In the late 1990s, Master Oblivion’s immortal team enlists power brokers to fake the computer “crisis” of Y2K so they can hack into the world’s computers. They’re also credited with the shootings at Columbine High School and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, among other events. Humanity’s best chance at restoring hope is a young boy from Seattle named Chris, who is revealed at a Shaolin Temple to be “the Shining One,” foretold in legend, part Dalai Lama and part Doctor Strange. Chris’s destiny, he’s told, is to remind humanity to “use our potentials to what they were supposed to be.”
As an adult, Chris achieves some of his destiny through (non-explicit) transcendental sex that leaves an eternal mark on a tech pioneer named Lori Muse. Colón doesn’t reveal much about what characters are thinking, so readers might find themselves, like Lori, unclear about Chris’s plan and her own role in the future; they’ll have to wait for future installments to find out. Readers interested in the machinations of power brokers will enjoy the panoply of angels, demons, CEOs, socialites, and monks battling for the fate of the universe in this fast-moving metaphysical epic.
Takeaway: This apocalyptic epic will appeal to readers who love a juicy conspiracy.
Great for fans of: L. Ron Hubbard’s Mission Earth series, S. M. Stirling’s Emberverse series.
Production grades
Cover: C
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: C
Marketing copy: B+