3zekiel. A book review.

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Lego bricks have this peculiar property: even though the individual pieces have been around for decades, you can always build something new and original from them. The same applies to writing science fiction: the building blocks are mostly the same, but what matters is what you can make off of them - and present the result.

Of course, that's not entirely true; Lego does have its share of unusual, rarely seen pieces, and new ones keep popping up all the time. But you get the idea.

Peter Cawdron published this book nearly six years ago. At first glance, there doesn't seem to be anything groundbreaking about it. Aliens arrive on Earth, triggering political chaos, bombs start flying, and caught in the middle of it all are a scientist, a soldier, and two random kids. Sounds like a B-grade, pulp sci-fi cliché, right?

But Cawdron manages to surprise the reader by blending these seemingly worn-out elements into - at least in my opinion - something fresh and compelling. That's why the book reads so well. It's one of those stories that has you eagerly waiting for the next evening, just to find out what happens next. Or even sacrificing an hour or two of already too-short sleep to keep going.

Another big strength of this book is its ultra-scientific approach. I often cite Andy Weir's "The Martian" as a solid, science-heavy book - well-researched, but a bit dry and dull because of it. "3zekiel"isn't like that. The author clearly knows what he's writing about, and while the style leans toward report-like, it keeps a good pace and nicely interweaves real-time events with scientific and philosophical reflections - without boring me. And I'm the type of reader theat prefers simpler stories where the hero would rather slash a carotid artery or stick a grenade into a bastard's arse than ponder the meaning of life.

The beginning caught me off guard - not because of the action, but because of the theme. The friend who recommended this book knows full well how little I care for church matters (any church, including those spelled with a capital "C"). And yet the opening paragraphs of "3zekiel" dive into biblical musings - completely against the grain for me. But then everything falls into place and it turns out this was exactly the right way to start the story that follows.

To keep it short, here's what you will find in "3zekiel": aliens, the military, brawls on every scale, monkeys, Africa, one pretzel, plenty of tech, tons of science, a dash of philosophy, and a healthy dose of surprises (Cawdron pulls the rug from under the reader more than once - and does it well). It's written so realistically that if it weren't for the aliens, you could easily shelve it in the popular science section of most bookstores.

On Goodreads, the book currently holds a rating of 4.09/5. My personal score: 9.5/10. A highly enjoyable read - recommended.

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