THE PLAGUE FORGE a review by Dermot Kennedy

TITLE: THE PLAGUE FORGE

AUTHOR: JASON M. HOUGH

Pages: 435

Date: 08/10/2013

Grade: 4.5

Details: no. 3 The Dire Earth Cycle

            Received from Titan Books

            Through Nudge.

Own

This third book in “the Dire Earth cycle” continues the search by Skyler Luiken and the Belem community for the last three Builder artefacts. Even though the community leaders are in the dark as to what will happen once all five artefacts have been returned to the Builder ship in orbit above Earth, the general consensus is that the task must be completed before the final Builder event is due to take place, and if it is not the consequences for the whole of humanity could be dire. Meanwhile in Darwin, Grillo, and his Jacobites, continues to tighten his stranglehold on the city and orbitals with his extreme fundamentalism. Unfortunately for Skyler, Grillo also has possession of one of the artefacts. Without it he will be unable to finally unlock the Builders secret and uncover the real reason for all that has befallen mankind.

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series and Hough has written a fitting climax to this excellent trilogy. The pace never lets up and indeed increases with the story now happening on three distinct fronts. Tayla Sharma takes a team to North America to recover one of the Builder artefacts. Skyler follows the trail left by the Builder towers exodus to Africa, only to discover the source of the deadly SUBS virus. And in Darwin, Prumble and Samantha undertake a dangerous mission to retrieve the artefact which is being kept in a high security vault by Grillo.

Hough’s writing is assured and his character development memorable with some of the characters showing some surprising and unanticipated traits. I especially liked the characters of Vanessa, who has developed into an “Amazonian” type warrior, and Prumble who, notwithstanding his obvious un-athletic physique, proves himself to be a very accomplished insurgent against Grillo’s religious inquisition. Again Hough keeps the overall feel of the story upbeat, notwithstanding the fact that this all takes place in a dystopian world. Without giving away any spoilers, the climax was not what I had expected and I was pleasantly surprised how this unfolded.  I also appreciated how Hough calls in to question our automatic assumption to apply human morals to non-human entities. All in all I could not put this book down (even though I really didn’t have the time to allocate to reading this in two or three sittings) and found myself pulling an all-nighter just to get to the end of the story. Something I haven’t done in a long time.

Although the various story lines are all nicely concluded in this book, Hough has left enough openings to continue other aspects of the story in future releases. I, for one, will be waiting with bated breath for any further adventures from this author and will gladly recommend him to any lovers of the sci-fi genre or indeed anyone who enjoys a rollicking good yarn.

THE EXODUS TOWERS: A review by Dermot Kennedy

TITLE: EXODUS TOWERS

AUTHOR: JASON M. HOUGH

Pages: 524

Date: 09/09/2013

Grade: 4.5

Details: No. 2 The Dire Earth Cycle

             Received from Titan Books

             Through Nudge

             Reviewed by Dermot Kennedy

Own

The mysterious aliens known as the Builders have planted a new elevator in Belem, Brazil. They have also left behind strange Black Towers which seem to nullify the SUBS virus. Skyler Luiken and the rebel Orbitals have started a new colony but they soon fall foul of a new menace. Skyler also discovers a crashed Builder ship and soon uncovers that the ship is altering the subhumans, making them faster, stronger and meaner.

“Exodus Towers” is the second book from Hough and continues on the story begun in “The Darwin Elevator”.  Skyler and the rebel Orbitals have created a new colony in Belem but soon run into trouble with a sinister cult of immunes, When the mysterious Black Towers suddenly up sticks and move off in different directions of their own volition, Tania Sharma, leader of the rebel Orbitals, knows instinctively that this is somehow linked with the next imminent Builder event.

Meanwhile in Darwin, Russell Blackfield has secured control of the remaining orbital habitats on the Darwin elevator and enlists the services of crime lord Grillo to restore law and order to the streets of Darwin. A decision he soon comes to regret …

I really liked this follow-up by Hough. The pace is fast and the characters well developed and above all, likeable (even the bad guys!). Even though this is a dystopian novel, the narrative never gets bogged down in the misery inherent in such scenarios. In Skyler Luiken, we have an anti-hero who reminds one of Mal Reynolds from Joss Whedon’s “Firefly” or Jaine Fenn’s Jarek Reen. Luiken is part ships captain, part scavenger and part likeable rogue. His no nonsense approach is nicely balanced by the analytical almost dithery approach of the Tania Sharma character. 

However, for me Russell Blackfield steals the show as the quintessential bad guy. Blackfield just oozes nastiness, never has a good word for anyone and as a result has no confidants. This last fact also shows up his shortcomings and when he contracts Grillo to clean up Darwin he realises how out of his depth he really is. Grillo on the other hand, is as methodical as he is ruthless and quickly shows Blackfield how to really rule with an iron fist, and it doesn’t take long for Grillo to show his true ambitions.

The suspense is maintained throughout by the unfathomable agenda of the Builders, a race of aliens so technologically advanced that they seem almost magical, even if we haven’t actually met these mysterious beings yet. The fact that so much remains unknown about the Builders only adds to the drama and leads one to ask whether all the machinations of the human survivors will ultimately be in vain.

Jason M. Hough has created a rip roaring story that never lets up on pace or wonder and has delivered one of the best debut science fiction novels this reader has read in a long time. I look forward with relish to the next instalment of this excellent story.

BEYOND PAIN

TITLE: BEYOND PAIN

AUTHOR KIT ROCHA

Date: 25/08/2013

Grade: 5

Details: No. 3 Beyond

Own / Kindle

From the author’s website:

A woman with no future…

Live fast, die young–anything else is a fantasy for Six. She’s endured the worst the sectors had to throw at her, but falling in with Dallas O’Kane’s Sector Four gang lands her in a whole new world of danger. They’re completely open about everything, including their sexuality–but she hasn’t survived this long by making herself vulnerable. Especially not to men as dominant as Brendan Donnelly.

A man without a past…

Bren is a killer, trained in Eden and thrown to the sectors. His one outlet is pain, in the cage and in the bedroom, and emotion is a luxury he can’t afford–until he meets Six. Protecting her soothes him, but it isn’t enough. Her hunger for touch sparks a journey of erotic discovery where anything goes–voyeurism, flogging, rough sex. He has only one rule: he won’t share her.

In Bren’s arms, Six is finally free to let go. But his obsession with the man who made him a monster could destroy the fragile connection they’ve forged, and cost him the one thing that makes him feel human–her love.

God, did I love this book. This is my third venture into the sectors, my third visit with Dallas O’Kane and his people and with every single book I get drawn deeper into that dystopian world. With every subsequent title I grow more attached to the people in Sector Four. Every time I finish one of these books the need to get my hands on the next installment grows more desperate. And, it has to be said, this book is my favourite so far.

I mean, what’s not to love? Two broken people - beaten so hard by life that they should be on their knees, begging for mercy and yearning for death - finding each other and the strength to love and trust although every instinct tells them not to expose themselves to hurt once again.

Take Six. A girl who hasn’t heard her given name for so long that she’s all but forgotten it. A girl who has been used, abused, abandoned and betrayed so often in her young life that it is a miracle she is willing to even consider trusting some one again.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever had a home before.”

But, despite her history, despite every instinct telling her that it isn’t safe to trust anyone, she is willing to try. Because of Brendan.

Bren – sigh – at least as broken as Six, he goes out of his way to make her feel at home in Sector Four and safe with him. He wants her, desperately, but refuses to push her:

“I wouldn’t do anything you didn’t want, but it doesn’t stop there. I wouldn’t do anything you weren’t sure about, either.” (Bren)

And it is the fact that Bren doesn’t ask, never mind force, her to do anything she might be uncomfortable with that makes it possible for Six to start trusting him. He seems to instinctively recognize her fears and needs and acts accordingly, always careful not to push her further than she is comfortable with.

“But he handled the bomb the way he handled her, every movement gentle, every touch precise, as if he knew all the ways she could shatter into dangerous pieces.”

But Six is not a weak damsel in distress. She may be uncomfortable with emotions, she may find it impossible to believe that people could accept her just for what she is, without judging her past, that doesn’t mean she is a whimpering mess. She is a strong woman, determined to make herself stronger. And Bren helps her get there, just by believing in her.

And Brendan understands Six well enough to not ask her for anything she can’t give him. All he wants from her is whatever she is willing to give him.

When his past pushes itself between Bren and Six, both of them need to reflect. And both of them need to listen not only to their hearts but also to the words of their friends in order not to lose that which has so carefully been established.

“Trust is the prize and the fight’s not about winning it or keeping it. It’s about deserving it, and that’s a fight a man’s got to have with himself. Every fucking day.” (Dallas to Bren)

I’ve read other series of books; series centered on a group of people in which each book concentrates on a certain relationship. When they’re done well, series like that are a pure delight because they give the reader the opportunity to keep any eye on past and future main characters, on how the world the story is set in develops; it means that the reader really does get the opportunity to get an answer to the question that so often springs to mind when a book is over – “I wonder what will happen next”. But most series will only give the reader glimpses of the other characters. They will surface as familiar names, be given a token paragraph and disappear again to make room for the stars of the current installment. What I LOVE about these books is that the authors take it further. Yes, each of the Beyond titles concentrates on one developing relationship but the older stories continue, the characters from previous books continue to develop and play a real role and those who will feature in future books have had their stories started in earlier titles. Kit Rocha has dropped her readers into a world that becomes more established, more real, with every subsequent title. You never stop learning more about this world and these characters, old and new, and that, for me, is the ultimate reading experience; total immergence.

The story is perfect. We get the against the odds love story, the angst experienced by both characters. There is a real and realistic dilemma almost tearing them apart. Add to that a dark but convincing world, true loyalty and friendship, strong women and tons of hot sex and you know you’ve found yourself one of those reads that will stay with you for a long, long time. But, most importantly for me, these books don’t have protracted drama. They don’t need it. There are no easy solutions either, though. This is a story set in a dystopian, fantastical world that feels more real than the setting in the average contemporary novel does. Bring on “Beyond Jealousy”; especially after that very enticing taster at the end of this book.

“He had her. Beautiful, dangerous, flawed, lonely Brendan Donnelly had her, and she was going to give him everything.”

THE BONE SEASON

TITLE: THE BONE SEASON

AUTHOR: SAMANTHA SHANNON

Pages: 454

Date: 24/08/2013

Grade: 4+

Details: No. 1 Bone Season

            ARC received from Bloomsbury

            Through Nudge

Own

“I committed high treason just by breathing.”

The year is 2059; the place Scion London. For just under two hundred years the people in England have been divided into two groups; those who are capable of clairvoyance and those who aren’t. For just under two hundred years those who have the sight, can communicate with spirits and can touch the Aether - the spirit realm - have been prosecuted. When clairvoyance was declared an epidemic, those capable of it became outlaws; people to be hunted down, caught and eliminated.

Nineteen year old Paige Mahoney is one of those “cursed” with clairvoyance and has been working for Jaxon Hall, a powerful crime lord, for more than two years. As a dreamwalker, Paige is capable of entering other people’s dreamscapes, a power Jaxon is determined to explore and exploit.

But Jaxon is not the only one with an interest in Paige’s powers. When she has to use her powers to protect herself, Paige attracts the attention of those whose existence she wasn’t even aware of. Her subsequent arrest should have lead to a swift execution, but instead Paige finds herself transported to Oxford, a secret and hidden place, ruled by non-human entities. A place where clairvoyance is not only normal but also exploited to fulfill the needs and desires of the Rephaite overlords.

From the moment she arrives, Paige’s only goal is to make it back to London and her friends; a wish which appears impossible. Assigned to Warden, Paige is put through training which should prepare her to join the ranks of the clairvoyant army protecting the secret city. But is that all her captors want from her or do they have ulterior motives? And if they do, what might they be? Do all Rephaite expect the same from her or are there divisions among their ranks as well? Is the enigmatic Warden really Paige’s enemy or is there something else going on? Whatever Paige may discover, one thing is for sure; her life is in more danger than ever before and will never be the same again.

This is a difficult book to summarize in a meaningful way. Samantha Shannon has created a credible and very complex world and throws her reader into the middle of a character and action filled story. And, if I’m honest, I have to admit that I felt a bit lost and confused while reading the first part of this book. The world described in this book may resemble ours, it is also very different. And with Seven Orders of Clairvoyance - each having their own subdivisions and powers - it does get a bit hard keeping everything straight in your head. And the same can be said about the characters; there are enough of them in this book that the reader has to continuously pay attention in order to keep them all separated.

The author does try to make it easier on her reader by not dumping all the details about this world on them in one go. But, while this certainly makes the reading easier and the story move faster, it also means that it takes longer for the reader to get some understanding of what exactly is going on, how this world works and who is playing what role in this story. Of course this is the first title in a seven book series, and any world expected to entertain the reader for that long has to be complex and well developed. And while I’m full of admiration for the way in which Shannon managed to create a realistic world and one I could easily picture in my mind, I also have to admit that there were times when I was taken out of the story by the amount of information I had to absorb.

But, and I can’t stress this enough, it is well worth sticking with the story. Paige is a wonderful, strong, flawed and therefore completely realistic main character and I found it impossible not to get caught up in her fears, hopes and desires. The Warden is an enigmatic character that will keep both Paige and the reader guessing for a long time. In fact, there were quite a few things in this story that took me by surprise. Certain characters were introduced and I would be convinced that I knew exactly what their role in the story was going to be, only for my theory to be proven completely wrong. And I do like it when an author manages to keep my on my toes and guessing.

I also greatly appreciate that although this book is the first installment in a series and it is quite clear from the last pages that there is a lot more story to come, the author didn’t leave her readers with a massive cliffhanger. She did leave more than enough questions unanswered and facts shrouded in mystery to make me very curious about where this story is going to be taking us next, though.

It is hard to know how to categorize this book. There is a lot that reminds me of Young Adult titles such as Twilight and The Hunger Games while there are other aspects to this book that make it feel more like an adult book. I know it is being marketed as a book for adults by the publisher but in my opinion this is a perfect example of a crossover title. Anybody who enjoys a well written, imaginative and thrilling story will get a kick out of this book.

While this is a great adventure story, set in an intriguing and terrifying world and a definite page turner, this book is a lot more too. It is a story about growing up, about being different and coming to terms with that, about finding your own strengths and learning to rely on them, and most of all a story about trust. This is not a predictable book, nor does it go for easy answers; black isn’t always black nor is white always white. There were a few surprises in this book that I didn’t see coming and I fully expect there to be a lot more of those in the books to come.

And yes, I am looking forward to the rest of this story. I can’t help feeling that with this world and its inhabitants having been established in this first book, the subsequent stories will be even more intriguing and captivating.

Samantha Shannon turns out to be an author with a rich imagination and a good eye for detail. She knows how to draw her readers into her world and keep them there, captured by a need to know what is going to be happening next. I have no idea when the second Bone Season title will be released but I do know I’ll be among the first to read it when it does.

THE DARWIN ELEVATOR; A review by Dermot Kennedy

TITLE: THE DARWIN ELEVATOR

AUTHOR: JASON M. HOUGH

Pages: 475

Date: 26/07/2013

Grade: 4+

Details: no. 1 The Dire Earth Cycle

            Received from Titan Book

            Through Nudge

Own

“The builders came to Earth and constructed an elevator from Darwin, Australia into space. No one knows why, or if they will return”

Following the arrival of the cable, humankind has built space stations at various altitudes along the space cable. Living in the space stations are scientist, agriculturalists and other, privileged people. Several years later a plague envelopes the planet turning humans into feral animals. The only ones protected are the rare “immunes” and the people who live within a 9 mile radius of the space elevator which exudes an Aura of protection. Of course those living in the space stations are also protected, due to their isolation from earth.

Skyler Luiken is one of a group of scavengers who roam the planet in mothballed ex air force aircraft, searching for anything useful which can be sold to the elites who live in orbit. What’s unusual about Luiken’s team is that they are all “immunes” meaning that they don’t have to use cumbersome haz-mat suits while out plying their trade.

The political balance of Darwin sits on a knife edge with Neil Platz in control of the orbital habitats and Russell Blackfield controlling the ground station of Nightcliff, the anchor point for the space elevator. The orbitals control food production, owned by Platz, who has his own dark secrets, and the ground-station controls the supply of Air and Water to the orbitals.  

This is the setting for this debut novel from Hough. First thoughts are that I liked this first book in the “Dire Earth Cycle”. There have been a plethora of dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels released in recent years and it is reassuring to finally find one that doesn’t make me want to “slash my wrists” after reading it. The main characters are well developed and, unusually for such a novel, actually have a sense of humour, something severely lacking in a lot of other books of this particular genre such as Hugh Howeys “Wool” series. Skyler Luiken is a reluctant hero, who more or less by accident finds himself drawn into the political battle for the ultimate control of mankind’s destiny. He has to pit his wits against Blackfield who is a “baddie” in the true classical sense of the word.

And still, the power struggle may only be the start of humankind’s problems; for the builders are returning…

The gulf in the quality of life between the “Orbitals” and the Darwinians is huge. The orbitals live in relative luxury, completely removed from the daily and constant struggle for survival which is the lot of most of the earthbound population, all of whom are dreaming of one day ascending to space to a life without fear of starvation or premature death.

This was a fast-paced and thrilling read. And while it is clear that there is more story left to tell I am grateful that the author didn’t leave me stranded on one of those heart-stopping cliff-hangers that seem to be all the rage these days.

I was very pleasantly surprised with this first offering from Hough, who managed to instil a sense of hope and optimism, and not a little humour into a subject which too often is portrayed in a truly grim manner, and I look forward to the next two instalments in the series, “The Exodus Towers” and “The Plague Forge”.

BEYOND CONTROL

TITLE: BEYOND CONTROL

AUTHOR: KIT ROCHA

Pages: 400

Date: 24/03/2013

Grade: 4.5

Details: No. 2 Beyond

Own/Kindle

The official blurb:

She refuses to be owned.

Alexa Parrino escaped a life of servitude and survived danger on the streets to become one of the most trusted, influential people in Sector Four, where the O’Kanes rule with a hedonistic but iron fist. Lex has been at the top for years, and there’s almost nothing she wouldn’t do for the gang…and for its leader. Lie, steal, kill—but she bows to no one, not even Dallas O’Kane.

He’ll settle for nothing less.

Dallas fought long and hard to carve a slice of order out of the chaos of the sectors. Dangers both large and small threaten his people, but it’s nothing he can’t handle. His liquor business is flourishing, and new opportunities fuel his ambition. Lex could help him expand his empire, something he wants almost as much as he wants her. And no one says no to the king of Sector Four.

Falling into bed is easy, but their sexual games are anything but casual. Attraction quickly turns to obsession, and their careful dance of heady dominance and sweet submission uncovers a need so deep, so strong, it could crush them both.”

In my review for “Beyond Shame” I expressed my desire to find out more about the other characters mentioned in that book and especially about Dallas O’Kane and Lex. This book proves that sometimes wishes do come true because this is the story of Dallas, the King of Sector Four and Lex the fiercely independent girl who is drawn to him but refuses to submit to another person ever again. Having fled Sector Two and her destiny as a paid submissive to rich men, Lex has gone through too much to even consider anything less than honesty and equality in a relationship. Dallas, on the other hand, wants nothing less than Lex’s complete submission to him; he wants her to be the queen ruling next to him but on his terms. Terms that may just demand too much from Lex, no matter how attracted she is to the leader of the O’Kane’s.

And so commences a game of push and pull. And a very intense and sexy game it is. This is life in the Sectors, where sex is a way of life as well as a form of currency and both Lex, with her extensive training, and Dallas know exactly which buttons to push to get the desired reaction.

A lasting relationship requires more than mind blowing sex though, but finding the middle ground between that which each of them wants and that which they are willing and able to give may just prove to be one step too far for both of them. Failure however could have devastating effects for Lex and Dallas as well as Sector Four as a whole.

Once again Kit Rocha managed to pleasantly surprise me with her book. As much as I liked Beyond Shame, I loved this book more. Dallas and Lex are fully fleshed and credible characters. It is very easy to understand where each of them is coming from and the problems and heartbreak they face as a result of that. This is not the sort of book where one character appears to constantly undermine the relationship while the other just keeps on giving. These two characters are equals in every aspect of the story and that makes the story all the more captivating.

Sex plays a major part in this book because it is the way of life in the world this story is set in. And while nothing is left to the reader’s imagination and some may find the descriptions too graphic or violent, the authors are very careful to ensure that the scenes described are consensual. In fact they go out of their way to spell out that while women may submit to the men in these stories, they are never abused or taken advantage of. And as much as the book seems to be all about sex, there are some very touching romantic moments as well:

“I’ve always loved you. (…) I’ve always wanted you. They don’t have a word for how much I need you. Everything good I am, everything good I’ve ever done…it’s all you.”

More sector politics and other relationships are starting to take (further) shape in this book. It is clear that more books will be required to resolve the organisation of the Sectors as well as to bring the various other couples together. I’m especially glad that the authors give us brief glimpses of other characters while concentrating on the two main ones. In some series of books it seems as if the various couples take turns; one story doesn’t start until a previous one is concluded. Of course in real life these things happen simultaneously and it is nice that these books reflect that. My curiosity has been stimulated by glimpses of what is to come as well as satisfied by a further look at the relationship between Noelle and Jasper. On the other hand, this also means that now I can’t wait to see what will happen next to Six and Bren or Ace and Rachel. But with the next book expected to come out in autumn I guess I can wait…just about.

I also want to point out that the authors have made a bonus story “Beyond Denial” about Ace available on their website. Ideally this story should be read after reading the first two books but for those who would like a taste of Kit Rocha’s writing it provides a perfect sample.

This is a very sexy, captivating and satisfying dystopian series; a well plotted and superbly written story that will have you frantically turning the pages and thinking about the characters long after you turn the last page.

FUSE

TITLE: FUSE

AUTHOR: JULIANNA BAGGOTT

Pages: 554

Date: 19/02/2013

Grade: 4.5

Details: no. 2 Pure

            Received from Headline Publishing

            Through Nudge

Own / ARC

In this, the second book in the Pure trilogy, we meet our protagonists where we left them at the end of the book one. Pressia is with Bradwell for whom she is developing feelings she doesn’t recognise or trust and trying to come to terms with the fact that she’s recently found and lost her mother, discovered that her father may still be alive and the existence of her half-brother, Partridge who is a Pure, from the Dome and the son of Willux, the man who caused the destruction of the world.

Partridge is still living outside the Dome and glad to be spending time close to Lyda, the Pure girl he loves. He is also devastated following the brutal death of his mother and brother; deaths ordered by his father. But his mother left him with something; three vials containing the first step in a cure for the damage done by the detonations. If they can find the next two steps it might be possible to undo the devastation his father has caused, but their chances seem slim.

Partridge’s father wants his son back and is not beyond keeping all of the people outside the Dome hostage to achieve his goal. Willux has plans for his son and nothing or nobody is going to stop him from achieving them. Faced with a possible massacre among the Wretches he has come to recognise as different but very worthy humans, Partridge has no choice but to submit to his father’s demands. He has to go back inside and hope that he will be able to fight the battle against his father’s evil plans from there.

Meanwhile Pressia, Bradwell, El Capitan and his brother Helmud leave on a seemingly impossible quest to find the ingredients and formula needed to create the cure. Piecing together clues left behind a long time ago they have to travel far into unknown and dangerous territories with no guarantees that they will achieve their goal or survive.

With the odds stacked against them in a volatile and dangerous world this small group of people is all the hope of survival the world has. And in the middle of violence, loss and danger these youngsters also have to come to terms with new and confusing feelings; emotions that appear to be as likely to hurt them as bring them to happiness.

Allow me to start with a warning before I get to my thoughts on this book. Do yourself a favour; (re)read “Pure” and re-acquaint yourself with the story and the characters before starting this book. It took me quite a while to get everything and everybody back in perspective. But by the time I realised that I should have gone back to the first book before starting “Fuse” I was so far into the book that putting it aside was impossible.

Because that is the sort of story this is; it grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. The way in which this devastated world is described is vivid and all the more heart-breaking for it. It is almost too easy to picture the poor people who were outside the Dome when the detonations came and are now fused to whatever was closed to them at the time; a dolls head where her hand should be for Pressia; birds on Bradwell’s back; Helmud attached to his, brother El Capitan; and all the Mothers with their children permanently fused to their bodies. The destructed landscape, filled with danger and newly formed creatures is just as easy to picture, and this only gets easier when the author introduces recognisable landmarks. Julianne Baggott did a heartbreakingly thorough job of building this world and its inhabitants.

The characters in this book aren’t especially easy to like but given the circumstances that makes perfect sense. In this world the only way to survive is by looking after number one and being suspicious of everything and everyone. Sentimentality is a luxury people living outside the Dome can’t afford and people inside the Dome have given up on a long time ago. But as you get to know Pressia, Partridge, Bradwell and the others better you realise that what at first appeared to be brutal and harsh attitudes are in fact necessary characteristics if they want to have a chance at surviving and succeeding. And in the midst of all this darkness there is room for occasional light and love:

“Now I feel like we weren’t made for each other. We’re making each other – into the people we should become.” (Bradwell to Pressia)

Because ultimately these are just fragile human beings doing the best they can in an impossible situation.

I liked the way in which the author took her time while developing the characters and the story. A picture is built with great attention to detail, using beautiful and vivid words and images. This allows the reader to come to a real understanding of this world and the people that inhabit it. I also appreciate that this book doesn’t end on a massive cliff-hanger. While it is clear that the story is far from over when Fuse ends, things are left at a relatively peaceful place. And since it is going to be hard enough waiting for the third and final book to come out, I can only be grateful that the author didn’t make it any harder than it had to be.

This is a very well written dystopian novel, made all the more brilliant by the fact that the devastation, its cause and its aftermath are all to easy to believe and imagine. The reader should be prepared to be fascinated and horrified in equal measure.

WOOL

TITLE: WOOL

AUTHOR: HUGH HOWEY

Pages: 537

Date: 13/02/2013

Grade: 5-

Details: no. 1 Wool Trilogy

            Received from Century

            Through Nudge

Own

It is a very bleak future. The outside world is grey and lethal. And the relatively few people still alive live a very restricted life inside a huge Silo. Separated into functional groups (IT, Mechanics, Medical…) all living on separate levels of this small world, the survivors of a huge apocalypse long ago live their lives according to strict and ruthlessly enforced rules. Breaking the rules is not an option but in a world in which curiosity and asking questions constitute a break with the regulations there will always be some who can’t stop themselves from questioning the status-quo and voicing their doubts. Stating out loud that you are curious about the outside world and what lies at the other side of the hills will get you exactly what you are asking about though; a trip into the outside world. With the air outside still poisonous this is a one way journey nobody has ever survived. A one way journey with a dual purpose; get rid of those who question the established order and keep in check anybody else who might have questions about the life they’re forced to live.

When Juliette (Jules) is, reluctantly, recruited away from the depths of Mechanics to take up the job of Silo sheriff it isn’t long before she starts wondering about the fate of her predecessor. He went outside, voluntarily, but why? Did he want to die or did he think there was something out there worth taking the risk for? Almost unaware of what she is doing Jules is starting to break the rules and it isn’t long before she finds herself arrested, awaiting her own one-way trip outside. But this will be a trip with a difference. Jules may well be the last person to be forced to go outside the Silo, because her departure is about to change everything.

This book started of as a short story (Wool 1) which was self-published and subsequently established a huge following. I guess it was that reader-enthusiasm which encouraged the author to continue the story and write the subsequent four parts of this volume. And I can see why this story took off the way it did. Hugh Howey has created a claustrophobic, scary, fascinating and above all, realistic world in this book. The idea of a whole community, a small world really, living and functioning in one enclosed Silo spanning over 100 levels is mind-boggling. Having to live in an environment you can never leave, with rules stating that you can’t be curious, ask questions or show initiative is almost impossible to imagine. And yet, as you read this book, it almost seems normal. Because the author has built this world inside a Silo so very well it becomes easy to understand why most people would simply accept the rules. After all, the world is only what you can be aware of, and if anything outside the obvious boundaries is out-of-bounds, both literally and according to the regulations, accepting that world for what it is would be the easiest way to live your life. The author doesn’t go out of his way explaining why the fast majority of people inside the Silo accept life the way it is because he doesn’t have to. It is human instinct to steer clear of that which would kill you, and only a few would go against that instinct in the hope of finding something better. This is the story of those who go against their instincts; those who find that the questions are too big and important to ignore, regardless of the costs.

This book is very well written with a nice balance between explanations, descriptions, thoughts and action. It would have been easy to make this a story with very obvious distinctions between good and bad but thankfully the author didn’t fall into that trap. Those who are the heroes in this story aren’t all virtuous and those who are bad aren’t necessarily soulless bastards. All are victims of the Order, all have to survive inside the Silo and some deal differently from others. It is that simple in real life, and it is that simple in this book.

My only reservation, and it is a small one, is that telling this story required a lot of world-building. This takes the pace out of the story at times, especially early on in the book. Having said that, it is probably a price well worth paying; by the time the action takes over, the world and the characters have been established so well that it is impossible not to be invested in what will be happening next.

This is a wonderfully crafted story set in a fascinating dystopian world. Wool will grab your imagination and leave you wondering “what if” for days, if not longer. I’m looking forward to the rest of this story.

WHEN SHE WOKE

TITLE: WHEN SHE WOKE

AUTHOR: HILLARY JORDAN

Pages: 341

Date: 04/12/2012

Grade: 5

Details: Received from Harper Collins

              Through Nudge

Own

“When she woke she was red.”

Hannah Payne has grown up in a future America where extreme right-wing and very religious beliefs determine the way people live their lives. Unlike her younger sister, Hannah has always struggled with the limitations her family and surroundings have imposed on her, but for most of her life she has more or less stuck to the rules. Recently that has changed though. When Hannah found herself pregnant as a result of her loving but illicit affair with a married man she decided to seek a very illegal abortion. When she is caught immediately after the clandestine procedure she is arrested and forced to stand trail. The accusation is murder and the victim her unborn child. The penalty for abortion is severe; refusing to name your abortionist increases the sentence by ten years and the fact that she refuses to name the babies father doesn’t help Hannah’s case either. When Hannah wakes up, shortly after having been sentenced to 16 years she is red. Not the sort of red that is the result of a sunburn but bright red, all over. In this new society most criminals are not incarcerated to serve endless sentences. Instead they get a treatment that radically changes the colour of their skin in accordance with the crime they have committed. And after thirty days in solitary confinement in a state facility, after a month of every minute of her existence being videoed to the population on the outside, Hannah is set free to take her changes in a world where everybody will know her crime with just one glance at her, where fanatical groups hunt Chromes like her and hurt or kill them without anybody really caring and where returning home is not an option.

Spending six months in a religious home for Chrome women appears to give Hannah the opportunity to get used to her situation and a chance for others to organise some sort of future life for her. But after only a few weeks the situation there becomes unbearable and Hannah leaves. With only one friend, another Chrome, to turn to Hannah’s options appear very limited until help arrives from an unexpected corner. It seems that Hannah does have a chance at a future. But the road to freedom is fraught with danger and Hannah has to face both outside threats and her inner doubts and demons before she can have a chance at a new life.

A dystopian thriller is always the scariest when the premise of the story appears only too plausible, which makes this book terrifying. You only need to turn on your television and watch certain American broadcasters to know that the religious beliefs voiced in this book are pretty close to those harboured by real and powerful people in today’s world. Reality may not have reached the extreme proportions as put forward in this story (yet), but you can’t help feeling that, if those right-wing voices get any stronger, it could easily come to pass. And the same is true for the system of punishment. Superficially it would make perfect sense to save money through not locking criminals up. As long as they are instantly recognisable and too busy trying to keep themselves alive they can’t pose much of a threat to society even if they are out and about. It is only once you start thinking about the further implications of such a system that the true horrors spring to mind.

So yes, this is a book that leaves the reader with a lot to think about. But it is much more than that. More than anything this is a very well plotted and fluently told story about one woman’s personal journey towards enlightenment. Although there is more than enough tension and danger in this book to keep the fan of thrillers turning the pages, there is at least as much character development and growth. Hannah’s journey from somebody who was taught all her life not to think for herself and not to question her betters to the young woman who grabs her own life in her hands and shapes it into what she hopes it will be, is fascinating and uplifting.

This is a very well written book and a balanced story. What I admired most is that I never felt as if the author was trying to convince me of her own opinions. She manages to write about the society in which Hannah grows up in such a way that the rules and way of life almost make sense. It is only as Hannah starts to question that which she has held to be true for most of her life that the reader starts to realise how insidious this world actually is. And Hannah’s transformation is gradual – occurs in fits and starts – and therefore all the more realistic.

In short, this is a very well written dystopian thriller; a fast read that will keep you thinking for days afterwards.

BEYOND SHAME

TITLE: BEYOND SHAME

AUTHOR: KIT ROCHA

Pages: 354

Date: 01/11/2012

Grade: 4+

Details: No. 1 Beyond

            Received from Author

            Through NetGalley

Own: Kindle

From the author’s website:

“A dangerous world of sex, lust and violence…

All Noelle Cunningham has ever wanted is a life beyond–beyond the walls of Eden, where only the righteous are allowed to remain, and beyond her stiflingly restrictive existence as a councilman’s daughter. But only ruins lie outside the City, remnants of a society destroyed by solar storms decades earlier.

The sectors surrounding Eden house the corrupt, the criminal–men like Jasper McCray, bootlegger and cage fighter. Jas clawed his way up from nothing to stand at the right hand of Sector Four’s ruthless leader, Dallas, and he’ll defend the O’Kane gang with his life. But no fight ever prepared him for the exiled City girl who falls at his feet.

Her innocence is undeniable, but so is their intense sexual attraction, and soon they’re crossing every boundary Noelle barely knew she had. But if she wants to belong to Jas, first she’ll have to open herself to the gang, and to a world where passion is power, and freedom is found in submission.”

I enjoyed this dystopian erotic romance. It came with interesting characters, a nice story, a fascinating setting and lots of hot sexual exploits. What’s not to like? It would be easy to categorize this story as little more than explicit erotic scenes, but that would be doing the book a huge disservice. The authors have created real and multi-facetted characters and move them through a plot-line that forces them to take a hard look at themselves, at their feelings and what they really want. 

Noelle, the main character gets evicted from her secluded, restricted and completely controlled but privileged live because of her desires and curiosity. In the world where she ends up sex is both a life-force and the most common currency, and she is slowly, but very securely introduced to that world; a world she appears to be made for, so closely do her desires resemble her new daily life. Raised in an environment where feelings were discouraged and frowned upon, Noelle has to learn to recognise and accept the emotions sweeping through her mind and body, just as she has to figure out a way of interpreting and understanding what those around her might be feeling and hiding behind stoic faces. 

And Jasper faces a similar journey. Not used to caring about another person almost more than he does about himself, this hard man finds himself facing decisions more frightening than anything else in his violent life . Learning to trust that others know what they want and need and allowing them to live according to those needs is the hardest thing he has ever had to do in his far from easy life, but also the only way to happiness. 

There are more fascinating characters in this story like Dallas O’Kane, the leader of the gang, ruling his sector with an iron hand and Lexi, the free-spirited girl who obviously belongs with Dallas but refuses to submit to the man who is enthralled by her. I would have loved to read more about their story, but I understand this is the first book in a series and guess I will have to wait for one of the sequels before I get to know them better. And I find myself eagerly looking forward to those sequels because there is a lot more story to tell and a lot more conflict to be resolved.