Spire

by Aaron Safronoff

WINNER of IndieReader Discovery Award
Fusion of Cyberpunk and Fantasy

Genetic causes, environmental or self-imposed, the Collective treats all of the maladaptive sort the same way: Plug and Scrub.

The next stage of humankind’s evolution has begun, and the Collective fears the change will unsettle the balance of power.
From the dark interior of that unified world government, a plan is hatched to capture and control any who exhibit the emerging genetic anomaly.
But then came Joshua.
Capture and control is no longer an option.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy

364 pages, Paperback

First published June 6, 2011

About the author

Aaron Safronoff was born and raised in Michigan where he wrote his first novella, Evening Breezes. In his early twenties, he moved to California to attend culinary school. He fell in love with the Bay Area and has never considered leaving, although he did eventually leave the school.

During his ten years in the games industry, he worked at various levels and for several disciplines including quality assurance, production, and design. All the while he was writing a novel, short stories, plays, and poetry. His career in design introduced him to amazingly intelligent, fun, and creative people, many of whom he considers family today.

Safronoff self-published, Spire, in 2011, and won the Science Fiction Discovery Award for the same in the summer of 2012. By the end of that year he decided to drop everything and free fall into fiction. In the following three months he completed work on the sequel to Spire, Fallen Spire, edited Evening Breezes, and published both.

Today, Safronoff is co-founder and Chief Storyteller of Neoglyphic Entertainment and working on his fifth novel, the second book of the Sunborn Rising series. In his spare time, Safronoff enjoys reading a variety of authors, Philip K. Dick, Cormac McCarthy, and Joe Abercrombie among them. He enjoys living near the ocean, playing and watching hockey, and video games. He has a deep love of music and comedy.

Reviews

[Wafflecakes]

Alright, so I won this book from the giveaways and I was all excited to read it. The writing style is amazing but... the number of errors are really irritating the crap out of me. I feel like this is the first draft because there are some pretty glaring typos.

Now, I don't mind an error here and there. It happens. But uh, I'm only on page 40 and I've counted at least 10+ errors.

[Alan Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have received this copy from Goodreads from the first reads draw and just about to start.

Have now finished the book and whilst this is not the sort of book I would normally go for, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book is well written and keeps the suspense and excitement going all the way through. I am looking forward to reading the sequel to find out what happens to Joshua's powers, Eve and the collective.

The only minor niggle is the number of errors in the text, but I'm sure these will be ironed out in any future print runs.

All in all a very good read and I would recommend this to any science fiction and futuristic fan.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a first-reads copy of Spire by Aaron Safronoff in January through good reads, and I was a bit lazy in sticking to it, but that in no way means that this book is hard to get through or boring. From page one you are whisked away into the mind of the main character, Joshua, who is about to embark on a spiritual, emotional, and total physical change thanks to his constant search for a better drug. There are several characters who then become tied to Joshua through one way or another, some want to help him, others want to destroy him, and he just wants to know what exactly is happening to his body. And just like the characters, you as the reader, are not fully aware of what is going on. Everything is shrouded in layers of mystery, and once you uncover one layer it seems there are several more layers that you just can't wait to get to. The book has a good pace, devoting whole chapters to build a single character without losing sight of the plot; you get to see what happened in their past to bring them to this point which makes you more invested in what happens to them in the future in my opinion.

I couldn't find many negatives to the book, spelling or grammar errors were very few and very far between, but even then it didn't take away from the story. Since the exact year isn't given the random capitalization of items (Glass, Desk, Wall etc) is confusing at first, but it soon becomes normal the more you realize the story is obviously set in our future.

Spire is great for anyone who likes or is interested in sci-fi and mystery, I highly recommend it. There's plenty of mystery, and the science fiction isn't forced. The way the book ends seems open enough to promise a second book which I would not hesitate to go out and buy when/if it comes out.

[Camelia]

Haven't read this just yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

[CT · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished the book last night and in retrospect, I guess my overall reaction is an exhale, and a Wow.

Spire is an elaborate and very much involved introduction into a new world, new government and control, new generation of youth, new concept of mental and physical enhancement, new politics, new players in the market, new elitists, new middle class, and unfortunately, the same resilient majority.

In this book, we are also introduced to anti-hero, Joshua, and a cast of other anti-heroes, all non-conventional and leaning to an independent, underground line of thinking. Joshua is still evolving in this volume, and even after the story closes, I am still unclear as to what he can do to thwart the current status quo and bring about a positive, productive change that provides hope to the masses. Or maybe this isn’t that kind of story. I admit through that I usually prefer a story’s lead to make a difference in the world he lives in.

It’s two out of two now for me – as far as Safronoff is concerned. I loved the initial book of Sunborn Rising, and the colorful cast and worlds that he created there. This time around (although he wrote this first), I am very impressed by the way he describes emotions, thoughts, physical transformations and action scenes. I am amazed at the clarity of how he envisions future tech and future drugs.

This will sound strange, but the experience of reading the main characters drug-induced hallucinations and physical transformation is similar to how I felt when I viewed my first laser disc movie - The Doors by Oliver Stone (back in my teen years ha ha). I don’t know how else to describe it. It was a visceral experience.

Writing quality was excellent and impressed the nerd in me. I found the pace too slow though. Since this is just the introduction, it will be hard to determine an appropriate pace of the succeeding books. The cast is huge, so to develop even the 5-6 key characters, and allow us as readers to be part of their lives will also be challenging – it will almost require a book each, if everything is to be held consistent.

Joshua exhibited a lot of unique abilities and probiotics – this is inferred a lot, but not clearly defined as to what (1) he is truly capable of that others are not (2) where these abilities will be useful and (3) what exactly he is able to resist. Maybe a short description of the horrors that befell others or the evil master plan of the powers that be will help highlight him strongly, and also build up the hope that he brings to the current state of things. I also am unclear as to what the motives of the other key characters are. Maybe a zoom out will help.

This particular installment was so involved and personal. Now I look forward to more of the plot unfold, and the characters given their own backbones and story lines.

This is a great introduction to a potentially explosive series. I can see why it won awards. I will sound off my comments on the next installments as they come along.

Post note: I see that Book 2 is out but the first review isn’t exactly encouraging. I hope the story holds and that the criticisms will only serve to bring out the best that this series can be.

[Alex Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Science-Fiction/Dystopian novel is set in a place ruled by the Collective- an omnipotent, authoritarian but mostly invisible force. In a world consumed with improving humanity via Genetic Enhancement, a drug- an extreme performance enhancer- is introduced whose effect is impossible to predict, but whose potential seems limitless. The story centres on Joshua, an unsuspecting test subject, but also moves between stories involving the drug's creator; a Collective Defector and a Collective Leader Himself.

For me, I think the first thing to point out is that the parallel stories didn't always seem to work. As I sometimes find with this way of writing, I only like one particular storyline and the others should all be supplementary to that storyline and take mostly a back-seat. I never actually lost interest in the other stories, but I often felt detached from them; reading them mostly because I would return to the story I liked (Joshua's). So I tip my hat at Safronoff for not losing my attention, but I want to say that it worked in way that could have easily failed.

The plot of the story isn't a bad one, though it was occasionally clichéd. The start was kind of difficult for me because I really hate being thrown head first into a story and having absolutely no idea what was going on. It starts with Joshua- a drug user- talking about coming down from a high and how he felt about it. I get that, at least theoretically. It makes sense as a way to say how he thinks, a bit about his life and it's mildly interesting. But then I started to get lost about what was going on. I think he bought drugs, and I think he is somewhat of an expert in the field in terms of identifying them, but that is the bare minimum of what I should know. Nothing else sticks out from the start except those plot points.

It wasn't until the intrigue was introduced that I was, for lack of better word, intrigued by the story. The enhancements people had (particularly Eve) were incredible to see and weren't so far-fetched that you couldn't accept them. I'm not a huge Sci-Fi reader, but this felt more like Urban Fantasy to me which I really enjoyed considering it was still in the realms of believability. The chemical enhancement was much more fantastical, but I loved it for that. It was the kind of thing that a film would get wrong every time because your imagination plays such a huge and incredibly powerful part in making the moment as powerful and awe-inspiring as it was. In some ways I would say the book was worth reading for the times when the enhancer was used and when the higher end GEaRs (the genetic enhancers...sorry, I can't remember and I didn't mark the actual phrase!) was put on show. Technology and the advances we have made, are making and could make astound me and interest me to equal degrees.

There were things that weren't great in the book: two of which I've mentioned. Other things are just niggles i.e. things that don't really matter in the grand scheme of things, but annoyed me anyway. Sometimes it seemed the tone was off for what was happening, or that the writing was making me more confused and the story less understandable. There was also that cliché issue, and the feeling that not everything felt entirely new. I don't want to say he's a plagiarist: he isn't! I've been emotionally up and down this and it probably made me more temperamental whilst reading.

So it was good book, and I definitely wouldn't overlook it. But, in my mind, it's a Science Fiction more than a dystopia and one should approach with that in mind; as well as with the expectation to feel a bit lost on a number of occasions. And if you're the kind of reader who hates that, you have been warned.

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings about this one. I won it in a Goodreads Givaway - quite a while ago, I'll admit - and I've been meaning to pick it up for a while. Now that I have.... I'm not too sure. I'd have given it 2 1/2 stars if possible, just because I have such a mix of positive and negative things about it that I have to say it ended up as average. But let's just work my way through my thoughts.

I'll start with the obvious (that all the other reviews seem to be starting) - typos. As someone who is known for them in my unedited work, I found the ones left in here pretty big, and often quite jarring. It broke the flow for me a few times, and that's what annoyed me about it. There were also moments of narrative that I found confusing, not to mention the sometimes jarring switches between characters, not to mention between 1st and 3rd person. I'm not against having some sections in 1st person and some in 3rd, but I feel it needs to be definite. The main character Joshua has both 1st and 3rd person sections, so when the "I" comes back in, sometimes I'm confused about who's talking. All in all, I think another round of editing would have made this an all-round better book.

The story itself I also found hard to connect to. The back page suggests and strong, confident, sneak protagonist, purposefully running from the 'Collective' who want to scrub his brain... but that's not really the story. Joshua, the main character, is a nobody drug user, who takes something that alters him dramatically. From there, he's fumbling his way around, wondering what's real and what's not, slowly discovering his new found powers. Personally, I didn't like it as all, and as someone who is attracted to characters about everything else, for a while I was only ready for the story line. Once Sara/Lily and Eve came into it, I became much more interested.

Still, I was never 100% what was going on. The story's set in a futuristic society, full of complicated gadgetry (like a Glass, which seems like a super high-tech iPad that can do everything, is carried with you always, and more the size of a phone), but there's also Desks and Walls. These are pretty much super-computers situation on those two locations (which was very confusing at first, as I didn't understand why, when Joshua is describing his apartment, desk and wall needed capitalisation...). People have GEaRS (that's an acronym that's not given for a while) that are like technological implants to heighten human functioning. All these things were introduced early on, but not explained until much later, and by the time the explanation came, I was over caring about what it was, or had guessed it's function. I think earlier details about exactly what these things were would have ma much easier read some times.

All those things said, the more I read, the more I found myself enjoying it. There were a few good twists (Leader 127's ending was quite surprising), and I probably will read the sequel, but because it took me so long to get into it, there were a few times where I was tempted to just put it down and pick up something else, which is never a good thing for a book. Hopefully, the next one packs more of an immediate punch.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

When I first started this book I had a different impression of what genre this book fitted within than when I finished. Spire turns out to be a fresh take on the cyberpunk genre. Instead of having the cybernetic enhancements being nanotechnology the GeARS that the enhanced characters posses involve chemical improvements to boost your bodies capabilities. This turns out to be very important as the main character in the story is a drug addict who samples a new drug and while 'high' he believes he was taken away by persons unknown and then returned. The society that the characters live in is one which is an all encompassing dictatorship - the Collective - where the privileged powers reside in and control the populace from the spires of the title. As in any dictatorial government there are factions within the leadership with various covert operations on the go. One of these operations involves the drug that the main character takes. What follows is to tales progressing alongside each other until the end when they come together for the climactic showdown.

What makes Spire interesting is the different from other cyberpunk that I have read. Although the main character is a drug addict the story revolves around his trying to avoid being picked up by the powers of the Collective. There are still various powers trying to improve their power and position at the expense of their competitors but instead of multinational corporations in Spire we have senior members of the Collective competing against each other. When the story reaches it's climax you are not expecting what occurs and this is what makes Spire really different from other stories and gets you thinking. Any story which gets you thinking in my books is a good one.

[Yvensong · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars

This would have received a four-star rating from me if it weren't for the constant switching back and forth between first person and third person narrative. There were times the switch happened so quickly that I had to re-read passages because of the confusion caused by the switch. The story would have read more smoothly if the author had stuck to third person throughout.

This took me a bit to get into as we followed the drug-addled brain and life of the main character. I didn't get a real sense of depth in the MC. In fact, I felt like a got to know a couple of the side characters a lot more than the MC.

Once we moved forward to the actual story, though, it became interesting and full of exciting developments. The world-building was well done and the dystopian world was quite easy to picture. The technology, even though far advanced, felt real -- and more importantly, the sense that everyone was buried in the techno-gadgets read as frighteningly possible.

Which is one of the main draws in dystopian stories. Is there a possibility that the present we live in could turn into the future being drawn out in the tale? In this case, yes. The techno-gadgets have become more important than the world around them for many people. More so, the extreme surveillance described in the novel is not all that far-fetched in many countries, now, including ours.

Despite my above complaints, I do look forward to where the author is taking our characters. I hope that many of the issues, i.e. the narrative switching and the typos will be dealt with prior to publication of the second novel.


In compliance with FTC guidelines, I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was first introduced to Mr. Safronoff when I read the first book in the Sunborn Rising series. That book was more like an experience then just reading. I could not stop reading the book. This book was actually written and published back in 2011. Yet, it has been revamped some and republished. I like that at the beginning of this book Mr. Safronoff talks about how he came up with the concept of this story and that he honors the first readers by trying to not alter the story too much. Mr. Safronoff goes on to explain that to him the whole experience of writing is not a mechanical process to him; thus that is the reason why I believe that his books are so good as each one means something to him and it shows. I know I had no problems connecting with the characters, storyline, and the overall concept of this book. Just like Sunborn Rising I had an easy time reading this book. I plan to check out the next book, Fallen Spire in this series. This book did have a bit of the Matrix and Limitless featuring Bradley Cooper feel to it which I enjoyed. Plus, if this is what the fusion of cyberpunk and fantasy looks like then I am all in. Joshua is the wild card in this story. I look forward to seeing if he does come out on top in the next book.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here the author delves into some very interesting and dark places... I am normally highly wary of such novels because I think many authors use these themes as hiding places for poor writing or, more generously, they are trying to mimic some of the greatest literature which often dwells in the dark fringes of humanity.

I found that he masterfully handles this risk and has produced an exceptional piece of writing. The narrative is absolutely fascinating and it is obvious he is a writer of great talent. It is certainly reminiscent of some great SF writers (Dick, Gibson). That said, it is not an "easy" read. I think this book is for serious readers and cyberpunk/SF genre aficionados, not mass market.

As some of the other reviewers have pointed out, there are some typos in here... but I suspect some may not be typos and are intentional capitalization of certain nouns in an unusual way. Sometimes the nouns aren't capitalized when those objects aren't being referred to as proper entities, which is possibly the source of some of the confusion...

There is a sequel (Fallen Spire) and I am eager to see where the story of Joshua goes from here.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as a Goodreads First Reads.

This is a very well written, fast read. I read it in nearly one sitting and it kept my attention.

The imagery is fantastic. You really feel like you are in this futuristic world. The concept is intriguing, also. A future where technology becomes so advanced that it buries us and we start to lose our personal freedoms isn't all that unrealistic in this day and age. It's kind of reminiscent of Orwell's 1984 only it takes it much further.

I didn't feel as much depth to the characters that I like. I didn't feel all that invested in them.
The biggest flaw of the book, though, is it's numerous textual errors. There were so many that it seemed more like a first draft rather than the published version. I really struggled to get past them but I'm glad I did.

This is a good science fiction book filled with drugs, incredible technology and a realistic, overpowering system. It's worth the read.

Realistically I give this 3.5 stars. Goodreads really needs to make 1/2 stars available!

[Carmen · Rating 2 out of 5]

In truth, I would probably give this book 2.5 stars if the option was available because there were definitely parts of it I enjoyed. The author creates a complete and engaging world with vivid characters. It's fast paced and over all very entertaining. However the number of errors in the text let the story down (as has been pointed out by other reviewers).

Over all it was well worth a read.

I acquired this book via the First Reads Giveaway.

[Steven Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads giveaway...this was definitely an intriguing story. It was told from a point of view that made a futuristic story seem relatable. My one issue with the story is the heavy drug references. I understand that they relate and tie in to the whole story, however, it was a bit much for me. Still, a good story and Aaron's writing style is solid. He is especially good with details. I did like how point of view really affects your perception of the story.

[Minisha Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this through FirstRead Goodreads so thank you. This is not the type of book that I would have picked up personally. At first I was kind of confused about GeARS, collective etc.. but got to know more about it as I read on. Keeps you in suspense throughout the book. Good storyline and a lot of imagination used. When I got to the end of the book I didn't want it to finish, I want more. Great cover too.

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way this is written, relaxed and fresh. It is story that grabbed me both in content and telling. The author created characters that I could understand and care about; and I am excited to see where they go next! What a great first book!

[Bobbie Kaald · Rating 5 out of 5]

After skimming the first two chapters due to the current Fentanyl overdoses, I got hooked on the story and loved it. Looking forward to the Fallen Spire.

[Tammy J Rizzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing concept kept me reading!

Full disclosure: I got a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The concept - a world where the elite are augmented beyond human limits, a drug is created to take people beyond the augments - grabbed me and kept me reading through the myriad POV and tense shifts and other typos. The author knows how story works, and works it well indeed. His world is well-fleshed and clearly populated with well-fleshed people, with strengths and weaknesses pushing them forward. There are several POV characters, some written in first person, some in third, making it fairly easy to know who's telling the story at any moment. The book comes to a stop at a good place, left wide open for the sequel to begin. I'm going to need to read book 2!

[Heather Clawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joshua’s no stranger to drugs--he’s tried everything that’s ever been sold in a dark alley or a back room. But from the first hit of the Apple he knows something’s different. Wrong. Now he can see things he shouldn’t, hear things he shouldn’t, and he can do things no one should be able to do.

Sara’s been on the run for so long her instincts have been honed to a razor edge. But when she meets Joshua, she’s suddenly at a loss. One minute he reads fine, the next she can’t even get a scan on him. And for the first time ever, she finds herself making decisions that aren’t necessarily in her best interests--decisions that could get her killed.

Eve’s worked for the Collective for a long time. Long enough to have her own ideas about their latest endeavor and long enough to put her own plans into motion. But she’ll need the help of an old friend to continue thwarting the Collective and to ensure that Joshua survives.

Now Joshua and Sara are on the run, and Eve’s throwing everything she’s got at the Collective in a determined effort to slow them down any way she can. But that shadowy organization is vast, and powerful, and they want what Joshua has. They want the power of his soul.

Safronoff’s novel reads like futuristic zen, with an edgy Blade Runner vibe humming throughout. From the human enhancement technology (GEaRs) to the fuzzy-edged diorama of a career junkie’s latest trip, the author tightens and loosens his prose to shape it to the moment. The down side? Random tense changes that have the tendency to yank you right out of the story and slam you to the mental pavement. But if you can shake it off and keep going, it’s totally worth it.

[Em · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me nearly 150 pages to get into this book. It definitely got better the further in I read, but the setting and characters just didn't interest me for the first half the book. Later the story began to take shape (or perhaps I finally began to understand the story!). The last 100 pages were exciting.

There were so many print errors in this book. Did anybody proofread it before it went to print?!!! Not my favorite book. I'm just not sure that Safronoff's vision of the future was fully realized through his writing.

[Paul Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review Coming Soon.