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Cassidy #1
Mindfracked
In the twenty-fourth century, rising sea levels triggered by World War have forced humankind into a handful of densely populated cities surrounded by massive seawalls. Digitized consciousnesses known as Shades prowl the streets in bodies that aren’t their own, carrying out clandestine operations ordered by the artificial intelligence created to shepherd humankind through the aftermath. Civilization clings to a tenuous thread.
Cassidy is one of the most experienced Shades in the Initiative. An elite operative with an impeccable record, he’s dedicated his life to combating the rampant organized crime that threatens the new world order.
But when a beautiful stranger shows Cassidy that his entire existence is a lie, everything he’s ever known begins unraveling around him. It isn’t long before his fight for justice becomes a fight for something much bigger…
...and the stakes are higher than he ever imagined.
Follow Cassidy through the rain-soaked streets of 24th century Manhattan as he fights like John Wick against a corrupt system of repression and control where the lines between ally and enemy are always blurred and trust is a dangerous gambit.
Cassidy is one of the most experienced Shades in the Initiative. An elite operative with an impeccable record, he’s dedicated his life to combating the rampant organized crime that threatens the new world order.
But when a beautiful stranger shows Cassidy that his entire existence is a lie, everything he’s ever known begins unraveling around him. It isn’t long before his fight for justice becomes a fight for something much bigger…
...and the stakes are higher than he ever imagined.
Follow Cassidy through the rain-soaked streets of 24th century Manhattan as he fights like John Wick against a corrupt system of repression and control where the lines between ally and enemy are always blurred and trust is a dangerous gambit.
- GenresCyberpunkScience Fiction
376 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2021
207 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
M.R. Forbes
165 books1,017 followersM.R. Forbes is the author of a growing number of science-fiction series including Rebellion, War Eternal, Chaos of the Covenant, Stars End, and the Forgotten novels. Having spent his childhood trying to read every sci-fi novel he could find (and write his own too), play every sci-fi video game he could get his hands on, and see every sci-fi movie that made it into the theater, he has a true love of the genre across every medium. He works hard to bring that same energy to his own stories, with a continuing goal to entertain, delight, fascinate, and surprise.
He maintains a true appreciation for his readers and is always happy to hear from them.
To learn more about M.R. Forbes or just say hello:
Visit his website:
mrforbes.com
Send him an e-mail:
michael@mrforbes.com
Check out his Facebook page:
facebook.com/mrforbes.author
Join his Facebook fan group:
facebook.com/groups/mrforbes
Follow him on Instagram:
instagram.com/mrforbes_author
Find him on Goodreads:
goodreads.com/mrforbes
Follow him on Bookbub:
bookbub.com/authors/m-r-forbes
He maintains a true appreciation for his readers and is always happy to hear from them.
To learn more about M.R. Forbes or just say hello:
Visit his website:
mrforbes.com
Send him an e-mail:
michael@mrforbes.com
Check out his Facebook page:
facebook.com/mrforbes.author
Join his Facebook fan group:
facebook.com/groups/mrforbes
Follow him on Instagram:
instagram.com/mrforbes_author
Find him on Goodreads:
goodreads.com/mrforbes
Follow him on Bookbub:
bookbub.com/authors/m-r-forbes
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 12, 2021
Mindfracked
Cassidy, Book 1
By: M.R. Forbes
Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
My mind is fracked after this book! I love it so much! Forbes always knows what I need! This is a fast-paced sci-fi that takes the reader/listener on a wild ride through the future where globe warming has the sea levels so high there are only pockets of land masses to live on and sea walls to hold the water at bay. Despite man ignoring the science of global warming, science has continued in its advancement of hovering/ flying cars, messaging, and so much more.
One of those great achievements is transferring consciousness from one body to another. Most people believe it's myth to scare kids, and adults. But Cassidy is a Shade, someone that is transferred into another body, and used to complete a mission. Her contract was for 50 missions. She has completed 48 at the start of the book. We see her in action and are introduced to her skills as she completes #49. Wow! This is how the book starts so let me tell you I was excited from the first! It only got better!
But thinks aren't all what they seem. Especially when her consciousness was stored for 20 years then she was brought out and put in another agent! This never happens! The story gets fast and furious! Mind blowing sci-fi, action, suspense, and twisted plot, situations, and more!
I love Forbes' books anyway but this one is so remarkable! Terrific characters, unique storyline, fantastic action and sci-fi! I so recommend this book to anyone who loves sci-fi and is looking for something different.
The narration was amazing! Kafer is one of a handful of my favorite narrators that has a thousand voices! He knows the inflection, timing, and emotional timing of each word for human, animal, or other! Perfection!
Quit reading reviews and go get the Audible book! You owe yourself a treat!
Cassidy, Book 1
By: M.R. Forbes
Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
My mind is fracked after this book! I love it so much! Forbes always knows what I need! This is a fast-paced sci-fi that takes the reader/listener on a wild ride through the future where globe warming has the sea levels so high there are only pockets of land masses to live on and sea walls to hold the water at bay. Despite man ignoring the science of global warming, science has continued in its advancement of hovering/ flying cars, messaging, and so much more.
One of those great achievements is transferring consciousness from one body to another. Most people believe it's myth to scare kids, and adults. But Cassidy is a Shade, someone that is transferred into another body, and used to complete a mission. Her contract was for 50 missions. She has completed 48 at the start of the book. We see her in action and are introduced to her skills as she completes #49. Wow! This is how the book starts so let me tell you I was excited from the first! It only got better!
But thinks aren't all what they seem. Especially when her consciousness was stored for 20 years then she was brought out and put in another agent! This never happens! The story gets fast and furious! Mind blowing sci-fi, action, suspense, and twisted plot, situations, and more!
I love Forbes' books anyway but this one is so remarkable! Terrific characters, unique storyline, fantastic action and sci-fi! I so recommend this book to anyone who loves sci-fi and is looking for something different.
The narration was amazing! Kafer is one of a handful of my favorite narrators that has a thousand voices! He knows the inflection, timing, and emotional timing of each word for human, animal, or other! Perfection!
Quit reading reviews and go get the Audible book! You owe yourself a treat!
June 23, 2024
By my count, M R Forbes has now written 96 books. He offers a new one every month to his salivating readers. He’s been keeping this up for almost eight years. I haven’t read that many of his books, but the ones I have read have been exceptional for a self-published author or otherwise. I wish I had his imagination and his devotion to his craft. He has written 21 series of three or more books and I’ve tasted about a half-dozen.
Mindfracked is the first in the “Cassidy” series of three books. The protagonist is Cassidy himself. He is a “shade”. After leaving the military he has signed up for fifty missions with the overriding, and secret, police force of his dystopic world. His body has been moved into cold storage and his mind has been extracted to wait for each mission. In each of these his mind is placed into a surrogate, a person who does NOT volunteer for this intrusion, to complete his task. Cassidy has performed 48 missions, and at the end of two more he will be placed into his original body.
Unity has control over the world. It is a vast computer program. Its whole purpose is to enhance security for all people. But it has been found to have a glitch—a problem that can tear the foundations from the planet. Cassidy must fix this, but as we enter the story, he has no knowledge of the impending crisis. And it seems everyone wants to kill him.
The novel has a great deal of the flavor of the movie “The Matrix” but is wholly original. I first read this a few years ago when it first came out, but then there was a wait for the final two installments and I didn’t get back to it. But it has preyed on my mind and I want to see what happens next. This second reading was as or more enjoyable than the first.
This book gets a high recommendation from this reader. It is filled with ideas and excitement.
Mindfracked is the first in the “Cassidy” series of three books. The protagonist is Cassidy himself. He is a “shade”. After leaving the military he has signed up for fifty missions with the overriding, and secret, police force of his dystopic world. His body has been moved into cold storage and his mind has been extracted to wait for each mission. In each of these his mind is placed into a surrogate, a person who does NOT volunteer for this intrusion, to complete his task. Cassidy has performed 48 missions, and at the end of two more he will be placed into his original body.
Unity has control over the world. It is a vast computer program. Its whole purpose is to enhance security for all people. But it has been found to have a glitch—a problem that can tear the foundations from the planet. Cassidy must fix this, but as we enter the story, he has no knowledge of the impending crisis. And it seems everyone wants to kill him.
The novel has a great deal of the flavor of the movie “The Matrix” but is wholly original. I first read this a few years ago when it first came out, but then there was a wait for the final two installments and I didn’t get back to it. But it has preyed on my mind and I want to see what happens next. This second reading was as or more enjoyable than the first.
This book gets a high recommendation from this reader. It is filled with ideas and excitement.
August 9, 2021
MINDFRACKED by M.R Forbes is a cyberpunk spy thriller that involves a body-switching science fiction consciousness named Cassidy. Cassidy is a Shade, a secret agent of a department called Unity that sends them out on highly covert missions that will end after they finish their 50th case. It is a group with a policy of absolutely no loose ends and that includes killing anyone who is even slightly aware of the group's existence. Cassidy thinks he has it all figured out but soon discovers that he doesn't know nearly as much as he thinks.
Mindfracked has a lot in common in Altered Carbon and that is already a very good endorsement for me. I am a huge fan of Richard K. Morgan's cyberpunk series and have always felt the body-jumping element of his "stacks" was a concept that needed to be explored further. While possessing its own identity, I enjoyed that this series managed to cover some of the issues that Altered Caron didn't deal with.
The book opens with a really solid scene where Cassidy, possessing a little girl, proceeds to wipe out a gang that was using children to assemble gun. It is an impressive action scene and perfect for a movie. It also shows the many facets of Cassidy's personality. He's ruthless, compassionate (to a point), and brutally efficient with a sarcastic sense of humor. My favorite moment being where he decides whether to execute someone based on the amount of information they can give but does so in a delightfully sarcastic way.
The future depicted in Mindfracked is a dark and dystopian one with the Earth's environment having been destroyed, no social safety net, and a police that primarily exists as a support network for an authoritarian death squad. Cassidy believes in the system but does so in a pragmatic belief that's it's better than the alternatives and that it managed to rescue his family from poverty. Mind you, he hasn't seen his family in a very long time and it's questionable just how much is true
This is a very dark and gritty book with the protagonist faced against an utterly ruthless set of enemies while he's not that much better. There's a focus on conspiracy, lies, and the ability to screw with your mind via technology. No one is safe and several characters normally "safe" in this kind of story are killed horribly. Cassidy's ability to bodyswap is something that only happens a couple of times but shows him adjusting to the differences in body, gender, and the lives he slips into.
Mindfracked is a book with a lot of edge and that is its primary recommendation. This is a hard R book and I feel that if you want that in your fiction then you will find this excellent hard-hitting scifi. This includes Cassidy almost being assaulted when he was still a child before his training kicked in. I did have a small problem with the end of the book where after a delightfully dark and morally bleak situation, the book tried to convince me one group was genuinely good. I didn't buy that in the slightest.
Still, I think this is a really good dark and gritty cyberpunk story. I also listened to it being narrated by Jeffrey Kafer and think the audiobook version is the best way to experience it. He manages to really bring the bleak and uncompromising nature of the protagonist to life.
Mindfracked has a lot in common in Altered Carbon and that is already a very good endorsement for me. I am a huge fan of Richard K. Morgan's cyberpunk series and have always felt the body-jumping element of his "stacks" was a concept that needed to be explored further. While possessing its own identity, I enjoyed that this series managed to cover some of the issues that Altered Caron didn't deal with.
The book opens with a really solid scene where Cassidy, possessing a little girl, proceeds to wipe out a gang that was using children to assemble gun. It is an impressive action scene and perfect for a movie. It also shows the many facets of Cassidy's personality. He's ruthless, compassionate (to a point), and brutally efficient with a sarcastic sense of humor. My favorite moment being where he decides whether to execute someone based on the amount of information they can give but does so in a delightfully sarcastic way.
The future depicted in Mindfracked is a dark and dystopian one with the Earth's environment having been destroyed, no social safety net, and a police that primarily exists as a support network for an authoritarian death squad. Cassidy believes in the system but does so in a pragmatic belief that's it's better than the alternatives and that it managed to rescue his family from poverty. Mind you, he hasn't seen his family in a very long time and it's questionable just how much is true
This is a very dark and gritty book with the protagonist faced against an utterly ruthless set of enemies while he's not that much better. There's a focus on conspiracy, lies, and the ability to screw with your mind via technology. No one is safe and several characters normally "safe" in this kind of story are killed horribly. Cassidy's ability to bodyswap is something that only happens a couple of times but shows him adjusting to the differences in body, gender, and the lives he slips into.
Mindfracked is a book with a lot of edge and that is its primary recommendation. This is a hard R book and I feel that if you want that in your fiction then you will find this excellent hard-hitting scifi. This includes Cassidy almost being assaulted when he was still a child before his training kicked in. I did have a small problem with the end of the book where after a delightfully dark and morally bleak situation, the book tried to convince me one group was genuinely good. I didn't buy that in the slightest.
Still, I think this is a really good dark and gritty cyberpunk story. I also listened to it being narrated by Jeffrey Kafer and think the audiobook version is the best way to experience it. He manages to really bring the bleak and uncompromising nature of the protagonist to life.
March 18, 2021
Excellent start for a new series, even though it’s a cliffhanger.
First of all let me say I don’t like cliffhangers, if I knew this book had one I would not of read it, I would’ve waited to the second or third book. After getting that out of the way this was an excellent first book of a series. The premise has been done before but it is well done in this series. I just did not like the fact of putting Cassidy in the old man’s body. I like the group of characters and it was great character development. There was plenty of action and the plot was interesting. Now I have to wait for the next book which I will read it was worth the time
First of all let me say I don’t like cliffhangers, if I knew this book had one I would not of read it, I would’ve waited to the second or third book. After getting that out of the way this was an excellent first book of a series. The premise has been done before but it is well done in this series. I just did not like the fact of putting Cassidy in the old man’s body. I like the group of characters and it was great character development. There was plenty of action and the plot was interesting. Now I have to wait for the next book which I will read it was worth the time
December 14, 2021
This was easy to get through, at least as an audiobook. Good thing a review had clued me in this ends in a huge cliffhanger, because I hate that, especially when it's a surprise. This is basically only part of a book from my perspective since there's no resolution at all in this volume, and apparently book 2 does the same. Three is described as the finale so at least there's apparently a resolution eventually. While book 3 is out it isn't currently shown by clicking the Cassidy series link, but search for Edge Case if you want to find it. Note there are spoilers for the first two volumes right in the synopsis for Edge Case though.
This probably isn't a book that will blow you away with new concepts, or its many complex characters, or an amazing story. It's fairly familiar overall. There's also what might not be a plot hole but is a hard to swallow premise for the journey through this first book and beyond.
There's lots of action though! It provided decent entertainment for me to listen to while doing chores, and around the end of this first volume I'd found it serviceable and even enjoyable. My review of book 2 after finishing it and more than half of book 3 is not as kind. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And if after this series if I never hear "I'll see you when I see you" again it'll be too soon.
This probably isn't a book that will blow you away with new concepts, or its many complex characters, or an amazing story. It's fairly familiar overall. There's also what might not be a plot hole but is a hard to swallow premise for the journey through this first book and beyond.
There's lots of action though! It provided decent entertainment for me to listen to while doing chores, and around the end of this first volume I'd found it serviceable and even enjoyable. My review of book 2 after finishing it and more than half of book 3 is not as kind. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And if after this series if I never hear "I'll see you when I see you" again it'll be too soon.
March 12, 2021
Wasn't crazy about this story. First, the characters never really hooked me until the end (Jazz essentially, everyone else was kind of sterile). Second, if the mega wealthy guy at the end (can't recall his name off hand), had so much clout and influence, why didn't he just have have Cassidy re-animated and either send a car to collect him or have him abducted and brought to the tower? The lack of a bad guy in the end kind of, to me, made the whole story moot and lost my interest in the story line.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2021
From the first word to the last it is an amazing story. Think cyberpunk meets the matrix and had one hell of a baby thats better, more action packed than any of forbes previous works. Truly had me thinking i get it i know where its going then a twist. Great writing backed by a supurb plot line with great charachters. Truly entertaining and thoroughly good read. Thank you M R Forbes. Take a bow. Not to much now, we need book 2.
May 25, 2022
Interesting stories, has some similarity to altered carbon, but there have been several books over the years that delved into overwriting or sharing consciousness in a similar manner. This is a pretty good story though, and although the ultimate end is the saving of human kind, that's not really part of the story until the very end. That means reading the next book is necessary if there's to be any kind of solution to the issues raised in this one. Guess I'll go on and read the next one then.
Decent story regardless of the been done before content, I suspect most scifi fans or thriller fans will enjoy this one.
Decent story regardless of the been done before content, I suspect most scifi fans or thriller fans will enjoy this one.
July 23, 2025
I was told this book was The Expanse meets John Wick and that was a flat-out lie! I just DNF the last book I read so I really wanted to finish this novel. It was a herculean effort. The plot was predictable and uninteresting. The pacing was dull and slow. The action was almost nonexistent. Wading through this book, trying to find the light at the end of the tunnel did not embolden me to read the next book.
March 9, 2021
Awesome read
Love this book. I could hardly put it down and I was on vacation. Unusual plot with lots of action. The only thing I hated about this book was the the next one isn’t out yet. If you like si fi with a different plot and not the same old story this is for you. There was one thing some of the bad guys were shot with an empty stun gun. I think.
Love this book. I could hardly put it down and I was on vacation. Unusual plot with lots of action. The only thing I hated about this book was the the next one isn’t out yet. If you like si fi with a different plot and not the same old story this is for you. There was one thing some of the bad guys were shot with an empty stun gun. I think.
March 10, 2021
Page turner 10/10
This book had me on the edge of my seat. I'm very well versed with Forbes work but this one blew my mind. Singularity style hard science fiction with a mystery that keeps you hooked. My only complaint is that it ended but I'm sure the next one will be done soon . If you like action and intelligent sci-fi grab this one today!!
This book had me on the edge of my seat. I'm very well versed with Forbes work but this one blew my mind. Singularity style hard science fiction with a mystery that keeps you hooked. My only complaint is that it ended but I'm sure the next one will be done soon . If you like action and intelligent sci-fi grab this one today!!
March 16, 2021
Fantastic!
Great news! Forbes is back with his best yet. What a thrilling ride and it's only begun. Jump in and buckle up for a fast paced sci-fi adventure that will not be able to put down. Ready for the next chapter now! Kudos Mr. Forbes!
Great news! Forbes is back with his best yet. What a thrilling ride and it's only begun. Jump in and buckle up for a fast paced sci-fi adventure that will not be able to put down. Ready for the next chapter now! Kudos Mr. Forbes!
April 27, 2021
Good sci-fi action adventure
A good sci-fi action adventure. M.R. Forbes does a good job of mixing sci-fi tropes and plots into a an action packed novel. I am downloading the second book in this series right after finishing up this review.
A good book. I recommend it.
A good sci-fi action adventure. M.R. Forbes does a good job of mixing sci-fi tropes and plots into a an action packed novel. I am downloading the second book in this series right after finishing up this review.
A good book. I recommend it.
July 8, 2022
wow!
So exciting! I really need to read what happens next. The good guys must win. Thank you Mr Forbes. I’ve read most of your work that I can from Kindle Unlimited. I intend to read it all.
So exciting! I really need to read what happens next. The good guys must win. Thank you Mr Forbes. I’ve read most of your work that I can from Kindle Unlimited. I intend to read it all.
August 7, 2021
Good story!
Well written as usual. Maybe a little slow bat times, but for the most still a very enjoyable read. Looking forward to the next story.
Well written as usual. Maybe a little slow bat times, but for the most still a very enjoyable read. Looking forward to the next story.
September 5, 2021
Crazy but good
Forbes always has winners. This is hard to follow but wow it's constantly exciting and dramatic. The characters are changing but their not go figure
Forbes always has winners. This is hard to follow but wow it's constantly exciting and dramatic. The characters are changing but their not go figure
April 18, 2022
PSA - you have to buy the next book to see how to story ends
April 24, 2022
A solid modern day written cyberpunk book
September 26, 2022
Awesome
Fast pace action at the top level of writing. Once you open the cover till the final sentence you will not want to put the book down.
Fast pace action at the top level of writing. Once you open the cover till the final sentence you will not want to put the book down.
March 18, 2021
I couldn't put it down!
It took a little while to get interested in this storyline, but once I did I couldn't put it down! I began to speed read to get to the next chapter. In light of the times, this is an excellent storyline!
It took a little while to get interested in this storyline, but once I did I couldn't put it down! I began to speed read to get to the next chapter. In light of the times, this is an excellent storyline!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews