Author: Julian Rosado-Machain (AMAZING SITE!!)
Release Date: Feb 26/2011
Adquired: Epub copy provided by AToMR tours
Goodreads: ADD
Purchase: Amazon/Indigo(Kobo)
GUARDIANS INC.: THE CYPHER is two stories in one. A glimpse into a multinational company that is in reality the oldest of secret societies, one that spans close to seven thousand years of existence, weaving in and out of history, guiding and protecting humanity from creatures and forces that most of us believe are only mythology and fairy tales.
The other is the story of Thomas Byrne, a young man thrust into secrets he shouldn’t be aware of and dangers he shouldn’t face but, that he ultimately will, for he is a Cypher. The only one who can steer humanity’s future.
The ultimate conspiracy theory is that Magic is real. Kept in check by technology but, every five hundred years the balance can shift and, if it does, technology will fail and those creatures we’ve driven into myth will come back with a vengeance. To protect the present, Guardians Incorporated needs to know the future.
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This is one of those books that I wish I had discovered on my own. It entailed the kind of magical and technological wonderment that stayed with me long, long after the last page. The concept was so well thought out, and original. The description does NOT do it enough justice.
Right from the first chapter, as we are so lovingly introduced to Vice-Principal Khanna (a.k.a Killjoy), I was nostalgically blasted with the excitement and awe that I felt when reading Lois Sacher's Wayside series-a tinge of anxious, and confused joy. I already knew that I was in for something that would be way over my head, in a very good way.
I won't waste any time getting to the part of the story that I wished went on for MANY chapters. I could have easily read an entire story on this one aspect alone: The Guardian Inc. Library. OH..MY...GOD. The description of this mastery had me DROOLING, literally! Picture a library that holds EVERY single book dated after the year 269. EVERY.BOOK. Even books that were deemed rare, obsure, burned, NONEXISTENT. In both print AND electronic copies I might add. I thought the concept was beautifully thought out, and couldn't help but completely forget about the storyline for a second, and lose myself within my head-walking the aisles, climbing the bookshelves, touching and smelling books..*happy sigh*.
Thomas, for me, was initially a very wishy-washy character. His attitude and demeanor were just a bit too nonchalant. The same was felt about his grandfather, Morgan Bryne. I just didn't feel the emotion that should have been pulsing between them, considering certain circumstances. However, as the story progressed, I began to really admire Thomas and his "talents." Both Thomas and his grandfather took interesting turns in development as the core story began to play out. Bolswaithe, the robot butler, takes home the title for most adored character-I always enjoy the dull, unintentional humor of robots in both movies AND print, but none were as admirable as he.
The world-building in this story is fantastic, so much so that sometimes the narrative suffered, but only a smidgen. I was taken for a imaginative AND realistic ride, in which I found myself thinking that some of the back stories could very well be happening/have happened in our very own existence. I was intrigued, and inspired and flat-out entertained.
I definitely recommend this book for fans of Harry Potter, or those who find happiness in books that mix magic with technology, and fantastical with believable. Yeah, make sense of THAT. Check this one out!
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1. What was your main inspiration for this book/series?
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This is one of those books that I wish I had discovered on my own. It entailed the kind of magical and technological wonderment that stayed with me long, long after the last page. The concept was so well thought out, and original. The description does NOT do it enough justice.
Right from the first chapter, as we are so lovingly introduced to Vice-Principal Khanna (a.k.a Killjoy), I was nostalgically blasted with the excitement and awe that I felt when reading Lois Sacher's Wayside series-a tinge of anxious, and confused joy. I already knew that I was in for something that would be way over my head, in a very good way.
I won't waste any time getting to the part of the story that I wished went on for MANY chapters. I could have easily read an entire story on this one aspect alone: The Guardian Inc. Library. OH..MY...GOD. The description of this mastery had me DROOLING, literally! Picture a library that holds EVERY single book dated after the year 269. EVERY.BOOK. Even books that were deemed rare, obsure, burned, NONEXISTENT. In both print AND electronic copies I might add. I thought the concept was beautifully thought out, and couldn't help but completely forget about the storyline for a second, and lose myself within my head-walking the aisles, climbing the bookshelves, touching and smelling books..*happy sigh*.
Thomas, for me, was initially a very wishy-washy character. His attitude and demeanor were just a bit too nonchalant. The same was felt about his grandfather, Morgan Bryne. I just didn't feel the emotion that should have been pulsing between them, considering certain circumstances. However, as the story progressed, I began to really admire Thomas and his "talents." Both Thomas and his grandfather took interesting turns in development as the core story began to play out. Bolswaithe, the robot butler, takes home the title for most adored character-I always enjoy the dull, unintentional humor of robots in both movies AND print, but none were as admirable as he.
The world-building in this story is fantastic, so much so that sometimes the narrative suffered, but only a smidgen. I was taken for a imaginative AND realistic ride, in which I found myself thinking that some of the back stories could very well be happening/have happened in our very own existence. I was intrigued, and inspired and flat-out entertained.
I definitely recommend this book for fans of Harry Potter, or those who find happiness in books that mix magic with technology, and fantastical with believable. Yeah, make sense of THAT. Check this one out!
1. What was your main inspiration for this book/series?
I can't say that there was only one
"Main" inspiration. I had a lot of time to think...and no time at all
to write.
Cypher began as a horror story with
the Chtulhu Mythos at the center, but I own a restaurant, so I couldn't just
sit down and write the horror story because of my workload. Then I grew fond of
the Conspiracy theories in Youtube while counting beans-put into the mix that
I'm an avid History and Mythology reader, and the one day that I did have time to
sit down and write, (about two years after the initial idea) the horror story
had transformed into a YA Fantasy.
I incorporated all those elements I liked and explored through those two years and why not? Added some
sci-fi into the mix for good measure.
2. Which
character did you enjoy writing the most?
Bolswaithe,
the robot butler. He is, on the surface, a very simple, very straightforward and
even clichéd character. But he has real time access to all the knowledge there
is in the Library AND Guardians Inc. So every time he opens his mouth, I have to
do research so he doesn't sound like he's making stuff up! Plus he also has a
very complex character arc ahead of him as he begins to explore what humanity
is all about, and he is Thomas' selfless protector at all times.
3. Why did
you chose to write Fantasy?
For
the freedom it grants. It's world creating at its prime! As a writer, the
Fantasy genre allows you to explore, create, and bend the rules as much as you
want. You can just add a touch of magic if you want a world that resembles
ours, or completely create one from scratch.
Everything
depends on your imagination and how you want the story to unfold. I don't think
that other genres give writers as much freedom for creation and exploration as
Fantasy.
4. Can you describe an interesting research moment?
When Thomas asks if its magic how they can open a
door in Pervagus mansion and go from South-Africa to say...Australia, I wanted
Bolswaithe to explain that the Guardians use technology instead of Magic. So I
researched Physics...then Quantum mechanics...then Theoretical
Physics...and I realized that those
areas of study sound like Magic to almost everyone, including me.
It was an eye opening moment for me
to realize that there are actually
people out there that can understand and laugh out loud at Bolswaithe's
explanation that: “The mansion systems utilize a Quantum fractal singularity
attached to specific nodes in the topology of the space-time continuum to
operate,” because its probably what I didn't want in the first place...made up.
It took me a long time and research to come up with
that! and it also made me humble...
5. What
does your next literary project entail?
Finishing the Guardians Inc. series
is at the front of the line. The second
book Thundersword is already out, and the third The Four Legged
Prophet is coming out around May, but I'm also working on an illustrated The
Book of Beasts. Guardians Inc's own Necronomicon and referenced in the
Cypher and I just released the iPad interactive book app The Man in the Trench Coat. Which also
features an evil character from Guardians Inc as the main antagonist...
illustrated for kids.
I have the blessing to work with
Francisco Trueba, a good friend of mine who is as crazy as me, and we are
always throwing new ideas at each other. We
are exploring the Graphic Novel format with "Chaneques" a
horror story completely separate from Guardians Inc, which hopefully will be
out around next year too.
The ending of the Guardians Inc.
series is already written though, before sitting down to write the individual
books I developed the whole story arc. I am just fleshing out the individual
entries.
Hmmm... ah yes, I also have a new
blog here: http://guardians-inc.tumblr.com
Please let me know what you think.
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About the AuthorJulian has enjoyed pizza in three continents, holds a degree in graphic design, built armored vehicles and computers, handcrafted alebrijes and swears has seen at least one ghost.He is the Co-owner of Hacienda de Vega Restaurant in San Diego, California and enjoys the sun with his wife, three children and cat.Guardians Inc.: The Cypher is the first book in a series.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thank you to AToMR Tours for allowing me to take part in this tour. Please visit the other stops below:
December 1 - Reading Addiction Blog Tours - Meet and Greet
December 2 - My Devotional Thoughts - Guest Post/PROMO
December 4 - Bound By Words - Review/Interview
December 5 - Oh, Chrys! - Interview/PROMO
December 6 - Brooke Blogs - Review/Guest Post
December 7 - Mom With a Kindle - Interview/PROMO
December 10 - My Reading Addiction - Review
December 11 - Bibliophilia, Please - Guest Post/PROMO
December 12 - Geo Librarian - Review/Guest Post
December 13 - Kimmie's Bookshelf - Guest Post/PROMO
December 14 - Pure Tetuality - PROMO
December 15 - My Cozie Corner - Review
December 16 - Novel Nexus - Guest Post/PROMO
December 17 - Book Reviews By Dee - Guest Post/PROMO
December 18 - Inside BJ's Head - Review/Guest Post
December 19 - I'm a Reader, Not a Writer - Interview/PROMO
December 20 - Bookworm Lisa - Review/Guest Post
December 22 - Andi's YA Books - Guest Post/PROMO
December 23 - Books, Books, the Magical Fruit - Interview/PROMO
December 24 - The Story Factory Zone - Review/Guest Post
December 25 - Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews- Interview/PROMO
December 26 - Simple Books - Review/Interview
December 27 -Bookworm Avenue - Review/Guest Post
Thank you very much for having Guardians Inc. in your wonderful blog and for your thoughtful review.
ReplyDeleteThe Library is the heart of Guardians Inc. and I'm really happy that you liked it that much! There is an artist depiction of it on the website: www.guardiansinc.com but, as good as the illustration is, the way readers imagine it will always be better!
Thank you again!
Julian