4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Lightforce by PB & Jason is a self-published debut novel, so it has some of the flaws you might expect. These include minor grammatical errors, including an instance of using the word "too" rather than the word "to," a lack of female characters in comparison to the number of male characters, and somewhat lackluster cover art. Personally, I also didn't like that it used the somewhat contrived trope of using a flashforward scene for its opening. This is the full extent of my criticism.
Despite its flaws, above all else, Lightforce is fun. It's a superhero novel in the tradition of The Amazing Spiderman, with characters that are larger-than-life enough be interesting and unique, but not so exaggerated as to become distracting. The book's eponymous character, Lee, has the ability to create and manipulate boxes made of light. With the help of his dad, whose past remains shrouded in mystery, he uses these powers to become the world's first legitimate superhero, Lightforce.
Besides its characters, one of the best things about this book is the way it deals with the fact that Lee is gay. In the vein of Captain America punching out Nazis, Lightforce doesn't shy away from this topic as being overly political, and it doesn't become preachy, either. This facet of Lee's identity is integrated seamlessly into the narrative, from the dichotomy of being public with his sexuality but secretive with his powers to how he handles members of the Westboro Baptist Church being held hostage. Yes, seriously.
I can't attest to how accurate to real life Lightforce is in its portrayal of some aspects of Lee's life, including the police force and close-knit Asian communities like the one he lives in. To me, though, the book's worldbuilding almost had the quality of an impressionist painting. It wasn't bogged down with relentless details, but it still it provided enough nuance and consistency to suggest a larger world behind it. I'm honestly amazed that a pair of first-time authors managed to do this.
I enjoyed Lightforce in a way I genuinely haven't enjoyed a book since I was young. It may be rough around the edges in a few places, but everything about it was exciting and refreshing, including the powers, the characters, and the worldbuilding. Needless to say, I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. I can see people with homophobic tendencies disliking this book, and anyone who prefers dark, gritty superhero narratives to exaggerated comic book ones may also not enjoy it. I can't recommend it to people younger than teenagers, as it does contain cursing and some mild sexual content. Ultimately, if you have any interest in superheroes whatsoever and aren't turned off by any of the caveats I mentioned, you should absolutely read this book.
******
Lightforce
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Like ViziVoir's review? Post a comment saying so!
review!
