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Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Engines of Liberty - release of Patriot's Game and Reviews


I don't typically do a whole lot of Steampunk reading, but I found myself truly enjoying these books. Find my review for each f the 3 books under each of the book descriptions!



REBEL HEART
In 1776, the American rebels were thwarted by British magic. The leaders were executed, but the surviving soldiers went into hiding and kept the revolution alive. By 1984 they have developed better weapons and machinery to even the odds. Now all these "technomancers" need is an army for their arsenal, and their newest recruit is 15 year-old Calvin Adler of Baltimore. The problem is, he’s got a pretty strong will, and might give the technomancers at bit of trouble in training...










I started these books not fully realizing they were going to include magic and steampunk. I knew, but I had no idea how much. But I was very surprised and pleased and how well the author tied in these aspects to history of the revolutionary war in a way that seemed so natural, like it could have happened. Once I got going I didn't question the aspects as I was fully engrossed in the story. The does not soften the harsh reality that is war, but did allow us to see it from a alternate perspective that I enjoyed. It kept me captivated right to the end where  the cliff hanger made me grab for the next book without hesitation. I would highly recommend this book - be be warned, you won't be able to stop with just one book. It will suck you through until the end. Very well written!

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SUICIDE RUN
Calvin learns that the technomancers aren't all good guys like he'd thought, and soon runs afoul of the worst of them. Now, with a bomb in his chest and a lot of ground to cover, he has a little over a week to save his life, or else become another casualty in the revolution. Meanwhile, an old enemy comes back stronger than ever, with ambition to spare...

Book Two picked up and kept going exactly where book 1 left off. It was fast paced and full of moments when I wondered if the main character was going to survive at all. It was obvious the main character was still learning and growing, and even though I sometimes forgot he was only a teenager, there were times that it was painfully obvious he was a teen. He didn't always think outside himself, but it definitely made for great back and forth feelings of wanting to see what would happen and how things would play out. Overall I loved the fast movement of this story and the view it gave of how this alternative universe would have been, how things would have been done, and yet touches so close to home that, like in the first book, it was easy to accept and see how it could have been.

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PATRIOT'S GAME
Calvin is on the brink of death. The army is scattered, the commodore is dead, and the British mages know about the technomancers' secret weapon. Just as all hope seems lost, Calvin and his friends find out the mages have a weakness, one that could end the war overnight and liberate the colonials.
But it will take a miracle to reach it...




This was definitely my favorite of the books, but I think it had to do with the tying up of all events, good and bad, and the growth in the MC as he came to realize that what he needed to do was outside himself. The battle scenes were great and the moments of being unsure definitely pushed me forward to know what would happen. It was a great tie up to the trilogy and I loved how everything connected. There was no character that was left on the sidelines or left us wondering how it ended for them. We knew they were dead or they were brought back to finish their stories. It was imaginative, enjoyable, and really a good read. Definitely must read all 3 books together to enjoy the full story, but it is absolutely worth the read.

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Graham Bradley is a truck driver by trade, but has been writing since age eight, thanks to the encouragement of a childhood teacher, Mrs. Peplowski.

Likewise, his grandmother made him promise to "do something" with his knack for drawing, so he illustrates as well.

He is fluent in Spanish, and knows the proper method of ironing a dress shirt. Despite spending less than 6 hours of his entire life in Indianapolis, the Colts are his team.

He lives in Henderson, Nevada, with his wife and sons.

Connect with the Author here: 
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