The premise of “Bright Star,” by Grayson Reyes-Cole, is similar to that of franchises such as “X-Men” or “Heroes”.  A small minority of individuals, called Shifters, are born with the power to bend the laws of physics using High Energy.  In order to control those paranormal abilities and channel them for productive use, an agency called the Service finds shifters and trains them from an early age. 

  Jacob and Jackson Rush are brothers, both gifted with an unusual degree of High Energy.  Wanting nothing more than an ordinary existence, Jacob has hidden his massive abilities from his older brother for most of his lifetime.  That changes when Jacob is forced to save the life of a mysterious and self-destructive young woman who calls herself Bright Star. 

  Bright Star claims that the Shifters are destined to save the world from disaster and that Jacob Rush is central to that destiny.  Jackson hopes to find “help” for Bright Star from one of the doctors in the Service, while Jacob simply wants to avoid her.  However, when her bizarre behavior grows more and more disturbing, Jacob can no longer hide the truth about her, or about himself, from his brother. 

   “Bright Star” is an intriguing book that delivers on several levels.  Reyes-Cole does an excellent job of raising questions in the reader's mind, which keeps the story consistently compelling.  Those questions are all answered in a satisfying manner as Bright Star's twisted personal mythology is revealed.  The Rush brothers are both interesting characters, and the tension between them provides an excellent human dimension to this fantastic tale.  The ambiguity of Bright Star herself is also fascinating.  For most of the book, the reader is left in suspense as to the true nature of this character.  Grayson-Reyes Cole is an incredibly imaginative and original writer, and fans of dark fantasy, modern fantasy, and science fiction will enjoy “Bright Star”.

Reviewer: Eris

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Publisher: Lyrical Press, Inc.