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The Fifth Column #1
The Chimera Vector
The Fifth Column: the world's most powerful and secretive organization. They run our militaries. They run our governments. They run our terrorist cells.
Recruited as a child, Sophia is a deniable operative for the Fifth Column. Like all operatives, Sophia's DNA has been altered to augment her senses and her mind is splintered into programmed subsets.
On a routine mission in Iran something goes catastrophically wrong. Bugs are beginning to appear in Sophia's programming and the mission spins out of control.
High-speed chases, gun fights, helicopter battles, immortal psychopaths, super soldiers and mutant abilities are all in the mix in this edge-of-your-seat action-packed techno-thriller.
Perfect for fans of Matthew Reilly, The Chimera Vector melds sci-fi with sizzling espionage action.
Recruited as a child, Sophia is a deniable operative for the Fifth Column. Like all operatives, Sophia's DNA has been altered to augment her senses and her mind is splintered into programmed subsets.
On a routine mission in Iran something goes catastrophically wrong. Bugs are beginning to appear in Sophia's programming and the mission spins out of control.
High-speed chases, gun fights, helicopter battles, immortal psychopaths, super soldiers and mutant abilities are all in the mix in this edge-of-your-seat action-packed techno-thriller.
Perfect for fans of Matthew Reilly, The Chimera Vector melds sci-fi with sizzling espionage action.
362 pages, ebook
First published May 1, 2012
169 people are currently reading
1950 people want to read
About the author
Nathan M. Farrugia
19 books460 followersNathan M. Farrugia is the USA Today bestselling author of the Helix and Fifth Column sci-fi thriller series.
Nathan is known for placing himself in dangerous situations, including climbing rooftops in Russia and being hunted by special forces trackers in the United States. He studies Systema, a little-known martial art and former secret of the Russian special forces.
Beyond his army training, Nathan has trained under USMC, SEAL team, Spetsnaz and Defence Intelligence instructors, and the wilderness and tracking skills of the Chiricahua Apache scouts and Australian Aboriginals.
Nathan is known for placing himself in dangerous situations, including climbing rooftops in Russia and being hunted by special forces trackers in the United States. He studies Systema, a little-known martial art and former secret of the Russian special forces.
Beyond his army training, Nathan has trained under USMC, SEAL team, Spetsnaz and Defence Intelligence instructors, and the wilderness and tracking skills of the Chiricahua Apache scouts and Australian Aboriginals.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 755 reviews
January 31, 2016
A solid 3.5 Stars
I could not go to 4 stars as it lacks the polish of other action writers. Nonetheless, I enjoyed The Chimera Vector.
After reading the reviews of other readers, I am struck that many felt the plot was too complicated or hard to follow. I simply don't agree. I have recently finished The Five Greatest Warriors by Matthew Reilly. The book was highly rated and read by many. If you want a convoluted plot, read the aforementioned. Nathan M. Farrugia has taken a complex area of science and distilled it into an interesting storyline. The science is complex and the manipulation of that science is complex but the story itself is accessible.
Approach this book like any other action/adventure novel. Be prepared to suspend disbelief and accept the explosions. Reading this book may not be one of the steps to enlightenment but it should entertain you along the way.
I stated above that it was not as polished as many of the big name action/adventure writers. Matthew Rielly for example, is great at letting you into the life of his hero as the explosions are happening around him. In part, the storyline of The Chimera Vector inhibited this. Until late in the book, the characters had very few memories of their early life and the books does not sufficiently provide the characters back stories.
If you have read my other reviews of action adventure books you will note that beside one of my favorite authors James Rollins, I don't actually read action/adventure novels. I usually opt to listen to the audiobook version. This is because the action tends to be so over the top, I find myself rolling my eyes and putting the book down. Somehow, listening to it makes it better. As far as the Chimera Vector is concerned, I found the action to be substantially more believable. The Heros were not constantly faced with impossible situations that required a miracle to escape.
The book has short chapters which I enjoy. It allows for quick reading when time is limited.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with The Chimera Vector. I have already bought the second book in the series and am looking forward to a few more explosions.
I could not go to 4 stars as it lacks the polish of other action writers. Nonetheless, I enjoyed The Chimera Vector.
After reading the reviews of other readers, I am struck that many felt the plot was too complicated or hard to follow. I simply don't agree. I have recently finished The Five Greatest Warriors by Matthew Reilly. The book was highly rated and read by many. If you want a convoluted plot, read the aforementioned. Nathan M. Farrugia has taken a complex area of science and distilled it into an interesting storyline. The science is complex and the manipulation of that science is complex but the story itself is accessible.
Approach this book like any other action/adventure novel. Be prepared to suspend disbelief and accept the explosions. Reading this book may not be one of the steps to enlightenment but it should entertain you along the way.
I stated above that it was not as polished as many of the big name action/adventure writers. Matthew Rielly for example, is great at letting you into the life of his hero as the explosions are happening around him. In part, the storyline of The Chimera Vector inhibited this. Until late in the book, the characters had very few memories of their early life and the books does not sufficiently provide the characters back stories.
If you have read my other reviews of action adventure books you will note that beside one of my favorite authors James Rollins, I don't actually read action/adventure novels. I usually opt to listen to the audiobook version. This is because the action tends to be so over the top, I find myself rolling my eyes and putting the book down. Somehow, listening to it makes it better. As far as the Chimera Vector is concerned, I found the action to be substantially more believable. The Heros were not constantly faced with impossible situations that required a miracle to escape.
The book has short chapters which I enjoy. It allows for quick reading when time is limited.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with The Chimera Vector. I have already bought the second book in the series and am looking forward to a few more explosions.
July 10, 2013
I'd heard that this book was similar to Scarecrow by Matthew Reilly, and thought I'd give it a go.
Having read the book, I'd have to disagree. Whereas Reilly throws up more and more improbable situations for his heroes to get out of, this book doesn't go too over the top.
At the beginning, you're not too sure what is going on, but it gets explained in following chapters. Again, unlike Reilly, this book isn't too "in your face", so you have to read to get the answers. Also, the book is a lot more character driven, so some flashbacks to peoples' past explain how they got to where they find themselves in this novel.
There is still plenty of action and parts that make you want to keep reading throughout.
This is a good thriller, set in current/very near future time regarding deniable organisations and people who work for them.
In the last third of the book, things got a bit muddled, with various double-crosses, triple-crosses and possibly even quadruple-crosses going on between different groups. On a first read, this adds to suspense, but may detract from reading again as you know how it's going to work out.
Overall, this was an enjoyable novel, well paced and with good characters and action, but still making you think.
Having read the book, I'd have to disagree. Whereas Reilly throws up more and more improbable situations for his heroes to get out of, this book doesn't go too over the top.
At the beginning, you're not too sure what is going on, but it gets explained in following chapters. Again, unlike Reilly, this book isn't too "in your face", so you have to read to get the answers. Also, the book is a lot more character driven, so some flashbacks to peoples' past explain how they got to where they find themselves in this novel.
There is still plenty of action and parts that make you want to keep reading throughout.
This is a good thriller, set in current/very near future time regarding deniable organisations and people who work for them.
In the last third of the book, things got a bit muddled, with various double-crosses, triple-crosses and possibly even quadruple-crosses going on between different groups. On a first read, this adds to suspense, but may detract from reading again as you know how it's going to work out.
Overall, this was an enjoyable novel, well paced and with good characters and action, but still making you think.
July 18, 2013
Hmmmm, This book was suggested to me as something similar to Matthew Reilly. I'm afraid it didn't live up to my expectations. Although MR books are crazy, they do flow very well and you get involved with the characters and their lives. I found that I didn't know anything about the characters in this book by the end. There was no motivation for the baddie to be a baddie apart from that he was a "psychopath".
The fight scenes were quite engrossing but sometimes clunky e.g. "the second shocktrooper did x..., the first shock trooper did y..... then the second shocktrooper did z......."
Also, it's probably me but I found the concept of the vectors and turning on the codes etc a little confusing.
The concept of "super soldiers" was good though, with implanted thoughts making them do things, and that this was starting to go wrong.
I think a bit more editing and fleshing out of the characters and this would be a book I'd enjoy more.
The fight scenes were quite engrossing but sometimes clunky e.g. "the second shocktrooper did x..., the first shock trooper did y..... then the second shocktrooper did z......."
Also, it's probably me but I found the concept of the vectors and turning on the codes etc a little confusing.
The concept of "super soldiers" was good though, with implanted thoughts making them do things, and that this was starting to go wrong.
I think a bit more editing and fleshing out of the characters and this would be a book I'd enjoy more.
June 28, 2013
I was offered the chance to read this book by the author and I never pass up the chance to find a new author to read. I am a big fan of Matthew Reilly's books and Mr. Farrugia thought I might like his books as well.
Well I just finished Chimera Vector and I can certainly say that he was absolutely right. I enjoyed this book immensely. Once I started reading this book I didn't want to stop until I was at the last page and then I wanted more. There are so many twists and turns in it first of all that it keeps you guessing who is on what side all the way through the book. Yes, it is a military based tale with a lot of military jargon and a lot of medical jargon as well. Some of that might be confusing to readers but to be honest it will not detract from the storyline itself as it is still understandable. I liked the premise. Even better I liked the characters. It was good to see a female as the leading character in a thriller for a change.
It all worked for me and I felt that the author did his homework very well here. This did not have the feel of someone who just did a bit of research on DNA and genetics and wrote a story around it. It was believable and at the end it left the reader wanting more and isn't that what we want in our thrillers today?
We've had movies about creating the perfect soldier and books about creating the same but this book puts it all together in a way no one else has really been able to do or certainly has not been able to do as well. I hope that this isn't the last we will see of Sophia and her friends.
Well I just finished Chimera Vector and I can certainly say that he was absolutely right. I enjoyed this book immensely. Once I started reading this book I didn't want to stop until I was at the last page and then I wanted more. There are so many twists and turns in it first of all that it keeps you guessing who is on what side all the way through the book. Yes, it is a military based tale with a lot of military jargon and a lot of medical jargon as well. Some of that might be confusing to readers but to be honest it will not detract from the storyline itself as it is still understandable. I liked the premise. Even better I liked the characters. It was good to see a female as the leading character in a thriller for a change.
It all worked for me and I felt that the author did his homework very well here. This did not have the feel of someone who just did a bit of research on DNA and genetics and wrote a story around it. It was believable and at the end it left the reader wanting more and isn't that what we want in our thrillers today?
We've had movies about creating the perfect soldier and books about creating the same but this book puts it all together in a way no one else has really been able to do or certainly has not been able to do as well. I hope that this isn't the last we will see of Sophia and her friends.
January 14, 2013
This book was so awesome it got me pregnant and now the author wont return my calls.
A very complex story such as this is hard to put into readable words, but Nathan has done a great job of starting the story, and now i cant wait to see where the journey takes the reader next, and i get the feeling that the story will mature into an even more compelling tale of betrayal, loyalty and what it means to be super powered super agent running from a shadowy evil regime, in todays world.
The action sequences are compellingly written, the protagonist develops nicely, and theres enough suspense to bite a nail off.
well worth the read.
A very complex story such as this is hard to put into readable words, but Nathan has done a great job of starting the story, and now i cant wait to see where the journey takes the reader next, and i get the feeling that the story will mature into an even more compelling tale of betrayal, loyalty and what it means to be super powered super agent running from a shadowy evil regime, in todays world.
The action sequences are compellingly written, the protagonist develops nicely, and theres enough suspense to bite a nail off.
well worth the read.
July 13, 2013
I have read a couple of reviews that compare this author with Matthew Reilly. Not really a good comparison. Reilly is a fun read (especially Ice Station and Scarecrow), but there are certain quirks that Reilly has that are pretty silly. The first is that every character has a call sign. I was in the military. No. The call signs are also pretty ridiculous. Second, sometimes the action goes beyond the suspension of disbelief. (especially in the Jack West Jr. series) You can usually get away with a lot in a book, but he does push it past the limits sometimes. Nathan doesn't have these flaws in his story. Lots of crazy action, but not so crazy as to break you from the flow of the story and ruin the suspension of disbelief.
I have to say, this book really strings you along. You are usually discovering things along with the character. I will definitely have to pick the sequel to this book. The sequel is the thing that gave me my only disappointment when reading The Chimera Vector... it ended suddenly. Makes sense since there is a continuation of the story, but I wanted closure. That shows that I was hooked onto the characters and wanted to know what was next.
So, I have to say that this was a very good tech thriller/action book. My only real criteria for enjoying a book includes entertaining story and characters you cheer for. Both are here. Also, there were twists that kept the story from getting predictable and kept me off balance. You put the book down and go back to it a few minutes later because you want to see what is next. I read it in a day.
I hope to see a lot more from this author in the future.
I have to say, this book really strings you along. You are usually discovering things along with the character. I will definitely have to pick the sequel to this book. The sequel is the thing that gave me my only disappointment when reading The Chimera Vector... it ended suddenly. Makes sense since there is a continuation of the story, but I wanted closure. That shows that I was hooked onto the characters and wanted to know what was next.
So, I have to say that this was a very good tech thriller/action book. My only real criteria for enjoying a book includes entertaining story and characters you cheer for. Both are here. Also, there were twists that kept the story from getting predictable and kept me off balance. You put the book down and go back to it a few minutes later because you want to see what is next. I read it in a day.
I hope to see a lot more from this author in the future.
Read
May 23, 2013I'm not going to rate this book.
It may not be a bad book, but it's certainly not a book for me. TMI ... and TMDB.
TMDB: Too many dead bodies. At the start of this book, there are three characters. By the time I gave up, we'd been introduced to at least a couple of new people per page, and all but one of them were dead. This is probably sheer prejudice on my part — I'll happily read fantasy novels with barbarians slaughtering just as many people, even more messily, but for some reason I expect "civilized" people to be more careful.
"Too much information" may be mostly my lack of interest in military hardware. I don't need to know the make and model number of every single item we come across. Still, there are obviously a large number of readers who like that sort of thing, or Dan Brown wouldn't be a best-selling author (I don't read Dan Brown, even though his themes are far more interesting to me).
However, there are times that it must be too much information for anybody. Did we really need to know that the assassin's sniper rifle was a "Steyr HS" three times on one page? Or "... an anti-traction material: probably something like one part slurry of emulsion and polymer particles, twenty parts water." What? A "slurry" is a mixture of insoluble material in liquid. An "emulsion" is a mixture of insoluble material suspended in liquid. The polymer would be the insoluble material, but that sentence is redundantly redundant, and I wonder why I would even care that it's a 20:1 mixture, anyway.
July 11, 2013
So the author gave me a free copy of this book because I had rated the Scarecrow series by Matthew Reilly highly. Mr. Farrugia is delusional if he thinks he is 1% the author that Matthew Reilly is and that's not even saying much as Mr. Reilly is no literary genius; but at least he is entertaining.
I felt honored that an author wanted me to read their work because I read so much and because they want to get the exposure. The problem is that this book is just terrible and I mean awful. There is not one original thought in the book. No originality at all. Genetically engineered soldiers, shadow organization that controls the entire world, weapons from star wars and let's not forget to mention the complete theft of the maghook or as Mr. Farrugia called it the magnetic grappling hook. Don't mention that you are giving me a copy of a book because of a review I gave of another book, then in your book you completely steal that other author's intellectual property.
Character development is non-existent in this book. I would have to classify this as complete science fiction without any reality component to it because nothing is ever explained. IT is just the way it is. Garbage is what I call it. Several times I would go back to re-read a paragraph because I was confused about the events I was reading about. When I would re-read it, it wouldn't make anymore sense and that is because most of the book makes no sense.
I wanted to stop reading the book on page 2. I made it to chapter 39 and I will go no further. I would not force this book on my worst enemy.
I felt honored that an author wanted me to read their work because I read so much and because they want to get the exposure. The problem is that this book is just terrible and I mean awful. There is not one original thought in the book. No originality at all. Genetically engineered soldiers, shadow organization that controls the entire world, weapons from star wars and let's not forget to mention the complete theft of the maghook or as Mr. Farrugia called it the magnetic grappling hook. Don't mention that you are giving me a copy of a book because of a review I gave of another book, then in your book you completely steal that other author's intellectual property.
Character development is non-existent in this book. I would have to classify this as complete science fiction without any reality component to it because nothing is ever explained. IT is just the way it is. Garbage is what I call it. Several times I would go back to re-read a paragraph because I was confused about the events I was reading about. When I would re-read it, it wouldn't make anymore sense and that is because most of the book makes no sense.
I wanted to stop reading the book on page 2. I made it to chapter 39 and I will go no further. I would not force this book on my worst enemy.
May 26, 2012
The Chimera Vector is Momentum Book's first release. Momentum is a global, digital-only publishing house which is clearly the lovechild of ebook-loving people who want to give unpublished writers a chance. And that's how I came to The Chimera Vector. A friend is part of the Momentum family but I can assure you there is no bias here - just expectation and the horrible possibility of having to tell a friend "well, I liked the font".
The Chimera Vector is a non-stop, action / conspiracy theory / sci-fi story. It starts with a bang and doesn't really let up until the end. Imagine Michael Bay wrote a book. But it's got a story. And it has interesting characters. So.... imagine actiony like Michael Bay but not shit like Michael Bay. Or.... The Rock. His only good film. My point being that The Chimera Vector is like a jolly good action film but with depth. It's highly visual. It's very cinematic. Put it that way.
Personally, it could have done with a little less action and a few more character moments (because when they happened they were great!). I got a little actioned out at times but it's a minor criticism. If you want a fun bit of action escapism with twists and turns then I can highly recommend The Chimera Vector.
As for Momentum, I cannot fault the release. It's the first ebook I've read in a long time where I didn't spot a single error. And at the end they even provide an email address to send errors if you happen to find any. People who value their quality. Praise their name!
So, Nathan M Farrugia - well done! And Momentum Books - well done too!!
The Chimera Vector is a non-stop, action / conspiracy theory / sci-fi story. It starts with a bang and doesn't really let up until the end. Imagine Michael Bay wrote a book. But it's got a story. And it has interesting characters. So.... imagine actiony like Michael Bay but not shit like Michael Bay. Or.... The Rock. His only good film. My point being that The Chimera Vector is like a jolly good action film but with depth. It's highly visual. It's very cinematic. Put it that way.
Personally, it could have done with a little less action and a few more character moments (because when they happened they were great!). I got a little actioned out at times but it's a minor criticism. If you want a fun bit of action escapism with twists and turns then I can highly recommend The Chimera Vector.
As for Momentum, I cannot fault the release. It's the first ebook I've read in a long time where I didn't spot a single error. And at the end they even provide an email address to send errors if you happen to find any. People who value their quality. Praise their name!
So, Nathan M Farrugia - well done! And Momentum Books - well done too!!
July 7, 2013
This book is like a visit to a theme park all on its own. You have a roller-coaster of a plot, a merry-go round of double crossing, there are thrills and spills galore and a cast of characters that keep it rolling along like a boulder in the middle of an avalanche. I really enjoyed it and have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone looking for an action-packed, unique read.
I particularly like that Nathan has put a strong female lead firmly front and centre in Sophia, Jay and Damien were also strong supporting characters, and Nasira cracked me up a couple of times with her one liners. I would like to see more development for them all in future books. It was easy to visualise the places and people described in TCV, and I felt like I had been on a round the world trip when I finished it, Nathan has definitely got the talent of pulling you right in there where the action is taking place.
I can't say I would agree with the assessment that Nathan Farrugia's books are similar to Matthew Reilly's, they have a different style and pace to them for one. I am not scared to say that I personally think Reilly is in a class of his own when it comes to writing action-thrillers, and although I really enjoyed this book it didn't flow as seamlessly as I experience when reading MR. That-said my main issues were when the descriptions got overly techy and scientific, but tbh that didn't detract from the story as a whole. For me, Nathan's writing style is similar to Michael Crichton and James Rollins, which let's face it isn't a bad group to be put in.
I particularly like that Nathan has put a strong female lead firmly front and centre in Sophia, Jay and Damien were also strong supporting characters, and Nasira cracked me up a couple of times with her one liners. I would like to see more development for them all in future books. It was easy to visualise the places and people described in TCV, and I felt like I had been on a round the world trip when I finished it, Nathan has definitely got the talent of pulling you right in there where the action is taking place.
I can't say I would agree with the assessment that Nathan Farrugia's books are similar to Matthew Reilly's, they have a different style and pace to them for one. I am not scared to say that I personally think Reilly is in a class of his own when it comes to writing action-thrillers, and although I really enjoyed this book it didn't flow as seamlessly as I experience when reading MR. That-said my main issues were when the descriptions got overly techy and scientific, but tbh that didn't detract from the story as a whole. For me, Nathan's writing style is similar to Michael Crichton and James Rollins, which let's face it isn't a bad group to be put in.
May 20, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed The Chimera Vector. It has a great plot, some well realised characters in situations that keep you constantly guessing. I found it very easy to read, and this was one of my very first ebook reads so I was totally impressed. If you're partial to a techno or military thriller or two and you're looking to stock up your kindle, look no further.
As I have said before, it's a shame I can't give four and a half stars on Goodreads because this is a definite four and a half.
As I have said before, it's a shame I can't give four and a half stars on Goodreads because this is a definite four and a half.
March 3, 2014
Before I begin, let me take care of some business. I don’t like giving bad reviews. I simply don’t. In the same vein, I don’t like giving poor ‘ratings’ to books on review sites like goodreads, or retail sites like amazon unless I have some really strong explanations for it. I really should write a separate post on it, but I realize that an author’s sales can be dramatically impacted by reviews. Writing a bad review based on superficial flaws or stylistic differences is, in my estimation, poor taste. If I’m to write a negative review, then I’m going to have some solid reasons for it.
The other thing I would like to mention is that I will keep the top portion of the review ‘spoiler-free’. I do want to provide some clear examples and illustrations of some points I’d like to make, so I will clearly demarcate when that will begin for those that want to avoid the section.
With that out of the way we come to ‘The Chimera Vector’. Now, I should also mention that I came into possession of the book via some rather unconventional marketing.
The Chimera Vector started out strong for me and slowly lost steam. Mr. Farrugia has some very solid ideas in the book and the plot has a lot of potential. As the story unfolded, I found myself rather enjoying the book though I did run into a few awkward sentences here and there. Where the first third of the book had some minor gaps in the polish, the polish slowly degraded further until I found myself no longer enjoying the book.
I believe the biggest problem with the book is the pacing. There are some sections of the book with clear time limits, yet the level of detail and quantity actions the take place really don’t leave the impression of that action actually being able to fit within those time constraints. I actually graphed out some of these sections in the spoiler section to demonstrate their infeasibility.
Farrugia also breaks Brandon Sanderson’s ‘First‘ and ‘Second‘ laws of magic. I would describe Farrugia as using a ‘soft magic’ in this book. Some characters have some innate abilities beyond what they have received through their altered DNA. These characters frequently use their magic to solve problems without any explanation of where the powers came from, their limitations (other than some general control issues), or their consequences. This leads to a general sense of confusion about the magic in this world Farrugia is presenting. It also makes the magic seem rather uninteresting.
Overall, what started as, in my mind, a 4-star book, degraded into something I can’t bring myself to gift more than 2-stars to. I do think Farrugia has some good potential as an author. With some continued growth, and a better support network (such as more rounds with an editor) I think Farrugia could put out a much better effort than this in the future.
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SPOILERS
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Even with fancy futuristic technology, I find it hard to believe that a gene can be sequenced from a digital pattern into an inject-able serum in under 10 minutes.
The first use of phonetics for leoncjusz’s speech was plenty. By the second ‘reminders’ I was thinking ‘Yes, okay I got it the first time…’ after the third reminder I just found it insulting to my intelligence.
The following events occur in 45 minutes (mostly following Sophia due to the team often splitting up)
-Denton kills Komarov (which is around the point that a 45 minute timer starts for a bunker buster destroying the facility)
-Sophia has an underground railcar chase scene
-Stop the railcar and realize the encrypted vector is comprimized
-Gunfight, restart railcar
-treat bullet wound, disable a tracker in Benito
-stop railcar and setup distraction with another stationary railcar
Let me take a break right there to mention that I have a lot of trouble picturing this whole rail-car scene. I went back and read it twice more and still didn’t get it. So they are racing on a rail-car, is it in a circle? When they stop, realize they have a problem with the crypto and get ambushed which direction did the attackers come from? Did sophia go in reverse at that point? They are travelling at (up to) 60 mph during this sequence. They stop and ditch the train and are now on foot. How far away from the labs are they at this point? it feels like it should be rather far away but they make it there, sequence the Axolotl gene and run away. At this point we learn that from the second portion of the rail-car sequence to here has been about 9 minutes off the ‘countdown’.
next:
-The team injects the vector and heads to the blue-gene labs
-Jay and Denton have a conversation that indicates 26 minutes on the countdown (19 elapsed). Also 5 minutes until rendezvous with Cecilia (this is important)
-Sophia infils Blue-gene and has a (lengthy) conversation with Denton
-Cecilia arrives (another length convo) takes some DNA samples.
-Renee betrays team, Cecilia’s soldiers get called into a trap
-Gunfight in lab
-at this point Jay indicates 24 minutes left until the bunker buster.
But wait, that means the whole scene from the infil through now occurred in the span of 2 minutes. In that scene Cecilia arrived, which supposedly was, itself, 5 minutes. Add to that, the conversation and gunfight, and well… yeah.
I’m not even going to bother going on at this point. I did plot out the entire sequence on paper, but its just more of the same. Way too much action in way too little time, it becomes totally unbelievable and quite laughable at times. Its not just that the passage of time is impossible when analyzed, but also that when read the problem is quite apparent. It should also be mentioned that this ’45 minute sequence’ takes up nearly 40% of the content of the book.
I find myself able to point out many additional flaws that I would normally excuse. I think the egregious flaws in the pacing make these other flaws harder to overlook for me. Ultimately, as I continued to look for things to enjoy about the book, I kept finding errors which became very frustrating and really bogged the story down for me. Around the 75-80% completion range I was having serious trouble staying moticated to complete the story.
The other thing I would like to mention is that I will keep the top portion of the review ‘spoiler-free’. I do want to provide some clear examples and illustrations of some points I’d like to make, so I will clearly demarcate when that will begin for those that want to avoid the section.
With that out of the way we come to ‘The Chimera Vector’. Now, I should also mention that I came into possession of the book via some rather unconventional marketing.
The Chimera Vector started out strong for me and slowly lost steam. Mr. Farrugia has some very solid ideas in the book and the plot has a lot of potential. As the story unfolded, I found myself rather enjoying the book though I did run into a few awkward sentences here and there. Where the first third of the book had some minor gaps in the polish, the polish slowly degraded further until I found myself no longer enjoying the book.
I believe the biggest problem with the book is the pacing. There are some sections of the book with clear time limits, yet the level of detail and quantity actions the take place really don’t leave the impression of that action actually being able to fit within those time constraints. I actually graphed out some of these sections in the spoiler section to demonstrate their infeasibility.
Farrugia also breaks Brandon Sanderson’s ‘First‘ and ‘Second‘ laws of magic. I would describe Farrugia as using a ‘soft magic’ in this book. Some characters have some innate abilities beyond what they have received through their altered DNA. These characters frequently use their magic to solve problems without any explanation of where the powers came from, their limitations (other than some general control issues), or their consequences. This leads to a general sense of confusion about the magic in this world Farrugia is presenting. It also makes the magic seem rather uninteresting.
Overall, what started as, in my mind, a 4-star book, degraded into something I can’t bring myself to gift more than 2-stars to. I do think Farrugia has some good potential as an author. With some continued growth, and a better support network (such as more rounds with an editor) I think Farrugia could put out a much better effort than this in the future.
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SPOILERS
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Even with fancy futuristic technology, I find it hard to believe that a gene can be sequenced from a digital pattern into an inject-able serum in under 10 minutes.
The first use of phonetics for leoncjusz’s speech was plenty. By the second ‘reminders’ I was thinking ‘Yes, okay I got it the first time…’ after the third reminder I just found it insulting to my intelligence.
The following events occur in 45 minutes (mostly following Sophia due to the team often splitting up)
-Denton kills Komarov (which is around the point that a 45 minute timer starts for a bunker buster destroying the facility)
-Sophia has an underground railcar chase scene
-Stop the railcar and realize the encrypted vector is comprimized
-Gunfight, restart railcar
-treat bullet wound, disable a tracker in Benito
-stop railcar and setup distraction with another stationary railcar
Let me take a break right there to mention that I have a lot of trouble picturing this whole rail-car scene. I went back and read it twice more and still didn’t get it. So they are racing on a rail-car, is it in a circle? When they stop, realize they have a problem with the crypto and get ambushed which direction did the attackers come from? Did sophia go in reverse at that point? They are travelling at (up to) 60 mph during this sequence. They stop and ditch the train and are now on foot. How far away from the labs are they at this point? it feels like it should be rather far away but they make it there, sequence the Axolotl gene and run away. At this point we learn that from the second portion of the rail-car sequence to here has been about 9 minutes off the ‘countdown’.
next:
-The team injects the vector and heads to the blue-gene labs
-Jay and Denton have a conversation that indicates 26 minutes on the countdown (19 elapsed). Also 5 minutes until rendezvous with Cecilia (this is important)
-Sophia infils Blue-gene and has a (lengthy) conversation with Denton
-Cecilia arrives (another length convo) takes some DNA samples.
-Renee betrays team, Cecilia’s soldiers get called into a trap
-Gunfight in lab
-at this point Jay indicates 24 minutes left until the bunker buster.
But wait, that means the whole scene from the infil through now occurred in the span of 2 minutes. In that scene Cecilia arrived, which supposedly was, itself, 5 minutes. Add to that, the conversation and gunfight, and well… yeah.
I’m not even going to bother going on at this point. I did plot out the entire sequence on paper, but its just more of the same. Way too much action in way too little time, it becomes totally unbelievable and quite laughable at times. Its not just that the passage of time is impossible when analyzed, but also that when read the problem is quite apparent. It should also be mentioned that this ’45 minute sequence’ takes up nearly 40% of the content of the book.
I find myself able to point out many additional flaws that I would normally excuse. I think the egregious flaws in the pacing make these other flaws harder to overlook for me. Ultimately, as I continued to look for things to enjoy about the book, I kept finding errors which became very frustrating and really bogged the story down for me. Around the 75-80% completion range I was having serious trouble staying moticated to complete the story.
July 7, 2013
I picked up a copy of The Chimera Vector thinking it would be a standard adventure novel. I was wrong. From the sands of the Middle East to the streets of New York, Nathan Farrugia has taken the techno-action/spy novel pioneered by David Morrell and given it steroids. The closest book I could compare it to was Morrell's The Fifth Profession with a smattering of The Manchurian Candidate--both, in my opinion, giants in literary fiction. Farrugia mixes psychology, mind control, and lots of action to come up with a definite hit. Yes there are times when jumping from one implausible problem to the next seems a bit of formula, but Farrugia keeps it fresh. You never know exactly how the given situation will be solved or who you can trust. Just when you get comfortable hating a character, you have to question the character's motives. To me, that is what makes this book fascinating. Farrugia has definitely caught today's Brave New World by the tail, and comes out swinging. I am looking forward to the rest of the series.
May 4, 2012
Really humorous, lots of action and the characters are so much fun. Loved it. Fast-paced, entertaining read.
July 8, 2013
The Chimera Vector is special. A heart-pounding blend of science fiction and thriller, the story line grabs your attention at the first and doesn't let go. Not only does the story provide all the action and thrills that I love in a book of this sort, Farrugia knows his stuff when it comes to genetic manipulation, world governments, secret organizations, and the human need for power and wealth above all else.
Imagine the horror of waking up one day to discover that everything you thought was real was a lie - that instead of being the good guy, you find out that you are the monster under the bed. The horror destined to change the fate of the world. And truly, not in a good way. Hidden agendas, terrorism disguised as patriotism, genetic manipulation and deadly viruses (oh, my!) and plots within plots make this a lively and breathtaking read.
As some have said, there is a comparison to be drawn between Rollins and Farrugia. The action and adventure and edge of the seat thrills are definitely there. I would agree, however, that Rollins is in a class of his own when it comes to this genre. As this was Farrugia's first book, before The Searphim Sequence: The Column 2, I will have to see how the next one goes to see how much closer he gets to that Rollins ideal. As the reviewer on Amazon identified as "lifeguard48" stated, there is a very "Manchurian Candidate" vibe. I would add in a heavy dose of Huxley, a smidge of "Gattica" and a bow to Methuselah's Virus. Toss in a bit of Crichton and le Carre and you have a book with all the energy of a triple shot of espresso with a side of terror.
This is a great book. If you like action, check it out! Recommended.
Imagine the horror of waking up one day to discover that everything you thought was real was a lie - that instead of being the good guy, you find out that you are the monster under the bed. The horror destined to change the fate of the world. And truly, not in a good way. Hidden agendas, terrorism disguised as patriotism, genetic manipulation and deadly viruses (oh, my!) and plots within plots make this a lively and breathtaking read.
As some have said, there is a comparison to be drawn between Rollins and Farrugia. The action and adventure and edge of the seat thrills are definitely there. I would agree, however, that Rollins is in a class of his own when it comes to this genre. As this was Farrugia's first book, before The Searphim Sequence: The Column 2, I will have to see how the next one goes to see how much closer he gets to that Rollins ideal. As the reviewer on Amazon identified as "lifeguard48" stated, there is a very "Manchurian Candidate" vibe. I would add in a heavy dose of Huxley, a smidge of "Gattica" and a bow to Methuselah's Virus. Toss in a bit of Crichton and le Carre and you have a book with all the energy of a triple shot of espresso with a side of terror.
This is a great book. If you like action, check it out! Recommended.
July 25, 2013
THIS BOOK WILL WEAR YOU OUT - I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN.
The action is continuous. The combat/fight sequences are phenomenal in their detail and intensity. The storyline has an uninterrupted and gripping flow. Nathan Farrugia is in a class by himself. Children with special gifts are recruited and conditioned to be the ultimate warriors, Operatives, of the super-secret Fifth Column. With abilities beyond the norm due to DNA manipulation and having – unknowingly – undergone extensive programming, they take on, and out, what they believe to be terrorist and threats to freedom and liberty. But when conditioning breaks down, Sophia, the best of the best discovers that all is not as it seems. In reality, the Fifth Column, behind the scene, controls governments, militaries, and industry to their own advantage. Operatives keep them in power by eliminating opposition. They ARE the terrorists. But there is a Resistance, another set of players who want to bring down (and replace?) the Fifth Column. Deprogramming brings Sophia into their camp and she spearheads the effort against the Fifth Element. What is programming and what is truth? What is the Chimera Vector? Read and find out. I eagerly await Book 2.
The action is continuous. The combat/fight sequences are phenomenal in their detail and intensity. The storyline has an uninterrupted and gripping flow. Nathan Farrugia is in a class by himself. Children with special gifts are recruited and conditioned to be the ultimate warriors, Operatives, of the super-secret Fifth Column. With abilities beyond the norm due to DNA manipulation and having – unknowingly – undergone extensive programming, they take on, and out, what they believe to be terrorist and threats to freedom and liberty. But when conditioning breaks down, Sophia, the best of the best discovers that all is not as it seems. In reality, the Fifth Column, behind the scene, controls governments, militaries, and industry to their own advantage. Operatives keep them in power by eliminating opposition. They ARE the terrorists. But there is a Resistance, another set of players who want to bring down (and replace?) the Fifth Column. Deprogramming brings Sophia into their camp and she spearheads the effort against the Fifth Element. What is programming and what is truth? What is the Chimera Vector? Read and find out. I eagerly await Book 2.
July 8, 2013
I was offered this book to review and I half expected it to be rubbish. I was very surprised to find the book well written and the characters well fleshed out and believable.
The main character is Sophia an operative for a secret organisation, The Fifth Column, who thinks she is dealing with terrorists. It is only when she begins to behave strangely and then is captured by an ex member of her organisation, named Leon, that the truth becomes apparent. Leon explains that Sophia and her fellow operatives have all been trained from childhood to be assassins by the use of gene manipulation and hypnotic commands.
Sophia then goes on to join an opposing force with the aim of dismantling The Fifth Column.
Very fast paced and explosive, the story hurtles along with twists and double backs and changes in loyalties. A great story that really should be selling in bookshops around the world. Better than most of the already printed books of the same genre.
I already want to read the next instalment.
The main character is Sophia an operative for a secret organisation, The Fifth Column, who thinks she is dealing with terrorists. It is only when she begins to behave strangely and then is captured by an ex member of her organisation, named Leon, that the truth becomes apparent. Leon explains that Sophia and her fellow operatives have all been trained from childhood to be assassins by the use of gene manipulation and hypnotic commands.
Sophia then goes on to join an opposing force with the aim of dismantling The Fifth Column.
Very fast paced and explosive, the story hurtles along with twists and double backs and changes in loyalties. A great story that really should be selling in bookshops around the world. Better than most of the already printed books of the same genre.
I already want to read the next instalment.
May 27, 2012
This book really surprised me, I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was very pleased and I just had to write a review for it. The Chimera Vector is very unique and it written in a way that pulls you into the story and you feel like you should have your own character. The description is bang on; there is plenty of action, adventure, crazy people and awesome mutant abilities. This book has a little bit of everything that you would want in a good techno–thriller. It’s a very fun read and I’m already forcing it on my friends, even the ones who don’t read.
July 2, 2013
I absolutely love that this book isn't so far out of the realm of possibility that you shake your head at the absurdity of it. Instead it left me thinking that something like this could actually be possible and the general population would have absolutely no idea.
The characters were very well built and their personalities were very unique. I have to say, though, that Jay and Sophia are my favourites.
Truly, this book was awesome. I'd recommend it to just about anyone who was into military books but especially people who love conspiracy theories.
The characters were very well built and their personalities were very unique. I have to say, though, that Jay and Sophia are my favourites.
Truly, this book was awesome. I'd recommend it to just about anyone who was into military books but especially people who love conspiracy theories.
October 13, 2013
I must admit my expectations weren't high when I picked up this book. And whilst it did exceed those expectations I don't think it did enough for me to want to read any more in the series. Nevertheless, it was entertaining enough particularly if taken with a solid dose of Disbelief Suspension(TM).
Like a number of other reviewers I found the detail of information a little too much. Normally I'd love to know the specifications of weapons and equipment but in this context it just seemed to interrupt the flow of the story. Setting the scene with some description of the weapons might be okay but referencing them throughout the (often frenetic) scene was detracting. For instance, instead of "... his Colt Canada C8 rifle leveled ...", I would think "... his rifle leveled ..." would've been more appropriate.
This over-detailed approach also applied to the use of computers and programming in the novel. Whilst this might be okay for people who are lay in the world of computer science, for those are not, I think it actually detracts from the authenticity of the plot.
Early in the story I also felt like I was yanked out of story when Jay acquired "Two million rials":
I really wanted to like Sophia but I just found her rather weak, naive and somewhat wooden. In fact, I didn't really care for any of the characters -- Nasira, maybe -- but it was a struggle and, as heartless as it sounds, I really didn't care much for who lived or died.
Anyway, I thought the premise of the book was great and the writing was certainly of a better quality than I expected. Unfortunately the plot just failed to deliver with too much convolutions and the issues above just pulled me out of the story a few too many times. It could, however, be quite possible that I am a bit over this genre and therefore my opinion may well be skewed. It would probably take something quite unique and fresh to rekindle my love. Others new to the genre may well have a more enjoyable ride.
I thank Nathan for taking me on a journey nonetheless and wish him all the best with his future novels!
Like a number of other reviewers I found the detail of information a little too much. Normally I'd love to know the specifications of weapons and equipment but in this context it just seemed to interrupt the flow of the story. Setting the scene with some description of the weapons might be okay but referencing them throughout the (often frenetic) scene was detracting. For instance, instead of "... his Colt Canada C8 rifle leveled ...", I would think "... his rifle leveled ..." would've been more appropriate.
This over-detailed approach also applied to the use of computers and programming in the novel. Whilst this might be okay for people who are lay in the world of computer science, for those are not, I think it actually detracts from the authenticity of the plot.
Early in the story I also felt like I was yanked out of story when Jay acquired "Two million rials":
Sophia checked the notes. 'That's around 200 bucks.'Now, while it may seem trivial, this had the same effect as if the scene was paused, Sophia breaks character and turns to the camera to inform us imbeciles the rough currency conversion of the Rial. There would be no reason whatsoever for her to inform her team, a group of experienced international special forces operatives; surely they would know this already.
I really wanted to like Sophia but I just found her rather weak, naive and somewhat wooden. In fact, I didn't really care for any of the characters -- Nasira, maybe -- but it was a struggle and, as heartless as it sounds, I really didn't care much for who lived or died.
Anyway, I thought the premise of the book was great and the writing was certainly of a better quality than I expected. Unfortunately the plot just failed to deliver with too much convolutions and the issues above just pulled me out of the story a few too many times. It could, however, be quite possible that I am a bit over this genre and therefore my opinion may well be skewed. It would probably take something quite unique and fresh to rekindle my love. Others new to the genre may well have a more enjoyable ride.
I thank Nathan for taking me on a journey nonetheless and wish him all the best with his future novels!
June 20, 2013
THE CHIMERA VECTOR is an intense, high octane tech-fi action thriller that blends Crichton, Clancy and Reilly to create a no holds barred worldwide futuristic look at plain sight gorilla warfare. Fusing together military science with precise and deeply plotted covert ops, THE CHIMERA VECTOR reads as one long action sequence balanced by well defined characters in Sophia, Jay, Damien, and Denton. Each with questionable origins and equally as questionable allegiances and agendas.
The fifth column is a secret agency shaping the world to its image. Creating terror when none exists and selling lies to the Government for a selfish cause. The general populace would shutter and rebel should the maniacal method be whispered on the wind. THE CHIMERA VECTOR explores the notion of multiple types of humans coexisting with one having the potential to rule by fear and an iron fist, the other – a select and secretive group of reprogrammed agents trying to stop them.
The nod towards Crichton is apparent yet this is Farrugia’s own world with his own unique cast of characters and spin on the tech-fi sub genre. Each scientific revelation leads humanity down a path towards robotic instinct and action yet this futuristic look at a soulless weapon of flesh and blood seems entirely plausible, further exemplifying the dire and urgent nature of the ‘good guys’ to control this threat.
THE CHIMERA VECTOR is one of the few books in this genre that has left a lasting impression equal in plot and characters – the balance is maintained to perfection throughout. I’m interested to see where this cast and the far reaching plot spans in the follow-up THE SERAPHIM SEQUENCE.
This review was first published on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
The fifth column is a secret agency shaping the world to its image. Creating terror when none exists and selling lies to the Government for a selfish cause. The general populace would shutter and rebel should the maniacal method be whispered on the wind. THE CHIMERA VECTOR explores the notion of multiple types of humans coexisting with one having the potential to rule by fear and an iron fist, the other – a select and secretive group of reprogrammed agents trying to stop them.
The nod towards Crichton is apparent yet this is Farrugia’s own world with his own unique cast of characters and spin on the tech-fi sub genre. Each scientific revelation leads humanity down a path towards robotic instinct and action yet this futuristic look at a soulless weapon of flesh and blood seems entirely plausible, further exemplifying the dire and urgent nature of the ‘good guys’ to control this threat.
THE CHIMERA VECTOR is one of the few books in this genre that has left a lasting impression equal in plot and characters – the balance is maintained to perfection throughout. I’m interested to see where this cast and the far reaching plot spans in the follow-up THE SERAPHIM SEQUENCE.
This review was first published on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
July 23, 2012
Is it possible for a plot to be too complex, with too many reversals, changes in loyalty, table-turnings etc. Maybe I'm just not smart enough, and Nathan Farrugia has a planet-sized labyrinthine brain. Still, while I was left feeling slightly stupid after reading The Chimera Vector, I was mightily impressed by Nathan's knowledge of the 15 ways to kill a man with only a tunafish tin key, his obvious affinity with modern mercenary and spec ops arsenals, and his mastery of the detailed fight scene. The Chimera Vector played out in my head like a top of the range Hollywood action movie - even if, admittedly, one that I'd missed a few key elements of because I'd ducked out to buy a tub of popcorn. My only slight beef was that the middle section where our crack team has infiltrated the enemy base felt way too long and at times I thought I was watching a walk through of some playstation action game (video games are not good spectator sports), but no doubt real lovers of action novels (with bigger brains than me) lap this stuff up. Mind you it's not all action, action, action. There is a suitably complicated conspiracy going on at the same time as the flashbombs are being lobbed and this - for me - was the most satisfying element of the whole book.
March 22, 2016
Granted the science behind the story is a bit complicated and does require a little bit of attention to get your head around but this is a brilliant read. Farrugia has created a fabulously gripping story out of some complex science and a certain amount of invention that moves along at a good pace and keeps you interested throughout. There were a few bits that were a little overly detailed but this was kind of necessary to make sure the reader kept up to speed with what was going on. And there is a lot going on with plenty of characters and double crosses to keep track of. But it is worth it and really gets you thinking about who or what might really be running things...and how!
July 8, 2012
'SPLOSIONS!!! Need I say more? I'll say more anyway! The Chimera Vector is truly fast-paced - filled with guns, grenades and action sequences that would put any of the latest Hollywood flicks to shame. And in between all the brain splatter and debris, it still makes you connect with the characters enough that you really don't want them to get 'sploded. Definitely worth a read if you like things that go 'BANG' and 'KABLOOEY' but still like using your brain cells every now and then. Looking forward to the next installment!
January 21, 2016
It was a cool and action filled book. I enjoyed reading it and would like to try some other books from this writer. The only thing is that it ends kinda flat, its ending didnt have any punch to it, maybe becuase it was so much action beforehand. That what brings it down a bit.
I got to know about this book because the author himself sent me a message here on goodreads and gave me copy for my kindle, which was really cool.
I got to know about this book because the author himself sent me a message here on goodreads and gave me copy for my kindle, which was really cool.
September 6, 2013
Many years ago I read Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, where Douglas Adams mocked summer holiday books for their titles - The Delta Vortex, The Alpha Caper, The Hydra Enigma, and so on. Books worthy of a mock or two considering their vague similar titles.
Farrugia contacted me with the suggestion I checked out his book based on having read Dark Rivers of the Heart, by Dean Koontz. I was intrigued. Dark Rivers is an excellent read. I couldn't help feel the title of Farrugia's novel was a bit cheesy and whilst covers or titles shouldn't reflect the content of a story, they do have an impact on whether a reader chooses one over another.
That said I'm glad I didn't let the title stop me from what turned out to be a cracking story. I read through it in 3 sittings, staying up way past my bed time alarm, turning page after page desperate to keep up with the fast paced action.
There's a lot going on in The Chimera Vector, so be prepared for a wealth of plot twists, characters, action set pieces, varied locations around the world, good narrative, slices of political and economical aspects come into play too, not to mention social engineering themes that made me think about the world, its history and future history.
At times I felt there was a little too much information dumped in one go, but that barely lasted a few pages here and there, and it was well written so not much to gripe about.
I've often found stories with large plots tend to lose their way around the middle, with the author floundering to keep the momentum going. The Chimera Vector doesn't have this problem as the pace is set high from the start and is well maintained throughout, with very few lulls in between the action.
The best character by far was Jay, so much so he deserves his own story. As I'm reading about Sophia, Damien, Denton and the others, I'm thinking "Yeah but what's Jay doing right now?"
Every so often it felt as if Farrugia was over indulging in mentioning what weapons the characters used. It felt a little repetitive, although on the other hand it's better than saying "gun" or "rifle" over and over.
Something I found a little distracting, or unrealistic, was how many injuries and pain the characters were able to endure without dying. Clearly the use of certain virus's (if that's the right terminology) are there to enhance the human body, increase endurance, skill, abilities etc, but it felt like that was an excuse to put the characters through ever increasing levels of pain.
Around the 3/4 mark my empathy levels waned whenever someone got shot, stabbed or beaten up, because they were obviously going to be fine. The concept of engineering humans to the next level of evolution, or whatever you'd call it, makes for fascinating reading because it doesn't enter the cartoon-like X-Men world.
The science behind their abilities is sufficient enough to keep it realistic without becoming silly and unbelievable. Looking back I can see Farrugia missed an opportunity with Sophia that would have given the story another level of intrigue and mystery not explainable through drugs that enhance humans.
When Sophia trains with a guy at the Akhana base in Belize he shows her how to injure or disarm her opponent with something akin to electrical transference from one person to another, and how a blow to the body can be dissipated and shrugged off. I've watched videos about this subject where old guys skilled in Kung Fu, grand masters if you like, are able to throw off their opponents with nothing more than a slight touch.
After this scene I waited for Sophia to use this technique during a pitched battle with the enemy. I wanted a sort of revelation or epiphany where just as she was about to lose, or die, things would click into place and she'd understand how to use this amazing ability to save herself and the day.
This would have enhanced the character arc for Sophia because it wouldn't matter how enhanced the special agents had become through drugs or virus's, she would have the edge over them with a technique that couldn't be injected through bio-engineering methods.
In addition to that there are a number of references to Sophia being 'special' in some way, or different, unique, better etc, than all the other agents. Yet this isn't fully explained why or how.
That small whine aside I thought this was an excellent read. Gripping from the start and no dull moments at all. If you're interesting in good action, thrilling scenes, thought provoking ideas and well developed characters (and can ignore the cover which I don't think does the book justice) I recommend you give this a shot. Quality entertainment!
Farrugia contacted me with the suggestion I checked out his book based on having read Dark Rivers of the Heart, by Dean Koontz. I was intrigued. Dark Rivers is an excellent read. I couldn't help feel the title of Farrugia's novel was a bit cheesy and whilst covers or titles shouldn't reflect the content of a story, they do have an impact on whether a reader chooses one over another.
That said I'm glad I didn't let the title stop me from what turned out to be a cracking story. I read through it in 3 sittings, staying up way past my bed time alarm, turning page after page desperate to keep up with the fast paced action.
There's a lot going on in The Chimera Vector, so be prepared for a wealth of plot twists, characters, action set pieces, varied locations around the world, good narrative, slices of political and economical aspects come into play too, not to mention social engineering themes that made me think about the world, its history and future history.
At times I felt there was a little too much information dumped in one go, but that barely lasted a few pages here and there, and it was well written so not much to gripe about.
I've often found stories with large plots tend to lose their way around the middle, with the author floundering to keep the momentum going. The Chimera Vector doesn't have this problem as the pace is set high from the start and is well maintained throughout, with very few lulls in between the action.
The best character by far was Jay, so much so he deserves his own story. As I'm reading about Sophia, Damien, Denton and the others, I'm thinking "Yeah but what's Jay doing right now?"
Every so often it felt as if Farrugia was over indulging in mentioning what weapons the characters used. It felt a little repetitive, although on the other hand it's better than saying "gun" or "rifle" over and over.
Something I found a little distracting, or unrealistic, was how many injuries and pain the characters were able to endure without dying. Clearly the use of certain virus's (if that's the right terminology) are there to enhance the human body, increase endurance, skill, abilities etc, but it felt like that was an excuse to put the characters through ever increasing levels of pain.
Around the 3/4 mark my empathy levels waned whenever someone got shot, stabbed or beaten up, because they were obviously going to be fine. The concept of engineering humans to the next level of evolution, or whatever you'd call it, makes for fascinating reading because it doesn't enter the cartoon-like X-Men world.
The science behind their abilities is sufficient enough to keep it realistic without becoming silly and unbelievable. Looking back I can see Farrugia missed an opportunity with Sophia that would have given the story another level of intrigue and mystery not explainable through drugs that enhance humans.
When Sophia trains with a guy at the Akhana base in Belize he shows her how to injure or disarm her opponent with something akin to electrical transference from one person to another, and how a blow to the body can be dissipated and shrugged off. I've watched videos about this subject where old guys skilled in Kung Fu, grand masters if you like, are able to throw off their opponents with nothing more than a slight touch.
After this scene I waited for Sophia to use this technique during a pitched battle with the enemy. I wanted a sort of revelation or epiphany where just as she was about to lose, or die, things would click into place and she'd understand how to use this amazing ability to save herself and the day.
This would have enhanced the character arc for Sophia because it wouldn't matter how enhanced the special agents had become through drugs or virus's, she would have the edge over them with a technique that couldn't be injected through bio-engineering methods.
In addition to that there are a number of references to Sophia being 'special' in some way, or different, unique, better etc, than all the other agents. Yet this isn't fully explained why or how.
That small whine aside I thought this was an excellent read. Gripping from the start and no dull moments at all. If you're interesting in good action, thrilling scenes, thought provoking ideas and well developed characters (and can ignore the cover which I don't think does the book justice) I recommend you give this a shot. Quality entertainment!
September 12, 2016
I was requested by the author of the Chimera Vector to read and review this book. This has not influenced my review of this work.
3.5*
I must confess that this book was a pleasant surprise to me. It's well written, with real intrigue and suspense. The reason I say it was a pleasant surprise is because many indie published books are let down somewhat by the poor punctuation and grammar, but I'm pleased to say this was not much of an issue with The Chimera Vector. Mr Farrugia has really taken time to present this work in its best possible light, and for that I thank him for his attention to detail.
Mr Farrugia has a very complex imagination and a vast knowledge of his subject matter. However, I found some of the descriptive passages in the story to be a bit too fact dense for me to fully understand. My lack of scientific expertise didn't interfere with my overall enjoyment of the story, which leads me to conclude that some of the techno-speak could be omitted or simplified for the benefit of the average layperson such as myself.
My favourite character was Sophia and I admired the fact that Nathan made the main character in an action book female. I enjoyed how he revealed her back-story throughout the book, and finding out how she, Jay and Damien came to be involved in the 5th Column.
My main criticism of this book was that it lacked a certain finesse, that extra added layer in the writing, that really gives the reader an emotional connection to the story and the characters. You know when you read certain passages in a book and you feel what the author was feeling, it draws you in and you really care for the characters and what they're going through; you can't stop turning pages and thinking about the characters even when you're not reading it. In places, he almost got there, but it felt like he bailed just before he arrived. Perhaps it needs a little less "tell" and a little more "show" to fully engage the reader. Without it the story is a little disjointed. With smoother transitions it would be an easier, more satisfying read.
My criticisms of this book are really not negatives. They are simply my observations that, as a reader, would really improve the overall quality of writing in what is essentially a good book. However, this is certainly one of the best self-published books that I've read in a while, and I see genuine potential in Nathan as a writer. There is much to admire and I will be interested to see how Mr Farrugia's writing develops.
All told, readers of action-packed adventure books will love this read. The action is non-stop, relentless, from beginning to end. I would love to have been able to give this book a higher rating than 3.5*, but for that to happen it needs a bit less head and a little more heart. C'mon, Nathan, I know you've got it in you!
3.5*
I must confess that this book was a pleasant surprise to me. It's well written, with real intrigue and suspense. The reason I say it was a pleasant surprise is because many indie published books are let down somewhat by the poor punctuation and grammar, but I'm pleased to say this was not much of an issue with The Chimera Vector. Mr Farrugia has really taken time to present this work in its best possible light, and for that I thank him for his attention to detail.
Mr Farrugia has a very complex imagination and a vast knowledge of his subject matter. However, I found some of the descriptive passages in the story to be a bit too fact dense for me to fully understand. My lack of scientific expertise didn't interfere with my overall enjoyment of the story, which leads me to conclude that some of the techno-speak could be omitted or simplified for the benefit of the average layperson such as myself.
My favourite character was Sophia and I admired the fact that Nathan made the main character in an action book female. I enjoyed how he revealed her back-story throughout the book, and finding out how she, Jay and Damien came to be involved in the 5th Column.
My main criticism of this book was that it lacked a certain finesse, that extra added layer in the writing, that really gives the reader an emotional connection to the story and the characters. You know when you read certain passages in a book and you feel what the author was feeling, it draws you in and you really care for the characters and what they're going through; you can't stop turning pages and thinking about the characters even when you're not reading it. In places, he almost got there, but it felt like he bailed just before he arrived. Perhaps it needs a little less "tell" and a little more "show" to fully engage the reader. Without it the story is a little disjointed. With smoother transitions it would be an easier, more satisfying read.
My criticisms of this book are really not negatives. They are simply my observations that, as a reader, would really improve the overall quality of writing in what is essentially a good book. However, this is certainly one of the best self-published books that I've read in a while, and I see genuine potential in Nathan as a writer. There is much to admire and I will be interested to see how Mr Farrugia's writing develops.
All told, readers of action-packed adventure books will love this read. The action is non-stop, relentless, from beginning to end. I would love to have been able to give this book a higher rating than 3.5*, but for that to happen it needs a bit less head and a little more heart. C'mon, Nathan, I know you've got it in you!
November 5, 2012
Thank you Nathan for bringing this book to my attention. I thoroughly enjoyed my excursion into your world. I was curious about the title.. so the inner geek in me truimphed and I used a dictionary...
Cimera - an illusion or fabrication of the mind, an unrealistic dream or an imaginary monster compounded of incongruous parts..
Vector - an agent (plasmid or virus) that contains modified genetic material...
From the first page, I was reminded of the action sequences in a James Bond film before the opening credits!
We focus on Sophia, an operative in the 5th Column, who are a private military organisation that helps governments around the world with terrorist problems or instability of any kind.
Sophia's op goes bad and she is seperated from her team and is captured by rebel 5th Column scientists.
it is so hard to stop writing about it because so much happens.
The whole story is a roller coaster, exhilarating and terrifying filled with unbelievable action sequences and fancy gadgets.
Just writing this review makes me want to go back and read it again!
My only problem was that we never know how Sophia is feeling... she is used as Typhiod Mary but there is no reaction from her.. she is injected with the antidote after being shot and again there is no reaction..she meets people she believed were dead and there is maybe a raised eyebrow.. I want to love her as a character and I can see why others are saying that she is 2 dimensional.
Having said that I am still happy with the overall story and hope that we see more of her team in the next installment.
The best stories are the ones that sneak into your thoughts days after you have finished!
Try this one
Cimera - an illusion or fabrication of the mind, an unrealistic dream or an imaginary monster compounded of incongruous parts..
Vector - an agent (plasmid or virus) that contains modified genetic material...
From the first page, I was reminded of the action sequences in a James Bond film before the opening credits!
We focus on Sophia, an operative in the 5th Column, who are a private military organisation that helps governments around the world with terrorist problems or instability of any kind.
Sophia's op goes bad and she is seperated from her team and is captured by rebel 5th Column scientists.
it is so hard to stop writing about it because so much happens.
The whole story is a roller coaster, exhilarating and terrifying filled with unbelievable action sequences and fancy gadgets.
Just writing this review makes me want to go back and read it again!
My only problem was that we never know how Sophia is feeling... she is used as Typhiod Mary but there is no reaction from her.. she is injected with the antidote after being shot and again there is no reaction..she meets people she believed were dead and there is maybe a raised eyebrow.. I want to love her as a character and I can see why others are saying that she is 2 dimensional.
Having said that I am still happy with the overall story and hope that we see more of her team in the next installment.
The best stories are the ones that sneak into your thoughts days after you have finished!
Try this one
September 11, 2013
This book had more action than I've ever seen! Good God, man...every page had action on it! Unreal!!!
If you want espionage, treachery, conspiracy, double-dealings, secret facilities working behind every government in the world, and NON-STOP action, with a little paranormal extras thrown in, you need to get this book!
The only reason "The Chimera Vector" didn't get 5 stars from me is because I just couldn't keep up with it all. OMG...my head was spinning, reading this book! (It still is, as I think about it.) If I could give half-stars, this book would be a 4.5 star book for me. For any military mavericks out there, this is your book. However, this book takes it one step further.
The characters of this book all have enhanced abilities (hence, the "paranormal" factor). It's not vampires and werewolves and such; these folks have all their senses enhanced to a certain degree, plus, a few of them have a little "extra" thrown in for good measure. For example, Jay, who's one of the main characters in the book, can generate enough electricity in his body to cause atrial fibrillation in a person. And please don't stand in a puddle of water when he does it; you will be fried to a crisp on the inside!
Speaking of Jay, there are 3 main characters to watch out for in the book: Jay, Sophia, and Damien. All of them have been enhanced, and their higher-ups have conspired to make them the ultimate killing machines. However, Sophia's "programming" goes wrong in their latest mission, which begins the book.
There's no way I can go into the whole story; there's just too much going on. Even the secondary players are extremely significant in "The Chimera Vector." Denton, Cecilia, Leoncjusz, Nasira, Lucia, Grace...the list goes on. Each character plays a key part in the development of the 3 main characters.
All I can say is, this book will blow your mind! If you like a good military-based, action (MUCHO action) and suspense-type story, read "The Chimera Vector." Excellent start, Mr. Fagoogoo! LOL
If you want espionage, treachery, conspiracy, double-dealings, secret facilities working behind every government in the world, and NON-STOP action, with a little paranormal extras thrown in, you need to get this book!
The only reason "The Chimera Vector" didn't get 5 stars from me is because I just couldn't keep up with it all. OMG...my head was spinning, reading this book! (It still is, as I think about it.) If I could give half-stars, this book would be a 4.5 star book for me. For any military mavericks out there, this is your book. However, this book takes it one step further.
The characters of this book all have enhanced abilities (hence, the "paranormal" factor). It's not vampires and werewolves and such; these folks have all their senses enhanced to a certain degree, plus, a few of them have a little "extra" thrown in for good measure. For example, Jay, who's one of the main characters in the book, can generate enough electricity in his body to cause atrial fibrillation in a person. And please don't stand in a puddle of water when he does it; you will be fried to a crisp on the inside!
Speaking of Jay, there are 3 main characters to watch out for in the book: Jay, Sophia, and Damien. All of them have been enhanced, and their higher-ups have conspired to make them the ultimate killing machines. However, Sophia's "programming" goes wrong in their latest mission, which begins the book.
There's no way I can go into the whole story; there's just too much going on. Even the secondary players are extremely significant in "The Chimera Vector." Denton, Cecilia, Leoncjusz, Nasira, Lucia, Grace...the list goes on. Each character plays a key part in the development of the 3 main characters.
All I can say is, this book will blow your mind! If you like a good military-based, action (MUCHO action) and suspense-type story, read "The Chimera Vector." Excellent start, Mr. Fagoogoo! LOL
November 1, 2013
The excitement plus the nerves fought with each other as Sophia was preparing to be removed from her family. She had won a scholarship to attend boarding school, with excellent results in her tests. She was sad to leave her family; she agreed to let her younger sister sleep in her big bed as long as Sophia could share it with her when she returned home for term break. But little did Sophia realize that this was where her life as she had known it would change, dramatically, forever.
As an operative for the Fifth Column, Sophia had been on many missions; Damien and Jay were two of her most trusted team members and they had been through a lot together. But when a routine mission in Iran came undone, terrifyingly and in a way Sophia couldn’t define, their lives were in great danger. With them in the hot seat, desperately trying to escape the soldiers who were after them, Sophia needed a plan, and she needed it in a hurry!
Having had no idea how much she had been manipulated with her DNA altered to suit the needs of the Fifth Column, and now her programming showing signs of breaking up, she found herself in the hands of another scientist. Sophia didn’t know who to trust, who to believe or indeed what was happening to her. Her mind was frantically working at top speed to define and determine her future, and the future of the Chimera Vector. But with the amount of different break-away cells, who could she trust? It seemed that the only person she could rely on was herself – it was up to her to get results! Would she; could she?
What an incredibly fast paced thriller! This one had me from the very beginning, and even though the technology was a little challenging now and then, I found myself understanding and speeding through the pages. A great, entertaining read by debut Aussie novelist, Nathan Farrugia. Highly recommended.
As an operative for the Fifth Column, Sophia had been on many missions; Damien and Jay were two of her most trusted team members and they had been through a lot together. But when a routine mission in Iran came undone, terrifyingly and in a way Sophia couldn’t define, their lives were in great danger. With them in the hot seat, desperately trying to escape the soldiers who were after them, Sophia needed a plan, and she needed it in a hurry!
Having had no idea how much she had been manipulated with her DNA altered to suit the needs of the Fifth Column, and now her programming showing signs of breaking up, she found herself in the hands of another scientist. Sophia didn’t know who to trust, who to believe or indeed what was happening to her. Her mind was frantically working at top speed to define and determine her future, and the future of the Chimera Vector. But with the amount of different break-away cells, who could she trust? It seemed that the only person she could rely on was herself – it was up to her to get results! Would she; could she?
What an incredibly fast paced thriller! This one had me from the very beginning, and even though the technology was a little challenging now and then, I found myself understanding and speeding through the pages. A great, entertaining read by debut Aussie novelist, Nathan Farrugia. Highly recommended.
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