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Endeavor's Run (The Hope Prophecy #1)

Tobin Marks (Goodreads Author)

4.12 · Rating details · 41 ratings · 38 reviews

Science Fiction, Adventure, Space Travel

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180 pages

Published by Tobin Marks

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Jul 13, 2018 May 舞 rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction

Wow, that was one hell of a ride!

Endeavor's Run was very confusing at the beginning, what with the different locations and characters, and I just felt like "where is this going?" and "who am I supposed to pay attention to?" However, after a few chapters I finally got a grasp on it and I'm awfully glad I did.

With a blend of science fiction and fantasy, Endeavor's Run managed to captivate my full attention, and I found myself trying to connect the dots and figure out how to fit all the pieces of Wow, that was one hell of a ride!

Endeavor's Run was very confusing at the beginning, what with the different locations and characters, and I just felt like "where is this going?" and "who am I supposed to pay attention to?" However, after a few chapters I finally got a grasp on it and I'm awfully glad I did.

With a blend of science fiction and fantasy, Endeavor's Run managed to captivate my full attention, and I found myself trying to connect the dots and figure out how to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together. It was truly rewarding when a question was finally answered. However, a new one simply took its place, keeping me hooked until the very last page.

The world-building was meticulous and in my opinion, quite detailed. I got a very clear image of the setting of the book, as well as the conditions that influenced- and continue to influence- the characters.
The characters themselves were each very different from one another, and I enjoyed getting to know all of them, even the crazy, hateful ones. Thankfully, many were very likable and most were quite realistic and credible.
The dialogue was very entertaining to read. I honestly don't know how people address each other on spaceships, so it was novel and refreshing. The many abbreviations were annoying though, and some technical explanations went right over my head.

That being said, this book managed to break my heart at times and make me laugh out loud at others. It has action, mystery, humour, and adventure, all in 180 pages. Not to mention the plot reveals. There was one that had my mouth hanging unattractively open in a What the hell did I just read? moment. To be honest, I still can't wrap my head around it!

There are still many questions that need to be answered, which I believe would be the job of the next two books in the series. I'm honestly looking forward to reading them, especially as the ending was very shocking; I've never really imagined it would come to this.

All in all, Endeavor's Run was very enjoyable and captivating. I strongly recommend it to those who heart themselves a good dose of prophecies, dragons, spaceships, psychic powers, sword fights, and aliens. This was an awsome combination, in my opinion. ...more

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Jun 12, 2018 Kyla rated it really liked it

The tantalizing first installment of a promised trilogy, Endeavor's Run blends in nicely balanced fashion hard science fiction and fantasy. Space ships, and aliens, and dragons (oh my!), blended with believable characters you want to root for. Women and men mingle and work as equals, once a rarity in the masculine halls of science fiction. There is a touch of Saturday-matinee flavor, as the "good guys" are brave and smart and resourceful, and the villains thoroughly villainous, but this is a goo ...more

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Jun 10, 2018 Vernice Aure rated it it was amazing

As a fan of both Science Fiction and Fantasy, Endeavor's Run satisfied my penchant for SciFi while delivering the creatures and mystique that I love about Fantasy. This is the first book in a trilogy and is a very enjoyable read. Endeavor's Run smoothly mixes detailed sci-fi science with dragons and interesting aliens.

The Starship Endeavor, commissioned specifically for this mission, is tasked with solving the mystery of the disappearance of the Starship Monarch while investigating a millennia- ...more

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Sep 14, 2018 Patricia Cifra rated it it was amazing

Imagine living a 1000 years from now in a world where an alien race threatens human existence. Then imagine a character who has the power to astrally project thoughts and feelings, and whose destiny involves finding a starship that mysteriously vanished. Combine all of this with optical computers, a maternal artificial intelligence system, dragons and reptilian aliens, and the effect is a mind-boggling story.

The story starts 1000 years after the World War Extinction. A young boy, Alex Porter, i Imagine living a 1000 years from now in a world where an alien race threatens human existence. Then imagine a character who has the power to astrally project thoughts and feelings, and whose destiny involves finding a starship that mysteriously vanished. Combine all of this with optical computers, a maternal artificial intelligence system, dragons and reptilian aliens, and the effect is a mind-boggling story.

The story starts 1000 years after the World War Extinction. A young boy, Alex Porter, is facing the death of his mother from an epidemic. Shortly before her death she astrally projects him a message that he will save humanity from further destruction. When she dies a mysterious message is received by an exoplanet known as Aqueous.

When Alex grows up he becomes a pilot on the starship Endeavour which is bound for the Aqueous. This mission is to find the missing starship, the Monarch, that disappeared during the investigation of the mysterious message. At the same time, Alex is unaware of his true destiny and its connection with the disappearance of the very first starship, the fabled Magellan 2, which was sent to Aqueous a year before the World War Extinction. The existence of Magellan 2 became a reality once the mysterious message was received. However, Magellan 2 carried a woman who was behind the Hope Prophecy 1000 years before Alex was born; Alex is central to this Prophecy. But, Alex is not the only main character in the story.

The characters have a distinct human warmth. A reader almost feels their insecurities and strengths through their conversations and thoughts. I could feel the pain of Commander Hammer who wants to find his wife who went missing on the Monarch; I understood Baseball’s ( Alex’s best friend) intelligence and intuition; and I could warm to Captain Jennings, the leader of the Endeavour.

I found Captain Jennings to be a very inspiring character. He had to deal with past tragedies while keeping a professional image for his crew. There is a moment in the story when Jennings looks in the mirror and re-evaluates his life. This made me great empathy for Jennings, especially with the tragedy near the end of the book.

Most importantly, the author uses scientific data to make situations more realistic. An interesting example was the optic computer which was a PC that was implanted in the optic nerve using a ring as a personal server. The author adds the consequences of this system failing: a person would lose their sight, hearing and speech. This is an ingenious creation by the author. It almost has a H.G. Wells quality to it; this idea may become a reality in the near future.

I highly recommend this book because it paves the way for 21st century science fiction. This book offers an emotional character interaction and intensive action scenes. It mindfully creates scientific technology which blends into the purpose of the mission. At times I felt as though I was in a virtual reality with the characters and scenes. On a final note, this book is carefully crafted to combine the human spirit and science fiction.

Patricia Cifra ...more

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Mar 18, 2019 Karen rated it it was amazing

First let me say one thing…… DRAGONS!!!
Now with that out of the way, I can personally say I really enjoyed Endeavor's Run. I saw some of the comments about it being confusing and was worried. However, I thought the fast pace was enjoyable and I was not lost. I did have to glance at the chapter headings a few times to know where I was, but that is all part of the journey.

Tobin Marks gives great details to bring this futuristic world to life. I love how the different areas are similar but have a ...more

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Mar 05, 2019 Iseult Murphy rated it liked it

1000 years in the future, Earth has almost been destroyed and humanity now resides on Mars and is seeding distant planets. One of these planets, Aqueous, just happens to have dragons and floating aliens and reptile men. All ships that have been sent to Aqueous have vanished without a trace. After receiving a mysterious message, the Endeavor and her brave crew set out to find the missing ships and discover what happened on that distant planet.

What worked for me were the parts of the book centere ...more

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Mar 14, 2019 Shuchi Vyas rated it it was amazing

This is mind blowing! The plot is absolutely incredible. Marks' way of describing scenes, technical details (though I don't understand such advanced science) and everything else is just amazing. It was like a sneak peek at the future, though it was a bit confusing at first with all the different planets and spaceships and technicalities. But it certainly grows on you. Can't wait for the next books!

I received a free copy in exchange for a review. Highly recommended. ...more

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Mar 14, 2019 Dan rated it liked it

Shelves: booktasters

It’s a pretty good book in general. It starts out pretty rough but quickly finds its pace. The characters and world are interesting and engrossing. But the entire book details the main characters learning things that we as the reader already know if perhaps not in that much detail. And as a whole doesn’t really stand up alone on its own as a book rather than part 1 of a series

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Jan 09, 2019 Mylinda added it

Endeavor’s Run by Tobin Marks is a combination of fantasy and science fiction. I enjoyed the book thoroughly and had difficulty putting it down. The book is a third person narration which gives you a peek into the thoughts and motives of various characters at certain parts. Getting into the thoughts of the human characters and the fantasy characters flowed quite well.

The only area I initially had trouble with was the timeline. Sections are in the past present and future. One tip is to pay close ...more

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Jan 24, 2019 Muhammad Ishaq rated it really liked it

It was suspense filled and I couldn't stop reading it due to the brief chapters which gave a sense of achievement and prevented boredom. The end was really good and I was still expecting pages after the last chapter. Good book really ...more

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Sep 22, 2018 Glarvole rated it really liked it

(Free copy for review)

The only rough spots to the book are the location changes. However, you do get used to it after a few goes. Even with this I would highly recommend this book. It is a very interesting story and the "bad guys" in this book are among the more interesting ones I've read about or thought about. This book is an excellent setup for the remainder of the story due to unfold over the next couple of books.

A lot of places seem to be stop and go in the story but those moments are done ...more

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Dec 20, 2018 Ania rated it it was amazing

Endeavors run is a Blending of science Fiction (spaceships...) And Fantasy ( dragons..) I felt like I was watching a mix of Star wars and eragon !!! And this is what makes this book very unique!!!

I have to say the language ( choice of words descriptions about the planets and surroundings) which the Respectable Author used was very smart !! I could really imagine every scene as if I was a character in the story !!

I personally really liked Alex and the way he could carry on after the death of hi ...more

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Dec 26, 2018 Jai rated it really liked it

At a glance, Endeavor's Run might seem like your run-of-the-mill science fiction story but as you delve deeper into it, you'll find that there's more to it than meets the eye and its intricately written fantasy world will gradually grow on you. I could be a little biased because prophecy-riddled stories are my cup of tea but personal preferences aside, this book certainly delivers a unique formula of sci-fi and fantasy elements fused into a fascinating world of aliens, space ships and AI systems ...more

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Jul 06, 2018 Maria Rivas-mc rated it liked it

A bit of science fiction, a bit of the paranormal
Humans are rapidly destroying the planet and the political rhetoric from leaders leans towards the self-serving and bombastic. On this basis and, regrettably, the premise of this Tobin Marks’ novel is beyond possible; it’s probable and even likely. Tobin Marks’ world has experienced WWX, which makes much of the planet extinct; while his imagination takes us to a world inhabited by dragons and humanoids with paranormal powers. The entry of humans s ...more

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Jan 26, 2019 M.J. Falke rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dystopia, science-fiction

What a fantastic read.

True, Endeavor's Run is a fairly short read at only 180 pages, but it's anything but short when it comes to story. Marks crams so much world building and character growth into those 180 pages that at times it can be hard to keep up.

The story follows Alex Porter, who is a seventh generation son with a destiny that will take him across the stars. I honestly can't say much more without giving the story away, but I found that this book was the perfect blend of science fiction ...more

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Sep 22, 2018 A.J Ito rated it really liked it

This book gave me a warmth welcome to a hard sci-fi story. This means that I was kind of lost with some terminology (that's my fault for not being used to sci-fi) and that I found myself wanting to know more about basically everything in it.

What I liked the most about this story is that the author is not afraid to introduce characters without rush. He takes the time needed to make you know them and that is awesome. what i did not like was that I felt lost sometimes because of the changing of pe ...more

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Oct 24, 2018 Jacilda Refalo rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 17, 2018 Richard Willis rated it it was amazing

A splendid, fast-pace tale that involves a humanity who learn that they're no longer alone in the universe. From the Normad'r to humanity, from the Thith Empire to the IFC Endeavor, Marks weaves the threads of his tale together quite well, and while the fact that this is the first in a series means that they don't yet form a complete quilt, what he shows here is probably more than enough to lead you to come back for more. There are a few mysteries (which I shall leave unnamed to avoid spoilers), ...more

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Jun 25, 2018 Ikomon Emmanuella rated it liked it

people who are into science-fiction will be thrilled when they read this book.
The author took out time to get his words right and each part of the book was well written.
I enjoyed the storyline and the progression from each scene/planet to the other.
The different species were intriguing and the their abilities quite amazing.
I would be really happy if this can be adopted into a series so I can have the pleasure of viewing it on screen.

I had a few reservations though because the book 1 dwelt m ...more

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Nov 08, 2018 Terrytracy Watts rated it really liked it

I love the dragon and the sci-fi mix. The biggest problems I saw was grammatically errors. When I first started reading it , the opening was a little dry. The book the speed up. The interaction between the characters was interesting the more I read. The series reminds me of a cross between Star Trek and the Aragon series. Sorry about the spelling. This book remind me of when I first started read science fiction.

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Jul 25, 2018 Nate rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed the way the characters were developed and the pacing was good. The characters felt real because the dialogue felt like human speech and not some stuffy mechanic lecturer, despite the subject matter being very scientific. It played like an episode of Star Trek in my head. Because the language was quite adult I would recommend for an 18+ audience.

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Oct 24, 2018 DaftScholar rated it it was amazing

Though the premise is not new, Endeavor's Run is so very well done. Sci-Fi here and Fantasy there. This is the first installment but I have to say can't wait to read all of them. Solid plot and solider (that's not a word) writing. I will not say more as it may give away spoilers. Solid work Mr. Marks. Moving to the next one. ...more

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Dec 03, 2018 Yolisa rated it really liked it

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this awesome book.It is well written,you just cannot put it down.It was like I am in another world completely.I love books like this,totally immerse you.You only find yourself after reading and completing the entire book.

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Mar 28, 2019 Michael rated it liked it

Shelves: booktaster

Endeavors Run The Hope Prophecy: Book One, by Tobin Marks

Where do I start? That puzzles me as I begin to write this review. At first I was confused by the yo-yoing back and forth in time (and space). But some advice from the author helped set me straight.

The story starts our as a rather run-of-the-mill SciFi/Fantasy combination. Earth was virtually depopulated in WWX - as in extinction. But small groups managed to survive at different locales around the globe. One of these, located in what was Endeavors Run The Hope Prophecy: Book One, by Tobin Marks

Where do I start? That puzzles me as I begin to write this review. At first I was confused by the yo-yoing back and forth in time (and space). But some advice from the author helped set me straight.

The story starts our as a rather run-of-the-mill SciFi/Fantasy combination. Earth was virtually depopulated in WWX - as in extinction. But small groups managed to survive at different locales around the globe. One of these, located in what was formerly known as Russia, develops in certain people psychokinetic abilities, predominantly astral projection. These abilities are especially notable in the seventh generation male. Flash forward and these survivors have not only thrived but grown and become advanced enough to travel to the stars-and that’s where the trouble begins.

Coincidentally, on another planet in a distant star system, another group of homo sapiens lives on a world with dragons. These humans are split into two groups, essentially one with dragons and one without. And, as seems fated for humans everywhere, they are at war with each other.

Endeavors Run centers around our SciFi character, mostly. Alexander Porter is a pilot in the IFC, Interstellar Fleet Command. Although born in the Russian enclave of post-WWX Earth, his mother dies when Alex is a young child and he is sent to a related family enclave in Scotland. While living with this extended family, he discovers he inherited his mother’s ability to astral project and develops a love of, and proficiency with, ancient bladed weapons. His non-paranormal abilities lead him to join the IFC where he is fated to board the IFC Endeavor, which is being dispatched to discover the whereabouts of its sister ship, the Monarch. The Monarch was earlier ordered to determine what happened to the Magellan II, which had been sent prior to WWX to colonize the planet Kepler 3211a, known to all Earth humans as Aqueous, in the Dragon Eye nebula. A mysterious message from the Magellan II hinted that the planet had already been colonized and was going to be “inv…”. And there the message was cut off, leaving the IFC brass to interpret “inv” as invaded.

And a bit of explanation is needed here; because technology still hadn’t advanced to the point of faster-than-light travel, most of the earlier events surrounding the Magellan II had happened over 900 years ago.

While on the voyage to Aqueous, Alex uses his awake time to hone his astral projection abilities, which normally require a great amount of physical pain to activate. This probably becomes important in the next book of the series, but here I am only speculating because I haven’t read it yet.

Simultaneously, on Aqueous, the aging Tzar of the dragon tribe, needs to resort to kidnapping his bastard son from the non-dragon tribe. This son, it turns out, is Alex’s contemporary, a seventh generation male. Eventually named Bayne, his destiny seems to be Alex’s opponent. And yes, there is also a female seventh generation character to complete the trio, Anya. She becomes Tzarina of the dragon tribe upon her father’s death, and it is revealed to her by a golden dragon named Rodinya, that she and Alex had been predicted by a book called the Hope Prophecy.

So now I’m thinking ‘OK, we have here your run-of-the-mill’ fantasy series when BOOM! Tobin drops a twist on me. Two twists, actually. It seems there is a second race living on Aqueous, a species of lizard people what have tried for millennia to kill all the humans on Aqueous. These beings have gathered a force of several million (estimated) to finally do the deed and are on their way to the human enclave for the final war. And, it appears that this is not all coincidence, for living in the oceans, undetectable to any of the above human or lizard, is a race of advanced beings called the Normad’r. The Normad’r had created Aqueous and its inhabitants (making me think of Douglas Adams and the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” - 42!) and seeded Earth with humans (making me think of David Brin and his Uplift series.) The Normad’r, an extremely long-lived species, have deliberately created the events leading to this clash because, it seems, one of their earlier experiments in seeding life has backfired and is now gathering to exterminate them! And they need to provoke the humans into developing technology to avoid this extermination.

At the end of the book, the Endeavor and its crew meet the same fate as the Magellan and Monarch, completely and utterly destroyed by the Normad’r and Alex is left plummeting to his death on Aqueous.

Or will he die? For this is where Book One ends. Book Two will most certainly pick up with these entwined tales of fate and may even have more surprises in store.
...more

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Mar 25, 2019 Ava Rogers rated it liked it

First things first: I was given a copy of this book with the express purpose of reviewing. However, this has not colored my perceptions in any way. (Though speaking to the author himself may have, I have done my utmost to make this review as honest and truthful as I can.)

So we’re going to start with the positives. Things I enjoyed.

The story itself was good. It had me wanting to read more. I kept reading because I wanted to see what was going to happen.

The prologue was tight. It was a very str ...more

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Jan 13, 2020 Britny rated it really liked it

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book in all honesty. It was bit confusing in the beginning with the switching between settings and introduction of new characters with almost every switch. This does not go on for very long and it really picks up once everything starts to come together. It was a great read for me mostly because of all the fantasy involved. Upon first mention of a dragon and aliens, I was hooked. It was one of those books that made me feel like I was looking at a really good fan ...more

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May 01, 2019 Matt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-2019

When I got started on this book I was told that the first few chapters would be confusing, but the solution that I found to this issue is to take my time and read everything! The chapter breaks tell you where you are going so you know what characters will be involved and their growth. The book is very detail oriented and while some might not be able to take it in, it adds so much depth to everything. I am surprised the amount of growth, detail and story that was able to fit into this book of 180 ...more

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Nov 05, 2018 Zen Ghost Bookworm rated it really liked it

What a wild ride! This is out of the box reading for me, as I usually stick to horror and mystery, but I was in the mood for some sci-fi when I picked this up. Little did I know this was a mix of sci-fi and fantasy. I'll try to give you some highlights without any spoilers.

Part of the story focuses on the planet Aqueous. We have two civilizations heading to war, one a primitive reptilian tribe and one a human tribe. But the best part of this planet is dragons. You heard right, we have dragons!

Th ...more

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Jun 24, 2019 Ali Emin rated it really liked it

I found this book very difficult to review. I had to read it twice, very carefuly, and it was better on the second reading.

I'm trying to do this spoiler free, becasue it's important not to give anything away.

The narrative style can be tricky to follow, but anyone who's read Murakami or China Mieville shouldn't have any difficulty with the choice of the author's narrative voice. It's worth sticking to, as the author weaves an intricate tale that's ambitious and epic in scope. Anyone who's read a ...more

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Jul 26, 2019 Kez Booth rated it liked it

The book overall is very good - I initially found it quite difficult to get into as the beginning was very slow and a bit confusing as each of the characters were introduced. It felt like a rather long build up to the main action of the story. After such a strong prologue that really hooks you to the story, the subsequent early chapters seemed really slowed down the story in a way that felt unnecessary. However after the build up the story does find a good pace and that fact that the chapters ar ...more

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About Tobin Marks

Tobin Marks

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Author Tobin Marks has created an alien watery world called Aqueous. Orbiting a Red Dwarf 1187 light years from Earth, Aqueous is teeming with dangerous reptilian life...and one long forgotten human colony.

Marks is a world traveler who grew up in a household of rocket scientists. As a boy he had a front row seat observing many NASA and NOAA projects. Now from his home in north west Baja he has wri ...more