For millennia humanity has fought against the notion of magic. Superstition and irrational fear have slowly been replaced with reason and logic. Our species entered the twenty-first century with only the slightest trappings of our former, peasant selves. This was our downfall. For science and magic are merely transitory fluctuations our planet has experienced a thousand times in its history. As has happened in the past, so must happen again. As the Phase sweeps over the earth, America is lost in chaos. Electricity and gunpowder become useless, and anarchy rules. From amongst this pandemonium strikes forth one man, an ancient from the dark past, who realizes the plight of humanity and strives to create order in the bedlam of the present. Professor Avedesh gathers those he knows to have the magical strength of the ancients; those whose very genes carry power. Fighting off starvation and shadowy cults that pursue them, the Professor must teach his followers to use their latent powers, not only to save themselves, but civilization.
RELEASED JANUARY 2016
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About the Book!
The Phase Transition
by Ryan Okerlund
Series
Rise of the Grey Order #1
Genre
Adult
Dystopian Fantasy
Publisher
Independent
Publication Date
January 25, 2016
 
The Series
  
Trish’s Review
Imagine waking up one day to find your cell phone is dead. Could be sunspots, right? Then the power goes out. Then your car stops working. At first you think it’ll come back, but it never does.
That’s pretty much the backdrop of this book, The Phase Transition, a story following several individuals as they experience the planet’s shift from technological to magical. But this story takes a more epic-journey approach as every one of the heroes and heroines are on the run without a clue why they’re being chased. The only man who can help is the Professor.
I really liked the idea behind this book, the notion that the laws of nature aren’t as stable as we might think. The author did a good job building his system of magical growth and technological breakdown. The changes are much more apocalyptic than I’d imagined from the description.
I also liked the idea of the White and Black Orders being not so good vs. evil, despite the expected connotations. Even the Grey Order, those taking the middle ground between White and Black, is responsible for its share of chaos. I had some trouble keeping them straight at first, but once the Professor started explaining the history, it all came together.
On the other hand, I did think some of the plot points were a bit corny, even though they were worked into the story in a logical way. Also, despite being well written, the story could have used a bit more editing, particularly for out of place, missing, or misused words.
Overall, I really liked The Phase Transition. I’d recommend this to folks who enjoy contemporary fantasy and epic, action/adventure stories, particularly those who like a unique twist on the apocalyptic. It’s part one of a duology, and you’ll find you want to read both to get the whole story.
The review copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
About Ryan Okerlund
Ryan Okerlund lives in the northwoods of Minnesota, near the headwaters of the Mississippi. He currently is part owner in a pharmacy in Bemidji, MN. His interests include curling, brewing, and any random thing he happens to stumble upon. He lives with his wife and three children, and an alarmingly growing population of assorted pets.
The concept of The Rise of the Gray Order series came to him while working in Athlone, Ireland. The main concept, that the laws of physics are not necessarily stable, but fluctuate, is based loosely on some ideas presented in Stephen Hawking’s ‘A Brief History of Time’. Guinness was also involved.
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