Synopsis:
Hyperion was Rohan’s hero. His idol. His mentor. Even his friend.
The shadow of that man has been Rohan’s ward, his confidante, then his rival, and ultimately his enemy.
That Hyperion has caused the death of innocents. Has attempted to destroy the entire human race. Cares for nothing but his own revenge.
He’s stronger than Rohan, tougher. And he’s enhanced his abilities with esoteric chemicals that shouldn’t exist.
The one time they fought, he beat Rohan handily.
Savagely.
Rohan thinks he can stop his nemesis. He thinks he has what it takes to win. Enough strength. Enough Power.
Enough love.
Is he crazy?
Or is he smarter than anybody realizes?
Who will prevail, and at what cost?
Review:
Mortality Gauntlet was the most fun I’ve had with reading a book in a while. (To be fair, the whole series has been fun, but this one was really fun.) There were X-Men influences, Mortal Kombat vibes, and it was all set in a diverse, futuristic universe with characters I’ve come to love.
In this installment of the Hybrid Helix, we get to see more of the Ringgate and the Wedge. The Ringgate is a weird place. I can’t call it a planet, because it seems to be a flat band circling its star, and moving down into shadow is possible there. The people native to the Ringgate are capable of opening rifts in space-time, allowing them to essentially teleport, which is a skill needed to fight off the Wedge. The Wedge are like super-powered dinosaurs but some have tentacles… Anyway, they’re bad news, and Rohan gets to fight a few of them.
He also gets to face off against space pirates and the resident kaiju from Toth 3, all while trying to build up the resources to fight Hyperion. The Hyperion problem started way back in book 4 (I think?) and has been slowly escalating to this point (we’re now on book 9.) All I’m going to say here is that the buildup was totally worth it.
But as usual, this book ended with a few unanswered questions (which is good, because I want more from this universe.) What were those eggs they found? What’s really going on with the Ringgate? Is Earth actually safe now? And most importantly, when will Rohan finally let Katya eat something unusual when she asks? (Katya is a feline-derived species and she does all the typical cat things. She’s hilarious.)
I’d recommend the Hybrid Helix series to anyone who likes superhero sci-fi. But if you’re already invested in the series and haven’t read Mortality Gauntlet yet, you’re in for another wildly fun adventure.
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