The Enigma Cube (Alien Artifact, #1) by Douglas E. Richards

The Enigma Cube (Alien Artifact, #1) Reviews

• 
  Paul

  This novel, from an often terrific novelist, is so close to a complete write-off that it may as well be. There are two major issues. The first is the prominent appearance of those overused worn out bad guys – the Nazis. Due to their inclusion, we have page after page where the author, through his characters’ narrations, cite hang wringing virtue signals about how terrible these guys are. We cannot get a single Nazi event or character, both of which are conspicuously common, without at least a few paragraphs of how disgusting they and Nazism are. Good grief – we all know that so the virtue-signaling only acts as boring filler as it’s cited again and again. It never ends.
  
  The second issue is the utter, and I mean complete as in zero tension. The pattern of the book is that some bad guys get the apparent upper hand on the good guy protagonists. The good guys either turn the tables or escape but the nature of either put the good guys back in the grasp of the bad guys. Rinse and repeat so many times that any reader paying even slight attention can easily see that the seeds of the next escape are sown in the capture.
  
  For a good deal of the book, one protagonist carries a majick duffle. Whenever the good guys need a gadget to escape from an impossible to get out of situation, he pulls a gadget out of it that Resolves the Impossible Situation. Later, it gets much worse when the other protagonist discovers Unforeseen Magical Powers.
  
  The result is a mishmash of whinging accompanied by tedious Spy vs Spy situations boringly highlighted by an utter lack of tension which always proves to be the correct reader posture. Avoid this one. It’s not worth your time or money.
• 
  Morgan

  I really hate to do this to any author, but I had to stop reading "The Enigma Cube" by D.E. Richards. Really! You know how horrible a dilemma it puts one in; unfinished book vs. can't-take-it-any-longer. Particularly since Douglas has written some good ones. OK, generally I like to give the theme at least a 25% read to develop background, characters and plot, even for the worst, before I call it quits; but, for this one, I could hardly get past this much. Here is how it went for me. I like science and extraterrestrial first encounters, also enigmas--and remember that movie "The Cube" (Natali, 1997). "The Enigma Cube." Wow! It was Pavlovian! So what happened? [No spoilers in this review] Premise: Sometime off in the future (undefined), an active alien artifact is discovered in the US and secretly stashed within a mountain for analysis (by the military) of its awesome power (implied military). Enter subversive agents of China. No worries, for the US we have an all-around, "enhanced" militarized male lead (technically, not what you're thinking), and super, exceptionally brilliant scientist (but clearly cast as weaker but with some unknown special something) female lead to help. OK, ding! But the Chinese antagonists are onto it. That's the base line--and you can guess where this plot is going. Ding! For me when the plot is transparent, I count on the character development and writing skill with good twists and turns. This did not happen! Oooh, why? In fact--I'm going real low here--the character development was on the level of a super-hero comic book! Ding, ding! Sorry. Dialog was flat and limited given the premise of these two. And the super-agent bad guy was, well... have you ever read the Batman-series comics? When these deficiencies are combined with long author-driven narrative to explain more and more background rather than by deft dialog... pictures would help. What thew me in to d-n-f was the first good vs. evil show-down, action scene between the two super powers: well, let's imagine how DC comics would write it. It just didn't work to my expectation for a sci-fi novel of Mr. Richard's caliber. I need to stop here. I'm so sorry.
• 
  Brennen McKenzie

  I was quite surprised at how amateurishly written this book is, given its popularity. Extensive "chatty" exposition interrupts action scenes, and the author appears to believe he has to explain every contextual detail to the reader, from how the tech works to the fact that the Nazi regime was bad. The treatment of the relationship between the two main characters is casually sexist in a way that reminds me of sci-fi from the 1960s and 1970s. (e.g. "Women might claim to want a Clark Kent, but nature had evolved their genes to fall for his more powerful, tights-wearing alter ego instead."). Big mistake buying this one.
  
• 
  Billycongo

  It's absolutely horrifying that this is the #1 book on Amazon's time travel books. It's the Dan Brown effect. Check this out and see if it doesn't remind you of 'The DaVinci Code'. "Three sharp raps on the door dislodged Otto's consciousness from the nearly transcendent plane it had been on" Transcendent? "He scowled at the audacity of this abrupt interruption, which had ripped his mind from a Nobel-prize worthy inspiration and had reinserted it into the mundane". Yikes!
• 
  gigi

  THIS BOOK IS PURELY AMAZING. I finished this in less than two days. I am a science geek but I am not much a fan of sci-fi. But boi, this novel proved me wrong! IMAGINE CONVERGING SPY FIC, SCITECH FIC, AND HISTORICAL FIC into one masterpiece but still being able to make sense! READ THIS ASAP!
  I am not even overreacting! Try this one!
• 
  Deb

  Science Fiction Readers
  
  This book is imaginative and thrilling. There are a lot of theoretical theories written which I felt are expounded on in too much boring detail and that's the reason for my rating. All in all the book is interesting if you like science fiction. Just to add, I did find some of the historical writing quite interesting.
• 
  Neal Spinler

  Is it a sci-fi? Is it a Nazi thriller? Is it a love story? It's all three! Does it do any of them well? Oh god no. It's filled with cliche after cliche, boring dialogue, one dimensional characters, and zero excitement. We learn nothing about the alien cube, we time travel like it's no big deal, the important Germans speak perfect English, and Hitler farts.
  
  That's all you need to know.
• 
  Irene Wight

  Really?
  
  I’m surprised this book has so many 5 star reviews. The characters lack real depth and the endless dialogue was tiring. They make stupid decisions even though they are supposed to be very intelligent and you would think that someone high up in the military would know the wisdom of making the right choices. He’s lets the other main character make the wrong choices. This book should be in the young adult category.
• 
  Crissie

  Honestly - I really wanted to like it. Great reviews and an interesting concept. I couldn't get past the writing though - the two main characters and their over the top instant desire was lest playful banter and more eye-rolling cliche. In the end, I couldn't finish it - which for me, is saying a lot.
• 
  Sean Randall

  So did I worry that we would see more reworking of some of Richards’s previous? Yes indeed, but after 16 books I’ve read, that’s not surprising. Yet when it turned out to be Nazi Germany, I never once thought that he would fall into the plentiful traps of rehashing tropes that appear so often in these alternate history stories. Yes, some material we’ve seen before and, yes, the broad outline of the story was not unusual for Richards, yet it was tautly woven and neatly tied-up. A brilliant addition.
• 
  Bob Lamb

  Not For Me
  
  The enhanced human was over the top for me, coupled with dialogue that was silly, and a real lack of research into how the military works, made this a “no go” for me. I’ve enjoyed some of the authors other novels, so disappointed this one didn’t work out.
• 
  John

  After years of attempting to discern the properties of an imovable, potentially powerful alien artifact, Justin Boyd, a black ops enhanced commando brings in Dr. Kelley Connolly, a noted physicist to join his top secret team to discover the object's secrets. However, the Americans are not the only ones that are interested in this device. China's CCP is aware of its presence and will do whatever it takes to get the artifact.
  
  Although I was intrigued by the plot, I wasn't ecstatic about the novel's implementation. Much of the novel was "over-the-top", especially in two areas. The first was the character of Justin Boyd. He has been enhanced with advanced technology and genetic engineering to be a "super" soldier. He wears night-vision and telescopic contact lens and possesses super-hearing. He wears protective clothing that can withstand most bullets and possesses an exoskeleton enabling greater strength. He has a super computer strapped to a leg allowing him to have just-in-time information. He had so many "gadgets" I expected to see a propeller extend from his head or to be able to give you a mocha latte from some hidden recess of his body.
  
  Although other reviews have indicated that the author writes well, I did not agree. In all fairness to the author, I'm not sure whether it was the writing or the narrator's decision on how to give voice to the prose, especially when it came to the banter between the budding lovers Justin and Kelley. For example,
  
  She felt Boyd finally pull away and turn his head, making it clear that he wanted to stop the proceedings. "Sorry," he whispered. "I'm a little embarrassed, but I feel like a teenager. I seem to be having touble keeping my engine in, ah...idle." Kelly grinned. "Yeah, I could tell that something had come up. Something big."
  
  Hemingway, the author isn't. I will probably stop this series with this book.
• 
  Linda

  The Enigma Cube has an intriguing premise: an impenetrable alien artifact with untold power, a brilliant scientist and a super-hero-enhanced military genius who team up to protect it and unlock its secrets, time travel, and more. Author Douglas E. Richards is an accomplished writer with several best-sellers under his belt. Unfortunately, for me, this book just didn't hit the mark.
  
  Although much of the science is mesmerizing and thoroughly researched, the main characters explain it in agonizingly long discourses that bring the story to a dead stop. It's a heroic effort to explain theoretical physics and other scientific disciplines in terms a lay reader can grasp - and most of the time I did - but there were times, after page after page after page, I wanted to scream "Just get on with it!"
  
  The character development is shallow, most of it falling into really good or really evil. The dialogue between Justin and Kelly often reads like a high school play. Kelly: “I’ve come to like and respect you, Justin. A lot. And my instincts tell me you feel the same way about me. There seems to be strong chemistry between us, for reasons I can’t explain.” Justin: “I’ve sensed the same chemistry between us that you have.” Indeed, much of the speaking by characters is like a letter you’d write, but you’d never say it that way if you were actually talking to someone.
  
  SO... The Enigma Cube is a mixed bag, one that I seriously considered not finishing. I'm glad I did, because the main characters are likable, some of the science is engrossing, and the story wraps up nicely (although a little too pat). The negatives are story pacing - fast action followed by near dead stops of explanation - one-dimensional characterization, and trite dialogue. It's not awful. But it's not great.
  
• 
  Walter

  A somewhat interesting concept completely ruined by poor writing and over-the-top plot turns. At first, this book was like a bad movie - you know it's sub-par but still enjoyable - but then it just kept getting worse. I lost track of the number of times I rolled my eyes.
  
  The book really jumped the shark with the time travel. Kelly and Justin's love story was so formulaic - it added nothing to the plot. Kelly's quick wit and jokes in the face of death and murder was absurd and laughably unrealistic.
  
  The language used to describe Hitler was also funny - but not as intended. The book overused the word psychopath so many times it lost meaning. Most of the worst sentences were directly related to Hitler - here are some of my suggestions for the most rediculous sentences in this book:
  
  1) Arguably the most compatible human the species had ever produced, he was even more repulsive than pictures had suggested, his hair greasy and his eyes cold and dead.
  
  2)...silencing a man whose poisoned discourse was as putrid as the endless discharge or gas from his flatulent body.
  
  3) She hadn't compared notes, but she was pretty sure none of her thirty-year-old peers had an eighteen-year-old grandfather.
  
  
  There were short periods where I enjoyed this book - and it's certainly a page-turner - but in the end it's a mess. And a poorly written mess at that.
• 
  JWeiss

  I wanted to like this book. It had all my favorite elements; science fiction, historical fiction, action. Maybe all this put together with some of the additional story elements and I just could not wait to end this mess. I could not get past the instant karma the two main characters had on top of craziness that happened to them with no repercussions.
• 
  Noah

  Not for me
  
  Found this book almost impossible to finish. Several times I wondered why I was even bothering to keep reading it. In the end, I wish I would have just walked away from it because it doesn't get any better.
• 
  Phil

  Once I managed to stop groaning over the grade 4 banter between Kelly and Justin, leaving absolutely no concept or plan too trivial to divulge in a soap opera-esque dialog, I did actually kind of enjoy the concept of the plot. Very simple and everyone is too brilliant, but otherwise kind of a fun read.
• 
  Jamie

  The Enigma Cube is a modernized spy thriller with a strong theme of science, seemingly far-fetched and troubling. But much of the science and its applications are all too real and an eye opener. Initially, the science does slow down the readability a little, but that is because you reread parts and think about it. Very educational.
  
  The artifact used as a weapon is reminiscent of the tale, 'Chance Masters and the Eye of Odin.' The story is structured much like 'The Furies,' by Bill Napier, jumping back and forth between 1943 and present day. It also reminds me of The Watchmaker WWII epic that sadly has been removed from Inkitt.
  
  Enhanced agent Justin Boyd teams ups with scientist Kelly Connelly against an aggressive Chinese intelligence team in one time and the Nazis in another time. The author wraps the story up nicely.
  
  I would recommend this thriller and I will read Douglas Richards again.
  
  Four and-a-half stars.
• 
  Ray

  Well it's 3:42am and just finished this book. Worth it.
• 
  Maria Trying to write my book Park

  Time Travel Tripled
  
  Imagine an alien artifact that will change the face of history. More than three times. Commander Justin Boyd and Dr. Kelly Connelly are in the race against time to save humanity.
  
  The Enigma Cube has everything you could possibly want in a smart, technothriller. High grade Military defensive ware run by ethical men who want to put it to use for peace.
  
  Artificial Intelligence adapted to keep a soldier alive that actually has an agenda of it's own. Mix in the possibility of changing the horrors of the past as well as preventing any future travesties, and you've got a novel you won't put down no matter how late it gets.
• 
  Gibbothegreat

  First book I've read from Mr Richards gave 5 stars because for the first in the many time travel books I've read (time travel is my favourite subject) I actually understood it!!!. And by the way loved the author's notes at the end. Highly enjoyable and highly recommended.
• 
  Dan Shmikler

  I also could not get even halfway through, for all the reasons stated here by others.
• 
  Daniel Kincaid

  Sci-Fi, time-traveling, action-adventure, spy-thriller moral dilemmas, breakneck pace... All in one book. One amazing book, to be precise.
  
  This my first novel by Douglas E. Richards, but I've been thoroughly impressed by his exact science, brilliant pace and action scenes and great attention to detail, and his uncanny ability to infuse real; moral dilemmas into the story to the nth degree. True, sometimes the story feels as if it's dragging a bit, and some dialogues were a bit too much, but this novel is very ambitious, at times thought-provoking, entertaining, engrossing, mind-bending, and fun.
  The narrative is clear and flowing, the science is explained ever so clearly and doesn't detract from the pace at all, the characters- especially the three main protagonists- Boyd, Kelly and Otto, come alive as the story progress and they feel like actual human beings, not just names in the page.
  
  The story itself is a bit complex, but as mentioned before, the pace is fast (not too fast though), and the narrative and writing style are crisp, flowing (at times even lyrical), that you won't feel as if you're getting lost- even though a lot is happening.
  Also, make sure to read the author's note at the end of the novel- it was an eye opener, and gave an insight into the author's psyche, as well as how the novel came to be, and also a look into new technologies that are mostly described in the novel, that are surprisingly in use one way or another today, or in development stages. Truly fascinating stuff.
  
  A gripping, fascinating, riveting adventure, that asks the reader, in some parts, to suspend disbelief, but will also entertain and ask questions of the reader- moral questions, philosophical questions, questions about the human conditions- questions that are still relevant today.
  And I would definitely check out Douglas E. Richards' novels- he has a fantastic ability to create a great concept and execute it (almost) perfectly.
  
  Four and a half stars. Highly recommended!
• 
  Maria Kondratyev

  It was a fast paced and well written science fiction story.
  It reminded me of Dan Brown books.
  Towards the end it got somewhat boring for me . The endless discussions of various repercussions of time travel could be cut in half and I have read much more original ideas on this topic from other authors .
  That being said I enjoyed the book overall and would read more from this author. He has a talent and gives a light and pleasant vibe .
• 
  Jonathan Maas

  Very good, vintage Douglas Richards
  
  Big ideas, big ways the universe can plausibly effect characters.
  
  Action action action, a thin romance - thin by design, because it wants to get out of the way of the ideas and action.
  
  But consider Douglas Richards a more direct Michael Crichton.
  
  Crichton wrote about many things, but Richard tends to write about the universe itself, and how it can effect a tale like this.
  
  My favorite is still Split Second, but this one is up there.
  
  I highly recommend it!