Audience
Readers aged 8 - 15
Genre
Children's, YA, Fantasy
Pages
220
Recommended For and Similar Reads
The Search For Synergy is an adventurous fantasy story primarily for older children and teenagers! The truth is, any reader of any age will enjoy this one. Similar reads are The Devil's Apprentice by Kenneth B Andersen, Summoned by Mckayla Eaton, Power and Fury by James Erith, and The Last Airbender by Gene Luen Yang.
Summary by Author
"The Search For Synergy" is the first book in The Talisman Series by author Brett Salter. It follows the exploits of two middle-school boys, Rome Lockheed and Julian Rider, as they transition from normal kids into epic warriors fighting for the existence of the Earth realm. Rome is secretly a fire dragon from the Den of Volcana placed under a spell which hides his true form. Julian is an oddball, up-and-coming knight with a case of the "try-hards". Together, they perform an ancient pact which bonds their lives and souls forever. Under the tutelage and guidance of an eccentric, local librarian, Mr. Jones, the two learn of an impending invasion from an archaic evil desperate to invade from the other side of The Void.
Review: 5/5
Opinions: Brett Salter, I need to thank you. I need to thank you for producing such an immersive and climactic book. I need to thank you for teaching young readers to persevere, believe in themselves, and trust others amidst conflict that seems impossible to overcome. I also need to apologize. I'm sorry for making readers wait so long to read this review. I'm sorry that I had to reread The Search For Synergy twice over before constructing my impulsive, fangirl-y thoughts into complete sentences. But it was worth it. The Search For Synergy pushes all the boundaries of what young readers know of fantasy, including myself. Every page was stuffed with more dragons and knights and arson than the previous, oh my! I could not tear my eyes away from The Search for Synergy either time I read it this week! The underdogs, the mischief, and even the foreshadowing that I only noticed the second-read-around resonated more with me than any of my other 2021 reads. What can I say? I needed a break from YA cliches and stereotypical character arcs and The Search For Synergy delivered. You will not regret reading this one!
My Favourite Thing: I cannot get over Salter's world building - it's out of this world! The setting of Georgia in The Search For Synergy and the importance of the magical realm in relation to the plot gave the story depth and complexion. I appreciate that in most books, the setting is "just the location" but in The Search For Synergy, the setting is an integral element to this rich and invigorating!
My Least Favourite Thing: With all intentions of being frank, I did not dislike a single thing about The Search For Energy! This is easily one of my all-time favourite books and I recommend you immediately try this one out!
Per FTC regulations, please know that I received this title for free for review from the original author, the publisher, publicist, or a third party. I am honest in my reviews, meaning the fact I received the book for free does not alter the rating I give it.
Giveaway
Interview with Author Brett Salter
Do you write for yourself or your readers?
Great question to start! I would say that I 100% write what I would enjoy reading. That includes the action, the characters themselves, and even the mythical lore inspirations. I am from the Nintendo generation and I love a good RPG, so you can clearly see how I’ve looped that genre into my books. BUUUUUUT…I also write with a clear audience in mind, so I do partly write for the readers.
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
Naming things is my FAVORITE part about being an author. Hands down! (giggles). So, a common theme in my books is the 6 elements that dominate the world where my characters reside: Fire, Water, Ice, Forest, Earth, and Wind. Character types and character names are ultimately attributed to one of the six. For instance, the Darkbrand generals, the Minotaurs, get their names from whichever element they hail from. Not to give too much away, but a water-based minotaur is called a Hydrotaur, and so on. Almost every character gets their name from either the element they are associated with or a mythological inspiration. For instance, Julian’s little sister’s name is Camela Lynette Rider. She is named after both the utopian citadel of Camelot AND the Arthurian noble lady Linette. SPOILER ALERT: Her last name is pretty important too!
Have you always wanted to be an author?
Well, I always knew I needed to do SOMETHING creative! I have this nagging itch that needs to be scratched every day by creating something or just letting the creative juices out of me. In my past, I was a musician, a poet, and I even tried my hand at comic book writing (I cannot draw). But I think writing books is the best for me because it lets me quell that creativity fire that burns in my belly, ya know? I still play music in a 90’s alternative, Dad-rock cover band, and I still have poetry out there (Check out my Authorsden website), but writing The Talisman Series has easily been my favorite outlet of all. Where do you find your inspiration? Everywhere! Literally, everywhere! I’ve taken inspiration from comics and video games. I’ve taken inspiration from anime and films. I’ve taken inspiration from music and all the fantasy/sci-fi novels I grew up on. I’ve even taken inspiration from music and my family and friends. (My characters are way too outlandish to be real versions of them though. Just exaggerated caricatures.)
If you could ask an author three questions about their books/inspiration/etc, who would it be and what are the questions?
That is a deep question, for sure. I would really have to think about that. (Ponders for an hour.) Okay! I would want to talk to William Shakespeare. Wait for it! I would ask ole’ Bill the Bard the following:
1. Who is the dark lady in your sonnets that you have an unrequited love for?
2. Was it hard struggling with the fact that your work was never truly praised for its genius until after your death? Is it more important to be well-known during life or for your work to live in infamy posthumously?
3. Who inspired the four young characters Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream?
What do you hope your readers take away from The Talisman Series?
I have two goals” with my books. I think the first thing I want to impart on young readers is to always take that first step into adventure. It could be a situation in real life or cracking open a book and following along with characters. If there’s something important to you, then you have to find the will to make the change. The journey of a thousand steps begins with one. Find the courage to take that first step or you’ll be stuck in complacency forever. The second platform I stand on is creativity. Preaching creativity and imagination is really what I strive for in my life and my kids’ lives. I want them to be passionate about their interests and always be creative because this world need creativity now more than ever.
Interview with Protagonist Rome Lockheed
Do you believe evil must exist?
I do believe that! And thanks to Mr. Jones and Jules, I’ve seen it with my own eyes! But, I vow to do my best to protect the world from that evil.
What fictional dragon do you feel most similar to?
I would say that I have found myself in a similar situation to Saphira Bjurtskular from The Inheritance Cycle bonding with a human, but I feel like my power set is much more akin to Smaug from “The Hobbit”.
Do you like being a dragon or are you jealous of Julian, a knight?
I love being a dragon. There’s no other thing I would rather be. I feel like it was my destiny.
Looking back, do you recognize any signs of being a dragon before you set the tree on fire?
Just the desire to break free. Like something was constantly holding me down. I always felt like a prisoner in my own skin; like there was freedom bursting to get out! I knew there was more to my life than where I was and now, I can fly!
Interview with Protagonist Julian Rider
Who has the most influence over you? Why?
(Guffaws exaggeratedly). Ha! If by influence, you mean control, or tells who me what to do, then the answer is simple. NO ONE! Nobody tells me what to do! I’m my own man. Julian “Danger” Rider. And don’t you forget it, buster!
What are your plans for when you achieve Synergy?
Two words: WORLD TOUR! Me and the dragon are gonna hit all the spots; Maui... Vegas… Paris! You name it, we’re going there. You know, to defend them? And make sure there’s no bad guys there. Living like kings, baby! Side note, I want to hit up Comic Con too.
Do you like being a knight or are you jealous of Rome, a dragon?
Pssssh. Could you imagine being a dragon? What a joke! That’s got to be the worse than an Algebra pop quiz! Seriously, what’s good about it? You can’t fit in a movie theater. You can’t ride a skateboard. You can’t even burp the alphabet without accidentally setting something on fire. I mean, c’mon. I’ve got it waaaaay better. The only cool thing about being a dragon is the scale armor…..and the fangs….and the fire breath….hmmmm. And he can fly? And he’s really strong. And…
What tactics to overcome the Garms do you want to experiment with in the future?
Dude! I cannot wait to bust out ALL of my weaponry. I’ve got soooo many tricks up my tunic that’s gonna blow you guys’ minds! And if I mix ‘em with Rome’s abilities, those Garms better watch their scraggly hides because we are coming! You hear me, you smelly varmints? Rome and Julian are coming for ya!!! Oh, and probably the old man too. Wooohoo! For Camelot!
So You Think You’re a Fan?
Have you already read and loved The Search for Synergy by Brett Salter? Prove you're a fan by taking this quiz! Do you think you can get 100% of the questions about characters, events, and settings correct?
If you prove you’re a fan, you'll be named on our leaderboard!
https://forms.gle/oBCVhVLZs7H8QQucA
Links and Information
Brett Salter on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/306525-the-talisman-series
Brett Salter on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talismanbrett/
Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Search-For-Synergy-Brett-Salter/9781542914840?ref=grid-view&qid=1628967658982&sr=1-1
Publication Date: May 20, 2017
ASIN: B071W9HZVC
No comments:
Post a Comment