What if you woke up one morning with a super power? Super strength? Super speed? X-ray vision? Invulnerability? The ability to fly? What if, over the course of several weeks, you developed all of these powers and more? Does having these powers change who you are? More importantly, does having super powers automatically make you a superhero? These are just some of the questions explored in Adam Christopher’s novel, Seven Wonders.

Tony Prosdocimi is a regular guy. He works a dead-end job at Big Deal (think Wal-Mart) selling computers and computer equipment, and he lives in a small apartment in the California coastal city of San Ventura—the home of the greatest superhero group in the world: The Seven Wonders. And he tries very, very hard to avoid any trouble, quite a challenge in a city regularly terrorized by the world’s last great supervillain, The Cowl. While Tony does his best to stay under the radar, he also wonders why The Seven Wonders have not captured The Cowl and ended his reign of terror over San Ventura.

Then Tony's luck begins to change. He meets Jeannie, a woman way out of his league, and they begin to date. Then, one night Jeannie wakes Tony up because he is glowing with a golden aura; next comes super speed; and finally invulnerability and flight. One by one, Tony seems to be acquiring all of the most desirable powers of The Seven Wonders. Tony could be a superhero too! So, he decides to use his new powers to do the one thing that The Seven Wonders have never done: take out The Cowl. But when Tony delivers The Cowl to the supergroup, they react far differently than he expected. In fact, nothing about being a superhero is the way Tony imagined. . .

In Seven Wonders, Adam Christopher explores the incredibly fine line that separates superhero from supervillain. He also examines the relationships and responsibilities superheroes have with each other, their foes, non-superpowered law enforcement, and the general public. The result is a sprawling super-epic, told in prose rather than using the more traditional comic/graphic novel format, containing everything one would expect: super-powered spandex-clad titans in capes and masks, dastardly villains with plans to take over the world, secret identities and side-kicks, fortresses and lairs, and perils that threaten the planet. In addition to being a sweeping-city-world-threatening adventure, Seven Wonders is also an interesting study of the standard characters included in most comic book series. In fact, it is the examination of some of these familiar character types that is the most interesting aspect of the novel. The story is action packed, with plenty of surprises and lots of small in-jokes, plus references for comic/graphic and science fiction fans to enjoy.