Wesley Chu was born in Taiwan and immigrated to Chicago, Illinois when he was just a pup. It was there he became a Kung Fu master and gymnast. Wesley is an avid gamer and a contributing writer for the magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland. A former stunt man and a member of the SAG, he can also be seen in film and television playing roles such as "Banzai Chef" in Fred Claus and putting out Oscar worthy performances as a bank teller in Chicago Blackhawks commercials. His debut novel The Lives of Tao was recognized with YALSA's Alex Award. Besides working as an Associate Vice President at a bank, he spends his time writing and hanging out with his wife Paula Kim and their Airedale Terrier, Eva.
“Years after a killer debut, Wesley Chu keeps leveling up.
Storytelling that seems so effortless you never see the punches
coming.”
– Peter V Brett, NYT-bestselling author of the Demon Cycle
series
“The Rise of Io is great ride, and I desperately want a
Quasing. The idea of a cosmic cheering section in my own head
sounds delightful. Not to mention my Quasing would make me
totally boss. Another hit by Wesley Chu."
— Melinda Snodgrass, author of "The Measure of a Man,"
co-creator of the Wild Cards series
"I'm in awe of this book. Ella Patel is a fantastic, flawed,
sympathetic protagonist who pops off the page from the moment you
meet her and leads you on a breathtaking adventure that is at once
poignant and wondrous."
— Ken Liu, Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy winning author
of The Grace of Kings
"Ella is a strong protagonist, scrappy & determined. You're going
to love her!"
—Laura Lam, author of False Hearts
"Damn, this is a great book. Wesley Chu may have created his best
character yet with Ella – a scrappy, savvy street urchin, who
he tosses into a world of hidden aliens, political maneuvering, and
possible treachery. The Rise of Io is a fun, fast,
beautifully written book that grabbed me on page one and didn’t let
me go."
— Peter Clines, author of The Fold and the Ex-Heroes
series
“A fun, rollicking adventure, with a unique and charming heroine.
The Rise of Io
gives us a fresh look at the world of Campbell Award Winner Wes
Chu’s witty, action-packed, globe-trotting Tao series.”
— Ramez Naam, author of Nexus and the Philip K Dick Award-winning
Apex
"Ella Patel of Crate Town is my favorite kind of hero, a young
person struggling to survive on a diet of tough living and petty
crime who gets swept up in world-spanning intrigue and danger.
Wesley Chu's funny, confident writing never sacrifices good science
fiction world-building for the sake of action. While the bullets
fly and knife blades flash, Chu also gives us body-jumping aliens
and poignant characterizations.
The Rise of Io is a fast and furious ride piloted by an author
rising to the top of his field."
— Greg Van Eekhout, author of California Bones
"Wes Chu's meteoric rise to popularity isn't the least bit
surprising. He's the freshest voice in science fiction since John
Scalzi and James SA Corey, and is leading the charge to revitalize
the genre."
— Myke Cole, author of the Shadow Ops series
"It's like Men in Black and Blade Runner had a baby, and it took
over the world."
— Dan Wells, bestselling author of the Partials novels
and I Am Not a Serial Killer
"With rich world-building, twisty politics and plot, plus some
kick-ass leading ladies, The Rise of Io had everything I
look for in sci-fi, and more. I loved this book!"
— Susan Dennard, bestselling author of Truthwitch
"Wesley Chu keeps getting better and better. Ella Patel is engaging
and exciting, and her story grabs you by the front of your shirt
and drags you along for one heck of a ride."
— Diana Rowland, author of the Kara Gillian and White Trash
Zombie series
"An absolute blast of a book! With fresh characters, incredible
world building, and buckets of humor, The Rise of Io is
everything you want in a sci-fi novel."
– Suzanne Young, New York Times bestselling author of The
Program series
“In the end, this is an excellent novel , based off a core
relationship between interesting, well-drawn characters, in a vivid
environment. That it has enough chase scenes and hand-to-hand
combat to start a movie franchise is just a bonus.”
– Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reviews
“If you are at all interested in sci-fi, aliens, sci-fi military,
or even street smarts versus military smarts, or just want a good
read with great characters, pick up this book!”
– Blogger’s Bookshelf
“Wesley Chu’s ability to write fast-paced action, entertaining
characters, and new plot twists is a thing to marvel at.”
– Sarah Says Read
“The Rise of Io is a must read for Tao fans.”
– A Thrill A Week
“This is a fun, fast-paced, adventure slash science fiction… every
time I read a bit, I finished with a smile on my face.”
– Eric Christensen
“Great characters, twists, suspense and grins — I dug this one so
much. He keeps the magic of the Tao books, reinvigorates it and
expands it. I expected Chu to deliver just what fans wanted without
it being a case of ‘second verse, same as the first,’ I just didn’t
expect it’d be this good.”
– Irresponsible Reader
“Top to bottom…total FUN.”
– Shelf Inflicted
“Fans of Cory Doctorow, Suzanne Collins and Meljean Brook will
relish Chu’s latest, a thriller with a sci‐fi bent.”
– RT Book Reviews
“It puts awesome women in the lead roles; has a nicely diverse
cast; and tells a story that’s not only a thrill-a-minute, but
focuses on some of the ugly truths about the world that need a bit
more focus put on them, if only because they need to be fixed to
make the world a better place. Even better, it all comes wrapped in
a fun, sci-fi near-future thriller package… If the reader is
hankering for a Black Widow movie, but with a healthy
helping of representation of the kind we’re unlikely to get from
anything coming out of Hollywood right now, then this five-star
book is going to scratch that itch.”
– Fangirl Nation
“Ella might be one of my favorite fictional characters ever, I
simply loved everything about her.”
– The Speculative Herald
“Politics, changing loyalties, secrets, lies and high stakes
– The Rise of Io has it all.”
– Books, Bones & Buffy
“Wesley Chu manages to outdo himself here, and his universe is much
better for it.”
– The B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog
“I loved The Rise of Io – in fact I’m just going to be
totally reckless (‘fools rush in, something something something….’)
and say that this is my favourite Chu book to date. ”
– Lynn’s Books
“The Rise of Io is a masterclass in character
development.”
– Strange Alliances
“This book has EVERYTHING that I love! It’s got action, it’s got
mischievous characters, it’s got a fully developed world, it’s got
intelligent characters, and it keeps me guessing.”
– Bloglovin’
“Fresh, yet deep, science fiction… The book is a must read.”
– Moore Fantasy
“The Rise of Io is a thrill-a-minute read comparable to the
best summer blockbusters that any studio can produce.”
– Occasionally Random Book Reviews
“Chu’s stories of body-swapping aliens are both fun and
funny.”
– Kirkus Reviews
“It brings a fresh new perspective to a world and storyline I’m
already familiar with and it does it with so much style, you can’t
help but smile in appreciation of the talent on display here.”
– Fantasy Faction
“This is Wesley Chu building marvellously on his previously
established setting, showing off a maturing style that was promised
in the Tao books. It felt immensely satisfying to see that growth,
not only in the story but in the writer, and it’s left me
thoroughly excited for the follow-up to this book.”
– Over The Effing Rainbow
“Sucks you in deep – four stars out of five.”
– Rob Boffard – Rapped Reviews
“A fun read with plenty of suspense and a real cliff hanger at the
end. 5 out of 5 stars.”
– Mixed Book Bag
“Exciting, fast-paced and thrilling, this is a great book!”
– Morpheus Tales
“The Rise of Io is indeed a triumph, and whether you’ve
read about Tao or if Io is your first Quasing, it’s definitely in
your own best interests to climb on board. Believe me, you’re in
for a fun ride!”
– Litstack
“It defies conventions while engages readers in hilariously
heartfelt narration. I could not recommend this book more.”
– Better Books and Things
“A great read. It was filled with all of the things I love in a
book – action, sympathetic and interesting characters, political
intrigue, a well thought out and believable setting, and enough
humor to keep me chuckling, but not enough to pull me away from the
seriousness of the adventure they were on. Like I said earlier,
this book needs to be a movie.”
– The Geekiverse
“Three things contribute to the success of this novel: an
understated, occasionally snarky sense of humor, well-done action
sequences, and strong character development.”
– Publishers Weekly
“It was like reading a summer blockbuster in book form. And the
banter was amazing! Chu definitely has a gift for writing hilarious
and action-packed stories!”
– Goldilox and the Three Weres
“The author won me over with Ella, a feisty, street-smart heroine.
Her snarky attitude and just as often, her bullheadedness became
the high-point of this new series.”
– Controlling the Transmissions
“My worry with this book was that it was a case of an author not
being able to let go of the universe they created even when there
is no more story to tell. These are almost never good. Thankfully,
this was 100% not the case here.”
– Book Geeks Uncompromised
“The Rise of Io by Wesley Chu returns to Chu’s world of
Prophus and Genjix but with a new set of characters who are strong
and wilful and a delight to read.”
– Looking for a Good Book
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