MUTANT LEGACY (Mutant Season)

This final volume of the Mutant saga continues the story of Rick and Julian Akimura and their half-sister Alanna. Years have passed since Mutant Star, and Rick has spent this time living in the desert of America's Southwest, using his amazing powers to help ordinary people, and trying to atone for his father's death. Over time he has accumulated a cadre of devoted followers, and formed the quasi-religious service organization known as Better World. Rick's twin brother Julian is worried that Rick can't handle the pressures of fame, power, and success, while the Mutant Council fears a backlash against all who possess psychic abilities. Alanna is still trying to deal with her own frustrations, and finds solace in serving Rick, but finds him just as aloof as ever. Is Rick's utopian vision doomed to failure? Can Julian and Alanna accept their new positions in Rick's life? Will sinister forces at work within the Mutant Council put an end to Better World forever? Or will the non-mutant populace revolt against those who would manipulate their minds? While less irritating than Mutant Star and more noteworthy than Mutant Prime, this book suffers from being rather slow. The flashback structure eliminates any real suspense the story might have had, so while the narrator tediously describes each minor event that builds up to the climax, the reader, who already knows what's going to happen, may be anxious to get on with it. A lot of space is devoted to Julian's ideological transformation, as might befit a novel of ideas; but instead of a clear discussion of the serious philosophical issues it raises, Haber gives us a star-crossed love story that ignores the very real objections one might have to allowing humanity to effectively become a subject race. Certainly anyone who enjoyed the first three Mutant books should be happy enough with this conclusion; it has the same sharp characterizations leavened with internal turmoil and romantic sexuality, but readers who thought the original Mutant Season was 'just okay' won't find any great revelations that justify reading the whole series.