*Danger’s Halo & Danger’s Vice TOP PICKS at RT Book Reviews*
153 years in the future, Earth doesn’t look much like it used to.
Holly Danger’s current assignment, gleaned from a set of foggy instructions and a handful of coin stuffed into a slot, is to pick up a street kid who’s about to terminate himself off a cliff. And, as a rule, she doesn’t turn down currency. Her job as a salvager keeps her fed and clothed above the norm, which isn’t saying much.
The norm in this city is a scrape-by existence in a post-apocalyptic world, where the rain never stops, food is always scarce, and the elite have deserted the ranks in search of something better. Picking up this urchin won’t take much time, even if he’s located outside city limits. Her craft is fast, her weapons deadly, and her tech has been optimized as well as it can be for a climate clogged with iron dust.
But things take a big turn when she decides to become the boy’s guardian instead of hand him over. Outskirts have descended on the city, and their plans don’t include playing nice. When her crew is backed against a graphene wall, it’s a good thing her Gem is primed and ready to go. It’s almost as deadly as she is…
Free on 7th - 9th Nov 23
Reviews:
"A fun edge-of-your-seat thriller in an SF wrapper, and I really enjoyed reading it"
Reviewer: Reader for Bookangel.
Holly Danger lives in a fallen world. After the collapse of the eco-system and the departure of the rich on a flotilla of ships, she’s one of those who grew up in the ruins, scavenging for a living. When she sees a small boy about to throw himself to his death, she steps in, only to find she’s stepped straight into danger by forgetting rule one: trust no one.
A blend of a dystopian future Mad Max would be proud of, and well-developed characters blend with some great action scenes to make this a good YA action Sci-fi. Speculative fiction and SciFi fans should enjoy it, but the well-written action scenes will broaden its appeal. The science moves the story, rather than slowing the action, and it is adventure rather than hard SF, but there’s a lot (and a plot) to like here.
Holly initially struck me as another boring jaded heroine, but she develops depth in the first few paragraphs, and never really looks back. She is aware she’s making unwise decisions, and her inner critique is scathing, giving her a self-awareness that is rare, and amusing to read.
The supporting cast are less detailed, but we only see them from Holly’s point of view, so that makes sense. The book is written in first person, and her opinion are detailed, and often scathing.
The plot just keeps twisting, every piece fitting together, and the entire whole makes sense once it is revealed. People are doing exactly what they said, just not always for the reasons they claim, and that means detecting the lies and from being the truth is hard. It kept me reading, even when I was meant to be doing something else.Rating: 4Quicklink to this review
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