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Monkeyboy
Hanuman is one of a kind. A monkey turned person thanks to the same magic gemstones that created the powerful Anki race. His friends are not the typical human colonists either. Follow Han on a space fantasy adventure as he battles the dangerous Rakshasa who have been working in secret to overthrow the various independent communities of people on his home planet, Nibiru. One little green Monkeyboy struggles to belong among various species of people while fighting beings with powers that stretch the imagination.
Will Hanuman find his place in the universe?
Can he stop the rekindling Anki Empire?
Why do girls try to kiss him?
A great novel to begin exploring the Anki Legacies Adventures!
Will Hanuman find his place in the universe?
Can he stop the rekindling Anki Empire?
Why do girls try to kiss him?
A great novel to begin exploring the Anki Legacies Adventures!
264 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2017
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
S. Shane Thomas
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 22, 2017
I recently stumbled across Monkeyboy by S. Shane Thomas on NetGalley and was instantly intrigued. I was preparing to start my yoga teacher training, and seeing the name Hanuman (a Hindi monkey god) caused me to pause. A Sci-fi/Fantasy book targeted toward Middle Grade readers, it is a part of the Anki Legacies world, though can easily be read as a standalone.
The book was a light read, and was packed full of juvenile humor, high adventure and martial arts. I love that the book introduces MG readers to the concept of meditation, and tuning in with the Self. This time in a child's life can be very stressful and confusing, so I was glad to see the book popularize a very poignant and beneficial practice.
The fact that the adults in the book allow the children to help out and tag along (and were generously forgiving when the children did something wrong) would appeal to younger readers, even though the mother in me was cringing and found it unrealistic and irresponsible. While the adults did not play a central role allowing the young characters to really shine through, they were still present and their love for their children was patently clear.
While I would not recommend the book to a mature audience (the transitions are jumpy... great for shorter attention spans but really confusing for older readers), this book is perfect for a child making that transition into YA. This book would be a good opportunity for discussing the themes of adoption (Hanuman and Wisp are adopted by a loving family) and cultural acceptance. There are several races in the book, and the majority of the conflict arises from some groups desiring domination over others.
*Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for providing me with a free copy in exchange for a honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
The book was a light read, and was packed full of juvenile humor, high adventure and martial arts. I love that the book introduces MG readers to the concept of meditation, and tuning in with the Self. This time in a child's life can be very stressful and confusing, so I was glad to see the book popularize a very poignant and beneficial practice.
The fact that the adults in the book allow the children to help out and tag along (and were generously forgiving when the children did something wrong) would appeal to younger readers, even though the mother in me was cringing and found it unrealistic and irresponsible. While the adults did not play a central role allowing the young characters to really shine through, they were still present and their love for their children was patently clear.
While I would not recommend the book to a mature audience (the transitions are jumpy... great for shorter attention spans but really confusing for older readers), this book is perfect for a child making that transition into YA. This book would be a good opportunity for discussing the themes of adoption (Hanuman and Wisp are adopted by a loving family) and cultural acceptance. There are several races in the book, and the majority of the conflict arises from some groups desiring domination over others.
*Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for providing me with a free copy in exchange for a honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
August 16, 2017
Monkeyboy is set within the League of Atlantis Reborn Colonies (LARC), the narrative universe that Shane built. I read this book because I’d previously read The LARC Transmissions, which I thought was very imaginative and worthwhile. That prior title also introduced the character of Hanuman, a minor character who shows heroic tendencies at the end and who then takes the lead role in this follow-on story. I sense that if you hadn’t read any of the previous stories, you might find it harder to buy into the fantasy of this latest book and wonder what the talking monkey is all about.
In explanation, Hanuman (previously) ate a magic stone which gave him anthropomorphic characteristics, improved intelligence and vocal cords. He carried over his natural primate characteristics of loyalty, bravery and family. In this book, the baddies (Rakshsha) on the planet of Nibiru want to capture all of the magic stones and over-run their world with enhanced warriors, as a prelude to restoring the ancient and very alien Anki Empire. Hanuman and his friends set out to stop all that, but betrayal is right around the corner.
This book talks about the Solar System, but I think that's a micro-error as it should only ever refer to the system around the star Sol, our sun. Someone else's system would be named after their local star, e.g. the Dagobah System in Star Wars or the Vogsphere in Hitchhiker's. If the author was talking about the planets around our sun, then that's my lack of attention and ignore me.
It’s easy to get confused and think this is a re-write of Hanuman’s tale in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, where the devoted monkey god trails along behind Rama and helps a young priest bring Budhism to India. Indeed, the money god Hanuman is part of not just Buddhist but also Hindu, Sikh and Jain mythology. Despite keeping an eye out for references to those famous quests, I didn’t see any beyond his similar character traits and the fact they’re both simple souls magically elevated from monkeyhood to do good deeds – and prove useful. Please don’t expect religious wisdom. This seems then to be a transplant of that ancient character into an unrelated setting to try him out in a completely new tale. When Salman Rushdie tried this, they gave him a Fatwah, but this is just a harmless take that shouldn’t upset any believers. In reality, the monkey god existed in scripture for about one thousand years before anyone added him to the pantheon that anyone actually worships. He was a character but not a headline deity. He also stole fruit.
The LARC universe seems to have changed in style from imaginative science fiction engineering and biology fantasy (with a bit of magical transformation) in The LARC Transmissions to a magical young adult fantasy in this latest story. Originally full of colonial theory and exploring strange new worlds there’s been a shift into a status-quo disrupted by conflict. Is this change over time or had the author exhausted the sci-fi angle? I prefer sci-fi, personally, but I acknowledge that I’m outnumbered by YA magic readers (about 1/100), so I should shut up. I’ll give this the same star rating as the previous book but I disagree that it is stand-alone. Specifically, Monkeyboy is a barely a 4 star and Transmissions is a high 4 star. Then again, kids will love it, eat more fruit and fall out of trees.
In explanation, Hanuman (previously) ate a magic stone which gave him anthropomorphic characteristics, improved intelligence and vocal cords. He carried over his natural primate characteristics of loyalty, bravery and family. In this book, the baddies (Rakshsha) on the planet of Nibiru want to capture all of the magic stones and over-run their world with enhanced warriors, as a prelude to restoring the ancient and very alien Anki Empire. Hanuman and his friends set out to stop all that, but betrayal is right around the corner.
This book talks about the Solar System, but I think that's a micro-error as it should only ever refer to the system around the star Sol, our sun. Someone else's system would be named after their local star, e.g. the Dagobah System in Star Wars or the Vogsphere in Hitchhiker's. If the author was talking about the planets around our sun, then that's my lack of attention and ignore me.
It’s easy to get confused and think this is a re-write of Hanuman’s tale in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, where the devoted monkey god trails along behind Rama and helps a young priest bring Budhism to India. Indeed, the money god Hanuman is part of not just Buddhist but also Hindu, Sikh and Jain mythology. Despite keeping an eye out for references to those famous quests, I didn’t see any beyond his similar character traits and the fact they’re both simple souls magically elevated from monkeyhood to do good deeds – and prove useful. Please don’t expect religious wisdom. This seems then to be a transplant of that ancient character into an unrelated setting to try him out in a completely new tale. When Salman Rushdie tried this, they gave him a Fatwah, but this is just a harmless take that shouldn’t upset any believers. In reality, the monkey god existed in scripture for about one thousand years before anyone added him to the pantheon that anyone actually worships. He was a character but not a headline deity. He also stole fruit.
The LARC universe seems to have changed in style from imaginative science fiction engineering and biology fantasy (with a bit of magical transformation) in The LARC Transmissions to a magical young adult fantasy in this latest story. Originally full of colonial theory and exploring strange new worlds there’s been a shift into a status-quo disrupted by conflict. Is this change over time or had the author exhausted the sci-fi angle? I prefer sci-fi, personally, but I acknowledge that I’m outnumbered by YA magic readers (about 1/100), so I should shut up. I’ll give this the same star rating as the previous book but I disagree that it is stand-alone. Specifically, Monkeyboy is a barely a 4 star and Transmissions is a high 4 star. Then again, kids will love it, eat more fruit and fall out of trees.
March 28, 2017
I've got to admit a bias here, I wrote it.
Read other reviews for an honest appraisal. I want to tell you about the fun I had working on this book. It was really a blast visiting the world of my first novel as a brand new character! There were so many places I wanted to revisit, and a few I still needed to discover.
If you haven't read any of my work, Monkeyboy is the best place to start. The Anki Legacies Adventures are not sequels of one another. Each book is a complete story. There are character interchanges between titles but there is no need to read in the published order.
I loved the original Dragonball and Dragonball GT cartoons and when you read Monkeyboy, you find hints of Toriyama. I also got to dig into the Ramayana a bit to align my Hanuman with the original! Many of the characters and a sub plot draw their origin from what I gleaned.
I wanted to talk to younger readers about feeling alone and also the importance of strong interpersonal relationships with this book. What better way than with a green haired, monkey tailed martial arts student?
Thanks for your interest in the book. If you've read the blurb and this far into my note, go ahead and give it a try!
Cheers,
Shane
Read other reviews for an honest appraisal. I want to tell you about the fun I had working on this book. It was really a blast visiting the world of my first novel as a brand new character! There were so many places I wanted to revisit, and a few I still needed to discover.
If you haven't read any of my work, Monkeyboy is the best place to start. The Anki Legacies Adventures are not sequels of one another. Each book is a complete story. There are character interchanges between titles but there is no need to read in the published order.
I loved the original Dragonball and Dragonball GT cartoons and when you read Monkeyboy, you find hints of Toriyama. I also got to dig into the Ramayana a bit to align my Hanuman with the original! Many of the characters and a sub plot draw their origin from what I gleaned.
I wanted to talk to younger readers about feeling alone and also the importance of strong interpersonal relationships with this book. What better way than with a green haired, monkey tailed martial arts student?
Thanks for your interest in the book. If you've read the blurb and this far into my note, go ahead and give it a try!
Cheers,
Shane
March 30, 2017
I received a free Advanced Reader Copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed.
In brief:
Monkeyboy is the first in the LARC1 series which is written for tweens and young adults. Despite not reading much YA at present, I found this adventure a fun read. With the usual adult characters relegated to the background, it was interesting to see the kids explore Nibiru and deal with the Anki technology with rather more insight than expected. As usual, Thomas’ universe and humor drew me in.
The Whole story:
Han was born a regular Liberty monkey on Nibiru. Swallowing an Anki stone has turned him into a boy with some amazing powers and a keen interest in the martial arts. But there’s much he doesn’t remember about his life before becoming the adoptive son of Pringar, the Anki mayor of the LARC1 colony. When his strange origins catch up with him, it’s up to Han and his equally gifted best friends Wisp, Cray and Sita to save Nibiru and the solar system from a tyranny.
What I loved about this story:
The kids are kids with universal attitudes and behavior. Thomas manages to capture the enthusiasm, energy and creativity of adolescents who are beginning to grapple with the larger implications and consequences of actions from and around them. I think most kids would love to be a part of this gang of four.
What I thought could be better:
There are times when things get a little too heavy for me during the fight scenes and some of the themes are a little on the dark side. So, for the younger sensitive readers (and parents) you might want to discuss some scenes with them, especially those with the Rakshasa.
So what did I learn from this whole experience?
Yep, I’m definitely a fan of Thomas’ Anki Legacies! I got to learn a little bit more about martial arts too. And was reminded once again that some of our greatest philosophies can come out of the mouths of children.
In brief:
Monkeyboy is the first in the LARC1 series which is written for tweens and young adults. Despite not reading much YA at present, I found this adventure a fun read. With the usual adult characters relegated to the background, it was interesting to see the kids explore Nibiru and deal with the Anki technology with rather more insight than expected. As usual, Thomas’ universe and humor drew me in.
The Whole story:
Han was born a regular Liberty monkey on Nibiru. Swallowing an Anki stone has turned him into a boy with some amazing powers and a keen interest in the martial arts. But there’s much he doesn’t remember about his life before becoming the adoptive son of Pringar, the Anki mayor of the LARC1 colony. When his strange origins catch up with him, it’s up to Han and his equally gifted best friends Wisp, Cray and Sita to save Nibiru and the solar system from a tyranny.
What I loved about this story:
The kids are kids with universal attitudes and behavior. Thomas manages to capture the enthusiasm, energy and creativity of adolescents who are beginning to grapple with the larger implications and consequences of actions from and around them. I think most kids would love to be a part of this gang of four.
What I thought could be better:
There are times when things get a little too heavy for me during the fight scenes and some of the themes are a little on the dark side. So, for the younger sensitive readers (and parents) you might want to discuss some scenes with them, especially those with the Rakshasa.
So what did I learn from this whole experience?
Yep, I’m definitely a fan of Thomas’ Anki Legacies! I got to learn a little bit more about martial arts too. And was reminded once again that some of our greatest philosophies can come out of the mouths of children.
March 29, 2017
Evolution takes a giant step forward when a monkey from a troop that can only say howdy eats a magic stone that increases his intelligence tenfold. He is adopted into a loving family and treated like any school-aged child. His fondest dream is to find more stones to feed to his cousins so as not to be the only monkeyboy.
He’s not the only one with such a dream, however. A radical group also searches for the magic stones with the intention of creating an army. Monkeyboy’s focus shifts from finding the stones for personal gain to finding them before they can be misused.
Monkeyboy by Shane Thomas is a rollicking adventure any child will enjoy. It’s full of juvenile humor. The pace never quits and, of course, Monkeyboy and his friends save the day.
As an adult, I enjoyed the story for other reasons. I liked that there was no stigma surrounding adoption. I liked that the adults weren’t depicted as overbearing or dismissive as is so often seen in MG fiction. The parents were supportive, understanding, and forgiving of Monkeyboy’s antics. They were protective of their children, yet included them in their excursions so they could learn outside the schoolroom.
Inventive and entertaining, Monkeyboy would make a fine bedtime story.
I was given a free Advanced Reader Copy of Monkeyboy in exchange for an honest review.
He’s not the only one with such a dream, however. A radical group also searches for the magic stones with the intention of creating an army. Monkeyboy’s focus shifts from finding the stones for personal gain to finding them before they can be misused.
Monkeyboy by Shane Thomas is a rollicking adventure any child will enjoy. It’s full of juvenile humor. The pace never quits and, of course, Monkeyboy and his friends save the day.
As an adult, I enjoyed the story for other reasons. I liked that there was no stigma surrounding adoption. I liked that the adults weren’t depicted as overbearing or dismissive as is so often seen in MG fiction. The parents were supportive, understanding, and forgiving of Monkeyboy’s antics. They were protective of their children, yet included them in their excursions so they could learn outside the schoolroom.
Inventive and entertaining, Monkeyboy would make a fine bedtime story.
I was given a free Advanced Reader Copy of Monkeyboy in exchange for an honest review.
September 3, 2019
I first learned of S. Shane Thomas through the Science Fantasy Hub, a landing platform for fans of the indie writing community. Thomas is an enthusiastic supporter of independent authors and I enjoy reading through his collection of thoughtful reviews. I have discovered a lot of great works through his website, including books written by Thomas himself.
Thomas’s writing delves into the whimsical worlds of archaeological fantasy. The Anki Legacies explore the influence of ancient aliens on early humanity, culminating in LARC (the League of Atlantis Reborn Colonies) who reverse engineer technology from the lost city of Atlantis in order to explore space. That sentence alone convinced me to read the first book in the series, entitled Monkeyboy.
Before we begin, new readers should be aware that the Anki Legacies are geared towards a younger audience. There is a playfulness to the story that is super charming. We all have a bumbling kid inside us and this book was written for them. The humor is quirky, the action is over the top, and the banter is best heard through the mind of a preteen. This is a sprightly adventure, so don’t let your adult brain cheat you out of some lighthearted fun.
Monkeyboy is the story of Han, a humanoid hybrid who acquires special powers after eating a magic stone. A quest ensues to find more stones, initially from a selfish desire to relieve his loneliness (by converting his cousins so they can “be like me”). However, his motivations shift to altruism after learning that a nefarious faction is searching for them too. It’s a great lesson for younger readers, one that Thomas manages to weave into the narrative without coming across as preachy (a major gripe that I have with most middle grade books).
Han sets off to save his home planet Nibiru from the evil Rakshasa. Joining him on the quest is a merry band of friends. Wisp is a pink cloud who emotes through morphs and colors (she is also Han’s best mate). Sita is a rabbit-eared alien girl with strawberry blonde hair. Rounding out the motley crew is a mantis monk named Cray.
Despite the mishmash of personas, I think Wisp steals the show. Her interactions with Han are sweet, comical, and often swing into the realms of epic cuteness. Thomas definitely knows how to capture the interactions of youth in a warm and kindhearted way. In addition, he gives the characters agency without downplaying their decisions as childish or unwise. This allows the action to unfold organically, instead of just bouncing from one tired lecture to the next. Two thumbs up, Mr. Thomas.
The fight scenes were also a highlight for me. Monkeyboy is packed with cartoon-like martial arts that cannot help but evoke scenes from Kung Fu Panda. This is intentional, of course, and the manner by which Thomas describes the action will have you grinning ear-to-ear.
Monkeyboy is a fun book that I can recommend to all readers, but especially to youngsters. It’s chock full of zany action and youthful humor, perfect for a lazy afternoon.
Thomas’s writing delves into the whimsical worlds of archaeological fantasy. The Anki Legacies explore the influence of ancient aliens on early humanity, culminating in LARC (the League of Atlantis Reborn Colonies) who reverse engineer technology from the lost city of Atlantis in order to explore space. That sentence alone convinced me to read the first book in the series, entitled Monkeyboy.
Before we begin, new readers should be aware that the Anki Legacies are geared towards a younger audience. There is a playfulness to the story that is super charming. We all have a bumbling kid inside us and this book was written for them. The humor is quirky, the action is over the top, and the banter is best heard through the mind of a preteen. This is a sprightly adventure, so don’t let your adult brain cheat you out of some lighthearted fun.
Monkeyboy is the story of Han, a humanoid hybrid who acquires special powers after eating a magic stone. A quest ensues to find more stones, initially from a selfish desire to relieve his loneliness (by converting his cousins so they can “be like me”). However, his motivations shift to altruism after learning that a nefarious faction is searching for them too. It’s a great lesson for younger readers, one that Thomas manages to weave into the narrative without coming across as preachy (a major gripe that I have with most middle grade books).
Han sets off to save his home planet Nibiru from the evil Rakshasa. Joining him on the quest is a merry band of friends. Wisp is a pink cloud who emotes through morphs and colors (she is also Han’s best mate). Sita is a rabbit-eared alien girl with strawberry blonde hair. Rounding out the motley crew is a mantis monk named Cray.
Despite the mishmash of personas, I think Wisp steals the show. Her interactions with Han are sweet, comical, and often swing into the realms of epic cuteness. Thomas definitely knows how to capture the interactions of youth in a warm and kindhearted way. In addition, he gives the characters agency without downplaying their decisions as childish or unwise. This allows the action to unfold organically, instead of just bouncing from one tired lecture to the next. Two thumbs up, Mr. Thomas.
The fight scenes were also a highlight for me. Monkeyboy is packed with cartoon-like martial arts that cannot help but evoke scenes from Kung Fu Panda. This is intentional, of course, and the manner by which Thomas describes the action will have you grinning ear-to-ear.
Monkeyboy is a fun book that I can recommend to all readers, but especially to youngsters. It’s chock full of zany action and youthful humor, perfect for a lazy afternoon.
May 13, 2017
Enjoyable story
What a great story for young adults! It's a fun story, filled with humor. I am fond of Thomas' storytelling ability and his way to create characters. Hanuman is no different. A monkey with more than the usual human qualities, especially when he eats a magic stone. Its a unique story and the chapters are the perfect size for children to read, or be read to. It's a great adventure for the reader, and the characters.
What a great story for young adults! It's a fun story, filled with humor. I am fond of Thomas' storytelling ability and his way to create characters. Hanuman is no different. A monkey with more than the usual human qualities, especially when he eats a magic stone. Its a unique story and the chapters are the perfect size for children to read, or be read to. It's a great adventure for the reader, and the characters.
August 18, 2018
This is the tale of Han, a young humanoid monkey, and his band of friends as they adventure across their homeworld of Nibiru in a star system far from Earth. Humanity came to this planet on massive Ark ships reverse-engineered from the space-faring technology of lost Atlantis. Upon arriving on Nibiru they discovered and rescued peoples from several other space-faring species that had been imprisoned by a fallen race of would-be galactic conquerors called the Anki. Everyone on Nibiru lives in relative harmony, but Han and his friends discover that the ancient Anki are not as extinct as everyone thought.
Accompanying Han is a gang colorful, unusual beings: Wisp, a shapeshifter made of pink clouds and his childhood friend and constant companion; Sita, a mixed human/alien girl with long, rabbit-like ears; and Cray a giant praying mantis-like creature whose mind is perpetually linked to the collective intelligence of his people.
Monkeyboy is like a wuxia novel mixed with space opera then blended together with classic mythology. The setting draws heavily from Mesopotamian legends such as the ancient and god-like Annunaki, and the knowledge bringing Apkallu- here called Nephilim and depicted as living synthetic servants to the Anki.
The story draws from other myths too. The main character’s full name, Hanuman, is obviously borrowed from the Monkey King of the Indian Ramayana epic, though personality-wise he more closely resembles Son Wukong of Journey to the West. His personality also mirrors Wukong- though maybe it is more akin to Goku, the protagonist of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball, which was inspired by Journey to the West. Han can be brash and easily distracted, though he is aware of these foibles and it is interesting to watch as he works hard to overcome them.
Before reading Monkeyboy, I would strongly recommend checking out Shane’s other LARC novels first. Distant Origins will fill you in on the background of the lost Atlantis technology and humanity’s journey to Nibiru. Han’s own origins- as well as the motivations of the Anki antagonists- can be found in the anthology LARC Transmissions. Be aware, though, that there is a bit of a tonal shift between books which can be a little jarring. While Monkeyboy is geared towards juvenile readers, Distant Origins and LARC Transmissions seem to have been written for an older audience. Once you get used to the shift in writing, though, the more action-packed adventure in Monkeyboy is a fun read.
If there is one major critique, it is that the ending is a rather blatant deus ex machina. There really isn’t any build-up to the solution that saves the day. But hopefully, this point will be explained in further adventures of Han and his friends. That quibble aside, though, Monkeyboy is a great read if you’re a fan of quick martial arts action in a unique setting.
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