The Arctic Code (ARC Review)

Dark Gravity Sequence: The Arctic Code | Matthew. J. Kirby

Published by: Blazer + Bray, April 28th 2015

Genre: MG, Science Fiction

Pages: 336

Format: Ebook

Source: Balzer + Bray, via Edelweiss

It is the near future, and the earth has entered a new ice age. Eleanor Perry lives in Tucson, one of the most popular destinations for refugees of the Freeze. She is the daughter of a climatologist who is trying to find new ways to preserve human life on the planet. Dr. Perry believes that a series of oil deposits she has found in the Arctic may hold the key to our survival. That's when she disappears—but not before sending Eleanor a series of cryptic messages that point to a significant and mysterious discovery. Now it's up to Eleanor to go find her.

This search will launch Eleanor on a breathless race to unlock the mysteries of what has happened to our planet, solving the riddle of the cold that could be humanity's end—and uncovering a threat to the earth that may not be of this world.

Just a short review for this one.

The Arctic Code never really captured my attention, or my imagination. I was fairly interested in the trip to the Arctic, the threat of being caught, but after that it lulled and became monotonous and, at times, mind-numbing. I was bored for the last 50% and skimmed the last few percent just to be finished with it. The actual plot with the gravity and dark matter and planets and stuff came MUCH too late to interest me. I didn't particularly like the characters either - the brothers felt a little surplus to requirements. Not to mention this book is about aliens, without, somehow, being about aliens at all.

Not the best book I've read. Not the worst, certainly, but it was just flat.

Characters ★★☆☆☆

Setting/world building ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★☆☆

Reading round up (70)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week.

16th March

Read ... pages of Death Sworn by Leah Cypess and finished it. This book is a damn good fantasy, and I adore the assassins. Not enough magic for me personally but that's because Ileni is losing hers so it makes sense. Hoping for more when she finds a super-magic-ball-thing!

I also started Beauty and The Beast by Jenni James because 1) I need a small break between Death Sworn and my next book, 2) this book is pretty short, and 3) it counts towards my fairy tales challenge.

17th March

I finished Beauty and The Beast, and I actually really liked it. More than I expected to. It's a cute story, and even has a bit of danger and threat - unexpected!

18th March

Started Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder because I loved book one! Read 165 pages and I don't love this setting as much as book one. I really like Bains, or Bain, or whatever the stuffy old teacher is, though, and I see potential in Lief if only he'd stop being an aggressive douche.

In an effort to actually read The Arctic Code by Matthew. J. Kirby I read 13% today, bringing me to 53%. It's slow and boring, but I'm (optimistically) expecting it to pick up.

19th March

I read 123 pages of Magic Study, which got marginally better with the appearance of Valek (the bastard!) and 8% of The Arctic Code, which is actually never going to pick up. I'm so bored.

20th March

Read 14% of The Arctic Code and even though they've found the big secret (paleolithic aliens? which somehow manage to also be dull?) I'm still not feeling it. I feel like I've read 75% of nothing. Can't wait for it to be over tbh.

I also read 71 pages of Magic Study, which I'd hoped to finish but at well. These last 100 pages have been better than the entire rest of book... :|

21st March

Finished Magic Study, which was good but not amazing, and skimmed the last 25% of The Arctic Code, which was boring as hell. I also started Beauty Awakened by Gena Showalter (33%) because I was feeling shitty and needed something PNR.

22nd March

I read 53% of Beauty Awakened, bringing me to 76% and I officially do not understand how the title fits. Neither characters' beauty has been awakened. Their self forgiveness, maybe, and their self-esteem definitely. Beauty? Nah. (Also where is Koldo's beard on the cover? That look nothing like him. Rude.)

Books finished this week: 4
Books DNF'd this week: 0

 

Hidden Huntress | Danielle. L. Jensen

Dragons Are People, Too | Sarah Nicolas

HIDDEN HUNTRESSSSSSSSSSSS!!! ALSO POC DRAGONSSSSSSS.

Death Sworn

Beauty and The Beast (Jenni James Fairy Tale Collection)

The Arctic Code (Scheduled for 24th March)

Magic Study (Scheduled for  26th March)

Reading round up (69)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week.

9th March

Was in London today for a short visit, so didn't get much read. Still, I read 10% of Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep, which is more than I expected.

10th March

Finished Cold Burn of Magic and I'm already looking forward to book two, Dark Heart of Magic!! This book was a fun, promising start to a new urban fantasy series.


I also started The Arctic Code by Matthew J. Kirby (20%) which I like so far! The MC is hella reckless which makes everything she's doing uber dangerous and stupid (and feels unrealistic to me but that's just her personality and I don't understand it I guess.)

11th March

I read 20% of The Arctic Code, which is pretty good. I also started Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter (19% read), a book I only got because it was £0.59, and it's SO GOOD. Amazing characters and world-building and hella hot angels!! As well as this, I read Lois Lane: A Real Work of Art by Gwenda Bond, a fun little short.

12th March

I read 33% of Wicked Nights, bringing me to 52% and I'M LOVING IT. It's just the right amount of romance amongst all the action and demons!!

13th March

Read 26% of Wicked Nights and loving it. Just got to the exciting part and had to stop. Gah!!

14th March

Spent most of the day reading my first draft of The Dryad of Callaire and looking for inspiration to finish it, so I only read 13% of Wicked Nights, bringing me to 91%. I reeeeeeeeeeeally could have done without that last sex scene. It was boring and read like a dozen fanfics I've read, and with this being actually pubbed I expected better. Also how many times can you use decadent in one book??? That's taken it down at least half a star, probably a full star for me.

15th March

Finished Wicked Nights (9%) and started Death Sworn by Leah Cypess (113 pages.)

Books finished this week: 3
Books DNF'd this week: 0

Mira was having a kindle sale so I basically bought EVERYTHING. Aimee Carter's first two Blackcoat Rebellion books, Amanda Sun's Ink and the short story Shadow, Gena Showalter's first two White Rabbit Chronicles, her entire Angels of The Dark trilogy (which is SO GOOD!!), the first book of her Atlantis series, Unravelled (because I own the first in series!)

Lois Lane: A Real Work of Art | Gwenda Bond

The Waterborne Blade | Susan Murray

Galleys, galleys, galleys

SARUUH EXPLORES NA: Shifting Fate

Cold Burn of Magic (scheduled for 24th April)

The Arctic Code

Lois Lane: A Real Work of Art (scheduled for March 31st in a mini-reviews round up!)