Hi there! I’m so excited to share a review for a brand new dystopian YA adventure/romance from Susan Kaye Quinn. THE LAST MYSTIC is the fourth book in her Singularity series, and should be read in order. Having loved THE LEGACY HUMAN, THE DUALITY BRIDGE, and THE ILLUSORY PROPHET, I couldn’t wait to read this thrilling series conclusion.

About the book:
What if you knew there was life after death?
Eli is back from the dead… and determined to stop the powerful ascenders who blasted him out to the void. But in the three days he was gone, the world moved on. The girl he loves is determined to build an army of augmented humans to fight the ascenders—with herself as the next Offering. The ascenders are lining up in a death cult based on the charismatic ascender Eli accidentally released from storage—and all the restraints that have kept the ascender world in balance are now off. Everyone is rushing to be the first to bring a Second Singularity—to reach the numinous world from which Eli just returned—regardless of the cost. And the chaos and bloodshed of the first Singularity show just how high that cost can be. How can he stop the world from hurtling off the cliff when he’s the one who proved there’s something to reach, if only you could learn how to fly?

The Last Mystic is the thrilling conclusion to the Singularity series. This philosophical, HopePunk sci-fi series explores the intersection of mind, body, and soul in a post-Singularity world.

My Review:
This is the fourth book in the Singularity series, and needs to be read in order.

Elijah Brighton is not entirely human. Nor is he an Ascender–one of the millions of minds that are electronically connected since the Singularity several hundred years prior. Earth is not the place we know, it’s far advanced technologically, and humans that live here are kept as legacy populations in Ascender controlled cities, or they escape to join the Resistance, or the Makers, or an even lesser-known cult.

Eli has been through the wringer in this series, learning that he’s not simply a human, but one generated with Ascender tech in his very DNA. He was designed to answer the question of whether Ascenders had souls, and if they could transcend technological death into and afterlife. Eli now knows–and he’s the bridge to that destination. When the book opens it’s Eli,coming back from a Fugue–a state on non-consciousness where he can touch the souls of others, including Ascenders. There is a terrifying new foe cutting down humanity to find him–or his body–and bring about a Second Singularity, in which Ascenders will be able to travel into an afterlife, and return–like Eli does. Eli’s first thought is to bring back the consciousness of two of the most respected Ascenders to quell the drive toward another Singularity. These entities have been considered dead, and if Eli can get them to re-integrate with the Orion collective consciousness then he can convince Ascenders they don’t need to sacrifice their minds, or the bodies of humans, to achieve afterlife for their soul.

Eli isn’t only trying to help humanity survive the Ascender assaults; his human girlfriend, Kamali, is next in line to attempt a Second Singularity. She believes that Eli will bring her back from the dead if the Makers are unable to complete the transformation. For Eli, it’s personal, as well as philosophical. He’s funneled the consciousness of many low-functioning bots into the afterlife, and still wonders if he did the right thing–granted he took those “minds” from killer bots that were rampaging through unprotected human populations, but it troubled him. And losing Kamali–even if he could bring her back–is just untenable. Instead, Eli digs deep within himself to find what makes him unique among those on Earth–and he grows into the being his Ascender mentors had always envisioned: more than a bridge, a way to embrace life–human or Ascender. He’s able to rewire humanity and Ascenders to find the divine within themselves and each other, using his deep love of life to open the minds of the populace in a figurative and literal way. It’s a creative means to an end that only builds more love, more connections. The Second Singularity arrives not through tech, but through compassion.

It’s an amazing transition, and an inspiring end to a series built on finding the best of humanity, even when the most powerful haven’t been human in centuries. If you are into futuristic societies and big moral and ethical quandaries, this philosophical take will open your heart and mind to possibility.

Interested? You can find THE LAST MYSTIC on Goodreads and Amazon.

New to the series? The first book, THE LEGACY HUMAN, is currently FREE. Check out my review and catch the buy links here.

Susan Kaye Quinn is a rocket scientist turned speculative fiction author who now uses her PhD to invent cool stuff in books. She writes young adult science fiction, with side trips into adult future-noir, royal fantasy romance, and middle grade. Her bestselling novels and short stories have been optioned for Virtual Reality, translated into German, and featured in several anthologies. She writes full-time from Chicago, inventing mind powers and dreaming of the Singularity.

Chat with her about our coming robot overlords in her Facebook group.

More about Sue: website | Facebook Page | Twitter | For Writers