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A review by ricksilva
The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In the near-future American Southwest, California and Nevada fight a covert war over the dwindling Colorado River while the city of Phoenix, Arizona, is dying a slow death by thirst and dust.
The story focuses on three characters: Angel, a "water knife" doing the dirty work of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Maria, a refugee from Texas making money selling water alongside a streetfood vendor, and Lucy, a news reporter whose friend just turned up dead.
The Maguffin of the story, an ancient water rights document, is a bit dubious, but the action and pacing are intense, and the worldbuilding is inspired. There are some places where the story gets predictable. There are characters that you just know are going to get killed; it's only a matter of when. But there were still enough surprises to keep it interesting.
I liked the ongoing interplay between trust and distrust among the main characters.
There is a lot of brutal material here, including some fairly graphic torture, and the future it presents is pretty bleak. But it's also carefully thought out and frighteningly believable.
The story focuses on three characters: Angel, a "water knife" doing the dirty work of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Maria, a refugee from Texas making money selling water alongside a streetfood vendor, and Lucy, a news reporter whose friend just turned up dead.
The Maguffin of the story, an ancient water rights document, is a bit dubious, but the action and pacing are intense, and the worldbuilding is inspired. There are some places where the story gets predictable. There are characters that you just know are going to get killed; it's only a matter of when. But there were still enough surprises to keep it interesting.
I liked the ongoing interplay between trust and distrust among the main characters.
There is a lot of brutal material here, including some fairly graphic torture, and the future it presents is pretty bleak. But it's also carefully thought out and frighteningly believable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Violence