Review of Seeker 5
Posted: 10 Jan 2022, 07:27
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Seeker 5" by Tayma Tameem.]
Desert Sky by Tayma Tameem is an interesting, thought-provoking dystopian novel incorporating some elements of science fiction, and it is the second book of the Seeker 5 Series. It is set in the Republic, a totalitarian country ruled by General Garber Hillstone. Life is tough in the Republic, and every aspect of the lives of the Republic citizens is controlled by General Garber Hillstone and a few other government officials. Residential areas in the country are divided into blocks, and the majority of the blocks have one thing in common—people live in dilapidated, pitiful conditions. They also survive only on government rations, and the state of infrastructure is heart-wrenching. Jobs have all been taken by machines, and the only jobs available for humans is to either be an engineer to service the machines or join the military. In a country where favoritism, bureaucracy, and oppression are at their peaks, only a few lucky individuals get the opportunity to occupy such positions, as others languish in absolute poverty. Skylar is one of such lucky individuals salivating for the engineering posts. But before she secures a position as an engineer, she has to go through some trials.
Having passed the first phase of the trials, this sequel begins where Skylar is now going to the second phase of the trials. Skylar has to, once again, pass these rigorous, gruesome trials if she is to become an engineer and escape the hopeless life she left back at home. How will it be this time round? But one thing was for sure. Skylar would have to use every ounce of energy remaining in her, and success was far from guaranteed. I enjoyed every step of this journey.
I also liked how the author told this story from multiple perspectives. This story was told from the perspectives of the government officials and the recruits, and this enables readers to know exactly the emotions, thoughts, and ambitions of each of those parties. The characters were also interesting, relatable, and well captured. I liked the fact that, just by observing how they interacted, readers could gauge their level of familiarity with one another and the relationship between them. Apart from that, having not read the first book of the series, I was glad to realize that one does not necessarily need to have read that previous book to understand this. This book can be read as a standalone. All these, together with a satisfactory ending, enhanced my enjoyment of this book and overall reading experience.
What I liked the most about this book were the spontaneous actions it contained. There were several spontaneous, drama-filled sections, most of which came at the least expected moments. They further enhanced my enjoyment of this book.
My least favorite aspect of this book was the inconsistency in spelling the names of some of the characters. In particular, there were a few instances where Skylar was sometimes spelled as Skyler. While it is not a very serious issue, I would have liked it if the author stuck to one variation of the character’s name to ensure some level of consistency.
All in all, I greatly enjoyed this book and didn't find anything objective to dislike about it. I also believe it was professionally edited since I didn't find any grammatical errors. The above-mentioned issue was not enough to influence my final rating, and therefore, I don't see the reason to deny Desert Sky by Tayma Tameem a full rating of four out of four stars.
To fans of dystopian and fantasy stories, I highly recommend this. While there were sexual tensions among some of the characters, this novel has no erotic content at all, making it suitable for a wide range of audiences. I greatly enjoyed reading this book, and I am looking forward to its sequel.
******
Seeker 5
View: on Bookshelves
Desert Sky by Tayma Tameem is an interesting, thought-provoking dystopian novel incorporating some elements of science fiction, and it is the second book of the Seeker 5 Series. It is set in the Republic, a totalitarian country ruled by General Garber Hillstone. Life is tough in the Republic, and every aspect of the lives of the Republic citizens is controlled by General Garber Hillstone and a few other government officials. Residential areas in the country are divided into blocks, and the majority of the blocks have one thing in common—people live in dilapidated, pitiful conditions. They also survive only on government rations, and the state of infrastructure is heart-wrenching. Jobs have all been taken by machines, and the only jobs available for humans is to either be an engineer to service the machines or join the military. In a country where favoritism, bureaucracy, and oppression are at their peaks, only a few lucky individuals get the opportunity to occupy such positions, as others languish in absolute poverty. Skylar is one of such lucky individuals salivating for the engineering posts. But before she secures a position as an engineer, she has to go through some trials.
Having passed the first phase of the trials, this sequel begins where Skylar is now going to the second phase of the trials. Skylar has to, once again, pass these rigorous, gruesome trials if she is to become an engineer and escape the hopeless life she left back at home. How will it be this time round? But one thing was for sure. Skylar would have to use every ounce of energy remaining in her, and success was far from guaranteed. I enjoyed every step of this journey.
I also liked how the author told this story from multiple perspectives. This story was told from the perspectives of the government officials and the recruits, and this enables readers to know exactly the emotions, thoughts, and ambitions of each of those parties. The characters were also interesting, relatable, and well captured. I liked the fact that, just by observing how they interacted, readers could gauge their level of familiarity with one another and the relationship between them. Apart from that, having not read the first book of the series, I was glad to realize that one does not necessarily need to have read that previous book to understand this. This book can be read as a standalone. All these, together with a satisfactory ending, enhanced my enjoyment of this book and overall reading experience.
What I liked the most about this book were the spontaneous actions it contained. There were several spontaneous, drama-filled sections, most of which came at the least expected moments. They further enhanced my enjoyment of this book.
My least favorite aspect of this book was the inconsistency in spelling the names of some of the characters. In particular, there were a few instances where Skylar was sometimes spelled as Skyler. While it is not a very serious issue, I would have liked it if the author stuck to one variation of the character’s name to ensure some level of consistency.
All in all, I greatly enjoyed this book and didn't find anything objective to dislike about it. I also believe it was professionally edited since I didn't find any grammatical errors. The above-mentioned issue was not enough to influence my final rating, and therefore, I don't see the reason to deny Desert Sky by Tayma Tameem a full rating of four out of four stars.
To fans of dystopian and fantasy stories, I highly recommend this. While there were sexual tensions among some of the characters, this novel has no erotic content at all, making it suitable for a wide range of audiences. I greatly enjoyed reading this book, and I am looking forward to its sequel.
******
Seeker 5
View: on Bookshelves