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The Acolytes of Crane
The warlords of the galaxy need representatives from the earth and recruit Theodore Crane to bring four teenagers into a fight against a powerful alien demigod.
THEODORE CRANE is a twelve-year-old who spends his days dodging an abusive father. He is a scrawny prankster in a small Minnesota town. What is worse? He shares a friend with a belligerent bully.
With the help of his loyal friend Jason, Theodore finds the courage to fight back. When Jason's life is cut short by an accident, Theodore questions everything about himself, his family, and the universe. He searches for answers by returning to the scene of Jason's death. Once there, he will discover the truth when an intervention from outer space brings him into an epic intergalactic conflict.
The truth? One microscopic device hovers over the shoulder of every person in the multiverse to monitor them. Is this covert invasion enough to pull Theodore toward his destiny? Immerse yourself in this adventure beyond earth to follow Theodore and his acolytes as they battle the villains of the multiverse!
THEODORE CRANE is a twelve-year-old who spends his days dodging an abusive father. He is a scrawny prankster in a small Minnesota town. What is worse? He shares a friend with a belligerent bully.
With the help of his loyal friend Jason, Theodore finds the courage to fight back. When Jason's life is cut short by an accident, Theodore questions everything about himself, his family, and the universe. He searches for answers by returning to the scene of Jason's death. Once there, he will discover the truth when an intervention from outer space brings him into an epic intergalactic conflict.
The truth? One microscopic device hovers over the shoulder of every person in the multiverse to monitor them. Is this covert invasion enough to pull Theodore toward his destiny? Immerse yourself in this adventure beyond earth to follow Theodore and his acolytes as they battle the villains of the multiverse!
301 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2013
11 people are currently reading
1588 people want to read
About the author
J.D. Tew
3 books38 followersThree years ago, I had written this bio in the third person and from a place of ignorance. I thought about how I wanted you to see me and know of me, rather than giving you me as I am. So I'll keep it simple. I'm a family man and a veteran. I don't screw around with anything I don't think will help people feel something. That's why I write, because I want you to feel and do outside of what you have in the past. So you might see a clear representation of war in my stories or vulnerability, and not without courage. Because if there is one thing that excites me, it's people who put themselves out there in the eyes of their peers to be judged.
In the coming years, Im going to give you a look at my imagination. Take it or leave it, I'm a person who has feelings and sees strange things that don't exist in our world. I want you to go on that adventure with me, seeing places and people that are grotesque and fleshed and weird.
But there's another part of this, the monetary part. I don't give two blanks about growing readership or seeing myself in the New York Times or winning the Hugo award or accumulating all sorts of money and a fancy mansion on a river somewhere, as I once dreamed. I only want to sell books so that I can save veterans. That's it.
In the coming years, Im going to give you a look at my imagination. Take it or leave it, I'm a person who has feelings and sees strange things that don't exist in our world. I want you to go on that adventure with me, seeing places and people that are grotesque and fleshed and weird.
But there's another part of this, the monetary part. I don't give two blanks about growing readership or seeing myself in the New York Times or winning the Hugo award or accumulating all sorts of money and a fancy mansion on a river somewhere, as I once dreamed. I only want to sell books so that I can save veterans. That's it.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 15, 2015
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Though the premise sounded promising, I can't remember a lot of books that I struggled more with to finish it. Still, I can see it had potential.
Theodore Crane gets an important message. He's Earth's Messiah and should gather four friends to help save the galaxy which is under threat from two fighting demi-god brothers. His biggest problem is, he doesn't have four friends.
At first, I was immediately curious. The start, I think, was really good. Theodore is in some kind of Galactic prison for some kind of crimes and he's forced to describe the events that led up to his arrest. I wanted to know what had happened and why. This is followed by a rather long part on Earth were he's trying to gather his group. (They'll really be his, as he's supposed to be their obvious leader).
This was also the point were I started eye-rolling. It was to me as if the author was trying to also convey some of his own morale standards in this book, something of which I'm never quite fond. The most striking example is when Theodore and a friend are evaluating possible recruits and they are not sure someone is worthy because they suspect his mother of adultery. The idea that this person would be a bad person just because his mother is -perhaps- doing these things is ridiculous and absurd.
They spend a lot of time skateboarding, friend-gathering and gaming before they finally set off on their adventure. It then is more like Ender's Game, although they receive less training. It had a hard time holding my interest.Things are quite weird with Sephera, a planet inhabited by dead people (and possibly aliens as well) that are now kind of alive and are built up from thousands/millions of tiny, tiny robots.
Like I said, I had to struggle to finish this book, and I didn't really wanted to continue with the series, but I already had an ARC for next book as well, and I felt I had to read it. It's not that The Acolytes of Crane is a bad book, it just wasn't really what I expected and therefore I was disappointed. The beginning was so good. I hope it picks up in the next book.
The Acolytes of Crane is the first book in the Theodore Crane-series. The second book is called The Ghost of Sephera.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Though the premise sounded promising, I can't remember a lot of books that I struggled more with to finish it. Still, I can see it had potential.
Theodore Crane gets an important message. He's Earth's Messiah and should gather four friends to help save the galaxy which is under threat from two fighting demi-god brothers. His biggest problem is, he doesn't have four friends.
At first, I was immediately curious. The start, I think, was really good. Theodore is in some kind of Galactic prison for some kind of crimes and he's forced to describe the events that led up to his arrest. I wanted to know what had happened and why. This is followed by a rather long part on Earth were he's trying to gather his group. (They'll really be his, as he's supposed to be their obvious leader).
This was also the point were I started eye-rolling. It was to me as if the author was trying to also convey some of his own morale standards in this book, something of which I'm never quite fond. The most striking example is when Theodore and a friend are evaluating possible recruits and they are not sure someone is worthy because they suspect his mother of adultery. The idea that this person would be a bad person just because his mother is -perhaps- doing these things is ridiculous and absurd.
They spend a lot of time skateboarding, friend-gathering and gaming before they finally set off on their adventure. It then is more like Ender's Game, although they receive less training. It had a hard time holding my interest.Things are quite weird with Sephera, a planet inhabited by dead people (and possibly aliens as well) that are now kind of alive and are built up from thousands/millions of tiny, tiny robots.
Like I said, I had to struggle to finish this book, and I didn't really wanted to continue with the series, but I already had an ARC for next book as well, and I felt I had to read it. It's not that The Acolytes of Crane is a bad book, it just wasn't really what I expected and therefore I was disappointed. The beginning was so good. I hope it picks up in the next book.
The Acolytes of Crane is the first book in the Theodore Crane-series. The second book is called The Ghost of Sephera.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
October 13, 2013
The Acolytes of Crane is one of those books that never quite coalesce into something coherent. There’s an interesting premise at the heart of it, namely pitching the battle between God and Satan as a battle between two advanced alien factions, and the main character has a promising start as a child from a broken household. Unfortunately, the pacing of the plot, the way the author presents the larger picture, and technical issues with the writing cripple the story before it can get started.
The pace of the story is a slow one that lingers in odd places. The initial bit Theodore, the main character, escaping from his broken home and finding a mysterious amulet is paced well enough, but then the story lingers for a long while in an attempt to build up the sense of mystery. The problem with this is that not enough besides the occasional unexplained event is really happening to keep things interesting.
There’s a good bit about how the character interacts with other children, what some of his issues are, and how he’s dealing with life in general, and in a different work, this would have been fine. Here, however, it was not intended to be the focus, and thus it drags on for too long. The real point of the book is Theodore and his friends getting swept up in an adventure, but the sweeping doesn’t really happen until the last third of the book.
Even then, the characters, instead of jumping right into the action, end up stuck on a ship treading water, and after that, in the climax of the book, the author begins jumping between perspectives, which slams on the brakes. The actual climax of the book hits right at the end, and there’s never a good denouement to tie it all together.
The second issue with the book lies in how the author presents the material. There’s a lot going on, but instead of letting the reader, and the character, feel out the world at an organic pace, the author relies on strings of paragraphs that outright tell the reader what’s going on, at times referring to future events. I’m not a fan of any story that jumps around time, even if it’s just in a quick, referential paragraph. It takes a lot of skill to pull something like that off, and the author doesn’t manage it here.
Worse, once the real adventure starts, the author throws a bevy of made up words at the reader in dense, two to three page paragraphs that rapidly become incomprehensible. There’s a lot of fun to be had in naming things as you write, but it’s important to show some restraint. Here, the words the author makes up never have a chance to really settle in.
In about five pages, I learned about five or so alien races, a bunch of fake technological jargon, the names of several planets, and a version of hacky sack. Used well, new words, like ‘fracking’ in Battlestar Galactica, can do a great deal to flesh out a world. In this case they end up being excessive, and most of them sound a bit silly when said aloud.
Now, on to the biggest issue with the book: the writing. It’s rare that I focus on the writing itself, since it’s a bit technical and really takes practice to improve. In this case, the issues were fundamental enough that they bear mentioning.
First, the sentence structure is incredibly convoluted. Given how I tend to write, that’s the pot calling the kettle black, but the way the author put the sentences together made it very hard for me to get through the book. Occasionally, the author also has paragraphs that stretch for several pages, most of which are exposition dumps given in dialogue form. The fact that the author messes up the grammar here and there, misses capitalization, and gets verb tenses wrong substantially exacerbates the issue.
Second, the author’s word choice routinely baffled me. An example: “I was simply adding to a massive collection of wounds to eternalize my fun those days.” That’s how the author says the character scraped up his hands climbing a tree. Now and then, that could slide, but almost every paragraph has at least one sentence like that. It’s difficult to read, and the words frequently don’t line up quite right into something intelligible. True, I can decipher what the author intended, but almost every sentence could have been simplified and made into cleaner, comprehensible writing.
Finally, there were parts of the book in which the writing made it difficult for me to follow what was happening. Once I figured it out, the events themselves were pretty straightforward, but the way the author technically presented them via diction, sentence structure, and paragraph structure (as well as a bevy of the made up words discussed above) baffled me. This shouldn’t happen in any book. The reader should only ever be confused when the author expressly wants him or her to be, and even then it should be done sparingly.
I don’t say the following to be cruel or snarky, but I’m a law student. I’m trained to extract obscure information from dense legal opinions. I spend a lot of time critically examining fiction, or writing it, each week. And there were parts of this book that, despite my best efforts, I simply couldn’t follow.
The book has issues with its pacing and how the author builds the world, but what ultimately kills it is the author’s technical writing. It needs a substantial amount to be of the necessary quality to tell the story the author wants to. It’s a shame, because the basic premise of the book would have made for an interesting adventure.
The pace of the story is a slow one that lingers in odd places. The initial bit Theodore, the main character, escaping from his broken home and finding a mysterious amulet is paced well enough, but then the story lingers for a long while in an attempt to build up the sense of mystery. The problem with this is that not enough besides the occasional unexplained event is really happening to keep things interesting.
There’s a good bit about how the character interacts with other children, what some of his issues are, and how he’s dealing with life in general, and in a different work, this would have been fine. Here, however, it was not intended to be the focus, and thus it drags on for too long. The real point of the book is Theodore and his friends getting swept up in an adventure, but the sweeping doesn’t really happen until the last third of the book.
Even then, the characters, instead of jumping right into the action, end up stuck on a ship treading water, and after that, in the climax of the book, the author begins jumping between perspectives, which slams on the brakes. The actual climax of the book hits right at the end, and there’s never a good denouement to tie it all together.
The second issue with the book lies in how the author presents the material. There’s a lot going on, but instead of letting the reader, and the character, feel out the world at an organic pace, the author relies on strings of paragraphs that outright tell the reader what’s going on, at times referring to future events. I’m not a fan of any story that jumps around time, even if it’s just in a quick, referential paragraph. It takes a lot of skill to pull something like that off, and the author doesn’t manage it here.
Worse, once the real adventure starts, the author throws a bevy of made up words at the reader in dense, two to three page paragraphs that rapidly become incomprehensible. There’s a lot of fun to be had in naming things as you write, but it’s important to show some restraint. Here, the words the author makes up never have a chance to really settle in.
In about five pages, I learned about five or so alien races, a bunch of fake technological jargon, the names of several planets, and a version of hacky sack. Used well, new words, like ‘fracking’ in Battlestar Galactica, can do a great deal to flesh out a world. In this case they end up being excessive, and most of them sound a bit silly when said aloud.
Now, on to the biggest issue with the book: the writing. It’s rare that I focus on the writing itself, since it’s a bit technical and really takes practice to improve. In this case, the issues were fundamental enough that they bear mentioning.
First, the sentence structure is incredibly convoluted. Given how I tend to write, that’s the pot calling the kettle black, but the way the author put the sentences together made it very hard for me to get through the book. Occasionally, the author also has paragraphs that stretch for several pages, most of which are exposition dumps given in dialogue form. The fact that the author messes up the grammar here and there, misses capitalization, and gets verb tenses wrong substantially exacerbates the issue.
Second, the author’s word choice routinely baffled me. An example: “I was simply adding to a massive collection of wounds to eternalize my fun those days.” That’s how the author says the character scraped up his hands climbing a tree. Now and then, that could slide, but almost every paragraph has at least one sentence like that. It’s difficult to read, and the words frequently don’t line up quite right into something intelligible. True, I can decipher what the author intended, but almost every sentence could have been simplified and made into cleaner, comprehensible writing.
Finally, there were parts of the book in which the writing made it difficult for me to follow what was happening. Once I figured it out, the events themselves were pretty straightforward, but the way the author technically presented them via diction, sentence structure, and paragraph structure (as well as a bevy of the made up words discussed above) baffled me. This shouldn’t happen in any book. The reader should only ever be confused when the author expressly wants him or her to be, and even then it should be done sparingly.
I don’t say the following to be cruel or snarky, but I’m a law student. I’m trained to extract obscure information from dense legal opinions. I spend a lot of time critically examining fiction, or writing it, each week. And there were parts of this book that, despite my best efforts, I simply couldn’t follow.
The book has issues with its pacing and how the author builds the world, but what ultimately kills it is the author’s technical writing. It needs a substantial amount to be of the necessary quality to tell the story the author wants to. It’s a shame, because the basic premise of the book would have made for an interesting adventure.
December 26, 2014
http://koeur.wordpress.com/2014/12/26...
Publisher: Bookbuzz
Publishing Date: January 2014
ISBN: 9781482547580
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 2.5/5
Publisher Description: Theodore Crane finds solace in goofy everyday pranks, in order to cope with living under the shadow of an abusive father and dealing with a belligerent bully who seeks him out at school. One day, intervention from outer space strikes as a mysterious amulet soars into his room bearing enigmatic clues.
Review: This novel began with a 4.5 rating through to the 50% mark then trended downwards to finish at a 2.5. This started out really good. Theo, after leaving an abusive environment to live with his grandparents, begins to flourish. He is called upon to fight for billions of lives while living a rural life of semi-solitude. With his new found pal and a newly discovered talent they call the “Intervention”, they are transported from the mundane into dangerous worlds where aliens and advanced humans vie for control.
While the creative aspects of the novel were superb, the characters got lost in a jumbled and incoherent story line. Initially the characters were well developed within the confines of a limited story line as Theo’s life unfolds. As the story line expands to capture strife at the galactic level, the characters are minimized along with the plot as there are so many occurrences happening simultaneously that it loses cohesiveness. Even the world building suffers as it moves from capturing what “could be” in exacting detail to what becomes scant explanations and abrupt detailing of the environment and the alien species that reside therein.
The whole story is told from the characters perspective while residing in some Galactic Council prison. While this is pretty good if used sparingly, it is not the case here. The story shifts back and forth between the characters and past events. It is not real believable that these characters would willingly divulge all that they have been through. While the aliens were creative and inventive, the reader has to take much of what occurs on faith as little is supported by science except a quick preview on how they came to be and their existing societal structure. Interactions occur so quickly that they seem like two old friends that haven’t seen each other in a week. For instance when Theo crash lands on a planet inhabited by sentient plants (The Elon) he is captured by a different alien called a Rangier. Then all of a sudden he’s helping Theo and taking him to see his wife, Queen of the Elon. Huh? Oh and she births a thousand plant army that will do Theo’s bidding unquestioningly.
This novel was initially superb in all aspects then it seemed to derail itself in order to finish. A shame really as this could have been on of the years best reads (for me).
Publisher: Bookbuzz
Publishing Date: January 2014
ISBN: 9781482547580
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 2.5/5
Publisher Description: Theodore Crane finds solace in goofy everyday pranks, in order to cope with living under the shadow of an abusive father and dealing with a belligerent bully who seeks him out at school. One day, intervention from outer space strikes as a mysterious amulet soars into his room bearing enigmatic clues.
Review: This novel began with a 4.5 rating through to the 50% mark then trended downwards to finish at a 2.5. This started out really good. Theo, after leaving an abusive environment to live with his grandparents, begins to flourish. He is called upon to fight for billions of lives while living a rural life of semi-solitude. With his new found pal and a newly discovered talent they call the “Intervention”, they are transported from the mundane into dangerous worlds where aliens and advanced humans vie for control.
While the creative aspects of the novel were superb, the characters got lost in a jumbled and incoherent story line. Initially the characters were well developed within the confines of a limited story line as Theo’s life unfolds. As the story line expands to capture strife at the galactic level, the characters are minimized along with the plot as there are so many occurrences happening simultaneously that it loses cohesiveness. Even the world building suffers as it moves from capturing what “could be” in exacting detail to what becomes scant explanations and abrupt detailing of the environment and the alien species that reside therein.
The whole story is told from the characters perspective while residing in some Galactic Council prison. While this is pretty good if used sparingly, it is not the case here. The story shifts back and forth between the characters and past events. It is not real believable that these characters would willingly divulge all that they have been through. While the aliens were creative and inventive, the reader has to take much of what occurs on faith as little is supported by science except a quick preview on how they came to be and their existing societal structure. Interactions occur so quickly that they seem like two old friends that haven’t seen each other in a week. For instance when Theo crash lands on a planet inhabited by sentient plants (The Elon) he is captured by a different alien called a Rangier. Then all of a sudden he’s helping Theo and taking him to see his wife, Queen of the Elon. Huh? Oh and she births a thousand plant army that will do Theo’s bidding unquestioningly.
This novel was initially superb in all aspects then it seemed to derail itself in order to finish. A shame really as this could have been on of the years best reads (for me).
February 14, 2014
This story is “all boy.” The author does a great job of getting into the mind of a 12-year-old boy, and everything in the first part of the story feels absolutely genuine. The boys are dirty, rough, rude, and smelly. They worry about getting into trouble but can’t seem to stay out of it. There are power plays and friendship tensions. Theodore has an awkward crush on a girl. Etc.
Between the parental abuse and the bullies Theodore is surrounded by, you just want to hug this poor kid. But how Theodore eventually stands up for himself is heartwarming and inspiring, and the author has some good commentary on abuse as Theodore at last finds safety and love with his grandparents.
Later, at 15 years old, the characters grow nicely and feel like typical teenagers. And it’s here, really, that the adventure begins. There’s a very distinct point when the whole book shifts – from something like “Sandlot” to more like “Ender’s Game” – and from then on the science fiction elements dominate the story. It becomes like every 15-year-old kid’s dream come true, complete with an alien adventure, weapons training, a mission to save worlds, and a team of friends battling by your side. It’s really a lot of fun, and the author offers an interesting multiverse with unique alien species, spaceships, and planets. It should be clear to any adult that something else is going on with Zane, the supposed good guy, and how these teens slowly come to understand the bigger picture is pretty believable.
The framing of the story, I think, works great. All of the above is told as a story within a story as Theodore recounts this tale from a future prison cell. At times the back-and-forth can be a little jarring, but the “now” timeline hints at bigger mysteries and troubles to come and keeps you interested to see how things progress.
I’ve read in some other reviews that the writing needed a lot of cleaning up, and I think I must have read an updated, edited version. Aside from an occasional goof, it was pretty typo-free. There were a few sentences or paragraphs that just didn’t make a lot of sense, but it wasn’t enough to hang me up. (There was one point where they were fighting in a kitchen and suddenly someone jumped off a bed…) The biggest problem I had with this book was that some of the character motivations, actions, and reactions seemed a little easy just for the sake of pushing the story along, but for kids I imagine this moves at just the right speed and a lot of these things wouldn’t be called into question.
Overall, I’d recommend this as an entertaining, interesting, YA book.
Between the parental abuse and the bullies Theodore is surrounded by, you just want to hug this poor kid. But how Theodore eventually stands up for himself is heartwarming and inspiring, and the author has some good commentary on abuse as Theodore at last finds safety and love with his grandparents.
Later, at 15 years old, the characters grow nicely and feel like typical teenagers. And it’s here, really, that the adventure begins. There’s a very distinct point when the whole book shifts – from something like “Sandlot” to more like “Ender’s Game” – and from then on the science fiction elements dominate the story. It becomes like every 15-year-old kid’s dream come true, complete with an alien adventure, weapons training, a mission to save worlds, and a team of friends battling by your side. It’s really a lot of fun, and the author offers an interesting multiverse with unique alien species, spaceships, and planets. It should be clear to any adult that something else is going on with Zane, the supposed good guy, and how these teens slowly come to understand the bigger picture is pretty believable.
The framing of the story, I think, works great. All of the above is told as a story within a story as Theodore recounts this tale from a future prison cell. At times the back-and-forth can be a little jarring, but the “now” timeline hints at bigger mysteries and troubles to come and keeps you interested to see how things progress.
I’ve read in some other reviews that the writing needed a lot of cleaning up, and I think I must have read an updated, edited version. Aside from an occasional goof, it was pretty typo-free. There were a few sentences or paragraphs that just didn’t make a lot of sense, but it wasn’t enough to hang me up. (There was one point where they were fighting in a kitchen and suddenly someone jumped off a bed…) The biggest problem I had with this book was that some of the character motivations, actions, and reactions seemed a little easy just for the sake of pushing the story along, but for kids I imagine this moves at just the right speed and a lot of these things wouldn’t be called into question.
Overall, I’d recommend this as an entertaining, interesting, YA book.
June 7, 2016
Excellent new start of a series. Theodore Crane is a young lad that lives with abusive father and eventually get out of the situation by calling the police. His loving grandparents take him in and he starts to mature.
His best friend dies and Theodore's world changes again by a visit from Galactic forces that claims he is a Messiah.
The story in the beginning gets you very involved with the character Theodore, but begins to drag when he starts fighting to defend against a powerful alien enemy.
I am looking forward to reading the next book "The Ghost of Sephera.".
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
His best friend dies and Theodore's world changes again by a visit from Galactic forces that claims he is a Messiah.
The story in the beginning gets you very involved with the character Theodore, but begins to drag when he starts fighting to defend against a powerful alien enemy.
I am looking forward to reading the next book "The Ghost of Sephera.".
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
January 29, 2020
This was an ok read. Not one I overly enjoyed though. The writing and characters were good, it just want a book for me
July 23, 2013
This is a writer with a strong mature voice. It's one of those books were I could clearly see the talent of the author, but wished that they had been writing about something slightly different. Except for the start, the book is about the boy, Theodore Crane, and his positioning as Earth's Messiah. Narrative is first person, from Theodore's point of view, and the deliberate choppiness is suggestive of attention deficit or another problem. Theodore isn't well, he has a tendency to vomit, he has difficult relations with his family and others. When Theodore's illness is revealed and overcome the writing style becomes more continuous with less of the earlier choppiness. I liked this care in the writing. It also reminded me of the jarring style of David Drake's Hammer's Slammers, which instantly made me think of war veterans and that perhaps Theodore's mind is already preformed with his purpose set. Since predetermination is one of the elements of the story and especially important in the context of the powerful alien Zane, it was compelling that the multiverse might spawn another powerful entity. This hypothesis is reinforced by the fact that Earth was one of the few planets that managed to evolve by itself.
My initial ambiguity towards Theodore as a protagonist was quashed when all the motivational and situational information clicked into place, I couldn't help liking Theodore and becoming engaged by his story. I can't say anymore about how this happens without spoiling the story, but Justin Tew pulls this motivational and situational information into place with a deft and unflinchingly hard style. What might have seemed superfluous or even bemused anecdote becomes relevant. It is an emotionally poignant moment that is masterfully executed.
The emotional disconnect between Theodore and his family means that any instant of familial bonding becomes precious. This is especially so with Theodore and his brother and Theodore with his grand parents. Once Theodore's family life becomes stable and he is allowed to develop self-value he is able to acquire friends. In the cause and effect of the elements of the story I found good character building in Theodore. There is a definite progression from beginning to end.
It's a defect of mine that I have little patience or credulity for children taking on the Universe's veteran villains, which is a strong theme of this book. However in those stories about children combating experienced adults, the child isn't usually taken apart and put back together with war in mind in the mystic chamber of a godlike alien being.
My initial ambiguity towards Theodore as a protagonist was quashed when all the motivational and situational information clicked into place, I couldn't help liking Theodore and becoming engaged by his story. I can't say anymore about how this happens without spoiling the story, but Justin Tew pulls this motivational and situational information into place with a deft and unflinchingly hard style. What might have seemed superfluous or even bemused anecdote becomes relevant. It is an emotionally poignant moment that is masterfully executed.
The emotional disconnect between Theodore and his family means that any instant of familial bonding becomes precious. This is especially so with Theodore and his brother and Theodore with his grand parents. Once Theodore's family life becomes stable and he is allowed to develop self-value he is able to acquire friends. In the cause and effect of the elements of the story I found good character building in Theodore. There is a definite progression from beginning to end.
It's a defect of mine that I have little patience or credulity for children taking on the Universe's veteran villains, which is a strong theme of this book. However in those stories about children combating experienced adults, the child isn't usually taken apart and put back together with war in mind in the mystic chamber of a godlike alien being.
April 6, 2015
ABR's full The Acolytes of Crane audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
How do you scratch your head on paper? If you put this book in the Young Adult Science Fiction category it has a chance of working for its audience (13-17 year olds). Others, not so much.
The protagonist, 15 year old Theodore Crane, gets chosen by an alien demigod to save the world. He has to get four friends to join him by the end of the month or something bad will happen. This rambling messy story is told by the slightly older Theodore who is being held and tortured in some unknown multi-universe prison telling his story to an iPad-like device that keeps running out of power. The story goes into great detail about the trees he climbs, but never why he’s in prison or how he got there.
Tew has a great imagination, and has presented some interesting characters, but the writing is a mess. At first, the strange choice of words is kind of endearing, like he is experimenting with the language in a new way. But eventually, it becomes clear, the writer is simply using words he is not sure the meaning of. This is too bad, because this could be a good book for teenagers. There is a lot of well described teenage angst and awkwardness. Unfortunately, it needs some serious editing.
The narration is by Tom Pile. He seems to do a reasonably good job, it is just too hard to tell as the writing is so awkward and the dialogue so stilted. The best voice effects are the demigods and robots, nice and deep. Some good sound effects too.
Tew has some very good ideas, some original and fresh, but doesn’t put it together into anything that resolves all the problems he’s presented. The book ends with a ton of loose ends and leaves the listener scratching his head. “Why did all this happen?”
Audiobook provided for review by the author.
How do you scratch your head on paper? If you put this book in the Young Adult Science Fiction category it has a chance of working for its audience (13-17 year olds). Others, not so much.
The protagonist, 15 year old Theodore Crane, gets chosen by an alien demigod to save the world. He has to get four friends to join him by the end of the month or something bad will happen. This rambling messy story is told by the slightly older Theodore who is being held and tortured in some unknown multi-universe prison telling his story to an iPad-like device that keeps running out of power. The story goes into great detail about the trees he climbs, but never why he’s in prison or how he got there.
Tew has a great imagination, and has presented some interesting characters, but the writing is a mess. At first, the strange choice of words is kind of endearing, like he is experimenting with the language in a new way. But eventually, it becomes clear, the writer is simply using words he is not sure the meaning of. This is too bad, because this could be a good book for teenagers. There is a lot of well described teenage angst and awkwardness. Unfortunately, it needs some serious editing.
The narration is by Tom Pile. He seems to do a reasonably good job, it is just too hard to tell as the writing is so awkward and the dialogue so stilted. The best voice effects are the demigods and robots, nice and deep. Some good sound effects too.
Tew has some very good ideas, some original and fresh, but doesn’t put it together into anything that resolves all the problems he’s presented. The book ends with a ton of loose ends and leaves the listener scratching his head. “Why did all this happen?”
Audiobook provided for review by the author.
July 2, 2013
The Acolytes of Crane is a sci-fi adventure about a boy named Theodore who becomes entangled in a galactic battle of good vs. evil. It’s very much a coming of age tale in the same vein as Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. I read this book in beta, so I’m not going to spend any time discussing the grammatical or structural issues; I know these items will be fixed with a good edit. What I want to review is the meat of the book: the story.
The story focuses almost exclusively on Theo, beginning with his harsh upbringing at the hand of an abusive father and fearful mother. The first half of the book is dedicated to this and really develops Theo as a character. It was also my favorite part of the book. I say this because it is the section most capable at making a reader feel empathy, love, hate and sorrow for Theo.
Once the plot begins to develop into an archetypal good vs evil space adventure, which is the latter half of the book, the reader needs a lot of exposition to really understand what the aliens are fighting for, who they are fighting with, why Theo is needed, etc. It can get overwhelming and it does slow the movement of the story as well. However, if you are patient enough to push through the pages and pages of explanation (which are very necessary) you will enjoy it. The attention to detail in these sections is also wonderful and really adds to the world building.
The novel does wrap up a bit too quickly though. With over half the book spend on developing Theo in his early years, I was surprised at how fast the climax and resolution came and went. I hope these sections are expanded. Regardless, at the end I was excited to find out what would happen next. The ending was step up of a sequel so I will anxiously be waiting it.
The story focuses almost exclusively on Theo, beginning with his harsh upbringing at the hand of an abusive father and fearful mother. The first half of the book is dedicated to this and really develops Theo as a character. It was also my favorite part of the book. I say this because it is the section most capable at making a reader feel empathy, love, hate and sorrow for Theo.
Once the plot begins to develop into an archetypal good vs evil space adventure, which is the latter half of the book, the reader needs a lot of exposition to really understand what the aliens are fighting for, who they are fighting with, why Theo is needed, etc. It can get overwhelming and it does slow the movement of the story as well. However, if you are patient enough to push through the pages and pages of explanation (which are very necessary) you will enjoy it. The attention to detail in these sections is also wonderful and really adds to the world building.
The novel does wrap up a bit too quickly though. With over half the book spend on developing Theo in his early years, I was surprised at how fast the climax and resolution came and went. I hope these sections are expanded. Regardless, at the end I was excited to find out what would happen next. The ending was step up of a sequel so I will anxiously be waiting it.
April 29, 2013
To call Theodore’s life bleak at the start of the story is an understatement. He is starving for love, acceptance and friendship. As Theodore heads into the second part of the novel and the vastness of space a sci-fi world that is wonderfully constructed opens to the reader. Readers of this blog will know what a fan I am of “Dr. Who.” The Dietons are very Who-like. Their job is to travel all over the universe and collect emotional data – memories, decisions and life experiences. The baddie in the story is a little contrived but once his role within the story is developed, seems a perfect candidate.
There are points where the story tends to drag. Tew over explains details that might have been better shown and gives characters overly complex monologues. Overall “The Acolytes of Crane” is a unique and beautifully constructed novel. The characters are well described and developed. Tew’s new world is detailed and wonderful. There is a precision to the movement of plot that is to be respected. Despite points where plot movement is weighed down, Tew keeps the story on track.
“The Acolytes of Crane” is Tew’s first outing in the literary world and I look forward to the next novel from this talented new author.
There are points where the story tends to drag. Tew over explains details that might have been better shown and gives characters overly complex monologues. Overall “The Acolytes of Crane” is a unique and beautifully constructed novel. The characters are well described and developed. Tew’s new world is detailed and wonderful. There is a precision to the movement of plot that is to be respected. Despite points where plot movement is weighed down, Tew keeps the story on track.
“The Acolytes of Crane” is Tew’s first outing in the literary world and I look forward to the next novel from this talented new author.
January 7, 2016
This book is a mix of science fiction and fantasy. The nanobots are most certainly science fiction but some of the aspects of this book I find illogical and therefore in the category of fantasy. I did enjoy reading this book even though sometimes I felt the author tried to be unpredictable or original and the result of this is a complete random turn of events. I felt like this added to the fantasy elements of the book. I would definitely call this book a coming of age novel and I also would have liked a better villain. A villain so despicable you feel sick thinking about what he's done. I guess trying to take over earth and make all humans slaves wasn't quite enough for me. This book also reminded me of Stephan King's Stand By Me. It has the feel of adolescences going on an adventure. In my opinion that makes this book a middle-grade novel because of the adolescent feel. Despite all these minor things that I personally would have liked better, I found this different, interesting, and very original
January 18, 2014
I received this book in the goodreads giveaway and thought initially it was an ARC and forged through what I felt to be drawbacks in the writing. There is a wonderful, imaginative story here that is being undermined by both grammatical and structural problems.
I loved the premise of the book; I enjoyed learning about the protagonist; unlike other reviewers, I rather liked the made up jargon yet feel that this story is in desperate need of some major editing. In my opinion the book was released a bit prematurely and what we are reading is the unpolished draft: it is difficult to read. I think that if a competent editor got a hold of this it could be a big hit and would translate really, really well on the big screen.
I applaud the author for his creativity and imagination and think he’s on to something with what, I assume, is going to be a series featuring this hero - if the writing gets a final polish.
I loved the premise of the book; I enjoyed learning about the protagonist; unlike other reviewers, I rather liked the made up jargon yet feel that this story is in desperate need of some major editing. In my opinion the book was released a bit prematurely and what we are reading is the unpolished draft: it is difficult to read. I think that if a competent editor got a hold of this it could be a big hit and would translate really, really well on the big screen.
I applaud the author for his creativity and imagination and think he’s on to something with what, I assume, is going to be a series featuring this hero - if the writing gets a final polish.
September 11, 2013
This book really touched me. Theodore Crane is tormented by the abusive nature of his father. He has no where to go, and no one to help him until he takes control of his own life. For the first half of the book I was drawn in to his character, only to be rocketed into a world of scifi that really can only be described as diverce and interesting.
The Dietons are a cool creation, I had trouble understanding their purpose at first and it all came together in a very unique way.
All i have to say is world building, world building, world building. This author latched on to me with his imagination and really placed me in the Multiverse.
lastly, and probably most important, this book shows that you can rise above abuse even when noone is there to help you.
Did I mention awesome worldbuilding?
The Dietons are a cool creation, I had trouble understanding their purpose at first and it all came together in a very unique way.
All i have to say is world building, world building, world building. This author latched on to me with his imagination and really placed me in the Multiverse.
lastly, and probably most important, this book shows that you can rise above abuse even when noone is there to help you.
Did I mention awesome worldbuilding?
May 29, 2016
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
I would give this book a 3 1/2 rating if that was available. I enjoyed it but I can't say that I really loved it.
It took some time for me to get into the story. The early part of the book when Theodore was younger seemed to drag to me and I was tempted to give up. I continued reading because I actually liked Theodore; he seemed like a real kid to me and I wanted to know what was going to happen to him. The story as it went on was entertaining and held some imaginative concepts . At times, it did seem somewhat confusing and I had to reread sections but I suspect that that was due to my not concentrating enough. This was a book that I really had to pay attention to if I wanted to fully understand the story.
I sense that this is a talented author with some innovative ideas and I wonder what the next part of the story will be.
I would give this book a 3 1/2 rating if that was available. I enjoyed it but I can't say that I really loved it.
It took some time for me to get into the story. The early part of the book when Theodore was younger seemed to drag to me and I was tempted to give up. I continued reading because I actually liked Theodore; he seemed like a real kid to me and I wanted to know what was going to happen to him. The story as it went on was entertaining and held some imaginative concepts . At times, it did seem somewhat confusing and I had to reread sections but I suspect that that was due to my not concentrating enough. This was a book that I really had to pay attention to if I wanted to fully understand the story.
I sense that this is a talented author with some innovative ideas and I wonder what the next part of the story will be.
May 10, 2013
A unique and entertaining story with a well-defined characters and a great ending, or perhaps I should say a great end to the beginning. There were a few places in the story where the narrative switched from one character to another, and I became confused as to who was telling that part of the tale. An interesting technique but I would like a smoother transition in the future. There was also a strong reference to certain a body function that didn't contribute to the story. Overall, a great and imaginative story, I look forward to the sequel.
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October 17, 2013
The Acolytes of Crane is an everyday 12-year-old boy's fantasy. Everything an older boy dreams of is in this story - battling dastardly villains, discovering superpowers, making friends with other boys instantly, being punished for being mischievous, performing quirky acts that only boys appreciate, and so on. It's written with a very male point of view, which is refreshing. Such as an "aw-shucks" manner (seeing strange things happen, and shrugging them off) and skinning your knee a few times and refusing to worry about it.
The book feels as it's written in two parts - where in the first half the main character, Ted Crane, bumbles through life as a 12-year-old boy, coping with difficult parents, getting into trouble at school, and facing incidents involving fatalities which tear his family apart. The second half of the story occurs in space where every fantasy possible comes true. It was with fun that we learn of Ted's natural leadership and how he recruits a rogue crew. It's quirky, in a great way.
In short, this book will blow your mind away with its unintentional twists and turns, none of which seem contrived. The author throws in a bit of this, and a bit of that, with totally unexpected results. You never know what to expect next. You're kept guessing. In a way, it's a very random book - anything can, and does happen. You will never be bored by this book!
The only thing that holds me back is that it is a bit incoherent in various places throughout, perhaps if there is a new version, some of the rough edges could be smoothed over to make this book less jarring. And I do think a lot of the fun in this book would still be preserved! It makes me chuckle to think that this brilliant book, shooting with imagination, was written by the author after a shot of whiskey or in the middle of the night halfway through a strange dream!
Thank you for this compelling book. It was very unique and refreshing!
The book feels as it's written in two parts - where in the first half the main character, Ted Crane, bumbles through life as a 12-year-old boy, coping with difficult parents, getting into trouble at school, and facing incidents involving fatalities which tear his family apart. The second half of the story occurs in space where every fantasy possible comes true. It was with fun that we learn of Ted's natural leadership and how he recruits a rogue crew. It's quirky, in a great way.
In short, this book will blow your mind away with its unintentional twists and turns, none of which seem contrived. The author throws in a bit of this, and a bit of that, with totally unexpected results. You never know what to expect next. You're kept guessing. In a way, it's a very random book - anything can, and does happen. You will never be bored by this book!
The only thing that holds me back is that it is a bit incoherent in various places throughout, perhaps if there is a new version, some of the rough edges could be smoothed over to make this book less jarring. And I do think a lot of the fun in this book would still be preserved! It makes me chuckle to think that this brilliant book, shooting with imagination, was written by the author after a shot of whiskey or in the middle of the night halfway through a strange dream!
Thank you for this compelling book. It was very unique and refreshing!
January 19, 2015
2.5 stars
The concept is interesting, but the execution is lacking. There are times it seems like this was 'typed' using dragon software, as the word used sounds the same, but means something completely different. And there are words missing. Lots of them.
I'm also disturbed by the concept that 12 year olds are 'hooking up' and 'falling in love' as often as they do here. They are portrayed as if they are about 9 years old one minute & around 20 the next. Add in the slang used regularly ('my kicks' & 'peace out' are the worst offenders) and you have a great high school level book.
The other main issue I have is how quickly the story wraps up at the end. It's like the author realized that he had a deadline approaching & needed it completed last week. Wow, it moves fast at the end, which is in strict opposition to the first 2/3 of her book, in which nearly every action is spelled out in near excruciating detail.
I'm hoping subsequent books improve in these areas.
But the biggest issue I have? God & religion are just created beings & concepts of organisms that evolved from a Big Bang. And heaven is a planet created by a powerful, but limited being that was created by the organisms he now controls.
And the continued existence of all of the dead creatures there (human or otherwise) are dependent on a 12 year old boy who the created wants terminated. As does the 'almost all-powerful, but not really" guy's enemy.
The concept is interesting, but the execution is lacking. There are times it seems like this was 'typed' using dragon software, as the word used sounds the same, but means something completely different. And there are words missing. Lots of them.
I'm also disturbed by the concept that 12 year olds are 'hooking up' and 'falling in love' as often as they do here. They are portrayed as if they are about 9 years old one minute & around 20 the next. Add in the slang used regularly ('my kicks' & 'peace out' are the worst offenders) and you have a great high school level book.
The other main issue I have is how quickly the story wraps up at the end. It's like the author realized that he had a deadline approaching & needed it completed last week. Wow, it moves fast at the end, which is in strict opposition to the first 2/3 of her book, in which nearly every action is spelled out in near excruciating detail.
I'm hoping subsequent books improve in these areas.
But the biggest issue I have? God & religion are just created beings & concepts of organisms that evolved from a Big Bang. And heaven is a planet created by a powerful, but limited being that was created by the organisms he now controls.
And the continued existence of all of the dead creatures there (human or otherwise) are dependent on a 12 year old boy who the created wants terminated. As does the 'almost all-powerful, but not really" guy's enemy.
January 4, 2016
The Acolytes of Crane is about a boy named Theodore Crane. Theo is coping with the trauma of growing up with an abusive father. He is a typical boy, alternating between pulling immature pranks and acting mature for his age.
On vacation with his family and a friend, a tragic event occurs. After returning home, Theo's Dad goes to jail for abusing him, so Theo goes to live with his grandparents.
Without his grandparents' permission, Theo goes back to Taylor Falls alone to pay his respects. While there, he gets sucked into an all-out battle for galactic domination. He finds out he's the cornerstone of this war of good vs. evil!
Opinion:
J. D. Tew wrote an excellent book that was jam-packed with adventure and action! The author has a way with words that made the story very interesting. I loved the genre of this book, which is a mix of sci-fi and fantasy.
The characters were very well written. I especially liked the character Theodore Crane, because he is a hero, and that is what I like the main character to be. I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up.
Reviewed by a LitPick student book reviewer Age:12
On vacation with his family and a friend, a tragic event occurs. After returning home, Theo's Dad goes to jail for abusing him, so Theo goes to live with his grandparents.
Without his grandparents' permission, Theo goes back to Taylor Falls alone to pay his respects. While there, he gets sucked into an all-out battle for galactic domination. He finds out he's the cornerstone of this war of good vs. evil!
Opinion:
J. D. Tew wrote an excellent book that was jam-packed with adventure and action! The author has a way with words that made the story very interesting. I loved the genre of this book, which is a mix of sci-fi and fantasy.
The characters were very well written. I especially liked the character Theodore Crane, because he is a hero, and that is what I like the main character to be. I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up.
Reviewed by a LitPick student book reviewer Age:12
May 6, 2013
JD Tew has created a magnificent debut work that grabs the reader and takes us on a roller coaster ride. The start of the book describes a bleak back story of a youth that is moving through life in the style of a Tom Sawyer, replete with traumas and challenges. From this well laid foundation the transformation occurs that takes us on the main journey of the book. At each turn of page the scope of TAC increases so that in the end this is a work with huge reach and seemingly endless possibilities that the author navigates with care.
The military background of Tew is evident in the precision of the writing style in places and the counter point of long descriptive passages gave flight to the fantasy and insight to the multiverse that the characters are fighting in. The plot includes all of the elements that make a novel a page turner.
It is often said in review of a new author's debut work that they will just get better and better. If this is the case then we will have a lot to look forward to from JD Tew considering the excellence of this first offering.
The military background of Tew is evident in the precision of the writing style in places and the counter point of long descriptive passages gave flight to the fantasy and insight to the multiverse that the characters are fighting in. The plot includes all of the elements that make a novel a page turner.
It is often said in review of a new author's debut work that they will just get better and better. If this is the case then we will have a lot to look forward to from JD Tew considering the excellence of this first offering.
May 5, 2014
While the beginning was a little slow for my taste, the pace picks up eventually and keeps slamming you with action. The somewhat disjointed pacing, occasionally slow and meandering and other times lighting fast, is my only real complaint.
That said, there are some interesting new concepts (demons and angels are real, but packing lasers!) here. The whole tale is also sprinkled with tongue-in-cheek humor and there's a great twist ending. As a fan of classic Sci-fi, I enjoyed the complicated "multiverse" presented. However, I've been burnt out on aliens lately, so all the coming-of-age detail about the hero's childhood was a refreshing break from the typical action thriller.
Maybe others would find such careful character building out of place- to be fair this is atypical for action/adventure stories- but I think it's a unique twist on the genre.
All in all, a fun read with some unique ideas. You might go so far as to call this "Heinlenesque." I'm interested in reading the rest of the series.
That said, there are some interesting new concepts (demons and angels are real, but packing lasers!) here. The whole tale is also sprinkled with tongue-in-cheek humor and there's a great twist ending. As a fan of classic Sci-fi, I enjoyed the complicated "multiverse" presented. However, I've been burnt out on aliens lately, so all the coming-of-age detail about the hero's childhood was a refreshing break from the typical action thriller.
Maybe others would find such careful character building out of place- to be fair this is atypical for action/adventure stories- but I think it's a unique twist on the genre.
All in all, a fun read with some unique ideas. You might go so far as to call this "Heinlenesque." I'm interested in reading the rest of the series.
December 17, 2014
I read science, sci-fi, fantasy, and horror for the most part. When I read science, I take notes and try to understand concepts. When I read the other genres, I read for pure enjoyment and that's what Justin Tew delivered in this story. I raised 5 boys and I have 22 grandkids and Justin's children characters were right on- sometimes I was amazed at how mature they seemed to be and at other times they seemed to be so immature, just like real life. I found myself pulling for the home team in their battles. There is a good presence and an evil presence that seem to be fighting for control. As the main character Theodore begins to mature he seems to be trying to understand his true role his life will play. The story kept me guessing and made me wonder where we would wind up... I was sorry to see the book end, but luckily Justin had already written book two of the series. I bought it.
January 8, 2015
Good story line, execution was painstakingly intricate.
It was a heavy read in which I had to take a number of breaks from.
I enjoyed the past in the early stages of the book. Exploring cranes early childhood. Though I would have preferred to stay in the present more, the prison cell and interaction with the guards was limited, but these are the parts that spiked my attention.
If you like detailed SciFi books this is for you.
It was a heavy read in which I had to take a number of breaks from.
I enjoyed the past in the early stages of the book. Exploring cranes early childhood. Though I would have preferred to stay in the present more, the prison cell and interaction with the guards was limited, but these are the parts that spiked my attention.
If you like detailed SciFi books this is for you.
September 1, 2013
The Acolytes of Crane by J.D. Tew took me by surprise. What a roller coaster ride! As someone who is not typically a huge fan of sci-fi, I really enjoyed this book. There is plenty of mystery, back story, intensity, and excitement as the book evolves. I thoroughly enjoyed The Acolytes of Crane and I am definitely looking forward to J.D. Tew's future works.
December 9, 2014
I really enjoyed this Book. Once I started reading it I could not put it down until it was finished! I immediately bought the second book in the series. Well written, interesting story, and fast paced. It has action, sci-Fi and humor. The characters are well rounded and appealing. Mr. Tew has a new fan!
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