The opening pages of this novella were horrifically disturbing. I found them very impactful and was a little concerned I might be reading something too dark for my tastes. However, I persevered, and I am so glad that I did. After the initial shocking worldbuilding, the story fell more into a dystopian fantasy, with ‘wild magic’ bringing people back to life and humming around electrical appliances. Otherwise, the world did not seem all that far removed from the darker side of our own.
I soon found myself unable to put this book down and read it in one go. The prose was tightly written and brought an urban realistic feeling to the story, despite the inclusion of magic and the occasional reanimation of corpses. This is not a zombie apocalypse story, or one of necromancy, but rather one of violent revolution against an overbearing government. It is much less fantastical than either of those other two genres would be.
There are no words wasted on info dumps or unnecessary world-building in this short novella – the world is experienced through the main character, Bennet Smith’s conversations with friends and daily experiences.
I came to really love Bennet. At the beginning of the book, he has just come back to life in horrific and painful circumstances. He has been tortured and hanged shortly before the events of the book, and is terrified he will be recaptured and killed again. As a ‘Second Life’, however, he is not trackable by the sniffers and is able to escape back to his apartment. His life once back at home is pretty non-existent, not getting dressed and watching inane game shows on TV to pass the time while recovering from his trauma. His determination to keep out of the limelight and not get involved with the revolution is relatable, even if certain revolutionaries would like to turn him into a figurehead.
Soon life seeks him out, thanks to his unstoppable best friend Kea, who is a wonderfully vibrant character, who everyone would wish to have as a best friend. He begins dating a woman he has admired for a long time, then he saves a young girl he finds dead alongside her parents, who comes back to life while he is watching. His values change due to a developing love for this orphan girl, which is a wonderful thing, and she becomes the focus of his second life, giving him even more reason to stay hidden and safe, keeping away from the revolution. Bennet is the voice of reason in an out-of-control city. He tries to warn his loved ones that fighting back will incite more violence and prefers instead to seek a more peaceful, safer life away from the city.
I really enjoyed this novella and would love to read more about these characters and what happens to them after the novella ends.
I received a complimentary copy and read it on behalf of team TBR for the SFINCS 3 contest, in round 1.
