Review: The HalfHero series by Ian W. Sainsbury

 

What if a super human turned out not to be so super…or even human? Britain’s superhero, The Deterrent, was unveiled to the world in 1979, and disappeared two years later.

The truth about his origins has never been revealed. The rumours about his children—those that survived—and their mysterious abilities have never been confirmed.
Until now.
Armed with a diary that reveals everything about The Deterrent’s early years, Daniel Harbin—discovering powers of his own—finds himself dragged into the same secretive government department his famous father worked for.
Can a halfhero be a better superhero than his father, or is Daniel making a terrible mistake?
When the wrong people know what you’re capable of, no matter how powerful you are, you’re still in danger….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A superhero series mostly set in the UK was attractive because no matter what we might think Superheroes are an American phenomenon adopted by the rest of the world and accelerated by the success of Marvel’s MCU and as such the comics, movies and books all have the expected US feel to them. Given there are three novels in this series I decided to review them as a whole rather than one at a time.

What did you like best about this series?

I liked the narrative tone, the depth of the plot – even where it got a little thin at times, the pace and the main character, who was very relatable.

What did you like least about this series?

Sadly, as is the case with a lot of trilogies, it felt a little rushed towards the end of the final novel – The Last of the First. I can’t say much more without giving away the ultimate plot twist, but it certainly reflects the current zeitgeist and maybe that made it seem a little preachy. 

Which characters in the book did you like best?

The main character, Daniel. On reflection the other characters were sufficiently well rounded to carry the story but they lacked sufficient depth to challenge the main character.

Which characters did you like least?

Other than the standard dislike for the villains, which of course is to be expected in most circumstances, I felt the father of one of the early narrators was cliched and a bit weak for the important impact he had on the story.

Would you read another book by this author? Why or why not?

Absolutely yes because the series delivered what I expected, pure escapism in a genre that I’ve followed on the page and on the screen since childhood.

What feelings did this book evoke for you?

It wasn’t that kind of novel, but if I had to pinpoint an emotional response it was empathy for the, perhaps too protracted, description of puberty for a fat misfit. And of course adventure, which can never be undervalued.

If you got the chance to ask the author of this book one question, what would it be?

Why the rushed ending? Because I felt it had another story still to tell.

Which character in the book would you most like to meet?

Abos, for reasons that would become very apparent if you read the series. Suffice to say Abos is THE superhero.

Which places in the book would you most like to visit?

Ironically the lake at Gugaune Barra in West Cork. I’ve been there before a few times (it’s about an hour drive from home), but it’s worth another look.

How original and unique was this series?

I suppose other than the principally UK setting for a superhero novel, as I’ve already mentioned, it wasn’t especially unique. It’s built on a premise I hadn’t come across before and that probably was the unique feature.

If you could hear this same story from another person’s point of view, who would you choose?

Definitely Abos, the superhero.

Had you heard about the series before starting it?

Nope, it was a random trawl that produced the first novel and the enjoyment of that book that led to the others.

Did this book seem realistic?

In so far as a superhero novel could be, yes.

How well do you think the author built the world in the book?

The author did a good job of using a “world” that would be familiar to the genre but with enough twists to make it fresh enough to carry the storyline.

Did the characters seem believable to you? Did they remind you of anyone?

They did insomuch as they fit their purpose in moving the story along and despite some cliched characters they were believable. I’m not sure if a superhero character should be too believable though (that might be a sign of another issue altogether).

What aspects of the author’s story could you most relate to?

As I previously mentioned the description of puberty for a fat loner (tells a lot about me!).

Why do you think the author chose to tell this story?

Because like most authors he had no choice. Novels demand to be born really.

Ratings-

A Full 5 Stars for the first novel and a solid 4 Stars for the subsequent two novels.

You may have noticed I changed the format for this review based on some of the questions for book groups formulated by bookriot.com, so many thanks to them. Let me know if you found the new format informative.