Picking up an unfamiliar sci-fi book can be a bit daunting, considering that the genre covers quite a bit. One can go from Isaac Asimov to Douglass Adams and get such a huge variety—anything from hard-core sci-fi to a more softer fantasy angle like Star Wars. I admit that I had no clue what I was getting myself into when I picked up Trent Foster and the Council of 10 by Matt Whiteside. What I ended up with was a fun, humorous adventure with some reflective moments and an ending that give the book a much, much deeper meaning.
Trent Foster is your seemingly average guy. He’s a personal trainer who loves to help and inspire his clients. However, over the past six months, he began to spiral into a deep depression. When he apartment blows up out of the blue, he feels like his life has completely spiraled out of control, resorting to drinking to get by.
What he didn’t plan on, though, was a crazy old man showing up and declaring that Trent was wanted dead by the Council of 10, a group of powerful beings who protect the galaxy. Not only that, but the Council of 10 has directed their Sentinels to destroy Trent. These Sentinels are badass beings with cool powers. Rainjier, the man who came after Trent, is one of them but thinks that the Council has made a mistake. You see, Trent has some awesome powers himself—pretty much unlimited, actually. In fact, he’s more powerful than all the Sentinels thrown at him. However, there are larger forces at work that Trent must defeat when he realizes what the Council ultimately wants to do with the universe.
Trent Foster and the Council of 10 is more of a soft sci-fi mash-up that has humor, action, and some touching moments that will make you pause. During the novel, there are flashbacks to Trent’s past, and the reader gets to have a glimpse of his troubled past. We get to watch as Trent’s power grow and change as well as how he reacts to these new-found abilities. His friends added a lot of charm and humor, while the different Sentinels that appeared had some great action sequences.
The ending completely blew my mind. Suddenly, a book that I thought was a just fun sci-fi romp, turned into something much more. I’ll explain…
***Spoilers here.***
At the end of the book, we find out that all the sci-fi action that Trent experiences was actually his mind processing during an overdose of opioids and alcohol. He does come back from it and goes to rehab. However, the reader is left with a stunning literary theme.
All the power that Trent has in his dream symbolizes his potential as a human being. Close to the end, when Trent leaves his body to defeat the Council is like him shedding his physical addiction to drugs and alcohol. Without addiction pulling him down, he is a person with infinite potential. When he begins rehab, that is the start of Trent’s real adventure and the way for him to find his true power. We learn that we all have potential as human beings and sometimes there are huge obstacles that stand in our way. Trent Foster is a shining beacon for those who have had stumbling blocks in their lives.
**End spoilers.***
I saw a review online of this book that completely missed the point of the book, and it made me sad. Sure, the book is fun science fiction, but it ends up being much more. I highly recommend this book to people who want a cool sci-fi adventure but also to anyone in the recovery community as well. I will also point out that the book does need some editing work. However, I do not think it detracts from the overall story and theme. If you get the chance, I would pick this book up. It might just change your life.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.