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bookworm_94 's review for:
The Present
by Kenneth Thomas
If you’ve read the first book from Kennet Thomas’ modern dystopian trilogy, then you will most likely want to get your hands on his second book: VanWest: The Present… immediately! The Past certainly set the bar high and you might find yourself expecting more from Kenneth Thomas than you thought you would be. Worry not - you are in luck as the continuation of VanWest’s adventures do not disappoints in any way. Just like Thomas’ first book, The Present will shake you with buzz and excitement, and I guarantee you will not be able to put it down until you satisfy your curiosity and read it from cover to cover!
The Prologue’s purpose is to summarize the main events that happen in the first book and remind the readers of the most important change in VanWest’s life, which led him here – on a mission to fly to Mars at the beginning of the second book. Even though it is a detailed prologue and I can critique it in no way whatsoever, I would still recommend that you read the first book from the trilogy in order to understand the world and the characters the best way possible.
Even though The Present doesn’t take you on an adventurous jump through time like The Past does, it does have its unique features. It not only presents some new and exciting characters (such as Method A – an underground warlord), but it also allows you to get to know them, and the returning ones as well, on a deeper level. Unlike the first book, which is told solely from VanWest’s perspective, in the second book Thomas takes a different approach and changes POVs. By doing this the author gives his other characters their own unique voices as well. This particular technique benefits to the story because it shakes it up and makes it even more entertaining and intriguing.
Another thing that you might enjoy is how The Present gradually develops VanWest as a character. While in the first book we were only introduced to his attractive personality and an envious ability to keep a clear head, the second book reveals his background and his past that makes him such a complex and relatable character. The author uses flashbacks to show us VanWest’s memories of his early Enforcer training as a clone, programmed and brainwashed by the Universal Council to serve them and their cause.
Under the spotlight VanWest will be forced to confront his own dark past in order to be victorious in his quest against the University Council. This is the main reason why he travels to the Red planet (an empty and uninhabited place), which builds tension and makes you eager to find out what comes next. Thomas’ second novel doesn’t lack action scenes and just like the first one exceeds at making you hungry for more.
The plot of The Present is thickened with a lot of intrigues, drama, alliances forming and breaking with the speed of a lightning, structured engaging dialogue and plot twists that will make you refuse to blink (otherwise you might miss something important)! Personally, I can’t wait to find out what the future holds for VanWest and his comrades! I am pretty excited about the third book from the trilogy (expected to be published in 2023).
The Prologue’s purpose is to summarize the main events that happen in the first book and remind the readers of the most important change in VanWest’s life, which led him here – on a mission to fly to Mars at the beginning of the second book. Even though it is a detailed prologue and I can critique it in no way whatsoever, I would still recommend that you read the first book from the trilogy in order to understand the world and the characters the best way possible.
Even though The Present doesn’t take you on an adventurous jump through time like The Past does, it does have its unique features. It not only presents some new and exciting characters (such as Method A – an underground warlord), but it also allows you to get to know them, and the returning ones as well, on a deeper level. Unlike the first book, which is told solely from VanWest’s perspective, in the second book Thomas takes a different approach and changes POVs. By doing this the author gives his other characters their own unique voices as well. This particular technique benefits to the story because it shakes it up and makes it even more entertaining and intriguing.
Another thing that you might enjoy is how The Present gradually develops VanWest as a character. While in the first book we were only introduced to his attractive personality and an envious ability to keep a clear head, the second book reveals his background and his past that makes him such a complex and relatable character. The author uses flashbacks to show us VanWest’s memories of his early Enforcer training as a clone, programmed and brainwashed by the Universal Council to serve them and their cause.
Under the spotlight VanWest will be forced to confront his own dark past in order to be victorious in his quest against the University Council. This is the main reason why he travels to the Red planet (an empty and uninhabited place), which builds tension and makes you eager to find out what comes next. Thomas’ second novel doesn’t lack action scenes and just like the first one exceeds at making you hungry for more.
The plot of The Present is thickened with a lot of intrigues, drama, alliances forming and breaking with the speed of a lightning, structured engaging dialogue and plot twists that will make you refuse to blink (otherwise you might miss something important)! Personally, I can’t wait to find out what the future holds for VanWest and his comrades! I am pretty excited about the third book from the trilogy (expected to be published in 2023).