Gnosis by Rick Hall
Genre: Psychic urban fantasy/mystery
Release Date: May 8, 2019
Gnosis summary:
Seventeen-year-old Samantha Black (Sam) is newly orphaned. The police believe her murdered father was a corrupt cop, his murder a result of a drug deal gone bad. DHS declares he died in a terrorist act.Drugs? Terrorism? Sam suspects there’s more to the story, and she certainly doesn’t trust the ostensible DHS agents, Hayden Reece and Reuben Flynn and their strange colleagues. But when she goes on the run, her horrible headaches intensify at the worst moment and she’s hospitalized.
She awakens and finds that she’s no longer alone. A sentient virus lives in her brain. He claims to be a telepath and takes the shape of an energetic, innocent ten-year-old boy named Alexander. As if this wasn’t startling enough, Sam learns that the government infected her with this virus. It will continue to grow and change and develop new powers . . . but each change could kill her.
With the reluctant help of a disgruntled Israeli ex-soldier, Melvin, she continues her investigation into her father’s death. They soon find another woman with a sentient virus, a mentally disturbed homeless woman named Gabi and her virus, Victor.
Then the government wants Alexander back. But why?
My thoughts
I had never read an urban fantasy novel and fantasy is on my thanks-but-no-thanks list. But when Rick Hall told me the premise of Gnosis, it intrigued me. There’s mystery and thriller elements. I really enjoyed this book. Here are a few reasons why:
Samantha Black is one heck of a heroine.
She’s determined, strong, and hot-headed. She’s a parkour enthusiast, which is something like military obstacle training minus the military. (Think jumping from rooftop to rooftop, climbing up or down brick walls, all without equipment. It’s one reason the state declared her self-destructive and stuck her in foster care.) Once Alexander shows up, she’s extremely protective of the little guy. Sure, he lives in her head but he’s still vulnerable.
I wrote in my notes that she reminds me a bit of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, but I think I prefer Sam!
Alexander is one awesome little virus.
Alexander sounds like an eager little kid, sometimes a bit younger than the ten-year-old boys I’ve met recently. But he’s very innocent and naïve–after all, he was “born” not long before–and he has to rely on Sam’s memories to form his knowledge of the world.
This leads to some interesting and funny moments, such as when he pops up wearing neon pink Daisy Dukes, a knotted t-shirt, and headphones, and spouts teen speak from the last decade. He’s taken his fashion sense from Sam in her preteen years. Um, no. (Don’t worry. Sam sets him straight on that point.)
He’s capable of loving others and shows great loyalty to those he loves. He’s a full-fledged character.
The writing voice is terrific.
After reading the opening pages of Gnosis, I knew I had to read it. Why?
The writing voice grabbed me and didn’t let go.
It’s a great blend of intensity and humor. Fresh. Energetic. Hall nails the voice of an older teen girl without seeming to try too hard or too obviously.
The premise is well-executed.
This is a complicated premise. Alexander not only hops from head to head, but he also “watches” Sam’s memories and her world from inside a (fantasy) treehouse in her head. Sam can simultaneously watch the inside of the treehouse and the external world she lives in. At points, Melvin, their ally (who does not have a virus and is not telepathic), also appears in the treehouse, and Alexander pops into his head and hunts around in his memories, too. At times, all three are speaking to one another. When Gabi and Victor come into the story, things become even more complicated. (Two viruses, three humans, multiple mind-readers.)
But it’s never confusing. I never had to wonder who was speaking or who could or couldn’t hear their words. In the fantasy world Hall created, the rules of communication may be different from in our real world, but they are still consistent. The environment and its “laws” are also never so complex that I struggled to understand what was going on. (This has been an issue for me in other fantasy novels.)
I suspect Hall’s background as a game designer helps with the vivid nature of his fantasy world. (See his recent blog post on the “active environment” in storytelling. It’s a must read for all fiction writers.)
Overall, this is a terrific, energetic, awesome book to read. I heartily recommend Gnosis for anyone who enjoys urban fantasy or thrillers.
Gnosis releases today! Order on Amazon.
(Note: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. This review also appears on Goodreads and Bookbub.)
For other books about conspiracies, check out my top 5 post on mysteries dealing with conspiracies and cover-ups.