Blog Archives
Tygers
![Tygers by [J. Warren]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41bgAVJHHQS.jpg)
J. Warren’s Tygers is a book set in a alternate universe where America is led by a super-conservative government that treats homosexuality as an abomination. As such, young gay men are taken to facilities and camps that promise to “cure” them of their condition. In this world, it is easy for young gay men to be radicalized and used by terrorist cells. Through the eyes of Aaron Miller, a gay teenager, we get a first-hand account of how difficult it is to navigate this new world. We also get up close and personal with two members of a terrorist cell, Marcus and Victor, as the author helps us see what could push a person down such a dark path. As expected, this book is full of love and violence, laughter and tears. Aaron’s coming of age seems to be happening at the same time that his country seems to be devolving into ancient ways. He falls in love, loses his love, and goes down a dark path of destruction. On the other hand, Marcus and Victor encounter some unexpected challenges of their own.
If there is one thing to be appreciated about Tygers, it is the superb character development. Throughout the story we get an understanding of who Aaron is, his relationship with his family, and the mental space he is in. This makes him more relatable and likable and a character with great depth. It is difficult not to root for him, especially since he is so young and confused. And even though Marcus is quite mysterious, we get an understanding of him and what he is passionate about. While he is quite villainous, the author tries to humanize him as well, something that emulates the nuances of real life.
Ultimately, it is the fact that this story is believable that makes it scary. Clearly, the author took his time to ensure the plot is solid. What’s more? His writing style is light, refreshing, and easy to read. There are no long-winded paragraphs and every page is both informative and entertaining. While I enjoyed the story, I thought some of the scenes were graphic and can be off-putting to some, but otherwise it is enthralling literature told with a unique writing flair.
Tygers is a riveting dystopian novel with poignant commentary on society and chilling parallels to contemporary issues, all told through a compelling character that will affect readers long after they close the book.
Pages: 282 | ASIN: B0994MKWWL
Maximum Capacity – Book Trailer
For every baby born, another human must die. Unthinkably, planet Earth has run out of room. There’s not enough food nor resources to sustain the masses. Those who do not contribute toward the common good and survival of humans are considered expendable. Man has devised a fascinatingly morbid survival competition to eliminate anyone who deviates from the law. The good hunt the bad to keep the population in check. Those who cross their neighbors tally a high “violation count” and will be marked for termination.
Maximum Capacity challenges the reader’s imagination with fascinating new concepts. They will immerse themselves in a dystopian world where planet Earth is dying, the good people of the world are taking control, and man desperately searches for new, habitable planets in an attempt to avoid extinction. Dare to enter the world of Maximum Capacity.
The Given
![The Given: Book one of The Given Trilogy by [Mickey Martin]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51fv11o-p7L.jpg)
The Given by Mickey Martin is a thrilling dark fantasy novel with generous helpings of romance and dystopian themes. It follows our protagonist Lilliana and her friends as they navigate through their new lives within “The Given” facility. The story takes place in a near future, where the justice system has been reinvented: those who have suffered as a result of crimes are sent to “The Given” to heal and find new purpose. With themes of rehabilitation and friendship, Martin focuses heavily on the dynamics built amongst the characters; their connections, history, and dreams.
The greatest charm of Martin’s writing is undoubtedly her character construction. Every character is fleshed out with rich details which make them alluring and interesting to follow. The novel is full of intimate conversations that vividly illustrate budding connections and relationships in a refreshing way. The intensity of their interactions emphasizes how crucial the theme of friendship is to this novel. It feels very satisfying overall.
Martin creates a captivating concept in this novel, and I enjoyed the narrative overall. It is well-structured and fast-paced and felt like much care was put into the backstory and world these characters inhabit. Her reconceptualization of justice is presented in a fresh and intriguing way that seems more realistic than other dystopian novels with similar premises.
Lilliana is an interesting character, but I felt like Lilliana’s recovery from her abuse could have been explored further. All characters adore her, she is intelligent and talented, and gains the attention of her crush from the first chapter. While it’s nice to see a main character thrive, I would have preferred to see Lilliana develop more actively throughout the novel, to succeed overcoming her traumas.
The Given is a dark fantasy story with fairytale undertones that give this dystopian novel a unique feel throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed Martin’s highly descriptive writing and the story’s atmosphere. It was heavy and dark at times, but generally it was an interesting and exciting read.
Pages: 298 | ASIN: B085VG9X83
Fighting Demons Of Their Own
The Venus World follows six Queens ruling over a dystopian New World while an uprising threatens their supremacy. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Our world tends to be male skewed. The atrocities against women are high across most parts of the world and sometimes even in our own neighbourhood.
Before I start to write, I tend to ask the question, ‘What if?’ In this case it was, ‘What if men were not the dominant species, would women take control? This led to further questions like, why would men let women come into power, why would they let them rule unopposed, if women ruled, would men be slaves, would they be the weaker sex? And that was the foundation of the story, a bio-terrorist attack gone wrong, setting up the scene for women domination and a role reversal in this new World.
The six Queens are unique and intriguing characters. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
The six Queens are very different from each other, including their hunger for power. Some like Rani have been thrust into a leadership role they very clearly never wanted. Queen Marihiba is totally power greedy, using her ruthless nature to rise from being a mere guard to a Queen. Others are privileged rulers, while still others like Lohi are fighting demons of their own, while Queen Polime is often misunderstood, however unpredictable and loyal to her people. It is this stark difference that makes the mix between the Queens volatile and interesting. No woman truly trusts the other and the alliances are fragile, capable of snapping at the slightest provocation, which is exactly what Z plays upon to gain power from the Queens.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I wanted to show that:
- women can also rule effectively, however, at the end of the day, they too are humans and humans irrespective of their gender (be it male, female or the 3rd), race and sexual orientation, are still either power hungry tyrants or feel empathy towards others as the case may be.
- human beings unite and rise in the face of adversity.
- sometimes the best move is strategic in nature, rather than physical.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I have a couple of books in the pipeline which should be ready by late this year or early 2022.
- A fantasy – thriller, on the lines of Harry Potter meets The Amazing Race, meets Indiana Jones!
- A creature – feature set in Mumbai, India (my current residence) about a pre-historic creature that inhabits the neglected and much abused waterways of the island city, causing chaos and bringing death.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Twitter
Year 2100: Six Queens rule over the New World, asserting power over a dwindled population of healthy men, whose use now is only for reproduction or slave labor. The borders of the New World have changed and so have the rules.
But life is not peaceful when the women reign. There is an uprising coming, fueled by the divide to create new and sustainable male life. And when the women are not united in their efforts, men will try and rise to power.
Will the Queens ruling the Earth realize the danger before it’s too late or will their egos be the foundation that men needed to diabolically put their plan of revolt into action?
The World might never be the same again.
The Venus World
![The Venus World by [Hywel Richard Pinto]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41wiTN749AL.jpg)
The Venus World is a rousing dystopian novel set in 2100. In this new world, six queens rule the world – dominating the declining male population. The story follows the journey of six queens and their quest to maintain their power and domination.
The setting that each queen presides over is richly described, appealing to the reader’s senses; the thick forests of central India, misty, quiet and peaceful, the bustling center of Beijing, the calm, evergreen Black Forest in Germany, the Savannahs of Western Africa, the hot climate of Australia to name but a few backdrops.
The Venus World is full of thought provoking characters that are methodically developed throughout the novel. The leading roles belong to the six women that control the world: Queen Rani, Queen Polime, Queen Marihiba, Queen Aneri, Alexie the Conquer and Lohi. All of these women have their own unique personalities that are all creatively intriguing. Their history, physical locations and personality traits lead them all on slightly different paths but equally captivating paths. The dialogue is sharp and engaging, with inner monologues that give us a view of how each character sees things, which ensures readers are always in the know and always feel like they have a grasp on each character. This rich cast of women is also supported by some interesting male characters – all with their own alliances and secret agendas, which serve to elevate the level of intrigue throughout this riveting novel. For some reason I was expecting a more ponderous novel, but was pleasantly surprised to find plenty of action that keeps the novel moving forward at a great pace. There are plenty of twists and turns as the story progresses as well, ensuring readers rarely know what’s going to happen next.
The Venus World provides readers with a compelling cast of powerful female characters who inhabit well described settings that feel engrossing and just a little enigmatic. The Venus World is a thrilling science fiction novel with subtle but thoughtful commentary on society that never forgets to entertain the reader.
Pages: 195 | ASIN: B08XNWMH2R
Pretty/Ugly
![Pretty/Ugly by [Jennifer Anne Gordon]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51pD6zJujPS.jpg)
Pretty Ugly by Jennifer Anne Gordon tells a series of horrific events that submerge the world in an apocalypse. A terrible, deadly virus is starting to spread at the speed of light, making the end of the world look like a very real possibility. The story is told from the perspectives of our two main characters, Omelia and Sam. Both of them are very broken. Omelia seems to have a pretty lively personality, at least when you look at her from the outside: a lover of clothes, books and makeup that shares her passions on the Internet through live streams that she makes on her YouTube channel. However, this is only a façade, deep down she is nothing but a lost girl trying to find love. Sam seems to be on a similar path to Omelia’s: despite the fact that he was a theater major, he pursued law school and became the Democratic Candidate for Governor of Massachusetts to please his father. Dealing with the loss of his twin sister from a young age, Sam has to navigate and relive hurtful moments throughout his life as he tries to keep afloat. Both Sam and Omelia are living behind a mask, a mask that threatens to fall off as the deadliest pandemic in history reaches their lives.
From their very first introduction, it was impossible not to sympathize with Omelia and Sam. They are both very similar with respect to their journey through life. Dealing with loss, dysfunctional families, and lack of love and affection, they go through their days pretending to be someone they’re not, living as fictional characters. I was constantly hoping that they would figure things out and that they would find that thing they both were so desperately wishing for: love. However, the pandemic makes life harder for everyone and staying alive becomes the hardest thing possible.
The description that Jennifer Anne Gordon makes of this deadly virus gave me nightmares. It was detailed, precise and terrifying: a virus that represents untimely death, ruin and rot, and that took millions of lives worldwide. The book is written in such a way that the panic and absolute disgust that spread from the appearance of the virus felt incredibly realistic. People were dying in a matter of hours, they were losing their skin, their faces started to become unrecognizable and they couldn’t feel anything but pain. It all felt vivid and I was constantly worrying about the main characters, unsure of whether they would be able to stay alive, it was simply horrifying.
Nonetheless, despite the horrors described in the book, the story also offers an exploration of the characters deepest emotions, dealing with themes such as loss, loneliness, abandonment and grief, aspects that both Omelia and Sam have to deal very closely with. This story was terrifying, it definitely felt like something that could happen and I couldn’t stop reading to find out what would be the destiny of the characters. Pretty Ugly is a terrifyingly realistic dark drama that is hard to put down, and even harder to forget.
Pages: 288 | ASIN: B093TJQK92
Speaking One’s Truth
Emma is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Emma is the epitome of the saying “Women are like tea bags – you have no idea how strong they are until you put them in hot water.” In the early pages of the novel, Emma is literally dying under the exorbitant suppression of her spirit. At times she believes death to be better than living the future that has been planned out for her. Her rebellious nature and need for freedom she’s been taught are both sinful and unlawful, and she honestly believes something is wrong with her because she cannot submit and simply do what she’s told.
Emma has a lot to lose in this new America if she continues to rebel, with many of her actions putting at risk of execution if she’s caught. Yet her desire for truth, freedom and autonomy outweighs her fears. When she realizes the lies she and the rest of the nation are being told by her father, the government and the new national church, it only spurs her on to determine the truth for herself. Although terrified, she persists in her search for knowledge, and that knowledge forces her to act.
The novel is also a cautionary tale that warns of what will happen if our increasingly divisive culture carries on this ill-fated path. In recent years, our population has become more and more split on financial, ideological and political ideologies. Discourse is becoming more and more intolerant between different groups, with a frightening increase in the “-isms” that only serve to push us further apart. We are rapidly becoming a nation of hate and suspicion, two mindsets that will only lead to the unraveling of our nation. If we want to prevent our nation from becoming what’s written in The Governor’s Daughter, now is the time for us to draw together before it’s too late.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The biggest theme of this novel is the importance of voice and speaking one’s truth. I wrote this novel after watching the Kavanaugh Senate confirmation hearings, and in particular, the testimony of Dr. Ford. For many women, watching her come forward only to have her testimony thoroughly disregarded was an enraging ordeal. Especially for women who have also suffered sexual assault, the injustice of his appointment was devastating. Like Dr. Ford, when I was much younger, I suffered greatly after a sexual assault. When I came forward, I was talked out of pressing charges being told no one would believe me. I was so frightened of things becoming worse that I let them silence me. I will forever regret not coming forward when I found out later how the man who assaulted me went on to victimize other women.
When watching the hearings, I was angry that women all over the world were still getting the same ridiculous message I was told nearly 30 years ago. I worried about the young women watching this who might be thinking what’s the point of coming forward if someone as credible as Dr. Ford’s testimony means nothing? If I’m ever assaulted, who is going to believe me if no one believes her? I felt like in one afternoon, all of the gains made in the #metoo movement were flushed down the toilet.
So, when I began writing, I wanted to write a story where the actions of one woman, even one as initially powerless and broken as Emma, manages to not only pull herself together, but comes to truly believe her voice is important. Her actions are important. The desires she has and what she wants out of life are important because she is important. This theme is pervasive in the upcoming novels as well, where characters from all sorts of backgrounds use their words and actions to make a positive change in their world.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The Prodigal Daughter is the second novel in the four-book Daughters of the New American Revolution series. It picks up right where The Governor’s Daughter left off and continues Emma’s thrilling story. It is scheduled to be released in December 2021.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Nineteen year-old Emma Bellamy is not a “good girl.”
She’s sick of the men who treat her like property, the endless Purity Protocols to which she must conform, and the brutal consequences when she inevitably fails. With a recalcitrant mind and headstrong nature, Emma continually questions the policies of the White Nationalist government, the suffocating patriarchy of a corrupt Universal Church and her uber-powerful father, the revered Governor. When she determines that everything she’s been taught to believe is based on lies, Emma disobeys in the most ruinous way yet – she sets out to find the truth for herself.
And she doesn’t give a damn if that makes her a “bad girl.”
In a clandestine journey beyond the razor-wire topped walls of the Premier City, Emma is faced with the reality of what ninety-eight percent of the population faces. Extreme poverty. Disease. Unchecked police violence. Civil war in the 20s leveled cities and killed millions, leaving the masses broken, dispirited and unable to ever again threaten the Committee’s reign. In her travels, Emma finds a few brave souls who dare to resist, risking everything to live their lives by their own rules. Now she must choose. Does she doom herself to an unfulfilled but privileged life? Or does she risk everything for a chance at a future filled with purpose, passion and freedom?
The Governor’s Daughter
![The Governor's Daughter by [Maria Ereni Dampman]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/410QLE57Y2S.jpg)
The Governor’s Daughter follows nineteen year-old Emma Bellamy who is guarded and suspicious of others in a brutal dystopian future where she’s treated like little more than property. Emma uncovers the dark truth about her strict society and abandons her privileged life to set our on a perilous journey beyond the walls of the Premier City to seek the truth. But what she finds will challenge her in ways she hadn’t even imagined.
Emma’s character develops dramatically throughout the story as she transforms from a naïve young lady to a woman with huge inner strength. Her dialogue, inner monologues and actions all portray her as a strong young woman who is battling against the system she finds herself in. As she grows and matures, she finds herself to be growing stronger both physically and emotionally. Ryan, her fiancé, is an entitled, and cruel young man, determined to use his power in this corrupt society to its full extent.
Declan, a young physiotherapist, is handsome, clever and darkly sullen. Trapped within the rigid rules of society he is a ‘marked man’ and bears this mark both physically and psychologically. Supporting these main characters are a small group of minor but still alluring characters, that weave in and out of the story. These are characters that both support the government and characters that are secretly fighting the government. All of these characters help to make the story authentic and believable.
While the novel explores some heavy topics the novel has a clear and easy structure to follow. Most of the chapters are all entitled with the name of whoever is narrating that chapter. The narrations give a clear picture of the rules of this disturbing dystopian world, from the points of views of both the oppressed and the oppressor. There are many twists and turns along the way which holds the reader’s interest and keeps them guessing until the end of the story.
The story is set in the future; in 2045 America. The setting is vastly different to the U.S. of today, with physical walls dividing citizens and keeping them apart. There is some description of the architecture, from the palatial mansion like homes Emma resides in, to the squalor others live in. This dichotomy between the haves and have-nots and the physical and moral differences between the two reminds me of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, but made for a young adult audience.
The Governor’s Daughter is a riveting dystopian novel with subtle by deep commentary on society. Readers will enjoy following the vivacious protagonist and exploring the vivid dystopian future author Maria Ereni Dampman has created.
Pages: 488 | ASIN: B097CKSNYK
LITERARY TITAN 