Testing of the Stars

Of The Stars #1

by P.D. Atkerson

The world has been at war since before Max O’Brian was born. And he's becoming a part of it, just like his brother.
Max has waited a long time to join the Mind and Matter Academy, a training base designed for kids like him, with above-average abilities of speed, strength, and intellect. He’s passed all the testing to get this far, but a stubborn willed cadet may try him more than anything else.
From sabotage to an impending attack, and everything in-between, Max soon learns that if he and his newfound friends don't pull together, they’ll have lost the war before they've even joined it.

Even at a training base in the middle of nowhere, you can’t escape the war raging across the solar system.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Dystopia, Christian Fiction, Young Adult

Unknown Binding

About the author

P.D. Atkerson is a homeschooled writer, living in Montana, who may or may not be a secret agent. She spends almost as much time in the worlds she creates as she does the real one.
When she’s not reporting the stories of her agents, she’s learning different languages, or traveling to different worlds through the portals of books.
She has a black belt in sarcasm and a master’s degree in useless facts.

If you're interested in reading any of her books for an honest review, just fill out the form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

Reviews

[P.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only two weeks until this book comes out (11/28/2020). Yeah!

Update: the second book comes out in just under two months! (11/27/2021)

Here's a Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/PDAtkerson/...

Here's a link to a trailer I made too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrrun...

[Abby Burrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upon reread of this book, I still really enjoyed it 😉 and I’m all ready for book 2. Original review:

I was interested in this author's books when I saw the level of sarcasm on her pinterest boards, and I was pretty sure I was going to like it.

Oh boy, did I like it.

First of all, let's talk characters, because there are some awesome characters. Specifically, Aiden and Max. Max is just a good ol' boy, honestly, we need more people like him. Not to mention he has AWESOME defender skills! His fortitude and loyalty in sticking with Aiden is just *chef's kiss*

And then there's Aiden. Ah, Aiden. I sure could use his tech prowess in my own life, he speaks its language and I don't XD I have to be honest, I do favor him over Max because of his... sharp brutal personality lol. I don't know, I just like characters like him. Characters who have so much going on and yet conceal it behind visages of stoicism, or sharpness, or just hold people at arm's length.

Seeing the dynamics of Aiden and Max's relationship was so neat. And it was refreshing to find a book that dishes out the sarcasm / satire while still keeping it clean. Just wonderful.

This book does focus a lot on that particular relationship, and maybe doesn't have as much action as other books, but for me, the interactions of the characters are more than enough to keep me engaged.

For those wondering about the Christian aspect of this book, don't worry. While, say, God isn't talked about a whole lot, all of the morals are Biblical, and it's completely clean. So please, do read it.

I was given a free review copy for this book in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are completely my own. That is to say, I REALLY enjoyed this book.

[Kacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that was fun :D nice way to start off my 2022 reading goal!

[Faith Gilliosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book so much. "Do you like sci-fi?" they asked. "I think? If it's really good." I replied.
I'm not sure if this books confirms that I really do like sci-fi or if it is really just that good. Likely both.

I love P.D. Atkerson books, but I will say I wasn't expecting to enjoy this one nearly as much as I did. If I didn't love her book "Phantom Thief" as much as I did...I would almost say this one was better.

Testing of the Stars was fast-paced, packed with sarcasm, and had one of those stories where you just have to find out what happens next. While the prose wasn't particularly exceptional, the characters were the best. Sarcastic? Sure. Possibly a little too sarcastic? Maaaybe. But I loved it. They were very real and empathizable (if that's a word). I just wanted to give them a hug sometimes.

The worldbuilding was pretty good, too. I loved how easily I could picture everything and how concrete it was. There were a few teensy spots where it could potentially not make sense, but perhaps they will be explored more in the next books.

Speaking of the next book...I NEED BOOK #2!!!! Thankfully it comes out about a week and a half so you all won't have to wait too long.

As far as faith-content goes, I actually really liked how it was incorporated. Although it wasn't "thoroughly interspersed" and only came up on a few occasions it really fit and felt real. The faith element wasn't altogether concluded either, but I have a feeling we'll get more answers in book #2.

Overall I really, really, really love this book and if you like sci-fi or cool worldbuilding or space-stuff or starships or skill academies...do yourself a favor and read this book. I'm guessing you're gonna love it.

Note: Testing of the Stars is currently free on Kindle through tonight, so now is a good time to get it!

I received a free copy of Testing of the Stars from the author and was not required to give a positive review. These are literally my honest thoughts.

[Jes Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

P.D. Atkerson is such a talented author who has handled multiple genres beautifully. In this journey into science fiction that takes us to the stars, we go with Max O'Brian, a new cadet coming to take the universe by storm and follow in the large footsteps left behind by his brother. It rather reminded me like a much better, cleaner, and spacier version of Top Gun. Like that movie, this book almost made me cry, so be warned.

If you like unique science fiction worlds with space and special abilities, as well as compelling characters to take the journey with, then this one is for you.

I received a copy of the book from the author, but was not required to give a favorable review.

Review to be published on my blog: https://agencyofbooksandspies.blogspo...

[Deigan Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a sci-fi girl. I tend to not enjoy reading about all the super high-tech, nerdy gizmos and gadgets because my brain cannot comprehend them all. I'm more of a fall-down-a-rabbit-hole-into-Wonderland, sprinkle-the-world-with-pixie-dust kinda girl. I'm just not a sci-fi girl.

Until I read this book.

Earth had been at war for over twenty years . . .

Let me premise this by saying it's been a good three-or-four years since I last read this book. And like I said before, my brain just couldn't comprehend everything. Or at least, I didn't think it could. Fast-forward to present day when I finally got to watch the original Star Wars trilogy with my family - and fell in love with it. I could suddenly see everything in my head, and I realized that the problem wasn't with Science Fiction as a genre; it was with me.

So I promptly decided to reread this book. *inhales* And wow, I can't believe I haven't done that sooner. From the very first chapter to the final bow, I was hooked. Having been so long between reads, I'd forgotten most of what happened in this book, so it was basically like a brand-new book to me.

"O'Brian," Adian growled, "do the Galaxy a favor and shut up."

Aidan was the best. Like, most definitely my favorite character out of the entire cast. I could just see how badly he needed a friend, and I was very, very proud of Max for being that friend. Also, those two are brilliant together. The epitome of a platonic enemies-to-friends, and they were just what each other needed. I can't wait to see how their friendship grows through the rest of the series!!

.

💫 astronomy
💫 high-tech fighters
💫 bond brothers and soul sisters
💫 high stakes
💫 epic friendships
💫 battles
💫 Star Wars

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ rounded to 4
This isn’t my usual read but I enjoyed it!
The descriptions were great, I actually liked the sparring/fight scenes. The world and technology building was really cool, it was well developed in scenes while also making me want to know more, spurring me on to continue reading. I wanted to find out what was going to happen and it didn’t drag in general but definitely the last half I couldn’t put down.

Max is an awesome MC, I appreciated his integrity, loyalty and how he handled being thrust into leadership positions when he didn’t anticipate/really want to be.

A couple things; there tended to be some unnecessary repetitions that had already been established scattered throughout the first 2/3 of the book. And some reactions or scene shift would kind of be jumpy, like “oh, we’re suddenly over here now.”

For a military/training base the extreme casualness with Malik was out of place sometimes, especially at the beginning of the book, it just felt… unlikely to me. Though with him as more a father figure than a superior for Aidan I was glad.

Max and Aidan’s banter… and really Aidan’s rudeness in general threw me off.
I liked the “comic relief” elements, snark is great and I gathered it was on purpose to give contrast to his character development(I did end up appreciating him and Max really becoming friends/knowing why he behaved that way) but sometimes it just seemed a little much and didn’t fit certain scenes.

Overall though, highly recommend for juvenile fiction and will definitely be reading more of the authors work!

I was sent a copy by the author for an honest review.
Thank you!

[L. E. Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max O'Brien is a Cadet training to be a Defender in order to fight the Novans. He is very bright, yet haunted by his past, and discovers that sometimes friends are more important than many other things. Without friends, the war will have been lost before it's begun.
I give this book 4.2 stars, rounded to 4.
It is the first book in a series, but one thing I like very much is that it does not leave too many loose ends at the end. It's clear where more can be added and explored, but it works very well as a standalone book.
My favourite thing about this book is the dialogue, especially between Max and Aidan. It's amusing and snappy and everyone feels very different in the way they speak. It does some nice foreshadowing of the villain, too. It feels very real as banter between kids of that age, who are also acting older than their age for plot reasons (it all makes sense). I also really liked the world that the author created - it was compelling and felt real, rather than a world the author had created. I loved the added depth given to character/s with the inclusion of a death in the past (trying not to spoil it).
However, I did find that there were a few plot holes that bothered me. For instance, the villain's fate was never mentioned; it's possible the villain will come up in later books, but it felt like the villain just disappeared as soon as they walked out of the room they were in. Another thing that bugged me was that Max was presented as having been there for three days, yet he displays an astonishing lack of knowledge, especially about what he's allowed to do and not, which smacks of author telling what author needs to tell, whether or not it fits. Some of the writing could have been improved by another draft.
Anyway, on the whole, I really enjoyed the book, even though it wasn't perfect. It's a nice standalone book, but when book 2 comes along, I'll probably see if I can get a copy. It's definitely shown me that I like this author.
I recommend it to anyone who likes sci-fi, fantasy or action, or heavily character-driven stories, especially as it's a good clean read.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and this is my honest review of it.

[TheRoer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! How do you begin?? Excitement, uncertainty, no no no!! I mean, literally there are moments where you’re like…NO!!! But thankfully… *sighs* it ends well…I absolutely love Aidan. I just knew he wasn’t bad. He couldn’t be! Thankfully it was all figured out and now he an Max are friends. Man!

PD, I LOVE this book!!!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND YALL!! Read it!!! Clean, action filled excitement! It’s worth it! Man, I really got into it. I got so excited!! 😆

*Thanks for giving me a free copy, PD, in exchange for a review! It was highly worth it!!*

[Sarah]

I wanted to love this book. I'm always looking for good sci-fi. This story had so much potential.

I feel like this book just needed more revision and beta readers to take it from a great idea to a great book. Sadly, it suffers from a lack descriptions and explanations. Yes, you want to show and not tell, but I was 30% in and still didn't understand basic stuff like what defenders and mentalist roles were, the ages of the characters around me (though I'm pretty sure they were in their teens).

Great idea, it just needs major input and revision to make it work.

[Cyber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome! It's so good it's worth reading over and over again. A definite must-read!

[Rhys-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much more than I expected to, and I'm still not sure why. Sci-fi will probably never be a favorite genre of mine, at least not this kind involving alien enemies and space wars. The writing style was not spectacular, and the setting not more than ordinarily atmospheric. It must have been the characters, then, that made Testing of the Stars a memorable read. Max was an excellent main character, but my favorite had to be Aiden, a snarky and overly intelligent boy who reluctantly becomes Max's friend. On that note, the message about friendship was well-done, and the Christian message was a pleasant surprise. Even if, like me, you're not a sci-fi reader, you should absolutely read Testing of the Stars if you like amazing characters and witty banter.

[Michelle D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Testing of the Stars may be my second favorite of P.D. Atkerson's stories. It has been a long time since I have picked up a good Sci-Fi book, but... wow. This one was amazing! P.D. Atkerson did an amazing job writing this. It felt so real, like you were standing right there, right beside the characters, through all the highs and lows, and she left you waiting for more by the last page.
I greatly enjoyed reading about Max and I loved the fact that even though he had lost his brother, even though he had sorrow in his life, he still opened his heart for others.
This was a wonderful read, and I highly recommend it!

[Michelle D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great job!

[M.L. Milligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, wow.
Be prepared to fall SO HARD for these characters. I've got such a case of book hangover from Testing, It's no joke. The dialogue is snappy, the charactery is amazing, the plot—THE PLOT YOU GUYS!!—I could be here all day raving about this book and still not do it justice. Max and Aidan are the absolute best. P. D. Atkerson did such an amazing job with this book. I never put it down. The action, the adventure, the bonds these boys share, it's all just so amazing. I'm definitely getting the next book.


Hold onto your hats. And your heart.

[Lizzie Marr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love this book!! ❤ I can't wait to read the next one!!