The six richest people in Britain decide to hold a contest to settle the question of which of them is most successful. It will be a gladiator style contest with each entrant fielding a team of ten super-powered combatants. Entrepreneur Llew Powell sets out to put together his team, which includes his former lover, an employee of his company with a fascinating hobby, two refugees from another dimension (a lonely giant and a drunken sailor), two sisters bound together by a promise, a diminutive doctor, a former Tibetan monk initiate and two androids with a history. As the team train together, alliances form, friendships and more develop, while others find the past is not easy to leave behind.
Meanwhile, a ruthless race of aliens has its eyes on the Earth. Already abducting and enslaving humans, they work towards the final invasion which would destroy life on Earth as we know it. Powell’s group, Combat Team Alpha, stumble upon one of the wormholes the aliens use to travel to Earth and witness for themselves the horrors in store if the aliens aren’t stopped. Barely escaping with their lives, they realise there are more important things to worry about than a fighting competition.
General information
Pages: 296
ISBN: 9798322478058
Publication date: 10 April 2024
First page
Guests at the Knightsbridge Paradise Hotel took no notice of the five men gathered in a quiet corner of the Shangri-la Bar Restaurant, as they sipped on expensive drinks and made polite conversation. The hotel staff, however, watched them closely, alert for any sign that one of them might want something. Failure to anticipate the needs of this particular group could cost them their jobs.
The man in the leather armchair facing the main foyer was Hamilton Lonsdale, owner of the Paradise hotel chain. He was in the hospitality business and it showed. His large frame and double chin bore witness to how much he enjoyed sampling the cuisine in his own establishments. In front of him was a glass of the hotel’s most expensive brandy; in his chubby fingers a fat cigar. He raised this to his lips, drew deeply and exhaled with relish.
Lonsdale figured he deserved these luxuries. He’d built up the exclusive Paradise chain from one downmarket hotel in Earl’s Court, into which he’d invested all his savings thirty years ago.
Themes
- Superheroes
- Alien Invasion
- Romance
- Television shows
- Competition
- Teamwork
- Alcohol/drug use
Book club questions
- Workplace relationships: Yes or no?
- Do you think Flux is overprotective of Switch? Should she step back or continue?
- If you were a native of Giant’s world, would you advise him that he needs to make the best of his situation or leave home and try to improve it?
- Did Grasshopper’s time at the monastery save his life?
- Flux never knows what will happen when she attacks. It could be a disaster, but she reckons it’s better to do something than nothing, despite the risk. Do you agree?
- Would you prefer your doctor to be brutally honest like Medoc, or to sugar-coat the pill sometimes?
- Who is your favourite member of Team Alpha, and why?
- Who is your least favourite, and why?
Pictures
Julie Howlin Author 