Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays

THE FOLD

Author: Peter Clines
Series: Threshold #2
Source: Purchased from BookOutlet
Publisher: Crown
Publication Date: June 2, 2015

Summary:
STEP INTO THE FOLD.
IT’S PERFECTLY SAFE.

The folks in Mike Erikson's small New England town would say he's just your average, everyday guy. And that's exactly how Mike likes it. Sure, the life he's chosen isn’t much of a challenge to someone with his unique gifts, but he’s content with his quiet and peaceful existence. 

That is, until an old friend presents him with an irresistible mystery, one that Mike is uniquely qualified to solve: far out in the California desert, a team of DARPA scientists has invented a device they affectionately call the Albuquerque Door. Using a cryptic computer equation and magnetic fields to “fold” dimensions, it shrinks distances so that a traveler can travel hundreds of feet with a single step.

The invention promises to make mankind’s dreams of teleportation a reality. And, the scientists insist, traveling through the Door is completely safe.

Yet evidence is mounting that this miraculous machine isn’t quite what it seems—and that its creators are harboring a dangerous secret.  

As his investigations draw him deeper into the puzzle, Mike begins to fear there’s only one answer that makes sense. And if he’s right, it may only be a matter of time before the project destroys…everything.  

A cunningly inventive mystery featuring a hero worthy of Sherlock Holmes and a terrifying final twist you’ll never see coming, The Fold is that rarest of things: a genuinely page-turning science-fiction thriller. Step inside its pages and learn why author Peter Clines has already won legions of loyal fans.

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

TLDR: I liked a lot about this one and there was some of it that was meh about it. I liked the writing style and the characters a lot but I thought the ending was a little rushed and not as interesting as I would have liked. It could have been really great but ended up just being mediocre and disappointing.

Quick and Dirty Summary: A team of scientists discovers a way to teleport matter between two rings but they are, obviously, secretive about how the technology works, and why they insist on testing it for another year before publically announcing the breakthrough. But then strange things start to happen as people start behaving in odd ways. To make sure they are ready for launch date, the government oversight asks Mike Erikson, a man with a perfect memory, to visit the facility and find out what the team is hiding before ruling on whether or not to extend funding. Things get weird (and dangerous) very quickly.

The first part of this book was fantastic! A solid 5/5 but it really dropped the ball near the end and made me want to put it down - even though it has so many twists and turns throughout it. I thought that there was a lot of really interesting ways of including the "science" part of this science fiction novel, but overall I just hated how rushed it felt at the end. It didn't satisfy my need for a good conclusion. I would have liked a little more time spent on it.

But really, the writing was great! It keep me reading and moving - not wanting to put the book down, but didn't make the science too overcomplicated that I couldn't "get it" easily (which is always a turn off for me!). I liked how the characters developed and seeing how the relationships grew throughout the book.

I though that the premise was really intriguing and I loved watching how Mike figured out what was going on! I was trying to figure it out myself and I liked seeing how my ideas aligned with some of what Mike thought. I really liked what the solution was to this ended up being and how Mike figured it out! But the actual outcome was really meh. The last 100 pages took this from a stellar book to a mediocre one very quickly.

Really if it wasn't for the ending, this would be a solid novel! I definitely still recommend you picking it up and giving it a go!

What are your favourite Science Fiction books?