Hey bookworms! I hope you all had a great weekend! I spent it doing a lot of reading and celebrating Canada Day so I had Monday off of work. I read The Kill Code by Clive Fleury over the weekend and it was a good one!
Synopsis: It’s the year 2031. Our future. Their present. A world decimated by climate catastrophe, where the sun’s heat is deadly and the ocean rises higher every day. A world ruled by the rich, powerful, and corrupt. A world where a good man can’t survive for long.
Hogan Duran was a good man once. He was a cop, forced to resign in disgrace when he couldn’t save his partner from a bullet. Now Hogan lives on the fraying edges of society, serving cruel masters and scavenging trash dumps just to survive.
But after four years of living in poverty, Hogan finally gets a chance to get back on his feet. He’s invited to join the National Security Council, the powerful paramilitary organization responsible for protecting the rich and powerful from the more unsavoury elements of society. All he needs to do is pass their deadly entrance exam, and he’ll be rewarded with wealth and opportunity beyond his wildest dreams.
But this ex-cop’s path to redemption won’t be easy. The NSC are hiding something, and as Hogan descends deeper and deeper into their world, he starts to uncover the terrible truth of how the powerful in this new world maintain their power…and just how far they will go to protect their secrets.
In a world gone wrong, can one man actually make a difference, or will he die trying?
This was a fast paced, action adventure and I am here for it. I really enjoyed the way it incorporated the futuristic technology and feel of past dystopian books I have read. It had elements of The Hunger Games and Divergent, two series I really love.
There are parts that had me thinking I knew what was going on only to be revealed that I was wrong and I was happy about that because the book kept surprising me. I couldn’t figure it out too quickly but it just kept moving and in a good direction. I hate when there is a book that I can figure out right away. I’m sure anyone who reads my reviews has heard me say this before.
I like reading books about a futuristic earth where resources are depleted because we never took the time to actually care about our planet. They are like little jabs at us as a population to get our priorities together (which I think we need that little kick in the butt, right?). At least if it gets to that point, after reading all of these books, I will be prepared for this type of future. But I would much rather just imagine it then have it as a reality.
Overall, this was a great, quick read full of action and adventure with twists and turns that no one could see coming!
Book Rating: 4/5
You can buy this book on Amazon or Book Depository and find it on Goodreads!
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the author in ebook format to read and give an honest review.
And guess what? We had the pleasure of conducting an author interview to go along with this review! Check it out below.
Author Interview
What is your top read of 2019 so far?
That’s a tough question. Probably “The Lost Man” by Jane Harper. It’s an eerie thriller set in the Australian outback. It’s beautifully written and has, as one of its main characters, a man called Bub. In my humble opinion, any author who is brave enough to call a central character Bub deserves high praise whatever the quality of the book.
What is your favorite book friendship?
John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” has, as its principal protagonists George Milton and Lennie Small. They are two displaced migrant ranch workers who move around California trying to find work in the Great Depression. George and Lennie have, at first sight, a totally unequal relationship. George is bright, whereas the bulky Lennie is slow-witted. But they need each other and both benefit and enjoy the other’s company. I remember when I first read the book feeling incredibly sad for days after I completed it. I couldn’t get it out of my mind.
Most anticipated book release of 2019?
Well, here’s an easy one. The sequel to Kill Code: A Dystopian Science Fiction Novel. I’m writing it and am hoping I will get it finished early enough for publication before 2020.
How many books are in your TBR Pile?
Four, and I doubt I’ll get to them soon because I have to finish my next book.
Who is your favorite author?
That’s like asking: ‘What is your favorite restaurant’. It’s an impossible question, and the answer depends on the time of day, and the last good book I read.
How did you start writing?
I was forced to write at school. At first, I hated completing essays about questions like: “What did you do in your holidays?” But my English teacher was very supportive and told me that one day I would be an author. Every writer needs that sort of encouragement!
Where is your favorite reading spot?
Lying in a hammock, by a river.
How long have you been an author?
The first book I wrote was back in 2012, though I had written screenplays before that. That book, called ‘The Boy Next Door,’ is for sale on Amazon, and aimed at the young teens market. It’s very different from Kill Code, but is still has science fiction elements. Give it a read.
What do you like about reading?
I imagine I like what most people like who read fiction—the ability to escape from this crazy world to another completely different place.
If you had to describe yourself in a book title, what would it be?
An Alien in Miami.
Check out my Booktube Real Talk tag video where I answer questions regarding books and the bookish community!
An Alien in Miami bahaha. The book sounds great, and I’m up for anything that has dystopia and climate change elements!!
Yea his answers were pretty funny for the interview 😛
Although i’m gravitating more toward another genre of books rather than scifi/dystopian, I gotta say the synopsis sounds really good!
Although maybe another form of reading, like audio, would be more appropriate for my brain 😅 im always scared books like this one ends up being too complicated.. (or if it’d gets a movie adaptation)
It’s not that complicated at all. Pretty easy to understand and it moves along quickly. I’m sure the author has it available in audio format though 😛