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Randoms #3
Renegades
Science fiction super fan Zeke is back in action as he and his friends work to finally take down the evil Phands in this hilarious and exciting conclusion to the Randoms series.
Zeke has returned to Earth and, as usual, nothing is going like he planned.
The plan was: escape from Junup, rescue Director Ghli Wixxix and Captain Qwlessl, stop the Phands, and finally get Tamret to officially be his girlfriend. Instead, he gets stuck in an Earth facility for disobedient children, is stranded on an unknown and supposedly deserted planet with Villainic, of all beings, and Tamret kind of broke up with him. He’s not entirely sure. Nothing and no one is as it seems, and all Zeke knows is that he’s tired of the Phands trying to take over the galaxy.
With Smelly gone and his friends scattered, though, it’s going to take a lot more than Zeke’s expert sci-fi knowledge to save them this time.
Zeke has returned to Earth and, as usual, nothing is going like he planned.
The plan was: escape from Junup, rescue Director Ghli Wixxix and Captain Qwlessl, stop the Phands, and finally get Tamret to officially be his girlfriend. Instead, he gets stuck in an Earth facility for disobedient children, is stranded on an unknown and supposedly deserted planet with Villainic, of all beings, and Tamret kind of broke up with him. He’s not entirely sure. Nothing and no one is as it seems, and all Zeke knows is that he’s tired of the Phands trying to take over the galaxy.
With Smelly gone and his friends scattered, though, it’s going to take a lot more than Zeke’s expert sci-fi knowledge to save them this time.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 19, 2017
22 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
About the author
David Liss
145 books1,258 followersI am the author of thirteen novels, most recently The Peculiarities, a historical fantasy out in September 2021. I've also written numerous novellas and short stories. My previous books include A Conspiracy of Paper which was named a New York Times Notable Book and won the 2001 Barry, MacAvity and Edgar awards for Best First novel. The Coffee Trader was also named a New York Times Notable Book and was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the year’s 25 Books to Remember. Several of these books are currently being developed for television or film. I have also worked on numerous comics projects, including Black Panther and Mystery Men for Marvel, The Spider and Green Hornet for Dynamite, and Angelica Tomorrow.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 26, 2017
Although I really enjoyed reading this as a great way to close the arc, I couldn't help but feel that the ending was a bit of a let down. Still, the humour and fun was there, and even if the story didn't end precisely in the way I'd have chosen, I can't say I haven't enjoyed the whole trilogy very much, especially the opener.
April 19, 2019
Tamret is still awesome.
Convex Icosahedron is really weird.
Convex Icosahedron is really weird.
January 4, 2023
Really good ending to the series great book couldn't have asked for more
October 11, 2017
In this third installment of the Randoms, our hero Zeke is once again on Earth, trying to stay undercover in hopes he and his friends can kick out the alien Phands, who have set up totalitarian rule around the globe.
Of course, his hopes of staying unrecognized are quickly dashed, and he and his friends have to pull off an escape before they can hope to make things right. In the process, though, Zeke loses the superpowers he had acquired from the technology of a vastly superior alien race that had seemingly long disappeared, and he ends up stuck on a dusty planet with the cat-boy Villainic, his least favorite alien.
With the help of a rebel group that includes many Phands and a mysterious being with a 12-sided cube of a head, Zeke is able to get back into action and save the day. And of course, by book's end, Zeke and his catwoman girlfriend Tamret, lizard boy Steve, and his fellow Earth space adventurers are already a little bored with their triumphs, and ready for another adventure.
Book Four, anyone?
Of course, his hopes of staying unrecognized are quickly dashed, and he and his friends have to pull off an escape before they can hope to make things right. In the process, though, Zeke loses the superpowers he had acquired from the technology of a vastly superior alien race that had seemingly long disappeared, and he ends up stuck on a dusty planet with the cat-boy Villainic, his least favorite alien.
With the help of a rebel group that includes many Phands and a mysterious being with a 12-sided cube of a head, Zeke is able to get back into action and save the day. And of course, by book's end, Zeke and his catwoman girlfriend Tamret, lizard boy Steve, and his fellow Earth space adventurers are already a little bored with their triumphs, and ready for another adventure.
Book Four, anyone?
December 28, 2025
Good ending to the series. And just in time. The coincidences were getting to be too unlikely, as were times when characters didn't use powers they could have used and made unlikely decisions. But all very engaging, and most loose ends get tied up nicely.
October 5, 2017
Best book I've ever read
Best book ever! Great plot, characters, but forced ending, still amazing though. I love everything about it and at least one more book would be a gift from the universe!
Best book ever! Great plot, characters, but forced ending, still amazing though. I love everything about it and at least one more book would be a gift from the universe!
February 3, 2019
The book was nice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2017
A Very Strong, Very Entertaining Find
Judging this book by the cover, literally, I figured this would be a cheerful, light, middle grade ensemble space adventure with maybe a few twists. It looked a little cartoony and a little young. Well, totally wrong. The characters are smart, witty, sharp, sometimes a bit edgy, well-developed, and much older feeling and more interesting than the usual kid spacemen. The plot is interesting and twisty. The sci is as good as the fi, and there are loads of alien characters who excel at scene stealing. As an action space opera this book was more entertaining, clever and imaginative than many of the "adult" sci-fi I've read.
Important point. This is the third and final book in the "Randoms" series. I was afraid that it would be hard to start with Book 3, (I didn't read the first two). Well, not to worry. Within the first few chapters the reader is brought up to speed on who's who, what has already happened, and what's likely to be encountered ahead. I'm sure I missed a few subtle points and mild sub-plots, but certainly not at all to the extent that I missed anything important to appreciation or understanding of the story. This exposition was pretty painless, and the author is very good at disguising the occasional necessary info dump.
Second important point. The book is very funny in a deadpan, witty, energetic cross-talk sort of way. Sometimes when the hero kid is the narrator he has a limited bag of narrative and conversational tricks and he can't really carry a whole book, much less a series. Not so here. Our hero Zeke is personable, relatable and very, very funny. In any particular scene he may be needled or teased or topped by any one of a dozen other characters, so you get a wide variety of voices and styles mixed in to the narrative.
As an example, the book opens with the four human heroes stuck in a Phand reeducation center. Trying to keep a low profile, each has adopted a false name. The names are clever and silly, but the best part is the four kids mocking on each other for their ridiculous choices, (Jean Luc Picard?). That's what I mean about dry, clever cross-talk and the variety of the character voices. It's sort of rare to get deadpan or ironic humor done so well in a book for younger readers, which is why I thought this book could be a real step up in class for a younger sci-fi reader.
On top of all that the book is loaded with sly references to both well known and fairly obscure sci-fi standards, which offers an added level of reward to knowledgeable readers. (As per Star Trek, Zeke directs the others to always double spoken time estimates to do things if bad guys might be eavesdropping.)
So, this is a funny, rich and entertaining treat, and just way more than I expected. Never trust those covers.
(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
Judging this book by the cover, literally, I figured this would be a cheerful, light, middle grade ensemble space adventure with maybe a few twists. It looked a little cartoony and a little young. Well, totally wrong. The characters are smart, witty, sharp, sometimes a bit edgy, well-developed, and much older feeling and more interesting than the usual kid spacemen. The plot is interesting and twisty. The sci is as good as the fi, and there are loads of alien characters who excel at scene stealing. As an action space opera this book was more entertaining, clever and imaginative than many of the "adult" sci-fi I've read.
Important point. This is the third and final book in the "Randoms" series. I was afraid that it would be hard to start with Book 3, (I didn't read the first two). Well, not to worry. Within the first few chapters the reader is brought up to speed on who's who, what has already happened, and what's likely to be encountered ahead. I'm sure I missed a few subtle points and mild sub-plots, but certainly not at all to the extent that I missed anything important to appreciation or understanding of the story. This exposition was pretty painless, and the author is very good at disguising the occasional necessary info dump.
Second important point. The book is very funny in a deadpan, witty, energetic cross-talk sort of way. Sometimes when the hero kid is the narrator he has a limited bag of narrative and conversational tricks and he can't really carry a whole book, much less a series. Not so here. Our hero Zeke is personable, relatable and very, very funny. In any particular scene he may be needled or teased or topped by any one of a dozen other characters, so you get a wide variety of voices and styles mixed in to the narrative.
As an example, the book opens with the four human heroes stuck in a Phand reeducation center. Trying to keep a low profile, each has adopted a false name. The names are clever and silly, but the best part is the four kids mocking on each other for their ridiculous choices, (Jean Luc Picard?). That's what I mean about dry, clever cross-talk and the variety of the character voices. It's sort of rare to get deadpan or ironic humor done so well in a book for younger readers, which is why I thought this book could be a real step up in class for a younger sci-fi reader.
On top of all that the book is loaded with sly references to both well known and fairly obscure sci-fi standards, which offers an added level of reward to knowledgeable readers. (As per Star Trek, Zeke directs the others to always double spoken time estimates to do things if bad guys might be eavesdropping.)
So, this is a funny, rich and entertaining treat, and just way more than I expected. Never trust those covers.
(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
November 6, 2017
Ah getting to the last in a series I like. I have to say its been a long journey, but a fulfilling one.
Renegades by David Liss, is definitely a fun, albeit safe way to end the series. From the characters we have followed to the exciting battles, its definitely staying in my collection I hope to pass to my kids some day.
The one thing I found in this book was a bit disappointing was the final battle and the resolution seemed too planned, neat and rushed, making it feel like the characters were never facing insurmountable odds. Even taking back Earth from an invading force, seemed a bit to easy lasting what seemed like a day rather then weeks or months. Maybe I'm just splitting hair, since this is a young adult book after all.
Thanks again David Liss, for creating such a great series. Look forward to see what you create next.
Renegades by David Liss, is definitely a fun, albeit safe way to end the series. From the characters we have followed to the exciting battles, its definitely staying in my collection I hope to pass to my kids some day.
The one thing I found in this book was a bit disappointing was the final battle and the resolution seemed too planned, neat and rushed, making it feel like the characters were never facing insurmountable odds. Even taking back Earth from an invading force, seemed a bit to easy lasting what seemed like a day rather then weeks or months. Maybe I'm just splitting hair, since this is a young adult book after all.
Thanks again David Liss, for creating such a great series. Look forward to see what you create next.
December 2, 2017
Zeke Reynolds and his friends are back to save the world from the evil Phandic Empire. Zeke's mad schemes and uncensored mouth are a delight as Tamret, Steve, Mi-Sun, Charles, Alice, and Villainic manage to steal space shuttles, find rebel Phands, and even plot with Geometric Upstarts in a wildly comic adventure. I am sad that this ends the series as it is one of my favorite sci-fi-fi adventures. I laughed aloud.
October 1, 2017
I really hope that there is a book 4 despite in the description saying this is the last but remember randoms is a trilogy for all we know zeak could be back in the start of a new series that is what I hope for anyway
November 13, 2017
Satisfying end to a fun trilogy. Thanks for the laughs.
December 13, 2017
Asher (11yo) read.
February 19, 2018
Wow, this book gives a really nice end to the series. Zeke must save the galaxy one last time, in a hilarious, action-packed, geeky, thrill ride
July 14, 2018
I want more of their adventures!
September 25, 2018
LOVE THIS TRILOGY!! READ IT!!
ENJOY!
ENJOY!
March 16, 2020
I loved this series. Funny and a great adventure. Out of the three books this was my favorite. The main character really had to do some self reflection and got a dose of humility.
December 13, 2021
goodest ending
March 29, 2024
A page turner like the previous two but it seemed like some of the loose ends were left untied.
April 27, 2024
Heck yeah it's like ready player one but without the video game stuff....just Godzilla
Also I love smelly forever
Also I love smelly forever
January 23, 2025
One of my favorites
This book took me on a roller coaster of feelings, and I've read it a few times, and it's been good everytime.
I wish there were more books like this.
This book took me on a roller coaster of feelings, and I've read it a few times, and it's been good everytime.
I wish there were more books like this.
September 15, 2025
such a wonderful trilogy! I haven't had such a fun romp since the Serafina series. I definitely will recommend it!
November 27, 2025
Earth has been taken over by the Phands, but Zeke and his friends are ready to put the Formers' tech to use and save the Confederation - with only a few prison breakouts, insane rebel alliances, and girl troubles standing between them and complete occupation of the galaxy! Liss finishes his exciting sci-fi tale with all the hijinks and quick-wit references fans will want; a tad rushed on the wrap-up, but will keep you riveted through every twist and turn. Every choice will have its consequences, but Zeke is ready to put it all on the line for those he loves...and the fate of the universe.
Want to read
September 30, 2017I received a copy of this book from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews