Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Human Energy - WRI Reviews: Tesla by Mark Lingane

@markLingane #bookreview #YA #sciencefiction #steampunk






Tesla by Mark Lingane
Pages: 293
Publisher: Insync Holdings
Source: Kobo
Format: ePub
Rating: ☆ ☆ 

Synopsis

Cyberpunk vs Steampunk: a dystopian post-apocalyptic adventure for teens

What if a whole race wanted you dead, where would you go? And what if you didn’t know why? What if everything you thought you knew about yourself was wrong?

One thousand years have passed since nuclear war wiped out civilization in the northern hemisphere. The planet slowly heats and water becomes a rare resource. Out of the ruins of a devastated civilization rises a new breed of people - those with the power to control magnetism. Teslas

Sebastian, a young orphan boy from a quiet rural town, is being hunted by strange part-machine, part-human people. His only hope is Melanie, an angry, dying teenage girl who is dragged into the adventure and sets out to deliver him to the Steam Academy, even if it's just to stop him talking. Seb must confront an unknown past and fight against everything he believed in. And occasionally wash his hair.

No one said it would be easy.


Purchase
Amazon  -  Barnes and Noble  -  Kobo  -  iBooks

My Review
Two things drew me to this book. The cover, I have a thing for eyes. And the name. After hearing about Tesla I think we may have been better off with the way he intended the world to be powered. Unfortunately, Edison won that battle. The book stay true in that it deal with power. Too bad for me, it's a steampunk novel. I am not a fan of the Victorian era. The exterior of the houses yes. The pretty dress, okay. But the way of life, no thank you.

Sebastian is a twelve year old boy who is smart and interested in machines. He father has died and he mother has fallen ill. While she was away receiving treatment Sebby village was attacked. All were killed but him (and those who happened to be away at the time). He manage to make it to the Steam Academy where he learns more about what was after him and why he is different. 

I found the parts that focused on Sebby abilities interesting. The rest of the story didn't really do anything for mean. I also did not like how women were back to the "stay in your place role" that has been in my limited experience typical of steampunk books. His companion that he met during his trek to the academy,Melanie, was badass. So at least we do get a female character that doesn't stick to the rules of the proper lady. They also don't respect children much. It just made for a frustrating read.

The books ends in a cliffhanger. This is a fast paced read that only took a few hours to read. The abilities that the Tesla kids can do is interesting. And what Sebby can do once he learns more is intriguing. Unfortunately, I am not in a hurry to continue on with the series. However, if you are looking for a different kind of steampunk you may want to try this out as it as has a cyberpunk element thrown in.





About the Author
Mark was first published at the ripe old age of eight, when a local newspaper published his review of Disney on Ice. The next time his name was in print was a life time later at the age of fifteen, when a national magazine ran his review of the Commodore 64. It was downhill from there, picking up a weekly column in the Sunday Times which funded a rather noncommittal path through university, studying a wide range of topics from Robotics, Anthropology, Philosophy, Computer Science, and Psychology.

In fact so many subjects were studied he was eligible for graduation at the end of his second year, based purely on attendance.

He finally left and joined the corporate world before realizing work isn't that much fun, and going back to study. Further writing followed with regular columns for various technology magazines and newspapers around the country. Then as the Then as the desire of permanent food and shelter began to bare its teeth, another attempt at the corporate world beckoned as a technical writer, which turned out okay. Shifting from technology companies to resource companies provided the opportunity to travel and live in some desolate and exotic locations where the locals aren't overly friendly.


Author Links
Twitter  -  Website  -  Goodreads 

Challenges
15/6 books
10/6 books
0/12 books
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