Blog Tour | Book Review | After Darkness by J.F. Johns

I’m thrilled to share the first of an exciting new dystopian duology by J.F. Johns, called After Darkness!

Read on for an exclusive excerpt, book details, and a chance to win a print copy of Eternal Darkness, the first book in her exciting dystopian series of the same name!

My Thoughts

I didn’t realize that this book is a sequel to another series until I read some of the reviews on Goodreads. It sure doesn’t feel like one!

The novel does end in a cliffhanger, though. If I had the next part ready, I’d just move on to it as if I had never stopped reading.

I found the concept of X-Prototypes and cyborgs and the forced segregation of humans and cyborgs interesting. The main characters are mere teenage school-going children, so I expected a certain level of immaturity and I wasn’t disappointed.

It was good to see a tough female MC who doesn’t shy away from fighting cyborgs, despite knowing they’re made to be stronger than humans. Some of the cyborgs are her secret friends and it was interesting to see how her head and heart struggled to overcome years of government brainwashing.

The introduction of the Destroyer and the “monster” attached to Scarlet were confounding elements, and I couldn’t determine if this was intentional. Perhaps the next book explains why they exist. The novel leaves quite a few questions unanswered and throws in only the briefest hints about the Dark Era.

Occasionally, the author repeats certain phrases even though she has introduced the character/concept previously. She also shifts perspective from one character to the other abruptly, within the same paragraph/conversation so that it tends to confuse the reader.

I felt a tighter edit would improve the readability of the novel.

But she has woven a story so enjoyable that I’m motivated to find the time to read the prequels and the sequel.

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Book Details

Book #1 of a duology

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3bHL96d

Publication date: April 14, 2020

Genre: YA Dystopian

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Synopsis

Year 2160

RULE #.1

Humans AND Cyborgs are prohibited from communicating in any shape or form with each other.

RULE #.2

Curfew is from 12 p.m until 7.30 a.m
Applicable to ALL citizens, humans AND cyborgs.

RULE #.3

All propaganda against the government, written or verbal is a crime.

RULE #.4

All the above laws if broken are punishable by death.

WELCOME TO THE NATION

Are you ready?

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Exclusive Excerpt

‘My name is Terra Underwood, by the way.’

‘Didn’t ask.’

‘I know, thought you should know anyway.’

She heard him sigh.

‘I’m Kalem.’ A few seconds passed and then, ‘Kalem Akuma.’

‘Akuma? Seriously?’

‘It means demon.’

She couldn’t help but think it was rather fitting.

‘Well, Underwood means ‘wood that is under.’ What exactly it’s under we’ll never know.’

‘Is that meant to be a joke?’

‘Everything I say is meant as a joke.’

She could almost hear him smile, and that brought her own lips to twist upwards. She closed her eyes, feeling suddenly at ease and comfortable.

‘Good night, wood that is under.’

Terra’s smile deepened.

‘Good night, demon.’

Purchase Links

Amazon India — https://amzn.to/2yUVb6N

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/After-Darkness-J-F-Johns-ebook/dp/B0851FF5XW/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=after+darkness+j.f.johns&qid=1583876084&sr=8-1

Amazon UK — https://www.amazon.co.uk/After-Darkness-J-F-Johns-ebook/dp/B0851FF5XW/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=after+darkness+j.f.johns&qid=1583876126&sr=8-1

Amazon ES — https://www.amazon.es/After-Darkness-English-J-F-Johns-ebook/dp/B0851FF5XW/ref=sr_1_2?__mk_es_ES=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=after+darkness&qid=1583876162&sr=8-2

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About the Author

J.F.Johns is 27 years old and was born and raised in Spain. She studied English Literature and Creative Writing at ARU in Cambridge, UK.

She won the Indie Book Awards 2017 for best book written by an author under the age of 25, and was a finalist for best book cover with her novel Eternal Darkness.

She’s an animal lover, and spends her free time playing with her adopted dog and rescued cat, drinking too much coffee and posting book photos on her Instagram.

She believes in the art of dramatic sighing and eye rolling. She works as a ninja, but has been told several times that she’s not very good at her job.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writersmania/?hl=es

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Writersmania

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51224227-after-darkness

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Giveaway:

Paperback copy of Eternal Darkness by J.F. Johns

The world is divided between humans and cyborgs.

Scarlet Lock is neither.

She is a soldier created to kill on command. But her memory has been erased and when she awakens in a government facility she soon discovers that this new world is a dangerous place, full of government secrets and cruel experiments performed in the name of progress.

With the help of a group of cyborgs, Scarlet will fight to uncover the truth and transform the future of the new world she now lives in.

Eternal Darkness is full of suspense, action and romance and will make readers question what it means to be human.

Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0e7c6a8f163/?

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Blog Tour Organized By:

R&R Book Tours

Blog Tour | Book Review | iRemember by S. V. Bekvalac

Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for giving me the opportunity to review this book!

Book Details

iRemember by S.V.Bekvalac

Genre: Dystopia/sci-fi

Publisher: Eye Books

Publication date: March 30, 2020

Pages: 320

Add to Goodreads

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Synopsis

The city of iRemember shimmers in the desert haze, watched over by the Bureau, a government agency that maintains control through memory surveillance and little pink pills made from the narcotic plant Tranquelle.

It looks like an oasis under its geodesic dome, but the city is under siege. ‘Off-Gridder’ insurgents are fighting to be forgotten.  

Bureau Inspector Icara Swansong is on a mission to neutralise the threat. Her investigation leads her into iRemember’s secret underbelly, where she finds herself a fugitive from the very system she had vowed to protect. She has to learn new rules: trust no one. Behind every purple Tranquelle stalk lurk double-agents.

A sci-fi noir with a psychedelic twist, iRemember explores the power the past holds over us and the fragility of everything: what is, what once was, and what will be.

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My Thoughts

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

You know the author has amazing talent when you’re reading even the Acknowledgements with great interest! I’m still recovering from the mind-bending, trippy experience that is iRemember.

Imagine a world where state surveillance follows your every thought because it is literally inside your head. Imagine being hunted down and punished if you have “Bad Memories.” Such is the world of iRemember, which is ruled by the ageing, iron-fisted, and autocratic Helena Frome. She presides over the Tranquelle-addled minds of the Citizens and foils innumerable assassination attempts by Off-Gridders, who live in the Sub-Urbs and the Desert Rings outside the City.

iRemember is a story of power-hungry and corrupt factions who will do anything to retain control of the City. It is the age-old tale of the rich getting richer on the backs of the poor, and the less fortunate secretly plotting to take over the establishment. It is a story of shifting loyalties and intrigue, where even familial ties are sacrificed to protect one’s power.

The setting is dystopian and futuristic. It is a world of artificial intelligence where memories can be harnessed and molded to suit one’s ends. Where paper, water, and minerals are scarce. Where agricultural practices have been lost, and plastic is pervasive.

I can best describe Bekvalac’s writing as mesmerizing. It makes you lose sense of time and space. She makes you perform mental calisthenics with her short sentences and psychedelic word images. I particularly liked the technique of changing the typography to denote different memories.

I’ll leave you with a thoughtful quote on memories from the book:

A memory is inconsequential. It is unimportant. It is everything that came before. Insubstantial. While you dwell on it, time passes and it’s gone. Memory is not.

Is it good to be remembered or forgotten? You decide.

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About the Author

S.V. Bekvalac

SV Bekvalac was born in 1987 in Croatia, in what was then Yugoslavia, but grew up in London.

She studied German and Russian at Oxford, and went to film school in Prague. After almost becoming a film-maker and then an academic, researching cities and films, she found herself writing fiction about cities instead. She started off with screenplays and short stories, but they got longer and longer. iRremember is her first novel.

She has lived in cities all over Europe. Now she lives in London, or in one of her own imaginary cities.

Social Media Links – Twitter  @sandra_bek @EyeAndLightning

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Blog Tour Schedule

Remember to watch out for all the other stops on this tour:

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Purchase Links

Amazon UK —

For a limited time, iRemember will be available for only 99p

Amazon.com —

Amazon India — https://amzn.to/2WetEq7

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Book Review: Orson (The Lucid Chronicles #1) by David J Pearson

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Publisher: Self-published

Publication date: 28th June, 2019

Pages: 347

Genre: Science fiction, Dystopian

Synopsis:

The year is 2126. Earth is a husk of its former glory.
Bled dry of resources by an ever-increasing parasite, Humankind.
To live in this time is to be one payroll number amongst billions. Born to work until death.
Freedom and individualism are resigned to the past within the Mega Corps.
Huge cities, each owned by a corporation have replaced the countries of old.
Their tall walls the only divide between the suffocation of a dense metropolis
and the starvation of the barren wastelands.

Surviving this age means bending the knee to the combined over-class of rich
and powerful, Unity — an organisation that had been formed in the era after first contact with an alien race. The only contact, never to be seen again.
Mankind rallied under one banner…

But as is the nature of the powerful, they preyed on the nightmares of the weak.
Now all hide within their high walls, fed on propaganda and fear of the aliens return.
The parasite grows, draining its birth world in the hope of being ready for a foe
only seen in nightmares and the books of old.

This is the tale of those times… 

Add on Goodreads | Buy on Amazon

My review:

I picked up Orson for its intriguing cover. The bluish-white orb portended a story about space and aliens, and the words “relocation lottery” caused my imagination to run wild.

At 347 pages, Orson isn’t a quick read but not a word is unnecessary. Nowhere did the narrative drag—not even when the male protagonist is introspecting or debating with his inner voice, which happens often.

The plot benefits from Pearson’s ability to write movie-worthy action scenes and create realistically flawed characters who grow as the story progresses.

Orson, the male protagonist, starts off as a man-child with a penchant for complaining but evolves into a more responsible person when his future seems to hang in the balance. Similarly, Estan, the female protagonist, may project a tough exterior but struggles with self-doubt and questions of morality.

The characters are well-drawn, with detailed and credible backstories that help us understand where they’re coming from and what their motivations are. Everything is explained at the right juncture, and there are plenty of twists to keep you wondering just what will happen next. Pearson also gives minor characters an elaborate story—perhaps they will return in the next book in the series.

The dystopian setting allows for commentary on real-world issues like global warming, environmental pollution, and the inequitable distribution of wealth. He also weaves in philosophical quotes, mostly spoken/thought by Orson, without disrupting the pace of the narrative.

Sample this:

“A person’s life can be broken down into three events. Other things will definitely occur throughout this time, but these three are universal to mankind. Coming into the world, making a mark on the world, and leaving it.”

Pearson’s world is run by advanced technology, which raises questions about privacy, confidentiality, and security when control is concentrated with a select few. The political scenario is frighteningly reminiscent about what is happening in the real world. Funnily enough, robots are considered “old tech” in Orson’s world.

I would say that Pearson’s strong suit is the way he creates an “atmosphere” with his descriptions of the setting. I could feel the oppressive heat and hopelessness of the mines, the gritty life on the wastelands, the clinical coldness of the hospital, and the insidious comfort and the so-called safety of the high walls of the Mega Corporations.

I would recommend Orson to people who enjoy an action-packed science fiction story in a dystopian setting. Book 2 in the series (Estan: The Lucid Chronicles #2) has also been released so you can continue reading without a break. I know I will—I’ve already downloaded the next book via Kindle Unlimited!

About the Author: You can learn more about David J Pearson from his blog.

(I received a review copy from the author via Booktasters in exchange for an honest review.)

(This post contains Amazon affiliate links.)

Book Review: They Go to Sleep by Saugata Chakraborty

Rating: 4/5

There are some books that you can breeze through with half a mind, whereas there are some that need your complete attention. “They Go to Sleep” not only belongs to the latter category, it also requires the reader to absorb each detail of the narrative before moving on to the next scene. Even if you miss a tiny item, you are bound to lose the thread of the story.

Saugata Chakraborty unleashes tale upon tale with a tightly-woven narrative which often takes such hairpin bends that the reader has to turn back a few pages just to get a grip on it. I found myself re-reading portions of several stories because I was baffled by the rapid turn of events.

Perhaps the most complex of all the short stories is “The Man Who Sold His Gods,” which spans locations as far flung as Chennai, Washington D.C., and Singapore. “Six Days, Seven Lives” is almost a shortened version of a novella as it laces together characters from Gujarat, Ernakulam, Paris, Mumbai, West Bengal, and New Delhi. When the denouement arrives, you cannot help but feel overwhelmed when you realize the lost potential of the artists. “P for Payback” is equally intricate and I admit I took quite a bit of time to understand what was going on.

“It was Time” is the shortest story, barely two pages long but it packs a mighty punch. I kept turning the page wondering if there could be more—I felt a sudden sense of loss at the end. The stories aren’t all meant to thrill. There are some light, heart-warming ones, too, like “A Man of Letters” and “What’s in a Name?” A topical tale with a heart-rending end is “The Short Lives of Shazia Sultana,” which deals with the issue of fake profiles on social media and the boredom of middle-aged housewives. I found the depiction of death in “Blowing in the Wind” quite disturbing and it was the only time when I felt that I needed to put down the book and recover a bit.

My least favourite stories were “The Other Side,” which I felt had unnecessary sub-plots and a predictable finale and “Aperture,” which I simply did not enjoy.

Chakraborty does not let up the pace at any point in the book. You feel unsatisfied when one story comes to an end and you want to pick up the next one quickly. I even read through the glossary at the end although I didn’t need to since most of the foreign words were familiar. I just wanted the roller-coaster ride to continue for a bit longer.

“They Go to Sleep” demands that you engage all your senses and immerse yourself in the myriad plots, characters, and cultures. It’s also a book that begs to be re-read, if only to experience the thrill, the joy, and the pain all over again.

(I was offered a copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review.)