Blog Tour: Silver Sphere

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The Silver Sphere

Shelby Pardow never imagined killing someone. That's about to change.

While hiding from her troubled father in the local library, Shelby stares at a flashing instant message on her computer: YOU ARE NEEDED. She discovers a portal that opens and teleports her to the planet Azimuth, where soldiers await. Here, she is not a child but a warrior, Kin to one of the six Aulic Assembly members imprisoned by Malefic Cacoethes, the daunting leader of the Nightlanders.

Malefic, the evil spawn of the demon Biskara, razes towns and cities in his quest to rule Azimuth, and yearns to turn his forces against Earth. Yet every time Biskara gets close to achieving his malevolent goals, the Assembly uses the Silver Sphere, a sophisticated armillary device, to thwart him.

With the Assembly deposed, Biskara directing Malefic's conquests, and the Silver Sphere out of reach, Shelby is thrust into an unforgettable quest with her fellow Kin. She must learn to kill and lead an army into battle, or Azimuth—and Earth—will fall.

What a story! I got into it a little ways and was pretty confused with all the characters that were being introduced. I started thinking that I should have written them down so I could figure it out. Then, I looked at the Table of Contents and at the end, there was a link to the Glossary! That came in quite handy during this book. I also read it a little more slowly than I usually do so I could keep the characters and storylines straight in my head. I loved it, though! 

We meet Bianca first, who is part of the Aulic Assembly and is being tormented by Malefic, but we have no idea who they are. Then we meet Shelby Pardow, a teenager whose mother has abandoned her and her father drinks a lot. She has nicknamed him "the beast." The beast is having a tough morning and starts abusing her so, the first chance she gets, she runs off to the library. Mr. Dempsey, the librarian, is always kind to her and she feels safe when she's there. She gets on the computer and a message pops up: "You are needed." She's a little confused and responds, "For what?" She gets another message and is told to go to the storage room and she will be greeted soon. She shows it to Mr. Dempsey and he suggests they go to investigate. 

Next we meet Zach. He's getting out of school and helps a friend get out of a bullying situation. When he gets home, his parents are arguing and he escapes to the guesthouse where he turns his computer on. A message pops up: "YOU ARE NEEDED." He asks who it is and gets a message and is told to step outside and he will find them waiting. He opens the door to fog and as he walks, he realizes that he's not walking toward his house. He hears two men talking about the opening to the portal and they are clearly looking for him. Since he doesn't know who they are, he hides from them. He also notices changes to his clothes and body and is pretty confused about what's going on.

We learn a little more about Shelby and she and Mr. Dempsey are both taken into the fog where they meet up with the men who take them to the others. We then meet Riley, Stuart, Max and Emily, who are already in Meredia. They're learning who they are: Meridia's governing body, the Aulic Assembly, has disappeared and each of the six teens were born with a psychic link to one of the six members of the Assembly. They need to utilize their psychic links to rescue the Assembly members so they can operate the "Silver Sphere."

This is where it really starts getting complex as they start meeting people and creatures in Meridia. There are some illustrations, too, to help get a better idea of what some of them look like. There are some good relationships that start forming as the Kin learn their role in what's happening and what they are destined to do. There's lots of action and strategy and adjusting to new problems that come up. One of the characters is introduced toward the beginning and we don't hear much more about him and I was wondering why he was in the story and then he reappears during a pivotal point (yes, the Glossary will come in very handy). The ending was feeling complete and then the last chapter contains a revelation that screams, "Sequel!" This is a world I will definitely continue reading about and recommend it to others to learn about, too.

My Rating: 4 stars
YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi, 274 pages
Content:Fighting-type violence (nothing too graphic)

Author Michael Dadich

I’ve been writing since first setting pencil to steno pad at age 8. A year later, I began developing the world of my current series-in-progress, and even created its title, The Silver Sphere. Now, with the support of years of experience, those early maps and back stories have progressed into what I hope is a fresh and entertaining take on the classic young adult fantasy adventure.
Despite my frequent escapes into parallel worlds, I root myself firmly in my very real family and community. When not pacing the yard maniacally after every few pages of writing, I spend as much time as possible hanging out with my studly 9-year-old son, and my inspirational wife Jenna. I also coach several local youth sports teams in Beverly Hills, and alternate between yelling at my two crazy Corgis and hiking with my trained German Shepherd.
For more, join me in my favorite fantasy worlds, from Lord of the Rings to the creations of C.S. Lewis, Anne McCaffrey and Terry Brooks. Even more importantly, stop by and say hello on my Facebook page at AuthorMichaelDadich, tweet me at @MichaelDadich, and stalk my website at http://www.thesilversphere.org.