SKYBOY

A brilliant young inventor gets more than just technical support from a set of fellow geniuses when an army of killer robots threatens their near-future world.

Konstant’s submission of a flying motorcycle prototype to a national science contest launches a breathless storm of massive disasters and scary escapes involving rival megacorporations, construction robots gone rogue, and a veritable cascade of futuristic gadgetry, including an experimental matter replicator with a subtle but ominous flaw. Readers fond of geeky tech talk and driving action that’s high in body count but low on explicit violence will be well pleased. Still, the story’s strongest elements are its personal ones. Konstant makes steady progress from being an angry, isolated loner to being willing to work with others and accept friendship and help; he’s a struggling immigrant from the fictional nation of Duprevnia whose scientist mother was killed by a mutated norovirus. In his debut novel, Aresty offers chilling visions of what the next pandemic might do to the New York metro area’s economy and infrastructure. Assistance from Rose, the high-wattage daughter of a billionaire technocrat, and from the ethnically diverse supporting cast surrounding the white-presenting teen lead characters helps Konstant take his journey in a more hopeful direction that leaves him with new friends, new ambitions, and future prospects (not least with Rose) that look bright.

A fizzy mix of cool tech and hot action.