Hey all, I’m back with another book from an author I’ve been covering for years now. It’s Stranger Sins by Michaelbrent Collings, and it’s the fourth book in his I Am Legion series.
Editor’s Note: Check out some of the many other reviews GiN has conducted of Michaelbrent Collings books. They include Future Tense: Tales of Apocalyptic Vision, Child of Ash, The Colony Series: Genesis and many others.
Plot: Stranger Sins is very definitely a fast-paced thriller book, and it steeps itself in the head of a madman who is our main character, Legion. He was raised in an underground hideout by his father who prepared for the end of the world. He also had stuff like weapons and stockpiles packed into the underground bunker. Legion grew up there alongside his two brothers who he calls Water and Fire.
Anyone jumping into the I Am Legion series with Stranger Sins may have a hard time of it. It’s much easier if you read some of the other books in the I Am Legion series first, although this is a fully standalone tale.
The plot of Stranger Sins revolves around Legion taking on two “students,” a mother and her daughter, and teaches them his version of the facts of life. Of course, because this is Legion, those facts include murder and mayhem. It’s a breakneck, sometimes literally, roller coaster of a plot that starts and ends with a bang. The Las Vegas setting just helps to enhance that crazy thrill ride.
Characters: Legion has Dissociative Identity Disorder and hears the voices of his brothers, and occasionally his father, in his head. Legion blends in most of the time with his demeanor, but occasionally he’ll perform an action that comes at logic crossways compared with most other people’s view of the world. What I mean to say is that Legion is sometimes confusing, and that confusion is showcased in the story very well. Readers might not enjoy being sucked into Legion’s headspace for any length of time. The way the author puts readers into Legion’s head is well-done, but that makes things even more disturbing, maybe too much, at times.
Overall: Honestly, I am probably missing a good half of the nuance and subtlety that went into this book because this is the first of the series I’ve read, but if you enjoy those true crime dramas and thrillers, or something like Dexter (the live action series, not the cartoon), Stranger Sins is a solid choice and well worth the read. It is definitely not for the faint of heart and can and probably should be counted as a horror title in addition to being a thriller.
For those who like: Action, Drama, Horror, Thrillers, True Crime, Anti-hero Protagonists, and a look into the madness of Humanity.
Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.