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The Other
Gold Award, Fantasy / Science Fiction category, eLit Book Awards.
Fear can blind you to the truth.
The news is ominous and terrifying. People are seeing UFOs and strange, alien-looking creatures with humanoid shapes, green skin and large black eyes. In places where this occurs, doctors report the spread of a mysterious virus that scrambles people’s thoughts and causes hallucinations. Many experts believe the virus came from the aliens. The pathogen has not yet been identified; there is no cure.
Psychology professor Dr. Cora Frost has a different theory: the bizarre symptoms are nothing more than mass hysteria, not unlike the hysteria that caused people in our not too distant past to see witches flying through the sky, which justified hanging them or burning them at the stake. Intense stress within societies gives rise to scapegoats. Doing field research within the compound of a cult in Roswell, New Mexico that reveres the exact same kinds of aliens being reported on the news, her entire worldview is shaken and upended. In a shocking series of events, her past and future collide, forever changing her life.
Fear can blind you to the truth.
The news is ominous and terrifying. People are seeing UFOs and strange, alien-looking creatures with humanoid shapes, green skin and large black eyes. In places where this occurs, doctors report the spread of a mysterious virus that scrambles people’s thoughts and causes hallucinations. Many experts believe the virus came from the aliens. The pathogen has not yet been identified; there is no cure.
Psychology professor Dr. Cora Frost has a different theory: the bizarre symptoms are nothing more than mass hysteria, not unlike the hysteria that caused people in our not too distant past to see witches flying through the sky, which justified hanging them or burning them at the stake. Intense stress within societies gives rise to scapegoats. Doing field research within the compound of a cult in Roswell, New Mexico that reveres the exact same kinds of aliens being reported on the news, her entire worldview is shaken and upended. In a shocking series of events, her past and future collide, forever changing her life.
135 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 14, 2018
117 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Marilyn Peake
53 books2,093 followersUSA TODAY and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Marilyn Peake writes Science Fiction and Fantasy. She's one of the contributing authors in Book: The Sequel, published by The Perseus Books Group, with one of her entries included in serialization at The Daily Beast. In addition, Marilyn has served as Editor for a number of anthologies. Her short stories have been published in numerous anthologies and on the literary blog, Glass Cases.
AWARDS: Silver Award, two Honorable Mentions and eight Finalist placements in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards, two Winner and two Finalist placements in the EPPIE Awards, Winner of the Dream Realm Awards, Finalist placement in the 2015 National Indie Excellence Book Awards, Winner of "Best Horror" in the eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook Awards, two Semi-Finalist placements in the Young Adult category of the Kindle Book Awards, and Gold Award in the Fantasy / Science Fiction category of the eLit Book Awards.
AWARDS: Silver Award, two Honorable Mentions and eight Finalist placements in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards, two Winner and two Finalist placements in the EPPIE Awards, Winner of the Dream Realm Awards, Finalist placement in the 2015 National Indie Excellence Book Awards, Winner of "Best Horror" in the eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook Awards, two Semi-Finalist placements in the Young Adult category of the Kindle Book Awards, and Gold Award in the Fantasy / Science Fiction category of the eLit Book Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
February 22, 2018
Yet another one of those ubiquitous Kindle freebies I’m testing out to confirm my theory about them, or at least, to formulate a proper theory. Something to explain their popularity. Marilyn Peake is apparently a USA Today best selling author with a prolific body of work that leans toward genre fiction, she’s won awards I’m not familiar with. I tried this one because it was short enough not to warrant an extended commitment, though really she had me at aliens and cults. Turns out the cult portion was minimal, but the alien one was plenteous. There’s actually an interesting new spin on the aliens, literally they are not extraterrestrial, but time travelers. So that’s original and pretty entertaining. The story is told from different interconnected perspectives and congeals together in the end. The thing is, though, that despite the awards, numerous sales and accolades this book still had that very specific quality to it, flat blandness or bland flatness, the studied averageness of being just good enough to attract attention of the less discriminating audience. It’s easy reading, it’s written in a way that puts one in mind of an author churning these out like pancakes, but it doesn’t really stand out in any way. And certainly doesn’t require any sort of mental vigor, which seems to be the case with these random self and small published genre books that proliferate the market. The appeal of these is interesting to me. Is it that they are free or cheap? Well, so is the library and Netgalley (and similar services). Seems like it’s probably the easiness and accessibility of the context, the literal equivalent of watching an inane laugh tracked sitcom instead of a genuinely well done tv show or a movie. Yes, it’s official, I’ve become a book snob. One that isn’t entirely opposed to trying out new lesser known authors, but main requirements now are quality, not availability. Anyway, this was a perfectly serviceable read and science fiction fans would find enough here to warrant the time it takes to read it. No idea if this is author’s best work, seems like it might be seeing how she’s offering it for free in her newsletter to presumably attract new readership and sell more books.
March 6, 2018
The Other starts strongly and continues well, although I found the ending a little rushed. The characters are engaging and the story well written, but the thing that most impressed me was the originality of the concept. There's nothing like taking a phenomenon and giving it a new slant, and Peake's book gives such a totally new slant on the ubiquitous images one is always seeing of 'aliens' - those stupid-looking little creatures with their huge black eyes that one associates with Area 51 and conspiracy theories - that it just blew me away. Well worth a read.
October 15, 2018
Nope.
Neat premise. But somehow everyone just accepts that theres aliens? Pass.
Update: I just saw the cover photo. I mean REALLY saw the cover photo. Best Selling? Yeah right. People must be buying this by accident. I read the Kobo copy (spoiler alert: was free), and the read time was 2 hours. I should have known better.
Like I say, neat enough premise in that the aliens are actually time travellers (us in the future). Little development where it really mattered. In the middle of the book a guy gets caught for killing his wife and preserving her body underneath his barn because he just couldn't let go - really interesting event but it actually had no tie to the plot.
Girl reads the paper and casually chats with her dad about how there MIGHT be aliens in California like all the papers are saying... Then she goes to meet her biological mother and runs into the aliens, which she is just ACCEPTING OF. Her biological mother is irritated that she just SHOWED UP in the middle of her study. Daughter has a cyst removed by the alien (turns out it was her twin that didn't fully die in the womb so she absorbed it into her body and it became a cyst). Mom also had a twin that died and BOOM they besties....
Ah-Passssss
Neat premise. But somehow everyone just accepts that theres aliens? Pass.
Update: I just saw the cover photo. I mean REALLY saw the cover photo. Best Selling? Yeah right. People must be buying this by accident. I read the Kobo copy (spoiler alert: was free), and the read time was 2 hours. I should have known better.
Like I say, neat enough premise in that the aliens are actually time travellers (us in the future). Little development where it really mattered. In the middle of the book a guy gets caught for killing his wife and preserving her body underneath his barn because he just couldn't let go - really interesting event but it actually had no tie to the plot.
Girl reads the paper and casually chats with her dad about how there MIGHT be aliens in California like all the papers are saying... Then she goes to meet her biological mother and runs into the aliens, which she is just ACCEPTING OF. Her biological mother is irritated that she just SHOWED UP in the middle of her study. Daughter has a cyst removed by the alien (turns out it was her twin that didn't fully die in the womb so she absorbed it into her body and it became a cyst). Mom also had a twin that died and BOOM they besties....
Ah-Passssss
January 24, 2018
Read this when it was part of the boxset Dominion Rising and found it excellent.
The story is well thought out and brings to fruition a clever idea about why we see so many Aliens of the big eye variety.
In a time of chaos and hysteria taking root across the globe this is an all too realistic scenario.
I won't spoil it but i found the quality to be on one of the best buys of the year 2017, expect it to do well in 2018 as well
The story is well thought out and brings to fruition a clever idea about why we see so many Aliens of the big eye variety.
In a time of chaos and hysteria taking root across the globe this is an all too realistic scenario.
I won't spoil it but i found the quality to be on one of the best buys of the year 2017, expect it to do well in 2018 as well
January 16, 2018
Marilyn Peake’s The Other is a wonderfully thrilling adventure of a novel, with terrorist violence and North Korean missile threats, plus aliens and virus (etc) in a near version of our world gone wrong. Great plot, great characters and great writing. A definite “must read” and highly recommended.
June 8, 2018
‘The Other’ is an easy book. I don’t mean that rudely - it’s well written, goes at a good pace and is very readable. What I mean is that it’s short, the plot is simple and the characterisation straightforward. That makes it a good read for when you want to be entertained and don’t want to have to think too hard.
The premise is intriguing, although not really new. The story features aliens, little green people in an image established in comics and sci-fi folklore, who are not from another solar system or galaxy but are actually Earthlings from the future who have come back in time. There is even an explanation of their bug eyes (convincing) and their greenness (not so convincing).
The setting is very contemporary: trouble with North Korea, Russian computer hackers, terrorist attacks, US cults. In the midst of this are alien sightings which are… well, what? Genuine observations? Or mass hysteria brought on as a result of the highly charged environment? The opposing views are well put. The structure is neat: three discrete sections about different women, with a final section which shows how everyone is connected.
More could have been made of some of the elements of the story. For example, the stand-off between the armed authorities and the cult could have been more exciting and dramatic. Also there were a few things I didn’t get. I couldn’t see the significance of the hoarders or why so much is made of them – but maybe that’s me reading carelessly and missing something. Having said that, there are also some satisfying features: the main characters learn about themselves and grow; the paradox of how visitors from the future might return without interfering with events and changing them is well put - although I think would have been even better if some reference had been made to modern theories of multi-verses.
I enjoyed this book. I came to it after re-reading Moby Dick, which is neither short nor an easy read, so this one was refreshing. To be honest, I could have done with a bit more reflection and discursiveness but I’m happy to recommend it and give it 4 stars as a good holiday read.
The premise is intriguing, although not really new. The story features aliens, little green people in an image established in comics and sci-fi folklore, who are not from another solar system or galaxy but are actually Earthlings from the future who have come back in time. There is even an explanation of their bug eyes (convincing) and their greenness (not so convincing).
The setting is very contemporary: trouble with North Korea, Russian computer hackers, terrorist attacks, US cults. In the midst of this are alien sightings which are… well, what? Genuine observations? Or mass hysteria brought on as a result of the highly charged environment? The opposing views are well put. The structure is neat: three discrete sections about different women, with a final section which shows how everyone is connected.
More could have been made of some of the elements of the story. For example, the stand-off between the armed authorities and the cult could have been more exciting and dramatic. Also there were a few things I didn’t get. I couldn’t see the significance of the hoarders or why so much is made of them – but maybe that’s me reading carelessly and missing something. Having said that, there are also some satisfying features: the main characters learn about themselves and grow; the paradox of how visitors from the future might return without interfering with events and changing them is well put - although I think would have been even better if some reference had been made to modern theories of multi-verses.
I enjoyed this book. I came to it after re-reading Moby Dick, which is neither short nor an easy read, so this one was refreshing. To be honest, I could have done with a bit more reflection and discursiveness but I’m happy to recommend it and give it 4 stars as a good holiday read.
January 16, 2018
The first real story of aliens invading the Earth was by H.G. Wells in 1898's War of the World. Orson Wells used it as the basis for his 1938 radio broadcast that scared a large portion of the population of the United States. It has since been made into a movie several times.After World War II rumors started to circulate among cultists a flying saucer had crash landed near Roswell NM and been spirited off to Area 51, a secret Air Force Base in the middle of the desert. Thus the legend of little green men began and was nurtured in the arid middle of nowhere.
The Other delves into this and takes you along for the ride. It is an intriguing and beguiling story that kept me engrossed throughout.
The story starts with a psychology researcher and and an anthropologist going to a cult near Roswell NM. They are there to investigate what they believe is the mass hysteria that is behind the reports of UFOs and aliens. That is all I'm going to say because I don't want to post spoilers.
I will say this is a story worth reading. It covers the ethics of interfering and how the law of unintended consequences can take its toll. Along the way the main characters learn about themselves in a most satisfying way.
The Other delves into this and takes you along for the ride. It is an intriguing and beguiling story that kept me engrossed throughout.
The story starts with a psychology researcher and and an anthropologist going to a cult near Roswell NM. They are there to investigate what they believe is the mass hysteria that is behind the reports of UFOs and aliens. That is all I'm going to say because I don't want to post spoilers.
I will say this is a story worth reading. It covers the ethics of interfering and how the law of unintended consequences can take its toll. Along the way the main characters learn about themselves in a most satisfying way.
January 16, 2018
I read this book as part of the Dominion Rising box set. And remember it like I read it just yesterday. (Which is a good thing!!)
An awesome story of alien invasion, or is it? What will become of us in the future? Are we really seeing ourselves in alien form, 100's, if not 1000's of years from now?
This book gripped me from the start. And when it was done I squealed "sequel!!"
There has to be, I can see it a mile away!!
You won't want it to end, trust me.
An awesome story of alien invasion, or is it? What will become of us in the future? Are we really seeing ourselves in alien form, 100's, if not 1000's of years from now?
This book gripped me from the start. And when it was done I squealed "sequel!!"
There has to be, I can see it a mile away!!
You won't want it to end, trust me.
January 16, 2018
The Other: What a fantastic story. Marilyn Peake has outdone herself. I have just found a new exciting author and I plan to stick with her. This is just the tip of a great series and I hope to see another story soon. Totally enjoyed this book and highly recommend to anyone who wonders about mysteries of the universe and the future of mankind.
May 18, 2019
If your read the blurb you know this was a different type story. Turns out that is exactly what it was. A blending of sci fy fantasy in current times, past history and the future. As long as you can keep track of the story line with it’s flashbacks you will enjoy this read. Interesting cast of characters and a very intriguing story line makes this a fun & interesting read.
February 25, 2018
Unusual alien visitation story. I enjoyed the twist of the "aliens'" identity. Includes visits to Roswell and cult compounds. This story will be fun for science fiction fans.
April 26, 2019
The Other
I enjoyed reading this book about time travelers being sent to other times and places to find out information. This was a job and i'd enjoy doing this as a job myself.
I enjoyed reading this book about time travelers being sent to other times and places to find out information. This was a job and i'd enjoy doing this as a job myself.
September 18, 2022
I liked the idea, but the rhythm was weird in this book. Also it played with sentimentality in a way I didn't like. It is different to convey empathy, but over emotionality is wearisome. I didn't like the way the characters acted It didn't make sense. One not answering a single message, one not going for a check-up, one not being careful when traveling...
June 21, 2019
I love the cover for The Other by Marilyn Peak, a time traveling science fiction novel that took me by surprise and kept me riveted from beginning to end.
See more at fundinmental
See more at fundinmental
January 16, 2018
Title: The Other
Author: Marilyn Peake
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: B06XDGHZF5
Buy Link: http://www.marilynpeake.com/theother
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
The world was melting down. North Korea had tested another nuclear missile. Terrorist attacks were happening with frightening regularity in European cities. In the United States, the FBI and CIA were investigating multiple computer hacks in which the Russians were the prime suspects. Then the news took an even more ominous tone. People began seeing UFOs and strange, alien-looking creatures with humanoid shapes, green skin and large black eyes. In places where this occurred, doctors reported the spread of a mysterious virus that scrambled people’s thoughts and caused hallucinations. Many experts believed the virus came from the aliens. The pathogen had not yet been identified; there was no known cure.
Psychology professor Dr. Cora Frost had a different theory: the bizarre symptoms were nothing more than mass hysteria, not unlike the hysteria that caused people in our not-too-distant past to see witches flying through the sky, which justified hanging them or burning them at the stake. Intense stress within societies gives rise to scapegoats. Doing field research within the compound of a cult in Roswell, New Mexico that revered the exact same kinds of aliens being reported on the news, Cora’s entire worldview is shaken and upended. In a shocking series of events, her past and future collide, forever changing her life.
Total Score: 4/5
Summary:
This book started out introducing seemingly different characters who were living in a time where the world was experiencing a potential disaster from outside of our world. Cora couldn't wait to learn more about the a strange religious cult in where else Roswell, New Mexico. Cora and Nate were determined to find out the truth what ever it was, but what they found was more than they ever expected. Jade knew that she was adopted, but it wasn't until she got sick that she ever thought of looking for her biological mom, Cora, until then. Paloma and Zander from a future time hoping to obtain human DNA that could save his people. These very random individuals found themselves in Roswell, one of the places on Earth known for alien sitings.
The book took the reader into the lives of these random individuals seeing how their past influenced their growth and development. Adding to that the mass hysteria that usually happens with UFOs, the standoff between a cult, The Astral Plane, and the government about an unexplained death, and the illness that was effecting many people in the area leaving you with a very complex plot. While I enjoyed all the build up, once everyone arrived at Roswell things seemed to speed up continuing on a more superficial level. I mean meeting an alien isn't your everyday activity, but it didn't seem to effect anyone in that manner. Some of the characters,
Paloma and Nate were not really active in the story after a certain point making me wonder if they were still there. In all, I feel that while I enjoyed the story it would be vastly improved if these areas were expanded allowing the reader to really get into how the experience effected the characters and those around them.
Author: Marilyn Peake
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: B06XDGHZF5
Buy Link: http://www.marilynpeake.com/theother
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
The world was melting down. North Korea had tested another nuclear missile. Terrorist attacks were happening with frightening regularity in European cities. In the United States, the FBI and CIA were investigating multiple computer hacks in which the Russians were the prime suspects. Then the news took an even more ominous tone. People began seeing UFOs and strange, alien-looking creatures with humanoid shapes, green skin and large black eyes. In places where this occurred, doctors reported the spread of a mysterious virus that scrambled people’s thoughts and caused hallucinations. Many experts believed the virus came from the aliens. The pathogen had not yet been identified; there was no known cure.
Psychology professor Dr. Cora Frost had a different theory: the bizarre symptoms were nothing more than mass hysteria, not unlike the hysteria that caused people in our not-too-distant past to see witches flying through the sky, which justified hanging them or burning them at the stake. Intense stress within societies gives rise to scapegoats. Doing field research within the compound of a cult in Roswell, New Mexico that revered the exact same kinds of aliens being reported on the news, Cora’s entire worldview is shaken and upended. In a shocking series of events, her past and future collide, forever changing her life.
Total Score: 4/5
Summary:
This book started out introducing seemingly different characters who were living in a time where the world was experiencing a potential disaster from outside of our world. Cora couldn't wait to learn more about the a strange religious cult in where else Roswell, New Mexico. Cora and Nate were determined to find out the truth what ever it was, but what they found was more than they ever expected. Jade knew that she was adopted, but it wasn't until she got sick that she ever thought of looking for her biological mom, Cora, until then. Paloma and Zander from a future time hoping to obtain human DNA that could save his people. These very random individuals found themselves in Roswell, one of the places on Earth known for alien sitings.
The book took the reader into the lives of these random individuals seeing how their past influenced their growth and development. Adding to that the mass hysteria that usually happens with UFOs, the standoff between a cult, The Astral Plane, and the government about an unexplained death, and the illness that was effecting many people in the area leaving you with a very complex plot. While I enjoyed all the build up, once everyone arrived at Roswell things seemed to speed up continuing on a more superficial level. I mean meeting an alien isn't your everyday activity, but it didn't seem to effect anyone in that manner. Some of the characters,
Paloma and Nate were not really active in the story after a certain point making me wonder if they were still there. In all, I feel that while I enjoyed the story it would be vastly improved if these areas were expanded allowing the reader to really get into how the experience effected the characters and those around them.
February 23, 2018
The Other
By Marilyn Peake
January 2018
129 pages, ebook only
Sci-fi
✮✮✮✮⭒
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. This is my honest review for which I am not being compensated in any way.
The cover is outstanding. It really catches your eye with that lovely blue and the city with spaceships overhead! The story is pretty good. The grubbing Ph.D. is after the info from the inside on the Roswell cult. The scrambling young women whose adopted mother just died of ovarian cancer is looking for her biological mother. That just happens to be the Ph.D. The scientist from the future needs something from the young woman and can help both women from the past. She creates a bridge between the past and future. The pace is pretty fast and the tension is pretty high throughout.
And here begins the reveal…
Cora Frost Ph.D. is a woman who has left behind her life and thrown herself into her work to forget. All she cares about is getting the story on these two people from the future, Paloma and Zander. She’ll do almost anything to get inside with them, even things she may not be too proud of. She’s headed for fame.
Paloma has been being chased all over the universe and has recently lost her partner, a friend. After a brief time to recover from the shock, she’s back in the time continuum with a new partner, Zander, looking for a way to save the future of mankind. The search has brought her to Roswell, NM.
Jade Whitaker was a barista but has recently taken a new job working with Archer-Knight Hoarding Center helping people who are hoarders cope with their situations. Her adoptive mother has died of ovarian cancer and her adoptive father is in a bit of a fog. He provides her with her birth certificate so that she can search for her biological mother, who is listed as none other than Cora Frost. Jade has been having worsening right lower quadrant abdominal pain. With her adoptive mother’s death, she feels it’s important to know her biological mother’s medical history. With the pain becoming quite severe, Jade talks her way into Roswell to Dr. Frost, who immediately tries to brush her off. She really wants nothing to do with her and has been ignoring her incoming phone calls. Until Jade explains what she wants and why and then collapses in agonizing pain. Paloma steps forward at this point and takes over.
Paloma examines Jade and discovers a vestigial twin on Jade’s ovary. She removes it surgically and asks if she can keep the cells for the future. These cells are exactly what she and Zander need to save the future of mankind. Apparently, Cora had been a twin as well. Her twin’s name was Crystal. If Jade had been a twin, the other girl would have been named Sapphire. From the cells retrieved from Jade, Paloma creates two transparent stones. One with Crystal’s hair and one with Sapphire’s hair. They were the “bridge between the past and future of the entire human race”. Cora, having spent time with Jade now, offers to let Jade work with her on her project. The mother and daughter have created something of a bond.
So, is it the other twin, the other time, or the other mother? Which other do you think it is?
Recommended.
By Marilyn Peake
January 2018
129 pages, ebook only
Sci-fi
✮✮✮✮⭒
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. This is my honest review for which I am not being compensated in any way.
The cover is outstanding. It really catches your eye with that lovely blue and the city with spaceships overhead! The story is pretty good. The grubbing Ph.D. is after the info from the inside on the Roswell cult. The scrambling young women whose adopted mother just died of ovarian cancer is looking for her biological mother. That just happens to be the Ph.D. The scientist from the future needs something from the young woman and can help both women from the past. She creates a bridge between the past and future. The pace is pretty fast and the tension is pretty high throughout.
And here begins the reveal…
Cora Frost Ph.D. is a woman who has left behind her life and thrown herself into her work to forget. All she cares about is getting the story on these two people from the future, Paloma and Zander. She’ll do almost anything to get inside with them, even things she may not be too proud of. She’s headed for fame.
Paloma has been being chased all over the universe and has recently lost her partner, a friend. After a brief time to recover from the shock, she’s back in the time continuum with a new partner, Zander, looking for a way to save the future of mankind. The search has brought her to Roswell, NM.
Jade Whitaker was a barista but has recently taken a new job working with Archer-Knight Hoarding Center helping people who are hoarders cope with their situations. Her adoptive mother has died of ovarian cancer and her adoptive father is in a bit of a fog. He provides her with her birth certificate so that she can search for her biological mother, who is listed as none other than Cora Frost. Jade has been having worsening right lower quadrant abdominal pain. With her adoptive mother’s death, she feels it’s important to know her biological mother’s medical history. With the pain becoming quite severe, Jade talks her way into Roswell to Dr. Frost, who immediately tries to brush her off. She really wants nothing to do with her and has been ignoring her incoming phone calls. Until Jade explains what she wants and why and then collapses in agonizing pain. Paloma steps forward at this point and takes over.
Paloma examines Jade and discovers a vestigial twin on Jade’s ovary. She removes it surgically and asks if she can keep the cells for the future. These cells are exactly what she and Zander need to save the future of mankind. Apparently, Cora had been a twin as well. Her twin’s name was Crystal. If Jade had been a twin, the other girl would have been named Sapphire. From the cells retrieved from Jade, Paloma creates two transparent stones. One with Crystal’s hair and one with Sapphire’s hair. They were the “bridge between the past and future of the entire human race”. Cora, having spent time with Jade now, offers to let Jade work with her on her project. The mother and daughter have created something of a bond.
So, is it the other twin, the other time, or the other mother? Which other do you think it is?
Recommended.
February 10, 2018
Could This Be Alternate Branch Of Earth's Future ?
There is Fate, and any number of choices we make daily could change our individual path thru the world. Or maybe if it's a big enough step off the path our lives seem to head toward maybe change mankind's destiny.
What would do if faced with what is clearly an alien creature, could it possibly be you in an alternative timeline ?
Would you be open minded to hear the message they have ? Or would you shake your head thinking I have completely lost my last two working brain cells...
This story while complete also leaves you thinking I WANT A SEQUAL !!!
Characters are formed in a logical manner, the story flows till the ending, that while finishing the tale told makes you wanna shake it for more.. Greedy aren't we..The story flows from the ability of humans to show kindness and understanding to the darkest cruelties human's can do to another..
Abandoned babes, to those stolen and a lie the babe was stillborn 80% of this book is historically happened in our past, 20% is what we may or not be able to do.
If you like science fiction with a surprise twist this is a really great read. This is NOT your episode of Star Trek.... More like a step into the Twilight..ENJOY, I DID.
There is Fate, and any number of choices we make daily could change our individual path thru the world. Or maybe if it's a big enough step off the path our lives seem to head toward maybe change mankind's destiny.
What would do if faced with what is clearly an alien creature, could it possibly be you in an alternative timeline ?
Would you be open minded to hear the message they have ? Or would you shake your head thinking I have completely lost my last two working brain cells...
This story while complete also leaves you thinking I WANT A SEQUAL !!!
Characters are formed in a logical manner, the story flows till the ending, that while finishing the tale told makes you wanna shake it for more.. Greedy aren't we..The story flows from the ability of humans to show kindness and understanding to the darkest cruelties human's can do to another..
Abandoned babes, to those stolen and a lie the babe was stillborn 80% of this book is historically happened in our past, 20% is what we may or not be able to do.
If you like science fiction with a surprise twist this is a really great read. This is NOT your episode of Star Trek.... More like a step into the Twilight..ENJOY, I DID.
October 6, 2018
Spoilers.
This really is not a good book at all. As a book posing as *science fiction* it’s a god-awful abomination.
It’s as though the author had read around the edges of one or two of the worst sci-fi books from the 1950s, watched a couple of old sci-fi B-movies, and has heard people talk about Roswell and UFOs in the most general terms. The usual cliches are presented in abundance:
Aliens communicate telepathically;
Twins have a telepathic connection;
Aliens have large heads, huge black eyes and green or grey skin;
Everything seems to centre on Roswell;
Aliens are actually time travellers from 1000 years in the future, and in fact our human descendants.
It’s awful. These time-travelling humans all seem to have English names.
Other examples of terrible naivety and awful writing include a character shocked and unnerved that the eyes in a portrait appear to follow her around the room (of course they do, it’s a two-dimensional image); a character’s search for her birth mother which suggests the author has no idea how this works; and a half-page of text detailing a woman taking a pee in a dirty toilet.
Even though I picked this book up for free from BookBub, I feel cheated. Not recommended.
This really is not a good book at all. As a book posing as *science fiction* it’s a god-awful abomination.
It’s as though the author had read around the edges of one or two of the worst sci-fi books from the 1950s, watched a couple of old sci-fi B-movies, and has heard people talk about Roswell and UFOs in the most general terms. The usual cliches are presented in abundance:
Aliens communicate telepathically;
Twins have a telepathic connection;
Aliens have large heads, huge black eyes and green or grey skin;
Everything seems to centre on Roswell;
Aliens are actually time travellers from 1000 years in the future, and in fact our human descendants.
It’s awful. These time-travelling humans all seem to have English names.
Other examples of terrible naivety and awful writing include a character shocked and unnerved that the eyes in a portrait appear to follow her around the room (of course they do, it’s a two-dimensional image); a character’s search for her birth mother which suggests the author has no idea how this works; and a half-page of text detailing a woman taking a pee in a dirty toilet.
Even though I picked this book up for free from BookBub, I feel cheated. Not recommended.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2023
Judging by her website, Marilyn Peake is a prolific author who delves into both fantasy and science fiction genres. This is the first of her books that I have come across in my travels.
The opening premise of this book is quite interesting. Numerous UFO sightings are being reported across the United States. Our protagonist, Dr. Cora Frost, is a psychology professor who has gotten a grant to investigate the phenomena. The story begins as she heads out to the Roswell area to meet with a UFO cult. Making this more interesting is that Frost was raised in a cult herself and her twin sister was killed by that cult while she was making her escape.
Written in the first person, we are off on an adventure from the first page. There is suspense, danger, a lot of family issues, and some side stories that all coalesce into the main story by the time it all wraps up. The author probably could have used another fifty pages so that there could have been more depth to both the characters and storyline.
Unfortunately, this is another science fiction story written by someone who has not done the research necessary to have it removing related to reality. While the writing is far better than pulp paperbacks “back in the day”, Peake’s science was not even up to the standard of Buck Rodgers.
The opening premise of this book is quite interesting. Numerous UFO sightings are being reported across the United States. Our protagonist, Dr. Cora Frost, is a psychology professor who has gotten a grant to investigate the phenomena. The story begins as she heads out to the Roswell area to meet with a UFO cult. Making this more interesting is that Frost was raised in a cult herself and her twin sister was killed by that cult while she was making her escape.
Written in the first person, we are off on an adventure from the first page. There is suspense, danger, a lot of family issues, and some side stories that all coalesce into the main story by the time it all wraps up. The author probably could have used another fifty pages so that there could have been more depth to both the characters and storyline.
Unfortunately, this is another science fiction story written by someone who has not done the research necessary to have it removing related to reality. While the writing is far better than pulp paperbacks “back in the day”, Peake’s science was not even up to the standard of Buck Rodgers.
March 12, 2018
I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.
Who am I and where do I come from? And where am I going? Perhaps we see the answers to those questions in this intriguing tale. Dr. Cora Frost is a psychology professor who studies mass hysteria and is heading to Roswell, New Mexico to study a cult that has been exhibiting weird behavior regarding UFOs.
Meanwhile, Jade Whitaker, a young woman is experiencing a chronic issue with pain in her right side. Starting a new job as a Social Worker, the chronic pain is becoming problematic. She decides it is time to get to the bottom of the issue and seeks some answers from her adoptive father. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know the answers.
As each of these women pursues their objective their paths are coming together in a completely unexpected way.
I enjoyed this book and recommend it to sci-fi lovers and new readers as well. The characters are well-developed and interesting. The concept is unique and fun to reflect upon. The writing is clear and easy. Just the way you like thoughtful but easy reading.
Who am I and where do I come from? And where am I going? Perhaps we see the answers to those questions in this intriguing tale. Dr. Cora Frost is a psychology professor who studies mass hysteria and is heading to Roswell, New Mexico to study a cult that has been exhibiting weird behavior regarding UFOs.
Meanwhile, Jade Whitaker, a young woman is experiencing a chronic issue with pain in her right side. Starting a new job as a Social Worker, the chronic pain is becoming problematic. She decides it is time to get to the bottom of the issue and seeks some answers from her adoptive father. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know the answers.
As each of these women pursues their objective their paths are coming together in a completely unexpected way.
I enjoyed this book and recommend it to sci-fi lovers and new readers as well. The characters are well-developed and interesting. The concept is unique and fun to reflect upon. The writing is clear and easy. Just the way you like thoughtful but easy reading.
August 22, 2018
This had some very good ideas. A nice twist on the Area 51/Roswell fascination.
The story builds up nicely, moving between time lines and characters as is the way with this authors work. There is a nice balance between historical fact and blended fiction which co-exists nicely within this storyline.
I was surprised at how short this story was, the detail and amount of scope for a much longer book surprised me that there was no sequel listed. This was exacerbated towards the end of the book when events seemed to be almost hurried along to their conclusion. A little time spent expanding the later chapters would have made this already good story a five star winner.
Having said this, fair play to the author for taking a market that is flooded with Extra Terrestrial mass market fiction and introducing a refreshingly original take on how these beings came to be and interacted with our kind.
The story builds up nicely, moving between time lines and characters as is the way with this authors work. There is a nice balance between historical fact and blended fiction which co-exists nicely within this storyline.
I was surprised at how short this story was, the detail and amount of scope for a much longer book surprised me that there was no sequel listed. This was exacerbated towards the end of the book when events seemed to be almost hurried along to their conclusion. A little time spent expanding the later chapters would have made this already good story a five star winner.
Having said this, fair play to the author for taking a market that is flooded with Extra Terrestrial mass market fiction and introducing a refreshingly original take on how these beings came to be and interacted with our kind.
July 14, 2018
I very much enjoyed this. I had NO idea what to expect. My sense from reading book blurbs is that the writer's works are mostly not for me. I am not all that into fantasy. But this one surprised me.
The premise is so original and unique that I was really tempted to give it five stars, on that basis alone.
But I almost never do that. The book was not perfect. There were parts of it that made me uncomfortable. There were parts I did not like, some of which, I am confident, was because the author intended it that way. The only other "knock" is that there are different narrators in different parts of the book. The sections are clearly labeled, so it was not a shock. But you DO need to kind of re-orient yourself, every time this happens.
The characterization was well done and believable. It was just a very cool read and I may need to give some of her other titles a re-view.
The premise is so original and unique that I was really tempted to give it five stars, on that basis alone.
But I almost never do that. The book was not perfect. There were parts of it that made me uncomfortable. There were parts I did not like, some of which, I am confident, was because the author intended it that way. The only other "knock" is that there are different narrators in different parts of the book. The sections are clearly labeled, so it was not a shock. But you DO need to kind of re-orient yourself, every time this happens.
The characterization was well done and believable. It was just a very cool read and I may need to give some of her other titles a re-view.
February 4, 2018
This review is for The Other by Marilyn Peake out of this complete set which I had pre-ordered. I enjoyed how she skillfully wove what seemed like three different stories into one cohesive one, while not getting the reader lost along the way. Although, there were a few times I wondered if I was reading the same book of if something had changed and I didn't realize it. But, with that said, I am more than glad I kept on reading to the end where of course she tied all the threads together. All in all, I had a wonderful and entertaining time reading the story. This is a voluntary review of an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
May 22, 2018
The book is written as three discrete sections about different women - and then the last section shows how everyone is connected. I don't want to give away too much of the story and so I'll concentrate on the first story which covers mass hysteria about UFO sightings. Are people seeing aliens or is it a shared virus? Cult mind-control? Dr Cora Frost is hoping that she'll be able to get some funding for a study of this behaviour and she knows that the best way to promote it is to get in with the leaders of the Roswell cult.
January 17, 2018
Not Your Mother's Roswell!
Forget about your preconceived notions of Roswell, NM. This is the stories of three women whose lives intersect on an interesting trajectory. Along the way, the author reminds us of some of the less desirable aspects of humanity. This is a great story with a healthy dose of morality.
Note: Previously read as part of the Dominion Rising boxed set.
Forget about your preconceived notions of Roswell, NM. This is the stories of three women whose lives intersect on an interesting trajectory. Along the way, the author reminds us of some of the less desirable aspects of humanity. This is a great story with a healthy dose of morality.
Note: Previously read as part of the Dominion Rising boxed set.
October 17, 2018
Interesting dystopian story
I enjoyed the author's perspective on the aliens. In other words, the fact that they come from the future and not from another planet. I liked the explanation for why humans look the way they did in the future. However, I felt like the story came to an abrupt end and would like to have read more about Paloma and Xander going back to the future and changing the human race.
I enjoyed the author's perspective on the aliens. In other words, the fact that they come from the future and not from another planet. I liked the explanation for why humans look the way they did in the future. However, I felt like the story came to an abrupt end and would like to have read more about Paloma and Xander going back to the future and changing the human race.
November 13, 2018
I've been reading mostly sci-fi lately and chose this from my to-be-read stack. The story is told from the perspectives of three different characters whose plotlines converge at the end. It was reasonably well written, but somehow didn't appeal to me as much as some others I've read recently. This is most likely a simple personal preference rather than any shortcoming on the part of the author or the story.
June 29, 2024
🌏🛸Original and entertaining!
Doctor Cora Frost was packing up to go to Roswell, New Mexico.
She wanted to do a study on a cult there.
It brought back bad childhood memories that she tried at all costs to forget...
***********
Here is a contemporary science fiction novel which features three characters on the themes of aliens and time travel.
I found this reading totally unexpected, very original and rather entertaining.
I recommend.
Doctor Cora Frost was packing up to go to Roswell, New Mexico.
She wanted to do a study on a cult there.
It brought back bad childhood memories that she tried at all costs to forget...
***********
Here is a contemporary science fiction novel which features three characters on the themes of aliens and time travel.
I found this reading totally unexpected, very original and rather entertaining.
I recommend.
February 9, 2018
What a stunning story! Aliens who aren’t, ufo’s, cults and so much more. Time travel and some unforeseen results and a look at one possible evolutionary step make for a very rich tale plus family relationships to add some spice. Marilyn Peake creates a robust picture of what is and what could be, both in individuals and society. Absolutely riveting! I received this arc and wrote an honest review.
July 31, 2018
I was quite surprised at how much I liked this book. I don't usually react well to the tags "horror" and "Roswell." I was intrigued right away, though, and by the time I got to "time travel" and "future humans who are capable of partial photosynthesis," I was really enjoying myself.
It's short and seems incomplete, so I'm assuming/hoping there are more.
It's short and seems incomplete, so I'm assuming/hoping there are more.
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