“GRONE is an absolute masterpiece of science fiction.
Each chapter brings a fresh revelation… every new twist feeds you just enough information to feel like you’re sorting through the last handful of puzzle pieces you’re sure came from different boxes…[but then you] twist them around… and they suddenly fit together perfectly to create an immeasurably gratifying picture. Cumby is a master storyteller. ” —Beatrice Toothman, Seattle Book Review
“A kinetic and sharply written space opera [with] spirited, impressive worldbuilding [and] a stellar cast of characters.
Cumby’s spirited, impressive worldbuilding packs this first installment with incident. The novel moves at a steady clip [with] spry dialogue and intriguing narrative details. The stellar cast of characters includes a likable game designer and an uncompromising former dark-web hacker. The author doesn’t take long to link the dual plotlines, but there’s still plenty of mystery as well as a few shocks along the way. This book’s ending offers a surprising amount of closure, [and] copious virtual worlds remain for sequels to explore.” —Kirkus Reviews
Excerpts from reader reviews (full reviews available on Amazon, Goodreads & Bookbub):
“The experience of reading GRONE is… like watching a captivating feature film.”
“Just when you think you’ve got it figured out it flips you onto your head and throws you for a loop. Get ready for a great ride!!”
“This book has INSTANTLY become a favorite joining Ringworld and the Amber Chronicles as creative worlds I want to visit often!”
“If you’ve read sci-fi, fantasy, or LitRPG genres, you will go into this expecting that the story will go a particular way. It will not. At all.”
“As a debut novel, this is a remarkable piece of writing that deserves a wide audience and all of the praise. Looking forward to the next installment.”
“This book was AMAZING! It begins with twin siblings, a brother and sister, playing a very intricate VR video game in their basement and takes you on quite a ride from there. There was sci-fi, suspense, romance, action, adventure and humor. It was really quite something! The worlds were built so wonderfully and the plot was SO GOOD! I did not want this book to end at all! […] If you enjoy long sci fi novels with intricate and well thought out plots this is the book for you! You will not regret reading it.”
“If you, like me, are a fan of science fiction epics like Dan Simmon’s Hyperion or Frank Hubert’s Dune, then you’ll love this. Every time I put it down I felt the need to shake the sands of alien worlds from my shoes.”
“GRONE is one of the most intricate, well-plotted and engaging books I’ve read in a very long time. At 600 pages, it felt a little daunting going in, but every plot shift was accounted for, all characters were engaging and remained “in character” throughout. If you love video games, fantasy epics, world-building, adventure… this book is for you. I can imagine this as a streaming TV series, or a movie. The story really takes off in the second chapter, but ties perfectly back to page one at the end.”
“A missed opportunity if someone doesn’t turn this into a series/movie.”
“This is a brilliantly conceived book that takes the idea of a Games Universe and runs with it in a completely unexpected direction: no levelling-up, no points scores, no faux-medievalism; another world has come alive in a completely unplanned manner that is having disastrous consequences for our own world. Elements of AI, parallel dimensions, and political thriller combine with strong characters and a nerve-wracking plot. It’s a long book, but I read it in one sitting and eagerly await the next volume in the series.”
“Intricate plot with surprising twists and unexpected turns along the way, with extremely well-developed characters I was completely invested in. This was a perfect total escape from real life within the worlds of this book. Amazingly realistic and detailed. If you’ve ever read a book or played a video/adventure/role-playing game that seemed real to you – or you wished was real – this adventure is for you! Once I finish writing this review, I am immediately buying and reading the next book. Brilliant.”
“If you loved Ready Player One or Sword Art Online and are ready for a more mature and intricately constructed story, this hard-hitting space opera epic is for you.”
“I was absolutely fascinated with how the story rolled out. Characters are well fleshed out and the imagery created by the printed word was amazing. Could easily create visuals in my mind of the scenarios presented, which kept me engaged late into the night.”
“A sweeping tale of suspense, mystery and intrigue that carries us through richly detailed worlds way beyond our time and space, [with] real life consequences and danger around every corner.”
“Plot is complex and well developed. The overall concept mind boggling.”
“[Cumby] skillfully pulls us along through riveting near-misses, triumphs, cascading failures and disasters.”
“The plot twist have cliff-hangers. The cliff-hangers have plot twists.”
“I absolutely loved this complicated, intense sci-fi story.”
“I’ll be the first one in the theater once they make a movie out of this epic new novel.”
“A New Epic: Richly Imagined, Inventive and Gripping. I absolutely will read anything Cumby writes from now on!”
“Unimaginably Enjoyable.”
“Grone had me hooked from the moment I started reading it, and never let me down through the end.”
“Extremely well-written, well-paced, and engaging. Grone drew me in quickly and never let go. This is an engaging tale told well. Grone has a deep, well-imagined universe and offers readers the opportunity to discover its secrets alongside the characters. This work compares favorably to the writing of sci-fi greats, and I’ll be logging on from meat space for the next installment as soon as it’s published.”
“I recommend this book highly. You may enjoy it even more if you are a video gamer yourself — but I am not a gamer, and I liked it very much, and look forward to the next book in the series. While we wait, the author is providing us on his website with other stories set in the same universe — check them out.”
“In the same way that Tolkien gave us a fully conceptualized “Middle Earth” as a backdrop for his story, Patrick Cumby has created an entire cosmology, an intricately detailed and multi-layered metaverse where his characters play out a thrilling, adventure packed super-drama. The story’s premise hinges on the elusive boundary between the real and the virtual, so as readers we are treated to that persistent underlying philosophical question, “What is reality, really?”
“One storyline takes us on a voyage with two star-crossed lovers exploring planets remaining from an area of the galaxy known as the Known Arc. The other story simply takes us downstairs in a house on Earth where a brother and sister are obsessed with a superb galactic video game. What we readers can not begin to realize is how these two immensely different stories ultimately coalesce into one edge-of-your-seat finale.”
“If you like expansive sci fi, gaming, stories about AI or just plain beautifully woven tales of adventure in amazing settings… this is a book you’re going to want to read. I cannot believe this is the author’s first novel because he really put out a perfect product. 600 and something pages but you’re so wrapped up they just fly by. I absolutely will read anything Cumby writes from now on! Enjoy!!”
“Best read I have had this year! I cannot wait to read the rest of the books! Get writing man!”
“Outstanding!”
The two story lines are engaging and exciting. If I had known the premise in advance, I may have dismissed it and never read. But falling down the author’s slippery slope made me a fan. Looking forward to his other titles.
GRONE is available in paperback, audiobook, Kindle and Kindle Unlimited
