#PublicationDayPush Unbroken Truth by Lukas Lundh

 It's a pleasure to take part in the Publication Day Push for Unbroken Truth by Lukas Lundh.

About the Author

Lukas Lundh grew up around books and started writing in early childhood. He speaks English, Swedish and Japanese from living in New Zealand as a teen and studying for a year in Japan in early 20s.

He is educated in philosophy, game design, creative writing and is currently working on a history degree. Between reading course books which inspire history flash-fictions, Lukas writes everything in between space opera, fantasy steelpunk, and post-ap war dystopias.

His debut novel, a steelpunk spy thriller, Unbroken Truth, is available for pre-order. He doesn’t blog, but he is active on twitter.

Follow @LundhLukas on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit thefifthhorizon.com, Buy Unbroken Truth

About the book

Beneath the arcane Rustpeaks lies the city of Lansfyrd, where visibility is at an all-time low and airships rumble through the skies. Detective Lentsay “Len” Yoriya is a former homicide detective stuck at a burglary assignment as punishment for loving the wrong person. But when a xenophobic radio-shaman is murdered and the killers try to frame the city’s oppressed insectoids, Len sees a chance to prove her worth. Though high-profile murders are rarely uncomplicated.

In the city’s affluent quarters, Len’s partner Vli-Rana Talie works as a lector at the university, studying the history of a species that once ruled the world. As the temperature rises for her partner, Vli will soon realize that delving into history, that some would prefer was forgotten, will carry risks of its own. Especially when the ambitions of empires are affected.

Meanwhile, there is an election coming up, and the tension simmering in the city is reaching a boiling point. Vli and Len must find what allies they can and face the powers that threaten their home.

History never ends, and unless its lessons are heeded what was once the past might become the present.

Review

First and foremost this needs a glossary at the beginning of the story. It is so complex and intricate the readers who are new to the world-building of Lundh will need an imprint of his mind-map. Species, politics, evolvement of the dystopian world, ergo the pre-history. Heck I want pictures, maps and this could absolutely be a great graphic novel with the right illustrator - just saying. Insectoids - that just has to be a nightmare for some readers out there.

Len is a police detective stuck in a rut and unable to progress in her career, because her choice of personal partner absolutely works against her. When a nasty little shaman is murdered she sees her chance to finally pressure the upper echelon to let her back into the world of homicide.

At the same time her partner becomes involved in a dangerous game of secrets that need to remain buried as the political tensions in the city start to boil over as an election looms. An election that can really change the day-to-day lives of others and the oppressed if it goes a certain way.

Is Steelpunk the new Steampunk? Hmm, good question, but for me there is no comparison. I'm not even sure if I would put this Steelpunk Spy thriller into the genre of Steelpunk per se. It has such a fantastic dystopian feel that it needs its very own sub-genre, especially because of the very species specific premise.

Whilst I am thinking of it, I also thought Lundh drew some interesting tongue-in-cheek comparisons to political and real time realities we are living through and with right now. Simultaneously also for inserting the same kind of discrimination, racism and xenophobia we are still experiencing in the 21st century. Kudos for sneaking a few nice little daggers in there.

Lundh is absolutely an author I would return to and recommend. I do enjoy creative speculative fiction that endeavours to bend and break boundaries. This is the first book in the Gleam series and I am looking forward to seeing where Lundh takes it next.

Buy Unbroken Truth at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com. Buy Unbroken Truth from Kobo, Apple, Google, Kindle, !ndigo, Angus and Robertson, Vivlio, Scribd and 24 Symbols at books2read.