Released On: 29/11/2023
Escaping the clutch of Ora, Luke is aware that their freedom is short-lived.
They are on the run; the superior Ora still needs him, and it’d stop at nothing.
Can he flare against the unbeatable foe? Are they alone in their fight? Do they have a chance against the superior humans and society that have thrived through years of genetic advancement?
This is the second and final book of the Ora series. The short story prequel To Ora is included in this book.
*****
Thanks to Sotto for gifting me a copy of his new title in return for an honest review.
Sotto kindly sent me the first book in the series – In Ora – and then was kind enough to send me the follow-up.
Much like the first book, it’s not one I would have normally chosen for myself to red, which is why I’m very grateful that authors, especially self-published authors, are taking a chance on me to read and review. This sort of dystopian fiction isn’t usually my kind of thing. I’ll read it but I usually struggle. And I won’t lie, I did struggle at times with this but I still enjoyed it overall. At it’s heart, in my view, it’s a story about love, love for your family – those still with us and those lost – friends, old and new, for your homeland, and for yourself.
There is a short prequel right at the start of the book which had originally been published before In Ora, and I thoroughly enjoyed that. I found it moving and fast paced and interesting, and if I hadn’t already have read In Ora, it definitely would have made me eager to And even though I know it has its links to the main full-length story, I would have quite happily continued in the space and time of the prequel.
It’s quite scary, this idea that a story meant to be a fictional fantasy sci-fi dystopian book, could quite easily become real, and there’s so much that is recognisable, such as robots taking the jobs of humans, alternative medicines for miracle cures, the quest for perfection, that are already a bit too close for comfort.
It really builds on what George Orwell created in 1949 with Nineteen Eighty-Four. The idea of artificial intelligence and big brother and being monitored. We are constantly monitored by one thing or another, but we all have this moral line that we can’t’ cross. And for me, a lot of this book is about that line. What are you willing to do to help or save yourself or your loved ones? Are you willing to give up your privacy for security? Who makes that call?
Sotto has taken what I enjoyed about the first book, and added to it. The world is clearer, the characters more refined, everything has just been turned up a notch.
It also looks at humanity as a whole. What it means to be human, what are our must haves, and what are we willing to lose. And who is to say what is superior. What traits are better than others? Are “perfect” people really “perfect”. And what is perfection? And what are we really ready to sacrifice to find it.
It is a mixture of genres: science fiction, fantasy, thriller, action, adventure, romance, drama, all balanced rather well.
I believe this is the last book in the duology. It is wrapped up nicely, but with a few loose ends to get the reader’s brain going. But I think there’s definitely scope for some short stories on the history of the stories, and on particular characters.
Sotto is very open that English is not his first language, and so it is commendable to write an entire book, or two, in what isn’t your main language. And I’m sure his English is much better than what I could say in his mother-tongue. Having said that, it is at times a little difficult to ignore typos and grammar issues. I think if he’d consulted someone who has English as their first language to proofread it, the reading would be smoother and therefore the word would be easier to uncover. But it doesn’t take much away from the story itself. Just go in prepared with an open mind.
Whilst it may not be the perfectly written book, it is enjoyable and entertaining and thought provoking, and has opened my eyes to the dystopian genre as a whole.
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