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Legacy Code #1

Legacy Code

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Space is a brutal home.

Three hundred years ago, the Earth died, and the last humans fled. Beaten. Broken in more ways than one. Their descendants carry the Legacy Code—mangled genes that force them to abort half their unborn children.

When Era and Dritan Corinth get placements on the safest ship in the fleet and win a chance to have a child, they feel lucky. Until the day Era's supposed to find out if her baby has the Defect, and the ship suffers a hull breach.

An investigation uncovers new threats. Dangerous secrets. Lies. Treason.

Era begins to question everything she’s been taught about the fleet, their search for a new Earth, and the Defect. But the answers she seeks were never meant to be found...

Legacy Code is a suspenseful, dark post-apocalyptic read that has earned five star reviews from fans of books like Hunger Games, Divergent, and Red Rising, and has been compared favorably to Wool, 1984, and the new Battlestar Galactica.

218 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 2014

215 people are currently reading
16.1k people want to read

About the author

Autumn Kalquist

17Ìýbooks554Ìýfollowers
Hello!
I stop by Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ once a month or so. But I love to hear from my readers! The best way to reach me is at autumn (@) autumnkalquist.com.





FRACTURED ERA SERIES by Autumn Kalquist

FRACTURED ERA ARCHIVES




Fractured Era Defective
Defective
Infected (Coming Soon)
Protected (Coming Soon)

Fractured Era LEGACY SERIES




OR read these episodes in one compilation:

Legacy Book Two - (Publication date to be announced)


Autumn Kalquist is a USA TODAY bestselling author of the Fractured Era book series. She writes fantasy, dystopian, and post-apocalyptic fiction that asks compelling questions--often met with morally gray answers. She records songs for each of her books, which can be found on her website or on music services like Spotify. You can also purchase her graphic design, artwork, and photography through several stores on Society6.com, Redbubble.com and Casetify.com. for more details!

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5 stars
331 (17%)
4 stars
573 (30%)
3 stars
626 (33%)
2 stars
248 (13%)
1 star
112 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 271 reviews
Profile Image for Emma Sea.
2,213 reviews1,198 followers
February 5, 2015
oh, I did not like this book one bit.

Legacy Code seems to me to be anti-abortion proselytising masquerading as sci-fi. There was no examination of the fraught moral judgements involved in applying a limited amount of health care under the "do the most good" paradigm necessitated by space colonisation. There was only precious snowflake Era, fulfilling her greatest dreams by carrying the genetic offspring of her and her perfect het partner Dritan. Sadly, said genetic offspring has "genetic modification 2672," a mutation spinning out of control through the population, appearing in half of all embryos, and causing "serious heart and lung defects." Era's amnio shows her embryo carries the defect, and it is scheduled for termination. But Era rejects the description of her embryo as "a collection of cells." It is her baby, and she will do anything to protect it.

Era discovers the colony leaders' greatest secret:

Because there is no examination of this difficult moral decision--a diminishing population sinking scarce resources into the potential survival of some children, who will then pass the genetic fault onto the next generation--the book is a simple Bad Guys Abort Babies!

I have not read the rest of the series. It is possible this interesting, polarising, and socially relevant issue is explored in greater depth in the other books.

I am not the target market for the book: it is YA. That actually scares me more. I would not have wanted my daughter reading this book without a good understanding of other positions on abortion and bodily autonomy.

Small note. This is not 1,218 pages. It is a short novella, coming in at 1856 locations.

\
Profile Image for Laura.
25 reviews1 follower
February 19, 2014
I was hoping this book would be as good as it seemed from the synopsis. I was not disappointed. In fact, it pulled me in faster than most books I have read and kept me on the edge of my seat through the end. I read it all in just a few hours. It was a bit shorter than I hoped it would be, but I see a lot of potential for this series. This being the introductory novel to the series and depending on how the author prices it and uses it for marketing may be good reason for its length. I was a bit disappointed with the abrupt end and short life for a couple of the characters introduced here but, again, I see the potential for more and am keeping an open mind for the future of the series. I hope the author continues to develop this world and some of its characters further as well as give us more details, adding depth to the story where there are opportunities for growth.

Because this first installment piqued and held my interest constantly, flowed naturally, was well written, and has so much promise I'm hopeful for the potential of this series and this introduction earns 5 stars from me. I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Alyn.
331 reviews34 followers
April 18, 2014
4.5 Stars

Right from the beginning, there was conflict. The story slowly introduced everything as it played out, and it was really clear. There were practically no flaws that I could find in the plot. I loved Era. She was afraid and a bit timid at first, but she gradually evolved into a strong woman to help the people she loved. Kalquist's writing style is a bit simplistic, but enjoyable. The only flaw I found within the book was that it was hard for me to connect with the characters with the exception of Era. The book wasn't long enough to give readers a feel for the other characters. However, the strong and loyal romance between Dristan and Era was beautiful, and I loved reading about them.

I'll be honest. This book made me mad, but in a good way.

Overall, I really enjoyed the fast paced plot and I will look forward to the sequel. (Although I'm kind of scared to read what will happen next).


*Thanks to Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ First Reads for a free copy*

Profile Image for Vivian Jane ✯.
167 reviews43 followers
November 10, 2014


**ARC provided by the author for an honest review!**
4/4.5 DEFECT STARS!

A Better World Awaits.
But will we ever get there?

Life in space is filled with unexpected dangers and discovering the truth may be the worst danger of them all.

17-year-old Era is happily paired with Dritan and she is on her way with baby #1. Except, her baby or "cluster of cells" needs to be checked for defects and if present, Era will have to abort. After all, defective babies end up dying and waste resources, especially in space. It's better to follow the many rules enforced than receive punishment, many ending with traitors or the insane getting airlocked.

As the uninhabitable planet Soren calls for more victims, life gets more and more unstable in the multiple ships; relationships are split and hearts are broken. With traitors plotting for revenge around every corner, everyone is restless--no one can be trusted. However, when Era, the model citizen does the unthinkable, she starts to question the morals of the president and the board. All the nonsense Zephyr, her best friend sprouted throughout the years no longer seem like rubbish.

Secrets are uncovered and a pregnant woman willing to protect her child is not someone you mess with. Ever.

HEA?

--

What I expected... was NOT what I got; it definitely surpassed my expectations. WOW! There were a few flaws and one being that it was too short, but it's still a book that's worth spending time for.

To me, Era and Dritan's relationship was sweet, but I wish the author could have went more in depth because I couldn't connect with the author and truly feel the emotion I should've felt.

I liked Era's development throughout the book, turning from a reserved girl to a headstrong mother. Zephyr bothered me at times, but she is only 16 so I would understand her from a teenagers view. (Who wouldn't be heads over in love with Tadeo?!)

I honestly cannot wait for the second book. I felt like I got hit by a truck (filled with emotions) after I read that ending...

Profile Image for Jennifer Wells.
AuthorÌý18 books1,321 followers
August 29, 2014
This is an extremely well-written book--exactly the kind of book I frequently look for. I enjoyed the audio version immensely. The narrator was a very talented woman with an English accent. The world had a very dark and gritty atmosphere, with just a hint of a Battlestar Galactica vibe--and though it has one story element in common with BSG (a fleet of ships humans call home while they search for a new world), the protagonist herself and main plot couldn't be further from that.

The protagonist's motivations and experiences rang true to me. This book has a feeling of realism (in a world built quite different from ours) that allows you to immerse yourself. I tore through it in just a few days, eager to find out what happened. The ending was a complete surprise to me and shocking. I was warned it was controversial, but I didn't think so. I thought the author was brave, but I won't say any more than that for fear of spoiling it for anyone else.

Without a doubt I will be reading more by Autumn Kalquist--a very talented new SF author.
1,148 reviews39 followers
March 28, 2014
A scintillating sci-fi explosion of extraordinarily imaginative and truly inspired vision!

This outstanding and truly exceptional YA novel is an enthralling read of remarkable scope and originality. The Legacy Code saga is set to become an incredibly exciting new series, which I cannot wait to come into fruition as a sure-fire success! Fans of sci-fi and Dystopia will be dazzled by this brilliant book that encapsulates the darkly sinister, chilling edge of both of these genres + with a touch of romance. Book 1 has such potential as to a sequel and I am most interested to see where the story leads�

As the characters grew and developed throughout the story, I was able to completely loose myself within the intense saga and convincing storyline. The well-written narrative held my interest, and so I was eager to listen to the additional soundtrack for the book afterwards * the song “Artificial gravity� is fantastic and compliments Legacy Code perfectly!! 17 year old Era Corinth is a likable main protagonist, whose journey is one filled with shocking revelations and personal self-development that one can easily relate to. The whole concept of “The Legacy Code� was fascinating and I was intrigued to explore a world 300 years after humans had left Earth. The world building was very interesting and Autumn Kalquist’s writing is so assured, that you feel able to comprehend the storyline & backdrop fairly easily.

Legacy Code caught my eye instantly with its gorgeously beautiful cover! This was an amazing read of epic proportions that blew me away.

* I would like to thank the author for providing me with an e-copy of her book, to read and review *

Profile Image for Tracy Banghart.
AuthorÌý14 books946 followers
April 26, 2014
I'm still in shock over Legacy Code. This book freaking wrecked me. I finished last night at 3am because I couldn't put it down, and I honestly don't think I've been this anxious for a sequel in a WHILE.

Autumn's writing is beautiful: simple and poignant. Her world-building is spectacular....I loved all the technical and societal details she shared and how they worked together to drive her plot forward.

I have MAD respect for how she took her story to its realistic, brutal conclusion, working within the confines of the world she created. I didn't expect that, which gave it that much more of a punch.

I'm so glad I discovered this book and author. I will absolutely be reading the next in the series...and anything else Autumn writes!! I highly recommend you check it out!
Profile Image for Soobie is expired.
6,938 reviews131 followers
October 13, 2015
I was intrigue by this novel. I first saw in on a GR giveaway and it tickled my interested because of its cover and also because the author has a nice name... Yeah, not the usual way to decide which book to read but they worked for me.

Anyway I got the book as a freebie back in February and I finally picked it up. And I wish I did it before.

The story was very, very interesting. Or it's just me liking novels set on spaceships. Something happened to the Earth in the past and now all people have to live in spaceships. There's another consequences rising from that: it is said that a child every two has a defect and therefore should be aborted before the pregnancy comes to terms. Population control, anyone?

Anyway.

The story is told from Era's point of view. She's a mother-to-be and works as a tech on the Paragon the biggest ship of the fleet. She's got a partner, who belongs to the sublevels and they're very happy together. One day there's a breech on the hull and everything goes downhill. There are traitors on the ship and things aren't the way they're supposed to be.

I like the atmosphere the author created with this novel. Life on the spaceship is believable and the characters are likeable. I really like the ending because it was very unexpected. I was surprised by such an ending. So congratulations, Ms. Kalquist, that was a good twist!

Soon after the ending of book #1 there was the preview from the second novel in the series. The point of view changes and the only thing I can say is that it will be difficult to support this new voice because of what he did in the previous volume.

This was an exceptionally fast read. Yes, it was good but... I don't know... Autumn Kalquist created a believable universe but this universe is broken into little pieces. It's like Marvel's : there's the main story - which is really good in its own - but, if you want to know more, there are tons of other comics that tells you what happened before, what happened later, what happened in the meantime in another universe... Just joking here, sorry. In the Fractured Era series things are similar: there's the main story, a prequel series and x short stories that go with it. I find all this a bit confusing to be honest. But American readers will probably like it better since they're more used to expanded universes.

Other tiny drawback, but this is something common to all sci-fi: neologisms. When I start a new sci-fi novel in English I'm always a bit scared because I know that I will find words created by the author to describe objects that exist only in that universe. And to me, those words may be less immediate than to a English native speaker.

I've already bought the second one in the series so... Paragon here I come.
Profile Image for Shannon  Miz.
1,416 reviews1,081 followers
July 11, 2014


Received from author in exchange for honest review.

This is a tough book for me to review, for a number of reasons. In fact, I had been putting off reviewing it, even though I liked it. But the time has come, I suppose, so bear with me. First, reading the synopsis, you know that this will be a hard book to read. Not in that "oh, this is dragging" way, because it is definitely not a meandering kind of book. It is fast paced, and full of action. No, it is hard because of the topics presented. The defect, the termination of pregnancies, it is really heavy stuff. It makes for a riveting book, but also a hard book to review. Again, not a bad thing, just the nature of the beast.

The plot of this book was pretty great. I loved the deception, I loved the struggle for the truth, I loved Era's character discovering things and then forcing herself to become stronger. Era's reactions seemed believable, and made sense in the story. And I quite enjoyed her friendship with Zephyr, even though Zephyr did manage to irritate me from time to time.

I would have liked a bit more world building, and a little more character development. While I did feel a connection with Era, I was a little underwhelmed by her relationship with Dritan. I mean, they said that they loved each other a lot, and there was one point (not talking about it, would spoil stuff) in which I felt it a little, but for the most part, I just didn't get a huge sense of chemistry there. The one other thing that makes it a bit hard to review is that some of the more "science-y" aspects got on my nerves. But that isn't really a fair criticism of the book, because I knew there would be sci-fi stuff going into it. Some of the terminology just made my eyes glaze a bit from time to time.

I definitely plan on continuing this series, as this book ended on just about the biggest cliffhanger I have ever read (bordering on evil, perhaps?) and I need to know what will happen, and what secrets will be revealed.
Profile Image for Anna (Enchanted by YA).
361 reviews425 followers
October 6, 2014
3.5 STARS

***I received the eBook free as a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review***

This book drew me in very quickly and it definitely held my attention even with a slower pace. It took me only a few hours in one sitting to read from front to back, I would have preferred something longer (the cliffhanger was a real killer, even with a warning that Autumn does this exceptionally well) but there’s more to come in the series and a bucket load of potential.

I’m not quite sure where it’s going to continue from because to be honest I have no idea who will have survived since the end is left so open (and I’m in denial). In particular is Era who while still being seventeen was actually quite hard to relate to at the start for being pregnant so I didn’t understand her emotions on a personal level but I did understand her situation and felt incredibly sorry for not only her, but all the mothers.

With a defect that affects one out of two unborn children, the numbers are dwindling and this raises a lot of conflict. While this was the main plot line there was also a few sub-plots joining it which worked really well, to keep interest especially for people like me who took a while to warm up to Era.

The other characters were present for such a short amount of time (and not just because of the page length�) that while I again couldn’t connect to them the relationships they had with each other were beautifully clear. The love between Era and her husband Dritan was great to read about, and while it wasn’t a huge focus there were elements here and there that warmed my heart; like how instead of saying “I love you� they squeeze the other’s hand 3 times, which in a way is more meaningful because words can lose that meaning easily.

In the end, I definitely enjoyed this book and I would recommend it so long as you’re willing to wait for a sequel after such a brutal cliffhanger!

Posted on:
Profile Image for Sarah Elizabeth.
5,001 reviews1,390 followers
April 4, 2014
2.5 stars
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author Autumn Kalquist.)
17-year-old Era lives on some kind of spaceship, with her husband Dritan. She’s pregnant, but one in every two babies has to be aborted due to a genetic defect.
Will Era’s baby survive? Or can she find a way to save it before it’s too late?


This was an okay story, but I did lose interest quite early on.

Era was an okay character, but I found it hard to connect with her. I understood her situation, but I just couldn’t empathise with her, and it made the book less enjoyable.

The storyline was okay, but I just felt myself losing interest, and had to force myself to keep reading. I found the storyline about the babies and the defect a lot more interesting than the other storylines, but that was mostly because it was a bit of a controversial topic rather than anything else. The question of whether it was better to abort, or to carry the baby to term only to watch it die, was obviously quite a sensitive subject.
There was a little romance, but I just couldn’t get into it. I don’t know why, but I just didn’t feel the love between Era and Dritan, and although it was clear that Era cared for him, I didn’t care for him at all.
The ending to this was a bit of a non-ending in my opinion. We did find some things out during the course of the book, but the ending didn’t clear anything up, and left us with one heck of a cliff-hanger, a real high-stakes ‘orphans on a train� style cliff-hanger.

Overall; okay story, but I lost interest,
5 out of 10.
Profile Image for Marga .
287 reviews368 followers
April 4, 2014
"Hope's a dying star.
We need a supernova.
To wipe space clean,
And just start over again."


What happens when you discover that everything you believed in is all a big lie?

Era is such a strong main character. When she wants something, she'll do her best to get it. She's brave and I'm proud of her because she doesn't want anybody take her child away from her though it allegedly has Defect.

I liked the relationship between Era and Ditran. What they have is genuine love for each other. I liked their version of saying they love each other by squeezing each other's hands three times. It felt different because sometimes words, spoken repeatedly, doesn't mean anything anymore.

This was really short that I finished it fast and because of that, I cannot find anything to say anymore. For those people who wants to read about a good futuristic, sci-fi novel, I recommend this book to you guys. This ends with a cliffhanger. Ugh. There are so many questions that were left unanswered and because of that I'll definitely read the next book. ^_^

**ARC received from author in exchanged of a honest review.
Profile Image for Kate ★.
205 reviews18 followers
April 13, 2014
I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest feedback.

The story was easy to understand and follow. Era, the pregnant main character, sought to discover the truth of things she was led to believe in order to save the ones she love. While reading this book, I just have this feeling that the concept wasn't new. It seems like a common plot, as you can often read in dystopian/sci-fi YA books. Maybe one of the things that sets it apart was how the MC is already married, hence romance was limited.

It was short yet tragic. It seemed like there could have been more to the story, almost like something was lacking. The characters weren't really developed as time was spent for the unfolding of the story. Thus, I can't really say I loved the characters or relate to them. It seemed that the next book will be the story of another character so I wonder how that'll turn out.

Thanks Autumn Kalquist for the opportunity to review your story!
Profile Image for Abbie.
1,991 reviews668 followers
August 10, 2016
(I received a copy from the author, in exchange for an honest review.)

Actual rating - 2.5

was an okay read, but the pacing was a bit too slow.

The situation Era and the rest of the parents to be was in was awful. I felt really sorry for them.

At the pace the book was going at, it didn't seem like much was happening, which made some parts quite boring.
If the pacing went a bit faster, i would have enjoyed the book a lot more.

Overall, Had alright characters, but the pace could have been quicker.
Profile Image for Daphnee .
339 reviews225 followers
November 11, 2015
Rating 4.5

I don't know what it is exactly about this book but I am just devastated after that ending. I loved this book and it made me so so sad. It was a quick read and I really enjoyed it.
Profile Image for P.M..
1,345 reviews
Read
May 18, 2020
This is another no star book. I have nothing to say about except that it was awful. The only redeeming feature is that it is over.
Profile Image for Lenore Kosinski.
2,389 reviews65 followers
January 28, 2016
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!!

Well, I somehow managed to *not* bawl in the middle of the Chateau Lake Louise lobby where I was reading this while waiting for my husband to finish skiing, though it took a miracle and a lot of willpower. So there's a little bit of anger at you Ms. Kalquist. I was prepared for some sadness, not for snotty tears. Don't worry, I'll forgive you eventually.

OK, so with that aside -- thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't WAIT for more! I tend to *watch* sci-fi more than I read it, but not for any particular reason, I just haven't had a lot of sci-fi novels waved in front of my face. I'm so glad that this book was waved in front of my face though. I had a hard time getting past all the new terms and slang at first. It made for a bit of a slow start. I'm not sure if it's just b/c I'm not used to it? But I tend to be a perfectionist, so even when the context essentially tells me what a new word means, I have this burning desire for a glossary at the end to verify that I got it all exactly right. And quite honestly, that was my biggest issue with this book (ie what took it down to 4 instead of 5). I just found myself stumbling over those words until I got used to them. But once I did, I was so sucked in. And this book was totally not what I was expecting either. It kind of had an initial feel of Battlestar Galactica -- a civilization that has to abandon their planet and go in search of a new one. I enjoy all the thought that goes into what that might look like 300 years later, and what kinds of conflicts it could bring up. How society would evolve and change. Ms. Kalquist did a great job of painting that world.

Era was a great protagonist. We were thrust right into her story, but she gave us such a unique perspective -- someone sweet and innocent and good, but who has had struggles to deal with. I wish we had gotten to see more of the relationship with Dritan, b/c what I did see was fabulous. And Zephyr was hilarious, a good counterpart to Era -- fingers are crossed we get to see more of her in the next book.



So yes, good stuff. It had mystery, a bit of a thriller-like aspect, humour, and a taste of romance. I'm hooked enough for another taste, now I just have to wait!!
9 reviews7 followers
November 27, 2014
Incredibly good dystopian novel!

I won a free copy of the book from the author in a release party giveaway contest. I'm happy to give it an honest review.

Others have covered the plotline, and mentioned that the ending is a downer, so I won't rehash all of that. Let's be clear on this: Legacy Code is a dystopian novel. Worthy to stand beside the great classic dystopias, such as 1984 and Brave New World. If you are expecting or wanting something like Star Trek or Star Wars, this isn't it. Not all science fiction stories (or even all fairy tales) have nice, pleasant happy endings. This is not a children's story.

Still here? Cool! If you have any appreciation for 1984 at all (I don't ENJOY reading 1984, but I acknowledge what a masterpiece it is. Even though Animal Farm was better.), you should be able to appreciate Legacy Code just as much. If not more. This short book takes you on an emotional roller coaster. Not the nice, open-air kind. Like Space Mountain, but all the lights malfunctioned and the cars are emitting intense metallic screams because they are moving too fast.

You'll come to really care about most of the characters, who are in survival mode in a situation that's just not conducive to surviving. Like the book itself, their lives are brutal and short. They have to cram a lot of living, painful as it is, into the short time they have. The beautiful thing is, they do. The will to survive is a powerful force, and it does not surrender easily to even the most hopeless situations. Just like in Alien, the worst of it is the human actions. The government is brutal and oppressive, and yet damned if you don't see that it's not doing anything wrong, from the point of view of those making the horribly tough decisions. They truly don't see that they have any other choice.

For those who read the earlier reviews, especially those with one or two stars, rest assured this book does have a sequel, Paragon, which will be released on December 1st, 2014. It's part of a larger series of novels. This book is a complete story in itself, but the bigger story starts long before the events in this book and continues after it.

I'm still stunned by one feature of this novel: one of the characters is writing a song, and the lyrics are part of the book, but the song is real; Autumn Kalquist wrote music as well as the words, and she sings it, and you can download the song for free if you sign up for her free newsletter! Not many novels can boast of that feature when they have not been made into a movie.

And yes, there are some vocabulary words which are a direct result of it being set in the distant future. Slang changes over time. I did ask the author about one of them, and she confirmed that "quin" (a food raw material mentioned many times) is short for "quinoa", and hence is pronounced "keen". The rest of the words should be self-explanatory.

I give this book my highest recommendation, granting that you accept that it is a dystopia and consider it R-rated due to the subject matter. I concur with the other reviewers who say that Autumn Kalquist is an author to watch. I think she's on the track to become both rich and famous through her writing, and deservedly so.
Profile Image for Lola.
1,867 reviews270 followers
November 12, 2014
Wow this book surprised me in the best possible way, for a story of only 100 pages, it sure packs a lot of action and story into it. I won this book during a giveaway during The Telepath Chronicles release day party, I am looking for more sic-fi books to read and I entered a few giveaways for books that looked. Imagine my surprise when I actually won one! Then my moodreader tendencies came into play and I just had to read this book now.

Legacy Code is a fast story focussed book. We get to know Era, a women aboard the spaceship Paragon. She is pregnant and about to find out whether her baby has the defect. A lot of things happen and it almost seems impossible how much story there is in only those 100 pages. I just had to keep reading, there was so much going on and I wanted to find out how it all tied together. The story was done really well and it really carried this book.

I also have to mention the ending, Autumn really takes a risk there, but I think it was a great ending. Although it was a bit of a shock. This book is also pretty emotional, lots of emotional things happen and as it's all packed into a small amount of pages it all follows each other pretty quickly.

The characters was given less attention, but still enough to get a feel for them. It is told in the third person perspective, but it really worked for this book. Also we get to know Era not through what she thinks, but mostly through her actions. Her actions really speak for her and show a lot about her characters and at the end of the book I felt like I knew her. The side characters are less important, but I really liked Era her best friend Zephyr and her husband Dritan. The other characters were more on the background.

There isn't much focus on the world building, but we do get to know quite a bit about the fleet and the spaceships thanks to what happens with Era. I liked getting a feel for how this society worked and how they lived on the fleet all their lives and were searching for a new planet. While I would've liked a bit more world building, I really liked the world building we did got and I was able to create an imagine in my head of what it all looked like. There is also some new technology and terms that take some getting used to, but usually from the context it was easy enough to figure out approximately what it did or meant.

To conclude: I was happily surprised when I read this book. I started it on a whim, but quickly got sucked into the story. This books is fast paced, filled with story and has some emotional scenes. I liked the characters and the world building and how as the story progressed you got a good idea of them, even though the focus was on the story. All in all I would recommend this to fans of the sci-fi genre and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this series!
Profile Image for Tamara.
703 reviews215 followers
October 22, 2014
Summary:In a dystopian world where humans live in spaceships because they had to fled a dying Earth 300 years ago a girl named Era wishes her life was easy. She is 17 years old, pregnant and her baby's life is in danger. A disease called The Legacy Code cause half of all pregnancies to be terminated because of mangled genes damaging the unborn babies. After some questionable events Era begins to question everything she’s been taught about the fleet and the Defect which puts not only her baby's life in danger but also hers. Can she find a way to save her baby's life or is it already too late?



My Thoughts:After reading straight through the first 15-20% of the book I started losing interest to pick it up the next day. I had to force myself to keep reading and it did got better, towards the end but still, getting past all the new terms and slang was pretty hard at first.

Dont get me wrong, it was a interesting read. I liked the dystopian World and the story about the Defective babies but characters werent compelling enough unfortunately. Since the book is too short we dont have enough time to connect with the characters deeply. They are just there and even though some bad things happen to them I cant really care about them because they didnt have enough depth. Era -the main character- was interesing for sure but other characters were just...there. They didnt have any porpuses and didnt add anything to the story. Specially Era's husband Dritan. Their romance was all sweet and nice but I didnt feel their connection at all.

While characters were weak I cant say the same thing about the story. It definitely has potential and after that ending I'm really curious about where the author is leading this.

Ah, the ending. What a cliffhanger man. What a cliffhanger!!!



How am I supposed to wait for the sequel now?!




Profile Image for Nadine.
1,344 reviews238 followers
November 5, 2016
Legacy Code follows Era and her husband Dritan as they are transferred to the safest ship in the fleet to have a child. The ability to have a child born without Defect is a precious and valuable commodity and Era hopes that her unborn child will be healthy. But when the hull is breached an investigation is launched that uncovers treason and traitors.

Science Fiction stories about people living on space ships that are traveling and have population control are my weak point. I love those kinds of stories, so I have high expectations. Unfortunately, Legacy Code didn’t meet those expectations.

Legacy Code falters in its world building. The world building is almost nonexistent, so the story built within this world is confusing and a weak. The little world building that is present is unsatisfying because it’s so hurried. This type of story needs to be firmly grounded in the world it takes place in so the reader is fully immersed in the conflicts the characters find themselves in and the decisions they make.

Along with the lack of world building, there was also a lack of smooth character development. The main character’s jump from model citizen to traitor is quick and has no foreshadowing. There isn’t a moment in the beginning of the novel that hints at Era’s willingness to abandon everything to fight for the truth.

The lack of smooth character development is due in fact to the novels very strong anti-abortion stance. Era decides to risk everything for a chance to save her unborn child. At one point in the book, the anti-abortion stance is so heavily advocated it feels as if you’re listening to one of those people who stand in front of women’s health clinics. If you’re strongly pro-choice than this book may not be for you.


Overall, Legacy Code has a strong premise but falters in its lack of world building and character development.



Profile Image for Yvonne.
201 reviews105 followers
September 26, 2015


3.5 stars

*I received a review copy by the author in exchange for an honest review*

I think I expected something slightly different. I really enjoyed the "Defect"-stories and hoped for something similar but just longer. It's not that I didn't enjoy "The Legacy Code", it's quite the opposite! It's a quick and easy read and definitely interesting!

Era is a strong character and fights for what's right, she tries to protect the ones she loves and I admired her for that. I just couldn't connect with her, not really at least. She's 17, I think? In my head she seemed older because she's pregnant and in comparison to Zephyr she's also more mature and serious. I could feel with her (especially towards the end) but never saw her as a 17 year old girl.

I liked her relationship with Dritan a lot! I don't know how old he was but he also seemed "older" to me, which is not a problem but it confused me a bit. He's caring and sweet and their love is so genuine and beautiful. Their way of telling "I love you." by squeezing each other's hand 3 times is just perfect. They don't need words to express their love.

Autumn Kalquist managed to keep me interested with the story although it's a very short book but it has potential! There's a lot more to discover, especially with what we found out in the end - cliffhangers are cruel, just saying. I'm really looking forward to read the second book "Paragon" and hope we'll get to know the characters a lot better and find some more answers!

Profile Image for Lea Sanders.
16 reviews1 follower
July 8, 2014
I got the pleasure of receiving this ARC kindle edition in exchange for an honest review. (Book will be released March 9th-16th.) So here it is;

This book! I really actually enjoyed it. Its very quick only 200 or pages but its wow. I was not expecting the ending what so ever, it just blew me away. The only thing I had a problem with was I felt I was missing a prequel about the world, like I felt when the characters were talking about certain things I felt I should of known what was going on, but maybe thats because the Author has future plans for that, I don't know. What I do know is I want a physical copy of this & hope I can also be able to have the pleasure of reading the ARC sequel when it is finished! I would recommended this book if you are into dytopian/SciFi. In fact this book is actually in the giveaways right now for 2 copies so if I was you & you were interested go give it a shot!

The last humans fled a dying Earth 300 years ago, but there was something they couldn’t leave behind: The Legacy Code. Which is a "gene" defect that causes the baby to not develop right, so they automatically abort them. Era is a 17 year old who is finding out if her baby has the defect, but things happen that distract her from finding out right away, she is growing attached to the "baby" so she is trying to figure out if the fleet is hiding something or if the defect is what they say it is. Thats all im going to say, I really don't want to give any spoilers!


Thank you Autumn Kalquist for letting me review this! You did an awesome job!
Profile Image for Owen Harvey.
47 reviews
March 24, 2014
I recieved a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

I'll admit, on first look at the book, the front cover didn't appeal to me. I know that you're always told, not to judge a book by it's cover, but it's the first thing you see. However I don't just let the cover influence my choice in books, I then go on to read the blurb. The blurb had pulled me in alright, and I couldn't wait to recieve a copy of this book. I was already reading a book but I read this one alongside it and just finished it moments ago; while artifical gravity was blaring in my ears, might I add. The plot line, although at the start a tad tricky to follow was well developed and followed itself through. I could picture the com cubes and the device they used, in a sense it was all very believeable. I fell in love with character's if I'm honest, the relationship between Dritan and Era was believeable and honest. It was true love. The characters were amazing, developed and they became real in my head. The ending for me, with out giving away any spoilers. Was perfect, and at the same time I hate you for it.

I'm not usually one to enjoy a happy ending, in fact I much prefer a sad one. So not only did I find the story enjoyable, the ending for me was indeed very apt.

I absolutely loved this book, and although reasonably short, combined with the excellent writing, believeable plot, and beautiful song to accompany it. Became something really amazing. I cannot wait for Summer, roll on the next book!
Profile Image for Jenna.
1,625 reviews14 followers
March 5, 2014
I received an arc for an honest review.

Before you read the book take a look at the cover it’s breathtaking and the song that accompanies the books is beautiful. The author can’t only write but also sing. This a debut novel by the writer and it’s written flawless and even though the book is about spaceships and live on it , books I normally don’t read I enjoyed reading it very much.

What I missed was more pages and a little more world building. Why did humans started living in space? where there any humans left on earth? What happened on earth that is was dying? Was the earth still there and livable? Did every one leave? If it was explained I totally missed it.

The plot:
Era is a 17 year old girl living on the Paragon space ship together with her husband Dritan, she’s 16 weeks pregnant and has to test for the legacy code these genes damage the heart and lungs of unborn child and half of the pregnancies has this and need to be aborted. But a hull breach takes place which is a catalyst for Era and her husband’s lives to change dramatically. She sees classified information that could change every ones lives and could start a rebellion. Era is discovered and pays a high price.
The book ends with a major cliffy. I can’t wait to read the second book. This author has some major potential and I think we be seeing a lot more from her.
Profile Image for Red.
11 reviews
May 1, 2014
After reading that blurb I just had to read this book. And look at that cover? Is it not pretty? Also, I love that the main characters are people of color. There's a lot of whitewashing in book covers so it's always refreshing to see something different.

Legacy Code has interesting characters, intriguing plot with spaceships (I love spaceships), an uninhabitable planet, and a dystopian setting. Era is a great character. She starts off timid and overly worried but by the end of the book, she becomes strong and determined. I liked the chemistry between Dritan and Era. They're a sweet couple. The way they squeezed each other's hands three times was cute. I saw no problem with the pacing of the story. It all started from the hull breach and then we get to find out more about the riots and the reason behind the traitors' actions. I also liked Zephyr. She's a cool best friend. Hmm

The author is a talented singer. Artificial Gravity song fits the book. I have to admit though, Better World is more beautiful ;)

1 review
February 23, 2014
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
I started reading Legacy code and within the first few pages I was hooked! The story is set around Era Corinth and her struggles with life on a ship whilst pregnant with a baby that may have the defect, a husband that she worries for (with good reason) and a secret that she was never meant to know. The characters are really well thought out and for the first book in the series I think you get a good sense of who the main characters are and a bit of a back story to them. I am slightly disappointed with the abrupt ending but then depending on where the author takes the characters in the next book it might be that it had to end the way it did for the next book to take shape and other characters will now take centre stage.
All in all this book has real potential to become part of something great, it is brilliantly written with detail and imagination from the offset, It is also really well edited. I am really looking forward to where the next instalment of the Legacy Code Saga is going to take me.
Profile Image for Peter Stone.
AuthorÌý24 books73 followers
June 1, 2014
Legacy Code is a rather short novel that focuses on the day to day life of a woman, Era, who lives on a ship that is part of a fleet that has fled Earth. In a sense it reminded me of Battlestar Galactica, but only if we were to fast forward fifty years plus and they still had not found anywhere to colonise. The ships in this fleet were slowly falling apart, and they had to stop at each star they jumped to, and spend decades building a new stargate/jump gate. Awesome concept.

The book is very well written, with plenty of tension, hidden agendas and those beginning to rise up against the oppressive government that runs the fleet. One of the primary themes of the book is Era's pregnancy and the obstacles she faces in that regards. Her husband's job also includes endless risks, causing further stress in her life.

Overall, an engaging, fascinating read, though as other readers have said, the book is rather dark.
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