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In the year 2255, Dr. Avery Oakfield of the United Earth Federation (UEF) is pioneering the Abhamancer Program, preparing subjects with mental and physical powers to withstand the Abaddon Beacon, a powerful obelisk creating widespread destruction. The Nanophage plague is spreading throughout the Sol System, and Dr. Oakfield believes his subjects have the psychic ability to stop this destruction. However, Jason, his most promising subject, escapes to an underground village. Eight years later, Jason begins hearing the tormenting call of Abaddon. As the voices gain momentum, Jason and his friends decide to find and defeat Abaddon. The group is catapulted into a series of adventures, while in the background, the Solar War between the UEF and the Empire, under dictator Hadrian Mariko, wages on. UEF officers and siblings Anne and Zeke Oakfield are tested as battles lead them face-to-face with Mariko. Past relationships and resentments threaten to topple a civilization as bands of forces gather to face off against Abaddon.
This is a creative and unique sci-fi thriller that gracefully melds futuristic technology, mind control, psychic powers, and war-torn societies with personal and governmental struggles that mirror aspects of today's world. Vivid worldbuilding introduces the reader to a unique Sol System comprised of diverse beings. Although the new world order at first is bewildering, the plot's multiple layers are gradually revealed as the action accelerates. The author introduces multifaceted, complex characters, enhanced by striking illustrations that the author provides both at the beginning of the novel and on his website. He skillfully explores complicated personal ties and relationships within the UEF, Empire, and the Underground, creating a web of intrigue that the reader will race to untangle. Unexpected, golden bits of humor and plucky dialogue beautifully augment the action-driven plot, which will leave fans clamoring for the next installment in the series.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review