Bright City

by D.C. Edwards

Abigail Drexler is set to inherit the Drexton Kingdom. But when she is expelled for treason and watches helplessly as her best friend is murdered, she finds herself abandoned to The Outlands. Captured by an Outlander clan leader, Abigail journeys through the post-apocalyptic landscape of a world ravaged by plagues and devastating climate change, and becomes determined to find her way back home and avenge the murder of her best friend.

When she is kidnapped from the Outlands by a fiery redhead, her life shifts to the Bright City, a beautiful, information-driven society that thrives on intrigue and manipulation. Thrust into this treacherous new world, Abigail is wrapped in a conspiracy that pushes her to the edge of sanity and deeper into the corruption of the Bright City. In this new world of information as power and information as currency, will Abigail find the clues to her exile and the keys to her freedom?

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy

ebook

Published April 22, 2017

About the author

DC Edwards is a writer, pop culture junkie, and Afrofuturist whose writing often centers on issues of social justice and family karma. Depending on her mood, that writing can take the form of anything from urban fantasy to literary fiction to creative non-fiction. Bright City is her first novel.

To learn more about D.C. you can follow her on:

Twitter: @dcedwardswrites
Facebook: dcedwardswrites
Instagram: dcedwardswrites

Reviews

[Jessica Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a first time novel, Bright City, is an interesting ticket into a world very different from ours, but not. The motivations of the characters aren't so far away from modern people and it makes it quite easy to fall into the story, even though this is not my preferred genre.

Abigail Drexler has been raised all her life in a sheltered colony with very strict rules. The place can feel almost cultish at times and her naivete from this setting and delusion of power make for an interesting foundation as she navigates this world and the one beyond that she know nothing about. The politics in this book which governs both worlds couldn't seem more different, but in each place the ultimate power is knowledge and what people do with it. Abigail can't help but play that game, and deal with the consequences if she wants to survive.

I did enjoy this book and, like I said, found it easy to enjoy. Unfortunately it is not without flaws. The publisher behind the book could have stood to have a second glance at formatting and editing. Errors were common enough to pull me out of the reading experience a couple times. However the story was still interesting enough to snap me right back in. A couple scenes could have used a little more explanation and there were some jumps from scene to scene which were unmarked and a little confusing.

Overall, in spite of the minor flaws, the Bright City left me wanting the next chapter and eagerly awaiting part 2. And I can not wait to see what other stories are coming from the same author.

((Disclaimer, I was provided a copy of this book for free as a gift, however this is still my honest review))

[Conrad Zero · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced and delightful debut novel by afrofuturist author, D.C. Edwards. Our kick-ass, high-ranking heroine's world is upended when she is accused of treason, and cast out of the walled city she calls home. She finds herself alone, stripped of power and tech in the near-wastelands of After-The-Fall-America. Her path of redemption leads her to Bright City where information is power, ruthlessness is plentiful, and loyalty is scarce. To clear her name back home, she'll have to escape Bright City first, and that will require an entirely new set of skills...

Cool tech, interesting world and a dynamic and relatable hero make Bright City a great dystopian, sci-fi read.

[Jonathan Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book and want more. I like the style overall, and found the story and plot compelling. There were quite a few editing errors, including errors that left me wondering what was going on for a moment. The story could have used more detail and fleshing out. A fun read, recommended to those who can overlook occasional errors and enjoy filling in some gaps in detail.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm ready to read the sequal! A good and fast read. Fast because it's difficult to put down.