Ethinium's Vault: Smoke & Aether
by Jaxon Reed

What do you take when you start with a future dystopian earth whose military conflicts exist in the virtual world and mix it with the England in the past, yet England has a sci-fi complexity to it? Hell, I don't know, but I like it! The protagonist Rip is cast out of his time line and thrown into another one where the past and present collide. The hero now must adapt to his new surroundings as he is thrust into the middle of an up and coming conflict between the crown and its antagonists who live underground in the steam tunnels of the unknown. Caught in a world he cannot escape, Rip must decide whose side he's on and draw his own lines in fighting for the crown and looking for a possible way home. He meets a small group of adventurers who is employed by the crown. They are enhanced, giving them each upgraded abilities which dwarf a basic human. These abilities grow as they engage in elements of warfare, espionage, technology and weaponry. Join Rip as he ascends into the unknown, fighting for a world he is not a part of, but never losing focus on who he is and where he is going. Will he get the girl? Will he figure out how to return? Will he even want to? The author does a wonderful job with the language of the novel, flow and creativity. You will enjoy this novel and perhaps the characters within. Strap in because around each corner our heroes go, a new roadblock presents itself and no one character is safe from possible death. A must read! Narrated by Joshua Banks