Jason M. Hough: The Exodus Towers

You will need to read the first book within this series The Darwin Elevator before this novel as it sets up everything from the characters to the plot. Plus it was a great read and an amazing debut novel as well.

In the second novel in his Dire Earth Cycle series, the Builders are coming, the time line is getting closer, how prepared are you for them to return:

They are slowly building the new colony in Brazil trying to fortify a life away from Darwin, but still trying to prevent the vast number of spies that Blackfield still seems to be sending their way and his overall goal is still to rule space and Earth at the same times. Blackfield is not the only thing they have to worry about, from sub-human attacks and a group of cult like immunes, it is one battle after another and everyone if looking to Skylar to solve the problems. The one thing that over shadows everything is the timeline, the builders are coming and no one has any idea of what they are going to bring this time.

This novel takes up shortly after the first novel the Darwin Elevator leaves off, they have created their own new colony and appear to prospering well on Earth, but not so much in space. I like that there was not too much of a time gap where things could have happened. There were so many big events in the first novel that lead the reader to hear that I did not want to miss a thing.

I'm a huge fan of Skylar, I like the way he thinks, act everything. He is a well rounded character that may stray a bit to the more adventurous/risky side of things, but that is how he gets things done. I actually think I prefer Skylar's character away from Tania and the colony. He is an explorer and adventure at heart and being tied down to one place where there really is no crisis is a waste of his abilities.I also like that he has the ability to think outside the box and knows that the towers need to be followed and explored to determine if they are going to be harmful to them.

This book easily could have been divided into two books if Hough would have decided to draw out the Gabriel encounter, but I am glad he did not. I think he addressed a topic that needed to be discussed, are there more immune out there other than the few that we know about. What happened to some people that were unable to make it to Darwin in time. with this I am happy that Hough decided to introduce some new characters to help Skylar out. While there are not chapters from their point of views, they are great secondary characters

I like that there are several points of view within the novel. You are able to see what is happening in Darwin, and the towers above as well as Belem and their towers. This gives an overall view point of what is happening in and above Earth and how everyone is fairing. I know some people do not like the different view points but I think it is one of my favorite things that Hough does within his novel.

For someone who does not tend to drift towards sci-fi novels, I found myself fully engrossed with this story and I think this mainly has to do with Skylar's character and Hugh's world building. I never actually feel like I am a reading a sci-fi novel more like a possible future for us. I recommend this series to those who love sci-fi and fantasy but also to those who are thinking of trying either of those genres, this series will surprise you as it keeps surprising me.

Enjoy!!!

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