Broken (2011)
Written By: Susan Jane Bigelow
Genre: Science Fiction Adventure, Fantasy
Pages: 302 pages (paperback)
Publisher: Candlemark & Gleam
Why I Chose It: With the Avengers: End Game coming into my life I wanted to dive into some superhero fiction.
The premise:
In a post-war future world where First Contact has been made, humans are colonizing the stars, and the nations of Earth have been united under a central government, Extrahumans are required by law to belong to the Union. When a young man with visions of the future sets out on a mission to define the course of human history, he encounters a devastated former hero, a fascist dictatorship bent on world domination, and the realities of living in a society where affiliation is everything. Broken figured she was done with heroics when she lost the ability to fly and fled the confinement of the Extrahuman Union. But then the world started to fall apart around her, and the mysterious Michael Forward entered her life, dangling the possibility of redemption and rebirth. Michael Forward can see the future, but all he wants is to escape the destiny he has struggled against all his life. When the moment comes, though, he finds he can’t refuse. Now he needs the help of a homeless ex-superhero to save a baby who may be the key to humanity’s freedom. Monica had a good life with her large family, until two strangers and a baby showed up at her door. Now her family is gone, her life is in ruins, and she’s on the run from the law. In a time of spreading darkness, when paranoia and oppression have overtaken the world, can three unlikely allies preserve a small ray of hope for a better, brighter future?
Spoiler Free!
Discussion: It has been a long time since I’ve read a sci-fi novel, let alone anything with superheros. Needless to say, I was a little wary of diving into Broken. However, within the first few pages I was sucked into the dystopian world Bigelow created. Her characters jump from the page from the very start and don’t let go.
Michael Forward is an amazing lead character and is one of the strongest characters I’ve read in a while. His actions drive the story forward, and while he does have the ability to see the future, he still doesn’t have all the answers and still doubts what he is doing. He’s known his life would change the moment a woman hands him her baby, a baby that will grow up to either become a horrible monster or a hero to save this destroyed world. Michael knows the weight of the world is on him and his only allies are Broken, a superhero who has lost her powers, and Monica, a young woman who has just lost everything.
The trio of characters is incredibly believable in their interactions, rather than accepting their task, all three struggle with the weight of trying to save this child from the future of becoming a monster. I really enjoyed the fact that these are not cookie-cutter heroes, they do and say things I don’t expect but that are totally believable. They surprise me and that’s what kept me drawn to the story.
While there are moments of weakness in the plot and the finale felt a little rushed, it is one of the only endings that literally made me gasp aloud and took me totally off guard in a good way.
Bigelow has a lot of skill with her characters and crafting a detailed but not overwhelming story. I was pleased that while the world her story is detailed, I never felt overwhelmed or confused or lost by the world. The author gracefully avoids ‘info-dumping’ for the most part, though there are a few areas that could have been slimmed down.
In Conclusion: A great, interesting take on superheroes and the idea of what makes someone good. I’ll be looking into reading more of Bigelow’s work for sure. You can buy it here.
No Comments