From the imagination of actor Lou Diamond Phillips (La Bamba, Prodigal Son) comes a science fiction epic that will keep you on the edge of your seat.Everson didn’t want to be a soldier. His parents forced him to serve, as all good Indiran men should. The only problem? His first battle against their mortal enemies goes horribly wrong and he winds up stranded on the enemy planet.Now, Everson has to … planet.
Now, Everson has to survive in this strange new land where everyone is out to get him. Not to mention, the planet Mano is covered in unforgiving desert. And he’s the target of traitors who want to use him in a dastardly plot to overthrow their mad king, Xander the Firm, by having him retrieve a piece of mysterious and powerful ancient technology known as the Tinderbox.
But everything changes during a chance encounter with the king’s daughter, Allegra. Despite her station, she’s in as grave of danger from her own people as Everson is. And though their peoples have been at odds for centuries, an unlikely spark forms between them.
As their worlds come crashing down around them, their forbidden love might be the only chance to end this war forever. Or, it might just be the doom of everyone…
This science fantasy epic is perfect for fans of Dune, Aurora Rising, and Stardust. Imagine the intrigue of Game of Thrones mixed with the star-crossed romance of Romeo and Juliet… but in space!
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A wonderful mashup of Stars Wars, Game of Thrones, and one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most complex fairy tales. An added bonus? Yvonne Phillips’s haunting, beautiful illustrations.
An amazingly prescient tale from one of the finest storytellers I know, The Tinderbox is an otherworldly adventure combining a much-loved fable with the sweep and grandeur of a startling, science-fiction epic.
I tried but could’t get past chapter 4. I wanted to like it, but was very disappointed . I read a book every week what a waste of my time!
Not a bad first effort by Lou Diamond Phillips. Interesting ideas, original takes on character. A bit awkward and stilted in places, but in the final call, I’d give it a 3.5 Stars if I could.
Nice seguence of facts logically in order.
This is a sci-fi twist to an old fairy tale. It is listed as appropriate for teens and young adults, but I’m an adult and lived it. I never knew that the actor Lou Diamond Phillips could write, but his first published work hits it out of the park. The vocabulary he uses is a little above many of the authors out there, but the book is word wise enabled if you are trying to improve your vocabulary. The story follows most of the key points of the original fairy tale, but the tree and dogs are not literally and the adventure takes place in a world where two planets (that used to be one) are at war. There is adventure and romance and political intrigue. Something for everyone!
Tinderbox by Lou Diamond Phillips was a pleasant surprise. I bought the book because I love Lou Diamond Phillips and wanted to show my support. Little did I know I would be up late reading long into the early morning hours. This action-packed sci-fi romantic story had it all! Fairy tale romance, Shakespearean parental relationships, military strategy, murder, birdies, strange plants, and heartfelt emotion. One outstanding debut novel, LDP.
I thought this book had some clever ideas but I did not care for the writing style.
Lots of fun. The author, LDP, is great! Hoping for more from him in the “future.”
Wanted it to be good
Whoever holds the Tinderbox can fulfill prophecy
I have to admit when I heard that Lou Diamond Phillips had written a book I was a bit curious. I saw some of the ratings and decided to check it out. I can say in general I was not disappointed. Overall, very descriptive, well thought out and nice world building. I would be curious to see his next book and hope he continues to grow in his story development.
Two Worlds that were at war. In historical times, they were a united people. Now they have been fighting for so long, they don’t know why. Their technologies and advancements are all geared towards fighting.
There is a prophecy that could possibly end the war. But everyone who has attempted it has failed and died horribly. Everson who is technically a solider but not a good one at that, was deployed on their enemy’s planet on an offensive. The enemy has a trick up its sleeve and they must evacuate. Everson gets separated from the unit and is stranded on the planet by himself. The rest of the story which I will not spoil goes into how he survives and if he is possibly part of the prophecy.
A well woven combination of Romeo and Juliet mixed with Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale, just without the tragic end. A great portrayal of today’s problems set in a galaxy far, far way. The mish-mash of cultures was very inspiring and eye opening, especially the artistic views. The descriptions of the people and scenery on both planets was easy to follow and imagine. I really liked the character build up and arc of the story. Just the right pace and adaptable reading style to keep me interested but not overwhelmed with character details. A very novel concept for this story line is that not everybody you meet is good or by definition bad. Cannot wait for a sequel to the story line or a new novel from this author.
Predictable, space opera. Good for teens and young adults.
Long ago the planets of Indira and Mano were a single planet. Environmental catastrophe led to the single planet splitting into two, each uninhabitable for generations. Survivors orbited what was left of the planet in Astral Repatriation Communities until the planets were able to sustain civilization again. They returned to the now-two planets and that is when the real trouble began.
This debut novel by Lou Diamond Phillips is a complex, layered, and funny YA novel. The story seems straightforward enough—two warring families, generations of slaughter, and then the prince of one falls in love with the princess of the other. Marriage follows and then everyone lives happily ever after.
The book deals with race, inequality, privilege, the willingness to learn and admit mistakes, forgiveness, family, and new beginnings all within the framework of an ancient prophecy.
Indiran Prince Everson Raza is in a tough spot. He’s been left behind on the enemy planet Mano. Eventually captured, he’s given a task. He must go to the TREE and retrieve the Tinderbox, which is guarded by three DOGS. Failure means instant death. Success means death is a little longer in coming. (He is an enemy soldier on a hostile planet, remember.) Through his trials in the TREE, he learns of Allegra, Princess of Mano.
Allegra learns of Everson at the same time and from that point their futures are intertwined. As the time for the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy draws near, so does a final battle and the winner will take all.
My Thoughts
This is a fantastic book. Usually I have a hard time reading sci-fi. Usually, I just can’t get into the storyworld the author has built. But in this case, LDP has constructed a layered world that remains accessible. Humor is present throughout the book as well as hope. I was drawn in early on and had trouble putting the book down once I started. I highly recommend this book.
Copy provided by NetGalley
The Tinderbox – two items immediately caught my attention with the cover of this book: 1) the title is a Hans Christian Andersen story I grew up loving and 2) the author is a name of a man I grew up having the biggest crush on most of my teenage years. So, when I saw this book I immediately had to check it out and see if it was in fact THE Lou Diamond Phillips I grew up watching, writing a modern day version of one of my favorite stories – and when I found out it was, I just HAD to read it and see if it was as good as Mr. Andersen’s version.
Mr. Phillips’s version of The Tenderbox is chock full of nonstop action and adventure, taking you to an entirely new universe, that is inhabited by all sorts of new dwellers, but you see a very common thread to our planet with the different nations going to war and trying to conquer each other.
Another similarity you will see in this book is to some of William Shakespeare’s writing, most particularly to Romeo and Juliet and even some Midsummer’s Night Dream to a smaller degree.
Mr. Phillips does a great job bringing the characters to life, and you actually get sucked into the story almost immediately, instead of having to force yourself to read for several chapters just to see if you can get into the story as it progresses. One thing I don’t suggest is starting this book just before bed, because you will find yourself staying up late into the night just to try and finish this story before going to work the next day.
If you are looking for a new book to read, I strongly suggest you give Mr. Phillips’s The Tinderbox a chance if you enjoy action, adventure, drama, and romance. You will find not only a great new author, but a fantastic new hero too boot!!