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Dire Earth Cycle #1
The Darwin Elevator
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Science Fiction (2013)In the mid-23rd century, Darwin, Australia, stands as the last human city on Earth. The world has succumbed to an alien plague, with most of the population transformed into mindless, savage creatures. The planet’s refugees flock to Darwin, where a space elevator—created by the architects of this apocalypse, the Builders—emits a plague-suppressing aura.
Skyler Luiken has a rare immunity to the plague. Backed by an international crew of fellow “immunes,” he leads missions into the dangerous wasteland beyond the aura’s edge to find the resources Darwin needs to stave off collapse. But when the Elevator starts to malfunction, Skyler is tapped—along with the brilliant scientist, Dr. Tania Sharma—to solve the mystery of the failing alien technology and save the ragged remnants of humanity.
Skyler Luiken has a rare immunity to the plague. Backed by an international crew of fellow “immunes,” he leads missions into the dangerous wasteland beyond the aura’s edge to find the resources Darwin needs to stave off collapse. But when the Elevator starts to malfunction, Skyler is tapped—along with the brilliant scientist, Dr. Tania Sharma—to solve the mystery of the failing alien technology and save the ragged remnants of humanity.
472 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 13, 2013
About the author
Jason M. Hough
25 books558 followersJason M. Hough (pronounced 'Huff') is the New York Times bestselling author of The Dire Earth Cycle and the near-future spy thriller Zero World. In a former life he was a 3D artist, animator, and game designer (Metal Fatigue, Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction, and many others). He has also worked in the fields of high-performance cluster computing and machine learning.
The Darwin Elevator began life in 2008 as a project for National Novel Writing Month. The book released on July 30th, 2013 and reached the New York Times Bestseller list the following week. Darwin was Jason’s first published fiction. The subsequent books in that trilogy were released that same summer, along with a prequel novella, The Dire Earth, in 2014.
Jason's latest novel, Zero World, released on August 18th, 2015 from Del Rey Spectra (US) and Titan Books (AUS/NZ). Publishers Weekly called it “a thrilling action rampage that confirms Hough as an important new voice in genre fiction.”
He lives near Seattle, Washington with his wife, two young sons, and a dog named Missbuster.
The Darwin Elevator began life in 2008 as a project for National Novel Writing Month. The book released on July 30th, 2013 and reached the New York Times Bestseller list the following week. Darwin was Jason’s first published fiction. The subsequent books in that trilogy were released that same summer, along with a prequel novella, The Dire Earth, in 2014.
Jason's latest novel, Zero World, released on August 18th, 2015 from Del Rey Spectra (US) and Titan Books (AUS/NZ). Publishers Weekly called it “a thrilling action rampage that confirms Hough as an important new voice in genre fiction.”
He lives near Seattle, Washington with his wife, two young sons, and a dog named Missbuster.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 642 reviews
October 17, 2016
❣ We are the MacHalos and We can't Resist Books with Machine Gun Wielding Hot Dudes on the Cover Buddy Read (WatMHaWcRBwMGWHDotCBR™) ❣
☠ DNF at 50%. This is the second book in a row I DNF at 50%. I think I've been hexed! HALP!
➽ Serial DNFing Mode (SDM™): going strong.
Okay, I shall be lenient and kind-hearted and stuff, and not pull a I Promise this will be a Cut the Crap Express Crappy Non Review but Ha! You've been Had! I Lied! This one Required several Pit-Stops along the Way Thingie (IPtwbaCtCECNRbHYbHILToRsPSatWt™) on you. Besides, as I've said before: too many DNF reviews to write, too little time to be awesome elsewhere and stuff. You're welcome.
➽ Why did I DNF this thing? Because:
① Err, sorry, can't remember. That's early Alzheimer's for you.
② This was boring? Yeah, I think that's what it was. And the pace was kinda sorta uneven? Yeah, that too. And none of the characters were likeable? Now that you mention it, yes, that might have been the case. Hmm, this really was an enjoyable read, come to think of it.
See? Even my Slightly Cantankerous Cat (SCC™) agrees with me on that one.
③ Kevin Hearne is quoted on the book cover. Uh-oh. Bad omen, my Little Barnacles, bad omen! Here's what Hearne has to say about this fantastic piece of SF literature: A brilliant debut, full of compelling characters and thick with tension. A-ha, sure, absolutely. Yep, this delightfully spot-on comment makes total sense, coming from good old Kevin. I mean, the characters in this book are about as compelling as those in his Iron Druid Chronicles series. Same goes about the tension: thick thick thick in both instances. Oh yeah, I could barely breathe through it all. That's just how THICK the tension was.
What does the rabbit have to do with anything? Believe me, you don't want to know. Oh, and by the way, at least Hearne's series has a cool dog in it. That counts for something, right? Right.
④ This is a total rip-off in terms of Harem Worthy Material (HWM™). I mean, look at the dude on the cover: all hotness and stuff. He's got that I'm Intense Look (IIL™) about him that brings dirty things to mind. Plus he's got a big, bad machine gun ready to fire (please take your little minds off the gutter). And look at those arms! All corded muscles and stuff! So yummy! And I'm pretty sure he has the IQ of a Barnacle (no offense), too, which is always a plus in HWM™(I never said I was looking for Einstein, people. All I want are sex slaves.) Alas, the guy is a total bore. I mean, even Mr Bean is more exciting than Mr Big Dude here. Now that should really tell you something right there.
So bloody HOT. Raging hormones are me.
Hey! The crap cutting is going pretty swell, ain't it not?! So proud of my little self right now! I shall return with the next bullshit-free session ASAP. Although I suspect the crap will not be cut quite as efficiently for that one. Because raging and ranting reasons. So get the snacks and booze ready. This will probably take a while.
PS: this book is about an elevator. In Darwin. Just in case you were wondering. De nada.
☠ DNF at 50%. This is the second book in a row I DNF at 50%. I think I've been hexed! HALP!
➽ Serial DNFing Mode (SDM™): going strong.
Okay, I shall be lenient and kind-hearted and stuff, and not pull a I Promise this will be a Cut the Crap Express Crappy Non Review but Ha! You've been Had! I Lied! This one Required several Pit-Stops along the Way Thingie (IPtwbaCtCECNRbHYbHILToRsPSatWt™) on you. Besides, as I've said before: too many DNF reviews to write, too little time to be awesome elsewhere and stuff. You're welcome.
➽ Why did I DNF this thing? Because:
① Err, sorry, can't remember. That's early Alzheimer's for you.
② This was boring? Yeah, I think that's what it was. And the pace was kinda sorta uneven? Yeah, that too. And none of the characters were likeable? Now that you mention it, yes, that might have been the case. Hmm, this really was an enjoyable read, come to think of it.
See? Even my Slightly Cantankerous Cat (SCC™) agrees with me on that one.
③ Kevin Hearne is quoted on the book cover. Uh-oh. Bad omen, my Little Barnacles, bad omen! Here's what Hearne has to say about this fantastic piece of SF literature: A brilliant debut, full of compelling characters and thick with tension. A-ha, sure, absolutely. Yep, this delightfully spot-on comment makes total sense, coming from good old Kevin. I mean, the characters in this book are about as compelling as those in his Iron Druid Chronicles series. Same goes about the tension: thick thick thick in both instances. Oh yeah, I could barely breathe through it all. That's just how THICK the tension was.
What does the rabbit have to do with anything? Believe me, you don't want to know. Oh, and by the way, at least Hearne's series has a cool dog in it. That counts for something, right? Right.
④ This is a total rip-off in terms of Harem Worthy Material (HWM™). I mean, look at the dude on the cover: all hotness and stuff. He's got that I'm Intense Look (IIL™) about him that brings dirty things to mind. Plus he's got a big, bad machine gun ready to fire (please take your little minds off the gutter). And look at those arms! All corded muscles and stuff! So yummy! And I'm pretty sure he has the IQ of a Barnacle (no offense), too, which is always a plus in HWM™
So bloody HOT. Raging hormones are me.
Hey! The crap cutting is going pretty swell, ain't it not?! So proud of my little self right now! I shall return with the next bullshit-free session ASAP. Although I suspect the crap will not be cut quite as efficiently for that one. Because raging and ranting reasons. So get the snacks and booze ready. This will probably take a while.
PS: this book is about an elevator. In Darwin. Just in case you were wondering. De nada.
May 22, 2013
CAUTION: minor spoilers
The only thing that kept me invested in the book was the plot. The one character I rooted for died at the end. The other two characters that I liked were purely supporting characters; combined they contributed to less than 10% of the book. Everyone else was unremarkable and nettling. Let’s just say I was a little surprised and greatly disappointed that a few of those characters were still alive by the end of the book.
+ the world building
Good news first, the science fiction was accessible. It didn’t take but a few chapters for me to understand the world building, and I was only passively reading. Whenever the book introduced a new thing, it immediately and succinctly explained what that thing was.
Now for the bad news: I found part of the world building shaky. To be specific, I found it very hard to believe that the immunes were near the bottom of society hierarchy and not at the top. As the very few, lucky people who were immune against the apocalyptic alien disease, hence the name, they could live, travel, and, most importantly, scavenge outside of the bubble city. The normal people, a.k.a. the non-immunes, needed the immunes way more than the immunes needed them. However, the immunes were greatly and inexplicably more underprivileged than the wealthy and powerful who were non-immunes. It made little sense. The immunes had all the potential to be the wealthy and the powerful, yet they were only a little better off than the masses.
In short, the world building positioned immunes as the underdogs, and I couldn’t accept that bullshit.
+ the characters
I also couldn’t accept Skyler as a protagonist. He was utterly lacking. The book tried to portray him as self-deprecating but it just came off as low self-esteem to me. It vexed me that for someone who was an immune and a natural leader, he was not a person of power and couldn’t be more disinterested. I didn’t like how Blackfield pushed Skylar around when in my belief it should have been the other way around.
Blackfield was a one-note villain, a thug boss whose ambitions greatly surpassed his wits. I don’t know how the dude stayed alive for such a long time. Hell, I was very surprised that he survived at the end because indications led me to believe that the dude would perish by middle of the story or, if he was lucky, by the last quarter of the story. Lo and behold, he turned out to be the main villain, and I was greatly disappointed that our heroes didn’t successfully eliminate the dirtbag.
Neil was my favorite character, the one I rooted for, because he was a person of power and didn’t hesitate to do what needed to be done, even if some of those things were ethically sketchy and for his own interests. There were times when it looked like the old dude was the main villain but I was never convinced that he was because the things that he did sat right with me. He was the only one who realized that the apocalypse was perhaps the beginning and part of something bigger, and goddamn it he would prepare for it, even if he had to start a civil war, though in his defense it was bound to happen anyway because of Blackfield and Russell. I was very surprised that at the end it was Neil, the manipulative mastermind, who died and not Blackfield.
Another thing that surprised me was how Tania remained wholesomely intact and stepped up to fill Neil’s place at the end after he died because for near entirety of the story the woman was a complete damsel in distress. Tania was a beautiful smart scientist and one of the few people that Neil trusted and allowed in the know. However, the woman was head-banging fragile and gullible. It was as if she was walking around with a paper stuck on her back that say “Manipulate me. Victimize me. Make me your pawn!” Oh look, here comes Skyler taking an interest and becoming her white knight in shining armor. Suffice to say, I didn’t like Tania. By the time character growth decided to wave its wand on her like a fairy godmother, it was too late for me to care, that is I couldn’t care less about her fate. If anything, the story would have done me a favor if Tania was done away and Kelly or Samantha would step in as the leading lady of the story.
Kelly was Neil’s right-hand woman, his go-to fixer, while Samantha was Skyler’s. The two ladies were the definition of kickass bitches, and I love them! I was disappointed that they were not given a greater role and not part of the multiple third person POVs the story was told in. No, those POVs, except Neil’s, went to weak ass characters.
+ the plot
The plot was told in multiple 3rd person POVs, limited to less than a handful of characters with Skyler as the predominant POV. While I strongly prefer exclusive 1st person POV, the shifting 3rd person POVs worked to the story’s favor because it minimized my vexation against the characters I didn’t like.
Due the shifting 3rd person POVs, I expected to suffer disjointed plot lines for a chunk of the book but to my pleasure I was wrong. The plot lines from each of the characters started to converge from the get-go. It took me almost no time to discern the relationship between the characters and their relevancy.
The plot was always in motion, and more importantly it ran with a clear goal. I did skim a few pages towards the end but it was only because I ran out of patience with certain characters and not because I was bored. The plot regularly tossed action scenes and in its down time, clandestine scenes were afoot.
In Conclusion
I rate The Darwin Elevator 2-stars for it was okay. I liked the plot but I prefer strong characters over a strong plot, though honestly a good book should have both. The book did excite me enough to read the sequel.
If you’re looking for a post-apocalyptic fiction that is heavy on the science fiction part, rather than the survival part, and takes place outside of America, try The Darwin Elevator, which takes place half in Australia and half in space for its main settings.
The only thing that kept me invested in the book was the plot. The one character I rooted for died at the end. The other two characters that I liked were purely supporting characters; combined they contributed to less than 10% of the book. Everyone else was unremarkable and nettling. Let’s just say I was a little surprised and greatly disappointed that a few of those characters were still alive by the end of the book.
+ the world building
Good news first, the science fiction was accessible. It didn’t take but a few chapters for me to understand the world building, and I was only passively reading. Whenever the book introduced a new thing, it immediately and succinctly explained what that thing was.
Now for the bad news: I found part of the world building shaky. To be specific, I found it very hard to believe that the immunes were near the bottom of society hierarchy and not at the top. As the very few, lucky people who were immune against the apocalyptic alien disease, hence the name, they could live, travel, and, most importantly, scavenge outside of the bubble city. The normal people, a.k.a. the non-immunes, needed the immunes way more than the immunes needed them. However, the immunes were greatly and inexplicably more underprivileged than the wealthy and powerful who were non-immunes. It made little sense. The immunes had all the potential to be the wealthy and the powerful, yet they were only a little better off than the masses.
In short, the world building positioned immunes as the underdogs, and I couldn’t accept that bullshit.
+ the characters
I also couldn’t accept Skyler as a protagonist. He was utterly lacking. The book tried to portray him as self-deprecating but it just came off as low self-esteem to me. It vexed me that for someone who was an immune and a natural leader, he was not a person of power and couldn’t be more disinterested. I didn’t like how Blackfield pushed Skylar around when in my belief it should have been the other way around.
Blackfield was a one-note villain, a thug boss whose ambitions greatly surpassed his wits. I don’t know how the dude stayed alive for such a long time. Hell, I was very surprised that he survived at the end because indications led me to believe that the dude would perish by middle of the story or, if he was lucky, by the last quarter of the story. Lo and behold, he turned out to be the main villain, and I was greatly disappointed that our heroes didn’t successfully eliminate the dirtbag.
Neil was my favorite character, the one I rooted for, because he was a person of power and didn’t hesitate to do what needed to be done, even if some of those things were ethically sketchy and for his own interests. There were times when it looked like the old dude was the main villain but I was never convinced that he was because the things that he did sat right with me. He was the only one who realized that the apocalypse was perhaps the beginning and part of something bigger, and goddamn it he would prepare for it, even if he had to start a civil war, though in his defense it was bound to happen anyway because of Blackfield and Russell. I was very surprised that at the end it was Neil, the manipulative mastermind, who died and not Blackfield.
Another thing that surprised me was how Tania remained wholesomely intact and stepped up to fill Neil’s place at the end after he died because for near entirety of the story the woman was a complete damsel in distress. Tania was a beautiful smart scientist and one of the few people that Neil trusted and allowed in the know. However, the woman was head-banging fragile and gullible. It was as if she was walking around with a paper stuck on her back that say “Manipulate me. Victimize me. Make me your pawn!” Oh look, here comes Skyler taking an interest and becoming her white knight in shining armor. Suffice to say, I didn’t like Tania. By the time character growth decided to wave its wand on her like a fairy godmother, it was too late for me to care, that is I couldn’t care less about her fate. If anything, the story would have done me a favor if Tania was done away and Kelly or Samantha would step in as the leading lady of the story.
Kelly was Neil’s right-hand woman, his go-to fixer, while Samantha was Skyler’s. The two ladies were the definition of kickass bitches, and I love them! I was disappointed that they were not given a greater role and not part of the multiple third person POVs the story was told in. No, those POVs, except Neil’s, went to weak ass characters.
+ the plot
The plot was told in multiple 3rd person POVs, limited to less than a handful of characters with Skyler as the predominant POV. While I strongly prefer exclusive 1st person POV, the shifting 3rd person POVs worked to the story’s favor because it minimized my vexation against the characters I didn’t like.
Due the shifting 3rd person POVs, I expected to suffer disjointed plot lines for a chunk of the book but to my pleasure I was wrong. The plot lines from each of the characters started to converge from the get-go. It took me almost no time to discern the relationship between the characters and their relevancy.
The plot was always in motion, and more importantly it ran with a clear goal. I did skim a few pages towards the end but it was only because I ran out of patience with certain characters and not because I was bored. The plot regularly tossed action scenes and in its down time, clandestine scenes were afoot.
In Conclusion
I rate The Darwin Elevator 2-stars for it was okay. I liked the plot but I prefer strong characters over a strong plot, though honestly a good book should have both. The book did excite me enough to read the sequel.
If you’re looking for a post-apocalyptic fiction that is heavy on the science fiction part, rather than the survival part, and takes place outside of America, try The Darwin Elevator, which takes place half in Australia and half in space for its main settings.
June 27, 2016
I immediately purchased this audio book after I finished Zero World. I loved Zero World so much and wanted to read (or listen to) something else by Jason M. Hough straight away! I heard great things about this series and wanted to delve straight in. While I did not quite enjoy it as much as Zero World, it certainly did not disappoint!
Over 200 years from now, an alien plague has taken over the earth and it is in ruin. All except Darwin, Australia of all places. Darwin was saved because a few years before the plague hit, an alien space ship arrived and put an elevator up into space. On the ground it emits a "aura" keeping all who reside in this area free from the symptoms of the disease. While outside the aura, the disease leaves humans in an angry "kill everyone they come across" state. But the elevator has started malfunctioning. Its up to Skylar, the leader of a scavenger group who are all mysteriously immune to the alien disease, to save the remainder of humanity.
I just thought this was such an interesting and original concept. And set in Darwin! Awesome! I really enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere of humanity striving to survive. I loved the politics and power plays, and thought the elevator and the aliens were just awesome. I was hooked!
Thought the characters were all fantastic, I loved the bad guys in this! They were horrible, in a good way! Skylar and Tania were awesome and there were so many awesome secondary characters!
There were a few slow parts and a lot of detail at times, but overall I really enjoyed the writing. The narrator was great, and the audio version was fabulous. I did get a bit annoyed with the narrators attempt at Australian accents, however I was able to let this slide as I got used to it!
There were twists and turns, deceit and deception, and a touch of romance. Unfortunately just a touch mind you. I am super excited to read (or listen to, I haven't decided which yet) the next one! I really want to know what happens with the characters and those darn aliens!
Would I recommend The Darwin Elevator?
Yes for any sci-fi fan or any fan of dystopian/apocalyptic/futuristic books. Well worth the read!
For more reviews check out my blog
www.booksbabiesbeing.com
Facebook
www.facebook.com/booksbabiesbeing
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www.twitter.com/BBB_Mel
Over 200 years from now, an alien plague has taken over the earth and it is in ruin. All except Darwin, Australia of all places. Darwin was saved because a few years before the plague hit, an alien space ship arrived and put an elevator up into space. On the ground it emits a "aura" keeping all who reside in this area free from the symptoms of the disease. While outside the aura, the disease leaves humans in an angry "kill everyone they come across" state. But the elevator has started malfunctioning. Its up to Skylar, the leader of a scavenger group who are all mysteriously immune to the alien disease, to save the remainder of humanity.
I just thought this was such an interesting and original concept. And set in Darwin! Awesome! I really enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere of humanity striving to survive. I loved the politics and power plays, and thought the elevator and the aliens were just awesome. I was hooked!
Thought the characters were all fantastic, I loved the bad guys in this! They were horrible, in a good way! Skylar and Tania were awesome and there were so many awesome secondary characters!
There were a few slow parts and a lot of detail at times, but overall I really enjoyed the writing. The narrator was great, and the audio version was fabulous. I did get a bit annoyed with the narrators attempt at Australian accents, however I was able to let this slide as I got used to it!
There were twists and turns, deceit and deception, and a touch of romance. Unfortunately just a touch mind you. I am super excited to read (or listen to, I haven't decided which yet) the next one! I really want to know what happens with the characters and those darn aliens!
Would I recommend The Darwin Elevator?
Yes for any sci-fi fan or any fan of dystopian/apocalyptic/futuristic books. Well worth the read!
For more reviews check out my blog
www.booksbabiesbeing.com
www.facebook.com/booksbabiesbeing
www.twitter.com/BBB_Mel
March 19, 2013
The pace kept me furiously turning pages till nearly 3am. For a Mama whose bed time is shortly after the babies are put to bed, only an engrossing read can do that. Wishing that the ARC for book 2 was already available.
Disclaimer: Author is my husband, but I'm not usually a SciFi fan and I couldn't put it down
Disclaimer: Author is my husband, but I'm not usually a SciFi fan and I couldn't put it down
September 25, 2013
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.
July 30, 2013
Update: my interview with the author about his book, writing process, nanowrimo... http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
Wow, what a pleasant surprise this was. My thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with an e-ARC of The Darwin Elevator in exchange for an honest review. Loved this book! I don't think I've had this much fun with a new sci-fi novel since James S.A. Corey's Leviathan Wakes.
The book takes place in mid-23rd century Darwin, Australia. The city is home to the last bastion of humanity, thanks to an alien plague that's wiped out most of the planet, turning its victims into mindless, savage "subhumans" or "SUBS". The unknown aliens were also responsible for the presence of a giant space elevator that keeps Darwin enveloped in an invisible plague-suppressing Aura. So too, one other effect of the great Darwin Elevator is a clear division of classes, with the privileged "Orbitals" living high up on one end of it, and the less fortunate masses living down below.
Skyler is the head of one of the many scavenger teams that operate out of Darwin, but he and his specially handpicked crew have the distinct advantage of being immune to the plague, allowing them to travel beyond the Aura without the aid of vac-suits or fear of infection. Their immunity, however, does not protect them against the violence of the infected, so it is disconcerting to all when the elevator begins to experience power instabilities, and even worse -- cases of SUBS are being reported within the Aura, which everyone had thought was too secure to ever fail. Amidst conspiracies and the rising class tensions, Skyler is unwittingly pulled into a conflict whose result could determine the fate of humanity.
With all the talk of aliens, I first thought I should be settling in for a rollicking space opera, but as it turns out, the story is mostly all earthbound (for now, at least). Despite that, the book still has all the good stuff, just without the space. It's intense. It's dramatic. It's sweeping. And most important of all, it's fun. Throw in plenty of action and adventure and also some of that post-apocalyptic goodness, and you have this book. The descriptions of the abandoned, desolate and crumbling landscapes outside the Aura put me in mind of games like the Fallout series, just without the radioactivity. You really get the feeling like a subhuman can jump out and attack at any second. It's fantastic.
Another thing that made me like this book so much was the pacing of the story, the way it teased me into these "not-quite-there" action-suspense sequences at the beginning (that almost got me all frustrated!) before coming down seriously hard with the gun-fighting and battle scenes for real. Basically, things really heat up around the midway point, and they don't slow down from there.
For a sci-fi novel, this book was also very easy to follow. Even with all the advanced science fiction elements and alien technology, it wasn't hard for me to grasp the concepts and picture the descriptions in my head. I'm always a fan of books that can do this without bogging the story down with all the techno-lingo. Thanks to very natural and sometimes humorous dialogue, the characters are also very likeable, and even the disgusting perverted pig of an antagonist is someone you'll love to hate.
All in all, just a really impressive debut. I really wish I'd gotten to this sooner. Can't wait to find out what happens in the next book, Jason M. Hough is going straight onto my list of new science fiction authors to watch.
Note: Just found out that The Darwin Elevator started life out as a NaNoWriMo project! Even more cool!
Wow, what a pleasant surprise this was. My thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with an e-ARC of The Darwin Elevator in exchange for an honest review. Loved this book! I don't think I've had this much fun with a new sci-fi novel since James S.A. Corey's Leviathan Wakes.
The book takes place in mid-23rd century Darwin, Australia. The city is home to the last bastion of humanity, thanks to an alien plague that's wiped out most of the planet, turning its victims into mindless, savage "subhumans" or "SUBS". The unknown aliens were also responsible for the presence of a giant space elevator that keeps Darwin enveloped in an invisible plague-suppressing Aura. So too, one other effect of the great Darwin Elevator is a clear division of classes, with the privileged "Orbitals" living high up on one end of it, and the less fortunate masses living down below.
Skyler is the head of one of the many scavenger teams that operate out of Darwin, but he and his specially handpicked crew have the distinct advantage of being immune to the plague, allowing them to travel beyond the Aura without the aid of vac-suits or fear of infection. Their immunity, however, does not protect them against the violence of the infected, so it is disconcerting to all when the elevator begins to experience power instabilities, and even worse -- cases of SUBS are being reported within the Aura, which everyone had thought was too secure to ever fail. Amidst conspiracies and the rising class tensions, Skyler is unwittingly pulled into a conflict whose result could determine the fate of humanity.
With all the talk of aliens, I first thought I should be settling in for a rollicking space opera, but as it turns out, the story is mostly all earthbound (for now, at least). Despite that, the book still has all the good stuff, just without the space. It's intense. It's dramatic. It's sweeping. And most important of all, it's fun. Throw in plenty of action and adventure and also some of that post-apocalyptic goodness, and you have this book. The descriptions of the abandoned, desolate and crumbling landscapes outside the Aura put me in mind of games like the Fallout series, just without the radioactivity. You really get the feeling like a subhuman can jump out and attack at any second. It's fantastic.
Another thing that made me like this book so much was the pacing of the story, the way it teased me into these "not-quite-there" action-suspense sequences at the beginning (that almost got me all frustrated!) before coming down seriously hard with the gun-fighting and battle scenes for real. Basically, things really heat up around the midway point, and they don't slow down from there.
For a sci-fi novel, this book was also very easy to follow. Even with all the advanced science fiction elements and alien technology, it wasn't hard for me to grasp the concepts and picture the descriptions in my head. I'm always a fan of books that can do this without bogging the story down with all the techno-lingo. Thanks to very natural and sometimes humorous dialogue, the characters are also very likeable, and even the disgusting perverted pig of an antagonist is someone you'll love to hate.
All in all, just a really impressive debut. I really wish I'd gotten to this sooner. Can't wait to find out what happens in the next book, Jason M. Hough is going straight onto my list of new science fiction authors to watch.
Note: Just found out that The Darwin Elevator started life out as a NaNoWriMo project! Even more cool!
July 12, 2013
Clear your calendar for this one! Put a Do Not Disturb sign on the door and get ready for one action-packed, fast paced and intriguing read! The Darwin Elevator by Jason Hough is a trip into the future in a post-apocalyptic world decimated by a “virus” delivered by unseen space aliens, who were ‘benevolent’ enough to create a “safe zone” in Darwin, Australia. Few are immune to the virus, those exposed become crazed zombie-like creatures, those not immune must stay within the “aura” of Darwin, which becomes overrun with citizens and short on the basic necessities of life, food, water, clean air. The conflict between those who seek to find a means of survival, those who want absolute power and those who profit off the disaster is brutal. With the world now in total devastation, the answer to “why” this happened has not been found, but someone may have the key to help unlocking this mystery hidden away in a secret vault. Is it time to share what he knows? What secrets has he kept and WHY??? Heroes are often found in the most unlikely places, who will champion humanity?
Jason Hough has created an enthralling world, gritty and dark, terrifyingly realistic and eerily plausible! Why couldn’t there be aliens far superior to humans? He has cleverly left me wondering why this has happened, even as the action and emotional upheaval is going on all around me. I felt as if I was there, as each scene played out on my mental screen, the tension mounting with each page. I became personally invested in what happened to each character as I “listened” to the banter, the arguments, the plotting and scheming and “saw” the horrendous fates some will face. There were times when I needed to ‘split screen’ my brain, because, just like in the real world, things were happening simultaneously in several places! Jason Hough depicted every flaw, every human trait, good or bad, and he allowed heroics to shine through, sparing nothing! I loved this book and MUST see this saga through to the end!
This ARC copy of The Darwin Elevator was given to me by NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey Spectra in exchange for my honest review.
Expected Publication Date: July 30, 2013
Publisher: Del Rey Spectra
Series: Dire Earth Cycle, #1
Paperback: 496 pages
ISBN-10: 0345537122
ISBN-13: 978-0345537126
Rating: 5
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic
Age Recommendation: Adult
Available at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
Jason Hough has created an enthralling world, gritty and dark, terrifyingly realistic and eerily plausible! Why couldn’t there be aliens far superior to humans? He has cleverly left me wondering why this has happened, even as the action and emotional upheaval is going on all around me. I felt as if I was there, as each scene played out on my mental screen, the tension mounting with each page. I became personally invested in what happened to each character as I “listened” to the banter, the arguments, the plotting and scheming and “saw” the horrendous fates some will face. There were times when I needed to ‘split screen’ my brain, because, just like in the real world, things were happening simultaneously in several places! Jason Hough depicted every flaw, every human trait, good or bad, and he allowed heroics to shine through, sparing nothing! I loved this book and MUST see this saga through to the end!
This ARC copy of The Darwin Elevator was given to me by NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey Spectra in exchange for my honest review.
Expected Publication Date: July 30, 2013
Publisher: Del Rey Spectra
Series: Dire Earth Cycle, #1
Paperback: 496 pages
ISBN-10: 0345537122
ISBN-13: 978-0345537126
Rating: 5
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic
Age Recommendation: Adult
Available at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
April 26, 2013
Damn, that book was genius! I'll be pounding on the bookstore door the very day the sequel is released!
Why? It's a refreshingly new take not only on a post-apocalyptic story but it's blended with a unique space adventure! It has a crew of characters that range from tough as nails mercenaries to tender hearted dreamers. The heros aren't perfect, and even though the villain is repulsive, the author somehow makes you see his point of view as well. The story is well paced, allowing moments of action balanced by scenes that slowly develop the overarching story. It reminded me of what I love about the Miles Vorkosigan Adventures as well as John Scalzi's Old Man's War series. This really is a sci fi adventure long over due! Can't wait to read the next!
Why? It's a refreshingly new take not only on a post-apocalyptic story but it's blended with a unique space adventure! It has a crew of characters that range from tough as nails mercenaries to tender hearted dreamers. The heros aren't perfect, and even though the villain is repulsive, the author somehow makes you see his point of view as well. The story is well paced, allowing moments of action balanced by scenes that slowly develop the overarching story. It reminded me of what I love about the Miles Vorkosigan Adventures as well as John Scalzi's Old Man's War series. This really is a sci fi adventure long over due! Can't wait to read the next!
November 13, 2016
This is a difficult one to review. I liked the story and there was a lot of action. But despite all of the action, the plot dragged incredibly. Parts of the story felt forced or not very logical to me.
Some of the characters I liked, some I didn't. They were a bit simplistic at times. It felt as if they came from a clichée bag of standard character types. One bad guy, check, one reluctant hero, check, one manipulative tycoon, check....
Around 100 pages into the book, I put it down for two weeks. It took me another two weeks to slog through to the middle and from then on I skimmed quite a bit. The plot kept me going. But it really, really dragged. Towards the end the story got so interesting that I even contemplated picking up the next book. But based on reviews I read I think I will give that a pass. If you have finished the trilogy, feel free to message me with the big reveal...
2 dragging and skimming stars...
*~*~*~*
My thoughts while reading the book:
The first two chapters read like the set-up of a classic adventure story, the not-quite-zombies and the alien space elevator are just incidental. That changes eventually, though.
Slow build-up. At the end of chapter 6 we are still getting to know the characters and their world, the story slowly starts to pick up speed.
In chapter 7 I am finally admitting to being bored. The action and suspense that I expected from the blurb are sadly missing. Well written, good characters, interesting plot, but it still doesn't do much for me. I don't care. Tick-tock.
Chapter 9, almost 100 pages into the book, things finally start to get a little more interesting. Maybe. Hm. Bored though. Taking a break, putting it aside to read something else (16.10.2016).
Chapter 15, 160 pages. Put this aside for two weeks, picked it up again two days ago. It is finally getting more interesting. I think it was largely set-up to this point. Now the main plot has finally gotten off the ground (01.11.2016).
Chapter 19, 212 pages. Things begin to heat up slowly. I think I might have preferred this to be a bit shorter, but snappier. It's good, but the pacing is too slow for my taste.
Chapter 21, 238 pages. Well, that was exciting. Nice, if somewhat abrupt plot twist. I feel slight anxiety about the characters that might potentially have died...
I don't relate to the secrecy of Neil's machinations. I know why he does some of it, but I don't understand the need for all of his plotting. This whole plot feels a little strained to me, a bit forced...
Chapter 36, page 343. Action, fighting, mutiny and I am bored and skimming...
Chapter 44, page 416. Getting closer to the end, halleluhjah! Skim skim skim....
Well, ok, the last couple of chapters were pretty cool... in between the skimming...
*~*~*~*~*
They said "The meek shall inherit the Earth"
like it would be a good thing.
Thanks a lot, assholes.
---Skadz, 2279
Buddy read with the MacHalo group, starting October 10, 2016.
Some of the characters I liked, some I didn't. They were a bit simplistic at times. It felt as if they came from a clichée bag of standard character types. One bad guy, check, one reluctant hero, check, one manipulative tycoon, check....
Around 100 pages into the book, I put it down for two weeks. It took me another two weeks to slog through to the middle and from then on I skimmed quite a bit. The plot kept me going. But it really, really dragged. Towards the end the story got so interesting that I even contemplated picking up the next book. But based on reviews I read I think I will give that a pass. If you have finished the trilogy, feel free to message me with the big reveal...
2 dragging and skimming stars...
*~*~*~*
My thoughts while reading the book:
The first two chapters read like the set-up of a classic adventure story, the not-quite-zombies and the alien space elevator are just incidental. That changes eventually, though.
Slow build-up. At the end of chapter 6 we are still getting to know the characters and their world, the story slowly starts to pick up speed.
In chapter 7 I am finally admitting to being bored. The action and suspense that I expected from the blurb are sadly missing. Well written, good characters, interesting plot, but it still doesn't do much for me. I don't care. Tick-tock.
Chapter 9, almost 100 pages into the book, things finally start to get a little more interesting. Maybe. Hm. Bored though. Taking a break, putting it aside to read something else (16.10.2016).
Chapter 15, 160 pages. Put this aside for two weeks, picked it up again two days ago. It is finally getting more interesting. I think it was largely set-up to this point. Now the main plot has finally gotten off the ground (01.11.2016).
Chapter 19, 212 pages. Things begin to heat up slowly. I think I might have preferred this to be a bit shorter, but snappier. It's good, but the pacing is too slow for my taste.
Chapter 21, 238 pages. Well, that was exciting. Nice, if somewhat abrupt plot twist. I feel slight anxiety about the characters that might potentially have died...
I don't relate to the secrecy of Neil's machinations. I know why he does some of it, but I don't understand the need for all of his plotting. This whole plot feels a little strained to me, a bit forced...
Chapter 36, page 343. Action, fighting, mutiny and I am bored and skimming...
Chapter 44, page 416. Getting closer to the end, halleluhjah! Skim skim skim....
Well, ok, the last couple of chapters were pretty cool... in between the skimming...
*~*~*~*~*
They said "The meek shall inherit the Earth"
like it would be a good thing.
Thanks a lot, assholes.
---Skadz, 2279
Buddy read with the MacHalo group, starting October 10, 2016.
August 13, 2013
I picked up Darwin Elevator on the strength of an All Things Considered review, expecting a light post-apocalyptic (if there can be such a thing) story. But oh dear, what a mess it is.
Hough starts out with a pretty standard premise - much of humanity has been wiped out or reduced to a "subhuman" existence by an alien visitation, which, for some reason, has also provided the survivors with a means of existence. Unfortunately, from there he goes nowhere. The world building - critical to this sort of novel - is minimal and the character development skeletal. Add to that a story with almost no internal logic other than to set up the characters for endless rounds of violence and brutality. And the good news: there are at least two more books in the series.
I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1 because it did have a promising beginning, and I didn't really start to hate it until I was a couple of hundred pages in.
If you want relatively recently published post-apocalypse, there is a lot of better work out there: Margaret Atwoods' Maddadam series, Justin Cronin's The Passage/The Twelve, Julianna Baggott's Pure series come to mind.
Hough starts out with a pretty standard premise - much of humanity has been wiped out or reduced to a "subhuman" existence by an alien visitation, which, for some reason, has also provided the survivors with a means of existence. Unfortunately, from there he goes nowhere. The world building - critical to this sort of novel - is minimal and the character development skeletal. Add to that a story with almost no internal logic other than to set up the characters for endless rounds of violence and brutality. And the good news: there are at least two more books in the series.
I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1 because it did have a promising beginning, and I didn't really start to hate it until I was a couple of hundred pages in.
If you want relatively recently published post-apocalypse, there is a lot of better work out there: Margaret Atwoods' Maddadam series, Justin Cronin's The Passage/The Twelve, Julianna Baggott's Pure series come to mind.
January 30, 2024
A great debut novel!
Darwin, Australia is the last outpost of civilization. It is the base of an alien space elevator and is surrounded by a savage "devolved" humanity. The alien artifact seems to have created an "Aura" around the city which keeps the Darwinians from picking up the virus which causes de-evolution.
Against this background, we have Skyler, a Dutchman who is immune to the virus and who heads up a team of fellow "immunes" who go on salvage expeditions in the outside world.
Skyler operates in a world overshadowed by 2 big mysteries--who are the aliens (and what is their purpose) and is there a cure for the virus?
It's the beginning of a series and I'm hooked!
Darwin, Australia is the last outpost of civilization. It is the base of an alien space elevator and is surrounded by a savage "devolved" humanity. The alien artifact seems to have created an "Aura" around the city which keeps the Darwinians from picking up the virus which causes de-evolution.
Against this background, we have Skyler, a Dutchman who is immune to the virus and who heads up a team of fellow "immunes" who go on salvage expeditions in the outside world.
Skyler operates in a world overshadowed by 2 big mysteries--who are the aliens (and what is their purpose) and is there a cure for the virus?
It's the beginning of a series and I'm hooked!
November 20, 2015
Full review at Total Inability To Connect: https://totalinabilitytoconnect.wordp...
I tend to be a fairly narrow reader as far as genres go – I seem to be more in the 75% fantasy range, and 25% “other”, most of which are sci-fi. Unlike most nerds I know, I’ve never been a huge sci-fi guy; sure, I love Star Trek and things of that ilk, but I’m not hanging around quoting Star Wars, or even watching Cosmos for fun. When I do read sci-fi, well, I much prefer the people-centric variety, a more laid back version rather than the hard-science.
At a recent event, Jason described his writing/idea process as, paraphrasing, “realizing the world needed more books like John Scalzi writes”. I couldn’t agree more – Scalzi is hands down my favorite sci-fi writer. Why? He’s fun. You’re not getting much hard science (some, sure), and some of the items are downright “what?”-worthy, but the books have great characters, just enough science to be interesting, and are a blast to read. The Darwin Elevator lives up to this in every way.
The book follows captain Skyler Luiken and his crew; a group of specialized scavengers who are immune to the alien disease that has turned the world into, essentially, zombies (more like feral ghouls from Fallout). Very few “immunes” exist in the world, and are therefore highly important. The entire world has been infected with this disease except for a small area near Darwin, Australia, where the alien “elevator” appeared, giving an odd immune effect in the area of the elevator that the infected subhumans, or “subs”, cannot get past.
With the world in collapse, the fortunate survivors flock to Darwin to try and scrape by with what’s left, and the affluent few who are lucky/rich enough get to live up the ladder, in orbit, away from the plague afflicting earth. Due to lack of resources, items from the old world are highly valued, and therefore there’s a very high need for these items in order to continue surviving as a race, producing food and other necessities, repairing equipment, etc. It is, however, a very dangerous job, as the subhumans are prevalent in the old world areas, making every recovery mission one of life or death. Luckily, Skyler’s crew of immunes are skilled in this kind of thing; excellent planners, killers when necessary to be, and very practiced in their recovery missions. However, when a special mission involving a new scientist goes sideways, things begin to unravel…
The Darwin Elevator is, largely, everything I look for in a sci-fi book. It’s fast-paced without being breakneck; it has engaging, funny, visceral, ‘real’ feeling characters and dialogue; the overwhelming problems are epic in scale, effecting everyone and with very real consequences; and it’s unique and original enough to be exciting, without feeling the need to be too outlandish. There’s a bit of a feeling of ‘seen it before’ (similarities to the Beanstalk from Scalzi’s Old Man’s War come to mind, as well as, obviously, the subhumans from just about everything), however the book doesn’t feel derivative or cheesy. It’s got a bit of a comforting familiarity level, enough new things to keep you on your toes, but enough familiar things to allow you to focus on the story and the characters.
The writing itself is great – Hough has a very approachable prose style, without being simplistic. I enjoyed blasting through the book with relative speed, never feeling bogged down by unnecessary sentence structures, info dumps, or anything of the like. The dialogue was excellent – characters had their share of snappy one-liners and quips, but overall their conversations were very believable. The worldbuilding was well done – I felt like I really understood the condition the world was in; the squalor for those living in Darwin, scraping by; the fear of death or disease; the struggle to find supplies, food, etc needed to get by. When things started going downhill in the story, the concern for life and limb, as well as the status of earth, was apparent and gripping – I feared for my character buddies, both good and ‘bad’.
The Darwin Elevator is a book that gets better as it goes, that grows in quality as it grows in quantity. Speaking of – the length of the book was ‘just right’ to me; it was not an epic doorstopper, yet had enough length to flesh out the worldbuilding and characters, not skim over any aspects, but also not draw out any pieces unnecessarily. As you come to understand the setting and pieces, you come to appreciate them more and more. I’m excited to dig farther into this series, being as it feels very much like the type of book that is sorely needed in my sci-fi schedule.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
I tend to be a fairly narrow reader as far as genres go – I seem to be more in the 75% fantasy range, and 25% “other”, most of which are sci-fi. Unlike most nerds I know, I’ve never been a huge sci-fi guy; sure, I love Star Trek and things of that ilk, but I’m not hanging around quoting Star Wars, or even watching Cosmos for fun. When I do read sci-fi, well, I much prefer the people-centric variety, a more laid back version rather than the hard-science.
At a recent event, Jason described his writing/idea process as, paraphrasing, “realizing the world needed more books like John Scalzi writes”. I couldn’t agree more – Scalzi is hands down my favorite sci-fi writer. Why? He’s fun. You’re not getting much hard science (some, sure), and some of the items are downright “what?”-worthy, but the books have great characters, just enough science to be interesting, and are a blast to read. The Darwin Elevator lives up to this in every way.
The book follows captain Skyler Luiken and his crew; a group of specialized scavengers who are immune to the alien disease that has turned the world into, essentially, zombies (more like feral ghouls from Fallout). Very few “immunes” exist in the world, and are therefore highly important. The entire world has been infected with this disease except for a small area near Darwin, Australia, where the alien “elevator” appeared, giving an odd immune effect in the area of the elevator that the infected subhumans, or “subs”, cannot get past.
With the world in collapse, the fortunate survivors flock to Darwin to try and scrape by with what’s left, and the affluent few who are lucky/rich enough get to live up the ladder, in orbit, away from the plague afflicting earth. Due to lack of resources, items from the old world are highly valued, and therefore there’s a very high need for these items in order to continue surviving as a race, producing food and other necessities, repairing equipment, etc. It is, however, a very dangerous job, as the subhumans are prevalent in the old world areas, making every recovery mission one of life or death. Luckily, Skyler’s crew of immunes are skilled in this kind of thing; excellent planners, killers when necessary to be, and very practiced in their recovery missions. However, when a special mission involving a new scientist goes sideways, things begin to unravel…
The Darwin Elevator is, largely, everything I look for in a sci-fi book. It’s fast-paced without being breakneck; it has engaging, funny, visceral, ‘real’ feeling characters and dialogue; the overwhelming problems are epic in scale, effecting everyone and with very real consequences; and it’s unique and original enough to be exciting, without feeling the need to be too outlandish. There’s a bit of a feeling of ‘seen it before’ (similarities to the Beanstalk from Scalzi’s Old Man’s War come to mind, as well as, obviously, the subhumans from just about everything), however the book doesn’t feel derivative or cheesy. It’s got a bit of a comforting familiarity level, enough new things to keep you on your toes, but enough familiar things to allow you to focus on the story and the characters.
The writing itself is great – Hough has a very approachable prose style, without being simplistic. I enjoyed blasting through the book with relative speed, never feeling bogged down by unnecessary sentence structures, info dumps, or anything of the like. The dialogue was excellent – characters had their share of snappy one-liners and quips, but overall their conversations were very believable. The worldbuilding was well done – I felt like I really understood the condition the world was in; the squalor for those living in Darwin, scraping by; the fear of death or disease; the struggle to find supplies, food, etc needed to get by. When things started going downhill in the story, the concern for life and limb, as well as the status of earth, was apparent and gripping – I feared for my character buddies, both good and ‘bad’.
The Darwin Elevator is a book that gets better as it goes, that grows in quality as it grows in quantity. Speaking of – the length of the book was ‘just right’ to me; it was not an epic doorstopper, yet had enough length to flesh out the worldbuilding and characters, not skim over any aspects, but also not draw out any pieces unnecessarily. As you come to understand the setting and pieces, you come to appreciate them more and more. I’m excited to dig farther into this series, being as it feels very much like the type of book that is sorely needed in my sci-fi schedule.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
July 7, 2013
The Darwin Elevator is an interesting take on the alien contact puzzle novel because the actual aliens are missing and we are left to guess at their motivations, while the human inhabitants of Earth have to deal with their handiwork. The novel works most of the time, has some daring ideas and good characters, but gets a little bogged down in a predictable political struggle between typical one dimensional power hungry characters.
An alien ship has visited and constructed from Earth orbit a space elevator-- a way for people to travel from the surface of Earth to space. Industry has boomed. But there are no actual aliens. Everything takes place by automatic machines.
But, like the Trojan horse, humanity should always be wary of aliens bearing gifts.
Five years after the elevator is constructed, a great plague sweeps the world. The people who catch it revert to sub-humans, slavering zombie like creatures, who seem to have no intelligence and live to eat and destroy.
Only a few people, those lucky enough to live upside in a space station, those within a certain distance around the Elevator called the Aura, and those that are Immune are free of the plague. However life in the main city in the Aura, Nightfall, is plagued by a lack of resources and hope. People scrimp and sell almost anything merely to get food. Vehicles called climbers navigate up and down the Elevator bringing food to the stations. There is some trade.
As the novel starts, it has been thirty-two years since the construction of the Elevator. Skyler Luiken, a very good adventure character, is one of the lucky ones, the captain of the near Earth airplane/spaceship Melville, a scavenger, which is crewed by Immunes. They scavenge valuable instruments from around the Earth and sell it through their fence Prumble.
But business has been bad. Nightfall is run by Russell Blackfield, a petty despot and his gang of thugs, and the Elevator seems to be breaking down. Blackfield is tired of running Nightfall and wants more power -- he wants onto the Counsel that runs the space habitats. He and a semi colleague in the habitats want to take over.
Neil Platz, the most businessman in the world, whose family used to control the space habitats and still runs one of the stations, seems to have had an incredible run of luck when the aliens 32 years ago. His family controls many of the industry in Nightfall. As the novel progresses it becomes clear that he knows a lot more about the aliens than he has let on. He has a beautiful scientist, the daughter of an old dead friend, who thinks the aliens are returning soon, but since the aliens returns have been a two sided sword, Platz wants to make sure. He and his scientist hire Luiken to find data sweeps -- astronomy maps to see if the aliens are coming back and when.
While the beginning of this swiftly moving story deals with Luiken and his crew hunting for treasure, they soon run afoul of the sub humans acting differently and the power play between Blackfield and his men and Platz. All the while we are left to wonder what do the aliens intend, why is the Elevator breaking down and what will happen. Its entertaining and if the Blackfield-Platz situation is predictable, the questions posed by Earth's contact with "hostile" aliens is anything but.
Hough has a good story going here. Its worth a visit.
An alien ship has visited and constructed from Earth orbit a space elevator-- a way for people to travel from the surface of Earth to space. Industry has boomed. But there are no actual aliens. Everything takes place by automatic machines.
But, like the Trojan horse, humanity should always be wary of aliens bearing gifts.
Five years after the elevator is constructed, a great plague sweeps the world. The people who catch it revert to sub-humans, slavering zombie like creatures, who seem to have no intelligence and live to eat and destroy.
Only a few people, those lucky enough to live upside in a space station, those within a certain distance around the Elevator called the Aura, and those that are Immune are free of the plague. However life in the main city in the Aura, Nightfall, is plagued by a lack of resources and hope. People scrimp and sell almost anything merely to get food. Vehicles called climbers navigate up and down the Elevator bringing food to the stations. There is some trade.
As the novel starts, it has been thirty-two years since the construction of the Elevator. Skyler Luiken, a very good adventure character, is one of the lucky ones, the captain of the near Earth airplane/spaceship Melville, a scavenger, which is crewed by Immunes. They scavenge valuable instruments from around the Earth and sell it through their fence Prumble.
But business has been bad. Nightfall is run by Russell Blackfield, a petty despot and his gang of thugs, and the Elevator seems to be breaking down. Blackfield is tired of running Nightfall and wants more power -- he wants onto the Counsel that runs the space habitats. He and a semi colleague in the habitats want to take over.
Neil Platz, the most businessman in the world, whose family used to control the space habitats and still runs one of the stations, seems to have had an incredible run of luck when the aliens 32 years ago. His family controls many of the industry in Nightfall. As the novel progresses it becomes clear that he knows a lot more about the aliens than he has let on. He has a beautiful scientist, the daughter of an old dead friend, who thinks the aliens are returning soon, but since the aliens returns have been a two sided sword, Platz wants to make sure. He and his scientist hire Luiken to find data sweeps -- astronomy maps to see if the aliens are coming back and when.
While the beginning of this swiftly moving story deals with Luiken and his crew hunting for treasure, they soon run afoul of the sub humans acting differently and the power play between Blackfield and his men and Platz. All the while we are left to wonder what do the aliens intend, why is the Elevator breaking down and what will happen. Its entertaining and if the Blackfield-Platz situation is predictable, the questions posed by Earth's contact with "hostile" aliens is anything but.
Hough has a good story going here. Its worth a visit.
August 30, 2013
http://www.rantingdragon.com/review-o...
I’d be lying if I said that Jason M. Hough hit the ground running with his debut novel. Because he didn’t.
First, he jumped out of the freaking plane, then he hit the ground running.
Darwin, Australia. Humanity’s last beacon of hope and the last remaining human city on Earth. An alien plague has conquered the world, turning the majority of the population into mindless savages. Those who remain have flocked to Darwin, site of the only thing keeping the plague at bay: a space elevator constructed by the same architects of this apocalypse—an alien race known only as the Builders.
Then the Elevator begins to malfunction.
Enter Skyler Luiken. One of the very few with an immunity to the plague, Skyler is captain of a ship that makes scavenging runs outside the Elevator’s protective aura—with a crew completely comprised of fellow “immunes.” When the Elevator starts malfunctioning, Skyler is brought in to help solve the mystery of failing alien tech…
…and to save humanity, if he can.
Fresh-faced apocalypse
One of the most attractive things about The Darwin Elevator was the conceit. Sure, I’ve read apocalypse novels, and I’ve read alien novels, and I’ve read alien apocalypse novels, but there was nothing quite like this. The aliens kick off the apocalypse—but give humanity one safe harbor—and then up and LEAVE? Weird.
And intriguing.
Now, the plague that turns humanity into savage killing machines? Not the most original thing in the world—it screams Reavers and Firefly and Serenity at me. But it’s a nice homage, and is a tried and true story element that has worked in the past and that works again here.
Subtle worldbuilding
There’s a notion that many debut authors don’t grasp right away, and it’s the idea of making the author’s presence as invisible as possible. It’s the difference between telling the reader what’s happening and showing what’s happening. With a new story and a new world, some authors are tempted to give us the history of the world with a prologue or something similar at the outset of the novel. But, see, here’s the thing: a prologue in fiction? Backstory. It can be plopped down almost anywhere in the midst of the novel—preferably somewhere that makes sense, of course, but it needn’t (and usually shouldn’t) be at the very beginning of the novel.
And I am very happy to report that Hough has learned this lesson, and learned it well.
Throughout the novel, we get little explanations, stories, and flashbacks which help bring the reader up to speed on the history of Hough’s world. None of these instances are too much or too long. On top of that, they’re very well spaced, coming at appropriate moments over the course of novel, keeping the reader’s attention while at the same time feeding their sense of curiosity.
Very human characters…mostly
Another of The Darwin Elevator‘s strongest aspects lies in Hough’s character work. Our primary protagonists, Skyler Luiken and Dr. Tania Sharma, are full of depth and human emotion, especially Skyler. He goes from being the tentative captain to being forced to trust his instincts and go balls-to-the-wall for those he cares about. Tania gets a similar treatment, but not quite as thorough (which was a tiny disappointment, but here’s looking forward to book two).
There is a downside to this amount of character development, however. When there are those who have obviously been grown to be very human characters, any recurring characters who don’t have as much development stick out. And stick out, they do. Of Skyler’s crew, about half have been decently developed while the other half remain relatively two-dimensional. Considering that not all of the crew makes it through to the end of the novel, the lack of a more thorough character development means the fatalities don’t hit the reader as hard as they might.
Overall, though, Hough’s character work is very solid. This is further exemplified by his story’s antagonists. The Darwin Elevator is interesting in the idea that there isn’t really one entity functioning as the primary force working against our heroes. There’s no evil Empire, no Alliance striving to force civilization upon people, no single dictator. Instead, Hough has split up various functions of an antagonist among a few different characters. Once you’ve been introduced to the characters, it’s not difficult to figure out, but it’s a trick that works exceptionally well. There are the characters out to further their own ambition, those out to thwart everyone else, etc.
Not to mention the mastermind behind the entire story.
Yep, it’s there. And handled quite deftly. I saw the twist coming, but was still pleasantly surprised at the details.
All told, very good work for a debuting author.
Why should you read this book?
The Darwin Elevator is a fantastically strong first novel. Hough handles most of the novel with the precision of an author with a few books under his belt. If you’re not a big fan of space opera or hard sci-fi but are looking for that sci-fi fix, I highly recommend you give this book a try. If you’re a fan of fantasy, you’ll get a kick out of this book, too. Through a combination of strong characters, an intriguing premise, and a heaping dose of tension, Jason Hough has crafted a captivating story that doesn’t just have you following it into hell to finish—you’re bloody well sprinting.
Garrett received a review copy of this book courtesy of TLC Book Tours.
I’d be lying if I said that Jason M. Hough hit the ground running with his debut novel. Because he didn’t.
First, he jumped out of the freaking plane, then he hit the ground running.
Darwin, Australia. Humanity’s last beacon of hope and the last remaining human city on Earth. An alien plague has conquered the world, turning the majority of the population into mindless savages. Those who remain have flocked to Darwin, site of the only thing keeping the plague at bay: a space elevator constructed by the same architects of this apocalypse—an alien race known only as the Builders.
Then the Elevator begins to malfunction.
Enter Skyler Luiken. One of the very few with an immunity to the plague, Skyler is captain of a ship that makes scavenging runs outside the Elevator’s protective aura—with a crew completely comprised of fellow “immunes.” When the Elevator starts malfunctioning, Skyler is brought in to help solve the mystery of failing alien tech…
…and to save humanity, if he can.
Fresh-faced apocalypse
One of the most attractive things about The Darwin Elevator was the conceit. Sure, I’ve read apocalypse novels, and I’ve read alien novels, and I’ve read alien apocalypse novels, but there was nothing quite like this. The aliens kick off the apocalypse—but give humanity one safe harbor—and then up and LEAVE? Weird.
And intriguing.
Now, the plague that turns humanity into savage killing machines? Not the most original thing in the world—it screams Reavers and Firefly and Serenity at me. But it’s a nice homage, and is a tried and true story element that has worked in the past and that works again here.
Subtle worldbuilding
There’s a notion that many debut authors don’t grasp right away, and it’s the idea of making the author’s presence as invisible as possible. It’s the difference between telling the reader what’s happening and showing what’s happening. With a new story and a new world, some authors are tempted to give us the history of the world with a prologue or something similar at the outset of the novel. But, see, here’s the thing: a prologue in fiction? Backstory. It can be plopped down almost anywhere in the midst of the novel—preferably somewhere that makes sense, of course, but it needn’t (and usually shouldn’t) be at the very beginning of the novel.
And I am very happy to report that Hough has learned this lesson, and learned it well.
Throughout the novel, we get little explanations, stories, and flashbacks which help bring the reader up to speed on the history of Hough’s world. None of these instances are too much or too long. On top of that, they’re very well spaced, coming at appropriate moments over the course of novel, keeping the reader’s attention while at the same time feeding their sense of curiosity.
Very human characters…mostly
Another of The Darwin Elevator‘s strongest aspects lies in Hough’s character work. Our primary protagonists, Skyler Luiken and Dr. Tania Sharma, are full of depth and human emotion, especially Skyler. He goes from being the tentative captain to being forced to trust his instincts and go balls-to-the-wall for those he cares about. Tania gets a similar treatment, but not quite as thorough (which was a tiny disappointment, but here’s looking forward to book two).
There is a downside to this amount of character development, however. When there are those who have obviously been grown to be very human characters, any recurring characters who don’t have as much development stick out. And stick out, they do. Of Skyler’s crew, about half have been decently developed while the other half remain relatively two-dimensional. Considering that not all of the crew makes it through to the end of the novel, the lack of a more thorough character development means the fatalities don’t hit the reader as hard as they might.
Overall, though, Hough’s character work is very solid. This is further exemplified by his story’s antagonists. The Darwin Elevator is interesting in the idea that there isn’t really one entity functioning as the primary force working against our heroes. There’s no evil Empire, no Alliance striving to force civilization upon people, no single dictator. Instead, Hough has split up various functions of an antagonist among a few different characters. Once you’ve been introduced to the characters, it’s not difficult to figure out, but it’s a trick that works exceptionally well. There are the characters out to further their own ambition, those out to thwart everyone else, etc.
Not to mention the mastermind behind the entire story.
Yep, it’s there. And handled quite deftly. I saw the twist coming, but was still pleasantly surprised at the details.
All told, very good work for a debuting author.
Why should you read this book?
The Darwin Elevator is a fantastically strong first novel. Hough handles most of the novel with the precision of an author with a few books under his belt. If you’re not a big fan of space opera or hard sci-fi but are looking for that sci-fi fix, I highly recommend you give this book a try. If you’re a fan of fantasy, you’ll get a kick out of this book, too. Through a combination of strong characters, an intriguing premise, and a heaping dose of tension, Jason Hough has crafted a captivating story that doesn’t just have you following it into hell to finish—you’re bloody well sprinting.
Garrett received a review copy of this book courtesy of TLC Book Tours.
May 27, 2013
This is sci-fi heaven!
I first saw The Darwin Elevator when Kevin Hearne (author of Hounded) added it to his Goodreads account. I looked at the cover and saw that he had blurbed it and I added the book to my to-read list with a mental note to keep an eye out for it. Then a few days later I was browsing Netgalley and saw that advance copies were available. I requested one and to my surprise my request was approved. Thank you Random House!
The story in set in a 23-century post-apocalyptic Darwin, Australia. Darwin is the last populated city on Earth, everywhere else is in ruins and plagued by an alien disease which turns people into crazy zombies (subhumans). But 5 years before they released the plague, these aliens built a space elevator in Darwin that goes from Earth to way past our atmosphere. The Elevator provides an Aura that keeps the people living in the city from being infected.
There are those who are immune to the plague though, among them is Skyler Luiken (not Luke Skywalker) and his crew of scavengers who play a major part in the story as it unfolds.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The story was fast-paced and there were tons of action. I kept thinking the book would translate really well to a film. Hollywood execs, heads up.
The characters were all compelling in their own way and they all find their voice within the narrative. I ended up liking even the not so likable ones (that disgusting nurse on chapter seventeen). I'm kind of curious to see how the voice actor narrating the audiobook will portray them all because of their varied nationalities.
The technology and sci-fi elements in the book were really interesting and well thought. The Elevator itself is quite innovative and I don't think I've ever seen anything like it.
My one criticism: seeing the cover (which I love) and reading the official description, I thought Skyler would have a bigger part in the book. There is a number of side plots that were all intrinsic to the story, I wouldn't change or cut them, but Skyler only starts to learn more about the greater things going on halfway through the book. Given this, I think the UK cover of the book represents the story better.
I think ultimately the book is about strength and being able to find it in hard times.
The Darwin Elevator ended with quite a cliffhanger and I'm really looking forward to reading the second book, The Exodus Towers.
I first saw The Darwin Elevator when Kevin Hearne (author of Hounded) added it to his Goodreads account. I looked at the cover and saw that he had blurbed it and I added the book to my to-read list with a mental note to keep an eye out for it. Then a few days later I was browsing Netgalley and saw that advance copies were available. I requested one and to my surprise my request was approved. Thank you Random House!
The story in set in a 23-century post-apocalyptic Darwin, Australia. Darwin is the last populated city on Earth, everywhere else is in ruins and plagued by an alien disease which turns people into crazy zombies (subhumans). But 5 years before they released the plague, these aliens built a space elevator in Darwin that goes from Earth to way past our atmosphere. The Elevator provides an Aura that keeps the people living in the city from being infected.
There are those who are immune to the plague though, among them is Skyler Luiken (not Luke Skywalker) and his crew of scavengers who play a major part in the story as it unfolds.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The story was fast-paced and there were tons of action. I kept thinking the book would translate really well to a film. Hollywood execs, heads up.
The characters were all compelling in their own way and they all find their voice within the narrative. I ended up liking even the not so likable ones (that disgusting nurse on chapter seventeen). I'm kind of curious to see how the voice actor narrating the audiobook will portray them all because of their varied nationalities.
The technology and sci-fi elements in the book were really interesting and well thought. The Elevator itself is quite innovative and I don't think I've ever seen anything like it.
My one criticism: seeing the cover (which I love) and reading the official description, I thought Skyler would have a bigger part in the book. There is a number of side plots that were all intrinsic to the story, I wouldn't change or cut them, but Skyler only starts to learn more about the greater things going on halfway through the book. Given this, I think the UK cover of the book represents the story better.
I think ultimately the book is about strength and being able to find it in hard times.
The Darwin Elevator ended with quite a cliffhanger and I'm really looking forward to reading the second book, The Exodus Towers.
April 11, 2013
I got this title from NetGally for an honest review.
I want to start off with science fiction is not my genre of choice, it’s a rare story that piques my interest. So when I saw this on NetGalley and read the synopsis with all the accolades from other authors I was curious.
I am so glad I did, I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected too. The author is adept at creating characters you love and hate, and I mean really, really hate. I wanted Russell to be punted out of one of the space stations air lock, he pissed me off so bad. This is a sign of a great author, to make you so emotionally involved with the characters.
In a world that aliens have dropped off an elevator to space, where a virus has spread over earth changing humans into feral beings called sub humans, times are extremely tough. I pictured the sub humans as living zombies, with animalistic traits, traveling in small packs looking for people to kill.
Skyler the main character is a captain of a scavenging crew of immunes that brave the wilds to bring back useful items, for a price. I really like Skyler, he is a really good guy dealt quite the shit hand. The willpower that gets him through all the chaos life throws at him is amazing.
The book starts off in the middle of a mission, and you learn that things have not been going well for our merry band of adventurers. Hard luck, and the political machinations of a corrupt leader have taken their toll on Skyler and his crew. So when he is hired to take a scientist on a trip to Hawaii to recover some vital information on the aliens that dropped the elevator he thinks his luck has changed.
Boy is he wrong.
This book was quite exciting, with heart racing moment out in the wild facing sub humans, political intrigue from both the good and the bad, and just a hint of romance to come.
I also have to say that the author does an awesome job at creating strong female characters. Tania the brilliant scientist trying to figure out what the aliens are up too, and what is going to happen in the future, sees herself as weak, but has a back bone of pure iron. Sam, one of Skylers crew members is a hard as nails bitch, but when it comes to her friends she would die for them.
I am really looking forward to the next installment, the end of the book left off on quite an interesting development.
I want to start off with science fiction is not my genre of choice, it’s a rare story that piques my interest. So when I saw this on NetGalley and read the synopsis with all the accolades from other authors I was curious.
I am so glad I did, I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected too. The author is adept at creating characters you love and hate, and I mean really, really hate. I wanted Russell to be punted out of one of the space stations air lock, he pissed me off so bad. This is a sign of a great author, to make you so emotionally involved with the characters.
In a world that aliens have dropped off an elevator to space, where a virus has spread over earth changing humans into feral beings called sub humans, times are extremely tough. I pictured the sub humans as living zombies, with animalistic traits, traveling in small packs looking for people to kill.
Skyler the main character is a captain of a scavenging crew of immunes that brave the wilds to bring back useful items, for a price. I really like Skyler, he is a really good guy dealt quite the shit hand. The willpower that gets him through all the chaos life throws at him is amazing.
The book starts off in the middle of a mission, and you learn that things have not been going well for our merry band of adventurers. Hard luck, and the political machinations of a corrupt leader have taken their toll on Skyler and his crew. So when he is hired to take a scientist on a trip to Hawaii to recover some vital information on the aliens that dropped the elevator he thinks his luck has changed.
Boy is he wrong.
This book was quite exciting, with heart racing moment out in the wild facing sub humans, political intrigue from both the good and the bad, and just a hint of romance to come.
I also have to say that the author does an awesome job at creating strong female characters. Tania the brilliant scientist trying to figure out what the aliens are up too, and what is going to happen in the future, sees herself as weak, but has a back bone of pure iron. Sam, one of Skylers crew members is a hard as nails bitch, but when it comes to her friends she would die for them.
I am really looking forward to the next installment, the end of the book left off on quite an interesting development.
Shelved as 'dnf'
October 19, 2016DNFed at 10%
I can't rate this because I barely got through the beginning. Maybe it get's better latter on but life is too short to torture myself with books that can't hold my interest. I've lost too many hours doing that before so it's time to move on. The story seemed interesting but there's no spark to grab your attention from the start and that's what killed it for me.
I can't rate this because I barely got through the beginning. Maybe it get's better latter on but life is too short to torture myself with books that can't hold my interest. I've lost too many hours doing that before so it's time to move on. The story seemed interesting but there's no spark to grab your attention from the start and that's what killed it for me.
July 6, 2013
Skyler Luiken captains the Melville, a typical smuggler ship with a typical smuggler crew doing typical smuggler things. At least, that's how it seems, but from the first few moments spent with Skyler, it's obvious that he's anything but the typical cocky captain that we know from scifi classics like Star Wars and Firefly. In fact, Skyler's not a particularly good captain at all because he's too damn nice.
Well, not so nice that he's annoying. No one likes *those* kind of nice people. But he's just nice enough to make his crew question his suitability for the role of captain after their original captain simply walked away. It's hard not to like Skyler. He's a good man trying to take care of his crew in a bad situation. I wanted to give him a hug and let him know it would be okay, but what I really appreciated about the character was the way Hough made him vulnerable, without tipping him into the realm of needing our pity. He's heroic, without having to go out of his way to prove himself a hero. Doing what has to be done simply comes natural to him, and he does it with awkward and charming competence.
Skyler and his crew happen to be immune to the plague that some mysterious aliens dropped on earth a while back, making them the ideal people to venture outside the Aura protecting Darwin, Australia, and into the plague infested wilds that aren't protected by the other "gift" the aliens left behind: Darwin's Elevator.
The mystery of the aliens and their purpose looms over the book the entire way through, reminding me of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama . And then there is the result of the alien plague: subhumans. SUBs are devolved humans reduced to to the base needs of starving wild animals. The threat of SUBs is ever present, as is the mystery of the aliens, but I loved the way the book maintained the focus on humanity always being the greatest threat to humanity. Politics, ambition, greed, poverty. All the bad things that inspire people to do bad things.
Not that the SUBs and aliens aren't on the minds of many, particularly the scientists that hang out in orbit above the poverty of Darwin, mainly under the command of Neil Platz, a rich scientist who owns just about everything left in Darwin and above. I wasn't sure how Neil would play out his role. His motives and actions are questionable, but he isn't simply an evil rich man and I loved his relationship with Tania Sharma, even while knowing what he'd done in the past. In fact, I liked that the other antagonists, even the deplorable Russell Blackfield, are more than just caricatures of typical bad guys.
A few other things I really enjoyed:
- The science wasn't utterly dumbed down for my unsciencey mind, yet was still easy to follow.
- The way Hough used the rumours and speculation chaos can cause to motivate the characters in the climactic end.
- The Jacobites - I am wary of cults showing up in a story because religious zeal can take on too much of a life of its own. I loved the obviousness of a cult based on Jacob's Ladder forming out of the alien's device, but appreciated that they did not get a lot of air time.
This is the first in a trilogy, ending with a deepening of the mystery of the alien's purpose that practically forces you to read on!
With thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy! And to NaNoWriMo for providing the motivation for Jason M. Hough to get this incredible story out of his head and onto my bookshelf!
See more reviews at
The BiblioSanctum
Well, not so nice that he's annoying. No one likes *those* kind of nice people. But he's just nice enough to make his crew question his suitability for the role of captain after their original captain simply walked away. It's hard not to like Skyler. He's a good man trying to take care of his crew in a bad situation. I wanted to give him a hug and let him know it would be okay, but what I really appreciated about the character was the way Hough made him vulnerable, without tipping him into the realm of needing our pity. He's heroic, without having to go out of his way to prove himself a hero. Doing what has to be done simply comes natural to him, and he does it with awkward and charming competence.
Skyler and his crew happen to be immune to the plague that some mysterious aliens dropped on earth a while back, making them the ideal people to venture outside the Aura protecting Darwin, Australia, and into the plague infested wilds that aren't protected by the other "gift" the aliens left behind: Darwin's Elevator.
The mystery of the aliens and their purpose looms over the book the entire way through, reminding me of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama . And then there is the result of the alien plague: subhumans. SUBs are devolved humans reduced to to the base needs of starving wild animals. The threat of SUBs is ever present, as is the mystery of the aliens, but I loved the way the book maintained the focus on humanity always being the greatest threat to humanity. Politics, ambition, greed, poverty. All the bad things that inspire people to do bad things.
Not that the SUBs and aliens aren't on the minds of many, particularly the scientists that hang out in orbit above the poverty of Darwin, mainly under the command of Neil Platz, a rich scientist who owns just about everything left in Darwin and above. I wasn't sure how Neil would play out his role. His motives and actions are questionable, but he isn't simply an evil rich man and I loved his relationship with Tania Sharma, even while knowing what he'd done in the past. In fact, I liked that the other antagonists, even the deplorable Russell Blackfield, are more than just caricatures of typical bad guys.
A few other things I really enjoyed:
- The science wasn't utterly dumbed down for my unsciencey mind, yet was still easy to follow.
- The way Hough used the rumours and speculation chaos can cause to motivate the characters in the climactic end.
- The Jacobites - I am wary of cults showing up in a story because religious zeal can take on too much of a life of its own. I loved the obviousness of a cult based on Jacob's Ladder forming out of the alien's device, but appreciated that they did not get a lot of air time.
This is the first in a trilogy, ending with a deepening of the mystery of the alien's purpose that practically forces you to read on!
With thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy! And to NaNoWriMo for providing the motivation for Jason M. Hough to get this incredible story out of his head and onto my bookshelf!
See more reviews at
The BiblioSanctum
April 24, 2013
The Darwin Elevator: SciFi lovers look no further.
Archer kind of looks like the cover photo of Skyler, am I right?
This imaginative, action-packed gem ended my lame book losing streak. I am by nature a scifi lover. Fans of Steven King, George R.R. Martin, and the Firefly series will love this book.
The Darwin Elevator is another dystopian novel, but don't let that deter you. Darwin has something new to offer: a compelling plot, fantastic writing, and characters with substance.
Set nearly 300 years in the future, Darwin tells the story of Skyler, the captain of a scavenger ship who supplies the city of Darwin, Australia and the space elevator with finds located outside of the protective Aura that surrounds Darwin and the elevator.
The elevator was built by aliens, twenty years prior. Industry around the elevator exploded. Darwin became a hub of activity. Then the virus broke out. A gift from the aliens? The subhuman virus erodes the human brain, killing some, leaving others to function at the lowest levels. The Aura, which is given off by the elevator, acts as a barrier between the virus and the inhabitants of Darwin.
Hough has created a world the feels real because it's based on what we already know. For instance, some of the space level stations have ugly carpeting. Taking a climber to the first station takes 14 hours. Ah. I know this world. It's full of time sucking waits and ugly carpeting. It's these kinds of details that make a world real.
In addition to extraordinary world building, the characters make you feel. I wanted Skyler to be okay. Tania is brilliant but naive, from her life spent in orbit. I was forever suspicious of Prumble and Neil. Then there's Russell.
Russell mother f-ing Blackfield.
I hate Russell. He's like the Hitler of space.
That is why this is an amazing book. There are no meh feelings while reading The Darwin Elevator.
If you love an in depth SciFi thriller, I highly suggest The Darwin Elevator.
ARC provided by Netgalley in conjunction with Random House Publishing
Archer kind of looks like the cover photo of Skyler, am I right?
This imaginative, action-packed gem ended my lame book losing streak. I am by nature a scifi lover. Fans of Steven King, George R.R. Martin, and the Firefly series will love this book.
The Darwin Elevator is another dystopian novel, but don't let that deter you. Darwin has something new to offer: a compelling plot, fantastic writing, and characters with substance.
Set nearly 300 years in the future, Darwin tells the story of Skyler, the captain of a scavenger ship who supplies the city of Darwin, Australia and the space elevator with finds located outside of the protective Aura that surrounds Darwin and the elevator.
The elevator was built by aliens, twenty years prior. Industry around the elevator exploded. Darwin became a hub of activity. Then the virus broke out. A gift from the aliens? The subhuman virus erodes the human brain, killing some, leaving others to function at the lowest levels. The Aura, which is given off by the elevator, acts as a barrier between the virus and the inhabitants of Darwin.
Hough has created a world the feels real because it's based on what we already know. For instance, some of the space level stations have ugly carpeting. Taking a climber to the first station takes 14 hours. Ah. I know this world. It's full of time sucking waits and ugly carpeting. It's these kinds of details that make a world real.
In addition to extraordinary world building, the characters make you feel. I wanted Skyler to be okay. Tania is brilliant but naive, from her life spent in orbit. I was forever suspicious of Prumble and Neil. Then there's Russell.
Russell mother f-ing Blackfield.
I hate Russell. He's like the Hitler of space.
That is why this is an amazing book. There are no meh feelings while reading The Darwin Elevator.
If you love an in depth SciFi thriller, I highly suggest The Darwin Elevator.
ARC provided by Netgalley in conjunction with Random House Publishing
February 28, 2016
A sci-fi thriller written with pace but with just the right amount of attention to characterization to make me feel like this is a real, fully fleshed out world. The scifi elements were fresh and exciting. The plot was twisting and intricate, which kept the pages turning. And I really came to care about not only the characters on the page, but their struggle to save humanity (sometimes from itself). Overall a really wonderful read. I can't wait to clear my plate to make way for the next two in the cycle.
December 25, 2013
The big mystery on this one is why is got such a good review on NPR. This is below average SF and very derivative of other SF works. There's a lot of action and some may enjoy it on that level. It lacks interesting characters, clever plot, and any sort humor. I'd stay away.
September 24, 2013
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The Dire Earth Cycle Trilogy includes
(1) Printed copy of The Darwin Elevator by Jason M. Hough
(1) Printed copy of The Exodus Towers by Jason M. Hough
(1) Printed copy of The Plague Forge by Jason M. Hough
Open to USA and Canada Mailing Address Only
Contest runs September 24, 2013 - October 8, 2013
The Darwin Elevator sucked me in and kept me there to the end!
Darwin, Australia is the last human city on the planet. An alien ship appears and builds an elevator to outer space. Eleven years later the humans of the earth start to transform into mindless animals, all the humans of earth except for Darwin, Australia...where the elevator is located. Somehow the elavator emits a plague suppressing energy, even if someone is infected if they stay within the city walls they don't loose themselves to the mindlessness of the animal impulses. As you can imagine, this causes a political nightmare, power plays and mechanization to gain control of the elevator and the city.
Neil Platz had initial control of the elevator and the property surrounding it. Allowing a council to have power is a mistake he will regret. Seeing the power play coming against him, Neil enlists Dr. Tania Sharma in a secret mission to uncover the alien's true agenda.
Skyler Luiken is the captain of an airship. He and his crew are completely immune to the virus that caused the outbreak. Venturing into the world beyond the walls to obtain supplies to keep Darwin running is a very profitable but deadly business...although the virus won't effect them the de-evolved humans will rip them to shreds if they allow themselves to be captured.
Through a twist of fate and meddling on Platz's part. Skyler's and Tania's paths intersect bringing key components for Platz's plan together.
Wow! This book blew me away. The genuine and realistic characters literally jump off the pages in this action packed adventure. I was completely caught in the web of Jason M. Hough's writing, glued to the pages as the story masterfully unfolds. What a brilliant story of a post apocalyptic world were humanity struggles to survive against its environment and themselves. Without a doubt this is definitely re-read worthy story and a book for my favorite shelf.
This ARC copy of The Darwin Elevator was given to me by Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey Spectra in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication on July 30, 2013.
Written by: Jason M. Hough
Series: Dire Earth Cycle
Sequence in Series: 1
Paperback: 496 pages
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication Date: July 30, 2013
ISBN-10: 0345537122
ISBN-13: 978-0345537126
Rating: 5 (FAVORITE READ)
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic
Age Recommendation: Adult
Jason M. Hough's Website
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August 12, 2014
I finally got around to reading this one and I could kick myself for not getting to it sooner. Cover to cover it was straight up engaging and exciting. I loved the hero, Skyler, who did much of the narration along with the other many characters who made up this post-apocalyptic thriller. I swear this book has something for everyone. It's gritty and brutal with a survival of the fittest or the luckiest feel to it and yet it takes the time for some character development and for some twisting thriller style plot development. This was the first book in the series and it ended on a hopeful note, but it leaves my appetite and curiosity whetted for more.
The backdrop and world building was delved into well without slogging down into the minutiae. I found the speculation about the absent aliens who left some of their technology behind, the disease that was a result of the alien arrival and the culture that built up from there for the remaining intact humans was something else.
I enjoyed the depth that was given to the characters even the ones with smaller parts to play. Sam is a secondary character and she is my favorite. Most of the characters have good qualities and skills, but are written with flaws too. Even the clear hero of the piece, Skyler, does courageous things and he leads a team, but he feels so inadequate and feels he makes so many mistakes. He gets batted down so many times, but he gets back up, albeit slowly, each time. The brilliant scientist, Tania, knows her limitations and has great fear, but she does what she has to do. The leader, Neil, was one of those where I wasn't sure what his game was. He seems to be making tough decisions for the good of all, but yet it felt like there was some personal gain there too. There are several characters like that. Then there are the power-grubbers like Russell who make it easy to villify them.
The action and thriller part just kept driving the pace with this one. Just when I thought things would slow down for a breather or that things were going pretty good...out went the rug from under me. I enjoy that feeling and will deliberately seek it out in books. I love it when the good guys are totally pushed into a corner and surrounded so that it looks like all is lost only to get out of it some how. Don't let that fool you. There are some really heartbreaking tragic losses in this one. Life in that world was brutal and took its toll daily. I'm a sissy girl so I teared up at each loss because I got attached.
So all in all, straight up awesomeness here. Those who enjoy gritty futuristic, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi reading should give this book/series a try.
The backdrop and world building was delved into well without slogging down into the minutiae. I found the speculation about the absent aliens who left some of their technology behind, the disease that was a result of the alien arrival and the culture that built up from there for the remaining intact humans was something else.
I enjoyed the depth that was given to the characters even the ones with smaller parts to play. Sam is a secondary character and she is my favorite. Most of the characters have good qualities and skills, but are written with flaws too. Even the clear hero of the piece, Skyler, does courageous things and he leads a team, but he feels so inadequate and feels he makes so many mistakes. He gets batted down so many times, but he gets back up, albeit slowly, each time. The brilliant scientist, Tania, knows her limitations and has great fear, but she does what she has to do. The leader, Neil, was one of those where I wasn't sure what his game was. He seems to be making tough decisions for the good of all, but yet it felt like there was some personal gain there too. There are several characters like that. Then there are the power-grubbers like Russell who make it easy to villify them.
The action and thriller part just kept driving the pace with this one. Just when I thought things would slow down for a breather or that things were going pretty good...out went the rug from under me. I enjoy that feeling and will deliberately seek it out in books. I love it when the good guys are totally pushed into a corner and surrounded so that it looks like all is lost only to get out of it some how. Don't let that fool you. There are some really heartbreaking tragic losses in this one. Life in that world was brutal and took its toll daily. I'm a sissy girl so I teared up at each loss because I got attached.
So all in all, straight up awesomeness here. Those who enjoy gritty futuristic, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi reading should give this book/series a try.
August 2, 2013
You may also read my review here: http://gizmodo.com/teacher-takes-stud...
Skyler Luiken and his small crew are making a living in the scavenger business. They have a trusted fence and there seems to be no shortage of jobs. It’s also a plus that every member of his crew, including himself, are immune to the SUBS disease that has depleted humanity. Now all that’s left of humanity lives in Darwin, Australia, where a space elevator stands, placed there by the Builders years before, after unleashing the plague on humanity. The space elevator gives off an Aura that protects against the plague, but lately, the Elevator seems to be faltering, and if that means that the Aura is faltering too, Darwin could be in big trouble. Those in orbit depend on Darwin for air and water, and the citizens of Darwin depend on the Orbitals for food. Darwin is a grim place, but it might be about to get much worse. That’s where Dr. Tania Sharma comes in. Her benefactor, Neil Platz, has been making plans for a long time, plans that include having a safeguard in case the Builders decide to come back, and she’s been tasked with finding out why the elevator may be failing.
Are you a fan of Firefly? Love zombies? How about zombies in spaaaaace? If so, then you’ll love The Darwin Elevator. I keep seeing the comparisons to Firefly, and while that’s accurate (it is!), Jason M. Hough has created something wonderful that’s all his own. The Firefly comparisons certainly come from Skyler and crew. They’ve got that particular charm that makes Firefly so winning, especially the uneasy camaraderie between Skyler and Samantha. However, be prepared for this crew to be put through the ringer, and then some. Jason M. Hough has taken the best of space adventure and populated it with characters that are so much fun, and so easy to like, and hate. The villain in this one is the baddest of the bad, and even worse, he’s extremely smart. Under a huge helping of arrogance, the leader of Nightcliff is a cunning, ruthless bastard, and you’ll love to hate him. It becomes a race to the finish when the different groups, in Orbit and in Darwin, decide the time is right to gain the upper hand. Why is the Elevator failing and what exactly is the Builders’ plan? These are the questions that Skyler and Tania will need to find out the answers to in order to ensure humanity’s survival, but first they have to survive. Plenty of action and more than a few surprises round out this spectacular dystopian/space adventure! I’ll follow Skyler and Co. anywhere!
Skyler Luiken and his small crew are making a living in the scavenger business. They have a trusted fence and there seems to be no shortage of jobs. It’s also a plus that every member of his crew, including himself, are immune to the SUBS disease that has depleted humanity. Now all that’s left of humanity lives in Darwin, Australia, where a space elevator stands, placed there by the Builders years before, after unleashing the plague on humanity. The space elevator gives off an Aura that protects against the plague, but lately, the Elevator seems to be faltering, and if that means that the Aura is faltering too, Darwin could be in big trouble. Those in orbit depend on Darwin for air and water, and the citizens of Darwin depend on the Orbitals for food. Darwin is a grim place, but it might be about to get much worse. That’s where Dr. Tania Sharma comes in. Her benefactor, Neil Platz, has been making plans for a long time, plans that include having a safeguard in case the Builders decide to come back, and she’s been tasked with finding out why the elevator may be failing.
Are you a fan of Firefly? Love zombies? How about zombies in spaaaaace? If so, then you’ll love The Darwin Elevator. I keep seeing the comparisons to Firefly, and while that’s accurate (it is!), Jason M. Hough has created something wonderful that’s all his own. The Firefly comparisons certainly come from Skyler and crew. They’ve got that particular charm that makes Firefly so winning, especially the uneasy camaraderie between Skyler and Samantha. However, be prepared for this crew to be put through the ringer, and then some. Jason M. Hough has taken the best of space adventure and populated it with characters that are so much fun, and so easy to like, and hate. The villain in this one is the baddest of the bad, and even worse, he’s extremely smart. Under a huge helping of arrogance, the leader of Nightcliff is a cunning, ruthless bastard, and you’ll love to hate him. It becomes a race to the finish when the different groups, in Orbit and in Darwin, decide the time is right to gain the upper hand. Why is the Elevator failing and what exactly is the Builders’ plan? These are the questions that Skyler and Tania will need to find out the answers to in order to ensure humanity’s survival, but first they have to survive. Plenty of action and more than a few surprises round out this spectacular dystopian/space adventure! I’ll follow Skyler and Co. anywhere!
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
February 5, 2017I'm abandoning this book, because it is just decidedly not for me. I do think it might be for some of you, so I'll share a little bit about it.
The setting - Darwin, Australia, 2023. The site of a space elevator that just... appeared one day, because aliens. They never made contact (that the humans know of) but when a worldwide virus destroyed most of humanity, those living in Darwin were fine. They became immune in a world filled with subhumans (known as SUBs.) They aren't described as zombies, but that's what the subhumans made me think of. They are a silent but always present menace, although the characters are so negatively impacted when one is killed, this isn't your typical "go kill all the zombies" novel.
There is a team of smugglers with the boon of immunity that allows them to go scavenging without airsuits and limited exposure to the elements. The virus is still a threat. But weird events are happening, and they're going to need to fight.
The audio performance - Simon Vance is incredibly talented, with distinct voices and personalities for all of the characters. I just wish they had been with Australian accents considering the setting!
So I kind of quit halfway through. I was tired of the depthless characters and too much description of ships! This is very heavy on the military side of military sci-fi, and I know some people love it. The main character is clearly supposed to be kind of a Luke Skywalker, so I imagine this would appeal to Star Wars fans. It also made me think of Leviathan Wakes and of course The Fountains of Paradise, space elevator and all.
I do applaud Jason M. Hough for retooling a novel for publishing first written as a NaNoWriMo novel. It can be done! Sorry this just wasn't for me, but this is a trilogy so fans should be quite pleased.
The setting - Darwin, Australia, 2023. The site of a space elevator that just... appeared one day, because aliens. They never made contact (that the humans know of) but when a worldwide virus destroyed most of humanity, those living in Darwin were fine. They became immune in a world filled with subhumans (known as SUBs.) They aren't described as zombies, but that's what the subhumans made me think of. They are a silent but always present menace, although the characters are so negatively impacted when one is killed, this isn't your typical "go kill all the zombies" novel.
There is a team of smugglers with the boon of immunity that allows them to go scavenging without airsuits and limited exposure to the elements. The virus is still a threat. But weird events are happening, and they're going to need to fight.
The audio performance - Simon Vance is incredibly talented, with distinct voices and personalities for all of the characters. I just wish they had been with Australian accents considering the setting!
So I kind of quit halfway through. I was tired of the depthless characters and too much description of ships! This is very heavy on the military side of military sci-fi, and I know some people love it. The main character is clearly supposed to be kind of a Luke Skywalker, so I imagine this would appeal to Star Wars fans. It also made me think of Leviathan Wakes and of course The Fountains of Paradise, space elevator and all.
I do applaud Jason M. Hough for retooling a novel for publishing first written as a NaNoWriMo novel. It can be done! Sorry this just wasn't for me, but this is a trilogy so fans should be quite pleased.
July 23, 2016
An enjoyable read set on a dying earth.
July 20, 2013
In the mid-23rd century, Darwin, Australia, stands as the last human city on Earth. The world has succumbed to an alien plague, with most of the population transformed into mindless, savage creatures. The planet’s refugees flock to Darwin, where a space elevator—created by the architects of this apocalypse, the Builders—emits a plague-suppressing aura.
Skyler Luiken has a rare immunity to the plague. Backed by an international crew of fellow “immunes,” he leads missions into the dangerous wasteland beyond the aura’s edge to find the resources Darwin needs to stave off collapse. But when the Elevator starts to malfunction, Skyler is tapped—along with the brilliant scientist, Dr. Tania Sharma—to solve the mystery of the failing alien technology and save the ragged remnants of humanity
The arrival of mysterious technology has managed, in a short period of time, to move humanity forward and then stop it almost dead in its tracks. Briefly, the Earth experienced a golden age and then suddenly a disease has put pay to all that. Society has effectively split, becoming two distinct groups – the haves and the have-nots. Those that live off planet in a series of space stations that connect via the elevator to Earth. Meanwhile, those that can’t attempt to survive in the only other place left, at the base of the machine in Darwin.
In Darwin, the cast of characters are an eclectic bunch. The lead, Skyler Luiken has a roguish charm that will no doubt be a hit, you can’t really go far wrong with an amalgam of Solo and Reynolds. His crew, particularly the enforcer Samantha, are also a highlight. Even the local smuggler’s fence/fixer, Prumble, has some moments to shine.
The economics of Darwin play an important part in proceedings. At the base of the elevator is a fortress know as Nightcliff. Here, an official called Russell Blackfield has created his own little fiefdom. He knows that those humans who now live off planet require a constant flow of traffic up and down the lift’s route. He uses this to his advantage, scheming and manipulating every situation he can in order to gain more and more control. Ultimately he dreams of being in charge of everything and you can sense it is only a matter of time before he is going to make his move.
The most intriguing of all the characters however is Neil Platz. His company were the first to exploit the alien technology when it first arrived and he is directly responsible for humanities move closer towards the stars. He has moved his scientific exploration into orbit and he has become obsessed with discovering as much as he can about the enigmatic Builders. The nature of his obsessions are key to events as the plot unfolds. He’s an interesting mix, imagine meeting someone who is all child-like wonder one moment and then ruthless business man the next.
While reading about the disparity between the lifestyles of those living in Darwin and those living in orbit, I was taking my visual cues from the trailer for Neil Blomkamp’s forthcoming movie Elysium. In his novel, Hough has captured that same sense of inequality. Those in Darwin don’t have any choice; the risk of being exposed to the contamination is too great. They have to live as close to the elevator as they can, the only safe zone, where the disease is held in check. Meanwhile, high above, the Orbitals live a more comfortable existence. At its core, the writing rather cleverly explores the divisions that have arisen in what’s left of the Earth’s dwindling population. Rather than banding together in order to survive, strong egos cause clashes between the various factions vying for power.
The story also excels when the author turns his descriptive powers towards action. For reasons that I’m not going to explain, spoilers and whatnot, our lead and his crew quickly find themselves in a race against time. These chapters whip by at breakneck speed and it’s easy to get caught up in the relentless pace. Doesn’t matter if it’s on the ground, in the air, or in outer space, Hough knows how to deliver first rate thrills and spills.
The chapters that feature the sub-humans have a suitably creepy vibe. The “subs” come across as almost a kind of primal zombie. I rather like that there are moments where The Darwin Elevator moves from science fiction and nearly becomes post-apocalyptic horror. It’s a sure sign of Hough’s skill as a writer that he is able effortlessly traverse that fine line that exists between these two respective genres.
There were only a couple of things that I think didn’t work for me. There were some instances where I felt the plot seemed to fall into a bit of a holding pattern. More than once characters danced around a reveal that would move things forward, that came across a little unnecessary. My other minor quibble is what’s missing from The Darwin Elevator. They are eluded to throughout, but there wasn’t an appearance by the mysterious alien Builders. In fairness, I do suspect that it won’t be too long before they do finally show themselves.
Overall though, this is a rock-solid debut that showcases some fine writing and, more importantly perhaps, bucket loads of potential. As far as the story goes I can only hope that book two features more of the same. More sub-human mayhem, more zero-gravity warfare and *fingers crossed* much more from those damn elusive Builders. Based on what I’ve read so far, I think I’d be keen to read more of this author’s work.
The Darwin Elevator is published by Titan Books and is available on 26th July. The sequel, The Exodus Towers, arrives at the end of August and the final book in the trilogy, The Plague Forge, at the end of September. If you like your science fiction intelligent but action packed, with a blistering pace, this could well be the series for you.
Skyler Luiken has a rare immunity to the plague. Backed by an international crew of fellow “immunes,” he leads missions into the dangerous wasteland beyond the aura’s edge to find the resources Darwin needs to stave off collapse. But when the Elevator starts to malfunction, Skyler is tapped—along with the brilliant scientist, Dr. Tania Sharma—to solve the mystery of the failing alien technology and save the ragged remnants of humanity
The arrival of mysterious technology has managed, in a short period of time, to move humanity forward and then stop it almost dead in its tracks. Briefly, the Earth experienced a golden age and then suddenly a disease has put pay to all that. Society has effectively split, becoming two distinct groups – the haves and the have-nots. Those that live off planet in a series of space stations that connect via the elevator to Earth. Meanwhile, those that can’t attempt to survive in the only other place left, at the base of the machine in Darwin.
In Darwin, the cast of characters are an eclectic bunch. The lead, Skyler Luiken has a roguish charm that will no doubt be a hit, you can’t really go far wrong with an amalgam of Solo and Reynolds. His crew, particularly the enforcer Samantha, are also a highlight. Even the local smuggler’s fence/fixer, Prumble, has some moments to shine.
The economics of Darwin play an important part in proceedings. At the base of the elevator is a fortress know as Nightcliff. Here, an official called Russell Blackfield has created his own little fiefdom. He knows that those humans who now live off planet require a constant flow of traffic up and down the lift’s route. He uses this to his advantage, scheming and manipulating every situation he can in order to gain more and more control. Ultimately he dreams of being in charge of everything and you can sense it is only a matter of time before he is going to make his move.
The most intriguing of all the characters however is Neil Platz. His company were the first to exploit the alien technology when it first arrived and he is directly responsible for humanities move closer towards the stars. He has moved his scientific exploration into orbit and he has become obsessed with discovering as much as he can about the enigmatic Builders. The nature of his obsessions are key to events as the plot unfolds. He’s an interesting mix, imagine meeting someone who is all child-like wonder one moment and then ruthless business man the next.
While reading about the disparity between the lifestyles of those living in Darwin and those living in orbit, I was taking my visual cues from the trailer for Neil Blomkamp’s forthcoming movie Elysium. In his novel, Hough has captured that same sense of inequality. Those in Darwin don’t have any choice; the risk of being exposed to the contamination is too great. They have to live as close to the elevator as they can, the only safe zone, where the disease is held in check. Meanwhile, high above, the Orbitals live a more comfortable existence. At its core, the writing rather cleverly explores the divisions that have arisen in what’s left of the Earth’s dwindling population. Rather than banding together in order to survive, strong egos cause clashes between the various factions vying for power.
The story also excels when the author turns his descriptive powers towards action. For reasons that I’m not going to explain, spoilers and whatnot, our lead and his crew quickly find themselves in a race against time. These chapters whip by at breakneck speed and it’s easy to get caught up in the relentless pace. Doesn’t matter if it’s on the ground, in the air, or in outer space, Hough knows how to deliver first rate thrills and spills.
The chapters that feature the sub-humans have a suitably creepy vibe. The “subs” come across as almost a kind of primal zombie. I rather like that there are moments where The Darwin Elevator moves from science fiction and nearly becomes post-apocalyptic horror. It’s a sure sign of Hough’s skill as a writer that he is able effortlessly traverse that fine line that exists between these two respective genres.
There were only a couple of things that I think didn’t work for me. There were some instances where I felt the plot seemed to fall into a bit of a holding pattern. More than once characters danced around a reveal that would move things forward, that came across a little unnecessary. My other minor quibble is what’s missing from The Darwin Elevator. They are eluded to throughout, but there wasn’t an appearance by the mysterious alien Builders. In fairness, I do suspect that it won’t be too long before they do finally show themselves.
Overall though, this is a rock-solid debut that showcases some fine writing and, more importantly perhaps, bucket loads of potential. As far as the story goes I can only hope that book two features more of the same. More sub-human mayhem, more zero-gravity warfare and *fingers crossed* much more from those damn elusive Builders. Based on what I’ve read so far, I think I’d be keen to read more of this author’s work.
The Darwin Elevator is published by Titan Books and is available on 26th July. The sequel, The Exodus Towers, arrives at the end of August and the final book in the trilogy, The Plague Forge, at the end of September. If you like your science fiction intelligent but action packed, with a blistering pace, this could well be the series for you.
September 12, 2023
The Darwin Elevator had an interesting premise, and more than delivered on that premise. Set a couple hundred years into the future, aliens have approached the planet on three different occasions. They provided an amazing space elevator on their second approach, and a disease that nearly wiped out the entirely population on their last approach. Most of the humans either died instantly or turned into these hyper zombie type creatures when exposed to the virus, and only those near the space elevator are safe. Neil Platz, a billionaire businessman, was the first human to know about the alien contact and built a series of space stations in preparation. He suspects the aliens are making a fourth approach and enlists scientist Tania Sharma and scavenger, Skyler, to enact a plan to prepare for the alien incursion.
This was a terrific novel in many ways. The concept and ideas presented were thought provoking. The writing was tight. The flow was great. The two main characters, Sharma and Skyler, were strong characters and had good chemistry together on the page. There was a good buildup through the novel. It felt as if there were several different shifts in the story, starting off as an action adventure, then turning into a sci-fi novel, and then becoming a political thriller. There were lots of twists and turns, good conflict not only with the impending alien arrival but also with the human factions vying for power. This is a must read for anyone who likes sci-fi or post apocalyptic fiction.
Carl Alves - author of Reconquest: Mother Earth
This was a terrific novel in many ways. The concept and ideas presented were thought provoking. The writing was tight. The flow was great. The two main characters, Sharma and Skyler, were strong characters and had good chemistry together on the page. There was a good buildup through the novel. It felt as if there were several different shifts in the story, starting off as an action adventure, then turning into a sci-fi novel, and then becoming a political thriller. There were lots of twists and turns, good conflict not only with the impending alien arrival but also with the human factions vying for power. This is a must read for anyone who likes sci-fi or post apocalyptic fiction.
Carl Alves - author of Reconquest: Mother Earth
June 24, 2013
My Goodreads rating on The Darwin Elevator would be 5 stars for the first half and 3 stars for the second. Since I can’t do that the book will get 4 stars.
The Darwin Elevator captured and held my attention for the first half of the book. The plot was very exciting and the characters were well developed. There was great world building, danger and tension. So what happened after the first half to change my rating? To me it looked like the author had those well developed characters acting out of character to keep the plot moving in the direction he wanted. I found that their action were a distraction that took my attention away from the plot. On a personal level some of the characters I really liked were killed off. And then the book ended! It did not finish, it ended!
Did all of that make this a bad book? No! Even though in the second half I found the character’s actions distracting I still finished in record time. This is book one in a three book series so a cliffhanger ending is not unusual. It does make me want to read book two as soon as possible.
Even though I found some things that I thought took away from the story I still recommend the book. This is a great new series for Science Fiction fans.
Del Rey will release The DarwinElevator by Jason M. Hough on July 30, 2013. There is still time to pre-order.
I received an eARC of The Darwin Elevator from Netgalley.
The Darwin Elevator captured and held my attention for the first half of the book. The plot was very exciting and the characters were well developed. There was great world building, danger and tension. So what happened after the first half to change my rating? To me it looked like the author had those well developed characters acting out of character to keep the plot moving in the direction he wanted. I found that their action were a distraction that took my attention away from the plot. On a personal level some of the characters I really liked were killed off. And then the book ended! It did not finish, it ended!
Did all of that make this a bad book? No! Even though in the second half I found the character’s actions distracting I still finished in record time. This is book one in a three book series so a cliffhanger ending is not unusual. It does make me want to read book two as soon as possible.
Even though I found some things that I thought took away from the story I still recommend the book. This is a great new series for Science Fiction fans.
Del Rey will release The DarwinElevator by Jason M. Hough on July 30, 2013. There is still time to pre-order.
I received an eARC of The Darwin Elevator from Netgalley.
November 8, 2013
I received this through the GoodReads first reads program.
I really enjoyed this book. I never thought of myself as a science fiction fan. I generally dislike books based in space, but this book took place in space and on land and was a perfect high-tech apocalyptic book.
It kept me engrossed to the very end, although it was hard to become attached to any of the characters. The main character wasn't developed very well I felt, but the action kept me turning pages.
It was a bit hard to get into at first, but suddenly before I knew it I couldn't put it down. Some places however I wish there was a bit more detail as to what was going on. It felt rushed. I'd definitely recommend this for people who enjoy science fiction.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I really enjoyed this book. I never thought of myself as a science fiction fan. I generally dislike books based in space, but this book took place in space and on land and was a perfect high-tech apocalyptic book.
It kept me engrossed to the very end, although it was hard to become attached to any of the characters. The main character wasn't developed very well I felt, but the action kept me turning pages.
It was a bit hard to get into at first, but suddenly before I knew it I couldn't put it down. Some places however I wish there was a bit more detail as to what was going on. It felt rushed. I'd definitely recommend this for people who enjoy science fiction.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
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