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Pillars of Creation #1
Genesis
"I am all that is left of the man Genesis. I exist in the dark so Earth’s last candle may burn …
"They rebuilt me, tortured and forged me, to be a harbinger of hope. But still they want more … they always want more. My sect - Earth's one true religion - trains us to be elite assassins, yet they celebrate us as their beacons of hope and peace ... what a farce we have become.”
For Genesis, survival has become an art he has honed well. As a Roach from the slums of Earth he learned to thrive amongst repression and pain, well enough to escape and be adopted into an ancient, powerful sect, which acts as the spearhead for all humanity. But to belong, he must adopt the ways of a heretical master, navigating the deadly apprenticeship and world of the Immortals, and somehow still hide the darkness that beckons him.
"They rebuilt me, tortured and forged me, to be a harbinger of hope. But still they want more … they always want more. My sect - Earth's one true religion - trains us to be elite assassins, yet they celebrate us as their beacons of hope and peace ... what a farce we have become.”
For Genesis, survival has become an art he has honed well. As a Roach from the slums of Earth he learned to thrive amongst repression and pain, well enough to escape and be adopted into an ancient, powerful sect, which acts as the spearhead for all humanity. But to belong, he must adopt the ways of a heretical master, navigating the deadly apprenticeship and world of the Immortals, and somehow still hide the darkness that beckons him.
- GenresScience Fiction
870 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2012
10 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
David J. Tucker
4 books48 followersI am a human male that heralds from the planet Earth. I own my own hair, shoes and facial features. I enjoy the consumption of food, wine and kindling my soul with a good book or two, and a crackling hearth.
I am 34 Earth years old, I am a teacher/ 21st century facilitator, and love visiting the realm of my mind's eye, to write the stories within my skull, that beg me to share them.
I bid thee well, and welcome thee to inhabit my space I dwell ....
I am 34 Earth years old, I am a teacher/ 21st century facilitator, and love visiting the realm of my mind's eye, to write the stories within my skull, that beg me to share them.
I bid thee well, and welcome thee to inhabit my space I dwell ....
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 1, 2017
Genesis. David Tucker
How dissapointing! Where to begin? I began reading this book about 4 days ago. I read a few chapters, paused, and read the reviews, something I do not normally do while reading a book for review. I wanted to get a feel for the reactions of other readers. Much to my surprise, they were generally positive, with 4 and 5 stars awarded with only a couple of 3 star reviews. I say surprise simply because after only a few chapters, I felt dismayed at the lack of any standard writing style and less than acceptable standard of grammar shown on the page. These percieved faults grated on my nerves to a degree perhaps greater than they deserved but I could not ignore my feeling of annoyance.
There are hundreds of missing commas in this book, spoiling the flow of the endless narrative passages. I am surprised that the author took no notice of them since I read the Microsoft Word version (comma) which highlights the missing commas. They show up as a wiggly green line under the words affected. Word also highlights and detects very accurately the use of the passive voice. Passive voice is a big bugbear with me and it drives me to distraction whenever I see it. It has to be used on occasion and I accept that without question, however, this book is written almost entirely in th epassive voice and that is simply not acceptable. I started out making a note of these passive phrases. When I reached over 100, I stopped noting them down; it had become too time-consuming. Here are a few; goal was reached, they were partnered, time was slowed, troops was mirrored, was never forgotten, had been filled, was saved by, became engulfed, girl was crushed, he was forced to sit, was deemed crucial, being trained by, were strategically placed, and so on, ad infinitum.
For anyone who is unsure about the use of active an dpassive phrasing, please refer to Stephan King’s comments on the passive voice. http://www.westga.edu/~jloicano/Steph...
There are adverbs strewn like confetti all over the book, some are truly tortuous and others simply confusing. Consider; quietly thinking? (Is there any other way?) and, precipitously disconnected? Just what does that mean, exactly? I disliked the constant use of contractions in the text. Speech contractions are fine but in the text, for me, and most writers, no. Never! The use of italics simply served to confuse me. We are often faced with head-hopping within a single head and that is truly confusing!
There are changes in font size and some haphazard spacing between chapters. The one line space between paragraphs is something I have never seen before and hope never to see again. There are sentences that simply baffled me, such as; So what will it be boy? I’ve given you enough to choose now, Zeal thought definitively; life or death? And again, As Zeal had foretold, a Wielder was what he was apparently destined to become and was where Zeal had said his talents had led him to be. That lost me. Also this one; He returned to where he’s been standing prior. And this phrase; sidling the danger at the last perceivable instant of evasion. What do they mean?
How do you take in every detail with a cursory glance? It means the opposite.
Genesis and the T’el’ guy studied each other for about 5 minutes!???
Katana changes from a noun to a proper noun at random, which is it?
How can you look horrifyingly down?
Putting all that aside, the main criticism I have of this novel is the introspection and the massive amounts of facts or information that were dumped in huge tranches every few pages. This Genesis spends an awful lot of time daydreaming, pondering his past, reminiscing, apparently spaced out for long periods. I am amazed he gets anything done. He spends long passages ruminating on his genesis and it becomes boring, in the extreme! He is constantly remembering things, a much over-used and poorly devised method of adding back-story. The information is presentedin the form of lectures, which I find distracting, tedious and utterly boring. I skimmed page after page of this, adding to my sense of frustration. The story itself merits perhaps 20 thousand words. The fact that this book is 100 thousand words drove me to tears. The extra 80 thousand were superfluous and distracting. The four-page description of the development of the magical armor subsumed me into a deep, languorous torpor, only to be jolted wide awake a few pages later when the first attack on the hero results in a huge wound to his leg! What was the point of that magic armor, I wondered? Indeed, it failed yet again at a vital moment later in the book, as did a few other impregnable edifices we had learned so much about.
The last 80 pages of the book could have been the whole book for me. The ending left me feeling cheated with its lack of a real, conclusive, overwhelming event to seal the deal. The fact that it says, Part One, on the cover is not an excuse to leave a 420 plus page book unfinished. That cheats the reader and pre-supposes that the reader will stick around for part two. I will not be one of those.
I am feeling generous, as ever, and will award this valiant though much flawed effort, two stars.
January 13, 2017
I’m sorry, but I just can’t finish this book. I made it to about two hundred pages in, and all the way, I felt overloaded with information. Since this is a series, the author could have spread the information out throughout the life of the series. For example, we could be shown by their actions and roles in the story how Historians were different from Wielders, instead it’s presented in lecture form, which was not engaging. Likewise with the history of the galaxy.
I was really looking forward to this story, but for me, the book did not breathe, there was no space for me to engage with the material. The density had no reprieve, and it was just too much. There is something to be said for leaving the reader to jump to conclusions, to ask questions, to make the discovery inherent in reading a book – especially in this genre – fun! Being told every little detail before I even got a chance to question anything, preempted my joy.
I was really looking forward to this story, but for me, the book did not breathe, there was no space for me to engage with the material. The density had no reprieve, and it was just too much. There is something to be said for leaving the reader to jump to conclusions, to ask questions, to make the discovery inherent in reading a book – especially in this genre – fun! Being told every little detail before I even got a chance to question anything, preempted my joy.
November 11, 2017
**Actual Rating 3.5 Stars**
Characters
I'm going to start this off by saying I really liked Genesis. He was such a rewarding character to follow. There is this constant battle within him that really highlights the surviving core values of the man that was before the other two 'aspects' got involved. The longer the book went the more I liked him and just wanted to know his story. I also liked his AI, Me'lina, especially as the book went on. That being said I struggled with some of the other characters. Rotas was awesome but her story just seems to drop off about mid book. Osiris just monologues for what feels like half of the book which is something I just couldn't get past to actually connect or even form an opinion of the character. There are a few other characters but these are the primarily.
Plot
You could tell from the way the book was going that it was just building to a bigger story. There were times it felt like it was a way to introduce the world and characters. From the information on the back of the book I felt I was a little mislead on what the book was about. Furthermore I felt there were scenes and sections purely created to give the author a platform to give the information to the reader, not necessarily relevant to the plot. It was amazing the amount of detail the author had in the world and the depths it went to, but it was too much and not all of it relevant. This could have been amazing if it had only dispersed the information more and weaved it in better and made it relevant. For example, I thought Osiris's had way too much page time.
In the end I think this book was about Genesis and his inner struggle. It was about him changing via an encounter with a particularly nasty alien. It was an origin story done in flashbacks and inner musings.
Overall
This book is massively creative and the world that was built was expansive and imaginative. That being said the world building was sometimes done in info dumps which were a struggle to get through. I didn't think I'd see the day that a character outdid the monologue done by Ian Malcolm in The Lost World; but this book does and not for the better. It created a lecture format of reading about the book, more of a text book about the world then a fictional novel where you could get immersed in the story.
There were some amazing action scenes though they do run a little long they were well done. It was very much a science fiction with aliens, space battles, and nano technology. It reminded me of the video game Destiny in parts and more than once I thought "This would make an awesome video game."
Rating
3.5 Stars (rounded down)
"It was okay" aptly describes what I think of this book. Despite its shortcomings it was impressively thought up story and world. Although it is amazing concept for a video game it fell a little short in the book arena.
I received this book for a free and voluntarily review. More reviews at creatingworldswithwords.wordpress.com.
Characters
I'm going to start this off by saying I really liked Genesis. He was such a rewarding character to follow. There is this constant battle within him that really highlights the surviving core values of the man that was before the other two 'aspects' got involved. The longer the book went the more I liked him and just wanted to know his story. I also liked his AI, Me'lina, especially as the book went on. That being said I struggled with some of the other characters. Rotas was awesome but her story just seems to drop off about mid book. Osiris just monologues for what feels like half of the book which is something I just couldn't get past to actually connect or even form an opinion of the character. There are a few other characters but these are the primarily.
Plot
You could tell from the way the book was going that it was just building to a bigger story. There were times it felt like it was a way to introduce the world and characters. From the information on the back of the book I felt I was a little mislead on what the book was about. Furthermore I felt there were scenes and sections purely created to give the author a platform to give the information to the reader, not necessarily relevant to the plot. It was amazing the amount of detail the author had in the world and the depths it went to, but it was too much and not all of it relevant. This could have been amazing if it had only dispersed the information more and weaved it in better and made it relevant. For example, I thought Osiris's had way too much page time.
In the end I think this book was about Genesis and his inner struggle. It was about him changing via an encounter with a particularly nasty alien. It was an origin story done in flashbacks and inner musings.
Overall
This book is massively creative and the world that was built was expansive and imaginative. That being said the world building was sometimes done in info dumps which were a struggle to get through. I didn't think I'd see the day that a character outdid the monologue done by Ian Malcolm in The Lost World; but this book does and not for the better. It created a lecture format of reading about the book, more of a text book about the world then a fictional novel where you could get immersed in the story.
There were some amazing action scenes though they do run a little long they were well done. It was very much a science fiction with aliens, space battles, and nano technology. It reminded me of the video game Destiny in parts and more than once I thought "This would make an awesome video game."
Rating
3.5 Stars (rounded down)
"It was okay" aptly describes what I think of this book. Despite its shortcomings it was impressively thought up story and world. Although it is amazing concept for a video game it fell a little short in the book arena.
I received this book for a free and voluntarily review. More reviews at creatingworldswithwords.wordpress.com.
August 26, 2016
Genesis is a young immortal with a split personality – half katana-wielding-assassin, with the ability to disappears; half religious-zealot; as well as Me’lina, his artificial intelligence – all three personalities battle against Skinks. Genesis was my favorite character, with Me'lina a close second (this assumes that you separate personalities.) This gives you a glimpse of Me'lina, "Me’lina computed into her memory banks, according to human data files she was the most independent entity of her model, and she was free to continue her own independent lines of enquiry into these current events ... something she relished above all else." & this gives you a glimpse of how Me'lina and Gensis interact, when she tells Genesis, "“Well then calm yourself, remember I am a lot less computer-bound now, and you don’t want to piss off a homicidal female with over half a century of pent up frustration, now do you?”
Lieutenant Colonel Rotas, a special-ops veteran solder and hew squad back up Genesis. As we meet her, this paragraph seems to sum up the situation they are facing, "A religious war was always the worst, and when beliefs got muddled with honouring this or that divinity, or taking the true word into a campaign, men simply got fanatic, and this she knew brought violence and primal instincts to a level well beyond survival. Rotas had forgotten how many years this war had been going, but the religion’s records certainly would not." She wears impressive armor and uses high tech weapons vs Genesis' knives.
Osiris, Genesis' childhood mentor, pops into the story via flashbacks, which tended to disorient me.
Due to the katana sword, I initially assumed this was a fantasy, however, when I realized things like ionized propulsion and nanotechnologies were involved, I recognized the story had stronger sci-fi attributes.
Due to the flashbacks and overuse of adverbs, I gave this book 4 stars - otherwise, I would have given it 5 stars.
Lieutenant Colonel Rotas, a special-ops veteran solder and hew squad back up Genesis. As we meet her, this paragraph seems to sum up the situation they are facing, "A religious war was always the worst, and when beliefs got muddled with honouring this or that divinity, or taking the true word into a campaign, men simply got fanatic, and this she knew brought violence and primal instincts to a level well beyond survival. Rotas had forgotten how many years this war had been going, but the religion’s records certainly would not." She wears impressive armor and uses high tech weapons vs Genesis' knives.
Osiris, Genesis' childhood mentor, pops into the story via flashbacks, which tended to disorient me.
Due to the katana sword, I initially assumed this was a fantasy, however, when I realized things like ionized propulsion and nanotechnologies were involved, I recognized the story had stronger sci-fi attributes.
Due to the flashbacks and overuse of adverbs, I gave this book 4 stars - otherwise, I would have given it 5 stars.
September 14, 2016
This novel set in space has an engaging storyline at its heart. I'm not typically a fan of hard sci-fi with battle scenes and detailed technological explanations, but Tucker's novel won me over. Once I got to know Genesis, I was hooked by the mystery involved with his character: Why does he have trouble using his Rieft, yet has other unusual abilities that allow him to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds? What happened to Genesis' mentor? What is the meaning of the mysterious closed portal? What does the alien want with Genesis? Although I had a little trouble getting into the novel at first, I really enjoyed the storyline for Genesis.
The characters in general are likable and felt believable to me. The society is structured around religion and holy wars, and I liked that the religion felt organic to the created world. I didn't feel any intrusive preachiness from the author in favor of or criticism of religion; religion is simply the basis for how the novel's society is structured.
The downside of this novel is that at times there is too much telling of information. There were also some scenes that I really would have liked to have witnessed as a reader: I would have liked to have seen fewer military battles and more of Genesis' training. Toward the end of the novel, a captivating horrific subplot is described by Me'lina... I was very intrigued by it, and although I'm not always a fan of battles, that particular struggle aboard the ship would have been especially compelling if we'd been allowed to see it unfold directly. That was good stuff! It reminded me of old-fashioned sci-fi horror. Even just hearing the story through Me'lina's character was captivating.
Overall, Genesis' plot line is engaging and well worth reading. I enjoyed this novel, and I highly recommend it to sci-fi readers.
The characters in general are likable and felt believable to me. The society is structured around religion and holy wars, and I liked that the religion felt organic to the created world. I didn't feel any intrusive preachiness from the author in favor of or criticism of religion; religion is simply the basis for how the novel's society is structured.
The downside of this novel is that at times there is too much telling of information. There were also some scenes that I really would have liked to have witnessed as a reader: I would have liked to have seen fewer military battles and more of Genesis' training. Toward the end of the novel, a captivating horrific subplot is described by Me'lina... I was very intrigued by it, and although I'm not always a fan of battles, that particular struggle aboard the ship would have been especially compelling if we'd been allowed to see it unfold directly. That was good stuff! It reminded me of old-fashioned sci-fi horror. Even just hearing the story through Me'lina's character was captivating.
Overall, Genesis' plot line is engaging and well worth reading. I enjoyed this novel, and I highly recommend it to sci-fi readers.
January 10, 2018
David J Tucker's Genesis (Pillars of Creation, #1) is dark in tone, epic in scope, and alternates between brilliant to mind-numbing.
The version I read is the more recent one, which now includes the next book - it is 70 chapters long & surely close to 240,000 words. This gives the book a more satisfying ending though it's a longer read.
Genesis (or roach) is the weakest immortal (a nano-infused, wielder of rieft force), a wielder and weapon against the sworn enemies of the Sacred Earth Directive (SED), under the sacred leadership of the SINAI (elders infused with a massive AI). His mission to stop a small Skink (Seekers of the Truth) force above a unknown planet, assisted by loyal marines. This conflict soon escalates into a life and death struggle between SED and the Skinks - but a far more ancient, powerful and evil force is at work and Genesis is instrumental in the plans to stop it.
There is much to like in this epic tale - the world building is detailed and extensive both in time and space. Genesis, Melina, Rotas even dry, dusty Osiris are great characters. There many, many cool concepts that intrigue - Genesis' 'injected' religious personality and his internal AI Melina, the infusing on nanos within both Wielders and Librarians to give them almost limitless healing, awesome fighting abilities and knowledge. The Apocalypse Armour and sacred weapons. Fight scenes are extensive and brilliantly described. While some plot twists were blindingly obvious by the time of the reveal (the nature of the alien Telnagara Genesis first encounters on the Skink ship) and at times almost too intricate, the story maintains momentum with twists and turns, and Tucker pulls most of the threads together by the end. Many sections of the book were gripping, unputdownable, but alas many others weren't.
Probably three things stopped me from fully enjoying this book.
The first was the pages and pages of either long-winded, information-dense speeches that rambled on and on, often pages long, (especially by just about everyone to Genesis - from Melina to Abaddon to Zeal to Odin) and the equally pages-long sections of introspection - multiple times from Genesis or Osiris mulling over the situation or their respective pasts, to Rotas remembering the findings of the techs in the temple (not even the techs reporting or in a meeting, but Rotas recalling the extensive details of their findings). And often the same information would be repeated two or three times on the same page or had already been told or shown through events. So many of these passages could be slimmed down to a succinct paragraph or two and/or feed in overtime and/or shown through action or at least have interjections. This, for me, was the biggest weakness of the book.
I also struggled for much of the book to see how the different groups were following religious concepts (except perhaps in the way that a political figures like Mao or Kim Il Jung are 'worshipped' in a personality cult or some sort of 'holy war' concept divorced from other teachings) until three-quarters of the way through - and even then, the Sacreds are more deistic than theistic, distant and rather inept and weak. Perhaps the rieft power is in some way connected to these (spiritual?) beings- which is enhanced by advanced technology (nanos, AI, slipstream etc). The powers of evil are much more present - though seemingly material beings.
But more than this - we learned much more about what SED and Skinks were against (each other or any other alternative view) than what they were for (perhaps SED valued simple friendship and civilians more?). All sides - SED, SINAI, Skinks, Stygian, Hel'zarat - 'good' or 'bad' were into annihilating their enemies with no quarter given, virtually no room for negotiations or diplomacy. And the body count is high, Mount Everest high. This story is soaked in blood as well as dismembered bodies (told in loving detail) - not least from our heroes like Genesis, Rotas - and Zeal.
Overall, I would have enjoyed Genesis: Pillars of Creation much more with tighter writing, less obsession with massacre, and a better picture of the good the heroes were fighting for.
The version I read is the more recent one, which now includes the next book - it is 70 chapters long & surely close to 240,000 words. This gives the book a more satisfying ending though it's a longer read.
Genesis (or roach) is the weakest immortal (a nano-infused, wielder of rieft force), a wielder and weapon against the sworn enemies of the Sacred Earth Directive (SED), under the sacred leadership of the SINAI (elders infused with a massive AI). His mission to stop a small Skink (Seekers of the Truth) force above a unknown planet, assisted by loyal marines. This conflict soon escalates into a life and death struggle between SED and the Skinks - but a far more ancient, powerful and evil force is at work and Genesis is instrumental in the plans to stop it.
There is much to like in this epic tale - the world building is detailed and extensive both in time and space. Genesis, Melina, Rotas even dry, dusty Osiris are great characters. There many, many cool concepts that intrigue - Genesis' 'injected' religious personality and his internal AI Melina, the infusing on nanos within both Wielders and Librarians to give them almost limitless healing, awesome fighting abilities and knowledge. The Apocalypse Armour and sacred weapons. Fight scenes are extensive and brilliantly described. While some plot twists were blindingly obvious by the time of the reveal (the nature of the alien Telnagara Genesis first encounters on the Skink ship) and at times almost too intricate, the story maintains momentum with twists and turns, and Tucker pulls most of the threads together by the end. Many sections of the book were gripping, unputdownable, but alas many others weren't.
Probably three things stopped me from fully enjoying this book.
The first was the pages and pages of either long-winded, information-dense speeches that rambled on and on, often pages long, (especially by just about everyone to Genesis - from Melina to Abaddon to Zeal to Odin) and the equally pages-long sections of introspection - multiple times from Genesis or Osiris mulling over the situation or their respective pasts, to Rotas remembering the findings of the techs in the temple (not even the techs reporting or in a meeting, but Rotas recalling the extensive details of their findings). And often the same information would be repeated two or three times on the same page or had already been told or shown through events. So many of these passages could be slimmed down to a succinct paragraph or two and/or feed in overtime and/or shown through action or at least have interjections. This, for me, was the biggest weakness of the book.
I also struggled for much of the book to see how the different groups were following religious concepts (except perhaps in the way that a political figures like Mao or Kim Il Jung are 'worshipped' in a personality cult or some sort of 'holy war' concept divorced from other teachings) until three-quarters of the way through - and even then, the Sacreds are more deistic than theistic, distant and rather inept and weak. Perhaps the rieft power is in some way connected to these (spiritual?) beings- which is enhanced by advanced technology (nanos, AI, slipstream etc). The powers of evil are much more present - though seemingly material beings.
But more than this - we learned much more about what SED and Skinks were against (each other or any other alternative view) than what they were for (perhaps SED valued simple friendship and civilians more?). All sides - SED, SINAI, Skinks, Stygian, Hel'zarat - 'good' or 'bad' were into annihilating their enemies with no quarter given, virtually no room for negotiations or diplomacy. And the body count is high, Mount Everest high. This story is soaked in blood as well as dismembered bodies (told in loving detail) - not least from our heroes like Genesis, Rotas - and Zeal.
Overall, I would have enjoyed Genesis: Pillars of Creation much more with tighter writing, less obsession with massacre, and a better picture of the good the heroes were fighting for.
December 21, 2017
Genesis is a tricky beast to rate as a literary work. It is brilliant in parts, and plodding and aimless in other parts.
The sermon by the head Historian, Osiris, in Chapter Three is one of the most brilliant and wide-ranging I’ve seen for a while in science fiction work. This attempt is almost no longer practiced by authors; it’s assumed that readers no longer enjoy reading galaxy-sweeping edicts delivered as a monologue by an ancient elder. However, I was spellbound by how ambitious it was. In parts soaring oratory, space encyclopedia, religious doctrine, and classroom lecture, it was impressive in its scope, although I can see many readers’ eyes glazing over when they read this. Reminiscent of the soaring sci-fi by Isaac Asimov.
Other chapters are duds. They don’t consist of much more than secondary characters exploring their pasts in their minds, and they’re not heard from again. Even if they surface later on in the series, they’re not needed in this book; they can be introduced in the next book. Even if they’re needed to move the story along, their thoughts can be explored in detail once their roles expand in another book.
This book seems to be an introductory one. The ending is a cliffhanger, a prelude to a wider war, to anxiety. But this book drifts along and takes us to what should have been the beginning.
I was a bit confused by Genesis’ multiple thoughts. It’s said at the beginning he has two additional personalities that reside within, but I couldn’t remember which. (That’s three personalities actually, including Genesis himself). One was religious and then later on is expunged because of an enemy’s advance. Not sure what the other inhabiting personality was, unless it’s that artificial intelligence who is identified as Me’lina. Are they really distinct personalities or are they several beliefs each person has? It may be better to get rid of the reference to multiple personalities as it confuses; a person is allowed to have conflicting thoughts, and besides, since Genesis always speaks for himself, he’s the lead decider as to what he does and say, and in no way does he get outvoted or has to arrive at an agreement to say what he wants to say. I understand about Me’lina; she is an artificial intelligence program and is not part of Genesis (until later).
Chapter Thirteen, in which a character named Rotas is alone and berates mentally her commander, is very repetitious. It’s stated in about five different ways that the admiral is a fool and she doesn’t want to serve under him. This could have been referred to in a chapter where she meets him and thinks this in one thought. Or even by a snarl when she greets him.
Enjoyed the unique, clever swear words “sacred” and “slath”. A nifty way to introduce emotion without reverting to our tired, old Earth ones.
The only chapters I needed to enjoy the book were; Chapter One (introduction), Chapter Three (that brilliant sermon, which could incorporate all the back story in this book instead of it being sprinkled through so many standalone chapters where characters think), Chapters Ten, Eleven, and Twelve (an attack), Chapter Fourteen (a space anomaly), Chapters Twenty-Two, Twenty-Six, and Twenty-Seven (tension and confrontation on a spaceship), Chapter Twenty-Eight (galactic discussion), and then Chapter Thirty (the ending).
The sermon by the head Historian, Osiris, in Chapter Three is one of the most brilliant and wide-ranging I’ve seen for a while in science fiction work. This attempt is almost no longer practiced by authors; it’s assumed that readers no longer enjoy reading galaxy-sweeping edicts delivered as a monologue by an ancient elder. However, I was spellbound by how ambitious it was. In parts soaring oratory, space encyclopedia, religious doctrine, and classroom lecture, it was impressive in its scope, although I can see many readers’ eyes glazing over when they read this. Reminiscent of the soaring sci-fi by Isaac Asimov.
Other chapters are duds. They don’t consist of much more than secondary characters exploring their pasts in their minds, and they’re not heard from again. Even if they surface later on in the series, they’re not needed in this book; they can be introduced in the next book. Even if they’re needed to move the story along, their thoughts can be explored in detail once their roles expand in another book.
This book seems to be an introductory one. The ending is a cliffhanger, a prelude to a wider war, to anxiety. But this book drifts along and takes us to what should have been the beginning.
I was a bit confused by Genesis’ multiple thoughts. It’s said at the beginning he has two additional personalities that reside within, but I couldn’t remember which. (That’s three personalities actually, including Genesis himself). One was religious and then later on is expunged because of an enemy’s advance. Not sure what the other inhabiting personality was, unless it’s that artificial intelligence who is identified as Me’lina. Are they really distinct personalities or are they several beliefs each person has? It may be better to get rid of the reference to multiple personalities as it confuses; a person is allowed to have conflicting thoughts, and besides, since Genesis always speaks for himself, he’s the lead decider as to what he does and say, and in no way does he get outvoted or has to arrive at an agreement to say what he wants to say. I understand about Me’lina; she is an artificial intelligence program and is not part of Genesis (until later).
Chapter Thirteen, in which a character named Rotas is alone and berates mentally her commander, is very repetitious. It’s stated in about five different ways that the admiral is a fool and she doesn’t want to serve under him. This could have been referred to in a chapter where she meets him and thinks this in one thought. Or even by a snarl when she greets him.
Enjoyed the unique, clever swear words “sacred” and “slath”. A nifty way to introduce emotion without reverting to our tired, old Earth ones.
The only chapters I needed to enjoy the book were; Chapter One (introduction), Chapter Three (that brilliant sermon, which could incorporate all the back story in this book instead of it being sprinkled through so many standalone chapters where characters think), Chapters Ten, Eleven, and Twelve (an attack), Chapter Fourteen (a space anomaly), Chapters Twenty-Two, Twenty-Six, and Twenty-Seven (tension and confrontation on a spaceship), Chapter Twenty-Eight (galactic discussion), and then Chapter Thirty (the ending).
October 25, 2017
Holy Flashbacks
World-building can overwhelm any story, especially when there is too much of it. In this case, there is contact with others, portals that enable intergalactic travel without the limitations of slip-space, a religious dynasty, and battles of epic proportion. On occasion, the writer slid in details of this universe, although more frequently the mass of facts smothered any sense of plot. Then, inexplicably, there were pages and pages of a Historian lecturing about the SINAI, Wielders, and Elders, and how the chaos began. A reader might be tempted to think this is non-fiction teaching us about events that have import independent of what might have been an entertaining story.
Although this universe has many imaginative elements, poor grammar and flawed storytelling made it a difficult novel to finish. A line edit might have eliminated mistakes and made the prose more reliable.
As an example of unreliable prose, consider the following from the text: "Lightning coursed throughout the edges of the perfectly spherical phenomenom known only to him from the stories of old..." This led me to believe our hero had a monopoly on the truth and this knowledge would matter later on. Looking back, it seems the writer meant the old stories were the hero's only source of information about this lightning. Another example: "Genesis barely dove to the side in time..." Did he barely dive, or was it barely in time?
Poor grammar (especially missing commas) further contributed to unreliable prose. An example: "I don't know my Sovereign, and I'm not sure it has anything to do with the portal..." A comma before "my Sovereign" completely changes the meaning, but there is no such comma. Each time I had to consider what the writer really meant pulled me further and further from the flow of the story. If I hadn't committed to finishing this novel, there is a good chance I wouldn't have lasted more than an hour. Sometimes, it's the accumulation of small errors and continued evidence of carelessness that makes a book unreadable.
For me, storytelling is the artfulness in presenting the story: starting at a meaningful place, ordering the plot elements, creating tension, showing conflict, and building an interesting world filled with engaging characters. While the writer created an interesting world, the pacing and ordering of the plot elements didn't work for me. Even as battle scenes played out conflict in gory detail, the overuse of flashback robbed many scenes of all tension. As an example: "Congratulations, although you didn't see it, you just survived one of the greatest threats on your life." Unfortunately, it was not only our hero that missed the fireworks; the reader missed the excitement as well. There are other instances of this, including an important and epic confrontation that is over and the outcome known before the writer flashes back to the details. This practice serves to rob the prose of tension for this reader.
The best part of this novel is the creativity and imagination displayed in constructing the history, the classes of Immortals, and the employment of nanotechnology. Unfortunately, other elements were less positive, which make it impossible for me to recommend this book.
World-building can overwhelm any story, especially when there is too much of it. In this case, there is contact with others, portals that enable intergalactic travel without the limitations of slip-space, a religious dynasty, and battles of epic proportion. On occasion, the writer slid in details of this universe, although more frequently the mass of facts smothered any sense of plot. Then, inexplicably, there were pages and pages of a Historian lecturing about the SINAI, Wielders, and Elders, and how the chaos began. A reader might be tempted to think this is non-fiction teaching us about events that have import independent of what might have been an entertaining story.
Although this universe has many imaginative elements, poor grammar and flawed storytelling made it a difficult novel to finish. A line edit might have eliminated mistakes and made the prose more reliable.
As an example of unreliable prose, consider the following from the text: "Lightning coursed throughout the edges of the perfectly spherical phenomenom known only to him from the stories of old..." This led me to believe our hero had a monopoly on the truth and this knowledge would matter later on. Looking back, it seems the writer meant the old stories were the hero's only source of information about this lightning. Another example: "Genesis barely dove to the side in time..." Did he barely dive, or was it barely in time?
Poor grammar (especially missing commas) further contributed to unreliable prose. An example: "I don't know my Sovereign, and I'm not sure it has anything to do with the portal..." A comma before "my Sovereign" completely changes the meaning, but there is no such comma. Each time I had to consider what the writer really meant pulled me further and further from the flow of the story. If I hadn't committed to finishing this novel, there is a good chance I wouldn't have lasted more than an hour. Sometimes, it's the accumulation of small errors and continued evidence of carelessness that makes a book unreadable.
For me, storytelling is the artfulness in presenting the story: starting at a meaningful place, ordering the plot elements, creating tension, showing conflict, and building an interesting world filled with engaging characters. While the writer created an interesting world, the pacing and ordering of the plot elements didn't work for me. Even as battle scenes played out conflict in gory detail, the overuse of flashback robbed many scenes of all tension. As an example: "Congratulations, although you didn't see it, you just survived one of the greatest threats on your life." Unfortunately, it was not only our hero that missed the fireworks; the reader missed the excitement as well. There are other instances of this, including an important and epic confrontation that is over and the outcome known before the writer flashes back to the details. This practice serves to rob the prose of tension for this reader.
The best part of this novel is the creativity and imagination displayed in constructing the history, the classes of Immortals, and the employment of nanotechnology. Unfortunately, other elements were less positive, which make it impossible for me to recommend this book.
January 22, 2018
Genesis is one of those books that you're either going to really enjoy, or find a chore to read. Unfortunately, for me, it was the latter.
Mr. Tucker goes into long, and I mean long, sermons, (literally, a sermon), on the back story behind the main story. His characters will lapse in long, drawn out recollections of the past. He will use a hundred words where ten would suffice. All of this causes Genesis to be incredibly slow in a lot of areas, and that's a tough pill to swallow with a book that's 800 pages long.
The result of all of that was that I found myself skimming pages, not able to work up caring about what was there. That led to me feeling like I didn't know what was going on at time, and not really caring about the characters.
The good part of Genesis is the sheer amount of work that Tucker has put into it. This is a complete, far-flung universe that he's created, and he has obviously put an immense amount of thought into it. His writing, despite being too long-winded is not bad, and you won't feel like you're reading something written by a sixth-grader.
If you like this type of long, rambling, filled with back story space adventure, then Genesis will be right up your alley. For me though, it was a tough chore that wasn't worth the effort.
Mr. Tucker goes into long, and I mean long, sermons, (literally, a sermon), on the back story behind the main story. His characters will lapse in long, drawn out recollections of the past. He will use a hundred words where ten would suffice. All of this causes Genesis to be incredibly slow in a lot of areas, and that's a tough pill to swallow with a book that's 800 pages long.
The result of all of that was that I found myself skimming pages, not able to work up caring about what was there. That led to me feeling like I didn't know what was going on at time, and not really caring about the characters.
The good part of Genesis is the sheer amount of work that Tucker has put into it. This is a complete, far-flung universe that he's created, and he has obviously put an immense amount of thought into it. His writing, despite being too long-winded is not bad, and you won't feel like you're reading something written by a sixth-grader.
If you like this type of long, rambling, filled with back story space adventure, then Genesis will be right up your alley. For me though, it was a tough chore that wasn't worth the effort.
November 17, 2017
A well thought out back story/universe.
David Tucker has crafted a very interesting "world" in which his characters are delivered to us. I tend to stay away from a lot of dystopian fiction without context (e.g. like post-apocalyptic) because so much thought has to be expended on understanding what the back drop looks like, rather than focusing on the plot. My main knock on Genesis is that it fell into this mold. The amount of back story Mister Tucker explains to the reader got overwhelming at times. Combined with the complexity introduced by the multiple facets of the main character, it caused me to put the book down earlier than I would have wanted on a couple occasions. Still, once you become comfortable with the universe at large, the story reads well, and I found it enjoyable to dig into.
If dystopian sci-fi is your bag, and/or you like richly detailed back story descriptions, then you won't be disappointed with Genesis. For me, the couple things I mention put this at a 3.5 star rating. Since I can't rate it 3.5, and another reviewer had the same, but dropped it to 3, I'm raising mine to 4.
David Tucker has crafted a very interesting "world" in which his characters are delivered to us. I tend to stay away from a lot of dystopian fiction without context (e.g. like post-apocalyptic) because so much thought has to be expended on understanding what the back drop looks like, rather than focusing on the plot. My main knock on Genesis is that it fell into this mold. The amount of back story Mister Tucker explains to the reader got overwhelming at times. Combined with the complexity introduced by the multiple facets of the main character, it caused me to put the book down earlier than I would have wanted on a couple occasions. Still, once you become comfortable with the universe at large, the story reads well, and I found it enjoyable to dig into.
If dystopian sci-fi is your bag, and/or you like richly detailed back story descriptions, then you won't be disappointed with Genesis. For me, the couple things I mention put this at a 3.5 star rating. Since I can't rate it 3.5, and another reviewer had the same, but dropped it to 3, I'm raising mine to 4.
October 2, 2016
"A thousand years in the future, mankind has been saved by the inception of a powerful religion. Genesis, an anomalous, immortal and sacred warrior, is sent to crush a band of rebels who oppose this religious authority.
But things go wrong, and a portal is opened, awakening an ancient alien power. Genesis is battled hard, but even as he faces death, he is unexpectedly liberated. A prophecy that his master once told him surfaces, and Genesis begins to wonder. Could it be true?”
Genesis is a sci-fi book with an interesting premise. We ultimately have a stable galaxy, policed by super-soldiers, but with an equilibrium that is about to be blown apart by some dark and ancient power. Sound familiar? But familiarity is not a problem, especially when the author gives that premise an interesting and well thought-out sheen. There is a solid plot and a rich world behind this book, but unfortunately, I found that I had to search for the plot a bit too hard. There is an awful lot of what I would call info-dump here, and perhaps even more introspection (maybe I should have expected this with the sub-title ‘the Battle Within’.) Overall, this cut didn’t work for me, but a slimmed down version certainly would.
This is the first sci-fi book I have read in a long time. But much of this is analogous to a well-trodden fantasy plot line – almost forgotten prophecies; an ancient power that has returned; a downtrodden warrior who will rise from the ashes of his struggles – so in many ways it is familiar territory.
And on all these levels, it is a well considered book. The author has really thought about their futurescape, and there's no escaping the almost fanatic attention to the details of the socio-religious dynasty. The result is a galactic society bent on authoritarian administration and a zero-tolerance stance on non-compliance. Hence their need for religious warriors.
It felt a bit tart as a political equilibrium, but I suspect that this is part of the longer plot – and it was very well considered.
Then we have the sci-fi aspects, which I am less familiar with. I would say that this feels a bit Star Wars in the tech levels. And in fact, the images that were conjured of the marines made me think of Warhammer 40,000. I've never indulged in Warhammer, but this book resonated with classic Warhammer poster images. And it's well done – marrying more mundane aspects of a futurescape with the less familiar technology.
But perhaps the coolest tech aspects are those attached to the Immortals. Their AI (which we POV at one point) and their nano-tech are fabulously conceived, and I don't think it is giving too much away to point out that their Sacred weapons are sheathed within their bodies! Epic.
So – good plot and great attention to detail. A fine start. But there are some aspects that left me colder. I think these can be thrown into two categories:
- Info-dump
- Perspective
Info-dump was definitely a problem for me. The author has an exceptional grasp on the universe he's created, and he's desperate to tell us all about it. The problem is that without context, this detail feels a bit textbook – and we all know what we felt about school textbooks! The info has been wrapped somewhat cleverly into Sermons or flashbacks, but it is unmistakably info-dump. And lots of it. Especially in the first half of the book.
Some readers will really like this deep background, but it's just not for me. If anything, I prefer to go a bit too far the other way, with details coming to light only when absolutely relevant (or maybe even later than necessary!)
Somewhat related to this is the perspective point. This is multiple third person POV – which is good. And as mentioned earlier, we also POV the AI which is quite original. Plus we have good dynamic distance too, from objective action right down to italic font direct thought. What jarred was not this in itself, but purely the amount of time we spend on introspection. It's astonishing. If I spent that much time introspecting, then I probably wouldn't hold down a job! And I'm a daydreamer. I understand that some of this is relevant in the context of the religious aspects of the galactic order (and indeed the intended plot) but my personal view is that it was just too much.
And when we combine Info-dump and introspection, we end up with a lot more words than what is necessary to tell the story of what's happened. I got to about 2/3 of the way through the book, and reflected on just how little had happened. And it's not a small book. In fact, I would even go a little further and suggest that the climax of the book felt like it was the point where the action was just getting going – the classic first-part break in a novel. But then the book ended. Sad-face emoji.
Hold the phone! I have since been informed by the author that this is the first part of a single book (think Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - the films at least), so the ending actually makes much more sense from that perspective. It's still heavy on the words in my mind, but certainly makes more sense armed with that info.
But let's put these thoughts aside, because I didn't stop reading. No indeed – I was intrigued to find out what happens (even if I felt a little cheated at the end), and am mildly tempted to see what happens in the sequel (or what actually is the rest of the book!) Clearly there is a long and well thought out journey to take in subsequent volumes (this is also the first book in a trilogy), and I don't think readers will be disappointed with the destination. The journey might be a bit boggy in places for my personal taste, but I suspect that it would ultimately be a worthwhile journey nonetheless.
I hovered between 2 stars and 3, but there is definitely enough in here for me to say that I "like" this book. Hence we've gone with 3 stars.
http://www.jhockley.com/epic-fantasy/...
But things go wrong, and a portal is opened, awakening an ancient alien power. Genesis is battled hard, but even as he faces death, he is unexpectedly liberated. A prophecy that his master once told him surfaces, and Genesis begins to wonder. Could it be true?”
Genesis is a sci-fi book with an interesting premise. We ultimately have a stable galaxy, policed by super-soldiers, but with an equilibrium that is about to be blown apart by some dark and ancient power. Sound familiar? But familiarity is not a problem, especially when the author gives that premise an interesting and well thought-out sheen. There is a solid plot and a rich world behind this book, but unfortunately, I found that I had to search for the plot a bit too hard. There is an awful lot of what I would call info-dump here, and perhaps even more introspection (maybe I should have expected this with the sub-title ‘the Battle Within’.) Overall, this cut didn’t work for me, but a slimmed down version certainly would.
This is the first sci-fi book I have read in a long time. But much of this is analogous to a well-trodden fantasy plot line – almost forgotten prophecies; an ancient power that has returned; a downtrodden warrior who will rise from the ashes of his struggles – so in many ways it is familiar territory.
And on all these levels, it is a well considered book. The author has really thought about their futurescape, and there's no escaping the almost fanatic attention to the details of the socio-religious dynasty. The result is a galactic society bent on authoritarian administration and a zero-tolerance stance on non-compliance. Hence their need for religious warriors.
It felt a bit tart as a political equilibrium, but I suspect that this is part of the longer plot – and it was very well considered.
Then we have the sci-fi aspects, which I am less familiar with. I would say that this feels a bit Star Wars in the tech levels. And in fact, the images that were conjured of the marines made me think of Warhammer 40,000. I've never indulged in Warhammer, but this book resonated with classic Warhammer poster images. And it's well done – marrying more mundane aspects of a futurescape with the less familiar technology.
But perhaps the coolest tech aspects are those attached to the Immortals. Their AI (which we POV at one point) and their nano-tech are fabulously conceived, and I don't think it is giving too much away to point out that their Sacred weapons are sheathed within their bodies! Epic.
So – good plot and great attention to detail. A fine start. But there are some aspects that left me colder. I think these can be thrown into two categories:
- Info-dump
- Perspective
Info-dump was definitely a problem for me. The author has an exceptional grasp on the universe he's created, and he's desperate to tell us all about it. The problem is that without context, this detail feels a bit textbook – and we all know what we felt about school textbooks! The info has been wrapped somewhat cleverly into Sermons or flashbacks, but it is unmistakably info-dump. And lots of it. Especially in the first half of the book.
Some readers will really like this deep background, but it's just not for me. If anything, I prefer to go a bit too far the other way, with details coming to light only when absolutely relevant (or maybe even later than necessary!)
Somewhat related to this is the perspective point. This is multiple third person POV – which is good. And as mentioned earlier, we also POV the AI which is quite original. Plus we have good dynamic distance too, from objective action right down to italic font direct thought. What jarred was not this in itself, but purely the amount of time we spend on introspection. It's astonishing. If I spent that much time introspecting, then I probably wouldn't hold down a job! And I'm a daydreamer. I understand that some of this is relevant in the context of the religious aspects of the galactic order (and indeed the intended plot) but my personal view is that it was just too much.
And when we combine Info-dump and introspection, we end up with a lot more words than what is necessary to tell the story of what's happened. I got to about 2/3 of the way through the book, and reflected on just how little had happened. And it's not a small book. In fact, I would even go a little further and suggest that the climax of the book felt like it was the point where the action was just getting going – the classic first-part break in a novel. But then the book ended. Sad-face emoji.
Hold the phone! I have since been informed by the author that this is the first part of a single book (think Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - the films at least), so the ending actually makes much more sense from that perspective. It's still heavy on the words in my mind, but certainly makes more sense armed with that info.
But let's put these thoughts aside, because I didn't stop reading. No indeed – I was intrigued to find out what happens (even if I felt a little cheated at the end), and am mildly tempted to see what happens in the sequel (or what actually is the rest of the book!) Clearly there is a long and well thought out journey to take in subsequent volumes (this is also the first book in a trilogy), and I don't think readers will be disappointed with the destination. The journey might be a bit boggy in places for my personal taste, but I suspect that it would ultimately be a worthwhile journey nonetheless.
I hovered between 2 stars and 3, but there is definitely enough in here for me to say that I "like" this book. Hence we've gone with 3 stars.
http://www.jhockley.com/epic-fantasy/...
January 5, 2017
I was given a free copy for a honest review.
I have to say that this was enjoyable to say the least. Then again, that does not do justice for the amount of thought and detail that is given here. Sci-fi is one of my favorite genres in story-telling because of how it can arouse the imagination of many.
David make me really invested with the story and setting, making me want to learn more and more about the lore of this world. Hell the two days that I spent reading this increased my morale when considering my current situation at the time. I felt happy getting a pleasant opportunity to read and understand the amount of work that someone puts into this story.
Sorry I always try to avoid spoiling and I wouldn't be able to help myself but spill what goes on in the plot. I personally think that there's potential and that sequels can bring more to one imagination. I look forward to how this series goes.
Thank you so much for a great story.
I have to say that this was enjoyable to say the least. Then again, that does not do justice for the amount of thought and detail that is given here. Sci-fi is one of my favorite genres in story-telling because of how it can arouse the imagination of many.
David make me really invested with the story and setting, making me want to learn more and more about the lore of this world. Hell the two days that I spent reading this increased my morale when considering my current situation at the time. I felt happy getting a pleasant opportunity to read and understand the amount of work that someone puts into this story.
Sorry I always try to avoid spoiling and I wouldn't be able to help myself but spill what goes on in the plot. I personally think that there's potential and that sequels can bring more to one imagination. I look forward to how this series goes.
Thank you so much for a great story.
August 30, 2017
Genesis is a powerful Immortal, but he may have just met his match against the ancient Tel’nagra. His 2 other personalities are screaming at him, but being pierced by the evil demon may turn him into something worse, something other. Can he maintain his mission and identity if he escapes?
While generally a sci fi fan and aware of the need to create the universe setting, I found the exposition and long drawn out martial arts style battle descriptions really distracting from the plot as a whole. It kind of reminded me of my 6 year old son narrating his “awesome ninja moves.” In addition the lack of any character relationship development made me question the motives of everyone and the direction of the plot. I feel like while the plot had some generic sci fi potential the book would have really benefitted from some editing and revision, particular when it came to the lengthy exposition.
While generally a sci fi fan and aware of the need to create the universe setting, I found the exposition and long drawn out martial arts style battle descriptions really distracting from the plot as a whole. It kind of reminded me of my 6 year old son narrating his “awesome ninja moves.” In addition the lack of any character relationship development made me question the motives of everyone and the direction of the plot. I feel like while the plot had some generic sci fi potential the book would have really benefitted from some editing and revision, particular when it came to the lengthy exposition.
December 5, 2017
For the sake of the author I am going to be brutally efficient, and forgo my normal opening. Genesis, by David Tucker, needs a development editor. While the idea is unique (and hence, the reason for the two stars), the execution is far from. The book suffers from deep grammar issues, poor and confusing prose, maddeningly boring rants and insights, and an extreme lack of flow – and this is just in the first couple of pages. It took me a good twenty minutes of re-reading to get past the opening paragraph.
Note to the author: do not lecture the reader. I am sure you didn’t want to sit through those during school, readers are unlikely to do so in a sci-fi book. Suffice to say, this was a hard book to get through. With a steady hand by your side, Genesis could be repaired. But, somewhat ironically, I think that will mean going back to the beginning.
Note to the author: do not lecture the reader. I am sure you didn’t want to sit through those during school, readers are unlikely to do so in a sci-fi book. Suffice to say, this was a hard book to get through. With a steady hand by your side, Genesis could be repaired. But, somewhat ironically, I think that will mean going back to the beginning.
January 11, 2017
Sci-fi has been around long enough that it's difficult to stand out from the pack. Oftentimes it's best not to compare the actual particulars of the story against the classics of the genre, but to see how those old, hoary tropes are used in new and exciting ways. Genesis does well in most respects, and there's plenty of rip-roaring action.
I do have to say that the use of a protagonist with multiple personalities was well-implemented and interesting. I'd like to see where this series goes.
Knocked off one star for some slight grammar issues that should have been caught in editing (Katana shouldn't be a proper noun).
The series title has been used before for a best-selling fantasy novel, which kind of took me aback, though it didn't impact my appreciation for the work.
I do have to say that the use of a protagonist with multiple personalities was well-implemented and interesting. I'd like to see where this series goes.
Knocked off one star for some slight grammar issues that should have been caught in editing (Katana shouldn't be a proper noun).
The series title has been used before for a best-selling fantasy novel, which kind of took me aback, though it didn't impact my appreciation for the work.
September 13, 2017
I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it was not an easy read. There were too many descriptions that didn't quite benefit the book in some cases. I had to read and re-read pages to understand what was going on. To get through the plot and understand what Genesis was all about felt like work. I don't what to read any book that seems tedious to understand. Why the plot itself is good, I think the author is still trying to find his voice, but I think the author can only improve if any lesson is gained from this one.
August 15, 2019
Not completely incoherent.
I sometimes fall into the habit of being overly critical, so I was trying to think of something nice to say about this book before I rip into it, and that's what I came up with. You might expect this book to be completely incoherent if you read the blurb or the author's bio, but it's not. It's not completely incoherent.
The writing is pretty bad though. It's riddled with spelling mistakes, even ones that would've been picked up by Word. It's got pretty severe grammar issues, and it's obvious that the author has a fairly limited understanding of punctuation. There are other issues too, for example there are a few places where a character will be called by the wrong name. Basically this book is not easy to read. The prose does get better as it goes along, but that's not a recommendation. It suggests a lazy author who just wrote it start to finish in one go and didn't bother to do any editing.
The protagonist, Genesis, is a schizophrenic kung-fu religious zealot psychic magic cyborg ninja warrior. I know what you're thinking: is that it? Well no. And listen, Genesis is different from all the other schizophrenic kung-fu religious zealot psychic magic cyborg ninja warriors. Genesis is special! Now, if you read much indie sci-fi/fantasy, then you'll know that there's a group of books that we'll call the "Wanted To Make A Manga But Can't Draw Club". Now I'm not saying that the book belongs in that club, but I will say that Genesis has a katana. And it's literally named Katana.
The setting is a dark, grim space-future where spaceships are very poorly lit (gotta have shadows for those ninjas to sneak around in) and everyone is just waiting for any excuse to drop their future-guns and hit each-other with future-swords.
The overall plot is pretty ok I guess. But let's be honest, everything in this book seems to just be an excuse to get to a place where we can have awesome battles. And I've got to admit, that's the place where this book excels. The fights are exciting, well paced, and actually pretty well written. So credit where credit is due, the fights in this book are actually pretty good.
Overall, skip this book. The one or two moments of excellence are not worth the long slog of clunky, jarring language.
I sometimes fall into the habit of being overly critical, so I was trying to think of something nice to say about this book before I rip into it, and that's what I came up with. You might expect this book to be completely incoherent if you read the blurb or the author's bio, but it's not. It's not completely incoherent.
The writing is pretty bad though. It's riddled with spelling mistakes, even ones that would've been picked up by Word. It's got pretty severe grammar issues, and it's obvious that the author has a fairly limited understanding of punctuation. There are other issues too, for example there are a few places where a character will be called by the wrong name. Basically this book is not easy to read. The prose does get better as it goes along, but that's not a recommendation. It suggests a lazy author who just wrote it start to finish in one go and didn't bother to do any editing.
The protagonist, Genesis, is a schizophrenic kung-fu religious zealot psychic magic cyborg ninja warrior. I know what you're thinking: is that it? Well no. And listen, Genesis is different from all the other schizophrenic kung-fu religious zealot psychic magic cyborg ninja warriors. Genesis is special! Now, if you read much indie sci-fi/fantasy, then you'll know that there's a group of books that we'll call the "Wanted To Make A Manga But Can't Draw Club". Now I'm not saying that the book belongs in that club, but I will say that Genesis has a katana. And it's literally named Katana.
The setting is a dark, grim space-future where spaceships are very poorly lit (gotta have shadows for those ninjas to sneak around in) and everyone is just waiting for any excuse to drop their future-guns and hit each-other with future-swords.
The overall plot is pretty ok I guess. But let's be honest, everything in this book seems to just be an excuse to get to a place where we can have awesome battles. And I've got to admit, that's the place where this book excels. The fights are exciting, well paced, and actually pretty well written. So credit where credit is due, the fights in this book are actually pretty good.
Overall, skip this book. The one or two moments of excellence are not worth the long slog of clunky, jarring language.
November 17, 2016
I have received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I won’t delve into the storyline too much because that has already been done. Genesis- The Battle Within has a clever, entertaining plot with deep, multi-level themes. As a classic sci-fi story with cool battles and technological weaponry, the personal struggles of Genesis (who happens to be immortal) felt relatable and grounded in human perspective rather than cold and mechanical, and the mystery of the portal and darker forces at play provide the “uh, oh” factor.
The internal conflict (and external conflict) of Genesis is mapped out quite well, a little too well. The only reason I point that out is as a reader; I’m not a fan of overly descriptive writing. My editor’s words echo through my head “get on with it.” But that is just my personal preference. Genesis’s extensive internal dialogue messes with the flow sometimes. Too much explanation (info dumps) or ramblings in other directions kill the pace. The flashbacks threw me a bit too. A single book need not be several hundred pages to birth a good story. I’m not singing the praises of a novella format, but that is the genius of writing multiple books in a series.
I think as a fellow writer, I can appreciate the level of creativity and commitment that any author puts into a story, especially when it is their debut novel. The entire process is one of conveying the thoughts, feelings and ideas of our characters, and for some writers, it is a form of personal exploration. The hope is to provide a pleasurable reading experience for the reader, and readers are as variable as writers. Some prefer a lot of explanation and details, and others can take a few words as a cue and let their imagination run wild. I prefer the latter. But my reviews are based on creativity and making the story believable and engaging, NOT on my personal style of writing and how I would have written it.
So, to sum it up, enjoyable and well thought out debut.
I won’t delve into the storyline too much because that has already been done. Genesis- The Battle Within has a clever, entertaining plot with deep, multi-level themes. As a classic sci-fi story with cool battles and technological weaponry, the personal struggles of Genesis (who happens to be immortal) felt relatable and grounded in human perspective rather than cold and mechanical, and the mystery of the portal and darker forces at play provide the “uh, oh” factor.
The internal conflict (and external conflict) of Genesis is mapped out quite well, a little too well. The only reason I point that out is as a reader; I’m not a fan of overly descriptive writing. My editor’s words echo through my head “get on with it.” But that is just my personal preference. Genesis’s extensive internal dialogue messes with the flow sometimes. Too much explanation (info dumps) or ramblings in other directions kill the pace. The flashbacks threw me a bit too. A single book need not be several hundred pages to birth a good story. I’m not singing the praises of a novella format, but that is the genius of writing multiple books in a series.
I think as a fellow writer, I can appreciate the level of creativity and commitment that any author puts into a story, especially when it is their debut novel. The entire process is one of conveying the thoughts, feelings and ideas of our characters, and for some writers, it is a form of personal exploration. The hope is to provide a pleasurable reading experience for the reader, and readers are as variable as writers. Some prefer a lot of explanation and details, and others can take a few words as a cue and let their imagination run wild. I prefer the latter. But my reviews are based on creativity and making the story believable and engaging, NOT on my personal style of writing and how I would have written it.
So, to sum it up, enjoyable and well thought out debut.
September 21, 2016
Genesis- The Battle Within
Hello, Amp here. Today I am going to be reviewing the book Genesis- The Battle Within by David Tucker. It’s a science fiction/fantasy type of novel with a post-modern setting.
In a society corrupted by difference in religion Genesis has joined the Immortals to combat the heretics of a differing belief. Starting small in the ghetto of the Sky-Platform he was found and raised up to be the Immortal they wanted him to be. The only difference is that he must not only combat external forces, but also combat internal forces. Whether about his past, or who he really is he is tempted by darkness and empowered by ghosts of the past. Unsure if he can belong, and integrate himself into this corrupted world is all dependent on how he handles these struggles.
The book itself is very well written, and I give it a 5 star for being able to convey the story in an enigmatic way yet still keep the reader thoroughly entertained enough to keep reading. A lot of story exclusive pronouns and nouns were commonly referenced very early in the story without explanation but through context I was able to understand what was being talked about. However, whether or not other readers are able pick up on the lingo may vary.
Hello, Amp here. Today I am going to be reviewing the book Genesis- The Battle Within by David Tucker. It’s a science fiction/fantasy type of novel with a post-modern setting.
In a society corrupted by difference in religion Genesis has joined the Immortals to combat the heretics of a differing belief. Starting small in the ghetto of the Sky-Platform he was found and raised up to be the Immortal they wanted him to be. The only difference is that he must not only combat external forces, but also combat internal forces. Whether about his past, or who he really is he is tempted by darkness and empowered by ghosts of the past. Unsure if he can belong, and integrate himself into this corrupted world is all dependent on how he handles these struggles.
The book itself is very well written, and I give it a 5 star for being able to convey the story in an enigmatic way yet still keep the reader thoroughly entertained enough to keep reading. A lot of story exclusive pronouns and nouns were commonly referenced very early in the story without explanation but through context I was able to understand what was being talked about. However, whether or not other readers are able pick up on the lingo may vary.
August 29, 2016
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I rated this novel three stars as it was a passable read and I was in the mood for a sci-fi novel. I had recently finished a wonderful book in a popular sci-fi series--I won’t name here as they are not alike--when this story became available to me. Had I not been seeking a futuristic story, I’m not sure this book would have grabbed me.
The main character went in and out of likable for me, as I think the author focused too much on his unworthy, worthy hero. At times his introspections got a tad boring, and I found myself skimming through some of it to step-up the pace.
Cons: Long drawn out chapters obsessing about weaponry and masters.
Pros: Battle scenes and it took place in the future.
The main character went in and out of likable for me, as I think the author focused too much on his unworthy, worthy hero. At times his introspections got a tad boring, and I found myself skimming through some of it to step-up the pace.
Cons: Long drawn out chapters obsessing about weaponry and masters.
Pros: Battle scenes and it took place in the future.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews