To Retribution

Having spent most of my adult life living in places where freedom was limited for many years, I found it remarkably easy to become immersed in the scenario. This time, however, the action takes place in the future and the novel is set in Britain, which led to a certain uneasiness as the story unfolded. I quickly warmed to the characters and became absorbed by the story. How would I have behaved in each scenario? I could not wait to keep reading to find out what would happen. Fast-paced and very relevant to our world of corruption and political intrigue, this story is a fantastic debut covering social and ethical issues in such a way that compels you to keep reading.

A brilliant book that really got me thinking about what could potentially happen at some point in the future, and that is a disturbing thought indeed and given all the uncertainty at the moment it is all the more worrying and real. All of the characters are believable and well thought out and their various purpose’s within the plot are not predictable or dull.

I read this at every available opportunity and truly enjoyed it, as it has the right mixture of what is needed

I was excited to read To Retribution as I’m partial to a political thriller. Based in a Britain that is governed by the far right, in which liberty has been infringed and the media is censored, Suze, Jake and Brian, three journalists, find themselves on the run from the security force, New Dawn.

The book starts with a bang, with action and danger present from the outset. I was hooked immediately, wondering what would become of our three heroes. It doesn’t let up with Curlew really turning it up a gear in Part Two.

With the rise of the far right across Europe in real life, To Retribution, gives a glimpse into what Britain could be like if the fear that is peddled to us by certain political groups really took hold. We are taken on a journey in which brainwashing is the norm and mistrust and ignorance have divided a country.

Thinking I had it all worked out, the story took a route I was not expecting. What seems to be a fairly straight-forward tale turns out to be something completely different.

Sending you into the ‘who can I trust’ mind set, I spent a lot of time being suspicious of characters met along the way. This fits with the tone of the book as the society we are immersed in plays on mistrust. I really liked the main character, Suze, she is strong-minded and resilient. Concentrating on the action aspect, I did feel I had missed out a little on how some of her experiences made her feel, as this is not gone into in depth. This did not stop me from feeling affection for her, however, and I do like the characters Curlew has created.

First off all I am going to be honest and say that I stepped out of my comfort zone when I chose to read this book. However I do like to read widely and in different genres, and I am glad that I gave this book a chance.

Set in Britain in a indeterminate time in the not too distant future, this book is an examination of what it would be like if the military were to take over. It also shows the consequences of this and the imagined world that this change of leadership would represent.

Now you might be forgiven that this slightly dystopian future that is presented in this story would be impossible, but the story took on a certain plausibility and I could certainly buy into many aspects of the plot.

I am the person who hasn’t made it past Chapter 8 of 1984 by George Orwell as I was too scared by the prediction of it all. So I am surprised I managed to read all of this without running away.

The story tackles a number of political and social issues some of which are commonplace even in the current times. The author has created a solid set of characters and created a landscape that is well imagined. I found the story to be thrilling and found myself turning the pages faster and faster to reach the conclusion.

My favourite character is Ranulf although it is in question as to whether this is his real name. Ranulf played an instrumental part in the story and he basically lives a nomadic and self sufficient lifestyle. He fends for and depends on himself, he is strong and independent and he has a good heart. I admired his qualities, he was a refreshing change against the brutal landscape and gave others characters reason to hope and reasons to survive.

I would recommend this book if you like political thrillers but also if you want to have your thoughts provoked by current issues and issues that could occur in the future. An original, well written book with an intriguing plot.