Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Jacob's Ladder by Charlie Pike. It's a dystopian and science fiction tale.
Charlie Pike started his writing career when he lived in Turkey, teaching English to adults and children. When he returned to Ireland he worked as an advertising copywriter and freelance journalist, writing feature articles for Irish newspapers, until an opportunity came along to work for an Internet start-up. In 2003 he formed his own web company, Usable Design. He met his wife, Birgit, in Turkey and they now live in County Wicklow. They have two children. Charlie is a graduate of Trinity College.
His debut YA science fiction novel, Jacob’s Ladder, was published in spring 2019.
Buy Jacob's Ladder
About the book
We have heard your call
You no longer need to fear.
You will receive five messages, of which this is the first.
The last message will inform you of the time and place of your salvation.
Two hundred years from now, the earth is dying, scorched by powerful flares from the sun. A series of messages from an alien civilization sent to humanity over two centuries promise rescue to those strong enough to survive on their planet.
Initiate Leon is a member of the True Path warrior culture and preparing for his Rising. But when his test comes - to kill in cold blood - he cannot do it. To redeem himself, he must journey to find the earth’s fifth and final message from the Saviours, with the help of his resourceful servant, Martha.
Out in the wild, Leon discovers alarming changes in his body - he can drink water through his skin, and has poison barbs buried deep in his flesh. Martha reveals to him the secret that the True Path
have kept from him all this time: Jacob’s Ladder, an adaptation for life on the alien planet, has lain dormant in his genes and is now being activated. He is part alien and part human, and he is in grave danger from those who wish to take what is in his body.
An ambitious YA novel for fans of Patrick Ness, Rick Yancey and James Dashner.
The year is 2023, what remains of earth is an abysmal reminder of the past. Small pockets of survivors live in ignorant regimes reminiscent of the dark ages. There are levels of worth when it comes to humans and a strict adherence to the so-called prophetic nature of certain communications from a non-human and non-earthly source. Shades of Scientology lunacy methinks.
Initiate Leon is prepared for his mission. His Bind has been chosen and he is eager to show everyone how capable he is. It's very much a blooding ritual. Things don't go exactly to plan, which ends up with Leon having more questions than answers, and his faith in his community and world being shaken to the core.
What I really liked about this story was the way Pike managed to meld a variety of science fiction, dystopian and religious themes into the storyline. I'm not sure whether it was intentional, but there were glimpses of stories akin to Logan's Run, the oppressive and manipulative regimes of religious cults and also aspects of history, such as slavery, woven into this complex tale.
I think it's important to put things into perspective and draw parallels when it comes to this premise. It starts out strong and towards the end it gets a little confusing and wishy washy. Worms, aliens, creepy crawlies and not one moment of peace or silence.
It's a dystopian, science fiction tale and it is speculative fiction. A story that pulls from a multitude of ideas to create a fast-paced and often surreal read. Sometimes it seems as if chaos is the main character and that less is more. There are so many theories and the story is torn into a lot of directions at the same time.
Buy Jacob's Ladder at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: The O'Brien Press; pub date 1 April 2019. Buy at Amazon com.
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