3 out of 4 stars
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‘Vice Womb Age’ by M Colin Alston belongs to the science fiction genre and is the first book in the series. At its heart, it is a story of greed, love, protection & revenge. A series of events are told from the perspectives of many characters, each with their own background stories. The book is set mainly in a sanctuary, wherein the order of the VICE WOMB (a religious organization) is followed.
Cornelius (Also called Danso) serves within a sanctuary & is waiting for the opportunity to kill his wife, Nissa. Nissa, along with her lover, had attempted to kill Danso, to be able to rise in power. Danso believes that she also killed his pupil & love, Gho’a. On hearing that Nissa is on her way to the sanctuary, Danso plans on taking his revenge, using the power of D.U.S.Ts. [he becomes aware of this technology towards the beginning of the book] However, those who are in power within the sanctuary plan on killing Danso first.
Bar has been given the responsibility of bringing pilgrims to the sanctuary safely. She has a shady past & views this task as an opportunity for redemption. However, the group is repeatedly attacked. Having seen the deaths of many innocent people, including children, she finds herself questioning her faith.
Ursula & Varinia, who are sisters, were brought to the sanctuary by their aunt. Ursula, who witnessed her father’s suffering (which was caused by her aunt) & has learnt about the traditions within the sanctuary, tries to warn her sister about their future if they remain in the sanctuary.
All these stories take place at the same time & overlap each other. While there are many characters in the book, each character is well developed & is realistic. All characters have their own strengths, flaws and motives. The book is told from the perspectives of many characters. While this made the plot confusing at times, it enabled me to understand the motives & emotions of all characters. I liked how the author brought out the personalities of characters through their reactions to events, rather than simply describing them.
Initially, the book made very little sense to me. A description of Danso being bullied (at the beginning of the book) was followed with a description of Bar leading the pilgrims & fighting against the attackers. I thought that the transition was very abrupt & random. Further, many characters & situations were introduced together. If I hadn’t been reviewing the book, I might have given it up at this point. However, towards the middle of the book, all the storylines come together beautifully. Having finished reading the book, I’m simply amazed at the author’s imagination.
What I didn’t like about the book, however, were the excessive descriptions. There were many disturbing scenes (and sexual scenes) which were described in detail, making the book appropriate only for mature readers. While some of these scenes were essential to the plot, I thought that some scenes were relatively insignificant and could have been briefer. These descriptions made the pace of the plot slow. According to me, the book could have been a page turner if it had a faster pace.
The book deals with many forms of human relationships & many aspects of human behaviour. It describes relationships between sisters, partners, and even strangers! The book describes a person’s greed for power and the tendency of people to question their faith when their expectations aren’t met. Although they aren’t conveyed directly, there are many important messages for readers in this book. This is what I liked best about the book.
Lastly, in terms of language, the book was easy to follow. Although I noticed a few minor grammatical errors, they did not interrupt my flow of reading. The book has been formatted well and overall, it seems to be professionally edited.
I would rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. The book has a unique and interesting plot. Further, I liked how all the storylines came together towards the middle of the book. I would have placed this book in the ‘must-read’ category if it had fewer descriptions and a faster pace. Due to the mature content of the book, I would recommend it to adults who like science fiction and do not mind detailed descriptions.
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Vice Womb Age
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