Review by Albert Reyes -- Homecoming by Jude Austin
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Review by Albert Reyes -- Homecoming by Jude Austin
[Following is a volunteer review of "Homecoming" by Jude Austin.]
Homecoming (Projects Book 2) by Jude Austin is a sequel to Project Tau. It follows right after Kata and Tau escape from the lab in a space shuttle. They arrive at a planet called Sedna. They want to reach a world called Trandellia, Kata's homeworld, in order to escape from GenTech, a company that claims Kata and Tau as their projects. However, the duo needs a different space shuttle with the ability to take them to Trandellia. They stay inside a motel. Kata goes out to fetch some food and clothes, but on his way, he's knocked out by something mysterious. The rest of the book is filled with different troubles coming along as well as various forms of help that join in.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because there's a lot of exploration of the story's universe. While the first book mainly took place in the GenTech lab, this book has Kata and Tau traveling in space, visiting different worlds, and so much more. It also makes some improvements over the first book. In my review of Project Tau, I mentioned that I felt like the prologue was unnecessary and out of place since the prologue took place chronologically before the last two chapters of the first book, and it distracted from the narration from the rest of the story. In this book, there's no prologue, and everything is in chronological order. The story is straightforward for me to read because there's no jumping between different times. I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one. Readers also get to hear a lot more from characters other than Kata. I didn't give this book less than 4 stars because I enjoyed the story all the way.
What I liked most about this book is Tau. In Project Tau, readers saw him grow in his knowledge about the universe through the information Kata told him. In Homecoming, he faces the real world, and Austin does an excellent job in showcasing how Tau responds to different environments. Tau goes from overwhelmed to in awe. He went from hinging on Kata to criticizing Kata. Seeing Tau grow has not only left readers feeling proud of him but also taught us when to trust our environment. It's good that Homecoming has placed a little more focus on Tau.
I disliked how Homecoming didn't have any significant plot twist like Project Tau. In the first book, there was the question of whether Kata was the real Kalin Taylor or just a clone. Although the second book does explore the mysteries of Kata's life, there's no central question that arrives about the identity of Kata or any of the other characters. The other thing that I disliked is how the story's events don't lead up to one big event. The problems in the story feel like they come and go. In Project Tau, the whole book was about trying to escape the GenTech lab. Homecoming didn't feel like a solid story because another trouble followed each problem that was solved. This prevents me from feeling worried about the characters since I know how the formula works.
This book would appeal to anyone interested in science fiction and adventure. There's no action like lasers or explosions, but there are advanced technology and exploration of the universe. I would not recommend this book to anyone uncomfortable with profanity or gruesome injuries.
******
Homecoming
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Homecoming (Projects Book 2) by Jude Austin is a sequel to Project Tau. It follows right after Kata and Tau escape from the lab in a space shuttle. They arrive at a planet called Sedna. They want to reach a world called Trandellia, Kata's homeworld, in order to escape from GenTech, a company that claims Kata and Tau as their projects. However, the duo needs a different space shuttle with the ability to take them to Trandellia. They stay inside a motel. Kata goes out to fetch some food and clothes, but on his way, he's knocked out by something mysterious. The rest of the book is filled with different troubles coming along as well as various forms of help that join in.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because there's a lot of exploration of the story's universe. While the first book mainly took place in the GenTech lab, this book has Kata and Tau traveling in space, visiting different worlds, and so much more. It also makes some improvements over the first book. In my review of Project Tau, I mentioned that I felt like the prologue was unnecessary and out of place since the prologue took place chronologically before the last two chapters of the first book, and it distracted from the narration from the rest of the story. In this book, there's no prologue, and everything is in chronological order. The story is straightforward for me to read because there's no jumping between different times. I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one. Readers also get to hear a lot more from characters other than Kata. I didn't give this book less than 4 stars because I enjoyed the story all the way.
What I liked most about this book is Tau. In Project Tau, readers saw him grow in his knowledge about the universe through the information Kata told him. In Homecoming, he faces the real world, and Austin does an excellent job in showcasing how Tau responds to different environments. Tau goes from overwhelmed to in awe. He went from hinging on Kata to criticizing Kata. Seeing Tau grow has not only left readers feeling proud of him but also taught us when to trust our environment. It's good that Homecoming has placed a little more focus on Tau.
I disliked how Homecoming didn't have any significant plot twist like Project Tau. In the first book, there was the question of whether Kata was the real Kalin Taylor or just a clone. Although the second book does explore the mysteries of Kata's life, there's no central question that arrives about the identity of Kata or any of the other characters. The other thing that I disliked is how the story's events don't lead up to one big event. The problems in the story feel like they come and go. In Project Tau, the whole book was about trying to escape the GenTech lab. Homecoming didn't feel like a solid story because another trouble followed each problem that was solved. This prevents me from feeling worried about the characters since I know how the formula works.
This book would appeal to anyone interested in science fiction and adventure. There's no action like lasers or explosions, but there are advanced technology and exploration of the universe. I would not recommend this book to anyone uncomfortable with profanity or gruesome injuries.
******
Homecoming
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Grace Revealed by Frederick J. Sievert
