Book
A trick of light / Stan Lee and Kat Rosenfield ; created by Stan Lee, Luke Lieberman, and Ryan Silbert ; introduction by Stan Lee ; afterword by co-creators Luke Lieberman and Ryan Silbert.
"From Stan Lee, the pop culture legend behind Marvel's The Avengers, Black Panther, X-Men, Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, and Iron Man, comes a major literary event featuring two heroic teenagers-one born with extraordinary gifts, one unwillingly transformed. Together they can change the world . . . or put it in the destructive hands of a danger beyond imagination"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780358117605
- ISBN: 0358117607
- Physical Description: viii, 330 pages ; 24 cm
- Publisher: New York : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019.
- Copyright: ©2019.
Content descriptions
| General Note: | "Based in Stan Lee's Alliances Universe" |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Superheroes > Fiction. Teenagers > Fiction. Ability > Fiction. Hackers > Fiction. Online social networks > Fiction. Video blogs > Fiction. |
| Genre: | Science fiction. |
Available copies
- 16 of 16 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Prince Rupert Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 16 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Rupert Library | Lee (Text) | 33294002061679 | Adult Fiction - Second Floor | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2019 December #1
Lee passed in November 2018, but his handiwork is evident in this collaborative first installment set in the Alliances Universe. Nia is an exceptional hacker but she is isolated from the real world by her overbearing and protective father. Cameron, a teenager eager to become a YouTube celebrity, sails into a mysterious storm on Lake Erie and is struck by lightning, which gives him extraordinary powers. When Nia and Cameron meet, they begin to use their abilities to hack unsavory charactersâbut they also draw the attention of a shadowy organization and an exiled alien species eager for revenge. Peppered with pop culture references like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Ready Player One, and even the classic movie WarGames, the story doesn't break new ground but capitalizes on Lee's success with his Marvel Universe. Co-author Rosenfield breathes life into the young characters with witty dialogue and sharp pacing. Offer to fans of Marvel-style speculative fiction who enjoy stories that detail the action that normally explodes on the big screen. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews. - Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2019 September #2
A vlogger who is struck by lightning receives remarkable powers in this rousing adventure novel that launches a franchise that's a parting gift from Stan the Man. The late, great Lee (Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible, 2015, etc.) contributed a lot of ideas to this launching of a new universe dubbed Alliances, starting with an Audible original called A Trick of Light, created by Lee, Luke Lieberman, and Ryan Silbert and here translated to more conventional fiction by Rosenfield (Inland, 2014, etc.). It's a fairly universal superhero mythology with a few contemporary twists thrown in for good measure, and it's surprisingly fast-paced and highly entertaining. Our primary protagonist is Cameron Ackerson, an ambitious teen YouTuber whose dad disappeared during a mysterious storm on Lake Erie. When he's struck by lightning in a characteristically Lee origin story, Cameron discovers he's been gifted with the ability to manipulate electronicsâhe's "cyberkinetic," as he puts it. His counterpart is his online buddy Nia, a mysterious hacker kept in check by her father, known only as "the Inventor." Unfortunately, Cameron's new abilities attra ct the attention of a cryptic organization called OPTIC (that's Omni Psyop Tactical Intelligence Corporation, because, sure, why not?) that one of Cam's friends quickly dubs a second-rate "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." led by a formidable Nick Fury type named Olivia Park, a wetwork-enhanced bionic woman with a temper and a fierce resolve. More dangerously, Cameron and his new comrades have also been noticed and are the subject of a deadly pursuit by Xal, an otherworldly claw-and-tentacle type who wears people like a Doctor Who skin suit and has a real beef with Nia's dad and a jones for Cam and Nia. With a characteristically enthusiastic intro by Stan and a thoughtful afterword about the creative process by Lieberman and Silbert, this is a wild but inventive introduction to a new intergalactic struggle that promises more adventures to come. Not quite marvelous but immersive, propulsive, and engaging in the ways that sometimes only comic books can be. Copyright Kirkus 2019 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved. - PW Annex Reviews : Publishers Weekly Annex Reviews
Fresh and inventive, but fundamentally flat, this cinematic fantasy cowritten with Rosenfield (
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly Annex.Inland ) contains all the ingenuity fans will expect of the late Stan Lee (1922â2018) but not much depth. Nia, a lonely girl born with a gift for hacking, whose controlling father allows her to interact with the outside world exclusively via social media, meets Cameron Ackerson online. Cameron obtained cyberkinetic powers, the ability to control computers with his mind, after being struck by lightning. The teens decide to use their technical gifts to fight for justice via cyber stunts such as manipulating the livestream of a hateful newscaster to make him appear to sing showtunes . But when Nia discovers a virtual world that may hold the truth behind her sheltered life and a skin-stealing alien begins pursuing Cameron, the pair realizes that they've put themselves and the planet in grave danger. The plot moves quickly, and the young characters are sympathetic and modern, if lacking in interiority. Though Lee's many fans will find plenty here to keep their attention, this narrative would be better served as a movie.Agent: Yfat Reiss Gendell, Foundry Media (Sept.)
