Description
Welcome back to New Beam City.
A few weeks have passed since the events within At Arms Length. Clain is conflicted by the attack he endured at the hands of the sinister android Synric, who referred to him as a “project.” Clain seeks to train himself and hone his unusual magnetic skills even further while tapping into the mighty Motherboard sword he crafted in months past. The threat however looms over him and his friends as Synric manipulates their actions from behind the scenes. An enemy possessing strength far beyond anything the world has ever seen.
And what lurks beyond city limits? The strong willed leader of the vicious Pit Pigs, Kruger, who seeks revenge on a world gone blind. Join Clain and his friends as they attempt to unmask the threats within New Beam City.
Welcome to Tower Of Phantoms!
Trilabs –
(Full disclosure: I am credited as one of the editors of this book)
“Are you ready to live your life on Cloud 9 today?” might seem like a simple question, but the question poses more peril than you might expect. The central building in “Son Of Syn – The Tower of Phantoms” fictional metropolis – New Beam City, rises above all others showing the company’s prominence, and importance to the inhabitants and all who visit the futuristic metropolitan area. It is in this very city we once again find ourselves as we reconnect with our protagonist, Clain.
A few weeks have passed since his adventures in “Son Of Syn – At Arms Length”, the first book in this series. We immediately return to the small restaurant, Pho King, while Clain contemplates the events that took place just a few weeks prior. The emotional trauma of past events now weighs heavy on his mind. The appearance of Synric, an adversary stronger than any he has ever faced, has his whole being at high alert not knowing what will happen next. How does one prepare for a battle with a foe seemingly stronger in every fathomable way?
Clain finds himself with a desperate need to understand his current predicament. Not only physically, but also emotionally. He tries not only to find an understanding of what he’s been pulled into but also for what reason. At the same time, he already knows this adversary will return and needs to find a way to prepare for that very moment. His struggle to find answers and overcome his challenges are one of many reasons why Clain’s character arc in “Tower Of Phantoms” makes him perhaps the character that develops the most in the book compared to his introduction in “At Arms Length”. His inner struggle is laid bare for the reader, providing a much-needed and important connection to understand him, his actions, and his reasoning. His values, hopes, and fears are shown not just through physical actions, but even more so through his thoughts and dreams. All of which prove to guide him towards unraveling the truth behind everything he’s been unwillingly dragged into since the events in the previous book. Clain’s core values, his relationship with his loved ones, his sense of self, and even his perception of reality are all put to the ultimate test, pushing Clain to his very limit throughout the events of the book.
As a vital countermeasure to Clain’s emotional state, we find the cheerful youth Fila and her father, Mr. Le. Fila provides maybe the most important role in Clain’s current life. Young and adventurous, she not only provides comic relief with her witty comments to current events, but the fact that she doesn’t hide for a moment the fact that she cares much for the tenant living and running a store of his own in her mother’s old sewing shop also clearly provides a vital emotional backdrop to the events that take place in the story. One might say her sharp comments and quick replies in some way remind Clain of a simpler life. One where things didn’t seem so dangerous and uncertain and the realities of life were not shrouded in mysteries and unknowns. Past events, however, threaten to change their dynamic, with deep-rooted guilt still lingering in both of their minds. Fila also enjoys the company of a new pet cat named Kiva. A free-roaming kitten that she recently acquired. Her story arc has a strong emotional statement, making you realize things are not always how they appear to be.
Mr. Le, Fila’s father, provides the role of mentor to Clain. Having lived a long life of his own, his calm nature, even with the everyday stress of raising his daughter alone after his wife passed away and running his restaurant, gives Clain someone to look up to, and aspire to be more like. The events that unfold not only reveal new context surrounding Mr.Le’s background but also rattles the normally grounded man beyond measure. We also find time to explore his relationship with both Clain and his daughter in further depth. We learn of Mr. Le’s past, and how their family ended up in this vast and mysterious city. The story allows us to truly deepen our understanding of both father and daughter in ways we never have before, revealing the many struggles they’ve been through to become who they are now. The moral choices the kind but protective father has to make are tough, heartbreaking, and yet you cannot but love him for how deeply he cares for his daughter, ensuring her well-being in this world of uncertainty and chaos.
After a welcoming reunion with Mr. Le, Clain, Fila, and her new kitten, a mysterious visitor approaches the Pho King restaurant that Mr. Le immediately recognizes. But is it truly who he believes it to be? In this cyberpunk-inspired future, it seems anything is possible, and some people will stop at nothing to push their own agenda in their aspirations to reach their own goals.
Clain’s new adversary, Synric, plays an important role in this book. The android’s motives are still shrouded in mystery, it wreaks havoc in New Bream City as it once again interjects itself into the events that unfold throughout the story, manipulating the results in its favor. Its actions prove more precise and calculative than any human barred by emotions of guilt or remorse. Much is revealed, however, as we enter the final arc, only leading to even more rabbit holes of mysteries. Will Synric ever be entirely truthful about its motives beyond riddled words and cold calculated actions? What is truly its relationship with Clain? Why does it desire him to be its “project”? What truths are hidden behind its connection to its creator? All we do know for certain is that Synric’s story has only just begun.
Moving along the story the scene changes, and we find ourselves moving to the very center of the city, the mysterious Cloud 9 building, where an advert for Cloud 9’s latest motorcycle is taking place.
It is here we find that Fila’s new friend, Honey, also makes her return. Her newfound friendships within the cast of characters have already been put to the test, as while things seem to be “business as usual” for her on the surface, we quickly learn that she worries for her newfound friends when we realize her attempts to reconnect with them have been met with silence. Honey, living the life of Cloud 9’s preferred face in all advertisements, has made her adored by many, and although she has never really gotten used to it, the avoidance of her friends puzzles her. She finds herself frustrated by the lack of response, not knowing how to handle it, or what it might mean. Not surprisingly, this is just the beginning of a series of events that will test her resolve towards her friends beyond anything we’ve seen before. The outcome of these events reveals many new facets of her personality and who she truly is beyond the bike-loving girl we got to know from “At Arms Length”. As the shooting of the commercial is about to start, she also receives a visit from a mysterious visitor. Who might it be? And why are they here?
Another character who is searching for answers is Dawn, the bounty hunter. He is found having left New Beam City, searching for answers. Confused by Clain’s newfound powers he now looks for clues in their history together. Why, and how did Clain acquire his mysterious magnetic abilities, and what might they mean? His investigation puts him on a path not just to finish a job he thought long since done but also towards newfound self-insight, having to deal with his own insecurities within the walls of Eagle’s Equinox, the society where Clain and Dawn grew up as young boys. Dawn’s motivations are clearer than most. Not only does he want to know how Clain acquired these powers, but also why. A trickle of envy is placed towards his childhood friend, and this eventually leads to new revelations towards himself and his own powers. Dawn’s arc provides important nods towards him and Clain’s past, showing how they turned out to be the way they are, all while still providing that sort of ‘brotherly’ love where Dawn, still caring for his friend, feels strong conflict towards him in terms of his newfound powers, and his constant recklessness. Often ending in Dawn having to protect him. The conflicts within him once again bring to the surface their common past that ended in a strange, disastrous, outcome. What might it all mean?
Later in the book, we visit a new location. Far beyond the borders of New Beam City, we find the headquarters of the notorious “pit pigs”. A group of outlaws with residence in and around an unfinished hotel structure, which they have ‘rebuilt’ in their own image. The macabre images that are revealed as we move towards their lair reveal all of their ruthlessness and how far they are willing to go to accomplish their goals. What is the true goal of this grouping, and why do so many that otherwise don’t fit in the norm of society end up here?
Kruger, the leader of the Pit Pigs, makes his first appearance of the series in “Tower of Phantoms”, and boy do we find a charismatic yet chilling and ruthless character in him. A character whose background gives us an alternate take on the world, the current events, and its inhabitants. A twisted soul that emanates danger to anyone close, Kruger is determined to change the current state of affairs in the world to meet his standards. A character that, through the course of his life, has been forever altered after witnessing truths that most people never even knew existed, providing critical thought not only to the context of this book but also in “real life” as we know it. His macabre creations, another more visual representation of his inner thoughts and feelings, is his biggest connection to the events from the first book. This provides the setting as he attempts to set the record straight for him and his group.
“Tower of Phantoms” takes what might seem like an “aftermath” story at first, and quickly takes a hard turn into a whole set of rabbit holes of its own. It goes all-in, providing more mysteries, more action, more emotion, more context, and much more of the characters we know in an ever-evolving story that challenges you to realize the truths of the world Chris Mix has created. All the unresolved mysteries from the first book are touched on and expanded upon, and the challenges that await our friends are beyond anything we’ve seen so far.
We also find time for several new story threads that move past what you’d normally expect from a fantasy book series based in a Cyberpunk future. Chris Mix breathes new life into “known” characters from his first book, revealing hidden guilt, love, and secrets buried in the past, all while introducing new elements to the story that is both shocking and surprising as the inhabitants of New Beam City stand in the precipice of life-altering changes in every aspect of their lives. Be prepared to shed a tear (perhaps many tears) as the suggested associated music breathes new life to scenes and your perception of certain characters is changed forever. A fantastic story and a journey I can only highly recommend.