Holy plot twists! This book roundhouse-kicked my expectations into next week and then politely helped them back up.
Barnes and Preiman have created a writing partnership smoother than my attempts at small talk. These two mesh so seamlessly I kept forgetting there were two brains behind this madness.

The world-building is so detailed I could probably file taxes in their fictional universe. The characters are so well-developed I started giving them mental relationship advice like they were actual friends. This is either excellent writing or I need more real friends.

The plot moves faster than my Monday morning motivation (practically supersonic). Just when I thought I had things figured out, the authors threw another curveball that made me question everything.

My only complaint: This book made me neglect responsibilities. My dishes are judging me, and I'm pretty sure my plants staged an intervention.

Bottom line: "The Amaranth Chronicles" is like finding money in your pocket – unexpected, delightful, and making your whole day better. Perfect for anyone who enjoys being emotionally destroyed in the best possible way.

Will I stalk their future releases? Already bookmarked their social media. Don't judge me.

This is the first novel by authors Alexander Barnes and Christopher Permian (https://theamaranthchronicles.com). They have also published several associated novellas. The Amaranth Chronicles: Deviant Rising was published in 2017. It is the 34th book I completed reading in 2025.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.

The Helix is a miracle of personal communication. But, as is so often true, technology can be twisted into evil intentions. The United Planets of Earth (UPE) had begun using Helix to control their widespread citizens. The population of Earth was divided into different strata, with the wealthy and powerful residing on the high terrace and those just scraping out an existence living in the undercity.

Lithia Boson and her younger brother Bobby are orphans taken in by their Aunt Petra and Uncle Amir in an upscale neighborhood of San Francisco. Much to her Aunt’s chagrin, Lithia often makes her way down to the undercity. Bobby lives vicariously through Lithia and her tales of adventure. He has a condition that prevents him from getting out much.

Captain Xander Pacius commands the Strife Merchant Marine vessel Deviant Rising. His First Officer is Sara Rin. They lead a group of Strife vessels in a protest of the UPE, dumping their cargo in space instead of delivering it to Earth. The notorious UPE vessel Enigma intercepts the protesting ships. Captain Shard of the Enigma has quite a reputation. Without any compassion, Shard orders the Enigma to fire on the mostly unarmed protesters.

UPE Lambda observer Cade Path is on board the Enigma. Path is ruthless and has nearly unlimited power. He and Captain Shard do not get along, and it is only due to their respective importance within the UPE that they have not come to open conflict.

Strife Governor Maher travels to Earth to address the growing concerns. Before leaving Strife, he adds the young mechanic/engineer Aurelius to his crew. Maher’s pleas to the UPE are rejected, and as his ship is returning home, it is attacked by the Enigma. Few survivors escape. The UPE is becoming more confrontational with those who oppose them. Path is having a change of heart. He falsifies orders to release Pacius and the other Deviant survivors.

Many living in the undercity begin demonstrating against the UPE and Helix. Boson takes a close friend, Vijay, down into the undercity to hide him from the UPE. She takes him to Priestess Tarja, the leader of the Magdalene religious order. The Amaranth is a small spacecraft Boson inherited from her parents. She has used it for short trips from time to time for the Magdalenes.

Path is now on the run from UPE authorities. He knows Tarja and seeks her assistance with leaving Earth. Tarja asks Boson to use the Amaranth to get Path to safety. Reluctantly, Boson agrees.

The protests have moved into open rebellion, though the UPE is quick to brutally crush any who opposes them. Boson is dragged into the thick of things, with the only positive thing being meeting Aurelius. Many are now being pursued by the UPE for instigating or participating in the revolt. Death or imprisonment seems like the only outcome.

I enjoyed the 11 hours I spent reading this 406-page science fiction novel. The novel was enjoyable, but it was busy with many characters and a somewhat chaotic storyline. I do like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.5 (rounded to 5) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for my copy.

I did enjoy the story and the introductions of all the characters, but I feel like we didn't really see the person who was supposed to be the main character much. We got everyone’s point of view so much more since it was important to the plot. According to the description, it takes a while to even get to that point. Its about 60-70% into the book. I thought I would be able to see much more of her and how she would do anything for her brother, but that’s only a small portion of the book. I was honestly confused. The antagonist just kills off everyone we have come to know and might even like. If they get in his way, he just gets rid of them, even if they didn’t do anything at all and does things that shouldn’t be possible, even if you are humanly modified.. And there was definitely instalove, which was okay.