Isolation by Dan Wells

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.

Reviewed by celinenyx on

4 of 5 stars

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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.

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  • Started reading
  • 18 August, 2013: Finished reading
  • 18 August, 2013: Reviewed