2 out of 4 stars
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Aluria by Tyler Cook is a science fiction superhero novel, narrated in the third person, in which a young man called Jason Conner gains the mythical abilities of a supernatural being called Aluria. The story opens with Jason and his girlfriend Tessa on a date in a park.
We learn that Conner’s family owns an influential business called Conner Incorporated which he is set to inherit at some point in the future; due to his father being unfit to manage it for reasons initially unknown. However, Connor wants nothing to do with the business and would much rather spend his time with Tessa. The couple’s date is cut short by an unnatural twister which rips through the city and throws the young couple away from Jason's home. We are then introduced to Raiz, the dark sorcerer who is the main antagonist in this novel. It is at this point that Conner is granted the power of Aluria, a stunning dragon-like bird that possesses extraordinary abilities.
The story then jumps ten years into the future to when Jason has returned to Canton (his hometown) after traveling around the world in an effort to understand and hone his newfound powers. I found this time gap to be very jarring especially as it occurred immediately after an intense fight scene. However, I can see why it was required for the progression of Jason’s origin story.
Following Jason’s return, he has a grand plan and a ‘vision’ which he often cites, yet we are never specifically told what this is. It was mentioned so often that it annoyed me to the point that I audibly sighed out loud several times. As this story is supposed to be about Conner and his fight against demons, internal and external, the fact that I couldn’t understand what he was thinking most of the time was incredibly frustrating and severely detracted from my enjoyment of the book. I also felt that Jason’s character development was very lackluster and as a result, he became an unlikeable arrogant character with no emotional depth. In fact, Tessa’s character was much more interesting and coupled with a surprising plot twist, she severely overshadowed Jason.
Nevertheless, what this novel lacks in character development it makes up for in action. The fight scenes were well written and fast paced with stunning imagery of Aluria and his magic. They added some much-needed power to the story and are some of my favorite parts of this book. At a contrast to these snippets of great writing, most of the language used was childish and repetitive. For example, the word ‘dark’ was used three times in one page to describe how cruel Raiz was. As a result, I never felt scared or intimidated by him which I believe are feelings that every antagonist should instill in the reader.
Unfortunately, I noticed some problematic phrases surrounding women and their role in society throughout. Most noticeably is when it states that ‘he set [down] his living treasure’ when describing Tessa. The reference to Tessa as Jason’s possession and the constant referrals to her beauty imply that Tessa is nothing more than a sexual object to Jason. This threw up some serious questions about Jason, and even the Author’s, opinions on women which I just could not agree with.
Overall I would rate Aluria by Tyler Cook 2 out of 4 stars. I cannot rate it higher as I found the characters to be lacking and unlikeable, the plot overly convenient, and the language used childish and cliché. Nevertheless, the fight scenes were excellent and Tessa was a strong and independent female deuterogamist that I would read the sequel for. If you’re looking for a thought-provoking science fiction read with unique characters then this is not for you, but if you just want a quick, high action superhero novel to have a bit of fun with then why not give it a go?
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Aluria
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