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mxsallybend's review against another edition
3.0
Imagine, if you will, a table with three different puzzles sitting upon it. Now, imagine somebody taking a handful of pieces from each of those puzzles, carefully placing them together, and creating an entirely new fourth puzzle. The pieces almost fit, and the picture they form is clear to the eye, but there are gaps between some pieces, and places where others overlap.
That's the best way I can think of to describe what Tony Evans has done with Code Name: Atlas. At different times and in different places, we're presented with a heart-wrenching tale of a post-apocalyptic journey, a fascinating science-fiction tale of big ideas, and a coldly efficient military/techno-thriller of a society at war. The three individual story elements do come together, linked by the character of Atlas, but it sometimes feels like there is something lost between the pieces. That's not to say it's a bad novel - I quite enjoyed it - but the gaps certainly preyed on my mind.
As the story opens, our world has been destroyed by unknown forces. Entire cities are in ruins, electronics are useless, and packs of scavengers are the closest thing remaining to organized leadership. Evans weaves in some really interesting ideas as to how our end came about, and who was behind it. In a series of flashbacks we're introduced to an escalating battle between science and religion, one that is compounded by the paranoid fears of governments across the globe. The ways in which the line between the reason and faith is blurred are fascinating, but it's a theme that is largely dropped for the rest of the novel.
As they pick up other survivors along the way, Atlas quickly takes on the leadership role to which he is naturally suited. Before long, he finds himself at the head of a newly emerging civilization - one of two significant societies that have risen from the ashes. What we're eventually faced with is an interesting conflict between a warlord and a dictator, neither of whom would be necessarily attractive in a democratic society, but both of whom are uniquely suited to the realities of a post-apocalyptic society. Atlas isn't perfect, and he regularly allows practicality to overrule sentiment, but he's a man with a difficult job. There are a few instances where he crosses a line, taking an action that is logical yet entirely distasteful to the reader, but I have to give Evans credit for maintaining that militaristic edge.
Hovering over everything (literally and symbolically) is the threat of alien invasion. We're teased and tantalized throughout the book with facts and theories about the forces behind our fall, but most of the reports we're presented with are tainted or unreliable. It's an interesting layer to have added to the overall story, but the alien paranoia is never quite played out to the extent I would have expected, and its rather sudden resolution significantly alters the course of the novel yet again.
At its heart, plotlines and themes aside, this is a story about the powers and the burdens of heroism. Atlas is not just the protagonist of the tale, he really is the tale. Remove him from the story, and it all falls apart without his motivations to tie everything together. Some of the secondary characters are better developed than others, and a few manage to endear themselves to the reader, but their primary purpose is to either support or illuminate the character of Atlas. Even the villains only seem to exist in contrast to his heroism, which allows for some interesting parallels to develop, especially in terms of loyalty and betrayal.
The concluding chapters suggest there is more of the story to come, so perhaps those gaps and overlaps I mentioned will be smoothed out in future volumes. Regardless, the novel works as a self-contained piece of storytelling, intriguing and exciting, with an ending that largely satisfies, even as it tantalizes the bigger picture.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
That's the best way I can think of to describe what Tony Evans has done with Code Name: Atlas. At different times and in different places, we're presented with a heart-wrenching tale of a post-apocalyptic journey, a fascinating science-fiction tale of big ideas, and a coldly efficient military/techno-thriller of a society at war. The three individual story elements do come together, linked by the character of Atlas, but it sometimes feels like there is something lost between the pieces. That's not to say it's a bad novel - I quite enjoyed it - but the gaps certainly preyed on my mind.
As the story opens, our world has been destroyed by unknown forces. Entire cities are in ruins, electronics are useless, and packs of scavengers are the closest thing remaining to organized leadership. Evans weaves in some really interesting ideas as to how our end came about, and who was behind it. In a series of flashbacks we're introduced to an escalating battle between science and religion, one that is compounded by the paranoid fears of governments across the globe. The ways in which the line between the reason and faith is blurred are fascinating, but it's a theme that is largely dropped for the rest of the novel.
As they pick up other survivors along the way, Atlas quickly takes on the leadership role to which he is naturally suited. Before long, he finds himself at the head of a newly emerging civilization - one of two significant societies that have risen from the ashes. What we're eventually faced with is an interesting conflict between a warlord and a dictator, neither of whom would be necessarily attractive in a democratic society, but both of whom are uniquely suited to the realities of a post-apocalyptic society. Atlas isn't perfect, and he regularly allows practicality to overrule sentiment, but he's a man with a difficult job. There are a few instances where he crosses a line, taking an action that is logical yet entirely distasteful to the reader, but I have to give Evans credit for maintaining that militaristic edge.
Hovering over everything (literally and symbolically) is the threat of alien invasion. We're teased and tantalized throughout the book with facts and theories about the forces behind our fall, but most of the reports we're presented with are tainted or unreliable. It's an interesting layer to have added to the overall story, but the alien paranoia is never quite played out to the extent I would have expected, and its rather sudden resolution significantly alters the course of the novel yet again.
At its heart, plotlines and themes aside, this is a story about the powers and the burdens of heroism. Atlas is not just the protagonist of the tale, he really is the tale. Remove him from the story, and it all falls apart without his motivations to tie everything together. Some of the secondary characters are better developed than others, and a few manage to endear themselves to the reader, but their primary purpose is to either support or illuminate the character of Atlas. Even the villains only seem to exist in contrast to his heroism, which allows for some interesting parallels to develop, especially in terms of loyalty and betrayal.
The concluding chapters suggest there is more of the story to come, so perhaps those gaps and overlaps I mentioned will be smoothed out in future volumes. Regardless, the novel works as a self-contained piece of storytelling, intriguing and exciting, with an ending that largely satisfies, even as it tantalizes the bigger picture.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
aly36's review against another edition
4.0
Another sci-fi and post-apocalyptic fan book. I was just not sure at first what to think there are soo many of these books out there. But I was impressed with the hero in this book. He was just that a hero. Always trying to help and running towards trouble not away from it no matter the cost. When the world is destroyed and all seems lost we need a great hero. * I receive this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
lilyn_g's review
3.0
Code Name Atlas has a take on the reason for the destruction of earth that I have never read before. I was quite happy to see something new come along like that. It was action packed, and the ending left me quite surprised. There's a part of the story near the end of the book that I appreciated because it was unusual, but I can't say anymore without spoiling.
The author has the technical skill to pull this off, but still needs to refine his story-telling ability. I did not even begin to connect with the main character until very close to the end of the book. The more minor characters were actually the most interesting ones, as they seemed more complex/real than the hero, his wife, and the villains of the piece. Character development is splotchy at best. Certain things are glossed over. As a result, even though this type of book is right up my alley, I found myself having trouble actually concentrating on the book and falling into a habit of skimming over actually reading. I had to force myself to re-read several sections when I noticed this.
Luckily, the last 45% of the book got dramatically better, and this is where the author's true ability finally starts to show through. It still needs some work, but was definitely worth reading.
I struggled to rate this book. Eventually I decided on giving in the rating below in part because I spoke with the author and he assured me that he was aware of some of the issues, and was going to work on getting them fixed. This book has the possibility to be a 4-Cthulhu book. With its unique take on the apocalypse, fantastic action scenes, etc, the possibility is definitely there. The book is just not there yet.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Visit Scifi and Scary's Book Reviews for many other Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller, and Kids' Books reviews.
The author has the technical skill to pull this off, but still needs to refine his story-telling ability. I did not even begin to connect with the main character until very close to the end of the book. The more minor characters were actually the most interesting ones, as they seemed more complex/real than the hero, his wife, and the villains of the piece. Character development is splotchy at best. Certain things are glossed over. As a result, even though this type of book is right up my alley, I found myself having trouble actually concentrating on the book and falling into a habit of skimming over actually reading. I had to force myself to re-read several sections when I noticed this.
Luckily, the last 45% of the book got dramatically better, and this is where the author's true ability finally starts to show through. It still needs some work, but was definitely worth reading.
I struggled to rate this book. Eventually I decided on giving in the rating below in part because I spoke with the author and he assured me that he was aware of some of the issues, and was going to work on getting them fixed. This book has the possibility to be a 4-Cthulhu book. With its unique take on the apocalypse, fantastic action scenes, etc, the possibility is definitely there. The book is just not there yet.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Visit Scifi and Scary's Book Reviews for many other Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller, and Kids' Books reviews.
yonnyan's review
2.0
Code Name Atlas is a book that I desperately wanted to like. It had an interesting premise that probably could have been molded into a fantastic piece of post-apocalyptic science-fiction if it received proper editing and attention-to-detail. There are many elements to the story that, if wielded correctly, would have made for a thought-provoking and suspenseful tale. But the poor execution of fundamental writing prowess made it extremely difficult to absorb.
One of the very first things that I noticed going into Code Name Atlas were the many contradictions. The Prologue begins in one tense, but quickly switches into a different tense without warning or context. As the protagonist narrates, he then goes off into dialogue, but whether that dialogue is with the audience (us, the readers), or someone else entirely can be confusing, which immediately makes you feel like you’re missing a part of the plot. This is a terrible feeling to have, especially within the first few pages of a book.
Another rather frustrating aspect of this novel was its incessant, repetitive nature. One word will be utilized intermittently many times in the span of just a few sentences. This really takes away from the fluid reading experience, and after coming across so many repetitions, you begin to wonder if you’re just reading the same lines over and over again. Instead of moving you along towards plot progression, you get confusion and a disconnected feeling from the overall sense of the story. When you combine unvarying language usage with inconsistent grammatical structures and errors, it’s difficult to look past the cosmetic nuts and bolts to the fiction underneath it all.
The characters were also quite bothersome to me. Towards the very beginning of this novel, the protagonist undergoes a tremendously emotional and heartbreaking loss, however, the grief and sorrow that one would expect to come with such a heavy experience is completely non-existent. The event itself was brazenly brushed over to the point that it makes me wonder what part it played in the overall tale. Surely, if it was to be treated as such a minor element, wouldn’t it have been better to just exclude it entirely? That entire scenario completely took away any ability for the audience to actually relate to the character.
The cast are all very awkward individuals who communicated with one another in excruciatingly forced dialogue. None of their exchanges felt natural or flowing, whether they were being polite, hateful, violent, etc. Any sense of expression and attitude were utterly absent, as were varying characteristics to describe these cast members to the readers. There were general descriptions of their appearances, but not nearly enough detail to give the mind something to grasp on to. This gave way for a severe detachment from one person to another, making it horribly difficult to get that “team” vibe that I believe the author was going for.
The final straw that shattered any ounce of interest that I could have in this book was the bewildering evolution of it all. The scenes jumped around a lot, usually without any explanation or transition. I felt as if the story was trotting along and then BAM, it smacked into a concrete wall, falling apart. When it picked itself back up, we were in a different situation, occasionally in a different time or place altogether. After a while, boredom ensues and interest dwindles away to nothing.
Like I said earlier, I really wanted to like this book, especially since the author was kind enough to provide me with a free copy for reviewing. I still stand by my thoughts that if this book had proper editing and attention given to it, it most likely would have been a completely different sort of a read, one that was culpable to a decent, and possibly even indulgent, reading experience. My review for Code Name Atlas consists of two stars, one star for the genuine idea and one star for it finally being a non-zombie post-apocalyptic story. If the execution wasn’t so deficient, I probably would have given it four.
One of the very first things that I noticed going into Code Name Atlas were the many contradictions. The Prologue begins in one tense, but quickly switches into a different tense without warning or context. As the protagonist narrates, he then goes off into dialogue, but whether that dialogue is with the audience (us, the readers), or someone else entirely can be confusing, which immediately makes you feel like you’re missing a part of the plot. This is a terrible feeling to have, especially within the first few pages of a book.
Another rather frustrating aspect of this novel was its incessant, repetitive nature. One word will be utilized intermittently many times in the span of just a few sentences. This really takes away from the fluid reading experience, and after coming across so many repetitions, you begin to wonder if you’re just reading the same lines over and over again. Instead of moving you along towards plot progression, you get confusion and a disconnected feeling from the overall sense of the story. When you combine unvarying language usage with inconsistent grammatical structures and errors, it’s difficult to look past the cosmetic nuts and bolts to the fiction underneath it all.
The characters were also quite bothersome to me. Towards the very beginning of this novel, the protagonist undergoes a tremendously emotional and heartbreaking loss, however, the grief and sorrow that one would expect to come with such a heavy experience is completely non-existent. The event itself was brazenly brushed over to the point that it makes me wonder what part it played in the overall tale. Surely, if it was to be treated as such a minor element, wouldn’t it have been better to just exclude it entirely? That entire scenario completely took away any ability for the audience to actually relate to the character.
The cast are all very awkward individuals who communicated with one another in excruciatingly forced dialogue. None of their exchanges felt natural or flowing, whether they were being polite, hateful, violent, etc. Any sense of expression and attitude were utterly absent, as were varying characteristics to describe these cast members to the readers. There were general descriptions of their appearances, but not nearly enough detail to give the mind something to grasp on to. This gave way for a severe detachment from one person to another, making it horribly difficult to get that “team” vibe that I believe the author was going for.
The final straw that shattered any ounce of interest that I could have in this book was the bewildering evolution of it all. The scenes jumped around a lot, usually without any explanation or transition. I felt as if the story was trotting along and then BAM, it smacked into a concrete wall, falling apart. When it picked itself back up, we were in a different situation, occasionally in a different time or place altogether. After a while, boredom ensues and interest dwindles away to nothing.
Like I said earlier, I really wanted to like this book, especially since the author was kind enough to provide me with a free copy for reviewing. I still stand by my thoughts that if this book had proper editing and attention given to it, it most likely would have been a completely different sort of a read, one that was culpable to a decent, and possibly even indulgent, reading experience. My review for Code Name Atlas consists of two stars, one star for the genuine idea and one star for it finally being a non-zombie post-apocalyptic story. If the execution wasn’t so deficient, I probably would have given it four.
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