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The fourth book in the “I, Human” series by Vito Veii picks up exactly where the third one left off. Captain Marcus, the android Vlen, and their entire fleet continue their journey towards the most distant planets of the galaxy. As they advance, they reach more dangerous places, and they find out some of the planets they want to explore are too hostile to sustain human life. All the while, the darkness at the edge of the galaxy grows even bigger and stronger, and it even starts influencing those who dare look upon it through the telescope.

One of the things I liked most about the fourth book is the symbolism. There is a scene, for instance, when Captain Marcus has a dream. Actually, it is more of a vision because everything he sees later proves to be real. He sees the darkness that threatens the entire universe take the form of Death, who is playing cards with Mephistopheles. When he wakes up, the Captain feels ill, and he is cured by Padre. So, the darkness tried to possess Marcus just like an evil spirit would do. As a reader who really likes stories where the good characters have to face truly challenging threats, I found this idea very clever. The darkness is more than a mystery. The Captain realizes that it is unpredictable and even more dangerous now that he knows it can take over someone’s mind.

The way the author describes the new planets will never cease to amaze me. For example, Dias is the most distant planet in the solar system, and it is incredibly hostile. But there is more to it than that: it is a ghost planet, and together with its moon, it seems that it acts like a shield that protects the entire solar system from outside threats. No matter how many probes the Captain sends, it seems impossible to explore properly, which makes it even more interesting and intriguing.

However, my favorite part was Padre’s sermon. I liked how the concept of human nature was exposed and explained, and it proved to me once again that the author has a unique way with words. As Padre says, the nature of man is determined by his will, which is why people always have to be careful what they want, because those are the things that define them. Once you will something, you also have to be prepared for the consequences, and that’s one of the most powerful messages this novel conveys. This time, the book ends in a cliffhanger. Now I can’t wait to read the fifth installment to find out what happens next.

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The journey through space of Captain Marcus Magnusson and his fleet continues in the third book of the “I, Human” series. As expected, this third installment is yet another proof of the author’s creativity and originality. Vito Veii takes his readers to new planets, and introduces them to new, mind-blowing concepts, theories, and technologies. After leaving the planet Gigas, where Captain Marcus managed to find friends and allies, he heads to the planet Sapentia. His fleet is traveling to the edge of the solar system, and all the people on board are aware of the fact that they may never return home.

There are so many things I loved about this book. The worlds Vito Veii created on each planet are incredible, and I couldn’t have enough of the descriptions and details he gives about them. For instance, Sapentia is the planet of harmony, and it is ruled by love and wisdom. All inhabitants live in peace, and the fact that their technology is very advanced hasn’t affected them in the least. This is an interesting point considering that technological advances have always been associated with terrible outcomes, such as the desire for power and control. Of course, there are the Homo-superiors who want to destroy the Homo-sapiens because they believe inferior beings should not be allowed to live, but I loved how the author also created planets where the people don’t regard technological advances as a mark of superiority.

Some of the concepts presented in this book are amazing. The part where the different dimensions are explained is fascinating. For instance, I found the description of the seventh dimension very interesting. It seems that in the seventh dimension, space, time, gravity, light and velocity outside normal space are used to send travellers into the future. Captain Marcus himself is impressed by everything he learns from those he meets on his journey, and he records every bit of information that can help his planet evolve.

“I, Human III” is very fast-paced and action-driven. The Captain’s fleet gets in a space battle with aliens, and they manage to save the last survivor of a very old civilization. Meanwhile, the darkness Marcus and his android, Vlen, first saw in the first book keeps increasing, swallowing whole star systems in the process. This unknown threat might bring everyone together in an attempt to save the whole universe. After reading the third book, I can’t wait for the next one in the series.

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The second book in the “I, Human” series continues the adventures of Captain Marcus and his android, Vlen, as they explore the space to learn more about other planets and their inhabitants. The Captain is now in command of an entire fleet. The major part of their mission is to find and colonize a new world, and for that they build space stations that are used for communication and astronomical observations, and they make contact with alien civilizations, trying to exchange knowledge and learn about their technological advances. Their mission is a diplomatic one, so the readers get the chance to explore a lot of the universe Vito Veii created.

Just like the first book, “I, Human II” raises thought-provoking questions about what makes us human and what it means to have a spirit or a soul. One of my favorite chapters is Chapter 8, which is written from Vlen’s point of view. The android is one of the most interesting and intriguing characters in this series. Though a robot, he is capable of thoughts and emotions – something that even his creator finds it hard to believe. Vlen has a very long and complex discussion with the ship’s Chaplain, Padre. The Chaplain is impressed by how advanced Vlen is, and when the android claims that he can experience feelings and emotions, he challenges him to explain how he came to this conclusion. What follows is a mind-blowing Socratic discussion on the existence of what we call the “I”, on the spirit and the soul, and on the idea that thoughts make us what we are.

So, if thoughts make us human, then what exactly is Vlen if he is perfectly capable of independent thought, and he even learned what feelings and emotions are through close observation of the people around him? Is he still an android, or is he something more? The discussion between Vlen and the Chaplain is not only very clever and well carried, but it is also very entertaining in a way that makes you stop after each paragraph and consider what you’ve just read. For instance, after finishing the book, I couldn’t take my mind off Vlen’s conclusion that when thought stops people will discover that the “I” doesn’t exist and it has always been just an illusion.

I would say that the second book in the “I, Human” series is even better than the first one. Now I can’t wait to read the third book, because I have a feeling this series is only getting better and better with each installment.

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Science-Fiction has always been one of my favorite genres, so I simply had to get this book after reading the description, which promised a thought-provoking discussion about robots and how people see them. The title, “I, Human”, might remind you of Isaac Asimov’s “I, Robot”, but no worries! The author has managed to bring some new and completely unexpected twists to his story. White reading it, I realized that his premise is quite original, and his ability to paint the universe he created in vivid, detailed images got me hooked from page one.

The narrator is Marcus, the captain of the starship Veda. The whole book is like a journal, and I soon fell in love with Marcus and his way of seeing things. In the first chapter, we see him visiting his friend and mentor, Paul, who is a brilliant inventor. Thus, he meets Paul’s newest invention – an android that acts and behaves just like humans, without leaving the impression that it is only copying them. Marcus is absolutely fascinated by the robot, and asks Paul to tell him how he created it. This is one of the parts that I loved most about Vito Veii’s story. I love reading about science and technology, and trying to understand how things work. If you read the book, you will see that the author is great when it comes to explaining technological advances, as well as how his world is structured and how it functions. All the details about the political system, the war between the blocks, and the differences between Homo-sapiens and Homo-superiors helps the readers understand everything better.

My favorite character is, of course, Vlen – the android. It was interesting to see how the other characters, including Marcus, treated him knowing that he is not human. Even though he wasn’t sure at first, Marcus soon realized that Vlen is special and he should be treated like any other person. This is why he changes his name from Stellaris to Vlen. It is the first step to acknowledging that he is, in fact, very much human and he should be treated accordingly.

“I, Human” is a truly complex and creative novel. It is not only fast-paced and engaging, but it also raises some interesting and thought-provoking questions about what makes us humans, and about how the technological developments influence the future of humanity.