The author starts the chapter off with suspense, instantly chucking the reader into the plot. Ryzaard faces a dilemma for something incredibly valuable – a stone, willing to kill for it.
The reader is then taken to another time where you discover Matt, a man that has encountered an unusual object – a stone, in the distant future. A world made up of floating messages from jaxs instead of phones or ipads, and other creative devices.
The characters and plot are multi-dimensional. The characters have their own sense of voice. The author regularly takes the reader back to the main character’s past and how they got to where they are. Although there are some unexpected developments, the author gives the reader a clear idea to where the story is heading.
As you learn more about the characters you get a sense of what is driving them. Their ambitions, their experiences, emotions and weaknesses.
The author is very creative with the development of technology into the future. It is quite easy to get immersed into this completely different world.
This book makes for an addictive read, as the story takes you to Tokyo, where Matt took a job as a research assistant for an old friend of his dad’s. But Ryzaard and the others are hot on his trail, knowing what he has and the power that it yields. The stone causing him to have hellish visions, very real and descriptive beasts, and other dark forces trying to close in.
Another element is brought in, as Matt’s father Kent is on the track for revenge because of the death of his wife. His path brings him closer to the company responsible and why they did the things they did.
The more the plot progresses, the more immersed I become in this whole other world. There are quite a few subplots to the story which is what makes this story all the more fascinating and intriguing. The groups that live on the outskirts want to rid the world of the abomination of technology, fanatics that believe they will save the world.
Unfortunately, it is about a hundred pages too long. I struggled to keep focus closer to the end. I felt it could have been shorter so I could be more invested in the outcome. Although the elements are interesting, there definitely was things that could have been done without to make it go a bit faster.
An explosive end to a complex tale. But of course it is not really the end, as this book is only the beginning.
4/5 stars
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