Ex-superhero Rohan is now retired. He has hung up his cape and swapped being an instrument of war for a life of peace, towing spaceships in and out of their docking bays at a space station with his bare hands - such are his superpowers. However hard he tries to live a peaceful life, he is dogged by unusual circumstances for which his Powers seem to be the only solution. Rohan is a Hybrid human/il’Drach and as a fighter during the Great Hybrid Rebellion his code name was The Griffin. He is capable of tearing apart enemy spaceships with his bare hands, but these days prefers to tow them and share friendly conversations with them as he helps show them into their berths.
The worldbuilding in this novel is excellent. Wistful is the sentient space station for whom Rohan works. Thousands of years old, she is wise and respectful and cares greatly for all those residents for whom she is responsible. Her corridors come to life as her various businesses and work areas are described. The sentient spacecrafts are a fabulous addition to the world and the dangerous creatures inhabiting Toth 3 make for some truly nail-biting episodes:
“It didn’t react at first to Rohan’s speed. He touched his fists together in front of his forehead, forming a triangle with his forearms. The Hybrid rammed into the spot right between the creature’s maw and eyes with the kinetic energy of a meteor. With that same maneuver, he’d punched holes through battleship hulls, six inches of advanced titanium honeycomb plating reinforced with carbon nanotube lacing and tempered in living stars. He had ripped through planetary cores with it, blown apart asteroids that would have wiped out planets.”
The large cast of characters is layered and believable. Some are given more depth and nuance than others, however, and I would have liked to get to know Rohan’s love interest and her son a little better, but their role in the story is not a big one. The friendship between Rohan and his friend, Wei Li, the Chief of Security was heart-warming and I enjoyed their banter.
Wistful Ascending was a joy to read. It was difficult to put down and very funny in places, with many highly original Sci-Fi ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will continue on with the next book, Return of the Griffin.
