A Look into the Past is set on Ellis Island, Wards Island, Roosevelt Island, Brooklyn, and Manhattan in the year 2077. The world’s population has been reduced to only a few million souls following the YAR pandemic, which provoked internecine violence and mayhem that came immediately on the heels of the Second Plague pandemic, in the early and mid-twenty-first century, and consequent wars and widespread destruction.
The protagonist, Ava Firestone, is a cadet at the NYC chapter of the Crayton Institute of Gifted Individuals (C.I.G.I.), a training center for adolescents who are products of genetic engineering to give them the power to control one—rarely more than one—of the four elements of nature: Earth, Fire, Air, and Water.
The enemy forces are under the leadership of the shadowy Faceless Man, who seems to be only one person, despite the many decades of his destructive history, giving rise to suspicions that genetic engineering may have found the key to immortality. C.I.G.I. Guards are trained to carry out usually solitary missions—often recognized as suicide missions—in their quest to overcome the Faceless Man’s power.
Ava is only weeks away from her 20th birthday, at which time she will either graduate and become a C.I.G.I. Guard, meaning her powers have reached the standards required, or she will be eliminated. A great deal of the mystery surrounding the late stages of her training involves learning exactly what is meant by “elimination.” Most cadets believe they are expelled to live among civilians, but rumors hint that it means execution. Still more intriguing are the various intimations regarding Ava’s parentage; she believes her mother to have been a martyr to the cause, but the chaos following an attack on Staten Island uncovers doubts about the whereabouts of her mother—is she alive after all?—and exactly who her biological father was.
In that chaos, Ava is whisked away from the Institute to the mainland, where she meets underground factions, some friendly and some from the opposition. Her principal objective is to find her mother while striving to make her mark in the struggle against the Faceless Man and his sinister ambitions.
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Deadly plagues, magical powers, and a terrifying enemy form a firestorm of danger in this multilayered novel that takes place in the year 2077. The plot centers on Ava Firestone, born in an institute with one purpose: to create Gifted children, capable of mastering nature’s basic elements as weapons. There’s a war raging outside the walls of the institute, and cryptic changes happening inside of it, and Vasileva ties it all together with an epic, and complex, ending that will shock readers.
Prose: Vasileva sets up the story’s conflict right away, giving readers a hint that danger is lurking later in the novel, for Ava, her adviser, Patrick, and the supporting cast. The prose is watchful and convincing, alluding to the story’s building uncertainty at every turn.
Originality: Vasileva builds a world teeming with magic but still believable, in a near future beset by greed and reckless violence. Seasoned readers will recognize several of the story’s fantasy elements, but that doesn’t take away from the entertainment factor.
Character/Execution: Ava is bitterly conflicted—about her abilities, her purpose, and her future—but Vasileva convincingly portrays both her vulnerabilities and gifts as strengths. The story unfolds through her voice, a compelling perspective that readers will instantly connect with. Morgana is an equally gripping character, and the twist at the end sets her up for a return appearance in future installments.
Date Submitted: April 08, 2024
