Is Zenith Worth the Hype?

So here we are yet again with another negative review, but this one will be filled with quotes, specifics and spoilers, unlike my other ones that are more general. I'm not gonna tell you to read the book and then come and discuss this book with me, because it was bad!!

I was prepared to like this book. I've been wanting to explore the sci-fi genre and, regardless of the negative reviews I have seen, I thought I would give Zenith, by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings, a try. Turns out I probably shouldn't have.

So if you haven't heard of the hype around this book and don't know what it is about, then here is the synopsis:

Most know Androma as a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her glass starship, Marauder, however, she's just Andi, their friend and fearless leader.

But when a routine mission goes arwy, the Marauder's all-girl crew is tested as they find themselves in a treacherous situation - and at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter from Andi's past.

As the Marauder hurtles toward the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only certainty is that a galaxy runs on lies and illusions, no one can be trusted.

Even before all the negative reviews I was interested in picking this up. It sounded like an epic story that had potential. But then the negative reviews started popping up and it turned me away from the book. Then I was convinced to pick it up and that is what I did.

This is going to be a review for the first 70 pages because that is how much I read before deciding that I could not read it anymore.

The writing was horrible.

So many things that were unnecessary were in this book.

Before I start going through the tabs I am just going to say that I was so confused with everything that was going on in this book. Nothing made sense...

The first tab, and first problem, isn't even in chapter 1... It's in the prologue. This is the point where I knew I was going to be in for some real fun... So the prologue, the three short pages that it is, has this one character who says "vengeance will be mine", literally, three times! I found this to be ridiculous. A character does not need to say this three times in the span of, not even full, three pages. This bugged me!!

Another thing was in a paragraph, and I am gonna quote the first sentence because I don't want to type the whole paragraph, the book isn't worth it.

"Try as he might, Valen couldn't remember the precise shade of purple that spiraled across the Revina Mountains."

My problem with this quote is the Revina Mountains. I don't know where they are, I don't know what they look like, except that they are some shade of purple, I don't know their relationship to Valen. I know almost nothing about these mountains but for some reason it is mentioned...

Next tab is on page 13, the second page of chapter 1. The Marauder, which is the ship that Andi and her crew are on is made from... and I quote "rare impenetrable glass varillium". Let me say that I am getting some Throne of Glass vibes right here. Everyone who has read the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas will know that there is a glass castle some of the books are set. If you want to copy one of the best selling authors, and one of my favourite authors, then do it in a good way. Don't steal the glass idea, it has already been done.

Oh and I want you to keep in mind about the glass being "impenetrable" because later this gets interestingly dumb.

I want you to also keep in mind that Andi is described in this first chapter as having nightmare about killing people and that she doesn't want to do it.

Ok page 15. Lira, described as having scales (don't ask) and we are given a description of her powers. In this description it is said, and I quote:

"But this defensive mechanism also took a lot of energy from her, occasionally rendering her unconscious when activated."

Useful power right there. Next paragraph, first line:

"Her scales were a trait many from her home planet desired."

I don't understand why people from her home planet, which I don't know is because we aren't told, would want a trait that renders them unconscious when they are in a battle. They are sure to get themselves killed because you can't fight when you are unconscious...

Um, at the end of page 15 we are given a description of Gilly, another crew member.

"She was small for her age, a girl no older than thirteen, but Andi wasn't fooled by her wide, innocent blue eyes. Gilly was a bloodthirsty little beast, a gunner with plently of death on her hands."

My problem, why is a thirteen year old girl described as "bloodthirsty" and "a gunner with plenty of death on her hands"? She is a child!! A child shouldn't be seeing people get killed, let alone be killing people. And a child should definitely not have "plenty of death on her hands". That implies that she has been killing for a long time, also implying that she started at a young age... This got under my nerve! A child SHOULD NOT be described as this!!

Ok moving on before my something bursts.

Page 21. We start chapter 2 with describing the Marauder.

"On a good day, the Marauder and her crew could lose a tail as fast as an Adhiran darowak could fly."

I have no idea what an "adhiran darowak" is. It isn't described. I don't know how fast it is so I, and many other readers, cannot compare the two. I'm not going to say anymore about this...

Page 28 and 29, Chapter 3. It is in the point of view of Klarin. I don't know who that is, I don't know what is going on in this chapter, and I don't know how this is related to anything that is going on in the book. It is a waste of 2 pages.

Page 32. We are now in Dex's point of view and we are given a description of the ship that he is flying.

"Here I am, the ship seemed at say. Large and in charge and as undercover as a Xen Pterran carriage slug."

Same problem, I have no idea what a Xen Pterran carriage slug is...

On the same page, Dex describes the Marauder as "deadly and delicious"...

I honestly don't know how a glass ship can be described as "delicious"... but moving on.

Page 33, the next page. Dex is speaking to a crew member and says:

"will you do yourself a favour and go to the passenger bay so you can crap you pants in private. I can small your fear from here."

I am going to say this now, this is a YA book meant to be read by young readers... so why is a character saying something so idiotic to another character?

Page 42. At this point the Marauder is being attacked... yet on this page the ship is described as "... greatest starship in Mirabel...". My question, why is the "greatest starship in Mirabel" being attacked within the first 40 pages? If it really was that great then it shouldn't be being attacked.

Page 43. Remember how earlier I said that Andi has nightmares about killing people? Well this is something she says:

"She was going to drown Dex Arez in his own blood."

No comment.

Page 47. Again remember that Andi has nightmares about killing people.

"Breck was suddenly beside her, twisting the man's neck with a glorious pop. Music to Andi's ears."

If Andi has nightmares, pretty frequently from what I gather, why is the sound of Breck, another crew member, breaking someones neck be music to her ears?

Not saying anything else.

Page 50. Remember how earlier I gave you a quote that said the glass, that the whole ship is made out of, was described as "impenetrable"? Well this is the time to remember.

"Dex smiled back, lifted his gun and shot the glass."

So much for the glass being "impenetrable". The glass was shattered with a bullet...

Page 55. Apparently the Academy where Andi went to learn her military skills is also the place where Andi learned to dance... uhhhhh what?!

Page 67.

"Dex cursed inwardly."

How? I don't understand how this happens...

I obviously rated this book 1 out of 5 stars...

Don't read this book.

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