Author Bryan Strickland has created a truly superb and totally contemporary superhero tale that will engulf cross-genre fans from the sci-fi, military fiction, cli-fi, and LGBTQ+ readerships. Charming and stylish, but also hard-edged and filled with gritty action and adventure, Lyra is a realistic hero in the sense that her humanity is her downfall as much as it is her strength. The commitment to development holds the novel together with a powerful emotive central journey, which is accompanied by an excellent plot that showcases her talents and gives Lyra the chance to rise up during this, her origin story novel. An openly gay and female protagonist gives an authentic contemporary feel to the tale, used here not for gimmicks but as a genuine expression of Lyra's heart. Overall, Lyra Rayne: Ground Zero is a superb opening to a very promising and exciting science fiction series. - K.C. Finn for Readers' FavoriteHow do you reconcile having god like powers and yet still remain a fallible human being? How can you find redemption when mistakes can have overwhelming consequences? Follow Lyra Rayne as she embarks upon a hero's journey of self-discovery in her debut novel, Ground Zero...Lyra Rayne's greatest desire is to help. In big ways and the small, she just wants to help those in need. Through the altruistic ventures of her mentor, Dr. Grant Hill, and his vision for a clean, free energy source, Lyra found a way to help make the world a better place. That is, until the experimental reactor erupts into a scintillating wave of Exotic Particle Radiation that destroys their lab, and nearly kills Lyra in the process.Miraculously surviving the blast, Lyra undergoes traumatic changes that alter her physiology, right down to her DNA. Through this exposure, Lyra discovers that she has gained the supernatural ability to effect far greater change. Donning the mantle of a helpful heroine, Lyra puts herself in harms way to save the innocent. However, she quickly discovers that having superhuman powers does not reconcile human fallibility, and even one critical mistake can have devastating consequences.Faced with the cost of her attempted heroics, she suffers doubt and guilt over the blood of those she failed to save. As she struggles with the consequences of her choices, the city comes under threat from another, more powerful enhanced being. Lyra must face her fears and failings in order to stand against the rising tide of rage and vengeance that threatens the city and its inhabitants, or risk losing everything in the epic conflict to come.Amazon Categories: *Sci-Fi Thrill Rides*LGBT*Gay Protagonist*Science Fiction / Action Adventure*Military*Hard Science Fiction
