Animus Paradox by Adam Bassett recently released in ebook format but starting today, it will be available in paperback as well. So a secondary HAPPY PUB DAY to the author today!
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
Animus Paradox is the continuation of a short story that appeared at the end of Digital Extremeties, Adam Bassett’s short story collection that I read a few months prior to this. [Is this a good place to mention that I love these titles?!] Some of those stories have really stuck around in my brain, which means a lot considering that usually doesn’t happen even with some of my favorite books (my ADHD brain quickly moves on to other things). I was very happy to accept a review copy of this one!
While knowledge of the short story it builds on is not necessarily needed to enjoy this one, I am still glad that I read the short story collection first because I enjoyed the references to several of them, mainly in terms of world-building. That was the one area where I was glad to have prior knowledge since that was something that stood out to me during that first book. It was the reason I wanted more stories from Adam Bassett in the first place and he really delivered with this action-packed adventure.
It was awesome how the beginning of the book immediately put me right back into the familiar setting. What originally appeared to be a simple search for a missing thief quickly turned into a much more complicated venture for our private investigator duo. I really enjoyed how solving this case played on both of their strengths and that the ending felt true to their characters as I’ve gotten to know them. While I personally like to have a bit more emotional development on page, I do think that the pace of this story worked well for its length and will be a really fun read for those that gravitate to more action-packed stories than personal introspection.
This book has shown me just how interconnected people’s lives can be, even spread out across the globe (again referencing the short story collection, I’m sorry) and how fun it can be to spot those little details. Bassett has created a story that is really fun on its own but also builds superbly on his prior work. I hate to repeat myself, but I do hope we get even more stories set in this cool future-Earth!
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