Customer Reviews

Bandits

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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The author's son wanted "a gritty pirate tale." Wow! I'd say he got that and more! After all, this pirate tale is not only gritty, it is out of this world--Merwin!

As you read the story, especially in the thrilling escapades, please be alert to pay attention to the images, the creatures, the seemingly impossible acts that her characters face. Preston has a genius for not only having the imagination, but carrying that skill down to the "nitty-gritty" details! I'm going to include just one scene of many that will blow your mind as part of the total book...too good not to use an example to let you feel some of the excitement, without giving away the storyline!

It looked like the bases of the trees were turning colors. He gazed down at the dead beast at the foot of the tree in front of him. Raised his gun and jerked his eyes from tree to tree as the beasts appeared to come out of the trees and stalk him. Their gaping mouths were filled with sharp, overcrowded teeth, and their mouths were just a slit from ear to ear on their coned heads....

Daniel and his family are Zukar. They were living on Merwin, a place which was populated by thieves, hit men, or other type of criminal who would do anything, as long as they were paid. Daniel and Nickel had been thoroughly trained by their father, one of the leaders of Zukar.

Now he had been murdered. Daniel knew they had to leave immediately and get to their father's trove. His father had not been fulfilling his duties for quite some time. Though angered and confused by the changes he saw in him, Daniel had taken over to complete much of his work.

Still, he loved his father and now Daniel was burning to find who had killed him, but the more important thing was to ensure they, too, were not killed, and to get to safety.

Whether he wanted to or not, his cousin Faulk would have to go with them. Daniel didn't quite trust him because Faulk's father had last visited so that he could persuade his brother to go back to earth and start a new life. Daniel thought their life was just fine and wasn't sure Faulk was not here to try to also convince them to return home, even though Faulk had left before finishing flight school and clearly said he was there to find the adventures that he felt could be found on Merwin.

One other would leave for the treasure trove--his best friend's sister, who had been the only one he could find who could get the key to her father's ship Jade had agreed to help, but only if she could go with them!

Setting off for what could be the most dangerous adventure of their lives, the four soon became close friends--except Faulk and Daniel were both seeing Jade with new eyes... But they needed to feel safer as a team, while they fought first into the trove of her father and then on to his father's. Each had been rigged with horrible traps to prevent others from entering. That meant now Jade and Daniel had to steer them through those traps without aid of their fathers!

But Daniel's father's secret began to be unwound. He had stolen a great treasure and, instead of sharing with the Zukar, had hidden it! But this treasure was not like any other--it had the capability to destroy not only their world, but so much more!

I'm hoping this book leads on to other adventures! Taking a request from her son, LM Preston magically zips him and us into a traitorous world where the entire population are pirates--the worst kind, those that kill for profit! What brings Preston's books to life are her wonderful, courageous young adults who are tough, but willing to face any adversity that comes their way.

Then Preston begins to throw everything she's got to force those characters to fight for their lives over and over and over...with weird, strange, other-world creatures or traps set up to hoard treasure from others! The adventure is fabulously compulsory, leading to a climatic adventure that forever changes those four young adults.

So what if I'm beyond my YA years! (Book recommended for 14yrs+) Preston has become a must-read author for me!

ARC Received Via

Phenomenal One Press

GABixlerReviews

Daniel the main character is a total alpha guy with serious pirate skills. There's a steamy innocent love affair with Jade (no sex - just build up to a kiss) and his cousin who's funny without even trying. The world building is amazing since Merwin is a world of 1 million islands that the pirates use as treasure chest complete with booby traps and everything.

Bandits is a sci-fi adventure that takes the reader to an entirely new planet and introduces a society unlike anything we'd know on earth. LM Preston has a way with developing and describing the world of Merwin and dangers inherent with being a Zukar - the gangster-like thieves that populate the planet. Daniel, the main character and a Zukar himself, is a far cry from what one would expect a thief and almost-assassin to be. The word thief invokes a shady sort of character, but Daniel is young loving, but quite a serious young man. He adores his younger brother Nickel and even though he harbors a great deal of bitterness towards his recently murdered father, he still cares for him.

The characters surrounding Daniel, including Nickel, the boys' cousin Faulk, Daniel's best friend Gabe, and Gabe's sister Jade, all add a little something extra to the story. Faulk has more than a few comedic moments and he also helps to get a bit of romantic tension going. Gabe and Jade add depth to Daniel as a character, with the history the three of them share, but they, themselves, don't have as strong a voice as the lead. The group's interactions range from being humorous to saddening, but at times, the dialogue between them felt forced and stilted. The strongest sections are most definitely when the action comes into play though.

I don't want to say Bandits is a `boy book,' because it really isn't, but it will certainly appeal to male and female audience. Where many YA books focus a great deal on a love story, Bandits focuses on the action, the adventure, and the search for answers. A romantic aspect is present, but never the entire focus. The gizmos and gadgets fascinated me, as did the creatures the group encounters. Learning exactly what Daniel and Nickel's father died for was both a surprise and a pleasure.

Bandits features pirates, thieves, insanely weird, yet awesome creatures, and a group of wonderfully insane, but heartfelt characters. The book is published by a small press, and it could have used a bit more editing to tighten it all up and eliminate some repetition, but th issues I had didn't detract too much from the overall story. If you are/know a teen who loves a good adventure with some great action sequences, then Bandits is the one for you/them.

First of all, I have to say I am so proud of LM Preston. "Bandits" is her third young adult novel, and her writing continues to improve. She is voracious in spreading the word about her work from attending the BookExpo America in New York City to interacting on a daily basis with her fans on Twitter. I highly recommend following her at: [...]

As a small, independent publisher, I cannot commend LM enough for the amount of time and level of dedication she puts into her promotional efforts. LM reached out to me to review "Bandits" as a part of the online launch party in celebration of the book's June 1st release. After reviewing LM's previous titles "The Pack" and "Explorer X-Alpha," I readily agreed to participate.

LM is a rarity because she writes for teenage boys. So many young adult titles are aimed at a female demographic, and it is refreshing to see an author go after an audience that is not considered "book-friendly." It is an uphill battle to connect with potential readers who are not known to frequent bookstores or libraries. However, LM carries the torch for young guys who are looking for something to read on their Kindles, Nooks and iPads.

What is great about LM's creative approach is that she intertwines a meaningful message amid the fistfights and verbal posturing common among most adolescent guys. In "Bandits," she examines the damaged relationship between Daniel and his father, Rayne. The narrative begins with the murder of Rayne, a known criminal mastermind. However, before his untimely death, he was desperately trying to extricate himself from such a dangerous lifestyle. Daniel resented his father's show of weakness in this most macho of cultures. Needless to say after this act of violence, Daniel's emotions are sent into a tumultuous upheaval. He hates his father. He loves his father. He misses his father. He doesn't understand his father. He is his father.

Throughout the course of the story, Daniel tries to work out his interior confusion while unknowingly becoming a better man in the process. If his feelings weren't enough to deal with, he also has to save his planet from utter destruction. Luckily, he has help along the way. His cousin, Faulk, is a runaway pilot who wants to put the family back together. He is a source of undying support for Daniel, but also an ego-centered rival when it comes to affections of Jade, a sharp-tongued beauty attracted to both boys. Not to mention, Daniel's intrepid little brother, Nickel, plays a vital role in restoring his sibling's psyche. While the supporting cast is there for Daniel in his quest, ultimately the responsibility for their fate rests with him.

LM excels in the world of science fiction. There are many references to classic archetypes. The power to restore a planet - the pakeet - is reminiscent of Star Trek's Genesis project. The creepy, crawly vines are a nod to the devil's snare in Harry Potter. The aliens on Purgas remind me of those encountered by Star Wars' Obi Wan Kenobi on Kamino. While the whole pirate aspect is a nod to the adventures of Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow. As always, LM brings her own unique twist to the spectacular imagery of the genre.

At times, the detailed descriptions of each and every movement of a character slows the action down a tad. The book sustains momentum when chapters are kept to around five pages. When paragraphs get too wordy in terms of cliff features and plant life, I couldn't wait to get through them and get back to the witty, snappy dialogue. The verbal interaction among her young cast is where LM excels.

Overall, "Bandits" is more than capable of stealing a teenage boy's attention.

In a nutshell, this story is an action-packed adventure for any energetic teen who's ever been lost, misguided, or betrayed. With sprinkles of the Pirates of the Caribbean to Star Trek, the thrill-ride is endless.

The world of Zukar control is one of danger and fear. Merwin is a planet of all (or most) that is not good, roaming thieves and criminals. All do what they must to survive, including parents raising children. Fast-paced and energetic, the story is set in a time where space travel is not just possible, but is the norm, and among the first generation of kids whose parents' original home was Earth.

I found that dynamic an interesting spice, giving the teens' pasts even more depth for the author to work with. There was always two sides to every issue: the way the kids believed their current world would handle it, and the way it would have been handled back on Earth. It was easy to see the generational difference between parent and child...teenager.

There was also wonderful character growth, primarily with the main character, Daniel. Feeling lost since the death of his mother, Daniel wants nothing more than to be loved, to love, and to be safe. None of which his father is supplying. How often do teens feel this isolation from a parent because they interpret a parent's actions a certain way. But in most stories (as in life), things are not always as they appear.

As the inner story progressed, it became clear that Daniel must undergo certain relationship struggles in order to gain the wisdom essential to saving his world. He needed the characteristics of a true man--willingness to put others before himself without regret. Lacking such wisdom, his decisions would be selfish and juvenile, and most probably the end of his world. (Just like real life.) I love it when life lessons can be taught through a fictional story.

His father actually set up his growth perfectly, believing in his son despite seeming like he was hurting him, betraying their family in ways I won't mention here for fear of spoilers. What I can mention in brief is the journal entries from Daniel's father. In my opinion, these were genius. I was able to connect with the dad and the relationship Daniel believed he had with him.

The sci-fi world building kept me guessing at every turn, from funky contraptions to hidden locks, as well as eerily strange animal species of the planet. All the action and grit built nicely until the climactic last stand, as Daniel and his teen group struggled to save their world. With each obstacle, the group gained strength and trust in each other and love of their world...or a world they hoped to live in. And of course, being YA, there was a sweet romantic twist.

And a special note: it appears this in not the final journey of these brave group of teenagers. I believe it was the first of many.

Daniel's father has been murdered and Daniel is intent on finding the treasure his father died for and the person responsible for his death. Daniel has been brought up as a Zukar and wants this for his future. As far as Daniel is concerned, his father's loyalties were not as they should be. This caused a heavy rift between the two for years. Now he is intend on finding the killer and saving the world from destruction.

Daniel's plan is to go it alone; but his cousin Faulk, younger brother Nickel and his best friends pesty sister Jade, tag along. Intent on ignoring Jade, Daniel finds himself developing feelings for her. Is she worth the sure fired beating he will receive from his best friend?

They are on the run from the king's officials and his father's killer. Their journey takes them from their planet of Merwin to planets unknown. Will Daniel be able to find and destroy the killer and save his planet from impending destruction? Everything Daniel has been taught and learned to believe in will be put to the test.

I have to say I am really developing a taste for YA reads. That is what I have mostly read the last couple of weeks. This is truly an awesome YA, sci-fi, fantasy with some romance thrown in for good measure. This is my first read from LM Preston and it will not be my last. I actually purchased her other two books which are waiting on my TBR pile.

This book really stirred my imagination and had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next. There is everything in this book that you could hope to find in an adventure story. It was packed with adventure, ugly crawling and slimey creatures, battles packed with murder and mayhem, jealousey and love, greed and treasure. One thing that boggles my mind. Why do guys feel they can't go after their best friend's sister? I guess that is a mystery that only a guy knows the answer to. I sure don't understand it.

If you are a fan of science fiction and adventure, you really must check this book out. It has a wonderful storyline that you will surely want to sink your teeth into. Grab a copy and pull up a seat. I don't think you will be disappointed.

I don't know if there will be a sequel; but I certainly hope there will be. The story ends in such a way that it is a definite possibility. Read it for yourself and see what you think. Maybe we can convince LM Preston to do a sequel or maybe even a trilogy. I am certainly up for it. What about you?

I want to thank Phenomenal One Press for providing me with an ARC to review. I was not compensated in any way except for the privilege of reading the book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

A great SF YA tale, worth reading. The small press could do with a tighter editing but that does not distract much from the content.

I am not generally a huge science fiction fan, but Bandits had me thoroughly engrossed from the very beginning. Set mainly on a planet populated by futuristic pirates and killers, it was a unique twist on the traditional high seas pirate tales I have read. The planet Merwin is a planet unlike anything we Earthlings could ever know. There is technology of which we know nothing, creatures unlike anything we could know, and an environment completely unlike our own home planet. Yet the author somehow makes it all completely relatable.

Some of that is probably due to her skill in creating wonderful, full of life characters. With them, the author is able to fully transport you to a world so very different from our own, and change your thinking to accept the things we wouldn't accept in our own world. For example, on the surface, Daniel is an unlikely hero to fully relate to, with a lifestyle completely at odds with what we know as socially acceptable. He has been trained since a very young age to be a pirate, fully capable of killing to get the coveted treasure. But set in the world that he is, that is a perfectly acceptable way of life. All of the core group of characters (Jade, Faulk, Gabe, Nick, and Daniel) are very unique in their personalities, and together they make for a very rich story.

My main reason for not loving science fiction is that generally, I just can't vividly picture the unknown worlds in my mind. I most definately didn't have this problem with this book. Preston's descriptions were so well done that I had perfect graphic images of the creatures, of the environment, of everything. That brought me into the story in a way that science fiction rarely does for me. I highly recommend picking this up and giving it a read!

Daniel lives on the planet Merwin with his father and younger brother Nickel. Life as a Zukar, a mercenary and thief is the life Daniel has ever wanted, the only one he's ever known. Things are going really good for him that was until his father got himself killed. Now Daniel faces one crisis after another, first making sure his brother, runaway cousin Faulk, and himself are out of the house before the killer comes back to finish them off. Now Daniel must find out who the killer is and right that terrible wrong, and get to his father's treasure before they do.

Easy right?

Heck no because nothing is ever as it seem and no treasure has ever been bigger. Daniel turns to the aid of his best friend Gabe but Gabe isn't around unfortunately for Daniel, Gabe's beautiful, off limit, younger sister Jade is and she is determined to help. As the four of them set off one crazy and dangerous treasure hunt they soon learn that it is no longer a matter of life and death for them but also a fight to save their planet from being destroyed. Can Daniel save the people he loves, find his father's killer, save the planet, and fall in love without ending up dead?

Honestly this book was better than I thought it would be, don't get it me wrong I thought it would be good or maybe average but was pleasantly surprised when I found myself in love with it. Right from the start this book was filled with none stop action and was jam-packed with adventure. This book had me fighting sleep so I could stay up and finish it faster. A constant page turner that didn't let up. I enjoyed everything about this book. It had something in it for everyone, adventure, treasure hunting, evil sea monsters, other worldly planets, pirates, aliens, some humor, and just the right splash of romance. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a great book.

This book will be out June 1, so pre-order your copy.

{Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book enable my review. All opinions presented here are my own.}