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Nomad #4
Destiny
As the Earth plunges toward Saturn, Jessica struggles to decide whether to save the ones she loves, or save the human race.
10 pages, Audible Audio
First published May 26, 2017
1336 people are currently reading
513 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 143 reviews
December 6, 2017
This book was honestly quite a bit of a letdown. Don't get me wrong, it was still fairly exciting and well-paced, but the resolve was honestly just terrible. There's not much worse than finishing a 4-book series and feeling like the ending was sloppy, that it was built up to for a long time and amounted to very little of anything. In my opinion, if you haven't yet started this series, don't bother, because it feels like a waste of time by the end with no payoff.
For example, throughout the series they built up the idea that Jessica Rollins is very important for some reason. They hinted at different reasons throughout, making you think first it was this reason, then this reason. But always they had the side characters (who were honestly usually more capable and much better-resourced than Jessica) make a big deal out of how important Jessica was.
SPOILERS AHEAD: And yet in the end, it was just because they felt sorry for her? Or because her Dad vaguely (unintentionally) revealed some important information that sort of helped them prepare for a disastrous future (but which preparations all went to pot). And *that* was why she was so important to a number of people who were arguably MUCH more important to the world? Ridiculous really. And then of course, she's with this kid Hector (not hers, she just met him before the end of the world) for a couple months, then he disappears for a year, but she still has this huge mothering attachment to him such that when she's kidnapped and put into space with 4 other people she's never met, but it's all great and nothing is wrong because Hector is with her? It really doesn't make any sense. Character motivations were built up to be these big things that drove the plot forward, yet they were incredibly implausible by the end.
It didn't help that this book had more typos and needed quite a bit more editing than all the previous books in the series. But really what it comes down to is that when you read four books in a series all the way through, even if they are exciting and adventurous, you want some sort of reasonable conclusion. And this definitely *did not* give that. It also probably doesn't help that the building of the space habitat in orbit around Saturn was the most interesting setting in the book. One frozen wasteland after another (the last three books) just got monotonous and dull, whereas the space tech (for all of 5-10 pages that it lasted) was genuinely interesting. Still, no reason to start this series if you haven't already, because there are plenty of better sci-fi books to read, even if they don't have a few pages here and there dedicated to a black hole ripping through our system or close contact with Saturn's rings. The background idea was fantastic but the execution was far less enjoyable and it seemed to go nowhere.
For example, throughout the series they built up the idea that Jessica Rollins is very important for some reason. They hinted at different reasons throughout, making you think first it was this reason, then this reason. But always they had the side characters (who were honestly usually more capable and much better-resourced than Jessica) make a big deal out of how important Jessica was.
SPOILERS AHEAD: And yet in the end, it was just because they felt sorry for her? Or because her Dad vaguely (unintentionally) revealed some important information that sort of helped them prepare for a disastrous future (but which preparations all went to pot). And *that* was why she was so important to a number of people who were arguably MUCH more important to the world? Ridiculous really. And then of course, she's with this kid Hector (not hers, she just met him before the end of the world) for a couple months, then he disappears for a year, but she still has this huge mothering attachment to him such that when she's kidnapped and put into space with 4 other people she's never met, but it's all great and nothing is wrong because Hector is with her? It really doesn't make any sense. Character motivations were built up to be these big things that drove the plot forward, yet they were incredibly implausible by the end.
It didn't help that this book had more typos and needed quite a bit more editing than all the previous books in the series. But really what it comes down to is that when you read four books in a series all the way through, even if they are exciting and adventurous, you want some sort of reasonable conclusion. And this definitely *did not* give that. It also probably doesn't help that the building of the space habitat in orbit around Saturn was the most interesting setting in the book. One frozen wasteland after another (the last three books) just got monotonous and dull, whereas the space tech (for all of 5-10 pages that it lasted) was genuinely interesting. Still, no reason to start this series if you haven't already, because there are plenty of better sci-fi books to read, even if they don't have a few pages here and there dedicated to a black hole ripping through our system or close contact with Saturn's rings. The background idea was fantastic but the execution was far less enjoyable and it seemed to go nowhere.
August 3, 2017
Well, I've finally finished Destiny by Matthew Mathers & Lucas Bale. I say that with sadness, not "boy, that's finally done." Having read all four books of this dystopian drama and written reviews on the first three about each storyline, I find myself wanting to reign accolades on these authors rather than the story. By now, you are through Resistance and can't wait to buy the fourth and final chapter in this gripping novel set.
I received an advance copy from Matthew and am hooked on this author and his imagination. Mathew' s writing grabs you by the throat and holds you spellbound from page one to the final word. I have read several of his books and consider him one of my top picks in authors. He creates the scene, establishes the characters and opens with a bang; each and every book. Lucas Bale joins Matthew on the final two books. He, also is a heavy weight in the doom and gloom category authors. His books have captivated readers and had a strong following, also. Combining these two guys really brings out the creative juices that gives a book it's strength, teeth and spine, no pun intended.
I can get wordy when I enjoy something as much as I did reading this fabulous four volume set with characters, intertwining plots, and complete with the Good, the Bad and the Evil. I'll let you go now to peruse this tome and give your two cents to these authors who have proven they can hit them out of the park with the best.
Saddened to have finished, but enjoyed beyond expectations
I received an advance copy from Matthew and am hooked on this author and his imagination. Mathew' s writing grabs you by the throat and holds you spellbound from page one to the final word. I have read several of his books and consider him one of my top picks in authors. He creates the scene, establishes the characters and opens with a bang; each and every book. Lucas Bale joins Matthew on the final two books. He, also is a heavy weight in the doom and gloom category authors. His books have captivated readers and had a strong following, also. Combining these two guys really brings out the creative juices that gives a book it's strength, teeth and spine, no pun intended.
I can get wordy when I enjoy something as much as I did reading this fabulous four volume set with characters, intertwining plots, and complete with the Good, the Bad and the Evil. I'll let you go now to peruse this tome and give your two cents to these authors who have proven they can hit them out of the park with the best.
Saddened to have finished, but enjoyed beyond expectations
October 27, 2017
I really enjoyed this series, but was a bit disappointed that my suspicions about why the primary protagonist was a woman were confirmed at the conclusion of book 4. Yep, we're all basically incubators, ladies.
But still, good read.
But still, good read.
November 8, 2022
Very disappointed... If you write a tetralogy, why don't you take some of the time to get the story right. So many plot holes and an awful ending is a trick to loyal readers. Never again a book from Mather.
October 21, 2019
a massively disappointing end to an already disappointing series. I wasn't too invested from the jump, but I can imagine how people who were must have felt when they were given this as a finale. it reads like a first draft because it's sorely lacking for editing. the pacing is difficult, the time jumps annoying, and the characters feel entirely different from the rest of the series for no good reason (there isn't the development to justify the personality changes). what sickens me the most, though, is the ending, and how violently misogynistic it was. I find it really shocking that Mather didn't write it out and immediately cringe at how disgusting it was. I can't believe no one told him, "hey, you SURE you want to be like "and all the characters with wombs are going to have to reproduce with the ONLY cis man in space, and also the main character was forcibly impregnated with quadruplets!"?" like.. did NO one tell him this wasn't okay??? I'm so mad. I can't believe I wasted my time with this series
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2017
I went back and forth on whether to rate this as a 3 or a 4. It was definitely an improvement from the previous book (book #3 in the series). But with each book I found myself disliking the main character more and more.
There were multiple sentences in this book that were very difficult to understand - either poorly written or a word or two was left out. Normally I'm ok with a typo here or there, but when you re-read a sentence 3 times and are still are unsure what the author means, that's not good.
Even though I ended up not caring about the main character, there were other characters I cared about in the story. Unfortunately, with the ones I did care about there were too many unanswered questions about them.
Overall, this was a great concept, there was some good action. I am glad I read the series. Unfortunately, the last 2 books seemed to be the weakest of the four.
There were multiple sentences in this book that were very difficult to understand - either poorly written or a word or two was left out. Normally I'm ok with a typo here or there, but when you re-read a sentence 3 times and are still are unsure what the author means, that's not good.
Even though I ended up not caring about the main character, there were other characters I cared about in the story. Unfortunately, with the ones I did care about there were too many unanswered questions about them.
Overall, this was a great concept, there was some good action. I am glad I read the series. Unfortunately, the last 2 books seemed to be the weakest of the four.
May 17, 2017
The Nomad series is based off of an interesting premise that our solar system is briefly visited by two small rotating black holes. The gravity from the black holes tosses the planets out of their orbits which is a major blow to planet Earth and its living occupants. Conditions are not totally inhospitable to life but it is a challenge. The series up to this point focuses on the survival of Jessica Rollins, a former marine and daughter to Benjamin Rollins, a Harvard astrophysicist that was the first to discover the two black holes known as Nomad. Even though things are rough now for planet Earth, it seems that it is only going to get worst, as Earth is on a collision course with the rings of Saturn which brings us to the newest addition to the series, Destiny.
After the exciting ending to Resistance, our heroine Jessica Rollins finds herself in a jail cell with her captors turning out to be the CIA. While mulling over her predicament, she realizes that she is pissed off with almost everyone, especially with billionaire Ufuk Erdogmus. The only shining light for her is her love interest Giovanni Ruspoli and his young nephew Hector. One of the reasons that she is pissed at Erdogmus is that he used Hector’s DNA as a biometric backup to an artificial intelligence system known as Simon and Simon is the link to a space vessel launched by Erdogmus before Nomad came through the solar system. Hector’s link to Simon makes him vulnerable as Dr. Hermann Müller, the arch nemesis in this series, kidnaps Hector so that he can get access to Erdogmus’ project, a well-kept secret throughout the series. Müller has taken Hector to a sanctuary in China and it is up to Jess to get him back.
A lot is going on in Destiny; a potential nuclear war between China and the Americans; Jess having to travel to China with Erdogmus and is very unhappy about it; and a side story of a band of Russians that seem to have some connection either to Müller or Erdogmus but is unclear to which one until the end. The ending to Destiny is something that I would never have predicted and Mather could easily end the series at this point, but leaves a possible opening to continue it as the ending raises more questions than gives answers. Destiny is not a standalone novel as it really is necessary to read the rest of the series to get a good understanding of what is going on. Overall this is a fun but complicated series with a rather spunky female protagonist. For fans of the series this is a must read.
I would like to thank Matthew Mather for an Advanced Reader Copy of Destiny.
If you are interested in learning more about the Nomad Series check it out on my blog A-Thrill-A-Week
After the exciting ending to Resistance, our heroine Jessica Rollins finds herself in a jail cell with her captors turning out to be the CIA. While mulling over her predicament, she realizes that she is pissed off with almost everyone, especially with billionaire Ufuk Erdogmus. The only shining light for her is her love interest Giovanni Ruspoli and his young nephew Hector. One of the reasons that she is pissed at Erdogmus is that he used Hector’s DNA as a biometric backup to an artificial intelligence system known as Simon and Simon is the link to a space vessel launched by Erdogmus before Nomad came through the solar system. Hector’s link to Simon makes him vulnerable as Dr. Hermann Müller, the arch nemesis in this series, kidnaps Hector so that he can get access to Erdogmus’ project, a well-kept secret throughout the series. Müller has taken Hector to a sanctuary in China and it is up to Jess to get him back.
A lot is going on in Destiny; a potential nuclear war between China and the Americans; Jess having to travel to China with Erdogmus and is very unhappy about it; and a side story of a band of Russians that seem to have some connection either to Müller or Erdogmus but is unclear to which one until the end. The ending to Destiny is something that I would never have predicted and Mather could easily end the series at this point, but leaves a possible opening to continue it as the ending raises more questions than gives answers. Destiny is not a standalone novel as it really is necessary to read the rest of the series to get a good understanding of what is going on. Overall this is a fun but complicated series with a rather spunky female protagonist. For fans of the series this is a must read.
I would like to thank Matthew Mather for an Advanced Reader Copy of Destiny.
If you are interested in learning more about the Nomad Series check it out on my blog A-Thrill-A-Week
August 13, 2017
A pair of small black holes nicknamed Nomad, tightly orbiting each other, have streaked through the solar system, wreaking havoc on the planets and their orbits.
The outer planets' orbits are radically changed and most of the inner planets were thrown completely out of the system to wander forever through the dark of space. The Earth's orbit is perturbed, tectonic shifts creating earthquakes and tsunamis. The smoke and ash filled atmosphere alters the weather, creating a frozen, violent landscape incapable of supporting life as we knew it. Saturn's orbit now swings in a wide oblong with a very close approach to the Sun, then shooting far out past its original orbit. Presently, Saturn's orbit will approach over near the Earth, but will miss. Mostly. The Earth is going to tear a wide swath through the rings. The rings are composed mostly of small ice particles, but at celestial speeds, the Earth's surface will be bombarded by thousands of kinetic bombs with the force of nuclear weapons.
Some few knew well in advance of Nomad's approach and made plans for shelters named Sanctuary to be built to preserve the best, brightest and richest. The rest of the world was kept in the dark. One of the first to discover Nomad was a scientist named was a billionaire scientist named Ufuk Erdogmus, founder and leader of the Mars First mission to establish colonies on the red planet. Only, Mars wasn't the real mission.
A scientist who discovered massive disruptions of the outer planets orbits and his readings showed the proof of Nomad. His wife and daughter Jessica were vacationing in Italy.
This final installment in the Nomad series maintains the dangers of the post-apocalyptic world and reveals some of the subterfuge and lies, plots and plans resulting from the terrifying, life-ending danger of the celestial flyby.
This book maintains the fast-paced dynamic action of the series, with surprises uncovered on nearly every page. We've known the characters for a while now, and they are so richly described that they are more family and friends than characters. The antagonists are also well known and inspire loathing and disgust. The cast lives, breathes, loves and fights and you are drawn into the nonstop action and scheming.
Is the story too far out to imagine? Can I imagine a black hole zipping through our little piece of sky? Not before I read this! Now? How deep do I have to dig to be safe? Sheesh, I thought all I had to worry about was Russia!
I highly recommend reading this series. My only regret is that the story has to end. Maybe we can talk the author into a sequel?!? I'm going to start working on that now!
The outer planets' orbits are radically changed and most of the inner planets were thrown completely out of the system to wander forever through the dark of space. The Earth's orbit is perturbed, tectonic shifts creating earthquakes and tsunamis. The smoke and ash filled atmosphere alters the weather, creating a frozen, violent landscape incapable of supporting life as we knew it. Saturn's orbit now swings in a wide oblong with a very close approach to the Sun, then shooting far out past its original orbit. Presently, Saturn's orbit will approach over near the Earth, but will miss. Mostly. The Earth is going to tear a wide swath through the rings. The rings are composed mostly of small ice particles, but at celestial speeds, the Earth's surface will be bombarded by thousands of kinetic bombs with the force of nuclear weapons.
Some few knew well in advance of Nomad's approach and made plans for shelters named Sanctuary to be built to preserve the best, brightest and richest. The rest of the world was kept in the dark. One of the first to discover Nomad was a scientist named was a billionaire scientist named Ufuk Erdogmus, founder and leader of the Mars First mission to establish colonies on the red planet. Only, Mars wasn't the real mission.
A scientist who discovered massive disruptions of the outer planets orbits and his readings showed the proof of Nomad. His wife and daughter Jessica were vacationing in Italy.
This final installment in the Nomad series maintains the dangers of the post-apocalyptic world and reveals some of the subterfuge and lies, plots and plans resulting from the terrifying, life-ending danger of the celestial flyby.
This book maintains the fast-paced dynamic action of the series, with surprises uncovered on nearly every page. We've known the characters for a while now, and they are so richly described that they are more family and friends than characters. The antagonists are also well known and inspire loathing and disgust. The cast lives, breathes, loves and fights and you are drawn into the nonstop action and scheming.
Is the story too far out to imagine? Can I imagine a black hole zipping through our little piece of sky? Not before I read this! Now? How deep do I have to dig to be safe? Sheesh, I thought all I had to worry about was Russia!
I highly recommend reading this series. My only regret is that the story has to end. Maybe we can talk the author into a sequel?!? I'm going to start working on that now!
December 26, 2019
An excellent series with a final book that fails
During the course of reading a couple hundred novels by indie author/publisher writers, and recognizing the almost impossible task of gaining recognition on the part of new readers, I made a decision to only post four and five-star reviews where the books could be justified as such. And I contacted authors and explained my reasoning for not posting public reviews of one – three stars for their work. I wanted to encourage, and not to destroy.
Matthew Mather has a well-deserved high standing among science fiction thriller writers. I doubt that a less-than-stellar review will do any serious damage to his reputation.
Destiny gets, from me, a recommendation in that two-to-three star rating.
The first three books in the New Earth series were addictive reads due to his strong characters, his vision of a catastrophe that has turned most of the earth into an uninhabitable wasteland, and a suspenseful plot. As I started this novel, I greatly anticipated how he was going to bring all of this to a satisfying ending. What I received was nothing like that. Where, previously, plot twists followed a decent logic, Destiny was full of contrived consequences that felt like empty promises. I won’t go into details as they would be spoilers. The preceding books showed the work of very good proof readers and strong input from folk with good editing skills. This one had more than twice the numbers of typos as the previous ones, and good editors should never have allowed the book to be published with so many plotting mis-steps.
Mather can tell great stories. I have all of his books on my Kindle, and intend to continue my way through the ones remaining. He is that good, that even a bad book by him is way better than what hundreds of lesser writers found in Amazon’s ebook catalogue can provide.
During the course of reading a couple hundred novels by indie author/publisher writers, and recognizing the almost impossible task of gaining recognition on the part of new readers, I made a decision to only post four and five-star reviews where the books could be justified as such. And I contacted authors and explained my reasoning for not posting public reviews of one – three stars for their work. I wanted to encourage, and not to destroy.
Matthew Mather has a well-deserved high standing among science fiction thriller writers. I doubt that a less-than-stellar review will do any serious damage to his reputation.
Destiny gets, from me, a recommendation in that two-to-three star rating.
The first three books in the New Earth series were addictive reads due to his strong characters, his vision of a catastrophe that has turned most of the earth into an uninhabitable wasteland, and a suspenseful plot. As I started this novel, I greatly anticipated how he was going to bring all of this to a satisfying ending. What I received was nothing like that. Where, previously, plot twists followed a decent logic, Destiny was full of contrived consequences that felt like empty promises. I won’t go into details as they would be spoilers. The preceding books showed the work of very good proof readers and strong input from folk with good editing skills. This one had more than twice the numbers of typos as the previous ones, and good editors should never have allowed the book to be published with so many plotting mis-steps.
Mather can tell great stories. I have all of his books on my Kindle, and intend to continue my way through the ones remaining. He is that good, that even a bad book by him is way better than what hundreds of lesser writers found in Amazon’s ebook catalogue can provide.
February 15, 2025
I read this to finish the series and to see what happens when Earth and Saturn pass (not a spoiler, they've known it since at least the previous book).
But Mather's writing is plagued by misused words, grammar errors, missing words and incomplete edits. For example:
“'The tsunamis in the Indian Ocean raised the water levels,' Peter grunted. 'Flooded the place. Old charts are useless.'" They're in the estuaries and tributaries of a river mouth that opens to the sea. Tsunamis could temporarily raise water levels, of course, but then they'd return to former levels when the excess water drained back to sea. Whatever the author's trying to describe, this doesn't make sense.
Or "...she climbed the stairs and stepped into the deck." The character is entering the bridge of the small ship they're on, but this is poor writing. The "deck" of a ship is the floor of any given level. So she could be stepping into the bridge, onto the bridge deck, or even onto the bridge, but not into just an unidentified "deck". (It become clear in the next couple of sentences that she's stepped onto the bridge.)
Or the ship Mars 1 ends up in a "highly elliptical" orbit around Saturn temporarily, taking four months to reach it's farthest distance, but only three to fall back. Why? It's in a free-falling orbit, so it should take just as long to return as it did to go out. Saturn's "falling" in towards Earth, but that doesn't change the mechanics of an orbit around Saturn.
Those are the examples that stood out most, but there were plenty of others, and constant poor phrasing, word choice, or plain misuse of words that make it impossible to maintain immersion, to get lost in the story.
But as I said, I kept reading to see the Earth-Saturn encounter. But even that wasn't worth the effort
Ultimately, it just wasn't worth the effort of wading through it.
But Mather's writing is plagued by misused words, grammar errors, missing words and incomplete edits. For example:
“'The tsunamis in the Indian Ocean raised the water levels,' Peter grunted. 'Flooded the place. Old charts are useless.'" They're in the estuaries and tributaries of a river mouth that opens to the sea. Tsunamis could temporarily raise water levels, of course, but then they'd return to former levels when the excess water drained back to sea. Whatever the author's trying to describe, this doesn't make sense.
Or "...she climbed the stairs and stepped into the deck." The character is entering the bridge of the small ship they're on, but this is poor writing. The "deck" of a ship is the floor of any given level. So she could be stepping into the bridge, onto the bridge deck, or even onto the bridge, but not into just an unidentified "deck". (It become clear in the next couple of sentences that she's stepped onto the bridge.)
Or the ship Mars 1 ends up in a "highly elliptical" orbit around Saturn temporarily, taking four months to reach it's farthest distance, but only three to fall back. Why? It's in a free-falling orbit, so it should take just as long to return as it did to go out. Saturn's "falling" in towards Earth, but that doesn't change the mechanics of an orbit around Saturn.
Those are the examples that stood out most, but there were plenty of others, and constant poor phrasing, word choice, or plain misuse of words that make it impossible to maintain immersion, to get lost in the story.
But as I said, I kept reading to see the Earth-Saturn encounter. But even that wasn't worth the effort
Ultimately, it just wasn't worth the effort of wading through it.
April 10, 2020
This Review is of All Four of the New Earth Series Books
I waited until I completed the entire series to write this review. The beginning Nomad books were a bit uneven and by waiting until the entire series was read I was able to see the bigger story and round out the tale.
I had no idea how this would end until the final pages of the last book, Destiny. The series begins with Nomad, a terrifying assault on Earth by a cosmic catastrophe. This throws the planet and Solar System into a disaster of astrological, geological, and climate destruction. The main characters are in northern Italy when disaster strikes and must head South to escape the encroaching permanent winter caused by the Earth’s upheaval. The second book, Sanctuary, brings them back North to Switzerland where they are taken to a Sanctuary built to be a survival shelter for the ones who knew of and anticipated the cosmic disaster.
Political upheaval forces the main characters to leave the Sanctuary to find shelter in Northern Africa. Because an eccentric genius with incredible wealth and assets accompanies the group they are able to find means for survival. Oh, and throughout this adventure on Earth there is also a Mars Mission hurtling through space with its crew in suspended animation.
In the third book, Resistance, our heroes form a plan to rescue one of their own from an adversary and the head to another Sanctuary, this time in China
The final book, this one, wraps up the entire adventure in a surprising and unanticipated way.
The series is an epic adventure at what surely are the end days of earth. Read this series in its entirety and I am sure you won’t be disappointed.
I waited until I completed the entire series to write this review. The beginning Nomad books were a bit uneven and by waiting until the entire series was read I was able to see the bigger story and round out the tale.
I had no idea how this would end until the final pages of the last book, Destiny. The series begins with Nomad, a terrifying assault on Earth by a cosmic catastrophe. This throws the planet and Solar System into a disaster of astrological, geological, and climate destruction. The main characters are in northern Italy when disaster strikes and must head South to escape the encroaching permanent winter caused by the Earth’s upheaval. The second book, Sanctuary, brings them back North to Switzerland where they are taken to a Sanctuary built to be a survival shelter for the ones who knew of and anticipated the cosmic disaster.
Political upheaval forces the main characters to leave the Sanctuary to find shelter in Northern Africa. Because an eccentric genius with incredible wealth and assets accompanies the group they are able to find means for survival. Oh, and throughout this adventure on Earth there is also a Mars Mission hurtling through space with its crew in suspended animation.
In the third book, Resistance, our heroes form a plan to rescue one of their own from an adversary and the head to another Sanctuary, this time in China
The final book, this one, wraps up the entire adventure in a surprising and unanticipated way.
The series is an epic adventure at what surely are the end days of earth. Read this series in its entirety and I am sure you won’t be disappointed.
November 16, 2019
The New Earth Series
This review is for the entire series. I would probably give the first and fourth books a 5, but for mange the second and specially 3rd book were less engaging and a little more frustrating in my opinion.
The action, plot line and characters are well conceived . Jess is a heroine who was a war veteran. She, love interest Giovanni and his nephew become family, along with other survivors as they begin a journey after the Nomad catastrophe that devastates much of the earth.
This little group along with a Mossad agent and the mysterious genius billionaire, journey to find sanctuary and possibly save the human race.
To me the only drawback was in the writing of Jess. She is portrayed as a soldier with a nose for danger. There are others in the group more capable of leading, but they follow her. This doesn't always work out well for her our the group as they get captured time and time again as she trusts the wrong people. She trained with covert operatives for a year, in addition to her previous experience as a soldier and mountain climbing - but continually gets overpowered and beaten by people with less fighting experience than she.
Overall the series was worth reading and I liked it's strong conclusion.
This review is for the entire series. I would probably give the first and fourth books a 5, but for mange the second and specially 3rd book were less engaging and a little more frustrating in my opinion.
The action, plot line and characters are well conceived . Jess is a heroine who was a war veteran. She, love interest Giovanni and his nephew become family, along with other survivors as they begin a journey after the Nomad catastrophe that devastates much of the earth.
This little group along with a Mossad agent and the mysterious genius billionaire, journey to find sanctuary and possibly save the human race.
To me the only drawback was in the writing of Jess. She is portrayed as a soldier with a nose for danger. There are others in the group more capable of leading, but they follow her. This doesn't always work out well for her our the group as they get captured time and time again as she trusts the wrong people. She trained with covert operatives for a year, in addition to her previous experience as a soldier and mountain climbing - but continually gets overpowered and beaten by people with less fighting experience than she.
Overall the series was worth reading and I liked it's strong conclusion.
February 27, 2019
Like the earlier books in the series, this installment grabs the reader's attention and keeps one's interest. It provides a satisfactory conclusion to the series while leaving open the possibility of a follow-on book/series.
The book also continues the occasional grammatical errors, which seemed more numerous toward the end. Sadly, the intrusion of an unnecessary and glaring factual error also detracts from the tale. In multiple passages, the author mentions operating two P-3 Orion anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft from the carrier Carl Vinson. The P-3 is a land-based, four-engined turboprop derived from the 1950s vintage Lockheed Electra airliner. It is neither small enough for, nor designed to be capable of, carrier-based operation. If the author thought it necessary to the story to include mention of ASW operations, it might have been more believable to have substituted reactivation of the S-3 Viking, a twin-engined turbofan powered, carrier-based ASW aircraft retired in 2009, or described current carrier group ASW operation methods. Both types of errors would have been easily eliminated with better proofreading.
The book also continues the occasional grammatical errors, which seemed more numerous toward the end. Sadly, the intrusion of an unnecessary and glaring factual error also detracts from the tale. In multiple passages, the author mentions operating two P-3 Orion anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft from the carrier Carl Vinson. The P-3 is a land-based, four-engined turboprop derived from the 1950s vintage Lockheed Electra airliner. It is neither small enough for, nor designed to be capable of, carrier-based operation. If the author thought it necessary to the story to include mention of ASW operations, it might have been more believable to have substituted reactivation of the S-3 Viking, a twin-engined turbofan powered, carrier-based ASW aircraft retired in 2009, or described current carrier group ASW operation methods. Both types of errors would have been easily eliminated with better proofreading.
March 2, 2018
The final book in the "New Earth" series left me fairly disappointed and I had to walk away from it for a couple of days before coming back for a review. First, it was a hard read. I think it was overly dramatic and adventurous and it dragged down a few times for me.
I almost gave the book a 3-star review, but decided that it was well written, I liked the characters, and I had enjoyed the journey it took me on. What I did not like was how it all ended. There were too many questions left unanswered.
At one point, the main character wonders what happened to the person who was responsible for where she was, but then decides that it didn't really matter. Well, it DOES matter for the readers! We are not in Mr. Mather's head and I really DID want to know what happened to Giovanni, Roger and Abbie, Lucca and Raffa, the Russians, and even Ufuk! I would have liked to have been told...even in a epilogue...what happened on Earth, what happened to my favorite characters...and whether or not the Earth could sustain life after being blasted by Saturn's rings!
I almost gave the book a 3-star review, but decided that it was well written, I liked the characters, and I had enjoyed the journey it took me on. What I did not like was how it all ended. There were too many questions left unanswered.
At one point, the main character wonders what happened to the person who was responsible for where she was, but then decides that it didn't really matter. Well, it DOES matter for the readers! We are not in Mr. Mather's head and I really DID want to know what happened to Giovanni, Roger and Abbie, Lucca and Raffa, the Russians, and even Ufuk! I would have liked to have been told...even in a epilogue...what happened on Earth, what happened to my favorite characters...and whether or not the Earth could sustain life after being blasted by Saturn's rings!
December 6, 2020
Pacing continues to be a problem in this series finale, which still reads like a Mission Impossible screenplay juxtaposed with an apocalyptic disaster movie – with a bit of THE LAST SHIP (1989) thrown in. Series heroine Jess Rollins recognizes throughout that “Deep in her blood and bones, she was still a Marine” (p87). In DESTINY, faced with perpetual survival challenges, Rollins has a chance to serve her beleaguered country, which has lost more than 100 million lives in the Nomad event and is about to face a “second dose of the apocalypse” (p81) from a collision with Saturn’s rings (don’t ask). Sadly, faced with the impending extinction of humanity, “the structure of the old world seemed determined to make its way into the new” (p73). Geopolitics, conspiracies, greed, betrayals – a mess that distracts from the sci fi elements of DESTINY. The four-book series has been an stimulating read, overall, but a similar story was much better told and written in Neal Stephenson’s SEVENEVES.
February 7, 2018
I liked the story, it was a good conclusion to the series. The end was largely predictable. There were a large amount of typos and grammar problems. I started highlighting them after I got annoyed with it, largely in the last 30% of the book. I have made those highlights visible if Mr. Mather or someone with the ability wishes to review and edit.
This series was interesting and a good read. The parts with Saturn were especially of interest to me because as a child I had a recurring dream where I was standing on a hill with a large group of people looking at a very large Saturn in the sky. I am not sure why my imagination was obsessed with that idea, but I never forgot the imagery of those dreams, and this book reminded me of it. It was all to easy to picture that in my mind as Saturn drew near in the story.
I don't consider any of this as a spoiler because if you have read book 3 or read a synopsis of this book, you know Saturn is coming.
This series was interesting and a good read. The parts with Saturn were especially of interest to me because as a child I had a recurring dream where I was standing on a hill with a large group of people looking at a very large Saturn in the sky. I am not sure why my imagination was obsessed with that idea, but I never forgot the imagery of those dreams, and this book reminded me of it. It was all to easy to picture that in my mind as Saturn drew near in the story.
I don't consider any of this as a spoiler because if you have read book 3 or read a synopsis of this book, you know Saturn is coming.
January 28, 2021
"Destiny" is the conclusion of the four-book series. If you haven't read the previous books I wouldn't recommend reading this one as a stand-alone.
I enjoyed this book slightly more than the last one. The writing is very good but the entire series has been more mystery than science fiction. I'm more of a hard science kind of guy. In this series, the science is more of a set, on which the mystery occurs. I will admit though, there was a little more science stuff going on as the book neared the end.
Our heroine is likeable but a bit over the top. A mountain-climbing, amputee, war vet who can outfight most of the bad guys she meets and, after sustaining numerous serious injuries, survive conditions severe enough to break a Navy Seal.
But, like I said, if you enjoy mysterious characters, plot twists, adventure and lots of action, the writing is very good and the book will keep you turning pages.
I enjoyed this book slightly more than the last one. The writing is very good but the entire series has been more mystery than science fiction. I'm more of a hard science kind of guy. In this series, the science is more of a set, on which the mystery occurs. I will admit though, there was a little more science stuff going on as the book neared the end.
Our heroine is likeable but a bit over the top. A mountain-climbing, amputee, war vet who can outfight most of the bad guys she meets and, after sustaining numerous serious injuries, survive conditions severe enough to break a Navy Seal.
But, like I said, if you enjoy mysterious characters, plot twists, adventure and lots of action, the writing is very good and the book will keep you turning pages.
May 1, 2022
Least Interesting in the Series
I felt like this was the least interesting of the four books in the series. Part of the reason, I think is on me. Much of the story is set in Africa, Russia, China, and Mongolia and I am just not as familiar with the geography and language of those areas as I might be. Thus, much of the time I felt like I was slogging through dense mud. Otherwise, the story was engaging and often surprising. In fact, the ending surprised the f**k out of me. Didn’t see that coming! All in all, a good series. If you are considering purchasing the books, I’d say go ahead. I think you will like the story.
On the technical side, sadly, I have to note several errors. They all occurred in the later chapters and were most often the omission of a word in a sentence. Perhaps Mr. Mather was in a rush to get the completed book to the publisher, even though these books are not “published” in the traditional sense. Speculation on my part. An unknown unknown.
I felt like this was the least interesting of the four books in the series. Part of the reason, I think is on me. Much of the story is set in Africa, Russia, China, and Mongolia and I am just not as familiar with the geography and language of those areas as I might be. Thus, much of the time I felt like I was slogging through dense mud. Otherwise, the story was engaging and often surprising. In fact, the ending surprised the f**k out of me. Didn’t see that coming! All in all, a good series. If you are considering purchasing the books, I’d say go ahead. I think you will like the story.
On the technical side, sadly, I have to note several errors. They all occurred in the later chapters and were most often the omission of a word in a sentence. Perhaps Mr. Mather was in a rush to get the completed book to the publisher, even though these books are not “published” in the traditional sense. Speculation on my part. An unknown unknown.
October 14, 2018
Satisfying end to the series
This book takes us to a surprising end to the ongoing trek Jess and her group have taken around the world in search of a respite from the damage to Earth caused by Nomad. I still like all the characters, even the villains. They are fully developed and the heroes have understandable actions as do the villains. "Destiny" has plot twists that are fascinating and the book had me staying up way later than usual to see what would happen next. If you have read the previous 3 books in this series, you will not be disappointed in this one. I am sorry to see these characters go out of my reading life, but this was a very satisfying end to the "Nomad" stories. Enjoy!!
This book takes us to a surprising end to the ongoing trek Jess and her group have taken around the world in search of a respite from the damage to Earth caused by Nomad. I still like all the characters, even the villains. They are fully developed and the heroes have understandable actions as do the villains. "Destiny" has plot twists that are fascinating and the book had me staying up way later than usual to see what would happen next. If you have read the previous 3 books in this series, you will not be disappointed in this one. I am sorry to see these characters go out of my reading life, but this was a very satisfying end to the "Nomad" stories. Enjoy!!
October 9, 2021
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.
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.
June 8, 2017
I just finished this four-book series and thought it improved with each new book. I like it when each book in a series ends by wrapping up the secondary plot lines while leaving the main premise open. I really don't like it when a series leaves everything hanging and just continues from where the last book left off. This series falls into the first category, which made me happy.
The books kept me guessing on the main plot right up to the conclusion, which I didn't see coming. I love it when an author keeps me in suspense like that.
These books combine science fiction with apocalypse. The science is very well done. Clearly Mr. Mather did his research before writing these books. Highly recommended.
The books kept me guessing on the main plot right up to the conclusion, which I didn't see coming. I love it when an author keeps me in suspense like that.
These books combine science fiction with apocalypse. The science is very well done. Clearly Mr. Mather did his research before writing these books. Highly recommended.
June 17, 2017
Just a pleasure to seep through the captivating story, caring for Jessica and others she engaged, hooked to the main characters who drive their surroundings into the future they must create, both villains and heroes.
That's a planet disaster novel, with as large of love and care story, full with both futuristic still probable high tech along with the mighty forces of nature and human spirit.
This part 4 was not easy to read because of the never ending struggle and major turn arounds, but still worthy!!
That's a planet disaster novel, with as large of love and care story, full with both futuristic still probable high tech along with the mighty forces of nature and human spirit.
This part 4 was not easy to read because of the never ending struggle and major turn arounds, but still worthy!!
November 13, 2019
Best series ever!
For me, other than the classic Sci Fi authors, such as Asimov, Heinlein, Clark, etc, I have struggled to find an author who writes so well that I believe every word written could actually happen. Matthew Mather is definitely one of the rare few authors that is able to keep my attention and not wanting the book to end. This series had me on the edge of my seat pretty much all three books. I'm looking forward to reading more of Mr Mather's work and highly recommend this series.
For me, other than the classic Sci Fi authors, such as Asimov, Heinlein, Clark, etc, I have struggled to find an author who writes so well that I believe every word written could actually happen. Matthew Mather is definitely one of the rare few authors that is able to keep my attention and not wanting the book to end. This series had me on the edge of my seat pretty much all three books. I'm looking forward to reading more of Mr Mather's work and highly recommend this series.
November 15, 2019
So the Earth Series comes to its conclusion, and I'm not sure whether it's a satisfactory conclusion. After going through so much we are left knowing the fate of only two characters. I feel slightly betrayed that the concept of surviving Nomad, and the prospect of rebuilding life on earth contained in the series is abandoned for a frankly misogynistic denouement. Until the conclusion this was excellent, and easily held its place in the series, but Matthew, the end is just so unnecessarily wrong.
August 31, 2020
Science-based fiction the good part
I enjoyed the sci-fi part of this story so much, and I even include the political subterfuge of one of the main characters. I didn't enjoy as much the impossible spy feats and adventure story. That's not because I don't like those stories, but that isn't the special talent of this author. I would have preferred escapes from confinement based on scientific and technical prowess. That said, the science story's complexity and final reveal deserve a 5 star rating. I look forward to the sequel.
I enjoyed the sci-fi part of this story so much, and I even include the political subterfuge of one of the main characters. I didn't enjoy as much the impossible spy feats and adventure story. That's not because I don't like those stories, but that isn't the special talent of this author. I would have preferred escapes from confinement based on scientific and technical prowess. That said, the science story's complexity and final reveal deserve a 5 star rating. I look forward to the sequel.
August 15, 2017
Twisty to the end
Okay...I mostly wanted to just finish the series. The editing gets a little sloppy towards the end but its forgivable. I want to say that the ending is satisfying but it doesn't seem as well researched or thought out as the first books in the series. Recommended for readers that want a conclusion and don't mind overlooking the lack of polish or attention to detail.
Okay...I mostly wanted to just finish the series. The editing gets a little sloppy towards the end but its forgivable. I want to say that the ending is satisfying but it doesn't seem as well researched or thought out as the first books in the series. Recommended for readers that want a conclusion and don't mind overlooking the lack of polish or attention to detail.
October 31, 2017
Nicely finished
Although this series lost its way a bit in the middle, it has finished off with a bang! Jess has managed to be nowhere near as irritating in this volume and she finally seems to realise not everyone is a selfish bastard out to get her - even if they didn't tell her everything that was going on from the start. There is plenty of action and political intrigue is still around, even with half the population dead. But things do work out - kind of - in the end.
Although this series lost its way a bit in the middle, it has finished off with a bang! Jess has managed to be nowhere near as irritating in this volume and she finally seems to realise not everyone is a selfish bastard out to get her - even if they didn't tell her everything that was going on from the start. There is plenty of action and political intrigue is still around, even with half the population dead. But things do work out - kind of - in the end.
July 2, 2018
The New Earth Series - Amazing Stuff!
The New Earth Series was pretty amazing. The writing and the story line picked up momentum as each book progressed. Very much turned into a "page turner" as one continues through books two to four. I highly recommend reading the first book - Nomad - and you'll find yourself wanting to go through all four books to find out what finally happens. Highly recommended!
The New Earth Series was pretty amazing. The writing and the story line picked up momentum as each book progressed. Very much turned into a "page turner" as one continues through books two to four. I highly recommend reading the first book - Nomad - and you'll find yourself wanting to go through all four books to find out what finally happens. Highly recommended!
November 15, 2018
Great Series
I love all of Matthew Mather’s books do far. Cyberstorm was my first read this summer and I’m now hooked. I’ve read Darknet and the Nomad series. He writes in a way that keeps you hooked wondering what’s going to happen next. Very imaginative and engaging. I totally recommend.
The only thing is that I wish I could get his books from the library because my kindle unlimited expired and I have yet to read his other series, Atopia.
I love all of Matthew Mather’s books do far. Cyberstorm was my first read this summer and I’m now hooked. I’ve read Darknet and the Nomad series. He writes in a way that keeps you hooked wondering what’s going to happen next. Very imaginative and engaging. I totally recommend.
The only thing is that I wish I could get his books from the library because my kindle unlimited expired and I have yet to read his other series, Atopia.
January 11, 2019
Great story with strong central characters. Very entertaining.
I read all four books in the space of a week and a half. They were well written and fast paced. Twists and turns kept me guessing what surprise was coming up. Jess was a complex and sometimes perplexing character but with real human emotions. The plot was interesting and the ending was a total surprise. Great reads all in all. Thank you.
I read all four books in the space of a week and a half. They were well written and fast paced. Twists and turns kept me guessing what surprise was coming up. Jess was a complex and sometimes perplexing character but with real human emotions. The plot was interesting and the ending was a total surprise. Great reads all in all. Thank you.
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