Chrome World

by Travis W. Inman

Zane Banach’s life is turned upside down ...

when he touches a crystal at a local museum and finds himself standing in a pressurized dome on the Moon, trying to make sense of what happened. Until he touched the crystal, he was an ordinary senior at Alamogordo High School. His main distinction was his love for comic books and his ADHD. He reluctantly tells Deagan and June, his foster parents, about his experience and is shocked when they set him down to reveal the truth.

Zane was born in a parallel reality and was brought to his present reality when he was four years old in a desperate attempt to protect him from Zar Nero, the madman from Mars Colony who is determined to destroy Earth. Zane learns moments before his father’s death, his dad implanted secret plans to a powerful weapon in Zane’s brain before his evacuation. Deagan must find a way to retrieve the weapon design, while Zane is forced to deal with echoes of the past—images that lead him on a wild journey across parallel realities and on to an Earth hovering on the brink of war.

Now he must figure out how to blend into a world advanced centuries beyond his wildest dreams. He wants to follow his father’s footsteps and join the fight to save Earth. But first, he has to learn how to order food. Take a shower. Open a door. Wear clothes. And not bring attention to himself while he flails about in a futuristic world of wonders.

452 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 4, 2022

About the author

Travis W. Inman grew up in the West Texas ranch country, spending his first twenty years cowboying with different ranches. He had a desire to enter the ministry but could never find the proper fit. After serving for a year as a traveling missionary throughout South America and Mexico, he finally found his place—and it required a uniform! The Army was his next adventure, although short-lived. After a year in the infantry, he sustained a life-changing injury and received a medical discharge. He then found his way into civilian service, where he became a field agent with the Department of Homeland Security, working along the northern and southern borders. During his twenty years with DHS, Travis volunteered as a police chaplain, and served on the Traumatic Incident Event Response team, responding to such events as active shooter incidents and deaths of his fellow employees. Travis is now retired from law enforcement and is concentrating on his writing, being a grandfather, and traveling with his wife of almost thirty years. If you’re looking hard enough, you can find him roaming the world, searching for hidden treasures, sampling local cuisines, and typing feverishly on his next novel.

Reviews

[W. Franklin Lattimore · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a lot that's right with this book:
• A good mix of showing vs. telling
• The writing is fluid and doesn't try to impress the reader with thesaurus usage.
• There is a lot of terrific dialogue between authentic-feeling characters, especially between Deagan and Zane.
• Emotion is beautifully shown and felt within the dialogue
• Character discussions about the differences in the histories of Chrome World and Point Zero seem very logical

As former military, myself, there were a couple of term usages that threw me a little bit: The word "soldier" shouldn't be used to encompass ALL military personnel, as appears to happen on page 137. (We take it personally. *grin*) And on page 142, "armies" seems to be used—and shouldn't be—as a replacement for militaries. Granted, terminologies in an alternate universe might be different, but having them consistent with our reality isn't going to throw anyone off. Of course, it's possible that I'm just being picky.

Overall, this was a fast and fun speculative story. It was entertaining and definitely a big draw to buy and read book two! Good job, Travis Inman.

W. Franklin Lattimore
Author of the Otherealm Saga

[B Condon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Mr. Travis W. Inman's previous books, I expected a good read when I got Chrome World, and I was not disappointed! I always enjoy a book that gives me an adventure paired with good principals for living. Chrome World definitely delivered in both areas. It's a story of alternate realities, real believable human beings overcoming gigantic obstacles to do what they were born to do, interstellar politics, the challenges of growing up, accepting your unique self, and recognizing the value of each individual even when they are different from what is considered the norm. Throw in a war, some really cool sci fi weapons, a vision of what boot camp would be like in a technologically superior world, and great concepts of 'normal living' in a different timeline, and you've got yourself a winner of a book. Congrats to Mr. Inman for writing such an entertaining book. I look forward to reading the next book in this series!

[Jason Karpf · Rating 5 out of 5]

One small step for a young man, one giant leap for a misfit into a multiverse of action, humor, and heart. Teenage Zane has a lot to learn when he travels from Earth to Chrome World to fulfill his secret legacy and stop a menace that spans the solar system. And Chrome World has a lot to learn from him. If you relish the promise and peril of parallel worlds and root for inter-dimensional underdogs, you’ll love this book.

[Kathy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a huge sci fi book fan but this book captured my attention and held it. I looked for every opportunity to read it. The characters are real even though the time frame is so far in the future. The plot and setting are imaginative and I was wowed with respect for the writer's creativity. I can't wait for book 2 to continue being with my "friends" who are moving on to the moon.