Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsWorthy Tale But Not for the Faint of Heart
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 14, 2019
The Last Exodus by Paul Tassi
This is the start of a series: "The Earthborn Trilogy Book 1."
The basic story is classic sci/fi: an alien invasion (from space -- not Mexico!), a no-holds-barred war, and an exodus from earth by three human survivors aided by a friendly alien.
The cast of characters is small: Lucas and Asha, hardened twenty-something survivors, a child they call "Noah," and an alien creature named "Alpha." Oh - and an evil alien boss named "Omicron." Earth is destroyed and the pitiful survivors are doomed to die. Alpha offers to take them to a habitable planet in a distant solar system.
What I Liked:
The author is a good writer in that he has put together an interesting tale. The few characters are all believable. They have strengths and weaknesses and are continually adapting, growing, and learning. The dialogue is natural-sounding. There is a rather tasteful sex scene and a minimum of salty language. If this deserves an "R" rating it is for violence and not sex. The ending was well-handled. Clearly, there is more to be told in a following tale, yet the novel ends in a satisfying way. Editing, while not perfect, is well above average.
What I Did Not Like:
I suppose that this is my own fault. The book blurb was clear that Earth is doomed. I picked up the book knowing that. But when it became clear that Earth is REALLY doomed and that every living thing, including cockroaches, is going to die--well, I did not like that. Really. Did. Not. Like.
Yes, three people survive. But that is it. This is dystopian with a capital "D"!! I was actually surprised at the strength of my negative reaction. This book is dark. Very Dark.
I was not enchanted by Lucas and Asha, either. They seemed to have lost their humanity and spend a good part of the book killing the few human survivors without mercy. The only moral scruple they seem to have left is that they refuse to commit cannibalism. I warmed up to them very gradually.
Be aware, though, that nobility and selflessness do not kick in very much. Though there are signs of human kindness in the latter chapters, they were a long time in coming. What I am saying is that this book is much darker than the classic space opera from the golden age of sci/fi.
One reviewer pointed out several logical impossibilities. I can confirm that they are there, but they did not spoil the read.
Conclusion:
If you have the fortitude to endure a dark, dark, dystopian novel where good news is in short supply, then you might find this to your liking. I am not sorry that I read the book. But if I had understood how I was going to react I would have passed it by. It is a worthy tale, but not for the faint of heart.
