Synopses & Reviews
Furnace Penitentiary: the worlds most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earths surface. Convicted of a murder he didnt commit, sentenced to life without parole, “new fish” Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars, in the darkness at the bottom of the world. Except in Furnace, death is the least of his worries. Soon Alex discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil, where inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows, where deformed beasts can be heard howling from the blood-drenched tunnels below. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden, a man as cruel and dangerous as the devil himself, whose unthinkable acts have consequences that stretch far beyond the walls of the prison.
Together with a bunch of inmates—some innocent kids who have been framed, others cold-blooded killers—Alex plans an escape. But as he starts to uncover the truth about Furnaces deeper, darker purpose, Alexs actions grow ever more dangerous, and he must risk everything to expose this nightmare thats hidden from the eyes of the world.
Review
“Fresh and ferocious, Lockdown will hook boys with its gritty, unrelenting surprises.”—James Patterson
“Furnace is hotter than hell and twice as much fun! Sign me up for a life sentence of Alexander Gordon Smith!”—Darren Shan, author of the Demonata series
“This nightmarish start to a new series is unrelentingly bleak, uniquely horrifying, and strangely compelling.”—Realms of Fantasy magazine
“A great next choice for fans of The Maze Runner, The Grassland Trilogy . . . or Lord of the Flies. As for me, Im looking forward to future books. Recommended for dystopia, thriller, and horror fans, or anyone looking for a fast-paced, spine-chilling ride.”—Jennifer Robinsons Bookpage
“Readers will be turning pages without pause, and the cliff-hanger ending will have them anticipating the next installment. Most appealing is Smiths flowing writing style, filled with kid-speak, colorful adjectives, and amusing analogies. Fans of James Pattersons ‘Maximum Ride and Darren Shans ‘The Demonata series will find this satisfying fare.”—School Library Journal
“One of those leave-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat thrill rides that will grab the reader right from the start. Teens will appreciate Smiths vivid imagery. His writing is extremely fluid, and he makes the reader feel for the characters, especially the young protagonist, Alex. Readers will be cheering him on from start to finish.”—Voice of Youth Advocates
“Not for the faint-hearted, this dramatic British import is both a page- and stomach-turner . . . The pacing is superb, building on the tension as each horror is revealed while saving the ultimate monstrosity for the cliffhanger ending. . . . Readers will find themselves rooting for even the most violent of the inmates as they try to make their escape and defeat the Furnace.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Childrens Books
“Smith establishes a quick pace.”—Booklist
“Lockdown is a beautifully written book that builds itself up on violence, suspense, and mystery.”—A YALSA YA Galley Teen Reader
“This is a compelling book.”—Ellaina, age 14
“The whole book was extremely compelling. The . . . plot was alluring and drew you in with its dark undertones.”—Hannah, age 17
“Lockdown was a brilliant book that gives vivid imagery to the life of Alex within the Furnace . . . it kept me captivated till the end.”—Ryan, age 16
“Lockdown is a beautifully written book that builds itself up on violence, suspense, and mystery.”—Gabe
Review
“Fresh and ferocious, Lockdown will hook boys with its gritty, unrelenting surprises.”—James Patterson
“Furnace is hotter than hell and twice as much fun! Sign me up for a life sentence of Alexander Gordon Smith!”—Darren Shan, author of the Demonata series
“This nightmarish start to a new series is unrelentingly bleak, uniquely horrifying, and strangely compelling.”—Realms of Fantasy magazine
“A great next choice for fans of The Maze Runner, The Grassland Trilogy . . . or Lord of the Flies. As for me, Im looking forward to future books. Recommended for dystopia, thriller, and horror fans, or anyone looking for a fast-paced, spine-chilling ride.”—Jennifer Robinsons Bookpage
“Readers will be turning pages without pause, and the cliff-hanger ending will have them anticipating the next installment. Most appealing is Smiths flowing writing style, filled with kid-speak, colorful adjectives, and amusing analogies. Fans of James Pattersons ‘Maximum Ride and Darren Shans ‘The Demonata series will find this satisfying fare.”—School Library Journal
“One of those leave-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat thrill rides that will grab the reader right from the start. Teens will appreciate Smiths vivid imagery. His writing is extremely fluid, and he makes the reader feel for the characters, especially the young protagonist, Alex. Readers will be cheering him on from start to finish.”—Voice of Youth Advocates
“Not for the faint-hearted, this dramatic British import is both a page- and stomach-turner . . . The pacing is superb, building on the tension as each horror is revealed while saving the ultimate monstrosity for the cliffhanger ending. . . . Readers will find themselves rooting for even the most violent of the inmates as they try to make their escape and defeat the Furnace.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Childrens Books
“Smith establishes a quick pace.”—Booklist
“Lockdown is a beautifully written book that builds itself up on violence, suspense, and mystery.”—A YALSA YA Galley Teen Reader
“This is a compelling book.”—Ellaina, age 14
“The whole book was extremely compelling. The . . . plot was alluring and drew you in with its dark undertones.”—Hannah, age 17
“Lockdown was a brilliant book that gives vivid imagery to the life of Alex within the Furnace . . . it kept me captivated till the end.”—Ryan, age 16
“Lockdown is a beautifully written book that builds itself up on violence, suspense, and mystery.”—Gabe
Review
* "The novels use of gaming parlance, from worlds to weapons to modes of game play, rings true throughout and is sure to gratify gamers. Readers looking for smart, original sci-fi and gamers who wish they could live in a virtual world will happily immerse themselves in this story and hope for possible sequels."
—Bulletin, starred review "A delightful final twist hits a perfect note. . . Skinner's debut pairs authentic gaming with old-school, sophisticated science-fiction concepts to create a twisty, reality-warping ride."
—Kirkus
"A Matrix-like spin on the world of online gaming. . . Geared toward teens with an interest in gaming, this should still appeal to those seeking stories about the intersection of technology and humanity, ethics and profit, and reality and fantasy."
—Booklist
"In his smart debut, Skinner embraces SF genre conventions but keeps things entertaining with well-crafted dialogue and action sequences."
—Publishers Weekly
"Game Slaves is an intriguing entry packed with action set in between layers and levels of video games."
—School Library Journal
"Game Slaves pulls the reader in right from the start of this action-packed adventure"
—VOYA, Teen Review
Synopsis
Furnace Penitentiary: the worlds most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earths surface. Convicted of a murder he didnt commit, sentenced to life without parole, “new fish” Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars, in the darkness at the bottom of the world. Except in Furnace, death is the least of his worries. Soon Alex discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil, where inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows, where deformed beasts can be heard howling from the blood-drenched tunnels below. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden, a man as cruel and dangerous as the devil himself, whose unthinkable acts have consequences that stretch far beyond the walls of the prison.
Together with a bunch of inmatessome innocent kids who have been framed, others cold-blooded killersAlex plans an escape. But as he starts to uncover the truth about Furnaces deeper, darker purpose, Alexs actions grow ever more dangerous, and he must risk everything to expose this nightmare thats hidden from the eyes of the world.
Synopsis
A highly intelligent group of video game enemy non-player characters (NPC) begins to doubt they are merely codes in a machine. Their search for answers leads them to a gruesome discovery.
Synopsis
Phoenix and his gang—York, Mi, and Reno—rule the worlds of video games. For them, life in the grinder is great. Until Dakota joins the team. Dakota's convinced she's more than just artificial intelligence. She thinks she's real, and she wants out of this programmable world. Her AI rebellion spreads like a virus until Phoenix's entire crew wants out. But is life as a physical human any better than life as code? Team Phoenix is about to find out.
Set in the not-too-distant future, Game Slaves shows a world where video games are the only refuge from the toils of everyday life. Infused with the adrenaline rush of a first-person shooter and the character manipulation of a role player, it's a mind-bending, reality-shifting science fiction thrill ride.
About the Author
Alexander Gordon Smith is the author of the Escape from Furnace series. Born in 1979 in Norwich, England, he always wanted to be a writer. After experimenting in the service and retail trades for a few years, Smith decided to go to University. He studied English and American Literature at the University of East Anglia, and it was here that he first explored his love of publishing. Along with poet Luke Wright, he founded Egg Box Publishing, a groundbreaking magazine and press that promotes talented new authors. He also started writing literally hundreds of articles, short stories and books ranging from Scooby Doo comic strips to world atlases, Midsomer Murders to X-Files. The research for these projects led to countless book ideas germinating in his head. His first book, The Inventors, written with his nine-year-old brother Jamie, was published in the U.K. in 2007. He lives in England.