YA Fantasy
Title: Guardians Inc: The Cypher
Author: Julian Rosado-Machain
Date Published: July 2012
Synopsis:
A chance reading of a newspaper ad will send 16 year old Thomas Byrne into the world within our world.
Following the ad he will find Guardians Incorporated. A seven thousand year old organization charged with protecting the balance between Magic and technology.
Through their guidance technology has kept Magic at bay since the Renaissance, but the balance is shifting and soon all those creatures we've driven into myth and legend will come back with a vengeance.
To protect the present, Guardians Incorporated needs to know the future.
My review:
A simple adventure story featuring a range of magical creatures, this book feels like an alien-based comic-book TV show.
The main character, Thomas Bryne, comes across as younger than his stated age of 16. He is unusually naive and trusting, despite his troubled background. We learn a lot about his past, but little of it appears relevant to this part of the story.
The fight scenes were dramatic and fast-paced. They left you on the edge of your seat. In fact the whole of the book happened quite quickly, sometimes too quickly for my liking.
The ending was a real cliff-hanger. It made me not so much want to read on to the next book, but with an unsatisfied feeling.
This book would appeal mostly to the younger end of the YA market. For them it would be an exciting adventure story, full of fights and drama. Thomas Bryne would be someone to look up to, and they would no doubt envy his escape from humdrum everyday life. And the cliff-hanger would leave them wanting more.
For an YA audience this book is...
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What would be your dream job?
Julian
has enjoyed pizza in three continents, holds a degree in graphic
design, built armored vehicles and computers, handcrafted alebrijes and
swears has seen at least one ghost.
He
is the Co-owner of Hacienda de Vega Restaurant in San Diego, California
and enjoys the sun with his wife, three children and cat.
Guardians Inc.: The Cypher is the first book in a series.
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Guardians Inc.
The
Guardians Inc. storyline is not a trilogy, but a series of books. Five to be
precise, but they might turn into six depending on how long Book Five turns out
to be.
Before
writing Book 1: The Cypher, I had already developed all story and character
arcs for the whole series, and what I wanted to explore on each
book. This process took about two years.
The
Ending of the Series is already written and it is quite final.
Each
book seeds the next books, so things, enemies and storylines will appear and
reappear all over in the complete series.
There are allusions and "Tips o' the
hat" to many books, writers and movies I admire seeded throughout the
Books. From The Jungle Book to The Last Starfighte and Mythbusters. Most of them are done
quite openly, even referenced by name, but some are very cryptic. Me having fun
with the story.
Guardians
Inc. relies heavily on historic figures and events. I research thoroughly
before referencing a place or an event.
The
same applies to technology, I do try to do as much research as I can before
writing about technology. (although, like Thomas, theoretical physics are
beyond my full understanding!)
One
of the evil characters in Cypher: THE MAN IN THE TRENCHCOAT, got its own
interactive book app for the ipad as an illustrated children's book and it’s
doing quite well!
ALL
storylines will get closure. I promise.
As
time progresses in the story and Thomas gets older, dangers, moral dilemmas,
and romantic situations will get rougher, tougher and more... romantic!
