Author: Josh Conrad
Version: eBook
ISBN: B00GWNSJQQ
Publisher: Self Published
Published: November 25th, 2013
Genre: Fantasy Adventure
SYNOPSIS: Max Cruiser seems to have it all under control. He's a straight A student, he's well loved by all, and once he turns 16 he just knows he's going to make it onto all the varsity teams at school. He has the perfect home life, parents that love him, a brother that is away at school and a mom that knows how to throw a party. Basically Max Cruiser's life rocks. On his 16th birthday things begin to take a turn for the weird and unusual. While out getting surprise party supplies his mom gets attacked, and almost killed. After the assassin is taken into custody by her team of rescuers, something even stranger occurs. The sky opens up and ships appear. This does not faze Maria Cruiser at all, but the news the ships bring does. An old friend also suddenly appears, Félix Santalago, and tells Maria some incredible news. Her near perfect son Max has just been accepted at the Cyber Academy!
Back home Max's surprise party goes off wonderfully, he has tons of friends there and he gets all the presents he wanted. After the party when all the guests are gone and Max was still glowing, his parents and their dear friend Félix, sit him down to give him one last gift. They tell him that they are actually CyberSpies and he has just been accepted to their old training school Cyber Academy. Max goes to bed feeling angry, confused and betrayed. After thinking about it through the night and with a little help from a very special friend, Max decides to accept the invitation to CyberWorld and the Cyber Academy. What starts with a surprising trip to a new dimension soon turns into the adventure of a lifetime.
REVIEW: Let me state right up front that I truly enjoyed this book all the way through. I couldn't seem to put the book down, which for a first novel is quite something. So please remember that I really, really liked the book because I did.
All that being said I did have a few moments of 'oh right this is a first novel.' And I must admit that it felt a little bit like Harry Potter set in space. Which is fine because I have a true love for Harry Potter. And there is nothing wrong with imitating something you love. The story was great though, full of incredible characters, adventure and mystery. I loved it all the way through but it also felt familiar. This of course is not bad and for a first novel is a lost expected, and I take no points off for that.
The writing was wonderful and has much potential to be truly great that I can hardly wait for the next from Josh Conrad. I think that Mr. Conrad has a great voice and though the story felt familiar at times his voice was fresh and I think that we can safely say that Mr. Conrad has some great things in him just waiting to get out. I guess I should say more great things waiting to get out. All in all the book was well written, well put together and full of wit and twists that kept me up late into the night. It was really well done for a first novel. I think that he is just going to get better the more he writes.
The book was great and I loved the story and the characters but I also felt that it was a tad too long. It was a first novel and I think that maybe Josh Conrad was nervous about finishing it or how to end it or something because it went on for a little longer then I felt necessary. I loved the climax of the story but I felt like it happened early and then the book just kept going. In his author biography Mr. Conrad says that he is working on four sequels, which I can't wait for because I love Max and all his friends, but that means that there is plenty of time to keep the story going. I hope that with the subsequent sequels Mr. Conrad has more confidence in himself and is able to trim down and really make us beg for more.
I'm not usually a fantasy reader, although I have started enjoying it more in the last year or so, but this book captured me. I know that I may have said some harsh things here but above and beyond all things the book captured my attention and kept me reading from the first page to the last thrilling sentence. I do think that the author has a long way to go until he is truly great but I think, no I know that we are all going to really enjoy the journey.
All in all the book was a really good first novel and I highly suggest those fantasy buffs out there, find a way to buy a copy and not only support a budding new author but also to enjoy a truly fun fantasy story. It's worth the read because it is a fun and exciting read and what more can you ask for when it comes to a fantasy novel? I tip my tiny hat four times to Mr. Conrad for excitement, mystery and a great start to what I think is going to be an exciting career.
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