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Advent
Life as one of the wealthiest teenagers in New York City seems like a dream. Except, according to Andrew Slater, his existence is closer to a nightmare. Living in the luxury apartment, 740 Park Avenue, and being enrolled in the prestigious Jasper High is a realm he cannot comprehend. Dealing with his father's abusive nature, the staff and student's disapproval of him, and his father's loathing towards his only friend, Andrew's life is an unrelenting struggle. However, when he begins to see a mysterious, red-haired girl in his dreams and in his reality, he begins to delve into a world he could not have possibly imagined.
- GenresFantasy
152 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2019
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Cat Kydd
2 books5 followersCat Kydd’s first novel, Advent, had been formulating in her brain when she first experienced New York City at the age of sixteen. Since her visit, she began to put her vision to paper and completed her novel two years later. In addition to her writing, she is also a graphic and web designer for musical artists and a singer-songwriter who records, writes and performs her own original material. She currently lives in Dallas, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 26, 2019
Good but a few issues...
Andrew is a young kid who has a very difficult life. He has expectations that he can't possibly live up to and no one understands him it seems except for his best friend. When Andrew is suddenly whisked away to the future he finds himself in the middle of an adventure he never thought possible. Will Andrew be able to help them defeat the Harbingers before everything is destroyed?
Okay so I have a few problems with this book. The first problem is rather obvious and that is the fact that this book is full of dialogue to the extreme. There is not a lot of scenery description and the reader is left to completely use their imagination on what they are reading. Most readers would not be sucked into the story because they would not be able to paint the right picture. This is a big problem because this is part of what lets you fall into the story and be enveloped in the author's world that they have created.
Secondly I have a pet peeve, in the story it refers to something called The Great War, which in the book refers to a war that has not happened yet. However anyone that has read a history book or that can look up "the great war" on Google will know that this for actually refers to WWI. I found this piece to be a slight show of incompetence in research for the book. If you are going to write a book that starts off in the real world, which this one does, and then moves along into fantasy you want to make sure that you still do your research. But this is just a personal pet peeve.
The story itself is well written but not fleshed out enough. I feel that instead of marketing this as a YA book it would be better marketed as a preteen fantasy that is suitable for younger readers ages 7 to 13. I feel that with its shorter length and the way that the story is written that it would be more advantageous to market it in this way.
Other than that it was an enjoyable short read.
I personally would recommend this to the proper age group and not target it towards an older age group that may not get as much enjoyment out of it.
Andrew is a young kid who has a very difficult life. He has expectations that he can't possibly live up to and no one understands him it seems except for his best friend. When Andrew is suddenly whisked away to the future he finds himself in the middle of an adventure he never thought possible. Will Andrew be able to help them defeat the Harbingers before everything is destroyed?
Okay so I have a few problems with this book. The first problem is rather obvious and that is the fact that this book is full of dialogue to the extreme. There is not a lot of scenery description and the reader is left to completely use their imagination on what they are reading. Most readers would not be sucked into the story because they would not be able to paint the right picture. This is a big problem because this is part of what lets you fall into the story and be enveloped in the author's world that they have created.
Secondly I have a pet peeve, in the story it refers to something called The Great War, which in the book refers to a war that has not happened yet. However anyone that has read a history book or that can look up "the great war" on Google will know that this for actually refers to WWI. I found this piece to be a slight show of incompetence in research for the book. If you are going to write a book that starts off in the real world, which this one does, and then moves along into fantasy you want to make sure that you still do your research. But this is just a personal pet peeve.
The story itself is well written but not fleshed out enough. I feel that instead of marketing this as a YA book it would be better marketed as a preteen fantasy that is suitable for younger readers ages 7 to 13. I feel that with its shorter length and the way that the story is written that it would be more advantageous to market it in this way.
Other than that it was an enjoyable short read.
I personally would recommend this to the proper age group and not target it towards an older age group that may not get as much enjoyment out of it.
July 29, 2019
What Made Me Read It I was sent a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The author described it as a "science fiction, action/adventure story, with elements young adult novels possess - teen lead characters [and] coming of age elements". The blurb sounded interesting: a teenage boy haunted by dreams of hooded figures watching him from a distance and a mysterious red-haired girl who asks him to go with her to the future in order to save the world; and since the author assured me there were none of the usual romantic elements typical of the young adult genre I decided to give it a go.
The Plot 15-year-old Andrew Slater may live a life of privilege and luxury but it's not a happy one. Abused at home by his overbearing stepfather, despised and bullied at the prestigious Jasper Academy, watched by mysterious hooded figures through his window since a young age and plagued by dreams of a red-haired girl in bizarre clothes, Andrew doesn't believe in his self-worth and the only saving grace in his life is his friend Kysten.
Until the day his nightmares become real. After a violent incident at school he runs away from home, only to be caught and attacked by the stalking hooded figures. Saved at the last minute by Ava, the red-haired girl from his dreams, he is given the choice to follow her to the future - the ruler of Reservoir City, King Alters, believes Andrew is the only one capable of defeating the Harbingers, a violent subversive group intent on destroying the peace of the future world.
The Good "Advent" is a young readers fantasy and action-adventure novel, with a few science-fiction elements included. It introduces the main character in modern days New York but soon moves to the near future in a setting that is part futuristic and part medieval. The book follows the adventures of Andrew Slater, a wealthy 15-year-old boy who is abused at home by a violent stepfather and bullied at a prestigious school where he doesn't fit in. After being attacked by a group of hooded figures determined to kill him, Andrew is rescued by Ava, a mysterious girl he keeps seeing in his dreams, and taken to the future where the ruler of the realm asks for his help to defeat the Harbingers, an underground subversive group who wants to destroy the peaceful kingdom. Together with Ava and James Cross, another knight in the king's army, the 3 teenagers set out for the surrounding forest in order to find and stop the Harbingers before they cause any more harm to the citizens of Reservoir City.
The worldbuilding is set in a future with a strong medieval feel to it. Reservoir City is described as a mix of futuristic buildings and NeoRenaissance architecture and the people wear a bizarre blend of Victorian, Renaissance and Gothic clothing. The technology is interesting: the teleportation device Exodus, the Rapture pill that takes the body back to a time when it was the healthiest, the Dreamcatcher which can manipulate people’s thoughts and actions in their dreams, Ava's laser weapon Nightwind, a machine that can revive dead people... but there is also a strong medieval component with soldiers dressed as knights fighting with knives and swords, a castle with stony rooms and even the Harbinger's stronghold filled with robotic machinery in adorned caverns lit by torches. The action is fast-paced with a few plot twists, some predictable and some unexpected.
The Not So Good Even though "Advent" is meant to be a Young Adult novel, it fits more into the Young Readers category. The story is interesting and has a lot of potential but it needs some polishing in order to appeal to an older audience.
The worldbuilding is peculiar (in a interesting way) with the mix of futuristic and medieval elements but it's only superficially described, it could use a little more development. There is an attempt at exploring the main character Andrew, his mother Mary and stepfather John in depth, but the majority of characters are mostly one-dimensional whose only function is to deliver background information. The language is disorienting and redundant, at times too elaborate followed by simplistic dialogs with frequent repetition of ideas and words. And there are too many plot holes in the narrative, making the story confusing and even conflicting at times, with too much left unexplained (and not for the sake of building suspense). It's the main reason the novel lost a star in the final rating.
Read the full review on: https://literaryportals.blogspot.com/...
Final Rating 2 of 5 stars. "Advent" is a young readers action-adventure fantasy novel with science-fiction elements, set in a distant future but with a strong medieval feeling. Recommended for those who enjoy adventure stories about quests to save endangered kingdoms.
The Plot 15-year-old Andrew Slater may live a life of privilege and luxury but it's not a happy one. Abused at home by his overbearing stepfather, despised and bullied at the prestigious Jasper Academy, watched by mysterious hooded figures through his window since a young age and plagued by dreams of a red-haired girl in bizarre clothes, Andrew doesn't believe in his self-worth and the only saving grace in his life is his friend Kysten.
Until the day his nightmares become real. After a violent incident at school he runs away from home, only to be caught and attacked by the stalking hooded figures. Saved at the last minute by Ava, the red-haired girl from his dreams, he is given the choice to follow her to the future - the ruler of Reservoir City, King Alters, believes Andrew is the only one capable of defeating the Harbingers, a violent subversive group intent on destroying the peace of the future world.
The Good "Advent" is a young readers fantasy and action-adventure novel, with a few science-fiction elements included. It introduces the main character in modern days New York but soon moves to the near future in a setting that is part futuristic and part medieval. The book follows the adventures of Andrew Slater, a wealthy 15-year-old boy who is abused at home by a violent stepfather and bullied at a prestigious school where he doesn't fit in. After being attacked by a group of hooded figures determined to kill him, Andrew is rescued by Ava, a mysterious girl he keeps seeing in his dreams, and taken to the future where the ruler of the realm asks for his help to defeat the Harbingers, an underground subversive group who wants to destroy the peaceful kingdom. Together with Ava and James Cross, another knight in the king's army, the 3 teenagers set out for the surrounding forest in order to find and stop the Harbingers before they cause any more harm to the citizens of Reservoir City.
The worldbuilding is set in a future with a strong medieval feel to it. Reservoir City is described as a mix of futuristic buildings and NeoRenaissance architecture and the people wear a bizarre blend of Victorian, Renaissance and Gothic clothing. The technology is interesting: the teleportation device Exodus, the Rapture pill that takes the body back to a time when it was the healthiest, the Dreamcatcher which can manipulate people’s thoughts and actions in their dreams, Ava's laser weapon Nightwind, a machine that can revive dead people... but there is also a strong medieval component with soldiers dressed as knights fighting with knives and swords, a castle with stony rooms and even the Harbinger's stronghold filled with robotic machinery in adorned caverns lit by torches. The action is fast-paced with a few plot twists, some predictable and some unexpected.
The Not So Good Even though "Advent" is meant to be a Young Adult novel, it fits more into the Young Readers category. The story is interesting and has a lot of potential but it needs some polishing in order to appeal to an older audience.
The worldbuilding is peculiar (in a interesting way) with the mix of futuristic and medieval elements but it's only superficially described, it could use a little more development. There is an attempt at exploring the main character Andrew, his mother Mary and stepfather John in depth, but the majority of characters are mostly one-dimensional whose only function is to deliver background information. The language is disorienting and redundant, at times too elaborate followed by simplistic dialogs with frequent repetition of ideas and words. And there are too many plot holes in the narrative, making the story confusing and even conflicting at times, with too much left unexplained (and not for the sake of building suspense). It's the main reason the novel lost a star in the final rating.
Read the full review on: https://literaryportals.blogspot.com/...
Final Rating 2 of 5 stars. "Advent" is a young readers action-adventure fantasy novel with science-fiction elements, set in a distant future but with a strong medieval feeling. Recommended for those who enjoy adventure stories about quests to save endangered kingdoms.
September 29, 2019
This is a sort of sci-fi fantasy hybrid novel, incorporating tropes from both genres in a unique way, following the "hero's journey" plot.
There was obvious effort made to develop the story, the world, the characters, and to create something unique. I think the basic premise and the more unique elements were very interesting and deserving of being explored.
Unfortunately, the novel fell apart for me in the execution. For me, this novel read like an early draft. (Maybe not a first draft, but I would estimate that it requires at least two more passes before I would consider it a final manuscript). There are just too many mistakes in it. Furthermore, the prose does not flow well. There were times when I had the sense that the author had looked up words in a thesaurus, but didn't understand the nuances of the alternative selected, so the writing often comes across as pretentious.
This seems to be targeted at a young adult audience. I think that was not the best choice. Given the way the plot develops as it stands, this seems more suited to a middle-age audience. It could be developed further to suit the young adult range - I think it needs some more mature themes, as well as grittier prose, and aging up characters. (They read much younger than their chronological ages).
As far as world-building is concerned, there are definitely glimmers of something special that could be built on. I think the description would work better if it were more woven through the story development, rather than being: element into - complete description - resume action, which seemed to happen often, whether it was a location or a character being introduced. Furthermore, there was definitely information lacking that would really have punched up the world for me. (How about a crash course in the history between present-day and Reservoir City? Where is it located? What do the denizens know of the history of the region/the world?)
The character-building was, likewise, good, but should be extended and deepened. I found "good" and "bad" characters were just too simply rendered (which is, in part, a matter of personal opinion). I think instilling some complexity - good traits in "bad" characters - would make them more relatable to readers, and would also make them seem less like caricatures. The dialogue was often trite and involved a lot of telling, rather than showing. I have also previously mentioned the ages of the characters - the protagonist does not speak, at all, like a 15 year-old. I would have pegged him at 12 to 13.
There is definitely a lot of potential here. Mostly, I think the story just needs some focus as to the intended audience, then honing in terms of smoothing the rough edges of the plot and characters as well as cleaning up the mistakes in the language and punctuation.
I would be willing to give this author another chance as the idea is definitely a creative one.
I received a copy of this novel through Voracious Readers Only.
There was obvious effort made to develop the story, the world, the characters, and to create something unique. I think the basic premise and the more unique elements were very interesting and deserving of being explored.
Unfortunately, the novel fell apart for me in the execution. For me, this novel read like an early draft. (Maybe not a first draft, but I would estimate that it requires at least two more passes before I would consider it a final manuscript). There are just too many mistakes in it. Furthermore, the prose does not flow well. There were times when I had the sense that the author had looked up words in a thesaurus, but didn't understand the nuances of the alternative selected, so the writing often comes across as pretentious.
This seems to be targeted at a young adult audience. I think that was not the best choice. Given the way the plot develops as it stands, this seems more suited to a middle-age audience. It could be developed further to suit the young adult range - I think it needs some more mature themes, as well as grittier prose, and aging up characters. (They read much younger than their chronological ages).
As far as world-building is concerned, there are definitely glimmers of something special that could be built on. I think the description would work better if it were more woven through the story development, rather than being: element into - complete description - resume action, which seemed to happen often, whether it was a location or a character being introduced. Furthermore, there was definitely information lacking that would really have punched up the world for me. (How about a crash course in the history between present-day and Reservoir City? Where is it located? What do the denizens know of the history of the region/the world?)
The character-building was, likewise, good, but should be extended and deepened. I found "good" and "bad" characters were just too simply rendered (which is, in part, a matter of personal opinion). I think instilling some complexity - good traits in "bad" characters - would make them more relatable to readers, and would also make them seem less like caricatures. The dialogue was often trite and involved a lot of telling, rather than showing. I have also previously mentioned the ages of the characters - the protagonist does not speak, at all, like a 15 year-old. I would have pegged him at 12 to 13.
There is definitely a lot of potential here. Mostly, I think the story just needs some focus as to the intended audience, then honing in terms of smoothing the rough edges of the plot and characters as well as cleaning up the mistakes in the language and punctuation.
I would be willing to give this author another chance as the idea is definitely a creative one.
I received a copy of this novel through Voracious Readers Only.
September 25, 2019
This book started off on a good note. I found Andrew’s character quite interesting and his home and school lives were credible. His parents were also well-developed characters.
Another thing I really liked was the descriptions. All throughout the book, every character, place, machine… everything was described so well! I could imagine every scene in detail.
What I did not like about this book was the pace at which it developed. I was just beginning to get into the story of Andrew’s world, when suddenly, it changed. I was dragged from a world with a school, an abusive father, a loving mother and a lonely boy, to a world with a castle, a king, his warriors, and – a saviour?
This book went too fast and the situations changed too soon. There was no time for me to feel anything for the protagonist or anyone else. I love books that can make me feel something (who doesn’t), so this was a bit of a let-down.
I think it could have been improved by simply letting the situation in both worlds develop for a bit, make the fantasy believable. There was a lot of potential for each of the characters to occupy a special place in my heart, but I couldn’t read enough of them for that to happen. I think this book could have easily been a hundred pages longer, and a lot more intriguing!
Another thing I really liked was the descriptions. All throughout the book, every character, place, machine… everything was described so well! I could imagine every scene in detail.
What I did not like about this book was the pace at which it developed. I was just beginning to get into the story of Andrew’s world, when suddenly, it changed. I was dragged from a world with a school, an abusive father, a loving mother and a lonely boy, to a world with a castle, a king, his warriors, and – a saviour?
This book went too fast and the situations changed too soon. There was no time for me to feel anything for the protagonist or anyone else. I love books that can make me feel something (who doesn’t), so this was a bit of a let-down.
I think it could have been improved by simply letting the situation in both worlds develop for a bit, make the fantasy believable. There was a lot of potential for each of the characters to occupy a special place in my heart, but I couldn’t read enough of them for that to happen. I think this book could have easily been a hundred pages longer, and a lot more intriguing!
July 9, 2019
I wish Goodreads would let us give half star ratings for books as this one is more of a 3.5, closer to a 4 than a 3.
Advent is about a boy named Andrew who finds himself in the future battling the Harbingers to save Reservoir City. For a young authors first novel this was a good story. I wish it had more world building though, as the novel was very dialogue heavy. I was never able to really fall into the story because I kept wishing for more details about the world around the characters. It was a quick read though and worth it for people who enjoy YA fiction. I am looking forward to see how Cat Kydd grows as an author in the future.
**I received a free copy of this novel from Voracious Readers, but it in no way influenced my review**
Advent is about a boy named Andrew who finds himself in the future battling the Harbingers to save Reservoir City. For a young authors first novel this was a good story. I wish it had more world building though, as the novel was very dialogue heavy. I was never able to really fall into the story because I kept wishing for more details about the world around the characters. It was a quick read though and worth it for people who enjoy YA fiction. I am looking forward to see how Cat Kydd grows as an author in the future.
**I received a free copy of this novel from Voracious Readers, but it in no way influenced my review**
July 20, 2019
I didn’t enjoy this book at all.
From the very beginning the writing style is pretentious.
The word choice is awful.
The sentence structure is stilted.
It honestly reads like someone used a thesaurus to avoid words that are commonly used. Nothing flows naturally.
There is a complete lack of character development and world building.
The ‘twist’ at the end was obvious from the very beginning.
This book is in desperate need of editing.
Kudos to the author for completing a book, its no small task.
I received a complimentary copy from VRO in return for an honest review.
From the very beginning the writing style is pretentious.
The word choice is awful.
The sentence structure is stilted.
It honestly reads like someone used a thesaurus to avoid words that are commonly used. Nothing flows naturally.
There is a complete lack of character development and world building.
The ‘twist’ at the end was obvious from the very beginning.
This book is in desperate need of editing.
Kudos to the author for completing a book, its no small task.
I received a complimentary copy from VRO in return for an honest review.
July 22, 2019
I received this from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review . Kudos to this up and coming author for her first book. It was ambitious to say the least, the characters needed a bit more development and the world building needs a little more also. The language was a bit much with all the fanciful words- sometimes simple says so much more. There was a lot of potential in these pages and I wish the best for this new author!
August 26, 2019
I received a complimentary copy of Advent from Voracious Readers only and Cat Kydd. I enjoyed the story overall, however there were places that I thought the story skipped details. Sometimes the story moved too fast. I would have liked more explanation of what was happening, especially with the fight scene. It ended way too quickly.
September 25, 2019
I received this through Voracious Readers for an honest review. Well the book was ok I sadly did not find it particularly gripping. I feel that this book was somewhat stilted and hard to imagine.
November 22, 2019
On the outside, Andrew's life is perfect. He lives with his mother and a very rich stepfather. He has everything. In reality, his life is full of hardship. His stepfather is abusive, he is constantly bullied at school. And then he starts to see a mysterious girl with red hair everywhere. She offers him a new chance if he only goes with her. He jumps at the chance to escape, but what is waiting for him is a whole new world, filled with adventure.
The writing style if full of dialogs, which is good, you get to know characters a bit more, but at some points in the story it kind of messes with the flow. I like the setting of the book and wished there was more of it...
received from Author
The writing style if full of dialogs, which is good, you get to know characters a bit more, but at some points in the story it kind of messes with the flow. I like the setting of the book and wished there was more of it...
received from Author
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews