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I've been a little disappointed that early reviews of this book were on focused on Kindle formatting and similar woes. Like some commenters, I too wish the Audible version had been available on the title release date- I intended to listen as I traveled. When that didn't work out, I simply purchased the Kindle title separately and read it- I'll revisit the audiobook as a background listen when it's released. I own Book 1 on both Kindle and Audible, and alternately read or listened based on convenience. We can agree the book launch was imperfect, but what about the tale itself? Have previous reviewers read the damn thing? Shouldn't most reviewers, especially this close to the release date, be To The Stars Academy advocates, and try to encourage/introduce others toward the enjoyment of the tale and dissection of the "truths"?
-No spoilers-
Compared to Book 1, Book 2 is faster paced throughout. Since the general groundwork and narrative structure were laid in B1, B2 gets right to it, adding several Point-of-View scenes from one-time narrators, and revisiting the expected core characters. I liked that one previous character transitioned from a passive character to having a POV perspective. I appreciated that B2 didn't spend 1/2 the time recapping B1... the assumption is that if you are here, you're familiar with the backstory. I was concerned at the end of B1 that some things and people had been tied together too seamlessly, and expected B2 to be seriously cheesy as a result. That didn't happen, which I was grateful for. The new character, location and topic additions fit together nicely, the pace was brisk overall and I didn't feel subjected to a lot of extra garble. At some points, particularly toward the end, the storyline felt rushed, or the concepts dropped as "nuggets" to spark the imagination weren't highlighted enough to capture a passive reader's attention. I did like the disbursement of indisputable "real world" facts (hospital chain branding, etc.) with the established truths of the tale. Unfortunately, some attempts to ground the book into current time felt a bit contrived. So did some of the dialogue... Both B1 and B2 are better at describing events than having characters interact to move the plot forward. And frankly, the B1 Audible narrator is more captivating in the non-dialogue portions. Like any developing series, it's frustrating to know the next installment is likely a year or more away. I briefly daydreamed about how this yarn would benefit from sanctioned fanfic, in the style of Hugh Howey's allowed "World of Wool" spin-offs from his modern classic silo saga, Wool. Mulling this thought over, I determined the "occasional truth" factor would become irrelevant without a controlled narrative, so that dream died. I consoled myself with the assumption that Book 3 is in fact being written, something that is only speculation when it comes to GRR Martin's core GoT fantasies. We know Martin will keep pumping out side quests and ancient fictitious history, but what fan hasn't wondered if he'll publish Winds of Winter, and write beyond it? Or worried that if he does, it will be the same slapdash, watered down, occasionally false-to-itself cop out that parts of the delightful Dark Tower series devolved to after King's accident? I digress, but want to illustrate the point that we are on a multi-leg journey, and this was a worthy installment. I didn't want to include any spoilers in this review, but would be open to and would greatly enjoy a truly detailed chat with anyone else who is en route To The Stars!
- Proud TTSA stockholder, bookworm and businesswoman.
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Reviews with images
Average fiction story but TTSA recent history hurts it being special
This is the second and final part of the Fiction (Non-Fiction) “disclosure “ story from To The Stars Academy that jumps around in time but mostly features a story about a rich heiress chasing around the clues after her father’s death.I think the disclosure chapters that reveal UFO type stories from history add nothing to the story and given TTSA recent history of being exposed as a fraud (Mylar balloons and phony retirement documents) actually hurts the book.Another bad thing about the books is both an inflated page wise,both books could be squeezed down into a 400 page book.This book comes in at 670 pages and I read 200 page books in a longer time.And both books near the end start to have 3-4 chapters,it looks like a round robin written on Twitter.For example Chapter 52 starts on page 573 and chapter 81 starts on page 670.It is all done POV but the characters at at the same place.And with huge chapter headers and near blanks at the end ,this book is a tree killer.Also the font changes,I can see why kindle versions are messed up.Overall the whole thing seems like a scam,a boilerplate fictional action story to milk money out of people.Even the 1st Book was pumped up because they sent out readers for reviews but they didn’t this time.I included a 4 page chapter to give you an example.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2018
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Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2018
Average fiction story but TTSA recent history hurts it being special
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2018
This is the second and final part of the Fiction (Non-Fiction) “disclosure “ story from To The Stars Academy that jumps around in time but mostly features a story about a rich heiress chasing around the clues after her father’s death.I think the disclosure chapters that reveal UFO type stories from history add nothing to the story and given TTSA recent history of being exposed as a fraud (Mylar balloons and phony retirement documents) actually hurts the book.Another bad thing about the books is both an inflated page wise,both books could be squeezed down into a 400 page book.This book comes in at 670 pages and I read 200 page books in a longer time.And both books near the end start to have 3-4 chapters,it looks like a round robin written on Twitter.For example Chapter 52 starts on page 573 and chapter 81 starts on page 670.It is all done POV but the characters at at the same place.And with huge chapter headers and near blanks at the end ,this book is a tree killer.Also the font changes,I can see why kindle versions are messed up.Overall the whole thing seems like a scam,a boilerplate fictional action story to milk money out of people.Even the 1st Book was pumped up because they sent out readers for reviews but they didn’t this time.I included a 4 page chapter to give you an example.
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2018
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