Flash

Long ago, the first reign of Grigori Geist nearly destroyed the Earth.
Returned from exile, Geist is secretly rebuilding his kingdom beneath Antarctica, assembling his robotic Vaucan race to war against mankind. Only one obstacle remains: the war hero known as Brian Renney.
Yet Brian is losing a battle against his fears. Scars of heart and mind linger from his days in Vietnam, fueling his failures as husband and father. This embitters his youngest son, Jason – a star athlete torn between pursuing the love of his life, and meeting the demands of a father who is far from the storied army captain he once was.
And all the while, Geist is coming for them.
In this dark hour, Brian and Jason encounter a war to end all others… and an unexpected ally who, once meant for evil, shall forever be a force for good.
If you like superheroes, technology and hockey, this is a book for you. Even if you're not into them much, it has a great story and it all comes together.
At first I wasn't sure why we were seeing different points of view that didn't seem to connect. I was a little confused on who the main character was or if we had more than one, but I soon learned how it all became one story. I think for me, this kind of plot is better as a movie. Though it does have a human side, not so fantastical, the other part is a bit too much for me. I did enjoy it and like how they were combined.

It is more than just sci-fi, we see a relationship between a father and son, easy to relate. We see a normal college student living a life where he felt pressured by his dad. We see his friends, very different personalities and backgrounds and how each of them has a specific place in his life. We see him trying to figure out the best for him but also for the girl he loves and how their relationship grows.
There are many human characteristics in this future filled with amazing technological advancements. The setting is very diverse, we have our regular cities combined with amazing new places in our same world.

There are many different ideas but they're not confusing, the author managed to connect them all into this story.
We understand one of the characters' actions as we get to see his past and how he struggles with it in the present. We get to see him grow and understand that his perspective is very important when it comes to his decisions and his life. "...don't you find it strange that your enemy values you more than you do?" Who wouldn't want a second chance? Would you appreciate it though? Or waste it again? I think it's one of the most important things the character gets to learn.

Favorite parts:
"Technology always has the capacity to do good," "It's people that misuse it and make it worse than it is.
" 'We're all so different,' Michael mused. 'How are we all still friends anyways?' "
"...eccentric group of friends who had, despite all ods, accepted each other."
"I didn't know what I had until now." Sure, it has several cliches but they are true and they are explained throughout the story. They're not just phrases the author chose to write to fill in.
"You get so much perspective when someone with little is more grateful than another who has much."
"They showed the same hate toward my brother. If I celebrate their murder, how am I any better off than they are?"