Amalgam (Valaran Chronicles #1) by Byron A Wells

AMALGAM (Valaran Chronicles #1) by Byron A Wells

AMALGAM is the first novel and storyline in new author Byron A Wells sci-fi series the Valaran Chronicles. The description given by the author is definitely MATURE young adult, and the author does not punctuate and inundate the storyline with an alarming amount of scientific jargon similar to many science fiction series and novels. But be warned, this novel should not be read by anyone under 16 due to the graphic nature and premise of some of the scenes.

The premise follows 3 different storylines that at times will overlap but in the end come together for a finale that is well deserved. Hobs is our hero, a young man who knows that he is different from the others in his village. Raised and adopted by Ren, following the death of his parents from the plague, Hobs stood out from the other members of his village-several inches taller, black hair and eyes-and at times, he was the target of the local bad boys and bullies. But following a final vicious attack and assault that left him for dead, Hobs will wake up in an underground facility the likes that no one had ever dreamed.

As the villagers scour for their missing friends, the local bad boys will target Hobs’ father and following a viscious encounter, Ren will meet a similar fate as his son. But there are many in the village that suspect what has happened to Hobs and his father, but the extent of the damage will never be known. And in a final brutal attack, one of Hob’s closest friends will suffer at the hands of 3 young men, and find herself the victim of an assault so personal that revenge will drive Hobs through his days.

As the story progresses, Hobs undergoes a regeneration of sorts. What can only be described as a Cyborg (cybergenic organism) befitting a Star Trek storyline with similar ingredients to many of the most popular sci-fi sagas including Neuromancer by William Gibson and He, She and It by Marge Piercy, the story ventures into the realm of AI. Data transfer through neuro-plugs ala The Matrix and artificial intelligence befitting 2001: A Space Odyssey, Byron A. Wells will take the reader on a journey that can only be described as a fascinating and enlightening look at a sci-fi storyline.

And we must not forget the requisite alien, in all of his nastiness, staking a claim against a people they had once destroyed. Returning to a planet long thought to have suffered the indignities of a genocide, the Scarian beings will fall victim to the one remaining Valaran who has mysteriously ‘survived’ an ethnic cleansing between two warring sides in an inter-galactic war of the worlds.

AMALGAM is a well written and wonderful storyline- a fascinating look at a genre often ignored by many reviewers and readers, if only because of the sci-fi category. This is not your usual hard-core science fiction novel. Having had to read the likes of Robert Heinlein, William Gibson and Marge Piercy for university Engl. Lit classes and the study of science fiction, I found Amalgam to be a much lighter read –not too heavy on the scientific jargon, but interesting enough to keep my attention. A scientific journal is not required to help you define the passages. In fact I read the novel in one sitting.

Copy supplied by Goodreads First Reads

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Reviewed by Sandy