Review of Opaque

[Sasikala gupta]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Opaque" by Calix Leigh-Reign.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Opaque (Scion Saga Book 1) by Calix Leigh-Reign is a sci-fi novel about 16-year-old troubled teen Adam Caspian, who navigates through life thinking he is a sociopath due to his dark thoughts and obsessions. Later, he discovers himself to be an extraordinary human being called a descendant, a biologically evolved group of humans who possess extraordinary powers. He meets Carly Wit, a charming and enigmatic girl who joins his school. He is attracted to her and discovers that she is a descendant who later guides him into the world of the supernatural, and together they must fight against a group of evil scientists called the Iksha, who are out to destroy the descendants. How does Adam uncover his secrets about himself and adapt to this supernatural world of descendants? What superpower does he possess? Will they be able to defeat the Iksha? Read to find out.

Calix has created a very complex and amazing world of extraordinary superhumans, which reminded me of the X-Men series. Where the mutants have superpowers, here too, the descendants of seven bloodlines carry traits that are later exhibited as superpowers. The author has expertly created a unique plot and given detailed explanations of each character's supernatural abilities and their origin, which I enjoyed reading. The vivid and captivating description of the battle scene was the highlight for me. What I did not like was that the first half of the story is very slow and a bit dark and disturbing for a teenage book, where Adams's weird and unnatural obsession with his mother and the way he refers to all humans as animals are quite disturbing for the main lead. Adams's change from bad to good after meeting Carly is not convincing enough; there were much easier ways to establish the darkness of Adams's mind in ways that could be relatable to teenagers reading this book. Once you move past the first half of the book, it becomes a real page-turner.

I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars for its intriguing and unique plot, and though a bit slow in the beginning, the action picks up halfway through and makes for an exciting and engaging read. I am deducting a star only because of the protagonist's dark and disturbing character arc and unconvincing character development. 

I would recommend this book to mature young adults who love a unique plot with science fiction and the supernatural mixed in, but I would caution sensitive readers to be aware as this book contains profanity, mentions of rape and violence, and explores unhealthy obsessions.

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Opaque
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[RJ Reviews]

Wow, this sounds right up my alley. A mix between science fiction and supernatural elements pique my interest. I surely will add this book to my TBR. Thank you for sharing this beautiful review. You captured the essence of the story perfectly. Thank you.