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Cade Knight #1
Sword of Damocles
Cade Knight was born into a family of spies. Espionage is in his blood.
Cade helped his father design the J-Phone, the most significant invention in the history of spy craft-complete with Eavesdropper, Impersonator, and Hacker apps. Together, he and his father customized a J-Phone for the president of the United States, enabling him to launch nuclear weapons from the Nuclear Football app.
Too bad the J-Phone falls into the wrong hands, and enemy agents hunt for those who know how to use it. When family members begin to fall off the grid, Cade and his twin sister call on years of training to identify and infiltrate the opposition. They must rescue their mother, retrieve the J-Phone, and reunite the family.
Failure could cost one life or a hundred million.
Cade helped his father design the J-Phone, the most significant invention in the history of spy craft-complete with Eavesdropper, Impersonator, and Hacker apps. Together, he and his father customized a J-Phone for the president of the United States, enabling him to launch nuclear weapons from the Nuclear Football app.
Too bad the J-Phone falls into the wrong hands, and enemy agents hunt for those who know how to use it. When family members begin to fall off the grid, Cade and his twin sister call on years of training to identify and infiltrate the opposition. They must rescue their mother, retrieve the J-Phone, and reunite the family.
Failure could cost one life or a hundred million.
243 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2013
2 people are currently reading
574 people want to read
About the author
Brian Bern
1 book12 followersI have set out to chronicle the espionage adventures of the Knight family in a series of spy novels. Due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter, my identity and whereabouts must remain secret.
I realize that the above doesn't really tell you much. The thing is, I can't really tell you the usual stuff: how old I am, where I live, my profession. Not now, anyway. Maybe someday we'll get to that. Nevertheless, I still think you can get to know me.
* I like to read books, lots of them, especially spy novels.
* I had a paper route when I was 8 years old.
* I once ate nothing but pretzels for two straight days. And no, I was not lost in the woods at the time.
* I believe sharing makes life more fun.
* I believe success is earning respect from the people you most admire.
* I believe life's greatest gifts do not come in a box.
* More than anything else in life, I am proud of who my friends are. I admire them greatly, and they have chosen to make me their friend.
I realize that the above doesn't really tell you much. The thing is, I can't really tell you the usual stuff: how old I am, where I live, my profession. Not now, anyway. Maybe someday we'll get to that. Nevertheless, I still think you can get to know me.
* I like to read books, lots of them, especially spy novels.
* I had a paper route when I was 8 years old.
* I once ate nothing but pretzels for two straight days. And no, I was not lost in the woods at the time.
* I believe sharing makes life more fun.
* I believe success is earning respect from the people you most admire.
* I believe life's greatest gifts do not come in a box.
* More than anything else in life, I am proud of who my friends are. I admire them greatly, and they have chosen to make me their friend.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 19, 2014
Hemming and Hawing for days, weeks and months has resulted into this fine creation of a masterpiece spy novel “Sword of Damocles”…
Cade and his father (CIA spy) developed a J-Phone for the president featuring the activation of Nuclear Missiles with just a tap dance of fingers on the screen. This J-phone is stolen from White House, compromised and eventually lands up in wrong hands (Iranian spies) which could cause a world threat and massive destruction if operated by an evil mind.
What’s supposed to be a 15th birthday celebration day for Cade and his sidekick twin sister Brooke turns out to be a whirlwind thrilling experience when they learn their house is broken into and their Mom’s being kidnapped at the torment of their sights. Further, there were no signs of their father, except for a text code message on their iPhone.
Outlining the above theme, Brian Bern has presented an unscathed story line which revolves around how the teenagers bring their spy intelligence into play, make courageous moves and experience a whirlwind adventure in order to redeem their family back together.
I just couldn’t hold myself back from turning just one more page, then another and then another as soon as I jumped in the main story where the adventure kicks in. The lucid language was so effectively used that text gave me a 5D experience while I could enjoy it at the pace of a movie.
Not a single section of the book (Beginning, Mid and End) ever appeared to be plodding. Rather, I was on the edge of my seat, every time Cade and Brooke outsmarted their chasers and had a narrow escape. Many times I second guessed for who the mole could be? Could it be someone in CIA? White-house? Cade’s Parents? Or Iranians? But I must appreciate, Brian outsmarted me just like Cade Knight did to his predators.
Beside thrill, action, adventure, this novel reflects so brightly on friendship and trust among three teenagers, Cade Knight, Brooke Knight and their friend. The story speaks of courage, intelligence and best use of the situation one falls into – Presence of Mind.
Now, I’m not gonna tell much of what the plot is or blow away any spoilers as other reviewers might have already said, But I must say, this is a novel that I would think whom to share with or gift a copy to.
This book is a wonderful contribution into the inventories of Spy Novels.
243 of very well constructed pages gave me 10X of thrill, adventure and pleasure for my bucks.
The volume and quality of spy thrill and adventure found in these pages is absolutely staggering.
Speaking of Cover art, although it’s beautifully done and highly refreshing, But does it resonates with Spy theme of the novel? Well, I’m yet to decide on it.
I’m happy that novel looks very attracting on my bookshelf though.
I’ve never been so much addicted to Teen spy novels until now. But Now, I can proudly admit, I’m buying and reading all of the Cade Knight novels to be followed in the series as sequel or standalone or anything that Brian Bern comes up with.
As an addition, The last page of novel consists of a riddle Code, which Brian challenges to crack it. The winner should be awarded a autograph or autographed copy of this novel.
So Far, I’m yet struggling with cracking the code. I won’t want to miss out a autograph for sure.
Are you still reading this review??? Grab a credit card, browse through your chrome, login into your amazon and grab a hold of this book. I can assure anyone interested in Young Adult Spy novels won’t be disappointed at all.
Cade and his father (CIA spy) developed a J-Phone for the president featuring the activation of Nuclear Missiles with just a tap dance of fingers on the screen. This J-phone is stolen from White House, compromised and eventually lands up in wrong hands (Iranian spies) which could cause a world threat and massive destruction if operated by an evil mind.
What’s supposed to be a 15th birthday celebration day for Cade and his sidekick twin sister Brooke turns out to be a whirlwind thrilling experience when they learn their house is broken into and their Mom’s being kidnapped at the torment of their sights. Further, there were no signs of their father, except for a text code message on their iPhone.
Outlining the above theme, Brian Bern has presented an unscathed story line which revolves around how the teenagers bring their spy intelligence into play, make courageous moves and experience a whirlwind adventure in order to redeem their family back together.
I just couldn’t hold myself back from turning just one more page, then another and then another as soon as I jumped in the main story where the adventure kicks in. The lucid language was so effectively used that text gave me a 5D experience while I could enjoy it at the pace of a movie.
Not a single section of the book (Beginning, Mid and End) ever appeared to be plodding. Rather, I was on the edge of my seat, every time Cade and Brooke outsmarted their chasers and had a narrow escape. Many times I second guessed for who the mole could be? Could it be someone in CIA? White-house? Cade’s Parents? Or Iranians? But I must appreciate, Brian outsmarted me just like Cade Knight did to his predators.
Beside thrill, action, adventure, this novel reflects so brightly on friendship and trust among three teenagers, Cade Knight, Brooke Knight and their friend. The story speaks of courage, intelligence and best use of the situation one falls into – Presence of Mind.
Now, I’m not gonna tell much of what the plot is or blow away any spoilers as other reviewers might have already said, But I must say, this is a novel that I would think whom to share with or gift a copy to.
This book is a wonderful contribution into the inventories of Spy Novels.
243 of very well constructed pages gave me 10X of thrill, adventure and pleasure for my bucks.
The volume and quality of spy thrill and adventure found in these pages is absolutely staggering.
Speaking of Cover art, although it’s beautifully done and highly refreshing, But does it resonates with Spy theme of the novel? Well, I’m yet to decide on it.
I’m happy that novel looks very attracting on my bookshelf though.
I’ve never been so much addicted to Teen spy novels until now. But Now, I can proudly admit, I’m buying and reading all of the Cade Knight novels to be followed in the series as sequel or standalone or anything that Brian Bern comes up with.
As an addition, The last page of novel consists of a riddle Code, which Brian challenges to crack it. The winner should be awarded a autograph or autographed copy of this novel.
So Far, I’m yet struggling with cracking the code. I won’t want to miss out a autograph for sure.
Are you still reading this review??? Grab a credit card, browse through your chrome, login into your amazon and grab a hold of this book. I can assure anyone interested in Young Adult Spy novels won’t be disappointed at all.
October 22, 2013
First of all thanks to Brian Bern for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Sword of Damocles is an exciting, easy to read, and hard to put down novel. The breakneck pace of the story draws the reader on, and the simple use of the language to convey the story make it that much easier to read just one more page, and another, and another until you realize it's 2AM and that you're still reading! However, the simple writing evokes full images, cast and settings. The plot is excellent, full of unexpected twists and turns. Right when you think it's over, it's not. It's impossibly hard to guess what happens next. You're literally at the edge! I'd say it was one of the most exciting, suspenseful, and non-boring books I've read lately. Cade is a mix of James Bond and Alex Rider but he also get a kickass sidekick, his twin sister Brooke. This is the first book in a serie that will be about the Knight family, i don't know if the next one will be told from Cade POV but with both parents working for the CIA and a sister that want to follow their mom steps as a spy we're sure to get plenty of action no matter who's the main protagonist! Thumbs up to Brian Bern who did an outstanding job for a first novel, Anthony Horowitz should be scared, there's serious competition on the way! I'm definitely looking forward to read what's coming next.
Sword of Damocles is an exciting, easy to read, and hard to put down novel. The breakneck pace of the story draws the reader on, and the simple use of the language to convey the story make it that much easier to read just one more page, and another, and another until you realize it's 2AM and that you're still reading! However, the simple writing evokes full images, cast and settings. The plot is excellent, full of unexpected twists and turns. Right when you think it's over, it's not. It's impossibly hard to guess what happens next. You're literally at the edge! I'd say it was one of the most exciting, suspenseful, and non-boring books I've read lately. Cade is a mix of James Bond and Alex Rider but he also get a kickass sidekick, his twin sister Brooke. This is the first book in a serie that will be about the Knight family, i don't know if the next one will be told from Cade POV but with both parents working for the CIA and a sister that want to follow their mom steps as a spy we're sure to get plenty of action no matter who's the main protagonist! Thumbs up to Brian Bern who did an outstanding job for a first novel, Anthony Horowitz should be scared, there's serious competition on the way! I'm definitely looking forward to read what's coming next.
January 1, 2014
This book was awesomeness, plain and simple. The characters were all well developed and believable, which I will say for the millionth time(it feels like) is one of my big "make or break" pieces on whether or not I find a book enjoyable. The story itself, though really is action packed and has enough twists and turns to really make your head spin. Then there's the technology! It was so believable and thought out. Everything about the story was, as well, I was seriously engrossed in that can-not-put-down way. You will be constantly on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen, the tagline in the synopsis is right failure could cost one life or a hundred million. Will Cade and his sister be able to save the day? I don't want to give away any spoilers. Let's just say Cade and Brooke Knight are a force to be reckoned with, and I cannot wait to see what they have in store for us next!
*I received this book for review from the author, but this in no way affected my review or opinion*
*I received this book for review from the author, but this in no way affected my review or opinion*
July 21, 2016
4.5 stars. Great spy story with lots of gadgets! I like the little hints at romance, sibling cooperation and LOVE the cool spy gear. I will definitely want to read more about the adventures of Cade and Brooke.
It is very difficult to write books that would appeal to both middle school boys and girls and I think Bern very successfully did that.
Excellent book for Alex Rider & Young James Bond fans. IMO better than Net Force Explorers:Virtual Vandals, S.T.O.R.M.: The Infinity Code or Spy Goddess:Live and Let Shop and on par with IQ:Independence Hall, Spy High Mission One and Cherub:The Recruit. Just be careful of YA content vs middle school content. This was excellent for a middle school spy book.
Likes:
* Fraternal twins, Cade & Brooke, born into a family of spies
* Max, spy pug
* Names in the book were well chosen, not common, but not trendy
* Evan Hadwin, Cade's best friend and MI6 protégé
* Cover is cool, but I didn't realize what it depicted until I enlarged it
Dislikes:
* Series is named for Cade and so far, he's been distracted and made several mistakes, I was more impressed with Brooke
* Bad guys were wearing SWAT uniforms
* Took their dog on the run with them
With-reservations:
attack, kidnapping, on the run, sniper shots, stealing, trespassing, breaking and entering, spying, terrorists
For-review:
Received a free review copy from author for [We ♥ YA Books!] ARR #187
Catholic reference:
Entered a church during confessions
It is very difficult to write books that would appeal to both middle school boys and girls and I think Bern very successfully did that.
Excellent book for Alex Rider & Young James Bond fans. IMO better than Net Force Explorers:Virtual Vandals, S.T.O.R.M.: The Infinity Code or Spy Goddess:Live and Let Shop and on par with IQ:Independence Hall, Spy High Mission One and Cherub:The Recruit. Just be careful of YA content vs middle school content. This was excellent for a middle school spy book.
Likes:
* Fraternal twins, Cade & Brooke, born into a family of spies
* Max, spy pug
* Names in the book were well chosen, not common, but not trendy
* Evan Hadwin, Cade's best friend and MI6 protégé
* Cover is cool, but I didn't realize what it depicted until I enlarged it
Dislikes:
* Series is named for Cade and so far, he's been distracted and made several mistakes, I was more impressed with Brooke
* Bad guys were wearing SWAT uniforms
* Took their dog on the run with them
With-reservations:
attack, kidnapping, on the run, sniper shots, stealing, trespassing, breaking and entering, spying, terrorists
For-review:
Received a free review copy from author for [We ♥ YA Books!] ARR #187
Catholic reference:
Entered a church during confessions
April 4, 2014
Twin teens Cade and Brooke Knight are very familiar with spies. After all, they were born into a family of spies. Their parents are elite government agents with secrets even Cade and Brooke don’t know about. Cade enjoys helping his dad on some projects, like developing the J-phone. The phone designed for the President that will take the place of the nuclear football. The phone that could launch a nuclear war and still play angry birds. Cade really liked helping his dad but all that changes when the J-phone goes missing along with the twin’s parents. Cade and Brooke are suddenly thrown into a sinister international plot that threatens the world’s safety. The twins have limited time to find their family and find the J -phone.
The action and adventure in this book is marvelous! It really keeps the reader hooked. This is a very well-written and carefully edited story. The spy parts are very believable and realistic. I really enjoyed the story. Mr. Bern kept me on the edge of my seat! I think that he wrote a story as good as the 39 Clues series, just for a bit older readers The book is rated as a YA but, the action and violence is totally appropriate for MG readers. The reading level is more YA and that made it more enjoyable for me. There is some cussing, but not much, and it is fine, looking at the age the book is meant for. There is a bit of humor too mixed in too. The book takes place in and around Washington DC, one of my favorite cities. I really enjoyed the images Mr. Bern created around the city. I believe that 39 Clues fans will enjoy this book a lot. Cade is a great character. You understand why he feels the way he feels. His mother was kidnapped, for Pete’s sake! Brooke is also an enjoyable character as is the whole Knight family.I really hope for a book 2!
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
The action and adventure in this book is marvelous! It really keeps the reader hooked. This is a very well-written and carefully edited story. The spy parts are very believable and realistic. I really enjoyed the story. Mr. Bern kept me on the edge of my seat! I think that he wrote a story as good as the 39 Clues series, just for a bit older readers The book is rated as a YA but, the action and violence is totally appropriate for MG readers. The reading level is more YA and that made it more enjoyable for me. There is some cussing, but not much, and it is fine, looking at the age the book is meant for. There is a bit of humor too mixed in too. The book takes place in and around Washington DC, one of my favorite cities. I really enjoyed the images Mr. Bern created around the city. I believe that 39 Clues fans will enjoy this book a lot. Cade is a great character. You understand why he feels the way he feels. His mother was kidnapped, for Pete’s sake! Brooke is also an enjoyable character as is the whole Knight family.I really hope for a book 2!
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
October 27, 2013
First of all thanks to Brian Bern for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Sword of Damocles is an exciting, easy to read, and hard to put down novel. The breakneck pace of the story draws the reader on, and the simple use of the language to convey the story make it that much easier to read just one more page, and another, and another until you realize it's 2AM and that you're still reading! However, the simple writing evokes full images, cast and settings. The plot is excellent, full of unexpected twists and turns. Right when you think it's over, it's not. It's impossibly hard to guess what happens next. You're literally at the edge! I'd say it was one of the most exciting, suspenseful, and non-boring books I've read lately. Cade is a mix of James Bond and Alex Rider but he also get a kickass sidekick, his his twin sister Brooke. This is the first book in a serie that will be about the Knight family, i don't know if the next one will be told from Cade POV but with both parents working for the CIA and a sister that want to follow their mon steps as a spy we're sure to get plenty of action no matter who's the main protagonist! Thumbs up to Brian Bern who did an outstanding job for a first novel, Anthony Horowitz should be scared, there's serious competition on the way! I'm definitely looking forward to read what's coming next.
Sword of Damocles is an exciting, easy to read, and hard to put down novel. The breakneck pace of the story draws the reader on, and the simple use of the language to convey the story make it that much easier to read just one more page, and another, and another until you realize it's 2AM and that you're still reading! However, the simple writing evokes full images, cast and settings. The plot is excellent, full of unexpected twists and turns. Right when you think it's over, it's not. It's impossibly hard to guess what happens next. You're literally at the edge! I'd say it was one of the most exciting, suspenseful, and non-boring books I've read lately. Cade is a mix of James Bond and Alex Rider but he also get a kickass sidekick, his his twin sister Brooke. This is the first book in a serie that will be about the Knight family, i don't know if the next one will be told from Cade POV but with both parents working for the CIA and a sister that want to follow their mon steps as a spy we're sure to get plenty of action no matter who's the main protagonist! Thumbs up to Brian Bern who did an outstanding job for a first novel, Anthony Horowitz should be scared, there's serious competition on the way! I'm definitely looking forward to read what's coming next.
October 21, 2014
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? Yes, I like it. Very spy-ish, action-y, and attention-grabbing. It also doesn't make it look like a self-published novel. I could easily see this on store shelves.
Characters: Cade and Brooke are two very resourceful, quick-thinking, and intelligent teen protagonists. I was happy to find that I never got frustrated with them for being too slow or making bad decisions that ultimately resulted in a situation that could have totally be avoided if they had just paid attention. Evan, their friend, is also a great secondary character, who tags along in Cade and Brooke's quest for answers with few questions - just like a good friend. I can't say that the villain was all that terrifying. While realistic enough, he lacked the ingenuity and malice that is so characteristic of spy novel villains. Yes, I am actually complaining about the lack of cliche. But I won't hold it against the book. :-)
The Romance: There isn't any! Well, not really. Cade has a crush on Brooke's friend, and Brooke has a crush of Evan, but it's just barely mentioned.
Plot: Cade and Brooke's parents work for the government - more specifically, the secret and special branches of the government. Cade's father develops new technology for spies, and Cade often helps him with it. One little invention they're both proud of is the J-Phone - especially the one specifically developed for the President of the United States. It has an app that allows the President to initiate a nuclear attack at just the press of a few buttons. But things go horribly wrong when the J-Phone goes missing, Cade and Brooke's parents vanish off the grid, and unmarked cars and people start chasing after them. Cade and Brooke need to find the J-Phone and rescue their parents before it's too late. From the beginning, the Reader knows who has stolen the J-Phone and pretty much everything that the villain is doing, so there aren't all that many twists going on. I was a little disappointed with this, because it made me lose interest in Cade and Brooke's quest for answers. While they are in the dark, we Readers aren't, and it gets a little slow reading about their plans to get evidence. We know who has their mom, we know who has the J-Phone, and we know pretty much what they're planning to do with it. That said, it isn't a bad plot. The J-Phone sounded kind of silly at first, when I read the synopsis, but it's actually a pretty neat little gadget, and the plot is rather believable. There's car chases and spying; evasion and clever techie stuff. Before Cade and Brooke really bunker down and start planning what to do next; when they're still totally on the run with no safe places, there were lots of moments when my adrenaline was up. I only wish there had been a bit more mystery behind what was going on.
Believability: The only plausible flaw that kept nagging at me was the fact that Cade and Brooke knew so much about what their parents did. Not only that, but Cade was actually involved in a lot of his dad's projects. It didn't ring as entirely believable to me.
Writing Style: Third person, past tense. There were actually very few typos and grammatical errors; I counted roughly five or seven very minor flaws. At times, the narration did get bogged down with too much technical details, though that is only to be expected in a spy novel. But the one thing I truly have to applaud the Author for is his ability to write car chasing scenes. These are not easy to convey on paper without it 1)dragging and 2)getting confusing. There was none of that.
Content: None.
Conclusion: The climax is blessedly short, and I mean that as a compliment. Normally, climaxes in action novels are dragged out for far too long, but the Author sticks with exciting, yet a reasonable length, creating even more suspense than if he had prolonged it. And he also keeps us in the dark about Cade's plans, so there's some mystery finally creeping in. Sword of Damocles isn't quite Alex Rider. But it is a lot of fun. We have intelligent protagonists, a plausible plot, fun gadgets (that are also plausible), and an Author who knows how to write action scenes without getting in too deep. Despite its minor flaws, I definitely think its pros outweigh them.
Recommended Audience: Girl-and-guy read, thirteen-and-up, great for fans of Alex Rider and Young James Bond.
Characters: Cade and Brooke are two very resourceful, quick-thinking, and intelligent teen protagonists. I was happy to find that I never got frustrated with them for being too slow or making bad decisions that ultimately resulted in a situation that could have totally be avoided if they had just paid attention. Evan, their friend, is also a great secondary character, who tags along in Cade and Brooke's quest for answers with few questions - just like a good friend. I can't say that the villain was all that terrifying. While realistic enough, he lacked the ingenuity and malice that is so characteristic of spy novel villains. Yes, I am actually complaining about the lack of cliche. But I won't hold it against the book. :-)
The Romance: There isn't any! Well, not really. Cade has a crush on Brooke's friend, and Brooke has a crush of Evan, but it's just barely mentioned.
Plot: Cade and Brooke's parents work for the government - more specifically, the secret and special branches of the government. Cade's father develops new technology for spies, and Cade often helps him with it. One little invention they're both proud of is the J-Phone - especially the one specifically developed for the President of the United States. It has an app that allows the President to initiate a nuclear attack at just the press of a few buttons. But things go horribly wrong when the J-Phone goes missing, Cade and Brooke's parents vanish off the grid, and unmarked cars and people start chasing after them. Cade and Brooke need to find the J-Phone and rescue their parents before it's too late. From the beginning, the Reader knows who has stolen the J-Phone and pretty much everything that the villain is doing, so there aren't all that many twists going on. I was a little disappointed with this, because it made me lose interest in Cade and Brooke's quest for answers. While they are in the dark, we Readers aren't, and it gets a little slow reading about their plans to get evidence. We know who has their mom, we know who has the J-Phone, and we know pretty much what they're planning to do with it. That said, it isn't a bad plot. The J-Phone sounded kind of silly at first, when I read the synopsis, but it's actually a pretty neat little gadget, and the plot is rather believable. There's car chases and spying; evasion and clever techie stuff. Before Cade and Brooke really bunker down and start planning what to do next; when they're still totally on the run with no safe places, there were lots of moments when my adrenaline was up. I only wish there had been a bit more mystery behind what was going on.
Believability: The only plausible flaw that kept nagging at me was the fact that Cade and Brooke knew so much about what their parents did. Not only that, but Cade was actually involved in a lot of his dad's projects. It didn't ring as entirely believable to me.
Writing Style: Third person, past tense. There were actually very few typos and grammatical errors; I counted roughly five or seven very minor flaws. At times, the narration did get bogged down with too much technical details, though that is only to be expected in a spy novel. But the one thing I truly have to applaud the Author for is his ability to write car chasing scenes. These are not easy to convey on paper without it 1)dragging and 2)getting confusing. There was none of that.
Content: None.
Conclusion: The climax is blessedly short, and I mean that as a compliment. Normally, climaxes in action novels are dragged out for far too long, but the Author sticks with exciting, yet a reasonable length, creating even more suspense than if he had prolonged it. And he also keeps us in the dark about Cade's plans, so there's some mystery finally creeping in. Sword of Damocles isn't quite Alex Rider. But it is a lot of fun. We have intelligent protagonists, a plausible plot, fun gadgets (that are also plausible), and an Author who knows how to write action scenes without getting in too deep. Despite its minor flaws, I definitely think its pros outweigh them.
Recommended Audience: Girl-and-guy read, thirteen-and-up, great for fans of Alex Rider and Young James Bond.
May 24, 2014
Sword of Damocles is a young adult spy novel, and in being so, a rather unique and eye-catching story. Two twin teenagers (a brother, Cade, and sister, Brooke) witness the kidnapping of their mother after, unbeknownst to them, a fancy new device is stolen from the President of the United States. They soon find out that their dad is incommunicado and suspect it has to do with the J-phone (the device stolen from the POTUS) their father has been working on. The twins smoothly escape being kidnapped themselves and proceed to show the readers how much work their mother and father took home. The kids illustrate their knowledge of tracking and tailing, safe houses, spy gadgets, how to drive a car (like James Bond, mind you), negotiating, and hand-to-hand combat. The kids spend most of the novel on the run and work towards acquiring evidence to prove their parents’ innocence. Cade enlists the help of his best friend, Evan, who apparently is an MI6 protégé and has equally handy gadgets and hideouts. The story has many exciting chase scenes and is full of edge of your seat suspense.
The book jacket indicates it is a Cade detective novel, and therefore one would think it would be written from his point of view; however, there are some moments when we switch to Brooke’s point of view. These moments are rare, but if the book isn’t going to be told from both perspectives equally, why bother? It was confusing and made me double check who’s perspective I was reading after a section break or a new chapter.
The author made it a point to show the reader that Cade really admired his sister. Brooke is established as the family member that wants to “go into the family business” and thus, one assumes she is the better spy of the two siblings. Knowing this, Cade still played the hero many times and stepped in when Brooke was completely capable of handling a situation (as her character development showed us), or deliberately took the more dangerous task out of protecting his sister. I was frustrated that the author created two incredibly strong female characters (Brooke and the twin’s mom) and instead of using them, fell back on chivalrous methods of moving the plot forward.
The two things that distracted me the most while reading this novel were the product placement and the outlandish, Hollywood style antics. Any time the kids saw a car or used some super cool item the author used a specific name for it. For instance, at one point, Cade reaches into his backpack for his “Gerber Prodigy survival knife.” This type of description happened so frequently that one would think the author was getting paid to drop product names. As for the Hollywood antics, just like when watching a modern action film, the reader really has to remove logic from their brain while reading this novel. The kids’ parents are spies, who not only talk about their job to their children, but also have them help on secret governmental projects. The two find themselves successfully maneuvering a high speed car chase, and working with the NSA help desk. Their friend, Evan, has an MI6 science fair project that conveniently aids them in finding out who their parents’ kidnappers are, and knows of a secret bunkhouse used during the Cold War. These three kids are so savvy that high school seems like a waste of time.
Though I had to set aside a lot of reality to read this novel, it was a well-crafted action story and a fun read. As many times as I rolled my eyes while reading, I did find myself unable to put it down. If you have seen the movie Spy Kids or enjoy the James Bond franchise, then you will enjoy this story. 4 stars.
The book jacket indicates it is a Cade detective novel, and therefore one would think it would be written from his point of view; however, there are some moments when we switch to Brooke’s point of view. These moments are rare, but if the book isn’t going to be told from both perspectives equally, why bother? It was confusing and made me double check who’s perspective I was reading after a section break or a new chapter.
The author made it a point to show the reader that Cade really admired his sister. Brooke is established as the family member that wants to “go into the family business” and thus, one assumes she is the better spy of the two siblings. Knowing this, Cade still played the hero many times and stepped in when Brooke was completely capable of handling a situation (as her character development showed us), or deliberately took the more dangerous task out of protecting his sister. I was frustrated that the author created two incredibly strong female characters (Brooke and the twin’s mom) and instead of using them, fell back on chivalrous methods of moving the plot forward.
The two things that distracted me the most while reading this novel were the product placement and the outlandish, Hollywood style antics. Any time the kids saw a car or used some super cool item the author used a specific name for it. For instance, at one point, Cade reaches into his backpack for his “Gerber Prodigy survival knife.” This type of description happened so frequently that one would think the author was getting paid to drop product names. As for the Hollywood antics, just like when watching a modern action film, the reader really has to remove logic from their brain while reading this novel. The kids’ parents are spies, who not only talk about their job to their children, but also have them help on secret governmental projects. The two find themselves successfully maneuvering a high speed car chase, and working with the NSA help desk. Their friend, Evan, has an MI6 science fair project that conveniently aids them in finding out who their parents’ kidnappers are, and knows of a secret bunkhouse used during the Cold War. These three kids are so savvy that high school seems like a waste of time.
Though I had to set aside a lot of reality to read this novel, it was a well-crafted action story and a fun read. As many times as I rolled my eyes while reading, I did find myself unable to put it down. If you have seen the movie Spy Kids or enjoy the James Bond franchise, then you will enjoy this story. 4 stars.
June 10, 2014
I was immediately hooked by the blurb. I mean, kids with spy parents?? And the kids are also trained? That's like a fantasy right there. How could I not read this book?
I like how Brian Bern explains the thought processes of Cade and Brooke. You are told exactly their reasoning behind their actions and their choices. You really get a nice peek inside a spy's head. THis is kind of like spy kids, only BETTER because it's not a PG movie.
Now one little thing I absolutely love. A pug SPY DOG!!! HELL YES. I have a pug, but she doesn't do much. But a pug that acts like a spy dog? DO WANT. It adds a little cuteness factor to the book.
Now, Cade Knight. He is pretty mature as well as Brooke, I mean they are both serious when it comes down to spy stuff. I like that. I means they don't mess around with serious business. The only thing I really saw that distinguished Cade differently than Brooke, is that 1. he is a guy 2.
Brooke. Well, honestly, there wasn't much difference I noted between Brooke and Cade character wise. I guess the character building could have been done better in my opinion.
Descriptive writing was decent. But I guess it didn't matter much since descriptive writing would have taken the focus away from the plot line and action. So that's okay.
THe plot line. OOO It was well done. The story moved alone nicely, and events tied in with one another perfectly. It just flowed.
Here's a thing about this book that I absolutely loved. THERE WERE NO ERRORS! Seriously, I always read books with many errors, and as an author, I get this itch that makes me want to fix the errors. But I can't since it isn't my book. I didn't have that problem with this book. It was refreshing for a change.
Here's the awesome thing. Brian adds a code at the end of the book for the readers to play spy and break. WHICH I TOTALLY DID BREAK!!! :)
I can easily see this book become a best seller. Brian Bern, you've written yourself a damn good book.
FIVE STARS
I like how Brian Bern explains the thought processes of Cade and Brooke. You are told exactly their reasoning behind their actions and their choices. You really get a nice peek inside a spy's head. THis is kind of like spy kids, only BETTER because it's not a PG movie.
Now one little thing I absolutely love. A pug SPY DOG!!! HELL YES. I have a pug, but she doesn't do much. But a pug that acts like a spy dog? DO WANT. It adds a little cuteness factor to the book.
Now, Cade Knight. He is pretty mature as well as Brooke, I mean they are both serious when it comes down to spy stuff. I like that. I means they don't mess around with serious business. The only thing I really saw that distinguished Cade differently than Brooke, is that 1. he is a guy 2.
Brooke. Well, honestly, there wasn't much difference I noted between Brooke and Cade character wise. I guess the character building could have been done better in my opinion.
Descriptive writing was decent. But I guess it didn't matter much since descriptive writing would have taken the focus away from the plot line and action. So that's okay.
THe plot line. OOO It was well done. The story moved alone nicely, and events tied in with one another perfectly. It just flowed.
Here's a thing about this book that I absolutely loved. THERE WERE NO ERRORS! Seriously, I always read books with many errors, and as an author, I get this itch that makes me want to fix the errors. But I can't since it isn't my book. I didn't have that problem with this book. It was refreshing for a change.
Here's the awesome thing. Brian adds a code at the end of the book for the readers to play spy and break. WHICH I TOTALLY DID BREAK!!! :)
I can easily see this book become a best seller. Brian Bern, you've written yourself a damn good book.
FIVE STARS
April 30, 2014
This novel in the vein of Spy Kids hits the ground running. If you think you've had a terrible birthday, read this book to see how the Knight twins win the prize for worst birthday ever.
As any spy novel, there are cool gadgets, unique hidey-holes and constant action. I enjoyed the story because it was set in DC, with much of the action happening in areas I have actually visited. By choosing this setting, Bern draws people in quite easily.
As with all things spy related, there is a point when I just don't buy the MacGyver ability to build drones out of RC helicopters. This is the reason why I don't read much in this genre. I can only take so much and then I feel like my eyes are permanently rolled up in my head.
While I feel the brother-sister relationship depicted here is a little "too perfect" I did understand how the situation pushed them to rely on each other. After loss of sleep and being forced to eat bugs, real siblings would be sniping. Not so with these two. Brooke was a little too perfect and Cade's flaws were minimal. The story would be stronger if these two didn't act so atypical.
I think middle school students will enjoy this more than older students. Even with the conflict and action, it isn't a very deep plot so more mature readers may feel disappointed. I wanted to find out what happened next, so I gave it five stars.
As any spy novel, there are cool gadgets, unique hidey-holes and constant action. I enjoyed the story because it was set in DC, with much of the action happening in areas I have actually visited. By choosing this setting, Bern draws people in quite easily.
As with all things spy related, there is a point when I just don't buy the MacGyver ability to build drones out of RC helicopters. This is the reason why I don't read much in this genre. I can only take so much and then I feel like my eyes are permanently rolled up in my head.
While I feel the brother-sister relationship depicted here is a little "too perfect" I did understand how the situation pushed them to rely on each other. After loss of sleep and being forced to eat bugs, real siblings would be sniping. Not so with these two. Brooke was a little too perfect and Cade's flaws were minimal. The story would be stronger if these two didn't act so atypical.
I think middle school students will enjoy this more than older students. Even with the conflict and action, it isn't a very deep plot so more mature readers may feel disappointed. I wanted to find out what happened next, so I gave it five stars.
March 3, 2017
Sword of Damocles is the tale of a brother and sister whose parents are involved in the intelligence community. Dad makes gadgets and Mom is some sort of super-spy. The two kids, twin siblings named Cade and Brooke are getting ready to celebrate their birthday when things go wildly crazy!
Mom is kidnapped, Dad is missing in action, the presidents high-tech nuclear capable J-phone is missing, and the kids are on the lam. They run to their Grandpa's cabin and find out it's been compromised. So they take off again and are involved in a car chase. They eventually find a safe spot ( No spoilers, but such a cool safe house!!!) and start to figure out the clues.
Due to their training by their parents, the kids are very savvy about survival techniques and ways to run surveillance on their suspects. They embark on fact finding missions, which involve a cool pellet gun gadget, Hallowe'en costumes, and even a drone! They soon discover where their mother is and come up with a plan to save the day, and the good ol' USA too.
This book was just a fun read and one with a little drama and a lot of excitement. Would definitely recommend this one to read with the family, good clean fun for all.
Mom is kidnapped, Dad is missing in action, the presidents high-tech nuclear capable J-phone is missing, and the kids are on the lam. They run to their Grandpa's cabin and find out it's been compromised. So they take off again and are involved in a car chase. They eventually find a safe spot ( No spoilers, but such a cool safe house!!!) and start to figure out the clues.
Due to their training by their parents, the kids are very savvy about survival techniques and ways to run surveillance on their suspects. They embark on fact finding missions, which involve a cool pellet gun gadget, Hallowe'en costumes, and even a drone! They soon discover where their mother is and come up with a plan to save the day, and the good ol' USA too.
This book was just a fun read and one with a little drama and a lot of excitement. Would definitely recommend this one to read with the family, good clean fun for all.
January 25, 2014
Sword of Damocles introduces us to Brooke and Cade Knight-twin spies eagerly anticipating the arrival of their fifteenth birthday. An enemy covert operation quickly changes their plans and sends them on an edge of your seat adventure. Can they rescue their mother, the J-phone and each other as their journey takes them to places they've never imagined? Brooke and Cade are so believable and likeable that you will find yourself cheering them on all the while you are gripping the book in anticipation of what happens next! I loved every minute of this book-couldn't put it down. Their story twists and turns and keeps you wanting more. The characters are multifaceted - the kind of characters that you want to see succeed and prosper. This reader can't wait to see what's in store next for the Knight family.
March 18, 2015
The goal of this book was to explain how leader power is very hard. It did exactly what it was supposed to do. I was able to realize how hard to led country . I gained a lot of respects for country-leaders.
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