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Jakkattu #1

The Jakkattu Vector

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They came as saviors to a deteriorating Earth.

Julip Thorne questions whether there is more to life beyond the barren dirt, acidic seas, and toxstorms her people work and die in. Living in poverty on the withering Greenland Human Reservation, she wonders if the alien Mezna goddesses are truly as holy as the temple preaches. Julip begins to dig deeper into the history of the planet and her leaders’ rise to power. But nothing can prepare her for the atrocities she uncovers.

Meanwhile, Jakkattu prisoner Sabaal suffers constant torture and heinous medical experiments as her Mezna-priest captors seek to unlock the key to her genetic makeup. Escaping from captivity, she finds herself suddenly alone on the hostile alien planet of Earth. To survive, she’s forced to work with the same Mezna-human hybrids she’s loathed her entire life, but the more they work together, the more they realize that their enemy is the same.

When humans and Mezna collide, will Sabaal turn out to be the genetic vector the Mezna have been searching for all along, or will she spark the flame that sets a revolution ablaze?

300 pages, ebook

First published November 28, 2016

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About the author

P.K. Tyler

37 books152 followers
PK Tyler is the author of Speculative Fiction and other Genre Bending novels. She is an artist, wife, mother and number cruncher. She graduated Smith College in 1999 with a degree in Theatre.

After graduation, she moved to New York, where she worked as a Dramaturge, Assistant Director and Production Manager on productions both on and off Broadway.

Later, Pavarti went to work in the finance industry as a freelance accountant for several international law firms. She now operates her own accounting firm in the Washington DC area, where she lives with her husband, two daughters and two terrible dogs. When not penning her science fiction books she twists her mind by writing horror and erotica stories.

Like Genre-Bending Literary Fiction? Click here: http://www.pavartiktyler.com/specficr...

"Tyler is essentially the indie scene's Margaret Atwood; she incorporates sci-fi elements into her novels, which deal with topics such as spirituality, gender, sexuality and power dynamics." - IndieReader

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
Profile Image for Siobhan.
4,670 reviews583 followers
November 22, 2016
Avendui 5ive and Twin Helix worked to get me super excited about the Jakkattu series. I had my fingers crossed for a great read, I was hopeful that there would be a lot of fun, and I was not disappointed. Having now finished The Jakkattu Vector, I can safely say I’m more than a little bit eager to see where this series goes.

It took me a while to work my way through this one, however it was my own fault rather than the fault of the book. From the very start the book is full of action, the action existing from start to end. As you would expect some points were higher than others, but every moment kept you engaged and on the edge of your seat regarding where things would go next. Each time I put the book down I was impatient to pick it up again, curious as to what would happen next.

Told mainly from two viewpoints, we follow our main characters as the world is slowly shown to us and the mysteries unveiled. Having read Avendui 5ive and Twin Helix, I had an idea of what to expect from the world. However, the glimpse given in the short stories failed to show me just how much of the world there really is. Following a human and a non-human, we see so much more of the world than I’d expected. The lies and deceit, the untruths and subterfuge – it’s such a complex world, and even when you work something out there is always more meaning to be found waiting within the next few pages. Honestly, the way things come together is wonderful. Even when finished, we have so many questions waiting to be answered. We know certain facts, and yet we don’t know it all.

Honestly, I could write endlessly about the world building but that would bore you. Just know it’s such a wonderfully complex world, with so many aspects to it. I’d go so far as to say it was my favourite aspect of the book – but I really did love so much of it.

A close second in regards to my favourite aspect, is the main characters. Both females were wonderful, and I have difficulty deciding whom I enjoyed more. Flickering between them was both wonderful and disheartening – I would get really into one and I wouldn’t want to change, and yet I was always excited as to what would come next for the other character. I really enjoyed it when they can together, as well. It was obvious they would at some point, and yet it didn’t happen in the way I had expected. It really was great to see the two of them come together. I really wish there had been more, though. I wanted more interaction between the two of them – they were both such strong women and I can only imagine the kind of havoc that would ensue if they spent a prolonged period of time together.

I have no idea where the series is heading – I can guess as to where the next book will take us, but long run specifics remain elusive – yet my fingers are crossed that we will get to see the two women together again at some point in the future. Whatever happens, I know both main characters have a great storyline ahead of them. With the way events ended in this book, it’s basically a promise of great things to come.

Honestly, it was such a great read. I’m now going to be an impatient individual as I await the next book, counting down until I can get some kind of answer to any of the many questions I have.

As a final note, I would like to thank the author for allowing me to advance read this one.
Profile Image for Lola.
1,659 reviews266 followers
November 27, 2016
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book when I started reading it, but I heard of this author before and the blurb had me curious, so I decided to give it a try. The Jakkattu Vector is a story driven book with rich world building and an interesting cast of characters. It's a bit of a dark world, bad things happen and at times it feels pretty bleak. And at times it feels like you get an overview of this world and planet, and the characters are just there as a means to tell the story. But that doesn't do it justice either. As the characters are an important part of it all.

I really enjoyed immersing myself in this world. The start of the book was a bit difficult and confusing at times, some of the characters speak a dialect that took some time getting used to and there is this whole wide world I didn't understand much about. By the end of the book I get used to the dialect and read it almost as easily as the rest of the text and the world building is so masterfully done by revealing small parts at a time that I didn't mind feeling a bit overwhelmed and confused at first. I quickly got sucked into the story and really enjoyed following Sabaal and Julip their stories. There are surprises along the way and the book is very well written, I enjoyed seeing everything unfold and change. And by the end I wasn't quite ready to leave this world yet.

It's a story about ideas and how what you always thought was true isn't always true. It's about questioning rules and what you know. It's about opening your hearts and mind to other ideas. It's even a bit about prejudice, about not judging people by their looks. And about being in a cage so long you don't know what outside it or realize it's a cage. It's about standing up for what you believe in. It's about choices and changes.

The Jakkattu Vector is a story mostly told from two point of views, I say mostly as we do get one other point of view eventually and there are two interludes as well. One of the point of views is Sabaal, she's a Jakkattu, an alien from another world. The Jakkattu got enslaved and brought to another planet called Peritha to work there and eventually Sabaal is brought to earth where she got experimented upon. We never fully find out what made her special and why the Mezna need her for their experiments. We only know as much as the characters know and the reader finds out about the world through them. Sabaal escapes her prison and has to find her way in this to her alien world. I really liked her point of view and there's this scene where she finds a church, but she doesn't know it is a church, so we get to see her describe what it look like through her eyes. I thought that part was well done and made her seem alien.

The other point of view is Julip, who has lived her whole live in a small city where humans live. There are more of these cities and they pick brides or husbands for their kids from other cities. But they are separate from the outside world. Julip always had a good life and doesn't know much about what's beyond the walls, but due to something that happens in the book she starts questioning everything. At first I preferred Sabaal her story as that was action filled and she knew more about the world and what was going on. But Julip her story was interesting as well, it read a bit like a dystopia book at times. And slowly I got to appreciate both their stories.

Those two point of views seem unconnected at first, like we get two sides of a story, but it wasn't clear how they were connected. It stays that way for a long time. Only late in this book the point of views are sort of brought together. But most of the time it feels more like we get two stories in one book, showing different sides of this world, different perspectives and different lives. The pov switches could annoy me at times as I wanted more of the point of view I just was reading. Especially with the point of views being so different it felt like switching between two books at times instead of continuing the same one. But as I did enjoy both point of views I usually got over my annoyance of the pov switches soon enough. Then there are two interludes almost randomly added to the story, they give another point of view, another piece of information and of the world that wasn't possible to get in another way. It was a bit weird, but in the end I could appreciate these extra pieces of information and story.

The characters in this book where interesting, but at times it felt more like the focus was on the story or the changes in them and their opinions than the characters itself. Like the characters were just a means to tell the story. But that sounds too negative as the characters are likeable and I enjoyed reading about them and following their stories. It's just that at times I would've liked a tad more emotional depth. It's not that it was really missing, but I would've liked a bit more of that, but on the other hand this way of telling the story did fit somehow. Does that even make sense? I really liked seeing the characters change over time, they learn new things, adjust opinions and ideas they had and change as a person.

I enjoyed the way this story was told, but my favorite part is probably the world building. The world building is really well done. At first we basically know nothing about this world, but slowly we find out bits and pieces and we only know as much as the characters do. There are no info dumps here, just slowly figuring out the world through the eyes of Sabaal and Julip. The two point of views really help to get a more complete image of the world. And there's so much to learn, at times it felt like it went too slowly as I always felt like I didn't know enough, but the way of slowly revealing pieces of the world and learning more of it was really well done. This book has a bit of sci-fi, dystopia and almost post apocalyptic elements. Nicely blended together to create a world that's similar and also so different from the one we currently know. By the end of the book I did feel like I had a pretty good understanding of the world, how it changed to this and how the current state of the world was. But there were still questions that remain, we get to know very little about the Mezna themselves as we only hear about them from other point of views. And I wanted to learn more about the Jakkattu, but I think we'll get that in the next book.

To summarize: I really enjoyed this book. The way the story is written and crafted and we find out slowly more about the world was really well done. It's dark and gritty at times, it's shows a bleak future of a world that's similar, but also very different from our own. The story is told through two point of views, that almost felt like reading two different stories at times. But this way of telling the story also worked as we only know as much as the characters know, so the two point of views provide us with more information about the world and what's going. I enjoyed seeing the changes in the characters, how not everything they believed in was true. I would've liked a bit more emotional depth to the characters at times. The world building was really well done with how we learn more and more about the world, little by little through the characters their eyes. All in all this was a great read and I am already looking forward to book 2!
Profile Image for Fizza.
Author 28 books37 followers
November 13, 2016
Jakkattu Vactor is an action packed novel. It kept me on my toes from the very beginning until the end. The story is quite tragic, as well as, thought provoking. It shows us a world where humans are no longer human. They're slaves to an alien species but seem not to know that.

Sabaal is from Jakkattu, a planet which has been destroyed by Mezna just like Earth. But unlike humans, Mezna is using her people as miners, slaves who do as their guards told them to. Sabaal is an exception and that's why she has been brought to Earth to be experimented on, to be tortured, and broken down. She has a strong spirit, she will not be enslaved and hence at first opportunity she flee from captivity. Surviving on a dying planet is another thing altogether....

Humans live on reservations. They are thought to worship Mezna. Things they now know might not be true. As two siblings from one such reservation are soon to find out. What will happen when they learn the truth about 'Ferals'? The universe is far bigger than they were led to believe. In fact nothing they know is real.

Teks always thought that they're isolated from the human race because they're better version of humans. But what if that's a lie? Has humanity survived all these years? Or all hope lost?

Sabaal's story will continue in the next book. I can't wait to read it. This one was really good. We get to see different group of species and how they are surviving on Earth after most of it has been destroyed. There are human reservations where people live in a very primitive way. They are not allowed to think for themselves or to ask questions that might lead to the truth. Then their are 'Teks', blue eyes hybrids. They're neither human nor robots but something in between. They're programmed to perform one specific purpose. Some are medical aids, some are guards, but what ever role they're are given that's the only thing they know how to do. They all follow Mezna blindly. Priests control them and anyone breaking the rules is punished. Then there are 'Ferals'. They're deformed creatures, cannibals, who live outside the protected areas. People don't interact with them. They're wild creatures who aren't considered human at all. And among all this chaotic world is one alien 'Sabaal' who is fighting for her freedom and freedom of those who don't even realise that they have been enslaved...

This book is quite intriguing. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend to all sci-fiction lovers. For you guys it's a must read.
Profile Image for Lynda Dickson.
581 reviews54 followers
November 28, 2016
The Mezna are hailed as saviors when they come to a toxic Earth to save the human race. But what are they really after? In a world of interminable dust, toxstorms, and acid oceans, the Mezna build their hygienic terraformed cities which house the Miscegenate blue-eyed Mezna-human hybrids and the half-robot teks. Outside their cities are the Human Reservations, where the people live in poverty and squalor. And, in the Wilds in between, live the Undone, humans born with severe birth deformities and considered monsters. The Jakkattu Vector interweaves the stories of Sabaal, a native of the planet Jakkatta who escapes from a Mezna breeding facility, and Julip, a fifteen-year-old girl from the Greenland Human Reservation. Insignificant as they might seem, their meeting might just spark a revolution.

The author continues to build the world we encountered in Avendui 5ive and Twin Helix. Here we are introduced to a matriarchal society where Jesus's mother is the supreme deity - Mother God - and where the men are uneducated and only considered good for labor and for breeding. We meet interesting characters from all parts of this new world, and we follow a number of different storylines until they come together in a thrilling climax. Even though the book is science fiction, its message is applicable to today's world. It is a timely warning to all humans about the consequences of continuing to treat the Earth the way we do. We are also given a heartbreaking look at how ignorance can turn people against each other, how people who are basically the same can turn on each other for being slightly different, how discrimination if often based on lies and unfounded beliefs, and how religion can be used to brainwash its followers.
This is story-telling at its finest. While this story is complete, I can't wait to read the next installment of this enthralling new series, The Jakkatu Insurrection.

I received this book in return for an honest review.

Full blog post (28 November): https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...
Profile Image for Kay.
1,672 reviews17 followers
October 12, 2016
I loved Avendui 5ive, the prequel, and this book is a fantastic start to Tyler's new world in this series. A world in which slavery, torture of those different than themselves, poverty, exclusion of abnormal and disfigured beings, a strict unquestioning religion, lying to the people, and open hatred of other species are commonplace.

The comparisons between then and now, and then and the rise of the Nazis is amazing. The underlying themes too, eg climate change, and not speaking up and questioning things, are stark warnings for us today.

This is a REALLY well written book. The characters are very well fleshed out and believable. The main females are strong and do what needs to be done. There are a lot of characters, but it doesn't feel like it. Once you start this book, you are there, you are pulled in and kept there. There is no outside of this world.

Tyler's writing flows effortlessly, and the story is excellent. This is a flawless piece of work and I look forward to enjoying more.
Profile Image for Georgia.
1,105 reviews69 followers
November 21, 2016
Review can also be found in Chill and read


“The Jakkattu Vector” is a Science Fiction story of what could be after humanity has almost destroyed earth and aliens saviors have already come to the rescue. How much of saviors are they? How willing is man to believe to a higher power that would fix all mankind wrongs? Would that possibly be the future of our planet if we keep walking the same destroying path we are? What could happen to humans that blindly believe whatever is served to them? Where should this world end, if we don’t fight for nothing? If we swallow in whatever the few speak of, without questioning? Where would our own lies lead us? To freedom or slavery? To life or death? These are only a few of the questions that come to the readers mind while going through this wonderful story.

Humans have reached a point where Earth cannot easily host them. The atmosphere is destroyed and tox-storms hit the ground heavily, making them stay inside even for weeks. They no longer live freely in the grounds of their ancestors. They are gathered in reservations in the fear of the Undone and under rule of the Mezna, their so called saviors who are actually their captures. Only humans don’t seem to believe that. Very few of them, like the Thorne offspring, have developed their own free will and thinking.

Meanwhile, in one of the cities the Mezna have created for their hybrids, half alien – half human worshipers, Jakkattu prisoner, Sabaal, suffers constant torture and heinous medical experiments as her Mezna-priest captors seek to unlock the key to her genetic makeup. Her people have been moved from their planet to the Peritha mines, to become slaves of the Mezna. Once she finds the rear opportunity to flee, she runs for her life.

The book is full of action keeping the reader literally attached to it, never wanting to let go. It covers up many genres, under the Dystopian Sci-Fi umbrella. There is horror and political thriller and a little bit of romance pulling the strings. The writer has done a marvelous job into the characters’ creation. Even though there are plenty of them, opening different paths for the story to walk through, they all decline to the heart of the story, backing it up greatly.

The book is well written and it flows seamlessly. Tyler has the capability to visualize whatever she writes and this is really shown in the book. The reader becomes part of it and it’s story and can really see into the picture as being there, part of the action.

“The Jakkattu Vector” is book one of the Jakkattu series, released in November 2016 by Evolved Publishing. Looking crazy forward for the next inline, hoping to be a real page turner like this one!!!

Note: I received an ARC from Novel Publicity in exchange for an honest review as part of a blog tour.
Profile Image for Michelle.
1,023 reviews2 followers
September 23, 2016
This is a very awesome good book it sucks you in and does not want to let you go but love the characters of earth and the aliens and they find out that the humans are not the enemy and they need to fight together very good book Michelle
Profile Image for Kristen Lewendon.
7,638 reviews46 followers
October 1, 2016
This is genre-busting at it's very finest. There's a little bit of everything in here and it's done with such skill and flair I'm practically speechless. The Jakkattu Vector is like nothing I've ever encountered before. (Though one of the languages is reminiscent of beloved "Firefly".) On the surface it's dystopian science fiction. But this cleverly hides a political thriller with hints of horror and romance thrown in to round out the flavor. In the hate-mongering climate we live in today, this is a timely reminder to us all to believe nothing at face value and question everything we're told.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
13 reviews
December 10, 2016
Addictive

One of the best SciFi books I've Read in years. Three are so many elements and twists. P K Tyler has definitely risen to the top of my list of favorite authors. The richness of not only each character, but the thoroughness of each species is remarkable. As I Read from each person's perspective, I felt I was that person.
Profile Image for Jeff Closs.
20 reviews3 followers
May 24, 2017
I got this e-book via a facebook sign-up for a number of free e-books, clearly as a publicity push. While not all the books met the quality standard that I like in my novels, this one was one of the two standouts. I should be clear at the beginning that a 4 star review is very strong for me, I rarely rate books 5 stars. Essentially, 3 stars is ok, 4 is excellent, and 5 is perfection.

First off, this book is structurally well written. It's told from several points of view, and the POV changes are predictable - in a good way. I could sense at the end of a chapter that the next one would change the point of view in order to move the story along efficiently. Also, Tyler can write, and seems to have a good copy editor. I didn't run into any glaring mistakes or find myself distracted by poor grammar anywhere in the novel.

So, the technical part of the writing works, how about the story itself? Well written doesn't necessarily mean good, right?

The world building is interesting. The novel takes place on a dystopian Earth, centuries after an alien race called the Mezna have come to save the human population from destruction caused by global warming and nuclear war. All the bits fit together nicely - the weather of acid rain, the dust in the human reservations and the tidbits about massive sea creatures living in the acidic seas. Little things, like preparations for a "tox storm" really flesh out the world the characters inhabit. There is a little bit of a language or dialect shift to give character to the humans living on reservations. Overall, it works pretty well, although at times it felt a bit forced.

So we have an interesting world for the characters to live in, however, I need well rounded characters that I can get emotionally involved in, or the story is flat and boring.

Happily, I can say the character building is likewise well done. We have two main POV characters, who are both strong female leads. Added to that, we have two strong male sub-protagonists who provide some comparison and contrast to our leads. Each becomes well rounded, although more time is spent on the two main female leads. If you like your fiction to have strong, independent women (who still are fallible), this is probably a good read for you. Even the background characters get some nice touches added to them, enough to make you feel that they are real people, inhabiting a real place.

Also, there are several "asides" - micro story chapters that flesh out the world and introduce us to historical figures. These provided some interesting spice without derailing the main novel. I could have been happy with one or two more actually.

By the end of the story, I have a desire to continue the series. I'm left very interested in the convergent evolution of the different alien species - the author goes to great lengths to show that they are biologically compatible, even to the point of sexual reproduction. This raises some interesting hypothesis about the reasons why, and possible species origins in this series.

This novel has an excellent blend of action, detective work, romance, joy and suffering. It examines the human condition in all the plethora of ways in which humans act - hatred, fear, suffering, love, deceit, compassion and understanding or refusal of "the other". It shows the ways in which humanity is blind, and encourages the reader to accept both the good and the bad in ourselves. This, to me, is the reason the novel works so well - it uses dystopian science fiction to examine our humanity, and speculate on where we are headed.

I'll look for more work by P.K. Tyler in the future. I unreservedly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Elena Alvarez Dosil.
740 reviews12 followers
July 27, 2018
My original The Jakkattu Vector audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

In a distant future, humans live in reserves where they try to escape the inclement weather and survive as best as they can. Earth has been colonized by a superior race called the Mezna, who are able to breed with humans, producing hybrids. Mezna and hybrids live in protected cities, turning their backs to the humans at the reserves and to the undone, feral beings living on the edges of both societies, and feared by most. This is also the story of Sabaal, a Jakkattu prisoner who suffers the torture given by the Mezna's experiments on her, trying to unlock the key to her genome.

This story had an amazing world building, with different types of societies and secrets to uncover. There were quite some questions that picked my curiosity and kept me listening without being able to stop. I found the little societies inhabiting the reserves quite peculiar, matriarchy based, and with arranged marriages to avoid having genetic defects.

There are two main characters in this book, and the point of view alternates between them. On one hand, we have Julip Thorne, a young girl in one of these reserves, and daughter of an important woman. Julip can't understand the world's order and she will try to find answers to why things are as they are. The other main character is Sabaal, a Jakkattu who used to be a slave for the Mezna, and who is very interesting to them due to how resistant her body is.

I really enjoyed the two strong female characters, each one special in her own way, going against their initial beliefs and trying to improve their little world. As I have said, there are many questions and some misleads that had me peeling off story layers until we get to the truth.

There are other special characters, and there are also a couple of short stories alternating with the main story, which add depth to the book, giving the feeling of a real world.

The only thing that I would have left out would be the religious beliefs, and how that was used to affirm what was true or false.

Anna Castiglioni's narration was exquisite. She really became Julip, with her sweet and sassy intonation, but also did great when portraying the rest of the characters, transmitting Sabaal's strength, and the pain of the teks. I especially enjoyed the musicality she gave to the Jakkattu.

A great dystopian novel who had me wanting for more. Sadly there is still no sequel published so I'll have to make do with the two Jakkattu Shorts: Avendui 5ive and Twin Helix.
Profile Image for Anna Tan.
Author 26 books167 followers
November 18, 2016
Sabaal is a captive Jakkattu imprisoned on Earth by the Mezna priests who experiment on her. Javan 6ix is a tek - half Miscegenate, half machine - beginning to question his life in the city. Norwood Thorne is too smart for a human, too inquisitive for a man, leading his sister Julip down the path of questioning the Temple, the Mezna and all the history they've learnt on the Rez.

Sabaal's escape is the part of the catalyst that throws them all together, leading them to question whether everything the Mezna has been telling them is true. Because beyond their fences, the Feral - the Undone as they name themselves - have information that will turn their understanding of the world upside down.

The Jakkattu Vector is action-packed, with Tyler propelling you from one scene to another, giving you glimpses of the truth, glimmers of the lies these human-Mezna hybrids have grown up with, expecting you to piece them all together before the horrifying reveal. In between, she engages your emotions with the innocence of the young Thornes as they grow up, navigating the thin line between independence and insolence in their quest for truth. And then she feeds you heartbreak on a platter.

The Jakkattu Vector is gritty and grim yet inexplicably hopeful as each of strand of humanity - human, Miscegenate, Undone - come to terms with who they are and what the Mezna has done to them.

Note: I received an ARC from Novel Publicity in exchange for an honest review as part of a blog tour.
Profile Image for Shari Sakurai.
Author 7 books67 followers
September 24, 2017
*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review *

The Jakkattu Vector is the first novel in the Jakkattu series.

Julip Thorne is a young woman living in the Greenland Human Reservation. Her life seems to have been mapped out for her since birth as it is for all humans born in the Reservation. However, Julip is not content to accept the Mezna as gods and seeks to discover the truth, even at great cost.

For years Sabaal has endured torture at the hands of her god-like captors until one day she is able to escape her prison. On the run she finds unexpected allies in half-robot teks and mezna-human hybrids. Eventually she finds herself on Earth and must use all her survival skills to not only protect herself but also a new born baby.

This is a very well written novel and a good start to the series. There is plenty of action to straightaway draw the reader into the two different worlds. I loved Sabaal’s character from the start. She’s tough, does what is necessary yet there is a softer side to her that comes out as the novel progresses. Even after all she has been through with help from her allies she is still able to show compassion and empathy. Julip I found difficult to relate to although I think this had a lot to do with the dialogue in her parts. I found it hard to follow at times and so her sections of the novel were rather frustrating for me. I did persevere with it and the finale did not disappoint. I would definitely read book 2 but as I found it a bit of a struggle to follow in places I can only give it 3.5 stars.
Profile Image for Rosemary Hughes.
3,320 reviews20 followers
November 11, 2016
I found this book difficult to read. not because of the words used but the concept of what earth would be like, in the scenerio that is portrayed.
The people on earth had degraded the planet, to an unlikeable state, where toxic storms forced people to shelter for weeks at a time. Ground water was undrinkable and the seas were acid and only monsters existed with in the oceans depths.
An alien race, the Mezna had come and extended aid, but what their true motivation was, the humans on Earth, now a dying race, didn’t question.
So earth became populated by three groups. Humans, Hybrids and ferals. All segregated and imprisoned, in their own way.
Sabaal, the Jakkattu female warrior had been brought to Earth by the aliens, trying to find a solution to a problem for their own needs. The Mezna who had already taken over the Jakkattu, planet, enslaving it occupants on a mining planet: Peritha The Jakkattu people were strong willed and we're not easy to dominate. Even after 3 years of imprisonment, Sabaal took the first chance that had occurred, to escape. The story leads off from here.
10 reviews
February 4, 2017
Deep and detailed sci-fi keeps building through the last page

Some books are like pizza...quick, tasty and simple. Some books are like a steak dinner, hearty and filling. This book is like a 7-course meal at a fancy restaurant, over which you linger as long as you can...

This is not a story you can rush through. The complex characters and multiple viewpoints intertwine to create an amazingly detailed vision of a future Earth, while simultaneously exploring the background and history of the main alien character, for which the book is named. It's almost like 3 stories in one book, working together. Great for fans of sci-fi and post-apocalyptic fiction. It was a long read for me, but days later, I still am thinking over the story and the characters. And, most telling, I want to know what happens next in the action!
Profile Image for Beverly Laude.
1,927 reviews33 followers
February 7, 2017
A great epic sci-fi/dystopian adventure! That being said, it did take me a while to get into the story. When I first started reading, I got a little confused when the book went from one character to another, seemingly unrelated, character. However, halfway through the book, I was hooked!

I was reminded throughout the book of other great books and movies of this type: The Handmaid's Tale, 1984, STNG (The Borg). There is adventure, despair, hope, love, hate, and just about every other emotion you can think of in this book! Definitely not a HEA ending, but I seems that some of my favorite books right now have that hint of despair that this one does so well.

I enjoyed reading the book (although I would probably slap the author for some of the character's demises if she were in the room!). I will definitely be reading more in the Jakkattu series
Profile Image for A.B. Shepherd.
Author 2 books44 followers
December 9, 2017
On a future Earth where the planet has become primarily inhabitable due to human incompetence, an alien race called the Mezna has stepped in to "save us". They have set up cities with food/water and shelter for those in need and they have mated with humans to hybridize us so we can survive. But they have also abducted and experimented on other species, and one of those is the primary character in this book - the Jakkattu, Sabaal.

The story follows Sabaal, several humans living on reservations outside the Mezna cities, and several hybrids too. It is action packed, entertaining and full of heartbreak, fear, and learning who to trust.
Profile Image for Riley.
935 reviews64 followers
December 7, 2016
From the blurb - ‘They came as saviors to a deteriorating Earth.’ ‘They’ are the Mezna. The aliens from another world that came to save an earth that had been poisoned by its inhabitants. They brought gifts of technology and food. And asked for nothing – except the Mezna females bred with human males in order to create a hybrid race so that Mezna and humans could all live together in peace and happiness. In the Menza cities, hybrids thrive and are served by the series Teks, who are biomechanically enhanced to serve specific purposes.

Many humans chose not to accept the Mezna. They moved to reservations and live fenced in and separate from the prosperous Mezna cities and humans on other reservations. Life on the reservations led to a matriarchal society and a culture that subtly enforces purity of the race, population control, and technological stagnation.

The Ferals live outside the cities in the Wilds. Thought to be nothing but rabid humans, they are the rejected humans, born different, defective. They call themselves the Undone.

And then there is Sabaal. Sabaal is Jakkattu. The only one on Earth, captured to be studied by the Mezna because they believe her genetic code may has potential to be used to propogate the Mezna race.

The Earth that the author describes is fascinating. With a narration that alternates between characters and locations, the reader has the opportunity to observe life from several points of view. The daily life, their hopes, their troubles and mostly, their questions and the struggle to understand the answers. The two main points of view come from Sabaal and from Julip, a human that lives on a reservation. Seemingly unconnected, events will conspire to bring Sabaal and Julip together along with others in a way that will change their lives forever. Humans, hybrids, Teks, and Undone.

I thought the story was very intriguing. Aspects of the story lead to thoughts of real life problems we have on Earth. The arrival of seemingly benevolent aliens on a dying earth leads me to think about the environmental issues we face on this planet. The bio-mechanically enhanced Teks makes me question how far we should go with technology in real life.

The multiple plot lines and complex characters kept me engaged. Each time the point of view switched, I wanted to groan and go back to the previous person’s story. But each point of view switch also quickly pulled me in. The characters stories were deftly interwoven and eventually merged into a single story line.

This book takes place on Earth, but is called The Jakkattu Vector. So I should not have been surprised that by the end, Earth’s story, which I had become invested in, turned into what seemed to be just a side story for Sabaal. The main Earth characters, including Julip, go through major life-changing events, but, as the reader, I did not feel there was adequate resolution in their conflicts. And at this point in the story, I’m not sure there will be. The end of the book left me frustrated with too many unresolved story lines. I really like the writing, the characters and the concepts, and some readers will be okay with what I consider to be an incomplete story, or as it is otherwise known, cliff-hanger ending.

Read this book if you enjoy aliens with hidden agendas as well as those that are straightforward. Read it if you wonder about what humans are doing to the environment (but don’t look for a solution). Read The Jakkuttu Vector for great drama, characters with depth, and a fascinating vision of Earth.

Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Originally posted at Whiskey With My Book.

Profile Image for Gaele.
4,079 reviews82 followers
November 14, 2016

An impossible to put down story that builds with action, tension and disturbing ‘what could be’ scenarios are only a few of the highlights in this book. P.K. Tyler places readers into the world she has created: this post-apocalyptic earth where divisions and appearances mean the difference between life and death, semi-realized freedom or slavery and all living to satisfy the will of a small group in charge. (Sound familiar?) I can't wait for the next!

Worlds collide: Sabaal and her Jakkattu heritage, born to a life of slavery and toil in the mines. Subjected to a series of Mengele-like experimentation and deprivations, she takes her one chance to escape into a landscape of terraformed (think Styrofoam packing peanuts) lands surrounded by dead, decaying and ultimately dangerous actual land.

Julip Thorne, a human living on a reservation, subjected to acid rains, toxic clouds, deprivations and hardships. Expected to worship and live by the rules of the Mezna – the alien race that offered help then commandeered power after abuses to the earth caused destruction and near devastation.

The Mezna forcing their will forward under the auspices of power and superior religious piety. Enacting laws, conducting experiments and moving populations at will, the foreshadowing of the potential in that much power is eerie. Then the Teks and the Hybrids, both easily recognized by their bright blue eyes. Both are half-human, with some differences in longevity, health and, for the Teks, skills and enhancements that are used to serve the needs in society. From the ability to ‘patch in’ to the mainframe and access data and records to their oddly beautiful wiring and patterns reminiscent of a computer’s motherboard, the Teks are the Mezna’s higher-level functionaries – the messengers. Lastly in this world are the ferals – those who have left reservations to live in small encampments: many with deformities and other genetic or environmentally caused abnormalities.

What Tyler has done is introduced a world that is on the precipice of change: the last days (perhaps) of a ruling class chosen in moments of fear. All scrabbling for a seat at the table. Questions about ruling classes, the dehumanization of large groups of people with subjugation, restrictions and fear. Establishing intellectual superiority by limiting access to learning and history, controlling movement, family structure and resources. Using superstitions that play on fears to push forward a religious-driven agenda that demands worship without providing options or allowing questions, requiring obedience and outward manifestations of belief lest one be subject to punishment.

Descriptions are lush and easily visualized, backed with characters that, despite their differences are accessible to everyone, even as you wonder what could happen next. Wholly new and different – there is a sense of this could (did and may be already) happen should we lose the ability to see the similarities in our differences.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Profile Image for Lorena.
692 reviews22 followers
November 22, 2016
This is a compelling dystopian scifi with action, mystery, horror, political intrigue, and romance.

I volunteered to review an advanced reader copy of this book, and a couple days after finishing it, I'm still trying to sort out how I feel about it. I don't read much post-apocalyptic or dystopian fiction these days, so this isn't my usual genre. As I've said in previous reviews of stories in this setting, don't expect a feel-good story with a tidy happy ending. However, this is truly an intriguing setting. Like a good puzzle, the more I learn about it, the more I feel compelled to understand more.

I felt like this book got off to a somewhat slow start because there are quite a few characters to introduce and a lot of worldbuilding. There is certainly action right from the beginning, but you have to pay close attention to details if you want to be able to make sense of everything. The chapters alternate between different characters' stories, which works well here, but again, requires a little more effort from the reader to keep track of what's happening to everyone. As the story progresses, the different different threads weave together nicely, and the tension builds, and I found myself racing toward the end.

Oh, the ending! I wouldn't exactly call it a cliffhanger, but so much happens at the end of the book, and so much is still unresolved! It will be a long wait to find out what happens next, and I find that I very much want to know what happens next.

The book is well-written and neatly formatted. I noticed only a few typos or grammar errors in the ARC I reviewed, and those may be corrected in the final version. The story flowed logically at a steady to rapid pace. The main characters were developed well enough that I could understand their actions, sympathise with them, and care what happened to them. The book includes violence and implied sex, but the language is fairly clean and this should be appropriate for a fairly wide audience.

The Jakkattu Vector is the first book in the Jakkattu Series, with a sequel planned for release in fall 2017. It is preceded by two Jakkattu shorts, Avendui 5ive and Twin Helix. You don't need to read the shorts first, but they do help introduce the world and provide some extra context, and I found them enjoyable.
Profile Image for Brooke Banks.
1,009 reviews191 followers
November 28, 2016
Content Warning: Torture, Violence, Non Consensual Acts

The Jakkattu Vector is an awesome Sci-Fi work featuring 5 variations of humanoids with beautifully flawed humanity. We’ve got the human reservations, the two types of hybrids living in the Menza cities, the Feral, Sabaal, and the Menza lording above them all.

The noob interloper audience stand-in is a non-issue as they all are in various ways. I love how it’s different groups of people converging to piece together the truth. The “why are they speaking English?” problem is dealt with in a clever way that fits the story perfectly and makes it more immersive.

Not only do we get perspectives from Sabaal and Julip, who are named in the blurb, but several other players have chapters throughout and there’s even journal entries. It all works together without losing track of who’s who and builds to keep you reading, guessing, turning the pages as fast as you can.

Sabaal is readily my favorite character for everything, but I quickly became attached and absorbed with them all. All their voices, including the dialects they speak in, felt right. It takes a minute to adjust, but that works since others around them are adjusting to it too, so it’s immersive not disruptive.

The e-book clocks in at 300 pages but it took me a week and felt like Sci-Fi epic. The best kind, the kind that dissects, examines, and illuminates human issues like religion, class, sexism, and racism. Plus, no damn Magical Space Minority or scantily glad humble-brag goddess or alpha males or condescending Space Racism.

It felt like a long book, because every POV, every passage brings it. It’s not simple mindless entertainment with laser swords or bedding alien babes. I was hooked but this is not a book you fly through. You sit. Savor. Think. Twist and Untwist it around and around. And dive back in eyes open. Until the last 10-20% OMFGWTFBBQ!!!!!!! Happens.

I will ABSOLUTELY be continuing and I cannot wait until the next installment. One click, no brainer. Looks like I’m forever waiting with Tyler. *sigh* At least I have some backlog to catch up on….

Did I mention all the quotes I love? Fantastic writing!
460 reviews4 followers
November 29, 2016
Phenomenal, epic science fiction with real depth

I was very impressed by this novel. Its scope is really epic with different chapters telling the story from the third person perspective of about 5 different characters of multiple species on different parts of Earth, and we meet many more characters in this dystopic future world. As the novel stats, the Mezna aliens have been ruling Earth and have pulled the wool over most humans' eyes telling them that they are benevolent goddesses. Now people from disparate backgrounds are figuring out what is going on and how to save the peoples conquered by the Mezna.
This novel is suitable for both teens and adults. In fact, several of the principle characters are in their upper teens, but this book is so much higher quality science fiction then the ridiculous but popular drivel that is called teen sci-fi nowadays. This future world is complex with multiple cultures. I love how PK Tyler has written the humans on the reservations talking in a different dialect from the hybrids and the Sabaal character. The author deftly introduces us to each person and their situation and slowly gives us a bigger picture of what is happening in this polluted future earth. I also like how the science is plausible. For example, our oceans are acidifying now due to increasing CO2, so the oceans are really acidic in this future Earth.
This wonderful epic book really deserves to be a bestseller, and I really hope that a lot of teens read it. I am in my thirties and I am very picky about sci-fi books, mainly gravitating to the classic like Asimov, Heinlein, and Phillip K. Dick. "The Jakkattu Vector" has a lot of depth, so it may become a new classic. There are themes of identity, linguistics, prejudice, slavery, global warming, and stagnating culture. I recommend it for all sci-fi fans. Also, the characters are each unique and memorable. Occasionally a little bit of prose does not flow well, but that is not very common in the book.
Profile Image for Eamon Ambrose.
Author 9 books54 followers
November 27, 2016
I came across The Jakkattu Vector attracted at first by the striking cover, but once I got stuck in, I realised that there was much more to this, the first book in a continuing dystopian series from author P.K. Tyler than just fancy production values.

There are some really interesting elements at play here. The author has created a future where alien, human and hybrid grudgingly share a world, all with very different privileges. The story follows characters from all three, as each is faced with truths about not only their perceived enemies, but themselves also, in an action-packed story that rarely falters, and expertly sets the scene for future books in the series.

As with any series, the first has the daunting task of not only creating the world for the reader, but keeping them there, and The Jakkattu Vector does so very well. Taylor’s world building is complex, but well-planned and written so that the reader can very quickly become immersed in the story, providing just enough back story where needed, and always keeping the plot steaming forward at a good pace.

It’s definitely a bleak tale, with some shocking moments, but manages to keep its head above water long enough to keep the reader absorbed, and although there is an underlying tinge of hope that runs through the narrative, it remains to be seen whether the characters will harness it, or fall foul of their baser instincts.

The Jakkattu Vector is a well-crafted, compelling read, often provocative and thought-provoking without being overly preachy, and benefits from putting the story first, while still addressing many important issues in today’s society. More importantly, it’s also great sci-fi, and I look forward to reading more in this series.
Profile Image for Lilac Reviews.
98 reviews3 followers
November 29, 2016
This is a book you will want to sit down with so you can give it your undivided attention. I’m not saying that in a bad way, it’s just that it’s not fluff. You will miss a great deal if you are reading and dividing your attention watching a TV show, or cooking dinner or helping kids with homework.
I’m old enough that I remember how the old Star Trek episodes also address serious social issues such as prejudice, war, the environment, feminism and others. If you are a younger sci-fi fan you may have watched these as re-runs and not realized how ground breaking they were for their time when they were prime time episodes.
This book is like that. Sure, there are the typical sci fi elements such as aliens, genetics and scientific experimentation. If you like a good adventure, you will find that here. There’s also a good deal of thriller aspects to the book. There is a good solid plot to keep you entertained while your mind considers the bigger issues and themes.
There are two matters that may affect your enjoyment of this work. It is part of a larger story, so there is a bit of a cliffhanger. There is also a good deal of violence by way of torture scenes and some non-consensual acts. These things don’t bother some readers, but some have strong preferences about these factors and their satisfaction with a book.
Profile Image for Carol Keen.
Author 6 books120 followers
December 1, 2016
This is a book that pulled me in from the start. This book starts off with action and quick kick to the senses that is something I love in a book, or TV series. It opens with a sentient alien creature who grows talons and her current plight as a captive. The purpose of her captivity was quickly revealed, and only served to have me rooting for her. Sabaal is a Jakkattu and the Mezna have her captured and on Earth, a planet she doesn't know and that we wouldn't recognize anymore either. We learn about that from Julip, who is is on the reservation.

After all, the Mezna came and saved Earth, or did they? Is Earth really saved from distraction, or is this some other kind of destruction and enslavement under the guise of rescuing? The characters were easy for me to follow, and the extra points of view were interesting for me. I felt connected to them both, and quite invested in their outcomes. From the hybrids with the blue eyes, to the landscape, to the outcasts, social issues, spiritual issues, this specutitalve fiction book is a riveting read. It does have some violence, which was mostly logical. It does have some sex issues I would have preferred for it to not have like that. (Which is why this isn't a 5 star review.)

My copy came from the author. I was not required to leave a review. I am leaving one of my own free volition. My thoughts, and my opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Elissa.
Author 36 books103 followers
November 22, 2016
Ms. Tyler has woven together a complex world of aliens, Miscegenates, Hybrids, cyborgs, humans and Ferals/Undone. In this dystopic future the oceans are dead and so are most of the plants and animals; the air is gritty, oceans acid, and babies are born . . . wrong. How did we fall so far and is there hope for the future? In an epic storytelling style, we are introduced to characters who seek to know more about their past and possible futures as they explore hidden knowledge and discover secrets too shameful to share.

At times I felt positively overwhelmed by all the chaos lurking so close to the surface of the clean, white, terraformed cities but the narrative is compelling and I kept turning pages as the action became ever more intense and rapid and as the truth behind all the tales became apparent to the victims of the lies. But all is not horror and loss. There are some very sweet and a few humorous moments tucked within as the essential humanity (used generically and not species-specifically) of each being is exposed.

Profile Image for Carolyn McBride.
Author 5 books106 followers
December 12, 2016
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
That being said, I can say this is the deepest, most intelligent book I've had the pleasure of reading in a very long time. It is thoughtful, and thought-provoking. It makes you question bits of our own world without you even realizing it. At first, it's hard to draw parallels, but they are there. When you begin to understand how the past in the book got the characters to where they are, it's a bit of a shock. But this book is the wisest speculation of our future I've read. There is genetic manipulation, an altered, poisoned world. There is injustice, cruelty and yet...There are those who question everything they've been taught. They seek freedom from lies and accepted truths born of fear and the lure of what is easy.
I am a new fan of P.K Tyler. I have every intention of buying every word this author has written.
You should too. Read with an open mind, consider it all carefully and prepare to have your mind blown.
Profile Image for Paul Kater.
Author 88 books43 followers
February 9, 2017
When the world has been messed up by the best of the best, there's not much to hope for, it seems. Until help from outer space arrives. But is it really help? Do these beings really want the best for what remains of Earth's population?

I love this book. It has a great pace and fascinating characters that live in an amazing world. Sabaal and Julip, two characters from the story, rock.

Well done, Pavarti. I' m looking forward to more of your books.
Profile Image for Susan.
1,455 reviews
November 26, 2016
INTERESTING NEW SERIES. 3.5 stars. If you are looking for a well written book, this is a good book to read. You can read this as a standalone book but it does end in a cliffhanger for the next book to be written in the series. There is violence and some sexual situations.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this book but was pleasantly surprised by what I read. The author has done a good job of creating a dystopian world full of aliens, different classes of humans, and technology (or lack of).The beginning moved slowly as the author described this world and characters in detail that you can visualize. I'm glad I stuck with it through the slow parts as the book was worth it.

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book and want to read more about these characters and world. Unfortunately, at this point there aren't any more books in the series written yet.
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