Review of The Alex Cave Series Book 5. Pandora’s Eyes

[Shannon Ruane]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Alex Cave Series Book 5. Pandora’s Eyes" by James M. Corkill.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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After four books of adventures, Alex Cave, a former CIA special agent, has attracted unwanted attention. James M. Corkill's book The Alex Cave Series Book 5. Pandora’s Eyes implies the previous stories have resulted in the discovery of four alien technological devices by Alex Cave and additional characters. The presence of the devices results in an extraordinary misunderstanding. A malevolent alien race assumes humans are technologically advanced and contact Earth to confirm their beliefs and assess the potential usefulness of Earth's resources.

Humans with different beliefs often find peaceful negotiation challenging. However, unless you have green eyes, the task is impossible with the visiting aliens. People with green eyes are considered authoritative and worthy of respect; all others are slaves or destroyed. Aliens believe a "CRUD," (brown-eyed person), is genetically prone to cause violence and they are determined to remove CRUDS from the population at any cost. Pandora, the leader of the aliens, is unwilling to compromise with Alex Cave and eager to strike fear into the hearts of humans using increasingly violent and manipulative methods. Will blue-eyed Alex Cave successfully save the CRUDS from extinction and Earth from being destroyed by the mass chaos of Pandora? Nighty-five percent of Earth's population desperately waits for an answer in this story.

I found several positive characteristics while reading this book. However, I enjoyed reading the scenes featuring Pandora the most. The Alex Cave Series Book 5. Pandora’s Eyes story features an antagonist who is intelligent and vicious. Antagonists with multiple ways to achieve their devious goals intrigue me. Pandora manipulates other aliens to represent her on Earth while she remains in space, wreaking havoc upon unsuspecting humans. When James M. Corkill reveals Pandora's true form, the explanation is shocking and makes her abilities throughout the book plausible.

Pandora's characterization made me consider an alternative interpretation of the ending. Did Alex Cave use the combined knowledge and experience of all the people involved to "save the day" or did he simply get lucky? If Pandora was in control, the ending would be out-of-character. I admire thought-provoking stories and found contemplating different points of view intellectually stimulating.

I also enjoyed the setting of this story because it reminds me of the present. The descriptions of the characters using technology or referencing it lead me to assume The Alex Cave Series Book 5. Pandora’s Eyes story is set in the late 21st Century. Humans still use smartphones and record videos of the terrifying events occurring before sharing them online. Once uploaded, the world watches them. Girdler, a member of Alex Cave's team, reports YouTube has videos posted. However, too much recording can lead to learning undesirable information. Readers can relate to that situation which increases their belief in this story.

Airplanes have improved the most because Alex Cave and several other characters frequently travel the globe and arrive at different locations in hours instead of days. However, characters in rocketships suffer from currently existing technological difficulties. If the story took place in the distant future, technology would be significantly advanced.

What I disliked about the novel was James M. Corkill's overuse of stereotypical science-fiction plot elements because they are too similar to other stories. The aliens claim they are superior to humans when they behave similarly to humans. The aliens use eye color instead of skin color to determine their societal worth. Girdler refers to them as racists shortly after their first meeting. Using superior technology, the aliens attack, and humans have to "save the day." Thankfully, the vivid description of the alien's eyes is impressive and Pandora's actions do provide minor variations.

I also disliked reading the numerous technical terms such as "geosynchronous orbit," and describing the math behind rocketship fuel distribution. I paused to research foreign terminology while I read what was otherwise an engaging story.

Finally, I do not believe this book was professionally edited. There were a moderate amount of typos/grammar errors. Furthermore, several pages were solid blocks of text instead of paragraphs.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I did not give it a lower score because I believe the basic plot, the creative characterization of Pandora, and the relatable settings are insightful and entertaining. It did not receive a higher rating because of the poor editing, the overuse of science-fiction stereotypes, and the excessive use of scientific terminology for a fictional story.

I recommend this story for readers who are 14 years old through adulthood. This is the fifth book of a series that cannot be read out of order. Therefore, knowing there are additional books could please readers. This book is better for older individuals who can make inferences when reading unfamiliar words and recall details from previous stories easier than children. Finally, science-fiction fans would appreciate both the stereotypes and original elements.

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The Alex Cave Series Book 5. Pandora’s Eyes
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[Kaushiki Parihar]

Wow!! Your review is very detailed. It beautifully explains all the aspects of the book. The plot sounds interesting, but I think I'll just pass it, because it's the fifth book in the series. And I don't read series usually. Thanks for the great review.

[DyanaFl]

Good antagonists are very hard to find. Fascinating to know Pandora is a good one. I'm afraid some cliche plots are unavoidable at times but good to know there are some variations. I wish it was professionally edited as solid blocks of text really throw me off.
Your review was nice and detailed. Enjoyed reading it. Great job!

[Ruchi Raina]

Well seems like I am a CRUD, and the time has come to run for my life, or else these aliens are going to have me for dinner Okay on a serious note, this book sounds very very intriguing. What solution will Alex come up with to save the CRUDS from aliens? Thanks for the beautiful review.

[Medhansh Bhardwaj]

I was intrigued to read this book, but since this is part of a series, I will skip it. And I agree with your point of excessive scientific terminologies. Sci-fi is supposed to be fun.

[CoolReads]

I read some sample pages of this book when it featured as BOTD last month. I enjoyed how the fast-paced scene shifts from one location to another in the face of imminent danger. Well done on a detailed review!

[reviewinraven]

The plot sounds fascinating, I like how different colored eyes could influence how an individual is perceived. Although the trope sounds familiar, the book appears to have other interesting elements that could set it apart from the rest. Because there are quite a lot of books in this series, I might pass on reading it. Thank you for your detailed review though!

[Rashi Agrawal]

Wow! A really nice review. It is very detailed and explains all the good and bad aspects of the book very well. Thank you for a beautiful review.