The premise of Orbs by Nicholas S. Smith is relatively interesting, but there are several things that, honestly, just ruined the book for me.

One problem is the constant jump in viewpoints, sometimes several times within the same scene! It makes it a quite jarring and confusing. Also, half the time I’m left wondering why the jump happened. Can’t the main character notice the tension in her ex-lover and thus relate to the reader his state of mind? Do we have to jump to his view point for a single paragraph just to find it out? And then, jump back to the main character, not even knowing if she has noticed it?

Another problem is over-explaining and including irrelevant information. The first AI chapter is a perfect example. Before the chapter, there is an odd event that happens and the characters are trying to figure it out, there is a sense of mystery and creeping doom, since if they are correct in their guesses, things are bad – very bad. Then we get the AI chapter, which (obnoxiously) recaps everything that just happened and confirms the worst fears of the characters. In the very next chapter, the AI reveals this information to the characters. Now, why couldn’t I learn this information with the characters? Why couldn’t I experience the emotional impact together with the characters? I actually have no good answers for these questions.

It completely undermined the tension and the interest I had in the story.

Another problem is that the book insists on telling us detailed backstories that are better left to the imagination. We find out early that two of the characters previously hooked up. Instead of exploring that relationship in real time through glances, off-the cuff comments to each other, or other nuanced ways, we get a flashback and a straight up explanation of their relationship. Yay. That was fascinating to read. (That was sarcasm, by the way).

Now that I write it all out, I realize that this book’s main problem, out of which the others stem, is underestimating the reader. We’re not stupid, we get it. If a character start to focus on someone’s lips, that probably means they’re interested. We don’t need a paragraph explaining it to us. It completely halts the pacing of the story and makes it difficult to care about what happens next.

How deadly are these flaws? I couldn’t finish LISTENING to the book. And I have 1 hour every single night, while I try to put my baby to sleep to listen to something, anything. And I often would just sit there in silence while my baby tossed and turned in bed.

So, yea Skip it! ( )

Orbs is a science fiction thriller that keeps you cringing and worrying about what's out there and what could happen if it came here! Set in the far future, earth is in trouble- we've abused natural resources and now, what's left is wanted by another more ominous, vicious being. Can humanity be saved? The Orbs series, written by Nicholas Sansbury Smith, is one of the best sci-fi tales I've read this year so far!
Orbs. What are they? What's inside them? Do you really want to now?

Deep within Cheyenne Mountain, Dr. Sophie Winston has been with her team, doing their best to save humanity, and prep for their trip for Mars, but the world has vanished!, and there are things topside, glowing orbs all about the earth. When Sophie and a few team mates venture out, they're introduced to the New World Order. they also find out, the aliens that now rule the land, want nothing to do with humans...

This is a nightmarish science fiction thriller! The descriptions, the story is strong and the details are horrific! It's so good, you can't do anything but push forward. Orbs shows the determination of humans wanting to survive, and the things that say different.

Check out the series review by visiting areneehuntdotcom

Orbs
Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Simon & Shuster
May 6, 2014 ( )

Orbs is truly a horrible book. The science is unbelievably bad, the writing is pretty bad, the plot is hideous, predictable, and stereotypical, and I can't believe I actually bought this book. It has to do with "biomes," which scientists, psychologists, computer nerds, etc., are to be living in and working in in a large cave for several months in preparation for transition to Mars, in part to see if they can withstand the radiation they will encounter on Mars. So, then why is the biome built deep underground, shielding it from said radiation, when its stated ultimate purpose is for a trip to Mars during which it will be subjected to more radiation than it would be on Earth? That literally makes no sense. And why is the leader of this group of professionals a particle physicist? Why is she even needed? She would have nothing to do with a project like this, in terms of her profession. And why in the hell does she hate the AI so damn much? It's like she has a personal vendetta against the AI, who could and is very helpful to and for the group. For that matter, why is a psychologist needed, and even a computer nerd/hacker, who incidentally has such a damned nasty and irritating personality that you hope the Marines who show up later either beat the shit out of him or "accidentally" shoot him. To death. God, that guy is a fucking asshole!

Character development is largely lacking in this book, aside from perhaps the protagonist. Most of the other characters remain empty shells of nothingness we never really get to know. The aliens who come want to steal our water supply. Not exactly new. Okay, they're blobs, but that's not exactly exciting either. The kids are freaky, the Marines are stereotypes, the science suspect. All in all, not a good effort, not a good book. Maybe one of the author's other books might be better. I haven't read anything else by this author, so I am willing to give him another chance. Nonetheless, one star and not recommended. ( )

Orbs is a fascinating fantasy/sci-fi book about a team going into a Biosphere for a test to see if humans could populate Mars. Some odd and terrifying things happen while in the dome. The animals all start dying of fright. Something outside the dome is scaring them to death. It is decided to put on hazmat suits and see what is out there. What they find, or don't find, is shocking and then the excitement really starts! I can't tell more, just that there are aliens, non-stop action, great plot, well developed characters, and a great imagination at work. I read it in one sitting, I couldn't stop. Realistic action scenes, play by play, blow by blow but it flows fast on paper as if it is in real time. The author has a real gift. Loved this book. He has two more out so I will have to read those also. I received this book for a honest review from NetGalley and it in no way effected my rating or content of this review. ( )

My inclination was to give the book two stars, but the story was all right and it wasn't poorly written. I think my biggest issue was not identifying with the characters, as they seemed more like caricatures or stereotypes (and the dialogue could have been better - it just seemed so... sci-fi B-movie-ish). ( )