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The Survivors #2
New Threat
There’s always a new threat.
A year after the Event, horrific memories of the vessels linger in Dean’s mind as he tries to find his way forward in his new life.
But now the Heroes of Earth face a new threat that endangers the fragile remnant of humanity.
Two rebel hybrids have escaped from their segregated encampment. Dean and his team pursue them across the galaxy, racing to catch them before they reach an unseen enemy. This new threat is looming over Earth, their name spoken softly and fearfully by anyone who knows of them.
When a line is drawn, whose side will Dean stand on?
A year after the Event, horrific memories of the vessels linger in Dean’s mind as he tries to find his way forward in his new life.
But now the Heroes of Earth face a new threat that endangers the fragile remnant of humanity.
Two rebel hybrids have escaped from their segregated encampment. Dean and his team pursue them across the galaxy, racing to catch them before they reach an unseen enemy. This new threat is looming over Earth, their name spoken softly and fearfully by anyone who knows of them.
When a line is drawn, whose side will Dean stand on?
262 pages, Paperback
First published March 26, 2018
1535 people are currently reading
523 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
April 23, 2018
Wow! What a ride this has been! The story line, character development, new tech, the appearance of new players-both good and bad... the plot unravels in a very surprising and unexpected twists and exciting turns. A powerful persecution through space and a very least expected and outstanding ending of this book 2. Excellent read!
Read
February 25, 2023badly written, US hegemonic fantasy
Rating: minus 5, only because minus 11 would be meaningless
I am rewriting my reviews systematically because commenters have criticized my punctuation and I am bringing my reviews up to that splendid Amazon/Goodreads writing standard that I hadn't noticed before. 🙂
It is a pity that has not been a concern as regards the books being touted. 😒
I lie about my reasoning. 🤗 I feel cheated by the Amazon/Goodreads switch and bait. Every non-Indie writer of any worth, is expensive enough that a reader can pay the price of a hardback book for an ebook or settle for garbage. After several years of regular sniping from the entitled, white male idiot patience has ended.
These morons, who never write reviews (I checked regularly and have never found one), feel that despite any possible interpretation of courtesy, that they should post their disagreement with another reader's opinion by way of personal attacks. Hmmmm 🤔
It is almost as if they are too immature to question how badly written these books are or more likely are made to feel so very, very powerful by these political tracts with spaceship covers. Given that these books seem to repeat the "USA is number one" mantra (often the Only one) and those american characters are clearly defined as excluding most americans along ethnic lines, is totally a coincidence of course. 🤔🤔
As I think of it, if that were true, it would imply a reader minority with a very, verry white nationalist sentiment. 😒 That would almost certainly describe the NeoNazi sects and that their definition of "whiteness" has shifted to pre-1940.
That their comment packs appear to attack many other negative reviewers (something that I have come across more than once), it suggests that there surely must be a pushback from other readers (which I have not seen). If not, then their claim to speak for all science fiction readers, must mean that other readers are too frightened to challenge them (not possible, in a democracy surely) and/or that a majority must agree with them. 🤔🤔
I just had the troubling thought that this situation would be very, verrry similar to that of the rise of the National Socialist Party in 1930's Germany. I refuse to accept this understanding. These morons are slaves to their blind belief in "Freedom" but it also seems that they have already restricted who is allowed to actually exercise "Freedom of thought". 🤔🤔🤔
I must take a break from this line of thought. Some music, no a lot of music will settle your nerves, Self. You can always come back to this review. You are right, Self. So be it.
Back again. Sorry but there was a thing that I had to do for a friend. Last minute and all. Where was I? Now I remember.
I wrote a simple review of a "poorly written salute to the January 6, 2021 hero", thinking it bad and dangerous. Suddenly Amazon also took issue with my being a communist. 🙂
They do not "Allow" me to see other's reviews or commenter's names. They did not "Allow" me to remove my last lurker (Susan Hamilton, a Maths professor at University of Tennessee ?) for over a year and through five requests to her directly. They escalated from that point. 🤔 I think that their customer service needs improving. 😊
For more of Amazon, see my review of "Dark Horse", a nice romance/science fiction novel by Diener or Powers of the Earth (a poorly written salute to the January 6, 2021 hero) and the comments from a Claes Rees, Jr/cgr710 (a self-identified NeoNazi and US patriot).
Claes Rees, Jr/cgr710
Don't be a numpty. Be a smarty. Come and join the Communist Party. 🙂
I sometimes wonder at US patriots' (Tucker Carlson, Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 and US Republican Party, as examples) support for the Russia's attempted genocide of Ukrainians. There could be Russian gold but they did threaten the patriots' own country in multiple speeches. Russia have also almost descended to Soviet level fascism and 20% of the population do not enjoy indoor toilets, .... Wow! I see what the attraction is now. In any case.
SLAVA UKRAINI !!! ---TA-- SLAVA GEROYAM !!!
Now we can talk about the book. I was hoping for a passable, if not particularly entertaining story but it was not the product offered.
(The two main character couples are cute and have bonded through the battle to prevent human extinction. 😃) I wrote the previous sentence originally but given the rest of the book, I think that I was self-censoring. I no longer do. I will let it stand but I honestly do not remember them and if that was accurate, I should. 😊
I now usually address the world building of science fiction books first and foremost. Most of the low end writers do not bother to attempt it. Needing to create a plausible or at least logical background, would seem fundamental to any story but apparently the conventional wisdom does not apply at this end of fiction.
If the background is incomplete, there is no structure for the plot. If the background is notional, there is no platform for character development. Without a solid background, the dialogue must necessarily read as a poorly conceived primary school play. A science fiction story without a cohesive background is not science fiction but a juvenile space fantasy and at best suffers the same problems that aggravate fans of both Star Wars and Star Trek. In short, there is no writing discipline encouraged or rewarded. 🤔
Fully half of the human population has been killed. It is stated and the consequences are? The state of humanity is? The continuing death toll has what additional effect on the survivors? Production of food, basic survival goods, clean water and possibly most importantly power has been organized by whom? How? When? 😐
Skills of urban dwellers have been converted to the above specialized skill sets How? When? The population has been relocated to nonfunctional urban centers or rural areas? Who organized the relocation planetside? How? When?
Language difficulties elevating the task of ensuring the survival of the greatest percentage of billions an already overwhelming task, to the almost impossible are solved by whom? How? When?
A starship is built based on partially understood technology? This is a gift from reader to writer because an explanation does not begin to be offered. Who built this vessel and with what shipyard and what resources? Who diverted those resources as hundreds of millions begin to die monthly?
Who designed the starship in six months? Was the ship's hull material human material or alien material which was replicable with current human technology? Was the ship's power generation and distribution reverse engineered from alien technology and replicable with human technology? Were human environmental systems adapted from alien tech or copied from human space craft?
Who identified the space qualified engineers, physicists, materials scientists, astrophysicists and others to design and build this space craft? Who then collected and relocated them and to the hopefully functioning facility. Resources were identified, gathered, shipped how, by whom and when?
The heroes are chosen as crew by whom? They are trained to crew the starship by whom? They are not trained astronauts. They have no applicable engineering skills. When and how were interstellar navigation and ship maintenance routines developed for this ship of barely understood technology? How were the protocols for an alien environment developed?
Who developed the ship's combat doctrine? Who designed the ship's weapons? Was the ship armed? Who reverse engineered the weaponry, if it was derived alien technology? Who designed the personal weapons? Who designed the crew complement? Why was there a ground complement of one? What was the mission? How was it to be accomplished? Who decided any of this?
Intergalactic travel time is several Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Who planned the journey length and how? Is intergalactic travel routine now? 🤗
The world building should answer all of the above at a minimum. Instead the writer does not seem to realize that these are questions that might be asked. He obviously did not and so might be forgiven (not). 😒
This crew has what qualifications other than being american?
Terrorists who are Middle Eastern (really !!! 😑), create and build or steal the main characters' spare spaceship? The heroes deduce that these terrorists are going to inform aliens that they need to return to Earth to finish the annihilation of humanity? This is a blow for Islam? This is achieving revenge against the horrible americans? They are the ultimate suicidal nihilists? They are culturally predisposed to suicide attacks? 🙄
I might be alone in this but I smell the foul stench of crude racism.
In six months everything returns to normal? Interesting.
There is an Earth Defense Force created by and equipped with the same leaders, weapons and doctrine that failed at the first go round. Interesting.
There is created an internment camp for hybrids, which is less secure than a children's playground. Interesting.
The World government is become treacherous because the US leader does not lead it. Interesting.
The Planetary Defense Force is become unreliable because the Chief is a Chinese General. Interesting.
There is only one big idea in the book. All science fiction should have one. Perhaps not this one.
The main characters realize that Earth is no longer home after meeting a Chinese general as Chief of the Planetary Defense Force and the South African head of the world council. I wonder what caused that reaction. It is never explained. 🤔
It could not be a matter of wrong ethnicity or skin color. That would be ridiculous. What next, there should be the US President as head of the World Council. The Head of the Planetary Defense Force should be a Wisconsin native. I have the craziest ideas sometimes. 🤗🤗 Pay no attention to my strange thoughts. I suspect that we will never know.
This theme is common across US science fiction. It is different to that of "Triumph of the Will", in what way? That expectation will probably be quaint in possibly as little as a dozen years. For now his target audience storms the US legislature to undo an election because the wrong segregationist won an election. 😑
I gather that the perfect ending would be the following. Billions around the world will probably celebrate January 6, 2021, as a solemn holiday. Men will weep with gratitude, women will dance in the streets and children will cavort with glee. 😑 Mind boggling.
I am a communist but I do not think that that is required to gag on the rant that is this story. "We will not be replaced" should be the secondary title. 😊
US hegemony is the only sane path for global society. How selfless a country. 😀
In return for appropriate adoration, a handful of US patriots save the human race. "You're welcome, other people." 😂
This is a fifteen year old american male fantasy. It must also be a favored selection on the Jordan Peterson Book Club. Next month's selection will be "The Turner Diaries" followed by "Mein Kampf", both recommended by Proud Boys everywhere. Remember to purchase a confederate flag and/or swastikas for a loved one at the Club shop. Ugh!
This book is a splendid example of low end No Effort US science fiction. I no longer have much interest in any science fiction print. I watch rather than read on the increasingly rare occasions, where I feel the urge. The streaming services usually provide better written and/or more entertaining science fiction stories. Even Amazon have several, though I can not bring myself to try to enjoy anything sponsored by such a corporation. Netflix on the other hand have a nice multinational selection which is a pleasant extra.
I only began watching YouTube in the last two years. I was searching for science fiction news channels, fan productions and shorts. I found them, as well as educational and a variety of special interest channels by accident but the best surprise were the book channels. 😍😍
They host a reader community who are curious, thoughtful and excited by all things bookish. I would recommend a visit to several book channels for any reader and have listed some below.
I discovered the dedicated educational video sites through sponsor spots on some of my favorite channels. These sites include documentaries, essayists, lectures and lecture series. I began my sampling with Curiosity Stream/Nebula at a cost of $15 USD for a yearly subscription. I think that they are all worth a look.
I originally described an example of the snide history creator to demonstrate the need for personal reading. From science to philosophy, expert opinion changes from generation to generation, decade to decade and sometimes year to year for a host of reasons.
I grew up with books and military history was one of my hobbies but whether for self or a course I usually avoided relying on just one source, if at all possible. And I admit that I am lazier than I should be. 🤗 My apology but I needed to add the paragraph above, not for you but for the thugs that I described at the start. I have realized that I myself had fallen into the error of looking at only one source on more than one occasion. 🤗
I have had comments to my obscure little personal reviews, as if the commenter were refuting some scholar's pronouncement. I noticed that a number of times. 😊
When I offered to compile a research path or some reading, my offer was not once accepted. 😇 I will never make that offer again to a Goodreads member. 😎
To the US patriots (?)
There is no longer any need to send vile sexual and racist comments to the thirteen year old girl boater and her mother, the British pensioner in France, the female Swedish essayist, the female German physicist or other YouTube channels which I suggest.
Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 declared on my review of Powers of the Earth, that You had "won (?)". Please confirm. I also suspect that if not now, eventually every member will be aware of your patriotism.
My YouTube picks of the moment.
Cruising Crafts, Red Plateaus, Kiko10061980, The Shades of Orange, Zack the Russian, Viva La Dirt League, The Confused Adipose, The Bands of HM Royal Marines, Dinsart Design, Baggage Claim, Owen Jones.
As for Amazon, please consider treating this as a potentially hostile site. 😐
Ominous music begins. 🙂 The above abuse from Amazon, was minor compared to the last escalation. Some seriously vile comments found there way to channels that I listed. These creators are used to he rude comment but these scared a few of them. Some of these were in my name no less. 😖. I have a long series of awkward conversations ahead of me, both for evidence and to apologize for US patriots.
Then Australian security (or posing as) attempted to interrogate the only friend whom I messaged on this site. Since he was my only connection to that country, I must assume that it is a favor from Pine Gap intelligence center to their american friends. 🤔
The writer of the Powers of the Earth book is a US veteran, a US federal government employee and very upset that I responded to few of his months long string of comments racist and other. Considering that the US has 1.3 million Top Secret (I think) clearances, according to US academic researchers and that they can not possibly be closely supervised, it seems logical that there exists a link.
More importantly Amazon had to give them my message history (sparse as it was) or for fun Australia wanted to know what my holiday plans were. I am betting on the first. I minimized my profile information, removed all lurkers and screenshot the odd and the ugly. I can only tell you what I did. Please be careful on this site. Ominous music ends. 🙂
Some of my favorite YouTube channels. I do not know what "Chad, clapping, slapping or owned" mean and so obviously am not an expert but I do like these channels. 😊
Some More News, Tara Mooknee, Novara Media, Northern Narrowboaters, Mia Mulder, Sarah Z, Munecat, Zoe Baker, Three Arrows, The Armchair Historian, Chloe Stafler, Prime of Midlife, Celtica, Military History Visualized, Kings and Generals, Karolina Zebrowska, Snappy Dragon, History Hit, Half as Interesting, Epic History, The Narrowboat Pirate, Savage Daughter, May Moon Narrowboal, The Lorna Jane Adventures, Sabine Hossenfelder, Tulia, The Juice Media, Make Better Media, We're in Hell,, Lady of the Library, Emmie, Mala Armia Janosika, Kathy's Flog in France, Caucasus Sword dances, 2 Steps from Hell, Tom Nicholas, Practical Engineering, A Clockwork Reader, Neringa Rekaslute, Camper Vibe, Ryan Chapman, The Shades of Orange, A Life of Lit, AstronautX, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Books and Lala, Noelle Gallagher, Abbie Emmons, Tom Nicholas, Owen Jones, Quinn's Ideas, Steve Shives, Jessie Gender, Lady knight the Brave, Beau of the Fifth Column, Noah Samsen, With Olivia, Lily Alexander, Tibees, Knowing Better, Mrs Betty Bowers, The Juice Media, Zoe Bee, Celtica, Maggie May Fish, What Vivi did next, Cruising the Cut, Cruising Alba, Janelle Kayla, Swell Entertainment, Renegade Cut, Second Thought, A Different Bias, Alize, Alice Cappelle, Jessica Gagnon, France 24, Double Down News, DW News, SandRhoman History, The Templin Institute, We're in Hell, Hello Future Me, Reading Wryly, John Michael Godier, Yanis Varoufakis, Tulia, Crux, Zoe Bee , The Amber Ruffin Show, Adult Wednesday Addams, Rebecca Watson, Isaac Arthur, Denys Davydov, Depressed Russian, TLDR, Then & Now, Chris Animations, Overly Sarcastic Productions, WION, Books and Quills, IzzzYzzz, Swell Entertainment, UA Courage, Art by Annamarie, The Leftist Cooks, Crecganford, The Mindful Narrowboat, Filaxim Historia, No Justice MTG, The Historian's Craft, Philosophy Tube.
I wish you a fine morning, a productive afternoon, a very good evening, a relaxing night and may we all continue learning.
Hope does not ever waiver, only the Will.
Honor Harrington
Rating: minus 5, only because minus 11 would be meaningless
I am rewriting my reviews systematically because commenters have criticized my punctuation and I am bringing my reviews up to that splendid Amazon/Goodreads writing standard that I hadn't noticed before. 🙂
It is a pity that has not been a concern as regards the books being touted. 😒
I lie about my reasoning. 🤗 I feel cheated by the Amazon/Goodreads switch and bait. Every non-Indie writer of any worth, is expensive enough that a reader can pay the price of a hardback book for an ebook or settle for garbage. After several years of regular sniping from the entitled, white male idiot patience has ended.
These morons, who never write reviews (I checked regularly and have never found one), feel that despite any possible interpretation of courtesy, that they should post their disagreement with another reader's opinion by way of personal attacks. Hmmmm 🤔
It is almost as if they are too immature to question how badly written these books are or more likely are made to feel so very, very powerful by these political tracts with spaceship covers. Given that these books seem to repeat the "USA is number one" mantra (often the Only one) and those american characters are clearly defined as excluding most americans along ethnic lines, is totally a coincidence of course. 🤔🤔
As I think of it, if that were true, it would imply a reader minority with a very, verry white nationalist sentiment. 😒 That would almost certainly describe the NeoNazi sects and that their definition of "whiteness" has shifted to pre-1940.
That their comment packs appear to attack many other negative reviewers (something that I have come across more than once), it suggests that there surely must be a pushback from other readers (which I have not seen). If not, then their claim to speak for all science fiction readers, must mean that other readers are too frightened to challenge them (not possible, in a democracy surely) and/or that a majority must agree with them. 🤔🤔
I just had the troubling thought that this situation would be very, verrry similar to that of the rise of the National Socialist Party in 1930's Germany. I refuse to accept this understanding. These morons are slaves to their blind belief in "Freedom" but it also seems that they have already restricted who is allowed to actually exercise "Freedom of thought". 🤔🤔🤔
I must take a break from this line of thought. Some music, no a lot of music will settle your nerves, Self. You can always come back to this review. You are right, Self. So be it.
Back again. Sorry but there was a thing that I had to do for a friend. Last minute and all. Where was I? Now I remember.
I wrote a simple review of a "poorly written salute to the January 6, 2021 hero", thinking it bad and dangerous. Suddenly Amazon also took issue with my being a communist. 🙂
They do not "Allow" me to see other's reviews or commenter's names. They did not "Allow" me to remove my last lurker (Susan Hamilton, a Maths professor at University of Tennessee ?) for over a year and through five requests to her directly. They escalated from that point. 🤔 I think that their customer service needs improving. 😊
For more of Amazon, see my review of "Dark Horse", a nice romance/science fiction novel by Diener or Powers of the Earth (a poorly written salute to the January 6, 2021 hero) and the comments from a Claes Rees, Jr/cgr710 (a self-identified NeoNazi and US patriot).
Claes Rees, Jr/cgr710
Don't be a numpty. Be a smarty. Come and join the Communist Party. 🙂
I sometimes wonder at US patriots' (Tucker Carlson, Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 and US Republican Party, as examples) support for the Russia's attempted genocide of Ukrainians. There could be Russian gold but they did threaten the patriots' own country in multiple speeches. Russia have also almost descended to Soviet level fascism and 20% of the population do not enjoy indoor toilets, .... Wow! I see what the attraction is now. In any case.
SLAVA UKRAINI !!! ---TA-- SLAVA GEROYAM !!!
Now we can talk about the book. I was hoping for a passable, if not particularly entertaining story but it was not the product offered.
(The two main character couples are cute and have bonded through the battle to prevent human extinction. 😃) I wrote the previous sentence originally but given the rest of the book, I think that I was self-censoring. I no longer do. I will let it stand but I honestly do not remember them and if that was accurate, I should. 😊
I now usually address the world building of science fiction books first and foremost. Most of the low end writers do not bother to attempt it. Needing to create a plausible or at least logical background, would seem fundamental to any story but apparently the conventional wisdom does not apply at this end of fiction.
If the background is incomplete, there is no structure for the plot. If the background is notional, there is no platform for character development. Without a solid background, the dialogue must necessarily read as a poorly conceived primary school play. A science fiction story without a cohesive background is not science fiction but a juvenile space fantasy and at best suffers the same problems that aggravate fans of both Star Wars and Star Trek. In short, there is no writing discipline encouraged or rewarded. 🤔
Fully half of the human population has been killed. It is stated and the consequences are? The state of humanity is? The continuing death toll has what additional effect on the survivors? Production of food, basic survival goods, clean water and possibly most importantly power has been organized by whom? How? When? 😐
Skills of urban dwellers have been converted to the above specialized skill sets How? When? The population has been relocated to nonfunctional urban centers or rural areas? Who organized the relocation planetside? How? When?
Language difficulties elevating the task of ensuring the survival of the greatest percentage of billions an already overwhelming task, to the almost impossible are solved by whom? How? When?
A starship is built based on partially understood technology? This is a gift from reader to writer because an explanation does not begin to be offered. Who built this vessel and with what shipyard and what resources? Who diverted those resources as hundreds of millions begin to die monthly?
Who designed the starship in six months? Was the ship's hull material human material or alien material which was replicable with current human technology? Was the ship's power generation and distribution reverse engineered from alien technology and replicable with human technology? Were human environmental systems adapted from alien tech or copied from human space craft?
Who identified the space qualified engineers, physicists, materials scientists, astrophysicists and others to design and build this space craft? Who then collected and relocated them and to the hopefully functioning facility. Resources were identified, gathered, shipped how, by whom and when?
The heroes are chosen as crew by whom? They are trained to crew the starship by whom? They are not trained astronauts. They have no applicable engineering skills. When and how were interstellar navigation and ship maintenance routines developed for this ship of barely understood technology? How were the protocols for an alien environment developed?
Who developed the ship's combat doctrine? Who designed the ship's weapons? Was the ship armed? Who reverse engineered the weaponry, if it was derived alien technology? Who designed the personal weapons? Who designed the crew complement? Why was there a ground complement of one? What was the mission? How was it to be accomplished? Who decided any of this?
Intergalactic travel time is several Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Who planned the journey length and how? Is intergalactic travel routine now? 🤗
The world building should answer all of the above at a minimum. Instead the writer does not seem to realize that these are questions that might be asked. He obviously did not and so might be forgiven (not). 😒
This crew has what qualifications other than being american?
Terrorists who are Middle Eastern (really !!! 😑), create and build or steal the main characters' spare spaceship? The heroes deduce that these terrorists are going to inform aliens that they need to return to Earth to finish the annihilation of humanity? This is a blow for Islam? This is achieving revenge against the horrible americans? They are the ultimate suicidal nihilists? They are culturally predisposed to suicide attacks? 🙄
I might be alone in this but I smell the foul stench of crude racism.
In six months everything returns to normal? Interesting.
There is an Earth Defense Force created by and equipped with the same leaders, weapons and doctrine that failed at the first go round. Interesting.
There is created an internment camp for hybrids, which is less secure than a children's playground. Interesting.
The World government is become treacherous because the US leader does not lead it. Interesting.
The Planetary Defense Force is become unreliable because the Chief is a Chinese General. Interesting.
There is only one big idea in the book. All science fiction should have one. Perhaps not this one.
The main characters realize that Earth is no longer home after meeting a Chinese general as Chief of the Planetary Defense Force and the South African head of the world council. I wonder what caused that reaction. It is never explained. 🤔
It could not be a matter of wrong ethnicity or skin color. That would be ridiculous. What next, there should be the US President as head of the World Council. The Head of the Planetary Defense Force should be a Wisconsin native. I have the craziest ideas sometimes. 🤗🤗 Pay no attention to my strange thoughts. I suspect that we will never know.
This theme is common across US science fiction. It is different to that of "Triumph of the Will", in what way? That expectation will probably be quaint in possibly as little as a dozen years. For now his target audience storms the US legislature to undo an election because the wrong segregationist won an election. 😑
I gather that the perfect ending would be the following. Billions around the world will probably celebrate January 6, 2021, as a solemn holiday. Men will weep with gratitude, women will dance in the streets and children will cavort with glee. 😑 Mind boggling.
I am a communist but I do not think that that is required to gag on the rant that is this story. "We will not be replaced" should be the secondary title. 😊
US hegemony is the only sane path for global society. How selfless a country. 😀
In return for appropriate adoration, a handful of US patriots save the human race. "You're welcome, other people." 😂
This is a fifteen year old american male fantasy. It must also be a favored selection on the Jordan Peterson Book Club. Next month's selection will be "The Turner Diaries" followed by "Mein Kampf", both recommended by Proud Boys everywhere. Remember to purchase a confederate flag and/or swastikas for a loved one at the Club shop. Ugh!
This book is a splendid example of low end No Effort US science fiction. I no longer have much interest in any science fiction print. I watch rather than read on the increasingly rare occasions, where I feel the urge. The streaming services usually provide better written and/or more entertaining science fiction stories. Even Amazon have several, though I can not bring myself to try to enjoy anything sponsored by such a corporation. Netflix on the other hand have a nice multinational selection which is a pleasant extra.
I only began watching YouTube in the last two years. I was searching for science fiction news channels, fan productions and shorts. I found them, as well as educational and a variety of special interest channels by accident but the best surprise were the book channels. 😍😍
They host a reader community who are curious, thoughtful and excited by all things bookish. I would recommend a visit to several book channels for any reader and have listed some below.
I discovered the dedicated educational video sites through sponsor spots on some of my favorite channels. These sites include documentaries, essayists, lectures and lecture series. I began my sampling with Curiosity Stream/Nebula at a cost of $15 USD for a yearly subscription. I think that they are all worth a look.
I originally described an example of the snide history creator to demonstrate the need for personal reading. From science to philosophy, expert opinion changes from generation to generation, decade to decade and sometimes year to year for a host of reasons.
I grew up with books and military history was one of my hobbies but whether for self or a course I usually avoided relying on just one source, if at all possible. And I admit that I am lazier than I should be. 🤗 My apology but I needed to add the paragraph above, not for you but for the thugs that I described at the start. I have realized that I myself had fallen into the error of looking at only one source on more than one occasion. 🤗
I have had comments to my obscure little personal reviews, as if the commenter were refuting some scholar's pronouncement. I noticed that a number of times. 😊
When I offered to compile a research path or some reading, my offer was not once accepted. 😇 I will never make that offer again to a Goodreads member. 😎
To the US patriots (?)
There is no longer any need to send vile sexual and racist comments to the thirteen year old girl boater and her mother, the British pensioner in France, the female Swedish essayist, the female German physicist or other YouTube channels which I suggest.
Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 declared on my review of Powers of the Earth, that You had "won (?)". Please confirm. I also suspect that if not now, eventually every member will be aware of your patriotism.
My YouTube picks of the moment.
Cruising Crafts, Red Plateaus, Kiko10061980, The Shades of Orange, Zack the Russian, Viva La Dirt League, The Confused Adipose, The Bands of HM Royal Marines, Dinsart Design, Baggage Claim, Owen Jones.
As for Amazon, please consider treating this as a potentially hostile site. 😐
Ominous music begins. 🙂 The above abuse from Amazon, was minor compared to the last escalation. Some seriously vile comments found there way to channels that I listed. These creators are used to he rude comment but these scared a few of them. Some of these were in my name no less. 😖. I have a long series of awkward conversations ahead of me, both for evidence and to apologize for US patriots.
Then Australian security (or posing as) attempted to interrogate the only friend whom I messaged on this site. Since he was my only connection to that country, I must assume that it is a favor from Pine Gap intelligence center to their american friends. 🤔
The writer of the Powers of the Earth book is a US veteran, a US federal government employee and very upset that I responded to few of his months long string of comments racist and other. Considering that the US has 1.3 million Top Secret (I think) clearances, according to US academic researchers and that they can not possibly be closely supervised, it seems logical that there exists a link.
More importantly Amazon had to give them my message history (sparse as it was) or for fun Australia wanted to know what my holiday plans were. I am betting on the first. I minimized my profile information, removed all lurkers and screenshot the odd and the ugly. I can only tell you what I did. Please be careful on this site. Ominous music ends. 🙂
Some of my favorite YouTube channels. I do not know what "Chad, clapping, slapping or owned" mean and so obviously am not an expert but I do like these channels. 😊
Some More News, Tara Mooknee, Novara Media, Northern Narrowboaters, Mia Mulder, Sarah Z, Munecat, Zoe Baker, Three Arrows, The Armchair Historian, Chloe Stafler, Prime of Midlife, Celtica, Military History Visualized, Kings and Generals, Karolina Zebrowska, Snappy Dragon, History Hit, Half as Interesting, Epic History, The Narrowboat Pirate, Savage Daughter, May Moon Narrowboal, The Lorna Jane Adventures, Sabine Hossenfelder, Tulia, The Juice Media, Make Better Media, We're in Hell,, Lady of the Library, Emmie, Mala Armia Janosika, Kathy's Flog in France, Caucasus Sword dances, 2 Steps from Hell, Tom Nicholas, Practical Engineering, A Clockwork Reader, Neringa Rekaslute, Camper Vibe, Ryan Chapman, The Shades of Orange, A Life of Lit, AstronautX, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Books and Lala, Noelle Gallagher, Abbie Emmons, Tom Nicholas, Owen Jones, Quinn's Ideas, Steve Shives, Jessie Gender, Lady knight the Brave, Beau of the Fifth Column, Noah Samsen, With Olivia, Lily Alexander, Tibees, Knowing Better, Mrs Betty Bowers, The Juice Media, Zoe Bee, Celtica, Maggie May Fish, What Vivi did next, Cruising the Cut, Cruising Alba, Janelle Kayla, Swell Entertainment, Renegade Cut, Second Thought, A Different Bias, Alize, Alice Cappelle, Jessica Gagnon, France 24, Double Down News, DW News, SandRhoman History, The Templin Institute, We're in Hell, Hello Future Me, Reading Wryly, John Michael Godier, Yanis Varoufakis, Tulia, Crux, Zoe Bee , The Amber Ruffin Show, Adult Wednesday Addams, Rebecca Watson, Isaac Arthur, Denys Davydov, Depressed Russian, TLDR, Then & Now, Chris Animations, Overly Sarcastic Productions, WION, Books and Quills, IzzzYzzz, Swell Entertainment, UA Courage, Art by Annamarie, The Leftist Cooks, Crecganford, The Mindful Narrowboat, Filaxim Historia, No Justice MTG, The Historian's Craft, Philosophy Tube.
I wish you a fine morning, a productive afternoon, a very good evening, a relaxing night and may we all continue learning.
Hope does not ever waiver, only the Will.
Honor Harrington
March 7, 2019
Great series.....on to the book in the series.
April 9, 2024
OMG! This book was incredible! I really enjoyed it! I can't wait to read the next book!
July 10, 2018
Once you’ve become “The Hero of Earth”, I didn’t think there’d be much left to do! In the first book of this series, “The Survivors”, our hero, Dean Parker, saved most of Earth’s population from going into the Sun. He also managed to kill an entire race of aliens that needed killing. He got all the colony ships headed for the Sun turned around and managed to get almost everyone back to Earth. But, Earth’s population is and was quite large and there were a lot of deaths. Most by the hands of other humans who went kind of crazy when they were all stuffed into giant alien colony ships. Dean couldn’t help that nor could he do anything about those that were already weak, old and helpless before the aliens took them. Those people died right off the bat. So now Earth’s population is considerably smaller, but things are moving slowly back to normal.
Dean still has Mary with him and of course Carey, his adopted dog. Mary came to him by the way of his previous wife’s Brother. Janine, Dean’s deceased wife, died before “The Event”. Unknown to Dean, she was actually a hybrid alien who was bred by the Kraski whose intent was to have these hybrid humans take the Earth population and drive colony ships into the Sun. That would free up Earth and the Solar System for the Kraski. Unfortunately, the Kraski, themselves were wiped out by the Bhlat, another hostile alien race, so the Deltra stepped in and helped the hybrid humans continue the destruction of Earth’s population. Dean managed to find an alien machine that once coded to a races specific DNA, destroyed that race if it was anywhere near it. So anyway, Mary was Janine’s Brother’s wife! Got all that. Janine’s Brother was also a hybrid. Both of the hybrids gave their spouses a green emerald, a ring for Mary and a necklace pendant for Dean which allowed them to escape the traction beam that pulled all the humans from Earth into the colony ships.
There were only a dozen of humans that did escape the beam like Dean. He was also left instructions that told him to go to Peru and turn off a shield that was preventing Earth from getting help from a supposedly benevolent alien race. Dean and other struggled mightily to reach the alien machine only to find out that turning it off wasn’t what they should be doing. Ok, so all that was in book one. You don’t actually need to read it, but I suggest you do. It’s a pretty good story although it is kid of far fetched. From upstate New York to Peru is quite a trip and Dean made in record time and found Mary along the way.
Now that Earth knows there are bad aliens out there, they are trying to get themselves ready for the next encounter. They have a lot of advance technology they are reverse engineering from the capture colony ships. President Patrice Dalhousie has asked for Dean and Mary, pllus a few other Heroes of Earth to attend a meeting with her and her close staff. She appoints Dean and Mary and the rest as members of the new Earth Defense Force, complete with uniforms and other stuff. Their first assignment is to find out if there is wide-spread unrest with the captured hybrids who are being held on an island somewhere around New York. There hundreds if not thousands of these hybrid humans. Some realize that the purpose for which they were grown and programmed was wrong and greatly regret their involvement. They believe they didn’t have a choice and only wish to be integrated into human society. Then there are the others who believe they must fulfill their programming. They must somehow destroy all humanity. Dean and Mary need to stop this.
Ok, so this book is pretty short or it reads so easy that I just zipped right through it. The story is well written and is kind of a “who-done-it” more than anything else. Dean is sure one reluctant hero. He’s the kind of guy that says, “I don’t know anything about that.”, and then goes on to explain everything about “that” anyway. He’s a good guy, but very reluctant to take charge. Mary is ex-Air Force so she fits right in to the Earth Defense Forces. I think there’s going to be a number of new books now that they have something to write about.
In fact, the next book, “New World”, book three, is already out and I have it. I’ll let you know if it’s a good one soon.
Dean still has Mary with him and of course Carey, his adopted dog. Mary came to him by the way of his previous wife’s Brother. Janine, Dean’s deceased wife, died before “The Event”. Unknown to Dean, she was actually a hybrid alien who was bred by the Kraski whose intent was to have these hybrid humans take the Earth population and drive colony ships into the Sun. That would free up Earth and the Solar System for the Kraski. Unfortunately, the Kraski, themselves were wiped out by the Bhlat, another hostile alien race, so the Deltra stepped in and helped the hybrid humans continue the destruction of Earth’s population. Dean managed to find an alien machine that once coded to a races specific DNA, destroyed that race if it was anywhere near it. So anyway, Mary was Janine’s Brother’s wife! Got all that. Janine’s Brother was also a hybrid. Both of the hybrids gave their spouses a green emerald, a ring for Mary and a necklace pendant for Dean which allowed them to escape the traction beam that pulled all the humans from Earth into the colony ships.
There were only a dozen of humans that did escape the beam like Dean. He was also left instructions that told him to go to Peru and turn off a shield that was preventing Earth from getting help from a supposedly benevolent alien race. Dean and other struggled mightily to reach the alien machine only to find out that turning it off wasn’t what they should be doing. Ok, so all that was in book one. You don’t actually need to read it, but I suggest you do. It’s a pretty good story although it is kid of far fetched. From upstate New York to Peru is quite a trip and Dean made in record time and found Mary along the way.
Now that Earth knows there are bad aliens out there, they are trying to get themselves ready for the next encounter. They have a lot of advance technology they are reverse engineering from the capture colony ships. President Patrice Dalhousie has asked for Dean and Mary, pllus a few other Heroes of Earth to attend a meeting with her and her close staff. She appoints Dean and Mary and the rest as members of the new Earth Defense Force, complete with uniforms and other stuff. Their first assignment is to find out if there is wide-spread unrest with the captured hybrids who are being held on an island somewhere around New York. There hundreds if not thousands of these hybrid humans. Some realize that the purpose for which they were grown and programmed was wrong and greatly regret their involvement. They believe they didn’t have a choice and only wish to be integrated into human society. Then there are the others who believe they must fulfill their programming. They must somehow destroy all humanity. Dean and Mary need to stop this.
Ok, so this book is pretty short or it reads so easy that I just zipped right through it. The story is well written and is kind of a “who-done-it” more than anything else. Dean is sure one reluctant hero. He’s the kind of guy that says, “I don’t know anything about that.”, and then goes on to explain everything about “that” anyway. He’s a good guy, but very reluctant to take charge. Mary is ex-Air Force so she fits right in to the Earth Defense Forces. I think there’s going to be a number of new books now that they have something to write about.
In fact, the next book, “New World”, book three, is already out and I have it. I’ll let you know if it’s a good one soon.
July 8, 2019
Awesome book
Couldn't stop reading it from the moment I started this series. The depth of the characters makes you miss them when you put the book down
Couldn't stop reading it from the moment I started this series. The depth of the characters makes you miss them when you put the book down
June 27, 2021
This was okay but I got tired of Dean's inner thought of how tired he was of killing. Good grief, the planet was attacked and the population was put in huge space ships and was flying toward the sun in the first book then they were just waiting for another attack in this book AND Dean was tired of killing? Jeez, those constant thoughts were just stupid. AND there's 10 more books in this series where we can constantly read about how tired Dean is of killing ALIENS. No thank you!
No sex and no swearing.
As for the narration: Luke Daniels is fabulous but even he couldn't make this story better.
No sex and no swearing.
As for the narration: Luke Daniels is fabulous but even he couldn't make this story better.
October 28, 2019
The survivors of the Kraski invasion and Deltra threat are struggling hard to rebuild the Earth, figure out the hybrids and prepare for an even greater alien threat looming near. The first part of the book deals with that and our friends' relationships on Earth. The second part of the book takes place in the space on a chase. New surprises arise and revelations are made along with some very hard decisions to be made, not to forget the final twist. An entertaining sci-fi alien adventure.
I received this ebook as an exchange for a review of the first book in The Survivors Series, Event.
I received this ebook as an exchange for a review of the first book in The Survivors Series, Event.
September 6, 2018
Let-down
After a nice first book in the series, this second installment failed to excite me. The plot was slow, and the interactions between the characters were boring, stilted, and forced. The one good plot twist at the end was not enough to save the book.
This only barely merit 3 stars using my rules at https://startupdj.com/book-rating-rules, and could be better given 2.5 if rating tools would let me assign it.
I’m moving on to another series and author.
After a nice first book in the series, this second installment failed to excite me. The plot was slow, and the interactions between the characters were boring, stilted, and forced. The one good plot twist at the end was not enough to save the book.
This only barely merit 3 stars using my rules at https://startupdj.com/book-rating-rules, and could be better given 2.5 if rating tools would let me assign it.
I’m moving on to another series and author.
September 18, 2019
Nathan Hystad has a way of getting into his readers' heads. Or at least this one. I consumed his first in the Survivors series, "The Event," rather rapidly. My impression was "that was interesting." But little did I realize the twists and turns that the plot took slowly but surely sucked me in. And I had to read the next in the series, despite the fact that the first installment stands on its own. That earth was back to normal after dealing with the combined onslaught of the deadly Kraski and the conniving Deltra, both extra-terrestrial races looking to profit from humanity's home planet. But Hystad's protagonist, Dean Parker, an accountant from upstate New York, had more on his plate. Enter "New Threat," the second in what is, as of this writing, a seven-volume series. The hybrids, which were put on earth to prepare for the Kraskis' invasion, remain contentious. Many of the clones, which have alien and human DNA, worked with their creators in the planned annihilation of the human race. And people don't forget easily. More than half the world's population disappeared, and humanity has just gotten back on track. Or tried to. Hystad spends more time on his core group of characters — love interest Mary and friends Magnus and Natalie — than geopolitical issues. While not Asimov, Hystad's writing tactics felt fine. I found little interest beyond just following what Dean and Mary got involved in. Much of that had to do with the author's ability to head in directions I'd never conceived. And that's a good thing. He doesn't let that any preconceived notions affect his editorial direction. So what I first thought was an apocalyptic adventure happily turned into solid science fiction that continues to improve. I've finished the fourth or fifth book in the series and am just getting to these reviews.
October 20, 2021
This entry isn't as good as the first, however if very entertaining in its own way.
This is a very different story than book 1. There is less thought and contemplation, more fighting. The characters aren't as strong. But the universe is expanding.
This book sidelines a couple of the primary secondary characters, from book 1 and adds a bunch of new ones. The new characters are fairly 1 dimensional, in this book, and are reduced mainly to their rolls, ie soldier, engineer, doctor. They have a small amount of personality, but are mostly 1 note. I hope to learn more about them in book 3, but as for this book there is nothing. They are fairly likeable, though, so at least there's that.
The plot is, once again, predictable but with a few twists that aren't fully explained. The story basically sprints from beginning to end with little to no slowing down or developing concepts. This is a complaint from the first book, and I expect it to be a constant throughout the series. It's not story breaking, but it would be better, in my opinion, if the story was a tad more drawn out, in order to build the world and characters.
The settings are basically familiar earth, Space ships/stations and an earth like work, so little new there.
The voice narration, by Luke Daniels, is once again very well done. This is proving to be one of his better series performances, definitely in the same quality as Frontlines.
All in all, this is a really good book, that doesn't quite reach the quality of its predecessor. The settings and plot style are similar, but the characters are not done to the same level. The voice narration is great and it's definitely proving to be a series worth reading.
Can't wait till the next.
This is a very different story than book 1. There is less thought and contemplation, more fighting. The characters aren't as strong. But the universe is expanding.
This book sidelines a couple of the primary secondary characters, from book 1 and adds a bunch of new ones. The new characters are fairly 1 dimensional, in this book, and are reduced mainly to their rolls, ie soldier, engineer, doctor. They have a small amount of personality, but are mostly 1 note. I hope to learn more about them in book 3, but as for this book there is nothing. They are fairly likeable, though, so at least there's that.
The plot is, once again, predictable but with a few twists that aren't fully explained. The story basically sprints from beginning to end with little to no slowing down or developing concepts. This is a complaint from the first book, and I expect it to be a constant throughout the series. It's not story breaking, but it would be better, in my opinion, if the story was a tad more drawn out, in order to build the world and characters.
The settings are basically familiar earth, Space ships/stations and an earth like work, so little new there.
The voice narration, by Luke Daniels, is once again very well done. This is proving to be one of his better series performances, definitely in the same quality as Frontlines.
All in all, this is a really good book, that doesn't quite reach the quality of its predecessor. The settings and plot style are similar, but the characters are not done to the same level. The voice narration is great and it's definitely proving to be a series worth reading.
Can't wait till the next.
June 15, 2021
The quality of the writing was the same as the previous book, but the ending was so strange (unbelievable but logically possible) that I felt compelled to reduce my rating by 1 star. The story also seemed to end abruptly and unexpectedly (well.. I knew I was running out of book even though I hadn't run out of story) and with somewhat of a cliffhanger. I don't like cliffhangers.
The story: The publisher's description tells most of it. Two aliens escape their enclave and Dean (oddly enough since he is an ACCOUNTANT and not a soldier) tracks down the pair in a run across the United States. May is trying her best to be helpful, but seems to feel like a traitor... helping the humans, but still identifying with her hybrid people. (It's actually more complex than that, but it's a spoiler so I am being purposefully vague.) Eventually Dean gets off planet and goes chasing across the galaxy. (Just so you know that there is some science fiction involved.)
The story itself reminded me (in general terms) of the book "Slan" by A. E. van Vogt. That is, a group of aliens living on Earth, set aside and frankly, abused and hated. In the book "Slan" the aliens (so-to-speak) were the good guys. In "New Threat" the aliens are a mixed bag, either helpful, bad to the core, spies, or simply wanting to go home.
I'm not sure I will read this book again. I'm going to read the next book in the series. If the story improves and the ending is better then I will probably read this book again as part of reading the entire series.
The story: The publisher's description tells most of it. Two aliens escape their enclave and Dean (oddly enough since he is an ACCOUNTANT and not a soldier) tracks down the pair in a run across the United States. May is trying her best to be helpful, but seems to feel like a traitor... helping the humans, but still identifying with her hybrid people. (It's actually more complex than that, but it's a spoiler so I am being purposefully vague.) Eventually Dean gets off planet and goes chasing across the galaxy. (Just so you know that there is some science fiction involved.)
The story itself reminded me (in general terms) of the book "Slan" by A. E. van Vogt. That is, a group of aliens living on Earth, set aside and frankly, abused and hated. In the book "Slan" the aliens (so-to-speak) were the good guys. In "New Threat" the aliens are a mixed bag, either helpful, bad to the core, spies, or simply wanting to go home.
I'm not sure I will read this book again. I'm going to read the next book in the series. If the story improves and the ending is better then I will probably read this book again as part of reading the entire series.
October 31, 2018
This book, as well as the first book in the series, deserve five stars for the story and I highly recommend it to all Sc-Fi fans as well as those who just enjoy a good story regardless of the genre. In a recent review of another author's book, I said, "I'm beginning to realize that it doesn't matter what genre a book is written in, it's the relationships and interactions of the characters that make a great story. That is very true here also.
I didn't give this the five-star review the story deserved because of a similar flaw I was troubled by in the first book. There, the author expected a single-masted Sloop to average between 30 and 40MPH over 1,600 miles of open ocean. Todays World-Cup exotic boats may briefly reach those speeds but wouldn't average anywhere near these speeds. Ten years ago, they would rarely exceed ten Knots (not MPH). In this book, the author expects a crew of raiders on a planet one third larger than earth to only take 15 minutes to travel two miles. Two miles on spongy-ground where their weigh is at least 30% greater, through lush wilderness while carrying weapons and wearing back-packs with supplies is incredible. A feat even Seals or Delta forces couldn't achieve. Am I a perfectionist? When it comes to giving the highest possible rating, YES, I am.
Again I say the story is outstanding. Even if this kind of problem continues into the next book(s) in this fantastic series, I will read, enjoy and recommend them.
I didn't give this the five-star review the story deserved because of a similar flaw I was troubled by in the first book. There, the author expected a single-masted Sloop to average between 30 and 40MPH over 1,600 miles of open ocean. Todays World-Cup exotic boats may briefly reach those speeds but wouldn't average anywhere near these speeds. Ten years ago, they would rarely exceed ten Knots (not MPH). In this book, the author expects a crew of raiders on a planet one third larger than earth to only take 15 minutes to travel two miles. Two miles on spongy-ground where their weigh is at least 30% greater, through lush wilderness while carrying weapons and wearing back-packs with supplies is incredible. A feat even Seals or Delta forces couldn't achieve. Am I a perfectionist? When it comes to giving the highest possible rating, YES, I am.
Again I say the story is outstanding. Even if this kind of problem continues into the next book(s) in this fantastic series, I will read, enjoy and recommend them.
December 6, 2021
The few ragged survivors of the EVENT have fought and struggled and have managed to find the Kraski fleet. For some it was too late as the sun devoured the unlucky. But for almost half the Earth's population, their rescue and return, was nothing short of a miracle. Now the Earth is recovering. The countries and nationalistic disputes of the past are gone in the face of what could have been humanities end. But the destruction of the Kraski does not mean that Earth is safe. There are worse things in the universe waiting. While Earth prepares for future conflict, the scourge of racism rises once more in a new form but with hates and fears just as old. And that racism may tip the fragile peace and bring the universe back to humanities front door once again.
Author Nathan Hystad's second book in the Survivors series - NEW THREAT - continues and builds on the events of the EVENT as he continues to build a world recovering from tragedy with new ideals and new opportunities, but a world that still reflects the issues and the troubles that continue to plague today's societies and people and the hate that never seems to go away. Hystad moves from the confines of our local solar system of insulated planets and stretches his hand across the galaxies to new worlds...new peoples...and new dangers.
Author Nathan Hystad's second book in the Survivors series - NEW THREAT - continues and builds on the events of the EVENT as he continues to build a world recovering from tragedy with new ideals and new opportunities, but a world that still reflects the issues and the troubles that continue to plague today's societies and people and the hate that never seems to go away. Hystad moves from the confines of our local solar system of insulated planets and stretches his hand across the galaxies to new worlds...new peoples...and new dangers.
June 30, 2018
The hybrids
The adventure continues in this KU library selection as a new threat emerges. Dean and Mary have settled in back on Earth when they are called into Washington to meet with the new President. The hybrids are being held on a "campus" under the authority of a "Dean" whose guards have intercepted suspicious transmissions and video surveillance footage of a clandestine meeting. Two suspects are questioned, but escape into space. Fearing they are aiding the Bhlat, the President assigns Dean, Mary and a few others to follow and capture them.
This book doesn't move as quickly as book one and didn't hold my attention as well. It's still a good read, however, and moves the story forward. Since book three is now out, I'll be reading it next.
The adventure continues in this KU library selection as a new threat emerges. Dean and Mary have settled in back on Earth when they are called into Washington to meet with the new President. The hybrids are being held on a "campus" under the authority of a "Dean" whose guards have intercepted suspicious transmissions and video surveillance footage of a clandestine meeting. Two suspects are questioned, but escape into space. Fearing they are aiding the Bhlat, the President assigns Dean, Mary and a few others to follow and capture them.
This book doesn't move as quickly as book one and didn't hold my attention as well. It's still a good read, however, and moves the story forward. Since book three is now out, I'll be reading it next.
January 3, 2022
I'm not going to review each and every of the 18, so far, books in this series because it would be exhausting. Suffice it to say, as I just this morning told my son, to have the talent to write a series of 18 books (so far) and each and every book be as engaging, thrilling and be able to pull a reader right into the story instead of being a spectator to it is so rare and his books do that. From book 1 to the current book 18. Also, these are not novellas or short stories. Each in this series is a full on NOVEL. I've been opened to genres I never thought I'd be interested in before and it's writers like Nathan Hystad that make that possible .... that make reading ..... an important part of my life.
January 27, 2022
Deception and deceit
As the Earth reels from the Kraski invasion, the population less than half pre-decimation, Kraski technology - reverse engineered - was ushering in a new era of cooperation. Dean, Mary, Magnus and Natalie are regarded as the Heroes of Earth for their part in defeating the Kraski and the human-Kraski hybrids are imprisoned in their gilded cage. A new world is being colonized at Proxima Cenauri b and the first settlers are thriving in a new Eden. The search for the Bhlat takes half our heroes away while the other half emigrates.
Stunning characters, a huge storyline and a master storyteller relate this tale in a vast universe. Combined, this is a great read!
As the Earth reels from the Kraski invasion, the population less than half pre-decimation, Kraski technology - reverse engineered - was ushering in a new era of cooperation. Dean, Mary, Magnus and Natalie are regarded as the Heroes of Earth for their part in defeating the Kraski and the human-Kraski hybrids are imprisoned in their gilded cage. A new world is being colonized at Proxima Cenauri b and the first settlers are thriving in a new Eden. The search for the Bhlat takes half our heroes away while the other half emigrates.
Stunning characters, a huge storyline and a master storyteller relate this tale in a vast universe. Combined, this is a great read!
July 9, 2018
Good second read
I wasn’t sure how this was going to go and thought it was going to be a bit lame. Did take me a while to really get into it as I wasn’t as gripped, but once I’d read a few chapters I was compelled to find out what had happened!
Turned out to be a great story. Loved the technology they got to keep and develop and I like the developing camaraderie in the group. A few good twists.
One lack was wanting some substance to the Bhlat and what it is all about and if there is a plan and who they are, all a bit mysterious. I don’t want the bad guys to end up being the good guys in the next book!!
On to the third book!
I wasn’t sure how this was going to go and thought it was going to be a bit lame. Did take me a while to really get into it as I wasn’t as gripped, but once I’d read a few chapters I was compelled to find out what had happened!
Turned out to be a great story. Loved the technology they got to keep and develop and I like the developing camaraderie in the group. A few good twists.
One lack was wanting some substance to the Bhlat and what it is all about and if there is a plan and who they are, all a bit mysterious. I don’t want the bad guys to end up being the good guys in the next book!!
On to the third book!
August 17, 2018
Nice Sequel
Dean and his dog Cary, along with the other survivors have stopped the alien ships loaded with millions of Earth captives from diving into the sun. They have returned to Earth and hailed as Earths Heroes. Half the population is dead, so the rest have to start the process of rebuilding.I
Dean just wants to return to a quiet life with Mary, who he has fallen in love with, and his dog Cary. But the new world president has other plans for him and his crew when another alien race threatens the earth.
There are plot twists and surprise turns that I didn't see coming and I wanted to see what happened next. I'm anxious to go on to the next adventure.
Dean and his dog Cary, along with the other survivors have stopped the alien ships loaded with millions of Earth captives from diving into the sun. They have returned to Earth and hailed as Earths Heroes. Half the population is dead, so the rest have to start the process of rebuilding.I
Dean just wants to return to a quiet life with Mary, who he has fallen in love with, and his dog Cary. But the new world president has other plans for him and his crew when another alien race threatens the earth.
There are plot twists and surprise turns that I didn't see coming and I wanted to see what happened next. I'm anxious to go on to the next adventure.
March 28, 2021
Nathan Hystad has the originality of a genre virgin, and the skill set to match. He has many original and unique takes on sci-fi tropes but struggles to deliver them in a coherent and rich way. The style of the writing is often rushed, leading to concepts that hang together far too loosely. It is never necessary to explain everything, but there must be a self-consistency that allows the audience to feel grounded, and so far, the series lacks that basic sense of reality.
That said, there is ample room for the imagination in the gaps, and I hold out hope that some of the voids will be filled in future volumes.
That said, there is ample room for the imagination in the gaps, and I hold out hope that some of the voids will be filled in future volumes.
November 3, 2025
Much better written than the first book, although a little slow at times and didn’t really come alive IMO until the final third.
I would have preferred to give this 3.5 stars but can’t.
The love story between Dean and Mary, and Nat and the Magnus is too much for me, it’s boring and takes away from what I’m looking for in a book like this.
Seriously who cares about Magnus marrying Nat, then they go off to another planet and we don’t hear from them again.
It’s pretty weak on the sci fi element too, I’m not looking for extreme detail, but there’s no explanation or depth in any of the writing.
I would have preferred to give this 3.5 stars but can’t.
The love story between Dean and Mary, and Nat and the Magnus is too much for me, it’s boring and takes away from what I’m looking for in a book like this.
Seriously who cares about Magnus marrying Nat, then they go off to another planet and we don’t hear from them again.
It’s pretty weak on the sci fi element too, I’m not looking for extreme detail, but there’s no explanation or depth in any of the writing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2021
I have the first box set of this series. Book two was another good read, with a few twists and turns and plenty of action. The characters are reasonably well portrayed, if a little unbelievable.
Overall, the plot is okay and the continued 'who to trust' adds some tension. It does seem, however, that no matter the race, betrayal isn't far away and humans will never change their selfish ways...will they ever learn? I doubt it. I am not convinced about the science but then it is fiction.
Worth a look.
Overall, the plot is okay and the continued 'who to trust' adds some tension. It does seem, however, that no matter the race, betrayal isn't far away and humans will never change their selfish ways...will they ever learn? I doubt it. I am not convinced about the science but then it is fiction.
Worth a look.
December 13, 2021
Great Series
This is a fascinating series about an accountant who saved the world and ended up having to do it again in this book. The aliens are just looking for a new planet to inhabit and Earth looks just right to them. In this book, their plans were thwarted, but one of the aliens escaped to notify the rest of the aliens. Dean and his crew had to stop her from reaching them.
There is some profanity, but clean of sexual content. I’d recommend this to anyone over 14 who enjoys Star Trek, star gate or Star Wars.
This is a fascinating series about an accountant who saved the world and ended up having to do it again in this book. The aliens are just looking for a new planet to inhabit and Earth looks just right to them. In this book, their plans were thwarted, but one of the aliens escaped to notify the rest of the aliens. Dean and his crew had to stop her from reaching them.
There is some profanity, but clean of sexual content. I’d recommend this to anyone over 14 who enjoys Star Trek, star gate or Star Wars.
April 2, 2018
What an amazing book2. It takes what was good in book 1 and rolls with it. This time Dean and Mary have to save the world by leaving it for an amazing adventure with a surprise ending. And the book's ending was a great twist I never saw coming. Just well written, fun to read, and of course a little mystery and bad guys. Once I started reading I could not put it down. Just had to see what happened next. It was a great book.
July 25, 2018
Another enjoyable adventure with the characters from Hystad's first novel in this series, along with a couple new characters. The newly formed team responsible for Earth's defense learn what the Hybrids are up to and, have their first run-in with the Bhlat. The reader gets a few surprises as well as a few answers as this series continues. I will be looking forward to continuing the adventure in the 3rd book of the Survivor series, "New World".
March 12, 2019
A NH. SYFY. Mystery Thriller (TSB. -2)/A Few of Many Return to Earth
NH. has. penned the second novel of The Survivors series. The first three to humanity has departed. The estimates of death range from 2.5 to 3.5 billion people. The countries that were hit the hardest were the ones who fought back. The first invasion has left the Earth side open for other invasions. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
NH. has. penned the second novel of The Survivors series. The first three to humanity has departed. The estimates of death range from 2.5 to 3.5 billion people. The countries that were hit the hardest were the ones who fought back. The first invasion has left the Earth side open for other invasions. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
January 19, 2023
New Threat, book two of the Survivors series. A continuation of the story from the previous book, not a bad storyline, some twists and turns, that I must admit I didn’t see coming. Plenty to keep a reader occupied, action, intrigue. Unfortunately still some simplistic and convenient answers to problems and situations that occur. Not enough to put me off. All in all an enjoyable read, enough going on to keep me interested, so on to the next one.
June 6, 2023
This was an enjoyable read. The plot flowed nicely, with some predictable things and some nice twists. It was also nice to see some additional world building to add on from the first book in the series. If you are looking for something light and not to heavy, this would be a good one. Even though you can understand what is going on without reading the first book, you might want to still read it before reading this one.
January 10, 2025
Quite the cast of characters.
The Heroes of Humanity have to go on another quest. Although, the quest is not what they were originally called to do. The addition of new characters was very well done. The challenge is as much to find the truth as it is to find out about the aliens.
The ending totally blew me away! Talk about the unexpected, that was certainly it!
Thanks for the great read!
The Heroes of Humanity have to go on another quest. Although, the quest is not what they were originally called to do. The addition of new characters was very well done. The challenge is as much to find the truth as it is to find out about the aliens.
The ending totally blew me away! Talk about the unexpected, that was certainly it!
Thanks for the great read!
March 17, 2018
Really enjoyed this book, I've learned that reading scfi you need to suspend disbelief a lot so choosing an accountant to lead such a mission, was expected.
It's exciting and fast paced mostly with some interesting twists. The dog sounds cute he got better billing than some in the story.
I will be reading the next book when it's available as a very much enjoyed reading the first 2.
It's exciting and fast paced mostly with some interesting twists. The dog sounds cute he got better billing than some in the story.
I will be reading the next book when it's available as a very much enjoyed reading the first 2.
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