There are some books that, while they have problems and aren’t perfect, are solid reads that you get swept up in and become immersed. Anodyne Eyes was one such book for me.

I didn’t realise before reading there are prequels to this story, introducing a few of the main characters and, I imagine, exploring their abilities in full. But they aren’t necessary to this one: I picked up exactly what was going on, understood what they could do and the snippets of backstory gave me enough to work on. I will check out the prequels though; I liked the secondary characters in this and would like to see them take centre stage.

When a terrorist escapes from fifteen years as a lab-rat, the race is on to stop him. Jabril isn’t exactly human though and his abilities make him almost impossible to kill and nigh-impossible to capture. He’s after revenge, and he wants to destroy America in the process.

The narration is split between several characters. Rachel is a scientist, who feels guilty about Jabril’s treatment and the role she played in developing foods that could kill the population. She’s also a mother and will do whatever it takes to protect her daughter from Jabril. There were times when Rachel felt cold and distant, but she’s a likeable character.

Alexis, the daughter, can read minds. She can cure the world of hate through an ability that appears to calm everyone down – I wasn’t certain on the specifics. You don’t get to know Alexis as well: she feels more of a tool for most of it.

Dan is a computer genius, battling depression after believing he is responsible for killing his son, Jeff, in a war. Jeff isn’t dead though, and soon stumbles upon Alexis, falls in love, and gets drawn into the fight and reunites with his father.

Alexis and Jeff’s relationship was too fast for me. Jeff’s character could have been explored more – I really liked him, but they underplayed his potential and he didn’t exactly do a lot, despite being central to the fight.

Jabril himself was chilling as you see how torn he is between being a monster and a man. It’s not black and white with Jabril, which helps make him more human and therefore far scarier. The one thing that annoyed me was the obsession that he wanted to rape everyone. It was the only thing he thought about and it undermined its impact.

Anodyne Eyes was violent, fast-paced and tense. Being a main character didn’t mean surviving. Having extraordinary abilities didn’t mean being immune to corruption and control. I was drawn into this world, and all its chilling possibilities.

I have to admit though, I got lost at the end. Two characters break free of control – and I have no idea how it happened, which left me confused and a little thrown off at a really crucial moment.

Not a light-hearted book, but an enjoyable one. I’ll be checking out more from this author.

Once i got in this book i really liked its there a lots going and its different from anything i read for a while.. I also like that its a stand alone novel sometimes you dont wanted a series. I would recommend this book if you want to read something different. . I received this book from net gallery in exchange for a honest review.