K.J. Charles's Reviews > Chosen Spirits

"They'd known the end times were coming but hadn't known they'd be multiple choice." Ooof. That stings.

This is an extraordinary, immersive read about a horribly plausible near future of grotesque wealth disparity, climate change, abusive yet useless government, invasive technology, and people carefully ignoring it all by plugging themselves into electronic entertainment. To say it hits home is an understatement.

The atmosphere of Delhi--chaotic, overheated, overcrowded, under brutal surveillance--is powerful and the characters really engaging as they try to pick their way through the tangles of life to, eventually, grope towards action. Joey and Rudra are both relatively passive characters, buffeted by events, which absolutely works given the setting. (There isn't anything you can do. Dream on.) It's not a plot driven adventure novel with a heroic resolution, or things neatly tied up at the end and some may find that frustrating, but that's literally the point. Joey the 'Reality Manager' is an observer, a side character in the flow of her own life.

Brilliantly written, structurally inventive, completely immersive. I read this in a day, which is all the more extraordinary because this is the first new (not reread) full length novel I've managed in three weeks.