The Zero Patient : Book 1
- Liquid Frost
- Apr 1, 2016
- 3 min read
This book's story could be interpreted differently, but below is my take on the setting and characters. There are many unknowns before and after this read. Although the author may disagree, I highly encourage readers to check out his other works first; especially Life is a Beautiful Thing. If you can make it through Meme's scattered, neurotic, and drugged ramblings in the series launch, then you can handle Hunter (antagonist of this book). The world carries on after a nuclear war, or some other catastrophic event; rendered the environment a hellish landscape with numerous wind storms, scorched lands, and a sky rarely seen blue; and even more fleeting - rain. Post-Event Dystopian for sure. Rations and Religion Rule. It is the North vs. the South, with a War Zone and DMZ in-between; all contained in the Canyon, parts unknown. Religious ideology has become the norm, yet it is the greatest divider of men and the largest differentiating factor between North and South. Aside from economical trade between the two factions, neither would piss on one another if they were a blaze. Carrying the Caste theme of dystopian fiction, there are the Devout, Uppers, Lowers, and those barely above, if not equal to, manure. That said, there is an unknown at play in both class and environment. I'm sure this will play out more as the trilogy continues. There are those with 'metal bones' and an officer class that have tech, arms, and are the force between the two sides. Speaking of tech, this is a low-tech world - at least what we've seen. Rocks, sticks, and shivs are the weapons on hand. Books - there is only one. Well, two I imagine. The gospel of the North and its cousin in the South. There is one Goddess, well, each have theirs; Time (N) and Halo (S); beautiful women that have the devotion of the masses. In this series launch, there are four major characters: Sterling, Bolt, Halo, and Hunter. Sterling, a Northerner is on a mission to kidnap the Goddess of the South and bring her across the border. He picks up Bolt, a kid trying to make his way in the South, and the two end up successfully nabbing Halo. The hard part is making it home. Hunter is an abused, deranged and devoted man with major issues; not to mention his burning need to kill the faceless and consume their flesh. Take Hannibal Lector and toss in random crazy and you have the beginning of this character. For example, "Carve your skin, begin again once scabs form, skin torn is skin reborn." As stated, crazy. His mission, to save the Goddess. And that, dear readers, is where I end things. There are no spoilers found above, but I think it will help knowing a little about the book. There was no premise or synopsis attached.
4 of 5 stars. ARC provided by author From the Publisher:
Including the synopsis --
Sterling is a gambler with his family's lives at stake. Halo is a Goddess with a troubling secret. Hunter is a religious fanatic with an unquenchable thirst for human flesh. No questions asked, no answers questioned. The Book is the text that separates the people of the Canyon. It is the reason they fight in the War Zone, the reason they pray, the reason they live, the reason they die. It is the reason they never ask questions. From the writer of the Life is a Beautiful Thing and The Feedback Loop series comes a dystopian cyberpunk trilogy about humanity's greatest dividing factors. Religion, politics, environmental degradation, class warfare -- all play their roles in the Canyon, the last surviving colony of people on Earth.
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