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steph01924's review against another edition
2.0
This book was a bit of a letdown. I wasn't totally captivated by the first book, but the second one was more fast-paced and had a few twists near the end that made me hope this book would get interesting because that book was a pretty quick and entertaining read. Spoiler Alert: It didn't.
Actual spoilers are needed to understand what I didn't like:
Character deaths
By the time Lilly got around to dying, I didn't really care about the resolution much anymore. I assumed she'd either be brought back or have some thing where Rana ended up becoming human and she and Owen lived happily ever after. Lilly came back, but that doesn't cancel the half of the book where Owen moped and tragically felt his feelings and felt empty and blah blah blah. Maybe I'd be sadder if I CARED about Lilly and Owen's 3 week relationship, but I don't. Lilly was barely in the last book and during most of that time, Owen was busy kissing Seven (not that he WANTED to, mind you, but it kind of happened and he's a teenage boy and he kinda sorta didn't hate it). So I didn't buy his emotional state that supposedly fueled the remainder of the book. Plus his random italicized outbursts about Elissa...oh god! Okay, I get it. It's tragic. His sister is dead. Move on.
And Leech was killed off last book, so that sucked any sarcastic fun from this book. Everyone else I couldn't even remember their characters from the first book, so who cares.
Flashbacks
The flashback to Atlantis was WAY too long. You cannot spend so much time on characters I've barely gotten to know. If I didn't care about Lilly and Owen, there's NO way I'm going to care about Rana and Luk in their never-ending flashback to an extremely cliched and uninteresting mystical Atlantis. Which segues into:
Atlantis as a Plot Point
I haven't read very many stories that are set in Atlantis, but one I did that's still stuck with me is Prospero's Children. I can't recall all of the plot (and the sequels got VERY weird) but I can still recall the setting/mood the author created for Atlantis, the twists and turns of a city and the mystical-ness of it. It was so much more captivating than this. This whole trilogy made me feel like you could've inserted any made up 'forgotten and ancient' civilization in place of 'Atlantis' and it would've been just as easy to follow along and be bored with.
Overall Weak Story
It just wasn't great. Paul was an over-the-top cartoon, the end felt mushy, there were too many long descriptions of the world that held no relevance to anything, plot points felt like they just got dropped (um, WTF, random virtual reality world and person trying to escape? We get this brief and pointless chapter to show us...people are trying to escape a shitty world? Thanks for beating that dead horse. And then a little NEWS BULLETIN ALL IN CAPS FOR NO REASON AND REALLY ANNOYING TO READ, which tells us absolutely nothing, and then no more is said about this character. Huh?), and Owen's voice just got less and less realistic.
I feel like this book maybe doesn't deserve THAT much hate, but at the same time, screw that, because this could've been written much better and I reread/skimmed half the second book to recall pertinent details to read this sucker and now I feel like my time has been wasted. So boooo, book, boooo.
Actual spoilers are needed to understand what I didn't like:
Spoiler
Character deaths
By the time Lilly got around to dying, I didn't really care about the resolution much anymore. I assumed she'd either be brought back or have some thing where Rana ended up becoming human and she and Owen lived happily ever after. Lilly came back, but that doesn't cancel the half of the book where Owen moped and tragically felt his feelings and felt empty and blah blah blah. Maybe I'd be sadder if I CARED about Lilly and Owen's 3 week relationship, but I don't. Lilly was barely in the last book and during most of that time, Owen was busy kissing Seven (not that he WANTED to, mind you, but it kind of happened and he's a teenage boy and he kinda sorta didn't hate it). So I didn't buy his emotional state that supposedly fueled the remainder of the book. Plus his random italicized outbursts about Elissa...oh god! Okay, I get it. It's tragic. His sister is dead. Move on.
And Leech was killed off last book, so that sucked any sarcastic fun from this book. Everyone else I couldn't even remember their characters from the first book, so who cares.
Flashbacks
The flashback to Atlantis was WAY too long. You cannot spend so much time on characters I've barely gotten to know. If I didn't care about Lilly and Owen, there's NO way I'm going to care about Rana and Luk in their never-ending flashback to an extremely cliched and uninteresting mystical Atlantis. Which segues into:
Atlantis as a Plot Point
I haven't read very many stories that are set in Atlantis, but one I did that's still stuck with me is Prospero's Children. I can't recall all of the plot (and the sequels got VERY weird) but I can still recall the setting/mood the author created for Atlantis, the twists and turns of a city and the mystical-ness of it. It was so much more captivating than this. This whole trilogy made me feel like you could've inserted any made up 'forgotten and ancient' civilization in place of 'Atlantis' and it would've been just as easy to follow along and be bored with.
Overall Weak Story
It just wasn't great. Paul was an over-the-top cartoon, the end felt mushy, there were too many long descriptions of the world that held no relevance to anything, plot points felt like they just got dropped (um, WTF, random virtual reality world and person trying to escape? We get this brief and pointless chapter to show us...people are trying to escape a shitty world? Thanks for beating that dead horse. And then a little NEWS BULLETIN ALL IN CAPS FOR NO REASON AND REALLY ANNOYING TO READ, which tells us absolutely nothing, and then no more is said about this character. Huh?), and Owen's voice just got less and less realistic.
I feel like this book maybe doesn't deserve THAT much hate, but at the same time, screw that, because this could've been written much better and I reread/skimmed half the second book to recall pertinent details to read this sucker and now I feel like my time has been wasted. So boooo, book, boooo.
vidhi26p's review against another edition
4.0
I recieved this novel for free through Goodreads First Reads. This is a worthy conclusion to the Atlantean trilogy. Even though the story takes place within the span of just three weeks, the readers see the characters develop immensely.
wrenl's review against another edition
3.0
Title: Far Dawn
Author: Kevin Emerson
Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Fantasy, YA fiction, Romance
Premise:
(Goodreads)
In The Far Dawn, Owen and Lilly are on their own, two of the three Atlanteans left on a journey to find Atlantis and protect it from the selfish greed of their nemesis Paul and Project Elysium. As time grows short and darkness overtakes the planet, Owen must face Paul's greatest treachery yet. He must choose—does he save the planet, or the people he loves?
Perfect for fans of Star Wars, Percy Jackson, or The Hunger Games, The Far Dawn takes readers on an explosive journey through time and space with heartrending decisions, pulse-pounding action, and fascinating questions of science and ethics alike. Both the paperback and ebook editions include extra content on "where science stops and fantasy starts" in the world of the series.
Plot: The story starts off with Lilly and Owen flying in Lük's craft. They pick up a signal, someone calling for help. They go to the place where the signal originated the Vista and meet Moros/Peter a human being turned digital character inside the Vista a digital utopia. Owen is almost downloaded into Peter's digital body as a way for Peter to get out. Owen and Lilly escape with the knowledge Peter had. They flee to the mountains. They find Paul there with Evan-turned-Kael/Leech by genetic experimentation. The two save Evan and find the Sentinel the spirit of Rana, Lilly's ancestor. The Sentinel says that Owen isn't the Aeronaut. The story turns to the original Three with Owen inside Lük's head. He sees the Three trying to destroy the Paintbrush of the Gods and failing. The world falls apart in the memory. Owen comes out of the memory and finds that Lilly and Evan are gone, taken by Paul. Rana and Owen go to Antarctica where the original city is rumored to be. They meet a band of military men. They almost save Evan and Lilly, but the Terra is taken. And the world is crushed by ice. Lilly, Evan, and Matheu (or however you spell his name) are killed. Owen survives with Rana's help. Owen makes coffins for all three and send them out to sea. He is cared for by the military before he leaves to go on a Flotilla to have changes done to him. He gets a bionic eye and a bar code on his finger similar to the ones on the elite. He then goes to an Eden, seeking out passage to Egress the ship in space. He gets on with the Nomads help. He, sadly, betrays them when he gets there. He doesn't blow up the station. Instead, Owen makes a deal with Paul to have Lilly revived. When about to talk to the Terra, part of his deal, he meets Lilly in her skull. They talk with Lilly making him decide he won't agree to help Paul. Lük comes in, crashing into the ship using a spaceship he repaired. Rana, Kael's spirit, and Owen escape the failing Egress. In the ship, they crash into missiles. Owen releases the Terra, saving the world. The Terra returns to the earth and starts healing the broken parts. Owen is revived in the Eden his story began in. Owen sees Lilly, and the story ends.
Character Development: Owen. Owen isn't a favorite character of mine. Love overtakes all rational thought. And he's the surprise attack. And he mopes. I don't like him. He's simply annoying. I do like that he is human. He mourns. He feels pain. It doesn't seem like the original Three are not human. Even during the flashback.
Problems: A problem I saw was the world building. I haven't read this series since the last book, book two. And the world wasn't defined anyways. LoRad? What? Could there be a section that describes the purpose of these inventions? That would have been good. I like knowing these things. (Either that or it was explained, and I don't remember.) The romance was a bit much. Kissing every moment. It was nice that Lilly didn't say 'I love you' as if it was 'pass me the salt'. It was a bit cute that they kept count. It was interesting why they did it. And the fact that they did it at all. I don't like the romance, though. I don't like romance in general. And this was part of the 'general'. The plot, while action-filled, is not too interesting. I don't particularly like it. It was just okay. The plot was a bit...dull. Betrayal. Fighting. It seems a bit repetitive. I don't know why I think that. It seems like that happens often enough. Fighting. Betrayal. Loss. It's becoming common enough.
Good points: 'Far Dawn' has certain things I like. Only a few. I like how Owen seems real. He goes through emotional and physical pain. He is real. He feels pain. He isn't indestructible. When Lilly is dead, he mourns. He builds coffins. He goes on a suicide mission. Knowing he'll die if he goes through with it. He is real. I like that. I like real characters. The plot is action. Action. Drama. Suspense. Surprises. It's odd that I don't like the story, but I have a minor like for the plot. It's the action that I like. Not the story itself.
Score: 7/10
Recommended: If you like the series. If you like dystopian with a supernatural twist.
Author: Kevin Emerson
Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Fantasy, YA fiction, Romance
Premise:
(Goodreads)
In The Far Dawn, Owen and Lilly are on their own, two of the three Atlanteans left on a journey to find Atlantis and protect it from the selfish greed of their nemesis Paul and Project Elysium. As time grows short and darkness overtakes the planet, Owen must face Paul's greatest treachery yet. He must choose—does he save the planet, or the people he loves?
Perfect for fans of Star Wars, Percy Jackson, or The Hunger Games, The Far Dawn takes readers on an explosive journey through time and space with heartrending decisions, pulse-pounding action, and fascinating questions of science and ethics alike. Both the paperback and ebook editions include extra content on "where science stops and fantasy starts" in the world of the series.
Plot: The story starts off with Lilly and Owen flying in Lük's craft. They pick up a signal, someone calling for help. They go to the place where the signal originated the Vista and meet Moros/Peter a human being turned digital character inside the Vista a digital utopia. Owen is almost downloaded into Peter's digital body as a way for Peter to get out. Owen and Lilly escape with the knowledge Peter had. They flee to the mountains. They find Paul there with Evan-turned-Kael/Leech by genetic experimentation. The two save Evan and find the Sentinel the spirit of Rana, Lilly's ancestor. The Sentinel says that Owen isn't the Aeronaut. The story turns to the original Three with Owen inside Lük's head. He sees the Three trying to destroy the Paintbrush of the Gods and failing. The world falls apart in the memory. Owen comes out of the memory and finds that Lilly and Evan are gone, taken by Paul. Rana and Owen go to Antarctica where the original city is rumored to be. They meet a band of military men. They almost save Evan and Lilly, but the Terra is taken. And the world is crushed by ice. Lilly, Evan, and Matheu (or however you spell his name) are killed. Owen survives with Rana's help. Owen makes coffins for all three and send them out to sea. He is cared for by the military before he leaves to go on a Flotilla to have changes done to him. He gets a bionic eye and a bar code on his finger similar to the ones on the elite. He then goes to an Eden, seeking out passage to Egress the ship in space. He gets on with the Nomads help. He, sadly, betrays them when he gets there. He doesn't blow up the station. Instead, Owen makes a deal with Paul to have Lilly revived. When about to talk to the Terra, part of his deal, he meets Lilly in her skull. They talk with Lilly making him decide he won't agree to help Paul. Lük comes in, crashing into the ship using a spaceship he repaired. Rana, Kael's spirit, and Owen escape the failing Egress. In the ship, they crash into missiles. Owen releases the Terra, saving the world. The Terra returns to the earth and starts healing the broken parts. Owen is revived in the Eden his story began in. Owen sees Lilly, and the story ends.
Character Development: Owen. Owen isn't a favorite character of mine. Love overtakes all rational thought. And he's the surprise attack. And he mopes. I don't like him. He's simply annoying. I do like that he is human. He mourns. He feels pain. It doesn't seem like the original Three are not human. Even during the flashback.
Problems: A problem I saw was the world building. I haven't read this series since the last book, book two. And the world wasn't defined anyways. LoRad? What? Could there be a section that describes the purpose of these inventions? That would have been good. I like knowing these things. (Either that or it was explained, and I don't remember.) The romance was a bit much. Kissing every moment. It was nice that Lilly didn't say 'I love you' as if it was 'pass me the salt'. It was a bit cute that they kept count. It was interesting why they did it. And the fact that they did it at all. I don't like the romance, though. I don't like romance in general. And this was part of the 'general'. The plot, while action-filled, is not too interesting. I don't particularly like it. It was just okay. The plot was a bit...dull. Betrayal. Fighting. It seems a bit repetitive. I don't know why I think that. It seems like that happens often enough. Fighting. Betrayal. Loss. It's becoming common enough.
Good points: 'Far Dawn' has certain things I like. Only a few. I like how Owen seems real. He goes through emotional and physical pain. He is real. He feels pain. He isn't indestructible. When Lilly is dead, he mourns. He builds coffins. He goes on a suicide mission. Knowing he'll die if he goes through with it. He is real. I like that. I like real characters. The plot is action. Action. Drama. Suspense. Surprises. It's odd that I don't like the story, but I have a minor like for the plot. It's the action that I like. Not the story itself.
Score: 7/10
Recommended: If you like the series. If you like dystopian with a supernatural twist.
bookworm_630's review against another edition
2.0
Okay, maybe it was just me, or the mood I was in while I was reading this, but I just could not get into this book! The plot seemed to get more and more ridiculous and far-fetched (and that's saying a LOT, as I really enjoyed the previous two books and the kids grew gills, for crying out loud!) and the ending stretched my ability to suspend my disbelief way too far. It was also predictable and I saw it coming from miles away. I kept saying to myself-no...it's too obvious, he wouldn't do that! But then, he did that. And to realize that after everything Owen, Lilly, Leech and the others had been through, only three and one-half weeks had passed from the beginning of the first book to the end of this one, I just couldn't wrap my mind around that. So, I could have done without this one and rather wish the series would have wrapped up in two. The writing was good, the characters were the ones we love from the first two books (and the ones we love to hate-I'm looking at you, Paul!), we learn more about what happened to the Atlanteans, and the action scenes turn the pages themselves, but it just wasn't my cup of tea (this week). Better luck next book!
tundragirl's review
4.0
This series definitely didn't go where I expected it to, which isn't a bad thing. I enjoyed this YA series quite a bit.
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