Rise of the Red Hand by Olivia ChadhaMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Rise of the Read Hand is set in the South Asian Province (aka Indian subcontinent) in a post apocalyptic world. The world building incorporates cyberpunk elements within a stratified class system determined by genetics. Only a few [Uplanders] are blessed with the perfect genes needed to successfully link with the computer algorithm (Not quite an AI) that is responsible for coordinating the people and resources needed to survive, but the unlucky [Downlanders] are left to scavenge for themselves in the poisoned world that remains after WWIII. Frequently these means cobbling together cybernetic replacements for missing body parts (the existence of which is enough to prevent you from being accepted by the elite). In the background is a raging pandemic that complicates things for both sides and forces some rather questionable behavior from the powers that be, who themselves are competing for resources from the "Planetary Alliance Commission" (PAC) that prioritizes resources to governments can prove they can effective manage them ... and the neural synch from Solace Corp was created to prevent much needed resources from being reassigned elsewhere.
The story itself comes across a bit choppy with the word choice and diction similar to what I have found in books that have been translated to English and which make it difficult for me to understand some of the cultural nuance. Some of it worked okay, such as calling the prosthetic components for cyborgs replacements. Character interactions seem to be more forced and less natural that I am used to, but they still end about where you would expect then to within the dystopian, cyberpunk tropes. Even the apparent "Romeo and Juliet" romance comes across a tad perfunctory. This would not be as much of an issue if it were not for a rather hamfisted use of info-dumps ... which can be useful in the right place, but should NEVER be repeated. Over all it was an okay story within an interesting world that earned it an extra star on that point alone.
I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
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