Review by yapashley -- Oblivion Threshold

yapashley · Post by **yapashley** » 28 Jun 2020, 09:53

[Following is a volunteer review of "Oblivion Threshold" by J.R. Mabry and B.J. West.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Oblivion Threshold, a book whose genre is military science fiction, is a collaborated work authored by B.J. West and J.R. Mabry.

Colonies situated in different areas in space are being ravaged by what the military call Prox. Aliens who are mindless creatures that destroy everything in their path and they are on a path straight for Earth. They attacked a colony, the New Manila colony, killed everyone, and left wreckage in their wake.

After an earlier mission ended in disaster and tragedy that killed everyone but himself, Captain Jeff Bowers becomes a recluse with a short temper. He is sent on an extensive solo mission that the admiral believes only he can survive. He encounters the Prox and in the midst of trying to escape, he crashes and dies but, only to wake up again. He discovers mysterious powers that could either save the Earth or end humanity.

I couldn't help but be reminded of a movie, The Ender's Game, as I was reading the book. Preparing themselves from an imminent attack against an enemy that seems impossible to defeat, they seek the abilities of a single individual and a high ranking official hopes for the man to be their beacon of hope and saving grace. Though in The Oblivion Threshold's universe, it is a man who at the same time is not a man.

The battle is being fought in two different directions and are told in two different perspectives by ex-lovers, no less. Jeff was taking the necessary steps if he were to use his newfound powers to good use. Jo, a female captain, was finally able to lead a male-dominated mission. I liked that there was character development for the two captains. Jeff, who basked in isolation, came to learn how to work with a team. Jo, despite being questioned by her subordinates of her leadership, established why she was chosen as captain and earned the respect of her team.

The writing style is conversational and very engaging making the exchanges smooth flowing. A lot of science and military jargon are mentioned but together with the usage of basic terms, the readers are still able to follow with the flow of conversations and understand what's going on.

Despite being only two hundred pages, it was packed with suspense, thrill, and action. Knowing it's a series of books, I predicted from its writing pace that the story would continue on to the following books. And it literally did just that! It was the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers. It certainly was a way to end the book. Nonetheless, I wasn't overly satisfied with how they concluded the first instalment. I felt like the entire book was climbing up and gearing towards its climax but suddenly ended. It felt incomplete.

I noted a number of profanity were included which I'm not entirely convinced was actually needed in the conversations or the whole story; because of it, I hesitate in recommending the book to young readers. It's unfortunate because I feel like the age group would love the action. It was difficult to keep track of vulgarity or sexual scenes as there were no page numbers. There were sudden bursts of romance along the pages which made me a bit uncomfortable. It was not because of the scenes themselves but of how they were situated. It would have been better if it was rightly placed and worded out more properly to give off the feeling that the romance was going smoothly and didn't seem like rash and impulsive actions.

Despite all that, I'd gladly jump in and read the second instalment. Oblivion Threshold deserves 3 out of 4 stars.

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Oblivion Threshold
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Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 06 Jul 2020, 08:36

This sounds like an intriguing book, but I like for my stories to be standalone novels and not end on a cliffhanger. Thanks for a great review!

kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 06 Jul 2020, 10:22

These aliens seem to be different from the standard "higher intelligence" beings. I like the twist that allows Captain Bowers to wake up again. This looks like an intriguing series. Thanks for the recommendation!