Official Review: Golden Skies by Juan Zapata

kislany · Post by **kislany** » 13 May 2020, 08:08

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Golden Skies" by Juan Zapata.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Golden Skies is a science-fiction adventure novel by Juan Zapata, and it is the first book in the author’s The New Order trilogy.

The story takes place in a world similar to ours, which is controlled by Mujadin, a ruthless despot who happens to be the father of our main character, Malik Zzoha. Mujadin, a religious zealot who hates everyone who doesn’t follow the rules of his reincarnated god, Safad, treats women like second-class citizens and even despises his own son. When Malik is taken to a religious conversion camp to have his body broken and his mind brainwashed, his friend Kafed helps him escape, thus changing the course of their entire lives.

Golden Skies is a multi-faceted tale of revenge, passion for justice, and a coming-of-age story featuring Malik, who learns to realize his own potential as barriers after barriers are placed in front of him. The story itself is fast-paced, and the action is almost non-stop, which is something I enjoy in the books I am reading.

In terms of characters, there were several that I found interesting in the novel. My favorites were, of course, Malik, his best friend Kafed, and his sister Eliza. Kafed was a genius who loved creating unique weapons and enjoyed tinkering with all sorts of gadgets. As the story progressed, Eliza, Malik's beloved sister, became much stronger and more mature than we saw her in the first pages. As for Malik, he did change as well, although I felt that most of the changes took place because of things happening to him rather than him walking the path he actually wanted to follow.

The writing itself was well crafted, the battle scenes were extremely vivid, and the surrounding places were described in great detail. Much to my surprise, I haven’t found a single grammatical or punctuation error in the entire novel. The editing of this book was flawless. However, I found many swear words (at some point, the *f* word was used several times per page), which was slightly unsettling. Everyone was constantly swearing, and this took away from my enjoyment of the book. I understand that these were times of war, and mercenaries were using such language to show their toughness, but I felt the offensive language was extreme.

The science-fiction and fantasy aspects were not the focus of the story, so I would recommend this novel to lovers of fast-paced military action books. However, the foul language and the various scenes involving torture might make it less suitable for the younger ones and for readers who are sensitive to such details. I found several pages difficult to digest and had to rush through them because I am not a fan of torture scenes in books. For these reasons, despite the excellent editing, I give Golden Skies 3 out of 4 stars.

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Golden Skies
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khaulah · Post by **khaulah** » 14 May 2020, 08:03

The plot is interesting. However, I do not enjoy reading books with a lot of swear words. I'll pass this one. Nice review though

Splendour0606 · Post by **Splendour0606** » 14 May 2020, 15:04

The constant swear words is already a turn off for me, though it has a great storyline. You did well in your review.

Ngozi Onyibor · Post by **Ngozi Onyibor** » 14 May 2020, 17:56

I like fast-paced books with captivating plots and this book fits the bill. Moreover, its stellar editing promises a seamless reading experience. Thanks for sharing this with us.

Ediomis_Enwongo01 · Post by **Ediomis_Enwongo01** » 15 May 2020, 03:09

Almost everything seems to be going for the book. Fast-paced, good character development, the twists etc. I should add this to my list of must read. Thanks for your good review.

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 15 May 2020, 04:52

A fast-paced mix of genres and subgenres that seems great to keep the reader's attention with an engaging story and interesting characters. I'll keep an eye on this series. Thank you for your great review!

Wy_Bertram · Post by **Wy_Bertram** » 16 May 2020, 19:01

Very interesting review. This is definitely the kind of story I like to read, and I would this one, regardless of the profanities.

Alice Festo · Post by **Alice Festo** » 19 May 2020, 10:40

From the review the book seems interesting with its proper editing being a plus, however the aspect of torture, swear words and war are not one of my strong hold. Great review.

Ahlanda · Post by **Ahlanda** » 19 May 2020, 11:58

In my opinion I enjoy when the characters swears in a book because it gives the character a very realistic attitude about the scenario however, i'm not attracted to intense military books especially when torture is included. But this book is recommend for people with the drive that enjoys that intensity.

Sheila_Jay · Post by **Sheila_Jay** » 19 May 2020, 14:09

This a a great review; however, I am not a fan of science fiction and so I will have to skip this one. Nonetheless, thanks for the review.

Ruth Frances A · Post by **Ruth Frances A** » 30 Apr 2022, 18:46

I like science- fiction and adventure. However, what is striking for me in this review is the change in destiny of the main character Malik. The idea of brainwashing him and imposing religion on him is an interesting read. You mention the great characterization and I am very interested in finding out what happened in the end, including to the Women. Your review piques interest. (Well mine) Thank you.

Dami Bassam · Post by **Dami Bassam** » 29 May 2022, 20:16

This book is serious and give example of torture and how to treat women.We have to avoid this idea and progress for a perfect and respectful think to be equal with a best life. The most action taken to prove the quality of changing life with the fast-paced military and avoid the wrong things." Be careful, be good and not bad to progress in life'.

Cherrie Rosaldo · Post by **Cherrie Rosaldo** » 16 Sep 2022, 22:17

Hello. I would give the same rating cause I also don't like the violent content.

Post by **Meghan Soderholm** » 19 May 2023, 08:41

I also enjoy a fast-paced plot. Creates a better flow for the reader. The characters are very intriguing. I've been trying to read more science-fiction adventures. Your review is enticing, and it convinced me to add Golden Skies to my bookshelves.