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Translucent #6
Demon in Sight
It’s like somebody hit the pause button for the entire planet.
Earth’s streets are jammed with motionless cars, their still-warm occupants slumped over the steering wheels, bodies paused mid-breath. They have no pulse.
The sun has winked out, plunging the globe into permanent darkness. Fire no longer burns. Electronics sputter and die, inexplicably drained of charge. The whole world, and all seven billion inhabitants, are in suspended animation.
But three people are awake.
Earth’s streets are jammed with motionless cars, their still-warm occupants slumped over the steering wheels, bodies paused mid-breath. They have no pulse.
The sun has winked out, plunging the globe into permanent darkness. Fire no longer burns. Electronics sputter and die, inexplicably drained of charge. The whole world, and all seven billion inhabitants, are in suspended animation.
But three people are awake.
Unknown Binding
Published November 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 10, 2017
Such an amazing ending to an equally beautiful series. Already missing Leona, Emory, Megan and Sarah.
June 22, 2018
‘Demon in Sight’ was a well anticipated read. Having to wait over a year for it to be released in paperback after the e-book publication date, and having enjoyed the previous five novels in the series, there were a lot of expectations wrapped up in this finale. It stayed true to the tone and writing style we’ve come to expect from Dan Rix and the protagonist, Leona.
I had been hoping for a little more seriousness and maturity from Leona herself. But she still had her moments of idiocy and stubbornness. Personally it was a little infuriating, but she has been this way all along, so why did I expect some miraculous transformation I don’t know. Characters aside, the plot itself is pretty amazing Rix has a way of letting things go wrong for his protagonists and there is a very organic feel to how they react and find solutions to overcome roadblocks.
‘Demon in Sight’ is another quick engaging read. There is plenty of mind-bending action and science fiction theory to warp your mind. I love his concepts. I will say there was a something about the writing style of this finale that felt a little flat: maybe it was my feelings at Leona slipping back into her behavioural patterns from earlier in the series, that immaturity; or the sudden soppiness between her and love interest Emory. The angst was gone. Something just wasn’t grabbing me as much as before. It feels all very ‘teen drama.’
That aside, the action and adventure aspect to this series, and indeed this finale is cool beyond measure. I was enthralled by those climactic scenes and this is definitely the novels stand out feature. The tension and challenges Rix weaves into the narrative is what I will keep coming back for.
Leona definitely has a unique style of facing challenges – which I found to be an admirable trait, but that remaining thread of jealousy and reactionary impulses held me back from truly loving her. Emory morphed in this final book to become a true, if not, somewhat overly sappy romantic lead. I felt like he needed to be in more of the action, show more physical prowess, and challenge Leona for control a bit more. The best friend, Megan, took a back seat for most of this novel. I could usually count on her for some hilarious one liners, or leading Leona astray, but there was very little Megan for those moments to break the tension. Fellow cast mates, Sarah and Natasha instead have their time to shine. Providing maturity and level-headedness for the team they helped form in saving the world. I really appreciated having them so prominent in ‘Demon in Sight’ and found a small amount of disappointment at the series ending and not having to get to spend more time with them.
The Translucent series is definitely bang on the money for a YA science fiction read – skewed more for a younger market in tone, but definitely interspersed with some adult content. I’d either like to have seen more mature protagonists, or have the adult content removed to give this series a better chance at being marketed to the best demographic. Rix is certainly a fantastic writer, and I enjoy his novels, but there needs to be just one level up on the editing/publishing end of his process. I’ve found an occasional spelling or grammatical error and some issue with the formatting or presentation of the physical book. ‘Demon in Sight’ was superior in this aspect of the series. But I feel with this small attention to detail, it will give him an even more professional edge.
I’m certainly eyeing off another series to jump into next, and with Rix being such a prolific author there is definitely plenty to choose from.
I had been hoping for a little more seriousness and maturity from Leona herself. But she still had her moments of idiocy and stubbornness. Personally it was a little infuriating, but she has been this way all along, so why did I expect some miraculous transformation I don’t know. Characters aside, the plot itself is pretty amazing Rix has a way of letting things go wrong for his protagonists and there is a very organic feel to how they react and find solutions to overcome roadblocks.
‘Demon in Sight’ is another quick engaging read. There is plenty of mind-bending action and science fiction theory to warp your mind. I love his concepts. I will say there was a something about the writing style of this finale that felt a little flat: maybe it was my feelings at Leona slipping back into her behavioural patterns from earlier in the series, that immaturity; or the sudden soppiness between her and love interest Emory. The angst was gone. Something just wasn’t grabbing me as much as before. It feels all very ‘teen drama.’
That aside, the action and adventure aspect to this series, and indeed this finale is cool beyond measure. I was enthralled by those climactic scenes and this is definitely the novels stand out feature. The tension and challenges Rix weaves into the narrative is what I will keep coming back for.
Leona definitely has a unique style of facing challenges – which I found to be an admirable trait, but that remaining thread of jealousy and reactionary impulses held me back from truly loving her. Emory morphed in this final book to become a true, if not, somewhat overly sappy romantic lead. I felt like he needed to be in more of the action, show more physical prowess, and challenge Leona for control a bit more. The best friend, Megan, took a back seat for most of this novel. I could usually count on her for some hilarious one liners, or leading Leona astray, but there was very little Megan for those moments to break the tension. Fellow cast mates, Sarah and Natasha instead have their time to shine. Providing maturity and level-headedness for the team they helped form in saving the world. I really appreciated having them so prominent in ‘Demon in Sight’ and found a small amount of disappointment at the series ending and not having to get to spend more time with them.
The Translucent series is definitely bang on the money for a YA science fiction read – skewed more for a younger market in tone, but definitely interspersed with some adult content. I’d either like to have seen more mature protagonists, or have the adult content removed to give this series a better chance at being marketed to the best demographic. Rix is certainly a fantastic writer, and I enjoy his novels, but there needs to be just one level up on the editing/publishing end of his process. I’ve found an occasional spelling or grammatical error and some issue with the formatting or presentation of the physical book. ‘Demon in Sight’ was superior in this aspect of the series. But I feel with this small attention to detail, it will give him an even more professional edge.
I’m certainly eyeing off another series to jump into next, and with Rix being such a prolific author there is definitely plenty to choose from.
November 20, 2016
There are many emotions a reader goes through when faced with the final book in a series s/he has been enjoying. Obviously, there’s the unbridled excitement that a new book is out, but it’s also a bittersweet feeling because after that, there will be no more. There may be trepidation, based on high expectations that may or may not be fulfilled, especially when other series finales may have let you down. For example, I really enjoyed The Hunger Games and its sequel, but I have less love for the final part, particularly the final few chapters. And though I enjoyed the ultimate battle and resolution of the original Harry Potter series, the first half of the final book dragged for me.
So here I am, after reading the sixth and final installment in Dan Rix’s sci-fi series Translucent. I have enjoyed the previous five books, although the series is in a completely different galaxy (literally and figuratively) than where I expected it to be when I started the first book. I’ve said in my reviews of the previous books that what drew me to the book series in the first place was the plot device of invisibility. Usually played for teenage hijinks, I thoroughly applaud the author for using it not only in a more scientifically plausible way but even more so in a deeply symbolic way. Narrator Leona Hewitt craved being invisible to deal with her guilt, and she used it to try to atone. Great stuff.
Starting all the way in that first book, Leona “hears” the voice of the dark matter she stretches around her body to become invisible. At first, I interpreted that voice to be akin to the little angel and/or devil sitting on our shoulders, swaying us either towards doing right or doing wrong. As the series progressed, it is revealed that the voice is a malevolent entity that can control the dark matter. This entity, referred to as Dark up until the end of book five, uses the dark matter to create wormholes, sending people clear across the galaxy to an energy-less replica of Earth orbiting a black hole. Leona, NASA, and I all thought an alien invasion, having started towards the end of book four, was underway.
But that’s not really what it was at all.
Okay, I’m gonna go as spoiler-free as I can, but that’s difficult because so much of what I want to say is tied to the chilling reveal of Dark’s true identity—which was an awesome cliffhanger at the end of Black Sun (book five).
The reveal is made, and Leona’s boyfriend Emory provides a plausible psychological explanation how Dark’s true identity became Dark. I liked that, and it offered new insight into some of the events from the previous books. I can understand why the dark matter was “sent” to Leona in Translucent. I can understand why the dark matter was used to make a doppleganger of Ashley in Of Starlight. I can understand why Dark would want to strand Leona on Tartarus in Ash and Darkness (which, in retrospect, I have even more respect for the tremendous job done in book three when over half of the book is Leona alone). And I can understand why Dark would create a doppleganger of Leona in Slaying Shadows.
However, I’m not entirely why Dark—once it’s revealed who Dark is—would want to wipe out all of humanity, either by death via the scary not-entirely-organic lampreys or by banishment to Tartarus. I completely understand why Dark would want to put everyone else to sleep in this book, as it sets up for a final showdown against Leona. And I understand why the four others—Emory, Megan, Sarah, and shuttle pilot Natasha—are kept awake, as they either play a role in the events leading to that final showdown or represent a way to get Leona to that final showdown. But I had difficulty relating to Dark’s motivations for affecting everyone else.
I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the book; quite the opposite, actually. There were legitimately scary “booby traps” along the way to the showdown, and the showdown itself was a gripping and fitting final battle. Relieving the tension was a little more love between Leona and Emory, and a lot more of Leona wondering how he really felt and if certain team members were plotting against her. A little too much of the latter, perhaps, but nothing really bothersome.
Dan Rix is a skillful and imaginative writer. He’s also very meticulous, as his science fiction explanations never feel unsubstantiated. Though none of us have ever navigated extra-dimensional white space, his descriptions of doing so are well visualized. The underlying message about guilt and redemption intricately woven throughout the series is fantastic. But while I love who the villain turned out to be and the fight against that demon, the worldwide attack doesn’t fully fit in for me, at least in hindsight. For this reason, I’m giving Demon in Sight FOUR STARS.
So here I am, after reading the sixth and final installment in Dan Rix’s sci-fi series Translucent. I have enjoyed the previous five books, although the series is in a completely different galaxy (literally and figuratively) than where I expected it to be when I started the first book. I’ve said in my reviews of the previous books that what drew me to the book series in the first place was the plot device of invisibility. Usually played for teenage hijinks, I thoroughly applaud the author for using it not only in a more scientifically plausible way but even more so in a deeply symbolic way. Narrator Leona Hewitt craved being invisible to deal with her guilt, and she used it to try to atone. Great stuff.
Starting all the way in that first book, Leona “hears” the voice of the dark matter she stretches around her body to become invisible. At first, I interpreted that voice to be akin to the little angel and/or devil sitting on our shoulders, swaying us either towards doing right or doing wrong. As the series progressed, it is revealed that the voice is a malevolent entity that can control the dark matter. This entity, referred to as Dark up until the end of book five, uses the dark matter to create wormholes, sending people clear across the galaxy to an energy-less replica of Earth orbiting a black hole. Leona, NASA, and I all thought an alien invasion, having started towards the end of book four, was underway.
But that’s not really what it was at all.
Okay, I’m gonna go as spoiler-free as I can, but that’s difficult because so much of what I want to say is tied to the chilling reveal of Dark’s true identity—which was an awesome cliffhanger at the end of Black Sun (book five).
The reveal is made, and Leona’s boyfriend Emory provides a plausible psychological explanation how Dark’s true identity became Dark. I liked that, and it offered new insight into some of the events from the previous books. I can understand why the dark matter was “sent” to Leona in Translucent. I can understand why the dark matter was used to make a doppleganger of Ashley in Of Starlight. I can understand why Dark would want to strand Leona on Tartarus in Ash and Darkness (which, in retrospect, I have even more respect for the tremendous job done in book three when over half of the book is Leona alone). And I can understand why Dark would create a doppleganger of Leona in Slaying Shadows.
However, I’m not entirely why Dark—once it’s revealed who Dark is—would want to wipe out all of humanity, either by death via the scary not-entirely-organic lampreys or by banishment to Tartarus. I completely understand why Dark would want to put everyone else to sleep in this book, as it sets up for a final showdown against Leona. And I understand why the four others—Emory, Megan, Sarah, and shuttle pilot Natasha—are kept awake, as they either play a role in the events leading to that final showdown or represent a way to get Leona to that final showdown. But I had difficulty relating to Dark’s motivations for affecting everyone else.
I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the book; quite the opposite, actually. There were legitimately scary “booby traps” along the way to the showdown, and the showdown itself was a gripping and fitting final battle. Relieving the tension was a little more love between Leona and Emory, and a lot more of Leona wondering how he really felt and if certain team members were plotting against her. A little too much of the latter, perhaps, but nothing really bothersome.
Dan Rix is a skillful and imaginative writer. He’s also very meticulous, as his science fiction explanations never feel unsubstantiated. Though none of us have ever navigated extra-dimensional white space, his descriptions of doing so are well visualized. The underlying message about guilt and redemption intricately woven throughout the series is fantastic. But while I love who the villain turned out to be and the fight against that demon, the worldwide attack doesn’t fully fit in for me, at least in hindsight. For this reason, I’m giving Demon in Sight FOUR STARS.
November 17, 2016
A decent end to the series, to a degree, I felt let down with the final explanation, but, it made sense. Rix has a pattern to his books endings, which makes it semi-predictable. So if this is the first series you read, you'll be surprised and happy with it, if it's not? You'll connect it to another of his series.
Overall, worth the read, especially as a whole (because a good portion of the books pack a major punch.) But as a stand alone, the finalization left it subpar to some of the earlier books.
Overall, worth the read, especially as a whole (because a good portion of the books pack a major punch.) But as a stand alone, the finalization left it subpar to some of the earlier books.
February 5, 2017
Great finally
A great ending to the series. Exciting and suspenseful it will keep you turning the pages to see his it will end.
A great ending to the series. Exciting and suspenseful it will keep you turning the pages to see his it will end.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews