I consumed the Traveler series with the sort of ravenous gusto that a fat kid would employ while consuming a whole cake. I really enjoyed Alt Apocalypse, and still plan to buy more of his stuff. I hope you’ll read my review with the knowledge that I’m not new to Abrahams’ style or writing.
I loved the notion of a book that would provide more insight into one of my favorite characters. And to be fair, the stories contained in I, Marcus do accomplish that goal. I feel like I know him on a deeper level through seven and a half hours of the sort of humor, pain, and contemplative reflection that I came to appreciate in the Traveler series.
So why the less than stellar review? Its the medium that Abrahams uses to relay the story. This doesn’t read like a believable journal. For one thing, there are too many glaring easter eggs that refer to the Traveler series. If there were fewer, or if they were less obtrusive, I’d see them as a novelty. As it stands, I see it as Abrahams trying too hard. Next, these are long entries for a journal. So long that it just doesn’t make the format believable. And I get it – Battle is long dead, and this is an artifact. But someone could have “discovered a cache of recorded interviews” or “discovered a collection of transcribed interviews.” Just say the interviews were conducted based on key passages from his journal, and boom – instantly a better fit. Lastly, Abrahams referencing himself in this story just feels too self-aggrandizing on top of the other issues I have with this particular book. Mentioning Kevin Pierce? Cool. Nice homage. Referencing yourself? Too much.
Am I returning the book? No. Am I glad I bought it? Enh, 50/50. It was enjoyable, but in terms of quality, it felt like Abrahams wrote an Abrahams knock-off, and it just came across as disappointing.
For his part, Kevin Pierce did an outstanding job. He brings to life everything that Abrahams writes, and his redemptive and dulcet voice is the reason the “overall” rating is 3 stars and not 2.