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Hybrid Helix #6
Suppression of Powers
First entry in the second arc of the Hybrid Black Gold
Rohan doesn’t want to be famous, to be rich, or to rule over the galaxy with an iron fist. All he wants is a peaceful life towing ships, a decent cup of coffee, and time to pursue the woman of his dreams.
First he’ll have to tame or destroy a self-centered god, a sector-spanning evil empire, and a race of slumbering moon-sized vampiric cephalopods.
That will require new allies by his side and new tricks up the sleeves of his purple and yellow jumpsuit.
Allies like the il’Zkin, cat people who can’t leave their homeworld, or the kaiju of Toth 3, monsters he can’t control. Tricks like the mystical technique given to him by Spiral, his mentor, that seems completely incompatible with the Hybrid rage that has been his greatest strength.
When his friend Wei Li receives visitors from her own mysterious past, Rohan realizes they might hold the keys to helping him with several of those problems.
Those visitors seem to have other ideas.
Rohan doesn’t want to be famous, to be rich, or to rule over the galaxy with an iron fist. All he wants is a peaceful life towing ships, a decent cup of coffee, and time to pursue the woman of his dreams.
First he’ll have to tame or destroy a self-centered god, a sector-spanning evil empire, and a race of slumbering moon-sized vampiric cephalopods.
That will require new allies by his side and new tricks up the sleeves of his purple and yellow jumpsuit.
Allies like the il’Zkin, cat people who can’t leave their homeworld, or the kaiju of Toth 3, monsters he can’t control. Tricks like the mystical technique given to him by Spiral, his mentor, that seems completely incompatible with the Hybrid rage that has been his greatest strength.
When his friend Wei Li receives visitors from her own mysterious past, Rohan realizes they might hold the keys to helping him with several of those problems.
Those visitors seem to have other ideas.
- GenresScience Fiction
473 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 17, 2024
8 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 24, 2025
This review was originally published on Before We Go Blog
Suppression of Powers officially rings in the second stage of the Hybrid Helix series, and you better believe the legendary J.C.M. Berne is kicking off the Black Gold arc with an absolute bang. However, I need everyone to please not freak out and stay as calm as possible, because Rohan is really trying to enter his peaceful era to save the day… emphasis being on trying.
The last entry in the series, Eyes of Empire, truly felt like a game-changer in how it brought the scope and the stakes of the story to a whole new level, and that trend only continues in Suppression of Powers. Except, while it is absolutely one of the most packed instalments so far, it somehow also offers some of the most chill and slow-burn vibes in the entire series as we lean more heavily into the cultivation fantasy aspects while Rohan prepares for his most dangerous and challenging conflict yet by, you guessed it, suppressing his powers.
Now, as impressed as I am with Berne’s ambitious vision for this series that is becoming ever clearer with each instalment, the Hybrid Helix series has always been more about the characters than the action/plot for me. So it should come as no surprise when I say that I personally loved the slight decrease in action in Suppression of Powers, as it resulted in some of the best character moments yet for me. Especially the first half of the book almost feels like a bit of a reset for the series and channels the more slice-of-life storytelling style from Wistful Ascending, which really allowed the found family vibes and character-/relationship development to shine.
Don’t get me wrong, Rohan is still an absolute drama magnet with way too many enemies to ever let his life get boring, but we actually get to see him have to accept that he can rely on others to survive instead of just tapping into his Hybrid rage. For me, Wei Li, Tamara, and Rinth absolutely stole the show and had some of the most surprising personal development in Suppression of Powers, and Katya and Ang just continued to cause some of the most hysterically funny situations due to all the culture clashing in combination with their dangerously curious personalities.
The second half of the book definitely ramps up the action again with a ruthless tournament that takes place, and even though I can’t sit here and pretend that that was my favourite part, there is simply no denying that J.C.M. Berne deserves the title of ‘best martial arts combat writer in SFF’. No punches are pulled, both figuratively and literally, which results in one hell of a riveting and tense ending to Suppression of Powers that sets up the sequel with a big ‘oh shit, here we go’ energy that has me SO excited.
I never thought that I would fall so head over heels in love with an action-packed superhero space opera sci-fi adventure with cultivation fantasy vibes, but here we are. Berne continues to find new ways to impress me with his exceptional imagination and exciting storytelling skills in each new instalment, and I think the new Black Gold arc of the Hybrid Helix series could not have started off stronger. It’s got all the humour, heart and dry wit you’ve come to expect, plus it offers so much more found family vibes, dating drama and exciting world building and lore revelations than you ever knew you needed. Just trust the hype, it’s real.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Suppression of Powers officially rings in the second stage of the Hybrid Helix series, and you better believe the legendary J.C.M. Berne is kicking off the Black Gold arc with an absolute bang. However, I need everyone to please not freak out and stay as calm as possible, because Rohan is really trying to enter his peaceful era to save the day… emphasis being on trying.
The last entry in the series, Eyes of Empire, truly felt like a game-changer in how it brought the scope and the stakes of the story to a whole new level, and that trend only continues in Suppression of Powers. Except, while it is absolutely one of the most packed instalments so far, it somehow also offers some of the most chill and slow-burn vibes in the entire series as we lean more heavily into the cultivation fantasy aspects while Rohan prepares for his most dangerous and challenging conflict yet by, you guessed it, suppressing his powers.
Now, as impressed as I am with Berne’s ambitious vision for this series that is becoming ever clearer with each instalment, the Hybrid Helix series has always been more about the characters than the action/plot for me. So it should come as no surprise when I say that I personally loved the slight decrease in action in Suppression of Powers, as it resulted in some of the best character moments yet for me. Especially the first half of the book almost feels like a bit of a reset for the series and channels the more slice-of-life storytelling style from Wistful Ascending, which really allowed the found family vibes and character-/relationship development to shine.
Don’t get me wrong, Rohan is still an absolute drama magnet with way too many enemies to ever let his life get boring, but we actually get to see him have to accept that he can rely on others to survive instead of just tapping into his Hybrid rage. For me, Wei Li, Tamara, and Rinth absolutely stole the show and had some of the most surprising personal development in Suppression of Powers, and Katya and Ang just continued to cause some of the most hysterically funny situations due to all the culture clashing in combination with their dangerously curious personalities.
The second half of the book definitely ramps up the action again with a ruthless tournament that takes place, and even though I can’t sit here and pretend that that was my favourite part, there is simply no denying that J.C.M. Berne deserves the title of ‘best martial arts combat writer in SFF’. No punches are pulled, both figuratively and literally, which results in one hell of a riveting and tense ending to Suppression of Powers that sets up the sequel with a big ‘oh shit, here we go’ energy that has me SO excited.
I never thought that I would fall so head over heels in love with an action-packed superhero space opera sci-fi adventure with cultivation fantasy vibes, but here we are. Berne continues to find new ways to impress me with his exceptional imagination and exciting storytelling skills in each new instalment, and I think the new Black Gold arc of the Hybrid Helix series could not have started off stronger. It’s got all the humour, heart and dry wit you’ve come to expect, plus it offers so much more found family vibes, dating drama and exciting world building and lore revelations than you ever knew you needed. Just trust the hype, it’s real.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
February 14, 2025
Some of my favorite brain candy
July 26, 2025
“I had heard there was a pathogen loose on the station, Rohan, causing an illness whose primary symptom was an uncontrollable compulsion to state obvious things. I am afraid you have been infected.”
This is the sixth book in the hybrid helix and is definitely another banger. I am notorious for only reading book 1s in a series and then not picking up the sequels and yet I cannot stop devouring this series. I did have a gap for picking up book #2 of this series as well but once I picked up book #2- I couldn’t stop and I’m in book #7 now. As I said in my previous review, 2025 is the year of J.C.M Berne for me and it should be for everyone who has not yet picked up these books.
Talking about the plot in the sixth book of a series is very difficult and will lead to spoilery stuff, so I’ll just say that this book is where Rohan the most number of antagonists or issues to deal with and unfortunately for him, this is the one book where he has to- yes, ‘suppress his powers.’ Joe pulls it off masterfully. There is not a single plot thread that is unresolved or resolved in a predictable fashion. He keeps the readers captivated throughout. Every installment brings something new to the world and in this one we have a martial arts tournament. Joe is a great action writer and in this one, he puts his martial arts background to great use. Each of the tournament fight scenes was excellent. Oh and also Rohan gets a new pet in this book and even long time fans of this series could not have predicted who the pet was.
I’m at the point in my reading journey where it is all about the characters for me. The characters drive the story and I need to connect with them to enjoy the book. Luckily, Joe has a whole host of amazing characters all throughout his book series and keeps adding new, interesting ones with each book. This is officially my most favorite found family in sff. I like the main character Rohan, so much that he’s like a friend now and I cannot stop rooting for him and see where he goes. Also while I really like Rohan and he’s the reason why I keep picking up the books, Wei Li is why I love the series. IYKYK.
I am not a fast reader and yet every time I pick up a book in the hybrid helix series- it only takes 3 or 4 days. For someone with my snail-like reading stamina, that is lightning fast. Anybody who’s going through Dungeon Crawler Carl withdrawal while waiting for book 8 and is looking for a series to binge - the Hybrid Helix is your answer.
This is the sixth book in the hybrid helix and is definitely another banger. I am notorious for only reading book 1s in a series and then not picking up the sequels and yet I cannot stop devouring this series. I did have a gap for picking up book #2 of this series as well but once I picked up book #2- I couldn’t stop and I’m in book #7 now. As I said in my previous review, 2025 is the year of J.C.M Berne for me and it should be for everyone who has not yet picked up these books.
Talking about the plot in the sixth book of a series is very difficult and will lead to spoilery stuff, so I’ll just say that this book is where Rohan the most number of antagonists or issues to deal with and unfortunately for him, this is the one book where he has to- yes, ‘suppress his powers.’ Joe pulls it off masterfully. There is not a single plot thread that is unresolved or resolved in a predictable fashion. He keeps the readers captivated throughout. Every installment brings something new to the world and in this one we have a martial arts tournament. Joe is a great action writer and in this one, he puts his martial arts background to great use. Each of the tournament fight scenes was excellent. Oh and also Rohan gets a new pet in this book and even long time fans of this series could not have predicted who the pet was.
I’m at the point in my reading journey where it is all about the characters for me. The characters drive the story and I need to connect with them to enjoy the book. Luckily, Joe has a whole host of amazing characters all throughout his book series and keeps adding new, interesting ones with each book. This is officially my most favorite found family in sff. I like the main character Rohan, so much that he’s like a friend now and I cannot stop rooting for him and see where he goes. Also while I really like Rohan and he’s the reason why I keep picking up the books, Wei Li is why I love the series. IYKYK.
I am not a fast reader and yet every time I pick up a book in the hybrid helix series- it only takes 3 or 4 days. For someone with my snail-like reading stamina, that is lightning fast. Anybody who’s going through Dungeon Crawler Carl withdrawal while waiting for book 8 and is looking for a series to binge - the Hybrid Helix is your answer.
January 6, 2025
It took me a little longer to get in to this book than previous Hybrid Helix entries. I was more intrigued than hooked, but by the time I reached the halfway point I could tell what JCM Berne was trying to do here. I read the second half of the book across two reading sessions, because I couldn’t put it down.
This book is a little different, we have our hero on the back foot for the first time. Struggling against his nature in a more persistent way than across previous books, but also struggling against himself and what he thinks he wants or should want.
All told a very interesting book that moved the story forward in one of the biggest ways it ever has. What an ending.
This book is a little different, we have our hero on the back foot for the first time. Struggling against his nature in a more persistent way than across previous books, but also struggling against himself and what he thinks he wants or should want.
All told a very interesting book that moved the story forward in one of the biggest ways it ever has. What an ending.
February 19, 2026
4, only because I'm notoriously stingy on 5 stars :) This is a fantastic entry in the Hybrid Helix and a beginning of the 2nd arc of the planned, lengthy series. Big recommend from me and I'll be talking about it more on my YouTube channel, BellTube.
June 5, 2025
THE SUPRESSION OF POWERS is the sixth volume of the Hybrid Helix stories. After six volumes, it's still going strong, The world created by JCM Berne is an excellent one and I had a lot of fun reading it up until this point. Here, our hero finds himself struggling to adapt to a martial arts tournament that will potentially give him power to be able to face his ultimate enemy. It's very anime and it gets lampshaded repeatedly.
January 8, 2025
Another turn, another wildly fun story with great themes and more excitement to anticipate!
I’m losing track of how many times my expectations have been subverted. Hybrid Helix proves, once more, to be much more than superhero action and humorous dialogue. Within these pages are deeply relatable themes, endearing characters and an intricate plot with many twists.
I’ve been addicted to Hybrid Helix for some time now and the quality is only getting better.
I’m losing track of how many times my expectations have been subverted. Hybrid Helix proves, once more, to be much more than superhero action and humorous dialogue. Within these pages are deeply relatable themes, endearing characters and an intricate plot with many twists.
I’ve been addicted to Hybrid Helix for some time now and the quality is only getting better.
February 28, 2025
I absolutely love this series and every book is different, more creative than the one before.
Extremely well written.
Awesome hints of things to come.
This is one of five series I keep an eye out for so I can make sure I get them the day they are released and they've never disappointed me.
Highly recommended.
Extremely well written.
Awesome hints of things to come.
This is one of five series I keep an eye out for so I can make sure I get them the day they are released and they've never disappointed me.
Highly recommended.
May 9, 2025
It never takes me this long to read one of Joe's books. Granted, I've never tried to read one while doing convention prep, either.
It's funny to be so far into this series and see, in hindsight, the slow but steady increase in stakes. Meanwhile, all Rohan wants to do is live his life.
I genuinely can't wait to see where this series goes from here.
It's funny to be so far into this series and see, in hindsight, the slow but steady increase in stakes. Meanwhile, all Rohan wants to do is live his life.
I genuinely can't wait to see where this series goes from here.
February 23, 2025
These books are really well-written and well-edited. You could never tell they were self-published. I only found one typo in the whole book! I love the characters in this series. I love that the series has a positive and hopeful vibe. This book does include one trope I dislike, where the powerful character lost their powers or gives them away or something. It was tolerable in this book because there is a twist on the trope. It was still frustrating at times, even though there is a good explanation for the situation. I hope some of the stuff from book 5 is brought up in the next one.
December 11, 2024
I was fortunate to get a beta copy of this book from Joe & needless to say this is another fabulous book. Eyes of the Empire (the prior book) was an escalation on where this series could go, both in terms of the stakes and the overall quality of the series. Suppression of Powers maintains that theme of urgency & scope while allowing for significant character growth.
Rohan has a lot going on in this - he is besieged by multiple opponents while attempting to prepare himself (not too successfully) for the upcoming escalation. This makes it a super packed book but also in true Joe Berne style, allows for a lot of humor to be passed in as well. There were times where I felt that maybe the author had packed in much more than he can chew but like Rohan himself, he evades the knotty issues well.
I am not sure how much things have changed from the beta read to this one but I can only assume its gotten better. Hybrid Helix is a fabulous superhero space opera that continues to push the envelope in terms of the scope of the series - I await with bated breath for the next installment of this series to drop
Rohan has a lot going on in this - he is besieged by multiple opponents while attempting to prepare himself (not too successfully) for the upcoming escalation. This makes it a super packed book but also in true Joe Berne style, allows for a lot of humor to be passed in as well. There were times where I felt that maybe the author had packed in much more than he can chew but like Rohan himself, he evades the knotty issues well.
I am not sure how much things have changed from the beta read to this one but I can only assume its gotten better. Hybrid Helix is a fabulous superhero space opera that continues to push the envelope in terms of the scope of the series - I await with bated breath for the next installment of this series to drop
December 22, 2024
Need the next book NOW
I tore through this book as fast as I could, but I have to admit, it didn’t quite hit the same high notes as the rest of the series for me. I absolutely loved spending more time with Rohan and the wonderfully colorful cast of characters, but the story felt like it was more about setup than delivering big payoffs.
The last book ended with Rohan making a huge decision, but this one took a completely different direction, leaving that plotline behind. There’s a lot of soul-searching here, leading up to another big decision for Rohan—but the journey to get there just didn’t feel as engaging. I’m giving this book four stars because I adore this series and these characters so much, but if I were judging it on its own, it’d probably be a three-star read. That said, I have full faith that the author will bring us a fresh, exciting pace in the next installment—I can’t wait!
I tore through this book as fast as I could, but I have to admit, it didn’t quite hit the same high notes as the rest of the series for me. I absolutely loved spending more time with Rohan and the wonderfully colorful cast of characters, but the story felt like it was more about setup than delivering big payoffs.
The last book ended with Rohan making a huge decision, but this one took a completely different direction, leaving that plotline behind. There’s a lot of soul-searching here, leading up to another big decision for Rohan—but the journey to get there just didn’t feel as engaging. I’m giving this book four stars because I adore this series and these characters so much, but if I were judging it on its own, it’d probably be a three-star read. That said, I have full faith that the author will bring us a fresh, exciting pace in the next installment—I can’t wait!
December 29, 2024
At first, I was missing of the strong Rohan and was not understanding of the why it happened. And then there was a competition in which War Chief Rohan lost badly to… me! And others! And then Rohan changed his mind after many beatings. And things worked out much happily. -Ang
I thought this was an excellent addition to the Hybrid Helix series. I am very much looking forward to Rohan’s unleashing of his full powers. It is about time!
I thought this was an excellent addition to the Hybrid Helix series. I am very much looking forward to Rohan’s unleashing of his full powers. It is about time!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2025
It should have been called...
Anger Management 101. Rohan gives up his powers in order to master the Helix. But fear leads to anger, anger leads to Yoda. Waitaminnit, that's not right! Does Rohan pass the course? Read it and find out!
Anger Management 101. Rohan gives up his powers in order to master the Helix. But fear leads to anger, anger leads to Yoda. Waitaminnit, that's not right! Does Rohan pass the course? Read it and find out!
January 4, 2025
unexpected directions
These never really end where I think they’re going to end. I like that.
I will order whatever is next.
These never really end where I think they’re going to end. I like that.
I will order whatever is next.
April 24, 2025
Review to come
May 8, 2025
It was enjoyable, if not one of my favorites in the series. The whole suppression of powers thing felt too stubborn and too silly to me. Yet, the characters in the series are so much fun that you just can't not love the story. The only thing I really disliked is a complete lack of explanation of how Rohan and Tamara got back together before the start of the previous book. At least in this one the relationship was logical and quite sweet.
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