Tony Bertauski

DISCLAIMER: I received this copy in exchange for a review.

WARNING: This review contains mild spoilers.

I have mixed emotions about this novel. Parts of it are so very well done, that the parts that come up a little short are glaring.

The world building is intriguing, and had me hooked from the start. The "Halfskin" universe (home of "[b: Halfskin (Halfskin, #1)|16193991|Halfskin (Halfskin, #1)|Tony Bertauski|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1354388160s/16193991.jpg|22121691]" & "[b: Clay (Halfskin, #2)|21894193|Clay (Halfskin, #2)|Tony Bertauski|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397272367s/21894193.jpg|41184883]") has an intuitive, lived-in feel. The reader picks up on the social clues scattered by [a: Tony Bertauski|449366|Tony Bertauski|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1293454552p2/449366.jpg], and feels familiar with the world of the narrative. This book stands on it's own. Having said that, reading "Halfskin" first will likely provide richer history, context, and background.

We are introduced to a society coming to grips with the ultimate means of empowerment and escape, the cell-replacing "biomites." The gritty, noir feel of the universe is not so much Mad Max as Blade Runner. The raw descriptions of the characters and their settings give you a sense of immediacy. This isn't so much about a far flung future as it is about an alternate now.

The audio is very clean, slick, and professional. I didn't hear any duplicated lines, bad edits, or background noise. Frankly, I am in envy of David Dietz's ability to simply and effectively put individual voices to the characters, particularly the female characters. That's not an easy task for a male narrator.

Bertauski reached for, and by-and-large grasped, the themes of: the need for community, the dangers of isolation, the heavy burden of dependence, the distraction of social media, the illusion of a single reality, and the faded nobility of sacrifice. There are others, I'm sure, but these are the ones that stuck with me.

One trope bugged me; the bad guy as religious fanatic. The character's skewed use of scripture to justify his actions was particularly rankling. I kept wanting to shout him down. Kudos to Bertauski for invoking this strong of a reaction in me.

The religious overtones and parallels begin with the novel's title "Clay," and continue: Marcus Anderson's obsession with purity and his righteous disdain of biomite use, Cali's messianic position, and ultimate, willing sacrifice. But, the very odd, and very genius moment comes when Bertauski casts the AI "Mother" as mankind's savior. Not what you normally find in a cyberpunk novel!

There is an ensemble cast of protagonists. Other reviewers have mentioned difficulty following the shifting POV, however if you know to expect that going in, it's fairly easy to keep up with the main protagonists: Nix Richards, Jamie, Cali Richards, Paul, Raine, and Marcus Anderson.

Of the protagonists, I had the most trouble with Nix Richards. Often he didn't strike me as someone who could survive 20 years in hiding. He didn't exude the degree of cold implacableness hiding from a determined government search would require. It was more of a desperate, whiny neediness. At times, I had a difficulty reconciling his present actions with previous ones.

The resolution to the central conflict had the feel of "...and a wizard walked by." It welled up suddenly, attempting to resolve disparate issues on multiple plot lines. It felt ungainly and clunky, particularly in light of the story craft exhibited to that point. Cali's ultimate decision smacked more of exhaustion and desperation than noble sacrifice. However, Bertauski weaves that into an almost perfect noir ending; she won't get the brass ring, but her actions might make it possible for others.

Unfortunately, the book didn't end there, instead opting to tack on two additional endings that seem to be positioning the plot for the next book in the series. Like Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings," it just didn't seem to know when to quit. These endings, with Marcus and Raine, could easily be the opening chapters of the next book, unless Bertauski isn't planning anymore. And, that would be a shame. I believe the "Halfskin" universe has a lot more stories to tell, and I'd certainly like to hear them.… (meer)

Every time I crack open a Claus novel by Tony Bertauski, I know I am going on a magical adventure. Nutcracker is the eleventh novel in this stand alone series and is just as entertaining as the past novels I have read.

After the death of their parents, Marie and her brother, Fritz, are taken in by her Aunt and Uncle. Vern has many personalities, but Rinks has only one, and it’s not a pleasant one. She wants….everything and doesn’t care much what she has to do to get it.

This wonderfully fun fantasy of magic and childish delight is fraught with sadness and it comes through in Tony Bertauski’s writing. I love that he made me try to put myself into Rinks shoes and see why she was so unhappy and vindictive, trying to see her life from her perspective, try to walk a mile in her shoes, to empathize with Marie and Fritz with their loss. Marie tamps down her sadness over the loss of their parents and Fritz no longer speaks.

Marie and Fritz find the gift, after a visit to their Godfather, and their adventure into Candyland begins. Is it a dream? Another one of their Godfather’s inventions? I love the creativity involved in the creatures and action that takes place. It is so hard for me to describe what happens inside Candyland without spoiling it, so I will leave it to you to find out for yourself

I always wonder how an author comes up with such a fantastical story and I can only attribute it to their vivid imagination. Their ability to open their mind and let the magic begin is a gift to us readers. The best thing is that I end the book with a smile on my face.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com… (meer)

So after a good start with 'The Making of Socket Greeny' this book continues in very much the same high paced, action packed way.

All super good fun, with young people creating lots of chaos while saving humanity from the evil things.   Well written and enjoyable -- even for a 54 year old -- so i'm just gonna dive straight into rel="nofollow" target="_top">'The Training of Socket Greeny' and find out what happens next.… (meer)

As a short prequel to the main trilogy it sets the stage quite well.

We're definitely dealing with teenagers running amok in full immersion virtual reality environments.   It's got aspects of 'Ready Player One' and Anthea Sharp's 'Feyland' series, so if you enjoyed those Socket Greeny may just be your thing.

At the end of the day, a prequel should serve one purpose and that's to get you wanting to read the rest of the series, and this has definitely served it's purpose as i dove straight into 'The Discovery of Socket Greeny'.   It could have used a little editing to get rid of a few typos, but other than that it's well written with a fast flowing narrative.… (meer)