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Token Chronicles #1
Token
Fifteen-year old Kincaid (oft referred to as Trainee 15892 by the controlling entities of his Island) has never had a birthday party. He has never indulged in cake, cookies, or other scrumptious treats. He has never met his parents. He has not had what one would call a normal upbringing. Sold into bondage as a child, just as every other Trainee on the Hawk Islands, Kincaid has been raised from infancy into young manhood cast away from the war-ravaged mainland of Knav (a war his parents helped ignite). He has been strictly trained and even jolted for one sole purpose: to mold himself into the perfect Token, an obedient and ever-serving slave meant to conform to every expectation of the select Elitists of the country. Upon reaching his sixteenth birthday, there will be no sweet party, but he will, instead, become eligible to be sold as a Token at auction to the highest bidder.
But life is not all doom and gloom on the sun-drenched Hawk Islands. Kincaid has a family of hundreds of brothers and sisters on the Island. Most importantly, he has found the love of his life in the captivating young Hadley. But when Hadley is unprecedentedly sold months early at auction, Kincaid’s world is turned upside down as he prepares himself to do anything to get her back. On his journey to find her, Kincaid begins to slowly discover the heroic and troubled secrets of his family’s past. His path back to Hadley runs straight through embracing his birthright and accepting his unlikely destiny as the Savior of Knav.
But life is not all doom and gloom on the sun-drenched Hawk Islands. Kincaid has a family of hundreds of brothers and sisters on the Island. Most importantly, he has found the love of his life in the captivating young Hadley. But when Hadley is unprecedentedly sold months early at auction, Kincaid’s world is turned upside down as he prepares himself to do anything to get her back. On his journey to find her, Kincaid begins to slowly discover the heroic and troubled secrets of his family’s past. His path back to Hadley runs straight through embracing his birthright and accepting his unlikely destiny as the Savior of Knav.
200 pages, ebook
First published October 10, 2013
4 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 19, 2013
Great read.
This author says it is his first novel. I hope it is not his last. He does a great job of keeping you thinking and guessing what will happen next. You won't put the book down until you finish.
This author says it is his first novel. I hope it is not his last. He does a great job of keeping you thinking and guessing what will happen next. You won't put the book down until you finish.
March 29, 2014
A little slow moving, but stick through to the end.
Let me start off by saying the first 6 or 7 chapters were a little slow and didn't keep my interest. Once I got half way through I couldn't put the book down. There were quite a few surprises, especially towards the end.
The beginning of the book starts off with two woman and a baby who are in hiding. They drop the child off at the Hawks office in hopes of him having a better life rather than being on the run with them.
Then years later the boy, now named Kincaid is on an island training to be a token. This is the life his mother wanted for him, although he didn't know why. Training to become a token consisted of, almost the life if a soldier, wake up the same time every morning, eat, train with weapons, a little bit of free time, then back to the tent for bed. It was the same thing every day, his whole life. All this was so the Elitist would purchase you at an auction to take you back to their home to serve them the rest of your life.
While Kincaid has been on the island he met a girl, Hadley, whom he eventually fell in love with. They had a routine everyday after training. They met up in a lagoon Kincaid had found long ago and stayed there until bed time. This is where their love grew.
When Hadley gets picked early from an elitist at the auction, Kincaid's world changes quickly. Now his goal is to get off the island as soon as he can get to her. Once he finally gets picked by an elitist everything he thought he knew about life outside the island is turned upside down.
As I said earlier it took me awhile to get into this book, but once I did I couldn't stop. There are so many twists that I wasn't expecting at all. One of those surprises is that once Kincaid is off the island he learns he has powers that could change his world. I love the process of him learning to use those powers. My favorite part of the book is when he meets 2 people that help him find his abilities.
The last few chapters are what really sucked me in. I wasn't expecting what Kincaid finds out at all. I also enjoyed that the book was written in different points of view. I liked that he did whole chapters in one persons POV. I really did enjoy this book and look forward to reading the next one.
This book was received by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Let me start off by saying the first 6 or 7 chapters were a little slow and didn't keep my interest. Once I got half way through I couldn't put the book down. There were quite a few surprises, especially towards the end.
The beginning of the book starts off with two woman and a baby who are in hiding. They drop the child off at the Hawks office in hopes of him having a better life rather than being on the run with them.
Then years later the boy, now named Kincaid is on an island training to be a token. This is the life his mother wanted for him, although he didn't know why. Training to become a token consisted of, almost the life if a soldier, wake up the same time every morning, eat, train with weapons, a little bit of free time, then back to the tent for bed. It was the same thing every day, his whole life. All this was so the Elitist would purchase you at an auction to take you back to their home to serve them the rest of your life.
While Kincaid has been on the island he met a girl, Hadley, whom he eventually fell in love with. They had a routine everyday after training. They met up in a lagoon Kincaid had found long ago and stayed there until bed time. This is where their love grew.
When Hadley gets picked early from an elitist at the auction, Kincaid's world changes quickly. Now his goal is to get off the island as soon as he can get to her. Once he finally gets picked by an elitist everything he thought he knew about life outside the island is turned upside down.
As I said earlier it took me awhile to get into this book, but once I did I couldn't stop. There are so many twists that I wasn't expecting at all. One of those surprises is that once Kincaid is off the island he learns he has powers that could change his world. I love the process of him learning to use those powers. My favorite part of the book is when he meets 2 people that help him find his abilities.
The last few chapters are what really sucked me in. I wasn't expecting what Kincaid finds out at all. I also enjoyed that the book was written in different points of view. I liked that he did whole chapters in one persons POV. I really did enjoy this book and look forward to reading the next one.
This book was received by the author in exchange for an honest review.
September 8, 2016
Oh dear. An obsession may have started with this book. I started and was hooked from the first word. It was truly outstanding.
The story itself takes on the ever popular dystopian, and as we all know, this is a very popular and constantly growing genre. Therefore, to stand out and make something different from the rest, that captures your attention like successors such as The Hunger Games, it takes a lot. And I mean a lot. So congrats to Ryan Gressett, as far as I'm concerned, you most definitely achieved that.
So our story, yes, it has the typical dystopian elements, war torn world, rebels against the current government, orphaned children, rich separated from the poor etc., but children are being sold to be trained as Tokens, to benefit the outside world, essentially in lifelong servitude. They grow up on islands, whereby they are trained daily until they are old enough to be sold - and live under strict rules and regulations. But, there is an on-going historical war, and our main is completely unaware of his importance in it all...
I personally found this very different, unique and interesting to read. The balance between the physical and the emotional paths our characters took was perfectly done. The story was constantly progressing, but never to point where you were lacking in the emotional and personal advancement of the characters - as the story grew, you grew with them.
Kincaid was a really interesting and somewhat complex character. He started off as a character with clear potential, but lacking the fire, assertiveness and drive. Step in Hadley, as soon as she is sold, he transforms in to a truly heroic and kick ass main character. The development is clear, as even though he is strong to begin with, his passion isn't truly expressed until he needs to be strong to believe that this is what will get him through.
Basically, if my thoughts could stop jumping around excitedly for a minute, you get a lot of action, a lot of interesting characters, a lot of climax and a lot of unexpected. Sound good? Yeah, I thought so.
That ending though. There better be a next book. I may have withdrawal symptoms at some point in the future...
So, yeah. When is it out? :D
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book, and any expressed are that of my own.
The story itself takes on the ever popular dystopian, and as we all know, this is a very popular and constantly growing genre. Therefore, to stand out and make something different from the rest, that captures your attention like successors such as The Hunger Games, it takes a lot. And I mean a lot. So congrats to Ryan Gressett, as far as I'm concerned, you most definitely achieved that.
So our story, yes, it has the typical dystopian elements, war torn world, rebels against the current government, orphaned children, rich separated from the poor etc., but children are being sold to be trained as Tokens, to benefit the outside world, essentially in lifelong servitude. They grow up on islands, whereby they are trained daily until they are old enough to be sold - and live under strict rules and regulations. But, there is an on-going historical war, and our main is completely unaware of his importance in it all...
I personally found this very different, unique and interesting to read. The balance between the physical and the emotional paths our characters took was perfectly done. The story was constantly progressing, but never to point where you were lacking in the emotional and personal advancement of the characters - as the story grew, you grew with them.
Kincaid was a really interesting and somewhat complex character. He started off as a character with clear potential, but lacking the fire, assertiveness and drive. Step in Hadley, as soon as she is sold, he transforms in to a truly heroic and kick ass main character. The development is clear, as even though he is strong to begin with, his passion isn't truly expressed until he needs to be strong to believe that this is what will get him through.
Basically, if my thoughts could stop jumping around excitedly for a minute, you get a lot of action, a lot of interesting characters, a lot of climax and a lot of unexpected. Sound good? Yeah, I thought so.
That ending though. There better be a next book. I may have withdrawal symptoms at some point in the future...
So, yeah. When is it out? :D
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book, and any expressed are that of my own.
July 29, 2016
Let me begin right off by saying that I REALLY liked this book and enjoyed the author’s writing style.
The plot was GOOD. I wanted to keep reading (disregard what the clock is showing) and will be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I originally felt the prologue was too vague – I was unsettled by the lack of knowing what was going on – but I pushed on into the story and was rewarded with a nice, gradual unfolding of the world's history.
The characters were interesting although I kept forgetting that the leads were in the 15 – 16 year old range and not a good 10 years older. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the 4 shack mates while they were on the island and kept envisioning them as the “Zoolander” roommates in the movie of the same name. The relationships between the shack mates later in the story are the source of much tension, anxiety, and ultimately, sorrow. I am still concerned over the outcome for one, Nayze, who was left in a real cliffhanger situation at the close of this book. I hope to see him later in the series.
There are twists and turns in the storyline that I never saw coming. Reading through again later, I found a couple of clues dangling out there that should have given me a hint though. I love that.
I did have some issues with the book though. This book is in great need of a good editor. A couple of typos here and there are okay, but the reading experience for me suffered from instances of misused words. For example, in The Prologue, “Kloe begins to hastily make her way back to the shanty hole she has been hulled up in over the last seven months.” In this case, “hulled up” probably should be “holed up.”
Things like this stop me while reading totally interrupting the flow of the story. Token has quite a few of these BUT I still REALLY liked the book. If these had been cleared up, I’ll bet I would have been blown away.
If this kind of thing doesn’t bother you, and you’re a YA dystopian fiction fan, you’re looking at a solid story and a possible 5 star read. Bottom line, I recommend Token by Ryan Gressett, warts included.
The plot was GOOD. I wanted to keep reading (disregard what the clock is showing) and will be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I originally felt the prologue was too vague – I was unsettled by the lack of knowing what was going on – but I pushed on into the story and was rewarded with a nice, gradual unfolding of the world's history.
The characters were interesting although I kept forgetting that the leads were in the 15 – 16 year old range and not a good 10 years older. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the 4 shack mates while they were on the island and kept envisioning them as the “Zoolander” roommates in the movie of the same name. The relationships between the shack mates later in the story are the source of much tension, anxiety, and ultimately, sorrow. I am still concerned over the outcome for one, Nayze, who was left in a real cliffhanger situation at the close of this book. I hope to see him later in the series.
There are twists and turns in the storyline that I never saw coming. Reading through again later, I found a couple of clues dangling out there that should have given me a hint though. I love that.
I did have some issues with the book though. This book is in great need of a good editor. A couple of typos here and there are okay, but the reading experience for me suffered from instances of misused words. For example, in The Prologue, “Kloe begins to hastily make her way back to the shanty hole she has been hulled up in over the last seven months.” In this case, “hulled up” probably should be “holed up.”
Things like this stop me while reading totally interrupting the flow of the story. Token has quite a few of these BUT I still REALLY liked the book. If these had been cleared up, I’ll bet I would have been blown away.
If this kind of thing doesn’t bother you, and you’re a YA dystopian fiction fan, you’re looking at a solid story and a possible 5 star read. Bottom line, I recommend Token by Ryan Gressett, warts included.
January 26, 2014
to read more of my reviews go to http://amberleannbookreviews.blogspot...
My Review
-4/5-
A free copy was received in exchange for an honest review.
This book was pretty good, I just constantly wanted to keep reading it.
I found some of the names for characters and places and things to be slightly weird, but it wasn't to bad I just have no clue how you would say some of the names.
There is a lot of characters and lot of things going on. So it's cool to see how it all unfolds but it was mainly just a lot of information to try and keep straight. The book also in a way had a informative ton. Like everything was more fact and details than emotional. It worked out really well though, I actually liked that because this book there is a lot to take in so it helped that Kincaid wasn't talking about his feelings most of the time.
Most of this book is in Kincaid's point of view but a few chapters through out this book are in other peoples point of view, like Benja and Hadleys'.
So the first half is pretty good basically a lot of what the synopsis is talking about. Half way through the book however we get a really nice twist and turn to the book that makes it more interesting, though it was pretty interesting to start with.
Lots of people crossing other people. Lots of rebelion going on and stuff like that. Which adds to the information of trying to know who is the traders who isn't.
The ending is also one of those that is unexpected. To see that this is going to be the first in a series it shall be interesting for sure to see where the next book goes and how it is told or even who it is told by. Honestly there is a lot of ways a second book can go with all that happened in this one.
I really liked this book and can't wait to see a second!
My Review
-4/5-
A free copy was received in exchange for an honest review.
This book was pretty good, I just constantly wanted to keep reading it.
I found some of the names for characters and places and things to be slightly weird, but it wasn't to bad I just have no clue how you would say some of the names.
There is a lot of characters and lot of things going on. So it's cool to see how it all unfolds but it was mainly just a lot of information to try and keep straight. The book also in a way had a informative ton. Like everything was more fact and details than emotional. It worked out really well though, I actually liked that because this book there is a lot to take in so it helped that Kincaid wasn't talking about his feelings most of the time.
Most of this book is in Kincaid's point of view but a few chapters through out this book are in other peoples point of view, like Benja and Hadleys'.
So the first half is pretty good basically a lot of what the synopsis is talking about. Half way through the book however we get a really nice twist and turn to the book that makes it more interesting, though it was pretty interesting to start with.
Lots of people crossing other people. Lots of rebelion going on and stuff like that. Which adds to the information of trying to know who is the traders who isn't.
The ending is also one of those that is unexpected. To see that this is going to be the first in a series it shall be interesting for sure to see where the next book goes and how it is told or even who it is told by. Honestly there is a lot of ways a second book can go with all that happened in this one.
I really liked this book and can't wait to see a second!
January 22, 2014
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book!!
Token is an awesome novel about a boy named Kincaid who grows up on an island getting prepared to be sold at the age of 16 in an auction. Only his best friend/girlfriend, Hadley, was sold early, and he does all that he can to reunite with her. He ends up being sold early as well and the rest of the book is filled with excitement and curiosity. You need to read it to see all the twists and turns this book has to offer.
It's really surprising that this is the author's first book, as it is a great story and extremely well written. It has everything that popular novels today have, including heroism, love, sacrifice and deceit. If you loved the Hunger Games, you will love Token. The stories are similar but still quite different.
I highly recommend Token to anyone who enjoys dystopian fiction. The author perfectly balanced out the amount of action going on and the amount of emotions that were going through Kincaid's head, as well as a couple other tokens that we had the honor of reading their POV. It's gripping and you won't want to put it down until you're finished with it. Since it's a fairly short book, it won't take long to finish.
There were some paragraphs I think that could've been shorter, but that's more my problem. I prefer not reading long paragraphs, sometimes I can't focus as well.
I really loved this book and everything about it. But I have to find out what happens next! The ending of the book left so many questions and I can't wait for the next book. Thank you so much to the author for giving me a copy of this book! Please write the next one soon! :)
I loved this book!!
Token is an awesome novel about a boy named Kincaid who grows up on an island getting prepared to be sold at the age of 16 in an auction. Only his best friend/girlfriend, Hadley, was sold early, and he does all that he can to reunite with her. He ends up being sold early as well and the rest of the book is filled with excitement and curiosity. You need to read it to see all the twists and turns this book has to offer.
It's really surprising that this is the author's first book, as it is a great story and extremely well written. It has everything that popular novels today have, including heroism, love, sacrifice and deceit. If you loved the Hunger Games, you will love Token. The stories are similar but still quite different.
I highly recommend Token to anyone who enjoys dystopian fiction. The author perfectly balanced out the amount of action going on and the amount of emotions that were going through Kincaid's head, as well as a couple other tokens that we had the honor of reading their POV. It's gripping and you won't want to put it down until you're finished with it. Since it's a fairly short book, it won't take long to finish.
There were some paragraphs I think that could've been shorter, but that's more my problem. I prefer not reading long paragraphs, sometimes I can't focus as well.
I really loved this book and everything about it. But I have to find out what happens next! The ending of the book left so many questions and I can't wait for the next book. Thank you so much to the author for giving me a copy of this book! Please write the next one soon! :)
February 4, 2014
Got a free copy so here's my honest review.
I found this book highly intriguing. It captured my attention from page one till the very last sentence. I gotta say, I wasn't sure if I'd like it. I thought it would be boring, but I found myself gravely mistaken. The plot was very good and I liked the writing style and the characters. It was a strong story but I was reminded of The Hunger Games trilogy more than once. Aside from that, I found Kincaid really stupid at times which was frustrating. He kept mentioning Hadley again and again and I was just kind of fed up. I mean, I found Briel much better than Hadley. And, when Quinn tells him he would find everything to his liking at Ridian, he doesn't even think logically. He never ponders why Quinn would have said it if Hadley wasn't there. He just didn't think about possibilities. He kept whining about getting Hadley back. Moreover, when the Melee takes place, he is again focused on Hadley and I thought he had forgotten about his friends; fortunately, he didn't forget about his friends which redeemed him in my eyes. The whole Hadley business was quite annoying, honestly. And, the climax was absolutely shocking. I so didn't see it coming! Plus, I kept imagining Briel would show up in the war but she didn't. I wish Briel was mentioned more in the book. Nevertheless, it was a strong story though there were some despicable parts-I'm really thankful to the author that these parts were vaguely mentioned. It was a very good read and makes me curious for the sequel.
I found this book highly intriguing. It captured my attention from page one till the very last sentence. I gotta say, I wasn't sure if I'd like it. I thought it would be boring, but I found myself gravely mistaken. The plot was very good and I liked the writing style and the characters. It was a strong story but I was reminded of The Hunger Games trilogy more than once. Aside from that, I found Kincaid really stupid at times which was frustrating. He kept mentioning Hadley again and again and I was just kind of fed up. I mean, I found Briel much better than Hadley. And, when Quinn tells him he would find everything to his liking at Ridian, he doesn't even think logically. He never ponders why Quinn would have said it if Hadley wasn't there. He just didn't think about possibilities. He kept whining about getting Hadley back. Moreover, when the Melee takes place, he is again focused on Hadley and I thought he had forgotten about his friends; fortunately, he didn't forget about his friends which redeemed him in my eyes. The whole Hadley business was quite annoying, honestly. And, the climax was absolutely shocking. I so didn't see it coming! Plus, I kept imagining Briel would show up in the war but she didn't. I wish Briel was mentioned more in the book. Nevertheless, it was a strong story though there were some despicable parts-I'm really thankful to the author that these parts were vaguely mentioned. It was a very good read and makes me curious for the sequel.
March 10, 2014
I got a free copy of the book in exchange for this review.
When you got nothing in life more than a bunch of friends and the love of your life, you have to stick with them, or at least try it.
Kincaid, after having a rough life, full of training and just a few joys has only one hope: Being selected for the same Elitist as Hadley at auction. Hadley is his sun and stars, but when she is sold without a warning, that’s exactly what Kincaid does, try whatever he could imagine to get her back. Except that as a trainee he has not much power... but as Kincaid Maddox, a descendent of some powerful god, he can. And even make a change on Knav, the land his father and mother wanted to release from an evil ruler.
Reading this book was a difficult path, I liked the story in a way, but at the same time I didn’t enjoy the development or the construction. The plot is terrific, but the way the things are told not that so. There is no climax, not excitement, everything is almost predictable.
You must read it if you’re in a mood for something light, but no if you’re wishing for something more complicated.
The Best
The different points of view. I enjoyed reading about the other Tokens.
The Worst
Why everyone has to be THAT gullible and easily manipulated? Every single character buys everything they are told of. “I’m your mother”, “oh, yes of course.” “You must destroy the one you love” “oh, sure, why not?”. Reading how dumb the characters were was the hardest thing on this book.
When you got nothing in life more than a bunch of friends and the love of your life, you have to stick with them, or at least try it.
Kincaid, after having a rough life, full of training and just a few joys has only one hope: Being selected for the same Elitist as Hadley at auction. Hadley is his sun and stars, but when she is sold without a warning, that’s exactly what Kincaid does, try whatever he could imagine to get her back. Except that as a trainee he has not much power... but as Kincaid Maddox, a descendent of some powerful god, he can. And even make a change on Knav, the land his father and mother wanted to release from an evil ruler.
Reading this book was a difficult path, I liked the story in a way, but at the same time I didn’t enjoy the development or the construction. The plot is terrific, but the way the things are told not that so. There is no climax, not excitement, everything is almost predictable.
You must read it if you’re in a mood for something light, but no if you’re wishing for something more complicated.
The Best
The different points of view. I enjoyed reading about the other Tokens.
The Worst
Why everyone has to be THAT gullible and easily manipulated? Every single character buys everything they are told of. “I’m your mother”, “oh, yes of course.” “You must destroy the one you love” “oh, sure, why not?”. Reading how dumb the characters were was the hardest thing on this book.
October 27, 2015
* I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions below are mine and have not been influenced by the author or others' opinions. *
Ahhh...a pearl! It is so nice to read a book that lives up to its potential. I requested this book, because I thought the concept was interesting and pretty unique. I hoped I wasn't picking up a book that needed another revision or edit before publishing - And was so relieved and excited that this book was well-written, cleanly edited (I can't remember any errors; there may be a few, but none were glaring or off-putting), and exciting with a solid plot and well-developed main character.
Most interesting for me was the plot. I was really into this story and desperately wanted to know what would happen next. I like that the author pulls the reader into some of the secrets that are hidden from the main character, while others sneak up and bite everyone involved. Due to the prologue, there were some things I thought were a little bit predictable in places; however, it wasn't predictable enough to ruin my experience as a reader.
I enjoyed this book and have given it a solid 4 stars. Although I am normally aggravated when the first book in a series ends in a cliffhanger (be forewarned...), I am so excited to find out what happens next, that I really didn't mind as much as usual.
Ahhh...a pearl! It is so nice to read a book that lives up to its potential. I requested this book, because I thought the concept was interesting and pretty unique. I hoped I wasn't picking up a book that needed another revision or edit before publishing - And was so relieved and excited that this book was well-written, cleanly edited (I can't remember any errors; there may be a few, but none were glaring or off-putting), and exciting with a solid plot and well-developed main character.
Most interesting for me was the plot. I was really into this story and desperately wanted to know what would happen next. I like that the author pulls the reader into some of the secrets that are hidden from the main character, while others sneak up and bite everyone involved. Due to the prologue, there were some things I thought were a little bit predictable in places; however, it wasn't predictable enough to ruin my experience as a reader.
I enjoyed this book and have given it a solid 4 stars. Although I am normally aggravated when the first book in a series ends in a cliffhanger (be forewarned...), I am so excited to find out what happens next, that I really didn't mind as much as usual.
August 11, 2016
As others have mentioned, Token does start off a bit slow. We are introduced to Kincaid who is the Token as lives on an island training for his service. We aren't given a lot of information about the world other than the island that he lives in so it is quite a shock (or not as we are expecting it based on the prologue) when he leaves and finds out what he really has been training for. Imagine and Hunger Games-ish fight and a secret rebellion. The book is arguably slow, but it does pick up significantly after Kincaid leaves the island. The book definitely holds your interest, but I had a hard time feeling any connection to the characters. It was almost like we were being told the story instead of allowed to experience it. There is also significant amounts of information that are absent from the story that the reader is left to infer which also seemed to distract from the flow; however, as the novel progressed, things kept making sense and then you realize why there was so much detail and foreshadowing! What a nice way to wrap up the story and tie everything together. It definitely left me wanting more. A very nice addition to the dystopian genre. Looking forward to the next book in the series! Well done Mr Gressett!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review.
February 1, 2015
I found this book in my Kindle so I read it.
This is just to say I don't remember when or where I got it, just that it's been there forever. The start/end dates are deceptive. I started it at maybe 11pm and ended at maybe 1am or so.
Token tells of a time where young children are sold and raised on the Hawk Islands. On their 16th birthday, they will be auctioned off to the highest Elite bidder. Kincaid, the protagonist of this story, believes that he will be stepping into a better life - a life where he can prove his worth as a Token and buy his freedom. But things aren't really as it seems.
Gressett's idea of the Token system seems to be based on the ancient Roman Gladiators, with a bit of Greek mythology thrown in for good measure. Actually, I'd say that the concept of the book is kind of interesting, but at the same time, it's also kind of common. Maybe I'm done with the whole dystopian/revolution type story, and the young, bull-headed wonder kid (who's desperately in love) who has to save the world with powers he just found out he had/inherited.
It was somewhere between a 2 and a 3, but I think it's more of a 2 mainly because reading in first present annoys me. Minor typos, but nothing jarring.
This is just to say I don't remember when or where I got it, just that it's been there forever. The start/end dates are deceptive. I started it at maybe 11pm and ended at maybe 1am or so.
Token tells of a time where young children are sold and raised on the Hawk Islands. On their 16th birthday, they will be auctioned off to the highest Elite bidder. Kincaid, the protagonist of this story, believes that he will be stepping into a better life - a life where he can prove his worth as a Token and buy his freedom. But things aren't really as it seems.
Gressett's idea of the Token system seems to be based on the ancient Roman Gladiators, with a bit of Greek mythology thrown in for good measure. Actually, I'd say that the concept of the book is kind of interesting, but at the same time, it's also kind of common. Maybe I'm done with the whole dystopian/revolution type story, and the young, bull-headed wonder kid (who's desperately in love) who has to save the world with powers he just found out he had/inherited.
It was somewhere between a 2 and a 3, but I think it's more of a 2 mainly because reading in first present annoys me. Minor typos, but nothing jarring.
January 26, 2014
*I received a free copy from the author*
First of all I would like to say that I still can’t believe this is the author’s debut novel, the book has everything a good dystopian novel needs.
Token captures your attention right from the start, the prologue was so well written that I now need a prequel that tells the story of Kincaid’s parents; things keep getting better in the next chapters. The book has a great pace, it didn’t have parts that dragged for too long and the conflicts were resolved very well.
I loved Kincaid at times I forgot he was a teenage boy, yes he had faults and there were times I wanted to smack him, still considering all the things he was going through he handled things really well.
My only complaint with the book would be that I would have enjoyed knowing more things about Kincaid’s life in the Island, it sounded so interesting and what little slices of life that we got were my favorite parts of the book.
*Thanks again to Ryan Gressett for letting me enjoy her work*
First of all I would like to say that I still can’t believe this is the author’s debut novel, the book has everything a good dystopian novel needs.
Token captures your attention right from the start, the prologue was so well written that I now need a prequel that tells the story of Kincaid’s parents; things keep getting better in the next chapters. The book has a great pace, it didn’t have parts that dragged for too long and the conflicts were resolved very well.
I loved Kincaid at times I forgot he was a teenage boy, yes he had faults and there were times I wanted to smack him, still considering all the things he was going through he handled things really well.
My only complaint with the book would be that I would have enjoyed knowing more things about Kincaid’s life in the Island, it sounded so interesting and what little slices of life that we got were my favorite parts of the book.
*Thanks again to Ryan Gressett for letting me enjoy her work*
January 28, 2015
I got a free copy from the author to review.
At first I couldn't get in the story, but then BOOM! I was in the story with characters. I felt all of their feelings; love, anger...
The story was sometimes predictable, but some points cought me off guard, especially the end. I was so puzzled like the characters.
The world the author created can awake something in everyone's heart. Abusing children like that... I wonder what the world will be after this first book and what will happen to the characters. I'm waiting the rest of this serie.
Thanks again Ryan Gressett for letting me to see such a incredible work. I hope we can see soon your next book :)
At first I couldn't get in the story, but then BOOM! I was in the story with characters. I felt all of their feelings; love, anger...
The story was sometimes predictable, but some points cought me off guard, especially the end. I was so puzzled like the characters.
The world the author created can awake something in everyone's heart. Abusing children like that... I wonder what the world will be after this first book and what will happen to the characters. I'm waiting the rest of this serie.
Thanks again Ryan Gressett for letting me to see such a incredible work. I hope we can see soon your next book :)
September 10, 2016
Overall, Token was a good book. Like the world setting and the characters. Kincaid is a bit too love sick for Hadley and I wish he stopped for a second and give Briel a chance on a more personal relationship. Hadley annoyed me when she was on the Island and in the end I hated her, she was an ass hole for what she done and her reasoning can be understandable in that world, I guess, however, if you loved someone the way she apparently did, then she wouldn't do what she did. Liked reading from other characters and know what they were dealing with. I didn't expect the end to happen like that.
January 25, 2014
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a great book. The characters were easy to love. Definitely a unique storyline that kept me guessing. The story is wonderfully unpredictable and full of twists and turns. I'm so glad it is just the start of a series that I can't wait to keep reading :)
This is a great book. The characters were easy to love. Definitely a unique storyline that kept me guessing. The story is wonderfully unpredictable and full of twists and turns. I'm so glad it is just the start of a series that I can't wait to keep reading :)
January 17, 2015
Interesting plot twists, rough writing
An interesting dystopian novel with elements with elements of the Hunger Games. The first person narrative of the main character comes across stilted and rough. There are some interesting plot twists and overall the novel could use more sharpening. The story ends in a cliffhanger.
An interesting dystopian novel with elements with elements of the Hunger Games. The first person narrative of the main character comes across stilted and rough. There are some interesting plot twists and overall the novel could use more sharpening. The story ends in a cliffhanger.
March 19, 2014
This story went nowhere I thought it would. The story and writing just blew me away. I am not sure if this is a series, but it kind of is and isn't a cliffhanger. You have to read it for yourself. Fan flipping tastic!
April 1, 2014
Good up to the end
A bit of a medieval type feel with a futuristic flavor. I didn't expect the way it ended and was a bit disappointed Kinkade didn't get the right girl.
A bit of a medieval type feel with a futuristic flavor. I didn't expect the way it ended and was a bit disappointed Kinkade didn't get the right girl.
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