Review by JLBlumenstock -- Project Tau by Jude Austin
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JLBlumenstock
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- Latest Review: Project Tau by Jude Austin
Review by JLBlumenstock -- Project Tau by Jude Austin
[Following is a volunteer review of "Project Tau" by Jude Austin.]
Kalin Taylor, a first-year college student, wants to change his life. He wants popularity and respect, something he didn’t have in high school. So, when the chance to join a fraternity at college comes along, he jumps at the chance. As part of his initiation, though, he’s told to sneak into GenTech, a top-secret lab, and take a picture of the rumored genetically engineered humanoid named Project Tau.
What started as a juvenile initiation prank turns serious when Kalin is kidnapped by the lab’s scientists and forced to take part as a specimen in GenTech’s projects. Kalin struggles to escape but is confounded by how to do so, and also how to help his new friend, Project Tau.
Project Tau by Jude Austin is a master class in the creation of a fast-paced, science-fiction thriller. The pages fly by after Kalin is captured and the true nature of GenTech’s projects are revealed. I felt like I was there with Kalin and Project Tau as they went through their daily trainings, and it was as though I experienced the pain myself after their gut-wrenching pain acclimation classes. The author had clearly thought through this new world where human cloning is acceptable, and shuttling between planets is an everyday adventure. One of my favorite parts was hearing how this world came to be, and how humans were forced to flee to new planets. The history lesson about the new planets was seamlessly woven in through dialogue between Kalin and Project Tau, who had no knowledge of a world outside of the lab.
Austin holds a mirror up to the reader with this novel. While Kalin and some of the scientists struggled with their own humanity, the reader is forced to do so as well. I found myself asking the same questions that Kalin did. Is there a line between human and non-human? Where does technology end and humankind begin? While serious themes of slavery, human rights and cloning are the backbone of this novel, the author does allow some humor to seep through. This lightened up the tone here and there, which I appreciated given the intense nature of the subject-matter.
I am giving this book a strong 4 out of 4 stars. It is not often that you can say a book draws you in equally on plot and character, but Project Tau managed to do so. The easy-flowing writing style, the creation of an imaginative new world, and the suspense I felt as I awaited Kalin’s fate made for a compelling story. I would recommend this to mature audiences given some of the violence and abuse, as well as the serious themes. Suspense lovers, as well as sci-fi seekers, should make this their next read.
******
Project Tau
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Kalin Taylor, a first-year college student, wants to change his life. He wants popularity and respect, something he didn’t have in high school. So, when the chance to join a fraternity at college comes along, he jumps at the chance. As part of his initiation, though, he’s told to sneak into GenTech, a top-secret lab, and take a picture of the rumored genetically engineered humanoid named Project Tau.
What started as a juvenile initiation prank turns serious when Kalin is kidnapped by the lab’s scientists and forced to take part as a specimen in GenTech’s projects. Kalin struggles to escape but is confounded by how to do so, and also how to help his new friend, Project Tau.
Project Tau by Jude Austin is a master class in the creation of a fast-paced, science-fiction thriller. The pages fly by after Kalin is captured and the true nature of GenTech’s projects are revealed. I felt like I was there with Kalin and Project Tau as they went through their daily trainings, and it was as though I experienced the pain myself after their gut-wrenching pain acclimation classes. The author had clearly thought through this new world where human cloning is acceptable, and shuttling between planets is an everyday adventure. One of my favorite parts was hearing how this world came to be, and how humans were forced to flee to new planets. The history lesson about the new planets was seamlessly woven in through dialogue between Kalin and Project Tau, who had no knowledge of a world outside of the lab.
Austin holds a mirror up to the reader with this novel. While Kalin and some of the scientists struggled with their own humanity, the reader is forced to do so as well. I found myself asking the same questions that Kalin did. Is there a line between human and non-human? Where does technology end and humankind begin? While serious themes of slavery, human rights and cloning are the backbone of this novel, the author does allow some humor to seep through. This lightened up the tone here and there, which I appreciated given the intense nature of the subject-matter.
I am giving this book a strong 4 out of 4 stars. It is not often that you can say a book draws you in equally on plot and character, but Project Tau managed to do so. The easy-flowing writing style, the creation of an imaginative new world, and the suspense I felt as I awaited Kalin’s fate made for a compelling story. I would recommend this to mature audiences given some of the violence and abuse, as well as the serious themes. Suspense lovers, as well as sci-fi seekers, should make this their next read.
******
Project Tau
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Project Tau by Jude Austin
