3 out of 4 stars
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I love it when a book starts by telling the stories of various people. Then slowly, intricately, it starts to link the characters together as the roads of their journeys converge. Legacy begins with a nuclear explosion in a subterranean bunker in the Mojave Desert. The electromagnetic pulse of the explosion has far-reaching effects – further than usual. At the time of the explosion, JW Duarte is flying his jet over the Mojave Desert when his electronics go dead, and he falls to his imminent doom. He wakes up to meet David – an overly polite alien who is regrowing JW’s arm and leg in his spaceship. A little farther out, Jessica and Bryce are having a well-deserved break from college. They have decided to spend the night in Las Vegas when all the lights go out. Farther out on the continent, Director Bustos awakens in Washington D.C. to the sound of his cell phone ringing. After being informed of the nuclear event, he is collected by Major Lucas, ex-navy seal and new glorified driver for the Director. Finally, and farthest away, Rick and Sarah are on Luna Base Alpha (the Moon) when something goes horribly awry.
As we delve into each character and their backgrounds, their importance to the story becomes more evident. Will this ragtag bunch of people be able to rally in order to prevent another nuclear disaster? And, ultimately, will they be able to save the world? Also, and most obviously, why is there an alien?
This book was such fun to read. The characters were all so well developed that it was easy to sympathise with them. The ease of the dialogue, the elaborate characters, and the fast-paced story all made this a truly enjoyable read. I have difficulty enjoying books when I can’t picture the interchanges between characters. The conversations between the people in this book were flawless. This made the characters relevant, and I felt engaged in all of their lives. The author, Sean T. Smith, also threw a healthy dose of humour into the dialogue, which I loved. A good example of this was an altercation between Bryce and a crazy assassin.
This could be quite dark, if not for the lighthearted, amusing response.“First, I am going to stab out one of your eyeballs and make you eat it.”
“I’m really not hungry,” he mumbled.
Because this was such an entertaining story, I was a bit disappointed that the ending was so sudden. The entire book led up to one moment, and I don’t feel like the author did the ending justice. It just felt rushed. However, that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book. It’s entirely possible that I was just sad that the book was finished.
Unfortunately, the editing prevents me from giving Legacy more than 3 out of 4 stars. There were errors, but not so many that they detracted from my reading enjoyment. This is an easy fix for the author, and I hope he addresses it. This is a book for all sci-fi lovers. I would also recommend it to people seeking alternate origin stories for mankind. I have not seen any indication of a sequel, but it would be something that I would look forward to reading. Hint, hint, Mr. Smith.
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Legacy
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