Audiobook Review: Brilliance by Marcus Sakey

Brilliance by Marcus Sakey

(Brilliance Saga #1)

July 16, 2013

439 pages

Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller

Contains: some strong language, sexual references

Source: Audible audiobook purchase

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

In Wyoming, a little girl reads people’s darkest secrets by the way they fold their arms. In New York, a man sensing patterns in the stock market racks up $300 billion. In Chicago, a woman can go invisible by being where no one is looking. They’re called "brilliants," and since 1980, one percent of people have been born this way. Nick Cooper is among them; a federal agent, Cooper has gifts rendering him exceptional at hunting terrorists. His latest target may be the most dangerous man alive, a brilliant drenched in blood and intent on provoking civil war. But to catch him, Cooper will have to violate everything he believes in - and betray his own kind.

From Marcus Sakey, "a modern master of suspense" (Chicago Sun-Times) and "one of our best storytellers" (Michael Connelly), comes an adventure that’s at once breakneck thriller and shrewd social commentary; a gripping tale of a world fundamentally different and yet horrifyingly similar to our own, where being born gifted can be a terrible curse.

My husband and I listened to 'Brilliance' on audiobook, and we loved it. We actually listened to it separately, and then discussed it when we would catch up with each other. There would be random days when my husband would just say, "I really like this book." This is a great thing because finding a book or a series that we both like is always a treat, as there are many books I read that my husband is not interested in. So I already love this book for this reason alone.

'Brilliance' is an exciting, action-packed story revolving around Nick Cooper, a gifted federal agent, who is tracking down terrorists. Gifted terrorists. Because the world now has a small population of people born as "brilliants" with some of those threatening society... or are they? Because as the story unfolds, Nick Cooper will have to get deeper before he can find the truth.

Nick Cooper is a great protagonist. The heart of his character really pulls the entire story together, between his love for his family (even his ex-wife), his gifted ability (which is quite intriguing in the narration), and his drive to do the right thing (and even reconsider "right" when faced with more truth than he planned for). While Cooper is the driving force of this story, the thickening plot showcases the layers that he must trudge through to find what's real and what's true. I don't want to give the story away. I went in blind and loved it. But I will say that I loved the fast pace, the exciting action, the developing questions, and the moments of heart amongst these characters.

Then add in the fact that Luke Daniels narrates the audio version, and it doesn't get any better. Luke Daniels is my husband and my favorite narrator, and he voices Cooper and this exciting story brilliantly. I highly recommend the audiobook of 'Brilliance' though I'm sure reading the book is just as great. Looking forward to the sequel!

AMAZON ~ AUDIBLE ~ GOODREADS