This is a multifaceted post-apocalyptic tale revolving around the principal
characters, while at the same time, it brings in multiple story threads that
all come together to complete this part of the story. One might think this makes it a
complicated story, but in the case of The Call of Abaddon, it is so well
written that it is an excellent, cohesive story I found to be entertaining. It
has several characters for a reader to care about, and some that are
terrifying.
One of the best parts of this story is world-building! A reader will be
given a tour of a ruined Earth following a war that has made the planet's
surface uninhabitable. People are forced to live in sealed cities. Call of
Abaddon focuses on New Toronto, a self-sufficient and often dangerous place
that serves as the capital of the United Earth Federation. Life isn't easy, but
it is livable if one is willing to work and play their part.
The principal characters include three young adults who face challenges in
reaching a goal. But this is not a young-adult story. There are several
elements that might make sensitive readers uncomfortable.
Here is the book's description from the cover to avoid spoilers...
To save the human race from the ultimate cosmic threat, Jason will have to
become something far beyond human.
New Toronto is a fractured city-arcology on a dying Earth, where hope is as
scarce as clean air. For Jason, survival means scavenging the ruins beneath the
city — where any day could be his last.
But everything changes when an ancient alien obelisk — the ABADDON BEACON —
attacks Jason’s mind from afar, making his dormant psychic abilities spiral out
of control. After barely surviving Abaddon’s psionic possession attempt, Jason
and his companions are left with no choice but to find the obelisk before it
consumes him.
Problem is, Abaddon has been sealed within a top-secret United Earth
Federation research lab for over a century, silently worming its alien
technologies into human society, presented as gifts with a far darker purpose.
The Beacon doesn’t just speak; it infects, projecting its viral energies far
beyond the walls of the lab.
And Jason isn’t the only one hearing Abaddon’s call. Across the Solar
System, a ruthless Emperor will stop at nothing to seize the Beacon’s power for
himself.
As the Imperial invasion of Earth looms, Jason’s quest to confront Abaddon
will force him into a critical choice: master the strange power growing inside
him ... or succumb to the Beacon's godlike influence, ushering in mankind's
doom.
The Call of Abaddon is a gripping mythological tale of humanity's
struggle to overcome an unimaginable darkness, blending the political intrigue
of Dune with the eldritch terror of Lovecraft, and the explosive
world-building of The Expanse.
There are several characters to follow in Call of Abaddon. Among my
favorites are Jason, David, and Sam. These three are a team that works well
together. Jason is smart, but troubled. He is plagued by voices transmitted to
him from an alien device. He is in constant danger of losing himself to the
Abaddon Beacon. It is an alien device that works to bring those with psionic
powers under its control. Jason is forced to rely on a drug to keep himself
under control.
Jason's brother, David, is the pragmatic one of the trio. He sees the
practical side of things and works to keep himself, his brother, and Sam
grounded. He often points out the folly of his friends decisions and finds solutions to
problems that work.
Sam is the technical wizard and warrior of the group. She has abilities
beyond many others and saves the day quite often. Sam is also susceptible to
psionic episodes, although she seems to be able to control them better than
Jason.
Talos is a combat robot Sam has reprogrammed to help the trio. But there is
one aspect Talos adds; he has a great ability to point out absurdities as the
team works to perform their tasks. Talos' deadpan delivery adds a lot of comic
relief to lighten the otherwise grim realities of the story. Talos often made me think of Marvin the Paranoid Android from The Hitchhiker's Guide. I often found
myself laughing while reading his lines and wanted more!
Anne and Zeke Oakfield are two heroic characters. They have made it their
mission to bring down Mariko, the despotic, megalomaniacal, self-appointed
Emperor, who intends to bring Earth under his heel and take control of the
Abaddon Beacon.
My favorite plot points, along with Talos' dry wit, are the relationships
and conversations between the principal characters. Jason, David, and Sam care
deeply for one another and would easily sacrifice themselves for the other two.
They work well together and are more like family, depending on each other for
nearly everything, but especially emotional support. They have a tendency to
pick at each other, but they all understand it is just talk to break the
tension. Their dialog was a high point of the story for me.
Another favorite part was when Zeke Oakfield leads a large group of people
in a rallying song. The tune is based on a familiar old American song, but the author's
lyrics are incredible! If one reads this story, when one gets to this part of
the book, and you can figure out the tune, I dare you not to sing along.
The theme that stood out the most to me was Jason's battle to keep his
identity. While he has a strong personality, the Abaddon Beacon is a powerful
alien device urging Jason on to do its bidding. The only way Jason can resist
completely losing himself is to take a drug to silence the voices he hears.
Another prominent theme involves the megalomaniac, Emperor Maiko. He is
obsessed with thinking he can control the Abaddon Beacon and the people of
Earth with ruthless tyranny.
The Call of Abaddon is a story with many various threads that weave
into a complete tapestry. While there are numerous characters to keep track of,
and a lot of detail, the story is so well written, the story never eludes the
reader. The characters are memorable, and they are involved in plenty of action
that helps this story move at a great pace. Descriptions of the action and
backdrops are detailed and colorful, and the themes are well explored. One will
experience a good spectrum of emotions from laughter to tears, and there are
plenty of thrills, twists, and turns to keep one reading to the end.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hi! I'm Colin Searle, an illustrator, visual designer and storyboard artist
who was drawing and telling stories before I could walk. A steady diet of
books, comics and pop culture classics started a chain reaction in my head.
Whole universes were born.
Seven years ago, I started as an artist in the animation and gaming
industries with a plan to eventually tell those stories. That time has come.
I've learned from many mentors and fantastic clients to pick up the visual and
storytelling skills necessary to write my own words into existence. While I
will always continue working as an artist, bring novels like The Call of
Abaddon to life is the real dream.
I'm currently based in Toronto, where I work remotely out of my home studio
and participate in the vibrant creative culture of the city, attending industry
events (XP Game Summit), speaking at colleges (Sheridan), and spending time
with my girlfriend. I'm also an avid traveler, visiting almost every Canadian
province for recent fan convention appearances.
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