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shannonleighd's review against another edition
4.0
Update after reading:
I totally understand comparing this to Scalzi; they both need to beef up their character development skills and also like to put their characters through hell, BUT, Hough's world building is better. Rating for this is more like a 3.5 but I rounded up since the second half had me on the edge most of the time. Crazy how many characters he killed off though! Tons of stuff you don't see coming as well. And I loved the multicultural cast ... The love interest and one of the side characters that gets almost as much screen time as the main guy is Indian.
Better review to come when I've got the time ...
First thoughts from April 26th:
Approved today for this from NetGalley. The quote about it being like Scalzi gave me pause which is why I didn't request it or consider it at first, but a friend gave it 5 stars so I figured why not give it a shot? Haven't read straight scifi in a while either, so if I can work up enough muster to finally get back into reading novels, this should hopefully be a good jump back in.
I totally understand comparing this to Scalzi; they both need to beef up their character development skills and also like to put their characters through hell, BUT, Hough's world building is better. Rating for this is more like a 3.5 but I rounded up since the second half had me on the edge most of the time. Crazy how many characters he killed off though! Tons of stuff you don't see coming as well. And I loved the multicultural cast ... The love interest and one of the side characters that gets almost as much screen time as the main guy is Indian.
Better review to come when I've got the time ...
First thoughts from April 26th:
Approved today for this from NetGalley. The quote about it being like Scalzi gave me pause which is why I didn't request it or consider it at first, but a friend gave it 5 stars so I figured why not give it a shot? Haven't read straight scifi in a while either, so if I can work up enough muster to finally get back into reading novels, this should hopefully be a good jump back in.
bookbrig's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
Solid and interesting, I'll definitely pick up the next in the series.
rjtheodore's review against another edition
4.0
I was really enjoying the book, which I picked up based on a glowing review I heard on NPR, but I was disappointed by the ending. I felt a lot of loose ends were left just so. While it was clear these elements were supposed to be an ongoing struggle, I was left with too many questions. That's a shame, because I loved the writing and so many of the characters, I really wanted to put this down with a thunk of satisfaction.
beckylej's review against another edition
4.0
So, um, zombies! And aliens! There are both zombies and aliens in this post apocalyptic book! I tell you, it had all the elements necessary to make me happy!
I loved everything here except the very beginning. The first page is the kind that does suck you in, no doubt, but your sucked into a story in progress. By page two with the mention of the climbers, I was a little confused (might have been the headache that plagued me while reading) but I only mean to point out that the explanation of the world and its situation comes a bit further into the story. Any confusion didn't last long and frankly the premise and the way the story was playing out was so cool that I just didn't care. The payoff comes soon enough, too, so if any of you have the same issue at the start I do urge you to stick it out. I promise it doesn't take long.
If you're in the mood for an action packed, science fiction adventure (maybe you missed all the fun at the box office this summer or your still craving more like me) Hough should be added to your TBR immediately. This is a summer blockbuster in book form!
This is the first in a trilogy. Book two, The Exodus Towers, just hit shelves yesterday, and the third book, The Plague Forge, will be out September 24.
I loved everything here except the very beginning. The first page is the kind that does suck you in, no doubt, but your sucked into a story in progress. By page two with the mention of the climbers, I was a little confused (might have been the headache that plagued me while reading) but I only mean to point out that the explanation of the world and its situation comes a bit further into the story. Any confusion didn't last long and frankly the premise and the way the story was playing out was so cool that I just didn't care. The payoff comes soon enough, too, so if any of you have the same issue at the start I do urge you to stick it out. I promise it doesn't take long.
If you're in the mood for an action packed, science fiction adventure (maybe you missed all the fun at the box office this summer or your still craving more like me) Hough should be added to your TBR immediately. This is a summer blockbuster in book form!
This is the first in a trilogy. Book two, The Exodus Towers, just hit shelves yesterday, and the third book, The Plague Forge, will be out September 24.
unabridgedchick's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a picky reader when I take on light sci-fi/dystopias: I don't want to spend a long time trying to get up to speed; I hate fight scenes; I have a high squick factor when it comes gooey bodies, be they diseased or zombified; and loads of technical jargon make my eyes glaze.
Happily The Darwin Elevator worked even though it came with fight scenes, some gooey bodies, and a tiny bit of technical jargon. I was so invested in this book I stayed up until 3am to finish, because I had to know, and I sent about ten million emails to various friends every few chapters, squeeing about the fun I was having.
Set in 2283, the novel covers about 44 days, from January to February. Almost thirty years earlier, aliens built a 'space elevator' in Darwin, Australia, a massive structure that went 40,000 kilometers into space. It brought with it a plague that turned humans into 'subs' -- wild, savage, driven by base instincts like anger. An 'aura' around the elevator site made Darwin a safe zone -- the sub disease was halted if one was within the aura -- which made Darwin first a booming metropolis before it turned into a decaying, collapsing city.
A few humans were immune to the alien virus, among them Dutch pilot Skyler Luiken (thankfully, a character makes the same Luke Skywalker joke I did!) and his ragged crew of scavengers: Jake, his stoic sniper; Angus, his youthful pilot; and Samantha, his kickass security lead. Traveling outside the Aura for goods around the world, they're the much needed source of electronics and other supplies. (And they very much reminded me of the crew from Firefly.)
Humans have started using the elevator, building numerous habitations and farming and industrial stations to support life. Stunningly gorgeous researcher Dr. Tania Sharma is an 'orbital', protege to Neil Platz, the industrialist made a fortune with lucky purchases in Darwin just before the space elevator came, and who drives the secret research into the 'Builders', the aliens who made the elevator.
Things get messy when it seems a new strain of the alien disease breaks out, and there's a power struggle between the man who runs Darwin and those who run the stations on the elevator. Tania's research is teasing out details about the aliens and the elevator -- and might explain why things are suddenly changing.
I'm trying to think of non-cliched ways to describe just how wildly fun this book was. Relentless plot, which was great, and the kind of creepy tension that comes from wondering if our aliens have good or nefarious intentions toward us. The characters were a tiny bit thin, but whatever, I came to this for adventure, not a subtle exploration of the human psyche. The world-building -- and Hough's unspooling of it -- was fantastic: I was plunged in but didn't feel overwhelmingly lost, and the reader education felt subtle enough it didn't feel like reading a futuristic history text.
While the book doesn't end on a cliffhanger, it's clear there's a sequel, and happily, both books two and three are coming out in the next few months -- so no waiting. This is a perfect summer read for fans of alien-themed summertime action films (I'm thinking the Alien franchise, including a household favorite Alien vs. Predator) as well as those who like dystopia-ish settings but aren't in the mood for zombies (as the focus).
Happily The Darwin Elevator worked even though it came with fight scenes, some gooey bodies, and a tiny bit of technical jargon. I was so invested in this book I stayed up until 3am to finish, because I had to know, and I sent about ten million emails to various friends every few chapters, squeeing about the fun I was having.
Set in 2283, the novel covers about 44 days, from January to February. Almost thirty years earlier, aliens built a 'space elevator' in Darwin, Australia, a massive structure that went 40,000 kilometers into space. It brought with it a plague that turned humans into 'subs' -- wild, savage, driven by base instincts like anger. An 'aura' around the elevator site made Darwin a safe zone -- the sub disease was halted if one was within the aura -- which made Darwin first a booming metropolis before it turned into a decaying, collapsing city.
A few humans were immune to the alien virus, among them Dutch pilot Skyler Luiken (thankfully, a character makes the same Luke Skywalker joke I did!) and his ragged crew of scavengers: Jake, his stoic sniper; Angus, his youthful pilot; and Samantha, his kickass security lead. Traveling outside the Aura for goods around the world, they're the much needed source of electronics and other supplies. (And they very much reminded me of the crew from Firefly.)
Humans have started using the elevator, building numerous habitations and farming and industrial stations to support life. Stunningly gorgeous researcher Dr. Tania Sharma is an 'orbital', protege to Neil Platz, the industrialist made a fortune with lucky purchases in Darwin just before the space elevator came, and who drives the secret research into the 'Builders', the aliens who made the elevator.
Things get messy when it seems a new strain of the alien disease breaks out, and there's a power struggle between the man who runs Darwin and those who run the stations on the elevator. Tania's research is teasing out details about the aliens and the elevator -- and might explain why things are suddenly changing.
I'm trying to think of non-cliched ways to describe just how wildly fun this book was. Relentless plot, which was great, and the kind of creepy tension that comes from wondering if our aliens have good or nefarious intentions toward us. The characters were a tiny bit thin, but whatever, I came to this for adventure, not a subtle exploration of the human psyche. The world-building -- and Hough's unspooling of it -- was fantastic: I was plunged in but didn't feel overwhelmingly lost, and the reader education felt subtle enough it didn't feel like reading a futuristic history text.
While the book doesn't end on a cliffhanger, it's clear there's a sequel, and happily, both books two and three are coming out in the next few months -- so no waiting. This is a perfect summer read for fans of alien-themed summertime action films (I'm thinking the Alien franchise, including a household favorite Alien vs. Predator) as well as those who like dystopia-ish settings but aren't in the mood for zombies (as the focus).
thiefofcamorr's review against another edition
5.0
‘The Darwin Elevator’ is the first in the ‘Dire Earth Cycle’ trilogy by Jason M. Hough, soon to be followed by ‘The Exodus Towers’ and then ‘The Plague Forge’ in August then September respectably.
I first discovered this book by being interested by the cover and looking for more information – the first line of the synopsis certainly grabbing my attention. ‘In the mid-23rd century, Darwin, Australia, stands as the last human city on Earth.’ Hang on – I live there. It’s a tiny place. I can probably count how many novels have mentioned this place, let alone been set here, on the one hand!
I promptly contacted the author to ask why, why us! To be told that he simply looked on the map to find somewhere near the equator.
Regardless of this, it feels as though Hough has done his homework. The places mentioned are real places here – Nightcliff, The Narrows, and Ryland is actually a main road, and Melville (the ship) is actually a nearby island directly above Darwin. The joys of the internet.
Set mainly in the year 2283, the world has changed dramatically when one day, ‘The Builders’ arrived with a massive alien structure that descended into a remote part of Australia – Darwin, in the Northern Territory. Then everything continued on as normal, with no sight or sound of the aliens who bestowed such a strange ‘gift’ to the world. Until years later, a devastating and strange zombie-like plague tore the world apart, leaving only Darwin a safe and habitable place, thanks to a kind of safety zone (known as the Aura) created by the elevator.
There’s a few dozen people immune to the plague who can travel out past the aura without the assistance of bulky suits. One is Skylar Leiken, and he has a small crew of fellow immunes, and a ship called the Melville. Together they travel around the world, on small and large jobs to whoever who can pay, for reasons they’ll happily oblige if the pay is right.
However, the subhumans, as they’re called, seem to be changing into a type named the newsubs. And occurrences are breaking out in the space station which shouldn’t really be possible. One job leads to another until soon the fate of the entire planet and space station beyond is resting on Skylar’s shoulders. Thankfully he has a brilliant scientist, Dr. Tania Sharma, to assist.
Overall, the novel is a solid read. There’s action and huge events taking place early on, the crew and characters in general taking devastating hits to the point where you wonder what could possibly happen to them in the last half – how could they possibly continue on.
The science feels reliable, showing Hough has either done his research or simply uses the right words and writes with confidence - he has me fooled if it’s totally implausible.
The female characters are varied and strong, Samantha especially, and I loved the rough interaction shown, punches and forehead bumps.
The main issue, if any, could be with Skylar who sometimes seems just a little… lacking. We’re told he’s an amazing leader, but we’re not often shown why. He’s not overly charismatic or an excellent fighter or inspiring speaker, and yet I felt okay with him, perhaps with the reasoning sometimes we like seeing just an ordinary person having to do great things, and managing them through will and inner strength.
I’ll certainly be looking forward to the next two, and anything Hough does in the future.
I first discovered this book by being interested by the cover and looking for more information – the first line of the synopsis certainly grabbing my attention. ‘In the mid-23rd century, Darwin, Australia, stands as the last human city on Earth.’ Hang on – I live there. It’s a tiny place. I can probably count how many novels have mentioned this place, let alone been set here, on the one hand!
I promptly contacted the author to ask why, why us! To be told that he simply looked on the map to find somewhere near the equator.
Regardless of this, it feels as though Hough has done his homework. The places mentioned are real places here – Nightcliff, The Narrows, and Ryland is actually a main road, and Melville (the ship) is actually a nearby island directly above Darwin. The joys of the internet.
Set mainly in the year 2283, the world has changed dramatically when one day, ‘The Builders’ arrived with a massive alien structure that descended into a remote part of Australia – Darwin, in the Northern Territory. Then everything continued on as normal, with no sight or sound of the aliens who bestowed such a strange ‘gift’ to the world. Until years later, a devastating and strange zombie-like plague tore the world apart, leaving only Darwin a safe and habitable place, thanks to a kind of safety zone (known as the Aura) created by the elevator.
There’s a few dozen people immune to the plague who can travel out past the aura without the assistance of bulky suits. One is Skylar Leiken, and he has a small crew of fellow immunes, and a ship called the Melville. Together they travel around the world, on small and large jobs to whoever who can pay, for reasons they’ll happily oblige if the pay is right.
However, the subhumans, as they’re called, seem to be changing into a type named the newsubs. And occurrences are breaking out in the space station which shouldn’t really be possible. One job leads to another until soon the fate of the entire planet and space station beyond is resting on Skylar’s shoulders. Thankfully he has a brilliant scientist, Dr. Tania Sharma, to assist.
Overall, the novel is a solid read. There’s action and huge events taking place early on, the crew and characters in general taking devastating hits to the point where you wonder what could possibly happen to them in the last half – how could they possibly continue on.
The science feels reliable, showing Hough has either done his research or simply uses the right words and writes with confidence - he has me fooled if it’s totally implausible.
The female characters are varied and strong, Samantha especially, and I loved the rough interaction shown, punches and forehead bumps.
The main issue, if any, could be with Skylar who sometimes seems just a little… lacking. We’re told he’s an amazing leader, but we’re not often shown why. He’s not overly charismatic or an excellent fighter or inspiring speaker, and yet I felt okay with him, perhaps with the reasoning sometimes we like seeing just an ordinary person having to do great things, and managing them through will and inner strength.
I’ll certainly be looking forward to the next two, and anything Hough does in the future.
jayshay's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the book, but... Something prevents me from whole-heartedly embracing it. Perhaps it is the length of the tale (this is the first part of three) in combination with the amount of engagement with the characters. A shorter tale with more engaging characters, someone to root for would make me like the book a lot more. I have a similar problem with the Expanse series (only read the first of that) so these books might not be for me. Too much reading/listening for the reward I get out of them.
lady_kelseyleigh's review against another edition
5.0
Jason M. Hough's debut novel, The Darwin Elevator, is fantastic. A thrilling sci-fi story that I couldn't put down. Can't wait for more!
(I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads)
(I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads)
ntrlycrly's review against another edition
4.0
More like a three and a half star. Full of clever, diverse, and quick thinking characters.
gobblebook's review against another edition
4.0
This is another take on the theme of "unseen aliens interfere with life on Earth by giving humans technology." In this case, the technology is a space elevator, connected to Earth in Darwin, Australia. The arrival of the elevator is followed a few years later by a devastating disease that turns it's victims into zombie-like sub-humans.
The story focuses on a crew of people who are immune to the disease, and can scavenge what humanity needs from the ravaged world. Another thread follows the business mogul who owns the space elevator, and knows more than he is letting on about what the aliens are planning for humanity, and a researcher who he is trying to figure out what the aliens will do next.
The story is suspenseful and interesting, and generally unpredictable. The characters are believable, if rather one-dimensional, and the science is interesting and plausible. There is nothing terribly profound here, but it's a fun story.
I listened to the audiobook, and as always, Simon Vance's narration is delightful.