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Nomad #1
Nomad
Something massive is coming from deep space...
Big enough to destroy the entire solar system...
And it's heading for Earth.
That's what Dr. Ben Rollins, head of Harvard's exoplanet research team, is told by NASA after being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night. His first instinct is to call his daughter, Jessica, who's vacationing in Italy with his wife: something is coming, he tells them, a hundred times the mass of the sun. We can't see it, don't know what it is, but it's there. NASA's calling it Nomad, and in just months, the Earth may be destroyed.
But what is it? And how did they miss detecting it until now? In a frantic race against time, Dr. Rollins must unravel Nomad's secrets. A mysterious clue surfaces in his old research papers from the end of the Cold War, more than thirty years before...
The world erupts into chaos as the end approaches--and Ben discovers that his wife and daughter are trapped in Europe. The key to humanity's survival rests in the final answers Dr. Rollins pieces together, in the midst of his desperate scramble across continents to find his family before Nomad swallows the planet.
Listening Length: 9 hours and 19 minutes
Big enough to destroy the entire solar system...
And it's heading for Earth.
That's what Dr. Ben Rollins, head of Harvard's exoplanet research team, is told by NASA after being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night. His first instinct is to call his daughter, Jessica, who's vacationing in Italy with his wife: something is coming, he tells them, a hundred times the mass of the sun. We can't see it, don't know what it is, but it's there. NASA's calling it Nomad, and in just months, the Earth may be destroyed.
But what is it? And how did they miss detecting it until now? In a frantic race against time, Dr. Rollins must unravel Nomad's secrets. A mysterious clue surfaces in his old research papers from the end of the Cold War, more than thirty years before...
The world erupts into chaos as the end approaches--and Ben discovers that his wife and daughter are trapped in Europe. The key to humanity's survival rests in the final answers Dr. Rollins pieces together, in the midst of his desperate scramble across continents to find his family before Nomad swallows the planet.
Listening Length: 9 hours and 19 minutes
10 pages, Audible Audio
First published August 11, 2015
6992 people are currently reading
7429 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Mather
44 books1,823 followersMatthew is the million-copy bestselling author of CyberStorm and Darknet, and the hit series Nomad and Atopia Chronicles. He started out his career working at the McGill Center for Intelligent Machines, going on to become one of the world's leading members of the cybersecurity community. In between he's worked in a variety of start-ups,everything from computational nanotechnology to electronic health records to weather prediction systems. He spends his time between Montreal and Charlotte, NC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 639 reviews
October 14, 2015
Yet another good idea goes off the rails.
At first glance, this looked like an interesting end-of-days scenario. The uniqueness of the threat facing the earth was enough for me to plunge in, but after encountering the sub-plot involving the very unlikable, and (somewhat bafflingly) physically impaired heroine, I kept asking myself "do we really need this"? As the story unfolded, I found myself trudging through the personalities and sub-plots just to get to the more interesting parts about the mysterious threat to the planet. Of course the author is free to make this whatever kind of novel he wishes, but it's a shame he choose to make it a romance/drama instead of a doomsday thriller.
At first glance, this looked like an interesting end-of-days scenario. The uniqueness of the threat facing the earth was enough for me to plunge in, but after encountering the sub-plot involving the very unlikable, and (somewhat bafflingly) physically impaired heroine, I kept asking myself "do we really need this"? As the story unfolded, I found myself trudging through the personalities and sub-plots just to get to the more interesting parts about the mysterious threat to the planet. Of course the author is free to make this whatever kind of novel he wishes, but it's a shame he choose to make it a romance/drama instead of a doomsday thriller.
August 12, 2018
Nomad by Matthew Matter and narrated by Keith Szarabajka is one terrific thriller! It hooked me right away and it didn't stop at all! There were lots of stories going on inside the bigger story . It wasn't like the fact the Earth was in danger wasn't enough, there are more thrills added to this that really kept the suspense high. Great characters, plot, twists, suspense, science, and action going on that made this book special! Very unusual danger that is heading toward Earth. To be a movie too!
The narration was excellent!! Great performance!!!
The narration was excellent!! Great performance!!!
August 30, 2015
It started out so good: the story was interesting, the writing good. It would have been a 4 star book for me, maybe even 5. Until all this family-feud-revenge-at-all-costs-save-the-child-nonsense started. At about that point the writing fell flat for me,too. I love cliffhangers, I really do. But if the characters start doing (appearently) strange things based on something they did before (which I as the reader did not know about) it irks me.
(SPOILER: When Jess jumps into "nothingness" for the reader, but a sentence later it was revealed that she was actually wrapped in a rope she'd left there days before).
(SPOILER: When Jess jumps into "nothingness" for the reader, but a sentence later it was revealed that she was actually wrapped in a rope she'd left there days before).
August 22, 2015
I'm a big fan of apocalypses, and on the doom front this satisfied, but it's so badly written I could barely get through it. The characters & their relationships are right out of Turgid Romance Novel Central and the melodrama could stand to be dialed back to maybe only one ridiculous escalation per page.
June 5, 2018
What Lies Beyond
Well written, well researched post-apocalyptic thriller. Sounds quite realistic. The POV of a NASA astronomer is also relatable. An enjoyable read.
Well written, well researched post-apocalyptic thriller. Sounds quite realistic. The POV of a NASA astronomer is also relatable. An enjoyable read.
March 20, 2024
Doomsday thriller or romance and redemption novel? The astronomical cataclysmic proposed by the author is reasonably well researched. No obvious blunders committed. The cast of characters is fairly developed, sort of. The main character, if not exactly likable, does have something going for her (something murky and undefinable😅)
That brings me back to the various subplots that involve our leading character which are a major part of the package the author presents us with, yet somehow never quite manage to connect to the looming end-of-days scenario.
From the official book description: "A story of family and redemption set amid a brand new kind of cataclysm..."
Perhaps this was the intention of the writer, but perhaps carried away by the "sub"plot(s) the result is asking for a revised vice-versa formulation in the manner of "a brand new cataclysm set amid a story of family and redemption"
Perhaps the end of days should be the all-defining event of the story, consuming more of the storyline, getting more of the attention of the characters within. Be that as is may, this isn't my novel and, quite naturally, not all will agree with my observation.
In the end, I deem "The Nomad" readable and the author's 342 page effort is duly appreciated. 👍
That brings me back to the various subplots that involve our leading character which are a major part of the package the author presents us with, yet somehow never quite manage to connect to the looming end-of-days scenario.
From the official book description: "A story of family and redemption set amid a brand new kind of cataclysm..."
Perhaps this was the intention of the writer, but perhaps carried away by the "sub"plot(s) the result is asking for a revised vice-versa formulation in the manner of "a brand new cataclysm set amid a story of family and redemption"
Perhaps the end of days should be the all-defining event of the story, consuming more of the storyline, getting more of the attention of the characters within. Be that as is may, this isn't my novel and, quite naturally, not all will agree with my observation.
In the end, I deem "The Nomad" readable and the author's 342 page effort is duly appreciated. 👍
October 19, 2017
The end of the world for the wise and the foolish alike, October 15, 2017
This review is from: Nomad: A Thriller (The New Earth Series Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
As I write this there are already over 1,600 reviews so mine will be brief. Good end of the world, dystopian sci-fi mixed with adventure, romance, mystery and vendetta. Would people really behave so foolishly at the apocalypse? Would Islamic terrorists use their few remaining days to launch a monstrous attack on the West and Christianity? Would the Islamic nations choose that time to launch war in the Middle East and along the Pakistani/Indian border? Would riots and violence break out across the globe? Unfortunately, my study of history and my personal observations and experiences lead me to believe that there is no end to the foolishness of which I and the rest of humanity are capable. I believe that Mr. Mather has written a realistic novel from both the science and the human nature points of view.
This review is from: Nomad: A Thriller (The New Earth Series Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
As I write this there are already over 1,600 reviews so mine will be brief. Good end of the world, dystopian sci-fi mixed with adventure, romance, mystery and vendetta. Would people really behave so foolishly at the apocalypse? Would Islamic terrorists use their few remaining days to launch a monstrous attack on the West and Christianity? Would the Islamic nations choose that time to launch war in the Middle East and along the Pakistani/Indian border? Would riots and violence break out across the globe? Unfortunately, my study of history and my personal observations and experiences lead me to believe that there is no end to the foolishness of which I and the rest of humanity are capable. I believe that Mr. Mather has written a realistic novel from both the science and the human nature points of view.
May 2, 2016
Good enough to interest me in the sequel. I enjoyed both the story and the science behind it as well as the fact that it was dumbed down enough for me to follow it. My kind of sci-fi.
September 5, 2017
I feel like I was suckered by a Kindle ad. This book is probably the biggest piece of crap I have read in years. It's not only the completely unbelievable crap, which some reviewers considered science, but the novella is so bad I found myself unable to stop reading. I read science fiction and fantasy and so for me to say unbelievable crap ... it means something.
Every time I exclaimed, "this book is just awful." My wife would tell me to just stop reading it, but because it was so short and I was 47-56-65-87 percent done, I just couldn't. I would love to quote the dumbest sentence or paragraph from this book, but there are so many that I would have posted the entire book, or a substantial portion of it, that then you wouldn't have to read it to suffer through the BS as I have. However, the chapter beginning with the fly and the spider web probably took the cake for me. I think I read it aloud and even my wife was chuckling.
I don't know how Amazon picks it's ads and if the ad that led me to downloading the book was paid by the author or the publisher, but I will likely NEVER again download a book found via an Kindle ad. The worst part about this is that ... it was free. Part of the Kindle Owners Lending Library, but that doesn't get back the time I spent reading it. It was that bad.
Every time I exclaimed, "this book is just awful." My wife would tell me to just stop reading it, but because it was so short and I was 47-56-65-87 percent done, I just couldn't. I would love to quote the dumbest sentence or paragraph from this book, but there are so many that I would have posted the entire book, or a substantial portion of it, that then you wouldn't have to read it to suffer through the BS as I have. However, the chapter beginning with the fly and the spider web probably took the cake for me. I think I read it aloud and even my wife was chuckling.
I don't know how Amazon picks it's ads and if the ad that led me to downloading the book was paid by the author or the publisher, but I will likely NEVER again download a book found via an Kindle ad. The worst part about this is that ... it was free. Part of the Kindle Owners Lending Library, but that doesn't get back the time I spent reading it. It was that bad.
August 16, 2015
All too plausible and realistic
In NOMAD, Canadian author Mathew Mather weaves a chilling tale of global catastrophe that at first glance might sound implausible, but his novel is based on good science.
NOMAD shows us a world spiraling out of control, both physically and emotionally for those dragged along in the wake of a rouge black hole.
Mathew captures the global consequence and local human tragedy associated with this doomsday scenario, while giving us hope for the dawn of a new day. Good pacing, good characters and compelling action make this a thoroughly enjoyable novel.
In NOMAD, Canadian author Mathew Mather weaves a chilling tale of global catastrophe that at first glance might sound implausible, but his novel is based on good science.
NOMAD shows us a world spiraling out of control, both physically and emotionally for those dragged along in the wake of a rouge black hole.
Mathew captures the global consequence and local human tragedy associated with this doomsday scenario, while giving us hope for the dawn of a new day. Good pacing, good characters and compelling action make this a thoroughly enjoyable novel.
May 24, 2021
I felt like an apocalyptic story so I picked this one up-- and it started out as a good one. Something is coming at us from deep space. It looks like it could destroy our entire solar system. It's called Nomad... Dr. Ben Rollins investigates this phenomenon and the parts of the book that focus on Rollins and the investigation of Nomad are great. Matthew Mather did his research about this and I feel it's all too plausible. What I didn't care for so much was that the story became mostly about Rollins' daughter, Jessica, a disabled Marine vet of Afghanistan. She's in Italy and gets involved in a vendetta there. So her story is a thriller- and -romance story. I found her actions tended to be over-the-top and maybe I'm jaded by thrillers but I found Jessica's story to be rather juvenile. I raced through the second half of the book just to see how it ends--and this book is the first of a series. As harsh as I've been in this review, I just might read the rest of the series, as I do like Mather's science (4 stars for that and 2 stars for Jessica's story, so 3 stars for the book).
April 2, 2017
I thought I was getting an interesting sci-fi read about an approaching astronomical apocalypse -- how's that for alliteration? -- instead I got an implausible romance with an apocalyptic backdrop. Jess, our protagonist, is spoiled and obnoxious with little self control, and giving her a prosthetic leg did nothing to make her more likeable or interesting to me. The other characters were mostly two dimensional. If there's a sequel, I'll be skipping it.
May 10, 2019
This is the first book of four post apocalyptic science fiction novel. Astronomer Ben Rollins is told by NASA that something big is headed to earth, “It's a hundred times bigger than the sun,” Ben tells them. “Somehow we can't see it yet, and we don't know what it is, but they're calling it Nomad--and in just months, the Earth may be destroyed.” The name that is given to this object is Nomad.
The world erupts into chaos as the end approaches.
The world erupts into chaos as the end approaches.
March 19, 2024
From the jump this looks like it could be a cheesy Syfy movie. There's nothing wrong with that. I like a few of them. But very quickly, this book spirals out of control. Ben and Jessica's plots are only connected by the slightest of threads, and that's their relationship to one another; beyond being father and daughter, it feels like their journeys are two separate books, like maybe Matthew wrote out Ben's story and just didn't have enough for it, so he added in this weird plotline where Ben had a daughter who was suffering from guilt and PTSD but still had time to be a "sexy soldier" stereotype. And Jess' character wouldn't bother me so much if it just wasn't so bad. Everything just feels so awkward and unrelated and amounts to nothing. There's no answer for who sent the Facebook message. The entire revenge scheme has no meaning since Jess wasn't even related to Nico and Enzo (which is good, since they both have creepy incestuous thoughts about Jess and her mom). Roger's past relationship with Jess doesn't really have any bearing to the story since he kills himself immediately after seeing her again, which spares us from a horrible love triangle with Giovanni and Jess, I guess... but that just begs the question of why it was relevant in the first place. And what was up with the symbols on Roger's shit? Was it connected to the ring Muller had? I sure don't know, because it doesn't ever get brought up! Neither does Roger's apparent addiction, or why he's addicted. And Ben's relationship with Celeste is fuzzy, too. Did they break up directly after Connor's death, or did it take years? Why did Jess believe they could get back together? It just doesn't make sense love. Nothing in this book makes sense. Even the whole reason for the plot ends up not meaning shit since the Earth somehow magically survives binary black holes passing through it, and magically is put on the same course as the sun so they won't die! So like, really, Matt, what's the fucking point, because I'd love to know.
I'd also REALLY like to know the point of randomly throwing a sex scene in when Jess and Giovanni were supposed to be staking out the house where Gio's kidnapped nephew was - like I don't think Matt understands "reading the room" and understanding when something should happen. I don't know. This book just feels like it wasn't plotted out, and is just two books mashed together.
I'd also REALLY like to know the point of randomly throwing a sex scene in when Jess and Giovanni were supposed to be staking out the house where Gio's kidnapped nephew was - like I don't think Matt understands "reading the room" and understanding when something should happen. I don't know. This book just feels like it wasn't plotted out, and is just two books mashed together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2021
A tale of two halves here, really. The first half of this book is incredibly well done. I can’t rave enough about the development of the characters, the storylines and the wonderfully atmospheric settings. Somewhere around the 50-60% mark, however, it was as if someone else sat down behind the keyboard. The writing became almost “juvenile” in tone and far more steeped in a well of fantasy. Suddenly the sci-fi aspects were replaced with throw away lines, ridiculous relationships and almost slap-stick style missteps, not to mention golden swords, jeweled daggers....you get the picture. What began as an awesome apocalyptic novel was sent into costuming and forced to wear an ill fitting coat of “chick-lit meets medieval fantasy.”
Would love to see this as a rewrite, without the nonsense.
Would love to see this as a rewrite, without the nonsense.
March 27, 2018
Science fiction....?!!! Nope not here. Just some weird woman running round looking for the relative of a man she’s just met? Some other stuff happened but that was the gist....
October 5, 2017
Action packed, thought-provoking, could this really happen novel that held my attention as the clocked ticked down.
“At most, we have a year, perhaps only months, until the anomaly reaches us.”
It’s the end of the world and I can’t imagine the fear and panic. All kinds of questions came to mind. Would I want to know, seeing as how there is nothing I could do? Would I want to be one of the last ones standing? How would I spend the last moments of my life? Who would I spend them with?
I quickly became involved with the characters, especially Jess. I love a strong, independent, kickass female, and she surely fits the bill. She is into extreme sports, served in Afghanistan, and left a leg there because of an IED. She may be a bit more than self-confident, maybe a bit reckless, but she does not have a death wish.There is nothing that will stop her from doing the right thing.
My first thought would be to let bygones be bygones, but would others think that? What about other countries? Would they want to take the last shot before the Earth ceases to exist?
A free for all, no holds barred human slaughter.
Matthew Mather did his research for Nomad. I don’t understand all the technical jargon, but he broke it down into easy to understand language. Well enough for me to me to be totally engrossed in the story, instead of thinking of it as a school subject.
The end of the world is coming and I felt it on every page, especially after watching the Solar Eclipse on 8.21.17. The danger and suspense just kept increasing, and it wasn’t just because of Nomad.
There is no ending. There are four books in the series, and I WANT THEM!
To see more visit fundinmental
“At most, we have a year, perhaps only months, until the anomaly reaches us.”
It’s the end of the world and I can’t imagine the fear and panic. All kinds of questions came to mind. Would I want to know, seeing as how there is nothing I could do? Would I want to be one of the last ones standing? How would I spend the last moments of my life? Who would I spend them with?
I quickly became involved with the characters, especially Jess. I love a strong, independent, kickass female, and she surely fits the bill. She is into extreme sports, served in Afghanistan, and left a leg there because of an IED. She may be a bit more than self-confident, maybe a bit reckless, but she does not have a death wish.There is nothing that will stop her from doing the right thing.
My first thought would be to let bygones be bygones, but would others think that? What about other countries? Would they want to take the last shot before the Earth ceases to exist?
A free for all, no holds barred human slaughter.
Matthew Mather did his research for Nomad. I don’t understand all the technical jargon, but he broke it down into easy to understand language. Well enough for me to me to be totally engrossed in the story, instead of thinking of it as a school subject.
The end of the world is coming and I felt it on every page, especially after watching the Solar Eclipse on 8.21.17. The danger and suspense just kept increasing, and it wasn’t just because of Nomad.
There is no ending. There are four books in the series, and I WANT THEM!
To see more visit fundinmental
August 22, 2015
Fast-paced, with a healthy mix of intriguing characters, suspense and action, Nomad is another all too believable thriller from Matthew Mather. I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting and I'm already looking forward to a sequel.
I was given a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I was given a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
September 13, 2021
Par pasaules galu - kaut kas tuvojas no kosmosa.
Patika mistiskums un reālistiskums. Daudz kas paskaidrots no astronomiskās puses. Beigas gan pievīla, jo bez apokalipsi autors mēģinājis radīt vēl papildus spriedzi ar bērna nolaupīšanu un izpirkumu. Nu tiešām?! Kad pasaules gals pēc pāris stundām?
Bet tā citādi lasījās viegli, tikai tās beigas kaitināja.
Patika mistiskums un reālistiskums. Daudz kas paskaidrots no astronomiskās puses. Beigas gan pievīla, jo bez apokalipsi autors mēģinājis radīt vēl papildus spriedzi ar bērna nolaupīšanu un izpirkumu. Nu tiešām?! Kad pasaules gals pēc pāris stundām?
Bet tā citādi lasījās viegli, tikai tās beigas kaitināja.
July 27, 2019
Enjoyed the Atopia series, and earlier Mather books so thought I'd try this. Bit of a slog, this one. Bit of a credulity strecther too. The author goes to great lengths in an afterward to undergird the science, and it's clear he has done the homework. So why does the story just seem scientifically unrealistic to me? It also troubles me how the story glosses over significant events like thermonuclear war - chalking it up, perhaps to their insignificance in the face of this story's armageddonous threat. It particularly troubles me because the protagonists are doing exactly the opposite of that - focusing on personal, even petty concerns in the face of doom. While the story attempts to paint one set of characters as petty for continuing in a vendetta, it simultaneously paints the main protagonists as heroic when in fact their own desires are pretty personal and selfish as well. It's the difference between "I must do x to save the future of humankind" vs "I must to do x to save the legacy of my family, which, btw, might also help save humankind." The author might argue the point, but that's what I took away. I'll keep reading because I'm curious where this will go, but the main characters in this story just aren't grabbing me as they did on Cyberstorm, or the Atopia series. As always, when it come to reviews, YMMV.
August 21, 2015
Mather writes great books, we know that. Nomad takes us on an even more thrilling journey in this apocalyptic thriller. Science and strong characters with meaningful experiences are the keys to this fantastically-told story. At the root of humanity's desire to survive is our desire to be with our friends and families throughout the end. Mather brilliantly expounds upon the importance of relationships in the middle a page-turning, Science-packed thriller. He masterfully beckons the suspension of disbelief from page one and onward. I found myself drawn deeply into this story while wanting to know what happens next, even up to the very end.
February 3, 2016
Another Excellent Post-Apoc. Thriller by Mather
This was a very unique TEOTWAWKI saga with excellent science, solid characters, great world-building, and many surprises. My only beaf was that parts of it read like an astronomy text book, albeit far more interesting than I've read in my school days. However, these flaws are minor compared to an excellent story and a recommended read.
This book is part of a series, but you don't feel compelled to have to read the next one (Sanctuary), but I'm sure I will.
This was a very unique TEOTWAWKI saga with excellent science, solid characters, great world-building, and many surprises. My only beaf was that parts of it read like an astronomy text book, albeit far more interesting than I've read in my school days. However, these flaws are minor compared to an excellent story and a recommended read.
This book is part of a series, but you don't feel compelled to have to read the next one (Sanctuary), but I'm sure I will.
March 3, 2016
Stopped reading, but about to start again on recommendation from my editor. I might just need to be a little more patient with this one. Pacing is likely the reason I found it less enthralling than Cyberstorm, but I'm guessing the build-up is worth it, then... time to find out!
February 27, 2018
This novel needs serious work on character development. The story is way...way out there, very unbelievable, however, the science is incredible. Worth the read if you're into astrophysics.
April 4, 2021
This novel is the first in a series of dystopian events and imagines great catastrophic events for Earth and the Solar system; however, there seems to be some hope in the outcomes and perhaps will be revealed in the remainder of the series?
January 13, 2023
If I could give a 2.5 rating I would. Michael Crichton fan fiction with some Christianity thrown in. Also if I had realized it wasn't a stand alone novel I might have bailed. Too many plot threads even for a multi book story. Making the lead character unlikable certainly doesn't help.
December 9, 2019
3.5 stars
Rome, Italy. Dr. Müller has requested an emergency meeting with Dr. Ben Rollins and fellow astronomers to share his findings of some anomalies he’s observed with some spacecraft that were launched into the outer solar system: Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft, and Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft.
Ben is an astrophysicist and head of the exoplanet group at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Dr. Müller was his thesis advisor at Harvard.
They are in Rome to attend the International Astronomical Union. Five thousand astronomers and physicists from around the world are in attendance.
According to Müller, an unidentified object is headed for planet earth at a high velocity.
Meanwhile, in Chianti, Italy, Jessica Rollins, Ben’s daughter is out on a tour with her mother, Celeste whom she asked to come to visit her because she got into some trouble. With an ex. Matters worse, she’s been working illegally in Italy and is afraid the police might be looking for her.
Earlier, her mother had received a Facebook message from someone claiming to be a long-lost relative from Italy. Jessica sees her mother’s visit as an opportunity to get her parents together, as a family. Her parents are separated.
When Ben learns more about the danger they are in, he immediately calls his daughter to share the news and to get both her and her mother to safety.
A fast-paced thriller set primarily in Italy. The events in this book occur in a span of 10 days and interspersed with testimonies from survivors in various parts of the world.
Rome, Italy. Dr. Müller has requested an emergency meeting with Dr. Ben Rollins and fellow astronomers to share his findings of some anomalies he’s observed with some spacecraft that were launched into the outer solar system: Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft, and Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft.
Ben is an astrophysicist and head of the exoplanet group at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Dr. Müller was his thesis advisor at Harvard.
They are in Rome to attend the International Astronomical Union. Five thousand astronomers and physicists from around the world are in attendance.
According to Müller, an unidentified object is headed for planet earth at a high velocity.
Meanwhile, in Chianti, Italy, Jessica Rollins, Ben’s daughter is out on a tour with her mother, Celeste whom she asked to come to visit her because she got into some trouble. With an ex. Matters worse, she’s been working illegally in Italy and is afraid the police might be looking for her.
Earlier, her mother had received a Facebook message from someone claiming to be a long-lost relative from Italy. Jessica sees her mother’s visit as an opportunity to get her parents together, as a family. Her parents are separated.
When Ben learns more about the danger they are in, he immediately calls his daughter to share the news and to get both her and her mother to safety.
A fast-paced thriller set primarily in Italy. The events in this book occur in a span of 10 days and interspersed with testimonies from survivors in various parts of the world.
February 29, 2016
The end of the world as we know it...
What would you do if you (and the rest of the world) found out that the end of the world as we know it was rapidly approaching?
Ben Rollins is an astronomer in charge of the exoplanet group at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He is in Rome, Italy for an anniversary meeting of the International Astronomical Union with thousands of other astronomers and physicists. He is called aside for a meeting of an elite group that has discovered an anomaly that looks to impact the Earth and the rest of our solar system.
Meanwhile, his daughter Jess Rollins, ex-Marine and extreme sports enthusiast, and her mother, Celeste, are touring a castle in rural Italy owned by Baron Giovanni Ruspoli.
There was a lot of science in this book but I felt like I (mostly) followed along with it. It actually sounded too believable.
The story at the castle was also expanded on with a little romance thrown in. I would have actually have liked more about the disaster and its impact on the rest of the world than the romance - and I'm not usually one that writes that in a review.
The characters were well drawn, the disaster was scary to think about and not one that I've read in other books lately.
The book actually reminded me in some ways of an old favorite of mine - THE HAB THEORY by Allan W. Eckert written in the 1970s.
I am looking forward to reading SANCTUARY, the follow-up and ending to this story.
What would you do if you (and the rest of the world) found out that the end of the world as we know it was rapidly approaching?
Ben Rollins is an astronomer in charge of the exoplanet group at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He is in Rome, Italy for an anniversary meeting of the International Astronomical Union with thousands of other astronomers and physicists. He is called aside for a meeting of an elite group that has discovered an anomaly that looks to impact the Earth and the rest of our solar system.
Meanwhile, his daughter Jess Rollins, ex-Marine and extreme sports enthusiast, and her mother, Celeste, are touring a castle in rural Italy owned by Baron Giovanni Ruspoli.
There was a lot of science in this book but I felt like I (mostly) followed along with it. It actually sounded too believable.
The story at the castle was also expanded on with a little romance thrown in. I would have actually have liked more about the disaster and its impact on the rest of the world than the romance - and I'm not usually one that writes that in a review.
The characters were well drawn, the disaster was scary to think about and not one that I've read in other books lately.
The book actually reminded me in some ways of an old favorite of mine - THE HAB THEORY by Allan W. Eckert written in the 1970s.
I am looking forward to reading SANCTUARY, the follow-up and ending to this story.
November 27, 2018
This book read like a bad disaster movie. We have a threat to humanity (which was the only decent part of the book). We have stilted dialogue. We have an estranged couple. We have family melodrama. We have hints at some kind of conspiracy. We have an unlikeable, arrogant, physically handicapped but still mildly competent heroine with a dark secret. We have a love triangle. We have scene cuts at critical moments to create suspense. We have loads of random plot lines that go nowhere and seem to exist only to fill space.
But the thing that saves bad disaster movies are the special effects... either they’re amazing and make you not care so much that the plot sucks, or they’re so cheesy they make you laugh and not care so much that the plot sucks. We don’t have that distracting benefit in a book. Even the (very brief) descriptions of all the action were... dull, and almost seemed to be added as an afterthought.
The science behind the book is fascinating, but it’s lost in a lot of eye-rolling, pointless drivel. I know there are more books in the series, and maybe they get better and actually pick up all those random plot lines, but I’m not enthusiastic about picking another one up.
But the thing that saves bad disaster movies are the special effects... either they’re amazing and make you not care so much that the plot sucks, or they’re so cheesy they make you laugh and not care so much that the plot sucks. We don’t have that distracting benefit in a book. Even the (very brief) descriptions of all the action were... dull, and almost seemed to be added as an afterthought.
The science behind the book is fascinating, but it’s lost in a lot of eye-rolling, pointless drivel. I know there are more books in the series, and maybe they get better and actually pick up all those random plot lines, but I’m not enthusiastic about picking another one up.
August 26, 2019
It took me few pages, to get really into it, but then it was quite good to read. It was interesting to read, what might can happen, if a black hole will pass us, not to mention two black holes spinning each other and taking the Sun and the earth with it and scattered the rest of our solar system, the planets, all over the place.
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