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Dead Forever #1
Awakening
Imagine a world where death is merely an inconvenience. A new body awaits and we resume living, fully aware of the past, but at a price -- eternal life as slaves to masters who forbid individuality. For rebels who refuse to conform, the final solution is perpetual amnesia, removing all knowledge of past lives. One victim of the memory-wipe struggles to decipher his dreams and regain his sense of identity, only to learn of the hero he should be and what it means to occupy a body -- the sexual urges, escapism through intoxication, and the sense of self for a body, entirely different for a soul. This exploration of memory, dreams and the subconscious is also an action adventure as the hero faces dire challenges, joined by an oddball crew of fellow rebels whose allegiance is questionable. Awakening begins the Dead Forever trilogy, followed by Apotheosis and Resonance.
266 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 12, 2011
This book frustrated me to no end. It had the potential to be a really good read. The concept is intriguing and the writing solid. When it's dealing with the core subject matter of the war against the Association, it's enjoyable. Unfortunately, 2/3 of this book is wasted wandering in and out of stream of consciousness dreams and describing ad nauseum the protagonist's tiresome escapades into meaningless activities like club-hopping, drinking beers at the beach, grooming, shopping for clothes, etc. (and no, I'm not buying that all of these events were somehow integral to the plot). If it had stayed on subject and not delved into so much unnecessary gutter-speech and raunchy humor, it would have warranted more stars. I'm tempted to read the sequel, but have no intentions of continuing the series if it wanders off subject like this one.
2 1/2 stars
2 1/2 stars
February 22, 2011
Dead Forever: Awakening (Book 1 of a trilogy) by William Campbell brings us into a world of human beings who have cultivated reincarnation into a procedure conceptually as simple as an appendix removal. You die and you get a brand new adult body, complete with all the emotional and experiential memories you possessed at death for an eternity of cycles. Sounds pretty good. Sign me up for bungee jumping, parachuting, etc.
But not so fast. In this world, your replenished self faces a life of monotonous conformity under a governing body called The Association. That is unless you join the rebels exiled on a distant planet at war with The Association. It's a long, theoretically futile war for both sides because whenever anyone dies, they can reincarnate, and come back with a fresh corporeality. But here's the kicker: only as long as they know how. That's where The Association has gained an edge, by developing methods to induce amnesia. This way they hope to gradually de-incarnate the rebels, make them dead forever.
Most of this the reader knows from the back cover, which puts us ahead of such an amnesia-induced man, Carl the protagonist, with whom we open the story. It's a strong opening, full of dramatic action and sensory imagery. Carl is a drifter and all he knows is his dreary life, which is plagued with vivid but, to him, random dreams and images. He mentions this offhandedly to some diner waitress who then brings him to the attention of The Association. They send out their henchmen, the BOBs (Carl's term for them for their Black on Black attire), to apprehend Carl. Trusting instinct over knowledge, Carl scrambles to escape, killing as many BOBs as he can.
Just in time, friends from his forgotten past rescue Carl and whisk him away to the rebel planet. He doesn't trust them at first but at least they're not shooting at him. They reveal his actual name to be Adam and that he's their close friend as well as one a rebel leader and one of their best fighters. Otherwise, they are less than forthcoming with information, insisting he must fill in the blanks on his own. That includes the most important detail, how to reincarnate. Until he figures this out, his life is vulnerable to irreversible termination. Essentially, Adam's (Carl's) quest, or goal, for most of this first book of the trilogy is to figure out what the hell's going on, without getting killed. The first-person present tense narration ensures the reader shares his experience, including the frustration he must feel.
A series of scenes brings Adam (and the reader) incrementally closer to full realization as he (re)develops his relationships with the three rescuers: the oversexed Madison, the techie-nerd Matt and the more or less normal, Dave. The antagonism between the rebels and The Association parallels the traditional generation gap; these rebels are young and party while the few we see from the Association are portrayed as older and dour. Adam and his friends have no jobs, no monetary concerns, and little fear. True, they are in a war but it's as if they'll get to that when they feel like it. In the meantime, they'll goof off.
By Chapter Six (of seven), Adam clues in and the restoration of his memory brings a restoration of superior powers, including the ability to exit his body. Now his quest changes from one of seeking knowledge to one of action, and of rescuing his true love. After some silly scenes of comic relief preparing for this escapade, he commandeers his friends and returns to the planet of the Association disguised as the enemy.
The ending is satisfying enough for a first book of a trilogy from a plotting standpoint. There is a resolution to the immediate purpose but overall it leaves plenty of mysteries and unanswered items for the subsequent two books. These include the lack of information about intricacies of reincarnation (what about suicide?), how or why things are the way they are, what's in it for the Association to enslave and oppress their subjects, and why they are named The Association.
At least I hope these answers come. I found the simplistic portrayal of The Association as evil frustrating; the line between good and evil is too casually but distinctly drawn. When you make your protagonist's enemies into idiots, when you stack the deck as is done in the headquarters infiltration scene, you risk losing plausibility. And for a book that demands a lot of suspension of disbelief as this one does, that's an even greater risk.
The book as a product is well produced with a stylish but classic and sexy sci-fi cover. The proofreading is immaculate and the prose is often vivid and dramatic, and exhibits dexterity with words, as in the following:
*****
The forest engulfs our craft. A cacophony rises as the ship slices through smaller branches slapping and cracking, then deeper thuds as heavy trunks pound the hull. Combined with the howling engines, the orchestra of noise progresses toward a crescendo, which I fear, concludes in one harsh bang when we smack to ground.
Madison races around the cockpit while Dave stays focused on bringing us in as best he can. The landing pads hit the ground, sending a concussion throughout the ship. Tortured metal screams, trees snap and splinter, shrieking landing pads scrape and rumble. The craft is coming undone--one sharp snap then twisting metal, the floor drops from beneath us. The sagging hull burrows into soil and a tidal wave of loose dirt washes over the viewports. The sudden deceleration sends me and Madison soaring across the cockpit, and the craft comes to an abrupt halt. After a thunderous finale, the torturous symphony ebbs into an eerie quiet.
*****
On occasion, this goes too far, resulting in sentences that sounded thick or had an awkward rhythm. Still, even though at times overly poetic, the writing worked best when we are firmly in Adam's focused mind, and when he's alone.
After the promising opening, I didn't really care much about Adam and his friends or what happened to them. Part of the problem is the dialogue, which is often not more than banter, ranges from the juvenile sexual innuendos while Madison tries to bed Adam to attempts at sophisticated topics, such as belief in God, reincarnation, generalized philosophies, and an odd theory of time. The contrast of maturity within the protagonist's internal monologue is particularly startling. Read one passage of poetic description and you think he's an adult; read another where he shows his horniness, an adolescent.
Maybe age is to blame for my inability to cheer for the rebels. Younger, less fickle readers might identify better with these characters and see their cause as the dream of a parent-less authority-resisting utopia. One character I did like was Madison. Her capriciousness came across the most believable and entertaining; unfortunately, her part diminishes after Chapter Six, although I'm sure it will return in the next entries of this trilogy.
That brings me to the difficulty of reviewing the first book of a trilogy by itself, which is essentially one-third of the story, and the one-third burdened with setting everything up. Some of the negative points mentioned above may appear differently in the broader context. The care taken in the production of this first volume would justify some benefit of the doubt.
But not so fast. In this world, your replenished self faces a life of monotonous conformity under a governing body called The Association. That is unless you join the rebels exiled on a distant planet at war with The Association. It's a long, theoretically futile war for both sides because whenever anyone dies, they can reincarnate, and come back with a fresh corporeality. But here's the kicker: only as long as they know how. That's where The Association has gained an edge, by developing methods to induce amnesia. This way they hope to gradually de-incarnate the rebels, make them dead forever.
Most of this the reader knows from the back cover, which puts us ahead of such an amnesia-induced man, Carl the protagonist, with whom we open the story. It's a strong opening, full of dramatic action and sensory imagery. Carl is a drifter and all he knows is his dreary life, which is plagued with vivid but, to him, random dreams and images. He mentions this offhandedly to some diner waitress who then brings him to the attention of The Association. They send out their henchmen, the BOBs (Carl's term for them for their Black on Black attire), to apprehend Carl. Trusting instinct over knowledge, Carl scrambles to escape, killing as many BOBs as he can.
Just in time, friends from his forgotten past rescue Carl and whisk him away to the rebel planet. He doesn't trust them at first but at least they're not shooting at him. They reveal his actual name to be Adam and that he's their close friend as well as one a rebel leader and one of their best fighters. Otherwise, they are less than forthcoming with information, insisting he must fill in the blanks on his own. That includes the most important detail, how to reincarnate. Until he figures this out, his life is vulnerable to irreversible termination. Essentially, Adam's (Carl's) quest, or goal, for most of this first book of the trilogy is to figure out what the hell's going on, without getting killed. The first-person present tense narration ensures the reader shares his experience, including the frustration he must feel.
A series of scenes brings Adam (and the reader) incrementally closer to full realization as he (re)develops his relationships with the three rescuers: the oversexed Madison, the techie-nerd Matt and the more or less normal, Dave. The antagonism between the rebels and The Association parallels the traditional generation gap; these rebels are young and party while the few we see from the Association are portrayed as older and dour. Adam and his friends have no jobs, no monetary concerns, and little fear. True, they are in a war but it's as if they'll get to that when they feel like it. In the meantime, they'll goof off.
By Chapter Six (of seven), Adam clues in and the restoration of his memory brings a restoration of superior powers, including the ability to exit his body. Now his quest changes from one of seeking knowledge to one of action, and of rescuing his true love. After some silly scenes of comic relief preparing for this escapade, he commandeers his friends and returns to the planet of the Association disguised as the enemy.
The ending is satisfying enough for a first book of a trilogy from a plotting standpoint. There is a resolution to the immediate purpose but overall it leaves plenty of mysteries and unanswered items for the subsequent two books. These include the lack of information about intricacies of reincarnation (what about suicide?), how or why things are the way they are, what's in it for the Association to enslave and oppress their subjects, and why they are named The Association.
At least I hope these answers come. I found the simplistic portrayal of The Association as evil frustrating; the line between good and evil is too casually but distinctly drawn. When you make your protagonist's enemies into idiots, when you stack the deck as is done in the headquarters infiltration scene, you risk losing plausibility. And for a book that demands a lot of suspension of disbelief as this one does, that's an even greater risk.
The book as a product is well produced with a stylish but classic and sexy sci-fi cover. The proofreading is immaculate and the prose is often vivid and dramatic, and exhibits dexterity with words, as in the following:
*****
The forest engulfs our craft. A cacophony rises as the ship slices through smaller branches slapping and cracking, then deeper thuds as heavy trunks pound the hull. Combined with the howling engines, the orchestra of noise progresses toward a crescendo, which I fear, concludes in one harsh bang when we smack to ground.
Madison races around the cockpit while Dave stays focused on bringing us in as best he can. The landing pads hit the ground, sending a concussion throughout the ship. Tortured metal screams, trees snap and splinter, shrieking landing pads scrape and rumble. The craft is coming undone--one sharp snap then twisting metal, the floor drops from beneath us. The sagging hull burrows into soil and a tidal wave of loose dirt washes over the viewports. The sudden deceleration sends me and Madison soaring across the cockpit, and the craft comes to an abrupt halt. After a thunderous finale, the torturous symphony ebbs into an eerie quiet.
*****
On occasion, this goes too far, resulting in sentences that sounded thick or had an awkward rhythm. Still, even though at times overly poetic, the writing worked best when we are firmly in Adam's focused mind, and when he's alone.
After the promising opening, I didn't really care much about Adam and his friends or what happened to them. Part of the problem is the dialogue, which is often not more than banter, ranges from the juvenile sexual innuendos while Madison tries to bed Adam to attempts at sophisticated topics, such as belief in God, reincarnation, generalized philosophies, and an odd theory of time. The contrast of maturity within the protagonist's internal monologue is particularly startling. Read one passage of poetic description and you think he's an adult; read another where he shows his horniness, an adolescent.
Maybe age is to blame for my inability to cheer for the rebels. Younger, less fickle readers might identify better with these characters and see their cause as the dream of a parent-less authority-resisting utopia. One character I did like was Madison. Her capriciousness came across the most believable and entertaining; unfortunately, her part diminishes after Chapter Six, although I'm sure it will return in the next entries of this trilogy.
That brings me to the difficulty of reviewing the first book of a trilogy by itself, which is essentially one-third of the story, and the one-third burdened with setting everything up. Some of the negative points mentioned above may appear differently in the broader context. The care taken in the production of this first volume would justify some benefit of the doubt.
November 7, 2010
Strange dreams of fire and loss, visions of familiar specters appearing from nowhere, blinding headaches that come to cover confusing bits of memory... This is Carl's reality, as he plugs forward in his bland, monotonous life. Until now. With an unexpected event, his life is turned upside down. He's not who he thought he was, and his current life is nothing more than a farce created by a society determined to erase all individuality. As Carl struggles to figure out what is going on, he begins to remember all that he's forgotten. As he regains his memory, he gains power, strength and determination. He's on a mission now, and he will not fail.
Reminiscent of "The Matrix," this is the first book in William Campbell's Dead Forever series. The book is written in first-person, present tense, which may take a bit of adjustment for some readers. With its quirky feel and campy writing style, I found this book to be quite readable. The campy style of writing, which would be out of place in a more epic adventure, suits the story and gives the book a sense of humor. There are many dream sequences in the book, which made for great transitions that helped move the story along. I was almost immediately engaged in the story, excited to find out what would happen next, and eager to uncover the forgotten aspects of Adam's life right along with him.
Although I enjoyed this book overall, there were some parts that I felt dragged a bit more than others. I think the relationship between Maddie and Adam seemed a little awkward, either overdone or underdone, and it made the middle section drag a bit. Their interactions felt a little unbelievable at times, and I feel that that relationship either needed to be expanded upon, or made to be less of a major storyline. Some of the other developments in the story seemed a bit sudden, as though the readers should be a little more familiar with the characters and the history than they already were. It could be this was intentional, meant to mimic Adam's feeling as he "rediscovered" things he already knew, but some of the rediscoveries seemed to be less believable. As a result, I think certain parts of the story could stand a little "fleshing out."
Altogether, a fun, quick read. Although I'd rate the the writing to be a little less developed, the interesting storyline and the overall readability helps compensate. I'm interested in seeing where the storyline goes in the next installment in this series!
(originally published on MotherLode blog)
Reminiscent of "The Matrix," this is the first book in William Campbell's Dead Forever series. The book is written in first-person, present tense, which may take a bit of adjustment for some readers. With its quirky feel and campy writing style, I found this book to be quite readable. The campy style of writing, which would be out of place in a more epic adventure, suits the story and gives the book a sense of humor. There are many dream sequences in the book, which made for great transitions that helped move the story along. I was almost immediately engaged in the story, excited to find out what would happen next, and eager to uncover the forgotten aspects of Adam's life right along with him.
Although I enjoyed this book overall, there were some parts that I felt dragged a bit more than others. I think the relationship between Maddie and Adam seemed a little awkward, either overdone or underdone, and it made the middle section drag a bit. Their interactions felt a little unbelievable at times, and I feel that that relationship either needed to be expanded upon, or made to be less of a major storyline. Some of the other developments in the story seemed a bit sudden, as though the readers should be a little more familiar with the characters and the history than they already were. It could be this was intentional, meant to mimic Adam's feeling as he "rediscovered" things he already knew, but some of the rediscoveries seemed to be less believable. As a result, I think certain parts of the story could stand a little "fleshing out."
Altogether, a fun, quick read. Although I'd rate the the writing to be a little less developed, the interesting storyline and the overall readability helps compensate. I'm interested in seeing where the storyline goes in the next installment in this series!
(originally published on MotherLode blog)
July 7, 2014
I came across a book title that immediately caught my eye: “Dead Forever: Awakening.” Interesting... This of course prompted me to visit Amazon’s website in order to find out a little more about the book. The words “Imagine a world where death is merely an inconvenience” jumped off the proverbial page at me and I found myself immediately intrigued by the concept. Who wouldn't want to live forever? Even if “living forever” ultimately meant living a full life, experiencing a real death and then finding oneself inhabiting a new body. Hmmm…
The premise of “Dead Forever: Awakening” is that once you die you will resume living while still retaining all of your memories, all of your likes and dislikes and all of your various skills and talents. How’s that for having your cake and eating it too? Well, therein lies the catch because immortality comes with a very high price. People now answer to a “master” and things like individuality, creativity and the freedom to think for oneself are no longer allowed. Of course there are those who find themselves unable to conform to these rigid rules and they refuse to accept this life. Since no one can really “die forever” the masters devise a clever solution. Permanent amnesia. How can a person fight if they can’t remember what they are fighting for? Yup, I decided I definitely needed to read the book so I could find out what happens.
For the most part I was pretty happy with “Dead Forever: Awakening.” The author, William Campbell, has an easy to follow writing style. His words flow well; his story is descriptive but not boring; each character has a unique personality and Campbell does a great job of bringing them to life. However, there were times when an excerpt from this book would remind me of a scene from “The Matrix.” I did become somewhat distracted by these similarities which unfortunately took some of the enjoyment out of the read for me.
In summary I give “Dead Forever: Awakening” a solid four star rating and I would recommend it for readers of all ages. I hope Campbell keeps up the great writing and I look forward to reading more of his works in the future.
(Reviewed in association with Rebecca's Reads).
The premise of “Dead Forever: Awakening” is that once you die you will resume living while still retaining all of your memories, all of your likes and dislikes and all of your various skills and talents. How’s that for having your cake and eating it too? Well, therein lies the catch because immortality comes with a very high price. People now answer to a “master” and things like individuality, creativity and the freedom to think for oneself are no longer allowed. Of course there are those who find themselves unable to conform to these rigid rules and they refuse to accept this life. Since no one can really “die forever” the masters devise a clever solution. Permanent amnesia. How can a person fight if they can’t remember what they are fighting for? Yup, I decided I definitely needed to read the book so I could find out what happens.
For the most part I was pretty happy with “Dead Forever: Awakening.” The author, William Campbell, has an easy to follow writing style. His words flow well; his story is descriptive but not boring; each character has a unique personality and Campbell does a great job of bringing them to life. However, there were times when an excerpt from this book would remind me of a scene from “The Matrix.” I did become somewhat distracted by these similarities which unfortunately took some of the enjoyment out of the read for me.
In summary I give “Dead Forever: Awakening” a solid four star rating and I would recommend it for readers of all ages. I hope Campbell keeps up the great writing and I look forward to reading more of his works in the future.
(Reviewed in association with Rebecca's Reads).
September 24, 2011
It is relatively rare that I stop reading a book. I usually persist out of sheer obstinateness. I couldn't be bothered here.[return][return]It took way too long to begin to figure out what was happening with the protagonist -- it was beginning to be evident that people were reincarnated... [return][return]I got maybe a quarter of the way through and gave up. Too much thriller, too much coyness in drawing out the awakening, I suppose. Maybe I was expecting more sci-fi. Maybe I just hadn't gotten to the good bit. [return][return]The premise is: a homeless guy has memory problems and a terrible headache. When he starts remembering who he is, he becomes a problem to the Association. They like to play with their people before they kill them. At a point, it felt like a transparent tribute to the Matrix -- lots of identical people descending on the protagonist to kill him, and then saved at the last moment by a support crew in a ship. To explain that his reality is coming into a new body -- that the body is nothing. OK, cool...[return][return]But that's as far as I got. Too much handholding of the confused resurrectee, who apparently is/will be their leader once again. Too much coy spy thriller cheap writing. I don't know how else to describe it. I'm sure much lovemaking will commence, judging from the way the protagonist looks at one of his companions. Again, can't be bothered.
June 26, 2012
Awakening is the first book in William Campbell's Dead Forever series. The book is written in first-person, present tense, which may take some readers a bit of adjustment. William Campbell, has an easy to follow writing style. Each character in Awakening has a unique personality and Campbell does a great job of bringing them to life, his words flow well. William Campbell is very descriptive in his telling of Awakening, but not so much as to make it boring. There were times when Awakening would take on a sort of "Matrix" type feel, but for me it fit just perfect. I would recommend Awakening-Dead Forever #1 to adults and YA of a more mature level due to some of the sexually themed areas. of the book. I apploud William Campbell for Awakening-Dead Forever #1. I look forward to reading Apotheosis-Dead Forever #2.
October 25, 2010
A good setup for a series - posing some typical themes (Heaven and Hell, Does God Exist, Reincarnation) with a Matrix-like feel at times. While parts are certainly borrowed from other works (what isn't anymore anyway), the author does have his own unique twist. I'm looking forward to book #2 to see where it is going. Hopefully won't be a disappointment.
Good action, some characters definitely more complete than others. Decent writing.
Good action, some characters definitely more complete than others. Decent writing.
July 20, 2011
One of the few unknown-author Kindle freebies that I like. Don't be fooled by the low rating. I admit it is not everyone's 'cup of tea'. If you like metaphysical/beyond the mind/mind over matter...well...Even in my 'total escapism' mood, this book is resonating.
Think The Celestine Prophecy in space.
Think The Celestine Prophecy in space.
June 8, 2010
Perpetual reincarnation with the ability to recall all your past lives is what led me to read this free science fiction story for the Kindle. However with the awkward, clunky writing, underdeveloped characters, and The Matrix wannabe sub-characters, it was not an enjoyable read. I won't be picking up the sequel due out this summer.
March 16, 2016
The first book in the Dead Forever series.
This is a great story. The plot is unique and the story is well written.
It seems strange for people on another planet, and presumably in the future, to have a society that is so much like part of our planet (Earth).
That said, it held my attention and was very interesting.
I recommend this book to everyone.
This is a great story. The plot is unique and the story is well written.
It seems strange for people on another planet, and presumably in the future, to have a society that is so much like part of our planet (Earth).
That said, it held my attention and was very interesting.
I recommend this book to everyone.
June 23, 2011
This was a different and interesting book. It was a little hard for me to get started and I'm not sure I really "liked" it, but the plot was very unique and in the end the story held my interest throughout.
June 30, 2012
I would peg this one at about a 2.5. The story really moved along but I am inclined to toward only two stars because the tone of the book was far too cartoonish and non-serious for me to like it very much, or be the least bit interested in the sequel.
June 30, 2010
read first three chapters and could not get into it. maybe it just wasnt my type of book.
April 14, 2012
Interesting concept, but the story was not engaging enough to want to read the other 2 books in the trilogy. It read more like a rough draft than a finished story
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews