This is my first complete novel. It’s a thrilling cyberpunk novel about an amnesiac assassin known only as Carver. He has worked under a mysterious man from the future named Calvin for five years, unquestioningly killing his enemies. But upon meeting a young girl named Jackie, he starts to question his life. Who is Carver?

The novel features sword fights, killer robots, and battles on high buildings. It has a lot of common action cliches, but also inspirational themes. Fans of Jack Reacher will like this quite a bit.

I am looking for help with the characterization and structure of my novel. At present, my test readers have complained that the major plot twist is far too obvious, and I want to make it more unpredictable. In a related issue, my protagonist’s character arc is often seen as problematic. I attempted to make his character development seem complex and subtle, but it seems it has ended up as messy and inconsistent. The last issue I am concerned about is stakes. One of my test readers complained that the battles seem too easy, making the stakes lower. I would like to figure out if this is true, and if so, how I can resolve the problem. Any advice about these three problems or anything else you find would be greatly appreciated.

The first sample has been posted, containing the first three chapters. I will post more from problem areas if it feels necessary. I’m excited to see what you think of it!