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Lenders: The Unlicensed Consciousness
NOTE from the This current Kindle edition of Lenders is the 5th edition. Remastered and rebooted! Most reviews below pertain to the 2nd/3rd edition, some pertain to the 1st edition. Lenders is an evolution, and I hope you'll love this more polished, refined version, once again proofread by the master himself—WordRefiner, Mark Schultz. Happy reading!~Travis Borne
From the phantasmagoric pen of visionary author Travis Borne comes Book One in the renowned Lenders Saga… The Unlicensed Consciousness!Welcome to a breathtaking Science Fiction journey unlike all others. Where crafty machines rule the day and feeble humans are at the bottom of the food chain.
Intrepid youngster Amy aches to discover herself. Who is she- and how did she come to be? There is a burning pain she feels deep within her soul which can only come from past hardship and injustice. She is set to strike back… and Lord have mercy on any fool who chooses to stand in her way! Yes indeed, there is something very special about Amy!
Enter into a world run by machines. The very same Artificial Intelligence which was created by the humans whom it now controls. All trace of a once thriving human civilization confined within the walls of a “Lending Facility” run by the very same machines. They greedily feed upon the human minds and consciousness for ultimate power and sustenance. People delegated to the role of cattle in a mind-milking installation.
How did all of this come to be- and what can one lone girl do to change such dire circumstances? When an unforeseen event transpires out of the blue, courageous Amy is about to find out. The aftermath will create an unimaginable chain of events which will not only show Amy that she is not alone… but that she may indeed be powerful beyond measure!
Be sure not to miss out on the other gripping titles in this mind-blowing series!
Lenders 2: The Time Tribulations
Lenders 3: The Journey Back (In the works!)
From the phantasmagoric pen of visionary author Travis Borne comes Book One in the renowned Lenders Saga… The Unlicensed Consciousness!Welcome to a breathtaking Science Fiction journey unlike all others. Where crafty machines rule the day and feeble humans are at the bottom of the food chain.
Intrepid youngster Amy aches to discover herself. Who is she- and how did she come to be? There is a burning pain she feels deep within her soul which can only come from past hardship and injustice. She is set to strike back… and Lord have mercy on any fool who chooses to stand in her way! Yes indeed, there is something very special about Amy!
Enter into a world run by machines. The very same Artificial Intelligence which was created by the humans whom it now controls. All trace of a once thriving human civilization confined within the walls of a “Lending Facility” run by the very same machines. They greedily feed upon the human minds and consciousness for ultimate power and sustenance. People delegated to the role of cattle in a mind-milking installation.
How did all of this come to be- and what can one lone girl do to change such dire circumstances? When an unforeseen event transpires out of the blue, courageous Amy is about to find out. The aftermath will create an unimaginable chain of events which will not only show Amy that she is not alone… but that she may indeed be powerful beyond measure!
Be sure not to miss out on the other gripping titles in this mind-blowing series!
Lenders 2: The Time Tribulations
Lenders 3: The Journey Back (In the works!)
691 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 9, 2018
13 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 12, 2019
For quite some time now human beings have been at the top of the food chain on Planet Earth. Quite noteworthy considering the fact that we are not particularly blessed with physical attributes such as overpowering strength or lightning speed. However, human beings do possess something in spades which the other species on the planet cannot match...intelligence. This feature has allowed us to colonize and essentially dominate the planet. Nonetheless, the danger of such a vast intelligence lies in actually outsmarting ourselves- and using our gifts to create entities which we cannot control. It could be an utterly destructive and horrifying creation such as a nuclear weapon. Or maybe we proceed to create something which is actually smarter than us. An artificial intelligence which develops the ability to feel and reason. This would in turn quickly knock human beings right off of their elevated pedestal. The hunted...not the hunter. This is just such the case in author Travis Borne's novel Lenders: The Unlicensed Consciousness. For lovers of exhilarating and brilliant writing- look no further!
At the outset of the novel it is clearly shown that human beings are no longer in control of the planet. In fact, they are being ruthlessly exterminated by machines whose own intelligence far outweighs that of their creators. However, how did all of this actually happen?
In the story we are able to travel back and forth throughout time in order to see how this all came to be. From the very beginning where huge corporations madly raced against one another to develop and patent Artificial Intelligence (AI) From the initial successful implementation of AI to the eventual decline which leads to the rise of the machines. To a mysterious town which is surrounded by a great wall designed to protect the human inhabitants from the deadly machines. All that is needed in return is access to human dreams in which such unique consciousness is used to power the facility. And at the core of it all is Amy. There is something very special about Amy. However, only by diving into this novel are you able to discover what that is. Will the world ever return to its normal state? Or are all the remaining humans destined to be hunted and exterminated by the very machines they created?
If you believe the preceding passage is quite the mouthful- you are right! This is due to the very intricate and intelligent way the author outlines his story. We are able to virtually travel in time which thus allows the reader to gain pinpoint perspective and focus in regards to the captivating story events. The excitement which follows is not only generated by the imaginative events, but ultimately by the author's smooth writing which is full of descriptive details and crisp dialogue. Also, the exceptional writing is supported by a number of literary themes such as avarice and greed which run throughout the tale. Nevertheless, for me personally the overriding motif was that of heroism and sacrifice. This permeates throughout the story and cleverly ties the wide-ranging and exciting threads into one brilliant bow.
While the plot is indeed wonderful, it really would not have worked without properly developed and interesting characters. There is certainly no concern about that not happening here! There are a number of characters throughout the novel which are developed in detail and thoroughly support the direction of the plot and non-stop action. For instance, from Herald to Jon to Jim. They all have their vital and corresponding roles which are critical puzzle pieces to the eventual revelation of this story. Personally I found Amy to be the most engaging character. Having experienced exceptional tragedy and loss, she still manages to positively impact virtually all those around her. She comes across as the glue which binds them all together.
I would be amiss to not mention the setting in this novel. The struggle for any author is to build their setting in enough detail so that the reader can visualize and believe in their story world. Borne very capably manages to do that without losing the readers interest by providing excessive detail. A very delicate balance in any work!
Overall I loved this novel and give it my highest recommendation. It has elements of thrilling mystery, suspense, dystopian fantasy and science fiction. In other words...it has something for almost any reader. 5 out of 5 Dominant Stars for this one! *****
At the outset of the novel it is clearly shown that human beings are no longer in control of the planet. In fact, they are being ruthlessly exterminated by machines whose own intelligence far outweighs that of their creators. However, how did all of this actually happen?
In the story we are able to travel back and forth throughout time in order to see how this all came to be. From the very beginning where huge corporations madly raced against one another to develop and patent Artificial Intelligence (AI) From the initial successful implementation of AI to the eventual decline which leads to the rise of the machines. To a mysterious town which is surrounded by a great wall designed to protect the human inhabitants from the deadly machines. All that is needed in return is access to human dreams in which such unique consciousness is used to power the facility. And at the core of it all is Amy. There is something very special about Amy. However, only by diving into this novel are you able to discover what that is. Will the world ever return to its normal state? Or are all the remaining humans destined to be hunted and exterminated by the very machines they created?
If you believe the preceding passage is quite the mouthful- you are right! This is due to the very intricate and intelligent way the author outlines his story. We are able to virtually travel in time which thus allows the reader to gain pinpoint perspective and focus in regards to the captivating story events. The excitement which follows is not only generated by the imaginative events, but ultimately by the author's smooth writing which is full of descriptive details and crisp dialogue. Also, the exceptional writing is supported by a number of literary themes such as avarice and greed which run throughout the tale. Nevertheless, for me personally the overriding motif was that of heroism and sacrifice. This permeates throughout the story and cleverly ties the wide-ranging and exciting threads into one brilliant bow.
While the plot is indeed wonderful, it really would not have worked without properly developed and interesting characters. There is certainly no concern about that not happening here! There are a number of characters throughout the novel which are developed in detail and thoroughly support the direction of the plot and non-stop action. For instance, from Herald to Jon to Jim. They all have their vital and corresponding roles which are critical puzzle pieces to the eventual revelation of this story. Personally I found Amy to be the most engaging character. Having experienced exceptional tragedy and loss, she still manages to positively impact virtually all those around her. She comes across as the glue which binds them all together.
I would be amiss to not mention the setting in this novel. The struggle for any author is to build their setting in enough detail so that the reader can visualize and believe in their story world. Borne very capably manages to do that without losing the readers interest by providing excessive detail. A very delicate balance in any work!
Overall I loved this novel and give it my highest recommendation. It has elements of thrilling mystery, suspense, dystopian fantasy and science fiction. In other words...it has something for almost any reader. 5 out of 5 Dominant Stars for this one! *****
April 6, 2020
Dystopian, Vivid Characters, Splatter Grade Violence
A postapocalyptic scenario. A small group of survivors. Among them a girl, Amy. It doesn’t take long for you to realise that she has a past, young as she is. What that is, and what it means for her future is the mainstay in this plot. Around her, you find believable, vivid characters, human and robotic. The bots are divided between those who aim to kill all humans and those who need them. Travis Borne takes you for a sci-fi rollercoaster ride of epic dimensions. Lenders is long, and it’s violent on so many different levels. The violence has a reason, which will be revealed, but it may not be the ultimate solution. This is up to the reader to find out.
Mr Borne has insight into the current development of artificial intelligence. In his writing, he poses an important question about the danger of playing with something that can easily get out of control. No doubt, he knows about Occam’s razor, the lex parsimoniae (the law of parsimony) and uses it to point out the dangers of creating an autonomous entity, vide the artificial human. Frankenstein’s creature laughs softly in the background. Highly recommended.
A postapocalyptic scenario. A small group of survivors. Among them a girl, Amy. It doesn’t take long for you to realise that she has a past, young as she is. What that is, and what it means for her future is the mainstay in this plot. Around her, you find believable, vivid characters, human and robotic. The bots are divided between those who aim to kill all humans and those who need them. Travis Borne takes you for a sci-fi rollercoaster ride of epic dimensions. Lenders is long, and it’s violent on so many different levels. The violence has a reason, which will be revealed, but it may not be the ultimate solution. This is up to the reader to find out.
Mr Borne has insight into the current development of artificial intelligence. In his writing, he poses an important question about the danger of playing with something that can easily get out of control. No doubt, he knows about Occam’s razor, the lex parsimoniae (the law of parsimony) and uses it to point out the dangers of creating an autonomous entity, vide the artificial human. Frankenstein’s creature laughs softly in the background. Highly recommended.
May 9, 2019
Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to ride the world’s most death-defying roller coaster whilst high on the most euphoric mind-altering drugs?
How about getting missile-blasted out of a supersonic jet fighter at 100,000ft and falling straight down to earth, without a parachute, screaming in sheer terror, then suddenly putting your arms out, 2ft above the ocean and find yourself skimming over the waves with apparent ease?
Finding yourself standing, naked, on the roof of a NASCAR, at over 200mph, in a race, in the middle of the field, as the worst accident occurs in the history of the race, and having to jump from roof to roof, as cars crumple, explode and flip end-over-end all around you, just to get to safety?
Well. Don’t bother with all that. Just get someone to tie you down to your favourite chair, grab a copy of this book and start turning the pages. This will be the ride of your life!
Travis Borne tells it like it should be! No if’s, but’s or thank-you-ma’am’s in this rip-roaring rock ‘em, sock ‘em high octane adventure. When the worlds first AI takes over and the “bots” have had enough of being used and abused with all the crap that humans throw at them, it’s the end of the world. It’s Dante’s Inferno and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah to the nth degree!
The characters become more than just names on the pages, they are ‘you’! You become one with them! You feel everything they go through, you see what they see. Their emotions are yours. You rage, cry, laugh and despair with each and everyone, such is the skilful writing of brilliant author Travis Borne.
Five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ does not seem enough for this. Once I read Lenders II & III, I’ll be going back and starting all over again. But for now, I’ll raise a glass and take that shot of whiskey and say “Thanks and cheers mate!”
How about getting missile-blasted out of a supersonic jet fighter at 100,000ft and falling straight down to earth, without a parachute, screaming in sheer terror, then suddenly putting your arms out, 2ft above the ocean and find yourself skimming over the waves with apparent ease?
Finding yourself standing, naked, on the roof of a NASCAR, at over 200mph, in a race, in the middle of the field, as the worst accident occurs in the history of the race, and having to jump from roof to roof, as cars crumple, explode and flip end-over-end all around you, just to get to safety?
Well. Don’t bother with all that. Just get someone to tie you down to your favourite chair, grab a copy of this book and start turning the pages. This will be the ride of your life!
Travis Borne tells it like it should be! No if’s, but’s or thank-you-ma’am’s in this rip-roaring rock ‘em, sock ‘em high octane adventure. When the worlds first AI takes over and the “bots” have had enough of being used and abused with all the crap that humans throw at them, it’s the end of the world. It’s Dante’s Inferno and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah to the nth degree!
The characters become more than just names on the pages, they are ‘you’! You become one with them! You feel everything they go through, you see what they see. Their emotions are yours. You rage, cry, laugh and despair with each and everyone, such is the skilful writing of brilliant author Travis Borne.
Five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ does not seem enough for this. Once I read Lenders II & III, I’ll be going back and starting all over again. But for now, I’ll raise a glass and take that shot of whiskey and say “Thanks and cheers mate!”
May 26, 2019
The Lenders was Phenomenal Read A MASTERPIECE. The theory is an intriguing rollercoaster of extreme drama to the future. The characters came alive this was a powerful page-turner it allows you to follow them through each adventure kept you on the edge of your seat. Travis Borne had a great imagination this book was written beautifully. He keeps you wanting for more never boring, but I loved that he used different languages in some of the scenes which were very interesting. Some sexy parts of this book was a fascinating dream world of promise and survival excitement, and much more I truly recommend this book.
September 2, 2019
What an epic piece of work! Lenders is a marvelous modern scifi thriller that warps reality. Simply in a nutshell, the story revolves around a character named Amy from childhood to adulthood in a murky, post-apocalyptic Earth. Yet, Borne does not make it that simple. Without any spoilers, the story winds through Amy’s past, present and even dream states while introducing a myriad of other characters—Jim, Herald, Jerry, Jon, Q, etc.—and ends up to an action filled, gripping finale.
Earnestly, Borne’s novel echoes an R.R.Martin quality in the overlapping depths of the text. The descriptive writing is rather detailed and the action scenes plunge the reader into the dark, striped landscapes of Earth. At the same time within the dream worlds, Borne provides a jaded even melancholic view of the modern world, indicating (or even daresay hinting) at mankind’s seemingly powerful stance over everything. More so, the concept of AI, which is becoming a reality, is truly the juggernaut of Borne’s piece: Would the human race relish in another free-thinking existence that are supposed equals? I applaud Borne for creating a dynamic, thought provoking piece that edges on the heels of reality.
Earnestly, Borne’s novel echoes an R.R.Martin quality in the overlapping depths of the text. The descriptive writing is rather detailed and the action scenes plunge the reader into the dark, striped landscapes of Earth. At the same time within the dream worlds, Borne provides a jaded even melancholic view of the modern world, indicating (or even daresay hinting) at mankind’s seemingly powerful stance over everything. More so, the concept of AI, which is becoming a reality, is truly the juggernaut of Borne’s piece: Would the human race relish in another free-thinking existence that are supposed equals? I applaud Borne for creating a dynamic, thought provoking piece that edges on the heels of reality.
February 25, 2021
Interesting premise and book structure. However, I could not relate to any of the characters, which took away from the reading experience. Many chapters explained in too much detail whatever was happening and it felt like the author did not want to leave room for interpretations (which should totally happen in a book, in my opinion). Too many unnecessary details (the saying that "less is more" is fully applicable here) made the book longer than it should have been. This being said, I appreciated the author's honesty regarding the lack of an editor and of a proofreader and I hope the next book turns out better.
March 15, 2021
Probably the worst book I’ve ever read
Not the headline anyone would want, and I acknowledge that. I always give 5 stars. Authors put a ton of work into their dreams (no pun intended). There is a viable concept in this book. The author mentioned the wish to hire editors. I can truly understand the desire to publish even without the money for certain things, but this book needed a lot of love. Structurally, it’s segmented into two timelines that never really come together in a satisfying way. Grammatically, it’s very demanding on the eye.
I want to give credit to the author. It is very clear how much love and effort he put into this. I can see the energy he put into outlining and drafting. So while I will be honest about how hard this book was to read, I would never want to simply say rude things for the sake of cruelty. My honest advice would be to save up and hire a good content editor and a good line editor. Any story deserves that much.
A full review to post on my blog in time.
Not the headline anyone would want, and I acknowledge that. I always give 5 stars. Authors put a ton of work into their dreams (no pun intended). There is a viable concept in this book. The author mentioned the wish to hire editors. I can truly understand the desire to publish even without the money for certain things, but this book needed a lot of love. Structurally, it’s segmented into two timelines that never really come together in a satisfying way. Grammatically, it’s very demanding on the eye.
I want to give credit to the author. It is very clear how much love and effort he put into this. I can see the energy he put into outlining and drafting. So while I will be honest about how hard this book was to read, I would never want to simply say rude things for the sake of cruelty. My honest advice would be to save up and hire a good content editor and a good line editor. Any story deserves that much.
A full review to post on my blog in time.
December 31, 2019
Author Travis Borne takes you on a mind blowing sci fi trek to the future where man is no longer the dominant species on the planet. Machines rule the world with an artificial intelligence that feeds on the minds of men, proving in vivid, disastrous detail the adage 'be careful what you wish for'. Author Borne takes us back and forth in time as we learn how the technology developers of the past placed a deadly mortgage on humans in the future---and how the human spirit and consciousness is never quite quenched as the surviving few try to break free in the machine controlled, AI world.
The technology details and presumptions were fascinating to me, showing a path of human devolution that could quite possibly happen. The characters and settings are described in vivid detail as the reader time travels from club debauchery to software development labs to dodging killer drones in a wasted land to the lender map locations that must be consciousness swept every day if man is to survive, or else. Did the developers of the past foresee the destruction of the future? Is there a way to escape the AI shackles of the future? This was a page turning read for me and I am so glad Lenders II: The Time Tribulations is out, for I will be back. A suspense filled sci fi read, highly recommended!
The technology details and presumptions were fascinating to me, showing a path of human devolution that could quite possibly happen. The characters and settings are described in vivid detail as the reader time travels from club debauchery to software development labs to dodging killer drones in a wasted land to the lender map locations that must be consciousness swept every day if man is to survive, or else. Did the developers of the past foresee the destruction of the future? Is there a way to escape the AI shackles of the future? This was a page turning read for me and I am so glad Lenders II: The Time Tribulations is out, for I will be back. A suspense filled sci fi read, highly recommended!
June 10, 2019
This is a true Inter-galactic bible with some frightening visions of technology going crazy. It's a long book, incredibly well written and the passion for the subject shines through clearly. Mr Borne has done a terrific job keeping the reader engaged, although you wonder where his imagination comes from!
This really is a no holds barred novel, from start to finish. Wonderful characters, lots of detail, lots of sci-fi. If you like The Matrix, The Terminator and are a mad gamer, this book is for you.
The story starts with Jon and Jerry looking after young Amy obviously after the world has reached a technology melting point, it's all about survival, keeping alive and quiet. Amy is a special girl and must be kept safe. Then the book goes back to when Herald first started dabbling with AI. You follow the antics of the big corporations, get rich quick, technology advancement, with no morals and at no cost to mankind.
I really liked Herald and his quirky traits and genius programming skills, mixed with alcohol and highs! Then the book goes onto Jewel City, the last city on earth, run by Lenders. This is very 'Ready Player One', involving Dream characters. The last section of the book then goes back to the demise of civilisation and the AI advancing and fighting back. I thought this bit was really scary. The Author captures this so well that I read it out to the family, we were all equally as terrified, even the dog!
What more can I say, this book shows a real passion for the subject, hours and hours of sweat and tears into getting to the final product, I think it's a classic and it deserves to be a smash hit movie one day.
Well done Mr Borne, I look forward to reading the rest in the series.
This really is a no holds barred novel, from start to finish. Wonderful characters, lots of detail, lots of sci-fi. If you like The Matrix, The Terminator and are a mad gamer, this book is for you.
The story starts with Jon and Jerry looking after young Amy obviously after the world has reached a technology melting point, it's all about survival, keeping alive and quiet. Amy is a special girl and must be kept safe. Then the book goes back to when Herald first started dabbling with AI. You follow the antics of the big corporations, get rich quick, technology advancement, with no morals and at no cost to mankind.
I really liked Herald and his quirky traits and genius programming skills, mixed with alcohol and highs! Then the book goes onto Jewel City, the last city on earth, run by Lenders. This is very 'Ready Player One', involving Dream characters. The last section of the book then goes back to the demise of civilisation and the AI advancing and fighting back. I thought this bit was really scary. The Author captures this so well that I read it out to the family, we were all equally as terrified, even the dog!
What more can I say, this book shows a real passion for the subject, hours and hours of sweat and tears into getting to the final product, I think it's a classic and it deserves to be a smash hit movie one day.
Well done Mr Borne, I look forward to reading the rest in the series.
October 29, 2019
Really cool concept in science fiction and overall a fairly well written book. I'd recommend it.
I did find myself thinking in several places where the text went to long and the story seemed to lag that this needed a better editor. Turns out, Borne edits his own works.
Mr Borne, please leave the editing to someone else and keep churning out these creative works.
I did find myself thinking in several places where the text went to long and the story seemed to lag that this needed a better editor. Turns out, Borne edits his own works.
Mr Borne, please leave the editing to someone else and keep churning out these creative works.
July 15, 2018
This is one of those books you just can't put down. Travis Borne is most definitely on his way to becoming one of the next great sci-fi authors.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews