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On the Edge of Now #1
The Departure
A hike. A portal. A Journey.
It was time. She retreated to her position directly in front of the archway feeling the immense void of the light’s source drawing her toward its opening, filling
her with an almost physical compulsion to step inside. The voices! Closer now! With little time to think, her mind formed a picture of her mother looking back at her, smiling.
“Oh, what the hell!”
Brian McCullough’s On the Edge of Now, Book I—The Departure, the first in a six-book series, transports readers to a parallel realm mirroring Tag’s own existence—but things aren’t the same. Cities look like his with only slight nuances to buildings and culture—until, that is, he finds himself immersed in a universe ruled by those who crave unity. And, power.
It was time. She retreated to her position directly in front of the archway feeling the immense void of the light’s source drawing her toward its opening, filling
her with an almost physical compulsion to step inside. The voices! Closer now! With little time to think, her mind formed a picture of her mother looking back at her, smiling.
“Oh, what the hell!”
Brian McCullough’s On the Edge of Now, Book I—The Departure, the first in a six-book series, transports readers to a parallel realm mirroring Tag’s own existence—but things aren’t the same. Cities look like his with only slight nuances to buildings and culture—until, that is, he finds himself immersed in a universe ruled by those who crave unity. And, power.
- GenresScience Fiction
362 pages, Paperback
First published August 23, 2015
3 people are currently reading
576 people want to read
About the author
Brian Alexander McCullough
10 books10 followersAuthor Brian McCullough, a successful attorney for over three decades, discovered his passion for writing later in life. In 2011, he sat at his computer to pen the first words of his first novel— six books later, he says there’s more to come!
McCullough has three daughters, and he lives with his wife in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
McCullough has three daughters, and he lives with his wife in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 7, 2015
On the Edge of Now follows the dystopian genre of people being crushed by a ruthless authoritarian Government... with a twist. Not to ruin the plot for anyone but if you are a fan of science this book will test your understanding of dimensional realities of Earth.
The book centres on 2 main characters brothers Tag and Kyle who are separated by a mysterious force that may or may not be controlled by others. This is all very slowly revealed with a greater emphasis on setting up the numerous characters in their lives than action, danger or suspense.
It takes a while for the action to begin but once it does there are some interesting plot turns that place our main characters in peril and confusion. The plot is revealed in quick bursts while still leaving the reason or purpose of many of the sub plots up to our imagination.
I look forward to reading the coming books to see if the characters start to develop some humanizing flaws and how the mysterious force will be explained.
A fun summer read to be sure.
The book centres on 2 main characters brothers Tag and Kyle who are separated by a mysterious force that may or may not be controlled by others. This is all very slowly revealed with a greater emphasis on setting up the numerous characters in their lives than action, danger or suspense.
It takes a while for the action to begin but once it does there are some interesting plot turns that place our main characters in peril and confusion. The plot is revealed in quick bursts while still leaving the reason or purpose of many of the sub plots up to our imagination.
I look forward to reading the coming books to see if the characters start to develop some humanizing flaws and how the mysterious force will be explained.
A fun summer read to be sure.
August 22, 2015
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August 27, 2015
Kyle Townsend (17, scientist, HS), & Tag Townsend (Gabriel, 12, Kyle’s brother, karate student, MS) no longer had any parents. They however had left the 2 boys plenty of money.
They were both self-sufficient, & looked after each other. Both were quite studious & attended school.
Tag was into Karate taught by Sensei. He also loved to play video games with his friend Jeremy.
The boys had a big dog Lego (3, Wolfhound/Great Pyrenees).
Kyle was quite the ladies’ man.
After his date with Jackie he went home & no Tag or Lego!?
He called everyone where he thought the 2 would be.
Lego & only Tag’s backpack was found.
Tag’s truck was later toed to the precinct parking lot
In Durango City, CO (Federated State) Rose Talbot (student) had come across a young man by accident who was standing on her street.
Where did the portal lead to?
Tag had no clue where he was.
Kyle & Jackie began to look for Tag.
Rose & Tag returned to the so called spot he thought he came from.
Agent Floyd (SCF, Spotter Division # 1) was sent out to investigate Tag.
The Security Control Force SCF Division had 6 other entities: # 2 Scouts Division # 3 Sentinel’s Division # 4 Guardian’s Division # 5 defenders Division # 6 keepers Division & # 7 eliminators Division.
Rose & Claire Booth (Rose’s BFF) didn’t give them much information.
Rose, Tag & Claire were headed to NYC to hide-out at Uncle Nelson Booth house.
What is Trafalgar?
Lori Talbot (Rose’s mom), Nathan Talbot (Rose’s dad), Monique Booth (Claire’s mom) & Wesley Wes Booth (Claire’s dad) tried to piece their children’s missing puzzle together.
Lori made a terrible error by using her COM-link.
SCF St. Louis Detachment & Chicago Intercept Team had an APB out on Rose, Claire &Tag.
Who is Vernon & what does he do?
Who is Adrienne & what does she do?
The SCF Durango City Detachment was getting an Order of Apprehension.
What will become of the 3 characters?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written older teen fantasy book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of very unique/colorful characters to keep track of. This could also make another great YA fantasy adventure time-travel movie, animated cartoon or mini TV series. To be continued. Not my normal read but I was soon hooked on it & it was hard to put down. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; McCullough Media; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
They were both self-sufficient, & looked after each other. Both were quite studious & attended school.
Tag was into Karate taught by Sensei. He also loved to play video games with his friend Jeremy.
The boys had a big dog Lego (3, Wolfhound/Great Pyrenees).
Kyle was quite the ladies’ man.
After his date with Jackie he went home & no Tag or Lego!?
He called everyone where he thought the 2 would be.
Lego & only Tag’s backpack was found.
Tag’s truck was later toed to the precinct parking lot
In Durango City, CO (Federated State) Rose Talbot (student) had come across a young man by accident who was standing on her street.
Where did the portal lead to?
Tag had no clue where he was.
Kyle & Jackie began to look for Tag.
Rose & Tag returned to the so called spot he thought he came from.
Agent Floyd (SCF, Spotter Division # 1) was sent out to investigate Tag.
The Security Control Force SCF Division had 6 other entities: # 2 Scouts Division # 3 Sentinel’s Division # 4 Guardian’s Division # 5 defenders Division # 6 keepers Division & # 7 eliminators Division.
Rose & Claire Booth (Rose’s BFF) didn’t give them much information.
Rose, Tag & Claire were headed to NYC to hide-out at Uncle Nelson Booth house.
What is Trafalgar?
Lori Talbot (Rose’s mom), Nathan Talbot (Rose’s dad), Monique Booth (Claire’s mom) & Wesley Wes Booth (Claire’s dad) tried to piece their children’s missing puzzle together.
Lori made a terrible error by using her COM-link.
SCF St. Louis Detachment & Chicago Intercept Team had an APB out on Rose, Claire &Tag.
Who is Vernon & what does he do?
Who is Adrienne & what does she do?
The SCF Durango City Detachment was getting an Order of Apprehension.
What will become of the 3 characters?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written older teen fantasy book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of very unique/colorful characters to keep track of. This could also make another great YA fantasy adventure time-travel movie, animated cartoon or mini TV series. To be continued. Not my normal read but I was soon hooked on it & it was hard to put down. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; McCullough Media; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
August 12, 2015
This book has great transitions, wonderful characters, and my anticipation for the next installment is building!
The author isn't overly detailed that he takes pages to describe a room, but I found it easy to imagine the world along with the characters he has created.
It was tough to put this book down as it was an easy read.
The author isn't overly detailed that he takes pages to describe a room, but I found it easy to imagine the world along with the characters he has created.
It was tough to put this book down as it was an easy read.
August 29, 2015
This book has great pacing. There was never a dull moment. I felt forced to always move to the next page to find out what was going to happen. I liked the characters and the story setting. My only complaint is that I have to wait for the next book to come out to continue the adventure. Love the book and suggest it to everyone, no matter the age.
January 26, 2016
I enjoyed this book. An engaging summer read, lots of fun, and leaves you wanting more.
August 22, 2015
Great book! A fun, fast pace read that leaves readers in suspense and wanting more. The characters have a lot of depth, and it's sci-fi without being overly science-y. I fell in love with this story!
August 22, 2015
An endlessly exciting read... absolutely in love with it! A guaranteed success, no doubt about it. If you like sci-fi, you'll definitely adore On the Edge of Now.
September 9, 2015
I had the privilege of being a test reader for this book -- it's a great crossover novel for young adult and adults! Suspense, adventure, and a darned good story -- perfect for curling up with cookies and milk!
October 11, 2018
***4.5 stars***
WOWZA! I know I will enjoy this sci-fi story but I did not expect to love it! It was a REALLY REALLY good book!
On The Edge Of Now - The Departure is the first book of a 6 books series. It is a dystopian sci-fi story that centers around the Townsend brothers - Kyle and Tag. One day going for a hike, Tag the younger Townsend, stumbles upon a wormhole/portal. Unable to resist the energy that pulls him in, he is transported into the alternate world of Durango Colorado, which is known as Durango City, Federated State of Colorado.
Durango City is governed by the World Ruling Council, an authoritarian or Machiavellian government where every movement of its citizens is closely monitored and controlled by the Security Control Force (SCF). Tag is not in the system and he gets into deeper trouble, drawing unwanted attention from the SCF after defending his new friend, Rose, during a hostile encounter with Leon. Now, together with Rose's best friend Claire, three of them are on the run from the SCF as the authority is searching for Tag - the anomaly in the system. Will Tag be able to get back to his world before it is too late?
I always enjoyed a dystopian sci-fi story. It is always creative and rich with imagination, and this story is no exception. It held my interest pages after pages with the suspenseful plot! Truth be told, the plot is not something new - protagonist escaping from an authoritarian government. But it is the engaging writing that makes the difference. I can honestly say, the writing and storytelling is mellifluous and easy to follow for a sci-fi story.
IMPRESSIVE world building! It is believable with its absolutely organized government system. The table of organization of SCF from Division One to Division Seven is impressive! The society in the alternate world do not use cellphone but COM-link. Instead of text messages, it is called data stream, and etc. It is a believable dystopian world and I really appreciate that the author put a lot of thoughts and effort in building this world.
Characters are well-developed! They are delineated indirectly throughout the story with depth and dimensions. But there is just one teeny-weeny thing that puts me off. The dialogues - I find them to be somewhat cheesy, especially conversations between Tag and his new friends (Rose and Claire). I am not sure if they are meant to be that way but they did not work for me.
That being said, this first book of On The Edge Of Now series is one impressive read! It is well-written with the great introductions on the characters and the dystopian world which I think is so important for the rest of the series. It is an easy sci-fi read, well-paced and I was utterly entertained until the very last page. It's unputdownable! I am looking forward to read the next book in this series!
WOWZA! I know I will enjoy this sci-fi story but I did not expect to love it! It was a REALLY REALLY good book!
On The Edge Of Now - The Departure is the first book of a 6 books series. It is a dystopian sci-fi story that centers around the Townsend brothers - Kyle and Tag. One day going for a hike, Tag the younger Townsend, stumbles upon a wormhole/portal. Unable to resist the energy that pulls him in, he is transported into the alternate world of Durango Colorado, which is known as Durango City, Federated State of Colorado.
Durango City is governed by the World Ruling Council, an authoritarian or Machiavellian government where every movement of its citizens is closely monitored and controlled by the Security Control Force (SCF). Tag is not in the system and he gets into deeper trouble, drawing unwanted attention from the SCF after defending his new friend, Rose, during a hostile encounter with Leon. Now, together with Rose's best friend Claire, three of them are on the run from the SCF as the authority is searching for Tag - the anomaly in the system. Will Tag be able to get back to his world before it is too late?
I always enjoyed a dystopian sci-fi story. It is always creative and rich with imagination, and this story is no exception. It held my interest pages after pages with the suspenseful plot! Truth be told, the plot is not something new - protagonist escaping from an authoritarian government. But it is the engaging writing that makes the difference. I can honestly say, the writing and storytelling is mellifluous and easy to follow for a sci-fi story.
IMPRESSIVE world building! It is believable with its absolutely organized government system. The table of organization of SCF from Division One to Division Seven is impressive! The society in the alternate world do not use cellphone but COM-link. Instead of text messages, it is called data stream, and etc. It is a believable dystopian world and I really appreciate that the author put a lot of thoughts and effort in building this world.
Characters are well-developed! They are delineated indirectly throughout the story with depth and dimensions. But there is just one teeny-weeny thing that puts me off. The dialogues - I find them to be somewhat cheesy, especially conversations between Tag and his new friends (Rose and Claire). I am not sure if they are meant to be that way but they did not work for me.
That being said, this first book of On The Edge Of Now series is one impressive read! It is well-written with the great introductions on the characters and the dystopian world which I think is so important for the rest of the series. It is an easy sci-fi read, well-paced and I was utterly entertained until the very last page. It's unputdownable! I am looking forward to read the next book in this series!
September 18, 2015
I received this book through goodreads first reads giveaway.
I read a few chapters and could not get into the story. There was no hook that drew me to read more and the writing did not "show" me what was going on.
I read a few chapters and could not get into the story. There was no hook that drew me to read more and the writing did not "show" me what was going on.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews