Review of Breksta's Academy
Posted: 06 Jun 2024, 09:13
[Following is a volunteer review of "Breksta's Academy" by Natasha Quay.]
Breksta’s Academy is a work of fiction by Natasha Quay set in the present-day United States. When the president signed the Executive Order illegalizing the use of dreamer abilities and allowed for the persecution, arrest, and execution of the dreamers, as the people with special powers were called, the dreamers were driven to desperation. Assisted by Senator Marshal, the President and his family were killed under the leadership of Asteria. She spared the president’s daughter due to her pregnancy, but their husbands were killed, and Asteria fled with her daughter, Breksta, to a remote village to keep her safe. The president’s daughter established the Academy, a newer form of government, and became its director. She found Asteria, killed her mercilessly before the eyes of 10-year-old Breksta, and took her to the academy. Amid her grief and loneliness, Breksta found a friend in Hestia, the daughter of the director, who helped her endure the hard training and the hatred directed at her for being a dreamer’s daughter. Many years later, during an earthquake, Breksta learned about her own powers and realized that she must escape the academy to save the world and the dreamers.
I found the author’s storytelling skill quite remarkable, and the theme of the novel, based on Greek mythology, excellent. The dreamers were the people born with some special abilities, given by Nyx and Morpheus, to control elements in nature like electricity, fire, water, and energy. People without these abilities feared them and called them sorcerers and evil, although they wanted to live in peace and harmony. The academy is the center of the plot, and its structure, workings, and discipline are portrayed very realistically. The sole purpose of the academy was to find, torture, and kill the dreamers. The exhaustive training was designed to prepare cadets, or rather assassins, under military discipline. Cadets were trained in computer skills, the use of weapons, and flying a plane. They trained to kill, hated the dreamers, and lived with the single purpose of wiping out the dreamers from the surface of the earth. The military-like training robbed the children of their innocence, but the director had no remorse.
The strong and well-crafted characters are the most positive aspect of the story. Different characters illustrate different aspects of human psychology and behavior. At the center of the story are three women, Asteria, the director, and Ms. Adam, who were driven by their own reasons, but they had a single motivation—each wanted a safe world for her child. The director was blinded by hatred and a desire to avenge her family. She wanted to make sure her daughter would not come to harm. Ms. Adams wished to keep her son, Icarus, safe from the director’s wrath, afraid he would show his father’s trait and sympathize with the dreamers. Hestia and Icarus, when coming of age, began to doubt the academy’s principles and their mothers’ actions, realizing the futility of war and the need for peace and harmony. The conflicts in their teenage minds are evident in their actions towards Breksta, who missed her mother’s love and security of home, her freedom, and her previous life in a natural environment outside the academy. I found the book captivating and inspiring, fully enjoyed it, and did not notice any negative aspects of the book. There are a few minor typos, but they are insignificant and passable. I rate the book a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.
Everything in nature has been created with a purpose, and only humans disrupt the balance in nature with their actions. A special ability is a gift of nature and may be a bane or a boon, depending on the mind that controls it. The book suggests an understanding of the special abilities and proper training for their judicious use for peace and harmony among the dreamers and the normal people. I would recommend the book to readers who love to read insightful stories featuring mythological characters and are fans of fantasy.
******
Breksta's Academy
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Breksta’s Academy is a work of fiction by Natasha Quay set in the present-day United States. When the president signed the Executive Order illegalizing the use of dreamer abilities and allowed for the persecution, arrest, and execution of the dreamers, as the people with special powers were called, the dreamers were driven to desperation. Assisted by Senator Marshal, the President and his family were killed under the leadership of Asteria. She spared the president’s daughter due to her pregnancy, but their husbands were killed, and Asteria fled with her daughter, Breksta, to a remote village to keep her safe. The president’s daughter established the Academy, a newer form of government, and became its director. She found Asteria, killed her mercilessly before the eyes of 10-year-old Breksta, and took her to the academy. Amid her grief and loneliness, Breksta found a friend in Hestia, the daughter of the director, who helped her endure the hard training and the hatred directed at her for being a dreamer’s daughter. Many years later, during an earthquake, Breksta learned about her own powers and realized that she must escape the academy to save the world and the dreamers.
I found the author’s storytelling skill quite remarkable, and the theme of the novel, based on Greek mythology, excellent. The dreamers were the people born with some special abilities, given by Nyx and Morpheus, to control elements in nature like electricity, fire, water, and energy. People without these abilities feared them and called them sorcerers and evil, although they wanted to live in peace and harmony. The academy is the center of the plot, and its structure, workings, and discipline are portrayed very realistically. The sole purpose of the academy was to find, torture, and kill the dreamers. The exhaustive training was designed to prepare cadets, or rather assassins, under military discipline. Cadets were trained in computer skills, the use of weapons, and flying a plane. They trained to kill, hated the dreamers, and lived with the single purpose of wiping out the dreamers from the surface of the earth. The military-like training robbed the children of their innocence, but the director had no remorse.
The strong and well-crafted characters are the most positive aspect of the story. Different characters illustrate different aspects of human psychology and behavior. At the center of the story are three women, Asteria, the director, and Ms. Adam, who were driven by their own reasons, but they had a single motivation—each wanted a safe world for her child. The director was blinded by hatred and a desire to avenge her family. She wanted to make sure her daughter would not come to harm. Ms. Adams wished to keep her son, Icarus, safe from the director’s wrath, afraid he would show his father’s trait and sympathize with the dreamers. Hestia and Icarus, when coming of age, began to doubt the academy’s principles and their mothers’ actions, realizing the futility of war and the need for peace and harmony. The conflicts in their teenage minds are evident in their actions towards Breksta, who missed her mother’s love and security of home, her freedom, and her previous life in a natural environment outside the academy. I found the book captivating and inspiring, fully enjoyed it, and did not notice any negative aspects of the book. There are a few minor typos, but they are insignificant and passable. I rate the book a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.
Everything in nature has been created with a purpose, and only humans disrupt the balance in nature with their actions. A special ability is a gift of nature and may be a bane or a boon, depending on the mind that controls it. The book suggests an understanding of the special abilities and proper training for their judicious use for peace and harmony among the dreamers and the normal people. I would recommend the book to readers who love to read insightful stories featuring mythological characters and are fans of fantasy.
******
Breksta's Academy
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon