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Axiom's End
(Noumena #1)
by
Truth is a human right.
It’s fall 2007. A well-timed leak has revealed that the US government might have engaged in first contact. Cora Sabino is doing everything she can to avoid the whole mess, since the force driving the controversy is her whistleblower father. Even though Cora hasn’t spoken to him in years, his celebrity has caught the attention of the press, the Intern ...more
It’s fall 2007. A well-timed leak has revealed that the US government might have engaged in first contact. Cora Sabino is doing everything she can to avoid the whole mess, since the force driving the controversy is her whistleblower father. Even though Cora hasn’t spoken to him in years, his celebrity has caught the attention of the press, the Intern ...more
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Jul 01, 2020
Tori (InToriLex)
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
giveawaywin2020,
disappointed-due-to-the-hype
I was thoroughly underwhelmed by this book. Cora is a protagonist I could just not connect with. Many of her choices made me to want to throw my book across the room. While this is described as similar to arrival Cora is a interpreter who is aided by implant in her brain the translates alien language. This didn't require her to learn anything in particular about their language and the fact that she studies linguistic was a red herring that led no where.
While this book has creative descriptions ...more
While this book has creative descriptions ...more
I feel like I'm one of the few people reading this book who wasn't already part of Ellis' fanbase. This book popped onto my radar when Lindsay Ellis posted a video on her channel about the difficulty she had, even with her platform of thousands and thousands and thousands of subscribers, in getting a publishing deal.
So, that immediately meant one of two things - her book would be a gem that the publishing houses were passing on because they were dumb and elitist, or that the book simply wasn't g ...more
So, that immediately meant one of two things - her book would be a gem that the publishing houses were passing on because they were dumb and elitist, or that the book simply wasn't g ...more
my video review https://youtu.be/gNe275_ur8Q
...more
Axiom's End channels that curiosity we have about what First Contact would look like. And, as we found out in ET, in Close Encounters, in Strangern a Strange Land, and in Ender's Game, when they finally arrive (or return), the aliens will be nothing like we ever imagined and our interactions with them will be like nothing we conceived. On the way, we explore the very nature of governmental cover-ups (hello, Area 51) and the nature of truth and to what extent is omission like lying.
Axiom's End s ...more
Axiom's End s ...more
"Truth is a human right."
Reading this book felt like a fever dream, to be completely honest.
So, what's this book about?
It’s fall 2007. A well-timed leak has revealed that the US government might have engaged in first contact. Cora Sabino is doing everything she can to avoid the whole mess, since the force driving the controversy is her whistleblower father. Even though Cora hasn’t spoken to him in years, his celebrity has caught the attention of the press, the Internet, the papa ...more
This emotionally drained me. Is it because of the thoughtful take on the early noughties' political atmosphere, or is it due to the well-written characters, fully fleshed out and relatable in their struggles?
Nope. It's because inter-species romance is my crack and it makes me cry every time.
Jokes aside I've seen this book being called The Three-Body Problem For Girls, which is a hilariously bad take. I see this trend among "serious book critics" which spins the narrative that female protagonist ...more
Nope. It's because inter-species romance is my crack and it makes me cry every time.
Jokes aside I've seen this book being called The Three-Body Problem For Girls, which is a hilariously bad take. I see this trend among "serious book critics" which spins the narrative that female protagonist ...more
★★★ /5
This was a really fast read.
I loved the writing style, it was really engaging and easy to understand, not too flowery but also not too dry. I enjoyed the main character point of view, her action and thought process were interesting to follow. Sadly, I didn’t enjoy the plot, in my opinion it was a little bit too predictable.
This was a really fast read.
I loved the writing style, it was really engaging and easy to understand, not too flowery but also not too dry. I enjoyed the main character point of view, her action and thought process were interesting to follow. Sadly, I didn’t enjoy the plot, in my opinion it was a little bit too predictable.
Apr 15, 2020
Nenia ✨️ Socially Awkward Trash Panda ✨️ Campbell
marked it as to-read
Lindsay Ellis wrote a book?????
YEEEEEESS. I've been following her since her Nostalgia Chick days and this makes me so happy ...more
YEEEEEESS. I've been following her since her Nostalgia Chick days and this makes me so happy ...more
May 02, 2020
Emily Vanderwerff
added it
Lindsay is a friend, so I shouldn't review this in any real sense, because I am in this book's corner. But I think it's a lot of fun, with a really involving plot and incredible amounts of forward momentum. The central relationship between human and alien is really well done, and I ended up being surprisingly involved in it.
Anyway, read it! Enrich my friend! ...more
Anyway, read it! Enrich my friend! ...more
This was just embarrassing.
Overwritten and obtuse, Lindsay Ellis' first novel is in desperate need of a complete editorial overhaul. From the amateurish insistence on passive voice...
"The voice belonged to Demi."
...to the cartoonish depictions of the protagonist's emotions...
"Cora thundered, her words reverberating through the trees, through the atmosphere, through the entire galaxy, through space, through time and eternity."
...to the downright bizarre descriptions of violence...
"The walls of he ...more
Overwritten and obtuse, Lindsay Ellis' first novel is in desperate need of a complete editorial overhaul. From the amateurish insistence on passive voice...
"The voice belonged to Demi."
...to the cartoonish depictions of the protagonist's emotions...
"Cora thundered, her words reverberating through the trees, through the atmosphere, through the entire galaxy, through space, through time and eternity."
...to the downright bizarre descriptions of violence...
"The walls of he ...more
Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis is the first book of the science fiction Noumena series. This one takes readers back to an alternate version of 2007 and gives them a glimpse at alien contact that of course the government wants covered up.
Cora Sabino has not spoken to her father in years but she often hears his speeches on the state of the world and aliens. Cora never expected there to actually be any contact with aliens but one night she and the rest of her family experience a blackout as odd thing ...more
Cora Sabino has not spoken to her father in years but she often hears his speeches on the state of the world and aliens. Cora never expected there to actually be any contact with aliens but one night she and the rest of her family experience a blackout as odd thing ...more
Note: I received a copy of Axiom’s End through a Goodreads Giveaway. This did not influence the content of my review, but did influence me to write a review. Vague spoilers throughout, but significant spoilers are marked.
Overview/What’s It About?
Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis follows Cora Sabino, an aimless former linguistics major, as she has the (mis)fortune of encountering an extraterrestrial lifeform known as Ampersand. As the government takes her family captive, she agrees to work as Ampersan ...more
Overview/What’s It About?
Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis follows Cora Sabino, an aimless former linguistics major, as she has the (mis)fortune of encountering an extraterrestrial lifeform known as Ampersand. As the government takes her family captive, she agrees to work as Ampersan ...more
I feel so bad for not liking this book. You see, I've been watching Lindsay's channel for years, I love her essays and humor, she is super smart and entertaining. But, unfortunately, her debut novel didn't work for me at all.
My main problem was with the main character Cora. She is young, lost, inexperienced, and scared all the time. For most of the book she is constantly told what to do and taken to different places either in secret or while being unconscious. She is not a fully passive characte ...more
My main problem was with the main character Cora. She is young, lost, inexperienced, and scared all the time. For most of the book she is constantly told what to do and taken to different places either in secret or while being unconscious. She is not a fully passive characte ...more
I requested this arc because I really enjoy Lindsay's film criticism on YouTube, and hoped that would be enough to overcome the sci-fi, as that remains one of my struggle genres.
Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with the characters, at any point. I could buy into trauma leading to an emotional connection between Cora and Ampersand in the macro - but upon a mild second ponder, what would attract him to Cora? And I'm speaking mentally, not in judgement of her (oft discussed) rachet root situation. ...more
Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with the characters, at any point. I could buy into trauma leading to an emotional connection between Cora and Ampersand in the macro - but upon a mild second ponder, what would attract him to Cora? And I'm speaking mentally, not in judgement of her (oft discussed) rachet root situation. ...more
I suppose, after reading a few hundred first-contact novels and/or movies, I should really read this book as a study of all the things that came before, rather than trying to put this on the same level as Arrival (movie) or Blindsight (book) or Deepness in the Sky (book). Or about 30-40 others that may be better than this.
That isn't to say that this was a bad book. Far from it. But it's dealing with old tropes. Cyborg aliens? Coverups? Translation issues? Fundamental communication breakdown base ...more
That isn't to say that this was a bad book. Far from it. But it's dealing with old tropes. Cyborg aliens? Coverups? Translation issues? Fundamental communication breakdown base ...more
Dec 29, 2020
jade
rated it
liked it
Recommends it for:
first time sci-fi readers OR readers with a thing for human/alien relationships
Recommended to jade by:
me and my own grabby hands once i discovered this book was being written
Shelves:
science-fiction
“looking into his eyes was like looking into ten billion years of history, like she could see the particles and rocks and gasses coalesce over eons, until somehow, impossibly, here they both were.”
i’ll be the first to come out and admit that i bought this book because i’ve been a longtime fan of lindsay ellis’ work as a film critic and youtuber. i genuinely believe her videos are insightful, and i love her brand of humor.
that said, i can also easily admit that her debut novel is not ...more
2....75 stars?
I had a time with this book. Directly after reading it, it felt like a 3 star read, but after some reflection, it turns out I had more negative than positive to say about the individual pieces of this story, even if the whole was fine.
Good things: We take off almost immediately in this book and I found myself hooked as soon as we meet our main character and watch her head off for what should be a normal day at work. Even when things went a little south, storytelling wise, I was in ...more
3.5 Stars
Well that was interesting.
It took me a while to work out whether I liked this novel or not. I confess I read it twice as I had such mixed feelings. The second reading was much better as I had my ‘fun YA sci-fi’ lens on and not my ‘deep exploration of human existence in the wider context of life throughout the universe’ lens.
At first I found Cora to be intensely annoying. She is immature and whiny so it made for unpleasant reading. Then I decided I was being quite unfair as I don’t know ...more
Well that was interesting.
It took me a while to work out whether I liked this novel or not. I confess I read it twice as I had such mixed feelings. The second reading was much better as I had my ‘fun YA sci-fi’ lens on and not my ‘deep exploration of human existence in the wider context of life throughout the universe’ lens.
At first I found Cora to be intensely annoying. She is immature and whiny so it made for unpleasant reading. Then I decided I was being quite unfair as I don’t know ...more
3.5 stars rounding up
I really wanted to give it a full 4 but the climax dragged it down. Don’t get me wrong, this was better than anything I could’ve created and I enjoyed most of it, but my suspension of disbelief was stretched a little too thin once Cora started beating the all powerful giant alien with a shovel. It was explained at the end of the book how they formed the strong almost co-dependent bond but having just seen the giant client destroy a military base a chapter before this badass ...more
I really wanted to give it a full 4 but the climax dragged it down. Don’t get me wrong, this was better than anything I could’ve created and I enjoyed most of it, but my suspension of disbelief was stretched a little too thin once Cora started beating the all powerful giant alien with a shovel. It was explained at the end of the book how they formed the strong almost co-dependent bond but having just seen the giant client destroy a military base a chapter before this badass ...more
I loved this book, it was a pleasure to read the whole way through, and it explored some fascinating ideas of real substance with great heart and feeling.
The pace was excellent, the plot was excellent, the characters seemed real, flawed, and likeable.
At times, the book was hilarious and I laughed out loud. Yet it also dove into sharply realistic descriptions of trauma and genocide. But despite these heavy subjects, I never felt weighed down or depressed, like I often do when books root themsel ...more
The pace was excellent, the plot was excellent, the characters seemed real, flawed, and likeable.
At times, the book was hilarious and I laughed out loud. Yet it also dove into sharply realistic descriptions of trauma and genocide. But despite these heavy subjects, I never felt weighed down or depressed, like I often do when books root themsel ...more
Dec 07, 2019
Eda**
marked it as to-read
Lemme just say that I never expected my Youtube "geeky" cinephile world to clash with the (lately criminally neglected by yours truly) book world but...it's vastly appreciated.
Lindsay Ellis wrote a book and it's already out guys!
aliens bro, amirite?
I thought this book was really fun and full of unexpected monster fucker goodness. But, still, I had one problem with this book that dampened it a little for me. Cora, the protagonist, is coded as Latinx, but we are never really given any more insight into that identity except for the fact that she calls her grandma, "Abuelita". I understand that Cora is supposed to be white Latinx, but I think Ellis missed a great opportunity to relate her alien invasion storyline, in partic ...more
I thought this book was really fun and full of unexpected monster fucker goodness. But, still, I had one problem with this book that dampened it a little for me. Cora, the protagonist, is coded as Latinx, but we are never really given any more insight into that identity except for the fact that she calls her grandma, "Abuelita". I understand that Cora is supposed to be white Latinx, but I think Ellis missed a great opportunity to relate her alien invasion storyline, in partic ...more
Most of all, deepest thanks to President Ronald Reagan, who deregulated the hell out of children’s television programming in the early 1980s (among many other things), and without whom Transformers would not exist.
One star off for a thoroughly lame ending. I know that Goodreads lists this as the first part of a series, but the actual book makes no reference to it. And then even if this is only the first book, no reason to saddle it with such a perfunctory ending.
The main problems I have with ‘Ax ...more
One star off for a thoroughly lame ending. I know that Goodreads lists this as the first part of a series, but the actual book makes no reference to it. And then even if this is only the first book, no reason to saddle it with such a perfunctory ending.
The main problems I have with ‘Ax ...more
This book is going to be HUGE. It has everything: George Bush being a dumbass, governmental subterfuge, intergalactic sexual tension, and interplanetary linguistic intrigue.
(Note: I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced.)
I don't normally watch video essays on YouTube. It takes a very specific kind of personality to get me interested enough to watch anything on YouTube for more than 10 minutes - especially something that's just analyzing something else. But Lindsay Ellis is one of those YouTubers who can get me to watch an hour-long video and enjoy it. So, when I he ...more
I don't normally watch video essays on YouTube. It takes a very specific kind of personality to get me interested enough to watch anything on YouTube for more than 10 minutes - especially something that's just analyzing something else. But Lindsay Ellis is one of those YouTubers who can get me to watch an hour-long video and enjoy it. So, when I he ...more
Jul 03, 2020
Anna Luce
marked it as dnf
DNF 40%
I really really really wanted to like this as over the years I've found Lindsay Ellis' youtube content to be both entertaining and interesting. I even watched the video in which she talks about getting this book published.
Nevertheless, I can't help but to feel the way I do (sounds lame, I know). While the idea for this book is intriguing, the execution is a wee bit underwhelming. I didn't particularly warm up to Ellis' prose, which came across as somewhat flat, and her characterisation a ...more
I really really really wanted to like this as over the years I've found Lindsay Ellis' youtube content to be both entertaining and interesting. I even watched the video in which she talks about getting this book published.
Nevertheless, I can't help but to feel the way I do (sounds lame, I know). While the idea for this book is intriguing, the execution is a wee bit underwhelming. I didn't particularly warm up to Ellis' prose, which came across as somewhat flat, and her characterisation a ...more
I didn’t review this book right away because I wasn’t sure if my love for Lindsay Ellis was bleeding over to my love for this book.
But that’s bullshit, this is a fan-fucking-tastic book. I would never recommend this book to someone that doesn’t like science fiction. This book was written for people that love sci-fi!
Since the book isn't out yet, I'm letting you know minor spoilers ahead!:
I’ll admit that I’m not that well read in science fiction, but I saw similar themes and tropes to my favorite ...more
But that’s bullshit, this is a fan-fucking-tastic book. I would never recommend this book to someone that doesn’t like science fiction. This book was written for people that love sci-fi!
Since the book isn't out yet, I'm letting you know minor spoilers ahead!:
I’ll admit that I’m not that well read in science fiction, but I saw similar themes and tropes to my favorite ...more
In an alternate recent history, the role of international secrets whistle-blower/information warrior is played by Nils Ortega. Like a certain parallel in our world Ortega is a raging egomaniac and far more concerned about his own personal media profile than keeping governments honest, but unlike our world, Nils has a family: an ex-wife and children. His main focus is to reveal that the US government is covering up first contact with aliens, particularly around a meteor landing some years earlier
...more
| Reader Fox Blog |
Truth is a human right.
For a book that touted this statement periodically through the novel and even presented it as a main theme by introducing it within its marketing, Lindsay Ellis' Axiom's End really didn't have a whole hell of a lot to do with truth being a human right. That said, I actually really liked it? What's terrible is that I actually found my enjoyment quite surprising considering how difficult I found this book to get into at first--dull girl's boring life ...more
Truth is a human right.
For a book that touted this statement periodically through the novel and even presented it as a main theme by introducing it within its marketing, Lindsay Ellis' Axiom's End really didn't have a whole hell of a lot to do with truth being a human right. That said, I actually really liked it? What's terrible is that I actually found my enjoyment quite surprising considering how difficult I found this book to get into at first--dull girl's boring life ...more
Jul 28, 2020
Monte Price
added it
I had very little expectations going into this. If I'm being honest the only thing I could remember from the jacket copy before I even picked it up was that it was maybe a first contact novel. After completion that's definitely what I would classify the book as.
Outside of that it's really hard for me to talk about. In all honesty while I didn't hate the book, I also wasn't really wowed by it. There was something about the pacing that came off as pretty stilted, the way the events of the book unf ...more
Outside of that it's really hard for me to talk about. In all honesty while I didn't hate the book, I also wasn't really wowed by it. There was something about the pacing that came off as pretty stilted, the way the events of the book unf ...more
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Similar recommendations | 4 | 42 | Sep 02, 2020 10:34PM |
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