i don't hate it, but i don't love it, either.

there are some unique concepts here, unfortunately weighted down by tired tropes and racist and misogynistic stereotypes: racist, because of a native american character renamed from chief to chef, after an army commander with a "bad case of the PCs" demanded a change of nicknames; misogynistic, because most women seem to be labeled solely by their relative attractiveness and how desirable they are to the men. there's a really uncomfortable scene where a woman strips down mid-fight, to "throw off the enemy" and gain an upper hand; she's then knocked unconscious, and taken by a man who fully intends to assault her (and has already tried to in the past.) he is, thankfully, unequivocally presented as a villain, with no 'redemption' attempted to be offered, which is where a lot of media tends to go wrong. i'm also not really a fan of the approach of mental illness and disabilities within the narrative; the presentation feels antiquated.

as for the plot itself, the beginning feels slow - almost too slow for my enjoyment. it isn't really until the end, the last 20% or so, that i really found myself enjoying and appreciating the worldbuilding; i would've enjoyed the entire book more had it been more insight into white's purpose rather than the intense focus on red's quest for more power. aiden is an interesting character, and his journey of self-discovery does have its moments; i appreciated the conclusion, especially in regards to his family - and how he accepts his adopted family as his family, despite the initial struggle and distancing while attempting to reconcile the facts of his adoption.

i'm left with too many questions to be fully satisfied; while there's an obvious conclusion, there's also a setup for a sequel, which i feel like i'd appreciate more, if it expanded on the lore and provided more context. as a standalone book, i'm not really a fan; if it were made into a series, then it would be a decent enough starting point.

If I were to use the term “potboiler” for Christopher Hinz’s novel, Refraction (Angry Robot, published on 10 November 2020), that is not to do it a disservice. Quite the opposite, in fact. For a work which contains some known science fictional tropes and new ideas, bound up in the format of a high-octane thriller, I have to say I enjoyed every moment of it.

Opening with an unpromising group of characters – trainspotters, no less (sorry, I meant no offence, I meant of course “rail enthusiasts”) – who get into a spot of bother observing a vintage train and carriages transporting teams to and the Tau One research facility whose purpose is at this point unknown, we move swiftly into thriller territory with armed men on the offensive.

We next jump straight into the main storyline and the lead protagonist, Aiden Manchester, who lives on the edge of society with his sister and niece. Disenfranchised, impoverished and unmotivated, Aiden’s life changes dramatically when he discovers a letter, secured in a safe which only he (unknown to him) can open. A letter from his late father revealing something of his true identity. Aiden, along with a group of other individuals, nicknamed the “quiver kids” was the subject of experiments at the Tau One facility, having been affected in some way by an ancient artefact in the shape of an orb, suspected of being alien in origin. Beyond increasing their IQs the orb developed in each of the children disparate “powers”, some involving the involuntary manifestation which Aiden calls “chunkies”. These are jellylike substances which either do nothing, become weapons or portals to somewhere not of this earth.

In one scene, a former quiver kid, Jessica, manifests a chunky, aimed at an attacker. What happens next is far too close to the facehugger scene in the first “Alien” film, tentacles included, for my personal taste. Jessica is also the subject of an ill-judged, rather voyeuristic ploy to distract the enemy, which basically involves her getting naked. This tactic came across as more of a teenage sexual fantasy than a plausible plot device, sadly. However, those carps aside, I was still able to enjoy the book enormously.

In the final section, we learn the reasons for six children having separate powers, when Aiden is transported into a terrifying otherworld. His journey through the portal (yes, we have seen portal devices before, too), is original and genuinely disturbing.

In conclusion, while I had some reservations about Refraction, I felt it was beautifully paced, crisply written and contained flashes of originality, even brilliance. It’s just begging to be made into a movie – and I would definitely go see it.

Interesting! An engaging work that grabs you and won't let you go until you finish.

Given the description, I was expecting a superhero book....what this read like, though, was a mystical thriller? Heavy on the thriller, light on the mysticism. Given that I mostly avoid thrillers like the plague, the fact that I enjoyed this is probably a testament to how well written this book is. If you like thrillers, pick this up!

A fast-paced, highly engaging Sci-Fi thriller that I had difficulty putting down.

The first chapter sets the tone very quickly, and you won't have much time to get acquainted with Aiden Manchester before his life takes a complicated turn and you embark on a journey to uncover the truth about his birth and the merry gang of quiver kids.

The beginning chapters are a bit longer than the subsequent chapters, as it follows the speed of plot development.