I was very captivated by this book! It is a very complex world, rather disturbing sometimes, a mix of dystopia and utopia. Lots of terrible things happen but in the end there is also hope. Many themes are addressed, such as religion, gene manipulation, how people cope with differentness, ecology, overpopulation, cyborgs etc. etc.
Ariel, Bast and Nicholas are very interesting persons who all develop and learn and grow through the story and I hope to hear more about them! ( )

Every now and then, a book comes along that I enjoy reading (or perhaps not) but can't point out any reason why I like or dislike the book. Helix, is one of those "I like this book" types, but unfortunately, pointing my finger at definitive reasons why is beyond me at this time. The tightly plotted, complex story had me curious as to the motivations of the well-developed characters, which became more clear as the story progressed. The protagonist and his adversaries are believable, realistic characters. Even those characters not completely human kept me interested; so naturally, I kept turning the pages.

One thing that doesn't bother me, but may discourage other readers: there's a lot of violence and death involved in parts of Helix. For that reason, I cannot recommend this novel to all, but, for those like me, who tend to overlook such things... you might want to pick this up the next time you're looking for something new and different to read. Helix is available in many different ebook formats from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords etc. and in paperback from your favorite book seller.

This copy of Helix was provided to me free by the author in exchange for this review. This review has simultaneously been published at Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and other appropriate locations on the internet. ( )

From the somewhat-generic cover art, at first glance Helix seems to fit nicely into the pulp sci-fi genre. Not a problem - sci-fi thrillers being an entirely pleasant way to pass some time - but JL Bryan's Helix was a complete surprise.

JL Bryan shows, not tells, as his plot unfolds in a world entirely unlike our own. In the far future, where humanity has expanded to
man-made planetoids, the last remnants of old Earth and the organizations of the planetoids are -secretly - struggling for power.

This is the background over which Helix's story of a man seeking revenge for his fallen wife begins. To tell more here would be to rob you of the absolute pleasure of reading Helix.

This is possibly one of the best science fiction novels I've read in a long time. ( )

J L Bryan sets up the story of Helix is more realistic, more believable story of 600 years in the future, than I've read in some time. If you like science fiction, you will like this book! This book is full of love, revenge, devotion, dna manipulation, complexed worlds, technology, space, and let's not forget the battle between religion and capitalism. I give Helix a thumb's up. ( )

A very good Science Fiction Thriller that kept me so interested I did not want to stop reading. ( )