TL;DR Review: Zippy pacing, hyper-colorful sci-fi setting, rich tapestry of characters, and, most delightful of all, an upbeat and optimistic tone.
Synopsis:
A superhero space opera for grownups.
For fans of Invincible and Marvel Cinematic Universe films.
If Thor and Harry Dresden combined in a transporter accident.
The il’Drach have conquered half a galaxy behind the civilization-ending Powers of their mixed-species children.
Half-human Rohan, exhausted by a decade fighting for their Empire, has paid a secret and terrible price for his freedom.
Now retired, he strives to live a quiet life towing starships for the space station Wistful. His most pressing problems are finding the perfect cup of coffee and talking to a gorgeous shuttle tech without tripping over his own tongue.
A nearby, long-dormant wormhole is opened by a shipful of scared, angry refugees, and the many eyes of the Empire focus uncomfortably on Wistful.
As scientists, spies, and assassins converge, reverting to the monster the Empire created is the surest way to protect his friends. And the surest way to lose them.
Full Review:
Wistful Ascending does something unique in superhero fiction: it makes the story fun and surprisingly upbeat.
Where many superheroes in modern fiction and TV tend to be dark, broody, angsty, or downright nasty (I’m looking at you The Boys!), the Hybrid Helix series gives us a superhero who is just in it for the sake of being a decent fellow.
Oh, sure, Rohan has exactly the dark and bloodstained past you’d expect—he was The Griffin, after all, and through this book, you learn just how much violence he was part of, what kind of grim deeds he was compelled (or chose) to do, and what he’s had to endure for those who created him.
But that backstory does nothing to keep him from being a better man today. It’s like he discovered Zen Buddhism and now follows its principles—not in actuality, but in spirit, trying to be a kinder, gentler, more decent human being.
And that intention is TERRIBLY put to the test through this book. He’s got assassins coming after him, rogue Hybrids trying to break him, mysterious enemies using powerful technology against him and the station he’s working to protect, not to mention Kaiju-sized monstrosities inhabiting a nearby planet. You see the absolute worst threats thrown at him again and again, and though it seriously tests his resolve, he walks away from the adventure still a genuinely decent human being. Well, half-human Hybrid.
The story is fast-paced and wonderfully easy to read, never getting bogged down in minutiae or brooding, but zipping from scene to scene with a flow that is absolutely enthralling. There’s a sense of “lightness” to the story that makes it so enjoyable and keeps you moving through “one more chapter” because of how quick it reads.
Don’t think for a second that it skimps on worldbuilding or character depth, though. You get a marvelous look at Wistful, the sentient station where he’s taken up residence, with its multi-species, multi-cultural, hyper-colorful inhabitants. We get to learn a great deal about the universe outside his immediate surroundings, too, including the wars in which he fought, the races threatening to dominate the universe, the evolution of humanity, and so much more.
The characters around Rohan are lovely and complex, and they feel right at home in his world. The addition of sentient spaceships is a great touch, adding in both color and humor to what could be an otherwise boring sci-fi staple. We’re given a glimpse into the races that co-exist along with humanity and see just enough to give us a picture of the great big universe around us—with the promise of exploring more in future books.
Wistful Ascending has earned itself a spot among my favorite sci-fi books of the year, and I can’t wait to dive further into the Hybrid Helix series to find out what comes next for my very favorite Canadian-Indian-alien superhero!
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