Book review - "Kinesis" by Ethan Spiers

The blurb for “Kinesis” by Ethan Spier certainly grabbed my attention, a novel with characters possessing telekinesis, the ability to move objects with one’s mind.  I thought there might be some similarities or inspiration but it became apparent quickly there are no similarities between our works.

In Spier's work, people with psychokinesis become dangers after they begin to exhibit the ‘ability’.  They progressively grow more and more irrational and violent until at last, they turn into babbling, drooling vegetables.  Because of this, they are locked away while they deteriorate.  The prison, Cove Rock, is equipped with magnetic field generators, which prevents the psychokinetics (PKs) from using their powers.

Another big difference, Spier opens his novel with an extremely violent home invasion.  Fortunately, the violence subsides for the most part, and subsequent scenes don’t quite match the horror of the first.

Clarissa Chapman, head of the Psychokinetic Investigation team, is called to the site of the home invasion, since the two intruders were killed by a PK.  As she searches for the rogue PK, events are taking place in Arkham…um, I mean Cove Rock.  One of the most vicious inmates has found a way to use his power despite the magnetic fields.  And he is hell-bent on escaping and exacting revenge on Clarissa, who put him there.

Spier speculates in his book that not all PKs are violent, murderous psychopaths but that some of them have the ability yet never experience the mental deterioration.  That notion begins to haunt Clarissa while she searches for the PK who killed the home intruders.

Her conclusion that some people can lead long, normal lives is confirmed while she is nearly killed in an all-out battle between to PKs.

I liked the novel but Spier has different stories going on at once and in the beginning it is cumbersome to follow along.  Once all the characters have been introduced, it is much easier, but many characters are peripheral and add to the confusion.

Also, “Kinesis” takes place in London, but I never got a feel of the setting.  This book could have taken place in just about any city in any country.

Overall, I enjoyed Spier’s viewpoint on a subject we both love.