The Planetsider

The Planetsider Trilogy #1

by G.J. Ogden

A thrilling military sci-fi adventure set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future world.

Captain Maria Salus joined the UEC military when she was only sixteen. Even then, the war with the GPS had raged for almost a century; a war that had left their planet scorched and irradiated.

With the UEC moon base facing annihilation, Maria volunteers for a desperate mission to save what remains of her people.

The perilous assignment will force her down to the surface of the war-ravaged wasteland planet. There she will face the monstrous consequences of their apocalyptic conflict; the mutated savages known simply as the Maddened.

Battling these dangers are the planetsiders; a scattered cluster of survivors, immune to the poisonous radiation. Their blood is the key to Maria’s survival. She must find them, and convince them to help her.

But while the planetsiders are wilfully ignorant of their world’s dark history, one amongst them burns to know the truth. He is the idealistic ranger and warrior, Ethan.

But will Ethan risk everything to fight at Maria’s side?

If you love the tense action of Aliens and thrillers like World War Z, you’ll love The Planetsider’s unique blend of post-apocalyptic military sci-fi.

Genres: Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Fiction

323 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 8, 2018

About the author

G J Ogden is a proud recipient of the Kindle Storyteller Award and has written over 50 books that have garnered over 15,000 5-star ratings. When he’s not writing, G J Ogden is usually getting whooped in games of Warhammer 40K by his son. Unless he’s playing Adepta Sororitas, then he wins.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Papaphilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Young Adult novel is a bit of a misnomer. It certainly has all of the common elements of a good YA, but it is a bit more in depth than you normally find. First of all, The Planetsider: Uncover the past. Fight for the future. is a great read. Full of action, but also introspective. Ethan, the protagonist is on the classic hero's journey, living through his trials and tribulations. Learning that ignorance is sometimes bliss. This is about a young man coming of age in a Post-Apocalyptic world and his desire to stretch beyond what is expected of him. A young man looking for the truth and finding it cost him his innocence. One of my favorite sub-plots is that he is clueless when it comes to women as all young men are of a certain age. It is hysterically funny without trying to be and that is a hard trick to pull off.

G.J. Ogden inserts into this world all sorts of fun tidbits to be studied and he meshes them incredibly well. There is societal studies on religion, relationships, the end of childhood, truth, as well as war. G.J. Ogden blends his elements within the weaving of his tale and you never notice because the story flows so smoothly. I was surprised the story ended so fast because it felt like I just started. This is the first of a series and it left me wanting more.

This new writer has a boatload of talent and is certainly worth a long look in this YA genre. Take the time and you will thankful.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very thoughtful, well-written and deftly plotted first novel.

The story is set many years in the future, after an apocalyptic event which is a mystery to the small number of inhabitants eking out a living in the known settlements. The location is not named, not even the continent, but this is irrelevant to the surviving humans. Danger surrounds them - there are crazy, violent, distorted people roaming the wilderness who have been driven slowly mad by the toxins in the atmosphere.

Our hero Ethan (who seems to be at least partly immune to the toxins) meets some strangers who explain the story behind the disaster and the reason why the atmosphere became toxic. I won't give too much away but they come from a very great distance.

I loved this book but was torn between 4 and 5 stars - although it's a super story I thought the characters were somewhat over-emotional. Also some of them seemed quite resentful of their difficult life - this didn't quite ring true because people only get resentful if they've seen something better to compare with, and not if their situation is the same as everyone else's (as the song says, "if I hadn't seen such riches, I could live with being poor"). So a solid 4.5 stars, amazing for a first novel. I do hope for sequel eventually - although we reach a homecoming of sorts, there is a lot more that could be said about this world and its characters.

[Bruce Von · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dystopian Masterpiece

The adventure is outstanding and begins from the first page! The main character is Ethan and his amazing journey from a medieval village on a decimated earth. All the way to a high Tech base on the moon is indeed an adventure that moves at a fast pace and make this one of the best Dystopian novels I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Very well written and with an intriguing premise for the distraction of our current world

[Loretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this enough to buy the next book in the series. It did turn out to have some form of zombies in it - although not the traditional ones. I don't normally touch zombie books but this was okay. There was quite a bit of head hopping, but overall, a good yarn.

When strangers come from the skies, who should Ethan believe?

Some violence - not extreme.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sci fi Apocalyptic Romance

People on Earth, people in space, and people on the Moon all play a part in this novel. This book does a really good job of giving a view point from each group of people. I enjoyed the way they tried to bring them together and yet still keep them all apart. However the male lead in the story ends up finding a love interest from each of the three groups of people.

I enjoyed this novel very much and I'm considering reading the next two novels in the series, however the ending of the book was complete without a cliffhanger.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great combo. I was also surprised to find this the author's debut novel because it was so well written. Having a military background, I found the military interaction and jargon very comforting - I spend 20 years in the military and my husband did 26.5. As a murder mystery lover and a sci-fi fan, this was a perfect read for me. I found this book exciting and different.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read if you're a Sci fi nut like myself. Please give this a chance and don't let other reviews put you off. Uest is abit of a slow start but turns into a great book. The character and world building have been written beautifully.

[Ellen Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The action parts were suspenseful and well written. I thought the love between Ethan and Maria developed much too quickly to be realistic but other than that It was a good read. I’ve already purchased the second one in the series. I’m anxious to see what happens next.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Planetsider is set in the future, after The Fall, and we follow the story of Ethan, and Maria. I love the way that the book started with regular switches between Ethan and Maria, until their stories collided. It was a great way to keep things interesting, but also for us to be slowly introduced to the very different 'worlds' that Ethan and Maria come from.

I loved the relationship between Ethan and his nephew Elijah - it was really sweet and there is a really wonderful scene in which Elijah has some tough questions for his uncle. I appreciated this as parent, because there are just some questions that you don't know the best answer to, and some you don't even have a good answer to. I love this depth, and the way that Ethan questioned everything. He needs to know what happened in the past in order to work out his future. The frustration Ethan faces, being the only one in his settlement to feel like this was really well done too.

The Planetsider is a book of two separate halves, the first half is very much an exploration of a post-apocalyptic Earth, one with few resources and even fewer answers about what came before. The second half is 'more Sci-Fi' and takes a real twist. I felt the paranoia that Ethan faces really acutely. He is aware that he can't really trust anyone... but he has no choice. I thought that this second half of the book was incredibly well done.  The chagrin he feels when he realises that it is his own curiosity, which has got him into this mess is palpable.

I liked the second half of The Plantsider more than the first, and found myself desperate to read on and to know what happened next. I read from 42% to the end in an afternoon.  But without the world-building and character development of the first half of the book it would obviously lose it's impact. We needed to get to know Ethan, to learn about his life so that we could really appreciate what he was being asked to give up.

The Planetsider is a very interesting read, and I found it really thought-provoking. I don't want to say to much for fear of spoilers, but I think it raises a lot of interesting questions about humanity and society. Hubris plays a big part in The Planetsider, not just for the individual characters but for entire societies.I would definitely recommend The Planetsider, the whole concept is really interesting and reading it was the catalyst for a lot of discussions I had in my own head (if that makes sense) about The Fall, The Maddening, what would happen to 'society' after destruction of this magnitude...

[Don Viecelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review Number 185:

This review is on The Planetsider, Book One In The Planetsider Trilogy by G.J. Ogden. This is the first book I have read by this author. It is Dystopian story with strong Military Science Fiction elements set in the near future.

The story starts with one main character named Maria Salus piloting a spacefighter with another man sitting in the co-pilot’s chair named Chris Kurren. They are in the middle of a space battle with other enemy fighters and things are going badly. Where they came from is a mystery. They barely survive the engagement and crash land on Earth.

The plotline switches next to another main character named Ethan. He is part of a walled settlement on Earth trying to survive the aftermaths of a human conflict called the Fall hundreds of years earlier that devastated the planet. Ethan is a Ranger who protects the walled settlement from outsiders called Roamers. He has an older sister named Katie and a younger nephew named Elijah.

Occasionally the settlers see strange lights in the sky and do not know what causes them. Nearby is a destroyed city that they avoid because of the Roamers who are affected by an unknown disease called the Maddening which causes people to lose empathy, become violent and go insane over time.

This time, Ethan sees a strange light in the sky that crashes to the ground a short distance from the village. He is sent on a mission to find out what caused the crash. Any mission outside the village is dangerous and some Rangers never return.

Eventually, Ethan finds Maria and Chris who survived the crash and they return to the village where the leaders of the settlement learn the real story of where Maria and Chris came from and why they are here. Ethan had always wondered what caused the Fall and what he learns is much harder to accept than what he wished for.

I give this book Four Stars because the story is suspenseful, mysterious and fast paced. The characters are realistic, but one character seems overly emotional and immature. The plot is plausible and holds your attention to the end. The dialogue and writing style are good. The science is believable. I look forward to reading the next book in this trilogy.

Keep reading good science fiction and let me know when you find an interesting novel or author.

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free ARC copy of this book for review. In my experience sci fi books are either great or terrible. G J Ogden has the makings of a great sci fi author. The book is filled with lush descriptions not usually found in the genre. It makes the reading fly by. The main perspective is from Ethan, but you get pov from Maria as well. It all takes place in some distant Earth future, where the world has ended but left small groups of survivers that really only have time to gather food and keep their shelter safe. Nobody cares about why the world fell, they are far too busy just trying to keep living. Enter strangers who know everything about the Fall and all hell breaks loose, throwing a small settlement into chaos.

The backstory and plot are interesting enough to want to make you keep reading. The start seemed bit slow as I just wanted to get to the part where the sets of main characters actually met, but the pacing picks up quickly and shoots along merrily after that. The ending was not hard to guess but still good. I feel like it's open to more books in the world, or capped off enough to be a stand alone.

My only major issue with this book is the repeated use of sexist jokes coupled with the inner monologue of "that's so sexist". It got boring very quickly (right after the first time). In a book with otherwise strong and useful female characters the fixation on using feminine characteristics to get the male protagonist to do things fell very flat for me. The women stand strong on their own just like the male characters, there was absolutely no need for such an over used trope, even if it is a staple of the genre.

That being said I still really enjoyed the book. I just hope the author improves that one aspect of his writing because I would look forward to reading more. I don't generally continue reading authors who write like that, as a personal preference.

[Kate A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that for the first few chapters I found this book really slow, something just wasn’t clicking and then suddenly I was gripped. It was strange I thought I wouldn’t click with the book at all and then I just couldn’t get enough.

This is the kind of story I love, a dystopian world where you just don’t know what’s going to happen next. What I loved the most though was the rich description, you could really feel the world come alive through the author's words. There were a few things that went over my head but even if I wasn’t sure what a term meant there was enough in the story to give it context so I understood roughly what was being alluded to.

The contrast between the planet and the moon base was really interesting, I liked that even though the people on the planet were seen as more primitive they were in many ways more advanced. The plot is brilliantly weaved, sometimes with a story that has so many different elements I feel as if there’s always something that doesn’t get explained properly but I didn’t have any lingering questions so I think that’s a testament to how solid the writing is.

The characters were great, Ethan was my favourite I loved his wanderlust and how he handled himself when his world was completely changed. The only thing that kind of bugged me a little was how quickly his attraction to Maria turned into love, I can understand being drawn to someone and the pressure of such a situation heightening everything but I still think that them deciding that they loved each other without really knowing the other at all was a bit much for me.

The Planetsider is an impressive story that will have you transfixed until the end, I’m looking forward to seeing what the author come up with next.

Originally posted on everywhere and nowhere

[Judith Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted on Chain Interaction

I’ll start by talking about characters since this is a science fiction novel driven far more by character than it is by facts and scientific explanations (part of the reason I would be more tempted to shelve this with post-apocalyptic novels rather than science fiction per-say). Since there are (broadly speaking) two settings in this book, it’s so important to set up two very different kinds of characters. I thought that this was something the author did well. The difference between Ethan and Summer, who had been brought up on a ravaged planet plagued by ‘roamers’ (kind of zombies) and Maria and Kurren, who hail from a colony in space (an oversimplification but that’s the best way to describe it for these purposes) is clear not only from the differences in their dialogue but also in the way they respond to certain situations.

There are a few moments where some of the male characters are a little bit sexist, there’s discussion of how ‘cute’ a female character is and at another point, a different character’s skin is described as the colour of ‘pale honey biscuits’. That may be an apt descriptor for the colour, but descriptions of women where they are made akin to food make me a little uncomfortable. That’s a matter of personal preference and someone else might read this in a different way. I did consider that this could be a deliberate characterisation, particularly in the former example, in which case it ’s a little different. It also helps that the female characters come across as being aware of, and annoyed by the sexism, so it is called out in a way, which is less annoying. Sexism in books is complicated sometimes, let’s leave it at that.

Romance, because there is some, let’s talk about everyone’s favourite topic ‘insta-love’, in this book the ‘love’ isn’t quite instantaneous, but it is certainly fast-paced, two characters who haven’t met or been aware of the existence of one another are essentially in love by 40% of the way through this book. I think one must factor in the context in these situations, by that 40% mark these characters have faced near death together quite a few times which could account for the fast-formed bond between them. I thought that the way this relationship was explored in the last 100 pages or so was far better than the set-up. So, it isn’t quite insta-love but it is fast romance and that’s such a subjective thing I don’t think I can comment further, forge your own opinions humans, I believe in you

There are some wonderful stand-out details in this book. The first of which is the moment our two space-based characters (Maria and Kurren) see a sky for the first time. Not just the sky, any sky. That was such a great way of quickly explaining the background of these two characters and the different world from which they came I flagged it up as one of my favourite parts within the entire book.

I would also commend the last 100 pages or so, which is where the plot really kicks into gear and things get profoundly more perilous and interesting. I won’t spoil anything, because I’m not cruel, but this does have one of my favourite tropes within a book, the idea of multiple parties vying for the trust of the main character. It’s here that the theme of belief and faith (not necessarily religious faith, but faith in an idea, an ideology or in an individual) is explored in the most comprehensive way.

I enjoyed reading this book, though parts of it were not exactly to my tastes, and I think that for some people this will be an ideal read. If you like character driven science fiction and you are looking for something not overly taxing I would recommend picking up a copy of The Planetsider.

My rating: 3/5 stars

I received a digital copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, especially since the author provided it to me for free after a Goodreads give-away. The story is well conceived: the survivors of a war that destroyed most cities and made the others uninhabitable have forged a new civilization, small villages scattered around the world. Unknown to them, though, is that there are two factions of people that also survived the war. When a mission from the moon base kidnaps a villager (the titular Planetsider), Things Happen (spoilers!).

The problem is the way that the female characters are handled. Theoretically there are two strong female characters, a military captain from the moon base and one of the best warriors from the village. But instead of doing anything that actually fleshes them out, the two spend a lot of the book fighting each other to win the heart of the main protagonist (Ethan). When they aren't fighting each other, they are talking about Ethan. When they aren't talking about him, they are being put into situations where they have to be saved by Ethan. The women in this story aren't characters, they are plot devices to make Ethan seem more heroic.

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Military sci-fi, space opera, post-apocalyptic, killer pandemic, and zombies all wrapped up into one story and it works! different take on these genres, mashed up in an intriguing way. As you can imagine with this much going on there is quite a bit of world building and it starts off a little slow, but stick with it, totally worth it. The story that slowly unfolds as Ethan finds himself drawn into a conflict he didn't even know existed is a truly wild ride.

Ogden tends to write heroes that are noble and villains that are despicable and you've got characters in this filling those rolls. This is his debut novel and it had quite a bit of an old school good vs evil feel to it. At the same time, the conflict is far more complex than it first appears and is far from a simple situation. This is the first book in a trilogy with lots of promise for what is to come.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an apocalyptic future, the settlements is one of the only places that is survivable and danger surrounds them completely. The toxins in the atmosphere had driven people into madness. Most of the survivors don’t bother with understanding why they’re living like this. They just focus on living.
Ethan, or main character, learns what happened to cause the world he knows to become what it has as he encounters strangers.

What I really enjoyed was how rich in detail this is. I was put right into the story and could see it playing like a movie in my head. The characters were strong and well written.

An excellent debut novel.

[John Alvord · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this enough to rate it four stars. I'm not sure I'll continue the next books in the series. Characters are well defined and quite likable. As I was reading I kept wondering if the target audience was teen and young adult. Checking afterward reveals that it is. This is not a bad thing, as there is plenty to hold the attention of an old man like myself. One observation is that there is a lot of time spent inside the head of Ethan, the primary character. He's constantly telling you what he's thinking. Again, not a bad thing, just my observation.

I do have a few specific comments in my highlights and notes.

[Dennis Crotts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want an exxcittinng ride in a world gone crazy

Therre is no zombies in this world there is Roamers there is no Nuclear war but a war of two maga corporations one who has a colony on the moon and one who a space station. They started off as friends who wanted best for the earth in producing a better power source then got greedy and wanted to take it all in doing so the cause a an explosion in space that hit the earth wiping out everything man and cities those who had no immunity either died right off or started turning into roamers. Read you of lies, deceit and death of the weak but at the same time redemption and hope of the strong.

[Craig Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story takes place in a planetary system not unlike the Earth/Moon system we know and love. Maybe the same. the zombie like creatures that dominate the background are interesting but there is a lack of explanation of how they still exist after multiple generations after the disaster. Minor detail. It was also hard to get through through the overly long paragraphs that were used to describe the characters thought process The author needed to tighten these up. All this being said, the story is very unique, was enjoyable and lends itself to follow-on books.

[Craig Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what this book would 've like, knowing it was the authors first book, but I gave it a go anyway. Slow to start but mostly world / character building. Then the action kicked in and I couldn't put it down!
Well written and enjoyable characters, just enough sci-fi to keep me hooked and not too much to go full geek.
When I realised it was the first of a trilogy I understood why it was slower to start, you have to set the scene on a grander scale.
I've read the second and I'm about to start the third!

[Ann Kilburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ethan is an idealistic dreamer struggling to survive in his small community against the maddening. His fantasies are shattered by two different groups of off-worlders and he has to grow up very fast - Who to believe and who to trust?
Very good novel about survivors on a post-apocalyptic earth, a moon base and a satellite station. People do not learn from history or past mistakes and war seems to be eternal. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

[D. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A GJO. SYFY. Action Adventure (TP) (APASFT) (TPTB - 1)

GJO. has penned the Planetsider (TPTB -1) which is about two factions on Earth. One is the normal human being and the others are a combination of real man and crazy as a l¿?¿oon. The arrival of the humans from the moon changes everything. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS

[David Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another recognizable fluff story

I recognized the tropes used and was able to speed read through the story. Character development was lite in this series as well as in 'The Descendants of War' I read last week. This being a trilogy, I may speed read through the remaining two books to see how it ends.

[Jude · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

Sci-fi isn't always my cup of tea, and this story always felt a little unconnected. Or maybe I just couldn't connect to it, but I did enjoy the characters and their development, and I was interested enough to finish.

[Avid Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice wee jaunt for a mind's afternoon.

New perspective on an age old problem. What does humanity do when they get "there"?
Wherever "there" may be.
As usual, wreck it, try to fix it, and botch it, have a few good laughs in the meddling of it all..

[Subject BGD · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVE the concept of this book, I think there is really something here. The reason I gave it 3-stars is because the pacing pulled me out of the story too many times. If the author relaunches it in the future, I would jump at the opportunity to give this another shot!

[Livvy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

Ethan always wanted to find the truth about what happen to the old world but sometimes you need to not know is the best for him! Hope summer okay I like her! Maria don't her she kinda shady character and her partner just felt weird to me. Awesome read

[Kathy Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

reading and reviewing books

fantastic read . i really like to read this type of book it is interesting to imagine the different ways the end of civilization can change in the future

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent full length novel that grabbed me from the start! I really liked the plot & characters, something to keep you guessing! I will look for more by this writer & do recommend to all sci-fi fans!

[Saundra Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had this for a long time and just got around to reading it. All I can say is I'm sorry for not reading it sooner! It is great!

SciFi and dystopian, two of my favorite genres, and this book is definitely among the best. Engaging from the first page.