Day by Day Armageddon, Shattered Hourglass

by **unslung** » Sat Dec 29, 2012 8:50 pm

So i am 16 chapters in, and am taking my time so that i don't race through it. Has anyone finished yet? So far it is everything that i had hoped it would be. Every bit as good as the first two books. I will post again when i am finished.

by **Sckitzo** » Sat Dec 29, 2012 9:21 pm

Ohh man, didn't know this was out, off to Amazon!

by **mclary2220** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:09 pm

It's good. The author can certainly write....but i really miss the journal format from the first two books. I'm currently halfway through

by **rhi** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:13 pm

You guys know that the author is a member here, right?

by **Sckitzo** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:37 pm

Yup, he pops in from time to time, cool dude but also super busy.

by **Michael2007** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:50 pm

I loved it. Now I'm rereading Shawn Chester's so I can read his new one

by **raptorman** » Wed Jan 02, 2013 6:55 pm

I hope you all enjoy it. Be safe.

-JLB

by **RustyG** » Wed Jan 02, 2013 7:51 pm

I finished the book and bought the audible.com version as well. Enjoyed it quite a bit. Thanks for your efforts Mr Bourne!

by **Ryder358** » Wed Jan 02, 2013 8:08 pm

Loved the first two, but this one has been a miss so far. Not really enjoying it :cry:

by **Sckitzo** » Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:54 pm

Just got mine in the mail, be starting on it soon.

by **Zombie309** » Sat Jan 05, 2013 2:58 pm

Ryder358 wrote:Loved the first two, but this one has been a miss so far. Not really enjoying it

I was thinking about buying it, really enjoyed the first two. Is it too much China war and not enough zombies?

by **D-Train** » Tue Jan 22, 2013 8:10 am

Warning: Spoilers to follow.

I like the third book, but not as much as the first two. There were too many characters and I never got attached to any of them. I missed the one man alone in the world feel that was present at points in the first two. The mission to China felt very truncated.
I was also left with several questions. I never understood the motivations of Remote 6. The last sentence threw me for a loop. Does that indicate the start of a new trilogy? I just don't know. I didn't understand CHANG or the ice cores or the Utah specimens and how all of that was connected. I don't really understand the COG or who Aurora was working with.
I'm hoping some discussion on here will shed some light on these things for me.

by **Sckitzo** » Tue Jan 22, 2013 8:15 am

Zombie309 wrote:
Ryder358 wrote:Loved the first two, but this one has been a miss so far. Not really enjoying it

I was thinking about buying it, really enjoyed the first two. Is it too much China war and not enough zombies?

Plenty of Zombie killing

Finished this up a few days ago, it was fun. The end felt rather rushed (which may have been from the editors) but overall I enjoyed it. I should have read the first two books again as it had been a while. The ending was a bit weird, or just one I wasn't used to.

Either way anyone who is wanting a book about zombies should be happy with this one.

by **dogboy** » Tue Jan 22, 2013 10:28 am

*****I BELIEVE I PROBABLY INCLUDE A LOT OF SPOILERS IN THIS OPINION POSTING, SO BEWARE READING ANY FURTHER!!!!!*****

This is the last warning... I've read the entire book, and I'll try to talk around specifics, but there will almost inevitably be spoilers.

In anticipation of the release of "Shattered Hourglass," I re-read the first two books, finishing up "Beyond Exile" just a week before starting "Shattered Hourglass." I, too, missed the journal format of the first two, but I can understand why Mr. Bourne had to go to a different format in order to cover the ground that "Shattered Hourglass" covers. It was still a great, GREAT book that I thoroughly enjoyed. In the first book, it covers the continuity of government in a "by the way" statement of the remaining portions of government evacuating to an area in Utah or Nevada (I think... I can't remember the specifics already; I marked it in the first book when I ran across it, but didn't go back and look afterward because "Shattered Hourglass" covers the COG well enough, IMO).

Remote Six was wrapped up pretty well, I think. They certainly ended pretty un-ambiguously. I think their purpose was pretty well spelled out, as well as their origin. Quite honestly, I think God had gone completely rogue, though, based on the statement about his plans for a new society post-apocolypse. And it would appear quantum had reached the technological Singularity, realized where God was going with his plans, and was responsible for the downfall of Remote Six. Well, responsible for the downfall was pretty unambiguous as well.

The last chapter or so was really confusing, and quite honestly, while doing a pretty good job of wrapping things up (with only a few strings still hanging out), it left me un-satisfied. What was the deal with CHANG? Where did he come from? And what was the talk from the HUMINT of mental stress or headaches by the researchers at the Chinese facility. And how did the cyber-counterattack by the Chinese play out. Did that have something to do with Quantum reaching Singularity, or was that just a thread left hanging?

What was the deal with the ice cores? Why had the military been searching the ice for apparently years prior to the setting of this series? And as for the research facility, I'm guessing with the Virginia transitioning north (I think it said), the last two in the facility made it to a pick-up point.

Overall, though, an extremely good read. I very much enjoy Bourne's writing style, whether in the first person like the first two "Armageddon" books, or the third person like the last. I would be extremely happy if there is an offshoot to the "Armageddon" series, or even an unexpected sequel. "Shattered Hourglass" certainly left that possibility open.

Oh, as regarding another question on the thread here, yes, plenty of zombie killing, not too much Chinese. In my opinion. I would ALMOST say it is the best book of the series, but it is a toss-up for me between "Shattered Hourglass" and "Beyond Exile."

by **D-Train** » Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:59 pm

I would have preferred some ambiguity with Saien. I know that would have driven some people crazy. I was bummed we didn't learn the protagonist's real name. I'd love a follow up story about the SEALS at Hotel 23. Maybe their story will be told next (fingers crossed).

by **D-Train** » Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:42 pm

Wow. I'm surprised at the lack of discussion happening here.

by **Sckitzo** » Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:56 pm

Ehh lack of spoiler tags makes books discussions less fun. The white text just doesn't cut it.

by **Ryder358** » Wed Jan 30, 2013 12:49 am

So I finished the book and I have to say I liked it as much or more than the first two. The change to third person was unwelcomed at first but it grew on me and the previous post about it being necessary to tell the whole story. Bravo Mr Bourne.

I did feel the end was a bit rushed, but that may have been an editor's choice. Would like Chang and a few other previously mentioned items cleared up but it was a good book.

by **rhi** » Wed Jan 30, 2013 9:26 am

LaRue has some signed copies if anyone is interested. Proceeds benefit a veteran's organization.

by **Bricks of the Dead** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 11:04 am

I'm 75% through this. I'm enjoying the book, but it just doesn't feel like DBDA to me. The military spec-ocs/spy action is a lot of fun, and really helps move things along, but I missed the journal format and the focus on a single character.

by **rhi** » Wed Feb 27, 2013 9:52 pm

POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT
-----------------------------------------

Just finished up Shattered Hourglass last night. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I think the shift to third-person narration was necessary to advance the story.

I'm currently pondering the significance of CHANG. Although supposedly a 20k-year-old specimen, it's got a name tag written in modern Chinese and English on it's "alloy" uniform. Descriptions indicate that it's human. Is this some sort of a time travel hook? Some sort of deception? Not sure what this is about...

What do you guys think?

by **Bricks of the Dead** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 3:49 pm

I finished this a couple weeks ago. I liked it, but it didn't feel the same as the other books. Not only was the perspective change hard to overcome, but the scope of the story was just huge. I liked the more intimate story of the first book, but that's just personal taste.

by **rhi** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 7:48 pm

Bricks of the Dead wrote:I finished this a couple weeks ago.

What are your thoughts on "CHANG", Bricks? I'm itching to talk this over with others that had read the book. :shock:

by **dogboy** » Sat Mar 16, 2013 12:00 pm

I'm a relatively new guy on here, but it really seems to me that CHANG and several other threads that are still hanging rather loosely leads to another book in the series. The door is CERTAINLY left open for that.
I think CHANG is some kind of time hook, as someone else put it. That is the only explanation I can come up with.