I recently read this debut novel by Kent Wayne, a member of our bogging community. I thought I’d share the review I gave on Amazon (also the link to buy!) and elaborate a little bit. There are some facets of the book that writers will appreciate.
Here’s my review:
Five stars: Left wanting more!
First of all- mother of all cliff hangers! I’m so glad I know a sequel is forthcoming! The author portrays a future where humankind has moved out into the galaxy to colonize another planet, Echo. And this future is brutal, with dissident factions fighting the elitist government. Though our hero, Atriya, is a soldier for that government, he finds himself in a precarious position, too valuable to be discarded but too dangerous to be ignored. The story ends with Atriya facing enemies without and within. Kent Wayne, you’re killing me!
Now, to elaborate. This is a dark, brutal story, full of violence and ugliness. But hey, life is never pretty in a dystopian future world. And yet, Atriya, our hero is not just a mindless killer. He is a deep well, one we have yet to plumb the depths. I suspect the sequel will explore more of the mind of the man, if he survives the oncoming storm, that is. Like I said, mother of all cliff hangers!
The author describes the fight scenes in a detailed, almost slow motion way. It’s some great writing, painful because you feel it! He also does a great job “world building” with the soldiers’ equipment and gear. I am hopeful that revelations about the series of events that led to humankind ending up out in the galaxy are forthcoming!
So who would like this book? Fans of Mad Max, The Terminator, Planet of the Apes, A Clockwork Orange, even Farenheit 451, perhaps. If you read this review and think you’d like the book, the first few chapters are available on Kent’s blog: Dirty Sci Fi Buddha. Go say hello!
Huge fan of The Terminator and Planet of the Apes, so I’m definitely buying this book. Thank you for the recommendation 🙂
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Full disclosure! It’s not for the faint of heart! I really liked it because it’s a good story but be forewarned it’s very brutal. 😬
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Oh dear, I have been warned so now I can’t blame you if I find too brutal!
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Sounds like one of my type of books. Love The Terminator movies! Got a new book on my list!
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Interesting review. A couple of days ago I read a good review for this same book. Yours reinforces my desire to read this book. What I really liked about your review, you provided classic examples of similar works. That was great. Me being a big fan of the ORIGIN Planet of the Apes this books intrigues me. Thanks for sharing this.
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It really is a good story. The ending is a killer, though! You’re left saying, “What?!? That’s it?!?” Like I said, I know a sequel is coming so I can’t be too mad at him! By the way, Kent is a super nice guy, too.
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You know the author? It sounds like I will love it. The plotline is intriguing. You say it has a great ending. Perfect for me. And Heston’s Planet of the Apes had a shocking ending for those days when people weren’t accustomed to that. Nice post.
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I only know him from interactions here and on Facebook. However, he’s very friendly and helpful. When I say “killer ending” I mean he REALLY left us hanging!
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I am very interested in reading it.
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