The Quantum League #1: Spell Robbers by Matthew J. Kirby

My name is Ben. You're an NA, so I won't try to fully explain what it means to be an actuator. I can make things happen with my mind; it's quantum physics, not magic. I've been recruited by the Quantum League, but I'm furious that they've detached me from my mom. She doesn't remember anything about me! Mr. Weathersky says they'll reattach her if I'll complete one mission. The Dread Cloaks have stolen a portable augmenter and have kidnapped Dr. Hughes to perfect it. This machine will become a powerful weapon in the wrong hands, and the leader of the Dread Cloaks is that man. The League says they'll return Ronin's daughter if he'll help me with my mission. I don't know if I can trust this criminal, and I don't know if I can trust the League either. They want me to convince the Dread Cloaks that I'm willing to become a double agent, but I don't know how to do it. Ronin tells me to improvise, so I guess that's what I'll do.

The plot flows pretty well, so it should be easy for most readers to quickly complete the book. There's a lot of double-crossing and lying going on, so expect the unexpected. I really like Ben's skepticism and anger toward the Quantum League. He's not 100% willing to accept that they're the good guys, since they detached him and won't give Ronin his daughter. Would protagonists do that to people? I'm still not sure who's good and bad even after finishing the book. Peter is Ben's best friend at the League, and I expected him to be more involved in the plot. I thought he'd become Ben's sidekick, but he was absent during Ben's mission. The sequel will be interesting, since Ben is a prodigy and has shown unusual abilities. There are five levels of actuation, and no character has been able perform the top two levels. Two characters (three if you count the mystery man) have been able to perform even level three. Actuating a tornado takes uncommon power. Will level four and five be coming in future? Ben makes a huge decision at the end of this book that will have dramatic effects in the next one. I'm still not sure why this book is called Spell Robbers, but I've already reserved the sequel at my local library.