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GENMOS: Gathering Storms
I'm writing this letter to you because I want to tell you how my family, the Genmos, became recognized as living beings.
You might have heard of us in the news recently, but if you haven't, let me quickly fill you in. It all started years ago, when my dad used a government contract to create super-soldiers for his own needs. After almost a decade of providing limited success, the project was canceled and we were ordered destroyed. Unwilling to kill his children, dad hid us throughout the country, splitting us up from each other.
Just after my eighth birthday, my oldest sister got into some hot water. Her guardian had died and she was forced to live on the streets. When several witnesses reported seeing her, it sparked a race to recover her, and my other siblings, between my father and the agency that had ordered us destroyed.
That night began my people’s fight for our rights, our freedom and our very lives. I've collected writings from my siblings and have tried to put them into an order that I hope makes sense for you.
This is our story.
Yours sincerely,
Anna Keper
The last original Genetically Modified Species
You might have heard of us in the news recently, but if you haven't, let me quickly fill you in. It all started years ago, when my dad used a government contract to create super-soldiers for his own needs. After almost a decade of providing limited success, the project was canceled and we were ordered destroyed. Unwilling to kill his children, dad hid us throughout the country, splitting us up from each other.
Just after my eighth birthday, my oldest sister got into some hot water. Her guardian had died and she was forced to live on the streets. When several witnesses reported seeing her, it sparked a race to recover her, and my other siblings, between my father and the agency that had ordered us destroyed.
That night began my people’s fight for our rights, our freedom and our very lives. I've collected writings from my siblings and have tried to put them into an order that I hope makes sense for you.
This is our story.
Yours sincerely,
Anna Keper
The last original Genetically Modified Species
204 pages, Paperback
Published March 31, 2017
2 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 14, 2020
GENMOS: Gathering Storms by Stephen M. Coghlan is one of the most underrated and under-read books, in my humble opinion.
For one, I am not normally into a lot of sci-fi books. It's one of those genres that is really hit or miss for me because they can be slow, boring or too technical (or completely wrong in technicality, don't even get me going on that one). Then in walks GENMOS and man does it change my opinion on sci-fi. If all sci-fi books were this thrilling and interesting to read then I wouldn't have such a distaste for the genre.
GENMOS stands for Genetically Modified, which shouldn't be too surprising if you read the synopsis. If you haven't, let me fill you in. We have all of these GENMOS subjects, who are people who were genetically modified to have animal characteristics. They were designed to help people have the opportunity to live, but you know how the government and evil corporations get: SUPER WEAPON TIME! So, we end up following a giant band of misfit GENMOS who are being sought after but need to fight to stay alive. There's a lot of them and they are all mixed with cool creatures and have interesting abilities. This is the first book in their tale.
Dude, this was GOOD! It was fast paced, thrilling and kept me interested the whole time. I normally lose patience and interest in sci-fi books but Stephen kept my attention. I'm totally impressed.
The characters are all different and unique and for sure you will find at least one you adore. I especially loved Kobalt (cool name, eh?) but Anna, Tabitha and the rest of the kooky crew will surely grab your attention. It may just take some time to meet your favourite character as they get introduced one at a time. Also, at the end of each chapter, the characters who are introduced get a little stats card of sorts and I LOVE IT. I'm a nerdy reader and love having a little inventory of characters in case I forget or jump away from the book for a while. I highly appreciate it.
Bonus marks: Ontario locations! St. Lawrence River! I'm sorry, but I'm a sucker for books that actually feature Canada. Proud Canadian, eh?
Overall, this action-packed book is full of familial love, loss and growth. It's a great sci-fi series to dip into that is good from adventurous middle grade readers all the way up to adults.
Five out of five stars!
I received a free copy of this book from the author, Stephen M. Coghlan, in exchange of an honest review.
For one, I am not normally into a lot of sci-fi books. It's one of those genres that is really hit or miss for me because they can be slow, boring or too technical (or completely wrong in technicality, don't even get me going on that one). Then in walks GENMOS and man does it change my opinion on sci-fi. If all sci-fi books were this thrilling and interesting to read then I wouldn't have such a distaste for the genre.
GENMOS stands for Genetically Modified, which shouldn't be too surprising if you read the synopsis. If you haven't, let me fill you in. We have all of these GENMOS subjects, who are people who were genetically modified to have animal characteristics. They were designed to help people have the opportunity to live, but you know how the government and evil corporations get: SUPER WEAPON TIME! So, we end up following a giant band of misfit GENMOS who are being sought after but need to fight to stay alive. There's a lot of them and they are all mixed with cool creatures and have interesting abilities. This is the first book in their tale.
Dude, this was GOOD! It was fast paced, thrilling and kept me interested the whole time. I normally lose patience and interest in sci-fi books but Stephen kept my attention. I'm totally impressed.
The characters are all different and unique and for sure you will find at least one you adore. I especially loved Kobalt (cool name, eh?) but Anna, Tabitha and the rest of the kooky crew will surely grab your attention. It may just take some time to meet your favourite character as they get introduced one at a time. Also, at the end of each chapter, the characters who are introduced get a little stats card of sorts and I LOVE IT. I'm a nerdy reader and love having a little inventory of characters in case I forget or jump away from the book for a while. I highly appreciate it.
Bonus marks: Ontario locations! St. Lawrence River! I'm sorry, but I'm a sucker for books that actually feature Canada. Proud Canadian, eh?
Overall, this action-packed book is full of familial love, loss and growth. It's a great sci-fi series to dip into that is good from adventurous middle grade readers all the way up to adults.
Five out of five stars!
I received a free copy of this book from the author, Stephen M. Coghlan, in exchange of an honest review.
March 19, 2018
Background: Stephen Coghlan is a Canadian author. As well as the book we’re looking at today, he has also appeared in multiple anthologies, and has another novel coming this year.
Gathering Storms is the first in a series about the GENMOS – Genetically Modified Species – as they battle for the right to rise above their origins and be viewed as living beings. Given that they were created to be governmental super soldiers, you can imagine that it’s not a straight forward process.
The Good: Gathering Storms is what I would call a quick read. While it does feature some shifts in style (in this case narrative, memories and memos), the book hurtles along at a nice pace and doesn’t fall into the trap of flooding the reader with too much to take in. Given both the themes and the size of the cast, this is a tough thing to balance, and Stephen does so well here.
The various GENMOS are also fascinating. They’re all human/animal hybrids and vary from single anime/human to dual animal/human. What makes it work particularly well is that each is blessed with certain traits that are not only specific to their base species but are easily identifiable in terms of how they could be weaponised. This is played out particularly well in the action scenes, which are themselves smoothly executed.
Thematically, Stephen touches on some good points here. The general set-up is one that is well executed, and when you see the GENMOS interacting in the familial setting, it does make you feel for them. You want them to succeed and to find their place in the world. That level of connection is important.
Yes, the set-up and cover make it clear that this is furry fiction. What was nice was that the reason for the anthro characters existing among humans made sense. It was logical, and the repercussions for those involved was well thought out, which certainly deserves some praise. Oh, and I really liked the ending. It sets up what’s still to come really well and creates a clear and intriguing antagonist moving forward.
The Bad: There’s little to dislike about the story here. I would say that I felt like I wanted to see more fleshing out for each GENMOS though. The ensemble cast is really quite large, and the result of that is that some of the characters get a little less time than others. It’s not enough to make you lose sympathy or connection, and of course, there will be more in the second book, so it’s not a major flaw at all.
Final View: Gathering Storms is a great first part to what I expect to be a really fun series. Don’t be fooled; while it is indeed furry fiction, there’s plenty here for fans of sci-fi too, be they furry or not.
Final Score: 4 / 5
Gathering Storms is the first in a series about the GENMOS – Genetically Modified Species – as they battle for the right to rise above their origins and be viewed as living beings. Given that they were created to be governmental super soldiers, you can imagine that it’s not a straight forward process.
The Good: Gathering Storms is what I would call a quick read. While it does feature some shifts in style (in this case narrative, memories and memos), the book hurtles along at a nice pace and doesn’t fall into the trap of flooding the reader with too much to take in. Given both the themes and the size of the cast, this is a tough thing to balance, and Stephen does so well here.
The various GENMOS are also fascinating. They’re all human/animal hybrids and vary from single anime/human to dual animal/human. What makes it work particularly well is that each is blessed with certain traits that are not only specific to their base species but are easily identifiable in terms of how they could be weaponised. This is played out particularly well in the action scenes, which are themselves smoothly executed.
Thematically, Stephen touches on some good points here. The general set-up is one that is well executed, and when you see the GENMOS interacting in the familial setting, it does make you feel for them. You want them to succeed and to find their place in the world. That level of connection is important.
Yes, the set-up and cover make it clear that this is furry fiction. What was nice was that the reason for the anthro characters existing among humans made sense. It was logical, and the repercussions for those involved was well thought out, which certainly deserves some praise. Oh, and I really liked the ending. It sets up what’s still to come really well and creates a clear and intriguing antagonist moving forward.
The Bad: There’s little to dislike about the story here. I would say that I felt like I wanted to see more fleshing out for each GENMOS though. The ensemble cast is really quite large, and the result of that is that some of the characters get a little less time than others. It’s not enough to make you lose sympathy or connection, and of course, there will be more in the second book, so it’s not a major flaw at all.
Final View: Gathering Storms is a great first part to what I expect to be a really fun series. Don’t be fooled; while it is indeed furry fiction, there’s plenty here for fans of sci-fi too, be they furry or not.
Final Score: 4 / 5
January 13, 2018
Genre: Spec Lit
Stephen Coghlan is a Canadian author. His story deals with a group of individuals who have been genetically blended with different animals to create weapons for a secret government agency. Unhappy with the results, the group was to be ‘put down’ but are saved by a group of scientists who see them as more than experiments.
The story opens up years later, when the lead scientist realizes that the government agency has found proof that they children are alive. An elite team is sent to capture or erase the evidence. It is a race across Canada to save the children as each learns to work as a team.
When I was first approached to review this novel, I have to admit that I was very hesitant, not because of the subject, but because of the cover. The artwork to me was pretty lame and I now admit that I did the unthinkable, I judged a book by its cover.
What a hell of a ride! Mr. Coghan’s story is as face paced and action oriented as any Marvel/DC graphic novel or movie trailer that you could ask for. The writing is clear and crisp with a ton of suspense, mystery and surprise. I am extremely happy to find that this is just the first book, as the story allows so many different offshoots and I look forward to exploring more of the exploits of this exciting group. He has set the stage for an enormous battle between the evil government and the exploited few. I will definitely looking for a front row seat.
Stephen Coghlan is a Canadian author. His story deals with a group of individuals who have been genetically blended with different animals to create weapons for a secret government agency. Unhappy with the results, the group was to be ‘put down’ but are saved by a group of scientists who see them as more than experiments.
The story opens up years later, when the lead scientist realizes that the government agency has found proof that they children are alive. An elite team is sent to capture or erase the evidence. It is a race across Canada to save the children as each learns to work as a team.
When I was first approached to review this novel, I have to admit that I was very hesitant, not because of the subject, but because of the cover. The artwork to me was pretty lame and I now admit that I did the unthinkable, I judged a book by its cover.
What a hell of a ride! Mr. Coghan’s story is as face paced and action oriented as any Marvel/DC graphic novel or movie trailer that you could ask for. The writing is clear and crisp with a ton of suspense, mystery and surprise. I am extremely happy to find that this is just the first book, as the story allows so many different offshoots and I look forward to exploring more of the exploits of this exciting group. He has set the stage for an enormous battle between the evil government and the exploited few. I will definitely looking for a front row seat.
August 29, 2017
Introduction to ensemble cast of "lab rats" concludes with a battle royale, anthro style.
Author Coghlan brings us an enjoyable anthro-style mashup of some of my favorite tropes, namely "Escaped from the Lab" and "Secret Project Refugee Family." When a clandestine government agency chartered with developing parahuman soldiers attempts to reclaim the author's anthros (known as "Genmos") for their original purpose, they prove eminently capable of defending themselves along with their human allies and caregivers. Readers ought to enjoy the author's unique and interesting ensemble cast, though they will need be astute to keep a myriad of character names straight with their species-specific traits. I held my breath for nearly all the book's final quarter, a battle royale filled with car chases, projectile weapons and spectacular displays of the Genmos' special "talents."
Author Coghlan brings us an enjoyable anthro-style mashup of some of my favorite tropes, namely "Escaped from the Lab" and "Secret Project Refugee Family." When a clandestine government agency chartered with developing parahuman soldiers attempts to reclaim the author's anthros (known as "Genmos") for their original purpose, they prove eminently capable of defending themselves along with their human allies and caregivers. Readers ought to enjoy the author's unique and interesting ensemble cast, though they will need be astute to keep a myriad of character names straight with their species-specific traits. I held my breath for nearly all the book's final quarter, a battle royale filled with car chases, projectile weapons and spectacular displays of the Genmos' special "talents."
May 30, 2019
Characters with a difference
Really enjoyed this book. Love the story and the uniqueness of the characters. It is far from the norm of using just the human race and is very well thought about. I look forward to reading more.
Really enjoyed this book. Love the story and the uniqueness of the characters. It is far from the norm of using just the human race and is very well thought about. I look forward to reading more.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews