Sync City

by Peter Ryan

In the early twenty-first century catastrophe strikes, shattering the Earth s timelines and leaving in its wake a bleak, post-apocalyptic future. The world realigns. With past and future fractured, communities desperately cluster together for protection from marauding War Clans and predatory Scythers. Humanity is under attack from the worst enemy it s ever faced: humankind itself. In this climate of terror, a new breed of enforcer is needed the Keepers.
Ex-soldier and ex-cop, hard-drinking Keeper Jack Trevayne is armed, surly, and vulgar. Equipped with his sentient motorbike, he is the only one who can protect humanity while keeping the timelines clean. He has the skills and he has the attitude. But he d just rather have a beer.
The future is complicated Jack is not."

Genres: Science Fiction

512 pages, Paperback

Published February 28, 2017

About the author

Peter Ryan is a sci-fi lover, motorbike rider, darts player, soju drinker, and T-shirt designer, as well as being an English professor at a university in South Korea. He grew up in Perth, Western Australia. He has traveled much of the world and done a variety of jobs along the way, including sales support at an insurance company, laborer on the building sites of London and Melbourne, chauffeur/minder for an English lord, and business English consultant in Shanghai. Sync City was inspired by a tour of the synchrotron at the University of Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon, Canada, and the question of what would happen if something went horribly wrong. Korean culture also enters the mix. Peter lives with his Canadian wife in Seoul, and has done so since 1999. There is no synchrotron in Seoul, though there is plenty of soju.

Reviews

[Jeffrey Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know it’s probably not fair to compare an author’s work with another literary or cinematic work, but a few pages into Peter Ryan’s sci-fi powerhouse Sync City, I’m thinking, “Wow, this reminds me so much of Blade Runner” – especially the hardboiled detective underpinnings with the characters and snappy dialogue. The fact that I love Blade Runner should give you a pretty good idea how much I enjoyed Sync City.

Ryan has penned an exciting, gripping novel about the future and time travel. I’m a big fan of time travel—who isn’t, right?—but this is unlike any of those other time travel stories. I really like his premise behind the novel in that the Earth’s timelines are all askew which allows marauding groups from the past and the future are traveling through time, and in the words of the author, “mucking up things.” It’s up to our protagonist Jack to set everything straight. After all, the future or the past—depending on where one is—is up for grabs. It is a brilliant idea which Ryan masterfully develops throughout the story.

Ryan’s got a winner here. If you’re a fan of Raymond Chandler or Philip Dick, I highly recommend you book the next trip to Sync City. You won’t regret it.

[John Dennehy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an engrossing book. The action is well written but what I was most interested in was the alternative world Ryan was able to create. I don't read a ton of science fiction but have always been interested in the concept of time travel and Ryan does an excellent job exploring a world without time. In a book about mixing timelines, there are two alternating stories--past and present--moving forward simultaneously. Intentional or not I thought that was a neat trick and pretty meta, blending timelines in a story about blended timelines. I would have liked to see more of the world outside the fuel depots--which seemed too based in our current reality anyway--but there will be plenty of opportunity to see that in the next book, which I eagerly await.

[Joseph Asphahani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take some of the grit and violence of Mad Max and blend it with an octane-guzzling action story that jumps back and forth through time, and you'll get Sync City.

But if that premise alone doesn't hook you, then the fresh, unique voice of its author Peter Ryan will. I've read my fair share of hard-boiled thrillers and suspense stories. The pace, the dialogue, the description, a lot of it is fast and punchy. Sync City is like that, exactly like that, but because it's adopted in a science fiction setting unlike any other, I found myself enjoying it a lot more. Jack Trevayne, the novel's badass motorbiking ex-cop antihero, is the kind of guy you really don't want to f*** with. Without spoiling some of the truly exhilerating situations he finds himself in, I think it's fair to say that I thoroughly enjoyed watching Peter Ryan write Jack into a corner, surrounded by terrible odds and maniacs slathering for his death, and watching him punch and blast and throttle his way out, time (pun intended) and time again.

And the last "act" of this book... Amazing. I'll say no more. If I was kind of hesitating around the 3-4 star mark for a bit, and maybe I was for a bit because - to be fair, the book is loooong! - that climax and that ending really cinched it for me. 5 motherf*****g stars! Great book! Great debut author! Check it out.

[Robert Batten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sync City is exactly the book I needed. When I needed it is irrelevant, due to time being screwed. This is an incredibly fun time travel book with a unique angle on the genre, possibly creating its own sub-genre... Time Travel Apocalypse.

Jack is a fun protagonist who is well realised through a strong voice and bad-ass bike. He had me chuckling throughout while dragging me backwards and forwards (and sideways) through a future/past/present where time seems irreparably broken. An unashamed prick, you can't help but join his cheer squad. Do yourself a favour and go for a ride with Jack.

[Brian Fitzpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the world goes to shit, bringing an apocalypse of time-bending destruction, we need a hero as tough and grizzled as Jack. With a unique story, and characters as hard-boiled as their new messed up world, Peter Ryan delivers a fast-paced, full throttle sci-fi adventure. I can't wait to read more installments!

[Craig Munro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sync City hits the throttle on page 1 and doesn’t let up till the end. Peter Ryan’s dystopic world is as unique as it is brutal and his main character is hugely entertaining. Very highly recommended!

[Mike Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

MOVE OVER LEE CHILD THERE'S A NEW JACK IN TOWN!

If you like Mad Max and Jack Reacher then Sync City is going to blow your socks off. A seamless mix of hard-boiled detective and post apocalyptic Sci-Fi, the plot grabs you by the throat and keeps on squeezing. The hero of the piece Jack Trevayne, is a Keeper, or Temporal Enforcement Officer as he’s known. He pulls no punches as he rides his time shifting motorbike across a planet beset by temporal glitches as he tries to keep the peace.

With a sly nod to Knight Rider, Jacks trusty but lethal steed has the ability to morph its firepower up to two generations ahead of the time zone it finds itself in. In the aftermath of the temporal event known as The Blink, Jack is pitched against all kinds of enemy forces, War Clans, Scythers and a multitude of other murderous forces roaming through the fractured time lines.

But then things start to get really bad. Whole communities disappearing, overnight and lethal attacks by something unknown in broad daylight. Something is changing and Jack doesn’t like it. Now all he has to do is stay alive long enough to stop it. If you read one new Sci-Fi book this year make it SYNC CITY…I loved it!

[Christopher Huang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: violence, more violence, bad language, and did I mention the violence?

I'm very impressed by the tone and voice of this, and the consistency thereof. The story is told in the first person, through the eyes of the hero, Jack Trevayne; Jack characterises himself as Not A Nice Person, and his impatience with nuances and subtleties colour the narrative. He's a cocky, testosterone-fueled action hero, but somehow he manages this without coming off as arrogant or at all in love with being macho. That, I think, can be a very difficult balance to maintain, yet Ryan does it quite handily.

The story is also told in two parallel narratives: one set in the past, the other set in the present. I think I was about halfway through the novel before I noticed that this was how Ryan was feeding New Information to me: rather than present everything in a text dump, the "past" narrative was paying out information relevant to the "present" narrative, just at the point where it was wanted. This is another difficult and interesting thing to coordinate, and I am impressed.

[Douglas Gress · Rating 5 out of 5]

From remarkably edgy, irreverent, and sometimes quirky well developed characters, to movement (sometimes planned, sometimes not) between shifting time lines and realities replete with their own civilizations and cultures, to a shape shifting, sentient frankenbike with an attitude and a best hits of weaponry past, present, and future designed to wreak maximum havoc, Sync City has it all. Ryan had me from the get go, and I peeled through the entirety of it as fast as I could get my hands on new chapters. Another big upside? Unlike some works that have one strong story line, maybe two, and a couple of weaker ones that you’d rather blow through quickly to get back to the good parts, all the lines and characters Ryan builds work in concert and are equally strong and well developed. Grab it, devour it, and get set for the next installation.

(Review based on an advance copy)

[Fernando · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Ryan explodes onto the writing scene with his ultra-exciting debut novel, Sync City! An irreverent, hard-charging, hard-drinking, motorcycle-riding action hero saves the day in a time-fractured future world. The characters, dialogue, technology, and world-building feel natural, easily drawing me into the story itself. I highly recommend. What a ride!

[Amos · Rating 5 out of 5]

head out on the highway. looking for adventure.
Jack kicks ass. More more more from this world.

[Michel Rivard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading Sync City during a 20 minute bus ride and it was enough to be hooked. I would have wanted more : more details about the Deacons, their factions, their intentions, more descriptions of how it feels to time travel, more interactions with communities deported from their era. I would have liked to know better each of the characters. Sync City's universe has a lot to offer, and this first story does a wonderful job making us want more!

[William Schiele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time is fluid, time is fractured and time passes very quickly while sucked into the world of Peter Ryan's Sync City. I loved this book and found the duality of time a fascinating concept from which a dystopian hell spawns, causing humans to struggle to survive in a previously civilized world. Thank God for Jack Trevayne, a man who wishes life could just be spent drinking beer and hanging out, but must instead ride an intelligent motorbike while fighting powerful apparitions which come from the past and threaten the future.
With characters both deadly and clever, Jack teams up to take one of the most captivating adventures I've ever read. Sci-Fi is not my usual read, but I will read anything written by this inventive and compelling story teller.
Grab this book, grab a beer and have one hell of a time in Sync City.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't want to put this book down! Gripped me right until the end - now I want to read more. Need to get working on the sequel, Peter!

[Michael Haase · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's only appropriate that a world that created its own apocalypse would need a character like Jack to save it. Jack is a fantastically written reluctant hero. He would not be involved in any of this if the path weren't paved in heavy artillery and booze. Sync City reads like a gripping serial, following Jack and his journeys through fractured timelines in a dystopian future. He doesn't look for trouble, but trouble seems to be seeking him out specifically, and Jack is not one to back away from a fight. This is an excellent read.

Peter Ryan's debut is gritty, fearless, and complex. His writing style keeps you moving through the pages like Jack through a bottle of soju. Part Mad Max part Terminator with a dash of Quantum Leap. It's dark with a good sense of humor interspersed. I've never read a sci-fi adventure like it.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely fun read. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. And I must say I am looking forward to the epic conclusion of this story.

I loved the characters in this book.Jack was my favorite character, followed by his Keeper partner Vic. They made a great team, Jack with his prick attitude and his other character traits that were funny, like his boozing. Vic was funny in a different sense. I got more of a kinky vibe from her, and I can see a burgeoning romance between Jack and Vic as they have good chemistry together.

The main plot delved deep into what would happen if AI and time travel and law enforcement all got messed up. It was pretty scary stuff. It was like Tron on steroids on how messed up things got. I recommend this book to anybody who likes science fiction or alternate reality books, also recommended for dystopian literature fans.

I received this book as part of the Goodreads giveaways program.

[Nicola Sarjeant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irreverent, hard-boiled sci fi. The anti-hero, Jack, is a foul-mouthed, hard-drinking, ex-soldier/ex-cop/biker trying to save a f-ed up world. Love his badass attitude and the biting social commentary. Some strong female characters, too. Cool references to Canada (Saskatoon/Saskatchewan) and Korea, as well. A great read!

(Review based on an advance copy.)

[G.R. Paskoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sync City pulls no punches. Neither does Jack. In a world full of gray, Jack's thinking is pretty black-and-white: if doesn't try to kill you, let it live; if it does, blow it the hell up! Ryan's developed a fascinating dystopian world with laterally moving timelines. It's not easy to incorporate time travel into a sci-fi novel because it introduces the possibility of circular references that can often lead to unexplained (or poorly explained) what-if scenarios, but Ryan does it well and believably. In fact, the way the flashback chapters are incorporated work well to advance the story.

Anyone looking for a high-octane action packed story should take a ride with Jack.

[Landon Crutcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sync City is a metric shit-ton of fun. Starring Jack, a hard-drinking, ass-kicking, foul-mouthed hero who believes problems are solved with more shooting and less thinking. Co-starring his sentient motorcycle buddy-cop who might be an incredibly advance artificial intelligence but has just as bad an attitude as Jack. Add in one part chaotic time travel, two parts creepy half-dead bad guys, three parts super-creative weaponry, mix it all together, serve on the rocks and knock back a glass of Sync City. I’m sure glad I did.

[Jefferson F · Rating 2 out of 5]

No disrespect to the book or the writer, this was just not my cup of tea... @ 500 pages I gave it the benefit of the doubt and read until the halfway point. I was not compelled to read further. I have nothing against the author, I know just how difficult writing can be, that being said, I found no reason to keep reading.

[Sergey Grechishkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a lover of a quality sci-fi like me, this is as good as it gets. Tough characters, cool story, time shifts, unexpected twists. Peter Ryan is a major new talent in this genre. A very filmatic read. I can't wait to see it becoming a movie. Clever and totally enjoyable read.

[Robert Jeens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Trevayne is the blunt instrument you need repeatedly hammering you over the head until you are sufficiently entertained.

[Jason Pomerance · Rating 5 out of 5]

A kick-a** dystopian thriller that grabs you by the throat from the first sentence and doesn't let you go until the jaw-dropping, thrilling finale. Peter Ryan's time-shifting Sync City brings to mind the world of Mad Max, and the book's hero is just the right kind of bad-a** (sorry for the language but it's where I go to when I read this genre and that's a testament to the author's powers -- it's a compliment). Maybe a sequel coming? Who knows, but we can only hope you come back to this world again.