Synopsis
A shootout at a streetside bazaar. A pursuit through darkened city streets. A courier brutally murdered by his pursuers. Blown apart and left to rot in the gutter. All of that makes for an average day in the bowels of the megatropolis of New York City— at the bottom of the Barrel.
But for Raide, that day was anything but average. That courier was a friend— probably Raide’s best friend— and he left a life-changing contract behind. The job and its promised rewards force Raide to face impossible odds, all while eluding relentless corporate security agents and outrunning a horrifying plague that’s sweeping the city.
When faced with such a situation, there are really only two options…
Lie down and die or run like hell.
Quick Review
Run Like Hell is a bloody cyberpunk thriller that almost becomes an action horror novel in the finale—all while tackling questions of identity and humanity. It’s a wild and exciting read that I’m glad to have found.
Full Review
Run Like Hell is a gory, action-packed thrill ride of a novel, and an impressive debut from author E.A. Brand. We follow Raide, who quickly finds themselves being pursued by a “circ,” a highly modified person who seems to be unstoppable in their pursuit. All they can do is run or slow the circ down—and Brand does a fantastic job at making him seem like an unstoppable force.
As Raide is fleeing, we are given snippets of their backstory as the book goes on, but these moments never linger for too long; soon Raise needs to go on the run again, or fight their pursuers, or some combination of the two.
In the midst of all this action, there is a brilliant story about finding one’s identity. This part of Run Like Hell resurfaces a few times, and makes for a brilliant counterpoint to all of the explosions and brawls, and Raide’s transition is perfectly flavored for this cyberpunk setting where bodies can be upgraded and consciousness can be stored as data. Personally, seeing Raide come into themselves and become more confident was the highlight of this book for me.
I wish we got more downtime with Raide and their companions. A lot happens in Run Like Hell but most of it is just running. I feel a bit foolish for saying that, but the title is absolutely perfect for this book. As well as those chase and action scenes were written, I don’t think those parts of the book will be what stick with me. It’ll be Raide’s arc, and some of their friends.
Things become increasingly more violent as the story goes on. Brand never pulls their punches in this story, but toward the end Run Like Hell borrows a lot from horror. Personally, the amount of gore and body horror was a bit more than I enjoy. However, if a blend of cyberpunk and horror sounds interesting to you—and you have no issue with some gory fights—I think this could be a great genre blend.
I recommend Run Like Hell. Brand writes action very well, and the rare moments in-between were stand-outs. I’m very curious to see what Brand does next.
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