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Complex
The sky rains red, the poor are forgotten, governments have failed, and corporations have grown into mini nation-states called Complexes, where people flock to receive the security, shelter, and purpose the outside world can’t provide. The only payment required, buried somewhere in the twenty-thousand-page Terms of Service, is their freedom.
Now just sign on the dotted line…
Orphaned after her father’s death, 18-year-old Val’s focus is to protect her younger sister Kat and heed her father’s final wishes: Never, ever join a Complex. Stay away from them, at all costs, he demands.
But staying away becomes impossible when Kat is abducted, sparking a hunt through a violent megacity primed for revolution, where Val eventually discovers her sister’s disappearance is just a smokescreen. Beneath it lies a motive darker than death and broader in scope than a few lives.
As Val and her allies uncover the truth, they’re confronted with a terrible choice – save Kat, or save humanity?
Now just sign on the dotted line…
Orphaned after her father’s death, 18-year-old Val’s focus is to protect her younger sister Kat and heed her father’s final wishes: Never, ever join a Complex. Stay away from them, at all costs, he demands.
But staying away becomes impossible when Kat is abducted, sparking a hunt through a violent megacity primed for revolution, where Val eventually discovers her sister’s disappearance is just a smokescreen. Beneath it lies a motive darker than death and broader in scope than a few lives.
As Val and her allies uncover the truth, they’re confronted with a terrible choice – save Kat, or save humanity?
- GenresDystopiaScience Fiction
700 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 17, 2020
56 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
November 30, 2020
This quite lengthy book was provided to me as an ARC by NetGalley, Luminary Media and the author, A.D. Enderly, in exchange for an honest review, and I am thankful for their courtesy.
Off the bat, after only a couple of pages at the beginning, it becomes quite clear that “Complex” is a highly ambitious piece of contemporary science fiction literature. Not to mention that this is authors’ first book.
As such, the book tells a story of sisterly love as its’ main plot line, combined with the stories of many side characters, that often led to some confusion, and felt somewhat hard to keep up with each individual story. These characters and their stories, however, were meaningful. One character was falsely promised a better life and a cure for his loved one. Another character served (or worked in) a Complex, but knew how corrupt it actually was. A recruiter for a Complex, a security officer, a Legacy official etc. each had their own chapters.
As all science fiction that is set in dystopia, this book also has some classic tropes that can be found in the genre: super high-tech mega cities, an urban, clean but repressive, dark metropolis filled with all kinds of people. A lot of those people are suppressed, impoverished, fighting for a better future in a society ruled by the powerful few, who just don’t care for simple people, sitting and ruling high in their skyscrapers.
However, this is NOT a bad thing, as the author used these tropes in a good fashion, and his writing is on par with other modern, more popular science fiction authors.
Is this book perfect? No, it isn’t, but in my opinion there are more good parts than bad ones.
Some issues include: questionable pacing, sudden scene and location transitions, and the world could have been better if there was more description to it, and in that regard, a Complex was in better detail described than a mega city.
All in all, this is a good book, the author is promising, and I believe his next book will be even better, for sure.
Off the bat, after only a couple of pages at the beginning, it becomes quite clear that “Complex” is a highly ambitious piece of contemporary science fiction literature. Not to mention that this is authors’ first book.
As such, the book tells a story of sisterly love as its’ main plot line, combined with the stories of many side characters, that often led to some confusion, and felt somewhat hard to keep up with each individual story. These characters and their stories, however, were meaningful. One character was falsely promised a better life and a cure for his loved one. Another character served (or worked in) a Complex, but knew how corrupt it actually was. A recruiter for a Complex, a security officer, a Legacy official etc. each had their own chapters.
As all science fiction that is set in dystopia, this book also has some classic tropes that can be found in the genre: super high-tech mega cities, an urban, clean but repressive, dark metropolis filled with all kinds of people. A lot of those people are suppressed, impoverished, fighting for a better future in a society ruled by the powerful few, who just don’t care for simple people, sitting and ruling high in their skyscrapers.
However, this is NOT a bad thing, as the author used these tropes in a good fashion, and his writing is on par with other modern, more popular science fiction authors.
Is this book perfect? No, it isn’t, but in my opinion there are more good parts than bad ones.
Some issues include: questionable pacing, sudden scene and location transitions, and the world could have been better if there was more description to it, and in that regard, a Complex was in better detail described than a mega city.
All in all, this is a good book, the author is promising, and I believe his next book will be even better, for sure.
November 2, 2020
In a world where governments have failed and one must decide to weigh the advantages of safety over freedom, unrest abounds and danger is around every corner. Two sisters will try to honor their dying father’s wishes by holding on their freedom, but at what cost? What must Val do to save her sister? What will it cost her and those around her? In a world where citizens give up their freedom, drugs abound and AI implants are common, there is a darkness all around and the sinister machinations of those in power are deadly.
What a premise! A dystopian world, people hanging by a thread to their very existence and few can be trusted, COMPLEX by A.D. Enderly has grit, an atmosphere that weighs heavily all around and a seemingly impossible quest for one young woman against the big machine.
Often seeming out of order and a little jumpy, I had a difficult time not getting thrown out of the story trying to follow along. I needed more background, more of an idea of the timeline, the whys and hows of how the world became so broken. Certainly not short on content, this tale felt choppy, like pieces were missing.
Perhaps it is me, but I was left feeling like I wanted more of some parts, less of others.
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Luminary Media! This is my honest and voluntary review.
Publisher : Luminary Media; 1st edition (December 1, 2020)
Genre: Dystopian
Print length : 602 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
What a premise! A dystopian world, people hanging by a thread to their very existence and few can be trusted, COMPLEX by A.D. Enderly has grit, an atmosphere that weighs heavily all around and a seemingly impossible quest for one young woman against the big machine.
Often seeming out of order and a little jumpy, I had a difficult time not getting thrown out of the story trying to follow along. I needed more background, more of an idea of the timeline, the whys and hows of how the world became so broken. Certainly not short on content, this tale felt choppy, like pieces were missing.
Perhaps it is me, but I was left feeling like I wanted more of some parts, less of others.
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Luminary Media! This is my honest and voluntary review.
Publisher : Luminary Media; 1st edition (December 1, 2020)
Genre: Dystopian
Print length : 602 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
May 13, 2021
This book started out strong, even though typical for dystopians. Unfortunately , this one just wasn't for me...
Thanks to NetGalley for the free e-book!
Thanks to NetGalley for the free e-book!
November 10, 2020
Complex is a complex (get it?) work. based on the premise that in a dystopian world set sometime in the future. Civilization has basically collapsed, and now corporations have formed their own city nations called Complexes, which have their own "citizens", akin to serfs toiling away and being used for the corporations' purposes, assigned to whatever job the corporation deems fit for the citizen to have. Anyone not attached to a Complex and who does not have a high enough social score lives in Legacy, a remnant of the loss or degraded civilization.On the Legacy side, people rarely work, and receive money each month to enable them to buy food and do whatever else they need to do.
On the Complex side, forces are working to generate a war between the Complexes and Legacy, as they believe, cynically, that recruitment for the Complexes will skyrocket during unstable times, as the Complexes offer jobs (really servitude) and protection. There are conspiracies galore, double crossing, many fights, and an epidemic that threatens to run out of control.
The premise is a good one, and the story is well told. There are a lot of characters introduced right off the bat. The point of view shifts between these characters with every chapter, and keeping track of all of them can sometimes be tough, requiring flipping back to recall just who everyone is. The worldbuilding itself is done *very* slowly and does take some getting used to. Likewise, as the end rushes toward all the characters, the world is quite disorienting, and sometimes comes so quickly, it's difficult to understand how the various levels interact with one another.
Beyond that, I liked the book. All of the POV characters were drawn out nicely, and their various motivations were not difficult to understand. The tech - it is an SF dystopia, after all - was good, and the fact all citizens had AIs iimpanted in them was intriguing. The ending leaves open the possibility of a sequel, something that isn't always everyone's cup of tea, so just be warned on that point.
Three and a half stars, rounded up to four.
Thanks to Luminary Media an NetGalley for the review copy
On the Complex side, forces are working to generate a war between the Complexes and Legacy, as they believe, cynically, that recruitment for the Complexes will skyrocket during unstable times, as the Complexes offer jobs (really servitude) and protection. There are conspiracies galore, double crossing, many fights, and an epidemic that threatens to run out of control.
The premise is a good one, and the story is well told. There are a lot of characters introduced right off the bat. The point of view shifts between these characters with every chapter, and keeping track of all of them can sometimes be tough, requiring flipping back to recall just who everyone is. The worldbuilding itself is done *very* slowly and does take some getting used to. Likewise, as the end rushes toward all the characters, the world is quite disorienting, and sometimes comes so quickly, it's difficult to understand how the various levels interact with one another.
Beyond that, I liked the book. All of the POV characters were drawn out nicely, and their various motivations were not difficult to understand. The tech - it is an SF dystopia, after all - was good, and the fact all citizens had AIs iimpanted in them was intriguing. The ending leaves open the possibility of a sequel, something that isn't always everyone's cup of tea, so just be warned on that point.
Three and a half stars, rounded up to four.
Thanks to Luminary Media an NetGalley for the review copy
December 1, 2020
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this title, in return for a fair and honest review.
The first thing that needs to be said about this book is BE PATIENT. This is a very "complex" piece of world building, and it is not just laid out for us in some sort of monologue. The author works on the principle of "show, don't tell" and you have to be willing to play along.
It's a world of the future, with several living/social systems - the complexes, which are corporate living situations. In order to join a complex, you basically have to sign your life away - it's essentially slavery. The Legacy is the social system that is apparently less desirable - remnants of the older form of government - but for the most part, you're giving up a nicer lifestyle for freedom. Finally, there's the outside area, that isn't quite a part of either - if you live there, you're still getting a living stipend, but things are even less policed. And, there are definitely social strata within each group.
It becomes even more complicated, since various players from different systems are conspiring with each other, creating numerous crossing lines. Add to the mix AI, which is highly developed, and plays an interesting role. I realize also that some folks dislike books with alternating viewpoints (I am fine with them, so it didn't bother me), and this book frequently changes viewpoints. Again, it takes a little patience to get a feel for each of the viewpoint characters, but I enjoyed this.
If you are patient, and keep reading until this begins to make sense, this becomes a fairly compelling dystopian novel. At first, I was a bit reluctant and had trouble with the book - but as it played out and I began to get a fuller understanding of what was going on and who the players were, I was sucked in and read avidly. If you give it a chance, this book is definitely a good and enjoyable read.
Once again, Amazon has refused to publish one of my reviews, with a vague reference to violating community standards. Of course, there's absolutely nothing here that seems to violate anything that they talk about. And, of course, there's no way I can find to try to find out what's wrong with this review. I'm beginning to take this personally!
The first thing that needs to be said about this book is BE PATIENT. This is a very "complex" piece of world building, and it is not just laid out for us in some sort of monologue. The author works on the principle of "show, don't tell" and you have to be willing to play along.
It's a world of the future, with several living/social systems - the complexes, which are corporate living situations. In order to join a complex, you basically have to sign your life away - it's essentially slavery. The Legacy is the social system that is apparently less desirable - remnants of the older form of government - but for the most part, you're giving up a nicer lifestyle for freedom. Finally, there's the outside area, that isn't quite a part of either - if you live there, you're still getting a living stipend, but things are even less policed. And, there are definitely social strata within each group.
It becomes even more complicated, since various players from different systems are conspiring with each other, creating numerous crossing lines. Add to the mix AI, which is highly developed, and plays an interesting role. I realize also that some folks dislike books with alternating viewpoints (I am fine with them, so it didn't bother me), and this book frequently changes viewpoints. Again, it takes a little patience to get a feel for each of the viewpoint characters, but I enjoyed this.
If you are patient, and keep reading until this begins to make sense, this becomes a fairly compelling dystopian novel. At first, I was a bit reluctant and had trouble with the book - but as it played out and I began to get a fuller understanding of what was going on and who the players were, I was sucked in and read avidly. If you give it a chance, this book is definitely a good and enjoyable read.
Once again, Amazon has refused to publish one of my reviews, with a vague reference to violating community standards. Of course, there's absolutely nothing here that seems to violate anything that they talk about. And, of course, there's no way I can find to try to find out what's wrong with this review. I'm beginning to take this personally!
November 12, 2020
Wow. Complex is a big book, with a big world and a plot that seems to have been thought out for a while. I knew I was getting in a dystopia, focusing on Complexes and society around it but I didn't expect it to be that deep and complete.
Let's start with the world-building. I am absolutely impressed by it. Even though the title is "Complex", they are not the main scene of the book. We mostly explore Legacy through the various characters' actions. The Complexes are merely highlights in a society that is mostly reduced to misery etc.
Now, we have the rich Complexes offering wonders to the people who will join them, and Legacy, full of people who try their best to survive. That is until a big plan is set in motion by the Complexes to get everyone to sign in a Complex and become fully indebted to them (at least that's what I understood ?). Of course it induces secret meetings against that, double-crossing, a lot of scheming etc.
To achieve the writing of such a plot, the author needed a solid world. And he delivered on that. I felt the whole world was really wide, and you get a pretty good idea of how Legacy is mapped out. I hope there will be a map in the physical copies ! I really enjoyed "strolling" in the cities, discovering new places and little nooks in the territory. Absolutely incredible and well-developped.
As for the characters, I thought the book has too many of them. I sometimes lost track of who was who, and felt some POV's were unnecessary. That is the big problem with me. I couldn't tell who was doing what anymore, even though there's a short summary of the character's ID at the beginning of their chapter. At some point I also lost track of which institution/group does what, as all that info was very dense. I could have used a breath !
Add to that although the story is told in 3rd person but focusing on a certain character in every chapter, every now and then the author switches to 1st person. Sometimes it's for a thought (which is not indicated by markers) but sometimes it's a switch I don't understand the reason of. That confused me a bit, especially at the beginning when I was still grasping how the book worked haha.
The books has multiple POV's. I don't really enjoy that, because it usually makes me lose track of the main plot. Fortunately it didn't happen here, but it made me confuse the characters, where they were located etc. Please, someone invent an interactive map to add to the book so I can see where are the characters depending on what I'm reading !
That being said, having many characters divided in chapters means that we have short chapters, so it's easy to take breaks from the actions to think and analyze what just happened. I must also admit sometimes I skipped a little through chapters I didn't care much about.
Now the chapters I didn't skip were those of the "main" characters (those who were introduced first and are more key to the plot than others) Val and Kat (and Trevor but he didn't get many chapters). They were my favorites, and they're sisters to top it all ! I mean, how could I resist reading about two sisters in need, who get separated when a Complex kidnaps the youngest ? I mean of course Val the big sis goes in search of her baby sis. If she uncovers dark secrets about the government etc. and participates in overthrowing dictature in the process, I'm all the more in ! I wish I had gotten more of Val and Kat, especially some more Kat's POV while she was interned in a Complex !
There was a lot of action in this book, which I really loved ! So if you enjoy fast paced books, this is for you. It was so captivating I felt a little bit numb when I finished the book, and didn't know what to do with myself haha ! Signs of a powerful book !
Let's start with the world-building. I am absolutely impressed by it. Even though the title is "Complex", they are not the main scene of the book. We mostly explore Legacy through the various characters' actions. The Complexes are merely highlights in a society that is mostly reduced to misery etc.
Now, we have the rich Complexes offering wonders to the people who will join them, and Legacy, full of people who try their best to survive. That is until a big plan is set in motion by the Complexes to get everyone to sign in a Complex and become fully indebted to them (at least that's what I understood ?). Of course it induces secret meetings against that, double-crossing, a lot of scheming etc.
To achieve the writing of such a plot, the author needed a solid world. And he delivered on that. I felt the whole world was really wide, and you get a pretty good idea of how Legacy is mapped out. I hope there will be a map in the physical copies ! I really enjoyed "strolling" in the cities, discovering new places and little nooks in the territory. Absolutely incredible and well-developped.
As for the characters, I thought the book has too many of them. I sometimes lost track of who was who, and felt some POV's were unnecessary. That is the big problem with me. I couldn't tell who was doing what anymore, even though there's a short summary of the character's ID at the beginning of their chapter. At some point I also lost track of which institution/group does what, as all that info was very dense. I could have used a breath !
Add to that although the story is told in 3rd person but focusing on a certain character in every chapter, every now and then the author switches to 1st person. Sometimes it's for a thought (which is not indicated by markers) but sometimes it's a switch I don't understand the reason of. That confused me a bit, especially at the beginning when I was still grasping how the book worked haha.
The books has multiple POV's. I don't really enjoy that, because it usually makes me lose track of the main plot. Fortunately it didn't happen here, but it made me confuse the characters, where they were located etc. Please, someone invent an interactive map to add to the book so I can see where are the characters depending on what I'm reading !
That being said, having many characters divided in chapters means that we have short chapters, so it's easy to take breaks from the actions to think and analyze what just happened. I must also admit sometimes I skipped a little through chapters I didn't care much about.
Now the chapters I didn't skip were those of the "main" characters (those who were introduced first and are more key to the plot than others) Val and Kat (and Trevor but he didn't get many chapters). They were my favorites, and they're sisters to top it all ! I mean, how could I resist reading about two sisters in need, who get separated when a Complex kidnaps the youngest ? I mean of course Val the big sis goes in search of her baby sis. If she uncovers dark secrets about the government etc. and participates in overthrowing dictature in the process, I'm all the more in ! I wish I had gotten more of Val and Kat, especially some more Kat's POV while she was interned in a Complex !
There was a lot of action in this book, which I really loved ! So if you enjoy fast paced books, this is for you. It was so captivating I felt a little bit numb when I finished the book, and didn't know what to do with myself haha ! Signs of a powerful book !
November 20, 2020
3 1/2 stars
I received a copy of Complex in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Complex, written by A.D. Enderly, is a dystopian science fiction novel like I've never seen before. It's dark and brooding, and takes all the time needed to explore the concepts portrayed within.
The government has failed. All governments have failed. They are gone, leaving behind unrest and a constant feeling of danger. People are doing the best they can to survive despite all of that. Hence why Complexes have become so popular.
Complexes are small city nations which claim to protect it's people, while truly treating them more like serfs than actual human beings. That is why Val's father made her promise never to join one, or to allow her sister to either.
However, some promises are made to be broken, and Val won't have much of a choice once her sister has gone missing. Who else will have the power to search for one missing girl. Unfortunately, the problem gets even more complicated as time goes on.
“The insidious, prematurely aged face, filled with ugly rage and a dark hunger, animated the empty space in Val's mind.”
Complex is a rich and detailed novel, one that really does add a double meaning to the name. It may be referring to the Complexes within the tale, but it actually is an accurate description for the novel itself as well. I kind of love that.
It took me a while to get into this book, if I'm being completely honest. It took me even longer to get through it, as there is so much content and details to dig through. In the end, it did prove to be a worthwhile read.
One with bucket loads of commentary and more. Val's adventure was dark and harrowing at times, and fascinating at many others. The implications surrounding Complexes can't be avoided, and yet I adored the little pockets of hope spotted throughout.
Overall, Complex was a well-written novel. I know that some people may struggle to get into it, like I myself did. I would say to persevere, as it really does become worth it in the end. I promise.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
I received a copy of Complex in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Complex, written by A.D. Enderly, is a dystopian science fiction novel like I've never seen before. It's dark and brooding, and takes all the time needed to explore the concepts portrayed within.
The government has failed. All governments have failed. They are gone, leaving behind unrest and a constant feeling of danger. People are doing the best they can to survive despite all of that. Hence why Complexes have become so popular.
Complexes are small city nations which claim to protect it's people, while truly treating them more like serfs than actual human beings. That is why Val's father made her promise never to join one, or to allow her sister to either.
However, some promises are made to be broken, and Val won't have much of a choice once her sister has gone missing. Who else will have the power to search for one missing girl. Unfortunately, the problem gets even more complicated as time goes on.
“The insidious, prematurely aged face, filled with ugly rage and a dark hunger, animated the empty space in Val's mind.”
Complex is a rich and detailed novel, one that really does add a double meaning to the name. It may be referring to the Complexes within the tale, but it actually is an accurate description for the novel itself as well. I kind of love that.
It took me a while to get into this book, if I'm being completely honest. It took me even longer to get through it, as there is so much content and details to dig through. In the end, it did prove to be a worthwhile read.
One with bucket loads of commentary and more. Val's adventure was dark and harrowing at times, and fascinating at many others. The implications surrounding Complexes can't be avoided, and yet I adored the little pockets of hope spotted throughout.
Overall, Complex was a well-written novel. I know that some people may struggle to get into it, like I myself did. I would say to persevere, as it really does become worth it in the end. I promise.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
October 22, 2020
I am a sucker for a dystopian novel, and was really excited to read this one. I have to say that I'm rather disappointed. I do want to state that I love the cover image, and the plot of this book is certainly intriguing.
My largest complaint is there is no background given to the world. If you're someone who has no issues with a lot of unknown reasoning & world building then you might be fine with this book. But I need context to understand the story. How did this world come into being? Was there a war in our time & it eventually led to chemical warfare which poisoned the Earth (and is it 50 years later, 100 years, 400 years)? Why does everyone have AI implanted in their heads (I could understand for tracking purposes, but why do the poor have the same capabilities as the rich)? And why are drugs so readily available to pretty much everyone?
Another issue I had is the timing/pacing. It's really hard to tell how much time has gone by, and there are some very abrupt time changes (e.g. a man is going to sleep & the next sentence has him giving a company tour). One major event is the evacuation of the area outside the floodwalls which is to take place on a certain date. Two pages later it's happening--did one day pass? One week? I have no idea.
Something else that made no sense to me is why anyone living in Legacy can access Level 1 & 2 of the Arc, but only the rich & special are in Level 3 & above. Why wouldn't it be only Complex property allowed into Arc?
As I stated earlier the book as an interesting premise, and if you're fine with unknowns & ambiguity then this could be a good book for you. It just wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, Luminary Media, and the author for this advanced reader copy. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
My largest complaint is there is no background given to the world. If you're someone who has no issues with a lot of unknown reasoning & world building then you might be fine with this book. But I need context to understand the story. How did this world come into being? Was there a war in our time & it eventually led to chemical warfare which poisoned the Earth (and is it 50 years later, 100 years, 400 years)? Why does everyone have AI implanted in their heads (I could understand for tracking purposes, but why do the poor have the same capabilities as the rich)? And why are drugs so readily available to pretty much everyone?
Another issue I had is the timing/pacing. It's really hard to tell how much time has gone by, and there are some very abrupt time changes (e.g. a man is going to sleep & the next sentence has him giving a company tour). One major event is the evacuation of the area outside the floodwalls which is to take place on a certain date. Two pages later it's happening--did one day pass? One week? I have no idea.
Something else that made no sense to me is why anyone living in Legacy can access Level 1 & 2 of the Arc, but only the rich & special are in Level 3 & above. Why wouldn't it be only Complex property allowed into Arc?
As I stated earlier the book as an interesting premise, and if you're fine with unknowns & ambiguity then this could be a good book for you. It just wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, Luminary Media, and the author for this advanced reader copy. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
November 14, 2020
I got this as a arc e book from net galley for my i pad. I enjoyed reading it. It had a good story to it. It was my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.
November 29, 2020
Received a free ARC for an honest review. At times the story almost raised itself to 3.5 or 4 stars but never quite lifted itself up. An interesting concept of how future societies will be lived with the stark differences between the lower and even medium class of society and what some future technology will allow. A few too many first person POV characters weighed the story down.
November 15, 2020
I definitely liked this, but it was a little too long and there were a few too many characters.
This is a story set in the future, told from many viewpoints, of a society on the verge of collapse. I don't even know how to describe it. Basically, there are a bunch of entities loosely based on governments and political parties that are all trying to convert people to their side. And that's about all I can give you without spoilers.
This was a really weird thing to read during an election in the midst of a global pandemic.
I don't know if it was intentional or a coincidence, but the thing with Robert Kraft was sort of funny, but only if it was intentional.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a story set in the future, told from many viewpoints, of a society on the verge of collapse. I don't even know how to describe it. Basically, there are a bunch of entities loosely based on governments and political parties that are all trying to convert people to their side. And that's about all I can give you without spoilers.
This was a really weird thing to read during an election in the midst of a global pandemic.
I don't know if it was intentional or a coincidence, but the thing with Robert Kraft was sort of funny, but only if it was intentional.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 2, 2021
Complex
by A.D. Enderly
A dystopian novel very similar to the Catcher in the Rye with language and sextual contexts that are not appealing to this reader. I found the world building as an amazing concept, and that the book has great potential. The characters are relatable.
by A.D. Enderly
A dystopian novel very similar to the Catcher in the Rye with language and sextual contexts that are not appealing to this reader. I found the world building as an amazing concept, and that the book has great potential. The characters are relatable.
July 11, 2021
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
There are two things I wished I'd known before starting:
1. It is a multiple viewpoint first person. Each 'chapter' cycles through several different individuals.
2. The author does a lot more 'show me' to world build than 'tell me' - world building is slow as you cycle through multiple characters opening bits to get enough pieces to start forming a good understanding of the world.
Between these, Complex did not hook me right away and I struggled with the early part of the book. Had I picked it up in a bookstore and skimmed the first few pages, I probably wouldn't have bought it - and that would have been a shame. Throughout the book, I had a few areas I had to reread to better understand what the author was trying to get across - in some cases it could have been that this maybe wasn't a final draft - missing words, possible missing punctuation, typo issues that change words into other words that don't fit (careers instead of careens, that sort of thing). I eventually figured out what the point was in almost all cases, but it threw me out of the story several times.
Once I got through a few chapters and started to piece together the lay of the land a bit - the going got easier and the reading got faster but there's still a lot of the 'world' that I'm left wondering about and some of that caused ongoing confusion through the book (I got to where I mentally glossed over some pieces that continued to not make sense without more background).
The end was a little jarring - everything is full speed ahead, plots untwisting and several have come into focus/resolved or are mid-resolution, and suddenly we're looking back from a distance with what's left of our group, a little time has passed but the world is still trying to tear itself apart. A few enigmatic pointers that 'it's not over, this just set things in motion'... and The End.
The last pages include a note from the author that a 2nd and 3rd book are in progress for the series with hopes to publish in 2021. I'll be on the lookout for the rest of the story - despite some of the negatives, I want to know more. It's really an interesting story and interesting take on what can happen with no obvious controls on Complexes' recruitment practices and contract terms/conditions. But also in a world where democracy is on life support, and everyone knows it's dying but there's no real drive or understanding of what's wrong to try and fix it. As with any society, there are users, and there are givers, and we get to see both in action - and which is which isn't as clear as it seems.
There are two things I wished I'd known before starting:
1. It is a multiple viewpoint first person. Each 'chapter' cycles through several different individuals.
2. The author does a lot more 'show me' to world build than 'tell me' - world building is slow as you cycle through multiple characters opening bits to get enough pieces to start forming a good understanding of the world.
Between these, Complex did not hook me right away and I struggled with the early part of the book. Had I picked it up in a bookstore and skimmed the first few pages, I probably wouldn't have bought it - and that would have been a shame. Throughout the book, I had a few areas I had to reread to better understand what the author was trying to get across - in some cases it could have been that this maybe wasn't a final draft - missing words, possible missing punctuation, typo issues that change words into other words that don't fit (careers instead of careens, that sort of thing). I eventually figured out what the point was in almost all cases, but it threw me out of the story several times.
Once I got through a few chapters and started to piece together the lay of the land a bit - the going got easier and the reading got faster but there's still a lot of the 'world' that I'm left wondering about and some of that caused ongoing confusion through the book (I got to where I mentally glossed over some pieces that continued to not make sense without more background).
The end was a little jarring - everything is full speed ahead, plots untwisting and several have come into focus/resolved or are mid-resolution, and suddenly we're looking back from a distance with what's left of our group, a little time has passed but the world is still trying to tear itself apart. A few enigmatic pointers that 'it's not over, this just set things in motion'... and The End.
The last pages include a note from the author that a 2nd and 3rd book are in progress for the series with hopes to publish in 2021. I'll be on the lookout for the rest of the story - despite some of the negatives, I want to know more. It's really an interesting story and interesting take on what can happen with no obvious controls on Complexes' recruitment practices and contract terms/conditions. But also in a world where democracy is on life support, and everyone knows it's dying but there's no real drive or understanding of what's wrong to try and fix it. As with any society, there are users, and there are givers, and we get to see both in action - and which is which isn't as clear as it seems.
April 14, 2021
COMPLEX seems to be a quasi-political treatise, told in disjointed vignettes by a varied set of characters. The haves and have nots are reminiscent of the today's divided world. In fact, some of the plot lines seem to be taken from the headlines in the second decade of the 21st century. It is a long, and sometimes pedantic, look at a near dystopian future. Seriously, how many ways can you describe endlessly long staircases and unimaginably tall structures? So many words are spent on these repetitious descriptions that the story, such as it is, is lost.
Is this the story of a kidnapped young teenaged girl and her sister's attempt to find her? Is this the political right and left warring for domination? Is it a coming of age tale of falling in love? The answer to all of these questions is sometimes 'yes' and more often no.
Although the myriad characters, each with their description repeated each time scenario changes to their point of view, are disconnected through most of the account, there comes a point where, at least some of them, come together and actually interact. Even when the players become connected early on, the reader suffers each anecdote from each point of view… explaining the pages long descriptions of structures blocking out the sky and staircases extending farther than the eye can see repeated ad nauseum.
AWOL(s), a non-acronym used throughout the book some 49 times drove me crazy. In my day, AWOL was the acronym for Absent Without Official Leave (yes, I am a veteran). I had to go back and search the term to find out if it was ever defined. What are AWOLs? Autowalls!
Speculative fiction has broadened the sphere of possibility since Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein. COMPLEX tells us, on the one hand, that the poor will be living in rusted shipping containers, stacked haphazardly to heights that block out the sun, while stained white shirts magically clean themselves of sweat and stains while the owner is wearing them. Yet, everyone has his own "system." At the very end of the book, we are told that this system is a built-in computer. Throughout the book, this miraculous system is used for communication, entertainment, navigation… you name it, the system does it. And, it can be turned off.
Overall, I feel like the time spent reading COMPLEX is time I will never get back. This is purported to be book one of a series... I won't be reading the rest of them.
Is this the story of a kidnapped young teenaged girl and her sister's attempt to find her? Is this the political right and left warring for domination? Is it a coming of age tale of falling in love? The answer to all of these questions is sometimes 'yes' and more often no.
Although the myriad characters, each with their description repeated each time scenario changes to their point of view, are disconnected through most of the account, there comes a point where, at least some of them, come together and actually interact. Even when the players become connected early on, the reader suffers each anecdote from each point of view… explaining the pages long descriptions of structures blocking out the sky and staircases extending farther than the eye can see repeated ad nauseum.
AWOL(s), a non-acronym used throughout the book some 49 times drove me crazy. In my day, AWOL was the acronym for Absent Without Official Leave (yes, I am a veteran). I had to go back and search the term to find out if it was ever defined. What are AWOLs? Autowalls!
Speculative fiction has broadened the sphere of possibility since Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein. COMPLEX tells us, on the one hand, that the poor will be living in rusted shipping containers, stacked haphazardly to heights that block out the sun, while stained white shirts magically clean themselves of sweat and stains while the owner is wearing them. Yet, everyone has his own "system." At the very end of the book, we are told that this system is a built-in computer. Throughout the book, this miraculous system is used for communication, entertainment, navigation… you name it, the system does it. And, it can be turned off.
Overall, I feel like the time spent reading COMPLEX is time I will never get back. This is purported to be book one of a series... I won't be reading the rest of them.
December 5, 2020
Set in the future where the Legacy governments are failing, Complexes are rising and AI is integrated in everyone's lives. You can live on the dole through Legacy, or sign your life away with a contract with a Complex.
This dystopian story is told from multiple viewpoints. Each telling a small part of the whole story until they eventually mesh together.
Val and Kat are orphans. At nineteen, Val struggles to raise her sister and when she is abducted in the night she will do anything to find her.
Trevor is eighteen and wiz at circumventing the system. Earning a living changing peoples social score, that limits their access to higher levels of ARC.
Ray is an assassin for PerSense Civilian Defense Complex, he believes in every mission and dedicated to his job. 'To rain fire and death. To cut Legacy off at the knees. To drive subscription, at whatever cost.'
Riku 'Chief' Ogunwe is an ArcSec CPX Chief contracted by Legacy. He enjoys the military life and protecting people. He's also in love with a widow from level one who refuses his help to move her and her son to level three.
Val is desperate to find her sister and falls into a nasty situation to get a scrap of a lead, but it also allowed her to cross paths with Trevor. Trevor and Val go down the rabbit hole to find her sister, not realizing how connected it is to a big and sinister plot to take down Legacy.
Complex is the prefect title to this story as there is so many layers. As we read the various viewpoints it isn't clear at first how they will all intersect but all is revealed in time.
It can be a bit jumpy as it switches viewpoints and scenes. There's a familiarity to some of the story arcs, reminding me of other books and the nagging question of how the world got to that point and how the AI doesn't know everything since they send communications through their comms but I still found it an interesting read.
I received an ARC copy and am voluntarily leaving a review. That said I expect any editing issues will be resolved before publishing. If you like my reviews I hope you will follow my blog. https://wyldheartreads.wordpress.com/
This dystopian story is told from multiple viewpoints. Each telling a small part of the whole story until they eventually mesh together.
Val and Kat are orphans. At nineteen, Val struggles to raise her sister and when she is abducted in the night she will do anything to find her.
Trevor is eighteen and wiz at circumventing the system. Earning a living changing peoples social score, that limits their access to higher levels of ARC.
Ray is an assassin for PerSense Civilian Defense Complex, he believes in every mission and dedicated to his job. 'To rain fire and death. To cut Legacy off at the knees. To drive subscription, at whatever cost.'
Riku 'Chief' Ogunwe is an ArcSec CPX Chief contracted by Legacy. He enjoys the military life and protecting people. He's also in love with a widow from level one who refuses his help to move her and her son to level three.
Val is desperate to find her sister and falls into a nasty situation to get a scrap of a lead, but it also allowed her to cross paths with Trevor. Trevor and Val go down the rabbit hole to find her sister, not realizing how connected it is to a big and sinister plot to take down Legacy.
Complex is the prefect title to this story as there is so many layers. As we read the various viewpoints it isn't clear at first how they will all intersect but all is revealed in time.
It can be a bit jumpy as it switches viewpoints and scenes. There's a familiarity to some of the story arcs, reminding me of other books and the nagging question of how the world got to that point and how the AI doesn't know everything since they send communications through their comms but I still found it an interesting read.
I received an ARC copy and am voluntarily leaving a review. That said I expect any editing issues will be resolved before publishing. If you like my reviews I hope you will follow my blog. https://wyldheartreads.wordpress.com/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2021
Author A.D. Enderly (https://adenderly.com) published the novel “Complex: A Dystopian Thriller” in 2020. This is the first of his "Silent Beautiful Universe" series.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of violence, mature language, and mature situations. The story is set in a dystopian future. Governments have given way to corporations.
The book has several characters, though the most important are 19-year-old Val and her 12-year-old sister Kat. Val and her sister are now orphaned and struggling to survive. Their father warned them both about giving in to the corporations and joining a complex. A Complex is a corporate-run city. They are willing to 'take care of you' for a price.
When Kat is kidnapped, Val does everything she can to find her. Concurrent with Val's quest there are other powers at work. The pharmaceutical company NovaGenica is making a move for more power. One of the large complexes is doing everything it can to recruit clients. This includes murder and terrorism.
Beyond this AI systems run many of the establishments. While Val has found a romantic interest in 18-year-old Trevor, her focus is on saving Kat.
I mostly enjoyed the 17 hours I spent reading this 595-page science fiction novel. The first part of the novel I found very slow. Fortunately, the pace picked up after the first 15% of the novel. There are many plots that are intertwined. After getting past the beginning, the novel was very good. I do like the selected cover art. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of violence, mature language, and mature situations. The story is set in a dystopian future. Governments have given way to corporations.
The book has several characters, though the most important are 19-year-old Val and her 12-year-old sister Kat. Val and her sister are now orphaned and struggling to survive. Their father warned them both about giving in to the corporations and joining a complex. A Complex is a corporate-run city. They are willing to 'take care of you' for a price.
When Kat is kidnapped, Val does everything she can to find her. Concurrent with Val's quest there are other powers at work. The pharmaceutical company NovaGenica is making a move for more power. One of the large complexes is doing everything it can to recruit clients. This includes murder and terrorism.
Beyond this AI systems run many of the establishments. While Val has found a romantic interest in 18-year-old Trevor, her focus is on saving Kat.
I mostly enjoyed the 17 hours I spent reading this 595-page science fiction novel. The first part of the novel I found very slow. Fortunately, the pace picked up after the first 15% of the novel. There are many plots that are intertwined. After getting past the beginning, the novel was very good. I do like the selected cover art. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).
April 15, 2021
loved the book but what happens next and is there a book 2?
December 13, 2020
Wow! I feel like I just read a sci-fi written by Joe Abercrombie. This novel is gripping, compelling and very intricate. Many details are woven into the story and come together to create a world full of political intrigue, corruption and a world that fights back at every turn.
If there were a grimdark sci-fi subgenre, this would fill that slot. Enderly lays the groundwork of this novel through the lens of multiple POVs. Many times we are only given the glimpse of the world that the characters know, allowing the reader to build the world by piecing the multiple POVs together.
The character building in this novel is top notch, and while it take a while for the plot of the novel to come together, each individual story is compelling enough to push the story forward.
All-in-all Complex is a fantastic read and I look forward to more by this author. I will definitely be picking up a hard copy of this one soon.
If there were a grimdark sci-fi subgenre, this would fill that slot. Enderly lays the groundwork of this novel through the lens of multiple POVs. Many times we are only given the glimpse of the world that the characters know, allowing the reader to build the world by piecing the multiple POVs together.
The character building in this novel is top notch, and while it take a while for the plot of the novel to come together, each individual story is compelling enough to push the story forward.
All-in-all Complex is a fantastic read and I look forward to more by this author. I will definitely be picking up a hard copy of this one soon.
February 24, 2021
Not usually into books of this length, Complex really blew me away because it was able to completely hold my attention for it's entirety of 700 pages. Five separate books in one, though not described as that, this was a rollercoaster from start to finish of an epic tale in which a dystopia was ruled by businesses. Which, if you ask me, is actually a very real option for the future, especially in places where they have more power than they should. I don't know why this hasn't been written about more often, because I really just find it fascinating, and I can't get enough. But you know me, I'm obsessed with all things tech, scifi, and dystopia. What more could I ask for? This book is perfect for me.
Check out my full review here!
https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpr...
Check out my full review here!
https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpr...
November 10, 2020
I love dystopian worlds, but this one left me wanting. The story was interesting, however, we are dropped into a world without context, that needed a bit more background. Still, it was an interesting read. Kat's kidnapping and Val's struggle to rescue her and questioning her freedom in a world sectioned in to "Complexes" run by corporate giants where everyone is just a slave to work, told through alternating narrative -which I love - makes you question which life you would prefer. It points to the life we live today, where corporations control the world behind the scenes, effecting policies and laws, keeping the poor and middle class in their positions while the rich get richer. It hits home on many points.
I received this advanced reader copy from Netgally for an unbiased opinion.
I received this advanced reader copy from Netgally for an unbiased opinion.
December 1, 2020
I also received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate. My main thought on this book is that you have to be willing to dedicate a lot of time in order to properly get into the structure of this dystopian world. The fact that it is a long read, and because I normally do not read a lot of this type of work made me almost put it down and not finish it, but I am glad that I did. Once I got used to the author's style and the number of characters, I got into a groove. I do look forward to the next in the series, which now that I have the foundation, I expect will go down easier.
March 30, 2021
This book could've been 4 stars if it wasn't so damn LONG. The concepts are good. The plot achieves that classic feat of interweaving futuristic tech with socio-political commentary, clearly demonstrating that some things just don't change, namely, that humans are so consistently motivated by fear and greed. And that people from the middle class on up pretty much have zero idea of what it is like to be poor.
_Complex_ is a tale of a dark, gritty future. I recommend it for serious fans of dystopia. Hopefully the author will write a prequel, showing how we got from here to there.
_Complex_ is a tale of a dark, gritty future. I recommend it for serious fans of dystopia. Hopefully the author will write a prequel, showing how we got from here to there.
December 15, 2020
This book had a lot of POVs and secondary characters that I was often confused and had to keep trying to remember who was who and who was a part of what. The story also felt choppy at times as well, and I’d get distracted from what was going on. Even with the issues though I have to say, I really enjoyed it. I devoured it and look forward to the next one. I would really have liked to see some background included, like what caused this new society compared to the world it was before.
December 13, 2020
Worth the time
Wow, what a world. This book was deep and engrossing. Definitely a sci fi treat. Many plot threads woven throughout the book that come together for a dynamite ending!
Wow, what a world. This book was deep and engrossing. Definitely a sci fi treat. Many plot threads woven throughout the book that come together for a dynamite ending!
December 13, 2020
Book received for free through NetGalley
Thoroughly enjoyed this book once i got fully into it. It’s so easy to fully love or hate the characters immensely. The story is scary, believable, and so unique. So glad I came across this book and looking forward to more.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book once i got fully into it. It’s so easy to fully love or hate the characters immensely. The story is scary, believable, and so unique. So glad I came across this book and looking forward to more.
December 18, 2020
Wildly imaginative! Wonderful characters. Interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. Simply a GREAT read!
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
January 9, 2021
Hard to put down
A little jumpy in places and a few times it seemed that the author had Ctrl+F and replaced certain words or deleted all instances of Novagenica so there were blanks in sentences. That being said, enjoyed the story and the premise.
A little jumpy in places and a few times it seemed that the author had Ctrl+F and replaced certain words or deleted all instances of Novagenica so there were blanks in sentences. That being said, enjoyed the story and the premise.
February 21, 2021
As traditional, or "legacy," governments around the world collapse, complexes have stepped in to take their place. Complex life seems very appealing on the surface -- guaranteed work (with a purpose!), a safe and clean living environment, and the flexibility to come and go as you please with ample availability of day passes. Legacy governments, on the other hand, issue a Standard Universal Credit (a kind of universal basic income), but work is rare, and drugs and risky sex saturate the legacy living quarters, making day-to-day life precarious at best. But Complex life comes at a cost: a lifetime of indentured servitude in exchange for protection.
Many of these complexes are owned by a biotech company called Novagenica. As a virus begins to emerge in the legacy housing areas, Novagenica is already putting their best effort into combating it. But just how many rights did they trample to develop the medicine, and what will people have to give up to get it?
I was super intrigued by the premise of this book, and as a concept, I would rate it 8/10. I see so much potential in this novel, but it just did not deliver. A couple more rounds with a good editor and it could be something truly incredible. In it's current state, it's extremely hard to follow the worldbuilding, the timeline, or the characters. I did make it through to the end, and I'm glad I did because the novel develops tremendously as it goes along, but boy was it a slog.
There are way too many side characters and the perspective shifts between them too often. I was ~60% of the way through this book before I could even tell for sure if it had a main character. It does start to come together about 40% of the way through, and I think the author was trying to give the reader that moment of realization where something really complicated starts to fall into place neatly like a jigsaw puzzle and the final image is just mindblowing, but this was not it. It had elements of that; but it is not there. My head was spinning trying to keep track not just of all the characters whose perspectives were followed, but the side characters in each of those vignettes as well. And it's not fun trying to figure it out like solving a puzzle is; it's just confusing.
To top it off, the characters all have a very similar voice, similar personalities, similar senses of humor. And they're all very dark and very crude. In all but one case (and there are many cases--especially in the first half), descriptions of sex are extremely impersonal, often rough, and very frequently nonconsensual. Men are leering at literally everyone. Women are virgins who exist to please men. Casual nonconsensual sex is romanticized (such as with the Group Involuntary Ejaculation, which apparently is such a cool thing!). There are many descriptions of literal children and very young adults being forced or otherwise coerced into sexual encounters. These descriptions of sex and the sexual jokes, etc. are so gross that I have to think they are intentionally part of portraying just the trauma of living in this world, but that is not what I came to this novel for.
It's also very gory, especially in the last quarter or so. There are elaborate descriptions of people's experience being hanged, having their limbs cut off, shooting someone in the head at point-blank range, watching someone you love bash in someone's head with a police baton. It is stomach-churning and very hard to read. If that's your jam, great, this is for you. It is not for me.
Lastly, the writing needs some clean-up. The author has some tendencies that are honestly distracting. The biggest one for me was the urge to overexplain, as in "'I don't know,' he lied. He knew why but couldn't disclose information on impending operations" or use redundancies as in "a sizeable one-time payment that has yet to be repeated" or to lazily externalize his own thought process as with "Not just older. She's...she searched for the right word. More mature, yeah, but it's more than that. Stronger. That was it. She could see it in her sister's jaw, especially in those eyes that seemed calm and wise at the same time."
In short, what I wanted from this book after reading the blurb was technological and cultural worldbuilding, a strong narrative driven primarily by Val/Kat, and a clear decision point arising from understandable circumstances that tugged me in both directions simultaneously. What I got was a whole host of characters I couldn't keep straight, a world I didn't understand technologically or culturally, a LOT of crudeness and gore and general grossness, and a very late plot twist that nods at a sequel (that could also be interesting if written better).
Thanks to NetGalley and Luminary Media for the eARC in exchange for the review. Even though I was strongly disappointed, I appreciated getting to explore the concept.
Many of these complexes are owned by a biotech company called Novagenica. As a virus begins to emerge in the legacy housing areas, Novagenica is already putting their best effort into combating it. But just how many rights did they trample to develop the medicine, and what will people have to give up to get it?
I was super intrigued by the premise of this book, and as a concept, I would rate it 8/10. I see so much potential in this novel, but it just did not deliver. A couple more rounds with a good editor and it could be something truly incredible. In it's current state, it's extremely hard to follow the worldbuilding, the timeline, or the characters. I did make it through to the end, and I'm glad I did because the novel develops tremendously as it goes along, but boy was it a slog.
There are way too many side characters and the perspective shifts between them too often. I was ~60% of the way through this book before I could even tell for sure if it had a main character. It does start to come together about 40% of the way through, and I think the author was trying to give the reader that moment of realization where something really complicated starts to fall into place neatly like a jigsaw puzzle and the final image is just mindblowing, but this was not it. It had elements of that; but it is not there. My head was spinning trying to keep track not just of all the characters whose perspectives were followed, but the side characters in each of those vignettes as well. And it's not fun trying to figure it out like solving a puzzle is; it's just confusing.
To top it off, the characters all have a very similar voice, similar personalities, similar senses of humor. And they're all very dark and very crude. In all but one case (and there are many cases--especially in the first half), descriptions of sex are extremely impersonal, often rough, and very frequently nonconsensual. Men are leering at literally everyone. Women are virgins who exist to please men. Casual nonconsensual sex is romanticized (such as with the Group Involuntary Ejaculation, which apparently is such a cool thing!). There are many descriptions of literal children and very young adults being forced or otherwise coerced into sexual encounters. These descriptions of sex and the sexual jokes, etc. are so gross that I have to think they are intentionally part of portraying just the trauma of living in this world, but that is not what I came to this novel for.
It's also very gory, especially in the last quarter or so. There are elaborate descriptions of people's experience being hanged, having their limbs cut off, shooting someone in the head at point-blank range, watching someone you love bash in someone's head with a police baton. It is stomach-churning and very hard to read. If that's your jam, great, this is for you. It is not for me.
Lastly, the writing needs some clean-up. The author has some tendencies that are honestly distracting. The biggest one for me was the urge to overexplain, as in "'I don't know,' he lied. He knew why but couldn't disclose information on impending operations" or use redundancies as in "a sizeable one-time payment that has yet to be repeated" or to lazily externalize his own thought process as with "Not just older. She's...she searched for the right word. More mature, yeah, but it's more than that. Stronger. That was it. She could see it in her sister's jaw, especially in those eyes that seemed calm and wise at the same time."
In short, what I wanted from this book after reading the blurb was technological and cultural worldbuilding, a strong narrative driven primarily by Val/Kat, and a clear decision point arising from understandable circumstances that tugged me in both directions simultaneously. What I got was a whole host of characters I couldn't keep straight, a world I didn't understand technologically or culturally, a LOT of crudeness and gore and general grossness, and a very late plot twist that nods at a sequel (that could also be interesting if written better).
Thanks to NetGalley and Luminary Media for the eARC in exchange for the review. Even though I was strongly disappointed, I appreciated getting to explore the concept.
December 16, 2020
3 stars mainly because if this had a movie rating it would be rated R and I just think that's unnecessary. Mostly for language- Very rarely did a character speak or think without swearing. There was some sexual content and gore but nothing really graphic. Considering the setting of the book is dystopian and within that setting a lot of the story takes place in the depraved sectors of the city, some of the content is understandable in order to portray said depravity, but it can be done in a better way.
This book leaves you on a cliffhanger (a second book fairly likely) however, because of everything just mentioned I'm sad to have to leave the story. It really was an interesting premise- A futuristic dystopian Midwest settlement where people are divided between Complex, Legacy, or Arc living depending on their wealth, social scoring, or desperation. Val and Kat are eking out a living in Legacy after their dad dies when Kat is kidnapped. The sisters' paths become entangled with other characters as Val tries to find Kat amidst increasing violence in their home sector and the entrance of a potential pandemic-sized virus.
As others have said, it does take a minute to get your bearings as we aren't given much background as to the 'why' the world is the way it is. Some of it is hard to picture, though I would bet if it was cinematized it would be reminiscent of Total Recall mixed with Maze Runner. It is told from several different POVs. They are each introduced at the beginning in their own story. Seemingly disjointed, they all eventually come together at some point in the story. I did make a few notes on each one to help me keep everyone straight since the book is long and I would be reading it off and on. I had a hard time distinguishing between the character's own thoughts and the voice of the AI, but since I was reading an ARC, I'm assuming the published version will differentiate that better... and also fix the grammatical errors I kept finding.
I would assume part of the author's intent was to make some sort of political/economic statement. What one would give up for comfort and security. What one would endure for freedom. How it's hard to move up in the world. The manipulation and oppression of the poor. The psychological benefits of having work to do. The scoring of a person's behavior and choices to incentivize a particular end result. The consequences of lack of law enforcement. I could see a college class analyzing those components of the story.
Though Enderly had no qualms with profanity, to his credit, he wrote suspense successfully. There is a lot of plot movement and action in the story. He is not afraid to kill off or injure his characters, so you never know what will happen.
Looking back on the book as I write this review, I think this book had a lot of potential, but I just think all the things that would make it rated R just really over shadows the good parts for me. I hate when authors include so much of that. A good story shouldn't need it. If that stuff doesn't bother you and you love a good sci-fy, futuristic, dystopian action story, then this is for you.
Sidenote: Lots of authors end up overusing certain words in their books that I like to point out. In this book, it was the word 'effluence'
This book leaves you on a cliffhanger (a second book fairly likely) however, because of everything just mentioned I'm sad to have to leave the story. It really was an interesting premise- A futuristic dystopian Midwest settlement where people are divided between Complex, Legacy, or Arc living depending on their wealth, social scoring, or desperation. Val and Kat are eking out a living in Legacy after their dad dies when Kat is kidnapped. The sisters' paths become entangled with other characters as Val tries to find Kat amidst increasing violence in their home sector and the entrance of a potential pandemic-sized virus.
As others have said, it does take a minute to get your bearings as we aren't given much background as to the 'why' the world is the way it is. Some of it is hard to picture, though I would bet if it was cinematized it would be reminiscent of Total Recall mixed with Maze Runner. It is told from several different POVs. They are each introduced at the beginning in their own story. Seemingly disjointed, they all eventually come together at some point in the story. I did make a few notes on each one to help me keep everyone straight since the book is long and I would be reading it off and on. I had a hard time distinguishing between the character's own thoughts and the voice of the AI, but since I was reading an ARC, I'm assuming the published version will differentiate that better... and also fix the grammatical errors I kept finding.
I would assume part of the author's intent was to make some sort of political/economic statement. What one would give up for comfort and security. What one would endure for freedom. How it's hard to move up in the world. The manipulation and oppression of the poor. The psychological benefits of having work to do. The scoring of a person's behavior and choices to incentivize a particular end result. The consequences of lack of law enforcement. I could see a college class analyzing those components of the story.
Though Enderly had no qualms with profanity, to his credit, he wrote suspense successfully. There is a lot of plot movement and action in the story. He is not afraid to kill off or injure his characters, so you never know what will happen.
Looking back on the book as I write this review, I think this book had a lot of potential, but I just think all the things that would make it rated R just really over shadows the good parts for me. I hate when authors include so much of that. A good story shouldn't need it. If that stuff doesn't bother you and you love a good sci-fy, futuristic, dystopian action story, then this is for you.
Sidenote: Lots of authors end up overusing certain words in their books that I like to point out. In this book, it was the word 'effluence'
January 17, 2021
It took me a little while to start reading this one and then it took me even longer to finish it but I think there’s some interesting stuff happening in this story. First off I’d like to thank the folks at NetGalley for getting me a copy early even though I didn’t quite get to read it as early as I’d have liked.
We’re thrown into a world of the future, where the construct of society is that people are living in levels and tiers, based on either a social score, or the decision to sign their lives away in a contract to a Complex or Medical organization called Novagenica. No one really understands what the end result of any decision will be but they know that the struggle of life is real and there’s only a hope of what can make things better.
This story is written in books, although I don’t know that the books really make any sense or difference. Instead though we also get chapters that are each through the eyes of a different character, one who has a unique circumstance or role in society and we watch how it all slowly converges as we get to the end of this one.
We know that there’s a group of people who want complete control.
we know that there’s a virus that’s being developed to limit the population or potentially restructure the population in a way that will create a better more thriving society.
There’s also an aspect of AI that we see come to a head in a way that we all fear, even in current day.
There are groups of people who’s stories are more intertwined throughout this book. We see Val and Kat who are sisters who don’t have the same view on life and that just smells like disaster coming. Kat’s kidnapped and it makes everyone realize what’s important. The quest to find Kat leads Val to Trevor who becomes not only an integral part of the story but a love interest.
Trevor leads them to an organization that has a connection to tech and a desire for more power and that in turns leads them to their doom.
Dramatic yes, but I think that’s what this story is setting us up for. The thought that when you’re power hungry, bad things happen. When you are selfish bad things happen, and when you allow tech to gain too much strength, bad things will happen.
What’s interesting about this story though is the way that it ends. There’s a scene and a conversation that one of the main characters has with a ‘pastor’ of sorts, someone who’s proposition in life is that the idea of tech leads only to bad things, well, in that convo, there’s something interesting that happens. There’s a shift, a change in reality, and then the last note in the story is the notion that there’s more to come – and that someone like this pastor is the one who can help enact the change……driven by AI.
So…I left a lot out because frankly, there’s so much going on in parallel paths in this story that i’m not sure which story line is the most important. I’m also not sure what the real plot or point of this story is either – there’s just a lot of paths that merge and separate, bringing things to a head and then blowing them up. All in all, i’d have to say that this wasn’t My favorite book, but I know that there are folks out there who will love it for the ideas of what the future can look like if we don’t take precautions now.
We’re thrown into a world of the future, where the construct of society is that people are living in levels and tiers, based on either a social score, or the decision to sign their lives away in a contract to a Complex or Medical organization called Novagenica. No one really understands what the end result of any decision will be but they know that the struggle of life is real and there’s only a hope of what can make things better.
This story is written in books, although I don’t know that the books really make any sense or difference. Instead though we also get chapters that are each through the eyes of a different character, one who has a unique circumstance or role in society and we watch how it all slowly converges as we get to the end of this one.
We know that there’s a group of people who want complete control.
we know that there’s a virus that’s being developed to limit the population or potentially restructure the population in a way that will create a better more thriving society.
There’s also an aspect of AI that we see come to a head in a way that we all fear, even in current day.
There are groups of people who’s stories are more intertwined throughout this book. We see Val and Kat who are sisters who don’t have the same view on life and that just smells like disaster coming. Kat’s kidnapped and it makes everyone realize what’s important. The quest to find Kat leads Val to Trevor who becomes not only an integral part of the story but a love interest.
Trevor leads them to an organization that has a connection to tech and a desire for more power and that in turns leads them to their doom.
Dramatic yes, but I think that’s what this story is setting us up for. The thought that when you’re power hungry, bad things happen. When you are selfish bad things happen, and when you allow tech to gain too much strength, bad things will happen.
What’s interesting about this story though is the way that it ends. There’s a scene and a conversation that one of the main characters has with a ‘pastor’ of sorts, someone who’s proposition in life is that the idea of tech leads only to bad things, well, in that convo, there’s something interesting that happens. There’s a shift, a change in reality, and then the last note in the story is the notion that there’s more to come – and that someone like this pastor is the one who can help enact the change……driven by AI.
So…I left a lot out because frankly, there’s so much going on in parallel paths in this story that i’m not sure which story line is the most important. I’m also not sure what the real plot or point of this story is either – there’s just a lot of paths that merge and separate, bringing things to a head and then blowing them up. All in all, i’d have to say that this wasn’t My favorite book, but I know that there are folks out there who will love it for the ideas of what the future can look like if we don’t take precautions now.
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