Flamingo Mist

by Tomas Marcantonio

Sonaya, 2052. Estranged from old allies and stalked by a crooked government, one-eared ex-con Daganae Kawasaki remains shrouded by shadows, deserted and desperate to locate his estranged young daughter. But as the body count rises and drones scour the streets, Dag is forced into the most sordid corners of Sonaya in his hunt for answers. As the neon nerves of home blaze bright, a labyrinth of alleys hides a colourful cast, each engaged in a different and more dangerous game as an unwitting Dag soon discovers himself as the missing piece.
You can find out more about Sonaya Nights - Book One; This Ragged, Wastrel Thing here.
Tomas Marcantonio is a writer, editor, and English teacher. He received his Master's degree in Creative Writing from Teesside University, and his short stories have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net awards. Tomas splits his time between the seaside cities of Brighton, England, and Busan, South Korea, where he enjoys getting gleefully lost in the backstreets. You can follow him on Twitter @TJMarcantonio

300 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2023

About the author

Tomas Marcantonio was born in Brighton, England. He graduated from the University of Sussex with a BA in English Language and Film, and received his Master's degree in Creative Writing from Teesside University.

Tomas has had short stories, flash fiction, and poetry published in over thirty magazines and journals in print and online. He has also placed in several competitions, including being longlisted in the 2017 Cambridge Short Story Prize. In 2017 Tomas also won The Telegraph's 'Just Back' travel writing competition for a piece on South Korea. In 2020, Tomas was nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net.

He is the author of three novels, two short story collections, and two travelogues.

Tomas splits his time between the seaside cities of Brighton, England, and Busan, South Korea.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

It makes me so happy to confirm that the second book in the Sonaya series kicks ass! Flamingo Mist somehow manages to pick up the momentum from book one and we continue to witness a city in its death throes as it gets overwhelmed by corruption. The first book (This Ragged Wastrel Thing) introduced us to Sonaya and its citizens, book two feels like a tour guide to the seediest spots as Dag travels to the heart of this once great city. Dag, the one-eared cop, our hero from book one is hunting for his daughter, a job made tougher by the fact that he doesn’t even know what she looks like, but it seems almost everybody else knows. The great cast of characters are here again, Jiko, Bo-Min, Silver Beard, Stones, The Dove and Sarah Barnes to name a few, there are not that many writers out there who can make a book so easy to follow with this many players. I loved this book’s futuristic feel, within a few pages I was back in Sonaya, it’s like I had never left, the neon signs, the smells (both pleasant and grim), the noise and the intensity all came flooding back…you could say I had been doing time in The Heights between books one and two. haha

There was one reoccurring thought I had whilst reading this…the book feels like a prophecy, what with levels of corruption we currently have in the UK government and that gap between the rich and the poor, can we expect a similar outcome for Old Blighty? Brexit and the catastrophe that is Trump are history lessons taught in Sonaya which adds to the prophetic feeling I was getting. Marcantonio’s writing is perfect as expected, I was drawn in quickly and coming up with all kinds of wild theories, the plot all ties up nicely at the end and possibly leaving things all lined up for a third book…I bloody well hope so!

I can happily recommend this series for any fans of scifi noir, it’s not often you find a series as slick as this.

Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2022...

[Paula Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Been a worthwhile wait to get back into Dag's world! However, for those who haven't read the first novel in the series, it doesn't matter; this can easily stand on its own. For those who have read it, but whose memory has lapsed, you're soon brought up to speed. Fast, heady and slick: a great read! Was totally engrossed from page 1: the descriptive language quickly conjures up strong images, immersing the reader in Dag's world; one of shadows, shady characters, soju & sake, desperation, drugs & danger. Difficult to put this book down: can't wait to pick the sequel up!

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nonstop adrenaline rush! It captures the grungier parts of Asia and expat life so well.
Dag is an awesome, yet flawed, protagonist and it's quite the journey to follow along with him.
Can't wait for the next adventure to Sonaya.

[Lisa Lambropoulos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author's captivating and poetic language quickly draws us back into the dark, seedy world of Sonaya. There are many interesting and intriguing characters to keep up with but all form a vital part of the twisted plot. Can't wait for the final book.