dlberglund's review against another edition
3.0
Fast paced, thought-provoking, interesting. Not my favorite main character, though.
blanktarget's review against another edition
4.0
Its like batman, Jason Bourne, and Sherlock Holmes had a baby...in book form.
tcoale's review against another edition
3.0
Great story, but probably could have been condensed. Last 100 pages read like wild-fire.
catbooking's review against another edition
2.0
Normally I love the whole, gifted people discriminated against here is their fight for their rights, trope. But this time it fell flat for me. If I had to guess, it was because Nick never felt discriminated against and always acted from a place of privilege. All the discrimination he witnessed was someone else's, and while it is nice that he was able to empathize with the plight of others, I would still argue he kept himself separated and refused to give up his privilege of having morals he never had to compromise.
The other thing about Nick that made me dislike him was the fact that everyone wanted something from him, for absolutely no reason. Sure Nick is a level one, but is he special enough for the head of DAR and the richest abnorm and the number one freedom fighter to all want something from him, and all grace him with their time and lengthy explanations of their motives? Nick's skill is useful, sure, but he is not that special.
I am not going to continue the series, mainly because I don't care about the characters. Maybe if Nick actually felt a moment of powerlessness and lack of control, I would want to see him develop as a character. But by the end of the book he is still the thick headed moral centrist unwilling to pick a side, and I just don't care to read about his moral judgments of others.
The other thing about Nick that made me dislike him was the fact that everyone wanted something from him, for absolutely no reason. Sure Nick is a level one, but is he special enough for the head of DAR and the richest abnorm and the number one freedom fighter to all want something from him, and all grace him with their time and lengthy explanations of their motives? Nick's skill is useful, sure, but he is not that special.
I am not going to continue the series, mainly because I don't care about the characters. Maybe if Nick actually felt a moment of powerlessness and lack of control, I would want to see him develop as a character. But by the end of the book he is still the thick headed moral centrist unwilling to pick a side, and I just don't care to read about his moral judgments of others.
squirrellygoat's review against another edition
3.0
I listened to the audiobook. Enjoyed the reader. Liked the story.
But reading a few pages from the Kindle, I found the author's written style of "He did this. Enjoyed it. Thought about it." obnoxious. That said, I'd listen to the sequel if it's read by the same person.
But reading a few pages from the Kindle, I found the author's written style of "He did this. Enjoyed it. Thought about it." obnoxious. That said, I'd listen to the sequel if it's read by the same person.
chanman's review against another edition
2.0
This is a novel that I was somewhat torn on. I dug the premise of the novel- a group of gifted people are starting to appear in the US, and they must live with the normal members of society, but a gifted man does not agree with this philosophy, and decides to take matters into his own hands, causing terrorist attacks that kill many innocent people until the US government decides that the gifted people can live in their own sovereign nation. This sounds like something that is based on the X-men, but with more realistic powers.I also liked the variety of powers on display. The action was, at the very least, competently written. So what isn’t to like?
For me, it was the plot. It was just so average and not very exciting. I guessed the twist and looked for the cliched ending to appear, and, sure enough, it did. The idea of Agent Cooper going on this mission could have been thrilling, but instead it was boring most of the time. Throughout the 2nd half of this book, I found myself going to do other things rather than reading, and that just isn’t a good thing, especially for this being a thriller.
If you haven’t read the X-men, or want something where the powers are more realistic, then this might be the book for you, other than that, I’d say skip this in favor of something else. I give it a two out of five.
For me, it was the plot. It was just so average and not very exciting. I guessed the twist and looked for the cliched ending to appear, and, sure enough, it did. The idea of Agent Cooper going on this mission could have been thrilling, but instead it was boring most of the time. Throughout the 2nd half of this book, I found myself going to do other things rather than reading, and that just isn’t a good thing, especially for this being a thriller.
If you haven’t read the X-men, or want something where the powers are more realistic, then this might be the book for you, other than that, I’d say skip this in favor of something else. I give it a two out of five.
mferrante83's review against another edition
4.0
I loved that first season of NBC’s Heroes. There was so much promise, so much potential. Of course that didn’t last long as the show became muddled in its own mythology and then got tripped up by the writer’s strike. But that first season? That is some excellent television. Thankfully Marcus Sakey takes all the promise and wonder from that first season of Heroes and pours into his novel Brilliance. In the world of Brilliance’s Agent Nick Cooper a tiny, but not insignificant, percentage of the human population is born with special gifts. While some gifts are mundane and relatively harmless others, like Cooper’s own ability to “read” people through minute cues in body language, are dangerous. Cooper works for DAR, the Department of Analysis and Response, an agency founded after a “brilliant” leader assassinated an important politician and committed mass murder. His job is to track down the dangerous “brilliants” for Uncle Sam and either capture them or put them down.
As a fan of superheroes, particularly have grown up with a steady diet of Marvel’s X-Men, Brilliance seems like a novel targeted directly at my own tastes. Cooper is very much a company man at the start of the novel though I think he is not unaware of the dangers represented by the government’s current oversight of “dangerous brilliants.” His own uncertainty is brought to the fore when his own daughter begins to exhibit abilities that might lead to her being sent to one of the government’s special “schools” for dangerous brilliants. Cooper cuts a deal with his boss going undercover to track down and take out the leader of those brilliants who seek to remain free. Brilliance is an enjoyable thrill ride that covers some familiar territory. The United States glimpsed in the novel is one that if familiar but that has seen some startling changes thanks to the advances in science and technology that brilliants have brought about.
Over the course of Brilliance Cooper unfurls a nefarious web of conspiracy and betrayal that sets his feet on the path towards playing an important role in changing the world. Sakey continues the story in A Better World which takes place almost immediately after the events in Brilliance. In many ways Brilliance feels like an extended prologue, a mere warm up for A Better World. The second novel really amps up the action and delves a bit further into the social and ethical questions raised by the presence of brilliants in the world. Like in Brilliance the book remains firmly from the perspective of Nick Cooper. Cooper, particularly in the second novel, really lives up to the old saying that “behind every cynic is a disappointed idealist.” Glimpses of Cooper’s idealism bleed through every now and then but they are strongly tempered by his experiences in the world, and by his own special abilities to see through deception. It gives Cooper and nice sense duality and constantly leaves you wonder just which side of personality will win out in any given situation.
Brilliance and A Better World are well worth the read for fans of thrillers who don’t mind a bit of a jump into the science fictional. The abilities of the brilliants in the series is, typically speaking, practical rather than flashy. The grounded nature of the abilities lends a sense of realism to the series that absolutely makes it a more engaging read. This a great little series and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
As a fan of superheroes, particularly have grown up with a steady diet of Marvel’s X-Men, Brilliance seems like a novel targeted directly at my own tastes. Cooper is very much a company man at the start of the novel though I think he is not unaware of the dangers represented by the government’s current oversight of “dangerous brilliants.” His own uncertainty is brought to the fore when his own daughter begins to exhibit abilities that might lead to her being sent to one of the government’s special “schools” for dangerous brilliants. Cooper cuts a deal with his boss going undercover to track down and take out the leader of those brilliants who seek to remain free. Brilliance is an enjoyable thrill ride that covers some familiar territory. The United States glimpsed in the novel is one that if familiar but that has seen some startling changes thanks to the advances in science and technology that brilliants have brought about.
Over the course of Brilliance Cooper unfurls a nefarious web of conspiracy and betrayal that sets his feet on the path towards playing an important role in changing the world. Sakey continues the story in A Better World which takes place almost immediately after the events in Brilliance. In many ways Brilliance feels like an extended prologue, a mere warm up for A Better World. The second novel really amps up the action and delves a bit further into the social and ethical questions raised by the presence of brilliants in the world. Like in Brilliance the book remains firmly from the perspective of Nick Cooper. Cooper, particularly in the second novel, really lives up to the old saying that “behind every cynic is a disappointed idealist.” Glimpses of Cooper’s idealism bleed through every now and then but they are strongly tempered by his experiences in the world, and by his own special abilities to see through deception. It gives Cooper and nice sense duality and constantly leaves you wonder just which side of personality will win out in any given situation.
Brilliance and A Better World are well worth the read for fans of thrillers who don’t mind a bit of a jump into the science fictional. The abilities of the brilliants in the series is, typically speaking, practical rather than flashy. The grounded nature of the abilities lends a sense of realism to the series that absolutely makes it a more engaging read. This a great little series and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
jacquinha's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
pingthevile's review against another edition
4.0
Good read (or "good listen" in my case). Mostly predictable but still filled with fun action and interesting characters.
sphiml's review against another edition
3.0
I am torn!! I wanted to give a higher rating, I truly did because I like the story but just couldn't believe the whole premise of the book.
This book is based on the idea that you have super smart people with IQ's beating the top minds of today and can socially interact but result to war as a solution? Come on!! First even the best General of all time Sun Tzu said the best general is one who wins a war without ever attacking an opponent or losing a single soldier. Now you are telling me that people who are smarter couldn't figure out how to prevent a war and still have a distinct advantage? Also the whole idea of numbers being an advantage is not an answer either sorry. First not everyone is going to fight and on top of that you are not fighting an army you would be fighting individuals who are vastly more intelligent and could end you before it began and I am to believe that everyone is just going to keep fighting when they see others get hurt so easily. Let's just say you have 10 men that are excellent fighters and everyone knows they are of equal skill go up against a brilliant and it takes him a second to kill 2 men without any effort are you telling me the others just go to their death? Sorry I think they bow and say what can I do for you and never try that shit again. I also think they would be smart enough to manipulate the government and television thus eliminating the majority of the threats. They could use language to persuade and wouldn't need bombs (which is such a lower level of thinkings way of resolving things anyway). Also the idea that an individual who doesn't have the intelligence of a brilliant is somehow going to beat a brilliant who is the best a strategy and chess. Really?
Ok now that I went on a rant of the fraction of the problems with the intelligent argument let me say this; when I replaced their gift with another mutation like the x-men it was a much better read. In fact any mutation besides intelligence and it get's 5 stars because I liked the characters but it's about intelligence and I just can't buy into it. Sorry that's my rant.
This book is based on the idea that you have super smart people with IQ's beating the top minds of today and can socially interact but result to war as a solution? Come on!! First even the best General of all time Sun Tzu said the best general is one who wins a war without ever attacking an opponent or losing a single soldier. Now you are telling me that people who are smarter couldn't figure out how to prevent a war and still have a distinct advantage? Also the whole idea of numbers being an advantage is not an answer either sorry. First not everyone is going to fight and on top of that you are not fighting an army you would be fighting individuals who are vastly more intelligent and could end you before it began and I am to believe that everyone is just going to keep fighting when they see others get hurt so easily. Let's just say you have 10 men that are excellent fighters and everyone knows they are of equal skill go up against a brilliant and it takes him a second to kill 2 men without any effort are you telling me the others just go to their death? Sorry I think they bow and say what can I do for you and never try that shit again. I also think they would be smart enough to manipulate the government and television thus eliminating the majority of the threats. They could use language to persuade and wouldn't need bombs (which is such a lower level of thinkings way of resolving things anyway). Also the idea that an individual who doesn't have the intelligence of a brilliant is somehow going to beat a brilliant who is the best a strategy and chess. Really?
Ok now that I went on a rant of the fraction of the problems with the intelligent argument let me say this; when I replaced their gift with another mutation like the x-men it was a much better read. In fact any mutation besides intelligence and it get's 5 stars because I liked the characters but it's about intelligence and I just can't buy into it. Sorry that's my rant.