Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Sim-Verse #1

Rebel's Construct

Rate this book
What price would you pay to have it all?

What would you be willing to forget?

Astro-miner Taven Smith is on his final day of a long tour of duty in the Belt. He’s looking forward to an early payload bonus and returning home to Earth.

But when a stray chunk of asteroid smashes into the Hudson, a hidden ship, his hopes are dashed. Taven boards the vessel after all attempts to contact it fail. He soon finds himself lost in a dizzying maze of computer-generated simulated worlds.

Taven’s mind-bending odyssey quickly turns into a race against time as he learns of the Hudson’s headlong path toward destruction. After rescuing the construct’s inhabitants proves next to impossible, Taven is left with one simple wish: Getting out alive!

249 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 27, 2019

38 people are currently reading
85 people want to read

About the author

Allen Kuzara

22 books33 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
31 (54%)
4 stars
15 (26%)
3 stars
9 (15%)
2 stars
2 (3%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for Meenaz Lodhi.
1,024 reviews86 followers
May 21, 2019
"Natural justice is a symbol or expression of usefulness, to prevent one person from harming or being harmed by another."                 Epicurus       “Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
It is a magnificent world to enter and this is just the beginning of what I know will be a great series. This little window into the world of SciFi virtual world did not disappoint me, in fact, I think I'm addicted! The story is very original and unique. I like that the protagonist is no héroe, just a regular guy.
“Questions are commands in disguise. Every question is a demand.  And every demand is a veiled threat.” This frase captured my attention immediately, the innuendo and subtlety in how we express ourselves, the double meaning behind what we say. I like the philosophy behind the story, it has an in-depth many lack.
As always, Allen Kuzara has outdone himself, not only with the plot, but the morality and social aspects that I expect in all the books I read. This is going to be an amazing and remarkable series! Keeping close tabs on this new Sci-fi series.
I received an early version of this book from the publisher and my review is entirely voluntary.
881 reviews10 followers
May 25, 2019
This book started out interesting enough but soon gave way to repetitive and predictable. From Taven I got a very steadfast loyal guy, who takes care of those that work for him and his family.

He wants to make sure that the accident his worker caused does not endanger the lives of those on the hidden ship. Taven at the heart of things is a protector and not finding anyone on the ship to pass on that they are in danger is hard for him to deal with. He puts himself in danger by entering the ships AI program, but his strong sense of right and wrong will not allow him to walk away.

Once in the Sim world Taven’s character is put to the test. As he gets drawn deeper into the Sim he realizes it’s not just the inhabitants, lives that are in danger it’s also his now. Things become a little repetitious in the Sim world and I started losing interest fast. His character was likeable enough and you could empathize with his plight both in the Sim world and in his real life.

For me the book was neither good nor bad just an average read. Taven is relatable and is a nice enough fellow, there just wasn’t enough going on to keep me engaged like I wished.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Lissette.
Author 27 books104 followers
May 27, 2019
Taven Smith never imagined how much his life would change when an asteroid hits a ship he and his mates soon come to know as the Hudson. To the naked eye, it's just like any other ship. Upon closer inspection, however, it's one full of numerous secrets. Determined in alerting its inhabitants to the impending danger, he soon makes a choice that alters the way he sees life in general. A choice he soon realizes has lasting and unexpected effects.

When I first downloaded this book, I confess its cover made me think of The Matrix. This story, however, is nothing like the former. Granted, it has a construct, but it's one born of a group's necessity rather than one formed by an AI's intent on enslaving the human race.

The author has taken the idea of living in a simulated world and extended it to the point where nothing is as it seems. He's shaped the idea in such a way that it makes the reader want to keep exploring the world he's created. Like The Matrix, the inhabitants of this sim world are living within the construct and shaping it to their every whim.

I like the fact that there were choices to be made within the sim world. Everything done has a consequences. You can either keep the memories you make at every turn, or get rid of them if you so choose. I can't wait to see what else the author has in store for us in book 2. I'm hooked and ready to dive back into this unique world.
153 reviews2 followers
May 28, 2019
An impressive first to a thrilling and creative new series. I was intrigued from the first chapter to this amazing and unique world where nothing is as it seems. Born out of necessity, this is a world where every choice has a consequence.
This well written and evolving story has intricate and complex characters, relationships and dimensions.
Imaginative and quick with a unique and creative plot that could be considered abstract at times where the reader is taken on an interesting journey from the very beginning.
Once begun it is a difficult book to put down.
Recommended!
I received a copy via booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Travis.
2,952 reviews48 followers
February 16, 2023
Well, it started out well enough, and the story wasn't all that bad. It turns out that nearly the entire story was unnecessary, but I guess that means there'd be no book. Can't really recommend this one though. While you're reading, the story certainly looks like it's going somewhere, but then it just up and stops. Instead of coming to an appropriate stopping point, it just up and quits, like the author just wanted the story to be over, then decided it needed something to close the story, so wrote an extra chapter just to smooth over the edges.
The author notes at the end explain this sufficiently, but I'm not likely to read anything else in this series.
53 reviews
May 30, 2019
I love sci-fi, I really do. I have done for a long time. I've also come to really enjoy Allen Kuzara's writing and this book is no different. It's once again nicely written with great characters, an interesting and plausible concept. Some nice action scenes and believable dialogue. I absolutely flew through this book during some rare down time. That's a sign of how good it is. I am quite looking forward to seeing where this story goes, especially after "that" ending! Wow!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for FeedMyReads.
374 reviews20 followers
June 22, 2023
Taven Smith is a simple astro-miner who is used to completing his assigned duties and then heading home after having achieved a nice payday for his loving partner but when his team are completing their loading and a piece of the load ends up damaging another ship in the area they must check they have not placed anyone at risk or injured them. They could not imagine just what this will mean for them.
This is an amazing opening to a series which sees science fiction which is very original, draws the reader in and keeps you guessing throughout.
747 reviews13 followers
May 30, 2019
I liked the idea of this story. Taven is just an everyman wanting to get the job done and go home. His journey takes him to an unexpected decision. The concept of a simulated world is different and I found it intriguing. This is the first book in the series and does leave the reader with unresolved issues at the end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jim.
767 reviews
January 12, 2020
An interesting approach to the desire for personal freedom from outside unwanted interactions.
The colony ship Hudson, hidden in the sol asteroid belt, is accidentally knocked out of orbit and then when the ship doesn't respond to comm requests is boarded by hard-rock miners trying to do the right thing and inform the ship about the de-orbit problem. Things get really interesting at this point. Read the book to find out why.
Profile Image for Read Ng.
1,369 reviews26 followers
January 7, 2023
A freebie ebook. Thought I would take a chance.

I did like the start, but it pretty quickly became predictable. The last chapter is all the setup for the next book in the series. I was not hooked as it was a bit too predictable. For a one and done, skip the last chapter. I am on the fence about continuing this series. I will have to circle around back to this some day. In the mean time, I will try something else.

Have a GoodReads.
Profile Image for Barbara Harrison.
3,425 reviews87 followers
May 26, 2019
Having been eaten by giant bats the few times I attempted them, role-playing games are not a favorite activity of mine. That said, this family-friendly, RPG-like novel with a fantastic opening chapter is one whoop of a ride and can be read in a day, or a couple of months, time being relative.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Sharon.
4,152 reviews31 followers
June 3, 2019
If this book is anything to go by, we are in for a brilliant new series in sci-fi books! The plot is unique and intriguing, and the author has done an excellent job of describing his new world. The characters are interesting and well rounded. This is an awesome book and a must read for sci-fi lovers.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Profile Image for Michelle L. Reeve.
135 reviews2 followers
June 20, 2019
Taven Smith is just a normal guy who works hard mining space rock to support his family. When a haul goes wrong he will have to become someone he’s not to save hundreds of people from certain death. He must enter a simulation, figure out what’s real and convince the game master that the threat is in real life. Great book!
16.8k reviews162 followers
September 9, 2019
he is looking forward to going home but he ends up on another mission which should be his last but may not end well. He is now in a fight to stop the ship crashes and killing him and more. Can he do it? Will he escape with his life? See how he gets on

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Pat Eroh.
2,619 reviews33 followers
May 28, 2019
This is an amazing story that is action-packed and filled with edge-of-your-seat originality! I love the characters and the storyline and hope that there are many more stories to come.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
226 reviews2 followers
May 28, 2019
Poor Taven !!
Is ** nothing ** going to go right for him !!??
He's an ordinary family man who's decided to go
home and find a different, safer job.
However a space-ship in the wrong place at the
wrong time changes his life.
What will happen and how will he deal with it ?

Phyllis S.
Profile Image for Frank Geimer.
507 reviews8 followers
October 9, 2019
This novel is a really good start for a new series that I think will really take off. It is full of real life struggles and the character development is really looking good. I will definitely be reading the next installment!
Profile Image for Sam.
2,581 reviews42 followers
September 30, 2020
An excellent start to this really well written exciting sci fi adventure! I really enjoyed this & will start on book 2 asap! Great idea & plot, good strong characters! A great read! I do recommend this writer to anyone that likes to get their teeth into a good book!
Profile Image for Kepi.
150 reviews4 followers
April 29, 2020
Many interesting ideas but something was missing - no idea what. It simply didn't catch me even when I wanted to.
Profile Image for Andy Febrico Bintoro.
3,681 reviews31 followers
October 25, 2023
make me remember of sword art online with different technology and the purpose was to construct the genes. the story is not that long, but quite good for the first volume.
53 reviews
March 7, 2025
Interesting…

… book, I liked it, big time :-). It’s written in simple, but very thoughtful though, language and that makes the book so easy to read and enjoy!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.