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Alien Invasion #1
Invasion
They are coming. The countdown has begun.
First visible only as blips on a telescope image, the discovery of objects approaching from Jupiter orbit immediately sets humanity on edge. NASA doesn't even bother to deny the alien ships' existence. The popular Astral space app (broadcasting from the far side of the moon and accessible by anyone with internet) has already shown the populace what is coming. So the news has turned from evasion to triage, urging calm and offering the few facts they have:
The objects are enormous, perfectly round spheres numbering in the dozens, maybe hundreds. They are on an approach vector for Earth. And they will arrive in six days.
Fear simmers.
Meyer Dempsey - mogul, wealthy entrepreneur, arrogant and always in charge - is in New York, on the phone with his ex-wife in LA when the news breaks. He can hear tension in the voices of reporters and experts chronicling all that's known and unknown. But even while those supposedly in charge restrain their own panic, Meyer finds he recognizes bits and pieces of what the world is facing. He's seen this in dreams - in visions of another place. He knows where he and his family must go. He has prepared … though he never knew until now what he'd been preparing for.
He knows only they cannot hesitate. They must run to their safe haven in the Colorado mountains. Now. Before society shatters into chaos, and it all falls apart.
Fear rises.
Meyer has been taking steps for months, and has made preparations: a trove of supplies, a van stocked for the worst, a Gulfstream waiting at a small airstrip in Jersey. But he hasn't yet been able to take the final and most important step: moving the family to Colorado, where every contingency is covered.
The networks stay on-air longer than expected, creating a farce of calm. But those with means have already begun to scramble as Meyer gathers his wife Piper and his two teenage children and begins their race toward that compound, toward safety. There is no time for hesitation, regret, or pity. Soon, pundits begin to ask questions hard enough to tip those who've thus far stayed calm out of their complacency, inciting chaos:
What do the beings inside the ships want? What will they do when they arrive? And what if the scientists are wrong, and the spheres aren't decelerating? Will they strike the planet, raising clouds of extinction dust? Will they knock the Earth off its axis? Is this a prelude to an alien invasion? An alien war? An alien apocalypse? The first domino in the birth of a new alien empire?
Fear erupts.
Panic, once it breaches the thin crust of civilized society, spreads like a virus. Meyer knows only one thing, and it's a truth that has perched atop his mind like a psychic obsession: When the ships arrive, his family must be at the Colorado compound or all will be lost. The space fleet in itself doesn't matter. The disintegration on the surviving news outlets does not matter. Reports that Las Vegas has been set ablaze do not matter. The fate of humanity, in Meyer's eyes, doesn't matter.
All that matters is Piper. Trevor. Delilah. And Meyer's ex-wife Heather, coming to the same destination from the west - a woman who remains his best friend, and his secret lover.
Rioting spills into the highways as time ticks away. Unrest boils in both city and hinterlands. But Meyer's obsession to reach Vail is single-minded, guided with the focus of a far-seeing nightmare. Gangs can ground his plane, threaten his vehicles, and steal his belongings. But nothing will stand between Meyer's family and their haven … and Meyer will kill his way to Colorado if he has to.
This relentless, page-turning tale of apocalyptic dawn is the first in the alien invasion series by masters of story Truant and Platt, authors of The Beam, Robot Proletariat, the Dream Engine series, and many more.
First visible only as blips on a telescope image, the discovery of objects approaching from Jupiter orbit immediately sets humanity on edge. NASA doesn't even bother to deny the alien ships' existence. The popular Astral space app (broadcasting from the far side of the moon and accessible by anyone with internet) has already shown the populace what is coming. So the news has turned from evasion to triage, urging calm and offering the few facts they have:
The objects are enormous, perfectly round spheres numbering in the dozens, maybe hundreds. They are on an approach vector for Earth. And they will arrive in six days.
Fear simmers.
Meyer Dempsey - mogul, wealthy entrepreneur, arrogant and always in charge - is in New York, on the phone with his ex-wife in LA when the news breaks. He can hear tension in the voices of reporters and experts chronicling all that's known and unknown. But even while those supposedly in charge restrain their own panic, Meyer finds he recognizes bits and pieces of what the world is facing. He's seen this in dreams - in visions of another place. He knows where he and his family must go. He has prepared … though he never knew until now what he'd been preparing for.
He knows only they cannot hesitate. They must run to their safe haven in the Colorado mountains. Now. Before society shatters into chaos, and it all falls apart.
Fear rises.
Meyer has been taking steps for months, and has made preparations: a trove of supplies, a van stocked for the worst, a Gulfstream waiting at a small airstrip in Jersey. But he hasn't yet been able to take the final and most important step: moving the family to Colorado, where every contingency is covered.
The networks stay on-air longer than expected, creating a farce of calm. But those with means have already begun to scramble as Meyer gathers his wife Piper and his two teenage children and begins their race toward that compound, toward safety. There is no time for hesitation, regret, or pity. Soon, pundits begin to ask questions hard enough to tip those who've thus far stayed calm out of their complacency, inciting chaos:
What do the beings inside the ships want? What will they do when they arrive? And what if the scientists are wrong, and the spheres aren't decelerating? Will they strike the planet, raising clouds of extinction dust? Will they knock the Earth off its axis? Is this a prelude to an alien invasion? An alien war? An alien apocalypse? The first domino in the birth of a new alien empire?
Fear erupts.
Panic, once it breaches the thin crust of civilized society, spreads like a virus. Meyer knows only one thing, and it's a truth that has perched atop his mind like a psychic obsession: When the ships arrive, his family must be at the Colorado compound or all will be lost. The space fleet in itself doesn't matter. The disintegration on the surviving news outlets does not matter. Reports that Las Vegas has been set ablaze do not matter. The fate of humanity, in Meyer's eyes, doesn't matter.
All that matters is Piper. Trevor. Delilah. And Meyer's ex-wife Heather, coming to the same destination from the west - a woman who remains his best friend, and his secret lover.
Rioting spills into the highways as time ticks away. Unrest boils in both city and hinterlands. But Meyer's obsession to reach Vail is single-minded, guided with the focus of a far-seeing nightmare. Gangs can ground his plane, threaten his vehicles, and steal his belongings. But nothing will stand between Meyer's family and their haven … and Meyer will kill his way to Colorado if he has to.
This relentless, page-turning tale of apocalyptic dawn is the first in the alien invasion series by masters of story Truant and Platt, authors of The Beam, Robot Proletariat, the Dream Engine series, and many more.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 8, 2015
1853 people are currently reading
2836 people want to read
About the author
Sean Platt
334 books826 followersSean loves writing books, even more than reading them. He is co-founder of Collective Inkwell and Realm & Sands imprints, writes for children under the name Guy Incognito, and has more than his share of nose.
Together with co-authors David Wright and Johnny B. Truant, Sean has written the series Yesterdays Gone, WhiteSpace, ForNevermore, Available Darkness, Dark Crossings, Unicorn Western, The Beam, Namaste, Robot Proletariat, Cursed, Greens, Space Shuttle, and Everyone Gets Divorced. He also co-wrote the how-to indie book, Write. Publish. Repeat.
With Collective Inkwell
Yesterday's Gone: Post Apocalyptic - LOST by way of The Stand
WhiteSpace: Paranoid thriller on fictitious Hamilton Island
ForNevermore: YA horror that reads nothing like YA Horror
Available Darkness: A new breed of vampire thriller
Dark Crossings: Short stories, killer endings
With 47North
Z 2134: The Walking Dead meets The Hunger Games
Monstrous: Beauty and the Beast meets The Punisher
With Realm & Sands
Unicorn Western: The best story to ever come from a stupid idea
The Beam: Smart sci-fi to make you wonder exactly who we are
Namaste: A revenge thriller like nothing you've ever read
Robot Proletariat: The revolution starts here
Cursed: The old werewolf legend turned upside down
Greens: Retail noir comedy
Space Shuttle: Over the top comedy with all your favorite sci-fi characters
Everyone Gets Divorced: Like "Always Sunny" and "How I Met Your Mother" had a baby on your Kindle
Sean lives in Austin, TX with his wife, daughter, and son.
Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/seanplatt (say hi so he can follow you back!)
Together with co-authors David Wright and Johnny B. Truant, Sean has written the series Yesterdays Gone, WhiteSpace, ForNevermore, Available Darkness, Dark Crossings, Unicorn Western, The Beam, Namaste, Robot Proletariat, Cursed, Greens, Space Shuttle, and Everyone Gets Divorced. He also co-wrote the how-to indie book, Write. Publish. Repeat.
With Collective Inkwell
Yesterday's Gone: Post Apocalyptic - LOST by way of The Stand
WhiteSpace: Paranoid thriller on fictitious Hamilton Island
ForNevermore: YA horror that reads nothing like YA Horror
Available Darkness: A new breed of vampire thriller
Dark Crossings: Short stories, killer endings
With 47North
Z 2134: The Walking Dead meets The Hunger Games
Monstrous: Beauty and the Beast meets The Punisher
With Realm & Sands
Unicorn Western: The best story to ever come from a stupid idea
The Beam: Smart sci-fi to make you wonder exactly who we are
Namaste: A revenge thriller like nothing you've ever read
Robot Proletariat: The revolution starts here
Cursed: The old werewolf legend turned upside down
Greens: Retail noir comedy
Space Shuttle: Over the top comedy with all your favorite sci-fi characters
Everyone Gets Divorced: Like "Always Sunny" and "How I Met Your Mother" had a baby on your Kindle
Sean lives in Austin, TX with his wife, daughter, and son.
Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/seanplatt (say hi so he can follow you back!)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 474 reviews
June 26, 2015
The hero was a cheating jerk, setting up an sex date with his ex wife while married to another woman, in fact cheating on his wife their whole marriage, then this author having the wife thinking that if he is cheating it's her fault. The jerk wasn't hero material and I kept hoping he would be the first person to die.
I hated, hated the so called hero. The cheating jerk
I hated, hated the so called hero. The cheating jerk
September 10, 2015
Read all six seasons of Yesterday's Gone and loved it. Invasion is nothing like that. We're stuck on a road trip with a sociopathic narcissist, who believes he and his idiot family are the only ones who deserve to survive the coming alien holocaust because "he is prepared for it."
The second book in the series is offered free at the end of the Kindle book. No thanks.
The second book in the series is offered free at the end of the Kindle book. No thanks.
February 10, 2016
Contrarily to what the title says, the whole story isn't about an invasion but about a family who tries to reach a bunker the father had had built in case of such an event. The event, you might wonder, is that spaceships are spotted in our solar system and they seemed to be aiming directly for Earth. It doesn't take long for people to panic, the flights to be grounded and for our little family to start having trouble going where they need to be.
The main protagonist might not be the likeable one we might expect. We soon learn he's a cheater who still have sex with his ex. Yet, we can't really hate him. At least, I didn't. He does all he can to bring his family to safety (and that includes his ex on the other side of the country).
So, as we read we live the trouble they have, and the fears and all. It's well done. It keeps you reading. However, if you were looking for aliens and such, well, you'll probably have to wait for the sequel as we don't learn much about them. Since what we do learn is at the end of the book, I won't say a word so not to spoil. (The sequel is offered free at the end of the book if you don't feel like spending a dime.)
Over all, if you're ok with what I said above, you should like the book. I did.
The main protagonist might not be the likeable one we might expect. We soon learn he's a cheater who still have sex with his ex. Yet, we can't really hate him. At least, I didn't. He does all he can to bring his family to safety (and that includes his ex on the other side of the country).
So, as we read we live the trouble they have, and the fears and all. It's well done. It keeps you reading. However, if you were looking for aliens and such, well, you'll probably have to wait for the sequel as we don't learn much about them. Since what we do learn is at the end of the book, I won't say a word so not to spoil. (The sequel is offered free at the end of the book if you don't feel like spending a dime.)
Over all, if you're ok with what I said above, you should like the book. I did.
April 1, 2016
Great idea and good solid writing. I just didn't enjoy spending time with these characters. I also didn't like the cliffhangerISH ending.
October 23, 2023
Facinated by different apocalyptic scenarios and even more so by aliens, this series is right up my ally and this particular scenario is very close to what I imagine would happened to humanity if we really did have extra terrestrials on earth.
I also loved these characters and the ending was quite the cliff hanger but of course the rest of the series isnt included in audible membership along with book 1 so I begrudgingly must wait to see what happens!
I also loved these characters and the ending was quite the cliff hanger but of course the rest of the series isnt included in audible membership along with book 1 so I begrudgingly must wait to see what happens!
September 9, 2015
I didn't dislike it but I was unimpressed overall. I should have known the writing style would be a bit immature just from the character names - Piper, Delilah etc - but I thought I was being judgemental.
There are too many irritating characters doing things that don't add up. There are too many coincidences and artificial cliff-hangers at chapter ends. It's kind of engaging (enough so that I got through it quickly) but a long way from being good literature - you're aware of the amateur style throughout.
The follow-up, "Contact", was free so I'm now reading that but kind of regretting it. Either I've really had enough now or it is on a downhill slide.
There are too many irritating characters doing things that don't add up. There are too many coincidences and artificial cliff-hangers at chapter ends. It's kind of engaging (enough so that I got through it quickly) but a long way from being good literature - you're aware of the amateur style throughout.
The follow-up, "Contact", was free so I'm now reading that but kind of regretting it. Either I've really had enough now or it is on a downhill slide.
March 7, 2018
I've been listening for three years or so to Johnny Sean and Dave, the Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore of self-publishing podcasting, and I thought it was about time I read one of the trio's novels, having at least two on my Kindle. From their chat on their podcast (formerly The Self-Publishing Podcast, now rebranded as Story Studio), I was aware that Invasion had been written as a commercially appealing start-of-series book designed to shoe-horn readers into the wide end of the funnel and hopefully getting them addicted to the story and therefore becoming a paying reader of however many instalments the series has (five? six?).
Well, for the funnel to do its magic, you need a damned good first book (I learnt that from Johnny, Sean and Dave's excellent Write, Publish and Repeat book). And, well, Invasion was not quite it for me. The story is essentially a narcissistic family's road trip to a bunker to see out the alien invasion. How heroic. At times it felt like I was reading a script for a porno without the sex. Why should I care about the boorish movie mogul producer protagonist who still had the hots for his smart-alec ex-wife? Or his teenage son who had a crush on his current wife? Or the protagonist's secretly pregnant daughter? Or her dopey boyfriend whose only characteristic was his name was Raj and he was of Indian descent? There was a decent cliffhanger or two and I managed to read it all the way to the end, so it it is worth another star for that. Not sure I'll continue with the series, but may try out their Beam sci fi series, which the lads say is more cerebral, and frequently plugged in the text of Invasion. Oh well, nobody died (unfortunately).
Download my starter library for free here - http://eepurl.com/bFkt0X - and receive my monthly newsletter with book recommendations galore for the Japanophile/crime fiction/English teacher in all of us.
Well, for the funnel to do its magic, you need a damned good first book (I learnt that from Johnny, Sean and Dave's excellent Write, Publish and Repeat book). And, well, Invasion was not quite it for me. The story is essentially a narcissistic family's road trip to a bunker to see out the alien invasion. How heroic. At times it felt like I was reading a script for a porno without the sex. Why should I care about the boorish movie mogul producer protagonist who still had the hots for his smart-alec ex-wife? Or his teenage son who had a crush on his current wife? Or the protagonist's secretly pregnant daughter? Or her dopey boyfriend whose only characteristic was his name was Raj and he was of Indian descent? There was a decent cliffhanger or two and I managed to read it all the way to the end, so it it is worth another star for that. Not sure I'll continue with the series, but may try out their Beam sci fi series, which the lads say is more cerebral, and frequently plugged in the text of Invasion. Oh well, nobody died (unfortunately).
Download my starter library for free here - http://eepurl.com/bFkt0X - and receive my monthly newsletter with book recommendations galore for the Japanophile/crime fiction/English teacher in all of us.
October 19, 2016
This book turned out to be a lot more entertaining that I expected it to be. I almost put it down after the first few pages because it seemed more vulgar than it needed to be and the main protagonist seemed modeled after Donald Trump. However, both impressions changed as I stuck with it. Meyer Dempsey turned out to be rather likable, spiritual in his own way, and heroic - a good guy to have along in a crisis. And while much of the dialogue remains crude in spots, it seems to fit the characters and the situations they're in.
The opening book in the Invasion series, this volume has Meyer desperately trying to get his family to safety in Vail, Colorado from New York (including an ex-wife Heather traveling from Los Angeles and Raj, the unexpected Indian boyfriend of daughter Lila who is shanghaied along by circumstances). They have five days before the aliens arrive and civilized behavior is breaking down everywhere. It's not all completely believable, but it turns out to be fun.
The best line is when Heather is trying to talk about personal matters with the family and she says to Raj, "Why don't you go do some math".
The opening book in the Invasion series, this volume has Meyer desperately trying to get his family to safety in Vail, Colorado from New York (including an ex-wife Heather traveling from Los Angeles and Raj, the unexpected Indian boyfriend of daughter Lila who is shanghaied along by circumstances). They have five days before the aliens arrive and civilized behavior is breaking down everywhere. It's not all completely believable, but it turns out to be fun.
The best line is when Heather is trying to talk about personal matters with the family and she says to Raj, "Why don't you go do some math".
August 9, 2015
I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up Invason, but I'm glad I did. It's extremely well-written, and it is definitely a page turner. I won't summarize the plot (other reviewers have done this better than I can), but the premise is fantastic and the book moves quickly.
Meyer Dempsey is probably one of my favorite Sterling & Stone main characters--I really felt like I knew him, and I found myself thinking about him even after I put the book down. My only complaint is that Meyer was so well done that the rest of the family just wasn't engaging enough to keep up with him. Not a major problem as the series is just getting started, but something I noticed. All in all though, I would recommend this series if you're a S&S fan---you won't be disappointed.
The audio narration was also good. The narrator did an excellent job with Meyer and his voice was perfect for him. I thought the other characters weren't as well-voiced, and I thought the pacing/reading could have been better. I thought some of the minor characters (the Iowans in particular) sounded too hillbilly for me, but that's a minor quip. Overall, it's a solid narration though not S&S's best.
Meyer Dempsey is probably one of my favorite Sterling & Stone main characters--I really felt like I knew him, and I found myself thinking about him even after I put the book down. My only complaint is that Meyer was so well done that the rest of the family just wasn't engaging enough to keep up with him. Not a major problem as the series is just getting started, but something I noticed. All in all though, I would recommend this series if you're a S&S fan---you won't be disappointed.
The audio narration was also good. The narrator did an excellent job with Meyer and his voice was perfect for him. I thought the other characters weren't as well-voiced, and I thought the pacing/reading could have been better. I thought some of the minor characters (the Iowans in particular) sounded too hillbilly for me, but that's a minor quip. Overall, it's a solid narration though not S&S's best.
August 2, 2016
(Listened to audiobook w/hubby) Didn't really track that Meyer, a man who had supposedly incredible insight and preparedness, would not include certain (seemingly obvious) survival items. But, aside from that, which very much frustrated my retired Marine hubby to no end, we're curious to see where the story goes from here.
July 24, 2021
This book was really good, once I started reading I couldn't stop and stayed up all night. I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys 👽 s.
January 19, 2017
Great writing of an outstanding story. Sean Platt hooked me with Yesterday's Gone, and I loved Invasion just as much.
July 27, 2022
GdL con Edicola & Libreria: le nostre passioni...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
All'inizio mi sono chiesta: "cosa avrà da scrivere per 7 libri? (sì, perchè questa serie è composta da ben 7 lunghi libri).
Poi ho capito.
Gli alieni, per tutto il libro
Lo stile è furbo. Tiene in allerta il lettore non facendo capire di cosa parlano i protagonisti, per lanciarti la bomba alla fine del capitolo e tutto prende senso. Per non parlare del cliffhanger finale.
Credo che leggerò anche il secondo solo per vedere non credo di andare oltre, se rimane così.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
All'inizio mi sono chiesta: "cosa avrà da scrivere per 7 libri? (sì, perchè questa serie è composta da ben 7 lunghi libri).
Poi ho capito.
Gli alieni, per tutto il libro
Lo stile è furbo. Tiene in allerta il lettore non facendo capire di cosa parlano i protagonisti, per lanciarti la bomba alla fine del capitolo e tutto prende senso. Per non parlare del cliffhanger finale.
Credo che leggerò anche il secondo solo per vedere non credo di andare oltre, se rimane così.
June 10, 2024
This is a 2.5 🌟 read rounded ⬆️ to 3 🌟.
A disappointing read that ended up being a DNF at 22%. I was hoping it was going to be a good alternative to the "zombie apocalypse" genre but it just dragged. It's one of those series that seems to be strung across 6 or 7 books and there's just not enough of a catch or characters interesting enough to plough on through.
A disappointing read that ended up being a DNF at 22%. I was hoping it was going to be a good alternative to the "zombie apocalypse" genre but it just dragged. It's one of those series that seems to be strung across 6 or 7 books and there's just not enough of a catch or characters interesting enough to plough on through.
February 24, 2017
I really enjoyed the story line, I love apocalyptic books so anything along those lines grab my attention, this book though.. it's a tough one to rate, I can see why it has so many low stars I really can, I didn't love the way this was written jumping from one person to another then another and in places I felt it was too descriptive but then in others I felt it wasn't descriptive enough, understanding the surroundings whilst reading was hard in places, I wasn't sure where they were from one min to the next, usually when I'm reading I have no trouble picturing my surroundings (ok characters surroundings) and in some instances in this book I had no trouble at all, such as the description of the alien ships, that was really good but the car/van they spend half the book travelling in, i' d pictured it one way but then it was mentioned that there was a toilet in the van and that the inside resembled a plane.. i was so confused! also at one point they are in a broom closet/pantry so in my head they are in a confined space, no windows and the door had been wedged shut.. but then they can see through the door easily? and one of them is now looking out the window.. is that a window inside the closet? coz where I come from these types of closets don't have windows, so like I said I was confused a lot on locations and surroundings, and i wasn't keen on the multiple points of views.. so I guess it seems weird I would give this 4 stars, well.. let me explain, despite all the above I stayed up till 3am reading this, i have deffo read better books than this but this one did grab my attention dispite all my issues with it, I was sucked right in and after awhile the things I was unsure of i just kinda saw them how I imagined them to be in my mind, which I'd say prevented me from putting the book down at times.
I guess my reasoning for 4 starts is quite simple, anything i rate below 4 stars I doubt I'd ever re-read, and this even with all the issues I would read again coz i enjoyed the story so much, but i can't give this 5 stars due to the reasons stated above so 4 it is!
I have to also say I wasn't expecting that ending at all, and it really makes you want to jump straight into the next book to find out what happens next (which I will be doing as soon as I've written this haha) I'm not sure at this point how many books are in the series but I downloaded this one ages ago and at the time it was free on Amazon kindle, when you finish this book there's also a link to get the second book for free which I have done, depending on how I find book 2 will depend on weather or not I'm happy to pay to read the rest of this series.
So I'm off to make a start on book 2 now!
I guess my reasoning for 4 starts is quite simple, anything i rate below 4 stars I doubt I'd ever re-read, and this even with all the issues I would read again coz i enjoyed the story so much, but i can't give this 5 stars due to the reasons stated above so 4 it is!
I have to also say I wasn't expecting that ending at all, and it really makes you want to jump straight into the next book to find out what happens next (which I will be doing as soon as I've written this haha) I'm not sure at this point how many books are in the series but I downloaded this one ages ago and at the time it was free on Amazon kindle, when you finish this book there's also a link to get the second book for free which I have done, depending on how I find book 2 will depend on weather or not I'm happy to pay to read the rest of this series.
So I'm off to make a start on book 2 now!
January 23, 2020
Two best things about this book: the palpable suspense and the narration by Ray Porter. He's the reason I picked up this audiobook. The story is good but kind of overdone - it got to the point where I began to expect the next bad thing to happen.
Of the characters, I have to admit that I liked Meyer the most. He seemed to be the only one with any common sense. Everyone else seemed petulant and self-centered. Where were the "aha!" moments when they realised that Meyer had a good plan? I nearly gave up at one point when everyone threw a bit of a revolt.
Even at the end when things began to resolve and the group showed a bit of mettle, they immediately turn around and all have a crisis of conscious. Really? The end of the world is happening and they're worried about the way people are behaving instead of realising that they need to survive?
I think this one book was enough for me. Even Ray Porter couldn't save a story that didn't entertain me as much as stress me out.
Of the characters, I have to admit that I liked Meyer the most. He seemed to be the only one with any common sense. Everyone else seemed petulant and self-centered. Where were the "aha!" moments when they realised that Meyer had a good plan? I nearly gave up at one point when everyone threw a bit of a revolt.
Even at the end when things began to resolve and the group showed a bit of mettle, they immediately turn around and all have a crisis of conscious. Really? The end of the world is happening and they're worried about the way people are behaving instead of realising that they need to survive?
I think this one book was enough for me. Even Ray Porter couldn't save a story that didn't entertain me as much as stress me out.
August 5, 2018
Pulled the plug after 5 or 6 chapters. Way too much TELL for me. No different hook in early story line to many other alien landing books. Gutted as I really wanted to like it. Too many other good books to read
December 16, 2021
Arghhhhh
Awful characters, old premise and awful awful characters!
DNF.
Do not recommend.
Awful characters, old premise and awful awful characters!
DNF.
Do not recommend.
February 27, 2015
What strikes me most is how real the characters are in Truant and Platt's books. They aren't afraid to deal with feelings and thoughts that real people have but desperately keep to themselves. You don't see that a lot - everything is very PC these days, even in fiction. But not here. So aside from the impending invasion, we get a real look into the heads and hearts of real people dealing with real problems - some related to the situation at hand, but many more spilling over from their lives "before".
July 3, 2015
Thoroughly enjoyable survival take
With the world facing the soon arrival of an alien fleet society begins to crumble and few people know what to do. One man is determined to make sure his family survives no matter what it takes. Our hero is a paranoid survivalist whose preparations for the inevitable apocalypse began long before as the result of drug-induced vague new age visions right out of the Western version of Eastern mysticism so popular in the latter half of the Twentieth Century, but this drug-addled looney happens to be a billionaire with the force of will and resources to build a luxury underground bunker in Vail, Colorado. Only one problem. His family and he are in New York and society is crumbling around them.
The story pulls the reader along by frequently using cliffhangers at the end of chapters to make you want to see how they manage to save themselves from the series of troubles. Often, the troubles resolve themselves without much effort, but sometimes they are genuine deadly quandaries. There is a sense that the characters are worth saving, except for the main character whose single-minded determination to reach safety makes him give up anything worth saving as a human being and become a brute beast thinking only of getting to his sacred lair in the mountains. His one redeeming quality is his fierce determination to save his family, but the author apparently wants us to see him as some kind of New Age prophet (a theme which will apparently be developed in future volumes of the series). If this guy is the face of New Age spirituality, I'll take the Old Time Religion, thank you. Just because he was ultimately right about the vague gloom and doom feelings his recreational drug of choice brought out in him doesn't mean he has achieved nirvana.
Still, I'm willing to set aside my dislike for the guy and for the surprise ending of the book (which seems so out of place given the story line that it needed a special explanation by the author in an afterword), and look forward to reading the next installment. Invasion was a good read that drew out an emotional as well as intellectual response from me and made me want to continue the series. That is a fine achievement and the mark of a fine author. I may have given that fifth star if not for 2 issues: I felt like the book was too pushy at places about the 60s pseudo-spirituality, universal mind, drugs are the way to expand consciousness thing; and any ending that requires an afterword to explain just doesn't seem like great writing.
With the world facing the soon arrival of an alien fleet society begins to crumble and few people know what to do. One man is determined to make sure his family survives no matter what it takes. Our hero is a paranoid survivalist whose preparations for the inevitable apocalypse began long before as the result of drug-induced vague new age visions right out of the Western version of Eastern mysticism so popular in the latter half of the Twentieth Century, but this drug-addled looney happens to be a billionaire with the force of will and resources to build a luxury underground bunker in Vail, Colorado. Only one problem. His family and he are in New York and society is crumbling around them.
The story pulls the reader along by frequently using cliffhangers at the end of chapters to make you want to see how they manage to save themselves from the series of troubles. Often, the troubles resolve themselves without much effort, but sometimes they are genuine deadly quandaries. There is a sense that the characters are worth saving, except for the main character whose single-minded determination to reach safety makes him give up anything worth saving as a human being and become a brute beast thinking only of getting to his sacred lair in the mountains. His one redeeming quality is his fierce determination to save his family, but the author apparently wants us to see him as some kind of New Age prophet (a theme which will apparently be developed in future volumes of the series). If this guy is the face of New Age spirituality, I'll take the Old Time Religion, thank you. Just because he was ultimately right about the vague gloom and doom feelings his recreational drug of choice brought out in him doesn't mean he has achieved nirvana.
Still, I'm willing to set aside my dislike for the guy and for the surprise ending of the book (which seems so out of place given the story line that it needed a special explanation by the author in an afterword), and look forward to reading the next installment. Invasion was a good read that drew out an emotional as well as intellectual response from me and made me want to continue the series. That is a fine achievement and the mark of a fine author. I may have given that fifth star if not for 2 issues: I felt like the book was too pushy at places about the 60s pseudo-spirituality, universal mind, drugs are the way to expand consciousness thing; and any ending that requires an afterword to explain just doesn't seem like great writing.
March 2, 2015
The basic premise of Invasion is pretty clear and has been done before - aliens show up and humans have to deal with a new reality, one that most people never really believed to be true. But Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant have put their own unique twist on the theme, and created a captivating story that has plenty of mystery underlying the action. Our hero knows that he has to get his family from one side of the country to the other before the spaceships arrive. But how does he know? And why? And will he actually be able to do it, using the skills he's learned while preparing for a crisis combined with his (not inconsiderable) force of will?
The story, while purportedly about an alien invasion, is really about the human condition. I guess that's true of any really good tale, but this one grabbed my attention from the start and kept me turning pages (I finished it in less than two days). We see what happens when people panic, and how our priorities and ethics shift and change. The way the various characters cope with their world being turned upside down is realistic and well-written. Platt and Truant don't take the easy way out. They explore, among other things, the complex nature of relationships, varied approaches to spirituality (though some of the characters would balk at that word), and mob mentality.
The pace of the story is fast, but nonetheless, it's more than mere entertainment. The ending proves that. Without giving anything away, I'll just say that while I found the ending satisfying, it left a lot of unknowns on the table. I'm definitely looking forward to book 2.
The story, while purportedly about an alien invasion, is really about the human condition. I guess that's true of any really good tale, but this one grabbed my attention from the start and kept me turning pages (I finished it in less than two days). We see what happens when people panic, and how our priorities and ethics shift and change. The way the various characters cope with their world being turned upside down is realistic and well-written. Platt and Truant don't take the easy way out. They explore, among other things, the complex nature of relationships, varied approaches to spirituality (though some of the characters would balk at that word), and mob mentality.
The pace of the story is fast, but nonetheless, it's more than mere entertainment. The ending proves that. Without giving anything away, I'll just say that while I found the ending satisfying, it left a lot of unknowns on the table. I'm definitely looking forward to book 2.
October 10, 2020
Yet another title that doesn't deliver
I do not like books that only exist for the purpose of selling more books. Invasion leads the reader to believe that is what they will be reading about. Nope. You got to buy the second book for the invasion stuff that induced you to buy the first book, hoping you'd become engrossed enough to open your wallet and buy the second of the series. I, for one, will not.
For starters, at the end of the book, there wasn't a single character that felt relatable. None of them were especially likable, nor anyone I'd befriend. I couldn't care less for any of them. They were not well developed and left me ambivalent about their future. Unlike other books that actually proved entertaining, with characters I cared about and think of as friends, these people were insipid. Meyer Dempsy, for example, is fabulously wealthy just like we all aren't, has a young wife but still banging his ex, and raising two adolescent children who are little more than "cutout" characters like what are now fashionable in sporting stadiums in the world of Covid-19. The daughter is knocked up, as though following in her father's self absorbed footsteps. Alien ships are on their way so the whole herd plod their way through chapter after chapter to reach their palatial estate in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. On and on it goes, and I couldn't care less. That's why I will pass on the 2nd book. And the word, and Beth, and 5th. Seven in all, to tell a story that isn't compelling in the first volume.
This is my opinion. The authors seem far less interested in spinning a qualifying than selling lots and lots of books.
I do not like books that only exist for the purpose of selling more books. Invasion leads the reader to believe that is what they will be reading about. Nope. You got to buy the second book for the invasion stuff that induced you to buy the first book, hoping you'd become engrossed enough to open your wallet and buy the second of the series. I, for one, will not.
For starters, at the end of the book, there wasn't a single character that felt relatable. None of them were especially likable, nor anyone I'd befriend. I couldn't care less for any of them. They were not well developed and left me ambivalent about their future. Unlike other books that actually proved entertaining, with characters I cared about and think of as friends, these people were insipid. Meyer Dempsy, for example, is fabulously wealthy just like we all aren't, has a young wife but still banging his ex, and raising two adolescent children who are little more than "cutout" characters like what are now fashionable in sporting stadiums in the world of Covid-19. The daughter is knocked up, as though following in her father's self absorbed footsteps. Alien ships are on their way so the whole herd plod their way through chapter after chapter to reach their palatial estate in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. On and on it goes, and I couldn't care less. That's why I will pass on the 2nd book. And the word, and Beth, and 5th. Seven in all, to tell a story that isn't compelling in the first volume.
This is my opinion. The authors seem far less interested in spinning a qualifying than selling lots and lots of books.
October 9, 2016
Invasion is the first in the science fiction series Alien Invasion by Sean Platt and Johnny B Truant but it reminds me more of a dystopian or thriller story such as Fear the Walking Dead.
The story begins with a family in New York City learning that alien spaceships have been spotted and are expected to reach Earth in five days. As pandemonium hits they attempt to escape New York because "everyone knows New York is where everything happens" and reach their shelter in Vail, Colorado.
Much like Fear the Walking Dead the story focuses almost totally on the experiences and interactions of a family as they react to what is happening. The father is a famous and rich movie producer who plans for disasters and even has a specialized vehicle that they begin their travel to Colorado in.
I liked reading as the family drove through my stomping grounds of Pittsburgh and Ohio and got into trouble near Chicago. However, the focus of this first book in the series is on the family and the people that make their trip much more dangerous and not aliens. I give the book four out of five stars and would have preferred a little more science fiction and a little less thriller or dystopian. I am certain based on the ending that we will hear more from the aliens in book two but the buildup was slower than I would have preferred.
The story begins with a family in New York City learning that alien spaceships have been spotted and are expected to reach Earth in five days. As pandemonium hits they attempt to escape New York because "everyone knows New York is where everything happens" and reach their shelter in Vail, Colorado.
Much like Fear the Walking Dead the story focuses almost totally on the experiences and interactions of a family as they react to what is happening. The father is a famous and rich movie producer who plans for disasters and even has a specialized vehicle that they begin their travel to Colorado in.
I liked reading as the family drove through my stomping grounds of Pittsburgh and Ohio and got into trouble near Chicago. However, the focus of this first book in the series is on the family and the people that make their trip much more dangerous and not aliens. I give the book four out of five stars and would have preferred a little more science fiction and a little less thriller or dystopian. I am certain based on the ending that we will hear more from the aliens in book two but the buildup was slower than I would have preferred.
May 21, 2016
Despite hating every single character in this book, I actually enjoyed the story itself.
The characters were awful; pretentious, pain in the arses with a chip on their shoulders, but I think it says a lot that Platt and Truant can develop such ghastly characters and still not make me want to stop reading (probably cause I was hoping one of them would die horribly).
Although the first season is called 'Invasion', there is no actual invading yet. The season itself focuses on the Dempsey family travelling to their safe-house in Colorado as soon as news of alien spheres are seen approaching Earth. I did find this disappointing initially because I was expecting this to be like 'Fallen Skies' in literary format, but the journey itself is interesting.
There is plenty of action and character building, as well as the tension cranking up as the spheres become closer. I think the second season will focus more on the actual 'invasion', which I look forward to reading in the future.
The characters were awful; pretentious, pain in the arses with a chip on their shoulders, but I think it says a lot that Platt and Truant can develop such ghastly characters and still not make me want to stop reading (probably cause I was hoping one of them would die horribly).
Although the first season is called 'Invasion', there is no actual invading yet. The season itself focuses on the Dempsey family travelling to their safe-house in Colorado as soon as news of alien spheres are seen approaching Earth. I did find this disappointing initially because I was expecting this to be like 'Fallen Skies' in literary format, but the journey itself is interesting.
There is plenty of action and character building, as well as the tension cranking up as the spheres become closer. I think the second season will focus more on the actual 'invasion', which I look forward to reading in the future.
June 26, 2017
2.5/3 Stars
Not a bad start to a series. The only problem I had with it was with Meyer, the main character, the so called hero... his personality was the worst thing ever. He thought of himself as the smartest person around just because he was 'prepared' for the end of the world unlike everyone else. He seemed like the worst of humanity with his 'I deserve to live because I'm prepared' attitude. Also his relationship with his ex was um questionable and unrealistic. I couldn't tell if he was cheating on his current wife with his ex but either way it was disturbing. If I'm being honest there was more than one issue which I had with this story like Trevor's creepy obsession with his step-mother. This was both sick and cringe worthy. I get Piper was young, in her late twenties, but she was still his step mother for god sake. Overall, I liked it well enough to try out the second book in the series.
Not a bad start to a series. The only problem I had with it was with Meyer, the main character, the so called hero... his personality was the worst thing ever. He thought of himself as the smartest person around just because he was 'prepared' for the end of the world unlike everyone else. He seemed like the worst of humanity with his 'I deserve to live because I'm prepared' attitude. Also his relationship with his ex was um questionable and unrealistic. I couldn't tell if he was cheating on his current wife with his ex but either way it was disturbing. If I'm being honest there was more than one issue which I had with this story like Trevor's creepy obsession with his step-mother. This was both sick and cringe worthy. I get Piper was young, in her late twenties, but she was still his step mother for god sake. Overall, I liked it well enough to try out the second book in the series.
September 2, 2021
2020 grade Z
Soap Opera SciFi. At about 25% I gave up and just started checking chapter starts because I was not sure the story would ever end. I'm glad I did because it didn't appear to end. Not only that, as near as I can tell, everything in the first 25% (the attempt to reach a bunker in Colorado from New York) had NO affect on the end. In other words, the story went no where. The only pro that I can see is the grammar was good despite the long paragraphs and boring content.
NOT recommended.
Soap Opera SciFi. At about 25% I gave up and just started checking chapter starts because I was not sure the story would ever end. I'm glad I did because it didn't appear to end. Not only that, as near as I can tell, everything in the first 25% (the attempt to reach a bunker in Colorado from New York) had NO affect on the end. In other words, the story went no where. The only pro that I can see is the grammar was good despite the long paragraphs and boring content.
NOT recommended.
October 5, 2015
I hated "Meyer F*cking Dempsey," and his entire lot, BUT this was a great audiobook for my weekday commute. It was very well-paced and exciting. I'll look forward to the next installment.
April 4, 2018
I really enjoyed this story. Interesting concept, great pacing, and great characters. On to book 2.
September 2, 2019
An awesome listen with amazing narration by Ray Porter... the creepiness factor near the end scared the hell out of me
July 8, 2021
I've seen other reviews where readers did not enjoy this book based on the merit of the characters. Or lack thereof, I should say. Some people seem to be of the opinion that a main character needs to likeable in order to be utilized correctly in a story. I say that is not the case.
Meyer Dempsey is not likeable, but he's not supposed to be. He is interesting. Anti-heroes are protagonists that are not likeable people, or at least they're not supposed to be likeable, but if they are interesting then they are still strong characters. Narratively speaking.
Meyer Dempsey is a great example of this. No, he's not the most likeable guy. He seems full of himself at times. He cares about his kids, but there is an air of 'profession before matters at home' that wafts all around him. He got custody of the kids because he had the more stable job, not because he proved himself an amazing father. He treats Piper pretty badly. He's a little obsessed over a shamanistic herbal drug he partakes in. He's super rich, which most readers can't identify with. None of this screams likeable.
But he's also a prepper. He has been driven to foresee what other people don't believe in. He gets his kids and Piper through the throngs of violence and chaos amidst an alien invasion because destiny seems to have called him to it. That is interesting.
There is a lot of buildup here that, when the end comes, some readers may be frustrated by. It is a series after all. There are some big things to come, I think, and I'd say the writers Platt & Truant are doing a great job of setting that trap to get hooked into. Check it out.
Join the RK King readers' list for an exclusive FREE short story, plus inside info, musings, promos and more: RK King Writes
Meyer Dempsey is not likeable, but he's not supposed to be. He is interesting. Anti-heroes are protagonists that are not likeable people, or at least they're not supposed to be likeable, but if they are interesting then they are still strong characters. Narratively speaking.
Meyer Dempsey is a great example of this. No, he's not the most likeable guy. He seems full of himself at times. He cares about his kids, but there is an air of 'profession before matters at home' that wafts all around him. He got custody of the kids because he had the more stable job, not because he proved himself an amazing father. He treats Piper pretty badly. He's a little obsessed over a shamanistic herbal drug he partakes in. He's super rich, which most readers can't identify with. None of this screams likeable.
But he's also a prepper. He has been driven to foresee what other people don't believe in. He gets his kids and Piper through the throngs of violence and chaos amidst an alien invasion because destiny seems to have called him to it. That is interesting.
There is a lot of buildup here that, when the end comes, some readers may be frustrated by. It is a series after all. There are some big things to come, I think, and I'd say the writers Platt & Truant are doing a great job of setting that trap to get hooked into. Check it out.
Join the RK King readers' list for an exclusive FREE short story, plus inside info, musings, promos and more: RK King Writes
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