Very few books demand I suspend my day-to-day reality to finish it in a ‘I mean now’ way as The Synapse Sequence did.
I’ve had the honour of reviewing some truly excellent books this year, wanting them to be picked up by other readers. Not only is The Synapse Sequence one of these, it’s a damn fast ride of a read too.
In a scarily viable near future the world despises Anna Glover. Keeping her face out of the media is vital as she leads readers on a chase through our heads to solve a low ranking murder. It’s hard enough to keep our personal data personal in reality, let alone in the more vicious “Big Brother” world Godfrey builds.
The Blurb.
In a future London, humans are watched over by AIs and served by bots. But now that justice and jobs are meted out by algorithm, inequality blooms and protest is brutally silenced.
Anna Glover may be the most hated woman in the troubled city – the media s scapegoat for an unpopular war. Now she hides from the public eye, investigating neglected cases by using the mind-invading technology of the synapse sequencer to enter witness’ memories. When a PI brings her a new high-stakes case, Anna sees a chance for atonement. But soon she is drawn into a plot that threatens to upend her hard-won anonymity and put everyone in danger, even those she hopes to save.
The parallels between the plot and the coverage of media manipulation make for a frighteningly achievable future. An AI driven justice system that’s “all about the bottom line” creates a maelstrom of conflicts which maintains pace effortlessly.
It takes a certain strength of character to make many of the career choices Anna Glover has, and it could have been easy to explore those choices more. The potential for the abuse of the system, misuse of time, and invasion of personal space soaks through the pages. Godfrey keeps the focus from escalating too far by limiting the point of view and using what the reader already knows into an excellent reveal. For me, it says a lot about the plausible elements of The Synapse Sequence as it does the craft that has gone into it. You’ll know it when it hits you.
As with previous novels, Godfrey offers enough challenge to those readers who seek that in a book, but those who read for fun or don’t need the science won’t be disappointed either.
The Synapse Sequence is available for pre-order now. An absolute must read. Why? The Synapse Sequence is an example of accessible SFF that I am happy to demand any (not just genre lovers) of my friends read.
Oh, and please can I have tickets to the movie premiere?
Review copy courtesy of the publisher
© Shellie Horst – SFFWorld.com June 2018
Author Site: http://www.daniel-godfrey.com/
Twitter: @campaniadreamin
Publisher: Titan Books
Available: June 19 2018
Availability: Paperback, Kindle, Kobo
