Kaitlyn “Lynn” Wadsworth

‘Chrome Mountain’, by Ben Schneider, is a gripping, high-stakes, sci-fi Action/Adventure story with two main characters, Trey and Sonya. It is full of top-speed chases in various airborne and land vehicles, as well as on-the-ground pursuit, all choreographed with the knowledge and detail of an expert. Hard to believe this novel is the Author’s debut. Sonya has the criminal gang, the Screamin’ Demons, after her. Trey is a Scientist whose knowledge and ingenuity are sought after by the evil Chromes. Eventually, they meet, and it is obvious that with this brawn and brains combo, they may be able to escape, but not for long. Trey is accused of being part of the Chromes and can’t turn to anyone for help. Now he has to fight for his life and prove his innocence. As the Chromes have mastered their secret weapons via advanced technology and use them with a rule-or-ruin mentality, the bodies pile up as their prey are pursued and cornered repeatedly. Neither of them wants the collateral damage which ensues. In ways akin to the movies with the ‘I’ll be back” character, the pursuers take the law into their own hands and will stop at nothing to close in on Trey. During the story, facts about Trey’s and Sonya’s pasts come out, adding to this valiant pair’s characters. Both of them have criminal exes who want them dead. Both of them grow up and become more than they believed they could be capable of, and the stakes ramp up as they turn from saving their skins to saving each other’s. Sonya is expendable to the Chromes. She has the task of keeping Trey alive from enemies who want him alive. They can’t kill her without risking his life. For a while, she is the only one he can trust and rely on. The Chromes want him alive to help with a nefarious project, the ability of which will endanger all humanity. And if they fail, they want him dead as well. Trey and Sonya have a few quiet days here and there during the story to evaluate each other and get close. This fact will please lovers of romance. The dialogue is funny and witty at times. The message is one of justice prevailing in the end. Also, Trey is a likable hero who cares deeply about people over riches. His invention could have made him a famous millionaire, but he wisely chose to be a silent protector of humankind. If only all people thought this way. But then the trouble begins... The language isn’t vulgar or profane, except there is vulgarity in a few places where it is in line with the characters. It is mostly easy to understand, and any novel words used (only one I couldn’t find in a dictionary) are easy to comprehend from the context. I would rate this book 4 out of 4 on entertainment value alone. It is a very well-rounded, well-written story, with all loose ends brought to a happy resolution at the end. I recommend it to readers who love non-stop action, sci-fi (not in outer space), wonderfully choreographed speed chases, and brilliant characters – even the evil ones. I liked the place names with each new chapter better than any chapter titles for this story. Details about the food they ate made this story realistic. Other descriptions made the story easy to visualize. Page numbers will help readers who have to put the book down frequently, or enable them to refer back to things read. I recommend this.