Official Review: From Whence They Came by Thomas Zman

[Scerakor]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "From Whence They Came" by Thomas Zman.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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As far back as 1950, the Devil’s Triangle (more often known as the Bermuda triangle) has been singled out as a location with a high incidence of mysterious disappearances. Boats and planes alike have fallen prey to this dangerous (and potentially supernatural?) corner of the North Atlantic Ocean. From Whence They Came by Thomas Zman begins as Lt. Steve Coleman and Captain Frank Tober, test pilots in the United States Air Force, are headed out on a test flight in just this region of the North Atlantic. As has happened many times before, communications with the plane are lost and all controls are no longer responding. As the aircraft plummets (surprisingly controlled) into the depths of the Atlantic, Lt. Coleman would never believe that he was about to not only discover the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle but also much more than he could ever imagine.

These two pilots wake up groggy and find themselves abducted by an alien race, the Phoebians. They are in an immense cavern found one league under the ocean in a city called Neuphobes. This city, one of several around Earth, are the hide-outs/bases of the Phoebians, their technology, and the humans that have been selected to join their ranks. These aliens arrived on Earth in order to build a new world and correct the mistakes they made on their home planet. The main goal of these aliens and their human workers is to serve the Sanctification: the awaiting of the second coming. The story follows Steve as he discovers more about Earth than he ever thought possible, adapts to life in Neuphobes, and builds personal relationships.

From Whence They Came is a very creative and detailed science fiction novel that has taken a unique spin on an extraterrestrial presence on Earth and one that links it up to some unsolved mysteries (such as the Bermuda Triangle). Zman builds not only the story at hand, but also the backstory behind the aliens' presence (and their activities) extremely well. He is a master of descriptions and lays out the scene for you in a way that makes you feel as if you are actually present in Neuphobes. The explanations of the engineering used in the cavern, the physics used in space travel, and the style of life (as well as many other elements) are enough to have you seriously consider whether or not these concepts could actually be a reality. What I liked the most about this book was that although the Phoebians are abducting and using human beings to work for the Sanctification, this story really focusses on all of the positive aspects they are bringing to these members of the human race. All of the humans involved in this story that have been living with the aliens feel blessed, in good health, and overall they are content.

Unfortunately, there were several things that I didn’t enjoy about this book. There were several spelling mistakes that I picked up on throughout the book, but not enough to take away from the flow of the book. In fact, they may already be taken care of as there was an update to the book during the course of my review. Even though it was a slightly recurring theme, I got the impression that the humans that were abducted have been a little bit quick to forget their previous lives. Some people (like Steve Coleman) do worry and think about loved ones they left behind, but nobody makes any attempt to either escape or get back to their families except for one minor incident at the end of the book. I believe that it is human nature to attempt escape and seek freedom after being taken prisoner and that this takes away from a bit of the realism. What I disliked the most is that at times it really felt like I was only reading half of a book. Despite the excellent descriptions alluded to above, nothing significant really happened during the course of the novel. After the abduction, there was very little action, plot, conflict, or conundrums. I felt like I was reading the history and geographic descriptions within The Lord of the Rings without ever seeing a fight scene or a trek to Mordor.

I really struggled in deciding what to give this book. I feel a bit harsh but eventually decided to give this book 2 out of 4 stars. Although it was well written and an extremely interesting world was created (this is why I didn't give it any lower) I rated it a two since there was really not much going on in terms of a story/plot. With a bit of work to include some action and/or conflict, this could be an excellent book. If you are a fan of alien abduction and science-fiction stories with well-researched backgrounds, you may enjoy this book. If you are a suspense/thriller/plot-junkie, you may find this one wanting.

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From Whence They Came
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Like Scerakor's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Bakayoko]

i loved the book. Good indepth content.

[Miriamsam]

Great review. Now I won't look for the book if it lacks the action.

[Sakib]

Wounderful book

[kandscreeley]

Sounds interesting. It's too bad that nothing really happened after the abduction. That seems a little odd. Ah well. Thanks for the review.

[The Researcher]

The topic relates to bermuda triangle disappearances is quite interesting. Too bad the novel lacks imagination and has too many editing errors.

[Juliet Esther]

Haven't read it though i am planning to, i think the story follows an interesting plot and i hope the book has been updated and the errors corrected. Great review

[juliusotinyo]

Hi, nice content in this story, its unfortunate there wasn't much action after the abduction.
However, I believe the Bermuda triangle is different from the devil's sea/triangle which is in the Pacific

[bookiegalke]

I've always preferred watching a thriller as opposed to reading it but I wouldn't mind reading it. good review

[LadyClaire]

Your review is very informative, Scerakor. I definitely will find it hard to enjoy a book that explains a lot with no action to balance up. I do hope those errors are corrected.

[kimmyschemy06]

That was a very honest review. I have to agree about the book being unique in that this is the first book I encounter that features extraterrestrial being that is linked with an unsolved mystery. Too bad about the inadequate action scenes. Good job on the review.