I received an advance review
copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Dogs of DevTown is a dystopian urban cyberpunk Sci-Fi
story set in a place called DevTown. It could be any large city in the US where
conditions have deteriorated to where crime runs rampant in the streets, and
crime lords are in charge. The description of DevTown is very similar to that
of a future Los Angeles in the 1982 Blade Runner film.
Overall, I enjoyed this book.
It starts with action and doesn't stop until one closes the book. It moves at
breakneck speed, but it is so well written, the reader will have an easy time
understanding the story.
Everyone in DevTown is bad. No
one seems to have any redeemable qualities, including the principal character,
Shan Hayes. She is a bounty hunter who takes on contracts from crime lords to
track down those who have crossed them. When Shan receives a contract from a
particularly nasty crime lord, she does not know what she is getting into. For
her, it is just another paycheck along the way. As she tracks her contract, she
learns just how deep the evil goes in DevTown. A megalomaniacal cyber-entity
seeks to download itself into a body, and Shan gets in the way. She is dogged
by this entity until there is a final epic showdown. The contract she accepts
could prove to be more than even she can handle.
Shan Hayes is a human who uses
chemicals to enhance her abilities as she hunts for criminals. She is not a
nice person and will go to incredible lengths to complete her tasks, including
almost killing herself. There isn't a lot to say about Shan, other than she is
relentless and ruthless. This is not someone I would want to meet in a dark
alley, or anywhere else. One thing I would have liked to have known is a little
more background on this character. Where did she come from? What made her the
way she is? These are just a couple of questions I would have liked to know the
answers to. What we know is she has shunned all the cybernetic and mechanical
enhancements everyone else in the story seems to favor.
Shan relies on help from a few
shady characters along the way. One, Kim Le, is a scientist in the NexDev
tower, a prominent structure in DevTown. He is probably the closest thing to a
friend in Shan's life. When Shan's use of chemicals for enhancements has taken
her to a near point of no return, she goes to Kim, who puts her right again,
with the use of more chemicals. He also supplies her with the drugs she uses to
enhance her abilities.
Everyone in the city seems to
have cybernetic enhancements, including Andromeda, a "tabber" (drug
user) who knows how to gather information when he (Andromeda is typically
considered a female name, but in this case, the character is male) can
"jack" into the net. It is not clear if Andromeda can be trusted, but
Shan has little choice; no one in the story can really be trusted beyond their
own self-interest.
Shan's most reliable helper is
Aldis, a parasite living in a canister on her side in a saline solution. Shan
consults through touch. When she puts her hand into the solution, Aldis
connects to her by drawing blood from her fingers. Aldis is also a powerful
weapon Shan uses to takedown her targets. He provides company and advice as
needed.
My favorite plot point in DevTown
is the final battle between Shan and her chief nemesis. It is a one of the best
battle scenes I have read, and the outcome is uncertain all the way through.
My takeaway from Dogs of
DevTown is Shen, a tenacious antihero, is forced into a position where she must
fight for the good of all. She is not the type to care at all for anyone else.
Because of the circumstances, she has to rely on others for help to achieve her
goal, but more to survive than anything else. The irony of this story is
palpable all the way through.
I was entertained by this book
and wanted to read on when I had to set it aside. While I didn't find any of the
characters people I could really care about, I did ironically find myself
cheering for Shan and, more so, for Andromeda. I loved the fast pace and short
length of DevTown and thought it was just right. There were moments I
felt disgusted, depressed, and excited all at the same time. The author did a
fine job setting the atmosphere for the book with descriptions making the
scenes come alive.
I would recommend this book for
those looking for a book that doesn't take a lot of thought to understand and
enjoy a lot of twists and turns in their plot lines.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
No comments:
Post a Comment