A little disclaimer, I’m a geek for these types of books and especially series that reads and sounds like a comic book issue. The 4th in the Technomancer series with the winning combination of Gibson and Kafer has me convinced that this could be a video series. As my daughter says, “Feels for the win!”

The best example of this is how relational it was from my aspect of a son and a father. Gibson wrote a masterpiece in nine acts with a garnish of horror, suspension and comedy on the side. Mix into that, several exciting combat sequences that would put the Matrix series to shame, and you have the core of an award winning series. No, when I say 9 acts, I’m speaking about THIS book alone. The relationships between Salem and his father, Salem and Father Grimm, Salem and TJ, Salem and his own son, Jenson and even TJ and his Dad. All those relationships were composed in a careful balance that drove the story as much as the plot. I had tears as I witnessed those relationships grow through the series. I could easily see the hopes for redemption from all the characters. Well done Gibson. Very well done.

Honestly, there was so much other stuff to love and react to, I could have easily passed mentioning it, but the perma-death of a beloved character warrants mentioning. This is an epic and multifaceted story arc that just couldn’t be told in one reasonable sized book. It’s deep, twisting and full of holes for the readers head to roll down. It leaves us with so many questions that can only be answered in the next installment.

Yes, we start with an emotional slap in the face, a punch in the gut and then, a kick to the nards so hard it makes you head pop off. All the “feels” are covered right down to the “Awwwwwe” and the damned thing leaves us wanting more. “MORE!” I say.

As a standalone book, it can be just as impactful, but I STRONGLY recommend getting the series from the start. This ‘issue’ is a keymark of the series built upon the foundation of the others before it. Yes, Gibson covers all the needed review in this one to handle it being a standalone, but without the foundation he’s built in this world, the relationships between people/characters and places won’t have the same level of impact.

What can I say about Kafer? Jeffery Kafer has long been a favorite of mine and he seems to blend into the characters and scenarios as if he was born to play the roles. His effortless delivery of lines and understanding as if he wrote the thing, made it all real. He does blend well with many authors concepts and is an asset to nearly anything he’s done. I will say this, for “One Piece at a Time” and Jeffrey Kafer, I honestly felt that Kafer cried himself during a few scenes. If he didn’t, I’d be surprised as the emotion that came through his voice and the depth of his acting felt to me, as if it came from the core of his being! Thank you Jeffrey!!