The Ascension Machine

The familiar setting of the school for witchcraft and wizardry gets an upgrade to intergalactic academy for Superheroes in Rob Edwards' exciting and action packed adventure for Middle Graders.

The story centres around an unnamed artful Dodger type, who lives hand to mouth doing various con jobs on numerous galactic space stations, until one day he is offered a job that seems too good to be true. All he has to do is to pretend to be some rich kid for a little while so that said rich kid can escape from his magnificently rich family and disappear into the cosmos to make his fortune.

Seem simple? Yeah you would think so, but he should have heeded the advice that if something seems too good to be true, then it probably is, as the seemingly simple job as masquerading as some rich kid gets him taken to the aforementioned super hero academy and ends up with him continuing to live the life of the rich kid, Mirabor Garvane and actually finding something that he didn???t know that he needed - friends and family.

Rob Edwards???s book is a delightful romp from start to finish. The superhero academy works well and whilst it may remind you of certain other educational institutions, it does instil a little bit of realism into the curriculum, as there is the constant question of who does the superhero academy actually belong to, and are all these superheroes doing it for the love of saving people or is there a question that they may be in league with the larger corporations.

The ensemble cast led by the enigmatic Grey, as he becomes known as, is strong and well realised, with certain members of the team standing out more than others in this first adventure. Sevenfourthirty is implacable in his friendship and honest nature. He readily accepts Grey as his best friend and kind of provides his moral compass. Whereas, it is Gadget Dude who shines the brightest and while he doesn???t necessarily converse much throughout the story, he communicates so much with simple verbal expression and gesture.

The narrative itself is fast paced and easy to follow. It's full of well placed humour and lovingly crafted quips at the superhero genre as a whole. The story itself is full of adventure and familiar themes, such as the found family aspect, which when done well is always a delight. There is a little bit of spy thriller thrown in there to up the ante somewhat. On top of that, there is a legitimate feeling of threat in the book, as whilst there are no graphic details of injury, not everyone fares as well as you would expect in the story.

The Ascension Machine is an entertainingly fun packed story, full of action and intrigue and will appeal to both budding sci-fi and superhero fans.

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: The Ascension Machine

Thank you to Rob Edwards for providing me with a copy for an honest review!

Grey has been jumping from one place to another, stealing just enough to get by and taking up the odd job now and then. Until his latest theft lands him in front of Mirabor Gravane. But Gravane isn't going to turn him into the authorities. Instead, he offers Grey a job. One that seems a bit too easy. If Grey pretends to be Mirabor long enough for him to slip away from his parent's watchful eyes, he'll give Grey a large payout. And while Grey knows there must be a catch, he decides to take the job. Little does he know, he's about to join the Justice Academy in Gravane's place. A college for superheroes.

Grey is such a great character to follow. Even though he's been conning and stealing his way through life, he isn't inherently a bad person. He just doesn't know any other way to live, until he mistakenly ends up at the Justice Academy. While Grey tries to keep himself separate from the other future heroes, he is drawn into their friendship. After living so long alone, Grey finally can find a place to call home and people he can count on. Of course, there is the small matter that he is currently living a lie which brings wonderful tension into the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed how Rob Edwards allowed Grey to remain in character. It gave Grey time to reflect on what he was doing and develop into a better person. Not to mention it provided some comical mishaps and showcased his ability to think quickly. The overall tone of The Ascension Machine is animated, allowing readers to become engaged in a fast-paced and fun story. Amidst the good-natured friendships and interactions, there is also everyday school pressure and the occasional villain to take down. These superheroes in training have a wide range of abilities and skills, and they are not afraid to use everything they have to save people.

My favorite character, however, was Gadget Dude. He was a character of few words, but through body language and brief moments of dialogue, Rob Edwards created a character just as influential as the rest. For the most part, he tinkered with parts and created gadgets as the rest of the group held conversations or tried to plan their next move. I loved how Gadget Dude was front and center with the group despite being so quiet.

The Ascension Machine is a story suitable for the younger crowd, but can just as easily be enjoyed by adults. It is filled with humor, as well as strong themes of friendship and acceptance. With a wonderful mix of characters and personalities, there is never a dull moment. I am eager to see where the next story takes our heroes.