Sanctuary

Nomad #2

by Matthew Mather, Keith Szarabajka (Narrator)

A new world arises from the ashes of the old...but the fight for survival has only begun.

In the Day of the Nomad, oceans flooded the continents, the earth split open and poured darkness into the skies. A mass extinction event as the Earth hadn't witnessed in more than two hundred and fifty million years, the planet flung into a radical new orbit around the Sun.

Jessica Rollins survived, hidden away in a mountaintop in Italy, and has made radio contact with other survivor groups scattered around the wrecked globe--but the destruction is only just beginning.

The key to humanity's survival may lie in a backpack she recovered from her father, in the data he collected more than thirty years before as Harvard's preeminent astrophysicist. Information he died trying to protect.

His final words to her circle around and around in her head...survive, no matter what.

But at what cost? And what is Sanctuary?

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Audiobook, Thriller, Apocalyptic, Fantasy

Audible Audio

First published August 17, 2015

About the author

Matthew 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.

Reviews

[Iris AE · Rating 1 out of 5]

Second 'Nomad' novel, after Nomad's messing up the solar system. Now even more stereotypically cartoon-like, the protagonist gets herself into the absurdest situations, dies and resurrects in the most incredible way, and all the good ones manage to survive and the bad guys finally face their inevitable justice = death. What a stereotype-packed thing! Mather hasn't won many points on this one... I simply read it because I wanted to know where he takes it. If there's a third one, I'll happily give it a miss.
The one point it gets is for the fast pace, I read the whole novel in about 4 hours.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

So THAT'S where Roger went!

It's a good book, written by a good writer but I lost all belief in the plot. The world survives a DOUBLE black hole drive-by but the pockets of humans left here and there STILL manage to keep current wars going?! And all within a month of the almost total destruction of the planet and its population?! Nope. Not doable! Not believable.! In fact, book two was a waste of time. Unreal...and not in a good way. But three stars for some good effort.

The author should have spent less time explaining astrophysics in book one and more on the people, especially Sanctuary people, and how they were going to survive a new Earth. Racing around Italy in subzero weather, creating pages of prepper drool lists so the characters could keep chasing each other over political crap of the old world??? Nope.

And though Mather's IS great with sci-fi, I would venture that he has not trekked far in the actual Arctic - in January! But, I have!

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like Sanctuary, but it just didn't continue what made Nomad great in my opinion. Missing was the unique approach to an end of the world scenario that is actually plausible and new. An astronomical phenomenon we can't see? I can buy that, there's so much we don't know.

The big let down: Sanctuary just feels too much like Mather's Cyberstorm and other popular action/thriller dystopia fiction, lacking any unique qualities. And gone was much of the sci-fi that made Nomad great.

The entire time reading Sanctuary I kept saying to myself: "I've seen this movie before..."

I do recommend the Author's other works and am hopeful for the future of the series.

[Gina Basham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good follow up

I enjoyed this and it was action packed. My only complaint is with series in general. Everything now days are books setting you up for the next. There is a lot of detail that could have been omitted to advance the story a little further than where it ended. I can see several new story lines and where they will go. I'm in it for the long haul but I get frustrated trying to keep track of all the series I'm engaged in. A good read but a blip on the overall saga. I would recommend but sometimes feel it's more satisfying to be able to binge read a series from start to finish. Gbash

[Wenzel Roessler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just ok. End of the world is here but let's find that laptop for a very contrived reason. And flying conditions are treacherous but look me, a novice, has no issues flying a plane. All this is just too much unnecessary fluff on what started as a great premise.

[11811 (Eleven) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I'll probably read the next one if there is a next one.

[odedo1 Audio book worm. · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best !!!!


Because its a four books series and all my reviews will pretty much the same for each of them, I’ve decided to write one review for all and copy / paste it to all four after I complete listening to the complete series.

One of my favorite ever the Author Matthew Mather is really awesome when it comes to science fiction.
The same talent he used with Nomad that for sure, truly a masterpiece a beautiful series but for an unknown reason it feels like it’s missing one more book to finish the series, its just feels incomplete.
Choosing the Narrator: Keith Szarabajka was without a doubt perfection.

And without a doubt this
Series
Got my full recommendation !

Oded Ostfeld.

[Leda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome narrative. Keeps you wondering about the unraveling of events from start to finish.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intrigue and political greed infest the end of the world. Who didn't see that one coming? Just kidding, it's actually a well crafted little mystery set amongst a frozen hellscape as earth is stretched and pulled into chaos after the binary black holes pull a fly by faster than Maverick past an Admiral's daughter.

[Katja Vartiainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again great, captivating adventure. I really enjoyed that part. The end of this part 2 was kind of abrupt- SPOILER ALERT. I really wish the'd continued to South, I mean, it is not a TV series, where budget forces you to shoot in one location! And a bit lame with the bad character suddenly changes sides – this happens in badly written crap Tv series, where the writers have no idea to how to continue the season, so the good go bad, and the bad go good...
And then the action is explained in a few pages, why things happened. So I give it 3, even though the part before was exciting. We will see about the ending.

[Brook · Rating 1 out of 5]

The McGuffin of the laptop in the first one continues into the second. It barely worked in the first one (there is a global extinction event coming, and we are supposed to believe that global cabals all want this laptop on the event - which the author makes clear cannot be stopped, altered, or anything. The purpose of the laptop is left "mysterious." It truly acts as a McGuffin.

In the second one, the world going after the laptop continues, but we learn that it is because one man doesnt want people to find out he lied - in what is now a post-apocalyptic world where everyone is starving and walking towards cannibalism. That's like saying I'm on death row, and worried about someone finding out I have overdue library books.

It just doesnt work.

I needed a brainless "driving" read, but this was poor enough that I wanted to turn it off. It went full "Die Hard 4" and literally had an Everyday Joe (Jane in this case) jump out of a plane she has pointed towards the bad guy's hideout to use as a bomb, when her parachute gets caught on the wing, and she deploys her backup, when the plane explodes behind her and throws her into the air. Not some superhero, just a woman who served in the military.

It also had a plot point where they had to get new spark plugs for a diesel engine that had failed (diesels dont have spark plugs). And this book (like so many others, especially but by no means exclusively those written by non-Americans) makes the protagonist a Marine, and then has her call herself a soldier. For those not at all familiar with the military and inter-branch animosity, that's like calling a soldier (only the Army has soldiers) a "sailor." It takes you out of the story. Call a Marine a soldier in real life, and you will probably be corrected.

It's bad.

[Ernie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as the first one. It more of the same and more never ending storytelling. I really wanted to like it but it was just okay. I am not sure I will be back for round three and the characters like the story are pretty forgettable. It only gets 2 stars because I did finish the novel and it did keep me entertained but only because I love to read and still had a small high from the first one.

Like another reviewer I am getting less entertained with never ending storylines with never ending sequels and really want some closure in a book.

[Lisa Weber · Rating 1 out of 5]

Plenty of action, yes, but the entire story made irritatingly little sense. There is no reason at all for anyone to be chasing Jess, period. Her father's data could be of absolutely no use at this point; what is already in motion certainly can't be stopped. Oops. Just destroyed The Plot.

In addition, what the hell is the story with Masarra? How does any part of this plot make sense?

[Checchi Family · Rating 1 out of 5]

First book was pretty good, but

This one was very confusing. I could not keep track of all the characters. Sometimes a short chapter would give a glimpse into some other characters motivations, but I quit reading once I had to start researching who the character was and their storyline. Very convoluted, and I don't like books where they end in cliffhangers.

[Jeff Vovillia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly I was excited to follow Jess on their journey. Then I noticed getting bored, unable to follow who was where and how they got there.

[Jitka Egressy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story! Original and thrilling all the time! Can't wait for next book...

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure why, but I totally lost interest less than halfway through.

[coty ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is leagues better than nomad. there are still a few things that frustrate me (like how mather does that thing in sequels where they recap the first book; like john connolly said, what are you doing reading books out of order?), but surprisingly, i can find more positive things to say - but we'll go ahead and get my major issue out of the way: i appreciate that massarra and the levantine council are very explicitly stated to be a peaceful group working with a myriad of people across the middle east, but there was that weird part where she seemed to defend ISIS. maybe the wording used was just off and made it seem that way, but it was just weird to me that she's framed as a good person (which she is) but then there was... that. still, it was nice that there was a clear distinction made that islam is a religion of peace ("The Laventine movement was started to begin again the discussion of what Islam means, the peaceful side. We wanted to bring our people together.") it made me SO happy to read this, but again, the 'defense' of ISIS was super weird. but that's really my only issue with the book.

as for the positives: the writing is so much better than nomad. very crisp and concise, with powerful imagery. i enjoyed the characters a lot more than the first book; they felt much more real and relatable. i even found myself growing fond of gio and jess romantically, but i just really want them to communicate more in book 3. they have a good basis for a relationship but they NEED to vocalize their issues and feelings better (particularly jess; i know she's still suffering from things in her past, and hopefully she's able to have that Growth that she deserves because gio IS good for her and i'd hate for their relationship to suffer because of things going unsaid and being misinterpreted). all the plots come together nicely in this book, weaving tightly together in a way that was sorely lacking in its predecessor.

i'm just really impressed! this is good sequel! i hope book 3 keeps that momentum and earns a 4 or 5 star rating

[Judith Trail · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you do not like the cold, if you do not like physical injury and unbelievable pain, do not read this book. But if you can read about cold and pain (not that anyone would like it), and you like stories with an unbelievably persistent and courageous female protagonist, then this second in the series will be right up your alley. Nomad has wreaked its destruction on Earth: moved into a more elliptical orbit around the sun, set on a course that will bring the planet through masses of meteors from Jupiter and sent through the rings of Saturn, Earth is not a fun place to be a survivor. The planet is blanketed with ash and snow and cold. Billions are dead. There are a few colonies that had prepared for this disaster built to survive years underground, retaining technology and the ability to produce food. Jessica is trying to take a small group of survivors to one of these colonies to share information that would clear the accusation that her father knew about Nomad in advance and did nothing to warn anyone about it. Of course, this basic reason for driving Jessica on a journey of pain, death and despair seems sort of odd: most of humanity is dead, her father is dead, Nomad would have hit the Earth whether people knew in advance or not, and really, who cares that her father was blamed. There is hardly anyone left alive and all energy is spent trying to survive. Who has time to be mad at a guy who is dead? Nonetheless, Jessica endures horrors as feuding groups (just like humanity to pick fights when our species' entire survival is on the line) try to capture her and her father's data that she had saved. I could not believe the physical abuse handed out to the characters: cold, hungry, wounded, frost-bit and exhausted for most of the novel, I was myself depleted by the end of the book. But some people do not give up. Jessica is one of them. There is a third book and I will read it because I have to see what Jessica does next. I myself, had I been a character in this series, would have been long dead.

[Rob Morton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, But Not Better

Nomad rips the solar system apart, the dual black holes altering orbits and ejecting Mercury and Venus clean out of the system while Earth manages to stay with the sun as Nomad drags it in its wake while remaining tenuously in the Goldilocks zone.

Jessica and her surviving "crew" started out with a plan: Head south to warmer climes and hand off the data collected by her now-late father so that a glimpse of what's in store for the sundered planet can be seen and plans for continued survival can begin... provided they don't have a collision with Saturn or its rings.

There's treachery, distrust, murder most foul, and while the science of a new ice age in these modern times is pretty scary, the continuing story will keep you reading just to see if Jessica and her crew will make it or not.

As one might expect, the very rich and powerful knew what was coming and prepared for it, saving themselves in sanctuaries in key places, safe from the death and destruction of a post-Nomad world and, as you might also expect, not everyone has mankind's best interests at heart and a struggle that Jessica now finds herself facing: One faction wants her - and the truth - dead and buried, another faction needs to keep her alive and well.

But Jessica can trust no one and after surviving several attempts to kill her, she finds herself in the one place she both needs to be but doesn't want to be, surrounded by the man who wants her dead and the truth hidden and the billionaire genius whose loyalties may no be as they seem.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick enjoyable read with a fun adventure. It wasn't exceptional or fantastic, it didn't break any new ground really, but it was well-written enough (few typos) and exciting enough to give a good bit of entertainment and keep me reading the story to see what will happen next (which includes the sequels to follow). It's true, as many have said, that the main character's resilience and ability to defy death is a bit too unbelievable. Nonetheless, she clearly struggles with all the damage she takes (even if she always has enough energy to engage in whatever high-octane action scene is going to come next), and overall, her ability to withstand that much damage isn't so ridiculous that it distracts often from the story moving forward. As a post-apocalyptic book, it's not especially memorable, probably because none of the characters are especially likable nor does the setting have all that much character and probably also because none of the "apocalyptic" events are described with enough scope to really make them amazing. I did enjoy the closer introduction of the secret societies towards the end of the book, as I felt like that breathed new intrigue into what was otherwise just a well-paced (but average) survival thriller. So, overall, a well-enough written book and exciting enough to be entertaining, but not the sort you're going to keep thinking about over and over for days or weeks after you put it down.

[Ralph · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sanctuary" is the 2nd book in the "New Earth" Series by Matthew Mather. I love science fiction and while this book is well written and held my interest throughout, it reads more like a novel of survival and intrigue. The science part is the overall theme about the earth experiencing a near collision from a small binary black hole, and the resulting catastrophic changes that occur. That is where the survival part of the story comes in. I'm still a big fan at this point but then the intrigue part kicks in.

The intrigue is provided by various players who are all trying to retrieve the data that our hero is carrying with her. The mysterious data was compiled by her eminently famous and now dead scientist father. It apparently has immense value to the various people that are trying to kill our hero, her friends, and each other.

In my opinion, all the machinations of the good guys, bad guys, and guys of unknown intent are unnecessary. The near destruction of the planet and all the resulting devastation should be plenty of fodder for a good story. Especially if the focus of the story were to extend beyond Italy to other parts of the world where there must be many other survivors.

If I sound as though I don't like the book, that is not the case at all. I gave it 4 stars because the story-telling alone deserves more than 3 stars. The writing is great and I am going to start "Resistance", the 3rd book in the series, right now.

[Walter Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

An original story, and unforgettable characters

I had picked up a couple of Matthew Mather’s novels by way of BookBub and Prolific Works, over the last two years. Finally read Nomad, and downloaded all of the rest of Mr. Mather’s novels.

Nomad was a blistering and heady picture of what could happen if two small, orbiting black holes were to pass through our solar system. Lots of science, and a cast of memorable characters.

Sanctuary is an intense thriller with a small group of (post-Nomad) survivors in search of some thirty-year-old research materials that may hold the key to figuring out how civilization might continue to remain viable in spite of the devastation of their planet. All this, while being hunted by at least three groups of other survivors each of which have superior weapons and numbers, and who have every intention of getting that information for themselves.

Mather’s description of what Earth looks like, feels like, sounds like, and smells like, will challenge the reader to keep on reading in spite of the odds faced by the small group of protagonists. But with the main character, Jessica Rollins, who is starving, and as battered as everyone else, and refusing to die, and unwilling to allow any of those in her small group to perish, the human spirit has a true warrior.

[Curt · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

I don't know but this second book in the Nomad series really didn't take off for me. I listened to the audible release of this book with Keith Szarabajka as the narrator. I didn't really like his narration style and that took a bit from the book.

The part of the book that I did read (approx. 60%) was plodding as Jessica Rollins and her fellow survivors try to go south where there is a better chance of surviving the oncoming ice age. They discover a survival camp/bunker for billionaires one of whom is looking out for Jessica because of the laptop she is carrying and the information it contains. There really isn't any tension happening here since, well, the world just suffered an extinction-level event.

What troubles me, is that given the condition of the world, what could the laptop possibly contain that would be of any help now? One of her crew is working for a crime lord and is intent on getting his hands on the laptop for him. Yawn.

I could not finish the book. Between the narration and the plodding storyline, I went on to something else.

[Anja · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Sanctuary" by Matthew Mather presents a tantalizing concept, but its execution leaves much to be desired, resulting in a 2-star rating. While the premise is intriguing, several significant shortcomings hinder the overall reading experience.

The novel introduces us to a world on the brink of environmental collapse, where the privileged few seek refuge in an exclusive sanctuary while the rest of humanity grapples with the consequences of climate change. The idea of a secluded refuge amid global chaos is promising and timely, but unfortunately, the narrative fails to fully explore the potential depth of this concept.

One of the central issues lies in the character development. The protagonist, in particular, lacks the necessary depth and relatability to anchor the story effectively. Their actions and motivations often feel inconsistent, making it challenging for readers to fully invest in their journey.

The pacing of the plot is uneven, with slow, exposition-heavy sections alternating with rushed moments of action. This imbalance disrupts the flow of the story and affects the overall engagement of the reader. Additionally, the dialogue occasionally feels forced and unrealistic, diminishing the authenticity of the characters' interactions.

While the novel attempts to address significant themes related to climate change, elitism, and the consequences of societal divisions, these themes are often presented in a heavy-handed and didactic manner, detracting from the storytelling.

In conclusion, "Sanctuary" by Matthew Mather offers a compelling premise but falls short in execution. While it tackles important themes, the underdeveloped characters, uneven pacing, and didactic presentation hinder its overall impact. It's a book that may resonate with readers interested in environmental issues but may leave others seeking a more polished and immersive reading experience disappointed, warranting a 2-star rating.

[MisterLiberry Head · Rating 3 out of 5]

After poor old Planet Earth has been cracked, scorched and kicked out of its orbit in NOMAD, Matthew Mather switches the focus in SANCTUARY to the challenges of surviving the planet’s sixth extinction-level event. A small, mostly Italian group – led by a one-legged American college dropout, daughter of a celebrity astrophysicist – struggles to escape “the embrace of the frost-world” (p231) and capture by a self-interested global syndicate that may have had prior knowledge of the Nomad catastrophe. Mather is a good enough writer to impart strong images and plausible details into what basically is an Arctic-climate survival story that would have made Shackleton blanch. He also keeps the pages turning with plenty of action and intrigue. Less physics here than in NOMAD, more fleeing and fighting.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caution, Genre Shift Ahead

The first novel in this series was mostly sci-fi, with some thriller action thrown in. Mather totally shifts his genre gears from that first book to this one. This one is way less sci-fi and way more thriller action. I’m assuming you have read the first book, so this should not be a spoiler when I tell you our hapless heros/survivors are hauling ass over kittens across a frozen Italy, trying to reach….well, ok, that would be spoiler territory. Very action oriented and tense. It reminded me muchly of the frozen trek described in Polar Vortex (another excellent Mather novel. Please, check it out). You won’t believe the intricacies of the mysteries that are unraveled in this book. And there’s more to come!

Again, Mr. Mather’s technical writing is top notch, with few, if any grammatical errors.

[Julie Kish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like escaping into the action and excitement of a Matthew Mather novel and I love survival stories but I was rather disappointed in this second novel of the Nomad series. The world has just suffered from a potential world ending event and these characters are killing each other over some old floppy disks and a laptop. Really??? It would have been more believable if they were fighting over a can of beans. The main characters were developed in the first novel of the series, Nomad, but there was no expansion of their personalities or their relationships in this book.
In spite of the flaws, I still finished the book because I wanted to know what happened next. I suppose that’s the true test of a novel’s readability.

[Gregg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book of the series, but it's the last one that I'm going to wade through. In the first book, we were introduced to characters - but their actions and mercurial attitude changes seemed more like they belonged in an insane asylum. In short, the author failed to make the characters believable.

Throughout this second book, and especially toward the end, the improbable coincidences again made it impossible to suspend my disbelief. The characters repeatedly survive when they should've died and make ridiculously erratic attitude adjustments. I can't believe that the author chose to use a German as the eugenicist villain. Some of the technology revealed in the final chapters was in direct contradiction to the author's earlier statements.

[Marylori Rieth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sanctuary is the continuing story of survivors after a catastrophic Astronomical event. I expected the main character, Jessica, and her companions Giovanni and young Hector to succumb to the elements and the evil forces hunting them many times but they always manage to survive. The story is convoluted, filled with twists that I didn't know were coming, and in places reveals human nature at its worst. Thankfully it isn't as much a love story as it is a story of determination to overcome both natural disaster and evil. When I started reading Nomad I didn't know it was a series but now that I've started I suppose I will have to see the story through.