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Jonathan Jarl #1
Tabula Rasa
Bladerunner meets Indiana Jones.
A stolen, priceless artifact. An alien discovery in space with global repercussions.
In a dystopian future, the earth is under strain due to natural disasters and accelerating pollution of the environment. On the coast of Madagascar, a ruthless corporate leader creates his own vision of the future in the shape of Tabula Rasa, a mega-complex inhabited by over a million people.
Jonathan Jarl, a rookie agent for the Amber group, is on his first assignment and is assigned to retrieve the famous Nebra Sky disc that has been stolen.
During the mission, he is faced with some of Tabula Rasas darkest secrets.
Meanwhile, in orbit around the moon, a discovery is made that has potential implications for the entire human race but Tabula Rasa is doing everything in its powers to keep the discovery secret. In a lab within Tabula Rasa, an idealistic scientist decides to share the discovery with the world. She takes a fateful decision that puts her life on the line.
Jonathan is thrown into a breakneck race for time and Tabula Rasa is the first thrilling installment about Jonathan Jarl and the Amber group.
A stolen, priceless artifact. An alien discovery in space with global repercussions.
In a dystopian future, the earth is under strain due to natural disasters and accelerating pollution of the environment. On the coast of Madagascar, a ruthless corporate leader creates his own vision of the future in the shape of Tabula Rasa, a mega-complex inhabited by over a million people.
Jonathan Jarl, a rookie agent for the Amber group, is on his first assignment and is assigned to retrieve the famous Nebra Sky disc that has been stolen.
During the mission, he is faced with some of Tabula Rasas darkest secrets.
Meanwhile, in orbit around the moon, a discovery is made that has potential implications for the entire human race but Tabula Rasa is doing everything in its powers to keep the discovery secret. In a lab within Tabula Rasa, an idealistic scientist decides to share the discovery with the world. She takes a fateful decision that puts her life on the line.
Jonathan is thrown into a breakneck race for time and Tabula Rasa is the first thrilling installment about Jonathan Jarl and the Amber group.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2018
233 people are currently reading
789 people want to read
About the author
Filip Forsberg
127 books50 followersFilip Forsberg is a Swedish author based in Malmoe who is an avid sci-fi fan. He’s the creator of the science fiction thriller book series about Jonathan Jarl and the Amber group. He writes in his native language Swedish and translates the books into English. The series currently consists of two books, Tabula Rasa and Genesis, and he’s working on the third installment, Trident.
He and his wife Tina have four children.
About Tabula Rasa and Genesis:
Tabula Rasa on Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
” An exciting story of a future world, world domination and those who stand and fight against evil. Believable characters in future believable situations. ”
Genesis on Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
” Great sequel. I loved the first book and this one takes of running. I am an ancient aliens fan and I get a kick out of all the intrigue. “
I'd love to get in contact with my readers so don't hesitate to drop me an email.
He and his wife Tina have four children.
About Tabula Rasa and Genesis:
Tabula Rasa on Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
” An exciting story of a future world, world domination and those who stand and fight against evil. Believable characters in future believable situations. ”
Genesis on Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
” Great sequel. I loved the first book and this one takes of running. I am an ancient aliens fan and I get a kick out of all the intrigue. “
I'd love to get in contact with my readers so don't hesitate to drop me an email.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
August 1, 2020
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
Sort of a low rent Clive Cussler rip off. It wasn't too bad, but very derivative.
Sort of a low rent Clive Cussler rip off. It wasn't too bad, but very derivative.
February 25, 2019
The sequel has great potential but this book needed more proof reading. It most importantly felt original.
January 15, 2020
A novel with a lot of promise which it doesn't manage to achieve
A great idea and plot. However the characters are almost character-less and a tale that comes across as being rushed .Having a hero with the same name as the villain is a major flaw. I do appreciate that this is the first novel of many more and have heard that they do get better. As a whole it's Dirk Pitt lite and really could have been so much more than it is.
A great idea and plot. However the characters are almost character-less and a tale that comes across as being rushed .Having a hero with the same name as the villain is a major flaw. I do appreciate that this is the first novel of many more and have heard that they do get better. As a whole it's Dirk Pitt lite and really could have been so much more than it is.
Want to read
June 18, 2019Placeholder
I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways.
I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways.
March 2, 2019
I won a Kindle copy of Tabular Rasa in a Goodreads giveaway. I was excited to read something new that was not already on my TBR list. I wanted to explore what else was out there and allowed the Goodreads gods to select my new discovery. That lead me to Filip Forsberg's Tabula Rasa (The Amber group Book 1). I was very interested in reading this book as its cover was very interesting, and it made me wonder what kind of journey this book would take me on.
Now, I know I gave this book a low rating, but I do not intend it to be hurtful or negative. On the contrary, I want to encourage the author to keep it up! I really wanted to enjoy this book, and I am not entirely sure, but I think he translated this book from Swedish to English himself. Like I said, I am not sure. If he did, I am amazed! Some of us cannot even write a book in our native language, much less translate it to a different one. If that is that case, I commend the author for his work. Writing a book is hard enough; I cannot imaging how hard it must be to translate it. Again, I am not fully sure on how factual the translation comment is, but I did visit the author's website on Goodreads, and it is in a language unfamiliar to me. It appears to be Swedish according to the Google translate I did on the website.
With that being said, I did find a good number of grammar-related mistakes. I would like to remain optimistic and say that this is due to English possibly not being the author's first language. The mistakes did add up, but they did not keep me from reading more. The phrasing was also a bit confusing at times, so I found myself having to re-read. Taht made me stop more than the simpler grammar mistakes. Most of the grammar mistakes I found were missing commas, so they could easily be overlooked. Nonetheless, continual grammar mistakes cause me to shift from reading mode to editing mode, and I found myself editing the manuscript instead of simply sitting down an enjoy reading it.
The story progresses in an interesting way. There is promise in the story and its characters; they just need to be flushed out more. I found myself confused at some point. Perhaps, that is a result of not having read similar stories as this one. I also found that there is a lot of "telling" throughout and would have loved if the author allowed the reader to "show" more of the world he created. I got through about sixteen percent of the book before having asked, "where is this going?" I wanted more of the plot to move quicker. It seemed that, at times, characters would linger in a scene too long. I also found myself asking which characters I should care about. I wanted to connect with someone in the story but did not find that connection. The lack of connection to the character inevitably led me to giving up on the story and adding this title to my DNF list.
I do hope that in a future time, I find the time to give this story another go and perhaps even get through the whole thing. However, at the moment, other TBR books were calling to me and eventually drew me away from this title. I with the author luck in his future projects and would advise him to find someone who will provide a thorough and excellent proofreading and editing of his future projects.
Now, I know I gave this book a low rating, but I do not intend it to be hurtful or negative. On the contrary, I want to encourage the author to keep it up! I really wanted to enjoy this book, and I am not entirely sure, but I think he translated this book from Swedish to English himself. Like I said, I am not sure. If he did, I am amazed! Some of us cannot even write a book in our native language, much less translate it to a different one. If that is that case, I commend the author for his work. Writing a book is hard enough; I cannot imaging how hard it must be to translate it. Again, I am not fully sure on how factual the translation comment is, but I did visit the author's website on Goodreads, and it is in a language unfamiliar to me. It appears to be Swedish according to the Google translate I did on the website.
With that being said, I did find a good number of grammar-related mistakes. I would like to remain optimistic and say that this is due to English possibly not being the author's first language. The mistakes did add up, but they did not keep me from reading more. The phrasing was also a bit confusing at times, so I found myself having to re-read. Taht made me stop more than the simpler grammar mistakes. Most of the grammar mistakes I found were missing commas, so they could easily be overlooked. Nonetheless, continual grammar mistakes cause me to shift from reading mode to editing mode, and I found myself editing the manuscript instead of simply sitting down an enjoy reading it.
The story progresses in an interesting way. There is promise in the story and its characters; they just need to be flushed out more. I found myself confused at some point. Perhaps, that is a result of not having read similar stories as this one. I also found that there is a lot of "telling" throughout and would have loved if the author allowed the reader to "show" more of the world he created. I got through about sixteen percent of the book before having asked, "where is this going?" I wanted more of the plot to move quicker. It seemed that, at times, characters would linger in a scene too long. I also found myself asking which characters I should care about. I wanted to connect with someone in the story but did not find that connection. The lack of connection to the character inevitably led me to giving up on the story and adding this title to my DNF list.
I do hope that in a future time, I find the time to give this story another go and perhaps even get through the whole thing. However, at the moment, other TBR books were calling to me and eventually drew me away from this title. I with the author luck in his future projects and would advise him to find someone who will provide a thorough and excellent proofreading and editing of his future projects.
March 23, 2019
I received this book through Goodreads Giveaway.
I wanted to give this book more than 3 stars because I enjoyed the storyline. However, it needs a good editor/copywriter to clean it up. The translation is sloppy and sometimes reading became a chore, due to needing to reread sentences or paragraphs, because the first read did not make sense.
I understand the author has said he is looking for a better translator for his books.
I intend to read the next book in the series because I did enjoy the story in this book.
I wanted to give this book more than 3 stars because I enjoyed the storyline. However, it needs a good editor/copywriter to clean it up. The translation is sloppy and sometimes reading became a chore, due to needing to reread sentences or paragraphs, because the first read did not make sense.
I understand the author has said he is looking for a better translator for his books.
I intend to read the next book in the series because I did enjoy the story in this book.
April 7, 2018
Great SiFi adventure
Really enjoyed this book will make a great series hats off to the author on an original idea. Could have helped with a little more proof reading but manageable
Really enjoyed this book will make a great series hats off to the author on an original idea. Could have helped with a little more proof reading but manageable
April 27, 2018
A quick read with the potential to grow more in the coming book's.
January 29, 2019
I had high hopes for this story, but it needs another proofread. I'm hoping that the errors will eventually be cleaned up.
February 2, 2019
Oh My
An exciting story of a future world, world domination and those who stand and fight against evil. Believable characters in future believable situations.
An exciting story of a future world, world domination and those who stand and fight against evil. Believable characters in future believable situations.
April 17, 2019
Tàbula Rasa
Very unique story line. A slow and jerky in the first part of the book, but picks up nicely. Also gets smoother. All and all a very good job.
Very unique story line. A slow and jerky in the first part of the book, but picks up nicely. Also gets smoother. All and all a very good job.
April 19, 2019
Detta är Filip Forsberg debutroman och den första i en dystopisk serie om Bärnstensgruppen, en grupp som arbetar med att finna stulna historiska föremål och återhämta dem till de rätta ägarna.
När jag började läsa denna bok så gick tankarna direkt till Clive Cussler och hans karaktär Dirk Pitt som åker runt världen och hittar sjunka skatter och andra saker samt råkar ut för diverse skurkar av olika kaliber. Den påminner lite om dessa böcker i stilen att det är äventyr som bjuds på. Men detta är bara en del av boken.
Den utspelar sig i framtiden så det är del science fiction i den också. Det är en framtid där människors miljöförstöring har lett till att världen är hårt drabbad. Tekniken har utvecklat sig och de rika bor i megakomplex, detta är stora byggnader som är isolerade från dessa naturkatastrofer som gör stora delar av världen obeboeligt.
Det börjar som sagt i stil med en äventyrsberättelse i framtiden med agenter och mystiska föremål. Men den döljer mera och den tar andra riktningar än vad jag först trodde att den skulle göra. Detta var en positiv överraskning. Jag skall inte avslöja vad det är för mer som ligger dolt i handlingen, det lämnar jag till att upptäcka själv.
Språket tycker jag absolut håller, det är stabilt och lättläst. Handlingen är spännande och medryckande och den överraskar en med att ta nya svängar än vad man först trodde. De olika karaktärerna som utgör kärnan av berättelsen målas upp bra och känns intressanta. Allt detta gör att man vill fortsätta läsa boken. Jag ser fram emot att läsa andra boken om Bärnstensgruppen, den heter Genesis, och se vart handlingen tar vägen i de.
http://hakanshylla.blogspot.com
När jag började läsa denna bok så gick tankarna direkt till Clive Cussler och hans karaktär Dirk Pitt som åker runt världen och hittar sjunka skatter och andra saker samt råkar ut för diverse skurkar av olika kaliber. Den påminner lite om dessa böcker i stilen att det är äventyr som bjuds på. Men detta är bara en del av boken.
Den utspelar sig i framtiden så det är del science fiction i den också. Det är en framtid där människors miljöförstöring har lett till att världen är hårt drabbad. Tekniken har utvecklat sig och de rika bor i megakomplex, detta är stora byggnader som är isolerade från dessa naturkatastrofer som gör stora delar av världen obeboeligt.
Det börjar som sagt i stil med en äventyrsberättelse i framtiden med agenter och mystiska föremål. Men den döljer mera och den tar andra riktningar än vad jag först trodde att den skulle göra. Detta var en positiv överraskning. Jag skall inte avslöja vad det är för mer som ligger dolt i handlingen, det lämnar jag till att upptäcka själv.
Språket tycker jag absolut håller, det är stabilt och lättläst. Handlingen är spännande och medryckande och den överraskar en med att ta nya svängar än vad man först trodde. De olika karaktärerna som utgör kärnan av berättelsen målas upp bra och känns intressanta. Allt detta gör att man vill fortsätta läsa boken. Jag ser fram emot att läsa andra boken om Bärnstensgruppen, den heter Genesis, och se vart handlingen tar vägen i de.
http://hakanshylla.blogspot.com
October 6, 2020
Full Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
I have to start out by saying that the grammar in this book was absolutely HORRIBLE. It was so bad and distracting, that I almost put it down before getting very far into it. I at first thought that it was the result of using an automated translator to English from another language, but I find it hard to believe that even automatic translators would be that bad. My biggest complaint was subject-verb agreement - It was incorrect probably at least 20% of the time. My advice to the author: Get someone who has even a modest grasp of English grammar to proofread the book.
That being said: This book was a good story, with some decent twists and some well-developed tensions. The premise and the plot were carried through very well. Except for the end, where it seemed as if the author were rushing to finish this volume to provide a cliff-hanger as a tease for the next volume. I understand the desire for a fast pace as the story moves along, but the ending seemed to me to be very rushed.
The character development was pretty well-done. The characters were easy to understand and follow. They stayed true-to-form throughout the book, except for the desired twists. It was easy to like the "good guys" and dislike the "bad guys".
The interplay of technology with the plot also worked well. The fictitious technology was well-integrated with existing technology, making it credible within the context of the book. It worked to move the plot along the desired path.
Bottom line: There is a good story here, buried beneath the terrible grammar. While it could use some rewriting of the ending (per my point above), I think it was a very good effort by the author.
I have to start out by saying that the grammar in this book was absolutely HORRIBLE. It was so bad and distracting, that I almost put it down before getting very far into it. I at first thought that it was the result of using an automated translator to English from another language, but I find it hard to believe that even automatic translators would be that bad. My biggest complaint was subject-verb agreement - It was incorrect probably at least 20% of the time. My advice to the author: Get someone who has even a modest grasp of English grammar to proofread the book.
That being said: This book was a good story, with some decent twists and some well-developed tensions. The premise and the plot were carried through very well. Except for the end, where it seemed as if the author were rushing to finish this volume to provide a cliff-hanger as a tease for the next volume. I understand the desire for a fast pace as the story moves along, but the ending seemed to me to be very rushed.
The character development was pretty well-done. The characters were easy to understand and follow. They stayed true-to-form throughout the book, except for the desired twists. It was easy to like the "good guys" and dislike the "bad guys".
The interplay of technology with the plot also worked well. The fictitious technology was well-integrated with existing technology, making it credible within the context of the book. It worked to move the plot along the desired path.
Bottom line: There is a good story here, buried beneath the terrible grammar. While it could use some rewriting of the ending (per my point above), I think it was a very good effort by the author.
November 14, 2019
The story started off interestingly enough but, in the end, I think it lacked cohesiveness; there were just too many possible storylines that it was difficult to determine what the author was really trying to focus on.
While the sentence structure was correct, the overall writing did not flow. It might be that the sentences were just too short or, as one person mentioned, a translation issue.
I am not sure the story actually came to a conclusion (even if left open for future stories). It was like the author wanted to complete this part of the narrative while leaving room for a sequel. I’m not sure he succeeded.
I do try to read books by new or non mainstream authors and I do find ones that I will continue with. This wasn’t one of them.
While the sentence structure was correct, the overall writing did not flow. It might be that the sentences were just too short or, as one person mentioned, a translation issue.
I am not sure the story actually came to a conclusion (even if left open for future stories). It was like the author wanted to complete this part of the narrative while leaving room for a sequel. I’m not sure he succeeded.
I do try to read books by new or non mainstream authors and I do find ones that I will continue with. This wasn’t one of them.
June 17, 2019
Very well written great read!
Reason why I gave 4 out of 5 was due to the fact took me a little to get into. But that could be due to it being out of my normal genre read. But I was not disappointed in this at all!
Reason why I gave 4 out of 5 was due to the fact took me a little to get into. But that could be due to it being out of my normal genre read. But I was not disappointed in this at all!
July 14, 2019
Amazing
Really great story about a future world where a maniacal psycho strives to control the world from his megaplex. And he is creating clones and also hiding an alien calling card. Lots of intrigue and action.
Really great story about a future world where a maniacal psycho strives to control the world from his megaplex. And he is creating clones and also hiding an alien calling card. Lots of intrigue and action.
June 27, 2019
I won this book from a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Goodreads!
August 15, 2019
I won a free copy of “Tabula Rasa” through Goodreads, with my thanks.
“ Tabula Rasa” is yet another sci-fi thriller about an dystopian Earth befallen with climate disasters. The air is poisoned from industrial effluents and the water dangerous to drink. Many coastal areas are swamped by higher tides.The cities are violent and dangerous, with areas in which the police are afraid to travel. The elites, of course, are able to live in enclaves above it all in great, gated metropolises (metropoli?) where they are insulated from all cares. One such is Tabula Rasa.
TR was built, is owned and run entirely by a mega- billionaire named John Vendrick III. Nothing happens within the electronic gates that he does not want to happen; no one can reside there without undergoing rigid testing for intelligence, computability , and sociability. They must also demonstrate that they have a useful , needed skill. Also required is that they allow complete surveillance of every moment of their lives. Vendrick , a ruthless, acquisitive man has a dream of expanding his empire to space, which depends on his obtaining some strange space artifacts that seem to have mysterious powers.
The book begins with a chapter headed 1048 AD, in a primitive farm clearing. A farmer and his son gleaning the fields suddenly see glowing orbs descending from the sky. Afraid, they rush home to protect his wife who is very ill. The family huddles together. Suddenly he sees that his wife has risen from her sick bed and is walking. All of them begin to feel a sense of well-being. Is it truly a gift from God, as his wife shouts. Next chapter is headed 2084, i.e. , 1000 years later. A reporter is on a helicopter en route to John Vendrick’s private island of wealth and comfort called Tabula Rasa with the purpose of interviewing the secretive billionaire about his plans to colonize space with more Tabula Rasas. Here the author gives the reader a glimpse of the shining new city.
Ah, the story begins. Oops, no, another chapter , another character, another scene change. Johnathon, operative of the Amber Group ( what that is explained later in the book) , is fighting two thugs for the possession of a strange artifact. It is a bronze- like disc with undeciphered hieroglyphics embossed on its surface. Ah, related to,the shining orbs, maybe? But wait, another scene change brings the reader to Greenland, which is now truly green thanks to global warming, and introduces another group of characters. Interestingly, there are references in the book about China planning to take over the semi-independent mega new cities of Macau and Hong Kong! Sounds weirdly prophetic.
This summary is to give you an idea of one of the book’s faults. There are more characters in it than in a Russian novel and keeping track of them is difficult. Every chapter seems to bring in someone new , another location with new events and input to confuse and slow the plot development. For example, in starting another chapter the author ships the reader off to a golf course threatened by the rise of the North Sea, where a golfer is killed by a drone firefly dispensing Fentanyl- at the sinister Vendrick’s order. He is a great, nasty villain of whom the book needed more.
There is just too much going on as the author thrives to keep all the balls in the air. Every type type of character present. There is the feisty girl reporter; the the buffed , handsome secret agent; the nerdy techie ; the chemically- augmented bad guys, and of course, the evil mega- capitalist who lets no one and nothing to stand in his way. Not to mention a large supporting cast.
Moreover, probably because of translation woes, some wording, phrasings and punctuation are awkward. Too bad, because the book has an interesting story to tell. Still, Since I do not speak any second language beyond tourist French, high school Spanish, and family- inherited Ameri-Italiano, I cannot conceive of translating my own bit of Lit-op. So my respect, Mr. Forsberg for giving me an interesting sci- fi adventure. Keep writing, please.
I thought “ Tabula Rasa “ had great potential and wish the author had focused. In sum, a good first effort in need of a good editor, and worth a try.
“ Tabula Rasa” is yet another sci-fi thriller about an dystopian Earth befallen with climate disasters. The air is poisoned from industrial effluents and the water dangerous to drink. Many coastal areas are swamped by higher tides.The cities are violent and dangerous, with areas in which the police are afraid to travel. The elites, of course, are able to live in enclaves above it all in great, gated metropolises (metropoli?) where they are insulated from all cares. One such is Tabula Rasa.
TR was built, is owned and run entirely by a mega- billionaire named John Vendrick III. Nothing happens within the electronic gates that he does not want to happen; no one can reside there without undergoing rigid testing for intelligence, computability , and sociability. They must also demonstrate that they have a useful , needed skill. Also required is that they allow complete surveillance of every moment of their lives. Vendrick , a ruthless, acquisitive man has a dream of expanding his empire to space, which depends on his obtaining some strange space artifacts that seem to have mysterious powers.
The book begins with a chapter headed 1048 AD, in a primitive farm clearing. A farmer and his son gleaning the fields suddenly see glowing orbs descending from the sky. Afraid, they rush home to protect his wife who is very ill. The family huddles together. Suddenly he sees that his wife has risen from her sick bed and is walking. All of them begin to feel a sense of well-being. Is it truly a gift from God, as his wife shouts. Next chapter is headed 2084, i.e. , 1000 years later. A reporter is on a helicopter en route to John Vendrick’s private island of wealth and comfort called Tabula Rasa with the purpose of interviewing the secretive billionaire about his plans to colonize space with more Tabula Rasas. Here the author gives the reader a glimpse of the shining new city.
Ah, the story begins. Oops, no, another chapter , another character, another scene change. Johnathon, operative of the Amber Group ( what that is explained later in the book) , is fighting two thugs for the possession of a strange artifact. It is a bronze- like disc with undeciphered hieroglyphics embossed on its surface. Ah, related to,the shining orbs, maybe? But wait, another scene change brings the reader to Greenland, which is now truly green thanks to global warming, and introduces another group of characters. Interestingly, there are references in the book about China planning to take over the semi-independent mega new cities of Macau and Hong Kong! Sounds weirdly prophetic.
This summary is to give you an idea of one of the book’s faults. There are more characters in it than in a Russian novel and keeping track of them is difficult. Every chapter seems to bring in someone new , another location with new events and input to confuse and slow the plot development. For example, in starting another chapter the author ships the reader off to a golf course threatened by the rise of the North Sea, where a golfer is killed by a drone firefly dispensing Fentanyl- at the sinister Vendrick’s order. He is a great, nasty villain of whom the book needed more.
There is just too much going on as the author thrives to keep all the balls in the air. Every type type of character present. There is the feisty girl reporter; the the buffed , handsome secret agent; the nerdy techie ; the chemically- augmented bad guys, and of course, the evil mega- capitalist who lets no one and nothing to stand in his way. Not to mention a large supporting cast.
Moreover, probably because of translation woes, some wording, phrasings and punctuation are awkward. Too bad, because the book has an interesting story to tell. Still, Since I do not speak any second language beyond tourist French, high school Spanish, and family- inherited Ameri-Italiano, I cannot conceive of translating my own bit of Lit-op. So my respect, Mr. Forsberg for giving me an interesting sci- fi adventure. Keep writing, please.
I thought “ Tabula Rasa “ had great potential and wish the author had focused. In sum, a good first effort in need of a good editor, and worth a try.
November 3, 2020
***Disclosure: I won this book at part of a Goodreads Giveaway and they/the author requested that in return I provide an honest review****
Honestly, I really wanted to like this book, but I didn't.
"A stolen, priceless artifact. An alien discovery in space with global repercussions." "Blade Runner meets Indiana Jones". The premise sounded really promising, but there were just so many things that didn't work. They all seem really small when taken individually, but added together it just left me feeling "meh".
The editing wasn't great. You know how you start to type something, then erase part of it to change the words you use, but then forget a couple minor ones? It was that. But in a published novel. Not everywhere, but enough to be noticeable and slightly annoying.
The story structure didn't work for me. The "chapters" are set up as days, locations, and different Point of Views. I've seen this used in other stories that pulled it off, but here there were just too many. Even though the days were chronological, there was so much jumping around between locations and point of views and new people being introduced seemingly randomly, it left me feeling, hmm, disoriented.
The ending felt rushed and incomplete. The author spent about 2/3rds of the book (66% on my Kindle) building this world with all these characters before they finally started connecting together, and the brunt of the conclusion happened in the last 3%. At 424 pages for the Kindle version, it felt like the author wanted 900 pages and then was told to cut it in half. The "alien discovery" was more confusing at the end than the beginning, I'm assuming so that they could have a Book 2, and how they resolved the conflict with the bad guy just fell really flat after the story build-up.
I don't know. Like I said, everything seems small when taken individually, but I just ended up disappointed. I will not be reading the rest of the series.
Honestly, I really wanted to like this book, but I didn't.
"A stolen, priceless artifact. An alien discovery in space with global repercussions." "Blade Runner meets Indiana Jones". The premise sounded really promising, but there were just so many things that didn't work. They all seem really small when taken individually, but added together it just left me feeling "meh".
The editing wasn't great. You know how you start to type something, then erase part of it to change the words you use, but then forget a couple minor ones? It was that. But in a published novel. Not everywhere, but enough to be noticeable and slightly annoying.
The story structure didn't work for me. The "chapters" are set up as days, locations, and different Point of Views. I've seen this used in other stories that pulled it off, but here there were just too many. Even though the days were chronological, there was so much jumping around between locations and point of views and new people being introduced seemingly randomly, it left me feeling, hmm, disoriented.
The ending felt rushed and incomplete. The author spent about 2/3rds of the book (66% on my Kindle) building this world with all these characters before they finally started connecting together, and the brunt of the conclusion happened in the last 3%. At 424 pages for the Kindle version, it felt like the author wanted 900 pages and then was told to cut it in half. The "alien discovery" was more confusing at the end than the beginning, I'm assuming so that they could have a Book 2, and how they resolved the conflict with the bad guy just fell really flat after the story build-up.
I don't know. Like I said, everything seems small when taken individually, but I just ended up disappointed. I will not be reading the rest of the series.
October 3, 2019
Tabula Rasa by Filip Forsberg is the first installment of the Amber Group Trilogy. The book is intriguing , a new take on climate change, SF and some fantasy elements.
First things first: the book have wonderful covers and one of the worst editions I ever see. The original version is Swedish and (if you know the language) you can easily see what went wrong, could be a bad translator/editor or a bad computer program, BUT… if you are able to bear with the typos and errors the story is a very interesting one, even though the level of violence in some scenes could have be avoided, and would have benefit the overall feeling of the story. All can be easily fixed with a thoroughly edition of the manuscript.
Once said that, the story is interesting and evolves constantly and holds promise. In a near future, where water has become scarce luxury, and industrial waste had poisoned the air. The coast regions have become inhabitable, the cities are violent and dangerous. The elites have fled into self-sustained cities, one of them is “Tabula Rasa”, the private island of multimillionaire John Vendrick, who intends to establish space colonies using his city as blueprint. And for this purpose, he needs some strange objects, alien spheres that start appearing all over the world.
There are multiple ramifications that keep the reader wondering how all the threads will come together at the end.
It is a unique story that could highly benefit from the work of a good editor.
First things first: the book have wonderful covers and one of the worst editions I ever see. The original version is Swedish and (if you know the language) you can easily see what went wrong, could be a bad translator/editor or a bad computer program, BUT… if you are able to bear with the typos and errors the story is a very interesting one, even though the level of violence in some scenes could have be avoided, and would have benefit the overall feeling of the story. All can be easily fixed with a thoroughly edition of the manuscript.
Once said that, the story is interesting and evolves constantly and holds promise. In a near future, where water has become scarce luxury, and industrial waste had poisoned the air. The coast regions have become inhabitable, the cities are violent and dangerous. The elites have fled into self-sustained cities, one of them is “Tabula Rasa”, the private island of multimillionaire John Vendrick, who intends to establish space colonies using his city as blueprint. And for this purpose, he needs some strange objects, alien spheres that start appearing all over the world.
There are multiple ramifications that keep the reader wondering how all the threads will come together at the end.
It is a unique story that could highly benefit from the work of a good editor.
July 18, 2019
This was a GoodReads giveaway win. I also won book #2, in a previous contest. I wanted to read these books in order, as to provide the best setup and enjoyment of the series.
This book was just not my type of book. It could have also been the ebook format. It reminded me of those Clive Cluster and Lincoln Child books. It may be science fiction, but I don't enjoy the lack of realism. Science fiction is to stretch my mind and not just to create a fantasy world. Part of the reason I prefer Star Trek over Star Wars. I can enjoy both, but you have to put in more effort to capture my imagination. This book just did not work for me.
I also won book #2 in a GoodReads giveaway. I don't think I will be reading that book. My reading list is too long to justify jumping back into the Jonathan Jarl - Amber Group series.
Have a GoodReads.
This book was just not my type of book. It could have also been the ebook format. It reminded me of those Clive Cluster and Lincoln Child books. It may be science fiction, but I don't enjoy the lack of realism. Science fiction is to stretch my mind and not just to create a fantasy world. Part of the reason I prefer Star Trek over Star Wars. I can enjoy both, but you have to put in more effort to capture my imagination. This book just did not work for me.
I also won book #2 in a GoodReads giveaway. I don't think I will be reading that book. My reading list is too long to justify jumping back into the Jonathan Jarl - Amber Group series.
Have a GoodReads.
September 12, 2019
I received this book as a giveaway.
First off, I really liked the idea the author was going for, I think. You don’t really get a ton of information in the book. A lot is hinted at, but never really resolved. So based off of where I think he was going, it seems like a very creative concept.
Unfortunately I didn’t really enjoy this book. It jumps a lot between people and places. It got really confusing. The hero is named Jonathon, and the bad guy is named John. The grammar and spelling are rough, but I believe this was translated into English?? There is a ton of description and dialogue, but not a lot of moving forward. I was ready to be done with it about halfway through. I’m not really interested in the 2nd book.
I can’t recommend reading this book.
First off, I really liked the idea the author was going for, I think. You don’t really get a ton of information in the book. A lot is hinted at, but never really resolved. So based off of where I think he was going, it seems like a very creative concept.
Unfortunately I didn’t really enjoy this book. It jumps a lot between people and places. It got really confusing. The hero is named Jonathon, and the bad guy is named John. The grammar and spelling are rough, but I believe this was translated into English?? There is a ton of description and dialogue, but not a lot of moving forward. I was ready to be done with it about halfway through. I’m not really interested in the 2nd book.
I can’t recommend reading this book.
April 27, 2020
Great near future story!
This book is a very interesting start to the series. The story starts off in the near future and involves quite a few story lines. The different stories come together towards the end. I was surprised by a few of the things that happen in this book.
I thought the book was well done. I recommend this book if you are into science fiction and like it in the near future.
My only issue was that at times the sentences don’t quite make sense to me until I flip a word or two around in the sentence. This caused a few stops for me until I reread the sentence to figure it out.
I received a copy of this book from the author.
This book is a very interesting start to the series. The story starts off in the near future and involves quite a few story lines. The different stories come together towards the end. I was surprised by a few of the things that happen in this book.
I thought the book was well done. I recommend this book if you are into science fiction and like it in the near future.
My only issue was that at times the sentences don’t quite make sense to me until I flip a word or two around in the sentence. This caused a few stops for me until I reread the sentence to figure it out.
I received a copy of this book from the author.
May 21, 2020
Discovery
There was nothing. Then something happened. Light, life,hope. Eons of time for a world to live and then it was time to die. They sent out hope in the form of spheres to send a new universe when the Big Bang returned in another universe. Amber Group is a secret, nongovernmental organization that specializes in finding unusual items and gathering them for use they choose. Jonathon is one of their many agents sent to find a mysterious artifact that is the key to something to come in the near future. Tabula Rasa is one off multiple mega-settlements in the post apocalyptic world.
There was nothing. Then something happened. Light, life,hope. Eons of time for a world to live and then it was time to die. They sent out hope in the form of spheres to send a new universe when the Big Bang returned in another universe. Amber Group is a secret, nongovernmental organization that specializes in finding unusual items and gathering them for use they choose. Jonathon is one of their many agents sent to find a mysterious artifact that is the key to something to come in the near future. Tabula Rasa is one off multiple mega-settlements in the post apocalyptic world.
April 23, 2022
This is a scifi/dystopian well-ounded adventure novel. Jonathan Jarl, the story's main character works for the Amber Group and Tabular Rasa is on of many artificial cities that have grown as the earth has become less and less liveable due to climate changes we now see all around us.
Jonathan is an adventurer, an archeologist and, when necessary,an assassin.
The story uses different characters' points of view as it unfolds which is effective when the storylines join but slightly jarring until then Full of interesting characters, background and a lot of action, the storyline is certainly not boring and quite clever. I highly recommend this tale.
Jonathan is an adventurer, an archeologist and, when necessary,an assassin.
The story uses different characters' points of view as it unfolds which is effective when the storylines join but slightly jarring until then Full of interesting characters, background and a lot of action, the storyline is certainly not boring and quite clever. I highly recommend this tale.
Read
August 25, 2019I thought the world-building with these massive city-pyramids and villainous "great men" was incredible. There were too many characters, however, which really bogged down the first half of the book. The main plot held promise (mysterious objects in space!), but didn't pick up fast enough to catch my attention: I abandoned the book just under halfway through. I really wish this had been cut down to a novella. I don't give ratings to books I don't finish, but for the first half I would say four to five stars for universe/setting and two for everything else.
August 24, 2019
I could not finish this book; I gave up when the torture began. The protagonist, Jonathon, is sent on dangerous missions with half-baked plans and no back-up. The characters are all superficial; there is little character development; i.e., there is not much dialogue or interaction between characters. There is too much description instead of action. I don’t like the constant changes in location and there perspective.
October 21, 2023
Interesting
I think that more editing needs to be done on this book. It’s a disservice to the author that it has been presented in this manner. I saw that other people said it was translated from another language. This is a very intriguing story and I forced myself to finish it despite the challenges. The first person view switched so much and didn’t tell you initially many times who was featured. Please fix this book.
I think that more editing needs to be done on this book. It’s a disservice to the author that it has been presented in this manner. I saw that other people said it was translated from another language. This is a very intriguing story and I forced myself to finish it despite the challenges. The first person view switched so much and didn’t tell you initially many times who was featured. Please fix this book.
August 4, 2019
I loved this book with its futuristic action and wonderful characters that are as easy to like as they are believable. While there are a few errors, they did not distract from the story and I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 19, 2019
The world is in even deeper trouble 30 years from now. Multiple groups of interest try to solve some problems until a strange object is found behind the moon. People in multiple locations try to determine what it is, but rivalries abound. Each chapter is a different location and can be a bit confusing about which character is where. I enjoyed the new take on the future and space.
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