While John W. Otte's superhero trilogy centers on his original hero Failstate, he has given readers more insight into secondary characters through the release of short novellas between each installment. The latest, Kynetic: on Target, focuses on a female superhero introduced in the second novel. It largely succeeds as a fun romp in between his larger stories.
Kiesha Taylor, aka Kynetic, seeks to gain more acceptance as a full superhero. Her best chance for such official recognition may lie in her friend Robin Laughlin, aka Failstate; he's also her target for a romantic relationship. After being rebuffed on all sides, she's approached by a trio of female villains intent on knocking off a larger player. Throw in some family drama and Kynetic finds she's got a lot to juggle. But her priorities begin to change when she's forced to question whether her actions truly are as heroic as she'd like them to be.
The Failstate novels are solid YA territory, and this novella continues in the same vein. Teenage romance and problems at school all circulate around the larger issues of the fight between good and evil. Fortunately Otte keeps his focus squarely on the ordinariness of these issues and their impact on the characters rather than cheap, melodramatic angst. These young people aren't overburdened; while they do face serious problems, they also have a lot of fun.
While the writing is solid (albeit a bit sparse), Otte excels at creative world building. His love for superheroes really shines through with the different unique abilities he gives his characters, the names of villains and groups, and the overarching structure required to make these competing powers work in our world.
Even the more mundane aspects of his world are filled with life. The reader is pulled into Kiesha's story, her desires and needs, her drive to succeed, her fear of failure. She's powerful and ambitious, yet just as muddled in exactly how to grow up as any teenager. Her interaction with Charlene Gardner, Failstate's girlfriend, fleshed out a character we had formally only seen through the lens of her effect on the hero.
The brevity of this story weakens it. There's simply not enough time to really explore how Kiesha's past has made her the person she is now. We get fed backstory through a contrived conversation and confession, and the heroine's transformation from selfish to selfless felt a bit rushed. It's a testament to Otte's firm grasp of his characters and world that despite these flaws, I still felt fully immersed in the plot and eagerly anticipated how it would conclude.
If you're already a fan of Failstate, you'll definitely want to read this novella. Readers who are new to the series may need a little explanation to fully appreciate some of the character's actions, but will be able to follow the story. If Otte should decide to give us another Kynetic adventure some time down the road, I'd be glad to dive in.
This review is also posted at Goodreads and Amazon. I did not receive anything from the publisher or author for this review. The cover was illusrated by Carlo Garde. The novella is currently available from Enclave Publishing via Amazon as an eBook ($1.99).
