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Book Review: Aestus, Book 1: The City

Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆ 4/5

Title: Aestus, Book 1: The City

Author: S.Z. Attwell

Publication Date: August 6, 2020

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian ,

Cover:

I like the color palette and how the title pops against the deep red. I love when an author chooses a distinct design to represent a series, which is exactly what Attwell has done with Aestus, Book 1: The City, and its sequel Aestus, Book 2: The Colony.

Premise

Climate change has made the surface of the Earth almost uninhabitable due to excessive heat, with only a mysterious creature known as the Onlar wandering above ground. Ten-year-old Jossey Sokol encountered and survived a tragic accident involving the Onlar, but she was left with prominent and disfiguring scars across her face and the burden of believing her actions caused the death of her brother and father. Now, in her early twenties, she reencounters the Onlar when these vicious monsters attack her people and underground home. She decides to join the Patrol and use her expertise as a solar engineer to bring much-needed resources to her community, but this project will push Jossey to her limits as she fights to survive and face the truth about the people closest to her.

Why I chose this book:

Author S.Z. Attwell requested this review. I loved the inclusion of a female heroine and was curious to read Attwell’s tale of what the future might hold.

First Impression:

The preface sparked many questions and was enough to hook me. I enjoyed how Attwell revisited Jossey’s childhood and then jumped forward to her “present” day.

What I loved:

Jossey is a reluctant hero, which makes her more relatable because of the reader’s ability to identify with her being an average woman thrust into unlikely circumstances. She uses her intelligence, courage, and a healthy dose of luck to navigate her way through various risky situations where her life and those around her are in jeopardy. Her character is in direct contrast to the men in her life, Gavin and Caspar, who are physically strong, resourceful, and highly skilled fighters. Attwell did a nice job of having these characters play off of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Just when I thought I knew where Attwell was going with the story, she pulled out a plot twist, leaving me surprised and intrigued. This happened several times and was part of what kept me reading! This continued all the way up until the end, and it was unexpected how invested in the story I had become at that point. Attwell concluded the book at just the right moment, leaving me wanting more and giving me a reason to pick up book two.

Additional Thoughts:

Aestus is 700 pages long, which initially caused me some concern. At that length, an author must be able to tell an engrossing story with depth in plot, descriptions, and characters. However, I was surprised by how quickly the story progressed! Most of the time, I eagerly turned pages wanting to know what would happen next. While most scenes moved quickly, others felt unnecessarily lengthy, and I wondered if the same impact could not have been achieved in a more concise manner.

Aestus could increase its star rating through another round of editing focusing on the clarity of certain passages, punctuation, and stronger descriptions. For example, the phrase “long silver eyes” was used repetitively, and I still don’t understand the description of describing eyes as long. Also, the chapters often ended mid-scene and not necessarily at natural stopping points, which I found distracting.

Quotable Quotes:

• The safety lights glowed softly, dotting the tunnel floor like a galaxy of blood red stars. A part of Jossey noted that in another situation, they might be beautiful.
• “Your mind seems to process everything faster when you’re afraid, when you’re highly focused,” he said. “It’s like how you blink before you consciously see something coming at your eye. You have to read your enemy, act accordingly.” He glanced down at the stick. “I was good at that.”
• The Onlar’s fires had been lit, and the sparks flew up, joining hundreds of stars above the canyon walls. She looked up. Above what she thought was the eastern canyon wall, she could see what looked like a thick band of stardust, winding overhead. She stared openmouthed at its beauty. She’d never seen stars like this. Not since the night Tark had been taken.
• She looked at her partner. She might not fully trust him, but she trusted his abilities.

Who might enjoy this book:

Aestus is ideal for readers who love dystopian science fiction and are willing to invest time in a story that moves quickly from scene to scene.

Overall Impression:

Four stars. Attwell’s debut novel, Aestus, Book 1: The City, is one to be proud of as it highlights her imagination and ability to tell a page-turner of a story! While the length may feel daunting to some, the story moves quickly, offering surprises along the way. Attwell ends the first book in such a way that the reader is immediately ready to pick up the second book because of the investment in the main characters and their fate. I look forward to reading Aestus, Book 2: The Colony!

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