The first chapter was like a pure shot of adrenaline, laying out everything I needed to know about this book and what I saw pleased me. It pleased me greatly. Sorcery and spec-ops tactics? Soldiers with superhero-like powers and codenames? This is a marriage of science fiction and fantasy made in heaven, where magic and futuristic technology co-exist in harmony with the unadulterated action of a military sci-fi novel, from an author who obviously knows what he’s writing about. 

The cover? Totally does not do this book justice. I wouldn’t had a clue what was waiting for me within these pages if I hadn’t dug deeper. Even the description belies the true nature of the world in this novel, which is unlike any setting I’ve ever encountered. An entire civilization has been altered, the existing social structure upended because of people waking up with magical talents, and Myke Cole does a great job showing this in is storytelling. A whole other realm also exists on another plane, home to a race of goblin-like creatures who are in constant war with the military base there. The magic system is also fleshed out and presented well.

I was also surprised to see that the story is not just nonstop action. Between the hectic battles and covert military operations, there is a real attempt at character building and exploration of the relationships between the main protagonist and the others around him. Britton is a much deeper character than I’d expected, a thoughtful man who struggles with his own feelings a lot, constantly asking questions and evaluating his situation. 

Like most other reviewers, I’ve also noted Britton’s indecision and his frequent switching of sides. To tell the truth, I didn’t find it as extreme as some make it out to be, though my issue with this has less to do with his wishy-washiness and more to do with the fact that his inability to make up his mind often seems like a tactic to drive the story forward. It’s obvious from his constant self-analyzing that Britton is a smart, introspective person, and yet on several occasions he will do things without thinking, and always much chaos and loss of life would be a direct result of his actions. He would be sick with guilt afterwards, but it’s hard to feel for him after the first time it happens, especially when he doesn’t learn from his mistakes. It’s a very small gripe though, considering the pile of positives that more than made up for it.

This book offered me a side of the genre that I haven’t seen much of before, and as such the author has my attention. I’m looking forward to see how the rest of this series will unfold; something tells me the next book will be just as much fun and full of surprises.