storieswithsoul's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting collection of short stories. If you like sci-fiction then you will definitely like this book. I enjoyed all the stories although some were better than the others. My favorites are All These Bodies by p. K. Tyler and Black Site by Micheal P. Hicks. Rest of the stories are also very good. Some stories were very thought provoking. They provide a unique perspective to the future. A very interesting collection indeed.
si0bhan's review against another edition
3.0
Time for one of those lengthy pieces of honesty I sometimes start my reviews with – but don’t worry, I will get to the review shortly!
Okay, so I’m not entirely sure how I came to have this. I have been downloading far too many free books as of late, and through this I have ended up subscribed to a number of author’s email updates. There are but a handful I can recall actually clicking the ‘join’ button with. Nevertheless, unless the emails are exceptionally annoying, I have kept my subscription. One such subscription is PK Tyler (that’s right guys, one of the authors in this anthology). Their emails were interesting enough to keep me around, and they weren’t bombarding my inbox fifty times a day. All was good.
Then things got better.
One day I opened up my email to find a disheartening message regarding their advance read team. It turns out they hadn’t been reviewing like they should have been. Thus, a new team was being created. As I was actively interacting with the emails I was receiving, I was automatically added to the advance read team. Now, I would like to admit I have yet to read any of PK Tyler’s books. My to-read list is longer than my read list, with my subdivision of ‘to-read owned’ approaching the one thousand books mark. Due to this, I often find myself reading authors I know and love. However, I’m always more than happy to give a new author a try – and when things are advance reads I make sure I read them when I get the chance.
So it was, I jumped into this anthology.
I admit, it took me longer to read than I had hoped for. However, this has nothing to do with the stories – it is all to do with me. I decided to start reading during a busy period, during the dreaded exam period. It’s never the wisest of moves. Thus, it took me a while to get through these ones. But they were more than worth it.
Some of the stories were better than others, but all were deserving of at least a three star rating. In fact, the average was three stars, but there were some four stars within the collection. What was really amazing, though, was the variety within the stories. They all went in completely different directions after being given the word ‘clones’, each creating something unique.
All stories are well written. All stories are worth reading. Hell, I’m going to go on and look for more by these authors, as they are all more than worth reading.
Give it a read – you won’t regret it!
Okay, so I’m not entirely sure how I came to have this. I have been downloading far too many free books as of late, and through this I have ended up subscribed to a number of author’s email updates. There are but a handful I can recall actually clicking the ‘join’ button with. Nevertheless, unless the emails are exceptionally annoying, I have kept my subscription. One such subscription is PK Tyler (that’s right guys, one of the authors in this anthology). Their emails were interesting enough to keep me around, and they weren’t bombarding my inbox fifty times a day. All was good.
Then things got better.
One day I opened up my email to find a disheartening message regarding their advance read team. It turns out they hadn’t been reviewing like they should have been. Thus, a new team was being created. As I was actively interacting with the emails I was receiving, I was automatically added to the advance read team. Now, I would like to admit I have yet to read any of PK Tyler’s books. My to-read list is longer than my read list, with my subdivision of ‘to-read owned’ approaching the one thousand books mark. Due to this, I often find myself reading authors I know and love. However, I’m always more than happy to give a new author a try – and when things are advance reads I make sure I read them when I get the chance.
So it was, I jumped into this anthology.
I admit, it took me longer to read than I had hoped for. However, this has nothing to do with the stories – it is all to do with me. I decided to start reading during a busy period, during the dreaded exam period. It’s never the wisest of moves. Thus, it took me a while to get through these ones. But they were more than worth it.
Some of the stories were better than others, but all were deserving of at least a three star rating. In fact, the average was three stars, but there were some four stars within the collection. What was really amazing, though, was the variety within the stories. They all went in completely different directions after being given the word ‘clones’, each creating something unique.
All stories are well written. All stories are worth reading. Hell, I’m going to go on and look for more by these authors, as they are all more than worth reading.
Give it a read – you won’t regret it!
ltg584's review
5.0
I will update the review as I slowly get through the various stories.
5 STARS: I obviously went for Awakening by [a:Susan Kaye Quinn|4094557|Susan Kaye Quinn|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1277246178p2/4094557.jpg] first. She's a personal favorite of mine. ;) Plus, knowing that it takes place in the Singularity universe ([b:The Legacy Human|25223919|The Legacy Human (Singularity #1)|Susan Kaye Quinn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1427389810s/25223919.jpg|44578929]), I may have gotten a little giddy.
Creative? Without a doubt! Each of the short stories from the Singularity series have all been loosely linked together, though usually don't contain overlapping characters. They simultaneously offer a unique view of the same world. Now I'm doubly excited to read the third book! I hope all these new characters play a part!
The story can be read as a standalone, but it would be greatly expanded by reading the first two books first. There are brief hints at the overall plot, but nothing that would be frustrating for first-time readers.
Admittedly, this story was a little heartbreaking. Sister Amara's world is unbelievably small. She's part prisoner, part science experiment, trapped in an Ascender facility with her sister clones. The cold injustice of how they are treated is gripping. I spent the whole book looking for a way out for the sisters.
4 STARS: The Replacement Husband by [a:Nathan M. Beauchamp|8405810|Nathan M. Beauchamp|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1463516484p2/8405810.jpg] - This was a new author for me. I definitely enjoyed the writing style, though a little predictable.
Jasmine's husband has died in an accident, but his clone will have almost all the same memories. Cloning humans isn't a new concept, but I felt like Beauchamp was able to give it a unique spin. I wish this one was longer! Definitely an author I'll have to watch out for.
4.5 STARS: Next up was All These Bodies by [a:P.K. Tyler|14678447|P.K. Tyler|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1448410086p2/14678447.jpg]. I have read a few short stories by P.K. Tyler before, and have always been pleasantly surprised. Or rather not surprised? Because now I have high expectations of her! She has yet to disappoint. :P
The best thing about All These Bodies is that it leads into her upcoming novel! YAY! I will most definitely be following this one into the rest of the story. Parts of it were a little vague, leaving me wondering about alien species and interstellar travel, but that only whet my appetite for more! It's the creepiest of the bunch so far, and it's pulling me further into the anthology...
3 STARS: Eve's Children by [a:Hank Garner|7922481|Hank Garner|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1421182269p2/7922481.jpg]. I felt like there was a much larger story looming in the shadows, and I really wish I could catch more of a glimpse. The clones theme was largely hinted at, but if I were to read this story out of context, I would have lost the story's meaning.
4 STARS: Black Site by [a:Michael Patrick Hicks|7909523|Michael Patrick Hicks|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1402922716p2/7909523.jpg]. Gross. Sooooo deliciously gross. The graphic descriptions are exactly what I needed to get the complete imagery of this story. I'm gonna slap a mature audience warning on this one. Much darker than the other stories so far.
4 STARS: Like No Other by [a:Daniel Arthur Smith|6893816|Daniel Arthur Smith|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1410184442p2/6893816.jpg]. This one almost managed to slip past me, and it wasn't until I looked back over the Contents that I noticed this poor story back at the beginning. And I'm so glad I went back for it! Like No Other is told from the perspective of a young girl, living in a world where genetic manipulation and cloning are everyday occurrences. Though it may be commonplace, the science is not accepted by all.
The story held a certain innocence, in that a child can not possibly grasp the full meaning, and the reasons for what is happening. The author captured that innocence perfectly. We are never given the little girl's name, which holds a very powerful message about identity. I really wish there was more to this story, or at least some kind of epilogue, to give me a wider view of the world and a possible happy, if not satisfying, outcome.
4.5 STARS: Fahrenheit 1451 by [a:Samuel Peralta|4210465|Samuel Peralta|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1442521426p2/4210465.jpg]. Two words: Too. Short. I absolutely loved the author's writing style, and I was pulled in by the teasing plot. But that's the problem! I was pulled in! And then I wasn't given enough! GAH! The ending was so abrupt, it felt like running full-tilt into a brick wall. There's nothing left for me to do but shake it off... and beg the author to tell me more.
4 STARS: B.E.G.I.N. by [a:R.D. Brady|7127850|R.D. Brady|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1371045586p2/7127850.jpg]. This one was a lot more centered around the military than the previous stories. It was an intense viewpoint to take, and the politics behind cloning are undoubtedly realistic, though fictitious. In fact, there was a large amount of fact put into the story, and it was obvious that some serious author research happened. Very excited to read the sequel, A.L.I.V.E.
5 STARS: Splinter by [a:Rysa Walker|6581077|Rysa Walker|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1457717313p2/6581077.jpg]: Woooo! I think I may have found a new favorite author! This isn't about clones in the traditional sense, but it involves time travel!! Notoriously difficult to keep timelines and paradoxes in line, Rysa has managed to create a unique set of time travel rules that, quite simply, blew my mind! There is zero chance of me not digging into her Chronos series to get the rest of that story!!
2 STARS: The Vandal by [a:Joshua Ingle|15072519|Joshua Ingle|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1463493366p2/15072519.jpg]: I'm sorry to say this wasn't my favorite. It's a very deep discussion between a husband and wife, arguing nurture vs. nature. Chase and Alice are woken up in the middle of the night by an intruder, who happens to be Chase's younger clone. They then get into a dispute over what to do with said intruder. Chase argues that his clone has only become a criminal because of how he was raised, and that his decisions are therefore not entirely his own. Can he be held to blame for his actions?
4 STARS: Confessional by [a:Daniel Arthur Smith|6893816|Daniel Arthur Smith|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1410184442p2/6893816.jpg]: This one was unique, even among all of the other original stories in this collection. Confessional is told in three parts, spread out through the book, and each scene is over all too soon. My curiosity is most definitely piqued, and I would love to know more... but at the same time, I'm enjoying coming up with the backstory surrounding these brief glimpses.
5 STARS: I obviously went for Awakening by [a:Susan Kaye Quinn|4094557|Susan Kaye Quinn|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1277246178p2/4094557.jpg] first. She's a personal favorite of mine. ;) Plus, knowing that it takes place in the Singularity universe ([b:The Legacy Human|25223919|The Legacy Human (Singularity #1)|Susan Kaye Quinn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1427389810s/25223919.jpg|44578929]), I may have gotten a little giddy.
Creative? Without a doubt! Each of the short stories from the Singularity series have all been loosely linked together, though usually don't contain overlapping characters. They simultaneously offer a unique view of the same world. Now I'm doubly excited to read the third book! I hope all these new characters play a part!
The story can be read as a standalone, but it would be greatly expanded by reading the first two books first. There are brief hints at the overall plot, but nothing that would be frustrating for first-time readers.
Admittedly, this story was a little heartbreaking. Sister Amara's world is unbelievably small. She's part prisoner, part science experiment, trapped in an Ascender facility with her sister clones. The cold injustice of how they are treated is gripping. I spent the whole book looking for a way out for the sisters.
4 STARS: The Replacement Husband by [a:Nathan M. Beauchamp|8405810|Nathan M. Beauchamp|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1463516484p2/8405810.jpg] - This was a new author for me. I definitely enjoyed the writing style, though a little predictable.
Jasmine's husband has died in an accident, but his clone will have almost all the same memories. Cloning humans isn't a new concept, but I felt like Beauchamp was able to give it a unique spin. I wish this one was longer! Definitely an author I'll have to watch out for.
4.5 STARS: Next up was All These Bodies by [a:P.K. Tyler|14678447|P.K. Tyler|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1448410086p2/14678447.jpg]. I have read a few short stories by P.K. Tyler before, and have always been pleasantly surprised. Or rather not surprised? Because now I have high expectations of her! She has yet to disappoint. :P
The best thing about All These Bodies is that it leads into her upcoming novel! YAY! I will most definitely be following this one into the rest of the story. Parts of it were a little vague, leaving me wondering about alien species and interstellar travel, but that only whet my appetite for more! It's the creepiest of the bunch so far, and it's pulling me further into the anthology...
3 STARS: Eve's Children by [a:Hank Garner|7922481|Hank Garner|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1421182269p2/7922481.jpg]. I felt like there was a much larger story looming in the shadows, and I really wish I could catch more of a glimpse. The clones theme was largely hinted at, but if I were to read this story out of context, I would have lost the story's meaning.
4 STARS: Black Site by [a:Michael Patrick Hicks|7909523|Michael Patrick Hicks|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1402922716p2/7909523.jpg]. Gross. Sooooo deliciously gross. The graphic descriptions are exactly what I needed to get the complete imagery of this story. I'm gonna slap a mature audience warning on this one. Much darker than the other stories so far.
4 STARS: Like No Other by [a:Daniel Arthur Smith|6893816|Daniel Arthur Smith|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1410184442p2/6893816.jpg]. This one almost managed to slip past me, and it wasn't until I looked back over the Contents that I noticed this poor story back at the beginning. And I'm so glad I went back for it! Like No Other is told from the perspective of a young girl, living in a world where genetic manipulation and cloning are everyday occurrences. Though it may be commonplace, the science is not accepted by all.
The story held a certain innocence, in that a child can not possibly grasp the full meaning, and the reasons for what is happening. The author captured that innocence perfectly. We are never given the little girl's name, which holds a very powerful message about identity. I really wish there was more to this story, or at least some kind of epilogue, to give me a wider view of the world and a possible happy, if not satisfying, outcome.
4.5 STARS: Fahrenheit 1451 by [a:Samuel Peralta|4210465|Samuel Peralta|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1442521426p2/4210465.jpg]. Two words: Too. Short. I absolutely loved the author's writing style, and I was pulled in by the teasing plot. But that's the problem! I was pulled in! And then I wasn't given enough! GAH! The ending was so abrupt, it felt like running full-tilt into a brick wall. There's nothing left for me to do but shake it off... and beg the author to tell me more.
4 STARS: B.E.G.I.N. by [a:R.D. Brady|7127850|R.D. Brady|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1371045586p2/7127850.jpg]. This one was a lot more centered around the military than the previous stories. It was an intense viewpoint to take, and the politics behind cloning are undoubtedly realistic, though fictitious. In fact, there was a large amount of fact put into the story, and it was obvious that some serious author research happened. Very excited to read the sequel, A.L.I.V.E.
5 STARS: Splinter by [a:Rysa Walker|6581077|Rysa Walker|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1457717313p2/6581077.jpg]: Woooo! I think I may have found a new favorite author! This isn't about clones in the traditional sense, but it involves time travel!! Notoriously difficult to keep timelines and paradoxes in line, Rysa has managed to create a unique set of time travel rules that, quite simply, blew my mind! There is zero chance of me not digging into her Chronos series to get the rest of that story!!
2 STARS: The Vandal by [a:Joshua Ingle|15072519|Joshua Ingle|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1463493366p2/15072519.jpg]: I'm sorry to say this wasn't my favorite. It's a very deep discussion between a husband and wife, arguing nurture vs. nature. Chase and Alice are woken up in the middle of the night by an intruder, who happens to be Chase's younger clone. They then get into a dispute over what to do with said intruder. Chase argues that his clone has only become a criminal because of how he was raised, and that his decisions are therefore not entirely his own. Can he be held to blame for his actions?
4 STARS: Confessional by [a:Daniel Arthur Smith|6893816|Daniel Arthur Smith|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1410184442p2/6893816.jpg]: This one was unique, even among all of the other original stories in this collection. Confessional is told in three parts, spread out through the book, and each scene is over all too soon. My curiosity is most definitely piqued, and I would love to know more... but at the same time, I'm enjoying coming up with the backstory surrounding these brief glimpses.
laffingkat's review
4.0
This anthology was really well done, though the stories were darker than what I generally prefer to read, and some were quite violent. Doesn't anyone write hopeful, optimistic scifi anymore? Apparently not, at least not when clones are the topic. That's the only reason I couldn't rate this higher than a 4, because I found the stories intriguing and well-written, and I don't recall any typos or other editorial problems.
I definitely enjoyed some of the stories more than others. I didn't hate any of them, but some were a bit too dark for me, and some were too predictable. Michael Patrick Hicks' somewhat Lovecraftian "Black Site" was clever, but too gory for me. I still feel a bit queasy thinking about it! The stories that surprised me the most were "Awakening" by Susan Kaye Quinn and "All These Bodies" by P.K. Tyler. I also enjoyed the philosophical questions brought up in Joshua Ingle's "The Vandal."
If you're really sensitive to violence, you should probably give this a pass. Otherwise, if you enjoy scifi and perhaps the occasional horror story, give it a chance. I suspect you'll like at least some of the stories.
Note that I received a free copy of the book from one of the authors in exchange for an honest review.
I definitely enjoyed some of the stories more than others. I didn't hate any of them, but some were a bit too dark for me, and some were too predictable. Michael Patrick Hicks' somewhat Lovecraftian "Black Site" was clever, but too gory for me. I still feel a bit queasy thinking about it! The stories that surprised me the most were "Awakening" by Susan Kaye Quinn and "All These Bodies" by P.K. Tyler. I also enjoyed the philosophical questions brought up in Joshua Ingle's "The Vandal."
If you're really sensitive to violence, you should probably give this a pass. Otherwise, if you enjoy scifi and perhaps the occasional horror story, give it a chance. I suspect you'll like at least some of the stories.
Note that I received a free copy of the book from one of the authors in exchange for an honest review.
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