Reviews From the Void: Reader of Acheron- Walter Rhein

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A brilliant novel!!! Read it while you still can. January 30, 2014*5/5 Stars      
By Donny Swords- Author (Glendale, Arizona) - See all my reviews

*This is not a recent review.  Older reviews are just now beginning to make their way to my blogs....
This review is from: The Reader of Acheron (The Slaves of Erafor Book 1) (Kindle Edition) The reader of Acheron, (The slaves of Erafor, Vol 1)

Here, Walter Rhein delivers a tale that tells a story both with the printed word, and in between the lines. This is a dystopian fantasy where reality has shifted, and a new power structure has asserted themselves over the populace in a manner that while disturbing, is still an echo of what we find today. So many of the author's thoughts could have been my own. It raised questions I have often asked of myself. What drives another human to enslave another, either by the overt means of shackles, or by clouding their minds? Why do the masses allow oppression in any form when they know in their hearts that it is wrong to do so?

This is not a horror novel, but nonetheless, I was horrified. The idea that one day reading could be a crime punishable by death haunted me almost as much as the lives I imagined in such a world. A world where the upper echelons of power did as they pleased, and the populace followed them like blind sheep. Sound familiar? It should. We are all slaves to something, and those who run our lives are just as unforgiving as Captain Tark or Cassius of Edentown.

But some do not accept their fates as readily as others. Enter Kikkan, a slave who has learned that slavery, on any level is not acceptable. Whose heart is filled with a rage I identified with on a personal level. I could not help but root for Kikkan, even if some of his actions were dark. I honestly hope that in his situation I would act somewhat the same. I found him to be brave, and very near the beginning of the book tears came down my cheek during one of the scenes where others tormented him. To face his problem head on and to address it, even while facing an uncertain future.

Quillion is another very intriguing character, a true survivalist, a leader in some aspects, a free-thinker... Poor Cole is more the follower type, and their interaction keeps the read interesting.

Walter does a fantastic job of weaving back and forth between plotlines and making them merge into an outstanding ending. I loved this novel, every page. Read "Reader of Acheron" while they will still let you. Keep your mind open, you might just learn something.

Highly Recommended-D. Swords