
The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Steele Chronicles: Colony Crisis Series: Gathering Forces
Because Steele Chronicles: Colony Crisis Series: Gathering Forces was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.
Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.
This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.
Vickie Noel

I wouldn't have read this book outside the program because it isn't aesthetically pleasing to me. It's not the love-at-first-sight type in my personal preferences. Reading the sample didn't change my mind. Although there were no grammatical errors encountered during the course of reading, I discovered that the plot didn't captivate me enough to the point of getting invested in the story from the get-go, and I wouldn't lose sleep over not completing it. I got confused when a shot rang out and killed an animal right before Chen and Greg. I'd thought it was by someone who was where they were, namely, Carl who was introduced as a xeno-wrangler immediately thereafter, but from the boss' chat with Carl, it appears the shot wasn't from him, so that mental picture wasn't clear. The OBC review didn't spark my interest in the book.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2019, at 4:44 am by Vickie Noel.
Gravy

This genre is one I've yet to try, and I'm not particularly looking for one at the moment, so I would not have sampled this. The sample did not change my mind.
I noticed a few style quirks, but nothing I would call an error. The writing was interesting, style-wise, and I enjoyed Carl as a character.
I don't like that the cover doesn't seem to fit this book at all, it looks like it belongs to a completely different genre. I'm also not a fan of the world building. Personally, I prefer for my science fiction to be based on reality (hence, *science* fiction). The world building here feels more like fantasy (logs so dry they crumble, but covered in moss, etc.). Had there been even an attempt to explain/describe how this was possible/works, I would have been satisfied. As there wasn't, I was left simply scratching my head.
Really, this is all just personal preference, and many people wouldn't have these issues. For me, however, it is a bit of a deal breaker. As such, I won't be reading it.
I believe there was a review for this book, but that has no effect on my opinion.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2019, at 3:19 am by Gravy.
Emy Katherine

Without The First Ten program, I would not have read the book based on the genre. I am not fond of science-fiction novels, so reading both the sample and the OBC review did not change my mind. The book presents three different stories. The first story follows a xeno hunter, Carl Wolf, who is on a mission to explore the planet Procyon, which is inhabited by dangerous, giant creatures. The second story is about Tatyana, a young woman living on the planet Alpha Centauri; she is on the run after being wrongfully accused of her father's murder. The third plot takes place on another distant planet and focuses on the war of a reptilian race. However, the sample only introduces the reader to the characters of Carl and Tatyana; I must admit, they were quite intriguing. The writing style was also clear and descriptive. Unfortunately, I am not sure the book was professionally edited; I found many punctuation errors such as misplaced periods, missing commas, and missing hyphens. For example, "Well old laws are changing" instead of "Well, old laws are changing." (location 219 of 89 • 24%) There should be a comma before "and" in the following sentence: "The moons brightened and the sun sat lower to the horizon." (location 129 if 899 • 14%)
First Ten review added on September 7, 2019, at 2:55 am by Emy Katherine.
Cristina Chifane

A science fiction novel with 5-star customer reviews would normally be on my reading list. However, I wouldn't have sampled the book without the first ten program mainly because I didn't like the cover, and the title made me think the book was only about lots of action and technology info. The sample began with a promising description of Procyon, but quickly disappointed me with the profanities exchanged by Chen and Greg. In terms of editing, I noticed some punctatuation mistakes (a missing comma: "Well (,) old laws are changing." - 23% of Sample, or one extra comma: "[...] large (,) scarabs." - 38% of Sample). The sci-fi elements like the petrified lake, the lake squid, or the isolating storm system made me curious to read more. Unfortunately, the offensive language and the unrealistic sex scene convinced me the book needs some polishing. What's more, the OBC reviewer mentions the divergent storylines and the inconclusive ending, so I won't be adding the book to my list for now.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2019, at 2:49 am by Cristina Chifane.
Annelore Trujillo

I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover and title. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. The book jumped right into the plot. While I often like this, it was was kind of confusing to have no background information. We don’t know who Carl is or what job he’s talking about. He keeps talking about exploring alien environments, but the book hasn’t explained that yet. I also saw errors that told me the book probably wasn’t professionally edited. For example “full of mammoth” should be “full of mammoths.” There wasn’t anything specific that I liked so far.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2019, at 2:00 am by Annelore Trujillo.
OliviaLouise

Based on the review, this book sounded pretty interesting. After reading the sample, I felt the author’s writing style was good and contained enjoyable imagery and sensory language. One example is at 38% of the sample when the mammoths are being slaughtered. The scent of the area is described as being “pungent” and “like a crushed stink bug.” This instantly put me in the scene. I did not find any editing errors. I would like to read the rest of this book because I enjoyed the writing.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 11:27 pm by OliviaLouise.
Jsovermyer

I don't like the cartoonish faces of the people on the cover. The title is too long and would be improved if shorter. This exciting sci-fi book follows three plotlines about humans colonizing distant planets. The author builds detailed worlds and interesting characters. The main character, of the pages I read, is Carl Wolf. He is a Xeno Wrangler or big-game hunter of alien creatures. I didn't like the profanity early in the story. Some of the minor characters use the F-bomb repeatedly. I also didn't like that they were slaughtering the bug creatures. Carl didn't like this. I hope that later in the book he will stop the killing. The official review stated there are numerous grammatical errors. I found a run-on sentence at location 187. It reads, "She had a style of her own which, along with her East Asian features, made her stand out from the others, not to mention she didn’t seem to worry about making friends at the table." It would be better as two sentences, "Along with her East Asian features, she had a style of her own and stood out from the others. She didn’t seem to worry about making friends at the table." I didn't like the story so far and will not be finishing this book.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 9:34 pm by Jsovermyer.
Nisha Ward

The name of the book is what got me to read it but I have to admit, reading Carl's point of view on the company and his confusion over why the owner would continuously mention their mammoths won me over completely. It's also error free and I do love that the prose isn't as high concept as it could be. I'm going to finish this one.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 8:58 pm by Nisha Ward.
MarisaRose

After reading the book blurb for "Steele Chronicles: Colony Crisis Series: Gathering Forces" I wasn't all the interested in reading the book. The book title alone is a mouth full, and I found the blurb was a bit confusing as well. Additionally, I don't typically care for sci-fi thrillers like this that have a militaristic spin, so I wouldn't purchase this book blindly. An OBC review wouldn't sway my opinion in this case because the book blurb didn't pique my interest at all. After sampling the first ten pages, I was irked by what I read. This book is set in 5568, which is obviously many years in the future, yet the first characters we are introduced to talk exactly like we do today and were worried about the same things we would worry about today: getting paid for doing something. Further, the two characters are in a forest and heading to a ranch. Overall, I had a hard time believing I was being transported to the year 5568. There were too many similarities to 2019. As for the writing, I didn't notice any grammatical errors, and the style and pacing held my attention. However, I can't get passed the glaring lack of inventiveness given the time period this book is set in. I don't plan to read any more of this book.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 3:19 pm by MarisaRose.
Mbrooks2518

I'm not really a fan of science fiction, so I would not have read the sample if not for The First Ten. From the official review, this book doesn't seem like it would impress me enough to try it, so I am not going to buy it. I liked the descriptive writing style. I was easily able to picture the landscape of the planet, particularly in the first two paragraphs. I found no editing mistakes, and there is nothing that needs to be improved.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 3:02 pm by Mbrooks2518.
Ekta Kumari

I find the book to be well written based on the sample. The scenes are detailed and are capable of creating mental images. Carl's character seems to be well drawn, and I like how he is introduced to the readers. I find him to be a multi-dimensional character, and he may very well be the most interesting personality in the book. I didn't find any error in the portion I sampled and would consider the book to be well edited, but according to the official review there are errors, so I would like to inform others that they may check out different reviews of the book to make up their mind regarding it. I wasn't going to read the book as the plot seemed a bit complex for my liking and would not read the rest of it as the sample didn't entice me.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 1:57 pm by Ekta Kumari.
Juliana_Isabella

I might have chosen this book because I enjoy sci-fi, and I saw that it had a positive review. I didn't find any grammatical errors in the first ten pages, but the narrator confused me. First it seemed like the narrator didn't know anything about the characters or setting, but then the narrator began giving more specific information about characters, showing more knowledge. Because of this confusion, I won't finish the book.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 8:53 am by Juliana_Isabella.
Verna Coy

Had I not sampled this book through the First Ten program, I wouldn’t have picked it up because I don’t usually go in for Sci-Fi Chronicles. For this reason, I don’t plan to buy and read the book today. Reading the first ten pages confirmed that this was a space sci-fi novel. Based on what I read, it seems professionally edited, although I did notice errors like a missing comma at location 7% of the sample, “The moons brightened[,] and the sun sat lower to the horizon.” What I liked most about the book were the descriptions of moons and planets. I know that readers who like space science fiction stories will enjoy the backdrops in this book. As far as improvements, on a personal level, less profanity would be an improvement. I did read the Official Online Book Club review and found it informative.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 8:07 am by Verna Coy.
Catherine Hsu

If I had not read the sample, I would not have read the book as I do not think this is my genre. After reading the sample, I have changed my mind. I liked how world-building was done through casual dialogue, which was very immersive, and it was funny to read about mammoths and hunting to get more context about the story. The book was professionally edited. I did not read an official review but that did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 3:09 am by Catherine Hsu.
Lorraine De Vos

I would not have chosen to sample this book based on the cover and it being sci-fi. The first ten pages proved my initial thoughts to be incorrect. I enjoyed the writing style and quickly found myself invested in Carl’s exploration and investigation of the ranch. The book does appear to be professionally edited, as I did not notice any errors. The official OnlineBookClub review was honest in their opinion of the book and I do appreciate that, however I will still definitely be adding this book to my reading list.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 2:32 am by Lorraine De Vos.
Mai Tran

This sounds like an action-filled space adventure with intricate plotlines, but I wouldn’t have read it because I’m not a fan of alien books. I ended up enjoying the story more than I had expected. Already, the first chapter is full of actions without a dull moment. I can only imagine it would get even more exciting when the secret expedition to hunt for a youth-reserving chemical begins. The book could use another round of editing, but the errors I noticed didn’t really interfere much with the flow, like the unnecessary comma here: “[…] it was the one-sided battle between several ranch hands and what could only be described as large, scarabs” (Location 359 of 899). I would continue reading this book.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 1:47 am by Mai Tran.
unamilagra

Before sampling this book, I probably would not have picked it up because I don't enjoy stories about other planets and aliens. In reading the first ten pages, I was actually pretty drawn into the book. I liked Carl immediately, and I thought the author did a good job setting the scene. I'm interested to see what the mysterious job he is auditioning for is. I do plan to read this book. I didn't notice any errors in the section I read.
First Ten review added on September 6, 2019, at 12:24 am by unamilagra.
CrescentMoon

After reading the blurb, I don't think I would pick this book up. The premise is interesting but I'm not really into stories about inter-galactic wars and apocalyptic type of stories so I just don't think I'm the target audience for this. After reading the first ten pages, I saw a few grammar errors. On the first page, "Every rock he reached for produced a crumble of smaller stones, scattering below." I don't think there should be a comma after stones. "It didn't matter, he considered, after all, they didn't pay him to think." This sentence is extremely awkwardly worded. I feel like there should be a quotation somewhere because it sounds like the character Chen is thinking something. But I am confused slightly by what this sentence is trying to say and I think it's because the grammar is not accurate. I did find the dialogue humorous. Greg said that Chen talks too much and Chen aimed his middle finger behind his retreating back, I found myself chuckling after reading that. I found the exchange between Carl and his employer interesting. Carl being a xeno wrangler is first introduced but there is a bit of a mystery as to what else he can do. I think the beginning is good so far, especially with the action scene of meeting a strange cat-like creature. However, I wasn't hooked so I won't be reading the rest.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 11:43 pm by CrescentMoon.
Kristy Khem

Based on the cover design, title, and blurb, I was not encouraged to read this book. I would not have chosen to read this one because I don’t particularly like sci-fi tales. However, the Amazon reviews were impressive so I began to reconsider my decision. The sample contained no noticeable grammatical or spelling errors which led me to assume that the book was edited well. What I did not like in the sample was the use of obscene language in the dialogues. I liked the descriptive details about the setting amidst the dialogue. For instance, the moons brightening in the night sky. I also appreciated that the author included details about Carl’s thoughts because it gave an insight into his personality and what he was thinking. For example, Carl noticed that the flap of his bag was out which led him to realize that someone had been through this things. Although he didn’t seem put off by this, this added to his growing suspicions. I also liked that Tatyana was a relatable character. Although the book was very futuristic, the author made her character credible and real. This was done by introducing her to readers at a point of internal struggle – she was about to visit her dad whom she had not spoken to since her mother’s death. I think I will give this book a try because it seems very interesting with great characters. Therefore, I will buy and read it.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 10:59 pm by Kristy Khem.
cpru68

Chen and Greg discuss the state of affairs as they walk across rugged alien terrain in the far off future in the year 5568. Carl has shown up as a Xeno hunter which Chen thinks is unnecessary while Greg recalls a year prior and that type of help was needed. Carl seems rather bored as he waits for his job to begin. He finds out that mammoths are being raised on the ranch and supported by the government, but this sounds a bit shady to Carl.
I won’t be finishing this book because I don’t prefer sci-fi, and this is part of a series which makes me not want to pursue it at all. I think sci-fi lovers will be thrilled, but I do not enjoy this genre.
The reviewer mentioned that this needs a professional editing job, and I did find an example of this to be true in 4% of the sample with this sentence: “Well, anyway,” Chen continued...
The word “well is spaced too far from anyway and Chen is as well. A good round of editing will clean this type of error right up.
I appreciate the opportunity to have read the sample pages of this, and I probably wouldn’t have found this without the online book club.I will send it out on my social media for others to look into.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 10:51 pm by cpru68.
Washboard

The genre is one that I am only mildly interested in, and the official review made this book sound a bit unpolished. The cover art and title did little to catch my eye. The first ten pages are focused on introducing Carl Wolf, a xeno Hunter, who is beginning a new job of uncertain legality. While the world building seems promising, I will pass on this one based on the critique in the official review about lack of completion with the storylines. I did not notice any errors in the first ten pages.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 10:38 pm by Washboard.
LV2R

The book’s cover seemed very busy. The title was OK. The Amazon Blurb introduced Carl Wolf as a Xeno wrangler who hunts aliens. His job is on a dangerous planet on a restricted continent. Another character, Dr. Tatyana Orlov, flees to Oceanus after being accused of murdering her father. There are different galactic powers in possible warfare. There are a lot of different components to this book. I was not sure about reading it or not. The sample began with Carl Wolf, a Xeno wrangler, getting hired to go on a dangerous expedition where a previous wrangler had been killed. I best liked that there was a build-up of possible dangerous elements in the upcoming expedition led by Ning Zhang. The lake squids and the unspoken dangers of what happened in the last attempt make it very mysterious. The book may not be edited well, as there was a comma missing on the 0% location (first page): “On their side of the valley stood a plain…” (On their side of the valley, stood a plain…) The OBC review mentioned that the book needed editing and that none of the three plots were resolved at the end of the book. I do not want to read this book because it sounds like there are many planets and solar systems with different stories that may not connect to each other in this first book. The complexity of the plots may be hard to follow, and I prefer reading a simpler story at this time.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 10:08 pm by LV2R.
ab2020

Because I seldom read science fiction (and seldom enjoy it when I do read it), and because the official OBC review of the book was far from glowing, I probably never would have read this book on my own. The first ten pages were actually a pleasant surprise. The world-building is particularly skillful, and I did not find any editing errors. In fact, I don't have any complaints about the beginning. However, these first pages did not change my mind about disliking science fiction, so I will not continue reading this book. Others might enjoy it, but it's simply not for me.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 9:18 pm by ab2020.
AA1495

Had I not sampled the book, I would not have read it. I usually read pure romance books and do not normally read science fiction. However, the cover was eye catching. Having read the sample, I was disappointed by the lack of a proper introduction. The cover was followed by a dedication section, after which the actual content began. I would have liked a prologue, an introduction to the author and an index. I had a few issues with the editing and formatting of the sample. Firstly, the length of paragraphs was inconsistent. The third paragraph of chapter one was one line long and should have been a part of the second paragraph instead. Further, the indentation of the first line of every paragraph was distracting, specially since many paragraphs were short. Finally, I would have liked more spacing between paragraphs. However, I felt like the author described Chen and Greg's thoughts well. Since I do not normally read science fiction, I will not be buying the book today.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 8:57 pm by AA1495.
Scerakor

From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I wouldn’t have read it. The review wasn't very praising of this book, despite the promise from its description and premise. After reading the first ten pages I didn’t change my mind and therefore will not be buying and reading the rest of this book. I like the subtle mix of both future and present technologies. In particular, the image of a sky transport ship taking off on the backdrop of a ranch with a wooden farmhouse on it. That being said, I just can't justify buying and reading the rest of a book that is so poorly recommended. I didn’t see anything specific that I would have wanted to change within the sample that I read, but it did seem well written and edited. The official review definitely affected my decision do not read this book finally.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 7:55 pm by Scerakor.
Nuel Ukah

The cover page looks so intriguing. I really like the setting in a very distant future, 5568. What I like most is the chat between Chen and Greg as they climb up the Canyon's wall. They got me smiling at their silly talks, especially Chen. I'd like to read this book to know what happened to planet Earth in the tale.
The book seems to be professionally edited as I found no error. There is an Official OBC review for this book.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 7:03 pm by Nuel Ukah.
Kajori Sheryl Paul

'Steele Chronicles: Colony Crisis Series: Gathering Forces' is a book written by Andrew Utsogn. The title, blurb, and cover did a good job at convincing me to give this book a try.
The first ten pages leads me to believe that it is set in the future. Carl Wolf, a xeno hunter, is employed by an eccentric organisation. He is stationed on the Procyon planet. I like the writing style. I did not find any error. I think that it is professionally edited. I will give this book a try as I like reading books of this genre.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 6:26 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Kelyn

Even if I had not been a member of this program, the genre, title, and cover would have enticed me to sample this book. I am a huge sci-fi fan. The blurb and (very positive and insightful) customer reviews would have furthered my desire to give the book a try. Reading the sample confirmed my desire to continue to read the book. I found the sample engaging and the story interesting. The book appears to be well-edited, but I did find an error or two in the sample. One example would be: "...twin stars shined above..." "shined" should be "shone" to match the tense of the sentence.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 5:48 pm by Kelyn.
Chelsy Scherba

I liked the introduction of Chen and Greg and the environment. The author made it easy to see the lay of the land and the possible dangers from xeno and other creatures. Carl started talking and things started to get a little convoluted for me, but that’s mainly because I don’t read a lot of sci-fi. The reviewer was disappointed by the lack of storylines coming together, but I think knowing in advance would be better since you won’t be expecting it and can just enjoy the story. The book definitely seems well-edited as I saw no errors, but I didn’t like the curse words. I’m glad that was brief. Otherwise, this book seems solid for fans of the genre. I’m not sure I’m ready to read sci-fi at the moment, but I’ll consider it in the future.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 4:47 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Yoli García

I would not have sampled this book without this program because I do not like the cover. The OBC review did not convince me to read it. The book has too many plot lines. I did not find an error in the sample pages. I did not like the foul language the characters use. Reading about Carl auditioning for a job bored me. I will not read this book because I do not like it.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 4:21 pm by Yoli García.
Sarah_Khan

At first glance, I would not have picked up this book because I am not a fan of this genre. The title is average but I do like the cover. The cover and sci-fi plot made me think this book is for a young audience, but there were some curse words in the first few pages. This book seems adequately edited. Overall, this plot seems hard-core science-fiction with the multiple planets and sci-fi is not my cup of tea. I did not feel the need to read any OBC review.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 3:37 pm by Sarah_Khan.
lavellan

I probably wouldn't have read Gathering Forces if it hadn't been a part of the First Ten program. The Book of the Day review brought up some issues with the connection of the plot lines and editing. The book did not seem like it was professionally edited, and I noticed errors while reading. For example, a comma is needed before "and" in the following phrase: "The moons brightened and the sun sat lower..." I enjoyed the dialogue between Carl and the boss. It revealed more about Carl's background and why he was on the planet. I would have liked more background about the current world state. As a result of this, I will not buy the book today.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 3:32 pm by lavellan.
ritah

Based on the cover and genre, I would have sampled the book because I liked the dramatic cover, which captured my attention. I read the official review and sampled Steele Chronicles. While I did not spot any errors in the pages I sampled, I found it difficult to get into the story and Greg and Chen's back and forth about the new guy. For the reasons mentioned above I won't be reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 3:02 pm by ritah.
Erin Dydek

I enjoy sci-fi novels and this being the first in a series made me interested to learn more about the book. The OBC review gave a fair rating but warned that the plotlines ended with an unsatisfying conclusion. This information made me not want to read the book, but as I was reading I couldn’t help but want to give the book a chance. Carl Wolf was the kind of character who knows he’s walking into danger but seems to be up to the challenge of dealing with whatever he gets himself into. He’s applying for a job of sorts on a desert-like planet and the boss doesn’t want to give him many details. This made me curious to find out what was really going on and what Carl was getting himself into. The book seemed well edited and it was easy to keep reading past the first ten pages. Since this is only the first book in the series, and the review gave a heads up that there are some loose ends, I will trust that the author is going to take care of those as he continues writing the series. This is a book that I would like to continue reading to find out what happens next!
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 2:49 pm by Erin Dydek.
evraealtana

I normally love science fiction, so I would have taken a look at this one even if it were not book of the day. However, I was disappointed in the first ten pages. I was intrigued by the concept of "xeno hunters" but didn't find anything in the first ten to hook me into the story. The text was well written, I just wasn't interested in the story. The official OBC review, which rated the book poorly, didn't help. I will not continue with it. I found two errors: a run-on sentence reading, "It didn't matter, he considered, after all, they didn't pay him to think"; and a missing comma in "Well old laws are changing".
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 2:04 pm by evraealtana.
Laura Ungureanu

The cover seems very dramatic and action-packed, so I was somehow interested in this book. The title, however, felt too long and I got bored reading it from the beginning. I learned from the review that this book deals with three plotlines. However, I'm not pleased that we don't get any closure by the end. Carl Wolf is a xeno hunter or a xeno wrangler, but basically he walks the dangerous pave of an alien world before others. He watches with his boss as Greg and Chen explore a canyon. The world seems already to be well-built, and the characters are interesting. However, a sci-fi book is not what I'm looking for at the moment. Although the reviewer counted many grammar errors, I didn't find any in the sample.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 1:57 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
HRichards

I normally wouldn't have picked this book up considering I don't like sci-fi that much and the cover looks rather hokey. Having read the sample I won't be continuing on with the book since I'm not really interested in this genre. The sample deals with Carl, who is employed being the first contact person for unknown worlds in space and handling the often violent creatures that such missions encounter. He does not always agree with his employers. I didn't notice any grammar errors and the writing is pretty good. Those who like science fiction might like this book. I am not a big fan of the genre. I have not read any other reviews of this book.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 1:33 pm by HRichards.
gen_g

I have come across a constructive review of the book, and whilst the premise is interesting, there were some points raised that didn't really push me to read this book (e.g. too many characters/plots causing lack of development). Based on the sample, I would suggest that the author/publisher insert line breaks in between paragraphs to facilitate ease of reading. There are also a couple of errors present: at 2%, it should be "...going in(to) this fucking forest...". Also, at 2%, there is a missing comma to close the parenthetical element: "...Greg, the man in front(,) replied as...". I like that the author chose to start in media res, like how Carl (who is a xeno hunter, i.e., a front-liner when it comes to exploring alien territory) takes a shot and questions his superior about his current job to stake out Greg and Chen. Carl meets Jamie (his foreman), but both of them dislike each other at first sight, and Jamie then seems to take pleasure from the fact that Carl is in trouble with his boss because of being tardy. After reading the sample, it seems as if whilst the author has very clear ideas of what is happening in the story, it does not translate well onto paper. In other words, due to the author's familiarity with the world he has created, he has sometimes failed to describe scenes with the reader's own lack of knowledge of this world in mind, which results in some confusion. For example, terms like "xeno wrangler" is not explained the first time it appears. Hence, I will not be purchasing the book today because of this, as well as the fact that the grammar errors are slightly distracting.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 12:56 pm by gen_g.
sarahmarlowe randomeducator

I believe the cover looks like it is supposed to: a sci-fi cover. I like that the title is easily read. The sample is well written. I found no errors, and the prose is quite conversational. When I saw the date was for 3000 plus years in the future, I wondered what the author was going to bring to readers. I like that he based the action on other planets that were interconnected. I was curious about this safari-type ranch that was the base of the first chapter, and I like that he threw in details about other planets through things like the scarabs. Mixing info into the plot like that is so much better than overwhelming readers with a bunch of facts at once. I haven't read an OBC review of the book, and I won't be reading it. I didn't like all of the harsh profanity.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 11:48 am by sarahmarlowe randomeducator.
MsTri

I knew that I wouldn't want to read this book as soon as I saw its cover and title. Reading the Amazon synopsis and OBC review (the only one I read) solidified my initial thoughts. I'm not into space operas, and three plots is two too many for me. With that being said, I was glad that the sample seemed to indicate that the book was professionally edited. I did like the part where Carl barely managed to get on the truck. Even though I won't finish reading this tome, I don't have any suggestions for changes because it is written well for its genre.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 10:10 am by MsTri.
Theresa Moffitt

I didn’t like the cover of this book and would not have picked the book up based on the cover alone. It looks like the cover of a video game. Maybe that was the author’s intention. The title also did not grab my attention. I haven’t read a review of this book yet. The story takes place in the year 5568 and is a fantasy novel that takes place after an apocalyptic event. Two men are in the process of getting a job with a xeno wrangler. Very little is explained about this position in the first ten pages other than it requires a lot of skill. The first ten pages are well-written. There is a lot of dialogue that was interesting to read. I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages so I believe the book was professionally edited based on the first ten pages alone. I don’t enjoy reading this type of fantasy novel, so I won’t finish reading this book. However, I think this would be a good book for fans of that genre.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 9:15 am by Theresa Moffitt.
gali

I would have sampled the book on my own, as I love space opera tales. Unfortunately, I changed my mind after sampling the book. The book revolves around three plot lines and alternates between Carl Wolf, a hunter of aliens who became hunted after taking a new mission, a woman doc on the run, and lizard-people fighting for survival. While the preemie sounds exciting, the sample failed to excite me. While I Iiked that the author began the story in the thick of thing, I didn't care for the writing. I found a couple of errors: "Greg, the man in front replied as he…" - Should be: "Greg, the man in front, replied as he…"; "It has been a long day", Carl said, without apology, before sitting down." – Should be: "It has been a long day", Carl said without apology, before sitting down."; "You afraid of a little danger?" – Should be: "You are afraid of a little danger?" I won't read the book, as it didn't engage me. The official review also turned me off the book by mentioning the weak execution, lack of resolution, and the technical flaws.
First Ten review added on September 5, 2019, at 9:14 am by gali.
Total ~ 26%
Steele Chronicles: Colony Crisis Series: Gathering Forces earned a score of 26%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 26% plan to read the whole book.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.
Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.
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