Official Review: Ark of the Apocalypse by Tobin Marks

[Erin Dydek]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Ark of the Apocalypse" by Tobin Marks.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Nearing the end of the 21st century, the time for humanity to leave the dying Earth has come. Survival of the human race rests on the successful departure of the Magellan II and its 10,000 colonists, who will seek to establish a new beginning on a far-off planet named Aqueous. The journey ahead promises to be just as strenuous, if not more, than the effort it took to get Earth's flagship off the ground.

It all began during WWII with a Russian family exiled to Eastern Siberia and a Japanese family who survived the bombing of Nagasaki. While the Yanbeyev family sought a legacy in the medical field, the Mizushima family developed the technology to propel NASA's research into the future. Both families' achievements would prove essential to the Magellan II mission, but with the rising tension among Earth's political powerhouses, what will it take to leave Earth in time? When Earth falls to pieces, what will happen to those left behind? And what chances do the colonists have for survival on a reptile-infested planet?

Ark of the Apocalypse, by Tobin Marks, is a science fiction novel that seeks to answer these questions. At the same time, readers experience the effects of climate change on the planet and humankind's efforts to embark on a desperate venture. While I initially chose this book because I was interested in a colony story about humanity's survival in a new world with dangerous neighbors, I came to appreciate the author's depiction of the final days on Earth. Through the converging storylines of the two families, I learned much about the process of preparing for the eventual need to leave the planet and what contingency plans were available. The author also used political strife to create a futuristic scenario featuring the somber reality of humankind's environmental impact on Earth and its resources. The details incorporated prepared the way for a more profound effect on my reading experience when the combined efforts paid off and the Magellan II left Earth.

I enjoyed how the setting jumped between various places around the world and eventually the new planet, while the narrative covered a period from WWII to the early 22nd century. The progression of the story remained clear and cohesive through location tags at the beginning of each chapter. The constant shift between storylines and forward movement in leaps of a year or more didn't leave much time to get emotionally connected to the characters. Instead, I stayed engaged by focusing on what each family accomplished despite a lack of character development. By the second quarter of the book, however, Nadya Yanbeyev comes to the forefront as an essential character, and I appreciated the emotional connections she added to the plot. Overall, however, the writing remains straightforward with a calculated complexity that made unraveling the mystery of the Yanbeyev family's agenda my favorite part.

I was mainly disappointed with the use of Nayda's ability. As a seer, she predicted each event that would occur on Aqueous, and the storyline followed a pattern of playing out exactly what she saw. Her ability to see the future took away from the suspense of exploring the new world and its challenges. While the author added vivid details to the actual event as it played out, these details typically felt shockingly gory.

Still, I was intrigued by how this author presented the developing technology and adapting to life on a new planet. A unique revelation shared in the second half of the book also made Ark of the Apocalypse an entertaining novel. Unfortunately, I found more than ten errors. These typos—combined with the diminished suspense in the second half—reduced my rating to three out of four stars. I believe that science fiction readers looking for an event-driven plot that follows humanity's exodus and survival on a new planet would enjoy this book. Frequent heavy swearing did not affect my rating, but the profanities didn't help my enjoyment of the book.

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Ark of the Apocalypse
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[MarveeAman]

Woow sci-fi fantasy and WW sound an interesting combination. Thanks for the review!

[Smmwallace]

This book sounds really intriguing. Your excellent review has me excited to read it! Thanks for the recommendation!

[Hhannahh]

Why does the cover scream GOT? This plot sounds quite interesting. Thank you for this interesting review.

[Kavita Shah]

It would have been better if some future sights would have either changed or traced some other path than the one seen by the seer. You've written a wonderful review.

[NetMassimo]

This seems like an intriguing novel, but I understand how a character who can see into the future can take away some of the suspense. Thank you for your great review!

[Black Jewel]

Though this book is most definitely fiction, it does pose some very real questions about what will happen to humanity if we continue along certain paths. Thanks for the great review.

[Ferdinand_Otieno]

This is an interesting science fiction fantasy that highlights global warming, planetary death, and the desperate need to recolonize a world. The book is temporarily free on Amazon Kindle and has an inciteful OnlineBookClub review. Congrats @tobinmarks on the BOTD selection.

[Wafula Jnr]

Destiny of human beings is what makes the book interesting. Perfect review.

[Brenda Creech]

I am not an avid sci-fi fan, but the recent ones I have read don't seem so futuristic anymore! From your review, this one isn't so far-fetched as it would have seemed even 5-10 years ago! I will probably pass on this one due to the lack of character development and the number of errors. Thanks for the excellent review!

[Ruchi Raina]

I would love to read this book about life after an apocalypse, and how humans would survive on another planet. I understand that the seer knowing what's about to happen next compromises with the suspenseful part of the story. Thanks for the great review.

[Victor Kilyungi]

An informative review in deed. I still think its a good read even though we all know that things don't always work out as planned (in the case of the seer that is). I hope those who read it enjoy it regardless of it's shortcomings.

[JodieLKM]

You did a great job on the review. With that said, it does not sound like a book that would interest me. I appreciate you reading and reviewing it for the rest of us so that we can make this choice.

[AntonelaMaria]

An interesting twist on WWII in this plotline. I'm not much of a scu fo reader but this sounds good. Too bad there are editing issues. Great job with the review.

[Anna Bookowski]

Why does the cover scream GOT? This plot sounds quite interesting. Thank you for this interesting review.

I have exactly the same impression! Why on Earth is there Denearis on the cover? It gives the book a cheap knock-off look.