Brian Gates

Project Renaissance: White Wings by Brian Gates
Project Renaissance notable for seamless morphing of multiple tropes
Booker Vaux and his friend and partner Sam Murphy are best buddies and super cops, you know the kind who wisecrack when facing down violent criminals armed to the teeth intent on killing them and a host of innocent bystanders. Outnumbered, outgunned, they take down the bad guys without even losing their sense of humour.
When Booker’s devoted wife and two loveable kids are kidnapped without motivation or ransom, he and Sam will stop at nothing to get them back. With the help of an anti-establishment hacker who feeds him clues, they set out on a search that includes a prerequisite car chase, numerous shootouts and gruesome murders all leading toward the high-tech mega-maniacal corporate mogul with plans to take over the world by introducing humanoid artificial intelligence who are programmed to do his bidding.
Project Renaissance: White Wings by Brian Gates is notable mostly for the morphing of several genre tropes into one seamless story. The introduction of some imaginative next-generation social technology also has to be appreciated, though unless you’re a gamer or have a keen interest in this area you may find the author’s extended explanations tedious. Plot twists keep the story interesting, but the outcome is never in doubt no matter how impossible it may appear to be.… (meer)

A familiar theme, very well-done in an enjoyable book

A man finds clues about the future, then puts himself in the line of fire to save the day. That’s the crux of One Shot, and I’ve been there, done that…well, at least, I’ve read that. But while it’s a familiar theme, it’s one that Brian Gates, the author, does it quite well with a likeable hero and an interesting writing style.

Jack Shot, the main character, is described as ‘content,’ but aimless might be more appropriate; he seems to have few goals beyond keeping his job and getting a date with an attractive coworker, Abby. That all changes, however, with the first clues into the future, and suddenly, he is thrust into heroic action. That action takes a toll, as suffers injuries that would put a mere human down for the count – concussions and third-degree burns among them – but he keeps fighting. Realism might suffer a bit at these points, but the tension was there. These exploits also turned Abby’s head, making her seem a bit shallow, but subsequently, she shows herself to be gritty and determined.

The book is written as a narrated memoir – also familiar and also well done. The tone is easy, conversational, and largely, about Jack’s life. The chapters, however, often begin with a quote, a bit of folksy philosophy, or a platitude, like ‘love’s a bitch’. It might sound strange, but it consistently encapsulated the story and provided a transition back to the action. And despite the informal, storytelling tone of the story in general, Gates pens numerous clever turns of a phrase. I found this mixture of the unique and the informal both engaging and often, quite funny.

For me, the book gets a bit heavy-handed on the fantasy and philosophizing about the battle between good and evil at the end. And after reading it, I wasn’t certain if it was actually a call to end our moral indifference, or just a segue to a possible book 2. But either way, it detracted little.

Overall, One Shot is an excellent read. The theme may seem familiar, but the characters, the mix of writing styles, and the turns of a phrase made it a pleasure to read.… (meer)

I would like to thank Brian Gates for making available to me a free copy of his novel “One Shot” so I could bring to you this honest review.

Grab yourself some munches and your favorite drink, and then brace yourself for an action-packed thriller with “One Shot”, a mystery, thriller and suspense novel by Brian Gates.

Right from the start I was drawn to Jack Shot, the down to earth bartender who was about to get pulled into a series of mysterious events. The adventure begins when Jack and his friends become unwilling detectives after they discover a poem that predicted a near future event. From this point on, I was kept guessing how Jack would survive through the series of life menacing circumstances he found himself in. I was about two thirds through the novel when I began to relate to Jack and could no longer put the book down.

Brian Gates did a fine job of keeping the story moving and the reader guessing. I found the character Jack Shot engaging. I especially enjoyed Jack’s journey of self-awareness when forced to connect to deeply carved emotions from his youth. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys an easy to read, action-packed, mystery thriller with a great plot twist in the end.
… (meer)