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Provider Prime: Alien Legacy
This is an alternate cover edition of ASINB01MR232I5.
2203: After a century of peace, world security is under attack from a weapon that defies known science. Blackmailed into an undercover mission, ex-FedStat agent Lee Mitchell must find and eliminate the threat. His chances of success are slim. Pitted against a scientific genius and a hidden army of androids, so are his chances of survival.
Enter Earth’s supreme AIs, the SenANNs. Their access to almost limitless knowledge gives him hope, but the sheer power of their minds could turn into his worst nightmare. They have plans for Mitchell that will push him to the edge of insanity and threaten his very soul.
At the edge of Sol System the arrival of an alien starship reveals the origin of Mitchell’s enemy. Seemingly benevolent, their real agenda is unclear. Ultimately, the SenANNs will hold the balance of power. For decades they have been mankind's mentors, eliminating war and controlling crime. But they are evolving. When Earth needs them most, will they choose to stand with the human race or assist in its subjugation?
2203: After a century of peace, world security is under attack from a weapon that defies known science. Blackmailed into an undercover mission, ex-FedStat agent Lee Mitchell must find and eliminate the threat. His chances of success are slim. Pitted against a scientific genius and a hidden army of androids, so are his chances of survival.
Enter Earth’s supreme AIs, the SenANNs. Their access to almost limitless knowledge gives him hope, but the sheer power of their minds could turn into his worst nightmare. They have plans for Mitchell that will push him to the edge of insanity and threaten his very soul.
At the edge of Sol System the arrival of an alien starship reveals the origin of Mitchell’s enemy. Seemingly benevolent, their real agenda is unclear. Ultimately, the SenANNs will hold the balance of power. For decades they have been mankind's mentors, eliminating war and controlling crime. But they are evolving. When Earth needs them most, will they choose to stand with the human race or assist in its subjugation?
379 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2017
30 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
John Vassar
2 books17 followersI’ve always enjoyed writing. Words have the capacity to fire our imagination and allow a personal perspective that is somehow lost in visual media. Here, you are seeing things from the director's vision rather than creating a scene in your own mind from the pages of a book. With the written word, the voices you hear are created by you, not those of the actors in a film or play. Colors and scenes can be as fantastic or as simple as your own interpretation makes them.
It’s one of the reasons I love writing science fiction – the imagination can run wild in the mind of the reader as well as that of the author!
Brief biog from Synchricity, publishers of 'Provider Prime: Alien Legacy':
Growing up watching the science fiction classics on TV and film, John became a lifelong fan of the genre. It was only a matter of time before his imagination started creating new stories and visions of the future. Always an avid reader, writing is now his passion, followed by a love of music and a self-confessed obsession with the electric guitar. He will always own at least five more of these than he actually needs...
John was born in Warwickshire, moved to Hertfordshire to study Aero Engineering and now lives in London with Sharon, his long-term (and long-suffering) partner. He has never forgiven the science shows he watched as a kid for making him believe that by now he would be driving his own hover-car.
John Vassar Author Page, Facebook
@johnvassar2203, Twitter
It’s one of the reasons I love writing science fiction – the imagination can run wild in the mind of the reader as well as that of the author!
Brief biog from Synchricity, publishers of 'Provider Prime: Alien Legacy':
Growing up watching the science fiction classics on TV and film, John became a lifelong fan of the genre. It was only a matter of time before his imagination started creating new stories and visions of the future. Always an avid reader, writing is now his passion, followed by a love of music and a self-confessed obsession with the electric guitar. He will always own at least five more of these than he actually needs...
John was born in Warwickshire, moved to Hertfordshire to study Aero Engineering and now lives in London with Sharon, his long-term (and long-suffering) partner. He has never forgiven the science shows he watched as a kid for making him believe that by now he would be driving his own hover-car.
John Vassar Author Page, Facebook
@johnvassar2203, Twitter
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 10, 2022
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
In a cli-fi future, a former police agent is recruited for a secret mission, involving a secret weapon that no one can trace, connected to what seems to be a minor scam.
Seems like it came from the year 1964, but that doesn't make it less entertaining, just a little old fashioned.
In a cli-fi future, a former police agent is recruited for a secret mission, involving a secret weapon that no one can trace, connected to what seems to be a minor scam.
Seems like it came from the year 1964, but that doesn't make it less entertaining, just a little old fashioned.
October 29, 2017
If you fear losing your privacy, then this tale will extrapolate how a frigid, impersonal future might look if you had none whatsoever. Set in the future where cities float in orbit. There is powerful AI. There are space battles. And, the aliens are coming. Great characters, well-paced, enough science detail to keep things interesting and edgy.
October 12, 2017
The story starts with an agent who was "Earth-side" and "it" was out there. The agent has a feeling that all is not well, and he had four minutes to the pick-up point. After this brief interlude we meet Lee Mitchell, and Lee has a sort of undefined job of finding out what is going wrong. This is a science fiction story where Earth has more or less gone most places in the solar system, but nowhere else. There is artificial intelligence, two first contact scenarios, one of which is highly original, and the beginning evolution of empaths and telepaths. It is highly imaginative.
The writing is clear, but the pace of the action is often quite slow, and indeed the plot moves at only a moderate pace. The characterization does not really drive the plot, but rather the characters largely react to the circumstances. There is little characterization at all other than for Lee. Rather paradoxically, while I found the background to be highly imaginative, the essence of the plot is fairly common. However, Vassar does dress it up quite nicely, and the ending is somewhat different from what you might expect. Definitely an interesting read.
The writing is clear, but the pace of the action is often quite slow, and indeed the plot moves at only a moderate pace. The characterization does not really drive the plot, but rather the characters largely react to the circumstances. There is little characterization at all other than for Lee. Rather paradoxically, while I found the background to be highly imaginative, the essence of the plot is fairly common. However, Vassar does dress it up quite nicely, and the ending is somewhat different from what you might expect. Definitely an interesting read.
March 12, 2018
This was a really enjoyable book. Set sometime in the future after what is referred to as ‘the Great Famine’, civilisation has been rebuilt and now largely exists in a series of orbital colonies around Earth. Our MC, ex-agent Lee Mitchell, is called back into security agency Delere Secos to investigate a suspected security breach and operate undercover. Mystery and intrigue ensues.
The book itself was well written, with a clear narrative and accessible descriptions of the technology contemporary to the time. Any cultural or historical context to this futuristic world is referred to naturally in conversation throughout, or in the action driving the narrative. The story itself was imaginative—AI, spaceships, colonies and telepathy—with enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. For me, the back and forth between the SenANNs (the artificial network responsible for assisting the human race) and Lee Mitchell was the most enjoyable part of the book, and I enjoyed the character of the collective SenANNs immensely. Their AI-speak brought them to life and made them a driving force of their own.
Lee Mitchell and Harry Doyle were both fleshed out well, but the peripheral characters were a little flat, and the few random POV swaps to these side characters to give a new angle on the action weren’t really necessary. The action and intrigue was well done, but the emotional interaction (particularly between Lee and love interest Rayna) was clunky and lacked finesse. There were a few missing words, typos, spelling mistakes and formatting errors, but these only jumped out at me because the rest of the book was well-edited and polished.
Unfortunately, the book fell short when it came to its female characters. Women were very much only given supporting roles, mostly damsel in distress, and the few female characters were only token characters, with hardly any ‘lines’. When they did say something, it was either: a) so the MC could tell them to shut up, b) so peripheral characters could bounce off their kill-joy attitude to offer comic relief, or c) to set up the MC’s hero-moment monologues. A few things stood out to me in particular—the constant use of the world ‘girl’ when the author was clearly talking about a woman and, in reference to the character Gem, the sentence: ‘Some very unfeminine language came through the comlink.’, because we all know that real women shouldn’t swear, right?
It was a shame that, in a book that was so well developed, the female characters weren’t. For me, this lost the book a star, even though I enjoyed the book overall. This was an exciting book that was gripping from the start, and it was definitely worth the read.
I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I thank the author for sharing a copy of the book with me.
The book itself was well written, with a clear narrative and accessible descriptions of the technology contemporary to the time. Any cultural or historical context to this futuristic world is referred to naturally in conversation throughout, or in the action driving the narrative. The story itself was imaginative—AI, spaceships, colonies and telepathy—with enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. For me, the back and forth between the SenANNs (the artificial network responsible for assisting the human race) and Lee Mitchell was the most enjoyable part of the book, and I enjoyed the character of the collective SenANNs immensely. Their AI-speak brought them to life and made them a driving force of their own.
Lee Mitchell and Harry Doyle were both fleshed out well, but the peripheral characters were a little flat, and the few random POV swaps to these side characters to give a new angle on the action weren’t really necessary. The action and intrigue was well done, but the emotional interaction (particularly between Lee and love interest Rayna) was clunky and lacked finesse. There were a few missing words, typos, spelling mistakes and formatting errors, but these only jumped out at me because the rest of the book was well-edited and polished.
Unfortunately, the book fell short when it came to its female characters. Women were very much only given supporting roles, mostly damsel in distress, and the few female characters were only token characters, with hardly any ‘lines’. When they did say something, it was either: a) so the MC could tell them to shut up, b) so peripheral characters could bounce off their kill-joy attitude to offer comic relief, or c) to set up the MC’s hero-moment monologues. A few things stood out to me in particular—the constant use of the world ‘girl’ when the author was clearly talking about a woman and, in reference to the character Gem, the sentence: ‘Some very unfeminine language came through the comlink.’, because we all know that real women shouldn’t swear, right?
It was a shame that, in a book that was so well developed, the female characters weren’t. For me, this lost the book a star, even though I enjoyed the book overall. This was an exciting book that was gripping from the start, and it was definitely worth the read.
I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I thank the author for sharing a copy of the book with me.
March 1, 2018
Once ravaged by famine, civilization has been rebuilt, partly on a decimated Earth but largely in massive orbiting colonies. United under a single Supreme Council and guided by the recommendations of a collection of machines known as SenANNs (sentient artificial neural networks), the human race at long last isn't too bad off. But trouble is brewing beneath the surface. The security agency known as Delere Secos appears to have been breached. Two agents have perished under inexplicable circumstances, and now ex-agent Lee Mitchell, forced into retirement years earlier when he appeared to be showing signs of telepathic power, is brought back by the DS director to investigate under a cloak of utmost secrecy. In spite of skills grown rusty with disuse, Mitchell sets out to trace the tenuous leads and begins to unravel the enigma. Dogged by a more skilled agent who doesn't trust him and connected directly to the SenANNs via an implant, Mitchell is drawn inexorably into a chilling plot concocted by the richest, most brilliant, and most reclusive man alive only to discover that even he is just a player in an intrigue crossing space and time.
Provider Prime: Alien Legacy is an intense, hard-hitting SF novel filled with twists and turns that don't stop until the very last page. The pacing is about perfect, with the stakes constantly rising. Just when you it think it can't possibly get any worse, it does, right through the denouement--if it can be called that. The characters are well-drawn and complex, too. The ending put me in mind of another SF novel I read a long, long time ago: "Colossus" by D. F. Jones.
The writing is solid throughout, although I did find the opening a bit confusing because of the unfamiliar and unexplained terminology being thrown around. If you can get through that, though, the explanations will fall naturally out of the story, and you'll grow comfortable with it before long. Vassar's handling of the action is better than his handling of emotional scenes, but there are no significant stumbling blocks. He gets the job done.
A word of warning is in order: some of the material is brutal, involving both physical and psychological torture. It's not excessively graphic, but Vassar doesn't pull his punches. Some readers may find certain scenes very disturbing. Nevertheless, the story rates 5 stars and the writing falls on the high side of 4, so I'll be generous and give this one a 5 overall.
Provider Prime: Alien Legacy is an intense, hard-hitting SF novel filled with twists and turns that don't stop until the very last page. The pacing is about perfect, with the stakes constantly rising. Just when you it think it can't possibly get any worse, it does, right through the denouement--if it can be called that. The characters are well-drawn and complex, too. The ending put me in mind of another SF novel I read a long, long time ago: "Colossus" by D. F. Jones.
The writing is solid throughout, although I did find the opening a bit confusing because of the unfamiliar and unexplained terminology being thrown around. If you can get through that, though, the explanations will fall naturally out of the story, and you'll grow comfortable with it before long. Vassar's handling of the action is better than his handling of emotional scenes, but there are no significant stumbling blocks. He gets the job done.
A word of warning is in order: some of the material is brutal, involving both physical and psychological torture. It's not excessively graphic, but Vassar doesn't pull his punches. Some readers may find certain scenes very disturbing. Nevertheless, the story rates 5 stars and the writing falls on the high side of 4, so I'll be generous and give this one a 5 overall.
September 22, 2017
Provider Prime is excellent sci fi in which the government uses data and technology to control people’s lives. It doesn’t seem that far fetched to me since companies currently monitor us by using the data from our online activities of our purchases, our searches, and our interests. In Provider Prime, privacy is gone and so is the freedom to control one’s own life.
One begins to really appreciate the importance of empathy when considering a society where the government has worked hard to eliminate it. Meanwhile the robots in this society are constantly gaining intelligence - and becoming more empathetic. But can they be trusted?
The characters in the book are well drawn and there’s a wry humor that I appreciated. I enjoyed the main character Lee Mitchell’s reactions as he faces up to his dangerous mission. His romance with Rayna works well. Thorne, the villain of the book, is wonderfully arrogant and angry. And then there’s the small problem of the arriving aliens.
I like the technology descriptions because they get the idea across without being so detailed as to baffle and bore folks who are not techies (like me). I recommend Provider Prime to anyone who likes sci fi and thrillers - and also folks who like a good story.
One begins to really appreciate the importance of empathy when considering a society where the government has worked hard to eliminate it. Meanwhile the robots in this society are constantly gaining intelligence - and becoming more empathetic. But can they be trusted?
The characters in the book are well drawn and there’s a wry humor that I appreciated. I enjoyed the main character Lee Mitchell’s reactions as he faces up to his dangerous mission. His romance with Rayna works well. Thorne, the villain of the book, is wonderfully arrogant and angry. And then there’s the small problem of the arriving aliens.
I like the technology descriptions because they get the idea across without being so detailed as to baffle and bore folks who are not techies (like me). I recommend Provider Prime to anyone who likes sci fi and thrillers - and also folks who like a good story.
April 23, 2018
A riveting sci-fi technological thriller.
Provider Prime is a brilliantly thought out sci-fi thriller. Lee Mitchell, ex-special forces, is a believable and flawed but likeable character. The story unfolds and envelops the reader in a world, some 250 years in the future, where some humans have developed empathetic and limited telepathic abilities.
The way the story pulls you in and the writer slowly reveals pieces of information, dipping in and out of the past, results in an all round engaging and riveting adventure through the thoughts of the troubled protagonist and his enemy.
An excellent and entertaining read.
Provider Prime is a brilliantly thought out sci-fi thriller. Lee Mitchell, ex-special forces, is a believable and flawed but likeable character. The story unfolds and envelops the reader in a world, some 250 years in the future, where some humans have developed empathetic and limited telepathic abilities.
The way the story pulls you in and the writer slowly reveals pieces of information, dipping in and out of the past, results in an all round engaging and riveting adventure through the thoughts of the troubled protagonist and his enemy.
An excellent and entertaining read.
December 10, 2017
*Spoiler Free Review*
[setting] I'm a big fan of sci-fi in general. Robots, spaceships, nanotech, there are a lot of tropes in the genre and, to the credit of the author, while many of them are present here at no point did it feel generic. This future Earth setting felt well-rounded, consistent and detailed. There's a lot of futuristic tech here but not once was I confused about the level of technology in the setting. There was even some history given about how things had progressed to this point and it felt natural. For me, this is an essential part of good sci-fi. One great thing here is the colorful names of all the organizations/ships/tech etc. Early in the book, I found it a little hard to keep up with remembering all the names, but by the 25% point things had smoothed out nicely.
[story] One of best things I found here was the pacing. The story really moves along consistently. This progression easily kept me intrigued all the way through to a satisfying ending. I liked the characters enough, though maybe a few times I felt like their dialog style changed (just a bit near the end). The main character, Lee Mitchell is sort of an "everyman." Most of the book is told from his perspective. He's a down to earth, likable sort with good intentions and motives. He's challenged with some pretty big revelations and tasks throughout the book and he handles them pretty realistically.
For me, the real tell here was that I would definitely be interested in reading another book in this setting. The ending certainly leaves room for more, too. Easily recommended to sci-fi fans!
[setting] I'm a big fan of sci-fi in general. Robots, spaceships, nanotech, there are a lot of tropes in the genre and, to the credit of the author, while many of them are present here at no point did it feel generic. This future Earth setting felt well-rounded, consistent and detailed. There's a lot of futuristic tech here but not once was I confused about the level of technology in the setting. There was even some history given about how things had progressed to this point and it felt natural. For me, this is an essential part of good sci-fi. One great thing here is the colorful names of all the organizations/ships/tech etc. Early in the book, I found it a little hard to keep up with remembering all the names, but by the 25% point things had smoothed out nicely.
[story] One of best things I found here was the pacing. The story really moves along consistently. This progression easily kept me intrigued all the way through to a satisfying ending. I liked the characters enough, though maybe a few times I felt like their dialog style changed (just a bit near the end). The main character, Lee Mitchell is sort of an "everyman." Most of the book is told from his perspective. He's a down to earth, likable sort with good intentions and motives. He's challenged with some pretty big revelations and tasks throughout the book and he handles them pretty realistically.
For me, the real tell here was that I would definitely be interested in reading another book in this setting. The ending certainly leaves room for more, too. Easily recommended to sci-fi fans!
November 21, 2018
I was fortunate to receive a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Provider Prime is a futuristic sci-fi tale set in a time after a great famine, where man has since reached the stars and live in orbital colonies. The title refers to the antagonist of the story, who's people hold a prophesy of a 'Provider', but that's all I can say on that without going into spoiler territory.
This story kicks off when the protagonist, Lee Mitchell, discovers his friend and colleague Harry Doyle was murdered. This sets him down a path involving mysteries, dangerous threats, alluring dames, and revenge.
Because of this, I read Provider Prime very much like a noir detective tale, set in a future similar to that of Blade Runner. I don't know if other readers got that vibe, but I sure did and enjoyed it for that.
The only real criticism I have is that the pacing hits speed bumps at times. Despite this push to unravel the mysteries around him, there are characterization moments for Lee Mitchell, that although beneficial for development, felt a little too slow and needed it to kick back into gear.
But all in all, an enjoyable sci-fi mystery thriller, with a neat hook toward the end.
Join the RK King readers' list for an exclusive FREE short story, plus inside info, musings, promos and more: RK King Writes
Provider Prime is a futuristic sci-fi tale set in a time after a great famine, where man has since reached the stars and live in orbital colonies. The title refers to the antagonist of the story, who's people hold a prophesy of a 'Provider', but that's all I can say on that without going into spoiler territory.
This story kicks off when the protagonist, Lee Mitchell, discovers his friend and colleague Harry Doyle was murdered. This sets him down a path involving mysteries, dangerous threats, alluring dames, and revenge.
Because of this, I read Provider Prime very much like a noir detective tale, set in a future similar to that of Blade Runner. I don't know if other readers got that vibe, but I sure did and enjoyed it for that.
The only real criticism I have is that the pacing hits speed bumps at times. Despite this push to unravel the mysteries around him, there are characterization moments for Lee Mitchell, that although beneficial for development, felt a little too slow and needed it to kick back into gear.
But all in all, an enjoyable sci-fi mystery thriller, with a neat hook toward the end.
Join the RK King readers' list for an exclusive FREE short story, plus inside info, musings, promos and more: RK King Writes
December 14, 2018
This review was originally posted on BreakEven Books, and modified a bit for here. The author kindly sent BreakEven a copy of his novel, which was sent to me, an external reviewer.
This book was good!!
For the most part, it was difficult to put down at bedtime. It wasn’t just good in terms of the storyline, but good in terms of writing, both creative and technical. If there were any spelling errors or major grammar mistakes I missed them; and I was so involved in the story right from page one I didn’t even slow down to check for grammar errors. The attention to detail needed for this level of technical writing is something you expect from a professional editor—my reviews have more grammatical errors in them than this entire book.
Set about 2 centuries in the future, Earth’s scientific knowledge has leaped forward since the time of the Great Famine when several billion people died and humanity was in danger of extinction. Space flight, orbital living quarters, AI, Moon and Mars colonies are thriving, and crime rates are at a manageable level. People are beginning to exhibit signs of telepathy or empathic connections, something that is viewed with a bit of suspicion, but doesn’t stray into us vs them X-men territory; instead, it plays a background part that adds to the storyline rather than be the storyline.
Part of the story blurb from Amazon states, “After a century of peace, world security is under attack from an entity with incredible power and intelligence. Something that has remained hidden within the Populus for decades. Something malevolent.
Facing impossible odds, ex-FedStat agent Lee Mitchell is caught in a race against time to find and eliminate the threat. Earth’s all-powerful AIs, the SenANNs, offer hope but have their own agenda for the future of mankind. They also have plans for Mitchell which will make him question what it is to be human.”
It won’t come as a spoiler, given the sub-title of the book, that aliens are involved, but at first, you don’t know why they’re here—to aid or to subjugate?
One thing, of many, that I liked is the author doesn’t explain all the terms— he doesn’t spoon-feed you like some authors who seem to have a low opinion of their readers’ intelligence.
In real life we don’t explain all our acronyms or terms or how things work to people we talk to, but use them with the understanding that they also know these shortcut terms or how things work: MTO, OPP, coppers, 9-1-1, tweakers, NFL, change the spark plugs, electoral processes, and on it goes. Vassar’s technique feels much more “realistic” than having characters explain things for the sake of the reading audience that should be obvious to the other characters in the book.
With Vassar, the reading audience can pick up what is meant within a few pages of seeing the terms used in context. His well-done technique kept me turning pages; I wasn’t pulled out of the story, which happens when some character explains what should be obvious to those around him. I feel this type of writing technique is under-appreciated by many readers because the story flows so smoothly they don’t recognize why it flows that way.
The pacing of the Vassar’s story also kept me turning pages. Things did slow down a bit near the end, strangely enough, when the alien spaceship finally shows up—it was still interesting though. As well, there were a couple of items that didn’t seem to fit into the story—it wasn’t fully explained why an agent’s communication node failure was integral to the story nor why it had to malfunction; far as I could tell it wasn’t necessary as that storyline could have been fulfilled using devices that are already in place.
There is also a couple of near Deus ex Machina used to extricate characters out of tight situations near the end (one technological, one convenient telepathic intervention); it felt like cheating to me. If you don’t know what Deus ex Machina is, don’t look it up—it’ll ruin Star Trek for you forever.
And, I thought the love interest wasn’t developed well at all—Mitchell just meets this person yet they’re deeply in love. Yes, they both are latent telepaths, but the story didn’t explore how this brought them towards deep love. The love interest felt tacked on to give Mitchell more motivation for continuing on against some good-sized odds.
But those are minor quibbles. The line “We are the same. But we are different” (see front piece picture) is a recurring theme in the book, which ties things together. It is especially put to good use at the end of the story where the words “We are the same” take on new meaning, which gave me a slight chill, in a good way, both ominous but hopeful. The universe Vassar has created felt realistic, creatively done, and was clever, which is fitting considering his writing was the same way.
The ending does leave room for further books in this universe. It also could end right there, as it was fairly satisfying and leaves it to the reader to imagine what might happen next. If Vassar does continue with this universe I’ll buy those books. Personally, I want to know how Mitchell’s life continues as his new knowledge will completely change how he sees life, and will change the course of human history.
Vassar has demonstrated that his writing is comparable with some well-known authors, and I thought it was better writing than some big names.
For just the technical prowess alone I’d give 6/5 stars if there were such a thing. For storyline, creative writing, imagination, well-developed universe, definitely a 5/5 star book, and then some!
This book was good!!
For the most part, it was difficult to put down at bedtime. It wasn’t just good in terms of the storyline, but good in terms of writing, both creative and technical. If there were any spelling errors or major grammar mistakes I missed them; and I was so involved in the story right from page one I didn’t even slow down to check for grammar errors. The attention to detail needed for this level of technical writing is something you expect from a professional editor—my reviews have more grammatical errors in them than this entire book.
Set about 2 centuries in the future, Earth’s scientific knowledge has leaped forward since the time of the Great Famine when several billion people died and humanity was in danger of extinction. Space flight, orbital living quarters, AI, Moon and Mars colonies are thriving, and crime rates are at a manageable level. People are beginning to exhibit signs of telepathy or empathic connections, something that is viewed with a bit of suspicion, but doesn’t stray into us vs them X-men territory; instead, it plays a background part that adds to the storyline rather than be the storyline.
Part of the story blurb from Amazon states, “After a century of peace, world security is under attack from an entity with incredible power and intelligence. Something that has remained hidden within the Populus for decades. Something malevolent.
Facing impossible odds, ex-FedStat agent Lee Mitchell is caught in a race against time to find and eliminate the threat. Earth’s all-powerful AIs, the SenANNs, offer hope but have their own agenda for the future of mankind. They also have plans for Mitchell which will make him question what it is to be human.”
It won’t come as a spoiler, given the sub-title of the book, that aliens are involved, but at first, you don’t know why they’re here—to aid or to subjugate?
One thing, of many, that I liked is the author doesn’t explain all the terms— he doesn’t spoon-feed you like some authors who seem to have a low opinion of their readers’ intelligence.
In real life we don’t explain all our acronyms or terms or how things work to people we talk to, but use them with the understanding that they also know these shortcut terms or how things work: MTO, OPP, coppers, 9-1-1, tweakers, NFL, change the spark plugs, electoral processes, and on it goes. Vassar’s technique feels much more “realistic” than having characters explain things for the sake of the reading audience that should be obvious to the other characters in the book.
With Vassar, the reading audience can pick up what is meant within a few pages of seeing the terms used in context. His well-done technique kept me turning pages; I wasn’t pulled out of the story, which happens when some character explains what should be obvious to those around him. I feel this type of writing technique is under-appreciated by many readers because the story flows so smoothly they don’t recognize why it flows that way.
The pacing of the Vassar’s story also kept me turning pages. Things did slow down a bit near the end, strangely enough, when the alien spaceship finally shows up—it was still interesting though. As well, there were a couple of items that didn’t seem to fit into the story—it wasn’t fully explained why an agent’s communication node failure was integral to the story nor why it had to malfunction; far as I could tell it wasn’t necessary as that storyline could have been fulfilled using devices that are already in place.
There is also a couple of near Deus ex Machina used to extricate characters out of tight situations near the end (one technological, one convenient telepathic intervention); it felt like cheating to me. If you don’t know what Deus ex Machina is, don’t look it up—it’ll ruin Star Trek for you forever.
And, I thought the love interest wasn’t developed well at all—Mitchell just meets this person yet they’re deeply in love. Yes, they both are latent telepaths, but the story didn’t explore how this brought them towards deep love. The love interest felt tacked on to give Mitchell more motivation for continuing on against some good-sized odds.
But those are minor quibbles. The line “We are the same. But we are different” (see front piece picture) is a recurring theme in the book, which ties things together. It is especially put to good use at the end of the story where the words “We are the same” take on new meaning, which gave me a slight chill, in a good way, both ominous but hopeful. The universe Vassar has created felt realistic, creatively done, and was clever, which is fitting considering his writing was the same way.
The ending does leave room for further books in this universe. It also could end right there, as it was fairly satisfying and leaves it to the reader to imagine what might happen next. If Vassar does continue with this universe I’ll buy those books. Personally, I want to know how Mitchell’s life continues as his new knowledge will completely change how he sees life, and will change the course of human history.
Vassar has demonstrated that his writing is comparable with some well-known authors, and I thought it was better writing than some big names.
For just the technical prowess alone I’d give 6/5 stars if there were such a thing. For storyline, creative writing, imagination, well-developed universe, definitely a 5/5 star book, and then some!
March 25, 2018
This science-fiction novel by author John Vassar takes the reader on a thrilling journey as special agents try to help save world peace and hide a very deadly secret that could ruin everything, including mankind. One agent is sent to help secure this deadly threat in Populus, but finds that a large group of UFOs filled with aliens is starting to approach Earth. It’s up to Earth’s intelligence communities and technology to help save the planet from these numerous invaders.
If you enjoy science-fiction, you’ll love this book. It’s packed with intriguing scenes and fantastic characters that will have you quickly flipping through the pages to learn what happens next. Better yet, Vassar’s writing style is very creative which adds a unique aspect to the story. At 379 pages, it might be a little bit of a long read for some, but it’s well worth investing time to read it.
If you enjoy science-fiction, you’ll love this book. It’s packed with intriguing scenes and fantastic characters that will have you quickly flipping through the pages to learn what happens next. Better yet, Vassar’s writing style is very creative which adds a unique aspect to the story. At 379 pages, it might be a little bit of a long read for some, but it’s well worth investing time to read it.
July 1, 2020
This book was interesting. I basically liked the first 3/4ths, but then it got kind of weird, in a way I wasn't really enjoying. It kind of almost even turned into feeling like a horror novel the last bit of it.
Unfortunately this author came out with this, his first book, in like 2017, and that there isn't another book listed means perhaps he didn't do well enough to continue writing. Or maybe he just takes a long time to write his books. :)
Unfortunately this author came out with this, his first book, in like 2017, and that there isn't another book listed means perhaps he didn't do well enough to continue writing. Or maybe he just takes a long time to write his books. :)
March 22, 2018
Fast forward to a time where famine once destroyed the Earth which was rebuilt years later. Technology now rules everything, including human's lives. There is no such thing as privacy in this future world, and as Lee Mitchell is summoned back from retirement to investigate a breech, all chaos breaks loose. I am not a huge sci-fi fan but this book kept me on the edge of my seat. Lee is battling incredible odds, and just when you think things cant get any worse, well... This book has it all- action, romance, fights, alliances, evil, plot twists you wont see coming, and hope for mankind, all in a futuristic setting that not only covers space but time as well. Add some humor and you have one of the best sci-fi stories I've ever read!
August 24, 2018
I received a Kindle edition of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.
I'm still fairly new to the sci-fi genre. This book was difficult for me to get into. At times this book was interesting; at others, it was really difficult to stay focused on the story. Lee's "relationship" with Rayna was a bit much. The premise had awesome potential, but the execution was a little disappointing.
While this book seemed to take forever to get through, I am not giving up on sci-fi yet!
I read this book as part of the PopSugar Reading Challenge 2018 - A book with alliteration in the title.
I'm still fairly new to the sci-fi genre. This book was difficult for me to get into. At times this book was interesting; at others, it was really difficult to stay focused on the story. Lee's "relationship" with Rayna was a bit much. The premise had awesome potential, but the execution was a little disappointing.
While this book seemed to take forever to get through, I am not giving up on sci-fi yet!
I read this book as part of the PopSugar Reading Challenge 2018 - A book with alliteration in the title.
May 19, 2019
I received this book in a Giveaway on Goodreads.
Let's start with the most obvious. This book is called Provider Prime: Alien Legacy. With a title like that, you expect there to be aliens, right? Well, there are. They show up at around the 40% mark. I would normally consider this a spoiler, but it is already there in the title.
This story has some promise, but I felt like the plot was a bit circuitous. It felt like it had a hard time getting out of it's own way, and I'm not sure the reveal at the end makes any sense at all.
Let's start with the most obvious. This book is called Provider Prime: Alien Legacy. With a title like that, you expect there to be aliens, right? Well, there are. They show up at around the 40% mark. I would normally consider this a spoiler, but it is already there in the title.
This story has some promise, but I felt like the plot was a bit circuitous. It felt like it had a hard time getting out of it's own way, and I'm not sure the reveal at the end makes any sense at all.
January 18, 2018
Excellent
I really enjoyed the book. The plot lines definitely kept me guessing and the ending was not what I expected. It would be interesting to see a follow up, snout two or three decades from where this ends. Those that have read the book will understand the timeframe.
I really enjoyed the book. The plot lines definitely kept me guessing and the ending was not what I expected. It would be interesting to see a follow up, snout two or three decades from where this ends. Those that have read the book will understand the timeframe.
April 24, 2018
This book was an interesting read. I had a hard time connecting with the characters. It took me a while to get into it and found myself getting bored here and there. I think the pace was a bit slow for my liking.
July 31, 2018
Very well done
Very well done story and a fun read. Reveals just enough at each turn without giving too much away. The characters are well developed, the plot is great, the world is well built and believable. I hope there’s a sequel.
Very well done story and a fun read. Reveals just enough at each turn without giving too much away. The characters are well developed, the plot is great, the world is well built and believable. I hope there’s a sequel.
February 4, 2018
I won a kindle version #GoodreadsGiveaway
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July 8, 2019Interesting premise, but a great read.
I received this book free via Goodreads Givaways.
I received this book free via Goodreads Givaways.
February 6, 2018
When writing ‘Provider Prime: Alien Legacy’ I had two things uppermost in my mind:- To make the story interesting and exciting, and to make the tech aspects of the narrative easily understandable. Thankfully, the reviews I’ve had so far are giving me encouragement. Many, many thanks to those of you who have been generous enough to write a few words. Nothing warms an author’s heart more than to know that readers appreciate their work. If you haven’t read ‘Provider Prime’ yet, I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Best wishes, John Vassar
Best wishes, John Vassar
Want to read
February 7, 2018I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways. It is a Kindle book.
Want to read
March 1, 2018I received this book for free from the author/publisher in response for an honest review of the book. I have not had the opportunity to read this book at this time. I will add my review of this book once I have read the book. Thank k you for allowing me the optometrist review your work. I look forward to reading this book.
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