Reviewed by Chris
TITLE: Eidolon
AUTHOR: E.S. Yu
PUBLISHER: NineStar Press
LENGTH: 305 pages
RELEASE DATE: August 20, 2018
BLURB:
When Cyrex Corp, one of the foremost bioaugmentation companies in the world, sends Vax to assassinate Zai Lumero, Vax thinks it’ll be a simple, straightforward job. Zai is only a journalist, after all, and with his bioaugments, Vax has never botched a job before. But then the hit unexpectedly goes south, and before Vax can correct his mistake and finish Zai off for good, he discovers that Cyrex has turned on him, putting him in their crosshairs as well.
With no one else to turn to, he strikes a grudging partnership with Zai to help him expose Cyrex’s connection to a missing persons case and take the company down. Getting along with a justice crusader who hates Vax’s profession with a burning passion isn’t easy—though Vax finds himself drawn to Zai in a way he never expected.
As they race against time to unearth Cyrex’s secrets, Vax can’t shake the feeling that Zai is hiding something from him. And the closer he gets to uncovering the answers—of how he’s related to Zai’s investigation, and how Zai is connected to a past that Vax can’t remember—the more he suspects that finding out the truth might destroy him.
REVIEW:
Eidolon is a fast paced action sci-fi about a journalist bent on uncovering the truth behind a supposedly humanitarian billion-dollar company, and the augmented hitman ordered to kill him before he succeeds. And that is only the beginning. Throw in a lost-love, an assassin with amnesia, a secret that could throw the world into chaos, and watch as things explode.
While those looking for a more romance-centric plot might not be totally satisfied, go into this story ready for an action-packed scifi and you will not come out wanting.
I had a real blast reading this. A few of the twist were a bit obvious — and as such I probably spent more time than I wanted waiting for the characters to catch up to me — but Zai and Vax (our journalist and hitman) were so well crafted that it was hardly a big deal. A lot of what I could talk about are spoilers, but I will say that the slow reveal of the truth and how it was handled by both Vax and Zai felt entirely in line with their characters. But also forced them to face some rather uncomfortable truths about themselves, thereby stretching them into fuller and more interesting people.
The mystery and secrets you will have to discover for yourselves, but I personally found it a journey well worth undertaking. Not anything that is particularly groundbreaking, but this story uses well worn parts in just the right places and measure to make a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
And, yes, the romance is hardly the point of this book, but the relationship between these two men is absolutely essential. Had it failed to convince me of its importance I can’t help but feel the rest of it would have seemed rather shallow. But there was no fear in that corner, since after their very first interaction I was left absolutely captivated.
I don’t know what else to say other than I had a truly fun experience reading this book. Sci-fi lovers, especially those who like a good cyborg assassin or two, should really check this out.
RATING: 
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