I haven’t read a huge amount of Science Fiction based works, though I have been a big fan of the genre from various television shows and movies throughout the years. My first introduction to the genre came through the classical works of Jules Verne. I have always been a big fan of other worldly settings and high stakes plots. Perhaps the thing that drew me in the most about this book in particular was the premise of a main character who doesn’t experience emotions or physical sensations like the rest of the world does.
A little insight into my own life, I was raised in a family where both parents got their degrees in psychology. My father even continued on to be a psychologist within the federal prison system. Even my sister and brother-in-law got degrees in the same field. What does that have to do with a book review? It’s part of the reason why I was drawn into the story. Being raised in a family that did a lot of discussing of inner workings of the mind and studying human emotions and reactions I got really excited to test out a story in which those elements were stripped from the main character.
Granted, it has been a couple of years since I last read this story. The factor that it still sits with me as a strong book even after so much time I feel is a pretty good testament to the story. I’ve done so much reading throughout the years that it’s easy for stories to start blending together in my brain after a while. So if you can end up standing out after a considerable passage of time then that means you did something right.
The premise of Numb is as follows:
Save the girl…or his soul?
Crusader is numb. He feels neither emotion nor pain, a divine gift that allows him to be the Ministrix’s best assassin.
Whether it’s heretics from within or heathens from without, Crusader is the sword in the True Church’s hand. And if he remains obedient to his superiors, he will be able to let go of his guilt.
But then he’s ordered to kill Isolda Westin. It shouldn’t be a problem. A target is a target. When Crusader sees Isolda’s image, though, something strange happens. He experiences a moment of panic, a wave of emotions–the first he’s felt in as long as he can remember.
In that moment, he realizes he can’t fulfill his mission. He can’t kill Isolda Westin, even if it means he’ll be condemned as an enemy of the Ministrix.
Soon Crusader and Isolda are on the run. Will they be able to learn why the Ministrix wants Isolda dead? Or will they both soon face the harsh justice of the “True Church”?
Now I won’t claim that this book is without faults, I don’t know if any story is. I do remember feeling that I wished the story and world would continue, and technically this world does continue on in Otte’s book Hive. I can’t say how it measures up though as I’ve yet to get around to reading it, largely because it doesn’t include the same characters from Numb as the main points of view. Funny thing is, did buy a copy of it! I suppose I should actually get around to reading that one and see how it compares to its predecessor.
Oh, and in case anyone was still wondering, no I didn’t get a degree in psychology as well. I majored in history and English.