Synopsis
Follow the law and you’ll stay safe. But what if the law is wrong?
Tashué’s faith in the law is beginning to crack.
Three years ago, he stood by when the Authority condemned Jason to the brutality of the Rift for non-compliance. When Tashué’s son refused to register as tainted, the laws had to be upheld. He’d never doubted his job as a Regulation Officer before, but three years of watching your son wither away can break down even the strongest convictions.
Then a dead girl washed up on the bank of the Brightwash, tattooed and mutilated. Where had she come from? Who would tattoo a child? Was it the same person who killed her?
Why was he the only one who cared?
Will Tashué be able to stand against everything he thought he believed in to get the answers he’s looking for?
Review
This book came highly hyped, and after finishing, I think my prevailing thought is that I’m astounded that this is a debut, as it reads like a book written by someone who knows their craft inside out. The author puts a great deal of thought and attention to every aspect of this story and world and their love for the characters really shines through.
I knew early on that this was going to be an emotionally devastating read. The book opens with Tashué, the protagonist, witnessing the discovery of a girl’s body washed up from the river, mutilated in a horrific fashion. This is a brutal scene made worse by the apparent indifference of others around him, and we’re immediately drawn into this grim world and its multifaceted characters. We get several viewpoints throughout, but Tashué is at the centre. He’s a conflicted character from the get-go, as an officer with the government whose job is to oversee the individuals known as Talented (or “tainted”) and ensure they follow the laws. It swiftly becomes clear how brutal the consequences are for those who don’t. In fact, Tashué’s own son is locked up in the Rift, a prison for those who refuse to register as ‘compliant’ – that is, who refuse to let the government control every facet of their lives, from their job to who they choose to love. Due to his position, he has to enforce the laws, but there’s tense anger inside him that’s observed by other characters and shown through his own eyes as he faces an increasing escalation of pressures on him from all directions. He’s being pushed towards a promotion that will make him the face of the very laws that he’s starting to question as his investigation into the murdered child gains new dimensions.
As well as Tashué, we have several other prominent perspectives throughout. Stella Whiterock is a woman he’s come to be drawn to romantically, but his position makes it impossible for him to act on his feelings, and Stella herself has secrets and so does her daughter, Ceridwen. Ceridwen is a delight, and her interactions with Stella and Tashué offer some much-needed lightness in an otherwise dark narrative. The other perspectives – from the cunning Illea Winter to the flirtatious Ishmael Saeti – add nuance and dimension to the world as well as demonstrating the author’s skill in crafting characters who feel like real individuals. Every member of the cast, however minor, is drawn with a similar attention to detail and emotional depth.
This is a world with a higher level of technology than a lot of fantasy settings, with trains and photography and other elements – but all these advances come with a cost that becomes apparent as the story progresses. This is a dystopian world, one governed by laws enforced by the Authority that include things like Breeding Programs for the “tainted”, and even worse behind the scenes. In theory, non-Talented people have freedom, but the world starkly shows that this is conditional and that life is harsh for everyone regardless of their social status. In addition to the conflicts within the Dominion itself, it’s also clear that the Dominion has systematically suppressed the native populations of the lands they’ve conquered and that many characters, including the protagonist and several other major players, are forcibly alienated from part of their own heritage. Above all, all the characters are products of their world and carry its scars, and the impact permeates every aspect of their lives and their relationships with one another.
In terms of plot, the word I’d use to describe this story is “slow-burn” and whether this is a good thing or not depends on your tastes as a reader. There’s a slowly unfolding mystery and various other subplots going on, but the focus is primarily on the world and the characters who inhabit it. Both setting and character are rendered in intricate detail, and we see every facet of the city of Yaelsmuir as we move through the characters’ lives and interactions. While some readers might be impatient at the speed at which events unfold, the slow pace means that the narrative sinks its hooks in and the individual events and emotions have that much more weight. I actually gasped when I reached the sucker-punch of an ending (and then got angry with my Kindle for not downloading my copy of Book 2 fast enough, ha).
It’s easy to see why this series is so beloved by its readers. The intricate characterisation, detailed world, and weighty themes make this a book to be savoured, and it’s certainly not one I’ll forget in a hurry.
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