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Spellbound - The Workings of DrugTech
A clandestine pharmaceutical company will stop at nothing in its quest for power and profit.
When Benjamin Jones, an average University Science student with girl-problems, is secretly given access to the breathtaking breakthroughs of DrugTech by his parents, his life will never be the same.
Meanwhile, William Hunter Barrister-at-Law has never lost a case in his 15 years of practice. But things are not as they seem as his work-experience student Jennifer is soon to find out.
When Benjamin Jones, an average University Science student with girl-problems, is secretly given access to the breathtaking breakthroughs of DrugTech by his parents, his life will never be the same.
Meanwhile, William Hunter Barrister-at-Law has never lost a case in his 15 years of practice. But things are not as they seem as his work-experience student Jennifer is soon to find out.
186 pages, Paperback
Published May 16, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 26, 2020
A wonderful book of short stories that coalesce beautifully at the end revealing a bigger picture that relates them all with the sinister and dark motives of a pharmaceutical company and the individuals behind it.
It is difficult to fit this book into a genre, so I will try. It was a suspense thriller that was action-packed and full of drama with a touch of sci fi and fantasy. (So what would you call that?)
The stories take you on a wild ride from a high school student that finds a wizard's book with spells, to pirates' lost treasure, to astronauts, prisoners, a university student, a fisherman, a thief, even the trial and crucifixion of Christ and much much more. One thing that is common to all of them throughout is that the author wonderfully animates the stories and the characters within. He obviously knows exactly where the story is going to go from the beginning to the twist at the end before he even penned the first word and he knows how to tell a story (which is a relief from the verbal diarrhoea of many a modern-day book, which gives the impression an author sits in front of a keyboard and just types whatever rubbish comes into their head). And each chapter is full of suspense and is thrilling to read so it really captivated me and I found that I literally hastened my reading speed during the middle of each chapter to get to the end to see how it ends - and of course, every ending has a twist which really ramps up the entertainment value.
I really enjoyed this book. It took me by surprise.
There were two stories that were my favourites. The first was "The Perfect Crime" because the writing style was completely unique (it is different to the other stories - no dialog, no description but commentary throughout). It describes the intellectual thief Justin Winston who has plotted his whole life on one day pulling of the perfect crime and actually making crime pay (stealing "millions if not billions of dollars"). And the story playfully educates the reader on the several species of crime dealing with the law of theft in a whimsical and delightful way. And the hero-thief does in fact succeed in pulling it off the most perfect crime in history (I'd say), but the twist is absolutely extraordinary and to me was wholly unexpected. It knocked my socks off, so I won't spoil it! You just have to go and read it yourself. (I have read it many times).
The other was "Project X23". After meeting the shy and bashful Benjamin Jones in an earlier story, we are introduced to him a second time and this time he is given a drug from his parents who had connections at DrugTech. The drug, termed Project X23, completely changes his personality for the moment that it lasts - somewhat of a cinderella story on steroids. But it was incredibly interesting and suspenseful. (Benjamin Jones becomes a central character and we meet him again in the penultimate chapter of the book when several of the other stories come together).
Also the book is written in the third person but every now and then the author would break into commentary in the first person which I found really worked for me. Take for example, the beginning of "Occupational Discord":
"I don't like to speak ill of truck drivers, generally. But let me tell you about one named Michael Baker. Actually Mr Baker was quite an intelligent man, and were it not for just a few vices, I am sure that he could have been a brain surgeon. But Michael Baker had a few problems, not the least of which was undertaking the appropriate planning to arrive for an appointment on time. What I mean by this is that Michael Baker was notoriously late for everything he did. He also had a bad temper, lacked patience, temperance, prudence and wisdom but then many of us get by in this world without possessing these virtues in any great abundance. It should perhaps be said at the outset though that Michael Baker’s temper wasn’t exactly ordinary and had long been foreseen as the instrument for his ultimate downfall. As it was, Michael Baker was a truck driver."
(That opening riveted me and I needed to read to the end - at which point we see just how his temper would in fact figure prominently in the story.)
And in the final chapter of the book, the twist of twists is that the author reveals himself as one of the main character in the book (you won't guess which) and he hints at a sequel (which I would love to read).
All in all, the writing style was great and the stories excellent. I was very impressed and I give it 5 stars.
It is difficult to fit this book into a genre, so I will try. It was a suspense thriller that was action-packed and full of drama with a touch of sci fi and fantasy. (So what would you call that?)
The stories take you on a wild ride from a high school student that finds a wizard's book with spells, to pirates' lost treasure, to astronauts, prisoners, a university student, a fisherman, a thief, even the trial and crucifixion of Christ and much much more. One thing that is common to all of them throughout is that the author wonderfully animates the stories and the characters within. He obviously knows exactly where the story is going to go from the beginning to the twist at the end before he even penned the first word and he knows how to tell a story (which is a relief from the verbal diarrhoea of many a modern-day book, which gives the impression an author sits in front of a keyboard and just types whatever rubbish comes into their head). And each chapter is full of suspense and is thrilling to read so it really captivated me and I found that I literally hastened my reading speed during the middle of each chapter to get to the end to see how it ends - and of course, every ending has a twist which really ramps up the entertainment value.
I really enjoyed this book. It took me by surprise.
There were two stories that were my favourites. The first was "The Perfect Crime" because the writing style was completely unique (it is different to the other stories - no dialog, no description but commentary throughout). It describes the intellectual thief Justin Winston who has plotted his whole life on one day pulling of the perfect crime and actually making crime pay (stealing "millions if not billions of dollars"). And the story playfully educates the reader on the several species of crime dealing with the law of theft in a whimsical and delightful way. And the hero-thief does in fact succeed in pulling it off the most perfect crime in history (I'd say), but the twist is absolutely extraordinary and to me was wholly unexpected. It knocked my socks off, so I won't spoil it! You just have to go and read it yourself. (I have read it many times).
The other was "Project X23". After meeting the shy and bashful Benjamin Jones in an earlier story, we are introduced to him a second time and this time he is given a drug from his parents who had connections at DrugTech. The drug, termed Project X23, completely changes his personality for the moment that it lasts - somewhat of a cinderella story on steroids. But it was incredibly interesting and suspenseful. (Benjamin Jones becomes a central character and we meet him again in the penultimate chapter of the book when several of the other stories come together).
Also the book is written in the third person but every now and then the author would break into commentary in the first person which I found really worked for me. Take for example, the beginning of "Occupational Discord":
"I don't like to speak ill of truck drivers, generally. But let me tell you about one named Michael Baker. Actually Mr Baker was quite an intelligent man, and were it not for just a few vices, I am sure that he could have been a brain surgeon. But Michael Baker had a few problems, not the least of which was undertaking the appropriate planning to arrive for an appointment on time. What I mean by this is that Michael Baker was notoriously late for everything he did. He also had a bad temper, lacked patience, temperance, prudence and wisdom but then many of us get by in this world without possessing these virtues in any great abundance. It should perhaps be said at the outset though that Michael Baker’s temper wasn’t exactly ordinary and had long been foreseen as the instrument for his ultimate downfall. As it was, Michael Baker was a truck driver."
(That opening riveted me and I needed to read to the end - at which point we see just how his temper would in fact figure prominently in the story.)
And in the final chapter of the book, the twist of twists is that the author reveals himself as one of the main character in the book (you won't guess which) and he hints at a sequel (which I would love to read).
All in all, the writing style was great and the stories excellent. I was very impressed and I give it 5 stars.
June 11, 2020
An awesome read
Each chapter is a page turner with an unexpected twist.
And it all comes together in the end. Very addictive. Unique writing style.
Each chapter is a page turner with an unexpected twist.
And it all comes together in the end. Very addictive. Unique writing style.
June 15, 2020
Sahade provides riveting, convincing glimpses into a mysterious corporation’s ruthless quest of money and power through his characters’ kaleidoscopic lives and creates a manipulative, dark world shimmering with uncanny swerves in this engrossing debut collection of short stories.
He offers stories of different characters arranged in a chronological order, providing a demonstration of a pharmaceutical company DrugTech’s sinister involvement in their lives over many decades. The reader is transported immediately into realms where cunning, treachery, and shifting loyalties abound.
The central theme of the prevailing darkness rules characters’ lives, but the stories are varied and refined; “The Barrister,” whose protagonist William Hunter, the Barrister-at-Law, is central to the theme of the book is a sinister tale of darkness that reveals its true impact only in the conclusion; “The Cure” and the title story “DrugTech” explores the sinister ways of DrugTech; “The Atlantis,” is a tragic tale of a young woman who falls prey to the dirty politics at work; “The Deceived” explores the consequences of blind rage whereas in “The Market Trader,” it’s the deceiver who gets deceived in the end; “The rescue,” is about an extensive scheme gone awry.
Darkness permeates these tales, shaping the interconnected lives of different characters and exploring their link to DrugTech, with a recurring focus on the inherent manipulative workings of the company as it alters lives of many people in its quest for power and profit. Because of the interconnected theme, each story requires a careful reading, but the intriguing worldbuilding and swift, gripping narrative means that shouldn’t be a problem for the reader: “The Lost Treasure of Count De Jager,” a haunting tale of greed and treachery, the wickedly humorous “The Last resort,” and the dark and sinister “Piratical Contract” come together and connect the lives of various characters, forming a single thread; “The Statement,” “The Gaolbird,” “The Medusa Curse,” “the Science Ball,” “the Inducer,” and “Project X23,” among others also link various subplots.
Sahade's words are intelligent as he builds entire inner lives through trivial and sparse details. The prose’s spontaneous exposition and thoroughly tight plotting support the book’s wide ambitions. While the world Sahade builds is evocative, readers will be blown apart by the culmination as the several subplots come together to form a clear, single picture.
The impressive voice in this ambitious collection is unmistakably that of a storyteller of considerable talent.
Lovers of literary fiction will be rewarded.
He offers stories of different characters arranged in a chronological order, providing a demonstration of a pharmaceutical company DrugTech’s sinister involvement in their lives over many decades. The reader is transported immediately into realms where cunning, treachery, and shifting loyalties abound.
The central theme of the prevailing darkness rules characters’ lives, but the stories are varied and refined; “The Barrister,” whose protagonist William Hunter, the Barrister-at-Law, is central to the theme of the book is a sinister tale of darkness that reveals its true impact only in the conclusion; “The Cure” and the title story “DrugTech” explores the sinister ways of DrugTech; “The Atlantis,” is a tragic tale of a young woman who falls prey to the dirty politics at work; “The Deceived” explores the consequences of blind rage whereas in “The Market Trader,” it’s the deceiver who gets deceived in the end; “The rescue,” is about an extensive scheme gone awry.
Darkness permeates these tales, shaping the interconnected lives of different characters and exploring their link to DrugTech, with a recurring focus on the inherent manipulative workings of the company as it alters lives of many people in its quest for power and profit. Because of the interconnected theme, each story requires a careful reading, but the intriguing worldbuilding and swift, gripping narrative means that shouldn’t be a problem for the reader: “The Lost Treasure of Count De Jager,” a haunting tale of greed and treachery, the wickedly humorous “The Last resort,” and the dark and sinister “Piratical Contract” come together and connect the lives of various characters, forming a single thread; “The Statement,” “The Gaolbird,” “The Medusa Curse,” “the Science Ball,” “the Inducer,” and “Project X23,” among others also link various subplots.
Sahade's words are intelligent as he builds entire inner lives through trivial and sparse details. The prose’s spontaneous exposition and thoroughly tight plotting support the book’s wide ambitions. While the world Sahade builds is evocative, readers will be blown apart by the culmination as the several subplots come together to form a clear, single picture.
The impressive voice in this ambitious collection is unmistakably that of a storyteller of considerable talent.
Lovers of literary fiction will be rewarded.
June 13, 2020
Very well worth the read! This was something I never thought I would read. But this was indeed very interesting, and I loved it! All of them were short stories. Very unique writing style, and well worth it!
June 17, 2020
Amazing book. I would love to read more from this author.
December 4, 2021
This is a brilliantly written novel! Each story ends in a twist, and I was unable to guess the the ending in most cases. I felt like I was collecting pieces of a puzzle that would be put together at the end for a major revelation.
The characters were well written and interesting. The plot was unique and kept me hooked.
I can't wait for the sequel. This book is a must read.
Find the full review on the link below:
https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
The characters were well written and interesting. The plot was unique and kept me hooked.
I can't wait for the sequel. This book is a must read.
Find the full review on the link below:
https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
July 30, 2020
This was an excellent book, written as a collection of short stories that all eventually tie in together in some way or another. It made for a lot of characters and stories to have to keep track of but they were all pretty interesting. The end of each "chapter", which may or may not have corresponded to the end of that story, tended to have an interesting twist, usually playing with the theme of dealing with unintended consequences for the character's actions. It made for a quick and exciting read once you got into it and started seeing the connections.
April 29, 2021
A clandestine pharmaceutical company will stop at nothing in its quest for power and profit.
When Benjamin Jones, an average University Science student with girl-problems, is secretly given access to the breathtaking breakthroughs of DrugTech by his parents, his life will never be the same.
Meanwhile, William Hunter Barrister-at-Law has never lost a case in his 15 years of practice. But things are not as they seem as his work-experience student Jennifer is soon to find out.
And DrugTech's involvement forever lurks in the shadows.
When Benjamin Jones, an average University Science student with girl-problems, is secretly given access to the breathtaking breakthroughs of DrugTech by his parents, his life will never be the same.
Meanwhile, William Hunter Barrister-at-Law has never lost a case in his 15 years of practice. But things are not as they seem as his work-experience student Jennifer is soon to find out.
And DrugTech's involvement forever lurks in the shadows.
April 29, 2021
I have just found out that there is a sequel to this book out now.
That is next on my list!
Excellent book
That is next on my list!
Excellent book
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews