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The Weight of the Satchel: Control Ends Where Fear Begins
“If you’ve ever closed a book and felt everything all at once... you’re in the right place.”
Control Ends Where Fear Begins.
In the fractured Provinces of a near-future state, justice no longer belongs in courtrooms. Offenders are sentenced into immersive simulations, forced to relive their worst moments until remorse takes hold… or they break.
James is one of the first. Convicted of a violent crime, he enters the loop. But something is wrong. Memories shift. Simulations twist. Shadows stir inside the system.
And above it all sits President Ross, the architect of this new order, whose personal ties to the system may unravel everything.
Across four Provinces, cracks are spreading. Control is faltering. A fracture is coming.
The Weight of the Satchel is a fast-paced speculative thriller for lovers of:
Black Mirror
Severance
Never Let Me Go
Control Ends Where Fear Begins.
In the fractured Provinces of a near-future state, justice no longer belongs in courtrooms. Offenders are sentenced into immersive simulations, forced to relive their worst moments until remorse takes hold… or they break.
James is one of the first. Convicted of a violent crime, he enters the loop. But something is wrong. Memories shift. Simulations twist. Shadows stir inside the system.
And above it all sits President Ross, the architect of this new order, whose personal ties to the system may unravel everything.
Across four Provinces, cracks are spreading. Control is faltering. A fracture is coming.
The Weight of the Satchel is a fast-paced speculative thriller for lovers of:
Black Mirror
Severance
Never Let Me Go
- GenresScience Fiction
215 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 25, 2025
2 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 16, 2025
Okay this was really really good! Reading ARC-s are very hit or miss for me. This one was definitely a hit....!!!
It was very well paced for a fast paced book, a very quick and easy read. By easy I mean the writing was flowing by. Not once, the writing felt choppy. Every time I started reading for 10 pages to read before bed, I ended up reading so much without realizing, which is always a good sign.
The whole plot with underlying themes of carrying burdens, responsibilities all through your own journey was beautiful.
Absolutely Recommended<3
pre-read:
An ARC copy I'm excited to read!!!!
Thanks to author James Badman for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
"I've seen my father, who fought for this place, return home only to find himself lied to by men who wear the same flag."
"And belief, once it spreads, doesn't die."
It was very well paced for a fast paced book, a very quick and easy read. By easy I mean the writing was flowing by. Not once, the writing felt choppy. Every time I started reading for 10 pages to read before bed, I ended up reading so much without realizing, which is always a good sign.
The whole plot with underlying themes of carrying burdens, responsibilities all through your own journey was beautiful.
Absolutely Recommended<3
pre-read:
An ARC copy I'm excited to read!!!!
Thanks to author James Badman for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 8, 2025
⭑ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒
1 star
❦ I’m not even going to lie up till now, I still cannot wrap my mind around what the hell this book was about. I genuinely tried. At first, I thought maybe I was reading too fast for my brain to digest anything, so I slowed down, took my time, tried to absorb every line… and I still had no idea what was going on.
❦ The writing was so flowery that I started rolling my eyes at its overly metaphorical, overly poetic, overly everything style. It was just too much. Every single line felt stuffed with similes and metaphors, like the author wrote the story first and then went back to decorate every sentence to reach word count. It kept pulling me out of the story.
❦ And honestly, I feel bad even writing this because I went out of my way to request the ARC myself! The premise sounded interesting and I really wanted to support it. But God. God. GOD. I could not do it. I would be lying if I tried to pretend or prop it up even a little.
❦ But I’m also not going to discourage anyone from trying it. It’s the author’s debut novel, and I genuinely hope other readers have a much better time with it than I did.
1 star
❦ I’m not even going to lie up till now, I still cannot wrap my mind around what the hell this book was about. I genuinely tried. At first, I thought maybe I was reading too fast for my brain to digest anything, so I slowed down, took my time, tried to absorb every line… and I still had no idea what was going on.
❦ The writing was so flowery that I started rolling my eyes at its overly metaphorical, overly poetic, overly everything style. It was just too much. Every single line felt stuffed with similes and metaphors, like the author wrote the story first and then went back to decorate every sentence to reach word count. It kept pulling me out of the story.
❦ And honestly, I feel bad even writing this because I went out of my way to request the ARC myself! The premise sounded interesting and I really wanted to support it. But God. God. GOD. I could not do it. I would be lying if I tried to pretend or prop it up even a little.
❦ But I’m also not going to discourage anyone from trying it. It’s the author’s debut novel, and I genuinely hope other readers have a much better time with it than I did.
November 19, 2025
Thanks to Booksprout and the author for giving me the chance to read this ARC. Unfortunately 2.5 stars is the best I could give this book and that's with adding 1 star extra because it's a debut.
My biggest gripe is that after reading it in its wholeness I still can't tell what's the premise of this book.
It's totally confusing and we're following loosely no less than 5 main characters and at least 10 other minor ones, jumping wildly from person to person, rarely giving names with the switch and relying on a year/place up in the title of the chapters to prepare us for the violent change. Of course that's not always enough because we have the scene move in the chapters rapidly as well with no warning, rhyme or reason.
It's set in the near future though the year is not explicitly stated even though we have mentions that 2047 was 14 years ago. So I guess the Now is set in 2061?? Maybe? I don't get why the year is not written anywhere when so many others are.
I couldn't tell if it was set in our universe or a parallel universe but let's say it's a parallel one because the names are different (and totally directly lifted from Hunger games/ mainstream dystopian books).
The predictions about the future/world building are laughable - a person is stunned about a woman wearing rings and this being considered a relic from a bygone era while the same person describes doodling butterflies and adding stickers to her walls. So are we super high tech or not?? Simultaneously we have both hover cars, holograms, and... regular mobile phones? One would expect the smart phones to be shrunk to wrist chips or smart glasses or similar.
Some "events" are literally retold current history - like having a virus in 2047 which is so directly describing (an admittedly deadlier variation) of COVID-19 that it's insane... It's literally what happened down to the nightly clapping for the doctors 😐 I've read sci-fi parodies of Covid that have more plot and changes than the author's insert into his book.
The language is unnecessarily flowery, it feels like the author wrote the book and then grabbed a thesaurus to add synonyms, similes and metaphors everywhere because he needed his 10 page essay to become 15 pages. Every piece of dialogue reads like a bad philosophy book even when there are toddlers talking.
No one is ever nervous in that book. In fact it's mentioned again and again how everyone is cool and collected even 3 yo toddlers, 8 yo girls giving a speech in a huge hall full of strangers, and 13 yo boys running for their life from robots. Literal nervous ticks are waved away as quirky habits or something the character does on purpose. Obviously the author thinks that nervous people are not to be tolerated and he won't have them in his book because it's uncool 😂
All women characters are just there to propel the men. It's always the same character - cool and collected (of course) but with a quiet (as not to take up too much space in the book) strength and compassion. They're only there to give support to the men or move the plot point. Always loving the male characters from the sidelines with an unwavering faith and being less than two dimensional 🙄
The only female character that could be considered as somehow major is actually not named! We have pages with her as the main character, flashbacks from her history, her physical appearance described and NO name! Every other character and his father we know their names, nicknames and whatnot but we only know her as "the doctor".
For her we only get some weird short nickname almost at the end of the book. But that's on par with how little the author cares about women in general so it tracks.
The first 50% of the book is totally confusing. The action jumps between now and years before switching between main characters, side characters and people we only see this once for one scene - but we never know which ones are which so you have to keep track of a constantly expanding universe of names, nicknames and places that might or might not be important in the future.
It'll certainly benefit from a stern editor who can get this mess sorted and the timeline rearranged so it makes more sense.
The action picks up a bit more around the middle where we have a bit of consistency and repeated characters for a spell before dissolving again.
The ending is a mess again. The whole book is written from a third person POV with the author jumping haphazardly between impassive outside remarks and sharing intimate knowledge that you can only be aware of if you're inside of the character's mind. As a result I seriously couldn't tell what exactly happened at the end. And I was very careful about following the plot and I'm good at remembering details, I feel like it'll be doubly confusing to a casual reader.
As a whole, I think the book is too raw for publishing. It feels super naive, the world building is weak, there's not a clear plot line, and the timeline is in shambles (and that's coming from someone who actually enjoys reading multiple POVs and flashbacks).
The cover is super cool and I believe the main idea could be interesting to read about if it wasn't buried under all of this random noise but a few more rounds with an editor and clearing up the main idea and plot of the book are sorely needed.
----
Pre-read review: I'm reading this as an ARC and I'm very excited about it! I usually prefer fantasy to sci-fi so wish me luck 🤞
My biggest gripe is that after reading it in its wholeness I still can't tell what's the premise of this book.
It's totally confusing and we're following loosely no less than 5 main characters and at least 10 other minor ones, jumping wildly from person to person, rarely giving names with the switch and relying on a year/place up in the title of the chapters to prepare us for the violent change. Of course that's not always enough because we have the scene move in the chapters rapidly as well with no warning, rhyme or reason.
It's set in the near future though the year is not explicitly stated even though we have mentions that 2047 was 14 years ago. So I guess the Now is set in 2061?? Maybe? I don't get why the year is not written anywhere when so many others are.
I couldn't tell if it was set in our universe or a parallel universe but let's say it's a parallel one because the names are different (and totally directly lifted from Hunger games/ mainstream dystopian books).
The predictions about the future/world building are laughable - a person is stunned about a woman wearing rings and this being considered a relic from a bygone era while the same person describes doodling butterflies and adding stickers to her walls. So are we super high tech or not?? Simultaneously we have both hover cars, holograms, and... regular mobile phones? One would expect the smart phones to be shrunk to wrist chips or smart glasses or similar.
Some "events" are literally retold current history - like having a virus in 2047 which is so directly describing (an admittedly deadlier variation) of COVID-19 that it's insane... It's literally what happened down to the nightly clapping for the doctors 😐 I've read sci-fi parodies of Covid that have more plot and changes than the author's insert into his book.
The language is unnecessarily flowery, it feels like the author wrote the book and then grabbed a thesaurus to add synonyms, similes and metaphors everywhere because he needed his 10 page essay to become 15 pages. Every piece of dialogue reads like a bad philosophy book even when there are toddlers talking.
No one is ever nervous in that book. In fact it's mentioned again and again how everyone is cool and collected even 3 yo toddlers, 8 yo girls giving a speech in a huge hall full of strangers, and 13 yo boys running for their life from robots. Literal nervous ticks are waved away as quirky habits or something the character does on purpose. Obviously the author thinks that nervous people are not to be tolerated and he won't have them in his book because it's uncool 😂
All women characters are just there to propel the men. It's always the same character - cool and collected (of course) but with a quiet (as not to take up too much space in the book) strength and compassion. They're only there to give support to the men or move the plot point. Always loving the male characters from the sidelines with an unwavering faith and being less than two dimensional 🙄
The only female character that could be considered as somehow major is actually not named! We have pages with her as the main character, flashbacks from her history, her physical appearance described and NO name! Every other character and his father we know their names, nicknames and whatnot but we only know her as "the doctor".
For her we only get some weird short nickname almost at the end of the book. But that's on par with how little the author cares about women in general so it tracks.
The first 50% of the book is totally confusing. The action jumps between now and years before switching between main characters, side characters and people we only see this once for one scene - but we never know which ones are which so you have to keep track of a constantly expanding universe of names, nicknames and places that might or might not be important in the future.
It'll certainly benefit from a stern editor who can get this mess sorted and the timeline rearranged so it makes more sense.
The action picks up a bit more around the middle where we have a bit of consistency and repeated characters for a spell before dissolving again.
The ending is a mess again. The whole book is written from a third person POV with the author jumping haphazardly between impassive outside remarks and sharing intimate knowledge that you can only be aware of if you're inside of the character's mind. As a result I seriously couldn't tell what exactly happened at the end. And I was very careful about following the plot and I'm good at remembering details, I feel like it'll be doubly confusing to a casual reader.
As a whole, I think the book is too raw for publishing. It feels super naive, the world building is weak, there's not a clear plot line, and the timeline is in shambles (and that's coming from someone who actually enjoys reading multiple POVs and flashbacks).
The cover is super cool and I believe the main idea could be interesting to read about if it wasn't buried under all of this random noise but a few more rounds with an editor and clearing up the main idea and plot of the book are sorely needed.
----
Pre-read review: I'm reading this as an ARC and I'm very excited about it! I usually prefer fantasy to sci-fi so wish me luck 🤞
March 3, 2026
I’ve just finished The Weight of the Satchel and I’m still slightly unsure what actually happened — which I suspect is exactly the point.
It’s a clever, ambitious dystopian thriller that leans heavily into ambiguity. Around halfway through I found myself frustrated and wondering why I should care about the characters, but there was enough intrigue to keep me going.
Did I get full narrative satisfaction? Not entirely. But I can’t deny it’s thoughtfully constructed and thematically bold. It’s the kind of book you admire more than you emotionally connect with — unsettling, concept-driven, and deliberately unresolved.
3.5 for enjoyment but rounded to 4 for ambition, especially for a debut!
It’s a clever, ambitious dystopian thriller that leans heavily into ambiguity. Around halfway through I found myself frustrated and wondering why I should care about the characters, but there was enough intrigue to keep me going.
Did I get full narrative satisfaction? Not entirely. But I can’t deny it’s thoughtfully constructed and thematically bold. It’s the kind of book you admire more than you emotionally connect with — unsettling, concept-driven, and deliberately unresolved.
3.5 for enjoyment but rounded to 4 for ambition, especially for a debut!
November 17, 2025
3.5 stars
The Weight of the Satchel pulled me into a world full of heavy choices, unusual punishments, and memories we all carry-aka the satchel.
Sci-fi/dystopian isn’t usually my thing, but I found the morally gray characters interesting (looking at you, somewhat selfish president) and the mind-bending concept of a consciousness prison quite intriguing.
I found it dense at times, but thought-provoking and ambitious.
The Weight of the Satchel pulled me into a world full of heavy choices, unusual punishments, and memories we all carry-aka the satchel.
Sci-fi/dystopian isn’t usually my thing, but I found the morally gray characters interesting (looking at you, somewhat selfish president) and the mind-bending concept of a consciousness prison quite intriguing.
I found it dense at times, but thought-provoking and ambitious.
November 6, 2025
This book really spoke to me. The Weight of the Satchel isn’t just a story it feels like a mirror to the fears and pressures we all carry. James Badman writes with such honesty that I found myself stopping to think about my own life and what control really means. It’s emotional, deep, and surprisingly comforting in the way it reminds you that you’re not alone in your struggles. A beautiful and powerful read.
November 17, 2025
In The Weight Of The Satchel by James Badman, we follow the multiple timelines of people who are living through the oppressive, intrusive, technology-empowered government of 2063.
A government where even the potential to commit a crime triggers arrest and where justice is no longer dependent on flawed human interpretation, but is forced through algorithm-fueled psychological torture.
From the youth determined to change the future to the innocent pasts of those enabling it, we see the effect of a government that no longer has a conscience, only algorithms designed to force obedience disguised as safety.
Here's my 4⭐⭐⭐⭐ review of The Weight Of The Satchel by James Badman that is releasing next week!
Release Date: November 25th, 2025
Genre: Dystopian Thriller | Pages: 201
This Book in 5 Emojis: 🕵🏻♂️🫗🪖😶🖥️
Heads Up: Murder and Violence.
My Thoughts On This Morality-Bending Speculative Fiction:
I am someone who always assumed intrusive technology would only hurt those who intend to hurt others, but this story goes to show that technology doesn't have a conscience.
It will hurt whoever it is programmed to hurt.
The different characters we come across in this novel are all well-rounded and truly contribute to not only their scenes but also the advancement of the government's plot to turn justice into a forced confession and eternal torture.
As pieces of the puzzle are slowly revealed, you'll be left wondering, "Who!? What!?!"
If I were to complain about anything in this novel, it would be that the writing is choppy at times, and the plot seems not to be there. Despite many jaw-dropping twists, I ended up confused in the end.
At the end of the day, I am a lover of all things plot twist, and I would definitely recommend this novel!
Maybe you can decipher The Weight Of The Satchel?
A government where even the potential to commit a crime triggers arrest and where justice is no longer dependent on flawed human interpretation, but is forced through algorithm-fueled psychological torture.
From the youth determined to change the future to the innocent pasts of those enabling it, we see the effect of a government that no longer has a conscience, only algorithms designed to force obedience disguised as safety.
Here's my 4⭐⭐⭐⭐ review of The Weight Of The Satchel by James Badman that is releasing next week!
Release Date: November 25th, 2025
Genre: Dystopian Thriller | Pages: 201
This Book in 5 Emojis: 🕵🏻♂️🫗🪖😶🖥️
Heads Up: Murder and Violence.
My Thoughts On This Morality-Bending Speculative Fiction:
I am someone who always assumed intrusive technology would only hurt those who intend to hurt others, but this story goes to show that technology doesn't have a conscience.
It will hurt whoever it is programmed to hurt.
The different characters we come across in this novel are all well-rounded and truly contribute to not only their scenes but also the advancement of the government's plot to turn justice into a forced confession and eternal torture.
As pieces of the puzzle are slowly revealed, you'll be left wondering, "Who!? What!?!"
If I were to complain about anything in this novel, it would be that the writing is choppy at times, and the plot seems not to be there. Despite many jaw-dropping twists, I ended up confused in the end.
At the end of the day, I am a lover of all things plot twist, and I would definitely recommend this novel!
Maybe you can decipher The Weight Of The Satchel?
November 25, 2025
A dystopian novel depicting a society in a not so distant future, where people are so desperate for order that they willingly embrace surveillance, government control, and the slow but steady replacement of human interaction, accountability, and sensibility with machines and algorithms. Democracy and freedom are long-lost ideals, sacrificed on the altar of innovation and stability. They are not taken from people by force by power-hungry warlords or scheming dictators, but simply hollowed out and watered down by elected politicians and officials until they become naught but a memory of how things once were.
But what happens to justice in a system based on control and numbers? What lengths will people go to, to avoid chaos and rebellion, and is order worth it, if our humanity is the price we pay for it?
Part, thriller, part speculative fiction, part cautionary tale, The Weight of the Satchel shows how even good intentions can lead down a path of control and power and the reduction of people into nothing but numbers in a budget.
And yet, this isn't a novel about evil people doing evil things. James Badman paints a surprisingly tender portrait of the people in power and the people supporting them, showing how a dystopian society can come about from a desire for peace and prosperity, how anyone can be corrupted by fear or trauma, and how small sacrifices in the name of the greater good can spiral into a dangerous erosion of democracy. This is not a brutal, loud or bloody dystopian tale, but a delicate and subtle one, making the whole story so much more believable and terrifying.
Thank you very much to James Badman for this ARC. The Weight of the Satchel releases today, November 25th.
But what happens to justice in a system based on control and numbers? What lengths will people go to, to avoid chaos and rebellion, and is order worth it, if our humanity is the price we pay for it?
Part, thriller, part speculative fiction, part cautionary tale, The Weight of the Satchel shows how even good intentions can lead down a path of control and power and the reduction of people into nothing but numbers in a budget.
And yet, this isn't a novel about evil people doing evil things. James Badman paints a surprisingly tender portrait of the people in power and the people supporting them, showing how a dystopian society can come about from a desire for peace and prosperity, how anyone can be corrupted by fear or trauma, and how small sacrifices in the name of the greater good can spiral into a dangerous erosion of democracy. This is not a brutal, loud or bloody dystopian tale, but a delicate and subtle one, making the whole story so much more believable and terrifying.
Thank you very much to James Badman for this ARC. The Weight of the Satchel releases today, November 25th.
November 17, 2025
A riveting debut that I was lucky enough to be one of the early readers —The Weight of the Satchel by James Badman. If you are drawn to a dystopia with a deep psychological dimension and an uncertain line between memory and reality, read on!
A book about Guilt, Control, and Societal Change
The book's subtitle—Control Ends Where Fear Begins—already suggests that this will not be an easy read. It is a story about guilt, control, and who we become when we cannot escape our own actions.
The author plunges us into a bleak, cold world divided into Provinces and ruled by the corrupted Capitol. In this dystopian setting, the nation is still scarred by a devastating KPV-47 virus epidemic, which not only killed but left many survivors with permanent neurological consequences, including the loss of fear or connection to reality.
Amidst political corruption and decay, a new president, Patrick G. Ross, known as "Paddy," takes office, promising to bring change and transparency. But in the dark corners of the system, a game with much deeper roots is being played.
The book is divided into three parts: CONFESS, REMEMBER, and EVOLVE, which promise a gradual unveiling of the truth. We follow the intertwining perspectives of the characters and witness the narration of James, who observes a man until a mysterious satchel unexpectedly appears. This satchel and its contents symbolize the burden the characters carry.
Initially, I found the book a bit difficult to get into, and I had to get used to the jumping between different time periods. However, after the first third of the book, the plot picked up pace. While reading this book, I was struck by how many similarities to the contemporary world I found in it. It contains several ideas that will hit you. The most powerful one for me was this: “Freedom is not the right to destroy what we have built. It is the privilege to live within it.”
If you are looking for a story that explores the thin line between memory and reality, a dystopian or chilling atmosphere, and psychological twists, then this novel is for you.
A book about Guilt, Control, and Societal Change
The book's subtitle—Control Ends Where Fear Begins—already suggests that this will not be an easy read. It is a story about guilt, control, and who we become when we cannot escape our own actions.
The author plunges us into a bleak, cold world divided into Provinces and ruled by the corrupted Capitol. In this dystopian setting, the nation is still scarred by a devastating KPV-47 virus epidemic, which not only killed but left many survivors with permanent neurological consequences, including the loss of fear or connection to reality.
Amidst political corruption and decay, a new president, Patrick G. Ross, known as "Paddy," takes office, promising to bring change and transparency. But in the dark corners of the system, a game with much deeper roots is being played.
The book is divided into three parts: CONFESS, REMEMBER, and EVOLVE, which promise a gradual unveiling of the truth. We follow the intertwining perspectives of the characters and witness the narration of James, who observes a man until a mysterious satchel unexpectedly appears. This satchel and its contents symbolize the burden the characters carry.
Initially, I found the book a bit difficult to get into, and I had to get used to the jumping between different time periods. However, after the first third of the book, the plot picked up pace. While reading this book, I was struck by how many similarities to the contemporary world I found in it. It contains several ideas that will hit you. The most powerful one for me was this: “Freedom is not the right to destroy what we have built. It is the privilege to live within it.”
If you are looking for a story that explores the thin line between memory and reality, a dystopian or chilling atmosphere, and psychological twists, then this novel is for you.
December 1, 2025
The Weight of the Satchel kicks off with a vibe that's part dystopian thriller, part political drama, and part deeply personal character study-and it wastes absolutely no time setting the mood. The opening in the frozen North Province feels like walking straight into a world that's already frayed at the edges, where even the wind seems fed up. It's atmospheric in a way that pulls you in without asking permission, and the writing has that "cinematic but still intimate" quality that makes each scene land with weight.
What really surprised me is how the book jumps between big, society-shaping events-viral outbreaks, corrupt leaders, failing institutions-and the quiet, emotional moments between individual characters. That contrast, especially with figures like Paddy Ross or James in the interrogation room, makes the story feel grounded despite the scale of the world. It never gets lost in its own worldbuilding; instead, the worldbuilding just quietly intensifies the stakes.
Overall, the book is a slow burn in the best way. It's political, but not preachy; emotional, but not melodramatic; and built on characters who feel real enough that you could imagine them stepping right off the page. If you like stories that blend personal guilt, power, corruption, and introspection-without ever losing that thriller edge-this one definitely delivers. It's the kind of debut where you can feel the author pouring everything into it, and it pays off.
What really surprised me is how the book jumps between big, society-shaping events-viral outbreaks, corrupt leaders, failing institutions-and the quiet, emotional moments between individual characters. That contrast, especially with figures like Paddy Ross or James in the interrogation room, makes the story feel grounded despite the scale of the world. It never gets lost in its own worldbuilding; instead, the worldbuilding just quietly intensifies the stakes.
Overall, the book is a slow burn in the best way. It's political, but not preachy; emotional, but not melodramatic; and built on characters who feel real enough that you could imagine them stepping right off the page. If you like stories that blend personal guilt, power, corruption, and introspection-without ever losing that thriller edge-this one definitely delivers. It's the kind of debut where you can feel the author pouring everything into it, and it pays off.
November 29, 2025
This dystopian thriller has a bit of everything from love, revenge, political boundaries, and ideas. Through different POVs and time jumps from past to present it all comes orchestrated at the end where everything just clicks. This book had me sympathizing with every character even those who done wrong. Dystopian has never been a favorite theme, however I loved how everything was beautifully crafted. It’s not your typical thriller and more of a slow burn but worth the read!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.
November 21, 2025
Very cleverly written
One of my best reads to date
Would definately recommend this book
One of my best reads to date
Would definately recommend this book
November 25, 2025
Amazing and gripping story from this debut author! Released today and I have already read the whole thing since- very hard to put down. Excited to see what he writes next.
December 1, 2025
This was my first ever sci-fi read and I absolutely loved it. After reading hundreds of books a year you really know what you are looking for and James' debut novel delivered on every level. What I enjoyed the most was that something was happening to every chapter and you didn't have to wait till the end of the book for an 'OMG' moment. The reveals were constant and well-paced. The ending also makes ask if there is a second book coming?👀
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews