LEAP (The Race Is On Book 1)
Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)
“Above him, the dense swell of powdery lights resembled a thick cloud of billowing steam that spiraled across the entire night sky. He shivered in awe, looking towards the horizon where the sun had disappeared. Perhaps it's a good day to die after all.”
Imagine a world where we could teleport? It would change everything... I messed with the concept in Complete Darkness but here O C Heaton brings the 'world's greatest invention' into modern-day and it has seismic effects.
We get to join Uma Jakobsdottir, an eco-activist, and daughter of famed quantum scientist Jakob Arnasson - she has big dreams of reversing global warming.
It suddenly looks a lot more possible when she meets Ethan Rae - Britain’s youngest tech billionaire. Can they team up to launch her father’s greatest invention, which is, as you might have guessed called LEAP.
LEAP is a teleportation device that could replace all transportation, transform manufacturing and revolutionize food production. I don't need to spell out for you the incredible savings on fuel, time, and manpower such a device would bring.
But hold your eco horses, as ever there are forces that do not want to lose their income such as playboy CEO, Samuel Reynolds III... He wants LEAP to save his family’s airline, once the biggest in the US but now facing bankruptcy in the wake of 911.
I won't go into any more plot as reviews are here to tell ya if it's any good - not to regurgitate the promo blurb...
I'm delighted to report that LEAP is a fun, pacy read which will put a grin on those who like a bit of espionage.
Heaton writes in a highly detailed but readable format and whilst he doesn't skimp on the tech notes, they don't slow down the narrative unduly.
The action globe trots from the frozen wastelands of Iceland to the leafy suburbs of London and even the shadow of the Twin Towers, so buckle up for an ecological thrill ride.
Who is O C Heaton and how does he write?
I write what I love to read - big-issue thrillers that are super well-researched inside a complex plot full of twists and turns.
When I sit down to write a book, I have three non-negotiable rules:
1. It needs to concern a current or recent real-world issue that I can deeply research (I love research!) and weave my fictional story into. Hopefully, so tightly that you struggle to spot where one stops and the other starts.
2. It has to have a complex plot full of twists and turns that’ll leave you guessing right until the end.
3. It must contain grey characters, even the good guys. This makes sense to me. Firstly as a reader I hate stereotypical/one-dimensional characters and secondly, grey is real-life, right?
The result of the above is The Race Is On Series, an idea I had on a trip to Iceland. The first in the series is called LEAP, which tells the tale of a device which has the power to halt global warming. Told you I go for big issues! The ensuing race to control the power of this machine will continue throughout the sequel to LEAP which I’m well on my way to completing. It's called Green Ray and will be published in the Autumn of 2022.
Just like LEAP, the 2nd book weaves fact with fiction and encompasses events such as the 2009 global financial meltdown, Al Qaeda, a new US President and a cornered CIA; another delightful concoction around which I have constructed another tall, but hopefully credible, tale. Watch this space!
I live in Leeds, UK with the love of my life and our two daughters. It rains a lot in Leeds but that works out well for me - loads of time for research and of course writing
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>>> Imagine a world where the earth is becoming hell?
Click below to find out in my dark sci-fi novel...
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