels more like the pilot of an interesting TV show than a fully-fledged book, though by all definitions it does have a full plot. It’s a quick read with interesting worldbuilding, but the heavy death toll means I can’t recommend it as a light read (though the writing style makes me want to).
I really liked the characters, though I would really have loved more time with them, especially before the action started. That is one thing you can say for this book - there is little downtime for a reader to be bored. But it would have benefited from the emotional reactions that the reader would have had if they were attached to the characters, which I struggled to be despite my affection for them.
Overall, it feels more like the pilot of an interesting TV show than a fully-fledged book, though by all definitions it does have a full plot. It’s a quick read with interesting worldbuilding, but the heavy death toll means I can’t recommend it as a light read (though the writing style makes me want to).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2023
“To pass the time, I watched every film we brought on board. Histories, horror, thrillers. But my favorites were the science fiction movies. I loved watching what people thought the future would hold.”
This novel is for readers like Caleb, the protagonist of this story, who like to know about different versions of the future. However, this version is not a pleasant one. Predators of Eden is a dystopian adventure novel, where the characters are in constant danger of being chased by dinosaurs. Although it is such a hectic novel, due to the constant danger in the plot, such state of constant survival also causes the most important element in every novel to bloom, human feelings.
We see our main characters in their most vulnerable state, they find a family in each other, open up to their peers and develop unforgettable links. The themes of family, parenthood, loss and friendship have a great protagonism in the novel, even more than the dinosaurs, which is precisely why I liked it that much. Moreover, this is a novel that always kept me on edge and its plot twist only enhanced that feeling of constant intrigue. Predators of Eden has the perfect combination of comedy and adventure, and it is a quick read that will take any reader’s mind of their daily lives for a while.
This novel is for readers like Caleb, the protagonist of this story, who like to know about different versions of the future. However, this version is not a pleasant one. Predators of Eden is a dystopian adventure novel, where the characters are in constant danger of being chased by dinosaurs. Although it is such a hectic novel, due to the constant danger in the plot, such state of constant survival also causes the most important element in every novel to bloom, human feelings.
We see our main characters in their most vulnerable state, they find a family in each other, open up to their peers and develop unforgettable links. The themes of family, parenthood, loss and friendship have a great protagonism in the novel, even more than the dinosaurs, which is precisely why I liked it that much. Moreover, this is a novel that always kept me on edge and its plot twist only enhanced that feeling of constant intrigue. Predators of Eden has the perfect combination of comedy and adventure, and it is a quick read that will take any reader’s mind of their daily lives for a while.
January 5, 2024
This is such a brilliant book and I'm salivating at the thought of picking up the next one. Knowing there's a THIRD? I might pass away with excitement before I make it that far.
I'm a dinosaur book enthusiast and it's so, so hard to find a good one. So many people are scared to put their foot in the genre for fear of being compared to Jurassic Park. At the end of one of the books I read recently, the author recounted advice he'd been given: It may have been done before, but your version hasn't.
I'm so happy this version exists. The only thing in common it has with Jurassic Park would be the Dino's and electric fences. From there on, you've got a wonderful, deadly world to explore. This is a science expedition into the unknown for the sake of everyone in the base. They find more then they're looking for. Unfortunately, the creatures outside the fences have found what they're looking for, too. Juicy, warm bodies entering their domain might as well have been a dinner bell.
I recently read a book called Hella by David Garrold which was good and bad, but ultimately left a bad taste in my mouth. Horizon Alpha has none of the very iffy social dynamic choices. (TW main theme being eugenics). Horizon Alpha is everything I ever wanted from Hella and more.
I'm a dinosaur book enthusiast and it's so, so hard to find a good one. So many people are scared to put their foot in the genre for fear of being compared to Jurassic Park. At the end of one of the books I read recently, the author recounted advice he'd been given: It may have been done before, but your version hasn't.
I'm so happy this version exists. The only thing in common it has with Jurassic Park would be the Dino's and electric fences. From there on, you've got a wonderful, deadly world to explore. This is a science expedition into the unknown for the sake of everyone in the base. They find more then they're looking for. Unfortunately, the creatures outside the fences have found what they're looking for, too. Juicy, warm bodies entering their domain might as well have been a dinner bell.
I recently read a book called Hella by David Garrold which was good and bad, but ultimately left a bad taste in my mouth. Horizon Alpha has none of the very iffy social dynamic choices. (TW main theme being eugenics). Horizon Alpha is everything I ever wanted from Hella and more.
October 5, 2023
The backstory (info dump at the beginning) was the most interesting part of the book. Earth was about to be destroyed (Jupiter was going to suck it in somehow...) so humanity had only 80 years to get off the planet. Somehow the nations got together and built four huge starships and sent humans off towards the most likely planets.
The story opened as the first ship, Horizon Alpha, reached its planet. Something happened, and the ship exploded. (You get used to that in this book. It's a lot of "something happened, somehow" with no information on how or why it happened.) So the humans ended up on the planet with none of their gear to keep them alive.
And guess what, the planet was (somehow) full of dinosaurs. Okay, they were not exactly dinosaurs but they were (somehow) really close, and the characters all called them dinosaurs (t rex, etc).
The entire book was nothing but a small group of characters running through the jungle away from dinosaurs. One by one they died. Really, that's the whole story.
The story opened as the first ship, Horizon Alpha, reached its planet. Something happened, and the ship exploded. (You get used to that in this book. It's a lot of "something happened, somehow" with no information on how or why it happened.) So the humans ended up on the planet with none of their gear to keep them alive.
And guess what, the planet was (somehow) full of dinosaurs. Okay, they were not exactly dinosaurs but they were (somehow) really close, and the characters all called them dinosaurs (t rex, etc).
The entire book was nothing but a small group of characters running through the jungle away from dinosaurs. One by one they died. Really, that's the whole story.
November 20, 2020
I went on a Kindle binge a couple years ago buying a bunch of dinosaur/giant insect science fiction kindle books. I read a few that were kinda meh and promptly forgot about this series. An recent ad in a PREHISTORIC TIMES magazine reminded me I had this on my iPad and I gave it a shot. The writing is excellent, there's plenty of action, and the plot is much more than just plopping down earth characters on a dinosaur planet. There are threads of very sophisticated science fiction running throughout. No info dumps and all the background is delivered just as you need it through the narrative. Although it's not quite YA it would certainly appeal to readers of that genre. The tone reminded me a lot of Robert A. Heinlein's early '50s books. Horizon Alpha sequels are: #2 TRANSPORT SEVENTEEN, #3 HOMECOMING.
March 3, 2020
I've had this book for a while and finally got around to it. The premise itself is an interesting one. I could see where young readers could really get into this concept. It follows a boy as he adapts to a troubled life on a new planet that is inhabited by dinosaurs (sort of, as there aren't many). It's a fairly quick and easy read. It's well written from a technical standpoint. I wish it had more heart in the style of the writing instead of being so precise. I wanted to care more about the characters than I did but feel like I didn't get much of a chance to. I would recommend this to YA who like quick adventures and the premise of other worlds and creatures.
March 3, 2023
Three minute egg
As I normally don't read literature by women authors, and I guarantee it's not what you think, I was very happy I continued with Predators. The story line kept my interest to the point that I had to stop and fill my obligations to my wife. Never could figure why some things in life are designated as male jobs. I digress, but tell that the characters were great. Being so young they developed quickly both in the book and in life. I'm glad the author saved the boy that broke his leg and was left behind. The sequel should explain what transpired. I hope !!!!!!!
As I normally don't read literature by women authors, and I guarantee it's not what you think, I was very happy I continued with Predators. The story line kept my interest to the point that I had to stop and fill my obligations to my wife. Never could figure why some things in life are designated as male jobs. I digress, but tell that the characters were great. Being so young they developed quickly both in the book and in life. I'm glad the author saved the boy that broke his leg and was left behind. The sequel should explain what transpired. I hope !!!!!!!
July 9, 2023
What I liked:
-Caleb. The main character was interesting in that he was younger than the rest of the cast and he actually behaved and sounded like an authentic teenager. He wasn't some magic soldier and natural leader that had all the answers.
-Plot/Setting. The idea behind this series is fascinating to me, and I'm excited to read more. The danger is always palpable and the tension is written really well. The planet and the creatures are all described in detail. It's cool to see such realistic survival situations.
Overall this was a pretty interesting read and I finished it in half a day, unable to put it down. I'll definitely read the next books in the series. 5.0
-Caleb. The main character was interesting in that he was younger than the rest of the cast and he actually behaved and sounded like an authentic teenager. He wasn't some magic soldier and natural leader that had all the answers.
-Plot/Setting. The idea behind this series is fascinating to me, and I'm excited to read more. The danger is always palpable and the tension is written really well. The planet and the creatures are all described in detail. It's cool to see such realistic survival situations.
Overall this was a pretty interesting read and I finished it in half a day, unable to put it down. I'll definitely read the next books in the series. 5.0
December 22, 2023
Horizon Alpha is a quick action-packed story. The story gets right to the point and has a creative prologue. At the core of the story, it is a military sci-fi book that includes "dinosaurs" and a teenage protagonist named Caleb. The worldbuilding is well-constructed and the characterization in this story is easy to follow.
The writing is wonderful and this YA thriller can be finished easily within a day. This is because the Orwellian style of writing and the thrilling action scenes help you fly right through this book. If you like monster/creature books this one will be a good addition to your library.
The writing is wonderful and this YA thriller can be finished easily within a day. This is because the Orwellian style of writing and the thrilling action scenes help you fly right through this book. If you like monster/creature books this one will be a good addition to your library.
December 23, 2023
Predators of Eden is such an immersive tale, and Caleb’s (the protagonist) journey was so well thought out and full circle, I loved it. The world this book built was so vivid, and each creature sounded more terrifying than the last; connected to its earthly namesake yet horrifyingly other. Caleb’s character grew from a child in over his head to a soldier who can take charge, and each bit of growth was well earned and deserved. A few stray comments from the narrative were off-putting (“…a pale girl from the time of pure races”), but the story itself was an exciting read that I’d highly recommend.
December 27, 2018
I decided to read this based largely on the fact that it had a dinosaur on the cover, and frankly I wasn't disappointed. The story is relatively simple: a group of soldiers trying to make their way back to base through a jungle filled with dinosaurs. But Vogel really makes you feel how tense that journey is, and how high the stakes are for the completion of their mission. The world-building is also extremely well done, and sprinkled logically throughout where it makes sense rather than all dumped at the beginning.
October 23, 2019
Finding Eden in hell
This book tells how the people of earth kept themselves safe, whilst foraging for food and raising old transports for parts.
Caleb goes out on gothic first trip to get a power core to ensure the safety of everyone. Of course something goes wrong and people die, but Caleb and the others return on foot finding his older brother on the way. They hide in a cave androgen climb to a place they can get a day reception.
It is at this point Caleb finds the caves, haven for the people
This book tells how the people of earth kept themselves safe, whilst foraging for food and raising old transports for parts.
Caleb goes out on gothic first trip to get a power core to ensure the safety of everyone. Of course something goes wrong and people die, but Caleb and the others return on foot finding his older brother on the way. They hide in a cave androgen climb to a place they can get a day reception.
It is at this point Caleb finds the caves, haven for the people
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews