Overview of "Forever Curious" Reviews

On this page I will repost reviews of my novel “Forever Curious” as they appear (and I’m aware of them. If I missed a review, ping me on twitter (@UpbeatFuture) or on my contact page).

The most recent reviews—well, to the best of my knowledge—appear on top. Link to the original review in the reviewer’s name. The star ratings are ABOVE the review.

Forever Curious about the reviews of “Forever Curious”. Once Na-Yeli Maya has gone all the way down, will she and her companions be able to come back up? Stay tuned!

A mind expanding far future mission to explore the inside of the biggest mystery that has withstood untold eras of a galactic communities brightest and most intelligent species attempts to understand, map, and then return from this most enigmatic object.

There is no build up here, which I loved. The book starts just as our main character is about to enter the object. The imaginitive and inventive mind of the author is on full display immediately in just describing the efforts about to be taken in order to successfully penetrate the surface.

I imagined it as I'd say a big Moon, but one that is an exhibition of created technology. Nobody knows when it was built, who built it, or what answers might lie inside.

My eyeballs were as big as saucers at one point at what is uncovered and the challenges faced to continue on this mission. Strange and truly alien, aliens will make an appearance or two. And even the main character is a living example of what a conscientious combining of tech and intelligent growth the writers puts on display. It's not just tech that advances, without self u derstanding and growth, the scientific advances will slow or cease.

I was not prepared for the level of scifi this book attempted to expand and test, in my own mental faculties and science and math understanding. But I loved trying to visualize the descriptions and with the main characters genious and flaws flapping in the solar breezes, the science was equally met and digested by the very relatable character of focus.

—Oliver B (Reviewer, NetGalley, September 10, 2021)

This is a tremendously impressive book! We get to ride along with Na-Yeli through an incredibly well conceived alien labyrinth. The trip is non-stop, dangerous, adrenaline spiked, and absolutely chock full of terrific science, technology and aliens. Na-Yeli has intentional multiple personalities, which is fascinating. She is delightfully optimistic and wry, even when obstacles seem overwhelming and her situation very dire. There is never a dull moment on this adventure, but neither is there a sense of horror or doom. Na-Yeli is clever, cool under pressure, resourceful, and brave. This story works perfectly well as a standalone novel, with a very satisfying conclusion, but there is also promise of another adventure soon to follow! I'll be watching for that book, I very much want to see where Na-Yeli goes next!!

—Sarah B (Reviewer, NetGalley, August 9, 2021 (Reposted on Goodreads, August 9, 2021);

An Intricately woven, intriguing space adventure…

[NOTE: mild spoilers about FOREVER THRILLED, part 2—the conclusion—of this duology.]

With this freewheeling story of the smartest girl on Earth and her stranded Moiety Alien partner, de Vries mashes mystery, intrigue, and advanced science into a roundly satisfying space opera. Armed with the most advanced quantum computer, a brilliant digital assistant, and her different alternate personas; the hyper-fast, ruthless KillBitch and the genius LateralSys, Na-Yeli Maya is humanity’s single champion as she sets on to explore the forbidding Enigmatic Object in the Universe in the first installment. Traversing six almost-fatal layers is not easy. But Na-Yeli has a stranded Moiety Alien and a group of Hypersounders at her side. Will she be able to reach the core? In the tangled second installment, with the previous layer greatly changed because of time travel, Na-Yeli must prepare herself for the new challenges if she wants to solve the mystery of the Enigmatic Object while trying to get out alive along with her motley crew of friends. de Vries offers an intriguing SF tale filled with impossible puzzles and shocking revelations. He positions likable characters—particularly Na-Yeli Maya, with her tri-schizoid condition that enables her to call up her ultimate warrior and lateral thinker personas in times of dire need. Moiety Alien, though is suitably non-human in mannerism and attitude, will charm the reader with its loyalty and selfless devotion to its human companion. de Vries’s SF world is packed with the specs of advanced technology, far-future quantum computers, scientific descriptions which often develop into technobabble, and a highly intricate space system. The narrative is peppered with complex mumbo jumbo of space travel, demanding careful reading on the reader’s part. The intrigue is in plenty, and Na-Yeli’s dangerous journey as she struggles to traverse the challenging, intricate space layers keeps the reader invested. Readers looking for engrossing space adventure with ultra-complicated worldbuilding will find this hits the spot.

—The Prairies Book Review, July 23, 2021 (Reposted on Goodreads, July 23, 2021);

Must Read.

What happens when Star Wars meets Star Trek? Read Forever Curious by Jetse de Vries... and boldly go where no one else has ever been before.

A long time in the future, in a land far far away, our protagonist Na-Yeli Maya is mankind's last hope in exploring the foreboding enigmatic object. Armed and ready for come what may, she's equipped with an exosuit that contains only the most advanced quantum computer and digital assistant. Sadly, Alexa, you have been replaced. Her tri-schizoid abilities allow her to telepathically call on her various personas as needed. The ultimate warrior has been called into action.

But, this isn't just any ole space mission. To achieve her objective, our brave heroine must travel through six different layers that surround the enigmatic object. Each layer also contains a small world within a world of it's own. So, set phasers to stun because you know there will be plenty of challenges and dangers along the way.

What exactly is an enigmatic object, you may well ask yourself. The author describes it in very specific detail. It's an impenetrable, perfectly black sphere. It has a fast-rotating magnetic field and a massively complex gravitational footprint. There are two opposite holes on either side. One hole has a spherically shaped object of highly charge piece of strange matter covering it. The other hole isn't covered, but it has been named the shutter. The shutter has an outer shell that is an invisible, impenetrable barrier that reduces any normal matter that touches it to it's atomic constituents. In other words, it breaks down the molecular structure of whatever touches it. To top it all off this hole is closed. Then without warning, it will open but only for a matter of seconds at a time. 

Needless to say this elusive object has been the subject of interstellar wars and the decimation of several galactic civilizations. However, peace has reigned and each alien species gets a turn to enter and observe the object. 

When I was younger, I loved watching the original Star Trek episodes on television. I'm also a huge fan of the Star Wars Saga. So, imagine my delight when I read Forever Curious. It has the complete Sci-fi lover's must have checklist: science, mystery, and intrigue all on a universal scale. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's very intricately written and guaranteed to make Sci-fi lover's drool. Warning, this book contains explicit content and is best suited for young adult readers and up.

Now, it's Na-Yeli's turn. Can she unlock the secrets of the enigmatic object? "Resistance is futile," so be sure and check out Forever Curious by Jetse de Vries.

This is Jetse de Vries' first novel and part of a ‘duology’ which concludes with the next installment titled Forever Thrilled, due out in early 2022.

—Wymanette Castaneda (Reviewer, Discovery), July 6, 2021;

I loved this story. The story is all about Na-Yeli Maya, an explorer traveling in her own little ship. Na-Yeli has three distinct personalities by design. She was chosen to travel to the center of a mysterious planet size object. The object broadcasting its position to all sentient beings in the galaxy, not unlike a challenge. As Na-Yeli travels through the various inner layers of the object, she will have to find the correct way of traversing from one to the other, and the correct way to survive each one, encountering different creatures, ecosystems and challenges in the way. No one has made it to the center of the sphere, she intends to be the first. Is there a prize in wait there? One that could benefit the species who reach it? If you're a Sci-fi buff, like I am, this is one you shouldn't miss. Thank you for the advanced copy!

—Francisco J.T. (reviewer, NetGalley), June 30, 2021;

I think a lot about story structure reading narrative fiction. Beyond the Joseph Campbell's hero struggle: sometimes it is just a matter of how you introduce your characters and then how you challenge them. Forever Curious made me - well - curious as it lays its structure all to open to see. It is the future and all the smart races in a boundlessly diverse universe, having reached the end of their knowledge, are trying to crack the secrets of the Enigmatic Object. A bizarre moonsized artefact, it has a small opening that allows access briefly but touch the walls and your atoms will be unravelled (or spaghettified - which is a nice indicator of the tone of the book). Plenty have been in, not many come out, none with the secrets (or at least none who want to share). Humanity have chosen Na-Yeli Maya, a genius with three distinct personalities (standard balanced, slow creative genius, agressive arsebrain) and a quantum computer and nanomaterial flightsuit. Her job is to access the six distinct, deadly layers and reach the middle. The book is fundamentally a maze, a survival story, a six levelled computer game and her flying, blasting and solving extremely complex physic puzzles put me in mind of Metroid if the goal was philosophical fulfilment..

The other thing it put me in mind of was Andy Weir's latest Operation Hail Mary, in this she also picks up an extremely alien buddy stuck in one of the inner layers. But where Weir was trying to cosy up to every situation, de Vries revels in the alienness - there is no communication between these races, except the odd shrug and the attempt for rudimentary sign language. The zones are extreme indeed - ridiculously high pressured, or freezing - all putting various stresses on a flight suit with a lot, but limited energy. Like Weir, much of the book is taken up with solving physics problems, unlike Weir we are in a futuristic sandbox where once she has deciphered the problem, and given the lack of limitless energy, her solutions are still way beyond where we are. And also, unlike Weir, the Enigmatic Object is the story, there is no real backstory of note to explain why Na-Yeli Maya is there beyond the old Everest excuse, because it is there (and maybe because it holds the “secret of the universe”) and she is Earht’s champion.

I really enjoyed Forever Curious because it did pretty much what it said on the cover, I was endlessly curious about what de Vries would come up with to challenge the intrepid explorer and whilst there are no other speaking characters the interplay between the alien, and the three personalities (and the AI) all filled any seeming hole in the structure. The only thing I didn't like - well I didn't know it wouldn't be completed in the one book (its part one of two) and so as I got towards the end I was intrigued to see how it would end up. Not least because when you promise the secrets of the universe, that's pretty hard to deliver. Well I guess I'll see next year how hard it actually is to deliver or not.

—Peter Baran (reviewer, NetGallley), June 29, 2021 (Reposted on Goodreads, June 29, 2021) (Also reposted on Amazon UK, June 29, 2021);

One of these hard SF stories that have little character, almost no plot, and are mainly about exploring the clever setting. Not something I particularly enjoy, and this one is also written in English that is far from being either idiomatic or correctly punctuated (I had a pre-publication version from Netgalley; it may be improved by publication, but there's a lot of work to be done).

DNF at 25%.

—Mike Reeves-McMillan (Reviewer, Goodreads), June 26, 2021 (Reposted on NetGalley, June 27, 2021);

Na-Yeli Maya has been chosen as humanity’s representative explorer into the Enigmatic Object, a multi-layered puzzle in space. Various aliens have taken their turns inside the impenetrable, perfectly black sphere which features only one way in and presumably one way out. Forever Curious shares the first part of a duology that promises to cover her solitary journey and share her findings and the challenges she faces along the way.

In some respects, this story is reminiscent of works like Gulliver’s Travels or The Space Trilogy by C. S. Lewis, as it shares one person’s experiences in strange new worlds with new aliens and only her own resources to help her through it. Na-Yeli is helped by her digital assistant, who has the same snobbish, standoffish view of life that frequently is adopted by AIs in science fiction stories, but more often, Na-Yeli finds help in the form of her “other personalities,” an adrenaline-fueled warrior and an artistic dreamer who can come up with very creative solutions whenever Na-Yeli asks for help.

The exploration of the Enigmatic Object reveals many layers, each with their own atmospheric conditions, lifeforms, and difficulties, giving readers seven worlds to vicariously explore. The author provides beautifully evocative details as Na-Yeli flies, glides, walks, and swims on her way to completing her mission, and while the narrative tone is primarily factual, it nicely reflects the scientific focus of Na-Yeli’s primary personality.

The story offers a very narrow range of characters, as Na-Yeli rarely has the opportunity to interact with any alien in a truly relational way, and even when she discovers a traveling companion, the communication is restricted to nonverbal signals pertaining to survival rather than any discussion of their respective missions, backgrounds, and feelings. Still, this allows the novel to remain focused on the Enigmatic Object and Na-Yeli’s discoveries in a way that might otherwise be lost in dialogue and exposition.

The author does manage to smuggle in some information about Na-Yeli’s past through her dreams as she rests along the way, offering some ideas as to her hopes, dreams, and regrets as well as her backstory, and while some readers would prefer to know more about her life before the mission and what she’ll likely find if she survives and returns “home,” the author includes enough to keep the story balanced and the main character relatable.

This work could benefit from some editorial polish, as there were times when the wrong spelling or a missing word somewhat marred the reading experience, but the science deployed seemed strong and very effective, to where it’s quite possible the author knows and understands the concepts more than most readers.

Adventurous in a thoughtful, scientifically-complex way, this book will appeal to fans of hard science fiction and those who enjoy a futuristic tale of exploration full of conundrums to solve. The pacing gives readers plenty of time to analyze the various layers and understand Na-Yeli’s predicament, and the descriptions provide a clear, illuminative explanation of what she’s witnessing, capturing the unadorned facts and her own sense of wonder at the same time.

—The Book Review Directory, June 25, 2021;

This book was amazing. I enjoyed the thorough development of the story. It was fast paced and I can't wait for the sequel.

—Anthony Philo (Reviewer, NetGalley), June 23, 2021;

Good Story but Too Many Pages Devoted to Imaginative Technology

I love science fiction books about space and alien encounters. Forever Curious addressed that love but did so in a tedious fashion. The book’s explanation of futurist scientific principles was way more detailed than necessary, making the book laborious to read. That technical treaty also took up a lot of reading time and didn’t add to the plot. I occasionally found my mind wandering as I read lengthy detailed explanations explaining the science behind previously unknown occurrences in the far future time where the story takes place.

Reaching the end of the book, I fancied reading the second book in the series because I liked the story. Contemplating that led to the question ‘do I want to subject myself to hours of technical-fiction reading again?’ I think not.

I regret feeling the way I do because the underlying story is great and is from a new author whose work I hadn’t read before. Hopefully, with future writings, Jetse de Vries devote fewer pages on imaginative technology and more pages on character development and plot twists. I would have like to learn more about the Moiety alien that accompanied Na-Yeli Maya at the end of her journey.

—Ronald Ploude (Vine Voice, Amazon), June 21, 2021 (reposted at Goodreads, June 21, 2021) (reposted on NetGalley, June 22, 2021);

Coverage of extreme physics and science made this book really come alive

“Forever Curious" by Jetse de Vries is a fast paced exploration science fiction tale. It is rather exciting to read about the futuristic technology, sheer intelligence and capability of the protagonist, and the unique and fascinating situations she overcomes to investigate the "Enigmatic Object." The coverage of extreme physics and science made this book really come alive for me. Although splitting a story like this into two books is fairly common in the industry, I was kind of stunned at the sudden cliff-hanger ending. I really do look forward to reading the conclusion.

—S. T. (Reviewer, NetGalley), June 15, 2021. (Reposted on Goodreads, June 15, 2021) (Reposted on Amazon, June 23, 2021);

Jetse de Vries writes actively and invites us to another world. Forever Curious is a science fiction reading experience ideal for fans of the genre.

—Dr J Reads (Reviewer, NetGalley), June 11, 2021;

Your Infinite Loop ofthe Day

So that’s it, all twelve of them so far. Total = 48 stars out of 55 (one review didn’t give a star rating), which averages to 4,36 stars.

Many thanks to the reviewers for their honest input, and here’s to hoping for more!