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Helium3 Episode 1
Today, at the centre of our galaxy, dwell small colonies of a most extraordinary species – humans.
Fourteen-year-old Mervyn Bright has courage, tenacity, and three close friends from the Space Academy: Loren, a brilliant but despised out-worlder, Tarun, heir to a once-powerful dynasty, and Aurora, niece to the embattled Patriarch. Together they make a formidable team.
Fourteen-year-old Mervyn Bright has courage, tenacity, and three close friends from the Space Academy: Loren, a brilliant but despised out-worlder, Tarun, heir to a once-powerful dynasty, and Aurora, niece to the embattled Patriarch. Together they make a formidable team.
Nook
First published May 16, 2008
14 people want to read
About the author
Nick Travers
12 books84 followersI'm a part-time writer who creates Young Adult Steampunk adventures and space operas.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 14, 2015
This book kind of reminds me of a harry potter meets star wars adventure. The first book in the series introduces readers To Mervyn, Loren, and Tarun who head to The Academy where they are put together with Aurora, a little reluctantly from her at first. As the group learns about being a part of the space academy, they learn a lot about each other also. I am looking forward to the next in the series. I like the author's writing style which tells a highly entertaining story in a way that makes even those who aren't sci-fi fans interested.
December 23, 2022
Similar to a Heinlein juvenile.
A brief science fiction novel designed to introduce the Helium 3 universe. The writing and story are a little simplistic? Still lacks any plot holes or typos.
A brief science fiction novel designed to introduce the Helium 3 universe. The writing and story are a little simplistic? Still lacks any plot holes or typos.
January 19, 2011
First off let me say I liked it. Since this is a series I can see plenty of room for Travers to grow the characters. They did appear a little two dimensional and it seemed as though their personalities were only trickling out slowly. One character, Aurora, left the greatest impression in my mind as I was reading. I could clearly picture her striding down the corridors of the space academy with her entourage of suck-ups in tow.
I felt Mervyn to be an interesting young guy. I think Travers could have had him react more strongly to the destruction of his home world and abduction of his father. We might have seen his friend Lauren comfort him here as well. Still this sets a great stage for events to come and the deviously evil little De Monsero came across as exceptionally callous when asked to help Mervyn catch the spy rocket. This was followed up by a very exciting game of swot. A giant game of ping pong played in low g with your body instead of a paddle. This was one of the most exciting chapters in the story and I felt the desperate frustration that Mervyn must have felt as events transpired against him.
It is clear that Travers has a good grasp of science and the story is workload with great sci-fi ideas throughout. Carbon nano fibers that change colours with the flick of a switch. The see through titanium crystals in the viewing room and the biolinks people use to communicate are all great ideas that add to and help set the scene as a futuristic space collage. Though I was a little perplexed to see people still using email. But I guess they have to call it something.
I noticed in the blurb someone mentioned this was a story apart from the usual wizards, wands and vampires stories that are saturating the market at present. This is certainly true, this story is set in space and without a wizard or techonomage in sight but I can't help drawing some parallels to Harry Potter. Three friends, underdogs at a new school. The swot game resembled the game played in the Harry potter books and the vile De Monsoro is a ringer for the evil Melfoid of Potter fame.
I think Travers is on to something here. With only a hint of the very interesting Lauren's character revealed and the mysterious Aurora still to show her true colours and loyalties I can see plenty of potential for exciting times for these misfits.
I give it 5 stars because its short comings are easily addressed in view of it being a series. Though I have yet to read the others. It is very clearly a professionally written story. A few typos and so on are found in modern best sellers just as often as indie publications and indie authors often take greater pride than the industry publications.
The story is also a step up from a lot of what I have read coming from the indie world of books. A lot of it is poorly written and this story is definitely a work apart and very well written. Easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable.
I felt Mervyn to be an interesting young guy. I think Travers could have had him react more strongly to the destruction of his home world and abduction of his father. We might have seen his friend Lauren comfort him here as well. Still this sets a great stage for events to come and the deviously evil little De Monsero came across as exceptionally callous when asked to help Mervyn catch the spy rocket. This was followed up by a very exciting game of swot. A giant game of ping pong played in low g with your body instead of a paddle. This was one of the most exciting chapters in the story and I felt the desperate frustration that Mervyn must have felt as events transpired against him.
It is clear that Travers has a good grasp of science and the story is workload with great sci-fi ideas throughout. Carbon nano fibers that change colours with the flick of a switch. The see through titanium crystals in the viewing room and the biolinks people use to communicate are all great ideas that add to and help set the scene as a futuristic space collage. Though I was a little perplexed to see people still using email. But I guess they have to call it something.
I noticed in the blurb someone mentioned this was a story apart from the usual wizards, wands and vampires stories that are saturating the market at present. This is certainly true, this story is set in space and without a wizard or techonomage in sight but I can't help drawing some parallels to Harry Potter. Three friends, underdogs at a new school. The swot game resembled the game played in the Harry potter books and the vile De Monsoro is a ringer for the evil Melfoid of Potter fame.
I think Travers is on to something here. With only a hint of the very interesting Lauren's character revealed and the mysterious Aurora still to show her true colours and loyalties I can see plenty of potential for exciting times for these misfits.
I give it 5 stars because its short comings are easily addressed in view of it being a series. Though I have yet to read the others. It is very clearly a professionally written story. A few typos and so on are found in modern best sellers just as often as indie publications and indie authors often take greater pride than the industry publications.
The story is also a step up from a lot of what I have read coming from the indie world of books. A lot of it is poorly written and this story is definitely a work apart and very well written. Easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable.
March 9, 2015
Goodreads Synopsis: Today, at the centre of our galaxy, dwell small colonies of a most extraordinary species – humans.
Fourteen-year-old Mervyn Bright has courage, tenacity, and three close friends from the Space Academy: Loren, a brilliant but despised out-worlder, Tarun, heir to a once-powerful dynasty, and Aurora, niece to the embattled Patriarch. Together they make a formidable team.
My Review: I hate to say this, but I really didn’t like this book. It wasn’t for me. I can’t really remember where I got it from, but I’m most likely not going to read another episode. The characters were acting out of their age, the story was kind of flat, and reminded me too much of Ender’s Game, the story just kind of started and I didn’t have any idea what was going on, where they were, what they were, when they were, and why they were there. I mean sometimes that’s good in a story, to be completely immersed into it, but in this story it was just confusing. I felt like I was missing something big, that I should have known and because of that I couldn’t really get into the story. The names were hard to pronounce, the characters actions weren’t explained, and they weren’t really anything more than kids that went to school. Everything’s fixed in the book and I don’t understand why, everyone’s kind of spiteful, and although I’m glad Aurora kind of developed through the story, it wasn’t very much of a development. She just went from one kind of spoiled brat to another. I dunno. This book just wasn’t for me. Check it out and see what you think. Thanks for reading.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
Fourteen-year-old Mervyn Bright has courage, tenacity, and three close friends from the Space Academy: Loren, a brilliant but despised out-worlder, Tarun, heir to a once-powerful dynasty, and Aurora, niece to the embattled Patriarch. Together they make a formidable team.
My Review: I hate to say this, but I really didn’t like this book. It wasn’t for me. I can’t really remember where I got it from, but I’m most likely not going to read another episode. The characters were acting out of their age, the story was kind of flat, and reminded me too much of Ender’s Game, the story just kind of started and I didn’t have any idea what was going on, where they were, what they were, when they were, and why they were there. I mean sometimes that’s good in a story, to be completely immersed into it, but in this story it was just confusing. I felt like I was missing something big, that I should have known and because of that I couldn’t really get into the story. The names were hard to pronounce, the characters actions weren’t explained, and they weren’t really anything more than kids that went to school. Everything’s fixed in the book and I don’t understand why, everyone’s kind of spiteful, and although I’m glad Aurora kind of developed through the story, it wasn’t very much of a development. She just went from one kind of spoiled brat to another. I dunno. This book just wasn’t for me. Check it out and see what you think. Thanks for reading.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
May 30, 2011
Fun to read. Well paced.
Some typos though.
Similar in style and plot to Harry Potter
(there is a four kid bunch in an academy, just like 3 in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry)
Did Nick already write the second novel to the series?
Roy
American/Israeli
Some typos though.
Similar in style and plot to Harry Potter
(there is a four kid bunch in an academy, just like 3 in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry)
Did Nick already write the second novel to the series?
Roy
American/Israeli
December 15, 2013
A work of science fiction with aliens and teenagers with aggressive dreams and aspirations. I just couldn't get into it. I don't think less than 150 pages is enough to describe a new world to a reader. Good concept but I just couldn't place myself in the author's space.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews