“The Theos await you. Only then will we stop the Unwinding.”
The threat of invaders is gone, and Earth has been bartered away as a price for peace.
Yet, the human world of New Spero is thriving and full of hope.
Joining the rank of the Gatekeepers, Dean and Mary set off to explore worlds connected by the mysterious portals.
When they stumble upon a strange symbol, they are led to an ancient object, one that sets them on an unstoppable path.
The journey takes them through multiple worlds, before they can find what they’re searching for. Long ago, the ancient race called the Theos vanished without a trace, and have been next to forgotten for centuries. Do they still exist?
Dean intends to find out, but when he’s faced with the truth, he fears everything he loves will be lost.
The Ancients is the fourth installment of the best-selling Survivors series.
We start out by finding our trio of main characters, Dean, Mary and Slate, trekking through a cold and ice covered world. They got there through another portal used in their quest to find the Ancients or otherwise known as the Theos. The Theos have left small clues and artifacts that continually led this trio on. They're hoping that finding the Theos will lead to solve several mysteries, some which have been very deadly.
This is a far cry from the original story where Dean saved all humanity from some aliens who had loaded everyone up in starships and sent them towards the Sun. Yes, Earth and humanity have enemies they don’t even know about. Since “The Event”, Dean and Mary have had quite an adventure. While some thought this would end when everyone decided to flee to New Spero and set up a new human civilization, it didn’t with the discovery of the Portals. This is an ancient network of gateways to various worlds throughout the universe. It was set up by the Ancients or Theos and used for some purpose by them. Now only a few people (including aliens) know about these portals and access is very limited. Since Dean stumbled upon the portals and has a rudimentary understanding of how they work, he’s been made a Gatekeeper with free access to the portals or gates as he needs. It is evident that some of the original destinations along the network have been shut down. Apparently, the Ancients didn’t want anyone stumbling onto these worlds for one reason or another. Usually, it was for the travelers own protection.
So, Mary, Dean and Slate have decided to follow a series of “challenges” setup by the Ancients that seek to find the “True One” whom they will reveal themselves to. It feels too Dean, that he is the “True” because he can understand the hieroglyphics of the Ancients and can follow some of their more cryptic instructions.
Off they go on an almost compulsive journey into they know not what. They will meet some very strange aliens who, for the most part, are doing the bidding of the Ancients no matter what the cost to the aliens. Dean begins to resent some of the Ancients restrictions they placed on some of the aliens who were only located at certain places to guide Dean and his party. One such group had been in place for millions of years, separated from their own kind, just waiting for the “True” who would solve the riddle given them so they could at last go home.
The story is interesting in that we encounter an ever change environment. The diversity of aliens and different planets makes for an interesting story. We do kind of get to the end, but maybe not. Mary is way to compulsive all the way through the story. She goes and does things without waiting for the rest to reason through their next move. It’s very annoying. Still, time will tell that for Mary, her purpose is different than the others. She does get separated from Dean and Slate, but she’s not dead. Mary is something else now. You see, she’s actually the “True”.
Really enjoyed this series up to this point for the most part, but this one felt like it was phoned in.
The last book was weaker than the first two, but this one was just filler.
Not a fan, but since I have the entire series, I toiled through it. I typically try to avoid questionable series until their conclusion, then read through all of them.
Hope the next one is better. Skim this one. Almost none of it is worth your time.
Exciting follow up to book three. The story line is fantastic and with each book just gets better. You get to go on amazing adventures and visit such varied worlds. Can't wait to start the next book.
Most of this book is solidly, OK. We have journeys to other worlds new races, new problems, etc. It's fast paced and fun, like the other books in the series.
However, as I feared in the last book, this series is moving into the realm of magic. Not literally, with spells or anything. But the "technology" is so advanced and not even a hint of explanation or understanding is even considered. Instant teleportation across the Galaxy, immortal beings, mist enemies, etc. It is never framed as being space magic, but it definitely feels that way.
The ending, is also extremely cliche and tired. It's not that it's been done, but done to death. It honestly took me right out of the story. A book that was just kind of flawed but fun, suddenly became disappointing.
The voice acting, by Luke Daniels, was once again very well done. He seems to be having fun with this series, and it shows in the quality he is bringing to the performance.
All in all, this was an OK book with a terrible ending. The sci fi has been replaced with science fantasy but it remains fast paced and fun all the way to the horrible ending.
As I enjoyed books 1-3 I will give book 5 a try, but if it is like this book, I think I'll be pulling the rip cord on this series.
+++spoilers+++
It seemed stupid that the main character was supposed to be the chosen one, only to have his wife solve most puzzles. It made more sense when it turned out she was the chosen one in the end. Of course the bait and switch of it being evil aliens and they took the main character wife to be evil. Oh and she's pregnant, but didn't know it! What a shock! We haven't seen that a hundred times before.
Of course none if it really makes sense, as the evil aliens made the path, and made it a path of helping people and fixing their planet/situations, at great personal risk. It would make more sense if they had to run a n planets to advance their goals, then they would get the types of people they want at the end of the path.
And then there's this whole unwinding thing, that is spoken of and never explained, but is used as a character motivation for the main characters wife. The main character even comments that why is it such a big deal, they don't even know what it is. But of course, having a main character point out a plot hole isn't really the same thing as fixing it.
If the unwinding is to be such as motivation for the wife to follow the path, it should have been explained, at least a bit, so as to give her a realistic motivation to stop it.
The Bhlat negotiated a truce with humanity, but threats continue to pelt Dean Parker and crew in Nathan Hystad's "The Ancients," the fourth in the Survivors series. Dean and Mary leave the relative peace of New Spero, where humanity has fled, to address the latest mystery uncovered by Dean's strange capacity to be at the center of everything weird affecting his fellow humans. This time, he's off on a new quest to answer age-old questions and the possibility of the end of all existence. Through his new capacity as a gatekeeper, traveling a series of portals on planets established by a long-dead race that many alien races have deified, he's about to figure out exactly what has happened to the mythical Theos. And the heroes of earth must complete a series of challenges, one more perplexing and difficult than the next. Urging them forward is the desire to protect their loved ones. But all is not what appears, and like usual Hystad has a bunch of plot twists ahead that will sorely test his heroes and very possibly end them.
In "The Ancients", Hystad delivers a Verne-like Victorian odyssey, with a universe-spanning galactic romp. If it had been written in the 19th Century it would have been solid work, but, following on the heels of Asimov, Banks (and now Tchaikovsky), I find myself less tolerant of lazy writing, and the lack of basic research and scientific understanding prevalent in the descriptions is profoundly irritating.
What you have is a collection of standard tropes, as we go through Minecraft style single biome worlds at such a pace there is little time for any real tension to build. It makes for a good tale for a younger audience, with a shorter attention span, but is otherwise merely shallow.
On the plus side, Hystad does characters well, they feel more real than some of those churned out by his pulp peers; and there are dashes of originality in there, enough to keep it interesting.
Overall, I'm left profoundly disappointed as everything Hystad produces feels like it had the basis for being a masterpiece with more effort.
The Heros of Earth go on an odyssey to find the Theos and stop the Unwinding, which makes for a series of adventures that takes them to other worlds where they encounter new lifeforms and new dangers. This book seems to tends a bit more toward the cliche' in some of the adventures and seems to become more fantasy-like than science-fiction at times. But, if the science is advanced enough then it seems like magic, right? Regardless, it is a fun romp through the galaxy with our heroes as they try to find answers about who the Theos really are and what the Unwinding is all about. The story is not over yet so let's see what book #5 does to answer the questions.
If you are thinking about reading this as a stand-alone novel I would recommend against it. You will miss too much of the back story that is the foundation for this book.
I'm sure Dean and Mary thought all the action and adventure in their live was over once they saved everyone again in book 3 but looks like they were a bit wrong. Book 4 opens to at the start of their next adventure and it was a crazy ride across the universe as they end up on a hunt to find the mythical Theos following clues through the portals. I loved the action and the wild settings they ended up in. Plus there were a few twists and the ending was stellar and not what I expected. cannot wait to see what happens next. I did love that we got to check in with friends from the other books for a few. I loved the writing that kept me reading to see what surprises came next and the action. I loved the story.
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.
The adventure continues unveiling astonishing truths
Dean, Mary and their ever faithful friend Slate set out on another breathless chase through unknown galaxies following an old prophecy that promised to save everything created from a dreadful event called “The Unwinding” Swept away into the tale I read it right through without stopping. Nathan has once again poured his story into our hearts & minds leaving us breathless at the totally unexpected finale & the urgent need to read the next chapter in the story. As always an excellent idea rounded into a refreshing story. Our beloved characters continuing to grow & expand as the adventures continue
The author is lucky there's another book in this series. It's not often I become so fond of a character in a story as I have with one of the main characters in this series. I can't give away what happens without spoiling this great [and horrible] ending. If the author doesn't fix this in the next book, I'll have to hunt him down and compel (okay beg) him to continue the series until I, and I'm sure all of the loyal followers, get things back the way we want. I know, "...and they lived happily ever after" isn't a popular ending any longer but, I'd like the Good Guys to die of old age now and then. Nathan Hystad, we know where you live.
I like Hystad's style and the story is entertaining, but it's starting get a little long in the tooth. You can only save the humanity so many times before it starts feeling repetitious.
I'm not sure where this series is heading at the point. Just when the story looks like it has an end, then another fantastical incident occurs and we're off on another "save the universe adventure". There is still unfulfilled promises made to a powerful race that has destroyed the Earth, and two new boogymen to deal with not to mention the ancients to either find or discover what happened to them. And of course the fate of the hero's wife has yet unfolded.
Dean, Mary and Slate search clues left to find the Theos and end the Unwinding - whatever that was! Following the clues is a grand adventure, leading from one end of the universe to the other, bring led by a misty black figure. The search goes on and on, never quite finding what they thought they wanted. Again, the characters are amazing and the storyline continues to astound. The amazing plot thickens the closer they come to ending the puzzle - to ending the Unwinding.
With a master storyteller at work and amazing characters to act the play, the story is alive! And the read is great!
I’ve read all the books so far and this is the first time I’ve written a review about the series. It’s a pretty good tale that moves away from your typical space opera. The only thing that really bugs me about this series is that the lead character, Dean, is such a wuss. I like my heroes to be a little more manly. This dude is always crying at the drop of a hat. I’m sure the author is trying to show his soft and compassionate side, but for Christ’s sake, enough with the tears already. Just sayin.
While I enjoyed this book, finding the ongoing story entertaining and enjoyed meeting up with the characters again, the repetition of each task wore a little thin and the conclusion inevitable. Nonetheless I look forward to the next book and hope the characters are reunited. I do hope the next picks up the pace a little and has a but more suspense in it. Overall enjoyable.
With out a doubt the author Nathan Hystad have truly out done himself on this one. Incredible story telling, unbelievable imagination and an excellent writing skills. And narration by Luke Daniels is as perfect as ever.
This book really captured me off guard, I was not ready for such an upgrade in the story with all the twists and turns keeping you un able to put it down not even for a second. Amazing is the word !
I’m afraid my interest is starting to wane, I'm losing the ability to care about what happens, I don’t want to, but I find myself skimming through this book. It seems there is no real threat or danger. The constant thread of moving on to the next clue is becoming tiresome and no end in sight. It feels like watching “National Treasure” on a loop. So I’m thinking of giving it a break, and picking up the saga at a later date, to see if that rekindles my interest.
I had eagerly anticipated the arrival of the fourth book hoping to conclude what has been a good yarn. I found it too repetitive and disappointed that it again leads into another book which at this point I feel like I will not be ordering. It's gone on top long , I think four is enough to conclude a saga.
A NH. SYFY. Novel (GAB - 4)/ISKOIS (The Ancient Ones)
NH. has. penned the fourth novel in the Survivors Series, which shows our couple finding their way to the Ancient Ones , that are not the nice aliens that they were thought to be. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
Ok this is a pretty good and original story. But the main character, Dean, is a whiny complainer. His wife is much more of a man than he is, and it is starting to get annoying. Also, two of the best characters (Magnus and Nat) are basically now just after thoughts.
A must read for anyone who loves a good Sci fi adventure
If you are looking for a good summer read look no further. This series has the three ingredients necessary for any good read, a great story, characters you come to care about and plenty of twists and turns.
A GoodRead too be sure. I am horrified at the turn of events in Dean and Mary's adventure. Waiting for the next book to find what will happen to Dean's family is going to be agonizing...
High marks for the Ancients book. What a wonderful adventure our heroes have traveled on. Although I didn't like the ending I know it set up us readers for the next book. So, thanks again Mr Hystad for hooking me into wanting the next book right now.
The author has created a new universe for the setting for his series. Could all this happen, doesn't matter it happens in his creation. Enjoyed this book and will grab the next one.
I'm completely entranced by these books. As a Hugh sci fi fan I'm always looking for books that go in a different direction from the norm. This series has it! I'm looking forward to reading the rest. Thank you Nathan Just eat for the great read
It had moments of potential, but the ending left you high and dry. The heroes didn’t ride off into the sunset; th antagonists were hardly identified. Way too many loose ends. Thoroughly unsatisfying!
This series continues to improve, each book better than the last. Imaginative with interesting characters and realistic dialogue. Hopefully book five will not disappoint.
This story just keeps building and building. The story flows so well that you have no choice but to keep reading so you can find out what will happen. I can not wait to read more!!!!