Book Sojourner: Audio Review: A Better World by Marcus Sakey

A Better World by Marcus Sakey

(Brilliance Saga #2)
June 17, 2014

390 pages

Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller

Contains: Profanity, some sexual references

Source: Personal purchase

The brilliants changed everything.

Since 1980, 1% of the world has been born with gifts we’d only dreamed of. The ability to sense a person’s most intimate secrets, or predict the stock market, or move virtually unseen. For thirty years the world has struggled with a growing divide between the exceptional...and the rest of us.

Now a terrorist network led by brilliants has crippled three cities. Supermarket shelves stand empty. 911 calls go unanswered. Fanatics are burning people alive.

Nick Cooper has always fought to make the world better for his children. As both a brilliant and an advisor to the president of the United States, he’s against everything the terrorists represent. But as America slides toward a devastating civil war, Cooper is forced to play a game he dares not lose—because his opponents have their own vision of a better world.

And to reach it, they’re willing to burn this one down.

I loved Brilliance, so I was really happy to continue on in this world, in A Better World. The story was slow at times, but more often fast-paced, and definitely entertaining and engaging. Once again we are following Nick Cooper, first seeing the consequences of what happened at the end of the previous book. Then seeing where he's at, who he's working for, who is out to get him, who he can trust, and where his love life is. Sorry, for being vague, but I'm avoiding spoilers.

I like Nick a lot. He's a fantastic character. So when the scenes involve him, I generally find them exciting. Then while following along with Nick and the older characters, we are also introduced to some new ones. This took an adjustment, getting used to the change of pace. But I found the new additions to be really important to the overall storyline, liked getting to know them, and enjoyed what Sakey did with them. There were some crazy things happening along the way to all the characters. All of it kept me entertained and trying to figure out where the story was going.

And then that ending! Sakey really put it all out there in a big display. The world will never be the same. Now where will they go from here? I can only imagine it will be gripping, action-packed, heart-racing excitement until the very end. And I'm looking forward to whatever is coming next.

Side note: I listened to this on audio, just like I did with the first book, and once again Luke Daniels does a stellar job.