4 out of 4 stars
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The entire system had been corrupted by the power of money, but he had been elected by the people. He would no longer be called Roger Cunningham. If they wanted to live to see another day they called him Emperor. Author Bernadette Giacomazzo tells the epic tale of the people who fought against a new oppressive power in the city they loved in The Gathering: Book One of The Uprising Series.
It was a life of sex, drugs, and rock and roll for the members of the rock band, Faust. Lead by the alluring Ivan Sapphire, Faust was beloved across the country. Life was a dream until the Emperor took over. Lives were lost, and Ivan Sapphire became Jamie Ryan again. A stage name was not needed without a stage.
The beautiful Evanora, step-daughter of the powerful Emperor, had never seen her biological father’s face. He died when she was a baby, and it seemed to Evanora that the Emperor wanted to completely erase her father’s existence. An explosion unexpectedly brought Evanora and Jamie together, and they learn that they share more than just a longing for freedom from the Emperor. The two become unlikely partners in the creation of the uprising. The fight for freedom and the restoration of New York City began.
I am a dystopian story skeptic because I feel like it has all been done. This story changed my mind. The plot is unlike any I have read before. Also, there are subtle allusions to the current state of the world. These allusions highlight how easily fiction can become reality.
The story is told with intermittent character flashbacks. This can cause confusion in many novels, but this is not the case here. This well-written story is easy to follow and understand. The characters are celebrities, so I did not find them to be relatable. I did, however, find them to be extremely likable. Evanora is intelligent and mature, and Jamie is a rockstar. Jamie absolutely possesses the charming rockstar magnetism. These well-developed characters have extensive backstories that make their motivation clear to the reader. On the other hand, I would have enjoyed more information on a few of the important supporting characters. I am longing to know more about the Emperor’s past and what truly drives him. Perhaps this information will be revealed in later installments of the series.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. The story is written with understandable language, and this makes it very easy to follow from each moment to the next. A reader must not be offended by profanity to enjoy this novel. These rockstars speak as one would expect. Lovers of dystopian fiction will enjoy this book, and I highly recommend this novel to all fiction readers. There is one minor misspelling, but it caused no distraction. This expertly written page-turner kept me entertained from start to finish.
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The Gathering
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