The Icarus Ring

by Gregory Dobrasz

On October 20, 2014, without warning or explanation, every person on Earth acquired superpowers. Some were amazing and wonderful (flight, strength, invulnerability), others were awful (porcupine quills, a voice that kills, impenetrable solitude). There are no fancy costumes, catchy superhero group names, or super villain monologues in the world of the Icarus Ring. The novel takes place ten years after the change. Mouse lives in Detroit. It’s rough, but it’s not that crazy compared to everywhere else. Detroit was already like what most places became, shattered and down on one knee. Mouse can fly, she’s strong and damn near invulnerable. At the story’s opening she is confronted by a mysterious group who claim they don’t want anything from her. If that’s true, she wonders, then why have they taken all her possessions and held them for ransom? They say they had to do that to get her to stay still long enough to talk. Turns out they’ve been trying to meet her for two years, and she’s been hard to pin down. Mouse isn’t surprised. She tries to be hard to pin down. They assure her all they want is for her to visit their mysterious city to the east. Mouse doesn’t trust them, she doesn’t trust anyone. There’s a telepath in the group and nothing’s less trustworthy than a telepath. But there’s something different about this group. As things are she is powerful and safe, but alone. Will Mouse exchange her safety for companionship?

406 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 9, 2019

Reviews

[Taylor Olmstead · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the world and the characters that inhabit it, but the plot is meandering and a little thin. I also got a bit lost in the multiple unmarked perspective shifts. Some clarification about the narrator of each chapter would have helped a lot.

[Mary Chase Mize · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wildly imaginative world building, page-turning plot, and fascinating, lovable characters. This book checks so many boxes of everything I love in stories.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great world-building and character development. A little wandering at times with multiple perspective shifts. Overall a really good read!

[Rio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, ingenious, entertaining novel

This book starts slowly, sort of. You think you know what's coming but you keep reading because it's entertaining. And then it just gets better and better. Reward yourself for all your good behavior and your best intentions: read this kick ass novel. Then tell your friends.

[Manya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though the book was a little difficult to read from all the perspective shifts and non-sequential writing style, it was a great mix of action, romance, and existentialism. I really enjoyed it, especially the fight scene at the very end.

hark hark hark!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun premise. Plot meanders a bit in the middle, but it's page-turning all the way through, and worth it for the end!