Review: Breaker (Exile #1) by Kelly Wyre & A.F. Henley

In the wake of several near-cataclysmic events, humanity created the Cure, a DNA-altering antidote to death by disease and old age. But all cures come with side effects: a small percentage of the population develops a wide range of powers, some of which are lethal to others, and some which are lethal to the wielder.

These people are called the Estranged, hunted and shunned, safe only on the Island of Exile. It is here that Kaeva and Eddie meet—and where they set a prophecy in motion, quite possibly sealing their own demise, and even the end of Exile.








I have a thing for psychic abilities. I think it was created by my thirteen year old self reading Carrie for the first time, while on a backpacking trip with my school.

Authors who can dream up cool abilities, and how they can manifest rarely disappoint me.

This story was cool. There were a lot of fun abilities, and names for the abilities, and I became absorbed in this story from chapter one.

Kaeva is a loner on the island, Exile, and has been tasked with taking care of a new intake. Because of his unpredictable ability, he isolates himself to the farthest part of the island, and is not happy about having to take care of the new person, whom no one actually knows, but one of the island founders has dreamed about.

Eddie has dreams of ending it all. He has a plan and intends to play it out on an island home his uncle left for him in his Will. On his way, an emergency happens and he ends up on a journey to an unknown place. He has no issues with this, as it is a final adventure before the big sleep.

When Kaeva meets Eddie he is less than impressed, and with Eddie’s ability not obvious, and considered weak, Kaeva does not understand why Eddie wants to kill himself.

There is a fair amount of heaviness with Eddie’s suicidal ideations, and I caution readers who may be triggered by this. Eddie isn’t depressed, per se, but he is feeling useless, alone, and fearful. His mind picks things up that he cannot control, he has never been in contact with anyone else who Estranged, and he hasn’t been able to connect with anyone normal.

This story isn’t so much about Eddie’s suicide mission, as it is about Kaeva and Eddie learning to connect. Kaeva has had very few good experiences being around people, and it is difficult for him to be around Eddie without worrying he will kill him.

But as the story progresses, the connection and communication grows, until they are at ease with each other in a way they have never been with anyone else. I found that both had really lovely personalities, as different as they were, and managed to find some happy as they learned about each other.

I’m excited about this series. I enjoyed this book a lot. The world building was thorough, but leaving enough for more stories to follow. I hope the authors run with this, and that they have more to tell from this world.

This is not an action adventure, but more about a group of people living with abilities that can be harmful to themselves and/or others, and making a life for themselves, away from the rest of civilisation.

I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Sci-Fi, specifically genetic mutations, with psychic abilities.

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