This is a futuristic sci-fi written by a Russian author and translated into English. I was surprised to find out there are 8 novels in this series! I love long series so this is a bog bonus. But I found the writing to be very abrupt and stoic- maybe because of the way it was translated. Although I really like the concept, I feel like this could've been done better. I did like the characters and world though! So I'll be continuing the series.

The Raven High is an okay scifi story for me. The world that is building definitely caught my interest. However, there are parts that are very confusing, especially when changing voices. It thoroughly puzzles me because I don't know who's point of view it is. As well, the character development is okay. Who piqued my curiousty most is Arina. Yet, this book demonstrates so much potential!

Ground at its core is a science fiction novel set around 70 years in the future on a post-apocalyptic earth. On this Earth, all the resources are gone, storms rage all caused by pollution (while I hate book centred around pollution and global warming I was willing to give Ground a chance). Our main character is Olga, a young girl who is one of seven biologically engineered post humans called ‘The Changed’. They work in ships above Earth using their abilities to create nanomaterials that help remove the pollution below. This book follows Olga in training.
The beginning of Ground contains some very heavy dialogue which was a little off-putting for me as it seems a bit like a script between characters rather than a cohesive story. The writing style of Ground however, is very impress as the authors translated the book himself to English which is an impressive feat. As when you translate books between languages the subtler elements can be lost in translation which Ground didn’t. However, occasionally there are a few incorrect sentences or words in the book but these in no way make the novel unreadable and are easily forgiven.
Ground is extremely enjoyable, and you really connect to the character despite most not being human for example, Olga’s nanny is an android training Olga and it acts as a parent for Olga and truly care for her safety. As a reader, this is a character who adds a caring and nurturing theme to the book, and makes you empathise more with Olga and any danger she may face.
Overall, if you are looking for a fun sci-fi novel to read, this is a good one to pick up. Although I would air a word of caution as this book is the first is what is set to be an 8-book series, so it will require a certain level of commitment so be prepared. Honestly, I can’t wait to get stuck into the next book as soon as I can.

This is a average story which could have been so much better.
The end really is a let down and leaves you hanging on so many story lines.
A second book is a must although whether I would bother reading, I don't know.

I think people who are more into the sci-fi genre will like this book. I have read a sci-fi series before (that was probably my first) and I loved it! Because of that, it made me try this book by Yuri Hamaganov as the blurb sounded very original and promising.

I started reading this in May (I made sure that I won't be too busy for this) and I spent almost a month finishing it. I was really looking forward to liking it, but I had a hard time grasping the situation at first. The basic introduction of Olga's situation and setting could've been explained in the first 20% of the book, instead of showing certain situations part by part/timeline by timeline which just makes it obvious that the story's just been fast-forwarded (next scene would be months after, and then a year later, and so on) because there's nothing really interesting if you look at Olga's everyday life. I reached the 40% mark and it still didn't pique my interest. Imagine, reading a story in the same environment, setting and with the same characters and spread out it in so many pages - it does get really boring. Is it because I'm used to reading books with 400+ pages with more details and engaging characters? Maybe. Because with more pages, there's more more world-building and more chance to grow the protagonist and introduce more characters. With Grond, having one main protagonist, one guide, and one extra character doesn't really convince me that there's something that can be looked forward to. Yes, Olga is different and she's considered a superior being than humans and so at a very young age, it's impressive that she's able to know what's right from wrong and this she was able to foster with the help of her nanny android all her life (no other physical interactions with anyone else). She was able to make her own decisions and not be influenced by others. However, that really isn't enough for me to be fascinated and she's not a relatable character.

Also, as I have a feeling that I could've gotten a not-so-edited copy with tons of grammatical errors such as, I hope that the final copy wouldn't have these disturbing lines:
"Don't the heart beat too quickly."
"Today I outfit you for your debut into society. Of course I'm no fairy godmother, but I'll fit you out for a party in grand style."
"Let's began the inspection."
"Olga flickered her closed again,"
"If we're in Mexico where then are the cactuses?" -- The plural of cactus is cacti.

I also don't know why Olga's guardian's full name, Arina Rodionovna, mentioned all the time! Out of the three characters in the book, there's only one android and one Arina. So it would've been enough to direct her as an android, the nanny, or just with her first name Arina just like how we refer to people (or androids).

n the year 2086, Earth is exhausted. The seas have been emptied, the bedrock and soil stripped of their resources, and the superheated atmosphere churns with terrible storms. Those who can afford to do so live in the limbo of virtual reality, and the billions who suffer in poverty have no work, no clean water, and no security from the chaos.

The only hope for those trapped on a dying Earth are the Changed—the seven bioengineered post-humans who work in their separate manufacturing facilities orbiting high above the planet. Raised from birth for their work and fully matured at ten years old, their genius provides the nanomaterials that have begun to cleanse Earth of the pollutants that have wiped out almost the entire ecosphere.

But for Olga Voronov, youngest of the Changed, the isolation and endless toil are not the greatest of her challenges. Down on Earth there are those who resent and fear her talents—and would prefer that humanity not be given the second chance that only she could make possible …
A good solid science fiction read with interesting characters about a future world that is relying on the Changed to make a difference.

The premise of "Grond: The Raven High" by Yuri Hamaganov is simple: the world is in ruins and its resources exhausted because of humanity's abuse. Water is in very short supply. Seven bio-engineered humans called "the changed" are billions of people's only hope. One of the youngest of the "changed" is Olga who lives high above the Earth in a manufacturing facility that circles the Earth. She is young but far superior to an average human and lives with her "nanny" who is an android charged with training Olga for her purpose in life. Little does Olga know that there are others who do not wish her to succeed and will do anything to ensure that she fails.
I found the story intriguing and I grew to like Olga's character very much. There are a few times when the writing changes from past tense to present tense and back again and I found that it distracted me from the story itself. Mind you, I think the copy I read is not the final product so don't let that dissuade you from reading the book. As I said, the story is fascinating, original and worth a read. I am really hoping that there will be a book two as I really enjoyed the world that Yuri Hamaganov created.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.