About 30 years ago a phenomenon began. A much larger percent of the population started to be born with savant-like abilities. The abilities are very specialized and the people are normal in all other ways. No one has been able to figure out why this is happening, but it has changed the complexion of society. Children are tested at age 8 to see if they are an "abnorm." Some of them are sent to special academies.
The main character, Nick Cooper, is a special agent working for a new government department called Equitable Services that was created to deal with abnorms. Nick IS an abnorm. He goes after those abnorms who have used their powers to endanger the public or break the law.
There is a huge national incident that kills many people. Nick decides the only way to stop the terrorists is to go undercover and pretend that he's left Equitable Services and joined the other abnorms.
The tension builds nicely, as Nick faces dangers and makes alliances but really can't trust many people at all. There are twists and turns to keep you guessing. The farther along I got in the story, the faster I needed to read.
Nick makes some stupid decisions a few times that get him into trouble, but this added to the drama and tension. The actual "bad guy" may not be a surprise for some, as the story follows a familiar design. But the unique premise and the part that these special abilities play in the outcome make Brilliance special.
Fans of espionage, detective, thrillers, government conspiracies, or futuristic stories should give Brilliance a shot. The second book in the series, A Better World, was released recently, and I can't wait to get to it.
Published by Thomas & Mercer, 2013
eBook purchased
452 pages
Rating: 4/5
I haven't heard of this book, but it sounds great! I love a good spy thriller and the fact that it has that paranormal element is very interesting! Great review!
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