Return of the Saboteur (The Actuator, #2) by James Wymore

Return of the Saboteur (The Actuator, #2) Reviews

• 
  Montzalee Wittmann

  Return of the Saboteur (The Actuator #2) by James Wymore and Aiden James is the second book in the series. If you haven't read the first book, you might get lost a bit. It was hard to keep up and I knew the story. There was a lot of jumping around in the story but the story is about chaos and death and trying to recover the key to help restore some order. Lots of action and I enjoyed it but at times a bit confusing. It also ends as a cliff hanger as the first book did, ugh.
• 
  Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive)

  Read all my reviews on
  http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
  
  Thanks to the Publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review during this blog review tour!
  
  Luckily, after the large cliffhanger at the end of the first book, this book starts off right where we left it. Having recovered the base and the actuator, they are besieged by an army of orcs who want it for their own. At the same time they are both looking for the rest of the keys, mostly the one in front of Cenwyn's key and perhaps even more importantly they are looking for the person who's responsible for all this mess.
  
  Everything I liked from the first book was here again. The style and different genres change really fast but it works. I was always looking forward for the next change and wondering what would happen to them there. Some regions were of course more interesting than others (the romance novel), but that's something you'll always find. It also felt a little less repetitive, even though they are basically doing the same things as in the first book.
  
  There's a large cast of characters but thanks to their specific genre, it gets easier to keep all of them apart. It also helps that they all enjoy reading, of course. The big twist in the end I saw coming, but I'm still not sure how they are going to battle it. So, unfortunately, another cliffhanger ending. And I'll have to wait for the next book and can only hope it won't take too long!
  
  Return of the Saboteur is the second book in the Actuator series. The first book is Fractured Earth. There is also an anthology with stories from the different genres/regions, called Borderlands.
• 
  Cobwebby Reading Reindeer

  Review: ACTUATOR 2: RETURN OF THE SABOTEUR by James Wymore and Aiden James
  
  The moment I opened the first novel in this series, THE ACTUATOR: FRACTURED EARTH, I fell in love. The story encompassed me, to the point that it seemed I had entered one of the alternate realities created by The Actuator. The series just blows me away. As a long-term reader and aficionado of science fiction, fantasy, and alternate history (and sometimes writer), I understand the immensity of talent required to construct just one new world or reality. Well, Gentle Readers, Mr. Wymore and Mr. James provide not just ONE, but MULTIPLE new realities, in addition to The Actuator itself, whose conception must have required an intense leap of imagination. These two authors vivify expanded imaginative horizons. For readers who loved Robert Jackson Bennett's AMERICAN ELSEWHERE and Clayton Smith's ANOMALY FLATS, the entire THE ACTUATOR Series is must-read, wait-no-longer, start-now, essential reading. Just do it!
• 
  A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol)

  4.5
  
  *Book source ~ ARC. My review is voluntary and honest.
  
  A small pocket of surviving Machine Monks struggle to protect the Actuator against the orcs of their fantasy realm. Xenwyn, the creator of the realm, is injured and in a coma. If they restore this section of the world then she will die. When reinforcements arrive, the small group is relieved. Red loves Xenwyn and seeks to heal her before that happens, so he makes off with her. Meanwhile Jon goes off to Florida looking for another key. Dragon Star sets out to track down the saboteur. Glass heads to Denver searching out books with information about the Actuator. Cindy holds down the fort with Zach and his reinforcements. But is everyone going off in different directions a good thing? We’re about to find out.
  
  There is a LOT going on in this next book of the series. However, it does not stand alone. There are many characters doing many things in all kinds of directions as well as terminology and science stuff that you will most likely be lost if you don’t start from the beginning. Which I highly recommend you do because this is one of the most creative books I’ve read in a long time. It’s mind boggling. And it will leave you thinking about the logistics of it and the massive undertaking. Plus, how incredibly fucked up the world now is because of someone sabotaging the Actuator. Millions, most likely billions, of people have died. Wut? Well-written with great characters, the ending will leave you with your jaw on the floor. Things had already gone sideways, how the hell did it just get sooooo much worse?!
  
  
  
• 
  Roberta R. (Offbeat YA)

  Rated 3.5 really.
  
  Excerpt from my review - originally published at
  Offbeat YA.
  
  Pros: Creative premise. Breathless adventure (though there's a lot of internal monologue as well). Constant change of scenery. Sheds more light on the Actuator and the people who have been involved with it.
  Cons: Essentially a "male" book, where the main female characters end up needing to be saved. Some of the worlds would be interesting to explore, but are barely skimmed. As in Book 1, a handful of (harmless) typos that apparently escaped revision.
  Will appeal to: Alternate realities enthusiasts. RPG fans. Readers who get bored easily.
  
  First off...DISCLAIMER: I am a semi-regular reviewer of Curiosity Quills titles (like this one), but if you look back at my ratings, this never prevented me from being unbiased. It's just that they have so many (sometimes underrated) gems under their belt.
  
  A MAP OF THE UNKNOWN WORLDS
  
  The sequel to Fractured Earth takes place three months after the events in Book 1, and follows a bunch of Machine Monks (one of them being introduced for the first time) on their quest to restore reality as it used to be...or to achieve more personal goals. Despite my rating mirroring the one for Fractured Earth, this installment is actually more enjoyable than its predecessor, world-wise. The reasons why the aforementioned rating stayed the same have been stated in the Cons, and will be explored further in my review - but let me make this clear: The Actuator is a great series for those who like alternate realities, also because we can see how the people (and their possessions/transportations) that travel across the virtual boundaries between worlds are affected by the change, sometimes even emotionally. I have to say that we get to see more fantasy/steampunk realms than anything else, while personally, I would have liked a touch more of sci-fi, or at least some kind of contemporary setting where the ordinary rules were turned upside down somehow. Then again, the device some of the Machine Monks use in order to travel from world to world is definitely sci-fi (though conveniently, it works in any realm), and following our heroes on their different paths provides a high dose of entertainment. [...]
  
  Whole review
  here.
• 
  Patrick

  Where the first book in the series spent a lot of time setting up and establishing the rules of the world this one spends some much needed time on the characters. As the survivors deal with the aftermath of the big battle from book 1 (avoiding spoilers for those who haven’t read it yet), they realize that returning the world back to its normal state isn’t going to be as easy as they thought but they have, at least for the moment, established a foothold of order in a world of chaos.
  
  The group comes to the realization that they must split up in order to have the best chance to save both a grievously wounded member of the team, as well as recover the keys which can help restore the world to its pre-Actuator status of sanity and it isn’t a decision they make lightly. As the group heads off into the wilds of a broken world on their various quests they meet up with old friends and make some new ones who help them on their various quests to restore the world, recover the keys, save their friends, and find the Actuator’s saboteur all while staying alive in a world where crossing a seemingly arbitrary line can literally change the laws of physics. If it seems confusing and hard to follow, it’s surprisingly… not.
  
  James Wymore and Aiden James do a great job in keeping the characters relatable, the story moving, and the action interesting but not overdone. The overall plot is a fairly simple quest storyline broken down into a few different characters looking for a few different things and the story is definitely pulp action but in the best possible way and it delivers. If you are looking for a fun read with engaging characters having to adapt to a variety of different situations then this is your book. Slipping deftly from steampunk zeppelin battles over London to space ships racing over Area 51 in the American desert, the world of the Actuator, is worth visiting again, and just when you think you have a handle on the rules, there is a nice twist at the end (part I saw coming, part I didn’t) that had me literally say “d’oh!” out loud.
• 
  Krystin

  Red and his monks are protecting the base from Ruiz and his orc minions to make sure nobody uses the Actuator to cause more damage to the world. He needs to find a way to heal Xenwyn though, she’s in a coma after being hit by dragon fire, and Choi is eager to go after Pete to avenge Commander Newell. Glass has made a revolutionary discovery in the library and needs to head to a futuristic zone to find more information. And of course they still need more keys. But there doesn’t seem to be a way to get everyone out on their missions, not when all hands are needed on deck to keep the orcs at bay. When Zach calls saying he has a group of people willing to come defend the base with them, and he will move from his futuristic utopia to live in fantasy with them, it’s a blessing. When he arrives everyone heads off to different genres – Red to Steampunk, Choi to Noir, and Glass to Futuristic – leaving Zach and Cindy with his fantasy recruits to defend the Actuator until they return.
  
  The Actuator series is fantastic, just hands down. It’s every genre in one, with a character who represents each! Every genre area is descriptive and as the characters leave each zone they experience a taste of something that exemplifies the genre (romance is cherry chocolates and oysters). They get new costumes (including anything that crosses with them – barriers, transportation, books, etc) and little personality tweaks each time they cross a new barrier. I looked forward to each barrier crossing.
  
  Usually I love the first book or movie in a series more than all the others – I refuse to even read the rest of the Hunger Games because I don’t want to ruin the first book – but in this case I think the second book was actually better than the first. We’re in the midst of the action, we’re really learning nitty gritty details about the history of the Actuator and getting some more in-depth personality from the characters, and we have a little more insight into what’s going to happen as they plan their missions since we’re more familiar with the genres and their creators. This also means that as things start to get hairy the anxiety starts to rise. When I began to see what was going to happen I was thinking “Oh no, oh no…they need to cross the barrier FAST!”
  
  This is the second book in the series, but there are actually two other books for you to check out. The first book is The Actuator 1: Fractured Earth and there is also The Actuator 1.5: Borderlands Anthology. Check all three out!
  
  **I received a free ARC in exchange for my honest review. This review first appeared on my blog on 12/1/15.**
• 
  Janis Hill

  I would like to thank Curiosity Quills Press for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an open and honest review.
  
  Okay, I have some mixed feelings about this book. I love the concept of the series, I’ve enjoyed most of it… but I have to say it almost turned into a DNF due to the amount of internalising and inner monologue that took place at the beginning of the book.
  
  I mean, I was up to (I think) chapter eight – almost a quarter of the way into the book – before they stopped taking turns internalising about how they all felt and someone actually got on with the story. Those of you who read my review of the first Actuator story will know I’m not a fan of the constant and over the top internal monologue about feelings and all that. Not in an Urban Fantasy story.
  
  So, yeah, I found it a struggle to get into this book. I was determined to read it though as I had committed myself to the task for Curiosity Quills. And, thankfully, things smoothed out after a while and the story actually did get going. And once it did, it was worth the struggle to get through the first part of the book.
  
  We got back to the hunt for the keys, the diverse and detailed different segments to the world and the ways people interacted within them. That was worth the wait as it was what I had been looking for and what makes the story so good.
  
  Though, and no spoilers intended, I found it very easy to see where the book was going, who was doing what and all that. There were one or two minor surprises… but the rest was pretty apparent.
  
  Would I recommend this book for others? Despite the mildly negative constructive criticism given above – yes I would. I’ve said it before and I will say it again: this is a story with great potential and those who read the first book (and the 1.5 anthology) should read this book too.
  
  Would I buy this book for myself? Possible, but it’s still too early into the series to commit space on my virtual or physical bookshelves for it. For now, it is still at ‘library book’ level of interest. As in, I would enjoy grabbing it from the library and reading it… but not really sure I want to own it yet.
  
  In summary: Once you get past the inner monologue maelstrom at the front of the book, the rest is worth a read and is a good continuation of the series. I do love how it incorporated some of the anthologies into it too. It’s an entertaining series (but that might be the RPGer in me) and I do recommend people give it a look.
  
• 
  Sarah-Jayne Briggs

  (I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
  
  (This review may contain spoilers).
  
  Having read the first book in this series, I was pretty eager to read the second. I was really glad to have the opportunity to see more of the world (or worlds) and characters.
  
  I did like seeing more of the characters I recognised and liked from the previous book, though it was somewhat difficult to have the book keep jumping between three to four different plots. I still enjoyed seeing how things changed from world to world… and I had a lot of sympathy for Glass, after she got hurt.
  
  I thought it was good to see how Choi was having to deal with his actions in the previous book. I wasn’t quite sure I liked Red’s obsession with saving Xenwyn, to the extent that he was ignoring the needs of everyone else. I did like the romance, but I preferred Jon and Glass to Red and Xenwyn.
  
  I thought that some of the worlds were a whole lot stranger than others, such as the one where people were playing out games. I was intrigued by the fact that the Actuator was trying to ‘force’ people into the roles designed in the world. I found Ricky and Michelle to be interesting characters as I grew to know more about them due to the different worlds they travelled to… and I felt that the zombies were a particularly creepy aspect. Then again, I also thought that the clowns were really scary. I couldn’t have stood the thought of being trapped on the train like they were.
  
  It was good to see more of the Machine Monks in this book and the different worlds that were their obsessions. I did feel some sympathy for Elizabeth, since she had to force a romance that wasn’t really real. I did find myself confused by Dawn and exactly what she was trying to do in her world.
  
  I am hoping that there’ll be a third book in this series, since it would be good to see more of the characters and how they work together. Plus, there’s a lot about this world and the characters that drew me in and made me care about what happened to them. The scary part is that I could actually see myself in the same mindset as many of the Machine Monks.
• 
  Shh I am Reading Leticia

  I received this copy from Curiosity Quills Press via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
  
  Despite my laughter at the first novel, when you get to the thick of it the entire existence of the Actuator would be downright terrifying. Especially as the Machine Monks have lost control of it. Not even for the fictional realities, can you imagine someone bringing back past realities? Eep!
  
  There is an amazing moral to this story; actually there are two morals. I love books with morals in their stories! The first moral goes to the Actuator’s creators which is to not play God. There is no better reality than that of the one we live in. The second moral would be to the Machine Monks which is to not base your entire existence on your fantasies and your career, as one day you may become lost within that. Some people might be okay with that but it does wear on you eventually.
  
  But whoa! Red, Dragon Star, Glass and Jon, they all leave the Actuator basically unattended? I was with Cindy, I felt the same worry about being left alone to protect the Actuator. They were going on the assumption that Pete was the saboteur but you can never be sure. Big mistake. Sorry to say but they were asking for it, and now their concern for the world is tougher to accomplish. I hope from here on in, they’re a little slower to trust, even their own people. Especially with something as powerful as the Actuator.
  
  If you'd like to finish reading this review, visit me at:
  https://shhiamreading.wordpress.com/
• 
  Richard Baxter

  It’s rare to read a book that begs you to read it more than once, but this is one of those books. The characters submerge you in a world transformed into a variety of fiction genre’s limited only by the imaginations of the obsessive Machine Monks who created them. Every chapter grips you as you wonder what transformations of reality will greet the characters next. The suspense grows as you wonder what will become of Xenwin, what happened to the Actuator and why, how will they fix it, How will they fix the world, and can it even be fixed?
  
  The story enhances the first book in the series and is enhanced by the Borderlands anthology that takes the reader to a variety of other perspectives on the effects the malfunctioning Actuator has had on the entire world. I would recommend this book and its predecessors to anybody. If you are one who likes to have fun when you read, you will not be disappointed.
  
• 
  Grant Eagar

  My Review:
  
  This modern fantasy reminded me of a video game with the characters passing from world to world; each area having unique rules and challenges. The authors have created an original and compelling story. The characters are interesting and deeply human; you root for them as they attempt to overcome their constantly changing challenges.
  I didn’t read the first book so it took a while to feel grounded in the story and to get my mind into it, but after that it was quite a compelling read.
  
  I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
  
• 
  Julie Carter

  I can't say enough good about this series. I absolutely loved reading these first two books and I still want more of the story. This second book gave us more insight into the characters in the story, and I loved the continuation of the genre-crossing adventure. I don't want to give anything away so I won't talk about the specifics of the story, but there was a character towards the end who I was very happy to see.
  This is such a good series, and I hope it continues for many books.