2024 the best of us review

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(as of Dec 11, 2024 15:53:14 UTC - Details)

Half the world is a wasteland; the other half is on borrowed time.

The West has been devastated by epidemics, bio-terrorism, war, and famine. Asia has shut its borders to keep the threats at bay, and some with power and influence have already abandoned Earth. Now an escape route a century in the making - the Nomad mission - finally offers hope to a small town and a secret research centre hidden in a rural American backwater.

Shrouded in lies and concealed even from the research centre's staff, Nomad is about to fulfil its long-dead founder's vision of preserving the best of humanity to forge a new future. But who decides who's worthy? The mission is now in the hands of a unique AI called Solomon, and an encounter with a band of military veterans reshapes his plans for mankind's future after the arrival of a scientist with a grudge threatens the whole mission.

Don’t miss this breathtaking new series from New York Times best-selling author Karen Traviss.

Reviewer: Kindle Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Defining "the best of us"
Review: I was a quarter of the way in before I realized the trajectory of the story. I thought there would be unfolding post-apocalyptic shoot outs - survivors vying for resources. The Best of Us is more ambitious. The remnant are looking for a new start on a distant habitable planet. But this begs the question: how do you start over? Or fundamentally: what is the governing principle to organize people in a harmonious manner? Wrap this up within the complex ethical dilemma of "who's worth saving". The story goes on to define "the best of us".The remnant on Earth wrapped up in this drama consist of three main groups: the corporate types, the farmers, and the soldiers. Wittingly or not, in order to define the best of us the story also unfolds the worst of us. The worst of us are the totalitarian corporate types who think they know everything and pridefully think they know what is best for everyone. The story brilliantly shows this in all its complexity, ambiguity, and humanity. What is the best of us? The story defines it as soldiers who are willing to sacrificially lay down their lives for others. Ms. Traviss shows her storytelling skills here. Deeply satisfying that the story defines the best of us by those who are willing to make sacrifices for others. In the story, the ethos seemed to be confined to soldiers. There's a hint that the farmer group shares this ethos but the story does not fully develop this. Totalitarians are frightening and disturbing top-down rulers. The best of us are those who make sacrifices for others in their day-to-day lives. Soldiers do this, absolutely, but so do care givers, nurses, teachers, social workers, parents, friends. It's not confined to an occupation - it's an ethos that absolutely anyone can adopt - God help us, even politicians and those in corporate governance. Sacrificial living is a bottom up approach for a harmonious society - the interpersonal relations which are the sum total that manifest the City upon a Hill.Worth pointing out because we all have a real stake in it - this suspense carries through the story and doesn't let you put it down. Developing this broader ethos would have detracted from the story and made the book tedious, like this review.This Galaxy's Edge story is spot on. Brilliant. Looking forward to what is next in the Nomad series.

Reviewer: Dr Peter Davies
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A rare 5 star review.
Review: I loved this book. Karen Travis writes so well, I immediately started looking for more of her books. This one has an all too plausible dystopian future for our planet, and three small groups trying to survive with some semblance of community. There is the isolated research institute supposedly trying to find a way to restore the environment, a small village farming to support themselves and the institute, and a group of veterans who banded together to save those they could. The tension and cautious interactions between and within these groups is so realistically described that it is impossible not to engage with the characters. Even the AI is very likable.The Nomad mission is revealed as maybe a way out, but for who? The action builds to a highly satisfying climax, and the conclusion is both pleasing and appropriate. Karen Travis knows how to write a full length story, with a opening, a meaty middle, and a well thought out end.

Reviewer: Barry Melius
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Not dumbed down for the lowest common denominator, kudos to the author
Review: The Best of Us (2019) is the first military sci-fi that I’ve read in a while after falling out of the habit. I got bored with too many entries that seemed to confuse a string of fire fights/space battles and/or high body count with a plot. Ms. Traviss has restored my faith in the genre as she has plot galore added to masterful writing. The Best of Us is written solely by Traviss but shares some world building with two other authors in the Galaxy’s Edge universe series of books. Our story opens on a moderately near future earth that has undergone a cataclysmic breakdown as a bioweapon of mysterious antecedents has devastated the food chain wiping out all grain and cereal crop strains across major swaths of earth. Massive population meltdown ensues with only areas that employ ruthless quarantine methods maintaining a precarious existence. One of these is a small town that exists to support a mysterious research center. In recent years a rag tag bunch of military that managed to fight their way out of Baltimore has attached themselves to the town as an extra security force in a world that would be glad to take what they have. Circumstances draw them, the town and the center’s civilian security detachment closer together. All factions are knit together by our lead POV, Solomon, an AI developed decades ago by the research institute’s founder. Solomon was built as a moral AI with only one order, to define, identify and protect the best of humanity. Observing how the various military and quasi military people are willing to sacrifice themselves to protect the civilian population Solomon finds his best and bonds with the the various security detachments even going out on a patrol with them and ending up participating in the book’s sole fire fight. Here lies our plot,Solomon and the military and security elements soon realize their common ground in protecting the inhabitants of their small domain puts them at odds with the determined and ruthless head of the research center who is prepared to sacrifice many of those lives for the ‘greater good’. In depth characterization, superb world building, and the pondering of deeper questions places Ms. Traviss’s work with the best in the field in addition to being a treat to read for this jaded individual.$4.99 Kindle book price divided by Amazon typical read time of 11 hours, 31 minute= $.43/average hourly reading cost

Reviewer: Bill
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A very good and absorbing story
Review: I really had trouble putting this one down. The characters are very defined and believable. The plot is very fresh and thought provoking. And will make you want to follow this story forever. I just bought this one and the next!

Reviewer: Jarhead84
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great story
Review: Great story - it is Book 1, so be prepared to buy more books. I just wish the Audible recordings would catch up with the written versions already 🙁

Reviewer: Jeremy
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I'm a long time fan of K. Traviss' works so I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've also read the full first "season" of the Galaxy's Edge series and I have enjoyed most of them as well.I can understand why some fans of the GE series have have not enjoyed this book. Her style is quite different. I see a lot of the same elements in this book that she has in her other books. Strong willed, no-nonsense female characters, lovable and reliable soldiers, hard choices and unpopular orders. Those who don't like her style and are panicking that she is replacing the original series should take a breath and relax. She's a guest writer to the series and writing supplementary additions to the GE universe.Try and give her a chance. If you just really don't like her style and direction then don't read it. I'm excited to see how she is going to tie it into the standard GE lore. If you do like her style checkout her WESS’HAR series.

Reviewer: Allan G.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Was really worried that it wasnt Anspach and Cole writing this galaxy edge book. No more worry, Karen is a fantastic writer, all the others in the galaxy edge series I couldn't put down, this was no different. Loved it from start to finish, can't wait for the next in series. Is this the original KTF, Keep The Faith, and it's changed through time? I guess we will find out.Can't recommend enough

Reviewer: Scott Osmond
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: The west has fallen. Amongst the ruins like the monasteries of old a community preserves information and has a plan for the future. The problem is that a closed community develops customs and internal fissures that sometimes works against them. Internal politics, backstabbing and a desperate quest to survive. I liked Traviss's take on who is required to build a civilisation. The best and brightist aren't always the ones capable. Afterall someone has to empty the rubbish bins and grow the food. The AI was also well done. Not omnipotent and with all the advantages still capable of mistakes. Great characterisation as usual for this author. This entry fills in the early years of the Galaxy's Edge timeline just before the advent of the hyperspace drive but after the Lighthugger fleet left. The epilogue was awesome and left me eager for the next entry.

Reviewer: Kindle Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Great book. I haven't read a book this quickly in a long time. I really enjoy how Ms. Traviss writes in the first person for each character she is focusing on.

Reviewer: Paul
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: A really enjoyable read, well written characters, good plot. I really hope that there will be a sequel, I became really fond of the main characters and want to know more of their story.