Departure
4.2 | 19,194 ratings
Price: 18.86
Last update: 01-26-2026
Top reviews from the United States
- Jeremy BernsteinAnother Hit From A.G.RiddleWhen I read The Origin Mystery series I was taking a chance on an author I had never heard of. Thanks to Amazon Prime lending library I was able to read the first book for free and when the second/third book came out it was a no brainer. I adore that series, and when I saw he was writing a new book I knew I had to have it.
Departure is very well written to say the least. One thing that Riddle has done consistently through his books is detail. You can tell he does his research and even though this is clearly science fiction (or is it), I can tell he tried to bring as much truth to his writing as possible. Departure will absolutely be a book that will stay on my kindle for future reading.
**Spoilers in this next part.**
Time travel is always a sore topic for me because I like to think about it, and usually I think about it too much and find loopholes. Then I can't get it out of my mind when reading the rest. It make reading unbearable and I really wish I could just turn off my brain when reading time travel and just enjoy it for what it is. However, A.G.Riddle went with a different form of time travel, one that, as far as I can tell, is loophole free ( yay!). Even though Nick, Harper, Yul, and Sabrine all have memories of the future, it's not their future. It's the future of the other universes version of them. Now that they know what happens to them they can change it and make their own future, one that is hopefully a lot less bare and depressing. The memories will never change and the other universe will still be there along side of their own, but now they will be able to put it on a different path. And even though Nicolas and Shaw failed to bring themselves together with the ones they loved, they created an alternate universe where their mirrored selves got to do what they never could.
I loved the whole book, but I especially cared for the ending. The ending was left it a good place, one where the reader can imagine what changed and how the new future goes. It's also open for Riddle to write a second book where we see the changes in action (maybe inadvertently making the same mistakes again?) and even though this might just be a 1 off (which is fine) I can't wait to read Riddles next book, be it Departure 2 or some new adventure in his mind. - Amazon CustomerDeparture is a great read with an exciting premise in which Gerry Riddle ...Departure is a great read with an exciting premise in which Gerry Riddle continues to develop the themes he established in his earlier work. In a world where the concentration of wealth is greater than at any time since the beginning of the 20th Century, the power of such individuals to live their dreams is proportionately greater. However, as Riddle argues, this has an enormous cost for the the vast majority.
He explores the theme of corporate philanthropy and the inherent dangers in having self-defined elites and cliques using their wealth and power to establish solutions for a new world order. Riddle's theme is that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Riddle is successful in demonstrating the disconnect between the ability to acquire wealth and the assumed right to formulate social policy. In his previous work, the grab for power is more naked and reflects the totalitarian styles of the 20th Century. In Departure, the grab for power is more sinister, hidden as it is behind the rhetoric of philanthropy and the venture capitalists' love of massive projects showing a fast return for the select few. As we confront the inevitable and profound impacts of climate change, we will indeed have to deal with powerful, but non-democratic, philanthropic interests propagating radical "lifeboat" solutions. Departure is a precautionary tale for this new century.There is no joy for any ambitious corporate philanthropists in reading this book.
I enjoyed the fast read that this book provides and the first half really had me guessing. I find the global nature of Gerry's writing refreshing and he writes well outside American characterizations. He did this so well in his previous work giving us characters who are not formulaic, who are not Rambo clones saving the world through the sheer volume of hot lead they can expend. For international readers this is refreshing. Further, he has developed characters who "save the world" through their commitment to social justice and equity in the application of science; that the female characters are strong, complex and independent is a special joy.
"Departure" is indeed a precautionary message for our time and Gerry Riddle is to be commended for yet another excellent piece of work. I wish him well.