Almost Midnight

Action Packed Series Starter. This is one of those series starters that ends on an "oh SH!T" cliffhanger - and while it could possibly be debated if the story should have continued on from there in a longer tale, it also told a complete story to that point, so I'm personally comfortable leaving the rating at 5* rather than deducting a star for blatant cash grab. But I could also see other readers making a different call on that point.<br/><br/>Still, for what the story actually is up to that point, and even through that point in making the reader want the next book *right this second*... this is a truly great book. The story has elements of a wide variety of known and not-as-known scifi, from Amy Adams' Arrival to Neil Blomkamp's District 9 to Jeremy Robinson's Unity to Meg Pechenick's Vardeshi Saga, and yet still manages to feel fresh and unique even within its lost memory / alien invasion / sudden awakening type of story.<br/><br/>This is one that contains several elements of several different genres (including a few teases of romance), so certainly nearly everyone will likely find something here to like - and thus the book could have near universal appeal to some level.<br/><br/>Overall a strong tale well told, and I'm truly looking forward to the next book here. Very much recommended.