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Shadow Spinner: Collection 1: Tiberius
Tiberius has always thought of himself as a normal 10-year-old boy. Maybe he's a little smarter than everyone else, but that's still normal. He's scared of shadows, but everyone's scared of something, right? His mother's completely paranoid and called the cops the one time, just one time, he went over to a friend's house after school, but, still, he's normal even if his mother is not. At least, that's what he thinks until the day his mother finally decides to tell him about his father, and she tells him things that convince him that one of them is crazy, and he's pretty sure it's not him. That is until the Man with No Eyes shows up and his father falls out of the sky.
- GenresFantasy
160 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 16, 2013
23 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Leon
62 books47 followersThe author has often been told that he does things the wrong way. For instance, he could walk before he could crawl. His parents were also informed that he went about reading the wrong way. Already reading before kindergarten, he went on to delve into texts about dinosaurs and astronomy by 1st grade as opposed to the regular story books everyone else was reading. At least one school counselor labeled him as "delayed" because of this. Of course, this happened at the same time he was winning the school reading contest.
After years of wanting to, he's finally writing books of his own.
After years of wanting to, he's finally writing books of his own.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 4, 2013
This is the first collection in a series to tell the story of Tiberius. This was a really good beginning. My favorite thing so far is the relationship that he has with the police officer. He really looks out for Tib and Tib feels safe around him. I also like the tunnel - it immediately draws you in, but also reminds you of fears that you once had when you were younger. I am totally looking forward to reading Collection 2. :)
As a bonus, there is a short story by Bryan Pedas called Like An Axe Through Bone. This is an amazingly good short story. I was totally impressed and look forward to reading more by Bryan.
As a bonus, there is a short story by Bryan Pedas called Like An Axe Through Bone. This is an amazingly good short story. I was totally impressed and look forward to reading more by Bryan.
May 8, 2015
This collection is a great start to the story as a whole. The dark tunnel is a classically creepy setting, and reminded me of how chilling it is to pass through one even as an adult. Tib is very easy to relate to, and he's fun to read about. We also get the idea that something is special about our hero, but just enough to whet our appetites and leave us wanting more. Which I certainly did.
September 9, 2013
I have been reading Andrew's work in serial format, as he's released chapter after chapter on Amazon. I've been reviewing as many parts as I can, as well. Here is what I posted for these parts on Amazon:
Like other reviewers, maybe, I have been following Leon's story in serial format. So I've gathered up my review for parts 1-5 here, as they originally appeared when he posted these one chapter at a time. Even if you don't read the review -- it's long, you should
READ.
THIS.
BOOK.
It's wonderfully imaginative and full of characters you can't get out of your mind.
PART ONE:
I downloaded this story because I'm a big fan of Leon's "The House On The Corner" book, and I expected pretty good things from him. The story far exceeded even my high expectations.
It's short -- but that's the point, because it's a lead-in to the longer story. The brevity works well because it lets the story itself be both self-contained and point to a larger story.
But enough of that kind of critique. Leon writes excellently, managing to write YA stuff without pitching his story at too low a level: somehow, the story is told for and by YA-level people while being accessible to adults. And talk about a great idea: The Tunnel immediately creeped me out, and the details are what sells it, like how Leon compares the chill of the shadows in The Tunnel to the regular feel of darkness.
It's a must-read, and if enough people read this, maybe Leon will FINALLY get around to releasing the whole story?
PLEASE?
PART TWO:
I've been a fan of Leon's since I read his book "The House On The Corner," and so I downloaded this and the prior teaser chapter to get more of his writing.
This chapter, while short, is well worth reading and makes me really eager to see the full book. The sly introduction of what I assume to be the main paranormal focus of the story -- Tib's ability to do ... something? ... with shadows is great.
Equally entertaining: Leon puts an alternate version of the chapter in here, first writing from Tib's point of view and then showing the same events from Mom's point of view.
Reading Leon's writing is like watching a gymnast do the rings: You try to imagine how hard he worked to be that good, and end up marveling at the way it all comes together.
Part Five:
I have been a fan of Leon's since reading his "The House On The Corner," and I frequently check out his blog for updates on when a sequel to that will be ready, but after reading parts 1-5 of "Shadow Spinner" I'm willing to wait for THAT to get more of THIS.
Leon's been serializing the chapters of "Spinner," and a word about that: It's a GREAT idea. I've been reading each part as he makes it available and it's kind of like an old-fashioned radio show or weekly feel like "Lost" had -- the anticipation of getting more of the story combined with the cliffhangers and short, easy-to-read segments is a wonderful idea.
But it wouldn't work without great writing, and Leon's got that. This installment is EASILY the best of the five so far, because it ups the creep factor by a considerable degree: Officer Williams' decision to go investigate a little in order to help the main character, the almost-11-year-old Tib, sets the horrifying events in motion and left me shaking my head in disbelief at how well Leon managed to take what seemed to be an ordinary scene in a suburb and turn it into a supremely chilling sequence that not only stands on its own as a chapter, but makes me
(as always, with Leon)
want MORE. If you haven't been reading this, go download 1-5 now and get caught up; it's well worth the time and the price of the chapters is negligible: less than a buck.
A quick word about the cover art? Rusty Webb's illustrations manage to be creepy and great at the same time; they really really add to the atmosphere of the books, and Leon/Webb should make them available as prints or screen caps, because they're great.
Like other reviewers, maybe, I have been following Leon's story in serial format. So I've gathered up my review for parts 1-5 here, as they originally appeared when he posted these one chapter at a time. Even if you don't read the review -- it's long, you should
READ.
THIS.
BOOK.
It's wonderfully imaginative and full of characters you can't get out of your mind.
PART ONE:
I downloaded this story because I'm a big fan of Leon's "The House On The Corner" book, and I expected pretty good things from him. The story far exceeded even my high expectations.
It's short -- but that's the point, because it's a lead-in to the longer story. The brevity works well because it lets the story itself be both self-contained and point to a larger story.
But enough of that kind of critique. Leon writes excellently, managing to write YA stuff without pitching his story at too low a level: somehow, the story is told for and by YA-level people while being accessible to adults. And talk about a great idea: The Tunnel immediately creeped me out, and the details are what sells it, like how Leon compares the chill of the shadows in The Tunnel to the regular feel of darkness.
It's a must-read, and if enough people read this, maybe Leon will FINALLY get around to releasing the whole story?
PLEASE?
PART TWO:
I've been a fan of Leon's since I read his book "The House On The Corner," and so I downloaded this and the prior teaser chapter to get more of his writing.
This chapter, while short, is well worth reading and makes me really eager to see the full book. The sly introduction of what I assume to be the main paranormal focus of the story -- Tib's ability to do ... something? ... with shadows is great.
Equally entertaining: Leon puts an alternate version of the chapter in here, first writing from Tib's point of view and then showing the same events from Mom's point of view.
Reading Leon's writing is like watching a gymnast do the rings: You try to imagine how hard he worked to be that good, and end up marveling at the way it all comes together.
Part Five:
I have been a fan of Leon's since reading his "The House On The Corner," and I frequently check out his blog for updates on when a sequel to that will be ready, but after reading parts 1-5 of "Shadow Spinner" I'm willing to wait for THAT to get more of THIS.
Leon's been serializing the chapters of "Spinner," and a word about that: It's a GREAT idea. I've been reading each part as he makes it available and it's kind of like an old-fashioned radio show or weekly feel like "Lost" had -- the anticipation of getting more of the story combined with the cliffhangers and short, easy-to-read segments is a wonderful idea.
But it wouldn't work without great writing, and Leon's got that. This installment is EASILY the best of the five so far, because it ups the creep factor by a considerable degree: Officer Williams' decision to go investigate a little in order to help the main character, the almost-11-year-old Tib, sets the horrifying events in motion and left me shaking my head in disbelief at how well Leon managed to take what seemed to be an ordinary scene in a suburb and turn it into a supremely chilling sequence that not only stands on its own as a chapter, but makes me
(as always, with Leon)
want MORE. If you haven't been reading this, go download 1-5 now and get caught up; it's well worth the time and the price of the chapters is negligible: less than a buck.
A quick word about the cover art? Rusty Webb's illustrations manage to be creepy and great at the same time; they really really add to the atmosphere of the books, and Leon/Webb should make them available as prints or screen caps, because they're great.
August 18, 2013
I first read the Shadow Spinner series in its multiple parts and am so happy to see them collected, for the first time, in a volume. Aside from making the story much more affordable, there is also more to read, and the bonus story "Like an Axe Through Bone", by Bryan Pedas, was absolutely amazing.
Review for TIBERIUS: (4 stars)
I picked up Shadow Spinner for the pure novelty of a serialized story, but I was really impressed by the way Andrew Leon uses his words to make the story jump off the page. 'Tib', as the author affectionately refers to him, feels very genuine. Leon nails the voice of a scared teenager and I found myself pulled into and sympathizing with all of Tiberius's childhood fears.
However, the collected arc of stories does not have any sort of driving plot or conclusion of an arc. Rather, you can think of the first volume as a primer--perhaps an introduction to the characters of the universe. The writing is very crisp and the characters are fleshed out reasonably.
The Author's Note in the original version of this story explained that an (I think) important scene in Part Three was skipped because the information is actually available in the prequel 'The Evil That Men Do'. Due to this, there might be confusion for new readers to the series.
I'm curious about Tib and his willful ignorance to the happenings he is observing but not recognizing in his life, and feel for the mother who he is ostracizing.
Review for LIKE AN AXE THROUGH BONE (5 Stars)
I absolutely loved this short story, though it didn't feel so short (it takes up 62% of the file). Bryan Pedas' story was moving and concise. I was able to instantly connect with the main character and even the satellite characters felt real. I loved the concept and execution of the tale as well. There was literally nothing I found at fault with it. "Like an Axe Through Bone" gave "Shadow Spinner: Tiberius" a lot more meat as a collection, and is definitely worth a read. I also love the idea of having bonus stories from other authors at the end of the book. I will be sure to check out Pedas's work!
Review for TIBERIUS: (4 stars)
I picked up Shadow Spinner for the pure novelty of a serialized story, but I was really impressed by the way Andrew Leon uses his words to make the story jump off the page. 'Tib', as the author affectionately refers to him, feels very genuine. Leon nails the voice of a scared teenager and I found myself pulled into and sympathizing with all of Tiberius's childhood fears.
However, the collected arc of stories does not have any sort of driving plot or conclusion of an arc. Rather, you can think of the first volume as a primer--perhaps an introduction to the characters of the universe. The writing is very crisp and the characters are fleshed out reasonably.
The Author's Note in the original version of this story explained that an (I think) important scene in Part Three was skipped because the information is actually available in the prequel 'The Evil That Men Do'. Due to this, there might be confusion for new readers to the series.
I'm curious about Tib and his willful ignorance to the happenings he is observing but not recognizing in his life, and feel for the mother who he is ostracizing.
Review for LIKE AN AXE THROUGH BONE (5 Stars)
I absolutely loved this short story, though it didn't feel so short (it takes up 62% of the file). Bryan Pedas' story was moving and concise. I was able to instantly connect with the main character and even the satellite characters felt real. I loved the concept and execution of the tale as well. There was literally nothing I found at fault with it. "Like an Axe Through Bone" gave "Shadow Spinner: Tiberius" a lot more meat as a collection, and is definitely worth a read. I also love the idea of having bonus stories from other authors at the end of the book. I will be sure to check out Pedas's work!
November 7, 2013
My interest in Tib was piqued from the moment I began reading the first chapter of the series. I'm grateful I was able to sit-down and read all five chapters without interruption. Tib is a warm-hearted, relatable soon-to-be eleven year old who's life is about to change. His mom is a bit odd, to say the least. I've already downloaded chapters 6-12 and I'm anxious to see where Andrew Leon takes me. Mr. Leon is a talented writer. His ability to keep me intrigued with each page turn is amazing. Bravo, Mr. Leon. I don't think this book needs to be limited to YA. I highly recommend this series.
January 30, 2015
This is the first 5 installments of the serialized Shadow Spinner novel bundled into one package. Other reviewers will give you the details of story far better than I. What I can do, is dare anyone to find a self-published middle grade story that is this haunting, scary, thrilling, or well written. I don't think such a thing exits (and that isn't to take away from any of the hard working folks that have created their own middle grade novels).
I tip my hat to author Andrew Leon for this one. It's a great achievement. He deserves all the praise he gets for this. Really.
I tip my hat to author Andrew Leon for this one. It's a great achievement. He deserves all the praise he gets for this. Really.
August 20, 2013
When Andrew Leon emailed me from Goodreads and asked if I would review Parts 1-5 I said sure. I really liked his original Shadow Spinner. This is beyond good, its like a gummy worm, you gobble it up only to want another one! That should go down in the annals of book reviews! Each episode is unique and fun being between 10 and 15 pages long.
May 14, 2015
I'm not big into serials but this was free so what the heck. It's a decent beginning, introducing the strange circumstances surrounding Tiberius and his mother. There's an unrelated story by another author that takes place in the "House on the Corner" universe. It's a good story but the annoying thing is that it's about 2/3 of the book. Much too long by comparison.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews