“Shadow of a dead star” is the first book in the “Wonderland cycle” series and it had me gripped on the first page.

Set in a Cyberpunk future Seattle 2078- Michael Shean’s classic noir style of writing and flowing descriptions bring that dystopian world alive vividly. The author holds nothing back in his Chandler-esque thiller/mystery. It is a stark as it is desolate.

Thomas Walden is an agent of the Industrial Security Bureau and witnesses first hand the horrors of what can be done if the price is right. He stumbles upon something he shouldn’t have seen and now the tables are turned and the hunter becomes the hunted.

The world of Thomas Walden’s is bleak and immoral. Everything has it’s price and human life is devalued to such an extent that it is nothing more than a biological software interface.

It truly is a frightening vision of the future where technology has evolved and humanity has de-evolved into a kind of savagery. It is a decrepit world where the only thing that shines is the gadgetry.

GeneFexCorp is the evil behind the curtain pulling the strings, and everyone in this nightmarishly perverse world are the puppets. Walken finds out the intriguing truth in a stellar ending that you just couldn’t see coming.

Michael Shean created a future noir epic that would make Philip K. Dick and William Gibson proud. “Shadow of a dead star” is Cyberpunk Sci-fi at its best. It is a fast paced, non-stop thriller that is a must read in that genre. I can not wait to read the next book in the series: “Redeye”, just to see what happens next. I highly recommend.

Brainycat's 5 "B"s:
blood: 3
boobs:2
bombs:3
bondage: 2
blasphemy: 3

I bought this book based on the reader reviews here at GR. In retrospect, I agree with most of the points that John Peters wrote on 27 April 2012. However, I would have liked to see a lot more sex and violence. I'm just that kind of reader.

My biggest problems with the book are twofold. First, there's nothing in this storyline that's uniquely what I consider cyberpunk. You could take this same plot with the same characters and retool the setting and vocabulary into in any industrialized backdrop. It's a straight-up classic noir story, featuring a loner protagonist with a heart of gold and a dark secret, a revolving collection of femme fatales (most of whom do double duty as Mary Sues)and an oppressive jocular institution making life difficult.

My second problem with the book was the finale; the book ends in a monologue with the arch enemy ("No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die...") and cut to black. At no point in the story was the enemy given enough room to develop, I felt like I was being taken for granted and expected to not like the antagonists simply because the lead character didn't like them. I found myself much more interested in the antagonists, actually, and somewhat sympathetic to their cause even before the big (yawn) reveal.

Other reviewers have said the finale was too abrupt. When it finally happened, I was glad I could finally move on to another book. Usually, I give up on books that aren't engaging me, but for some reason I wanted to stick with this one and finish it. I believe I just wanted to see if there was some sort twist coming up that made the whole thing worth all the good ratings I'd seen. But the further I got into the book, I found myself reading it just to see how accurate my predictions were. Unfortunately, the plot twists I expected nearly all happened right on cue.

It's an easy book to read, the digital edition I purchased had no noticeable typos or formatting errors and the author is in command of his language but doesn't stretch the reader's ability to parse any grammar or vocabulary.

Shadow of a Dead Star (The Wonderland C... Review also found at http://the-bookaholic.blogspot.comI was provided a copy for review by publicity personnel affiliated with the author. This does not affect or influence my opinion in any way.Shadow of a Dead Star shocked me. Not in a way that it was bad, but good. I didn’t know what to expect going into it really, and soon found myself reading a cyber-punk science fiction piece. This is a genre I don’t think I’ve ever really dived into, but may perhaps have to start looking at a bit more often now because it was entertaining. Honestly, I’ve never been real attracted to the whole technological science fiction genres (space, futuristic/weird, robotic, etc.) and have always found my science fiction liking to be more geared toward steampunk, dystopian sub-genres, and general styles that don’t involve as much science perhaps. (Irony maybe that they’re classified in Sci-Fi but not as much “science” within the text?)Michael Shean probably changed my mind a bit, though. I may have to start looking around and see if I can perhaps pick up some more of these types of reading materials in the distant future because I thoroughly enjoyed this. The world he created was fascinating and the story was fast-paced and action packed. I loved the technology and the twists and turns that were presented throughout. It started out a bit slow, to be honest, but once I got over the small hump and got into it, I read through it rather quickly. What I also liked about this was that it was a crime thriller and detective story. The reader, if you highly enjoy cyber-punk and science fiction- as well as crime stories, will get the best of both worlds when reading Shadow of a Dead Star. So, while it was one of my first forays into cyber-punk, it was an easy transition due to the crime story as a backdrop, I believe. The thing is, though, if you look at the bigger picture of the story, I feel that it’s more focused on humanity rather than technology. The future of the world Shean created for Shadow of a Dead Star is a dark one- certainly one I hope to never see.The characters are well-crafted and details done just right enough for good visuals throughout. This isn’t your everyday science fiction, either way. I enjoyed it- and that’s a bonus for sure because it’s hard to get me to truly enjoy a hardcore Sci-Fi. Ha. Original, compelling, and one not to be missed.I recommend it to all lovers of Science Fiction, Cyber-Punk, and Crime Thrillers/Mystery.4.5 stars!

If you're a fan of detective stories, but feel like every single one is the same as the one before, welcome to your answer. I'm not sure whether to call Shadow of a Dead Star cyberpunk, tech noir, or a crime thriller. What I can say without a doubt, is that it's wonderfully original! Ready to step out of that mundane pile of mass market crime novels? Grab a copy of Michael Shean's book.

 

Thomas Walken, our main character, isn't your typical lawman. His world is dark, gritty, and full of some of the most horrific things he's ever seen. Despite everything that he's been through, Walken definitely isn't a hardened man. Deep down inside he is constantly questioning everything. Especially how he seems to fit into the mess he's found himself in now. What I loved about his character is that he is so believable. Caring and afraid on the inside, but doing his best to put forward a manly bravado on the outside. In a town like his, being soft just might get you killed.

 

Which brings me to my next point. The world, the city, that Michael Shean builds for his characters is absolutely fantastic. Equal parts terrifying, dark, and seedy, this is a world that is falling apart at the seams. Organized crime runs rampant. The city has pulled in on itself to protect what's left, leaving the outer parts crawling with filth and violence. Add into this a set of new technology that has the power to turn people into mindless drones, and it literally feels like hell on earth. While reading I felt every emotion that Walken felt, heightened by the world around him. Michael Shean builds a world that brims with the possibility of actually occurring, and soon. It's that very fact that allowed me to immerse myself so fully.

 

Reading Shadow of a Dead Star was like getting into a very fast car. I was terrified the entire time, but elated at finding out what would happen next. Every twist and turn brought something new and interesting to mull over, and with Walken at the wheel I was never sure where we would end up next. Although the pace is lightning fast, it flows beautifully. Michael Shean's writing is wonderfully descriptive and gripping. It was like I was right there, in the scenes. It's no surprise that I devoured this entire book from start to finish, without a single break.

 

Final verdict? Shadow of a Dead Star was something different and refreshing. It pulled out emotions long forgotten in reading piles of similar books, and reminded me of why it's important to take a chance on something new every now and then. Before this I'd never read a book in the cyberpunk genre, and I thought that all crime thrillers were filled with mundane characters and plots. How very wrong I was. If you're looking for something exciting, something dark and fantastic, look no further than this book. Strap yourself in tight. You're in for quite a ride.