Isolation (Partials Sequence, #0.5)

by Dan Wells

Two decades before the events of Partials, the world was locked in a different battle for survival: a global war for the last remaining oil reserves on the planet. It was for the Isolation War that the American government contracted the ParaGen Corporation to manufacture the Partials—our last hope in reclaiming energy independence from China. And it was on these fields of battle that the seeds of humanity’s eventual destruction were sown.

Isolation takes us back to the front lines of this war, a time when mankind’s ambition far outstripped its foresight. Heron, a newly trained Partial soldier who specializes in infiltration, is sent on a mission deep behind enemy lines. What she discovers there has far-reaching implications—not only for the Isolation War, but for Partials and humans alike long after this war is over.

A powerful take of our world on the brink, Isolation gives readers a glimpse into the history from which Partials was born—as well as clues to where the Partials Sequence is heading next.

• ISBN10: 0062208187
• ISBN13: 9780062208187
• Publish Date: 28 August 2012
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: Collins
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 75
• Language: English

Reviews

[celinenyx]

Isolation is a novella set during the Isolation Wars, so before the happenings in Partials. I wouldn't recommend reading Isolation as an actual intro into the Partials Sequence world; it's much better enjoyed when you know the backdrop better.

In Isolation we get an insight into the life of one Partial we already met, Heron. She's an espionage Partial, created without an empathy package. It immediately becomes clear though that even though she's bred inside a vat, Heron is more human than her developers would like.

This novella was quite enjoyable, and I loved getting more information about the Isolation War since what exactly happened is never explained in Partials. I wasn't quite sure about Heron though - I felt she was sometimes inconsistently written. For example, at one point she sighs and mutters curses under her breath. This seems very out of character for a Partial, since they don't act on emotions as much as humans do because of the Link. To me it seems she'd rather just spew some annoyance-data into the air, instead of expressing herself in such a human way.

Even though Isolation is rather expensive for its 75 pages, it gives a welcome insight into the world-building that has gone into the Partials Sequence.

[kimbacaffeinate]

I bought this because I totally loved Partials and think Dan Wells rocks! Isolation by Dan Wells offers us a unique look back at the Isolation Wars that created the dystopian world we learned about in Partials. This was truly fascinating and explains why the Partials rebelled.

The tale goes back and forth detailing the life of one partial over a four year period. We meet Heron while she is being created, trained and eventually set up as a spy for the United States Government. Wells explains how events came to be and I quickly became swept up in the tale. The tale begins in Zuoquan City, Shanxi Province China in the year 2060. Heron known as Mei Hao has established herself at the right hand side of General Wu. The Partials and US government have successfully cornered them. They are planning where in the city to make their last stand. In the next chapter we find ourselves at the Paragen Biosynth Growth and Training Facility at an undisclosed location in the year 2058. Her Heron is unborn in her incubator and we are taken through her birth and training. It was amazingly detailed and I found myself soaking up every tid-bit of information. From their we go back and forth and I was completely immersed in the tale.

Heron is classified as “espionage” for “Group Theata”. They are developed without empathy. I adored Heron and immediately connected with her. She is smart, excels at all tests, and her intellectual skills astounded me. The humans at the faculty and what the government was doing, sent shivers down my spine.

Anyone who cried they wanted more world-building and history after reading Partials will find the answers they desire within the pages of Isolation. While only a mere 62 pages in length it was tightly written and filled with history. As a reader, I was swept up in Heron’s tale and experienced an array of emotions. I want to gush and spill information, but I promise spoiler free reviews on my site and you will need to read this for yourself! This has given me a better sense of where this series is headed..and I cannot wait!

Isolation is a must read for fans of Partials and the fact that it contains the first chapter of Fragments should be enough reason to grab this gripping tale. Sadly this is only available as an eBook, but worth the read , even if its from your computer.
Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer