OtherEarth

What do you do when your first novel in the Otherworld trilogy is near perfect? Well, you up the stakes of course. And with Jason and Kirstin at the helm, boy do they amp up the pressure!
A year ago, I went on an adventure that surpassed all my expectations. This year, I feel as if my imagination has been hijacked, given an upgrade and thrown onto a high speed rollercoaster. I was a bit worried that we’d be spending too much time out of the simulated world, but it’s actually where the drama and tension can really be found.
Simon has a plan, and he can’t do alone. In what can only be described as a Bond on the run, Simon and his friends locate allies, makes deals with enemies and try to not get the rug pulled from under them too many times.
The plot is such a wonderful treat, its best kept a secret until you read it for yourself, but I will say that there is a gritty realism within the narrative that is a refreshing change from the nostalgia trips other books like this provide. Kristin and Jason are able to provide a commentary on some deep and serious topics, including addiction.
The final act brings a mental health sub plot to a head. It’s something that is so subtle and unobtrusive to the plot that don’t be hard on yourself for it blind siding you.
The only fault I can find it that there wasn’t more of the book to read. It ends in such a way that you’ll be screaming and shouting about it for weeks after. Then, just to escape the fact that there’s a year until OtherLife reaches us, you’ll head back to Otherworld for another trip with Simon.

I absolutely loved Otherworld and have been waiting impatiently for the second book of the series, OtherEarth to be released so when I was lucky enough to receive an early copy to review, I put the book I was reading to one side and jumped straight back into the AI Otherworld.

As much as I loved this book i felt it fell slightly short of its predecessor unfortunately. This book seems to be aimed a lot more towards the younger audience but don’t let that stop you reading it! It is still a great sci-fi fantasy read and a brilliant series. I will say however, if you haven’t had chance to read the first book in the series, OtherWorld, you really should before jumping in with this one! There is some back story but not enough to get the full enjoyment out of this one.

I’m not a gamer myself but I can see the draw of them and with the ever-expanding technological advances this won’t require to much of a step outside of reality. But thank god we aren’t at this stage and I hope we never will be! As much as i enjoy reading about it and having my imagination expanded in unexpected ways I have no desire to live in a world such as this one has become.

OtherEarth takes us back to where Otherworld rudely left us, Simon our unlikely, and at times unlikable hero is still searching for a way to bring the company down to stop the general population from being transported to OtherWorld. Now there are only a few disks remaining, but instead of being a good thing for the children that live there, Otherworld has become a rich mans hunting ground.

As Simon, Kat and Barusa try to save the children of Otherworld the company now have something new trialing. Something more realistic, and even more unsafe. As one situation looks like becoming resolved another supersedes it.

Ending on yet another nail biter of an ending, now the wait begins for OtherLife!!

OtherEarth will be published on 30 October 2018 in the UK and can be pre-ordered now.

A huge Thank You to Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller, the publishers Rock the Boat, Oneworld Publications and NetGalley for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

A good follow up from the first in the series Other World. Enjoyable read. I look forward closer in the third book..

I really loved Otherworld so when I saw OtherEarth on netgalley I just had to request it and I’m so glad I was approved! Thank you to OneWorld publications and Rock the Boat for providing me with an eARC.

So OtherEarth picks up right where OtherWorld ended and although it had been a while since I had read OtherWorld and was worried I wouldn’t remember what happened but as I started reading everything came rushing back to me. Like OtherWorld, this book was also fast paced and even more action packed and I loved it!

This book was intense and once I started reading I could not put it down and was reading well into the night. It’s full of intrigue and the story is even more complex than the first book. We spend a lot more time outside of OtherWorld and get a lot more backstory about the company and how and why OtherWorld was created. But we are left with even more questions too! I just wanted to keep reading to find all the answers.

I just have to say that the technology and the game that has been described in these books are absolutely terrifying and I am so glad that this technology does not actually exist and hope it never does! Even though it was made with good intentions, it never ceases to amaze me how inhumane humans can be. Like the first book, there were players who hunted the beings created in the game for sport. As a result of the technology they are actually sentient beings yet they were hunted and killed in horrifying ways. I’m so glad this side of gaming was discussed in books as it’s something I feel strongly about but I feel like it’s not something that is generally discussed.

I really liked Simon a lot more in this book than I did in OtherWorld. He was a lot more fleshed out and complex and generally more likeable. I also loved his relationship with Kat, they were adorable! Kat was a really great character and I do wish we could have seen more of her.

I also loved the addition of Simon’s friend, Elvis. He was fun and sassy but also kind and caring and smart. I’m looking forward to seeing more of him in the next book. The only person I still can’t decide what to think of is Busara. She is secretive and mysterious and I couldn’t figure out what she was hiding. I hope we learn more about her in the next book. Also that ending made me even more curious to know more about her.

I’m also intrigued by Simon’s hallucinations. Are they a form of PTSD? What is real? What’s his hallucinations? Especially that ending left me reeling and shocked and even more confused as to what Simon was seeing and what was real or not real! I won’t say anymore because I don’t want to spoil anyone but oh my god, I was not expecting that ending at all and I just desperately need the next book because I need all the answers!

I highly recommend reading this book especially if you enjoy gaming or sci-fi books. I’m not even a gamer and I loved it!

I enjoyed this book just as much as I enjoyed the first in the series. Set in the future with advanced technology, political maneuvering, and fighting higher powers... what's not to love?
Obviously, not a lot can be said about the storyline without spoiling the first book but this was a great read and a brilliant addition to the series.
Recommended for fans of Warcross!