If you have no idea who Lindsay Ellis is (I certainly did not) then you will after this book is released. Ok, how can I put this mildly?

This book is bloody amazing and a damn fantastic read!

There are so many elements here. Alternate History, first contact, conspiracy theories, secrets and lies, hidden World Order... you name it, you got it.

It is a bit hard to get into at first but only because there is no gentle lead up in the book. You are dropped right in the middle of all hell breaking loose and it takes a bit of time to find solid ground. Just keep on reading and everything will settle down and you will find you are reading one of the best books of the year. Yes, I really think the book is THAT good.

I love how so many varied ideas and theories were blended together to make a cohesive and compelling story that was believable and touching.

It is hard to say more without giving anything away but I will say that I was impressed with how delicately the topic of first contact and developing relationships between species was tackled. I literally fell in love with the characters. This is one book I will definitely be reading again.

(NOTE: My review will go live on my blog, ThoroughlyModernReviewer.com, on July 21, 2020. A link has been attached but will not be live until that day.)

I don't normally watch video essays on YouTube. It takes a very specific kind of personality to get me interested enough to watch anything on YouTube for more than 10 minutes - especially something that's just analyzing something else. But Lindsay Ellis is one of those YouTubers who can get me to watch an hour-long video and enjoy it. So, when I heard about her debut novel, Axiom's End, I was excited to give it a read. And I was even more excited about it when I heard it was a science fiction/alternate history novel about humanity's first contact with an alien species. That kind of story is one of my favorite kinds of science fiction stories and I was eager to see what kind of a take Ellis would have on it. Having now read the book, I can say that it wasn't really what I expected at all. Ellis certainly puts her own spin on the first-contact genre, weaving a pretty interesting tale and delivering a book that, while a bit difficult to initially get into, makes for a compelling and enjoyable read.

First things first: I found this book difficult to get into, but once I got into it, I was really into it. Allow me to explain. From page one, we're thrown headfirst into the story, with no time to get our bearings. The novel begins on the day California experiences a second strange meteor crash within the same month. There's no easing into the story; the plot is already in motion and we're left to just try and keep up with it. There's no time to properly adjust to what's going on or what anyone's relationship with each other is because things just have to keep going. It's like watching a TV series but skipping the pilot. You can mostly follow what's going on, but you never quite shake the feeling of having missed something vitally important. And all of this is surrounded by some prose that initially feels very clunky. Though, more on that shortly.

So, as the book opens, everybody is already on edge and we don't understand why until a little later. In those opening pages, we also learn a lot about Cora, our protagonist, and her relationship with Nils, her Edward Snowden/Julian Assange-esque father who has just made some kind of bombshell announcement that Cora has no interest in learning about (though Nils ends up factoring into the story a lot less than you'd expect). Then, the meteor crashes and all hell breaks loose as we're very quickly introduced to more strands of the conspiracy that will stretch across the entire novel. Something breaks into Cora's house, terrifying her family. Government agents arrive and take her family into custody. Cora goes on the run. Cora starts to learn about the plot, only to suddenly end up somewhere else, having been kidnapped by something potentially extraterrestrial. Etc., etc. It's just... a lot that all happens incredibly quickly and it was often very difficult to follow. I felt like I needed an encyclopedia to understand what was going on and why. There was almost too much going on, to the point that it was a bit numbing. At times, it was like reading the Wikipedia summary of the novel instead of actually reading the story. It wasn't a very good experience and I was worried I was going to dislike the book.

Thankfully, this feeling didn't last too long. The first third of the novel takes us very quickly from Cora being extremely skeptical about aliens to Cora literally meeting an alien (named Ampersand), getting abducted by Ampersand, and agreeing to be Ampersand's translator as he goes about fulfilling his mission (which I won't spoil). And it's here where the book finally starts getting interesting, partially because it's the time when it finally slows down to start explaining what's been happening up to that point. From here on out, the plot is very interesting and it's delivered in easier-to-follow batches. I don't want to go into any detail about it because it's well worth experiencing as spoiler-free as possible, but once it finally gets going, it moves at a satisfying pace - fast enough that you never get bored but slow enough that you're able to follow it. There are times where I wished the novel would slow down a bit so that a particular theme or idea could be explored more fully, but I'd suspect some of that exploration is being saved for a future novel in this series.

Overall, the story is intricately plotted and thought out - which is both a positive and a negative. The world-building is excellent; it's set in 2007 and you can feel it almost immediately. There are references to Bush, the impending financial disaster of 2008, and tons and tons of mid-2000s pop culture. It's all very believable and it's an interesting time to set a story like this. The world-building seems to exist mainly to set up ideas for future books, but it didn't bother me much because the world that Ellis has created is one that I'd want to spend more time in. The details she shares here are important to this story but not so important that they need to dwarf everything else. It's just background, contextual information that enhances our understanding of everything that's going on. And it's great. But sometimes the details of everything are a little too intricate and it becomes difficult to follow all of the strands again. This doesn't happen very often, though, and Ellis is pretty quick to explain something, so it's more or less fine. On the whole, Axiom's End is a well-written and well-executed story that excited me, held my attention, and left me wanting more.

Ellis does a great job of avoiding the usual pitfalls of a first-contact story. The story isn't really about how all of humanity reacts to an alien presence; it's more about how Cora and Ampersand react to each other. Their story is what forms the heart of the novel and it's a delight to track it. They're both interesting characters with intriguing backgrounds, but unfortunately, both characters don't quite get equal development. In all honesty, Cora is one of those characters who are difficult to like. Her trauma defines her, and it's led her to be closed off and standoffish to people. This kind of character is not always very fun to spend an entire novel with, and Cora isn't a particularly sympathetic narrator at first. To be fair, Cora's unlikability is sort of the point. Ellis uses Cora's trauma as a contrast with Ampersand's, comparing and contrasting their experiences, and the scenes where the two of them discuss their pasts and how they're feeling about their presents tend to be among the best scenes of the novel. But it doesn't really change the fact that it's hard to connect with Cora until she meets Ampersand.

However, after that fateful meeting, Ampersand kind of steals all the attention away from Cora as he's significantly more interesting just by being a fish-out-of-water alien. But still, the connection the two of them share is easily the most interesting aspect of the novel - and it's clearly the stuff that Ellis most wanted to explore. The two of them push each other into some emotional places as they probe at each other's respective trauma and grow closer and it's so juicy to read. There's a hint of Beauty and the Beast to their relationship - though probably not in the way you'd expect. On the whole, their storyline is immensely interesting and the way Ellis uses them to explore the ideas of trauma and morality is particularly enjoyable. Like I said, Axiom's End is less about how society reacts to aliens but more how one specific human reacts to one specific alien, and how their shared experience influences their worldviews. And in that context, it's a great story.

Axiom's End is definitely a debut novel; it is both Lindsay Ellis's first published novel and also the first novel in a series of books involving Cora and Ampersand. Firstly, it reads like a debut novel in a few different ways. As I previously mentioned, the novel's prose is a bit rough at first. It often ranges between way too descriptive and not descriptive enough, frequently spending a lot of time describing things that don't seem to matter much in the long run while under-describing things that seem more important. And some of the word choices often feel as if Ellis is stretching to use different synonyms to avoid being repetitive instead of just describing what she's trying to describe more succinctly. Now, to be fair, there's nothing technically wrong with the prose; there are no glaring grammar errors or anything like that. My problems with the prose are probably more subjective and the result of my own preferences rather than something that's actually a problem. I personally don't enjoy overly descriptive prose and I tend to prefer more straightforward descriptions of things. But your mileage may vary there. I'm sure most won't find anything noteworthy about her prose. But for me, it was a bit clunky for a while - though I did eventually get used to it and found myself able to just go with what she was doing.

Secondly, Axiom's End is clearly the first part of a series of novels. While the main conflict is technically wrapped up by the book's end, the novel closes on a pretty big cliffhanger. I'd liken it to the feeling you get when you watch a season finale of a TV show: the season's main plotline is wrapped up, but the episode ends with the beginnings of the plotline that will form the narrative thrust of the show's subsequent season. That's exactly what happens with Axiom's End. And, to be fair, there's nothing wrong with that - as long as you know going into the book that you're not getting the entire story. Lindsay Ellis has been very forthright about this on her Twitter, trying to make sure that readers know they're reading the first part of a series, but the book's actual promotional material doesn't mention anything about the book being the first in a series, and I suspect that readers who aren't expecting a cliffhanger might be disappointed when they find one. So, here's your warning: this book ends on a cliffhanger. It's a damn good one, too, and it's left me eagerly anticipating the next book in the series. But, had I gone into this not knowing it was the beginning of a series, I'd have probably been annoyed by the cliffhanger. So, just be aware of that and know that a sequel has already been confirmed and is currently expected to come out next year.

All in all, Axiom's End is a pretty solid debut from Lindsay Ellis. While the first third of the novel is a bit dense and hard to get into, once the story gets moving it's very easy to get enveloped in all that's going on with Cora and Ampersand. It's a unique take on a first-contact story, focusing on the micro implications of a human and alien making contact rather than on the macro implications. Ellis brings a passion to the material; she clearly has something to say about humanity and how we interact with other species, and she does a great job of articulating this. Ellis does an equally impressive job of setting up an entire world here, teasing us with little references to all that's going on outside of Cora and Ampersand's story and leaving us wanting to explore more of this world. In much the same way, the book ends on a cliffhanger that deftly propels us into the next chapter of the story - which has, thankfully, already been announced for a 2021 publication. At the end of the day, Axiom's End is one of those books that takes a bit of time to get going, but once it does, you'll be extremely happy you read it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm excited to see where Lindsay Ellis takes the story in future novels.

Why I requested this: I partly requested this due to my always present goal of reading debut authors. Additionally, science-fiction is a genre that I am trying to get into more this year. Alternate history science fiction involving aliens, well that seems exactly like the place for me to be when I read the synopsis.

Pros:
The tone is perfect in that there is a perfect balance between funny and serious moments.
There is a good balance of tell and show in the explanation of the setting for the alternative 2007.
The characters are realistic. Cora was someone you both wanted to, and didn’t want to, follow because of the story.

Cons:
The only real con that I can think of is that the ending could be divisive; however, it is used in part as set-up for the next book in the series.

Overall: I am desperately waiting for the sequel to this and am looking forward to seeing anything else that Lindsay Ellis puts out in the future.

The premise was strong, and gave me high hopes for this one; however, the execution just didn't work for me and this ended up just being, “okay.”

The main gist of the story is that aliens landed in the US and the Government hid them, yet were unable to communicate with them. Our protagonist is Cora, whose estranged father is a whistle-blower. When Cora finds out the extent the Government was lying, she sets out to convince an Alien that she can be an interpreter for them

The writing was a little dry for my tastes, which made it pretty sluggish. I really disliked Cora, she was far too annoying for me. She felt more like a young teenager the way she came across. She was so whiny and self-absorbed! Thankfully, by the end of the book, she wasn’t as bad. Her relationship with the Alien, Ampersand, seemed to help her grow as a person.

Speaking of Ampersand, omg, I lOVED him! He was what saved this book from being a DNF. He is just brilliant. I ended up not minding reading about their bond developing since Cora FINALLY stopped acting like a 13-year-old.

I loved some of the themes explored, I thought that was well done. I also appreciate Ellis’ imagination and vivid descriptions of the alien culture, which is important to me for my Sci-Fi's.

I’d recommend this to maybe people that are maybe newer to Sci Fi. It’s a good, lighter read, yet also addresses some heavier topics.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the e-galley and opportunity to share my thoughts,

It’s Fall of 2007 and it’s possible we may have just made first contact with aliens. Cora Sabino isn’t interested in any of it and wants to stay away as she can from the whole mess, especially since her father is the driving force behind it all. He went all wikileaks on some information, and even though Cora has nothing to do with him, he reaches out to her, and everyone is now interested in her. She discovers her family is even more deeply entrenched in this conspiracy than anyone knew, and now that’s she’s the acting interpreter for one of the life forms, things are about to get a lot more complicated, both for Cora and our planet.

You’ve only got a few more days left to wait for this one. It’s out on the 21st. This book is weird, and that’s a compliment coming from me. I love weird fiction. I love that Cora’s world is turned upside down. Not only in the normal “aliens have invaded” ways, but also in ways that make her question her view of humanity and life on a grander scale.

It’s long, so tuck in for a wild ride. It’s an epic journey of discovery, both of the self and of the world. Plus, aliens. Come on, who doesn’t love a good alien story. This has been on my radar for a while, and I loved getting the opportunity to listen to it. The narration was awesome! I do better on the whole with lady narrators, anyway, and the production value on this one was great.

If you’re looking for some cool sci-fi to add to your hot days, definitely check this one out next week.

I have been a longtime fan of Lindsay Ellis's YouTube channel, and was excited to see her take on science fiction. Axiom's End is a unique twist on the first contact trope, and her main alien character Ampersand is hands-down the best character in this novel. His relationship with Cora, our POV character, is the most compelling part of the story, acting as a microcosm for the greater clash between human and extraterrestrial.

I am not a prolific reader of sci-fi, and I had a decent amount of trouble following the plot at the beginning of the book. The terms and code names for the alien-related events and leaks were difficult to parse through at first, and even when it was explained later, I still had a bit of confusion. Again, this could be my non-sci-fi brain, but I wished I had a bit more clarity (or even a little reference/definition page).

The writing style was decent; some of the book felt a bit choppy and colloquial (Cora kept referencing her "lizard brain," which read more like a 2020 tweet than a 2007 thought), but the interactions between Cora and Ampersand were the strongest and most engaging scenes. Overall, reading it reminded me of Crichton's Jurassic Park -- fast-paced, non-lyrical, a cast of characters ranging in competency.

I didn't love this book like I wanted to, but it was a solid read. I liked the late-Bush-era setting, the alien species, and the way it sets up a sequel by the end. Both Lindsay Ellis fans and those who have never seen her videos should definitely check it out if they are at all interested in science fiction. Her strong voice from her media critiques shines through at times, and I am interested in seeing more writing from her in the future.

[3/5: Fun first contact story that picks up the pace along the way The aliens are the best part, particularly Ampersand. Sci-fi fans will find something to like here, and non-sci-fi fans should also enjoy this as well. It's not a perfect book, but a fun read nonetheless.]

The book was offered to me by Netgalley in returned for an honest review. I am uncertain as to what kind of book I read.

Axiom’s End seems to be an alternate history sci-fi story, but it felt like it retained elements of a YA romance despite the protagonist being older and her involvement was a friendship or bond with an alien.

I found it difficult to connect with the book despite it being well written. I think I expected more connection with the outside world in this alternate history other than references from the main characters. The references to the father and Cora’s motivation and anger towards him didn’t feel ripe. The story ends on an uncertain note about the main character’s future and it left me a little high and dry.

The positives about this book revolves around the pace of the story and the action. I felt the author wrote those sequences well. I only wish that the world could have been expanded and was less about the main character’s point of view. Perhaps some context from the alien’s point of view might have rounded it out better.

First Contact is always an interesting story and this has some interesting features. The aliens are very different from humans, but their abilities seem to change from situation to situation. Initially they are supposed to be afraid of humans, but their abilities and even their past experiences make that incomprehensible. This is the first of a new series so perhaps questions will be answered in time, but there are some big ones. Cora as the narrator is pretty disappointing She doesn't have much experience. She isn't particularly nice and doesn't get along with people very well. She seems way more like a surly teenager than the 21-year-old that she is. All of the other characters were more interesting to me. This story still has a long way to go, but I'm not sure I care enough to read more.

***eArc provided by Netgalley & St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review***

First, I want to say that this book is extremely good. Which doesn't come as a surprise to me, but I was a little worried in the same way you worry that your close friends have made something not great and you'll have to talk to them about it. You hope it's good, but the anxiety is there. This is to say that I'm a fan of Lindsay Ellis's creative endeavors outside of prose.

Maybe I'm bias about the quality of the book. I don't think that played a big role in my enjoyment, however. I recognize the Transformers reference, hard to miss, and naming a character after her Musicalsplaning co-host, but those are small references that don't actually impact the quality of the novel It helps that I was already familiar with Lindsay's voice as a writer from her YouTube essays, but they're two different ways of storytelling and she proved she can do both.

I think that Axiom's End did exactly what I needed it to do, without realizing that this was exactly what I wanted in a sci-fi novel. I love genre fiction, but hadn't picked up any since my last reading slump. I wasn't sure if my brain didn't want genre in prose form anymore (as I'm a devout sci-fi/fantasy tv and film person still), but Axiom's End slam dunked me right back into it.

The setup is beyond interesting: What if first contact happened in 2007? On earth. And the person it was made with was Julian Assange's daughter? Cora is dynamic and interesting. I'm dying to see her confront her father at some point in a sequel. And don't even get me started on Ampersand. This motherfucker is perfection. Lindsay Ellis does a masterful job of, for a lack of a better word, humanizing him and making him relatable through his interactions with Cora. I love the way they communicate and the relationship that forms between them so damn much. The possibility of the future for them is bonkers and I wish I could just start the sequel already!

Basically, I really love this novel. I needed some grounded, set on Earth, hard sci-fi to jump me back in and Lindsay Ellis wrote the perfect one.

It's been ages since I read a GOOD science fiction story. This story starts with a young woman whose father is on the run for releasing leaked government information about first contact with extraterrestrials. There are many boilerplate directions a story like this could go, but this one surprises! It is a page turner, with unique themes - Is truth a human right? Is it ethical to lie by omission? How far should one go to protect family? What is family? The author also poses thought-provoking issues about first contact and how that might go, and if perhaps we humans might get it all wrong? If you would like a new and different science fiction read that is well written and compelling, this should be on your list!

I received this book from Netgalley and St. Martins Press in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced.

I had a hard time figuring out how seriously to take this book. Rampant conspiracy theories in the beginning, a limp lettuce main character, and aliens: how seriously are we supposed to take this world? Like, the character is taking everything seriously, but the tone of the story is ambiguous. With as ridiculous as everything is (wandering into Google to ask for access to the servers, an alien breaking into their house to hack their computer, picking the world's least useful person to be your envoy to humanity, etc) I needed to know that this is supposed to be funny. Instead, every time something weird happens, I paused, breaking free of the story completely, and went "how am I supposed to react to this?" I struggle a lot with satire, particularly scifi satire, so that would probably explain my inability to grasp this book.

A good read, but strange chronologically. (It's set in the early 2000's.) Aliens land in US, Washington hides them, but can't communicate with them. The protagonist's estranged father is the whistleblower, which pulls her into the plot. A second set of aliens arrive, contact her, and establish communications. The aliens are "post-natural," mostly mechanical, brain and nervous system excepted. They claim no interest in Earth, or the human race. all they want is to leave.

Axiom's End channels that curiosity we have about what First Contact would look like. And, as we found out in ET, in Close Encounters, in Strangern a Strange Land, and in Ender's Game, when they finally arrive (or return), the aliens will be nothing like we ever imagined and our interactions with them will be like nothing we conceived. On the way, we explore the very nature of governmental cover-ups (hello, Area 51) and the nature of truth and to what extent is omission like lying.

Axiom's End starts out quite unassuming with a twenty something college dropout and her estranged conspiracy nut father and the guys in the black SUVs. But, hold on to your hats, cause it quickly becomes a journey you didn't quite realize you were going on.

How on earth are we going to communicate with the aliens when they arrive and to what extent can we trust them.

Axiom's End is one of those surprising finds impossible to put down and great fun to read. It does what science fiction does best by intriguing, amazing, and making you wonder. Let's give it a solid five stars.

I absolutely loved this book. I love how this book deals with first contact and the power that aliens have in a way that is both terrifying and comforting. It makes you feel like you're identifying with both the protagonist and the antagonist, which is a rare feat. There are twists, you never really know what to expect or what is going to happen next, and you are constantly on the edge of your seat. Do yourself a favor and pick this book up!

Knowing nothing about the plot of this book before reading it except that it was sci-fi, but knowing that I did enjoy the author’s media critique video essays on Youtube, I was curious as to what the book would be like.

The book is very different to her video essays. It feels like a different style of writing altogether.

A basic plot summary could be - daughter of a famous informer makes first meaningful contact with an alien species that comes to earth. I don’t want to give any other plot points away, but I will say that I think the story might continue in the future.

The title is thought-provoking, and when it is explained in the context of the story, very interesting.

The book raises the issue, can you become friends with an alien, someone who is so different than you, physically, emotionally and mentally? People doing that and trying to emphasize with those who are different than us would certainly improve the state of this planet today.

Recommended for any scifi/fantasy fans.

Note: I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy. I abandoned the book at the 62% mark.

The premise was strong, but the execution just didn't work for me. The main character Cora kept behaving in ways that were frustrating, annoying, or unrealistic. Her interactions with the main alien character were often borderline cringey. Using Bush and the 2007 financial meltdown as a backdrop seemed totally arbitrary, plus that usage came across as totally unrealistic.

There were also some word choices that were jarring, like 'directest'.

I was so intrigued by the blurb on this one. I had no idea who Lindsay Ellis was, as I am not a YouTube person, so I had no expectations going in other than a generalized sense of Interest based on the blurb. I understand from reading a number of reviews that this one starts slow and picks up - but I just could not find my way into it enough to keep reading to see if that was true... I found Cora's apathy frustrating, in the way I do that of many millennials, and the writing was oddly dry and flat for all that it was about conspiracy theories, government leaks, and Aliens... I think I just was not the right audience for this one.

Spoiler free video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kuvv_oF3wN0

Axiom's End is an alternate history first contact story set during the cusp of the 2008 market crash. It follows a girl named Cora who is unwittingly targeted by multiple entities, human and non, because of her own families involvement in the first ever contact of an extraterrestrial beings. She then finds herself the interpreter of a possibly hostile being and has the hopeless task of trying to broker an understanding between the US Government, in lieu of a more sinister and dangerous threat to all of humanity.

This is a very interesting take on the first contact sub genre. Lindsay Ellis chooses to focus on the relationship between Cora and Ampersand and the ethical implications of their situation, as opposed to a high octane, militaristic, war on aliens that usually take place within the genre. There is a lot to chew on and consider in regards to the story and I really appreciate that. That being said this does contain some pitfalls that debuts can offer. The pacing was a little off kilter and our main character is initially pretty flat and lacking agency.

Overall I really enjoyed it and gave it 4/5 stars. It was a very solid debut and I'm looking forward to the sequel

Instantly captivating, a unique take on a first contact sci-fi trope while simultaneously feeling like a classic sci-fi book. The protagonist was a little dopey in the beginning, but she came into her own at the end, which I appreciate. Overall, good writing, decent characters, and a story that I wanted to finish.

I enjoyed this alternate history sci-fi story about a young woman who comes into contact with aliens in 2007. While reflecting on the novel after reading, I realized I rarely come across sci-fi with a young woman as the protagonist. This is a fun read. When I had moments of wondering if it was realistic that the main character would do this or that, I reminded myself of how I thought/acted at that age.

As a library paraprofessional, I would recommend this novel to readers new to sci-fi and as a good summer read. Even though it dips into serious issues, it also has a fun popcorn big-budget thriller-type feel.