Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
Isolation (Partials Sequence 0.5)
by
Dan Wells (Goodreads Author)
Two decades before the events of Partials, the world was locked in a different battle for survival: a global war for the last remaining oil reserves on the planet. It was for the Isolation War that the American government contracted the ParaGen Corporation to manufacture the Partials—our last hope in reclaiming energy independence from China. And it was on these fields of...more
ebook, 75 pages
Published
August 28th 2012
by Balzer + Bray
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
The Partials Sequence is a post-apocalyptic setting in the latter half of the 21st-century . Humanity has been driven to near-extension by the Partials -- bio-mechanical super soldiers. The Partials were created as specialized (and disposable) "weapons" in the global conflicts over natural resources.
This short story is set prior to the events in the novels, during the "Isolation War" -- a war between China and the NADI (North American Defense Initiative). It follows Heron, a partial Theta (or sp...more
This short story is set prior to the events in the novels, during the "Isolation War" -- a war between China and the NADI (North American Defense Initiative). It follows Heron, a partial Theta (or sp...more
Very few books pull a five star review from me, you have to really give me something good. Dan Wells Partials did just that for me, I liked the characters a great deal. The plot was done pretty nicely if a little bit confusing because we don't get to know the villians other than a few fights and a supporting characters. Isolation gives readers that. I have made a list of pros and cons to really give you an idea as to what I'm talking about.
Pros+
+ Heron knows what she is, the second strongest typ...more
Pros+
+ Heron knows what she is, the second strongest typ...more
So I read this before I started Partials. It came out after, and so most readers I am sure read it after. Maybe if I had, I'd have liked it more. I hope it is not indicative of how I will feel about Partials.
This takes place 60 years before the events in Partials. It explains how and why they were made. Heron is a Partial specifically engineered to be an assassin. She was made with the perfect body and to look Chinese since that is who she will infiltrate. She was grown in a tank and is 'born' a...more
This takes place 60 years before the events in Partials. It explains how and why they were made. Heron is a Partial specifically engineered to be an assassin. She was made with the perfect body and to look Chinese since that is who she will infiltrate. She was grown in a tank and is 'born' a...more
"Isolation" was amazing. Dan Wells is an incredibly descriptive writer without being overly so. The pictures he creates in your mind help pull you into not just the story, but the world of the story.
"Isolation" is a short prequel to "Partials." In "Partials" we vaguely heard about the Isolation War--a war the Partials (essentially genetically manufactured bodies) won for the humans. In "Isolation," we learn the details of that war, how the Partials won it and what consequences the win had that l...more
"Isolation" is a short prequel to "Partials." In "Partials" we vaguely heard about the Isolation War--a war the Partials (essentially genetically manufactured bodies) won for the humans. In "Isolation," we learn the details of that war, how the Partials won it and what consequences the win had that l...more
Isolation is a prequel novella in Dan Well's Partials series. Although it is technically a prequel and can be read alone, I still recommend reading it after the first book, Partials, because there is a bit of jargon, but more importantly, it's clearly a supplement to the series and it's just not very strong story by itself. The story is from the point of view of Heron, an assassin Partial created to infiltrate Chinese headquarters.
I admit I might be a bit biased since this novella is set in Chin...more
I admit I might be a bit biased since this novella is set in Chin...more
Nov 07, 2012
Devyani
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
unexpectingly-wowzer
We are at war," said the voice," a war we must win at all costs ; you know that-"
"What I want you to do," said Heron softly , " is to think long and hard about this. You made us to kill and conquer, and we are doing it better than you ever anticipated. Far better than you could ever do yourselves. You are no match for us. Do not make us your enemy." She stared into the darkness and a wicked smile crept into the corners of her lips , "Confirm?"
Whatta badass babe.
Oh hell . I want Fragments So baaa...more
"What I want you to do," said Heron softly , " is to think long and hard about this. You made us to kill and conquer, and we are doing it better than you ever anticipated. Far better than you could ever do yourselves. You are no match for us. Do not make us your enemy." She stared into the darkness and a wicked smile crept into the corners of her lips , "Confirm?"
Whatta badass babe.
Oh hell . I want Fragments So baaa...more
I'm really not one for this new "novella" trend. I don't really watch the extras/deleted scenes on DVDs, figuring if it was really important, it would have been included in the "real" book/show. For the most part, I come away from them unsatisfied, especially if I have put off reading the next book because I felt I had to read the novella chronologically.
This novella (as many end up doing) comes before book 1 even begins. There is no one from book one in this, so it's really its own short story....more
This novella (as many end up doing) comes before book 1 even begins. There is no one from book one in this, so it's really its own short story....more
If you're a Partials fan and haven't read Isolation, I would absolutely recommend it. The back story provided is amazing--what we learned from Kira that she'd been told about the Partials' creation and the hazy references to The Isolation War pales in comparison to watching an actual Partial narrator experience her birth, training, and finally the war itself.
Heron is a fascinating narrator. From her perspective, the folly of humans in considering the Partial race machines is blatant, even when H
...more
Spoilers
A prequel novella from Heron's POV, set about 20 years before the events of Partials. The story gives a bit of insight into the war that led to the Partials being created, how the Partials were created and used, what their relationship with humans were like and the beginnings of the Partials revolting against their creators.
The few parts I enjoyed were the background information given on the war, the psyche of the Partials and the different roles the Partials played. Unfortuantely I was...more
A prequel novella from Heron's POV, set about 20 years before the events of Partials. The story gives a bit of insight into the war that led to the Partials being created, how the Partials were created and used, what their relationship with humans were like and the beginnings of the Partials revolting against their creators.
The few parts I enjoyed were the background information given on the war, the psyche of the Partials and the different roles the Partials played. Unfortuantely I was...more
I bought this because I totally loved Partials and think Dan Wells rocks! Isolation by Dan Wells offers us a unique look back at the Isolation Wars that created the dystopian world we learned about in Partials. This was truly fascinating and explains why the Partials rebelled.
The tale goes back and forth detailing the life of one partial over a four year period. We meet Heron while she is being created, trained and eventually set up as a spy for the United States Government. Wells explains how...more
The tale goes back and forth detailing the life of one partial over a four year period. We meet Heron while she is being created, trained and eventually set up as a spy for the United States Government. Wells explains how...more
Feb 27, 2013
Whiskey
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
dystopia,
genetic-modifications,
engineered-people,
assassin,
spy,
war,
short-story,
post-apocalyptic
Read this review and more at Romancing the Laser Pistol.
I think this prequel would make little to no sense to anyone who hasn't read the first book of the series. Sure, it's set during a war that takes place years earlier, but the point of view is from a Partial. Heron, to be exact. It goes through her birth, her training, her infiltration of the Chinese war effort and her feelings about her inevitable betrayal.
It was a fascinating read. Short, but engrossing. Dan Well's writing style always suc...more
I think this prequel would make little to no sense to anyone who hasn't read the first book of the series. Sure, it's set during a war that takes place years earlier, but the point of view is from a Partial. Heron, to be exact. It goes through her birth, her training, her infiltration of the Chinese war effort and her feelings about her inevitable betrayal.
It was a fascinating read. Short, but engrossing. Dan Well's writing style always suc...more
Jan 13, 2013
Sophia
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
dystopian-apocalyptic-futuristic,
ya-na
The blurb on this prequel promised to give insight into the origin of the Partials rebellion and a certain Partial character, Heron that is introduced in the first book. And it did even while providing an exciting plot for a short story.
The story which took place a few decades before the Partials war and the RM virus release in the first story moved every other chapter into flashbacks that followed Heron from her first moments all the way through her first mission that led to being in the thick...more
The story which took place a few decades before the Partials war and the RM virus release in the first story moved every other chapter into flashbacks that followed Heron from her first moments all the way through her first mission that led to being in the thick...more
Isolation gives us great insight into the development of Partials, their training, their missions, and their analytical minds. This novella focused on Heron, who we met briefly in Partials. She is a dynamic character, brilliant, beautiful, and without conscience or empathy. She is a Theta model - an assassin specifically designed to infiltrate the Chinese military during the Isolation war. The chapters switch between Heron's inception and training to her work within the Chinese military. I thoug...more
As far as prequels go, this book was pretty good. It filled in some of the details about the war that took place two decades before the events of the first novel in this series, Partials. Of course, in explaining more of the story of the Isolation War, it also left more new unanswered questions. I am looking forward to reading the sequel to Partials and hope these new things will be expanded on.
I would highly recommend reading Partials before this prequel. I can imagine I would not have liked it...more
I would highly recommend reading Partials before this prequel. I can imagine I would not have liked it...more
I would put this at 2.5 stars, I rounded up because I did like it. It was interesting to see inside the mind of a Partial, but from the copy promises a lot more then what we're given. It's a good story, but it doesn't really reveal anything earth-shattering about the Partials-universe that couldn't be gleaned from the first book. Which is fine, but the description promises revelations that would impact the rest of the series, and I just don't see that here.
If you enjoyed Partials, this is an int...more
If you enjoyed Partials, this is an int...more
I read this after reading Partials, but it could easily be read before. It isn't essential to the story line, but does give the reader some background not included in book1. Heron (a Partial spy), appears in both books. I've mentioned I don't love novellas, but I did like this one a little more (thus the 4-star rating, but that's a little more to push it above the other novellas in my personal ranking than to say I really liked it).
I read this right before reading Fragments, hoping it would get...more
I read this right before reading Fragments, hoping it would get...more
Sep 03, 2012
Trevor Hubbard
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who's read Partials.
Isolation was a short read, only about 75 pages. All the while, it was a really good novella, mainly for the background it gives to it's sister book, Partials. I liked having the book in the perspective of a newly created Partial, as it adds to my knowledge of how the Partials worked together, and their personalities. My only complaint for this novella is how it was so short. If anyone wants to read this book, I highly reccomend reading Partials first, however. Even though this is a prequel in s...more
As far as short stories go I really enjoyed this one. It adds something to the world and it gives so much in terms of world building.
One of the things I missed in Partial was explanation about the Isolation War and this novella gives that missing piece of information. I love world building and everything that gives me more anshwers and world building is great. This novella focusses not only on the Isolation War, but also on the Partials. It is told from the point of view of a Partial and it was...more
One of the things I missed in Partial was explanation about the Isolation War and this novella gives that missing piece of information. I love world building and everything that gives me more anshwers and world building is great. This novella focusses not only on the Isolation War, but also on the Partials. It is told from the point of view of a Partial and it was...more
Isolation is a short prequel to Partials. This takes place 60 years before the events in Partials. What I liked about this book is that you get to understand a little bit about why the Partial army took their stand and why they are at war with humans in Partial.
The tale goes back and forth detailing the life of one partial over a four year period. We meet Heron while she is being created, trained and eventually set up as a spy for the United States Government.
It is a prequel and can be read alon...more
The tale goes back and forth detailing the life of one partial over a four year period. We meet Heron while she is being created, trained and eventually set up as a spy for the United States Government.
It is a prequel and can be read alon...more
This was a short peek into mankind's creation of it's own destruction. You get to see how a Partial is created from inside the growth chamber. Then the training and development of skills. Then mankind's creation turns on it and the war, well we don't really get that part. Maybe there will be another prequel / .07 novel, but I highly doubt it. We get the basic idea and I guess I need to re-read Partial's now to see Heron's part in it. Since the next book comes out in February I would do so anyway...more
I couldn't believe when I saw this was out! I loved the Partial book and can't wait to read more in the series so when I saw that Dan Wells had created a 0.5 Book well I snatched it right up!..lol...I finally got to it in my reading list..lol...I got to say thought I liked the book I was a little disappointed with it I was hoping for at least some connection to the Partial book would be in this but there was nothing at all but at the same time not surprising as it takes place two decades before...more
Z prvního dílu série, Partials, jsem byla náramně nadšená. Není to ovšem kniha pro každého. Víc si ji nejspíš užijí kluci, než holky. Přece jenom je autor sám chlap a i samotnou knihu tak pojal. Je v ní geniálně popsáno bojiště, až cítíte, že vám okolo hlavy sviští nějaká ta kulka a vy se spolu s hlavními hrdiny krčíte pod přímou palbou. Při čtení jsem alespoň já měla takový pocit. Stejně tak měl krásně propracovanou biologickou část hledání protiléku na neznámý vir. To jsou věci, které dívky př...more
Isolation
By Dan Wells
A Review by Eric Allen
A few months after he released Partials, which I loved, and a few months before he released Fragments which I loved even more, Dan Wells released an E-book novella called Isolation. This is a brief sequence giving the back story for the character Heron, who played a major role in the second book. This book is almost too short to even really call a novella. It's more like a short story, or, more likely, a deleted sequence from Fragments that just didn'...more
By Dan Wells
A Review by Eric Allen
A few months after he released Partials, which I loved, and a few months before he released Fragments which I loved even more, Dan Wells released an E-book novella called Isolation. This is a brief sequence giving the back story for the character Heron, who played a major role in the second book. This book is almost too short to even really call a novella. It's more like a short story, or, more likely, a deleted sequence from Fragments that just didn'...more
Sep 08, 2012
Bookphile
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2012,
young-adult-post-apocalyptic
I really enjoyed Partials and have been eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, so when I saw that there would be a novella that would provide some more background about the Isolation War, I was all over it. If you haven't read Partials yet, you could conceivably read this one first, as it deals with events that take place before the timeline in Partials. However, I'd recommend reading Partials before this novella, as the character this novella focuses on plays a small role in Partials, an...more
Of all the Novella / Novelette size stories I have read recently, Isolation is one of the better ones. Isolation is a prequel of sorts to Partials, centred around the actions of Theta-class Partial Heron (who we met at the end of Partials). Set during the Isolation War, we get alternating chapters between the infiltration of / battle with the Chinese army, and birth / training of new Partials.
The birth / training scenes provide some fascinating background knowledge and eventually insight into ho...more
The birth / training scenes provide some fascinating background knowledge and eventually insight into ho...more
Courtesy of Smash Attack Reads
Heron’s story was super interesting. We get background on why and how the Partials were created. I really enjoyed experiencing a Partial’s “birth” from their perspective, as well as the social, emotional and physical developmental processes. It was pretty fascinating and well-written. Heron had issues with being “different” from her counterparts because she was a special Partial, who would be sent on a special mission. However, she was developed with no empathy and...more
Heron’s story was super interesting. We get background on why and how the Partials were created. I really enjoyed experiencing a Partial’s “birth” from their perspective, as well as the social, emotional and physical developmental processes. It was pretty fascinating and well-written. Heron had issues with being “different” from her counterparts because she was a special Partial, who would be sent on a special mission. However, she was developed with no empathy and...more
Not sure if this is a less engaging book than Partials, which kept me up til well after midnight, or if the act of reading on a screen instead of a printed page makes the story less compelling. (With Partials, I just read. With Isolation, I stopped and started, did other things, came back to the book window, left it again, over and over)
I finished Partials and almost jumped for joy when I heard that Dan Wells had created a 'Prequel' of sorts. Only I didn't realize that it was just a small little number of pages, revolving around Heron and how she became what she is in Partials: A cold ruthless killer.
And yet it wasn't bad at all. Though revealing nothing special about the plot or the Partials, it did give you a look into their feelings and how they grew up (though they don't technically grow). It allows you to see the way the...more
And yet it wasn't bad at all. Though revealing nothing special about the plot or the Partials, it did give you a look into their feelings and how they grew up (though they don't technically grow). It allows you to see the way the...more
This book i found to be very boring, then again i wasn't to fond of the character but i know i will be glad i finished it when it comes time to read Fragments. Which I cant wait for. The good thing about this book was that it had a few pages from Fragments in the end. Which is the only thing that kept me going through the book was knowing that was at the end.
I love Heron! Honestly I read it all as soon as it came out... i counted down the minutes!
isolation really takes you back to the time before RM, and really gives a feel for the history of partials. I loved it!
i just wish samm had been in it, haha ;)
isolation really takes you back to the time before RM, and really gives a feel for the history of partials. I loved it!
i just wish samm had been in it, haha ;)
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Dan Wells is a thriller and science fiction writer. Born in Utah, he spent his early years reading and writing. He is he author of the Partials series (Partials, with the second book coming early 2013) and John Cleaver series (I Am Not a Serial Killer, Mr. Monster, and I Don't Want To Kill You). He has been nominated for both the Hugo and the Campbell Award, and has won two Parsec Awards for his p...more
More about Dan Wells...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
