Shades of Earth

An Across the Universe Novel

De: Beth Revis

Narrado por: Tara Carrozza

The final book in the trilogy by New York Times best-selling author Beth Revis!

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh - to build a home - on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience. But this new Earth isn't the paradise that Amy had been hoping for. Amy and Elder must race to uncover who - or what - else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. But as each new discovery brings more danger, Amy and Elder will have to look inward to the very fabric of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed - friends, family, life on Earth - will have been meaningless.

©2013 Beth Revis (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Comes to a fittingly explosive conclusion in this satisfying series ender.... A propulsive storyteller with a knack for jarring surprises and raising the stakes." (Booklist)

"Throughout the series, Revis has brought real and immediate emotions to sci-fi scenarios ... and here she invests that skill in making readers feel, along with her protagonists, the awe and wonder facing humanity as the characters step out onto an alien planet for the first time." (Horn Book Reviews)

"Brings it home on a planet far from home." (Kirkus Reviews)

Disappointing

I had enjoyed the first two books in the trilogy, but this book is where it all falls apart. Revis’ weakness is characterization, and it clearly is shown in this book. Villains are barely one-dimensional, and the two main characters Amy and Elder have little differentiation in personality even though the book is told in alternate points of view. The action portions are well done, but cannot overcome the weakness in the characters.

good book but

good book but the actors spoke too softly almost whispering at times making them hard to comprehend.

Absolutely loved this entire series!!

The narrations were great! I enjoyed the entire series. I listened to all three audio books. I normally can not listen to a book twice. However I will make an exception for this one.

all in all is a good series

where they left off i wasn't a big fan on defiantly needs another book or two to sum it up. and i feel it lacks some detail harder to paint a picture but for what it lacks in detail it makes up in the story line.

ok book

interesting but not great. I feel the series got better each book and I saw it through so that counts for something. Not amazing but it is entertaining.

Good end to the series

I liked it! I am rereading these/finishing the end for the first time since freshman year and I was curious enough about the story to see it through all these years later. Enjoyed the ending for the series

A Great Conclusion

Please Note: This review refers to events in the first two books, Across the Universe and A Million Suns, but no spoilers to the conclusion of this series.

In the final book in this series, Elder and Amy have left Godspeed with those that want to start a new life on Centuri-Earth and of course, all the military and scientists still frozen in the cryo chambers. Those that have elected to stay on Godspeed remain behind, and Elder and Amy look to the future. They know they will face monsters on Centuri-Earth, creatures they’ve never met before, but they know it is a risk they have to take. However, what they don’t expect is to face a war with the “frozens”, those that were selected for this mission with military and science backgrounds, who are determined to take over control and make all the decisions. With Amy’s father, taking the role as leader, Commander Martin and Elder come up against each other as they fight for their lives not just amongst each other but the monsters (and possibly aliens) on Centuri-Earth.

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series. I don’t read that much YA science fiction, despite being a huge fan of adult science fiction. I love the concept of this book – a ship being sent hundreds of years to colonize another planet. Amy was awoken before her time from her cryo chamber and a power war raged on the ship Godspeed. Now that is all behind her, as she and Elder land on Centuri-Earth.

Starting with the landing on Centuri-Earth to the fight with the monsters, aliens and internal fighting with Commander Martin, every second of Shades of Earth was action packed. I literally couldn’t stop listening to the audiobooks as my heart sped up with all the adventure, betrayals and emotions in this final book in the series. The plot twists were aplenty, and there were some that I predicted and some that I didn’t even see coming. However, I enjoyed every second of it and loved the conclusion.

Amy as a character has grown on me, and it really wasn’t until Shades of Earth that I started to like Elder. In the previous two books he seemed a little immature and whiny, but really came into his own on Centuri-Earth making those tough decisions that only a leader can make.

Shades of Earth was a great conclusion to this trilogy. I don’t want to go in too much about the monsters and aliens as I don’t want to spoil this for readers, but I did like all the twists and turns and how it turned back to events that happened on Godspeed, with the Phydus.

I read the first two books in this series and opted to listened to the audiobook for the final book and wow! I loved the narrators. I’m glad they chose to have a female narrator for Amy and a male narrator for Elder, and I thought they both did a exceptional job with this fast-paced story.

All in all a very enjoyable listen and I can’t wait to see what Beth Revis delivers next.

Very good!

The whole trilogy was very entertaining!! Shades of earth is a fantastic conclusion to the story. It has twist and turns and clues and space with science hybrids and wow just so much cool stuff you will want to finish it up to see what happens!

A Mixed Bag

The best way to describe the final book in the series is that it is a mixed bag. On one side, there are some wonderful plot twists, actions, and moments throughout the book. But in order to have those outrageous plot points and action, all logic was completely thrown out the window.

Everything from people getting lost in the forest and dying - and then the next chapter have the two main characters repeatedly go out alone in the new world unarmed. Despite adults who are completely clueless about anything being chosen for such an important mission. Despite the villain being a carbon copy of the villain from the last 2 books (read: self righteous, doing it to save my people...). And let's not get into the complete lack of anything deadly on the planet other than a random paralyzing flower and maybe some bioengineered birds. Ugh. So many more like that.

I wanted to like the series and it really does keep you rapt listening/reading. But I just don't want to have to turn off so much of the logical side of my brain to enjoy the thrilling parts.

Interesting Conclusion to the series

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If they wanted to finish the series, then yes. If they didn't much care what happens after the second book, then I could just as easily give them a synopsis. The book was good and parts of it were gripping, but it felt very long and badly paced. By the end when they finally wrap up all the stuff it felt rushed and kinda out of nowhere. Overall, it was okay.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I felt a little annoyed at how quickly everything concerning the mystery of what was going on was wrapped up. There were a few events near the end of the book that seemed to make the whole plot of the second book feel pointless.
Also, near the end where I imagine there were blank pages, was a great thing to hear. It made that moment feel really powerful.

Any additional comments?

I think it was funny that the first audio book had different voice actors to the last two, and the last book cover was so dramatically different to the first two.