Ntshona

by Matthew A. Robinson

In the futuristic, synthetically high-altitude megacity of Ntshona, the troubled capital of an economically powerful, yet highly introvert state, where disparity, avarice, lies, and political oppression poison social values, two long-time friends are forced to abandon their dreams of reaching the high echelons of society when they are unwillingly caught up in a deadly event that inexplicably results in them being branded as enemies of the state, rendering a return to normal life painfully impossible... all because they survive.

247 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 6, 2013

About the author

Matthew was born in Carlisle, Cumbria, UK, in 1988, and spent most of his childhood in Maryport on the Solway Firth, and some time in South Wales. After studying a degree in Chester, UK, he moved to South Africa, where he learnt to appreciate life among other peoples and environments. A little over two years later he again relocated to East Asia, spending a lot of time in Taiwan and Japan.

Having lived in five countries on three continents, and visited many others, Matthew has taken the opportunity to learn from the peoples, cultures, and politics of the places where he has been, and integrates his experiences not only into his outlook on the world and the people within it, but also into his writing, fiction or otherwise.

Reviews

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard about this book from a blog written by a white dude who lives in Taiwan. The book is written by a (different) white dude who also lives in Taiwan. It's futuristic sci fi, has elements based on Taiwan, and costs $0.99 on Amazon for the Kindle edition. How could I not check it out?

One of the main characters is a Taiwanese woman and she brings up the fact that SHE IS NOT CHINESE many, many times. I'm like that too, so I could totally relate. Although there is a scene where she is wounded, covered in blood, and practically unconscious, yet when someone had the audacity to refer to her as Chinese, she managed to yell, "I'm not fucking Chinese!" Me, in that particular situation, would probably have let it go.

It's not the most original story and the characters are pretty one-sided, but it's gripping with a lot of action so it was a fun read. But just when you're all riled up, it throws an "End of Book 1" at you and you have to stop yourself from throwing your phone across the room. Hopefully Book 2 comes out soon.

[Gegegenokitaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book quite gripping for the most part, especially after the first couple of chapters. The initial climax near the start of the story sets the scene quite well for the remainder, even though it does leave many questions unanswered - likely a job for the sequel to resolve.

The setting is also interesting; Ntshona is a city in an undefined country, which I suspect is real-world, as there are many clues within the narrative as to its geographical location, as well as character mannerisms. I think I've got it figured out.

Some parts of the story seem a little slow with a lot of dialogue, but then it often picks up with bursts of excitement that kept my attention throughout.

The politics within the story seem quite familiar for Taiwanese people like me, especially because the main character is from a Taiwanese family, and she has to deal with some of the identity problems that Taiwanese people in real life deal with everyday, making it oddly funny for me.

Overall, this book isn't perfect, but it's a great introduction to a new story, and is well worth a good read.

I hope the sequel will be released soon, I'm quite eager for part two!

[Ethereal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Within the first few pages of the story, the world starts to open up through imaginative descriptions of the futuristic place and its characters, and later explanations of the country's politics effectively expand the story and lead to the unfolding of the plot.

Although some short sections of the novel are a little too drawn-out (for example, some conversations between characters), it is more than made up for in the more action-packed scenes and exciting twists later in the story.

I was really surprised by Ntshona, as it seems to be the author's debut novel, yet is a well-written and exciting read. I hope to see the sequel in the very near future!