The Chimera Formula

Esper Files #3

by Egan Brass

These attacks were a clever diversion, and while the attention of Nathan and his Esper crew was forced elsewhere, Chimera’s - mutated grotesqueries of the human physiology - invaded a top secret vault in London. Inside this heavily guarded vault are the world’s most dangerous secrets - objects that are hidden from the public, but are too precious to destroy. With these weapons and artifacts in the wrong hands, there’s no telling what could go wrong.

Mayhem is running rampant in the streets of London, and monsters are around every corner. Who is creating this band of evil Chimera’s? And will the Espers be able to find their maker and destroy the formula used to create the abominations before an outbreak consumes the city?

Genres: Science Fiction

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2017

Reviews

[Ellie Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eagan Brass has done it again.

From an author I have quickly come to adore, Eagan Brass presents his third book in the Esper Files series, The Chimera Formula. Set within the Victorian Age, this Steampunk Fantasy novel proved just as thrilling as the first two instalments. The author knows exactly how to deliver action in a way that had me glued to my seat.

When grotesque creatures begin to plague Victorian London, the general public are quick to blame the Esper community. It is up to Nathan and his fellow Espers to save the day and prove their innocence.

As usual, you can expect an articulate, well thought out story that is jam-packed with action from start to finish. Eagan’s style is instantly distinguishable from that of other authors: it’s as if it possesses a type of logical reasoning that you can feel deep in your bones.

I found this particular instalment to be refreshingly modern with the inclusion of a lesbian relationship that develops between the plucky Freya and newcomer Reyna. Eagan shows a non-judgemental viewpoint on the matter of sexuality, pointing out that love comes in many forms..

Another bond that I have always related strongly to is the one that has continued to strengthen between Nathan and young Freya. As orphans, both Espers prove to be extremely resilient to change and pain, in addition to being courageous and daring beyond measure. I love the witty banter that the pair share, a trademark personality trade of Nathan’s. Reading through such delightfully comic moments lights me up from within and never fails to put a smile on my face.

With themes of destruction, camaraderie, revenge, and love, I see The Chimera Formula as the best book in the series so far.

Easily rated 5 stars.
Recommended to lovers of Fantasy, Sci-fi, and Steampunk novels.

[Ramona Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esper Files 3 was a very well written book by Egan Brass. This was my first book I read from this author and from this series and I loved it. Even though I didn't read any of the other books in this series, I never felt like I was missing some key information which was great. I do however wish that I would have come across this series from book one so I would have started from the beginning.

Esper Files reminds me of a steampunk version of the X-men, which is a really neat spin on mutants if you ask me. I have never been a follower of steampunk, but the more I am exposed to it the more I enjoy it. This book is very fast paced, but I would call it more action paced since I never felt rushed. There is constantly something happening leaving you not bored for one second but on the edge of your seat almost constantly. The plot of this book is very well thought through with some nice little twists hidden within that unravel beautifully, with a few more twisted up that I am sure will be untwisted in future books to come.

There are a lot of great characters such as James, Nathan, Freya and of course the Professor. My favorites are probably James and Nathan with Freya close behind. These 3 do get most of the spot light in this book so maybe that is why. They are very strong characters, but with flaws which is great. I was actually surprised to see that even with some much happening the author still did some decent amount of character development in this book since the characters are not flat at all, but actually very likeable and well rounded and different.

I have to admit I really enjoyed this book and am happy I came across this series and this author. Now that I have found this author, and also found how he writes under a different name, I will buy some of his books in the future since I really like what he writes about and how he does it! I can only recommend this book highly to fellow lovers of the paranormal who like something different and unique that has lots of action and an intricate and captivating plot.

Voluntary review of Advance Reader Copy. I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher.

[Boundless Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Chimera Formula is part 3 of a series, but there is enough of a back-story to allow it to be excellent as a read alone, but I recommend the first two book because they are fantastic. In this story, we continue with the story. We meet new characters, as well as, connect with old characters. The crews of Espers race their enemy to get the formula that will… oops, that was almost a spoiler. The crew's fight to give readers action, their banter provides comedy, and the suspense of it all will make you read as long as you possibly can before you put it down. I read until I fell asleep with the iPad in my hand.

The writing and imagery are as good as the first two books, but the characters give brass so much more to describe. I recommend this and all Esper files books to all readers. Overall, The Chimera Formula is 4.5 Boundless Stars.

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[Lisa Marriott-Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read. Non-stop action with a smattering of humor added to the mix. The new antagonists, the Chimeras, are quite interesting but I missed the Phantom Thief!

As the title notes, this is the third book in a series that's well worth a read if you enjoy steampunk.
This book takes up where "The Sky Cult" left off, so you really need to read at least book 2 in the series before tackling this one to fully appreciate the story. However, "Esper Files: A Steampunk Superhero Series" (aka Esper Files 1) and "Esper Files 2: The Sky Cult", can easily be read as standalone novels.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this book because of the name. I did not know what to expect, but it turned out to be an excellent story. I suppose I should go back and read the first 2 books in the series now so I know how they got to this point. On the plus side this book stands alone well. I was intrigued by the mix of modern mechanics with a feel of the late 1800's to the early 1900's. The magical element was well written and fit the story. I would definitely recommend this one to most anyone. It had all the feels of great sci-fi, fantasy, magic and a love story(or 2) thrown in.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, a can't put down story that I read in a matter of hours. My third read from author Egan Brass, the pseudonym for author Ryan Attard, who has moved near the top on my list of favorite authors! His books have it all, nonstop action, espers (think Marvel’s X-Men), sarcasm, humor, Steampunk and mutants (espers), who could ask for more. I really enjoy this series & can't wait for the next book in the series.

[Silver Surfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a little cracker. It was full of action all the way through and kept me gripped right through to the end that I did not see coming. It’s the first Esper I had read and hopefully not the last. It’s right up my street. Highly recommended.