Review: Blood for the Fisher King by Endy Wright

Author Endy Wright unleashes his imagination and narrative sensitivity in Blood for the Fisher King, a continuing tale of his fascinating work of science fiction, The Omicron Six.

Following the harrowing revelations at Deep Woods Academy from the preceding book, Cooper and Coupe attempt to return to a normal life, but the truth, scope, and origins of their powers are hard to ignore. Coupe has begun to flex his impressive intellectual muscles for the first time, while Cooper continues to explore his shocking physical gifts, but their newfound skills aren’t going unnoticed, particularly by the black SUV following and recording them, and sketchy relatives who see dollar signs in Coupe’s newly exposed powers.

From breaking up bank robberies and lifting massive trees to saving loved ones from the edge of death, these two are rarely out of the action, as danger seems to follow them everywhere. When the need for an advanced medical team drives their family back to the mysterious research campus at Deep Woods, they are reunited with other gifted members of the Omicron Six, and pulled back into the realm of exploitation, lies, and misguided power grabs.

In Arthurian legend, the Fisher King is an ancient wounded knight who protects the Holy Grail, and seeks only to be healed. In this novel, it turns out that Coupe might contain a similar draft of immortality in his genetically manipulated blood. Again pushing the boundaries of ethical exploration, these power-packed young men are poked, prodded, and even tricked by researchers, military agents, pharma companies, and more, all under the guise of “progress.” Coupe and Cooper must navigate this treacherous path together, fighting to keep their freedom along the way.

The beautiful bond between the two main characters grows deeper in its well-penned intimacy in this installment – being able to tag along on one another’s thoughts is quite a unique concept, particularly when it is done as second nature. Wright has an exceptional way of bringing fraternity to a new level in his narrative, resulting in an original and unforgettable duo. The deep dive into familial affection and the struggles of rearing gifted children are also compelling throughlines; the Callisters are not the typical parental place-fillers in this story. They are more reminiscent of Martha and Jonathan Kent, fully-fledged figures that older readers will relate to, just as easily as younger readers will gravitate towards the youthful heroes.

On a technical level, the prose has a tendency to be too simple at times, despite some narration being overly thorough, so the writing is somewhat imbalanced in its focus. The mind-reading aspect can lead to readers being told precisely what too many people are thinking, feeling, or planning in a given scene, robbing moments of their natural tension. Some of the descriptions and passages of dialogue also feel unnatural, or too explicit to be believed in a given scene. The prose is well-edited otherwise in terms of proofreading, and the clever story-crafting holds one’s interest, while keeping the pace high and exciting.

Despite some storytelling stumbles, Wright pulls off another sci-fi adventure that blurs the lines of the YA genre and celebrates the resilient power of family, in this strong stand-alone installment.