There’s something fascinating about a science fiction story that includes mobsters and romance. The God Virus by Indigo Voyager provides this combination as well as other tantalizing details. The book starts off full blast and is instantly engaging.
Derek Evans, is an attractive young man who has moved to New York from Maine. Recovering from a broken heart, and left with nothing but a cat named Norton, Derek is suffering from depression. When the offer of trying a new investigational drug arises, he decides to give it a try. After all, what has he got to lose? After accepting the pill from Harry Pembroke he begins to have strange experiences. Suddenly Derek is able to travel around, leaving his body behind. It turns out the so-called depression drug actually contains a virus that alters Derek’s DNA. On one of his first “trips” he finds himself in Pembroke’s study. But Pembroke is not alone. Not only can Derek travel out of body, he can also read the thoughts and memories of other people. As he overhears both the spoken conversation and the thoughts of Pembroke and the man he learns is a Russian mobster named Baranov, he realizes the drug he has taken is not an anti-depressant. What happens next sets the stage for an adventure that is sometimes confusing but never boring.
Returning to his job at Enigmatic Adventures, a company that creates video games, he attempts to keep control of his life. Soon he becomes involved with a co-worker, Alessandra Giancana (Allie G). He soon learns Allie has a unique family connection; her grandfather is a mobster. And she learns of his newfound special skill.
What follows is an amazing mixture of a love story, science fiction adventure, crime, and a flavor of fantasy. The main characters are well developed and the lesser characters are given enough depth to keep them interesting. Derek and Allie explore world’s other than their own, both spiritual and alternate realities. As they are pursued by the criminals who seek to acquire the virus for their own nefarious purposes and intelligence groups that want to capture them to use them, the craziness grows in leaps and bounds. While the story lags in some spots with some unnecessary details, overall this is a fun book. There are a few missing words here and there but not enough to detract from my enjoyment of the story.
This review is also available at Readers Review Room.
Between the Beats 