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Hybrid Helix #1
Wistful Ascending
A superhero space opera for grownups.
For fans of Guardians of the Galaxy or Invincible.
Like Dragonball Z but wish it had a little more hard science fiction in it?
The il’Drach Empire spans half a galaxy, built on the feet and fists of their Powered hybrid children.
At eight Rohan of Earth learned that he was only half human. By sixteen he was an active superhero, using his inherited powers to fight crime, in mask and spandex. At twenty-two he left his home to fight for the his father's people, expanding the il’Drach Empire and protecting it from local and interdimensional threats. At thirty-two, exhausted by ten years of ruthless warfare, he retired to Wistful, a vast sentient independent space station, to try to live a normal life.
With a steady job, someone far out of his league to date, and the most cosmopolitan selection of fine dining in the sector, things are looking up.
Then a long dormant wormhole in Wistful's system is opened by a ship full of refugees, drawing unwanted attention from the Empire. The appearance of the refugees sets off a chain of events that will force Rohan to confront his checkered past and cast doubt on whether he can ever leave behind his violent warrior heritage.
To keep his friends safe, and himself in one piece, Rohan has to face giant insects, body-skipping assassins, vengeful armored aliens, an inquisition of intelligent bears, and a team of his fellow hybrids. The open question is whether tapping into his savage alien powers will end up destroying the peaceful life he has been trying to build.
For fans of Guardians of the Galaxy or Invincible.
Like Dragonball Z but wish it had a little more hard science fiction in it?
The il’Drach Empire spans half a galaxy, built on the feet and fists of their Powered hybrid children.
At eight Rohan of Earth learned that he was only half human. By sixteen he was an active superhero, using his inherited powers to fight crime, in mask and spandex. At twenty-two he left his home to fight for the his father's people, expanding the il’Drach Empire and protecting it from local and interdimensional threats. At thirty-two, exhausted by ten years of ruthless warfare, he retired to Wistful, a vast sentient independent space station, to try to live a normal life.
With a steady job, someone far out of his league to date, and the most cosmopolitan selection of fine dining in the sector, things are looking up.
Then a long dormant wormhole in Wistful's system is opened by a ship full of refugees, drawing unwanted attention from the Empire. The appearance of the refugees sets off a chain of events that will force Rohan to confront his checkered past and cast doubt on whether he can ever leave behind his violent warrior heritage.
To keep his friends safe, and himself in one piece, Rohan has to face giant insects, body-skipping assassins, vengeful armored aliens, an inquisition of intelligent bears, and a team of his fellow hybrids. The open question is whether tapping into his savage alien powers will end up destroying the peaceful life he has been trying to build.
415 pages, ebook
Published September 5, 2020
170 people are currently reading
1196 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
March 6, 2023
My complete review of Wistful Ascending is published at Grimdark Magazine.
Wistful Ascending is JCM Berne’s heart-pounding superhero space opera and the first installment in his Hybrid Helix trilogy.
Rohan is a hybrid, with a human mother and an alien father from the imperialist il’Drach race. He has inherited superpowers from the paternal side of his family, including super strength, toughness, and the ability to fly. After spending a decade fighting an intergalactic war, Rohan now wishes to live a quiet, anonymous life as a Tow Chief Second Class on the space station Wistful, using his superpowers only to help visiting spacecraft dock on the station.
The universe of Wistful Ascending is full of diverse alien races that would make Gene Roddenberry proud. True to Captain Kirk form, there is also romance between Rohan and a beautiful alien woman, Tamara. Fortunately, JCM Berne presents the romance in a tasteful and realistic fashion, as two adults with established, independent lives full of real-world doubts about themselves and their relationship.
The most prominently featured of the alien races is a species of space bears. Not having a name for this species in human tongue, Rohan calls them Ursans and gives their leader the name Ursula. Reading about the Ursans was a lot of fun, particularly as Rohan ponders what relationship they have, if any, to the bears of his native Earth.
Wistful Ascending is full of space action. Despite Rohan’s superpowers, JCM Berne conveys a real sense of vulnerability for our hero. I found myself holding my breath while reading several of the action scenes.
One of the most innovative aspects of Wistful Ascending is JCM Berne’s worldbuilding, which includes sentient space stations and spaceships. I thoroughly enjoyed the dialogue between Rohan and the space station, Wistful, as well as the sense of mystery about Wistful’s history.
JCM Berne’s writing is crisp and witty, and his character work is excellent. However, the pacing suffers a bit, especially in the first half of Wistful Ascending. Also, the abrupt tonal shifts between chapters can be jarring, with chapters of high-intensity action immediately followed by low-key conversations over coffee.
Through his compelling storyline and realistic character development, JCM Berne convinced this cynical grimdark reviewer that superheroes can actually be cool. Although the first half of the book has a rather lighthearted tone, the plot darkens considerably in the second half as Rohan comes to terms with his inner demons and sense of, yes, wistfulness.
Overall, Wistful Ascending is a fun, action-packed story with relatable characters, witty dialogue, innovative worldbuilding, and enough thematic depth to balance the more lighthearted aspects of the story.
Wistful Ascending is JCM Berne’s heart-pounding superhero space opera and the first installment in his Hybrid Helix trilogy.
Rohan is a hybrid, with a human mother and an alien father from the imperialist il’Drach race. He has inherited superpowers from the paternal side of his family, including super strength, toughness, and the ability to fly. After spending a decade fighting an intergalactic war, Rohan now wishes to live a quiet, anonymous life as a Tow Chief Second Class on the space station Wistful, using his superpowers only to help visiting spacecraft dock on the station.
The universe of Wistful Ascending is full of diverse alien races that would make Gene Roddenberry proud. True to Captain Kirk form, there is also romance between Rohan and a beautiful alien woman, Tamara. Fortunately, JCM Berne presents the romance in a tasteful and realistic fashion, as two adults with established, independent lives full of real-world doubts about themselves and their relationship.
The most prominently featured of the alien races is a species of space bears. Not having a name for this species in human tongue, Rohan calls them Ursans and gives their leader the name Ursula. Reading about the Ursans was a lot of fun, particularly as Rohan ponders what relationship they have, if any, to the bears of his native Earth.
Wistful Ascending is full of space action. Despite Rohan’s superpowers, JCM Berne conveys a real sense of vulnerability for our hero. I found myself holding my breath while reading several of the action scenes.
One of the most innovative aspects of Wistful Ascending is JCM Berne’s worldbuilding, which includes sentient space stations and spaceships. I thoroughly enjoyed the dialogue between Rohan and the space station, Wistful, as well as the sense of mystery about Wistful’s history.
JCM Berne’s writing is crisp and witty, and his character work is excellent. However, the pacing suffers a bit, especially in the first half of Wistful Ascending. Also, the abrupt tonal shifts between chapters can be jarring, with chapters of high-intensity action immediately followed by low-key conversations over coffee.
Through his compelling storyline and realistic character development, JCM Berne convinced this cynical grimdark reviewer that superheroes can actually be cool. Although the first half of the book has a rather lighthearted tone, the plot darkens considerably in the second half as Rohan comes to terms with his inner demons and sense of, yes, wistfulness.
Overall, Wistful Ascending is a fun, action-packed story with relatable characters, witty dialogue, innovative worldbuilding, and enough thematic depth to balance the more lighthearted aspects of the story.
July 14, 2022
FANTASTIC!!!!
I cannot express how much I enjoyed this Super Hero Space Opera. It was witty, cheeky, and awesome.
The best way I can describe the vibe is Red Dwarf meets Invincible with a side helping of Guardians of the Galaxy.
There was honestly not much that I didn't love with this title. Rohan is on a quest to live a quiet life and for some reason, life has been rather tiresome. Trying to be a better man after committing acts he is not proud of we get to follow this awesome protagonist as he crafts an unlikely but still amazing group of friends.
The Setting of Wistful with SENTIENT SPACE VEHICLES is awesome. Don't even get me started on the Giant Kaiju creatures that get added into the mix.
I loved all the side characters, structure, characters, and themes that have been packed into a really FUN read.
I cannot stress how fun this book was to read, from Rohan's garish fashion sense to the space bears and their 7 days of mourning. I could praise this book all day long and intend to once I film a dedicated video review.
I cannot express how much I enjoyed this Super Hero Space Opera. It was witty, cheeky, and awesome.
The best way I can describe the vibe is Red Dwarf meets Invincible with a side helping of Guardians of the Galaxy.
There was honestly not much that I didn't love with this title. Rohan is on a quest to live a quiet life and for some reason, life has been rather tiresome. Trying to be a better man after committing acts he is not proud of we get to follow this awesome protagonist as he crafts an unlikely but still amazing group of friends.
The Setting of Wistful with SENTIENT SPACE VEHICLES is awesome. Don't even get me started on the Giant Kaiju creatures that get added into the mix.
I loved all the side characters, structure, characters, and themes that have been packed into a really FUN read.
I cannot stress how fun this book was to read, from Rohan's garish fashion sense to the space bears and their 7 days of mourning. I could praise this book all day long and intend to once I film a dedicated video review.
Read
December 15, 2022Ever wondered what would happen if Goku worked on Deep Space 9? No? Neither had I, but I'm damned sure glad JCM Berne did!
Wistful Ascending was slow to pull me in, and for a while I really wasn't sure I was going to like it. I tend to like my superhero content in film rather than book format... and yet. The characterisation on display with Rohan is nothing short of spectacular, and it's through that characterisation that I was so utterly dragged into the story.
I enjoyed the hell out of my time with Wistful Ascending and I'm shocked with how much depth the characters had. I highly recommend this book.
Wistful Ascending was slow to pull me in, and for a while I really wasn't sure I was going to like it. I tend to like my superhero content in film rather than book format... and yet. The characterisation on display with Rohan is nothing short of spectacular, and it's through that characterisation that I was so utterly dragged into the story.
I enjoyed the hell out of my time with Wistful Ascending and I'm shocked with how much depth the characters had. I highly recommend this book.
December 16, 2025
I loved this book. Thanks to Anitha for putting it on the patron wheel.
So, it's interesting, this one. Much of my enjoyment came from the fact of how easy to read it is. I do not read a ton of science fiction, largely because of confusing technobabble and it just being of less interest to me overall than fantasy, but WISTFUL is extremely accessible. Most of the lore/species/scifi stuff is either drip-fed or just mentioned and left for us to figure out because Berne, for the most part, doesn't want to bog us down in needless exposition. This book also came to me on the heels of finishing the very confusing PATTERN by KJ Parker, a book I had to be sure I was neither tired nor unfocused while trying to read to even begin to try and understand it. As such, WISTFUL was just so refreshing.
Going in, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it, for all the reasons mentioned above. Additionally, this is often billed as "What is Goku/superheroes were in space?" and while it is absolutely this, it also isn't something I'd have reached for, despite the fact I am an anime fan. Put it simpler, I love One Piece, but I'm not sure I'd want to read the One Piece novelization. If that is something that has put you off reading this, please don't let it any longer. It's really good.
What WISTFUL does really well is balancing the big, over-the-top action of a shonen anime with low-key, domestic scenes. It's actually very impressive how well Berne does this. I've seen some reviews say that this feels like a whiplash in tone, but I feel that it's exactly what is needed to keep from being overwhelmed by the action. Without them, it would be too much because, when there is an action scene, it is exactly as showstopping as it needs to be. The plot moves along at a clip between scenes of intense conflict and scenes where people are sitting down drinking coffee. Bizarrely, I'm not sure I've ever seen people in an SFF novel eat quite as much as these people do. It's like they have a meal every day!
WISTFUL is so named for the space station upon which most of the action takes place. One of the coolest things about this book is the idea of living spaceships/stations, programs that have eventually taken sentience and developing powers of their own. Really cool. The best compliment I can give is that the scenes on Wistful, whether it's exploring the shops or sitting at one of the diners, or throwing frisbee with an alien kid, feels like the scenes on the Citadel from the Mass Effect games. I loved it.
The action scenes are balanced just right. Too many of them and they mean much less, and have the danger of getting boring, especially when we get a lot of the blow-by-blow. What is really cool about them is the sheer scale of them. Because Rohan is a Hybrid--a superpowered half-human (what we would think of as a superhero)--the damage he can do is just astronomical. Berne does a good job balancing what Rohan can do and the kinds of things he's up against. There is one action scene that just dropped my jaw to the ground.
Some minor quibbles:
I didn't love the prologue, where we have a situation set up, flash back 12 days and then lead back up to it at the end. I would have enjoyed it more if it had just come naturally, but that's a minor issue.
Some of the antagonist(s) dialogue is super 'I AM EVIL, LOOK HOW EVIL I AM!' (looking at you, zealot bears), but that's a great scene so it's minor. I hoping for some more subtlety in the villains going forward.
Finally, and this isn't a gripe about this book but about how this series possibly continues. I'm worried about Power Creep. Because these people are so powerful, how can you possibly continue without scaling it to a ludicrous degree to where it becomes tiresome. We've all played DnD campaigns where the earlier levels are just more engaging than the all-powerful higher levels. So, we'll see.
Regardless, this is a stellar (ha) novel that knows the story it wants to tell and is laser-focused in the execution of that. Can't recommend it enough.
So, it's interesting, this one. Much of my enjoyment came from the fact of how easy to read it is. I do not read a ton of science fiction, largely because of confusing technobabble and it just being of less interest to me overall than fantasy, but WISTFUL is extremely accessible. Most of the lore/species/scifi stuff is either drip-fed or just mentioned and left for us to figure out because Berne, for the most part, doesn't want to bog us down in needless exposition. This book also came to me on the heels of finishing the very confusing PATTERN by KJ Parker, a book I had to be sure I was neither tired nor unfocused while trying to read to even begin to try and understand it. As such, WISTFUL was just so refreshing.
Going in, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it, for all the reasons mentioned above. Additionally, this is often billed as "What is Goku/superheroes were in space?" and while it is absolutely this, it also isn't something I'd have reached for, despite the fact I am an anime fan. Put it simpler, I love One Piece, but I'm not sure I'd want to read the One Piece novelization. If that is something that has put you off reading this, please don't let it any longer. It's really good.
What WISTFUL does really well is balancing the big, over-the-top action of a shonen anime with low-key, domestic scenes. It's actually very impressive how well Berne does this. I've seen some reviews say that this feels like a whiplash in tone, but I feel that it's exactly what is needed to keep from being overwhelmed by the action. Without them, it would be too much because, when there is an action scene, it is exactly as showstopping as it needs to be. The plot moves along at a clip between scenes of intense conflict and scenes where people are sitting down drinking coffee. Bizarrely, I'm not sure I've ever seen people in an SFF novel eat quite as much as these people do. It's like they have a meal every day!
WISTFUL is so named for the space station upon which most of the action takes place. One of the coolest things about this book is the idea of living spaceships/stations, programs that have eventually taken sentience and developing powers of their own. Really cool. The best compliment I can give is that the scenes on Wistful, whether it's exploring the shops or sitting at one of the diners, or throwing frisbee with an alien kid, feels like the scenes on the Citadel from the Mass Effect games. I loved it.
The action scenes are balanced just right. Too many of them and they mean much less, and have the danger of getting boring, especially when we get a lot of the blow-by-blow. What is really cool about them is the sheer scale of them. Because Rohan is a Hybrid--a superpowered half-human (what we would think of as a superhero)--the damage he can do is just astronomical. Berne does a good job balancing what Rohan can do and the kinds of things he's up against. There is one action scene that just dropped my jaw to the ground.
Some minor quibbles:
I didn't love the prologue, where we have a situation set up, flash back 12 days and then lead back up to it at the end. I would have enjoyed it more if it had just come naturally, but that's a minor issue.
Some of the antagonist(s) dialogue is super 'I AM EVIL, LOOK HOW EVIL I AM!' (looking at you, zealot bears), but that's a great scene so it's minor. I hoping for some more subtlety in the villains going forward.
Finally, and this isn't a gripe about this book but about how this series possibly continues. I'm worried about Power Creep. Because these people are so powerful, how can you possibly continue without scaling it to a ludicrous degree to where it becomes tiresome. We've all played DnD campaigns where the earlier levels are just more engaging than the all-powerful higher levels. So, we'll see.
Regardless, this is a stellar (ha) novel that knows the story it wants to tell and is laser-focused in the execution of that. Can't recommend it enough.
November 28, 2022
Let me start out by saying that if you are a fan of the show FIREFLY - then you will absolutely love this book. (I would say series, but I haven’t read the other two yet!) Humorous, witty, characters you instantly fall in love with - and let’s not forget all the trouble that comes a-knockin’! If you’re a fan of first contact stories, then I believe you would have a great time with this one. Still on the fence? How about space battles? I mean come on, SUPERHEROES IN SPACE Y’ALL!
If you would rather watch my non-spoiler video review, that can be found on my channel, The Nerdy Narrative, here: https://youtu.be/xJKkNYtmwdY
Quick aside for my audiobook lovers - I did immersion read this one and the audiobook narrator, Wayne Farrell, did an outstanding job with this story. He just had the perfect tone of voice for Rohan with perfect delivery of his sarcasm and wit. I loved the different voices for the different races - this narrator is one I would grab a book just because he narrated it.
WISTFUL ASCENDING is the first book in the space opera fantasy series, Hybrid Helix, by JCM Berne. Rohan is a hybrid - half-human and half-il’Drach - who spends his days using his Powers helping to escort ships to and from the docks at a space station named Wistful. I know, I know - what’s a guy with superpowers doing towing ships around in space? Easy - he’s retired! Rohan spent a decade in service to the Empire in the Imperial Fleet and now he’s keeping a low profile…AND a few secrets.
All is quiet on the starfront until a nearby wormhole opens up for a ship full of refugees. This wormhole had lain dormant for a long time, so when it was discovered that these refugees actually had a “key” to open the wormhole - suddenly Wistful is inundated with all sorts of interested parties from all over the Empire.
I had so much fun reading this book! I first became interested in reading it because of the cover. Well, its cover along with the other two that are out in the series! I saw Rohan on the cover and thought it was Uncle Jesse from Full House in a superhero suit, lol! I was immediately drawn in by the humor of Rohan and thought this might be a sort of slice of life novel about his work that he chose in his retirement. THAT’S when the first sign of trouble showed up…and as Wei Li would say, trouble comes in sevens and she wasn’t wrong!
This action and adventure tale of a superhero in space was more than I hoped for - ships that were sentient - I was SOLD! I loved the races I met in this story and I’m very much looking forward to meeting more as I progress through the series. The worldbuilding was top notch. I know this story took place in space, but Rohan visits nearby planets, talks of others he’d been to PLUS the space station Wistful - they were just written beautifully. I’ve never had a single desire to visit space, but I would love to visit this sentient space station!! I keep saying sentient - their technology has the capability over time to grow and develop its own awareness. The ships are ALIVE!
I enjoyed the pacing of the book - there were some heart pounding fight scenes, but then they’d be followed up with a recovery scene - maybe a dinner or perhaps a drink between friends. I like when there’s a break in the action to give me a bit to “rest” from the action and mull over what happened for clues that might tell me what direction the story might be headed in.
Is anyone even still reading at this point or have you all clicked off to go get a copy of this book?? Well, I’m clicking off to go get the next book in the series…
If you would rather watch my non-spoiler video review, that can be found on my channel, The Nerdy Narrative, here: https://youtu.be/xJKkNYtmwdY
Quick aside for my audiobook lovers - I did immersion read this one and the audiobook narrator, Wayne Farrell, did an outstanding job with this story. He just had the perfect tone of voice for Rohan with perfect delivery of his sarcasm and wit. I loved the different voices for the different races - this narrator is one I would grab a book just because he narrated it.
WISTFUL ASCENDING is the first book in the space opera fantasy series, Hybrid Helix, by JCM Berne. Rohan is a hybrid - half-human and half-il’Drach - who spends his days using his Powers helping to escort ships to and from the docks at a space station named Wistful. I know, I know - what’s a guy with superpowers doing towing ships around in space? Easy - he’s retired! Rohan spent a decade in service to the Empire in the Imperial Fleet and now he’s keeping a low profile…AND a few secrets.
All is quiet on the starfront until a nearby wormhole opens up for a ship full of refugees. This wormhole had lain dormant for a long time, so when it was discovered that these refugees actually had a “key” to open the wormhole - suddenly Wistful is inundated with all sorts of interested parties from all over the Empire.
I had so much fun reading this book! I first became interested in reading it because of the cover. Well, its cover along with the other two that are out in the series! I saw Rohan on the cover and thought it was Uncle Jesse from Full House in a superhero suit, lol! I was immediately drawn in by the humor of Rohan and thought this might be a sort of slice of life novel about his work that he chose in his retirement. THAT’S when the first sign of trouble showed up…and as Wei Li would say, trouble comes in sevens and she wasn’t wrong!
This action and adventure tale of a superhero in space was more than I hoped for - ships that were sentient - I was SOLD! I loved the races I met in this story and I’m very much looking forward to meeting more as I progress through the series. The worldbuilding was top notch. I know this story took place in space, but Rohan visits nearby planets, talks of others he’d been to PLUS the space station Wistful - they were just written beautifully. I’ve never had a single desire to visit space, but I would love to visit this sentient space station!! I keep saying sentient - their technology has the capability over time to grow and develop its own awareness. The ships are ALIVE!
I enjoyed the pacing of the book - there were some heart pounding fight scenes, but then they’d be followed up with a recovery scene - maybe a dinner or perhaps a drink between friends. I like when there’s a break in the action to give me a bit to “rest” from the action and mull over what happened for clues that might tell me what direction the story might be headed in.
Is anyone even still reading at this point or have you all clicked off to go get a copy of this book?? Well, I’m clicking off to go get the next book in the series…
Read
January 3, 2026Ideal read as a palette cleanser, and a dose to life your spirits, this book has an endearing, self-deprecating hero with much more to him than first apparent. If you enjoyed Lies of Lock Lamorra, but with less cynicism, or enjoyed Guardians of the Galaxy, but wished for more depth - this wonderful start to a series should hit the sweet spot.
The story hits the ground running, with plenty of fight, but with kindness and fairness the underlying theme notes, I found delight in following the hero's exploits, and learning his back history along the way. With just enough serious edges, and a thoughtful view of a future that is not an apocalypse, the light tone and fun never becomes vapid. For a solid read with plenty of heart, you will not be disappointed.
Like me, you may be surprised: this is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and a breath of superhero fresh air in an entertainment environment that has too often glutted the field with grim dark apocalypse, CGI splash and shallow violence, and the disappointing veneer of comic book characterization. J. C. M. Berne has broken that mold and escaped the cliche with striking sincerity - and an incorporation of 'smart' AI characters, integrated into human society. Escape to the space station Wistful - I was tremendously entertained.
The story hits the ground running, with plenty of fight, but with kindness and fairness the underlying theme notes, I found delight in following the hero's exploits, and learning his back history along the way. With just enough serious edges, and a thoughtful view of a future that is not an apocalypse, the light tone and fun never becomes vapid. For a solid read with plenty of heart, you will not be disappointed.
Like me, you may be surprised: this is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and a breath of superhero fresh air in an entertainment environment that has too often glutted the field with grim dark apocalypse, CGI splash and shallow violence, and the disappointing veneer of comic book characterization. J. C. M. Berne has broken that mold and escaped the cliche with striking sincerity - and an incorporation of 'smart' AI characters, integrated into human society. Escape to the space station Wistful - I was tremendously entertained.
October 2, 2022
4.5/5 Stars Rounded to 5 Stars
I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Wistful Ascending is a promising start to a new series with a main character you can’t help but feel for. Book one in the Hybrid Helix Series, we find artificial intelligence, first contact, assassins, a superhero, action, impactful moments, mystery, and romance.
Rohan is a Hybrid, half human and half il’Drach. After years of fighting for the il’Drach armies, he retires in hopes to live a quiet life where no one knows his past. Can this peaceful life last and his past stay secret?
While we get space battles and fight scenes, that’s not all this Superhero Space Opera is. This is the story of a man, who wants to do better, and be better. Rohan felt like any other person I might meet, a genuine character that felt more realistic as I read. Rohan attempts to lead a new life, away from his il’Drach nature and old life. His internal struggles to maintain control of his powers were gripping.
Rohan is an endearing, complex and witty character. His developments and motivations are well explored. We’re also treated to a great cast of side characters and found family.
While I’m not a romance reader, I enjoyed the romance in Wistful Ascending. The romance felt down to earth, contributed to the characters developments and I truly appreciated the integrity to the characters personalities. It didn’t feel like a plot device or fall into dramatic emotional reactions but rather made the romance feel natural to the story.
The pacing felt medium to fast, with a smooth and natural story progression. I also read both the physical copy along with the recently released audiobook narrated by Wayne Farrell. I can’t imagine this audiobook being narrated by anyone else, as Wayne Farrell did a phenomenal job with bringing the characters to life and capturing the tone of the book.
For me, this was reminiscent of Legends and Lattes in the sense of the main character wanting to be more than their nature and creating a found family. Along with similarities to the MCU humor and action.
With moments that felt like a slice of life, mixed with great action, heart hitting moments and memorable characters, this is a superhero space opera you don’t want to miss.
I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Wistful Ascending is a promising start to a new series with a main character you can’t help but feel for. Book one in the Hybrid Helix Series, we find artificial intelligence, first contact, assassins, a superhero, action, impactful moments, mystery, and romance.
Rohan is a Hybrid, half human and half il’Drach. After years of fighting for the il’Drach armies, he retires in hopes to live a quiet life where no one knows his past. Can this peaceful life last and his past stay secret?
While we get space battles and fight scenes, that’s not all this Superhero Space Opera is. This is the story of a man, who wants to do better, and be better. Rohan felt like any other person I might meet, a genuine character that felt more realistic as I read. Rohan attempts to lead a new life, away from his il’Drach nature and old life. His internal struggles to maintain control of his powers were gripping.
Rohan is an endearing, complex and witty character. His developments and motivations are well explored. We’re also treated to a great cast of side characters and found family.
While I’m not a romance reader, I enjoyed the romance in Wistful Ascending. The romance felt down to earth, contributed to the characters developments and I truly appreciated the integrity to the characters personalities. It didn’t feel like a plot device or fall into dramatic emotional reactions but rather made the romance feel natural to the story.
The pacing felt medium to fast, with a smooth and natural story progression. I also read both the physical copy along with the recently released audiobook narrated by Wayne Farrell. I can’t imagine this audiobook being narrated by anyone else, as Wayne Farrell did a phenomenal job with bringing the characters to life and capturing the tone of the book.
For me, this was reminiscent of Legends and Lattes in the sense of the main character wanting to be more than their nature and creating a found family. Along with similarities to the MCU humor and action.
With moments that felt like a slice of life, mixed with great action, heart hitting moments and memorable characters, this is a superhero space opera you don’t want to miss.
July 18, 2023
What a fantastic book! Wistful Ascending is action packed with witty dialogue and great characters. JCM Berne pulled me into the story right from the beginning with his frank dialogue and taste in food. I was enjoying the ride and wasn't really expecting it to have any serious themes to be honest. Berne completely surprised me in the second half with complex characterization of Rohan and hard hitting scenes. And I am here for it. Rohan is definitely one of the best characters I read this year. I cannot wait to get back to reading more of him.
Full video review to come soon in my channel.
Full video review to come soon in my channel.
July 10, 2023
Wistful Ascending is what's been sorely missing from superhero movies for quite some time. It's got great characters, snappy dialogue, intense action, and a helluva lot of heart.
Rohan is a brilliantly written character, blending sarcastic wit with superhuman strength, but done so in a way that still makes him feel down-to-earth and human. Probably because he's also Canadian. So he's basically Deadpool but he can fly through space, and that's pretty rad. Also there are talking space bears.
It takes a little bit for the story to get its footing but once it does it is an absolutely enjoyable feast, and if things continue like this, Rohan may very well end up one of my favorite SFF characters.
Rohan is a brilliantly written character, blending sarcastic wit with superhuman strength, but done so in a way that still makes him feel down-to-earth and human. Probably because he's also Canadian. So he's basically Deadpool but he can fly through space, and that's pretty rad. Also there are talking space bears.
It takes a little bit for the story to get its footing but once it does it is an absolutely enjoyable feast, and if things continue like this, Rohan may very well end up one of my favorite SFF characters.
October 30, 2022
Wistful Ascending is everything I didn’t know I needed from a sci-fi space opera. It has a lot of slice-of-life elements, but it’s undoubtedly one of the most hectic and action-packed slice-of-life stories that I have ever read. It’s got superhero action scenes, intelligent alien space bears, sentient space stations, giant insectoid monsters, body-hopping assassins, Hybrid enemies… oh, and a delicious dash of dramaless romance. Do I honestly need to say more?
This is the story of Rohan, a half human, half il’Drach Hybrid who is simply exhausted from years of fighting for the il’Drach armies. When we first meet him, he has left his superhero lifestyle behind and wants nothing more than to just live a quiet life on the sentient space station called Wistful. But unfortunately for him, life on Wistful turns out to be a lot less peaceful than he thought it was going to be and his past seems to be catching up to him.
Rohan, for all his flaws, is simply an incredibly endearing character and he immediately captured my heart with his witty and sarcastic attitude. It’s so easy to root for him, because he is such a genuine and realistic character who honestly just wants to turn his life around for the better. There’s also a good dose of self-deprecating humour that I found all too relatable and amusing.
And it’s not only his internal dialogue that’s so funny, because his interactions with the people around him are also absolutely delightful. From witty banter, to awkward cross-species conversations, to flirty remarks, to heartfelt discussions... the author absolutely nailed it all.
All the major side characters had distinct personalities and got their own moment to shine. And don’t even get me started on the found family vibes, I will always be a sucker for that trope!
Also, this book has one of the most down-to-earth romances I have ever had the joy of reading about and I was completely sold on this blooming relationship.
I am also very impressed with the world building here. In most superhero scenarios, there isn’t a good explanation behind the supernatural powers of our heroes, but that’s not the case here. I loved slowly learning about how Rohan’s Powers worked and I really like that he isn’t just an OP superhero, but his strength actually comes at a cost. Seeing him grapple and try to maintain control of his Powers was interesting and added a layer of depth and complexity to his character that I really appreciated.
And getting to explore different alien species, let alone an alien bear species, was also fascinating. The culture clashes resulted in some laugh-out-loud funny moments and I loved seeing the slow build-up of a friendly and trusting relationship between Rohan and these bears.
My only quibble with the book comes down to the pacing, which I found to be a bit too rocky and jarring at times. We jump from low-key dinner dates to life-threatening catastrophic events… and then back again, on repeat. I personally enjoyed the low-stakes moments a lot more than the action scenes, but that might just be because I have a hard time visualising action/combat, especially when it’s set in an unfamiliar space setting.
Still, I have to give props to the author for keeping me engaged the entire way through. There is a sense of mystery surrounding Rohan’s past and an overarching threat from an opening wormhole that will constantly keep you wanting to turn the page. So even though I personally zoned out during some of the high-stakes sections, I was quickly pulled back in by all the other intriguing and delightful aspects of the story.
All in all, I truly had a blast with this first instalment in the Hybrid Helix series. Even though this book ends in a satisfying way, I am personally very eager to read more about Rohan and all his shenanigans. This story is a bit wacky and over-the-top, but you can recognize that it was the author's intent and I was all here for it.
If you are looking for a book that will give you both the cosy vibes of Legends & Lattes, but also the engaging adventures of something like Guardians of the Galaxy, then this is the book for you.
I mean, you have to be a real grump to not at least have an enjoyable time with this marvellous story. Highly recommend this wild ride!
This is the story of Rohan, a half human, half il’Drach Hybrid who is simply exhausted from years of fighting for the il’Drach armies. When we first meet him, he has left his superhero lifestyle behind and wants nothing more than to just live a quiet life on the sentient space station called Wistful. But unfortunately for him, life on Wistful turns out to be a lot less peaceful than he thought it was going to be and his past seems to be catching up to him.
Rohan, for all his flaws, is simply an incredibly endearing character and he immediately captured my heart with his witty and sarcastic attitude. It’s so easy to root for him, because he is such a genuine and realistic character who honestly just wants to turn his life around for the better. There’s also a good dose of self-deprecating humour that I found all too relatable and amusing.
And it’s not only his internal dialogue that’s so funny, because his interactions with the people around him are also absolutely delightful. From witty banter, to awkward cross-species conversations, to flirty remarks, to heartfelt discussions... the author absolutely nailed it all.
All the major side characters had distinct personalities and got their own moment to shine. And don’t even get me started on the found family vibes, I will always be a sucker for that trope!
Also, this book has one of the most down-to-earth romances I have ever had the joy of reading about and I was completely sold on this blooming relationship.
I am also very impressed with the world building here. In most superhero scenarios, there isn’t a good explanation behind the supernatural powers of our heroes, but that’s not the case here. I loved slowly learning about how Rohan’s Powers worked and I really like that he isn’t just an OP superhero, but his strength actually comes at a cost. Seeing him grapple and try to maintain control of his Powers was interesting and added a layer of depth and complexity to his character that I really appreciated.
And getting to explore different alien species, let alone an alien bear species, was also fascinating. The culture clashes resulted in some laugh-out-loud funny moments and I loved seeing the slow build-up of a friendly and trusting relationship between Rohan and these bears.
My only quibble with the book comes down to the pacing, which I found to be a bit too rocky and jarring at times. We jump from low-key dinner dates to life-threatening catastrophic events… and then back again, on repeat. I personally enjoyed the low-stakes moments a lot more than the action scenes, but that might just be because I have a hard time visualising action/combat, especially when it’s set in an unfamiliar space setting.
Still, I have to give props to the author for keeping me engaged the entire way through. There is a sense of mystery surrounding Rohan’s past and an overarching threat from an opening wormhole that will constantly keep you wanting to turn the page. So even though I personally zoned out during some of the high-stakes sections, I was quickly pulled back in by all the other intriguing and delightful aspects of the story.
All in all, I truly had a blast with this first instalment in the Hybrid Helix series. Even though this book ends in a satisfying way, I am personally very eager to read more about Rohan and all his shenanigans. This story is a bit wacky and over-the-top, but you can recognize that it was the author's intent and I was all here for it.
If you are looking for a book that will give you both the cosy vibes of Legends & Lattes, but also the engaging adventures of something like Guardians of the Galaxy, then this is the book for you.
I mean, you have to be a real grump to not at least have an enjoyable time with this marvellous story. Highly recommend this wild ride!
January 2, 2023
Disclaimer: ARC provided by the author in exchange for honest and fair review
If Superman and Gamora (Guardians of the Galaxy) hooked up and had a child I imagine that child would be Rohan.
In all seriousness Wistful Ascending is a whimsical space opera that I personally feel comedy wise is very reminiscent of Guardians of the Galaxy in all the best ways. The story follows Rohan, a former soldier who retired/fled his old life in search of a nice quiet life on space station Wistful.
Rohan's new identity and disguise was working out well for him at least for a few years, that is until some Bears decided to crash the party and from there his whole world gets turned upside down.
J.C.M. Berne did a fantastic job on the character development and pacing throughout this light hearted comedy. I found it rare that I made it through a chapter without laughing at some point along the way. As with any great comedy there is of course some tragedy and boy will it hit you right in the feels when it happens.
As it stands today I know J.C.M. Berne has already released the second book in the series with a third expected to show up shortly. I’m not sure if he is planning this to just be a trilogy but based on how the first book went I could see this series having the potential to stick around for far longer and I for one would love it.
If you are looking for something new to read or just need a change of pace from the normal fantasy/sci-fi you're used to I strongly encourage you to give this series a try. I personally hope we see more authors releasing feel good stories like this because they say laughter is the best medicine and boy did I get a lot of it and I enjoyed every dose.
If Superman and Gamora (Guardians of the Galaxy) hooked up and had a child I imagine that child would be Rohan.
In all seriousness Wistful Ascending is a whimsical space opera that I personally feel comedy wise is very reminiscent of Guardians of the Galaxy in all the best ways. The story follows Rohan, a former soldier who retired/fled his old life in search of a nice quiet life on space station Wistful.
Rohan's new identity and disguise was working out well for him at least for a few years, that is until some Bears decided to crash the party and from there his whole world gets turned upside down.
J.C.M. Berne did a fantastic job on the character development and pacing throughout this light hearted comedy. I found it rare that I made it through a chapter without laughing at some point along the way. As with any great comedy there is of course some tragedy and boy will it hit you right in the feels when it happens.
As it stands today I know J.C.M. Berne has already released the second book in the series with a third expected to show up shortly. I’m not sure if he is planning this to just be a trilogy but based on how the first book went I could see this series having the potential to stick around for far longer and I for one would love it.
If you are looking for something new to read or just need a change of pace from the normal fantasy/sci-fi you're used to I strongly encourage you to give this series a try. I personally hope we see more authors releasing feel good stories like this because they say laughter is the best medicine and boy did I get a lot of it and I enjoyed every dose.
November 15, 2025
A really fun first installment of a sci-fi series with a protagonist that gives off superhero vibes. (Albeit a superhero trying to retire!). Two things I loved most about this reading experience are that I felt invested right away in the story, and how seamlessly Berne wove the world-building elements of this space opera and the introduction of the characters into the narrative. While some of the back story was revealed while characters had meals or drinks together, it never felt like those blatant exposition dumps I've experienced elsewhere, and felt more organic. While I can't claim to be able to picture all of the alien races with clarity, there was enough variety of characters that there was never any confusion. I'll definitely be continuing this series!
November 24, 2022
Before jumping into this review I have to thank everyone who has reached out this week. As much as I joke around it's been a bit dreadful and I endlessly appreciate everyone in the book community who has been down for shared storytime or just validating how useless I've been this week. I'm not sure what I'd do without the book community sometimes 😅
Secondly, thank you so much to the author for the audiobook code. I rely a little heavily on audio these days due to my eyesight and am endlessly thankful especially for a bit of pure escapism this week. I'm trying not to just be numb and having superheroes and sentient AI ships (and bears with three penises) queued up on audio has probably been just what I needed.
Anyway.... Yeah... So what if our superheroes are half alien? What if there's a very DS9ish space station (that's also sentient) out by some wormholes in the far reaches of a galaxy, and one such superhero has escaped there after deciding to escape his past? What mix of aliens would gather there? What if there's equal parts humor and tragedy and high octane fight scenes? Would a superhero feel awkward if someone talked to him while peeing?
I listened to this one essentially nonstop, then read the last few chapters on Kindle. You'll love Rohan and Wei Li and Wistful. Snarky ship AI's and the integration of different species are some of my favorite sci-fi tropes and they are here in abundance. I like that the book never took itself too seriously but did have some serious themes. It's fast paced with readable prose and perfect for my brain right now
There was one wtf moment regarding where their powers came from but I ultimately decided it was more funny than anything else.
All in all, I totally recommend this one in book or audiobook form!
Secondly, thank you so much to the author for the audiobook code. I rely a little heavily on audio these days due to my eyesight and am endlessly thankful especially for a bit of pure escapism this week. I'm trying not to just be numb and having superheroes and sentient AI ships (and bears with three penises) queued up on audio has probably been just what I needed.
Anyway.... Yeah... So what if our superheroes are half alien? What if there's a very DS9ish space station (that's also sentient) out by some wormholes in the far reaches of a galaxy, and one such superhero has escaped there after deciding to escape his past? What mix of aliens would gather there? What if there's equal parts humor and tragedy and high octane fight scenes? Would a superhero feel awkward if someone talked to him while peeing?
I listened to this one essentially nonstop, then read the last few chapters on Kindle. You'll love Rohan and Wei Li and Wistful. Snarky ship AI's and the integration of different species are some of my favorite sci-fi tropes and they are here in abundance. I like that the book never took itself too seriously but did have some serious themes. It's fast paced with readable prose and perfect for my brain right now
There was one wtf moment regarding where their powers came from but I ultimately decided it was more funny than anything else.
All in all, I totally recommend this one in book or audiobook form!
January 2, 2023
Please read my review at the following link:
https://escapistbookcompany.com/2022/...
Thank you for reading my review and as always Happy Reading!! Stay Great!!
https://escapistbookcompany.com/2022/...
Thank you for reading my review and as always Happy Reading!! Stay Great!!
January 15, 2024
Exhausted by years of ruthless warfare, Rohan retires to a quiet life as the Second Class Tow Chief on the sentient space station, Wistful. But when a ship full of space bears comes racing out of a previously inactive wormhole, it draws the attention of the Empire, and one event after another forces Rohan to confront whether it is possible to leave the life of a violent warrior behind.
What I loved
I absolutely loved the mash-up of influences here. This book reminded me of the over-the-top super-powered fights of DBZ, of chasing love interests as Commander Shephard in Mass Effect, and the tongue-in-cheek humor of Guardians of the Galaxy. The various fight scenes were varied and grew in scale and scope throughout the course of the book, which helped to make the book a really fun and exciting read. I enjoyed meeting all of the different alien races and want to learn more about each one of them. There were quite a few memorable characters, and I absolutely adored the sentient spaceships! The pacing also feels very Mass Effect, you know, out patroning your favorite stores between saving the galaxy. So there is also a slice-of-life element between all of the action scenes.
This book was fun. It felt like great popcorn entertainment. The book doesn’t have a lot of depth or layers, and not every book needs to. Popcorn books usually land as a strong four stars for me. In addition, Rohan was a really fun protagonist to follow, at least when he’s not, you know, committing war crimes.
What I didn’t like as much
See above: war crimes. Honestly, I don’t know if I was in the right headspace for the particular scenes depicted toward the end of the book. Therefore, this point doesn’t affect my rating, but I just wanted to let readers know that if you are currently sensitive to meaningless slaughter and large-scale violence to maybe set this one aside for a bit.
Rohan’s Character Arc
I’m not sure if the author was intending for the book to have a character arc. Not every book or story needs one to work, because the anime gods know that Goku never emotionally matured a day in his life. But considering this is the last line of the blurb, “The open question is whether tapping into his savage alien powers will end up destroying the peaceful life he has been trying to build,” makes it seem that there are meant to be stakes and there is meant to be a character arc within the story. By the end of the book, I'm honestly unsure what the books intentions were, but overall, the character arc didn’t really work for me here and I don’t know if I can go into why without getting into a little bit of spoilers. Spoiler tag ahead:
Overall, this book is perfect for anyone looking for an entertaining space romp and a fun superhero space adventure. Also perfect for fans of DBZ, Mass Effect, Invincible, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Personal Rating: 3.5 stars
Indie Rating: 5 stars
What I loved
I absolutely loved the mash-up of influences here. This book reminded me of the over-the-top super-powered fights of DBZ, of chasing love interests as Commander Shephard in Mass Effect, and the tongue-in-cheek humor of Guardians of the Galaxy. The various fight scenes were varied and grew in scale and scope throughout the course of the book, which helped to make the book a really fun and exciting read. I enjoyed meeting all of the different alien races and want to learn more about each one of them. There were quite a few memorable characters, and I absolutely adored the sentient spaceships! The pacing also feels very Mass Effect, you know, out patroning your favorite stores between saving the galaxy. So there is also a slice-of-life element between all of the action scenes.
This book was fun. It felt like great popcorn entertainment. The book doesn’t have a lot of depth or layers, and not every book needs to. Popcorn books usually land as a strong four stars for me. In addition, Rohan was a really fun protagonist to follow, at least when he’s not, you know, committing war crimes.
What I didn’t like as much
See above: war crimes. Honestly, I don’t know if I was in the right headspace for the particular scenes depicted toward the end of the book. Therefore, this point doesn’t affect my rating, but I just wanted to let readers know that if you are currently sensitive to meaningless slaughter and large-scale violence to maybe set this one aside for a bit.
Rohan’s Character Arc
I’m not sure if the author was intending for the book to have a character arc. Not every book or story needs one to work, because the anime gods know that Goku never emotionally matured a day in his life. But considering this is the last line of the blurb, “The open question is whether tapping into his savage alien powers will end up destroying the peaceful life he has been trying to build,” makes it seem that there are meant to be stakes and there is meant to be a character arc within the story. By the end of the book, I'm honestly unsure what the books intentions were, but overall, the character arc didn’t really work for me here and I don’t know if I can go into why without getting into a little bit of spoilers. Spoiler tag ahead:
Overall, this book is perfect for anyone looking for an entertaining space romp and a fun superhero space adventure. Also perfect for fans of DBZ, Mass Effect, Invincible, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Personal Rating: 3.5 stars
Indie Rating: 5 stars
February 18, 2024
I am one of the judges of team Space Girls for the SPSFC3 contest. This review is my personal opinion. Officially, it is still in the running for the contest, pending any official team announcements.
Status: Semifinalist
Read: 100%
As part of the next round of the competition, my team is requested to read & review semifinalist books from two other teams. My team has to cross-read the 2 Semifinalists books for Team EPIC (which will be announced within the next 2 weeks), along with the Semifinalists for another team (I believe the team's name is Edpool where this book was voted for Semifinalist status).
Among the two Semifinalists I can start reading ahead of time, Wistful Ascending is one of them. I usually veer away from books with lots of gushing reviews that aren't in the genres I usually read. Usually what most readers adore end up being books that I can't connect with or they have something wrong with the book that I hyperfixiate on. So, I was already entering this book dipping my toes in with trepidation. Like usual, I started reading the book without knowing anything about it other than it has some guy with superpowers dressed in a Kill Bill costume slugging lizard folk in outer space DBZ style.
Now that I finished reading it, I can instantly see why the book is selling so well. In essence, Wistful Ascending is like Twilight for guys. The entire book revolves around our Bella... err... Rohan who frets about his life and gushes over his love interest. And we spend the entire book in his head where he thinks about his (very strained) relationship with his parents, fretting about the clothes he wears, and whether other people like him.
While the book mentions Rohan likes to dance in his free time (never shown in this book), we never really know his hobbies (yes he does martial arts training with Wei Li, but it's more like she forces him to do it). In fact, Rohan is quite like Bella in the sense the book purposely made him devoid as much as possible of a personality. He is a blank slate where the reader can inject their own personality and live a fantasy where they are the hero. If this was the author's intent, the book certainly accomplishes its intented purpose.
And if people think about it, the fact Bella is such a blank slate is a huge key to the reason why Twilight sold so many copies. Female readers can enjoy a fantasy where their tedious highschool years become more interesting, with a hunky brooding vampire crush and an even more morose wolf shifter are constantly fighting over her attention. To have a vampire coven protect her from a group of nomadic vampires and later on from the Volturi who have taken a huge interest in her for reasons Bella is unaware at the time.
Rohan exudes what I believe male readers want for themselves. To be physically strong and have everyone look up to them, to feel needed, where people want to listen to their opinions and ideas, to have women swooning over them even if they don't dress fashionably or spurt a bit too much beard stubble. While Rohan mentions several times in the book about his Telugu ethnicity, he's written with such a vague brush that readers from any cultural background could feel identified with him. Canadians will enjoy his politeness and love for a brand of doughnuts I have never tried before (not sure if that brand is good but it seems like Rohan likes them).
So, if a reader is looking for some male heroic escapism while flying in outer space Superman style and punching gigantic insects while making everyone respect his heroism, they are going to love this book.
As for me, well, it is quite obvious I am not the intended public for this book. So, that can leave me in an odd position where I have to glean the other aspects about the book, which is sort of a mixed bag.
I certainly like the worldbuilding where we have this mysterious and feared fascist superpowered race of strong men (very similar to the saiyajin but without being controlled by Freiza's dad) keeping control over the entire galaxy. We never get to know much about the Drach people, and only meet a few hybrids mixed with humans (like Rohan) and other alien races. The book hints Drach Hybrids tend to be taller and bulkier than normal members of their people, but we don't get to know much of anything about pureblood Drach because the entire book is written in Rohan's POV.
This book also takes some accidental inspiration in the 90's anime Lost Universe where intelligent spaceships become bonded to a captain and every ship has a specific personality. The early chapters in this book were quite confusing to me at first because I didn't understand for over 20 pages why Rohan was talking to a woman named Wistful who didn't get much of a description. Until we learn about a space station with a cross shaped structure hovering over a beautiful planet named Toth 3 and then I realized this book has sentinent AIs that interact with Rohan but don't have 3D hologram avatars like in Lost Universe. I never got much of a feel for the personality of most AIs in this book, but I thought the science lab/transport ship called Insatiable to quite live up to her chosen name. She was very funny and bubbly.
I would have wanted the book to talk more about how a baby smart ship is made and how they grow and if they can survive indefinitely wandering around the universe. Are they semi alive? Biological? Sillicon life based? Have a soul? Are they political allies with the Drach because they are one of the few intelligent life forms (?) that are capable of thrwarting their immense power? These are the kinds of questions I was fretting over during the entire book and I was really anxious hoping to learn about these ships. I love sentinent space ships in books and love it even more when they form life-long bonds with captains and risk death if they separate from their captains. It's one of my top favorite tropes in Sci-Fi books. And if they are organic ships, I go bonkers!
I really enjoyed the side story of the Ursans with their political conflict and how they ended up stumbling into the space station where Rohan lives. Since the entire book is designed to focus on Rohan's heroism, we are only teased with snippets about them, which felt a bit like a bummer for me. Maybe the author will write a short story focusing on their planet and why captain Ursula felt compelled to escape? That would be a fun read.
Writing wise, the book has this very odd prose style where some chapters that focus on the worldbuilding were fabulous intertwined with very awkward chapters where Rohan is eating in restaurants (apparently Wistful has a lot of very good Earthian cuisine joints) or going on dates. Most readers will love the comical banter, whereas I couldn't quite understand the strange sort of humor. It isn't that Rohan is unlikeable (the book purposely makes him the reader's relatable archetype ideal protagonist), it's more of a cultural/linguistic barrier that I couldn't quite get into the more flirty date chapters of the book. I tended to feel very pulled out and after my 3rd very long chapter about Rohan having breakfast, I started skimming because I wanted to get to the next chapter about the sentinent spaceships or the Ursan refugees. The book tends to meander around a lot about Rohan's strange towing job and having lunch while he chit chats with all of his new friends.
In fact, I also spent an inordinate amount of time wondering why such an advanced sentinent space station and super smart spaceships need to be towed to a station in the first place. I could imagine Wistful giving Rohan the spaceship towing job as a zen exercise to keep him happy (and not blow up the station when he enters a berserk state). Maybe even lie to him his skills are needed, which might explain why nobody felt impressed with his odd job title. I just couldn't understand why super smart spaceships with warp drives and stealth technology need someone to tug them to the station. Maybe I am just overthinking things like usual.
In a nutshell, for the right audience, this book delivers its intended purpose of recreating the 'make yourself the hero of the story fantasy'. But I would have personally wanted more POVs. Wen Li would have been a nice choice because she is Rohan's closest friend in the station, already knows parts about his past but she's also discovering new things in the story due to the arrival of the Ursans and the Insatiable research ship. I quite felt the more comical chapters of this book in Rohan's POV were far too reminiscent of the really cringey filler episodes of the Majin Boo saga in DBZ (particularly the episodes where Majin Boo moves into Mr. Satan's house). I only saw a few episodes of DBZ dubbed to English, and the script in this book gave me really haunting memories of the huge liberties taken in the English dub. So, for readers that didn't grow up with a sense of nostalgia for the English DBZ dub, they might react the same way I did and have a hard time deciding whether to laugh at the cheesy dialogue or feel utter disbelief. While the worldbuilding in this book is great and overall I liked the story and characters, I felt the cheese factor was a bit too much for me and would have wanted the book to have had more POVs. I am awarding this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
Status: Semifinalist
Read: 100%
As part of the next round of the competition, my team is requested to read & review semifinalist books from two other teams. My team has to cross-read the 2 Semifinalists books for Team EPIC (which will be announced within the next 2 weeks), along with the Semifinalists for another team (I believe the team's name is Edpool where this book was voted for Semifinalist status).
Among the two Semifinalists I can start reading ahead of time, Wistful Ascending is one of them. I usually veer away from books with lots of gushing reviews that aren't in the genres I usually read. Usually what most readers adore end up being books that I can't connect with or they have something wrong with the book that I hyperfixiate on. So, I was already entering this book dipping my toes in with trepidation. Like usual, I started reading the book without knowing anything about it other than it has some guy with superpowers dressed in a Kill Bill costume slugging lizard folk in outer space DBZ style.
Now that I finished reading it, I can instantly see why the book is selling so well. In essence, Wistful Ascending is like Twilight for guys. The entire book revolves around our Bella... err... Rohan who frets about his life and gushes over his love interest. And we spend the entire book in his head where he thinks about his (very strained) relationship with his parents, fretting about the clothes he wears, and whether other people like him.
While the book mentions Rohan likes to dance in his free time (never shown in this book), we never really know his hobbies (yes he does martial arts training with Wei Li, but it's more like she forces him to do it). In fact, Rohan is quite like Bella in the sense the book purposely made him devoid as much as possible of a personality. He is a blank slate where the reader can inject their own personality and live a fantasy where they are the hero. If this was the author's intent, the book certainly accomplishes its intented purpose.
And if people think about it, the fact Bella is such a blank slate is a huge key to the reason why Twilight sold so many copies. Female readers can enjoy a fantasy where their tedious highschool years become more interesting, with a hunky brooding vampire crush and an even more morose wolf shifter are constantly fighting over her attention. To have a vampire coven protect her from a group of nomadic vampires and later on from the Volturi who have taken a huge interest in her for reasons Bella is unaware at the time.
Rohan exudes what I believe male readers want for themselves. To be physically strong and have everyone look up to them, to feel needed, where people want to listen to their opinions and ideas, to have women swooning over them even if they don't dress fashionably or spurt a bit too much beard stubble. While Rohan mentions several times in the book about his Telugu ethnicity, he's written with such a vague brush that readers from any cultural background could feel identified with him. Canadians will enjoy his politeness and love for a brand of doughnuts I have never tried before (not sure if that brand is good but it seems like Rohan likes them).
So, if a reader is looking for some male heroic escapism while flying in outer space Superman style and punching gigantic insects while making everyone respect his heroism, they are going to love this book.
As for me, well, it is quite obvious I am not the intended public for this book. So, that can leave me in an odd position where I have to glean the other aspects about the book, which is sort of a mixed bag.
I certainly like the worldbuilding where we have this mysterious and feared fascist superpowered race of strong men (very similar to the saiyajin but without being controlled by Freiza's dad) keeping control over the entire galaxy. We never get to know much about the Drach people, and only meet a few hybrids mixed with humans (like Rohan) and other alien races. The book hints Drach Hybrids tend to be taller and bulkier than normal members of their people, but we don't get to know much of anything about pureblood Drach because the entire book is written in Rohan's POV.
This book also takes some accidental inspiration in the 90's anime Lost Universe where intelligent spaceships become bonded to a captain and every ship has a specific personality. The early chapters in this book were quite confusing to me at first because I didn't understand for over 20 pages why Rohan was talking to a woman named Wistful who didn't get much of a description. Until we learn about a space station with a cross shaped structure hovering over a beautiful planet named Toth 3 and then I realized this book has sentinent AIs that interact with Rohan but don't have 3D hologram avatars like in Lost Universe. I never got much of a feel for the personality of most AIs in this book, but I thought the science lab/transport ship called Insatiable to quite live up to her chosen name. She was very funny and bubbly.
I would have wanted the book to talk more about how a baby smart ship is made and how they grow and if they can survive indefinitely wandering around the universe. Are they semi alive? Biological? Sillicon life based? Have a soul? Are they political allies with the Drach because they are one of the few intelligent life forms (?) that are capable of thrwarting their immense power? These are the kinds of questions I was fretting over during the entire book and I was really anxious hoping to learn about these ships. I love sentinent space ships in books and love it even more when they form life-long bonds with captains and risk death if they separate from their captains. It's one of my top favorite tropes in Sci-Fi books. And if they are organic ships, I go bonkers!
I really enjoyed the side story of the Ursans with their political conflict and how they ended up stumbling into the space station where Rohan lives. Since the entire book is designed to focus on Rohan's heroism, we are only teased with snippets about them, which felt a bit like a bummer for me. Maybe the author will write a short story focusing on their planet and why captain Ursula felt compelled to escape? That would be a fun read.
Writing wise, the book has this very odd prose style where some chapters that focus on the worldbuilding were fabulous intertwined with very awkward chapters where Rohan is eating in restaurants (apparently Wistful has a lot of very good Earthian cuisine joints) or going on dates. Most readers will love the comical banter, whereas I couldn't quite understand the strange sort of humor. It isn't that Rohan is unlikeable (the book purposely makes him the reader's relatable archetype ideal protagonist), it's more of a cultural/linguistic barrier that I couldn't quite get into the more flirty date chapters of the book. I tended to feel very pulled out and after my 3rd very long chapter about Rohan having breakfast, I started skimming because I wanted to get to the next chapter about the sentinent spaceships or the Ursan refugees. The book tends to meander around a lot about Rohan's strange towing job and having lunch while he chit chats with all of his new friends.
In fact, I also spent an inordinate amount of time wondering why such an advanced sentinent space station and super smart spaceships need to be towed to a station in the first place. I could imagine Wistful giving Rohan the spaceship towing job as a zen exercise to keep him happy (and not blow up the station when he enters a berserk state). Maybe even lie to him his skills are needed, which might explain why nobody felt impressed with his odd job title. I just couldn't understand why super smart spaceships with warp drives and stealth technology need someone to tug them to the station. Maybe I am just overthinking things like usual.
In a nutshell, for the right audience, this book delivers its intended purpose of recreating the 'make yourself the hero of the story fantasy'. But I would have personally wanted more POVs. Wen Li would have been a nice choice because she is Rohan's closest friend in the station, already knows parts about his past but she's also discovering new things in the story due to the arrival of the Ursans and the Insatiable research ship. I quite felt the more comical chapters of this book in Rohan's POV were far too reminiscent of the really cringey filler episodes of the Majin Boo saga in DBZ (particularly the episodes where Majin Boo moves into Mr. Satan's house). I only saw a few episodes of DBZ dubbed to English, and the script in this book gave me really haunting memories of the huge liberties taken in the English dub. So, for readers that didn't grow up with a sense of nostalgia for the English DBZ dub, they might react the same way I did and have a hard time deciding whether to laugh at the cheesy dialogue or feel utter disbelief. While the worldbuilding in this book is great and overall I liked the story and characters, I felt the cheese factor was a bit too much for me and would have wanted the book to have had more POVs. I am awarding this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
November 15, 2025
This book was on my list of top Indie SFF books that I read in 2025!
For the full list, please see below:
https://beforewegoblog.com/p-ls-top-i...
Please see below the link to my YouTube interview (SIX ELEMENTALS INTERVIEWS) with the author where we discuss WISTFUL ASCENDING and how much I loved it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fMOa...
Outrageously entertaining, yet with surprising thematic depth, superhero space-opera is the name of the game, and Rohan, the main character, exists in a galaxy filled with space bears, sentient space vehicles, frightening monsters, and more.
All Rohan wants to do is tow spaceships, keep a low profile, and distance himself from his controversial backstory.
Yet perhaps the biggest challenge before our protagonist, besides coming to terms with his past atrocities, and staying away from fighting, is navigating newfound love.
Maybe the most fun I had reading a book this year!
For the full list, please see below:
https://beforewegoblog.com/p-ls-top-i...
Please see below the link to my YouTube interview (SIX ELEMENTALS INTERVIEWS) with the author where we discuss WISTFUL ASCENDING and how much I loved it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fMOa...
Outrageously entertaining, yet with surprising thematic depth, superhero space-opera is the name of the game, and Rohan, the main character, exists in a galaxy filled with space bears, sentient space vehicles, frightening monsters, and more.
All Rohan wants to do is tow spaceships, keep a low profile, and distance himself from his controversial backstory.
Yet perhaps the biggest challenge before our protagonist, besides coming to terms with his past atrocities, and staying away from fighting, is navigating newfound love.
Maybe the most fun I had reading a book this year!
January 6, 2023
Out of this world phenomenal!!!
Amazing story and brilliant performance (I have physical and audiobook formats). Highly recommend any SFF fan.
Great plot, memorable side characters, laugh out loud funny moments but also still brings the feels when it intends to. Bloody brilliant!! I already know this is gonna be one of my fave reads of the year
Amazing story and brilliant performance (I have physical and audiobook formats). Highly recommend any SFF fan.
Great plot, memorable side characters, laugh out loud funny moments but also still brings the feels when it intends to. Bloody brilliant!! I already know this is gonna be one of my fave reads of the year
August 29, 2022
Officially 4.5/5.0
First of all for anyone following along, I'll apologize that I didn't get my review of this wonderfully entertaining book out sooner. I try to get my reviews out within a day or two at most as they are still fresh in my mind but allow me to decompress a bit.
I was hearing very good things about this book in the community both in Discord as well as on Twitter. I had picked it up thinking I'd get into it sometime by the end of the year. It actually made it onto my short list of indie authors I wanted to read this year. I ended up with a bit of time in August and didn't want to dive into anything too big as I have other September obligations kicking off soon. At just over 400 pages this one seemed to fit the bill nicely. It was also a nice change following a fantasy read that I loved. Somehow I had missed the fact this was a superhero science fiction read. I don't know if that would have changed me reading it when I did but I was surprised but still really enjoyed it!
My luck has continued the last couple of months with so many of my reads. The pacing in Wistful Ascending was really good. We definitely have some ups and downs with the pacing but it never became too much in either extreme being slow or too fast. The pacing allowed the world to unfold very steadily. We definitely have a lot of action in this book which I would hope is the case for a humanoid with superhuman abilities. That being said it isn't none stop. I mean even a hybrid like Rohan still needs to rest a couple of hours after all of the punishment he puts himself through!
Character development was really great here as well. Being a science fiction story in space we get to meet some really unique characters from various races to even ships with thoughts, communication and personality to an extent. Other than Rohan my favorites were definitely Wei Li and Ursula though! The fact they become friends even makes it that much better! I loved the humor in this book. It was right up my alley for sure! I would totally get along with so many of these characters on Wistful!
World development was very strong again as well. I thought JCM Berne did a great job in building our immediate world from the start but expanding on it further both in current surroundings as well as historically as the story expanded. Again being in space opens things open to so many possibilities. We still get a connection to our own world since Rohan is from and mentions Earth many times.
This book turned into one of those I had a hard time putting down and kept picking it up whenever I got a moment to continue the story. I didn't realize until I finished that this was only the third superhero book I've read to date. I enjoyed the other two but they were more Middle Grade or Young Adult where this one was very much Adult. Even more so it hit on one of my favorite aspects of stories starting with an adult as the main characters. I have no idea how many books I've read the last couple of years that start with the more traditional younger characters that eventually develops into the adult along the way. I do enjoy many of those reads but as I get older myself I find myself not connecting as much with the younger characters as I do in cases like this. I know this isn't the easiest to still develop the adult characters but again JCM Berne did a great job in letting us get to know Rohan at the beginning and then continued to show us different layers of that onion as his history is revealed more and more throughout the story.
I already picked up book two and it's on my list of sequels I'm really looking forward to getting into soon!
First of all for anyone following along, I'll apologize that I didn't get my review of this wonderfully entertaining book out sooner. I try to get my reviews out within a day or two at most as they are still fresh in my mind but allow me to decompress a bit.
I was hearing very good things about this book in the community both in Discord as well as on Twitter. I had picked it up thinking I'd get into it sometime by the end of the year. It actually made it onto my short list of indie authors I wanted to read this year. I ended up with a bit of time in August and didn't want to dive into anything too big as I have other September obligations kicking off soon. At just over 400 pages this one seemed to fit the bill nicely. It was also a nice change following a fantasy read that I loved. Somehow I had missed the fact this was a superhero science fiction read. I don't know if that would have changed me reading it when I did but I was surprised but still really enjoyed it!
My luck has continued the last couple of months with so many of my reads. The pacing in Wistful Ascending was really good. We definitely have some ups and downs with the pacing but it never became too much in either extreme being slow or too fast. The pacing allowed the world to unfold very steadily. We definitely have a lot of action in this book which I would hope is the case for a humanoid with superhuman abilities. That being said it isn't none stop. I mean even a hybrid like Rohan still needs to rest a couple of hours after all of the punishment he puts himself through!
Character development was really great here as well. Being a science fiction story in space we get to meet some really unique characters from various races to even ships with thoughts, communication and personality to an extent. Other than Rohan my favorites were definitely Wei Li and Ursula though! The fact they become friends even makes it that much better! I loved the humor in this book. It was right up my alley for sure! I would totally get along with so many of these characters on Wistful!
World development was very strong again as well. I thought JCM Berne did a great job in building our immediate world from the start but expanding on it further both in current surroundings as well as historically as the story expanded. Again being in space opens things open to so many possibilities. We still get a connection to our own world since Rohan is from and mentions Earth many times.
This book turned into one of those I had a hard time putting down and kept picking it up whenever I got a moment to continue the story. I didn't realize until I finished that this was only the third superhero book I've read to date. I enjoyed the other two but they were more Middle Grade or Young Adult where this one was very much Adult. Even more so it hit on one of my favorite aspects of stories starting with an adult as the main characters. I have no idea how many books I've read the last couple of years that start with the more traditional younger characters that eventually develops into the adult along the way. I do enjoy many of those reads but as I get older myself I find myself not connecting as much with the younger characters as I do in cases like this. I know this isn't the easiest to still develop the adult characters but again JCM Berne did a great job in letting us get to know Rohan at the beginning and then continued to show us different layers of that onion as his history is revealed more and more throughout the story.
I already picked up book two and it's on my list of sequels I'm really looking forward to getting into soon!
April 9, 2023
I’ll write more later, but this book was an absolute BLAST. Huge recommend for me, and I can’t wait to get to the next two books!
March 23, 2023
A fun slice of life superhero romp. Buzzing with energy and dad jokes, there was certainly a lot of chaos as Rohan's life was upended by space bears, assassins, and much more! Whilst some unexpected depth in the second act really pushes the boundaries and shows what could’ve been if things had been taken in a different direction, for the most part the book is happy to be a low stakes zany sci fi. Overall, I found it entertaining, if a little restrained in what it could’ve been.
Wistful Ascending is first and foremost the story of Tow Chief Second Class Rohan. Day in-day out Rohan flies out to the wilderness of space to tow in the ships arriving to land on the space station Wistful. It’s a good life, engaging enough, and yet nothing ever goes too much wrong.
But Rohan has a secret he wants to keep hidden. Rohan is a Hybrid, a former superhero from Earth with a complex past. All Rohan wants is to escape that life and live in peace. But space bears never mean peace… and it never ends with just space bears!
I think a lot of the entertainment of this book came from seeing what could go wrong next. We start with the space bears ( whom can be wonderfully charming I must admit), but before too long it grows to assassins, threats from the past, and much much more. Rohan has to pick up the pieces of his life as it descends into chaos, and I honestly was rooting for him quite a lot.
Rohan is a mostly well-rounded character, a very likeable personality, although I think comparisons to Star Lord are a little overblown. I would argue that Rohan is the dad joke version; Star Lord when he’s middle aged and a little world weary, but without some of the swagger.
In the beginning we are introduced to Rohan as a man with a bubbling temper that he tries to contain, however it isn’t until quite late on that we actually see this ,rather than just being told about it. Having to deal with the fallout of his later decisions was actually the best part of the book, a point where it felt like there was a level of gravitas that grounded things and helped mature the narrative.
Prior to this I will admit that I struggled to find my way through the book (not like you’re thinking!!!!!). I think this is because my expectations were set very differently to how I felt the tone was. I was expecting a marvel esque quippy superhero romp in a sci fi setting. What I found instead was a book that was mostly focused on the personal life of Rohan whilst mini episodic adventures occurred.
Whilst the humour grew on me as very endearing, at first I struggled because I was expecting a laugh out loud quippy serialised adventure. Once I got me head wrapped around that I did find myself rather invested in the story. Not particularly the threats that were being faced, but rather the colourful personal life of Rohan and all those in it.
From Wei Li the security chief, to the space bear Ursula, to Dr Stone, there was a veritable kaleidoscope of character within, and I feel that Berne did a wonderful job making them all attention-grabbing characters. There is a certain level of wit and banter between Rohan and themselves which did raise a few chuckles, particularly the blunt interactions between Wei Li and Rohan who have a semi tumultuous relationship.
The best relationships with Rohan in this book however are reserved for the alien Tamara and the sentient ship itself, Wistful. Rohan and Tamara meet in a rather natural manner and grow into a romantic relationship that I found sweet, but never saccharine. I’m not a big fan of romance in general, however I found it was done rather tastefully here, and I was genuinely rooting for their burgeoning desire.
I think it had me so invested because Berne has the details of daily life down so well. The crazy, bigger aspects of the narrative are perhaps a little extraneous when compared with the real centre of the story, which is just about the life of Rohan. His favourite coffee shops, his quest to find new clothes, his interactions with the citizens of Wistful. These more relatable experiences within the book were the aspects that worked the most for me throughout.
As mentioned before, Wistful is the other of the top two companions found within that really was quite a lot of fun. Considering Wistful is a sentient ship, they had a rather playful relationship, and I really enjoyed their interactions.
Wistful is also part of the key to the worldbuilding and several of the mysteries here. This is where I feel things started to let themselves down a little unfortunately. There was certainly an infinite amount of potential here with the past history of Earth, the Il Drach Empire, mysterious assassins, wormholes, you name it. When Berne leaned into this and gave us more information about the universe and the events spanning it, I really enjoyed it. I am a sucker for worldbuilding, even info dumps after all!
I found it a shame here that in the focus on the smaller narrative, the larger got a little lost within. The ending provided an interesting twist to resolve some of the mysteries, however it didn’t feel particularly earned because it never felt much foreshadowed.
I believe Berne was trying to replicate the feel of a comic book, where it’s very singularly focused for the most part, and fairly episodic. Berne did achieve that here, as we zip from one adventure to the next with slices of life in-between. However, I don’t think it particularly translates well to the written page. If it will be a slice of life book, I personally think it works better to keep it very low stakes, which for the most part Wistful Ascending did. However, it felt there was a little bit of a pull towards a bigger, more serialised tale that ended up muddying things a little. The growth didn’t feel particularly organic, as we would get little titbits thrown in at random, rather than a steady growth. The scale at the end also felt like it didn’t match the scale of a serialised tale, so it felt a little uncertain of what it wanted to be. If Berne had completely committed to either a fully slice of life, or fully serialised tale( which can still start off low stakes slice of life, it just needs consistent growth, direction, and rising tension) it would’ve been all the better for it.
Indeed, in the second act, this book really goes off for a hot minute, providing the depth I was hoping for, and definitely surprising me in just how far it went. I’d really commend Berne for taking things to unexpected depths, and in fact there was one storyline I was convinced would end in a cliched fashion, and was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t. It shows the strength of Berne as an author to not conform to expectations ( I mean the space bears should’ve been a huge hint I guess!), and I think if Berne leans into that going forward, with a greater emphasis on the world and the larger stakes at play, it could really grow into something special.
CONCLUSION: I wasn’t as enamoured of this book as some others in the community. It took me a little while to adjust, and I think there were definitely some missed opportunities throughout, of which I have no doubt Berne will improve upon as he grows as an author. However, this book was just a lot of fun, I grew rather invested into the intersecting personal lives of the characters within, and it definitely raised a few smirks. The book ends in quite a self-contained space, but with enough hook to keep me invested for the next ones.
If you like zany energy, dad jokes, and superheroes, this is one for you!
Wistful Ascending is first and foremost the story of Tow Chief Second Class Rohan. Day in-day out Rohan flies out to the wilderness of space to tow in the ships arriving to land on the space station Wistful. It’s a good life, engaging enough, and yet nothing ever goes too much wrong.
But Rohan has a secret he wants to keep hidden. Rohan is a Hybrid, a former superhero from Earth with a complex past. All Rohan wants is to escape that life and live in peace. But space bears never mean peace… and it never ends with just space bears!
I think a lot of the entertainment of this book came from seeing what could go wrong next. We start with the space bears ( whom can be wonderfully charming I must admit), but before too long it grows to assassins, threats from the past, and much much more. Rohan has to pick up the pieces of his life as it descends into chaos, and I honestly was rooting for him quite a lot.
Rohan is a mostly well-rounded character, a very likeable personality, although I think comparisons to Star Lord are a little overblown. I would argue that Rohan is the dad joke version; Star Lord when he’s middle aged and a little world weary, but without some of the swagger.
In the beginning we are introduced to Rohan as a man with a bubbling temper that he tries to contain, however it isn’t until quite late on that we actually see this ,rather than just being told about it. Having to deal with the fallout of his later decisions was actually the best part of the book, a point where it felt like there was a level of gravitas that grounded things and helped mature the narrative.
Prior to this I will admit that I struggled to find my way through the book (not like you’re thinking!!!!!). I think this is because my expectations were set very differently to how I felt the tone was. I was expecting a marvel esque quippy superhero romp in a sci fi setting. What I found instead was a book that was mostly focused on the personal life of Rohan whilst mini episodic adventures occurred.
Whilst the humour grew on me as very endearing, at first I struggled because I was expecting a laugh out loud quippy serialised adventure. Once I got me head wrapped around that I did find myself rather invested in the story. Not particularly the threats that were being faced, but rather the colourful personal life of Rohan and all those in it.
From Wei Li the security chief, to the space bear Ursula, to Dr Stone, there was a veritable kaleidoscope of character within, and I feel that Berne did a wonderful job making them all attention-grabbing characters. There is a certain level of wit and banter between Rohan and themselves which did raise a few chuckles, particularly the blunt interactions between Wei Li and Rohan who have a semi tumultuous relationship.
The best relationships with Rohan in this book however are reserved for the alien Tamara and the sentient ship itself, Wistful. Rohan and Tamara meet in a rather natural manner and grow into a romantic relationship that I found sweet, but never saccharine. I’m not a big fan of romance in general, however I found it was done rather tastefully here, and I was genuinely rooting for their burgeoning desire.
I think it had me so invested because Berne has the details of daily life down so well. The crazy, bigger aspects of the narrative are perhaps a little extraneous when compared with the real centre of the story, which is just about the life of Rohan. His favourite coffee shops, his quest to find new clothes, his interactions with the citizens of Wistful. These more relatable experiences within the book were the aspects that worked the most for me throughout.
As mentioned before, Wistful is the other of the top two companions found within that really was quite a lot of fun. Considering Wistful is a sentient ship, they had a rather playful relationship, and I really enjoyed their interactions.
Wistful is also part of the key to the worldbuilding and several of the mysteries here. This is where I feel things started to let themselves down a little unfortunately. There was certainly an infinite amount of potential here with the past history of Earth, the Il Drach Empire, mysterious assassins, wormholes, you name it. When Berne leaned into this and gave us more information about the universe and the events spanning it, I really enjoyed it. I am a sucker for worldbuilding, even info dumps after all!
I found it a shame here that in the focus on the smaller narrative, the larger got a little lost within. The ending provided an interesting twist to resolve some of the mysteries, however it didn’t feel particularly earned because it never felt much foreshadowed.
I believe Berne was trying to replicate the feel of a comic book, where it’s very singularly focused for the most part, and fairly episodic. Berne did achieve that here, as we zip from one adventure to the next with slices of life in-between. However, I don’t think it particularly translates well to the written page. If it will be a slice of life book, I personally think it works better to keep it very low stakes, which for the most part Wistful Ascending did. However, it felt there was a little bit of a pull towards a bigger, more serialised tale that ended up muddying things a little. The growth didn’t feel particularly organic, as we would get little titbits thrown in at random, rather than a steady growth. The scale at the end also felt like it didn’t match the scale of a serialised tale, so it felt a little uncertain of what it wanted to be. If Berne had completely committed to either a fully slice of life, or fully serialised tale( which can still start off low stakes slice of life, it just needs consistent growth, direction, and rising tension) it would’ve been all the better for it.
Indeed, in the second act, this book really goes off for a hot minute, providing the depth I was hoping for, and definitely surprising me in just how far it went. I’d really commend Berne for taking things to unexpected depths, and in fact there was one storyline I was convinced would end in a cliched fashion, and was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t. It shows the strength of Berne as an author to not conform to expectations ( I mean the space bears should’ve been a huge hint I guess!), and I think if Berne leans into that going forward, with a greater emphasis on the world and the larger stakes at play, it could really grow into something special.
CONCLUSION: I wasn’t as enamoured of this book as some others in the community. It took me a little while to adjust, and I think there were definitely some missed opportunities throughout, of which I have no doubt Berne will improve upon as he grows as an author. However, this book was just a lot of fun, I grew rather invested into the intersecting personal lives of the characters within, and it definitely raised a few smirks. The book ends in quite a self-contained space, but with enough hook to keep me invested for the next ones.
If you like zany energy, dad jokes, and superheroes, this is one for you!
July 29, 2024
Wistful Ascending by J.C.M. Berne - First book in the Hybrid Helix series
Adventurous, challenging, emotional, funny,
hopeful, inspiring, reflective, sad, and tense.
Medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0 Stars
Sam Harrison, a YouTuber that Marie and I watch...recommended this book/series to his follow (which we are), and I have to say...he did NOT stear us wrong.
I thoroughly LOVED this story, the characters, the world/universe building AND the plot. I mean, look at the rating of this book...it doesn't get BETTER than that. It was PERFECTLY what I needed, when I needed it. Thank you.
I love his mantra that he chants, and wish more people followed his example (in that portion of his life).
I love Wistful...and everything about the space station. I hope, that in future books/stories, we will get more of a background of the AI and look forward to Rohan and its relationship growing and improving (over time).
Wei Li is a great character, too. She doesn't put up with his nonsense, but on the other hand...allows him to be himself with her and her capacity on the station. Love their dynamic.
The Stones were a great addition to the story, and when/how they were introduced and how that arc played out. I look forward to more adventures to be had...at their hand, for OR against the wishes of Rohan.
Love Tamara and her kid. Don't want to say too much.
Ursula and the Ursans (bears) were truly an interesting race of creatures. At first I thought it was absurdist, like a Terry Pratchett race/creature, but I enjoyed their story, their honour and their society. Yeah...great addition to and already great story.
Oh, there's a LOT to unpack about Rohan's life, family, race and place in the universe, but then again...he's JUST a Tow Chief Second Class...and he's fine with that. Some may say he's and "under-achiever", but they don't know what they are talking about.
In my mind, Rohan is the Patrick Swayze of this universe. "Be nice, until it's time to not be nice." I hope you (J.C.M. Berne) don't mind this characterization.
I will be picking up the next book, soon. No worries.
Adventurous, challenging, emotional, funny,
hopeful, inspiring, reflective, sad, and tense.
Medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0 Stars
Sam Harrison, a YouTuber that Marie and I watch...recommended this book/series to his follow (which we are), and I have to say...he did NOT stear us wrong.
I thoroughly LOVED this story, the characters, the world/universe building AND the plot. I mean, look at the rating of this book...it doesn't get BETTER than that. It was PERFECTLY what I needed, when I needed it. Thank you.
I love his mantra that he chants, and wish more people followed his example (in that portion of his life).
I love Wistful...and everything about the space station. I hope, that in future books/stories, we will get more of a background of the AI and look forward to Rohan and its relationship growing and improving (over time).
Wei Li is a great character, too. She doesn't put up with his nonsense, but on the other hand...allows him to be himself with her and her capacity on the station. Love their dynamic.
The Stones were a great addition to the story, and when/how they were introduced and how that arc played out. I look forward to more adventures to be had...at their hand, for OR against the wishes of Rohan.
Love Tamara and her kid. Don't want to say too much.
Ursula and the Ursans (bears) were truly an interesting race of creatures. At first I thought it was absurdist, like a Terry Pratchett race/creature, but I enjoyed their story, their honour and their society. Yeah...great addition to and already great story.
Oh, there's a LOT to unpack about Rohan's life, family, race and place in the universe, but then again...he's JUST a Tow Chief Second Class...and he's fine with that. Some may say he's and "under-achiever", but they don't know what they are talking about.
In my mind, Rohan is the Patrick Swayze of this universe. "Be nice, until it's time to not be nice." I hope you (J.C.M. Berne) don't mind this characterization.
I will be picking up the next book, soon. No worries.
January 10, 2026
Got sucked into the story from the start
Good read. Hard to put down. Love the way the story starts and then tell gets faster. Will definitely be looking for the next in the series.
Good read. Hard to put down. Love the way the story starts and then tell gets faster. Will definitely be looking for the next in the series.
February 24, 2025
This review was originally posted to SFF Insiders.
https://www.sffinsiders.com/blog/revi...
This is, hands down, the best space opera book I have ever read. Sign me up for the rest of the series.
Wistful. An independent sentient space station home to roughly two million individuals of various intergalactic species. Employed by said station, Rohan works as a Second-Class Tow Chief helping visiting spaceships successfully and safely dock. Residing in a calm quadrant of space, life seems simple. Rohan wakes each day, fulfills his work, tries new restaurants, and occasionally finds himself flirting with a local alien named Tamara. That is until a black hole opens in Wistful’s quadrant and Rohan finds his life turned upside down and now rife with danger. Secrets that were best left buried resurface as Rohan races to keep the station and its inhabitants safe from old and new adversaries.
Wistful Ascending was my first ever dive into the Space Opera genre and boy, did this book hit every check box of expectation. Action, adventure, mystery, a hint of romance, battles of epic proportions and witty banter; Wistful Ascending takes it all and wraps it up into a nice bookish package that will stay in your memory for years to come.
The book kicks off with some foreshadowing in the first chapter. Berne does not waste any time and drops readers into the heart of the action from page one. Our protagonist, Rohan, is getting beaten within an inch of his life for a revealing event that will take place later in the book. It is here we see that Rohan is not a standard human, but in fact a hybrid being with an arsenal of power. Despite this, Rohan is one who just wants a simple life. He is humorous, witty with comebacks, a skilled fighter, and a fantastic leader. He sometimes tends to put his foot in his mouth and gets embarrassed, but it’s just part of his charm. He is, after all, part human. Readers connect with his character right from the start and slowly learn more about his past before he was a Tow Chief at an independent space station. In short, we all need a little Rohan in our lives.
Readers also get to experience more minor characters from Wistful’s operations crew, its inhabitants, and even a separate ship containing a species known as Ursans. While these characters are not at the forefront, they are well developed in their personalities, languages, culture, and mannerisms. Readers truly feel like they are meeting an alien lifeform rather than reading a book. Without spoilers, Ursans must be the most unique take on alien life I have seen in a while, including from both literature and film. If I had to be part of an alien spaceship crew, I would without a doubt want to be a Ursan.
Like many good space novels, the world readers are transported to is unique and imaginative. You will experience vast new worlds, lifeforms, flora and fauna, and the interworking of a sentient space station. There are references to Earth and its continents and you get a deeper dive into Rohan’s history, but the focus is mostly on the station and a planet, Toth, that it resides close to. Toth is a beautiful planet that attracts scientist from various quadrants. However, as every rose has its thorns, the planet is not quite what it seems. One should heed the warnings that it’s better left alone.
My personal enjoyment of this novel carried from page one to the very end. Berne has a way of writing that keeps you up late at night for “just one more chapter”. The story flows seamlessly with action and reflections at the appropriate times so readers have time to process the story. For those of our readers who are interested in audio, I highly recommend giving Wistful Ascending your ears. The narrator, Wayne Farrell, does a dynamite job in inflection, character voices (especially those of an alien species), and intonation. You can feel the emotion pour from his narration as he brings the story to life.
In conclusion, this book made my year in the sci-fi genre. There were times I was listening to the story while driving and was laughing so hard I had to hit the pause button until I could regain composure. I went ahead and acquired the remaining books in the series and will soon be starting book two. I can’t wait to see where Rohan’s adventures take us next!
https://www.sffinsiders.com/blog/revi...
This is, hands down, the best space opera book I have ever read. Sign me up for the rest of the series.
Wistful. An independent sentient space station home to roughly two million individuals of various intergalactic species. Employed by said station, Rohan works as a Second-Class Tow Chief helping visiting spaceships successfully and safely dock. Residing in a calm quadrant of space, life seems simple. Rohan wakes each day, fulfills his work, tries new restaurants, and occasionally finds himself flirting with a local alien named Tamara. That is until a black hole opens in Wistful’s quadrant and Rohan finds his life turned upside down and now rife with danger. Secrets that were best left buried resurface as Rohan races to keep the station and its inhabitants safe from old and new adversaries.
Wistful Ascending was my first ever dive into the Space Opera genre and boy, did this book hit every check box of expectation. Action, adventure, mystery, a hint of romance, battles of epic proportions and witty banter; Wistful Ascending takes it all and wraps it up into a nice bookish package that will stay in your memory for years to come.
The book kicks off with some foreshadowing in the first chapter. Berne does not waste any time and drops readers into the heart of the action from page one. Our protagonist, Rohan, is getting beaten within an inch of his life for a revealing event that will take place later in the book. It is here we see that Rohan is not a standard human, but in fact a hybrid being with an arsenal of power. Despite this, Rohan is one who just wants a simple life. He is humorous, witty with comebacks, a skilled fighter, and a fantastic leader. He sometimes tends to put his foot in his mouth and gets embarrassed, but it’s just part of his charm. He is, after all, part human. Readers connect with his character right from the start and slowly learn more about his past before he was a Tow Chief at an independent space station. In short, we all need a little Rohan in our lives.
Readers also get to experience more minor characters from Wistful’s operations crew, its inhabitants, and even a separate ship containing a species known as Ursans. While these characters are not at the forefront, they are well developed in their personalities, languages, culture, and mannerisms. Readers truly feel like they are meeting an alien lifeform rather than reading a book. Without spoilers, Ursans must be the most unique take on alien life I have seen in a while, including from both literature and film. If I had to be part of an alien spaceship crew, I would without a doubt want to be a Ursan.
Like many good space novels, the world readers are transported to is unique and imaginative. You will experience vast new worlds, lifeforms, flora and fauna, and the interworking of a sentient space station. There are references to Earth and its continents and you get a deeper dive into Rohan’s history, but the focus is mostly on the station and a planet, Toth, that it resides close to. Toth is a beautiful planet that attracts scientist from various quadrants. However, as every rose has its thorns, the planet is not quite what it seems. One should heed the warnings that it’s better left alone.
My personal enjoyment of this novel carried from page one to the very end. Berne has a way of writing that keeps you up late at night for “just one more chapter”. The story flows seamlessly with action and reflections at the appropriate times so readers have time to process the story. For those of our readers who are interested in audio, I highly recommend giving Wistful Ascending your ears. The narrator, Wayne Farrell, does a dynamite job in inflection, character voices (especially those of an alien species), and intonation. You can feel the emotion pour from his narration as he brings the story to life.
In conclusion, this book made my year in the sci-fi genre. There were times I was listening to the story while driving and was laughing so hard I had to hit the pause button until I could regain composure. I went ahead and acquired the remaining books in the series and will soon be starting book two. I can’t wait to see where Rohan’s adventures take us next!
September 7, 2022
“…What if people find out that my mom is dating someone who dresses like that? They’ll never forget it. I’ll get picked on for the rest of my life.” “Is that what your worried about? You know, I’ve been kind of busy.” “Oh, sure. You have time to fight monsters and aliens and get exploded but you can’t take ten minutes out to order a suit?”
This is a good example of some of the pithy wittisms throughout this fun, intergalactic sci-fi book. Usually I don’t read these, and it took a while for me to become engaged with the story, but I finally got there. Rohan is self-deprecating but an almost invincible superman who has retired to a quiet sector to do mundane jobs. The best characters are Wistful, Wei Li, and Rinth. Events do not resolve themselves as I suspected, so I give credit for making me surprised.
Sci-fi fans should have a field day reading this story. And there’s more to come.
This is a good example of some of the pithy wittisms throughout this fun, intergalactic sci-fi book. Usually I don’t read these, and it took a while for me to become engaged with the story, but I finally got there. Rohan is self-deprecating but an almost invincible superman who has retired to a quiet sector to do mundane jobs. The best characters are Wistful, Wei Li, and Rinth. Events do not resolve themselves as I suspected, so I give credit for making me surprised.
Sci-fi fans should have a field day reading this story. And there’s more to come.
December 7, 2022
I'll be honest, I wasn't thrilled when this book was picked by others for me to read. It's sci-fi and the more sci-fi I read, the more I realize that I have a strong preference for fantasy over sci-fi.
When I started the book, my brain immediately did what it always does whenever I start a sci-fi book - it started thinking about other things. But pretty quickly, I began to get intrigued by this Rohan guy and before I knew it, I couldn't put the book down. Rohan quickly became a character I enjoyed spending time with and rooting for. A seemingly regular guy trying to work a boring 9-5, but he has super powers and a past he'd rather not remember.
I won't say anything else other than it was so well written, that this plot focused fantasy reader now rates this character focused sci-fi novel as one of his favorite books of the year.
When I started the book, my brain immediately did what it always does whenever I start a sci-fi book - it started thinking about other things. But pretty quickly, I began to get intrigued by this Rohan guy and before I knew it, I couldn't put the book down. Rohan quickly became a character I enjoyed spending time with and rooting for. A seemingly regular guy trying to work a boring 9-5, but he has super powers and a past he'd rather not remember.
I won't say anything else other than it was so well written, that this plot focused fantasy reader now rates this character focused sci-fi novel as one of his favorite books of the year.
July 13, 2023
Rating 5 out of 5 stars
All right, all right, I finally did it and read Wistful Ascending (Book #1 in the Hybrid Helix series) by JCM Berne. Hyped all over Book Twitter, Discord servers, and your local Starbucks ;) It was time to see if it lived up to the hype.
Let me tell you, it certainly does. Maybe I was in the right mood and it was the right time for this book, but for me it was the perfect fun summer read. At first I was going to give it 4 stars because it was pretty good and I really liked it but I wanted to have some room for the other book but as I was writing this review I thought "no it is totally a 5 star for me". Enough gushing let's dive in why this was such a fun, engaging read for me.
Wistful Ascending starts almost like a cozy slice of life novel and lets you take part in the life of Rohan, our main character. A retired Hybrid, a half human guy with superpowers living a kind of normal life on a space station called Wistful. We follow him doing his everyday work, getting food at several food stands and restaurants etc. But as you progress in the story the more and more unusual things happen and you get your action always followed by some more slice of life parts. This was perfect for me. Sure, it starts slow, but that gives you time to get to know Rohan, his friends, and the space station. Then the tide turns and the story picks up speed. The tone gets darker (not grim dark by any means) and you can't help but root for Rohan. The story isn't entirely new, but it's well-developed, compelling, and when you're done, you want more.
Which brings me directly to the world building, which is another great part that makes you want more. The world is pretty damn well developed and you get all kinds of background information. Here and there a little bit more information so that you can get a bigger picture of the universe. But never so much that you have an infodump or feel overwhelmed by all the information.
Now the character work... JCM Berne writes great characters and you have to like them. Rohan is such a great guy, flawed but always making me smile, and the supporting cast is perfect as well. Wistful Ascending has so many lovable characters and each one is unique and relatable. Rohan evolves throughout the story and each step is well thought out.
Next, I'd like to point out that there is romance in this book, but don't run away from it. It is written so well and realistically and it fits perfectly into the slice of live cozy vibe that even I enjoyed that part a lot. It is just done right. And to be honest, the arc where the romance is involved is not just cozy, but you will get there soon enough ;).
So yes, the hype is real and Wistful Ascending was the right book at the right time for me. It is an engaging, fun read with great characters, great humor, SPACE BEARS and great action. Just a feel-good novel that fits perfectly into the summer. I really wanted to start the second book right after I finished this one, but I thought I needed to stretch it out a bit so I could have some more fun with Rohan and his friends until book number 4 comes out in September (right? RIGHT?). So if you haven't read this yet and you like superheroes in the vein of Deadpool or Starlord, give this one a try.
All right, all right, I finally did it and read Wistful Ascending (Book #1 in the Hybrid Helix series) by JCM Berne. Hyped all over Book Twitter, Discord servers, and your local Starbucks ;) It was time to see if it lived up to the hype.
Let me tell you, it certainly does. Maybe I was in the right mood and it was the right time for this book, but for me it was the perfect fun summer read. At first I was going to give it 4 stars because it was pretty good and I really liked it but I wanted to have some room for the other book but as I was writing this review I thought "no it is totally a 5 star for me". Enough gushing let's dive in why this was such a fun, engaging read for me.
Wistful Ascending starts almost like a cozy slice of life novel and lets you take part in the life of Rohan, our main character. A retired Hybrid, a half human guy with superpowers living a kind of normal life on a space station called Wistful. We follow him doing his everyday work, getting food at several food stands and restaurants etc. But as you progress in the story the more and more unusual things happen and you get your action always followed by some more slice of life parts. This was perfect for me. Sure, it starts slow, but that gives you time to get to know Rohan, his friends, and the space station. Then the tide turns and the story picks up speed. The tone gets darker (not grim dark by any means) and you can't help but root for Rohan. The story isn't entirely new, but it's well-developed, compelling, and when you're done, you want more.
Which brings me directly to the world building, which is another great part that makes you want more. The world is pretty damn well developed and you get all kinds of background information. Here and there a little bit more information so that you can get a bigger picture of the universe. But never so much that you have an infodump or feel overwhelmed by all the information.
Now the character work... JCM Berne writes great characters and you have to like them. Rohan is such a great guy, flawed but always making me smile, and the supporting cast is perfect as well. Wistful Ascending has so many lovable characters and each one is unique and relatable. Rohan evolves throughout the story and each step is well thought out.
Next, I'd like to point out that there is romance in this book, but don't run away from it. It is written so well and realistically and it fits perfectly into the slice of live cozy vibe that even I enjoyed that part a lot. It is just done right. And to be honest, the arc where the romance is involved is not just cozy, but you will get there soon enough ;).
So yes, the hype is real and Wistful Ascending was the right book at the right time for me. It is an engaging, fun read with great characters, great humor, SPACE BEARS and great action. Just a feel-good novel that fits perfectly into the summer. I really wanted to start the second book right after I finished this one, but I thought I needed to stretch it out a bit so I could have some more fun with Rohan and his friends until book number 4 comes out in September (right? RIGHT?). So if you haven't read this yet and you like superheroes in the vein of Deadpool or Starlord, give this one a try.
October 23, 2023
I’m not sure where to start with a review of Wistful Ascending. I got the first three books of the Hybrid Helix series last Christmas, but just when I was about to read them, the first was loaned to my mom. I got it back last week and started it on the flight home.
First off, I tore through the first third on the plane, and then spent most of my time the next several days thinking about it and just wanting to read it.
So I did.
It’s very hard for me to quantify just what I loved about Wistful Ascending. Because there really was nothing I did not like about this book.
“Why should I read Wistful Ascending?” You might ask. “It’s just a Superhero story.”
The thing is, it’s really not. It’s about a man trying to readjust to normal life. In this case, as a Space Port ship tow-er. He literally brings ships into port after they cut all their guns and engines. That’s really all he wants. He’s agreeable, but no push-over, and will bring major Siatama vibes for those of you who are One Punch Man fanatics. (He can take punches akin to Saitama too.)
He also gives major John Stewart (of Green Lantern) vibes. Now, I was just a little too young for the John Stewart Green Lantern comics, but his “Mosaic” storyline, of acting as a respected leader of hundreds of alien cultures in Evergreen City, and you get a glimpse at the kind of setting we’re dealing with in Wistful Ascending.
One thing I couldn’t help noticing is how he was layering his plots. I know that JCM Berne comes from a software background, and so nesting code is second nature to him, but there was something more at play. It struck me as almost Wodehousian. (PG Wodehouse was known for setting up problem after problem for his protagonists until the answer seemed so far into the weeds that nothing could solve it, and then, with one gentle breath, the whole house of cards collapsed to a perfect finale.)
With each answer that came for each problem Rohan faces in Wistful Ascending another answer unfolded. At any time I ever wondered “what’s this new thing? Why should I care?” JCM Berne answered with more information (obviously oly the tip of the iceberg for the entire series.)
All of this to say, if you are looking for a Superhero in Space story akin to Guardians of the Galaxy, but with a better satin gloved touch, if you’re looking for a Babylon 5 or DS9 cultural slice of life, if you’re looking for the exquisite ennui and study in internal healing you get between punches of One Punch Man (with equally awesome fights), and if you’re looking for more perfectly prepared dishes of cultural reference than Deadpool, then you need to read JCM Berne’s Wistful Ascending.
Easy 5/5 Star. I’ll be I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time, but continuing with book 2 immediately.
First off, I tore through the first third on the plane, and then spent most of my time the next several days thinking about it and just wanting to read it.
So I did.
It’s very hard for me to quantify just what I loved about Wistful Ascending. Because there really was nothing I did not like about this book.
“Why should I read Wistful Ascending?” You might ask. “It’s just a Superhero story.”
The thing is, it’s really not. It’s about a man trying to readjust to normal life. In this case, as a Space Port ship tow-er. He literally brings ships into port after they cut all their guns and engines. That’s really all he wants. He’s agreeable, but no push-over, and will bring major Siatama vibes for those of you who are One Punch Man fanatics. (He can take punches akin to Saitama too.)
He also gives major John Stewart (of Green Lantern) vibes. Now, I was just a little too young for the John Stewart Green Lantern comics, but his “Mosaic” storyline, of acting as a respected leader of hundreds of alien cultures in Evergreen City, and you get a glimpse at the kind of setting we’re dealing with in Wistful Ascending.
One thing I couldn’t help noticing is how he was layering his plots. I know that JCM Berne comes from a software background, and so nesting code is second nature to him, but there was something more at play. It struck me as almost Wodehousian. (PG Wodehouse was known for setting up problem after problem for his protagonists until the answer seemed so far into the weeds that nothing could solve it, and then, with one gentle breath, the whole house of cards collapsed to a perfect finale.)
With each answer that came for each problem Rohan faces in Wistful Ascending another answer unfolded. At any time I ever wondered “what’s this new thing? Why should I care?” JCM Berne answered with more information (obviously oly the tip of the iceberg for the entire series.)
All of this to say, if you are looking for a Superhero in Space story akin to Guardians of the Galaxy, but with a better satin gloved touch, if you’re looking for a Babylon 5 or DS9 cultural slice of life, if you’re looking for the exquisite ennui and study in internal healing you get between punches of One Punch Man (with equally awesome fights), and if you’re looking for more perfectly prepared dishes of cultural reference than Deadpool, then you need to read JCM Berne’s Wistful Ascending.
Easy 5/5 Star. I’ll be I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time, but continuing with book 2 immediately.
December 29, 2023
“That was pretty good advice. Have you been studying? Reading romance novels or something?”
“I subscribed to ‘Things your stupid friends should know but don’t.’ In my daily feed. At first, I believed it to be a parody site, but over time I realized it is frighteningly accurate. Now I read the entries and repeat them to people I know. Then they believe I am wise and sincere in caring for them.”
Sentient Space Stations are a nice touch. Sentient Spaceships are an even nicer touch. Sentient Space Bears who drink are the nicest touch.
This book was a treat. When I met the author at DragonCon he told me he wanted to go for the vibes of a south Indian movie. And he actually captures that vibe immaculately. For the people who are not acquainted with south Indian movies, they have their different qualities, range and stuff but the predominant trait most of them share is they tend to be ‘entertaining (in a mass pop appeal, over the top way)’.
I don’t know if others would categorize this to be a cozy sci-fi book because it has a lot of action, major stakes, and some dark stuff but to me it had a cozy vibe to it. It was because this book has a slice of life story structure and I was comfortable reading this book. I felt assured that the hero would end up saving the day and it would have a happy ending. It actually took up my daily life sitcom TV hour, a proper action comedy sitcom. At one point, the MC is fighting a 200 meter insectoid alien that can move extremely fast and can spit acid and yet I was very relaxed reading it. Very relaxed yet very engaged.
The book is very, very easy to read and the main character is very, very easy to like. He is a retired superhero who just wants to be left alone. In typical fashion though, trouble comes to him and the moments where some of his past is revealed is scary but is also scary-delicious in the I was a former OP-badass way.
While it is a mostly fun read, it also has depth and multiple layers to the story. I mean even the title is actually multi-layered, it is not just the name of the space station system. Now because it follows a slice of life structure, the protagonist is actually unveiled very well to the readers, he feels like a properly deep character and after a while I am able to predict his thoughts and how he would respond to the newly arising situations. The story also sets up multiple different threads and then ties them all up really well by the end.
Fun, great action scenes, MC with depth, sarcasm and an overall cozy vibe has been the bedrock of the Murderbot series for me. With just one book, JCM Berne has stolen the space opera part of my heart that Martha Wells was safeguarding previously and Hybrid Helix has become my new comfort sci-fi series.
“I subscribed to ‘Things your stupid friends should know but don’t.’ In my daily feed. At first, I believed it to be a parody site, but over time I realized it is frighteningly accurate. Now I read the entries and repeat them to people I know. Then they believe I am wise and sincere in caring for them.”
Sentient Space Stations are a nice touch. Sentient Spaceships are an even nicer touch. Sentient Space Bears who drink are the nicest touch.
This book was a treat. When I met the author at DragonCon he told me he wanted to go for the vibes of a south Indian movie. And he actually captures that vibe immaculately. For the people who are not acquainted with south Indian movies, they have their different qualities, range and stuff but the predominant trait most of them share is they tend to be ‘entertaining (in a mass pop appeal, over the top way)’.
I don’t know if others would categorize this to be a cozy sci-fi book because it has a lot of action, major stakes, and some dark stuff but to me it had a cozy vibe to it. It was because this book has a slice of life story structure and I was comfortable reading this book. I felt assured that the hero would end up saving the day and it would have a happy ending. It actually took up my daily life sitcom TV hour, a proper action comedy sitcom. At one point, the MC is fighting a 200 meter insectoid alien that can move extremely fast and can spit acid and yet I was very relaxed reading it. Very relaxed yet very engaged.
The book is very, very easy to read and the main character is very, very easy to like. He is a retired superhero who just wants to be left alone. In typical fashion though, trouble comes to him and the moments where some of his past is revealed is scary but is also scary-delicious in the I was a former OP-badass way.
While it is a mostly fun read, it also has depth and multiple layers to the story. I mean even the title is actually multi-layered, it is not just the name of the space station system. Now because it follows a slice of life structure, the protagonist is actually unveiled very well to the readers, he feels like a properly deep character and after a while I am able to predict his thoughts and how he would respond to the newly arising situations. The story also sets up multiple different threads and then ties them all up really well by the end.
Fun, great action scenes, MC with depth, sarcasm and an overall cozy vibe has been the bedrock of the Murderbot series for me. With just one book, JCM Berne has stolen the space opera part of my heart that Martha Wells was safeguarding previously and Hybrid Helix has become my new comfort sci-fi series.
November 2, 2025
A terrific space opera about an extraordinarily nice guy called Rohan (not his real name) with near godlike powers and a bad temper who just wants to start each day with a nice breakfast before doing his job (he's a human tugboat), but, well, things happen.
A character like Rohan is tough to write. How do you make an incredibly powerful character relatable? How can you put him in a situation that actually threatens, or even inconveniences him? Berne succeeds in doing all of this by giving Rohan genuine moral depth, and by exposing the hidden limitations inherent in superhuman abilities. Rohan may not be the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but he's a thinker. And, as it turns out, incredible power isn't the solution to every problem.
It took me a while to realize this was going to be more than Superman in Space, but by the time I was about a third of the way in, I was hooked. Fun, fun book--I'm looking forward to reading further into the series!
A character like Rohan is tough to write. How do you make an incredibly powerful character relatable? How can you put him in a situation that actually threatens, or even inconveniences him? Berne succeeds in doing all of this by giving Rohan genuine moral depth, and by exposing the hidden limitations inherent in superhuman abilities. Rohan may not be the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but he's a thinker. And, as it turns out, incredible power isn't the solution to every problem.
It took me a while to realize this was going to be more than Superman in Space, but by the time I was about a third of the way in, I was hooked. Fun, fun book--I'm looking forward to reading further into the series!
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