Judgment

Alien Invasion #5

by Sean Platt, Johnny B. Truant

They know what we’ve done.

Cameron Bannister and his group of survivors have endured the fall of their great city, gone searching for what they once believed to be a weapon … but found to be something else entirely. It’s something that will decide the fate of all humanity — innocent or guilty — if Cameron can summon the will to start the doomsday clock ticking.

Accompanied by a strange wanderer with a hidden past, they must confront the judgment archive at its new location in the “capital of capitals”: Ember Flats, on the former site of Giza, beyond the infamously unpassable wasteland known as Hell’s Corridor. But when they arrive, all is not as it seems … and the viceroy, along with the secret society hiding within her government, is keeping secrets that keep the city calm — while unrest boils beneath its skin.

When a double-cross threatens the group’s center, only a risky plan might save the species before judgment comes … or bring the walls crashing down as the epoch ends in extinction.

This relentless, page-turning tale of colonization and alien empire is the fifth in the Alien Invasion series by masters of story Truant and Platt, authors of The Beam, Robot Proletariat, the Dream Engine series, and many more.

Fight for hope. Search for survival.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Fantasy, Action, Post Apocalyptic

386 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 7, 2016

About the author

Sean loves writing books, even more than reading them. He is co-founder of Collective Inkwell and Realm & Sands imprints, writes for children under the name Guy Incognito, and has more than his share of nose.

Together with co-authors David Wright and Johnny B. Truant, Sean has written the series Yesterdays Gone, WhiteSpace, ForNevermore, Available Darkness, Dark Crossings, Unicorn Western, The Beam, Namaste, Robot Proletariat, Cursed, Greens, Space Shuttle, and Everyone Gets Divorced. He also co-wrote the how-to indie book, Write. Publish. Repeat.

With Collective Inkwell
Yesterday's Gone: Post Apocalyptic - LOST by way of The Stand
WhiteSpace: Paranoid thriller on fictitious Hamilton Island
ForNevermore: YA horror that reads nothing like YA Horror
Available Darkness: A new breed of vampire thriller
Dark Crossings: Short stories, killer endings

With 47North
Z 2134: The Walking Dead meets The Hunger Games
Monstrous: Beauty and the Beast meets The Punisher

With Realm & Sands
Unicorn Western: The best story to ever come from a stupid idea
The Beam: Smart sci-fi to make you wonder exactly who we are
Namaste: A revenge thriller like nothing you've ever read
Robot Proletariat: The revolution starts here
Cursed: The old werewolf legend turned upside down
Greens: Retail noir comedy
Space Shuttle: Over the top comedy with all your favorite sci-fi characters
Everyone Gets Divorced: Like "Always Sunny" and "How I Met Your Mother" had a baby on your Kindle

Sean lives in Austin, TX with his wife, daughter, and son.
Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/seanplatt
 (say hi so he can follow you back!)

Reviews

[Kyle Dykstra · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a bit of time it took for me to adjust to this book as there was a pretty substantial time jump between the last book and this one, and I felt as if I had maybe missed a book due to the narrative referring to events that had happened between the end of the last book and this one. It was odd enough that it made it difficult to get into this book for quite some time.

The story also felt almost forced. It seemed like the story had been going in a certain direction and then things changed all of the sudden and this was also jarring. The story was going all "Mad Max" for a bit and then it was suddenly, and forcibly changed to a calm that seemed to make all of the fighting, death and action seem as if it was all for naught. It was as if the race through the wastelands was maybe added later to make the book longer because it was in such a different direction than that of the rest of the book. Just something to be aware of before diving into the story.

We are introduced to new characters and see the passing of some well known characters in this story. Overall, this was my least favorite book in the series...it felt a lot like filler with some details added to the main story arc that will play out in the next book possibly?

The last few chapters were definitely more exciting and seemed to be back on track, so I am definitely interested to see where this goes!

[R.K. King · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a very large gap that occurs between this book and the previous instalment. So large, in fact, that I had a bit of a learning curve to get over for the first little while. The story hints at events that occurred between books, and they were important enough to be mentioning them, but doing so in hindsight I feel didn't gel that well.
This book takes the series to a whole new location, 'Ember Flats', a post-Astral-Day city located in Egypt. There is intrigue, politics, and further end-of-the-world prophesying. Elements of all this worked for me, but a lot of elements didn't work at the same time.
The biggest issue is the length. The entirety of this book is a bit of a slog. There are important sequences, but they are sparsed out and divided up with a lot of talking-head scenes that felt like padding until the next important sequence. Almost like a lot could have been cut from this one, and been included in the next book perhaps? I am intrigued as to where it's all leading though...
Join the RK King readers' list for an exclusive FREE short story, plus inside info, musings, promos and more: RK King Writes

[American Andriod · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say I’m going back home now to have to work

“Do you think he felt it?” Meaning the other Meyer. The first copy, before Kindred’s creation. The Meyer whom Raj had shot dead, whose unfurling humanity and conflicting emotion had first torn into the Astral consciousness. Divinity believed it had purged the troublesome human doublethink from the Astral stream before creating Kindred. But that’s not what happened. The rift remained then spread. Five years had been plenty of time for the Astral hive mind to occasionally face its emotions with all the tools of a moody adolescent.

[Marie C Warren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having read the first 4 books in the series I found this one a HUGE disappointment. It was as though a book had been missed out. The things that supposedly happened between this book and the last are hinted at for most of the book and only partly covered far too late (in my opinion). It also doesn't really gel with the earlier stories. Women have finally got stronger in books 2 to 5 but are still expected to (mostly) answer to the men. The typecast Asian character was killed off in the last book and we as least have a true female and Asian lead in this book: whether she is really a 'good guy' is still up for debate. I won't be reading the last 2 books.

[Christine Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars!!

Judgment is the 5th book in The Alien Invasion Series. This book begins 7 years after Astral day. The group have been running for the past 5 years in search of a safe place away from the astral and the mullah. We are introduced to few new characters and some questions have been answered. I can’t wait to start reading the next book in this series.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read them all and mostly enjoyed them all, enough not to take the time to write a review. This one though just dragged on and on and on. Very little drama almost no action, no stress until the last 30 or so pages. Very disappointed in this book. Almost quit multiple times but I've invested too much time. Read it knowing it will be a lot of talking and a lot of filler.

[Dave T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprising beginning but great book

After the previous book I was surprised to find this one beginning two years later and the group had already been at the Ark. Finally, over half way through the novel you find out what happened. This was still a really good novel.

[J.G. Gatewood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was my favorite so far. I loved the direction it took and the addition of the Mullah. The way it all tied into the past, with us being visited before, was well thought out and I loved the direction the authors took with the characters. The end made me run out and buy book 6.

[Jim Kratzok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking up the pace.

OK book 5 out of 7 and the pace is accelerating. A lot of questions get answered, sort of but leave plenty more to go. Some of the cast are sacrificed and some go missing. The crew is being whittled down and I wonder who will be left at the end.

[Kimberly Bearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected

I wasn't sure where this was going to go . It took some left turns. Astral are here to judge is. Who do they think they are. Anyway it's a great book. Read the whole series you will love it.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh...is that too harsh? Based on other reviews, not many have stuck with this book series this long. Twwwwoooo mmmooorrreee bbboookkksss. But, alas, I will continue on. It can only get better, right?

[Jackie Gait · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really loving this series

I am very much enjoying escaping with this series. I also love bobbing between the written word and the great audio version.

[Sluserfive · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not going into a wall fight and the hip

I'm at so many times I've ever had to do with the new same thing to say I that it would have a nice day dream of you a little bit

[Kenneth Clarke Carrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twist and Turns

It just keeps getting better. You just never know what is going to happen next. Already download the next one in the series.

[Mike Pluta · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story continues, there isn't much action in this volume. It was a slog to finish...

[David Blaylock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh, should have been done with this story by now.

[Scott Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was definitely a shocking book, just adds to the ride of the series. I'm on book 6 now and I thought this one (#5) was mind blowing...

[Dkolacinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

BUT ARE YOU READY?

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely stick with this 7-book series; I've already pre-ordered the last two still to come. Book 5 is a great continuation of the story of the ending of the world, with the caveats that although most people are apparently disposable, there are some who are "special," and somehow deserve to continue on - by design rather than through any particular efforts they've made over and above others. There are plenty of action and battle scenes, deaths, and the kinds of character interactions that make the story believable (love, affection, derision, grief, acceptance, annoyance...). There are also several WTF moments that can't really be understood entirely ever, but that's okay because life is like that sometimes. A couple of storylines started me to thinking what it would be like to be able to have another me to talk with, or to be able to see more clearly what I really did in my teenage years, since most of my memories are formed by little snapshots of the props and plots that were around me at some specific point in time. It made me admire and appreciate the process of creative writing that Johnny B. Truant and Sean Platt (and Dave too, sometimes) go through to give their readers (like me) some really deep material to dig through. I do wish I'd reread - at least - the previous book (Book 4) and maybe even the one before that. There were way too many times I couldn't remember what the story was referring to. I guess that would be a mild criticism of the writing --- that for lazy readers like me, it would be nice to have a few words added in once in awhile to remind us about the timeline.

[Ann Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has so many twists and turns, I can hardly keep up with it! The level of detail and the insights inside people's heads puts you right inside the story. The characters are real because they don't always do what you expect them to do. Consequently you are cheering for a character one minute and then disagreeing with them the next. The aliens are not our enemy, they have just come to preside over our judgement, and execute the verdict - but have they come too soon? Highly recommended, can't wait for the next book.

[Jarkko Laine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the ending

The fifth book in the series starts with some time passed after the events in the previous installment. So much, actually, that I found it a bit hard to follow what had happened and why. I found myself going back to book four just to see if I had actually read it...

But halfway into the book, this stopped bothering me, and what followed was the Platt and Truant I love: things aren't quite what you expect, and you don't really know what the right and wrong choices are. And the ending, just brilliant. After a slow start, it returned my faith in the series!

[Kenneth G. Rogers, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great! Read and Series

I had a very hard time putting this book down. It takes a left turn when I was expecting a right, and I am really mad at the authors because of all the sleep I lost staying up way too late to read "just one more" chapter. You need to read this series. I cannot wait until the next two books come out, so to Johnny and Sean - get cracklelackin' !

[Darold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm absolutely loving this series. Each book gets more intense and nerve wracking that at times I worry about handling the stress undoubtedly the final book will cause, not that I have any intention of skipping it. It feels like this series is extremely well mapped out and I'm thoroughly enjoying the ride as the the story gradually unfolds

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good enought that I will read the next one.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

It's good. I enjoyed it. Some parts I skipped over, cause it was just repeated parts. But I felt it could have been better. More to the point less detail.

[Yvette A. Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series!

The authors do not disappoint in this installment. Each book has kept my interest and fascination, with me not wanting to put my Kindle down. I only have two installments left and can't wait to see where they take me!