Synopsis:
MODIFICATIONS COME AT A PRICE.
Detective Sol Harkones is tangled in the wires of a deadly conspiracy involving defective body modifications causing permanent brain damage. A suspect is known, but something more dangerous may be lurking in the shadows.
A city plagued by waste.
Violence fills the streets.
Oblivion is within reach.
Falling Into Oblivion is the electrifying first book in the Tendrils of Chrome cyberpunk sci-fi series. If you’re a fan of William Gibson’s Neuromancer, HBO’s True Detective, or Philip K. Dick’s Blade Runner, you will love Aaron M. Payne’s rapid-fire saga
Review:
Falling Into Oblivion starts in the midst of an action-packed chase scene amid Nox City. The layout of this futuristic city plagued by toxic air is described in an exciting way and delivers a first glimpse into our main character.
Sol is a detective for the Nox City Police Department. He isn’t made out to be some incredible, unrelatable superhero but an average guy. He has a family, bills, debt, and he just wants to get the job done so that he can return to his family. Except at every turn throughout his day, something delays him.
Falling Into Oblivion takes us down a twisting and turning path as Sol investigates a series of deaths. Each time he gains some insight, something sends him a few steps backward. This story takes us into the depths of a sinful nightclub, a crime scene with seemingly reluctant victims, a swampland, and an insidious warehouse.
The futuristic aspects of this book were enjoyable and understandable without being complicated or requiring explanation. Payne uses imagery and context rather than info dumps to portray things like weaponry, armor, and electronics.
One of the aspects I found so unique about this book was the idea of modifications. A person could have something installed within them to alter themselves. This could range from internal changes, such as stronger organs and fortified bones, to modifications to appearance. Some characters even had weapons or high-tech gear installed.
One of my favorite themes of this book was Sol’s resistance to the modifications, along with a world that would rather live virtually than enjoy what the real world has to offer. There are many similarities in our own society—the measures people take to become someone else and the time people spend on a fictional online persona.
Sol’s ultimate goal is to close this case so he can read his daughter Zinny a bedtime story and not worry his wife Raena. His debts are piling up and the sooner he solves the murders, the sooner he can be paid. Except what I loved about Sol was that he chose the right thing over the easy thing. He never let his personal desires get in the way of being righteous and doing what was best for the citizens of Nox City.
Payne paints an exciting and curious city, offers explosive action, and a mystery that kept me turning the pages long after my bedtime. If you’re a fan of crime thrillers set in a cyberpunk world, this one is for you.
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