TitaniumTi
Well-Known Member
Extracted Trilogy by R.R.Haywood
Book 1 - Extracted
Book 2 - Executed
Occasionally, the protagonists in a book come alive and sweep me along with their story. This happened with Extracted, and again with Executed.
In 2061, young man invents a time machine. After the end of the world is discovered, three heroes are extracted from their timelines. Can they save the future? The author has turned this simple plot into something original, with drama, vivid characterisation and black humour.
The author has taken risks by subverting currently accepted "rules" of story-telling, but I think these unconventional choices have mostly payed off. I'm not sure how to classify the POV; it is omniscient, I think, but also ventures into shifting close-third POV. Despite this, I was never confused as to whose thoughts I was eavesdropping on. I was startled by the use of present tense, but I thought this offset the distancing effect of the omniscient POV.
Extracted is a weaker book than Executed, as indicated by their ratings. Extracted gets 3.8 and 4.0 on Goodreads and Amazon respectively, while Executed gets 4.5 and 4.8. The middle of Extracted drags, telling far too much about one protagonist's problems. However, both books kept me guessing, neither book finished on a cliff-hanger, and questions were answered at the end of each book, with just enough uncertainty to keep me keen for the next book.
If you like original science fantasy stories, told in an unconventional style, I recommend both books. Be warned, however: expletives are used liberally in both books, the violent scenes are intense, and there is depiction of a sexual assault in Extracted.
Book 1 - Extracted
Book 2 - Executed
Occasionally, the protagonists in a book come alive and sweep me along with their story. This happened with Extracted, and again with Executed.
In 2061, young man invents a time machine. After the end of the world is discovered, three heroes are extracted from their timelines. Can they save the future? The author has turned this simple plot into something original, with drama, vivid characterisation and black humour.
The author has taken risks by subverting currently accepted "rules" of story-telling, but I think these unconventional choices have mostly payed off. I'm not sure how to classify the POV; it is omniscient, I think, but also ventures into shifting close-third POV. Despite this, I was never confused as to whose thoughts I was eavesdropping on. I was startled by the use of present tense, but I thought this offset the distancing effect of the omniscient POV.
Extracted is a weaker book than Executed, as indicated by their ratings. Extracted gets 3.8 and 4.0 on Goodreads and Amazon respectively, while Executed gets 4.5 and 4.8. The middle of Extracted drags, telling far too much about one protagonist's problems. However, both books kept me guessing, neither book finished on a cliff-hanger, and questions were answered at the end of each book, with just enough uncertainty to keep me keen for the next book.
If you like original science fantasy stories, told in an unconventional style, I recommend both books. Be warned, however: expletives are used liberally in both books, the violent scenes are intense, and there is depiction of a sexual assault in Extracted.
