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William D. Latoria

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The Blackshade Machine: Book 1: Original Design Kindle Edition

by William Latoria (Author), Elizabeth Latoria (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition

3.9 59 ratings

Book 1 of 3: The Blackshade Machine

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5/5 Stars on Reader's Favorite - "Overall, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend The Blackshade Machine to readers who adore superbly crafted plots with interesting twists and realistically-penned alien fiction that sounds intimidatingly believable."

5/5 Stars on BookView Review - "With Blackshade and his team’s resolve in the face of destruction, this science fiction tale becomes too real to take lightly."

5/5 Stars on The Prairies Book Review - "The characters, particularly Blackshade & Zahera, come alive in readers’ minds as they strategize their way out of one precarious situation after another while struggling with their inner demons."

Earned 1st Place in the Firebird Book awards in the 1st Contact & Military Science Fiction Categories

Earned a place as a "Longlisted Author" in the Book Viral Book Awards.

Colonel Blackshade has been a Candaerican military officer his entire adult life. He loves his country, tolerates most of the population, and finds comfort in his daily routine.

Then the aliens appeared and twisted the course of his life into a knot.

Blackshade must appease the extraterrestrial visitors while simultaneously keeping the worst aspects of humanity’s population in check.

Should he fail, extermination, enslavement, and obliteration are all very real possibilities.

…this is a story of discovery, science, and survival…

…this is also a story about humanity striving to reach its full potential…

…but whether that potential is for the betterment of the species, or its desolation, has yet to be determined.

Find out how it all plays out by getting your copy now!

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07R5KMJKX
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 27, 2019
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3404 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 359 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ B09PMFX3FB

Best Sellers Rank: #1,316,462 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #6,505 in Alien Invasion Science Fiction
- #7,111 in First Contact Science Fiction eBooks
- #7,561 in First Contact Science Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
3.9 59 ratings

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About the author

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William D. Latoria

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William "Bill" Latoria is the author of the groundbreaking sci-fi series, The Blackshade Machine, & the thought-provoking Vella thriller, Uninhibit-ID.

Born and raised just outside of Chicago, Bill survived in Louisiana for almost 20 years before settling comfortably in Massachusetts. There, with the permission of his loving wife, he works on his many projects. These include collecting calories in the form of tasty treats and ciders, remedial wood working, and writing the kind of stories that make people question reality just a bit. (It's his niche)

Bill's writing acumen didn't come from a fancy degree but from years of honing his skill in the most unforgiving and brutal environment an author can immerse themselves in... crafting epic adventures for various role-playing groups, as a Game Master. (Seriously, you want brutally honest feedback? Run a game session at a local game store. Pro Tip: don't let them see you cry!)

You can connect with Bill in two ways:

Instagram: @theblackshademachine

email: blackshademachine@outlook.com

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5

59 global ratings

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Don Baker

Blackshade Machine a worthy read

Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2023

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Taking a chance on this book I found it started out slowly but later realized the groundwork was being laid. With every book I read I am left with the option of pressing to get through or binging on movies etc. Being written in a clean, concise and methodical manner left me reading for extended periods and falling behind on videos. A fun ride. The aliens and our origination story needs suspended doubt but all in all well written and enjoyable to read.

One person found this helpful

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David G. Kantrowitz

An Expansive First Contact Story

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2020

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In the not-so-distant future, the global political landscape has changed dramatically. Canada and the United States have merged, and with the advent of high technology, especially in the areas of governance and social monitoring, each country is left to either let their citizenry prosper or harshly control them. There is peace, but the age-old doctrine of mutually assured destruction looms greater than ever.

When a mysterious alien race appears at the edge of the solar system, humanity's harmonic balance is quickly thrown into chaos, magnified by rampant speculation on social media. When first contact occurs, many humans feel that their entire existence is threatened. While the new visitors appear to be friendly, at first, early revelations of their nature, and that of humanity as a whole, threaten to shake the whole world from their technology-driven symbiosis into anarchy. At the center of this, unwittingly, is Colonel Blackshade, a high-ranking officer in Canderica's military force. It is he who must facilitate some kind of communication with the aliens, and finds himself holding the fate of the entire planet in his hands. Though these strange creatures may come in peace, many are leery of their potentially ominous long-term plans, as well as what other horrors the galaxy may hold.

Expansive and pensive, The Blackshade Machine may be the most well thought out tale of first contact ever to grace the page. The author's world building and character development are central throughout the book, and don't disappoint. No aspect of Canderica's society or technology is overlooked, especially how these things are affected by the arrival of the aliens, and the narrative rewards the patient reader.

Ultimately, what keeps this book from rating a full five stars, in my humble opinion, is that these details sometimes slow the pace of the story, turning what should be an up-all-night adventure into something a bit more technical in nature. Still, as the promised first book in a series, these slow points shouldn't deter the reader from finishing up quite ready for the next chapter... which I hope is coming soon!

3 people found this helpful

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DarrellP

Alternative origin of life on Earth.

Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2022

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Interesting story of aliens visiting earth after an absence of millions of years. The story explores the various reactions we might have to their presence……and the information they reveal about our existence.
The book is well worth the read because, while it’s entertaining, it challenges our beliefs and our very humanity with a “what if” question of history and faith.

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2022

Verified Purchase

This book kept me interested, I really enjoyed it. It was a great story and I had a hard time putting it down. I am going to read the next one immediately. I appreciate these being available on KU!

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

My observations and thoughts

Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2022

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Gentlemen,
Over all the premise was very interesting. Man a machine and his creaters returning to a Very Woke Society. Quite amusing. People getting their feelings hurt was Hilarious and showed what happens when woke-ness goes unhindered. the none binary sex left it open for humanity to copulate with Aliens. Yuck , kind of an eye opener. chucksart2@yahoo.com

4 people found this helpful

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KE

Great, creative story

Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2022

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I really enjoyed this book. It is so well written, it keeps your interest and I can’t wait to see where the story goes. I highly recommend it!

Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2022

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A unique story. Can’t wait to read book two!!

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2022

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Already bought book 2 interesting concept in the religious aspect and creation aspect. I expect I will read the entire series

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Linda Novak

A New Type of Alien

Reviewed in Canada on November 15, 2022

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This writer explores a unique alien earth relationship. So good to read a book that makes you think. The aliens are surprising but logical. If you are a sci-fi fan you must read this book.

Kindle Customer

Wow

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 25, 2023

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A story with a unique impression of the human condition. Showcasing an enormously talented writer with a surprising view of society

Harpreet

Amazing book.

Reviewed in India on May 6, 2022

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The Blackshade Machine Book 1: Original Design by William D. Latoria is a very engrossing and intriguing story that takes us to the future but with much changes in it. With heavy focus on scientific facts, theories and aliens in the plot, it was such a delight to read.

It is October 22, 2072. America, Canada, and Mexico no longer exist. Canada and America have combined to form a new nation called Candaerica, which has taken over Mexico. William Herbert Blackshade is a Colonel in the Candaerican Army Air Corp and is chosen by his country’s leaders to be the on-scene Commander when aliens land in Roswell, New Mexico. Upon making contact, the aliens (Who refer to themselves as Omegas) make some startling claims about humanity, why we are on Earth, where we come from, and why we were brought into being.
As Colonel Blackshade’s relationship with the aliens matures, he discovers many new truths about the Universe, the Earth, Humanity, and the aliens themselves. He also has to decide if the aliens are trustworthy or if they have an ulterior motive for making contact with humans. Colonel Blackshade deals with the repercussions of the alien’s arrival, on both the alien’s side, and humanity’s. As the aliens offer us new information about our origins, some of humanity rejoices at the knowledge, and some reject it. If Colonel Blackshade cannot figure out how to bridge the gap between human and Omega, the extinction of man-kind is a very real possibility.

I loved how detailed this book is ! There is just so much information to absorb. I was coming to terms with one thing in a page, and the next page brings more to take in - it was such an amazing ride reading this book and getting lost in it's fantastic world.

I recommend this book to every science fiction and alien fanatic. This book have such an engrossing material, you won't be able to put it down!

C R

Amazing twIst

Reviewed in Canada on April 30, 2020

Verified Purchase

Been waiting for another book since Jade Mage. Different but just as good of a read. Thank you W. Latoria!!

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The Blackshade Machine: Book 1: Original Design Kindle Edition

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William D. Latoria

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