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hootinglance's review
3.0
If you want a good example of a book that's got no more value to literacy than this season's action blockbuster has to film, then look at the Dire Earth Cycle series.
It's not terrible. It's competently written, with an emphasis on description (both of the environment and character's body language and actions) which can unfortunately lead to most characters simply telling you how they're feeling (be it tired, horny, turned on, excited, horny, worried, horny, or attracted to someone) through inner monologue. Story-wise, its a continuation of the first book, [b:The Darwin Elevator|16127235|The Darwin Elevator (Dire Earth Cycle, #1)|Jason M. Hough|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1383580448s/16127235.jpg|21951477], and continues to be a run-of-the-mill zombie apocalypse story with an interesting science fiction flare. It's clearly meant to be read directly following book 1, with no characters being given a very thorough introduction for new or returning readers. Many dead characters are brought up in dialogue without anything to explain who they were, and returning characters often aren't mentioned at all until they turn up. Fair enough if you want to cater to a returning audience over any new readers, but you can't assume that your average reader doesn't need a minor refresher on the characters and their relationships.
Speaking of characters, they're far and away the worst aspect of this book. The lead character is an unapologetic Mary Sue, a generic white guy who's a perfect shot, great in any dangerous situation, utterly invaluable due to his rare immunity to the zombie virus, a great pilot, a great fighter, liked by every guy and wanted by every girl. Not even kidding, of every single female character he meets or knows about in the book, Skyler Luiken (insert star wars joke here, oh wait the first book already did that (if you knew it was a stupid name, why did you name him that??)) fantasies about having sex with all but one of them.
And the females, where to start? Every one of them is meant to be insanely attractive in one manner or another, but they're all so multicultural that they seem to have been designed by committee to appeal to every young guy's taste. There's a multi-cultural scientist; a tall, confident dominatrix, sex-obsessed badass; a young, petite wild girl who just needs to let off some steam; and a freaking model. Every other character in the book is a guy, and is either evil, or incompetent compared to Skyler Luiken.
I know I'm being harsh on this book. At the end of the day its a relatively non-offensive, generic action movie that hasn't been made into a movie yet. It's characters are all cliches or token, with little to set it apart, aside from the science fiction angle which they do some decently cool stuff with. But most of the rest of the book is an easy, predictable read. Occasionally intriguing ideas begin to fold out, but these are more than often squandered before they have a chance to bloom, for example when, or when
one of the two cities in the world which didn't succumb to the zombie virus, begins to get taken over by religious zealots. They come from nowhere and appear to not be a treat, until one of the main protagonist's best friends is revealed to have been brainwashed, and is inducted into the cult-
oh, wait, no, that was just an act. Thanks for revealing that, i was really intrigued for 13 seconds.
Glad that's over.
I feel obliged to mention that there was one point where a character cracked a joke which made me crack ip with laughter. Though in the next sentence the same character commented on his own 'flatulence' so im pretty sure it was just a lucky fluke that the author made me laugh at all.
If you thought the first one was decent, then go ahead. If you weren't overly impressed, don't bother, it's more of the same. If your wondering whether this series is for you, you might as well give it a shot, but careful you don't pay the exorbitant prices that physical copies can charge, as this book really isn't worth it.
It's not terrible. It's competently written, with an emphasis on description (both of the environment and character's body language and actions) which can unfortunately lead to most characters simply telling you how they're feeling (be it tired, horny, turned on, excited, horny, worried, horny, or attracted to someone) through inner monologue. Story-wise, its a continuation of the first book, [b:The Darwin Elevator|16127235|The Darwin Elevator (Dire Earth Cycle, #1)|Jason M. Hough|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1383580448s/16127235.jpg|21951477], and continues to be a run-of-the-mill zombie apocalypse story with an interesting science fiction flare. It's clearly meant to be read directly following book 1, with no characters being given a very thorough introduction for new or returning readers. Many dead characters are brought up in dialogue without anything to explain who they were, and returning characters often aren't mentioned at all until they turn up. Fair enough if you want to cater to a returning audience over any new readers, but you can't assume that your average reader doesn't need a minor refresher on the characters and their relationships.
Speaking of characters, they're far and away the worst aspect of this book. The lead character is an unapologetic Mary Sue, a generic white guy who's a perfect shot, great in any dangerous situation, utterly invaluable due to his rare immunity to the zombie virus, a great pilot, a great fighter, liked by every guy and wanted by every girl. Not even kidding, of every single female character he meets or knows about in the book, Skyler Luiken (insert star wars joke here, oh wait the first book already did that (if you knew it was a stupid name, why did you name him that??)) fantasies about having sex with all but one of them.
And the females, where to start? Every one of them is meant to be insanely attractive in one manner or another, but they're all so multicultural that they seem to have been designed by committee to appeal to every young guy's taste. There's a multi-cultural scientist; a tall, confident dominatrix, sex-obsessed badass; a young, petite wild girl who just needs to let off some steam; and a freaking model. Every other character in the book is a guy, and is either evil, or incompetent compared to Skyler Luiken.
I know I'm being harsh on this book. At the end of the day its a relatively non-offensive, generic action movie that hasn't been made into a movie yet. It's characters are all cliches or token, with little to set it apart, aside from the science fiction angle which they do some decently cool stuff with. But most of the rest of the book is an easy, predictable read. Occasionally intriguing ideas begin to fold out, but these are more than often squandered before they have a chance to bloom, for example when
Spoiler
a new antagonist appears, who is basically Hitler, and quickly pushes all characters to their breaking point. But then is almost immediately killed off, and turns out there weren't that many repercussions after all.Spoiler
the Darwin colony,one of the two cities in the world which didn't succumb to the zombie virus, begins to get taken over by religious zealots. They come from nowhere and appear to not be a treat, until one of the main protagonist's best friends is revealed to have been brainwashed, and is inducted into the cult-
oh, wait, no, that was just an act. Thanks for revealing that, i was really intrigued for 13 seconds.
Glad that's over
I feel obliged to mention that there was one point where a character cracked a joke which made me crack ip with laughter. Though in the next sentence the same character commented on his own 'flatulence' so im pretty sure it was just a lucky fluke that the author made me laugh at all.
If you thought the first one was decent, then go ahead. If you weren't overly impressed, don't bother, it's more of the same. If your wondering whether this series is for you, you might as well give it a shot, but careful you don't pay the exorbitant prices that physical copies can charge, as this book really isn't worth it.
zivan's review
5.0
Still very good action with depth.
If you read this one, your committed, gotta read to the end of the trilogy.
If you read this one, your committed, gotta read to the end of the trilogy.
gerhard's review
2.0
This is movie-grade space opera, with lots of sex, violence, flashing alien lights, incomprehensible science and bad characterisation. Still, it is hard not to see Hough as a pseudo Hemingway of science fiction, especially with this taut and muscular sequel, which is a big improvement on The Darwin Elevator.
Hough introduces a smattering of new characters, who are all well integrated into the novel, and extend its scope dramatically. The bad guys, predictably, are real bad asses, with Blackfield and Grillo vying for top asshole slot. Grillo's attempt to establish a theocracy under Jacobite rule is pretty half-baked though; far more credible is Hough's depiction of the establishment of Camp Exodus itself.
Predictably, the good guys can't hold a candle to the shenanigans of these bastards, with Skyler still coming across as something of a mysterious cipher in the sequel. He does try valiantly at being a bad ass though, sleeping with the under-age Ana 'hundreds of times', brushing aside what is technically statutory rape because 'the old rules don't apply anymore'.
Do we really have to spend so many pages plumbing the depths of Samantha's existential angst? "Why am I so damn horny all the time now?" she ponders, whereupon our feisty heroine concludes: "Maybe I'm just suffering from twitching ovaries."
Hough scores points in the representation stakes by including a "Middle Easterner of average build and height", called Faisal, but then promptly shoots himself in the foot. When Faisal does not meet Samantha's direct gaze, she concludes grandly: "Perhaps he still believes women should cover themselves." Way to go, Hough.
Hough predicts that people will become 'bored' with computers when processing speeds peak, leading to a 'rediscovery' of the physical world and a new age of adventure travel. Now you can see why the Hemingway label fits so well.
One of my biggest gripes with the first instalment was the lack of SF elements in what was ostensibly a science fiction novel. Hough addresses this imbalance in the sequel, with a more measured doling out of the Builders' secrets, culminating in a true whopper of a cliffhanger ending.
He also combines the Builders' plotline with that of the subs or zombies, transforming the latter into a truly startling threat (astute SF readers will no doubt have a Peter Hamilton checklist to hand, and will quickly be ticking off boxes).
Given that this was a proof copy of the novel from Netgalley, I suppose I should not complain at the inordinate number of typos, but such errors as "Builder's" are frankly egregious. Also, I noticed from the first novel that Hough refers loosely to SUBS and subs, as the condition and the affected, but gives no indication if this is an acronym, or why he makes such a distinction.
If you like your science fiction on the bloody side, with a dash of rightwing fundamentalism to spice things up, then Hough is right up your smoking gun barrel.
Hough introduces a smattering of new characters, who are all well integrated into the novel, and extend its scope dramatically. The bad guys, predictably, are real bad asses, with Blackfield and Grillo vying for top asshole slot. Grillo's attempt to establish a theocracy under Jacobite rule is pretty half-baked though; far more credible is Hough's depiction of the establishment of Camp Exodus itself.
Predictably, the good guys can't hold a candle to the shenanigans of these bastards, with Skyler still coming across as something of a mysterious cipher in the sequel. He does try valiantly at being a bad ass though, sleeping with the under-age Ana 'hundreds of times', brushing aside what is technically statutory rape because 'the old rules don't apply anymore'.
Do we really have to spend so many pages plumbing the depths of Samantha's existential angst? "Why am I so damn horny all the time now?" she ponders, whereupon our feisty heroine concludes: "Maybe I'm just suffering from twitching ovaries."
Hough scores points in the representation stakes by including a "Middle Easterner of average build and height", called Faisal, but then promptly shoots himself in the foot. When Faisal does not meet Samantha's direct gaze, she concludes grandly: "Perhaps he still believes women should cover themselves." Way to go, Hough.
Hough predicts that people will become 'bored' with computers when processing speeds peak, leading to a 'rediscovery' of the physical world and a new age of adventure travel. Now you can see why the Hemingway label fits so well.
One of my biggest gripes with the first instalment was the lack of SF elements in what was ostensibly a science fiction novel. Hough addresses this imbalance in the sequel, with a more measured doling out of the Builders' secrets, culminating in a true whopper of a cliffhanger ending.
He also combines the Builders' plotline with that of the subs or zombies, transforming the latter into a truly startling threat (astute SF readers will no doubt have a Peter Hamilton checklist to hand, and will quickly be ticking off boxes).
Given that this was a proof copy of the novel from Netgalley, I suppose I should not complain at the inordinate number of typos, but such errors as "Builder's" are frankly egregious. Also, I noticed from the first novel that Hough refers loosely to SUBS and subs, as the condition and the affected, but gives no indication if this is an acronym, or why he makes such a distinction.
If you like your science fiction on the bloody side, with a dash of rightwing fundamentalism to spice things up, then Hough is right up your smoking gun barrel.
kribu's review
4.0
I read [b:The Darwin Elevator|16127235|The Darwin Elevator (Dire Earth Cycle, #1)|Jason M. Hough|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1353966348s/16127235.jpg|21951477] some months ago and enjoyed it pretty well - not enough to want to rush into the second book right away, but certainly enough to want to read on.
Now that I finally got to the second book, I admit I should probably have left less time between reading the two - I'd forgotten quite a bit, and felt somewhat lost for the first 1/5 or so. Fortunately the book reminded me enough of what had happened before without it coming off as an irritating recap, and once I'd reoriented myself in the future world that Hough has created, I enjoyed the ride.
This is ... well, it's not high literature (nor is it attempting to be). It's not groundbreakingly clever science fiction. What it is, is a rough and rather "male" (in the way it feels, to me, a female reader - it's not meant in a disparaging way) action/adventure/scifi, with lots of shooting and lots of punching and pretty women and zombies and aliens and things going splodey. On the other hand, I find myself rather liking the mystery element of the plot - this book gives us a few semi-answers to all the questions raised in the first book, but also adds new questions, and I honestly have no idea at this point how the third book will wrap everything up.
The characters are also ... again, this isn't the absolute best character development I've ever seen, but I've got interested in the main characters and they've had enough growth to not be completely dull cardboard cutouts. There was - mercifully - less Russell Blackfield in this book, which I appreciated (I know he's a villain, but not one I love to hate - just one who disgusts me); Grillo was a far more intriguing character, although I admit I'm also curious as to what will go on with Russell in the third book.
For those who like to know such things, the book ends with a cliffhanger - a proper one, which might irritate anyone who hates them and/or doesn't have the third book at hand. On the plus side, at least there is no long wait for the third book as it's out already. I'm not sure I'll jump into it immediately, but quite soon, I expect - by now I really do want to know how this story ends.
* ARC of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley. Thanks!
Now that I finally got to the second book, I admit I should probably have left less time between reading the two - I'd forgotten quite a bit, and felt somewhat lost for the first 1/5 or so. Fortunately the book reminded me enough of what had happened before without it coming off as an irritating recap, and once I'd reoriented myself in the future world that Hough has created, I enjoyed the ride.
This is ... well, it's not high literature (nor is it attempting to be). It's not groundbreakingly clever science fiction. What it is, is a rough and rather "male" (in the way it feels, to me, a female reader - it's not meant in a disparaging way) action/adventure/scifi, with lots of shooting and lots of punching and pretty women and zombies and aliens and things going splodey. On the other hand, I find myself rather liking the mystery element of the plot - this book gives us a few semi-answers to all the questions raised in the first book, but also adds new questions, and I honestly have no idea at this point how the third book will wrap everything up.
The characters are also ... again, this isn't the absolute best character development I've ever seen, but I've got interested in the main characters and they've had enough growth to not be completely dull cardboard cutouts. There was - mercifully - less Russell Blackfield in this book, which I appreciated (I know he's a villain, but not one I love to hate - just one who disgusts me); Grillo was a far more intriguing character, although I admit I'm also curious as to what will go on with Russell in the third book.
For those who like to know such things, the book ends with a cliffhanger - a proper one, which might irritate anyone who hates them and/or doesn't have the third book at hand. On the plus side, at least there is no long wait for the third book as it's out already. I'm not sure I'll jump into it immediately, but quite soon, I expect - by now I really do want to know how this story ends.
* ARC of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley. Thanks!
glennisleblanc's review
3.0
The second book deals with colonization of the new tower that has arrived and a new leader in Darwin is taking over the town. Secrets that Neil kept from the world are revealed to a few people and then there is a immune group that is run like a cult. Lots of action in this one and fallout from decisions people made in the first book. I have to admit is is great that the books are coming out quickly. And book 3 will follow this one fairly fast as well.
Digital copy provided by the publisher through Edleweiss
Digital copy provided by the publisher through Edleweiss
nightxade's review
4.0
The Exodus Towers takes up shortly after [b:The Darwin Elevator|16127235|The Darwin Elevator (Dire Earth Cycle, #1)|Jason M. Hough|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1353966348s/16127235.jpg|21951477]. The "traitors" are now separated from Darwin, Australia after the discovery of a second alien elevator in Belem, Brazil. Skyler Luiken and the colonists are working to set up, well, a colony, using the new alien towers and their transportable auras. Tania Sharma and her crew are supporting them from above and desperately trying to keep Russell Blackfield from finding out about the colony, while still maintaining the food for air and water trade with him. Meanwhile, Sam Rinn and Kelly Adelaide are still imprisoned by Blackfield within Nightcliff.
From the first image of a girl dancing among the ghosts of desolation, I was hooked. Things quickly picked up from there, moving along at a spiralling pace that introduces some intriguing new characters, eager to stake a claim in the aftermath of Neil Platz’s death and Blackfield's anarchy. The Jacobites take on a greater role and Skyler learns that he isn’t as unique as he thought.
And all the while, the mystery of the aliens and their purpose continues to loom over them, now with a clock ticking down, if Tania’s calculations on the “Builders’” schedule is correct.
For the first half of the book, my thoughts went off the rails because of how much was happening. I hate to use typical review buzz words, but I’m going to have to fling out “action-packed” and “edge of your seat” to describe the suspense, drama and excitement as I hopelessly devolved into subhuman squeals, flails and tears. I may have even uttered a loud “**** YEAH!” at one point.
Fortunately, before my review completely deteriorated into “lakjdflajf!!!,” with me huddled in the corner desperately reading [b:The Plague Forge|17262142|The Plague Forge (Dire Earth Cycle, #3)|Jason M. Hough|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1363836946s/17262142.jpg|23858940], impatiently awaiting news about when The Dire Earth Cycle is going to be made into movies, the second half of the book settled down and allowed my nerves to do the same.
Time is a big factor, with the Builders’ scheduled to – do something – in two years from where the book begins. After the initial action, events skip quickly through the more mundane aspects of taking control of Nightcliff and setting up the colony. This part of the book might seem dull to some, but, as I said, time is a factor and I appreciate the way Hough worked all of this preparation in under the continued, ominous mystery of the Builders. Are the Builders malevolent or benevolent? Their SUBS disease has wiped out/converted 90% of human life on earth, while their elevators and aura towers are protecting the rest. WHAT THE HELL DO THEY WANT???
*ahem* Sorry.
Also during this time, the characters and their relationships change significantly and sometimes surprisingly. Certain relationships that seemed to have been forged in The Darwin Elevator have not ended up where I expected – and I love that! I might be disappointed that I don’t get what I thought were OTPs, but I love that Hough hasn’t taken the obvious routes.
I am really happy to spend more time with Sam, one of my favourite characters from the previous book. She’s a rough and tumble woman of Amazonian height who can hold her own against any man. She began as a dangerously subordinate member of Skyler’s crew, but she really impressed me after Jake’s death, showing a side of herself that isn’t just about the typical bluff and bluster. This continues in Towers, where she gets to display intelligence, leadership and compassion. Meanwhile, Hough continues to reveal that his lead characters are not perfect and sometimes, aren’t even likable.
One thing I really want to praise is the diversity of Hough's survivors. Too often, post-apocalyptic stories forget that the rest of the world exists. It's ironic that the survivors have all been sequestered into one small pocket on the bottom of the world, yet Hough has made it clear that, when the crisis hit, everyone from everywhere attempted to make their way to Darwin. That means that the one million remaining humans are a true cross-section of the billions of people that used to live on the planet, and it does not feel like tokenism when we meet characters from various cultures, some of whom don’t even speak English.
With thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read and review this book.
See more on The Dire Earth Cycle,
including an interview with author
Jason M. Hough at The BiblioSanctum
From the first image of a girl dancing among the ghosts of desolation, I was hooked. Things quickly picked up from there, moving along at a spiralling pace that introduces some intriguing new characters, eager to stake a claim in the aftermath of Neil Platz’s death and Blackfield's anarchy. The Jacobites take on a greater role and Skyler learns that he isn’t as unique as he thought.
And all the while, the mystery of the aliens and their purpose continues to loom over them, now with a clock ticking down, if Tania’s calculations on the “Builders’” schedule is correct.
For the first half of the book, my thoughts went off the rails because of how much was happening. I hate to use typical review buzz words, but I’m going to have to fling out “action-packed” and “edge of your seat” to describe the suspense, drama and excitement as I hopelessly devolved into subhuman squeals, flails and tears. I may have even uttered a loud “**** YEAH!” at one point.
Fortunately, before my review completely deteriorated into “lakjdflajf!!!,” with me huddled in the corner desperately reading [b:The Plague Forge|17262142|The Plague Forge (Dire Earth Cycle, #3)|Jason M. Hough|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1363836946s/17262142.jpg|23858940], impatiently awaiting news about when The Dire Earth Cycle is going to be made into movies, the second half of the book settled down and allowed my nerves to do the same.
Time is a big factor, with the Builders’ scheduled to – do something – in two years from where the book begins. After the initial action, events skip quickly through the more mundane aspects of taking control of Nightcliff and setting up the colony. This part of the book might seem dull to some, but, as I said, time is a factor and I appreciate the way Hough worked all of this preparation in under the continued, ominous mystery of the Builders. Are the Builders malevolent or benevolent? Their SUBS disease has wiped out/converted 90% of human life on earth, while their elevators and aura towers are protecting the rest. WHAT THE HELL DO THEY WANT???
*ahem* Sorry.
Also during this time, the characters and their relationships change significantly and sometimes surprisingly. Certain relationships that seemed to have been forged in The Darwin Elevator have not ended up where I expected – and I love that! I might be disappointed that I don’t get what I thought were OTPs, but I love that Hough hasn’t taken the obvious routes.
I am really happy to spend more time with Sam, one of my favourite characters from the previous book. She’s a rough and tumble woman of Amazonian height who can hold her own against any man. She began as a dangerously subordinate member of Skyler’s crew, but she really impressed me after Jake’s death, showing a side of herself that isn’t just about the typical bluff and bluster. This continues in Towers, where she gets to display intelligence, leadership and compassion. Meanwhile, Hough continues to reveal that his lead characters are not perfect and sometimes, aren’t even likable.
One thing I really want to praise is the diversity of Hough's survivors. Too often, post-apocalyptic stories forget that the rest of the world exists. It's ironic that the survivors have all been sequestered into one small pocket on the bottom of the world, yet Hough has made it clear that, when the crisis hit, everyone from everywhere attempted to make their way to Darwin. That means that the one million remaining humans are a true cross-section of the billions of people that used to live on the planet, and it does not feel like tokenism when we meet characters from various cultures, some of whom don’t even speak English.
With thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read and review this book.
See more on The Dire Earth Cycle,
including an interview with author
Jason M. Hough at The BiblioSanctum
More...