Burned by G.K. Lamb 📚 BOOK REVIEW

G.K. Lamb

I read a digital edition of Burned that I received for free from Reedsy Discovery in exchange for an honest review.

Burned is the second book in the Great Society trilogy.

Genre: Dystopian.

Publisher: Monolith Books

Originally published: November 24th, 2019

Pages: 308 (Kindle edition)

Synopsis by the publisher:

Einsam burns.

Fowler’s coup against the Caretakers’ has plunged the Great Society into civil war. With the veneer of peace shattered, violence is spiraling out of control.

The Great Society teeters on the brink of collapse.

Fleeing Einsam with her surviving companions, seventeen-year-old Evelyn Brennan carries evidence of the Caretaker’s heinous crimes. If she can find a way of smuggling it out of the country, she may be able to rally the world to intervene and stem the violence.

But hunted by enemies and haunted by the blood on her hands, Evelyn must strike an unsavoury bargain to keep her and her friends one step ahead of the flames.

My thoughts:

I had the pleasure of getting to read Filtered last year, and I was really excited to see the second novel in the trilogy find its way to Reedsy as well. Filtered ended on quite the cliffhanger, and I needed to know what happened next!

As I mentioned in my review of Filtered was a breath of fresh air in the dystopian genre, but also one that hit quite close to home when it comes to politics and propaganda. Burned does the exact same thing, and might even feel more current now in this strange and uncertain time that we’re living in at the moment

Burned is action-packed, but also adds a lot more depth to the characters than the first novel did. We meet some new characters, and we’re reunited with old ones. I wrote in my review of Filtered that I wished I would’ve gotten to know a lot of the characters better, and Burned definitely delivered on that point. I felt a lot more invested in the characters that we got to follow in this sequel, and they sure go through a lot in this book.

Burned is a book that keeps you at the age of your seat from the very beginning and till the very end. And it leaves you just as curious as to what happens next as Filtered did.
I’m not going to say much about the storyline because I don’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t read the first book yet, but I will say that so far, this series keeps getting better. I can’t wait to find out what happens in the third and final installment of the Great Society trilogy.
I’m impatiently waiting at the edge of my seat!

Click on the Reedsy Discovery logo below to get to know more, maybe get your own copy, and let me know what you think of it💛

Filtered by G.K. Lamb 📚 BOOK REVIEW

G.K. Lamb

I read a digital edition of Filtered that I received for free from Reedsy Discovery in exchange for an honest review. Filtered is the first book in the Great Society trilogy.

Genre: Dystopian

Publisher: Monolith

Originally published: November 17th, 2015

Pages: 382 (paperback)

Blurb by the publisher:

Wear Your Mask—in the smog-choked city of Einsam it’s not just a good idea, it’s the law.

Every aspect of life in the Great Society is regulated, your every action observed.

The only thoughts you can trust are your own.

Seventeen years of oppression boil in Evelyn’s mind and she’s desperate for a way out.

In an act of defiance, she breaks from routine and discovers a world of radicals and dissidents. Beliefs she thought immutable crumble away like ash.

Standing on the threshold between the world she’s always known and an uncertain path toward freedom, Evelyn must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to learn the truth about the Great Society.

My thoughts:

When it comes to dystopian novels, I tend to feel that I often come across the same storylines over and over again, but Filtered was something very different. 

It is a dystopian novel with a premise of a future that had me feeling suffocated together with the main character and wanting to fight for the truth alongside with her. And while it is fiction and all, I can’t help feeling that a lot of the scary parts of a government-driven fear hits quite close to home. We live in a world where we see the evil of the world combined with information overload, and reading a novel like Filtered has me considering how much of my everyday thinking and actions are completely my own. 

Filtered is a story of dystopia, but it is also one about power, control, propaganda and the search for truth and human kindness in the darkest of places. 

It took me a little while to connect with the main character Evelyn, but at some point, she took me by the hand on this scary but exciting adventure. There were quite a few characters that I would have loved to know better, and also a lot of questions I have been left unanswered, but knowing this is the first book in a trilogy (and ending on quite the cliff-hanger I must say), I’m hoping that will change when the story continues on. 

Filtered was a breath of fresh air, and I will be impatiently waiting for the next book in the series!

Click on the Reedsy Discovery logo below to get to know more, maybe get your own copy, and let me know what you think of it💛

Reedsy Discovery

True Calling by Siobhan Davis – REVIEW

This novel was sent to me by the author to read and give an honest review, so thank you so much Siobhan!

This is the first book in a trilogy. I read it on my Kindle. 

Published: July 28th 2014

Publisher: Self published

Pages: 400 pages (paperback)

 

 

 

Synopsis by the publisher:

TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS. ONE SHARED DREAM
Planet Novo, nestled in space twelve hundred miles above the surface of the Earth, is the new home of 17-year-old Cadet Ariana Skyee. Confused by the government-sanctioned memory erase and distressed at her impending forced marriage and motherhood, Ariana’s plans for the future are thrown into complete disarray.

As the traumatic events within her family life enfold, Ariana grows increasingly alarmed at the authorities apparent pre-occupation with her and feels progressively more isolated and alone.

Her growing feelings for fellow Cadet Cal Remus intensify as the recently announced pageant, ‘The Calling’, gets underway. Struggling to comprehend the continuous, inexplicable dreams of the mysterious Zane, discovering the past helps shape her future, with devastating personal consequences.

Siobhan Davis

***

The Writing

I did not find Siobhan’s writing style to be extremely unique, but True Calling is still written in a way that really grabs a hold of you and refuses to let go.

Well written, but I wished that she would have taken the time to describe the surroundings even more just to get an even better view of Novo.

The Characters

Ariana was a strong and well made main character that I enjoyed to follow throughout this book. I had some minor issues about how fast her feelings for Cal changed and felt it was a bit unrealistic. But love works in mysterious ways and all that jazz.

Cal, oh Cal! At first I was very charmed by his character, but it was still something about him that made me very unsure if I could trust him.

Ariana’s family is an assembly if interesting characters as well and they give extra depth and variation to the story.

The Plot

This book was definitely a fast paced one and I flew right through it in the curiosity wanting to know what was going to happen next.

That interesting mixture of science fiction and almost like a reality show made it into something very different than anything else I’ve read.

This story did definitely have some plot twists that made it even more interesting and some I really did not see coming.

Additional Thoughts

I really enjoyed this young adult novel and its originality. I look forward to continuing on with the series and seeing where this goes!

Another diamond in the rough! Some minor things that made me not give it a top score, but still one that I would highly recommend if you like science fiction and dystopian novels.

Do you want your own copy of True Calling? Click on the Amazon logo below: