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Departure
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A wild propulsive adventure full of hairpin twists, Departure weaves together power, ambition, fate, memory, and love. The world's past and future rests in the hands of five unwitting strangers. En route to London from New York, Flight 305 suddenly loses power and crash-lands in the English countryside, plunging a group of strangers into a mysterious adventure that will ha
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Kindle Edition, 304 pages
Published
October 20th 2015
by Harper Voyager
(first published December 4th 2014)
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Community Reviews
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Start your review of Departure
Jul 11, 2015
Will Byrnes
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction,
thriller
It seems I’m involved in a conspiracy that spans space and time and a conflict whose outcome will determine humanity’s fate in two separate universes.Oh, is that all? Flight 305 from New York to London runs into a little space-time turbulence and finds itself, or a piece of itself, anyway, in an English lake. Help should be along shortly, right…um, right? The passenger list included five people of interest. Venture capitalist and take charge sort Nick Stone has done nicely in tech and is en ...more
By page 15, I was well and truly sick of Nick fucking Stone.
It didn't get much better from there.
Warning for some slight cursing.
I picked this book up because physics is my jam and I really like stories about a ragtag bunch of people having to learn to rely on each other to survive. (Also the cover is absolutely amazing.)
This is not that book.
This is "I'm going to pretend this book is harder science fiction than it actually is for no reason and also, rather than everyone learning to rely on ...more
It didn't get much better from there.
Warning for some slight cursing.
I picked this book up because physics is my jam and I really like stories about a ragtag bunch of people having to learn to rely on each other to survive. (Also the cover is absolutely amazing.)
This is not that book.
This is "I'm going to pretend this book is harder science fiction than it actually is for no reason and also, rather than everyone learning to rely on ...more
Dear God this man is clever. As a fan of The Origin Mystery, I downloaded this book the second I found out it existed. And Riddle did not disappoint. The plot was fun, the characters interesting and relatable, and in his usual fashion, the science was complex but understandable and realistic. It really does make you think: how does it go from here? Loved every second. Totally recommend.
Four smart stars ★★★★ for Departure-- Five for the first half, three for the second.
This novel started out gangbusters, just like the TV show LOST, with action, drama, tragedy, oh-so-many questions, and people you love to hate. I was angry, hungry, cold, exhausted, scared and infuriated right alongside Nick, Harper, Sabrina and rest of the stranded Flight 305 gang. It was exhilarating and torturous.
The first half flew by. I HAD TO KNOW what was going on, how they were going to get out of their p ...more
This novel started out gangbusters, just like the TV show LOST, with action, drama, tragedy, oh-so-many questions, and people you love to hate. I was angry, hungry, cold, exhausted, scared and infuriated right alongside Nick, Harper, Sabrina and rest of the stranded Flight 305 gang. It was exhilarating and torturous.
The first half flew by. I HAD TO KNOW what was going on, how they were going to get out of their p ...more
Jul 23, 2017
Amina
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
owned-books,
thriller-2017,
read-in-2017,
fantasy,
fiction,
mystery,
thriller,
pleasant-surprise,
science-fiction,
futuristic
I like this book very much! It's exactly my kind of genre, it has everything I want in a book. It's futuristic, adventuristic, it has mystery, opponent sides, a bit of romance (cause love runs the world :p) and a (view spoiler). For me this is what makes this book awesome and enjoyable.
I like Nick but I didn't really like Harper, she's kinda dull, or is it because I don't like people incapable of making a decision, i don't know.
If you're looking for a good summer r ...more
I like Nick but I didn't really like Harper, she's kinda dull, or is it because I don't like people incapable of making a decision, i don't know.
If you're looking for a good summer r ...more
This is the last book I'll read simply because it's "free to members of Amazon Prime" and "rated highly by a bunch of meatheads I don't know".
...more
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/08/06/a...
I was actually first introduced to Departure as an audio title (given how often I browse for interesting new titles to listen to, it was pretty hard to miss how often it popped up on the popular science fiction and fantasy audiobook lists). What I didn’t know, was that the book itself was originally self-published. The news of its success must have caught on though, because I just learned recently too that HarperCollins ...more
I was actually first introduced to Departure as an audio title (given how often I browse for interesting new titles to listen to, it was pretty hard to miss how often it popped up on the popular science fiction and fantasy audiobook lists). What I didn’t know, was that the book itself was originally self-published. The news of its success must have caught on though, because I just learned recently too that HarperCollins ...more
Waste of time. This is what one gets when one throws together a bunch of elements and stirs in tepid water. It’s a bland indigestible and unlikeable paste. The writing just seemed to lack fire and urgency…even the action scenes were bland. The characters are not likeable and all are sellouts to one degree or another. I just didn’t care what happened to the main characters or the world they’re in. This one isn’t worth your time even as a freebie.
With over a million copies sold and about 85% of reviewers giving this 4 to 5 stars, I was expecting something much better. At the minimum, I was hoping for a mindless page-turner for the masses. The book did start out as a page-turner, but I'm surprised the masses gave it such high marks in the end. Did they turn off their brains when the got about halfway through and decide to just accept whatever the author threw at them? Sometimes I can do that, but it's harder to do so when reading with a g
...more
Oct 12, 2015
Kelly (Diva Booknerd)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
harper-voyager
A mixture of an apocalyptic science fiction, it was engaging, enthralling and breathtaking. It follows dual narratives in Harper and Nick. Both young, vibrant but with Nick being less inclined to share the personal aspects of his life prior to boarding. Harper is a young, aspiring author who is contemplating the direction her career is taking. Their attraction is undeniable, and along with Sabrina who is now posing as a medic for injured victims, Grayson who is little more than a drunken wealthy
...more
Mar 24, 2020
L A i N E Y
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
one-sitting-one-day,
mystery-thriller-crime
This soooo reminded me of the time when reading Dan Brown was fun for me. That was quite a while ago. Oh how time has passed...
Like an action flick in theatre - you go in, semi-shutting off your brain, ready to be “entertained” and that’s it. And you won’t be disappointed that it’s light on all fronts. Hey but it’s quick!
Like an action flick in theatre - you go in, semi-shutting off your brain, ready to be “entertained” and that’s it. And you won’t be disappointed that it’s light on all fronts. Hey but it’s quick!
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Feb 22, 2015
Lectus
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
abandoned,
i-want-my-money-back
How can a book start so good and then turn into total crap?
I got a free sample first, and it was so good that I bought it. The beginning reminded me of the tv show Lost. But then something happened. I feel cheated. This seems to be two different books put together thanks to technology!
As soon as the main characters discover they are in the future, the story becomes a bunch of explanations about time travel and some conspiracy.
Did I really need all the quantum crap about time traveling? Nope.
Ser ...more
I got a free sample first, and it was so good that I bought it. The beginning reminded me of the tv show Lost. But then something happened. I feel cheated. This seems to be two different books put together thanks to technology!
As soon as the main characters discover they are in the future, the story becomes a bunch of explanations about time travel and some conspiracy.
Did I really need all the quantum crap about time traveling? Nope.
Ser ...more
I loved the beginning of this book. Then I think it got a bit silly & confusing at the end. It could be I was tired when I was reading the last third. Had a lot of work on with my own novels. Can't tell you the last time I watched TV. So I would have given it a 3 but have given it a 4 because it could be me.
I listened on Audible to A.J. Riddles' first book & didn't love the writing. The Atlantis Gene was a huge hit though for this indie author. So who am I to judge.
This book is with a publisher ...more
I listened on Audible to A.J. Riddles' first book & didn't love the writing. The Atlantis Gene was a huge hit though for this indie author. So who am I to judge.
This book is with a publisher ...more
Meh. That is how I would describe this book. It's not poorly written, it's just not at all compelling. When it started, all I could think of was that someone had written a book about Lost. As in, I've seen this before. At least it did branch out into a different direction, but if you're going to play with time travel, go the distance. Instead we get a chapter of 'ooh, I know quantum physics and now I'm going to make you all read about what I know about quantum physics,' even though the actual ph
...more
This was nothing like I expected! To tell the truth, I didn't know what to expect when I started it but what I got was an amazing experience.
I'm not going to get into the plot in case I inadvertently spoil something so I'll just get right into what I thought.
Harper is such an amazing Heroine. I loved that she was a writer!! Flight 305 is her first time in first class, which is where she meets Nick. I loved her voice and her thoughts. Despite being terrified when the crash happens, she still do ...more
I'm not going to get into the plot in case I inadvertently spoil something so I'll just get right into what I thought.
Harper is such an amazing Heroine. I loved that she was a writer!! Flight 305 is her first time in first class, which is where she meets Nick. I loved her voice and her thoughts. Despite being terrified when the crash happens, she still do ...more
I enjoyed this book.
Harper and Nick are two strangers who find themselves in a plane crash. The plane ends up in the English countryside in the future, and so begins the saga of discovering how they got there, why they were all on the plane, and WHO did this to them...
I enjoyed the plot however I found the writing to be a bit disjointed. On more than one occasion the author would refer to events or discussions that took place in the story, but were not actually explored in the book. It wasn't ba ...more
Harper and Nick are two strangers who find themselves in a plane crash. The plane ends up in the English countryside in the future, and so begins the saga of discovering how they got there, why they were all on the plane, and WHO did this to them...
I enjoyed the plot however I found the writing to be a bit disjointed. On more than one occasion the author would refer to events or discussions that took place in the story, but were not actually explored in the book. It wasn't ba ...more
This is a cautionary tale in trusting stellar Amazon reviews. It's a competent but generally mediocre sci-fi story. Relies too much on artificial suspense ("There's no time to explain"). Characters are flat as cardboard. Pages and pages of tedious "let me explain the mystery" monologues. Cheeseball ending.
...more
This was not what I expected. I'm not sure what I did expect - but time travel wasn't it.
Regardless, this was a good adventure, albeit a bit "villain wants to take over the world" -ish. The idea of warring factions was a good one; I just wish the reasons for it were a little more complex.
The romance was on the lighter side and the last 10% was nice; the ending was very appropriate and wrapped things up well without being too neat.
On audio, the narration by Nicola Barber and Scott Aiello was ve ...more
Regardless, this was a good adventure, albeit a bit "villain wants to take over the world" -ish. The idea of warring factions was a good one; I just wish the reasons for it were a little more complex.
The romance was on the lighter side and the last 10% was nice; the ending was very appropriate and wrapped things up well without being too neat.
On audio, the narration by Nicola Barber and Scott Aiello was ve ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
A book written in present tense will almost always get a default of one star from me because I utterly despise it when books are written in present tense. In the vast majority of cases, a book written in present tense is a book that is utterly unreadable to me because it pisses me off and annoys me far too much. It's a constant irritant while I'm trying to relax and enjoy a story. F that noise. F it long, and F it hard.
Hurray for refunds, I'm taking my money back from this author, anyone that wr ...more
Hurray for refunds, I'm taking my money back from this author, anyone that wr ...more
Sep 27, 2019
Marty Fried
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
sci-fi,
audiobooks
Another book involving quantum leaps and time travel - if you don't like these types of books, you might want to skip this. Personally, I like them, even though I think much of it is too far-fetched to be possible. This one was lots of fun, and of course, confusing at times. But it including a dystopian future, and even some romance, so what's not to like?
It also includes a lesson that makes a lot of sense; using technology to improve life won't necessarily work because people need to improve. O ...more
It also includes a lesson that makes a lot of sense; using technology to improve life won't necessarily work because people need to improve. O ...more
Borrowed from library:
A routine flight that gets hijacked to the future and crashes...
A fight for survival against nature and unknown "others"...
"Titans " who research has granted immortality...
Is time travel a possibility?
Read this to draw your own conclusions.... ...more
A routine flight that gets hijacked to the future and crashes...
A fight for survival against nature and unknown "others"...
"Titans " who research has granted immortality...
Is time travel a possibility?
Read this to draw your own conclusions.... ...more
Once loaded on my Kindle could not put it down! Not stop suspense and intrigue!
DISCLAIMER: I borrowed this book from the kindle library. Not so much by mistake, but because it was a feature I wanted to try out. Good choice for a reading selection.
This book, to me, is like Back to the Future meets LOST.
[Twice this week, I've needed that BTTF2 pic here]
In the beginning it was chaos. Action, event, action, event, person, person, event, what the heck was that?, person, event...
Told from the alternating POVs of Harper Lane, a British author, and Nick Stone, an investor in the ...more
This book, to me, is like Back to the Future meets LOST.
[Twice this week, I've needed that BTTF2 pic here]
In the beginning it was chaos. Action, event, action, event, person, person, event, what the heck was that?, person, event...
Told from the alternating POVs of Harper Lane, a British author, and Nick Stone, an investor in the ...more
The story starts out as a typical airplane disaster, but soon the reader finds out that things are not what they seem. The plane load of survivors have been whisked into the future and some face themselves, as they are in the future, only things are not the same. The world has changed and only five people can change it back. Some pretty cool assumptions and elements to the plot, including draining the mediterranean sea. The book is a good read.
The idea of this book was great. The characters and their interactions were hokey, but sometimes, that's okay. The metanarrative, "look at me, I'm a writer" elements of this book were almost unbearable. I wish I had read this one instead of listened to it so I could've skipped every chapter where Harper explained her writing process.
...more
A truly great novel you must read
Good novels, like movies, are amazing things; their design and purpose are solely to entertain, to transport, to allow you (the reader) to play in a new world, one that you wouldn't have imagined on your own before. Great novels, however, leave you after words longing for more. Great novels make you feel more intelligent about a subject. But, even these are just the side benefits. Great novels coax out from you a full range of emotions; sad or happy, anxious or r ...more
Good novels, like movies, are amazing things; their design and purpose are solely to entertain, to transport, to allow you (the reader) to play in a new world, one that you wouldn't have imagined on your own before. Great novels, however, leave you after words longing for more. Great novels make you feel more intelligent about a subject. But, even these are just the side benefits. Great novels coax out from you a full range of emotions; sad or happy, anxious or r ...more
I normally read what is called military science fiction whenever I read in the genre, but the blurb I read on this book sounded intriguing. A.G. Riddle’s “Departure” managed to grab my attention immediately. The story is about an airliner flight that took off in 2014 but crashed in a very different time and place. While some of the concepts the author introduces seems a bit difficult but his way of explaining them make it understandable.
The book makes the reader do some thinking. Should we str ...more
The book makes the reader do some thinking. Should we str ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time Travel: DEPARTURE: November 2015 | 58 | 69 | Nov 29, 2015 08:26AM |
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A.G. Riddle spent ten years starting internet companies before retiring to pursue his true passion: writing fiction.
His debut novel, The Atlantis Gene, is the first book in The Origin Mystery, the trilogy that has sold a million copies in the US, is being translated into 19 languages, and is in development at CBS Films to be a major motion picture. The trilogy will be in bookstores (in hardcover a ...more
His debut novel, The Atlantis Gene, is the first book in The Origin Mystery, the trilogy that has sold a million copies in the US, is being translated into 19 languages, and is in development at CBS Films to be a major motion picture. The trilogy will be in bookstores (in hardcover a ...more
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