J.J. Angel's "Legends of Potentia: Initus"

Title: A Jarring Story

“Legends of Potentia: Initus” by J.J. Angel

Reviewed by M. Windholtz

10/10/16

7:00 a.m.

At the S.E.T.E. research center, scientists use a mysterious, non-earthly substance to carry out experiments on live animal subjects. After a violent break-in at S.E.T.E. leaves several scientists and guards dead, the researchers are forced by a strange, otherworldly shape-shifter named Setesh to help revive alien infants. Meanwhile, the alien Yaasha is aided by two young boys on his search for a missing alien book and necklaces that may be the only way to stop the destruction of Earth.

The two boys who aid Yaasha act and behave more like children than most young science fiction heroes tend to. They do not focus on their goals, rather preferring to watch television and live normal lives. While a refreshing take on main characters, they bring little to the plot and their dismissive attitude towards the potential destruction of their world is off-putting.

Overall, character motivation and actions are unexplained to the reader. Most prominently, Setesh speaks of wanting to change the world, yet his goals and means to accomplish this objective remain unclear. The boys have access to Potentia, a supernatural alien force, but the book does not explain how they came to be equipped with their powers or how their powers work.

Despite the novel’s interesting premise, it is sometimes difficult for the reader to get invested in the story. The continued use of feeling statements and the passive voice leaves readers removed from the action. The author relies on vague adverbs to support characters’ actions that add very little to the scenes.

Furthermore, the text felt wholly unedited at times. Words are misspelled and misused at a high frequency. There is a lack of proper punctuation at the end of nearly every spoken quotation that is quite jarring and pulls the reader out of the story. While the story of “Initus” was promising and engaging, the editing keeps it from being a better book.

I give “Legends of Potentia: Initus” 3 out of 5 stars.

Enjoy,

M. Windholtz