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Primal #1
Primal Dawn
Tev is a hunter, one of the best in his clan. Trained since birth in the art of tracking and killing, Tev has never met a challenge he couldn’t overcome. But when a mysterious fireball falls from the sky, Tev will question everything he has ever known. For the first time in his life, he isn’t the one doing the hunting.
He is the prey
Primal Dawn is the first short novel of the Primal Series, spanning centuries of conflict following first contact. Each novel tells a complete story in the ongoing saga of two cultures learning to explore the vastness of space together.
He is the prey
Primal Dawn is the first short novel of the Primal Series, spanning centuries of conflict following first contact. Each novel tells a complete story in the ongoing saga of two cultures learning to explore the vastness of space together.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2016
65 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 25, 2017
Primal Dawn was an excellent experience for me. Actually this was my first proper Sci-Fi read. I have read some Sci-Fi stuff in Artemis Fowl series. But that series has some fantasy stuff also. This book is a proper Sci-Fi. And I enjoyed it more than any genre I have ever read. Maybe this is because of my love of science. I really do love science. Especially astronomy.
OVERVIEW
There is an organisation called Fleet which is in the search of life outside the Earth. This organisation sends a team hundreds of LIGHT YEARS away from Earth. The team consists of five members out of which three are important: Derreck (commander of the mission), Kindra (a biologist) and Kennon (). They land on a planet where there are human like species. One of them is our protagonist named: Tev.
The humans on the other planet hunt animals to live. They are not advanced in technology. When the humans of this planet see the team exploring their planet, they attack them. They think they are dangerous for them.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE
=> We don't know on which planet they are. I thought I would get the name in the end. But I didn't.
=> We don't know the origin of the human beings on the planet they are exploring. I couldn't stand that author didn't explain this fact. Maybe he will in the next one but I think it would be good if would have explained it in this one.
=> Tev's relationship with Neera, one of the humans of other planet. I couldn't like it. I didn't like Neera. She seemed just selfish. Even in the ending. I was expecting the relationship of Kindra and him. I think I would also get it in the next one.
THINGS I LIKED
=> Exosuits. I just loved these. These are the suits they use to explore planet. These have armors. These can be controlled with the help of brain. There are many more functions of these but I don't want to spoil more.
=> I liked that how they got to the planet.
=> I liked the fight between Tev and Kennon. It was little lengthy. Just according to my taste.
The plot wasn't as strong as it seemed from the beginning. But it wasn't that bad to dislike it.
Regardless, this book was awesome for me. Really enjoyed it a lot. This book can be read as a standalone. Looking forward to next book. I want to know when the next book is releasing. Goodreads hasn't mentioned it yet.
☆☆4.5 Stars☆☆
March 24, 2017
OVERVIEW
There is an organisation called Fleet which is in the search of life outside the Earth. This organisation sends a team hundreds of LIGHT YEARS away from Earth. The team consists of five members out of which three are important: Derreck (commander of the mission), Kindra (a biologist) and Kennon (). They land on a planet where there are human like species. One of them is our protagonist named: Tev.
The humans on the other planet hunt animals to live. They are not advanced in technology. When the humans of this planet see the team exploring their planet, they attack them. They think they are dangerous for them.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE
=> We don't know on which planet they are. I thought I would get the name in the end. But I didn't.
=> We don't know the origin of the human beings on the planet they are exploring. I couldn't stand that author didn't explain this fact. Maybe he will in the next one but I think it would be good if would have explained it in this one.
=> Tev's relationship with Neera, one of the humans of other planet. I couldn't like it. I didn't like Neera. She seemed just selfish. Even in the ending. I was expecting the relationship of Kindra and him. I think I would also get it in the next one.
THINGS I LIKED
=> Exosuits. I just loved these. These are the suits they use to explore planet. These have armors. These can be controlled with the help of brain. There are many more functions of these but I don't want to spoil more.
=> I liked that how they got to the planet.
=> I liked the fight between Tev and Kennon. It was little lengthy. Just according to my taste.
The plot wasn't as strong as it seemed from the beginning. But it wasn't that bad to dislike it.
Regardless, this book was awesome for me. Really enjoyed it a lot. This book can be read as a standalone. Looking forward to next book. I want to know when the next book is releasing. Goodreads hasn't mentioned it yet.
Even if humans were one of the most powerful creatures, the world was full of danger; and to lose focus was to welcome your end.
☆☆4.5 Stars☆☆
March 24, 2017
August 9, 2017
Primal Dawn (Primal #1) by Ryan Kirk (Author) and Andrew Tell (Narrator) was one heck of a book! I absolutely enjoyed the heck out of it! A group of scientist space explorers are sent to a planet that may have life. Oh, it has life alright, human life! Primitive but human and they don't know what to make of these beings. So they attack with their bows and arrows. Nothing can hurt the super armor of the suits they wear but astronauts, who has some PTSD from battle, goes nuts and shooting... it was downhill from there. An action packed story that gets better and better as the story goes. Wow, surprises, twists, and lots of action. LOVED it! The narration was excellent! Perfect in all ways, it seamlessly blended an already great story into a wonderful story! Sci-fi space adventure, first contact, and humanity story all rolled up in one!
February 13, 2017
The first thing to catch my attention about this was it's cover. Very intriguing!! Then I saw who was narrating and I definitely had to listen. Andrew Tell is such an amazing narrator. He always delivers and is clear, concise and has a range of tones and cadences that always make the book come alive. Thoroughly enjoyed his performance in this one.
When I first started this, I was a little put off with the POVs. It felt disjointed and I wasn't sure what was going on. But the story came together and clicked and I realised that the author set an amazing scene and had me gripped from the get go. I thought the POVs was switched from Earth to the Space Ship, but I was confused because they were on about Earth being destroyed. But it finally clicked and I realised who Tev was. It's a nice change of pace when humans are the aliens ;) Lol.
The world building was awesome. I loved finding out about Tev and his world, I also loved being on the ship and following those characters and finding out their story. The world building is expertly written and developed and I really hope we see more!!
The characters are another major bonus. Each were well written and developed, and I was rooting for each for different reasons. I don't want to go into too much detail about them as this is a story that's best experienced first hand, but I will say that I loved Tev. In fact, there wasn't a single character I didn't like.
Even though a whole lot didn't happen in the book, it was still a fast paced and entertaining read. I listened to this in a day and didn't want it to end. I really hope there is more planned for this and it will become a series. Highly recommend.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
When I first started this, I was a little put off with the POVs. It felt disjointed and I wasn't sure what was going on. But the story came together and clicked and I realised that the author set an amazing scene and had me gripped from the get go. I thought the POVs was switched from Earth to the Space Ship, but I was confused because they were on about Earth being destroyed. But it finally clicked and I realised who Tev was. It's a nice change of pace when humans are the aliens ;) Lol.
The world building was awesome. I loved finding out about Tev and his world, I also loved being on the ship and following those characters and finding out their story. The world building is expertly written and developed and I really hope we see more!!
The characters are another major bonus. Each were well written and developed, and I was rooting for each for different reasons. I don't want to go into too much detail about them as this is a story that's best experienced first hand, but I will say that I loved Tev. In fact, there wasn't a single character I didn't like.
Even though a whole lot didn't happen in the book, it was still a fast paced and entertaining read. I listened to this in a day and didn't want it to end. I really hope there is more planned for this and it will become a series. Highly recommend.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
February 26, 2017
Third book in my Honest Review Challenge Series. Yep, that's what I'm calling it :)
By the very nature of this challenge, this is another book I got for free from author/narrator/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I fully expected my earlier experiences with up and coming authors would scar me for life. Not having any big platform to become known to wider audience, many authors use the way of reviews. And when new books/authors are not properly tagged, you can end up with almost everything in your reading queue.
And I really mean everything. Like, underage homosexual girls everything. And trust me, that's not even the worst. My soul is still healing.
So, what does my littlerant intro have to do with this book? Absolutely nothing! And that is, in part, what makes it beautiful!
Author doesn't feel like catering to the needs of politically correct zealots and their loud voices. You won't find a strong and, of course, completely independent woman here. No black guy who can move mountains but is quiet as a mouse. No loud, boasting, Americ-- sorry, white guy. No Asian tech geek, etc etc. You get the point. I'm not speaking about Latinos here for the sole purpose of having someone find himself offended by the lack of my political correctness.
Dear Zeus, what am I doing with this review?! I feel like a triggered high school girl, hating on the world. But, no going back now. What's done is done. No matter how hard politicians try, you can't really change the past.
OK, I'm stopping now! I promise!
...
The book!
Oh, the book is nice!
Written by Ryan Kirk, an author I haven't read anything from before. I didn't really know what to expect, but the Audible excerpt was enough to get me to jump right into it. Also, his Nightblade series seems to be getting very high scores. If it wasn't tagged as Young Adult, I'd jump right into it.
Ryan tells us two parallel, at first unrelated, stories.
One of Tev, a hunter. Best in his clan, and generally a guy you'd see riding the waves of natural selection. A very likable character. One day, though, Tev finds a prey he cannot best.
A prey in mech combat armor!
Oh, wait! A second, seemingly unrelated, story first!
Fleet Command keeps sending people around the known and unknown universe to search for any signs of life. If miracle happens, perhaps even new civilizations.
Team consists of a group of people that show proficiency in their of field of interest: Command, battle, biology, geology and, if I remember correctly, physics. I don't think I do :)
The destination planet that is their next object of interest was selected by the Fleet in somewhat unusual manner. I guess we'll get more about powers behind this decision in the next book. Which is nice. There are plenty of options left open for the author to expand on.
There isn't a huge cliffhanger at the end though, which I'm endlessly grateful for. Nothing worse than bullying your readers into a sequel.
Also, author himself said that each novel will be a complete story in the saga. Awesome move!
So there you have it. World of technologically advanced peaceful explorers meets the world of highly skilled primal hunters.
Primal Dawn begins.
I had fun listening to this book. Mostly because of the very good voice of Andrew Tell. Same situation as with the author, I haven't ran into him before, despite him having narrated many books. I guess I don't read nearly as much as I should :(
Preview on Audible showed me he may know what he's doing. Reading proved this to be an accurate assessment. The end result was very good.
Book was a tad too long or descriptive on more than one part. First chapter was especially drawn out, but narrator breezed through like a champ. No issues with keeping attention at all. Voices could use a bit more differentiation, but that's a nitpicking now.
All things considered, this book is a solid 3.5-ish, but leans towards the good side. I had fun, so I'm going with 4* rating.
It needed more twists and turns to be rated higher. The way it's presented is very straight-forward, with not much left to anticipation.
More background for the characters and though-provoking dialogue would certainly help. Just like having things not escalating so quickly, especially after longer and slower introduction to the scene. There are some plot holes that may need addressing in the sequel.
But this is just me intentionally pointing at things that could have been done better. Overall, Primal Dawn was a good experience. Perhaps not enough bang for the buck as it's only slightly over 5 hours long, but I got it for free and am not complaining :)
You can pick it on Audible for $20-25, depending on how lucky you are with your local currency [US/UK].
Until next time, may Goddess of the Hunt guide your hand.
By the very nature of this challenge, this is another book I got for free from author/narrator/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I fully expected my earlier experiences with up and coming authors would scar me for life. Not having any big platform to become known to wider audience, many authors use the way of reviews. And when new books/authors are not properly tagged, you can end up with almost everything in your reading queue.
And I really mean everything. Like, underage homosexual girls everything. And trust me, that's not even the worst. My soul is still healing.
So, what does my little
Author doesn't feel like catering to the needs of politically correct zealots and their loud voices. You won't find a strong and, of course, completely independent woman here. No black guy who can move mountains but is quiet as a mouse. No loud, boasting, Americ-- sorry, white guy. No Asian tech geek, etc etc. You get the point. I'm not speaking about Latinos here for the sole purpose of having someone find himself offended by the lack of my political correctness.
Dear Zeus, what am I doing with this review?! I feel like a triggered high school girl, hating on the world. But, no going back now. What's done is done. No matter how hard politicians try, you can't really change the past.
OK, I'm stopping now! I promise!
...
The book!
Oh, the book is nice!
Written by Ryan Kirk, an author I haven't read anything from before. I didn't really know what to expect, but the Audible excerpt was enough to get me to jump right into it. Also, his Nightblade series seems to be getting very high scores. If it wasn't tagged as Young Adult, I'd jump right into it.
Ryan tells us two parallel, at first unrelated, stories.
One of Tev, a hunter. Best in his clan, and generally a guy you'd see riding the waves of natural selection. A very likable character. One day, though, Tev finds a prey he cannot best.
A prey in mech combat armor!
Oh, wait! A second, seemingly unrelated, story first!
Fleet Command keeps sending people around the known and unknown universe to search for any signs of life. If miracle happens, perhaps even new civilizations.
Team consists of a group of people that show proficiency in their of field of interest: Command, battle, biology, geology and, if I remember correctly, physics. I don't think I do :)
The destination planet that is their next object of interest was selected by the Fleet in somewhat unusual manner. I guess we'll get more about powers behind this decision in the next book. Which is nice. There are plenty of options left open for the author to expand on.
There isn't a huge cliffhanger at the end though, which I'm endlessly grateful for. Nothing worse than bullying your readers into a sequel.
Also, author himself said that each novel will be a complete story in the saga. Awesome move!
So there you have it. World of technologically advanced peaceful explorers meets the world of highly skilled primal hunters.
Primal Dawn begins.
I had fun listening to this book. Mostly because of the very good voice of Andrew Tell. Same situation as with the author, I haven't ran into him before, despite him having narrated many books. I guess I don't read nearly as much as I should :(
Preview on Audible showed me he may know what he's doing. Reading proved this to be an accurate assessment. The end result was very good.
Book was a tad too long or descriptive on more than one part. First chapter was especially drawn out, but narrator breezed through like a champ. No issues with keeping attention at all. Voices could use a bit more differentiation, but that's a nitpicking now.
All things considered, this book is a solid 3.5-ish, but leans towards the good side. I had fun, so I'm going with 4* rating.
It needed more twists and turns to be rated higher. The way it's presented is very straight-forward, with not much left to anticipation.
More background for the characters and though-provoking dialogue would certainly help. Just like having things not escalating so quickly, especially after longer and slower introduction to the scene. There are some plot holes that may need addressing in the sequel.
But this is just me intentionally pointing at things that could have been done better. Overall, Primal Dawn was a good experience. Perhaps not enough bang for the buck as it's only slightly over 5 hours long, but I got it for free and am not complaining :)
You can pick it on Audible for $20-25, depending on how lucky you are with your local currency [US/UK].
Until next time, may Goddess of the Hunt guide your hand.
July 15, 2017
Listened to the Audio book.
I'd give the book 3.5*
Ryan had a great idea, and he pulled it off for the most part, but some sections and some of the character's decisions did not make sense. It was also shorter than I expected.
I enjoyed the book, and I will probably give the paperback a readthrough in the future.
I am curious as to his other books, I think I should put some on my to-read-list.
I'd give the book 3.5*
Ryan had a great idea, and he pulled it off for the most part, but some sections and some of the character's decisions did not make sense. It was also shorter than I expected.
I enjoyed the book, and I will probably give the paperback a readthrough in the future.
I am curious as to his other books, I think I should put some on my to-read-list.
October 11, 2017
Actual Rating 2,5 Stars
January 23, 2020
Kirk is a great story-teller, but with this book and Nightblade I got the feeling he needs more experience writing and needs to do more proofs and editing. But his ideas are good.
Take the premise in this story for example: Man has become space-faring. But on a distant world humans seemed to have evolved independently. They are primitive hunter-gatherers. What is it like for those primitives when a spaceship lands and metal humanoids walk around in their lands?
Pros:
1. Great idea
2. Some nice action
3. POV from both the primitive natives and the space-farers.
4. The first contact and second contact was awesome. I especially liked I did not expect that.
Cons:
1. Not as well-developed as it could have been.
2. The story was weakened by some unfortunate oversights, namely:
a. Why would Derek send an unstable soldier out? When he had fired on the natives the first time there is no way a competent commander would send the guy out again.
b. Why make the choice to send the native out in the suit? Why not go out with a sign saying Derek is alive? At least try it first
c. Why only 2 EVA suits? Why not 10 suits? Two for each member. Why no rovers?
3. Too many "evens". Three "alreadys" in two sentences. Some more editing required.
Good premise. The fighting reminded me a teeny tiny little bit of Armor.
I look forward to seeing this author grow.
Take the premise in this story for example: Man has become space-faring. But on a distant world humans seemed to have evolved independently. They are primitive hunter-gatherers. What is it like for those primitives when a spaceship lands and metal humanoids walk around in their lands?
Pros:
1. Great idea
2. Some nice action
3. POV from both the primitive natives and the space-farers.
4. The first contact and second contact was awesome. I especially liked I did not expect that.
Cons:
1. Not as well-developed as it could have been.
2. The story was weakened by some unfortunate oversights, namely:
a. Why would Derek send an unstable soldier out? When he had fired on the natives the first time there is no way a competent commander would send the guy out again.
b. Why make the choice to send the native out in the suit? Why not go out with a sign saying Derek is alive? At least try it first
c. Why only 2 EVA suits? Why not 10 suits? Two for each member. Why no rovers?
3. Too many "evens". Three "alreadys" in two sentences. Some more editing required.
Good premise. The fighting reminded me a teeny tiny little bit of Armor.
I look forward to seeing this author grow.
November 28, 2016
A primitive in a spaceship
It's an interesting effort to set the stage and the characters. The story hasn't gone anywhere yet, and I doubt you would miss it when you start to read the second novel if there's any, but as a standalone, it seems like a Cinderella story, where the protagonist found a chance to be more than what he is.
It's an interesting effort to set the stage and the characters. The story hasn't gone anywhere yet, and I doubt you would miss it when you start to read the second novel if there's any, but as a standalone, it seems like a Cinderella story, where the protagonist found a chance to be more than what he is.
March 7, 2017
Not as developed as Nightblade
It's probably also my bias towards fantasy, but this was pretty one dimensional. Sci fi readers may enjoy it more.
It's probably also my bias towards fantasy, but this was pretty one dimensional. Sci fi readers may enjoy it more.
Read
December 13, 2019I am listening to the compilation of this series (#1-3), but I'm going to review the books as I finish them. (Otherwise I can never remember where one ends and the next begins.)
I liked the characters here a lot and the world-building of a human race in alone space, but still a little uncertain. However, I wasn't all together comfortable with how heavily the plot depends of the comparison of the noble savage and the distanced modernity. Further, I didn't at all understand the mindset, that is integral to the plot, that when one of their own soldiers goes rogue the only available option was to put a primitive man (who hasn't even seen metal before) into a futuristic exo-suit and send him out to hunt. This over even a discussion of leaving the ship themselves. This over broadcasting a message that Derrick was alive to calm the soldier down. This over any possible artillery on the drop ship itself. I won't even get into the deus ex mechina that allowed the primitive man to be the better warrior in unfamiliar technology, since that appears to actually be a plot point in book two. But the central plot point is one that left me totally baffled.
I did think the book conflated warrior and hunter. Tev is supposed to be this great warrior. But his people all seemed fairly communal and peaceful. There was never any mention of warring between the clans. What was described was Tev being a great hunter (of animals). I don't actually know that all of those two skillsets would transfer seamlessly enough to be interchangeable.
Lastly, while I liked the writing, characters, story, etc there is a lot more page space dedicated to hunting/fighting than actual plot progression. In terms of actual events, not a lot happens. Instead a lot of time is dedicated to what Tev is thinking in a fight or considering his next move or observations. I'm not disappointed to be continuing the series though and am curious what will happen.
I liked the characters here a lot and the world-building of a human race in alone space, but still a little uncertain. However, I wasn't all together comfortable with how heavily the plot depends of the comparison of the noble savage and the distanced modernity. Further, I didn't at all understand the mindset, that is integral to the plot, that when one of their own soldiers goes rogue the only available option was to put a primitive man (who hasn't even seen metal before) into a futuristic exo-suit and send him out to hunt. This over even a discussion of leaving the ship themselves. This over broadcasting a message that Derrick was alive to calm the soldier down. This over any possible artillery on the drop ship itself. I won't even get into the deus ex mechina that allowed the primitive man to be the better warrior in unfamiliar technology, since that appears to actually be a plot point in book two. But the central plot point is one that left me totally baffled.
I did think the book conflated warrior and hunter. Tev is supposed to be this great warrior. But his people all seemed fairly communal and peaceful. There was never any mention of warring between the clans. What was described was Tev being a great hunter (of animals). I don't actually know that all of those two skillsets would transfer seamlessly enough to be interchangeable.
Lastly, while I liked the writing, characters, story, etc there is a lot more page space dedicated to hunting/fighting than actual plot progression. In terms of actual events, not a lot happens. Instead a lot of time is dedicated to what Tev is thinking in a fight or considering his next move or observations. I'm not disappointed to be continuing the series though and am curious what will happen.
September 17, 2017
3.5 stars
Good start to a series. Overall an entertaining, enjoyable, quick and interesting story.
What happens when life is discovered on a planet that you thought was devoid of life. When a primitive culture meets the far more advanced space explorers no one could have foreseen what would happen next.
Since this is the first book in the series there was a lot to cover to set up this story as well as future installments. It's pretty fast paced. Even though it kept my attention and was entertaining, I just I felt like something was missing from the overall story. The characters were just there, except for Tev. If it had been a bit longer there would have been more time to develop the characters. Some things were just too easy and convenient but that is the way with shorter books. There just isn't the time to tell a more detailed and complex story.
Curious as to where the series will go from here. Who is really the "Alien"? The book blurb hints at a much broader story involving the same two differing sides of the human race in future installments. Sounds as though not all of them will be getting along.
Andrew Tell did a great job with the narration once again. Nice voice, easy on the ears. He has one of those voices that just pulls you into the story. Clearly spoken with a smooth even pace. Really good character voices. He makes the story come alive through his narration. Always enjoyable to listen to his narration of a story.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher.
Good start to a series. Overall an entertaining, enjoyable, quick and interesting story.
What happens when life is discovered on a planet that you thought was devoid of life. When a primitive culture meets the far more advanced space explorers no one could have foreseen what would happen next.
Since this is the first book in the series there was a lot to cover to set up this story as well as future installments. It's pretty fast paced. Even though it kept my attention and was entertaining, I just I felt like something was missing from the overall story. The characters were just there, except for Tev. If it had been a bit longer there would have been more time to develop the characters. Some things were just too easy and convenient but that is the way with shorter books. There just isn't the time to tell a more detailed and complex story.
Curious as to where the series will go from here. Who is really the "Alien"? The book blurb hints at a much broader story involving the same two differing sides of the human race in future installments. Sounds as though not all of them will be getting along.
Andrew Tell did a great job with the narration once again. Nice voice, easy on the ears. He has one of those voices that just pulls you into the story. Clearly spoken with a smooth even pace. Really good character voices. He makes the story come alive through his narration. Always enjoyable to listen to his narration of a story.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher.
February 21, 2017
( Format : Audiobook )
""No visuals, no vitals, no control any more.""
Primal Dawn is an unusual, engaging and well written first contact story. A jump ship lands it's crew on a planet "a long way from home" which had indicated some anomalies. A signal from the distant past had been identified as coming from the planet and a probe sent to the surface had never returned. Was there , or had there ever been, life there?
The crew's discovery is dramatic and poses at least as many questions as are answered. In an effective writing strategy, the author interspersed chapters from the ship's personel point of view with that of the indigenous population and cleverly captures the emotional reactions of both.
The narration is excellent with Andrew Tell fully taking on the personas of all of the protagonists as well as giving further life to the text. His voice is clear and pleasant and fully adapts to the story as it proceeds.
An enjoyable, rather touching book which I fully recommend to science fiction fans. My thanks to the rights holder of Primal Dawn for the gift of this book, via Audiobook Boom. It was easy and quick to hear, simple and yet thought provoking. I look forward to a follow up volume
""No visuals, no vitals, no control any more.""
Primal Dawn is an unusual, engaging and well written first contact story. A jump ship lands it's crew on a planet "a long way from home" which had indicated some anomalies. A signal from the distant past had been identified as coming from the planet and a probe sent to the surface had never returned. Was there , or had there ever been, life there?
The crew's discovery is dramatic and poses at least as many questions as are answered. In an effective writing strategy, the author interspersed chapters from the ship's personel point of view with that of the indigenous population and cleverly captures the emotional reactions of both.
The narration is excellent with Andrew Tell fully taking on the personas of all of the protagonists as well as giving further life to the text. His voice is clear and pleasant and fully adapts to the story as it proceeds.
An enjoyable, rather touching book which I fully recommend to science fiction fans. My thanks to the rights holder of Primal Dawn for the gift of this book, via Audiobook Boom. It was easy and quick to hear, simple and yet thought provoking. I look forward to a follow up volume
April 18, 2021
DNF 50%
This story felt like it was treading old ground. I kept waiting for something new.
The exploratory team was unprofessional and downright stupid at times. In fact, the entire conflict could be simply resolved by communication. It felt manufactured.
I enjoyed Kirk's Nightblade series though. Perhaps this series improves later on. I just wasn't interested enough in the central mystery to continue reading.
This story felt like it was treading old ground. I kept waiting for something new.
The exploratory team was unprofessional and downright stupid at times. In fact, the entire conflict could be simply resolved by communication. It felt manufactured.
I enjoyed Kirk's Nightblade series though. Perhaps this series improves later on. I just wasn't interested enough in the central mystery to continue reading.
August 20, 2018
I’d probably give it 3.5 if I could. A very enjoyable book, an easy read with exciting action. I liked all the characters and how they interacted with one another. A solid read, but very predictable and a tad cliche in the sense that it follows the pattern of so many sci-fi stories. But top writing quality.
January 14, 2022
I wasn't sure about this book, especially because the first chapter didn't get my attention but then the second chapter came and I was like "What's going on here?"
Even if is a short book it has a lot of action and the plot is very good. I never wanted for this book to finish and now I want to see what happens next with Tev.
Even if is a short book it has a lot of action and the plot is very good. I never wanted for this book to finish and now I want to see what happens next with Tev.
December 8, 2016
Different
Not really a typical fantasy story. For me these short books just don't have enough time to make a great story. To much crammed to fast. It was an interesting read. I expect more from this terrific author!
Not really a typical fantasy story. For me these short books just don't have enough time to make a great story. To much crammed to fast. It was an interesting read. I expect more from this terrific author!
February 3, 2019
Good. Bit of the noble savage mythology mixed in there. Not quite enough humanization of the surface-side humans. Curious about the other planet and what the back-story is here.. plus what the deal is with the goddess. I'll read the trilogy.
November 29, 2023
Pretty good sci-fi about an advanced civilization finding an earth like planet with indigenous population. First book is enjoyable and short, got my hope up for the next ones but I'm not sure where the story will take us next, well see..
September 14, 2018
I liked it. I took me a bit to get into and I found parts of it very predictable but it was still enjoyable. I will continue the series
February 16, 2021
I really enjoyed this book.
April 30, 2024
I really liked it.
February 1, 2017
well worth the read.
May 21, 2017
*At my request, this audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.
From the beginning I enjoyed the suspense added by Andrew's voice to Ryan's words. The action of what the character was doing was something common, but between the two (Ryan's writing and Andrew's vocal) the tension is added, bringing the hunt to life. Andrew gives each character their own voice in tone and feel. Andrew has brought the story to life without me even knowing it. His narration has given the characters voices and personality, and he doesn't get in the way of what the author has created. A wonderful job for Andrew.
The clash of a primal world of simple humans with humans of another world full of science and technology.
The story is well written, from what I feel and hear in the audiobook, but it just feels as though Ryan hasn't brought anything new to the idea of humans coming to a new planet to take samples.
We get two point of views in this story; Tev and Kindra. They are both of different origins and views of what's to come about in their lives. They are both very strong characters as well. In the beginning I wasn't sure about Tev, but he quickly became my favorite character as he developed into more through the pages.
Tev is a smart and logical person. I liked that Ryan does not downplay Tev's mental capacity even though he's not of the technologically inclined world. Tev logically thinks things out, even though his world's not as advanced as Kindra's. By getting Tev's POV we see how he thinks through things to communicate and takes in what he finds.
What I found interesting was Kindra and a huge decision she makes. This decision feels unusual from what I thought she would do. Ryan takes the leap to make his characters go further and gives them a setting to do things they would not normally do. This is a decision that will change lives, but could be the only choice to save the life on the planet they've visited. Very interesting. This is one thing that sticks out in my mind about the story, and makes the story individual.
This is the starts to a new series. It feels basic in humans searching for life and finding it. But I think the series will take off now that we've gotten through this and heading back out to space to search some more. I'm looking forward to the situations the characters will have to face.
I'm curious to see where the characters go after this. There is another planet being searched at the same time, so what's found there by others? And where else is there to visit?
From the beginning I enjoyed the suspense added by Andrew's voice to Ryan's words. The action of what the character was doing was something common, but between the two (Ryan's writing and Andrew's vocal) the tension is added, bringing the hunt to life. Andrew gives each character their own voice in tone and feel. Andrew has brought the story to life without me even knowing it. His narration has given the characters voices and personality, and he doesn't get in the way of what the author has created. A wonderful job for Andrew.
The clash of a primal world of simple humans with humans of another world full of science and technology.
The story is well written, from what I feel and hear in the audiobook, but it just feels as though Ryan hasn't brought anything new to the idea of humans coming to a new planet to take samples.
We get two point of views in this story; Tev and Kindra. They are both of different origins and views of what's to come about in their lives. They are both very strong characters as well. In the beginning I wasn't sure about Tev, but he quickly became my favorite character as he developed into more through the pages.
Tev is a smart and logical person. I liked that Ryan does not downplay Tev's mental capacity even though he's not of the technologically inclined world. Tev logically thinks things out, even though his world's not as advanced as Kindra's. By getting Tev's POV we see how he thinks through things to communicate and takes in what he finds.
What I found interesting was Kindra and a huge decision she makes. This decision feels unusual from what I thought she would do. Ryan takes the leap to make his characters go further and gives them a setting to do things they would not normally do. This is a decision that will change lives, but could be the only choice to save the life on the planet they've visited. Very interesting. This is one thing that sticks out in my mind about the story, and makes the story individual.
This is the starts to a new series. It feels basic in humans searching for life and finding it. But I think the series will take off now that we've gotten through this and heading back out to space to search some more. I'm looking forward to the situations the characters will have to face.
I'm curious to see where the characters go after this. There is another planet being searched at the same time, so what's found there by others? And where else is there to visit?
February 11, 2017
Note: I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
Would you consider the audio edition of Primal Dawn to be better than the print version?
I didn't read the print version
What other book might you compare Primal Dawn to and why?
Hmm ... I can't think of another book that compares to this. It was unique.
Have you listened to any of Andrew Tell’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yes - shortly before this one, I listened to Tell in "Access to Power". It's hard to compare the two performances because each book was very different. I think I liked his performance in "Access to Power" more, probably because there were many different characters and I tend to like books like that more than sci-fi.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
No extreme reaction - just a feeling of dread about how things spiraled out of control when the two groups came into contact.
Any additional comments?
A decent sci-fi novel that moved along well, with no wasted time or unnecessary fluff. At just a little more than 5 hours, it was a quick listen.
Would you consider the audio edition of Primal Dawn to be better than the print version?
I didn't read the print version
What other book might you compare Primal Dawn to and why?
Hmm ... I can't think of another book that compares to this. It was unique.
Have you listened to any of Andrew Tell’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yes - shortly before this one, I listened to Tell in "Access to Power". It's hard to compare the two performances because each book was very different. I think I liked his performance in "Access to Power" more, probably because there were many different characters and I tend to like books like that more than sci-fi.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
No extreme reaction - just a feeling of dread about how things spiraled out of control when the two groups came into contact.
Any additional comments?
A decent sci-fi novel that moved along well, with no wasted time or unnecessary fluff. At just a little more than 5 hours, it was a quick listen.
November 13, 2023
A pretty well written book with two issues. First the author didn't give explanations for the circumstances he created. An "exploration" team sets down on a planet and for some reason this group includes a single military person with his battle armor and a second armor set to be shared by the rest of the crew. Why would military armor even be present on the ship at all? I can think of some possible explanations given the story but that's just me guessing at what is in the author's mind. Plus this is just one example of a problem that largely ran throughout the book. In particular, it made no sense to me that stone age people would attack power-armor and a spaceship. They may not know what they are but it's pretty obvious that attacking is stupid.
Finally the ending lacked resolution. Throughout the book the topic comes up about what will happen after the explorers return to their space-based society with news of stone-aged humans discovered where none should be. Plus the mystery of a powerful being pretending to be a goddess to the stone-age people is thoroughly set up but not addressed. I was listening to this book and not paying attention to run time so I was surprised when it just ended without even remotely addressing any of the issues it left outstanding.
Bottom line: Well written but lacks resolution so I won't be re-reading it ever.
Finally the ending lacked resolution. Throughout the book the topic comes up about what will happen after the explorers return to their space-based society with news of stone-aged humans discovered where none should be. Plus the mystery of a powerful being pretending to be a goddess to the stone-age people is thoroughly set up but not addressed. I was listening to this book and not paying attention to run time so I was surprised when it just ended without even remotely addressing any of the issues it left outstanding.
Bottom line: Well written but lacks resolution so I won't be re-reading it ever.
February 10, 2017
Quick easy read that was paperback novel enjoyable
February 4, 2017
Sci-Fi Action..
The characters were decent and the pace was pretty fast
Overall, an entertaining science fiction novel.
Andrew Tell did well with the narration.
Note:
"This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review."
February 7, 2019
Primal Dawn - More Things Wrong Than Right
Primal Dawn starts off with a good idea, but like all self-published good ideas it tends to go down the rabbit hole quick. I would say there is a need for a content edit, but I'm starting to become a broken record when it comes to that.
We are introduced to two different worlds in the first book. The world of the advanced humans lands on a planet filled with uncivilized humans. While the advanced humans investigate the world they encounter the other humans and it all goes to hell.
Tev, the main character, is a hunter. He helps feed his tribe. Tev is asked to help another tribe fight monsters covered in stone. The monsters are the advanced humans in body suits used to augment their strength and abilities. It's going to be a slaughter.
Without getting to involved, the first thing that sticks out in my mind while thinking about the book is the simplistic language used by the author. The advanced humans seem to speak with simple words and their motives are one dimensional. They don't act like scientists or trained military. Tev, on the other hand, uses simple language but leans toward learning. A very strange combination for a person who must hunt to feed his people. It is explained, but the explanation falls short in my opinion.
The book comes in at 170 page flips on a kindle, which puts it around 50,000 words. A quick read for most people, and hence I'll continue on with the series.
My recommendation is if you hate repetition, simple word use, plot holes, and head shaking moments, don't read this series. If you can over look these, then go ahead. I'm hoping the author increases his talent as the series goes on.
Update - 40,000 words approx.
See my review
Primal Dawn starts off with a good idea, but like all self-published good ideas it tends to go down the rabbit hole quick. I would say there is a need for a content edit, but I'm starting to become a broken record when it comes to that.We are introduced to two different worlds in the first book. The world of the advanced humans lands on a planet filled with uncivilized humans. While the advanced humans investigate the world they encounter the other humans and it all goes to hell.
Tev, the main character, is a hunter. He helps feed his tribe. Tev is asked to help another tribe fight monsters covered in stone. The monsters are the advanced humans in body suits used to augment their strength and abilities. It's going to be a slaughter.
Without getting to involved, the first thing that sticks out in my mind while thinking about the book is the simplistic language used by the author. The advanced humans seem to speak with simple words and their motives are one dimensional. They don't act like scientists or trained military. Tev, on the other hand, uses simple language but leans toward learning. A very strange combination for a person who must hunt to feed his people. It is explained, but the explanation falls short in my opinion.
The book comes in at 170 page flips on a kindle, which puts it around 50,000 words. A quick read for most people, and hence I'll continue on with the series.
My recommendation is if you hate repetition, simple word use, plot holes, and head shaking moments, don't read this series. If you can over look these, then go ahead. I'm hoping the author increases his talent as the series goes on.
Update - 40,000 words approx.
See my review
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