Insignia (Insignia, #1)

More than anything, Tom Raines wants to be important, though his shadowy life is anything but that. For years, Toms drifted from casino to casino with his unlucky gambler of a dad, gaming for their survival. Keeping a roof over their heads depends on a careful combination of skill, luck, con artistry, and staying invisible. Then one day, Tom stops being invisible. Someones been watching his virtual-reality prowess, and hes offered the incrediblea place at the Pentagonal Spire, an elite military academy. There, Toms instincts for combat will be put to the test and if he passes, hell become a member of the Intrasolar Forces, helping to lead his country to victory in World War III. Finally, hell be someone important: a superhuman war machine with the tech skills that every virtual-reality warrior dreams of. Life at the Spire holds everything that Toms always wantedfriends, the possibility of a girlfriend, and a life where his every action mattersbut what will it cost him? Gripping and provocative, S. J. Kincaids futuristic thrill ride of a debut crackles with memorable characters, tremendous wit, and a vision of the future that asks startling, timely questions about the melding of humanity and technology. The earth is in the middle of WWIII in Insignia , the first entry in S. J. Kincaid's fast-paced sci-fi adventure trilogy perfect for fans of Ender's Game . The planet's natural resources are almost gone, and war is being fought to control the assets of the solar system. The enemy is winning. The salvation may be Tom Raines. Tom doesn't seem like a hero. He's a short fourteen-year-old with bad skin. But he has the virtual-reality gaming skills that make him a phenom behind the controls of the battle drones. As a new member of the Intrasolar Forces, Tom's life completely changes. Suddenly, he's someone important. He has new opportunities, friends, and a shot at having a girlfriend. But there's a price to pay. . . . Tom, a fourteen-year-old genius at virtual reality games, is recruited by the United States Military to begin training at the Pentagon Spire as a Combatant in World War III, controlling the mechanized drones that do the actual fighting off-planet.