The Legacy Human (Singularity #1)
by Susan Kaye Quinn
Blurb:
Spiritual successor to the bestselling Mindjack trilogy…When transcending humanity is the prize, winning the Game is all that matters.
Seventeen-year-old Elijah Brighton wants to become an ascender—a post-Singularity human/machine hybrid—after all, they’re smarter, more enlightened, more compassionate, and above all, achingly beautiful. But Eli is a legacy human, preserved and cherished for his unaltered genetic code, just like the rainforest he paints. When a fugue state possesses him and creates great art, Eli miraculously lands a sponsor for the creative Olympics. If he could just master the fugue, he could take the gold and win the right to ascend, bringing everything he’s yearned for within reach… including his beautiful ascender patron. But once Eli arrives at the Games, he finds the ascenders are playing games of their own. Everything he knows about the ascenders and the legacies they keep starts to unravel… until he’s running for his life and wondering who he truly is.
The Legacy Human is the first in a new young adult science fiction series that explores the intersection of mind, body, and soul… and how technology will challenge us to remember what it means to be human.
Check out Susan Kaye Quinn’s website for information about the Launch Party, ARC giveaways, and everything Singularity.
My Review:
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review
This is without a doubt the best book I read so far this year, it kept me up late wanting to finish one more chapter and I flew through this book as it was so good and at the same time I was sad I was reading it so fast as that made it feel over so soon. I jumped into this book without having read the blurb and it was an exhilarating ride, discovering this futuristic world and being surprised by the twists and turns. I am pretty sure this is my favourite book of Susan so far and that’s saying a lot as all her books are great. I am not even sure where to start or end with this review, I wish I could just say it is so good, go and read it right now! But that wouldn’t explain my thoughts very well and this book deserves more as there is so much to say about it. This book is so different from any other book out there and I loved it!
The Legacy Human takes place in a futuristic future where humans are legacies, they are the remnants of the past and the world is ruled by the ascenders. It has a bit of a dystopia feel, but it’s also very sci-fi with all the new technology. This book is so far in the future, that it’s almost hard to imagine how different things are, but Susan did a great job describing the world without it being overwhelming. It’s also a bit religious and philosophical at times, but in a good way. It’s about the question what makes us human? And about a human who wants to be a machine. It’s about art and creativity and change and going forward and going back. It’s about asking questions and answers.
This book took me completely by surprise, it slowly eased me into this new world as I followed Eli in his quest to save his mom and trying to improve his art. Eli is a great main character, I liked him and he cares so much about his mom, it’s beautiful. He also is willing to do whatever it takes to get her a cure. Then there’s Cyrus, he’s the best friend someone can have. Just like Eli he is willing to do what it takes to help Eli and his mom. And only towards the end it gets obvious how far we will go for that. I really liked Cyrus and the ways camaraderie and friendship between the two boys. I liked that Cyrus was always there for Eli and that they where together for most of the story instead of Eli going alone. Then there’s a great cast of side characters Kamali, Basha and Dashlina where all great characters and I enjoyed getting to know them. Then there’s Eli mom, Marcus and Lenora and later on we meet some new characters. Even some which turned out to have a bigger role then I thought as first. What I liked most is that all characters seem real, even though we don’t know what they plan to do or why, it felt like there where reasons and motivations behind it all, which made the characters real and believable.
There is some romance, but it isn’t the focus of the story. While the story is pretty fast past, sweeping you up in a can’t put it down way, the romance is slow building, but it also had me swept up from the very first moment they meet. It isn’t love at first sight, but there was something very magical and inspiring about their first meeting.
The world building is done great, interwoven into the story and while there are a lot of uncertainties and questions left, there was enough world building to get a grip on the world and imagine how things looked. The world is so different from the world today and I loved learning more and imagining how it all looked.
To conclude: I loved this book! Once I started reading I couldn’t put it down. This book is so original and different from other books I read. I enjoyed the story and there where some interesting twists and turns. The characters are all done well and I enjoyed readign about them. The world was elaborate and I liked learning more and more about the world, even though there are still enough questions left for the next book to answer. If you love original sci-fi books with a great cast of characters, that make you think and question things, you have to give Legacy Human a try!
You can add Legacy Human to your to-read list on Goodreads
You can buy The Legacy Human for only 0.99$ here:
– Amazon
Today is the release day and there’s lots of cool stuff going on, you can join the release day party on facebook here or check out Susan her Pinterest board for the Singulariy series.
Other books I read and reviewed by this author:
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Delirium (Debt Collector #1) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Agony (Debt Collector #2) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Ecstasy (Debt Collector #3) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Broken (Debt Collector #4) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Driven (Debt Collector #5) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Fallen (Debt Collector #6) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Promise (Debt Collector #7) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Ruthless (Debt Collector #8) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Passion (Debt Collector #9) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Debt Collector Season One (Debt Collector #1-9) – 5 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Wraith (Debt Collector #10) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Specter (Debt Collector #11) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Menace (Debt Colector #12) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Temptation (Debt Colector #13) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Shattered (Debt Colector #14) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Penance (Debt Colector #15) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Judgment (Debt Colector #16) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Corruption (Debt Colector #17) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Atonement (Debt Colector #18) – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Debt Collector Season Two (Debt Collector #10-18) – 5 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Faery Swap – 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Free Souls (Mindjack Trilogy #3) – 5 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – The Locksmith (MIndjack Trilogy #3.5)- 4 stars
– Susan Kaye Quinn – Third Daughter (The Dharian Affairs Trilogy #1) – 5 stars
I NEED MORE TIME TO READ BOOKS!! 🙂 I want to read this one so badly. It’s in the queue after the beta read I’m doing now and then the next scifi book I want to read. Sigh. So many books. The premise for this one is so unique. I just know I’m going to love it.
S. J. Pajonas recently posted…Writing Update – March 2, 2015
I know the feeling! I pushed all other books aside, just so I could read this in time for release day and I am so happy I did as it’s such an amazing book. I can’t wait to hear what you think of it!
This does sound like a really good book! I’m gonna look it up later. 🙂
I hope you’ll give it a try! It’s a steal at the introductory price of 0.99$!
Oh my goodness. I’ve heard of this author but haven’t read anything from her. The Legacy Human sounds wonderful though. I just might have to pick up this one, Lola. If I were going to read Quinn, is this the book I should pick?
Bookworm Brandee recently posted…My TBR List ~ March ~ What Should I Read Next?
I think this is her best book so far, so I would certainly recommend startign with this one. On the other hand all her first book in series are free, so you can grab them anyway, Open Minds, Third Daughter and Delirium are the title of her first books in a series, which are all free. I love her writing style and have enjoyed all her books so far, there are only two of them I haven’t read yet.
Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #116