What do you think?
Rate this book
The Survivors #1
The Event
The ships came at dawn. Dean’s wife is dead. Her last When the ships come...wear the necklace. Then the ships arrived. Cities all around the world reported strange alien vessels descending. Some saw them as the heralds of a new age; others fired everything they had at them. All were taken as the beams lashed down and drew them into the sky. Dean was left behind, seemingly the last man on Earth. A trail of clues left by his dead wife guide Dean on a perilous journey across America and beyond, to learn the truth behind the mysterious ships and save humanity from its doom. But not everything is as it seems. The Event is the epic first novel of the best-selling Survivors series.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 15, 2018
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 331 reviews
June 17, 2019
I needed an Earth-bound SciFi fix for the longest time. Seemingly all my books have lately been outer space stories or virtual reality fantasies. This was a welcome break.
It started as a bumpy ride, though.
"This is Audible," a well-known voice said.
And then, the most horrifying feeling in the world. A terrible voice from my nightmares said:
"Audible studios present. The Event. Written by Nathan Hystad"
I held my breath...
"Performed by Luke Daniels"
YESS!!!
This voice, I COULD HAVE SWORN, belonged to David S. Dear. While not the most horrible narrator in the world, I don't think I'd be able to take 6.5 hours of listening to him.
"One"
The ships came at dawn.
The beautiful voice of Luke Daniels said to me quietly. It didn't matter anymore. No Davids of this world could take this book away from me now. I will have my book of aliens and I will enjoy it! Damn it! 😂
And enjoyed it I did. It's so much easier for male narrators to do female voices than the other way around, and Luke does it well. Yes, it's easier to lend voices when it's a comedy piece but this was a job well done. At one point there was a character who Luke read just like the rogue from the Web of Eyes. Not sure I liked it. It was... weird. But that's about all when it comes to oddities.
The book was a smooth ride.
Dean, just a random guy, had a very unusual morning one day. He witnessed every single person in his town being lifted up into the sky in a green, impenetrable, beam. Was it green, though? I think I remember so. Okay -- in a green, impenetrable beam!
A green, impenetrable, beam
We found out it's impenetrable when Dean tried to grab his friend and pull him out of one of those. He unfortunately and painfully bounced away from it.
But why wasn't he beamed up as the rest of his townsfolk? Magic!
Dean was wearing a necklace. His wife, dying several years earlier, told him: "When the ships come... wear the necklace."
And wore the necklace he did. As soon as it became obvious that objects above all cities in the world are in fact alien ships, Dean remembered the promise to his wife.
Now, thanks to the very same necklace, he was the only man alive on the planet.
His wife had left him a letter, though. She knew this day will come and had prepared accordingly. As it usually goes, "Promise me you won't read this letter until the ships come! Promise!", our hero promised thusly.
The letter contained a little bit of explanation, which only served to raise a lot more questions and a single direction. A direction which will offer answers. Hopefully related to how to get all of his friends back.
Armed with anger and being, with an increasing degree of certainty, a very much last man alive on the planet, Dean packs up and prepares for the road.
That's my take on the synopsis. Hopefully better and less spoiler-y than the official one 😅
You will have to suspend disbelief quite a few times but if you're a SciFi reader you should be prepared for this anyway. Sometimes it was a bit too much, though. At other times, the story seemed to have flowed just the right way for the situation to be precisely set for the next act. Didn't really like that, so I docked a star.
The ending was unusual. "The Departed" unusual. I "saw" the ending, or heard it rather, and I still wasn't sure what was it that I experienced.
Seriously, who exactly should or should not be trusted here? Every single person in this book lies! Honestly, if I was in Dean's place, by the end of the book I'd probably kill everyone out of sheer self-preservation. That would probably doom humanity but at least I'd get the last laugh. We're cancer on this planet anyway so it's a net win, right? 😉
And then they all died! The end!
George R. R. Martin gets it
Okay, they didn't. At least not straight away. And not all of them. Some people, at some point, died. That's as much as I can tell you, I'm afraid.
Dean didn't die, however. At least not straight away. At some point-- This is a closed loop I know not how to get out of so I'll cut it right here 🤣
Plot holes and a medium level of unbelievability notwithstanding, this is a good book.
Take it and hold her steady! I laughed out loud in public 🤣
Interesting fact: The first book I ever read that I'm not sure how it really ended.
The Event (The Survivors #1)
Nathan Hystad, Luke Daniels (Narrator)
It started as a bumpy ride, though.
"This is Audible," a well-known voice said.
And then, the most horrifying feeling in the world. A terrible voice from my nightmares said:
"Audible studios present. The Event. Written by Nathan Hystad"
I held my breath...
"Performed by Luke Daniels"
YESS!!!
This voice, I COULD HAVE SWORN, belonged to David S. Dear. While not the most horrible narrator in the world, I don't think I'd be able to take 6.5 hours of listening to him.
"One"
The ships came at dawn.
The beautiful voice of Luke Daniels said to me quietly. It didn't matter anymore. No Davids of this world could take this book away from me now. I will have my book of aliens and I will enjoy it! Damn it! 😂
And enjoyed it I did. It's so much easier for male narrators to do female voices than the other way around, and Luke does it well. Yes, it's easier to lend voices when it's a comedy piece but this was a job well done. At one point there was a character who Luke read just like the rogue from the Web of Eyes. Not sure I liked it. It was... weird. But that's about all when it comes to oddities.
The book was a smooth ride.
Dean, just a random guy, had a very unusual morning one day. He witnessed every single person in his town being lifted up into the sky in a green, impenetrable, beam. Was it green, though? I think I remember so. Okay -- in a green, impenetrable beam!
A green, impenetrable, beam
We found out it's impenetrable when Dean tried to grab his friend and pull him out of one of those. He unfortunately and painfully bounced away from it.
But why wasn't he beamed up as the rest of his townsfolk? Magic!
Dean was wearing a necklace. His wife, dying several years earlier, told him: "When the ships come... wear the necklace."
And wore the necklace he did. As soon as it became obvious that objects above all cities in the world are in fact alien ships, Dean remembered the promise to his wife.
Now, thanks to the very same necklace, he was the only man alive on the planet.
His wife had left him a letter, though. She knew this day will come and had prepared accordingly. As it usually goes, "Promise me you won't read this letter until the ships come! Promise!", our hero promised thusly.
The letter contained a little bit of explanation, which only served to raise a lot more questions and a single direction. A direction which will offer answers. Hopefully related to how to get all of his friends back.
Armed with anger and being, with an increasing degree of certainty, a very much last man alive on the planet, Dean packs up and prepares for the road.
That's my take on the synopsis. Hopefully better and less spoiler-y than the official one 😅
You will have to suspend disbelief quite a few times but if you're a SciFi reader you should be prepared for this anyway. Sometimes it was a bit too much, though. At other times, the story seemed to have flowed just the right way for the situation to be precisely set for the next act. Didn't really like that, so I docked a star.
The ending was unusual. "The Departed" unusual. I "saw" the ending, or heard it rather, and I still wasn't sure what was it that I experienced.
Seriously, who exactly should or should not be trusted here? Every single person in this book lies! Honestly, if I was in Dean's place, by the end of the book I'd probably kill everyone out of sheer self-preservation. That would probably doom humanity but at least I'd get the last laugh. We're cancer on this planet anyway so it's a net win, right? 😉
And then they all died! The end!
George R. R. Martin gets it
Okay, they didn't. At least not straight away. And not all of them. Some people, at some point, died. That's as much as I can tell you, I'm afraid.
Dean didn't die, however. At least not straight away. At some point-- This is a closed loop I know not how to get out of so I'll cut it right here 🤣
Plot holes and a medium level of unbelievability notwithstanding, this is a good book.
Take it and hold her steady! I laughed out loud in public 🤣
Interesting fact: The first book I ever read that I'm not sure how it really ended.
The Event (The Survivors #1)
Nathan Hystad, Luke Daniels (Narrator)
Verdict Not bad. Will continue the series one day.
Runtime 06:33
Overall
Performance
Story
March 4, 2018
A fresh look at first contact
The Event by Nathan By star is a very interesting and absorbing read. It had me hooked right away. I felt I was there with them feeling alone, terrified, hunted, and trying to survive. Good change from regular plots on the subject.
The Event by Nathan By star is a very interesting and absorbing read. It had me hooked right away. I felt I was there with them feeling alone, terrified, hunted, and trying to survive. Good change from regular plots on the subject.
April 8, 2018
This author must have had all his friends write reviews because I don’t understand how I’m the only person who has given this review less than 4 stars.
The premise of this book is really good... but the execution is terrible.
The writing is awful. It’s grammatically correct and everything but it has all the emotion and suspense of watching paint dry. Plus a lot more telling than showing. And everything just happened too easily. Case in point: a ragtag group of survivors without any sailing experience get from Florida to South America in like 14 days with only one storm to contend with? And no interference from an alien race who knows there are survivors and have the advantage of viewing them from outer space but can’t notice one ship sailing on the ocean??? Granted there is one race watching them that wants them to get there, but where is interference from the other faction?
I kept rolling my eyes at it. The would-be romance has no build up and is as flat as the narration. The narrator goes through things without a slip of emotion, from betrayal of various members of their team to being up in outerspace. He says a few flat words on the subject and just moves on. This story lacks heart and suspense and, honestly, any believable realism to it. Sorry, I can’t buy that a bunch of humans just instantly learn to use technology decades beyond their own as if all it needed was an explanation and a brain download. Nope and nope.
I generously gave this a two star review because I made myself read to the end so that it could go into my yearly book count goal. I only give 1 stars to books that lack any grammar skills and/or I couldn’t finish. So, I finished the book and it had no blaring grammatical errors. That’s all I can say.
The premise of this book is really good... but the execution is terrible.
The writing is awful. It’s grammatically correct and everything but it has all the emotion and suspense of watching paint dry. Plus a lot more telling than showing. And everything just happened too easily. Case in point: a ragtag group of survivors without any sailing experience get from Florida to South America in like 14 days with only one storm to contend with? And no interference from an alien race who knows there are survivors and have the advantage of viewing them from outer space but can’t notice one ship sailing on the ocean??? Granted there is one race watching them that wants them to get there, but where is interference from the other faction?
I kept rolling my eyes at it. The would-be romance has no build up and is as flat as the narration. The narrator goes through things without a slip of emotion, from betrayal of various members of their team to being up in outerspace. He says a few flat words on the subject and just moves on. This story lacks heart and suspense and, honestly, any believable realism to it. Sorry, I can’t buy that a bunch of humans just instantly learn to use technology decades beyond their own as if all it needed was an explanation and a brain download. Nope and nope.
I generously gave this a two star review because I made myself read to the end so that it could go into my yearly book count goal. I only give 1 stars to books that lack any grammar skills and/or I couldn’t finish. So, I finished the book and it had no blaring grammatical errors. That’s all I can say.
May 29, 2018
I had a $0.99 credit on Amazon and used it for this, assuming it would scratch any apocalyptic alien-invasion itch I might develop. The premise is slightly kooky but interesting: Dean's late wife makes him promise to wear a special necklace "when the ships come". Alien ships do come, he puts on the necklace, and he finds that he's one of the few people left on Earth. Of course, this means that Dean and the people still on Earth must save the day. Unfortunately, in the real world, their plan wouldn't have worked because they all would have died the first night when they put a generator in their hotel closet and hoped to actually wake up in the morning. Then there are other big problems like the author's assumption that someone could travel from Russia to Panama by ship in 4 days and that the population of the Earth could go a full week without water and still be alive. The book is a quick read and entertaining, but I really had to suspend my disbelief far too many times to give it more than 3 stars.
October 2, 2018
Awful. Couldn't finish it. How did this guy get a publisher?
April 27, 2018
Fun but too fast, too shallow and way too improbable
The plot is convoluted. Its hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys, the good aliens from the bad aliens or the good hybrids from the homicidal maniacs. The characters are barely more than two dimensional. The main premise, that aliens could abduct 7 billion humans in a few minutes, would be able to store them in container ships, but would then need to send them to the sun to destroy them, is beyond preposterous. Its intellectually offensive. No amount of story telling intrigue and artifice could salvage much from such weak logic.
I did, however enjoy the small amount of character development for the protagonist, and did finish the book. I was also kept interested waiting to see how the author would write his way out of the giant hole he dug for himself. He didn't make it out of the hole, but I did enjoy trying to find plausible plot twists and rooting for him.
Still, it is hard to recommend this book, and I won't be reading the sequels.
The plot is convoluted. Its hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys, the good aliens from the bad aliens or the good hybrids from the homicidal maniacs. The characters are barely more than two dimensional. The main premise, that aliens could abduct 7 billion humans in a few minutes, would be able to store them in container ships, but would then need to send them to the sun to destroy them, is beyond preposterous. Its intellectually offensive. No amount of story telling intrigue and artifice could salvage much from such weak logic.
I did, however enjoy the small amount of character development for the protagonist, and did finish the book. I was also kept interested waiting to see how the author would write his way out of the giant hole he dug for himself. He didn't make it out of the hole, but I did enjoy trying to find plausible plot twists and rooting for him.
Still, it is hard to recommend this book, and I won't be reading the sequels.
August 18, 2019
I really liked this first book in The Survivors series. I purchased it on Audible and Luke Daniels did an excellent job with the material. Great storyline - aliens from outer space place some scouts among the humans, and assign them each someone to "join" with, in preparation for the final coming. Things go awry and a handful of people are left to try and make it to Manchu Pichu to stop the invasion. Great story telling.
Read
May 18, 2022Updated. Removes Starred Rating.
Just couldn't finish. The writing isn't very good but that hasn' t stopped me in the past. Suspension of disbelief required = heavy. Mainly it's just a case of seen it all before, again and again. Stories of mass disappearances/alien abductions go back to the venerable Phillip Wylie (at the very least). Tag that with the chosen-to-save-humanity riff and you've got this book. After getting half way through, there was no incentive to finish; didn't care how it ended.
Just couldn't finish. The writing isn't very good but that hasn' t stopped me in the past. Suspension of disbelief required = heavy. Mainly it's just a case of seen it all before, again and again. Stories of mass disappearances/alien abductions go back to the venerable Phillip Wylie (at the very least). Tag that with the chosen-to-save-humanity riff and you've got this book. After getting half way through, there was no incentive to finish; didn't care how it ended.
March 17, 2018
A new author and a new book. That’s like getting a present from someone you don’t know and not knowing what they gave you at all! But, this book was a pretty good gift to the science fiction genre if I may say so myself. It wasn’t the greatest because I think there are some flaws in how the story unravels, but it did make an interesting tail most all the way through. The ending kind of came quick and not much for details, but there are additional books coming so that might improve.
So, what’s the book about? Well, it’s about an accountant saving the entire human population. Yeah, an accountant! That’s great because I are one. I can see where this could happen since I was also in the Army for quite while. But, I’m no where near as nerdy as the main character seems to be. Dean Parker is now a widower having lost his wife three years prior. Janine was a pretty wonderful wife, but somewhat different. Dean had know this all along, but really thought nothing of it. She had a brother which Dean certainly didn’t care much for and had trouble remembering the times he had stopped by the house to talk to Janine. It was like he was always going to sleep or passing out when Bob showed up.
At the start of the story, Dean wakes up to the same scene we have seen on the movies, “independence Day”. Huge alien ships hanging above all the Earth’s major cities. Only these ships had many, many smaller ships hanging around them. Of course, everyone was reacting in every way possible depending on who you were. Since on one country had been targeted by the aliens, humanity seemed to have come together against this unknown. I can’t say it was a threat, since none of the ships had done anything and even after the Russians launched nuclear missiles at the ships, they still didn’t do anything, for awhile.
Dean’s wife had told him something just prior to her death. Something very cryptic and something that surprisingly, Dean hadn’t forgotten. She gave him a necklace with a curious looking green stone attached to it. Dean had noticed Janine wearing that same necklace every day they had been together. When she did give it to him, she told him very specifically that he was to wear it at all times and never take it off. She further said it was important to do what she instructed because one, “They’ll come one day. Appear in the sky.” And they did just that. Unfortunately, Dean was wearing the necklace that day. He did remember what his wife had told him and knew that he had to get that necklace now before it was too late. It was stored in a rental storage unit across town. So, even with all the commotion going on with the alien ships, he took off to go get the necklace.
On the way, he met his best buddy, James and invited him back to his house. As they sat and watched TV news covering the alien arrival, the smaller ships began moving while at the same time sending down a green beam. That beam started a whole change of events that drove Dean and several companions from upper New York clear down to Peru.
He was first directed by his wife to open a safe deposit box in a bank in New York City that would explain everything. This journey wasn’t all that easy even if there had been people around. But now, there was no one. No one else in the entire world except Dean Parker.
I can’t go into what I think were some very improbably actions on the part of Dean and his compatriots because that would spoil the entire story. It just doesn’t seem possible to do what he eventually did in the timeframe that was indicated by the author. Things just don’t go that smoothly, but I guess they could. If you were the only person who could save all of humanity, would you try everything possible to do so even if it seemed impossible? I just think Dean would have been too traumatized by the events around him to worry about doing something his now dead wife told him to do. Still, it was a very good story, but the end was kind of quick and anti-climatic.
I am looking forward to reading the next book, “New Threat (The Survivors Book Two)” to be released on 2 April 2018. It’s even up for pre-order on Amazon right now.
So, what’s the book about? Well, it’s about an accountant saving the entire human population. Yeah, an accountant! That’s great because I are one. I can see where this could happen since I was also in the Army for quite while. But, I’m no where near as nerdy as the main character seems to be. Dean Parker is now a widower having lost his wife three years prior. Janine was a pretty wonderful wife, but somewhat different. Dean had know this all along, but really thought nothing of it. She had a brother which Dean certainly didn’t care much for and had trouble remembering the times he had stopped by the house to talk to Janine. It was like he was always going to sleep or passing out when Bob showed up.
At the start of the story, Dean wakes up to the same scene we have seen on the movies, “independence Day”. Huge alien ships hanging above all the Earth’s major cities. Only these ships had many, many smaller ships hanging around them. Of course, everyone was reacting in every way possible depending on who you were. Since on one country had been targeted by the aliens, humanity seemed to have come together against this unknown. I can’t say it was a threat, since none of the ships had done anything and even after the Russians launched nuclear missiles at the ships, they still didn’t do anything, for awhile.
Dean’s wife had told him something just prior to her death. Something very cryptic and something that surprisingly, Dean hadn’t forgotten. She gave him a necklace with a curious looking green stone attached to it. Dean had noticed Janine wearing that same necklace every day they had been together. When she did give it to him, she told him very specifically that he was to wear it at all times and never take it off. She further said it was important to do what she instructed because one, “They’ll come one day. Appear in the sky.” And they did just that. Unfortunately, Dean was wearing the necklace that day. He did remember what his wife had told him and knew that he had to get that necklace now before it was too late. It was stored in a rental storage unit across town. So, even with all the commotion going on with the alien ships, he took off to go get the necklace.
On the way, he met his best buddy, James and invited him back to his house. As they sat and watched TV news covering the alien arrival, the smaller ships began moving while at the same time sending down a green beam. That beam started a whole change of events that drove Dean and several companions from upper New York clear down to Peru.
He was first directed by his wife to open a safe deposit box in a bank in New York City that would explain everything. This journey wasn’t all that easy even if there had been people around. But now, there was no one. No one else in the entire world except Dean Parker.
I can’t go into what I think were some very improbably actions on the part of Dean and his compatriots because that would spoil the entire story. It just doesn’t seem possible to do what he eventually did in the timeframe that was indicated by the author. Things just don’t go that smoothly, but I guess they could. If you were the only person who could save all of humanity, would you try everything possible to do so even if it seemed impossible? I just think Dean would have been too traumatized by the events around him to worry about doing something his now dead wife told him to do. Still, it was a very good story, but the end was kind of quick and anti-climatic.
I am looking forward to reading the next book, “New Threat (The Survivors Book Two)” to be released on 2 April 2018. It’s even up for pre-order on Amazon right now.
May 19, 2018
Meh storyline. Almost DNF but pushed through in case the ending was redeemable. Nope.
July 22, 2021
If you like a scifi adventure you will enjoy this book. You've got alien's, humans, and hybrid humans.
You cannot ask for more. Be aware there are multiple books to this saga.
You cannot ask for more. Be aware there are multiple books to this saga.
April 9, 2018
“When the ships come... wear the necklace”.
The best post-invasion the world had ever seen. The secret is in the pendant... A very refreshing and original view of Sci fy and post apocalyptic plot, with tons of action and fast paced. Determination, strength, fear, sense of hopelessness and despair is very well combined in its twists and turns. I’m going the the second round, definitely!
The best post-invasion the world had ever seen. The secret is in the pendant... A very refreshing and original view of Sci fy and post apocalyptic plot, with tons of action and fast paced. Determination, strength, fear, sense of hopelessness and despair is very well combined in its twists and turns. I’m going the the second round, definitely!
March 18, 2018
Good read !
Good read, moves fast. The first of the book does not have a lot of SiFi more like an adventure novel but the last part has plenty of the usual SiFi . All in all,a good book, looking forward to book two.
Good read, moves fast. The first of the book does not have a lot of SiFi more like an adventure novel but the last part has plenty of the usual SiFi . All in all,a good book, looking forward to book two.
May 28, 2018
Slow and poorly written
I had high hopes based on the premise, but the book didn’t deliver. There’s a lot of meaningless content that doesn’t add to the story. The characters are repetitive and not interesting.
I had high hopes based on the premise, but the book didn’t deliver. There’s a lot of meaningless content that doesn’t add to the story. The characters are repetitive and not interesting.
September 19, 2018
As Sci-fi books go, this one was a waste of time. Characters were not even 2-dimensional. Storyline extremely simple and boring. The premise was ok in the beginning, but it looks like the writer didn't have any idea how to follow it.
January 28, 2019
Science Fantasy. Lots of magical, implausible, things happening here.
Some better uses for your time might be, "Poor Man's Fight" series by Elliot Kay or "Cast under an alien sun" by Olan Thorensen... Both series have Aliens, Mayhem, better writing and better stories.
Some better uses for your time might be, "Poor Man's Fight" series by Elliot Kay or "Cast under an alien sun" by Olan Thorensen... Both series have Aliens, Mayhem, better writing and better stories.
May 24, 2018
Was not a fan.
Kind of like a Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys writing style in a sci-fi book. The concept had promise. Simplistic.
Kind of like a Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys writing style in a sci-fi book. The concept had promise. Simplistic.
Read
November 4, 2018un premier tome sur le thème plutôt classique de l'invasion extra terrestre (les envahisseurs sont de retour ! alerte mondiale)
Le personnage principal Dean est assez sympathique, même s'il semble obsédé par son odeur corporel... Il est cartésien, doté d'un sens de l'humour qui n'est pas trop appuyé mais qui le maintient bien dans sa tête
Il y a aussi Carey le chien qui tient son rôle de chien mais qui finalement ne sert à rien (ça ne m'a pas gêné : j'adore aussi les chiens !)
Même si la lecture est fluide il y a des défauts et quelques longueurs Le plus difficile est de croire
- à la technologie des aliens Il manque quelques explications (téléportation du monde entier avec quelle énergie ? pourquoi et comment avoir choisi la Terre ? etc ) Ils sont si avancés que leurs crédulité et leurs fragilités (un seul appareil sur Terre les tuent radicalement à distance et dans le temps) semblent peu crédibles
- quid du monde laissé soudainement à l'abandon en dehors des véhicules épaves ?
- le trajet jusqu'au Pérou est relativement aisé et remarquablement court pour la distance parcourue
- l'épisode spatial est tout simplement scientifiquement impossible
Donc, si on prend l'histoire sans se poser de question, on passe un moment distrayant comme pour un film SF à effets spéciaux mais si on s'interroge au fil de la lecture, alors le récit manque de profondeur et de réalisme même si question sentiments et psychologie, cela passe
Le personnage principal Dean est assez sympathique, même s'il semble obsédé par son odeur corporel... Il est cartésien, doté d'un sens de l'humour qui n'est pas trop appuyé mais qui le maintient bien dans sa tête
Il y a aussi Carey le chien qui tient son rôle de chien mais qui finalement ne sert à rien (ça ne m'a pas gêné : j'adore aussi les chiens !)
Même si la lecture est fluide il y a des défauts et quelques longueurs Le plus difficile est de croire
- à la technologie des aliens Il manque quelques explications (téléportation du monde entier avec quelle énergie ? pourquoi et comment avoir choisi la Terre ? etc ) Ils sont si avancés que leurs crédulité et leurs fragilités (un seul appareil sur Terre les tuent radicalement à distance et dans le temps) semblent peu crédibles
- quid du monde laissé soudainement à l'abandon en dehors des véhicules épaves ?
- le trajet jusqu'au Pérou est relativement aisé et remarquablement court pour la distance parcourue
- l'épisode spatial est tout simplement scientifiquement impossible
Donc, si on prend l'histoire sans se poser de question, on passe un moment distrayant comme pour un film SF à effets spéciaux mais si on s'interroge au fil de la lecture, alors le récit manque de profondeur et de réalisme même si question sentiments et psychologie, cela passe
March 26, 2019
3.5 stars
Sometimes you want to check your brains at the door and go on an sci-fi adventure. And dammit that’s what I did. I did enjoy myself. I might even read the sequel, one day.
Sometimes you want to check your brains at the door and go on an sci-fi adventure. And dammit that’s what I did. I did enjoy myself. I might even read the sequel, one day.
June 4, 2019
This is like reading a book written by your friend who is trying really hard to be a writer. There's potential there, but talent.... eh... not so much.
It starts right at the point of interest. We've got alien ships in the skies over Earth and we are following... an accountant. Okay, I'm on board. Average guy saves the day. Not a bad start.
He's got a necklace that protects him from the "beaming-up" process... okay. The necklace was a gift from his late wife who warned him that ships would come. So, now we've got weird alien sleeper agents who marry humans and do a pretty strange job of trying to warn them.
So we're off to Manhattan to get some answers. We meet some people in a similar spot. Are they interesting? Eh... not really. They have a road trip which seems rife with potential, but even then, we don't get that "quiet Earth" sort of feel. Not even a paragraph to talk about packs of dogs roaming in search of masters, or the eerie feeling of knowing there isn't another soul around for a thousand miles. That seems worthy of an occasional visual, but nah. We've got to get to South America.
And with every new page it tilts a little higher until the third act runs right off the rails with aliens, other aliens, civil wars amongst the aliens, betrayals, confusing plans and what the heck, one more type of alien (I think. It was a little unclear.)
If I was friends with Nathan, I'd tell him to simplify and to take his time. But there are so many of these published that I guarantee he did neither.
And I guarantee that somewhere in his past, he worked for a bad boss or a bad company and named the (evil) aliens after them.
I'm gonna go read Artemis again and take a shower.
It starts right at the point of interest. We've got alien ships in the skies over Earth and we are following... an accountant. Okay, I'm on board. Average guy saves the day. Not a bad start.
He's got a necklace that protects him from the "beaming-up" process... okay. The necklace was a gift from his late wife who warned him that ships would come. So, now we've got weird alien sleeper agents who marry humans and do a pretty strange job of trying to warn them.
So we're off to Manhattan to get some answers. We meet some people in a similar spot. Are they interesting? Eh... not really. They have a road trip which seems rife with potential, but even then, we don't get that "quiet Earth" sort of feel. Not even a paragraph to talk about packs of dogs roaming in search of masters, or the eerie feeling of knowing there isn't another soul around for a thousand miles. That seems worthy of an occasional visual, but nah. We've got to get to South America.
And with every new page it tilts a little higher until the third act runs right off the rails with aliens, other aliens, civil wars amongst the aliens, betrayals, confusing plans and what the heck, one more type of alien (I think. It was a little unclear.)
If I was friends with Nathan, I'd tell him to simplify and to take his time. But there are so many of these published that I guarantee he did neither.
And I guarantee that somewhere in his past, he worked for a bad boss or a bad company and named the (evil) aliens after them.
I'm gonna go read Artemis again and take a shower.
April 9, 2018
Really very poor
Take a hammer drill to a cheese grater and throw it into a minefield and you'd still struggle to create as many plot hopes as there are in this. Written in the first person it describes an almost unending series of increasingly unlikely events - culminating in the main character (an accountant) shooting up several spaceships full of dedicated alien hybrids. If you like your sci-fi served up in like an extended primary school essay and can't be bothered to look elsewhere then this is for you.
Take a hammer drill to a cheese grater and throw it into a minefield and you'd still struggle to create as many plot hopes as there are in this. Written in the first person it describes an almost unending series of increasingly unlikely events - culminating in the main character (an accountant) shooting up several spaceships full of dedicated alien hybrids. If you like your sci-fi served up in like an extended primary school essay and can't be bothered to look elsewhere then this is for you.
March 20, 2018
Great story
I really enjoyed the story and am anxious to continue with the series. The characters are well developed and engaging. The only criticism I have is that at times it reads like a rough draft. It could really benefit from proofreading and editing.
I really enjoyed the story and am anxious to continue with the series. The characters are well developed and engaging. The only criticism I have is that at times it reads like a rough draft. It could really benefit from proofreading and editing.
April 30, 2018
Bad narration!
The book is bad. Poor narration mixed with lack of originality makes this a bad read. I wish I didn’t read this book and saved my self some time.
The book is bad. Poor narration mixed with lack of originality makes this a bad read. I wish I didn’t read this book and saved my self some time.
July 13, 2018
Enjoyable alien abduction/alien invasion story with the whole who can you believe/trust bit mixed in. Imaginative and well written.
September 21, 2018
An OK read 3.5 stars.
July 6, 2021
For the last three years Dean Parker hadn't really existed. After the loss of his beloved Janine, his whole world had stopped while everyone else's continued on.
Then one day the ships came. Around the globe, over cities and towns - anywhere humanity had found its roots - they came...quietly. And now they simply drifted there, their intentions unknown - and the world waited.
But their arrival did have one effect. Dean was reminded of a promise he had made...a promise that he soon fulfilled. A promise that soon revealed its purpose as the ships revealed theirs...and the world changed in the glow of a green light. And now it rests on Dean's shoulders to stop THE EVENT and perhaps save all humanity.
Author Nathan Hystad kicks off a new series that deals with the ultimate loss and the ultimate betrayal. The Survivors - as the name of this new series - gives an immediate weight to the books with Hystad creating a world that he populates with characters that any reader would find living next door - or perhaps see in the mirror. He presents people who are dealing with tragedy at all levels from the intimate death of spouse, to the ripping away of an entire world. He also gives fairly storing insights in to the emotions and thoughts of those same people when they discover that everything they believed to be true and honest is nothing close to reality.
By the end of this the first story, Hystad has resolved the issues of the first book but immediately sets the foundation for the series to come.
Then one day the ships came. Around the globe, over cities and towns - anywhere humanity had found its roots - they came...quietly. And now they simply drifted there, their intentions unknown - and the world waited.
But their arrival did have one effect. Dean was reminded of a promise he had made...a promise that he soon fulfilled. A promise that soon revealed its purpose as the ships revealed theirs...and the world changed in the glow of a green light. And now it rests on Dean's shoulders to stop THE EVENT and perhaps save all humanity.
Author Nathan Hystad kicks off a new series that deals with the ultimate loss and the ultimate betrayal. The Survivors - as the name of this new series - gives an immediate weight to the books with Hystad creating a world that he populates with characters that any reader would find living next door - or perhaps see in the mirror. He presents people who are dealing with tragedy at all levels from the intimate death of spouse, to the ripping away of an entire world. He also gives fairly storing insights in to the emotions and thoughts of those same people when they discover that everything they believed to be true and honest is nothing close to reality.
By the end of this the first story, Hystad has resolved the issues of the first book but immediately sets the foundation for the series to come.
June 25, 2022
This is the first book by Hystad that I've read. He's prolific and well-liked so I was a little disappointed at the result. If you ignore the alien element, it's an unoriginal thriller apocalypse story. Although the plucky team of heroes seemed to have no interpersonal friction at all. The aliens just made it worse... they were too incompetent to be believed.
For most of the book, I was confused. The plot seemed overly convoluted and contrived. The nonsensical elements weren't portrayed as mysteries to be solved, rather they seemed like bad writing... mostly because the central characters were ignoring the illogic. Sure many of the missing pieces were dropped like forgotten refuse at the end of the book, but by that point, I was as uninterested as the protagonists. Even then the logic only vaguely hung together, as if a light breeze would tear it apart.
In short, the story lacked a sense of realism. I will not be continuing this series.
For most of the book, I was confused. The plot seemed overly convoluted and contrived. The nonsensical elements weren't portrayed as mysteries to be solved, rather they seemed like bad writing... mostly because the central characters were ignoring the illogic. Sure many of the missing pieces were dropped like forgotten refuse at the end of the book, but by that point, I was as uninterested as the protagonists. Even then the logic only vaguely hung together, as if a light breeze would tear it apart.
In short, the story lacked a sense of realism. I will not be continuing this series.
January 19, 2019
I absolutely love a good alien invasion story, and spend quite a bit of time looking for more of them. I think my love of the Tommyknockers started it all off, and all books that have come after have found it a hard act to follow.
The Event starts with the fairly common beginning of spaceships hovering over the earth, think M. N. Shyamalan’s Signs. It then moves into the more post apocalyptic genre. The plot is, ok. It gets a bit muddy in the middle. The writing is, again, ok. Not much more to say folks!
The Event starts with the fairly common beginning of spaceships hovering over the earth, think M. N. Shyamalan’s Signs. It then moves into the more post apocalyptic genre. The plot is, ok. It gets a bit muddy in the middle. The writing is, again, ok. Not much more to say folks!
March 3, 2019
See this review and more on Books and Ladders!
This probably would be a higher rating of it didn't kind of drag in the middle, if it was easier to distinguish between the good and the bad guys, and if the only bad human hadn't been black.
This probably would be a higher rating of it didn't kind of drag in the middle, if it was easier to distinguish between the good and the bad guys, and if the only bad human hadn't been black.
October 14, 2018
It started really well, but second half didn’t work for me.
And there’s a budding het romance in there, ick.
And there’s a budding het romance in there, ick.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 331 reviews