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Singularity

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It takes a certain kind of evil to save this city.

Nathan Miller owns the streets of Union City. A rogue detective protected by a corrupt establishment—his rule is absolute. But nothing lasts forever.

Someone has betrayed him and now blog sensation Alexis King knows things she shouldn’t. Coming after Nathan she threatens his authority, giving the elite cause to question his worth.

To protect his reign, Nathan must silence his betrayer before Alexis learns enough to topple him. But he’s no longer the only thing to fear in the rotten underbelly of 2035. His search uncovers an evil preying upon the displaced beyond the city wall—making Nathan the next target.

356 pages, Paperback

Published August 14, 2018

116 people are currently reading
137 people want to read

About the author

Eldon Farrell

17 books106 followers
Eldon Farrell is an avid reader, writer, and author of the upcoming novel The Thief of Baria. A professionally trained accountant, Eldon has spent more than two decades reading and writing thriller novels. Readers have described his novels as “fast-paced”, “full of action”, and “edge-of-your-seat” reading.

He is a lover of language, and an unapologetic fan of DC Comics, who does recognize the irony in the redundancy. A child of the eighties, when not writing, he can still be found in the shadows of Grayskull or trying to get back to the future.

You can learn more about him and the books he writes at www.eldonfarrellauthor.com

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5 stars
23 (37%)
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19 (31%)
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13 (21%)
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4 (6%)
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for Graeme Rodaughan.
Author 17 books404 followers
October 24, 2018
1/3 terminator, 1/3 good cop, 1/3 bent cop - all ENFORCER!


Okay, "Singularity," is Eldon Farrell's brand new book, which I had the good luck and pleasure to receive as an ARC read.

Set in the near-future, after a catastrophic natural calamity has devastated the United States, the bad guys are in charge, and on again, off again cop, Nathan Miller is their chief enforcer.

He's the sort of nuanced bad guy who'll happily smack a subordinate criminal down with a broken whiskey bottle and yet give $20 to a homeless man so he gets a hot meal. (Actually, so nuanced, he suffers a dissociative psychosis for maybe a 1/3 of the book, which provides an odd reflection to his musings as "ghosts of victims past," make themselves present.)

Nathan's got a history and is cybernetically enhanced after a devastating injury, think 1/3 terminator, 1/3 good cop, and 1/3 bent cop. He's gonna need it all to deal with the rain of hell threatening to land on his beloved city.

This story has strong characters, interesting villains, and a kind of detective noir married to a DC/Marvel super-heroes vibe to it that works well.

A solid four stars - recommended to anyone who would like to see a DC/Marvel super-hero movie set in a near-future sci-fi dystopia.
Profile Image for Alexa Whitewolf.
Author 34 books116 followers
July 21, 2018
I’ve been struggling to write a one line description of this book with not much luck 😂 there is no way to make it fit in a nice, square one liner because it’s SO much more. If I had to, I’d say something along the lines of: James Rollins meets The Suicide Squad. Probably not the best description, so definitely stick with the blurb above... but let’s go through what I loved about this book!

The main character - Nathan
A good cop gone rogue, Nathan is the most complex character in this series, and for good measure. He has such an appeal that even though he does things I’d never agree with, I still can’t help rooting for him! Plus, he’s badass as HELL!!!

The rest of the characters
Much as I adore Nathan, the rest of the cast blew my mind too. Journalists on a quest for high morality, evil scientists, tycoons that aren't quite what they seem... It's such a variety of characters, such a variety of story angles, that it keeps you on your toes from start to finish!

The plot
I’ve never been taken through so many twists and turns in a crime/superhero book before. I mean, I’m pretty good at seeing things coming. One of the perks of an overactive imagination. But this?? Blew. My. Mind. And it’s part of a series, so you can damn well bet I’ve got it on my to be read list!!!

The pace & everything else
What usually screws me up in crime/thriller books is slow pacing smack in the middle where the action is supposed to be. “Singularity” had none of that. I lost count of the number of times I said “just one
more chapter” and ended up reading 10 more just because of the skill in writing them and finishing them on such a note you just can’t wait to read the next part!

This book was pure epicness from beginning to end. I earlier compared it to James Rollins, and it has that action vibe packed with a notion of something just above the surface that’s not quite “normal” or doesn’t fit into our idea of “normal”. As for the Suicide Squad? Well. Let’s just say the bad guys in this book pack a lot of heat....

But I won’t give anything away because this is a MUST read. Whether you love action or dystopian or comic books or plain dark heroes.... Singularity has something for everyone. So get off your high morality horse and Read. It. Now! :)
Profile Image for Joanna Elm.
Author 3 books151 followers
July 21, 2018
Eldon Farrell is a superb storyteller, and in Singularity he has created a superb, fast-paced tale that keeps the twists and turns coming from beginning to end — which is, in fact, the end of only the first book of a promised series. On a personal level, I needed this book for the relief it provided from my regular, steady diet of psychological thrillers and domestic noir which are the genres in which I write. In this sense, Singularity exploded on the page for me, and demonstrated what a fertile imagination can create when unrestricted by the boundaries of more conventional genres.

Initially, the story pits Nathan Miller, a rogue cop against Alexis King, an investigative blogger who is determined to expose the rampant corruption at the highest levels of law enforcement in Union City. She is getting information from someone close to Miller, and his mission to find the “mole” sets him on a dangerous, violent, and single-minded course of action. However, there is an even greater threat looming from what appears to be a medical/technological breakthrough developed by the suspect AmeriGEN corporation.

Farrell has created a world which gives the reader a peek into the not-so-distant-future of 2035. Hence, there are elements with which we, in 2018, are already becoming acquainted. For example, walls separate “upstanding” city dwellers from the “displaced” and “illegals” (and kudos to Farrell for delivering a timely tale without being politically tedious) and embedded identichips track the movement of residents inside the walls (aren’t we only a step away from this with our location-detecting iPhones?) Life is brutal outside city walls, and not that much more comfortable inside them; double-dealing characters abound. This is also a world where a group of scientists appears to be on the verge of creating a master “race” of super villains who possess enhanced senses and physical abilities which aid them in committing murder and creating mayhem.

Singularity combines the genres of dystopian fiction, sci-fi, and weaves in elements of the medical thriller and police procedural genres, with a doff -of -the- cap to the world of comic books. And, then just when you think you’re zeroing in on a futuristic, high-tech evil genius, the reader is spirited away on an action-packed, Indiana Jones -type mission.

Farrell has come a long way since his first novel, Stillness, and he writes with the ease of an author who is becoming surer of his craft with each new creation. Short chapters, realistic dialog — and plenty of it — ensure that the reader will keep turning the pages.

Yes, I had quibbles. For example, while Nathan is a well-drawn anti-hero, he often lapses into being just a simple thug with no redeeming features, putting his cyberkinetic, reconstructed physique to deplorable and gratuitous use; Alexis, is a neatly-crafted female protagonist for the blogging age, but is sometimes unnecessarily reckless for no obvious pay-off; a couple of back stories are presented as long-ish monologues which slow down the narrative, and in what I can only interpret as a Shakespearean homage, the ghost of a victim appears as a device for Nathan’s inner monologues and thought processes. There are also some personal bugbears like sloppy spelling mistakes (waived for waved and alter for altar) which are precisely mistakes made when too much reliance is placed on spellcheckers.

These quibbles would have normally prompted me to make this a four-star read. However Farrell writes as if he is truly enjoying himself, and that enjoyment is infectious. At a certain point, the reader should just abandon himself/herself to the wild and crazy ride which Farrell’s five-star storytelling surely provides.

I was provided with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for S.A. Krishnan.
Author 31 books235 followers
July 15, 2020
Thrilling action packed ride.
Nathan Miller is one of the most complex characters that I have ever read about. He is something of a perfect anti-hero and his cybernetically engineered part makes sure of his powerful feral strength.
The plot was complex and multilayered and totally kept me riveted on the story.
The world building where nothing is what it seems is what I enjoyed the most. The utter chaos all over and how the characters weaved through the situations was enjoyable.
Enjoyed the story.
Profile Image for Rick.
387 reviews12 followers
July 22, 2018
Singularity, a futuristic suspense novel, chronicles the adventures of an unconventional policeman through the decaying streets, of Union City, Virginia. The protagonist Nathan Miller, a tough cop, claims to be cleaning up the streets of the city, but has a hard time staying clean himself. Singularity is the first instalment of a series by Eldon Farrell who also wrote the Descent series of suspense novels.

The story starts with mass murder during a church service. People are gruesomely murdered in the pews without apparently seeing it coming. Nathan Miller, a decorated policeman, quickly sees it as a cover up for a targeted murder and the chase begins. In the meantime, Alexis King begins maligning Miller and maintaining on her influential blog site that Miller is a corrupt policeman and a drug trafficker. Of course, finding out the truth makes the story.

Farrell does a great job of describing the people and the emotions they go through. However, I missed getting more background. Why is there a wall in the city? Why does Miller live on the bad side of the wall while Quinn, his partner lives on the good side? Who is Quinn and where did he come from? How did Miller get to be who he is today? There are many questions that need to be answered in the first book of this series so that we can better follow what comes up next and why.

“How we ever allowed Americans to be refugees in our own land. ... Shameful.”
“Call me sweetheart one more time…”
“You are making my skin crawl being this close to your filth.”
“Keep you heads down, shit’s about to get real.”

There are many one-liners like the above that feel like they come from the script of a B-grade movie. In my opinion most of them are unnecessary and detract from the seriousness of the storyline.

It also struck me as strange that the novel jumped genre from suspense thriller to science fiction near the end. Readers will have to read it to see what I mean.

I recommend this book to people who like suspense novels because Eldon Farrell writes a good story. However, because of the inconsistencies noted above, it is not one of the best I have read, so I give it a 3 on 5.

I want to thank NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
1 review
July 22, 2018
As someone who is not an avid reader, this book grabbed me from the beginning. It has a Marvel Avengers feel with a twist but keeps you reading not stop. The book ends leaving you wanting more! So hopefully there’s a sequel!!!

Nathan Miller is a character you have a love hate relationship with but always has you thinking “damn he’s badass!!”
Profile Image for Maddy.
879 reviews
October 20, 2018
"I was given a free electronic copy of this book by the author, in accordance with the terms of For Love of a Book's Advance Reader Opportunity Program."

First of all - thank you to the author for this book. As much as it might seem otherwise, I actually did enjoy it.

It is a well-known fact that I try to avoid leaving reviews, because I am either too lazy to bother, don't want to sound mean or just don't want to make a mess of it, so bear with me... And be aware of possible spoilers!



Here we go...

I was intrigued by the idea of reading from a corrupt cop's perspective and thought - oh goody, this is a going to be fun! Like Dexter! Almost from the beginning it was clear that this will be a lot more complicated than I thought. It is not only about a corrupt cop, it is also about some serial killer roaming the streets, some DNA experimentation, corruption, politics, murder, romance, some paranormal stuff....You name it, it possibly has it, just look at the shelves I put it into (I am kidding, do not look, or better yet, stop reading this!).
During the story, it started to remind me more and more of Marvel/DC universe and different characters in it - like the journalist Louis Lane, the Flash, infinity stone and some other Avengers references etc. It also reminded me about Aeon Flux with its high walls around the city. I feel a movie marathon in my near future :D
Anyway - I really liked the universe it was set in, since that was a somewhat new angle and it was something different from what I am used to.

When Nathan was introduced I thought - ooooh, evil Robocop with anger issues that gets off on violence and when people fear him. I had certain picture of him by then and I was sooo ready to hate him, because let us be honest here - he deserved some heavy loathing! And then he does something nice, like saving Damien, stating the rules of "no kids selling or using in my city", his interactions with the homeless. And all my notions crumbled. And the worst part? He kept doing it! He did something terrible, then something nice, then terrible, then nice again! How rude of him! It was a nightmare on my mind and emotions! So that is a bit I didn't like. I wished he had kept a steady personality or at least it was clearer which is the "real" Nathan - the one who soaks up fear and suffering, or the one who is just trying to keep his city safe by any means he can. It was too blurred together and I started to get annoyed. And then romance came in. I don't think I have ever said this in my life, but - there is no place for romance here! None! It was so out of place, so awkward. And it didn't help understanding Nathan better, since all it did was show off just another of his "personalities". I didn't like it in the first half of the story and I didn't like it in the last part of the story. Their relationship was too cliche for my liking and ended exactly as I predicted, so it was really out of place. About his other relationships... His partner Quinn. I didn't like him at the beginning because who likes a trembling, scared wuss? But after YOU KNOW WHAT, he actually became sarcastic and mocking and you know, fun. It was really funny listen to him then so that kinda saved this book and somewhat kept my interest throughout the story. At least up until his sarcasm and snide remarks got mean and homicidal. Alexis was a bit flat. She was very driven, true. But I didn't notice anything so special in her character. I mean. For a successful journalist she was a bit too careless, reckless, impulsive and not exactly intelligent enough. I mean I saw the plot twists and revelations coming from a mile away, but she didn't? And that is another thing - the plot gave too much away too early. It was like I noticed the turns and twists a good while before the characters came to it and just had to wait up for them to catch up. And you know what happens when people have to wait? They get bored. And start fidgeting. And get annoyed. So the last 40% of the book were really, really dragging me along. All in all I did enjoy this book as something different, but I cannot say I will continue the series or read it ever again.



Cover - 4
Plot - 3
Heroine - 3
Hero- 3
Romance - 1
Avoiding cliche - 3
Fluency - 3
Ending - 2
-------------
Overall - 2.75
Profile Image for J.B. Richards.
Author 6 books146 followers
April 15, 2020
A Gritty, In-Your-Face, Futuristic Crime Novel!

Overview: The year is 2035 and Nathan, a rogue detective who works outside the law, rules the streets of Union City through fear and intimidation. When an ace blogger leaks incriminating evidence against him, the elite who protect Nathan demand answers. Under siege and at risk of losing everything, he must find the traitor before his entire empire collapses around him. But Nathan’s thirst for vengeance uncovers an evil far worse than him lurking in the forgotten corners of his city, forcing him to choose between stopping the bloodshed and saving his kingdom.

Eldon Farrell’s “Singularity” captures one’s attention from the very first line of Chapter 1. This gritty, in-your-face, futuristic, urban crime novel features Nathan Miller—a hardcore, well-connected, trench-coat-clad, and fearless police detective who turns vigilante after his attempt to save an accident victim’s life went horrifyingly wrong. Now half-human and half-cybernetic, Nathan finds his body healed, but his attitude is dark. Author Farrell demonstrates well his anti-hero’s conflicted inner psyche by forcing him to walk a fine line—working both within and outside the law to mete out his tough, vigilante-style brand of justice while caught between warring crime factions, law enforcement officials, backstabbing stoolies, humans with special abilities, and crooked politicians.

Farrell’s world-building skills are impeccable as he leads readers from the seedy underside of society to the upper echelons of the rich and privileged. The tension and grittiness of this story come through in the curt interplay between Farrell’s characters, the fight-first-and-ask-questions-later mantra running throughout the plotline, and the dynamic descriptions of the actions taken in the down-and-dirty criminal underworld of Union City. Contrast is given to the story by Farrell’s equally determined Alexis King—a crime reporter with a great backstory, a clear sense of what’s right and wrong, and a mean right hook. Her mission to expose Union City’s corruption puts her on a crash course with Nathan Miller that will leave blood dripping from the rafters and heads rolling on the streets.

“Singularity” does contain mature content—sexual situations, graphic violence, and language—that is appropriate for adults only. I highly recommend this futuristic urban crime novel for adults who love dark and graphic reads.
Profile Image for Anna Faversham.
Author 13 books247 followers
August 14, 2018
Written in true thriller style, unconventional (to say the least) cop, Nathan Miller, gets going in the first book of this dystopian action series. He is pitted against Alexis, an investigative blogger. Who is she getting her information from? But there's bigger threats looming. And how! And fear is a potent force.

Realistic dialogue (a euphemism for sometimes gritty, f-filled paragraphs) puts the reader right there on the page with these characters. At times I heard myself whisper 'Brilliant!' as the author used descriptive phrases making me feel I was there. For example 'The anguish of unoiled metal echoed...' I could hear that noise and my teeth were on edge!

I was offered this as an Advance Reader Copy with a request for an honest review. I think this author has evolved into a proficient thriller writer and I think this book deserves a wide readership and it bodes well for the rest of the series.
Profile Image for Myreadbooks.
1,455 reviews26 followers
October 7, 2018
I would like to thank the Netgalley website and Ascendant Ink Publishing for this partnership.

I was immediately attracted to the blanket, you can see Nathan in profile with the city of Union City in his face.

The story takes place in 2035 when Nathan owns the streets of Union-City, except that someone betrayed him and attacked him by threatening his authority. To protect himself, he'll have to silence the traitor. He will discover that beyond the wall this traitor attacks people.

I loved this first volume so captivating and full of suspense and twists and turns. I immediately became hooked on the story and the characters, really looking forward to reading the book two.
Profile Image for Jay Williams.
1,718 reviews33 followers
June 26, 2020
I received a copy of this book from HIdden Gems Books and liked it well enough to write a review. This is the first book in a series, but it does have completed action. The main character is not someone to be admired, yet he represents the best of his world. In this dystopian future, Cailifornia has become a no man's land. and the rest of the country cnsists of walled dities and people living in squalor outside of the walls. Nathan Miller is a bent police detective who is profiting from illegal activities while still trying to do good for the unfortunates living outside he walls. He comes into conflict with people who have been "enhanced" by a special stone. By the end of the book, it is not clear who the stone should be controlled by, yet Nathan has to make some hard choices and kill some folks along the way. I truly enjoy this kind of book where you bhave to keep asking yourself about the main characters. I am look ing forward to the next book in this series.
Profile Image for Contentmo.
184 reviews12 followers
September 21, 2019
Suspenseful and enjoyable!

Excellent novel about a rogue cop in a futuristic setting. This is a page turner that will keep you riveted until the last page. Futuristic elements, corruption, power, greed and murder all weaved together in a story that delivers- I could not put it down. Highly recommend!
25 reviews2 followers
October 7, 2019
Mafia type city politics in near futuristic USA. Detective Nathan Miller straddles a thin line between protecting Union City, Virginia from corruption, greed, deceit and power mongers while digging deep into the underground, himself. Author, Eldon Farrell does a supur job at weaving together this story to create a face paced bombshell read-wtg
11 reviews
March 30, 2020
An enjoyable Ride

Entertaining read. The author keeps you guessing and weaves an interesting tale fraught with corruption, betrayal and megalomania. I look forward to next installment.
Profile Image for Ruth Caves.
477 reviews3 followers
September 4, 2019
Good guys?

Power does not mean good, most of the time it just corrupts. One thing is for sure, the little guys get screwed over.
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