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The Ascension Machine

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The Ascension Machine

Paperback

$16.95

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Overview

Welcome to the Justice Academy – the galaxy’s best superhero college! Teen grifter Grey arrives at the school carrying a lie: he isn’t really tech heir Mirabor Gravane. At the first opportunity Grey plans to leave the Academy. That is until he makes the mistake of starting to like his fellow students. The Justice Academy promises to “equip you with the skills to be the hero the galaxy needs” and Grey is beginning to believe the hype. But as he takes more risks to protect his secret, events spiral out of his control. When the real Gravane is kidnapped, Grey and his new friends must come together to mount a rescue and defend a city from an attack by hostile super-powered aliens. If he is to succeed, or even survive, Grey must decide who he is, and does he want to be a superhero?

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781951122089
Publisher:	Artemesia Publishing, LLC NC
Publication date:	09/01/2020
Series:	Justice Academy , #1
Pages:	308
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Rob Edwards is a British born writer and podcaster, currently living in Finland. He was brought up on classic sci fi and comic books, JRR Tolkien, and games. His podcast, StorycastRob, features readings from his short stories and extracts from longer works. His stories can also be found in anthologies from Inklings Press, the Sci-fi Roundtable, the superhero anthology Somebody, Save Me!, and in the Word Count Podcast.

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Editorial Reviews

"What begins as a short-term space con spirals into a galaxywide adventure. While hustling a few credits for his next meal, an unnamed 17-year-old narrator is offered a deal: briefly impersonate Mirabor Gravane so he can live free of his famous family’s restrictive expectations. Newly dubbed Grey, the narrator arrives planetside at Justice Academy and embarks on a curriculum of superhero classes, gathering a motley crew of multispecies friends: Seventhirtyfour, a four-armed Brontom; Pilvi, a human plant expert; tech genius Gadget Dude; reptilian Dez; and winged Avrim. Trust, friendship, and having a place to belong are discussed even as Grey hides the truth of his identity from his new friends. During convoluted, risky missions, what makes a superhero truly a hero: powers, technology or just the right knowledge for the situation? The skills Grey brings as a charismatic human who lacks superpowers but excels at strategic thinking are depicted plainly and directly. One major reveal will likely be spotted by readers well in advance and only Grey, Seventhirtyfour, and Pilvi receive much character development; action sequences, mysterious capers, and somewhat cinematic battles take the forefront. The human characters seem to be white by default; the rest of the main cast is alien. An entertaining and action-packed journey that will appeal to Marvel and DC comics fans." —Kirkus Reviews

"The Ascension Machine is a fun and very enjoyable book. Edwards clearly had fun writing it. The characters are engaging, the story doesn’t get too bogged down in jargon or plot, and it’s just a fun read that leaves you with a smile on your face." —Alex C. Telander, Manhattan Book Review

From the Publisher

09/04/2020
Gr 6–10—Grey was a misfit running from space station to space station when he met uber-rich Mirabor Gravane. Mirabor noticed Grey's grifting and lying skills (and that he and Grey looked similar) and hired him to attend the Justice Academy, a school for superheroes, in his stead. Thinking it was a bit of fun, Grey agrees, a decision that will change him from a driftless wanderer to a true hero. He meets great people at the academy, but his lie is exposed when Mirabor's mother comes to check on him. She then hires him to keep impersonating her son, who has mysteriously been kidnapped. Can Grey figure out who kidnapped Mirabor without letting his new friends find out he's been lying to them? The book features a lot of British slang. Some of the prose can be a bit clunky sometimes, and the predictable story could flow better. All characters are various alien species and a few humans, who all have pale skin. The book also features a post-credits scene as a nod to superhero movies, and leaves room for a sequel. VERDICT Like the movie Sky High in space. A decent addition for libraries where superhero and adventure books are popular.—Kristin Joy Anderson, Lewis Univ., Romeoville, IL

School Library Journal

2020-06-15
What begins as a short-term space con spirals into a galaxywide adventure.
While hustling a few credits for his next meal, an unnamed 17-year-old narrator is offered a deal: briefly impersonate Mirabor Gravane so he can live free of his famous family’s restrictive expectations. Newly dubbed Grey, the narrator arrives planetside at Justice Academy and embarks on a curriculum of superhero classes, gathering a motley crew of multispecies friends: Seventhirtyfour, a four-armed Brontom; Pilvi, a human plant expert; tech genius Gadget Dude; reptilian Dez; and winged Avrim. Trust, friendship, and having a place to belong are discussed even as Grey hides the truth of his identity from his new friends. During convoluted, risky missions, what makes a superhero truly a hero: powers, technology, or just the right knowledge for the situation? The skills Grey brings as a charismatic human who lacks superpowers but excels at strategic thinking are depicted plainly and directly. One major reveal will likely be spotted by readers well in advance, and only Grey, Seventhirtyfour, and Pilvi receive much character development; action sequences, mysterious capers, and somewhat cinematic battles take the forefront. The human characters seem to be white by default; the rest of the main cast is alien.
An entertaining and action-packed journey that will appeal to Marvel and DC comics fans. (Science fiction. 10-14)

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