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The Wizards #1
Combat Wizard
A school for developing telepathic communicators accidentally produces a psychokinetic, someone who can manipulate matter using his mind.
The ‘failure’ is sent to Afghanistan to evaluate his (slight) ability. But there are unintended consequences, including PTSD. And the psychokinetic abilities grow stronger with practice...
The ‘failure’ is sent to Afghanistan to evaluate his (slight) ability. But there are unintended consequences, including PTSD. And the psychokinetic abilities grow stronger with practice...
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 17, 2014
114 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Jack L. Knapp
28 books58 followersSoldier, teacher, author, hobbyist; my past experiences find their way into my books.
I have an imagination with few boundaries. I use that imagination extensively, particularly in my New Frontiers Series.
By contrast, imagination figures in my Darwin's World series but there's also tons of personal experience. When I describe chipping flint, I've done it. I've set traps, made and used ropes, raised horses, spent a lot of time in the deep woods. But the series is really not about survival; that's how it begins, but by the time you reach The Return, it's begun to change to hard SF. I'm currently writing Defending Eden, which is not only hard SF, it has elements of space opera.
The Wizards Series is about wish fulfillment. Who wouldn't want to find buried treasure, move huge objects, fly, and do in bad guys? With side journeys into saving lives and fighting wildfires?
As for my novella, Hands, expect everything from grins to belly laughs. And then there's the stand-alone short story, Ants, which offers a different view of where the New Frontiers Series might have gone.
One work-in-progress, two more in the pipeline, and a new home page: http//jacklknapp.com/home
In other words, I'm nowhere near ready to retire!
I have an imagination with few boundaries. I use that imagination extensively, particularly in my New Frontiers Series.
By contrast, imagination figures in my Darwin's World series but there's also tons of personal experience. When I describe chipping flint, I've done it. I've set traps, made and used ropes, raised horses, spent a lot of time in the deep woods. But the series is really not about survival; that's how it begins, but by the time you reach The Return, it's begun to change to hard SF. I'm currently writing Defending Eden, which is not only hard SF, it has elements of space opera.
The Wizards Series is about wish fulfillment. Who wouldn't want to find buried treasure, move huge objects, fly, and do in bad guys? With side journeys into saving lives and fighting wildfires?
As for my novella, Hands, expect everything from grins to belly laughs. And then there's the stand-alone short story, Ants, which offers a different view of where the New Frontiers Series might have gone.
One work-in-progress, two more in the pipeline, and a new home page: http//jacklknapp.com/home
In other words, I'm nowhere near ready to retire!
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 13, 2018
It starts well
And then the wheels start to fall off.
The early chapters have a solid and authentic feel. The ‘magic’ system seems solid and the characters have depth. The nurse shows up and adds to the mix, then...wait, what?
Why did she leave? Why did he spills his guts about all of his powers to her seconds after meeting her? What happened to the Colonel?
There was ZERO motivation for her to leave. The interlude with the general was out of left field.
Insurmountable plot holes killed this for me. I quit just short of halfway through because the nurse shouldn’t have left. Absolutely no reason for her to abandon her post. In fact, leaving complicates their lives to no possible advantage. It was a pointless choice.
Clean grammar and spelling. A few acronyms that could’ve been explained better.
Massive plot hole.
And then the wheels start to fall off.
The early chapters have a solid and authentic feel. The ‘magic’ system seems solid and the characters have depth. The nurse shows up and adds to the mix, then...wait, what?
Why did she leave? Why did he spills his guts about all of his powers to her seconds after meeting her? What happened to the Colonel?
There was ZERO motivation for her to leave. The interlude with the general was out of left field.
Insurmountable plot holes killed this for me. I quit just short of halfway through because the nurse shouldn’t have left. Absolutely no reason for her to abandon her post. In fact, leaving complicates their lives to no possible advantage. It was a pointless choice.
Clean grammar and spelling. A few acronyms that could’ve been explained better.
Massive plot hole.
February 23, 2015
Combat Wizard starts with a bang, brings on board interesting characters that the reader will care about, some of whom have unusual talents that sets them apart from the rest of humanity. The pace slows in the middle of the book and then picks up again, finishing with fast action. The main character, T, has unique powers of telekinesis and a defense mechanism that makes him nearly impervious to physical harm. However, the government has an insurance chip that until T can neutralize that failsafe, he is in real danger. Combat Wizard is another example proving Indie Authors do write good books. I wholeheartedly recommend it to readers who like psychic scifi.
December 27, 2016
I have already read the ebook and decided to read the print version after hearing that the author did some revisions before going to print. I liked this before and still do. It is well written, keeps you turning the pages, and the main character is someone you want to see stay alive. I think the author does an excellent job slipping in commentary on social and political issues with a strong dash of rational thinking.
If you like thrillers with a paranormal bent, this is for you.
If you like thrillers with a paranormal bent, this is for you.
February 1, 2021
The wizards of this Jack L. Knapp series all possess psychic abilities of some sort. The hero is a disappointment to a secret government school to train these individuals and is farmed out to the army as a way of getting rid of an embarrassment. He’s serving in Afghanistan where his skills continue to develop. Then he learns that almost all the other alumni of the school have been murdered courtesy of an explosive chip implanted in their necks. Not wishing to be killed, “T” goes underground with another psychic and begins to try and figure out how to save his life.
Knapp builds tension well in this book. There is always a threat to be handled and, as everyone reading would expect, the authorities from the school are not willing to let “T” just disappear. I felt that a little too much time was spent practicing with powers, but then again, the heroes did need to practice and develop so I’m not certain that is a fair complaint. By the end of the book, however, the main cast seems pretty competent so I think that the next novel promises to put more energy into plot and less into “skill building”.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
Knapp builds tension well in this book. There is always a threat to be handled and, as everyone reading would expect, the authorities from the school are not willing to let “T” just disappear. I felt that a little too much time was spent practicing with powers, but then again, the heroes did need to practice and develop so I’m not certain that is a fair complaint. By the end of the book, however, the main cast seems pretty competent so I think that the next novel promises to put more energy into plot and less into “skill building”.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
April 30, 2019
A JLK. SYFY. Military Adventure Mystery Novel/Paranormal-ESO (TWSB - 1)/Not a Comparison, but Shades of "The Firestarter"
JLK. has. penned the first SYFY. novel, Combat Wizard, in the same collection of a Stephen King novel. A very unique approach to telekinesis and psychokinesis. It is a fascinating subject and just around the corner for humanity. There have not been any reports of objects that were moved with valid reports. However, there have been reports of children seeing into the future and even the past. These children are considered dysfunctional personalities. This is a scary area for our minds to grasp, but the simplicity of a young child thought process is not confused with traditional garbage. Their minds are side open. A classical example was a young child whose mother played classical music while she was pregnant with him. He later became a classical musician. Leonard Bernstein. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
JLK. has. penned the first SYFY. novel, Combat Wizard, in the same collection of a Stephen King novel. A very unique approach to telekinesis and psychokinesis. It is a fascinating subject and just around the corner for humanity. There have not been any reports of objects that were moved with valid reports. However, there have been reports of children seeing into the future and even the past. These children are considered dysfunctional personalities. This is a scary area for our minds to grasp, but the simplicity of a young child thought process is not confused with traditional garbage. Their minds are side open. A classical example was a young child whose mother played classical music while she was pregnant with him. He later became a classical musician. Leonard Bernstein. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
July 21, 2021
The narrator killed any chance this book might have had. He mispronounced several common words and detracted from the story.
Unfortunately the story wasn't that great either. It had a good premise and a slow start but I thought it might improve. However, the story just dragged along with practically nothing happening except for the main character telling other characters about his experiences, we never actually got to see these experience. Even when he learnt about his psi-bubble, it was a retelling of the experience by the MC.
I managed 9 chapters and then gave up.
I received a free copy of the audiobook and chose to write a review.
Unfortunately the story wasn't that great either. It had a good premise and a slow start but I thought it might improve. However, the story just dragged along with practically nothing happening except for the main character telling other characters about his experiences, we never actually got to see these experience. Even when he learnt about his psi-bubble, it was a retelling of the experience by the MC.
I managed 9 chapters and then gave up.
I received a free copy of the audiobook and chose to write a review.
April 13, 2020
Return of the Psi Warrior
Those familiar with older Science Fiction will find lots of points of similarity with some classic stories and especially one of Larry Niven's old characters.
Please be clear, this is not a rehashing of Niven, Andre Norton, Alan Nourse or other classic authors. The author has built a plausible group of characters for our time using current memes and cultural legends. The writing is solid and the characters are very human, not simply omnipotent super beings. Well worth the read and fun as well.
Those familiar with older Science Fiction will find lots of points of similarity with some classic stories and especially one of Larry Niven's old characters.
Please be clear, this is not a rehashing of Niven, Andre Norton, Alan Nourse or other classic authors. The author has built a plausible group of characters for our time using current memes and cultural legends. The writing is solid and the characters are very human, not simply omnipotent super beings. Well worth the read and fun as well.
February 19, 2020
Clever writing!!
Present a unique problem and a unique way to fix it, you have a good story. I like how it seems they can add new members to their team. The younger man, older woman is a nice concept. Keep writing!
Present a unique problem and a unique way to fix it, you have a good story. I like how it seems they can add new members to their team. The younger man, older woman is a nice concept. Keep writing!
July 14, 2017
Excellent
Very well thought story. Would like to read the second part of third.. How their powers came to be and evolving even more.
Very well thought story. Would like to read the second part of third.. How their powers came to be and evolving even more.
October 23, 2019
Ok book
Could not finish it started good but went downhill very fast...very wordy and whiny ..could not get through that part of the book
Could not finish it started good but went downhill very fast...very wordy and whiny ..could not get through that part of the book
March 8, 2020
Welcome to a unique and interesting sci-fi psychic-thriller. A black op government training program recruits volunteers who possess a telepathic or telekinetic talent. The genius behind this program thought the U.S. Intelligence Agencies could use these talented people to mind-spy on our enemies. I’m already thinking this is an old concept. Our MC, “T” as he is known, is skilled in telepathy (TP) and psychokinesis (PK); meaning he can manipulate matter using his mind. He has also developed a defensive “bubble” that can protect him from serious injury. Many of the recruits become disillusioned with the program as the true purpose is made clear. Several are placed on missions, the rest rebel or desert. This is not looked upon favorably by the program leader. Additional problems arise and the program is disbanded. Time to clean house, leaving no witnesses. So the characters are introduced and the groundwork is laid for this new series. BTW…what’s up with Chezzy? There are some glitches here and there but the series has great potential. Three.point.five. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
July 16, 2019
This tale is a slow start but it establishes the magic system for the story. The military has trained a select few to use their ESP skills. T is skilled in psychokinetics and has also developed a kind of defensive shield that makes him hard to kill. He meets a few other special people and together they discover that the military has installed a kill button in each of them, making it tricky for them to disappear and deadly to disobey orders.
The story felt like a final draft, needing a few things addressed. T goes on and on about the need to keep his special skills secret yet he does spill his guts a few times without much reason. Chezzy (not sure on spelling) and Surfer become his special telepath buddies as each of them makes plans to extricate themselves from this military program. Yet each character takes actions that feel a bit sudden and don’t have strong motivations, making the plot a little jarring at times.
A good chunk of the story takes place in the desert Southwest, which I liked. Our heroes investigate the possibility of surgically removing the kill button, and that means plenty of time in El Paso and Juarez. They also hide out in the Jemez (New Mexico).
There are few women in the story, Chezzy being the chief among them. She starts off as a sex object, but then gets a little role. Her character grows a bit and then she goes right back to being the romantic interest. Obviously I would have liked to see more women in the story, and doing stuff other than being romantic interests.
As the tale progresses, each of the characters gets a little whiny, creating some emotional drama for themselves, which spurred the plot onward. It was more than I needed and I started to lose interest. The story ends with some things wrapped up but a few bigger issues open, ready for a sequel. 3/5 stars.
The Narration: Matthew Berry’s narration could use some polishing. He has a good voice for T and did well with T’s various emotions throughout the story. Berry mispronounces several words throughout the story, including various military terms (brigadier) and Spanish words (Juarez). Admittedly, this drove me a little crazy. His pacing was slow, so I sped up the playspeed. Berry does have a good female voice for Chezzy. This is one of Berry’s earlier narrations and I recently listened to one of his latest narrations (Trail of Blood) and there is improvement. 3/5 stars.
I received a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own.
The story felt like a final draft, needing a few things addressed. T goes on and on about the need to keep his special skills secret yet he does spill his guts a few times without much reason. Chezzy (not sure on spelling) and Surfer become his special telepath buddies as each of them makes plans to extricate themselves from this military program. Yet each character takes actions that feel a bit sudden and don’t have strong motivations, making the plot a little jarring at times.
A good chunk of the story takes place in the desert Southwest, which I liked. Our heroes investigate the possibility of surgically removing the kill button, and that means plenty of time in El Paso and Juarez. They also hide out in the Jemez (New Mexico).
There are few women in the story, Chezzy being the chief among them. She starts off as a sex object, but then gets a little role. Her character grows a bit and then she goes right back to being the romantic interest. Obviously I would have liked to see more women in the story, and doing stuff other than being romantic interests.
As the tale progresses, each of the characters gets a little whiny, creating some emotional drama for themselves, which spurred the plot onward. It was more than I needed and I started to lose interest. The story ends with some things wrapped up but a few bigger issues open, ready for a sequel. 3/5 stars.
The Narration: Matthew Berry’s narration could use some polishing. He has a good voice for T and did well with T’s various emotions throughout the story. Berry mispronounces several words throughout the story, including various military terms (brigadier) and Spanish words (Juarez). Admittedly, this drove me a little crazy. His pacing was slow, so I sped up the playspeed. Berry does have a good female voice for Chezzy. This is one of Berry’s earlier narrations and I recently listened to one of his latest narrations (Trail of Blood) and there is improvement. 3/5 stars.
I received a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own.
June 29, 2014
Excellent start on an interesting series.
November 27, 2015
I liked the book, but it tended to bog down throughout; it also repeated some information unnecessarily a few times.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews