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Zachry Wheeler
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Transient: A Tech Noir Novel (Immortal Wake Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Zachry Wheeler (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 out of 5 stars 884 ratings
In a dark and distant future, death is obsolete.

Jonas is a transient: a human spy living as an eternal. His mission is simple: always learn, never get caught.

In the year 2578, an immortal regime controls the planet. Endless war has pushed humanity to the brink of extinction. Desperate to survive, the remaining factions deploy teenage spies, hoping to defeat the enemy from within.

After years in the lion's den, Jonas has grown to admire the eternal civilization. He is learning to love what he blindly hated, blurring the mission and himself.

But a reckoning is coming. The fates of billions hang in the balance. When the axe falls, Jonas must choose between his family and his species.


Transient is a Readers' Favorite® 5-Star Selection and a B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree

"An exceptionally well-written, thought-provoking novel that ultimately carries a humanist message, contrasting feigned morality with perceived evil." —Lex Allen, Readers' Favorite

"The world-building that author Zachry Wheeler does in Transient is simply amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it." —Geoff Habiger, Readers' Favorite

"An exciting read from the beginning." —Tanja Jurkovic, Readers' Favorite

"With its Kafkaesque rendering of humanity's backstory against the vampire-like eternals, the story has intrigue and drama focusing on a young spy's personal dilemma." —Lit Amri, Readers' Favorite

"There is much to like, and much to admire, about Zachry Wheeler's ingeniously unique and nimble interpretation of the rather widely exploited vampire genre in his instantly engaging novel, Transient." —Joel R. Dennstedt, Readers' Favorite
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  1. Book 1 of 4
    Immortal Wake
  2. Print length
    191 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    November 8, 2016
  5. File size
    332 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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From the Publisher

The Immortal Wake Saga
Immortal Wake, A Tech Noir Series
Immortal Wake, About a Dark and Distant Future
Immortal Wake, Where Death is Obsolete
Praise for the Immortal Wake

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I'm an absolute fan of authors, writing in any genre, who can create an entirely new environment and characterization from previously well-known characters—in this case, vampires who embody the noblest, equitable, and familial environment ever envisioned but never attained by humanity. Excerpts from historical articles and recon notes assimilated by Jonas over his years as a transient artfully fill in the blanks of his world and his purpose. Wheeler adeptly uses this plot tactic to add verisimilitude in building this strange new world without massive data dumps and simultaneously providing some breaks in the action. Transient is an exceptionally well-written, thought-provoking novel that ultimately carries a humanist message, contrasting feigned morality with perceived evil. The conclusion is, as usual in a series, a bit of a cliff-hangar. It's not a steep cliff, just enough to leave the reader hungry for the next book, and an answer to the question, 'did Jonas follow orders or not?' Fortunately for me, and I'm sure many readers to come, books two and three (Thursday Midnight and The Mortal Vestige) are readily available." —Lex Allen, Readers' Favorite

From the Author

The Immortal Wake is a tech noir series about a dark and distant future. It is a complete trilogy of novels with an additional prequel novella.

Transient (book one)
In the year 2578, a human spy must infiltrate an immortal regime.

Thursday Midnight (book two)
A frightening new foe rises from the ashes of war.

The Mortal Vestige (book three)
The world writhes as a remorseless terror sweeps across the planet.

The Bone Maiden (prequel novella)
As humanity fights to survive, vengeance finds a champion.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01MTKX8U9
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mayhematic Press (November 8, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 8, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 332 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 191 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 884 ratings

About the author

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Zachry Wheeler

Zachry Wheeler

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Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
884 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book intriguing with unexpected twists and a unique take on vampire lore. Moreover, the writing is well-developed, with one customer noting the great dialogue, and customers appreciate the well-thought-out world-building and character development. Additionally, they describe it as a genuine page-turner with a futuristic take on an old theme.

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38 customers mention "Story quality"32 positive6 negative

Customers find the book's story intriguing with a unique vampire narrative and many unexpected twists. One customer describes it as a fascinating tale about a dystopian future.

"...What makes this book so strong, however, is not just a gripping storyline of tension and deception...." Read more

"...So it’s a great plot driver…the will he or won’t he, the choice between desire and duty, nature and nurture, all those great dramatic ploys...." Read more

"...backstory is given in bits and pieces throughout, so it keeps you interested and curious; I only figured out what was really going on about 25%..." Read more

"...Transient reverses the roles of vampires and humans. Jonas blends into the world of the Eternals despite the fact that he’s still mortal...." Read more

25 customers mention "Readability"25 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and entertaining, with one mentioning it kept them interested throughout.

"Transient is a terrific book. It’s a gem that shows how much raw talent lurks within the Indy Writing Community. And I heartily recommend it...." Read more

"This book was awesome! It reminded me so much of True Blood that it made me half want to watch that series all over again...." Read more

"...These journal “recons” were a delight to read and gave a great deal of depth to the setting in Transient...." Read more

"...needs to know and the only thing I can add to that is that I enjoyed the book enough that I bought the next in the series to continue my..." Read more

23 customers mention "Thought provoking"23 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking, describing it as a thoughtful romp with well-thought-out world building and complex narrative elements.

"...much of the book (indeed, perhaps even half of it) is told through diary entries, we get pages on how blood bars operate, their history, and how..." Read more

"...It’s ambitious, clever, exceptionally well planned out and presented, it’s logical, fascinating…it’s freaking technicolor...." Read more

"...That's showy and clever, and makes the reader stop and say "What? Oh, I see, the writer is being clever."..." Read more

"This book grabbed me quick! It is well written. Wheeler builds a very complex world with great characters. I can't wait to read the next book!" Read more

13 customers mention "Character development"13 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting that the characters are well developed and provide keen insights into human nature.

"...It is well written. Wheeler builds a very complex world with great characters. I can't wait to read the next book!" Read more

"...Characters are clear and individuals, the underlying phioosophy is logical & strongly put at the end, and the humans dealing with alien tech w/o..." Read more

"...There is a delightful character (spoiler alert!) named Elizabeth, who brings the whole tale to another level...." Read more

"...The world, plot, and characters are well developed and continue to evolve nicely...." Read more

12 customers mention "Writing quality"10 positive2 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its brisk pace and engaging dialogue.

"...They read briskly, like the rest of the book...." Read more

"This book grabbed me quick! It is well written. Wheeler builds a very complex world with great characters. I can't wait to read the next book!" Read more

"This is a solidly written novel that's the first in a series...." Read more

"...The writing is clean and crisp. Although detail and back story sometimes drag, the sum effect is outstanding...." Read more

3 customers mention "Page turner"3 positive0 negative

Customers describe the book as a page turner with a futuristic take on an old theme.

"Transient was a genuine page turner that had me guess until the very end...." Read more

"I really enjoyed this story. It’s very original and entertaining with a great twist. The characters were very engaging and relatable...." Read more

"A futuristic take an an old theme that touches on humanity and how we view things we do not understand and are afraid of." Read more

3 customers mention "Strength"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the strength of the book, with one describing it as a solid first effort.

"...What makes this book so strong, however, is not just a gripping storyline of tension and deception...." Read more

"...clear and individuals, the underlying phioosophy is logical & strongly put at the end, and the humans dealing with alien tech w/o aliens..." Read more

"Transient is a solid first effort, and a great premise for an alternate future (utopian?) reality. I loved the science stuff!..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • BRENT A. HARRIS
    5.0 out of 5 stars Vampires as a reflection of our society places Transient in the vein of classic Sci-Fi
    Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Transient is a terrific book. It’s a gem that shows how much raw talent lurks within the Indy Writing Community. And I heartily recommend it.
    We follow the life of an outsider, Jonas, as he navigates the modern and sophisticated world of Vampires who now exist in modern cities, where what remains of the human population is spread out and hidden among the mountains. Jonas is a human infiltrator – a transient, who passes as a vampire to bring back intelligence to his human compatriots in order to destroy the Vampires and allow humans to once again claim dominance over the Earth.

    What makes this book so strong, however, is not just a gripping storyline of tension and deception. It has a message and it speaks to the best and worst parts of humanity. Transient is more science fiction in that regard in that it questions deep themes of love, betrayal, and family. I like how humans are contrasted against the peaceful and technologically advanced Vampires. It says a lot about human history and its recurrent violence. The vampires are used as a reflection of our society, as in the vein of any good classic sci-fi.

    However, even books as good as this can still contain missteps – unpolished bits that can creep in to any book – Indy or Mainstream Press alike. In this case, Wheeler tends to over-explain this strange new world rather than let Jonas (and therefore the reader) encounter it organically. In one instance, Jonas joins a group at a blood bar, which pretty much speaks for itself. Yet, because much of the book (indeed, perhaps even half of it) is told through diary entries, we get pages on how blood bars operate, their history, and how they evolved to fit into this advanced Vampire society.

    Yet, I found myself engaged in many of these diary entries. They were insightful, and often had a deeper message (especially toward the end of the book). They read briskly, like the rest of the book. But, these odd chapters, combined with sporadic bits where the storyline devolved into a narration of sorts, still pulled me out of the story enough times to bear mention in the review.

    Even still, Transient is an enjoyable read. Wheeler won’t be on the Indy scene for long. He has talent, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Transient is in production to be a feature film, and when it releases, expect Wheeler to make an Andy Weir-like trajectory. So, make like a hipster at a record store and ‘discover’ the book before it blows up big-time. It’s well worth sinking your teeth into. 4.5 stars (for the forced world-building) rounded up to 5.
    15 people found this helpful
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  • Mia
    4.0 out of 5 stars Vampires, reimagined
    Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Ok, so here’s the inherent problem with vampires and also why they are the weakest/least scary of all genre monsters…what’s to fear? How terrifying if the offer of eternal life, superior healing, advance strength? They are usually not even that scary to look at…for the most part, in most interpretations, they are relatively tame, easy to deal or reason with individuals with dietary restrictions and occasional penchant for goth gear. The scariest thing they can do is to offer negligible senescence. Seriously? Cause that actually sounds kind of awesome. Zombies, for instance, can turn you into a drooling, mindless, aesthetically unappealing, brain eating machine with an expiration date (sincerest apologies to all the sentient zombies out there, was going with the traditional/prevalent scenario). That’s scary. Comparing to that vampirism is essentially just a small to medium change in lifestyle, like going off the grid or (shudder to think) gluten free. And so traditionally I stay away from vampire stories, but this one sounded promising, not in the least due to a proper movie deal in place. That actually is perfectly reasonable, because this book reads just like a movie. It’s cinematically vivid, you almost want to cast it as you go. This is all probably a good thing, because as a book it has challenges, specifically the writing, more specifically weird things like character descriptions (most notably her green eyes convulsed atop of her willowy frame….what? ), some pretty terrible use of adjectives in general, some dialogue straight out of the CW tv show, that sort of thing. Weirdly enough, juxtaposed with first class world building. Seriously, if this was a collaboration effort and another author wrote characters leaving Wheeler to just deal with the plot outlines and such, this would have been terrific. Actually I can’t think of the last time I’ve encountered such clunky writing in such an otherwise decent book. World building, yes...this is certainly one of the superior entries into the vampire oeuvre. It’s ambitious, clever, exceptionally well planned out and presented, it’s logical, fascinating…it’s freaking technicolor. Wheeler’s vampires go by Eternals (arrogantly enough) and live in the Eternal Age, EA from about 2136 our time, ever since they took over the world. And not just took over, enhanced it dramatically in every possible way, they literally made the world great again, put that on a tshirt and wear it. The world is now reasonably populated, completely sustainable, faultlessly operated by an international conglomerate, its citizens want for nothing, are taken care of and protected on the level presently barely seen outside of maybe Scandinavia, there are no wars, no poverty, no privation. Life is actually easy and enjoyable. For majority of the population, at least. There are still some remaining populations of stubborn mortals, who have turned to fundamentalism and fanaticism, living out their lives outside of the habitable zones, training and sending spies into the world at large, planning to destroy it. These spies are transients, like our protagonist, only this one due to either Stockholm Syndrome or actual seeing of the light as it were, is no longer sure of his mission 5 years into it. So it’s a great plot driver…the will he or won’t he, the choice between desire and duty, nature and nurture, all those great dramatic ploys. And he is a genuinely compelling character, despite his young years, all of the characters here are actually genuinely compelling (despite occasionally odd description and bland lines), between that and the Eternalverse it’s what makes for such an engaging read. Just about enough to overlook the inexplicable use of another language interspersed into casual speech and only a word or two at a time, from a very limited vocabulary and spelled out if horrid phonetics. Why, one might ask? Well, the logical explanation seems to be that since the world is now managed by a multinational company, some of the linguistics are starting to get mixed in…but no, it’s only one (and by far not the easiest) of languages. Why not Spanish? Not a word of freaking Spanish? Anyway, small potatoes. Large potatoes are where it’s at, world of the future, vampires, the next phase of evolution. Join or destroy? That seems to always be the question, isn’t it? Mankind is narrow minded like that. But will our intrepid leading man be? Frankly, I’m not sure about the ending, seems like there was some sort of logic reversal, possibly just a moral that didn’t work for me. Some sort of misplaced idealism that really only works for the young and naïve. So it was pretty unexpected and actually worked as a twist, didn’t love it, but it’s always nice to be surprised by a book. Plus it worked really well cinematically. Now someone go make a movie of it already.
    14 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good Story with Unsatisfying Ending, Some Writing Problems
    Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Problem 1: Occasional showy, clever writing. Jack M. Bickham says: “You will write best if you force yourself never to try to be fancy or inspiring. The best style usually is no visible style at all. Prose that is crisp, clean, clear and transparent: a pane of glass through which your reader experiences the story directly, without ever being aware of the words." For the most part, the author avoids that rookie trap, but occasionally tries to show off, something that takes the reader out of the story. An example on the first page: "Dumpsters lingered around unmarked doors." That's showy and clever, and makes the reader stop and say "What? Oh, I see, the writer is being clever."

    Problem 2: There are at least seven grammar errors, logic mistakes, and typos. Examples: "Abiding his time" instead of "Biding his time." "He lowered his gaze and dirt and fiddled with a pebble." "He stared at very reason for his existence." "He reached for the canister and held it." instead of "He reached for the canister, picked it up, and held it."

    Problem 3: The ending is unsatisfying because, in the author's attempt to make the reader figure things out for him- or herself, it is unclear. There is a second way to interpret it that I don't think the author considered. There's also a logistical problem that makes his intended resolution impractical. If, like me, you don't get the ending, you need only read the first page of the sequel.
    13 people found this helpful
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  • Overachiever
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This book grabbed me quick! It is well written. Wheeler builds a very complex world with great characters. I can't wait to read the next book!
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Peter Ffrench
    5.0 out of 5 stars A kind of role reversal
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 29, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Vampires aren't bad they're the next stage in human evolution and Jonas is part of the human "organisation" seeking their downfall but he is having his doubts. Does he follow Hector's teachings and the religious path that leads to genocide or does he become eternal and follow his heart with Anna. A different take on a well used theme where vampires are not the blood sucking killers of legend but a race who have learned to live in more harmony with the planet but the human psyche cannot accept their difference so history is doomed to repeat itself.
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  • Odette Garrett
    5.0 out of 5 stars Much cleverer than a vampire story
    Reviewed in Australia on March 16, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I really enjoyed this, seemed really clever and somewhat thought provoking, whilst still highly entertaining. I’ll definitely fork out for the next one.
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 2, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Good
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  • Brian
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Read
    Reviewed in Australia on October 22, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    A nice read, took a bit of time to hit it’s straps but settled into the storyline well. Any follow up to this story should be intriguing
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  • tarenn
    2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting twist on vampires
    Reviewed in Canada on May 8, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I found this hard to read it bounced back and forth with little explanation in the timeliness.
    The premise of the story is good but the delivery is awkward and sometimes the story drags on in a weird way.
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