Review: An Excellent Start
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 29, 2012
"Endless" is the ambitious first book in what author Matt Bone plans as a fantasy series about a world called Crescent.  I think this book is an excellent start. The descriptions of Crescent, with its spirit storms and white, distant sun, are beautiful to read. Fans of the fantasy series genre should not overlook this book.The story opens with the end of human life on Planet Earth, apparently save for an Englishman named John, who heretofore had experienced but ordinary pains of love and career. Since there is no one for John to interact with, the author accomplishes a considerable feat by making John's physical and psychological struggles seem accurate and captivating, especially since there is virtually no dialogue. When John inexplicably finds himself in a new, unfamiliar world, we identify with his process of discovery. A fellow earthling named Jago, a Brazilian scientist, tries John's nerves (though I liked him). And Manvedian, a fascinatingly flawed warrior--think Russell Crowe--lends excitement and bravado.My only quibble is ironic. Because Bone is indeed a writer of integrity, things of the familiar (i.e., planet earth) struck me as more urgent than the utterly fictive matters of Crescent. For example, there's a brief passage in which Jago asks John if he ever thought of committing suicide and if the universe has meaning.  Likewise, Manvedian briefly talks about a TV show when he was a kid and how he became a criminal. I found such fragile moments that delve into the mystery of life to be the real transport to a new world.If it were up to me (and of course it is not), in future books a few more earthlings should be found, and there would be more interplay with earth somehow. The earthly roots are part of what makes the story move. Also, Telde and Ceria, a kind of love-hate warrior sisterhood against the forces of oppression, should continue to be humanized.  But again, this series gets off to an excellent start, and deserves a wide audience.Jon P. Bloch (The Kindle Book Review)