#matthew mather

[the-bookmark]

Aeon Rising: The Apocalypse Begins

by Matthew Mather

A cosmic event catches the world unaware—or does it?  Are there those who knew about the event that would change life on Earth?  Why is the hypernova behaving so erratically?  Is the mysterious tech research settlement deep in the Amazon known as The Colony to blame for some of the strange occurrences?

I couldn't put this one down.  Mather creates complex characters and edge-of-your-seat action.  He takes known science, pushes it just a bit farther, and makes you believe in the possibilities he creates.

I  can hardly wait for the next book in this series!

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CyberWar

World War C #3

by Matthew Mather

CyberWar is the third installment of a series about the tech we all depend on in our daily lives, and what would happen if it were sabotaged and turned against us.

The destruction of hundreds of satellites orbiting the earth affects not only our cell phones and GPS tracking, but every country's military capabilities.  But who is responsible for the attack?  And who is responsible for launching swarms of tiny drones that are nearly impossible to evade and that are targeting top figures in the U.S. government?

Mather's action-packed book is chock full of realism because he's knowledgeable about his subject matter and has tapped into highly-placed authorities to fill in any blanks in his knowledge base.  However, the story was a little over-the-top for me.  My imagination simply cannot stretch enough to envision such events taking place.

But I could be wrong. . .

[the-bookmark]

Polar Vortex

by Matthew Mather

When Allied Flight 695 disappears without a trace during a flight from Hong Kong to New York over the North Pole and it becomes obvious that no one is coming to their rescue, the survivors must find a way to survive in the extreme Arctic cold and high winds.  Worse, when they realize the crash was no accident, no one is sure who to trust.

Writer Mitch Matthew is determined to protect his 5-year-old daughter, Lily, and make it home to his wife, no matter what it takes.  But how do you survive the Arctic winter with little food or water and no cold-weather gear? With GPS out, you're not even sure where you are or which direction to go, even if you were determined to try to walk to safety.

This is a story of dedication and love for family, and the determination to survive, no matter the odds.

This is an excellent book!

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Destiny

The New Earth Series Book 4

by Matthew Mather and Lucas Bale

Destiny is the final book in the New Earth [Nomad] series.  The first book was pretty good, but by book 3, the fact that Mather had taken on a coauthor was painfully evident.

This novel was tedious, the grammar was sloppy, and there were large gaps in the plot.  I never found out what happened to that Indian destroyer, because it disappeared into a large hole between one chapter and the next.  It was apparent no one had vetted the manuscript before it went into publication.

One reviewer wrote, 'The Heroine is an idiot. It's like watching a Train Wreck!'  I'm afraid I have to agree.  I was frankly puzzled by the plot—what there was of it.  I didn't understand the purpose of most of it, except to add to the word count.  For my money, the most interesting part of the book was the Mars First Mission subplot—and even parts of that didn't make sense.  

Reading this book was like slogging through mud.  I don't recommend it.

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Resistance

The New Earth Series Book 3

by Matthew Mather and Lucas Bale

In the third installment of the New Earth/Nomad series, Jessica and her friends have been rescued and are safely ensconced in Sanctuary Europe.  Jess relaxes her vigilance only to find that there are elements still hunting her and determined to destroy her, and so they must flee.  Again.

I find Jessica Rollins a problematic heroine.  Her sole claim to leadership is based on her military experience, of which she has precious little, since most of her stint was spent behind a desk after an IED destroyed her leg.  For someone who claims leadership of a group of talented people, she exemplifies little that would qualify her for that role in real life.  She is hot-tempered, volatile, and seldom pauses to consider the consequences of her actions.  I found her extremely annoying.

Despite that serious flaw, this book was much better than volume 2.  It is fast-paced and suspense-filled, with many interesting plot twists.

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Sanctuary

The New Earth Series Book 2

by Matthew Mather

I read Nomad, the first book in this series, a couple of years ago and found it to be an excellent novel, but I didn't recall enough details to be able to fully enjoy book two, so I chose to reread it before beginning the second volume.  I enjoyed it just as much the second time around.

The second book of the New Earth series begins eight days after the extinction-level event caused by the anomaly known as Nomad.

Jessica, Giovanni, and several others in their little group have survived the event by sheltering in ancient Etruscan caves in a mountaintop in Italy.  Jessica's father, eminent astrophysicist Dr. Ben Rollins, did not survive, but left her with a haunting clue about where she might find sanctuary.

I had a little trouble getting into this one.  Part of the problem was that I still felt bereft over the loss of Amaranthe and Sicarius (of the steampunk series The Emperor's Edge), but a greater problem was that the characters kept doing stupid things.  For example, important supplies are going missing, but instead of checking into it, Jess just ignores it; and though they don't fully trust Roger, they let him use the shortwave set, with which he has a chance to let his co-conspirators know their location.  Then, in an ill-conceived plan to trade food and fuel for the much-needed truck parts that have gone missing, she and Raffa drive into a suspect encampment, where they're promptly imprisoned.  I mean, come on!

This one just didn't measure up to the first volume.  I'm hoping the series improves, because I sprang for the other two books.

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CyberStorm

by Matthew Mather

First, the Internet is sluggish; then, the power goes out.  There are unconfirmed reports of an avian flu epidemic.  A major snowstorm is raging outside, paralyzing the city.  The little news that's available is full of conflicting reports of attacks.  The world is sliding into chaos.

As we follow a group of friends through the increasingly grim situation, I found myself becoming thoroughly involved in their plight—so much so that when I managed to pull myself away from the book, I was surprised to find only an inch of snow on the ground outside, because I'd just trudged with them through the waist-deep deposit left by the latest blizzard!

We've been warned by a number of experts that our power grid is dangerously at risk, yet nothing has been done.  CyberStorm is one more dire warning.  Mather paints a frightening picture of the situation we could be facing should our enemies attack our infrastructure by releasing viruses through the Internet.

The book is very well written and so realistic and plausible that it's frankly terrifying.  I could hardly pull myself away from it.

[soikka80]

Almost done reading this. Chilling…