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Dwarf Eight

Worth reading.

Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2019

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This is a story about a dysfunctional and corrupt society that we can see signs of in our own society. The story is a bit heavy handed and reminds me of Kafka or Vonnegut. This is not a story I would normally read. I bought this book because the author is in my list of 50 OK authors I watch. Please read the Author's Note at the end of the book to see where the author is coming from. It really puts the story in perspective.
I give the story itself at least 4 stars and 6 stars for social conscience so overall 5 stars.
I wonder if the sequels will have a message too?

E. Nolan

You Can Only Run So Far..

Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2019

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Here's Sutherland's second series with "Dark" in the title, though it's
not nearly as dark as his "Dark Artifice" world.

Mason Guthrie & Rosa Fuentes live in a kind of Laumeresque "Placement Test"
YA sort of dystopia (though without the semi-non-malign backdrop). Most
of the population lives on a basic dole and always one step ahead of the
(corrupt) law. In exceptional circumstances, a prole might make lower
middle status, but never upper.

Nobody trusts the law, but Mason has never had any particular trouble.
He's about to turn 18, keeping his nose clean & doing well in school,
at least the practical parts of it. With his mechanical aptitude, he
has even been helping out with repairs in his public housing block.
At least that's how he sees it. Much to his surprise he finds himself
accused and convicted of vandalism and packed off to a reformatory.

Rosa Fuentes is already there. She understands how the system works, how
the cops and judges accept bribes to send kids to the institutions where
the corporation gets a set amount for each inmate and where almost none
of that money is actually spent on them. She knows where she slipped up,
but she's a hacker, and the network isn't really secured from the *inside*.
She has a plan, she's been planting agents all she really needs is a
tech for the physical parts. This new kid seems a little off, a little
slow in some ways, but in others he may have what it takes..

Of course things escalate from there, and leave Mason and Rosa on the
run and in much worse trouble than they started in. Did I say Mason
and Rosa? A third character may be in trouble too.

I reviewed Sutherland's "Twisting Time" a few months ago in another forum, and I think that
was sort of a dry run for this series in a way, as that was the first
place he wrote a near autistic character. Mason is definitely "on the
spectrum" and Rosa doesn't quite understand him yet, but she takes him
as she finds him and gives him the support to shine. _Running Start_
is an engaging adventure in an STL but space-opera-ish Solar System.

Next up: Space Pirates!

Really? The author set up that storyline?

Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2020

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This is in many ways a very good story. The idea is there, and J.A. manages to keep the plot tightly focused and moving.

So why the title? Mostly because the leaps of illogic required to get myself into the "suspension of disbelief" in order to enjoy the tale were far larger than they needed to be, and made me shake my head quite a bit.

I'm not going to say much more because I'd have to spoil a lot of the plot to break down what I found so frustrating. It was fairly consistent internally, but the weak worldbuilding left me trying to piece together what the foundation for the plot was.

I can say that the romance of the two main characters was NOT romantic. The guy is too passive and the girl keeps calling him "Kid". I just couldn't picture them even being able to remain friends.

Still I'll admit I tried book 2, so its a 3 star novel. It flows well and had some ideas, but required a bit of "turn off your brain" to really enjoy.

Mr. Thomas A. Mckewen

Somewhat dorky characters starting a light hearted adventure in space

Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2019

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As always, well written with an interesting plot and some quirky characters. This author always seems to come up with something that feels familiar but really is quite new and refreshing. This is a feel good book about sticking it to the man. Everything about it feels like it has been done before in other books but you just love it anyway. This book is about establishing the main characters, doing some world building, and setting the scene for the series to come. Excellent start to a series but I could only give it 4 stars as it read like it was written for a much younger audience than me but I think these characters are going to grow up and develop more as the series progresses. So if you like a bit of space adventure with a light quirky touch you will like this book.

Robert Redfeather

Aww . . . I have to wait for the next book.

Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2019

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Good characters, believable technology, no typos, recognizable situations.

The nice thing about reading Heinlein or Asimov is there's shelves of already-written books by them. Reading a current author means waiting for the next book to be written. The bright side is, current author are still writing books. Here's hoping this one is writing for as long as he would like!

Martin A. Healey

Good intro to new series

Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2019

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While we wait for more on a our favorite girl spacer this a fun quick read with a few neat hooks for the reader, a little bit of a heist and prison break in a bleak future. Sets up a nice intro new series.

Muck Raker

Good read

Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2019

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This is not space opera- no big fleet battles between massive navies among the stars. And it is the better for it. Instead it is two teens on the run in space from a powerful corporation. The characters are complex and some of the best developed I’ve seen Sutherland create. I say that as a huge fan of his Alexis Carew series. Downloaded it this morning and didn’t put it down until I finished. Pick it up. You won’t be sorry.

GarryOwen

Space opera convict style

Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2019

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Two young adults meet in a for profit prison on earth. Our male engineering savant is wrongly convicted by corrupt government. Our female lead hacker wants to punish the corporation that oversees her abuse in a for profit prison. They escape and have adventures off earth. I look foward to further books in this series.

Top reviews from other countries

Ken O'Neill

Make That Six out of Five Stars!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 3, 2019

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Ok, I'd give it a 5* rating for the opening sequence alone where you get a Kafkaesque description of the one main character's arrest and criminal processing, which is also an indictment of the privatised criminal "justice" system in the characters' world. I'd put this on a par with Terry Gilliam's "Brazil" as a dystopia/bureaucracy work.

This is followed up by a worked demonstration of just how useless a firewall is when the hacker is inside it, which serves to introduce the other main character as well. This leads to the main characters making a jail break together, and one of the best written vehicle chases I've ever encountered.

Next we move into a less pacy sequence which still shows that the male lead places on the autism spectrum, and has an impact similar to Elizabeth Moon's "Speed of Dark" (first person with an autistic lead).

Here be spoilers!
The organisation that the funds were stolen from catches up with them for sound reasons, and recruits them as special agents, which will lead into book 2.

ScottishOldMan

A promising start to a new series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 19, 2019

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This is a promising start to a new series, written in the expected competent style of the author. The characters are engaging. You are immediately absorbed by the initial predicament of both main protagonists and from there the plot speeds along at a brisk pace with rarely a dull moment. In short, you care about what will happen next. Warning for fans of the Alexis Carew stories: this new series contains language of a more adult nature.

Mike O

Excellent

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 17, 2019

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As I have come to expect a very good start to a new story. A well crafted book that builds from the start and finishes with wanting book 2 now😎

Ralph Buttigieg

Excellent first book in a series

Reviewed in Australia on May 12, 2019

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Mr Sutherland has written an exciting book with likeable characters. Rosa and Mason escape from a corrupt legal system with a billion credits which gets them into all sorts of trouble. I was expecting to take a week or so to finish the book but read it over a weekend. Recommended.

Alex McQuilkin

Another Excellent series.

Reviewed in Canada on May 29, 2019

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Discovered another interesting series.

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