Upgrade

by Richard Parry

Can a person really change? Would the man who has everything ever want to?

Mason’s job is company asset protection and acquisition, no questions asked. He’s good at what he does, and it’s given him the best looks money can buy, the spacious apartment that only comes with knowing the right people, and top shelf bionics from Apsel Federate. He’s got everything in he could possibly want – or he thought he did until a gate between worlds opens, spilling a master of coercion into Seattle.

This Master compels people with the power of his mind and takes everything Mason holds dear. When he tangles with off-grid rock star Sadie Freeman and the lost girl Laia, Mason sees a world bought by corporate interest turn against him.

Hunted and fresh out of friends, he learns that living in the soft line between incentive and crime was always the easy path. Making the right choices could save the world – and his soul. It’ll only cost him everything. Can Mason learn what it means to be truly human?

Upgrade is a standalone cyberpunk book by Richard Parry. If you like page-turning techno thrillers with great dialogue and heart-pumping action, then you’ll love this novel from a Sir Julius Vogel Award finalist for both Best Novel and Best New Talent.

Genres: Cyberpunk

585 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 22, 2014

About the author

Richard Parry has worked as a senior marketing manager in one of the world’s top tech companies, but it wasn't all cocaine parties. His debut novel Night’s Favor and its sequel Night’s Fall have been shortlisted for the Sir Julius Vogel Award “Best Novel” category.

His ever-growing list of novels spans urban fantasy, cyberpunk, and space opera, featuring flawed heroes, sharp dialogue, and a healthy dose of action. His Night’s Champion trilogy follows an alcoholic-turned-werewolf saving the world, while Future Forfeit explores a neon-drenched cyberpunk future where hacking the system is just the start. Meanwhile, Ezeroc Wars throws readers into the deep end of an interstellar war against a swarm species that doesn’t take no for an answer. Across over 20 novels (and counting), Richard delivers stories packed with heart, explosions, and the occasional bad decision.

Richard lives in Wellington with the love of his life, Rae. They have cats, who chase birds. The birds, who have the power of flight, don’t seem to mind.

Reviews

[J.C. Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished it!!! This is one HUGE book, but it's a great book. If you like cyberpunk, with all its grime and violence and syndicates and intricate plots and people/companies working against each other, then this is for you. If you like books with all that AND characters with heart, with warmth and soul, and broken people helping to put others together (and in the process getting patched up themselves)? Then you're gonna love this too.
Am now joining the ranks of those hanging out for the sequel.

[Thomas]

Tight. Well written and evokes a world picture from grim to selfishly luxurious. Action moves along, quite intense in places. The book ends well as a stand-alone... but you wish for another from a point shortly after the end point. The depth of the characters makes the motivations, decisions, and emotions quite understandable moving through the eventful plot-lines. For me, this was a good read, leaving my reading experience satisfied.

[Veiko Kastanje · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as I was hoping for - but still a decent reading. There isn't that much good SF about the future corporate world merc wars and that one was a quite interesting fusion..

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr Parry continues to grow as a writer I loved his Tyche series - rousing space opera which kept me turning the pages. With Upgrade he is starting to move from being a science fiction writer to a writer who writes science fiction. This is a book about identity and what it means to be a whole person. oh sure, there is plenty of action and the plot lines are imaginative but they are underpinned by some memorable characters, witty dialogue, plot twists and turns and a few monsters to boot. but the real hook are the people and there are memorable ones to find here.

[Chung Low · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dang!

I’m kinda at a loss for verds here. Richard Parry has crafted a gastro delight for da mind. A vast smorgasbord that is free ranging. How we can relate with even our enemies given “incentives”. Incentive could be a new “friend “. A common objective. What is worth more? Friends or money? If this short opinion tickles your adventurous spirit, then by all means you’d best make reservations at Richards culinary restaurant for mental delights. So far, Upgrade, is on his menu but I believe that recipe has many good permutations Don’cha? Especially after you sit down with time to enjoy. Or read to a friend who is unable to. To Share Is Goot. Prease let me know if it was Velly Goot for you too?

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upgrade is simply my favorite book ever.
Its cyberpunk sci-fi theme pulls the reader in and causes the disease of not being able to stop turning the pages. I suffered for days from this condition all with a huge side affect, a big smile on my face.
Mr. Parry developed this rather long story with a huge cast of exciting and interesting characters with diverse environments accumulating into intense action sequences that never slowed down.
I cannot begin to describe this story, I can only say that you must experience it because that’s what it is, an experience.
It is on the rather long side, so if you like short reads then be prepared for multiple breaks for rest, but please do yourself a favor and make this take a must read. If you love cyber sci-fi then you’ll be grateful you did.

[Walter Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I previously read the three Night’s Champion series, and gave Richard Parry high marks for all of them. Upgrade is a one-off, and original in concept. It invoked images of The Matrix, Blade Runner, and Kill Bill, but in a subtle manner. Dialog was always interesting. I had considered using the title “A story about cigarettes, coffee, whiskey, plus ‘overtime’ (which comes in a wide variety of flavours). Those of you who make a smart decision and read the book for yourselves will understand the references.
Only downside was the length. I found it awkwardly long. Always interesting, yes. But an earlier end point would have helped

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different to his other books so far but no less enjoyable. I hope there is going to be a follow on.

[Red Tide · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting

Really good story and the writing is just as good as I expect from R. Parry. He has a cast of major characters, some of whom arrive later in the story. The points of view change more than once and reveal action details and motivation that would be difficult to see otherwise.

The story involved three major super-corporations in the future but there are others in the background. The characters are all part of one of the three or caught up in the struggle between them. The characters are an interesting sample of a blade runner type world and are well fleshed out.

I hope there will be a sequel to this novel.

[Kiri Murupaenga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb Cyberpunk, Techno Thriller.

Bubonic's, Fission reactors, Fusion drive's, Demon's in the rain, Gateways to other places/worlds, Heaven for some, hell for others, Sales and Marketing and Mason Floyd: Angel? Yes?, No? Maybe.
This is one hell of an intense full on action packed cyberpunk piece of storytelling from start to finish that leaves you wanting more.
Awesome Read! Highly recommended.

🌠 🌠 🌠 🌠 🌠

[Andrey Sudarikov · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uneventful cheap book. Couldn't finish it.