Reviews

I loved Brown's previous Tropic of Kansas and I loved this novel. A deeply researched dystopian legal thriller that thinks hard about how the law could function an increasingly authoritarian American state in an increasingly insecure world. The most realistic-feeling dystopian novel I've ever read.

jeremiah_scanlan's review against another edition

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dark funny tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This feels oddly early-draft - the plot ideas are there but are spliced together haphazardly, the prose is often unnecessarily clumsy. But that's forgivable, because it's the world building that counts, and it's the most believable vision of a dystopian America I've ever read.

trudy4088d's review against another edition

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adventurous tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

fredkiesche's review against another edition

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5.0

If John Brunner and William Gibson, with a dash of Rudy Rucker, were to collaborate on a book, this frightening wake up call might be the result.

nfiertz's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

joosty's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

norma_cenva's review against another edition

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4.0

This one was on my to-read-list for quite a while. I knew I wanted to read it but did not know if this would be a story for me. I was pleasantly surprised. This is a very unique blend of dystopian eco-fiction. It might not seem like it in the beginning, but the story is as much about ecology as it is about law and I loved it!

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