Today's read is the first...yes, you read that right, the FIRST... in a new series. See, I can start a series in the beginning! This one aims for middle graders and centers around spies and action and high tension and more action and... Well, that's what the blurb claims, and I have no reason to doubt it, yet. These teens specialize in AI and robotics, and must be pretty athletic, too, considering all of the amazing scenes they will find themselves in. Yep, I'm expecting action pure and have the Mission Impossible theme song playing through my head non-stop.
Ready to dance on the wild side of life?
CYBERSPIES
Swift and Hawk, Book 1
by Logan Macx
Walker Books
Middle Grade Spy Fiction
352 pages
ages 8 to 12
An addictive new spy series for Alex Rider fans who love breathless plot, cutting-edge tech and action-packed adventure.
When their families mysteriously disappear, Swift and Hawk, teen experts in AI and robotics, are recruited by the secretive Möbius Programme to crack an unbreakable code. They are immediately plunged into a life-and-death rescue mission, that takes them from hidden tunnels beneath the British Museum, to the dangerous docklands of Amsterdam in search of the mysterious ship Nightfall. Caught in a treacherous world of spies and saboteurs, Swift and Hawk will be pushed to the limit as they follow a trail that leads to the remote island of Spøkelsøy, and straight into the hands of a dark and chilling enemy.
When their families mysteriously disappear, Swift and Hawk, teen experts in AI and robotics, are recruited by the secretive Möbius Programme to crack an unbreakable code. They are immediately plunged into a life-and-death rescue mission, that takes them from hidden tunnels beneath the British Museum, to the dangerous docklands of Amsterdam in search of the mysterious ship Nightfall. Caught in a treacherous world of spies and saboteurs, Swift and Hawk will be pushed to the limit as they follow a trail that leads to the remote island of Spøkelsøy, and straight into the hands of a dark and chilling enemy.
MY TIDBITS
Action? Yes! High tech pure? Oh yeah! An evil villain with power and chilling goals? You bet! As spy stories go, this one packs in all of these things and more.
Caleb lives with his CIA mother and attends a school for gifted tech-kids in Britain. When informants visit their home and insist they go with them to a unknown place, Caleb's mother distracts them long enough for him to escape. After finding his best friend, Caleb learns that families of high tech talents are being kidnapped, and him and his friend are both instated into a secret organization. Their code names are Swift and Hawk, and the two of them are about to go on a dangerous mission, which chases them around the world and takes them to extremes.
This is one for spy fans who love action, action, and more action. There's never a boring moment, there's tons of intrigue, and high tension is a given. The villain fits this mix perfectly and the two main characters are definitely kept on their toes the entire way through. There is quite a bit of high-tech included, but then, Swift and Hawk both excel on this end. While this could leave the reader confused, everything is described with enough detail to make sure not to loose the reader, and yet, it never grows boring. The action scenes flow in the same way, giving detailed enough accounts to make them come to life but never going over board either. It's a quick-paced read, which doesn't loose the reader in the slightest.
There is a strong friendship between Swift and Hawk, and that is inspiring. The two have slightly different skill sets and harmonize very well. They enjoy what they do, love a challenge and will do anything to get their families back. In other words, they are easy to root for from beginning to end. The only slight thing which bothered me was that neither really gained a personal connection with the reader. The first chapter already starts with Caleb, aka Swift, watching the strangers talk to his mother, and never lets the reader really get to know him, his surroundings, or his normal life. It's about the same for his best friend Hawk. A tiny bit more character building would have really drawn in.
The ending comes as fast and hard as the rest of the tale, leaving off in an exciting cliff-hanger. Hopefully, book two will be out soon because readers are going to want to immediately grab it up and see where things go next.
And here he is...
Logan Macx is rumoured to be an ex-spy formerly with the British Secret Intelligence Service, specialising in cyber communications and unexplained events. His whereabouts are unknown at this time but he is in periodic communication with the ghost writers of this series – Edward Docx and Matthew Plampin. He can sometimes be spotted at @LoganMacx1.
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