A review by frasersimons
The Subjugate: The Salvation Series, Book I by Amanda Bridgeman

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The strength of this, for me, was from how thematically sound it is. Focused on repression, our two detectives are diametric opposites. A tight lipped and taught woman and main character, the other emotional and an anxious ball of a man. They catch a case at a community that has pulled away from technology, the brutal, sexual nature of the death unearths the characters’ past while pitting them against the community itself. Then there’s the subjugates themselves, who are… “reformed”, extremely violent offenders which live close by and help out the townsfolk with free labour. 

There’s repression everywhere and I feel the messaging was nuanced and landed well. The prose work and other aspects do feel quite commercial and vary from believable to not so believable dialogue, convenient plot beats, and a will-they-won’t-they. Without the thematics it would have been fairly forgettable, but it is a stand out, and it’s a fast paced police procedural ride.