Review of Nowhere to Hide
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Haime Alshaef
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Review of Nowhere to Hide
[Following is a volunteer review of "Nowhere to Hide" by Jude Austin.]
Danger lurks in every corner. Even after escaping GenTech and securing their freedom against them in a heart-stopping legal battle, Kata and Tau cannot escape danger’s tight grip. And when vasari Adrianne Demont sent all the Cahrini holin under her command to raid a field hospital on Atthiras for an unknown reason, Kata found himself racing against time to navigate between deceptive enemies and uncover the web of corruption, lies, and hidden agendas that spanned across planets, all the while battling his inner demons. Will Kata find out the truth of the holin’s mission? Can he stop it? Or will he be forced to look over his shoulders for the rest of his life?
Jude Austin’s Nowhere to Hide is the riveting third installment in her Five Worlds series, and this book is just as incredible as the first two. Austin is an expert when it comes to world-building. She thoroughly explained the planets, how they came to be, their government systems, and the different kinds of people and creatures. I particularly enjoyed learning about the strirla, swifferfish, and her descriptions of the exotic trees and parks that decorated Akkhen and Suliko.
However, her expertise doesn’t end with just world-building. Her characterizations are utterly captivating. Each carefully crafted persona encompasses a blend of strengths, weaknesses, resilience, and complexity, inviting us all to journey alongside the highs and lows of their fictional existence. Each character has their own personality and flaws, and they all breathe so much life into the pages. Kata can be stubborn and brash, and at times, even I get frustrated with him. But Austin explains his thought processes and why he acts the way he does, and it makes him relatable in a sense. I may not have gone through what he has, but I can put myself in his shoes and feel what he’s feeling. Unlike many other authors, Austin doesn’t shy away from the horrors and pain of reality. She acknowledges that the things her characters have suffered are extremely traumatic, and she makes sure to show the mental effects through flashbacks, panic attacks, and more. Even though Alan Morgan has been nothing but kind and patient with Kata, it isn’t easy for Kata to overcome all the trust issues he gained from GenTech, so we see him lashing out against Alan a couple of times when he feels scared and vulnerable. He is also very witty and often uses humor and sarcasm to cover up his emotions, and that allows us to get a glimpse of his character while also cutting up the tension in the book with some humor and amusement.
Another thing I liked was that Austin would put the location and date for each event at the beginning of each chapter. With so many characters and so many catastrophes, it can be a little hard to keep track of the timeline and what’s happening and where, so having that was super helpful in allowing me to understand the story.
To be honest, there was nothing that I disliked. The book was very long—over 700 pages—but the pacing was perfect. The story wasn’t rushed in some places and slow in others, and it didn’t drag on to the point where I was sick of reading. It took time to get through the book, but it was enjoyable. With that being said, there is one thing that I wish was added. I would’ve loved to have some pictures either at the beginning of the story, at the end, or at the beginning of each chapter. Austin’s world was described as being very different from our own, and it would’ve been interesting to see the exotic flora and fauna so that I could fully visualize it in my mind while reading.
But while I feel that the pictures would’ve improved the reading experience, I still believe that the story is incredible the way it is, so I’d be happy to rate this book 5 out of 5 stars! It was exceptionally well-edited. I didn’t find a single error, which allowed for a smooth and seamless reading. As the author has mentioned, this book falls under the category of sci-fi realism, so there are no lasers or time travel. It also gets quite dark. People are murdered, places are burned, and horror and darkness are very strong themes throughout. So if you’re hoping for a light-hearted read, then this isn’t the story for you. This book is also rife with profanity, courtesy of Kata, so I wouldn’t recommend it to people who aren’t comfortable with such things. Length may also pose an issue. As I’ve mentioned, the book is over 700 pages, and it doesn’t quite work as a standalone. You need to read the first two books to understand what’s happening and build a relationship with the characters. So there is a bit of a commitment. However, I do think that it’s well worth the time, because this book and this series are truly masterpieces!
******
Nowhere to Hide
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Danger lurks in every corner. Even after escaping GenTech and securing their freedom against them in a heart-stopping legal battle, Kata and Tau cannot escape danger’s tight grip. And when vasari Adrianne Demont sent all the Cahrini holin under her command to raid a field hospital on Atthiras for an unknown reason, Kata found himself racing against time to navigate between deceptive enemies and uncover the web of corruption, lies, and hidden agendas that spanned across planets, all the while battling his inner demons. Will Kata find out the truth of the holin’s mission? Can he stop it? Or will he be forced to look over his shoulders for the rest of his life?
Jude Austin’s Nowhere to Hide is the riveting third installment in her Five Worlds series, and this book is just as incredible as the first two. Austin is an expert when it comes to world-building. She thoroughly explained the planets, how they came to be, their government systems, and the different kinds of people and creatures. I particularly enjoyed learning about the strirla, swifferfish, and her descriptions of the exotic trees and parks that decorated Akkhen and Suliko.
However, her expertise doesn’t end with just world-building. Her characterizations are utterly captivating. Each carefully crafted persona encompasses a blend of strengths, weaknesses, resilience, and complexity, inviting us all to journey alongside the highs and lows of their fictional existence. Each character has their own personality and flaws, and they all breathe so much life into the pages. Kata can be stubborn and brash, and at times, even I get frustrated with him. But Austin explains his thought processes and why he acts the way he does, and it makes him relatable in a sense. I may not have gone through what he has, but I can put myself in his shoes and feel what he’s feeling. Unlike many other authors, Austin doesn’t shy away from the horrors and pain of reality. She acknowledges that the things her characters have suffered are extremely traumatic, and she makes sure to show the mental effects through flashbacks, panic attacks, and more. Even though Alan Morgan has been nothing but kind and patient with Kata, it isn’t easy for Kata to overcome all the trust issues he gained from GenTech, so we see him lashing out against Alan a couple of times when he feels scared and vulnerable. He is also very witty and often uses humor and sarcasm to cover up his emotions, and that allows us to get a glimpse of his character while also cutting up the tension in the book with some humor and amusement.
Another thing I liked was that Austin would put the location and date for each event at the beginning of each chapter. With so many characters and so many catastrophes, it can be a little hard to keep track of the timeline and what’s happening and where, so having that was super helpful in allowing me to understand the story.
To be honest, there was nothing that I disliked. The book was very long—over 700 pages—but the pacing was perfect. The story wasn’t rushed in some places and slow in others, and it didn’t drag on to the point where I was sick of reading. It took time to get through the book, but it was enjoyable. With that being said, there is one thing that I wish was added. I would’ve loved to have some pictures either at the beginning of the story, at the end, or at the beginning of each chapter. Austin’s world was described as being very different from our own, and it would’ve been interesting to see the exotic flora and fauna so that I could fully visualize it in my mind while reading.
But while I feel that the pictures would’ve improved the reading experience, I still believe that the story is incredible the way it is, so I’d be happy to rate this book 5 out of 5 stars! It was exceptionally well-edited. I didn’t find a single error, which allowed for a smooth and seamless reading. As the author has mentioned, this book falls under the category of sci-fi realism, so there are no lasers or time travel. It also gets quite dark. People are murdered, places are burned, and horror and darkness are very strong themes throughout. So if you’re hoping for a light-hearted read, then this isn’t the story for you. This book is also rife with profanity, courtesy of Kata, so I wouldn’t recommend it to people who aren’t comfortable with such things. Length may also pose an issue. As I’ve mentioned, the book is over 700 pages, and it doesn’t quite work as a standalone. You need to read the first two books to understand what’s happening and build a relationship with the characters. So there is a bit of a commitment. However, I do think that it’s well worth the time, because this book and this series are truly masterpieces!
******
Nowhere to Hide
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Latest Review: Mike & Alex by Peter van Wermeskerken
