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Unreality #9
Maze: The Essence of Sunny Grimm
Fans of Neuromancer, Inception, and the Matrix... the mind-bending conclusion of the Maze.
A name was tattooed on his finger.
Marcus woke in a cell. No memory of how he got there or what his name was. Just a tattoo. There were others like him. They called this place unreality. They told him this was where someone was hiding him.
Clues lead him on a journey in search of who he is, who he was, and why someone did this to him. Each time he finds someone connected to a mysterious symbol, something inconceivable happens. Something even the people who live in unreality can’t explain.
Micah and the investors built the Maze, a massive alternate reality that feeds on the players who enter. But now someone is pursuing them. One by one, the investors begin to vanish.
When clues are left behind, Micah suspects who it is that’s taking them. It’s someone from a game played long ago and a promise she made. He believes she wants to avenge all those responsible for what they did to her. And her son. But she wants something much more than to destroy the Maze. He must stop her before all hope is lost. He thought she was dead. But he was wrong.
She was only waiting.
A name was tattooed on his finger.
Marcus woke in a cell. No memory of how he got there or what his name was. Just a tattoo. There were others like him. They called this place unreality. They told him this was where someone was hiding him.
Clues lead him on a journey in search of who he is, who he was, and why someone did this to him. Each time he finds someone connected to a mysterious symbol, something inconceivable happens. Something even the people who live in unreality can’t explain.
Micah and the investors built the Maze, a massive alternate reality that feeds on the players who enter. But now someone is pursuing them. One by one, the investors begin to vanish.
When clues are left behind, Micah suspects who it is that’s taking them. It’s someone from a game played long ago and a promise she made. He believes she wants to avenge all those responsible for what they did to her. And her son. But she wants something much more than to destroy the Maze. He must stop her before all hope is lost. He thought she was dead. But he was wrong.
She was only waiting.
Unknown Binding
About the author
Tony Bertauski
76 books773 followersGet my books FREE. Tell me where to send them at http://bertauski.com
He grew up in the Midwest where the land is flat and the corn is tall. The winters are bleak and cold. He hated winters.
He always wanted to write. But writing was hard. And he wasn’t very disciplined. The cold had nothing to do with that, but it didn’t help. That changed in grad school.
After several attempts at a proposal, his major advisor was losing money on red ink and advised him to figure it out. Somehow, he did.
After grad school, he and his wife and two very little children moved to the South in Charleston, South Carolina where the winters are spring and the summers are a sauna (cliche but dead on accurate). That’s when he started teaching and writing articles for trade magazines. He eventually published two textbooks on landscape design. He then transitioned to writing a column for the Post and Courier. They were all great gigs, but they weren’t fiction.
That was a few years later.
His daughter started reading before she could read, pretending she knew the words in books she propped on her lap. His son was a different story. In an attempt to change that, he began writing a story with him. They made up a character, gave him a name, and something to do. As with much of parenting, it did not go as planned. But the character got stuck in his head.
He wanted out.
A few years later, Socket Greeny was born. It was a science fiction trilogy that was gritty and thoughtful. That was 2005.
He has been practicing Zen since he was 23 years old. A daily meditator, he wants to instill something meaningful in his stories that appeals to a young adult crowd as well as adult. Think Hunger Games. He hadn’t planned to write fiction, didn’t even know if he had anymore stories in him after Socket Greeny.
Turns out he did.
He grew up in the Midwest where the land is flat and the corn is tall. The winters are bleak and cold. He hated winters.
He always wanted to write. But writing was hard. And he wasn’t very disciplined. The cold had nothing to do with that, but it didn’t help. That changed in grad school.
After several attempts at a proposal, his major advisor was losing money on red ink and advised him to figure it out. Somehow, he did.
After grad school, he and his wife and two very little children moved to the South in Charleston, South Carolina where the winters are spring and the summers are a sauna (cliche but dead on accurate). That’s when he started teaching and writing articles for trade magazines. He eventually published two textbooks on landscape design. He then transitioned to writing a column for the Post and Courier. They were all great gigs, but they weren’t fiction.
That was a few years later.
His daughter started reading before she could read, pretending she knew the words in books she propped on her lap. His son was a different story. In an attempt to change that, he began writing a story with him. They made up a character, gave him a name, and something to do. As with much of parenting, it did not go as planned. But the character got stuck in his head.
He wanted out.
A few years later, Socket Greeny was born. It was a science fiction trilogy that was gritty and thoughtful. That was 2005.
He has been practicing Zen since he was 23 years old. A daily meditator, he wants to instill something meaningful in his stories that appeals to a young adult crowd as well as adult. Think Hunger Games. He hadn’t planned to write fiction, didn’t even know if he had anymore stories in him after Socket Greeny.
Turns out he did.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 3, 2020
All hail the king!
What a submersive experience. Having read the first two books in this trilogy, I knew this was going to pull out some stops and I was not disappointed. As we are drawn ever deeper into the Maze, we have learned about Foreverland, we encountered Halfskins and now we get to find out a bit about the Socket Greeny universe too. If you have read these trilogies, this final instalment interweaves the storylines in a Web, similar to the maze itself. I won't spoil things by elaborating on this, but expect more artificial beings, trips through time, and hops into and out of multiple realities. As always, there are other things that will flag up with certain people. You may recognise something that is from another book, a film or a theological belief / theory. What really struck me and threw me completely off balance was near to the conclusion? Of this storyline. After so much in depth detail, the banter between workers at a facility had me laughing out loud in a totally hilarious conversation that was timed to perfection.
This is a superb trilogy and fans of Sci fi / Techno thrillers will love it, but also give it a go if you like theology / philosophy too as there's something here for everyone if you look below the surface.
What a submersive experience. Having read the first two books in this trilogy, I knew this was going to pull out some stops and I was not disappointed. As we are drawn ever deeper into the Maze, we have learned about Foreverland, we encountered Halfskins and now we get to find out a bit about the Socket Greeny universe too. If you have read these trilogies, this final instalment interweaves the storylines in a Web, similar to the maze itself. I won't spoil things by elaborating on this, but expect more artificial beings, trips through time, and hops into and out of multiple realities. As always, there are other things that will flag up with certain people. You may recognise something that is from another book, a film or a theological belief / theory. What really struck me and threw me completely off balance was near to the conclusion? Of this storyline. After so much in depth detail, the banter between workers at a facility had me laughing out loud in a totally hilarious conversation that was timed to perfection.
This is a superb trilogy and fans of Sci fi / Techno thrillers will love it, but also give it a go if you like theology / philosophy too as there's something here for everyone if you look below the surface.
May 13, 2020
I've read Foreverland, I've read most of the Christmas series. Now, I've read Maze. All are great. This one started pulling from all of the other series that I haven't read as well as the ones I have. Now, having not read them I could still enjoy this story which is a task, but it created a desire to hunt down the other books that Bertauski has written. Not a bad thing except for my wallet. :) He is a wonderful writer and the worlds he creates are similar to our own, but different too. I highly encourage you to check this out as well as any others he has written.
May 18, 2020
I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I also want to note that I am not a fan of Sci Fi books so this series was an adventurous read for me, however I liked the other 2 books.
Firstly to fully enjoy this book you need to remember a lot of details from the previous books.
I found this book to be well written and in an engaging manner. I did find it had too many parts and was too convoluted for me to be able to relax into it or to enjoy it.
I would only recommend this to sci fi fans who have read the previous books.
Firstly to fully enjoy this book you need to remember a lot of details from the previous books.
I found this book to be well written and in an engaging manner. I did find it had too many parts and was too convoluted for me to be able to relax into it or to enjoy it.
I would only recommend this to sci fi fans who have read the previous books.
September 30, 2020
The first two books in the Maze trilogy were both fantastic reading so I was eager to see where Tony Bertauski would take it in the final instalment. I was not disappointed with what he came up with. This series, and this book in particular, are clever, imaginative and immersive. Threads are woven throughout the book as well as the wider series all leading up to this conclusion. A wonderful series, with an equally wonderful final book, that I recommend to everyone that likes complex stories that make you wonder. Brilliant.
May 13, 2020
This is an epic finale to a phenomenal series. I loved the complexity of the Maze and the multitudinous unrealities contained within. I have enjoyed discovering and watching the Maze grow and develop. I enjoyed the different characters that have been pertinent to this book. Grey Grimm, Sunny Grimm, and Freddie Bills. I loved this book and the experience of seeing the ending.
May 14, 2020
An excellent series conclusion with great world creation and fantastic well developed characters. Very well written thriller that was quite enjoyable. A highly recommended book and series by a gifted author.
November 26, 2020
Tony Bertauski has done it again! A superb conclusion to the Maze trilogy. If you thought things couldn't get any weirder, they did. Highly recommended
December 14, 2020
I just finished this! So many twists and turns, left scratching my head! It all comes together in book 3. Love this world that Tony Bertauski has created.
July 14, 2020
As always your writing holds me to the very bitter end.
I would recommend this entire series. It's full of ups and downs, just try to Remember where one book starts and another ends. Old and new devils. Have fun, I did.
Tony has hooked me for good or forever? Lol
I would recommend this entire series. It's full of ups and downs, just try to Remember where one book starts and another ends. Old and new devils. Have fun, I did.
Tony has hooked me for good or forever? Lol
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews