Scan barcode
A review by nonesensed
The Velocity of Revolution by Marshall Ryan Maresca
adventurous
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ziaparr is a city under occupation. Not that anyone really wants to admit that out loud. The Alliance soldiers are clearly here only to keep the peace while the country gets back on its feet! There will be local elections any day now! At least Wenthi, an officer of the law who has family in high places, has convinced himself of this. To him the rationing of resources and "paying back" makes sense, to a certain extent, and he's convinced people who break the law make life worse for everyone. Nália is far more skeptical. As a member of a much lower caste than Wenthi, she daily sees evidence of how broken and cruel the system is. Naturally, she wishes to rebel. This rebellion, led by a mysterious voice on the radio, leads to Nália and Wenthi being confronted with each other. Not a great match. Or?
I really enjoyed this fast-paced story about revolution, colonization and its consequences! It's both a character-focused story, as we follow how our main character(s)' beliefs about the world are challenged, over and over, and a plot-focused story, as we try to figure out who is leading the rebels and what the true purpose of the brewing revolution is. It's a story that grabs you by the shoulder, throws you on a motorbike (so many cool bike races in here!) and screams "LET'S GOOOOO!!!"
The worldbuilding is also excellent! We get a second world fantasy country where the norm is open relationships with people of all genders, magical mushrooms that let you share other people's minds (and possibly bodies) Sense8-style, and a lot of history that explains why the current situation in the book is as it is, sprinkled throughout without interrupting the plot. An interesting and engaging world that left me wanting more! Also, every time the book starts talking about the tacos sold in Ziaparr, I start craving tacos. Seriously, they sound delicious!
The story does deal with several heavy themes. The violence I'd describe as regular action movie level and the tone is generally more "gotta solve this mystery, gotta make the world better!" than "humans can do horrible things to each other", but there sure <em>are</em> many moments of those darker things; plenty of police brutality, racism/caste systems, slavery through a terrible prison system, cultural erasure and medical experiments. Keep that in mind when reading - but do read this book if it seems like something you'd enjoy!
I really enjoyed this fast-paced story about revolution, colonization and its consequences! It's both a character-focused story, as we follow how our main character(s)' beliefs about the world are challenged, over and over, and a plot-focused story, as we try to figure out who is leading the rebels and what the true purpose of the brewing revolution is. It's a story that grabs you by the shoulder, throws you on a motorbike (so many cool bike races in here!) and screams "LET'S GOOOOO!!!"
The worldbuilding is also excellent! We get a second world fantasy country where the norm is open relationships with people of all genders, magical mushrooms that let you share other people's minds (and possibly bodies) Sense8-style, and a lot of history that explains why the current situation in the book is as it is, sprinkled throughout without interrupting the plot. An interesting and engaging world that left me wanting more! Also, every time the book starts talking about the tacos sold in Ziaparr, I start craving tacos. Seriously, they sound delicious!
The story does deal with several heavy themes. The violence I'd describe as regular action movie level and the tone is generally more "gotta solve this mystery, gotta make the world better!" than "humans can do horrible things to each other", but there sure <em>are</em> many moments of those darker things; plenty of police brutality, racism/caste systems, slavery through a terrible prison system, cultural erasure and medical experiments. Keep that in mind when reading - but do read this book if it seems like something you'd enjoy!