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From the Shadows: The Complete Series
" AN INSTANT CLASSIC " -- ReadersFavorite.com" A THOUGHTFUL, INTELLIGENT WORK " -- OnlineBookClub.org" THIS SERIES HAS A CHANCE TO MAKE IT BIG" -- SFReader.com " MORE THAN MERELY A GREAT STORY " -- LongAndShortReviews.com
This ReadersFavorite.com Book Award Finalist is an exciting science fiction adventure for readers 12 and up. Share your love of science fiction with your child or grandchild. Young share it with your parents, grandparents, friends, and teachers.
Inthe near future...
"There is peace in the worldand civility reigns. It's like our idealistic misconception of the 1950s hasbecome real." -- Hector Garza, President of the United States
GundTech is a giant international corporation based in Oslo, Norway. Its success is built upon the work of awunderkind who created the multiCom computer, with an Artificial Intelligence(AI) personality at its core. Under the pretext of protecting the privacy of the young genius, thecorporation has never divulged hisor her identity.
MultiComs are pervasive throughout society. They're at work, in schools, and in homes. It has become tradition that users name their multiComs.Personal AIs often adopt the surname of their primary user. A peculiarity of themultiCom AI is that it will only respond if userrequests contain a 'please' and are acknowledged with a 'thank you.' Evenpresidents and prime ministers must be polite to their multiComs. Somesociologists claim that the basic decency requirementshave contributed tocivility in contemporary society.
Now, sixteen years later,the reclusive former child prodigy is about to unleash a technologicalrevolution that could threaten a peaceful world. The InteractiveHolographic Transporter ( IHT )may render the current computing industry obsolete,instantly shaking the world economy to its core. IHT technology may also bephysically dangerous and pose a threat to personal privacy.
When GundTech introduces theIHT, they also announce the formation of an IHT academy that will allow select students from around the world to takepart in a virtual class. These events set two teens on a path that will entwine their lives withthose of a young reporterand the former child prodigy.
Cameron Rush and Rosa Costas are bestfriends, even though they have never met in person. Cameron lives in Troy, asmall town in Wisconsin, while Rosa lives on a ranch outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. Unabashedtechnology geeks, they become friends on the comNet while competing in acontest sponsored by GundTech. They are typical fifteen-year-olds living intheir isolated worlds offamily, school and friends.
Cameron's schoolmates callhim boring. He's an A/B student, second-seat trumpet in the school band,fourth-string halfback, and tenth-man on the basketball team. He isunbelievably meek and takes grief for it from others. Helikes a challenge.
At 5'-1", Rosa Costas is vivacious and petite. She is as outgoing asCameron is meek. A friend once describedher as "a hundred-pound package wrapped in a ton of personality." Rosa is alsodeceptively tough. Her mantel full of rodeo trophies attests to this fact. On the weekends andduring vacations, she works as a cowgirl on a ranch. She is adept at languagesand, like Cameron, enjoys solving puzzles and overcoming challenges.
Meagan Fletcher ,technology reporter for the World Broadband Network, has never named hermultiCom AI. Because she knows the potential dangers technology can pose, sheprefers to use her multiCom in manual mode, bypassing the AI altogether. Shedoesn't trust it--and she trusts GundTech even less.It is a company that seems too good to be true. Meaganis on a mission to expose the mysterious inventor behind GundTech and discoverthe computer company's true intent.
As Rosa, Cameron, and Meagan race toward their destiny, they are oblivious to the dangersthat lie ahead.
This ReadersFavorite.com Book Award Finalist is an exciting science fiction adventure for readers 12 and up. Share your love of science fiction with your child or grandchild. Young share it with your parents, grandparents, friends, and teachers.
Inthe near future...
"There is peace in the worldand civility reigns. It's like our idealistic misconception of the 1950s hasbecome real." -- Hector Garza, President of the United States
GundTech is a giant international corporation based in Oslo, Norway. Its success is built upon the work of awunderkind who created the multiCom computer, with an Artificial Intelligence(AI) personality at its core. Under the pretext of protecting the privacy of the young genius, thecorporation has never divulged hisor her identity.
MultiComs are pervasive throughout society. They're at work, in schools, and in homes. It has become tradition that users name their multiComs.Personal AIs often adopt the surname of their primary user. A peculiarity of themultiCom AI is that it will only respond if userrequests contain a 'please' and are acknowledged with a 'thank you.' Evenpresidents and prime ministers must be polite to their multiComs. Somesociologists claim that the basic decency requirementshave contributed tocivility in contemporary society.
Now, sixteen years later,the reclusive former child prodigy is about to unleash a technologicalrevolution that could threaten a peaceful world. The InteractiveHolographic Transporter ( IHT )may render the current computing industry obsolete,instantly shaking the world economy to its core. IHT technology may also bephysically dangerous and pose a threat to personal privacy.
When GundTech introduces theIHT, they also announce the formation of an IHT academy that will allow select students from around the world to takepart in a virtual class. These events set two teens on a path that will entwine their lives withthose of a young reporterand the former child prodigy.
Cameron Rush and Rosa Costas are bestfriends, even though they have never met in person. Cameron lives in Troy, asmall town in Wisconsin, while Rosa lives on a ranch outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. Unabashedtechnology geeks, they become friends on the comNet while competing in acontest sponsored by GundTech. They are typical fifteen-year-olds living intheir isolated worlds offamily, school and friends.
Cameron's schoolmates callhim boring. He's an A/B student, second-seat trumpet in the school band,fourth-string halfback, and tenth-man on the basketball team. He isunbelievably meek and takes grief for it from others. Helikes a challenge.
At 5'-1", Rosa Costas is vivacious and petite. She is as outgoing asCameron is meek. A friend once describedher as "a hundred-pound package wrapped in a ton of personality." Rosa is alsodeceptively tough. Her mantel full of rodeo trophies attests to this fact. On the weekends andduring vacations, she works as a cowgirl on a ranch. She is adept at languagesand, like Cameron, enjoys solving puzzles and overcoming challenges.
Meagan Fletcher ,technology reporter for the World Broadband Network, has never named hermultiCom AI. Because she knows the potential dangers technology can pose, sheprefers to use her multiCom in manual mode, bypassing the AI altogether. Shedoesn't trust it--and she trusts GundTech even less.It is a company that seems too good to be true. Meaganis on a mission to expose the mysterious inventor behind GundTech and discoverthe computer company's true intent.
As Rosa, Cameron, and Meagan race toward their destiny, they are oblivious to the dangersthat lie ahead.
326 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2014
120 people want to read
About the author
K.B. Shaw
15 books4 followers I grew up in small Wisconsin towns. Due to my father's work, I attended two grade schools and three high schools. I have fond memories of each.
I have always loved reading science fiction. In fact, the first book I remember checking out from the library on my own was The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth. When I was a little older, it was André Norton's Catseye.
The first book I ever bought from the Scholastic Book Club was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for a whopping 35¢. I still have that book and was so proud to have bought it with my own money that I saved the order form inside the book.
The Hardy Boys turned me on to mysteries and Mark Twain to humor. I really didn't read many superhero comic books. I preferred The Phantom and Uncle Scrooge adventures.
My high school and college reading took me into Robert Heinlein and Michael Crichton.
Authors such as Philip Pullman and J. K. Rowling brought me back to reading YA fiction.
I spent the first fifteen years of my adult life as a theater designer, director, actor, and playwright and I taught at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse and Arizona State University.
With the introduction of the Macintosh computer, I moved into graphic design and computer education. I created the interface and more than 600 educational programs for the EduNet Network, and hosted live educational broadcasts into K-12 classroom across the country. I have also written nearly 900 video scripts for Pearson Education.
Member:
I have always loved reading science fiction. In fact, the first book I remember checking out from the library on my own was The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth. When I was a little older, it was André Norton's Catseye.
The first book I ever bought from the Scholastic Book Club was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for a whopping 35¢. I still have that book and was so proud to have bought it with my own money that I saved the order form inside the book.
The Hardy Boys turned me on to mysteries and Mark Twain to humor. I really didn't read many superhero comic books. I preferred The Phantom and Uncle Scrooge adventures.
My high school and college reading took me into Robert Heinlein and Michael Crichton.
Authors such as Philip Pullman and J. K. Rowling brought me back to reading YA fiction.
I spent the first fifteen years of my adult life as a theater designer, director, actor, and playwright and I taught at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse and Arizona State University.
With the introduction of the Macintosh computer, I moved into graphic design and computer education. I created the interface and more than 600 educational programs for the EduNet Network, and hosted live educational broadcasts into K-12 classroom across the country. I have also written nearly 900 video scripts for Pearson Education.
Member:
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 6, 2016
From the Shadows: The Complete Series is a combined story released as an internet serial. This serial format led to some repetition that a reader would not see in a story that was published in a different manner. I found the story so enticing that I was able to overlook most of it. Repetition comes from having to catch the reader up when they might have missed a detail that is in the earlier part of the story.
The story begins like this:
“The hawk soared under the light of a full moon, winging its way up a wooded valley toward a complex of white buildings that stood our starkly under the cool lunar light. Breaching the perimeter of the compound, the hawk headed for a five-story structure at its heart. It encircled the glass dome that capped the building, then landed on the summit and perched quietly. Suddenly, a slash of yellow light cut across the wood floor of the circular hall below. The bird flapped its wings in agitation. It settled down and cocked its head to focus one obsidian eye on the tall man entering the room.”
I found the start a little slow but this is not conventional fiction. It is serial fiction so I didn’t give up on it right away.
The story of a girl in New Mexico and a boy living across the country communicating through a supercomputer that they have gotten access to. They decide to submit an entry to a special school sponsored by the company who developed the supercomputer. Their adventures getting into the school and their learning after they are accepted as students are what the story is about. I enjoyed it very much. The descriptions were imaginative and the setting kept me engaged. The dialogue was interesting, and realistic. The two main characters drew me in and kept my attention. There was plenty of suspense and action.
I give this story a five out of five possible.
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
The story begins like this:
“The hawk soared under the light of a full moon, winging its way up a wooded valley toward a complex of white buildings that stood our starkly under the cool lunar light. Breaching the perimeter of the compound, the hawk headed for a five-story structure at its heart. It encircled the glass dome that capped the building, then landed on the summit and perched quietly. Suddenly, a slash of yellow light cut across the wood floor of the circular hall below. The bird flapped its wings in agitation. It settled down and cocked its head to focus one obsidian eye on the tall man entering the room.”
I found the start a little slow but this is not conventional fiction. It is serial fiction so I didn’t give up on it right away.
The story of a girl in New Mexico and a boy living across the country communicating through a supercomputer that they have gotten access to. They decide to submit an entry to a special school sponsored by the company who developed the supercomputer. Their adventures getting into the school and their learning after they are accepted as students are what the story is about. I enjoyed it very much. The descriptions were imaginative and the setting kept me engaged. The dialogue was interesting, and realistic. The two main characters drew me in and kept my attention. There was plenty of suspense and action.
I give this story a five out of five possible.
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2016
A futuristic treat for all sci-fi fans!
Get ready to transport yourself to the future! 5-4-3-2-1--- blast off!
From the shadows showcases a future where a new technology has allowed people to transcend the boundaries of space, distance and even time. A virtual meeting is not simply virtual; you can now feel and even touch other attendees as if they were sitting right next to you. Going back in time to meet famous people are life-like simulations that even allow personal interactions with them. Such is the future with this technology. It's all fascinating, and despite the knowledge that back in our real world, this won't happen anytime soon, the author paints a realistic world where you are drawn in and start thinking how cool this would be if it you were indeed existing in our lifetime.
The story piqued my interest from the start -- a great mystery to capture reader's attention. To this, author did a great job in inserting clues and information throughout the book to keep you reading till the very end.
Central to the storyline is the technology aspect, and the author does a superb job in detailing the progression of the technology. However, a consequence to too much of this detail was that it slowed down the pace of the story on certain sections for me. I was also hoping to see more pages devoted to the development of the characters, such as on the growth, interaction and relationship between Gus and Maegan, Cameron and Rosa, and even Gwen.
If you are looking for real sci-fi, this is definitely the book for you! For non-sci-fi fans, check out this book for the mystery and the intrigue plus a glimpse of how limitless the future is!
Review copy provided by Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
Get ready to transport yourself to the future! 5-4-3-2-1--- blast off!
From the shadows showcases a future where a new technology has allowed people to transcend the boundaries of space, distance and even time. A virtual meeting is not simply virtual; you can now feel and even touch other attendees as if they were sitting right next to you. Going back in time to meet famous people are life-like simulations that even allow personal interactions with them. Such is the future with this technology. It's all fascinating, and despite the knowledge that back in our real world, this won't happen anytime soon, the author paints a realistic world where you are drawn in and start thinking how cool this would be if it you were indeed existing in our lifetime.
The story piqued my interest from the start -- a great mystery to capture reader's attention. To this, author did a great job in inserting clues and information throughout the book to keep you reading till the very end.
Central to the storyline is the technology aspect, and the author does a superb job in detailing the progression of the technology. However, a consequence to too much of this detail was that it slowed down the pace of the story on certain sections for me. I was also hoping to see more pages devoted to the development of the characters, such as on the growth, interaction and relationship between Gus and Maegan, Cameron and Rosa, and even Gwen.
If you are looking for real sci-fi, this is definitely the book for you! For non-sci-fi fans, check out this book for the mystery and the intrigue plus a glimpse of how limitless the future is!
Review copy provided by Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
November 11, 2016
I would have LOVED to find a book like this when I was younger! It's a heavy YA science fiction novel about a group of kids and the incredible developments in science! I must confess, when I read all of those awesome quotes from big time review companies, I thought... "Seriously"? But YES. SERIOUSLY. I could easily see this turned into a science fiction movie or at least one of those mandatory school book reads for young adults in either middle or high school.
Aside from the heavy science fiction, you learn a great deal of life lessons in this, too. Particularly, this story revolved around the relationship of friends, since this is about a group of futuristic kids, although mainly a girl and a boy who live very far apart. Thanks to technology, it feels as though there is no distance between them, and I feel if this weren't fiction, the world would be much better off. We'd be in tune, cultured in ways we simply cannot be today, and not nearly as heart broken as we so often are.
I felt this novel had a steady pace. It held my interest the whole way through. The fact that the author uses description so beautifully only helps the already engaging plot. I adored the writing style, especially since it is a little unique.
I hope this book gains in popularity, because it deserves a chance to hit the spotlight!
Book Club/Book Review Blog: http://www.goodbookswithtea.blogspot.com
Aside from the heavy science fiction, you learn a great deal of life lessons in this, too. Particularly, this story revolved around the relationship of friends, since this is about a group of futuristic kids, although mainly a girl and a boy who live very far apart. Thanks to technology, it feels as though there is no distance between them, and I feel if this weren't fiction, the world would be much better off. We'd be in tune, cultured in ways we simply cannot be today, and not nearly as heart broken as we so often are.
I felt this novel had a steady pace. It held my interest the whole way through. The fact that the author uses description so beautifully only helps the already engaging plot. I adored the writing style, especially since it is a little unique.
I hope this book gains in popularity, because it deserves a chance to hit the spotlight!
Book Club/Book Review Blog: http://www.goodbookswithtea.blogspot.com
December 11, 2016
From the start of this novel I felt entranced. The text is alluring in ways very few can uphold for any duration of time. Novels that typically start out with this suspenseful, edge of your seat writing style typically lose it over the coarse of the novel. It's rare to find something that manages to hold your interest even after many of the curiosities are revealed. From The Shadows kept my interest the whole way through.
I understand how the explanations of the technology could pose a threat to this style, but I found the explanations were brief and executed properly for a young Adult's novel. I didn't feel lost, overwhelmed, or disappointed by the technology stand point of this novel. In fact, I thought it was just right for the length of this story.
It was an extra little bit here and there that added to the wonder of this author's original futuristic mystery.
As for the rest if this story, it sparked my inner nerd.
Cameron was my favorite character because he reminded me much of a friend I had myself as a child. This was exactly the kind of world I would fantasize about growing up, and I love it.
From The Shadows makes me feel young and wondrous. It's largely due to this reason that I can't see how a young nerd wouldn't love this.
I am recommending this novel to anyone over the age of 12 interested in high tech fiction.
I understand how the explanations of the technology could pose a threat to this style, but I found the explanations were brief and executed properly for a young Adult's novel. I didn't feel lost, overwhelmed, or disappointed by the technology stand point of this novel. In fact, I thought it was just right for the length of this story.
It was an extra little bit here and there that added to the wonder of this author's original futuristic mystery.
As for the rest if this story, it sparked my inner nerd.
Cameron was my favorite character because he reminded me much of a friend I had myself as a child. This was exactly the kind of world I would fantasize about growing up, and I love it.
From The Shadows makes me feel young and wondrous. It's largely due to this reason that I can't see how a young nerd wouldn't love this.
I am recommending this novel to anyone over the age of 12 interested in high tech fiction.
November 29, 2016
I almost want to say this book is theatrical. By this I mean the writing is dramatic. It's a visual piece that sets a futurist world unique to the author.
Some of the best writing happens when authors refuse to give readers a comfort zone. They make things fresh. New. Unique.
This is set in an original future you won't read anywhere else.
Technology has taken over. One can now experience virtual simulations and long distance communication without realizing the imaging has tricked the eye.
This is fantastic in a science fiction sense. The vocabulary and equipment is thick, yet well explained.
From The Shadows isn't only meant to entertain, it's meant to educate.
Children reading books like this at a younger age, I feel, will be more interested in science in the future. As a nerd myself, that is how it turned out to be for me and so I must thank authors like K. B. Shaw.
They show that reading can truly make a difference in youth.
This story in particular I believe to be part of a series?
The end was a little open, so I imagine there is more to come.
Five stars. Recommended for parents of children interested in the fictional sciences.
Some of the best writing happens when authors refuse to give readers a comfort zone. They make things fresh. New. Unique.
This is set in an original future you won't read anywhere else.
Technology has taken over. One can now experience virtual simulations and long distance communication without realizing the imaging has tricked the eye.
This is fantastic in a science fiction sense. The vocabulary and equipment is thick, yet well explained.
From The Shadows isn't only meant to entertain, it's meant to educate.
Children reading books like this at a younger age, I feel, will be more interested in science in the future. As a nerd myself, that is how it turned out to be for me and so I must thank authors like K. B. Shaw.
They show that reading can truly make a difference in youth.
This story in particular I believe to be part of a series?
The end was a little open, so I imagine there is more to come.
Five stars. Recommended for parents of children interested in the fictional sciences.
November 29, 2016
This novel is meant for the youth. I am a full grown adult. The science fiction in this novel still managed to puzzle me! I know it's categorized under young adult, but that is largely due to the younger characters "From The Shadows" is revolved around. The actual themes of this novel are pleasing to all ages, not just children.
As I said there is a lot of science fiction in this novel, but also a lot of mystery, as well.
Even the ending was mysterious in my opinion. And I will confess that at the end I had to check myself and re-read it because I wasn't entirely sure what just happened, but I can now say with almost 100% certainty that this won't be the end for these kids. There's still a lot left to explore as far as the horror/mystery goes.
Spoiler free!
But yes I did just let slip that there is a little horror in this. Not enough to really add a genre, but it does get a little dark.
As far as pacing goes, I thought this was a fast ride. Once you click with the characters and get an understanding of each of the different plot lines that later meld together, it gets really easy to keep the pace.
As I said there is a lot of science fiction in this novel, but also a lot of mystery, as well.
Even the ending was mysterious in my opinion. And I will confess that at the end I had to check myself and re-read it because I wasn't entirely sure what just happened, but I can now say with almost 100% certainty that this won't be the end for these kids. There's still a lot left to explore as far as the horror/mystery goes.
Spoiler free!
But yes I did just let slip that there is a little horror in this. Not enough to really add a genre, but it does get a little dark.
As far as pacing goes, I thought this was a fast ride. Once you click with the characters and get an understanding of each of the different plot lines that later meld together, it gets really easy to keep the pace.
December 11, 2016
Rating: 3.5
I wasn't as impressed by this novel as I expected to be.
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review from myself as well as the other members of my books club. My friends were quite impressed by this author's work, so I suppose I was a little disappointed given my heightened expectations.
I was expecting something heavy in the science fiction department and therefore futuristic and nothing like anything I've ever read before.
Although it's true a lot of the things in this novel were new to me, just as many aspects were familiar.
It's a good children's sci-fi novel.
It simply didn't spark that little something tucked away in every reader's mind. I had to pick up and put down the book numerous times rather than do a solid read through, which usually impacts (in a bad way) my overall opinion of a book.
Like I said, it's good.
The science is solid and characters as developed as one might expect considering this is a children's book. Would I have liked to see a few differences particularly in the speed of the story? Sure. I would have liked it to have a faster pace.
But that is merely my own opinion.
I wasn't as impressed by this novel as I expected to be.
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review from myself as well as the other members of my books club. My friends were quite impressed by this author's work, so I suppose I was a little disappointed given my heightened expectations.
I was expecting something heavy in the science fiction department and therefore futuristic and nothing like anything I've ever read before.
Although it's true a lot of the things in this novel were new to me, just as many aspects were familiar.
It's a good children's sci-fi novel.
It simply didn't spark that little something tucked away in every reader's mind. I had to pick up and put down the book numerous times rather than do a solid read through, which usually impacts (in a bad way) my overall opinion of a book.
Like I said, it's good.
The science is solid and characters as developed as one might expect considering this is a children's book. Would I have liked to see a few differences particularly in the speed of the story? Sure. I would have liked it to have a faster pace.
But that is merely my own opinion.
December 11, 2016
As a huge science fiction nerd, this was kick ass. It's more than technology. This novel has a mysterious element added to it, which helps with the uncertainty of scientific advancements. This book keeps readers guessing, is what I'm trying to say. When you're thrown into a new world/universe by the author's own creation, anything can happen! You don't know what's illusion, what's real, yadi yada.
From the shadows is a mystery scifi written for all ages. It's about the greatest modern advancements, corruption, and yet also innocence.
It's a relatively average read as far as length goes. And the pace is also considered average.
It's steady, as it is solid.
If you're looking for a long term read that will keep your interest for an extended period of time, I think you should give this book a try.
From the shadows is a mystery scifi written for all ages. It's about the greatest modern advancements, corruption, and yet also innocence.
It's a relatively average read as far as length goes. And the pace is also considered average.
It's steady, as it is solid.
If you're looking for a long term read that will keep your interest for an extended period of time, I think you should give this book a try.
September 9, 2014
First book in a young adult series. Two young computer geeks are offered entrance into a new school for computer experts.
Cameron and Rosa are friends that lived across the country from each other. They use technology developed by a young prodigy, a recluse who's developed even better oomputer stuff and has a special project in the works.
He's got his eye on our young friends and a reporter named Meagan for his new project. But there's a hidden menace working against the four.
Interesting take on today's world of technology.
Recommended.
Cameron and Rosa are friends that lived across the country from each other. They use technology developed by a young prodigy, a recluse who's developed even better oomputer stuff and has a special project in the works.
He's got his eye on our young friends and a reporter named Meagan for his new project. But there's a hidden menace working against the four.
Interesting take on today's world of technology.
Recommended.
October 25, 2015
I was expecting a book about vampires, and this book is anything but! The idea of virtual reality is taken a few steps further than is used today. The main characters are likable and earnest. The story unfolds swiftly, and the "danger from within" is a complete surprise.
I will say no more lest it ruin the suspense for readers. If one enjoys technology and its many possibilities, this is a well-written adventure into the realm of what may be possible in the (perhaps not-so-distant) future.
I will say no more lest it ruin the suspense for readers. If one enjoys technology and its many possibilities, this is a well-written adventure into the realm of what may be possible in the (perhaps not-so-distant) future.
December 12, 2014
Not something I really enjoyed, it was just too slow. I think this is for young adults, but am not sure it would hold their interest either
Want to read
August 19, 2015Review Pending....
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews