Series Recap: Partials by Dan Wells

Reading Order:

Isolation (Book 0.5, Published on August 28, 2012)
Partials (Book 1, Published on February 28, 2012)
Fragments (Book 2, Published on February 26, 2013)
Ruins (Book 3, Published on March 4, 2014)

Click the titles to check out my reviews.

***

Synopsis Recap:

Partials Sequence is set in a post-apocalyptic America which is nearly destroyed by the RM virus. Humans are struggling to survive even though they're slowly dying away. Kira, a young medic, is trying to find a cure. She captures a Partial in order to so. As time passes, she finds more than just the cure. She finds something deeper. Something about the connection between Partials, humans, the virus, and the world before. Something about her past, as well. In this series Kira will set out for a journey in order to uncover all the truth and work to make peace between Partials and humans -- for peace, and survival.

Isolation is a prequel of the series. It takes us back to the world before, in the period of the Isolation War. Heron is a Theta model of Partial, and her job is to infiltrate the enemy's base. But what she learn is not just tactics of the enemies. It hints about how the world in Partials is made and also the consequences in Fragments.

***

Thoughts recap:

Partials is a pretty nice book if the finding-the-cure progress isn't so slow. So much more can happen in this book. But the concept is great. The better part is that we won't notice something's wrong or something's really interesting until Kira finds out about it. The author keeps the clues well-hidden. It might be the best start of a series, but it certain does its job to make us curious.

Fragments has a similar problem. It's more fast-paced than Partials. But still, if there are more action scenes, the book will be a whole lot more interesting. Though there are really good parts. A lot is uncovered in this book and the ending sets an uncertainty of how the sequel will turn out to be. Sure, it has its flaws, but Fragments is a lot better than Partials.

Ruins keeps you in the dark until the last minute. You won't know if humans and Partials survive until the very last chapter. Potential threats are found in unexpected site, and unexpected allies are made. It's pretty damn thrilling from the first chapter of the book. The only flaw about this book is that there are a lot of things left out in the book. (Spoiler! Don't read this part if you don't want to be spoiled) Such as the failsafe in Kira (because I really want to see that becoming a potential threat) and the Partial faction Morgan is leading (End of spoiler). Still, it's a really nice ending of a dystopian story.

Isolation is pretty different. For some reason I really like that companion novella. Probably because I'm very curious about how the world was in the Isolation War. And how it leads to the utter destruction of mankind and Partials alike. I actually want a prequel series about legends in the world before (probably in the period of the Isolation War). A prequel novella will do, though.

Rating: 7.5/10
Do I recommend this series?: If you want to read it, just do so.

Ruins: Review

Synopsis:

Kira, Samm, and Marcus fight to prevent a final war between Partials and humans in the gripping final installment in the Partials Sequence, a series that combines the thrilling action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Blade Runner and The Stand.

There is no avoiding it—the war to decide the fate of both humans and Partials is at hand. Both sides hold in their possession a weapon that could destroy the other, and Kira Walker has precious little time to prevent that from happening. She has one chance to save both species and the world with them, but it will only come at great personal cost.

***

Oh yeah. This book. It takes sci-fi and dystopian and life to a whole new level. Ruins mean so much more than just a book categorized as a YA novel. It evolves so much and is just better than its prequels. I might have to say someone needs to read this series just so he or she can read Ruins and see for himself or herself how awesome this book truly is. 

The first one-third of the story is so purely sci-fi. And of course I'm hooked. Come on, who knows how brilliant the connection between Partials and humans can be when it's actually revealed? Sad that I can't talk about it right now because that'll be spoiler. But seriously that part is freaking awesome and I find my jaw hanging like no tomorrow.

The second one-third of the story is more dystopian and dangerous. It's still pretty fantastic because there is a lot of actions involving Kira and an unexpected ally. But for some reason the rest of it is uneventful and I'm slightly bored by by it. Not that those parts are not good. But relatively... it's just not my cup of tea. But that's not the important thing.

The last one-third of the book is the best of all. Because it's the spirit of the novel. The meaning of life. Even life at the end of the world. I'm going to spoil you just a little bit. There is a character death which I hurt over because I really like that character. But the sacrifice is glorious. It's an important part of the story because it just shows how life truly is and I'm really touched by it. It surprises me a lot because I never imagined the story would be touching. But it is, and I'm very happy about it.

Ruins has its flaws. But it's truly an amazing conclusion for a dystopian story.

Rating: 8.5/10

Synopsis Reveal: Ruins by Dan Wells

From Goodreads:

We have a blurb from Ruins, the third and FINAL installment of Partials Sequence by Dan Wells! I really can't wait to see what will happen in Ruins after the ending of Fragments!

Synopsis:

Kira, Samm, and Marcus fight to prevent a final war between Partials and humans in the gripping final installment of the blockbuster Partials Sequence.

Our time is almost up.

As the clock ticks closer and closer to the final Partial expiration date, humans and Partials stand on the brink of war. Caught in the middle, thousands of miles apart, are Samm and Kira: Samm, who is trapped on the far side of the continent beyond the vast toxic wasteland of the American Midwest; and Kira, now in the hands of Dr. Morgan, who is hell-bent on saving what's left of the Partials, even if she has to destroy Kira to do it.

The only hope lies in the hands of the scattered people of both races who seek a way to prevent the rapidly escalating conflict. But in their midst appears a mysterious figure, neither human nor Partial, with solemn warnings of the new apocalypse-one that none of them may be able to avert.

The last book in the Partials Sequence is a thrill ride of epic proportions, as the last remnants of life on our planet fight to determine its final fate.

***

Ooh, that sounds wicked! Can't wait to see what will happen.

Ruins will be released on March 11, 2014.

(Oh and I can't wait to see if Ruins will be featured in Dark Days Winter 2014 and The End is Here in Epic Reads and Pitch Dark!)

Cover Reveal: Ruins by Dan Wells

It's the cover of Ruins! And guess what? It's the most beautiful in the sequence so far! I LOVE IT!!!!

See that? Isn't it cool? Ruins... just the right cover for the book.

Ruins will be released on March 11, 2014

Aww, I'm totally obsessing over the cover now.

Short Story Review Sunday: Isolation by Dan Wells

Synopsis:

Two decades before the events of Partials, the world was locked in a different battle for survival: a global war for the last remaining oil reserves on the planet. It was for the Isolation War that the American government contracted the ParaGen Corporation to manufacture the Partials—our last hope in reclaiming energy independence from China. And it was on these fields of battle that the seeds of humanity's eventual destruction were sown.

Isolation takes us back to the front lines of this war, a time when mankind’s ambition far outstripped its foresight. Heron, a newly trained Partial soldier who specializes in infiltration, is sent on a mission deep behind enemy lines. What she discovers there has far-reaching implications—not only for the Isolation War, but for Partials and humans alike long after this war is over.

A powerful take of our world on the brink, Isolation gives readers a glimpse into the history from which Partials was born—as well as clues to where the Partials Sequence is heading next.

***

Well, it's been nearly two months since I read Fragments. And now it's the lost tale of Partials Sequence. This will be anticipating if I haven't read Partials yet, because this brings us to the front lines of the Isolation War, and how the first thought of rebellion against the humans for Partials starts. It's a very enlightening read, and very, very well written. 

We also know more about the mysterious heroine in Fragments and part of Partials, Heron. She's more than just an espionage, and more than humans can ever control. We get to see more about her training as a spy in the Chinese army, and we get to see how she's clever enough to detect the whole secret behind the whole existence of Partials. 

God it is more dystopian than ever after I read Isolation. I love Isolation.

Rating: 9/10 

Name Reveal: Partials #3 and Of Poseidon #3

Ahh, more names! This time is for the third book of Partials Sequence and Of Poseidon series (trilogies?)

Partials #3 is called:

Ruins

I love the name. Partials, Fragments, RUINS. I wonder how ruined things are in the third book since that Kira is... you know, something someone unique (huge spoiler, so I won't reveal who she really is)

The release day is currently unknown (WHAT?!)

Of Poseidon #3 is called:

Of Neptune

Uhh... okay, I totally know that Poseidon's Roman equivalent is Neptune. But I have no idea why. I mean, Neptune and Poseidon are the same person/god/whoever he is, right? What's the point? And I think there are more... aquatic Greek gods other than Poseidon and Triton.

(By the way, in case you haven't known it yet, Triton's Roman equivalent is still Triton.)

Of Neptune will be released in 2014 by Feiwel and Friends.

Fragments: Review

Synopsis:

Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence--it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that involves Kira, a plan that could save both races. Her companions are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them?

Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what's left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira's journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of postapocalyptic America, and Kira and Marcus both will discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn't even know existed.

The second installment in the pulse-pounding Partials saga is the story of the eleventh hour of humanity's time on Earth, a journey deep into places unknown to discover the means--and even more important, a reason--for our survival.

***

(This might contain spoilers)

This book is just plain nuts. Okay, maybe not the first part. But from part 2 to the end of the book, unexpected crazy stuff just popping up out of nowhere. Instant decisions are made that can surly surprise any readers. The journey is like a ride to hell, with all kinds of ups and downs. And the ending... dammit. The ending is so intense and yeah, another freaking cliffhanger. How am I gonna survive this for, what, another year, huh? 

This book brings us to a journey deep in the wasteland of America. Yeah. who would've thought Kira and her companions would make so far? They face many challenges. Some are natural hazards (well, nothing's really natural in the world of Partials, so maybe I should say relatively natural). And some are not. The stakes are just unimaginable. You can never fathom how Kira and Samm and Heron and Afa survive through the journey. This is literally one of those books that "once you pick it up, you will have to finish the whole thing before putting it down".

This book is told in dual point of view (well, mostly). Kira and Marcus. I think most readers will agree that Kira's part of story is definitely more exciting than Marcus's part. And truth to be told, I have only very faint memory about Marcus's point of view. But it's still good. I mean, Kira's journey takes her far away from Long Island, and it's a little bit hard to link everything happens in Long Island to that journey. And yeah, I have more memory about Marcus in Partials than in Fragments. So I still have the good-ole-boy Marcus image stuck in my head.

I knew that there's one love triangle in Partials Sequence. But that's was before I read Fragments. And I was like "what the hell are you talking about". Now I see where this is from. (Spoiler ahead!) There's two chapters told in Samm's point of view. And one of them is literally the cutest chapter in Fragments. Ahh, Partial boy's in love. I'm still grinning like an idiot on this. But I'm not loathed by this. That's kind of a interesting triangle, really.

As usual, Dan Well's words is appreciative. Although once again, I'm a little bit struck by how emotionless calculated the words are. I think I'm a little too used to emotional waves. The book seems... very reasonable. A little too reasonable, even. Sometimes it's kind of like a report or something. But don't get me wrong. When it comes to one of those exciting parts, everything immediately becomes very interesting. Looks like I need to get use to calculated words. Again.

(Sorry if there's some "what the hell are you talking about" parts in the review. But I'm having a fever. My mind is like goo now)

Rating: 8/10

Partials: Review

Synopsis:

The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials--engineered organic beings identical to humans--has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them--connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

Dan Wells, acclaimed author of I Am Not a Serial Killer, takes readers on a pulsepounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question--one where our humanity is both our greatest liability and our only hope for survival.

***

(This review might contain some small spoilers)

You have to believe me when I say I can't believe I actually finished this book. Because well, I've been struggling to read it but always stopped short. The book actually starts out really slow and the interesting part for me only begins in part 2. So yeah, part 1 is almost like a pain-in-my-ass to read. 

But when it comes to part 2 of the story, things become more and more interesting. There are Partial characters that involved with human characters. And yeah, you might think Partials are machines (biological machines. But machines nonetheless). And in a way they are. But they have a mind of their own too, which is somehow... fascinating. Who knows a Partial can care for a human?

The best part of the book is probably those medical things. Yep, I'm a big fan of medical stuff and I always want to be a doctor. And the RM, the Spore, the Blob, the Predator, and the Lurker. They are horrifying yet really amazing. It's like you are the one watching RM functioning itself. Those experiments are quite a ride of heart, somehow. I love it.

And Kira... well, Kira doesn't make a very strong impression on me. But at least I don't despise her. I think she truly deserves a better life with a boy that she truly wants to be. There are rumors (actually, they are more facts than rumors) that there will be a love triangle brewing in Partials (and possibly Fragments). And I was like "not again". But much to my surprise and relief, there are really few jealous moments in Partials. And there's the whole what-really-is-Kira thing. And damn if that's not one big cliffhanger in Partials. 

I said that the book starts out really slow. And indeed it is. It's almost painful to read the first part of the story. But the plot gets better and better throughout the book. Interesting stuff always pop out from nowhere in part 2 and 3 of the story. There's the relationship. Complicated, but not complicated enough to make me annoyed. I think I'm starting to learn how to like this series. Even though this is not the best dystopian series I've ever read.

Rating: 7/10

Dark Days Revealed: Book 3, 5, 6

Another post for The Dark Days!

I miss one book on day 2, so it's time reveal both day 2 and day 3 dystopian novels!

Book 3: Through The Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.

Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

Check out the whole reveal here: http://myoverstuffedbookshelf.blogspot.hk/2012/12/dark-days-author-reveal-3.html?spref=tw


Book 5: Fragments by Dan Wells

Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is only just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues as to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence—it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that Kira knows she is a part of, a plan that could save both races. Her allies are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them?
Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what’s left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira’s journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of postapocalyptic America, and they will both discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn’t even know existed.

Check out the reveal here: http://www.emilysreadingroom.com/2012/12/dark-days-blog-tour-reveal.html


Book 6: Requiem by Lauren Oliver (REQUIEM!!!!)

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.


Check out the reveal here:  http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.hk/2012/12/pitch-dark-days-revealed.html

It's from YA Sisterhood, so make sure to check out Requiem!

Aren't you excited for a Dark Days read in 2013?