Review: Dust and Lightning

Genre: Science Fiction, Futuristic Dystopia, Speculative Fiction

Pages: 124

Publisher: Independent

Published: February 4, 2020

In the near future, humans have gone beyond simple space travel. By the year 4054, multiple solar systems are inhabited, and taking a spaceship is as commonplace as taking an aeroplane.

Unfortunately, not everything about the future is so advanced. The central planets, led by Earth, have risen high at the expense of cheap labour on distant worlds. Dissent is widespread and arrests are common. Sometimes prisoners are released; sometimes they disappear without a trace, sent to labour camps in other solar systems.

When Ames Emerys receives a letter telling him that his brother Callum has died en route to the remote planet of Kilnin, he takes the first ship he can off Earth, desperate for answers. But the secrets Ames uncovers prove far more dangerous than he could have imagined.

And trouble isn’t far behind.

This was a lot of fun. The main leads are both interesting and compelling. They both compliment each other and fill a capabilities gap where one is lacking. There is no “stand back dear, I’ll save you” moments. When the going gets tough, both characters roll up their sleeves and work together to save the day.

The future technologies aren’t bogged down by strange terms or technobabble- there is just enough to give you the idea of how advanced the setting is. The characters feel natural and effortless. How quickly the mains take to one another is a bit fast but it just feels right. No one feels eye-rolling too perfect or over the top. It’s fantasical but just enough and the pacing flows rather well.

This ends in a nice lead up to a sequel. Thank you to Rebecca for sharing her book with me.

4 of 5