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The Aegis Solution
In this, John David Krygelski’s third and perhaps most powerful novel yet, he creates a spine-tingling story of suspense, drama, and intrigue. After the only child of the President – his teenaged daughter, Neve – commits suicide in a violent and senseless act, President Walker proposes an institution where people who have lost all hope may enter.
Motivated by his grief and compassion, Aegis, intended to be a civilized alternative to suicide, is built and opened. There are only two rules in Aegis: no communication is allowed between the outside world and those who enter, and once individuals go in…they can never leave.
Twelve years pass and what began as a noble social experiment has turned into a hideous nightmare, fraught with controversy and public outrage. In response, Elias Charon is selected by the new President to be the first to enter Aegis and be allowed to leave. Ostensibly sent in to investigate the claims of abuse, a darker and heinous personal motive arises.
With pulse-pounding suspense, The Aegis Solution takes the reader through a twisting, turning plot to an explosive and electrifying climax.
Motivated by his grief and compassion, Aegis, intended to be a civilized alternative to suicide, is built and opened. There are only two rules in Aegis: no communication is allowed between the outside world and those who enter, and once individuals go in…they can never leave.
Twelve years pass and what began as a noble social experiment has turned into a hideous nightmare, fraught with controversy and public outrage. In response, Elias Charon is selected by the new President to be the first to enter Aegis and be allowed to leave. Ostensibly sent in to investigate the claims of abuse, a darker and heinous personal motive arises.
With pulse-pounding suspense, The Aegis Solution takes the reader through a twisting, turning plot to an explosive and electrifying climax.
350 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2011
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113 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 30, 2019
Kept me guessing and interested the entire read. My first book from this author and by way of review, I intend to read everything he has published. Speaks to a deeper part of our existence. well done!
May 5, 2015
It is fully interesting to read something that is completely new and hasn't been done before.
And at the same time, while reading this, it still had a real feel, that it could actually be happening, or that it is some strange premonition. Full disclosure, I didn't understand every technical thing, but it still made sense. Great people and dynamics in this story. Hard to pick a favorite, but I am leaning towards John Wilson Chapman. I also loved the brother/sister dynamic. It is hard to discuss without spoilers. Another reviewer said it is hard to imagine a government allowing this to happen? Is it? I guess I have read too many holocaust books to really think that there are limits of restraint on gov'ts and people in power.
I was hooked on the first half, then it took a big twist, that I didn't see coming at all. And by the time they were discussing Greek Words, I was having a "shut the front door I really did not see that coming at all" moment. Just like his book the Harvest, John David Krygelski makes me think! Can't wait to read more.
And to all the reviewers that said this should be a movie. Hell yeah it should! I think I could play the secretary the T tales down. :)
And at the same time, while reading this, it still had a real feel, that it could actually be happening, or that it is some strange premonition. Full disclosure, I didn't understand every technical thing, but it still made sense. Great people and dynamics in this story. Hard to pick a favorite, but I am leaning towards John Wilson Chapman. I also loved the brother/sister dynamic. It is hard to discuss without spoilers. Another reviewer said it is hard to imagine a government allowing this to happen? Is it? I guess I have read too many holocaust books to really think that there are limits of restraint on gov'ts and people in power.
I was hooked on the first half, then it took a big twist, that I didn't see coming at all. And by the time they were discussing Greek Words, I was having a "shut the front door I really did not see that coming at all" moment. Just like his book the Harvest, John David Krygelski makes me think! Can't wait to read more.
And to all the reviewers that said this should be a movie. Hell yeah it should! I think I could play the secretary the T tales down. :)
May 3, 2016
I have to admit...I almost gave up on this book! I started it...got about 20 or so pages in...and then it sat for almost a year! Every time I tried to read it, I just couldn't get into it. But I finally tried one last time and I'm glad I did! Once I finally got involved in the story line, it had me hook, line and sinker! A very interesting read. And I enjoyed how all of the characters kind of came full circle by the end of the book!
September 8, 2015
This was a fascinating story. The story is not real (at least I don't think so) but it is very believable. I really liked the characters and their discussions about life, democracy and so much more and to top it off, the book improved my vocabulary. This is a novel that I will probably want to read again in a year or so.
September 10, 2012
Love this book! So much excitement!! Hard to put down!!
June 24, 2018
*No Spoilers*
My father, an avid and critical reader, purchased me a signed copy of this book, as I'd never heard of this author before.
It was a solid recommendation.
The Aegis Solution takes us into a bubble world where the inhabitants are invited to join as an alternative to suicide, and are cut off from the outside world. A controversial open that already leaves readers with numerous questions regarding reasoning, practicality, and political morals.
Elias, the main protagonist, is sent in on a covert mission inside Aegis, where he encounters multiple guilds within. From these guilds, he has to extract information, locate key targets (such as a missing operative and a corrupt scientist), and carry out other tasks that I won't mention here.
Of course, there is a lot more to his job than what the reader is told, so we immediately get hooked into this suspenseful novel through intense action scenes that involve Borderlands 2 style brigands, military specialists, and even modified superhumans.
This novel contains more than just action, though. The characters Elias encounters often suck the reader into compelling, thought-provoking arguments, equally reasoned counterarguments, sociopolotical/economic debates, and moral reasoning that really forces the reader to think about who's right and where the line between good and bad is.
That said, I first thought of Elias as the most dull character of the novel. He's smart, skilled, disciplined, vigilant, intuitive, and morally well-aligned, making him seem almost like a Mary Sue, but I soon looked at Elias in a different way. He's a necessary tool to show the world this bubble and this philosophy the author created, because literally every single around him is so powerfully interesting. It's not that Elias isn't a good or interesting character, it's that every character around him is so well-constructed that it drowns him out. If you read the book, pay close attention to Mathilda and the Doctor, as they were some of my favorite characters.
Finally, for an already engaging plot, the book throws an unexpected, plot-changing twist that completely realigns the scope of the book and gives the readers that extra shake that for me, raised the book from 4 to 5 stars. Why? Because it went from another bubble world fiction to something original and cohesive and worthy of reading.
I'm excited to see more from this author.
My father, an avid and critical reader, purchased me a signed copy of this book, as I'd never heard of this author before.
It was a solid recommendation.
The Aegis Solution takes us into a bubble world where the inhabitants are invited to join as an alternative to suicide, and are cut off from the outside world. A controversial open that already leaves readers with numerous questions regarding reasoning, practicality, and political morals.
Elias, the main protagonist, is sent in on a covert mission inside Aegis, where he encounters multiple guilds within. From these guilds, he has to extract information, locate key targets (such as a missing operative and a corrupt scientist), and carry out other tasks that I won't mention here.
Of course, there is a lot more to his job than what the reader is told, so we immediately get hooked into this suspenseful novel through intense action scenes that involve Borderlands 2 style brigands, military specialists, and even modified superhumans.
This novel contains more than just action, though. The characters Elias encounters often suck the reader into compelling, thought-provoking arguments, equally reasoned counterarguments, sociopolotical/economic debates, and moral reasoning that really forces the reader to think about who's right and where the line between good and bad is.
That said, I first thought of Elias as the most dull character of the novel. He's smart, skilled, disciplined, vigilant, intuitive, and morally well-aligned, making him seem almost like a Mary Sue, but I soon looked at Elias in a different way. He's a necessary tool to show the world this bubble and this philosophy the author created, because literally every single around him is so powerfully interesting. It's not that Elias isn't a good or interesting character, it's that every character around him is so well-constructed that it drowns him out. If you read the book, pay close attention to Mathilda and the Doctor, as they were some of my favorite characters.
Finally, for an already engaging plot, the book throws an unexpected, plot-changing twist that completely realigns the scope of the book and gives the readers that extra shake that for me, raised the book from 4 to 5 stars. Why? Because it went from another bubble world fiction to something original and cohesive and worthy of reading.
I'm excited to see more from this author.
February 17, 2021
This was a good read. Clever. I like his 3 other books a bit better. But would make a very good movie. You will enjoy! On to his next one!....Time Cursor!
July 31, 2013
I was quite enthralled by The Aegis Solution. Mr. Krygelski has provided the reader with a unique sociological perspective of our society. He also shows great insight into the development and establishment of government in its various forms and lengths to which certain institutions will go when moral regulation is no longer a concern. I felt the story came across as a fascinating and well developed case study into the development of the individual and groups of individuals within a society at its inception. Not all authors resist the tendency to "dumb down" the story to the reader however; one does not need extensive knowledge in order to grasp the overarching themes nor does the story get bogged down among all the facts. Explainable and unexplainable phenomena are skillfully paired in a credible yet gripping narrative. All in all, a very entertaining and thought provoking read and one in which the reader can expect to ponder his or her own role within the framework of our society long after finishing the book. Also, as I have now come to expect from Mr. Krygelski's work, a complex yet well developed plot which will keep the reader guessing till the end.
January 30, 2014
This is a book with many plot turns and mysteries revealed. I must admit I did not expect the direction the book took. The plot moved quickly and the characters were very interesting and made me care about what happened. The only thing that prevented this from being a 3 or 4 star book was the numerous technical problems with the entire Aegis complex. It just keep breaking me out of the plot when the author would just ignore the serious problems with the logistics and engineering of the Aegis complex. The idea that the government would just allow thousands of people to enter a complex like Aegis with no medical care, no food distribution, no repair and maintenance staff. And on top of that leave all the mechanical spaces open the general population (even allow them onto the roof) and then just hope everything goes ok was difficult to accept. I just had to stop trying to make sense of all those plot holes to enjoy the book.
March 7, 2015
John Krygelski is an amazing talent. His ability to draw the reader in to exciting and thought provoking subjects rivals those of Michael Crichton and Robert Heinlein. His understanding of difficult topics is complete and his explanations thorough and thought provoking. The Aegis Solution, his third book, takes us on an unexpected journey into an isolated world of individuals who have given up on life and society. It is a journey of desperation punctuated by periods of confusion and excitement as the main characters seek to unravel the mysterious circumstances and sequences of events that have brought them all together. It is a tale of high espionage, genetic manipulation, societal evolution, love, and hope. It is said that we don't pick the books we read, they pick us. Let this one pick you.
December 29, 2014
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spoilers
This book was a strange and wonderful mix of Brave New World, The Andromeda Strain, and Noah's Ark. Besides the story being great, there were so many fun words!
For example: ingress, ineluctably, furor, adventurism, eschatological, incumbent (as an adjective), aegis, despotic, Mossad.
Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley
The Andromeda Strain
by Michael Crichton
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spoilers
This book was a strange and wonderful mix of Brave New World, The Andromeda Strain, and Noah's Ark. Besides the story being great, there were so many fun words!
For example: ingress, ineluctably, furor, adventurism, eschatological, incumbent (as an adjective), aegis, despotic, Mossad.
Brave New Worldby Aldous Huxley
The Andromeda Strainby Michael Crichton
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2013
This is a great story, smartly written. at first you read the basis of the Aegis Compound and its concept of 'symbolic suicide' and I imagined all kinds of problems that I thought the author had overlooked. They are all addressed when the time is right. This story had excellent characters that you will learn to respect, love, or hate. Just when you are comfortable that you know where this story is going - Wham - everything you thought you knew about Aegis is pulled out from under you. I highly recommend this novel as well as 'The Harvest' and 'Time Cursor' by the same author.
April 13, 2012
This book has a good storyline but is a hard read. I felt as though the author wrote parts just to show how knowledgable he is about different topics in the book. I think this book would make a great move because like I said it has a good storyline but also because the script writer would be able to cut the long rants in half making it easier to fallow and more enjoyable.
November 15, 2012
I agree this would make a good movie. I enjoyed the read.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews