Vestige
Book One
by Anonymous @vestige_books
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Pub Date 27 Feb 2024 | Archive Date 15 May 2024
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Description
In the shadow of an apocalyptic prophecy, a group of millennials inherits the ancient technology that creates new religions, and must decide when—and how—to change the world.
“Crisis, this next great Earth was gifted to them. An entire generation, silenced by situation, incubated.”
Istanbul, yesterday: in a room above a shop selling swords made of stone, trinkets made of glass, and sacred souvenirs, the last of the trained saints decided to die. The only word on their suicide note? Muleykha.
They were the Auromzed of the Ohm ce Alefa—the ancient, secret council that designed every religion known to humankind. Equipped with the technology that their ancestors dispersed in all corners of the globe, this circle has manufactured miracles, induced prophets, and guided morality through the rise and fall of every civilization on Earth. A new council ascends every 360 years, and muleykha is their most-heeded prophecy: that three women seated at their table of six will trigger the end of the world.
Now, the heirs—an architect, a warrior, an archivist, an inventor, a businessman, and a budding physician—must make sense of their parents’ decision and pick up, untrained, where their elders left off. As they attend to their grief while devising a plan to address every crisis of the modern age, how much will what they do and don’t know undermine them?
For fans of the themes in Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, the inventions in Ted Chiang’s Exhalation, and the scope of Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy, Vestige: Book One merges elements of universal heritage with avant-garde world-building to deliver a cathartic—and at times humorous—speculative fiction commentary on how we survive our times.
Advance Praise
“Set in the present day and featuring millennial central characters, this book can best be described as a blend of high fantasy and urban fantasy, and the novel’s world is built with rich detail. The author also presents readers with a well-developed ensemble cast, resulting in a story that’s thought-provoking throughout.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Intriguing technologies and imagery arise… [and] inventive terms punctuate the narrative, emphasizing just how different the saints’ world is from the world they seek to protect. … the book’s cliffhanger conclusion soars thanks to its freeing realizations. The first in a series, Vestige is a science fiction novel about the ethical ramifications of trying to change the world, even with the best of intentions.” —Foreword Clarion Reviews
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Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9798989287932 |
| PRICE | US$18.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 400 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Terri P, Reviewer
Reading this book is akin to taking a deep dive into a richly-fabricated speculative world, filled with interesting and intricate creatures, ideas and characters, and defined by an entirely new language. (Note: the author includes a very helpful glossary).
Touching on many philosophical ideas and a whole host of mindful offshoots (a plus, for this reader, but not, perhaps, for all ) this is not a quick read, or one without challenges, but in the view of this reviewer, is a read worth every minute.
The world as described is urban, and initially not perceived as all that different from our own, but is quickly revealed to be guided, under the covers, by a collective (really a sort of secret society) of "Saints", - human members of the ancient Ohm ce Alfa, who are responsible for the governance of morality, religion, and the related behaviour of humankind.
The collective operates with the help of multiple species of vivid and strange genetically-engineered creatures (generally known as d'oren) and other centuries-old technologies and tools (all of which are beautifully rendered, visually rich, and inventive).
Without giving the plot away (and what a multilayered and fantastical world this is), the story follows several young potential heirs to the Ohm ce Alfa - considering their options as they step up to assume responsibility for individual family lines covering global human innovation, knowledge, nature, trade, communication, and war.
Touching on existential and philosophical themes including: what makes us human; God vs religion; female disparity and power; bigotry; 'rightness' vs morality; and the oppressive reach of responsibility - the author builds a world as thoughtful as it is immersive.
With a twisty ending (amidst some still unanswered questions), this book is the first in a new series that is destined to be a treat for lovers of urban fantasy, science and literary fiction.
A great big thank you to Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.
***This book will be published Feb 27, 2024
Four and a half shiny stars
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