Great start to a new series. An unusual character finds himself in a world he knows nothing about and must grow up or die. The world building and the supporting characters all work together to add this author to my must read list.

Interesting story and some good plot points, but I didn't enjoy the writing style which is a shame because I wanted to like this book more than I did.

I found this book to be slow and predictable with a limited plot, poor character development and a stilted writing style. I felt it was not worth reading, a definite DNF.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I could not finish this book. The writing was too juvenile for me. And the MC just wasn’t very personable.

What a great introduction to an exciting new series. I am excited to read more about Omni Legends now.

I was curious about a book that had done so well in Germany being released in the United States. I can assure you I was not disappointed. The Commander by Kevin Groh is the story of a young man who is put in circumstances that he does not want. Like all great heroes, he learns lessons along the way and steps up when he is needed the most.

The science fiction elements of the story, the interplanetary setting, the aliens, the entire Universe is fun and thrilling to explore. Fans of big franchises like the Marvel Universe, Star Wars, and others will enjoy this book and I am sure the coming books, too.

I highly recommend this book for fans of science fiction, fantasy, young adults, speculative fiction and adventure books.

The Commander is the first in a series by Kevin Groh. Originally written in German, the books have recently been translated, which is how I was able to request an English version from Netgalley. The book is due out tomorrow.

I thought the premise sounded great. I love books where a naïve individual must find themselves, and discover what they are truly capable of while being thrown into impossible situations. Unfortunately, it didn’t deliver.

Carter is the son of a wealthy and influential man. But even that power doesn’t stop him from being conscripted. Facing hostilities from his team-mates, Carter tries to fit in.

He’s a likeable enough character, but there’s no depth to him. Carter doesn’t struggle with anything: he comes from a wealthy background and picks up the skills and tasks assigned to them by the military with ease. He grows, but you don’t see that development and you certainly don’t go on the journey with him. He was flat, two-dimensional and annoying, which isn’t what you want for your main character.

The secondary characters fell just as short. Kelly is portrayed purely through the masculine gaze, falling apart when things get difficult and only appreciated for her beauty. Likewise, Leena is objectified by another recruit, and her hysterical nature undermines what could have been a strong character. The depiction of the female characters was particularly disappointing, although none of the men were all that, either.

The plot was all over the place. There are multiple time jumps throughout the book. These work – you couldn’t follow three years of training – but it did mean characters could suddenly do tasks they’d previously struggled with, and you missed the development.

But it’s not the time jumps that threw me off. In the space of three chapters, Carter experiences a massive attack, is introduced to a potential villain who is being kept hush-hush, and discovers his father is hiding something. These literally take place back-to-back, within a space of a few days, but then are never mentioned again. Not even a hint about why there is a cover up on this bad guy. I’m assuming it’s setting up future books, but it threw me off.

There were also moments during their training where I had no clue what was going on. A few of the exercises left me completely baffled.

When it came to the pinnacle of the story – which, again, we seemed to have arrived at very suddenly – there was no tension. There was a threat, but I didn’t care. By this point, you know Carter can excel at anything he tries; therefore, he’ll deal with the threat and be home and dry before anyone else reacts. He’s called out on his arrogance, but this far through the book, there’s no way of redeeming it.

It’s a shame this book disappointed me. But with annoying main characters and a confusing plot, it just didn’t work. Not what I wanted for a first review of the year, but there we go.

While the time break between the prologue and the first chapter was ill-defined and threw off my self of the overall timeline, the rest of the structure worked fine. I liked the development of the military training, but the hot young people sleeping with hot young people seems a bit cliched from my point of view.

A great start to a new series. This book had great action, a good plot, and characters that you could invest your time in. I couldn’t put this one down and am looking forward to the next one! A must read for Sci-fi fans.

Thank you to net galley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for honest review.
I thought this was a fun read. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. Son of an elite government employee drafted into the military and forced to grow up, meeting challenges he never dreamed of. Good story!

Unfortunately I have to mark this one with DNF. I reached chapter 4 and decided not to continue, because I really couldn't get into it. I don't think I was the correct target audience for this book; it's supposed to be New Adult but it reads as if it were written for a way younger audience. I found the writing dry and unengaging, and there were a lot of sexist and racist undertones in the chapters that I read. There were quite a few intiriguing plot points and I wanted to carry on and see where it goes, but I was bored most of the time while reading.
Not sure I'm the right person to rate this books, but I do think that it has an audience that will enjoy it and I hope it reaches it!

Note: I would prefer to leave this unrated with stars since I did not finish it, but I can't forward the feedback without adding a star rating; settled on three because there are a few interesting sci-fi themes that have been brought up which I would have loved to read more about if the book were more enjoyable for me to read.