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The Phlebotomist

Chris Panatier (Goodreads Author)

3.92 · Rating details · 244 ratings · 92 reviews

*LONG LISTED FOR THE BOOKNEST FANTASY AWARD*

War brought the Harvest. Willa Mae Wallace is a reaper.

To support herself and her grandson Isaiah, Willa works for the blood contractor Patriot. Instituted to support the war effort, the mandatory draw (The Harvest) has led to a society segregated by blood type. Hoping to put an end to it all, Willa draws on her decades-old phle ...more

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Kindle Edition, 345 pages

Published September 8th 2020 by Angry Robot

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· 244 ratings · 92 reviews

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Jul 10, 2020 Vigasia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow, this book wasn't what I expected.

To summarize it short I can say that: The Phlebotomist teams up with an ex-marine hacker and they decide to take out an evil government whose members are (view spoiler)

Yeah, this book started like some Orwellian dystopian novel, but fast became something else entirely. We enter the world where people are segreagted by blood. If you are an universal donor, like 0-negative, you're a highblood, if you are an universal recipent, well y ...more

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Apr 26, 2020 Jess Hagemann rated it it was amazing

In The Phlebotomist, Chris Panatier gives us the unlikely female protagonists--a plucky grandmother, a tech-geek locksmith, and a teenager with swords--we didn’t know we needed, and sets them in a near-future world that terrifies because it feels so possible. Nuclear disaster? Check. Constant monitoring by Big Brother? Uh-huh. Invasion of both men’s and women’s bodies for the Common Good? That, too. At once grounded in legit science, and also so totally imaginative that you have to find out what ...more

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Sep 12, 2020 Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) rated it liked it

Shelves: review-copy, science-fiction

3.5 Stars
This is one of those science fiction dystopians with the kind of unique premise that keeps the genre feeling fresh. I really liked the female main character because she was not only smart and confident, but also an older person (something we don't see in fiction enough).

My favourite aspect of the book was easily the hard science focused around blood. I haven't read about the subject since high school biology class, but I was able to keep up since the author explained the science in clea ...more

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Sep 19, 2020 Tammy rated it it was amazing

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The nitty-gritty: A bold, bloody high stakes plot, relatable characters, and a diabolical twist make this an standout book of 2020.

I absolutely love when a book surprises me, and I’m happy to say The Phlebotomist is one of the happiest surprises I’ve had all year. This book is sure to make my Best of 2020 list, and it wasn’t even on my radar u ...more

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Aug 05, 2020 Jake is Reading rated it really liked it

As a trained phlebotomist, I’m fully qualified to tell you that this book is bloody fun. Chris Panatier’s debut novel has satisfied a thirst I didn’t know I had for a dystopian-heist adventure.

The Phlebotomist is set in 2067 after a series of nuclear attacks have led to radiation poisoning and a slew of illnesses, particularly blood-related diseases. The government has been supplanted by Patriot, a private organisation who enforce a monthly blood tax in order to save the sick who live in the Gr ...more

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Aug 29, 2020 Alexander Peterhans rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

"The bombs that followed were the natural sequelae of the first, with the country now engaged in a never-ending war with someone, though the authorities were cagey about saying who. They justified their surreptitiousness under the umbrella of protecting intelligence, and with the press largely dismantled, the public had long given up in pushing for answers."

The Phlebotomist starts out fantastically, atmospherically describing a dystopian future where several cities in America (I'm guessing, the "The bombs that followed were the natural sequelae of the first, with the country now engaged in a never-ending war with someone, though the authorities were cagey about saying who. They justified their surreptitiousness under the umbrella of protecting intelligence, and with the press largely dismantled, the public had long given up in pushing for answers."

The Phlebotomist starts out fantastically, atmospherically describing a dystopian future where several cities in America (I'm guessing, the country is never really specified) were blown away by huge nuclear explosions. The people who still live there, in the so-called Grey Zones, need a lot of donor blood to refresh their irradiated bodies. The populace of unbombed cities have to mandatorily give blood, but also can give extra blood for money. Society is now divided by the bloodtype one has, as some types can be used by anybody, the rest become increasingly less useful.

"When Claude arrived, Willa traded the woman’s blood bag for the gelpack, a small syrette filled with carbs and epinephrine used to jumpstart folks who sold more than their bodies could give. She broke its cap, pushed the two tiny needles into the skin on the inside of the woman’s arm, and squeezed the contents into her basilic vein."

The phlebotomist of The Phlebotomist is an older woman, Willa, who used to be a professional phlebotomist long before the Chrysalis (the word used for the first bombings). She works at one of the bloodbanks, which are run by a corporation calling itself Patriot, that also seems to function as the government.

Soon things take a strange turn, and Willa finds out that the bloodgiving and Patriot might not be what they seemed. The first thing that now probably springs to your mind, is the correct one, I'm afraid. I was quite disappointed, especially after a great opening.

From here the narrative logic starts to really slip, there are too many inconsistencies, and the characters are dull and don't develop. The worst is Willa, who becomes whinier and whinier the further you read. The last third of the book makes all kinds of illogical jumps to push the book towards its end. That said, I did like the very end of the book - it ends in what I thought is the only real logical way possible.

2.5 stars

(Kindly received an ARC from Angry Robot through NetGalley) ...more

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Oct 11, 2020 Mili rated it really liked it

Shelves: own-the-book

A dystopian book that centers around mandatory blood draw. That alone got me curious, I love blood in my books whether it be spilled in epic fantasy books or horror books or whatever genre. In short there was a war and everyone was exposed to different levels of radiation. ( I work with radioactivity and am the type in the hospital that is friendly but def needs to give you an injection ;) I kinda liked the themes some extra because of that). The blood draw is called the Harvest and is overseen ...more

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Sep 10, 2020 Sci-Fi & Scary rated it really liked it

Chris Panatier knocks it out of the park with The Phlebotomist. A post-apocalyptic science fiction novel that–for once–doesn’t include a love triangle, a trio of moody teens, or zombies. Amazing, right? Instead what you get is a protagonist in her sixties, and another in her fifties, both waging war to save their grandchildren against a life that is potentially much worse (or better??) than they could have ever imagined.

For our full review on Sci-Fi & Scary, look here

Disclaimer: We received a co ...more

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Sep 08, 2020 Athena (OneReadingNurse) rated it it was amazing

Thank you so much to Angry Robot Books for the finished copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own!

My dark sci-fi dystopian blood drawing nurse heart was all about this book. My patients not-so-lovingly call us night shift nurses “vampires” because we are always after blood at night, and I was immediately drawn to the synopsis where a mandatory blood harvest has created a segregated society based off of blood types.

Willa Mae is in her 60s and a fantastic older main character. Thank you so much to Angry Robot Books for the finished copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own!

My dark sci-fi dystopian blood drawing nurse heart was all about this book. My patients not-so-lovingly call us night shift nurses “vampires” because we are always after blood at night, and I was immediately drawn to the synopsis where a mandatory blood harvest has created a segregated society based off of blood types.

Willa Mae is in her 60s and a fantastic older main character. Lock, the blood hacker, can’t be much younger, and for some reason reading about older women playing the heroes struck a chord with me. They are snarky and wholesome and so caring for their young charges. Both rely on their knowledge and use of older technologies in a highly automated big-brother type world to undermine Patriot and practice some old-school phlebotomy to (at least try) to save society.

I can’t talk about Patriot too much without spoilers but the company runs blood collection stations all over the country to fuel the need for blood transfusions after nuclear bombs struck in certain “gray areas.” The lies, murders, and political structure of Patriot.. let me just say that I couldn’t put this book down once I started.

100% not what I expected.

The side cast of characters was great too, there was so much hope in one area called “bad blood” where everyone that was undesirable for transfusions was sent. They grew gardens and repurposed factory stores. The book definitely was not always happy, there were some significant and bloody deaths which I 100% endorse in any good resistance based dystopian.

Lastly there is a bit of transfusion based science provided just for informational sakes and I thought that was great. We have to do so much checking and double checking of blood before transfusing and I think Panatier did a phenomenal job putting this all into layman’s terms for readers.

if you are even slightly into dystopians, sci fi, resistance based novels, even fantasy/paranormal readers could cross over and enjoy this, I totally recommend it. ...more

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Jul 25, 2020 Krystelle Zuanic rated it liked it

Please note this is a 3.5

This book was a great example of a fantastic set-up, and first half. It didn't pull any stops, building a post-apocalyptic nightmare world that I had no idea as to twist until it hit me full force in the face. Now, THAT was a surprise- and specifically to suddenly have myself gifted with a horror novel. The first half with the caste system, the drones, the blood collection, and the characters was absolutely riveting. However, the second half is where this book lost me.

It ...more

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Sep 29, 2020 Lynn Williams rated it it was amazing

https://lynns-books.com/2020/09/28/th...
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Absolutely Bloody Brilliant, pun intended.

The Phlebotomist is a book that really took me by storm. To be fair I read a glowing review for this over on Books Bones and Buffy but even so, and even though I requested a review copy, I felt a little hesitant about picking this up. I think it’s all to do with my reading mood, the way it fluctuates without warning and the current pandemic situation which I cannot deny has greatly affec ...more

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Dec 17, 2020 Khai Jian (KJ) rated it really liked it

Thanks to Angry Robot for sending a review copy of The Phlebotomist to me! This is a dystopian fiction with a mixture of sci-fi and perhaps fantasy elements. As a hardcore dystopian fiction fan, I just can't let this one slip under my radar!

Subsequent to a cataclysmic nuclear war, blood is required to be passed to those in the Grey Zones (areas which were affected by radiation). Hence, the Patriot (the government of the society) imposed a mandatory blood draw (the Harvest) whereby every 45 days, Thanks to Angry Robot for sending a review copy of The Phlebotomist to me! This is a dystopian fiction with a mixture of sci-fi and perhaps fantasy elements. As a hardcore dystopian fiction fan, I just can't let this one slip under my radar!

Subsequent to a cataclysmic nuclear war, blood is required to be passed to those in the Grey Zones (areas which were affected by radiation). Hence, the Patriot (the government of the society) imposed a mandatory blood draw (the Harvest) whereby every 45 days, those aged 16 and above must donate their blood to help the Grey Zones in return for incentives. This gives rise to the Trade whereby people (especially the poor and the "low blood") started to trade blood for survival. Due to the Harvest, the population was segregated based on their blood types. Discrimination and prejudice follow from such segregation. People with Type O blood ("universal donors") are considered "high blood" because their blood is the most valuable of all since their blood can be donated or sold to everyone. Whereas, people with Type AB blood ("universal recipients") are considered as "low blood" whereby their blood is of little worth since their blood can only be donated or sold to those with Type AB blood.

Premised on this setting, we follow the journey of Willa, a phlebotomist (who works for the Patriot and is responsible for drawing blood for the Harvest) whereby she discovered some secrets behind the imposition of the mandatory blood draw and is determined to end the segregation in the society. The concept itself is so interesting and creative! This book gives a fresh voice in the arena of dystopian fiction. A lot of blood/medical terminology and some hard science fiction elements were incorporated. Every chapter of this book begins with a blood terminology which inter-laced with what happens in the said chapter. Readers will not feel overwhelmed with the introduction of such elements. Instead, they will be intrigued by the brilliant blending of blood terminology and science fiction, the plot twist, politics, and all the action happening in this book! A minor shortcoming of this story is the characterization as I think the relationship and dynamics between characters were glossed over. Otherwise, this deserves a 4/5 star rating! ...more

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Oct 17, 2020 Sakina (aforestofbooks) rated it liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, 2020

okay, this was really something. As a phlebotomist myself, I really appreciated the research that went into this, though Willa is like 100x more experienced than me. There is no way I could ever attempt a vein-to-vein transfusion, though it sounds very cool. The definitions at the start of every chapter were so fun, especially since they correlated so well with my pathology class this semester; it was like studying, but a lot more entertaining.

The whole concept of this book is very unique from o ...more

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Jul 14, 2020 Wart Hill rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-2020

I received a free ARC via Netgalley

3.5/5 stars.

The Phlebotomist is the story of Willa Mae Wallace, a ‘Reaper’ who works for Patriot – the corporation in power. Reapers collect blood as part of a system put in place after a series of bombs created a high need for transfusions and a shortage of blood. Patriot set up a system where people are paid for their blood, the rate determined by the percentage of the population who can receive transfusions of their blood type – putting O- at the top and AB+ I received a free ARC via Netgalley

3.5/5 stars.

The Phlebotomist is the story of Willa Mae Wallace, a ‘Reaper’ who works for Patriot – the corporation in power. Reapers collect blood as part of a system put in place after a series of bombs created a high need for transfusions and a shortage of blood. Patriot set up a system where people are paid for their blood, the rate determined by the percentage of the population who can receive transfusions of their blood type – putting O- at the top and AB+ at the bottom of the financial ladder. Willa worked as a phlebotomist before the current system and she longs for the ability to separate blood, unfortunately they no longer have the ability to make the anti-coagulates that would allow that to be possible due to radiation from the bombs.

At least, that’s what Patriot tells them.

When Willa witnesses a transport drone crash and finds that the drone, which should have been carrying blood to those that need it but was instead empty, Willa starts spiraling down a path of conspiracies and lies towards the truth Patriot has been hiding the whole time. Willa teams up with a group from the AB+ district to try to get the truth out.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It’s interesting and for the most part I liked the characters. I did have a few problems with it.

First, there’s Willa’s grandson, Isaiah. He is a huge catalyst for the final climax of the book, felt more like set dressing than a proper character in his own right. It felt like the book wasn’t sure what to do with him.

Another issue I had was, there’s a section where Willa has to manually fly a drone for the first time and she almost immediately gets into a chase and succeeds not only in weaving in and out of buildings but also leads her pursuer down a dead end and narrowly escapes. If there’d been a more extensive learn to fly a drone sequence implied, it wouldn’t have bothered me that much but it just felt like Willa went from “I’ve never flown a drone” to “The Fast and the Furious: Drone Edition” unbelievably quickly.

While I did have a few problems with The Phlebotomist, overall I did enjoy it and I’m glad it seems to be set up for a sequel. ...more

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Aug 27, 2020 Caitlin rated it really liked it

The Phlebotomist follows Willa, a Reaper, a woman who works for Patriot drawing blood for the Harvest. In a society separated by blood types, those with a universal donor type are regarded more highly, creating a caste system. When Willa sees a drone meant to be carrying blood crash, Patriot pays her a visit, leading to Willa on the run, teamed up with a blood-hacker, Lock.

The Phlebotomist ticks every box that I want from a science fiction dystopian novel - an intricate social system, power hung The Phlebotomist follows Willa, a Reaper, a woman who works for Patriot drawing blood for the Harvest. In a society separated by blood types, those with a universal donor type are regarded more highly, creating a caste system. When Willa sees a drone meant to be carrying blood crash, Patriot pays her a visit, leading to Willa on the run, teamed up with a blood-hacker, Lock.

The Phlebotomist ticks every box that I want from a science fiction dystopian novel - an intricate social system, power hungry leaders, a bad ass main character seeking to overthrow the leaders, and a whole lot of feeling. Willa might not be your typical dystopian main character - she’s a grandmother in her sixties, wearing a bright pink wig - but that doesn’t stop her from being just as badass as any other dystopian main character you can think of. In fact, it makes her a bit better than most because she’s mature, level headed, and educated. This also cuts out the typical dystopian love triangle we normally get, and this just made me love The Phlebotomist more.

The blood caste system affecting the social stratification was also fascinating. The level of detail that went into the blood was incredible, giving little tidbits at the start of each chapter that give you some more background on what the different types are, and different skills that a Phlebotomist would have. It felt surprisingly educational while being a fast paced story about trying to overthrow Patriot.

There were some surprising twists throughout the book too, that take it to a new level of dystopian horror almost, and honestly, while I wasn’t expecting it, I was all for it. It suited the story fully, and the twists didn’t feel like they came entirely out of left field just to make the story progress. And for how surprising some of the twists were, and how action packed the story was, there was lot of heart involved. You feel for Willa and Lock, and the hardships they go through. It was a fine balance of cheering them on through all the action, and having your heart hurt, but it balances well and really pulls you in to the story.

The Phlebotomist is one I absolutely recommend for fans of dystopian style books, and especially those that like a touch of horror tossed in for good measure. If you’re looking for a unique main character that you don’t often see in Sci-Fi, Willa is one to remember, and this is absolutely a book worth checking out ...more

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Dec 29, 2020 Permanently_Booked rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: giveaways-arcs

I finished this novel before Christmas and haven't stopped thinking of it. Panatier has a gift of writing medical facts into an amazingly developed dystopian plot. I'm not exactly one who likes a lot of technological, medical or textbook driven paragraphs in my fantasy so when I finished this in two days I realized that talent like this is few and far between.

Hooked is an understatement. Honestly, I need to pull out a thesaurus for a better term to describe my admiration and total immersion int ...more

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Jul 07, 2020 Reid Edwards rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow - Panatier's The Phlebotomist drives forward like a semi-truck, never content to let you sit quietly and process. With second to none worldbuilding, he's layered traditional fantasy within sheets of science fiction, post-apocalyptic dystopia, and good old fashioned adventure. Like a parfait (or an onion), every time you think you're comfortable and fully in control, Panatier pulls the rug out from under your feet with a new twist or a new shift to the paradigm of his world. Eschewing the tra ...more

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Jul 05, 2020 Oxana Tomova rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-netgalley

It's been a while since a book about the near future has made me that excited. The Phlebotomist draws a very interesting future where blood has literally become the most important part of economy.
We follow the story of a phlebotomist - Willa, trained around our present time, that has held the job title in the future, even though the job in the future bares very little resemblance. Willa now spends her entire workdays collecting blood donations that get sent to areas where people need transfusion ...more

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Aug 26, 2020 Jo rated it really liked it

Shelves: speculative, netgalley-read, read-in-2020

3.5, really, but such fun that I rounded up. Difficult to review without spoiling some of the most enjoyable reveals, but it's a bit silly, a bit queer, a lot gleefully gory - and the main characters are in their 50s and 60s, kicking ass and taking names and looking after everybody. If the blurb catches your interest, I can confirm it's worth a read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy. ...more

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Oct 16, 2020 Shelley rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-release, arc-netgalley, science-fiction

*Source* NetGalley
*Genre* Science Fiction / Post-Apocalyptic
*Rating* 3.5

*Thoughts*

Chris Panatier's The Phlebotomist is Thelma and Louise meets The Passage. The year is 2067, it has been 35 years since Chrysalis changed the world. The government has been supplanted by Patriot; a private organization who enforces a monthly blood tax called the Harvest in order to save the sick who live in the Grey Zones. 60 something Grandmother Willa Wallace is the main character in this story. Her title is Reape ...more

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Dec 08, 2020 Lena (Sufficiently Advanced Lena) rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi

This was such a good dystopian. Might be a little bias? Maybe but so good! I love how the world was constructed!

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Oct 13, 2020 Crystal rated it really liked it

Learned alot about blood!

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Jul 23, 2020 Robyn rated it it was ok

Shelves: netgalleys

‘The Phlebotomist’ is part medical sci-fi, part dystopia, and part fantasy novel. It’s audacious in scope and full of brilliant ideas, but they don’t always work cohesively together. The twist in the middle was shocking and completely unexpected, but the sudden tone and genre change didn’t work for me in the way I wanted it to.

Before reviewing this, I feel like I should give a disclaimer – I have a medical background. I’m always going to be pickier with medical sci-fi than any other genre, becau ‘The Phlebotomist’ is part medical sci-fi, part dystopia, and part fantasy novel. It’s audacious in scope and full of brilliant ideas, but they don’t always work cohesively together. The twist in the middle was shocking and completely unexpected, but the sudden tone and genre change didn’t work for me in the way I wanted it to.

Before reviewing this, I feel like I should give a disclaimer – I have a medical background. I’m always going to be pickier with medical sci-fi than any other genre, because I’m familiar with the theory behind it. It’s clear from the first page that Chris Panatier has done his research, with everything he includes more-or-less grounded in science, and I’m very impressed with the whole idea of a society segregated by blood type. There are a couple of inaccuracies (for example a reference to an O antigen, which doesn’t exist), but overall Panatier does a great job at incorporating medical science facts as springboards for science fiction.

The story focuses on Willa Mae Wallace – a Reaper for Patriot, the blood contractor that more or less rules society. The world has been ravaged by nuclear weapons, producing Grey Zones – areas full of people suffering from radiation sickness and other injuries who desperately need blood. With jobs mostly performed by robots, the main way for the populace to earn money is by donating blood – with the best price gained for O negative blood, which can be donated to anyone. Those with O negative have become rich, whilst those with AB positive live in slums, as their blood can only be donated to each other. Willa is AB positive, and has only dragged herself out of the slums by gaining her job as a Reaper (or phlebotomist). However, after witnessing an accident at work, Willa finds herself privy to Patriot’s biggest secret – and they’ll do anything to keep it from getting out.

Willa is an intriguing character. For one thing, she’s a grandmother – an unusual choice for a sci-fi protagonist – who’s been left completely bald, choosing to wear a wig of bright pink hair. Everything she does is to protect her grandson Isaiah. She’s got strong morals and a kind streak a mile wide, but – whilst she regularly reminisced about the past – she doesn’t always read her age. She’s an active lady with no age-related complaints, and I wish a little more had been done to make her seem like an older lady – or else she’d just been written as Isaiah’s mother.

While Willa is the majority point-of-view character, we get occasional chapters from the perspective of Everard, the member of a group of blood-hackers. These are interesting but mostly unnecessary – they never do anything to further the plot. They also do nothing to flesh out Everard as a character – while Willa gets some backstory, most of the other characters are little more than names on the page. This makes it hard to care when bad things happen to them, and lowers the stakes in what should be tense, dramatic moments.

My main issue with this book is more of a personal one than any flaw with the book itself, and that’s that it turned into something very different to what I expected. I went in expecting sci-fi dystopia, but by the end this was more of a fantasy novel with a sci-fi backdrop. I love fantasy, but I see so little medical sci-fi that I just really wanted a novel that explored the potential of that, rather than falling back on fantasy to add intrigue. My rating is purely based on personal enjoyment, and I really think that many others will love the direction it takes. I would prefer this as two separate books – one sci-fi dystopia, and one with the intriguing fantasy elements.
The ending feels a bit rushed in places – so much happens in a short space of time that it stops being as dramatic as it should be – but sets the book up for a potential sequel. Given that I’ll know what to expect, I might pick up a sequel if it appears – the world is excellent, and I’d be interested to see if Panatier explores beyond the boundaries of what we see here.

Overall, this is an ambitious book that didn’t quite work for me, but that I expect many people will love. If you’re a fan of genre-crossing sci-fi and fantasy, kickass grandmothers, and taking down evil corporations, this might be a book for you.
...more

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May 10, 2020 Dan Hanks rated it it was amazing

Fascinating, terrifying, and (blood) bags of fun.

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Jul 17, 2020 Dean Osborne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Review: The Phlebotomist by Chris Panatier

Rating: 9/10

Synopsis

War brought the Harvest. Willa Mae Wallace is a reaper.

To support herself and her grandson Isaiah, Willa works for the blood contractor Patriot. Instituted to support the war effort, the mandatory draw (The Harvest) has led to a society segregated by blood type. Hoping to put an end to it all, Willa draws on her decades-old phlebotomy training to resurrect an obsolete collection technique, but instead uncovers an awful truth.

Patriot ...more

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Jul 07, 2020 Danielle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book absolutely blew me away, from the first line where people were queuing up to sell their blood, I was hooked. The Phlebotomist is set in a world where people have become reliant on selling their blood to Patriot, a global retriever of blood every 45 days from everyone aged 16 upwards. Within the world that Chris has created, the population is segregated into several living areas based on their blood types. This provides a somewhat caste system depended on an individuals blood, from high This book absolutely blew me away, from the first line where people were queuing up to sell their blood, I was hooked. The Phlebotomist is set in a world where people have become reliant on selling their blood to Patriot, a global retriever of blood every 45 days from everyone aged 16 upwards. Within the world that Chris has created, the population is segregated into several living areas based on their blood types. This provides a somewhat caste system depended on an individuals blood, from high bloods, medium bloods to low bloods - such as AB that can be given to anyone. With the blood types, each one is worth more or less depending on how high in demand it is, this leads to bloody (get it?) crimes such as blood muggings! How scary is that?! This world that you can find within the pages of The Phlebotomist is horrifyingly shocking, set with a dystopian backdrop but Patriot and 'the reapers' who work there are just the tip of the iceberg.
We meet our female protagonist, Willa, who is a lovable granny and one of the only actually trained phlebotomists left working at Patriot. She is a character who you can't help but fall in love with, with her well tuned moral compass, her kindness and the love she has for her grandson Isaiah. This fast paced, throw you in the deep end biological / medical dystopian has so many depths and twists that I was gripped and consumed the whole novel in one day. When Willa falls across cover-ups, conspiracies and a mystery that has her running for her life with some unexpected acquaintances and nail biting reveals, it's hard not to be completely mesmerised by The Phlebotomist.
The storyline is impeccably written, with each chapter starting with a 'fun fact', Chris obviously took care to research the components of this novel which helped take it from strength to strength. The knowledge interwoven into the storyline fitted perfectly, not only did it provide a further atmospheric feel but it also educated me. Another reason why I loved this book is it's nothing quite like anything I've read before, a medical dystopian mixed with a sci-fi element that felt scarily plausible on so many levels - people willingly selling their blood in dangerous levels in order to help themselves and their family survive, a huge multi-national company literally draining its 'customers' of life then slapping a name on it that suggests that it's their patriotic duty to provide this life giver! A little peak into money and greed within humanity don't you think?
Overall, a fantastic novel written to create a terrifyingly tense literary adventure, with chapters flowing easily into one another and just intoxicating the reader with futuristic technology, biological hacking and an array of other adrenaline pumping elements, The Phlebotomist is a dark, twisted debut you're really not going to want to miss! ...more

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Jul 09, 2020 Gemma rated it really liked it

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I'm just going to call this a 'bloody good read' now to get that over and done with. Now that is out of my system, on with the review:

A lot of the contemporary dystopian novels I've read over the last couple of years seem to have focused on the same sort of character over and over again and I just can't seem to escape him: a white middle-aged man, thrown into a dystopian world, separ Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I'm just going to call this a 'bloody good read' now to get that over and done with. Now that is out of my system, on with the review:

A lot of the contemporary dystopian novels I've read over the last couple of years seem to have focused on the same sort of character over and over again and I just can't seem to escape him: a white middle-aged man, thrown into a dystopian world, separated from his family (who then briefly grapples with the fact that he is actually secretly relieved to be free of them), who manages to find time to squeeze in an affair (that he concludes is fine because he has decided his wife is probably dead), who mopes around for a few hundred pages until he inexplicably saves the day. This is not that book.

The Phlebotomist would have been a 3 star read for me if it had not been for the main character, our reaper Willa. Willa is a really refreshing lead character. I need more books featuring grandmothers taking on corrupt institutions, please. It is long past time. It was such a lovely change to read a book centered on an older woman who had her own sense of purpose, her own skills and her own motivations, rather than just being around to move the plot along or to aid another character's development. Willa is shown to be inquisitive, competent and had motivations that made her actions actually make sense to me, and it was a joy to follow her.

I found the supporting characters to be engaging too, especially Lock and Kathy, but I wish they'd been fleshed out a little more. This is a really plot-driven book and that is great as it keeps the pace up, but it did leave me wanting the relationships between the characters to be explored a little more; it didn't really feel like there was time for that to happen because there was so much going on. That said, there were hints about their lives prior to the events of the novel scattered throughout that kept me invested, and the world-building was expansive. You can tell a lot of research went into this novel.

I particularly enjoyed the final section of the book. (view spoiler). It was wonderfully twisted.

Overall I found this to be an enjoyable debut and I'll be keeping an eye out for the author's work in future. ...more

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Jul 08, 2020 Jacob rated it really liked it

A while back, while sitting at my computer in my home office I found myself bored. My children were in the adjacent room watching reruns of Paw Patrol, my wife asleep on the couch. To provide some entertainment, I began making the rounds to my favorite publisher's websites to see what was coming up in the pipeline. I typed in the URL for Angry Robot and began my research. The Phlebotomist, the computer screen read in black digital ink. What an interesting title, I thought, so I clicked on it and A while back, while sitting at my computer in my home office I found myself bored. My children were in the adjacent room watching reruns of Paw Patrol, my wife asleep on the couch. To provide some entertainment, I began making the rounds to my favorite publisher's websites to see what was coming up in the pipeline. I typed in the URL for Angry Robot and began my research. The Phlebotomist, the computer screen read in black digital ink. What an interesting title, I thought, so I clicked on it and was greeted with a bright pink cover and a picture of a heart. Once I read the synopsis I knew this book would be mine. My concern was that the synopsis wasn't accurate, that a book with such a promising premise would fall short and flat. My worries were unnecessary.

This book is a roller-coaster ride from page one. It tells the story of Willa, a phlebotomist in a future society where the demand for blood has increased so much everyone over the age of 16 is required to give a minimum donation in the Harvest. For those who choose to give more, they are compensated by a government agency known as PATRIOT. Certain blood is worth more than others based upon its bio-compatibility. O-negative is the universal donor so it is valued the most as are the donors. People are essentially placed into a caste system based upon their blood type.

I've read numerous books where people are placed into a caste system but none have been centered around their blood type. This was such a genius idea. Willa soon discovers things aren't as they appear and thus begins the story of bringing down an entire social strata system.

Panatier does everything right in this book. There is never a dull moment with fast paced chapters full of excitement, action, twists, and turns. He beautifully weaves a society which is both horrifying yet believable, where politicians and high society members declare FAKE NEWS! and quell any type of uprising. Willa is such a great protagonist too. She is loyal, mild mannered, and content with her life until her eyes are opened. She is certainly someone I got behind and enjoyed reading about.

With this being Panatier's debut, I can only imagine what his ceiling is. This is a book that I would expect from a veteran in the industry. I have already raved about it to coworkers, book club members, friends, and family. The only problem is they will have to wait until September when it comes out. To summarize this long review: read this weird, twisted, wacky book. It has a chance at being the best thing you'll read all year. ...more

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Jul 29, 2020 Tina rated it really liked it

Shelves: adventure, intruiging-title, entertaining, recommend-to-sam, netgalley, serious-sci-fi, fun, lady-character-i-admire

More of a 3.5 than a 4 but I'm feeling generous today.

I definitely enjoyed reading this novel, but it didn’t blow me away. While there are many variations of classism/segregation in sci-fi novels, this was one I hadn’t read before. Segregating people by blood type was a fascinating premise, as blood type is something I rarely think about (truth be told, I don’t know my blood type and I’m 35-years-old). The logistics of the Harvest was fairly believable, as was the eventual reason for it that we More of a 3.5 than a 4 but I'm feeling generous today.

I definitely enjoyed reading this novel, but it didn’t blow me away. While there are many variations of classism/segregation in sci-fi novels, this was one I hadn’t read before. Segregating people by blood type was a fascinating premise, as blood type is something I rarely think about (truth be told, I don’t know my blood type and I’m 35-years-old). The logistics of the Harvest was fairly believable, as was the eventual reason for it that we find out about a quarter of the way in. While I wasn’t super keen on the twist itself (view spoiler), the story is an exciting, entertaining thriller.

The book really shines with the two main characters: Willa, the rather naive and complacent grandmother, and Lock, an ex-marine hacker with a big gun. The two have a fun dynamic that plays one off of the other and it was wonderful to see a novel in this genre feature not only one old lady protagonist but two. Willa is too hesitant and Lock is too rash, which create interesting scenarios. Neither really grow too much as people, but they are quite fun. There is another character, Everard, who gets a perspective, but as it’s only a few chapters, we don’t learn nearly enough about him, despite hints that he has an interesting backstory.

Unfortunately, there is a tonal shift from the first half to second that takes the story from serious sci-fi to rather campy. While it was still fun, I enjoyed the more subtly menacing tone of the first bit more than the action-adventure narrative of the second half. It felt like the novel was trying to “say something” in the first half but in the second half this message (about classism presumably) dissolves and it becomes simply an adventure.

It’s a fun ride with a pair of protagonists we’re not used to seeing, in a novel which morphs from one genre to another in a twist I’m surprised I didn’t expect! ...more

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Aug 27, 2020 Laura (crofteereader) rated it really liked it

You can't talk about this book without first talking about the cover: gorgeous and vibrant and every detail is relevant. But then you have older protagonists, a dystopian near-future where the older generation actually remembers life before, and a rather unique social structure based on blood type.

I totally should have guessed the conspiracy but I'll admit, it took me by surprise. One thing that I've noticed about Angry Robot books is they're always a little weird/silly but they find a brilliant ...more

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About Chris Panatier

Chris Panatier

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Chris lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, daughter, and a fluctuating herd of animals resembling dogs (one is almost certainly a goat). He writes short stories and novels, "plays" the drums, and draws album covers for metal bands. As a lawyer, he goes after companies that poison people.

Chris's short fiction has appeared in or is forthcoming from Metaphorosis, The Molotov Cocktail Magazine, Ghos ...more