"Start of a sub-series, so a lot of set up"
A Facebook friend of mine loves this series. On his recommendation I picked up the first book in the series, The Disappeared, about a year ago. The Disappeared was a well written police procedural with a scifi setting. But I haven’t picked up any more of the series until Anniversary Day went on sale.
I do not traditionally like reading books out of order, even if they do stand alone. Anniversary Day is the start of an 8 book sub-series within the larger 15 book series. I did feel like I was jumping into something that I did not fully understand. The main characters from the first book were still here, but a lot of additional characters had also been added.
The story was easy enough to follow (just missing character backstory.) Several years ago, there was a bombing in the moon’s largest city. It kill a number of people and that bombing was never solved. Every year there are remembrances, but also wariness because the bombing could happen again.
One of the police detectives of the first book in the series is now the head of security for the whole moon. When the mayor of the largest city and the head of the moon’s national government both die mysteriously, as do other political leaders around the moon, she coordinates a response from her office.
But there are a ton of threads (and characters) in this book. Because the crimes happen independently, different characters have to respond to the sub plots. The threads are the way real coordinated attacks would work. Lots of different people, with part of the picture have to respond with inadequate information because the whole picture is not in view to any one person.
The police procedural elements are still here, but this is a larger triller style plot. It is well written and I want to read more. The question is whether I go back to the books I missed earlier, or whether I keep reading this sub-series.
"You gotta buy all 8 books or else. Be warned."
You won't find the answer to the mystery (or any answers at all) until you get to the last book, number 8. Each book is not a standalone. None of the smaller storylines are tied up at the end of each volume, like most normal series. As another review said, it really should have been a trilogy with 3 large volumes. At the so-called "end" of each novel, I felt totally un-satisfied, almost cheated.
If I'd known what I was getting into, I'd never have started. I wish I'd known this at the start. But I guess this is getting to be the fashion nowadays: to write multiple small volumes that are just one story, rather than just one long book. Some authors warn you up front, but some don't.
"1st Half"
Everything
I thought I'd fine another series to get into
Boring
All of them
I didn't even realize it came it 2 downloads and it didn't bother me. I didn't go back for the other half.
"Not really great Si-Fi"
er not really, the book had it's moments, I felt it was trying to be great sci-fi, (great space opera), but was only able to achieve it now and then. The author is no Peter F Hamilton.
Create characters I feel are real, and so I care about them. I need wonder, awe amazement. Like Peter F Hamilton! Create new worlds. Hint it takes more than saying "well we are are on the moon and under a dom" etc...Maybe its best viewed as a story about a cop tying to solve a case? Just derivative fiction.
A bit implausible.
Its clear the author is trying for one. If book one did not work forget book 2.
It could have been a Peter F Hamilton great, but the writing and story was too pedestrian, to uninteresting, etc...
"Interesting characters and intriguing story."
I really got into the story... The plot was intriguing and the characters very interesting. My only disappointment was that the book wasn't longer.
"This series keeps me coming back"
loved it. I can't get enough of this universe. The narrator is exceptional. The best series I've read.
"Great start, exiting, reading got gaps"
It's exiting, made me listen to it for longer sessions than I initially wanted - could not put it away..
This book got a rare quality: The story changes from character to character, makes me want to keep listening to get another persone view of whats happening. The initial main caracter get in the background after a while - and a different / new caracter becomes the front lead for a while. Fascinating
It's my first book from this author - but it will not be the last
The seconds from the initial start until a different voice told me the book was over
A combined whodoneit and thriller - exiting and refreshing. The reading got small one- or two second gaps where the voice got cut. Irritating, but the reader was so good (and the story so exiting) that I kept listening
"4 stars are misleading 3.5 should be the rating"
These are detective stories in space. No great strain on the brain matter and some gaping holes in the plot. I felt that I made a mistake buying the entire set after the first one thinking that the author was going to build on that story. She didn't really, The characters continue on with a series of detective stories that are not especially thrilling. I listened to them all and cannot say that I was inspired, but I enjoyed them for what they were, fairly bland. I wish we had 1/2 stars, these books only deserve three and half, the four is misleading but three would have been too low.
"Timely warning"
Remember. Beware complacency.
Most other books on terrorism because of the similarities to recent events in this country. One part of the book, near the end, has Miles saying that if he were to plan another attack, he would wait until we let our guard down and our new security rules become routine--then he would attack somewhere completely unexpected. Unfortunately, this is not a needed warning only in sci-fi.
Yes. I like Jay Snyder very much. I am picky about narrators, but I would put him in the same highly-regarded class as Dick Hill and James Marsters.
Ha. I did.
This whole series is pretty well done. It was a little difficult for me to see how people raised on the moon could function on Earth immediately, though, but I decided it was due to enhancements.
"Fast paced mystery with engaging characters"
I liked the fact that there wasn't just one super hero character and most characters had at least one likeable quality. bought the next book in the series right away.