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Superstring
Five kids, bonded by their parents’ friendship, create a fantastical dream world filled with thrilling adventures, astonishing creatures, and endless magick that surpasses their wildest dreams.
All at once, their world shatters. An unimaginable tragedy leaves one friend in a coma and creates a rift so vast it scatters the others far from their hometown.
Nearly two decades pass before fate ties them back together, forcing a confrontation with not only their pasts but a new impending danger. They discover their comatose friend’s last hope hinges on revisiting their shared dream world, twisted by dark forces into a nightmarish wasteland.
Harrowing trials and gruesome beasts lurk in every corner, but their greatest challenge will be within themselves. Can they unite and overcome the guilt, or will they succumb to the same horrifying fate?
All at once, their world shatters. An unimaginable tragedy leaves one friend in a coma and creates a rift so vast it scatters the others far from their hometown.
Nearly two decades pass before fate ties them back together, forcing a confrontation with not only their pasts but a new impending danger. They discover their comatose friend’s last hope hinges on revisiting their shared dream world, twisted by dark forces into a nightmarish wasteland.
Harrowing trials and gruesome beasts lurk in every corner, but their greatest challenge will be within themselves. Can they unite and overcome the guilt, or will they succumb to the same horrifying fate?
781 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 28, 2025
6 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Victor Cabinta
5 books9 followersVictor Cabinta, a Filipino-American author from the small island of Guam, aspires to become an internationally published writer. Specializing in fiction, he delves into various genres such as short stories, contemporary romance, fantasy, science-fiction, horror, and occasionally explores poetry. Victor has a Master's degree in Creative Writing with the ambition of earning a Ph.D. Alongside his passion for writing, he has been engaged in dancing since 2010 and continues to do so. Victor's ultimate dream is to own a dance studio complemented by a library.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 31, 2025
"At this moment, we’re kids again, gazing out a window on the Space Ring and discovering the secrets of the universe."
I was lucky enough to be one of the people who could read Superstring by Victor Cabinta and Regan Westergard before its release. And what an honour it was. For four days, I was glued to this book. My time reading was spent laughing, crying, gasping and swearing.
The story of this novel is not for the faint of heart. As this review is spoiler-free, I will tell the abridged version. Rictor, Dustin, Emierr, Jadis and Jhoana discover that they are able to travel to an expansive and diverse dreamworld named Ethra as they sleep. At first glance, this heaven is a place of wonder and spectacle. But as they spend more time there, dark inklings begin to leak through its cracked foundation.
After things escalate so much that it cascades into tragedy, everyone wakes up but Jhoana, driving a wedge between the group. Sixteen years pass, and circumstances require the gang to reunite and try to save Jho before her time runs out.
Cabinta, with the valuable help of Westergard, expertly crafts his world and opens it up to the reader with a warm embrace. Their use of vocabulary carefully guides you through the intricate rules of this world without leaving you behind feeling confused. Cabinta's magic system is inspired and easy to follow, with clear indications whenever it is being used. Not once during this amazing, epic story did I feel confused or overrun with information.
The visuals in this book are fantastic, placing you right in the centre of bustling streets, serene forests and everything in between! Cabinta and Westergard take advantage of every sense the human body is capable of to wrap you in Ethra's culture and customs. It got to a point where, if I had the book in front of me, then my stomach was growling.
The characters in this novel feel real, each one has their own distinct voice and goals, and by page 100, you'll have a favourite that you'd take a bullet for. Even when these characters make mistakes, an inevitable part of life, they are understood. Nothing can be held against them because you are able to see the reasoning behind every decision made
The conclusion of Volume 1 was vivid and as epic as things can get! Love, death, solidarity, grief, sorrow, joy and strength are the constant themes throughout this story, and the climax perfectly encapsulates these and forms them into an incredible payoff that will be remembered for years to come!
The wait for Volume 2 will be a long one for fans of Superstring, including me, but I have complete faith that Victor Cabinta and Regan Westergard will once again write a novel that is nothing short of an epic, literary masterpiece.
I was lucky enough to be one of the people who could read Superstring by Victor Cabinta and Regan Westergard before its release. And what an honour it was. For four days, I was glued to this book. My time reading was spent laughing, crying, gasping and swearing.
The story of this novel is not for the faint of heart. As this review is spoiler-free, I will tell the abridged version. Rictor, Dustin, Emierr, Jadis and Jhoana discover that they are able to travel to an expansive and diverse dreamworld named Ethra as they sleep. At first glance, this heaven is a place of wonder and spectacle. But as they spend more time there, dark inklings begin to leak through its cracked foundation.
After things escalate so much that it cascades into tragedy, everyone wakes up but Jhoana, driving a wedge between the group. Sixteen years pass, and circumstances require the gang to reunite and try to save Jho before her time runs out.
Cabinta, with the valuable help of Westergard, expertly crafts his world and opens it up to the reader with a warm embrace. Their use of vocabulary carefully guides you through the intricate rules of this world without leaving you behind feeling confused. Cabinta's magic system is inspired and easy to follow, with clear indications whenever it is being used. Not once during this amazing, epic story did I feel confused or overrun with information.
The visuals in this book are fantastic, placing you right in the centre of bustling streets, serene forests and everything in between! Cabinta and Westergard take advantage of every sense the human body is capable of to wrap you in Ethra's culture and customs. It got to a point where, if I had the book in front of me, then my stomach was growling.
The characters in this novel feel real, each one has their own distinct voice and goals, and by page 100, you'll have a favourite that you'd take a bullet for. Even when these characters make mistakes, an inevitable part of life, they are understood. Nothing can be held against them because you are able to see the reasoning behind every decision made
The conclusion of Volume 1 was vivid and as epic as things can get! Love, death, solidarity, grief, sorrow, joy and strength are the constant themes throughout this story, and the climax perfectly encapsulates these and forms them into an incredible payoff that will be remembered for years to come!
The wait for Volume 2 will be a long one for fans of Superstring, including me, but I have complete faith that Victor Cabinta and Regan Westergard will once again write a novel that is nothing short of an epic, literary masterpiece.
July 10, 2025
I enjoyed this so much! The deep bonds of friendship and the comfort of found family were the heart of this story—my favorite! The weight of grief, loss, and healing made every connection feel even more heartfelt.
This is a full trilogy in one book, so get ready and pace yourself—she’s a hefty one! Book three has to be my favorite—I’m a fantasy girlie through and through! The mystical creatures and magic made it such a fun and thrilling ride.
Reading about Chamorro and Filipino dishes, along with Chuukese culture, made me miss home so much! If you didn’t know, I’m Filipino and was born and raised on the Island of Guam. I loved how the representation and references in this story captured that feeling of warmth—the characters truly felt like home to me.
Release date: March 28, 2025
This is a full trilogy in one book, so get ready and pace yourself—she’s a hefty one! Book three has to be my favorite—I’m a fantasy girlie through and through! The mystical creatures and magic made it such a fun and thrilling ride.
Reading about Chamorro and Filipino dishes, along with Chuukese culture, made me miss home so much! If you didn’t know, I’m Filipino and was born and raised on the Island of Guam. I loved how the representation and references in this story captured that feeling of warmth—the characters truly felt like home to me.
Release date: March 28, 2025
March 28, 2025
As the co-author, I have read this book in all its stages and I have to say that I think the final product is something special. Is it cheating to review my own book? Maybe. Am I doing it regardless? Still yes.
March 21, 2025
Thank you for sending me an eARC of these three books, Victor and Regan!
Book 1 Review:
So many elements of this story made me think of my favorite fandoms; Codename Kids Next Door, John Carter of Mars, The Chronicles of Narnia, and even AnoHana, which is an anime that does similar things, uncovering what really happened to a group of friends stricken with tragedy and how they were able to move forward.
The first book of this trilogy is steeped in nostalgia, found family, mystery, magic, and fantasy. All of which are what I look for in a book. I really enjoyed the introductions of each character and how they fit together as a group.
Their found family is like a rag-tag team of peculiar people who found solace in each other as children, grew apart, and are working on growing back together. I, personally, had an intense hatred for at least two characters, and that goes to show how brilliantly Victor evokes emotion through his storytelling. I found it difficult to disgest the pain and suffering these kids, now grown adults, had to face when being brought to the place they called home and where all their trauma began.
Overall, Book 1 does great setting the scene and allows the reader to anticipate the journey ahead, raises the stakes of the Squad, and has you begging for more. Let me also add that the last line of this book hooked me so fast. I'm so glad Book 2 and Book 3 are out, so I don't have to live off a cliffhanger.
Review for Book 2:
I really enjoyed Book 2, as it finally uncovered the Squad's back stories in great detail. It had a slower pace at the beginning, but as the stories of every character became known, I realized it was all the calm before the storm.
I really loved the detailed fight scenes, the magical adventures, the growth of multiple found families (the squad and the people they met along the way in their adventures in Ethra, the fantasy world of Superstring) and all the very relatable, emotionally-charged scenes.
This book has a lot of elements at play, with a diverse magick system and nobility. It tackles a lot of big emotional catastrophes: How do you reconcile with memories (trauma) of your past and move forward by fighting for the people you love (even more trauma on the horizon)? How do you prove to yourself and those around you that pain doesn't dictate the way you live your life, but love does? How do you come to terms with your shortcomings and still fight for what you believe in and protect those you love? So many big moments were sprinkled into this part of the trilogy, and I was so glad I got to witness it.
The character development was a major aspect of this book. I genuinely laughed and cried with the Squad. I felt all the emotions as I read their troublesome past. My favorite character is Dustin, and his backstory had me in shambles. I love the way every character blends in their friend group so seamlessly. They're all such distinct personalities, but the qualities of home, love, and protection reign true even after all the years they've been apart. The original characters I hated in the last book found their redemption arc, and by the end of Book 2, even I was rooting for their success.
I loved the last few chapters of this book the most. It felt like hit after hit, and I had to take mental breaks because of how heavy the challenges were. The whole story is so full of different motivations from the Squad, those from Ethra, the Farmington citizens, and even their own parents. There was even more mystery and intrigue, and I never knew what would happen next. This is a story that keeps on giving.
I love the Squad so much. I also appreciate how much cultural aspects were incorporated. Having Chamorro, Filipino, Chukese, and overall Islanders living in the mainland diaspora be a central theme of this book felt like a piece of home in mainstream media and I am so grateful to have Guam's culture represented.
The perfect blend of fantasy, mystery, high-stakes challenges, magical adventure, humor, sci-fi, and slice of life. I highly recommend this series!!
**My review for Book 3 is pending and will be updated when I finish reading everything.
Book 1 Review:
So many elements of this story made me think of my favorite fandoms; Codename Kids Next Door, John Carter of Mars, The Chronicles of Narnia, and even AnoHana, which is an anime that does similar things, uncovering what really happened to a group of friends stricken with tragedy and how they were able to move forward.
The first book of this trilogy is steeped in nostalgia, found family, mystery, magic, and fantasy. All of which are what I look for in a book. I really enjoyed the introductions of each character and how they fit together as a group.
Their found family is like a rag-tag team of peculiar people who found solace in each other as children, grew apart, and are working on growing back together. I, personally, had an intense hatred for at least two characters, and that goes to show how brilliantly Victor evokes emotion through his storytelling. I found it difficult to disgest the pain and suffering these kids, now grown adults, had to face when being brought to the place they called home and where all their trauma began.
Overall, Book 1 does great setting the scene and allows the reader to anticipate the journey ahead, raises the stakes of the Squad, and has you begging for more. Let me also add that the last line of this book hooked me so fast. I'm so glad Book 2 and Book 3 are out, so I don't have to live off a cliffhanger.
Review for Book 2:
I really enjoyed Book 2, as it finally uncovered the Squad's back stories in great detail. It had a slower pace at the beginning, but as the stories of every character became known, I realized it was all the calm before the storm.
I really loved the detailed fight scenes, the magical adventures, the growth of multiple found families (the squad and the people they met along the way in their adventures in Ethra, the fantasy world of Superstring) and all the very relatable, emotionally-charged scenes.
This book has a lot of elements at play, with a diverse magick system and nobility. It tackles a lot of big emotional catastrophes: How do you reconcile with memories (trauma) of your past and move forward by fighting for the people you love (even more trauma on the horizon)? How do you prove to yourself and those around you that pain doesn't dictate the way you live your life, but love does? How do you come to terms with your shortcomings and still fight for what you believe in and protect those you love? So many big moments were sprinkled into this part of the trilogy, and I was so glad I got to witness it.
The character development was a major aspect of this book. I genuinely laughed and cried with the Squad. I felt all the emotions as I read their troublesome past. My favorite character is Dustin, and his backstory had me in shambles. I love the way every character blends in their friend group so seamlessly. They're all such distinct personalities, but the qualities of home, love, and protection reign true even after all the years they've been apart. The original characters I hated in the last book found their redemption arc, and by the end of Book 2, even I was rooting for their success.
I loved the last few chapters of this book the most. It felt like hit after hit, and I had to take mental breaks because of how heavy the challenges were. The whole story is so full of different motivations from the Squad, those from Ethra, the Farmington citizens, and even their own parents. There was even more mystery and intrigue, and I never knew what would happen next. This is a story that keeps on giving.
I love the Squad so much. I also appreciate how much cultural aspects were incorporated. Having Chamorro, Filipino, Chukese, and overall Islanders living in the mainland diaspora be a central theme of this book felt like a piece of home in mainstream media and I am so grateful to have Guam's culture represented.
The perfect blend of fantasy, mystery, high-stakes challenges, magical adventure, humor, sci-fi, and slice of life. I highly recommend this series!!
**My review for Book 3 is pending and will be updated when I finish reading everything.
March 25, 2025
I adored and enjoyed SUPERSTRING. The unbreakable friendships, connections, and healing journey the characters has with one another touched my heart. This was a trilogy book 1~3 . I had snippets of favorite parts for each book, I loved book 3 “Ethra” because it really went into the fantasy world, adventures and creatures. I’m so happy that the book incorporated Micronesian , Chamorru and Filapino culture to the book. It really gave the family oriented culture that I grew up with. Superstring definitely brought me to another world. 💙🌌
October 23, 2025
“We were kids. We shouldn’t have had to survive it… but here we are.”
Totally enthralled by this book, I’m still reeling from the emotional aftermath. Superstring is not just a sci-fi novel—it’s a multi-dimensional tapestry of trauma, time, friendship, grief, and forgiveness. Its writing is both cinematic and soul-bearing, balancing poetic introspection with thrilling action and deeply personal stakes.
The world-building is breathtaking—hyper-futuristic cities with translucent towers, memory-linked VR technology, AI baristas, and underground cults—but it never overshadows the human heart at the center of the story. The authors seamlessly blend speculative technology with grounded emotional realism. It’s as if Inception, Everything Everywhere All At Once, and The Midnight Library had a child raised by The Giver and Final Fantasy.
Each chapter dances between past and present, trauma and recovery, loss and rediscovery. The five main characters—Rictor, Emierr, Dustin, Jadis, and Brunner—form a fractured found family, reunited by a letter, a coma, and a shared past they all tried to bury. Watching them come together again is devastating and healing all at once.
The authors skillfully navigate memory loss, childhood guilt, and dissociative amnesia with grace and accuracy. Rictor's panic attacks and trauma responses felt heartbreakingly real. The "Squad" dynamic is painfully familiar—people who shaped each other once but don’t know how to reconnect after so much silence.
Every character is distinct, messy, and lovable. But Yonnie, Rictor’s assistant and emotional anchor, absolutely stole my heart. Her patience, sass, and fierce loyalty? ICONIC.
Also, the writing! Every chapter opens like a slow breath before impact. Lush with imagery, the prose evokes everything from nostalgic childhood summers to sci-fi wonder. The interweaving of memory, game design, and emotional consequence was genius. It felt like navigating a dream built on grief and hope.
The story ends with a reunion, a haunting promise, and a storm on the horizon. Book Two can’t come fast enough. If you’re a fan of Warcross, The Midnight Library, Ready Player One, or the layered emotion of Heartstopper, this is a must-add to your TBR. Superstring is an emotional sci-fi journey about memory, meaning, and the people who pull us back when we lose ourselves.
Thank you Victor and Regan—for the ARC and for breaking my heart in the most beautiful way.
Totally enthralled by this book, I’m still reeling from the emotional aftermath. Superstring is not just a sci-fi novel—it’s a multi-dimensional tapestry of trauma, time, friendship, grief, and forgiveness. Its writing is both cinematic and soul-bearing, balancing poetic introspection with thrilling action and deeply personal stakes.
The world-building is breathtaking—hyper-futuristic cities with translucent towers, memory-linked VR technology, AI baristas, and underground cults—but it never overshadows the human heart at the center of the story. The authors seamlessly blend speculative technology with grounded emotional realism. It’s as if Inception, Everything Everywhere All At Once, and The Midnight Library had a child raised by The Giver and Final Fantasy.
Each chapter dances between past and present, trauma and recovery, loss and rediscovery. The five main characters—Rictor, Emierr, Dustin, Jadis, and Brunner—form a fractured found family, reunited by a letter, a coma, and a shared past they all tried to bury. Watching them come together again is devastating and healing all at once.
The authors skillfully navigate memory loss, childhood guilt, and dissociative amnesia with grace and accuracy. Rictor's panic attacks and trauma responses felt heartbreakingly real. The "Squad" dynamic is painfully familiar—people who shaped each other once but don’t know how to reconnect after so much silence.
Every character is distinct, messy, and lovable. But Yonnie, Rictor’s assistant and emotional anchor, absolutely stole my heart. Her patience, sass, and fierce loyalty? ICONIC.
Also, the writing! Every chapter opens like a slow breath before impact. Lush with imagery, the prose evokes everything from nostalgic childhood summers to sci-fi wonder. The interweaving of memory, game design, and emotional consequence was genius. It felt like navigating a dream built on grief and hope.
The story ends with a reunion, a haunting promise, and a storm on the horizon. Book Two can’t come fast enough. If you’re a fan of Warcross, The Midnight Library, Ready Player One, or the layered emotion of Heartstopper, this is a must-add to your TBR. Superstring is an emotional sci-fi journey about memory, meaning, and the people who pull us back when we lose ourselves.
Thank you Victor and Regan—for the ARC and for breaking my heart in the most beautiful way.
March 28, 2025
I wrote the book hehe, I'm hoping its great!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews