Reviews

Aftershocks by Marko Kloos

cosmobookshelf's review against another edition

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4.0

Marko Kloos to niemiecki pisarz, który swojego pisarskiego kunsztu uczył się pod okiem między innymi George’a R.R. Martina. To może tłumaczyć fakt, że pierwszy tom Wojen Palladowych czytało mi się trochę jak Expanse.

Przedstawiony w książce świat to poraniony przez wojnę układ planetarny, który nie jest aż tak bardzo abstrakcyjny, bo gdzieś między wierszami da się wyczytać, że Ziemia była pierwotną planetą. Akcja toczy się pod koniec XXXIX wieku, a cały świat przedstawiony poznajemy z perspektywy czworga bohaterów: majora Adena Robertsona (Gretyjczyka, jeńca wojennego, który właśnie zakończył karę), sierżant Idiny Chaudhary (Palladki, która pilnuje pokoju w szeregach Sojuszu), podporucznika Dunstana Parka (Rhodyjczyka, który ma podobne cele co Idina, tylko w przestrzeni międzyplanetarnej) oraz Solveig Regan, młodej Gretyjki, która przejmuje firmę ojca.

Wojna skończyła się 5 lat wcześniej, wszystkie planety starają się stanąć na nogi, a Gretia - planeta, która wywołała wojnę - jest okupowana przez Sojusz. Kruchy pokój zostaje jeszcze bardziej naruszony przez nagłe wrogie działania. Czyje? Trudno powiedzieć. Partyzanckie i terrorystyczne zamachy wskazują na zbuntowanych Gretyjczyków, ale czy byłoby skłonni poświęcać nawet własnych ludzi? Pierwszy tom wydaje się być zaledwie wstępem do rozwikłania tej tajemnicy. Wstępem na tyle ciekawym, że zaraz sięgam po kolejny tom.

Narracja jest prowadzona w równym tempie, napięcie jest dawkowane, a czytelnik nie ma czasu się nudzić. Zaś bohaterowie wydają się wiarygodni, przy czym dla mnie najsłabszym ogniwem jest Solveig. Wpadłam też na kilka potworków z rodzaju „ludzie mówią tak do siebie nigdy”, ale nie razi to na tyle, by się tym przejmować albo by odbierało to przyjemność z czytania.

Podsumowując: Wstrząsy wtórne, to świetna rozrywka, a całe Wojny Palladowe zanoszą się na kawał dobrej space opery.

vkshiro's review against another edition

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4.0

I'm going back to add missing reviews so I don't remember specifics. But I do remember really enjoying this book and am really looking forward to the next book in the series. I had started reading Kloos' other series and liked it but then too much time had passed in between so I didn't pick it back up. Maybe I'll start those again and actually finish the series.

rick_k's review against another edition

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2.0

In the three act structure, the third act should be in the same book as the first two, then setup the opportunity for further adventures. We are introduced to a handful of characters and some interesting worldbuilding, but the promise of the genre is that they will come together in some way at the climax and we will get a payoff. It's a shame because what is here is interesting and worth pursuing, but I cannot justify investing more when its not clear what the author will deliver. With under 300 pages published there should have been room to make a complete story without falling out of the weight class. I am more frustrated with the editor than the writer because it feels like the whole story is outlined, but the decision was made to start with a brief teaser with not even a cliffhanger, but instead a passive caesura.

kwerle's review against another edition

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3.0

If I read this book before the rest of the series was out, I'd've been pissed (2 stars). At just under 300 pages, this is half a book. We've been well introduced to the main characters - but not the villain[s]. There's been some action, but absolutely no conclusions.

But it was a joy to read. And it was about half the cost of a full book. So 3 stars. Maybe I'll come back and give it 4 once I've read the next N books.

thatscotguy's review against another edition

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5.0

Give me the next book NOW!!!!!! This book was awesome but that ending...well...aaarrrggghhhh.

olis2024's review against another edition

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3.0

I love the very much the manner in which Marko kloos communicates with his readers and the subject matters. this book should come with a disclaimer that the book never has a proper ending its not even an open ending book it just a 'to be continued' which surprised me and made me reduce the stars.

maria_pulver's review against another edition

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4.0

Very strong 4!
A seemingly military sci-fi with a very detailed world-building introduced to the reader five years after the system-wide war as seen through the eyes of a loosing side POW, a ship captain on patrol duty, a sergeant of the winning side helping to police the occupied planet, a young top executive joining the management of her family’s company.
As a first book in the series it does a vey good job of welcoming the reader into this world of multiple systems that has only enjoyed a few years of peace. And now this peace is even more fragile then before. How the different characters are connected and who are the villains? By the end of the book we have very little information about it and the plot is not resolved.
I’d say that the major drawback of the book is that lack of information - too much remains hidden and leaves this tiny feeling of disappointment.
The next book is due in couple of weeks and I can’t wait to read it.

leonas_library's review against another edition

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4.0

I really enjoyed this book. You are following several POVs in a world 5 years after the end of a space war. However, things are no longer as peaceful as they seem. I liked how the different POVs were from characters on both sides of the war and what it's been like co-existing with each other. I will definitely be continuing this series.

bodehoover's review against another edition

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4.0

I enjoyed all of the world building. There was much less action than there normally is in sci fi books so this was a nice change of pace. Future books were set up really well.

shc's review against another edition

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4.0

I've become wary of trilogies, sometimes the germinal idea can't fill three books so there's lots of fluff, sometimes the author doesn't seem to want to wrap things up so just stops -- but this is a good yarn. Not a coming-of-age story, to my delight (but there's a good twist on the reluctant-princesa trope), the characters have lived some and carry baggage.

Speed and acceleration sometimes get confused, but good depictions of both shipboard life and infantry ops. No sex that I noticed.