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Harmonic Magic #1
Vibrations
To go back, he must go forward…Sam Sharp has never been what people would call sociable. Affected profoundly by his father’s death when Sam was very young, he developed into a solitary and self-sufficient person. When he finds himself transported to Gythe, a world that is completely different from his home, yet strangely familiar, he is forced to seek help. Sam’s nature wars with his need to rely on the strangers he meets—a warrior, a scholar, a monk, and a telepathic creature—to help him find a way back to his own world.
When Sam finds that he has an affinity for the peculiar vibrational energy that exists in Gythe, he realizes it is his only chance for going home. But there is only one person who may have the knowledge to help the Gray Man, a tyrannical vibrational energy master with plans to rule the world. Can Sam trust others to aid him and to prepare him for the ultimate confrontation with the Gray Man, to learn the secrets of this mysterious adversary? If so, will he even be capable of using the vibrational energy himself to return home, or will he die in this strange new world?
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When Sam finds that he has an affinity for the peculiar vibrational energy that exists in Gythe, he realizes it is his only chance for going home. But there is only one person who may have the knowledge to help the Gray Man, a tyrannical vibrational energy master with plans to rule the world. Can Sam trust others to aid him and to prepare him for the ultimate confrontation with the Gray Man, to learn the secrets of this mysterious adversary? If so, will he even be capable of using the vibrational energy himself to return home, or will he die in this strange new world?
Get your copy now!
468 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2015
154 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
P.E. Padilla
34 books31 followersA chemical engineer by degree and at various times an air quality engineer, a process control engineer, and a regulatory specialist by vocation, USA Today bestselling author P.E. Padilla learned long ago that crunching numbers and designing solutions was not enough to satisfy his creative urges. Weaned on classic science fiction and fantasy stories from authors as diverse as Heinlein, Tolkien, and Jordan, and affected by his love of role playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons (analog) and Final Fantasy (digital), he sometimes has trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy. While not ideal for a person who needs to function in modern society, it’s the perfect state of mind for a writer. He is a recent transplant from Southern California to Northern Washington, where he lives surrounded by trees.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 7, 2015
For the last year, I've been on a Fantasy kick and I'm coming to discover that I really enjoy fantastic works that incorporate our world, giving us something grounding and familiar, with a new and fantastic world. This is one of those books and it works very well. There's also a bit of science thrown in, giving it a sci-fantasy hybrid appeal.
The cast of characters is great. Everyone is fleshed out well, yet all have left me with enough questions that I am looking forward to finding out more about them and the world of Gythe in the next book. I'm especially interested in learning more about Dr. Walt and how he ended up transporting himself. Even Skitter, the highly evolved furry little friend of Sam's, has me curious to know more about his background and what his fellow citizens think of his adventures.
Like most epic fantasy, this is a pretty long read, but the pacing is done well. The world building is woven into the journey, allowing us to learn along with Sam about this strange new world that he seems to have meditated himself into. If I had to nitpick, there was one plot point (that I will not reveal due to spoilers) that I found predictable thanks to a certain Twilight Zone episode that uses the same twist.
Overall, this was a highly enjoyable and adventurous read that I'd recommend to all fantasy fans and those looking for something just slightly different from the same old epic journey.
The cast of characters is great. Everyone is fleshed out well, yet all have left me with enough questions that I am looking forward to finding out more about them and the world of Gythe in the next book. I'm especially interested in learning more about Dr. Walt and how he ended up transporting himself. Even Skitter, the highly evolved furry little friend of Sam's, has me curious to know more about his background and what his fellow citizens think of his adventures.
Like most epic fantasy, this is a pretty long read, but the pacing is done well. The world building is woven into the journey, allowing us to learn along with Sam about this strange new world that he seems to have meditated himself into. If I had to nitpick, there was one plot point (that I will not reveal due to spoilers) that I found predictable thanks to a certain Twilight Zone episode that uses the same twist.
Overall, this was a highly enjoyable and adventurous read that I'd recommend to all fantasy fans and those looking for something just slightly different from the same old epic journey.
April 4, 2018
4.5 rounded up to 5
Sketch Notes: Okay, so this doesn't have much to do with the book, except it means 5★ on the Dancing Disco Dragon scale. =D
Nice:
Magic! Sure, you can say it’s “science” as much as you want, but it’s plainlythe Force magic. I did feel like was reading a Star Wars novel during some of the training scenes. There was even a Star Wars reference where
At any rate, the magic system was well developed in a science-y way.
There was also some strong character development to go along with the magic and training.
Not so nice:
There was something a bit hokey and predictable in the story that I didn’t care for:
The protagonist also repeatedly whined about things being “impossible!” well into the book. I mean, come on dude, you have personally seen and done most of those things. It also contradicted his earlier tendency to accept a bunch of amazing things happening in stride.
I'm looking forward to reading more in the series!
Sketch Notes: Okay, so this doesn't have much to do with the book, except it means 5★ on the Dancing Disco Dragon scale. =D
Nice:
Magic! Sure, you can say it’s “science” as much as you want, but it’s plainly
At any rate, the magic system was well developed in a science-y way.
There was also some strong character development to go along with the magic and training.
Not so nice:
There was something a bit hokey and predictable in the story that I didn’t care for:
The protagonist also repeatedly whined about things being “impossible!” well into the book. I mean, come on dude, you have personally seen and done most of those things. It also contradicted his earlier tendency to accept a bunch of amazing things happening in stride.
I'm looking forward to reading more in the series!
August 30, 2015
Good Vibrations
All in all, this is a good story with a magic system based on the science of vibrational energy from atoms. I appreciated the scientific basis and the connections discussed throughout. Meditation techniques and fighting strategies were also explained clearly as part of Sam's training.
The journey takes some time to get going, but along the way the reader gets a good feel for the characters and their growth. Settings and scenes are well-described and help the reader to envision what is taking place. There are some instances of repetitiveness and over-explanation, but not excessively so; it suggests the story is more geared for a 'new adult' audience, to coin a relatively new term in the industry.
There are some surprises and intrigue which keep the story moving along. Some things that surprise Sam don't necessarily surprise the reader, but it is still interesting to live with Sam's view on the world around him.
I enjoyed this story and would recommend it for those who like to grow and learn with the characters and are willing to partake in numerous training sessions with Sam and the rest of his group. The action picks up in the second half with a satisfying conclusion.
All in all, this is a good story with a magic system based on the science of vibrational energy from atoms. I appreciated the scientific basis and the connections discussed throughout. Meditation techniques and fighting strategies were also explained clearly as part of Sam's training.
The journey takes some time to get going, but along the way the reader gets a good feel for the characters and their growth. Settings and scenes are well-described and help the reader to envision what is taking place. There are some instances of repetitiveness and over-explanation, but not excessively so; it suggests the story is more geared for a 'new adult' audience, to coin a relatively new term in the industry.
There are some surprises and intrigue which keep the story moving along. Some things that surprise Sam don't necessarily surprise the reader, but it is still interesting to live with Sam's view on the world around him.
I enjoyed this story and would recommend it for those who like to grow and learn with the characters and are willing to partake in numerous training sessions with Sam and the rest of his group. The action picks up in the second half with a satisfying conclusion.
October 15, 2015
A hapaki dream
I gave this rating because the book was very engaging. I often made plans to get back to story when interrupted. Yeah, there were a couple of boo boos like the kind this app makes when it auto corrects. And no I never discovered what specific kind of Dr - Dr Walt really was. It's the type of thing a seasoned writer would not have let go. First he was into rocks, then books, then language. During one section he was even practising medicine. He could have learned how to fight. Yet, this was a delightful story with enough graphic action for my taste. The level of violence is not for the under 10 reader. The world building was solid. Highly recommended for adventure fantasy readers.
I gave this rating because the book was very engaging. I often made plans to get back to story when interrupted. Yeah, there were a couple of boo boos like the kind this app makes when it auto corrects. And no I never discovered what specific kind of Dr - Dr Walt really was. It's the type of thing a seasoned writer would not have let go. First he was into rocks, then books, then language. During one section he was even practising medicine. He could have learned how to fight. Yet, this was a delightful story with enough graphic action for my taste. The level of violence is not for the under 10 reader. The world building was solid. Highly recommended for adventure fantasy readers.
November 10, 2016
Vibrations is Book One of the Harmonic Magic Book series by P.E. Padilla. It is a fast, fun read and this series has the potential to become a bestseller and perennial favorite with young readers. I liked it a lot. I liked the thought and care that P.E. Padilla put into creating the theory of magic in this fictional world. That is a very big first step in establishing the believability of any book about magic and magic users. How does it work? Why is our hero good at it? What are its constraints and limitations? P.E. Padilla lays the foundation of this magical universe in a clear and well thought out manner and it is totally believable. What kept me reading was a hero that I could like and sympathize with. Sam Sharp is everything a young reader wants in a protagonist. He is smart, humble. Friendly, honest. truthful, and humane. He is also very curious about the world around him and always eager to learn more about how the world really works.
The writing in vibrations is just the right style and tone for the story. The more I learned about this world, the more I wanted to learn. The story starts with our hero in trouble then we learn how he got there. There is plenty of action and P. E. Padilla takes us through the story like a master storyteller. There are great supporting characters in Skitter, Doc Wicket, Nalia, and Rindu Zose. The antagonist, a worthy enemy who has a huge organization behind him dedicated to the conquest of two worlds. I thoroughly enjoyed Vibrations and salute P.E. Padilla for doing a great job. There is even a free download where the reader can receive a character sheet and a free novella that ties into this story. An awesome job all the way around!
The writing in vibrations is just the right style and tone for the story. The more I learned about this world, the more I wanted to learn. The story starts with our hero in trouble then we learn how he got there. There is plenty of action and P. E. Padilla takes us through the story like a master storyteller. There are great supporting characters in Skitter, Doc Wicket, Nalia, and Rindu Zose. The antagonist, a worthy enemy who has a huge organization behind him dedicated to the conquest of two worlds. I thoroughly enjoyed Vibrations and salute P.E. Padilla for doing a great job. There is even a free download where the reader can receive a character sheet and a free novella that ties into this story. An awesome job all the way around!
October 5, 2015
This book was a jewel just waiting to be mined!
I was initially hesitant but so glad I read this book. So many new ideas and concepts are presented to the reader on this journey of adventure and discovery. I await the next addition, is it done yet?
I was initially hesitant but so glad I read this book. So many new ideas and concepts are presented to the reader on this journey of adventure and discovery. I await the next addition, is it done yet?
March 5, 2018
New Ancient Magical system
This magic system is scientifically possible and how the ancient folks did things. Some Chi and sound magic/science. The story is very interesting and is entertaining. The Main Character acts more like a teenager than a 27 year old guy. Heck he has not even knocked boots with his love interest for two years. It's one of those stories that you yell at the MC to removed his head from his behind... Frustrating but a great story nonetheless.
This magic system is scientifically possible and how the ancient folks did things. Some Chi and sound magic/science. The story is very interesting and is entertaining. The Main Character acts more like a teenager than a 27 year old guy. Heck he has not even knocked boots with his love interest for two years. It's one of those stories that you yell at the MC to removed his head from his behind... Frustrating but a great story nonetheless.
June 30, 2023
Had my attention from page one! Wonderful storyline.
March 2, 2016
Just ok
Finally finished the book but it was hard to get through in many spots. Story seemed to really drag and in other areas it wasn't developed enough.
Finally finished the book but it was hard to get through in many spots. Story seemed to really drag and in other areas it wasn't developed enough.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews