The Futility of Vengeance is the second book in the Many Worlds series which follows Gary Jackson through a multitude of realities. If you’re unfamiliar with the series, the key things that you need to know are that the Many World series is a science fiction/crime series that follows protagonist Gary Jackson through alternate realities. The series second installation, Futility of Vengeance picks up right where Wordlines left off. In one world, Sinead and Gary Jackson are about to become husband and wife, where alternately they are simply friends, and there is another Gary who sits in prison planning revenge on the Gary that killed his girlfriend.  Additionally, as Gary explores these Worldlines, he aims to explore more worldlines as we see his obsessiveness continue to grow throughout the book.

Like the first book, the use of alternate realities is an entertaining plot device that can be enjoyed by a variety of readers, myself included. However, compared to Worldlines, Futility of Vengeance explains the science fiction elements better and we go deeper. For example, we can visit the future of one Gary and then the past of a different Gary. Expanding beyond real time, there is a lot more we get to see in the second novel which I enjoyed immensely. While I liked the idea of additional Worldlines I felt that they were sometimes hard to follow.

The supporting cast of characters continue to be interesting, Gary Jackson’s character goes through a drastic change. In the first book, I found myself rather sympathetic towards Gary, but in this book he’s less likable. This could likely be attributed to the events that are taking place, as I felt that the way he treats the people in his life in Futility of Vengeance can be cruel at times. This gives a different dimension to his character that I was not expecting. Author Adam Guest continues to expand his creative sci-fi world in the second installment so that it is even deeper and more complex, and will appeal to hard science fiction fans.

The Futility of Vengeance has a story that is fascinating and takes readers in unexpected but entertaining directions. The story has a lot of substance, with a storyline that is intellectually invigorating. This is a story that has the potential to be massive in scope. Fans will be thrilled to continue the Many Worlds series and see the story go in some very intriguing directions.

Pages: 320 | ISBN: 1913777057