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The Directorate #1
Directorate School
First Book of The Directorate Series
Ebsa "Kitchen" Clostuone invades the sacred precincts of the High Oners! The School of Directorate Studies has a wide variety of students, including the president's daughter Paer, this strange Ra'd fellow, and Nighthawk, the first foreign student from Comet Fall. Ebsa wants to explore across the dimensions. And all he has to do is keep his grades up, learn how to shoot every kind of gun imaginable, and not get pounded by the Action Team trainees.
Ebsa "Kitchen" Clostuone invades the sacred precincts of the High Oners! The School of Directorate Studies has a wide variety of students, including the president's daughter Paer, this strange Ra'd fellow, and Nighthawk, the first foreign student from Comet Fall. Ebsa wants to explore across the dimensions. And all he has to do is keep his grades up, learn how to shoot every kind of gun imaginable, and not get pounded by the Action Team trainees.
- GenresAmazonYoung Adult
216 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 6, 2016
50 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 26, 2018
So, sometimes works in the Fantasy genre are based on popular tropes. I'd go as far as to say that most are. The thing about any trope is that it became a trope because it's entertaining. So yes, Pam Uphoff's Directorate School is, at its heart, based on a trope: It's a boarding school for kids. And yes, J.K. Rowling used it too. Rowling has sold only God knows how many millions of books though and that's because it's a good trope. It works. And Directorate School is a good book. I like the whole "Let's go to school and save the world in my spare time" thing. Who didn't think their problems were world ending as a teenager? Of course, in this book they're probably right, but why nitpick?
The Directorate Series, so I have been told, is a continuation of the Wine of the Gods series, which started with Outcasts and Gods. I have to confess that I have not read as many of the books in the series as I would like to. I'm working on it. I damn sure plan to own them all at some point.
Despite the fact that Directorate School is a follow on to an earlier series, I had no problem whatsoever understanding what was going on. There was less heavy world building than I've seen in other books to be sure, but I liked that. The fact that we missed the lecture on the middle name of the emperor's sister's, cousin's, cat's, dog's, pet goldfish's little brother is a good thing. It kept things moving and the book has multiple sequels, so it's not like she had to squeeze it all in. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed John Ringo's The Last Centurion and I'm a David Weber fan (and sometimes I'd like to see a Weber of words meaning a huge infodump the same way people refer to a Weber of missiles) so it's not like I don't enjoy some background. I just don't think it always needs to be there and Heinleining in details works.
The upshot of avoiding needless exposition is that we get additional action. Directorate School cooks with grease. There is always something going on. Whether it's schoolyard battles in the dojo or actual combat, something is happening. And there is the usual teenage thing going on in the background. I can't believe how grateful I was that I didn't have to save the world right before that big math test. I mean, I didn't KNOW how grateful I was, but I was totally grateful. Seriously, these kids do great.
The Directorate Series, so I have been told, is a continuation of the Wine of the Gods series, which started with Outcasts and Gods. I have to confess that I have not read as many of the books in the series as I would like to. I'm working on it. I damn sure plan to own them all at some point.
Despite the fact that Directorate School is a follow on to an earlier series, I had no problem whatsoever understanding what was going on. There was less heavy world building than I've seen in other books to be sure, but I liked that. The fact that we missed the lecture on the middle name of the emperor's sister's, cousin's, cat's, dog's, pet goldfish's little brother is a good thing. It kept things moving and the book has multiple sequels, so it's not like she had to squeeze it all in. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed John Ringo's The Last Centurion and I'm a David Weber fan (and sometimes I'd like to see a Weber of words meaning a huge infodump the same way people refer to a Weber of missiles) so it's not like I don't enjoy some background. I just don't think it always needs to be there and Heinleining in details works.
The upshot of avoiding needless exposition is that we get additional action. Directorate School cooks with grease. There is always something going on. Whether it's schoolyard battles in the dojo or actual combat, something is happening. And there is the usual teenage thing going on in the background. I can't believe how grateful I was that I didn't have to save the world right before that big math test. I mean, I didn't KNOW how grateful I was, but I was totally grateful. Seriously, these kids do great.
August 2, 2017
I obtained this book through the Kindle Unlimited program.
Class, have you all done your homework? Have you all read the 578 previous installments of this series? If not, you are going to have to work extra hard to catch up, you know!
And that's the ONLY possible criticism I can come up with. It's pretty lame, I know; 'the author has written too many great books!' Yeah. Burn her at the stake. How dare she write great books!
The focus on this spin-off is how agents get trained. They are given instruction we might find in any comprehensive state school, along with in-depth training in subjects taught at the surface level in a really good physical education curriculum, and added in: magic (theory and history only for freshmen).
Beautiful young people falling in love, and unpleasant bullies; and magic. Add intrigue and politics to the mix, and toss in the possibility of interdimensional total war; and don't forget horseback riding. It's more complicated than THAT, of course, but that's the gist of the story.
SPOILER ALERT: Nobody flunks out, but people die. (You already knew that, didn't you?)
Class, have you all done your homework? Have you all read the 578 previous installments of this series? If not, you are going to have to work extra hard to catch up, you know!
And that's the ONLY possible criticism I can come up with. It's pretty lame, I know; 'the author has written too many great books!' Yeah. Burn her at the stake. How dare she write great books!
The focus on this spin-off is how agents get trained. They are given instruction we might find in any comprehensive state school, along with in-depth training in subjects taught at the surface level in a really good physical education curriculum, and added in: magic (theory and history only for freshmen).
Beautiful young people falling in love, and unpleasant bullies; and magic. Add intrigue and politics to the mix, and toss in the possibility of interdimensional total war; and don't forget horseback riding. It's more complicated than THAT, of course, but that's the gist of the story.
SPOILER ALERT: Nobody flunks out, but people die. (You already knew that, didn't you?)
April 22, 2021
Interesting!
One of your other books was difficult for me, and I stumbled into this one. It kept me interested in the characters enough to finish. I like your "universe", and how the characters run through it. This story was a little difficult, but definitely worth reading. Looking forward to the next book.
One of your other books was difficult for me, and I stumbled into this one. It kept me interested in the characters enough to finish. I like your "universe", and how the characters run through it. This story was a little difficult, but definitely worth reading. Looking forward to the next book.
August 9, 2016
Strong start
But it leans a little too heavily on knowledge of prior series to function well as the start of a new line. A little short on the world building as a result. The problem is too many characters with big back stories. No real info dumps, which is a plus, but I suspect a newcomer would be a bit behind the curve.
I still enjoy Ms Uphoff's work and pre-order every time she posts a new volume. She has good characters and makes them work to move the plot. This is almost on par with Dancer of the One, which I consider to be the best of that series to date.
But it leans a little too heavily on knowledge of prior series to function well as the start of a new line. A little short on the world building as a result. The problem is too many characters with big back stories. No real info dumps, which is a plus, but I suspect a newcomer would be a bit behind the curve.
I still enjoy Ms Uphoff's work and pre-order every time she posts a new volume. She has good characters and makes them work to move the plot. This is almost on par with Dancer of the One, which I consider to be the best of that series to date.
December 21, 2016
Cute story
This was a fun read about a group of Oner students, including one of the Warriors of the One - Road who had been bubbled for over a thousand years and is now trying to blend into the current culture. Also a guest student from Comet Fall is in the incoming class - Nightwing, daughter of Xen Wolfson. All sorts of shenanigans ensue including the potential for starting a war between the One World and Comet Fall. But in the end you might say they received their Just Desserts...
This was a fun read about a group of Oner students, including one of the Warriors of the One - Road who had been bubbled for over a thousand years and is now trying to blend into the current culture. Also a guest student from Comet Fall is in the incoming class - Nightwing, daughter of Xen Wolfson. All sorts of shenanigans ensue including the potential for starting a war between the One World and Comet Fall. But in the end you might say they received their Just Desserts...
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews