Down in the Sea of Angels by Khan Wong - #bookreview

 

March 4, 2106 - Marshall Cove, San Francisco

A dozen drones buzzed right in my face when I got there. Beside the bonfire, a scruffy guy in coveralls fidgeted with a tablet, tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth in concentration, presumably controlling these things...

***

The Blurb

In the year 2106, climate change has altered the world, transforming borders, cities, and socioeconomic structures. Additionally, a cosmic event known as the “Bloom” has awakened psionic abilities in a small percentage of the population. 

One such individual is Maida Sun, who possesses the ability to know the history of objects she touches. In the course of her new job with a cultural recovery project in San Francisco, she comes across an object that plunges her into the lives of Li Nuan, a sex-trafficked girl in a Chinatown brothel in 1906 longing for freedom, and Nathan, a tech-designer and hedonist in 2006 seeking greater purpose. 

When a chance encounter with a political leader’s watch reveals a plan to eliminate psions – people like her – Maida must find a way to stop his agenda before it gains traction. 

Flashes of the past and glimpses of the future provide Maida, Li Nuan and Nathan clues to help their own situations as they, each in their own way, confront exploitation and fight for liberation while living under the specter of environmental collapse. 

My Review

At the beginning of this year, I promised myself I would read some books which were outside my usual reading comfort zone. When I was offered the opportunity to read this one, it sounded like the ideal book to try out a little science fiction. 

This book is set during three time periods. We follow Li Nuan in 1906, Nathan in 2006 and Maida Sun in 2106. I reassured myself that with parts of the book set in the past and the present, then those would provide a gateway into the science fiction element for me. However, it was no time at all before I was absorbed by Maida's part in this story too. Isn't it wonderful to be pleasantly surprised by a reading experience?

I found all three of the characters completely believable. Li Nuan, who has been sex-trafficked, Nathan, who comes to realise that there must be more to life than his hedonism and job with a tech company, and Maida whose psionic abilities drive her towards an object that will link all three of them.

What I particularly enjoyed was Nathan's awakening to the fact that he was a contributor to the future environmental consequences that those in his period of time were causing. Fast forward to Maida's section of the book where those consequences have indeed occurred, and we observe a world in which those consequences have transpired due to the lifestyles of those who have come before her, known in the book as the Precursors. It serves as a warning to us all.

I enjoyed the journeys of all three of the main characters. They were engaging and each of their stories made for compelling reading. I particularly liked the way the author ultimately portrayed the connection between the three characters. He gathered all of the strands together to produce a satisfying ending to the book.

As a newbie to science fiction/fantasy this book has left me wanting more. Do you have any suggestions of what I should read next?

You can find out more about Khan's previous book, The Circus Infinite, here..

I will mention at this point that some of Li Nuan's story was difficult to read as she is a sex-trafficked minor and the sexual scenes are graphically portrayed. It is shocking to realise that not only did this happen during the time period but still happens today. That said, this is still an excellent book but if it is a trigger for you then you may want to give this one a miss.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1915998361

Publisher:  Angry Robot

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  400 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Khan Wong has published poetry, played cello in an earnest folk-rock duo, and been an internationally known hula hoop teacher and performer. He's toured with a circus and produced circus arts shows in San Francisco, where he also worked as a grantmaker with a public sector arts funding agency. His debut novel, The Circus Infinite, was a finalist for the Lambda LGBTQ+ Speculative Fiction Award 2023 and long-listed for the BSFA Best Novel Award. 

You can also find Khan at:

Author Website

Linked In

Instagram

Facebook

BlueSky

Why not check out some of the other fabulous bloggers on the tour?

(ARC and media courtesy of the publisher)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Eve of Man by Giovanna and Tom Fletcher - #BookReview

"Against all odds, she survived. The first girl born in fifty years. They called her Eve."

All her life Eve has been kept away from the opposite sex. Kept from the truth of her past. 

But at sixteen it's time for Eve to face her destiny. Three potential males have been selected for her. The future of humanity is in her hands. She's always accepted her fate.

Until she meets Bram.

Eve wants control over her life. She wants freedom.

But how do you choose between love and the future of the human race?

Eve of Man is the first in an explosive new trilogy by bestselling authors Tom and Giovanna Fletcher.

I rarely venture into young adult territory in my reading but this one came highly recommended so I thought I would give it a go. I am very glad that I did because I enjoyed it very much.

The two main characters, Eve and Bram, were extremely likeable and from the first page I was rooting for them. One of the reasons that I steer clear of the YA genre is the teenage angst. I appreciate that we all go through it, then relive it again with our children, and is a very relevant part of growing up. However, the authors did not make it a prominent feature of the story and so I really enjoyed getting to know Eve and Bram.

I equally enjoyed spending time in this new world and I thought the authors did a great job of creating a new future existence and it felt real at all times.

The dual perspective which runs through this book was well executed. I liked being able to assess the situation from both Eve and Bram's point of view and it added an immediacy to the novel.

I am not giving anything away by saying that the ending left me hanging on a cliff edge and I cannot wait to read the next part in this trilogy. This is a strong start for what looks like an exciting trilogy of books.

The book had a cinematic quality and I can well imagine this being turned into a film. If you enjoyed The Hunger Games or The Handmaid's Tale I think you will really enjoy reading Eve of Man.


ISBN:  978 0718186340

Publisher: Michael Joseph

About the Authors:

Giovanna and Tom Fletcher are two of the UK's most successful authors. Tom is the creator of The Christmasaurus, which was the biggest debut children's novel of 2016, while Giovanna's novel, Some Kind of Wonderful, was one of the bestselling women's fiction titles of 2017. Their books have sold over 1.5 million copies and have been translated into over 30 languages. Their social media platforms have a combined audience of almost 6 million followers. Tom and Giovanna married in 2012 and are parents to two boys, Buzz and Buddy.

Eve of Man is their first novel as a writing duo, and the first in a trilogy.

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

How many lifetimes does it take to learn how to live?

Tom Hazard has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary 41 year old history teacher, but he's been alive for centuries. From Elizabethan England to Jazz-Age Paris, from New York to the South Seas, Tom has seen it all. As long as he keeps changing his identity he can stay one step ahead of his past - and stay alive.

The only thing he must not do is fall in love.

'I often think of what Hendrich said to me, over a century ago, in his New York apartment. "The first rule is that you don't fall in love," he said. "There are other rules too, but that is the main one. No falling in love. No staying in love. No daydreaming of love. If you stick to this you will just about be okay." I stared through the curving smoke of his cigar, out over Central Park where trees lay uprooted from the hurricane. "I doubt I will ever love again," I said. Hendrich smiled, like the devil he could be. "Good. You are, of course, allowed to love food and music and champagne and rare sunny afternoons in October. You can love the sight of waterfalls and the smell of old books, but the love of people is off limits. Do you hear me? Don't attach yourself to people, and try to feel as little as you possibly can for those you do meet. Because otherwise you will slowly lose your mind..."

This wonderful introduction to this book indicates that this is a romance with a difference. However, it is much more than that and is very difficult to place in a particular genre. Definitely, there is romance, but it is also part fantasy and part science fiction. If, like me, you are not a great fan of science fiction or fantasy, please do not let that put you off reading this very entertaining and accessible book.

The narrative switches between past and present and even though there is no particular order to this it was not difficult to follow. I actually thought that this enhanced the book as it demonstrated how the past affects the present.

The subject of music is significant in this book and demonstrates how its universality can cross the divides of time. This is the one constant throughout the protagonists long life. Indeed, we have all heard music that has the ability to immediately transport us back to a particular time and place and Mr. Haig has used this very effectively in his novel.

This is the first book I have read by Matt Haig and I intend to read more by him. I like the confusion of genres and the challenge that it presents in confining his novel to a particular genre. Novels of this type have a lot to offer and I recommend this one.

ISBN: 978 1782118640

Publisher: Canongate

About the Author:

In his own words: "I am a writer. The stuff I’ve written includes novels, screenplays, children’s novels and journalism. My novels have now been translated in 29 languages.

My first novel, The Last Family in England (2004) was a UK bestseller. It was an honour when one of my favourite writers, Jeanette Winterson, called it ‘among the great animal books.’ It was a Daily Mail Book Club selection, and the film rights have been sold to Brad Pitt’s production company. The very talented New Zealand film-maker Taika Waititi has written a brilliant screenplay and plans to direct the film.

Since that book I’ve written The Dead Fathers Club (2006) and The Possession of Mr Cave (2008), which have been translated into ten languages. The last one is still the darkest thing I’ve ever written, by quite a long way. Again, an excellent screenplay for that has been written by Brock Norman Brock.

The Radleys, won an ALA Alex Award in America, has been shortlisted for the Portico prize and nominated for the Carnegie Medal, and has been translated into 29 languages most recently Lithuania. It won the TV Book Club Summer Read. I have written the screenplay with the help of the (now chopped) UK Film Council, which is being produced into a film by Alfonso Cuaron and BBC Films. It was written as an adult novel, but in addition to the Canongate edition there is a young adult edition available in the UK published by Walker Books.

However, I have written some children’s books. My first, Shadow Forest,won the Nestle/Smarties Prize, the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award (2009) and eight regional awards. Both Shadow Forest and it’s sequel The Runaway Troll are being re-packaged and re-published for release in the UK in 2013. This will coincide with the launch of the paperback edition of my new kids book, To Be a Cat.

I was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire in 1975. Since then I have lived in Nottinghamshire, Ibiza and London. I studied English and History at Hull University and then did an MA at Leeds. I live in Brighton with the writer Andrea Semple and our children Lucas and Pearl. And in 2009, I won the Yorkshire Young Achievers ‘Achievement in the Arts’ Award."

(author information is taken from Matt's website www.matthaig.com)