Review: Behind Distant Stars by David Reiss
Behind Distant Stars by David Reiss
The notorious Dr. Fid returns with something of a public relations problem. It turns out that saving the world—even when you had to beat the heck out of a ton of super heroes to do it—softens your image as the baddest of the bad. Add to that a couple of unfortunate instances caught on tape—like saving a falling cat—and the world is asking if Fid has had a change of heart. Could he be becoming the thing he hates the most—a super hero?
Fid, being Fid, decides to use this confusion to pretend to become the hero in question, just so he can further expose how unworthy heroes are of the public’s respect, but in doing so begins to learn that the world is much more complicated than the black and white image he has clung to throughout his career and the journey he has started down might just be more true than he wants it to be.
It’s amazing that a novel that is as heavily psychological as this one is, could also be packed to the gills with amazing action scenes. David Reiss has given more thought to the armored hero / villain than the creators of Iron Man ever did and the reader benefits tremendously from this care on his part. Plus, Fid is a scientific genius to put Tony Stark and Reed Richards to shame and this time he really has to put his IQ to the test as he struggles to unravel numerous complicated puzzles in both his heroic / villainous career and his personal life.
Add to that his developing relationship with a couple of heroes you know he wants to like, his touching guardianship of Whisper, a child AI who oh so obviously reminds him of his long dead little brother, and even his deteriorating relationships with the villains of the world who are convinced he’s going soft, and you have a wonderfully well-rounded novel filled with action, mysteries, and genuine personal growth.
Part of the strength of the series is that I’m really not certain where Fid will end up in his personal journey, but I’ve already started the next book so I can find out.
