2 out of 4 stars
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I’ve finished reading Ares, a science fiction novel, by K. A. Finn.
The story centers on the conflict between the Nomad and the Foundation. The Nomad are a group of former pirates who now protect a cluster of planetary colonies. The Foundation is a large interstellar empire that is returning to the Nomad’s sector of space. Gryffin, the cybernetically enhanced leader of the Nomad, is the result of a series of terrible experiments performed by the Foundation. He meets Terra, a beautiful Foundation officer, and romance and intrigue fill the rest of the book.
The cover art was good, but clashed with the description of the main character. In the opening chapter, Gryffin is described as having a “W-shaped” implant in his chest. On the cover, the implant is Y-shaped.
The novel’s opening is plagued with similar inconsistencies. At one point Gryffin’s eye glows red during a discussion before an impending battle. When he is ready to launch an attack his eyes are purple. However, in the rest of the book Gryffin’s eyes are blue and turn purple only when he is angry or losing control of his implants. They are never red.
While in third person viewpoint, references are made in active, instead of passive, tense. I found this difficult to read. Sentences like, “Terra laughs and waves Milla away.” and, “She glances toward her friend, who's still trying to reach the bar.” fill the first quarter of the book.
Later in the novel, the writing shifts. The story continues from the first person viewpoint of different characters and the problem goes away. However, I found myself grinding my teeth as I struggled with the opening.
Another issue is the reaction of Terra to Gryffin. I can accept that Terra might have an instant attraction to Gryffin. However, Gryffin’s actions are too violent. At best, Gryffin appears to be psychotic. Any reasonable person would stay away. Terra’s actions are not believable.
And, that’s where my major objections end. The rest of the book was a very good read. I enjoyed the development of the secondary characters. The betrayals and the plot twists were well done.
I think many people will be turned off by the beginning of the novel. Those who are not will get a very enjoyable read for the rest of the book. The ending leads to a clear sequel and I felt that the series will improve with time.
But for now, with this book, I can only give it two out of four stars.
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Ares
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