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Phoenix Splinter
Nineteen-year-old Keith Groenewald is an escaped experiment from Area Fifty-One. Harbored by a secret society, Veluz, Keith develops his telekinetic abilities, making him a key weapon for their covert missions. While working as part of an elite mercenary force, Keith is unsettled by rumors that Veluz may have orchestrated the experimentation that gave him his powers.With each passing mission he learns his purpose goes far beyond that of a corporate pawn or mercenary-for-hire. His very existence is other worldly, not just alien, but something far more profound.As he delves deeper into Veluz and their sinister goals of worldwide economic and political dominance, he pulls away from friends, family, and his hopes for a normal life—only to discover that every truth has its price and this one may cost him everything.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 30, 2012
3 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 6, 2020
A debut book from my good friend, I must say, it was enjoyable from start to finish!
Branli Caidryn's debut novel focuses on Keith, your not-so-average 19 year old college student and his mysterious powers he developed in an 'accident' of sorts many years ago. As a part of an all-powerful, secret organization, Keith is forced to go on mysterious missions while balancing his life, his family, and his ever evolving powers.
The book starts off with a bang, literally, with a building collapsing and a police standoff and doesn't let up from there. The book is a fairly quick read, but only because you won't want to put it down once you start (or at least that's how it was for me). Each passing chapter adds a new layer to the mystery and only a few answers are revealed by the end of the book, leaving you dying to find out what is going to happen to Keith's world now.
Phoenix Splinter was, as I've said, a complete and joyous surprise to me. The basic premise may sound similar to some other series but it wildly diverges from any expected cliches. The action is fast and well written (as is the rest of the book) but always manages to slow down enough to allow us as readers to catch our breath and explore the real life plight of Keith and his family. Being under witness protection isn't easy and Mr Caidryn explores this side of the drama fantastically, interjecting it at just the right moments in the plot to make the story just that much deeper.
Overall, I highly HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone looking for a good new read from a relatively unknown author. It's a great bit of sci-fi/action storytelling and sets up the rest of the series to really be something truly remarkable!
Branli Caidryn's debut novel focuses on Keith, your not-so-average 19 year old college student and his mysterious powers he developed in an 'accident' of sorts many years ago. As a part of an all-powerful, secret organization, Keith is forced to go on mysterious missions while balancing his life, his family, and his ever evolving powers.
The book starts off with a bang, literally, with a building collapsing and a police standoff and doesn't let up from there. The book is a fairly quick read, but only because you won't want to put it down once you start (or at least that's how it was for me). Each passing chapter adds a new layer to the mystery and only a few answers are revealed by the end of the book, leaving you dying to find out what is going to happen to Keith's world now.
Phoenix Splinter was, as I've said, a complete and joyous surprise to me. The basic premise may sound similar to some other series but it wildly diverges from any expected cliches. The action is fast and well written (as is the rest of the book) but always manages to slow down enough to allow us as readers to catch our breath and explore the real life plight of Keith and his family. Being under witness protection isn't easy and Mr Caidryn explores this side of the drama fantastically, interjecting it at just the right moments in the plot to make the story just that much deeper.
Overall, I highly HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone looking for a good new read from a relatively unknown author. It's a great bit of sci-fi/action storytelling and sets up the rest of the series to really be something truly remarkable!
September 4, 2012
This book captured me from the first sentence! “I thought I was dead.” That is probably the second best first line I’ve read! Keith was a very awesome, believable character. I liked how Mr. Caidryn penned him, introducing him with so little background, and allowing his actions to define him. It was almost masterful!
I have no idea what living under witness protection is like, but from the sounds of this book, it’s pretty stressful. Add to that Keith’s abilities and how he struggles with them, and you’ve got something pretty interesting. However, Mr. Caidryn didn’t stop there. That alone could have made a pretty decent story. No. Enter the secret society!
Shivers and goose flesh! That made the action non-stop, the way they were always in the shadows, always pushing, prodding, threatening! It was Alphas meets Bourne! I don’t normally read this type of book, so I have nothing book-wise to compare it to.
This book is like an ONION! When each chapter ended, the only thing you could think about was reading the NEXT one! OMW! What was going on? What were you going to find out next? The plot was so well orchestrated! It was *singing* AMAZING!
Phoenix Splinter was such a pleasure to read, and such a quick read! I highly recommend it! I can’t wait for the next book!
I have no idea what living under witness protection is like, but from the sounds of this book, it’s pretty stressful. Add to that Keith’s abilities and how he struggles with them, and you’ve got something pretty interesting. However, Mr. Caidryn didn’t stop there. That alone could have made a pretty decent story. No. Enter the secret society!
Shivers and goose flesh! That made the action non-stop, the way they were always in the shadows, always pushing, prodding, threatening! It was Alphas meets Bourne! I don’t normally read this type of book, so I have nothing book-wise to compare it to.
This book is like an ONION! When each chapter ended, the only thing you could think about was reading the NEXT one! OMW! What was going on? What were you going to find out next? The plot was so well orchestrated! It was *singing* AMAZING!
Phoenix Splinter was such a pleasure to read, and such a quick read! I highly recommend it! I can’t wait for the next book!
February 20, 2013
This was a FirstReads giveaway.
This is a difficult book to review (I know I say that a lot, but whatever. It's true). I can think of so many tings I didn't like about it. The two sides of the story: Keith's work as a mercenary and his life as a college student didn't really mesh, and at times it felt like I was reading a sequel. There is so much backstory that we only get a glimpse of, something to do with Area 51 and alien pendants and witness protection ...
On the other hand, this is a really fun read. It doesn't have hidden depths, I didn't absolutely love the characters, the writing was fairly good but not fantastic, yet I ended up quite enjoying it for reasons I can't quite put my finger on.
Overall, if you're looking for an action-adventure story, you could do a lot worse than Phoenix Splinter.
This is a difficult book to review (I know I say that a lot, but whatever. It's true). I can think of so many tings I didn't like about it. The two sides of the story: Keith's work as a mercenary and his life as a college student didn't really mesh, and at times it felt like I was reading a sequel. There is so much backstory that we only get a glimpse of, something to do with Area 51 and alien pendants and witness protection ...
On the other hand, this is a really fun read. It doesn't have hidden depths, I didn't absolutely love the characters, the writing was fairly good but not fantastic, yet I ended up quite enjoying it for reasons I can't quite put my finger on.
Overall, if you're looking for an action-adventure story, you could do a lot worse than Phoenix Splinter.
March 7, 2013
I'm an avid reader; although I'm not generally a sci-fi fan I do enjoy a good conspiracy theory story. So once I started this book, I immediately got caught up in the story and the main character. Even though he might be different than everyone else, I could relate to him as a person. The scenes were well thought out without having too many details that would distract me from the story. There's lots of action with a few twists and turns to keep things interesting. Just enough to give the story some "meat" but not bombarding me with too much going on.
If your looking for a quick read that is interesting, fast paced, with a relatable main character than I recommend this book. Whether you're a sci-fi fan or not, this book will not disappoint.
If your looking for a quick read that is interesting, fast paced, with a relatable main character than I recommend this book. Whether you're a sci-fi fan or not, this book will not disappoint.
January 10, 2013
Branli has created a wonderful charachter in a world where the distinction between the good guys and the bad guys is unclear. I enjoyed the action dialogue more than the storyline. It almost seemed as though two authors were writing. Having said, I look forward to seeing how Branli continues the story. Whatever else, this story is enjoyable, plausible and well written. My greatest compliment is to say I will follow both this author and this story. Lastly, I always enjoy "stand alone" books more than series. Not only did Branli make this a series, but it ended with me looking for the next chapter, not the next book. Abrubt is the authors style and it works for him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews