Buying Options

Learn more

Read for Free

OR

Kindle Price: $0.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

Add Audible narration to your purchase for just $7.49

Deliver to your Kindle or other device

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Enter a promotion code or Gift Card

Share <Embed>

First Life (The River Saga Book One) by [Nathan Hystad]

Follow the Author

Nathan Hystad

First Life (The River Saga Book One) Kindle Edition

by Nathan Hystad (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

1,246 ratings

Book 1 of 4: The River Saga

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$0.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Paperback

"Please retry"

$17.99

$16.69

$16.20

Kindle
$0.00 Read with Kindle Unlimited to also enjoy access to over 1 million more titles $0.99 to buy
Audiobook
$0.00 Free with your Audible trial
Paperback
$17.99

1 Used from $16.20 6 New from $16.69

A dangerous expedition. Extraterrestrial alliances. Unpredictable enemies.

Colton Beck has six months to live. He works for the Angor near Los Angeles, aware that any day could be his last.

The Angor arrived twenty years ago, resolved to help mankind survive, but not everyone believes their motives are honorable.

When the Angor offer humanity a colony world, Colton is determined to see another planet before his final breath. He’s been diagnosed with Xeno, a rare disorder that surfaced with the Angor’s arrival, but he won’t let this stop him.

With the help of his old friend Indie Hart, now the single most powerful human on Earth, he joins the Expedition to Dicore.

They access the River, an alien technology that allows nearly instantaneous travel between worlds, and their universe is quickly expanded.

What they find on Dicore is far from idyllic, and Colton struggles to navigate their new existence while coping with his impending death.

First Life is a gripping science fiction adventure tale from the Best-Selling author of The Event, Lost Contact, and Final Days.

*******Peace by the Stars*******

Print length

428 pages
Language

English
Publication date

January 25, 2022
File size

4522 KB
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled
See all details

Next 3 for you in this series See full series

Total Price: $10.97

By clicking on the above button, you agree to Amazon's Kindle Store Terms of Use

Nathan Hystad
636
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $4.99
Nathan Hystad
192
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $4.99
Nathan Hystad
351
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $0.99
Joshua James
1,397
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $0.99
Nathan Hystad
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $5.99
Nathan Hystad
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $4.99

Editorial Reviews

Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I am literally going right over to my book vendor and buying the next one. Incredible!" - Rabid Reader, Amazon Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Outstanding characters and a building storyline brings amazing twists and turns." - Mike Keller, Amazon Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "New aliens, New worlds, old friends, New friends. Awesome read!" - Geraldine M, Amazon Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Hands down one great story and one great writer." - John V, Amazon Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Everything I love in this genre and more." - Jason, Audible Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Creative and addictive series opening." - Cindy, Audible Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This is the first time I read anything from Mr Hystad. What a story!" - Sarah E, Amazon Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Terrific story and characters, very hard to put down. I appreciate the writer's style and verbiage. My new favorite author and I ordered the next book." - Randall G Rich, Amazon Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Awesome plot and thrilling action, one of the best I have read." - F. McClamrock, Amazon Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Lots of twists, changing direction & intrigue. Very cleverly written, leaving you wanting for more. Can't wait for the next chapter." - Franklin Wall, Amazon Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "The twists and turns of the book will keep the thriller enthusiast content while the setting of the story will satisfy the SF reader. A unique combination which should be in the library of every follower of either genre." - DWB, Amazon Review

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09KQ3XV64
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Woodbridge Press (January 25, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 25, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 4522 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 428 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #13,485 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #19 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #98 in Space Exploration Science Fiction eBooks
- #115 in Exploration Science Fiction

Customer Reviews:
1,246 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Nathan Hystad

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Nathan Hystad is the best-selling author of The Event and Lost Contact. He writes about alien invasion, first contact, colonization, and everything else he devoured growing up. He's had hundreds of thousands of copies sold and read, and loves the fact he's been able to reach so many amazing readers with his stories.

Nathan's written over thirty novels, including The Survivors, Baldwin's Legacy, and The Resistance.

He's also done mystery/thrillers with Red Creek, Return to Red Creek, and Lights Over Cloud Lake.

All of Nathan's books are available in audio.

Get Constantine, a free story set in the Baldwin's Legacy universe by signing up for his newsletter at www.nathanhystad.com

The Bridge Sequence

Lost Contact

Lost Time

Lost Hope

Space Race

Space Battle

Space Strike

The Survivors

The Event

New Threat

New World

The Ancients

The Theos

Old Enemy

New Alliance

The Gatekeepers

The Academy

Old World

New Discovery

Old Secrets

The Deities

New Beginning

New Lies

The Colony

Baldwin's Legacy

Confrontation

Unification

Culmination

Hierarchy

Lineage

Legacy

The Resistance

Rift

Revenge

Return

Red Creek

Return to Red Creek

Lights Over Cloud Lake

The Manuscript

Customer reviews

5 star		63%
4 star		28%
3 star		7%
2 star		2%
1 star		1%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Rabid Reader

Earth is being helped, or is it?

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2022

Verified Purchase

Nathan Hystad outdoes himself with First Life (The River Saga Book One). Earth, in trouble after years of Climate change and Technological mismanagement, is saved in the nick of time by the Angor race of aliens.

Humans and Angors sign the Unity Accord and changes happen quickly all over the planet. Most new Angor cities are located on the coasts. The interior of the country is used to grow food.

Among other things that are changed is the air quality. But the Angor make a terrible error, for a small percentage of the population, they contract a fatal disease called Xeno.

Colton Beck from Fayetteville, Arkansas is one of the unfortunate people who contracts Xeno. His parents beg him to stay in Arkansas but he decides to seek what's left of his life in the Angor city in Los Angeles.

Hold on to your hat because the rest of this book is like being on a rollercoaster in the dark. When you think you've figured out what is going on, Slam! You're shoved blindly in another direction.

I threw my reader down, yelling, "No, you can't DO that!" at least 10 times including the end of this book. I am literally going right over to my book vendor and buying the next one. Incredible!

15 people found this helpful

Helpful

Mike Keller

Colton Beck is the key to the Angors' plans for Earth

Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2022

Verified Purchase

Colton Beck was young when the Angor arrived on Earth and changed the world's future forever. Joining the Angor's Unity Accord brought vast improvements to life on Earth. Diseases are cured, famine and pestilence are relegated to the past. The only thing they couldn't fix was afflicting Colton. Xeno is a condition that afflicts a tiny percentage of humans, a side effect of changes the Angor made to Earth's atmosphere. Colton has been told that he would be dead in six months. His best friend from his childhood, Indie Hart, had moved to Florida when her family had been given important positions working for the Angor.

The next step of the Accord was a colony on another world. Ten thousand were chosen to travel the River to their new planet, Dicore. The River is a passage between the stars connecting the Angor with their allied races. The humans would help the Angors build the connection of Dicore to the River. Indie Hart was to be the leader of the ten thousand on Dicore. Colton managed to become part of the colonists even though no one with Xeno was allowed on the journey. He knew he would be dead shortly after arriving on Dicore, but knew it was worth it to see the new world with his own eyes.

The truth of the Unity Accord becomes known to Colton and Indie. Much more is involved with the agreement than they'd been told or even imagined. Much more is the role of the Dicore colony than is expected. The Xeno condition's role in the Unity is a secret that will change everything.

Outstanding characters and a building storyline brings amazing twists and turns. What you think you know changes every few pages! Now I can't wait to read the next installment of this series. Outstanding!

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

DaveInTucson

Can't wait for the next installment in this series

Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2022

Verified Purchase

I think I've read all the books and series Nathan has written to date. I was waiting for a new series to begin when I heard about First Life. I got an advanced copy, it was so good I purchased a copy for my own library. Nathan is a story teller. His words pull you into the story and lets your mind create the picture as you see it.

It is hard to wait for the next two installments of this series. If you love good writing and science fiction you will love everything Nathan writes.

Don't hesitate to read this first book of the series. You will love the characters and the twists and turns along the way.

14 people found this helpful

Helpful

Mr.Bill

An Exciting Adventure by Nathan Hystad

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2022

Verified Purchase

Another great start to a new series by author Nathan Hystad. This story has a lot of surprises and a twists. The closer I got to the end, I was hoping it would not be the type of book that leaves the reader to come to their own imagination. I had to peek. I was very glad to see there is a follow-up.
The Audible performance by Christopher Ryan Grant was excellent. I highly recommend getting both.

Helpful

Retired Bear

Not at all what I was expecting

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2022

Verified Purchase

This book has me backed as to the correct genre title. Is is sci-fi to be sure. It is a bit post apocalyptic and a bit dystopian. But it strikes me as a mystery. That is what keeps me reading too long into the night. The story has good characters that mean well. There are.many parts to the story that I don't see coming and I can't wait to discover more. Highly enjoyable.

Helpful

MKrugel

I didn't expect this at all

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2022

Verified Purchase

**Personal Restrictions (14+) vith violence, and adult situations**
I bought this on a whim, but I'm certainly glad I did, while it starts as any other sci-fi, as you read you realize its so much more, as you progress you descover more about the world you're reading. You learn more as the characters do and the more you read the more intriguing it becomes! I'll definitely be waiting for book 2..

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

Firefly 350one

Astounding

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2022

Verified Purchase

I never tire reading novels of Hystad, always on the edge of my seat and never been able to put a book down before reading the complete story. Got me in trouble a few times, but that is the price to pay
RG

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Mike

Easy to enjoy

Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2022

Verified Purchase

From the first few paragraphs to the end of the book. I simply enjoyed each and every page. Was very entertaining and held my interest! Was hard to stop reading. Big surprise at the end of book one. Going to get book two now to do fine this great adventure.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Steve

quite interesting, but interesting enough?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 28, 2022

Verified Purchase

Once you understand that nothing you are told means anything in the long term, you start to read the story plot details and just dump that "knowledge" and plod on. There are plenty of twists and turns but very little you can't see coming a mile off.
The overall plot is basically sound, but after a while I found myself disengaging from it mainly because I got fed up with keeping track of what fact we knew and what we thought we knew. It's not that I don't like mysteries or thrillers, but I didn't like this one.
By a coincidence and sheer bad luck, this is the third book on the trot I've read which pits humans against huge killer scorpion type creatures that attack in swarms. I'm done with this trend for alien creatures.
Strange things happen that seem to defy logic. For example, the remains of a fortified alien colony buildings, that the settlers move to; they know nothing of the race that built it but no one queries the fact that the dimensions of doorways, passages, room sizes, type of light supplied, etc is a perfect match for what they want. No one says "these aliens must be very similar to us".
There are many questions left unanswered at the end of book 1 - to lure you buying book2. As book 2 isn't released yet (at the time of writing this) I am given sufficient pause to consider whether or not I want to buy book 2. On balance - especially with the high price tag attached to it - I think not.

One person found this helpful

Louise

Great twist, in a super galaxy crossing story.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 25, 2022

Verified Purchase

So Mr Hystad does it again!
I'm yet to pick up a book of his I've been disappointed by, so I'm afraid you are getting a biased review here because I love his stories, they are just so easy to fall into and get caught up in his characters and the intrigues surrounding them.
I was fortunate enough to get an early reading of First Life and throughly enjoyed it. Alien invasion, alien virus, but the aliens are doing all they can to help the humans in life and technology, including support in the virus they have brought....
The resistance are not convinced nor are others and our protagonist who has the virus also questions their motives; but dying and beyond caring, does all he can to get on one of the ships bound for the new world promised to humanity by the aliens.
Once on the ship the humans realise their destination may not be as hopeful as promised and once on the planet the action ramps up.
Fun characters, good plot with many twists and turns and yet more to come, as the humans discover they are caught up in a huge galactic web of intrigue and war where they will be fighting for their very existence.
Can't wait for the next 2 books!!

Big John

LOOK TO THE STARS

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 31, 2022

Verified Purchase

I found this book was quite slow to start but it eventually got going although it still has many twists and turns with I am sure even more to follow.
Colton's friend Indie is turning out to be an enemy of the humans, hopefully all will eventually be released in the following books.
Well worth the effort and I recommend this book, looking forward to the next two books.

Penelope

First Life

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2022

Verified Purchase

Couldn’t put the book down. Got right into the characters . I also appreciated your command of the written language ( no profanities). Looking forward to the next book in “The River Saga”.
.

Bram Stanway

Disappointed

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2022

Verified Purchase

Poorly written, very poor

See all reviews