Review of No Reprieve:
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Charlierabbit
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Review of No Reprieve:
[Following is a volunteer review of "No Reprieve:" by Inge-Lise Goss.]
No Reprieve: An A.I. Thriller by Inge-Lise Goss is an intriguing science-fiction read. It is the second book in a series, following No Freedom.
I will admit that I did not read the first book before diving into this one. The author provided enough detail to bring new readers along for the ride, dropping hints here and there about the previous book's events and including enough information on the setting to make it easy to get into the story.
The novel's premise is dystopian. No Reprieve takes place in a futuristic society where humans are being brought to heel by androids through societal and psychological methods. An entity called The Institute holds tremendous power over society. A young woman named Paislee secretly works for a rebel group serving to strike back against The Institute. Secrecy and the careful exchange of information are necessary among the rebels to ensure they remain under the radar. As a result, Paislee rarely knows the purpose of her missions or even the identities of her allies. She begins carrying out a task under an assumed identity, taking on a job at a courthouse where she attempts to gain information about certain judges and report back to her contacts in the rebellion.
However, her mission soon changes when she ends up back in the clutches of a former lover named Pellegrin, an android who occupies a high position within The Institute. No matter what it may cost her, she must gain his trust to learn more about the Institute's plan and report back to the rebels without arousing suspicion.
Paislee's limited knowledge of both the rebels' and Pellegrin's plans serves to strengthen the story's suspense. The main characters, especially Paislee, must live constraining and fake lives, rarely letting their true emotions show. On the one hand, this feature of the story made it difficult to relate to Paislee at times. It wasn't always possible to tell when she was acting versus expressing what she truly felt. By the end of the book, however, the choice to portray the characters as actors unable to express their feelings seemed intentional on the author's part. After all, Paislee believes in the rebellion's mission to restore human freedom so that others do not have to live under the same control she endures.
Some horrifying moments in the book relate to Paislee's "relationship" with the controlling Pellegrin, who attempts to dominate every aspect of her life. He is a compelling villain and displays some chilling abusive behavior— even if, as an android, he does not have the awareness to characterize his actions that way. The author resists painting him as sympathetic, though this would have been all too easy given his attractiveness and the physical chemistry Paislee still feels toward him (even knowing all she does about his true nature).
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It would have merited a perfect score if not for some grammatical errors, especially later in the book (the earlier chapters seem more carefully edited). There is some violence and sexual content, but nothing too gratuitous to be appropriate for most readers from teens up. I would recommend this book to fans of dystopian science fiction and suspense. The book has a satisfying ending that sets the stage for a sequel, and I look forward to reading more from this author.
******
No Reprieve:
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
No Reprieve: An A.I. Thriller by Inge-Lise Goss is an intriguing science-fiction read. It is the second book in a series, following No Freedom.
I will admit that I did not read the first book before diving into this one. The author provided enough detail to bring new readers along for the ride, dropping hints here and there about the previous book's events and including enough information on the setting to make it easy to get into the story.
The novel's premise is dystopian. No Reprieve takes place in a futuristic society where humans are being brought to heel by androids through societal and psychological methods. An entity called The Institute holds tremendous power over society. A young woman named Paislee secretly works for a rebel group serving to strike back against The Institute. Secrecy and the careful exchange of information are necessary among the rebels to ensure they remain under the radar. As a result, Paislee rarely knows the purpose of her missions or even the identities of her allies. She begins carrying out a task under an assumed identity, taking on a job at a courthouse where she attempts to gain information about certain judges and report back to her contacts in the rebellion.
However, her mission soon changes when she ends up back in the clutches of a former lover named Pellegrin, an android who occupies a high position within The Institute. No matter what it may cost her, she must gain his trust to learn more about the Institute's plan and report back to the rebels without arousing suspicion.
Paislee's limited knowledge of both the rebels' and Pellegrin's plans serves to strengthen the story's suspense. The main characters, especially Paislee, must live constraining and fake lives, rarely letting their true emotions show. On the one hand, this feature of the story made it difficult to relate to Paislee at times. It wasn't always possible to tell when she was acting versus expressing what she truly felt. By the end of the book, however, the choice to portray the characters as actors unable to express their feelings seemed intentional on the author's part. After all, Paislee believes in the rebellion's mission to restore human freedom so that others do not have to live under the same control she endures.
Some horrifying moments in the book relate to Paislee's "relationship" with the controlling Pellegrin, who attempts to dominate every aspect of her life. He is a compelling villain and displays some chilling abusive behavior— even if, as an android, he does not have the awareness to characterize his actions that way. The author resists painting him as sympathetic, though this would have been all too easy given his attractiveness and the physical chemistry Paislee still feels toward him (even knowing all she does about his true nature).
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It would have merited a perfect score if not for some grammatical errors, especially later in the book (the earlier chapters seem more carefully edited). There is some violence and sexual content, but nothing too gratuitous to be appropriate for most readers from teens up. I would recommend this book to fans of dystopian science fiction and suspense. The book has a satisfying ending that sets the stage for a sequel, and I look forward to reading more from this author.
******
No Reprieve:
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas
