The Universe Builder and the Wizards: epic fantasy / scifi adventure (The Universe Builders Series Book 2)

All I'm going to say is...You need to read these books.Universe Builders is shaping up to be an amazing series and I simply can't wait for more to come.Steve, my book shelf eagerly awaits for more of your work

Steve LeBel's Universe Builders' series is original refreshing and full of interesting ideas. Their characters are powerful and timid at the same time, and the WorldS (plural S) building is different and believable.All in all a great "won't put down until finished" book!

Some time ago I was given a copy of a book to beta read. It was by a first- time author and sent to me by his publishers. That book was The Universe builders (Bernie and the Putty) by Steve LeBel. I was mesmerised completely and couldn’t put the book down. It went on to win lots of awards. Since then Steve has brought out Bernie and the Lost Girl, and his latest book; Bernie and the Wizards.Once again, I could not put the book down. I have read a few books where I feel I am there with the Characters, but Steve goes further. His detail comes from the biggest imagination I know and I can picture things that do not exist in the real world. I went on my journey with Bernie and his friends, Susie, and Lenny, who are three young Gods.Bernie is asked to find out what is wrong with a universe the business has sold to a collector for its produce of guid peppers and manganoons. Gods will normally just blink out a creation which does not work, but Bernie has empathy for the life forms they create and tries to find a better way. With his boss on his back to hurry up the project, Bernie and his friends enter the universe to help.I loved where Bernie must deal with his father, Simeon, who left them years before, and his ego. If you only get one book this year, buy this one. You will not be disappointed.I was also blessed to find one of the Goddesses had my name, Miriam!

I was given a ARC of this book and thoroughly enjoyed it.Bernie is a young god, a universe builder who has been enlisted as a troubleshooter...hence the new plot.Fantastic world building - in every sense - wonderfully developed characters and philosophical debates about life, what makes a life and how each life is important.This is a rich and detailed story which works on many levels, dealing with themes such as, creation, abandonment, romance, selfishness and 'existence'. It also has humour threaded throughout - I particularly enjoyed Lenny's advice to Bernie on girls...made me laugh.Overall, a fabulous and unique fantasy, which I highly recommend.

It was such a wonderful story and I thought Bernie was just one of those characters that are worth remembering. I wish I had read the stories that came before this, but eventually I will go back and read those as well. Bernie is on a journey of his own making, and he's a God, but he makes mistakes and it also makes him likable. He's smart and he's a problem solver, even if it doesn't always work. Bernie has beliefs different from those around him, and he's an enjoyable character.I received this book free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. ~Amy's Bookshelf Reviews

I have read all of Steve LeBel's books and this is by far the best. The entire series has developed well and this book is the climax. The entire concept - young gods who make new Universes (or fix old ones) - is captivating.The protagonist, Bernie, has now arrived. This is the longest book in the series at some three hundred odd pages but is so engrossing that you cannot put it down.I read it in one go. It is a self-contained book and I don't think you have to read the earlier books to enjoy it to the fullest. Of course, you will want to read them all after you have read this book. Even though this is listed as Young Adult, people in all age groups will find this book interesting.

Well done Steve! Some complex ideas expressed in language simple enough for all, without being patronising. Keep up with the good work. I look forward to more.

This is the third book in the Universe Builders series, and I enjoyed it as much, if not more than the first one. Here we see that Bernie has finished school, he has won his first Universe Award, and has now started working for The Business.As a ‘trouble shooter’ for The Business his first real job is to deal with a problem on Photox, a universe purpose built for the farming of ‘guid-peppers’. The universe has stopped working properly with the guid-peppers not being farmed and left at the trading posts as usual. Bernie is tasked with finding out what is going on, and to get the trade back up and running as soon as possible, cos The Business has to pay for each day the universe remains out of order, due to the universe still being under warranty.This is not a simple case of solving a new predator issue, or fighting a competing species, this is about good versus evil, and what happens when absolute power gets into the wrong hands. How the bad guy can be doing bad things because he believes it is for the greater good. It shows that even the best of intentions can be devastating to many others who are caught up in stuff that is outside of their control.It is also the story of a young god finding out more about his place in his own world. How he deals with the pressures of unexpected fame, how he interacts with others, and wonderfully his getting a girlfriend, and sharing his first kiss. But for me though, the actual highlight of the book and what I had longed for ever since I first read book one Bernie and the Putty, the long awaited, but very necessary showdown between Bernie and The Great Simeon. Those scenes were definitely worth the wait. Thanks Steve for giving us that.In the rest of the book Bernie has to deal with his ideas about created beings, how he differs from the other gods in his inability to ‘blink’ life out without a thought. How that makes him different from the other gods, even his closest friends. His morals are put to the test in this book, and he does come very close to being someone he isn’t meant to be. This is the most stressed ending I have felt in three books with Bernie, I honestly thought he was going to have to change his personality in light of some of Photox’s problems, how he resolves the issue is actually the perfect way he could have done it.The people of Photox are given such a great storyline and engagement that you really do care about Bernie fixing their problems. The subplot with Reva and Gavin was a lovely distraction from the bad things that were happening on Photox.I love Bernie and his friends; they are genuinely good people learning to navigate a world that is not so good. The idea that a young god can get attached to his creations is barely heard of in his world, but he uses that to his advantage to come up with ideas that others wouldn’t consider. His courage and strength, and his willingness to stick with his beliefs no matter what, make him an adorable young god. He loves all the new things around him, and will always look for a solution that saves the creations if he possibly can.I have absolutely loved this story, and I have read it more than once and still say that.I would recommend this to every youngster I know, and to anyone who is still young at heart, read Bernie, you won’t regret it.I received a ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.