I started reading this and felt really lost, until I went online and realized I was reading the third book in a series. I DNF'd not due to it being bad, but due to the fact that I felt I need to read the previous books before diving into the finale. It just doesn't feel right. Giving a 3 star because what I did read, I really enjoyed.

I have enjoyed other books by this author and I really wanted to like this one but it just missed the mark for me. I think that his series each have different audiences and this one just wasn't it for me. I do love his writing style though.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher and netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Station Zero

Author: Philip Reeve

Book Series: Railhead Book 3

Rating: 3/5

Publication Date: May 3, 2018

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Pages: 288

Amazon Link

Synopsis: The Great Network is changing. New worlds, new alliances, new enmities. For Threnody the changes have brought great power. For Zen and Nova they have brought separation. For the trains that run from world to world, they have brought questions. Now all of them must find out what really matters to them and who they really are . . .

Review: I had to DNF this one because I was, once again, duped by netgalley into getting it. I get advertised an array of books by netgalley and some of them are sequels. I didn’t realize this one was a sequel until I started reading it. Because I want to read this series later when I have time I don’t want to review this one right away (but I won’t get around to these books for years so I’m leaving a 3/5 review because this book does sound amazing, but I’m utterly confused without the other books lol.

Verdict: Read books 1 and 2 first.

Phillip Reeve is a master at the written word. Station Zero will grab you and pull you in immediately. It was fast paced, with a great story.

I love Phillip Reeve books I've read many over years . This book is the last in the Railhead Trilogy it's a roller coaster of book it's was amazing I enjoyed it's a lot and would recommend it's to anyone.

the final instalment in a series about sentient trains, what's not to love? station zero did a great job of tying up the trilogy. very original! i love how there's a scientific explanation for everything that happens within the world, which makes it feel all the more real even if it's quite bizarre.

I never read this story because I didn't realize it was a conclusion to a series I hadn't read. 🤦🏼‍♀️
I also don't understand why it wasn't made available for Kindle?

Thank you for the opportunity.

Alright so this was enjoyable and felt like a quick read. But I'm still trying to gather my thoughts. The synopsis initially dragged me in but I felt like the execution could've been better!

Still, it was a good read!

If you’ve enjoyed the others in the series, you won’t be disappointed.
This is a series that will totally grip those who fall under its spell. Inventive and engaging, this has been loved by every student I’ve recommended it to.

I did it again. I requested a book that concludes a trilogy I haven't read. Oops.

Because I didn't read the previous books in this series I'm afraid my review is probably going to be a bit more critical than if I had read them. The first thing I'm going to say is that I had problems immersing myself in the world set by Reeve, and a lot of the concepts, characters and terms used took a bit of getting used to. For wanting of a better phrase, I "had trouble getting into it".

I do believe that the best books, whether part of a series or not, can be read as standalone novels. There should be enough detail in a book for any reader to follow and enjoy it without having read the previous books. This was not particularly easy to follow at first, but I did begin to enjoy it after a short while.

As this is a conclusion to a trilogy, I really don't want to give too much away. It begins with Zen Starling sneaking onto an alien train - as this is set in a universe with intergalactic railways. He's sent a mysterious message, which he believes to be from an entity called Nova. I eventually learned that this was a "Motorik" that Zen fell in love with. She was trapped in the Black Light Zone (which I'm afraid I can't really explain at all). Anyway, Zen wants to find her. But it turns out that there's more to the story than just her.

As I can't give the plot away too much I'm going to have to be really vague with my review. The most notable thing may be how Reeve portrays technology. For example, the trains in this book seem to be conscious. All phenomenons are carefully explained through science, and there is even a theme of discussion over whether Motoriks are people or not. I thought this was really interesting, and definitely a relevant topic to include in a sci-fi novel. There is also the theme of aliens being people, too, rather than being seen as lesser beings.

My favourite characters (if they can be called that) may actually have been the trains. I won't give anything away, but I seriously admired them!

The bigger themes in this novel were a bit confusing to me. For example, the Railmaker. I understood what it was (kind of) but I didn't really get why it was quite so important. And Raven. I had no idea who he was at first - he was obviously introduced in an earlier book, and so the reader was expected to be familiar with him by now.

There were a lot of really interesting, well-developed concepts in this, and I really admired how most things were explained through science and not left to 'magic' or some unknown force. I am aware that I would probably have a different opinion if I had read the rest of the series first, so I am very sorry I was unable to do that. As a standalone novel I'd give this 3 stars, but as it is not actually a standalone, I will give it 3.5.

Unfortunately I hadn't realized this was the third book in a series when I read it. So besides my lack of backstory I really really enjoyed this book! It was fast paced and full of very interesting things. (Dinosaurs???)

Zen is now living a relaxed life with everything he could want, except for the adventure he craves. He also would like to see Nova, but she is in a different part of the universe and out of reach. After Zen receives a crazy message, he gets his heart’s desire with another adventure traveling the rails. Station Zero is the end of the Railhead trilogy and readers will be excited to see some returning characters. As with most series, please don’t read this book if you haven’t read the first two. You will just be completely confused and not get as much enjoyment out of the story. This finale is one wild adventure followed by another and readers will be pulled along as the pages almost turn themselves.

On the Road Again, Eventually

This is the third and final volume in the "Railhead" trilogy. I read and very much enjoyed the first two volumes, but while this is a fine book it does present a few opening challenges.

There are some trilogies that allow the reader to enter at any point. This does not strike me as one of those trilogies. Without having read the first two books I don't think a reader would get, much less fully appreciate, the wonderful world that Reeve has created. This book has enough subtle shout-outs and exposition to remind a faithful reader of the premise, plot and characters, (Zen, Threnody, Nova, Flex, the Noon/Prell conflict, Raven, and so on), but that's just enough to remind a forgetful reader of the main characters and events; not enough to really bring a newbie up to speed. So, the bottom line is I wouldn't start here but would emphatically encourage any reader to head for book one.

Even for a knowledgeable fan, the opening is not auspicious. The first fifty pages follows the end of the second book in going all space opera and even very Game of Thrones-y. The Noon group and the Prell Empire and the galactic politics throw the fun characters and the fun world, and even the K-bahn, into the background. I was discouraged and felt it was all very Natalie Portman as Queen what's-her-name in Star Wars. But wait, (ONLY A MILD SPOILER), about fifty pages in Zen gets as tired of the story as I was, blows town to ride the rails, hooks up with Damask Rose, (the coolest sentient train ever), and the actual book starts. We're back having adventures and traveling worlds, and sneaking and lurking. The Guardians show up as the most hilariously nutsy gods ever, and we find out what Station Zero is. Now we're talking.

So, bottom line. Don't start here, but definitely read the whole series. Stay patient with this one because we do eventually start to ride the rails again and there are still many new wonders to see.

(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Reeve has done it again! This is such a fantastic series - creative, rich in detail, with diverse characters... what more could I ask for? Even for someone like me who isn't instantly attracted to the idea of space opera science-fiction with sentient trains, this is so damn compelling. The author balances action with meditations on life, the universe and pretty much everything. These books deserve to be much more widely-read than they are.

A brilliant conclusion to one of the most interesting science fiction works out there. Reeve delivers an original world filled with complex, realistic, not always sympathetic characters.

Loved this trilogy. I really enjoyed the world building, the imagination and all of the sci-fi elements which were in it. I loved the trains with their personalities and feelings. None of the books disappointed me, it was one continual enjoyment. I really savoured the last book until the action, which gave me goosebumps, and I couldn't put down the book. I will definitely be recommending this trilogy.

Philip Reeve writes a text I would gladly share with readers young and old. It’s an invitation to science fiction and works well.