Get ready. The name of Marcus Sakey is going to explode into your world. You may not have heard of him up to now or if you have it was just that some writer named Sakey had a new book out and it was supposed to be good. And perhaps you associated the name of the TV host for the Travel Channel's "Hidden City" with the somewhat successful author. Still he was up till now a shadow author with a core group of followers, but not really a part of the mainstream bubble.
Now all of that is going to change. Sakey's earlier novel GOOD PEOPLE is being made into a movie starring Kate Hudson and James Franco. Plus his brand new novel BRILLIANCE has also been optioned for filming. Marcus Sakey's name and works are going to be everywhere.
Sakey's new novel BRILLIANCE is the first in a series of stories about a world in which there are "abnormals" and "normals." The abnormals are the people born with special gifts and talents and the normals are the ordinary people. It is a world where people should be able to co-exist but for some reason certain abnormals have virtually declared war on the normals.
The leader of the radical abnormals is a man named John Smith. He is a terrorist against the normals and must be stopped. Nick Cooper is an agent for Equitable Services, a fedreal agency fighting these extreme abnormal. Nick is a diehard patriot and is willing to do whatever is necessary to keep his country safe.
If you decide to read BRILLIANCE make sure you put some sort of brace around your neck because the story has so many twists and turns you could get whiplash. You get into the first few pages and learn the main characters and have a basic idea of where the plot is going and snap, there has been a change in direction. You accept that twist and read on and then snap, there is another twist. This goes on and on all through the book. You never have your feet on solid ground.
This is what makes the book so fascinating. Sakey doesn't write "safe" books. He writes books that cut their own course and keep the readers off balance. He is such a talented man that he knows exactly where each plot twist is going and is able to justify it all in the end.
Reading a good Sakey novel, and this is definitely a good Sakey novel, is like running an obstacle course. You have to be prepared for the unexpected and you must have the stamina to stick with the story, because most readers will want to finish it in one sitting.
So go ahead and jump on the Marcus Sakey bandwagon now. Might as well since it is heading your way, and familiarity and admiration are inevitable.
BRILLIANCE is published by Thomas and Mercer. It contains 439 pages and sells for $14.95.
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