The Lives of Tao

May 24, 2013 Seak (Bryce L.) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-review, 2013, urban-fantasy

EDIT: Here's my interview with the author.

The Past:

Thousands if not millions of years ago aliens crashed to earth and wanted nothing more than to return. To make that happen, it became necessary to encourage technology growth in any way possible and when homo sapiens came around, they were the horse the Quasing (wraith-like aliens who can inhabit living bodies) bet on to make their return home a reality.

The Present:

Split into two warring factions, the Prophus and the Genjix, the Quasing use hum...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Brandon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, ebook, arc-reviews, fiction, sci-fi, interviewed-on-blog

Before you and I existed – in fact, before most people existed – our planet was inhabited by a group of aliens. Unable to exist on our planet in their natural form, the alien race, or Quasing, merged with the bodies of wayward creatures. As time went on, a divide was slowly created between two burgeoning sects, the aggressive Genjix and the peaceful, human-sympathetic Prophus. Both sides want to leave Earth and return to their home planet but they both have different ideas in how to go about it....more Before you and I existed – in fact, before most people existed – our planet was inhabited by a group of aliens. Unable to exist on our planet in their natural form, the alien race, or Quasing, merged with the bodies of wayward creatures. As time went on, a divide was slowly created between two burgeoning sects, the aggressive Genjix and the peaceful, human-sympathetic Prophus. Both sides want to leave Earth and return to their home planet but they both have different ideas in how to go about it.

In the short period of time that 2013 has existed, I’ve only read a handful of books and as of right now, The Lives of Tao is a strong front runner for one of the best I’ve read this year. It’s that good.

The influence the alien race has had on key figures and events throughout history was pretty neat and added a uniqueness to the story that really helped push this book over the 4 star hump into 5 star territory. The back story involving the Quasing race is deep enough without throwing too much information at the reader. Chu doesn’t hit you over the head with overbearing filler describing the Quasing influence on human history but rather uses their history to flesh out the characters. You can’t help but grin when Chu sneaks these tidbits in here and there.

While I was skeptical at first, I ended up enjoying the character of Roan Tan. His interactions with his Quasing, Tao, had me laughing out loud while also creating some heartfelt dramatic moments. Writing a relationship like the one between Roan and Tao isn’t easy, it takes a real ear for dialogue to make their back and forth move so smoothly. Even when their bond is at it’s most vulnerable, you know one will not alienate the other. I hesitate to use the word bro-mance in describing their friendship but what the hell, there it is.

In the end, it comes down to the fact that The Lives of Tao is really fun to read. It has all the energy and excitement of a big budget summer action movie but an intricate enough plot that it comes away as a smart, sci-fi thriller. The characters that Wesley Chu presents to us are both compelling and memorable that they demand to be brought back to life in future books.

Cross posted at Every Read Thing

Check out my interview with Wes!(less)

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Apr 13, 2013 Dan Schwent rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: angry-robot, freebies-for-reviewing, 2013

When secret agent Edward Blair is betrayed and killed, Tao, the alien symbiont that lives within him, must find a suitable host to continue the centuries long war between his faction, The Prophus, and their archenemies, the Genjix. Too bad he winds up inside overweight IT worker Roen Tan instead. Can Tao whip Roen into shape before the Genjix find him?

When Angry Robot offered an ARC of this book in their weekly newsletter, I jumped at the chance to request one. Two alien factions waging war agai...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Troubled Scribe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Man, oh, man – where can I get my own Tao? Having a super-wise, ancient alien being sharing my brain would be too, too cool! Ok – maybe I do get the conflicting moral dilemmas that main character Roen Tan struggles with as he wrangles with alien Tao – but still – to have the thoughts, the knowledge, and the memories first hand in your very own brain of many illustrious figures in history like Genghis Khan and the guy who invented Tai Chi – come on – who wouldn’t want that?

In The Lives of Tao, by...more Man, oh, man – where can I get my own Tao? Having a super-wise, ancient alien being sharing my brain would be too, too cool! Ok – maybe I do get the conflicting moral dilemmas that main character Roen Tan struggles with as he wrangles with alien Tao – but still – to have the thoughts, the knowledge, and the memories first hand in your very own brain of many illustrious figures in history like Genghis Khan and the guy who invented Tai Chi – come on – who wouldn’t want that?

In The Lives of Tao, by Wesley Chu, Roen is taken over by a Quasing from the planet Quasar. The Quasings crashed on Earth thousands and thousands of years ago while the dinosaurs still roamed the planet. In order to survive on our planet they needed a host, a warm organic body to protect them – be it a turtle or a human. Throughout the years, the Quasings split into two warring factions, the Prophus and the Genjix. Tao represents the good-guy Prophus who respect humans, while the Genjix see humans only as tools or pawns in their attempts to crush the Prophus, conquer all the humans and ultimately return to their planet.

After high level operative Tao’s host sacrifices himself for Tao, Tao is forced to find a new host immediately to survive. He finds a most unsuitable host in overweight and out-of-shape Roen Tan. Tao and his associates must whip Roen into shape if there is any hope of surviving the fight against the Genjix.

It’s thoroughly entertaining following Roen & Tao as their symbiotic relationship is tested to the limits. Will Roen adapt to and adopt his new partner or will he reject Tao, forcing Tao to live out a mundane existence? Once a Quasing adopts a new host, they can’t choose another until their current host dies or gets killed; quite the dilemma for them both.

Chu does a clever job of intertwining world history and historical events and figures with the war that has been raging between the two alien factions for centuries. In Tao’s version of human history, every fact of human existence was manipulated by either the Prophus or the Genjix in their battles for dominance. Each side consistently conspired to plot and manipulate humans and Quasing alike.

The Lives of Tao is full of fast-paced action, chase scenes, and plenty of hand-to-hand battles to keep you on edge. I could certainly imagine many of these scenes on the screen. I also enjoyed Chu’s choice of the everyday and average man, Roen, as alien Tao’s eventual choice as a new host. It’s always fun to watch the marshmallowy guy get ripped and ready to rumble! We love to root for the underdog and see him win, even if it is a little rocky along the way.

The Lives of Tao is a fun, exciting, alien, sci-fi romp through history and espionage. Tao has had way too many lives to meet them all, but you should be sure to give it a shot by reading this book!(less)

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May 15, 2013 Erik rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A great 1st novel and an author that I will be looking forward to in the future. Created a wonderful world in which sci-fi hits action suspense in a great new reality. The characters have feeling and resonate with you because they are normal. They are not super heroes, but have been trained and shows the work that any person must go through to be on a squad that is in a fighting or tactical situation.

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May 15, 2013 Felix rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This debut novel tells the saga of Tao. He finds a host to impart his knowledge & wit - with lots of humor.Spy vs. spy with slick story telling. "Grasshopper come study this saga & leave with much fun!"

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May 23, 2013 Shweta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: got-an-arc-to-review, sff

I have to admit that I’ve got a soft spot for aliens residing in human body kind of science fiction and this one was no exception. The world that Chu conceptualizes is unique, fun, addictive and highly recommended to lovers of science fiction.

The aliens came to Earth really long time back and they have been present through most of mankind’s significant and insignificant discoveries, inventions and achievements. In many cases they have been responsible for the said events. The Quasing (as these a...more

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May 16, 2013 Karl rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Someone needs to teach Mr. Chu how to write without narrating everything. Instead of showing us things through dialogue and his character actions, he narrates a significant portion of the story. The first chapter is all right (almost as if it was written by someone else) but the rest of the book ... isn't. I think that Mr. Chu's editor was asleep at the switch. I've tried writing quite a bit myself, and a lot of my writing reads like Mr. Chu's. Unlike Mr. Chu's, my writing hasn't seen the light...more

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May 16, 2013 Jeffrey Grant rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a fairly typical "Regular Joe becomes a secret agent" story (think Men in Black, the Matrix, or even Harry Potter, though that's a bit less applicable) at its base; the plot in general is fairly formulaic and there are no real surprises in how things develop.
That said, it is still an entertaining story and it's well written. The protagonist is a very real person and has a believable arc; he isn't a miraculous diamond in the rough that is able to take everything in stride. Most of the st...more

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May 14, 2013 Matthew Baker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is now official: I have read the best book of 2013 thus far. It is THE LIVES OF TAO, and it will blow your socks off. Don’t be confused by the title; this is not an Oriental philosophy book, nor is it even a story about reincarnation. This is a wildly inventive tale that will have you in suspense one second and then rolling on the floor with laughter the next. Whatever book you’re reading now, put it down and go grab a copy of this one...you will thank me later.

Wesley Chu is a man of many tal...more

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May 14, 2013 Burgoo rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2013

Once again I seem to be outside the hivemind. Look around the internet, & you’ll see glowing gushing reviews for Wesley Chu’s debut. Funny, action packed, with a protagonist that people identify with. That hasn’t been my experience at all.

Here’s the setup: When a spy mission goes cockeyed, an alien named Tao is forced to look for a new host. He grabs Roen Tan & enlists him in a war between alien species that goes back millions of years. Hijinks ensue.

The tone is light & breezy; the t...more Once again I seem to be outside the hivemind. Look around the internet, & you’ll see glowing gushing reviews for Wesley Chu’s debut. Funny, action packed, with a protagonist that people identify with. That hasn’t been my experience at all.

Here’s the setup: When a spy mission goes cockeyed, an alien named Tao is forced to look for a new host. He grabs Roen Tan & enlists him in a war between alien species that goes back millions of years. Hijinks ensue.

The tone is light & breezy; the type that you would normally associate with an Urban Fantasy novel. Despite the hilarity that so many others experienced, I didn’t find the book to be particularly funny. Of course humor is incredibly subjective, so YMMV.

My biggest gripe is squarely at the center of the book: Roen Tan himself. When we first meet Roen, he’s an underemployed fat slob with a post-collegiate drinking problem. While out on a drunken night on the town, he ends up playing the unwilling host to Tao. Other than as a collection of negative characteristics, Roen as a character doesn’t really seem to exist. He has no interests or hobbies. He doesn’t actually have any friends. (His roommate is the closest to a friend that we meet, yet their relationship seems to be more of a caricature of young male friendships rather than an actual representation of such.) He exists more as a placeholder for audience identification than as an actual character.

Assuming that Roen is indeed intended as an audience identifier, then his characterization is insulting. (And I would argue that he does in fact exist solely for the reader to identify with. The narrative is crafted in such a way that the reader is forced into this position. And if there’s any doubt about this, simply read some of the many reviews on the book. It’s clear that readers are seeing themselves in Roen.) Roen is continually referred to as being incompetent and of less worth than other characters. Chu doesn’t try to subvert this image, but instead plays it up; perhaps to greater dramatize Roen’s training. If the author creates a character that is intended as a reader substitute, and that character is continually belittled by other characters as well as the author, then what does the author think of the reader?

Of course we do have another option in characters, that being the titular alien, Tao. Tao is presented as one of the good guys, but think for a moment about what actually happens here. Tao forces himself upon an unwilling host (We don’t know if Roen would have given permission, but he was never asked for his consent.). Tao can only leave Roen with Roen’s death. So Roen has zero choice in the matter. At this point Roen is thrust into a war that has lasted for thousands of years. And what exactly is the difference between the good guys and the bad guys? Both sides want to run the world and treat humans as little more than pets. The “good” guys might create less military destruction, but we really don’t know that.

With such a problematic core, I didn’t find The Lives of Tao to be enjoyable. Admittedly, I’m on the outside of what seems to be the consensus opinion.
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May 12, 2013 Carl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed reading "The Lives of Tao".

It takes a sort of stock trope "ordinary guy forced into a larger fight" and does it in a way that feels fresh.

Chu's aliens (the Quasing) are something new. And because they jump from host to host, Chu gets to provide a spin on human history.

The strengths of the book are probably...

a. Chu's writing style is breazy
b. there's a perspective on human history
c. it's told from an Asian perspective
d. Chu has a grasp of fighting styles

If I could make one suggestion f...more

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May 10, 2013 Newton rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It appears that despite every sane person laughing at him, the man with the crazy hair, Giorgio A. Tsoukalos of History Channel's Ancient Aliens, was right all along...the course of human history was really steered along by aliens!

The Lives of Tao manages to tell a very entertaining tale in which there is an ongoing, centuries long war between 2 opposing factions of an alien race that has been living on earth. One of which cares about humans and are obviously the 'good guys' and a more hardline...more It appears that despite every sane person laughing at him, the man with the crazy hair, Giorgio A. Tsoukalos of History Channel's Ancient Aliens, was right all along...the course of human history was really steered along by aliens!

The Lives of Tao manages to tell a very entertaining tale in which there is an ongoing, centuries long war between 2 opposing factions of an alien race that has been living on earth. One of which cares about humans and are obviously the 'good guys' and a more hardline faction that primarily is only concerned about their own race and doesn't care about any negative impact to humanity.

Conventional logic would have you think an advanced alien race that can make it all the way to earth would have no problems living here, but as it turns out their big Achille's heel is that they cannot survive here on Earth without living inside a host body. This host usually ends up being a human being, and the alien symbiote can communicate with their human host as a voice in their head and attempt to influence their decision making. And as it turns out, most of the famous historical figures in human history were also hosts to aliens.

In addition to the scifi and action aspects of the book, Wesley Chu manages to create a main character, Roen Tan, which you find very human and believably 'average' at first vs the many stories where the hero is always some lethal, man-killing weapon who is the object of lust for every straight female he crosses paths with. Roen is basically what many would characterize as a stereotype overweight, out of shape computer geek, loser without much going on in his life at least until Tao the alien ends up having to take on Roen as his human host. Now guided by a centuries wise Tao, Roen must transform into an actual agent that can fight for the good guys. But poor Roen...the baddies want to kill Tao, which means they need to kill Roen. So Roen basically has no choice but train now. I don't want to say its a story partly about his coming of age, but more of a forced late bloomer, Men in Black secret 007 agent walking along railroad tracks with the Stand by Me from Ben E. King playing in the background. Once you read the book, you'll know what I'm talking about.

As an extra benefit of having a super James Bond alien in your head, Roen may even grow the balls to talk to women! I think there are probably many guys out there that would pay to have a coach like that in their head for that function alone.

The bromance between Roen and Tao starts up slow, but you can see it developing fuller along the way. Some of Tao's wise ass comments to Roen made me laugh.

OVerall, I really enjoyed being there for all the failures, successes, and hilarious moments... and there are many...in Roen's journey to transform himself into the improved Roen, along with flipping page after page to find out who will be winning this age old war and the impact on humanity. I won't say too much else about the story so it doesn't spoil it for people who haven't read it yet.

The Lives of Tao is highly recommended.
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May 08, 2013 Joshua Guess rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I gave this book four stars for several reasons. First I'm going to start with why I didn't give it five.

The writing is good, but the editing could have been better. I know it's a nitpicky thing, but as a writer myself I cherish those times people point out how to smooth the words. Chu is a very talented author--I couldn't stop reading this book even though I had things to do--and his talent shows through in a lot of places. No book is perfect, however, and all writers make similar errors. Ther...more

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May 07, 2013 Aoife Roantree rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Roen Tan is an overweight and unhealthy IT technician. On the way home from work one night he suddenly finds his body invaded by an alien being - Tao. The next few days are a whirlwind of paranoia and confusion as he battles through the suspicion that he has gone mad, and comes to believe the voice in his head telling him that he is now the host to an alien. Tao tells his new host that he is a Quasing - beings which have inhabited the Earth since before the evolution of humans. Roen learns that...more Roen Tan is an overweight and unhealthy IT technician. On the way home from work one night he suddenly finds his body invaded by an alien being - Tao. The next few days are a whirlwind of paranoia and confusion as he battles through the suspicion that he has gone mad, and comes to believe the voice in his head telling him that he is now the host to an alien. Tao tells his new host that he is a Quasing - beings which have inhabited the Earth since before the evolution of humans. Roen learns that the Quasings have split into two factions - Tao is a Prophus, and he is involved in the battle with the Genjix, who want to subjugate the human race in their effort to return to their home planet. Roen has inadvertently become a part of a ruthless war, but in order for him to be useful, Tao must first transform him from out-of-shape office drone into a fit and strong secret agent, with all the skills that involves.

It's a fun journey, and the internal dialogue between Roen and his new teacher and partner is lightning-quick and snippy. The most fascinating aspect of the story is the fact that Tao is an immortal being who simply transfers to a new host upon the death of a previous one, so he has seen the entirety of human history from one perspective or another. In the course of this time, the Quasings have accumulated an immense amount of knowledge, and often managed to be in the right place to occupy extremely influential historical characters as hosts. So Tao can teach Roen using stories of the time he occupied Genghis Khan, General Lafayette, Sun Yat-Sen, and lots of others.

While I did find some passages to lack the engaging quality of others, I found myself thinking frequently about how well this novel would translate to the big screen. It's precisely the type of story which I absolutely love in a movie - an action thriller with a fantasy or science fiction basis. I'm unsure as to how a filmmaker might overcome the narrative difficulty presented by the extensive internal dialogue between Roen and his symbiotic partner Tao, but I suppose that's why I'm not in the screenwriting or directing business! This is an energetic and fun novel, and it's well worth a read for any fan of this genre.

Have a look at my blog post about this novel here: http://acuparia.blogspot.ie/2013/04/t...
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Apr 29, 2013 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Science fiction always makes me just a little nervous...am I going to have to understand physics or deep cyber space or quantum whatevers? These things tend to give me a headache. But this is so very NOT the case with The Lives of Tao. I read this book with a smile on my face. This book wanted me to have a good time and I really did. There are aliens, and they live inside human hosts which sounds creepy but isn't. It's more like having a really brilliant friend that just happens to share your bo...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Katrina Lantz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A couple's review:

Afterglow by Bill:

Using the combination of action from a James Bond movie and the dialogue of an Adam Sandler movie, Lives of Tao is one of the most unique spy books you will ever read in your life. The book tells the story of a man named Roen who never thought much of his life until an alien named Tao takes over his body after Tao's previous host dies during a mission. The rest of the book shows the conflict between Roen and the voice in his head (Tao) who gives him the direct...more A couple's review:

Afterglow by Bill:

Using the combination of action from a James Bond movie and the dialogue of an Adam Sandler movie, Lives of Tao is one of the most unique spy books you will ever read in your life. The book tells the story of a man named Roen who never thought much of his life until an alien named Tao takes over his body after Tao's previous host dies during a mission. The rest of the book shows the conflict between Roen and the voice in his head (Tao) who gives him the direction and the confidence to better his life and condition himself to become a spy in the fight to safe the human race.

The dialogue between Roen and Tao, which sometimes can turn serious, is mostly funny as they bicker with one another, as Roen complains about how he will never be a good agent and Tao, who continues to tell all the men through human history that he was actually controlling. The book contains action when you least expect it and an ending that you would never see coming.

Afterglow by Katrina:

A perfect date book! Action, comedy, romance, cool factor. Bill and I read this one together over the course of a month. Though we tried to pace ourselves, by the end we couldn't put it down. In my mind, Roen Tan is Kung Fu Panda, all gooey and lovably funny throughout. There's a stark difference between his first attempts at training and the missions he executes near the end. His personal transformation is incredible, yet believable.

The Lives of Tao is science fiction, but I'm seeing it called a mash-up because it reads a little like a spy thriller in parts. My favorite part, though, is what you can easily see in the synopsis: the funny.

Whether it's trying to escape a bar fight unscathed by his best friend's arm candy, or watching alien Tao maneuver a large, sleeping human Roen around the living room, the visual comedy is sublime. As Bill mentioned, the dialogue happening inside Roen's brain is also a treat to overhear. You'll end the book wishing you had a wise (and wise-cracking) alien like Tao in your head.

Who should read it? Teens to adults who like spies, which is pretty much everyone, right?

READ AN EXCERPT at TOR.com (less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Larry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As a long time reader of both science fiction and fantasy I often find myself weary of books that cross genres. Call me old fashion but I enjoy my aliens and spaceships safely in space and my orcs and swords safely in the woods. When it comes to crossovers or genre mashes I’ve been burned, books that either poorly mixes them or just end up ruining what’s best of both genres. One of the best crossovers has been the Split Infinity series by Peirs Anthony and in that book there was a fantasy world...more As a long time reader of both science fiction and fantasy I often find myself weary of books that cross genres. Call me old fashion but I enjoy my aliens and spaceships safely in space and my orcs and swords safely in the woods. When it comes to crossovers or genre mashes I’ve been burned, books that either poorly mixes them or just end up ruining what’s best of both genres. One of the best crossovers has been the Split Infinity series by Peirs Anthony and in that book there was a fantasy world and a sci-fi world and our hero leaps between the two.

The lives of Tao by Wesley Chu is one of the few genre mash-up I truly like. The book is about Roen Tan, a out-of-shape IT technician stuck in a dead-end job in a rut of a life he hates, who gets possessed by a symbiotic based-alien named Tao. Tao is an anient alien life-form that crashed landed on Earth in the time of dinosaurs. They have existed that entire time by possessing one life-form to another, shaping humanity in a bid to get home. But as Roen finds out things are never that simple. The aliens have split into two factions who are at war and Roen’s just been drafted.

The book is a mash-up of the spy and science fiction genres. On one hand we have aliens and war but on the other we have dead-drops, safe houses, passwords, and spy training. The sci-fi aspect reminds me of Doctor Who or Highlander: The Series. Both series go back to the past, one physically the other in flashback, and we witness major events with a sci-fi twist. Either the Doctor, or an alien, was involved in the Magna Carte or Duncan MacCleod good friend was actually Jackie Robinson. In The Lives of Tao we learn that Tao, and others of his kind, have shared bodies and influenced major political and historical figures like Gengis Khan, Voltaire, Churchhill, and even Shakespeare. The Lives of Tao takes a look at history in much of the same vain as Assassin’s Creed does: history with a creative twist. In short Roen Tam’s been drafted into the eternally-good-but-eternally-stuck-as-the-underdogs Assassins and the Templars are getting stronger by the minute.

The spy genre side of the book starts at basic training, putting our unlikely hero through the ringer and teaching him the ropes much like Collin Farrell in The Recruit. We seem him go from out of shape into a lean-mean fighting machine. We seem him progress through the unflattering world of boring mission to high security shoot out much like Piper Perabo in Covert Affairs. It ends up in an island shoot-out much like the Connery days of James Bond.

The Lives of Tao is one of those good books that pulls off the mash-up perfectly. We get the full sci-fi feeling combined with the spy genre without either side getting diluted or ignored. We get the full effect and in turn get a character we care about. Roen becomes the mix between James Bond and Ezio Auditore da Firenze (Assassin Creed 2, Brotherhood, Revelations).

The book isn’t perfect but the downfalls are minor at best. The first chapter throws in the final days of Tao’s previous host. This means, much like the opening scene of a bond film, you get thrown in the deep end. Sadly unlike a Bond film you don’t have the natural progression inwards. The first chapter is like been beaten with a sci-fi film when you missed that couple minutes of voice-over that explains everything. The first chapter is heavy with weird names like Prophus and Genjix and tossed before characters like Tao and Jeo without as little of an explanation. It makes the first chapter really hard to get through but after that its gravy and everything makes sense. While I fear that there are a great number of people who won’t make it past the first chapter those who do will be treated for a nice surprise.(less)

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May 03, 2013 Lesley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You need to read this book! It's a perfectly formed piece of fiction and a joy to read. I stayed up till 5am to finish it because I couldn't bear to put it down.

This is the story of how a pizza loving, under-achieving slob (Roen) has his mind and body invaded by an ancient alien with an agenda (Tao). They're stuck with each other until Roen dies - and unless he puts in a lot of hard physical work, that's not likely to be very long at all. It's time for Roen to man up. He's not keen.

Tao is a majo...more

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May 06, 2013 Nick Wesselmann rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I REALLY enjoyed this book. I stumbled across it pretty much at random when the publisher (Angry Robot)when another author retweeted them, and I was looking at their website. Saw the Cover and then read the blurb for LoT and was instantly intrigued by what I saw. Bough it the week it came out and finished it in a day or 2. I really loved watching Roen's progression and growth, and enjoyed the banter between him and Tao. My only, and I mean ONLY complaint/criticism us that I wish there was a diff...more

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May 20, 2013 Mieneke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, science-fiction

One of my favourite TV shows in recent years was Chuck . For those of you unfamiliar with the show: Chuck is about a regular geeky guy who one day wakes up to an email from his long estranged roommate from Stanford and opens it. Once he does a video starts playing and the next thing he knows he's lying on the floor of his bedroom with a huge headache. Little does he know he's downloaded a super computer into his brain and he is now wanted as a valuable asset for the CIA and other TLA's. Not only...more One of my favourite TV shows in recent years was Chuck . For those of you unfamiliar with the show: Chuck is about a regular geeky guy who one day wakes up to an email from his long estranged roommate from Stanford and opens it. Once he does a video starts playing and the next thing he knows he's lying on the floor of his bedroom with a huge headache. Little does he know he's downloaded a super computer into his brain and he is now wanted as a valuable asset for the CIA and other TLA's. Not only does the Intersect, the previously mentioned super computer, allow him access to amazing amounts of data, he also has sudden access to incredible fighting skills. The series is wildly entertaining and if you haven't checked it out, you really should. But how does this relate to Lives of Tao in any way, shape, or form? Because if anything, Lives of Tao's protagonist Roen, reminds me of Chuck a lot. Only instead of the Intersect, Roen is possessed by a symbiotic alien called Tao.

Of course, there are more differences than having an alien instead of a computer in his brain. Where Chuck sort of instantaneously has these new skills, we follow Roen during his quite extensive, if somewhat expedited training. I really enjoyed this aspect of the story, not just because it lent some veracity to the story – one doesn't go from overweight slob to fit super-agent overnight – but also because it gave Roen and Tao time to get to know one another and as a consequence so does the reader. This latter is quite important as the book is very much dependent on the chemistry between Roen and Tao. Roen is quite sympathetic; a thirty-something single guy, working a job that makes him miserable and pretty much going through the motions, he's quite ready for finding a new purpose in life. A purpose that arrives in the form of Tao and his species' civil war. Whatever happens to him, Roen stays believable; he doesn't come to his new life without challenging it, asking questions and having ethical and moral reservations. I really enjoyed the bond he develops with Tao and their banter, which is snappy, wry and sometimes rather cutting. Tao for his part feels surprisingly modern for all that he is millennia old–he's aged well. Tao's care for his hosts and especially his care for Roen is well-shown, not just through the narrative, but also through the small epigraphs at the start of each chapter, which share some of his history with previous hosts. There is a lot of depth to him and more history to uncover.

Tao and Roen don't move alone through the world. Roen has a roommate, the irrepressible Anthony and a girlfriend, Jill, who strengthened the Chuck link as his ex-girlfriend is Jill too. They are fun centres of normality for Roen in the crazy world he gets thrown into once he gets chosen by Tao. On the Prophus-Genjix side the cast is far larger and quite interesting. I liked the different levels of play going on there. On the one hand there are the power struggles of the human hosts to get themselves positioned better, on the other hand there are the ancient enmities and personal vendetta's that exist between the different aliens which influence the choices the different players make. Roen's human trainer Sonya, who helps Tao get him into shape was a wonderful character, along with the two senior Prophus agents Roen gets to know best, Stephen and Dylan.

Lives of Tao, Wesley Chu's debut novel, does what it says on the tin amazingly well; it is above all amazingly entertaining to read; it gives us geekery, aliens, and hijinks; and it gives a whole new spin on the gods-are-aliens theory that has been around for decades. That isn't to say there aren't any beauty flaws, because there definitely are, mostly in the shape of some debut author mistakes: clunky sentences, odd phrases, some strange plot leaps, and a convenient appearance of a character in an inconvenient place. However, I didn't really mind any of it, as the book was just so freaking fun to read. Lives of Tao might not make my 'Best of' list, but if I had a Most Entertaining Read category in my end of year posts, it would definitely come out in one of the top spots! If you're looking for a funny, entertaining, and exciting read, you can't go far wrong with Wesley Chu's Lives of Tao.

This book was provided for review by the publisher.(less)

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Apr 22, 2013 Christal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-rlftci-book-count, 2013-nbrc, aliens, male-lead, sci-fi-aka-lasers, shady-government-agency, war

See this review and others like it at BadassBookReviews.com!

The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu was a very interesting take on aliens and the body snatcher archetype. The narrative was extremely funny and the characters were all very well developed. I enjoyed learning about the war between the Prophus and the Genjix and I especially enjoyed the developing relationship between Roen and Tao. Mr. Chu has created a fabulous new mythology and I cannot wait to see how all the different plotlines play out.

T...more See this review and others like it at BadassBookReviews.com!

The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu was a very interesting take on aliens and the body snatcher archetype. The narrative was extremely funny and the characters were all very well developed. I enjoyed learning about the war between the Prophus and the Genjix and I especially enjoyed the developing relationship between Roen and Tao. Mr. Chu has created a fabulous new mythology and I cannot wait to see how all the different plotlines play out.

Tao is an alien entity that must live inside a human host in order to survive our Earthly environment. The book begins with Tao inhabiting a very experienced secret agent named Edward. Suffice it to say, Tao doesn't stay with Edward very long but the way that Mr. Chu develop Edward into such a sympathetic character in so few pages was masterful. I would have been happy to read an entire story starring Edward and Tao and appreciated the fact that Edward's memory was carried throughout the story and not just forgotten right after the prologue.

After his separation from Edward, Tao enters Roen Tam - a non-voluntary and unwitting host. Roen is overweight, lazy, and unhappy with his life. He hates himself, his job, and pretty much everything in his life. Once Tao introduces himself (mentally only), Roen decides to join the Prosphus cause and enter into Tao's world. Through their partnership, Roen learns what truly makes him happy and grows the self-confidence to go after it. He becomes a better man for having Tao inside his head and learns exactly what he is capable of.

I wasn't sold on Roen right away, but he quickly began to grow on me. He started out pretty whiny, but Tao soon whipped him onto shape. Once Roen began to believe in himself, he became a really interesting character and it was nice to be introduced to everything in the Prophus world along with him. Tao was also fascinating; I loved the snippets where he shared stories of his previous hosts. Tao is very knowledgable in many things; he has lived a long time and seen many things, but I think being in Roen helps humanize him. Tao and Roen make a great team and watching them learn to work as partners was a hilarious ride.

The other characters in The Lives of Tao supported the story and advanced the plot beautifully. I think Sonya was probably my favorite secondary character, but Mr. Chu filled this book with interesting people. From Roen's strictly human roommate Antonio and girlfriend Jill, to the other Prosphus like Baji, and finally the Genjix villains like Marc and Sean, everyone had their place in the story and felt like a useful piece; no one in this story was extraneous.

I was enthralled by Mr. Chu's debut and think it is one of the top science fiction books I have read so far this year. His prose was cleanly done and the conversations between the characters were peppered with hilarious and insightful quips. Mr. Chu lives up to Angry Robot's reputation of fine science fiction and fantasy authors and has definitely found himself a new fan in me. I will be looking forward to more in Tao's world, but will happily follow Mr. Chu in any direction he decides to write. Highly recommended to those looking for a uniquely modern science fiction yarn.

Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot Books for providing an ARC copy of this book!(less)

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May 11, 2013 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When out-of-shape IT technician Roen woke up and started hearing voices in his head, he naturally assumed he was losing it.

He wasn’t

He now has a passenger in his brain – an ancient alien life-form called Tao, whose race crash-landed on Earth before the first fish crawled out of the oceans. Now split into two opposing factions – the peace-loving, but under-represented Prophus, and the savage, powerful Genjix – the aliens have been in a state of civil war for centuries. Both sides are searching f...more When out-of-shape IT technician Roen woke up and started hearing voices in his head, he naturally assumed he was losing it.

He wasn’t

He now has a passenger in his brain – an ancient alien life-form called Tao, whose race crash-landed on Earth before the first fish crawled out of the oceans. Now split into two opposing factions – the peace-loving, but under-represented Prophus, and the savage, powerful Genjix – the aliens have been in a state of civil war for centuries. Both sides are searching for a way off-planet, and the Genjix will sacrifice the entire human race, if that’s what it takes.

Meanwhile, Roen is having to train to be the ultimate secret agent. Like that’s going to end up well…

Any book that begins with a tense rooftop standoff swiftly followed by an unexpectedly dramatic escape has got to be worth a shot as far as I’m concerned. Spy type thrills and escapades are always a great deal of fun. The trickiest question though is how exactly do you make spies more exciting? Let’s be honest, they are quite exciting already. The answer, which The Lives of Tao successfully confirms, is to add two groups of ancient feuding aliens into the mix.

I like Roen Tan. He’s spent his life letting things just happen to him; reacting, but never being proactive. I think it’s fair to say I found it pretty easy to relate. Meeting Tao has a profound effect on his life and anything suddenly seems possible. To paraphrase a very wise man* “The world you think you know is not real“. Just imagine, you’re living your life. Going about your business. You might even be a bit bored of the constant grind. Suddenly, your entire world-view is wrong and everything you thought you knew is fundamentally different. Working with Tao Roen is given the opportunity to become the best version of himself that he can be, sounds pretty damn tempting to me.

Tao has spent many generations working with his different human hosts. Over the years, these symbiotic relationships have left their mark and he has developed a fondness for humanity. There is a real bittersweet note to his character. He has outlived so many hosts, yet he remembers everything about every single one. Each chapter begins with a short flashback that features some of Tao’s previous hosts. It’s a nice little touch that helps better round out his character.

Wesley Chu has written a fun debut that acts as a perfect introduction to the struggle between the Prophus and the Genjix. We get to learn how these two groups have had a hand in human development from the very beginning. What excites me most about the premise of The Lives of Tao is the almost unending potential to develop into an on-going series. If the aliens have been around since before the dawn of man, then any time period imaginable is fair game to be included in future books, any historical figure for that matter as well. Just think, any event from the whole of human history could be included.

It would have been nice to learn a bit more about the Genjix, there are only a couple of chapters that deal exclusively with their viewpoint, but I suspect that this is something that will the explored in the next book. The Genjix relationship with their human hosts has an entirely different air, they are worshipped by their followers and hosts. The way their organisation works is more like a religion than the mutually beneficial agreement that the Prophus have with their hosts. To the Genejix, humanity is just a convenience to be exploited to their advantage.

As I mentioned before The Lives of Tao is bucket loads of fun, it’s pure undiluted escapism. C’mon, who hasn’t ever day-dreamed of escaping the rat race and becoming an international man/woman of mystery? The addition of an alien race guiding human development is just the icing on the cake. I really enjoyed this novel, it’s top notch entertainment.

The Lives of Tao is published by Angry Robot Books and is available now. I suspect that it might just be the perfect summer read. The sequel, The Deaths of Tao, will be out later in the year. I will most definitely be checking that out as well when it arrives.

* It was Morpheus from The Matrix, but you get my point.(less)

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Feb 24, 2013 Nenia Campbell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: x-2013s, arc-stands-for-a-readers-xmas, netgalley

You can read more reviews at my blog, The Armchair Librarian!

The Lives of Tao is an interesting, strange little book. There are many elements in it I suspect have been derived from another sci-fi sources, with an abudnance of nerd humor.

It's about a feuding alien race called the Genjix and the Prophus. Rather like the Vulcans and the Romulans in Star Trek, both aliens share a common ancestry: they both hail from the planet Quasar, and call themselves, appropriately enough, Quasings.

Like Yeerks,...more

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May 21, 2013 Tammy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In a word: an ingenious concept, flawed but likable characters, exciting action sequences, with an emotional payoff at the end.

This whole alien-in-his-body was starting to sound better and better. First, he got to hang out with a hot girl, and now he was going to be James Bond. He would have to go shopping for a new wardrobe to fit his new role. Roen imagined a long trench coat like Neo with cool sunglasses and a big gun hanging at his waist.

The premise of The Lives of Tao is startlingly simple:...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Mikel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Full review is at: http://wp.me/p2s3sT-xo

Wesley Chu’s book The Lives of Tao is ridiculously good. The fish out of water scenario always has potential, and what he’s written here is like the coolest bar band cover of that classic setup. Wesley’s goal is to take us on an incredible ride, and he absolutely succeeds. The action scenes are brisk, the dialogue is genuinely funny, and there are also some touching scenes that Chu handles well. He’s adept at keeping all of those emotions carefully balanc...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Bane of Kings rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: angry-robot, science-fiction, 2013-releases-read, netgalley

Read the Full Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/04/....

“An awesome, fun read allows for another strong debut of 2013.” ~The Founding Fields

The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu is a very interesting book, and right from the start you will find yourself drawn into the strong narrative and the interesting characters. It’s a story that has been inspired from sci-fi and comics, however whatever your tastes are you’ll find something to enjoy in this book. It’s an entertaining, funny and page-turnin...more Read the Full Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/04/....

“An awesome, fun read allows for another strong debut of 2013.” ~The Founding Fields

The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu is a very interesting book, and right from the start you will find yourself drawn into the strong narrative and the interesting characters. It’s a story that has been inspired from sci-fi and comics, however whatever your tastes are you’ll find something to enjoy in this book. It’s an entertaining, funny and page-turning read, and with a few problems aside, The Lives of Tao is a very strong debut novel and I will certainly looking forward to be reading more of Wesley Chu.

"When out-of-shape IT technician Roen woke up and started hearing voices in his head, he naturally assumed he was losing it.

He wasn’t. He now has a passenger in his brain – an ancient alien life-form called Tao, whose race crash-landed on Earth before the first fish crawled out of the oceans. Now split into two opposing factions – the peace-loving, but under-represented Prophus, and the savage, powerful Genjix – the aliens have been in a state of civil war for centuries. Both sides are searching for a way off-planet, and the Genjix will sacrifice the entire human race, if that’s what it takes.Meanwhile, Roen is having to train to be the ultimate secret agent. Like that’s going to end up well…"

The characters in this book are all fun and enjoyable to read about. Roen is a compelling, rootable lead character and when he wakes up to start hearing voices in his head, it’s interesting to see how he reacts. Only the voices aren’t him sinking into insanity. It’s Tao, an alien, and he finds himself drawn into a war between two sections of rivals in the alien species – Prophus and Genjix, in a style that reminded me of Desmond’s journey in Assassin’s Creed, only that the animus is actually an alien life form in his head rather than a machine, and the Prophus and Genjix can be compared to the struggles of the Assassins and the Templars.

If’ you’re looking for a book that manages to balance humour and seriousness then Chu gets it just right here. There are several amusing moments in this book particularly in the opening sequence, where we see how Tao came from his former host to Roen, and needless to say – the transition from Edward to Roen is somewhat unexpected for the alien involved, as he’s used to sharing the same bodies as people like Ghengis Khan, and it’s very interesting to see Roen’s journey even if the journey of nerd to an experienced fighter is not one that’s all too original.

The characters Roen and Tao are a pivotal point to this story and it’s very interesting watching and learning how they get on with each other, especially as initially they both don’t like their newfound roles. Especially as going from an experienced, well-trained Edward, to a guy who can barely walk up stairs without running out of breath is more than a bit disheartening for Tao, made even more so when they eventually meets up with similar Prophus.

However, The Lives of Tao is not perfect, and there is perhaps one main flaw that I found with this book, and that was the time jumps, which became annoying at times and in some cases the pacing as a whole wasn’t entirely as clean as it could have been. Like a James Bond film we find ourselves thrown in right at the deep end, but whilst it works for a spy movie it doesn’t really work for a book where we’re only first introduced to the new characters and all the new terminology. Thankfully, over time – it does come easier to the reader though, and as a result the flaws in this book don’t have a very big impact.

VERDICT: 4/5
(less)

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Apr 18, 2013 Jessica Nelson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Tao is a Quasing, one of a race of alien life forms from the planet Quasar whose ship broke up in Earth’s atmosphere millennia ago, stranding its inhabitants on a strange new world completely inhospitable to their gaseous forms. To survive, the Quasing discovered, they must become parasitic, inhabiting the bodies of the native life forms. Throughout prehistory, they inhabited dinosaurs and Neanderthals, until humans showed promise of the ability to evolve in a manner that might someday allow the...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Abhinav rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-read

You can find the full review over at The Founding Fields:

http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/04/...

Shadowhawk reviews another upcoming debut from Angry Robot Books.

“Vividly entertaining, this is a book that looks past the lively and thrilling glamour of life as an international spy and also merges several genres together into a cohesive whole to tell a story that rocks from start to finish.” ~The Founding Fields

When I first heard about The Lives of Tao late last year, I was really intrigued by the...more You can find the full review over at The Founding Fields:

http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/04/...

Shadowhawk reviews another upcoming debut from Angry Robot Books.

“Vividly entertaining, this is a book that looks past the lively and thrilling glamour of life as an international spy and also merges several genres together into a cohesive whole to tell a story that rocks from start to finish.” ~The Founding Fields

When I first heard about The Lives of Tao late last year, I was really intrigued by the concept. On the surface, the book promised to be at least as fun a read as Guy Haley’s first Richards and Klein Investigations novel Reality 36, another SF offering from Angry Robot. Reality 36 was a novel that challenged concepts about how AI could/would develop into the future and it offered a really interesting and unique viewpoint on things. It was also very Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson in tone at times, and with The Lives of Tao, I got that same vibe. In the end, The Lives of Tao proved to be a really interesting book, one that feels familiar and different at the same time.

There are, for the most part, two distinct POV characters in the novel, although they often merge together given their symbiotic (not sure if this would be the correct term to use) relationship. Roen, the IT slob who hates his life and is a bit of a geek-cliche early on, made for a really refreshing character. Its been a while since I’ve read a book with a protagonist where he/she is so far down in the dumps on a personal level, in a self-pitying kind of way, and so completely unprepared for what is in store for him. The novel is about him coming to accept the changes in his life and turn himself around for the better, so that he can finally start earning some respect from the people around him, respect that he thinks is his due when he meets the other POV character, Tao. The Lives of Tao is also about Roen finding some positive direction in his life, a purpose to live and die for rather than slave away endlessly at a 9-5 job week after week with zero social life and eternal boredom.

Tao is the second major POV character in the novel and he happens to be a (rather) ephemeral alien being, part of the space-faring species known as the Quasing. A ship with some of his people on-board crash-landed on Earth hundreds of thousands, even millions of years ago, and is single-handedly responsible for pretty much all the significant historical milestones, even going so far back as choosing which species of the early Man would eventually dominate all life on the Earth. Tao himself has… inhabited several of the most prominent historical figures that we are most familiar with, Genghis Khan being one such example. For Tao, the novel is about living through one of his greatest challenges and even, to a degree, making amends for some of his past mistakes and atoning for his failures with his previous hosts.

Wesley Chu brings these two completely different characters together in a story that is as much buddy-comedy espionage thriller as it is near-future SF. Tao has had the benefit of countless “lives” or hosts over the many thousands of years of his existence. Compared to any of the greatest minds of Human history, he is an intellectual like none other. On the other hand, Roen is a very simple-minded fellow with very simple and straightforward needs. For him, there is no complexity in the world, and his life has little meaning outside of a job that he hates and a roommate who is the only person to even give a damn about him. The highpoint of the novel is how the author creates a clash between these two different personalities with their own idiosyncrasies and attitudes and outlooks on life.

For me, it is actually fairly difficult to properly categorise the novel in terms of the effect it had on me. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the book, and think that it is one of the finer books that have been put out by Angry Robot in the last year and a half. But, there’s also something about it that defies description because it does not fit into any particular genres so to speak. The Lives of Tao is the love-child of James Bond and Starsky & Hutch crossed with Johnny English, Rush Hour, Mission Impossible and Tango & Cash. That’s one heck of a buddy-comedy/espionage thriller ancestry and I say that with positivity since these are all movies (and franchises) that I’ve enjoyed. And then you learn that this love-child has been created at the behest of ancient-ancient aliens who’ve been around forever. You start to get the idea I think. The novel is absolutely jam-packed with light-hearted comedy and some really fun drama between Roen and Tao.

One of the things that I really liked about the book was the way that Wesley Chu handled the insights into Tao’s many lives. Through brief pre-chapter diary entry-style notes that are contextualised as Tao’s “teachings” to Roen while the latter sleeps at night, we learn what Tao thinks of his previous lives, especially his greatest successes and failures such as Genghis Khan. This serves to humanise his character in a way that creates sympathy with his character, and makes him out as someone I could identify with to a degree. Often, Roen asks Tao for more details when they are training or in the field on mission, and Tao always obliges. This helps to world-build the setting that the author has already created, and also shows just how much of an effect the Quasing have had on Human history, whether for good or for ill. Eventually, it all dovetails into how the Quasing civil war started out, and how the alien schism ended up affecting Human history once more. Or rather, the future of Mankind, since the Quasing are directly responsible for some of the biggest conflicts of the past, such as the World Wars for instance.(less)

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May 05, 2013 Sonia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received this as an ARC, but due to some family issues, I haven’t been able to get in as much reading time as usual lately, so it did actually get published on 30th April (but that’s great as it means that it’s already available to buy now!)

Roen Tan is your normal twenty-something Average Joe. He shares a flat with his friend (who has just become a Doctor, so lording it over him), hates his tedious office job, wishes he could have more success with women and is sure that it’s down to him being...more I received this as an ARC, but due to some family issues, I haven’t been able to get in as much reading time as usual lately, so it did actually get published on 30th April (but that’s great as it means that it’s already available to buy now!)

Roen Tan is your normal twenty-something Average Joe. He shares a flat with his friend (who has just become a Doctor, so lording it over him), hates his tedious office job, wishes he could have more success with women and is sure that it’s down to him being not just short, but overweight and lacking confidence. However, instead of doing anything about it, he (like millions of others) just complains and seeks solace in more junk food.

He soon gets the break that he needs though, but with far more consequences than he could have even started dreaming of!

Somewhere nearby, secret agent Edward Blair is betrayed and compromised. He sacrifices himself as a means of saving Tao, who has existed inside him for years. Tao is a Quasing, an alien who can only survive on earth within another lifeform, is unable to exist outside of a host for more than a couple of minutes, and once joined, is unable to exit the host until it has died.

Upon his release following Edward’s death, Tao is forced to seek refuge in Roen Tan’s body – not the highly trained soldier that he would have chosen to co-exist with, although not a challenge that he is unfamiliar with.

The Quasing have been on Earth since the Jurassic period when their ship crashed. In their effort to find a way home, they have been inhabiting creatures to survive, eventually choosing humans over other species. At some stage, the Quasing split into two factions, Prophus and Genjix that have ended up warring for thousands of years in their race to find a way back to their own planet. Both sides have spent much of their time in hosts that have become powerful or noteworthy – which is understandable, if you had a highly-evolved alien mentoring you, you’d probably make a mark on history, wouldn’t you?

With their war at a critical point, and Tao a crucial part of the war – does Tao have time to train Roen Tan for his new role? Will Roen have to give up every aspect of his life? Can he just ignore Tao’s voice in his head? Would he rather just carry on with his boring existence?

I loved this book. Roen Tan is such an ordinary, average kind of guy. All the normal complaints and pretty sedentary lifestyle. Never realising that he always has had it within him to do something about it – with the right motivation.

Tao is like a hugely committed personal trainer and motivational speaker. Tao tells Roen his history, giving different insights into some of the better-known figures that he has co-existed with. But it’s not just about trying to retell history with a different slant, it’s more about one man’s journey to finding himself. It’s a little like a reversal of The Host by Stephanie Meyers (which my 13 year old dragged me to see the film) but without all the insufferable teenage angst!

There are comic moments, there are tender moments and there are moments where I wondered what I would do if I had an alien inside me, and moments where I wished I did as it might push me into doing stuff!

The climax was especially strong, and somewhat unexpected. And it has left me wanting more Roen & Tao.(less)

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