| Title | : | A Trick of Light (Stan Lee’s Alliances, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0358117607 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780358117605 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 352 |
| Publication | : | First published June 4, 2019 |
Set in Stan Lee’s Alliances Universe, co-created by Lee, Luke Lieberman, and Ryan Silbert, and along with Edgar Award–nominated co-writer Kat Rosenfield, Stan Lee delivers a novel packed with the pulse-pounding, breakneck adventure and the sheer exuberant invention that have defined his career as the creative mastermind behind Marvel’s spectacular universe.
A Trick of Light (Stan Lee’s Alliances, #1) Reviews
-
“At the end of the day, Cameron won’t be a cyberkinetic superhero ready to save the world. He’ll be a boy, standing in front of a girl, offering her the meager gift of his heart and hoping that it’s enough.”
Stan Lee's A Trick of Light was an enjoyable adventure. It started with stories of its two main characters, Nia and Cameron. From there, it followed the pair's digital adventures and their budding relationship. Even though that could have been enough (since AI and social media etc are connected to everything in our world), the adventure opens up into a cosmic battle....I didn't find anything especially new or memorable about A Trick of Light. That said, I don't regret going on this adventure. 3.25 stars -
Let's be honest, I mostly picked this up because it has Stan Lee's name on it. But then, let's be real about this too, this book was not written by Stan Lee alone. It's based on his ideas, questions and characters, but written (or at least co written) by Kat Rosenfield. It's actually an audiobook project, but I read the print version.
Story time!
I joined the Marvel fandom very late (end of 2019 to be exact). But when I finally did, I sort of threw myself into these movies with my everything. I've never read any of the comics, but still, of course I know who Stan Lee is. So I was incredibly curious about his book.
Alliances - A Trick of Light is a more or less typical ya sci-fi novel. The beginning was a bit slow and for a while, I didn't really know where it was going. Unfortunately, I hated the writing style: this book is written in 3rd person present, and I have never been, and never will be, a fan of that. The writing style slightly gave the impression of reading a comic book, and in fact, I could picture the story very well as one (or as a movie). I got more into it the more I read, but it still bothered me until the end.
There are two main characters, Cameron and Nia. I neither loved nor hated them; they were good characters but not outstanding. Of course, there's also the ya typical romance, but it's not a big part of the book and I liked seeing their relationship develop. Cameron's backstory (or maybe I should say origin story) was interesting and his powers were fitting.
There are also a couple of other characters (not going into depth here) who added to the story and I liked finding out more about them and learning their backstories and motivations.
The story was (after the plotline became clearer to me) fast paced, action packed and offered some cool and unexpected twists. And it was sciency. Computer sciency to be exact. Lots of stuff takes place in the virtual world and has to do with coding and hacking. This didn't bother me, but it might some readers. To me, it made the book kinda interesting, because that's the world we live in. I'm writing this review on my smartphone, our daily life is unimaginable without technology and I can't imagine where we'll be in just a few more years.
What I liked were the different villains - or are they? With a bunch of characters you can't really be sure about this, and that's always something I love! In the end, this book was only the beginning of something bigger, like the first adventure of a new superhero. I guess there will be a sequel one day in which the characters have to join forces again.
Also, there were a few references to the MCU that made me smile! Oh, and the prologue written by Stan Lee himself made my heart ache a bit :')
In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but the writing style annoyed the heck out of me. I would've enjoyed it a lot more if it was written in 1st person (or at least past tense, ugh). It was a rather typical ya superhero/sci-fi story that offered a quick read and some hours of good entertainment. I would've expected a bit more, but I still liked it. I only think readers shouldn't expect the beginning of a new era of superheroes. -
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Isabella Stocka
"Welcome true believers, this is Stan Lee. We’re about to embark the exploration of a fantastic new universe and the best part is that you are gonna create it with me..."
I never thought I would hear his voice again expect from some videos on YouTube, but here he is, sharing his brilliant mind with his audience for the last time: The Man. The Myth. The Legend. Mr. Stan Lee. You may cry, you’ll explore, and you’ll see yourself in some of it. You’ll try to imagine the scenes and take the gift of a beautiful message with you.
"You may know me as a storyteller, but hey on this journey consider me your guide. I provide the witty and wonderful worlds and you create the sights, sounds, and adventures. All you need to take part is your brain. So take a listen and think big, no bigger, we make it an epic."
Stan Lee's Alliances A Trick of Light AudibleCreated by Stan Lee, Luke Lieberman, and Ryan Silbert with it co-written by Kat Rosenfield, A Trick of Light is the first instalment in the Alliances series, which combines new heroes and their adventures in a fast-evolving world. It also focuses on what makes us unique and the need to be connected and to not feel alone. What makes this project even more special is that we cannot dive into the pages of a comic book and see the story unfold before our eyes, but instead, you are invited to create this world by yourself while listening to Yara Shahidi‘s (The Sun is also a Star, Grown-ish) voice.
Within the story, 17-year-old genius hacker, Nia, is the loneliest girl in the world. Her world consists of only two people, herself and her father. She spends her days in a hologram classroom to learn everything there is about the world she so desperately wants to experience for real. She is not permitted to get out and know anyone in person, but she is allowed to go online and have her own social media accounts. But this is not enough for her and she intends to free herself.
Then there’s “unmuscular nerd” Cameron who goes out on his boat to shoot a new video for his YouTube channel when a storm appears, and he is struck by lightning. This video will bring him the attention he was looking for at last. Finally, he will become famous. Waking up in hospital, he realises that he has changed and he is able to connect to every electronic device. He is overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of information, and it seems he has become cyberkinetic. With technology ever evolving, Cameron also puts his new abilities to use and creates VR contact lenses and AR goggles.
Cameron must now accept what he has gained and soon he meets Nia in an online game. They quickly become friends and have the idea to create their own space in the internet where they are safe from everyone who monitors online activities. At some point, they cross paths with OPTIC who wants their skill set for their own evil plans. However, no one is aware of the mysterious galactic threat which is on its way to earth to destroy humankind.
Together and with the help of Cameron’s best friend, Juaquo, and Nia’s father, they have to have the power to master even the most impossible situations.
"…Remember when I created characters like the Fantastic Four and the X-Men? We were fascinated by science and awed by the mysteries of the great beyond..."
Cameron, Nia, and Juaquo all had at least one person in their lives which they loved, but they still felt alone. For them, and many of us here in reality, the internet provides connections and the ability to meet others so A Trick of Light really explores this evolving way of connecting with people. For Nia, the digital world is everything she has. She calls strangers friends even though she probably will never meet and still, she is grateful that she has them. However, as much as the internet connects us, it can also divide us with many spending the day in their own bubble checking social media and not spending time in the real world.
"…Today we consider a nearer deeper unknown one inside ourselves. […] we asked: What is more real? A world that we are born into or the one we create ourselves…"
As the story progresses, Nia discovers that most of her life was a lie and she does not know who or what she is anymore, while Cameron discovers how Nia was involved in his freak accident that caused his powers. Juaquo on the other hand has to ask himself if he still wants to hold on to his past, or slowly let go of it and star truly living. These three characters really embody how many young people, and really people of any age, can feel lost or out of touch at some point in their lives. It shows that no matter what they are facing, they all want to feel accepted as the individuals they are. You have to believe in yourself and find that confidence. The trio also find themselves in a battle against a cosmic evil power and they have to find their true power within themselves. They have to realise that they do not need to stay on the path they happened to be on just because someone or something has put them there.
Online or offline, we are the masters of our fate!
"…As we begin this story, we find humanity lost within is own techno bubble. With each citizen the star of their own digital fantasy. […] But the real conundrum is, just because we have the ability to recreated ourselves, should we? […] Excelsior!
For the last time, Stan Lee has not only has given us a new adventure which takes place in our modern world, but he also shares with us his wisdom and gives us a last powerful message. We are all seeking acceptance. We want to be a part of something and know that we are loved and give that love back. We want to connect. We need to connect! We are stronger together and both respect and love are stronger than hate. Thanks to creation of the internet, we have the possibility to reach out and do far more than we can imagine, if we chose to use it wisely.
You will not find a stereotypical superhero in this story. You will find a group of young adults who use the technology around them to conquer loneliness and even an unknown galactic power. In a way, it’s almost a metaphor as there’s times where it feel like we will never be able to conquer something, but in fact only need to look inside ourselves and around us because the answer could be right in front of you. Without giving too much away, Nia’s journey is the one that shows the path which we all have to take at some point.
Although it’s a new original story and a new story universe, there are some hints that Nia, Cameron, and Juaquo’s adventure is taking place in the same universe as previous stories in which we get to know Thor or S.H.I.E.L.D. As the book ends, we know that the cosmic threat will take a bigger part in the upcoming books and that three people fighting it will not be enough. They need to build an army!
A Trick of Light is now available from Audible! There’s also some good news for those of you, who are not fans of audiobooks as A Trick of Light will be available in print this September!
Thank you to Audible for providing The Nerd Daily with a copy in exchange for an honest review. -
„Willkommen, True Believers!
Hier spricht Stan Lee.“
Ich bin wahrscheinlich der allergrößte Marvel Fan ever. Stan Lee ist für mich MEIN Superheld! Er hat mir so viele schöne Stunden abseits der Buchwelt beschert – und nun erobert er auch noch diesen Teil meines Lebens… das ist wie, wenn plötzlich J. K. Rowling in Eurem Wohnzimmer stünde!
Stan Lee kennt man als The Brain hinter Erfolgen wie den Avengers, X-Men und Spider-Man. Sein Traum war es immer schon, einen Roman zu schreiben. Seine Gedanken mal nicht in Bildern, sondern rein in Worten auszudrücken. Leider ist der Godfather of Comics erst mit 95 Jahren dazu gekommen…
„Cameron, ein nur mäßig erfolgreicher YouTuber (16 Abonnenten), wird während eines Livestreams auf dem Eriesee plötzlich vom Blitz getroffen. Das Video geht viral und Cameron ist endlich so berühmt, wie er immer sein wollte. Allerdings liegt er mit einem brummenden Schädel im Krankenhaus. Erst zu Hause stellt Cameron fest, dass der Krawall in seinem Kopf von den elektronischen Gegenständen in seiner Umgebung stammt. Er kann sich mental mit ihnen verbinden und sie manipulieren: sein Smartphone, seinen Laptop, das Fitnessarmband seiner Mutter und sogar den Kühlschrank. Diese Superskills wird Cameron auch brauchen, denn eine dunkle Macht bedroht den Planeten, deren Zerstörungskraft all unsere Vorstellungen sprengen wird. (Quelle: Loewe)“
Das Buch fängt buchstäblich mit einem großen Knall an und macht dann durch drei verschiedene Perspektiven neugierig auf die Hintergründe. Da sind neben Cameron auch noch das vom Vater gefangen gehaltene Mädchen Nia und die ausserirdische Intelligenz Xal. Jeder der drei verfolgt sein eigenes Ziel – oder doch nicht?
Gesellschaftskritik findet man zwischen den Zeilen zu hauf in ALLIANCES. Zunächst mal an unserer Social Media Generation. Äußerst treffend beschreibt Stan Lee, wie wir heute unsere Umwelt und uns selbst wahr nehmen…
„Die Leute haben keine Verbindung zueinander. Das ist die Ironie des Internets, es sollte eigentlich das Gegenteil bewirken, hat aber alles nur noch schlimmer gemacht.“
(S.195)
Aber Stan Lee wird auch politisch – deutlich bezieht er in seinem Buch Stellung gegen Hetzte gegen Einwanderer. Kein „America first!“… stellvertretend für so manchen Politiker in unserer realen Welt lässt er seine Figur Daggett Smith – den selbst ernannten Truthinator bitter für seine Hassparolen bezahlen.
Trotz all dieser ernsten Themen kommt der Humor in ALLIANCES nicht zu kurz und selbstverständlich finden sich auch einige Anspielungen auf Thor & Co..
Das Buch hat unbestreitbar einige Längen im Mittelteil. Keine „Oh Mann, ich breche das Buch ab“ – Längen, aber schon so, dass die Gedanken abschweifen konnten. Wahrscheinlich waren die Erwartungen an ein Werk aus der Feder des Großmeisters der Action einfach hoch. ALLIANCES ist mehr Coming of Age Lovestory als ein Superhelden Spektakel. Es ist gutes SciFi – aber weniger mit großem Feuerwerk, sondern die Fähigkeiten der Protagonisten sind subtiler. Alles in Allem eine in sich geschlossene Geschichte über die Eroberung der Welt durch die Hintertür.
Wie jeder gute Marvel Fan bin ich natürlich nach dem Schluss noch sitzen geblieben – und wurde tatsächlich belohnt! Das Nachwort von Luke Lieberman und Ryan Silbert entschädigt für so manche Längen im Buch. Sie erzählen, wie es war mit Stan Lee zusammen zu arbeiten, wie er dachte, wie er neue Szenarien entwickelte …eben ganz großes Kino!
Machs gut Stan! -
Qué aburrimiento de libro. Ideas nada originales y que huelen a refrito de Ready Player One y Soy el número Cuatro.
Thank u, next -
Cameron, un joven deseoso de convertirse en una estrella de YouTube, tendrá su momento de gloria cuando su livestream navegando por el lago Erie en mitad de una tormenta se haga viral al ser alcanzado por un rayo. Nia es una joven con una peculiar habilidad con los ordenadores que despertará rápidamente la curiosidad de Cameron.
Siendo una idea de Stan Lee esperaba mucho de esta novela, lástima que no ha estado a la altura de las expectativas. La idea no ha estado mal, sobre todo la relacionada con un par de personajes, pero no ha terminado por convencerme. La trama se me ha hecho lenta, aburrida y en la que no he encontrado mucha emoción. Además hay cosas que ya hemos visto en libros como Ready player one, título que me gustó mucho más que este. Los personajes se han quedado bastante planos, lástima que varios no se desarrollen porque tenían potencial y la raza alienígena que aparece es toda una incógnita (al menos esperaba saber más de ellos). Una pena que no me haya gustado porque como digo, Stan Lee fue un gran creador de historias pero faltó su propia mano para llevar a cabo una historia mucho más redonda. -
A teenage boy and a girl with super powers do something, maybe save the world?
Did-Not-Finish (DNF).
Full disclosure, I’ve been a fan of Stan Lee for years --
Nuff said?
My ebook version was a moderate 350-pages. It had a US 2019 copyright. I received it free with my Amazon Prime subscription. I now suspect that the Amazon publisher gives away books it early determines nobody is going read to put a lot of eyeballs on them.
Stan Lee was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and film producer. He never wrote a novel, but always wanted to. He passed in 2018 at the age of 95-years old. That was 10 months before publication of this book.
Kat Rosenfield is an American author of YA fiction. She is the author of three (3) novels, including co-authoring this one.
I got to the end of Chapter 3 and stopped reading. This book was in trouble with me with its very first sentence:The RUDE BEEPING of the alarm echoes down the long, dark corridors like a shriek, but Nia doesn't flinch at the sound, or even stir.
It never got better. Chapters alternated between the female teen protagonist, Nia and the male teen Cameron. I frankly found the narrative, both dialog and descriptive to be clunky, despite having a hip new Millennium veneer. Cameron's inner dialog was in places amusing, but generally banal. Nia's inner dialog was terribly needy. Action sequences were choppy, and I’m not just referring to the stormy waters of Lake Erie. Pacing was very front-loaded for the Cameron character, but drawn-out for the Nia one.
Earlier this year, I became interested in this book when I read,
Stan Lee's 'first novel for adults' to be published this autumn. Lee never wrote a novel, but was on record as always having wanting to. This was it! I naturally expected an adult story of: heroism, dated wise-cracks, mis-quoted Shakespeare, angst and self-doubt with a New York, Jewish slant. Basically, an adult riff on
Golden Age Spider-Man without the shackles of the
Comics Code Authority (CCA). Like fanfic, only Stan the Man authentic.
I should have thought about it.
Lee was 95-years old when this book was being written . It’s also alleged he was 'confused' and
under the malign influence of his business manager at the time. How could he have contributed to writing the book I was expecting? (He didn’t.)
Rosenfield was truly a Ghost Writer. I can’t find an inkling of anything written by Stan Lee or inspired by him in the narrative in this book. The exception is the Introduction which is signed by Lee. I frankly have no interest in reading Rosenfield's awkwardly written YA story about angsty teens.
R.I.P. Stan Lee . You never did write that book.
Excelsior! -
Many thanks to HMH for sending me a free copy
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Alliances ⭐️
All Cameron wanted was to be famous but now that he is all he wants is to disappear. During a freak boating accident Cameron is struck by lightning and thusgiven the ability to control all technology. He becomes a pro hacker and creator. He is connected with what seems like the whole world. But with powers comes with responsibility and great danger.
Nia on the otherhand is isolated and exhiled but she has never really minded until she met Cameron. She is willing to break the rules and see how the real people live for him, even if it would upset her father greatly she had to try.
But what happens when Cameron finds out that Nia is not even a girl. Just a technology a program. -
When I learnt that Stan Lee had left his multitude of fans with a final good-bye in the release of the novel he was known to dream of writing, I could't wait to get my hands on it.
I was ready to behold the culmination of his unpairable career and.. was sad to be disappointed.
When I understood that the co-author for this book would be an author of YA fiction I didn't know, I just hoped it was to assist him in the transition from comic book writing to prose, to help him get acquainted with the new medium and allow the full potential of his ideas to shine through.
Now that I've finished reading, I am not afraid to claim that I have my doubts on how much Stan Lee was actually involved in the composition of this book. At best, he might have given the idea for the main characters and a jist of the final resolution, but little else.
What I ended up reading, instead of a deep and dated tale on the ethics of heroism, good vs. evil and satire, I stumbled onto a fantasy YA with a weak marvel theme.
There was nothing original about it, from the powers, to the villain aliens, to the instant-teen-love, to the awkward narration, to the unimpressive dialogue.
I'm glad that some other readers seem to have really enjoyed this book, but forgive for hoping it won't reach a very wide audience. I'm afraid this sad piece might, ever so lightly, diminish their opinion of Stan for putting his name on a novel I really don't think he had much to do with, at the esteemed age of 95.
Thank you Stan, I'll always remember you for everything BUT this.
R.I.P
Excelsior -
Notes:
Low end of 3 Stars
Concepts are ok, the writing is not polished, and written in a way that's easier to appreciate at 4th/5th grade age range.
Not the best narration.
A story with ok ideas. Lots of time spent on establishing characters within a fuzzy setting. Yet, the character build does not add enough to over all plot. -
More like a 3.5, didn’t love it. Very techy, a little more young adult than I wanted.
-
This was such a refreshing read via Audible.
Let me tell you what. The way that Stan Lee excitedly introduced his new book really tugged at my heart strings. The world lost such an amazingly unique human, and I am so glad I got to experience his last project.
This took place in a futuristic world that is so alarmingly similar to the way ours is going that it made the story that much more real. I enjoyed it whole heartedly. It even threw a few twists that I didn't expect. -
Knowing the lead author has died, I went into this novel knowing it was supposed to be a series, and the ending does not disappoint in that regard. But neither is it a cliffhanger, so don't hold back if you want to read it, not on that account.
At the end of the day (er, book), I give it three stars because it is perfectly adequate, genuinely compelling from mid-point on, and there are plenty of twists. But it does have some issues I find annoying and/or disappointing. (They may not bother you, so again, don't let this stop you.)
Many instances of "head-hopping" - that's when the point-of-view changes from one character to another within the same scene. It's inconsistent. Often each scene is one character. Sometimes it shifts without warning. It's a bad habit some writers have. Another one specific to science fiction is that the alien is too human. Not in appearance but in thoughts. (If you want great aliens, go read the Space Predator Chronicles series.) For one thing, they are male/female. Even Earth life isn't all binary sexes, people, c'mon. The hugely odd bit is Nia and Cameron meet online but live in/near the same city. That is quite the coincidence. So is that all programming everywhere can be understood via magic electricity. *waves hands* It's a common trope, but I reserve the right to wrinkle my nose at it anyway.
All that said, I did enjoy this. I did keep seeing it in comic book panels, too, which is added fun. And now, I will return it to my library. SUPPORT YOUR LIBRARY!!! -
O - M - G
I am left exhausted with so much emotion. This is outstanding in only a fashion Stan Lee could have created.
“What is more real? A world we are born into or one we create for ourselves?” In A Trick of Light, Stan posed this existential question— ... and delves head deep into a world that has many philosophical quandaries to assess.
I took notes while reading this so I could site excerpts and my personal feelings about them;however, I think I want to leave it with a simple statement. Read this story and let Stan Lee impact you one last time with a great work. -
https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/201... -
A Trick of Light was a free Amazon Prime offer. I was very curious about it just seeing Stan Lee's name on the cover. In my opinion it is an enjoyable YA science fiction novel. We have a teen boy, Cameron, who is the nice guy that can't catch a break. In his attempt at internet stardom he is involved in a life altering accident which leaves him changed in an unexpected way. He is unwilling to return to school until he finds out how he can control and use this change to his benefit. During this process enters Nia - a teen girl Cameron meets online who is just as good at computer games as he is. And the plot thickens. There are other characters of interest and a back story that fills out the plot. Some truths are pretty obvious early on but it didn't distract from the read. I felt the writing clicked right along. No regrets here. I gave it 3.5-4 stars as a fun, fast paced adventure.
-
I wanted SO much to really love this last Stan Lee book but it never captured my heart... or mind.
-
(En realidad la nota que quiero darle es u n 3.5)
Libro póstumo de ciencia ficción juvenil publicado del gran Stan Lee escrito junto a Kate Rosenfield, y que pretende iniciar una nueva saga con un nuevo tipo de super héroes.
Inicialmente conoceremos a Cameron y Nia.
El primero es un youtuber que, persiguiendo la verdad tras la desaparición de su padre mientras emite en directo, sufre un accidente eléctrico cuando una tormenta le sorprende en medio de un lago. Este hecho cambiará su vida pues comenzará a desarrollar unas habilidades extraordinarias que le van a permitir controlar cualquier tecnología.
La segunda, es una chica extremadamente inteligente a la que su padre tiene recluida en su casa y que solo se relaciona con el mundo exterior a través de internet.
Una vez que ambos coincidan y se conozcan se formará una conexión instantánea entre ellos y, juntos, decidirán que ya es hora de hacer algo, convirtiéndose en una especie de “super héroes cibernéticos” Esta decisión tan noble provocará que Cameron y Nia llamen la atención de ciertas personas y unos villanos bastante particulares entren en escena.
En la parte más positiva de este libro tenemos la parte de los superpoderes que me parecen muy originales y útiles en una sociedad actual y temas que se tratan como el ciberbullying, las fake news, la dependencia de la tecnología…
Sin embargo, el libro no fue del todo lo que esperaba. A pesar de estar bien escrito tiene un problema de ritmo en su primera mitad. Ha habido momentos en que me estaba aburriendo. Además, hay bastante jerga tecnológica con la que el lector puede no estar familiarizado. La parte romántica no me ha convencido.
Por último, los personajes, tienen una cierta evolución pero se me han quedado un poco planos.
A pesar de esto último, en el último tercio del libro la acción se vuelve trepidante y el final, bastante abierto, deja la conexión perfecta para continuar la saga. No ha sido el libro de mi vida pero tengo curiosidad por leer el siguiente a ver cómo evoluciona.
Reseña completa en el blog:
https://www.manusbooks.com/2021/01/al... -
New Avengers?
This is Stan Lee’s last work. A new team of super power endowed young adults that are meant to save earth. It was ok, not great, but not bad either. I got bored. Didn’t want to finish it, but it’s just not my type of book. I can see where others would love it. Just not me. -
Reseña completa en Sweet Darkness:
http://bit.ly/32MXDqh
En esta novela nos encontramos con dos personajes principales: Nia y Cameron. Ella una chica ansiosa por salir y conocer el mundo, y él un chico encerrado en sí mismo pero deseoso de ser reconocido por el mundo.
No obstante, tanto Cameron como Nia tienen algo en común y eso, por absurdo que pueda sonar, son los sistemas y las redes sociales. Pero no es tan simple como parece y las características que cada uno tiene los vuelven especiales.
Cameron solo quería ser famoso por sus livestreams pero, luego de un accidente en el lago donde fue visto su padre por última vez antes de desaparecer, recibe una habilidad que el propio chico no sabe de dónde salió ni qué propósito darle; y, por supuesto, no es algo que pueda compartir con cualquiera.
Básicamente, los sistemas de los electrónicos están conectados con él… es como si él pudiera entenderlos, obtener toda su información y controlarlos.
Todo esto lo aísla y lo mantiene conociendo su nuevo poder hasta que, en línea, conoce a Nia, una chica que parece comprenderlo más de lo que aparenta y por la cual él comienza a sentir cierta atracción.
Pero, por supuesto, esta no es una historia entre un chico y una chica que se conocen en línea y se enamoran; hay un villano y es un ser un tanto… excepcional.
Stan solía tomar temas contemporáneos para desarrollarlos y de tal modo que formaran parte de sus historias; y en este caso se trata del contraste y el equilibrio entre la colectividad y el individualismo. Y, según sé, un tema recurrente en el trabajo de Stan Lee: la libertad.
No voy a hablar demasiado de esto porque sería explicar a detalle sobre la trama, los héroes y el villano y no quiero echarles a perder eso; pero sí puedo decirles que está sumamente relacionado con algo que forma parte de nuestro día a día gracias a las tecnologías.
La historia en sí misma es atractiva por el tema que las sustenta. No obstante, desde el inicio me percaté de la verdad detrás de algunos de los personajes, por lo que podría decirse que hay algunas situaciones un tanto predecibles.
Sin embargo, el humor (que a veces es negro y te hace soltar una carcajada) le brindó cierto alivio a lo anterior, así como las escenas de acción y tensión.
Y también están aquellas escenas que nos dan información importante sobre el trasfondo de los personajes y con las cuales podemos conocer más acerca de cómo se constituye el universo de Alliances.
Respecto a los personajes... creo que Cameron es el que más destaca y me agrada, no solo porque es la voz principal (a pesar de que haya otras), si no por su actitud y, aunque a veces es un poco contradictorio, se nota que su personalidad avanza junto con la trama; pero no es así con Nia que, sinceramente, me sacaba de quicio en ocasiones aún cuando conocía su trasfondo. Aunque esto ya es algo personal y no sé si a todos los lectores les ocurrirá igual.
Hay algo en esta novela que la vuelve igual a otros libros del género juvenil y que no la hacen destacar tanto como yo hubiera creído.
Es decir, creo que no me sorprendió tanto como lo hubiera deseado, no obstante sí creo que será del agrado de los fans de Stan Lee.
Conclusión
Alliances es un universo que, sin duda, fue construido por Stan Lee, y cuya trama avanza gracias a la acción y el descubrimiento de este universo, pero que también exhibe un mensaje crítico hacia la sociedad que vivimos hoy en día.
En mi opinión, es una novela juvenil que te hace pasar un buen rato y que te invita a conocer la famosa creatividad de Stan Lee. -
4.5 stars
I've been a fan of Stan Lee's for many years, but mostly through his movies, rather than through comic books, although I've read comic books and graphic novels here and there. But generally speaking, I've preferred novels to graphic novels because I need words to draw me into a story and into a world. This is not to say that I haven't read some really excellent comic books (the Sandman comics come to mind). I just have an easier time with words than with pictures.
This is a book that is neither a graphic novel nor a regular novel. It's sort of somewhere in between. It begins at the prologue with Nia and her life with her father. The scenes definitely reminded me of something I would read in a comic book and I could even imagine the scenes as I read the words. The novel then truly begins with Cameron in the middle of filming a crazy youtube video. And the story takes off from there.
In some ways, the story is not new. Nerd boy meets a mysterious kick-ass nerd girl on the internet and falls in love. Together they decided to use their computer superpowers for good by righting wrongs via the internet. They piss off some powerful people who would rather not have them do that and chaos ensues, and in the end, love endures. Or something like that. Except this is Stan Lee we're talking about. So obviously there are going to be aliens, superheroes, the conflict between light and dark, the powerful being given the choice between using power for good or for evil. But it's all very well done and I ended up enjoying this story immensely. Even if Stan Lee didn't live long enough to really finish this story, I thought his vision was left intact and Kat Rosenfield did a good job completing and polishing the story.
The story ends in such a way that leaves it open for sequels, but I'm not sure if that will happen with the death of Stan Lee. But if future volumes are written, I plan on at least giving them a shot. -
A Trick Of Light, Stan (the Man) Lee’s final creative output and debut of his Alliances Universe, checks off many of the Mirthful One’s classic requirements: teenage outsiders, power and responsibility, broad explanations, and the need to be loved. Although Stan gets top billing, Kat Rosenfield deserves all the credit for the delivery of a fun page turner that absolutely fits lockstep with those hallowed Marvel myths.
Cameron Ackerman is a high-school senior nerd who wishes to be a big-time YouTube star. Ah, kids today. His wish comes true via a literal bolt from the blue as he gains cyberkentics, that is, the ability to telepathically hack code and control any smart device. Wish-fulfillment is always an ironic beast, a plotting device Stan capitalized on over 100 issues of a comicbook starring another similar teenage nerd.
Nia is a cute hacker who is confined by her stern stepfather. Think shades of Stranger Things’ Eleven’s relationship with her papa turned to, ahem, 11.
Cameron and Nia meet in cyberspace, the modern-day equivalent of, well, anywhere else IRL, and the two smitten teens go on a digital justice crusade attempting to shut down and stop lurking internet trolls. In doing so, they gain the attention of larger trolls: those in power seeking more, as well as the beneficiary of Cameron’s accidental abilities.
Rosenfield beautifully balances the eternal tribulations of teenage romance while gracefully building the big bad threat.
With pop-culture references a go-go, A Trick Of Light is a surprising read that surfs the conventions of genre yet never wipes out.
Cameron and Nia are deeply-fated characters with an heroic ancestry rooted in those Silver Age tales of Peter and Gwen and Matt and Karen and Scott and Jean amplified for the digital age.
Rosenfield builds upon, and even matures, Stan’s inspiration and writes a unique tale while maintaining a sense of comfortable familiarity. Not full-on sci-fi, and not exactly a comic book, A Trick Of Light is an outlier in itself, which is certainly something that would make Stan smile. ‘Nuff said.
A True Believers “Excelsior!” to Hannah Harlow of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for sending over this winner of a book.
Read
this review and fistful of others @
Joe's! -
Cuando Cameron y Nia se conocen sienten una gran conexión. Debido a sus “capacidades” se entienden y apoyan y esto les lleva a trabajar juntos y acabar con ciertas injusticias.
Pero cuando dispones de ciertos superpoderes, tienes que llevar cuidado. Siempre hay alguien al que esos poderes le pueden beneficiar, y en este caso no es diferente.
Hablamos de una historia juvenil, cargada de misterio, acción, romance, amistad, poderes tecnológicos enfocados al mundo en el que nos hayamos. A nuestro día a día rodeados de redes sociales, etc... A lo que estamos acostumbrados.
Una nueva generación de superhéroes que no ha hecho más que comenzar con esta entrega.
Muy recomendada para los fans de este mundo. Además, al inicio de la novela nos encontramos con una introducción escrita por Stan Lee, que te prepara para la lectura y te deja con ganas de más. -
I thought I would love this story, but I just felt okay about it. Part of it may have been the reader for the audiobook; she was too flat for an action story for me. Even in moments of high excitement and tension, she kept the same tone. Sometimes that can be okay, but when paired with the dramatic music and occasional sound effects, it was a bit odd. The story itself didn't really hold my attention. I feel like the beginning was a bit too long, which was odd because it still had an insta-love romance. It was confusing. I didn't feel connection to the characters, so I just finished the story going through the motions.
-
Cuando conocí el libro y leyendo las primeras 50 páginas y luego 100 creí que los poderes del protagonista serían simplemente sobre truenos, tipo descargas, quemaduras, rayos saliendo de sus manos, pero no fue así, me encontré más a un chico que maneja la tecnología de manera mas avanzada, recordándome al protagonista de iBoy de Kevin Brooks, aunque son obvias las muchas diferencias entre ambos libros. Sin duda mi personaje favorito ha sido Nia, aunque de vez en cuando no me tuvo contento.
No ha sido lo que esperaba, pero tal vez fue porque el nombre tan grande de Stan Lee en la portada sin duda te crea muchas expectativas. -
Para nada pensaba que el libro iba a tratar de lo que trata. Sinceramente, lo compre solo porque vi el nombre de Stan Lee en la portada y como friki de Marvel, tenia que leerlo.
Me ha sorprendido y enganchado al maximo, necesito ya la siguiente parte y todas las demás partes porque no me pueden dejar así el final.
Necesito saber mas de Olivia y que Nia y Cameron puedan ser felices y que Juancho desarrolle mas sus nuevas habilidades y que se sepa la verdad sobre el padre de Cameron y, al fin y al cabo, seguir profundizando en este universo.
Sobre el libro en si, la manera de narrar la trama e introducir las nuevas subtramas es maravillosa y me ha hecho engancharme y leerlo en dos dias.
