Review of Indomitable - by J. B. Garner

I gave this novel 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon and Goodreads!

Irene Roman is a scientific researcher who is working to create medical devices. The novel begins with her discovery of the theft of her newest prototype on the eve of presenting it to the Dean of the program. The discovery of the man that stole the device causes her world to implode. The man she had trusted most in recent past had been using her to further his goals. Irene quickly hunts him (Eric) down and confronts him even as the last minute of a strange and reality-changing experiment is ongoing. Unable to talk Eric away from continuing, the experiment finalizes in an explosion of piercing light that covers the world. When Irene wakes in her own bed with several wounds cared for she soon realizes the world has fundamentally changed. Somehow, at a reality level, the make-up of humans has changed. A small percentage of the population, called “pushed” has also gained superhuman abilities. Eric returns and tells Irene why he has done what he did, to gain the power necessary to do what a normal human could not (I will keep the secret).  

There is fallout between the two as the changes the new power wrought in Eric and the betrayal that Irene feels pulls them apart until they are ultimately at odds. Now she must, along with the aid of a few friendly “pushed” and a couple government agents find a way to stop the impending escalation of violence and the ending of the world as they know it. Irene must take on the trappings of a superhero and become the nemesis of Eric's super self and use what she has discovered that may be the means to counter the power of the “pushed”.

J. B. Garner’s novel reads similar to a Clive Cussler novel with elements of the TV show Heroes, Avengers, and X-Men thrown in. It is a fast-paced story and is a good length, 177 Pages, which kept my attention and had me wanting to know what Irene and Company would get into next. The inner war that Irene fought with her rational self was well done and framed her actions as more plausible in light of a supernatural event. The cover was also well done, with a style that fit the genre.

The major issues I had early on in the novel were taken care of as I kept reading as gaps began to be filled in an organic manner. The minor issues were some spelling mistakes and somewhat excessive use of commas but this did not pull me from the story enough to be a problem. I do not read many superhero type books or comics so the use of comic books and costumes were a bit cliche for me.

Overall, Indomitable was a different take on a mutant/superhero tale, refreshing with a hint of nostalgia. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys super hero stories/comics, well-written adventures set in the real world, and those who enjoy a strong female protagonist. 

See more about this author at his website.

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