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J. Barton Mitchell
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The Razor Kindle Edition

by J. Barton Mitchell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 84 ratings
Editors' pick Best Science Fiction & Fantasy

A “cutting-edge SF” thriller about a man struggling to survive the chaos on a prison planet (Matthew Costello, author of Star Road).

Brilliant engineer Marcus Flynn has been sentenced to 11-H37 alongside the galaxy’s most dangerous criminals. A hard labor prison planet better known as the Razor, where life expectancy is short and all roads are dead ends.

At least until the Lost Prophet goes active . . .

In a few hours, prison guards and staff are evacuated, the prisoners are left to die, and dark mysteries begin to surface.

Only Flynn has the skills and knowledge to unravel them, but he will have to rely on the most unlikely of allies—killers, assassins, pirates and smugglers. If they can survive each other they just might survive the Razor . . . and claim it for their own.

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  1. Print length
    392 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Tor Books
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    November 27, 2018
  6. File size
    4.0 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"J. Barton Mitchell's The Razor is cutting-edge SF."

-- "Matthew Costello, author of Star Road"

About the Author

J. Barton Mitchell is a screenwriter, comic-book writer, and author. He studied creative writing at the University of Houston before going on to receive a BS in film studies from the University of Texas. After selling screenplays to Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox, he created and wrote the comic-book series Poe. He lives and writes in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles.

J. Barton Mitchell is an author and screenwriter of speculative fiction, living somewhere between Austin, Texas, and Taos, New Mexico.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B078X1YYLR
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 27, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.0 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 392 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0765387943
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 84 ratings

About the author

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J. Barton Mitchell

J. Barton Mitchell

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J. Barton Mitchell is a writer and creator of speculative fiction, as well as a photographer, traveler, reader, and occasional masked crime fighter. He is the author of The Razor form TOR Books and the young adult science fiction series Conquered Earth from St. Martin's Press.

jbartonmitchell.com

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
84 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book suspenseful, with one review highlighting its unexpected twists and solid sci-fi action. Moreover, they appreciate the character development, noting the memorable characters in the story.

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SuspensefulCharacter development
5 customers mention "Suspenseful"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book suspenseful and scary, with one customer noting its solid sci-fi action and unexpected twists.

"...The action seems non-stop and suspenseful...." Read more

"...Solid action from start to finish, very, very violent and a real story with characters to cheer for...." Read more

"A great story with interesting and unexpected twists...." Read more

"A very entertaining story with memorable characters. Look forward for the sequel." Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book.

"...: prison planet, altered humans with unit gifts, interesting variety of characters with pasts that define them, clever technology, mathematical..." Read more

"...action from start to finish, very, very violent and a real story with characters to cheer for...." Read more

"A very entertaining story with memorable characters. Look forward for the sequel." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Aspiring Author
    5.0 out of 5 stars Solid Sci-Fi Action
    Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The author is a good writer and this story covers a lot of solid sci-fi tropes: prison planet, altered humans with unit gifts, interesting variety of characters with pasts that define them, clever technology, mathematical manipulations, and a very imaginative environment. The action seems non-stop and suspenseful.

    I gave the story 5 stars because the author has very good insight into many human-defining aspects, such as anxiety, fear, and pain, and how they influence human development. My only criticism of the story is that the end seems to be based on the author’s decision that it was time to stop. Also, the end is clearly set up for a sequel; not a fan of this technique.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Dr Peter Davies
    4.0 out of 5 stars This is good stuff
    Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Mitchell has written a young adult sf/fantasy trilogy, but there is nothing ya about this book. Solid action from start to finish, very, very violent and a real story with characters to cheer for. Razor is a prison planet, with terrible natural features and worse people. Survival is the only goal, and for our hero, Flynn, things go from bad to worse, this also being true of the other characters he encounters. This is a gripping read, hard to put down. I suspect and hope we will hear more tales from Razor.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Mandie B
    5.0 out of 5 stars I was sad that the book ended!!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2019
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    I just finished The Razor. OMG! I’m so sad it’s over. I want more. I want to know what Zane finds at Site Seven. I want to know the back story on Astoria. I want to know what happens to Raelyn. I want to hear more about Gable’s plans. I love Key’s attitude and sarcasm. Felt like I knew her. I want to tap into J Barton Mitchell’s mind and see this all these stories play out like a movie, just like the book did.

    I loved it so much!
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Quirky Cat
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic look at a different sort of dystopian novel
    Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2018
    Format: Kindle
    The Razor is the newest work by J. Barton Mitchell. It’s a science fiction novel focusing primarily on just a few characters. It also reads a bit like a post apocalyptic novel, thanks to the setting the characters are forced into. I fell in love with it because of the way a couple of the characters in particular either started with or had to find a drive to live and survive. It was a fascinating study in the human experience…all while the events unfolding around them seem painfully inhumane.
    The Razor is a location in the book. More accurately, it’s a planet. A very valuable planet thanks to the minerals buried deep within. Unfortunately it’s also very dangerous. So naturally the best people to get sent down there to mine it all out would be convicts and prisoners. It isn’t an ethical solution, but it’s one we’ve seen pictured before in this sort of society. This is the world our characters must survive on.
    Warnings first: Razor is a prison planet. As such it’s full of corruption and people who did something worthy of getting them a life sentence. That doesn’t mean they should be getting treated like slaves, but that’s the way this planet works. Some of the characters are put into situations that make the whole forced slavery thing more clear and hard to avoid. There are threats of rape and torture. Nothing graphic is ever shown while it happens. The worst of it would be describing bodies after the fact.
    The Razor was a fantastic read. I didn’t get through it as quickly as I would like – it was intense at times so I didn’t always want to read it late into the night. But it was really well written. I just couldn’t wait to learn more about each of the characters introduced. I also loved reading their various interactions, conflicts, and attempts to solve problems.
    During the course of the book we pick up five main characters whom we’re meant to care about. The first one we meet is Maddox. He’s tough, knows how the planet works, and has lost so much, including his will to live. Then there’s Flynn. Fylnn is a genius, but he’s also as naïve as they come. If circumstances hadn’t change so quickly, I have no doubt that this prison planet would have killed him within two weeks. As most. Then there’s Key. She’s a true survivor. She’s also fierce and sassy. Raelyn is the other female we get to know. She’s a doctor and a scientist. Like everyone else, she has a dark past. Unlike everyone else, she seems to do a better job of hiding it. And finally there’s Zane. I don’t want to describe Zane too much, because his introduction is special. I will say that he became one of my favorites. There is a sixth character that’s introduced to the group as well…but her being integral to the group or even liked by the readers is more up for debate than the others.
    The planet itself is what really caught my attention, obviously. I love the way it was described. It sounds both brutal and beautiful. The impossible nature of it was intriguing as well. I hope that’s explored more in later novels.
    The Razor is a fascinating blend of genres. Its science fiction, of course, but post apocalyptical, political, survival, and it even has a touch of romance. In short, it’s so much more than I could have hoped for. It’s not every day you get to find a book that blends multiple genres you love together.
    I’m really hoping that this becomes a series. It was left open enough where it’s clearly a possibility. I desperately want to learn more about Razor, how it’ll recover, more about its origin. Everything. I also want to see more about a certain characters’ quest. I’ll have to be patient, but I’m hoping for a confirmation of the sequel sometime in the next few months.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Gabriella Espinosa
    5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A great story with interesting and unexpected twists. Prison planet meltdown with an unlikely crew coming together to survive...I hope there's a next one :-)
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  • Shawna Borman
    3.0 out of 5 stars Standard Sci-Fi
    Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2018
    Format: Kindle
    Hello, hello!  It's time for another book review.  I requested something a little different from my usual genres: sci-fi.  I watch a lot of sci-fi, but I don't read much of it, so I decided to give it a shot.  Today, I'll be talking about The Razor by J. Barton Mitchell.  It was published on the 27th by Tor Books, which is an imprint of Macmillan.  I must thank them and NetGalley for allowing me access to an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC).  Without further ado, let's get to the review!

    The Razor follows a group of prison inmates as they team up and learn to count on each other to survive after their jailers randomly up and leave the planet.  The main focus is on Flynn, a brilliant scientist who was framed for murder and subsequently sent to serve out the rest of his life on the Razor.  Along the way, he teams up with Key (a gang member who attempts to kill him), Maddox (a disgraced Ranger with nothing left to live for), Raelyn (a doctor who made a grave mistake), Zane (a government experiment gone rogue), and Gable (a mad scientist).  Sounds pretty routine for a sci-fi adventure, right?  It is.

    The book is comprised of 3 parts totaling 78 relatively short chapters and clocks in at just under 400 pages.  I bring this up because the way the book is laid out makes it feel like a super fast read. Getting through 4 or 5 chapters a day may seem like a lot, but by the time I was done, it was 2 and a half weeks later.  I actually prefer a lot of shorter chapters when I'm reading because it makes that "just one more" urge more acceptable.  But don't be fooled.  This isn't a quick read.

    As far as the story goes, it's fast paced and has a lot going on.  The plot is interesting, but if you don't pay attention it's easy to get lost.  I had to reread some stuff a couple of times.  I'm no scientist, but some of the stuff going on seemed shaky at best.  If you're willing to trust in the science as explained, it's a fun story.  From a writing perspective, it's well paced and engaging.  However, the POV shifts... a lot.  In earlier chapters, the POV shifts are pretty isolated with one character per chapter, but after everyone meets up, things shift back and forth within chapters and it gets a bit muddled.  Sometimes it took me a minute to realize "that thought was Key's, not Flynn's," or whatever.

    My main problem with this book is the characters.  I feel nothing for them.  The plot moves so fast that there really isn't time for character development, but if you watch any sci-fi, you get the gist of who they're supposed to be.  It's all pretty generic.  The only one I actually kind of liked is Zane, but even he feels like a cookie cutter character.  He just happens to be the type I gravitate toward.  Then, there is Gable.  I don't particularly feel like she is necessary.  Everything she did could have been done by one of the others.  It mostly feels like she's there to even out the number of females vs. males.

    Ultimately, I enjoyed the story enough that I'll check out book 2 when/if it comes out.  But if some major character development doesn't take place, it's the kind of story I'll eventually get bored with.

    Overall, I'd rate it 3 out of 5 stars.  I like it, but it doesn't impress me.  If you're into sci-fi and enjoy a fast plot, pick it up.  If you like a better balance of characters and plot, this probably isn't for you.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Locke55
    5.0 out of 5 stars Rock and Roll!
    Reviewed in Canada on December 27, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Grabs you from the first few pages and does not let up. A barn burner of a prison planet space opera - the author has to be making a sequel, which I will be looking forward to. Wait for it to be picked up by Amazon or Netflix in a few years!

    Great characters, although a couple get a bit too super-hero Ish, and as others have noted, romantic entanglements are a bit of a stretch. Have fun!
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  • Perceptive Reader
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but...
    Reviewed in India on April 10, 2019
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    The book began as a potential scifi update of 'The Shawshank Redemption'. Unfortunately, the portrayal of the characters as simultaneously kick-ass and vulnerable didn’t come off as expected. And then the weird stuff happened, plunging the story into extremely formulaic rota.
    The writing is crisp. And there is a distinct possibility of a sequel. Nevertheless, I have a feeling of quiet dissatisfaction now, as the story ended.
    Perhaps you might enjoy it more.
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  • Mike Benson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good Story
    Reviewed in Canada on July 23, 2019
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    A very good story, enjoyable read throughout. Set up well for sequels to follow and allow reader to continue to see the developed characters and their story lines in the future.
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