Review of Endeavor’s Run

[Vyshnavi Karra]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Endeavor’s Run" by Tobin Marks.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Endeavor’s Run by Tobin Marks is the first book in the Hope Prophecy series and set 1000 years after Arc of the Apocalypse. Humanity barely survived a war of near extinction and started to rebuild. However, a deadly catastrophe on Earth and a mysterious, unfinished interstellar message received by the human colony on Mars are catalysts for a new level of galactic destruction. A few earthlings head towards a human colony on the far ends of the universe, and the prophecy starts to be fulfilled.

There are many positive qualities about this book. It is a very easy read, even with all the science-based explanations about various inter-galactic travel (eg. forcefields). This makes the science aspect of science fiction very plausible and even more real to the readers. Even though space travel is still science fiction, Marks’s own scientific background helped create a world where space travel is realistic. The presence of human colonies also is not beyond the realm of possibility, and Marks taps into that ideal. The presence of different creatures with their own cultures and civilizations only adds to the realism. Aliens have their own language and their own social hierarchy. This is very similar to other, acclaimed fantasies, such as Lord of the Rings and the Game of Thrones series. Similar to those fantasies, every creature and being has their own ambitions and follies, which make the characters much more multi-dimensional.

The only negative quality that could potentially throw off readers in the very beginning, is the choppy nature of the chapters. Each chapter is based in a different location, with a different main character, and in a different year. The title does provide some guidance on the setting for the chapter. However, even with this, it could be difficult as readers start the book and could potentially turn off some readers as they attempt to understand what is going on. This could simply be a writing style or tactic that Marks employed to enhance the palpable suspense that is already present in the book.

This book gets 4 out of 4 stars. It is a well-written book with a well-developed plot and different character arcs that keep the reader enthralled until the last page. The facets of each character are introduced, and the foreshadowing is subtle enough that readers may not initially register some of the hints as they read the book. This heightens the suspense and keeps the reader interested in the story to find out what happens in the rest of the trilogy.

The recommended audience are young adults on up, who are interested in science fiction and/or fantasy. There is a little bit of everything to satisfy readers – magic, aliens, dragons, prophecies, and space travel. This combination may sound strange at first, but Marks creates a world where they all belong.

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Endeavor’s Run
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