i don't hate it, but i don't love it, either.

there are some unique concepts here, unfortunately weighted down by tired tropes and racist and misogynistic stereotypes: racist, because of a native american character renamed from chief to chef, after an army commander with a "bad case of the PCs" demanded a change of nicknames; misogynistic, because most women seem to be labeled solely by their relative attractiveness and how desirable they are to the men. there's a really uncomfortable scene where a woman strips down mid-fight, to "throw off the enemy" and gain an upper hand; she's then knocked unconscious, and taken by a man who fully intends to assault her (and has already tried to in the past.) he is, thankfully, unequivocally presented as a villain, with no 'redemption' attempted to be offered, which is where a lot of media tends to go wrong. i'm also not really a fan of the approach of mental illness and disabilities within the narrative; the presentation feels antiquated.

as for the plot itself, the beginning feels slow - almost too slow for my enjoyment. it isn't really until the end, the last 20% or so, that i really found myself enjoying and appreciating the worldbuilding; i would've enjoyed the entire book more had it been more insight into white's purpose rather than the intense focus on red's quest for more power. aiden is an interesting character, and his journey of self-discovery does have its moments; i appreciated the conclusion, especially in regards to his family - and how he accepts his adopted family as his family, despite the initial struggle and distancing while attempting to reconcile the facts of his adoption.

i'm left with too many questions to be fully satisfied; while there's an obvious conclusion, there's also a setup for a sequel, which i feel like i'd appreciate more, if it expanded on the lore and provided more context. as a standalone book, i'm not really a fan; if it were made into a series, then it would be a decent enough starting point.

Interesting! An engaging work that grabs you and won't let you go until you finish.

Given the description, I was expecting a superhero book....what this read like, though, was a mystical thriller? Heavy on the thriller, light on the mysticism. Given that I mostly avoid thrillers like the plague, the fact that I enjoyed this is probably a testament to how well written this book is. If you like thrillers, pick this up!

A fast-paced, highly engaging Sci-Fi thriller that I had difficulty putting down.

The first chapter sets the tone very quickly, and you won't have much time to get acquainted with Aiden Manchester before his life takes a complicated turn and you embark on a journey to uncover the truth about his birth and the merry gang of quiver kids.

The beginning chapters are a bit longer than the subsequent chapters, as it follows the speed of plot development.