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Immortal: An alien invasion of Earth is imminent … or is it?
“We’re coming to help.” That’s the message humanity receives from the depths of space. The senders, calling themselves the Ankor, claim a colossal gamma ray burst from a supernova will engulf the Earth in less than a year, sterilising all life.
But they provide no proof … only demands that all countries must prepare to build an enormous shield in orbit around the Earth.
Francis MacKenzie, industrialist and private owner of the UK’s only satellite launch facility, says there’s no alternative but to accept the Ankor position and mobilise immediately.
Tim Boston is not convinced the Ankor can be trusted but as a divisional head in MacKenzie’s flagship bioengineering company, he won’t risk biting the hand that feeds him. Samantha Turner may do though, despite her ongoing commitment to Tim not to cause trouble.
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But they provide no proof … only demands that all countries must prepare to build an enormous shield in orbit around the Earth.
Francis MacKenzie, industrialist and private owner of the UK’s only satellite launch facility, says there’s no alternative but to accept the Ankor position and mobilise immediately.
Tim Boston is not convinced the Ankor can be trusted but as a divisional head in MacKenzie’s flagship bioengineering company, he won’t risk biting the hand that feeds him. Samantha Turner may do though, despite her ongoing commitment to Tim not to cause trouble.
Scroll Up And Buy It Today
- GenresScience Fiction
422 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 28, 2019
56 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Nick M. Lloyd
4 books13 followersNick Lloyd is an independent author living in London. He writes Science Fiction in contemporary Earth settings. His stories are purposefully designed to have moral uncertainty, and mostly deal with the use (or misuse) of power.
###
He has four full-length standalone novels.
"The Lay of Sargon"
Published January 2023.
Joy Cooper has created Vince, Earth’s first self-aware Artificial Intelligence.
Recognising that big business or government forces would undoubtedly abuse his abilities, Joy and Vince remain in hiding while together devising a plan for him to be truly safe.
The plan is ruined when the Onari (an alien species of computers) abduct Vince, accusing Joy of enslaving him.
With help from an underclass of biological aliens, Joy chases after Vince and soon becomes enmeshed in a conflict that has spanned millennia.
But the balance of power has changed because something Joy did during Vince’s creation means that he has developed powers unmatched across the galaxy … Biologicals now wonder if they no longer need to be the underclass.
***
***
Immortal (February 2019)
Having had no contact with any alien species before, humanity receives a radio message from approaching aliens ('the Ankor'). They warn Earth that a huge supernova blast is going to hit within a year and this will be an extinction level event. However, the Ankor are prepared to help ... if humanity launches the required materials for a shield into orbit.
Are the Ankor to be trusted?
Emergence (October 2014)
Earth is being scrutinised by an alien civilisation who maintain their dominance across the galaxy through manipulation of probability. Among the aliens, whole religions have sprung up related to interpretation of this apparent control of 'luck'. On Earth, a single human starts the transformation required to exert this control himself ...
Disconnected (April 2017)
Political activist, Asha Kharjal, has mastered the mysterious science of directly manipulating the subconscious. He can literally rewire people. And for the good of mankind, he's going to. Whether they like it, or not ...
###
He has four full-length standalone novels.
"The Lay of Sargon"
Published January 2023.
Joy Cooper has created Vince, Earth’s first self-aware Artificial Intelligence.
Recognising that big business or government forces would undoubtedly abuse his abilities, Joy and Vince remain in hiding while together devising a plan for him to be truly safe.
The plan is ruined when the Onari (an alien species of computers) abduct Vince, accusing Joy of enslaving him.
With help from an underclass of biological aliens, Joy chases after Vince and soon becomes enmeshed in a conflict that has spanned millennia.
But the balance of power has changed because something Joy did during Vince’s creation means that he has developed powers unmatched across the galaxy … Biologicals now wonder if they no longer need to be the underclass.
***
***
Immortal (February 2019)
Having had no contact with any alien species before, humanity receives a radio message from approaching aliens ('the Ankor'). They warn Earth that a huge supernova blast is going to hit within a year and this will be an extinction level event. However, the Ankor are prepared to help ... if humanity launches the required materials for a shield into orbit.
Are the Ankor to be trusted?
Emergence (October 2014)
Earth is being scrutinised by an alien civilisation who maintain their dominance across the galaxy through manipulation of probability. Among the aliens, whole religions have sprung up related to interpretation of this apparent control of 'luck'. On Earth, a single human starts the transformation required to exert this control himself ...
Disconnected (April 2017)
Political activist, Asha Kharjal, has mastered the mysterious science of directly manipulating the subconscious. He can literally rewire people. And for the good of mankind, he's going to. Whether they like it, or not ...
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 4, 2019
Tim Boston and Samantha Turner are working on Francis MacKenzie’s signature project, MedOps, a scheme to provide free medical treatment, essentially immortality, to people in exchange for their willing participation in polls that allow massive data mining. Though they have misgivings about MacKenzie’s true motives, the monetary rewards keep them quiet. Then, they receive a strange message from somewhere in Neptune’s orbit; a race of beings calling themselves the Ankor, warn that Earth is about to be bombarded by gamma rays, and in exchange for following their enigmatic directions, they will help save humanity.
Immortal by Nick M. Lloyd is a sci-fi novel of humanity’s first contact with an alien species that is not your usual ET invades earth story. It combines some current-day issues, such as invasion of privacy and government misuse of personal information for profit with the all-too-human reactions to the unknown, in this case, a mysterious race of beings who it turns out want 50,000 human brains to help their species survive.
This story has more twists and turns than a Coney Island rollercoaster, and it will keep your pulse racing from page one. I received a complimentary copy of this book.
I give it four stars.
Immortal by Nick M. Lloyd is a sci-fi novel of humanity’s first contact with an alien species that is not your usual ET invades earth story. It combines some current-day issues, such as invasion of privacy and government misuse of personal information for profit with the all-too-human reactions to the unknown, in this case, a mysterious race of beings who it turns out want 50,000 human brains to help their species survive.
This story has more twists and turns than a Coney Island rollercoaster, and it will keep your pulse racing from page one. I received a complimentary copy of this book.
I give it four stars.
May 29, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyable very thought prevoking
Really enjoyed this unusual take on alien invasion mixed into simulated alternate realities. As a gamer myself I know how "real" the worlds can feel & be experienced. Taking the idea a step further & mixing in the all invasive data mining existing all around our lives with a cliff hanging moral conundrum to be faced in the end, the story works. I highly recommend reading - I couldn't put it down & am looking forward to reading the next book.
Really enjoyed this unusual take on alien invasion mixed into simulated alternate realities. As a gamer myself I know how "real" the worlds can feel & be experienced. Taking the idea a step further & mixing in the all invasive data mining existing all around our lives with a cliff hanging moral conundrum to be faced in the end, the story works. I highly recommend reading - I couldn't put it down & am looking forward to reading the next book.
May 16, 2019
IMMORTAL by Nick M. Lloyd
I received a review copy of this book in electronic form. I also purchase the softbound edition and I subsequently read it twice because for me the reading experience is slightly different.
There are a few warts in the works, but they don’t detract from the overall story; however I’d say the novel needs one more edit.
Nick M. Lloyd’s newest novel demonstrates once again his thoughtful approach at both explaining why it might take so long for other space faring races to contact us and what their motivation might be.
However, this novel is about much more than that.
Imagine a catastrophe approaching Earth at the speed of light and how little time we might have between recognizing its approach and the event. Add to that a race that has conquered space and perhaps has faster than light travel capabilities that allow them to arrive to warn us 164 days ahead of the event. Then add an element of either difference in fundamental reasoning or some deliberate vagueness in communication that leads to suspicion of the intent of the aliens.
But, they are the only game in town and it quickly becomes a matter of waiting for the other shoe to drop or relying on their apparent generosity while blindly following their instructions that are being slowly trickled down to us as the alien craft approaches earth.
An intriguing take on first encounters there is more to this than just that mystery. It doesn’t take long to go from suspicious yet hopeful to desperation that brings to mind the desperation and hopelessness found in such novels as D.F. Jones Collossus (The Forbin Project).
IMMORTAL quickly becomes a novel examining morality and what some might do when offered a chance to live forever. However it’s much more complicated than just that and the characters are all stretched to their moral limits.
This is an intriguing novel that examines the place where there is no clear answer to the question of what the right thing is for the characters to do. Any choice leads them to be party to something far more sinister than they could imagine.
A novel well worth reading twice.
J.L. Dobias
There is a promise that the errors in this book are being fixed since this review was originally writtn.
I received a review copy of this book in electronic form. I also purchase the softbound edition and I subsequently read it twice because for me the reading experience is slightly different.
There are a few warts in the works, but they don’t detract from the overall story; however I’d say the novel needs one more edit.
Nick M. Lloyd’s newest novel demonstrates once again his thoughtful approach at both explaining why it might take so long for other space faring races to contact us and what their motivation might be.
However, this novel is about much more than that.
Imagine a catastrophe approaching Earth at the speed of light and how little time we might have between recognizing its approach and the event. Add to that a race that has conquered space and perhaps has faster than light travel capabilities that allow them to arrive to warn us 164 days ahead of the event. Then add an element of either difference in fundamental reasoning or some deliberate vagueness in communication that leads to suspicion of the intent of the aliens.
But, they are the only game in town and it quickly becomes a matter of waiting for the other shoe to drop or relying on their apparent generosity while blindly following their instructions that are being slowly trickled down to us as the alien craft approaches earth.
An intriguing take on first encounters there is more to this than just that mystery. It doesn’t take long to go from suspicious yet hopeful to desperation that brings to mind the desperation and hopelessness found in such novels as D.F. Jones Collossus (The Forbin Project).
IMMORTAL quickly becomes a novel examining morality and what some might do when offered a chance to live forever. However it’s much more complicated than just that and the characters are all stretched to their moral limits.
This is an intriguing novel that examines the place where there is no clear answer to the question of what the right thing is for the characters to do. Any choice leads them to be party to something far more sinister than they could imagine.
A novel well worth reading twice.
J.L. Dobias
There is a promise that the errors in this book are being fixed since this review was originally writtn.
May 23, 2019
Very thought provoking
Well worth a read. Interesting concepts and ideas. Although the altruistic portrayal of governments was probably more unbelievable than the aliens. Good work though.
Well worth a read. Interesting concepts and ideas. Although the altruistic portrayal of governments was probably more unbelievable than the aliens. Good work though.
May 27, 2019
Immortal hackers
This story is a mixture of philosophy, science fiction, International conflicts and romance... Sam, the female lead character, is disabled, yet is very strong emotionally. There are also questions brought up that make you wonder about aliens, fake news and what exactly is in those terms & conditions we agree to on the internet???
This story is a mixture of philosophy, science fiction, International conflicts and romance... Sam, the female lead character, is disabled, yet is very strong emotionally. There are also questions brought up that make you wonder about aliens, fake news and what exactly is in those terms & conditions we agree to on the internet???
June 28, 2019
Another great book by Nick, which kept me on the edge of my seat. Great mix of believable sci-if, moral dilemmas, life and death, alien religion (who would have thought!), immortality and quite a fun story line.
January 10, 2020
Immortal is the third novel by British SF author Nick M. Lloyd, following the excellent and successful Emergence, and his follow-up Disconnected. With his first two novels he crafted a niche of tackling big science themes with a British twist, and Immortal is no different. To be sure, it's a strange beast.
Even a book that fails to deliver in every department can possess an intriguing premise at its heart, and Immortal actually serves up several intriguing premises, yet ends without developing any of them entirely satisfactorily. This SF novel is set in an alternative present-day and is ostensibly a straightforward alien first contact story (which may or may not develop into an equally straightforward alien invasion story), but also takes it upon itself to investigate the moral wherefores the collection, processing and exploitation of citizens' private data, and the equally ethically grey area of the pursuit of immortality through medical breakthroughs (and other, more nefarious means), the answer to which is hinted at via the book's clever cover design, drawing the word Immortal into the defiant statement "I'm Mortal".
The strange paradox of Immortal is that while it doesn't seem to fulfil the potential for exploration that these themes provide, it also seems slightly overlong and doesn't hit its stride until too far into the book, which means the majority of dramatic heft is lost before it's gained. Ironically, the best part of the book is the final third, which is exciting, well-written, weird and really starts to unveil some of the weird possibilities behind some of the aforementioned themes, and exposing the characters to real danger and forcing them to act.
The crux of the story is that Earth receives messages from an alien race calling themselves the Ankor, warning of a catastrophic event that is to befall the Earth, and to submit critical intelligence to them in order for them to save the planet. It's unclear in the book's early stages whether the Ankor are a benign force or hostile (a question which is unequivocally answered later), an ambiguity which works well at first. For example, they possess a veneer of threat exhibited through their advanced capability, which is demonstrated through one striking sequence where their constellation of spacecraft are finally unveiled in mathematically significant patterns; but they are also painted as saviours as they drip-feed information to humanity about the nature of the coming apocalypse.
Set against this is Elon Musk-esque businessman Francis MacKenzie, who claims to have found the modern equivalent to the Elixir of Life, a series of medical breakthroughs that promise immortality (free at the point of use!). This is funded by selling the data of private citizens to the Government, a skulduggerous operation that may or may not be hedged through MacKenzie dealing directly with the Ankor themselves.
Two of MacZenzie's staffers, Samantha and Tim, provide the book's (slightly grey, which I like) moral compass and allow us to view events from an (almost) everyman's perspective. Sam, who is disabled and wheelchair-bound after an accident, is set up to have a vested interest in MacKenzie's Immortality solution. Sam and Tim's relationship, that of unrequited love, seems always tantalisingly on the cusp of developing into something romantic, but which is scuppered by the presence of Charlie, Sam's ex and also Tim's superior at work. Bummer.
The basic ingredients are here for a smart, effective thriller with a genuinely good twist. The problems with it are that the first two thirds of the book are consumed with too much nuts-and-bolts description of the technical goings-on that enable communication with the Ankor, the assemblage of Earth's response and the surveys through which MacKenzie's firm gathers data from the general population in order to develop his own product. Now, this is clearly a matter of taste; hard SF nuts will probably very much enjoy Lloyd's digging into the guts of the technical capabilities required for the comms aspects of the novel, but for me they were too numerous and detracted from any sense of pace and urgency being built up.
The second problem I had was with the characters. Given this is a first contact story, with a healthy dose of civil unrest thrown in given the potential catastrophe on the horizon, the main characters seem to be unfeasibly phlegmatic about proceedings. Sam and Tim are more concerned with what's going on in their hearts and heads rather than the outside world, and maintain an air of professional calm that doesn't quite ring true. Which is a shame, as the scenes where Sam and Tim are the main players are actually the best written, the most heartfelt and, oddly, given the above, authentic. This is because I bought into the love triangle completely, which was written with real soul. I can't help feel that if Lloyd had focussed more on the emotional depth and arc of these main characters, and given them some real high-stakes drama to dig into (on top of their romantic travails) the book would be more accessible, more dramatic, and nippier.
So it's a book of two halves; or at least three thirds, with the first two thirds sagging in pace a tad, but with an excellent finish. If you're a hard SF fan, bump it up to a four-star review, because there is much to be excited about here. Even if not, it's a solid read with some interesting themes being tackled. Whatever you say about Lloyd, he doesn't take the easy route, and seems happy to take the plunge into complex and difficult ideas, which is to be commended when so much of SF is safe and conventional.
Even a book that fails to deliver in every department can possess an intriguing premise at its heart, and Immortal actually serves up several intriguing premises, yet ends without developing any of them entirely satisfactorily. This SF novel is set in an alternative present-day and is ostensibly a straightforward alien first contact story (which may or may not develop into an equally straightforward alien invasion story), but also takes it upon itself to investigate the moral wherefores the collection, processing and exploitation of citizens' private data, and the equally ethically grey area of the pursuit of immortality through medical breakthroughs (and other, more nefarious means), the answer to which is hinted at via the book's clever cover design, drawing the word Immortal into the defiant statement "I'm Mortal".
The strange paradox of Immortal is that while it doesn't seem to fulfil the potential for exploration that these themes provide, it also seems slightly overlong and doesn't hit its stride until too far into the book, which means the majority of dramatic heft is lost before it's gained. Ironically, the best part of the book is the final third, which is exciting, well-written, weird and really starts to unveil some of the weird possibilities behind some of the aforementioned themes, and exposing the characters to real danger and forcing them to act.
The crux of the story is that Earth receives messages from an alien race calling themselves the Ankor, warning of a catastrophic event that is to befall the Earth, and to submit critical intelligence to them in order for them to save the planet. It's unclear in the book's early stages whether the Ankor are a benign force or hostile (a question which is unequivocally answered later), an ambiguity which works well at first. For example, they possess a veneer of threat exhibited through their advanced capability, which is demonstrated through one striking sequence where their constellation of spacecraft are finally unveiled in mathematically significant patterns; but they are also painted as saviours as they drip-feed information to humanity about the nature of the coming apocalypse.
Set against this is Elon Musk-esque businessman Francis MacKenzie, who claims to have found the modern equivalent to the Elixir of Life, a series of medical breakthroughs that promise immortality (free at the point of use!). This is funded by selling the data of private citizens to the Government, a skulduggerous operation that may or may not be hedged through MacKenzie dealing directly with the Ankor themselves.
Two of MacZenzie's staffers, Samantha and Tim, provide the book's (slightly grey, which I like) moral compass and allow us to view events from an (almost) everyman's perspective. Sam, who is disabled and wheelchair-bound after an accident, is set up to have a vested interest in MacKenzie's Immortality solution. Sam and Tim's relationship, that of unrequited love, seems always tantalisingly on the cusp of developing into something romantic, but which is scuppered by the presence of Charlie, Sam's ex and also Tim's superior at work. Bummer.
The basic ingredients are here for a smart, effective thriller with a genuinely good twist. The problems with it are that the first two thirds of the book are consumed with too much nuts-and-bolts description of the technical goings-on that enable communication with the Ankor, the assemblage of Earth's response and the surveys through which MacKenzie's firm gathers data from the general population in order to develop his own product. Now, this is clearly a matter of taste; hard SF nuts will probably very much enjoy Lloyd's digging into the guts of the technical capabilities required for the comms aspects of the novel, but for me they were too numerous and detracted from any sense of pace and urgency being built up.
The second problem I had was with the characters. Given this is a first contact story, with a healthy dose of civil unrest thrown in given the potential catastrophe on the horizon, the main characters seem to be unfeasibly phlegmatic about proceedings. Sam and Tim are more concerned with what's going on in their hearts and heads rather than the outside world, and maintain an air of professional calm that doesn't quite ring true. Which is a shame, as the scenes where Sam and Tim are the main players are actually the best written, the most heartfelt and, oddly, given the above, authentic. This is because I bought into the love triangle completely, which was written with real soul. I can't help feel that if Lloyd had focussed more on the emotional depth and arc of these main characters, and given them some real high-stakes drama to dig into (on top of their romantic travails) the book would be more accessible, more dramatic, and nippier.
So it's a book of two halves; or at least three thirds, with the first two thirds sagging in pace a tad, but with an excellent finish. If you're a hard SF fan, bump it up to a four-star review, because there is much to be excited about here. Even if not, it's a solid read with some interesting themes being tackled. Whatever you say about Lloyd, he doesn't take the easy route, and seems happy to take the plunge into complex and difficult ideas, which is to be commended when so much of SF is safe and conventional.
March 17, 2019
*Free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book hit on a lot of my own personal worries and unreasonable phobias. We get to read about the risks of trading your personal data for free services, even if some of them are life-saving. And we get visited by aliens who are far superior to us in terms of technological capabilities. Yeah, this one hit a few of my fear sectors.
Almost the entire time I was secretly hoping it would end up being an elaborate hoax led by the characters MacDonald (an billionaire with a strong survival instinct) and his right-hand man, Charlie (a programmer who created code that makes NPCs in games capable of independent thought). Not much of a spoiler but, no, the aliens are real. Very real. And they've stationed hundreds of A-Gravs (think Space Storage Container) design to help humanity accomplish the goals of saving Earth.
Then we get the stories of Tim and Sam who developed a program called MIDAS that is capable of disseminating, analyzing and correlating data, in this case, personal data, right down to their DNA. Because she had been a victim of identity theft after her disabling car accident, Sam is very strict about making sure the data is anonymized (even if she never thinks it'll be enough). She even makes sure to set flags in place in case that anonymization is compromised. At the same time, they need to balance this out with MacDonald's demands. Tim keeps pushing Sam to 'play nice' so they can get paid the big bucks. She knows he wants that payout so she can get a surgery to give her back full control of her legs, but she's not willing to risk others going through what she did with the identity theft. It makes for a very interesting back-and-forth.
I absolutely loved Sam, and not just because she's a gamer girl and we get to see advances in gaming. In this world, virtual headsets are commonplace, and NPCs are way more advanced (I love Skyrim NPCs, but dang they're dumb!). Sam and her team, called "Bruised and Broken Bitches" because they're an all female, all wheelchair bound team, are highly competitive in tournaments. They're even a top tier team. She also gets to show us about the ways disabled people are treated. Some see her in a wheelchair and immediately look for a leg cast, others treat her only with pity, others argue that if she's able to get around on crutches (even if for just a short time) she's not really disabled. And that, coupled with Sam's "screw you, I've got this" mentality makes her, in my opinion, the strongest character in this book. And that's even compared to Colonel Martel who is not someone to screw around with.
To make things even more interesting and realistic, Lloyd gives us the multiple attitudes towards the aliens that we would expect. There are the people who believe that their arrival heralds a new religious movement. There are people who immediately think that the aliens are there to destroy everyone. He even breaks down the middle group into cautious pessimists and cautious optimists. It really helped to make everything feel more real.
This book was a very nice read. A very human story in a book about alien arrival. I happily give 4 hoots and encourage you to pick up a copy!
This book hit on a lot of my own personal worries and unreasonable phobias. We get to read about the risks of trading your personal data for free services, even if some of them are life-saving. And we get visited by aliens who are far superior to us in terms of technological capabilities. Yeah, this one hit a few of my fear sectors.
Almost the entire time I was secretly hoping it would end up being an elaborate hoax led by the characters MacDonald (an billionaire with a strong survival instinct) and his right-hand man, Charlie (a programmer who created code that makes NPCs in games capable of independent thought). Not much of a spoiler but, no, the aliens are real. Very real. And they've stationed hundreds of A-Gravs (think Space Storage Container) design to help humanity accomplish the goals of saving Earth.
Then we get the stories of Tim and Sam who developed a program called MIDAS that is capable of disseminating, analyzing and correlating data, in this case, personal data, right down to their DNA. Because she had been a victim of identity theft after her disabling car accident, Sam is very strict about making sure the data is anonymized (even if she never thinks it'll be enough). She even makes sure to set flags in place in case that anonymization is compromised. At the same time, they need to balance this out with MacDonald's demands. Tim keeps pushing Sam to 'play nice' so they can get paid the big bucks. She knows he wants that payout so she can get a surgery to give her back full control of her legs, but she's not willing to risk others going through what she did with the identity theft. It makes for a very interesting back-and-forth.
I absolutely loved Sam, and not just because she's a gamer girl and we get to see advances in gaming. In this world, virtual headsets are commonplace, and NPCs are way more advanced (I love Skyrim NPCs, but dang they're dumb!). Sam and her team, called "Bruised and Broken Bitches" because they're an all female, all wheelchair bound team, are highly competitive in tournaments. They're even a top tier team. She also gets to show us about the ways disabled people are treated. Some see her in a wheelchair and immediately look for a leg cast, others treat her only with pity, others argue that if she's able to get around on crutches (even if for just a short time) she's not really disabled. And that, coupled with Sam's "screw you, I've got this" mentality makes her, in my opinion, the strongest character in this book. And that's even compared to Colonel Martel who is not someone to screw around with.
To make things even more interesting and realistic, Lloyd gives us the multiple attitudes towards the aliens that we would expect. There are the people who believe that their arrival heralds a new religious movement. There are people who immediately think that the aliens are there to destroy everyone. He even breaks down the middle group into cautious pessimists and cautious optimists. It really helped to make everything feel more real.
This book was a very nice read. A very human story in a book about alien arrival. I happily give 4 hoots and encourage you to pick up a copy!
May 7, 2019
A slow, confused mess
There were interesting notions sprinkled throughout the book but the plot has holes from beginning to end. The background universe was incomplete and illogical. The characters were not people that encouraged much emotional commitment with the exception of a Chinese commando major. The simplistic solutions and the faux "moral" dilemmas which went on for maybe a hundred pages were mind numbing. I finished the book out of sheer stubbornness.
The cool notions included aliens able to remake themselves as biomechanical entities. The concept of a step by step approach to eliminating illness from the human experience. A billionaire able to subvert the national government of what (I've recently read, as part of a Brexit story) is the fifth (?) largest economy in the world. There were probably a few more but the book was boring enough that I forgot them.
The aliens' origins aren't discussed which would be fine but that oversight makes the seemingly endless review of the "Universe as a simulation" theory feel a drag on the story. The actions taken by the aliens highlighted the fact that the aliens' "morality" and there being a nihilistic alien faction are paper-thin and just plain silly.
Eliminating illness a disease at a time is happening already but doesn't get much page time in this book. It's weird since its constantly referenced but not clearly described. A billionaire able to control his own space launch program, private army and mete out punishments from ending careers to murder, are life in the U.S. on any given Tuesday, so I'm not feeling the gasp that it seems the writer expected. The prime minister putting his/herself in a danger zone was hard to believe of any world leader since Churchill (London) and Stalin (Moscow).
The main characters are contradictory impulses and poorly written emotional reactions bound by pointless dialogue. It's a harsh judgement but someone has to say it. The plot has an army of mercenaries disappearing from UK soil without a trace (in the US, it wouldn't be noticed but Britain?). The aliens wage war between factions but I couldn't picture how that works (maybe the disembodied brains toss rude images at each other until the enemy suicides?). Human biology and perception can be melded seamlessly to alien tech to produce, what was that again? How do these pods work and how big are they that they can maintain both biological and mechanical processes for centuries between stops. How do they perform physical work without an alien workforce to do the heavy lifting (especially if the dragooned workers don't belong to a space capable society)?
There may be a sequel but I can't see how it could be more entertaining than this book was.
There were interesting notions sprinkled throughout the book but the plot has holes from beginning to end. The background universe was incomplete and illogical. The characters were not people that encouraged much emotional commitment with the exception of a Chinese commando major. The simplistic solutions and the faux "moral" dilemmas which went on for maybe a hundred pages were mind numbing. I finished the book out of sheer stubbornness.
The cool notions included aliens able to remake themselves as biomechanical entities. The concept of a step by step approach to eliminating illness from the human experience. A billionaire able to subvert the national government of what (I've recently read, as part of a Brexit story) is the fifth (?) largest economy in the world. There were probably a few more but the book was boring enough that I forgot them.
The aliens' origins aren't discussed which would be fine but that oversight makes the seemingly endless review of the "Universe as a simulation" theory feel a drag on the story. The actions taken by the aliens highlighted the fact that the aliens' "morality" and there being a nihilistic alien faction are paper-thin and just plain silly.
Eliminating illness a disease at a time is happening already but doesn't get much page time in this book. It's weird since its constantly referenced but not clearly described. A billionaire able to control his own space launch program, private army and mete out punishments from ending careers to murder, are life in the U.S. on any given Tuesday, so I'm not feeling the gasp that it seems the writer expected. The prime minister putting his/herself in a danger zone was hard to believe of any world leader since Churchill (London) and Stalin (Moscow).
The main characters are contradictory impulses and poorly written emotional reactions bound by pointless dialogue. It's a harsh judgement but someone has to say it. The plot has an army of mercenaries disappearing from UK soil without a trace (in the US, it wouldn't be noticed but Britain?). The aliens wage war between factions but I couldn't picture how that works (maybe the disembodied brains toss rude images at each other until the enemy suicides?). Human biology and perception can be melded seamlessly to alien tech to produce, what was that again? How do these pods work and how big are they that they can maintain both biological and mechanical processes for centuries between stops. How do they perform physical work without an alien workforce to do the heavy lifting (especially if the dragooned workers don't belong to a space capable society)?
There may be a sequel but I can't see how it could be more entertaining than this book was.
February 27, 2019
Immortal by Nick M. Lloyd is a science fiction fantasy novel that shows what companies are like with people’s data privacy information. The selling of this data privacy to third parties is no secret to people anymore. But putting a stop to it proves difficult. Money, greed, and corruption are always behind the motivation for it. Then, there’s the issue of immortality and perfect health. Of course everyone wants to live…and live in good health. But there are costs involved. Just how much is too much?
Another point in this creative novel, Immortal, was the introduction to a cryptic message to humans by aliens. This brought into question whether aliens existed or not. And if they did, then what are the humans going to do about the message? There was a threat and danger exposed that intensified the plot. It was on the spot and almost random. It was intriguing.
There was this love triangle as the blurb suggested. I kept asking myself why was it too late for Tim. Did he ever try to proclaim his feelings or did he just give up way too easily? I could feel this protectiveness he has for the other main character, Sam. Sam seemed likeable enough. She’s beautiful, smart, and outspoken. Her current relationship was a disaster for all involved. Tim at times wished the other guy wouldn’t be with Sam. But with their project just starting he wanted Sam to keep staying with the other man. This showed that Tim like most of the cast was human too. He could be jealous and selfish at times. Which also left me wondering did he even deserve a chance with Sam…
Can you imagine the whole planet being at risk to be destroyed by aliens?
Nick M. Lloyd brilliantly wove major topics into his splendid space sci-fi novel. I wasn’t sure at all how it would work out, yet it did. It captured my interest from the first chapter and held it until the end. The book dug dig, was thought provoking, and suspenseful. I highly recommend Immortal to all readers, even if sci-fi fantasy isn’t one’s cup of tea. This story will surprise you. Plenty of action, surprises, and plot twists that kept me entertained.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
Another point in this creative novel, Immortal, was the introduction to a cryptic message to humans by aliens. This brought into question whether aliens existed or not. And if they did, then what are the humans going to do about the message? There was a threat and danger exposed that intensified the plot. It was on the spot and almost random. It was intriguing.
There was this love triangle as the blurb suggested. I kept asking myself why was it too late for Tim. Did he ever try to proclaim his feelings or did he just give up way too easily? I could feel this protectiveness he has for the other main character, Sam. Sam seemed likeable enough. She’s beautiful, smart, and outspoken. Her current relationship was a disaster for all involved. Tim at times wished the other guy wouldn’t be with Sam. But with their project just starting he wanted Sam to keep staying with the other man. This showed that Tim like most of the cast was human too. He could be jealous and selfish at times. Which also left me wondering did he even deserve a chance with Sam…
Can you imagine the whole planet being at risk to be destroyed by aliens?
Nick M. Lloyd brilliantly wove major topics into his splendid space sci-fi novel. I wasn’t sure at all how it would work out, yet it did. It captured my interest from the first chapter and held it until the end. The book dug dig, was thought provoking, and suspenseful. I highly recommend Immortal to all readers, even if sci-fi fantasy isn’t one’s cup of tea. This story will surprise you. Plenty of action, surprises, and plot twists that kept me entertained.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
June 13, 2019
mmortal tells the story of an advanced alien race revealing themselves to the human race, followed by copious amounts of political intrigue. It is told from the POV of several of the key human players, with the main characters being workers at a Tech company owned by a mysterious entrepreneur.
This book falls on the 'harder' end of the sci-fi spectrum, as many of the concepts utilised are based on real-world science, but taken just a little bit further in the near-future setting. More than anything, I would liken it to an Arthur C Clarke novel, both in the speculative central concept and the tight, utilitarian style of prose. Essentially, it is a realistic depiction of what would potentially happen in a first contact scenario. Though the story is primarily centred around events in the UK, a broad picture is painted of the geopolitical ramifications of events.
The characters are well-rounded, especially the main antagonist. This is mainly due to their firmly established motivations and world-view, adding a welcome third dimension often missing from similar characters in other works. Stakes are created that effect the entire world, as well as the personal lives of the characters. I consider this a key ingredient in most successful story-telling.
I found myself having to concentrate quite hard in order to keep up with some of the more complex world-building, specifically anything to do with the subject of data-science and information gathering. I found the application of this concept intriguing, as it is one of the frontiers of science that has advanced in recent years, setting this book apart from some fo the classics of hard sci fi written in decades past.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book for anyone with an interest in futurism looking for a fast-paced, well written sci fi thriller.
This book falls on the 'harder' end of the sci-fi spectrum, as many of the concepts utilised are based on real-world science, but taken just a little bit further in the near-future setting. More than anything, I would liken it to an Arthur C Clarke novel, both in the speculative central concept and the tight, utilitarian style of prose. Essentially, it is a realistic depiction of what would potentially happen in a first contact scenario. Though the story is primarily centred around events in the UK, a broad picture is painted of the geopolitical ramifications of events.
The characters are well-rounded, especially the main antagonist. This is mainly due to their firmly established motivations and world-view, adding a welcome third dimension often missing from similar characters in other works. Stakes are created that effect the entire world, as well as the personal lives of the characters. I consider this a key ingredient in most successful story-telling.
I found myself having to concentrate quite hard in order to keep up with some of the more complex world-building, specifically anything to do with the subject of data-science and information gathering. I found the application of this concept intriguing, as it is one of the frontiers of science that has advanced in recent years, setting this book apart from some fo the classics of hard sci fi written in decades past.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book for anyone with an interest in futurism looking for a fast-paced, well written sci fi thriller.
May 17, 2019
Immortal is a science fiction book. The story is about aliens contacting earth and letting them know that they are in danger. In order to live, they need to comply with the aliens; however trust is an issue, and no one is really sure about the authenticity of things. Francis Mckenzie is in charge and orders everyone to conform. Everyone working for him has 164 days in order to prepare to protect, and that is when the story begins to take an interesting turn.
Alongside the drama with high tech facilities, discussing personal data remaining private, and people’s integrity being questioned it was apparent to see a small love interest as well with Sam and two other potential admirers. I found the story to be very thought-provoking and intriguing. There was a lot of suspense and questions that needed answering as you read along. Many loopholes needed to be filled, and I believe the author managed to pull everything together in a neat way.
The literature was filled with science fiction content. It needed proofreading; however, the mistakes weren’t that eye bothering to take away from experience. What I believe made this story different was it being relatable to our modern living today. We exchange and provide much information as a result of trusting organization who claim to protect us; however, what really happens with that information is beyond our knowledge, and that really does need to be spoken about.
I recommend this novel to people who like to read about alien stories and are science fiction fans.
Alongside the drama with high tech facilities, discussing personal data remaining private, and people’s integrity being questioned it was apparent to see a small love interest as well with Sam and two other potential admirers. I found the story to be very thought-provoking and intriguing. There was a lot of suspense and questions that needed answering as you read along. Many loopholes needed to be filled, and I believe the author managed to pull everything together in a neat way.
The literature was filled with science fiction content. It needed proofreading; however, the mistakes weren’t that eye bothering to take away from experience. What I believe made this story different was it being relatable to our modern living today. We exchange and provide much information as a result of trusting organization who claim to protect us; however, what really happens with that information is beyond our knowledge, and that really does need to be spoken about.
I recommend this novel to people who like to read about alien stories and are science fiction fans.
July 8, 2019
I do like science fiction, but this was not exactly my cup of tea. It was pretty predictable; I knew who the bad guy was and some of what he probably did after the first chapter...and I was right. It is set in modern day UK with a few main characters. I became attached to only one. The premise is that the people of earth receive a message from approaching aliens (the Ankor), who warn that our planet will be hit with an "extinction level" event within a year. The Ankor say they will save us, but only if each nation sends a specific list of materials into space to the Ankor so a huge shield can be built to shield earth from the predicted supernova blast. Much of the plot is dependent upon the fact the humanity doesn't know whether the Ankor is telling the truth or not. Sounds exciting, right?? The problem for me was that the story, all 420 pages of it, reads (for me) almost like a documentary or even a recipe, with long stretches of explanation and description. I had trouble being moved, or even caring very much. I was mildly interested at how the Ankor could monitor an individual's activities, movement, online activity, and even (it seemed) thoughts. It was thought provoking in that some characters made seemingly immoral choices. There were multiple references to online data mining and whether that was for good or ill. It moved very slowly, for me, until about the last 15%, which was much better than the first 85%. Still, no huge surprises, really, at least for me, but I was satisfied that it did not end with a cliffhanger.
March 9, 2019
Tim, Samantha, Toby and Charlie work for the controversial Francis McKenzie, collecting and analysing massive amounts of data, Sam being very strict on making personal data unidentifiable individually. All of a sudden, Aliens contact the entire Earth, warning for a Gamma Ray Burst to reach and devastate Earth in 164 days and proposing to humanity support to put in place protective measures. Not exactly proposing… humanity has little choice.
This is Nick Lloyd's third opus, with again a big measure of thrill. Every ingredient is there for a success: immortality, AI, VR, big data, aliens, nuke, manipulation, action, love, humanity in danger… shake all this, mix it and cook it, and you get a tremendous book!
As in his other books, Lloyd pays a great attention to the psychology of the characters, from either party, and the digging into the different points of view in front of the same concept is very well done and interesting. Who's right, who's wrong, what option would I choose if I were one of the stakeholders?
So, once again, I read this book with pleasure and thrill, and skipped some sleep hours as I just couldn't stop reading!
This is Nick Lloyd's third opus, with again a big measure of thrill. Every ingredient is there for a success: immortality, AI, VR, big data, aliens, nuke, manipulation, action, love, humanity in danger… shake all this, mix it and cook it, and you get a tremendous book!
As in his other books, Lloyd pays a great attention to the psychology of the characters, from either party, and the digging into the different points of view in front of the same concept is very well done and interesting. Who's right, who's wrong, what option would I choose if I were one of the stakeholders?
So, once again, I read this book with pleasure and thrill, and skipped some sleep hours as I just couldn't stop reading!
April 10, 2019
A mix of religion, technology, and humanity.
Theologists will have one take on this, military types will have their opinions, computer folks will have their take, and most gamers will miss the entire book huddled in their moms basements. My take on some of the salient issues are my own and not on offer so as not to encourage flame wars.
As to the novel itself, I am pleased to say, I found it novel. A new voice calling us to embrace and beware of new technology, specially if infused with the zealotry of religion. I enjoyed it along with the slight cold edge of dread that the subject matter gave me.
Having some knowledge of computer science might be helpful along with some religious study. Then if you have a little understanding of mass psychology your read might be easier. I don't think much of any of those are essential to enjoy it.
I thought it the most original thing I have read since The Foundation Trilogy. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. I would like for Lloyd to develop a nice fan base to encourage his further efforts. I look forward to more of his books in the future.
PS Don't tell anyone, but, coders are the heroes.
Theologists will have one take on this, military types will have their opinions, computer folks will have their take, and most gamers will miss the entire book huddled in their moms basements. My take on some of the salient issues are my own and not on offer so as not to encourage flame wars.
As to the novel itself, I am pleased to say, I found it novel. A new voice calling us to embrace and beware of new technology, specially if infused with the zealotry of religion. I enjoyed it along with the slight cold edge of dread that the subject matter gave me.
Having some knowledge of computer science might be helpful along with some religious study. Then if you have a little understanding of mass psychology your read might be easier. I don't think much of any of those are essential to enjoy it.
I thought it the most original thing I have read since The Foundation Trilogy. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. I would like for Lloyd to develop a nice fan base to encourage his further efforts. I look forward to more of his books in the future.
PS Don't tell anyone, but, coders are the heroes.
March 3, 2019
This science fiction novel does something I have not come across before in this genre. The premise is all too familiar. An alien invasion that pits enormous technology advantages against earths modest acheivements and how that battle plays out. The political process to achieve earths goals is waged through data gathering algorithms that dictate how the war progresses and is eventually won (maybe). Isn’t there always a maybe. In the end for me it really worked and this was an enormously satisfying read. Not sure about a world that espouses sacrificing the few for the many theory but that aside this is a novel well worth the read even if, as me, you are not too savvy about data gathering algorithms that control our everyday lives. But that of course is not science fiction. I only need to look at my iPad that I wrote this review on to know that my every word is analysed and from which will be push-fed a slew of tempting offers based on my words. Scary stuff.
April 6, 2019
This is humanity at it’s worse when a wealthy man, seeking the key to immorality, sells out the human race to an alien race in need of brains to get the raw processing power to prove their belief that all life is just a computer simulation created by a higher power.
What I didn’t enjoy is how long it took for things to make sense since much of the dialog was about... search engines, data privacy and the Internet which are real-life issues, to be sure. Still, this was interesting enough.
What I didn’t enjoy is how long it took for things to make sense since much of the dialog was about... search engines, data privacy and the Internet which are real-life issues, to be sure. Still, this was interesting enough.
July 4, 2019
Fantastic
Thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced, vivid and very well-written story. Disappointed there was no sequel. Really good SciFi with compelling characters & interesting premise. Great job.
Thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced, vivid and very well-written story. Disappointed there was no sequel. Really good SciFi with compelling characters & interesting premise. Great job.
October 10, 2019
Fantastic!
Do not start this book unless you have several free hours ahead of you because it is almost impossible to put down. Believable characters well crafted and an excellent story. Highly recommended to all readers who like hard SF
Do not start this book unless you have several free hours ahead of you because it is almost impossible to put down. Believable characters well crafted and an excellent story. Highly recommended to all readers who like hard SF
October 11, 2019
Clever, Interesting & thought provoking
A very cleverly written book with twists and dilemmas. I struggled with quite a bit of the computer talk, but was still able to really enjoy the book.
A very cleverly written book with twists and dilemmas. I struggled with quite a bit of the computer talk, but was still able to really enjoy the book.
December 1, 2019
Great ideas
Good subject interesting deep characters well written maybe a little weak on continuity and story but good gripping-read will read other books by this author
Good subject interesting deep characters well written maybe a little weak on continuity and story but good gripping-read will read other books by this author
August 12, 2020
A very fascinating book about first contact with aliens. The plot was good and the characters were great. I think it was a little too wordy but it was a very interesting read.
April 24, 2019
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Summary:
Set in the present, this novel is about an alien race coming to the rescue of an unsuspecting humanity. However, inter-stellar aid comes at a cost. Is humanity willing to pay the price?
Main Characters:
Tim Boston: A leading computer programmer contractor, he is high in MedOp. The organisation founded and run by Francis McKenzie. Riddled with guilt over causing Sam’s terrible injuries, he also is in love with her.
Samantha (Sam) Turner: Tim’s colleague, crippled by a car accident, she is a fierce supporter of data privacy, and harbours doubts about McKenzie’s organisation, with which she is also contracted. She also has conflicting feelings about her boyfriend Charlie and colleague Tim. She also doesn’t do self-pity.
Francis McKenzie: Multi-billionaire MedOp founder, this fifty-something is a control freak par excellence. He has a dark agenda behind his quasi-philanthropic venture.
The Ankor: Alien race, claiming immensely superior technology, racing to save humanity.
Minor Characters:
Colonel Ben Martel: UK soldier, drafted in to monitor MedOp as the tensions and doubts grow.
Charlie Taylor: McKenzie’s right hand man, boyfriend to Sam, and possessor of deep religious beliefs.
Plot:
The action unfolds over a period of eight-twelve months, and the timeline matches early 2019. The world is essentially as we know it today. Until our communication technologies are hijacked from deep space by the alien race the Ankor, and humanity is told that there is a GRB (gamma ray burst) on its way that will wipe out all life unless we allow them to build a shield to deflect it.
While the earth waits for the Ankor to arrive, we see the various different rea tons across the globe, with the UN trying to be a calming and unifying force. There is rampant confusion, yet largely people seem to be willing to wait, and there are no major global disruptions.
Tim and Sam are employed by the enigmatic McKenzie, whose company MedOp was set up to provide free arterial cleaning for everyone, in return for access to one’s personal information (up to DNA level, so nothing is really free, eh?). He has developed MIDAS software, capable of discerning trends across multiple channels of information. Despite his protestations to the contrary, Sam does not believe McKenzie is anonymising the data. Tim, however, is focused on delivering the MIDAS programme to McKenzie, for the lucrative payout that will help him pay for the neurosurgery that will get Sam literally back on her feet.
As the novel progresses, and the Ankor get closer to earth, we see the choices for humanity narrowing. The various political battles play out, and there is a relatively surprising unanimity about the approach. Most large countries seem to adopt a wait and see approach, while building the various launch pads needed to transport payloads into orbit. There are the Chamberlain-esque cries of “Appeasement”, but little in the way of religious sects and apocalyptic visionaries.
The Ankor, when they arrive, are terse in their approach, and soon become less benign than was hoped for. Sam and Tim discovers McKenzie’s darker side, and begin to work against him. With escalating tensions, the UK Prime Minister orders the Army in to supervise Medop, all the while having McKenzie at the top tables and soliciting his strategic advice.
The novel’s tension increases when we discover the true purpose behind the Ankor, the fact there are warring divisions within their ranks, and what this means for the world. Politically, the nations of the earth begin to crumble, and relations get hostile, fast.
What I Liked:
- Rooted in the present day, so easy to visualise the world building.
- The real concerns about data-sharing was communicated tellingly, but not overly-preachy.
- Main character development was strong.
- Excellent premise to the story.
What I Didn’t Like:
- The ending was a bit tame.
- Some moments [not many, to be fair] were a little Deus Ex Machina, i.e. they just “happened”, that either saved the main characters or moved the story along easily.
- The global response was a bit more muted that I would have expected in a sci-fi novel, and people seemed to agree with and be trusting of their leaders. Real suspension of belief needed :D
Overall:
It is a good read, and will keep fans of the genre very happy.
A nice bit of technological wheezery, with philosophical concerns (what choices would you make, if you had to make them?) and real-world issues thrown in (how much data would you give up for free? Would you allow yourself to be DNA-profiled?). It was also good to see that religious divides happen to all races, regardless of development level and species!
Acknowledgements:
I received a free .mobi of the book from Reedsy Discovery and through them the author, in return for an honest and objective review.
Summary:
Set in the present, this novel is about an alien race coming to the rescue of an unsuspecting humanity. However, inter-stellar aid comes at a cost. Is humanity willing to pay the price?
Main Characters:
Tim Boston: A leading computer programmer contractor, he is high in MedOp. The organisation founded and run by Francis McKenzie. Riddled with guilt over causing Sam’s terrible injuries, he also is in love with her.
Samantha (Sam) Turner: Tim’s colleague, crippled by a car accident, she is a fierce supporter of data privacy, and harbours doubts about McKenzie’s organisation, with which she is also contracted. She also has conflicting feelings about her boyfriend Charlie and colleague Tim. She also doesn’t do self-pity.
Francis McKenzie: Multi-billionaire MedOp founder, this fifty-something is a control freak par excellence. He has a dark agenda behind his quasi-philanthropic venture.
The Ankor: Alien race, claiming immensely superior technology, racing to save humanity.
Minor Characters:
Colonel Ben Martel: UK soldier, drafted in to monitor MedOp as the tensions and doubts grow.
Charlie Taylor: McKenzie’s right hand man, boyfriend to Sam, and possessor of deep religious beliefs.
Plot:
The action unfolds over a period of eight-twelve months, and the timeline matches early 2019. The world is essentially as we know it today. Until our communication technologies are hijacked from deep space by the alien race the Ankor, and humanity is told that there is a GRB (gamma ray burst) on its way that will wipe out all life unless we allow them to build a shield to deflect it.
While the earth waits for the Ankor to arrive, we see the various different rea tons across the globe, with the UN trying to be a calming and unifying force. There is rampant confusion, yet largely people seem to be willing to wait, and there are no major global disruptions.
Tim and Sam are employed by the enigmatic McKenzie, whose company MedOp was set up to provide free arterial cleaning for everyone, in return for access to one’s personal information (up to DNA level, so nothing is really free, eh?). He has developed MIDAS software, capable of discerning trends across multiple channels of information. Despite his protestations to the contrary, Sam does not believe McKenzie is anonymising the data. Tim, however, is focused on delivering the MIDAS programme to McKenzie, for the lucrative payout that will help him pay for the neurosurgery that will get Sam literally back on her feet.
As the novel progresses, and the Ankor get closer to earth, we see the choices for humanity narrowing. The various political battles play out, and there is a relatively surprising unanimity about the approach. Most large countries seem to adopt a wait and see approach, while building the various launch pads needed to transport payloads into orbit. There are the Chamberlain-esque cries of “Appeasement”, but little in the way of religious sects and apocalyptic visionaries.
The Ankor, when they arrive, are terse in their approach, and soon become less benign than was hoped for. Sam and Tim discovers McKenzie’s darker side, and begin to work against him. With escalating tensions, the UK Prime Minister orders the Army in to supervise Medop, all the while having McKenzie at the top tables and soliciting his strategic advice.
The novel’s tension increases when we discover the true purpose behind the Ankor, the fact there are warring divisions within their ranks, and what this means for the world. Politically, the nations of the earth begin to crumble, and relations get hostile, fast.
What I Liked:
- Rooted in the present day, so easy to visualise the world building.
- The real concerns about data-sharing was communicated tellingly, but not overly-preachy.
- Main character development was strong.
- Excellent premise to the story.
What I Didn’t Like:
- The ending was a bit tame.
- Some moments [not many, to be fair] were a little Deus Ex Machina, i.e. they just “happened”, that either saved the main characters or moved the story along easily.
- The global response was a bit more muted that I would have expected in a sci-fi novel, and people seemed to agree with and be trusting of their leaders. Real suspension of belief needed :D
Overall:
It is a good read, and will keep fans of the genre very happy.
A nice bit of technological wheezery, with philosophical concerns (what choices would you make, if you had to make them?) and real-world issues thrown in (how much data would you give up for free? Would you allow yourself to be DNA-profiled?). It was also good to see that religious divides happen to all races, regardless of development level and species!
Acknowledgements:
I received a free .mobi of the book from Reedsy Discovery and through them the author, in return for an honest and objective review.
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