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The Master of Books #1
Gift of the Master
Tommy Travers always wished he could step inside his favorite book and become the main character. On his fifteenth birthday, it actually happens. A strange girl tells him that he has been quickened and he is offered training by her group of Gifted. When he accidentally brings a curse with him from the World of Books, Tommy must learn why knowledge is second to courage, sacrifice is better than strength and friendship is greater than gold.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2012
17 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 13, 2018
I really loved this story as I am an avid reader, it would really be enchanting to be able to enter the books you are reading and be part of the story. I would really like to enter a few books that I read and that caught my heart. This is definitely a book I recommend.
April 25, 2017
15-year old Thomas who prefers to lock himself with a book because he has problems relating to others at school and to the real world around him is shocked to find himself pulled into the World of Books where stories become fact and the threat to his life a constant reality. He journeys through two of his favorite books and discovers the leader, the fighter, the magician and the loyal friend in him. It is all exciting and dangerous but turns deadly when he brings back the forbidden from the World of Books and others with evil intents and powers know about it. The battle to regain his life and return everyone's world to normalcy is an interesting story the author weaves that demands you finish the book in one sitting.
The first chapter of the book doesn't do justice to the rest of the book. It hides the jewel inside. I am sure I noted a couple of edits the author might have missed but to be frank, I was too immersed in the story to worry about edits. I loved losing myself with Tommy in the stories that I read when I was young. I loved the way the author brought interesting variations to the age-old stories and the battle for the gauntlet crowned it all.
Well worth the read.
The first chapter of the book doesn't do justice to the rest of the book. It hides the jewel inside. I am sure I noted a couple of edits the author might have missed but to be frank, I was too immersed in the story to worry about edits. I loved losing myself with Tommy in the stories that I read when I was young. I loved the way the author brought interesting variations to the age-old stories and the battle for the gauntlet crowned it all.
Well worth the read.
January 6, 2017
I found
The Gift of the Master
to be... okay.
When posting reviews, I typically try to identify which audience might enjoy the book, but this one is difficult to pin down. Perhaps it might appeal to the younger portion of the YA audience.
The story follows the adventures of Tommy Travers, a socially-inept, introverted fifteen-year-old who, having lived his life escaping into books, falls into one, literally. He soon discovers life inside a story, where the dangers are real and the realities an author avoids (tedium, unhealed wounds, exhaustion, hunger, etc.) negatively affect the experience. Even more harrowing, when he emerges from the book, he finds himself in the middle of a hidden-from-the-world battle between a society of similarly Gifted individuals and a powerful villain seeking dominion over all.
What I liked: The underlying premise of the story is appealing, with enough twists to make it original. I also found the pacing good and the voice strangely appropriate. For me, the voice sounded younger than Tommy's fifteen years, maybe closer to twelve. As such, all of what I would describe as troublesome, technical weaknesses (grammatical mistakes, poor sentence/paragraph construction, flat characters, too-much/too-little description, excessive narration, etc.) seemed strangely authentic.
What I thought could be improved: Only one of the four major plot lines plays out; the other three, which make up 70-80% of the book, just sort of fade away. I also had POV problems. The majority of the story is told through Tommy's first-person perspective; however, significant portions are also told through various third-person perspectives. I found the mixing of styles very distracting. In addition, Fleugel seems to have a strange aversion to commas, which frequently had me re-reading sentences I stumbled over initially. (Admittedly, many readers may actually prefer this minimal use of commas.) Finally, I think the book suffers from weak editing.
In retrospect, The Gift of the Master seems to me like an interesting piece of furniture that has been carefully designed and constructed, but still needs a rough sanding, a fine sanding, and a coat of finish before I would consider it complete.
When posting reviews, I typically try to identify which audience might enjoy the book, but this one is difficult to pin down. Perhaps it might appeal to the younger portion of the YA audience.
The story follows the adventures of Tommy Travers, a socially-inept, introverted fifteen-year-old who, having lived his life escaping into books, falls into one, literally. He soon discovers life inside a story, where the dangers are real and the realities an author avoids (tedium, unhealed wounds, exhaustion, hunger, etc.) negatively affect the experience. Even more harrowing, when he emerges from the book, he finds himself in the middle of a hidden-from-the-world battle between a society of similarly Gifted individuals and a powerful villain seeking dominion over all.
What I liked: The underlying premise of the story is appealing, with enough twists to make it original. I also found the pacing good and the voice strangely appropriate. For me, the voice sounded younger than Tommy's fifteen years, maybe closer to twelve. As such, all of what I would describe as troublesome, technical weaknesses (grammatical mistakes, poor sentence/paragraph construction, flat characters, too-much/too-little description, excessive narration, etc.) seemed strangely authentic.
What I thought could be improved: Only one of the four major plot lines plays out; the other three, which make up 70-80% of the book, just sort of fade away. I also had POV problems. The majority of the story is told through Tommy's first-person perspective; however, significant portions are also told through various third-person perspectives. I found the mixing of styles very distracting. In addition, Fleugel seems to have a strange aversion to commas, which frequently had me re-reading sentences I stumbled over initially. (Admittedly, many readers may actually prefer this minimal use of commas.) Finally, I think the book suffers from weak editing.
In retrospect, The Gift of the Master seems to me like an interesting piece of furniture that has been carefully designed and constructed, but still needs a rough sanding, a fine sanding, and a coat of finish before I would consider it complete.
July 11, 2017
I loved this story and am looking forward to reading the next. I am an avid reader and the thought of being able to enter the stories I read is nothing less than enticing. This is definitely a book after my own heart.
December 19, 2024
This book surprised me, because I wound up really enjoying it, despite struggling to get interested in it, at the start. I felt in the beginning, it just leaped into the thick of the story almost on page one, but not in a slick way. It felt like I'd jumped right into the middle of a book, rather than begun one. I would have liked more character development first, so that I cared who Tommy was. As it was, it took me a long time to have any interest in him.
I also found that about half the book was the story with the magician. Then when Tommy came out of the book, it suddenly jumped into the outside story and it felt like I was coming into yet another book, with no resolution to the previous one. I thought a simple solution to this would be to alternate chapters - one chapter in the fantasy story, one chapter outside it and focusing on the girl, another chapter in the fantasy story, and so on. That way, when he comes out of the book, we already know what's going on outside and it feels relevant and makes sense when he falls into that storyline.
And most of all, there was a massive continuity error: how can all the Masters come from the same lineage if there's a rule that they are never allowed to have children??? And one final point: I found it impossible to believe Tommy was only 15 when his voice sounded at least 25 through the whole book. In fact, no one seemed as young as they were meant to be. I think maybe make them 18. I could believe that much more easily.
So if I'm making all these critical comments, why am I rating it so highly? Because buried underneath the above, there was this really incredible story! It was so imaginative, it was brilliant. I think if the author just rethought the structure and the ages, this book could be genius. I was left so intrigued and I have a lot of ideas about what might be going on with Tommy's father. I look forward to seeing if I'm right - either that or having the author surprising me in (hopefully) and exciting way. It's hard to find such inventive plots, so despite what I really do intend as constructive criticism, I will definitely be reading book 2 whenever it comes out, and I've 'liked' the author's page on Facebook so I can keep up with the updates on that.
I also found that about half the book was the story with the magician. Then when Tommy came out of the book, it suddenly jumped into the outside story and it felt like I was coming into yet another book, with no resolution to the previous one. I thought a simple solution to this would be to alternate chapters - one chapter in the fantasy story, one chapter outside it and focusing on the girl, another chapter in the fantasy story, and so on. That way, when he comes out of the book, we already know what's going on outside and it feels relevant and makes sense when he falls into that storyline.
And most of all, there was a massive continuity error: how can all the Masters come from the same lineage if there's a rule that they are never allowed to have children??? And one final point: I found it impossible to believe Tommy was only 15 when his voice sounded at least 25 through the whole book. In fact, no one seemed as young as they were meant to be. I think maybe make them 18. I could believe that much more easily.
So if I'm making all these critical comments, why am I rating it so highly? Because buried underneath the above, there was this really incredible story! It was so imaginative, it was brilliant. I think if the author just rethought the structure and the ages, this book could be genius. I was left so intrigued and I have a lot of ideas about what might be going on with Tommy's father. I look forward to seeing if I'm right - either that or having the author surprising me in (hopefully) and exciting way. It's hard to find such inventive plots, so despite what I really do intend as constructive criticism, I will definitely be reading book 2 whenever it comes out, and I've 'liked' the author's page on Facebook so I can keep up with the updates on that.
September 8, 2017
The book, Gift of the Master, by Robert J. Fluegel is written about a teenager named Tommy Travers. Tommy is a bookworm, and has been ever since he could read. On his 15th birthday, as he is reading, by some miracle, he is pulled into the story. Tommy learns that it is a lot harder to actually be in the book, then it is to read it. Tommy has to learn how to survive in this new world that he was pulled into, and when a girl comes to offer him help, it is his decision to make. And it becomes a very big one when he makes has some mishaps, and puts the real world in danger.
I love this book, because not only does it keep me interested constantly, but because of the character development, and realness. The characters in this story each have a different personality and past that bring them to life. This makes is so that I can relate to what they feel and do. This book may be fiction, but it is so realistic. The actions and events all seem real because the author wrote real consequences to certain actions. The only thing that may be bad are some misspelled words, but other then that, this book is one of my new favorites.
I love this book, because not only does it keep me interested constantly, but because of the character development, and realness. The characters in this story each have a different personality and past that bring them to life. This makes is so that I can relate to what they feel and do. This book may be fiction, but it is so realistic. The actions and events all seem real because the author wrote real consequences to certain actions. The only thing that may be bad are some misspelled words, but other then that, this book is one of my new favorites.
July 27, 2017
Don't know about you, but I love to loos3 myself in a good story. This book is about people who do not loose themselves, but rather become part of the story. The scripts, the name for these people are found and tutored by the teachers of the World of books. However, there is a dark side to this story, a wizard that had been brought back from one of the books and who now wants all the power available.
Caught in this whole situation , is a young man, who has found solace in books, all his life. When he turned 15 , he finds that he is now part of the story, and the story world is a lot more dangerous than you could imagine. Luckily his mother calling him, pulls him out of his adventure.
A young woman turns up saying that she could train him, but he could ask no questions until he agreed to the training. He would be offered this training three times, if he refused this first offer.
I don't want to reveal any more of the story, but it does become hair raising in parts.
Caught in this whole situation , is a young man, who has found solace in books, all his life. When he turned 15 , he finds that he is now part of the story, and the story world is a lot more dangerous than you could imagine. Luckily his mother calling him, pulls him out of his adventure.
A young woman turns up saying that she could train him, but he could ask no questions until he agreed to the training. He would be offered this training three times, if he refused this first offer.
I don't want to reveal any more of the story, but it does become hair raising in parts.
October 16, 2018
If I would solely rate this book in how much I enjoyed reading it, it would be marked with barely 2 stars. It's too YA for me and I am tired of all the regurgitated fatasy tropes.
That said, for the book it fits. It's written in the perspective of a 15 year old who reads, and 'lives' in fantasy books. So of course it would be like this.
That said, for the book it fits. It's written in the perspective of a 15 year old who reads, and 'lives' in fantasy books. So of course it would be like this.
January 30, 2017
Intriguing premise.
An engaging young hero and a intricate plot keep the pages turning in this first book of what promises to be a very interesting series.
An engaging young hero and a intricate plot keep the pages turning in this first book of what promises to be a very interesting series.
October 5, 2018
Gift of the Master
By: Robert J. Fluegel
I did not like this book at the beginning 40 pages but than grew to like it. I liked it because of many reasons but some are, it was Fantasy, it was fast moving action, and you could imaging everything you read. I don’t think I have a favorite character, but the girl warrior (of which I can’t remember her name, because I don’t have the book any more) she was brave and strong. I remember from the book, Tommy said right before Mardel dies he always remembers that image, and that is the book cover. This book brought to my view how you can learn things from books, because in this book Tommy (the main character) learns lessons from the books he enters, I thought this was interesting and I liked that I was able to see that. This book was good, I did not like the beginning because it started out him going into a kind of book that’s not my type but then after that I liked the book.
By: Robert J. Fluegel
I did not like this book at the beginning 40 pages but than grew to like it. I liked it because of many reasons but some are, it was Fantasy, it was fast moving action, and you could imaging everything you read. I don’t think I have a favorite character, but the girl warrior (of which I can’t remember her name, because I don’t have the book any more) she was brave and strong. I remember from the book, Tommy said right before Mardel dies he always remembers that image, and that is the book cover. This book brought to my view how you can learn things from books, because in this book Tommy (the main character) learns lessons from the books he enters, I thought this was interesting and I liked that I was able to see that. This book was good, I did not like the beginning because it started out him going into a kind of book that’s not my type but then after that I liked the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2017
Gift of the Master is a version of the Never-Ending Story. An avid reader falls into books and gets lost in the stories. Mr. Fluegel dives deep into the nitty-gritty of the minutia of each tale to show the difference between fantasy and reality. This interesting concept spends a little too much time on the other realities that don't move the overall plot forward at all. While meandering in these other worlds and connecting to those characters the overall story disappears. As a reader I found myself expecting to get back to the main plot page after page. The plot of the actual book is a good one. It has legs and can stand on its own without leaving the reader to linger in the unresolved stories of the books within the book. The author should also have a proofreader take a peek at this again. There are several problems with the quotation marks being in the wrong place and spacing issues.
It will be interesting if the next book tightens up and focuses on keeping one story arc. There is a good deal of room for Tommy to develop as a character and the burgeoning relationship between Amelia and Tommy is intriguing. The unanswered questions of his familial ties to this mysterious group has the potential to be a fascinating read.
It will be interesting if the next book tightens up and focuses on keeping one story arc. There is a good deal of room for Tommy to develop as a character and the burgeoning relationship between Amelia and Tommy is intriguing. The unanswered questions of his familial ties to this mysterious group has the potential to be a fascinating read.
March 25, 2013
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a review.
This is a time-honored plot--boy likes to read books, boy falls into world of books, adventure ensues. While this may be a simplistic base, there's actually a good deal of complexity to the way Mr. Fluegel brings things about in this first book of what will obviously be a series.
Thomas Travers is the main character, and as a typical scrawny adolescent, when he ends up in a Native American tribe having to fight off an enemy tribe, he's understandably unprepared. A lot of the book deals with the growth of this character from scared little boy into a young man ready to deal with a real world crises for which he is partially responsible. I thought the book had a good, satisfying ending while still leading the reader towards the next in the series. If it's one thing I hate, it's not having an ending as a way to pull the readers to the next book; it frustrates and infuriates me. I'm thankful that Mr. Fluegal didn't use such gimmicks, but gives the reader a fully satisfying story.
There were a couple moments of awkwardness in the plot, but overall this book kept my attention. I've read books that felt like a chore to get through. Not this case with this one; it was highly enjoyable. I think this book would appeal to young adult as well as adult fantasy readers.
One last thing I noted was a very unusual decision from the writer regarding point of view. Everything in Thomas's viewpoint is written in first person, while any other point of view is written in third. While this meant the bulk of the book is very immediate to the reader since it is about Thomas's adventures, it became a little strange towards the end when we visit several viewpoints. I'm not sure if this was a strength to the book or not. Overall, it was well done, so this is mainly a footnote. The prose was clean, and while I could see it being tightened just a little more, for the most part the writing was very good.
Therefore, on a scale of one to five, I give "Quickened" four stars. I'm pretty stingy with the five stars, so this is actually quite good.
This is a time-honored plot--boy likes to read books, boy falls into world of books, adventure ensues. While this may be a simplistic base, there's actually a good deal of complexity to the way Mr. Fluegel brings things about in this first book of what will obviously be a series.
Thomas Travers is the main character, and as a typical scrawny adolescent, when he ends up in a Native American tribe having to fight off an enemy tribe, he's understandably unprepared. A lot of the book deals with the growth of this character from scared little boy into a young man ready to deal with a real world crises for which he is partially responsible. I thought the book had a good, satisfying ending while still leading the reader towards the next in the series. If it's one thing I hate, it's not having an ending as a way to pull the readers to the next book; it frustrates and infuriates me. I'm thankful that Mr. Fluegal didn't use such gimmicks, but gives the reader a fully satisfying story.
There were a couple moments of awkwardness in the plot, but overall this book kept my attention. I've read books that felt like a chore to get through. Not this case with this one; it was highly enjoyable. I think this book would appeal to young adult as well as adult fantasy readers.
One last thing I noted was a very unusual decision from the writer regarding point of view. Everything in Thomas's viewpoint is written in first person, while any other point of view is written in third. While this meant the bulk of the book is very immediate to the reader since it is about Thomas's adventures, it became a little strange towards the end when we visit several viewpoints. I'm not sure if this was a strength to the book or not. Overall, it was well done, so this is mainly a footnote. The prose was clean, and while I could see it being tightened just a little more, for the most part the writing was very good.
Therefore, on a scale of one to five, I give "Quickened" four stars. I'm pretty stingy with the five stars, so this is actually quite good.
July 14, 2017
A really enjoyable fantasy!
Have to admit I was initially drawn to this book because of the main character's name - Tommy Travers - rather wondered what one of my potential relatives might be up to within its pages (I'm née Travers).
I was expecting a light-weight young man having all sorts of fun adventures. But instead, Tommy is thrust into dangerous adventures in some of his books that are starkly real, dirt, blood, fear and all.
Definitely not a light and fluffy fantasy tale. Tommy's adventures and actions in the World of Books have real consequences. Even lethal ones. An intelligent decision by the author and it makes for a much more nail-biting read.
Such a good read. Totally believable characters, vividly portrayed, the world building was well done and boy, the tension was maintained until the last page. Which incidentally had me clutching my reader with white-knuckled hands.
If this is a YA novel I'd point out that it's actually suitable for adults. No angst, no whining teens, just an unusual coming of age tale that was captivating from cover to cover. Er, pixel to pixel or something.
No cliffhanger ending (sad state of affairs when that fact needs to be clearly stated) but I'm now itching to read the next book, Secret of the Master.
Really want to know what happens to Thomas, and especially his friends from one of the books he entered.
Well crafted, polished story. Great world building and an old idea given vibrant life. Made me a touch wary of opening a tree book!
This was an excellent answer to the question we all ask at some stage, what would it be like to step into a world dwelling within the pages of a book - interesting, intriguing and downright terrifying!
Have to admit I was initially drawn to this book because of the main character's name - Tommy Travers - rather wondered what one of my potential relatives might be up to within its pages (I'm née Travers).
I was expecting a light-weight young man having all sorts of fun adventures. But instead, Tommy is thrust into dangerous adventures in some of his books that are starkly real, dirt, blood, fear and all.
Definitely not a light and fluffy fantasy tale. Tommy's adventures and actions in the World of Books have real consequences. Even lethal ones. An intelligent decision by the author and it makes for a much more nail-biting read.
Such a good read. Totally believable characters, vividly portrayed, the world building was well done and boy, the tension was maintained until the last page. Which incidentally had me clutching my reader with white-knuckled hands.
If this is a YA novel I'd point out that it's actually suitable for adults. No angst, no whining teens, just an unusual coming of age tale that was captivating from cover to cover. Er, pixel to pixel or something.
No cliffhanger ending (sad state of affairs when that fact needs to be clearly stated) but I'm now itching to read the next book, Secret of the Master.
Really want to know what happens to Thomas, and especially his friends from one of the books he entered.
Well crafted, polished story. Great world building and an old idea given vibrant life. Made me a touch wary of opening a tree book!
This was an excellent answer to the question we all ask at some stage, what would it be like to step into a world dwelling within the pages of a book - interesting, intriguing and downright terrifying!
January 5, 2017
One day, Thomas, a young boy, finds himself actually drawn into a book he is reading. He ends up facing all kids of adversity and conflict in the World of Books, including having his life threatened, a “new experience” for him. He learns that living out the situations he once found pleasurable to read about is actually quite terrifying. Nevertheless, he adapts to the book world using his “book-enhanced strength,” going on quests, and building strong friendships with the characters in the books. In the real world, he is approached by Amelia, a woman who offers to train him to use his gift of entering books for good. When he asks his mother whether he should accept training, she says, “‘everything we do, especially in learning new things we are bound to make mistakes. That is life. It is what we do after our mistakes that counts.’” She ultimately leaves the decision up to him, giving him the chance to make his own mistakes that he will learn from and grow upon. Overall, this book is an entertaining and fantastical look at what could happen if people were able to enter into books. It comes to the conclusion that in real life we all must make our own choices about what is best for our own lives, and sometimes we must make them without even having all the information that would inform our decision.
April 3, 2017
Gift of the Master is indeed a gifted book. The concept is innovative, with the main characters being able to physically immerse themselves in the books they are reading. And what children did not dream to replace their favorite hero in their favorite book and save the world? Yet the ‘gift’ of reading has its perils too. Without training, the children can get stuck and die in the worlds they are visiting. As with any special quality, the gift of reading is used by both good and bad people, with all the dangers and adventures that come from opposing the good against evil. The plot flows freely from the real world in the imaginary worlds in intricate patterns that keep the reader’s attention. From all the characters, the most interesting one is Mardel, a mage from the preferred book of the main character, the fifteen years old boy, Tommy. Trying to save Tommy from a wound made by some dark magic, Mardel read the boy’s mind and became aware of his own status, and this created an interesting perspective.
There are two things that extracted a star from the five the book's originality would deserve: sometimes, Tommy’s voice sounded younger than his real age, and the final action is created by a Deus Ex Machina dream that arrives from nowhere and save the main character and the world.
In the end an original, enjoyable book.
There are two things that extracted a star from the five the book's originality would deserve: sometimes, Tommy’s voice sounded younger than his real age, and the final action is created by a Deus Ex Machina dream that arrives from nowhere and save the main character and the world.
In the end an original, enjoyable book.
January 12, 2017
This was a perfect YA book. It had action, magic and was pretty fast moving.
This is a story of Tommy. He loves books and spends all of his time reading. One day while he's reading he feels a strange pull and next thing you know, he's in the book living the story. He finds out that he can jump into book and live that life for days or even months while in the Real World it's only been a couple of hours. He also discovers that he has the power to bring things out of the book world. By accident, he brings the gauntlet that King Midas wore to turn things to gold. When they find out that an Evil Wizard, who was freed from a book, steals the gauntlet, the real world is in trouble. Tommy, along with his mentor, Amelia need to find the evil wizard and save the world. I really enjoyed this story and had a lot of fun reading it. There is a little violence but nothing that a YA couldn't handle. A little romance wouldn't have hurt but being YA, I understand. LOL
I did knock off a star for the bad proofreading. You're a good writer, just polish it up a little. Hire a good proofreader!
This is a story of Tommy. He loves books and spends all of his time reading. One day while he's reading he feels a strange pull and next thing you know, he's in the book living the story. He finds out that he can jump into book and live that life for days or even months while in the Real World it's only been a couple of hours. He also discovers that he has the power to bring things out of the book world. By accident, he brings the gauntlet that King Midas wore to turn things to gold. When they find out that an Evil Wizard, who was freed from a book, steals the gauntlet, the real world is in trouble. Tommy, along with his mentor, Amelia need to find the evil wizard and save the world. I really enjoyed this story and had a lot of fun reading it. There is a little violence but nothing that a YA couldn't handle. A little romance wouldn't have hurt but being YA, I understand. LOL
I did knock off a star for the bad proofreading. You're a good writer, just polish it up a little. Hire a good proofreader!
October 21, 2012
This is a wonderful book about a boy who can enter the World of Books. He learns the world is more than he reads, and accidentally brings back an object of great power to the real world. This causes major problems for his family, his town, and his future. I can hardly wait until the second in the series is available!
February 1, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't what I'd expected, but was in fact even better. A very interesting premise, lots of action, a good amount of soul searching and some sweet young romance all make for a wonderful read. If you like fantasy with some odd twists, I highly recommend this book.
January 25, 2017
Tried to read book several times but found it boring.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews