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Hybrid Helix #3
Blood Reunion
People are dying, their corpses left savaged and drained of blood. The obvious vampires. But vampires shouldn’t be able to sneak around Wistful undetected or shadowstep freely inside her body. Soon the station herself becomes oddly uncooperative, leaving Rohan and Wei Li bewildered and all her inhabitants in danger. Finding and defeating the killer will require a deep dive into the ancient history of Wistful and of the il’Drach people. Into the connections between the Ursans, the wormholes, and the races that preceded them. Into the dark past of a tormented space station that yearns only for death. Rohan will be forced to fight, and maybe even to kill. He’ll have to face those who bear grudges from his past, the Empire he once served, and his own reluctance to again become the warrior he sometimes needs to be.
408 pages, Paperback
Published October 17, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
May 6, 2023
Part of my Review Roundup on Before We Go Blog.
Blood Reunion is the third entry in JCM Berne’s Hybrid Helix series. The novel again centers on the hybrid Rohan, who has inherited superpowers from his father’s (alien) side of the family.
Whereas the previous book in the series, Return of the Griffin, brought Rohan to Earth and explored the relationship with his mother, in Blood Reunion Rohan is back in space and dealing with daddy issues.
In Blood Reunion, JCM Berne strikes just the right balance among character development, worldbuilding, and raw action. Berne’s writing is witty without becoming a self-parody, and his pacing is spot on.
The Hybrid Helix series is definitely recommended for fans of space opera. It’s superhero saga with heart, and it will also make you laugh while telling a great story. Check it out!
Blood Reunion is the third entry in JCM Berne’s Hybrid Helix series. The novel again centers on the hybrid Rohan, who has inherited superpowers from his father’s (alien) side of the family.
Whereas the previous book in the series, Return of the Griffin, brought Rohan to Earth and explored the relationship with his mother, in Blood Reunion Rohan is back in space and dealing with daddy issues.
In Blood Reunion, JCM Berne strikes just the right balance among character development, worldbuilding, and raw action. Berne’s writing is witty without becoming a self-parody, and his pacing is spot on.
The Hybrid Helix series is definitely recommended for fans of space opera. It’s superhero saga with heart, and it will also make you laugh while telling a great story. Check it out!
August 10, 2026
This is one of my favorite Sci-fi series I'm reading at the moment. The storyline and universe it takes place in feel original and very real to me. I love the characters. Rohan is such an interesting character study and seeing him work through becoming something more than he used to be is interesting, and inspiring at the same time. The supporting cast is fabulous, and all have interesting parts to add to the overall story. The antagonist was great as well. Such and interesting character and with a mysterious background, leading to so much intrigue. I love where the overall storyline goes based on what we learn. The action in this one is excellently paced, keeping me riveted and excited to read all the way through. I am definitely looking forward to the next installment. 4.5/5.0 stars! More people should read this for sure.
December 6, 2022
Action-packed and full of heart! JCM Berne makes Space operas fun!
Another solid entry into the Hybrid Helix Saga! It was great to dive deep into the history of the universe that is being created. I have always been curious about Wistfulls history. I am happy to report that it does not disappoint.
I loved exploring Rohan's heart-felt desire to be a better man. While this story doesn't have a love interest for our Hero to entangle with I do feel like we explored what makes his found family dynamic so strong and wildly entertaining.
I continue to love these books and cannot wait for the next book
Another solid entry into the Hybrid Helix Saga! It was great to dive deep into the history of the universe that is being created. I have always been curious about Wistfulls history. I am happy to report that it does not disappoint.
I loved exploring Rohan's heart-felt desire to be a better man. While this story doesn't have a love interest for our Hero to entangle with I do feel like we explored what makes his found family dynamic so strong and wildly entertaining.
I continue to love these books and cannot wait for the next book
Read
May 28, 2026Third installment in the Hybrid Helix series, this is a stellar choice for a comfort read, filled with banter, quixotic humor, rough action and the charm of a hero reformed, who has left his past record of conflict, war, and killing for reason and kindness, sometimes backed up with fists.
This installment packs all the punch and charm and also, food description to water your mouth, that made the first two volumes a hit.
This round, besides the lovable ursines, we get perky AI intelligent starships, starving vampires in space and also: Rohan's Dad, with the lively father/son conflict hinted at in the books prior.
Perfect beach read, lighthearted fun with serious arena violence, this series is a true original that celebrates love, friendship and doing the right thing even when the temptation arises to solve things with the age old adage of force. Have at it for an enjoyable ride! Rohan rings in another tale with his usual verve and self-deprecating panache.
This installment packs all the punch and charm and also, food description to water your mouth, that made the first two volumes a hit.
This round, besides the lovable ursines, we get perky AI intelligent starships, starving vampires in space and also: Rohan's Dad, with the lively father/son conflict hinted at in the books prior.
Perfect beach read, lighthearted fun with serious arena violence, this series is a true original that celebrates love, friendship and doing the right thing even when the temptation arises to solve things with the age old adage of force. Have at it for an enjoyable ride! Rohan rings in another tale with his usual verve and self-deprecating panache.
April 16, 2025
Another romp with Rohan! This time, we jump back into the space setting to our favorite sentient galactic station, Wistful. Beleaguered by a deadly vampiric foe, Rohan and his crew of friends that we met back in book one have to put together all their strengths to beat him.
Things look pretty dire for our hero and his cohort through much of this installment. Rohan survives his encounters with the powerful ancient opponent by the skin of his teeth and the help of his motley crew.
I really liked the way that Berne explored vampirism in the space station setting, bringing in more of the ancient backstory of Wistful's origins and pulling back the curtain on some of the infrastructure. I was also incredibly happy to be back with the characters from the first book after a hiatus to save Earth in book two.
The dialogue seemed far more heavy in this book, and I often found my focus wandering during long conversations, which happened pretty frequently. The plot for this one did feel a bit more repetitive than book one as well.
Going back to Wistful was a joy, and I absolutely loved the ships Insatiable and Void's Shadow whenever they were on page. There was a discussion between Rohan and Void's Shadow at one point during the book that really had me invested and brought back that awesome switch that Berne can pull with his characters that takes them from superhero adventure to a moment of deep emotional immersion.
I look forward to the next book!
Things look pretty dire for our hero and his cohort through much of this installment. Rohan survives his encounters with the powerful ancient opponent by the skin of his teeth and the help of his motley crew.
I really liked the way that Berne explored vampirism in the space station setting, bringing in more of the ancient backstory of Wistful's origins and pulling back the curtain on some of the infrastructure. I was also incredibly happy to be back with the characters from the first book after a hiatus to save Earth in book two.
The dialogue seemed far more heavy in this book, and I often found my focus wandering during long conversations, which happened pretty frequently. The plot for this one did feel a bit more repetitive than book one as well.
Going back to Wistful was a joy, and I absolutely loved the ships Insatiable and Void's Shadow whenever they were on page. There was a discussion between Rohan and Void's Shadow at one point during the book that really had me invested and brought back that awesome switch that Berne can pull with his characters that takes them from superhero adventure to a moment of deep emotional immersion.
I look forward to the next book!
February 8, 2023
Blood Reunion is my favourite book in this series so far.
If this was an episode of Star Trek, it might be dubbed a bottle episode, taking place primarily in one location. Some of the best episodes can be confined in this way, and this book is no different. Taking place on Wistful for the majority of the story, this does not restrict the plot at all. If anything, it helps focus on the strengths of this series, namely its characters and the brilliant dialogue.
The author has the ability to take you from a fight scene in one chapter, to a meal between friends in the next, whilst never losing your engagement or interest. His dialogue is the best. Natural, witty, and real.
There is some excellent character work on display and further development of some of my favourites. I enjoyed spending more time with Ursula, Wei Lei, and Rohan here. So many wonderful moments between the characters.
There is still plently of action, and further universe building, with lots of pop culture references and Easter eggs scattered throughout.
I can't wait for more from Rohan in future books. This series is an absolute gem that you need to discover.
Thank you for taking the time to read this review.
If this was an episode of Star Trek, it might be dubbed a bottle episode, taking place primarily in one location. Some of the best episodes can be confined in this way, and this book is no different. Taking place on Wistful for the majority of the story, this does not restrict the plot at all. If anything, it helps focus on the strengths of this series, namely its characters and the brilliant dialogue.
The author has the ability to take you from a fight scene in one chapter, to a meal between friends in the next, whilst never losing your engagement or interest. His dialogue is the best. Natural, witty, and real.
There is some excellent character work on display and further development of some of my favourites. I enjoyed spending more time with Ursula, Wei Lei, and Rohan here. So many wonderful moments between the characters.
There is still plently of action, and further universe building, with lots of pop culture references and Easter eggs scattered throughout.
I can't wait for more from Rohan in future books. This series is an absolute gem that you need to discover.
Thank you for taking the time to read this review.
January 26, 2023
I had began reading the Hybrid Helix in 2022 and once again as I'm working on getting caught up with my open series I dove into Blood Reunion by J.C.M. Berne. I've really enjoyed this series so far and even got another coworker sucked into this world as well. He actually got through book three before I had a chance to get to it!
Anyways the third installment to this series did not disappoint. I do feel that as the series continues we learn more and more about Rohan as he is learning about himself along the way. Of course I was excited to see more of a role both from Wei Li and Ursula again as well since they are a couple of my favorite supporting characters!
Again, we get a rather large inclusion from Rohan's past in the third book as well. Continuing to help us understand the relationships from his past making him who he is. But at the same time each book has shown his growth and becoming someone different than who he was as well.
Ok I know anyone else who has read these books probably looks at the above thinking these short, exciting, fast paced adventure reads can't possible have this much depth to them. But I swear they actually do! Joe has done a great job in including all of these aspect along with different types of adventures and characters who are very relatable to at times.
I'll start with the pacing since I've around touched on this. Joe's style of beginning his books with the current timeline before flashing back to spend the rest of the book bringing us back up to that moment took me some getting used to. However, I'm comfortable with it now and have grown to actually enjoy it simply as a big reveal by the end. As previously mentioned these are very fast paced with a lot of action. They are shorter reads without much struggle on the vocabulary for myself.
The worldbuilding only continues to grow with each book. Not necessarily Joe's skill at this but his continuation of showing us more and more of this world. This time around definitely had more of a focus on the timeline or history of things but that only helps us understand more of what is happening in the present.
Finally, I think most can already guess my stance on the character development. WE continue to learn more and more about Rohan but also more about the other characters. Learning more about our living ships and stations continues to be entertaining. But more of our ancient civilizations and their relationships to current character was awesome in book three! We still have some unanswered questions, but I'm sure we will continue to fill in those blanks throughout the series and have new questions we seek answers for.
As I've mentioned before the books in the Hybrid Helix series would be great for someone looking for a fast paced science fiction read. Book three includes what I'd consider a more typical fantasy type race or creature as well which brings a nice true science fiction fantasy crossover element this time around.
I'll be looking forward to the next read in the series!
Anyways the third installment to this series did not disappoint. I do feel that as the series continues we learn more and more about Rohan as he is learning about himself along the way. Of course I was excited to see more of a role both from Wei Li and Ursula again as well since they are a couple of my favorite supporting characters!
Again, we get a rather large inclusion from Rohan's past in the third book as well. Continuing to help us understand the relationships from his past making him who he is. But at the same time each book has shown his growth and becoming someone different than who he was as well.
Ok I know anyone else who has read these books probably looks at the above thinking these short, exciting, fast paced adventure reads can't possible have this much depth to them. But I swear they actually do! Joe has done a great job in including all of these aspect along with different types of adventures and characters who are very relatable to at times.
I'll start with the pacing since I've around touched on this. Joe's style of beginning his books with the current timeline before flashing back to spend the rest of the book bringing us back up to that moment took me some getting used to. However, I'm comfortable with it now and have grown to actually enjoy it simply as a big reveal by the end. As previously mentioned these are very fast paced with a lot of action. They are shorter reads without much struggle on the vocabulary for myself.
The worldbuilding only continues to grow with each book. Not necessarily Joe's skill at this but his continuation of showing us more and more of this world. This time around definitely had more of a focus on the timeline or history of things but that only helps us understand more of what is happening in the present.
Finally, I think most can already guess my stance on the character development. WE continue to learn more and more about Rohan but also more about the other characters. Learning more about our living ships and stations continues to be entertaining. But more of our ancient civilizations and their relationships to current character was awesome in book three! We still have some unanswered questions, but I'm sure we will continue to fill in those blanks throughout the series and have new questions we seek answers for.
As I've mentioned before the books in the Hybrid Helix series would be great for someone looking for a fast paced science fiction read. Book three includes what I'd consider a more typical fantasy type race or creature as well which brings a nice true science fiction fantasy crossover element this time around.
I'll be looking forward to the next read in the series!
September 8, 2026
A highly compelling sci-fi page-turner with an inventive world and a highly compelling protagonist. This book featured some of the elements I really loved about the first book - sentient species of many kinds (including spaceships and space stations!) telling a story in a really unique setting. The pace was fast but never too breakneck to pause for important character beats (often accompanied by a meal - I suspect the author is a “foodie”). I like how this book leaned into the weirder and more unique elements of this universe, while also tying it all together in terms of characters and their origins. My only complaint was a Prologue (and chapter that follows near the end of the book) that felt tacked on and not germane to the story being told. But this was great and I look forward to more stories following Rohan! 4.5/5
March 31, 2023
5/5 Stars
Blood Reunion doesn’t skip a beat, balancing great action, storytelling and incredible character development. Turn Three of the Hybrid Helix is a self-published Superhero Space Opera and marks another great read in the series.
A killer roams Wistful leaving corpses behind, drained of blood. All signs point to vampires, except they shouldn’t be able to sneak around Wistful undetected. When Wistful herself becomes
uncooperative, Rohan and Wei Li are left to try and protect the inhabitants of the station. As danger looms millions of lives are on the line, and Rohan is forced to fight to protect those he loves.
It was great to be back with Rohan and the gang. After spending some time on Earth in Return of the Griffin, I was excited to spend more time with Wistful and many of the characters I’ve come to love. Being thrown right into action and mystery made it easy to fall into the pages. JCM Berne does not waste any time pulling readers in as suspense builds from the first chapter.
Despite how much we have explored Rohan’s character, he still receives great development here. Further building on the superhero we’ve come to love. Where the situations and choices he must make demonstrate how human Rohan is. He is complex and continually strives for improvement regardless of how others see him. As Rohan navigates old and new adversities, he is not alone through these struggles. In getting more time with the side cast, we not only learn more about them, but it added a great balance to the story.
The worldbuilding continues to grow with a deeper look into a long-forgotten history. This is where the foreshadowing from the previous books begins to pay off, while still building for the next book in the series.
The pacing of Blood Reunion felt the best out of the series so far. From pivotal moments, intrigue, character development to mystery, everything felt perfectly timed.
I also can’t forget to mention the great fight scenes, vampires, space bears, political tensions, family issues, and epic space battles.
For me, Blood Reunion takes everything that made Wistful Ascending and Return of the Griffin great and packs it into this stellar installment in the series.
If you haven’t already, I’d highly recommend picking up this series!
Blood Reunion doesn’t skip a beat, balancing great action, storytelling and incredible character development. Turn Three of the Hybrid Helix is a self-published Superhero Space Opera and marks another great read in the series.
A killer roams Wistful leaving corpses behind, drained of blood. All signs point to vampires, except they shouldn’t be able to sneak around Wistful undetected. When Wistful herself becomes
uncooperative, Rohan and Wei Li are left to try and protect the inhabitants of the station. As danger looms millions of lives are on the line, and Rohan is forced to fight to protect those he loves.
It was great to be back with Rohan and the gang. After spending some time on Earth in Return of the Griffin, I was excited to spend more time with Wistful and many of the characters I’ve come to love. Being thrown right into action and mystery made it easy to fall into the pages. JCM Berne does not waste any time pulling readers in as suspense builds from the first chapter.
Despite how much we have explored Rohan’s character, he still receives great development here. Further building on the superhero we’ve come to love. Where the situations and choices he must make demonstrate how human Rohan is. He is complex and continually strives for improvement regardless of how others see him. As Rohan navigates old and new adversities, he is not alone through these struggles. In getting more time with the side cast, we not only learn more about them, but it added a great balance to the story.
The worldbuilding continues to grow with a deeper look into a long-forgotten history. This is where the foreshadowing from the previous books begins to pay off, while still building for the next book in the series.
The pacing of Blood Reunion felt the best out of the series so far. From pivotal moments, intrigue, character development to mystery, everything felt perfectly timed.
I also can’t forget to mention the great fight scenes, vampires, space bears, political tensions, family issues, and epic space battles.
For me, Blood Reunion takes everything that made Wistful Ascending and Return of the Griffin great and packs it into this stellar installment in the series.
If you haven’t already, I’d highly recommend picking up this series!
August 9, 2026
This story had everything that made me fall in love with the series in book one.
The same lovable characters, the same witty banter, and the same brave, strong, good-guy Rohan. I did miss a certain character who wasn't able to be her true self for most of this tale, but it's okay. I think things work out best for her in the end.
While this story was just as lovable as book one, it was far more compelling and packed with much more action. What I especially appreciated was that there was one big problem, and the heroes tackled it from so many different angles. Most of their attempts didn't work, but that's what made it feel so realistic. It reflected the messy, frustrating nature of actually trying to solve a problem rather than following the predictable storyline of, "We have a problem. Let's try this solution. Oh, it worked!"
And the world Berne has created? If you didn't think it could get any more in-depth, welcome to book three, where we get ancient history and species from ages past. There is so much more to discover in this world, and I love it.
As a reader who consumes a lot of heavy material, this series continues to be such a light, enjoyable, adventurous, and genuinely fun experience. That said, there were definitely some horror elements in this one. The villain, the Chorus, speaks as though he's completely INSANE, and I found that both incredibly fun and wonderfully creepy.
And, as always, the audiobook narrator has such a talent for capturing each character's personality and bringing them to life. The audiobook is definitely my favorite way to experience this series.
Another fantastic installment in a series that somehow keeps getting better. If you loved book one, this is absolutely a journey worth continuing.
The same lovable characters, the same witty banter, and the same brave, strong, good-guy Rohan. I did miss a certain character who wasn't able to be her true self for most of this tale, but it's okay. I think things work out best for her in the end.
While this story was just as lovable as book one, it was far more compelling and packed with much more action. What I especially appreciated was that there was one big problem, and the heroes tackled it from so many different angles. Most of their attempts didn't work, but that's what made it feel so realistic. It reflected the messy, frustrating nature of actually trying to solve a problem rather than following the predictable storyline of, "We have a problem. Let's try this solution. Oh, it worked!"
And the world Berne has created? If you didn't think it could get any more in-depth, welcome to book three, where we get ancient history and species from ages past. There is so much more to discover in this world, and I love it.
As a reader who consumes a lot of heavy material, this series continues to be such a light, enjoyable, adventurous, and genuinely fun experience. That said, there were definitely some horror elements in this one. The villain, the Chorus, speaks as though he's completely INSANE, and I found that both incredibly fun and wonderfully creepy.
And, as always, the audiobook narrator has such a talent for capturing each character's personality and bringing them to life. The audiobook is definitely my favorite way to experience this series.
Another fantastic installment in a series that somehow keeps getting better. If you loved book one, this is absolutely a journey worth continuing.
November 3, 2025
FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!
As much as I love the first book in this series, I do believe BLOOD REUNION is my new favorite. It was everything I wanted it to be. I had not read any science fiction in a while, so I picked this one up and it was exactly what I was looking for: amazing characters whose stories continue to expand and grow, new interesting characters/character groups, world building (which is crazy in space!) and intriguing bits about the overarching plot of the series.
It was literally so good that I could start over from the beginning and have just as much fun with it the second time around!
As much as I love the first book in this series, I do believe BLOOD REUNION is my new favorite. It was everything I wanted it to be. I had not read any science fiction in a while, so I picked this one up and it was exactly what I was looking for: amazing characters whose stories continue to expand and grow, new interesting characters/character groups, world building (which is crazy in space!) and intriguing bits about the overarching plot of the series.
It was literally so good that I could start over from the beginning and have just as much fun with it the second time around!
March 25, 2025
“You’ve mentioned this before. I have to tell you, it’s refreshing to meet someone so liberated.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean ‘liberated’?”
His smile broadened. “So many of the people I meet are slaves to things like civility and manners. You’re just so… unencumbered.”
I ended book 2’s review saying I will certainly start book 3 soon and look at me, sticking to my word for once. I am so glad I immediately jumped into Blood Reunion and at the time of writing this review, I am actually 32% into Book 4. Now, Wistful Ascending still holds my heart but objectively (if there is such a thing in book reviews) this is the best book I’ve read by JCM Berne yet.
Everything in this book is balanced so well. The character development, the action scenes, the banter, the story arc, the tension, the world building, the mystery, the reveals, the stakes, the family drama. I feel like this is the first book where we are getting glimpses of the actual wider arc Joe is trying to build to. There are some things alluded to in this book that I cannot wait to see in the future books. I cannot talk about it because of spoilers but this is the book where you get the feeling “Oh, this series is going to go somewhere I didn’t expect at all but also somewhere much, much grander than I expected.”
When I say this, it is not just about how the world of hybrid helix is expanding, how the history is getting deeper, how the action scenes are getting bigger, but it is also about how Rohan’s character is constantly being explored. Fonda Lee has said ‘The term epic fantasy conjures an expectation of vast continents, kingdoms and armies, the rise and fall of nations. But there is also an epic scale to be found in a single life.’ And when I stop and think more deeply about this series, this is what JCM Berne is doing. Rohan is such an epic protagonist to follow. In every book, he has significant character exploration going on even if it might not really show on the surface.
In book two, the plot happens on Earth and for me, it took a bit long to warm up to the new characters. In Blood Reunion, we are back in the Wistful space station and I didn’t need any time to be invested. I loved everything about being back in Wistful and it was like meeting old friends - effortless really. The story flowed so smoothly and the main characters were basically confined to a small space because of an impossible ancient vampire threat. So it was dialogue heavy and I was reminded once again why JCM is one of the best dialogue writers in the business. Every scene with Wei Li’s dialogue is my favorite scene in the book. And the fight scenes and badassery of Rohan keeps getting more and more delicious with each book.
I need to get back to book 4, so I’m ending the review here. I also don't know what more I can say more about the book without going into specifics of the plot. So far, it is the best entry in the series for me and JCM is definitely one of the best writers in super hero fantasy/ space Operas.
Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean ‘liberated’?”
His smile broadened. “So many of the people I meet are slaves to things like civility and manners. You’re just so… unencumbered.”
I ended book 2’s review saying I will certainly start book 3 soon and look at me, sticking to my word for once. I am so glad I immediately jumped into Blood Reunion and at the time of writing this review, I am actually 32% into Book 4. Now, Wistful Ascending still holds my heart but objectively (if there is such a thing in book reviews) this is the best book I’ve read by JCM Berne yet.
Everything in this book is balanced so well. The character development, the action scenes, the banter, the story arc, the tension, the world building, the mystery, the reveals, the stakes, the family drama. I feel like this is the first book where we are getting glimpses of the actual wider arc Joe is trying to build to. There are some things alluded to in this book that I cannot wait to see in the future books. I cannot talk about it because of spoilers but this is the book where you get the feeling “Oh, this series is going to go somewhere I didn’t expect at all but also somewhere much, much grander than I expected.”
When I say this, it is not just about how the world of hybrid helix is expanding, how the history is getting deeper, how the action scenes are getting bigger, but it is also about how Rohan’s character is constantly being explored. Fonda Lee has said ‘The term epic fantasy conjures an expectation of vast continents, kingdoms and armies, the rise and fall of nations. But there is also an epic scale to be found in a single life.’ And when I stop and think more deeply about this series, this is what JCM Berne is doing. Rohan is such an epic protagonist to follow. In every book, he has significant character exploration going on even if it might not really show on the surface.
In book two, the plot happens on Earth and for me, it took a bit long to warm up to the new characters. In Blood Reunion, we are back in the Wistful space station and I didn’t need any time to be invested. I loved everything about being back in Wistful and it was like meeting old friends - effortless really. The story flowed so smoothly and the main characters were basically confined to a small space because of an impossible ancient vampire threat. So it was dialogue heavy and I was reminded once again why JCM is one of the best dialogue writers in the business. Every scene with Wei Li’s dialogue is my favorite scene in the book. And the fight scenes and badassery of Rohan keeps getting more and more delicious with each book.
I need to get back to book 4, so I’m ending the review here. I also don't know what more I can say more about the book without going into specifics of the plot. So far, it is the best entry in the series for me and JCM is definitely one of the best writers in super hero fantasy/ space Operas.
October 5, 2025
I love the Hybrid Helix. Rohan is one of my all-time favorite protagonists, and that belief keeps strengthening with every entry as make my way through this awesome series. Now, I loved the first two entries. Despite the epic scale of conflicts that Rohan and his friends face, the cozy character moments between scenes of kinetic action really makes this series a beautiful experience.
With Blood Reunion, Joe seems to have really upped his game. Because, of all the three books I’ve read so far, Blood Reunion was the best by a significant margin.
At this point, I feel like I have the formula for this series figured out. Every prologue starts with Rohan in a near-beat-up state, wisecracking his way against an obviously more powerful adversary. Cut to a few days earlier, and we’re on for an adventure that’ll somehow lead us to knowing how and why Rohan ended up in that situation. You might think… won’t that get old? Wrong! I love trying to figure out how, despite all our protagonists’ efforts, everything still ends up with Rohan getting beat up. Plus, almost always, these scenes lead to major reveals of lore that give you a deeper glimpse into the true scale of the conflict that’s brewing in the background. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the review…
SPOILERS AHEAD!
What I Liked:
Right off the bat, Rohan is a gem. But, this time around he really gets thrown in the Hybrid meat grinder. Without going into spoilers, I’ll say that this book has him essentially decommissioned and on the brink of death, which—despite the serious implications of the situation—Joe manages to beautify with spurts of Rohan’s ill-timed humor. It’s brilliant. Rohan’s entire arc in this book, from facing an immortal soul-eating vampire to coming to terms with his father’s reappearance was perhaps the most emotionally compelling conflict that our Hybrid Tow-Chief has faced in the series yet. Rohan might be a loud-mouth, but underneath the façade of annoying humor, there’s a real person with feelings there, one who’s mature enough to take the tough decisions when needed. And Joe has built this character expertly, which means you never question the reasoning behind Rohan’s actions; you simply understand them.
And building off the main character, the supporting cast too is just as interesting. Wei Li and Ursula play the biggest roles here, but we got a lot more involvement from the mysterious engineer Tollan, whose origins somewhat come to light, revealing more about this world, the il’Drach empire, and the grander conflict brewing in the background of that imperial dominance. And if that’s not enough, Dhruv (Rohan’s dad) further expands that lore-building with his absurd personality. Each of these characters plays a crucial role in Rohan’s arc, supporting his story but living their own adventures in the background. Their personalities balance out Rohan’s in a way that makes their interactions feel organic and entertaining, often giving insights into real human emotions. This is one of Joe’s strengths that I absolutely love. And I’ll keep saying this: these character moments between spurts of action are what really make this series so special to me.
Continue reading on SFF Insiders…
With Blood Reunion, Joe seems to have really upped his game. Because, of all the three books I’ve read so far, Blood Reunion was the best by a significant margin.
At this point, I feel like I have the formula for this series figured out. Every prologue starts with Rohan in a near-beat-up state, wisecracking his way against an obviously more powerful adversary. Cut to a few days earlier, and we’re on for an adventure that’ll somehow lead us to knowing how and why Rohan ended up in that situation. You might think… won’t that get old? Wrong! I love trying to figure out how, despite all our protagonists’ efforts, everything still ends up with Rohan getting beat up. Plus, almost always, these scenes lead to major reveals of lore that give you a deeper glimpse into the true scale of the conflict that’s brewing in the background. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the review…
SPOILERS AHEAD!
What I Liked:
Right off the bat, Rohan is a gem. But, this time around he really gets thrown in the Hybrid meat grinder. Without going into spoilers, I’ll say that this book has him essentially decommissioned and on the brink of death, which—despite the serious implications of the situation—Joe manages to beautify with spurts of Rohan’s ill-timed humor. It’s brilliant. Rohan’s entire arc in this book, from facing an immortal soul-eating vampire to coming to terms with his father’s reappearance was perhaps the most emotionally compelling conflict that our Hybrid Tow-Chief has faced in the series yet. Rohan might be a loud-mouth, but underneath the façade of annoying humor, there’s a real person with feelings there, one who’s mature enough to take the tough decisions when needed. And Joe has built this character expertly, which means you never question the reasoning behind Rohan’s actions; you simply understand them.
And building off the main character, the supporting cast too is just as interesting. Wei Li and Ursula play the biggest roles here, but we got a lot more involvement from the mysterious engineer Tollan, whose origins somewhat come to light, revealing more about this world, the il’Drach empire, and the grander conflict brewing in the background of that imperial dominance. And if that’s not enough, Dhruv (Rohan’s dad) further expands that lore-building with his absurd personality. Each of these characters plays a crucial role in Rohan’s arc, supporting his story but living their own adventures in the background. Their personalities balance out Rohan’s in a way that makes their interactions feel organic and entertaining, often giving insights into real human emotions. This is one of Joe’s strengths that I absolutely love. And I’ll keep saying this: these character moments between spurts of action are what really make this series so special to me.
Continue reading on SFF Insiders…
December 26, 2022
Disclaimer: ARC provided by the author in exchange for honest and fair review
Hey everyone it's me the #1 Rohan fan back to tell you how once again JCM Berne knocked it out the park with another fantastic space opera.
The Hybrid Helix Series is officially one of my favorite all time series and I can’t wait for book four. Okay enough of that you are here because you want to know the nitty gritty about Blood Reunion so let's get into it.
In this installment we get to see Rohan struggle through his relationship with his estranged father who decides to show up on Wistful at the most peculiar of times. We also get a few nods back to characters from Return of The Griffin as Rohan begins to learn not only more about how the il’Drach were created but how the universe as a whole was created. Lastly and quite possibly my favorite part we get to learn about Wisftul’s origins and what makes her tick so to speak.
We also get a bit of a new love interest for Rohan in this book but much like my high school dating years things just didn’t pan out once again. We of course get more time with our favorite space bears along with most of the others from book one.
Simply put if you loved Wistful Ascending and/or Return of The Griffin then you are going to love this as well. JCM is a master at writing wholesome super hero stories blended in with its fair share of dad jokes and honestly I think the world needs more of this right now because laughter helps to heal the soul. Also ability to write fight scenes shows that he has a martial arts background and spent time crafting something that is a good balance between fantasy and being realistic. This is something a lot of authors seem to struggle with and JCM makes it look easy every time.
If you are anything like me the cover will give you straight up UFC vibes but as the saying goes because this book is so much deeper than that.
Rohan stood with her. “It was nice meeting you all. Uh, sorry about the, uh, being infected with vampirism. Thing. That sucks.”
Hey everyone it's me the #1 Rohan fan back to tell you how once again JCM Berne knocked it out the park with another fantastic space opera.
The Hybrid Helix Series is officially one of my favorite all time series and I can’t wait for book four. Okay enough of that you are here because you want to know the nitty gritty about Blood Reunion so let's get into it.
In this installment we get to see Rohan struggle through his relationship with his estranged father who decides to show up on Wistful at the most peculiar of times. We also get a few nods back to characters from Return of The Griffin as Rohan begins to learn not only more about how the il’Drach were created but how the universe as a whole was created. Lastly and quite possibly my favorite part we get to learn about Wisftul’s origins and what makes her tick so to speak.
We also get a bit of a new love interest for Rohan in this book but much like my high school dating years things just didn’t pan out once again. We of course get more time with our favorite space bears along with most of the others from book one.
Simply put if you loved Wistful Ascending and/or Return of The Griffin then you are going to love this as well. JCM is a master at writing wholesome super hero stories blended in with its fair share of dad jokes and honestly I think the world needs more of this right now because laughter helps to heal the soul. Also ability to write fight scenes shows that he has a martial arts background and spent time crafting something that is a good balance between fantasy and being realistic. This is something a lot of authors seem to struggle with and JCM makes it look easy every time.
If you are anything like me the cover will give you straight up UFC vibes but as the saying goes because this book is so much deeper than that.
Rohan stood with her. “It was nice meeting you all. Uh, sorry about the, uh, being infected with vampirism. Thing. That sucks.”
April 8, 2026
I'm going to use my secret power... be annoying
February 6, 2023
Look, I have made it no secret that I am a huge fan of the Hybrid Helix series, but even then I wasn’t expecting to love Blood Reunion as much as I did. I mean, we’re doing vampires and daddy issues in this book, do I really need to say more?!
Berne absolutely knocked it out of the park here and this third instalment is without a doubt the best book in the series so far, I had such a blast!
After we took a departure to Earth in book 2, this story returns us to life on our one and only beloved sentient space station, Wistful. It brought me endless amounts of joy to be back on Wistful with all the characters I had come to love in book 1. To no one’s surprise though, things just can’t seem to stay peaceful for long in Rohan’s life and he is once again thrown into a riveting mystery and high stakes adventure.
These books could so easily end up feeling repetitive or formulaic, but they totally don’t. The plots continue to feel exciting and fresh and the continued character development, for both Rohan and the secondary cast, is just phenomenal. All of the characters have so much depth and personality, which makes it feel like I am spending time with life-long friends when I read these books. The complex interpersonal relationships are one of the major highlights of this series and I can’t get enough of all the hysterical interactions and witty banter.
Rohan is also absolutely one of my favourite protagonists at the moment and I am so invested in his journey at this point. It’s true that we see him wrapped up in a lot of exciting action scenes in this series, but to me, it’s the battle he’s fighting in his own mind that’s the most compelling. Rohan is continuously faced with his past and we really see him grapple with his morality here, which I loved. His character growth is simply outstanding and I really appreciate that he is an unabashedly flawed and messy person, that just makes me love him even more.
I also really enjoy how the world building in this series just keeps expanding. With every instalment, we uncover more hidden truths about all the different races, cultures, histories and personal backstories, which keeps things so exciting.
Blood Reunion focused heavily on vampire society and contained some juicy details about the ancient history of Wistful and the il’Drach race, which I was SO here for.
Simply said, I can’t see how you won’t enjoy this third instalment if you even slightly enjoyed book 1 and 2, because it took everything that was good from those first two books and just took it up a notch. I just can’t get enough of these incredibly engaging space opera adventures and I desperately need the next instalment now!
Needless to say that I HIGHLY recommend this series, even if you might not think it’s the genre/story for you. Just give it a shot, I promise Rohan will capture your heart and I have no doubt that you will have zero regrets ;)
Berne absolutely knocked it out of the park here and this third instalment is without a doubt the best book in the series so far, I had such a blast!
After we took a departure to Earth in book 2, this story returns us to life on our one and only beloved sentient space station, Wistful. It brought me endless amounts of joy to be back on Wistful with all the characters I had come to love in book 1. To no one’s surprise though, things just can’t seem to stay peaceful for long in Rohan’s life and he is once again thrown into a riveting mystery and high stakes adventure.
These books could so easily end up feeling repetitive or formulaic, but they totally don’t. The plots continue to feel exciting and fresh and the continued character development, for both Rohan and the secondary cast, is just phenomenal. All of the characters have so much depth and personality, which makes it feel like I am spending time with life-long friends when I read these books. The complex interpersonal relationships are one of the major highlights of this series and I can’t get enough of all the hysterical interactions and witty banter.
Rohan is also absolutely one of my favourite protagonists at the moment and I am so invested in his journey at this point. It’s true that we see him wrapped up in a lot of exciting action scenes in this series, but to me, it’s the battle he’s fighting in his own mind that’s the most compelling. Rohan is continuously faced with his past and we really see him grapple with his morality here, which I loved. His character growth is simply outstanding and I really appreciate that he is an unabashedly flawed and messy person, that just makes me love him even more.
I also really enjoy how the world building in this series just keeps expanding. With every instalment, we uncover more hidden truths about all the different races, cultures, histories and personal backstories, which keeps things so exciting.
Blood Reunion focused heavily on vampire society and contained some juicy details about the ancient history of Wistful and the il’Drach race, which I was SO here for.
Simply said, I can’t see how you won’t enjoy this third instalment if you even slightly enjoyed book 1 and 2, because it took everything that was good from those first two books and just took it up a notch. I just can’t get enough of these incredibly engaging space opera adventures and I desperately need the next instalment now!
Needless to say that I HIGHLY recommend this series, even if you might not think it’s the genre/story for you. Just give it a shot, I promise Rohan will capture your heart and I have no doubt that you will have zero regrets ;)
August 17, 2024
Blood Reunion is Peak Berne
Better stakes, both aboard Wistful and off, with a action packed and progressive story. Rohan is a unstoppable powerhouse and it's good to see JCM take the put him in scenarios where his strengths are nullified. I'd like to see more relational development between certain characters, but I can see signs in the writing that this may be addressed in the next books. I also applaud Berne's subtle uses of humor that made me snicker as much as the snark. This universe has some distant locales, but I feel the world is tight and plot progression is well thought out. Can't wait to read the next novel next month.
Keep going, code monkey...
Better stakes, both aboard Wistful and off, with a action packed and progressive story. Rohan is a unstoppable powerhouse and it's good to see JCM take the put him in scenarios where his strengths are nullified. I'd like to see more relational development between certain characters, but I can see signs in the writing that this may be addressed in the next books. I also applaud Berne's subtle uses of humor that made me snicker as much as the snark. This universe has some distant locales, but I feel the world is tight and plot progression is well thought out. Can't wait to read the next novel next month.
Keep going, code monkey...
August 26, 2024
The Hybrid Helix, once again, does not disappoint. These books improve with each entry and deliver exactly what they promise.. page-turning, fun, space superhero adventures. There's plenty of humor with enough touching moments to not make the series a satire. We are learning more about the MC's past, family, and the Empire itself here in Blood Reunion. I really appreciate how the author doesn't hold mysteries forever and then resolves at the very end. He keeps the story moving by not keeping the reader in the dark overly long. This series is a Recommend for me and I'll be talking about it more in depth on my YouTube channel, BellTube.
September 17, 2023
4.5/5 stars
Blood Reunion is the third book in JCM Berne’s superhero/space opera scifi series Hybrid Helix about a retired superhero/ex-soldier Rohan as he settles for a quiet life in distant independent space station Wistful. Once again, a crisis comes to Wistful and Rohan is dragged back in. An ancient vampire is holding the entire space station and its 2 million citizens hostage, and Wistful is strangely allowing it to happen. It is up to Rohan to step up again before the Empire is forced to intervene.
This is once again another fun and action-packed entry into the series. The addition of vampires was a surprise, but it really worked in this space setting. We also delve deeper into the history of this world and we are starting to see the ultimate endgame of the series (I hadn’t even realized this was where the story was headed). All the while it still manages to deliver an earnest and heartfelt story in between all the fighting and action set pieces.
This is still a story of redemption. Rohan develops further as our reluctant protagonist who is forced time and again to return to his old violent ways, and he must find it in himself to strike a balance between doing what he feels he should (or should not) and doing what must be done. He just keeps getting better and better as he becomes the man he wants to be alongside a found family he somehow becomes a part of.
"𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥."
Blood Hybrid is probably the best entry so far in this superhero and space opera mash-up series.
Blood Reunion is the third book in JCM Berne’s superhero/space opera scifi series Hybrid Helix about a retired superhero/ex-soldier Rohan as he settles for a quiet life in distant independent space station Wistful. Once again, a crisis comes to Wistful and Rohan is dragged back in. An ancient vampire is holding the entire space station and its 2 million citizens hostage, and Wistful is strangely allowing it to happen. It is up to Rohan to step up again before the Empire is forced to intervene.
This is once again another fun and action-packed entry into the series. The addition of vampires was a surprise, but it really worked in this space setting. We also delve deeper into the history of this world and we are starting to see the ultimate endgame of the series (I hadn’t even realized this was where the story was headed). All the while it still manages to deliver an earnest and heartfelt story in between all the fighting and action set pieces.
This is still a story of redemption. Rohan develops further as our reluctant protagonist who is forced time and again to return to his old violent ways, and he must find it in himself to strike a balance between doing what he feels he should (or should not) and doing what must be done. He just keeps getting better and better as he becomes the man he wants to be alongside a found family he somehow becomes a part of.
"𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥."
Blood Hybrid is probably the best entry so far in this superhero and space opera mash-up series.
November 11, 2022
Blood Reunion has great characters, great world building , great action and is also quite funny.
If I could actually write this is what I’d want to be writing. After three books this in the upper echelons of book series I have read or am reading.
JCM Berne is now and forever an auto buy author.
If I could actually write this is what I’d want to be writing. After three books this in the upper echelons of book series I have read or am reading.
JCM Berne is now and forever an auto buy author.
March 27, 2026
This series is shaping up to be one of my favorites and I’m only on book three! A super engaging and fun story that has high stakes. Hybrid Helix always feels like a good time instead of a chore. I’m not sure how JCM Berne manages to make something that makes me so consistently happy to be honest.
May 3, 2026
Great as always!
June 4, 2025
This review was originally posted on SFF Insiders.
4.5 stars, rounded up
How do you follow up a superhero story tackling world-threatening giant shark kaiju? A close-quarters thriller with vampires?
Eff it, let’s roll.
With the third turn of the Hybrid Helix—Blood Reunion—JCM Berne continues to expand on his gripping sci-fi universe where vampires now meld seamlessly with talking bears and sentient starships. A tall order on paper for any author, but in Berne’s hands, it makes for another thrilling turn in this sci-fi superhero epic.
After returning to his guise as the Griffin and saving the Earth from megaton sharks, Rohan is happy to be back home aboard Wistful. But when corpses are discovered drained of blood, the obvious culprit is a vampire. But though the culprit is obvious, the solution is far less so. Torn between wanting not to take on the mantle of the il’Drach weapon he once was and protecting all those he holds dear from a powerful supernatural threat, Rohan must uncover a dark past and unearth old grudges if he stands a chance at stopping the hands of death from taking hold once again.
I’ve said it before in speaking on the first two books of the series, but Rohan is an absolute star of a character, one of the most memorable I’ve read in recent memory. Each book has peeled back another layer of this outwardly quippy and inwardly conflicted hero, and Blood Reunion is no exception. Rohan has long wished not to be the killing machine he once was in service to the il’Drach Empire, and this book perfectly explores the psyche of one who cannot bear to use his Powers to kill again, even if it is so others may live. Not only does Berne delve into this conflict in exploring how best to tackle a vampiric threat, but we also learn of those who were affected personally by the Empire—whether directly or indirectly by Rohan. An additional wrinkle is thrown in with Rohan’s complicated family dynamic, where we are introduced to his father and all the baggage that comes with that previously unseen link to the il’Drach Empire. Great stuff all around.
The supporting cast is wonderful again, and after being away from the Wistful crew in Return of the Griffin, it was a treat to see the likes of Wei Li, Ursula, and the sentient Wistful once again. The new arrivals add more layers to the vast galaxy Berne is exploring, from the order of vampires who abstain from drinking blood to the exiled physician whose life was uprooted by the Empire to the space station driven to madness and wishing for death. On paper, the Hybrid Helix, as a whole, can feel like a “spaghetti-on-the-wall” approach with the different races present, but it’s to Berne’s credit that every inclusion here feels natural and authentic to the world he’s created. I’ll admit to some apprehension that Blood Reunion would be a vampire story, but those concerns were unwarranted—it all fits in perfectly.
After all the bombast of the previous book, it was nice to have such a constrained narrative in Blood Reunion. The threat of the looming vampire is palpable throughout the book, and returning the danger to the close confines of Wistful helped elevate the tension than would a planet- or galaxy-spanning threat. This story is a page-turner from front to back, with all the high action, witty dialogue, big twists, and wonderfully deep lore that I’ve come to expect from this series. If there is one misstep along the way, it would be the same misstep I found glaring in the previous books: the in medias res prologues, which once again feels a bit disjointed from the rest of the book, especially given the story’s events don’t catch up to it until the final chapters. Maybe it’s more a preference thing on my end, but it’s overall a very minor issue that doesn’t detract from the book.
There’s a lot to love in Blood Reunion, and a lot to love with the Hybrid Helix series as a whole. JCM Berne has crafted a hell of an epic, and I’m eager to see what wild adventures Rohan will get into next.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m trying to wean myself off of blood, so I’m gonna go drink some red Kool-aid.
4.5 stars, rounded up
How do you follow up a superhero story tackling world-threatening giant shark kaiju? A close-quarters thriller with vampires?
Eff it, let’s roll.
With the third turn of the Hybrid Helix—Blood Reunion—JCM Berne continues to expand on his gripping sci-fi universe where vampires now meld seamlessly with talking bears and sentient starships. A tall order on paper for any author, but in Berne’s hands, it makes for another thrilling turn in this sci-fi superhero epic.
After returning to his guise as the Griffin and saving the Earth from megaton sharks, Rohan is happy to be back home aboard Wistful. But when corpses are discovered drained of blood, the obvious culprit is a vampire. But though the culprit is obvious, the solution is far less so. Torn between wanting not to take on the mantle of the il’Drach weapon he once was and protecting all those he holds dear from a powerful supernatural threat, Rohan must uncover a dark past and unearth old grudges if he stands a chance at stopping the hands of death from taking hold once again.
I’ve said it before in speaking on the first two books of the series, but Rohan is an absolute star of a character, one of the most memorable I’ve read in recent memory. Each book has peeled back another layer of this outwardly quippy and inwardly conflicted hero, and Blood Reunion is no exception. Rohan has long wished not to be the killing machine he once was in service to the il’Drach Empire, and this book perfectly explores the psyche of one who cannot bear to use his Powers to kill again, even if it is so others may live. Not only does Berne delve into this conflict in exploring how best to tackle a vampiric threat, but we also learn of those who were affected personally by the Empire—whether directly or indirectly by Rohan. An additional wrinkle is thrown in with Rohan’s complicated family dynamic, where we are introduced to his father and all the baggage that comes with that previously unseen link to the il’Drach Empire. Great stuff all around.
The supporting cast is wonderful again, and after being away from the Wistful crew in Return of the Griffin, it was a treat to see the likes of Wei Li, Ursula, and the sentient Wistful once again. The new arrivals add more layers to the vast galaxy Berne is exploring, from the order of vampires who abstain from drinking blood to the exiled physician whose life was uprooted by the Empire to the space station driven to madness and wishing for death. On paper, the Hybrid Helix, as a whole, can feel like a “spaghetti-on-the-wall” approach with the different races present, but it’s to Berne’s credit that every inclusion here feels natural and authentic to the world he’s created. I’ll admit to some apprehension that Blood Reunion would be a vampire story, but those concerns were unwarranted—it all fits in perfectly.
After all the bombast of the previous book, it was nice to have such a constrained narrative in Blood Reunion. The threat of the looming vampire is palpable throughout the book, and returning the danger to the close confines of Wistful helped elevate the tension than would a planet- or galaxy-spanning threat. This story is a page-turner from front to back, with all the high action, witty dialogue, big twists, and wonderfully deep lore that I’ve come to expect from this series. If there is one misstep along the way, it would be the same misstep I found glaring in the previous books: the in medias res prologues, which once again feels a bit disjointed from the rest of the book, especially given the story’s events don’t catch up to it until the final chapters. Maybe it’s more a preference thing on my end, but it’s overall a very minor issue that doesn’t detract from the book.
There’s a lot to love in Blood Reunion, and a lot to love with the Hybrid Helix series as a whole. JCM Berne has crafted a hell of an epic, and I’m eager to see what wild adventures Rohan will get into next.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m trying to wean myself off of blood, so I’m gonna go drink some red Kool-aid.
January 18, 2024
You know that feeling when you’ve tried several new authors but none of them hold up and you just keep wishing you could come back to someone you really enjoyed?
I was so thankful there was another book in the Hybrid Helix, and now there’s even a fourth one!
But first, this one. So I have to say, I’m not a huge fan of vampires. They are my least-favorite fantasy-type thing. That being said, I thought Berne handled them really well, without any Twilight references at all! (Okay, maybe a couple in jest.)
What I loved most about this entry in the Hybrid Helix saga was the return to Wistful and all the characters therein. It was like coming back to old friends. And as always, some wonderful character growth in our leading man, Rohan.
The plot was slower in this one, and, like Rohan, I felt there was a lot of standing around and talking. But then it would pick up and I would forget that feeling for a little while.
What makes Berne such an amazing author is his ability to pile on the problems and then somehow untwist them all in the denouement. All while keeping the story light-hearted enough to make me laugh out loud, and then a page later make me tear up with something extremely profound.
My favorite line in this one was: “Having someone willing to listen is a big part of being okay with not having any answers.”
Loved the story and still loving the characters! I won’t wait as long to dive into Book 4!
I was so thankful there was another book in the Hybrid Helix, and now there’s even a fourth one!
But first, this one. So I have to say, I’m not a huge fan of vampires. They are my least-favorite fantasy-type thing. That being said, I thought Berne handled them really well, without any Twilight references at all! (Okay, maybe a couple in jest.)
What I loved most about this entry in the Hybrid Helix saga was the return to Wistful and all the characters therein. It was like coming back to old friends. And as always, some wonderful character growth in our leading man, Rohan.
The plot was slower in this one, and, like Rohan, I felt there was a lot of standing around and talking. But then it would pick up and I would forget that feeling for a little while.
What makes Berne such an amazing author is his ability to pile on the problems and then somehow untwist them all in the denouement. All while keeping the story light-hearted enough to make me laugh out loud, and then a page later make me tear up with something extremely profound.
My favorite line in this one was: “Having someone willing to listen is a big part of being okay with not having any answers.”
Loved the story and still loving the characters! I won’t wait as long to dive into Book 4!
August 14, 2024
Best One Yet!
The stakes are higher, the tone is darker, and the enemies more unstoppable. JCM Berne continue to up his game in character, prose and plot. A tour de force!
The stakes are higher, the tone is darker, and the enemies more unstoppable. JCM Berne continue to up his game in character, prose and plot. A tour de force!
April 24, 2025
What do you do when you've already done superheroes in space, talking bears, and kaiju? Vampires it is! Except it's SPACCCE vampires. Which I think is a fantastic thing. The story goes a little far in justifying why our protagonist can't just kill the vampire involved and it gets a bit annoying but I still think it works. We also get an idea of the larger metaplot as to what the enemy of the setting is.
December 17, 2022
Yay! I very much enjoyed this story! Tow Chief Rohan of old is back! And he’s just a quirky and engaging as ever! And Wistful is back! And Wei Li!
January 19, 2023
Great book
Great book ,epic series I will reread these books as they are just that great.
Looking forward to reading the next 5 books.
Great book ,epic series I will reread these books as they are just that great.
Looking forward to reading the next 5 books.
March 26, 2026
Another fun adventure in the Hybrid Helix!
Book Review: Blood Reunion (Turn Three of the Hybrid Helix) by JCM Berne
5/5 stars. First of all, a big thank you to Joe Berne for the audiobook review copy. Wayne Farrell is doing some amazing work with this series, and I look forward to continuing with his narration!
In Turn Two, we returned to Earth with Rohan and met his mother. In this novel, Rohan’s father visits Wistful. Berne does an excellent job of blending backstory with the ongoing action of Rohan’s life. Here, he encounters a stark-raving mad soul-eating vampire who is thousands of years old. How will Rohan deal with this new threat while trying to learn why his father has suddenly shown up in his life?
I never imagined that I would enjoy a superhero science fiction story set on a far away space station, but this series is quickly becoming one of my go to reading pleasures! Berne delves deeply into humanity through non-human (or part human) characters that are quickly becoming like family.
Thank you JCM Berne for sharing your imagination with us. Highly, highly recommended!!
Book Review: Blood Reunion (Turn Three of the Hybrid Helix) by JCM Berne
5/5 stars. First of all, a big thank you to Joe Berne for the audiobook review copy. Wayne Farrell is doing some amazing work with this series, and I look forward to continuing with his narration!
In Turn Two, we returned to Earth with Rohan and met his mother. In this novel, Rohan’s father visits Wistful. Berne does an excellent job of blending backstory with the ongoing action of Rohan’s life. Here, he encounters a stark-raving mad soul-eating vampire who is thousands of years old. How will Rohan deal with this new threat while trying to learn why his father has suddenly shown up in his life?
I never imagined that I would enjoy a superhero science fiction story set on a far away space station, but this series is quickly becoming one of my go to reading pleasures! Berne delves deeply into humanity through non-human (or part human) characters that are quickly becoming like family.
Thank you JCM Berne for sharing your imagination with us. Highly, highly recommended!!
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