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The Spatial Shard: Prelude to the 'EdgeWorld' Series

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You’re on your board. And whether you are a Barney or a Marley, the wave is coming… That used to be Genie’s mantra. Little did she know that the wave would literally take her out of this world. Now, faced with a new life, unbelievable dimensions and unexpected dangers, she’s got to pull off the ride of her life, or wipe out. The prelude to the EdgeWorld series serves as an introduction both to the new world Genie finds and the plight that has found her. An American teenager living in Bolivia with her father and younger brother, Genie was trying her best to take care of her family in the wake of her mother’s death. But that was before she crashed headfirst into the curious stranger and her whole world turned upside down. Now new possibilities, good and bad, await her at every turn, but she cannot allow concerns of the outcome affect how she rides – surf’s up!

394 pages, Paperback

First published June 7, 2011

3 people are currently reading
16 people want to read

About the author

G. Russell Gaynor

25 books108 followers
Also writes under the pen name Reiter.

The World According to Garp was perhaps the first sign to a troubled young man that his life might very well be okay. It was incredibly reassuring to see that a young man from such a deeply interesting background can find his niche in life. G. Russell Gaynor was not nearly as challenged as T. S. Garp but until the revelation of the character, relatively speaking Russell was the weirdest kid on his block. His father, a career United States Navy man, taught him how to stand up to face the most challenging aspects of life including the unknown. His mother, a nurse and a technician for the U.S Geological Survey, taught him how to love and how to understand.

Russell was 5 when he found that people should be responsible for what they say when he had to write a story to back up his claim to his grandmother that he could do better in his sleep than the black and white movie he had watched. He handed two notebook pads to his grandmother who then agreed with his opinion. That was indeed the beginning!

In the beginning, it was mostly stories about super heroes and the stuff of comic books. Then came the works of Alexandre Dumas and the ideal of romantic heroes. Now there was a need to make women swoon and men weep as poetry was discovered and written. Russell was 12 when he went to his first play, which revealed a love for the stage and was 14 when role-playing games filled his head with the adventures of steel and sorcery. This all concluded with the love of the story and its affect on the audience. Although life defies understanding, Russell has set about the challenge of teaching through his stories, in small baby steps, the lessons of love and life he has come to treasure since learning so much through the viewpoints of others.

It will always be the opinion of those who receive art to measure its worth, but to date Russell is working his way to penning his 40th book. That goes along with his score of scripts, (three which have been optioned), two plays, scores of poems and a role-playing game system. This too is only a beginning!

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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for Kat.
Author 14 books601 followers
November 1, 2018
Cool sci-fi action with strong characters, and a diverse cast! LOTS going on in this one, and I liked the fast pacing in the opening scene. I especially loved the lab scene where everyone was getting snippy and territorial. Some great dialogue moments, and who can’t relate to crazy workplace politics? Genie (Imogene) was a great character, and I especially liked the teens in this one!

My favorite parts were definitely the fight scenes. Those were fast-paced, and added a sense of urgency. The author has a great voice for writing sci-fi tech. I thought whenever his characters started getting into the specifics of his world, the story really shined. Liked the backstory and sci-fi explanation behind the existence of “the shard.”

Some editing and formatting issues—words like “on” and “to” are dropped or doubly-inserted. There were a ton of really interesting characters in this one and lots of scene changes, and sometimes I had just a bit of trouble keeping track of who everyone was and why they were important. However, overall I very much enjoyed the book and would like to see more from this author.

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
Profile Image for Stan Faryna.
Author 6 books15 followers
July 14, 2017
An interdimensional, action-packed, Science Fiction YA adventure that has a battle fit for the movies. BYOP! Bring your own popcorn to this read.

I love that the heroes of this story are children who can face up to what we would call 'adult' and epic challenges. I was also impressed by the author's ability to speak in the feminine and young adult voices of his characters. Few can do that so naturally. I look forward to the unfolding series. Last but not least, I am tempted to recommend that the author try his hand at LitRPG. I think he will see more ROI in that increasingly popular and insane subgenre.

If you love The Power Rangers OR if you enjoyed Travis Bagwell's Awaken Online, Vasily Mahanenko's Way of the Shaman, or C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia, there's a good chance you'll dig G. Russell Gaynor's The Spatial Shard. Other titles by authors from Gaynor's #30days30authors group include Greg Alldredge's Lights In The Night, Valerie Lioudis's Aftershock, Morgan Smith's A Spell In The Country, and Cindy Tomamichel's Druid's Portal.
Profile Image for Spark D'Ark.
Author 2 books26 followers
January 3, 2017
Sci-fi as a genre is something that you will either love or be completely indiferent about it as a reader. Sci-fi authors on the other hand come in all shapes, forms, cultures etc so actually it may be one of the most celebrated genres along the world. If you are not sure wether you should give sci-fi a chance, I would recomend this book from a new voice that promises to keep on creating new worlds for us.
If you are already into sci-fi and you know love it, add this book into your "to read" list asap. It's well written, building its narrative phrase by phrase along with its world and it's very easy to lose the sense of time once you start reading it.
I am glad that I found G. Russell Gaynor on line and his book. Pick this book up and enjoy it as much as I did! Best of luck to the author :) We will be reading more and more by him the days to come :)
Profile Image for Valacia Gaynor.
1 review
February 26, 2013
A truly great piece of literature written by a truly great person. But what do I know? I'm just a person who has slowly fallen away from reading but was held in by a suspenseful and thrilling story that always continued to unfold from cover to cover. But seriously, GOOD READ! :)
Profile Image for G. Gaynor.
Author 25 books108 followers
Read
August 1, 2022
BIASED! Of all the ones I've written to date, this one was, quite simply, the most fun to assemble!!!
Profile Image for William Stuart.
Author 4 books101 followers
July 28, 2018
Goodreads gave me this recommendation. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical when I first saw it, but decided to give The Spatial Shard: Prelude to the Edgeworld Series by G. Russell Gaynor a try. Guess what? I liked it!

Synopsis (from the author):
You’re on your board. And whether you are a Barney or a Marley, the wave is coming…

That used to be Genie’s mantra. Little did she know that the wave would literally take her out of this world. Now, faced with a new life, unbelievable dimensions and unexpected dangers, she’s got to pull off the ride of her life, or wipe out.

The prelude to the EdgeWorld series serves as an introduction both to the new world Genie finds and the plight that has found her.

An American teenager living in Bolivia with her father and younger brother, Genie was trying her best to take care of her family in the wake of her mother’s death. But that was before she crashed headfirst into the curious stranger and her whole world turned upside down. Now new possibilities, good and bad, await her at every turn, but she cannot allow concerns of the outcome affect how she rides – surf’s up!

What I liked:
First, I liked the concept of The Spatial Shard! A teenager who receives the Shard and plunges into a wondrous world. A world filled with danger, magic, and powerful beings bent on her safety or death. Good characters (especially Genie’s brother and her best friend Sharon), mysterious events, plenty of actions, excellent world-building, and lots of sci-fi and technology made the book a good read!

What I didn’t like:
Despite its good points, The Spatial Shard was difficult to follow at times. Ever shifting scenes and seemingly unconnected events, while an ambitious effort, took away from the basic plot.

Overall impression:
Taken as a whole, The Spatial Shard: Prelude to the Edgeworld Series was a good read. Great sci-fi elements, cool technology, and tons of action made it a fun read. A little overreaching, in my opinion, but still a book I recommend to any sci-fi reader!

My rating: 4 Stars
Profile Image for Bill McCormick.
Author 39 books102 followers
August 22, 2017
(T)he prelude to the Edgeworld Series and it’s a rocking good read. Starting with a prison break, where readers have no clue who the good or bad guys are, or even what species, the book essentially starts in the middle of the story and then works its way back from there. It’s a fun technique and a great way to introduce readers to this universe.

The best thing about The Spatial Shard is that it, unlike many contemporary YA books, doesn’t talk down to its readers. It may not delve into the science behind its worlds but neither does it avoid some harsh truths characters are forced to face. For example, Imogene Amanda Schultz a/k/a Genie, has to deal with a mom who keeps redefining what it means to be dead, all while trying to come to grips with the titular shard who has embedded itself in her brain. Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention her little brother being a border line ninja and a slew of really nasty people who want what’s inside her.

In the tried and true tradition of YA novels the book focuses on a group of kids who grow, and learn, together. That is about the only traditional thing about it. The multi-verse it explores is fascinating. The ramifications of it are a great prelude for what’s to come in future books. And, best of all, the villains operate in gradations of gray. There may be hope for them yet. Or not. We’ll all just have to keep reading to find out.
Profile Image for J.S. Frankel.
Author 91 books237 followers
July 22, 2018
Surf's up, baby!

I got this book, wondered what it was all about, figured it would toss in the tropes of teen discovering new powers, having adventures, fights, romance and what have you. Guess what? They're THEEEERE! (Done in my best Poltergeist voice).

Guess what again? This is a fun ride, with interdimensional travel, super powers, a fairly fast pace, and a prison break right at the beginning. We don't know who's who at first, but the author manages to make that clear, essentially starting from the middle of the story and working backward. Not many writers can pull it off, but G. Gaynor does it nicely.

Characterizations are sharp. Sure, you have the trope of teen discovering their powers, but it's handled well. Imogene (Genie) is the heroine of this novel; imagine having a shard embedded in your brain and see what it does to YOUR sense of reality. She's tough, likable, and so are the other supporting characters, even the villains who are not of the Snidely Whiplash, one-dimensional variety, but somewhat more shaded.

The science behind all of this isn't delved into too deeply, which is actually a wise move on the author's part. Too much explanation equals info dump; not enough leaves the 'hardcorz' crowd wanting more. For this reader, there was just enough.

Recommended.
Profile Image for Ann Pratley.
Author 36 books34 followers
February 4, 2023
Having never heard of this author before, and finding that some sci-fi books capture my attention but others don't, I have been very pleasantly surprised by this story. Possibly aimed toward younger readers, it certainly wasn't too young for a mature reader to enjoy.

The world created and shared by the author was easy to navigate through, and the characters proved to be a diverse lot, providing further fun in getting to know them as they move through their own sets of challenges and adventure.

The storyline was well written, and the language just right. The journey of the characters in their adventure and their self-development is also easy to follow along with, and feel good about reading.

Would this story inspire me to read more from this series? It certainly didn't make me feel like I wouldn't. If you enjoy science fiction about young adults finding their way, this could be just the book for you!
Profile Image for Jane Harris.
Author 8 books140 followers
May 24, 2018
So much going on, and I like it! Love the pacing and the world building. The characters kept me turning pages and wanting more at the end. Very much looking forward to the Edgeworld series!
Profile Image for Madolyn Locke.
Author 8 books10 followers
February 26, 2013
An engaging sci-fi/fantasy story, this book will appeal to adults and 'young adults' alike. The main characters are teens, but don't embody the whiney, angsty, 'emo' teen image that is so infuriating. Complex and action-filled enough to hold the attention of any level reader. Truly a fun read.
Profile Image for Watson Davis.
Author 37 books47 followers
July 31, 2017
The Spatial Shard is an action-packed science fantasy adventure that bounces through multiple dimensions/planes/pocket universes. The story introduces us to a complex web of beings, people, organizations, and factions within organizations most of them looking to see who and what they can use to get what they want.

Most of them want the Spatial Shard. Some of the ones who want the Shard HAD the Shard and lost it.

But the Shard embeds itself in a teen-aged surfer girl.

The story reads like a superhero anime. If you like that genre, then you should definitely give this book and this series a try. There are a lot of great elements in this book, and a lot of great, socially-conscious references.

All of that’s well and good, but the story was difficult for me to read and difficult to keep track of who was who and what was what.

The novel is written in a 3rd person omniscient style, bouncing from character to character paragraph-by-paragraph and sometimes sentence-by-sentence. Sometimes these bounces can take you from a character to a character miles away or even in another dimension.

Lots of the characters have complex backstories, which is great, but these backstories are presented as infodumps that slow the story down and don’t feel organic to the telling of the story. The dialogue had a tendency to be glib and when it wasn’t glib, it sometimes got almost preachy.

There were too many characters and too many things for me to keep track of. For the final act, I created a spreadsheet to try to help me keep track of all the characters codenames and gadget names.

Between the bouncing from character to character and all the characters available, I never had a chance to identify and associate with any particular character. Imogene aka Genie aka Primo should have been the main character, but she was lost in the shuffle. When a character died, I didn’t care.

There were also some editing issues. Most of the prose was fine, but there were problems with words being repeated. The one that bothered me the most was “quickly” which was overused and in repeated multiple times per page in some cases.

With all that said, I love this world and this universe. It’s got great potential for lots of great superhero stories, but some things need to be tightened up and cleaned up.
Profile Image for CJ.
132 reviews8 followers
July 24, 2022
What a lot of exclamation marks! Right from the prologue, the dialogue shouts at the reader; for some, this might be off-putting. This style is swiftly followed by quoted thoughts in italics, which is just a little odd; later, there are messages presented in quoted small caps. However, it’s clear from the start this isn’t a ‘here on Earth’ story, but it’s not apparent who the reader should be rooting for. Things settle down in the first chapter until the mysterious Spatial Shard makes an appearance.

Surfer girl Imogene (Genie) finds her life turned upside down when the Shard becomes lodged inside her head. The result: a dizzying journey through multiple dimensions (or at least worlds) where science fiction and fantasy collide. Everyone wants the Shard, especially those who have already lost it, and they will do anything to obtain it.

The Spatial Shard: Prelude to the Edgeworld Series by G. Russell Gaynor is occasionally hard to understand, as if built on shifting sands. This is an ambitious story with a broad cast, packed full of action. It skims over the science in its worldbuilding, but that probably isn’t an issue for its intended Young Adult audience. There is complexity in its rules, technology, politics, organisations and people, with an underlying almost capitalist theme that its characters have a right to whatever they want.

As with other contemporary fiction, The Spatial Shard has a strong female protagonist but also female villains, which is a nice touch. Most of the characters are well-rounded, but there are a lot of them, and sometimes they come and go abruptly. This does make it a little hard to know who the real heroes are. Genie should be the principal character, but sometimes she melts into the background.

This is a good YA science-fantasy story with a complex cast and entertaining premise, which almost, but not quite, outweighs the peculiar typesetting. However, it has tremendous potential because who doesn’t love a teenage surfer superhero?
464 reviews30 followers
June 12, 2024
"The Spatial Shard: Prelude to the Edgeworld Series" by G. Russell Gaynor is an enthralling tale that seamlessly blends the ordinary with the extraordinary. Through the eyes of Genie, a teenage protagonist grappling with loss and responsibility in Bolivia, readers are transported into a world where unexpected dimensions and thrilling adventures await at every turn. Gaynor's masterful storytelling brings to life a vibrant cast of characters, each with their own unique strengths and complexities.

One of the novel's greatest strengths lies in its portrayal of strong female protagonists and male characters who break free from traditional stereotypes. Genie herself is a compelling figure, navigating the challenges of adolescence with courage and resilience. Gaynor's portrayal of family dynamics is equally captivating, with the bonds between characters adding depth and warmth to the story.

While some may initially find the novel's use of exclamation marks to be excessive, they ultimately contribute to the sense of excitement and urgency that propels the narrative forward. Each page is filled with anticipation, as readers eagerly follow Genie on her journey of self-discovery and adventure.

"The Spatial Shard" serves as a captivating introduction to the larger Edgeworld Series, promising readers an immersive and thrilling experience from start to finish. With its richly imagined world and compelling characters, Gaynor's novel is sure to leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in this spellbinding saga.
Author 4 books33 followers
August 9, 2017
A well-written sci-fi adventure!

I found the Spatial Shard to be a very well-written book, almost in spite of a rather liberal use of exclamation marks.

There are a range of interesting characters, including strong female protagonists (and antagonists, refreshingly) with depth and male characters that break stereotype. The set of characters who are supposed to be ordinary people caught up in something more really do feel like just that, even if they have a little training.

The young characters are well-written enough to make me feel as though I really am reading about teenagers, without laying on youth lingo too thickly. The family units in the book were wonderful, too.

My only complaint was that I sometimes felt a little left behind when new characters came in out of nowhere. There were some parts which felt a little drawn out or unnecessary or confusing. There were too many characters for me to keep up with at times. However, I enjoyed reading the extra scenes so they didn’t subtract too much from the book.

With plenty of twists and turns, this is definitely an action-packed read. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys science fiction.
Profile Image for Mark Sneed.
Author 20 books32 followers
September 8, 2022
Great fun and entertaining introduction to theSpatialShard Series
This is the beginning of the Shard Series and there is a lot of world building going on within the pages of this first book. Really interesting story. Don’t want to give too much away. The author’s effort to build up the characters and the story around them is well-done and enjoyable. There are a lot of different things going on in the story but it never feels cumbersome or unnecessary. Good story building. Particularly interesting was the surfing imagery. Enjoyed the fast-paced action and the ability of the author to use the action to move the plot along smoothly.
8 reviews
July 16, 2017
Genie’s life took an amazing turn after an encounter with a stranger in Bolivia, where she was living with her father and younger brother. This chance encounter changed the way she viewed the world and allowed her to ride the ultimate wave between dimensions. Follow along as she and her friends prepares for the adventures this knowledge has opened up for them . The joys and sorrows they encounter, as well as the Friends and enemies they make along the way to fulfilling her destiny.

The story is very well written, the story sucks you in and makes you feel you are part of the story. There is a depth and richness to the characters that most authors cannot achieve. The action is fast paced and keeps the story moving smoothly. I highly recommend it, once you start you will not want to put it down until you finish it.
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