Assembly Code

Code Breakers #2

by Colin F. Barnes

Being human is no longer enough to save humanity.

The fanatical Red Widows sweep destruction across the abandoned lands. Their aggression threatens to destroy the city Gerry had risked his life to save. Petal, the woman Gerry has come to love is dying. The despotic cabal, The Family, demand he brings her to them, but she's missing, running from the Widows, searching for the truth of her origins before it's too late.

When their paths cross, Petal and Gerry will hold the fate of humankind in their hands—if they can survive the malevolent digital entity that stalks them from the shadows.

Assembly Code is a post-apocalyptic, near-future thriller that will delight fans of The Matrix, Neuromancer, and Blade Runner.

Book 2 of The Techxorcist Series.

Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Cyberpunk, Fiction, Amazon

390 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2013

About the author

Colin F. Barnes is a British author of thrillers featuring working-class heroes doing extraordinary things. He is published by 47North, Audible, and Podium. He is represented by Paul Lucas of Janklow & Nesbit.

Reviews

[Creed · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I find the story entertaining, the lack of character depth and a lot of missed editing opportunities make this harder to read that the first book in the series. I think I've hit my limit with this series.

[Larry B Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Code Breakers: Beta by Colin F. Barnes continues where the first book, Alpha, left off. The fast paced action continues to grow in intensity.

The book seamlessly continues the storyline and adventure of the code writers from the first book in the series. As the story grows so does the intrigue and excitement of the book. In this book we get deeper into the background of the tale and learn more about the "family" causing it to become harder to put the book down. Code Breakers: Beta captured me.

I really liked the characters created by Colin F. Barnes for this series. As the tale moved forward I began to learn more about them and they came alive. Their strengths and character made the story real

I enjoyed reading Code Breakers: Beta by Colin F. Barnes and I highly recommend this book to all readers.


(I read this book as part of a 5 book sci-fi boxset: To The Stars and Back)

[Norm Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in series with 4 and a "prequel", even the blurb is a spoiler.

I liked it. It is fast paced, the protagonist and co-protagonists are interesting and likable and forever in dire straights. The antagonists are deliciously evil and seemingly impossible to overcome.

Colin is an indie author I've blatantly called amateur, but he is professionally courageous as a writer and clearly understands the craft.

I both read the ebook and listened to the audiobook simultaneously. Marc Vietor is an excellent narrator.

Technical/My Library info:
Beta/Assembly Code "Code Breakers"/"The Techxorcist", Book 2

Being human is no longer enough.

9781501035906
1501035908
World Catalog (Assembly Code - The Techxorcist, Book 2)
Goodreads (ebook)
Goodreads (audiobook)
Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (Audible)
Google Books
Library Thing
ISFDB

"Blurb"

The fanatical Red Widows sweep destruction across the abandoned lands. Their aggression threatens to destroy the city Gerry had risked his life to save. Petal, the woman Gerry has come to love is dying. The despotic cabal, The Family, demand he brings her to them, but she's missing, running from the Widows, searching for the truth of her origins before it's too late.

When their paths cross, Petal and Gerry will hold the fate of humankind in their hands—if they can survive the malevolent digital entity that stalks them from the shadows.

Code Breakers: Beta is a post-apocalyptic, near-future thriller that will delight fans of The Matrix, Neuromancer, and Blade Runner.

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Code Breakers: Beta less than Alpha. It seems like a transitional novel, trying to move the story along to a different phase.

The story: The name of the game is for Gerry to rescue Petal, his love, but she is dying. Meanwhile the Red Widows are attacking the city and anyone associated with The Family, the augmented humans who run the city. And in case I didn't mention it before, the lives of almost everyone on Earth might be extinguished at any moment.

Any problems with the story? The first half of the book seems to be Gerry and Petal's stories in parallel. It was not very interesting but probably necessary. The real action is in the second half of the book where the story picks up.

Any modesty issues? The F-word is used once which makes me wonder why the author used it at all. Vulgar language appears, but it is not excessive.

The ending is good and the results were probably necessary to set up the next book in the series. As you might guess, the title is Code Breakers: Gamma.

I doubt I will read this book again.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before you pick up this book, you need to make sure you read book one in the series: Artificial Evil (Book 1 of The Techxorcist)

The author picks right up from where he left it at Book One in the series. Consistent with book one, this one will get you thinking - the author gets you inside the head (pun intended) of his characters, and what I continue to find refreshing for this series is he doesn't try to overwhelm you with the future technology or situations in a post-apocalyptic world: we've all read SF where you want to call b.s. on a futuristic technology but in this case it's believable, and you can wrap your arms around it and understand it. The action scenes are fairly realistic, and you will find your pulse racing (mine did) at various times as you feel as if you are right there.

If you're looking for a change of pace from a lot of the sci fi out there today, I'd recommend giving this series a shot.

[Stan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The adventure continues with Gerry, Petal and several other characters. A couple of new ones join the ranks too.

I decided to give the second book a try because I could read it for free on Kindle Unlimited. I'm glad it was free.

The main problem with the book is that I could put it down. And, I did. Repeatedly. It just didn't capture my attention. Character development was mainly upgrades to firmware. The story didn't really get very interesting until about the last 20% of the book - just in time to create some interest and leave several issues unresolved for book 3 (or maybe book 4). I don't plan to read either.

The book could use a good edit too. There are missing words and a few grammar errors. One sentence states something followed by "and, but...". Which is it? What was left out after the "and"? Was it just incompetent editing? Did the author never complete the thought?

Anyway, if you liked the first book, you might wade through this one.

[5t4n5 Dot Com · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basically, it's more of the same as Prequel and Alpha , which is all quite good and keeps one rivetted and moving along at a very good pace but, and here's the thing, i just can't handle diving into Gamma at the moment, it's all become a bit too much.

Yeah, for now at least, i've totally overloaded all of my data banks and overheated my CPU's with all this hacking, AI's, post apocalypse chaos, everyone wanting to kill each other and take over the world, etc., etc..

So i'm off for some quiter paced reading for a while and maybe i'll get back to reading Gamma and finishing the series sometime in the future, maybe not.

[Eric Arseneau · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really didn't enjoy this all that much, I needed something to read for driving, and it did help pass the time. There were a number of inconsistencies and I just had the overall impression that I didn't enjoy the book. I'd like to be more specific, but I can't put my finger on it anymore.

I did however finish the entire series as I wanted to know what happened to some of the characters, even though they really weren't consistent or made too much sense sometimes.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story but lots of editing mistakes

It is really nice to add another author to the list of authors like Bruce Sterling and William Gibson. The story line and characters are great and I will continue to read the series. It is just that the misspelled/misused/misplaced words are distracting. There were a few editing mistakes in Alpha but they weren't bad enough to affect the story. The editing in Beta was much worse. It really distracted from the story as I tried to read it.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like every post-apocalyptic series, the second installment deals with the heroes from the first installment realizing that the community they saved is also dystopic. As is Gerry's Family. And a new threat - an army of radicalized women out to avenge the loss of their husbands and sons and brothers - threatens to destroy everything else.

[Dexter · Rating 3 out of 5]

We finally get a bit more of backstory on Petal after a lot of questions from last book were left unanswered, which was a great plotline. The main plot, however, felt a underdeveloped and overall lacking. We're starting to get a bit of powercreeped, which is pretty annoying, and especially dangerous for a series.

[Gustavo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This continuation starts with the main characters apart, and suffers a little for it. The individual paths differ a great deal, and serve more to introduce more parts of the world than character development.

Still, it's fun to read and I still want to know how this ends.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look, everyone says that this series is amazing, but I’m not really having it... i think it’s because i have a seemingly more interesting book to start on- the shining, by Stephen King.

[Ricky McConnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continued story from book 1 , great read, you will not want to put these books down.

[Michael Rounding · Rating 5 out of 5]

RELENTLESS

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying this story of Gerry and Petal and the world they live in.
In the second installment of The Techxorcist, Gerry awakens to find himself among The Family. They have healed him and upgraded him but Gerry is suspicious of their motives. He soon learns that they want him to return to Earth and to find Petal. When he does he is to return to them with her, where they can live out the rest of their lives together, safely. The Gerry we met in the beginning of book one might have found this to be an acceptable deal, however this Gerry has seen too much, and done too much to ever take it.
His aim is to return to Earth and find Petal, but he has no intention of returning to them.
Petal awakens in a cell, taken by a group of fanatics. She learns that Gabe is working with them, but he claims it's for a good reason. Though she's suspicious, when he offers her the chance to escape, she takes it. She's heading to a place that Enna and Gabe have both found, her potential birth place.
But, Petal wants to find Gerry too. She feels something she can't quite put into words for him, not knowing that he feels the same way.

War is upon them, and their band of misfits, as it were. Gerry and Petal make the ultimate sacrifice to save the remaining people left on the planet. And we are left hanging, wondering what will become of Gerry, and the rest.

These books have a wonderful sense of this post apocalyptic world, a world which is in part, controlled by a group of people who feel they are doing the right thing. But there are other entities out there, in advanced ways, that threaten even them. The tech is played out seamlessly, and integrated into the world so that the line of humanity is blurred, changed, different.

[D.L. Denham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis: Picking up where Artificial Evil concludes, Gerry returns to Earth and discovers that problems have only escalated in spite of everything previously achieved while saving City Earth. Petal's story unfolds as the mysteries of her past unveil the complexity of our dystopian Earth. Gerry, now upgraded and more powerful than before, posses the skills to give what remains of humanity a fighting chance against the Family and new evil force that has emerged from the West, the Red Widows. High Action! More Violence! And Totally TECH! Assembly Code packs everything great from Artificial Evil while delivering a new story arc that adds depth and believability to the world inhabited by Gerry, Petal, Sasha, and Gabe.

Critique: I have enjoyed experiencing the broken, abused future-Earth that our protagonists Gerry and Sasha inhabit. I appreciate how the politics of the Family, Red Widows, and General Vickers never muddy the storyline. As a reader, I am impressed with Barnes' descriptions and usage of technology to give not just atmosphere to the story but also in creating it as a secondary character in itself. The Servers act more as characters than tools, possessing humanlike proficiency in assisting Gerry and Petal to solve their impending doomsday problems. There is so much to be said of the story, but most will only act as a spoiler, which I'll avoid in this review. There isn't much else to say other than, if you enjoyed Artificial Evil, then pick up Assembly Code and continue to story. I look forward to book three with the same eagerness that I had with book two. Easily, 5/5 stars!

sfbook.com

[Fred Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can I say but "Huh??". And "Meh" as well. I really don't know if I should continue forward through books 03 and 04. I've already purchased book 03. And for me now it would be a PITA to return. And if I happen to make it through reading book 03, well, then book 04 is only 6-1/2 hours or so and I would feel compelled to just finish the dang series. Overall I am somewhat interested in the endgame of this series. I have said it had potential in its story. Just not in its story-telling. Sorry, Colin. This thing is more disjointed than my own ADD, bipolar thought processes. I feel as though I could have written such at least as well. I don't think it is the narration. Though I am not certain what I have read which was narrated by Marc Vietor. I know I recognize the name. So either I have already read something narrated by Marc OR I have other books in my "library" narrated by him which await my reading. Hmmmm..... to finish the series would be like 16-1/2 hours total I believe. And I have already only read a couple hours more than that and am feeling so non-committed to trying to focus on this any longer (and I DO have ADD/focus issues; plus bipolar - rapid cycling mixed episodes). I just don't know.

[Mandy Walkden-Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling, page-turner of a story. The second in the series and it may even be better than the first. Except for the author's sadistic habit of killing some of my favourite characters. Again. You'll understand that cryptic bit when you read the series. It's definitely one worth reading. Just make sure you have enough time to finish the book if you start reading it because it's one that's pretty nigh impossible to put down once you start. I know, I tried to. Unsuccessfully.
A few typos, but it didn't distract much because I was too wrapped up in the story.
Highly recommend this series.

[David Teachout · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action, intrigue, a world that is at once depressing while remaining dedicated to showing how humanity can overcome the worst of their decisions. This story continues the techno-saga of a humanity struggling to remember what it is to be the best they can be, with technology both as liberator and enslaver of life. That the writing helps explore just what it is to be human, what it is to feel and be felt, makes this go from interesting entertainment to providing grounds for introspective curiosity.

[Lina Baker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty average read.

Since studying for the NCIDQ is draining so much of my mental space, some easy reads have been pouring in courtesy of Book Bub's free deals. This was one of them.

The second in a series (I think?) A sci-fi type book written through the language of computer coding, and a blend between humanity and artifical intelligence. I thought the idea was interesting, but the writing didn't live up to what I had hoped for. It definitely provided a mildly entertaining relief from all the studying though, so well worth the $.99 price :)

[Bluecobras09 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story continues with Gerry returning to Earth from The Family's space station to find Petal who was take prisoner by the Red Widows. Gabe breaks her out from the Red Widows and she it sent on a journey to find her beginning while Gerry fights the Red Widows to prevent them from getting access to the most important servers on the planet. Reunited, Gerry and Petal fight The Family, the Red Windows and a dark and evil presence in the network to save City Earth, but Gerry and Petal may have to give up everything to win.

Recommended read.

[Mark Adkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book two of the Code Breakers series. This book is a continuation from the first book, so if you have not read the first book stop and read it before you read this one.

This book is written much like the first one, so if you like the first one you will like this one. As for the story, it is not a bad story however there was a few points where it did not make any sense but that did not really affect me liking the story.

This book ends on a cliffhanger so you will have to read the next one to find out what happens next.

[Manda Hageman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way Mr. Barnes describes what it's like to navigate the mind in a server or to contain an AI, makes it seem completely possible. I was excited to get started on this second book, because I wanted to know if Gerry and Petal would reunite and if Gabe was a traitor. Throughout the story they are all faced with many life threatening situations coming from The Red Widows, The Family and rogue outsiders. An imaginative exciting read, I enjoyed this book as much as the first.

[Darlene]

Better than book one

Book one was kind of confusing this book was much clearer and more concise. I enjoyed these characters very much. If I were in the situation Gerry's friends were I'd happily join his merry band of crusaders. Together their small group saved the Earth and freed the people of City Earth. I look forward to book three to see if Gerry can be separated from his love.

[Kimberly Rebholz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read.

Great story. I can't wait to read the next book . I put myself into the character and cheer the team on and I get sad when they lose one. So, I am hoping they are able to bring Gerry back in another body so he can do his great work.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just stayed up waaaay too late finishing this one. Very excited to get started on the next, but for now, it's bedtime.

[R.B. Harkess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seemed a bit short, but developed the story from the first book really well. Stands on its own at a pinch, but leaves plenty fo good hooks to hang a third book on

[Rok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the first one but still very good.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun read