Reaction

The Emergence #1

by Seth M. Baker

ASIN B007J8AYRK moved to the most recent edition here

Pissed-off interdimensional demons threaten to overrun the world, and only one man can stop them: perpetually nervous, paper-eating valedictorian Amadeus Brunmeier.

But the police believe he killed his father, his best friend calls him a frightened rabbit, and the girl he loves thinks he’s nothing but a mouth-breathing weirdo.

To prove everyone wrong, Amadeus begins a perilous journey that takes him from the Rocky Mountains to the Cambodian jungle and back. Along the way, Amadeus must evade his murderous pursuers as he unravels the mysteries of his father’s clandestine teleportation research.

Fortunately, he has help from his computer-hacking best friend Grassal, a shadowy government agent named Gravity, Holden Jones, a bunker-dwelling engineer in need of a test pilot, and Jones’ lovely, unstable daughter Lilly.

Mayhem, danger, and deception abound. Amadeus’ wealthy enemies have brought the world to the brink of apocalypse, and Amadeus must bring it back…or die trying.

Genres: Science Fiction

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Seth M. Baker has worked as a software engineer, international English teacher, freelance writer, and pizza delivery man. He’s been making up stories since he was a kid.

He grew up in West Virginia, USA and has traveled extensively. His earliest memory is of a wildfire consuming the hill behind his house.

He lives in a misty Appalachian valley with his wife and sons.

Reviews

[Pegboard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amadeus Brunmeier thought giving a valedictorian speech in front of thousands of people was unthinkable, and then he had to face life-threatening events. He realizes the terrors of a speech was nothing to the death of his father, demons entering through a portal, being hunted by the government, and learning to fly the Pachyderm. He fights demons and an assassin like he had been doing it for years.

Tommy Brunmeier had four investors and one of them sold him out. Amadeus, Grassel, and Lilly must find out which one. The problem is they only know the name of one of them and they have to have blood samples and fingerprints of three of the investors to unlock the encrypted files.

This adventure changes Amadeus from a wimpy, scared, and insecure kid into a confident and bold young man who is not afraid to defend himself. Jones was a good friend of Tommy’s and though he is helping Amadeus out with a place to stay and equipment, his odd behavior is causing red flags to go up on Amadeus’ radar. He finds he can only really depend on Grassel, who is like a brother to him, and Lilly. The turn of events at the end sets us up for the second book.

[Stuart Thaman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one caught me off guard. I wasn’t really a fan of the beginning. The main character, Amadeus, is rather weird, and his family situation is a little unexplained and hard to follow. Then, before I really felt like I was familiar with the characters and setting, the action took off at a break-neck pace. From there, it never let up. Slightly confusing lack of background aside, the relentless action is what I liked most about the novel. There were twists and turns I really didn’t see coming. Lots of them. The action was well written, the science explanations were simple (and interesting) enough for a non-science guy like me to follow, and the writing was overall rather good. A few line editing errors crept in every now and then, but nothing too serious, usually some missing punctuation here and there. At the end of the day, Reaction was one of the best indie sci-fi novels I’ve read.

International best-selling author Stuart Thaman
StuartThamanBooks.com

[Valery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reaction (The End of the Iron Age, #1) by Seth M. Baker has a uniquely named protagonist, Amadeus Brunmeier, a bit of a nervous person who must seemingly save himself and those around him from ticked off demons. This is kind of mix of coming of age story and fairly predictable science fiction, there are bad guys, and through time travel and other assorted mechanisms, the hero must fight them off. Supported by an interesting cast of characters, from Grassal and Lilly to crazy scientists, there is enough meat to the story to keep your interest. Certainly not boring, the author creates a story that weaves in various elements of surprise and intrigue. A little complex, a little baffling, and a whole lot of mystery keeps this book entertaining. Recommend for a light, easy, read.

[Duane Petit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action Packed!!

It doesn't take very long while reading this book to quickly figure out there's no way in a million years that any of this stuff could actually happen,but that's why it's called fantasy.It is what it is, it's not supposed to be realistic that's what makes it so entertaining.This was a fun read,Amadeus Brunmeier and his non stop anything that can go wrong will go wrong adventures was a blast.The larger than life off the wall characters he surrounds himself with during his escapades makes for never a dull moment.If you like action and adventure with a fantasy/sci-fi twist then this is the book for you.Highly recommended four stars. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Catherine Edgar · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when the hero is not like anything anyone expected? Hey, if no one expects you to be a hero, why take the risk to be that hero, right? Because it is the right thing to do? Because it is the only path available? Whatever it may be, it pays when you are not on that road alone.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in this series and it is an amazing story. I love the characters and this author can bring a story alive! With this book, I feel more like I lived through the story rather than just reading it. This is an incredibly compelling book!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book I've read written by Seth Baker; he has done a great job at writing a good book; I will definitely be reading more of his books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I loved the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[KATHY BROWN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery, Adventure, Intrigue combined with non-stop action! You are dropped in the middle with the action starting in the first chapter and continuing on to the end! The twists are unexpected and the intrigue will keep you guessing. I read until I fell asleep and then kept reading in the morning. A great start to a new series. Now I am on to book 2!

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am part way through this book. The book is set in the not too distant future. Electric and natural gas cars are on the roads and high speed rail connects the country. However, our main character is able to travel with no real problems while on the run from the government. Facial recognition software? Nope, not a factor. Cash for a motorcycle with no title? First try. I really think these guys with no criminal history or connections would have been caught before they ever got started. They run to someone with connections to the father of the main character. A research partner associated with the research the bad guys are after. Like a bad movie, the bad guys keep shooting at them and totally missing.

I did finish the book. I did not like it enough to go looking for the sequel.

[Dolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A coming of age story featuring Amadeus Brunmeier, a shy recent college graduate who happens to be very, very smart. Amadeus is trying to save the world from interdimentional demons while being chased by police, bad guys, and demons. Believable characters and every secret that is solved causes more to pop up. This book is keeper.