Synopsis:
There’s a thief on the loose. The Tigres excel at tipping the scales in their favor, be it through bribes, politics, or blood. They unofficially run Viterbo, Italy—and somebody stole from them.
Private investigators David and Mafalda De Campo have been hired to help find the thief. They’re in it for the money, but the Tigres just want to make a statement.
Meanwhile, the Heredes have returned: ruthless idealists and revolutionaries. It’s not clear what they’re up to, but they keep getting in the way.
The De Campos will need to decide how far they’re willing to go for this job and the Tigres. Viterbo may soon become a battlefield, and one wrong move could set it aflame.
Review:
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was first introduced to David and Maf in the short story Fireworks Above the Badlands (part of the Digital Extremities short story collection.) David is ex-military and installed with some pretty serious (although mostly deactivated) combat hardware. Mafalda (or Maf) is his wife and partner in their private investigation business. There were a few hints dropped in the short story that alluded to Animus Paradox, and I’m glad the author decided to expand on this bit of his tech-driven world.
In the short story collection, some of the tech featured in Animus Paradox was mentioned, but in this book, its showcased to its full potential. The people in this world are often heavily modified; optical and cochlear implants are almost standard, but many in this story also have armor and weapons attached to (or hidden within) their bodies. Some can link with the net without plugging in, while others immerse themselves in that virtual world so completely, their physical bodies are almost an afterthought. It’s a truly cyberpunk world, and made for a fascinating backdrop for the rest of the story.
We get to see more of future Italy’s complicated political situation as David and Maf are thrust into the middle of a dispute between rival factions during what at first appears to be a routine investigation (it’s anything but.) With lots of action from the start, the story moves quickly, even as the plot becomes more complex with each new twist in the investigation. And some of those twists I didn’t see coming (I love getting hit with an unexpected plot point.)
This was a great techno-thriller near-future sci-fi, and one I’d recommend to any fan of the cyberpunk genre.
Animus Paradox will release January 27, 2025.
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