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The Rover Series Universe #6
Contingence
In any genuine pursuit of enlightenment, one of the leading prerequisites for success would have to be considered application, more often than not. Otherwise, the knowledge obtained might hold tangential value at best.
From the moment his seven students first entered his survival education simulator, Donovan Marius fought tooth and nail to break them of their individualistic habits—in hopes that they would eventually appreciate the benefits of accomplishing tasks as a collective.
While they had been brought many times to the brink of epic disaster, during their seemingly never-ending odyssey, his cadets continued to demonstrate that his messages were loudly and clearly received. Application, along with confidence, were two things this group did not lack.
Millions of miles across the far-reaching star system, now revealed to them as Genara, a physical beacon beckons their eponymous spaceship, coming from what they believe to be one of their own.
The Red Rover descends into this brave new world with their combat antennas aloft. Their excitement noticeably muted this time, primarily due to their previous entanglements with hostile alien lifeforms, no matter the setting.
A familiar sight awaits Marius and the cadets, but the mystery surrounding “it” is far too great for them to ignore. This is a reunion to remember.
From the moment his seven students first entered his survival education simulator, Donovan Marius fought tooth and nail to break them of their individualistic habits—in hopes that they would eventually appreciate the benefits of accomplishing tasks as a collective.
While they had been brought many times to the brink of epic disaster, during their seemingly never-ending odyssey, his cadets continued to demonstrate that his messages were loudly and clearly received. Application, along with confidence, were two things this group did not lack.
Millions of miles across the far-reaching star system, now revealed to them as Genara, a physical beacon beckons their eponymous spaceship, coming from what they believe to be one of their own.
The Red Rover descends into this brave new world with their combat antennas aloft. Their excitement noticeably muted this time, primarily due to their previous entanglements with hostile alien lifeforms, no matter the setting.
A familiar sight awaits Marius and the cadets, but the mystery surrounding “it” is far too great for them to ignore. This is a reunion to remember.
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2021
2 people are currently reading
About the author
C.E. Whitaker III
10 books1 followerA writer/director/producer based out of Los Angeles, C.E. is the author and architect of the sci-fi action-adventure book series, THE ROVER SERIES UNIVERSE.
In 2021, he was a finalist in the PGA Create Producing Intensive sponsored by the Producer’s Guild of America. In 2016, C.E. was selected as a finalist in the Warner Bros Emerging Film Director's Workshop.
In 2019, he worked in London on the Guy Ritchie-directed feature, THE GENTLEMEN, for Miramax/STX and the Sir Kenneth Branagh-directed fantasy adventure, ARTEMIS FOWL; 2018, saw him work on the Jessica Chastain led-feature, AVA, directed by Tate Taylor in Boston; 2017 was busier with the Dan Gilroy-directed film ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ., the Chicago-based feature, WIDOWS, directed by Steven McQueen, and the live-action re-imagining of Disney's DUMBO directed by Tim Burton in London.
Follow him on Instagram: @mrwhitaker3
In 2021, he was a finalist in the PGA Create Producing Intensive sponsored by the Producer’s Guild of America. In 2016, C.E. was selected as a finalist in the Warner Bros Emerging Film Director's Workshop.
In 2019, he worked in London on the Guy Ritchie-directed feature, THE GENTLEMEN, for Miramax/STX and the Sir Kenneth Branagh-directed fantasy adventure, ARTEMIS FOWL; 2018, saw him work on the Jessica Chastain led-feature, AVA, directed by Tate Taylor in Boston; 2017 was busier with the Dan Gilroy-directed film ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ., the Chicago-based feature, WIDOWS, directed by Steven McQueen, and the live-action re-imagining of Disney's DUMBO directed by Tim Burton in London.
Follow him on Instagram: @mrwhitaker3
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 15, 2021
Marius and the cadets follow a call they hope is being sent by survivors. They are wary of the signal when they approach it, and the beacon is a very familiar sight. Mysteries still abound, and this is a reunion to remember.
After the events in books two and three, I don’t blame the team at all for being wary of a signal. As much joy as the thought of finding another Rover brought them, the Draconoires had used a beacon signal to find and attack their ship. They’re all traumatized, something hinted at in the prior book but really made obvious in this one.
The language in this book is stilted at times. Some of it is reflecting the aliens and the nature of their communications and thoughts. It’s a neat trick, but still somewhat awkward to read. It’s especially awkward after reading a stretch of chapters with the Red Rover crew, even when there are some typos and grammatical errors. (For example, “Is that what your going to do?”) We have the thread of the Red Rover team in space approaching the beacon then on the planet, the aliens, and then Delly’s story. They all interweave, but it still is a lot to juggle.
I did like seeing how much the kids grew up, and how well they function as a team. They support each other in their times of stress and have grown into strong adults. This novel ends on a cliffhanger, so we don’t know exactly what will happen next on a planet full of internal tensions and hostility.
After the events in books two and three, I don’t blame the team at all for being wary of a signal. As much joy as the thought of finding another Rover brought them, the Draconoires had used a beacon signal to find and attack their ship. They’re all traumatized, something hinted at in the prior book but really made obvious in this one.
The language in this book is stilted at times. Some of it is reflecting the aliens and the nature of their communications and thoughts. It’s a neat trick, but still somewhat awkward to read. It’s especially awkward after reading a stretch of chapters with the Red Rover crew, even when there are some typos and grammatical errors. (For example, “Is that what your going to do?”) We have the thread of the Red Rover team in space approaching the beacon then on the planet, the aliens, and then Delly’s story. They all interweave, but it still is a lot to juggle.
I did like seeing how much the kids grew up, and how well they function as a team. They support each other in their times of stress and have grown into strong adults. This novel ends on a cliffhanger, so we don’t know exactly what will happen next on a planet full of internal tensions and hostility.
August 13, 2021
In comparison to the other three books in the series so far, this is my least favorite of them. This book switched perspectives from basically filler material to Orion's sister being tortured. The extreme shift from mostly uneventfulness to severe pain and torture seemed sudden and unnatural. The detail of the other cultures on Kethyrie is interesting, and Delly's torture and physical and emotional turmoil was well-written and vivid. A parallel can be drawn between Dr. Marius's opioid issue and Delly's torture, but I was disappointed in the other content aboard the ship.
The amount of unnecessary curse words bothers me. When used in rare occasions, they could sometimes make a point, however when used over and over they become meaningless and show a lack of sophistication and real emotion. I counted 72 instances of cussing. The sexual scenes and their implications felt out of place and shoved in to make the cadets' sections of the book eventful. Not to mention being a distraction, the only other purpose of these could be to elicit emotion in the reader, and for me that was anger and shock.
It is problematic that I only liked half the book. Contingence is emotionally heavy and I was disappointed in how it felt like the plotline came to a halt, a sharp contrast from the intense and fast-paced previous book.
I still recommend the overall series, but I was disappointed in this one and I emphasize this book being for older YA readers due to the mature content.
The amount of unnecessary curse words bothers me. When used in rare occasions, they could sometimes make a point, however when used over and over they become meaningless and show a lack of sophistication and real emotion. I counted 72 instances of cussing. The sexual scenes and their implications felt out of place and shoved in to make the cadets' sections of the book eventful. Not to mention being a distraction, the only other purpose of these could be to elicit emotion in the reader, and for me that was anger and shock.
It is problematic that I only liked half the book. Contingence is emotionally heavy and I was disappointed in how it felt like the plotline came to a halt, a sharp contrast from the intense and fast-paced previous book.
I still recommend the overall series, but I was disappointed in this one and I emphasize this book being for older YA readers due to the mature content.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews