The future holds a unique fascination in our minds. This is because it holds an unparalleled allure regarding the unseen yet highly awaited eventualities! Numerous books, movies, plays, and theories have been made about the imminent as well as unpredictable future. This is a very popular genre and although not a fan of such books, I wanted to try one. I picked up HERAI by author AARON D. KEY.
This story is based on a dystopian society living in an underground city, deep under the Earth. Their leader Glant believes that they need to be safe and away from the savages living high up the ground, and as such, the city has a very strict and tight patrolling 24*7. This story has a distinctive feature in that there is an all-powerful, all-knowing being who is watching the story develop in two diverse realities- in one reality a known associate of the supreme being is present who has the ability to mold situations and change the direction of the story with a clear conscience whereas in the alternate reality the absence of this enigmatic person takes the story in a totally different dimension. In both the scenarios the main protagonist is Herai, Glant's daughter who has just attained adulthood. In the first plot, Herai is brutally attacked by some unknown dissidents whose motive is not known. On the other hand, in the other plot, Herai is being given the responsibility to go Outside to seek the savages and convince them to reach a truce that will be beneficial to everyone. How the mastermind behind Herai's brutal attack is caught and to know whether she had been successful in meeting the savages is to be seen as the story progresses.
Hats off to Key for writing this story in such a different style with two simultaneous moving plots with the same characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions penned by Key. One situation that stands out in my mind is where Herai has stepped out in the Outside for the first time in her life post the attack and she is simply mesmerized on seeing trees. Moreover, Key has done a brilliant job in bringing alive the underground city with its heavy stone walls, dark damp alleyways, and musty stale air! He has even splendid in keeping the suspense of Herai's attack till the end of the story, but has not been able to keep the reader glued to Herai's journey to meet the so-called savages!
To be honest, I was confused with these two side-by-side running plots. the first 100 pages were a real task. It was only after the 100th page that my interest peaked and I could enjoy the storyline. I, for one, found the story to be a tad slow at times and wished that it could have been made sleeker! I have another complaint about this book and that is the abrupt ending. It just happened suddenly leaving an incomplete feeling in my mind. I wish the author had probably given it a more thorough finale! Hence, I would recommend this book especially to those who are fans of the sci-fi genre.
If you liked the review and want to grab a copy, just click on the given link and voila! The book is yours to enjoy:
https://amzn.to/2DM88zg
That's all for today. Happy reading till next time!
