Brilliance

Stop me if you've heard this one: people can inherit a genetic mutation that makes them super human. For some insane reason this is not inherited truly as a Mendelian trait, but more like an...autosomal dominant trait with incomplete penetrance? (Or perhaps like a trait invented by someone with only the faintest idea of how genes work.) Despite being genetic its expression has an extreme amount of intrafamilial variability, such that the same gene can cause flying or invisibility or superhuman strength? And also the government wants to either control or eliminate these X-men, uh, Brilliants, because normal people will otherwise feel bad about themselves. Also, women exist to seduce the protagonist.

I mean, I also like watching the X-men movies and this is basically that: fast-paced, action-y, no character development, and about 5 minutes of thought put into the setting. But it's 2020 and there's much better spec fic out there. 2.5 stars.

Good, but wish it was clearer that this was volume one of a trilogy.

This was an very entertaining read with enough plot twists to keep it interesting, but many of the “punches” were telegraphed, so the plot twists were not always surprises. That being said, it was an entertaining read I would recommend to anyone who finds the idea of “gifted” people intriguing. (The Mutants in X-Men, Ender in Ender's Game, etc.)