The Navigator


Fiction - Science Fiction
278 Pages
Reviewed on 08/31/2023
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Christopher Solaas for Readers' Favorite

The Navigator by Vern Buzarde, the second book in the Impermanent Universe Trilogy, continues the story of Will Manning, a depressed movie star about to commit suicide over his past, which is coming back to destroy his future. A fledgling AI named Tess is just reaching sentience, and the first thing she asks for is a visit from Will. Will's life has been a fog since his early days when he and three other orphans encountered what looked like a demon dog from hell. Just before the hellish beast eats them, a metal angel appears and enters into a mortal battle with it, giving the boys a chance to escape. The angel, however, drops a book of power, and the boys see one of the magic pages on it. The knowledge of what they saw there appears to be killing them, one by one. Only Will seems to have the key that will save them.

From the opening scene to the final paragraph, I found this brilliant novel impossible to put down. I was up past midnight with this page-turner, engrossed in the tale and invested in the characters. The Navigator by Vern Buzarde is a brilliantly woven dark sci-fi thriller with high stakes, fast action, and solid character development. The internal struggles in Will to reconcile what he learned from that glance into the book define a compelling character arc for him. The antagonist, billionaire Henri LaMey, is driven by a desire to ruin Will's life, but the reasons behind his rage are unclear until the final dramatic showdown. The world-building is immersive, the dialogue is witty, the pacing is just right, and the plot is littered with twists and turns to keep you guessing. It’s white-knuckle action, sure to please lovers of science fiction.