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Black Rain
In a darkly warped near future, lucrative disease cures are brokered on Wall Street’s Genetic Stock Exchange. And the hottest consumer products are artificially synthesized humans that serve as everything from domestic slaves to combatants in savage gladiatorial games. For Jack Saxton, the young heir to genetic design powerhouse Genico Inc., these Synthates are just a fact of life…until the murder of a high-profile genetic scientist leads a pair of seasoned NYPD detectives to Genico’s door.
As a small band of Synthate rebels steps up its attack on the status quo, Jack encounters a pleasure-parlor girl who opens his eyes to their cause. When he dares to sympathize with the rebels, Jack is hunted down and arrested for the murder. Sentenced to die in the brutal games on Bloomberg Island, Jack will be forced to fight—for his life, for the future of all Synthates, and for a chance to uncover the mind-bending secret buried in his past.
383 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
June 3, 2023
#abrknpoet reviewed Black Rain
Black Rain is a dystopian thriller set in a near future where genetically engineered humans, called Synthates, are exploited as slaves, soldiers and entertainment. The protagonist, Jack Saxton, is the heir of Genico Inc., a powerful corporation that creates and sells Synthates. When a prominent geneticist is murdered, Jack becomes a suspect and is arrested by two NYPD detectives. He soon discovers that there is a rebel group of Synthates who are fighting for their freedom and dignity. Jack also learns that he has a mysterious connection to the Synthates that could change everything.
The book is fast-paced and action-packed, with twists and turns that keep the reader engaged. The author explores the ethical and moral implications of genetic engineering and human trafficking, as well as the corruption and greed of the corporate elite. The characters are well-developed and complex, especially Jack, who undergoes a transformation from a privileged and naive young man to a courageous and compassionate leader. The book also has elements of romance, humor and horror, making it a diverse and entertaining read.
Black Rain is a gripping and thought-provoking novel that challenges the reader to question the value of human life and the meaning of identity. It is written in British English, with some Americanisms and slang terms. The book is suitable for mature readers who enjoy science fiction, mystery and suspense.
3.9 Brkn stars
Black Rain is a dystopian thriller set in a near future where genetically engineered humans, called Synthates, are exploited as slaves, soldiers and entertainment. The protagonist, Jack Saxton, is the heir of Genico Inc., a powerful corporation that creates and sells Synthates. When a prominent geneticist is murdered, Jack becomes a suspect and is arrested by two NYPD detectives. He soon discovers that there is a rebel group of Synthates who are fighting for their freedom and dignity. Jack also learns that he has a mysterious connection to the Synthates that could change everything.
The book is fast-paced and action-packed, with twists and turns that keep the reader engaged. The author explores the ethical and moral implications of genetic engineering and human trafficking, as well as the corruption and greed of the corporate elite. The characters are well-developed and complex, especially Jack, who undergoes a transformation from a privileged and naive young man to a courageous and compassionate leader. The book also has elements of romance, humor and horror, making it a diverse and entertaining read.
Black Rain is a gripping and thought-provoking novel that challenges the reader to question the value of human life and the meaning of identity. It is written in British English, with some Americanisms and slang terms. The book is suitable for mature readers who enjoy science fiction, mystery and suspense.
3.9 Brkn stars
August 4, 2016
Meh... Another dystopian story with the added complexity of clones (synthates) and how humans should treat their creations. Confusing and convoluted with a plot twist in the last few pages.
August 7, 2016
One of the more disappointing books I've received from the free Amazon program. The story just doesn't flow very well. Interesting concept, but the writing was a bit rough and just didn't flow well at all.
September 21, 2016
The one great thing I can say about this book is I finished it. The story was a good thought but I just didn't enjoy it ... Sorry wish I could give better review I was really looking forward to this one.
August 24, 2016
Black Rain Go Away
This story was a little bit different from what I normally read. I skipped around when reading this book. I was able to follow the story well enough to still understand the ending which was as weird as the remainder of the story. Don't know if I would recommend it. But you can do like did,skip around and then read the ending.
This story was a little bit different from what I normally read. I skipped around when reading this book. I was able to follow the story well enough to still understand the ending which was as weird as the remainder of the story. Don't know if I would recommend it. But you can do like did,skip around and then read the ending.
October 30, 2016
One hot mess of a book. I got it free from my Prime account. I persevered to the end, though I was ready to chuck it in long before I reached 100%. Where to begin? There were plenty of themes that could have been whole books in themselves, had they been adequately developed. I supposed that's the main thing that struck me. 1, the whole natural versus synthate society thing. There's a whole book right there explaining the whys and the hows. 2, the perversion of genetics and/or health insurance industries into disease generators for profit. 3, the murder. 4, the synthate things could have been personalized and internalized into a highly compelling autobiography. I would have enjoyed learning more about Night Comfort. Or even Jack and the murder and his un-self-awareness for that matter. 5, the sibling rivalry and daddy issues. 6, we're given a pretty interesting dystopian society that could have been profitably developed in its own right. All these kind of popped in and out and were never developed enough for me to care about any of them. And sadly, the whole "Games" construct fell flat for me. There way too many unexplained time lapses, and too many gotchas that were inadequately prepared.
April 13, 2017
Surprising
Excellent sci fy story. Filled with surprises. Just when you are sure what's going to happen, a plot twist occurs. Intriguing concept.
Excellent sci fy story. Filled with surprises. Just when you are sure what's going to happen, a plot twist occurs. Intriguing concept.
July 22, 2018
Book source ~ Kindle First
Genico produces quality Synthates, or artificial humans, and they produce cures to diseases – cures that are sold on the Genetic Stock Exchange. But when a paranoid geneticist is murdered, things at Genico start falling apart. This is where Jack Saxton, heir to Genico, Inc., has his life turned upside down when he is accused of the murder. When Synthate rebels bring him into their cause, Jack starts learning things he had no idea about, including his own past.
Even for science fiction this is hard to swallow. The writing is only so-so and the plot is half-assed. The characters fall flat and the situations that Jack finds himself in are nearly eye-rolling. Jack’s brother Phil is an asshole, but we only get a tiny part of his story so in the end his character, who could have been a great anti-hero, is just wasted. Literally wasted most of the time. Anyway, maybe others will find this a better story than I did, but in my eyes it’s only meh.
Genico produces quality Synthates, or artificial humans, and they produce cures to diseases – cures that are sold on the Genetic Stock Exchange. But when a paranoid geneticist is murdered, things at Genico start falling apart. This is where Jack Saxton, heir to Genico, Inc., has his life turned upside down when he is accused of the murder. When Synthate rebels bring him into their cause, Jack starts learning things he had no idea about, including his own past.
Even for science fiction this is hard to swallow. The writing is only so-so and the plot is half-assed. The characters fall flat and the situations that Jack finds himself in are nearly eye-rolling. Jack’s brother Phil is an asshole, but we only get a tiny part of his story so in the end his character, who could have been a great anti-hero, is just wasted. Literally wasted most of the time. Anyway, maybe others will find this a better story than I did, but in my eyes it’s only meh.
August 5, 2016
Interesting story.
Wanted to give five stars at the beginning, but solely had a hard time reading. Very good story telling, humans using the synthates as slaves. They are created in the labs of Genico. Four categories of synthates; domestic, industrial, social and guards. They fight and kill each other to entertain humans, like the Roman times in the arena build for this purpose. Somebody should make a video game of this story, youngsters will love it. Pharmaceutical companies hunger for money, sex and lots of f bombs. Got this book free with my unlimited premier account, main reason choosing this unpublished August book was the author's accomplishments.
Wanted to give five stars at the beginning, but solely had a hard time reading. Very good story telling, humans using the synthates as slaves. They are created in the labs of Genico. Four categories of synthates; domestic, industrial, social and guards. They fight and kill each other to entertain humans, like the Roman times in the arena build for this purpose. Somebody should make a video game of this story, youngsters will love it. Pharmaceutical companies hunger for money, sex and lots of f bombs. Got this book free with my unlimited premier account, main reason choosing this unpublished August book was the author's accomplishments.
November 17, 2016
Interesting read spoiled by weak ending
This was a pretty good read for most of the book. Nice plot, interesting characters. Toward the end the author seems to have tired of his task, creating fluffy passages that filled space without advancing the story. The story built to its final climax but stopped without settling what the results would be. Unsatisfying.
This was a pretty good read for most of the book. Nice plot, interesting characters. Toward the end the author seems to have tired of his task, creating fluffy passages that filled space without advancing the story. The story built to its final climax but stopped without settling what the results would be. Unsatisfying.
August 11, 2019
This book completely falls apart in the second half, somewhere around the 60% mark. It got so bad I nearly dropped it, but I read fast enough and was relatively invested by that point.
It starts with some serious promise and an interesting premise, but halfway through the plot stops making sense and starts pulling hard on tropes. I mean, it even completely apes the Matrix movie's "stay on the phone and follow my instructions if you want to live" moment. The Matrix was better.
The "games" seem to be a pointless inclusion. The environment exists in a bubble. There are so many human rights violations. The black rain was a localized event, yet somehow it and other events essentially usher in modern slavery. As a local occurrence, okay, but I can't see how there wouldn't be protests both locally and all over the country. Fortunately in this book there is no country. It exists in the bubble of post-"event" New York, and the rest of the country, the rest of the world may as well not even exist.
The twist at the end was only a mild surprise, and it was somewhat telegraphed. That said, it felt extremely contrived, as though it only turned out that way to fill the plot holes that developed over the other 90% of the book. Also, Phillip's personality basically pulls a complete 180 turn, going from drug addled wastrel to superhuman know-it-all right a the end, just so the "surprise" twist can be explained to the reader, since someone had to explain it. I guess.
Suffice to say, not only did I not like the book, but I found it extremely frustrating to see such a potentially interesting premise and world absolutely wasted on this plot and these characters.
It starts with some serious promise and an interesting premise, but halfway through the plot stops making sense and starts pulling hard on tropes. I mean, it even completely apes the Matrix movie's "stay on the phone and follow my instructions if you want to live" moment. The Matrix was better.
The "games" seem to be a pointless inclusion. The environment exists in a bubble. There are so many human rights violations. The black rain was a localized event, yet somehow it and other events essentially usher in modern slavery. As a local occurrence, okay, but I can't see how there wouldn't be protests both locally and all over the country. Fortunately in this book there is no country. It exists in the bubble of post-"event" New York, and the rest of the country, the rest of the world may as well not even exist.
The twist at the end was only a mild surprise, and it was somewhat telegraphed. That said, it felt extremely contrived, as though it only turned out that way to fill the plot holes that developed over the other 90% of the book. Also, Phillip's personality basically pulls a complete 180 turn, going from drug addled wastrel to superhuman know-it-all right a the end, just so the "surprise" twist can be explained to the reader, since someone had to explain it. I guess.
Suffice to say, not only did I not like the book, but I found it extremely frustrating to see such a potentially interesting premise and world absolutely wasted on this plot and these characters.
February 4, 2019
I find the science fiction I enjoy most requires only one or two leaps of faith and then progresses from there. I had trouble with Black Rain in this regard. There were several purported advancements that seemed convenient for the plot but not necessarily plausible otherwise. In addition, the marked societal shift in the attitude toward the synthesized humans compared to current debate over genetic science seemed abrupt and unlikely.
The book does serve an interesting purpose as a repudiation of racism and segregation, but works too hard to demonize the villains. It also suffers from a common scifi trap of gratuitous sexual content where it doesn't add much to the story.
Most of the characters end up coming off as either unlikable, improbable, or shallow. Some of the twists are foreshadowed a bit too heavily and the reveal is then more of a shrug, while other twists seem to come from a need to advance the plot toward the intended conclusion rather than its likely one.
This is squarely in my "read once" list, and not a book I would recommend to most audiences. It can still be of interest to some folks, and once started wasn't one I felt like stopping in the middle.
The book does serve an interesting purpose as a repudiation of racism and segregation, but works too hard to demonize the villains. It also suffers from a common scifi trap of gratuitous sexual content where it doesn't add much to the story.
Most of the characters end up coming off as either unlikable, improbable, or shallow. Some of the twists are foreshadowed a bit too heavily and the reveal is then more of a shrug, while other twists seem to come from a need to advance the plot toward the intended conclusion rather than its likely one.
This is squarely in my "read once" list, and not a book I would recommend to most audiences. It can still be of interest to some folks, and once started wasn't one I felt like stopping in the middle.
May 14, 2017
Enjoyable first half then entirely disappointing conclusion
I am giving this one star because it had such promise and then devolved so extremely. The seemingly original mystery of the beginning and the entertaining character voice of the gumshoe-style detective was completely sacrificed about halfway through. It is as if the author had a list of interesting ideas - selling genetic modifications that can cure disease and creating a sort of commodities market for that, creating synthetic humans grown from real human genetic material, the insanity that can come from creating a life and then watching it be destroyed, the transfer of consciousness and memories into a perfect genetic clone, and more. He took all these intriguing ideas and tried to craft a classic pulp murder mystery set in a post-apocalyptic, near future landscape. Unfortunately, he didn't have the narrative skills to pull it off. Fortunately, it was a very fast read, so I didn't sacrifice much more than a lazy afternoon on this.
I am giving this one star because it had such promise and then devolved so extremely. The seemingly original mystery of the beginning and the entertaining character voice of the gumshoe-style detective was completely sacrificed about halfway through. It is as if the author had a list of interesting ideas - selling genetic modifications that can cure disease and creating a sort of commodities market for that, creating synthetic humans grown from real human genetic material, the insanity that can come from creating a life and then watching it be destroyed, the transfer of consciousness and memories into a perfect genetic clone, and more. He took all these intriguing ideas and tried to craft a classic pulp murder mystery set in a post-apocalyptic, near future landscape. Unfortunately, he didn't have the narrative skills to pull it off. Fortunately, it was a very fast read, so I didn't sacrifice much more than a lazy afternoon on this.
June 3, 2017
Black Rain put me very much in mind of the science fiction adventure stories that were very popular in the late 1960s and 1970s. The first several chapters reminded me strongly of Robert Silverberg's Tower of Glass (which you should read if possible.)
The story is a near future, or maybe alternate reality, where tech companies have created a race of artificial humans that serve all their needs. These needs range from manual labor to bodyguard duty to gladiators for arena spectacles. This race has no rights, but are fully human except they are unable to reproduce naturally. Rather, they are "grown" in laboratories. Saying too much more will spoil the book for you.
The book is well written, the characters are nicely drawn and the plot proceeds steadily with enough twists to keep the reader interested. That said, I found the final twist unsatisfying which cost a star in my rating.
This would be perfect for conversion to a summer blockbuster movie. Or maybe a series on Netflix.
Recommended for those who enjoyed the simpler sci-fi that was produced a generation ago.
The story is a near future, or maybe alternate reality, where tech companies have created a race of artificial humans that serve all their needs. These needs range from manual labor to bodyguard duty to gladiators for arena spectacles. This race has no rights, but are fully human except they are unable to reproduce naturally. Rather, they are "grown" in laboratories. Saying too much more will spoil the book for you.
The book is well written, the characters are nicely drawn and the plot proceeds steadily with enough twists to keep the reader interested. That said, I found the final twist unsatisfying which cost a star in my rating.
This would be perfect for conversion to a summer blockbuster movie. Or maybe a series on Netflix.
Recommended for those who enjoyed the simpler sci-fi that was produced a generation ago.
September 12, 2017
I'll be honest, it was a bit of a challenge getting into Black Rain as the action doesn't really start to pickup until about 1/3 of the way in. I am glad that I continued, though because it was a mostly enjoyable read. There's a lot of familiarity here regarding Delaney's view of a dystopian future with synthetic humans ("synthates" here) living alongside "natural" humans and, although he weaves in current genomic research elements, in the end I did not feel there was enough here that felt truly new. A lot of the new slang or terminology of this world never quite landed for me. There are some fun twists and turns but nothing that was truly a "wow, did not see that coming" moment. More than anything, the book just doesn't live up to its title, for those familiar with either the Masuji Ibuse novel of the same title about the fallout from Hiroshima or even the same titled 1989 Michael Douglas film.
June 7, 2017
This book is a dystopian science fiction novel set in future New York. Bits of the novel were page turners, it made for an easy read. Once I started I wanted to know how it would end so I finished it.
However, parts of the book were a bit slow. Furthermore, I didn't think the characters seemed compelling, consistent, or to behave as normal people would in the situations they were put in. There were several twists in the plot that just rang false.
Many of the technologies described did not seem scientifically plausible or practical. The way that the author describes society being organized did not seem at all realistic to me even if the technologies described were to exist.
Finally, the ending was too much of a hopeless downer, and there weren't really any characters you could root for, and few that you could empathize with.
However, parts of the book were a bit slow. Furthermore, I didn't think the characters seemed compelling, consistent, or to behave as normal people would in the situations they were put in. There were several twists in the plot that just rang false.
Many of the technologies described did not seem scientifically plausible or practical. The way that the author describes society being organized did not seem at all realistic to me even if the technologies described were to exist.
Finally, the ending was too much of a hopeless downer, and there weren't really any characters you could root for, and few that you could empathize with.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2017
I just didn't enjoy the book. I know its supposed to be science fiction but the timing just didn't work for me. Its a world where we've mastered genetic manipulation so I'm thinking at least 20 or 30 years in the future. Add to that the fact that our character is in his late twenties or early thirties and we're looking at a minimum of 50 years in the future. But the clubs are still playing bad one hit wonders from the 80s. That doesn't jive with me. Then the supposed fact that we have sucken to the depths of creating living human beings so we can re-enact brutal battles from the past and take glory in seeing them killed on a weekly basis. It was just too much for me to accept. Add to the fact that I just never cared about what was happening to Jack. Definitely the worse book I've listened to in quite a while.
July 16, 2017
Another reviewer here mentions this reads as if the author is "stringing together the corpses of popular movies from the last 25 years".
I concur, and this has been an increasingly frustrating problem in the realm of fantasy/horror/sci-fi/dystopian lit for the past two decades.
Write a screenplay if you want to regurgitate tropes for money (or to satisfy your fandom). Write a novel if you want complete freedom and autonomy to explore a world of your own creation and to break new ground. Even the title "Black Rain" is as generic (and overused) as the story and characters here.
Harsh criticism aside, Delaney shows promise as a writer. Perhaps when he exhausts his influences, we'll get something truly interesting.
I concur, and this has been an increasingly frustrating problem in the realm of fantasy/horror/sci-fi/dystopian lit for the past two decades.
Write a screenplay if you want to regurgitate tropes for money (or to satisfy your fandom). Write a novel if you want complete freedom and autonomy to explore a world of your own creation and to break new ground. Even the title "Black Rain" is as generic (and overused) as the story and characters here.
Harsh criticism aside, Delaney shows promise as a writer. Perhaps when he exhausts his influences, we'll get something truly interesting.
September 6, 2017
I was barely interested when I read the description of the book, but it was the most interesting among the five I could choose from. Amazon's first read selection that comes with my prime had a not very interesting selection that month.
Then I began to read it. Started out not to bad, then just got worse. My main conplaint is the fact that Delaney didnt really develope a relationship with the reader. This book would have been better as a trilogy. Give the reader a chance to invest in the world of the synthates. To feel for them. I just couldnt care for what was happening.
Saying all that the story idea was great. I love the idea that companies have been able to come up with cures for pretty much anything. The dilivery system sounds interesting as well. There have been other books and other authors who have delt with the odea of artificially created slaves, but Delaney's Synthates are pretty unique and sounds like something I want to learn more about.
Then I began to read it. Started out not to bad, then just got worse. My main conplaint is the fact that Delaney didnt really develope a relationship with the reader. This book would have been better as a trilogy. Give the reader a chance to invest in the world of the synthates. To feel for them. I just couldnt care for what was happening.
Saying all that the story idea was great. I love the idea that companies have been able to come up with cures for pretty much anything. The dilivery system sounds interesting as well. There have been other books and other authors who have delt with the odea of artificially created slaves, but Delaney's Synthates are pretty unique and sounds like something I want to learn more about.
September 18, 2017
Wow. Just wow. So I did NOT see that ending coming. But it's a good ending, I must say. After an edge-of-your-seat page-turner of a novel, I didn't see that last twist coming. And it makes perfect sense. So wow. Just wow.
So this is a sci-fi thriller. I'm a big fan of thrillers (usually spy thrillers or legal thrillers) and not such a fan of sci-fi. But I must say if the fiction part of sci-fi was this good all the time, I might change my mind. I still wouldn't know enough about science to know if that part was any good, but, hey . . .
Anyway, I recommend this book. Very highly. You should read it. I think you'll enjoy it.
Disclosure: I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Goodreads encourages, but does not require, the winners to review the books.
So this is a sci-fi thriller. I'm a big fan of thrillers (usually spy thrillers or legal thrillers) and not such a fan of sci-fi. But I must say if the fiction part of sci-fi was this good all the time, I might change my mind. I still wouldn't know enough about science to know if that part was any good, but, hey . . .
Anyway, I recommend this book. Very highly. You should read it. I think you'll enjoy it.
Disclosure: I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Goodreads encourages, but does not require, the winners to review the books.
August 31, 2017
There were certainly good parts to the story, but as a whole I wasn't in awe of it. I feel the landscape wasn't developed enough to understand how the world go the way it was. The use of newer terms ('mao' 'synths' 'samps') also felt unnecessary except to show it was a futuristic society. They also took a while to get used to, making the reading a little less interesting early on.
In general the story wasn't a bad one. There were items left unfinished and that left me less interested in how the story moved along and the purpose of putting them in to begin with. Perhaps the author wanted to come back to those items but never did.
In general the story wasn't a bad one. There were items left unfinished and that left me less interested in how the story moved along and the purpose of putting them in to begin with. Perhaps the author wanted to come back to those items but never did.
June 18, 2019
A premise with a lot of promise.
I really enjoyed Delaney's "Memory Agent" and decided to check out some of his earlier work. For me, 'Black Rain' had some really interesting ideas that might have been constructed better if he was approaching the book now. The cover doesn't do it any justice as it comes across like it's going to be pulp fiction gladitorial battles. In actuality, there's some very thoughtful political treatise in the book. The problem is that there is also something of a Gatsby-esque murder mystery scene, gladitorial inspired scenes, spy-caper / Mission Impossible scenes. There are some great ideas in the book it just struggles to settle on a genre / tone.
I really enjoyed Delaney's "Memory Agent" and decided to check out some of his earlier work. For me, 'Black Rain' had some really interesting ideas that might have been constructed better if he was approaching the book now. The cover doesn't do it any justice as it comes across like it's going to be pulp fiction gladitorial battles. In actuality, there's some very thoughtful political treatise in the book. The problem is that there is also something of a Gatsby-esque murder mystery scene, gladitorial inspired scenes, spy-caper / Mission Impossible scenes. There are some great ideas in the book it just struggles to settle on a genre / tone.
September 14, 2023
If you've ever read any Robert Silverberg, he wrote a book called "Tower of Glass". This book has a parallel theme to Silverberg's plot where Androids are an in-human group that are definitely sub-human. Looked upon as slaves, and even having social classes ranging from Alphas to Gammas that have different levels of inherent value. Here, in "Black Rain" it's an examination of "Synthates". Biologically created creatures that are enslaved by the human population and chaffing under being treated in an inhumane fashion.
Mr. Delaney is not the author Silverberg was, so although the story is entertaining, to me in some fashion, it's a retelling of "Tower of Glass".
Mr. Delaney is not the author Silverberg was, so although the story is entertaining, to me in some fashion, it's a retelling of "Tower of Glass".
April 5, 2018
I tried to start this book twice before, and for some reason it didn't grab me enough to keep going. I recently decided to give it one more try, this time with the Audible version. I easily got past my previous stopping points, and was soon engrossed in the story. My third try was worth it! So much so, I find myself trying to remember why in the world I didn't get into earlier.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sci-fi thrillers that deal with deeper questions about what it means to be alive and human.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sci-fi thrillers that deal with deeper questions about what it means to be alive and human.
June 25, 2018
Plenty of twists and turns, however the end was severely disappointing. While the final twist had so much potential, the story took way too long to get through and spent so little time with the twist that the author just wanted me to accept. Motives were way out there and pretentious. Too many descriptive parts that mattered little to not at all. Characters having little consistency. By the end, the entire world in the story could have been destroyed and I would have not cared.
Book contained a lot of unnecessary swearing, which is something I do not enjoy.
I give it 2 outta 5 stars.
Book contained a lot of unnecessary swearing, which is something I do not enjoy.
I give it 2 outta 5 stars.
August 14, 2018
Human synthetics?
The name of this novel refers to a plague released in NYC deliberately by the corporation Genisco to insure that people would continue to pay for sure treatments so the company continues to be profitable. But that's not the only thing, they also create human artificial creatures who do the grudge jobs that humans don't care to do. Somehow these artificial androids rebel against their treatment by humans in their fight to be treated equally. This was an interesting story with some thought provoking ideas about we treat others.
The name of this novel refers to a plague released in NYC deliberately by the corporation Genisco to insure that people would continue to pay for sure treatments so the company continues to be profitable. But that's not the only thing, they also create human artificial creatures who do the grudge jobs that humans don't care to do. Somehow these artificial androids rebel against their treatment by humans in their fight to be treated equally. This was an interesting story with some thought provoking ideas about we treat others.
January 30, 2024
(Rating 2.5) —- I don’t necessarily think that this is a bad book, it’s just my personal preferences are not this genre so you could actually say it’s my own fault for reading it. For example, I wasn’t interested in the synthetic humans or the tech side of the world, and knew this going into it. But I was interested in the brother’s relationship and thought this created a good base for the book so decided to give it a go. But my main issue was with the world building. Instead of showing us the world there was just a lot of info dumping or exposition which didn’t work for me either.
December 29, 2017
When is a page turner not a good thing? When it turns into a hackneyed, illogical, frenzy to an unsatisfying ending. Okay, that may be a bit harsh for a book I managed to finish. I’ll give credit for an interesting premise, but this story really got away from the author. He threw everything but the kitchen sink into it and the number of plot twists was ridiculous. Really needed an editor. And yes we got the none too subtle reference to Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe novels.
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October 25, 2019Got through 30% and didn't know what was happening - too many threads. It started out as a murder mystery but then abandoned that story line to introduce the world-building setting of a synth (clone) uprising in the works, along with a "big tech" conspiracy. Not sure what storyline this novel wants to pursue but I can't follow it - dystopian, thriller, murder mystery? Not sure. Will probably skim to the last 20% of the book to see if anything gets resolved.
June 26, 2017
Amazon First: I give up, this book is awful. I can't follow it. I appreciate that the author is trying to put us in w new world and give us a new point of view, but he is doing an awful job. This book is rambling, with characters that I cannot like or care about. I am done. I rarely give up on books, but I am 35% the way through and cannot give up more of my time on it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews