The World Walker (The World Walker Series Book 1)

I usually try to avoid cliches like the plague...but I could not put it down. The story completely captivated me. The characters were all totally believable, compelling and complex - I felt as though I knew every one of them, I was so involved in the book. Those key players to whom I related, I wanted to cheer on out loud in their endeavours and the ones I disliked - I wanted to punch in the throat. I loved the book because of the themes and ideas contained within the story. The nature of magic - both real and illusion is explored - together with alien conspiracy theories, secret evil organisations, love, God, reality, morality and belief. Ian Sainsbury's style of writing put me in mind of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett - extremely clever stuff (and I thought rather deep as well) delivered in a wonderfully fluid and often extremely witty manner. I can't wait to read his next book.

You are definitely a writer, Mr. Sainsbury! I love what you've done here. Mysticism, future tech, spiritualism, and even aliens (and satan worship - sort of). What a great job. I can't wait to jump into The Unmaking Engine, and to urge my wife and son to read "Walker".

A few grammatical and spelling errors, however it did not really detract from the story. The underlying concept for magic in this book is different from other ones I've heard, so it was enjoyable to view it in a different way. Not sure how compelling some of the characters were, it just seemed as if the author introduced them on a whim. However the flashbacks surrounding the main character do offer insight into his life and what molded him. Hopefully the author expounds on this in later books.

Gives you enough to want another book. Would recommend.

Go buy a copy immediately. If you are still reading this review you are waisting your time what could be spent with this exciting story, wonderful characters and unexpexted story twists. So take my advice, stop reading here - this book costs less than your favorite coffee (well I hope so for your own good) and it tastes better.

Excellent book. It seamlessly blends Sci fi elements with fantasy (at least three magic system early in the book) with modern life, conspiracy theories resulting in a page turning novel with believable characters, an unstoppable bad guy and an all to human good guy.

I purchased this book on September 3rd and just now, Noon September 6th, finished the last book in the series (4th), also finished another book, played WoW, worked some and did other stuff. In other words, I loved it and couldn't put it down once I started

Interesting character backed with some great story telling. Always enjoyed stories with "special powers" and this is a nice twist. I look forward to the next book which was purchased before this review.

I liked the sample I downloaded. It convinced me to buy the book. Unfortunately, the sample was the best part. Possibly the final 20% also has redeeming features but I couldn't take any more of the author beating me over the head every few pages with "meditation will solve everything!!!" or repeatedly explaining that the only thing that can kill a Manna User is brain death, which I believe is ultimately the final reason for every death, but somehow more so for the magic folks in this book.

On the positive side, the core of the plot is reasonably interesting and with some liberal editing this could potentially be an entertaining read.

So this really cool dude -- he's a musician, and this manic pixie dream girl is super hot for him, but he broke up with her because he's just that cool -- he gets magical powers because he's Special. It says something about "genetics", so you know it's Science that he's so Special. Also, it mentions "nanomachines" so the magic is Science too. It just looks like magic.

But -- plot twist! It turns out that there are other people who can do magic! Secret societies who actually rule the world from their shadowy lairs! Who saw that coming?

But this cool dude is so much more powerful than all the bad guys that he beats them all up and rescues the manic pixie dream girl. The end.

Also, he has sex with ladies with really big breasts.

Had just a tad bit of a hard time getting into the book at first but I just couldn't find a good place to quit. Before I knew it I had been sucked into the story and devoured the rest of it. A great combination of sorta Fantasy and Science Fiction. On to the next!

I throughly enjoyed this book. The plotting and narrative twists were masterful. For a first book, Ian excelles at creating believable dynamic characters, and the pacing is spot on. Not much more to be said. If you're reading this review then you're interested. Buy it. You won't regret it.

It took me three days to read this book, The World Walker, by Ian W. Sainsbury. I normally read a book of this size in a single day.
The World Walker is a well written urban fantasy and, judging from the many reviews and acclaim, most readers really enjoyed this book.
I did not.
I have a positive aversion to anti heroes that spend their time in debauchery and using drugs as if the natural order in society. I find the idea of an alien as a god figure offensive, more so when he/it apparently has the ability to confer immortality on a human being, in this case Sep, turning him into an apparently psychotic being with three different persona.
No matter how seductive the action or the clever and glib explanations of superior alien nano technology, the casual killing of innocents, blood offerings, references to Satan, etcetera let me with a peculiar feeling of revulsion for all the cultish overtones in the script.
Ian Sainsbury is an accomplished writer, no doubt. But this book is one I struggled to read and wish I did not make the effort.

I kept hoping this book would get better. Almost gave up at 30% through but kept reading. Story never really goes anywhere. SPOILER...... inconsistencies, the mana 2.0 was detectible by all mana users, then when soaked up by Seb no one can detect it. Seb doesn't need sleep after receiving mana, then suddenly he is too tired to drive car towards end and Seb 2.0 drives. Why are aliens spending so much effort burying mana around the world with the mana 2.0 alien spending years waiting to hand it off, then goes home, and there doesn't​ seem to be any real purpose for the powers. At end Seb says he is a world walker like that is some big deal, just lame, book was a waste of bits.

I have given this book 5 stars as i could not put it down. I have been constantly scouring and reading everything i can that grabs my attention in the sample. Some are good, some are great. Most seem like a string of short books that could be chapters of a single bigger book. This book finally ended up being more than a few hours of reading and allowed me to feel like i had a delicious meal instead of a tastey snack. Thankyou Mr Sainsbury for interesting characters, a unique story and a volume big enough that i could immerse myself in the the story long enough to really enjoy being there. I have subscribed for the first time and am ready for the next great adventure

My eyes bled when I read this. I only got through a few chapters but the book read more like a police report. It's like the author made biographies of characters and then just pasted it into the book.

This isn't a good book. I kept trying to find things to like about it, but couldn't.

If you're going to do the impossible, call it magic and then get all metaphysical... at the end you should probably give the reader magic. Instead, halfway through the book a side character with very minimal information and without contact to the protagonist just goes, "NANITES!" and you kind of have to chuckle at the character's ignorance. But then it turns into the writers ignorance and it makes the whole book seem like satire. Except it isn't.

I get the whole far enough advanced technology would seem like magic trope, I really do. However, if you're going to give a scientific answer you have to address it with science. The law of conservation of mass makes no exceptions. Not even for nanites. But I guess I don't expect an author who is unable to distinguish between the floor and the ground, and apparently thinks after you slit your wrist that you spit up blood. Also thinks if someone bleeds out from there abdominal aorta that they spit up blood too. Basically any injury, you're gonna spit up blood.

The only thing I got from this book is that the store ratings/feedback are unreliable.

This book went from ok to bad to worse. I like science fiction, but I generally don't like fantasy much at all except for the Terry Pratchett sort of stuff. This started off with a weird alien transferring some sort of power or knowledge to the protagonist. OK, sounds like science fiction. But the book goes downhill fast, with witches slicing people's heads off, human sacrifices around a pentagram, and similar fantasy nonsense. Oh, and one of the good guys turns out to be one of the bad guys. Very predictable. I'm not even going to finish this book.

With lyrical prose that occasionally rises to the evocative beauty of Dean R. Koontz, Ian Saintsbury’s first novel, The World Walker, is anything but the usual the store self-published 99¢ sci-fi potboiler.

The novel begins with protagonist Seb Varden planning suicide. Diagnosed with an incurable disease, the gifted song-writing musician gracefully says “goodbye” to his friends and colleagues and bandmates by telling them he is moving to Europe.

Instead, he heads to the Verdugo Mountains near Los Angeles. Saintsbury’s description of the “steep scrub-lined dirt paths, the tough vegetation that looked like it had taken hold before humanity had made its way out of the slime” is instantly evocative to anyone who has ever hiked in the desert. The author’s conclusion, that “the mountains were a reminder that the city was a cheap ornament Nature could brush away at any time,” is equally evocative, but this time of the sort of Raymond Chandleresque noir prose that seems to infect writers who have meditated too long and too deeply on the absurdity that is southern California.

Soon after, Saintsbury gets down to business with his engaging plot. Seb opens his veins in the wilderness while enjoying some really, really good whiskey. Then an alien from the Roswell crash escapes confinement and makes his way to Seb, where he/she/it gifts the protagonist with extraordinary powers while at the same time apologizing for not teaching him how to use them properly.

 Seb recovers from his attempted suicide, and the fun begins. Secret societies; traitors to themselves and humanity; evil agents; Las Vegas. This novel has every sort of depravity.

The emotional range of the characters is engaging. On the whole, the author has achieved a good balance between plot and character. There is the usual compliment of cardboard-cutout bad guys, but perhaps the central “evil” character is a man confronted with terrible choices who succumbs to convenience and fear. 



The narrative is not without its problems, however. It suffers from the usual self-published flaws of not having an editor to tighten the arc and remove interesting--but ultimately gratuitous--asides. The book has the character of a patchwork quilt: “Oooh! This is pretty. I’ll write about that!” 

There are a lot of tantalizing “loose ends” in “The World Walker.” Narrative threads the reader would like to know more about but which the author chose not to pursue. Such is the curse of a first novel. 



Notwithstanding all this, this is a spectacular beginning to what I hope will become a series. I look forward to following this author. “The World Walker” gave me a lot of pleasure.

I like some science in my science fiction. No amount of tech hand-waving will compensate for the scientific non-explanation for Manna, the power that drives the plot. Yes, I know, any technology sufficiently advanced will seem like magic (A.C. Clark) and yet SOME explanation for the absurdly god-like capabilities that ignore entropy and energy would be appreciated. When characters can do almost anything, then consequences fade away and so does tension.

And yet, through intelligent plot maneuvering, Sainsbury manages to create tension and danger. And his character development is excellent. I really cared when sympathetic characters meet their doom, and I really despised the villains, who were not just cardboard characters.

We still have to deal with that super-villain nonsense cliche often seen in movies and here to, wherein any mistake by a minion is punished with death. I would just once like to see a bunch of henchmen, upon being ordered to shoot one of their own, quit enmass thinking, "hey, I could be next".

Sainsbury spends some time talking about meditation, and instead of yawning or skimming, I read with pleasure his descriptions of techniques and results. On an unimportant note: you can tell the author is British when he skips between feet and centimeters, and talks about automotive wings instead of fenders. No big deal.

In the Audible edition, the narrator is wonderful, and I have never heard a better English accent from an American, or, if I am being double-fooled, a better American accent from a Brit.

First - I'm not a friend or relative of the author and I wasn't given anything for this review. I hate it when an author's friends give a book all 5 stars and I'm fooled by their fake reviews. My reading time is never long enough, so I hate to waste it on poorly written stories. OK - The World Walker isn't my usual style - I love apocalyptic, world-gone-mad books. BUT - this was a terrific story. More of a sci-fi, magick, alternate-universe theme. The characters were believable, likable, and I cared about them. A couple of typical bad-guys were deliciously over-the-top evil, tool. Loved to hate them. The world-building was well done, especially considering the magnitude of the overall storyline. The prose was smooth and I only found a few typos. The grammar wasn't perfect and some weird sentences pulled me out of the story a few times. But, mainly, the words fly and I was right there IN the book. That's the main question for me - Can I get lost in this story and leave my real world behind? YES. Very few swear words, no sex, and very little disturbing graphic violence (if that matters to you). Lots of action, twists, and good versus evil. Oh- and the story wraps up at the end of Book 1 - no cliffhanger. I'm definitely reading the rest of the series and will probably buy the set. Overall, for a self-published, kindle unlimited book this is a very definite five stars. Read this Book!

I like reading the bad reviews after I finish reading a book that I think is definitely a one star book to see other peoples' take on things.
One 1 star review was complaining about the lack of history knowledge in the book. I laughed at that having written a few books myself and knowing that the author's world is not necessary the world we know as being the "real" one. A sci-fi book is about alternate realities and those alternate realities don't have to match the reality we are familiar with. Hence the term "alternate". Nuff said on that. Just wanted to get that off my chest.
Another bad review was complaining about the mixture of fantasy and sci-fi and throwing in devil worshipers and magic into the mix.
I found it a good and fitting blend that fit the story and if you read it carefully you'll see that the only magic is man (or alien) made. As far as the rest it was superstition thrown in by the twisted beliefs of humans twisting manna into their own twisted ideals much like humans twist religion to meet their ends be they for good or evil.
If you read the book you know what I'm talking about when I talk about Manna and if not then go pick it up. I'm not one of those reviewers that explains the book and gives things away. That's what reading the book is all about.
Personally I really enjoyed it. Lot's of sci-fi with lots of twists and turns and lot of action with a lot of believable and complex characters thrown in the mix. I read all three in the trilogy but since I can't leave one review for all this will have to do for the first book in the series.
If you love a great sci-fi book with lots of twists and turns and action with unpredictable results don't miss this one.
I have to say though... For a first book not bad... Not bad at all... Way to go Ian! I wish my first book had been half s successful!
Looking forward to book 4!!

I hate to write a negative review of this book, I'm not a nitpicker. Generally, I don't even care if the grammar is screwed up, misspellings, or if the characters act out of character. So, I'll start with things that I actually liked about the book, then what I disliked, then what I hated.

Things I liked: Overall good grammar & spelling. Kudos to the editor.

Things I disliked: Use of uncommon words improperly. ie Aphorism. Describing things incongruously or nonsensically ie describing a table as formica. Formica is a material that can look like just about anything, so its use to describe something is out of place unless used to describe the actual material its made of, which it wasn't.

Things like that made me question the intelligence of the writer, had he just written normally I would have never considered he might be one fry short of a happy meal.

Things I HATED: Chapters are devoted to characters, telling their life stories, only to have them die in the last sentence of the chapter. I thought ok, maybe they'll be brought back somehow. I didn't want to feel like I read about someone's life pointlessly so I finished the book. Spoiler Alert they never come back. They're dead-end branches that have nothing to do with the actual story. I surmise it is some sloppy way for the writer to gain a higher word count. Instead of writing about a branch of the story that intertwined with the main story, he wrote dead end pointless gibberish about someone who didn't matter at all to anything happening.

Plot holes: things weren't thought through very well, if at all. Spoilers: The main character gains godlike abilities, can teleport around the world, parallel realities, different worlds, you name it. Yet he cannot teleport to a hotel room where he can see a live stream of. For example, near the end, he teleports to all the most wonderous and beautiful places on earth, through which he's only heard of or seen pictures at best. Yet a live stream of a hotel room is too hard?

The main character is lame: he's not funny, smart, or brave. He's a whiney, self-centered loser who tries to kill himself at the beginning of the book. The worst part, everyone else dies. Don't get invested in the characters, they will die or fade into oblivion.

There are a dozen other things that annoyed me with this book, and honestly, I wasted enough time reading it. Do yourself a favor and skip this series. I'm disappointed because I love sci-fi / fantasy everything, but this was really bad.

Loved it.

Captures the right balance between the Super and the Man. We have your typical average joe and one day. Bam! He is godlike. Saves the day, beats the bad gals and even gets the girl.

Ok. maybe not so easy seeming as that. But you'll have to read it to find out why I thought it was a good story that balances the role the human inside us all versus the god we wish we could all become.

Mr Sainsbury: You write. I will walk your worlds with you.

Mr. Sainsbury says in his author's note at the end of the book that he doesn't know if he's an author yet. After reading the first book in the series, I think he is.
The unusual thing about his novel is that it is so well written. I did not have to bumble through misspelled words or incomplete ideas. I am very happy to have read a new novel that is well edited. I am so tired of trying to understand the ramblings of someone who so obviously did not write their first book. So many just use a speech engine; misspelled words, incomplete thoughts, crappy or nonexistent editing. Thank you Ian for writing something I could read without trying to figure out what the author actually intended to say. Now that is just the glowing compliment on you use and knowledge of the English language.
The book was great. I love it! Aliens, mystics, magic/technology which you put together really well. There are other reviewers who will be able to make a better synopsis of the actual story (I believe in letting you read it yourself). I can only say that I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the rest of the series. Thank you for writing The World Walker, it was well worth my time.

A very enjoyable fast paced book. Aliens and powers...I am down. The characters are fleshed out well, and everyone has their own agenda. I really liked the bad guys in this. Westlake and Barrington were perfect. I wanted more of them being violent and evil.
The protagonist, Seb, is a musician and good-hearted individual. He gets powers, finds a "friend" and then starts learning about his abilities. Who knows what he would have done at this point if he wasn't running from the bad guys.

While Seb doesn't have a super-hero mindset, he is not a reluctant hero. He spends his time learning about himself and then using his new abilities to help his friends. While I would have done things differently, I can't fault Seb for the way he did anything in the story. And that is rare for me to find in a story. It means good writing and a well thought out narrative.

My biggest compliment I can give a book is that I am immediately purchasing the 2nd and 3rd book of this series.

Couldn't get through the first 100 pages. The book starts in modern day America and the author doesn't know anything about the world. First we supposedly built cold war bunkers in WWII, then a person commits suicide by cutting across his wrists, and finally two highly trained soldiers kill a man they are ordered to take alive for no discernible reason. I can suspend my belief in a Sci-Fi universe but if you are going to start your story in modern day American at least do the reader the courtesy of doing some basic fact checking.

Highly recommended. I like stuff that's up to date....meaning books written in the past 10-15 years. I love how the author tells the story, writing style is good. The fact that the author seems to understand a lot of abstract concepts (as well as we can understand them) is great too. The use of established folklore like Roswell, combined with recent (or future) stuff like nanotech, biotech, then magic, witchcraft, and much more is also good. This story has the potential to go far. I know there are 3 more books in the series at the time I read this 1st book. I'll be continuing to read!

I like this writer and I'll buy more books by him. For a first effort he's amazing and, I think, original. I happened to hve been deep into zazen myself, can still go blank in a second, and appreciate what he's doing with it here. I have also done walking zazen which he touches upon. And like Walter (named for Walter White?) roulette is my game in the casinos. Ian really covers himself well plotwise. Oh—Ian! If you're reading this do NOT attempt to write ANYthing about guns or rifles without consulting a cop or soldier. Please?

Oh...and, Ian, I don't recommend any more Trump jokes because 65,000,000 of us read and write and voted for him. It's hard writing in these teenie boxes;don;t make me do it :)

Was a good book and worth reading. None of the descriptions or synopsis gave me much detail as to what to expect. This review may have spoilers. So stopNow if you don’t want to read them.

Ok you’re still here, so here goes. Basically it’s about a guy who has a few friends and as a loaner. He’s been diagnosed with a quick moving brain cancer. Then decides to end his own life. It’s about that time and alien pop south from where he’s been in a self-induced stasis and transfers his technology powers, which to us look like magic, over. Other hidden magic users try to track him and when him to their side. And adventure ensues.

I almost passed this book up but thought what the heck. I'm glad I took a chance on this. This was one of those stories I hated to stop reading and could not wait to get back home and start reading again. I was so bummed when I got to the end and there wasn't another in the series but the author said there will be more in this series so I'm going to hold him to that.
The World Walker is not your usual story at least not for me but the author keeps the story going and it doesn't drag in the middle like a lot of books, you know the first few chapters are exciting then it's boring till the end where it get exciting again. The author takes the time for you to get to know and care about the characters and there's a lot of action so who could ask for more in a good read, give it a try, I'm pretty sure your going to like this book like I did.

After a lengthy search for a new book to cherish, I downloaded this book with extremely low expectations. Okay. I expected total crap and only hoped that it would be moderately entertaining crap. Four hours later (allowing only time to microwave some macaroni cheese, ten minutes to skim the excerpt I need for class tomorrow, and a brief pause to contemplate theology), I am satisfied to announce that this book is Definitely Not Crap.

The theological contemplation, by the by, was entirely appropriate and needed. The scifi was handled almost reverently, the fight scenes weren't overdone, and the broad message of the text dovetailed neatly with my reading for class tomorrow--Judges, as it happens. I recommend this book for people who liked the atmosphere of The Martian, the gravity of Tolkein, or who read about aliens or mythology for fun.

I really tried to finish, but can't suspend belief (or intelligence) it would take. Bad characters, bad craft. I quit when the protagonist had a drug fueled night with prostitutes. Satanism in fiction I can handle. Perpetuating addiction and misogyny in any format is my limit. The good guy became a villian in my eyes.

Never heard of this author before, after reading the first and second books i can say that hes got alot of potential. However, these books are a chore to get through. Many pages of useless/overboard descriptions of unimportant scenes and characters show him as a newly published author. The "meat" was great though and worth pushing through the rest.

Tldr: lots of fluff, skipping 2-3 pages at a time. But still worth a quick read.

PS. Looking forward to future works from this author and to see how this story unfolds. Space dragons seems like a cool idea just sayin...

This is a very pleasant read. Fluid , fast-paced , entirely plausible . It might be a very good book to start with for those new readers of science fiction. Not overly detailed with aspects of science that bog down the mind. I give this a four-star rating. My brain only gives five stars to those writers who have achieved science-fiction sainthood. So four stars is my top. And that means I really did like this book. Going on to book 2 now. Connected with the characters and am looking forward to seeing what in store for them next. A sign of a good book for me ? I can't wait to see what the characters are doing next, as if they're alive. Give this book a try. If you're like me, and I've read 17 books since November 1 , it will catch you and hold onto you from the very first pages. Fun!

This author I believe is a athiest who writes science fiction as a means of delivering his opinions that religions are obsolete. I really enjoyed his writing style, the character personalities, and the realism of the stories he creates... and yet every few chapters there is a slur against religion. Every few chapters my enjoyment is tainted by an increasingly more robust push to drive his beliefs into the readers lap.

Overall this was an enjoyable title and has a lot of great ideas that are well executed. If you enjoy science fiction, fantasy, power fantasies, an intriguing tale, and/or well thought out and flawed characters, then you will likely have a good time with "The World Walker". I liked that my best guess halfway through the book was quite a bit off from the actual plot (i.e., not predictable). I like the fact that our main 4 or 5 characters have some serious issues and (spoiler!) some of them die. This makes the story more gritty, believable, and less of an obvious story arc where everyone survives and all the bad guys die at the end.

That said, I think he could have thrown the protagonist into more peril throughout the book. The main character was pretty much given "god status" early on and we never were really concerned with whether he would make it or not...it really kills some potential suspense. If Mr. Sainsbury was going to go that route, I'd rather see Meera die as well, which would create a hardcore "vengeance at all costs" story line. I would have eased him into the powers, and maybe had some close calls as he became acclimated to them, rather than pretty much just stating that he couldn't die within the first quarter or so of the book.

Nit picks aside, it's a solid 4 out of 5 and presents awesome introductions to eastern philosophy (i.e., what meditation is, what it feels like, and how it could be part of harnessing alien nanotechnology). I will definitely check out the next book in the series after reading something else for a change of pace.

Great character build and interaction. I can see them as people and their lives come alive in this first book so I had to read thru with in 12 hours. Of course a short rest period to sleep and pull then pull out a one and a half in stick jammed into the top of my cat's nose. My poor kitty. No I don't know how he managed that but as long as I keep it cleaned and a strong antibiotic gel on it he should be fine. So short an emergency, I could put it down. Can't wait to read the next adventure to uncover more about Webs new purpose. Recommended reading pg rated SciFi!

This is very similar to Michael Anderle's "Kurtherian Gambit" series. Where Micheal's is about Vampires and Werewolves this has Druids and Mages powered from nanotech. I do not know who had this story first, but he also comments at the end of his book like Michael (except Michael included my review in his book).
This starts out as a guy (the MC) who is dying trying to commit suicide, gets saved and discovers he has magic. He has to master his magic before those in power try to destroy him and his friends. This is a very entertaining fast paced multi pov action packed story.

This was such an enjoyable and engrossing read for me! I loved it! I'm amazed to read it's this guy's first book. I was drawn into the characters, the story. Where he took it. I ended up reading the other two books as well in uncomfortably short order (as in I skipped sleeping to keep reading).

I'm not great about remembering to write reviews, but since this is this person's first book, and I don't have anything negative to say, I thought I'd better write something... I highly recommend the book. It's interesting across multiple genres. This book, and the following 2 books in the series all easily make it into my top 10 reads for the last year.

Tiny creatures, working in controlled unison to change things on a sub-atomic level. Aliens from outer space— or perhaps other space— working to change our vision of reality. And one musician with an inoperable brain tumor, opting to take his own life to avoid dying slowly and painfully.

At the confluence of these three strands, strange things can’t help bet to happen.

Recommended.

I liked the depth of the characters in this book. The action and reveals keep you reading. It's sort of like the supernatural meets aliens meets superheroes, with a plausible science back round and lots of potential going ahead.

I really enjoyed this story. The author did a great job with multiple likable characters. His character flashbacks were enjoyable but bogged the story down a bit in the beginning. Other parts of the story were over streamlined and made the end predictable shortly before it happened so was a little of a letdown.

Over all it's high end light reading but we'll worth it.

Ok just finished this ebook and have to say I was surprised after reading the authors notes that this is a first book. Very well thought out and executed story line. Unfortunately I've read a LOT of books and have become somewhat jaded by being able to guess mostly how a book will end. This one got me and I'll tell you it's been a couple of years since a book has done that. I'll not give you much of the story since the blurp dose a good job of getting you hooked but I will say that I recommend this and can't wait till the next installment is published. Good luck as an author and great job for starting out right.

The World Walker is about second chances and the reality that surrounds us. It's a superb blend of mystery, "magic", science and humor, all without tipping too far into the bizarre and making this new world that's building in your head come stuttering to a stop. I want to add more praise but I'm not sure what to say without just repeating the words "Great" and "Amazing" in different ways as I am a reader, not a writer myself. I would recommend buying this book.

Highly recommend this book if you’re a Sci fi fan. Always a pleasure to catch something that brings a new twist

Very engaging, excellent pace to the story and character development.

You’re hooked quickly and look forward to each new paragraph/chapter. Well written, solid editing, did not see the ending coming ??

Really enjoyed it!

The world is made up, in my humble opinion, of those who can tell a story and those of us who are content to listen to those stories. Having tried to sit down to the keyboard and tell a story, I have decided that I, in fact, am most definitely a listener, and Ian Sainsbury is most definitely a story teller! I haven't written a "book report" since my college days (long past!), but my hope is that Seb and Meera become as well know as John Snow and Denarius Stormborn are, and that someone farsighted enough at HBO sees the incredible possibilities of bringing their story to the big screen!

I have left my household chores piled up around me for the last two days while I devoured "World Walker" and "The Unmaking Machine", but I will get the clutter sorted and be ready to once more be transported to Seb and Mee's universe when the third book shows up on my Kindle on the 28th...and I'm going to purchase both of the previous books instead of my norm of checking them out on Unlimited as I know I will want to reread them...and I want Ian to make enough money to ensure that he never again doubts that this is indeed his calling...he is a talented storyteller!

Do yourself a Huuuge favor and read this book and the sequel! You won't be sorry, I promise!

I like Magic, there are so many ways to explain how magic works.

"You're controlling nano-machines that somehow bend the world around you and need to be recharged from fillup stations placed around the world." Really isn't a good way to explain how magic works.

The MC is stronger than everyone else because he's running a newer operating system on his nano-machine magic.

Just WHY!? WHY ARE THEY NANOMACHINES? Nano-machines make things more real and sci-fi based and require more explanation. How do they create lightning? Or teleport? or create shields? or regenerate you from nothing? Cause nano-machines.

I could go on but suffice to say it really destroyed the immersion for me.

Rarely have I found a new author, self-published on Kindle, who blows me away but Mr. Sainsbury is one of them. His first book in his The World Walker Series is bright, fresh, full of developed characters with a new and unique story to tell. I devoured all 3 books over a 4 day period and can't wait for the 4th book coming out in a few days. Highly recommended if you're looking for a great sci-fi book that's fun to read.

I just hapened on this book and author, what a find! Mr. Sainsbury writes so well, describing characters, places and possibilities so thoroughly that you find yourself reading in anticipation and sometimes, even in dread of what will happen to “your” favorite characters. I just ordered the rest of the series and can hardly wait to start book two!

Truly extraordinary. I can't figure out how to write a review that could begin to describe how exceptional this series is, so just take everything good you could come up with relative to an author's work and insert it here. What a treat! I'm so looking forward to reading future work.

I've recommended this on Michael Anderle's forum (What to read.... thread). I think Michael's "Kurtherian Gambit" readers will really enjoy this.

I tried to get into this book. I tried until a little over half of the book and just could not do it anymore. Sorry, for the bad review... I was hoping redemption would come by the next page. It did not.

This was incredibly long and I'm reeling from this astounding venture. Did I enjoy it? I'm not sure. In my opinion, there were just too many unnecessary pages of descriptors. I don't have any current plans of continuing with this particular series.

Boringly repetitive with flashbacks for flashbacks. It just really doesn't go anywhere.

Author does a good job showing you a character's traits, only to force a flashback to make sure you got the message. Ramming it down your throat with a hamfisted deliberateness.

I'm only ⅓ of the way through book #3, but am already conifdent in recommending this series. If you enjoy sci-fi with inter-woven, well-written plots and well-developed characters, you won't be wasting your time reading (at least the first 3 books of) this series. I'm having trouble putting them down to get other things done. Well-done, Ian Sainsbury; keep writing, please.

The story was great! u follow Seb as he deals with the things life hass thrown at him. at the same time, u find out about Roswell and what the military covered up. the book has a lot of characters with a lack of respect for life. and these are the people trying to catch Seb. he leads them on a merry chase as he learns more about himself at 32 years old. great read that will maker u think about your life and how u r living it.

A rollicking thrill ride that encompasses the dawn of evil, the split of the Catholic church, nanotechnology, aliens, shapeshifting, organized crime and summoning Satan. What's not to like?

Great fun to read this non-stop action tale. It is like the Reverse Clark Kent story, without the spandex.

This book is wonderful! Ian Sainsbury puts a different spin on science fiction genre that is refreshing and well written. The characters are well developed and genuinely make you care about them. I loved the book so much that I read the entire series over the weekend. My only complaint is that the Author has not written more. :)

You have to understand, this is a practically impossible rating from me for a book that didn't make me laugh.

I'm in my 60s, and have spent most of my life telling people (and proving to them) that I like my high adventure mixed with low comedy. The World Walker is not funny - it is some of the best writing I've seen in the last five years, at least. I'm looking forward to the next one.

One of the best-written indie novels I've come across during my year of Kindle Unlimited membership. If you loved "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," you'll greatly enjoy this novel. Whimsy and humor, however, do not seem to have this author' primary aim, although they are an important part of the novel's appeal. You will find more traditional plotting and character development, both of which "The World Walker" are very good at. Highly recommended.

I am a avid reader I have read some that made me put them down partway through the first chapter to some after I read and thought about it and I was what in the that was garbage then some other that are real gems. I salute you Mr. Sainsbury keep writing and I will keep reading

Magic meets science, aliens, romance and intrigue!
Half way through the sample I was hooked! The timeline jumps around, be sure to read the heading of each chapter to know if you are in the past or present. It does come together into a fast paced and enjoyable read.

Excellent Science Fiction. One of my criteria for Superhero stories is that the bad guy is truly evil. Mason and his minions are outstanding bad guys. Seb's significant other Meera Patel is a great character. The invincible Superhero with the semi-tragic childhood is a bit cliche but the frashbacks did not slow the plot down. And the bad guys didn't make it easy.

I love this story genre, and this tale is one of the better works. The characters are well-developed, and the plot moves at a good pace. The uses and logics of their power are believable and intriguing.

Read the other and much longer positive reviews for more details….no need for me to parrot them, but I certainly am in agreement. I think the negative reviewers here were just having off days.

I’ve also already read books 2 and 3 before doubling back for this review, and am eagerly awaiting the next one. The story just keeps getting better.

I had down loaded this book months ago (Kindle Unlimited) and it sat unread. What a mistake! Thoroughly enjoyed it. Already have book 2 queued up.

As an added bonus I read the book the same weekend my in-laws from Roswell NM were visiting:)

What an excellent book! Excellent story, action, plot, pace, characters, character development, well written! What I liked best was the parts about awareness, being present, reality.
This made it real and attractive. For years been " told "
"Should" meditate. -This I could hear and feel. Thank you.

I really liked this book and i am looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
One thing I'm not is a literary critic, so i am unsure how to proceed. I thought the book had a Stephen King kinda-feel-to-it (read Dr Sleep and i think you'll agree). The book entertained me, it pulled me in and enthralled me. It was an easy book to read, thanks Ian, as the mysterious work the Manna is gradually revealed. No doubt we ain't seen it all yet. Reading is subjective, like your fav food or wine, so once again I Really Enjoyed this Book. Thanks Ian.

It was a good book and enjoyed the storyline and the character development. The progress of the book was steady and overall good. That being said, this is not a normal type of book that I read, but I did enjoy it.

It started really good, with interesting backstories and flashbacks that made readers empathise with the main characters, it was promising with lots of potentials, at least until the primary character went overpowered

This book has it all! It is action packed (especially at the end), has great world building and history, and has some very thought provoking philosophical ideas. The best fiction makes the reader question whether this has happened or is happening, and this book does that! I can't wait for the next one!

The characters are new friends now, and I worry about them. The bromance between the first 2 Sebs, and their protective instinct towards Seb3 and Meera make them more human than the alien that Seb is. Gotta read 'em all.

Couldn't put this book down. My only issue was the use (overuse?) of jumping back and forth in the plot's timeline. It's stylistic, but I prefer a more linear exposition. Having said that, I've just bought book 2 and am looking forward to continuing my journey with Seb!

I super enjoyed this new concept that you introduced. I have never heard of mana being referred to as nano tech. The direction that this could go is unlimited. I'm looking forward to the continuation of this theme, it reminds me of Doctor Strange. You could go really far out with this!

Ok. So when I first picked up this book on the kindle I wasn't sure what I'd find or even if I'd like it. And to be honest its not the best book I've read, I'm still counting The Wheel of time series by Robert Jordan as my number 1 favorite and what in my opinion is the best, hey I understand everyone has different opinions and that's mine. But what I will tell you is that this book has made my night, and I will count it as one of my new favorites. I read it in about 6 hours. It pulled me in and kept me entertained the whole way through. I can't wait until you release your next book, which I'm sure will be a long while from now as this one was just released in March.

With Aliens, the Occult, drugs and flashbacks, it seems like the author is chasing some kind of postmodern opus like the Illuminatus! trilogy. This book doesn't make much sense until near the last few chapters, but sets the stage for an otherwise really good series, even if it takes a little while to come around.

The story is captivating with an unexpected twist at the end! If you like sci-fi and fantasy it's a fun book. The main character starts the story with a solemn outlook on life due to an unfortunate event but quickly has every thing changed when he's bestowed with a gift. The story unfolds with many different views from the other characters which we lays out the platform for the first book of the series that takes place in modern times.

I really think a novel has to be accessible on at least some level to be worth reading. This book does that...I never found myself wondering "what's he going on about now?".
Looking forward to reading the next in the series.

Science fiction written by someone who knows the English language and uses it well. The characters develop well over the series, and the themes explored show both well thought issues and inventiveness. I highly recommend this book and the whole series.

This was a good book . I really enjoyed reading it. I know I. Am supposed to speak of the rich characters , and all other literary stuff, but I simply enjoyed the book. I liked the authors style of writing.

i am Very picky. i read every last word, and loved All of those words. stayed glued to it, was Always in awe. wondering how the author came up with such precious sentences. i think Sainsbury has read a lot of books. he paid attention when that reading was thrilling. he took notes or something impossible. World Walker is thrilling.

Nice start that sets up the main actors through the tale. Good guy with superpower vs lots of bad guys with less superpower. Novel method of superpower attainment.
Very action filled and a pleasure to read. I almost never review but I want more from this author so read this book.

I rarely write reviews! This was good enough to say to other folks, try it! However if Lord of the Rings is a 5 then this was a 3. Most books That I read all the way through are about a 2.5 to a 4. Below that I do not bother finishing them! This is definitely above average and this author will get better & better over time. So encourage him and enjoy his books!

A very interesting, thought provoking read. Great concept, different from anything I've read in awhile. Not everything is explained all at once but slowly unravels. Am hoping more becomes clear with each book and that the main character will perhaps learn more about his abilities and do some real World Walking. Does need a more fine tuning in editing. Extra letters, mostly "s" like "thiss", wrong tense, letters left out of words...just little things that popped out here and there. Man character likeable, background well thought out. Wouldn't mind a little more description, but I'm a sucker for details. This was overall very well done with a satisfying ending. It can be read as a stand alone but I will definitely be reading the next installment.

Compelling! I read the entire series in 4 days. There is plenty of action. It never slows down but still takes time to develop interesting characters, especially Mee. Not since Forrest Gump have I laughed more. Even though she is not the central character, Mee seems to anchor the overall story.

This book had so many things I like all in a package I could read in a day. It read like a thriller with an awesome mix of superpowers, men in black suits, a young musician starting on his herons journey (with cool powers). Was definitely a page turner.

This book instantly gets your blood pumping and kept me guessing which direction it would go in. The explanation of Seb's power is such brain candy and I thoroughly enjoyed it. looking forward to the next book.

Best book I have read in a long time. Great character development, plot, twist, turns, and everything that makes a book impossible to put down. This is a series that you will be very glad you started!

One of my favorite new books. You have to love Seb. I know a girl similar to Mee and the authenticity in Mr Sainsburys characterization not just with her but all of the characters makes a vety believable fiction that i thoroughly enjoyed.

An excellent start to a new series! Read it through in one straight sitting! Looking forward to starting the next book and seeing where this story leads. Don't hesitate to check out this new author, read this book !

I didn't know what to expect, but the book was a real page-turner, and I can't wait for the next one. It's a sort of genre-buster Everything from a love story, through the best ski-fi to revenge, all moderated with compassion personal growth, and mystery.

The magic stuff is too Deus-ex-Machina . Suddenly the main character gets extra extra extra powers about which one never does know their limit.
On the positive side, the characters of this novel are quite colorful.

To the author... You are a writer. This may be just one reader's opinion but I've been reading around 2-3 books a week since the '80s. Feel free to state at the next party without hesitation.

To the readers... This is a thoroughly engaging story with an interesting balance of events and outcomes. It holds both dark and gritty elements, as well as heroics. I look forward to the next book in the series.

The World Walker is by far one of the best books I have read. Before reading this, I was not completely sold on sci-fi books, but this was the only one that truly captured and held my attention throughout. I quickly fell into Seb's journey and his world, and found it impossible not to care about the characters on their remarkable, twisted universe. I highly recommend this book for sci-fi lovers and those who may be looking to fall in love with the theme. Without wanting to give anything away, Sainsbury's writing style and multi-dimensional characters and themes were captivating and reminiscent of work by Douglas Adams. Sainsbury has a bright future in writing, and I am hopeful for a sequel to re-join the characters on their journey.

Very entertaining. Could do less of the obvious rescue the damsel in distress bit however. Character's ability has great potential for many variation on a theme ( multi-verse, multiverse +time jumps, just time jumps). Look forward to see where author takes the story. I just hope it's not the obvious.

I seldom write reviews, but in this case I feel compelled.
This novel is the first in a series (I have already ordered the next one) the plot is very tight and moves at a pace that keeps you turning the pages.
Really well defined characters and an intriguing plot keep you hooked.
For a first novel I think this book is very well crafted and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys sci fi but with an edge.

The story balances relatable characters and supernatural powers well. At what point does advanced technology become Magick? As a first installment in a multi-book series, Sainsbury does a great job of simultaneously giving closure to an enthralling story and leaving you wanting more!

Guy gets powers from alien, nefarious people try to control him. Read a few stories along these lines before, it was well done. Not a lot of action, but plenty of intrigue, it was interesting and entertaining. Character driven, not some teen superhero, or young adult paranormal romance, would read a sequel.

I delved into this book slowly at first, and then as I progressed I began to fall in love with the flow of the pages and the characters that were surfacing along the tides. The way this author writes is truly fascinating, definitely going to read his other works.

This is a very good book. Kind of a cross between the Dresden Files and the X-Files. Very fast paced and unpredictable. I recommended it recently to several friends, and am plowing through the second book now.

Being a BIG fan of the "superhero" genre, The World Walker was a great change of pace from the run of the mill mask-and-cape story. I can't wait to see what happens next. Hurry up, write the sequel !!

this is a very good first piece of work by Ian Sainsbury , trully captivating story. Well structured and able to keep the reader's interest at all times.
I look forward to more from this new writer