Diamond Eyes product reviews

Imagine living in a world where ghost people are all you can see, but you can't hear them. Where there are invisible people all around you that you can hear and feel - but not see. The people you bond with never recognise your existence, and the ones you fear and want to run away from are the only ones who will respond to you at all.

You'd go crazy.

Mira certainly thought she had...

However, due to a random roll of loaded genetic dice, Mira was born with an ability so amazing, and so profound, that it took an innocent ex-con willing to be open-minded, two scientists with some advanced machinery in testing, and a lot of faith by a new mental institution leader to bring it all out in the open.

Now throw in a psychotic inmate who seems to know what you are about to say or do before you even think about it... a nut-job military man trying to sell advanced technology to enemy powers and pass the blame off to others, and a seriously corny love relationship... and you have one heck of a twisted plot that has the power to keep you reading no matter what.

The characters of Mira, Ben, Freddie and Matron Sanchez are all very well defined, as they should be since the entire plot revolves around that foursome. However, all the other characters were still defined well enough for them to perform their rolls, without becoming overloaded with pointless detail... except perhaps one of the scientists, Van Danik... I felt he was focussed on a little too much in places - I suppose it was to enhance his ranting disbelief, but still, he got really annoying really fast.

Without giving away the key plot surprise - which I am sorry to say was all to easy to predict for someone with such a wide range of fiction reading and a penchant for sci-fi that is heavy on the sci- aspect - I can't really tell you too much about the story, as it all focusses on the strange visual issues suffered by Mira, someone who is supposed to be legally blind. However, the book does make one stop and consider whether those we would label 'genetically damaged' are in fact damaged, or maybe just 'differently abled' in a way we either can understand, or accept.

Overall, a very thought-provoking read... though less of a 'fictional story' and more of a 'potential moral tale' for me. This book would give anyone enjoyment, but I suspect it has a secondary market well outside the fantasy genre... for those who look at it as more of a parable than a tale.