Lots of promise here. Unfortunately, plot devolves into ...
357787
Lots of promise here. Unfortunately,plot devolves into an unsophisticated episode of cops with some "to catch a predator" tossed in.
1787849
This has potential, but I'm not sure I can get through it. It's hard enough with grammatical errors and missing words, not to mention the punctuation or lack thereof, but with mixing up a major plot point or three, I'm about ready to quit. I've kept on reading to this point because I like the main characters and the gist of the plot, but OMG, does it need fixing!  When she is given money, returns it, and then uses it for an adventure....well, things like that need to be fixed. It was set up that she bought land, but suddenly her plans are messed up, so what about the land?  I don't think she could just abandon it, when she had already closed on it. This author has potential, but appears to have put this out without proofreading it or having someone do a thorough read-through.
3508058
I see some real potential here.  I really think the author could rework this into something very good.  The characters were pretty well developed and distinct in my mind.

A couple plot points were really far beyond suspension of disbelief... in the sense of the characters/nations acting in complete naivety.  I ended up having to put this book down at 42% because of this and some overly descriptive sexual content.  I was able to skip over the pointless sexual content completely the first time it occurred, but the second time was immediately following the worst of the "I need this to happen to make the plot move forward, so I'm just going to have the supposedly super-competent rulers of this realm be complete idiots for a while until the bad guy gets his way", so I didn't want to bother skipping and just put the book down.

** SPOILER ALERT **
So all the magic of each realm is pinned on a single book for each realm.
When one realm's book is stolen, they inform the main character's realm (Altura).
Instead of recognizing the incredible threat this is, Altura posts a few extra guards here and there and *surprise*, their book is stolen too.
The characters almost seem surprised that someone would try to steal their book.  Not only that, they let a complete stranger whom they know not at all (and whom turns out to be the thief) into their inner sanctum completely unguarded.  It's just too incredibly dumb of a plot point for me to accept.  Maybe the author can rewrite to show the exploits of this thief in advance, and make it clear that the magic he's using is of a kind that is completely unknown/unheard of, and that ... well, I can't find an excuse for letting the guy into the inner sanctum without guards and whatever, I'd hope the author could deal with that as well.
As is, the leaps in ignorance the characters are forced to take in order to get the plot where the author apparently wants it are just too big for me to handle.

Also, the main character in the book gets off a felony murder (in some US states, a death resulting from a felony that wasn't intended to kill anybody is a felony murder) with a quick stint on the rack and then she's let back into the good graces of her academy.
The author really must fix this.  Make this incident a mistake, not a misdemeanor/felony/murder.  In this case, the character was trying to commit a burglary and fraud and wound up killing someone, and for no good reason (ie, the intended victim wasn't doing anything at all wrong... the main character's real beef was with the parents of a friend of hers).

2-stars: I didn't like it, but I can imagine how someone else might.
1825459
I found myself wondering what the purpose of this book was throughout the first half of it. Fortunately, the plot got interesting soon thereafter. I was surprised the author's day job is policing, as the dialog so often seemed contrived.  Perhaps things will come together in book two, but I'm afraid I'm not going to take the time to find out.
128277
Initially, I liked this novel, but in the end could not wait to be done with it.  It held so much promise.  The characters (too many of them) were one dimensional and not likable.  Many were just stereotypes.  At times it felt like the writer had a chip on his shoulder when it came to people in high tech - particularly anyone in IT.  Ok, so ignoring the characters, the premise of the novel held lots of promise.  The concept of "Cleaning" was good (but I figured out the twist before it was unveiled), the hints at the history behind the silos was intriguing, and the discovery of others all provided an opportunity to give the story a real punch.  In the end, it just flopped for me.  It just ended, as if the author ran out of ideas.  Disappointing.  Maybe it's a series and all with be unveiled later, but I won't be joining in because I just lost interest.
4473895
I really wanted to like this book, and, for the first few chapters it seemed like I was going to, with some clever examinations of trope and cliche.  Very quickly, however, things got... uneven.  A trope would be skewered by... falling back on another trope.  Our Villain started to act differently... until the plot necessitated that he act like the villain again.  Our Hero's motivations were constantly shifting for unclear reasons, etc.
1077282
I have mixed feelings about this book.  I really liked the main characters (Stoker & Riverra) but thought that the villains were almost cartoonish in their villainy.  Not much gray here; all is black or white.  Lots of subplots, most of which were fine.  Some subplots really pegged my "improbability meter" at "infinite."  One significant inconsistency was that the principals are supposed to be conservative/libertarian but the main plot resolution relies heavily on big government and a cadre of secret government "warriors."

If you are somewhat right-of-center politically and/or admire rugged, yet intelligent, individualists there is much here for you.  You'll have to suspend disbelief more than you would with Thor, Flynn, Silva, or Clancy.  The writing is several steps down from Thor et al.  This book badly needed an editor that could clean up novels.  There is also an occasional tendency to get a bit politically preachy.  Still, a good airplane or beach book.  Next time, I hope they hire an editor.  This book could have been so much better.
4178763
After a good deal of character building, scene setting, and plot build-up...it all fell flat at the end. This is yet another promising story that feels like the writer tired of writing the book and simply rushed the finish to get it over with with.

I was particularly disappointed to see that, after a very Gothic and almost Lovecraftian-themed beginning, the plot slowly devolved into a fairly pat tale of supernatural retribution with a disappointing and predictable reveal at the end. No two ways, The Colony has the makings of a very good story. Unfortunately the author, Mr. Cottam, didn't take it there in the end.

I'll probably try another of his books to see if this effort was just a misfire. I very much like like his writing style even if the Kindle edition layout made it difficult to know which POV the reader was being abruptly switched to. This is a concern since those switches are frequent. And knowing which person's POV it is is very important to following the event sequence and build-up in the story. I'm hoping whoever is responsible for such things will take the time to redo the typography and the layout. The way it is now makes following the action and plot more difficult than is necessary. And it takes a great deal of enjoyment out of reading the text.

Anyway, it is what it is. I was disappointed overall with the story. But I'll reserve judgement about the author until I read something else he's written.
3561636
There is the kernel of a great idea here: that the discovery of a huge quantity of a new energy source would be a game-changer. That's true whether applied to our current world or to a galaxy-spanning empire. To what lengths would a person go in order to gain access to this energy? What would the powers-that-be do to maintain their monopoly on the current energy source? Start a war? Yes, the plot of Nova has strong echoes that resonate in a line straight from its 1968 creation right down to Iraq today. Unfortunately, the novel suffers from cardboard villains and unlikeable protagonists, not to mention weird digressions on the value of Tarot cards in predicting one's future. I'm afraid Delany toked one too many while writing this disjointed, disappointing, timebound book.
2559225
The story shows a lot of promise.  I particularly like the fact that the flawed detective has a voice in his head form the war (WWI).  In who dunnits, it is important to me for the reader to have a chance to put the clues together and figure out "who dunnit".  In this story, the author keeps to himself the critical information to the very end and then foists on the reader a horribly contrived ending that takes most of the joy out of following the mystery.  All of the information that the reader has carefully collected is rendered meaningless by the conclusion. The character development is good and the reader comes to care about a couple of the characters.  The story badly needs an epilogue that gives the reader some satisfaction in this regard.
3919271
Breezed right though this one, but believe this author should try to produce an epic, please. That's all, folks.  Lots of promise.
3735316
A very creative and kind of inspiring plot that ends up being a whole lot less than what it could have - and probably should have - been. By the end of the book, there are too many plot holes and things that seemed to be very important that went absolutely nowhere. It leaves the reader asking questions it probably shouldn't. For instance, one of the questions I asked myself after I finished this underdeveloped story is: What exactly was the point? And, unfortunately, I asked myself that question a lot. The characters are one dimensional with no real personality other than to be there, be in love, or be what could be described as "the villain."
Don't get me wrong, this was a very promising book. The very beginning of this book, about the first chapter, reel the reader into the story because, at first, the characters are funny and do have some personality. But then it falls. Really, REALLY hard. It seemed like the longer I went on, the worse and more annoying the characters got. There were, however, times where I was intrigued and interested in the story. But then it just crumbles because I'm left wondering....why was that needed?
There are many things in this book that don't go anywhere, or are promised to be explained but never are. This, for a reader, is very frustrating. I know that there are certain things the author would like to be left to the reader's imagination, but in this book it comes off as trying to be clever, but really isn't.
But it's not up to me to decide whether or not you'll read this book. This is merely a warning of the frustration you are bound to experience.
Or not. Maybe you'll actually like the book. I didn't. But it's up to you.
Good luck.
4583459
This story has a lot of promise and seems incredibly interesting. The adventure was decent and the magic fascinating but the progression of the romance (a HUGE part of the story) did not feel particularly believable. If bonds are as important as he claimed, why lie to her for freaking ever, simply because he messed up and slept with her without giving her his pledge first?

It's been a little too long since I read this to give a detailed review (apologies for that) but my overarching impression remains: disappointed with a side of mild distaste. This had a lot of promise and really could have been done better. Alas.
4574806
I really liked this idea.  And the characters were pretty interesting as well.  The little scenes were exciting. But after a while the lack of a clear plot line got a bit wearing.  I can see where this may have been more entertaining as a series of short stories.  When the overall plot finally emerged, I was already losing interest in the book, and it wasn't enough to fully engage me again.

Also the ending?  Eew.  That was just not something that I would consider a happy ending.
2436943
I wanted to like this.  Its an interesting premise, the magic system made some sense and there was at least an attempt to balance it, and the intrigue built into the tale opened up plot possibilities.

Sadly, the really bad romance, the over the top betrayal and the angst the main characters display turned me off.  It was a great idea, but I can't recommend this book
1395333
This was, in the end, a book falling tragically short of its potential.  Though, if I am to judge, the sequel should be an interesting read.

To say nothing of its themes, beliefs or messages, for all stories are at heart extensions of the author's own opinions and experiences, the novel itself and the story it presents seem to flit haphazardly from one genre to another, to the detriment of both sets of plates it attempts to juggle at the same time.  At times a romance, at others a thriller, sometimes one has the disturbing tendancy to overwhelm the other, much to the befuddlement of the reader.  The romance can come off fairly forced (and the 12 year timeskip in Leah's story particularly jarring), spanning generations, whereas the thriller struggles to gain momentum when the plot at last kicks into gear.

Perhaps it is the expected baggage of trying to tie in world-changing events when we are encouraged from the first page onwards to focus all our attentions on what is a very small community.  It is, in a nutshell, the neighborhood watch made to deal with global calamities, and they are simply not up to the task which is set before them.  Oddly enough Ryan, a catalyst with whom the plot thickens, is also the biggest obstacle to that very plot gaining any sort of momentum.  Being essentially an exposition machine, his appearances grind everything to an utter standstill in order for him to orate a) what might be happening in the world at large and b) what is happening in the world at large.  Surely there are better options than for one character (an FBI agent at that, who really comes off as more raving-mad-man on a street corner) to continually push his own opinions on others, seemingly with complete disregard for whether or not anybody is interested in hearing them.  Sadly, for those of us waiting for a coming swerve, it simply never arrives.  Ryan is infallible in his beliefs, integrity, and honesty, which makes for a very boring paragon, or indeed any character which turns out not to be an intentional caricature.

Which is not to say the novel is without its own merits.  By far the most interesting character, and the one easiest to root for, is Jesse, who seems to be alone in both his abilities and will to do something about the crisis lying at the center of the story.  Whereas the others have made do with a can of mace (or pepperspray, as it were), there is a gift in Jesse that heralds greater things in coming days.  The writing itself also deserves its own accolades.  It is easy to read, concise, and well moderated in tone, the telltale signs of an experienced hand.  The look into the lives and livelihoods of a small Amish community makes for an interesting setting.  And the hook as the book reaches its conclusion, with the prophecies rapidly realizing and the world plunging into chaos, makes for a vivid picture of what is to come.  The very image of a small religious caravan making their winding way through a post-apocalyptic United States with only their faith to protect and guide them makes for a far better case for an interesting read than any number of long-winded exposition pieces of the evils that plague society, even if they turn out to be true.  Color me, if not wringing my hands with expectations, then certainly raising an eyebrow with piqued interest at what comes next.

For, at the end of the day, the story must take precedent over all else, and it is ironic that we will find more room for growth for this particular tale at the end of the world than we will in the days just before.
3025828
There's the bones of a decent book here, but in its current state it's impossible to really recommend it.  Leaving aside the problems with the "science" part -- well covered in other reviews -- there's also some real problems with the way it's written that I can't help but think that an editor would have caught.  Large parts of the plot are delivered in the form of infodumps while the main character lies comatose in telepathic communion with an alien, significant chunks of the action take place off-camera, the point of view is uncertain within chapters, often switching without warning, and any tension in the final sequence is completely neutered by the steady accumulation of Plot Tokens and corresponding superpowers by the main character.

Despite all that, the author can turn a nice phrase in spots.  Despite the increasingly obvious problems with the book it did keep me reading to the end, although I did set it down with something of a sense of relief.  I won't be picking up the second one, and I would honestly recommend against this one.