Tag (The Zumar Chronicles, #1)

Jan 13, 2012 Kat rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: futuristic, conspiracy, 2012-read, arc-review-complete, updated

I was a little hesitant when I first received this book. The blurb sounded quite science-fictioney (yeah, that’s a word!) and I thought I may have been a little out of my comfort zone. However, I was about to have a very pleasant surprise.

Tag is more futuristic than science-fiction, and the technological advances of 2110 are not far-fetched, they are easily imaginable. International travel has become a breeze, cash is a thing of the past and convenience is exactly what the word suggests. But alt...more

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Apr 08, 2011 Caleb Blake rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads

TAG is a plausible futuristic thriller that had everything I needed and more to give it a good review.

Starting with the plot itself, TAG presents the reader with a view of the not-to-distant future where technology and society have advanced enough (after a particularly nasty world war) that Earth - and the Moon - have become one nation...with gadgets. It was not difficult at all for me to suspend my disbelief with this setting as it's a future I can easily imagine coming to pass.

I found the futu...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Matt Kelland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

I liked this. It's a solid sci-fi thriller with some good characters and an interesting world. I particularly liked his idea of work as "contributions". That's a nice way to think of society.

The only real issue I had with it is that the setting, 100 years or so in the future, feels too far out. I'd envisage that world being possible within maybe 20 or 30 years, 50 at the most. The technology is pretty close to what we have now in many cases, notably the portable computers. When you look at the...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Al rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, kindle

My typical taste runs to thrillers. Science fiction is often a nonstarter. Combining both, "Tag" could have easily gone either way. It has a few of the elements that will sometimes turn me off in sci-fi. These include a lot of new technology, and new words and terms to learn.

My objection to the technology isn't that it exists, but that it can sometimes become the story rather than assist it. This wasn't an issue for me in "Tag." The technology felt like a logical evolution from today to one hund...more My typical taste runs to thrillers. Science fiction is often a nonstarter. Combining both, "Tag" could have easily gone either way. It has a few of the elements that will sometimes turn me off in sci-fi. These include a lot of new technology, and new words and terms to learn.

My objection to the technology isn't that it exists, but that it can sometimes become the story rather than assist it. This wasn't an issue for me in "Tag." The technology felt like a logical evolution from today to one hundred years into the future. It helped to define the story world, but didn't overpower the plot, with the characters, their personalities, and how that drove their actions taking center stage, as they should.

My concern with language is that, if overdone, it can kill the flow of the story as the reader has to do an internal translation of the new words each time they see them. Royle uses many new terms. However, his word choices are easy to understand and quickly feel natural, as they often subtly reference other actual words in our vocabulary. Many are shortened words: kiloms as a measure of distance and mins for time. Dev is a generic electronic device, which combines what we would see as multiple functions in today's world, while a devstick is a portable device. Lev is a means of a person transporting from one place to another which references both an elevator and the word levitate, with both words helping cement its use in the reader's mind. His approach is a reminder that that the world is different, yet his choices emphasize the differences while not getting in the way due to the ease of adding them to the reader's vocabulary.

The story is the typical thriller, with a protagonist thrust into a race against time where the price for failure is high. The futuristic setting provides a backdrop for several themes. The 1984ish theme of Big Brother, and how technology, while positive, also has negatives, especially in the area of privacy. How human nature is unchanging. That there will always be those who feel they are above everyone else and have no qualms in acting on those feelings. But I didn't realize much of this until I had time to reflect, after the fast-paced ride to the end.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **(less)

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Jun 06, 2011 Glenn Skinner rated it 5 of 5 stars

I learned of this author through an indie author group. I read his introduction and brief description of his book in their forum and being a sci-fi/fantasy lover, the plot of our world 100 years from now on the verge of genocide intrigued me. I purchased a copy and have never regretted the decision. This is an excellent sci-fi/political thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seats though out the story.

Visualize a world in our not to distance future having been shaped by turmoil and dest...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Miles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

In what will be my penultimate book review for 2010 I cast my beady eye on a new independent novel by Simon Royle called TAG –a futuristic scientific thriller set in the 22nd century.
Now as many of you will know from the earlier reviews, Science Fiction and futuristic thrillers (whatever genre they may be) are not my forte! I’m not sure why I’ve never been drawn to that type of story but I do like to step outside my comfort zone once in a while. I think it’s important as a reviewer to give every...more

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Dec 13, 2010 Grace Krispy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Life is irrevocably changed for Arbitrator Jonah Oliver the day he's called in to work with a mysterious runner, Jibril Muraz, who seems to have no past, and an amazing ability to avoid the potency of the truth treatment. Jonah is not sure why this strange and alien being is asking specifically for Jonah's services, and things become even less clear when a telepathic message is received directly from Jibril that hints at secrets and betrayal. With little explanation, and much confusion, Jonah is...more Life is irrevocably changed for Arbitrator Jonah Oliver the day he's called in to work with a mysterious runner, Jibril Muraz, who seems to have no past, and an amazing ability to avoid the potency of the truth treatment. Jonah is not sure why this strange and alien being is asking specifically for Jonah's services, and things become even less clear when a telepathic message is received directly from Jibril that hints at secrets and betrayal. With little explanation, and much confusion, Jonah is thrown into a race against the clock to stop a terrible plot designed to eliminate two-thirds of the population. All the odds are stacked against him, and he soon finds that his past is not what he thought it was, and his future is even more uncertain.

In his first novel, Simon Royle has managed to create a riveting thriller that kept me up much past my bedtime. From the first chapter, I was engaged and eager to discover the secrets of Jonah's life as they unfolded. The book is set a century in the future, and the world looks much as we may expect; it is different, but somehow exactly the same. In line with the human tendency to shorten words of common objects (think net for internet, phone for telephone, TV for television), some of the important terms of this century include, amongst other terms, dev (device), trav (travel), and cred (credit- monetary units earned by "contributions"). Although common travel has extended to the moon and the world is now united, at least in theory, the people and the experiences are recognizable and definitely feasible. The idea of "tagging" humans with their identity numbers is perhaps not even as far in the future as the timeline chosen for this book. This fictional reality is extremely realistic, and the implications of such a future really demand to be considered.

The characters in this book were interesting and decently developed for a thriller. I may have enjoyed some additional development when it came to some of the relationships, particularly between Jonah and Mariko, to really understand their connections. In a fast-paced storyline like this, however, it really is more secondary to the action, and the action was well done. The writing style was very engaging and readable. I really didn't find myself rewriting any passages in my head, and that's always a good thing! The plot was well-paced, and it really compelled me to read the whole way through, especially as I began the last half of the book. The book switches from first person (when Jonah is present) to third person (when we're with everyone else), and it made me do a quick double take once in a while, but that is probably my fault, as I have a tendency not to read chapter headings, and that is where the time, place, and characters were clearly spelled out.

I really enjoyed this thrill ride, and had only a few piddly issues. One was that there were fewer commas in this book than I am used to. It may be attributable to writing style, but commas around clauses and the names of those addressed in speech really help me to interpret the prose appropriately. The author definitely included commas, and those used were certainly used appropriately, but I felt there were some missing. It didn't create any real issues with readability, but as I "read" in my head, it didn't force me to pause in places I normally would have paused. Additionally, as I read this book, I kept waiting for the twist that changed a good guy to a bad guy, or some major event that really turned the tables on what I thought and made me gasp "oh my gosh!" That moment never came. It wasn't necessary for a successful story, it just has the effect of adding to the suspense and excitement of a storyline such as this.

4.5 /5 stars @ MotherLode blog
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Jun 05, 2011 TC rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sci-fi hasn't been one of my favoured genres in the past but I'm being open minded and the synopsis for Tag sounded great so I thought it was worth a look. Set 100 years from now, Jonah Oliver is called in to do some pro-bono work for UNPOL, formerly INTERPOL. He is an arbitrator and is asked to interrogate a prisoner who has requested him by name. That prisoner, Jibril Muraz, makes some astonishing revelations, showing up Jonah's life as a web of lies and pulling him into the battle to save the...more Sci-fi hasn't been one of my favoured genres in the past but I'm being open minded and the synopsis for Tag sounded great so I thought it was worth a look. Set 100 years from now, Jonah Oliver is called in to do some pro-bono work for UNPOL, formerly INTERPOL. He is an arbitrator and is asked to interrogate a prisoner who has requested him by name. That prisoner, Jibril Muraz, makes some astonishing revelations, showing up Jonah's life as a web of lies and pulling him into the battle to save the lives of 6.3 billion people.

The future isn't all that different from now , but the world has seen what seems to be a credible evolution of current technology. Unfortunately one of the biggest changes to technology has been the introduction of the dev stick, basically storing a person's identity and ripe for abuse by Big Brother types. I would describe Tag as futuristic rather than sci-fi, it seems like a worrying plausible future rather than anything too fanciful. There is plenty of new jargon (mostly quickly understandable) and nations no longer exist, replaced with various geographics on Earth, Mars and the Moon. The author has created an amazingly detailed future!

The Tag law is coming up for a Popvote, where everyone has to electronically cast their ballot. The Tag law extends the concept of the dev stick by having it implanted into the individual, further increasing the ability of the authorities to monitor their every activity. It's a scary prospect, and with the failure of the introduction of ID cards in the UK not so long ago it shows one possible future route we should all be trying to avoid.

I thought the plot was great. It was relevant and thought-provoking, and the cast of characters provided some interesting dynamics. I really like Jonah, who tells most of the story from his point of view, and Jibril who is a major figure in the movement against the Tag law. The pace accelerated towards the end, with a lot of tension created as the reader waited to find out if the cleansing of billions of people considered to be inferior could be prevented.

However Tag is quite a long book, and I found it a bit slow at the start. It took me a while to get into it and I think a tighter edit, removing some of the parts that were more tell than show, would have been good. Sometimes, with the descriptions of characters in particular, I like a bit of room to build my own picture of them and too many details stiffle that. There were also a few typos I noticed, although not so many that I found them distracting.

The concept is great and I almost felt like I could see the future. This book is a bit sci-fi and a bit crime thriller with a dash of romance, and with a bit of tweaking could be really very good indeed.
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Aug 13, 2011 Science Fiction Addiction rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fans of: not-too-distant-future Science Fiction; fans of thrillers; and fans of conspiracy fiction, can all find an enjoyable read in Simon Royle’s, TAG. Anyone who happens to like all three of those things should love it.

In a future where privacy is a thing of the past life is about to get really complicated for our MC, Arbitrator Jonah Oliver, when he meets a mysterious ‘runner’ named Jibril. After he finds out many of the truths he’s based his life on are lies he quickly gets dragged into a c...more Fans of: not-too-distant-future Science Fiction; fans of thrillers; and fans of conspiracy fiction, can all find an enjoyable read in Simon Royle’s, TAG. Anyone who happens to like all three of those things should love it.

In a future where privacy is a thing of the past life is about to get really complicated for our MC, Arbitrator Jonah Oliver, when he meets a mysterious ‘runner’ named Jibril. After he finds out many of the truths he’s based his life on are lies he quickly gets dragged into a conspiracy where 2/3rds of the population’s lives could be lost.

My eyes glazed over a bit while reading the prologue, but once the story started proper the pacing felt great. Tag is a longer read, I think probably the longest I’ve read in a while, but it is well told and entertaining with a good level of escalating tension throughout. There’s a large, complicated plot of conspiracy and intrigue and huge stakes here, but it all comes together. I didn’t notice any missing strands in the plot and it all fits together making logical, intuitive sense. Royle has an efficient, (mostly) easy to read writing style that fits the story well.

The only real quibble I have is the characterizations. Jonah is relatable enough, and reasonably likeable, but I just never felt a deep connection to him or any of the other characters. Which is too bad because that could have turned a very exciting story into what I would consider a masterpiece. Still though, that criticism is balanced by the wonderful world building throughout. New Singapore feels alive and complex, told with a good amount of detail but not too much (I never found myself skipping over-long descriptions or anything like that).

This is an overall excellent and satisfying piece of speculative fiction that I’m happy to have read. Well worth the time commitment and it carries a strong recommendation from me. I look forward to the next in the series.

[-150to+ 50] Professionalism (Cover/Formatting/Editing): 50 Tribbles
[-100to+150] Characterizations: 100 Tribbles
[-100to+150] Plot/Pace: 150 Tribbles
[-100to+150] Writing/Prose: 125 Tribbles

Total: 425 Tribbles(less)

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Feb 08, 2011 Debra Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Big brother is watching. Author Simon Royale takes this premise to a new and terrifying reality in his novel Tag. Fast forward into the next century and we find all humans are identified by their PUI (Personal Unique Identifier). The government knows everything about you, everywhere you go, everything you buy, literally everything. A scary thought in itself.

Book blurb: In the wake of Arbitrator Jonah Oliver’s interrogation of Jibril Muraz, a prisoner of UNPOL, his secure life disintegrates into...more Big brother is watching. Author Simon Royale takes this premise to a new and terrifying reality in his novel Tag. Fast forward into the next century and we find all humans are identified by their PUI (Personal Unique Identifier). The government knows everything about you, everywhere you go, everything you buy, literally everything. A scary thought in itself.

Book blurb: In the wake of Arbitrator Jonah Oliver’s interrogation of Jibril Muraz, a prisoner of UNPOL, his secure life disintegrates into one of lies, corruption, conspiracy and murder due to what he learns. Jonah is thrown into a race against the clock to stop a plot designed to eliminate two-thirds of the population. The odds are stacked against him. He soon finds his past is not what he thought it was, those closest to him cannot be trusted, and what he’s learned could get him, or worse, his loved ones, killed.

I was drawn into the story immediately with the interrogation of Jabril Muraz by Agent Sharon Cochran. When she can't get him to talk even under a Truth Treatment, arbitrator Jonah Oliver is called in to try and get information from him, and that's when he's thrown into a race against time to stop the elimination of 2/3 of the world's population begins.

Mr. Royle describes what our world will look like in the next century with such detail and precision. Traveling to the moon base is a commonplace occurrence. It is during a trip to the moon that Jonah learns the truth from the mysterious Jabril Muraz about the new Tag Law that his uncle, Sir Thomas Oliver, and the government want to implement. Jabril is not the terrorist he's been labeled as, but Jonah must decide if he believes him and his wild tales of mass extinction. During that short trip to the moon, Jonah meets the love of his life, Marika. These two events juxtapositioned against each other show the harsh realities of their world, but also that there is room for love in these trying times. Marika is a complex character who finds herself pulled in two different directions - her loyalty to Sharon Cochran and her UNPOL job versus her growing love for Jonah. She is going to be forced by events to make the difficult decision which direction she wants her life to go in.

The cast of supporting characters of Sharon, Marika, Marty, and Maloo are rich and add to the enjoyment of this story. The descriptions of the locations are well done and you can easily imagine yourself living in this new world.

I do have a few slight criticisms. First, I found the switching between third-person and first-person for the Jonah specific chapters to be jarring. It took me awhile to get used to that. Also a few of Jonah's shopping trips were a bit boring and did nothing to move the plot forward. I kept expecting something to happen during these scenes, but I understand that the author was just trying to describe life in this future world.

This is a fast-paced thriller with many surprises along the way. I found myself unable to put my Kindle down as I got near the end. I would definitely recommend this book for those who like sci-fi, action adventure and thrillers. It is extremely well-written and impressive debut.
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Dec 19, 2010 Vicki Tyley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: indie

“Having nothing to hide from each other is the first step to having nothing to fear from each other” – Tag

Imagine a future where privacy is almost non-existent. A future where even your thoughts aren’t safe. It’s the year 2109 and every citizen is required by law “to carry upon their person an electronic device containing the means to broadcast their Personal Unique Identifier (PUI), and authorizes the monitoring of the identity, location, movements and actions of any citizen, without prior caus...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Frida Fantastic (book blogger) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks-speculative-fiction, speculative-fiction

TAG is a convincing conspiracy thriller set 100 years in the future. While the world is more connected and open than ever before, the higher echelons of power are dominated by a global elite. Unknown to the population, passing the Tag Law of 2110 would enable the elite to carry out mass murder and create a new world order.

It’s fast-paced as Jonah gets wrapped in the conspiracy and intrigue right from the beginning. The plot thickens throughout and the pace moves at a consistent speed.

TAG has exc...more TAG is a convincing conspiracy thriller set 100 years in the future. While the world is more connected and open than ever before, the higher echelons of power are dominated by a global elite. Unknown to the population, passing the Tag Law of 2110 would enable the elite to carry out mass murder and create a new world order.

It’s fast-paced as Jonah gets wrapped in the conspiracy and intrigue right from the beginning. The plot thickens throughout and the pace moves at a consistent speed.

TAG has exceptionally strong world-building. It gives a real sense of how a world government operates and the key events that led up to it. The settings are distinct and provide a lively sense of both the local and the global. New Singapore is a multi-leveled futuristic city of international offices and condos, while other locations have more traditional developments. People greet each other with the Thai wai instead of a handshake because of a previous global influenza outbreak. These details are wonderful and they make the setting even more believable.

The world-building extends to the book’s distinct terminology and punctuation style. Devices like computers, cameras, phones have all converged into one “dev”. News are “feeds”, currency is “creds”, and so on. The sparse use of punctuation can take some getting used to. (Example: “[t]he datafeed from earth showed that service was temporarily unavailable now that I had left the craft and was actually on the surface of the Moon.”) I had to reread a few sentences to make sure I understood the clauses properly, but overall, it further immersed me in the setting.

With such a grand conspiracy unfolding, there isn’t much room for character development. I felt indifferent towards Jonah and the other characters. However, the central antagonist is so repulsive and so well-characterized that I greatly anticipated seeing his plans get foiled. The tension between him and Jonah is well done, and it’s enjoyable to see Jonah develop the backbone to stand up and outmaneuver him.

Overall, TAG is a solid novel. I recommend this book if you’re looking for a science fiction thriller. The early chapters are indicative of the quality and pacing throughout the book, so if you like the sample, you’ll enjoy the rest too.

Note: a free review copy was provided by the author. (less)

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Jan 22, 2011 Candy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Over the past year, I've started to really dig dystopian science fiction. Futuristic mayhem and out of control politics makes for good ride. BUT only if it's done well. And Mr. Royle can weave a story very well indeed.

The book is nothing to sneeze at, as far as length. I was a bit intimidated and was wondering if the author would be able to keep my attention the whole time. I will admit that I think part of it was a little overwritten but now that I see this is part of a series, I can understand...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Jason rated it 4 of 5 stars

The plot developed well, and the characters were pretty well developed. The subversion was well done, and the descriptives of the future were good enought to see a world like this as entirely possible, and given modern politics, I'd even give it a fair chance of being likely. I really liked this book.

My only complaint is the epilogue. compared to the rest of the story, it felt a little weak. The scene, the setting, was nice and sweet, and you can kinda see "happily ever after" written between th...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Sharon Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'd probably call this a futuristic thriller, though it starts slowly, the tension ratchets up to hook you into a solid page turner.

Characterization well done, especially for a thriller, the main characters, good and bad, were well developed and very much individuals. The technology made sense as it was presented, although the history of the clandestine Hawk group required a bit of a stretch.

My biggest complaint about the book was the terms for many common expressions that were used ... creds, m...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Joe Frazier rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: scifi

I appear to be in middling ground regarding Mr. Royle's book. As others have noted before, the premise, the world and the events created are very compelling. These were written with reasonable skill with clearly-defined characters and a solid story line provided. Were the characters complex? No. Did the dialog and story line progress in a crisp and exciting manner leading to a fulfilling crescendo? No. There were times the characters were a bit wooden and the ending was definitely deflating. How...more

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Mar 15, 2011 *Babs* rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-asked-to-review, sci-fi, thrillers, suspense

My 2 Cents:

Simon asked me to review his book Tag and what a surprise it was. I am not into future worlds much, but this book took me away and kept me glued till the last page. I didn't want to imagine a world with no privacy quite scary actually, but this thriller picks you up and takes you on a wild ride.

I liked the book for the fact of its fast pace and great characters. The relationship between Jonah and Marika was remarkable. It also made some of the crazy mess seem far away through their e...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Timothy Frost rated it 4 of 5 stars

In 'Tag' Simon Royle has created the most fascinating and detailed 'future world'. Against this backdrop he plays out an entertaining thriller with appealing characters. And it's all written in a fluid and approachable style that keeps the pages turning.

The story is set exactly 100 years in the future. Things are both different, yet strangely familiar. Public transport has finally improved, and you can get from London to Paris by tube in 15 minutes ... or stay on board for a few more stops and...more In 'Tag' Simon Royle has created the most fascinating and detailed 'future world'. Against this backdrop he plays out an entertaining thriller with appealing characters. And it's all written in a fluid and approachable style that keeps the pages turning.

The story is set exactly 100 years in the future. Things are both different, yet strangely familiar. Public transport has finally improved, and you can get from London to Paris by tube in 15 minutes ... or stay on board for a few more stops and hop the Atlantic. Popping to the Moon for a weekend at a luxury spa is only a little more involved.

Money has gone, to be replaced by a worldwide system called 'cred', and nation states have gone, following the Third World War, to be replaced by a 'United Nation' solution governed by UNPOL (successor to INTERPOL). The populace controls its destiny by means of Popvotes (think X-Factor for politics). Oh yes, and some people have developed a rudimentary telepathic ability.

Yet people still eat croissants, put beers in the cooler and go to the beach, and generally carry on in a very human way.

One downside to this Utopia: everyone has to carry their personal ID in a device called a 'Dev' which is a bit like an iPhone version 200.0. And from this fact the trouble starts.

The story centres on Jonah, who 'contributes' as a public arbitrator (like a lawyer, but nicer). He gets caught up in a high level conspiracy which threatens much of the world's population. Along the way he meets a nice girl and they team up, determined to defeat the baddies and save the planet. (Perhaps I should say 'solar system', because the Moon and Mars are populated too). Do they succeed, or die trying? Not telling.

This is highly imaginative and entertaining stuff. The story moves at a relaxed but insistent pace, taking time to etch in the details of daily life so you feel like you are really there.

Watch out, parents. There are several unanticipated and quite graphic sex scenes. They did not add anything as far as I was concerned, but give the book a definite 18 rating. A pity, (and it made me dock one star) as without these (or if they were seriously toned down) the story would appeal to, and be suitable for, everyone from younger teens upwards.

With that proviso, this is an enjoyable read for anyone, including people like me who are not sci-fi genre fans. I finished it wanting more. Excellent. I'm ready for the sequel any time!(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Bryan Cacciatore rated it 4 of 5 stars

TAG is a great story and details a very immersive world. The plot went from thin to thick and deep really quickly and kept getting deeper as the story went one. So much is happening at a lot of points in the book that you don't know who is on what side and who you are rooting for as the hero. There was even a love story mixed in that helped push the plot along instead of boring someone like me who is not into reading romance. The way the characters are interact and relate made this a page turner...more

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Jun 18, 2011 Craig Brown rated it 3 of 5 stars

3/4 of the book was really good. Very exciting and entertaining. The characters were interesting and the flow good. Now, the motives in most cases were never explained. For instance, without giving anything away, why does a bad guy save a good guy. If it happens you should explain it. Also, Pinky and the Brain had better ideas on world domination. I like the control the world aspect but it made no sense as to what they were trying to do. I am skirting as to not give things away. If you want to d...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Lars Hansen rated it 4 of 5 stars

What if todays smartphones get even smarter, more powerful, more integrated and much, much smaller? What if the government did track you by your smartphone? What if it could be implanted in your arm? What if it contained a powerful neurotoxin? Yeah, be afraid, be very afraid. Now you have 4 months to save 6.3 billion people.

Set in the not so distant future, a nuclear world war has changed the political landscape, and the UN has now turned into a World Government, and running the Global Police f...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Tome rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the TAG universe everyone is monitored via a device called a dev stick which monitors a person’s every move. When Jonah, an arbitrator, is called to interrogate a prisoner, he discovers a disturbing plot to wipe out two-thirds of all humans, and knows he must stop it. But can he save the majority of the population, when his own life is being de-constructed around him.

TAG is set 100 years in the future, with a very detailed and believable universe. Rather than recreating everything from scratc...more

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Jun 20, 2011 L.E.Olteano rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-review, reviewed, received-for-review

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It has taken me longer then usual to read this awesome book; I’m not sure why. There was something about it that made me want to linger on the chapters instead if read through them. It’s a sensation I’ve had with some books before, and I’m not sure what to attribute it to. Perhaps I enjoy reading so much that my subconscious pushes me to linger, to prolong that enjoyment state. What I am sure is that I didn’t feel an inner pressure to get through it, to find out what’s going to happen in the end...more It has taken me longer then usual to read this awesome book; I’m not sure why. There was something about it that made me want to linger on the chapters instead if read through them. It’s a sensation I’ve had with some books before, and I’m not sure what to attribute it to. Perhaps I enjoy reading so much that my subconscious pushes me to linger, to prolong that enjoyment state. What I am sure is that I didn’t feel an inner pressure to get through it, to find out what’s going to happen in the end, I just trusted Simon Royle‘s beautiful writing to take me there. I didn’t feel that impending doom sensation that sometimes stimulates me to rush through the tunnel and reach the final light.

Tag may very well be a classic of the genre. It has it all; it’s very well written, quite well paced and thought up. The plot has something of a classic sci-fi note, the technologically advanced race, the need to destroy that ultimately manifests itself and needs to be somehow dealt with.

I especially liked the way the writing has been done. Though building an advanced, techy universe, it puts no scientific pressure on you, it doesn’t smother you one bit with over-technological aspects that turn into some background noise. However virtual the world is, it feels quite palpable to you as you’re reading, it feels absolutely natural, like you know it as well as the palm of your hand.
I loved the healthy and well thought humor Simon Royle‘s writing possesses, it makes for a very diaphanous and completely pleasurable read. So much so it is a pleasure to just read his writing, that I wouldn’t have minded reading and reading, on and on.

The characters are an interesting point of the book; I will confess to have a soft spot for Jonah, his good natured, funny, slightly awkward and sort of nerdy nature make him irresistible. For some reason, I found the female characters less easy to like, and other male characters as well. There was a clear spotlight on Jonah, and I did like Gabriel as well, though I would have liked to see more of him.

The plot touches on many interesting topics, political intrigue, the issue of privacy, nudity – well, this one not so much, though Jonah does find himself getting naked a lot throughout the story
It weaves a great story, filled with mystery, suspense, intrigue as I’ve said, dramatic twists and edge-of-your-seat moments.

I couldn’t have asked for more, on many accounts. The story is gripping, and it’s very well executed. Perhaps it would have helped to build more tension if the writing would have had less narrative and more dialogue, as the narrative generally does tend to slightly even out the tension in the plot whereas more dialogue builds more of a dynamic feel, but this is up to personal taste of course.

Overall, I find this to be a great achievement, and I am looking forward to reading the next books in the series. One evil thing about it is that it ends with a teaser for book two, well thought strategy.
I only have one small issue with it, and it is that in the story somewhere Sir Thomas the insufferable explains how in the past he’s been pardoned for eradicating Bucharest. To this, I protest, bad Simon Royle, bad bad Simon Royle, to have that bastard attack my country of all the places in the world! It does put it on the map, so on a more serious note, thanks for the mention :)

Jokes aside, sci-fi buffs, if you haven’t already read Tag, you really really need to, you’ll love it to bits!(less)

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Apr 28, 2011 Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lesbian, transsexual

Tag is an interesting, exciting, and altogether refreshing take on the near-future, Utopian sci-fi thriller. Simon does a wonderful job of exploring both the technology and social constructs that allow for the illusion of a utopia, but also demonstrates a deep understanding of the humanity that so often undermines the Utopian ideal.

The first thing that struck me about the novel was its geographical and cultural focus. This is a story that’s set entirely in Southeast Asia and Australia, with only...more Tag is an interesting, exciting, and altogether refreshing take on the near-future, Utopian sci-fi thriller. Simon does a wonderful job of exploring both the technology and social constructs that allow for the illusion of a utopia, but also demonstrates a deep understanding of the humanity that so often undermines the Utopian ideal.

The first thing that struck me about the novel was its geographical and cultural focus. This is a story that’s set entirely in Southeast Asia and Australia, with only passing references to places like North America and Europe that usually dominate the genre. There isn’t a significant amount of contemporary culture to be explored, due to the nature of our Utopian future, but there is distinctly ‘foreign’ flavour to people and places that I found very attractive.

As for the technology, Simon smartly avoids the temptation to automate the world. The technological advances he introduces are quite wondrous to behold, but they’re also very subtle, being natural extensions of the technology of today. The Devstick is a perfect example, a pocket-sized device that finally accomplishes what every manufacturer is aiming for – the complete integration of all our mobile devices. Living arrangements are a little more advanced, and transportation has certainly changed (trips to the moon are as accessible as a flight across the country), but they’re a clear evolution of our adaptation to environmental restrictions, rather than a frivolous attempt to wow us with technology.

To return to the theme of utopia for a moment, Simon’s future requires a few leaps of faith (I’m not sure, as a race, we could ever agree to some of the compromises he places ahead of us), but it’s an attractive place to live. Governed as a homogeneous whole by the United Nations, the world has become a socialist (almost communist) society, free of the racial, geographic, and religious conflicts that have plagued the past. Unfortunately, any utopia is only as strong as its worst member, and there are forces looking to take advantage of our global complacency.

The ‘tag’ of the title is hardly a new idea – surgically imprinting humanity with a chip that broadcasts our identities, and allows for government oversight – but the way in which it is presented, and the ease with which the world is sold on the concept, is very disturbing. The secret flaw behind the tag is even more frightening, but I don’t want to give away too much of the plot. Suffice to say, this is a book that works well as both a science fiction adventure and a political thriller, a combination that isn’t as easy to manipulate as you might suspect. The characters are very well-rounded and likable, so much so that I spent much of the book wondering if the villain was really the villain we’d been led to expect, and whether the revolutionary hero didn’t, in fact, have ulterior motives. Simon engages us, and ties us to the characters, but also distances us enough from the action to keep us guessing.

Finally, although it’s not a significant aspect of the novel, I must say I thoroughly appreciated the portrayal of sexuality. Sexuality has been stripped of its taboos, leading to a society that may be a little too open and promiscuous for some, but which is very accommodating. One of the more significant supporting characters is a transgendered woman who lives and loves as if she were never anything but female, never having to worry about being discriminated against or beaten for her gender. In fact, the fact that she's transsexual is dealt with so casually, you could literally blink and miss it. Similarly, one of the primary characters is involved in a long-term lesbian relationship that isn't presented as being any different from any of the other character’s straight relationships. There is an S&M aspect to the relationship that had me concerned, but there's a justification for it, and a development of the character's motivations that ultimately redeems it.

Definitely an enjoyable read, and one that I would highly recommend.(less)

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Apr 05, 2013 Bruce Dillahunty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: calibre

I enjoyed the book, and after getting into it a ways, found myself rooting for the characters and wanting to find what happens next. It's a good plot set in a not that distant future, with an overture of valid concerns about personal security and privacy.

The jargon used to signify the changes in everyday language was extremely consistently done, but was too much of a good thing for me. Some "made up" words is fine, but did we really need to change the name of pants and shirts?

Regardless, I got i...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Angel Lepire rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At first, this didn't really seem like the kind of book I usually like to read. But I seem to really like "future" fiction lately, so I thought I would give it a shot. Turned out to be a really good book. I liked the characters, and I found the plot to be interesting. And of course, who doesn't love a good book about the government trying to knock off a few billion people? All in all, very good story, well written, and I look forward to more from this author!

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Aug 14, 2012 Martin Mcgoey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

Enjoyable read, though it's little more than a sci-fi thriller. I got kind of frustrated with the prose at times because of how dry it was and its numerous typos. The world was interesting and rich, but the characters, sadly, were fairly undeveloped. That said, for a sci-fi novel it was surprisingly very accessible. I don't care for sci-fi that is so dense with details and describing tech stuff that it leaves you completely in the dark as to what's happening. Sci-fi, especially older stuff like...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, the premise intrigued me and the story itself I enjoyed. The character development left a little to be desired, what was lacking there the author more then made up for in his descriptions of the future technologies and settings. If you enjoy science fiction books, I would recommend checking this out. For everyone else, this might not be what you are looking for, but it may surprise you.

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Mar 09, 2011 S.M. Jonas rated it 5 of 5 stars

I found this SF thriller had all the ingredients of both genres - a brilliantly imagined future with fast-paced action and high stakes. Add great characters with realistic emotions into the mix and you have a truly gripping read.

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Apr 19, 2012 Jonathan Pettit rated it 4 of 5 stars

Science fiction set in the near (100 years out) future. Good story, not too far fetched. Believable, fast paced, and pretty quick read. Will look for the follow up or other books by the author.

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Tag (The Zumar Chronicles #1)

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