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Colony Mars Boxset
All contact is lost with the first privately funded colony on Mars during a long and destructive sandstorm. Satellite imagery of the aftermath shows extensive damage to the facility and the fifty-four colonists who called it home are presumed dead. Three years later, a new mission sets down on the planet surface to investigate what remains of the derelict site.
It’s not long before, mission biologist, Dr. Jann Malbec, discovers the truth about how the colony was funded — by conducting illegal genetic experiments using the unsuspecting colonists as guinea pigs. She also realizes that while extraordinary breakthroughs were made, they came with a terrible human price.
Nevertheless, once news of these experiments makes it back to Earth, powerful corporations begin to fight for control of this research, and start to send new missions to acquire it — by force if necessary.
But Malbec fears that allowing this research to return to Earth has the potential to doom humanity to a pandemic of apocalyptic proportions. So she vows to do everything she can to prevent this from happening — even if it means destroying what remains of the colony and any chance she has of returning home.
This box set contains all five Colony Mars novels plus an exclusive short story:
- Colony One Mars
- Colony Two Mars
- Colony Three Mars
- Colony Four Mars: Jezero City
- Colony Five Mars : Surface Tension
… and a brand new exclusive 8k word short story:
Gizmo Origin (only available in this edition)
It’s not long before, mission biologist, Dr. Jann Malbec, discovers the truth about how the colony was funded — by conducting illegal genetic experiments using the unsuspecting colonists as guinea pigs. She also realizes that while extraordinary breakthroughs were made, they came with a terrible human price.
Nevertheless, once news of these experiments makes it back to Earth, powerful corporations begin to fight for control of this research, and start to send new missions to acquire it — by force if necessary.
But Malbec fears that allowing this research to return to Earth has the potential to doom humanity to a pandemic of apocalyptic proportions. So she vows to do everything she can to prevent this from happening — even if it means destroying what remains of the colony and any chance she has of returning home.
This box set contains all five Colony Mars novels plus an exclusive short story:
- Colony One Mars
- Colony Two Mars
- Colony Three Mars
- Colony Four Mars: Jezero City
- Colony Five Mars : Surface Tension
… and a brand new exclusive 8k word short story:
Gizmo Origin (only available in this edition)
1040 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 8, 2019
1529 people are currently reading
413 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
July 2, 2022
This five-book set starts out with some strength, but dwindles as it progresses. It’s the story of an attempt to colonize Mars so that an unethical billionaire can try and find the secret to immortality by experimenting on people. Naturally, everything goes wrong, setting up the events of the first three stories. The last two stories are murder mysteries set ten years after book three. All of the stories are entertaining, but they also all suffer from a serious flaw. Each plot depends on people being really stupid at some point in the tale so that they don’t take actions that would have either ended the story quickly or turned it in another direction. That’s unfortunate, because I think that if Kilby had had faith in his characters and let their realistic actions take the stories where the plots needed to go, this would have been a truly great series.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
January 6, 2020
Started Strong
I thoroughly enjoyed book one. Then I was lost in the never-ending cascade of subterfuge and conspiracy. I also had difficulty with the vague passing of time - events happened continually with no discernable break and that's just exhausting.
I thoroughly enjoyed book one. Then I was lost in the never-ending cascade of subterfuge and conspiracy. I also had difficulty with the vague passing of time - events happened continually with no discernable break and that's just exhausting.
December 17, 2019
An exciting series
The series was entertaining and action packed, as it described the colonization of Mars, and the very real human factors that could have destroyed it. The books saw the natural progression of the development, but did not make the mistake of other series in that only one character could save the colony, and the passing of the baton from Jann to Mia was great.
The series was entertaining and action packed, as it described the colonization of Mars, and the very real human factors that could have destroyed it. The books saw the natural progression of the development, but did not make the mistake of other series in that only one character could save the colony, and the passing of the baton from Jann to Mia was great.
December 6, 2019
Good, lots of science. I got tired of the bad-guy corporation story line.
January 6, 2020
Foreword: this collection of 5 Colony Mars novels is structured this way: books 1-3 are a seamless trilogy, it is actually one single book of around 600 pages of Kindle edition; none of these three books can be seen as a stand alone. There are then two additional novels of around 200 pages each which are ancillary, stand alone adds-on to the trilogy. Offered at €0,99 by Kindle, the 5 books collection is good value for money.
I am reviewing here the trilogy only, along the three classic pillars of science fiction novels.
PLOT: despite its mammoth length, the Colony Mars trilogy is quite readable. It is any easy read because it is light, light not only on science but on science fiction altogether; actually the novel is more a mystery than a real sci-fi story. The mystery is about genetic experimentation and the fact that it happens to take place on Mars becomes almost secondary. I would have expected that life on Mars, the life of the pioneers who started to colonise the red planet, should provide enough, pure sci-fi adventure to the plot. Adding conspiracies, revolutions, hand-fights, shootings, military confrontations and all this kind of very earthly action simply detracts from the focus of a genuine sci-fi story. There's also this: in order to get around some serious plausibility issues, the author conveniently introduces a droid which fixes any problem the colonists cannot overcome with their own resources; an electronic "deus ex machina" on Mars cutting corners as required....
WORLD BUILDING: as said above, the start of the colonisation of planet Mars should provide an infinite inspiration for compelling, evocative and epic world building. But being Colony Mars a plot driven book, it does a mediocre job on this; there are some descriptions of the red planet but they are never central, they just provide the backdrop to the main action.
I don't like to compare books, but in this case it becomes almost inevitable as the Colony Mars trilogy is almost the clone (no pun intended) of a classic of the genre, the Red/Green/Blue Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson.
The strength of KSR's trilogy is the deep analysis it offers of the social, psychological, anthropological and environmental implications of what it means to set up a human society from scratch on a very remote and hostile environment like Mars; these aspects are almost completely lost in Colony Mars, which rather focusses on action. Also, KSR's books take the reader through an incredibly fascinating journey across several regions of the red planet, while Colony Mars keeps its reader in the claustrophobic environment on a single location throughout the entire story.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: not surprisingly, this is virtually inexistent; characters exist solely to deliver the action they are supposed to deliver according to the plot. The complex inner motives, psychological dilemmas, moral troubles are just superficially sketched but never really investigated in depth.
In summary, a decent, easy beach read; if someone is ready to sacrifice some readability in favour of a more involving depiction of the colonisation of Mars, I'd recommend the Red/Green/Blue Mars trilogy.
I am reviewing here the trilogy only, along the three classic pillars of science fiction novels.
PLOT: despite its mammoth length, the Colony Mars trilogy is quite readable. It is any easy read because it is light, light not only on science but on science fiction altogether; actually the novel is more a mystery than a real sci-fi story. The mystery is about genetic experimentation and the fact that it happens to take place on Mars becomes almost secondary. I would have expected that life on Mars, the life of the pioneers who started to colonise the red planet, should provide enough, pure sci-fi adventure to the plot. Adding conspiracies, revolutions, hand-fights, shootings, military confrontations and all this kind of very earthly action simply detracts from the focus of a genuine sci-fi story. There's also this: in order to get around some serious plausibility issues, the author conveniently introduces a droid which fixes any problem the colonists cannot overcome with their own resources; an electronic "deus ex machina" on Mars cutting corners as required....
WORLD BUILDING: as said above, the start of the colonisation of planet Mars should provide an infinite inspiration for compelling, evocative and epic world building. But being Colony Mars a plot driven book, it does a mediocre job on this; there are some descriptions of the red planet but they are never central, they just provide the backdrop to the main action.
I don't like to compare books, but in this case it becomes almost inevitable as the Colony Mars trilogy is almost the clone (no pun intended) of a classic of the genre, the Red/Green/Blue Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson.
The strength of KSR's trilogy is the deep analysis it offers of the social, psychological, anthropological and environmental implications of what it means to set up a human society from scratch on a very remote and hostile environment like Mars; these aspects are almost completely lost in Colony Mars, which rather focusses on action. Also, KSR's books take the reader through an incredibly fascinating journey across several regions of the red planet, while Colony Mars keeps its reader in the claustrophobic environment on a single location throughout the entire story.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: not surprisingly, this is virtually inexistent; characters exist solely to deliver the action they are supposed to deliver according to the plot. The complex inner motives, psychological dilemmas, moral troubles are just superficially sketched but never really investigated in depth.
In summary, a decent, easy beach read; if someone is ready to sacrifice some readability in favour of a more involving depiction of the colonisation of Mars, I'd recommend the Red/Green/Blue Mars trilogy.
December 15, 2019
What a happy find this book was! I got this ultimate edition with all five books of the Colony Mars series on Amazon Kindle, and devoured all five in a week. Well written and engaging with good plot and pacing.
The first three books are a trilogy about the establishment of the first human colony on Mars and the consequences for the colonists when corporations and Earth governments all want to claim their share of the pie, totally disregarding the new Martians. The intense dust storms on Mars that can last for months, even years, also play a decisive role for the colony.
Dr Jann Malbeck, a biologist, is the main protagonist and she is an excellent one. Her semi-sentient robot sidekick, Gizmo, is a delight, and the villains are well-drawn and not too one dimensional. The science is good and mostly solid, and the whole trilogy raises questions about morality, ethics and the future of humanity.
The fourth and fifth books are set years later, and feature Earth detective Mia Sorelli who has come to Mars to escape her past, and then gets drawn into nefarious plots. Gizmo features again as Mia's sidekick now, and is as charming as ever. Mia is not quite as awesome a protagonist as Jann was, but she is still great and feels a bit more human than the brilliant Jann.
The fifth book also features a terrible planet-wide dust storm that lasts for more than a year, and has a profound effect on the colony. These two books can be read as stand alone novels.
Definitely recommend this to any scifi fans!
The first three books are a trilogy about the establishment of the first human colony on Mars and the consequences for the colonists when corporations and Earth governments all want to claim their share of the pie, totally disregarding the new Martians. The intense dust storms on Mars that can last for months, even years, also play a decisive role for the colony.
Dr Jann Malbeck, a biologist, is the main protagonist and she is an excellent one. Her semi-sentient robot sidekick, Gizmo, is a delight, and the villains are well-drawn and not too one dimensional. The science is good and mostly solid, and the whole trilogy raises questions about morality, ethics and the future of humanity.
The fourth and fifth books are set years later, and feature Earth detective Mia Sorelli who has come to Mars to escape her past, and then gets drawn into nefarious plots. Gizmo features again as Mia's sidekick now, and is as charming as ever. Mia is not quite as awesome a protagonist as Jann was, but she is still great and feels a bit more human than the brilliant Jann.
The fifth book also features a terrible planet-wide dust storm that lasts for more than a year, and has a profound effect on the colony. These two books can be read as stand alone novels.
Definitely recommend this to any scifi fans!
February 11, 2020
Phew, I finally finished this book. It started out intriguing and I thought the main character Dr. Jann Malbec was just an unpredictable mess, which always makes for good reading.
I've always liked reading/ watching shows about colonisation on Mars so I got into this book with glee and was hooked and sped through the books easily. One thing I give the author credit for is that the science described in the book seemed credible, yet at the same time, it doesn't sound TOO technical, which could also turn any reader off.
I have to say though that Books 1 - 3 are totally different from Books 4 - 5. Books 1 - 3 focused mainly on Dr. Jann and Nils, one of the original colonists, while Books 4 - 5 featured a newcomer to the books, Mia Sorelli, a reluctant cop. Dr. Jann and Nils made a brief appearance in Book 4 but they were hardly mentioned in Book 5, which was sad because I wanted to know what happened to them! Did they die? Are they retired? But nope, no news about the characters who drove the storyline in the first three books.
The only character that persisted throughout all 5 books is Gizmo, the very funny sentient robot. I appreciated that at the end of Book 5, there was a bonus few chapters that detailed how Gizmo came about, which absolutely made up for the disappointment of Books 4 & 5.
I doubt I'll re-read this book, though I sort of can't wait to see it on screen since it's been optioned as a TV series.
I've always liked reading/ watching shows about colonisation on Mars so I got into this book with glee and was hooked and sped through the books easily. One thing I give the author credit for is that the science described in the book seemed credible, yet at the same time, it doesn't sound TOO technical, which could also turn any reader off.
I have to say though that Books 1 - 3 are totally different from Books 4 - 5. Books 1 - 3 focused mainly on Dr. Jann and Nils, one of the original colonists, while Books 4 - 5 featured a newcomer to the books, Mia Sorelli, a reluctant cop. Dr. Jann and Nils made a brief appearance in Book 4 but they were hardly mentioned in Book 5, which was sad because I wanted to know what happened to them! Did they die? Are they retired? But nope, no news about the characters who drove the storyline in the first three books.
The only character that persisted throughout all 5 books is Gizmo, the very funny sentient robot. I appreciated that at the end of Book 5, there was a bonus few chapters that detailed how Gizmo came about, which absolutely made up for the disappointment of Books 4 & 5.
I doubt I'll re-read this book, though I sort of can't wait to see it on screen since it's been optioned as a TV series.
August 8, 2020
This book is a collection of the first five books in the series Colony Mars, plus a short story, about establishing a human presence on Mars.
1. Colony One Mars: tells the story of a mission to Mars to find out what happened to the first colony. What started as a routine mission turns into a battle for survival. 4 stars.
2. Colony Two Mars: the survivors of the original colony created clones. But then they created hybrids and ruled autocratically with a hierarchical society. 4 stars.
3. Colony Three Mars: Two missions land on Mars, both with the aim of obtaining the secret of the infectious agent that confers youth. Conflict ensues inevitably. 4 stars.
4. Colony Four Mars: Jezero City: Dr Jann Malbec and Mia Sorelli investigate the death of a colonist. They uncover a plot to destroy Jezero City and all of the colonists. 4 stars.
5. Colony Five Mars: Surface Tension: Major Mia Sorelli of the Martian Law and Order Department battles a nefarious organisation intent on taking control of Mars. 4 stars.
6. Gizmo Origin: A short story describing the origin of the robot/droid Gizmo. 4 stars.
Each story pits humans against one another for the future of the first human colony on Mars. I found all of these stories entertaining and believable. I gave the collection 4 stars.
1. Colony One Mars: tells the story of a mission to Mars to find out what happened to the first colony. What started as a routine mission turns into a battle for survival. 4 stars.
2. Colony Two Mars: the survivors of the original colony created clones. But then they created hybrids and ruled autocratically with a hierarchical society. 4 stars.
3. Colony Three Mars: Two missions land on Mars, both with the aim of obtaining the secret of the infectious agent that confers youth. Conflict ensues inevitably. 4 stars.
4. Colony Four Mars: Jezero City: Dr Jann Malbec and Mia Sorelli investigate the death of a colonist. They uncover a plot to destroy Jezero City and all of the colonists. 4 stars.
5. Colony Five Mars: Surface Tension: Major Mia Sorelli of the Martian Law and Order Department battles a nefarious organisation intent on taking control of Mars. 4 stars.
6. Gizmo Origin: A short story describing the origin of the robot/droid Gizmo. 4 stars.
Each story pits humans against one another for the future of the first human colony on Mars. I found all of these stories entertaining and believable. I gave the collection 4 stars.
July 31, 2023
An Amusing, Intriguing, Compelling, 5 Volume Boxset of Science Fiction Mystery Thrillers
This is my first experience with Author Gerald M. Miley and I have to say that he is an amazing writer. So many books written about mysteries or thrillers on Mars seem to go for the macabre monsters and grizzly storylines. But these books all have central characters who have real lives and personalities that are relatable and interesting. The plots, though based on Mars, are maybe a bit far fetched ( they DO take place on Mars, after all) but don't seem fantastical. When I started reading I noticed the page/location count and was a bit discouraged. But just a few pages in and I was hooked! Dr. Bank Malbec was a bumbling biologist who couldn't get herself into the safety of the biodome that would mean survival without stumbling and falling. Yet, by the end of book three she has been near death three times and saved the Mars Colony more than once. And she's still not finished! In books four and five things get really hairy, but don't involve Dr. Malbec, directly. But you'll definitely fall in love with her before you finish book one. I think this would make an interesting sci-fi miniseries, if they do those any more.
This is my first experience with Author Gerald M. Miley and I have to say that he is an amazing writer. So many books written about mysteries or thrillers on Mars seem to go for the macabre monsters and grizzly storylines. But these books all have central characters who have real lives and personalities that are relatable and interesting. The plots, though based on Mars, are maybe a bit far fetched ( they DO take place on Mars, after all) but don't seem fantastical. When I started reading I noticed the page/location count and was a bit discouraged. But just a few pages in and I was hooked! Dr. Bank Malbec was a bumbling biologist who couldn't get herself into the safety of the biodome that would mean survival without stumbling and falling. Yet, by the end of book three she has been near death three times and saved the Mars Colony more than once. And she's still not finished! In books four and five things get really hairy, but don't involve Dr. Malbec, directly. But you'll definitely fall in love with her before you finish book one. I think this would make an interesting sci-fi miniseries, if they do those any more.
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April 3, 2020Free Set of Books Rewarded Me Greatly
What I liked: I am not a regular reader of science fiction, but I took advantage of a free book offer and downloaded it to my Kindle. Mr. Kirby hooked me immediately and never let go. I read the entire five-book series in a week. It was exciting and entertaining. The characters were well-developed; I came to love several of them and despised a few. When he wrote about the technical stuff, I understood. But he didn't drone on and on with his explanations, which is one thing that too many sci-fi writers do. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and will probably seek other books by Mr. Kilby.
What I disliked: It was poorly edited. Too many typos for my liking. I suspect the book was given a cursory "once over" with a spellcheck program, and that was that. All the errors I found could have been caught by a human editor but weren't caught by technology. Mr. Kilby, I am seeking to get into the editing business; let's talk.
What I liked: I am not a regular reader of science fiction, but I took advantage of a free book offer and downloaded it to my Kindle. Mr. Kirby hooked me immediately and never let go. I read the entire five-book series in a week. It was exciting and entertaining. The characters were well-developed; I came to love several of them and despised a few. When he wrote about the technical stuff, I understood. But he didn't drone on and on with his explanations, which is one thing that too many sci-fi writers do. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and will probably seek other books by Mr. Kilby.
What I disliked: It was poorly edited. Too many typos for my liking. I suspect the book was given a cursory "once over" with a spellcheck program, and that was that. All the errors I found could have been caught by a human editor but weren't caught by technology. Mr. Kilby, I am seeking to get into the editing business; let's talk.
February 12, 2020
Just finished Books 1-5 of GM Kilby's Colony Mars and enjoyed every page. Jan Malbec and Mia Sorelli pulled the theme along at a good pace - particularly Mia who had to wrestle not only with the conditions Mars surface presented but ultimately the expansion of Private Company Conglomerates that had sunk a lot of money into Mars's commercial development - and wanted their pound of flesh. I loved the Gizmo droid and it reminded me of Lost in Space - Danger! Danger! Will Robinson! The one area I had difficulty with was the 'continuity' aspect given that the development of the Colonies and the populations of each would have taken many many decades to achieve the time frame between Jan Malbec and Mia Sorelli could never have co-existed. A small point with me that I put down to the allowance of the Authors 'poetic licence'.
February 15, 2020
A real gem of a Mars sci fi compilation
Really good storyline of trying to colonize Mars & the potential pitfalls of human behavior, governance & corporate nepotism.
The first 3 books evolve around the protagonist Dr Malbec who evolves into the heroine & establishes independence from Earth in a constant fight for survival w/ a ragtag group of colonists. The small roving AI that was invaluable to her in her quest was
darling (reminded me of R2D2 in SW)
The next 2 books in the series Dr Malbec now a respected politician w/ issues of an ever growing Mars colony brings a second protagonist Mia Sorelli (an ex detective from Earth) who tries to untangle ongoing issues w/ corporate crazies vying for control or try to eradicate the established colony.
Twist & turns that keep you guessing & entertained!
Highly recommend
Really good storyline of trying to colonize Mars & the potential pitfalls of human behavior, governance & corporate nepotism.
The first 3 books evolve around the protagonist Dr Malbec who evolves into the heroine & establishes independence from Earth in a constant fight for survival w/ a ragtag group of colonists. The small roving AI that was invaluable to her in her quest was
darling (reminded me of R2D2 in SW)
The next 2 books in the series Dr Malbec now a respected politician w/ issues of an ever growing Mars colony brings a second protagonist Mia Sorelli (an ex detective from Earth) who tries to untangle ongoing issues w/ corporate crazies vying for control or try to eradicate the established colony.
Twist & turns that keep you guessing & entertained!
Highly recommend
January 22, 2021
Want that 1/2 star more to make this a 5-star book.
I read the first 2-3 of the books, then recently came back to knock off 4 and 5. I rarely read so many of a series so close together.
Mr. Kilby seems to really know Mars. Everything I have ever seen or heard in more documentary style matches up perfectly. I love his structuring the Martian society over time, building logically and interestingly. Yeah, that's how it'll be when humans do get to Mars and start building a civilization of Martians from earth-born stock.
Yeah, I'd read a book 6. Could Mia forget about returning to earth, please? Mars clearly needs some tough law enforcement and she's the woman for the job. Also, wake up Gizmo again. Mia needs it.
I read the first 2-3 of the books, then recently came back to knock off 4 and 5. I rarely read so many of a series so close together.
Mr. Kilby seems to really know Mars. Everything I have ever seen or heard in more documentary style matches up perfectly. I love his structuring the Martian society over time, building logically and interestingly. Yeah, that's how it'll be when humans do get to Mars and start building a civilization of Martians from earth-born stock.
Yeah, I'd read a book 6. Could Mia forget about returning to earth, please? Mars clearly needs some tough law enforcement and she's the woman for the job. Also, wake up Gizmo again. Mia needs it.
January 23, 2020
Colony Mars is a great read
The 5 part Colony Mars series is a great read with many plot twists. The heroines, Jan Malbec and Mia Sorelli, face many enemies and several no win scenarios that must be defeated / survived and the author makes each a can’t put the book down event. The other hero is Gizmo that saves both Jan and Mia several times during this series and is key to defeating the bad guys on many occasions. The story is about the colonization of Mars so there are some light technology parts but these are just to help you understand the challenges to humans living in an environment with no breathable air and freezing temperatures. I hope you enjoy the series.
The 5 part Colony Mars series is a great read with many plot twists. The heroines, Jan Malbec and Mia Sorelli, face many enemies and several no win scenarios that must be defeated / survived and the author makes each a can’t put the book down event. The other hero is Gizmo that saves both Jan and Mia several times during this series and is key to defeating the bad guys on many occasions. The story is about the colonization of Mars so there are some light technology parts but these are just to help you understand the challenges to humans living in an environment with no breathable air and freezing temperatures. I hope you enjoy the series.
March 18, 2020
Just finished bingeing all 5 books. I enjoy stories with strong female leads in general. But the 2 main female leads bothered me. Kilby dosent have a clue how to write a woman character. If you did a search and replace - changing Jann to Jim, the story would work fine and no one would even notice. Putting this aside, the story moves along nicely and contains mostly credible science. And the "Gizmo" droid really carries the narrative at times. What a great droid, I enjoyed it's story arc, even when it became predictable. Overall a good read if you have low expectations for character writing.
April 30, 2020
This is actually a five book series all in one book on Kindle. The first three books kept a thread going as to plot and characters which was engaging and interesting to me. The fourth book introduced a new plot from what seemed like nowhere and added new characters to carry it out, leaving the originals out almost completely.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first three books and would have liked to have seen the story continue in the same line, or at least with the main characters still included. Instead a new main character was introduced.
I was not crazy about the new character or the new plot and decided not to read the last two books in the series.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first three books and would have liked to have seen the story continue in the same line, or at least with the main characters still included. Instead a new main character was introduced.
I was not crazy about the new character or the new plot and decided not to read the last two books in the series.
December 10, 2019
Not bad
I almost abandoned this series about a third of the way into the first book; it seemed to be another hackneyed European tome about evil corporations and beneficent governments. But I kept reading, and ended up reading all 5 books sequentially.
The science is good, not relying upon speculation approaching “magic”. The action is almost constant, approaching tedious at times (a lot of characters appearing to die, then being miraculously resurrected).
I look forward to more from this author.
I almost abandoned this series about a third of the way into the first book; it seemed to be another hackneyed European tome about evil corporations and beneficent governments. But I kept reading, and ended up reading all 5 books sequentially.
The science is good, not relying upon speculation approaching “magic”. The action is almost constant, approaching tedious at times (a lot of characters appearing to die, then being miraculously resurrected).
I look forward to more from this author.
December 1, 2022
Excellent reading
A good interesting and appealing story line telling the colonisation of Mars it's initial problems to overcome deseases and general problems involved in settling in New world's through its final stages of building a settlement and the basics in government and law and order: to the influx of industry to utilise the planet's wealth and finally to the overcoming of take over attempts and the right for independence. Story line excellent; characters excellent all in all a book well worth the time to read and comes highly recommended by me.
A good interesting and appealing story line telling the colonisation of Mars it's initial problems to overcome deseases and general problems involved in settling in New world's through its final stages of building a settlement and the basics in government and law and order: to the influx of industry to utilise the planet's wealth and finally to the overcoming of take over attempts and the right for independence. Story line excellent; characters excellent all in all a book well worth the time to read and comes highly recommended by me.
December 25, 2019
Very enjoyable read
I especially liked the first few books detailing the colonization of Mars. It felt very real & intense as difficulties arose while the colonists were just trying to survive. Loved Gizmo! He really added life to the story. I thought he got a bum rap in the end so hope he can be reactivated in another book. Really like the detailing of his creation. I want a Gizmo!
I especially liked the first few books detailing the colonization of Mars. It felt very real & intense as difficulties arose while the colonists were just trying to survive. Loved Gizmo! He really added life to the story. I thought he got a bum rap in the end so hope he can be reactivated in another book. Really like the detailing of his creation. I want a Gizmo!
January 6, 2020
Fun read
Fun to read but enough real science to seem real. Like all other Mars authors the gravity question is ignored. (Can humans live in 38% gravity over a year or more without debilitating effects? Literally, no one knows and NASA has never even tried to find out.) Gizmo is the star of all five books, and a lovable robot, I wish I could buy one. The strong female characters are kick ass.
Review by Stephen V. Cole, Leanna's husband
Fun to read but enough real science to seem real. Like all other Mars authors the gravity question is ignored. (Can humans live in 38% gravity over a year or more without debilitating effects? Literally, no one knows and NASA has never even tried to find out.) Gizmo is the star of all five books, and a lovable robot, I wish I could buy one. The strong female characters are kick ass.
Review by Stephen V. Cole, Leanna's husband
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January 26, 2020Brilliant. Read, Realistic, Twisting, Stimulating and Exciting. It was great to see the characters develop and to see the colony evolve under all the failings of the human condition. The technology was always realistic and innovative
Brilliant. Read, Realistic, Twisting, Stimulating and Exciting. It was great to see the characters develop and to see the colony evolve under all the failings of the human condition. The technology was always realistic and innovative
Brilliant. Read, Realistic, Twisting, Stimulating and Exciting. It was great to see the characters develop and to see the colony evolve under all the failings of the human condition. The technology was always realistic and innovative
April 15, 2020
This series of novels depicting a scenario of how Martian colonies might evolve was n general well written and had believable characters. By the last two in the five book series the plots became a bit predictable and the characters a bit stereotypical. The last particularly dragged when you could easily see how it would turn out. But the depiction of living on Mars was well thought out even if I can’t tell if it was truly achievable. I enjoyed them
May 13, 2020
What a great find and what a great read during lockdown I thoroughly enjoyed all 5 books and especially the final Gizmo birthing chapter Have also downloaded some more from this Author and hope they are all to this standard of not just entertainment but perhaps a not too distant sighting of a coronavirus world where we have to take precautions and life threatening decisions about “going outside “ and surviving the infection
July 19, 2020
Will keep engrossed until you finish reading all of it!
Sci-fi reading that is hard to find! It has it all! Living on Mars, intrigue, pulse weapon shoot outs, and a cute little droid you will become attached to! Every turn of the page is exquisitely written! Details regarding how it is living on Mars so well developed, you would think the author has actually loved there! A fantastically great read! Give stars!!!!!
Sci-fi reading that is hard to find! It has it all! Living on Mars, intrigue, pulse weapon shoot outs, and a cute little droid you will become attached to! Every turn of the page is exquisitely written! Details regarding how it is living on Mars so well developed, you would think the author has actually loved there! A fantastically great read! Give stars!!!!!
January 3, 2020
And don't call me Shirley.
This series of books reminds of the classic sci-fi I read as a teenager in the early seventies. Great start to the story that changed smoothly as the story progresses, the characters stay strong with a nice touch of humor. Good job all the way around and makes for a great read.
This series of books reminds of the classic sci-fi I read as a teenager in the early seventies. Great start to the story that changed smoothly as the story progresses, the characters stay strong with a nice touch of humor. Good job all the way around and makes for a great read.
February 7, 2020
Love the storyline
Loved the story, the characters and the robot. The characters are definitely interesting and I especially liked the fact that it had suspense, action, humor and I felt that it a actually covered more than one generation. Author extremely creative and and has people who know how to proof. This is an author I will definitely follow.
Loved the story, the characters and the robot. The characters are definitely interesting and I especially liked the fact that it had suspense, action, humor and I felt that it a actually covered more than one generation. Author extremely creative and and has people who know how to proof. This is an author I will definitely follow.
February 13, 2020
Amazing romp full of the best and worst humanity has to offer!
An absolute must read. Kilby has a real grasp of the technology as well as the humanity behind it. A nonstop thriller that draws you into
the world of his mars colony and makes you careabout the outcome! Just read the books as soo as you can. Just read it now!
An absolute must read. Kilby has a real grasp of the technology as well as the humanity behind it. A nonstop thriller that draws you into
the world of his mars colony and makes you careabout the outcome! Just read the books as soo as you can. Just read it now!
February 17, 2020
Awesome storylines!
While there were some grammatical errors, the stories about the people and drama surrounding the struggles for life on an inhospitable planet kept me reading for many happy hours. Never once did I think to stop reading the book. I'm fact, there were times I couldn't stop! I will definitely look for his other books to read too.
While there were some grammatical errors, the stories about the people and drama surrounding the struggles for life on an inhospitable planet kept me reading for many happy hours. Never once did I think to stop reading the book. I'm fact, there were times I couldn't stop! I will definitely look for his other books to read too.
February 21, 2020
Essential sci-fi. Absolutely loved this book chronicling the development of Mars from the investigation of the first failed colony, to profiteering as Mars develops environmental stress due to human influence. With dodgy genetic manipulation, international corporate dealings, asteroid mining and a delightful "gizmo". Its highly recommended.
February 24, 2020
Wow what an awesome set
This set of books is fantastic. Character development was right on track. You get to know and cheer them on as they stories develop. When some of the characters story lines and you do miss them. When reading the little prequel at the end you realize this when the story goes back to a time before. I will be recommending this everyone I know
This set of books is fantastic. Character development was right on track. You get to know and cheer them on as they stories develop. When some of the characters story lines and you do miss them. When reading the little prequel at the end you realize this when the story goes back to a time before. I will be recommending this everyone I know
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