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The EDGE #1
Edge of the Future
“He wasn’t human. You’ve discovered the existence of a new enemy combatant, Captain. Since you saw him—he saw you.”
• One hundred-fifty years after the last war, humanity has united in exploring space with colonies on Mars and the moon Luna. But the Europa Mission has just failed and 152 people died in space. Nobody knows why.
• When military bioscientist Capt. Warren’s hidden research installation gets attacked, he joins forces with armored assault Sgt. Von Radach. They become entangled in a deadly fight to stop the theft of classified military secrets by a lethal female villain, whose devious plans to use enemy cyborgs posing as humans and altering unsuspecting military personnel’s neural implants to accept her commands have every chance of succeeding. Unless…Capt. Warren and Sgt. Von Radach get a chance to end her first.
• Edge of the Future is an action-packed Science Fiction military thriller, with everything sci-fi fans love – starships, space colonies, cyborgs, secret military and medical technology and even a bad-ass villain.
• One hundred-fifty years after the last war, humanity has united in exploring space with colonies on Mars and the moon Luna. But the Europa Mission has just failed and 152 people died in space. Nobody knows why.
• When military bioscientist Capt. Warren’s hidden research installation gets attacked, he joins forces with armored assault Sgt. Von Radach. They become entangled in a deadly fight to stop the theft of classified military secrets by a lethal female villain, whose devious plans to use enemy cyborgs posing as humans and altering unsuspecting military personnel’s neural implants to accept her commands have every chance of succeeding. Unless…Capt. Warren and Sgt. Von Radach get a chance to end her first.
• Edge of the Future is an action-packed Science Fiction military thriller, with everything sci-fi fans love – starships, space colonies, cyborgs, secret military and medical technology and even a bad-ass villain.
274 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
June 13, 2017
True Rating 3.5 stars!
What drew my interest to Edge of the Future was that it was military science fiction, a debut, and a new author! I am always on the lookout for a good sci-fi read and this book looked just right. Once I started reading it what really got my blood pumping was that it has cyborgs, medical nano-technology that is able to heal just about every sickness and injury, hi-tech military weaponry, and armored bio-suits that make soldiers practically unbeatable just to name a few things. Lots of sci-fi goodness. So exciting!
Now let’s talk about the settings. In this story there is Terra, formerly referred to as Earth, Luna, aka the moon that has three different military colonies on it, and finally Mars has been colonized as well. This story starts out in Canada with Captain Mark Warren working in his Xenobiology laboratory at CAMRI, a joint Canadian-American Military Research Installation. For reasons unknown, the facility comes under attack by terrorists. The armed forces, Terra Military Defense, are brought in to determined what has taken place and to save who they can. It is here that Mark and Sergeant Axel Von Radach meet.
Turns out that the terrorist attack was staged by a traitor in their mists. It appears that this spy had been stealing military secrets from the various laboratories but they had not been successful in stealing the work of Mark and Captain Eva Jackson. This turned Mark and Eva into the military’s priority number one. It became the job of Sergeants Axel and Kamryn Fleming to keep Mark and Eva safe under operation Pandora. They were being sent to Luna and were going to quickly become the military’s best kept secret. What they did not except was how far reaching the saboteur’s reach was. This mission became compromised and the group had to scramble to stay alive and the hunted had to become the hunters.
The villain in this story is actually quite ingenious and has a masterplan that was years in the making. I loved learning about her plans and enjoyed that they were intricate and involved many moving parts. Even if she were to fail, the plans she set in motion could sustain themselves with an underling to guide them. Such a good plot!
I really appreciated the friendship building between Mark and Axel. It is not all that often where you read a story that has two males with no initial relationship meeting and developing a friendship in a most male fashion. There were also many female characters in this story and several of them were in high ranking positions usually held by men. I appreciated that but outside of the villain the women got very little character development. The story mostly focused on Mark and Axel. I am hoping that the female protagonists in book two get more attention.
This had big action sequences and the scenes kept a fast pace. I would have to say it is written more like a military op….. Here’s the issue. Let’s run it by a few key members of leadership. We will then make a plan, distribute what is expected and move on. The results will come when completed and we will deal with them then. At that time, we will make a new plan based upon that intelligence. In the meantime, lets stick to the parameters that we put into place.
Ideas were discussed and then given off to another character. In the end the issue was resolved but I was left out of the details. It was not bad writing just a different style. I am a details person. I want to know how each character played their part not just the result of their actions. Being included in everything would have made this story more enjoyable to me.
Hmmm, did I mention that there were augmented people in this story? An important character in this story had an accident with long-term consequences and they had to be given mechanical parts. This affected them being able function in their current job but it led to an epiphany for another character, which then gave birth to something really freaking cool. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next installment in this series. Overall, this is an action-packed science fiction thriller that has everything a fan of sci-fi would be clamoring for!
This review is based on a complimentary book I received from Andria Stone, Author. It is an honest and voluntary review. The complimentary receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.
Find this review and more at The Genre Minx Book Reviews
What drew my interest to Edge of the Future was that it was military science fiction, a debut, and a new author! I am always on the lookout for a good sci-fi read and this book looked just right. Once I started reading it what really got my blood pumping was that it has cyborgs, medical nano-technology that is able to heal just about every sickness and injury, hi-tech military weaponry, and armored bio-suits that make soldiers practically unbeatable just to name a few things. Lots of sci-fi goodness. So exciting!
Now let’s talk about the settings. In this story there is Terra, formerly referred to as Earth, Luna, aka the moon that has three different military colonies on it, and finally Mars has been colonized as well. This story starts out in Canada with Captain Mark Warren working in his Xenobiology laboratory at CAMRI, a joint Canadian-American Military Research Installation. For reasons unknown, the facility comes under attack by terrorists. The armed forces, Terra Military Defense, are brought in to determined what has taken place and to save who they can. It is here that Mark and Sergeant Axel Von Radach meet.
Turns out that the terrorist attack was staged by a traitor in their mists. It appears that this spy had been stealing military secrets from the various laboratories but they had not been successful in stealing the work of Mark and Captain Eva Jackson. This turned Mark and Eva into the military’s priority number one. It became the job of Sergeants Axel and Kamryn Fleming to keep Mark and Eva safe under operation Pandora. They were being sent to Luna and were going to quickly become the military’s best kept secret. What they did not except was how far reaching the saboteur’s reach was. This mission became compromised and the group had to scramble to stay alive and the hunted had to become the hunters.
The villain in this story is actually quite ingenious and has a masterplan that was years in the making. I loved learning about her plans and enjoyed that they were intricate and involved many moving parts. Even if she were to fail, the plans she set in motion could sustain themselves with an underling to guide them. Such a good plot!
I really appreciated the friendship building between Mark and Axel. It is not all that often where you read a story that has two males with no initial relationship meeting and developing a friendship in a most male fashion. There were also many female characters in this story and several of them were in high ranking positions usually held by men. I appreciated that but outside of the villain the women got very little character development. The story mostly focused on Mark and Axel. I am hoping that the female protagonists in book two get more attention.
This had big action sequences and the scenes kept a fast pace. I would have to say it is written more like a military op….. Here’s the issue. Let’s run it by a few key members of leadership. We will then make a plan, distribute what is expected and move on. The results will come when completed and we will deal with them then. At that time, we will make a new plan based upon that intelligence. In the meantime, lets stick to the parameters that we put into place.
Ideas were discussed and then given off to another character. In the end the issue was resolved but I was left out of the details. It was not bad writing just a different style. I am a details person. I want to know how each character played their part not just the result of their actions. Being included in everything would have made this story more enjoyable to me.
Hmmm, did I mention that there were augmented people in this story? An important character in this story had an accident with long-term consequences and they had to be given mechanical parts. This affected them being able function in their current job but it led to an epiphany for another character, which then gave birth to something really freaking cool. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next installment in this series. Overall, this is an action-packed science fiction thriller that has everything a fan of sci-fi would be clamoring for!
This review is based on a complimentary book I received from Andria Stone, Author. It is an honest and voluntary review. The complimentary receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.
Find this review and more at The Genre Minx Book Reviews
August 12, 2019
This is a very, very good book. It is well written and very well edited. The characters are very well built and make you want to read more of them, only that might be a problem for me.
We start off with Captain Mark Warren working in a highly secret lab somewhere in the Canadian North. He isn’t your typical military guy since he’s not in anyway considered a combat soldier. No, his job is to use his highly advanced brain to figure out stuff. He’s an expert in exobiology and specifically in enhancing the man to machine interface, in other words, he improved cyborg enhancements. Earth hadn’t really advanced that far into cyborg development although there were a few humans defined in that category within the Terran Military Defense (TMD). Dr. Mark Warren was a major player in the further development of cyborgs, but he never excepted that to raise any issues with anyone.
Yet, his lab was under attack. The small lab room he was in was empty except for him. He didn’t know where his lab partner had gone to, but she certainly wasn’t with him and his lab room was now locked down tight. Alarms were going off and it sounded like all heck was breaking lose in the entire building. Then the calvary showed up in the form of armored troops of the TMD. One armored monster crashed into to his lab room, looked around and told Mark to come with him. Mark was led to another room with more armored troops until the “All clear” was given. They had found his lab partner, Dr. Beth Coulter, unconscious, but alive.
After the all clear, Mark was checked out by medical personnel, thoroughly interrogated by the TMD and finally released to his apartment. While there, he got a knock on his door and a Captain Eva Jackson, also a Ph. D. in terraforming and nano tech. She told Mark that she thought someone had been or was in her room. Mark went out to investigate when he spotted a man in an overcoat leaving Captain Jackson’s room. He yelled at the man only to have him take off. Mark ran after him and finally tackled the guy outside the apartment. When Mark tried to whack the guy, it didn’t seem to phase him on bit. The guy finally managed to know Mark down enough so he could get away. Mark later found out he had just attacked non-human cyborg!
It has become clear to the TMD that Mark and now Eva contain information that someone wants badly. It also turns out that the hospital that treated Dr. Beth Coulter, some how lost her! Where she went, no one knew. Upon further investigations, it was found that Dr. Beth Coulter wasn’t who they though she was and she might have been the reason the lab was attacked by vicious mercenaries. The TMD, Mark and Eva would later find out that Dr. Beth Coulter was to become their worst nightmare, a psychopath with no compunction about killing whomever she wanted dead.
So this turns into a kind of super detective mystery story, but Mark and Eva stay heavily involved. They’re joined by Sergeant Axel Von Radach and later by Sergeant Kamryn Fleming. The two Sergeants are charged with keeping the two Captains out of harms way, but that seems to be an impossible task.
A very entertaining story. I really liked the way the book flowed with one thing after another happening. I don’t know if real people could have kept up with all the injuries everyone suffered, but it was still interesting in the book.
Now, my only problem is with the way the series might continue. Mark Warren turns out to be a very smart guy with numbers and he manages to play the stock market very well. He intends to separate from the military and wants to take a number of people with him. I just don’t know if I’ll like the book well enough to see these people operate outside the military. Still, I’ve already got the second book and I’ll give it a read just to see how thing turn out.
We start off with Captain Mark Warren working in a highly secret lab somewhere in the Canadian North. He isn’t your typical military guy since he’s not in anyway considered a combat soldier. No, his job is to use his highly advanced brain to figure out stuff. He’s an expert in exobiology and specifically in enhancing the man to machine interface, in other words, he improved cyborg enhancements. Earth hadn’t really advanced that far into cyborg development although there were a few humans defined in that category within the Terran Military Defense (TMD). Dr. Mark Warren was a major player in the further development of cyborgs, but he never excepted that to raise any issues with anyone.
Yet, his lab was under attack. The small lab room he was in was empty except for him. He didn’t know where his lab partner had gone to, but she certainly wasn’t with him and his lab room was now locked down tight. Alarms were going off and it sounded like all heck was breaking lose in the entire building. Then the calvary showed up in the form of armored troops of the TMD. One armored monster crashed into to his lab room, looked around and told Mark to come with him. Mark was led to another room with more armored troops until the “All clear” was given. They had found his lab partner, Dr. Beth Coulter, unconscious, but alive.
After the all clear, Mark was checked out by medical personnel, thoroughly interrogated by the TMD and finally released to his apartment. While there, he got a knock on his door and a Captain Eva Jackson, also a Ph. D. in terraforming and nano tech. She told Mark that she thought someone had been or was in her room. Mark went out to investigate when he spotted a man in an overcoat leaving Captain Jackson’s room. He yelled at the man only to have him take off. Mark ran after him and finally tackled the guy outside the apartment. When Mark tried to whack the guy, it didn’t seem to phase him on bit. The guy finally managed to know Mark down enough so he could get away. Mark later found out he had just attacked non-human cyborg!
It has become clear to the TMD that Mark and now Eva contain information that someone wants badly. It also turns out that the hospital that treated Dr. Beth Coulter, some how lost her! Where she went, no one knew. Upon further investigations, it was found that Dr. Beth Coulter wasn’t who they though she was and she might have been the reason the lab was attacked by vicious mercenaries. The TMD, Mark and Eva would later find out that Dr. Beth Coulter was to become their worst nightmare, a psychopath with no compunction about killing whomever she wanted dead.
So this turns into a kind of super detective mystery story, but Mark and Eva stay heavily involved. They’re joined by Sergeant Axel Von Radach and later by Sergeant Kamryn Fleming. The two Sergeants are charged with keeping the two Captains out of harms way, but that seems to be an impossible task.
A very entertaining story. I really liked the way the book flowed with one thing after another happening. I don’t know if real people could have kept up with all the injuries everyone suffered, but it was still interesting in the book.
Now, my only problem is with the way the series might continue. Mark Warren turns out to be a very smart guy with numbers and he manages to play the stock market very well. He intends to separate from the military and wants to take a number of people with him. I just don’t know if I’ll like the book well enough to see these people operate outside the military. Still, I’ve already got the second book and I’ll give it a read just to see how thing turn out.
July 3, 2017
The book starts well and has a solid pace throughout. I was keen to read through to the end (which is a rare thing these days) and I thought the background and characters were well presented. The story was compelling and I enjoyed the way the author ended this first in series. A good read.
June 17, 2017
This was a fast-paced, sci-fi thriller! The pacing was good, with the action really picking up for the second half of the book. I tend to lean towards fantasy novels over science fiction, but I’m glad I gave Edge of the Future a chance. I love movies like Aliens, Predator, and Terminator, so this novel was right up my alley. If you enjoy military, sci-fi themes, then you’ll love Edge of the Future.
Other reviewers did a great job of summarizing the story, so I won’t do that here. I will add that the author, Andria Stone, did a great job of world-building. I could really “see” the Lunar base, the ships, the science labs, the medical technology—it was pretty incredible! I was fully immersed in the world that Stone created.
I will also add that the story is told from multiple view points, but the main voice is of Captain Mark Warren. We get to experience what life is like in the future through his eyes. It was fun to watch his character grow from being a strictly, by-the-book scientist to becoming a badass hero. The secondary characters are three-dimensional, with hopes and struggles that I was fully invested in.
This book does not end on a cliffhanger, the important loose ends are tied up, and the villain gets a very satisfying demise. However, there is definitely room for more adventures for Captain Mark Warren and his friends. I was glad to see that Stone is going to continue this story in future books.
Edge of the Future was a fun, suspenseful read. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
Other reviewers did a great job of summarizing the story, so I won’t do that here. I will add that the author, Andria Stone, did a great job of world-building. I could really “see” the Lunar base, the ships, the science labs, the medical technology—it was pretty incredible! I was fully immersed in the world that Stone created.
I will also add that the story is told from multiple view points, but the main voice is of Captain Mark Warren. We get to experience what life is like in the future through his eyes. It was fun to watch his character grow from being a strictly, by-the-book scientist to becoming a badass hero. The secondary characters are three-dimensional, with hopes and struggles that I was fully invested in.
This book does not end on a cliffhanger, the important loose ends are tied up, and the villain gets a very satisfying demise. However, there is definitely room for more adventures for Captain Mark Warren and his friends. I was glad to see that Stone is going to continue this story in future books.
Edge of the Future was a fun, suspenseful read. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
December 6, 2017
My original Edge Of The Future audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
“Edge of the Future” is an action-packed military science fiction story with plenty of plot twists and turns that is written by Andria Stone. This is the first book in what is believed to become a trilogy of books. The audiobook edition was well narrated by Nicholas Barta with only a few slight blemishes discussed later in this review. If you like stories containing cyborgs, terrorists, military, medical, and procedural aspects, I think you will be pleasantly surprised listening to this audiobook.
The story takes place in the near future where humans have already colonized the moon (Luna) and Mars after a large war decimated much of the earth. A mission sent to colonize Europa failed and the deaths of over one-hundred and fifty people are a mystery that needs to be solved. Some of the aspects involving cyborgs reminded me of Battlestar Galatica where it was difficult to distinguish humans from machines. Not only was the threat from these non-humans, some of the characters were given neural implants which allowed our antagonist to take control of them to do her bidding. The action and story felt like the movies “RoboCop” and “Total Recall”, with a few bits of the Matrix thrown in to keep us on our toes. The story takes place mostly on the Moon at a special secret research base where classified information on creating a nanobot genesis system; or weapon. I enjoyed the many different medical and nanotechnology used in the story, and much of it seemed believable in the future time the book takes place.
Not only was there plenty of action, the book has a fair amount of mystery and suspense. You have murders, a hunt for terrorists, assassins being hired, and many of our main characters running scared until they can uncover and put a stop to the villain’s plot while at the same time protect the information she is attempting to steal. There is plenty of drugging, cyborg switching, and chase scenes to hold your attention. Even with all of this activity, the author does include a few scenes containing romance and deeper character interaction. Nothing explicit or over the top. Although the characters did not feel flat, I would have like to have had some more details around their backstories, etc. I wanted to care more for them than I found myself doing, and this may be coming in the future books in the series.
The book’s narration by Nicholas Barta was better than I would have expected from a newer narrator with five performances currently on Audible; at the time of this review. Overall it was a solid performance with only a few slight audio inconsistencies with the audiobook’s volume. I do not recall any other issues. For a newer narrator, I also found that he did a decent job narrating the many female characters found in the book, and I liked his ability to give unique accents and personalities to each character.
For parents and younger readers, be aware this book contains a fair amount of vulgar language. Some of the humor is crude or contains sexual innuendos which one might expect in a book containing military personnel. This is not saying that all military people speak using vulgar or crude language, but it is a way many are represented in books and movies. There are also a few scenes of graphic violence which again would not be of surprise with a military-focused book. Other than this, I do not recall anything that would exclude readers who are not easily offended by the above-mentioned items from reading this book.
To summarize, I think the book is a strong start to what appears to be a good series. If you like action, mystery, and space, I think you will find that you will like this book. Again, be aware this is only the first book in a trilogy, so some of the plot-lines are left open-ended for later books to answer. However, the first book is still worth a listen even before the others are released on Audible.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
“Edge of the Future” is an action-packed military science fiction story with plenty of plot twists and turns that is written by Andria Stone. This is the first book in what is believed to become a trilogy of books. The audiobook edition was well narrated by Nicholas Barta with only a few slight blemishes discussed later in this review. If you like stories containing cyborgs, terrorists, military, medical, and procedural aspects, I think you will be pleasantly surprised listening to this audiobook.
The story takes place in the near future where humans have already colonized the moon (Luna) and Mars after a large war decimated much of the earth. A mission sent to colonize Europa failed and the deaths of over one-hundred and fifty people are a mystery that needs to be solved. Some of the aspects involving cyborgs reminded me of Battlestar Galatica where it was difficult to distinguish humans from machines. Not only was the threat from these non-humans, some of the characters were given neural implants which allowed our antagonist to take control of them to do her bidding. The action and story felt like the movies “RoboCop” and “Total Recall”, with a few bits of the Matrix thrown in to keep us on our toes. The story takes place mostly on the Moon at a special secret research base where classified information on creating a nanobot genesis system; or weapon. I enjoyed the many different medical and nanotechnology used in the story, and much of it seemed believable in the future time the book takes place.
Not only was there plenty of action, the book has a fair amount of mystery and suspense. You have murders, a hunt for terrorists, assassins being hired, and many of our main characters running scared until they can uncover and put a stop to the villain’s plot while at the same time protect the information she is attempting to steal. There is plenty of drugging, cyborg switching, and chase scenes to hold your attention. Even with all of this activity, the author does include a few scenes containing romance and deeper character interaction. Nothing explicit or over the top. Although the characters did not feel flat, I would have like to have had some more details around their backstories, etc. I wanted to care more for them than I found myself doing, and this may be coming in the future books in the series.
The book’s narration by Nicholas Barta was better than I would have expected from a newer narrator with five performances currently on Audible; at the time of this review. Overall it was a solid performance with only a few slight audio inconsistencies with the audiobook’s volume. I do not recall any other issues. For a newer narrator, I also found that he did a decent job narrating the many female characters found in the book, and I liked his ability to give unique accents and personalities to each character.
For parents and younger readers, be aware this book contains a fair amount of vulgar language. Some of the humor is crude or contains sexual innuendos which one might expect in a book containing military personnel. This is not saying that all military people speak using vulgar or crude language, but it is a way many are represented in books and movies. There are also a few scenes of graphic violence which again would not be of surprise with a military-focused book. Other than this, I do not recall anything that would exclude readers who are not easily offended by the above-mentioned items from reading this book.
To summarize, I think the book is a strong start to what appears to be a good series. If you like action, mystery, and space, I think you will find that you will like this book. Again, be aware this is only the first book in a trilogy, so some of the plot-lines are left open-ended for later books to answer. However, the first book is still worth a listen even before the others are released on Audible.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
July 13, 2017
Edge of the Future is an engrossing military science fiction story set on Earth and nearby space sometime in our future. Mark is a military scientist working on secret projects but not a combat soldier - at least, not until his lab is attacked by a mysterious villain. Mark and his lab partner are put into protective custody with a pair of elite soldiers and Mark's counterpart Axel trains him in self-defense. They become friends in a blunt combative manner befitting soldiers. In addition to hand to hand combat, there's elite armor, cyber-hacks, mind-control, nifty weapons, and spaceships enough to keep a military scifi fan happy. I've never been in the military but the details felt very believable and the characters are well developed.
It becomes obvious the villain has not given up and operates a powerful organization that includes cyborgs. I won't risk spoilers, but this is a powerful, resourceful, and vicious villain who's willing to go to extremes to get the data she wants.
Especially the second half of the book is fast paced and flows. I read the last 25% in a single sitting - I had to find out how it ended.
There's a real and satisfying ending - but the main characters are still around so a sequel seems possible.
I always enjoy looking for an author's little quirks. Stone's characters take a lot of showers - perhaps because they're sweaty and bloody so often. One quibble I might have is on the Lunar Base - Stone doesn't show the effects of the Moon's lower gravity as the characters deal with the good and bad that comes their way. But that's easy to overlook. If you like military scifi, this book's for you.
It becomes obvious the villain has not given up and operates a powerful organization that includes cyborgs. I won't risk spoilers, but this is a powerful, resourceful, and vicious villain who's willing to go to extremes to get the data she wants.
Especially the second half of the book is fast paced and flows. I read the last 25% in a single sitting - I had to find out how it ended.
There's a real and satisfying ending - but the main characters are still around so a sequel seems possible.
I always enjoy looking for an author's little quirks. Stone's characters take a lot of showers - perhaps because they're sweaty and bloody so often. One quibble I might have is on the Lunar Base - Stone doesn't show the effects of the Moon's lower gravity as the characters deal with the good and bad that comes their way. But that's easy to overlook. If you like military scifi, this book's for you.
July 11, 2017
A near future military sci-fi thriller with relatable heroes!
Edge of the Future is a near future sci-fi military fiction with heroes you can really cheer for. In fact all of the characters in the story come off as real people with lives and back grounds. That is saying a lot because most hard science fiction treats characters like cardboard cut outs useful only in advancing the plot. Not so in Stone's story. These are characters you don't mind spending time with. In fact I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
The story starts with an interesting hook and keeps you turning pages late into the night! It is a fast and engrossing read with plenty of action, and a few great plot twists that you won't see coming. There is also a deep current of hard science threading through the story. For those who enjoy hard sci-fi, you won't be disappointed. My only complaint is that the sequel isn't out yet!
Edge of the Future is a near future sci-fi military fiction with heroes you can really cheer for. In fact all of the characters in the story come off as real people with lives and back grounds. That is saying a lot because most hard science fiction treats characters like cardboard cut outs useful only in advancing the plot. Not so in Stone's story. These are characters you don't mind spending time with. In fact I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
The story starts with an interesting hook and keeps you turning pages late into the night! It is a fast and engrossing read with plenty of action, and a few great plot twists that you won't see coming. There is also a deep current of hard science threading through the story. For those who enjoy hard sci-fi, you won't be disappointed. My only complaint is that the sequel isn't out yet!
April 28, 2017
There is much to love in Andria Stone’s Edge of the Future. I was excited when she asked for me a review since books somewhere on the “hard sci-fi” spectrum have been pretty light in my request/query pile lately and it’s one of my favorite genres and there is much that she really does well.
First off, the cover is great—too many indie authors skimp here and either fail horribly and opt for a CC0 piece of free art with just a distant planet or something similar… or else they fail to capture the scope of their sci-fi story which, as a genre, has many niches. Edge of the Future jumps around our solar system with space travel, mechanical bio suits, nanobots, gun toting cyborgs, etc. and so the cover really does it justice, letting us know that Earth (or Terra, in her future universe) is not the only setting for this story.
The characters are great and there’s a great chemistry between Mark and Axel—I even laughed out loud at the conversation these two guys had after waking in the hospital following an “accident” where one is shot in a… sensitive area. Stone really captures the essence of how guys relate to each other.
I also appreciated how things like racial diversity weren’t lost to humanity even though the world is pretty cohesive (along with populations on the moon/Luna and Mars,) and the diversity didn’t feel forced or cliché. The book had a feel very similar to the human interactions of Mark Cooper’s Merkiaari Wars series, which I enjoyed very much.
It’s a little less heavy than The Expanse, but takes place in a world with a similar feel, sans the injection of dour noir mystery and instead focusing on the adventure and plot (like the Star Trek movies have done). If you liked The Expanse, you will like this book.
I did get a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Check out Edge of the Future!
First off, the cover is great—too many indie authors skimp here and either fail horribly and opt for a CC0 piece of free art with just a distant planet or something similar… or else they fail to capture the scope of their sci-fi story which, as a genre, has many niches. Edge of the Future jumps around our solar system with space travel, mechanical bio suits, nanobots, gun toting cyborgs, etc. and so the cover really does it justice, letting us know that Earth (or Terra, in her future universe) is not the only setting for this story.
The characters are great and there’s a great chemistry between Mark and Axel—I even laughed out loud at the conversation these two guys had after waking in the hospital following an “accident” where one is shot in a… sensitive area. Stone really captures the essence of how guys relate to each other.
I also appreciated how things like racial diversity weren’t lost to humanity even though the world is pretty cohesive (along with populations on the moon/Luna and Mars,) and the diversity didn’t feel forced or cliché. The book had a feel very similar to the human interactions of Mark Cooper’s Merkiaari Wars series, which I enjoyed very much.
It’s a little less heavy than The Expanse, but takes place in a world with a similar feel, sans the injection of dour noir mystery and instead focusing on the adventure and plot (like the Star Trek movies have done). If you liked The Expanse, you will like this book.
I did get a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Check out Edge of the Future!
August 24, 2017
Great read
This is a fast-paced science fiction story filled with lots of adventure and intrigue. Bad guys (and gals) abound and keeping up with them is another adventure and a fun one. friendships form along with some love interests...but family ties without the genetics works. Definitely pending some time reading this novel.
This is a fast-paced science fiction story filled with lots of adventure and intrigue. Bad guys (and gals) abound and keeping up with them is another adventure and a fun one. friendships form along with some love interests...but family ties without the genetics works. Definitely pending some time reading this novel.
February 2, 2018
This futuristic thriller is set in the not-too-distant future when humankind is just beginning to settle space, beginning with the moon and Mars. Although I usually shy away from sci-fi, I found myself inextricably drawn into Edge of the Future with every page. Author Stone uses the Portland metropolitan area (Oregon) for some of the scenes, an appreciated homage to those readers (like myself) who hail from the Pacific Northwest. This story is rich with many important characters, and their relationships and personalities are developed nicely. But make no mistake, this is an action thriller, and it moves at a brisk tempo. It’s a nice change in pace from more mainstream plots, and highly recommended to thriller fans. Five Stars!
May 12, 2017
Edge of the Future, by Andria Stone, is a fast-paced, suspense-filled novel. The story is set in a futuristic universe where both the Moon & Mars have been colonized, the Earth is now called Terra - and the armed forces are now a group called TMD (Terra Military Defense). Main characters Captain Mark Warren & Sergeant Axel Von Radach meet when the military science laboratory (CAMRI) is attacked by terrorists. Mark & Axel find themselves in the center of a dangerous battle to protect not only the military's secrets, but also humanity from a deadly villain. A space adventure complete with cyborgs, this militaristic thriller will appeal to fans of both science fiction and mysteries.
July 5, 2017
Was a great book, wonderful character development. Can't wait to read more from this author.
March 26, 2018
Thrilling
The author sets a nice pace and fills the pages with action and dangerous situations that kept me turning pages. You'll come to care about the characters as much as you'll enjoy the plot.
Have fun with this action packed sci fi thriller.
The author sets a nice pace and fills the pages with action and dangerous situations that kept me turning pages. You'll come to care about the characters as much as you'll enjoy the plot.
Have fun with this action packed sci fi thriller.
September 2, 2019
Excellent adventure!
Excellent plot, excellent characters. It was a thrill to read. Some of the science stretched the laws of time and space but could be near future reality. I’m Searching for next volume now.
Excellent plot, excellent characters. It was a thrill to read. Some of the science stretched the laws of time and space but could be near future reality. I’m Searching for next volume now.
January 2, 2022
For what this book is, it deserves a strong 4 stars; 4.5 if I could. 'Edge of the Future' isn't literary, it's a fast-paced, engaging and often humorous story that provides great escapism. And I believe this is what the author intended. So kudos to Andria Stone for accomplishing it.
The plot was interesting, there were twists, and although the action slowed a bit in the middle sections, the thriller aspect of the story kept it moving forward at a clipped pace. I'm a sucker for a buddy-cop dynamic, so I loved the interactions between Mark and Axel (main protagonists) as they learned to work together. And as ex-military myself, and someone who studied space sciences at university, I'd say both aspects of the novel were believable. I never found myself questioning either one. Even if some things were wrong or slightly off, the author obviously has a good understanding of both military and science to write a compelling novel revolving around both.
Although not plot related in anyway, when I finished the book I felt a strong connection to the TV show, 'Leverage'- but in space. Two of my favourite things. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be reading on in the series.
The plot was interesting, there were twists, and although the action slowed a bit in the middle sections, the thriller aspect of the story kept it moving forward at a clipped pace. I'm a sucker for a buddy-cop dynamic, so I loved the interactions between Mark and Axel (main protagonists) as they learned to work together. And as ex-military myself, and someone who studied space sciences at university, I'd say both aspects of the novel were believable. I never found myself questioning either one. Even if some things were wrong or slightly off, the author obviously has a good understanding of both military and science to write a compelling novel revolving around both.
Although not plot related in anyway, when I finished the book I felt a strong connection to the TV show, 'Leverage'- but in space. Two of my favourite things. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be reading on in the series.
October 31, 2019
Another Book Bub recommendation. After the last war, the nations of earth united their military under one command and the military is the main explorer/transporation provider for space travel. However, the big terran expedition to Europa disappeared. The expedition included AI and humans equipped with neural implants. Turns out that there's an evil villian that has co-opted the AI and hacked neural implants. Bad things ensue and our hero's, Capt Warren and Sgt Van Radach are trying to solve the mystery and fight the bad guys. Decent military SF. Evil villains, neural implants and cyborgs. Fast moving. Good story. I'll definitely look to read the rest of the trilogy.
February 15, 2020
Possible future never can tell
From an intelligent scientist forced to fight for his life and the lives of the people he cares for due to individuals attempting 2 destroy Earth and the way that it had been previously.
From an intelligent scientist forced to fight for his life and the lives of the people he cares for due to individuals attempting 2 destroy Earth and the way that it had been previously.
March 31, 2020
An excellent saga begins. Great characters and the action is non-stop.
August 8, 2019
This was an incredibly frustrating book that I nearly deleted off of my reader. I got it because it was ninety-nine cents on the Kobo store and it had good ratings. I now feel like I've wasted a buck and I'm wondering where those ratings came from.
It starts out with a very awkward explanation that Earth is no longer called "Earth" and the moon is no longer called "the moon." They are now "Terra" and "Luna." You know, extant terms for the ball we reside on and the ball that circles around the ball we reside on. This is reiterated a few times throughout the book. Just in case you forgot what "Luna" meant.
Every time a new character is introduced, we are immediately treated to a description of the color of their eyes, the color of their hair, and how fit/curvy/slim/muscular they are. Protagonists are all attractive and slim. The antagonist is bitingly described as "fat," repeatedly. Both the characters and the narrative voice spit the word like it's a horrible slur.
Race is handled in a very unbalanced manner. Caucasian characters almost all have nationalities (Norse, Italian, etc...). Characters from Asia are described as either Asian or *shudder* Oriental. They are never given a nationality or a ethnic/cultural heritage. All other characters are given a very brief and generic description of the color of their skin. In a futuristic world in which people routinely travel not only between countries, but between astral bodies, forensic examiners are able to determine a person's country of origin based on their genetics, as if someone of Brazilian descent can only be from Brazil, because they would never settle elsewhere. Further, we are repeatedly treated to glowing descriptions of a particular character, a muscular, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, Viking of a man.
Given everything else, when the narrator focuses so heavily on such a character, it's hard to avoid making a comparison to Aryan ideals.
The book's lingo seemed to be working hard to take me out of the story, instead of immersing me in it. Lots of things are made futuristic by adding the word "hover" before their names. "Cyber" is a term for a white-hat hacker. "Cyborg" is a term not for an upgraded human, but for a wholly-manufactured entity.
Speaking of cyborgs, in this future of advanced technology in which nano-transmitters can provide pinpoint-accurate tracking information from the bloodstream of a person and neurological implants can wholly control a human being from a distance, the sinister robots in the story can't talk, which of course means that they are only able to operate on preset programming, because they wouldn't have any other way of sharing data or getting updated orders.
The point of view slips around between the edges of first and third person, not enough that you can say, "This is in first person, this is in third person," but enough that I was wondering exactly where the narrator sat. And if the narrator isn't part of the story, I shouldn't be wondering about them at all.
The "military" voice in the story is just off. I don't know if it's that I got used to it, or if the author found the characters' voices partway through the story and didn't go back to fix the early chapters, but particularly at the beginning, they sounded like someone had watched Apocalypse Now, Starship Troopers, and Predator, once each, ten years ago, and then used those memories to try to write dialogue that sounded militaryish.
Lastly, there were a lot of grammatical mistakes, mostly in the form of the wrong form of a word (for example, "imminently qualified" instead of "eminently qualified.")
What was most frustrating about this story, though, was that there is value in it. Had the manuscript spent some time with an experienced editor, it could have been an entertaining story. It's just hard to be entertained when there are so many problems dragging you out of the story on every page.
It starts out with a very awkward explanation that Earth is no longer called "Earth" and the moon is no longer called "the moon." They are now "Terra" and "Luna." You know, extant terms for the ball we reside on and the ball that circles around the ball we reside on. This is reiterated a few times throughout the book. Just in case you forgot what "Luna" meant.
Every time a new character is introduced, we are immediately treated to a description of the color of their eyes, the color of their hair, and how fit/curvy/slim/muscular they are. Protagonists are all attractive and slim. The antagonist is bitingly described as "fat," repeatedly. Both the characters and the narrative voice spit the word like it's a horrible slur.
Race is handled in a very unbalanced manner. Caucasian characters almost all have nationalities (Norse, Italian, etc...). Characters from Asia are described as either Asian or *shudder* Oriental. They are never given a nationality or a ethnic/cultural heritage. All other characters are given a very brief and generic description of the color of their skin. In a futuristic world in which people routinely travel not only between countries, but between astral bodies, forensic examiners are able to determine a person's country of origin based on their genetics, as if someone of Brazilian descent can only be from Brazil, because they would never settle elsewhere. Further, we are repeatedly treated to glowing descriptions of a particular character, a muscular, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, Viking of a man.
Given everything else, when the narrator focuses so heavily on such a character, it's hard to avoid making a comparison to Aryan ideals.
The book's lingo seemed to be working hard to take me out of the story, instead of immersing me in it. Lots of things are made futuristic by adding the word "hover" before their names. "Cyber" is a term for a white-hat hacker. "Cyborg" is a term not for an upgraded human, but for a wholly-manufactured entity.
Speaking of cyborgs, in this future of advanced technology in which nano-transmitters can provide pinpoint-accurate tracking information from the bloodstream of a person and neurological implants can wholly control a human being from a distance, the sinister robots in the story can't talk, which of course means that they are only able to operate on preset programming, because they wouldn't have any other way of sharing data or getting updated orders.
The point of view slips around between the edges of first and third person, not enough that you can say, "This is in first person, this is in third person," but enough that I was wondering exactly where the narrator sat. And if the narrator isn't part of the story, I shouldn't be wondering about them at all.
The "military" voice in the story is just off. I don't know if it's that I got used to it, or if the author found the characters' voices partway through the story and didn't go back to fix the early chapters, but particularly at the beginning, they sounded like someone had watched Apocalypse Now, Starship Troopers, and Predator, once each, ten years ago, and then used those memories to try to write dialogue that sounded militaryish.
Lastly, there were a lot of grammatical mistakes, mostly in the form of the wrong form of a word (for example, "imminently qualified" instead of "eminently qualified.")
What was most frustrating about this story, though, was that there is value in it. Had the manuscript spent some time with an experienced editor, it could have been an entertaining story. It's just hard to be entertained when there are so many problems dragging you out of the story on every page.
September 30, 2018
The Terminator in Space
I learned of this book on Goodreads. It was an exciting cat and mouse story with armored soldiers and a psychopathic madwoman. The characters were entertaining and extremely well written. Usually I have several characters that annoy me in the books I read, but not this one. The action is equally exhilarating. I recommend this book to fans of James Cameron movies. The rest of my review will contain spoilers.
The Good.
Many stories take regular people who inexplicably (and unrealistically) quickly become hardcore warriors. This book is different. The hardcore warriors are there, but they train extensively to earn their skills. I'm so glad this aspect wasn't hand waved as it often is.
The soldiers mostly use accurate jargon and banter. There was a case of "sirs" instead of "gentlemen," but even that is a common mistake soldiers make.
Mark is a functioning hot mess. He drinks, gambles, and womanizes. Normally these faults are overlooked in these stories. Axel constantly calls Mark out on it.
I loved the musical chairs assignments the characters got. Hurry up and wait.
The cyborgs losing eyes and feet. They weren't overpowered, but were still a significant threat.
Beth Coulter was a fantastic villain. She paid for the privilege of being one step ahead of the heroes. Normally, the "perfect" villain loses in the end from an oversight that her earlier competence makes it hard to believe would happen.
Kamryn was wounded and sidelined. I missed her as a character, but I loved that she was wounded by an enemy red shirt. It wasn't the big bad's number two.
The way Mark murdered Coulter at the end was cold. I loved it. None of that "I'd be no better than you" garbage in this book.
The Bad.
There were too many layers of personal tragedy surrounding Mark. This happens far too often in fiction. His sister is a recovering addict and a rape victim. His brother was killed in a mission that led back to the current problem. His dad has issues. He is an alcoholic. It's a cliche to show how much a person has overcome. I always hate it when the trauma is piled on like this.
For all his complaints about Mark, Axel is quick to engage in fraternization with a senior officer. She is likewise willing to risk a career for a booty call. No development was present to make their union anything more than lust.
Axel and Mark each escape in an overly easy and obvious way in Beth's lab. I expected better writing by this point from a superb story. It was underwhelming.
The last chapter hand waved many issues with Mark's startup. It's not an automatic thing to quit the military, especially when you belong to elite units. I also doubt all of them would have wanted to keep the band together. It was an easy way to justify a continued relationship in future books. The last chapter bombed for me, thankfully it was basically an epilogue.
The Technical.
There is a lot of violence and profanity in this book.
The book is a start of a series, but it reads as a standalone; especially if you omit the final chapter.
I learned of this book on Goodreads. It was an exciting cat and mouse story with armored soldiers and a psychopathic madwoman. The characters were entertaining and extremely well written. Usually I have several characters that annoy me in the books I read, but not this one. The action is equally exhilarating. I recommend this book to fans of James Cameron movies. The rest of my review will contain spoilers.
The Good.
Many stories take regular people who inexplicably (and unrealistically) quickly become hardcore warriors. This book is different. The hardcore warriors are there, but they train extensively to earn their skills. I'm so glad this aspect wasn't hand waved as it often is.
The soldiers mostly use accurate jargon and banter. There was a case of "sirs" instead of "gentlemen," but even that is a common mistake soldiers make.
Mark is a functioning hot mess. He drinks, gambles, and womanizes. Normally these faults are overlooked in these stories. Axel constantly calls Mark out on it.
I loved the musical chairs assignments the characters got. Hurry up and wait.
The cyborgs losing eyes and feet. They weren't overpowered, but were still a significant threat.
Beth Coulter was a fantastic villain. She paid for the privilege of being one step ahead of the heroes. Normally, the "perfect" villain loses in the end from an oversight that her earlier competence makes it hard to believe would happen.
Kamryn was wounded and sidelined. I missed her as a character, but I loved that she was wounded by an enemy red shirt. It wasn't the big bad's number two.
The way Mark murdered Coulter at the end was cold. I loved it. None of that "I'd be no better than you" garbage in this book.
The Bad.
There were too many layers of personal tragedy surrounding Mark. This happens far too often in fiction. His sister is a recovering addict and a rape victim. His brother was killed in a mission that led back to the current problem. His dad has issues. He is an alcoholic. It's a cliche to show how much a person has overcome. I always hate it when the trauma is piled on like this.
For all his complaints about Mark, Axel is quick to engage in fraternization with a senior officer. She is likewise willing to risk a career for a booty call. No development was present to make their union anything more than lust.
Axel and Mark each escape in an overly easy and obvious way in Beth's lab. I expected better writing by this point from a superb story. It was underwhelming.
The last chapter hand waved many issues with Mark's startup. It's not an automatic thing to quit the military, especially when you belong to elite units. I also doubt all of them would have wanted to keep the band together. It was an easy way to justify a continued relationship in future books. The last chapter bombed for me, thankfully it was basically an epilogue.
The Technical.
There is a lot of violence and profanity in this book.
The book is a start of a series, but it reads as a standalone; especially if you omit the final chapter.
May 18, 2017
Edge of the Future is a difficult book to rate. There’s lots of action and villainy, but the first half of the book was pretty much a snoozer for me after the initial incident of a Canadian branch of a covert biochemistry lab being attacked. For the first half, we’re introduced to the four main characters (two men, two women who are united as a team on a mission of science fiction military importance, but in reality, the two men are by far the prominent characters in this book). There’s a lot of training, eating together, discussions of spy plans and military operations, then back to… training again, more cafeteria conversations.
It started to pick up again at the halfway point when the incredibly evil Beth Coulter makes her next appearance. (Actually—and this is not a spoiler since it happens pretty early in the book, it’s a villain who has assumed Beth Coulter’s identity and continues to be identified as such). What a psychopath! I was left gaping with astonishment just how determined she is… apparently there are no boundaries of decency for her whatsoever.
I would say the bonding between the two main characters, Capt. Mark Warren and Sgt. Axel Von Radach (these two names seem awfully fictional, but appropriate for a military science fiction setting) is the best part of the book. They fight each other in training, they slap each other on the backs, they exchange intimate secrets about themselves. A great example of masculine friendship. In fact, it still surprised me that after I had finished reading, to observe that the book was written by a woman author. It really felt like a man wrote the book, but that’s a compliment.
The story itself is interesting, but I think I was left hungering for more elegant prose; it seems written in pulp fiction style, which is itself not such a bad thing. In fact pulp fiction ruled the market for a long time, as readers snapped up cheap, easy but well-written stories written in serial format. It just seems a bit too long for pulp fiction style.
At times, it seemed that the villain succeeded just a little too easily. After all, we’re talking about one villain, with a small army of clones and cyborgs, but surely the Terran Military Defence has unlimited resources to pour into its network and security. The cover is fantastic and choreographs well the genre that readers would expect. The title seemed puzzling, since I didn’t get an impression of “Edge of the Future”… what is the cutting edge of the plot of this book? What new future is forecast?
This book would please fans who love hard military science fiction war books, and read them by the bucketload, although they may find the first half of the story a bit of a drag.
It started to pick up again at the halfway point when the incredibly evil Beth Coulter makes her next appearance. (Actually—and this is not a spoiler since it happens pretty early in the book, it’s a villain who has assumed Beth Coulter’s identity and continues to be identified as such). What a psychopath! I was left gaping with astonishment just how determined she is… apparently there are no boundaries of decency for her whatsoever.
I would say the bonding between the two main characters, Capt. Mark Warren and Sgt. Axel Von Radach (these two names seem awfully fictional, but appropriate for a military science fiction setting) is the best part of the book. They fight each other in training, they slap each other on the backs, they exchange intimate secrets about themselves. A great example of masculine friendship. In fact, it still surprised me that after I had finished reading, to observe that the book was written by a woman author. It really felt like a man wrote the book, but that’s a compliment.
The story itself is interesting, but I think I was left hungering for more elegant prose; it seems written in pulp fiction style, which is itself not such a bad thing. In fact pulp fiction ruled the market for a long time, as readers snapped up cheap, easy but well-written stories written in serial format. It just seems a bit too long for pulp fiction style.
At times, it seemed that the villain succeeded just a little too easily. After all, we’re talking about one villain, with a small army of clones and cyborgs, but surely the Terran Military Defence has unlimited resources to pour into its network and security. The cover is fantastic and choreographs well the genre that readers would expect. The title seemed puzzling, since I didn’t get an impression of “Edge of the Future”… what is the cutting edge of the plot of this book? What new future is forecast?
This book would please fans who love hard military science fiction war books, and read them by the bucketload, although they may find the first half of the story a bit of a drag.
May 15, 2017
Characters
Mark is a complex character. Some of his personality is a bit hypocritical but this likely due to the fact that he is at war with himself. Axel is much more straight forward. The soldier. He is cocky but has a reason to be. This book jumps characters, mostly Mark, Axel, and the 'bad guy' but it allows insight into the different characters and their motivation. I appreciated that despite the fact that Mark and Axel are more of the main characters there were two female counterparts that were also important.
Plot
This felt like an action thriller movie with a sci-fi twist then a sci-fi. There is a militaristic component as well. The plot will keep you on your toes for the length of it! The advances in science beyond what exists today but is possible from today is what makes this a sci-fi.
There were a few minor plot inconsistencies. Mostly in the finer details of the plot. A big one was Mark and money (contradicted itself a few times). There were a few more, they didn't detract from the story too much.
Overall
The author does a good job of building the world seamlessly around the main characters. All of the characters feel real and were really well done. The plot was interesting. The writing detailed, a little bit much at time, but that was appropriate considering the genre. There were very few errors.
Rating
4 stars
This is a solid 4 star book. Despite a few minor inconsistencies this is a highly enjoyable action-packed read. If you love action-packed thrillers and sci-fi then this is a must read!
I received a copy in exchange of the honest review. More reviews at creatingworldswithwords.wordpress.com.
Mark is a complex character. Some of his personality is a bit hypocritical but this likely due to the fact that he is at war with himself. Axel is much more straight forward. The soldier. He is cocky but has a reason to be. This book jumps characters, mostly Mark, Axel, and the 'bad guy' but it allows insight into the different characters and their motivation. I appreciated that despite the fact that Mark and Axel are more of the main characters there were two female counterparts that were also important.
Plot
This felt like an action thriller movie with a sci-fi twist then a sci-fi. There is a militaristic component as well. The plot will keep you on your toes for the length of it! The advances in science beyond what exists today but is possible from today is what makes this a sci-fi.
There were a few minor plot inconsistencies. Mostly in the finer details of the plot. A big one was Mark and money (contradicted itself a few times). There were a few more, they didn't detract from the story too much.
Overall
The author does a good job of building the world seamlessly around the main characters. All of the characters feel real and were really well done. The plot was interesting. The writing detailed, a little bit much at time, but that was appropriate considering the genre. There were very few errors.
Rating
4 stars
This is a solid 4 star book. Despite a few minor inconsistencies this is a highly enjoyable action-packed read. If you love action-packed thrillers and sci-fi then this is a must read!
I received a copy in exchange of the honest review. More reviews at creatingworldswithwords.wordpress.com.
February 22, 2018
I'm not sure if the genera is one I'm too hyped about but it was a well written book (I only saw one error in the text which is pretty good for free scifi. I see it's 99 cents, but I got it for free). I sort of wanted the denouement to be a bit more drawn out, felt like a lot of build up and then it was over. Maybe that's a good thing. Sometimes endings can really drag out. I'm thinking I'll purchase the next one.
I always wonder at the programmatic in novels, even if it's for the good. Strong women characters are wonderful. I guess I'm a messy naturalist who thinks there's all kinds. Perhaps in the rarefied world of future military, all the women are bad ass. I'm sure they are. Mark's sister descended into a dark pit when she got injured, and lived with her parents after being raped. In the end those rapists get what's coming to them. I wish you could tidy up life like that.
When they began to discover the evil plot, more and more heads sprouted up. That they found them all, I guess I think someone got away and they're rebuilding somewhere.
I saw in a review that the reviewer would like a little more character development but that the plot was good. I wonder if you really have to choose as whats his face the famous author suggested.
The author begs you to write good reviews, and I want to, but this is all I could come up with.
I always wonder at the programmatic in novels, even if it's for the good. Strong women characters are wonderful. I guess I'm a messy naturalist who thinks there's all kinds. Perhaps in the rarefied world of future military, all the women are bad ass. I'm sure they are. Mark's sister descended into a dark pit when she got injured, and lived with her parents after being raped. In the end those rapists get what's coming to them. I wish you could tidy up life like that.
When they began to discover the evil plot, more and more heads sprouted up. That they found them all, I guess I think someone got away and they're rebuilding somewhere.
I saw in a review that the reviewer would like a little more character development but that the plot was good. I wonder if you really have to choose as whats his face the famous author suggested.
The author begs you to write good reviews, and I want to, but this is all I could come up with.
December 12, 2017
“Edge of the Future” is an action-packed military science fiction story with plenty of plot twists and turns that is written by Andria Stone. This is the first book in what is believed to become a trilogy of books. The audiobook edition was well narrated by Nicholas Barta with only a few slight blemishes discussed later in this review. If you like stories containing cyborgs, terrorists, military, medical, and procedural aspects, I think you will be pleasantly surprised listening to this audiobook.
The story takes place in the near future where humans have already colonized the moon (Luna) and Mars after a large war decimated much of the earth. A mission sent to colonize Europa failed and the deaths of over one-hundred and fifty people are a mystery that needs to be solved. Some of the aspects involving cyborgs reminded me of Battlestar Galatica where it was difficult to distinguish humans from machines. Not only was the threat from these non-humans, some of the characters were given neural implants which allowed our antagonist to take control of them to do her bidding. The action and story felt like the movies “RoboCop” and “Total Recall”, with a few bits of the Matrix thrown in to keep us on our toes. The story takes place mostly on the Moon at a special secret research base where classified information on creating a nanobot genesis system; or weapon. I enjoyed the many different medical and nanotechnology used in the story, and much of it seemed believable in the future time the book takes place.
Not only was there plenty of action, the book has a fair amount of mystery and suspense. You have murders, a hunt for terrorists, assassins being hired, and many of our main characters running scared until they can uncover and put a stop to the villain’s plot while at the same time protect the information she is attempting to steal. There is plenty of drugging, cyborg switching, and chase scenes to hold your attention. Even with all of this activity, the author does include a few scenes containing romance and deeper character interaction. Nothing explicit or over the top. Although the characters did not feel flat, I would have like to have had some more details around their backstories, etc. I wanted to care more for them than I found myself doing, and this may be coming in the future books in the series.
The book’s narration by Nicholas Barta was better than I would have expected from a newer narrator with five performances currently on Audible; at the time of this review. Overall it was a solid performance with only a few slight audio inconsistencies with the audiobook’s volume. I do not recall any other issues. For a newer narrator, I also found that he did a decent job narrating the many female characters found in the book, and I liked his ability to give unique accents and personalities to each character.
For parents and younger readers, be aware this book contains a fair amount of vulgar language. Some of the humor is crude or contains sexual innuendos which one might expect in a book containing military personnel. This is not saying that all military people speak using vulgar or crude language, but it is a way many are represented in books and movies. There are also a few scenes of graphic violence which again would not be of surprise with a military-focused book. Other than this, I do not recall anything that would exclude readers who are not easily offended by the above-mentioned items from reading this book.
To summarize, I think the book is a strong start to what appears to be a good series. If you like action, mystery and space, I think you will find that you will like this book. Again, be aware this is only the first book in a trilogy, so some of the plotlines are left open-ended for later books to answer. However, the first book is still worth a listen even before the others are released on Audible.
Disclaimer: I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.
The story takes place in the near future where humans have already colonized the moon (Luna) and Mars after a large war decimated much of the earth. A mission sent to colonize Europa failed and the deaths of over one-hundred and fifty people are a mystery that needs to be solved. Some of the aspects involving cyborgs reminded me of Battlestar Galatica where it was difficult to distinguish humans from machines. Not only was the threat from these non-humans, some of the characters were given neural implants which allowed our antagonist to take control of them to do her bidding. The action and story felt like the movies “RoboCop” and “Total Recall”, with a few bits of the Matrix thrown in to keep us on our toes. The story takes place mostly on the Moon at a special secret research base where classified information on creating a nanobot genesis system; or weapon. I enjoyed the many different medical and nanotechnology used in the story, and much of it seemed believable in the future time the book takes place.
Not only was there plenty of action, the book has a fair amount of mystery and suspense. You have murders, a hunt for terrorists, assassins being hired, and many of our main characters running scared until they can uncover and put a stop to the villain’s plot while at the same time protect the information she is attempting to steal. There is plenty of drugging, cyborg switching, and chase scenes to hold your attention. Even with all of this activity, the author does include a few scenes containing romance and deeper character interaction. Nothing explicit or over the top. Although the characters did not feel flat, I would have like to have had some more details around their backstories, etc. I wanted to care more for them than I found myself doing, and this may be coming in the future books in the series.
The book’s narration by Nicholas Barta was better than I would have expected from a newer narrator with five performances currently on Audible; at the time of this review. Overall it was a solid performance with only a few slight audio inconsistencies with the audiobook’s volume. I do not recall any other issues. For a newer narrator, I also found that he did a decent job narrating the many female characters found in the book, and I liked his ability to give unique accents and personalities to each character.
For parents and younger readers, be aware this book contains a fair amount of vulgar language. Some of the humor is crude or contains sexual innuendos which one might expect in a book containing military personnel. This is not saying that all military people speak using vulgar or crude language, but it is a way many are represented in books and movies. There are also a few scenes of graphic violence which again would not be of surprise with a military-focused book. Other than this, I do not recall anything that would exclude readers who are not easily offended by the above-mentioned items from reading this book.
To summarize, I think the book is a strong start to what appears to be a good series. If you like action, mystery and space, I think you will find that you will like this book. Again, be aware this is only the first book in a trilogy, so some of the plotlines are left open-ended for later books to answer. However, the first book is still worth a listen even before the others are released on Audible.
Disclaimer: I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.
April 24, 2019
Edge of the Future - a review by Rosemary Kenny
A futuristic thriller set after Earth's Europa Mission failed, killing 152 people, Edge of the Future by Andria Stone is book 1 in A Techno Thriller Science Fiction novel (The EDGE), that introduces military scientist MC, Captain Mark Warren, who's in charge of a vulnerable base in Canada.
When said base comes under a cyber attack, Warren partners up with martial arts and combat trainer, Sergeant Axel von Radach to plug the leak of classified military secrets, stolen by a deadly female assassin.
With a strong flavor of both the Terminator and Predator films, Edge of the future will prove to centre around a deadly game of cat and mouse between Warren, von Radach and the killer Dr Beth Coulter, who is not whom she formerly appeared to be. What is her secret - and what will be the outcome of her betrayal?
Read Andria Stone's exciting Edge of the Future and get ready for the futuristic thriller flight of a lifetime!
A futuristic thriller set after Earth's Europa Mission failed, killing 152 people, Edge of the Future by Andria Stone is book 1 in A Techno Thriller Science Fiction novel (The EDGE), that introduces military scientist MC, Captain Mark Warren, who's in charge of a vulnerable base in Canada.
When said base comes under a cyber attack, Warren partners up with martial arts and combat trainer, Sergeant Axel von Radach to plug the leak of classified military secrets, stolen by a deadly female assassin.
With a strong flavor of both the Terminator and Predator films, Edge of the future will prove to centre around a deadly game of cat and mouse between Warren, von Radach and the killer Dr Beth Coulter, who is not whom she formerly appeared to be. What is her secret - and what will be the outcome of her betrayal?
Read Andria Stone's exciting Edge of the Future and get ready for the futuristic thriller flight of a lifetime!
June 14, 2017
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Stone's book is an old-fashioned military sci-fi romp (in a good way). The story involves cyborgs, a lunar colony, and deep space exploration, all immersed in a web of military intrigue and espionage. The novel's main character, Mark, introduced amidst an attack on a laboratory, is quickly integrated into a mixed-gender military unit and finds himself transported to the moon in pursuit of the group responsible for attacking the facility. The minimalist worldbuilding will appeal to readers who want military sci-fi adventure, while the memorable female villain will interest those tired of the same male villain figure we so often see recycled in sci-fi. Dragging the review down a bit is the pacing, which lags after the initial fast-paced opening chapter.
Stone's book is an old-fashioned military sci-fi romp (in a good way). The story involves cyborgs, a lunar colony, and deep space exploration, all immersed in a web of military intrigue and espionage. The novel's main character, Mark, introduced amidst an attack on a laboratory, is quickly integrated into a mixed-gender military unit and finds himself transported to the moon in pursuit of the group responsible for attacking the facility. The minimalist worldbuilding will appeal to readers who want military sci-fi adventure, while the memorable female villain will interest those tired of the same male villain figure we so often see recycled in sci-fi. Dragging the review down a bit is the pacing, which lags after the initial fast-paced opening chapter.
June 26, 2017
Edge of the Future follows a military scientist, who was never meant to go into combat, who gets thrust into a grand conspiracy. The story was face paced and engaging with lots of action, shooting, fighting and general mayhem. The characters were likable and heroic. Always worth a lot in my book. The world was interesting and Stone did a great job fleshing it out. The relationship/brotherhood between the two main characters was the highlight of the story and seeing their relationship evolve was fun.
I felt the book could have done with some more editing. There were a few grammar problems, science mistakes and timeline events that were off that tended to throw me from the story. With a few more passes of an editor this book would have been a five star for me.
A great page-flipping read. If you like military sci-fi, give read Edge of the Future.
I felt the book could have done with some more editing. There were a few grammar problems, science mistakes and timeline events that were off that tended to throw me from the story. With a few more passes of an editor this book would have been a five star for me.
A great page-flipping read. If you like military sci-fi, give read Edge of the Future.
January 9, 2018
Edge of the Future is an action-packed futuristic thriller. Taking place 150 years in the future, the Earth has essentially set aside its borders and countries are working together for a common goal after the last planetary war- much like Star Trek. However, not everyone shares in this utopian vision. Beth Coulter, a mastermind with the cunning, skill, and foresight of Sir Author Conan Doyle’s Moriarti, has been steeling military secrets and has amassed a small army of cyborgs and other future military inventions to pursue her nefarious goals. I had not read this genre in almost 30 years. However, I am very glad that I chose Edge of the Future by Andria Stone to rekindle my interest in it.
July 24, 2019
Did Not Finish (DNF) at 12%. There are interesting ideas, but this needed a heavier editorial hand. Some of the prose is fine, but some is clunky to the point of distraction, and I don't care enough about any of the characters or their problems to wade through it when I have a virtual pile of books I'm already reading and enjoying more.
I used to read for concepts and ideas, but the older I get, the less time I have for obvious lack of writing craft practice plus less-than-stellar editing. One or the other can work, but neither? Nope.
I used to read for concepts and ideas, but the older I get, the less time I have for obvious lack of writing craft practice plus less-than-stellar editing. One or the other can work, but neither? Nope.
May 5, 2023
Well written sci fi military thriller
This story takes place at a time when humans have already conquered space travel within our solar system. The characters behave as expected and the author makes the military environment come alive for the reader. This is definitely a page turner with lots of twists and turns where the bad guys always seem a step ahead of the good guys until the exciting climax. Definitely recommend for readers who enjoy a fast-paced sci-fi military thriller
This story takes place at a time when humans have already conquered space travel within our solar system. The characters behave as expected and the author makes the military environment come alive for the reader. This is definitely a page turner with lots of twists and turns where the bad guys always seem a step ahead of the good guys until the exciting climax. Definitely recommend for readers who enjoy a fast-paced sci-fi military thriller
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