Brilliance

The Brilliance Trilogy, Book 1

By: Marcus Sakey

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

In Wyoming, a little girl reads people’s darkest secrets by the way they fold their arms. In New York, a man sensing patterns in the stock market racks up $300 billion. In Chicago, a woman can go invisible by being where no one is looking. They’re called "brilliants," and since 1980, one percent of people have been born this way. Nick Cooper is among them; a federal agent, Cooper has gifts rendering him exceptional at hunting terrorists. His latest target may be the most dangerous man alive, a brilliant drenched in blood and intent on provoking civil war. But to catch him, Cooper will have to violate everything he believes in - and betray his own kind.

From Marcus Sakey, "a modern master of suspense" (Chicago Sun-Times) and "one of our best storytellers" (Michael Connelly), comes an adventure that’s at once breakneck thriller and shrewd social commentary; a gripping tale of a world fundamentally different and yet horrifyingly similar to our own, where being born gifted can be a terrible curse.

©2013 Marcus Sakey (P)2013 Brilliance Audio

Great Read

I really enjoyed Luke Daniels in the Marko Kloos series (frontlines). I was pleased to find him narrating this book as well. I look forward to book two of this series.

Sucked me in and kept getting better

This is a fantastic book with an interesting storyline, good narration, and a unique perspective. I was drawn in immediately and couldn't put it down. I intended for this book to he a time filler to play in the background at work, but it demanded my full attention.

The main downside is that the narrator's children's voices are laughably bad. This is the same narrator as Off to Be The Wizard BY Scott Meyer, and some of the same annoying voices he used there bleed over. If you've listened to those books, he uses the same exact voice he uses for Jimmy, which really grates on my nerves.

If that's my only negative point, though, there's not much to complain about. Really looking forward to diving into the next books!

Really good story...

But a little predictable at times. Still, all-in-all, an involving plot with enough gray area to keep you thinking.

The narrator is excellent, the best I've heard-both at giving characters distinctive voices and at maintaining consistency with those voices.

Brilliance

If it was not for the fact that I did have to eat or sleep I would have never have put this book down.

Great book

Great book, kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time. Great characters and amazing plot.

This plots been done often. This was not unique.

A solid fine book.

Not amazing, nothing super groundbreaking or excited me very much, just fine. Teetering between if it's 2 star fine or 3 star but I'll go with 3 because ultimately there was nothing wrong with it and I was ok with it by the end.

Overall though this book definetly gives you that feeling of 'I've heard this story before'. Everything about it oozed of movies, books and videogames all doing this plot line in the exact same way before, nothing felt very surprising or new because you sorta expect everything.

The twists are expected for this plot line, the motions with the plot are expected, the character tropes playing into their role are expected and even the way it ends is how you'd expect it. Honestly everything feels like it followed a format of a typical government conspiracy and getting in bed with the enemy to learn about them movie. Everything is exactly how you'd expect that sort of plot premise.

The stand out though for me that sets this apart to be something fun to finish was the world building. The Brilliance and its impact on the world was well written and detailed enough to paint a great picture of the world responding to the Brilliance. It was interesting and is what got me into wanting to see how this could impact the story that we've heard before. Turns out though not by much.

Even with the semi interesting world building with the Brilliance, even that though still gives the vibe of 'I've seen this before and often'. I mean immediately what comes to mind is obviously X-men and of course the wide range of super hero movies and books. This author does try and distinguish it a bit though by making the powers set in reality. No one is shooting lasers from their eyes, all the powers are purely of the mind being on overdrive into very specific specialities. Like a girl who knows how to be so inconspicuous that it's practically like she's invisible. It's interesting but ends up feeling like just an excuse to tries to seperate it from being compared to other super power books but since it practically works the same it still comes off same-same.

This feeling of familiarity with the plot and the world also impacts the overall tone. This attempt to differentiate the world building does no favors for the plot. The plot plays out nearly exactly the same as you'd expect absent of the super power plot line. You still get that same Us vs. Them story with minority civilians against their government. Nothing about the powers existing in this world makes it feel too different but there are still subtle differences that made the book good enough to finish.

I oh most have a guaranteed idea on how the 2nd book is going to play out. However I'm going to hold out hopes that it does try something different still and jump into the next book. The way this book ended I can kinda see a lot of creative freedoms being taken advantage of to try something different but I also have a feeling that the generic might still be followed. I guess i shall see.

Captivating.

Got this book on a whim and it was Fantastic. The performance was good all around. The story developed quite well and was a story you'd want to hear the next adventure.

Wonderful suspense filled fantasy

Any additional comments?

Brilliance (Brilliance Saga #1) by Marcus Sakey is a fantasy book that I found fascinating. In this world, some people were born with gifts, and all kids were tested for these gifts at the age of 8. If they were found to have this, they were sent to schools and not seen until graduation and then often they didn't come home. No one knew what went on in the schools. There was a 'bad guy' with a gift call John Smith who was accused of killing a lot of people and blowing up a building. Our hero is a brilliant, someone with a gift, that works for the government. He thinks he is helping by working for the government and wants to get John Smith. Until he doesn't....A wonderful game of cat and mouse with lots of twists and turns. I love this kind of story! This was an audible book and the narration was perfect!

Fantastic Book!

Would you listen to Brilliance again? Why?

I loved all the action, nice character development, keeps you interested from the get go.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, I thought I had a few things figured out, but the story line ripped the rug out from under me!

Have you listened to any of Luke Daniels’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but this won't be the last.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Loved it!

Like nothing else I have ever read!

My biggest regret about this book is that there is no follow-up! I really wish this were a series, or at least a themed series. The concept is not unique, but is told from an entirely fresh perspective. I felt that the characters in the novel were very well formed and consistent. I loved the twist at the end, as well. Just a very unique novel, and a great listen! The narrator did a fantastic job of it. Loved the experience, and will listen again!