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ingo_lembcke's review
5.0
Read the free XXL excerpt (the first chapters), so I diving right into it, started this on the same day as a crime procedural which I bought after reading a review I liked.
Regarding this book, the authors are hit- and miss for me, I liked the Illuminae Files, and bought the 2nd book, but can only read them on an iPad mini, as the settings do not allow it to be read on Kindle or Tolino (some is too little or too fancy).
Did not really like These Broken Stars and will not read more of that series. Well, let's see how this is. So far I find it interesting.
Regarding this book, the authors are hit- and miss for me, I liked the Illuminae Files, and bought the 2nd book, but can only read them on an iPad mini, as the settings do not allow it to be read on Kindle or Tolino (some is too little or too fancy).
Did not really like These Broken Stars and will not read more of that series. Well, let's see how this is. So far I find it interesting.
yodamom's review against another edition
2.0
1.5 stars. Audiobook. Narration 2.5 stars- Quick thought: A bad remake of Indiana Jones and The temple of Doom.
Long, long and mostly boring inner dialog that made me tune out. This was a book where I just wanted the characters to stop talking, yeh not good. The female MC was so irritating, she had this uncanny ability to do stupid stuff and then talk herself into thinking it was brilliant. She's a cliche in all ways, a street rat trying to save her sister from slavery, a school drop out who is actually a mathematical genius, perfect because the male MC isn't at all and they need it to save their lives. It's not that she's smart that bugged me it was how it suddenly came up and then became her crown, and her old persona was forgotten. The male MC was the son of a famous notorious man who is on a mission to prove his daddy right. He's English, and unprepared for this planet. yes they are on another planet. So we have a street wise scavenger and rich college grad, to save them all. There is an uncomfortable bit of romance going on that does not fit in the story at all.
The adventure is them trying to solve an ancient mystery left by an alien race filled with booby traps. Oh and yes they are also being chased by evil villains armed with guns. Very Indiana Jones with out the fun entertaining parts. They are able to solve puzzles and escape traps, amazing right ? Then when danger is nearest they rest/sleep and get caught. So they out smart, dumb down and out smart back and forth till finally at the end we see what the real deal is. The doom that only these two misfit kids could figure out and just when you think things might resolve, they get caught again.
Stupid
Long, long and mostly boring inner dialog that made me tune out. This was a book where I just wanted the characters to stop talking, yeh not good. The female MC was so irritating, she had this uncanny ability to do stupid stuff and then talk herself into thinking it was brilliant. She's a cliche in all ways, a street rat trying to save her sister from slavery, a school drop out who is actually a mathematical genius, perfect because the male MC isn't at all and they need it to save their lives. It's not that she's smart that bugged me it was how it suddenly came up and then became her crown, and her old persona was forgotten. The male MC was the son of a famous notorious man who is on a mission to prove his daddy right. He's English, and unprepared for this planet. yes they are on another planet. So we have a street wise scavenger and rich college grad, to save them all. There is an uncomfortable bit of romance going on that does not fit in the story at all.
The adventure is them trying to solve an ancient mystery left by an alien race filled with booby traps. Oh and yes they are also being chased by evil villains armed with guns. Very Indiana Jones with out the fun entertaining parts. They are able to solve puzzles and escape traps, amazing right ? Then when danger is nearest they rest/sleep and get caught. So they out smart, dumb down and out smart back and forth till finally at the end we see what the real deal is. The doom that only these two misfit kids could figure out and just when you think things might resolve, they get caught again.
Stupid
odurant8's review against another edition
4.0
There's a little of everything here: adventure, romance, conspiracy, and aliens! As Jules and Mia navigate the temple of the Undying, it's like something out of Indiana Jones. Their evolving relationship is believable, though after a while their internal thoughts about each other did get a bit tiring. I am really looking forward to reading the sequel!
I received this as an ARC from Netgalley.
I received this as an ARC from Netgalley.
joanna1905's review against another edition
2.0
So unfortunately I didn’t love this book. As a massive illuminae files fan I had hoped I would really enjoy this one too, however my experience with this book was much the same as my experience with These Broken Stars.
It’s not really that this book is bad it’s just feels kind of cliche, it kind of feels more like a romance/self discovery story set on the backdrop of a sci fi world rather than an actual sci fi novel.
This book is also VERY repetitive, both Jules and Mia constantly reiterate what happened to Jules father, the whole situation with the undying and why Jules is lying to Mia. It’s just the same information given over and over again and it really slows down the flow of the work.
Jules really annoyed me at the beginning, he’s so high and mighty he never stops to think it’s weird that this teenager is all alone on a foreign planet and just writes her off as some scummy thief. He never considers that she might have a good reason for breaking the law.
When he eventually finds out their to make money to buy her sister back he doesn’t feel any sympathy for her or feel bad for thinking she’s a monster. He just thinks about how her parents broke the law buy having two children.
When Mia pretends to turn on Jules to earn the trust of the others he never once considers that she’s bluffing, once again he just writes her off as a good for nothing traitor.
I also don’t understand how this ancient alien tech is unlocked with a Nokia but whatever.
Having said all this the ending was actually very well done, from the point where we find out Mink and Charlotte are the same person it really kicks up a notch. The cliffhanger at the ending definitely has me intrigued and lucky for me my library also has the sequel, so I’ll definitely be continuing to see how it all ends.
All in all this isn’t a bad book but it’s not really on the same level as the illuminae files nor is it a series I’d personally choose to invest money in! Luckily libraries exist!!
It’s not really that this book is bad it’s just feels kind of cliche, it kind of feels more like a romance/self discovery story set on the backdrop of a sci fi world rather than an actual sci fi novel.
This book is also VERY repetitive, both Jules and Mia constantly reiterate what happened to Jules father, the whole situation with the undying and why Jules is lying to Mia. It’s just the same information given over and over again and it really slows down the flow of the work.
Jules really annoyed me at the beginning, he’s so high and mighty he never stops to think it’s weird that this teenager is all alone on a foreign planet and just writes her off as some scummy thief. He never considers that she might have a good reason for breaking the law.
When he eventually finds out their to make money to buy her sister back he doesn’t feel any sympathy for her or feel bad for thinking she’s a monster. He just thinks about how her parents broke the law buy having two children.
When Mia pretends to turn on Jules to earn the trust of the others he never once considers that she’s bluffing, once again he just writes her off as a good for nothing traitor.
I also don’t understand how this ancient alien tech is unlocked with a Nokia but whatever.
Having said all this the ending was actually very well done, from the point where we find out Mink and Charlotte are the same person it really kicks up a notch. The cliffhanger at the ending definitely has me intrigued and lucky for me my library also has the sequel, so I’ll definitely be continuing to see how it all ends.
All in all this isn’t a bad book but it’s not really on the same level as the illuminae files nor is it a series I’d personally choose to invest money in! Luckily libraries exist!!
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
2.0
2/5
I was excited to read this because it was written by someone who wrote one of my favorite sci fi trilogies. each series is different, that is what I found out. That sounded like Yoda... I found the pacing slow, but I finally got somewhat into it during the end. It just felt like it took them forever to notice that something bigger was going on.
I was excited to read this because it was written by someone who wrote one of my favorite sci fi trilogies. each series is different, that is what I found out. That sounded like Yoda... I found the pacing slow, but I finally got somewhat into it during the end. It just felt like it took them forever to notice that something bigger was going on.
lsparrow's review against another edition
3.0
although perhaps not my favorite writing - i found myself pulled in with the twists and turns in the plot - the puzzle as it unravelled.
lolli's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
nyeran's review against another edition
1.0
“When we allow ourselves to explore, we discover destinations that were never on our map.”
No vabbè ma io allora c'ho un problema pure con la Kaufman!?
♠ Mi aspettavo un libro in stile La Mummia e invece picche. Sopratutto perché tutte le prove che solitamente rendono interessanti questo genere di film/videogiochi qui non ci sono e quelle poche, oltre ad essere ridicole sono anche inutili perché arrivati all' 80% del libro scopriamo che il prezioso tesoro è al Polo Sud di Gaia. Sta li, senza protezione, senza un qualche puzzle da aggirare, senza difese. Stà li. E nessuna navicella si è mai accorta di un cazzo.
♠ A pagina 23 il protagonista c'ha già gli occhi a cuoricino, la lingua penzoloni e la coda scodinzolante per la ragazza. Non si conoscono neppure, stanno cercando di salvarsi le chiappe, stanno nella stessa scena da 5 pagine, lei però fa un mezzo sorrisetto e lui deve “calmare gli ormoni”. COS!? Come se non bastasse i pov alternati mi costringevano a rileggere per due volte tutti gli eventi più importante e ogni cosa andava rivissuta ancora e ancora. I due poi sono due macchiette stereotipate, c'è Jules che è uno studioso e dice parolacce in latino, così, per far veder che ha studiato che però dimentica ogni proposito accademico e di ricerca appena posa gli occhi su Amelia e lei è la classica ragazza nana ribelle che ha i capelli tinti, perché si sa che se non c'hai le ciocche colorate non sei una true rebel, piena di risorse che si avventura da sola, senza conoscere alcuna lingua oltre la sua, da sola, su un pianeta popolato da altri rider come lei, che vogliono esattamente quello che vuole lei, senza saper fare una beata mazza. Lei poi è praticamente cresciuta in mezzo agli sciacalli, fa questo di lavoro però è una cazzo di pacifista??? Lei farebbe di tutto per sua sorella, tranne le cose brutte, che gli sciacalli proprio se li fanno questi problemi morali.
Lei non sa niente neppure del pianeta, che vabbè, è praticamente il Grand Canyon mescolato al Sahara ma in scala 100:1. Anche qui, un po' di fantasia, sei su un pianeta lontano anni luce, potresti avere piante blu fosforescenti, dinosauri, acqua di colore verde, tutto andrebbe bene, tutto è possibile, chi verrebbe a contestarti il realismo?? Invece no. Si trovano sul pianeta più noioso che possa esistere. L'unica cosa “interessante” è che ogni tot anni ci sono forti radiazioni solari che distruggono ogni cosa, ogni cosa tranne sti artefatti che stanno ancora li al POLO SUD, senza il minimo graffio e c'è anche acqua corrente e potabile.
No vabbè ma io allora c'ho un problema pure con la Kaufman!?
♠ Mi aspettavo un libro in stile La Mummia e invece picche. Sopratutto perché tutte le prove che solitamente rendono interessanti questo genere di film/videogiochi qui non ci sono e quelle poche, oltre ad essere ridicole sono anche inutili perché arrivati all' 80% del libro scopriamo che il prezioso tesoro è al Polo Sud di Gaia. Sta li, senza protezione, senza un qualche puzzle da aggirare, senza difese. Stà li. E nessuna navicella si è mai accorta di un cazzo.
♠ A pagina 23 il protagonista c'ha già gli occhi a cuoricino, la lingua penzoloni e la coda scodinzolante per la ragazza. Non si conoscono neppure, stanno cercando di salvarsi le chiappe, stanno nella stessa scena da 5 pagine, lei però fa un mezzo sorrisetto e lui deve “calmare gli ormoni”. COS!? Come se non bastasse i pov alternati mi costringevano a rileggere per due volte tutti gli eventi più importante e ogni cosa andava rivissuta ancora e ancora. I due poi sono due macchiette stereotipate, c'è Jules che è uno studioso e dice parolacce in latino, così, per far veder che ha studiato che però dimentica ogni proposito accademico e di ricerca appena posa gli occhi su Amelia e lei è la classica ragazza nana ribelle che ha i capelli tinti, perché si sa che se non c'hai le ciocche colorate non sei una true rebel, piena di risorse che si avventura da sola, senza conoscere alcuna lingua oltre la sua, da sola, su un pianeta popolato da altri rider come lei, che vogliono esattamente quello che vuole lei, senza saper fare una beata mazza. Lei poi è praticamente cresciuta in mezzo agli sciacalli, fa questo di lavoro però è una cazzo di pacifista??? Lei farebbe di tutto per sua sorella, tranne le cose brutte, che gli sciacalli proprio se li fanno questi problemi morali.
Lei non sa niente neppure del pianeta, che vabbè, è praticamente il Grand Canyon mescolato al Sahara ma in scala 100:1. Anche qui, un po' di fantasia, sei su un pianeta lontano anni luce, potresti avere piante blu fosforescenti, dinosauri, acqua di colore verde, tutto andrebbe bene, tutto è possibile, chi verrebbe a contestarti il realismo?? Invece no. Si trovano sul pianeta più noioso che possa esistere. L'unica cosa “interessante” è che ogni tot anni ci sono forti radiazioni solari che distruggono ogni cosa, ogni cosa tranne sti artefatti che stanno ancora li al POLO SUD, senza il minimo graffio e c'è anche acqua corrente e potabile.
4saradouglas's review against another edition
3.0
This just didn't work for me. The plot sounded interesting, but the story just didn't end up being very interesting. Things were a bit repetitive, and without being able to see the glyphs and the puzzles they were up against, I just wasn't feeling it. The big reveal that I just couldn't care less. I thought the ending was also pretty pointless.