What do you think?
Rate this book
Tarnished Sterling #1
Shadowboy
Travis Colfax was born into the Hero life. His parents were pillars of the community, and he became a sidekick at the age of nine. He is the only member of the family to not manifest a power. His sister has extraordinary speed. His brother can talk to the dead. Seven years in, he's starting to have his doubts about continuing a career in Heroics. Plagued by his own failures, he's giving serious thought to simply hanging up the mask for good and moving on. If only he knew what he wanted to do with his life. The rest of the Hero community grows distracted by an alien threat and they overlook a far more human danger lurking in New Port Arthur. A few missing Gang members and a rambling madman leads Travis to stumble upon a calculating, lethal scientist whose plans have so far eluded the notice of the authorities, despite a trail of corpses left behind. As the trajectory of Doctor Omicron's plan unravels, Travis discovers he must find himself and muster what help he can before the amoral researcher unleashes an even greater danger on an unsuspecting world.
- GenresSuperheroes
377 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2014
5 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 27, 2015
An action-packed superhero mystery/thriller with plenty of fight scenes and decent character development, but a little repetitive and lacking a strong story arc.
The good:
-The action is described in a modest, minimalist voice that tends to lend more credibility.
-There are conflicts, squabbles, and nitpicking… even among the good guys, which gives them some depth and keeps things more interesting.
-The fight scenes are pretty entertaining, although the tone (things like, "I gave him a fist for his trouble") sometimes reminds me of the old Calvin & Hobbes "Tracer Bullet" strips (which in turn are mimicking over-the-top hard-core hard-boiled detective novels).
The bad:
-Mainly a lack of focus or build: things seem to just progress along, like episodes in a never-ending TV show. Instead of a cohesive story, it feels like a bunch of little mini-stories strung together. The progression of events makes sense--don't get me wrong--but there's not much sense of the overall goal or a rising danger. From about 1/4 of the way through to 3/4 of the way through, the book drags because of this.
-The occasional typo or poorly researched fact (ex: Travis, a hard-core hero who beats on aliens and bad guys with his ultra-fit body, runs a marathon (a good sign of hard-coreness)… but he does it in 8 hours, a ridiculously slow marathon time).
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
The good:
-The action is described in a modest, minimalist voice that tends to lend more credibility.
-There are conflicts, squabbles, and nitpicking… even among the good guys, which gives them some depth and keeps things more interesting.
-The fight scenes are pretty entertaining, although the tone (things like, "I gave him a fist for his trouble") sometimes reminds me of the old Calvin & Hobbes "Tracer Bullet" strips (which in turn are mimicking over-the-top hard-core hard-boiled detective novels).
The bad:
-Mainly a lack of focus or build: things seem to just progress along, like episodes in a never-ending TV show. Instead of a cohesive story, it feels like a bunch of little mini-stories strung together. The progression of events makes sense--don't get me wrong--but there's not much sense of the overall goal or a rising danger. From about 1/4 of the way through to 3/4 of the way through, the book drags because of this.
-The occasional typo or poorly researched fact (ex: Travis, a hard-core hero who beats on aliens and bad guys with his ultra-fit body, runs a marathon (a good sign of hard-coreness)… but he does it in 8 hours, a ridiculously slow marathon time).
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
October 15, 2014
Oh, Meursault
I learned about this new book from David Beckett’s recommendation and from a mention on the Reason Magazine website. Author Robert McCarroll seems a very intelligent gent. I was quite impressed to see that Shadowboy had earned a stellar Amazon rating average of 4.6 (4.2 on Goodreads)out of 5 stars and that it numbered in the top 60 fantasy and sci-fi Kindle downloads. Despite the comments of Amazon reader “Art” who said, “I hate to complain about proofreading with indie books, but here there are enough problems for it to be a real distraction at times,” I sense these typos and grammar flaws do not prevent the majority of readers from enjoying MCCarroll’s original superhero story. Anyway, I don’t get too worked up about that stuff. I do wish I had been quick and savvy enough to take advantage of the author’s promotion during which Shadowboy was available for just 99 cents. I’m pleased to see that a sequel “is drafted and may soon be on an editor's desk.” As I try to support self-published writers, I’ll probably investigate McCarroll’s previous novel entitled The Cure. I wonder if it is about that band…
I learned about this new book from David Beckett’s recommendation and from a mention on the Reason Magazine website. Author Robert McCarroll seems a very intelligent gent. I was quite impressed to see that Shadowboy had earned a stellar Amazon rating average of 4.6 (4.2 on Goodreads)out of 5 stars and that it numbered in the top 60 fantasy and sci-fi Kindle downloads. Despite the comments of Amazon reader “Art” who said, “I hate to complain about proofreading with indie books, but here there are enough problems for it to be a real distraction at times,” I sense these typos and grammar flaws do not prevent the majority of readers from enjoying MCCarroll’s original superhero story. Anyway, I don’t get too worked up about that stuff. I do wish I had been quick and savvy enough to take advantage of the author’s promotion during which Shadowboy was available for just 99 cents. I’m pleased to see that a sequel “is drafted and may soon be on an editor's desk.” As I try to support self-published writers, I’ll probably investigate McCarroll’s previous novel entitled The Cure. I wonder if it is about that band…
June 23, 2019
This book was really fun and had some interesting ideas. The beginning was especially strong in that it showed our main character being annoyed by the beurocracy of heroism. In fact, it explores a facet of something I think a lot of popular super hero stuff, such as My Hero Academia, negelect. Being that, in a world where being a hero is a job, a kind of automation comes with it. Heroism is a commodity when it becomes a choosen profession.
However, my big issue was that the MC came off like a very typical, hard life but tough exterior type. This isn't bad but it really isn't for me.
Overall, it was a fun romp with some flash in the pan brillance. I will be checking out the rest of the series in due time.
However, my big issue was that the MC came off like a very typical, hard life but tough exterior type. This isn't bad but it really isn't for me.
Overall, it was a fun romp with some flash in the pan brillance. I will be checking out the rest of the series in due time.
March 30, 2015
.5 / 5. So not quite the full 5 I gave it....
This book is fun. It has a few issues but I found it very easy to overlook them due to everything else about the book.
In a world of heros our protagonist, Shadowboy, is continuing the family business of heroing. His broth and sister do it, his dad does it. His mum did it. Only unlike everyone else in his family Shadowboy has no powers. This gives the story a great "in over his head" element and also provides some of the early tension in the book. Shadowboy is old enough to no longer be a sidekick, and is now moving into being a full on hero. He's just not that good at it.
What made this book different to other comic books or superhero books I have read is the bureaucracy. Marvel has the Superhero Registraciton Act but doesn't really go into the nitty gritty of how it would play out in a real world. This does. And the answer is Red Tape! What to be a hero? Fill out this form. Want to move from a sidekick to Hero? Another form. Want to be a leader of a team? You need endorsements to be a leader, the team base has to meet certain building codes. Change your hero name? Form for that too.
And don't get me started on insurance.
The bureaucracy does not bog down the book. It's there filling out the world but not slowing it down. And it adds some nice comedic effect too.
There are some issues - such as a large amount of coincidences about how many of the heros accidentally know each other in real life outside of costume without realising it, but if you can accept these sorts of things then it is a lot of fun just following the escapades.
I listened to the audible version read by Corey Ambler. Ambler does really good with the narration. Really helped with the enjoyment of it. He hits the right beat for the jokes and for the emotional stuff. He provides a lot of different voices for characters. He does add distortion and effects to some characters voices (some villains, aliens etc, all chosen well to suit the characters) to varying success - some of the distorted characters can be hard to understand occasionally. But other than that it was really great narration.
This book is fun. It has a few issues but I found it very easy to overlook them due to everything else about the book.
In a world of heros our protagonist, Shadowboy, is continuing the family business of heroing. His broth and sister do it, his dad does it. His mum did it. Only unlike everyone else in his family Shadowboy has no powers. This gives the story a great "in over his head" element and also provides some of the early tension in the book. Shadowboy is old enough to no longer be a sidekick, and is now moving into being a full on hero. He's just not that good at it.
What made this book different to other comic books or superhero books I have read is the bureaucracy. Marvel has the Superhero Registraciton Act but doesn't really go into the nitty gritty of how it would play out in a real world. This does. And the answer is Red Tape! What to be a hero? Fill out this form. Want to move from a sidekick to Hero? Another form. Want to be a leader of a team? You need endorsements to be a leader, the team base has to meet certain building codes. Change your hero name? Form for that too.
And don't get me started on insurance.
The bureaucracy does not bog down the book. It's there filling out the world but not slowing it down. And it adds some nice comedic effect too.
There are some issues - such as a large amount of coincidences about how many of the heros accidentally know each other in real life outside of costume without realising it, but if you can accept these sorts of things then it is a lot of fun just following the escapades.
I listened to the audible version read by Corey Ambler. Ambler does really good with the narration. Really helped with the enjoyment of it. He hits the right beat for the jokes and for the emotional stuff. He provides a lot of different voices for characters. He does add distortion and effects to some characters voices (some villains, aliens etc, all chosen well to suit the characters) to varying success - some of the distorted characters can be hard to understand occasionally. But other than that it was really great narration.
September 18, 2014
The Happy Little Summer Surprise!
And it was anything but little. Such a simple concept played out on one epic scale. The pacing was keen, never once a bore, and constantly centered around the greater character developed. Each person had their own distinct voice and the power sets were more than well laid out. The team concept that evolves in the later half was down to earth, humorous, and, all in all, better than anything I'd ever come across in a comic book. Bright, authentic dialogue drives the story and you can't help but be pulled along by every gem hidden just around the corner. Only one negative remains, and it should have nothing to do with whether or not you read this book: the typos must be acknowledged, fixed, and re-released for later sales of this wonderful story. Honestly, I could see this making a great summer flick, if not the bases for a hit television series. Besides that, please keep the stories coming; you've got a loyal fan who'll be keeping his eye open for your name.
And it was anything but little. Such a simple concept played out on one epic scale. The pacing was keen, never once a bore, and constantly centered around the greater character developed. Each person had their own distinct voice and the power sets were more than well laid out. The team concept that evolves in the later half was down to earth, humorous, and, all in all, better than anything I'd ever come across in a comic book. Bright, authentic dialogue drives the story and you can't help but be pulled along by every gem hidden just around the corner. Only one negative remains, and it should have nothing to do with whether or not you read this book: the typos must be acknowledged, fixed, and re-released for later sales of this wonderful story. Honestly, I could see this making a great summer flick, if not the bases for a hit television series. Besides that, please keep the stories coming; you've got a loyal fan who'll be keeping his eye open for your name.
November 27, 2015
it was a pretty good book, despite there being some pretty gory scenes. but it was always interesting, and had an unusual cast that really brought the book to life.
my-work
August 3, 2015I wrote it, I should not rate it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews