Book Tour for Black Hull by Joseph A. Turkot (Review & GIVEAWAY)

As a fan of sci-fi I was excited to read the intriguing Black Hull by Joseph A. Turkot.  Keep reading to get a glimpse of this book along with my impressions of it.  Learn even more by visiting the other blogs hosting this tour.  Make sure to fill out the form below for your chance to win a $10 bookstore GC too!

Imagine a distant future where technology’s inexorable advance has halted for all but the richest .1% of humanity. Indigents who still have it fly spaceships that are hundreds of years old, and entreat the help of robots that are relics of the past. 
The wealthy, having achieved immortality through science, and secured total power through purchase of all government seats, spread and consume the last resources of the cosmos. The unlucky majority pursue one goal: The generational commitment to buying a ticket into Utopia—the virtual reality program that simulates what in antiquity was known as heaven. Little do they question the mysterious origin and purpose of their gloried destination. 
For those who can’t afford to upload their consciousnesses into Utopia, and leave their physical bodies forever behind, there are few options but to live the life of an outlaw. 
Eight hundred years in the past, Mick Compton is ripped away through a wormhole into the dystopian future of the Messier 82 galaxy. In a place where the only thing that matters is getting into paradise, he wants only to get back home to his proper place and time, to his wife and family, so that he can right the wrongs of his past. But Sera, a battle-hardened smuggler with plans of her own for him, won’t make it so easy. 
And a darker agenda is at play in M82—the terrorist known as The Force of Darkness has reached a terrifying conclusion: Humanity is a virus, whose chance at equilibrium with itsenvironment long ago failed. The only solution is complete extermination of mankind. After decades of surreptitious construction, FOD is nearly ready to detonate a quantum black hole with the power to consume the entire spread of the human race. 
Will Mick succumb to the draw of Utopia and forsake his desire to return to a real family? Will FOD pull off the ultimate terrorist act and destroy humanity once and for all? Find out in Black Hull.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  iTUNES  |  BN  |  KOBO

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

As a sci-fi fan I was drawn to the premise of this story and its thought-provoking implications.  The author crafted a story that was fast-paced and full of twist and turns that ultimately left me with my jaw on the floor in a last minute shocker that I had a foreboding feeling about.  Along the way the author introduced us to an eclectic cast of characters with backgrounds hinted at through flashbacks scattered throughout the latter half of the story especially.  These characters range from a human to lifelike bots to androids reminiscent of those found in Star Wars.  Much of this story had a Star Wars feel in fact, from the cocky pilot to the droids to an older individual dispensing sage advice to an exotic bar full of dangerous individuals.  It was a non-stop journey full of pulse-pounding moments that led to one man seeking forgiveness and discovering it in an unexpected way.  The ultimate meaning of the story was religious based with a sci-fi slant.

For the most part this is not an uplifting story.  It repeatedly points out how bad humanity has fallen in the future with only the rich finding peace.  Most of the characters have done bad deeds that they don't feel guilty about as the ends justify the means.  The only person with a modicum of guilt is the main protagonist Mick and his realizations come at his lowest point with death staring him in the face.  The harshness of the characters made them hard to like and even harder to relate to.  The only characters I found sympathetic were the androids GR and XJ and even they took on too comedic of a role to be likable at times.

The storyline was undoubtedly unique and memorable with its exotic and vividly depicted other worlds.  The characters were equally unique but hard to relate to as not much time was dealt in the here and now getting to know them beyond the mission.  The tone is gritty and keeps you thinking and with more stated to come I'm left wanting more.  I ultimately applaud what the author created though the execution was a bit lacking.  Fans of sci-fi will find this appealing though for its thought-provoking ideas and for that I recommend it.

My rating for this is a C+

*I received a copy of this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

I grew up and still live in New Jersey. I started writing and drawing at a young age. Growing up, I often daydreamed that I was A) Luke Skywalker, B) A hobbit, or C) Goku/Bruce Lee, depending upon what day it was. Today, I love to craft my own worlds and stories, fill them with characters, and paint their stories.

FACEBOOK:  http://www.facebook.com/josephturkotwrites
TWITTER:  http://www.twitter.com/josephturkot
WEBSITE:  http://www.josephturkot.com

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