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The Eden Trilogy #1
The Bane
Before the Evolution there was TorBane: technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter. It had the ability to grow new organs and limbs, to heal the world. Until it evolved out of control and spread like the common cold. The machine took over, the soul vanished, and the Bane were born. The Bane won't stop until every last person has been infected. With less than two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction.
Eve knows the stories of the Evolution, the time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. But she doesn't need memories to know this world is her reality. This is a world that is quickly losing its humanity, one Bane at a time.
Fighting to keep one of the last remaining human colonies alive, Eve finds herself torn between her dedication to the colony, and the discovery of love. There is Avian and West – one a soldier, one a keeper of secrets. And in the end, Eve will make a choice that will change the future of mankind.
The Bane is The Terminator meets The Walking Dead with a heart-twisting romance.
Previously published as Eden, due to reader demand it has been revamped and rereleased as The Bane: book one in The Eden Trilogy.
Eve knows the stories of the Evolution, the time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. But she doesn't need memories to know this world is her reality. This is a world that is quickly losing its humanity, one Bane at a time.
Fighting to keep one of the last remaining human colonies alive, Eve finds herself torn between her dedication to the colony, and the discovery of love. There is Avian and West – one a soldier, one a keeper of secrets. And in the end, Eve will make a choice that will change the future of mankind.
The Bane is The Terminator meets The Walking Dead with a heart-twisting romance.
Previously published as Eden, due to reader demand it has been revamped and rereleased as The Bane: book one in The Eden Trilogy.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2011
About the author
Keary Taylor
67 books2,049 followersKeary Taylor is the USA TODAY bestselling author of over twenty novels. She grew up along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where she started creating imaginary worlds and daring characters who always fell in love. She now splits her time between a tiny island in the Pacific Northwest and Utah, with her husband and their two children. She continues to have an overactive imagination that frequently keeps her up at night.
Please Note: Keary does not check Goodreads very often, so the best way to get in contact is directly through email: me@kearytaylor.com.
Please Note: Keary does not check Goodreads very often, so the best way to get in contact is directly through email: me@kearytaylor.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 575 reviews
February 20, 2012
2.5 stars
From Variety.com: ‘a dystopian thriller described as a cross between "The Hunger Games" and "The Terminator."’
O RLY?
I expect a little hyperbole in these blurbs, so I did read that with a grain of salt. However, I do feel that this book was a case of a good idea that was ultimately let down by its execution. While the opening piqued (more on this word later) my interest, I found it steadily waned as the plot progressed.
I’ll be intentionally vague in this review in the interests of keeping it spoiler free – though some of the twists are not all that difficult to predict – but if I had to boil it down I’d say that this book is attempting to say something about what it means to be human, to survive and to love. Emphasis on the love.
The story is ostensibly related from the viewpoint of Eve, an eighteen-year-old survivor of the Fall – in which cybernetic technology has spread like an infection and turned 98% of the population into killer robots. I phrase it that way because for a first person narrative, there are some weird jerks in the flow of the story, descriptions of things Eve can’t possibly see (the expression in her own eyes) and things she can’t possibly know (what’s running through someone else’s mind). Eve is living with a small enclave of humans named “Eden”, perpetually on the lookout and on the move from Hunters and their insatiable hunger to convert human flesh into wires and metallic parts via nanobots. (While this process is briefly explained near the beginning of the novel, I can’t say I ever fully grasped the logistics of it). The human race as we know it has all but fallen, cities emptied of people and overrun with single-minded robots.
Eve, who remembers nothing of her life before her arrival at Eden at around age thirteen, is dedicated to the protection of her community – an archetypal kick-ass heroine who can out-fight, out-run, out-work just about everyone. Resident twenty-five year old ‘doctor’ Avian may or may not be drawing closer to Eve. Enter mysterious stranger West. Cue love triangle. Roll drama.
I’m not opposed to love triangles when they’re well developed and interesting. And while this one worked to an extent, in that Taylor keeps her cards close to her chest and Eve’s ultimate decision is not blatantly obvious, it takes up a large part of this story and is, in a word, laboured. If you find love-triangle related angst unenjoyable to read – I can’t recommend this book to you as it will probably irritate you no end.
Eve pinballs from Avian to West, kissing one, wanting to kiss the other, wishing she hadn’t kissed the first, fighting with the other, attempting to ignore them both, more kissing, lamenting the difficulty of her decision, angsting over kissing someone she doesn’t trust and so on and so on, rinse and repeat.
Unfortunately, a by-product of all this back and forth and indecision is that the plot feels relegated to second place. As the focus zeroes in on Eve’s emotional growth (I use that term loosely) the book seems to get bogged down, and there’s a flaccid mid section that seems to serve only to create situations for Eve to alternatively kiss and fight with her love interests. Additionally, Eve herself becomes more and more frustrating a character. While there’s some explanation for this I find it hard to believe that Eve’s years of staunch loyalty, protectiveness and distrust of outsiders would evaporate so quickly, that she would knowingly put her community in danger, regardless of how attractive the guy is and how apparently overwhelming the desire to be near him.
Besides this, there were some flaws that were distracting – from typos (peaked instead of peeked, pealed instead of peeled), to larger inconsistencies in Eve’s knowledge and grasp of pre-Fall life, and questions around the device used by humans to check for the infection. (I can’t say much more on that point without spoiling, suffice to say that I don’t feel they were addressed adequately). I'll also bring up here the issue of the science, which I simply never bought. Sure, I'm no expert, but it felt flimsy to read. For example, the excepts from the notebook were incredibly dumbed down and difficult to take seriously as the record of highly complex experimentation.
The climax regains some of the lost momentum and becomes more action-oriented. It is a little jarringly out-of-nowhere and convenient (Oh, look! Here’s the answer we’ve been looking for!), but those less persnickety than me about that may find it sufficiently gripping. Taylor throws in the mother of all frustrating tropes – note: here lies a MAJOR SPOILER
I have been a little tough on this book – after all, for all my grievances with the overworked romance element – it’s an interesting, fun premise and I can see how it would lend itself to a Michael Bay type action movie, if you like that sort of thing.
However, I can’t help but feel let down by this book and the amount of potential that went unrealised. Less focus on the Eve’s romantic entanglements and a more convincing explanation of the world and human survival against the odds would have been welcome. For those who don’t mind a heavily romantic storyline, it does make for an entertaining way to pass a couple of hours.
From Variety.com: ‘a dystopian thriller described as a cross between "The Hunger Games" and "The Terminator."’
O RLY?
I expect a little hyperbole in these blurbs, so I did read that with a grain of salt. However, I do feel that this book was a case of a good idea that was ultimately let down by its execution. While the opening piqued (more on this word later) my interest, I found it steadily waned as the plot progressed.
I’ll be intentionally vague in this review in the interests of keeping it spoiler free – though some of the twists are not all that difficult to predict – but if I had to boil it down I’d say that this book is attempting to say something about what it means to be human, to survive and to love. Emphasis on the love.
The story is ostensibly related from the viewpoint of Eve, an eighteen-year-old survivor of the Fall – in which cybernetic technology has spread like an infection and turned 98% of the population into killer robots. I phrase it that way because for a first person narrative, there are some weird jerks in the flow of the story, descriptions of things Eve can’t possibly see (the expression in her own eyes) and things she can’t possibly know (what’s running through someone else’s mind). Eve is living with a small enclave of humans named “Eden”, perpetually on the lookout and on the move from Hunters and their insatiable hunger to convert human flesh into wires and metallic parts via nanobots. (While this process is briefly explained near the beginning of the novel, I can’t say I ever fully grasped the logistics of it). The human race as we know it has all but fallen, cities emptied of people and overrun with single-minded robots.
Eve, who remembers nothing of her life before her arrival at Eden at around age thirteen, is dedicated to the protection of her community – an archetypal kick-ass heroine who can out-fight, out-run, out-work just about everyone. Resident twenty-five year old ‘doctor’ Avian may or may not be drawing closer to Eve. Enter mysterious stranger West. Cue love triangle. Roll drama.
I’m not opposed to love triangles when they’re well developed and interesting. And while this one worked to an extent, in that Taylor keeps her cards close to her chest and Eve’s ultimate decision is not blatantly obvious, it takes up a large part of this story and is, in a word, laboured. If you find love-triangle related angst unenjoyable to read – I can’t recommend this book to you as it will probably irritate you no end.
Eve pinballs from Avian to West, kissing one, wanting to kiss the other, wishing she hadn’t kissed the first, fighting with the other, attempting to ignore them both, more kissing, lamenting the difficulty of her decision, angsting over kissing someone she doesn’t trust and so on and so on, rinse and repeat.
Unfortunately, a by-product of all this back and forth and indecision is that the plot feels relegated to second place. As the focus zeroes in on Eve’s emotional growth (I use that term loosely) the book seems to get bogged down, and there’s a flaccid mid section that seems to serve only to create situations for Eve to alternatively kiss and fight with her love interests. Additionally, Eve herself becomes more and more frustrating a character. While there’s some explanation for this I find it hard to believe that Eve’s years of staunch loyalty, protectiveness and distrust of outsiders would evaporate so quickly, that she would knowingly put her community in danger, regardless of how attractive the guy is and how apparently overwhelming the desire to be near him.
Besides this, there were some flaws that were distracting – from typos (peaked instead of peeked, pealed instead of peeled), to larger inconsistencies in Eve’s knowledge and grasp of pre-Fall life, and questions around the device used by humans to check for the infection. (I can’t say much more on that point without spoiling, suffice to say that I don’t feel they were addressed adequately). I'll also bring up here the issue of the science, which I simply never bought. Sure, I'm no expert, but it felt flimsy to read. For example, the excepts from the notebook were incredibly dumbed down and difficult to take seriously as the record of highly complex experimentation.
The climax regains some of the lost momentum and becomes more action-oriented. It is a little jarringly out-of-nowhere and convenient (Oh, look! Here’s the answer we’ve been looking for!), but those less persnickety than me about that may find it sufficiently gripping. Taylor throws in the mother of all frustrating tropes – note: here lies a MAJOR SPOILER
I have been a little tough on this book – after all, for all my grievances with the overworked romance element – it’s an interesting, fun premise and I can see how it would lend itself to a Michael Bay type action movie, if you like that sort of thing.
However, I can’t help but feel let down by this book and the amount of potential that went unrealised. Less focus on the Eve’s romantic entanglements and a more convincing explanation of the world and human survival against the odds would have been welcome. For those who don’t mind a heavily romantic storyline, it does make for an entertaining way to pass a couple of hours.
March 26, 2013
I originally read Eden when I was starting off as a reviewer. I rated it as 5 stars at the time, as it was definitely one of the stronger books I had read during that time period. Reading The Bane from Netgalley, it is a similar story but a different experience. Still enjoyable, but perhaps some of the surprise element is gone now that I've already read Eden.
What I liked: The protagonist, Eve, is incredible--strong, determined, and although part robot, achingly human (which she discovers throughout the book). And her odd connection to a newcomer, West, to their community was fascinating-- I have to admit, I'm not sure I would have made the same choice as she did! I loved the description of how they kept their gardens going while evading the cybernetic zombies that tear you up and turn you into one of them... except for Eve. Even though this is being reworked to be a trilogy, it was a complete story, which I appreciated the first time around, but has the background to become a bigger arc.
There are still a number of typos and grammatical errors-- this book could really use a good editor to help out.
Overall, I'm interested to see what Taylor has in store for her great protagonist!
What I liked: The protagonist, Eve, is incredible--strong, determined, and although part robot, achingly human (which she discovers throughout the book). And her odd connection to a newcomer, West, to their community was fascinating-- I have to admit, I'm not sure I would have made the same choice as she did! I loved the description of how they kept their gardens going while evading the cybernetic zombies that tear you up and turn you into one of them... except for Eve. Even though this is being reworked to be a trilogy, it was a complete story, which I appreciated the first time around, but has the background to become a bigger arc.
There are still a number of typos and grammatical errors-- this book could really use a good editor to help out.
Overall, I'm interested to see what Taylor has in store for her great protagonist!
October 3, 2021
Eve doesn't remember the time before the Fall. She showed up in Eden with the clothes on her back and has lived there since. The people of Eden were her family, yet she somehow always knew she was different from them. Eve was tougher than most and unemotional but couldn't quite figure out what it was that made her different…and then West showed up.
I liked the author's writing style and the development of the characters. Eve was pretty easy to like.
She did some stupid things when it came to West and Avian, but she was also trying to figure out her place in the world and why she felt different from everyone else. Throughout the story she had to deal with her newly developing emotions and feelings and she really didn't know how. She was a strong female lead and caring and loyal to her friends.
Avian and West were great characters as well. Avian was the strong, steady one who had always been there for Eve. West was the new guy who made her feel things she had never felt before and didn't understand. This story really should be labeled as romance. The whole book was about the love triangle between Eve, West, and Avian, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. There was no instant falling in love; it was a slow developing process that was weaved through the book. I really liked how the author was able to explain Eve's feelings for both West and Avian in such detail so that we got to understand her decisions throughout the story and had dialogue between them as well so they understood where they stood most of the time. A lot of times in stories the characters don't really communicate, and I hate that; people talk in real life, people should talk in books.
The apocalyptic world the author created was pretty unique. The world had basically been taken over by cybernetics gone crazy, turning people into killing machines. This book wasn't super fast paced but it was enough to keep you interested and wanting to keep reading.
I liked the author's writing style and the development of the characters. Eve was pretty easy to like.
She did some stupid things when it came to West and Avian, but she was also trying to figure out her place in the world and why she felt different from everyone else. Throughout the story she had to deal with her newly developing emotions and feelings and she really didn't know how. She was a strong female lead and caring and loyal to her friends.
Avian and West were great characters as well. Avian was the strong, steady one who had always been there for Eve. West was the new guy who made her feel things she had never felt before and didn't understand. This story really should be labeled as romance. The whole book was about the love triangle between Eve, West, and Avian, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. There was no instant falling in love; it was a slow developing process that was weaved through the book. I really liked how the author was able to explain Eve's feelings for both West and Avian in such detail so that we got to understand her decisions throughout the story and had dialogue between them as well so they understood where they stood most of the time. A lot of times in stories the characters don't really communicate, and I hate that; people talk in real life, people should talk in books.
The apocalyptic world the author created was pretty unique. The world had basically been taken over by cybernetics gone crazy, turning people into killing machines. This book wasn't super fast paced but it was enough to keep you interested and wanting to keep reading.
September 24, 2011
I'm sorry but bad, bad, baaaaad book. Way too much teen angst over "who should I choose?" -- the nice, safe boy? or the boy who makes my toes curl (and my genetically modified robot parts short out?)
Hmmmmm.... Do I care??? NO! Too much "telling" not enough "showing". Characters fall flat on the page, the tension is superficial, and the "dystopian" circumstances are a joke. Tepid, derivative teen romance packaged and sold as a futuristic dystopian drama. It is not.
Best thing about it is the cover. My advice: skip it and watch The Terminator movies.
Hmmmmm.... Do I care??? NO! Too much "telling" not enough "showing". Characters fall flat on the page, the tension is superficial, and the "dystopian" circumstances are a joke. Tepid, derivative teen romance packaged and sold as a futuristic dystopian drama. It is not.
Best thing about it is the cover. My advice: skip it and watch The Terminator movies.
February 1, 2012
Romance/Action-Adventure with the emphasis on romance. Can you say, "love triangle"? I'm not a fan of pure romance but thankfully there was a large portion of non-love-triangle plot which made the story bearable.
Good things first: The world Taylor created was well drawn and the story moved along nicely. It was engaging and intriguing and I never felt bored even though the characters rambled along for most of the book before I had any clue as to where the story was going. That didn't bother me though.
What bothered me was Eve. She seemed so human until she found out she was a robot. Then she started having some kind of identity crisis because all of a sudden she thought she had no feelings? She had them all along. I wouldn't have cared that she was ignorant but it felt contrived, and then it DRAGGED out the aforementioned triangle to EPIC proportions. And once she chooses, she's just like, "so... I know you can't hear me but, I'm out. Peace." Although maybe I should be grateful we're spared the awkwardness of that confrontation.
And then there was the writing. At first I thought it was just excessive typos. Then I thought, maybe it's supposed to be the main character's "voice"? But no, it's just bad writing.
E.g. "Then he shook West and I's hands as well" and "I extended a hand to the man who I had just broken his nose"
I'm not a grammar Nazi by any stretch of the imagination, but sentences like these really threw me off and made it harder to read, which is a huge pity - for obvious reasons.
In the end, I liked what another reviewer said: "Such a beautiful cover with such a brilliant blurb and let's face it - an aweomse potential storyline, if it had not been for the way it was massacred by the awful writing and flat characters." (Emphasis mine)
Good things first: The world Taylor created was well drawn and the story moved along nicely. It was engaging and intriguing and I never felt bored even though the characters rambled along for most of the book before I had any clue as to where the story was going. That didn't bother me though.
What bothered me was Eve. She seemed so human until she found out she was a robot. Then she started having some kind of identity crisis because all of a sudden she thought she had no feelings? She had them all along. I wouldn't have cared that she was ignorant but it felt contrived, and then it DRAGGED out the aforementioned triangle to EPIC proportions. And once she chooses, she's just like, "so... I know you can't hear me but, I'm out. Peace." Although maybe I should be grateful we're spared the awkwardness of that confrontation.
And then there was the writing. At first I thought it was just excessive typos. Then I thought, maybe it's supposed to be the main character's "voice"? But no, it's just bad writing.
E.g. "Then he shook West and I's hands as well" and "I extended a hand to the man who I had just broken his nose"
I'm not a grammar Nazi by any stretch of the imagination, but sentences like these really threw me off and made it harder to read, which is a huge pity - for obvious reasons.
In the end, I liked what another reviewer said: "Such a beautiful cover with such a brilliant blurb and let's face it - an aweomse potential storyline, if it had not been for the way it was massacred by the awful writing and flat characters." (Emphasis mine)
August 23, 2013
A version of this review also appears at: A Match Made in Heaven
This was great! It reminded me a lot of The Immortal Rules. I didnt like The Immortal Rules as much as most people. It was still good, but I prefer Eden. There was a band of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world. The main girl, Eve, is different from the rest of the survivors. They travel to a safe haven for humans, which was called Eden in The Immortal Rules. Although in this Eden is the name of their group, not their destination. And there is even a young guy in the group, West, who reminds me a lot of Zeke.
The main difference, besides this being about cyborgs instead of zombies and vampires, is that this has a love-triangle. An equilateral love-triangle. I have never seen such an equally matched love-triangle before. There were absolutely no hints to who Eve was going to choose for the whole book until I was 92% done. She never even leaned to one or the other. She was split 50/50 for the whole book up to 92%! After she had a particularly tender moment with Avian, I wondered if she was finally leaning towards one of them. But the next thing it says is, "That night I dreamed of West." And I was like, "OMG! This is hopeless!" It was ridiculous but enthralling!
I preferred one of the guys but I wasnt convinced he was necessarily best for her. So even though she didnt pick him her reasoning was good and I wasnt upset. I was actually pleased that this took a different route from most YA romances. It was extremely romantic either way, and after reading all her ridiculous helplessness in everything guy related for most of the book, I was so happy when she finally made a choice that I cried. I dont mean to sound negative when I call her ridiculous. I have never seen a love-triangle that was drawn out like this before, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. I was absolutely captivated! I couldn't put it down! I had to find out what would happen next. Who she would pick. It made the pay-off all the more exciting. And it even managed to make me happy even though she didnt pick the guy I liked better, because its about Eve, not me. But I don't get why some people were making a big deal out of the age difference between Eve and Avian. I didn't think it was that bad. Eve was 18, West was 19, and Avian was 25.
Anyways, no need to talk about the love-triangle for the whole review. I also really loved learning about the robots or cyborgs, and the infection, and Eve's history. It was all very interesting. And Eve was amazing. A seriously kick-ass heroine! I love that scene right after Eve had her epiphany. She found out that the guys went on a dangerous mission without her and she runs after them doing robot head shots. That would be an awesome scene to see on screen! And a movie is planned, which is very exciting.
Keary Taylor made this fake poster herself. I had seen it on her blog before I started the book and I pictured Gillian Zinser as Eve the whole book, and Wentworth Miller as Avian. Matt Lanter isnt really how I pictured West but he is not a bad choice. Since it is Keary Taylor's choice I have no right to complain. :P This will be an amazing movie! I cant wait!
I am pretty sure this is stand alone. There is no sign of any more books being planned. The story was mostly tied up. There were a few things we could have had more information on. Namely the fate of a particular character, and what the future of the world will hold. But over-all the ending tied up all the more immediate issues and I cant help but be excited for Eve's future, even though I dont get to see it.
You can see my review for The Bane here.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
This was great! It reminded me a lot of The Immortal Rules. I didnt like The Immortal Rules as much as most people. It was still good, but I prefer Eden. There was a band of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world. The main girl, Eve, is different from the rest of the survivors. They travel to a safe haven for humans, which was called Eden in The Immortal Rules. Although in this Eden is the name of their group, not their destination. And there is even a young guy in the group, West, who reminds me a lot of Zeke.
The main difference, besides this being about cyborgs instead of zombies and vampires, is that this has a love-triangle. An equilateral love-triangle. I have never seen such an equally matched love-triangle before. There were absolutely no hints to who Eve was going to choose for the whole book until I was 92% done. She never even leaned to one or the other. She was split 50/50 for the whole book up to 92%! After she had a particularly tender moment with Avian, I wondered if she was finally leaning towards one of them. But the next thing it says is, "That night I dreamed of West." And I was like, "OMG! This is hopeless!" It was ridiculous but enthralling!
I preferred one of the guys but I wasnt convinced he was necessarily best for her. So even though she didnt pick him her reasoning was good and I wasnt upset. I was actually pleased that this took a different route from most YA romances. It was extremely romantic either way, and after reading all her ridiculous helplessness in everything guy related for most of the book, I was so happy when she finally made a choice that I cried. I dont mean to sound negative when I call her ridiculous. I have never seen a love-triangle that was drawn out like this before, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. I was absolutely captivated! I couldn't put it down! I had to find out what would happen next. Who she would pick. It made the pay-off all the more exciting. And it even managed to make me happy even though she didnt pick the guy I liked better, because its about Eve, not me. But I don't get why some people were making a big deal out of the age difference between Eve and Avian. I didn't think it was that bad. Eve was 18, West was 19, and Avian was 25.
Anyways, no need to talk about the love-triangle for the whole review. I also really loved learning about the robots or cyborgs, and the infection, and Eve's history. It was all very interesting. And Eve was amazing. A seriously kick-ass heroine! I love that scene right after Eve had her epiphany. She found out that the guys went on a dangerous mission without her and she runs after them doing robot head shots. That would be an awesome scene to see on screen! And a movie is planned, which is very exciting.
Keary Taylor made this fake poster herself. I had seen it on her blog before I started the book and I pictured Gillian Zinser as Eve the whole book, and Wentworth Miller as Avian. Matt Lanter isnt really how I pictured West but he is not a bad choice. Since it is Keary Taylor's choice I have no right to complain. :P This will be an amazing movie! I cant wait!
I am pretty sure this is stand alone. There is no sign of any more books being planned. The story was mostly tied up. There were a few things we could have had more information on. Namely the fate of a particular character, and what the future of the world will hold. But over-all the ending tied up all the more immediate issues and I cant help but be excited for Eve's future, even though I dont get to see it.
You can see my review for The Bane here.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
August 6, 2022
At least it's self-contained.
July 10, 2013
Picking up Eden was a little unexpected for me. I was in the middle of reading another book, but when I stumbled across this one and randomly began to read the first page, I was sucked in and forced to finish the entire novel. Everything about the book entranced me- the cover, the premise, and the characters.
I am thrilled to say that I have found yet another original, captivating dysptopian story. The world as we know it has ceased to exist, leaving only a handful of survivors struggling to maintain their tiny society of Eden while hiding from their cybernetic enemies. While this novel does have many new elements, the plot is also reminiscent of post-apocalyptic books such as the Uglies series, The Hunger Games, and others. Personally, I was glad to find another extension of this type of story.
Eve is a very unique character. Toughened by her rough lifestyle and nearly unemotional since she can remember, Eve is one of Eden’s best fighters and leaders. I admired her extreme strength of mind and heart. Still, sometimes her blunt outlook on life and stubbornness rubbed me the wrong way. After a while, I learned to accept it as a part of her harsh personality.
The romantic aspect of the novel was probably my favorite part. Avian is Eve’s rock and the closest friend she’s ever had. He knows her like no one else does and accepts her, faults and all. West, however, awakens something inside of Eve. He turns her life upside down and makes her feels things she didn’t know she could. I don’t want to give too much away, but in the end I was extremely pleased with Eve’s choice.
Overall, I would definitely recommend Eden to anyone who is searching for a futuristic tale full of drama, romance, action, and emotion. I can’t tell you how glad I am that I happened upon this incredible book!
I am thrilled to say that I have found yet another original, captivating dysptopian story. The world as we know it has ceased to exist, leaving only a handful of survivors struggling to maintain their tiny society of Eden while hiding from their cybernetic enemies. While this novel does have many new elements, the plot is also reminiscent of post-apocalyptic books such as the Uglies series, The Hunger Games, and others. Personally, I was glad to find another extension of this type of story.
Eve is a very unique character. Toughened by her rough lifestyle and nearly unemotional since she can remember, Eve is one of Eden’s best fighters and leaders. I admired her extreme strength of mind and heart. Still, sometimes her blunt outlook on life and stubbornness rubbed me the wrong way. After a while, I learned to accept it as a part of her harsh personality.
The romantic aspect of the novel was probably my favorite part. Avian is Eve’s rock and the closest friend she’s ever had. He knows her like no one else does and accepts her, faults and all. West, however, awakens something inside of Eve. He turns her life upside down and makes her feels things she didn’t know she could. I don’t want to give too much away, but in the end I was extremely pleased with Eve’s choice.
Overall, I would definitely recommend Eden to anyone who is searching for a futuristic tale full of drama, romance, action, and emotion. I can’t tell you how glad I am that I happened upon this incredible book!
November 13, 2011
I was drawn to Eden because of the awesome cover and all of the rave reviews about it. Also, the story line was intriguing. I mean, who wouldn't love a teen read about a post-apocalyptic world overrun with techno zombies?!?!?!
However, I was sorely disappointed. The only way I finished was by skimming the last half of the book. Seriously, just read 1 sentence on each page after the first 20 pages and you can get the gist of the whole book.
The development of the character Eve was awful. She wasn't believable. Supposedly she didn't remember any of the old "normal" world and had no clue what a restroom or a hand shake was. However, she could tell what cars were high end and how to work a shower. There were so many other things wrong with Eve, I could go on for awhile.
The narration was also horrible. It was stilted and Taylor used much of the same vernacular over and over again, to the point of irritation. She needs to get out a thesaurus and figure out different words for chuckled and heat and frozen. Also, the fact that the Fallen had taken over the world in just a few days and yet couldn't find a large group of people who didn't move more than a few miles from one particular spot isn't very believable. And the Fallen were able to handle weapons like tasers and drive Hummers yet couldn't tell when the humans had Eve plug a rather large cord into a power plant, even though there were dozens she had to fight off to do it. So are they really stupid techno zombies or are they a newer, smarter race who are going to control the world? Make up your mind!
In short, there are so many other dystopic teen books out there that are a much better read. Pick up one of those instead.
However, I was sorely disappointed. The only way I finished was by skimming the last half of the book. Seriously, just read 1 sentence on each page after the first 20 pages and you can get the gist of the whole book.
The development of the character Eve was awful. She wasn't believable. Supposedly she didn't remember any of the old "normal" world and had no clue what a restroom or a hand shake was. However, she could tell what cars were high end and how to work a shower. There were so many other things wrong with Eve, I could go on for awhile.
The narration was also horrible. It was stilted and Taylor used much of the same vernacular over and over again, to the point of irritation. She needs to get out a thesaurus and figure out different words for chuckled and heat and frozen. Also, the fact that the Fallen had taken over the world in just a few days and yet couldn't find a large group of people who didn't move more than a few miles from one particular spot isn't very believable. And the Fallen were able to handle weapons like tasers and drive Hummers yet couldn't tell when the humans had Eve plug a rather large cord into a power plant, even though there were dozens she had to fight off to do it. So are they really stupid techno zombies or are they a newer, smarter race who are going to control the world? Make up your mind!
In short, there are so many other dystopic teen books out there that are a much better read. Pick up one of those instead.
August 29, 2013
Initial reaction: Not a bad start for Keary Taylor's Eden Trilogy. I think "The Bane" was well worth reading as a dystopian narrative, but I had issues with it for the amounts of infodumping and predictability of certain measures without vetting some of the character and emotional qualities of the story. It didn't quite hit me entirely with emotional investment, though I was propelled through the narrative to figure what happened next. Hard to say where this trilogy will go, but I think I'd like to be there for the journey.
Full review:
Keary Taylor's "The Bane" is part YA dystopic, part sci-fi tech thriller, part romance - a juggle of many aspects that I did expect quite a bit from. It has an interesting premise to match. Eve, a (reportedly) 17-18 year old girl lives within a colony known as Eden - migrating survivors of humanity fighting against tech mutated monsters called the Bane. The Bane formed from experiments gone horribly wrong - lending to an infection that has spread amongst the population into violent monsters. Eve doesn't have any memories prior to living among the survivors who lost their homes and lives with the destruction caused by the Bane, but her respective skills make her a valuable asset. She's definitely a character who seems like she can do anything and everything for her team, running on little sleep and an expert hunter. There's more to this than meets the eye, however, and I'll admit I saw it coming before the events hit.
As the story progresses, Eve finds herself torn between the affections of two boys (I know, I know, bear with me - I'll address this shortly) and competing realities that face her group. Between sickness and scarce supplies, between a past that she doesn't know and subsequently learns in progression, and between fending off the Bane - Eve has a lot on her plate. I'll admit that the story kept me reading and invested in the characters' journeys despite parts of the heavy infodumping narrative, where it set the tone and expansion upon the world. Eve herself is a protagonist worth following, though I'll admit for the development of the cast and emotional backing for the events in this story - it seemed very bare bones, underdeveloped even. I expected some of the parts of the story to hit me a little harder than they did - but the way the story presents them doesn't give them due weight/impact, not as much as they could've had.
The survival/action sequences in this novel were decent, and those aspects definitely propelled me through the narrative. The love triangle (between Eve, West and Avian) wasn't as annoying or forced as other YA dystopian stories I've come across. I liked the characters, but I still thought something was missing from their respective construction to make them more dimensional. I really was surprised at whom Eve chose in the end, but I felt like it was odd considering what happens to one of the characters shortly after that point.
Even with a cliched ending and predictable turns, I still found things to like in "The Bane" - and I'll certainly look into the next part of this series to see where Taylor takes it.
Overall score: 3/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, self published by the author.
Full review:
Keary Taylor's "The Bane" is part YA dystopic, part sci-fi tech thriller, part romance - a juggle of many aspects that I did expect quite a bit from. It has an interesting premise to match. Eve, a (reportedly) 17-18 year old girl lives within a colony known as Eden - migrating survivors of humanity fighting against tech mutated monsters called the Bane. The Bane formed from experiments gone horribly wrong - lending to an infection that has spread amongst the population into violent monsters. Eve doesn't have any memories prior to living among the survivors who lost their homes and lives with the destruction caused by the Bane, but her respective skills make her a valuable asset. She's definitely a character who seems like she can do anything and everything for her team, running on little sleep and an expert hunter. There's more to this than meets the eye, however, and I'll admit I saw it coming before the events hit.
As the story progresses, Eve finds herself torn between the affections of two boys (I know, I know, bear with me - I'll address this shortly) and competing realities that face her group. Between sickness and scarce supplies, between a past that she doesn't know and subsequently learns in progression, and between fending off the Bane - Eve has a lot on her plate. I'll admit that the story kept me reading and invested in the characters' journeys despite parts of the heavy infodumping narrative, where it set the tone and expansion upon the world. Eve herself is a protagonist worth following, though I'll admit for the development of the cast and emotional backing for the events in this story - it seemed very bare bones, underdeveloped even. I expected some of the parts of the story to hit me a little harder than they did - but the way the story presents them doesn't give them due weight/impact, not as much as they could've had.
The survival/action sequences in this novel were decent, and those aspects definitely propelled me through the narrative. The love triangle (between Eve, West and Avian) wasn't as annoying or forced as other YA dystopian stories I've come across. I liked the characters, but I still thought something was missing from their respective construction to make them more dimensional. I really was surprised at whom Eve chose in the end, but I felt like it was odd considering what happens to one of the characters shortly after that point.
Even with a cliched ending and predictable turns, I still found things to like in "The Bane" - and I'll certainly look into the next part of this series to see where Taylor takes it.
Overall score: 3/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, self published by the author.
June 21, 2011
I LOVED this book. Although (without spoilers), I would have preferred if Eve had ended up with the other possibility! I thought it was very well written, delved into some difficult topics, (lifeboat scenarios-all over the place), sacrifice, morality, ethics, etc. I can't believe that a traditional publisher did not snap this up, but boy am I glad I was able to get it for the bargain price of .99. It was so good that I immediately bought all of her other books, although they are not dystopians. I am enjoying them as well, so I would have to say I like her overall writing style. There are a few typos and grammatical errors in the book, but nothing horrid.
July 28, 2011
COVER ART: B
ORIGINALITY: D
EXCITEMENT: D
WRITING/DELIVERY: C
OVERALL SCORE: D
RECOMMEND: People who enjoy dystopian novels that aren't as picky about details as I seem to be.
OK, I really wanted to love this book. I liked how Eve's character had a Katniss-like survival instinct at first, but then I realized she was part machine and it was programmed into her and not natural.
I really liked Avian, he was my favorite character. I found myself really caring how he felt and what happened to him. The others I didn't care about at all. Especially Eve. I never connected with her on any personal level. I realize she was experimented on and has no recollection of her past and her emotions were blocked; however I always saw her more of a robot than a person. I didn't think of her as a person even when she began having feelings for the guys. Speaking of that, I got tired of hearing the same arguments over and over and over. OK Eve: We get it. Avian makes you feel safe at home and West makes you feel passionate and alive. The author made sure to beat that same sentence into your head a million times. Oh and so freaking what if he is seven years older than Eve. She is 18, that makes him 25? Really? Who cares about seven years when humanity is on the brink of extinction??!!!
Also the word "chuckled." I wish I had the patience to go back and count how many times the author used that word in the book. Seriously, for me to have noticed it she had to have used it twenty times. Someone get the woman a thesaurus!!
I absolutely HATED that the author used the word "infected" to describe those touched by the machines. Infection implies a biological disease in my mind,transmitted by saliva, blood or other human body fluids. I never would choose to use it in this sense. Also the way the people are "infected" bugged me. Really? The machine just has to touch you? Brush past your skin and you turn into a freaking machine?! At least it would have been more interesting to read that they had to insert a syringe or something into you to transmit the "infection." I was thinking all Matrix-y like with the portals in the backs of their necks or something...but no that was too much work I guess. It's easier and much less to explain if we just let them touch people...
That's another thing: the predators in this book are machines. Yes, machines. Not made of living material, not weakened by hunger, thirst or sickness. They are basically unstoppable as in they can go on and on without ever needing to sleep. But yet these group of 20-30 people have been eluding them all this time? Building mini-villages and whole gardens to maturity before moving. Why can't the machines move about in the night time? Don't they have helicopters...with lights...and unlimited other means of transportation...
How did Eve not know what an elevator or many other things were, but yet she made the statement about her fist being "shoved into a beehive" and she knew exactly what a shower was for in the abandoned house in the woods. I guess showers and beehives are abundant in Eden...? Those are just the examples that come to mind, there were other "eggs" I noticed in the book that didn't add up.
OK one last thing and I'll shut up because I know I've been harsh on this one. I was looking forward to this awesome ending where West lives and eventually finds a way to perfect his father's research safely but yeah. That didn't happen. Eve just kind of forgot about him and danced off with Avian in the sunset. Did I mention that he was in a coma and possibly dying when she decided to tell him she didn't want to be with him?
I was also looking forward to finding out he was "Adam" to our "Eve" in this story, but no. There was no awesome twist ending. The author just chose the name Eve because it sounded good with Eden I guess.
This book could have been great. More originality would have worked instead of watching one too many cheesy sci-fi channel rip offs. Instead I was greatly disappointed.
To Stacy: Thank you for letting me borrow this book. I wish I would have liked it so we could talk about it over the phone and get all excited like we did about some of the other books we both loved. Apparently I am a minority though as this book has pretty good ratings.
ORIGINALITY: D
EXCITEMENT: D
WRITING/DELIVERY: C
OVERALL SCORE: D
RECOMMEND: People who enjoy dystopian novels that aren't as picky about details as I seem to be.
OK, I really wanted to love this book. I liked how Eve's character had a Katniss-like survival instinct at first, but then I realized she was part machine and it was programmed into her and not natural.
I really liked Avian, he was my favorite character. I found myself really caring how he felt and what happened to him. The others I didn't care about at all. Especially Eve. I never connected with her on any personal level. I realize she was experimented on and has no recollection of her past and her emotions were blocked; however I always saw her more of a robot than a person. I didn't think of her as a person even when she began having feelings for the guys. Speaking of that, I got tired of hearing the same arguments over and over and over. OK Eve: We get it. Avian makes you feel safe at home and West makes you feel passionate and alive. The author made sure to beat that same sentence into your head a million times. Oh and so freaking what if he is seven years older than Eve. She is 18, that makes him 25? Really? Who cares about seven years when humanity is on the brink of extinction??!!!
Also the word "chuckled." I wish I had the patience to go back and count how many times the author used that word in the book. Seriously, for me to have noticed it she had to have used it twenty times. Someone get the woman a thesaurus!!
I absolutely HATED that the author used the word "infected" to describe those touched by the machines. Infection implies a biological disease in my mind,transmitted by saliva, blood or other human body fluids. I never would choose to use it in this sense. Also the way the people are "infected" bugged me. Really? The machine just has to touch you? Brush past your skin and you turn into a freaking machine?! At least it would have been more interesting to read that they had to insert a syringe or something into you to transmit the "infection." I was thinking all Matrix-y like with the portals in the backs of their necks or something...but no that was too much work I guess. It's easier and much less to explain if we just let them touch people...
That's another thing: the predators in this book are machines. Yes, machines. Not made of living material, not weakened by hunger, thirst or sickness. They are basically unstoppable as in they can go on and on without ever needing to sleep. But yet these group of 20-30 people have been eluding them all this time? Building mini-villages and whole gardens to maturity before moving. Why can't the machines move about in the night time? Don't they have helicopters...with lights...and unlimited other means of transportation...
How did Eve not know what an elevator or many other things were, but yet she made the statement about her fist being "shoved into a beehive" and she knew exactly what a shower was for in the abandoned house in the woods. I guess showers and beehives are abundant in Eden...? Those are just the examples that come to mind, there were other "eggs" I noticed in the book that didn't add up.
OK one last thing and I'll shut up because I know I've been harsh on this one. I was looking forward to this awesome ending where West lives and eventually finds a way to perfect his father's research safely but yeah. That didn't happen. Eve just kind of forgot about him and danced off with Avian in the sunset. Did I mention that he was in a coma and possibly dying when she decided to tell him she didn't want to be with him?
I was also looking forward to finding out he was "Adam" to our "Eve" in this story, but no. There was no awesome twist ending. The author just chose the name Eve because it sounded good with Eden I guess.
This book could have been great. More originality would have worked instead of watching one too many cheesy sci-fi channel rip offs. Instead I was greatly disappointed.
To Stacy: Thank you for letting me borrow this book. I wish I would have liked it so we could talk about it over the phone and get all excited like we did about some of the other books we both loved. Apparently I am a minority though as this book has pretty good ratings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2011
Erm...well...that was creepy. And not the good kind of bone-chilling, horror story creepy. You know what I'm talking about. When Eve is waiting for the DNA results to see if West--one of the two guys she's been hot for and making out with--is her brother, and she says that she's still not sure how she feels, still unsure which she should choose in this annoying ass "love triangle."
Sorry for the run on sentences, but seriously? If there was even an ounce of suspicion that you were related to the guy that you might be with romantically, you say "HELL TO THE NO!!" and run. Sure, it'll be awkward seeing your ex at family reunions, but your kids come out with 10 fingers, 10 toes, and an IQ higher 10.
But no, not Eve. West still gets to be in the running for Eve's heart. And THANK GOD he's NOT her brother, otherwise I would've thrown my kindle.
Other things I'm thankful to God for:
Ugh, there's so many things in this book that I hate that I don't even have the energy to type it all. If you want to know what's wrong with it, go ahead. Read it yourself. It's a ridiculously long book that's a lame combination of Robopocalypse, any zombie/infection story, and Maury.
Note: When it's the end of the world and you like someone, but he's seven/eight years older than you, go for it. Don't spend half of a book unsure on whether or not to pick him because of the age difference. It's annoying. ANNOYING.
.
.
.
My exact thoughts during the DNA results^
God bless Maury Povich.
Sorry for the run on sentences, but seriously? If there was even an ounce of suspicion that you were related to the guy that you might be with romantically, you say "HELL TO THE NO!!" and run. Sure, it'll be awkward seeing your ex at family reunions, but your kids come out with 10 fingers, 10 toes, and an IQ higher 10.
But no, not Eve. West still gets to be in the running for Eve's heart. And THANK GOD he's NOT her brother, otherwise I would've thrown my kindle.
Other things I'm thankful to God for:
1)This e-book was on sale. I would've busted into Amazon headquarters like the KoolAid Man and broke some legs if I paid full price for this crap.
2)Experience with a dyslexic sister. Keary Taylor had so many spelling and grammar mistakes that it's not even funny to make a dyslexia joke here.
Ugh, there's so many things in this book that I hate that I don't even have the energy to type it all. If you want to know what's wrong with it, go ahead. Read it yourself. It's a ridiculously long book that's a lame combination of Robopocalypse, any zombie/infection story, and Maury.
Note: When it's the end of the world and you like someone, but he's seven/eight years older than you, go for it. Don't spend half of a book unsure on whether or not to pick him because of the age difference. It's annoying. ANNOYING.
.
.
.
"When it comes to 18 year old Eve, West, you are NOT the brother."
My exact thoughts during the DNA results^
God bless Maury Povich.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2011
The only reason I gave it four stars (I'm actually giving it 4.75 stars without rounding up) is because I'm SOOO mad at the way it ended. I really am. Oh Keary Taylor, why did you have to do that to me?
Ok, setting that issue aside, I LOVED this book. The book had bits and pieces of other novels I've read like Tankborn (which I read the ARC for), Hunger Games and a few other dystopia books, even a little bit of Mortal Instruments. But the story kept me intrigued the whole time as I flipped through the pages.
I love strong heroines like Eve, and I really admire her for the sacrifices she made for everyone else. A lot of times, those characters come across very sappy or depressing, but with her, it's very admirable.
I really sympathized as she found out the truth about who she was and as she struggled to figure out whether she wants to be with Avian or West. But I just hated how everything turned out - the last battle, how she chose one person, what happens to the other person and how cold she was saying goodbye. Can you tell how mad I am about that?
LOL, all in all, I really enjoyed it and think it's a MUST READ for all dystopia fans.
Ok, setting that issue aside, I LOVED this book. The book had bits and pieces of other novels I've read like Tankborn (which I read the ARC for), Hunger Games and a few other dystopia books, even a little bit of Mortal Instruments. But the story kept me intrigued the whole time as I flipped through the pages.
I love strong heroines like Eve, and I really admire her for the sacrifices she made for everyone else. A lot of times, those characters come across very sappy or depressing, but with her, it's very admirable.
I really sympathized as she found out the truth about who she was and as she struggled to figure out whether she wants to be with Avian or West. But I just hated how everything turned out - the last battle, how she chose one person, what happens to the other person and how cold she was saying goodbye. Can you tell how mad I am about that?
LOL, all in all, I really enjoyed it and think it's a MUST READ for all dystopia fans.
January 6, 2012
I am a tomboy.
Ok, that is a bit of an understatement. Let me correct that.
I am a horror obsessed, robot zombie junkie 14 year old boy stuck inside of a 30 year old housewife’s body.
Yeah, that’s a little better.
Anyways…because I am a tomboy I sometimes appreciate things WAY outside of the girly zone. Like ACTION. (stay with me…I have a point) That’s not to say I don’t appreciate a good love story (I do have those stubborn girly parts and like to peruse the Internet for steamy pictures of Ben Bass…hmm…that might have come out wrong, forget I said that) but I find that I get more excited by gun toting bad-asses like Alexis Stanton or Laura Croft than I do by Nicholas Sparks’ destitute (and always chronically ill) lovelorn beauties.
Why does this matter?
Well…it doesn’t really, (if I’m being completely honest…meaningless bullshit is kind of my forte) but I thought it couldn’t hurt to point out my opposing perceptions.
Why? (again)
Because “Eden” by Keary Taylor is the first book, (in a very long time,) that successfully ended the gender confusion death match that my brain has been hosting for years. (aka loads of action with a healthy dose of “Does he love me?!)
“Eve knew the stories of the Fall, of a time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. She’s seen the aftermath of the technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter, able to grow new organs and limbs, how it evolved out of control. The machine took over and the soul vanished. A world quickly losing its humanity isn’t just a story to her though. At eighteen, this world is Eve’s reality. In their Fallen world, love feels like a selfish luxury, but not understanding what it is makes it difficult to choose between West, who makes her feel alive but keeps too many secrets, and Avian, who has always been there for her, but is seven years her senior. The technology wants to spread and it won’t stop until there is no new flesh to assimilate. With only two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction. While fighting to keep Eden alive, Eve will discover that being human is about what you will do for those you love, not what your insides may be made of. And even if it gets you killed, love is always what separates them from the Fallen.”
Ok, first off…this is NOT a dystopian novel. (Several people are spouting this on Amazon, so I just wanted to clear that up.) This is a post-apocalyptic novel. That’s right…end of the world, lets “rebuild society” not lets “uptopian-ize” and then over-throw the government. If you need a better reference think: “Terminator” meets “The Village” meets “Resident Evil” (you are totally confused now aren’t you?)
I know…the concept sounds a little confusing, but let me assure you that it works. Why? Because it has EVERYTHING.
Want gun fights and mysterious men than show up in the middle of the night trying to steal food? Got it.
Want man eating robots? Got that too.
Want a very confused girl who suddenly has to pick between her mentor and the aforementioned mysterious man? Coming right up.
BUT that’s not all (cue cheesy infomercial music) you can also thank Taylor for her uncanny ability to stage a robot battle royal, complicated illnesses, death, black-outs, fires, and create not 1 but 3 very oogie (if I do say so myself) scientist. (Told you it had everything.)
So was it good? (Because let’s face it…that’s all you really give a rats ass about anyways.) Yes…it was AWESOME. So much so that I talked about it non-stop for more than a week and emailed SEVERAL of my friends and told them to purchase it IMMEDIATLY.
In short, the plot was amazing, the development of the characters (and the trials they were forced to overcome due to their very unfortunate circumstances) was spot on, and the ending was Fan-freaking-tastic. (God I’m turning into one of those people that can’t think of interesting adjectives.)
Plain English: I loved it! (and for a very cheap $.99 I can (almost…I’m not an idiot) guarantee that you will love it too.)
Snag this one people, it’s a ride worth taking.
Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Robots need love too.
Ok, that is a bit of an understatement. Let me correct that.
I am a horror obsessed, robot zombie junkie 14 year old boy stuck inside of a 30 year old housewife’s body.
Yeah, that’s a little better.
Anyways…because I am a tomboy I sometimes appreciate things WAY outside of the girly zone. Like ACTION. (stay with me…I have a point) That’s not to say I don’t appreciate a good love story (I do have those stubborn girly parts and like to peruse the Internet for steamy pictures of Ben Bass…hmm…that might have come out wrong, forget I said that) but I find that I get more excited by gun toting bad-asses like Alexis Stanton or Laura Croft than I do by Nicholas Sparks’ destitute (and always chronically ill) lovelorn beauties.
Why does this matter?
Well…it doesn’t really, (if I’m being completely honest…meaningless bullshit is kind of my forte) but I thought it couldn’t hurt to point out my opposing perceptions.
Why? (again)
Because “Eden” by Keary Taylor is the first book, (in a very long time,) that successfully ended the gender confusion death match that my brain has been hosting for years. (aka loads of action with a healthy dose of “Does he love me?!)
“Eve knew the stories of the Fall, of a time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. She’s seen the aftermath of the technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter, able to grow new organs and limbs, how it evolved out of control. The machine took over and the soul vanished. A world quickly losing its humanity isn’t just a story to her though. At eighteen, this world is Eve’s reality. In their Fallen world, love feels like a selfish luxury, but not understanding what it is makes it difficult to choose between West, who makes her feel alive but keeps too many secrets, and Avian, who has always been there for her, but is seven years her senior. The technology wants to spread and it won’t stop until there is no new flesh to assimilate. With only two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction. While fighting to keep Eden alive, Eve will discover that being human is about what you will do for those you love, not what your insides may be made of. And even if it gets you killed, love is always what separates them from the Fallen.”
Ok, first off…this is NOT a dystopian novel. (Several people are spouting this on Amazon, so I just wanted to clear that up.) This is a post-apocalyptic novel. That’s right…end of the world, lets “rebuild society” not lets “uptopian-ize” and then over-throw the government. If you need a better reference think: “Terminator” meets “The Village” meets “Resident Evil” (you are totally confused now aren’t you?)
I know…the concept sounds a little confusing, but let me assure you that it works. Why? Because it has EVERYTHING.
Want gun fights and mysterious men than show up in the middle of the night trying to steal food? Got it.
Want man eating robots? Got that too.
Want a very confused girl who suddenly has to pick between her mentor and the aforementioned mysterious man? Coming right up.
BUT that’s not all (cue cheesy infomercial music) you can also thank Taylor for her uncanny ability to stage a robot battle royal, complicated illnesses, death, black-outs, fires, and create not 1 but 3 very oogie (if I do say so myself) scientist. (Told you it had everything.)
So was it good? (Because let’s face it…that’s all you really give a rats ass about anyways.) Yes…it was AWESOME. So much so that I talked about it non-stop for more than a week and emailed SEVERAL of my friends and told them to purchase it IMMEDIATLY.
In short, the plot was amazing, the development of the characters (and the trials they were forced to overcome due to their very unfortunate circumstances) was spot on, and the ending was Fan-freaking-tastic. (God I’m turning into one of those people that can’t think of interesting adjectives.)
Plain English: I loved it! (and for a very cheap $.99 I can (almost…I’m not an idiot) guarantee that you will love it too.)
Snag this one people, it’s a ride worth taking.
Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Robots need love too.
June 24, 2011
I have many criticisms of this book but I find writing this difficult because I don’t want this entire review to come off completely negative but I feel like it probably will. Never heard of this author before but I was willing to give it a try based on a promising description and a good price (can’t beat .99). I liked that she started off the book with a bit of action and I felt like the book moved along at a good clip for the most part, keeping my attention. Even though there were things that were niggling at me in annoying ways pretty much from the start, I still found that I couldn’t put the book down. Or if I did put it down, I found myself wondering what was going to happen next. All signs of a good book, right? Right. But then there were the things that annoyed me.
For instance, the main character. It’s not that I didn’t like her because I did. I always love an ass kicking lead but I felt like her character was very poorly developed. She's this tough, bad ass chick who can't remember anything before the world went to shit and people started living in tents in the woods. She doesn't know what a prom is, the meaning of the word “restroom” and she's never worn a dress. She's used to hunting, gathering, and protecting, not socializing like a normal teenager. But then there will be parts when she mentions how if things were back like they used to be, they would have been having this meeting in an air conditioned building and yada yada yada. And I'm like hold the phone – I thought you didn't remember anything before you woke up in the woods. She explains some of it away with explanations about other characters telling her about how the world used to be, but not all of it, and I just wasn’t buying it after a certain point.
There is also all of this shtick about her developing emotions because she's supposed to be kind of cold and void but she didn't come across that way to me at all. To me, she simply came off as a realistic survivalist, not a robot. A robot doesn’t spend every waking breath trying to protect a group of people that she barely knows, vowing to defend them to her last dying breath. It was a bit of overkill with her going on and on about how she doesn’t know the meaning of love or what it feels like even though she got the hots for two different guys and a best friend who is like a big sister to her (though frankly, the pseudo-sister character felt a little like an afterthought). I felt like either the author needed to make her come across as more robotic or she needed to just drop that whole area of the storyline. Frankly, the book would have been fine without it.
The love triangle was engaging but truth be told, I’m just a sucker for a love triangle. I think a majority of what kept me reading was wondering who she would pick though after a certain point, I was pretty sure who the lucky guy would be.
My final criticism (and I promise I’ll stop after this) was in Taylor’s chief antagonist (i.e. the robots). So the robots/hunters are smart enough to fly a helicopter and their smart enough to devise a plan to take out a very important part of the human’s survival efforts, but they aren’t smart enough in a five year period to find this fairly largish group of people with their giant tents set-up in the woods who (even though the shift around a bit) don’t move very far from water sources and/or the acres of garden that they have been painstakingly cultivating for years? Uh yeah, I wasn’t buying that either. And while some robots hunt, others just stand around in buildings waiting for…nothing. You can walk by them and nothing happens while others are actively hunting people down????
Moral of the story, I just felt like the author should have been paying more attention to continuity because some of that stuff just kept slapping me in the face and distracting me from the more enjoyable parts of the story. Or maybe I’m just asking too much from my .99 book. It could be that too.
For instance, the main character. It’s not that I didn’t like her because I did. I always love an ass kicking lead but I felt like her character was very poorly developed. She's this tough, bad ass chick who can't remember anything before the world went to shit and people started living in tents in the woods. She doesn't know what a prom is, the meaning of the word “restroom” and she's never worn a dress. She's used to hunting, gathering, and protecting, not socializing like a normal teenager. But then there will be parts when she mentions how if things were back like they used to be, they would have been having this meeting in an air conditioned building and yada yada yada. And I'm like hold the phone – I thought you didn't remember anything before you woke up in the woods. She explains some of it away with explanations about other characters telling her about how the world used to be, but not all of it, and I just wasn’t buying it after a certain point.
There is also all of this shtick about her developing emotions because she's supposed to be kind of cold and void but she didn't come across that way to me at all. To me, she simply came off as a realistic survivalist, not a robot. A robot doesn’t spend every waking breath trying to protect a group of people that she barely knows, vowing to defend them to her last dying breath. It was a bit of overkill with her going on and on about how she doesn’t know the meaning of love or what it feels like even though she got the hots for two different guys and a best friend who is like a big sister to her (though frankly, the pseudo-sister character felt a little like an afterthought). I felt like either the author needed to make her come across as more robotic or she needed to just drop that whole area of the storyline. Frankly, the book would have been fine without it.
The love triangle was engaging but truth be told, I’m just a sucker for a love triangle. I think a majority of what kept me reading was wondering who she would pick though after a certain point, I was pretty sure who the lucky guy would be.
My final criticism (and I promise I’ll stop after this) was in Taylor’s chief antagonist (i.e. the robots). So the robots/hunters are smart enough to fly a helicopter and their smart enough to devise a plan to take out a very important part of the human’s survival efforts, but they aren’t smart enough in a five year period to find this fairly largish group of people with their giant tents set-up in the woods who (even though the shift around a bit) don’t move very far from water sources and/or the acres of garden that they have been painstakingly cultivating for years? Uh yeah, I wasn’t buying that either. And while some robots hunt, others just stand around in buildings waiting for…nothing. You can walk by them and nothing happens while others are actively hunting people down????
Moral of the story, I just felt like the author should have been paying more attention to continuity because some of that stuff just kept slapping me in the face and distracting me from the more enjoyable parts of the story. Or maybe I’m just asking too much from my .99 book. It could be that too.
June 30, 2011
I know a book has been a great one for me when I’ve become so fully immersed in the world created that I feel somewhat disorientated when I’m reluctantly pulled back into the real world when the story comes to its inevitable end.
Keary Taylor’s Eden is one such book for me.
I picked it up hoping to get an hour of reading in before I started working and before I knew it hours had flown by and I hadn’t gotten around to my own work. Oops.
Eden isn’t just a great indie novel, Eden is a great novel full stop.
Taylor pulls us into her post-apocalyptic world with easy, addictive prose, an intriguing and complex narrator and heroine, Eve, and a stark, disquieting landscape where out of control technology has become a virus, and a threat to the survival of the human race.
The character development is well thought out and authentic. Not only did I love getting to know Eve as she got to know herself, but this is one of those books where the love triangle is incredibly well-written, with no clear answer – although, note that I was extremely happy with the ending :-)
From the moment the book takes off I liked Eve. Even though she couldn’t feel the true depth of emotion, she was still a take charge, powerful heroine who put the lives of others before her own. The story only grew more fantastic as Eve tapped into her emotions and unravelled the mystery of who she is. She really develops into a brilliant character; a character you actually feel real emotion for, and one that I never found myself being frustrated around because her conflict was so clear and true.
Moreover, I loved that the two male heroes were vastly different from one another. West is close to Eve’s age, more impulsive, more mysterious and secretive, but cares wholeheartedly for Eve. Just as hot as West is Avian. Avian is mature, patient and understanding. His calm loyalty and steadfastness was attractive and refreshing. It was no wonder Eve had such difficulty choosing between the two. Who wouldn’t?
I loved the plot; it was full and unwavering, taking us from the rustic, simplistic existence of Eden, to the dry heat of the desert, to the alien (well it’s alien to Eve) landscape of new Los Angeles. It kept me glued to the pages. I just absolutely love the world Taylor has created. It’s just so very, very cool.
Not to mention you get a whole lot of book for your money!
Now on my favourites shelf.
Eden gets my rarely given…
Ten Explosive Stars!
Keary Taylor’s Eden is one such book for me.
I picked it up hoping to get an hour of reading in before I started working and before I knew it hours had flown by and I hadn’t gotten around to my own work. Oops.
Eden isn’t just a great indie novel, Eden is a great novel full stop.
Taylor pulls us into her post-apocalyptic world with easy, addictive prose, an intriguing and complex narrator and heroine, Eve, and a stark, disquieting landscape where out of control technology has become a virus, and a threat to the survival of the human race.
The character development is well thought out and authentic. Not only did I love getting to know Eve as she got to know herself, but this is one of those books where the love triangle is incredibly well-written, with no clear answer – although, note that I was extremely happy with the ending :-)
From the moment the book takes off I liked Eve. Even though she couldn’t feel the true depth of emotion, she was still a take charge, powerful heroine who put the lives of others before her own. The story only grew more fantastic as Eve tapped into her emotions and unravelled the mystery of who she is. She really develops into a brilliant character; a character you actually feel real emotion for, and one that I never found myself being frustrated around because her conflict was so clear and true.
Moreover, I loved that the two male heroes were vastly different from one another. West is close to Eve’s age, more impulsive, more mysterious and secretive, but cares wholeheartedly for Eve. Just as hot as West is Avian. Avian is mature, patient and understanding. His calm loyalty and steadfastness was attractive and refreshing. It was no wonder Eve had such difficulty choosing between the two. Who wouldn’t?
I loved the plot; it was full and unwavering, taking us from the rustic, simplistic existence of Eden, to the dry heat of the desert, to the alien (well it’s alien to Eve) landscape of new Los Angeles. It kept me glued to the pages. I just absolutely love the world Taylor has created. It’s just so very, very cool.
Not to mention you get a whole lot of book for your money!
Now on my favourites shelf.
Eden gets my rarely given…
Ten Explosive Stars!
July 8, 2015
A version of this review also appears at: A Match Made in Heaven
I loved this just as much the second time around, having already read Eden, if not more. At first I wasnt enjoying it as much because it was focusing mostly on the love-triangle, and I know how that turns out. But as it went on the story picked up and dragged me back in, plus there were subtle differences that had me feeling like I did the first time.
The backstory about how the Bane came to be was more thorough (the name the Bane is also new), as well as Eve's history. I dont remember her having flashbacks in Eden, but I may be wrong. The balance of the love-triangle was also changed. Its hard to explain without spoiling, but in Eden one of my favourite things about the book was the fact that I had no idea who Eve would choose until she made her choice. She didnt lean towards one guy or the other. It was completely even before she had her epiphany. But in this, the balance was changed. Some scenes were taken out, and the guy that Eve eventually chooses was given more focus. I guess that can be a good thing too, so readers dont get too attached to the other guy and become disappointed. It happens a lot, of course. There are lots of fans of Gale, Puck, and Jacob out there. But at least in The Bane, readers are not misled. I really enjoyed these changes and I loved the fleshing out of Eve's love interest. In The Bane, he is the obvious choice for her. They belong together, they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. There's really no contest anymore. The changes were a definite improvement.
I didnt notice much of a difference in Eve as a character, or the story. There were no improvements needed. Eve still kicks ass, and the story is a great post-apoc world with heavy sci-fi, action, and romance elements. I am so glad that this time around I have a sequel to look forward to and I cannot wait to read The Human!
You can also see my review for Eden here.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
ARC provided by NetGalley on behalf of Keary Taylor Books, in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this just as much the second time around, having already read Eden, if not more. At first I wasnt enjoying it as much because it was focusing mostly on the love-triangle, and I know how that turns out. But as it went on the story picked up and dragged me back in, plus there were subtle differences that had me feeling like I did the first time.
The backstory about how the Bane came to be was more thorough (the name the Bane is also new), as well as Eve's history. I dont remember her having flashbacks in Eden, but I may be wrong. The balance of the love-triangle was also changed. Its hard to explain without spoiling, but in Eden one of my favourite things about the book was the fact that I had no idea who Eve would choose until she made her choice. She didnt lean towards one guy or the other. It was completely even before she had her epiphany. But in this, the balance was changed. Some scenes were taken out, and the guy that Eve eventually chooses was given more focus. I guess that can be a good thing too, so readers dont get too attached to the other guy and become disappointed. It happens a lot, of course. There are lots of fans of Gale, Puck, and Jacob out there. But at least in The Bane, readers are not misled. I really enjoyed these changes and I loved the fleshing out of Eve's love interest. In The Bane, he is the obvious choice for her. They belong together, they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. There's really no contest anymore. The changes were a definite improvement.
I didnt notice much of a difference in Eve as a character, or the story. There were no improvements needed. Eve still kicks ass, and the story is a great post-apoc world with heavy sci-fi, action, and romance elements. I am so glad that this time around I have a sequel to look forward to and I cannot wait to read The Human!
You can also see my review for Eden here.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
ARC provided by NetGalley on behalf of Keary Taylor Books, in exchange for an honest review.
May 13, 2017
Rating : 3.75 stars because why not
I'm too lazy to do a full reviewand I'm playing video games at the same time and it's quite difficult to do both.
I will just list a few points.
1. I liked Eve as a MC. She was strong, lost, stubborn and I had to admire the way she cared about her people and that she would have done anything to save them. But I kept wanting her to sacrifice herself and play the martyr.
2. There was lots of action and it was very fast-paced. But everything happened to quickly, there was no suspense and we got the answers everytime too soon.
3. It reminded me a little of Nameless and the other books of the series, which I like very much. Humans versus the Watchers, humans versus the Bane. Also a little bit about The 100, tv show version.
4. I like the setting. Huminkind trying to survive is kind of my thing.
5. The love triangle was fucking stupid and fucking annoying. There was no real chemistry, and who cares about feeling when you're trying to survive ? But she made her choice - the good choice - at the end, and I hope it will stay that way.
6. There is an actual end at the end of book one, so it's possible to not read the other books.
Overall it was a very enjoyable read. And I'm usually not into these kind of covers, but I like this one. Thank you Leah for recommending it to me !
I'm too lazy to do a full review
I will just list a few points.
1. I liked Eve as a MC. She was strong, lost, stubborn and I had to admire the way she cared about her people and that she would have done anything to save them. But I kept wanting her to sacrifice herself and play the martyr.
2. There was lots of action and it was very fast-paced. But everything happened to quickly, there was no suspense and we got the answers everytime too soon.
3. It reminded me a little of Nameless and the other books of the series, which I like very much. Humans versus the Watchers, humans versus the Bane. Also a little bit about The 100, tv show version.
4. I like the setting. Huminkind trying to survive is kind of my thing.
5. The love triangle was fucking stupid and fucking annoying. There was no real chemistry, and who cares about feeling when you're trying to survive ? But she made her choice - the good choice - at the end, and I hope it will stay that way.
6. There is an actual end at the end of book one, so it's possible to not read the other books.
Overall it was a very enjoyable read. And I'm usually not into these kind of covers, but I like this one. Thank you Leah for recommending it to me !
June 22, 2012
I got this book on kindle a while ago because I think it was one of the free/super discounted books. Anyway I did not love nor hate this book. Actually, I loved AND hated it. I've found that a pros and cons list is the best way to organize my thoughts.
Pros
1. The setting. I was hooked in the beginning about the post apocalyptic world where 98% of the population are infected into being mutant robot zombies, determined to make the rest of the population mutant robot zombies.
2. The Protagonist. Eve was a likable tough main character who could kick some major ass better than most of the dudes. Screw you, stereotypical gender roles! I really loved the fact that she didn't cry. She was Katniss Everdeen/Isabelle Lightwood/Rose Hathaway-esque in her ass-kicking toughness. Her backstory and such was also intriguing, but it it spoilery. Just know that I was intrigued.
3. The writing style. I thought for the most part her writing kept me intrigued and it didn't linger or get sidetracked too much. It reminded me of Suzanne Collins' writing style a little bit in that there weren't particularly fancy words, but it still wasn't boring. That being said, her writing style also annoyed me (see below).
Cons*
1. The Love Triangle**. The DAMN Love Triangle. Sweet baby Jesus, it took up over half the damn book! I have read SOOOO many l Love Triangle books to know that it can be done right(though it is usually done wrong). This was not done right. Their whole village of people is fighting for their survival and we were focused too much inside her head with all the, "I don't know what love is! West makes me feel alive, but Avian feels like home!!" Over. And over. I feel like I would have been intrigued more in the love story by their actions than by mess that goes on in her head.
2. The Plot. I wanted to focus more on the whole, Possible End of Humanity Problem, rather than the I Have Two Boyfriends But Yeah, All The Humans Might Die Problem.
3. Sarah. Particularly her role and characterization.This is kinda spoilery so I'm hiding it >>>>
4. The resolution of the Love Triangle. After Eve is done pinballing back and forth between West and Avian and finally picks one, she treats the other one really badly.
*I realize that my cons kind of blend together, but I wanted to distinguish them as separate faults.
**Please take note that I capitalized Love Triangle. I believe that it deserves to be a proper noun. :)
I'm sure I'm forgetting things that I loved/hated, but I am tired, so I'm out.
Pros
1. The setting. I was hooked in the beginning about the post apocalyptic world where 98% of the population are infected into being mutant robot zombies, determined to make the rest of the population mutant robot zombies.
2. The Protagonist. Eve was a likable tough main character who could kick some major ass better than most of the dudes. Screw you, stereotypical gender roles! I really loved the fact that she didn't cry. She was Katniss Everdeen/Isabelle Lightwood/Rose Hathaway-esque in her ass-kicking toughness. Her backstory and such was also intriguing, but it it spoilery. Just know that I was intrigued.
3. The writing style. I thought for the most part her writing kept me intrigued and it didn't linger or get sidetracked too much. It reminded me of Suzanne Collins' writing style a little bit in that there weren't particularly fancy words, but it still wasn't boring. That being said, her writing style also annoyed me (see below).
Cons*
1. The Love Triangle**. The DAMN Love Triangle. Sweet baby Jesus, it took up over half the damn book! I have read SOOOO many l Love Triangle books to know that it can be done right(though it is usually done wrong). This was not done right. Their whole village of people is fighting for their survival and we were focused too much inside her head with all the, "I don't know what love is! West makes me feel alive, but Avian feels like home!!" Over. And over. I feel like I would have been intrigued more in the love story by their actions than by mess that goes on in her head.
2. The Plot. I wanted to focus more on the whole, Possible End of Humanity Problem, rather than the I Have Two Boyfriends But Yeah, All The Humans Might Die Problem.
3. Sarah. Particularly her role and characterization.This is kinda spoilery so I'm hiding it >>>>
4. The resolution of the Love Triangle. After Eve is done pinballing back and forth between West and Avian and finally picks one, she treats the other one really badly.
*I realize that my cons kind of blend together, but I wanted to distinguish them as separate faults.
**Please take note that I capitalized Love Triangle. I believe that it deserves to be a proper noun. :)
I'm sure I'm forgetting things that I loved/hated, but I am tired, so I'm out.
August 17, 2011
So. Review time. Wellllll, I ended up with very mixed feelings on this one. It started off so, so strong, and I was completely hooked pretty much right away. The premise was terrific--basically a zombie survival novel, only in this case the zombies are the living robots instead of the living dead. Really interesting, though it seemed really implausible to me that this robot infection would spread through touch alone, but then, I'm not a scientist, so maybe that makes perfect sense. In any case, I was able to put that aside. I was really interested in Eve's missing past, and just...the pacing at the beginning was great. But then, about a third of the way through, things started to really fall apart. More and more inconsistencies in the plot started to creep in, more and more errant apostrophes and other typos and poor grammar, and, like at least one other reviewer has mentioned, the chuckling! Oh, the chuckling! People just chuckle left and right in this thing, they never giggle, they never laugh, they never snicker, they all chuckle, sometimes two or three times on one page! And sometimes at totally inappropriate moments. It was a little ridiculous. And speaking of ridiculous, the love triangle! Or, more accurately, the way Eve handles the love triangle. Here's a spoiler for those of you who want to know:
Seriously. It made me hate her.
Anyway, by the time I got to the end, I was just tired of the drama and didn't care who she ended up with or why or if any of them made it out alive. And that was really disappointing because it was so good, until it got so not good!
And here is where I get into my rant about independently published books. I think it's great that you can write a book and publish it as an ebook and charge only $.99 for it. BUT! It kills me that books like this could be sooooooo much better if the authors just had someone to correct grammar and punctuation mistakes and to point out places where maybe things don't make sense or need to be better explained or just...tightened up. Almost all of the ones I've read have just seemed as though they were pushed out into the world too early, and as a result, are poor shadows of what they could have been. This one had such great potential, but all those little errors added up for me, so much so that, by the end, I just no longer cared.
It makes me sad.
Seriously. It made me hate her.
Anyway, by the time I got to the end, I was just tired of the drama and didn't care who she ended up with or why or if any of them made it out alive. And that was really disappointing because it was so good, until it got so not good!
And here is where I get into my rant about independently published books. I think it's great that you can write a book and publish it as an ebook and charge only $.99 for it. BUT! It kills me that books like this could be sooooooo much better if the authors just had someone to correct grammar and punctuation mistakes and to point out places where maybe things don't make sense or need to be better explained or just...tightened up. Almost all of the ones I've read have just seemed as though they were pushed out into the world too early, and as a result, are poor shadows of what they could have been. This one had such great potential, but all those little errors added up for me, so much so that, by the end, I just no longer cared.
It makes me sad.
November 3, 2016
I am so beyond pissed off. So I completely loved the book, with the exception of the last part. Let me just start this off with: whenever I'm reading a book, I always fall for the pairing with most chemistry. Always. So it's no surprise that I fell for West.
So, when Eve gets to the power plant and jumps over the "bloody and infected body of West", it's complete bullshit for me. Fine, she didn't end up with my faorite character, West. Fine, apparently she loves Avian. But nothing, NOTHING, will convince me otherwise of the fact that Eve still feels something for West. She cares for him. She would NOT jump over the body of someone she cares about. I mean, dude, if you see your friend and the person you love lying there all bloody, you would most probably go to the person you loved first, but surely you wouldn't jump over the body of your friend, which you still care about, without a second thought?!
And this whole infected part: next book either means that West dies, which will piss me off even more because you CAN'T just kill off a character because it's what's more convinient!!! OR West will be the poor, scarred, rejected boy, which will also piss me off even more, because West is my favorite character.
EDIT: just saw that this is a stand alone novel. Which pisses me more off! So we're really not going to know what happened with West. Holding back profanities here, not gonna lie.
The other thing that made this anger be even bigger, was that when Eve got the news about West possibly being her brother, SHE WENT INTO SHOCK. Like the medical kind of shock. She was actually hospitalized. THAT right there had me 10000000% sure that OF COURSE she was going to pick West. I mean, who else goes into shock when learning someone, who apparently, later on we find out, you don't actually love, is possibly your brother?! If you care SO little about someone that you jump over their body, without knowing if he/she is alive or deaf and not giving it a second thought, why the HELL would she go into freaking shock when she learns that he might be her brother?! Why?!
I don't think I've been this pissed off with a book ever. I feel like the ending was just a "oh, crap, I've written long enough, and this whole love triangle still isn't resolving. Hmmm.... Let's just get this over with!" from the author's side.
Yes, I do realize that the whole Eve/West-pairing had issues, but, come on! So did the Eve/Avian-pairing. The author could totally have managed a better ending which was more humane, resolved more, and didn't cause a complete personality change in the main character.....
I'll give this book a 4 because the rest was really good, and I still want other people to read it. But the ending deserves a 1 in my eyes. So disappointed!
EDIT: yeah, changed my mind. It doesn't deserve a 4.
So, when Eve gets to the power plant and jumps over the "bloody and infected body of West", it's complete bullshit for me. Fine, she didn't end up with my faorite character, West. Fine, apparently she loves Avian. But nothing, NOTHING, will convince me otherwise of the fact that Eve still feels something for West. She cares for him. She would NOT jump over the body of someone she cares about. I mean, dude, if you see your friend and the person you love lying there all bloody, you would most probably go to the person you loved first, but surely you wouldn't jump over the body of your friend, which you still care about, without a second thought?!
And this whole infected part: next book either means that West dies, which will piss me off even more because you CAN'T just kill off a character because it's what's more convinient!!! OR West will be the poor, scarred, rejected boy, which will also piss me off even more, because West is my favorite character.
EDIT: just saw that this is a stand alone novel. Which pisses me more off! So we're really not going to know what happened with West. Holding back profanities here, not gonna lie.
The other thing that made this anger be even bigger, was that when Eve got the news about West possibly being her brother, SHE WENT INTO SHOCK. Like the medical kind of shock. She was actually hospitalized. THAT right there had me 10000000% sure that OF COURSE she was going to pick West. I mean, who else goes into shock when learning someone, who apparently, later on we find out, you don't actually love, is possibly your brother?! If you care SO little about someone that you jump over their body, without knowing if he/she is alive or deaf and not giving it a second thought, why the HELL would she go into freaking shock when she learns that he might be her brother?! Why?!
I don't think I've been this pissed off with a book ever. I feel like the ending was just a "oh, crap, I've written long enough, and this whole love triangle still isn't resolving. Hmmm.... Let's just get this over with!" from the author's side.
Yes, I do realize that the whole Eve/West-pairing had issues, but, come on! So did the Eve/Avian-pairing. The author could totally have managed a better ending which was more humane, resolved more, and didn't cause a complete personality change in the main character.....
I'll give this book a 4 because the rest was really good, and I still want other people to read it. But the ending deserves a 1 in my eyes. So disappointed!
EDIT: yeah, changed my mind. It doesn't deserve a 4.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2011
The first thing that grabbed my attention was Eden’s cover. So creepy, but so very cool! After reading the synopsis I knew this was a book I had to read. As a huge fan of any doomsday type of premise I couldn’t pass this one up! Human beings consumed by their robot like parts who then seek out other humans until they eradicate any remaining flesh on the face of the earth. Yes, please! This is the stuff nightmares are made of and for some reason I just can’t get enough.
When I sat down to read Eden I never expected to finish it in one sitting. This is a pretty hefty piece of literature at 400+ pages. I was so intrigued by the world and characters the author created it made finding a suitable stopping place impossible. I had to know what happened next.
Eden isn’t nearly as action packed or fast-paced as other dystopian novels I’ve read, but it moves at a smooth and steady pace guaranteed to keep you hooked. As more of a character driven reader this really worked for me. I appreciated the amount of care Keary Taylor put into creating well developed characters in a well presented futuristic world. You can tell she is an author who becomes fully invested in the characters she creates and wants readers to grow to love them as much as she does. She did an amazing job of creating a world that readers will find both engaging and entertaining. I love that she was able to combine complex world building and well-crafted characters without sacrificing the quality of either. I really liked Eve and enjoyed watching her evolve over the course of Eden. I felt for her when she lost those she cared about and didn’t envy her precarious position at the center of the love triangle involving the older Avian and reckless West. There is also an amazing cast of secondary characters who make up the world Eve is living in.
Keary Taylor is an author who I can’t help but be awed by. Not only is she able to write great books with small children in her home, but said books are then self-published. Having read my fair share of self-pubbed books over the last year I must say her work is some of the best. On that note if you haven’t checked out Keary’s books I highly recommend you do (&soon!).
When I sat down to read Eden I never expected to finish it in one sitting. This is a pretty hefty piece of literature at 400+ pages. I was so intrigued by the world and characters the author created it made finding a suitable stopping place impossible. I had to know what happened next.
Eden isn’t nearly as action packed or fast-paced as other dystopian novels I’ve read, but it moves at a smooth and steady pace guaranteed to keep you hooked. As more of a character driven reader this really worked for me. I appreciated the amount of care Keary Taylor put into creating well developed characters in a well presented futuristic world. You can tell she is an author who becomes fully invested in the characters she creates and wants readers to grow to love them as much as she does. She did an amazing job of creating a world that readers will find both engaging and entertaining. I love that she was able to combine complex world building and well-crafted characters without sacrificing the quality of either. I really liked Eve and enjoyed watching her evolve over the course of Eden. I felt for her when she lost those she cared about and didn’t envy her precarious position at the center of the love triangle involving the older Avian and reckless West. There is also an amazing cast of secondary characters who make up the world Eve is living in.
Keary Taylor is an author who I can’t help but be awed by. Not only is she able to write great books with small children in her home, but said books are then self-published. Having read my fair share of self-pubbed books over the last year I must say her work is some of the best. On that note if you haven’t checked out Keary’s books I highly recommend you do (&soon!).
November 12, 2015
I really enjoyed this dystopian read! Its has a sci-fi theme to it, and it made me think a little of Partials by Dan Wells or The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa just in some of the world building parallels.
The Bane are part machine, part human. The way the book describes the cyborgs, it almost made me think of The Terminator. Humanity is almost beat at the time the novel opens. Eve is part of "Eden", a settlement of about 35 humans that have banded together over the last 4 years for survival. She has no memory before the end of the world. Avian and Gabriel, the village leaders, found her at age 14 naked and bloody, and adopted her. All she could remember was her name.
She has proven her worth, being one of the strongest and quickest members of the group. Avian and his sister Sarah are her best friends. Things go on, as normal as possible, until the Bane start getting more ruthless on their attacks. And then West and few others stumble into their camp and join their group.
Eve doesn't trust West at all, but she is drawn to him. He claims to know her from before the apocalypse. But is seems he might be hiding some pretty big secrets of his own.
There is a love triangle in the story between Eve, West, and Avian, but it actually in a strange way makes sense, just because of who Eve really is. So it worked for me, and I was pleased that the triangle was wrapped up before the end of the story, and doesn't seem like its going to drag on through the whole trilogy.
The concept on this one isn't all that original, but the world building is still really well done. The characters were also well done, and I got to know each one of them well. There are a few unbelievable moments, especially in the beginning. There were a few times where I was confused, but I plowed through and I eventually got up to speed. This is the first in a trilogy, and I can't wait for "Human" which will be released this summer!
The Bane are part machine, part human. The way the book describes the cyborgs, it almost made me think of The Terminator. Humanity is almost beat at the time the novel opens. Eve is part of "Eden", a settlement of about 35 humans that have banded together over the last 4 years for survival. She has no memory before the end of the world. Avian and Gabriel, the village leaders, found her at age 14 naked and bloody, and adopted her. All she could remember was her name.
She has proven her worth, being one of the strongest and quickest members of the group. Avian and his sister Sarah are her best friends. Things go on, as normal as possible, until the Bane start getting more ruthless on their attacks. And then West and few others stumble into their camp and join their group.
Eve doesn't trust West at all, but she is drawn to him. He claims to know her from before the apocalypse. But is seems he might be hiding some pretty big secrets of his own.
There is a love triangle in the story between Eve, West, and Avian, but it actually in a strange way makes sense, just because of who Eve really is. So it worked for me, and I was pleased that the triangle was wrapped up before the end of the story, and doesn't seem like its going to drag on through the whole trilogy.
The concept on this one isn't all that original, but the world building is still really well done. The characters were also well done, and I got to know each one of them well. There are a few unbelievable moments, especially in the beginning. There were a few times where I was confused, but I plowed through and I eventually got up to speed. This is the first in a trilogy, and I can't wait for "Human" which will be released this summer!
January 10, 2015
Snooze fest action with lackluster romance & bland characters.
Nothing makes logical sense!
The fact that the Bane robots can just barely touch a human and the human becomes a robot is just not fathomable.
It's not realistic to paint the female MC as devoid of romantic emotions, thereby naive and unfeeling of love, but yet have her so adamantly, clearly exhibit other emotions at every turn of the book- anger toward Wes, empathy toward others, protective over everyone, compassion for those in near starvation to the point she gives her own food away, etc..
The bane burn the garden, but leave all the humans that they want behind, really? Yeah, that's so logical.
The female MC is a scout and huntress for five years in a world surrounded by the robotic bane that with one touch turns the human robotic, and, in all that time, she's never been touched by a bane. Then all of a sudden she's being touched by them and fighting them off. Again, the probability of this is nil.
Romance?
The romance is as flat as a pancake and more vanilla than ~Ice,Ice Baby~ ! Neither love interest fought for her, wooed her, told her how they felt, whispered sweet nothings, lured her with dirty talk, no... Nada! All they did was hold her hand, kids her once, and tell her she couldn't have both so make a choice. Well hell if I wouldn't have picked a robot over these two duds.
Bottom line
I couldn't find a single that redeeming about this book.
If you like unrealistic laced in vanilla, this might be for you. Otherwise, skip Bane!
Nothing makes logical sense!
The fact that the Bane robots can just barely touch a human and the human becomes a robot is just not fathomable.
It's not realistic to paint the female MC as devoid of romantic emotions, thereby naive and unfeeling of love, but yet have her so adamantly, clearly exhibit other emotions at every turn of the book- anger toward Wes, empathy toward others, protective over everyone, compassion for those in near starvation to the point she gives her own food away, etc..
The bane burn the garden, but leave all the humans that they want behind, really? Yeah, that's so logical.
The female MC is a scout and huntress for five years in a world surrounded by the robotic bane that with one touch turns the human robotic, and, in all that time, she's never been touched by a bane. Then all of a sudden she's being touched by them and fighting them off. Again, the probability of this is nil.
Romance?
The romance is as flat as a pancake and more vanilla than ~Ice,Ice Baby~ ! Neither love interest fought for her, wooed her, told her how they felt, whispered sweet nothings, lured her with dirty talk, no... Nada! All they did was hold her hand, kids her once, and tell her she couldn't have both so make a choice. Well hell if I wouldn't have picked a robot over these two duds.
Bottom line
I couldn't find a single that redeeming about this book.
If you like unrealistic laced in vanilla, this might be for you. Otherwise, skip Bane!
January 18, 2012
Really loved this story. Yes, the love triangle got a little annoying. Didn't Eve have bigger problems to worry about? But regardless it had really well developed characters and a really creepy world that will probably give me nightmares. That is not a bad thing.
May 24, 2015
Eve was a strong character, and I really liked her.
This was an interesting and enjoyable read, and I'll definately be continuing the series at some point.
This was an interesting and enjoyable read, and I'll definately be continuing the series at some point.
December 8, 2011
First, let me draw your attention to the incredibly beautiful cover. It was impossible for this cover not to catch my eye. As a self-published author, the cover design was left up to Keary Taylor and she truly did an amazing job with an image that leaps off the shelves. And now, onto the review. Eve doesn’t remember anything before the Fall. As far as she knows, her life began when she was thirteen, found by Avian, Sarah, and Tye. The three of them are the only family Eve knows and together they live in a safe haven for perhaps the only humans left alive, Eden. That is, until West, Victoria, and Brady show up.
Now eighteen, Eve recognizes that she’s different from the other inhabitants of Eden. She’s fast, strong, rarely tires, and feels kind of disconnected — emotionally. She doesn’t think she knows what love is, even when it comes to simply loving her best friends and “family.” Yet as she spends more time with West, she finds he awakens certain emotions in her. But for someone who has only ever known life in Eden, how can she learn to trust an outsider? Especially since Avian is suddenly vying for her affection; Avian, whose very presence calms Eve and who understands her better than anyone else. Neither West nor Avian want to push Eve, but it’s clear she has a decision to make.
At first, Eden reminded me of Stephanie Meyer’s The Host, but with non-stop action and a more likable protagonist. Eve is a strong, independent, and utterly selfless heroine. She is so busy taking care of everyone else that she neglects her own feelings. When her inner conflict regarding West and Avian begins, she thinks avoiding the situation will make it go away. She piles on more and more work, leaving barely enough time to even sleep. But it’s impossible for her to ignore the two men. She’s drawn to each one for completely different reasons. This is why the love triangle in Eden appealed to me so much. Eve’s conflicting emotions are completely warranted as she shares common interests with both of her suitors. There is no obviously apparent or “right” choice. It truly seems like she could be happy with either guy and I was right there with her, confused as to who she should pick. Keary Taylor does a great job of opening up Eve’s mind to the reader, allowing us to slip effortlessly into her thoughts. She’s not only a protagonist you can respect, but also one you can identify with.
While the love triangle dominates a majority of the book, the plot is in no way slighted or overlooked. Eden is four hundred pages of glorious characterization, world-building, suspense, breathtaking twists, and heart-pounding action. The post-apocalyptic United States is described in visceral, frighteningly believable detail. The science and mechanical details behind the Fall and the Fallen are innovative and so intriguing. It’s impossible to put the book down because you just want to know more and more — how, why, when? Taylor doles out the answers to these questions, but sparingly, building up the suspense until the very last page.
Personally, I loved the ending to Eden. First of all, I was satisfied with Eve’s choice. Second, even though Eden is meant as a standalone novel, I appreciated the open-ended conclusion. It does leave some questions unanswered and Taylor could easily write a sequel with this incredible world she’s created, but since she’s not planning on it, the openness of the ending leaves room for your imagination, for you to continue the story for yourself. Some books don’t do this well, but I think Eden pulls it off.
At times, I feel like Eve’s inner dialogue unnecessarily rehashes the same thoughts over and over. But since these new feelings are so overwhelming and all-consuming, I can see where she’s coming from. The characters’ dialogue also seems oddly formal and forced, sometimes. It can be hard to get through those occasional formal bouts, as they’re distracting in how noticeable they are, but once they pass, it’s easy to fall back into the story. Still, I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves insane world-building, intricate love stories, and the idea of technology growing too powerful. Eden does an excellent job of dealing with themes of what it means to human, where we draw the lines of morality and ethics, selflessness vs selfishness, and acceptance. If you’re looking for a completely new world to jump into, try Eden.
Now eighteen, Eve recognizes that she’s different from the other inhabitants of Eden. She’s fast, strong, rarely tires, and feels kind of disconnected — emotionally. She doesn’t think she knows what love is, even when it comes to simply loving her best friends and “family.” Yet as she spends more time with West, she finds he awakens certain emotions in her. But for someone who has only ever known life in Eden, how can she learn to trust an outsider? Especially since Avian is suddenly vying for her affection; Avian, whose very presence calms Eve and who understands her better than anyone else. Neither West nor Avian want to push Eve, but it’s clear she has a decision to make.
At first, Eden reminded me of Stephanie Meyer’s The Host, but with non-stop action and a more likable protagonist. Eve is a strong, independent, and utterly selfless heroine. She is so busy taking care of everyone else that she neglects her own feelings. When her inner conflict regarding West and Avian begins, she thinks avoiding the situation will make it go away. She piles on more and more work, leaving barely enough time to even sleep. But it’s impossible for her to ignore the two men. She’s drawn to each one for completely different reasons. This is why the love triangle in Eden appealed to me so much. Eve’s conflicting emotions are completely warranted as she shares common interests with both of her suitors. There is no obviously apparent or “right” choice. It truly seems like she could be happy with either guy and I was right there with her, confused as to who she should pick. Keary Taylor does a great job of opening up Eve’s mind to the reader, allowing us to slip effortlessly into her thoughts. She’s not only a protagonist you can respect, but also one you can identify with.
While the love triangle dominates a majority of the book, the plot is in no way slighted or overlooked. Eden is four hundred pages of glorious characterization, world-building, suspense, breathtaking twists, and heart-pounding action. The post-apocalyptic United States is described in visceral, frighteningly believable detail. The science and mechanical details behind the Fall and the Fallen are innovative and so intriguing. It’s impossible to put the book down because you just want to know more and more — how, why, when? Taylor doles out the answers to these questions, but sparingly, building up the suspense until the very last page.
Personally, I loved the ending to Eden. First of all, I was satisfied with Eve’s choice. Second, even though Eden is meant as a standalone novel, I appreciated the open-ended conclusion. It does leave some questions unanswered and Taylor could easily write a sequel with this incredible world she’s created, but since she’s not planning on it, the openness of the ending leaves room for your imagination, for you to continue the story for yourself. Some books don’t do this well, but I think Eden pulls it off.
At times, I feel like Eve’s inner dialogue unnecessarily rehashes the same thoughts over and over. But since these new feelings are so overwhelming and all-consuming, I can see where she’s coming from. The characters’ dialogue also seems oddly formal and forced, sometimes. It can be hard to get through those occasional formal bouts, as they’re distracting in how noticeable they are, but once they pass, it’s easy to fall back into the story. Still, I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves insane world-building, intricate love stories, and the idea of technology growing too powerful. Eden does an excellent job of dealing with themes of what it means to human, where we draw the lines of morality and ethics, selflessness vs selfishness, and acceptance. If you’re looking for a completely new world to jump into, try Eden.
February 4, 2020
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Keary Taylor Books and Netgalley.)
Eve lives in a post-apocalyptic society, in which humans are infected by cybernetics technology and turned into robots. These infected people are known as ‘The Bane’, and their main purpose seems to be to infect as many humans as possible until there are none left.
Eve lives in a small society called Eden, hidden in the countryside outside of a large city. There are only 34 of them, and they survive by growing their own food and hunting game in the forest.
With a new arrival to Eden, Eve begins to learn things about herself that she never knew before, and although she has no memories of life before Eden, she has no idea that she is not 100% human herself.
What exactly is Eve though? What does this newcomer to Eden (West) know about her past? And what is Eve and Eden’s future?
This was a great YA dystopian, with an interesting sci-fi twist.
Eve was a great main character. She was strong and fought for those she cared about with great passion. She kinda reminded me of Katniss from ‘The Hunger Games’ a bit, and I loved how she was so dedicated to helping the other inhabitants of Eden. She really did go above and beyond to help those she cared about, even when she believed that she didn’t know how to care.
There was a touch of romance in this story, and we also got a love triangle, with Eve developing very new feelings for both West – the newcomer, and Avian – Eden’s doctor. I liked both of the boys, although I have to say that Avian was my favourite. I liked how this wasn’t your average love triangle because Eve had been programmed not to have feelings, and it made it interesting to see how Eve not only had to choose between the two boys, but also had to learn what love was, and how loving someone felt.
Although I am not the biggest fan of love triangles, I didn’t mind it in this book, and I personally could see why Eve had a hard time choosing between West and Avian! There were some really touching moments with both boys, and I liked this romance element to the plot, even though it was not the main storyline, and thought that it fitted in with the other themes well.
I liked the storyline in this book, and there was plenty of excitement and anticipation, as the threat from ‘The Bane’ got closer and closer, and the residents of Eden were forced to make drastic changes and plans about the best way to try to stay alive. I liked the background information we got on the cybernetics that had caused the end of the world as we know it, and how plausible it seemed, and I also liked how Eve’s differences were relevant to people’s understanding of how ‘The Bane’ worked.
There was quite a lot of action towards the end of this book, and things weren’t easy for the humans battling against ‘The Bane’. I liked how there was no simple answer to the problems with ‘The Bane’, and that it was a real battle to try to make a change.
I did have one small niggle with a small detail towards the end, but it’s difficult to explain it without giving away spoilers, lets just say that I was a little concerned at how far-reaching the human’s solution to the Bane problem would really be, and that I wasn’t sure that Eve’s final little adventure right at the end was very safe!
I liked the ending of this book. I thought that the story had a proper ending, even though this is part of a trilogy, and I liked that most of the storylines were tied up at the end of this instalment. I am however very interested to see what happens next in this series! I like how although some of the problems were solved, the overall problem was not totally eliminated, leaving plenty of room for further exploration of this exciting dystopian world!
Overall; an interesting and well thought out YA dystopian.
8 out of 10.
Eve lives in a post-apocalyptic society, in which humans are infected by cybernetics technology and turned into robots. These infected people are known as ‘The Bane’, and their main purpose seems to be to infect as many humans as possible until there are none left.
Eve lives in a small society called Eden, hidden in the countryside outside of a large city. There are only 34 of them, and they survive by growing their own food and hunting game in the forest.
With a new arrival to Eden, Eve begins to learn things about herself that she never knew before, and although she has no memories of life before Eden, she has no idea that she is not 100% human herself.
What exactly is Eve though? What does this newcomer to Eden (West) know about her past? And what is Eve and Eden’s future?
This was a great YA dystopian, with an interesting sci-fi twist.
Eve was a great main character. She was strong and fought for those she cared about with great passion. She kinda reminded me of Katniss from ‘The Hunger Games’ a bit, and I loved how she was so dedicated to helping the other inhabitants of Eden. She really did go above and beyond to help those she cared about, even when she believed that she didn’t know how to care.
There was a touch of romance in this story, and we also got a love triangle, with Eve developing very new feelings for both West – the newcomer, and Avian – Eden’s doctor. I liked both of the boys, although I have to say that Avian was my favourite. I liked how this wasn’t your average love triangle because Eve had been programmed not to have feelings, and it made it interesting to see how Eve not only had to choose between the two boys, but also had to learn what love was, and how loving someone felt.
Although I am not the biggest fan of love triangles, I didn’t mind it in this book, and I personally could see why Eve had a hard time choosing between West and Avian! There were some really touching moments with both boys, and I liked this romance element to the plot, even though it was not the main storyline, and thought that it fitted in with the other themes well.
I liked the storyline in this book, and there was plenty of excitement and anticipation, as the threat from ‘The Bane’ got closer and closer, and the residents of Eden were forced to make drastic changes and plans about the best way to try to stay alive. I liked the background information we got on the cybernetics that had caused the end of the world as we know it, and how plausible it seemed, and I also liked how Eve’s differences were relevant to people’s understanding of how ‘The Bane’ worked.
There was quite a lot of action towards the end of this book, and things weren’t easy for the humans battling against ‘The Bane’. I liked how there was no simple answer to the problems with ‘The Bane’, and that it was a real battle to try to make a change.
I did have one small niggle with a small detail towards the end, but it’s difficult to explain it without giving away spoilers, lets just say that I was a little concerned at how far-reaching the human’s solution to the Bane problem would really be, and that I wasn’t sure that Eve’s final little adventure right at the end was very safe!
I liked the ending of this book. I thought that the story had a proper ending, even though this is part of a trilogy, and I liked that most of the storylines were tied up at the end of this instalment. I am however very interested to see what happens next in this series! I like how although some of the problems were solved, the overall problem was not totally eliminated, leaving plenty of room for further exploration of this exciting dystopian world!
Overall; an interesting and well thought out YA dystopian.
8 out of 10.
May 18, 2013
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!
Note: Just to avoid any confusion, this book was originally published under the title Eden and was republished in March 2013 under the title The Bane.
In the future, a technology called TorBane––a combination of human DNA and cybernetic matter––is able to fix all medical problems, from curing diseases to regenerating organs and limbs. But then the cybertechnology goes out of control, and starts taking over people's bodies and minds until they become half human and half machine––transforming into beings who become known as the Bane.
Although she knows the story well, Eve doesn't remember any of this happening. She doesn't recall anything before she stumbled into Eden––a colony of survivors. Since then, she has become a strong fighter among them. But when a stranger named West arrives in Eden, Eve soon begins to discover secrets about her past that will make her question everything she thought she knew.
Over all, I found The Bane to be an addicting read. I don't think it was particularly memorable or thought-provoking, but it was at least fun for the most part. I struggled a bit through maybe the last fourth of it or so, but most of the time it kept me interested.
I thought the concept of this book was intriguing; it's an interesting spin on the zombie novel. The Bane are somewhat similar to the concept of zombies, in that they're mindless humanoid creatures that have taken over the world. But it's interesting that instead of being the typical "walking dead," they're evil cyborgs instead. Although zombies and cyborgs are both pretty common in sci-fi, I'd never really seen the two things combined before. I don't think the idea of TorBane was very believable or scientifically possible, but at least the idea was interesting.
The plot was also pretty exciting and had some twists I didn't expect. The pacing was a little choppy, especially in the beginning, but I thought it got better as it went along.
The characters in this book fell flat for me, however.
Eve was a tolerable protagonist at least, but kind of a Mary Sue––she was basically just good at everything. I'm rather tired of seeing these YA female protagonists that are passed off as being "badass" just because they're great at beating people up. There has to be more to a character than that. (Not to mention, her name is not very subtle … I mean, Eve … in Eden. Oy vey.)
The two love interests, West and Avian, are pretty generic. Avian is the "best friend guy who's always been there for the girl" and West is the typical "mysterious stranger bad boy." And there's not much to distinguish them from each other personality-wise.
In the end, I found The Bane to be mostly entertaining, but I didn't feel as much of a connection to the characters as I'd hoped I would. I liked it enough to possibly read the sequels, but it's not at the top of my priorities list.
Note: Just to avoid any confusion, this book was originally published under the title Eden and was republished in March 2013 under the title The Bane.
In the future, a technology called TorBane––a combination of human DNA and cybernetic matter––is able to fix all medical problems, from curing diseases to regenerating organs and limbs. But then the cybertechnology goes out of control, and starts taking over people's bodies and minds until they become half human and half machine––transforming into beings who become known as the Bane.
Although she knows the story well, Eve doesn't remember any of this happening. She doesn't recall anything before she stumbled into Eden––a colony of survivors. Since then, she has become a strong fighter among them. But when a stranger named West arrives in Eden, Eve soon begins to discover secrets about her past that will make her question everything she thought she knew.
Over all, I found The Bane to be an addicting read. I don't think it was particularly memorable or thought-provoking, but it was at least fun for the most part. I struggled a bit through maybe the last fourth of it or so, but most of the time it kept me interested.
I thought the concept of this book was intriguing; it's an interesting spin on the zombie novel. The Bane are somewhat similar to the concept of zombies, in that they're mindless humanoid creatures that have taken over the world. But it's interesting that instead of being the typical "walking dead," they're evil cyborgs instead. Although zombies and cyborgs are both pretty common in sci-fi, I'd never really seen the two things combined before. I don't think the idea of TorBane was very believable or scientifically possible, but at least the idea was interesting.
The plot was also pretty exciting and had some twists I didn't expect. The pacing was a little choppy, especially in the beginning, but I thought it got better as it went along.
The characters in this book fell flat for me, however.
Eve was a tolerable protagonist at least, but kind of a Mary Sue––she was basically just good at everything. I'm rather tired of seeing these YA female protagonists that are passed off as being "badass" just because they're great at beating people up. There has to be more to a character than that. (Not to mention, her name is not very subtle … I mean, Eve … in Eden. Oy vey.)
The two love interests, West and Avian, are pretty generic. Avian is the "best friend guy who's always been there for the girl" and West is the typical "mysterious stranger bad boy." And there's not much to distinguish them from each other personality-wise.
In the end, I found The Bane to be mostly entertaining, but I didn't feel as much of a connection to the characters as I'd hoped I would. I liked it enough to possibly read the sequels, but it's not at the top of my priorities list.
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