Review: Condemnation by Kell Inkston
Come with me, take a wild ride into this Dystopian, (Steampunk feely) Action Adventure, Coming of Age tale. Because yes, it's all of the above,and more. I usually don't count myself among the fans of Dystopian (not when it comes to reading) and I don't know why that is. Maybe because I'm not big on excessive world building. (Which is needed, of course, I just don't like it very much. Personal preference here.)
Regardless, I absolutely enjoyed this book! The world building is clear, and never more than it has to be. Buuut... I'm getting ahead of myself.
Yes! There it is! Pretty, right? I love how the cover blends all of what the book entails and presents it friggin gorgeously!
What it's about:
(Blurb taken from Amazon)
Her world is a lie, and that lie wants her dead.
As a student of the prestigious Royal Academy, Clare's work on automatons needs to not only impress her professors, but also honor the legacy of her late mother - who wrote the book on humanity's mechanized companions. Clare discovers a hidden recording at home that reveals an inconvenient truth, and now she believes there's a chance her mother could be alive. This means the police lied to her about her mother's fate... but why? There's only one way to find out. Sneaking underground into the forbidden substation system, Clare does find something: It has intelligence. It hunts. It can KILL. She finds a perfect copy of her walled-off city, and something's wrong; something's very wrong. If you love thrillers, fantasy, dystopian settings, or just the kinds of chills that keep their nails in you even after you've put it down, look no further; welcome to Substation 7.
What I think about it:
Well, in short, I loved it. The writing style is very different from what I'm used to, but I adored it. It took me a little to get used to the tone but the world building and scene setting was always clear, and precisely worded, so I found my way around fairly quick. The way the author writes made me nostalgic in a way, it always has a... wink, for lack of a better word. Yes, I'd say the author writes with a wink in his words. And I love that.
The storyline itself has many twists and turns, and even though one feels a bit shielded from the characters because of how the story is told, I sweated and suffered with Clare, I was mad at her and I felt for her. Which is the most important part of any story; it made me feel. And it is clever. But most of all it is exciting. There are a few breathers here and there, but most of the time you just want to keep on turning the pages to see what happens. A thrilling ride for sure.
What's right with it:
Clare is a young woman, who takes on a task so vast it made me dizzy, but I never once questioned her reasons or her resolve. She makes sense, even when she makes mistakes, and that made me root for her.
The characters feel all too real, even the non-human ones. I especially enjoyed Carrie, and the banter she has with Clare. I expect them to become as thick as thieves as the story progresses.
As I said before, the overbuilding does not overwhelm me and the technical aspects were interestingly shown and explained, so I didn't skip any of it. (To my shame, yes, I start skipping when things get over-explanatory.)
Also noteworthy are the details which make this book great. I felt Clare's suffering, I felt her iron will, and I smelled, tasted and felt the same things she did, which did elicit the one or other 'eww'.
What's wrong with it:
Oh, nitpicky me, here we go again.
The ending was a bit abrupt, even for a cliffhanger. I don't mind cliffhangers at all, but it felt a little too cut off. But I really don't mind cause the next book will be out in November. So I'd say it really is only a small speck on this edge-of-your-seat-ride of a book.
Who it's for:
People who are into Dystopian, Steampunk (yes, the whole book has a steampunky vibe for me), Action Adventure, and coming of age tales. Also, for people who enjoy great storytelling and a wink between the words now and then ;)
Get it HERE
Get lost in Kell Inkston's work:
