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Brilliance

Marcus Sakey

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Similar in tone + premise

These books are ranked using the tone + premise labels extracted for Brilliance. Books rank higher when they are close on every selected axis.

Tone labels used: tense, high-stakes, urgent, grim, thought-provoking, action-driven, suspenseful, politically charged, cinematic, rallying

Premise labels used: gifted humans, special abilities, government agency, terrorist hunt, us vs them, minority persecution, civil conflict, secret program

This does not mean the books share the same plot, setting, quality, or difficulty. It means their tone + premise embeddings are close.

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Written in Fire

Marcus Sakey · 2016 · Brilliance Saga

A gifted ex-agent races to stop civil war and a deadly power play in a near-future America on the brink.

Why this is here

Tone labels: tense · urgent · dark · grim · thrilling · action-packed · apocalyptic · suspenseful · filmic · emotional

Premise labels: genetic gifts · superpowered society · us vs them · civil war · persecuted minority · government control · terrorist threat · contagious serum · dystopian conflict · protect family

Semantic match: ranked by tone + premise

Distance: 0.1861

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Shadow of the Hegemon

Orson Scott Card · 2001 · The Shadow

When Earth fractures after an alien war, kidnapped child strategists and a hidden power broker race for global control.

Why this is here

Tone labels: tense · political · intense · cerebral · dark · action-driven · intriguing

Premise labels: postwar power struggle · child geniuses · kidnapping · world domination · political intrigue · military strategy

Semantic match: ranked by tone + premise

Distance: 0.2100

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Deception Point

Dan Brown · 2002

A NASA discovery in the Arctic ignites a presidential-election conspiracy, forcing one analyst to uncover the truth.

Why this is here

Tone labels: suspenseful · tense · frantic · dark · thrilling · high-stakes · paranoid · action-heavy · melodramatic · cinematic · fun (mixed)

Premise labels: scientific discovery · conspiracy · political power struggle · cover-up · NASA investigation · alien life evidence · truth verification · assassins · election stakes

Semantic match: ranked by tone + premise

Distance: 0.2218

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This Great Hemisphere

Mateo Askaripour · 2024

An invisible woman in a future caste state hunts for her missing brother after he’s named in a political murder.

Why this is here

Tone labels: urgent · tense · propulsive · thought-provoking · heavy · dark · hopeful · harrowing · cinematic · unsubtle · political

Premise labels: invisible minority · political murder · brother search · apprenticeship · manhunt · power struggle · systemic oppression · election countdown · class hierarchy · conspiracy

Semantic match: ranked by tone + premise

Distance: 0.2265

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Crucible

James Rollins · 2019 · Sigma Force

A Sigma Force rescue mission collides with a deadly AI breakthrough and a modern witch-hunt tied to the Spanish Inquisition.

Why this is here

Tone labels: high tension · suspenseful · urgent · intense · propulsive · terrifying · gutsy · dark · bleak · emotional · wry · adrenaline-fueled

Premise labels: high-stakes rescue · stolen AI · witch hunt · race against time · family abduction · ancient secret

Semantic match: ranked by tone + premise

Distance: 0.2285

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The Traveler

John Twelve Hawks · 2006 · Fourth Realm

A young Harlequin must protect gifted fugitives while a shadow network uses surveillance to hunt anyone who threatens control.

Why this is here

Tone labels: paranoid · suspenseful · dark · propulsive · frightening · urgent · pulpy · mystical · actiony

Premise labels: parallel worlds · surveillance state · secret society · off the grid · special powers · protective order · hidden war · freedom vs control · chosen protectors · hunted gifted people

Semantic match: ranked by tone + premise

Distance: 0.2340

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Superman Unchained

Scott Snyder, Scott Wiliams, Alex Sinclair · 2014 · Superman Unchained

Superman faces a hidden alien rival, government conspiracies, and a cyber-terror plot in a self-contained New 52 epic.

Why this is here

Tone labels: epic · grand · cinematic · suspenseful · action-heavy · humorous · optimistic · tense · spectacular

Premise labels: superpowered foil · government weapon · alien mystery · secret weapon · power challenge · hero under scrutiny · cyber-terror plot · military conspiracy · standalone adventure

Semantic match: ranked by tone + premise

Distance: 0.2362

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Reflex

Steven Gould · 2005 · Jumper

A teleporter is kidnapped and conditioned while his wife discovers her own power and races to rescue him.

Why this is here

Tone labels: tense · dark · gritty · suspenseful · thriller-like · melancholy · action-packed · fun · intriguing · uncomfortable · page-turning · adventurous

Premise labels: teleportation · kidnapping · coercive captivity · brainwashing · conditioning · rescue mission · hidden ability · power struggle · government work · secret agency · ordinary people in extraordinary situations

Semantic match: ranked by tone + premise

Distance: 0.2378

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The Plague Forge

Jason M. Hough · 2013 · Dire Earth Cycle

In a plague-ravaged future, survivors race across Earth to recover alien keys before the final builder event decides humanity's fate.

Why this is here

Tone labels: high tension · urgent · bleak · gritty · action-heavy · thrilling · suspenseful · dark · cinematic

Premise labels: alien artifacts · race against time · search quest · save humanity · first contact · mysterious aliens · global scavenger hunt · catastrophic reveal

Semantic match: ranked by tone + premise

Distance: 0.2391

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Thunderhead

Neal Shusterman · 2018 · Arc of a Scythe

A rogue vigilante, a reformer scythe, and an all-seeing AI collide as corruption and power threaten a flawless future world.

Why this is here

Tone labels: thought-provoking · tense · dark · creepy · philosophical · suspenseful · gripping · political · urgent · emotionally intense

Premise labels: rogue vigilante · corrupt system · inside vs outside · AI governance · political corruption · hidden conspiracy · future society · power struggle

Semantic match: ranked by tone + premise

Distance: 0.2401

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Among the Brave

Margaret Peterson Haddix · 2005 · Shadow Children

A terrified hidden child must infiltrate enemy headquarters to rescue captured friends in a brutal future crackdown.

Why this is here

Tone labels: suspenseful · intense · thrilling · action-packed · tense · foreboding · stressful · dark · emotional · urgent

Premise labels: illegal child · rescue mission · undercover infiltration · fugitive children · anti-government resistance · bravery under fear · friend rescue · identity disguise · hidden children

Semantic match: ranked by tone + premise

Distance: 0.2403

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Hand of Mars

Glynn Stewart · 2015 · Starship’s Mage

A trained mage-envoy is sent to a troubled world where a rebel crisis hides deeper corruption and deadly betrayal.

Why this is here

Tone labels: action-packed · fast-paced · tense · political · adventurous · escapist · serious

Premise labels: magic in space · corrupt government · rebel uprising · diplomatic mission · envoy assignment · political crisis · investigation mission · authoritarian rule

Semantic match: ranked by tone + premise

Distance: 0.2405

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