A Trick of Light

September 15, 2019
A vlogger who is struck by lightning receives remarkable powers in this rousing adventure novel that launches a franchise that's a parting gift from Stan the Man. The late, great Lee (Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible, 2015, etc.) contributed a lot of ideas to this launching of a new universe dubbed Alliances, starting with an Audible original called A Trick of Light, created by Lee, Luke Lieberman, and Ryan Silbert and here translated to more conventional fiction by Rosenfield (Inland, 2014, etc.). It's a fairly universal superhero mythology with a few contemporary twists thrown in for good measure, and it's surprisingly fast-paced and highly entertaining. Our primary protagonist is Cameron Ackerson, an ambitious teen YouTuber whose dad disappeared during a mysterious storm on Lake Erie. When he's struck by lightning in a characteristically Lee origin story, Cameron discovers he's been gifted with the ability to manipulate electronics--he's "cyberkinetic," as he puts it. His counterpart is his online buddy Nia, a mysterious hacker kept in check by her father, known only as "the Inventor." Unfortunately, Cameron's new abilities attract the attention of a cryptic organization called OPTIC (that's Omni Psyop Tactical Intelligence Corporation, because, sure, why not?) that one of Cam's friends quickly dubs a second-rate "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." led by a formidable Nick Fury type named Olivia Park, a wetwork-enhanced bionic woman with a temper and a fierce resolve. More dangerously, Cameron and his new comrades have also been noticed and are the subject of a deadly pursuit by Xal, an otherworldly claw-and-tentacle type who wears people like a Doctor Who skin suit and has a real beef with Nia's dad and a jones for Cam and Nia. With a characteristically enthusiastic intro by Stan and a thoughtful afterword about the creative process by Lieberman and Silbert, this is a wild but inventive introduction to a new intergalactic struggle that promises more adventures to come. Not quite marvelous but immersive, propulsive, and engaging in the ways that sometimes only comic books can be.

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September 30, 2019
Fresh and inventive, but fundamentally flat, this cinematic fantasy cowritten with Rosenfield (Inland) contains all the ingenuity fans will expect of the late Stan Lee (1922–2018) but not much depth. Nia, a lonely girl born with a gift for hacking, whose controlling father allows her to interact with the outside world exclusively via social media, meets Cameron Ackerson online. Cameron obtained cyberkinetic powers, the ability to control computers with his mind, after being struck by lightning. The teens decide to use their technical gifts to fight for justice via cyber stunts such as manipulating the livestream of a hateful newscaster to make him appear to sing showtunes
. But when Nia discovers a virtual world that may hold the truth behind her sheltered life and a skin-stealing alien begins pursuing Cameron, the pair realizes that they’ve put themselves and the planet in grave danger. The plot moves quickly, and the young characters are sympathetic and modern, if lacking in interiority. Though Lee’s many fans will find plenty here to keep their attention, this narrative would be better served as a movie. Agent: Yfat Reiss Gendell, Foundry Media