Kassius Kanex loves his home and family but hates his job and wants to quit. A chance meeting with strange men looking for directions inspires a change in Kass. He is led down a new path that not only rescues him from his perceived career imprisonment, but also leads to the fulfillment of his destiny.
When his family becomes endangered by his new life, Kass’s full identity is revealed. His truth previously existed dormant inside of him, but Kass is now awakened. Following a visit to three doors of mystery, his true essence is discovered and a choice is made.
Danger and suspense build as more truths come to light, and Kass wonders if things will turn out better or worse. He still hides one secret, though, and its admission will change everything.
MK Schultz is an award-winning Canadian sci-fi/horror author. His most recent works include Hard Copy, The Muse and the Kassius Kanex trilogy. A father of two young adults, he lives in a wooded area on the outskirts of Ottawa, Canada. He and his wife are avid outdoor enthusiasts in all seasons. Although formally educated in architecture, his true passion is writing. Schultz is currently writing his sixth novel to be released in 2025.
Follow MK Schultz on X @makemali or on Instagram and TikTok @mkschultzauthor
Kassius Kanex: A Novel is a sci-fi thriller with plenty of mystery that kept me wanting to turn the next page and is the first of currently three books in the Kassius Kanex series.
Kassius is a husband and father with a great family, living in a beautiful but isolated area. Only one problem: He hates his job, feels completely unfulfilled and always thought he was meant for something better. When strange events start to happen, his life is turned upside down and he has no choice but to hold on until the crazy ride reaches its conclusion. As things progress, he and his family face increasing dangers but will Kass discover what’s really going on before it’s too late?
I enjoyed the characters in this story and could relate to the descriptions of everyday home and work life. This made it easy to stand in Kass’s shoes and really feel what it would be like for your ordinary life to suddenly take a bizarre turn, beyond your control. The mystery kept me wanting to read on and the pace and suspense made it enjoyable. The science fiction element was also quite imaginative and surprising. I was a little confused by the story line towards the end but perhaps that was part of the mystery and overall it was an entertaining read.
What a fantastic ride! I really had no idea what I was expecting, I went in to it without refreshing my memory what the book was about. I am glad I did, it really left me intrigued and wondering wonder what on earth was happening. It was a mysterious world closing in around Kassius. At first it seems like he should really cut and run away as fast and far as he can, yet he can't. Then it seems like maybe this new life is where he is supposed to be and was always supposed to of been. His destiny. But then something else crazy happens and you are like, OH NO THIS IS BAD! Yet, he really has no choice but to see it through, to see where it takes him. And WOW! I was absolutely thrilled with the outcome, and was truly not expecting the truth that was unfolding. What a cool crazy journey! I want more Kassius Kanex! I listened to the audio, which really brought it to life. I am excited for the next two books!!
Kassius Kanex is a regular guy living an ordinary life with a loyal, supportive wife, Melina, and their two beautiful and obedient children, Lydia and Lance. Their pleasant home is on the edge of a small, isolated country town. Kassius loves his family and provides for them by holding down a tedious office job, which he hates but endures for the benefit of his family.
The first few chapters set the scene with the prospect that something awful is about to happen. And, sure enough, a series of incidents shift the regular routines of Kassius’s existence, leading him to meet with a hulk of a man appropriately named Rock. Things quickly slide downhill when he lies to his wife and family, mixes with a bunch of roughnecks and gets himself into a situation where Kassius murders a man.
So far, so good. But my disbelief was stretched by a series of contrived events ensnaring the hapless Kassius in ever more danger. My suspicions (mistakenly) were that Rock and his team of ‘Engineers’ were skin shifters from another galaxy, bringing with them new fantastical technologies and powers, building, with apparent ease, complex reinforced underground ‘pods’ in a matter of only a few days.
We are then told of a mysterious Mr Orion orchestrating from his HQ in Berlin an elaborate conspiracy to recruit Kassius into the powerful and secretive ‘Organisation.’ To join this influential worldwide group, which promises to shower Kassius with money and privilege, Kassius must first pass a series of bizarre tests.
And so the story progresses until Kassius travels to Berlin to meet Orion. This is where it gets really weird when Kassius meets Aquarius, a talking octopus. I won’t spoil the ending, but it becomes violent and deadly and is, for my tastes, a little too far-fetched.
The book is both amusing yet irritating, with too many grammatical errors (omelette spelt with two different variations in the same line). The name Kassius Kanex was repeated ad nauseam. To the point, I began to dislike the sound of it.
I found the dialogue rather stiff and artificial and wished the manuscript had been more rigorously edited.
🔪The story revolves around a simple, honest, and a strong man "Kassius Kanex". He lived with his stunningly beautiful wife Melina and two children- Lydia and Lance. Alike most of the people, he didn't really like his job. He worked in an office, composed emails and crunched numbers on spreadsheets. He wanted to shift to something different so desperately. He met a stanger and his life took an entire new direction.
🔪When Rock handed him the gun, 1911 45ACP Springfield, he got surprised. Rock told him that he work for a secret organization since 15 years when he lived in Berlin. Upon induction, tasks were assigned to him. Now, Kass was inducted into the same organization and Rock was his mentor. As soon as Kass got to know this, he panicked, dropped the gun and rushed back home.
🔪Later, Rock took him to one of the pods organization had. These pods function as sources of revenue and the businesses conducted in this pod are threefold.
1. A large vault containing safe deposit boxes belonging to members of the organization. 2. A shooting range for training and testing of guns and ammo. 3. A large area used for a game.
🔪Rock handed the gun to Kass, asked him to shoot the bag hanging there. As soon as he did so, the bullet hit the dead center and bag started turning red. It was actually a player who had paid millions to play the game but couldn't make it to the list of game winners. Kass was shocked and trapped. He couldn't even approach the police, because he was now a murderer. He was ensured that he had been chosen for a special reason to be disclosed later on.
⁉️Why did the organization choose a common man like Kass? ⁉️Did he continue doing all this or stepped out of it? ⁉️What turns did his life take?
What a thrilling story! I loved the story, full of suspense, mystery, thrill and what not. You can not expect the next move. The twists and turns made the story too gripping. The book cover gives a mysterious kind of vibe, perfectly matches the storyline. I was literally hooked to the book throughout.
I have a lot to say about this one. I didn’t hate it or anything, I actually enjoyed it….a bit…. But so many things annoyed me.
Ideally the name should be changed. Nothing about the title grabs you. Why does everyone use his entire name 95% of the time when addressing him? It’s completely unnecessary and becomes tiresome. Also many times it was repeated 2-3 times in a row. We get it this author loves this name. I feel like the author just kept using his whole name to fill page space. I swear it go so repetitious on some spots I turned it off because I couldn’t handle it and I was screaming at the book in frustration. It felt like when you had a paper to turn in that had to fill 3 full pages so you just used a lot of fluff and filler words! If I hear ‘Kassius Kanex’ one more time I will explode. Poor Skyler Morgan I bet you dreamed about those two words while narrating this book!
Why do Kass and his wife always say Hun to everyone? …. I mean come on enough with that.
If I heard another character say ‘so you see’ one more time I was going to scream. Not every person uses the same phrasing and it wasn’t right for each of them to say this at so many different times. Made me think of that guy that makes the life lesson videos (Dhar Mann) and this book wasn’t about life lessons. Basically just more page filler to take up space and meet a minimum word quota.
Why did ‘the woman’ not have a name? He worked with her. Just give her a damn name. That could have been an appropriate use of filling page space.
Hated that Rock would say ‘eh eh’ after many statements. Seems artificial and not like a real characteristic of him.
Why was there all of a sudden sound effects in the last 2 hours of the book but no other time before that?
Thought it was funny that there were two Cass/Kass character when I listened to a series by Skyler Morgan with another Cass character. Still he did a great job.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I love stories with mystery because this is something that keeps me interested in the story. It was really a good one and I enjoyed it till the end. The enjoyment I get while reading mysterious stories is beyond words. I loved how the suspense is maintained till the end. I liked the writing style of the author. The pace, flow, excitement, suspense, everything is quite good.
The main character of the story is Kassius Kanex. He was leading a good life with his wife and two children, he loves his home and family but the only thing he hates is his job and he wants to quit. He never knew that a strange men will change his life and inspires a change in Kass. He tried to follow a new path that not only rescues him from his perceived career imprisonment, but also leads to the fulfillment of his destiny. But later, his family came to know about his new life and then he got lost into three doors of mystery. There are some secretes about him that you will come to know after reading the whole story. The mystery, suspense and the secrets together turned this book into a great page turner.
Sometimes it takes time for us to understand the stories and the same happened with me. In the beginning, I didn't find it interesting but later, I was the one who was not ready to put it down. The writing pattern and flow of the story is quite different and interesting. The characters are superb and the storyline is unique. A perfect book for someone who loves reading mystery books.
I loved everything about this book. I just wish it had been a little more longer because my heart wanted to read more and more. It was full of suspense, mystery, excitement and adventure. After reading every page, I was curious to jump on to the next. Great characters and the storyline is different and engaging, worth reading!
Kassius Kanex, a man who loves his family and feels happy to be with them, but afterall we are all humans, we just cannot be satisfied all the time and also it's life there is not always sunshine and roses. Kassius was unhappy with his job and he no longer wants be a part of it. This want and need resulted in Kassius meeting with and stanger and his life took a new direction now. He started feeling good and reaching towards the goal. But his family is now vulnerable because of his new lifestyle. The big big suspense is right here waiting for you, Kassius is now changed, he is not the one you've known since the beginning of the story. Another side of his is unveiled now which was hidden deep inside him for this long. With self discovery, he learns many lessons but things are not over now. Layer by layer as the story flows, more of the truth come out and without giving any spoilers I'll say it's all jaw-dropping. On one side it seems Kassius is so close to his destination but on the other side is an unreavealed truth which can change everyone's life. Turn the pages to witness the mystery and unveil the truth.
I heartily enjoyed the book, the author has build a strong suspense, and the story was good too. Eagerly waiting for the conclusion I finished the book in just few hours. The writing is good, begginer friendly and the cover of the book is descent. I felt this is an absolutely gripping story with amazing characterization and a strong plot.
I would recommend you all to read this book, a must read for the fiction lovers. The new readers will be amazed by the thriller and comprehensive language. A perfect leisure time read, pass it on to your friends as well, so don't just sit and predict, read and enjoy. Hurry up!! Get your copies now.
Kassius Kanex was a strong and an honest common man, leading a normal life, lived with his family- a stunningly beautiful wife and two kids, Lance and Lydia. His wife was passionate about her job as a elementary school teacher. Lydia was a specimen of perfection with model like features through and through. Lance was into sports, video games and he enjoyed fishing with his father. Kass worked in an office but was unhappy with his job. He wanted to do something different. This desire made him meet a stranger and his life literally changed completely. He became a different man altogether. He was inducted into an organization and had to perform some undercover extraordinary tasks. He could not step out of it. When his family got into danger, he had to reveal his identity. Following a visit to three doors of mystery, his true essence is discovered and a choice is made. Buying the gun, meeting the Engineers, meeting Rock, getting to know about the organization, his induction into the organization and everything afterwards, was planned. He had to undergo different experiences, different trainings and he led a complete different life. Kass asked few questions "What purpose does the organization serve, what is its origin, is it legal, and what is my role?" To which, Orion replied "You, You, No, Everything." What does that mean? It's Quite confusing..!!
This is really a staggering thriller, such a gripping storyline.!! I am completely obsessed with the story. I must say the author's creativity is highly appreciable. What an incredible masterpiece! The story does not end here. Kassius Kanex would continue the fulfillment of his destiny.
The story is about Kassius who is a simple, honest and straight forward man. He is happily married with Melina and they have two children. All in all life was good and he had a happy family. It was very clear that Kass loved his family. The only thing he didn't like was his job, it was not something that he loved doing.
But things changed when a stranger entered his life and he was having the opportunity to do something that he loves. So the very first day he was asked to leave his job as the first task, and guess what he did that without any problem. There are a lot tasks coming his way.
Rock played a crucial role in this transition, So he is another very important character in the book. As they say nothing comes without problems, as the time passed Kass realised that his family is in danger, and he needs to do something.
What will he do? What is this new work all about? Will he be able to show the reality?
There are a lot of secrets waiting for you, so hurry up and read the book to know them all.
The narration is superb, the story picks up pace right from the beginning and you don't feel bored even for a second. One thing that kept me hooked was the capability of the book to hold on to the secrets and mysteries.
I am not the reader for this book, and this book is not the read for me. I bought it after asking writers on Twitter to rec their own books, and promised to pick my next read by using a random number generator. While it’s always nice to get out of my comfort zone as a reader, this one just didn’t do it for me.
For better or worse, I am one of those readers who does need the book to be well-edited, and there were a lot of grammar mistakes and “showing instead of telling” here. The character descriptions felt more like an outline for a story than that story itself, and the flow of action felt very disjointed to me, so that I was having a hard time following where the characters were or how much time had passed since the previous scene.
The part that I read also felt very pro-gun, which is something I personally don’t agree with. With stronger characterization I might have been able to sympathize with the character’s views, but as it is... I am just not the reader for this book.
No star rating because it was just a bad fit... and sometimes that’s what happens when you let a random number generator pick your next read.
This book can make people who have not read what it’s about ( usually on the back of the writing book ) to stop after a couple of chapters. Only after reading that the main character will discover that all he knew about himself and life itself is nothing to do with his destiny made me listen to many hours of boring normal life which pretty much most humans go through. Finally I got to the science fiction part and now it’s getting interesting ! Amazing how the author MK Schultz could write almost a whole book with such reality leading to the real interesting stuff which will continue as the series continues.
Skyler Morgan beautifully narrated perfectly each of the characters !
Kassius Kanex is an exciting first adventure in the Kassius Kanex series. The tale introduces you to a simple man with a simple life plunged into a mysterious underground where things are not what they seem. This is a real page-turner that will keep you guessing the next step.